We dedicate this book to all who work for peace
Copyright © 2005 by Moosewood, Inc.
Photographs copyright © 2005 by Jim Scherer
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, New York, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.clarksonpotter.com
CLARKSON N. POTTER is a trademark and POTTER and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Moosewood restaurant simple suppers: fresh ideas for the weeknight
table / the Moosewood Collective.
p. cm.
1. Suppers. 2. Quick and easy cookery. 3. Moosewood Restaurant.
I. Moosewood Collective.
TX738.M66 2005
641.5’55—dc22 2004022024
eISBN: 978-0-307-88573-9
v3.1
Other Books from The Moosewood Collective
New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant
Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant (James Beard Award Nominee)
The Moosewood Restaurant Kitchen Garden
Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home (James Beard Award Winner)
Moosewood Restaurant Cooks for a Crowd (James Beard Award Nominee)
Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites (James Beard Award Winner)
Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts
Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special
Moosewood Restaurant New Classics (James Beard Award Nominee)
Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates (James Beard Award Nominee)
As Moosewood cooks and cookbook authors, we share a common experience: Our friends and families are afraid to cook for us. They think we expect a gourmet meal when honestly, after a long day of chopping mountains of vegetables, we are grateful for the simplest fare. So thanks to all of you who set aside your worries and nurtured us with good food and companionship. We hope this collection of recipes will inspire you to invite us over more often!
We wish to thank our Moosewood Restaurant partners for running the show while we were testing recipes and writing this book: Joan Adler, Ned Asta, Tony Del Plato, David Dietrich, Neil Minnis, Eliana Parra, Sara Robbins, and Myoko Maureen Vivino. We also wish to express appreciation to our hardworking employees.
Our affection and thanks go out to our friends and agents, Arnold and Elise Goodman. We greatly appreciate the careful eye and expert guidance of our editors at Clarkson Potter, Pam Krauss, Jennifer DeFilippi, and Rica Allannic. We also send special thanks to Marysarah Quinn for her admirable work as the creative director on this book. Her calm, competent influence has been invaluable to us. Thanks again to our designers Jan Derevjanik and Laura Palese for doing a beautiful job. And thanks also to the rest of the Clarkson Potter staff for their enthusiastic, friendly help.
We wish to express our appreciation to our photographer, Jim Scherer, and food stylist, Catrine Kelty, for creating graceful photographs for our book. We admire your artistry and dedication to your craft.
And finally, without the technical expertise and the good-natured patience of Emilio Del Plato, we would have been a sorry, frustrated bunch who did not see our computers as our friends during the process of preparing the manuscript. Thank you, Emilio.
Introduction
Pasta
Selecting & Cooking Pasta
Creamy Lemon Pasta
Pasta with Olives Piquant
Pasta with Tomatoes, Summer & Winter
Pasta with Greens & Ricotta
Pasta with Broccoli, Edamame & Walnuts
Fettuccine with Fresh Herbs
Fettuccine with Walnut Pesto
Pasta with Caramelized Onions & Blue Cheese
Spaghetti with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Pine Nuts
Pasta with Artichoke Hearts & Feta
Beijing Noodles
Whole-Grain Pasta with Greens & Tomatoes
Sautés, Curries & More
Jop Chai
Spring Vegetable Sauté
Saucy Hungarian Eggplant
Hot & Sour Stir-Fry
Curried Tofu with Tomatoes
Spicy Potatoes & Spinach
Navajo Stew
Two Potato Gratin
Baked Stuffed Tomatoes
Roasted Ratatouille
Tofu Hijiki Sauté
Roasted Vegetable Curry
Beans & Tofu
Sesame Tofu with Spinach
Green & White Bean Gratin
Black Beans with Pickled Red Onions
Shortcut Chili
Lentils with Spinach & Soy Sausage
Nachos Grandes
Easy Baked Tofu
Scrambled Tofu with Greens & Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
Lemon Herb Tofu
West Indian Red Beans & Coconut Rice
Tofu & Mushrooms Marsala
Sichuan Silken Tofu
White Bean & Mushroom Ragout
Egg Dishes
Veggie Western Omelet
Collegetown Eggs
Greek Frittata
Poached Huevos Rancheros
Tunisian Potato Omelet
Savory Bread & Cheese Bake
Chipotle Scrambled Eggs
Egg Foo Yung Omelet
Main Dish Grains
Pineapple Fried Rice with Tofu
Beans & Greens Risotto
Rarebit Risotto
Spinach Artichoke Risotto
Spinach Polenta Topped with Tomatoes
Mexican Polenta-Stuffed Peppers
Green Fried Rice
Lemony Couscous with Chickpeas
Quinoa & Vegetable Pilaf
Kasha & Orzo with Portabellas
Main Dish Salads
Southwestern Black Bean Salad
Potato Salad with Green & White Beans
Indian Potato Salad with Cilantro Omelet
Summer Panzanella
Caesar Salad with Tofu Croutons
Vietnamese Noodle Salad
Warm French Lentil Salad
Soups
Mushroom Tortellini Soup
Tomato Tortilla Soup
Thai Butternut Squash Soup
Curried Cauliflower & Chickpea Soup
Red Lentil Soup with Greens
Indonesian Sweet Potato & Cabbage Soup
Red Bean, Potato & Arugula Soup
Beans, Corn & Greens Soup
Italian Bread & Cheese Soup
Mushroom Miso Soup
Southwestern Cheese Soup
Asparagus Avgolemono
Creamy Onion Soup with Sherry
Sandwiches, Wraps & Rolls
Crostini
Broccolini Cheddar Melt
Seitan Pizza Subs
Bean & Cheese Quesadillas
Vegetarian Reuben
Tortilla Melt
Spinach Cheese Burritos
Easy Egg Rolls
Greek Antipasto Pita
Fish
Selecting & Cooking Fish
Oven-Roasted Miso Sesame Salmon
Seafood Orzo
Moroccan Spiced Fish
Flounder with Herbed Lemon Butter
Asian Braised Fish with Greens
Pine Nut–Crusted Fish
Louisiana Catfish with Grits & Greens
Old Bay Roasted Fish & Vegetables
Shrimp Curry with Snow Peas
Shrimp & Avocado Salad
Mussels with Sherry & Saffron
Seared Scallops
Crisp Pan-Fried Scallops
Po’ Boy Sandwich
Newport Sardine Sandwich
Side Grains
Cooking Plain Grains
Yellow Rice
Green Rice
Lemongrass Rice
Coconut Rice
Cranberry Bulghur Pilaf
Polenta
Brilliant Yellow Noodles
Side Dishes
Corn on the Cob
Peas & Escarole
Apples Two Ways
Lemony Green Beans
Sesame Broccoli
Potatoes with Lemon & Capers
Marmalade-Glazed Carrots
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Baked Acorn Squash Crescents
Miso-Glazed Eggplant
Peppercorn Citrus Marinated Feta
Side Salads
Broccoli Tomato Salad
Tomatoes & Onions with Mint
Baby Greens with Pecans & Pears
Corn & Pepper Salad
Broccoli Slaw
Beet Salad
Greek Salad
Pan-Asian Slaw
Fresh Tomato & Mozzarella Salad
Wilted Spinach Salad with Pecans & Asiago
Chipotle Potato Salad
Carrot Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
Dressings, Condiments & Seasonings
Caesar Dressing
Russian Dressing
Versatile Vinaigrette
Sour Cream Lemon Dressing
Chipotle Mayonnaise
Herbed Aioli
Cilantro Lime Dressing
Cocktail Sauce
Tartar Sauce
Duck Sauce
Barbecue Sauce
Pineapple Chutney
Cranberry Chutney
Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
Quick Avocado & Corn Salsa
Roasted Garlic
Chili Powder
Flavored Butter
Curry Powder
Moroccan Spice Mix
Salt & Pepper
Cumin Salt
Sauces & Spreads
Blender Tomato Hot Sauce
Creamy Caper Sauce
Sauce Niçoise
Red Pepper Butter Sauce
Mushroom Sherry Sauce
Brown Butter Sauce
Simple Tomato Sauce
Classic Pesto
Herbed Hummus
Sicilian Chickpea Spread
Bean & Walnut Spread
Spicy Peanut Sauce
Desserts
Fruit & Cheese Plates
Sweet Spiced Nuts
Warm Plums with Mascarpone
Caribbean Sautéed Bananas
Riesling Roasted Pears
Cherry Shortbread Crumble
Orange-Almond Polenta Cake
Peach Brown Betty
Chocolate Ricotta Pudding
Mango Coconut Sorbet
Mocha Sorbet
Caramel Custard
Banana Cupcakes
Lemon Coconut Tapioca Pudding
New England Squash Pie
Butterscotch Icebox Cookies
Two Sweet Sauces
5-Minute Milkshakes
The Well-Stocked Pantry
Guide to Ingredients, Tools & Techniques
Index
Fettuccine with Fresh Herbs
When we cook at Moosewood Restaurant, we often make complex dishes with lots of ingredients, building layer upon layer of flavor. Fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruits are delivered to our kitchen daily. We have good equipment, and our spice rack is extensive. There are two or three or four (sometimes more) of us in the kitchen at the same time. Prep cooks make some of the component parts of dishes ahead of time, and we have bussers and dishwashers to clean up our mess. But often we’re still pushing to get the work done by “show time.”
At home, we want to relieve the pressure. We crave simple food. We don’t want cooking at home to be the breakneck performance it is in the restaurant but rather a small pleasure, relaxed enough that we can enjoy the process as well as the results. We’re not alone in finding this idea appealing. When we mentioned to friends that we were thinking of doing a book of recipes for simple suppers, inevitably they exclaimed, “That’s the one I need” or “Write that book for me.” And so we have.
Everyone needs a few dishes that they like to make over and over, recipes that can be messed with a bit for tasty, comforting, and hassle-free meals. When you ask people what their favorite dish is, most don’t name something elaborate that they can only get at a particular restaurant. Usually the favorite is something simple they’ve had a hundred times at home, something reliable—always good, every time.
When our ideas for this cookbook started percolating, we discussed the meaning of simple a lot. To some it meant a minimal number of ingredients in each recipe, and to others it was a matter of time: 30 minutes or less to get the meal on the table, or not having to make an extra trip to the grocery store. One of us wanted to count the number of pots in the sink at the end of the meal. As our individual ideas began to cross-pollinate, we decided that recipes would qualify for this book in several ways. These recipes have fewer ingredients than our usual, and we’ve made good use of trustworthy convenience products (vegetable broths, salsas, slaw mixes) and nonperishable pantry items (spices, canned beans, condiments). Some of the simplest recipes depend on high-quality fresh ingredients, and with good produce, you don’t have to do much to make a delectable meal.
Not all everyday cooking has to be a race with the clock, but a lot of our recipes are either quick to make or the hands-on time is short, and then you need to do very little or nothing while the dish stews or bakes. (Love those one-pot meals. Fewer pots, easier cleanup.) Some dishes can be prepared ahead of time and then served with very little fuss. A few are designed to be assembled at the table by diners.
Here you’ll find simple recipes that are tried-and-true. And when we have something extra to say, we’ve added ingredient and cooking notes (substitutions or variations, hints about different cooking techniques, tips for cooking ahead, suggestions for leftovers). We try to keep it real about what constitutes a meal, also. You might want to serve bread with a stew or a green salad with pasta, but each of our main-dish recipes can stand alone as a satisfying simple supper. That said, we include serving and menu ideas for when you want to do more or would like to combine dishes for variety. Sometimes a side dish can become a main dish with a little modification. And because everyone needs something sweet now and then, we suggest desserts that we think complement the main dish.
To help make supper simpler, first and foremost we recommend a well-stocked pantry. We’ve made a list of what we find useful to keep on hand in the cupboard, refrigerator, and freezer. In the Guide to Ingredients, Tools & Techniques, we include shopping tips and basic information about ingredients and cooking techniques, and recommend a few kitchen tools.
When we write a cookbook, we test and retest the recipes, trying lots of possibilities. We draw on ideas from everywhere, and then we improvise and adapt. We focus on details and endlessly discuss the fine points with each other, working to get it just right so that we’ll have recipes that really work. Of course, supper doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful. We hope that when you’re at home making something to eat, you’ll relax. If you don’t have the pasta shape we recommend, use a different one. If you forgot to restock the nutmeg, oh well—do without. If you don’t have time to make rice, have couscous. Let the seasonal availability of fresh fruits and vegetables be your inspiration as much as any recipe.
The idea of simple suppers strikes a chord within us all. Despite being busier than ever in an increasingly complicated world, people still want to eat well. And even though we want you to come to our restaurant and let us cook for you, we also think it’s important to cook and eat at home. Cooking something good can make you feel good—and then eating something good and feeding the people you love can make you feel even better. We hope this cookbook will help make suppertime a welcome, peaceful time of your day.
Tomato Tortilla S
oup, Bean & Cheese Quesadillas
Pasta with Olives Piquant
Often, pasta is what we think of first when we want to make a quick, simple supper. It provides a great canvas for improvisation, and fresh, tasty sauces and toppings can be made in the same time it takes to boil water and cook the pasta itself. Many pasta dishes are complete meals in themselves; others need little more than a green salad to round out the meal.
There is a multitude of shapes and sizes of pasta, and there is a certain logic in pairing sauces and toppings with particular shapes. In general, long strands such as spaghetti and linguine work well with tomato sauces and pestos. Bowl-shaped cuts such as orecchiette and shells are good to serve with chunky vegetable sauces because the pasta catches and holds the vegetable pieces. Flat noodles like fettuccine and farfalle go well with delicate cream and cheese sauces. That said, we would never let the lack of the perfect pasta shape stop us from going ahead with the sauce we want to make. In our recipes, we specify a particular pasta when we think it matters; otherwise, we leave it up to you. In the Guide to Ingredients, Tools & Techniques, you’ll find brief descriptions of some pasta shapes.
The pasta lovers among Moosewood cooks stock their home pantries with a variety of imported Italian pastas. Here’s why made in Italy matters: Pasta has been produced commercially in Italy since 1400, and still today, most of the best pastas are made there because the Italian government enforces strict national standards for ingredients and manufacturing processes, which results in a high-quality product, superior to most of our domestic pastas. Old ways are the best ways with pasta making, it seems. For instance, when pasta is extruded through bronze rather than Teflon dies, it has a rougher, more porous texture. When pasta is dried slowly at low temperatures, the protein is not denatured and the pasta is firmer when cooked. We recommend DeCecco, Barilla, and Bionaturae brands.
Cook pasta following these basic guidelines: Serve about one-fourth pound of pasta per person. Cook pasta in a large pot with plenty of water so that it quickly returns to a boil after the pasta is added and so that the pasta has room to float freely, which helps it cook evenly. Use about 4 or 5 quarts of salted water per pound of pasta. Ease the pasta into rapidly boiling water, stir to separate, and cover the pot. When the water returns to a boil, remove the lid and stir again.
Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers Page 1
