Eating D2E: 18 Easy Recipes to Help Green Your Plate

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^{[Didi Emmons is way excited to share her slaw -- which is good, 'cuz it rocks]}

As you may recall, I promised you all D:2:E recipes … and I’m not one to make idle threats. So here it is: a semi-sprawling gastronomic crawl through D:2:E, Boston’s latest symposium on sustainable living. Two of these recipes (the Broiled Channel-farmed Catfish with Red Curry Sauce and the Haley House Ginger Slaw) actually got live demos at D:2:E; the rest I scooped up from exhibitors‘ booths or their websites.

What’s so sustainable about these dishes? Emphasis on local (and seasonal) produce, fair-trade ingredients, and responsibly fished seafood. Of course, when you’re talking about sustainability, the prevalence of brand names can be a little off-putting. So I tried to choose recipes that lend themselves to more, um, open-source culinary solutions, or transcend brands entirely. (Bonus: They’re all extremely easy to make.)

OK, enough philosophizing — let’s get to the vittles!

APPETIZERS/SIDES
Spring Leek and Asparagus Tart with Goat Cheese
Braised Spinach with Thai Flavors
Roasted Sweet Potato with Rosemary
Heirloom Tomato Slaw
Haley House Ginger Slaw

ENTREES
Some Enchanted Pizza
Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Collard, Pear and Caramelized Onion Casserole
Broiled Salmon with Dijon Sauce
Broiled Channel-farmed Catfish with Red Curry Sauce

DESSERTS
Hazelnut Coffee Brownies
Honey and Lemon Tea Cakes
Peach Crisp
Butterscotch Bananas Foster
Chocolate Hazelnut Empanadas

DRINKS
Frozen Chocolate Moo
Thomas’s Thai Iced Coffee
Green Princess

APPETIZERS/SIDES

Spring Leek and Asparagus Tart with Goat Cheese (source: Edible Boston)

Makes 1 tart.

1 tart shell, par-baked
1 bunch of asparagus, woody stems trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon butter
2 thin leeks, washed and trimmed to white parts only, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
2 teaspoons thyme, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoons garlic, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled into pieces
1 tablespoons chives, chopped

Pre-heat the oven to 350º F.
Blanch the asparagus. Drain on a dishtowel and reserve 1/2 cup of the asparagus tips.
Puree the remaining asparagus in a food processor or blender until smooth. If the asparagus is still chunky, add a little of the heavy cream, maybe 2 tablespoon to get an even puree.
Transfer the puree to a bowl and set aside.
Heat a small sauté pan on medium heat and add the butter.
Once the butter is melted, add the leeks. Sweat the leeks for 2 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the thyme and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. The leeks should be soft but not browned. Season with salt and pepper.
In a medium bowl combine the eggs, heavy cream, grated Parmesan and garlic, and whisk to combine. Add 1 cup of the asparagus puree and season with salt and pepper to taste. (You may want to add more puree later or save it for soup.)
In the par-baked tart shell, layer the leeks on the bottom and then sprinkle the asparagus tips, goat cheese and chopped chives over the leeks. Slowly pour the asparagus custard base over the tart, making sure to disperse it evenly. Fill to the top of the crust; you may not use the entire custard base. Place the tart on a sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the tart in your oven and continue baking for 10-15 minutes. The center of the tart will puff when it is baked through.
Remove the tart from the oven and cool on a baking rack.
When it has cooled, remove the outer ring and transfer to a cutting board. Cut the tart into 8-12 slices and transfer to a serving platter of individual plates.

—

Braised Spinach with Thai Flavors (source: Harvest Co-op)

Makes 4 servings.

“[T]his dish will work perfectly alongside a piece of roasted salmon or halibut, sauteed turkey cutlets or medallions of pork tenderloin.”

2 tablespoons neutral oil (suggested: grapeseed or canola — don’t use olive oil!)
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoons ginger, fresh grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or mashed
1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and sliced into very fine julienne strips
8 cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped and stems trimmed
4 scallions, white and green parts, slivered or sliced thin
salt to taste
lots of freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a deep skillet and sautee ginger and garlic until just fragrant (about 30 seconds).
Add coconut milk and jalapeño; cook for another 5-7 minutes or until just starting to thicken slightly.
Add washed, chopped spinach (don’t blot off any water clinging to spinach) and toss until spinach is coated with sauce mixture. Sprinkle with salt.
Cook, covered, for another 3-5 minutes or until spinach is wilted and brilliantly green.
Toss with slivered scallions and serve.

—

Roasted Sweet Potato with Rosemary (source: The Frugal Yankee)

^{[image courtesy The Frugal Yankee]}

Makes 4 servings.

1 pound sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Heat oven to 425º F.
Cut the sweet potatoes into thick sticks (you can also cut them in medallions).
Toss with the rosemary, oil, salt and pepper.
Spread in one layer on a large baking sheet.
Roast for about 15 minutes (longer if you want them well done), shaking the pan and stirring occasionally. Eat them hot or cold.

—

Heirloom Tomato Slaw (source: Appalachian Naturals)

Makes 8 servings.

12 cups purple cabbage, finely shredded
10 green onions, thinly sliced
12 ounces diced heirloom tomatoes
12 ounces Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette*

Shred purple cabbage using a very sharp chef’s knife or by running it through a food processor using the grating disk.
Rinse cabbage thoroughly until water no longer runs purple, drain well.
In a large mixing bowl, toss cabbage, green onions, and tomatoes until thoroughly blended.
Slowly add Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette to slaw, tossing frequently. Add enough vinaigrette to thoroughly coat slaw.
Cover and refrigerate for 3-6 hours. Toss before serving.

*To make your own cilantro lime dressing, here are recipes from Chowhound and Eating Well.

—

Haley House Ginger Slaw (source: Didi Emmons, of Veggie Planet and Haley House)

Makes 4-6 servings.

“Low in fat and practically addictive, this is my favorite way to get a good dose of raw veggies. I make a double batch of the dressing and use it in any salad or drizzled on steamed greens. It keeps for 1 month.” –Didi Emmons

Dressing

4 inches of fresh ginger (one continuous piece — if measuring by weight, 4 ounces.)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons white sugar or agave nectar (sweetener needs to be able to dissolve easily)
1 cup white vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh chilis or hot sauce (suggestion: sriracha) to taste

Slaw veggies

3 carrots, grated
1/2 head red cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced (or 6 scallions, chopped)
1/2 head Napa or Chinese cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 cup currants or raisins
1 cup slaw dressing

To make the dressing:

Wash the ginger well with a scrub brush and warm water, cutting off any knobby spots.
Chop the ginger into 1/2-inch pieces.
Place in food processor and mince or continue chopping until it is minced.
In a bowl, combine this mixture and the remaining ingredients; whisk well. (Dressing keeps well for 4 weeks refrigerated in an air-tight container.)

To make the slaw:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss well.

Note from Didi Emmons: Dozens of veggies can be used instead of those above. Try: Chopped tomatoes, grated raw beets, raw green beans, raw chopped broccoli, sliced cucumbers, sliced apples, fresh corn (raw or blanched), raw celery, raw bok choy, thinly sliced raw zuchini or summer squash, spinach, and all sorts of lettuces — including radicchio, watercress and arugula. (Whew! –Ed.)

—

ENTREES

Some Enchanted Pizza (source: Trader Joe’s)

^{[image courtesy Trader Joe's]}

Makes 4 individual pizzas.

1 package frozen Tandoori Naan* (regular or garlic flavor)
1 jar vegetable tapenade*
1 package chevre
fresh cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 400º F.
Place frozen naan on cookie sheets and warm in oven for 5-10 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread a thin layer of chevre on each naan. Next, spread a light layer of tapenade over the chevre. Sprinkle with cilantro.
Place back in oven for 5-10 more minutes, or until chevre is softened and pizza is hot. Cut into finger-friendly slices and enjoy.

*If you want to make your own naan, here’s a video recipe from Manjula’s Kitchen; for a simple tapenade recipe, check out this one from About.com.

—

Baked Macaroni & Cheese (source: Cabot Cheese)

^{[image courtesy Cabot Cheese]}

Makes 6 servings.

2 1/2 cups (12 ounces) dry macaroni or other small pasta shape
3 cups milk
5 tablespoons salted butter
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs (about 2 slices firm white bread)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
several dashes Tabasco sauce
4 cups (about 12 ounces) extra-sharp cheddar, grated

Preheat oven to 350º F.
Butter 2-quart baking dish or coat with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente (slightly underdone), 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat milk in saucepan to just below simmer.
In another saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Pour 1 tablespoon of butter into small bowl, add bread crumbs and toss together; set aside.
Add flour to remaining butter in saucepan and whisk over heat for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in hot milk and continue stirring until mixture thickens and comes to simmer. Whisk in salt, nutmeg, Tabasco and 2 cups of cheese.
Drain pasta thoroughly in colander. Return to pot, add cheese sauce and mix together thoroughly.
Spread one-third of pasta mixture over bottom of prepared baking dish. Scatter one-third of remaining cheese on top. Spoon another one-third of pasta on top and add another one-third of cheese. Top with remaining pasta, then remaining cheese. Sprinkle with reserved bread crumbs.
Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

—

Collard, Pear and Caramelized Onion Casserole (source: Mass Farmers Markets)

^{[image courtesy Mass Farmers Markets]}

Makes 6 servings.

1 pound collard greens, stems removed, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 pound Spanish or yellow onions, peeled, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 pound ripe pears, cores removed, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 cups smoked gouda, shredded
sea salt or kosher salt to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté onions in olive oil with 1/4 teaspoon salt until caramelized, about 20 minutes. When soft, sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and let cool.
In a large pot, cook collard greens, covered, in 1/2 cup water until soft, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
In a small saucepan, combine apple cider or juice with dried cherries and simmer over low heat until cherries are plump. Set aside to cool.
In a bowl, mix well together onions, pears, collard greens, cherries with juice, apple cider vinegar, coriander and 1 1/4 cups of the cheese. Season with salt to taste.
Transfer the mixture to an oiled 6-cup casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.
Bake at 350º F for about 45 minutes until the pears are soft.

—

Broiled Salmon with Dijon Sauce (source: Appalachian Naturals)

^{[images courtesy Appalachian Naturals]}

Makes 4 servings.

1 1/2 pounds 1-inch-thick filet of wild-caught Alaskan salmon (skin on or off)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
6 ounces Wildflower Honey Dijon dressing*
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat broiler for 15 minutes. Adjust the rack so that it is about 2 inches from the heat source.
Lightly oil a baking sheet, add salmon (skin side down). Brush fish lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic.
Broil fish for about 6 minutes, then check for doneness. cook longer if necessary.
Remove from oven, divide up into 4 portions on dinner plates, sprinkle with lemon, parsley, and a light drizzle of Honey Dijon. Serve immediately.

If you’d like to make your own honey dijon, here’s a recipe from What’s Cooking America.

—

Broiled Channel-farmed Catfish with Red Curry Sauce (source: New England Aquarium)

“Farmed channel catfish are primarily raised in large, man-made ponds … Harvesting with a large mesh seine net allows capture of only market size fish and enables year-round production. Farmed catfish are fed a mainly vegetarian diet, with extremely low levels of fishmeal, which results in very few wild fish being used for feed.”

Makes 4 servings.

4 6-ounce catfish fillets
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup red pepper, finely chopped
1 cup green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoons salt
16 ounces coconut milk
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons green onions, sliced for garnish
3 cups hot cooked basmati rice
cooking spray

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add ginger and garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add pepper and green onions. Stir in curry powder, curry paste and cumin; cook 1 minute.
Add soy sauce, brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and coconut milk; bring to a simmer.
Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.
Preheat oven to broil.
Brush fish with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Place catfish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Broil 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Serve fish over rice and top with sauce. Garnish with scallions.

—

DESSERTS

Hazelnut Coffee Brownies (source: Equal Exchange)

Makes 24 brownies.

3/4 cup (175 ml) organic baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (125 ml) strong hazelnut coffee, boiling
2/3 cup (150 ml) butter, melted and divided
2 cups (500 ml) sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups (325 ml) flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3.5 ounces (100 g) chocolate, finely chopped)
3/4 cup (175 ml) hazelnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)

Combine cocoa and baking soda in a medium bowl.
Add coffee and half of melted butter. Stir until mixture thickens.
Add sugar, remaining melted butter and eggs. Stir until smooth.
Add flour, vanilla, salt. Blend completely.
Stir in chopped chocolate and hazelnuts (if using).
Pour into greased 9 x 13-inch (3.5 L) baking pan.
Bake in preheated oven at 350º F for 35-40 minutes.

—

Honey and Lemon Tea Cakes (source: Edible Boston)

^{[image courtesy Edible Boston]}

Makes 6 cakes.

2 large eggs
3/4 cup (minus 1 teaspoon) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 cup (minus 2 teaspoons) confectioner’s sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
1 tsp baking powder
sliced blanched almonds
raspberries, fresh or frozen (3-4 per cake)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Sift all dry ingredients separately: flour, confectioner’s sugar, almond flour and baking powder.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, put the confectioner’s sugar with the butter and whip until you obtain a white cream. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing well between each. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and honey, and mix until absorbed.
In another bowl, pour the flour, baking powder and almond flour. Mix together and add to the previous batter. Mix together, but at this point, do not overwork the batter. It should be thick and creamy.
Grease small molds (muffin type, silicone if you have them) and fill 3/4 full with the batter. Place a few raspberries on top and gently press them down. Add a few sliced almonds on top.
Place the cakes in the oven and cook for 10 min, then reduce the oven temperature to 350º F and continue to cook for 10-12 minutes. Check that they are golden in color and remove.
Wait for a few minutes before removing from the molds. Let cool on a cooling rack. Serve with a nice cup of tea or coffee.

—

Peach Crisp (source: Shootflying Hill Sauce Co)

Makes 6-8 servings.

2/3 cup oats
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (plus butter to grease pan)
2 jars Peach Bourbon Dessert Sauce*

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Create the crisp topping by combining oats, flour, brown sugar, toasted chopped pecans, pinch of salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl.
Using a fork or your fingers, cut 6 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter into the topping mixture. Set the bowl aside.
Generously butter a 9-inch glass pie pan.
Pour Peach Bourbon Dessert Sauce into the pie pan, and sprinkle it with the topping.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the topping is brown and the sauce is bubbling at the edges. Enjoy warm with a scoop of ice cream. The crisp is even better a day later!

*If you want to make your own peach sauce, here’s a recipe from About.com.

—

Butterscotch Bananas Foster (source: Shootflying Hill Sauce Co)

Makes 2 servings.

1 banana
1 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons of Salty Butterscotch Dessert Sauce*
roasted nuts (optional)

Cut a banana in half, and then cut each half in thirds. Saute the banana pieces in butter butter until soft and lightly browned.
Add Salty Butterscotch Dessert Sauce to the pan and cook until bubbly.
Immediately spoon warm bananas and sauce over gelato, frozen yogurt or ice cream.
If desired, top each serving with roasted nuts.

*If you want to make your own butterscotch sauce, here’s a recipe from the Washington Post.

—

Chocolate Hazelnut Empanadas (source: Shootflying Hill Sauce Co)

^{[image courtesy Shootflying Hill and Edible Boston]}

Makes 8 empanadas.

1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup hazelnuts
1 sheet puff pastry
8 tablespoons Shootflying Hill chocolate dessert sauce*

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Grease a baking sheet or cover it with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, make an egg wash by beating one egg with a tablespoon of water. Set aside.
Coarsely chop hazelnuts and toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant. Set aside.
Roll out a sheet of puff pastry until it is 1/8 inch thick. Cut it into 8 4-inch squares.
Place 1 tablespoon of cold dessert sauce near the bottom corner of each square. Sprinkle it with hazelnuts.
Brush egg wash onto the edges of the square. Then fold one corner over to the opposite corner to form a triangle. Push all the air out and seal the edges with the tines of a fork.
Brush empanadas with egg wash and sprinkle them with sugar.
Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

*If you want to make your own chocolate dessert sauce, here’s a recipe from Wolfgang Puck.

—

DRINKS

Frozen Chocolate Moo (source: Shootflying Hill Sauce Co)

Makes 2 16-ounce servings.

1/3 cup Shootflying Hill chocolate dessert sauce*
1-1/2 cup fat free vanilla frozen yogurt
1-1/2 cup skim milk

In a blender, combine dessert sauce, frozen yogurt and milk.
Blend until smooth.

*If you want to make your own chocolate dessert sauce, here’s a recipe from Wolfgang Puck.

—

Thomas’s Thai Iced Coffee (source: Equal Exchange)

^{[image courtesy Equal Exchange]}

Makes 1 16-ounce serving.

“About 10 years ago I was a barista at this fantastic nonprofit coffeehouse called David’s Place in San Diego. This is where I was introduced to Thai Iced Coffee. In my years of East Coast barista experience, I had never encountered it. I am not an iced coffee, flavored coffee, iced mocha… etc. drinker. Black coffee. Single espresso. That’s what I like. But here is a drink that is sweetened and milky and still tastes like coffee. Plus, it’s absolutely addicting.” –Thomas Lussier, lead roaster at Equal Exchange

2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
espresso/double-brewed coffee
ice
cream/half and half

Pour sweetened condensed milk into a 16-ounce glass.
Add 2 shots of espresso/double-brewed coffee.
Stir until mixed.
Add some ice and stir until espresso mixture has cooled, then add more ice.
Top off with cream or half and half.

—

Green Princess (source: Vodka 360)

1 1/2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce dry vermouth
1/4 ounce Green Chartreuse
1 lemon peel

Shake liquids with cracked ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with lemon.

Posted by shaula on April 14th, 2008