Miami Chefs Share Vegetarian Month Recipes

With National Vegetarian Month kicking off October 1, two Miami chefs are sharing their favorite easy-to-recreate vegetarian recipes that will quickly become at-home dinner menu staples (even after the month is over!). From Osteria Morini’s signature carciofi (or grilled artichoke) to COYO Taco’s mouthwatering esquite, veggies steal the show in these meatless recipes:

Osteria Morini Miami Beach

From award-winning New York-based Altamarea Group, Osteria Morini Miami Beach Corporate Executive Chef Bill Dorrler and Chef di Cucina Thomas Levandoski’s Carciofi (or grilled artichokes) combines the hearty veggie with fresh citrus and herbs.

COYO Taco

Beloved Miami-grown taqueria and speakeasy COYO Taco offers authentic Mexican fare with a modern twist. Executive Chef Scott Linquist’s menu focuses on organic and locally grown ingredients whenever possible, and his irresistible esquite simply combines corn, Cotija, jalapeno and fresh lime making it super easy to enjoy at home with your favorite margarita.

RECIPES

Osteria Morini - Carciofi

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. artichoke hearts [A good quality canned/jarred artichoke heart works great for this dish – we recommend Sogno Tuscano, which are canned with white wine an olive oil. If you prefer to use fresh, artichokes should be cleaned and steamed before grilling]

• 1 orange, zested and juiced

• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

• 1 lime zested and juiced

• 4 cloves of garlic, minced or grated

• 1.5 shallots, finely minced

• ½ cup chopped chives

• ½ cup chopped parsley

• ¼ cup chopped basil

• Pearl or cippolini onions [Jarred onions are great for this as well. Sogno Tuscano carries a wonderful grilled borettane onion, preserved in balsamic vinegar, adds an extra layer of flavor]

• Calabrian chili peppers

• Olive oil

• Salt

Method:

• Drain artichokes from olive oil. Season lightly with salt. Grill artichokes until gently marked.

• In a bowl, combine zest and juice of the lemon, lime and orange and ½ cup of olive oil. Add artichokes and toss until coated.

• For herbed yogurt, combine 8 oz. greek yogurt, 1/2 of the shallot, 1/2 of the garlic, 1/2 of the parsley, 1/2 of the chives, 2 tbls of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Stir until blended

• For salsa verde, combine the remaining chives, parsley, shallot, garlic and basil with 1 cup of olive oil. Season with a generous pinch of salt and red chili flakes. [Skip the chopping and put all of the ingredients into a food processor. A few pulses should do the trick. Mixture should be course]

• In using canned onions, simply drain and reserve. If used fresh, peel and season with olive oil and salt. Grill along with artichokes. Remove from grill and toss with balsamic vinegar

Plating:

• Spread a quarter of the herbed yogurt onto each plate.

• Lay artichoke piece on top, along with 2-3 pearl onions per plate.

• Finish with salsa verde

• Optional: spice it up and garnish a couple calabrian chilis!

COYO Taco - Esquite

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 fresh whole corn

• 1 whole jalapeño pepper

• 8 oz chipotle aioli (can buy at Publix or most grocery stores)

• 4 oz Cotija cheese

• 1 oz of Tajin or chili powder

• 2 Fresca limes cut in half

• Sprinkle of salt

Method:

1. Peel and clean fresh corn, removing as much excess “hair treads” as possible.

2. With a knife, cut off corn kernels from the cob.

3. In a saucepan, cover kernels with water and boil for 5 minutes, with a little salt and 1 whole jalapeño pepper

4. Strain kernels and place them in 4 cups (remove jalapeño)

5. Swirl 2 oz of chipotle aioli on each serving, then sprinkle 1 oz of cotija cheese to cover

6. Add lime juice and Tajin (or chili powder) to your liking, and serve

By ML Staff. Images Courtesy of Osteria Morini