Authors: Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Appetite for Reduction (9 page)

BOOK: Appetite for Reduction

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T
his is a salad I enjoy a lot during the winter months, when beets are still abundant and citrus, although imported, is in season. This recipe is a cooking lesson unto itself—you’ll learn a quick and yummy way to prepare roasted beets with no oil, how to create beautiful gems of orange segments, and how to toast sesame seeds. Making it once will give you a few skills that will last a lifetime and you will never have to read the recipe again.

1 navel orange
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 recipe
Orange-Sesame Vinaigrette
(recipe follows)
2 cups cooked wild rice, cooled
¼ cup dried currants
2 cups red leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 pound
Tinfoil Beets
(see box, page 40), cooled

First, prepare the orange segments. Slice a thin layer off the top and bottom of the orange, then place the orange right side up on the cutting board and simply slice the peel downward, using a chef’s knife and following the natural curve of the orange. A little of the white part (called the pith) is okay; just try to get as much orange as you can. Then slice the orange widthwise and cut each piece into ¾-inch segments.

INGREDIENT SCAVENGER HUNT

Wild rice has an alluring earthy flavor, but the price can be not so alluring. If your budget isn’t feeling wild about it, go for a wild rice blend instead. That’s got some long-grain brown rice thrown into the mix, but you still get that wild rice taste, texture, and color
.

TIP

For time management purposes, prepare the beets and the quinoa the night before or a few hours before so they have ample time to cool. But if you want to make everything on the same night, it actually tastes pretty good warm, too. But the key word is warm, not hot
.

Then toast the sesame seeds. Preheat a small, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. Place the sesame seeds in the pan and stir often for about 2 minutes. They should be toasting by then (if not, then raise the heat). Use a spatula to toss continuously for another minute or so, until they are varying shades of toasty brown. Remove from the pan ASAP to prevent burning.

Pour the dressing into a large mixing bowl. Add the wild rice, currants, and lettuce. Using tongs, toss to coat. Add the orange segments and sesame seeds, and toss again. Last, fold in the beets. Serve.

Tinfoil Beets

Unwrapping a tinfoil beet is a lot like unwrapping a present. Well, maybe not really, because you know exactly what’s going to be in there, but it’s still somehow such an exciting surprise. Roasting brings out the beet’s sweet flavor, so they’re like precious rubies in a candy box when ready to eat. I usually do two pounds at a time on a weeknight or Sunday afternoon, and use some of them that evening as a side dish with whatever I’m eating. Then I refrigerate the rest and use them in salads or just for a quick snack throughout the week.

The cooking method and time really varies depending on the size of the beets you’re using. If using small beets, say golf ball size, and they are very fresh, then don’t bother to peel them first. Just slice in half, wrap in foil, and roast. And remember to save the beet greens to sauté with some olive oil and garlic. But if using those big honkers of a beet that you’re more likely to find come January and February, then it’s a little different. Peel them and then slice top down into segments (like orange slices) that are about ¾ inch thick at their widest. If a beet is especially big—say, softball size—then I sometimes will slice widthwise, too. Then, keeping all the slices together in a neat package, place on tinfoil and wrap so that you can easily unfold it from the top.

Roasting times will vary, but I do at least an hour at 425°F. They’re ready when pierced easily with a fork. Be careful when handling, because there will be a lot of red beet juice just dying to drizzle out and stain your countertops. Although maybe that could look cool.

Orange-Sesame Vinaigrette

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 10 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 10 MINUTES

PER SERVING

(ABOUT ¼ CUP):
Calories: 50
Calories from fat: 30
Total fat: 3.5 g
Saturated fat: 0 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Total carb: 5 g
Fiber: 0 g
Sugars: 4 g
Protein: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 100 mg
Vitamin A: 0%
Vitamin C: 40%
Calcium: 0%

T
his dressing is heavenly; fruity, toasty, spicy, and tangy. Toasted sesame oil is kind of a godsend for dressings because it has so much flavor and a little goes a long way.

¾ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 to 3 navel oranges)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon hot chili sauce, such as Sriracha
1 teaspoon Microplaned or finely minced fresh ginger

Vigorously mix together all the ingredients. Just mix them right into a measuring cup so as not to use too many dishes. If you’re using the dressing for a grain salad, you can also mix it directly into the large mixing bowl that you will use to prepare your salad. Keep refrigerated in a tightly sealed container until ready to use.

INGREDIENT SCAVENGER HUNT

Make sure your sesame oil is labeled “toasted sesame oil.” Toasting the seeds brings out a lot of bold flavor, where regular sesame oil might just fall flat. It’s usually found in the oil section of the supermarket, although sometimes it can be found in the Asian aisle.

Caesar Salad with Eggplant Bacon

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 20 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

(CAN BE MADE GLUTEN FREE IF USING GF TAMARI IN PLACE OF SOY SAUCE)

PER SERVING

(¼ RECIPE):
Calories: 100
Calories from fat: 45
Total fat: 5 g
Saturated fat: 1 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Total carb: 12 g
Fiber: 5 g
Sugars: 3 g
Protein: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 840 mg
Vitamin A: 170%
Vitamin C: 45%

B
riny Caesar dressing meets smoky eggplant slices in this spin on the classic Caesar. I love all the texture going on, with the crunchy fresh romaine, creamy dressing, and the eggplant bacon—crisp in some places, chewy in others. To make this into more of an entrée salad, add some of
Basic Baked Tofu
(page 144) or a handful of chickpeas.

EGGPLANT BACON:
½ pound eggplant
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon liquid smoke

SALAD:

8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 recipe
Caesar Chavez Dressing
(recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prep the eggplants while the oven is preheating. I slice them into half-moons because it’s the easiest shape to slice consistently. Aim for eggplants that are around 4 inches in diameter at their widest. Cut off the stem and the bottom, then cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Lay the eggplants halves cut side down, and cut into about ⅛-inch-thick slices. Don’t worry if your slices are a bit irregular; that just adds to the texture, which should be varied between tender and chewy to smoky and crisp. What we’re going to do is bake them at a high temperature with just a bit of nonstick cooking spray, then let them cool, then give them smoky salty flavor and reheat.

Place the eggplant strips in a single layer on the parchment paper. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Place in the oven and bake for about 8 minutes, keeping a close eye.

Remove the pan from the oven and flip the eggplant slices. They should be browning already, and if any are slightly burnt, don’t worry. Just transfer them to a plate to let cool. Return the remaining slices to the oven for about 3 minutes.

Remove from the oven. The eggplant should be dark brown to burnt in some places, and yellowish white and tender in others. Transfer to a plate to let cool.

Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, mix the soy sauce and liquid smoke together in a bowl. Dip the eggplant slices into the mixture and return them to the baking sheet. Bake for about 3 more minutes, until heated through. Serve within the next few hours.

Assemble the salad: Pour the dressing into a large mixing bowl. Add the lettuce in batches, using tongs to coat the lettuce after each addition. When all the lettuce is coated, transfer to bowls and top with eggplant bacon.

Caesar Chavez Dressing

SERVES 4 • ACTIVE TIME: 5 MINUTES • TOTAL TIME: 5 MINUTES

PER SERVING

(ABOUT 3
TABLESPOONS):
Calories: 60
Calories from fat: 40
Total fat: 4.5 g
Saturated fat: 0.5 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Total carb: 5 g
Fiber: <1 g
Sugars: <1 g
Protein: 2 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 330 mg
Vitamin A: 0%
Vitamin C: 6%
Calcium: 0%
Iron: 4%

I
am tempted to call this TaMiShew dressing, for the tahini, miso, and cashew in it, but I will spare you the cutesy title this time. But I won’t spare you lots of flavor with a hint of brininess from the capers.

2 tablespoons chopped shallot
2 tablespoons cashew pieces
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon miso
⅓ cup water
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon capers with brine
⅛ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Place everything in a food processor and blend for at least 5 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides often, until completely smooth. It’s really important that you blend for the full time, otherwise your dressing may be grainy. Taste for salt. Keep refrigerated in a tightly sealed container until ready to use.