Recipe: Adventures with vegetable paste (stuffed peppers and fish rolls)
I got a big bag of broccoli raab at the Farmer's Market on Saturday (3/4 lb, which is more than you'd think) and some gorgeous poblano peppers.
Stuffed Peppers:
I wanted to make chili renellos but ran out of time, so made baked peppers instead.
First, I made the stuffing. In to the food processor went:
The broccoli raab
1 hot pepper
1 package extra firm tofu
3 carrots
1 eggplant
1 quart of so of crimimi mushrooms
Water as needed
Salt and pepper
It was mostly a puree, but one batch of raab got left coarse for some texture. It was good with a strong pea taste. I put a bit of olive oil in a pan and gently sauteed the puree to remove excess water.
I added about 1/2 cup pine nuts.
I stuffed the poblano peppers with this mixture and put them in a baking pan with some olive oil on the bottom, then baked at 400*F or so until they browned slightly on one side, then I turned them and softened the other side.
This came out good but a bit dense. I think it would have been yummy with the addition of a grain (rice, quinoa) or something else to lighten it up.
Fish Rolls:
I had a ton of leftover paste so I used it again last night, Monday. We had bought a bunch of dover sole fillets at Costco so I rinsed them and set them on a plate with paper towels to dry a bit (I didn't worry about some water). I used a clean spoon to put the paste in a working bowl (as not to contaminate the paste with raw fish).
I took each fillet (these are quite thin, 1/4 to 1/2 inch, and not very big; I cut one in half) and put a tablespoon or so of paste on one end, rolled it over, added another 1/2 tablespoon, and continued rolling as tight as I could. Then I coated each side of the fish with some olive oil in a pan and put a toothpick in the fish to secure it (don't skip the toothpick!).
The fish got baked at 350*F to 400*F in a single layer. My intention was to put a sear on one side like I had with the peppers, but they released a ton of water, going up an inch of more in the pan, and I ended up with poached fish, which was delicious.
The rolls fell apart slightly when they were moved, but not when they were cooked. They did better after a few minutes out of the oven.
I served them with roasted asparagus and they were really really good. Even better cold the next day. Watch out for toothpicks!
Now I just have to figure out what to do with the rest of that vegetable paste. Man, I made a lot.
Stuffed Peppers:
I wanted to make chili renellos but ran out of time, so made baked peppers instead.
First, I made the stuffing. In to the food processor went:
The broccoli raab
1 hot pepper
1 package extra firm tofu
3 carrots
1 eggplant
1 quart of so of crimimi mushrooms
Water as needed
Salt and pepper
It was mostly a puree, but one batch of raab got left coarse for some texture. It was good with a strong pea taste. I put a bit of olive oil in a pan and gently sauteed the puree to remove excess water.
I added about 1/2 cup pine nuts.
I stuffed the poblano peppers with this mixture and put them in a baking pan with some olive oil on the bottom, then baked at 400*F or so until they browned slightly on one side, then I turned them and softened the other side.
This came out good but a bit dense. I think it would have been yummy with the addition of a grain (rice, quinoa) or something else to lighten it up.
Fish Rolls:
I had a ton of leftover paste so I used it again last night, Monday. We had bought a bunch of dover sole fillets at Costco so I rinsed them and set them on a plate with paper towels to dry a bit (I didn't worry about some water). I used a clean spoon to put the paste in a working bowl (as not to contaminate the paste with raw fish).
I took each fillet (these are quite thin, 1/4 to 1/2 inch, and not very big; I cut one in half) and put a tablespoon or so of paste on one end, rolled it over, added another 1/2 tablespoon, and continued rolling as tight as I could. Then I coated each side of the fish with some olive oil in a pan and put a toothpick in the fish to secure it (don't skip the toothpick!).
The fish got baked at 350*F to 400*F in a single layer. My intention was to put a sear on one side like I had with the peppers, but they released a ton of water, going up an inch of more in the pan, and I ended up with poached fish, which was delicious.
The rolls fell apart slightly when they were moved, but not when they were cooked. They did better after a few minutes out of the oven.
I served them with roasted asparagus and they were really really good. Even better cold the next day. Watch out for toothpicks!
Now I just have to figure out what to do with the rest of that vegetable paste. Man, I made a lot.