Veggies: Haute to Homestyle - Mushroom "Bacon" BLTs & Zucchini Crudo with French Feta

Sure, it happens to be Meatless Monday, but today's post is just an everyday celebration of vegetables and all the wonders they possess.  

Zucchini Crudo Marinated in Lemon, Chili, & Mint Topped with French Feta, Photo: NK 

 
"Vegetarian" the cuisine, not just the lifestyle, has really caught on, and that, as they say, is a good thing. From enterprising chefs to the everyday cook, so many are on board with the idea that vegetables, when treated right, can hold all the delicious appeal and decadence of an omnivore plate.

My Sister-in-law's delicious Tomato, Basil and Feta Salad, Photo: NK

Summer's an ideal time to incorporate more vegetables into your diet.

Tomatoes (technically a fruit, but we'll look the other way) are especially delightful right now and will play a supporting role in a meatless

Portobello Mushroom "BLT" with Dill Mayonnaise. 

Looking for an elegant veg side dish? 


Zucchini Crudo with Chili, Lemon, Mint and French Feta is just the thing. 


I hope you enjoy both our Haute and Homestyle Veggie Recipes:  

Marinating the Zucchini Ribbons, Photo: NK 

HAUTE: 

Today's Zucchini Crudo is a great option if you are looking for an elegant yet exciting veggie side. It's packed with flavor thanks to Lemon Juice and Zest, super spicy Thai Chilies, and fresh Mint. A sprinkling of French Feta chunks (French Feta is milder than Greek Feta) add some nice, round saltiness and cool the spiciness of those Thai Chilies. 




Be sure to allow this dish to marinate about a half hour to an hour before serving. It looks pretty stunning on the plate and tastes amazing if you like big bold flavors on your Vegetables. 


YUM. 


Zucchini Crudo with Chili, Lemon, Mint and French Feta

Thai Chilies and Zucchini Ribbons, Photo: NK

Serves 3-4 as a small salad or side 

Ingredients:
1 to 1.5 Large Zucchini, sliced into very thin ribbons on a mandoline (about 20 slices)

1/8 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 or 2 Small Thai Chilies (depending on your spice tolerance), minced.

Zest of 1 Lemon

2 teaspoons Lemon Juice

7 Mint Leaves, finely minced + a few sprigs for garnish 

1/8 teaspoon Sea Salt

Black Pepper to taste

4 Ounces French Feta, cut into small cubes

Method: 

French Feta, Photo: NK 

1. Lay the Zucchini Ribbons In a leak-proof container with a top. 

2. In a small bowl, combine Oil, Chilies, Lemon Zest, Lemon Juice, and minced Mint Leaves. Stir in the Salt and Pepper. Pour the dressing over the Zucchini Ribbons and seal the lid. Shake well in several directions until all Ribbons are coated. Allow to sit a half hour to an hour. 

3. When ready to serve, arrange about 5 slices of Zucchini in small bundles across each plate. Drizzle with any leftover dressing from the container. Scatter with French Feta and garnish with extra Mint Sprigs. Enjoy! 


HOMESTYLE:
Our yummy and vegetarian friendly BLT adapted from a clever recipe in the latest Food & Wine is super satisfying. We changed up the Richard Landau's ingenious original recipe just a bit by using more accessible Portobello Mushroom Caps instead of King Oyster Mushrooms. Also, I got the idea to spike my faux "Bacon Mushrooms" with a healthy pinch of Spanish Hot Smoked Paprika to achieve something a bit more like smokey Bacon flavor. In a final tweak, I created a Dill Mayo (I love the brightness of Dill) rather than the (I'm sure delicious) Basil Mayo that Landau employs. 

Tip- Real Bacon is salty so don't skimp on the Salt in this recipe. It makes the flavors come alive. 

Portobello Mushroom Vegetarian "BLT" With Dil Mayonnaise
Adapted from Chef Richard Landau of Vedge in Philadelphia/As published in Food & Wine
Serves 2

Portobello Caps, Dill, Tomatoes, Photo: NK 

Ingredients:
4 Slices Country White Bread, toasted

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 large and very ripe Beefsteak Tomato, sliced into rounds

1.5 - 2 Large Portobello Mushroom Caps, very thinly sliced

1/4 Light Mayonnaise (or Vegan Mayo if you prefer)

1 heaping Tablespoon finely chopped Dill, plus sprigs for garnish

1/2 teaspoon Hot Smoked Spanish Paprika

Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper

4 Leaves Specialty Lettuce - we prefer Red Oak Leaf Lettuce


Method: 
1. Combine Mayonnaise and finely chopped Dill in a small bowl and set aside. 

2. In a very large skillet or grill pan, heat 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil over medium heat until shimmering. Swirl to coat. Lay the Portobello Mushrooms into the pan in a single layer in the pan. Keep in mind they will shrink considerably. Allow Mushrooms to cook about 5 minutes until very golden.  Flip the Mushrooms to the other side and cook another 4 minutes. Remove to paper towel to drain off oil.

3. Immediately sprinkle the mushrooms with Salt and Pepper to taste, and finish by sprinkling all over with the Hot Smoked Spanish Paprika.  

4. To assemble Sandwiches, spread 2 slices of toasted Bread with the Mayonnaise/Dill Mixture. Top each with as many Tomato slices as you like (we went with two thick slices per sandwich). Sprinkle the Tomatoes with a good pinch of Salt. Add the even amounts of the Mushroom Slices and then top with two slices of Lettuce per sandwich. Top the Sandwich with the other bread halves. Garnish with Dill Sprigs, serve and enjoy!

Portobello Mushroom "BLT" with Dill Mayonnaise, Photo: NK 

See? Two delicious dishes - no meat needed! My husband, the original "Bacon Boy" as we call him, ate this sandwich with no complaints. I know he'd prefer Bacon but I told him that he too must suffer for my art. We hope you enjoy these meat-free dishes that go from everyday to elegant in a snap. 
Don't forget to eat your veggies! 

Weekend Roundup - Days of Wine & Oysters

I'm still putting the finishing touches on 

Oysters and White Merlot at Sherwood House Vineyards
Photo: NK 

tomorrow's post, so I figured I'd instead share a quick rundown of our weekend goings on. As our days took shape, two themes, perhaps relatively unsurprising themes for those who know us, began figuring in heavily - 

Oysters and Wine. This past rainy Saturday gave rise to an impromptu trip to a few vineyards on Long Island's North Fork. 

Now I know that there's only so long we'll be able to get away with such spontaneous frivolity,  but let me tell you, I am savoring every  minute. Plus, we deserved a break after spending most of the day doing chores.  

Treat yourself, I always say. 

Love this, Photo: NK 

For me, The North Fork is an inspiring local destination. It's beautiful, laid back, and an ideal place to head for good wine, fresh produce 

(check out our other North Fork and nearby Hamptons-inspired posts), 

and wonderful local food specialties. Now I'm no wine expert, but I have learned a bit more about the subject in recent years. (details on our Napa wine adventure HERE). The most important thing to remember is that wine tasting should not be intimidating. You don't need to have exhaustive tasting vocabulary or wine knowledge to enjoy wine. Also - Wine goes with everything! Take it from George. 

Especially Oysters.

As far as tasting wine in the North Fork, 8 to 15 dollars will usually get you a comprehensive wine tasting. You can find many North Fork vineyards like the two we've spotlighted below that are casual and un-stuffy in style, but they do run the gamut.

Better yet, a good winery will encourage you to take your time and linger. Some will even let you bring a picnic. Relax. Bonus - Many of our favorite vineyards offer Oysters on Summer Weekends - sometimes even live music. Hey vineyards: You had me at wine, now you're just showing off. And I love it.

Here we go:  

Sherwood House Vineyards  Jamesport Tasting Room (other locations in Mattituck, NY)

Event Barn at Sherwood House, Photo: NK 

Highlights - An adorably appointed, cozy tasting room bustles during the high season. The staff is friendly and fairly knowledgeable. Sherwood wines are, overall, good but there are a few that standout from the pack.

Extras - Sherwood's Jamesport Tasting Room serves Oysters on many Summer Weekends. They also offer great live music, and the converted 1860's farmhouse that houses the main facility has many rooms to meander though or relax in.The main area's fireplace that becomes a focal point in the colder months, and there are also several attractive outdoor spaces for balmy days. A super-rustic yet lovely event barn and a cool vintage home decor and art store attached. Like Pottery Barn on steroids. 

Our Wine Pick

Sherwood's 2010 Chardonnay

Photo: NK 

A beautiful chandelier in Sherwood's adjoining home goods shop was wonderful on the eyes. 

Oysters at Sherwood House Jamesport Location, Photo:NK

And of course, 

the local Oysters!

Tasting Room at Paumanok Vineyards, Photo: NK 

Paumanok Vineyards

Aquebogue, NY

Highlights - Paumanok's large tasting room with lofted ceilings is very inviting, but is less personal and homey in feel than the interior at Sherwood House. It is the outdoor tables overlooking the vineyard that are the most lovely.  

Paumanok, and many of the local wineries for that matter, also offers Oysters on select weekends, but we'd had our fill by then - that is, until dinnertime rolled around. 

Our Wine Pick

Bloody Mary Oyster Shooters - YUM - Photo: NK 

Paumanok's 2010 Chenin Blanc

Later, we headed to Squiretown Restaurant and Bar on the South Fork where they awesomely offered Raphael Vineyard wines on tap! 

That was a first for me. 

We very much enjoyed our dinner at Squiretown, and, to cap off our Oyster-filled day, kicked the meal off with these super spicy and tasty Bloody Mary Oyster Shooters. 

Hope you had a great weekend filled with the people and foods that you love as well. 

See you next time. 

Simply Grilled - Honey Sriracha Glazed Shrimp Skewers

Last week's July Fourth holiday was just as it should be - a day of fun in the sun and an excuse to fire up the old all-American grill. Today, I'd like to share the fastest and easiest dish of our spread, super simple Shrimp Skewers that looked beautiful and tasted even better. 

Honey Sriracha Glazed Shrimp Skewers with Grilled and Chopped Scallions, Photo: NK 

Next time you're looking for an easy yet impressive appetizer or the surf to accompany your turf, Honey Sriracha Glazed Shrimp Skewers are a great choice. Make them if you are a Sriracha lover who can handle moderate heat and if you enjoy sweet and spicy flavor profiles like I do. 

First, Some Handy Tips:

1. Soaking the wooden skewers for about a half hour is a good idea before using them on a grill in order to prevent any burning. 

Photo: NK 

2. Martha Stewart, from whom this recipe was adapted, very wisely advises that you use two skewers for each row/serving of Shrimp. Pierce one skewer through just about at the tail, and another through the opposite head end. Doing this allows you to flip the skewers more easily and prevents the Shrimp from curling up. I used these shrimp skewers as an accompaniment to a hamburger, so for us, about four large Shrimp per person was just right. 

3. If you can get your fishmonger to peel and devein the shrimp leaving the tail on, all the better. Cleaning Shrimp is one of my least favorite cooking chores, and frankly, it takes time! Buying pre-cleaned shrimp (preferably wild) or paying a bit extra to have the cleaning done for you is a huge part of making this dish as easy as it should be. 

Scallion Garnish , Chopped and Grilled Whole, Photo: NK

4. For a pretty green edible garnish, we opted to scatter the Shrimp with chopped Scallion and whole Grilled Scallions. To grill, we simply brushed the whole Scallions with oil and dusted them with Salt and Pepper. We let them cook for the duration of the Shrimp's cook time, turning once on the grill until they charred a bit. You could certainly garnish this creatively with other greens such as Cilantro or Parsley, but Scallions fit well with this Asian-inflected dish and I just love the look of them with char marks. 
Let's grill... 

Honey Sriracha Glazed Shrimp
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves 6 as an appetizer or accompaniment, 3 as an entree

Ingredients:

Sriracha Honey Glaze, Photo: NK 

24 Large Shrimp, peeled, deveined, with tail left on
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder 
2 Tablespoons Sriracha 
1/4 Cup Honey
Salt and Pepper

Vegetable Oil for brushing the Shrimp and the grill
Optional Scallions for chopping and a few whole for grilling 

12 Wooden Skewers, soaked

Method: 
1. Light a charcoal,gas grill, or heat up a grill pan. Soak wooden skewers for 20 min to a half hour

2. Lay peeled and deveined tail-on Shrimp on a work surface. Make a row of 4 Shrimp. Skewer the Shrimp through the tail end just before the tail, and through the opposite end (where the head would be). Repeat until you have 6 skewers of with 4 Shrimp Each. 

Glazed Shrimp, Photo: NK

3. Brush Shrimp all over with Vegetable oil and  Sprinkle Shrimp all over with Garlic Powder, Salt and Pepper. 

4. Prepare the Glaze by Mixing Sriracha with Honey and sprinkling with a healthy dose of Black Pepper. 

5. If using, brush Whole Scallions with Oil and sprinkle lightly with Salt and Pepper. Chop the extra Scallions. 

6. Place Skewers (and whole Scallions, if using) on the hot part of the grill. Grill the Shrimp until they start to become opaque - about 3 minutes. Flip and brush generously with the Sriracha and Honey Glaze. Cook another 3 minutes and serve immediately, scattered with chopped Scallions and Grilled Scallions. 


And there you have it. Enjoy!  

Meatless Monday: Pasta + Zucchini, Lemon, Chili & Burrata

The Perfect Simple Summer Produce Side Dish -
NK's Tomato Carpaccio
Recipe HERE

So did everybody have a great holiday weekend? 


Welcome to Monday! 

Don't all jump up and down at once. 

But if we're looking on the bright side, I can report that some really good meatless meals have been materializing in our kitchen of late. 

At the height of summer, when produce is especially great, going meat-free gets that much easier. 



There's nothing like walking into a farm stand or market and being totally inspired by their fruits and vegetables. (With Tomatoes in season, our Tomato Carpaccio pictured here is a great place to start.) That very thing happened to me recently and resulted in what is today's meatless Dinner, a vegetarian pasta dish that I hope you will like as much as I do. 

~In our Lumachine with Zucchini, Lemon, Chili, & Burrata, market-fresh Zucchini gets a quick saute and then marinates for about 10 minutes in Lemon Zest and Juice, as well as spicy Red Chilies. Once tossed with short Pasta or your choice, the Zucchini mixture is enhanced with fresh ribbons of Basil and, here's the topper -  runny and impossibly delicious dollops of Burrata Cheese. 

The result is a bright, herbaceous and lemony dish with a spicy Chili twist cooled by the mellow, creamy cheese. If you can't find Burrata, a good Buffalo Mozzarella will stand in just fine, but don't miss trying Burrata at least once in your life. And don't sample it too much while you're cooking this meal because if you are anything like me, you'll eat it all and have none left for dinner. 

What makes this dish great? Today's Pasta will enthuse even the most reluctant veggie eaters, or at the very least, those that groan when meat is missing from their dinner (ahem, Husband...). I will even go out on a further limb and propose that perhaps if you sub in another short pasta in a fun shape (remember Wagon Wheels?) and omit the spicy Chilies, you may even ge able to coax your vegetable averse kids into eating this.

Let's get to it. 

Lumachine with Zucchini, Lemon, Chili and Burrata

Serves 4 as an appetizer, 3 as an entree

Ingredients:

Freshly Chopped Zucchini, Photo: NK 

2 Large Zucchini, well scrubbed. Cut in half lengthwise and sliced into thin half moons

2.5 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 large Garlic Cloves, lightly crushed

3 Small Dried Chilies (Such as Thai Bird Chilies), very finely chopped

Zest of 1 Large Lemon

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Red Chilies, Photo: NK  

8 Ounces Burrata Cheese, cut into 1 inch pieces (try for about 3 pieces per person)

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt (plus more for boiling Pasta)

1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

5 Large Basil Leaves, cut into thin ribbons (chiffonade)

3/4 Pound Short Maccheroni such as Lumachine or other thimble-shaped Pasta

Method:

1. In a large skillet, heat Oil and Garlic Cloves over medium flame. Heat for about 3 minutes until Garlic becomes fragrant and begins to brown. Remove Garlic Cloves and discard.

Marinating the Zucchini, Photo: NK 

2. Add sliced Zucchini to the skillet and cook, stirring often, for about 4 minutes. Turn off the flame and season with a 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt and an 1/8 teaspoon of Black Pepper. Next, add the chopped Red Chilies, Zest of 1 Lemon, and a Tablespoon of Lemon Juice. Stir. 

3. Carefully pour the contents of the skillet into a heatproof bowl, juices and all. Set aside for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The longer it sits, the better it will be. Reserve skillet for finishing the Pasta.   Note: You could stop right here and end up with a really nice Vegetable Antipasto. You can also make this entire pasta recipe ahead by following the directions up to this step and refrigerate the Zucchini Mixture up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before using.

4. When ready to finish up the dish, boil your Pasta of choice in well-salted water according to the package directions. When Pasta is done, drain it well and pour it back into the large skillet over low heat. 

5. Toss the Zucchini Mixture with all its juices into the skillet. Stir to mix Pasta and Zucchini together. Add the ribbons of Basil and stir again. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking. 

6. Plate your Pasta and top each dish with 2-3 dollops of Burrata Cheese. Finish with an extra sprinkling of Black Pepper. Serve immediately and enjoy!  

Lumachine with Zucchini, Lemon, Chili, & Burrata, Photo: NK