Terry Hope Romero

Testers: Currently I don’t have an illustration for the filo, so just follow the instructions. 

Moroccan Vegetable Filo Pie (Bisteeya)

Serves 6 to 8

 

Bisteeya (or Bastilla or Pastilla) is a glorious show-off filo pastry, a large round pie made of layers of filo and toasted almonds that encase a creamy and hearty filling that’s both savory and a little bit sweet. It’s often really huge and baked in enormass pans, but for our purposes a springform pan does a nice job at containing the pie to a generously sized treat for a cozy dinner. It’s a dish best reserved for holidays and gatherings or anywhere you’ll have a crowd ready for an unexpected surprise. Bisteeya pie is traditionally stuffed with pigeon, but we’ll use the internationally accepted vegan substitute for the dear bird: combination of cauliflower and chickpeas. Many eggs are traditionally used to bind the pie, but instead a creamy blend of tofu and almond milk steps up to do the job. A touch of saffron gives the filling a golden glow, and the top is dusted with an unexpected flourish of powdered sugar and cinnamon for a play on sweet and savory flavors.

 

Make bisteeya when you have a few hours set aside. It’s also possible to spread the construction of the ingredients over a day or two, or have a friend come over and help you out with the preperation of the vegetables and layering of the filo. You can assemble the whole pie and keep it chilled for about 4 hours prior to baking, which is helpful since bisteeya should be relished warm out of the oven.

 

Note: Follow the filo handlling advice for baklava on page XX.

 

Creamy sauce

1 cup plain almond milk

6 ounces silken tofu (1/2 box of Mori Nu shelf-stable tofu)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons lemon juice

 

Saffron Vegetables

1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 1/2 inch cube fresh ginger, peeled and minced

2 1/2 cups finely diced cauliflower

One 14 ounce can chickpeas (2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed

1 cup vegetable broth

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon*

1 teaspoon ground black pepper*

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger*

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper*

Big pinch saffron threads, crumbled

*If you have the baharat spice blend (purchased or homemade, page XX), omit these and use 1 tablespoon of baharat instead

1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs, plus a little extra if needed

 

Ground almonds

1 2/3 cups blanched, sliced almonds

1/4 cup powdered sugar

 

Filo Dough and Topping

8, 13” x 18”, sheets of filo dough, defrosted

8 tablespoons vegan margarine, melted

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

1. Make the creamy sauce first: pulse the almond milk, tofu, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a blender until smooth and set aside.

 

2. Now saute the vegetable: in a deep 12 inch skillet over medium heat saute together the onion and olive oil until the onion is tender and translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger, saute for 1 minute, then stir in the cauliflower. Saute for 4 minutes, then stir in the chickpeas, vegetable broth, salt, cinnamon, black pepper, ground ginger, cayenne, and saffron. Increase heat to medium heat and bring to an active simmer. Stir, partially cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Uncover the pan and continue to simmer for another 4 to 6 minutes or until most of the vegetable broth has been absorbed.

 

3. Stir in the creamy sauce. Continue to stir and cook the mixture for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Sprinkle in the breadcrumbs, parsley, and cilantro and fold into the filling. The filling should have the consistency of a soft stuffing and not be too wet. If the filling is very wet, sprinkle in 2 to 3 additional tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Turn off the heat and transfer the skillet to a cold burner to cool off.

 

4. Make the ground almond: in a small skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds until pale golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. Set aside 2 tablespoons of almonds for topping the bisteeya. Transfer the remaining almonds to a food processor, add the powdered sugar and pulse into coarse crumbs.

 

5. Get ready to assemble the bisteeya! Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and have ready a 9 1/2 inch springform pan and small baking sheet to put underneath the pan. Melt the margarine and combine with the olive oil, and have handy a pastry brush. Prepare the filo dough as instructed for baklava on page XX, but don’t trim the filo to the round shape of the springform pan. Instead, trim the sheets to large 13 x 9 inch rectangle (the size of about half of a average sized phyllo sheet).

 

6. Assemble the bisteeya: brush the insides of the springform pan lightly with the oil mixture. Lay a sheet of filo in the center of the pan and press the long ends up the sides of the pan, overhanging the edges over the edge of the pan. Brush the top with a little margarine mixture. Now take another filo sheet, turn it 90 degrees and lay it perpendicular to the sheet underneath it; press the longs ends up the sides of the pan and overhang the edges over the edge of the pan. Brush with with margarine, then repeat layering the filo pastry, turning each new layer 90 degrees until the entire insides of the pan have filo encasing them (see illustration below). Use 10 trimmed sheets of filo dough to line the pan. If at any point you run out of margarine while brushing the filo, melt a little extra or continue brushing with just olive oil.

 

7. Sprinkle half of the almond crumbs in the bottom of the pan on top of the filo. Scoop the filling on top of the almonds, spreading it all the way to the edges. Sprinkle the remaining half of the almond mixture on top of the filling.

 

8. Layer another 6 sheets of filo on top of the filling, turning each sheet another 90 degrees before layering on top of the bottom one. Brush each layer with a little margarine. Now fold the overhanging edges of filo toward the center of the pie; this doesn’t have to look overly neat, as this will be the eventually be the bottom of the pie. Brush with any remaining margarine, and place the pan on top of the baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the filo is golden brown and crisp.

 

9. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Place a large serving dish on top of the pie, slide an oven mitt underneath the pie and flip it over onto the serving dish. Remove the ring and the bottom from the springform pan. Dust the top of the pie with powdered sugar, then cinnamon, then lastly scatter the reserved 2 tablespoons of toasted almonds on top. To serve, slice the hot pie with a sharp serrated knife.

Mexican Dried Chile Tomatillo Salsa

makes about 2 1/2 cups salsa

 

A dark red smoky salsa to serve with any Mexican creation; tacos, rice and beans or anything you can dream up. Depending on the variety of chiles used it can be just barely piquant to tongue-blistering, so head my advice regarding your selection of chiles. A good beginner-level version of this salsa should use only Ancho chiles for a slightly spicy deep red salsa with hints of wood smoke and berries. Toasting and plumping the chiles in boiling water removes any bitterness, and roasting the tomatillos enhances their tart flavor.

If tomatillos are in short supply in your world, substitute green regular tomatoes, or look for canned tomatillos anywhere Mexican groceries are sold. If using canned tomatillos, skip the broiling step and add them (along with the juices) directly into the blender along with the rest of the ingredients.

 

Chile tip: Large, soft ancho, guajillo, or pasilla chiles are deep red chiles with varying degrees of mild heat that make a good beginner’s salsa. If you crave more heat sneak in some small, bright red dried chile de arbol or small but deadly piquin chiles or long, glossy costeño chiles. Look for an assortment of dried chiles sold in plastic bags in Mexican groceries.

 

3 ounces dried Mexican chile peppers (see note for suggestion of combination of peppers), either one kind or a combination

1 pound tomatillos, papery husk removed

1 small red or white onion, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon lime juice

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon sugar or ½ teaspoon agave nectar

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

 

1. In a large sauce pan bring 1 quart of water to boil. Have ready a medium sized glass or metal heat-resistant bowl. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. While skilled is heating slice open dried chiles, remove stems and seeds and open chilies so that they can be easily flattened when pressed with a spatula. Place chilies in heated skillet, and toast them for about a minute, pressing and frequently flipping over the chiles. Watch carefully to prevent chilies from burning. Remove skillet from heat and place chilies in a heat resistant bowl. Pour boiling water over chilies and set aside for 10 minutes, allowing chilies to soften. Drain water from chilies.

 

2. Preheat the oven broiler to high and get ready a 10 to 12 inch cast iron skillet. In a mixing bowl cover the tomatillos with hot water and slosh around to remove the soapy residue on the skins. Drain, pat tomatillos dry, and arrange in the skillet. Broil for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the skins of the tomatillos have turned a dull green, are charred in places and the skins have begun to split open. Turn off the oven, remove from heat, and set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the roasted tomatillos to a blender or food processor. Add the drained chiles and remaining ingredients. Puree into a thick salsa, but don’t make it too smooth, and leave a little bit of chunky texture.

 

3. Store in a tightly covered container in the fridge; the flavor will develop as it cools. Use within 2 weeks.

Tom Yum Noodle Soup

Serves 4

 

Lemongrass tips:

 

An essential element in Southeat Asian cuisine, fresh lemongrass are long, narrow pale yellow-green stalks with a woody core an a refreshing sweet citrus aroma. Fresh lemongrass will have firm, tightly bound leaves, but even slightly drier lemongrass is still usable.

 

Lemongrass can be used two ways; either the long stems steeped in simmering broth and discared before serving, or the inner core of the stalks sliced paper thin and consumed (the third is pureeing into curry pastes, where the texture no long matter so much). The texture of lemongrass can be very fiberous, and in the case of soup you may prefer to simmer whole stalks and discard if you don’t want all that fiber. 

 

If using the whole stalks, pound the stalks with the dull edge of a chef’s knife before adding to a soup, to help the flavors diffuse into the broth. If you prefer to just leave it in there, use only the inner most core of very fresh lemongrass, as those leaves are usually very tender and discard any dry outer leaves.

 

To slice lemongrass, steady a stalk on a heavy wooden cutting board and using a very sharp heavy chef’s knife, cut off the bottom 1/4 inch from the stem and trim about 3 or 4 inches from the top. Holding the stalk firmly on a cutting board slice as thin as possible, 1/8 inch or thinner if you can. You’ll have a little pile of fine circles; if desired pull them apart with your fingers.

 

Fresh lemongrass will eventually dry out sitting in the vegetable bin and it’s long shape can make it awkward to wrap and store, so I prefer to chop and freeze lemongrass whenever I purchase a bundle. I usually prepare 6 or more stems at a time, slicing as thin as possible and gently fluffing up the slices. Pack sliced lemongrass into a small zip top plastic bag and squeeze out any air. Keep frozen until ready to use. Don’t thaw the lemongrass, just add directly to a soup or curry paste. 

 

Tom yum soup, that always popular hot and sour Thai soup, is surprisingly easy to make at home with a combination of authentic Thai ingredients and a few substitutions. While it may not taste exactly like your favorite restaurant’s soup, it will satisfy cravings, or it might taste even better! The light broth bursting with the fresh flavors of lime, hot chiles, lemongrass with a touch of sweetness when combined with pad thai rice noodles makes this a whole meal, but you can of course omit the noodles if you prefer a standard light and brothy soup. You’ll come back to this soup again and again, especially if your sinuses need relief from mid-winter chills.

The amount of fresh hot red chiles in this soup is entirely up to your heat tolerance. If you’re a chile champion, go for the maximum amount; if a hot food novice, start with 1 chile, simmer the broth and before adding the tomatoes taste and add another chile or two if you’re feeling up to it.

 

Tip: For best results use a small, thin-skinned organic lime for this soup if you can’t find kaffir lime leaves. To peel the lime, slice into quarters and use your fingers to separate the peel from the pulp. Squeeze the remaining lime pulp and use the juice for the broth.

 

4 ounces pad Thai rice sticks (half of an 8 ounce package)

1 stalk lemongrass or 3 tablespoons prepared lemongrass (see page XX)

5 teaspoons peanut, coconut, or vegetable oil

2 large shallots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rings

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups vegetable broth, preferably vegetarian chicken flavored

1 1/2 inch long piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into matchsticks (see page XX)

2 to 6 fresh red hot chiles (serrano or Thai), stem removed and sliced into paper thin slices

4 kaffir lime leaves or the peel from one lime, cut into 1 inch wide strips

4 dried shiitaki mushrooms

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons Thai thin soy sauce

2 cups (about 4 ounces) thinly sliced fresh mushrooms

½ pound red ripe tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, stems removed and diced into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup lime juice

8 baby corn (from jar or canned), drained and sliced in half lengthwise

Optional: 4 ounces fried tofu or 1/2 recipe Pressed Baked Tofu, sliced into 1/2 thin pieces

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

 

1. Bring a pot filled with 2 quarts of water to boil, stir in the noodles and simmer for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water, place noodles in a bowl, cover with 1 inch of cold water and set aside. If using a whole, fresh stalk of lemongrass see page XX for tips on preparing lemongrass (don’t bother if you’re using minced prepared lemongrass). In a large 3 quart soup pot saute the shallot and garlic in the oil over medium heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the broth, then add the lemongrass, ginger, chiles, lime leaves or peel, shiitaki mushrooms, brown sugar, and Thai soy sauce. Increase heat and bring mixture to an active simmer, then reduce the heat. Add the mushrooms. Partially cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the kaffir leave or lime peel, and any large stalks of lemongrass if you used a whole stalk.

 

2. Stir in tomatoes, lime juice, baby corn, and tofu if using and simmer, partially covered, for 5 minutes. Taste the soup and if you desire add an extra dash of lime juice or a teaspoon of brown sugar for a more sour or sweeter broth. Turn off the heat and divide the noodles among 4 large 1 quart serving bowls. Ladle the soup over the noodles, making sure to include tomatoes, tofu, and corn in each serving. Garnish each serving with cilantro and serve immediately.

 

Tom Som Soup: Of course you can serve this as a soup without the noodles, a perfect starter for a Thai feast or just a comforting soup when you’re recovering from a cold. For just those under the weather occasions, I like to leave out the corn and tofu for a lighter, brothy soup.

 

Steamed Sticky Rice

Serves 3 to 4

 

Sticky rice follows it’s own rules: it needs to be soaked prior to cooking, and it’s truly steamed (not boiled or simmered), but the results are well worth it. If you love South East Asian food there’s no replacing these slightly sweet, chewy morsels of sticky rice.

There are multiple traditional utensils for steaming rice, most notably a funky Thai woven straw basket and tall spitoon-shaped pot combination. While interesting to look at, this set up will overwhelm your kitchen if it’s short on storage space. Other methods for steaming rice include wrapping it or placing on top of cheesecloth, but if you’re not psyched about picking bits of sticky rice off of cloth then I recommend avoiding this method too. If you have a traditional stacked bamboo steamer use that (and layer the rice on parchment paper) or a rice cooker with build in steamer by all means use it, but my method of choice avoids all of that in favor of using kitchen equipment you may already have and probably use for dozens of other things anyway, so there’s no need to purchase any special equipment. This set up isn’t as pretty as a Thai basket, but it will get the job done.

 

The no-frills method I prefer is to steam sticky rice in a large fine mesh metal sieve that will fit comfortably (if not exactly) on top of a pot. I use a 7 1/2 inch wide sieve fitted on top of a 2 quart pot; when the sieve is on top of the pot partially filled with boiling water, I place a lid over the sieve. The fit of the lid and sieve is not exactly tight, but it’s sturdy enough to keep the steam in for about 20 minutes and keep the rice at least 3 inches away from the water, which is all that’s needed for perfectly steamed rice. You may already have a sieve and pot just like this, but if you don’t this set up will set you back less than $20 and both the pot and the sieve can be used to prepare hundreds of other dishes. You’ll find that removing the rice and any stray grains from the metal mesh is far easier on the rice (and your sanity) than picking it off a wicker basket or cheesecloth too.

 

1 cup white short grain sticky rice (sometimes called sweet rice)

 

1. Place the rice in a mixing bowl, cover with 2 inches of cold water and stir a few times with a chopstick. The water will look cloudy; carefully drain the water off and repeat this rinsing and draining several times or until the water looks almost clear (about 3 to 4 times). Cover with another 4 inches of water and set aside to soak for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Depending on the age of the rice, 2 hours may be enough time; rice will be ready to steam when an uncooked grain crumbles easily when bitten into. You can also put the rice to soak before leaving for work, and it will be more than ready when you come home.

2. Drain the rice into a fine mesh metal sieve. Fill a 2 quart pot with 3 inches of water, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Fit the sieve on top of the pot, cover the sieve with the lid for the pot and steam the rice for 20 to 22 minutes. The rice is done when the grain look translucent, and completely tender (no crunchy cores), and are sticky and chewy.

3. Serve hot rice immediately. Keep warm on the table by storing in a tightly covered container. Sticky rice should be eaten as hot as possible as it will turn rubbery as it cools. Sticky rice can be re-steamed to return to it’s sticky former yumminess.

Coconut Vanilla Sticky Rice with Mango

Serves 3 to 4

 

Perhaps even better than pie ala mode, the enticing combination of warm, pudding-like coconut sticky rice topped with cool mango is easy to make at home…maybe a little too easy, it’s tempting to serve this for a weekend breakfast treat. A touch of vanilla extract or nutty-vanilla aroma pandan leaf add another delicious dimension to this Thai restaurant dessert classic. Don’t limit yourself to mango either; try topping the sticky coconut rice with thin slices of banana, kiwi, pineapple, papaya, or even a scoop of chocolate coconut-based vegan ice cream!

 

Tip: The sticky rice needs time to soak up the sweetened coconut milk, so plan at least 30 minutes between finishing the rice and serving it to give it enough time to absorb all of the liquid; the rice will get thicker the longer it sits covered. If making Pad Thai or a stir fry for dinner, make the coconut rice first, set it aside and it will be ready for you when you’re ready for dessert. To reheat coconut rice, reheat in a covered glass dish in the microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stopping to occasionally stir the rice. Don’t reheat it to pipping hot, just get it warm enough to be soft and gooey.

 

1 cup uncooked sticky rice, soaked and prepared as directed for Sticky Rice

1 1/2 cups canned coconut milk, regular or reduced fat

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 four inch pieces of frozen pandan leaf, or 1/2 teaspoon pandan extract or vanilla extract

One ripe mango, peeled, then sliced into thin 1/4 inch sliced

1 teaspoon Toasted Rice Powder, optional for a little crunch on top

 

1. Steam the sticky rice; if even more pandan flavor is desired, layer a few pandan leaves in the sieve before adding the rice. Discard the leaves after the rice is done.

2. While the rice is steaming, in a large saucepan over medium heat whisk together the coconut milk, sugar, brown sugar, and sea salt. Bring milk to a rapid simmer, add the pandan leaves and reduce the heat to low. Partially cover and simmer the coconut milk for 10 minutes and stir occasionally. Turn off the heat, cover and set aside until the rice is done steaming. If you’re using pandan or vanilla extract, whisk it into the coconut milk after you’ve turned off the heat and before setting it aside. Just before the rice is done steaming (check it to see if the grains are soft), reheat the coconut milk for 1 minute over high heat.

3. When the rice is done (the grains are soft and chewy), transfer the hot rice to a mixing bowl. Pour the reheated coconut milk over the rice and discard the pandan leaf if using. Use a wooden spoon, rice paddle or rubber spatula to vigorously stir the rice for 2 minutes. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes, or until the coconut milk has been absorbed by the rice. The rice will resemble a very thick rice pudding. Stir the rice a few times once more.

4. To serve, peel and slice the mango. Use a rubber spatula or rice paddle and mound rice into a large serving dish or a few smaller bowls for individual servings, then arrange mango slices on top. Sprinkle with Toasted Rice powder if desired and serve warm.