I love all the things I'm currently seeing at the farmer's markets around town. The wonderfully communal culture in Portland also brings with it some generous friends and co-workers who share fresh produce from their fruitful gardens. This is so welcome, as our garden has been unfortunately neglected this summer, so I'll take all the help I can get.
Last week, I uncovered some amazingly supersized zucchini in my office kitchen, which got me thinking about zucchini recipes. My mini happens to love zucchini, which is a blessing on its own and she seems to like anything in quiche form, which gave me the idea for this zucchini quiche. Hope you like it and are able to adapt it to your own tastes and preferences:
Fooditka's Zucchini Quiche (serves 3)
Ingredients:
1 - 1 1/2 cups of diced zucchini
1 small red onion, diced
4 eggs
3 tbs of milk
1/4 cup of shredded smoked gouda cheese
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place round casserole dish into the oven to heat it up.
In the meantime, sautee the zucchini and onion until golden brown and add salt and pepper. Whisk the eggs until light and fluffy and add the milk. Whisk for another few seconds.
Take the hot casserole dish out of the oven and add the sauteed zucchini/onion mixture. Then add the egg/milk mixture and distribute evenly. Add the cheese at the end.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and puffed up.
Enjoy with a crusty piece of bread or simply on its own!
I've been having fun experimenting with different recipes at home and these two in particular are veggie and gluten free friendly, using tofu as the main ingredient. Getting a nice piece of organic tofu the other week from Trader Joe's, I was determined to use it wisely and ended up creating the below two recipes for a casual weekday lunch and dinner. There are a number of variations you can create in the process too, but here's two ideas to get you started.
Fried Tofu Salad
Ingredients (serves 2)
2 big handfuls of fresh arugula
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup of red peppers, chopped
1/2 cup of smoked mozzarella cheese
2 cups of fresh organic tofu, cubed
2 generous glugs of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat oil in non-stick skillet until super hot. Drop tofu cubes directly into the oil and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
In the meantime, arrange the salad by using all of the other ingredients.
Drain tofu on a paper towel when cooked through. Top the prepared salad with fried tofu and the shredded cheese. Sprinkle with course salt and pepper to taste.
Fried Tofu Open Faced Sandwich
Ingredients (serves 2)
2 big square blocks of organic tofu
1 fresh or gluten free bun (I used Udi's)
2 thin slices of smoked mozzarella or gouda cheese
2 handfuls of fresh arugula
Canola oil
1 cup of quinoa
Sriracha sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Make the quinoa according to the directions on the box. You can choose to flavor it with spices and herbs of your choice. I used a paprika based seasoning, hence the reddish color you see above.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan until super hot. Drop one tofu block in at a time and fry about 4-5 minutes on each side or until the exterior gets golden brown.
Toast the bun for a few minutes and then top with the tofu (make sure to drain the tofu in paper towels immediately after taking it out of the oil). Top with cheese, a little bit of sriracha and then a handful of arugula. Enjoy together with a side of quinoa.
After a full week of indulging in Florida, Dan and I were in the mood for something lighter, and therefore jumped at the chance to have dinner at the Oneness Fountain Heart restaurant in Flushing. The inspiration for this restaurant intrigued me, as it pays homage to a well known spiritual leader and "a champion of peace," Sri Chinmoy, boasting an eclectic vegetarian menu.
Atmosphere:
Located very much off the beaten path in Flushing, Oneness is a place you must access by car, but once you get there you'll be glad you made the trip. I must say that from the outside, it doesn't much look like a restaurant or cafe, as the space is ultra bright - seeming to be illuminated by a multitude of lamps as well as gold wall fixtures that reflect light.
Once we stepped inside, we were welcomed by a bright and colorful dining room, adorned with more lamps, fountains and a concave ceiling that was further illuminated and made the room feel more spacious. There were a few people inside, enjoying a leisurely dinner, but overall the restaurant was relaxed and subdued, representing its spiritual inspiration quite well. It's certainly a place to relax and wind down after a long hard day.
Food:
Another aspect of Oneness that totally fascinated me was their chef who happens to be Czech. Naturally, being from Slovakia, I wanted to meet Chef Horejsi and was totally surprised that a vegetarian and an Asian friendly menu would come from someone from a culture very much dependent on meat.
Appetizers - We started with two hearty appetizers, including these gorgeous zucchini rollups (pictured above) and the nacho blues chips. The first was the most interesting to me, partly due to its sophisticated presentation and also because of the amazing colors it had going on. The inside was stuffed with a a walnut paste that seemed almost meaty, and together it created a deliciously vibrant bite.
Entrees - Inspired by the Asian style dishes on the menu, Dan and I went with the Mongolian Beef and the raw coconut Pad Thai. Both were vegetarian of course, but you could've fooled anyone's with Dan's "beef," which was substituted with seitan, coated in a tasty soy glaze. Loving the juxtaposition of the tender "beef" with the crispy fresh veggies, we took turns devouring this dish.
My Pad Thai was a nice choice as well, also representing a full spectrum of colors and textures. I enjoyed the thin strips of carrots, zucchini and coconut that served as the "pasta."
Dessert - Definitely the highlight of the meal for me, the Berry Dream (aka Cashew Cream with Blueberries) blew us out of the water with its delicate texture and lightness with each bite. The berries provided a touch of earthy freshness and a beautiful color contrast.
Another home run dessert was the homemade passion fruit, which was also a fluffy mousse confection with pretty dollops of passion fruit puree. We certainly enjoyed it in the cold, but I imagine this dessert to be lovely in the warm summer months as well.
Service and Cost:
The waitstaff at Oneness is lovely, totally low-key and modest, just like the restaurant. We enjoyed hearing about Chef Horejsi's background, learning that he's been a chef for 10 years, experimenting both in NY and Paris. Overall, it was wonderful to see a new innovative take on vegetarian food, and for once it not seeming like an afterthought but instead the main event.
Costs are very reasonable and include:
Appetizers - $4.75 - $8.95
Entrees - $6.95 - $13.95
Desserts - $4.50 - $4.95
3 Mmmms
Oneness Fountain Heart - 157-19 72nd Avenue, Flushing NY 11367
718.591.3663
www.oneness-fountain-heart.com
Even though I'm far from a vegetarian, I do frequently enjoy eating vegetarian fare and sometimes even cook sans meat at home. That's why I was pretty psyched when I got invited to a press dinner at the new East Village haunt called Table Verte, run by accomplished Restaurateur and Chef, Didier Pawlicki and Executive Chef, Ken Larsen.
Providing a fresh spin on veggie cuisine in a French Bistro style, Table Verte offers something new and innovative for any kind of palate.
Atmosphere:
Situated in the heart of the East Village on 7th street between 1st Avenue and Avenue A, Table Verte has that quintessential small, intimate bistro feel, which I welcome. It's a little hard to notice when you're walking down the street, and especially when distracted, but when you do find it, you'll be glad you came.
The dining room is small but charmingly inviting with classic butcher block tables adorned in signature, Kelly green. I think it's a perfect place to come to with your special someone and because it feels so personal, you can't help but bask in its privacy. I loved the simple but classic decor elements such as the tea light candles, an oversized mirror up front and some natural accouterments, which came in the form of mini gourds. It all feels natural and organic, providing an accurate preamble for things yet to come.
Food:
Chef Larsen's pride in his intelligently thought out menu was unmistakable, and truly exemplified through each course in our tasting menu.
Appetizer - I loved this pretty medley of cold salads including a celery root remoulade, a vegan lentil salad, beets with horseradish and a shredded carrot salad too. They were all lovely and although disparate, they were fun to pair together, reminding me of a mezze tasting I'd have in a Greek restaurant in Astoria.
My two favorites were the carrot salad with chickpeas and raisins that was refreshing and slightly sweet, as well as a beet salad, which I always enjoy. The latter was flavored with fresh tarragon, which gave it that distinct licorice flavor and of course a welcome kick from the horseradish.
Entrees - It was fun to try a few different entrees, as we all shared everything, and I definitely had a few that stood out to me.
First thing's first - the cauliflower was totally out of this world. Roasted perfectly and showing off a beautifully golden exterior, it was incredibly filling - and almost meaty. Resting on a bed of fragrant quinoa salad with rosemary as well as the piece-de-resistance, the roasted yam cake, it was a well-rounded meal that satisfied any hungry belly.
The other favorite, which was served in a smaller portion than usual just for our tasting was the gnocchi Parisian Au Gratin. Verte's take on gnocchi was a few notches above the norm, as Chef Larsen explained they make the dumplings individually, like they would a profiterole for example. As soon as I took a bite, I understood the difference, as these were truly little pillows of heaven. The cheese was totally gooey, delicious and so over the top, further embellished with a real truffle on top. What a treat!
Dessert - A big highlight of the dinner was the sweet finish, and we enjoyed three distinct desserts. The most exciting for me was the banana creme brulee, which you see above and that had chunks of real banana in it, reminding me of my all time favorite banana pudding trifle at Buttercup Bakeshop.
A close second was their semolina cake topped with velvety caramel and a rum, creme Anglaise sauce. Despite it feeling incredibly French (aka indulgent), it was actually quite light on the stomach--the semolina holding its own next to the rich sauce. It reminded me of the incredible semolina cake I used to enjoy at Mundo, but I think this was even better.
Service and Cost:
Just like the restaurant's comfortable and intimate dining room, the service is just the same. It's evident that the folks who work here genuinely want to, and they have a great passion for the food on the menu. I enjoyed hearing Chef Larsen tell us the story behind each dish and the infectious smile on his face made us really curious and happy to dig in.
Prices are reasonable for what I'd call a fine dining experience:
Appetizers - $4.75 - $9.50
Entrees - $14.50 -$19.75
Desserts - $5.50 - $8.75
Before I forget to mention, Table Verte is still a BYOB, which is an added bonus in my book.
3 Mmmms
Table Verte - 127 East 7th Street, New York NY 10009
212.539.0231
L Train to 1st Avenue or 6 Train to Astor Place
www.tablevertenyc.com
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