EJ f"-) Roasting 2006 Creating .„• , , X15 3n .., .: that tk '1/4,„, delicious S et' ....a- , -,, _. "skin" that keeps in the flavor. Annabel Cohen Special to the Jewish News I n essence, roasting is cooking, over flame or heat, without adding liquid to the food and without covering it during the cooking process. This method of cooking is also considered "dry heat" The beauty of roasting is a crust — a caramelization of the "skin" of the food. It is what many consider the best eating (imagine a steak, dark and almost crisp on the outside and pink inside). In the oven, heat circulates around the meats, vegetables, whatever we cook, to cook all sides of the food. Convection ovens do even better jobs of obtaining that desired crust, since the fans that define them circulate the heat over and around what you're cooking. An aside: Don't be afraid of your convection oven — once you learn its powers, you'll never go back to roasting any other way. While you may not feel comfortable making your signature dessert this way, roasting is a nat- ural. Note that since foods cook quicker in convection ovens, you may wish to reduce the temperature of your oven about 5-15 degrees below what's stated in a particular recipe. The recipes below all use the roasting method. Roast Beef and Lamb Patties with Warm Roasted Pepper Salsa Salsa: 1 bell pepper, any color, chopped 1 cup chopped onion 1 tsp. minced garlic 2 plum tomatoes, chopped kosher salt and pepper to taste 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil juice of 1 lemon Patties: 1/2 pound lean ground beef 1/2 pound lean ground lamb 1 cup finely chopped onions 1 cup breadcrumbs 22 January 5 • 2006 2 large eggs 1/4 cup fresh minced parsley (or 1 Tbsp. dried) 1/4 cup pinenuts or slivered almonds 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper Make salsa: Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Place the bell pepper, onion and garlic and tomatoes in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper, toss with the olive oil and transfer to the baking dish. Roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool (do not turn off oven). Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and toss with lemon juice. Meanwhile, combine all patty ingredients in a large bowl and, using your hands, mash together until uniform. Using wet hands, divide the mixture into 8 pieces and form into flattened patties. Spray a baking dish with non- stick cooking spray. Arrange the patties in the prepared pan and roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes (do not overcook). Serve hot with the sauce spooned over. Roasted Zucchini, Artichoke and Heart of Palm Salad 1 Tbsp. olive oil 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise 1 jar or can (about 15 oz.) hearts of palm, drained 1 jar or can (about 15 oz.) artichoke hearts drained (not marinated) 1 Tbsp. capers 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar sea salt and fresh ground pep- per to taste 2 Tbsp. fresh minced parsley, garnish Preheat oven to 425F. Rub the zucchini halves very lightly with olive oil and place in a baking dish. Place the hearts of palm and artichokes in a large bowl and add remaining olive oil and toss well. Arrange the vegetables next to zucchini in the baking dish. Roast the vegetables, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to the touch. Slice the zucchini slightly diagonally and arrange on a serving plate, repeat with the hearts of palm. Chop the artichokes lightly and arrange. Sprinkle the capers over and drizzle the oil and vinegar over. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle the parsley over. Chill or serve at room tem- perature. Makes 6 servings. Roasted Eggplant Salad with Shallots, Apricots 1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), sliced into thin cir- cles 1 cup thin sliced shallots 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil sea salt and fresh ground pep- per to taste 8 dried apricots, quartered and soaked in warm water for 2 hours and drained 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a low-sided, attractive baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the eggplant, overlap- ping, in the baking dish. Sprinkle the shallots over and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 20 minutes. Arrange the apricots over the dish and cook for five minutes more. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Makes 4 servings. Li More recipes can be found at JNonline.us.