NYT beat us to the punch last week when they posted a short feature on one of our favorite places in Brooklyn. Ever since we started to explore all foods Indian and Middle-Eastern, Sahadi’s has been been our go-to place for ingredients. This Atlantic Avenue landmark has been around for ages and continues to prosper despite the TJ’s across the street. We come to Sahadi’s whenever Ottolenghi asks for 1 TBS of some obscure ingredient or to buy staples like oregano and cumin in bulk. While we might have enough cinnamon sticks and cardamon pods to last a 100 curries, there’s always something else we can pick up at Sahadi’s.
I’m on team sweet potato. But, I haven’t always been a sweet potato enthusiast. In fact, growing up I was a serious potato fanatic, strictly of the yukon and russet variety. Potato chips, mashed potatoes, french fries – these were some of my favorite foods. In 8th grade, for my birthday my friends gave me a cookbook with entirely potato recipes. I used to preach my love of potatoes to others, telling people that “potatoes make you happy,” though my scientific backing on this point was shaky. Alas, tastebuds change. I still salivate over salty potato chips and buttery mashed potatoes, these are eternally beloved foods. And though I often order sweet potato fries, they can never match the crunchy fried goodness of classic french fries. But, all and all, I much prefer the nuance a sweet potato adds to a meal.
This Ottolenghi recipe originally calls for butternut squash, but Luke and I substituted squash for sweet potatoes because they are delicious, abundant, and cheaper.
Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
4-5 shallots, cut into thin slices lengthwise
3-4 TBS olive oil
3 TBS tahini paste
1 1/2 TBS lemon juice
2 TBS water
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 TBS za’atar
salt & pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 475ºF.
Spread sweet potato wedges on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 TBS olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Thoroughly mix with your hands so the wedges are well coated with olive oil and then arrange on the baking sheet, skin side down. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1-2 TBS olive oil. Once olive oil is warm, add the shallots. Sauté for 15-20 minutes, until caramelized, stirring often and lowering heat if necessary to avoid burning.
Once sweet potatoes have finished cooking, combine with caramelized shallots. Let cool while making the sauce. Combine tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt in a small bowl. Whisk until the sauce is the consistency of honey, adding more water or lemon juice to thin (or more tahini to thicken) if necessary.
To serve, spread the vegetables on a platter and drizzle over tahini sauce. Sprinkle with za’atar. You can also garnish with parsley and/or toasted pine nuts.
A photo of this recipe graces the back cover of Ottolenghi’s Plenty More. Conclusively, it must be one of the cookbook’s greatest hits. It is certainly one of the most photogenic. With its’ complementary color schema, poppin’ purple onion rings, herb freckled surface, it’s nearly modelesque. Instagram undoubtedly crosses one’s mind when admiring this cake. And, as it turns out, of the recipes in Ottolenghi’s all veggie Plenty More this cauliflower cake is a unique, flavorful, and versatile option. Looks good and tastes good too! It is spongey from the eggs, but not at all similar to a quiche or frittata. The rosemary and parmesan add a savoriness which is balanced with a little sweetness from the fresh basil. And the cauliflower creates a wonderful texture and density.
This cake can serve as the main dish of any meal. We enjoyed a slice for dinner with a green salad and some cheese. And to avoid any stressing as Ottolenghi recipes often have a difficult twist, we simplified this recipe a little bit. You can find the original on The Kitchn.
Ingredients:
1 small cauliflower, leaves removed, broken in to 1 1/4 inch florets (about 4 cups)
1 medium red onion, peeled
5 TBS olive oil
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
7 large eggs
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 cups fresh grated parmesan
salt & pepper ~ to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place cauliflower florets in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and add 1 tsp salt. Bring water to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes, until florets are soft. You’ll want the florets to break when pressed with a spoon. Drain and set aside in a colander to dry.
Cut about 1/3 of the red onion into thin round slices, each 1/4 inch thick and set aside. Coarsely chop the remainder of the onion and place it in a small pan with 5 TBS oil and rosemary. Cook for ten minutes over medium heat until soft, stirring to ensure onions don’t stick or burn. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Once cool, transfer onion to a large bowl. Add the eggs and basil, whisk well, and then add flour, baking soda, turmeric, parm, 1 tsp salt, and plenty of freshly ground pepper. Whisk until smooth, but be mindful. This cake does not need lots of whisking. Add cauliflower, incorporating into the batter with a wooden spoon. Try not to break up florets too much, unless you have some larger guys like we did. You don’t want cauliflower popping out too much from your cake batter.
Line the base and sides of a 9 1/2 inch springform cake pan with parchment paper. Or, if you don’t have a springform pan, use a 9 inch round cake pan instead, lined with parchment paper. Make sure paper comes up the sides to easily remove the cake. Pour the cauliflower mixture into the pan, spreading it evenly, and arrange reserved onion rings on top. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown and set. A knife inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean.
Remove from oven and let sit for 15-20 minutes before serving. Serve just warm.
Details: Serves 4 to 6. Perfect for morning after leftovers.
Luke and I were recently gifted two Ottolenghi cookbooks (Nopi, The Cookbook and Plenty More). Admittedly, we’re a little late to the Ottolenghi party, but we’re trying to catch up. With the master chef in mind and our two new cookbooks supplying ample inspiration, we bought a giant pack of za’atar. Giant because we couldn’t find anything smaller than a 16 oz bag at the Middle Eastern grocery store and also because we figured we’d be whipping out za’atar filled Ottolenghi recipes on the daily. As it turns out we still have some catching up to do (Ottolenghi recipes are hard!!). Sooo…this is not an Ottolenghi recipe (it’s actually adapted from Tara Parker-Pope’s on NYT) and it uses a very minimal amount of za’atar, but it is a simple and delicious soup, with just a lil’ exotic touch. The savory za’atar oil nicely balances the sweetness of the soup and the feta adds a salty zing. We recommend serving with a winter-y salad and thick crusty toasts (or, maybe za’atar flatbread?!). Makes a very comforting meal on a chilly winter night.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil + 2 TBS
2 TBS za’atar
2 TBS butter
1 onion, diced
2 medium sized carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 leek, white part only, peeled and diced
2-3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
approx. 1/4 of a butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
4 cups water
salt + pepper, to taste
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Directions:
Za’atar oil: In a small skillet, combine 1/4 cup olive oil and za’atar. Cook over medium heat until hot and fragrant, but be careful not to burn (1-2 minutes). Pour into a small bowl and set aside to cool. Should sit for an hour or so for flavors to infuse.
In a large pot, heat butter and remaining olive oil over medium high heat. When butter has melted and is shimmery, add the onions, carrot, celery, and leek. Lower heat a bit and cook until slightly caramelized, 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add more oil if necessary to avoid onions sticking to the pot. Add the sweet potato and butternut squash cubes and sauté for 1-2 minutes more. Add the water and stock and bring to a boil, then lower to simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes or until sweet potato and squash are completely soft.
Puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Ladle the soup into bowls, crumble some feta on top, and drizzle on za’atar oil.
Details: Serves 6-8. A great soup to freeze and reheat later!
Pig n' Pie - Food recipes and adventures 