Artichoke Puttanesca–Forget its Saucy Reputation

Artichoke Puttanesca–Forget its Saucy Reputation

by | Home Featured, Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

Artichoke Puttanesca–Forget its Saucy Reputation

Serves 6 as a complete meal with the pasta option

A delicious mix of tangy, spicy and savory ingredients makes Puttanesca sauce (sugo alla puttanesca) a meal-time habit that can be made from your pantry. This popular Italian sauce commonly pairs with pasta but consider using it as a topping for pizzas, tartines, a side salad and with grilled salmon.

Artichoke Puttanesca

Its reputation of being linked to red-light district “workers” isn’t deserved.

Puttana translates to prostitute, but puttanata is associated with as in “rubbish” or “crap” as in someone tossing together whatever stuff (puttanatta qualsiasi) they can find in the pantry to cook.

Cooking from the pantry or “whatever” ingredients you have around is a key reason this is a favorite meal in my house.

The adjective form of the noun, puttanesca has become popularized for this dish and alla like the French à la, simply means “in the style of”.

This is not traditional puttanesca sauce if you want to pay tribute to the most authentic forms of it; however, it retains key flavor and texture elements. The changes I’ve made are:

  • I use peperoncini’s instead of red chile flakes as I wanted some green colors and heat that came with a bright briny tang.
  • I substitute in green olives, again for color, and because I like the flavors more than the traditional black olives used.
  • I’ve not added onions although these would be nice, I’m sticking with ingredients that one finds in cans, jars or bottles in their pantry or have long shelf life like garlic.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 (2 ounce) can anchovies
3 tablespoons capers (nonpareil–small ones), rinsed well (the brine is not pleasant tasting)
5 large cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
½ cup pitted Spanish or Greek olives, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can diced (fire roasted are a nice touch), crushed or whole tomatoes
8 medium Peperoncinis, caps removed, sliced
10 ounces high fiber rigatoni (chunky pasta for a chunky sauce)
2 (14-ounce) cans of artichoke hearts, squeezed to reduce liquids and cut in half
Substitutions:
for peperoncinis: use ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (traditional for this dish)
for green olives, use kalamate or black (traditional for this dish)
Optional non-pantry items: ¼ cup Basil, chiffonade ribbons

Steps

  1. Prepare the capers, garlic, olives, peperoncinis and artichokes.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet (large enough to hold the cooked pasta) over medium heat. Add the anchovies, capers and garlic, sauté about 2 minutes.
  3. Add the olives, tomatoes (if whole tomatoes, crush in your hands and include juice from the can) and peperoncinis and cook until sauce is bubbling. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened—it may bubble and spit a bit.
  4. While sauce is reducing, start the pasta. Over high heat, bring a large pot of water to a boil (pasta will soak up the seasoned sauce, so salted water is optional), add pasta, Cook until nearly al dente.
  5. When sauce is thickened and just before adding the pasta, add the artichoke hearts and stir.
  6. When the pasta is done, drain it or lift it with a pasta spoon and add it to the sauce, gently mixing with the sauce to combine.

Serving Ideas

  • Instead of using pasta in this dish, serve as a side dish, serve with pan-seared or grilled salmon, or use as a topping for pizza or tartines.

Artichoke Puttanesca | TheTasteWorkshop.com

    About Me

    The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
    Michele Redmond

    Michele Redmond

    French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

    It's about Making Food First

    Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

    Corn, Tomato and Spinach Olive-Oil Galette

    Corn, Tomato and Spinach Olive-Oil Galette

    by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

    Corn, Tomato and Spinach Olive-Oil Galette

    Olive-oil galette–Is it a tart? A pizza with a folded edge? A pie you eat for dinner?

    Olive-oil Galette

    It’s delicious no matter what you call it and, depending on your fillings, this olive-oil galette works for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

    This quick, easy tart base can be made anytime with basic pantry ingredients since butter isn’t a primary ingredient. It works as a weekday meal but fits many occasions from picnics (simply eat slices by hand) to an elegant dinner with wine and real silverware.

    Another advantage of adding an olive-oil galettes to your menu, other than sounding fancy French when you say “Galette” (a French word that actually sounds like it looks), is how easy it is to prepare for all eating styles from plant-only to eat everythingtarian.

     

    Corn, Tomato and Spinach Olive-Oil Galette

    Serves 12 as appetizer or 6-8 as a meal with a side

    Crust Ingredients

     2 cups all-purpose flour
    ½ teaspoon salt
    ½ cup fresh-grated parmesan
    ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    ½ cup plus 1-2 tablespoons ice water

    Optional: Add 2 teaspoons toasted fennel seed or 1½ teaspoon toasted cumin seed

    Galette Filling
    2 teaspoons olive oil
    12 ounces grape tomatoes, cut in half (about 2 ½ cups whole)
    2 ears corn kernels (about 1¼ cup or 1 can drained and dried)
    3 large garlic cloves, minced fine
    ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
    1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
    ¼ teaspoon salt
    10 ounces (about 8 cups) spinach
    Optional: ½ cup fresh peas, blanched in salted water
    4 eggs, prepare one for egg wash
    ¾ cup ricotta
    1 cup grated gruyere (2.25 ounces), divided

    Crust Steps:

    1. Add flour, salt, parmesan and any spices to a food processor; pulse until blended. Pour in olive oil while pulsing to mix into flour, you may need to break up large clumps. Then slowly pour in ½ cup cold water. Dough will start to pull away from sides and clump together, but if not, add a bit more water up to 2 tablespoons. Dough should feel smooth, moist but not tacky. Remove from food processor.
    2. Knead dough for about 30 seconds then form into a ball. Press the ball of dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 days maximum or freeze for later use.

    Filling and Tart Steps:

    1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. When oil is warm, add halved tomatoes, corn, garlic, pepper flakes, thyme and salt. Cook 8-10 minutes to reduce liquid. Add spinach, use tongs to toss to evenly wilt it—about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool.
    2. Preheat oven to 375˚ Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or coat one with olive oil. Place dough a floured counter, press the disc to flatten enough to roll out with a rolling pin. Sprinkle some flour on the dough or rolling pin and roll from the center towards the edges to create a circular, but imperfect, shape about 15” wide and ¼ inch thick—look for an even thickness overall. Pick up an edge and lift it to over the pin (think curtain rod) to lift the dough and place flat on the baking sheet.
    3. Mix together 3 eggs, add ricotta and all but ½ cup of gruyere, add cooled cooked ingredients, mix.
    4. Pour mix onto the center of the dough, spread it within 2 inches of edge. Fold dough border up over the filling either in small square sections or pleated sections. Brush the dough with egg wash.
    5. Bake 30 minutes, then top with the remaining ½ cup gruyere. Bake another 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and center feels firm. Let cool before serving.

    Serving options:  Serve warm or at room temperature. Stores well for 3-4 days before crust begins to soften or break down.

    Related Recipe: Here’s another recipe that could be a tart or pizza: https://eatwellacademy.com/corn-and-cremini-chickpea-cauliflower-pizza/ 

      About Me

      The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
      Michele Redmond

      Michele Redmond

      French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

      It's about Making Food First

      Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

      Pineapple Ginger Salsa Recipe

      Pineapple Ginger Salsa Recipe

      by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

      Pineapple Ginger Salsa Recipe

      Tomato-based salsas offer familiar flavors and textures, but bust out of that comfort zone with a sweet, tangy pineapple ginger salsa for a zippy dip and fun side dish or garnish. Flavorful heat from chile peppers, garlic, scallion and ginger are balanced by the fruity nectar of ripe pineapple and savory fresh tomatoes.

      Pineapple ginger salsa recipe

      It screams “don’t touch me!” Maui pineapple from my Dole Plantation Tour

      Selecting Pineapples

      Advice for selecting pineapples at optimal ripeness can be conflicting. I suggest relying mostly on your nose to check if the aroma from its base exudes a sweet, pineapple aroma. If it has hints of vinegar, has an overly soft texture and is bright green or orange rather than yellow, pass on it.

      Pineapple’s pointy leaves and spiky scales make it fail the friendly-fruit test of tucking into a pocket or packing with your lunch. This awkward fruit gets weirder when you consider the scales are individual berries that bind to its central core. You can nibble the core’s sweet bits like an ear of corn, but it’s also used in fermented drinks like tapache.

      There are some tricks to cutting pineapple, but a heavy sharp knife is your best friend here. Make this dish more festive by turning the pineapple into a bowl or “pineapple boat” to serve the salsa.

       

      Pineapple Ginger Salsa

      Makes 4 cups

      Ingredients

      2 cups diced fresh pineapple (about ½ a medium-sized pineapple)
      6 roma tomatoes diced or chopped (about 4 cups)
      2 large scallions, sliced thin, white and green parts (about 2 tablespoons)1-2 green serrano chile peppers, minced fine (about 1½ teaspoon)
      1 large garlic clove, minced
      2 teaspoons fine grated fresh ginger (about 1-inch nob)
      1 small lime, juiced (about 1 tablespoon)
      Few pinches of large grain sea salt

      Steps

      Pineapple ginger salsa recipe1. Trim option #1: Trim off the top and bottom of the pineapple, then slice the outer scales off to reveal the flesh. Cut large sections from off the hard core. Dice or small chop enough pineapple for 2 cups and add to a mixing bowl.
      2. Trim option #2: Pineapple bowl: take a sharp knife and cut the pineapple in half from top to bottom. Use a pairing knife to cut around the inside rim, leaving about a half inch boarder and being careful not to cut through the outer skin. Then divide the inside area up by cutting a grid with half inch-sized squares. Use a sturdy large metal spoon to scoop out the flesh. Dice or small chop enough pineapple for 2 cups and add to a mixing bowl.
      3. Dice the tomatoes, slice the scallions, mince the peppers (remove seeds), mince garlic, grate ginger and juice the lime. Add all ingredients plus the salt to the bowl and gently toss.
      4. Taste. If pineapple is less sweet or more tangy than desired, drizzle on some honey and, or another pinch of salt.

      Serving Ideas

      • Grill the pineapple half before cutting up.
      • Serve as a side dish with grilled salmon.
      • Add grilled or poached shrimp to the salsa to make it a salad.

      Related Article: Why chile peppers help you burn calories. Salsa! Dance it or Eat it—Both Burn Calories

        About Me

        The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
        Michele Redmond

        Michele Redmond

        French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

        It's about Making Food First

        Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

        Meaty Walnut Mushroom Ragout: Flex Your Meatless Options

        Meaty Walnut Mushroom Ragout: Flex Your Meatless Options

        by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

        Meaty Walnut Mushroom Ragout: Flex Your Meatless Options

        Walnut Mushroom Ragout (Ragoût, for zee French appetite)

        This walnut mushroom ragout (pronounced like the Italian Ragù) is a veggie and meat-eater favorite that delivers a ground-meat texture and umami-meaty flavor from toasted walnuts. Walnuts are high in umami flavors from free glutamate, the amino acid primarily responsible for savory, brothy, meaty flavors. They’re also high in omega-3 fatty acids that most of us struggle to get into our diet in meaningful amounts and, as a nut, walnuts uniquely are an excellent source of the plant-based form alpha-linolenic acid.

        walnut mushroom ragoutDon’t let the nutrient-rich profile and French name fool you into thinking this is a fancy health food; ragout is your basic comfort food. A French ragoût can have any range of vegetable or meat ingredients, but an Italian ragù, with the same sounding name and diverse applications, is traditionally meat-centric.

        From the French verb ragoûter, meaning to “refresh or stimulate the appetite” (the noun goût means taste) .

        Combined with common ragoût ingredients such as tomatoes and mushrooms, it’s a crave-worthy dish that complements polenta, pasta or rice and can mimic ground meat in some dishes. By making a few additions, like adding vegetables common to bolognese or spices common to sloppy joes, this dish can flex in multiple directions.

        I first demonstrated this dish at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris as part of a plant-based class on using plant-based umami to make veggies more crave-worthy.  It also showcased at the national Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in Chicago to highlight how to create vegan meals that omnivores, and everyone, will love.

        Walnut Mushroom Ragout Ingredients

        1 ½ cup (about 3.5 ounces) unsalted walnut pieces
        1 pound cremini mushrooms (white button can substitute okay)
        ¼ teaspoon salt
        2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
        3 tablespoons tomato paste
        1 medium yellow onion, diced fine (about 2 cups)
        2 medium-sized cloves garlic, minced or grated (about 2 teaspoons)
        ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
        1 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
        1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari
        6-8 sprigs fresh thyme, minced (about 1 teaspoon)

        Steps

        1. Heat walnuts in a skillet over medium heat, tossing frequently for 3-5 minutes until toasted. Pour into a food processor and pulse or chop by hand until resembling ground meat.

        walnut mushroom ragout prep

        2. Rinse the mushrooms to remove any dirt. Keep stems, but slice of any ends that may have trapped dirt or debris. Slice mushrooms ½” thick. Put in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Stir and microwave another two minutes.

        3. Heat a large skillet over a medium-high heat and use a slotted spoon remove the mushrooms into the skillet, keep the mushroom liquid. Sprinkle on the salt and cook mushrooms without stirring. Once start to dry out (about five minutes), add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss mushrooms. When mushrooms closest to the pan surface are brown (about 8-10 minutes) stir or toss, cook 2-4 minutes longer then pour into a bowl.

        4.Add to the still warm skillet the remaining tablespoon of oil and tomato paste. Reduce the heat to medium, stir to cook the paste for 2-3 minutes.

        5. Add the onion, garlic, smoked paprika, walnuts and mushrooms. Stir and cook 2-3 minutes. Add wine, tamari and mushroom liquid, cook until walnuts are tender and liquids are absorbed but the mixture is still moist (20-25 minutes). Stir in minced thyme. Season with salt if needed. If desired, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil for additional rich, supple textures.

        walnut mushroom ragout prep | Thetasteworkshop.com

        Walnut Mushroom Ragout Serving Options

         

        walnut mushroom ragout

        Serve with polenta, rice, pasta and baked potatoes or add as a meat substitute for stews or turn into sloppy joes by adding classic sloppy joe spices and ingredients like bell peppers.

        Walnut Storage Tips:  Because of the luscious nature of walnuts (lovely fat qualities), store in the refrigerator if using soon or the freezer if they won’t be used for a month or more.

        More info here at https://walnuts.org/how-to/how-to-buy-care/

         

          About Me

          The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
          Michele Redmond

          Michele Redmond

          French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

          It's about Making Food First

          Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

          Corn and Cremini Chickpea Cauliflower “Pizza”

          Corn and Cremini Chickpea Cauliflower “Pizza”

          by | Le Blog, Recipes and Culinary Nutrition

          Corn and Cremini Chickpea Cauliflower “Pizza”

          Cauliflower Chickpea-Flour “Pizza”

           

          Cauliflower pizza corn mushroom pea

          This recipe delivers a satisfying and meaty umami-ness from corn, sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms, but is it pizza? Gluten, scorned by carbophobic eaters and necessarily restricted by a minority of others, is a key ingredient in pizza crusts. As a carb-lover who’s selective about carbs, it feels sad to restrict gluten-based foods unnecessarily, especially with comfort foods.

          Corn cremini chickpea Cauliflower pizza

          Pizza’s cultural heritage hinges on the dough. Real dough with flour, full of glutenin, gliadin and other flour proteins that yield textures and flavors inspiring a bread lexicon of “crumb”, “chew”, “caramel”, “honey”, “nutty”. No cauliflower crust “pizza” will deserve such praise; it’s just not possible.

          However, I accepted a challenge to prove that cauliflower crusts could yield some pizza-worthy structure (you can pick a slice up without it breaking apart since eating “pizza” with a fork feels a bit French.

          Unfortunately, most cauliflower “pizza” recipes result in crumbly crusts or rely on a cheese binder. This version uses nutrient-rich chickpea flour for structure and to balance strong cauliflower flavors. Some cooking tricks create a crust that browns nicely and maintains structure.

          Corn cremini chickpea Cauliflower pizza 1900 | TheTasteWorkshop.com

          After much testing, and squeezing and more squeezing—really you must get the liquids out of the cauliflower—I’m happy.

          I served a cauliflower crust or cauliflower tart to my pizza-loving husband purposely avoiding the description “pizza”. He took a few bites with head-nodding approval and said:

          “this is great pizza”.

          I gave up. Here’s my recipe for cauliflower “pizza”.

          Topping Ingredients:

          1 tablespoon olive oil
          8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced ½ inch
          ½ cup (about 6 ounces) sweet corn kernels (if using canned, drain well)
          ¼ teaspoon salt
          ¾ cup grated smoked mozzarella
          2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, diced
          Optional seasonal garnish: 3-4 tablespoons fresh English peas, blanched
          Optional Garnishes: red onion sliced fine, fresh thyme

          Tart Ingredients:
          1 medium to large whole cauliflower head, trimmed of leaves (for frozen florets, see below)
          ¾ cup chickpea flour
          ½ teaspoon sea salt
          ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
          ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
          ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
          2 large eggs

          Steps:

          1. To a mixing bowl, add chickpea flour, salt and spices and mix together. Rinse, dry and slice mushrooms and prepare corn kernels, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes and any optional garnishes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or oil surface well.
          2. In a large skillet over medium-heat, add olive oil. When hot, add mushrooms slices single layer (maximizes flavor and texture). Cook undisturbed, until browning is visible, then toss and cook for even browning. When evenly cooked and nicely browned, remove from pan.
          3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F and place oven racks at the lowest and highest levels. Cut the cauliflower in half, then chop into 2-3 inch pieces including the stem. Add to food processor (2 batches may be required) and pulse to a powdery texture (finer than “rice” granules). If you lack a food processer, grate by hand using the fine grate section. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl.
          4. Microwave on high for 5 minutes or until soft and moist. Place a tea towel across a mixing bowl and pour the mash onto the center. When cooled, pull towel edges together to form a sac around the mash. Squeeze from the top and sides to remove liquid (about 1 cup) leaving about 1 cup of mash.
          5. Add mash and eggs to flour mixture and stir until well combined. Spread onto parchment paper and flatten to about ¼ inch. You can also create a border by pinching or rolling the edge inward.
          6. Bake 10-14 minutes on lowest rack or until cooked firm and crust is browned sheet side. Remove from oven, add toppings (cheese on top—cover sun-dried tomatoes or they burn), place sheet on top rack for 4-6 minutes, then turn oven to broil and move to top rack to melt cheese and brown any exposed crust area. Place “pizza” on baking rack to cool.

          Preparation Notes: If using frozen cauliflower, 24 ounces is about 1 cup cooked. Defrost cauliflower per package instructions and blend in food processor. Mash will be much wetter than fresh mash.

           

            About Me

            The pleasure of food, good health and well-being through simple habits for eating well and flexitarian low-key cooking.
            Michele Redmond

            Michele Redmond

            French-trained Chef, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Food Enjoyment Activist

            It's about Making Food First

            Get Eat Well Academy periodic updates on easy ways to choose and cook foods that satisfy your appetite, nurture your body and make eating well a pleasure.

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