buckwheat soba noodles with dandelion greens pesto /
over the past few weeks i've been experimenting more with buckwheat flour, baking with it alone, and also combining it with other flours. i've come to appreciate its curious taste and its grainy texture. therefore, when i went to pick out soba noodles i naturally went with the buckwheat ones. i debated whether to prepare them in a more traditional way and pair them ingredients i usually see: tofu, scallions, sesame seeds and oil, tamari, or in a yummy broth. i had my menu all planned out with a lot of the ingredients noted above. but i also wanted to see how the noodles would hold up in a traditionally italian dish, using a pesto sauce. i had been making note of the greens at my local farmer's market and had been seeing a lot dandelion greens. as we all know, there is an abundance of dandelion flowers in the spring (at least here in new york), so i thought it only natural to use what was in season and make dandelion greens pesto.
*i left cheese out of my pesto. however, pecorino-romano, or reggiano will work with the dandelion greens.
// dandelion greens pesto
1 package buchwheat soba noodles
1 bundle dandelion greens, stems removed and blanched
2 large cloves of garlic, chopped
1/3 cup unsalted raw pistachios, toasted (plus more for garnishing)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
sea salt + pepper
// for the salad
2-3 cups arugula
1 cup pea shoots
1/2 watercress (i had the pea shoots + watercress on hand, but you can use whatever greens you want, or just use more arugula)
1 tablespoon unsalted raw pistachios, toasted (likewise, you can also use roasted and salted pistachios)
2 tablespoons pesto vinaigrette
in a medium saucepan bring about 4 cups of water to a boil. while water is coming to a boil, prepare an ice bath. when water comes to a boil add the greens. blanch for 20 seconds. transfer the greens to the ice bath, let soak for a couple seconds. remove the greens while squeezing out water from them. let them dry on a kitchen towel
while the greens are drying, toast the pistachio nuts ( if you're using dry roasted pistachios, there is no need to toast them). let them cool
in a food processor or blender, combine the dandelion greens, chopped garlic, toasted pistachios, olive oil, lemon juice, crushed red pepper, and salt +pepper. blend, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. you may want to add more olive oil depending on how you prefer your pesto
transfer the pesto to a bowl. cover and let it sit in the refrigerator while you cook the soba noodles. cook the noodles according to the directions on the package, reserving about a 1/2 cup of the cooking water. drain the noodles. transfer to a large bowl. add about 1/2 the pesto and a 1/4 of the reserved water to the bowl and stir to combine. add more according to your preference. season with salt + pepper, and garnish with extra pistachios. you can leave the dish like this, or you can put it over greens
mix salad greens together in a separate bowl, toss with pistachios and pesto vinaigrette. add the soba noodles to the salad and enjoy
time for macaroons /
march is quickly becoming a busy month. i've been trying to keep to up with the various holidays, celebrations, and observances. last week was st. patty's day, this week passover begins, and next weekend is easter. i feel the urge to make something for each event because in some capacity or another my family celebrates each one. so, for passover, i decided to make macaroons. i chose to make 3 different kinds of macaroons. why make something more difficult than it has to be? because that's what i'm good at.
this is the first time i've made macaroons. i never really liked them until a few years ago when i developed a liking for coconut. here, i provide 3 different recipes; the first two are egg white based, and the last one is egg and nut free. the first recipe, coconut macaroons, were a little plain. so, i decided to dunk them in chocolate sauce...soo (extra o for emphasis) much better. the almond-coconut macaroons were pretty good; next time i might add more almonds, and a bit more almond extract. lastly, the chocolate macaroons. these are by far my favorite. i decided to dunk 5 of the 9 macaroons in chocolate because i had some leftover, and because chocolate-chocolate macaroons are naturally better than chocolate macaroons.
// coconut macaroons
adapted from elana's pantry
makes about 24
pre heat oven 350°
line a baking sheet with parchment
ingredients:
3 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
directions:
with an electric mixer, beat egg whites with salt until the whites form a peak - about 5-6 minutes
fold in agave, vanilla, and coconut with a spatula
using a tablespoon, scoop macaroon balls onto parchment paper leaving about 1 inch between each cookie
bake for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned
can be stored in an air tight container for about 3 days, or they can be frozen for up to one month
// almond-coconut macaroons
adapted from martha stewart
makes 16
pre heat oven 350°
line a baking sheet with parchment
ingredients:
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 large egg white
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup whole almonds, chopped
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
pinch of salt
directions:
in a large bowl, whisk agave and white. stir in the remaining ingredients
using a tablespoon measurement, scoop macaroon balls onto parchment paper leaving about 1 inch between each cookie
bake until top and bottoms are lightly browned, 15 minutes
can be stored in an air tight container for about 3 days, or they can be frozen for up to one month
// chocolate macaroons
adapted from against all grain
makes 9
pre heat oven 350°
line a baking sheet with parchment
ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon full fat coconut milk
in a medium sized bowl, combine coconut, cocoa powder, and salt
in a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. combine using a spatula, work the coconut oil into the mixture until smooth
add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. mix until combined
using a tablespoon, scoop macaroon balls onto parchment paper leaving about 1 inch between each cookie
bake for 10 minutes - allow to cool before removing from baking sheet
can be stored in an air tight container for about 3 days, or they can be frozen for up to one month
// chocolate sauce
1/2 cup dark chocolate (either chips or a bar)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
directions:
set a heat proof bowl over simmering water
add the chocolate and coconut oil
use a spoon or whisk to stir until melted
remove from heat and dunk the bottoms, tops, or sides of macaroons
with help from a spoon or spatula, lift the macaroon out of the chocolate sauce
place macaroons on a parchment lined baking sheet or platter. when all the macaroons are dipped, place in the refrigerator for an hour or so
serve at room temp and enjoy (*if you're freezing them, seal in an air tight container. set on counter and thaw a couple hours before serving.)