Ingredients:

1 litre water

1 cup grated beets

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 stick celery, chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, grated or minced

1 cup short grain brown rice, parboiled for 12 minutes, strained and rinsed

1/2 cup white wine

salt & pepper

goat’s cheese (the recipe calls for 125g; I used 2-3 thick slices only because the cheese I had was very strong – it was the hand rolled chevre logs from Fifth Town Cheese Company.

1. Put the water in a saucepan and bring to a boil with the grated beets. Reduce heat and keep it warm.

2. In a heavy pan, heat the oil and add he onions, celery, and garlic. Cook in low-medium heat until the onions are translucent

3. Add the rice, mix it in well and then add the white wine.

4. Once the white wine is absorbed, keep ladling the beet liquid (scooping up grated beets and adding to the mixture), a ladle at a time until the rice is cooked to your taste

5. Season with salt and pepper (but not too salty because the cheese adds some salt)

6. Mix in the cheese and a tablespoon of butter. Taste and season again if you think it needs it.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup short grain brown rice, boiled for about 12 mins

1 medium onion, chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp anise seeds

1 tbsp butter

1 cup chopped rapini or another green

3/4 cup red wine

200g mushrooms, chopped

2 handfuls of walnuts, chopped

about 1 litre hot water or broth

salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil and butter in a heavy pan and cook the onions until soft. Add the anise seeds and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are cooked and the onions begin to brown. Add salt and pepper.

2. Add the parboiled rice, mix in well, and add the red wine.

3. Once the red wine is absorbed, keep adding the hot water/broth, one cup at a time, mixing it in well for about 15 mins.

4. When the rice is nearly cooked, add the chopped rapini and the walnuts until the rice is cooked through and creamy. Add the grated parmesan cheese at the end. Taste and season again if you think it needs it.

I got home from work today and had one salmon steak left in plenty of moqueca broth. I had been talking about risotto with my brother the night before so the idea of a moqueca risotto came to mind. I strained the moqueca broth, separating the cooked fish, caramelized an onion in some butter, added 1-2 tsp paprika, and mixed in the risotto rice*. In order to re-enforce the coconut milk flavour of the original moqueca, I added 3-4 tbsp of unsweetened shredded coconut. I mixed in the moqueca broth and when that was absorbed, I added hot water, a 1/2 cup at a time until the rice was cooked but still a bit al dente. I folded in the shredded leftover salmon, serving the risotto as soon as the whole thing was heated through. It was yummy!

*I use short grain brown rice, following Mark Bittman’s directions of parboiling the rice for 12 minutes before using it in the recipe. It results in nice creemy risotto every time.

Savoury Tomato Crisp
makes 6-8 servings

3 tbsp olive oil (more for greasing the pan)
3 lb ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges (I used plum tomatoes)
1 tbsp cornstarch
salt & black pepper
1 cup breadcrumbs (I had a piece of sourdough baguette past its prime, so ground that into breadcrumbs)
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or crumbled feta cheese (I used feta)
1 tbsp melted butter

1. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square or round baking dish and preheat oven to 375 F
2. Put the tomato wedges into a large bowl and sprinkle with the cornstarch and some salt and pepper. Toss gently. In another bowl mix the breadcrumbs, oats, walnuts, garlic, cheese, 3 tbsp of olive oil, and butter and stir thoroughly
3. Transfer the tomato mixture to the baking dish. Spread the breadcrumb topping. Bake until the crisp is as dark as you like and the tomato is bubbly (about 55 minutes). Let cool to warm and serve.

Update

The next day, I tried a slightly different version – instead of maple syrup, I used strawberry rhubarb jam I bought from KEG last week. The strawberry jam complemented nicely the other fruits and its colour really added extra punch to the dish.

All intellectual justifications aside, I have to confess that my efforts to remove dairy from my diet have been hampered by my appreciation for centuries- old food traditions. And when you add to that the I come from a long line of people who not only depended on dairy but improved upon it, I feel like I’m denying my roots every time I pass on the slice of cheese. Half of my family, on both my father’s side and my mother’s side come from the area of northern Italy that invented the Parmesan (the true Parmiggiano Reggiano). There’s also some sprinkling of Dutch (also known for being big on dairy) and lots of Portuguese. When the Italian side of my family immigrated to Brazil, many settled in the fertile lands of Minas Gerais, which is known for its Queijo Minas.

Although it pained me, I was prepared to give up dairy if I felt it significantly improved my health. But after a while without eating any dairy product and being very careful of what I ate, I felt no significant improvement. It was nothing like when I discovered a couple of years ago that I have an intolerance to white rice and a mild intolerance to wheat and actually minimized my exposure to those ingredients. Replacing white rice and wheat for other grains improved my life significantly. I now have lots of energy and feel much more focused. Avoiding dairy did not have a similar effect. In fact, drinking coffee without a bit of dairy in it is a bit hard on my stomach. Even if I replace it with non-dairy milk.

For me at least, looks like cutting dairy completely is not the solution.

But what to make for tonight? Some sort of salad with the corn would be great. The internet is filled with great ideas for salads mixing corn, green beans and tomatoes, of course. I knew I had made a good one a couple of summers ago. A couple of clicks later and voila: a corn, green beans, tomatoes, and feta salad inspired on a recipe by Mark Bittman. Can’t wait to try it when I get home today!