Thanksgiving Cooking Tips: Cleaning leeks (and a recipe)

As wonderful as they leek can be a recipe often be a real pain to clean.

A member of the onion family, leeks resemble large shallots with a rod or a thickness of the base. Since the white part of the base is very appreciated in the kitchen, hill farmers soil around the leeks for sun protection, such as the white leek grows up.

Unfortunately, a lot of dust and dirt that ends between the layers of the leek as they grow.

To clean a leek, peel and discard the old outer leaves, then cut the leeks, dark green leaves and base, reserving the entire base white and light green. Cut the root end, then you halve the leeks to the length. Rinse the leeks with cold water to loosen the feeling between the layers and remove dirt or sand. Finally, cut and use as you wish.

Finally, rinse the pieces in a colander with cold water. Just to make sure everything is clean.

Ready to go, they are great in salad Roasted pumpkin below.

You want more? Check out our practical recipes and cooking tips vacation page for help in planning your Thanksgiving. Not only do we cover the courts Family vacation, we also share tips and tricks to save time and energy in this very busy time of the year. If you have any tips or questions you'd like me to explore, leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail to noelle.carter@latimes .

Roasted pumpkin salad

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, plus cooling time vegetables | Serves 8-10

10 cups cubed pumpkin (peeled and seeded), cut into 1-inch pieces (about 7 pounds of pumpkin)
3 cups red onions, peeled and chopped
6 tablespoons olive oil divided,
1 1/8 teaspoon salt divided,
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
1 medium leek, balanced (root end and tough green), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup walnut oil
Halved 1 cup
2 heads of lettuce, leaves separated from the root
6 cups mixed greens or mesclun lightly packed

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, squash and onion with 3 tablespoons olive oil, half a teaspoon of salt, several grinds of pepper, rosemary and thyme. Place vegetables on a baking sheet and bake in foil until soft and caramelized slightly, about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes for even coloring. Remove the pan and let the pumpkin and onions cool to room temperature.

3. Meanwhile, in large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon crispy, 10 to 12 minutes. Take the saucepan off the heat and remove the bacon on a plate with paper towels to cool. Drain all but 3 tablespoons bacon grease, throw and reserve the rest for another purpose.

4. Add the leeks in the pan and heat over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until softened and just beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Deglaze with white wine and cook, scraping the tasty bits that stick to the bottom of the pan, until the wine has evaporated, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

5. Place the leek and give all the cooking liquid in a medium bowl. Whisk vinegar and mustard. Drizzle with walnut oil, stirring to emulsify. Season to taste season with an eighth of a teaspoon of salt and a few grinds or pepper. Set aside in a warm place.

6. Mix. The nuts with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and half a teaspoon of salt Spread on a baking sheet and toast in the oven at 375 degrees until nuts are fragrant and rich brown, 6-8 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly. Set aside. Components salad can be booked up to one day in advance. Cool the components separately, and heat the sauce before the salad.

7. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with two-thirds of the vinaigrette. Gently stir in roasted pumpkin and onions, bacon and toasted walnuts. Add additional seasoning if necessary to lightly coat the content.

8. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until needed, up to several hours in advance. Allow to warm slightly before serving.

Each of the 10 persons: 357 calories; 7 g protein; 25 grams carbohydrate; 5 grams of fiber; 27 g fat; 4 grams of saturated fat; 8 mg. Cholesterol; 426 mg. Sodium.

Enjoy cooking as much as I do? Follow me noellecarter

Copyright © 2014 Los Angeles Times

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and read it on the site of another person, please read the FAQ fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php# editors.