Playing Catch-up

What’s that saying about being so far behind, you start to catch up with yourself?

Yeah…

I was skimming through the photo folder on my computer and realizing just how far behind I really am in posting.  I had, for example, every intention of posting about all of the food I prepared during our little family getaway on the coast.  Managed to post…  one thing.

I fail.

And that’s a pretty recent thing, too.  I’m not even going to try to tackle the dozens of recipes backed up and awaiting their day.

If we’re placing blame on my seeming lack of time management skills, here’s the main culprit…

What can I say?  I’d rather be chasing him around the house than typing out recipes any day of the week.  Which means that HIS blog is way behind, too.  I’m an equal opportunity procrastinator, apparently.

But I’ll throw this in for grins.  Because it was super tasty.

Now, where did that little rugrat go???

Smoked Salmon Risotto

2 Tbs olive oil

1 leek, washed and thinly sliced (white part only)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
1 cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice
¼ cup champagne
1 lemon, halved
3 cups (or so) chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste)
1 Tbs butter
½ cup Asiago cheese, freshly grated
¼ cup finely chopped Italian parsley
6 oz smoked salmon, flaked

In a large saucepan, heat the chicken broth and half of the lemon over medium heat.

In a large skillet over medium to medium high heat, sauté the leak in the olive oil until it begins to soften.  Add the garlic and continue to sauté another minute.  Add the rice and stir to coat with the oil.  Cook for a minute or two and then add the wine.

When the wine is almost evaporated, add a ladle of the chicken broth (about half a cup) to the rice.  Stir slowly until the broth is almost ‘gone’ and then add another ladle of broth.  Continue this process until the rice is just al dente (about 30 minutes).  If you run out of broth before the rice is cooked, you can add a little hot water.  The rice mixture should be creamy at this point and not dry.  About halfway through this process, season the rice with salt and pepper

Stir in the butter, cheese and parsley at this point.  Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.  Stir in about half of the flaked salmon, adding the remainder to the top.

Serve immediately.

Island Time

I will have to say that the inspiration for this month’s dinner didn’t come from the weather, which has been pretty dismal so far. And while I’m extremely grateful not to be living somewhere that’s currently underwater or blanketed in debris from the latest killer tornado, the ever-present rain this Spring has been a little bit… disheartening.

In spite of that, we opted for a little Caribbean inspiration for this month’s dinner. If nothing else, the bright colors and warm weather flavors at least hinted at the promise of better weather.

I hear August is looking promising.

I will have to say that although we still had enough food to feed a small army, we at least were more in the neighborhood of a small regiment than an entire platoon.

No idea if that made a bit of sense.

Anyway…

Carley’s menu was inspired by the cookbook Modern Caribbean Cuisine by Wendy Rahamut. First up was Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi with a Pineapple Salsa. Carley said the fish pieces were dipped in a little flour, egg and coconut and then simply fried in oil. They were really light and tender, and the salsa was a great pairing.

Pineapple and Fresh Herb Salsa

1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
Juice of 2 - 3 large limes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped chives
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 hot pepper, seeded and chopped

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving with fish or chicken.


* * *

Next was a rice dish which had a nice, subtle spice to it but a lot of flavor all the same.

West Indian Spinach Rice with Nutmeg and Peppers

2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pimento pepper, seeded and chopped
½ hot pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cups fresh spinach leaves, cleaned, dried and chopped
1 tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp grated nutmeg
1 cup rice
2 ½ cups water
1 Tbs butter

Heat oil in a medium saucepan and add the onion, garlic and pimento. Sauté a few minutes until softened. Add hot pepper and spinach. Cover and cook until spinach is tender. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Add rice and stir to combine. Pour in stock, stirring gently. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and cook for about 20 minutes. Gently stir in butter.


* * *

I believe these were my favorites. The recipe calls for optional cheese, which I don’t think Carley included in hers. If she did, it was very subtle. Anyway, they were REALLY tasty and would make great picnic fare as well. No utensils required!!

Shrimp Arepas with Spicy Tomatoes and Cheese

2 cups cornmeal
1 cup flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp brown sugar
½ cup butter

2 Tbs vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 hot pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 lbs shrimp, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup chopped chives
¼ cup French thyme (fresh)
½ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese (optional)

To make the pastry, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and sugar. Add the butter and rub it into the mixture. Add enough warm water to make a soft dough. Divide into 16 pieces and cover with a damp dish towel.

To make the filling, heat oil in a sauté pan. Add the garlic, pepper and onion and cook until fragrant. Add the shrimp and cook for a few seconds, then add the chives and thyme and cook for a few more minutes. Add the tomato sauce and season with salt. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes, then add the cilantro (and cheese, if adding). Set aside to cool.

Heat the oven to 375º. Form each piece of dough into a ball. Press down each to form 4 - 5” circles. Fill with cooled filling mixture, then fold into a half moon shape and place on a baking sheet. Brush the arepas with oil and bake for about 20 minutes.


* * *

To get us in the island spirit, I decided to try out the new ice shaver I was given. First I froze a couple of different juices (one was a mango/orange blend and the other was a pineapple/coconut blend) in ice cube trays. We used a combination of the two types of frozen juice and added gold and coconut rums to the shaved ice. This was ladled into glasses with fresh pineapple spears and topped with a rosé champagne (for color). I will have to say, they were pretty tasty.

Next up for me were a couple of appetizers. I’m a big fan of gazpacho and love to try it in different variations. This was a pineapple-cucumber gazpacho…

Pineapple-Cucumber Gazpacho
adapted from New York Magazine

1 medium pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into cubes
4 cups peeled, chopped English cucumber
1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
3 Tbs thinly sliced scallions (use mostly the white part)
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
1 cup pineapple juice
1 tsp sea salt
½ cup Italian parsley, chopped
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup finely chopped macadamia nuts for garnish

Combine all ingredients except nuts in a large bowl. Add in two batches to a blender. Using a pulse setting, blend the ingredients until combined but still a bit chunky. Stir in macadamia nuts.

Allow to sit in fridge for at least an hour to combine flavors before serving. Garnish with additional scallion and jalapeno, if desired.


* * *

The next appetizer was a shrimp cocktail using a spicy mango sauce rather than a traditional cocktail sauce. I peeled all but the tails from some large shrimp and boiled them for a couple of minutes in a court bouillon mixture. I served the shrimp and the sauce cold.

Mango Sauce

2 ripe mangos, peeled, seeded and diced
1 ¼ cup water
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs freshly grated ginger
1 Tbs ketchup
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground English mustard
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Add vegetable oil to a saucepan. Cook onion and garlic briefly over medium heat, then add the ketchup and spices. Add mangos and water to the mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 - 15 minutes. Cool slightly and blend using an immersion blender.


* * *

For a main course, I opted for a Jerk Chicken, which I marinated and baked. The weather didn’t cooperate enough to grill it, although that’s the method I would have preferred to cook it. The chicken was garnished with fresh pineapple chunks and sat on a bed of fried plantains. The plantains were easily prepared by cutting them into 2” chunks, frying them in a bit of olive oil until brown on one side, and then I smashed them down to form coins, cooked a bit longer on the first side, and then flipped them over to finish cooking on the other side. Then they were simply seasoned with some sea salt.

I also sautéed a head of Napa cabbage with some onions and a sweet and sour sauce. Nothing terribly special, and at the time of this posting, I haven’t actually found the recipe I used!

Jerk Chicken
adapted from Epicurious.com

3 scallions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 habanero chiles, stemmed and seeded, then finely minced
¼ cup fresh lime juice
3 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs Kosher salt
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs fresh thyme
2 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
3 lbs chicken (I used boneless breasts)

Combine all the ingredients but the chicken in a gallon sized plastic freezer bag. Close the bag and shake a few times to combine the mixture. Add the chicken pieces, seal the bag and then turn once or twice to make sure chicken is completely coated. Place in fridge and allow to marinate, turning once or twice, for about 6 hours. Allow chicken to come to room temperature before cooking.

Preheat oven to 375º. Remove chicken from bag and place on a baking sheet lined with foil, making sure not to crowd the pieces. Place in oven and cook for about 20 minutes, or until just cooked through. Turn broiler to high and allow the chicken to brown for a minute before serving.


* * *

For dessert, Carley made a wonderful lime cheesecake with a chocolate crust. I would like to add a photo here, but it appears we were so quick to scarf it down that we didn’t take any. Suffice it to say, it was good. Really good.


Caribbean Black-bottomed Lime Tart

20 chocolate cookies
2 Tbs chopped almonds
4 Tbs melted butter

1 lb cream cheese
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup sour cream
1 ½ Tbs lime zest
¼ cup fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 350º. To prepare the crust, finely crush the cookies and almonds in a food processor. Add the melted butter and combine. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate until ready for use.

To make the filling, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Gently beat in the sour cream, lime zest and juice.

Pour the mixture into the crust and bake for 40 - 50 minutes until the cheesecake is slightly puffed and the center is set. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Super Fast

The question I hear most often from friends who aren’t quite as food-obsessed as I am is ‘Do you always cook like this??’, usually in response to a full-blown meal that I’ve pulled out all the stops for.

The answer is simply… no way.

Yes, I enjoy cooking. Yes, I probably cook more than the ‘average’ home cook. And YES, YES, I find myself wanting to throw together something quickly with little fuss.

I just happened to snag a really cheap pineapple last week and before it wasted away in the fridge (pineapple, in spite of its tough exterior, is pretty delicate and won’t last long once you bring it home). A quick dash into the store on my way home netted me some shrimp (already cooked), and I threw in stuff I had around the house.

It wasn’t ‘authentic’ or probably even all that well-planned, but it was tasty.

Make some.

Pineapple Fried Rice

About 2 cups cooked rice (I threw one of those microwave packets together and used it)
2 - 3 Tbs vegetable or canola oil
½ cup thinly sliced onion
2 cloves garlic, mashed
½ tsp curry powder (optional)
½ tsp dried chili flakes
½ lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (I purchased the pre-cooked variety)
2 - 4 Tbs soy sauce (to taste)
1 Tbs ponzu sauce (optional)
About 1 cup fresh pineapple, cubed
2 Tbs green onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

Heat oil in a skillet and sauté the onion over medium heat until it turns translucent. Add the garlic, curry and chili flakes, and continue to sauté another minute, just until garlic begins to soften. Add the cooked rice, pineapple and shrimp to the pan, then pour in the soy and ponzu sauces. Cook and stir until everything is heated through and the soy sauce caramelizes slightly. Stir in basil and green onion and serve immediately.

A Weekend Away

So, let’s just say that life as of late has been… interesting. And sensing my need to unplug and unwind, G & C generously offered a little weekend getaway at a cabin down in Vida, right on the McKenzie. It was definitely sigh-worthy.

Just see for yourself…

On the way down, O2 and I made a little detour to pick up some of these…

You know. For the kids.

Since this month we were celebrating both mine and G’s birthdays, we opted for a Tapas Extravaganza. And as I mentioned before, we had holy-moley-was-it-good-cheesecake.

Which we didn’t get photos of. Because I think when we saw it in its amazing-ness (caramel, hazelnut, oh…. my), any thought other than diving in went out the window.

We had a few blasts from the past, like the potatoes from our chocolate night, and these…

As you can see, we had quite the spread…

Carley’s Menu

Eggplant Meatballs with Almond Butter Sauce
Feta Stuffed Dates wrapped in Pancetta (these were also a marvel)
Tofu Artichoke Dip (also great, I might add, stirred into pasta - C’s idea)
OMG Caramel Hazelnut Cheesecake
Vietnamese Spring Rolls (look how pretty)

Carri’s Menu

Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Jalapeño Poppers
Butternut Squash/Spinach Gnudi
Corn Fritters w/ Shallot and Sour Cream Dipping Sauce
Butternut Squash/Apple Puffs
Meyer Lemon Pesto
Cocoa Spiced Potatoes
Arancini

Ok, I honestly thought I had 5 items to bring. At some point during the preparation process, I added more. I apparently have this unconscious fear of not having enough to feed everyone.

We should have invited the neighbors. There’s was PLENTY…

Since there was a grill at our disposal, I put together some jalapeño poppers and little shrimp skewers. I kind of threw a bunch of stuff for a marinade in a plastic bag, so I’ll see if I can try to recreate the recipe…

Shrimp Skewers

1 lb cleaned and deveined medium shrimp
½ cup soy sauce
1 Tbs Ponzu sauce (optional)
½ tsp dried ginger (use fresh if you have it)
2 cloves garlic, mashed
2 tsp sesame oil

Thread shrimp onto skewers (I used 2 shrimp to a toothpick). Combine remaining ingredients in a sealable bag. Add shrimp skewers. Allow to marinade for 30 minutes to an hour. Cook or grill to your liking.

* * *

A friend from work has been kind enough to share some of the hazelnut oil he’s pressed himself. The second bottle I received was a hazelnut truffle oil. How amazing is that? I’ve been mulling over how I wanted to use it for its maiden voyage, and this was what I came up with.

Butternut Squash and Spinach Gnudi

2 cups fresh spinach
1 cup cooked and mashed butternut squash
15 oz container fresh ricotta
½ cup flour
1 large egg
½ cup Grana Padano
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, mashed
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
¼ cup red wine
2 Tbs Balsamic vinegar
¼ cup fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade
½ tsp black pepper

Optional: truffle infused oil

Preheat oven to 350º.

Drizzle a little olive oil in a sauté pan. Add spinach. Cook over medium heat until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Allow to cool. Squeeze any excess moisture from spinach. Chop.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the chopped spinach, butternut squash, ricotta, flour and egg. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the cheese and nutmeg. Set aside.

In the same sauté pan you cooked the spinach in, add 1 Tbs olive oil. Heat pan on medium and add the garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about a minute. Pour in canned tomatoes. Add red wine and balsamic vinegar. Allow the mixture to come to a boil and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil and pepper. Pour into a square glass baking dish.

Form ricotta mixture into balls and place in baking dish. Bake until top is brown and crispy, about 35 minutes. Drizzle with truffle oil.

Corn Fritters w/ Shallot and Sour Cream Dipping Sauce

10 oz package frozen corn
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 oz soft butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk

Combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until well combined. Add eggs and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in corn kernels. Heat a griddle or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add a small amount of butter and an equal amount of olive oil. Make small, silver dollar sized dollops of the batter. Cook until bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the fritter and cook the other side until it is golden, another couple of minutes. Place on cookie sheet in a warm oven until all the fritters are cooked. Serve with sauce.

Sauce

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup tomatoes, finely diced
1/2 shallot, minced
1 green onion, cut into thin slices
Salt and white pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and season to taste.

Butternut Squash, Apple and Sage Puffs

1 box puff pastry, defrosted
4 oz cream cheese
2 Tbs grated parmesan
1 clove garlic, minced
1 granny smith apple, peeled and grated
1 cup cooked and mashed butternut squash
1 tsp olive oil
1 Tbs fresh sage, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

Flour for dusting work surface
Small dish of water

Preheat oven to 400°. In a large mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese, parmesan and garlic until well combined. Add the apple, butternut squash, olive oil and sage. Mix thoroughly. Season to taste.

Lightly flour a work surface. Unfold the first sheet of puff pastry and lay out on work surface. Lightly roll out with a floured rolling pin (the dough should be the same rectangular shape) with the long edges at the top and bottom. Cut dough from top to bottom into four equal strips. Cut each of these in half crossways.

Working one strip at a time, place 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling towards one end of the dough strip (leave about ¼”). Using finger, wet the edge of the half of the dough strip that has the filling. Fold the other half on top of this and crimp the edges with a fork. Repeat with remaining strips.

Repeat the process with the remaining dough.

Arrange puffs on a baking sheet , leaving about ½” or so of space around each. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden and puffed up. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Meyer Lemon Pesto
(makes 1 cup)

1 Meyer lemon (remove center membrane, seed and cut into pieces)
1/2 cup fresh basil (packed)
1 clove garlic
2 Tbs toasted walnuts
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (grated)
3 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Place everything into a food processor and blend.

* * *

I don’t really have a recipe for the arancini. I took some leftover risotto I had made, added an egg to bind it, and then made little provolone stuffed disks with it. I rolled this in flour, then in egg and finally in panko breading. I cooked them in a little olive oil. That’s it.

All Photos Courtesy of CHP

Yams... Yum.

Remember when I mentioned that while I’m pretty great at snagging grocery bargains, I’m not so terrific at planning far enough in advance to pull meat out of the freezer? Well, on those occasions when I’m halfway home and realize that I have yet to figure out what to cook for dinner, more often than not, I fall back on rotisserie chicken. The local chain near me actually does a pretty decent rotisserie chicken, and I usually use the purchase as an opportunity to make a batch of stock.

Anyway, it was just one of those nights when I was pressed for time, and so I grabbed a rotisserie chicken and then tried to decide what I wanted to DO with it. So I grabbed a bottle of Hawaiian teriyaki sauce, some edamame (which Offspring 2 loves) and then paused in front of the yams, which were a little on the, shall we say, puny side. Definitely not something I’d bake, but they did give me an idea.

So groceries in hand and plan at the ready, I headed home and set to work.

First up was the rice. This is a favorite way of mine to prepare it. Really simple, but it gives it a nice boost of flavor. I did, however, hold back ½ cup of the coconut milk and just added more stock.

Next, I poured a bit of the teriyaki sauce over the chicken and put it in a 300º oven just to keep it warm and allow the sauce to caramelize a bit. Then I moved on to the yams.

Spiced Coconut Yams

1 lb yams, peeled and cut into ¼” slices*
2 Tbs olive oil
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp dried ground ginger (fresh would be good as well - about 1 Tbs)
½ tsp salt
½ cup unsweetened coconut milk

In a sauté pan (I used my cast iron skillet), heat the oil over medium heat. Add the yams and sauté until they are browned and almost cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add seasonings and continue to sauté another minute or so, allowing the seasonings to become fragrant. Pour in coconut milk and allow the liquid to come to a boil. Stir occasionally until most of the liquid evaporates. Serve immediately.

*(The yams I was using were pretty small, so I ended up with ‘coins’, but you can certainly use a regular sized yam and just cut it down the center and then cut into slices.)

I Heart Risotto

After buzzing through some of my favorite food blogs, I see that I am once again in danger of having my food blog credentials revoked. I see all sorts of desserts, cutesy little V-Day stuff, declarations of affection, and an alarming number of marshmallows.

Ech.

So, while I DO have a chocolate post to share, it really has very little to do with the holiday, which I’ve always found to be a bit… much. My firm stance on the subject is that if you need an official holiday to remember to tell the one(s) you care about THAT YOU CARE ABOUT THEM, then you need to do some reevaluating of your life, my friend. Hallmark will get along just fine without you.

Anyway…

Sometimes Sundays are a good excuse to go all out and spend hours putting together something for dinner. Our Sunday evenings tend to be spent at home with me sorting through coupons and Offspring working on the homework she has put off all weekend.

But since I had all sorts of fabulous leftovers from the previous night (can’t wait to share!), all I was really looking for was a side dish, and this one had been floating around in my head for a while. Really could have gone either way making this a side dish or a dessert with just some minor adjustments, but I opted for the savory version.

Just a word of warning… This is not a light-on-the-hips dish. There’s butter. There’s cheese. There’s more cheese. But it’s, well… just try it, ok?

Brandied Peach Risotto

1 carton (about 4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth (or use homemade)
1 small lemon
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs butter
1 shallot, chopped finely
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 ½ cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
¼ cup brandy
1 large peach (firm), cut into small wedges
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 pinch nutmeg
1 Tbs unsalted butter
2 Tbs mascarpone cheese
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Optional: garnish with toasted almonds and/or hazelnut oil

Pour the broth into a large saucepan and warm over medium heat. Cut lemon in half and add juice to broth. Toss in the lemon halves as well.

In a large sauté pan, heat butter and olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic and allow to sauté for a minute (don’t burn), then add the rice. Stir for a minute or two until rice is coated and has begun to take on a pearly sheen. Deglaze pan with brandy and stir until liquid has almost evaporated/reduced. Add a ladleful (about ½ cup) of the broth and stir the rice until the liquid is absorbed into the rice. Repeat. After about the fourth ladle, add the peach segments and season the rice with salt and pepper. Continue to stir, adding more broth as it is absorbed into the rice, until the rice takes on a creamy consistency. If you run out of broth, just add a ladle or two of water, or more broth. The rice should still maintain some firmness.

At this stage, add all of the remaining ingredients and stir until they are thoroughly combined. Serve immediately.

Makes about 6 servings.

**A note about seasoning: I usually season the rice about halfway through the cooking process and then taste it again at the end and adjust accordingly. The Parmesan will add a bit of saltiness, so you may or may not need to add additional salt.

A Milestone Birthday

Offspring #1 turned 21 today.  Oy.  I'm still trying to wrap my head around the entire concept and the idea that she'd rather have top shelf vodka than Barbie dolls (although, to be truthful, she was never really a huge fan of those).

Anyway...

Over the weekend we had a family get-together for her.  And I was so wrapped up in getting everything together that I managed to only snap a few pictures.

At her request, I made Shrimp Wraps with Mango Salsa.  And in addition to her birthday 'cake', which was actually a key lime pie, I made her White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Fudge.  There were many other things there as well, but alas, no photos.

The wraps had a number of components, including a revisit to the Toasted Parmesan Flatbread from the previous weekend.  Just thought they'd make a nice substitute for tortillas.

I had eleven people to feed, so I made double batches of everything.  The amounts can be cut down for smaller numbers of servings.  Once the flatbread was ready to go, the next component was a coconut rice flavored with a bit of cumin.

Gingered Coconut Rice

2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 cups long-grained rice
1 14 oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
1 14 oz. can low-sodium chicken broth (or substitute water)
1 tsp salt

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.  As soon as oil gets hot, add cumin and ginger and sauté just until fragrant.  Add rice and stir to coat with oil.  Continue to stir and cook for a minute or two and allow the rice to toast slightly.

Add coconut milk and chicken broth, plus enough water to bring the total amount of liquid to 4 cups.  Add salt.  Turn heat up to medium-high and stir a couple of times to completely incorporate the liquid.  Allow to come to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 16 - 18 minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir to incorporate the coconut milk solids, which will settle on the top.

Garlic Shrimp

2 lbs peeled and deveined shrimp (I used small 55 - 60 count to better fit in the wraps)
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
3 - 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste (I like to use a course salt here)

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it starts to smoke.  Add chili flakes and garlic.  Sauté just long enough for the garlic to start toasting.  Immediately add shrimp (if your pan is small, do this in a couple of batches so the shrimp flash fries and doesn't steam).  Cook and stir until shrimp is just cooked through.  This will only take a couple of minutes.

Mango Salsa

1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 ripe mangos, cut into small cubes
1 small jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
1/2 small red bell pepper, diced to the same size as the onions
1 lime
Salt to taste
(you can also add some finely chopped cilantro to this)

Combine the first four ingredients in a bowl.  Zest the lime and add to the mixture, then add the juice from the lime as well.  Season.


** We set up a buffet and allowed everyone to assemble their wraps according to their own specifications.  Also had avocado and olives on hand to add to the mix.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Fudge

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 small can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup)

1- 12 oz. pkg. white chocolate chips

1 jar (7 oz.) Marshmallow Creme

1 cup chopped macadamia nuts

1 tsp. vanilla

Line a 9-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan; set aside. Place sugar, butter and evaporated milk in large heavy saucepan. Bring to full rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil until a candy thermometer reaches 234° (about 4 minutes), stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Remove from heat.

Add chocolate chips and marshmallow creme; stir until completely melted. Add nuts and vanilla; mix well.

Pour immediately into the prepared pan; spread to form even layer in pan. Let stand at room temperature 4 hours or until completely cooled; cut into 1-inch squares. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature

Mediterranean Night

I hope that I can fit everything into one post because I want to tell you all about the extremely post-worthy meal the other night!

So, as I've mentioned, 'Chip' (heh heh) and I have been getting together once a month (along with (my) Offspring and her hubby) and preparing themed dinners.  This month we opted for Mediterranean, and I think I can say it was a smashing success.  Probably my favorite to date.

Here are a couple of photos of 'the spread'.

As a starter, I prepared this mezze platter along with some crackers and flatbread (recipe for that below).  It included:  Moroccan and Italian olives, Baba Ganouj, Toasted hazelnuts, Medjool dates, and Fresh ricotta with lemon zest and honey.

Then we really got serious about eating....

On the menu, from yours truly:

Toasted Parmesan Flatbread and Mezze Platter
Slow-braised Pork with Grapes and Balsamic
Saffron Rice with Pignolis
Flourless Lemon-Almond Cake

And, courtesy of "Chip":

Meyer Lemon Gelato (which paired very nicely with the cake)
Fried Eggplant Balls with Rigatoni (hands down my favorite dish)
Green Beans with Almonds, Onions and Parmesan
Fish Sautéed with Lemon and Olives

I will be using all of these recipes again, most definitely!

Toasted Parmesan Flatbread

1 cup lukewarm water
1 Tbs + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 - 2 cups AP flour (next time I think I'll substitute all whole wheat)
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/4 tsp salt

Whisk the water, 1 Tbs of oil, sugar and yeast in a mixing bowl bowl. Let sit about 5 minutes, until it starts to get a little foamy.

While the yeast is sitting, assemble dry ingredients (the 1 1/2 cups AP flour, wheat flour, Parmesan and salt).

Add the dry ingredients to the yeast mixture and stir to combine (I used my stand mixer and the dough hook). If it is too sticky to work with, add a little of the remaining 1/2 cup of the flour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead for about 5 minutes, adding more flour as needed (I used very little).

Add the remaining tsp of oil to a large bowl, shape the dough into a ball, and place in the bowl, coating with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough and divide into six equal balls (it makes a lovely, soft dough that contracts very little when rolled out). Roll out each ball onto a floured work surface until it’s about seven inches in diameter (and about 1/4" thick).

Preheat a skillet (I used a cast iron grill pan, which added nice markings) over medium heat until it is very hot. Add a very small amount of olive oil (just enough to coat the pan).  Place a dough circle on the heated pan and cook until it starts to bubble up, about 2 minutes.  Rotate to create markings if you're using a grill pan.  Flip over and repeat.

Transfer to a plate or a wire rack and repeat with the remaining dough. You might have to adjust the heat a bit if the bread starts to brown too quickly.
 
Baba Ganouj
 
2 medium eggplants, sliced in half lengthwise
Olive Oil
Sea salt
 
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. tahini
2 cloves garlic, coursely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
 
Preheat oven to 375º.  Place eggplant halves on a baking sheet, and drizzle the flesh with a good amount of olive oil (a couple of glugs for each).  Season with salt.  Roast for about 20 - 30 minutes, or until meat is cooked through.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.
 
In a blender, combine olive oil, lemon juice, tahini and garlic.  Peel the skin from the eggplant halves and roughly chop.  Add to blender and season with salt and pepper.  Process to desired consistency.
 
Green Beans with Almonds, Onions and Parmesan
 
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup whole raw almonds
1 tsp fleur de sel or other medium-course sea salt
1 lb. green beans, trimmed
5 oz. Parmigiano Reggiano, cut into 1/3 - 1/2" irregular chunks
1 small red onion, thinly sliced or shaved on a mandoline
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
 
Heat 2 Tbs oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add almonds and cook, shaking the pan back and forth, until almonds are cooked and starting to pop, about 4 minutes.  Remove from heat, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt, and stir.  Remove nuts with slotted spoon and drain on paper towel, then coarsely chop.
 
Bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to a boil.  Add beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.  Drain, transfer to a large bowl, and immediately toss with remaining 1/4 cup olive oil.
 
Add cheese, onion and parsley; toss well.  Let sit for a few minutes, then toss with almonds and serve.
 
 
** These were fantastic, by the way.  Loved the crispness of the veggies and crunch of the almonds.
 

Saffron Rice with Pignolis

1/2 cup pignolis (pine nuts)
1 32 oz. carton low-sodium chicken stock (or the homemade equivalent)
About 1/4 - 1/2 tsp saffron threads (just use a decent pinch)
2 cups jasmine rice
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, toast the pine nuts just until golden (these tend to burn fast, so keep a close eye on them).  Remove from pan and set aside.

Add chicken broth and saffron to saucepan.  Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat and allow to steep for about 15 minutes.

Return the saucepan to a medium-high heat, and when it begins to boil, slowly add rice, stirring gently.  Season with salt and pepper.  When the broth comes back to a boil, turn the heat down to medium to medium-low, cover, and cook for 16 - 18 minutes.  Allow to sit for a few minutes, then gently fluff the rice.

Just prior to serving, stir in pine nuts.

 
Fried Eggplant Balls
 
2 large eggplant (about 2 3/4 lbs)
1 large egg
2 cups medium-ground fresh breadcrumbs
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
3 Tbs chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
Extra-virgin olive oil for shallow frying
 
Preheat oven to 375º.  Prick each eggplant several times with a fork.  Roast until cooked through, about an hour.  Allow to cool.
 
Scoop flesh from eggplant halves and place in a fine sieve set over a mixing bowl.  Discard skins.  Drain for 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
 
Transfer eggplant to food processor (discard juices).  Add egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic and salt.  Pulse to combine; transfer to a plate or bowl.  Form into 1-inch balls (makes about 40).
 
Fill a large skillet with 1/4" oil and heat to about 360º.  Using a slotted spoon, add several eggplant balls to oil and cook until golden on all sides, about 5 minutes.  Remove and drain on paper towels.  Repeat with remaining balls.
 
 
** "Chip" served these with rigatoni and some olives with just a bit of olive oil and more Parmesan, I think.  Simple, but man, was this good.  And the perfect dish to serve if you have vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.  You'll make each happy.

The cooked pork with sauce simmering away in the background

Slow-Braised Pork with Grapes and Balsamic

1 4-pound boneless pork shoulder
4 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, divided

3 large shallots, halved, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3 cups seedless grapes
2 Tbs sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 large fresh sage sprigs
4 large fresh thyme sprigs
2 large fresh rosemary sprigs

Preheat oven to 325°F. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tbs oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add pork to pot and cook until browned on all sides, about 13 minutes total. Transfer pork to plate; discard fat in pot.
 
Heat remaining 2 Tbs oil in same pot over medium heat. Add shallots and grapes; sauté until shallots are golden, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Add sugar; sauté 30 seconds. Add vinegar; bring mixture to boil and cook until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Add broth, all herb sprigs, and pork with juices from plate. Bring to boil. Cover pot and transfer to oven. Braise pork 1 hour. Using tongs, turn pork over and continue braising until meat is very tender, about 45 minutes longer. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to platter; tent with foil.

Remove herb sprigs from pot and skim fat from surface of cooking liquid. Boil cooking liquid over high heat until thickened, about 7 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Pour over pork and serve.


** Leftovers make a really good version of 'pulled pork', Italian style on a ciabatta roll.

And lest you think we had no room to spare for dessert, au contraire!

Flourless Lemon-Almond Cake

1 1/3 cups blanched slivered almonds

8 Tbs sugar
4 large eggs, separated
5 tsp packed grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter and flour 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pan with waxed paper. Finely grind almonds with 2 Tbs sugar in processor. Combine yolks, 2 Tbs sugar, lemon peel, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in almond mixture. Using clean beaters, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 4 Tbs sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold large spoonful of whites into almond mixture (start with a medium sized one and mix well since the almonds and yolks get pretty thick). Gently fold in remaining whites.

Transfer batter to pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Turn out onto platter. Remove waxed paper.

Once cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

I served this with an Amaretto Whipped Cream (basically just whipping cream beaten with a bit of sugar and then Amaretto added to taste).


"Chip" had some Meyer Lemons fresh from California and made this gelato, which was fantastic (if I've used that too much here, sorry, but everything was just... fantastic :-)))  ).


Meyer Lemon Gelato

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh Meyer Lemon juice (from 5 or 6 lemons)
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup whole milk
2 large egg whites
pinch of sea salt

Whisk together sugar, lemon juice and water in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves.  Add milk and whisk to combine (it will curdle; this is ok).

In another bowl, whisk egg whites and salt until whites hold a soft peak.  Fold egg whites into lemon juice mixture.

Churn mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.  Serve, or pack into a container and freeze.