Best Steamed Vegetables And Aïoli Recipes

SPRING VEGGIES WITH SWEET PEA AIOLI

Steps:

• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil; add the peas and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water to cool.
• With the motor running, add the garlic to the food processor through the shoot to finely chop. Add the peas, mayonnaise, lemon, olive oil, dill, cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and process until smooth.
• Transfer the aioli to a small bowl. Serve with assorted veggies for dipping.

AIOLI WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place broccoli and cauliflower together on one large rimmed baking sheet or pan, and beets and turnips on another. Place squash and 1 bunch scallions on individual pans. Toss all vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper until well coated. Roast scallions 12 to 15 minutes; broccoli and cauliflower 20 to 30 minutes; squash 30 to 40 minutes; and beets and turnips 40 to 50 minutes. Toss all periodically while roasting.
• Combine garlic, lemon juice and salt in a blender or food processor and let sit a minute or two. Add eggs and blend until combined. With the blender running, slowly add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream. You can use a mortar and pestle if you prefer. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and lemon juice if needed.
• Arrange roasted vegetables on platter and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds if using. Serve with the aioli on the side.

LE GRAND AIOLI

Steps:

• On the night before you serve the grand aioli, gently season the cod with kosher salt on both sides; cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 400. Place beets in a small roasting pan. Coat the beets in 4 tablespoons of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the red-wine vinegar and 4 tablespoons water to the pan. Cover with foil, and roast until beets are tender, approximately 1 hour. Check beets halfway through cooking, and add more olive oil and water if the roasting pan looks dry. Remove beets from oven, and uncover the pan. Cover the beets with a clean kitchen towel, and let them stand at room temperature until cool enough to handle. Using the kitchen towel (or paper towels) to help you, rub off the outer skin of the beets. Peeling the beets while they are still quite warm makes the otherwise difficult task easy. Set aside the peeled beets until completely cool, then halve or quarter, depending on the size.
• Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water, and bring to a boil. Season aggressively with salt. In this case you want the water even saltier than the sea. It should nearly make you pucker when you taste it. Be sure to taste it!
• Lower the heat so that the water is at an energetic simmer. Add the potatoes, and cook until easily pierced with a skewer, approximately 12 minutes. Remove from the simmering water with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a sheet tray lined with a clean kitchen towel to cool.
• Add the green beans and wax beans to the simmering water, and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes, depending on thickness. Remove using a slotted spoon, and transfer to the sheet tray to cool.
• Add the zucchini to the simmering water, and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon, and transfer to the sheet tray to cool.
• Turn the heat up on the pot of water, returning it to an aggressive boil. Gently lower the eggs into the boiling water using a slotted spoon, being careful not to crack their shells. Cook 10 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water, and peel them quickly under cool running tap water. Cut them in half lengthwise.
• Once the vegetables are cool, slice the potatoes in half. If the zucchini are very small, you can leave them whole, otherwise halve or quarter them lengthwise.
• Fill a large bowl with cold water, and drop in the radishes. Agitate the radishes to help shake loose any sand, then let it settle on the bottom of the bowl. Lift the radishes out, and set aside. Repeat this process 2 or 3 more times, using fresh water each time, until the radishes are clean and free of sand. Let dry, then halve or quarter, depending on their size.
• Cut the little gem lettuces in half, and drop into a large bowl of cold water. There should be enough room in the bowl so that the lettuces float easily in a single layer. Let stand for 5 minutes so that any sand drops to the bottom of the bowl, then gently lift the lettuces out, and set aside. Repeat this process 2 more times, using fresh water each time, until the lettuces are clean and free of sand. Pat dry or spin gently in a salad spinner.
• Scrub the mussels under running water, and debeard them. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high in a pot large enough to hold the mussels in a single layer. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the garlic, shallot, thyme sprigs and chile flakes. Let the aromatics toast, but not brown, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.
• Add the mussels, then pour in the wine. Cover the pot with a tightfitting lid, and steam 2 minutes. Check the mussels, and remove any that have opened to a platter. Continue cooking, removing each mussel as it opens so they do not overcook. Discard any that do not open after 10 minutes. Set mussels aside to cool.
• Arrange a steamer basket in a large pot, and fill with 1/2 inch of water; bring to a simmer. Arrange cod in steamer (cut into large pieces, if necessary), and cover with the lid or foil. Gently steam until just cooked through, about 7 minutes. Remove the cod from the steamer, and set aside to cool.
• Grate the garlic into the bowl of a food processor using a microplane. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of water and a generous pinch of kosher salt. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the oil. The aioli will start to thicken and emulsify after a few minutes. If the aioli is too thick, add another tablespoon of water to loosen. Taste the aioli, and adjust for seasoning, adding more salt, lemon juice or microplaned garlic, as needed.
• On several large platters arrange all the beautiful ingredients in neat but loose bundles. Serve with the aioli for dipping.

AIOLI WITH VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Place the garlic, egg yolks, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste in a food processor and process until smooth. With the motor on, pour in the olive oil in a slow stream; the mixture should emulsify and thicken. Mix in 1 tablespoon of parsley and more salt if needed. Put in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Steam the potatoes until tender, about 25 minutes. Steam the asparagus until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Blanch the carrots in salted boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain and run under cold water. Drain. Arrange the vegetables on a platter, including the fennel bulb. Garnish the fennel with its chopped greens and sprinkle the remaining parsley over the potatoes. Serve with the aioli.

AIOLI

Steps:

• Combine garlic, lemon juice and salt in a blender or food processor and let sit a minute or two. Add eggs and blend until combined. With the blender running, slowly add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream. You can use a mortar and pestle if you prefer.
• Taste for seasoning and add more salt and lemon juice if needed.

AIOLI WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Place 10 garlic cloves in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook 3 minutes, then drain. Return the garlic to the saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to a simmer and cook 3 more minutes, then drain again.
• Mince the remaining 2 garlic cloves; sprinkle with salt. Use the flat side of a chef's knife to mash the garlic and salt into a smooth paste. (For a stronger aioli, cook 8 cloves in step 1 and mash 4 into a paste.)
• Combine the cooked garlic and garlic paste in a food processor. Add the egg yolks and 3 tablespoons warm water; pulse to blend, scraping down the sides as needed. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream and blend until thick. Transfer to a bowl; cover and refrigerate 1 to 4 hours.
• Remove the aioli from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before serving. Whisk in up to 4 tablespoons water to thin it, if desired. Season with salt. Serve with the roasted vegetables.
• Choose several vegetables and make a foil packet for each: Pile the vegetables on foil, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 tablespoons water. Seal into a packet, put on a baking sheet and roast at 450 degrees F until tender. Keep sealed until ready to serve.

STEAMED VEGETABLES AND AïOLI

Steps:

• Combine yolks, lemon juice, garlic, and pepper in a blender. With blender running, slowly drizzle in olive oil, and blend until an emulsion forms. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Place bowl of aïoli on platter. Surround with vegetables and eggs.
• • Raw eggs should not be used in food prepared for pregnant women, babies, young children, the elderly, or anyone whose health is compromised.

GRAND GREEN AIOLI

Steps:

• Prepare the vegetables: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add edamame and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or spider, transfer edamame to a bowl and cover to keep warm. Fill a bowl with ice water if using green beans, asparagus or snap peas. Add green beans and asparagus to the boiling water and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Cook snap peas, if using, for 1 minute, adding to the green beans and asparagus during the last minute of cooking. Drain and transfer vegetables to the ice water to cool, then drain again. Other vegetables should be served raw.
• Make the aioli: In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the egg yolks, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper and ¼ cup water. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and safflower oil until well blended. Add the parsley and purée until smooth. Transfer the aioli to a bowl. It can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
• Arrange the vegetables and lettuce leaves on a large serving platter. Serve with the edamame and aioli.

STEAMED COD WITH FAVAS AND AIOLI

Steps:

• Season the cod with salt and pepper. Place in a steamer over an inch of boiling water, cover and steam the cod for 5 minutes, or until it flakes easily. Remove from the heat.
• Warm the favas. If using whole fillets of fish, break them into smaller pieces and toss with the favas and aioli in a bowl. Serve right away. You can also serve the fish without breaking it up and the favas on the side, spooning on the aioli, but I like everything tossed together.

AïOLI WITH VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Using mortar and pestle, mash garlic with salt until almost smooth. Transfer mixture to processor.
• Whisk 6 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, egg yolks and 1 1/2 tablespoons water in small metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water). Whisk constantly until thermometer inserted into mixture registers 140°F for 3 consecutive minutes, about 9 minutes total. Cool slightly. Transfer to processor with garlic.
• With machine running, gradually add remaining 3/4 cup oil in thin steady stream and blend until thick (if oil is added too quickly, mayonnaise will separate and become runny). Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to small bowl. (Aïoli can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
• Place bowl of aïoli on platter. Surround with vegetables and eggs.