Going Against Character

Soon I’m going to have to stop with all of this healthy nonsense and get back to my usual, butter-laden dishes.  But I did this one a while back, and it’s been languishing in my ‘unposted’ pile for too long (with many others), so I thought I’d post.

You may (or may not) notice that the recipe calls for black beans when the photo, clearly, is missing them.   I know I intended to use them (for a catering job), and I can’t for the life of me remember why they were left out.  But then, I don’t like beans, so it’s not like they’re the first thing that pop into my head when raiding the pantry.

Also, in addition to the limes called for to be used in the dressing, I tossed my avocado cubes with a bit more of the juice to help keep them from browning.  I also read somewhere that if you’ll run the flesh of a newly cut avocado under cold water, it will stall the browning process.  I can’t say definitively that this works, although my experience is that it does seem to help, at least.  As a general rule in our house, avocados don’t stay around long enough to go brown, anyway.

If you don’t want to use quinoa here (although I’m getting more and more enamored with the stuff), you could always use cooked rice.  But if you haven’t tried quinoa yet, you really should.  It’s surprisingly tasty for being so darn good for you.

Southwest Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 Tbs olive oil
1 ½ cups broth or water
1 tsp salt

3 Tbs olive oil

Juice of 3 limes (about 6 Tbs)
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp chipotle chile powder
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp Mexican oregano powder
½ tsp each salt freshly ground black pepper

1 ear fresh corn, shucked

1 Roma tomato, finely diced
1 avocado, dices
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 green onion, finely sliced
½ cup cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped

Heat a saucepan over medium heat.  Add 1 Tbs olive oil and the quinoa.  Allow to toast for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the broth and salt, bring the heat up to medium-high and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to stand, covered, for another 5 minutes.  Remove lid and fluff with a fork.  Allow to cool.

Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a jar or plastic container with a lid.  Cover and shake until mixture comes together.

Cook the corn until crisp-tender, either in the microwave or by toasting in a skillet (allow to char slightly).  Allow to cool a bit and then cut the kernels from the cob.

Add the vegetables to a large mixing bowl.  Top with the cooked quinoa, followed by the dressing.  Toss to coat.  Allow to stand about 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.  Serve at room temperature.

Simple. Healthy. Delicious.

I’ll admit to a tendency to want to tweak things.  But I try to recognize when less is more.

While at the Farmer’s Market, I was inspired to make this simple salad.  Simple, of course, doesn’t have to mean boring.  This has all of the markers of a well-rounded dish.  A bit of nuttiness from the cheese and walnuts, the sweetness of the fresh vegetables and pea shoots, and tang from the lemon come together nicely.  The pea shoots, obviously, are not something you’re going to see every day in your standard grocery store, but you could substitute a bit of parsley.

See?  No muss, no fuss doesn’t have to put you into a coma.

Summer Squash Salad

1 medium sized zucchini

1 medium sized yellow squash
2 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ear sweet corn
1/3 cup walnut pieces, toasted
Shaved Asiago cheese
Pea shoots

Slice the squash lengthwise using a mandoline (you could also use a vegetable peeler).  Place slices in a strainer and sprinkle with the kosher salt.  Allow to sit for 30 minutes.  Rinse thoroughly and allow to drain again, about another 5 minutes or so.  Dry on paper towels.

Meanwhile, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, thyme and salt and pepper in a container with a lid.  Shake thoroughly until emulsified.

Husk corn and toast slightly, either on the grill, or in a grill pan.  If cooking on the stove, add a little water to your pan once you have a bit of color on the corn and cook just until tender.  Allow to cool.  Cut kernels from corn cob.  Combine corn and squash in a bowl.

Pour enough of the dressing mixture over the squash and corn and toss to coat lightly.  Arrange in serving dish.  Season with a bit more salt and pepper, if desired.

Top with walnuts, cheese and pea shoots.  Serve immediately.

Note:  the squash and dressing can be prepared in advance.  Store separately and then prepare as directed just before serving.

What Kind of Couscous?

When I first began catering regularly, I kept things pretty simple and relied on a few tried and true recipes.  Now that I’ve developed a little ‘system’, I’m starting to branch out more in terms of trying new recipes.  Some have worked better than others (I generally judge the level of success by how much, or little, is left over), but there have definitely been some hands down favorites, especially in the area of sides.

My approach has been to put myself in the shoes of the people I’m feeding.  I know when I walk up to a buffet line and see yet another tray of cold cuts with the obligatory potato salad alongside, I want to stifle a yawn.  So especially when it comes to side salads, I want to offer something a bit more enticing.

I had a number of people comment about this salad after the last lunch I did.  Several wanted to know what type of pasta it was (“I thought it was some kind of couscous, but I’ve never seen it that big before”, “Was that what’s-it-called??  Kwin-Oh-Ah??”).  Most just commented on how tasty it was.

As an added bonus, I reserved about half of the dressing I made for this and used it as a marinade for chicken thighs, which I grilled and put on skewers.

And the crowd went wild.

 

Greco Israeli Couscous Salad

Dressing:

1/2 cup light olive oil

1/4 cup canola oil
2 - 3 Tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp dried ground oregano
3 cloves fresh garlic, mashed into a paste with 1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp finely chopped fresh mint
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a glass jar. Cover and shake well.  Or, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until emulsified.

Salad:

3 cups water

1 ½ cups dry Israeli Couscous
¼ tsp salt
1 cup Chinese snow peas
½ medium English cucumber, cubed
½ cup sliced green onions
1 tsp lemon zest
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
¼ - ½ cup Dressing (to taste)
½ cup crumbled feta cheese

In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil.  Add salt and the couscous.  Stir and reduce heat to a simmer.  Simmer until couscous is just tender, about 10 minutes.  Drain into a fine mesh strainer and rinse with cold water.  Set aside.

Combine remaining ingredients, except for dressing, in a large bowl.  Add the cooled couscous and stir to combine.  Add ¼ cup of the dressing and toss.  Add more dressing if needed.  Season with more salt and pepper if needed.

** To make ahead of time, make dressing and store separately.  Combine all salad ingredients, except for the feta and basil.  Just before serving, add the feta, basil and dressing.  Toss to combine.

Lots of Bang for the Buck

No, I haven’t fallen off the planet, so the 3 of you that read this can stop worrying!  :-)  I had back-to-back catering jobs (very challenging in my little kitchen) and a baby shower cake to put together.

Here ‘tis…

Can’t say I was terribly thrilled with the cake itself. Very moist and tasty, but not so sturdy given the drive I had to make in a hot car. But it survived. I did have fun making all of the little animals, though.

In addition to the cake, I brought along this fruit tureen, which I totally hijacked from Martha’s site. It was so popular the first time around that I actually added it as a fruit option for one of my catered breakfasts. Very healthy, and it goes together quickly, which is always an added plus!

It holds up to heat a lot better than cream cheese frosting, let me tell you.

Mixed Berry Tureen

2 cups clear juice (I used white cranberry)
½ cup sugar
2 packets plain gelatin
About 3 cups of fruit*

In a small saucepan, combine ¼ cup of the juice and the sugar. Bring to a boil and continue to cook and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat. In a small bowl, combine another ¼ cup of the juice with the gelatin. Stir until mixture is thoroughly combined.

Add the gelatin mixture to the juice in the pan. Stir until gelatin dissolves. Stir in the remaining 1 ½ cups juice.

In a loaf pan, layer the different fruits, leaving the cut sides of the strawberries (if using) facing up. Slowly pour the juice mixture over the fruit. Press fruit down slightly.

Chill for at least 3 hours. To unmold, run a knife around the edges of the loaf pan and then dip the outside of the pan in hot water for about 5 seconds. Invert onto a plate.

*My first time making this, I used about a cup of blackberries, a little less than half a cup of raspberries, and then made up the difference in strawberries slice in half. The second round I substituted chopped nectarine for the raspberries.

Frugal Fridays - Multitasking

I think I may have mentioned my aversion to hot weather. Hot, sticky weather is even worse. Cooking of any kind ranks pretty low on my list of things I get excited about when the temperature gets about 85º. But when I landed another catering job at work this week, I found myself standing over a hot oven with the temperature outside a whopping 91º and the humidity level… well, I don’t even want to know what it was.

And so to minimize, even slightly, the amount of time spent sweating through food prep, I decided to buy enough extra to eat off of one of the salads I was preparing. At least dinner would be taken care of.

This salad is light but filling, and paired with a little baguette smeared with butter and sprinkled with a bit of sea salt, made for a very satisfactory dinner.

Greek Orzo Shrimp Salad
Adapted from Wives with Knives

1 red bell pepper
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
¾ lb orzo pasta
1/2 English cucumber, peeled and chopped
½ cup Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
2 scallions, finely sliced
½ lb peeled shrimp
2 Tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs white wine
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 tsp dill
3 Tbs course ground Dijon
1 cup crumbled Feta

Line a small baking sheet with foil and add the bell pepper and tomatoes. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the tomatoes and cover loosely with one end of the aluminum foil, leaving the bell pepper exposed. Place under broiler and scorch the pepper on each side, turning once each side is blackened. Remove from oven and place the pepper and tomatoes in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to steam for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil to keep from sticking. Place in serving bowl and allow to cool.

In a skillet over medium, heat 2 Tbs of olive oil. Add pepper flakes and garlic, cooking and stirring for a minute, or just until garlic begins to soften. Add shrimp and season with salt and pepper. Allow to cook until shrimp begins to brown on one side. Flip over and cook for about another 30 seconds. Add 2 Tbs white wine and cook just until wine evaporates. Add shrimp to the pasta.

Peel the skin from the bell pepper, remove seeds and cut into strips (I only used about half of the pepper and saved the remainder for another time). Add to pasta and shrimp, along with the tomatoes, cucumber, olives and scallions. Stir to combine.

In a jar, or another small container with a lid, combine the ½ cup olive oil, white wine vinegar, dill and Dijon. Season with salt and pepper. Place lid on container and shake vigorously until the mixture has emulsified.

Sprinkle Feta cheese over pasta and pour vinaigrette over the top. Stir just until combined.

Cost Breakdown:

Bell pepper - $ .99
Tomatoes - $1.50
Orzo - free (see what a good coupon shopper I am??)
Cucumber - $ .75
Olives - $2.00
Scallions - $ .11
Shrimp - $2.50 (another sale item)
Seasonings, etc - $ .60 (guesstimate)
Feta - $1.00 (on sale)
Baguette - $2.49

Total for enough to feed 4 people - $11.94, or $2.99 per serving

Frugal Fridays - Summer Salad!

It seems that summer has come at last to Oregon. Given what some of my friends east of here have been going through, I’m not going to toss up too many complaints about our belated warm weather. Still, it is nice to break 80 now and again.

There does seem to be a temperature threshold for me when I become unwilling to cook, especially when it involves turning on any heat element of the stove. It usually happens when the temperature inside the house reaches 80 or so. Luckily, I haven’t quite reached that just yet.

But I did decide that rather than spending tons of time inside preparing a meal, I would spend the time OUTSIDE eating one, and so I opted to grab a rotisserie chicken (yes, the old standby) and turn it into a quick salad. I also had some pencil-sized asparagus that needed to be used up, and I thought I’d ramp up the flavor a bit by adding a compound butter - in this case one with garlic and saffron in it. The floral notes in the saffron blended well with the sun-dried tomato and herbs in the chicken.

I even discovered that while I wasn’t looking, my little bean plant was beginning to produce beans, even though it hasn’t been getting very big. But if I hadn’t been sitting there enjoying some quiet, I probably wouldn’t have even thought to check it.

Now if only the tomatoes would grow.

Cost breakdown:

½ Chicken (I was just feeding two of us) - $3.99
½ head of lettuce - .50
Olives, herbs and sun-dried tomatoes - $2.00
½ bundle of asparagus - $1.25
Parmesan cheese - $ .75
Butter - $ .32
Garlic and herbs - $ .15



Total: $8.96 ($4.48 per person)

As you can see, although it was still an economical meal, the ‘frugality’ here was more in time savings than anything else.

Putting it all together:

Pan-fried Asparagus with Garlic Saffron Butter

½ lb asparagus spears (I used the pencil-thin variety, which cooked quickly), washed and patted dry
½ Tbs olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
¼ cup white wine

½ stick unsalted butter, softened
¼ tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
1 clove garlic
A small pinch of saffron (this goes a long way - 3 or 4 strands will do you)

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, and when it is heated, add asparagus in a shallow layer. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus begins to brown in spots. Add the white wine, cover with a lid, and allow to cook 3 or 4 minutes, or just until crisp-tender (don’t overcook). Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, roughly chop garlic on a cutting board. Sprinkle with saffron and salt, and make a paste by dragging the side of a knife across the garlic and seasonings.

Toss with warm asparagus.

Italian Chicken Salad

½ rotisserie chicken, meat removed (about 2 cups)
½ cup mayo with olive oil
2 Tbs sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
2 Tbs fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade
1 tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
½ cup Kalamata olives
Salt & pepper to taste
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese**

Heat oven to 400º. Cover a small baking pan with foil. Place olives on the baking pan, season with salt and pepper and roast in oven for about 10 minutes. Remove olives from pan and set aside to cool. In the same pan, divide Parmesan in two equal portion, spreading out into a thin layer and leaving about an inch of space between the two portions. Return pan to the oven and allow the cheese to cook just until it turns golden, about 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool (the rounds will crisp up as they cool).

In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, mayo, tomatoes and herbs. Stir to combine. Chop the cooled Kalamata olives and add to the chicken mixture (the salt from the olives and chicken should be sufficient, but taste for seasoning).

Serve over lettuce drizzled with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, if desired, and garnish with Parmesan crisp.


** As you can see from the picture, I didn’t have a pretty Parmesan crisp. I grabbed the wrong container of Parmesan, and the grated version had to be scraped off the foil. So I used it to sprinkle over the top instead. Same flavor, just not as pretty.

It's a Wrap!

Had another catering gig at work and was given very little in the way of direction for food. Basically what I got was “Oh, they’re healthy eaters. Just make… whatever”.

Uh… ok.

Since this is the same group I had catered for twice before, I figured they’d be getting tired of the ol’ Build Your Own Sandwich spread plus salads, so I figured I’d give them something with a bit more grab n’ go appeal. And although wraps seems so cliché, that was really the best option I could come up with given the VERY limited space I was dealing with.

Now I had every intention of getting some photos of the finished salads I put together once I had done the last minute ‘dolling up’ of them, but alas, when the time came, it was just a crunch to get everything together and delivered with minimal interruption to a meeting in progress.

But I made a super simple caprese quinoa salad using the basic premise for caprese salad (some heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella and basil) tossed in with your basic cooked quinoa and then topped with a balsamic reduction. Seemed to be quite popular. I also made a Chinese chicken salad (your typical ramen noodle/cabbage/chicken thing, only sugar-free). As an accompaniment to the salads, I made some very pretty little whole wheat rolls, which of course you’re just going to have to take my word on since I was a dope and didn’t snap photos.

I made a large platter of wraps, and naturally, the ones that went together the quickest were the ones that actually flew off the tray. But I can’t say there was anything complicated about any of them.

They had:

Veggie Wraps with Herbed Cheese

6 spinach tortillas/wraps
1 container Boursin cheese
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 orange bell pepper, cut into strips
1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into strips
3 cups (roughly) rinsed and dried baby spinach leaves
1 ½ cups (roughly) shredded carrots
Salt & pepper to taste

Divide the cheese into 6 equal parts and spread on each tortilla to within about 1/2” of the edges. Top the cheese with a layer of spinach and then a layer of carrots. Arrange bell pepper strips and cucumber facing the same direction (parallel to the edge you plan to start rolling up), and season with salt and pepper. Bring in the two sides of the tortilla about ¾” and then roll up the tortilla, beginning with the end closest to you. Press down slightly to ‘set’ it. Cut in half.

Southwest Chicken Rolls

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded
1 cup sour cream
3 Tbs fresh lime juice
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp paprika
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
½ can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ red bell pepper, diced
1 ear corn
Olive oil
1 avocado, thinly sliced
3 -4 slices lavash bread

Brush olive oil on corn and place in a pre-heated grill pan (or on a charcoal grill, or even in a cast-iron skillet - you get the picture). Cook at medium-high heat on each side until kernels are slightly charred. Add ½ cup of water and cover, cooking until kernels are tender, about 5 minutes. Allow to cool completely and then cut kernels from cob.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken meat, sour cream, lime, seasonings, beans and vegetables. Stir to combine.

Divide mixture and spread evenly across each slice of bread, spreading all the way out to 3 of the sides and leaving about ½” of space on the side furthest from you. Top with avocado.

Beginning with side nearest you, make a tight roll, ‘tucking in’ any filling that spills out the side. Press together gently to seal. Cut into 2” slices.

* * *

I also had Cuban Sandwich Wraps, which don’t really warrant a recipe. Basically, I spread course mustard on wheat tortillas, topped with provolone and uncured ham (couldn’t find pork deli meat where I went), laid dill pickle spears down the center, and rolled them up. Pretty basic stuff.

In addition to the above, I had a couple of different chips options (kettle and veggie) as well as a couple of cookie trays. I went with the much-requested Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, as well as these Peanut Butter Cookies. And while I couldn’t tell you how they tasted (bad chef - but I’m really not a fan of peanut butter), I can tell you that they were inhaled. Always a good sign.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
½ cup light brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg, room temperature
1½ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add peanut butter and cream until fully combined, about 1 minute. Add egg and mix until fully incorporated.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to wet ingredients and mix just until dough comes together. Roll dough into 1 1/2" balls, roll in sugar and place on cookie sheet, about 2" apart. Using a fork, press the tops of the cookies, creating a criss-cross pattern.

Bake cookies for 13 - 14 minutes, until golden. Allow cookies to cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lunch for a Crowd

Meals for a large group need not be daunting. They just require a bit of planning.

I was asked to prepare a sandwich buffet for a group of 15 at work. And while I opted to provide some home baked breads, it was by no means required. I would recommend at the least finding a decent bakery and adding one or two bakery quality varieties.

My sandwich buffet included the following:

Breads - Potato and Pumpernickel/Hazelnut breads provided by me, Whole Wheat from a local bakery, and Hawaiian rolls straight from the deli of a big box store.

Lunch Meats - I figured about ¼ lb per person and included a seasoned turkey (garlic/rosemary), roast beef, ham, pastrami and chicken.

Tarragon and Walnut Chicken Salad (recipe below)

Cheeses - I offered Cheddar, Muenster, Havarti and Brie.

Condiments - along with the usual mustard and mayo, I included a garlic/saffron aioli and pesto (recipes for these included below).

Misc - I provided some frisee and green lettuce, along with grapes, pickles and banana peppers

Mediterranean Pasta Salad (recipe below)

Cookie Assortment (Chocolate Chip Oatmeal, Browniedoodles, Matcha Almond Butter Cookies (Going to work on this recipe. They were fine, but I wasn’t completely happy with them).

I don’t have a lot of photos to share because I could only snap a few as I was staging things. I did the set up during a meeting, so it was a fast in and out, but I think you’ll get the idea:

Pesto

¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
¼ cup pine nuts or walnuts
Juice from ½ a lemon
2 cups fresh basil leaves
¼ cup olive oil (no, this isn’t a typo - you’ll need about ½ cup total)
½ cup Parmesan or Asiago cheese (freshly grated, please)
Salt and pepper to taste

Layer the ingredients in a blender in the order they appear here (I just find that unless you have a high-end blender, you’ll have more success this way). Using a ‘Grind’ setting, or something similar, pulse the mixture until it becomes a paste. Taste for seasoning and add more oil if the mixture is too thick.


Garlic/Saffron Aioli
Note: I would have made my own mayonnaise for this, but I opted to just go for a good quality store-bought instead. No worries about raw eggs.

½ cup good quality mayo
1 Tbs white wine
Generous pinch of saffron
1 garlic cloves, peeled and mashed into a paste
¼ tsp white pepper

Pour white wine into a small bowl and add the saffron. Allow to steep for about 10 minutes. Add the mayo, garlic and white pepper and stir until well combined.

Walnut Tarragon Chicken Salad

2 roasted chickens (you can use rotisserie if desired)
½ shallot, finely minced
1 Tbs fresh tarragon, cut into a chiffonade
¼ cup white wine
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 cup good quality mayonnaise
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
½ cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Remove meat from chickens and cut into a small dice. Add to a mixing bowl along with the remaining ingredients. Stir until well combined. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes to allow flavors to combine before serving.

If you are making this in advance, leave out the nuts and stir in at the last moment before service.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

1 lb box orzo, cooked according to directions
2 Tbs olive oil
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, cut into quarters
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (I used an heirloom assortment)
1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped or torn apart
About half a bottle of your favorite vinaigrette, or make your own
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup feta cheese

Cook pasta. Drain, pour into a mixing bowl, add olive oil and stir well. Allow to cool. Add olives, cucumber, tomatoes and spinach. Pour vinaigrette evenly over ingredients and toss lightly. Season to taste. Fold in feta cheese. Serve at room temperature.

My Back and a Night of Basque

Remember my mention of Vertebrae.Fail? Well, just shortly after that, I went into Epic.Vertebrae.Fail. No need to go into details. Just suffice it to say that cooking was not an option.

If you cook on a regular basis, at one point or another, you get to the point where you’re sick of your own food. Or at least feeling like you’re just regurgitating the same recipes over and over (hmm… maybe not the best choice of words there). Well, after 3 weeks of take out, rotisserie chicken and rice, and Eggo’s, I can tell you that I was just DYING to get back in the kitchen.

I ended up having to cancel a scheduled monthly dinner with G & C, much to my frustration. Since they were available the following weekend, we decided to reschedule, and there was just no way on earth I wanted to miss that.

We did manage to pull off another stellar dinner. However, what we didn’t manage to do was take much in the way of photos. As a matter of fact, I have photos of very little of the dinner. ACK!

So you’ll just have to take my word when I tell you we had incredibly yummy fare, and I’ll share with you some of the recipes, along with the few photos I did get (some of them taken the following day with the leftovers).

Our theme for the evening was Basque cooking - something I was completely unfamiliar with. Carley had had it on a number of occasions. Once again, those Mediterranean type of flavors struck a chord with me.

Carley contributed a chicken dish nestled in a bed of spinach and topped with onions and roasted (?) peppers. So moist and delicious. There was also a potato ‘salad’ of sorts with crab (mmm….), and a cassoulet type of dish using chickpeas (ok, so I may have mentioned before that I’m not much into legumes, but these were really tasty - and I caught hell from Offspring 2 the next morning for not taking a larger portion as leftovers). But I could write sonnets about the olive bread she bought. The day after our dinner, I was kicking myself for not asking if I could keep a slice or two. Then I opened up the fridge and found she had left me about half a loaf! I’d like to say that I was generous and shared.

But you probably know better.

I wasn’t sure what my limit was going to be for standing and decided to make a number of small dishes that I could make ahead of time. That gave me two days to take it easy and put everything together a bit at a time. So if you’re looking for some make-ahead dishes, these are some good options.

The first item I put together was dessert (priorities, right?), and I wish I had a photo because it was pretty to look at once it was all dressed for the ball. It was a cake made with olive oil and semolina and then drizzled with a citrus/honey sauce and pistachios. And it was dressed with a side of Greek yogurt and strawberries. Good in theory. However, in converting the recipe from metric measurements, I don’t think I got everything quite right. It was dense as it should have been, but a bit on the dry side, and my sauce didn’t sink in like I wanted it to. I seem to have problems with glazes.

Anyway, next up was this very simple tomato salad….

Chorizo and Tomato Salad

3 tomatoes, cut into chunks (I used 2 Romas and an heirloom variety of some kind)
1 green onion, thinly sliced
About 4 Tbs good quality olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbs Sherry vinegar, divided
1 Chorizo sausage, casing removed and thinly sliced (make sure it’s more of a firm sausage, rather than the kind that kind of dissolves when you cook it)
2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Add tomatoes and green onion to a bowl. Pour 2 Tbs olive oil and 1 Tbs vinegar over tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and allow to sit.

Meanwhile, add remaining 2 Tbs olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. Add chorizo and cook and stir until chorizo is browned. Add garlic to the skillet and stir just until garlic begins to take on color. Add remaining vinegar to the pan and remove from heat. Stir mixture, scraping up any bits from bottom of the pan. Pour over tomato mixture.

***
Another easy (super easy) make ahead dish were these stuffed piquillo peppers. You could really add so much to them and customize them however you want. I actually had some nice green olives I was going to add, but the next day I realized I had forgotten all about them. I included them in the recipe, anyway.

Stuffed Piquillos

1 jar roasted piquillo peppers
1 Tbs olive oil
¼ cup onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 cup fire roasted tomatoes
½ cup chopped green olives (mine were Moroccan, I believe)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked rice
½ - 1 cup shredded Manchego cheese

Heat oven to 375º. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Lightly oil the bottom of a glass (square) baking dish.

Add onion to skillet and sauté just until translucent. Add garlic and cumin. Cook and stir until cumin is fragrant and garlic softens. Add tomato, olives, cooked rice and seasoning. Remove from heat and stir in half of the shredded cheese.



***

The next item on my little tapas lineup were these meatballs. The sauce reminded of me of one of my favorites (Romesco). And again, super simple.

Albóndigas en Salsa de Almendra
adapted from Williams-Sonoma

½ lb each ground pork and beef
2 slices bread, soaked in water and squeezed dry
¼ cup onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 Tbs Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup slivered, blanched almonds
2 Tbs Italian parsley, roughly chopped
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of saffron

2 Tbs olive oil
½ cup onion, finely chopped
½ cup white wine
2/3 cup chicken stock

In a large bowl, combine the meat, soaked bread, onion, garlic, parsley, egg, paprika and cinnamon. Season to taste. Mix all ingredients until combined, but do not overmix, or the meatballs will be tough.

In a skillet, heat (medium heat) enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Make ping-pong sized meatballs and place in skillet, giving them room in between so that they’re not crowded. Cook, turning the meatballs as they brown, until they’re cooked through. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Pour out any remaining oil from pan.

In a mini chopper or mortar and pestle, add the 2 cloves garlic, almonds, parsley, paprika, pepper and saffron. Chop or crush until mixture is well combined and almonds are broken down into a paste.

In the skillet you cooked the meatballs, add additional olive oil and heat over medium. Add onions and sauté just until translucent. Pour in white wine and chicken stock, add meatballs, and then stir in the almond mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. Pour into serving dish and serve immediately.

***

This next dish I’d like to try out when our weather improves and it’s time to head outdoors and do some grilling.

Prawns with Garlic Chips and Preserved Lemons

1 lb large prawns, peeled and deveined
2 Tbs olive oil
½ tsp paprika
2 Tbs sliced garlic
2 tsp finely chopped preserved lemon
2 tsp finely chopped Italian parsley
Fleur de sel to finish

Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When the oil begins to smoke, add the prawns. Cook on one side for 2 minutes, then flip over and cook for another 2 minutes on the other side. Remove prawns to a serving dish. Add paprika and garlic to still hot oil and cook until garlic begins to brown. Remove from heat. Pour mixture over prawns, add lemon and parsley, and stir to combine. Finish with fleur de sel.


***

I had two more dishes, and of course, got no photos. I know it sounds like a lot for someone having a tough time standing for any given length of time, but each dish went together VERY fast, and I just kind of swept in, threw one together, and then camped out with a heating pad.

I made some no-frills roasted baby fingerling potatoes and served them with a garlic-saffron aioli. Very simple. And because you can just never have too many potatoes, I decided to throw in these Croquetas as well…

Apple and Shallot Croquetas

1/2 TB butter
2 1/2 tsp flour
1/2 c milk
salt & pepper

1 c leftover mashed potatoes
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/2 c dried apple, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 TB lemon juice

2 eggs, beaten
2 c panko breadcrumbs
1 Tbs dried parsley

vegetable oil for frying

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Once melted, using a wooden spoon, blend the flour into the butter, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk, continuing to stir. Turn up the heat to medium and begin whisking vigorously until all of the lumps are removed and the sauce thickens. Let boil for 1 minute while stirring and remove from heat. Season with the salt and pepper to taste.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, shallot, apple, cumin and lemon juice. Pour in béchamel mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.

In a skillet, add vegetable oil to about ½” depth. Heat over medium heat. Meanwhile, add 2 eggs to a bowl and beat thoroughly. In another bowl, add breadcrumbs and dried parsley.

Make small (about ping-pong ball size) balls from the potato mixture. Dip each in beaten egg and then roll in breadcrumbs. When oil is hot, add croquetas to the pan. Cook and turn as each side browns. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.

Chocolate Craze

I don’t know why I’ve had such a writing block with this post. Maybe it’s because every time I think about our chocolate dinner, I go into a post-hypnotic stupor just thinking about it.

Or maybe I’m just being lazy.

I will have to say that I think that Carley and I need to come up with a more creative term for the ‘Dinner of the Month’ thing we do (Carley is the Artist Formerly Known as ‘C’ or ‘Chip’). We’re just enjoying ourselves too much to not give it a better moniker. I’m also thinking we should start inviting people to partake since we seem to make a TON of food between us, and it’s generally only being enjoyed by four people.

While the name thing is floating around waiting to be resolved, I’ll move along to the food. Being February, we opted to go with a chocolate theme. In other words, everything had to have chocolate in it. And while I knew it wouldn’t be a far stretch coming up with main dishes (such as this molé), what I didn’t realize was how difficult it would be to come up with the SIDES.

But ultimately, I think we did pretty well.

And no, we didn’t sit down to Oreos and Hershey bars.

I won’t share all of the recipes here, but everything was delicious. Every dish had chocolate in some form but you didn’t get hit over the head with it (other than the desserts, of course, which were no-holds-barred in-your-face chocolate delights). I once heard someone say that if you can get past thinking of chocolate as a candy or dessert and think of it as another spice, then it’s easy to make the transition from sweet to savory.

This was the lineup…


Carley’s Menu (from "Enlightened Chocolate" by Camilla V. Saulsbury)

Cocoa Rubbed Chicken
Spiced Pumpkin Soup
Shrimp and Rice Salad with Chocolate Vinaigrette
Zinfully Chocolate Mousse Cakes (which I don't have photos of, sorry - SOOO good, though!)

Carri’s Menu

Braised Italian Pot Roast
Cocoa Dusted Roasted Potatoes
Butternut Squash with Cacao Nib Vinaigrette
Chocolate Meringues with Nutella and Frangelico Buttercreams (we’ll call this one ‘in development’, so no recipes for now)

OK, first up is the vinaigrette recipe that Carley used to dress this shrimp and rice salad. 

Chocolate Vinaigrette

1 Tbs toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 ½ Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ Tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp water
1 ½ tsp sugar
½ tsp paprika
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine ingredients in a bowl and whisk well to combine.

** Carley tossed this mixture with some cooked shrimp, which she then added to some rice with chopped cucumber, red pepper and mango.

So good!

The chicken was the first thing my eyes gravitated to.  So pretty, and the smell was just amazing!

Cocoa Rubbed Chicken

½ cup chile powder
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
3 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 7-lb roasting chicken

Preheat oven to 450°. Combine spices thoroughly in a small bowl. Rub all over chicken, coating well.

Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature of oven to 375° and cook for an additional 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the thigh reads 180°.

Remove from oven, tent with foil and allow to rest 10 - 15 minutes before serving.


Zinfully Chocolate Mousse Cakes

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)
2 Tbs flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 ¼ cups sugar, divided
¾ cup Zinfandel
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 large egg white

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray 10 4-oz ramekins with cooking spray and place in a 9 x 13” pan. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine cocoa powder, flour, salt and ¾ cup of sugar. Add wine, whisking to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Place chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Pour liquid mixture over chocolate; stir until chocolate melts. Stir in vanilla.

In a medium bowl add eggs, egg white and remaining ½ cup of sugar. Beat with a mixer at high speed 6 minutes. Gently fold egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Divide batter between prepared ramekins.

Bake mousse cakes 23 - 25 minutes or until puffy and set. Serve warm.



Kind of the Italian version of a molé



















Braised Italian Pot Roast


About 2 ½ lbs beef pot roast
1/2 bottle of a robust Italian red wine
Clove of garlic
Sprig of rosemary
Cinnamon stick
2 cloves
A few juniper berries
Black peppercorns
1 leek, cleaned and chopped
1 carrot, chopped
salt
Beef broth
oil
1 oz unsweetened chocolate (90% cacao) or a heaping tsp of unsweetened cocoa

The night before put the wine in a bowl with the garlic and spices. Add the meat and marinate at least 12 hours.

Pour a little olive oil in a casserole and brown the meat on all sides. Remove from pan and add carrot and leek. Sauté until softened and then add the meat. Filter the solids from the wine and add to pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 2 ½ hours, adding a little stock if the liquid evaporates too much. Remove from oven and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat and allow the liquid to reduce (about 30 minutes).

Add chocolate and blend with immersion blender.

Cocoa Dusted Roasted Potatoes

1 Tbs cocoa powder
3/4 Tbs smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
3/4 Tbs coarsely ground Kosher salt
1 1/2 lbs baby potatoes
Olive oil to coat

Heat oven to 400º.  Wash potatoes and remove any blemishes.  Dry on paper towels and place on foil lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. 

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl.  Sprinkle evenly over potatoes and toss.

Place in oven and cook about 20 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Cacao Nib Vinaigrette

1 4-lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1" slices
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1½ tsp cacao nibs, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, finely minced
3 oz thinly sliced pancetta, cooked until crisp and drained
Freshly cut Italian parsley

Preheat oven to 450º.   Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.  Lay squash on baking sheet and drizzle with oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and soft

Meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Whisk briskly to combine.  Add cacao nibs and shallot.  Stir to combine.

Pour mixture evenly over squash, tossing gently to coat.  Sprinkle with cooked pancetta and parsley.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Just Had to Share

C was kind enough to let me post the recipe and a photo of her stuffed pears from this weekend.  They were fabulous!  And I will have to agree with her that this would also make a great spread on a sandwich or crackers.

Pears with Stilton, Cream and Walnuts
(adapted from England's Heritage Food and Cooking)

1/2 cup cream cheese
4 oz Stilton cheese with apricots (available at Trader Joe's)
2-3 Tbsp half and half
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp butter
3 ripe pears
1 tbsp lemon juice
salad leaves
salt
pepper

Dressing:
4 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp sugar
4 Tbsp olive oil

Cream together the cream cheese and Stilton cheese. Add a few grinds of black pepper, then 2-3 Tbsp half and half and stir until creamy. Set aside.

Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat and melt the butter in the pan. Add the chopped walnuts and toast for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Add a dash or two of salt to the toasting nuts. Remove from heat and place in separate bowl and allow to cool. Once cool, add to cheese mixture and stir to combine.

Cover mixture and chill until ready to use.

Fill a bowl large enough to hold three pears with ice water and add 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Peel the pears, then cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the core. Place cut and peeled pear halves into the ice water to keep them from turning brown.

Whisk dressing ingredients together in a separate bowl.

Place salad leaves on plate. Drain pears from ice water and pat dry using a kitchen towel. Scoop cheese mixture into balls to fill the hollowed out cores. Spoon dressing over pears and serve.