Cilantro
Peacamole
10 1/2 ounces shelled green peas, frozen or fresh but not canned
1 bunch fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons whole almond butter (like peanut butter but made with
unblanched almonds; look for it at natural foods stores)
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1 dash Tabasco sauce
Salt, black pepper
Steam the peas for 14 minutes, or until tender, and let cool. Pluck cilantro
leaves and set aside. IIn the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine
the peas, almond butter, cilantro, garlic if using, Tabasco sauce, a little
salt and some pepper. Process until smooth. If the mixture is a bit too
thick for the blade of the food processor to mix properly, add just a little
bit of water, a teaspoon at a time, until soft enough to mix.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spread on pieces of multigrain crisp bread
and serve. The peacamole can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge in
an airtight container; it will keep for 2 to 3 days.
From chocolateandzucchini.com
Recipe originally developed for ELLE à table, issue #63, March/April 2009.
Makes enough for an appetizer for 4.
Kale with Red Beans,
Cilantro and Feta Cheese
A limited cupboard can sometimes prove an asset. I had
dark red kidney beams from a California market, feta cheese, cilantro and
what seemed like an armload of kale. They worked well together, much to my
surprise, in truth; any variety of greens works here, so chard, collards or
other greens are fine too. Deborah Madison
1 ½ cups dried red kidney beans soaked fro 4 hours or overnight
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon thyme leaves
1 ½ teaspoons Sea salt
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large bunch of kale
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra to finish
¾ cup chopped cilantro
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Drain the beans, cover them with plenty of cold water, and bring to a boil.
Remove any scum that rises to the surface, and then add the herbs, salt, and
all but ½ cup of the onions. Lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 1
½ hours.
Wash and then slice the kale leaves from their stems with a knife, chop
coarsely into 1-2 inch pieces. Bring a few quarts water to a boil; add salt
and the kale. Simmer until tender 5-7 minutes then pour into a colander to
drain. Heat the oil in a wide skillet, add the remaining ½ cup onion and ½
the cilantro. Cook over medium heat until the onion has softened about 10
minutes, then serve garnished with crumbled feta cheese and the remaining
cilantro.
Chard & Leek Soup with
Cilantro
Light bodied but roundly flavored, this is a good soup to begin a large
meal. It is quickly made and needs to stock.
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion or 2 medium leeks white parts only, chopped
3 red potatoes peeled and thinly slice
1 bunch chard, kale or turnip greens, stems removed about 10 cups
1 bunch cilantro chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup cream fraiche or sour cream
½ cup cooked rice or small toasted croutons
Heat the butter in a soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onion, potatoes
and paprika, cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to color, about 8
minutes. Add ½ cup water and scrape the bottom of the pot to release the
juices that have accumulated. Add the greens and 11/2 teaspoons salt. As
soon as they wilt down, after 5 minutes or so, add 61/2 cups water. Bring to
a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered for 12 to 15
minutes, Puree the soup, then return it to the pot. Taste for salt and
season with pepper. Mix the cream fraiche with some of the soup to smooth it
out, then swirl it into the soup. Serve with rice or croutons to each bowl.
From Vegetable Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison