Cumin Roasted Carrots and Meyer Lemon

The holidays felt like they were never-ending.  By the time Friday rolled around, I started to go a little crazy. Apparently, I have trouble relaxing (a freelancer thing?).  The first week without projects and inquiries, without a constant stream of messages hitting my inbox, was refreshing.  I spent time with my parents, my sister and her family, my in-laws.  I got to see friends in New York and check out some museums (a highlight being an exhibit of Dutch paintings, including Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, at the Frick. If you are in New York, it's there until the 19th) We even saw movies... in a theater!

On the few days that Eric went into work these last couple of weeks, I'd use the time to photograph some recipes. I didn't realize how much I'd missed picking up my camera.  For me, cooking and photography are two great forms of creative expression.  There are so many ways to capture the beauty of food. Not just the final dish, which, in the case of this roasted carrot dish, was surprisingly challenging (cooked carrots are funny looking things), but the whole process.  I spent over four hours shooting this (for those out there wondering how much time it takes to do a post... let's just say I need to block out a full day to complete a single one).

We acquired a plethora of carrots from our CSA last week and I thought there was no way I'd get through all of them.  Between soups and stews and assorted other dinners, we still had a full bag.  I looked around our kitchen and my eyes honed in on two very lonely (and very ripe) Meyer lemons. Until this point, I've actually only cooked with Meyer lemons once or twice.  I knew that they were less sour than regular lemons and I thought they would actually be delicious roasted.  Half of this dish turned into lunch while the rest was served at dinner with a platter of baked salmon and couscous.

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Cumin Roasted Carrots and Meyer Lemon

Yield 2-3 as a side

Ingredients 1 1/2 - 2 lbs of carrots (or approximately 10 medium-sized), peeled 1 Meyer lemon cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices, seeds removed 6 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper Kosher salt and black pepper 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil.

2. In a bowl, toss the carrots with four tablespoons of olive oil, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper.  Add the sliced Meyer lemon and toss with the carrots.

3. Spread in an even layer on the baking sheet and sprinkle 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt over the carrots and lemon slices.

4. Roast for 20 minutes.

5. Rotate carrots and flip lemon slices, and season with another sprinkle of salt.  Roast for another 10-15 minutes, or until carrots are golden brown.

6. Transfer to a serving plate and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over them.  Finish with Kosher salt, ground black pepper, and chopped parsley.

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Shaved Brussels Sprout Christmas Salad

Shaved Brussels Sprout Christmas Salad

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Christmas Salad

Shaved Brussels Sprout Christmas Salad

Shaved Brussels Sprout Christmas Salad

Shaved Brussels Sprout Christmas Salad

Shaved Brussels Sprout Christmas Salad

You might be a bit confused. No, I don't celebrate Christmas. I don't really celebrate anything. Culturally, I connect more to Judaism and will use any excuse to make matzo balls or latkes or devour a big plate of gefilte fish. I'd consider myself more of a secular Jew, one who connects to the community and its general principles, but I don't believe in a higher power. At least I don't give it much thought.

But now that I've explained that... let's get back to Christmas. While I don't celebrate it, my mother in law does. Sort of. Like my own mom, she loves any reason to have her family home for a big dinner. Nothing religious about it, though there is a beautifully decorated tree and some stockings hanging in her living room.  Last year, there were 20 people over for dinner and I had just come across this beautiful Brussels sprout salad from Green Kitchen Stories.  As soon as I looked at the bowl, I knew I was going to replicate it the following Christmas.  I mean, look at these ingredients.  All of my seasonal favorites... fresh citrus, Brussels sprouts, pomegranates, hazelnuts. So many things to love.

Shaved Brussels Sprout Christmas Salad

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Christmas Salad

Shaved Brussels Sprout Christmas Salad

Source Slightly adapted from Green Kitchen Stories

Yield Serves 4-6 as a side

Ingredients

2 cups Brussels sprouts
4 kale leaves
3 oranges
1 pomegranate
1 cup hazelnuts

Dressing
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp dijon
3 tbsp lemon juice
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

1. Trim the woody ends off the Brussels sprouts. In a food processor fitted with the shredding disc, process sprouts until uniformly shredded. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can slice them by hand using a knife.)  Transfer to a serving bowl.

2. Remove the stems from the kale leaves.  Using a knife, slice into thin ribbons and add to bowl with the Brussels.

3. Segment the oranges and set aside in a separate bowl.

4. De-seed the pomegranate and set arils aside in a bowl.

5. Prepare the dressing by whisking together all of the ingredients until smooth.  Pour over the Brussels sprouts and kale and massage with your hands for 30 seconds.

6. Top with the orange segments, pomegranate, and hazelnuts and serve.

Roasted Cauliflower with Pine Nuts and Currants

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Roasted Cauliflower with Pine Nuts and Currants

Roasted Cauliflower2

I forgot that the arrival of winter means that I want to eat everything in sight.  Oh, and that I have zero interest in going to the gym. Yeah, it's not good. Thankfully, between walking the dog and needing to get out to go to a variety of gigs, most of which result in me lugging around a massive bag of equipment and props, I get a little bit of exercise here and there.  But, oh gosh, if I could stay inside all day, I would.  And it doesn't help that I've done a couple of shoots for a local chocolate company, which means that I'm left home alone with these dark treats that just won't stop calling my name.

Roasted Cauliflower

I have been trying to keep the foods in our house on the lighter side. Healthy (though hearty) soups and stews. Roasted root veggies. Big bowls of quinoa.  I've never been fond of really heavy and fattening dishes this time of year, but I do want to be left satisfied.

Last week, I roasted a head of cauliflower and proceeded to eat the whole thing. It's not just cauliflower, though. Give me a bunch of beets... I'll boil and dress them, sprinkle a little goat cheese on top and that'll be my dinner. Strange, right?

It may not be easy to see the simple pleasure of a bowl of cauliflower, but it has a lot going for it.  A bit of sweetness comes through when roasted and just a few additions really make this something special.

Roasted Cauliflower with Pine Nuts and Currants

Roasted Cauliflower with Currants and Pine Nuts

Yield Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients 1 large head of cauliflower, leaves and stem end removed. 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons Kosher salt 2 teaspoons smoked paprika Black pepper 1/4 cup dried currants 1/4 cup pine nuts Zest of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. With the core side facing down, slice the cauliflower into 1/2 inch thick slices.  If pieces are large, cut them into smaller florets.  Place in a bowl with the chopped garlic and toss with olive oil.  Sprinkle 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 2 teaspoons smoked paprika over cauliflower and toss to season the florets.

3. Spread flat on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  If necessary, use two baking sheets.

4. Roast for approximately 20 minutes, or until browned lightly and becomes tender.  Remove the cauliflower from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.

5. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick pan at medium heat. Add the pine nuts, shaking the pan every 30 seconds until they brown slightly.  Remove immediately and transfer pine nuts to a bowl.

6. Transfer the cauliflower to a serving bowl.  Mix in the currants, toasted pine nuts, and lemon zest.  Taste for seasoning and, if necessary, add more salt and black pepper.  Sprinkle parsley on top and serve.