Paleo Vegan Chili

Ok. When I first mentioned this to someone, they said "so it's tomato soup?"  But the true key to making a Paleo friendly chili that is also vegetarian/vegan is in the textures and spices.  In place of beans, I caramelize small bites of cauliflower until slightly chard but still crunchy. And the correct use of fresh spices makes the flavor divine (that's a shout-out to #Mark Divine of SEALFit).

Ingredient list:

*Olive oil

*Salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes

*1/2 head cauliflower cut into 1/2 inch pieces (the size of your favorite bean)

*1 onion, diced

*1 large red pepper, diced

*1 leek, cut in half and sliced in 1/2 inch moons (optional)

*3 garlic cloves, minced

*3 tbs tomato paste

*3 tbs cumin

*3 tbs chili powder

*1 tsp garlic powder (optional)

*1 25oz can tomatoes (San Marzano preferably)

*1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice

Instructions:

In a Dutch oven, cook cauliflower over high heat in olive oil until starting to char and blacken just a bit.  Remove to a bowl and season with red pepper flakes and salt.  

Add additional olive oil to the Dutch oven and add onion, red pepper, leek and season with salt and black pepper and cook over medium high heat for about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder and tomato paste. Cook for an additional 3 or 4 minutes.  

Add the tomatoes. Rinse out tomato can with 1/2 can water and add to the Dutch oven.  Raise heat to high and bring to a boil and let cook at a slow boil for 5 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed (this includes all spices because if your spices are older, they'll loose some of their flavor and you'll need to add more...or if you just like it spicier).

Add butternut squash and just enough water (if needed) to cover the squash. Bring back to a boil and reduce to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes with the lid off to let the chili reduce and thicken. After 30 minutes, adjust seasoning again until it tastes great!  Add the cauliflower, stir and serve.

You can break with hardcore Paleo and Veganism by sprinkling a little shredded cheddar on top...if you dare!

Thanks to my buddy Andy Kort for making this last night and taking the photo for me.

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Risotto with Sage Butter

     Two things that are prevalent at the farmer's market right now are butternut squash and apples.  Last evening, one of the first cooler nights here in Bloomington, I was in real need of some hearty comfort food.  Looking at my produce bowl in my kitchen, I knew exactly what I wanted to make.

     The idea of roasting the squash with maple syrup comes right from my mother who used maple syrup in everything from baked beans to salad dressing to roasting any assortment of root vegetables and squash.

    This is the perfect meal to make for a casual dinner party where everyone is lingering in the kitchen. Risotto is so easy to make (despite what so many people say), the only trick is to attend to it every two or three minutes.  Plenty of time for a sip of wine and to join in on the conversation.

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Risotto with Sage Butter
serves: 4  total time: 40 minutes

• 1 1lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 2 apples, cored and cubed
• Olive oil
• 2 tbs. maple syrup (even though I live in Indiana now, I'm still a huge fan of Vermont maple syrup)
• salt and pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed but still intact
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 hot red chili pepper (or to taste), finely diced
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 2 quarts vegetable stock 
• 1 cup dry white wine (whatever you are serving your guests or yourself)
• 5 sage leaves
• 2 tbs. butter
• 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 425

Place the butternut squash and apples on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat all evenly.  Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until a fork can easily pierce through the squash.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 2 quarts (8 cups) vegetable stock in a pot until just simmering. Cover and continue to let it simmer.

Heat a dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat. Add enough olive oil to fully coat the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and let it cook for two or three minutes until the garlic is turning brown.  Now remove the garlic and discard. This will give you lovely garlic infused olive oil for cooking the risotto.

Add the onions and peppers to the dutch oven and reduce the heat to medium.  Season with salt and pepper and saute until the vegetables are translucent and softened.  Now add the rice and continue to cook for three or four minutes until the rice is fully coated with the oil and has just started to brown ever so slightly.

Now pour in the white wine and stir constantly for a minute or two, until the wine is almost fully evaporated.  Now is when the real cooking begins!

Pour a ladle of the stock over the rice.  Stir well to make sure that all the rice has lifted off the bottom of the pan.  Now sip a little wine for minute or two. Once the liquid has almost fully evaporated in pan, add another ladle full and repeat. Continue this process (the sipping of wine is fully optional but highly recommended) until you have incorporated all the stock into the risotto.

Taste a bit of the risotto and be sure that the rice is tender but still a little firm in the middle. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese.  Now check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. At this point, put the lid on your dutch oven and let the risotto rest for a few minutes for up to 15 minutes  (it will absorb some of the liquid in the pot and firm up just slightly).

Now heat up the butter in a saute pan over medium heat.Chop the sage leaves and add to the butter.  Let this cook for a minute or two but don't let the butter brown too much.

Call the guests to the table.  Ladle out risotto into 4 bowls. Drizzle a teaspoon of the sage butter over the top of each bowl and sprinkle with additional cheese if you like. I also like to drizzle just bit of olive oil over the top to create a truly luscious texture. Serve immediately.

You can serve this with a fresh green salad, but the risotto is a wonderful meal all by itself.

Savory Chard Pie

This recipe is a standard go-to in our house. The flavors are beautiful and unique, the ingredients are healthy, and this dish is just as good when reheated later in the week.


You can almost always find chard year round. And this time of year your can find it at the Bloomington Winter Farmer's Market. It is grown all winter hydroponically by a local farmer and it is so amazing to cook with such wonderful and fresh local ingredients all year. The photo to the left is of the stems from rainbow chard which are incorporated into the pie. Nothing goes to waste here.

The original recipe for this dish was from Laura Calder. Her version uses bacon but it was quite easy to manipulate the recipe to make it vegetarian.

A couple of kitchen items will make this dish come together more easily: a 10 inch sping form pan, parchment paper, 1/2 lb. dry beans or pie weights.

Savory Chard Pie

• 1 pie crust (I cheat and use Pillsbury premade pie crusts)
• olive oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 lb swiss or rainbow chard
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup creme fraiche (easily found in the cheese section of Bloomingfoods east side)
• 4 oz gruyere cheese, grated
• a generous handfull of raisins
• a small handfull of pine nuts
• salt and black pepper

To start, blind bake the pie crust in a 10 inch spring form pan or deep pie plate (I prefer to use a spring form pan because it makes for a lovely presentation, but it will be delicious either way). HOW TO BLIND BAKE: Pre-heat the oven to 450.  Roll out the pie crust and place in the spring form pan, pressing the crust up the sides of the pan. Take a large piece of parchment paper and lay it over the pan. Then pour in pie weights or dry beans to cover the bottom of the pie.  This will keep the crust from rising up during baking. Then place in the heated oven for 10 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven, lift out the parchement paper with the beans and then return the pan to the oven for three more minutes to allow the bottom of the crust to brown slightly. Remove from the oven and set aside until you are ready to bake the pie.

Reduce the oven temperature to 375.

Start by filling your sink with cold water. Add the chard, stems and all, and let them soak for a few minutes to loosen any dirt. Then pick up each leaf, grab the bottom of the stem in one hand, and use the other hand to pull the leaf from the stem. If the stem breaks off with the leaf, it's OK because it means that the stems are tender at that point.  Save the stems and put the  leaves back in the water to continue to soak.

In a saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 3 mintues. Then add the garlic and cook for two more minutes, stirring often to keep the vegetables from browning too much. Remove the shallots and garlic to a large bowl.

Put the pan back on the heat over medium.  Add olive oil to the pan. Chop the chard stems into small pieces and add to the pan with salt and pepper. Put a lid on the pan and cook for 4 minutes.  While the chard stems are cooking, remove the leaves from the water and wring dry.  Chop the leaves coursely.  Then add the leaves to the pan, season again with salt and pepper, and cook for five minutes uncovered. The leave should be well wilted.  Remove the chard and add to the bowl with the shallots and garlic. (If there is water in the bottom of the pan, use a slotted spoon to remove the chard leaving the water behind.)

In a dry saute pan, add the pine nuts and toast over medium high heat, stirring often, until they start to brown.  Add them to the bowl with the chard. 

Now add the large handfull of raisins to the bowl as well and stir to combine. Then add the grated cheese and stir to combine. Now check for seasoning. You want this mixture of chard, raisins, pine nuts, shallots, garlic and cheese to be very flavorful at this point.

In a seperate bowl, combine the eggs and creme fraiche and beat until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the vegetable mixture into the pie crust.  This should fill the crust almost to the top. Then pour the egg and creme fraiche mixture over the top as evenly as possible. It will look as if it is about to overflow, but it should not...

Now place the pie in the heated oven and bake for 35 minutes, until set in the center.  I find that a couple of extra minutes in the oven does not hurt this dish at all.

Let cool slightly or serve at room temperature. This pie will serve six as a main course when served with a salad.

If there are left overs, it can be eaten cold and it is delicious. Or reheat in the microwave for 45 seconds to warm through.

Four ingredients to the perfect comfort food: Cauliflower Gratin

Whenever we are looking for cozy and simple comfort food in our house, this is one of our go-to dinners.  With just four ingredients (often already in house), thirty minutes, plus a green salad, we are set!





Cauliflower Gratin

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into large florets keeping much of the stem
• 1 cup heavy cream (comfort food, not diet food)
• 1 cup grated cheese such as cheddar and Parmesan
• 2 tbs. Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 425.

Drop the florets into boiling salted water and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and set on a kitchen towel to help them to dry.

In a mixing bowl, combine cream, mustard, 1/2 tsp or more of black pepper and 1 tsp. salt. 

Place the cauliflower into a baking dish and it should fit in one layer with only some overlapping of florets.  Stir in the grated cheese to mix well. Then pour over the cream mixture.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes or until the edges are dark brown and the center is bubbling.

Vegan Hearty Winter Stew

This is a full flavored winter stew that makes the most of the fresh produce available at our markets this time of year.

And it is only vegan because the flavors and textures are so rich, you don't need to add any dairy to complete the dish.

Vegan Hearty Winter Stew

• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 medium leeks, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced
• 2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
• 1 bunch watercress, chopped
• 1 bunch kale or other dark hearty green, chopped
• 2 large parsnips, peeled and diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 6 medium potatoes, diced
• 8 cups vegetable stock (see note at bottom of post)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 4 tbs. flour
• 6 tsp. Dijon mustard

In a large dutch oven or soup pot, saute the onions, leeks, salt and pepper in olive oil over medium heat for 7 or 8 minutes.

Add the parsnips, carrots and potatoes and saute for 5 minutes.

Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil over high heat.  As soon as the soup is at a boil, reduce the heat to  medium low and simmer until the root vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Then add the kale, parsley, watercress, peas and corn.  Continue to cook for 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove 1/2 cup of the broth and put it in a small bowl or glass jar along with the flour and mustard. Stir to combine. Then slowly stir into the soup. The flour will thicken the soup slightly and the mustard will add a wonderful burst of flavor.  Cook the soup for 5 more minutes and serve with crusty bread.

Check out the recipe for the Vegetarian Pot Pie with Chive Biscuit Top that uses the left overs of this soup.

*Whenever a recipe calls for vegetable broth or stock, I use Better-Than-Bouillon Vegetable Base. You can find this at Bloomingfoods and Marsh in the soup and bouillon section. I always have a jar in my pantry. Simple stir in one teaspoon for each two cups of water and you'll have instant broth that adds tremendous depth of flavor instantly.

Vegetarian Pot Pie with a Chive Biscuit Top

Whenever I make a chowder, stew or hearty soup, I always make extra so we can have pot pies later in the week. The base for this soup is my Vegan Winter Vegetable Soup. Sometimes I use this biscuit topping, sometimes a store bought pie crust, and sometimes I go with a shepherds pie and use left over mashed potatoes. Anyway you go, this is a wonderful country style meal.

The biscuits in this recipe have butter. Using a pie crust or mashed potatoes that are vegan would make this dish vegan as well.

Vegetarian Pot Pies with a Chive Biscuit Top serves 4

• 4 cups left over Vegan Winter Vegetable Soup (or any left over soup you have made this week)
• 2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/3 c. cold butter, cut into cubes
• 2/3 cups cold milk (you may need more or less)
• 1/2 cup chopped chives or fresh herb of your choice

Preheat the oven to 375 and butter 4 individual ramekins or one 8" x 10" x 2" baking dish.

To make the biscuit topping, put the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times which will mix the ingredients and act as a sifter. Then, with the motor running, add the cubed butter a couple of pieces at a time until all has been used and the flour mixture has small pea sized pieces of butter throughout. This will only take a few seconds. Then add the herbs and pulse two or three times.

With the motor running, slowly add the cold milk a little at a time until the dough begins to form a ball around the blade. Stop the processor and turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.

Kneed the dough a few times, adding a little bit of extra flour if the dough is sticky. Then roll out into a square that is about 10" x 10". If making individual pot pies, cut

out the pie crust into circles that are just smaller than the tops of the ramekins. If are using a larger baking dish, cut the dough into 4" x 4" squares.

Ladle the soup into the ramekins or baking dish. Place the biscuit dough on top. You can brush egg wash over the top if you want an extra golden crust. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little kosher salt. Place in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pot pie is bubbling around the edges.

Serve once the pot pies have had a few minutes to cool.

Pasta with Roasted Squash, Kale and Brown Buttered Sage

This is a quick and simple pasta dish that is a complete meal in one bowl...my favorite kind of pasta dish.

Created to use up left over roasted squash from another meal, you could certainly use frozen butternut squash. Simple thaw and saute in a little olive olive oil and maple syrup. Then add to this recipe as directed below.

Pasta with Roasted Squash, Kale and Brown Buttered Sage Leaves serves 4

• Olive oil
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 6 anchovies (optional)
• 2 cups roasted squash, cubed (or frozen and prepared as noted above)
  
• 4 cups kale (or other dark greens) shredded or chopped
  
• 1 lb. penne or your favorite pasta
• 1 tbs. butter
  
• 10 sage leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the greens. Cook for ten minutes if using a thick sturdy leaved green like kale, or 5 minutes if using chard or another softer leaved green.
While the greens are cooking, heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the oil, onions, brown sugar, anchovies, salt and black pepper. Once sizzling, reduce the heat to medium low to let the onions caramelize.
When the greens are cooked, scoop them out of the pot with a slotted spoon right into the saute pan with the onion mixture. Reduce heat to low and add the squash. Continue to cook.
Meanwhile, in the same pot that you cooked the greens, bring the water back to a boil (add more water if needed) and add the pasta. Cook for 8 minutes.
Add the pasta to the saute pan with the greens along with one or two ladles of pasta cooking water. Raise the heat to medium and cook to let the pasta water reduce and become a sauce.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small saute pan. Add the sage leaves and let the butter brown for two minutes or so. Turn off the heat and reserve this for plating.
When the pasta has cooked for 5 or so minutes, turn off the heat. Add 3/4 cups of the cheese, stir combine and cover the pan. Let stand for 5 minutes while you bring people to the table.
To plate, put pasta in 4 bowls, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the pasta and top with the brown butter and sage leaves.

Pasta de Provence

A dear friend just returned from NYC. While there, she visited her favorite herb shop and brought me a gift of a package of herbs de provence. The french blend of herbs traditionally contains savory, basil, thyme, lavender and fennel.

So with a cold wintry night at hand and a bag of herbs de provence in hand, I came up with this lovely french themed pasta dinner.

Pasta de Provence for 4

• 1 1/2 lb. roma tomatoes (about 6 medium) quartered lengthwise and de-seeded
• 2 tbs. herbs de provence
• 4 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 5 oz. box of baby arugula
• 1 lb. fettuccine
• 8 oz. brie, cut into small cubes (this is much easier to do when very cold)
• 1/2 c. white wine
• 1/2 c. bread crumbs made from fresh bread, pulsed in a food processor
• Olive oil
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 425. Place the quartered and seeded roma tomatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and 1 tsp. of herbs de provence. Roast for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and let rest on the baking sheet until you are ready to incorporate them into the dish.
Boil the pasta in water with 1 tbs. salt until al dente, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium to medium low heat. Add the shallots, garlic, salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add the roasted tomatoes, arugula and wine. Raise the heat to medium and cook until the greens are wilted and the wine has reduce, about 5 minutes.
Add the pasta to the pan with the greens, along with a half cup of the pasta cooking water. Stir to combine and let sit, covered, for 3 minutes.
While the pasta is resting, place the bread crumbs on the baking sheet that the tomatoes were roasted in. Drizzle a little olive oil over the bread crumbs with a little salt. Stir and put into the oven which is still at 425. Cook them for two or three minutes until golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and, using a spatula, scrape up the bread crumbs and any brown bits left from roasting the tomatoes.
Transfer the hot pasta to a serving bowl. Add the brie cubes and stir to combine. The brie will melt within a minute or so. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the pasta along with 1 tbs. herbs de provence and the parsley. Then drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the pasta.
Serve immediately and enjoy the hardy flavors of France.

Flash Fried Tofu with Lemon and Szechuan Pepper and Salt

This is adapted from a recipe from Kylie Kwong, a chef, cookbook author and TV host who makes the most delicious authentic Chinese food. Her cookbook Simple Chinese Cooking is a must for anyone wanting to venture into Chinese food that is true to the culture. And with so many Asian markets in Bloomington, all the ingredients are easy to find. I typically ask for help finding some of the more unique ingredients, but they are there...somewhere in the store.

Silken tofu make this dish amazing. The outside is salty and crunchy and the inside is mild and creamy.

Szechuan pepper is a mainstay in Kylie's ingredient list. They come in a bag, last forever, and add a wonderful and unique pepper taste with a mild numbing effect that is sensational. For Szechuan Pepper and Salt, simply heat the whole szechuan pepper corns in a dry pan until they start to brown and smoke. Then crush them in a mortar and pestle and add the same amount of salt as pepper. This is the perfect thing to sprinkle over this dish or any Asian inspired dish before serving to add a unique burst of flavor.

Flash Fried Tofu with Lemon and Szechuan Pepper and Salt

• 1 package silken tofu
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 lemon
• vegetable oil (canola or grape seed)
• szechuan pepper and salt

Silken tofu is very delicate, so you have to handle it very carefully. Cut open the package and drain as much of the liquid off as possible. Then place the block of tofu in a dish towel or several layers of paper towel to continue to drain. You will need to change the towels twice as they become saturated. This will take 15 minutes.
While the tofu is draining, put 2 inches of oil into a wok or deep sauce pan and heat over high heat to 350 degrees or when the top of the oil is shimmering.
Unwrap the tofu carefully. The cut the block in half through the waist horizontally. Then cut into 1 inch cubes. Put the flour in a shallow bowl and put the cubes of tofu into the bowl and carefully toss to cover completely with flour (don't worry if a few of the cubes fall apart). You will want to make sure the oil is hot before you do this step as the tofu should not sit in the flour for more than a minute.
Then carefully drop one of the small pieces of tofu into the oil. It should sizzle on contact. If it does, carefully drop the tofu, piece by piece, into the oil. Let them fry for a minute or two, then carefully turn them over. Let them fry, turning every minutes or so, for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. By now they will not be so delicate to handle.
Remove the tofu from the oil and put on paper towels to drain. Cut the lemon in half and drizzle lemon juice from half the lemon over the tofu. Then sprinkle liberally with szechuan pepper and salt. Serve immediately.
This is excellent with a quick vegetable stir fry made right before preparing the tofu in the same wok.

Bloomington Thanksgiving dinner 2011: Golden Lentil Roulade with Chestnut Stuffing

This is the premier vegetarian entree for Thanksgiving. The original recipe was clipped from a vintage Vegetarian Times, but it has been reworked because the first time I made it...let's just say it didn't work.

Don't be put off by all the different spices that are in this recipe. Using the bulk section of the east side location of Bloomingfoods, you can purchase just the right amount of each spice for just a few cents each.

This recipe calls for a total of 4 cups of fresh bread crumbs. One baguette will produce enough bread crumbs for the entire recipe (plus a little extra). Slice the bread and put it in a food processor until it the largest pieces of bread are the size of peas.









Golden Lentil Roulade with Chestnut Stuffing

• 1 1/2 cup split red lentils
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tbs. butter, at room temperature

for the chestnut stuffing:

• 2 tbs. olive oil
• 1 large onion (or 1 cup) chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups canned or jarred peeled chestnuts (found a Bloomingfoods on their discount rack)
• 2 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• fresh sage leaves for garnish

Preheat your oven to 350.
In a medium sauce pan, combine the lentils and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer for 15 minutes or until the lentils have absorbed all the water.
Stuffing: In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and the red pepper and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for about 7 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
In a food processor, combine the chestnuts, bread crumbs, sage, parsley and cooked onions and peppers. Pulse on and off until well combined. Transfer to a large bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Keep in mind that this is the big flavor in the dish so don't be afraid to season really well.
Now for the lentil dough (and dough is used loosely here). Put the cooked lentils in the food process along with the garlic, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. This will become like thick peanut butter.
Place a large (2' long) sheet of wax or parchment paper on the counter near your sink. Empty to lentil dough onto the paper. Wet your hands and gently kneed the dough a few times to create a log shape. Then pat out the dough until it is an 11 x 14 inch rectangle. You will need to wet your hands a few times during the process to keep the dough from clinging to your hands.
Now the easy part. Once the dough is in an 11 x 14 rectangle, spread the chestnut stuffing evenly over the dough, making sure to go all the way to the ends of the dough. Then, starting with the short end of the dough, start to roll it up using the parchment paper to help lift and roll the dough into a jelly roll shape.
Once rolled, you can wet your hands again and reshape the log if needed, replacing any of the stuffing that fell out of the ends.
Transfer to a well greased sheet pan. Rub the room temperature butter all over the outside of the log. Bake in the oven until heated through and the outside is just beginning to brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with the reserved sage leaves.

And check out the sandwich made with left over roulade in the 'Leftover Recipes' section.

Dinner Party Menu Ideas

Someone asked me for an idea of what to serve for a small dinner party with friends. I immediately suggested this recipe. Serving pasta family style in a big bowl in the middle of the table instantly relaxes everyone. And the addition of shell fish make the dish elegant. The sauce for this recipe can be made before the guests arrive and the mussels can be scrubbed and de-bearded and stored in the refrigerator. With a large pot of water for the pasta simmering on the stove, this dish can be put together in a matter of minutes once everyone is ready to eat.

Linguine with Spicy Leek and Tomato Sauce with Mussels

• 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp (or to taste) hot pepper flakes
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 3 medium leeks (white and light green parts only) split in half and the sliced crosswise
• 2 lb plum tomatoes (you can use quality canned chopped tomatoes)
• 1 c dry white wine
• 1 1/2 tbs white wine vinegar
• 1 lb linguine
• 2 c freshly grated Parmesan Cheese (divided)
• 2 lb fresh mussels

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the next 3 ingredients, saute 1 minute. Add leeks, saute until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir 1 minute. Ad wine and vinegar, bring to a boil. Cover and cook until tomatoes break down, stirring often, about 5 minutes. (At this point you can turn off the flame and let the sauce rest until you are ready to finish dinner)
When you are about 15 minutes from eating, turn the pasta water on high. When it is boiling, add a small handful of salt to the water. Add the pasta and stir to make sure it doesn't stick to itself. While the past is cooking, reheat the sauce over medium low heat. When the pasta is done, pull the pasta from the water and drop into the pot of sauce. Stir to combine. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of pasta cooking water to the sauce and half the cheese. Spread the mussels over the pasta and sauce and cover with a lid. let this simmer for about 6 minutes or until the mussels have all opened. If any mussels don't open, then discard them.
Pour this magical meal into a large bowl, sprinkle with a little more cheese and place in the middle of the table with a large spoon and tongs for serving. Pall the remaining cheese around for your guests to add to their pasta.
I like to serve this by starting with a salad and the offering a basket of crusty bread with both the salad and pasta course.
This recipe serves 6 and is adapted from a recipe in the June '07 issue of bon appetit. It was a Reader's Quick Recipe submission by Tim Cole (no relation).