Cold Sesame (Garlicky) Noodles

For almost a year, since the birth of my second son, I've been cooking for the lowest common denominator, meaning my three year old.  My husband and I reach for the hot sauce to make things more suitable to our palate. I'm not talking chicken nuggets and fries here...I pack as many vegetables into the food processor as I can, sauté, add coconut milk or tomatoes, simmer with some fish- you get the idea.  Roman will generally accept this type of preparation over rice or pasta, and I feel like it's a healthy enough way to ensure he's getting nutrients without forcing foods on him.  But lately I would like to regain a bit of my adult identity and I've started to think about the foods that can help me do that.

It's funny to think about being able to eat whatever I want, do whatever I want, wear what I please again. Everything has become tailored to my marathon days of schlepping two kids around the city. From park to park, then home again, we eat a lot of pb&j's, pizza, hummus and cucumber, muffins, things that are easy to tote around. So when I thought about making these cold sesame noodles, Roman (almost 4) was not who I had in mind to be the consumer. However, when there is pasta involved, he perked right up with interest and before I knew it he was reaching for his own bowl-- teaching me that the more chances I give him to like something out of his comfort zone, the more he might surprise me. Because parenting is, after all, full of surprises.

There are those dishes that tempt a brave palate.  If you value the taste experience and don't mind the way raw garlic tends to linger, this is a dish you are likely to enjoy.  
Fresh garlic stirred into silky sesame noodles, chilled for a delightful summer meal.  
Eat it with people you love and you won't have to be concerned about the aftermath of the raw garlic.  

Cold Noodles with Sesame Sauce
A recipe my mom used to make, with the addition of red bell pepper because it's still hard for me to think about eating something without a vegetable.
1 lb. linguine or spaghetti
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup sesame paste
3 tablespoons brewed tea or water
2 tablespoon chili oil (optional but recommended!)
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt to taste
1/4 cup peanut oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 red bell pepper, diced (optional)
Sliced scallions and cilantro for garnish
1 tablespoon sesame seeds for garnish

 Boil six cups of water and cook the noodles until tender. Drain and run cold water over them to chill them. Sprinkle with the teaspoon of sesame oil. To make the sauce, place the sesame paste in a bowl and add the tea or water, stirring with chopsticks or a fork. Stir in the remaining ingredients and the 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Toss the noodles in the sauce and red bell pepper, if using. Serve cold, garnished with fresh scallions, cilantro and sesame seeds.

Grilled Cheese

It's funny how there are many lessons our parents teach us without trying.  Growing up around a man who blasted opera in the house every Sunday so loud the neighbors had to shut their windows was  desperately embarrassing.  He always had a song, either whistling or singing in public.  I remember how much this annoyed me as a teenager.  However, these things have a way of rubbing off on a person.  Now singing is a tool I use to calm my nerves or lighten my mood.  It costs absolutely nothing and if I really get into it, I might even get someone to join in.

He also exposed me to the art of making great grilled cheese sandwiches.  It involves a good amount of resourcefulness, finding flavorful treasures, objets trouvés to tuck inside the sandwich.   You need some zing in the way of a spicy mustard, or something pickled.  Sometimes the best sandwiches, (soups too) come from found objects.  No recipe, no planning, just bits and pieces pulled from the refrigerator. It's about versatility as much as flexibility.

Sometimes it's the unintentional lessons that prove most valuable.

Here is one of my own recent creations.
Here is what I used to make 2 extraordinary sandwiches:

4 slices of the best sourdough bread you can find (or make)
1 zucchini, sliced thinly lengthwise
4 shallots, sliced thinly
6 slices smoked turkey or ham (substitute extra vegetables if you don't eat deli meats.)
2 cheeses -  I suggest Parano, Gouda or Emmentaler for one and a harder cheese like parmesan for the second cheese.

Red pepper relish  (takes about 25 minutes to make, or you could use store bought) Alternately you could use a pesto or mustard.

Grill the zucchini slices on a grill pan, under the broiler or on an outdoor grill if you have access to one.
Saute the sliced shallots in olive oil until very soft.  Stir them frequently for about ten minutes.
Build your sandwiches by layering the ingredients on one side of the bread- relish, zucchini, turkey, shallots, one of the cheeses.  Grill the sandwiches on a grill pan or a frying pan (add butter to one side of the bread) and then transfer them to a baking sheet.  Grate the second cheese on top of the sandwich and finish in the oven at 375 for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

Simple Black Bean Soup

Just because a dish is simple doesn't mean it's not worthy of being called fantastic. Simple meals are often the most satisfying.  


What else is simple?

• Cherishing your relationships. 
• Loving yourself. 
• Doing "good," in small or big ways. Smile genuinely at a total stranger who looks like they are having a bad day.  Volunteer and change a life.

When all of the above feels complicated, start from scratch.  A warm bowl of black bean soup to "do good" for your body.

While you eat, enjoy the simplicity of it and remember how lucky you are to have a hot bowl of soup this season.  Simply put, it's one of life's small pleasures.

Simple Black Bean Soup
Makes enough for about 4 servings.


This is quick to prepare, hearty, filling and healthy. It's also very easy to improvise, making it great for a weeknight dinner or a weekend lunch.  Love heat? Kick up the chili powder and add some hot sauce.  Want to round out the meal?  Serve with a salad and some corn muffins.  
1/2 red onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 cups (400 grams) black beans, drained
2 cups (400 grams) chopped tomatoes (I used a 14 ounce can.)
1/2 cup (118 ml) chicken broth, vegetable broth or water
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 bay leaf
Cilantro, avocado, sour cream or even grated cheese for garnish (optional, but encouraged)

In a medium soup pot, saute the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, red pepper for about 5 minutes.

Add the black beans, tomatoes, broth and spices.

Simmer for 30 minutes, remove bay leaf, then garnish and serve.

Eleventh Hour Farro Salad

I know we're getting close to the move when there are just a few drops left of olive oil, enough butter for the remaining two slices of bread. Half used bags of pasta, grains and nuts are waiting anxiously to see what their fate will be over the next few days. We've done this so many times now that I've gotten really good at not wasting anything. My trips to the market are quick and light, since I can now count the meals I'll be preparing in Italy on one hand.

Emptying out my cupboards, I've haphazardly created a few favorites. For breakfast, we've been enjoying a porridge made of amaranth, quinoa, millet, oats and wheat germ. I soak the grains over night and cook them the next morning in plenty of water for about 25 minutes. Then I stir in butter, cinnamon and honey, sometimes a grated apple. Even little Roman likes it, which is a huge relief since it's so rich in fiber, protein and iron. Another breakfast of gladiators.

Today for lunch, I used up our farro, celery, carrot, raisins, pine nuts, hazelnuts, and our crema di balsamico, a concentrated form of balsamic vinegar. It's wonderful drizzled over a salad for a tangy, slightly sweet dressing. Farro is an ancient type of wheat and it's very popular in Italy. In fact, Italy is one of the few countries that still grows farro. It goes in soups, salads, becomes flour used to make breadsticks, breads, pasta, even cookies and cakes.

Eleventh Hour Farro Salad

If farro is not readily available in your area, try this salad with wheat berries or brown rice. I love the combination of crunchy celery and nuts and the sweet raisins. Makes a great lunch or side dish for grilled chicken.

2 cups farro

3 carrots, grated

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 cup hazelnuts

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup pine nuts

crema di balsamico

olive oil

Cook the farro according to package instructions. In a large bowl, combine carrots, celery, hazelnuts, raisins, pine nuts and cooked farro (still warm). Drizzle with the balsamic cream and olive oil, salt and pepper if you like.

Radish, Fennel and Apple Salad

Spring is about awakening, being reborn, growing, transitioning. It's about bright colors and sharp tastes. Surprises in the form of complex flavors and textures. This salad is all of that.

This salad is like taking the covers off your bed and sleeping under a crisp, clean sheet that was dried in the sunshine. This salad is like walking barefoot on blades of green grass and feeling the cold, damp ground under your feet. This salad goes crunch and zing, then sweet and tart. It says "wake up, taste buds, it's time to play."

Radish, Fennel and Apple Salad

Serves two as a light main course, or four as a side. Serve along side a simple fish or chicken filet. This salad will left you feeling cleansed and fresh.

For the salad

2 bunches of radishes, or about 20 small radishes each cut into quarters

1 bulb of fennel cut into bite size pieces

2 golden delicious apples cut into small chunks

1/2 small red onion diced

For the dressing:

1 clove of garlic

Fresh ginger (a piece about the length of your thumb and twice as wide)

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

5 tablespoons olive oil

salt to taste

Sesame seeds and poppy seeds

Combine all of the salad ingredients. For the dressing, grate the garlic and ginger into a bowl using either a microplane grater or one with small holes. Add the rice vinegar and olive oil, then salt to taste. Sprinkle the dressed salad with sesame and poppy seeds and serve with some of the fronds from the fennel to garnish.

Lemony Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Pancetta and Crème Fraîche

Any culture has its idiosyncrasies and Italy can be an interesting place to live and observe these quirks. I've never seen a city of people resist Spring to the extent that the Romans do. We've had a few days of bright sun with temperatures in the high 60's (near 19 celsius) and most people on the streets have yet to unburden themselves of their heavy scarves and hats or shed their down jackets.

I grew up in New England, and no matter what the thermostat said in March, I remember putting on last year's short sleeves and running outside to watch the last of the snow melt. Maybe I thought my behavior would encourage Spring to finally arrive. So here in Rome, where we've hardly had a winter by any measure, you'd better believe that I am not putting a jacket back on no matter what.

I buy things that smile at me when food shopping and that's exactly how this dish started. Two gorgeous heads of purple cauliflower, a bag of mezze maniche (literally "half sleeve") pasta that I bought for the name alone, and a walk home to ponder flavors that would pair well.

To welcome Spring, a bowl of short sleeve pasta seemed appropriate.

Lemony Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Pancetta and Crème Fraîche

As it turns out, those beautiful heads of cauliflower lost their luster once roasted, kind of like a top model without make up and styling. So feel free to use whatever cauliflower you can find. Paired with some salty but sweet pancetta, crème fraîche and the refreshing zest of lemon, this simple dish made for a nice lunch and goodbye to another winter. Short sleeves optional.

For two

1 large or 2 small heads of cauliflower

3 ounces (100 grams) cubed pancetta

4 large spoonfuls crème fraîche

zest of one lemon

1/2 bag of pasta

parmesan optional

Cut the cauliflower into florets and drizzle with olive oil. Roast at 400 fahrenheit for about 30 minutes.

Cook your pasta al dente.

In a sauce pan, drizzle a little olive oil and fry the pancetta until it begins to brown. Drain out some of the fat onto a paper towel. Turn off the heat and stir in about 4 good soup spoons of crème fraîche and stir to melt. Add the zest of one lemon and toss in the cooked pasta to coat. Serve with freshly ground pepper and some parmesan if you like.