CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT TOFFEE

It has been a busy cookbook season! I spent last night reading through the Ottolenghi Test Kitchen Cookbook and am revisiting everything I have bookmarked in Aran’s Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple while it is rainy this week and we can work on some baking projects. If you eat gluten free, by need or choice, Aran is your gal. You may know her from her gf sourdough tutorials on instagram.

Aran is one of my favorite food people. Most importantly, she is a lovely and generous person. Just as humble and charming as her photos lead you to believe. Her photos are romantic, the recipes are clear and uncomplicated and she offers subs for all sorts of dietary issues. She is the gluten free baking master, and always where I go for reference. The book does call for some specialty flours, but if you cook gluten free and make a few things from her book, they won’t go to waste. My favorites have been the Lemon Curd, Lemon Pound Cake, Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies and this toffee! I love how short the list of ingredients is, you may even have everything to make a batch today.

Congrats, Aran!

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT TOFFEE

Makes one 9x13 pan

This makes an excellent gift around the holidays. We kept it in the fridge for when you just need a sweet nibble after a meal. If you are nut free, you can sub in some candied pepitas or some crushed candy canes and cocoa nibs on top.

Ingredients: 

¾ cup (100 g ) raw hazelnuts

1 cup unsalted butter (or dairy free butter) cut into cubes

¾ cup sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

¼ cup water, room temperature

½ tsp. Kosher salt

2 tsp. Vanilla extract

¼ tsp baking soda

4 ounces 70% chocolate, finely chopped

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 325’ and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 

On a second sheet, spread the hazelnuts and roast for 15-20 minutes, until fragrant and golden brown. When they are cool enough to handle, transfer them to a large kitchen towel and rub together to loosen their skins. Once they’re mostly peeled (a bit of skin is ok), transfer them to a food processor and pulse a few times to roughly chop. Set aside. 

In a medium saucepan, stir together the butter, both sugar, water and salt. Cook over medium-high heat, undisturbed, until it registers at 300’, about 15 minutes. The mixture will be dark brown and smell caramelized. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the vanilla, it will splatter. Stir in the baking soda until it is distributed - do not overmix. You want to preserve some of that gas. 

Pour the toffee onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with the chopped chocolate. The heat of the toffee will melt it. Spread it evenly with a spatula. Distribute the chopped hazelnuts across the top and press down so they stick into the chocolate. 

Let the toffee cool completely for a few hours, or speed up this process in the fridge. Break the toffee into pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a month.

©2021 by Aran Goyoaga. Excerpted from Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple by permission of Sasquatch Books.

TAHINI GLAZED CAULIFLOWER

We’re obsessed with this cauliflower. I’ve made it three times in the last week for different people and it reports back as the favorite dish. Every brand of tahini varies in texture. I find the 365 Whole Foods brand to work well here because it’s naturally quite runny. If you need a visual, albeit on super speed, I made a Reel over on Instagram so you can see how easy this is!

TAHINI GLAZED ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

Serves 4

I’ve served this as a side with some lamb meatballs and quinoa salad, but is is a great side for just about anything. Veg friends, it is filling and textured and honestly if you just want a bowl of this on top of some greens as a meal, that works too. It is best eaten fresh out of the oven, but can be reheated as needed, it will just absorb most of the tahini coat. Fresh herbs forever. Don’t skip the parsley and mint.

Ingredients

1 large head of cauliflower
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. champagne or white wine vinegar
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne or aleppo, to taste
fresh ground pepper
2 shallots, peeled and cut in wedges

4 dates, pitted and chopped small

TAHINI GLAZE

1/4 cup tahini
1 Tbsp. olive oil or sesame oil
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. water
salt and pepper

3 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
1 bundle of mint, leaves removed and roughly chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425’. Pull out a large rimmed baking sheet. Cut the florets away from the core, and break them into smallish, 2x2” florets. Drizzle the olive oil, vinegar, coriander, sea salt, cayenne/aleppo and toss everything with your hands to coat. Spread it in an even layer on the baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes. Pull it out, turn the heat down to 400’, add the shallots, toss everything around again so the shallots get some oil and seasoning on them, and pop the tray back in to roast for another 20 minutes.

While you’re waiting, chop up your dates into small pieces. Stir together the tahini glaze ingredients. It should look pretty thin, like a thicker salad dressing. Adjust with water, oil or lemon to get that consistency. Thickness of tahini varies by brand.

Pull the tray out of the oven, and while still hot, add the dates and toss them in. Add the tahini glaze and parsley to the warm pan and toss everything until all the tahini has coated the cauli. Transfer to your serving bowl and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and mint. Look at you go!

Sara Forte 2020-09-29

Tahini Glazed Cauliflower

4

A super flavorful roasted cauliflower dish.

• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. champagne or white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne or aleppo, to taste
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 shallots, peeled and cut in wedges
• 4 dates, pitted and chopped small
• 2 Tbsp. tahini
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil or sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. water
• salt and pepper
• 3 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
• 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
• 1 bundle of mint, leaves removed and roughly chopped

324 calories20 grams fat37 grams carbohydrate7 grams protein

PT0H10M

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middle eastern

Side

middle eastern, vegetarian, vegan

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER + KALE PASTA

I had a crop of pregnant friends this season and I wanted to post this pasta dish here because I think casserole-type foods are such an easy food to deliver or serve to friends (or make and freeze should you be the sort of person that preps ahead like that).

You guys ask all the time what sort of meals I deliver or make-ahead and most of those are now living over on SK Cooking Club. Disclaimer, not all vegetarian. Some of the favorites there are a Turkey Bolognese, Butternut Turkey Chili, Carrot Ginger Soup, Olive Bar Sheetpan Dinner, Jeweled Farro Salad to name a few. We have a Veggie Chili coming up soon that will also be perfect to add to this list and a Cauliflower Tikka Masala that is delicious!

I baked this before giving it to my friends because, well, we needed to take a photo, but I would assemble it all and cover it in foil before delivering, then let them do that final bake so it doesn’t dry out. Deliver it along with a super simple, light, green salad and a bottle of wine. And probably chocolate too.

I made notes below on dietary swaps. I personally can’t eat cow’s milk dairy products (and eggs now too, quite annoying), and if you’re the same, you could use either a nut-based ricotta or find a sheep’s milk ricotta at well-stocked markets or Whole Foods. You may want to use less, as they tend to be stronger in flavor and often times richer. Like I said, more notes below.

I hope your New Year has started off well. It feels like flus and colds are all around, so I’m wishing you wellness and I’ll post a soup recipe here soon. Take good care!

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ROASTED CAULIFLOWER + KALE PASTA

Serves 6

I am going to add substitution notes here as we do with Cooking Club in case this helps anyone. Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions! There are two kinds of kale here because it cooks down and I like my pasta dishes heavy on the vegetables. You can skip the baby kale if this sounds like too much…even though it’s not. Anchovies are so good here and they basically dissolve in the roasting step so you don’t know they’re there, but you could use a sprinkle of capers if they creep you out. Add them in the last 10 minutes of roasting

Recipe Tips

Dairy Free: Kite Hill does make a dairy-free ricotta which would totally work here. Laura of The First Mess has a vegan pine nut parm that would be great sprinkled on top!

Gluten Free: Use a brown rice based pasta. We also use chickpea or lentil pastas, but they don’t sit well with a lot of liquid, so only use those if you’re planning to eat it right away.

Carnivore Option: If you are looking to add animal protein, the frozen mini meatballs can be stirred into the whole situation.

Prep Ahead: Roast the cauliflower and kale, and cook your pasta in advance.

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower (about 1.5 lbs)
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4-1/2 tsp. sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1 Tbsp. everything bagel seasoning (or any all-purpose type seasoning)
2 anchovy filets, optional, but promise you won’t know they’re there

1 large head lacinato kale, ribbed and chopped
3 cloves garlic, grated

12 oz. (3/4 lb.) rigatoni pasta (or GF pasta)
two handfuls of baby kale (I know, double kale!)

12 oz. ricotta
one large lemon, zest and juice, divided
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
1/2 cup cream
1 egg
4 oz./1 cup fontina, grated
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 oz. parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
red pepper flakes

fresh parsley or basil or thyme or a mix, to finish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425’. Break the cauli into florets onto a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil, salt, pepper, bagel seasoning and toss everything to coat. You’ll want to use your clean hands here, and rub everything into the cauli. Put the anchovies on the tray, and roast everything for 35 minutes. The anchovy will dissolve, don’t worry, you won’t know it’s there. If you’re super freaked, use 2 Tbsp. capers. Pull the pan, add the kale, garlic and toss everything around so some oil coats the kale. Pop it back in the oven for 10 minutes for the kale to wilt a bit (if you’re using capers instead of anchovies, add them here). Pull and set aside. This can be done in advance and stored in the fridge.

While the vegetables roast, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta accordingly to al dente instructions - about 11 minutes. In another large mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta, lemon zest, Italian seasoning, pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper, cream, egg, 1/4 cup parmesan and half of the fontina. Whisk everything well to combine. Drain the pasta, reserve a bit of pasta water, and add the noodles to the cheese bowl. Stir to mix. Add the cauli and kale, plus the handfuls of baby kale, to the bowl and stir again. Add a generous splash of pasta water, one more stir.

Leave the heat on 425’. Grease a 2 qt. baking dish or 10-12” cast iron pan. Tip the pasta mixture in. Squeeze the lemon juice all over the top of the pasta. Sprinkle the remaining fontina and parm and some red pepper flakes on top. Loosely cover the dish with foil. Bake, covered, for 10 minutes, turn the heat up to 475’, uncover the dish, sprinkle the walnuts if using, and bake another 10ish minutes until the top is just bronzed and bubbly. Remove to cool slightly and sprinkle heaps of fresh herbs over the top.

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Sara Forte 2020-01-21

Roasted Cauliflower and Kale Pasta

6

A simple and delicious pasta bake with cauliflower and kale, great for delivering to friends or freezing for later.

• 1 head cauliflower (about 1.5 lbs)
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. sea salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 1 Tbsp. everything bagel seasoning (or any all-purpose type seasoning)
• 2 anchovy filets, optional, but promise you won’t know they’re there
• 1 large head lacinato kale, ribbed and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 12 oz. (3/4 lb.) rigatoni pasta
• two handfuls of baby kale (I know, double kale!)
• 12 oz. ricotta
• one large lemon, zest and juice, divided
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1 egg
• 4 oz./1 cup fontina, grated
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 oz. parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• red pepper flakes
• fresh parsley or basil or thyme or a mix, to finish

632 calories 36 grams fat 0 grams transFat 53 grams carbohydrate 5 grams sugar 5 grams fiber 27 grams protein

Preheat the oven to 425’. Break the cauli into florets onto a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil, salt, pepper, bagel seasoning and toss everything to coat. You’ll want to use your clean hands here, and rub everything into the cauli. Put the anchovies on the tray, and roast everything for 35 minutes. The anchovy will dissolve, don’t worry, you won’t know it’s there. If you’re super freaked, use 2 Tbsp. capers. Pull the pan, add the kale, garlic and toss everything around so some oil coats the kale. Pop it back in the oven for 10 minutes for the kale to wilt a bit. Pull and set aside. This can be done in advance and stored in the fridge.

While the vegetables roast, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta accordingly to al dente instructions - about 11 minutes. In another large mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta, lemon zest, Italian seasoning, pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper, cream, egg, 1/4 cup parmesan and half of the fontina. Whisk everything well to combine. Drain the pasta and add it to the cheese bowl. Stir to mix. Add the cauli and kale, plus the handfuls of baby kale, to the bowl and stir again.

Leave the heat on 425’. Grease a 2 qt. baking dish or 10-12” cast iron pan. Tip the pasta mixture in. Squeeze the lemon juice all over the top of the pasta. Sprinkle the remaining fontina and parm and some red pepper flakes on top. Loosely cover the dish with foil. Bake, covered, for 10 minutes, turn the heat up to 475’, uncover the dish, sprinkle the walnuts if using, and bake another 10ish minutes until the top is just bronzed and bubbly. Remove to cool slightly and sprinkle heaps of fresh herbs over the top.

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italian

Entrée

vegetarian, pasta, freezer meal, meal prep