The holidays are officially over. With the grind of the new year in full swing and the harshness of New York cold weather setting in, everyone is buckling down for the next few months. I’m trying my absolute hardest not to let the winter blues get me down, and I am finding that more often than not, I turn to food to bring me comfort.
While winter conditions definitely make it difficult to find fresh produce, the season still provides for many delicious and hearty meals. In fact, my very favorite vegetable is easily accessible this time of year. That’s right. Give me all the broccoli.
Broccoli is so versatile and can be addictive prepared in any way! Steamed, stir-fried, roasted, or even eaten raw, the possibilities are endless. One can even thinly shave the stems and use them in a salad or sautéed for a meal, but that is a conversation for another day. Today I want to talk about my favorite preparation for broccoli: roasting. Super simple and with a huge punch of flavor, I like to toss the prepped broccoli with seasonings and oil and then blast it in the oven set to a really high temperature. This ensures that the broccoli gets a healthy char while still retaining some crunch. Nobody wants to eat something that can be described as “limp”. Toss with some lemon zest and voila, you have brought life to something in this artic tundra.
Over the years I have learned that my own personal preference in flavor combination is to combine sweet with savory. Therefore, I have found great value in the use of fresh or dried fruit in many of my dishes. There’s nothing like the subtle pop of flavor in every few bites when you encounter something sweet. As of late, one of my absolute favorite additions to a salad is the ever persevered, simple and basic (drumroll please….) raisin. This traditional ingredient dates as far back in my memory as “ants on a log” in childhood snacks, but has now been reinvented by the chefs at What We Eat. Though a raisin in itself is a tasty little burst of sweetness, we sometimes opt to re-hydrate the chewy little grape into something else. This can be done using warm water, or if you like, you can opt to add an acid to the mix for a pickling effect.
Through experimentation, we have perfected a winning combination of spices to create an amazing pickling recipe for grapes and raisins. The result is an unbelievably sweet, tangy and slightly spicy treat. Think warm winter spices with a kick of heat from red chili flakes. Having this recipe in your arsenal is a sure-fire way to add surprise and curiosity to a salad or grain dish.
With love, Kristina
For the Wild Rice:
1 cup wild rice, rinsed
Cook rice according to package directions.
For the Broccoli:
1 head broccoli, cut into large florets
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 pinch red pepper flakes
½ tsp granulated
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
On the stove top, bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Blanch broccoli for 30 seconds and refresh in ice cold water. Dry completely.
On a large sheet tray, toss the broccoli with a good glug of olive oil, granulated garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Roast, undisturbed for 15 minutes. Take broccoli out of oven and flip (it should have a nice char on one side). Return to oven for another 15 minutes until crisp and caramelized. Remove and allow to come to room temperature.
For the Pickled Raisins:
2 cups golden raisins
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1 star anise
1 tablespoon fennel seed
½ tablespoon sugar
1 tsp salt
Method:
In a saucepot, bring the water, vinegar, spices, sugar and salt to a slow simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes. Once the sugar has dissolved, strain the hot liquid over the raisins and allow to sit until cool.
When you are ready to build the salad, drain raisins and mix with the charred broccoli and wild rice. Add in a large handful of mint/cilantro/scallions and dress with a few tablespoons of the pickling liquid and some olive oil. Enjoy!
Other Uses for Pickled Raisins:
Chicken salad
Grain bowls
Breakfast parfaits with granola and greek yogurt
In college, cooking was what set me apart from almost everyone I lived with. I struggled to find the balance between expressing my predisposition toward cooking and going above and beyond for roommates who, for the most part, didn’t understand what was so great about homemade pizza crust. I (literally) fed off the satisfaction of pleasing others with food; no matter who it was or at what cost. I went out of my way to cook these elaborate meals for people that were just as content eating ramen for breakfast. I set ridiculous goals for myself and was always disappointed by the results. Ultimately, I lost touch with what cooking for others in a positive, fulfilling way feels like and knew it shouldn’t feel like I’m doing it to impress someone or make new friends. The food you bring to the table should be personal and it should reflect your taste, not just catered to what you think people will enjoy. With this attitude my menus evolved from simple spaghetti with tomato sauce to discovering my favorite combination of veal, pork and beef meatballs and spaghetti. My standards and tastes developed to appreciate new cuisines and adjust old ones. That being said the soul of my cooking originated from my most memorable family meals and to this day the most influential cookbook on my shelf was bound by my aunt and consists of a curated and expanding history of my family’s favorite, most craved and worshiped recipes. I still consult it’s oil-stained pages for my grandmother’s tried and true oatmeal cookies and my mother’s prized mushroom pate but I must admit that I’m motivated more and more by the excitement of trying new recipes with the tradition of family getting together the defining ingredient.
Here are some rough ideas: