FOOD
Easy Does it
Elegant, delicious meals
do not have to be difficult.
Annabel Cohen
Special to the Jewish News
G
ood food doesn't have to be
complicated. In fact, most cooks
I've admired over the years
(professional or not), don't spend hours
and hours of preparation time on just one
recipe. Some of the most basic recipes
offer multiple flavors and textures. And
they look delicious, too.
I insist on flavor and food texture.
There is little that's more boring than a
meal that's all soft (soup, pureed potatoes,
soft baked fish, custard for dessert, for
example). And there is zilch more unsat-
isfactory than a menu that makes you
work to eat it, with endless chewing. As
with everything, it's a matter of balance.
My favorites include crunchy or chewy
salads with fresh and light dressing with
a little bit of bite. I love pureed or blended
soups that slip down the throat. Flaky,
just-cooked fish is the time-strapped
chef's best friend. Chicken, cooked casse-
role-style, relies on the stove to do all the
work. Cheesy potatoes seem complicated,
but are not.
So take it easy and still cook.
Pureed Potato
And Celery Soup
Removing the celery "strings" is impor-
tant to the texture of this soup. This is
easy using a paring knife to "grab" the
strings and pulling them down the out-
side of the celery curve. Alternately, you
may use a peeler.
3 T. olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 medium russet or Idaho potatoes
(about 1.5 pounds), peeled and cut
into 1-inch chunks
2 pounds trimmed celery (use leaves),
strings removed, cut into 1-inch
lengths
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups (1 quart) chicken broth
1/2 t. ground white pepper
salt to taste
fresh chopped parsley, garnish
Heat oil in a large soup pot over medi-
um-high heat. Add the onions and sauté
until softened, about 5 minutes. Raise the
heat to high, add remaining ingredients
except parsley, bring to a boil. Reduce
heat and simmer the soup, covered, until
vegetables are very soft, about 1 hour.
Allow the soup to cool for about 15 min-
utes before pureeing or blending.
Ladle the soup to the bowl of a food
processor or pitcher of a blender (do
not over-fill; you will need to do this in
batches). Process or blend the soup until
very smooth.
Reheat the soup and season to taste
with salt and additional pepper. Serve,
garnished with chopped parsley. Makes 8
servings.
Asian Cabbage Slaw
I love the sweet and tangy flavor of ginger,
cilantro and lime in this salad. I also used
pre-shredded carrots (available in most
produce departments), for ease. Don't
confuse this, however, with my recipe for
Asian Cabbage Salad with the crunchy
topping.
4 cups shredded Nappa or Chinese
cabbage
1 cup Chinese pea pods, stem ends
trimmed, sliced lengthwise into strips
2 cups mung bean sprouts
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup thin sliced red bell pepper
1 cup thin sliced seeded cucumber
1 cup drained, sliced water chestnuts
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup (or more to taste) fresh
cilantro leaves
Dressing:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. sugar
2 t. minced peeled fresh ginger
1 t. red pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
Combine all salad ingredients in a large
bowl and toss to mix. Set aside. Combine
all dressing ingredients in a jar with a
tight fitting lid and shake well. Starting
with half the dressing, toss the salad and
add more dressing to taste. Add salt and
pepper to taste. Serve immediately or chill
for up to 2 hours before tossing again and
serving. Makes 8 servings.
Moroccan-Style Chicken With
Lemon And Olives
Use chicken breasts from a fryer
(smaller chicken). If the chicken breasts
Salmon made easy
you purchased are large, cut them into
smaller, thinner pieces.
Spice rub:
kosher salt
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. ground turmeric
1 t. paprika
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1 T. grated lemon zest or peel
Chicken:
3 pounds boneless and skinless small
chicken breasts or thighs,
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
1 T. garlic
2 cups (or 15 oz. can) chicken broth
1/2 cup golden raisins, optional
1 cup pitted green olives
1 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Combine the rub ingredients in a small
bowl and stir together with a fork. Set
aside. Place chicken in a bowl or glass or
ceramic baking dish and rub the mixture
over the pieces. Cover with plastic and
chill for 1-3 hours.
Place olives in a small bowl and cover
with water and soak for 30 minutes. Rinse
well and chop. Set aside.
Remove the chicken from the refrigera-
tor and let sit for 30 minutes. Heat oil in
a large pot or Dutch oven over high heat.
Add the chicken and brown on all sides.
Transfer the chicken to a dish and set
aside.
Reduce heat to medium-high, add the
onions and garlic to the pot (do not clean
the pot first) and sauté until softened,
about 5 minutes. Add the chicken back
to the pot and add the remaining ingre-
dients and olives. Bring to a boil, reduce
heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes,
uncovered, until the sauce is thickened.
Serve the chicken with the sauce spooned
over. Makes 8 servings.
Roast Salmon
With Curry Sauce
Sauce:
1 E minced fresh gingerroot
1 T minced garlic
1 T. curry powder
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 T soy sauce
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. dried parsley flakes
Salmon:
8 6-oz. pieces salmon fillet
olive oil for brushing salmon
kosher salt and pepper
Make sauce: Combine all sauce ingre-
dients in a medium saucepan over medi-
um-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce
heat to simmer and cook, stirring fre-
quently, for 15 minutes. Set aside. (Sauce
may be made a day ahead.)
Preheat oven to broil. Spray a baking
sheet or pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Arrange the salmon on the sheet, brush
with olive oil and season with salt and
pepper. Place the sheet in the center of the
oven and broil for 10-12 minutes. Do not
overcook. Serve the salmon immediately
with the sauce spooned over. Makes 8
servings.
More recipes: JNonline.us.
January 18 2007
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