Artichoke Hearts and Fava Beans with Dill

Writer's Note: Usually this dish is cooked for a full 30-45 minutes. I wanted to see if I could reduce the cooking time to 10-15 minutes so the vegetables would be slightly firmer and fresher tasting. This is one of my mom's recipes but also a classic Turkish dish. The convenience of frozen vegetables should not be underestimated -- they retain a significant amount of their nutrition and it means you can make this dish on an off night if you keep the main ingredients in the freezer.

The dish is vegan -- my friend, Chloe, who is an amazing person, is a vegan who doesn't eat wheat products. Talk about hard core. I've been having trouble coming up with vegan dishes that would meet Chloe's high culinary standards, but I think this one fits the bill.

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen artichoke hearts, 12 oz.*

half a yellow onion, diced

1/2 - 1 cup frozen peas

1/2 - 1 cup frozen young fava beans

leaves from 5-6 small stalks of fresh dill, coarsely chopped

juice from 1/2 a lemon and 1/2 a lemon to decorate

4 tbsp. olive oil

2 pinches sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Defrost the frozen vegetables by running them under hot water for a minute or two. You can defrost the peas and fava beans together but defrost the artichoke hearts separately since they will be cooked at different times.

Heat 2 tbsp. of the olive oil in a small pot for a minute over medium heat and then add the onions, sugar and salt. Turn the heat down to low and saute the onions for 5 minutes until they are soft -- stir often so they don't brown.

Add the artichoke hearts and saute for about 5 minutes and then add the peas and fava beans and a small squeeze of lemon from the half you are going to use. Cook over low heat for an additional five minutes and then turn off the heat.

Cool the vegetables in the pot or a small bowl, covered, on the counter for 30 minutes. Continue to cool in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. When you are ready to serve, whisk the rest of the juice from the 1/2 lemon with the remaining 2 tbsp. of olive oil and stir into the dish. Stir in the dill, keeping a little to decorate the top of the dish.

Serve chilled or at room temperature with quartered lemon.

*I used the frozen artichoke hearts from Trader Joe's.

Pomegranate and Arugula Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Writer's Note: This is certainly not a traditional Turkish salad but given that it is winter and impossible to get good, fresh tomatoes here in the chilly arctic tundra (also known as Cambridge, MA), I thought I would post one of my favorite winter salads. If nothing else, pomegranate seeds are very popular in Turkey and used in several dishes, especially sprinkled on desserts.

Over the holidays I was visiting Napa and picked up a lovely bottle of pomegranate balsamic vinegar, perfect for this salad. No need to run out and buy it -- this dressing works just as well with regular balsamic vinegar. Peeling a pomegranate may seem daunting but it is actually easy: cut off the top just a little into the body of the pomegranate. Score the outside of the fruit in two intersecting circles just deep enough to go through the skin (you will be cutting a little into the seeds but that is unavoidable) and then break the body into four quarters and pull the seeds out with your fingers. One for me, one for the bowl, two for me . . .

Ingredients:

seeds from 1 ripe pomegranate

1 bunch of baby Arugula

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup pomegranate or regular balsamic vinegar

pinch of sugar

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp. dried mint (optional)

Directions:

Wash the arugula thoroughly and then dry. Put the arugula in a shallow bowl or on a platter and sprinkle the seeds on top.

For the vinaigrette, whisk the the olive oil into the vinegar with a fork, adding the vinegar in a slow drizzle so that it emulsifies. Continue to whisk and add the sugar, salt, and dried mint, if you want. A little sugar and salt is sufficient, and should be added according to your taste. My measurements on the vinegar to oil ratio are pretty generous with the vinegar but I really don't like oily dressing. You can reduce the ratio to 1:3 if you want a more traditional vinaigrette.

Serve the salad with the dressing drizzled on top and some on the side for those who want extra.