Bulgarian Potato Gratin

Back when I was a graduate student, my friend from Bulgaria inspired me to try out this dish, one of her favourites. Since then, this gratin is among the alternatives to gratins. It can be as a side for a casual dinner or a part of a more elaborate menu.

Serves: 6
Time: 1,5 hours
Difficulty: medium

• 1 kg potatoes, sliced very thinly
• 200 grams feta cheese
• 100 ml vegetable oil
• 300 ml Greek or Balkan-style plain yogurt
• 3 eggs, beaten
• salt, pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease an oven-proof / pyrex dish and layer 1/3 of the pototaes, cover with 1/3 of feta, followed by another 2 layers of potato and feta.
2. Mix yogurt and eggs, add salt and pepper, beat slightly. Pour over the potatoes. 
3. Cover the dish with foil and bake for one hour. 
4. In an hour remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes till the top is golden brown.

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Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

Hands-down, this is one of my all time favourites! The flavors blend together perfectly for a wonderfully tasty dish that goes well as a side dish to any meat.

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1cup orzo
• 14.5 oz chicken broth
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil leaves 

1. Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned. 
2. Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 - 20 minutes. 
3. Mix in Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to shallow bowl. Garnish with basil sprigs.
    

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Roasted Garlic Cauliflower

• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large head cauliflower, separated into florets
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a large casserole dish.
2. Place the olive oil and garlic in a large resealable bag. Add cauliflower, and shake to mix. Pour into the prepared casserole dish, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Top with Parmesan cheese and parsley, and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown.

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Baked Fennel (Finocchi Gratinati)

• 6 fennel bulb
• 2 tsp butter
• 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 oz grated Fontina cheese 

1. Trim bases, remove the core by cutting out a cone out of the center. Quarter the bulbs lengthwise. Place in a pan with cold salted water, bring to boil, cook until tender, about 7 min. Drain.
2. Preheat the oven to 425.
3. Arrange bulbs in a baking dish. Scatter the butter and cheese on top. Bake until the cheese melts, 25 minutes. Server hot.

Variation: cover with Beschamel sauce, then cover with cheeses and bake.
*Simple variant of Beschamel sauce: 3/4 cup each: half-and-half cream, creme fraiche (s. cream), 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

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Wild and Brown Rice Salad With Walnuts and Asparagus

The recipe looks pretty lengthy and has a lot of ingredients but it combines the goodness of rice and vegetables. It makes a healthy side dish to Thanksgiving menu. 

Photo Credit: Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Serves: 6 
Makes in: 60+

• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup wild rice
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1/2 pound asparagus, ends trimmed, cut in 1-inch pieces and steamed 4 minutes
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs such as chives, dill, tarragon or marjoram, parsley
• 1/3 cup shelled walnuts 

For the walnut vinaigrette:

• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar or champagne vinegar
• Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 small garlic clove, finely minced or pureed
• 1/4 cup walnut oil
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 1/2 cups of the stock or water to boil. Add salt to taste and the wild rice. When the water returns to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 40 to 45 minutes, until the rice is tender and has begun to splay. Drain and transfer the rice to a large bowl. 
2. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, combine the brown rice, the remaining water and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 35 to 40 minutes, until the rice is tender. Remove from the heat. If any liquid remains in the pan, drain. Add to the wild rice. 
3. While the rices are cooking, make the dressing. Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, salt, mustard and garlic. Whisk in the oils, taste and adjust seasonings. Toss at once with the warm rice. Add the asparagus and the remaining ingredients, and toss together. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve.
   
   Advance preparation: You can make this up to a day ahead of time, but don’t add the asparagus and herbs until shortly before serving.

Original Recipe: NYTimes, By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN Published: March 23, 2009

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Mint Couscous with Almonds

• 1 can 14oz vegetable broth
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced apricot
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup dry couscous
• 100g / 3oz toasted, sliced almonds
• 2 tbsp mint leave, chopped

1. Combine broth, onions, apricots and oil in medium saucepan. Bring to boil on medium-high heat.
2. Stir in couscous; cover. Remove from heat; let stand 5 min. Fluff couscous with fork.
3. Add almonds and mint; mix lightly.

The photo credit: KraftFoods website

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Edamame and Brown Rice Pilav

• 3/4 cups brown rice
• 1 1/4 cups edamame, frozen beans
• 1 tablespoons juice lime
• 1 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• 3 thinly sliced scallions 

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups lightly salted water to a boil. Add rice, reduce to a simmer; cover and cook, 30 minutes.

2. Stir in edamame; cover and cook until rice is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together lime juice, vinegar, oil, and sugar until sugar is dissolved.

3. With a fork, stir lime juice mixture and scallions into rice; season with salt and pepper.
 

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Cauliflower with Dijon Sauce

• 1 cauliflower, separated into florets 
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 

1. Steam or cook cauliflower florets.
2. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, and Dijon mustard. Spread over the top of the cauliflower. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top. 
3. Place the bowl in a microwave and cook just until cheese has melted, about 2 minutes. 

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Rosti

• 1 lb baking, peeled potato
• 3 tbps melted butter
• 1 white onion
• salt, pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425F/220C. Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 7 min or just about tender. Drain.

2. Prepare a 12-whole muffin tin by brushing with a little of the butter. Coarsely grate potatoes and onion, mix, pour butter over the mixture. Season with salt and mix well. Using 2 forks, divide the mixture among the muffin holes. Cook for 45 min or until golden.

3. Loosen each rosti around the edges with a palette knife and lift out; serve warm. 

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Orzo Pilaf with Mushrooms

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 white onion, chopped 
• 1 cup mushroom, sliced 
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup orzo
• 3 tbsp toasted pine nuts
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley 

1. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms and saute until golden brown, about 10 minutes. 
2. Add broth and bring to boil. Stir in orzo. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until orzo is tender and has absorbed all liquid, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in pine nuts and parsley. 
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
    

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Asian-style Eggplant

Servings: 2 
Time: 30 min 
Difficulty level: easy

• 1 med-sized eggplant or 2 aubergines
• 2 clove(s) garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon(s) fresh pureed ginger
• 6 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon(s) soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon(s) red chili sauce

1. Wash the eggplant and peel length-wise stripes, leaving every 2 cm unpeeled. Cut in large cubes, sprinkle with salt and leave for 1 hour. 
2.  Heat oil in a wok, add minced ginger and garlic, fry till golden for a minute or less. Add the eggplants and fry for 5-10 min. 
3. When the eggplants are ready add the soy sauce and chili sauce to taste. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

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Wild Rice Stuffing with Hazelnuts and Dried Cranberries

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 large white onion
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups wild rice
• 2 cups long-grain brown rice
• 2 cups dried cranberries
  
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 1/2  cup toasted, coarsely chopped hazelnuts
• 1 cup chopped green onion 

1. Melt 1/2 cup butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until tender, about 4 minutes. Add chicken broth. Bring to boil. Add wild rice. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Mix in brown rice; cover and simmer until rice is just tender and most liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes longer.
2. Stir cranberries, parsley and thyme into rice. Cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes longer. Mix in hazelnuts and green onions. Season generously with salt and pepper. 
3. To bake stuffing in turkey: Loosely fill main cavity with stuffing. Butter ceramic baking dish. Spoon remaining stuffing into prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake stuffing in dish alongside turkey until heated through, about 30 minutes. 
4. To bake all of stuffing in baking dish: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 15x10x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Cover dish with buttered foil, buttered side down; bake stuffing until heated through, about 40 minutes. 

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Szechwan-Style Eggplant

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1-2 Chinese eggplant, peeled and cut diagonally in 1-inch pieces 
• 1 tsp corn starch
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp fresh, minced ginger root
• 2 tsp chili paste
• 1 tsp Hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp white vinegar or rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp dry sherry
• 3 thin scallions, sliced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil 

1. In a wok or large skillet heat the vegetable oil over high heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it stir fry the eggplant over moderately high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it is tender and browned. Transfer the eggplant with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. 
2. In a small bowl dissolve the cornstarch in the broth. To the wok add the garlic, the gingerroot, the chili paste, the hoisin sauce, the vinegar, and the Sherry and stir fry the mixture for 30 seconds. 
3. Add the scallions and stir fry the mixture for 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce, the brown sugar,
   the cornstarch mixture, stirred, the bell pepper, and the eggplant and stir fry the mixture for 1 minute, or until the eggplant has absorbed most of the liquid. 
4. Remove the wok from the heat, add the sesame oil and salt and pepper to taste, and toss the mixture well. The eggplant mixture may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. 

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Pickled Vegetable Slaw

The recipe is a great addition to any main dish, on top of a sandwich, or on its its own. Take any vegetables that you see fit and get creative by dicing, slicing, julienne-ing any way you'd like.

Servings: 12
Time: 1 hour
Ready in: 24+ hours

• Suggested sample of vegetables:
  1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper,
  1 carrot, cabbage, radish, cucumber

Marinade:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 4 clove(s) garlic
• 1 red chilli pepper
• 4 bay leaves
• 10 peppercorn
• 1 tablespoon salt

1. Put all sliced veggies in a big bowl, mix gently. Transfer vegetables to  a container with a tightly closing lid (glass jar is the best).
2. In a medium sauce pan mix all ingredients for the marinade and bring to boil. 
3. Pour the marinade on top of the vegetables and press firmly so the vegetables don't float up. Close the lid. Let the jar cool. Place in a frigde for at least 24 hours. 

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