My first experience with a pesto-style dish was in my Greek grandmother’s house.  Yia Yia prepared every family member’s favorite dish and my father’s was skordalia, the traditional Greek garlic sauce.  As a child in Crete, where almonds are plentiful and full of flavor, her mother taught her the art of the dish; she learned to prepare the skordalia by pounding garlic, almonds and olive oil with a mortar and pestle.  We always knew when we walked into her home that she had prepared the skordalia because of the heavy garlic smell in the air. It seemed to stay in our mouths for days and even crept out of our pores as garlic-tinged sweat.  Over the years, my dad was the only one adventurous enough to indulge, which he would do on a Friday so he could return to work on Monday with minimal effect.

The Italian word pesto is often used to describe a combination of ground garlic, basil and pine nuts, although the preparation method of grinding ingredients into a paste is universal and cross-cultural.  Ever since man discovered how to grind and pound food products with stone and wood, this method has been employed in traditional cuisines around the world to create sauces, condiments, bases and pastes which enhance flavor profiles. Every culture put their stamp on the method with the common denominator being a mortar and pestle or grinding stone and it is a superb way to add a savory and flavorful edge to a dish without frying or grilling.

A Sicilian version is pesto rosso which substitutes almonds for pine nuts and adds tomatoes with less basil.  In Mediterranean France, a cold sauce made from garlic, basil and olive oil is the base for the much-acclaimed pistou soup in Provence.

In India, I watched cooks deftly handle a flat grindstone with a rectangular pestle to create intensely flavored mint chutneys, robust masala pastes and pesto-like fillings for a variety of breads and savories.  The grinding stones would absorb the right amount of moisture and unique flavors would be developed by the grinding action.  I was so enamored by the amazing quality of these preparations that I carried two of these heavy stones home on a flight.

Central and South American cuisines have a long history of grinding spices, pastes and mole bases using a metate or mealing stone. Chimichurri sauce is one of the well known sauces to use this method.  One can imagine my pesto recipe being made on a metate grindstone in an adobe kitchen a hundred years ago.  Nutty toasted pepitas with crushed garlic, freshly squeezed lime juice, brightly flavored cilantro and smokey fire-roasted poblano chiles provocatively meld together to create an explosion of flavor in any dish that it is served with.  I particularly like it as a foil to corn dishes and often pair it with Quinoa-Corn Arepas and Chocolate Cherry Salsa from my cookbook Vegetarian Traditions.  The bright flavor of the pesto is the perfect companion to the natural sweetness of the corn and deep, dark anti-oxidant-rich salsa.

Today, I often make pesto with a food processor, which is a compromise for the sake of modern efficiency.  However, if you have a metate, or mortar & pestle and a little extra time, I encourage you to use it–not just for the earthly connection and romance of hand-working one’s food, but also for the flavor.

This easy-to-prepare recipe works well in sandwiches, as a mezzes-style dip, a quesadilla filling or a layer in a tortilla casserole.

Pepita & Fire Roasted Poblano Pesto

1/2 cup pepitas, toasted
1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 poblano chile, fire roasted, stemmed and seeded

In a food processor, grind pepitas to a meal, add all pesto ingredients and pulse to a coarse consistency.  Store in an air-tight container and keep refrigerated.

One of my favorite amaranth varieties is red orach,  also known as garden orach, French spinach and mountain spinach.  Red orach was first documented in the New World in 1714 and Thomas Jefferson grew a green variety in his Monticello gardens.  It was discovered as far back as Mesolithic times and was commonly grown in the Mediterranean before spinach became popular;  the  red and green varieties were used to color pastas in Italy due to natural color retention. A member of the salt-bush family, the tender leaves have a light salty flavor which combines nicely with sorrel’s lemony flavor.  The over-sized leaves and colorful presence make orach a favored annual in ornamental gardens.

In San Diego, I first began seeing Red orach in the La Milpa Organica booth at the Hillcrest Farmers Market a few years ago.  Farmer Barry Logan specialized in ancient greens and heirloom vegetable varieties which made his stall the organic anchor of the market.  While La Milpa is no longer operating, the influence lives on. Suzie’s Farm is growing many of the varieties Barry used to sell and I was pleasantly surprised to see red orach a couple of weeks ago and began using it in salads, greens, tarts, pastries and, of course, stuffed dishes. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of cooking red orach, have no fear–it’s easy to work with.  If you can’t find it at your local market, request it, talk your local farmer into growing it and/or plant it in your garden as a culinary ornamental.

Stuffed Red Orach with Pomegranate Molasses

10 large red orach leaves

Filling
1/2 cup garbanzo beans, cooked
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, cooked
1 tablespoon green onion, minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Mix garbanzos, artichoke, green onion, sea salt and oil in a food processor and process to a coarse paste. Place a generous tablespoon of filling on the wide end of a leaf and roll into a thick cigar shape.  Repeat until all leaves are used.

Cook
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons white spring onion, minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice

Place a ten-inch skillet on medium-high heat and cook the oil, crushed red pepper, onions and garlic until the onions are clear around the edges.  Placed the red orach rolls in the pan, cover and let sear for 1 minute.  Pour in the lemon juice, cover, turn down heat to low and cook for another 2 minutes.  Turn the burner off and leave covered until ready to serve.

Pomegranate Molasses

2 cups fresh pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons agave syrup
2 teaspoons Meyer lemon juice

Place a skillet on medium heat, add all ingredients and reduce to a syrup consistency.  Allow to cool before using.  May be prepared ahead of time to use as a condiment.

Serve
Drizzle Pomegranate Molasses onto plate and place a red orach roll on top.  Serve hot.

Notes:
To simplify the cooking process and make it a quick dish, use Eden Foods organic canned garbanzo beans and organic canned artichoke hearts.

I use fresh pressed organic pomegranate juice from Lone Oak Ranch but the recipe will be fine with bottled 100% pomegranate juice.

A Lifestyle of Romance

This is the time of year to shake off the dust of distraction, polish our manners and look for creative ways to express ourselves romantically.   Often the centerpieces of these endeavors are built around sensual foods and, when wooing our loved ones on Valentines Day, chocolate rules supreme.

The roots of St Valentines Day lay in Rome with February marking the beginning of Spring on the Roman Calendar.  At that time, every household was swept out and  sprinkled with salt and spelt berries. The fertility festival, Lupercalia, began on the Ides of February (15th) and was celebrated throughout Rome by pairing unmarried youths until the following February, often resulted in marriages.

Roman culture had a great appreciation for earth’s beauty and those who inhabited it.  They celebrated the gifts of the land and the power of attraction which is intimately intertwined like a grape vine in an arbor. One could reason this had something to do with the word romance being derived from Roman.

In 485 A.D., the Catholic church sought to Christianize the Lupercalia festival by celebrating Saint Valentine, thought to be a martyred priest from two centuries prior.  As a result, the romantic aspect of the celebration does not appear again until the Middle Ages.  It was the mid 19th century when it began to resemble the phenomena it is today.

On Valentine’s Day, when the meal is emotionally charged, there is one ingredient that is a “must” on the menu–chocolate.  Chocolate has long been known as an all around sensual ingredient.  The Aztecs called it “Nourishment of the Gods.”  Not only does it enchant us with its dark seductive flavor, but it contains compounds which have an immediate sensual effect as well as long lasting health benefits.

This dessert, Hazelnut Love Bites, is a combination of three luscious flavors and textures–hazelnut, raspberry and chocolate–all making for a passionate dessert experience.

Love Bites

Makes 24 Love Bites

Bites

1/3 cup ground hazelnuts
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup evaporated cane juice (organic sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
2/3 cups plain soy milk
1/4 block (3 ounces) firm silken-style tofu
1/8 cup raw cashew nuts, ground to a meal
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350º F. Using a 24 cup mini cupcake pan, line each cup with unbleached baking cups. Put hazelnuts, flour, baking powder, evaporated cane juice and arrowroot into a large bowl and whisk together with a French whip. In a blender, puree soy milk, tofu and cashews to a smooth consistency. Transfer to another large bowl and stir in canola oil and vanilla. Combine the two mixtures and stir vigorously for one minute to develop the gluten in the flour. Fill each cup to just below the rim and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean(a little sticky is Ok).  Allow to cool.

Raspberry Sauce

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon evaporated cane juice
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat a saucepan on medium heat. Add all ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Then strain by pushing through a fine wire strainer with a rubber spatula until only the seeds are left–really work it. Discard seeds. Return strained raspberries to pan and simmer for another 5 minutes. Reserve.

Chocolate Ganache

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup evaporated cane juice
1/2 cup plain soy milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a double boiler on medium heat, add all chocolate ganache ingredients. Stir periodically and cook for about 30 minutes until chocolate is melted and smooth. Test a drop on a cold plate, it should set up to a frosting consistency.  Allow to cool and reserve.

Assembly

When the cupcakes are cool, use a small pointed-tip knife to create a crater in the center of each cake, then pour in a small amount of raspberry sauce.  To frost, either use a flat knife to frost each cupcake or put frosting into a pastry bag and pipe.
Ready to serve.

Note:

I only use organic and unadulterated ingredients

Through personal example, my father inspired me to respect beauty and romance on a daily basis–one never knows when they will be encountered, often by chance.   He often expressed his inspirations through poetry.

Beauty

With the kindness of its weather,

San Diego has developed multiple forms of beauty.

(My words of enthusiasm are difficult to restrain.)

The soil harbors and embraces plants which give birth

to hundreds of varieties of flowers.

Their creative method of procreation is:

they make their flowers so fragrant and colorful

that the bees and other pertinent species

are attracted to visit,

To collect their nectar, and thereby leave tracks

from gathering visits to neighboring flowers.

The plants then “eat”, and become happily pregnant.

This is the intelligence of beauty!

Now the plants we call ‘trees’ reach high for the sky

and its sunshine.

Each family has its own leaf formation, and height,

their arms lissome to the winds,

as their hair of leaves is tousled.

And we humans too enjoy our views of them.

~Spyros Vutetakis 2007

Happy Valentines Day!

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Vegetarian Traditions Video

Cranberries have been part of the American diet for a long time. Early immigrants learned about them from the native, indigenous tribes in New England where they became synonymous with late Autumn and, of course, Thanksgiving.  While various health benefits have been touted for years, such as the cranberry’s unique ability to prevent UTI’s, only recently has the true super-food quality of the berry become evident.  The anti-oxidant properties of the cranberry surpass even the heralded pomegranate.

Often, we are uninspired when working with cranberries.  Thanksgiving dinners have been adorned with the same cranberry-orange relish or the compulsory cranberry jello mold for a hundred years, usually made with large doses of refined sugar to counteract the tartness.

While cooking at my restaurant, I was inspired by the local organic cranberries at the Royal Oak Farmers Market and used them in savory dishes to counter balance the sweet flavors of squash or corn.  In my cookbook, Vegetarian Traditions, there is a recipe for Quinoa-Corn Arepas with a Chocolate-Cherry Salsa.  Recently, I adapted the salsa recipe by replacing the cherries with cranberries, making a new and exciting cranberry dish for the Thanksgiving table.

Cranberry Chocolate Salsa

Makes 2 1/2 cups

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic, finely minced

1/2 cup sweet onions, finely diced

2 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

1 1/2 teaspoons toasted and ground dried pasilla (ancho) chiles

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 1/2 ounces organic semi-sweet 70% chocolate

1/4 cup evaporated cane juice

1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt

1 cup water

In a 4 quart sauce pan on medium-high heat, cook the oil, garlic and onions until the onions become clear around the edges.  Add the cranberries and the rest of ingredients.  Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Uncover, mash the cranberries and simmer for another 4 minutes.  Serve warm.

The story of zucchini is a tale of empires, beginning with Columbus’ voyages to and from the New World.  He took the first zucchino (meaning small squash) seeds back to his native Italy where the vegetable zucchini became ensconced into Italian cuisine.  It is a prolific plant with with a number of varieties and  culinary options; they can be grated, fried, stuffed, steamed, boiled, shaved or baked. Even the flowers are stuffed, sauteed, fried, or used in salads.   Italian immigrants brought the seeds back to the Americas at the beginning of the 20th century.

This recipe came about when I needed a colorful side dish to present for a demonstration.  It is simple, easy to make and highlights the beautiful traits of the baby globe zucchini.

Stuffed Globe Zucchini

Globe Squash

Lemon Almond Pesto

Assembly

Notes:

Alu Methi Tikki

Superfoods for better living!

I prepare food based on culinary traditions from around the world.  The dishes are healthy, full of flavor and enriched with the vitality of the freshest local ingredients.

Springtime is an ideal time to jump start your health by adding the wonders of the early Spring “super foods” to your diet.  At local markets across the country, the farmers are bringing in their bounties–a reflection of the powerful, regenerative energy of the earth. Every Sunday I marvel at the variety of freshly harvested produce at my local farmer’s market in San Diego–the Hillcrest Farmer’s Market.  One of my spring favorites, organic asparagus, disappears early, so I try to arrive before the large crowds and am always thrilled to find I haven’t missed them.

Asparagus, one of the healthiest vegetables,  acts as a diuretic and is full of vitamin K and folates.  It helps to lower blood pressure, reduces arthritic inflamation, promotes cellular rejuvenation and has anti-cancer properties.  The perfect resume for a vegetable.

Otherwise known as “baked-in-parchment,” en papillote is a wonderful method for cooking vegetables quickly while infusing flavor and retaining nutrients.  I thought we would cook my treasured asparagus en papillote for a quick lunch. The entire process took 30 minutes and that included preheating my Wolf oven to 400 degrees convection.  If you do not have a convection oven, preheat it to 425 degrees.

Barry Koral, one of the farmers at the Hillcrest Farmers Market in San Diego, and I wax poetically every Sunday as shoppers clamor for his avocados, chermoyas, guavas, sapotes, passion fruit, Persian limes, kumquats, blood oranges, Meyer lemons and local macadamia nuts. Although he is not “certified” organic, he describes everything he does at the farm as “beyond organic.” He is a “fixture” at the market, proclaiming to all who pass by the value of his avocados, the life-giving properties of his figs or the “passion” in his passion fruits.

A few weeks ago, he invited my wife and me to an event at his home and orchard in Vista, a community within San Diego County. It was a live-food celebration with about fifty people in attendance. When we arrived, I immediately sensed that this was a “connected” domicile, reminding me of similar homes where the energy of the residents seem to be “one” with the living cycles of the planet. Barry seemed to take enormous pleasure entertaining his guests with his wit, creative spirit and love of life. It was a marvel to see him work the room and share quality moments with each person in attendance. After he delivered a spirited talk and shared poetry with all of us, the crowd took to the raw food buffet like wheat-grass to a juicer. The food was fresh and vitalizing, and everyone seemed re-energized by the association and community spirit.

Raw Ginger-Beet Salad

6 cups raw beets, peeled and grated

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon fresh ginger juice

1/4 cup sweet onions, minced

Mix all ingredients in a bowl fifteen minutes before serving.

Quesadillas, as most people know them, are a study in cheese.  A white flour tortilla with a few onions, a sprinkle of jalapeños and perhaps a a few tomatoes, kernels of corn or fresh cilantro held together with oozing melted cheese. As an occasional culinary distraction this may sound good, but it is not something to eat everyday–perhaps something to eat when stranded on an island without anything else.

My Amaranth Quesadillas have provocative flavors and a creamy texture–without the dairy. They make excellent appetizers, party snacks or light meals. I made this recipe for lunch recently after a Hillcrest Farmers Market shopping trip.  All the vegetables I used for the quesadillas were what I had just purchased, fresh and fragrant.  The tortillas I choose are locally-made, par-cooked Mama Cesana Wheat Tortillas.  A quick heat on the grill cooks them up nicely and adds a favorable carbon flavor.  It is possible to do the same grill treatment with pre-cooked tortillas, but only to bring them back to a fresh-cooked state.

Amaranth is considered one of nature’s super-foods and is used in tropical and temperate climates around the world, especially India.  I first experienced it during an early summer trip to Crete as a green called “vleeta,” used by the Greeks in Horta (boiled greens).  The variety commonly used there is a green one.

Similar to buckwheat and quinoa, the Amaranth seed grains are without gluten and have unusually complete proteins. Like spinach, it has a high oxalic acid content Hopi Indians used red color-producing plant as a clothes dye.  If red amaranth is not available, spinach, lacinato kale, lamb’s quarters or mache would work well for this recipe.

Makes 4 quesadillas

Amaranth
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sweet onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 bunch red amaranth, large stems removed, chopped (3 cups)
Using a 10 to 12 inch skillet on medium heat, cook oil, onion and garlic until the onions are clear around the edges.  Add the amaranth and cook until the stems are tender.  Reserve.
Peppers
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sweet onions, finely diced
1 cup green bell peppers, finely diced
1 tablespoon jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Using a 12 inch skillet on medium heat, cook oil, onions, bell peppers and jalapenos until the onions are clear around the edges. Add sea salt, transfer and reserve.

Pesto
3/4 cup cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teapoon garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup pepitas
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until a coarse pesto consistency. Reserve.

Salsa

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sweet onion, minced
1 tablespoon jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
1 cup fresh tomato, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
In a small sauce pan on medium heat, cook oil, garlic, onion and jalapeño.  Cook until the onion is turning clear around the edges, then add the tomato, sea salt and vinegar.  Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until tomatoes are cooked, then stir in the cilantro and turn off.  Reserve.
Garnish
1 avocado sliced into small cubes
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

4 whole wheat tortilla flat breads, 10 to 12 inches in diameter
3 tablespoons olive oil
Lay a tortilla on a flat and clean surface and spread 2 tablespoons pesto mixture on one half of the tortilla.  Spread 1/4 cup amaranth mixture evenly on top of the pesto.  Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons pepper mixture evenly across the amaranth.  Fold the tortilla to a half moon shape.  Repeat with three more tortillas. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12 inch skillet on medium heat.  Cook two quesadillas at a time and add more oil as necessary.  Lightly brown on one side and turn over to brown the other side. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into triangles.  Serve with salsa and avocado garnish.