The Smiling Onion

Vegetarian and Gluten-free Cooking

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Cold Cucumber Soup

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My goal was to get at least one summer post out before September. I failed, of course. But at least it’s still summer for another eighteen days. I’m gonna call that a win.

If the humidity is getting to you, I highly suggest this cucumber soup. It hits all the right notes: fresh, sweet, tangy, spicy, nutty, and creamy. If you’re a fan of the green chutney often served in Indian restaurants, you’ll love this. The flavor profile is quite similar…but presented in a less intense, drinkable form, with some gazpacho-y notes thrown in. In fact, I guess you could say this soup is kind of a cross between gazpacho and green chutney. Except that doesn’t sound very good. And it’s actually incredibly delicious! Oh, and also there’s no mint.  Hm. I may be a bit out of practice with this whole blogging thing. Let me just get right to the point: Make. This. Soup.

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Jalapeño Cornbread

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Is there anything more comforting than chili and cornbread on a cold winter night? And is there anything more disappointing than buying a beautiful slice of cornbread somewhere and then having it be dry, crumbly, and generally lacking? Disappointed with the cornbread offerings near me, I decided to create a moist, cakier version of the classic – with jalapeños thrown in for spice, of course. Try it with my easy vegetarian chili for a simple, satisfying dinner.

I’m actually up to my ears in this cornbread right now, because I decided to make three batches: one with dairy and eggs, one with dairy but no eggs, and one completely vegan. I’m happy to report that all three were enjoyable in their own right, but I’ve decided to keep working on the vegan version before posting it. The other two batches came out great, though, with the egg-free one just a little bit cakier than the batch with egg. I actually preferred it, though my husband liked the breadier texture better.

This cornbread is absolutely delicious warm out of the oven or cold from the fridge. It’s extremely flavorful – tender and buttery with wonderful jalapeño notes. While it’s fabulous on its own, I can’t help but fantasize about some delicious pairing ideas. In addition to the aforementioned bowl of chili, here are some of the ways I’ll be enjoying the three batches of cornbread I have on my hands:

  • With collard greens and lentils
  • As a sandwich – with cheddar and tomato
  • By itself, cold from the fridge
  • Warm, with butter or ghee
  • Topped with avocado (growing up, my best friend and I were OBSESSED with cornbread & avocado)
  • With tomato soup
  • With Mexican-style black beans and sour cream
  • “Loaded” – topped with beans, cilantro, tomato, avocado, cheddar, and salsa/sour cream
  • With cajun-style tempeh or tofu and kale

I could keep going, but I don’t want to make you too hungry… [Read more…]

Blueberry-Fennel Salsa

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Tis the season to eat salsa! And oh, how numerous are the possibilities. I’ve always been one for experimenting with new flavor combinations so when I looked in the fridge and saw some blueberries fresh from the Union Square Greenmarket, along with some jalapeños and cilantro, I immediately thought blueberry salsa.

Now, I’m quite familiar with fruit salsas  – your standard pineapple one, for example, is pretty ubiquitous. But I couldn’t remember a time when I’d eaten a version made with blueberries. I also wasn’t 100 percent sure it would be a success. But I was fairly certain that one ingredient might be the key to marrying the sweet, fruitiness of blueberries to the savory spicy notes all good salsas should have, and that ingredient (drumroll please) was fennel. Specifically sautéed fennel, which has an onion-like texture and a lovely deep flavor.

So off to the market I went, eager to test out my theory. I thinly sliced my freshly-purchased fennel, sautéed it in some olive oil for 10 minutes or so (stirring frequently to promote caramelization as opposed to frying) and pulsed it up in a food processor with some jalapeño and cilantro. After seasoning with salt and lime, I sampled a bit. Yum! I almost wanted to eat it then and there – blueberries be damned – because it was really tasty! But delayed gratification is supposedly the mark of intelligence, so in went the berries. And voila! Blueberry-fennel salsa complete; snacking commencing in T minus…and that’s as far as my countdown got before my mouth was full of chips and salsa.

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Plantain “Nachos” with Jalapeño Crema

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Do nachos have to contain chips? I’m of the opinion that they don’t. Because when oven-fried sweet plantains are covered with beans, feta, and cilantro and then drizzled with jalapeño crema, it sure feels like I’m eating a hefty plate of delectable nachos. Except that my teeth actually have something to sink into – that meaty, sweet plantain – instead of just crunching through dry chips. And also I need a fork.

But if you fall in the “Hardline Traditionalist” category of this sandwich chart, I’m guessing you are also a hardline traditionalist when it comes to nachos. In that case, just think of these as loaded plantains.

Whatever you choose to call it, this dish is really quite delicious and would make the perfect Cinco de Mayo grub. The aforementioned toppings are just suggested – you can top your oven-fried plantains with whatever fixings your heart desires – but I do advise that you drizzle the final product with some jalapeño crema (recipe included). It’s tangy and spicy, making it the perfect compliment to those sweet plantains.

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Grilled Polenta with Tomatillos, Cilantro, and Feta

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What could be better than a fresh, spicy medley of feta, jalapeño, and tomatillo mounded on top of a slightly smoky grilled polenta disc with plenty of cilantro and freshly squeezed lime to boot? You got me. Actually, a bottomless supply of these perfect little bites, available for your eating pleasure on Cinco de Mayo – now that might take the cake.

Sadly, these polenta bites don’t come out of a fairytale (unlike this eggplant) so they won’t automatically replenish themselves; hence, making a bottomless supply would be pretty difficult. You can, however, make a finite supply (and trust me – these go fast, so their finiteness will be painfully obvious) for Cinco de Mayo, which is coming up this Friday! All you need to do is follow this recipe.

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Cornmeal-Crusted Parsnips with Jalapeño-Feta Dip

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Uh-oh: it’s eating season again. We had January to recover from the Thanksgiving and winter-holiday pile of sweets and treats that followed us everywhere, but tomorrow is February 1st and detox time (if you managed to squeeze any in) is over already. The Super Bowl is this weekend, then Valentine’s Day, and then we’ve got St. Patty’s pretty soon after that.

Not that eating season is anything to complain about. We are lucky enough to live in a society where significant events (even those involving sports) are marked by food, which sure makes the Super Bowl more palatable for those of us who still haven’t managed to grasp the rules of football (1st down, 2nd down is referring to the number of chips I’m eating, right?) Just kidding …

In all seriousness, I wanted to share this Super Bowl recipe with you because it manages to feel like junk food while actually being pretty good for you. (Provided you don’t binge on the spicy jalapeño-feta dip, which could be a tall order, actually :p) But let’s focus on the parsnips, which feature a range of vitamins and minerals like folate, potassium, and vitamin C. They also have about 3 grams of dietary fiber (mostly soluble) per 1/2 cup cooked serving. Best part: when they are baked, they become wonderfully sweet and starchy, which makes covering them in a crunchy, savory cornmeal crust and dunking them in a spicy jalapeño-feta dip all the more satisfying. And there’s no deep-frying required to get that lovely golden color.

So are you ready? Let’s do this!

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Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (And a Salute to “The Taco”)

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Is it just me or is this summer going by ridiculously quickly? I feel like I’m constantly struggling to keep up with all the wonderfully delicious fresh produce in season right now! And I’m fortunate enough to work RIGHT by the Union Square Greenmarket, a huge NY farmer’s market that constantly reminds me I better get to the kitchen, stat.

In my opinion, one of the best summer meals (and I may be influenced here by my Mexican-food obsessed fiancé) is THE TACO.  Yes, the article there is deliberate – in our household, tacos deserve the same amount of reverence and respect as The Macaron or The Rack of Lamb. (Although lamb doesn’t actually get any respect since we don’t eat meat.) But anyway, why is The Taco a perfect summer meal? For starters, you can pretty much make anything into a taco, so it’s a fantastic vessel for keeping up with all the delicious produce that keeps appearing in the summertime. Secondly, there’s not that much cooking involved – you may have to quickly sauté some veggies and heat up your tortillas, but you won’t have the stove/oven on for too long – a definite blessing in the summertime. Thirdly, you get to make your own salsa, which in my opinion is what makes a taco into The Taco.

While homemade salsa in all forms is absolutely delicious, I have always been partial to tomatillo salsa. I love the tangy, pungent, citrusy flavor of The Tomatillo. Okay, sorry – I’m overusing the article trick now :p But seriously, if you haven’t tried tomatillos, you must! They are related to tomatoes, and are used quite often in Mexican cooking. You may have heard them referred to as  “husk tomatoes,” since they grow inside a husk – this must be removed before you use them. After removing the husk (and any stems that you see), you’ll also need to  quickly rinse the tomatillos, since they will feel slightly sticky. But once husked and rinsed, they are ready to go! You can roast, sauté, eat ’em raw, whatever strikes your fancy! While some recipes call for seeding tomatoes, you will NEVER have to seed a tomatillo – just another of their many benefits.

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