Vegetables

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Lime & Chipotle

You many not have heard of chipotle peppers but you know their original incarnation ~ jalapeños. Smoked and dried and renamed, these peppers add a delicious rich flavor of smoke and earth. Not too spicy, just good!

4 large sweet potatoes, approximately 2 pounds

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon chipotle powder juice from one fresh lime

½ teaspoon salt

1. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 2-inch cubes.
2. Steam over about 2 inches of boiling water until soft, about 15 minutes. We prefer this method to boiling, as it seems to retain more flavor.
3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter; whisk in the chipotle powder, salt, and fresh lime juice.
4. Pour this mixture over the hot steamed potatoes.
5. With a potato masher or electric mixer on slow speed, blend until the sweet potato mixture is smooth.

SERVES 4 TO 6

Stir~Fried Sugar Snap Peas

Fast and delicious, this is a great way to cook these sweet tasty vegetables. Remember, you want to keep the snap in these peas, so don’t overcook them.

½ pound fresh sugar snap peas

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

3 tablespoons pinenuts

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons dry sherry

2 tablespoons tamari

1. To prepare sugar snaps, snap off the stem and pull the fibrous string off along the seam.
2. Heat a wok or heavy skillet over high heat. Pour in the vegetable oil and once it is hot, add the sesame oil.
3. Add the pinenuts and ginger to the hot oil and stir-fry to brown the pinenuts, being careful not to burn them.
4. Now add the snap peas and stir-fry to coat with the oil. Mix in the sherry and tamari, cover the wok and lower the heat to medium. Cook for about two minutes to cook the peas through but still keep the snap.
5. Serve family style or over rice for a light vegetarian meal.

SERVES 4 AS A SIDE DISH

Chilled Sesame Spinach

Not from Popeye’s era, this up-to-date, Asian-influenced chilled spinach side dish is full of savory flavor. Easy to make, just plan ahead to allow for chillin’ time. We serve it cold with Sesame Crusted Salmon, page 131.

1 package fresh spinach, about 10 ounces

1½ to 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

pinch of salt

1. Rinse the spinach well. Pick over and discard any tough leaves and stems. Dry and reserve.
2. Place a sauté pan over medium heat and add the sesame oil and crushed red pepper flakes. Heat.
3. Add the garlic and sesame seeds and sauté until both are slightly browned.
4. Now add the cleaned spinach and cook, stirring frequently to mix in the garlic and sesame seeds. Watch carefully and remove from heat when just wilted. Season with salt.
5. Put the wilted spinach in a colander to drain and chill for about an hour.

SERVES 2 GENEROUSLY

Grilled Sesame Hijiki

This cold salad made with a calcium-rich seaweed called hijiki offers an interesting and tasty change from more traditional shredded salads like cole slaw. Hand-harvested in the wild, where it grows on rocky ledges, this sea veggie is washed, steamed, and sun-dried before packaging. Tossed together with crunchy jicama and peppers, it makes a great accompaniment to grilled meats and fish.

1 cup dried hijiki (2-ounce package)

4 red radishes

1 medium carrot

1 small red onion

¼ pound jicama

1 small red bell pepper

1 small yellow bell pepper

1 small poblano pepper

½ bunch scallions

1 tablespoon white sesame seeds

¼ cup toasted sesame oil

cup rice wine vinegar

¼ cup tamari

1. Cover the dried hijiki with two cups of cold water and let it stand for 45 minutes to an hour to soften and rehydrate. Drain off the excess water.
2. Prepare the radishes, carrot, onion, jicama, peppers, and scallions by cutting into strips of matchstick size. You can use the shredding blade of your food processor if you choose, but we prefer handcutting to retain better texture and the individual flavors of each vegetable.
3. In small dry, non-stick pan toast the sesame seeds over medium heat. Do not burn.
4. Put the prepared veggies in a medium-size bowl and toss with the toasted seeds, oil, vinegar, and tamari.
5. Add the rehydrated hijiki strips and mix well to thoroughly coat and blend.
6. Refrigerate overnight for better flavor. You can keep this mixture for up to one week under refrigeration.

YIELDS: ABOUT 4 CUPS

Orzo with Feta, Spinach & Tomatoes

Pasta salad Greek-style, this dish features orzo, which looks like rice but is, in fact, traditional Greek pasta. Toss it hot with feta cheese and spinach and a few pinenuts for a great side dish, or serve it cold with additional oil and vinegar to your taste. It’s great with Lamb Kabobs, page 171.

2 tablespoons olive oil

cup pinenuts

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup tender spinach leaves, stemmed and coarsely chopped

¼ cup Italian parsley, coarsely chopped

1 cup tomatoes, chopped (and peeled, if you like)

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

pound feta, drained and crumbled

1½ cups (12 ounces) orzo

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a sauté pan until hot and add pinenuts. Sauté, tossing or stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Sprinkle with salt while sautéing. This should take about 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from pan and drain pinenuts on paper towels.
2. In a medium-size bowl whisk the remaining tablespoon of olive oil with the vinegar and garlic. Add the spinach, parsley, tomatoes, lemon zest, and feta and toss together gently.
3. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil; add salt and the orzo. Stir occasionally and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes.
4. Drain the hot orzo and rinse under running water briefly. Drain. Add the still-hot orzo to the feta and spinach mixture. Toss lightly, add salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with pinenuts.

SERVES 4

Stir~Fried Zucchini

WITH SPICY PEANUT SAUCE

If your summer garden includes zucchini, here’s a recipe that will make you want to plant more of that bountiful vegetable.

COOKING SAUCE

3 tablespoons tahini, well blended

3 tablespoons hot water

3 tablespoons tamari

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

STIR FRY INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons dark (toasted) sesame oil

½ cup shelled raw peanuts

2 tablespoons chili paste

5 cloves garlic, chopped

6 small to medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise, then cut into 2-inch spears

3 tablespoons dry sherry

5 scallions, sliced, for garnish

1. To prepare the cooking sauce, whisk together the tahini and hot water in a small bowl. Add the tamari and remaining cooking sauce ingredients one at a time, blending the mixture until smooth after each one. Set aside.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or heavy skillet until smoking hot. Add the dark sesame oil. Quickly add the peanuts and stir them continually to brown without burning. Next add the chili paste and garlic and stir briefly to heat through.
3. Add the zucchini spears and stir-fry for a minute or two to heat through. Add the sherry and continue cooking as the sherry reduces. This should take about a minute.
4. Add the cooking sauce and lower the heat to medium. Cook for another minute or so.
5. Serve family style, garnished with the sliced scallions.

SERVES 4 TO 6 AS A SIDE DISH

Potato Scallion Pancakes

At The Black Dog we serve these potato pancakes with our Caramelized Scallops (see page 153) as an unusual side dish. Choose them to accompany grilled pork chops or other grilled meats. Just top them with minced chives and parsley and serve with sour cream on the side.

1½ pounds red bliss potatoes, scrubbed

1 bunch scallions cut into ¼-inch slices

½ cup or so of all-purpose flour

2 beaten eggs

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon white pepper

4 tablespoons canola or olive oil

1. Shred the unpeeled potatoes in a food processor or with a box grater. Make sure to drain the shredded potatoes well. It’s sometimes necessary to squeeze the shredded potatoes between two clean dishtowels to remove extra moisture. You want to start with dry potatoes.
2. In a large bowl mix together the shredded potatoes, scallions, flour, eggs, and seasonings until evenly blended. Do not overmix. Covering with plastic wrap right on the potato mix will help to avoid discoloration.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in an 8-inch non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Place ¼ of the mixture in the hot pan and allow to set for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let it burn. Turn over and cook on the other side. The pancake should be golden brown. If you prefer smaller pancakes, reduce amount of potato mixture.
4. Continue this procedure, adding more oil as necessary, until all the pancakes are cooked. Hold in a warm oven until ready to serve.

SERVES 4 TO 6