no more kale

vol. I summer 20I2

Friends & family, For this inaugural issue of QQ Ive included eight kale-free recipes. Why kale-free you may ask? Well guys, its summer and especially if youve spent the past five winters in Western Massachusetts youve probably had it up past your nose with this leafy staple. Some of the recipes that follow are things that I cook almost every week, others are (for me) special occasion dishes, but regardless of what youre up for cooking I still hope that you find these recipes to be tasting and fulfilling. The world seems to have grown a lot larger this past year, theres been lots of traveling and moving. Of course change is a wonderful thing, but I dont get to eat and cook with many of you as often as I would like to anymore. So in lieu of a shared table, I am beaming this packet of recipes off to each of you, with lots of love and warm wishes. Carolyn

QQ in Singapore and Taiwan is a way of describing something that has a good chewiness to it.

Recipes
Brussels Sprout Fritatta Broccoli Polenta Fresh Corn and Endive Salad Lemony Green Bean Salad Coconut Milk and Shitake Mushroom Risotto Caramelized Red Onion Focaccia Sea Vegetable and Pan-seared Salmon Salad Just Plain Easy, Raw, Vegan Coconut Macaroons 5 6 7 8 9 I0 I2 I3

Brussels Sprout Fritatta

12 Brussels sprouts 1 red onion 2 smallish yams or 5 fingerling potatoes 2 cloves of garlic cup of shredded sharp cheddar or other hard sharp cheese A hefty cup of sliced sundried tomatoes 4 cups of egg whites 1 tablespoons of butter or olive oil salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 350F. Clean and chop the Brussels sprouts into inch strips. Slice the red onion, finely dice the garlic, cut the root vegetables of your choice into very thin rounds. In a large skillet on medium heat melt the butter and allow it to brown (2-3 minutes). Add in the red onion and root vegetable, cook for 2 minutes. Add in the Brussels sprouts and garlic, saut until everything is just barely cooked, around another 3-5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Take the skillet off the stove and toss in sundried tomato slices and shredded cheese. Oil or butter a good-sized baking dish. Pour in sauted vegetables, pour in egg whites. Add a dash of salt and pepper, toss everything together with a spoon and then level it all out. Put baking dish in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes or until the frittata has set.

Broccoli Polenta
2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth* A pinch of salt 1 cup dry polenta 1 tablespoon olive oil 2-3 cups very finely diced ( inch pieces) broccoli, florets and stems A handful of pecerino romano or cup of pesto is optional
Bring the broth and salt to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add the polenta in a slow, steady stream, whisking as you add it. Add in the broccoli and olive oil, stir well, and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often. Transfer the polenta to a medium sized greased baking dish. Top with a little grated cheese or a thin layer of pesto if you like. Preheat the broiler or bring the oven up as high as it goes. Place polenta filled baking dish into the oven Cook under the broiler for 7-10 minutes, or until golden-brown. Serve. Eat it cold again the next morning for breakfast.

* Buillion cubes are a-okay

Fresh Corn and Endive Salad

3 ears of sweet corn 2 purple endives 2 scallions 2 small tomatoes 1 teaspoon white miso paste 1 tablespoons unsalted butter a dash of kosher salt
Husk and clean the ears of corn. With the ear of corn resting in a large mixing bowl cut the corn kernels off of each of the ears. Heat the butter in a medium sized skillet on medium high heat until it begins to bubble, around 2 minutes. Add in miso paste and allow the mixture to just begin to brown, approximately 30 seconds. Add in the corn kernels. Salt and cook for 2-3 minutes until warm and just barely cooked. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Cut off the bottom quarter inch of each endive and discard it. Then finely chop the remaining endive into thin strips. Mince the white and green parts of the scallions. Dice the tomatoes. Place all ingredients in a serving bowl and serve. Salt and pepper as desired.

Lemony Green Bean Salad

adapted from the Food52 cookbook

1 pound green beans 4 ounces of feta small red onion, as thinly sliced as possible 2 scallions, minced cup of olive oil (optional) 1 lemon juiced and zested 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, honey or agave nectar 3-4 cups of mixed salad greens
Combine together lemon juice, zest, sweetener and optional olive oil. Add in thinly sliced red onion and allow to macerate for 10-15 minutes. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for a scant 3-5 minutes, until bright green but not soft. Drain the beans and rinse them in cold water. Combine cooled green beans with reserved dressing and cheese. Toss with salad greens and serve.

Coconut Milk and Shitake Mushroom Risotto

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth* 1 cup regular coconut milk 2 leeks chopped finely, white stem only 2 cloves of garlic chopped fine 1 cups arborio rice cup of vermouth or a dry white wine 2 tablespoons of olive oil salt and pepper to taste 2 cups of shitake mushrooms, cleaned and cut to your liking 2 scallions, diced fine Heat the broth and coconut milk together in a small pot, bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover. Heat another pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil into it. Saut the leeks until they are soft and slightly translucent, add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add in the arborio rice allow it to toast for a few moments or until the outside of the rice begins to look translucent. Douse the rice in the vermouth or white wine and allow to simmer. When the majority of the liquid has cooked off add in your first ladleful of the broth mixture and stir the rice gently around the pot making sure to scrape the sides. When the broth looks mostly absorbed add in another ladleful of stock. Continue this process until you only have one ladle left of stock. Add in the shitake mushrooms and the last ladleful of stock, the heat of the risotto should cook the mushrooms quickly. Turn off the heat. If you are feeling brave, put a pat of butter on top of the risotto. If not just add a little more of the coconut milk. Cover the pot of risotto with a lid and allow to rest for five minutes before serving. *Have no shame in using a quality bouillon substitute here. 9

Caramelized Red Onion Focaccia

adapted from Smitten Kitchen to be savory

Dough of a cup of warm water (hot tap water will do, beneath a boil) 2 tablespoons milk, slightly warmed 1 teaspoons of sugar 1 teaspoons of active dry yeast (or one packet) 2 cups of all-purpose flour teaspoon of salt 2 tablespoons of olive oil Topping 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter (or olive oil) 2 red onions cut into long, thin slices 1 tablespoon of raw, brown sugar 2 teaspoons of coarse sea salt a small handful of fresh rosemary needles Stir together the water, milk, sugar, and yeast. Let the mixture sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the flour, salt and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the yeast mixture. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is smooth and not too sticky, 15-20 minutes. Shape the dough into a round Oil a large bowl and then place the dough inside of it, making sure to oil the entire surface of the ball of dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a cool place until it doubles in bulk, 1 to 2 hours. While you are waiting for the dough, caramelize the red onions. In a heavy-bottomed skillet or pot, heat the butter on medium heat until it begins to brown. Add in the sliced red onion and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring it occasionally, until it begins to smell sweet and caramelize, around 30 minutes.

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Sea Vegetable and Pan-seared Salmon Salad

Press the dough down with a floured hand. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide it into two balls. Brush a large baking sheet (or two small ones) with olive oil, place the balls of dough on it and brush the tops with more oil. Set it aside for 20 minutes, lightly covered with a kitchen towel. After 20 minutes, dip your fingers in olive oil and press and stretch each ball of dough into a 8 to 9-inch circle-ish shape. It will be dimpled from your fingers. Cover again with the towel and let it rise for another 1 1/4 hours in a cool place. Preheat the oven to 450F. Brush tops of dough with remaining olive oil and top with caramelized red onion, rosemary, coarse sugar and coarse sea salt, sprinkled evenly over the dough. Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and puffed around edges. Marinade for Tofu and Salmon, to be split between two separate bowls 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons maple syrup, agave or honey 1 tablespoon ponzu, or substitute tablespoon soy sauce and tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon sesame oil, in tofu marinade only extra firm tofu two salmon fillets, boned and skin removed 1 tablespoon of olive oil Salad cup arame, soaked in cold water for fifteen minutes and then drained head of radicchio chopped fine, or substitute 1 cup of red cabbage the whites of four scallions, minced 1 carrot julienned into fine sticks sesame seeds 6-8 cups of the small leafed, bitter green of your choice (watercress, arugula...) Mix the ingredients for the marinade together and then separate it evenly between two bowls. Prep your proteins: skin and debone the salmon; pat the tofu dry and then cut it into half by quarter inch slices. Place the tofu and the salmon into the two different bowls of marinade. The tofu can sit out on your counter, but the salmon should return to the refrigerator. Allow both to marinade for as long as possible, but around 30 minutes is fine. Combine all of the salad ingredients together, add the tofu and pour a little of the tofu marinade on top, set aside until your fish is cooked. To cook the salmon, heat a nonstick skillet on high for 30 seconds before adding in a tablespoon of olive oil, or enough to cover the bottom of the skillet. After the pan is hot (around 3 minutes should be fine) turn it down to mediumhigh and add the salmon. Cook the salmon for 3-5 minutes, until it is browned and releases easily from the pan and then turn over and cook for 3 minutes. Plate the salad with salmon on top, sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions. II 12

Just Plain Easy, Raw, Vegan Coconut Macaroons

1 cup of coconut flour 2 cups of shredded unsweetened coconut 8 tablespoons of raw agave OR if you dont need them to be raw 4 tablespoons of real maple syrup 1 teaspoon almond extract teaspoon vanilla extract A dash of kosher salt Mix all wet ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add dry ingredients and mix. Tightly pack around a tablespoons worth of dough together with your hands until they form jawbreaker-sized orbs. Refrigerate in a sealed container for optimum freshness. Makes around 14.

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