Redgate Kitchen

Mushroom Wellington

jodi_bornstein

December 16, 2022

Your New Veggie Star of the Show

We all know that eating more plant-based meals is better for our planet, bodies, moods, and minds. When such plant-based mains are enveloped in pillowy puff pastry and baked to golden goodness, a magical main dish is created! This one is a show stopper. I made it on Thanksgiving and have been making it on repeat ever since. The reviews (from even the most non-veg friends and family in my life) have all been 5 stars! Portobello, mixed mushrooms, caramelized onions, lots of great herbs, and seasoning will leave you satisfied, happy, and not at all missing the meat. Let’s face it, I can recommend tucking shredded cardboard into puff pastry and we would likely all love it. I was inspired to create a simpler version of the Veg Wellington by Alexa Weibel in the NYT. I love it. I know you will too.

Roasted Vegetable, White Beans, and Za’atar Salad

jodi_bornstein

4 comments

September 25, 2021

simple, colorful, herby, and delicious

Get ready for a totally delicious way to ease into fall while still enjoying a brightly colored and herby salad. I present to you a variation of a roasted veggies, white bean, and Za’atar salad cooked up by Samin Nosrat, author of the James Beard Award-winning NYT cookbook Salt Fat Acid Heat, as well as the co-host of the Home Cooking podcast. You can sub almost any veggie in or out depending on your mood, the season, or what you’ve got in the fridge. The key elements to optimizing flavor lie in the roasting of the veggies and the drizzling of the red wine-based vinaigrette. Za’atar gives the dish the always welcome Mediterranean flavor. So get your sheet pans ready and prepare to enjoy this colorful plant-based platter of goodness.

Za’atar and Sumac Roasted Chicken

jodi_bornstein

7 comments

October 25, 2020

Ottolenghi flavors with simplified prep

This dish is so easy to prepare that you almost feel that it couldn’t possibly be based on anything that came out of Yotam Ottolenghi’s kitchen. My version of this chicken is based on the recipe in his first cookbook Ottolenghi: The Cookbook. The simplicity of tossing all of the ingredients together, marinating, and then roasting makes this an impressive dish with little effort. The combo of red onions, garlic, lemon, and warm spices including za’atar, sumac, and cinnamon make this dish colorful, tasty, and blissfully aromatic.

Carrot-Coconut Soup

jodi_bornstein

2 comments

October 17, 2020

a soup that warms the soul and satisfies all the senses

This luxuriously creamy soup is not only super tasty, it is colorful, velvety, and full of aromatics that will make the whole block smell great. I used to enjoy a version of this at my husband’s grandmother’s home on particularly cold Montreal winter days. It always hit the spot and still does. This dairy-free soup is a terrific one to add to your menu rotation during the long fall and winter months! I bet it checks all the boxes for even your pickiest eaters.

Salty Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

jodi_bornstein

3 comments

October 9, 2020

a gift from the one and only Ina Garten

Stop. Right. Here. I am offering you some advanced warning. These cookies are simply so good, they will quickly become a household favorite and are seriously addictive. They pack the perfect combo of flavors, melt in your mouth, and, well they are a pretty darn near perfect vice to help get you through a pandemic and a political storm. If you think you can bake these outrageously delicious cookies without eating them all (or most) yourself, then I will entrust you with the following recipe, that is my take on Ina Garten’s, from her book Make it Ahead.

Pumpkin Muffins

jodi_bornstein

no comments

September 25, 2020

fall flavors delivered in a perfect package

When the leaves start to change colors and you notice that first rush of crisp air on your face, read those cues and get to the grocery store to stock up on pumpkin purée. On the first morning of fall, my youngest woke up and declared “Fall is here! It’s time for pumpkin muffins.” Obviously obliged. I love this particular recipe, which I adapted from Deb Perelman at Smitten Kitchen. The hint of vanilla and extra cinnamon will make your kitchen smell like fall. The kids especially enjoy them as a treat for school, whether virtual or in-person. I hope you love them as much as we do!

Roasted Cauliflower and Eggplant topped with a Tomato and Herb Sauce

jodi_bornstein

4 comments

September 20, 2020

a colorful, tasty, and impressive salad

A layer of melt-in-your-mouth seasoned eggplant, topped with roasted turmeric and coriander-seasoned cauliflower florets, all drizzled with a tomato and herb sauce will take your salad experience up a level. Or two. Serve this as is or with crispy home-made sumac pita chips, and dinner (or lunch, or in my case, breakfast) is served! This is my simplified version of Sami Tamimi‘s salad, which he adapted from a restaurant in Haifa. Tamimi’s recipe calls for charred smoky eggplant, which some people love. My version, however, goes for the smooth velvety texture of roasted eggplant, and while missing out on the smoky flavor–not for everyone anyway–it also omits the mess that typically follows from charring eggplants on your gas burner!

Pesto

jodi_bornstein

1 comment

September 13, 2020

simple and fresh

Liguria, the beautiful Northern region of Italy, is the country’s most famous basil-growing region. It is the birthplace of the luxurious sauce, originally known as Pesto alla Genovese. The classic prep involves using a mortar and pestle which helps preserve the color, fragrance, and reduces bitterness that sometimes comes from using a food processor. I have used both methods and today I present the quick food processor version. You will not be disappointed.

Better than Take-Out Eggplant

jodi_bornstein

5 comments

September 7, 2020

a stir-fry worth making on repeat

I am always in search of the best eggplant dishes. Eggplant is such a versatile veggie and when prepped well it has the potential to be the tasty star of the meal. Using Japanese or Chinese eggplants in this dish will give you less seeds and thus less bitterness, softer skins, and a more tender outcome. If you can’t find them at your grocery store, look for the smallest Italian eggplants and don’t skip the salting phase at the beginning of the recipe. Serve as is, or over Jasmin rice – either way it will be a hit. As always, enjoy!

simple, colorful, herby, and delicious

Ottolenghi flavors with simplified prep

a soup that warms the soul and satisfies all the senses

a gift from the one and only Ina Garten

fall flavors delivered in a perfect package

a colorful, tasty, and impressive salad

simple and fresh

a stir-fry worth making on repeat

ice cream between 2 edible cookie dough slabs…yup, you read that correctly