Older Bolder Life

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vegetables

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday 5 December: Avocado Oil Roasted Leeks

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We dined with friends several weeks ago and the hostess served these simple yet delicious Avocado Oil Roasted Leeks with the meal. They were a perfect texture with a soft body complemented by just enough crispy browned edges, and what an amazing flavor.

We love leeks around our camp, using them in a number of soups and stews, as well as my wife’s favorite boeuf bourguignon recipe (I don’t think we’ve posted that one yet, I’ll make sure we get that done before the holiday week upcoming…)

These couldn’t be more simple to do, though with a two-hour cook time, you’ll need to plan ahead a bit. And by the way, our hostess had prepared these with a very nice olive oil, though we’ve since made them with avocado oil (both for taste preference and avocado oil’s much higher smoke point).

By the way, the oil remaining after cooking makes an amazing contribution to your next vinaigrette…

8 leeks, white and pale green sections, split lengthwise
1/2 cup good avocado oil (maybe a little more)
Good salt

Throw a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 400.

Prep your leeks, minding to use only the white and the pale green stem sections; cut them in half lengthwise and wash thoroughly to remove the sand and grit. Take care to pat them as dry as you can after washing.

Now toss with the avocado oil and season generously with your favorite salt.

Pull the hot baking sheet from the oven, arrange the leeks cut side down on the hot sheet, then cover loosely with foil. Throw them back in the oven, reduce the heat to 300, and leave them alone for an hour and 20 minutes. Check at that point to see if they’re tender and lightly browned; they might need another 10-20 minutes.

Now remove the foil and turn the leeks cut sides up; turn the over up to 400 and slide the leeks back in until they’re golden brown and the tops (cut sides) look a little crispy.

Save that oil by the way, it’s great for roasting vegetables or making a flavorful vinaigrette…

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Snack Wednesday 21 November: Citrus Spiced Olive Mix

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On this day before Thanksgiving, a preparation and travel day for many, here’s a simple snack or side dish we’ve served at family and friend gatherings many times before, a Citrus Spiced Olive Mix.

Friends and readers here know the goodness that olives (and olive oil) bring to any healthy food discussion, and even something this easy to prepare can really dress up your holiday, entertainment, or everyday table.

Adjust the spices as you see fit, though try it as written once to see what you think. We typically add a bit more red pepper flakes than listed…

3 cups good mixed olives (your choice, with pits)
1 cup EVOO (or 1/2 cup EVOO and 1/2 cup avocado oil)
Three 3-inch strips of orange peel (see notes)
Three 2-inch strips of lemon peel (see notes)
Two 2-inch strips of grapefruit peel, optional (see notes)
1 jar roasted red peppers, cut into strips
3 bay leaves (freshness matters!)
1 small-medium head of garlic, cut in half
1 tbsp fresh whole coriander, toasted, roughly crushed
2 tsp fresh whole fennel seeds, toasted, roughly crushed
1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp fresh whole black peppercorns, roughly crushed

Place the olives in a medium mixing bowl, stir to combine the different types.

Over medium-low heat in a small saucepan, combine the oil(s), the various citrus peels, the garlic, and bay leaves. Cook, keeping an eye on the mixture, until the garlic (the cut edges) has slightly browned and the oil is fragrant. Remove from the heat and let the oil infuse for 90 minutes, then remove and discard the garlic.

To the olives add the roasted red peppers, the coriander and fennel seeds, the peppercorns, and the red pepper flakes, then pour the infused-oil mixture over all. Stir/toss to coat, and marinate at room temp for at least 2 hours before serving. Will hold in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday 14 November: Quick Pickled Daikon Radishes

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Twice over the past few months I’ve shared recipes for quick pickles, something we tend to keep in the fridge year round, perfect for snacking and a quick, crispy, nutritious, and Primal/keto side for dinner.

If you missed the prior recipes, here’s the Quick Pickled Beets and Onions, and here’s the Tasty Quick Dills.

Radishes are one of my personal favorite snacks (even as we turn the corner to late fall/early winter, there’s still a container of trimmed radishes in water in the fridge this morning), not only for their satisfy crunch and burst of spicy, umami flavor, but also given the fact they contain almost no soluble carbs in a handful.

Radishes make a surprisingly tasty quick pickle, something Bahn Mi fans learned with their first one, and are a tasty snack/side to throw into your rotation. Bonus points for the quick, simple prep too…

1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup kosher salt
2 tbsp fresh-squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp good honey (optional)
2-4 red Thai or serrano chiles, stemmed, split lengthwise
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp dill seeds

1 medium-large daikon radish, trimmed, peeled, thinly sliced
Consider using a watermelon radish as well…

To a medium saucepan add the vinegars, salt, lime juice, honey if using, chiles, and both seeds; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the salt and honey. Remove from heat and let cool for 15-20 minutes.

Prep the radishes, add to a large, flat-bottomed bowl, and pour the pickling liquid over. Stir well to separate the radish slices so that all are exposed to the liquid, cover, and chill for at least 4 hours before serving. These will stay crispy for 4-5 days, though ours never last that long.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday 25 July: Versatile Vegetable Kimchi

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Recognizing that it’s supposed to be hot during the dog days of high summer, the past few weeks here (just north of the DFW metroplex) have been scorching – 112 on the hottest day in our little neighborhood.

We find ourselves reach more and more for something crisp and cool to accompany proteins for dinner, and while slaws and salads are on the menu often, we sometimes get a hankering for something with a bit more flavor and acidity.

We’d played with making traditional kimchi in years past, though had our eyes opened to pushing the kimchi boundaries a bit after fighting over the last bit of collard green kimchi on a butter bean hummus plate at Ida Claire in Dallas a couple of years ago (served with a great array of vegetables by the way).

At one point I reached out to chef friend Libby in Austin to pick her brain about kimchi, and she suggested we try her quick Versatile Vegetable Kimchi recipe below. She noted that she makes it with what ever vegetables look good and are handy, including cucumbers, carrots, radishes, beets, and even turnips.

She offered up a few key pieces of additional advice as well, including a reminder that the recipe is best considered to be a framework to start from– e.g. if you like more ginger, put it in, and that if you’re going to age it longer than a few days, it’s probably best not to use the darkest green parts of your scallions as they tend to get a bit slimy the longer they sit in the pot or jar. She serves it within a few days of stirring a batch together at catering events, as the taste is milder; the longer you let it sit in the fridge, the taste gets a bit more “funky” as fermentation works its magic.

2 lb cucumbers, ends trimmed, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar

10 scallions, cut on diagonal into 1 inch pieces, use the white and pale green sections
1/3 cup (or more) gochugaru (Korean red chile flakes, coarse) OR
1.5 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes, ground
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoons fish sauce

Veg options: radishes, carrots, beets, turnips, string beans, asparagus

Toss your prepped vegetable of choice, the salt, and sugar in a large bowl; now let it sit (covered with a clean towel) at room temperature for 2-3 hours to begin to pull some water out of the vegetables.

Add the remainder of the ingredients, stirring to mix well and make sure everything is coated.

Spoon into clean quart jars, making sure to divide the liquid equally among the jars, leaving about an inch of headspace. Cover loosely and leave on the counter (out of direct sunlight) for up to two days to begin the magic of fermentation. YOU CAN of course start eating on a jar right away, seems like we always do…

Once you’re happy with evidence of fermentation, throw in the fridge, where the flavors will deepen and mature over the next week as fermentation slowly moves onward. Supposedly this will keep for up to two months in the fridge; we can’t ever make it that long (they only last about a week or so in our kitchen).

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Salad Sunday 22 July: Ring the Bell (Pepper) Salad

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Here’s another incredible offering from the kitchen of our catering chef buddy Libby in Austin – her Ring the Bell (Pepper) Salad.

Great looking bell peppers are available in abundance right now; she (and we) like to use orange, yellow, and red peppers as they make for a stunning presentation with the onion and herbs, and they simply taste great.

It’s easy as pie to stir together, and you can sub in whatever herbs float your boat, though this is the original recipe as written from Libby. She occasionally crumbles in some feta or Cotija cheese (my wife prefers the feta), and we like it best with a really good avocado oil drizzled in…

2 orange bell peppers, thinly sliced into rings
2 yellow bell peppers, thinly sliced into rings
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced into rings
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 tbsp red wine vinegar (or Sherry vinegar)
Good salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1/3 cup fresh chives, chopped
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/3 cup fresh parsley (flat leaf), chopped
1/3 cup fresh mint, chopped
Optional: 1 tsp fresh thyme
2-3 tbsp EVOO or good avocado oil

Optional: Crumble in some good feta or Cotija cheese just before serving

This one couldn’t be easier to put together. Wash and slice the bell peppers, then combine with the sliced red onion. Sprinkle with the vinegar, salt, and pepper, toss to coat, then let them sit for 15-20 minutes to soften and absorb a bit of the vinegar.

When ready to serve, add the herbs and oil, toss to coat, and go to it.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Salad Wednesday 18 July: Quick Chinese Cucumber Salad

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Here’s another quick and easy salad featuring one of the stars of summer – fresh cucumbers – and some of our clan’s favorite flavors from the orient.

The black rice vinegar provides a great counterpoint to the spice of the chili oil and the earthy nuttiness of the toasted sesame oil, and the bundle of flavors play incredibly well with the cucumbers (and the herbal cilantro).

We enjoy it more with a bit more spice, hence the recommendation for the pinch of red pepper flakes or a seeded and chopped serrano (or your favorite pepper), try it with and without to see which suits you better.

6 kirby or Persian cucumbers, or 2 big English cucumbers
2 tbsp Chinkiang (Chinese black rice) vinegar
2-3 tsp good, spicy chili oil
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp good salt, more to taste
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
4 tbsp cilantro leaves
4 tbsp roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped

Optional: 1 tsp turbinado sugar, pinch of red pepper flakes or a fresh pepper, chopped

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, chili oil, sesame oil, salt, and red pepper flakes/sugar if using, set aside once the salt and sugar have dissolved.

Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise, seed if desired (certainly the English cucs if using), the lay flat on a your cutting board and either whack with a rolling pin or press down on them with the blade of a large chef’s knife to crack the cucumbers in several places. Now cut the cucs (crosswise) into approximately 1/2-inch slices (like a little half-moon).

Add the cucumbers (and fresh peppers if using) to the dressing mix, toss gently, and serve, topping each serving with a bit of the toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, and peanuts.

Cheers.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday 11 July: Grilled Leeks

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We’re huge fans of the lovely leek around our camp, and love it when big bundles show up stacked in ice at our favorite Central Market here in the metro.

Leeks play well in so many different recipes, but one of our absolute favorite preps is to grill them, though given their size they can be a challenge to cook through on the grill without burning the outer leaves (pending your fire and degree of attention nursing them along, some might take as long as 30 minutes to cook through).

Our friend Chef Libby in Austin showed us this trick a few years back of starting the cook with a quick (no more than 5 minutes!) par-boil, followed by a shock in cold water, then followed by a much more reasonable, olive-oil-basted, 6-10 minutes on the grill.

Don’t forget to prep your leeks carefully, the coarse greens must be trimmed, the body of the leek split and the layers washed thoroughly to remove all the sand they grow in. It’s worth the extra couple of  minutes to do this right.

And a sprinkling of good salt really makes these sing hot off the grill…

4-6 large leeks, trimmed and prepped (see above)
Kosher salt
2 tbsp good EVOO or avocado oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Prep your leeks are detailed above; while you’re doing so bring a large pot or skillet of salted water to a boil. Now gently boil the leeks for just three to five minutes; you’re looking for them to soften a bit but you don’t want their bright green color to fade.

Immediately plunge into an ice water bath; keep the leeks in the cool water until they’re cool, then remove and pat dry.

Fire the grill, brush the leeks with your oil of choice, and grill over direct heat for 3-5 minutes per side. We like ours to crisp up and brown a bit with nice grill marks.

Pull the leeks, and season to taste with good salt, fresh ground pepper, and perhaps even another drizzle of good oil.

Enjoy.

the Older Bolder Life Vegetable Wednesday 4 July: Grill-Charred Green Beans with Homemade Harissa

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We have a friend down in Austin, an uber-talented chef by the name of Libby (she runs a very popular catering business down there); we actually met Libby one summer given the confluence of a couple of passions we share: cooking great food and fly fishing.

Libby bestows on we mere mortals great recipes now and again – like this Grill Charred Green Beans with Homemade Harissa she sent us a few years back.

We happen to share another passion with Libby, that being a love of interesting and spicy foods from other cultures; this quick and easy riff on harissa paste that you can whip up at home quite easily is a great example.

Green beans are a great side year round and this has become one of our favorite preps; seemingly everybody we’ve ever served it to has pestered us for the recipe.

And if you don’t have a grill basket yet, this recipe may be the very excuse you need to pick one up…

1 medium red bell pepper
3 medium Fresno chiles
1 medium jalapeno chile
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 + 2 tbsp good olive or avocado oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground cumin (or more)
1/2 tsp ground coriander (or more)
Good salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

2 lb fresh green beans, tipped and trimmed

Start by roasting/charring the peppers on the grill, under the broiler, or over a gas flame until soft and charred. Throw the peppers in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let them steam for 12-15 minutes.

When they’ve steamed, peel off the charred skins, stem and seed, then chop coarsely and drop into your trusty food processor along with the minced garlic, and 1 tsp salt. Pulse into a coarse paste and scrape down the bowl.

Now add the the oil, lemon juice, coriander, and cumin until smooth; season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Toss the trimmed beans into a bowl, drizzle with the remaining 2 tbsp of oil and stir to coat all the beans. We like to now grill (in a grill basket) over fire on the grill, though you can also char in a cast-iron skillet (or other heavy skillet) on the stove top. The objective is to grill the beans, picking up some char and blistering, until they’re perfectly crisp-tender.

When the beans are done, toss them back in the bowl you drizzled them with oil in, drizzle the harissa over and mix well. These are great warm or at room temperature too.

Enjoy.