2 small zucchini, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
2 small yellow crookneck or summer squash, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 good-sized clove)
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (or a combination of oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
About 1/3 cup water
Creamy Polenta (recipe follows)
1. Place a large (10-to 12-inch) heavy skillet or a Dutch oven over medium heat. After about a minute, pour in the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onion becomes translucent. Add the mushrooms and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to soften and any liquid they have given off has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the zucchini and yellow squash, plus the garlic, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Cook for just 2 minutes, stirring often. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomatoes with all their liquid, plus the water. Cover the pot with the lid slightly askew and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. (While the ragout is simmering, make the polenta.)
3. Serve the polenta in soup bowls or pasta plates, topped with the ragout.
* * *
GET CREATIVE
Garnish with crunchy coarse salt.
Pass grated Parmesan cheese at the table for sprinkling over the ragout.
Drizzle a high-quality olive oil over each serving.
For a richer flavor, you can substitute butter for half of the olive oil.
You could serve the ragout with penne pasta instead of polenta. Boil 6 ounces penne, drain, and toss with the warm ragout.
* * *
creamy polenta
Makes 4 servings
Polenta, the dish, is Italian-style cornmeal mush. Polenta, the ingredient, is coarsely ground cornmeal, often found in the bulk bins in supermarkets and also commonly available packaged. Rich, creamy polenta isn’t difficult to make. As long as you keep it warm and keep stirring, it will stay nice and soft. You can add a little water if it starts to get too thick. It will firm up the more you let it cool.
4 cups cold water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup polenta
1. Pour the water into a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Then very gradually sprinkle in the polenta while whisking continuously.
2. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking or stirring very frequently, for 15 minutes, or until the grains are no longer crunchy and the texture is smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.
* * *
GET CREATIVE
To make this polenta richer, stir in 2 tablespoons butter and ¼ cup grated Parmesan or other flavorful grating cheese (such as pecorino or Asiago). You can also add a spoonful of Gorgonzola.
You can pour fully cooked polenta into a loaf pan (rinse the pan first with cold water but don’t dry it) and refrigerate it. Once it’s chilled, unmold it, cut it into thick slices, and fry them in butter or olive oil in a nonstick skillet until golden brown. Serve with your favorite toppings or just a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and black pepper.
* * *
artichoke, goat cheese, tomato, and red onion focaccia
Makes 2 or 3 servings
Focaccia, that soft, irresistible bread that’s so popular in restaurants and sandwich shops, is basically just pizza dough baked in a pan with sides, so it rises a bit higher than pizza and takes on a squared-off shape. It’s easy to bake your own using store-bought pizza dough, which is sold both fresh (in the refrigerator case) and frozen (often near the pie dough) in many supermarkets. Topping it with a few vegetables and some goat cheese is all it takes to turn focaccia into a great main dish. Look for whole wheat dough, which is particularly nice in this recipe. The topping amounts suggested below are on the modest side, because that’s the balance I like, but feel free to increase them a bit—just be sure to leave some dough showing through here and there so it browns nicely. You can cut this into large pieces for dinner, or into smaller ones to serve warm or at room temperature for lunch or as a party snack. It wouldn’t be a bad breakfast-grab, either.
1 tablespoon cornmeal or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 pound store-bought pizza dough (thawed according to package directions, if purchased frozen)
One 6.5-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced in half, if large
6 large cherry tomatoes (about 1-inch diameter), cut into 3 slices each
1 medium red onion, cut into
¼-inch-thick slices
½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
½ cup crumbled goat cheese (plain or herbed)
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Sprinkle the cornmeal or flour onto a baking tray, and spread it into a thin layer. Place the dough on top of the cornmeal, and gently stretch and press it into a 9-by 13-inch rectangle (see “Working with Pizza Dough,” below). Let the dough rest for 20 to 30 minutes to rise and puff up slightly.
3. Arrange the artichokes, tomato slices, onion slices (separated into individual rings), and rosemary over the surface of the dough, and then scatter the goat cheese evenly on top.
4. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown on the bottom and the cheese is turning brown around the edges. Allow to cool at room temperature for a minute or two before slicing.
5. Serve hot, topped with a few grinds of black pepper.
* * *
GET CREATIVE
Make this vegan by omitting the goat cheese.
Garnish the focaccia with some good-quality olive oil and crunchy coarse salt right after it comes out of the oven.
Vary the vegetables: You can use Fajita-Style Peppers and Onions (Chapter 7: Sides), any leftover cooked vegetables, sliced marinated sun-dried tomatoes, capers, or pitted olives.
Experiment with different cheeses, substituting grated fontina, mozzarella, Asiago, or smoked Gouda.
Leftovers are great as a brown-bag sandwich (wrap two squares face-to-face).
* * *
WORKING WITH PIZZA DOUGH
Before using frozen pizza dough, let it defrost completely in the refrigerator. If it’s too sticky to handle, flour your hands and the work surface very lightly, or spray both your palms and the work surface with vegetable oil spray. Most kinds of dough tighten up the more they are handled. For this recipe, since you want the dough to be supple enough to stretch out, don’t knead it or work it very much. Just stretch it into the desired shape and leave it alone. If it seizes up and won’t stretch, let it rest for about 10 minutes, and then resume.
broccoli–cheddar cheese calzones
Makes 4 servings
Store-bought pizza dough to the rescue again! It’s what makes these impressive calzones completely doable and fun to assemble. For pointers on handling the dough, see “Working with Pizza Dough” (Chapter 4: Vegetarian Entrées). And if it’s frozen, let it thaw completely before you begin (check the package instructions). If you have any leftover filling, it makes a great baked potato topping or omelet filling.
1 tablespoon cornmeal or unbleached all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil spray or a drizzle of oil for the work surface
1 pound store-bought pizza dough, cut into quarters
1½ tablespoons olive oil
½ cup minced red or yellow onion
2 heaping cups chopped broccoli
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup (packed) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1. Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 450°F. Sprinkle the cornmeal or flour onto a baking tray, and spread it into a thin layer.
2. Lightly spra
y a work surface (a clean countertop, a second baking tray, or a large wooden cutting board) with vegetable oil spray, or coat it with a slick of oil (about a teaspoon, spread around with a pastry brush or your hands). One at a time, place each of the 4 pieces of dough on the prepared surface and use your fingers to press and stretch them into 7-inch rounds that are about ¼-inch thick. If the dough wants to shrink back on you, let it rest for about 10 minutes and try again. Once you have stretched out all 4 dough rounds, let them rest while you proceed with the filling.
3. Place a large (10-to 12-inch) skillet over medium heat. After about a minute, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until it begins to soften.
4. Stir in the broccoli and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, or until the onion is golden and the broccoli is tender but not mushy. Remove the pan from the heat and let the vegetables cool for about 5 minutes. Then add the pepper and cheese, and stir until well combined.
5. Divide the filling into 4 equal portions (about ½ cup apiece). Place a portion of the filling on each of the dough rounds, keeping the filling to one side of the round and leaving a 1-inch edge. Use your fingers or a pastry brush to lightly moisten the edge of the round with a little water.
6. Carefully fold the unfilled half of the dough over the filling, and then press the edges tightly closed all around with a fork. (The fork will make a nice-looking edge.)
7. Transfer the filled calzones to the prepared baking tray. Put the tray in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the calzones are golden brown all over. Serve them hot out of the oven.
GET CREATIVE
Make this vegan by omitting the cheese. (You could slightly increase the broccoli.)
Add up to 2 teaspoons yellow mustard or 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish to the filling. Or just use prepared mustard (any kind) as a condiment at the table, for spreading on the calzones or using as a dip.
Warm about a cup of Homemade Italian Tomato Sauce (Chapter 3: Pastas) or a good commercial pasta sauce and ladle some over each calzone when serving. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
Sauté a cup of sliced mushrooms along with the broccoli.
Beat an egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush the mixture lightly over the calzones before putting them in the oven. This egg wash will give them a beautifully shiny golden brown appearance.
green pea and feta quiche
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Quiche isn’t at all difficult or time-consuming to make, and using a frozen pie crust makes it even easier. Look for the “deep-dish” kind of crust. There’s no need to defrost it first; just fill it, still frozen, and put it right in the oven to bake. The fresh mint in (and on) this quiche—a classic complement to the flavors of both peas and feta—really makes it special. The best kind of peas to use here are the small ones called “petit pois” or “tender tiny peas.” You’ll find them in the frozen foods section of most supermarkets. Buy them in bags rather than boxes, so you can use just what you need.
1½ cups frozen green peas (about half a 1-pound bag)
1 small bunch fresh mint
¾ cup (packed) crumbled feta cheese
One unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie crust
6 large eggs
¾ cup milk
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions (white and tender green parts), finely minced
1. Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Put the peas in a colander and run them under room-temperature water for about 30 seconds to defrost. Turn the water off, give the colander a shake, and then leave it in the sink for a few minutes to drain.
3. Pull about 10 mint leaves from the bunch, and cut them into thin strips with a sharp knife. Set aside the rest of the bunch for garnishing.
4. Scatter the crumbled feta into the pie crust. Shake the peas in the colander a couple more times, then dump them into the crust on top of the cheese. Tilt and gently shake the pie pan a few times to evenly distribute the peas.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir in the scallions and the mint strips.
6. Pour the egg mixture carefully over the feta and peas, filling the crust right up to the top. (If there’s any extra, you can save it to add to your scrambled eggs for tomorrow’s breakfast.)
7. Carefully transfer the pie to a foil-lined baking tray (which will catch any filling that might overflow during baking, saving you possible oven cleanup), and slide the tray into the oven. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the crust is golden, the filling is puffed up, and the surface feels tender but solid when you (carefully) touch it with a fingertip. If the edges of the crust become too dark before the hour is up, cover the quiche very loosely with foil to protect it.
8. Remove the tray from the oven and let the quiche rest for 10 minutes before serving. During this time, cut the remaining mint leaves into thin strips to sprinkle over each serving. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
GET CREATIVE
Drain and chop a few marinated roasted peppers or sun-dried tomatoes and add these along with the scallions.
Accompany this with sliced tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with coarse salt and oregano. Or serve it with a big salad; Greek Salad (Chapter 2: Salads) is a particularly good match.
mushroom popover pie
Makes 2 to 3 servings
Popovers you know. Ditto pie. So what’s a popover pie? It’s what I call this large, dramatically puffed, Yorkshire pudding–like, custardy-centered pancake (that’s the popover part), baked with mushrooms and served in wedges (that’s the pie part). And if you’re a mushroom lover, you’ll call it addictive. The recipe calls for both white mushrooms and fresh shiitakes for lots of deep mushroom flavor. If you can’t find shiitakes, it’s okay to substitute cremini (brown) mushrooms or just use all white ones. Room-temperature eggs take on much more volume when beaten than cold ones, and for recipes like this that are all about puff, that’s important. The best way to bring eggs to room temperature is to break them into a bowl while they are still cold, and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate and leave it out for about an hour before you begin.
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup finely minced red or yellow onion
½ pound fresh white mushrooms, stemmed and chopped into ¼-inch pieces
¼ pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and chopped into ¼-inch pieces
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 1 good-sized clove)
1¼ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron pan or a heavy stainless steel skillet with an ovenproof handle. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the white and shiitake mushrooms, garlic, ¾ teaspoon of the salt, and the herbs. Cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid the mushrooms have given off evaporates and the mushrooms are becoming golden brown around the edges.
Get Cooking Page 14