La Platicona Habla: Tastes, Passions and Pursuits

I love breads and cakes made with olive oil rather than butter - the moisture content is much higher, and in a dry high altitude climate, that really makes a difference. As usual, I pulled this recipe out from one of my beloved cookbooks by Lidia Bastianich, but of course I've left some things out that don't like. The recipe, it says, was really taken from one of her cooking students' grandmother. Whoever that lady was - this recipe is delicious. The best part, is you can make this without a mixer.

You will need:

- 1 c olive oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 2/3 c sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla

- 2 c flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda

- 2 c shredded zucchini
- zest of one lemon

Step One: Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and prepare a loaf pan by greasing and flouring it.

Step Two: In a separate bowl, sift flour, cinammon, salt, and baking soda.

Step Three: In the main bowl, using either a whisk or mixer, whip eggs and olive oil until mixture is a frothy light yellow color. If using a whisk, slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking the eggs. Add sugar slowly and continue to mix.

Step Four: Using a wooden spoon or spatula, slowly add the sifted dry ingredients to the egg mixture. When fully incorporated, mix in the zucchini and lemon zest.

Step Five: Pour batter into the loaf pan. The batter will almost fill the entire pan, but don't worry, it won't spill over. Bake this loaf for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. Eat to your heart's content.

You may choose to jazz up this vegetable bread with some walnuts or golden raisins. The result of this bread is a moist spongy texture that will last for about one week.

Labels: dessert, lemon, spices, zucchini

I can't believe I've never posted a lentil salad recipe here. I have two in my arsenal, and one I just modified from that fantastic cookbook/pastry shop Once Upon A Tart. I also happen to have a Zjirushi rice cooker from Japan that makes excellent lentils in a hurry. If you don't have a rice cooker, you can always cook the lentils over the stove top, ration is 1:3 (lentils:water). Rules of rice cooking apply: bring to a rapid boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 45 min - 1 hour. No peeking!

You will need:
- 4 c cooked French Lentils (dark green)
- 1/2 small red onion finely diced
- 4 carrots, shredded on the cheese grater

For the dressing:

- 7 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp masala curry powder
- juice of 1 lemon or lime
- large handful of Italian Parsley, chopped
- 1 thumb sized piece of ginger, freshly grated
- salt to taste

Step One: Clean lentils (pick out rocks and rinse); cook in rice cooker or over the stovetop. Ration is 1:3, boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 min - 1 hour or until lentils are soft but not mushy. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Step Two: Place all ingredients for dressing in a bowl, minus the olive oil. While using a wire whisk, slowly drizzle in olive oil until fully incorporated. Toss in lentils, onion, and carrots.

Step Three: You can eat these warm, cold, whatever - they are fantastic. I ate them as a main course with a side of asparagus. Mmm. Soooo good.

Labels: carrots, lentils, salad, spices

I always wanted to try a Spanish Torta, but I never had a seasoned cast iron pan lying around until this last weekend when the Baking Master decided to make cornbread in a cast iron pan.

You will need:

- 6 red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
- 2 small yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 1/4 c olive oil, plus extra to roast potato slices
- 8 eggs (use large brown eggs)
- herbs (rosemary works great)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Step One: toss potatoes and onions in 3 tbsp of olive oil with salt and pepper to taste; spread onto a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Step Two: Lower temperature to 350

Step Three: Whisk eggs with salt and pepper. Scrape cooled potatoes and onions into egg mixture.

Step Four: Heave 1/4 c olive oil in cast iron pan over a stove burner on high heat. Pour in the potato and egg mixture and cook stove top for 1 minute. Place pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the center is firm to the touch. Remove and serve warm.

Labels: eggs, onion, potato, spices

Penne never gets old--especially dressed with some red onions and balsamic vinegar. This pasta is best served just warm, but you can also make it cold. I decided to use tri-colored bell peppers for this recipe as green peppers tend not to be as sweet and tender as the yellow, red, and orange pepers.

You will need:

- 4 cups of cooked penne pasta
- 3 thinly sliced bell peppers
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 5 tbsp of Balsamic vinegar whisked into 4 tbsp of olive oil
- seasonal herbs such as chopped fresh Italian parsley, fresh thyme, or fresh basil.
- 1/2 c of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Step One: In a saute pan, add 3 tbsp of olive oil, the garlic, peppers, and onions. Cover this pan with a lid or piece of foil and cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked, but still have a crunchy bite.

Step Two: Add the herbs and balsamic/olive oil mixture and cook for another 3-5 minutes until warmed through. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cooked penne pasta and Parmesan cheese, mixing until thoroughly incorporated. Serve while still warm.

Labels: bell pepper, herbs, onion, pasta, spices

I sort of stole this recipe from the Whole Foods market as I passed the potato and soup bar and sampled a bit of what they called "mullagatawny" soup. The soup is a red lentil puree with coconut milk. I had to make up the proportions of the ingredients, so feel free to adjust them to your own palette. Also, if you liked the daal and tomato soup, this will be a variation of that soup that you may like to try.

You will need:
- 2 c of red lentils (daal)
- 5 c of liquid: 3 c vegetable stock, 2 c of water
- 1 can of light coconut milk
- 3 tbsp of tomato paste
- handful of chopped cilantro
- 2 tsp of cumin powder
- 1 thumb size piece of fresh ginger, grated on a zester
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- juice of 2 limes
- salt & pepper to taste

Step One: cook the lentils in a small stock pot with the 5 cups of liquid. Cover the pot and simmer over medium-high heat for 1/2 hour or until cooked. Be sure to stir often so they don't stick. Set aside.

Step Two: in a blender, combine the spices (minus the cilantro), garlic, ginger, and the cooked lentils. Once blended, return mixture to the stock pot and cook over medium heat while you add the coconut milk, tomato paste, and lime. Cook for another 7-10 minutes until thoroughly heated. Serve with fresh cilantro and lime wedge.

The aroma of this dish is just fantastic. I suggest eating it with grilled pita bread and a side salad.

Labels: coconut milk, lentils, soup, spices, tomatoes