The Simple Art of Vegetarian Cooking: Templates and Lessons for Making Delicious Meatless Meals Every Day: A Cookbook

CHAPTER ONE

The Building Blocks: Basic Recipes

THESE ARE THE BASIC, mostly vegetable preparations that I use most often as building blocks for main dishes. Rather than repeat the instructions for preparing the vegetables every time they’re used, I’ve grouped them as recipes here. My frittatas and gratins, for example are often filled with seasoned wilted greens ( this page )—kale or chard, beet greens, broccoli raab, or spinach. Those same greens, in turn, could easily top a big bowl of grains or make up part of a taco filling. I’ll use the pan-cooked mushrooms on this page or the wild mushroom ragout on this page in a risotto, and the same mushrooms in a taco; the Mediterranean stewed peppers or roasted winter squash that I stir into a risotto on this page can also be spooned over polenta, top a big bowl of grains, or fill a frittata.

Some of these recipes can also stand alone, to be enjoyed as a side dish or a small plate. But in this book they’re the vegetarian building blocks that make up bigger, more substantial dishes. If you are relatively new to cooking, this is the place where you can begin to walk before you run with the main body of recipes in this book.

WILTED GREENS

THIS IS MY METHOD FOR DEALING with most dark, leafy greens—kale, chard, turnip greens, spinach, or beet greens. It’s the first step I take with them before I use them in most recipes, such as gratins and pastas, frittatas and tacos, quesadillas and pizzas. Sometimes, if I’m really organized, I’ll blanch (blanching means cooking for a short time in boiling water) or steam my greens as soon as I get them home from the market, before I even know what I’m going to do with them. I refresh the wilted greens with cold water, drain, and squeeze out the excess water, then store them in a covered bowl in the refrigerator (they keep better in a covered bowl than they do in a plastic bag) for about 3 days.

If I find that I’m not going to be able to use the greens because I’m going out of town, or I bought too much at the market, I double wrap the blanched or steamed greens in plastic, bag them, and freeze. It’s always great to have them on hand, ready to transform into a delicious dinner.

Each green is a little different in terms of the toughness of the leaf and the amount of time it takes for the leaf to wilt. Collards are toughest and require the most time in boiling salted water or steam before the leaves soften. Some types of kale are relatively tough as well. Spinach is much more delicate and requires hardly any cooking at all, only about 20 seconds. Beet greens and chard are somewhere in between. The sturdier greens lose less volume when you wilt them. Spinach, no matter how lush the bunch is when you begin, cooks down to a mere handful.

After I wilt the greens, I usually season them with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, sometimes red pepper flakes, and herbs—thyme and/or rosemary. I don’t proceed with this step until close to the time that I’m ready to make the dish, as the flavors won’t be as fresh if the seasoned greens sit in the refrigerator.

Kale, Beet Greens, Chard, Turnip Greens, Spinach, Collards

VEGAN /// SEE NOTE ON YIELD ON THIS PAGE

Whether blanched or steamed, once your greens are drained, you must squeeze excess water out of the leaves. The most efficient way to do this is to take up one handful at a time and squeeze. Once all of the greens have been squeezed, place the clumps on your cutting board and chop coarsely or fine, depending on the recipe.

¾ to 1 pound greens, stemmed, leaves washed in 2 changes of water

Salt

TO BLANCH

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and fill a bowl with cold water or ice water.

2. When the water in the pot comes to a boil, salt it generously (see "How Much Salt is Enough . . . ?"), then add the greens. Blanch mature spinach for 20 seconds only (baby spinach needs only 5 seconds); chard, beet greens, and turnip greens for about 1 minute; kale for 2 to 3 minutes; collards for 3 to 4.

3. Using a Chinese mesh skimmer if you have one, or a slotted spoon or spider, lift the blanched greens from the water and transfer directly to the bowl of cold water. Let sit for about half a minute, then drain.

TO STEAM

1. Heat 1 inch of water in a steamer; I prefer to use a pasta pot with an insert, as the insert can accommodate a large volume of greens. Fill a bowl with cold water or ice water.

2. When the water in the pot comes to a boil, place the greens in the insert. Cover and steam until they collapse, 1 to 2 minutes for spinach (less than a minute for baby spinach); about 2 minutes for chard, beet greens, and turnip greens; 3 to 4 minutes for kale; and 4 to 5 minutes for collards. To allow the greens to steam evenly, uncover halfway through the steaming time and turn them using long-handled tongs.

3. Remove the greens from the steamer and transfer to the bowl of cold water. Let sit for about half a minute, then drain.

NOTE: Different types of greens yield different amounts. On average, with the exception of spinach, 1 pound of greens (about 8 cups tightly packed leaves) will yield about 1 cup of chopped wilted greens. Spinach yields only ½ cup and will serve 1 or at most 2. However, when the greens are building blocks for other dishes, they’ll serve on average 4 to 6.

ADVANCE PREPARATION: Wilted greens will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator in a covered bowl and freeze well for a month or two.

How Much Salt Is Enough for Blanching Vegetables?

A cooking teacher at the CIA Boot Camp (at the Culinary Institute of America) in Hyde Park, New York, taught me that the water for blanching vegetables should taste like the ocean (he said the Atlantic, but any ocean will do), and I think that’s about right. How much salt you need to get it to that point depends upon the size of your pot and the amount of water in it. Tasting the water is the best way to ascertain whether or not you’ve added enough. It should taste like seawater. If you’re using a big pasta pot full of water, begin with 1 heaping tablespoon; taste, and you’ll probably add another.

Broccoli Raab (Rapini)

VEGAN /// MAKES ABOUT 2¼ TO 3 CUPS CHOPPED, SERVING 4 TO 6

I always blanch broccoli raab; I find it more efficient than steaming and like the flavor better. Because the greens and flowers cook more quickly than the thick stems, I add them separately to the boiling water.

1 bunch broccoli raab (¾ to 1 pound)

Salt

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a bowl with cold water or ice water. To prepare the broccoli raab, first trim away the thick ends and cut the stems where they taper, so that the thinner, leafier ends with the flowers are separated from the thicker ends.

2. When the water in the pot comes to a boil, salt it generously. Add the thick ends of the broccoli raab and set the timer for 5 minutes. After 2 minutes, add the thinner, leafier pieces so that they boil for 3 minutes.

3. When the raab is tender and wilted, transfer with a slotted spoon to the bowl of cold water and let cool for half a minute. Drain and squeeze to expel excess water. Chop medium-fine or fine, depending on the recipe. Most will instruct you to toss it in a pan with garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes as well, which broccoli raab adores.

ADVANCE PREPARATION: Wilted broccoli raab will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator in a covered bowl and freezes well for a month or two.

PEPPERS

I PICK UP A FEW RED peppers every week, even if I don’t have a plan for them. They keep well in the refrigerator; they’re always welcome in a salad; and stewed or roasted they are endlessly useful as fillings (for frittatas, omelets, gratins, and risottos), toppings for pizzas, and, accompaniments to pasta. Once roasted or stewed, even relatively dull-tasting hothouse peppers pick up plenty of flavor. But nothing compares to the peppers you buy from your local farmer.

Mediterranean Stewed Peppers: Peperonata, Pipérade, and Chakchouka

VEGAN /// MAKES 2½ TO 3 CUPS, SERVING 4 TO 6

There are variations on the stewed pepper theme throughout the Mediterranean. Italian peperonata is a sweet mixture of onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and garlic. Basque pipérade has more spice because of their slender piquant peppers called piments d’espelette. The Tunisian version, chakchouka, is even spicier still, seasoned with the red pepper paste, harissa, and tabil, a spice mix that includes caraway, coriander, cayenne, and garlic.

There are so many ways you can use this preparation, no matter how you choose to season it. Use it the way the Basques do, as an addition to scrambled eggs, or the way Tunisians do, with eggs poached on top (the words pipérade and chakchouka are also the names for the egg and pepper dishes). Stir it into a frittata or a risotto, toss it with pasta, spread it on pizza, serve it with grains for a beautiful Big Bowl dinner, or use it for tacos or quesadillas, a gratin, or a quiche.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

Salt

2 large garlic cloves, minced

3 large red bell peppers, or a combination of red and yellow bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced or chopped

1 (14.5-ounce) can chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried

Freshly ground black pepper

ITALIAN PEPERONATA

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt, the garlic, and bell peppers. Cook, stirring often, until the peppers are tender 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, thyme, more salt to taste (½ teaspoon or more), and black pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the tomatoes have cooked down somewhat, about 10 minutes. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer over low heat for another 15 to 20 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the mixture is thick and fragrant. Taste and adjust seasonings.

FRENCH PIPÉRADE

Substitute 1 or 2 green bell peppers for 1 or 2 of the red bell peppers. Add 1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and thinly sliced, and 1 minced jalapeño or serrano chile along with the bell peppers.

NORTH AFRICAN CHAKCHOUKA

Use 2 green bell peppers, 2 red bell peppers, 2 Anaheim peppers, and a chile pepper if desired. Along with the tomatoes, stir in 1 teaspoon harissa or more to taste, ½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds, ¼ teaspoon ground caraway seeds, and ¹⁄8 teaspoon cayenne. When the stew has cooked down to a thick, fragrant mixture, stir in 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley. Top with poached eggs (dish will no longer be vegan).

ADVANCE PREPARATION: The stewed peppers will keep for about 5 days in the refrigerator.

Roasted Peppers

VEGAN /// MAKES 4 ROASTED PEPPERS ABOUT 2 CUPS DICED)

Roasting or grilling peppers is one way to preserve peppers for a few weeks if you have a lot in your CSA box. Once roasted or grilled, cover them with olive oil and keep in the refrigerator. Bell peppers will become incredibly sweet once roasted; if they’re grilled, the resulting sweetness contrasts in a mouthwatering way with the bitter edge of the char created by the grill or the broiler. You can grill them under a broiler, over a burner flame (right over the flame or in a perforated grill pan), or over coals. If I want really sweet peppers with lots of juice, and especially if I’ve got several to roast, I’ll roast them in a 425°F oven. You don’t get the layer of charcoal flavor this way but it’s easy (and it won’t set off the smoke alarm, which sometimes goes off in my apartment when I grill a lot of peppers).

4 medium or large red, green, or yellow bell peppers

Sea salt (fine or coarse) or kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

OPTIONAL

2 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (more to cover and preserve)

1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced or pureed

Slivered fresh basil leaves or chopped fresh tarragon, thyme, chervil, or marjoram

1 teaspoon balsamic or sherry vinegar

OVEN-ROASTED PEPPERS

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the peppers on the foil and bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, using tongs to turn the peppers every 10 minutes. The peppers are done when their skins are browned and puffed. They won’t be black and flaky the way they are when you grill them.

2. Transfer the peppers to a bowl. Cover the bowl with a plate or with plastic, and let sit for 30 minutes, until cool.

3. Carefully remove the skins, holding the peppers over the bowl so that no juice escapes. The peppers will be very soft. Separate into halves or quarters and remove the stems, seeds, and membranes; cut into strips if desired. Place the peppers in another bowl and strain the juices into the bowl. Season to taste. If storing for more than a day, toss with 2 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. If storing for a week or two, submerge the peppers in olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to use but remove from the refrigerator in time for the olive oil to liquefy before using. If you wish, toss with the optional ingredients shortly before serving.

BURNER-ROASTED PEPPERS

Turn on your exhaust fan. Light a gas burner and place a pepper directly over the flame. As soon as one section has blackened, turn the pepper, using tongs, to expose another section to the flame. Continue to turn until the entire pepper has blackened. Place in a plastic bag and seal, or place in a bowl and cover tightly. Allow to sit until cool, then remove the charred skin. You may need to run the pepper briefly under the faucet to rinse off the final bits of charred skin. If so, pat dry with paper towels. Cut the pepper in half, holding it over a bowl, remove the stems, seeds, and membranes. Season and store as instructed above.

NOTE: Sometimes, depending on the gnarliness of my peppers, I find it’s easier to roast them over the burner in a perforated grill pan, rather than setting the peppers directly over (or in) the flame. It’s a little neater too; not as much ash gets in my stove.

BROILED PEPPERS

Heat the broiler. Cover a baking sheet with foil and place the peppers on top. Place the baking sheet under the broiler at the highest setting. Broil, checking the peppers every 2 to 3 minutes and turning regularly as they char, until uniformly blackened. Place in a plastic bag and seal, or place in a bowl and cover tightly. Proceed as in burner-roasted peppers above.

NOTE: You can also use these methods to roast poblano peppers for Mexican dishes.

ADVANCE PREPARATION: Roasted peppers keep for a few days in the refrigerator and for a few weeks if you submerge them in olive oil.

ONIONS

MANY, IF NOT MOST, OF MY recipes begin by cooking onions in a small amount of oil until soft and translucent. This only takes about 5 minutes, but you want to be careful that you use medium and not high heat, because you don’t want the onions to stick to the pan and brown or they will become bitter. One way to prevent this is to add a pinch of salt, which draws out some of their water and lubricates the onions. I use brown onions (sometimes called yellow onions) for almost all of my recipes, unless otherwise specified. I look for onions of medium size, weighing about 6 ounces.

Softened Onions and Melted Onions (Onion Marmalade)

VEGAN /// MAKES 1 TO 2 CUPS

If you want the onions to reduce down to a sweet, spreadable mixture that I call onion marmalade, once the onions have wilted, continue cooking over low heat for a long time. In Provence the cooked-down onions find their home most often atop a pizza crust (pissaladière), and that’s a wonderful place for them. But melted-down onions are also welcome in a frittata or a risotto, a quesadilla or a taco, on top of grains in a big bowl, or spread on a bruschetta or sandwich.

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons for melted onions)

Up to 2 pounds onions, either chopped, or quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced across the grain

Salt

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped (optional)

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (optional)

2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)

Freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy lidded skillet (I like a heavy nonstick skillet for this). Add the onions and cook, stirring, until they soften and appear translucent, about 5 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt if the onions appear to be sticking to the pan or browning. Remove the softened onions from the heat and use as called for in recipes.

2. To continue cooking to make onion marmalade, add about ½ teaspoon salt, capers (if using), the thyme, and garlic. Turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer gently, stirring often, until the onions have cooked down and are very soft and lightly colored but not browned, 30 to 40 minutes. They should taste sweet. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

ADVANCE PREPARATION: The melted onions will keep for at least 4 days in the refrigerator.

MUSHROOMS

LIKE PEPPERS, I BUY MUSHROOMS AS a matter of course when I go to the supermarket, even if I don’t have anything specific in mind for them. I slice them up for salads, or pan-cook and add to frittatas and omelets, pasta and pizza, risottos and big bowls of grains. When I can get hold of wild mushrooms, I make more complex ragouts, which can also be used as a component of another dish—a sauce for pasta, the vegetable element of a risotto, a filling for a taco or a tart.

Pan-Cooked Mushrooms

VEGAN /// MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS, SERVING 4 TO 6

This is a simple, delicious way to prepare mushrooms. You can toss them with pasta (along with other vegetables or on their own), use them as an omelet filling, line a tart shell with them, or pile them onto bruschetta or onto grains for a big bowl. I’ve used this recipe for cooking up mushrooms I just bought, as well as for mushrooms that were beginning to dry out in my refrigerator. (It’s a way to save older mushrooms before they’ve shriveled to the point of no return. The older mushrooms don’t yield as luscious a preparation as fresh ones, but I’ve saved them from oblivion and enjoyed many a mushroom frittata!)

1 pound white or cremini mushrooms, wiped if gritty

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, minced (optional)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, rosemary, or sage (or a combination), or ½ teaspoon dried, or 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Salt and freshly ground pepper

¼ cup dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc

1. Trim off the very ends of the mushroom stems and cut into thick slices. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. When the oil is hot (you can feel the heat when you hold your hand above the pan), add the mushrooms. Don’t stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute so that the mushrooms will sear, then cook, stirring or tossing in the pan, for a few minutes, until they begin to soften and sweat.

2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, turn the heat to medium, and add the shallots (if using), garlic, and thyme, rosemary, or sage. (If using parsley, wait until you add the wine.) Stir together, add salt (about ½ teaspoon) and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring often, until the shallots and garlic have softened and the mixture is fragrant, another 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Add the wine and parsley (if using) and cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the wine has evaporated. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove from the heat.

ADVANCE PREPARATION: Pan-cooked mushrooms will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator.

Mushroom Ragout

VEGAN /// MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS, SERVING 6

This mushroom preparation is more complex than the previous recipe for simple pan-cooked mushrooms. I begin the recipe by reconstituting dried mushrooms—porcinis are my favorite—in boiling water. The rich infusion from soaking goes into the ragout and helps to create a great depth of flavor, which is even more nuanced if I can include fresh (not dried) wild mushrooms in the mix. For their meaty texture, I try to include oyster mushrooms, which are cultivated and not difficult to find even at my local grocery store. The ragout is wonderful on its own; tossed with pasta; used as the basis for a risotto or the filling for an omelet, frittata, tart, or taco; or spooned over polenta or on top of a big bowl of grains. If you like meaty vegetarian dishes, this is your dish, whether you use cultivated mushrooms, wild mushrooms, or a combination.

1 ounce (about 1 cup) dried porcini mushrooms

2 cups boiling water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves (or more to taste), minced

1 pound cremini (preferably) or white mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced ½ inch thick

1 pound wild mushrooms, trimmed and brushed clean, or oyster mushrooms, trimmed and torn into pieces if very large*

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon crumbled dried

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

Salt

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour (optional; it helps to create a thicker mixture, but if you’re gluten intolerant just leave it out)

½ cup either fruity red wine, such as a Côtes du Rhône, or dry white wine such as sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio (see Note)

Freshly ground pepper

2 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Place the dried mushrooms in a measuring cup or a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. Place a strainer over a bowl, line the strainer with cheesecloth or paper towels, and drain the mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid. Squeeze the mushrooms over the strainer to extract all the flavorful broth. Then rinse the mushrooms, away from the bowl with the soaking liquid, until they are free of sand. Squeeze dry over the strainer. If very large, chop coarsely. Set aside. Measure out 1½ cups of the mushroom broth and set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy, skillet or a wide saucepan and add the shallots. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, then add the fresh mushrooms, rosemary, and thyme and turn up the heat slightly. Cook until the mushrooms begin to sweat, then add ½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste. Stir for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat as the mushrooms continue to soften and sweat. Add the flour (if using) and continue to cook the mushrooms, stirring, until they have softened a little more and you can no longer see the flour, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the reconstituted dried mushrooms and the wine and turn the heat to high. Cook, stirring, until the liquid boils down and glazes the mushrooms, about 5 minutes.

4. Stir in the mushroom soaking liquid, bring to a simmer, add salt to taste, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms are thoroughly tender and fragrant and the surrounding broth is thick and gravy-like, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in some pepper and the parsley, taste, and adjust the salt.

*If you can’t find wild mushrooms or oyster mushrooms, use 2 pounds white or cremini mushrooms.

NOTE: Either red or white wine, or a dry rosé for that matter, will work here. Red wine has a richer, more tannic flavor, but mushrooms are big drinkers—they like any kind of wine. If you don’t use wine in your cooking, just leave it out; the ragout will still taste delicious.

ADVANCE PREPARATION: The ragout can be made up to 3 or 4 days before you wish to serve it. Keep in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on top of the stove.

ROASTED VEGETABLES

ROASTING ADDS A CARAMELIZED DIMENSION TO vegetables. Some, like winter squash and root vegetables, already have a