Rosemary Infused Parnip Purée
2 c evenly chopped parsnip
3 whole garlic cloves
¼ c fresh grated horseradish
4 spring of rosemary
Parsnip already has a nice bite, so adding the fresh horseradish just helps reinforce that flavor. Add two whole springs of rosemary when simmering the parsnip (make sure and remove the stems before blending) and the whole garlic cloves. Once cooked, add the fresh horseradish and more fresh chopped rosemary and blend.
Fresh Pea and Mint Purée
2 c fresh peas, washed
½ c mint, stems removed
1 shallot, diced ½ tsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, diced
Add a little EVOO to your sauce pot and cook the shallot and garlic for 1 min, then add your peas, half the mint, salt pepper and water. Cook (careful not to over cook the peas) and when done add the mixture and the rest of the mint to your food processor. Season again and add a touch of lemon juice. Blend, taste and adjust. Another method for the peas is to blanch them. This helps peas keep that vibrant green color instead of going gray. Bring salted water to boil, add peas and cook 1 - 2 minutes. Remove the peas and immediately submerge them in ice water for 30 seconds. This stops the cooking and keeps they peas nice and bright. Follow the steps above.
Thyme Infused Celery Root Purée
2 c celery root, evenly chopped
1 shallot, rough chopped.
3 whole garlic cloves
8 thyme sprigs
Celery root has a very mild flavor and works well with delicate fishes. This cooks very similar to the parsnip, but we added shallots for a little more flavor. Cook the shallots in the pot 1 min before adding celery root, garlic, salt, pepper, 4 whole
thyme springs and water. Add the leaves of 4 fresh thyme spring when blending.
Ras El Hanout Spice Cauliflower Purée
2 c chopped cauliflower
2 tsp Ras el hanout
Ras el hanout is a Moroccan blend of spices, and can vary shop to shop. Ras el hanout translates to “head of the shop” implying a blend of the best spices the shop has to offer. It's a little harder to find, but well worth it if you come across it. For this recipe add a little EVOO to the pot and add your cauliflower over medium heat. Add about 1 tbs of Ras el hanout, and toast it briefly. Browning the cauliflower this way will also add another layer of flavor. Cook about 3 min then add water. Once finished add a little Ras el hanout to the food processor before blending but be careful, uncooked spices can be over powering. Blend, taste, adjust.
Sage Infused Roasted Butternut Squash Purée
2 c butternut squash, evenly chopped
4 fresh sage leaves chopped
1 piece fresh ginger
1 shallot, diced
Fresh nutmeg
Because this is roasted the process is a little different. Preheat the oven to 350. Toss the squash in EVOO, salt and pepper and spread over a baking sheet. Roast the squash 12 - 20 min but watch them. You want a nice brown, but no black (burnt squash will add a bitter taste). Flip once halfway. Let cool briefly and add to the processor. Because we didn't simmer these in water, you need to add some liquid to blend. You can add oil or butter, or to stay healthy add 1 to 2 tbs of chicken stock or even water. Cook the shallot in a small sauté pan for about 2 min. Add shallot and fresh sage. Then grate in about a tbs of fresh ginger. If you don't
have fresh ginger do not use dried, they taste completely different. If you don't have fresh you can add a squeeze of lemon juice. Grate in fresh nutmeg, blend, taste, adjust.
Roasted Eggplant and Raisin Purée
1 eggplant
¼ C Golden raisins
3 cinnamon sticks
salt, pepper, ancho chili
Preheat oven to 400. Poke the cinnamon in the eggplant and roast until tender (approx 45 min). Transfer the eggplant to a bowl and cover, and let cool slightly. Remove cinnamon and peel. As the eggplant is roasting, place the raisins in a ramekin and fill with EVOO. Cover with foil and place the raisin in the oven with the eggplant. Drain the oil (and save it) and place eggplant and raisins in processor. Season with salt, pepper and ancho, and blend. The raisins rehydrated in oil should be enough to make the purée smooth, but add more flavored EVOO if needed.
