Sunday, May 07, 2006
Paper Chef 17 - Miso Socca with Vegetables Provencal
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Was it only a few years ago that fusion cuisine was the hottest thing around? Sure, sure, now its all about Spain and either scientific foods or the truly home-spun, but six or eight years ago, the buzz on the street was "fusion, baby!" And the combo platter that started the whirlwind was a sublime Japanese-French mishmash that resulted in such divinity as miso glazed cod, sesame tuile with crème fraiche and tobiko, and well, a zillion other culinary delights.
That heritage (can we call it heritage at this point? Is it too soon? I do wonder.) made creating a dish for my favorite online event, Paper Chef, a snap in my opinion. The ingredients du jour (du mois?) lavender, miso, chickpeas and a local ingredient, well, that to me just screamed Provence, with a slight nod to, well, obviously, Japan…
The dish was easy to decide on, but heaven help me if it didn’t become a lavender-induced challenge. (I’m getting to be a broken record on this, but please do bare with me.) I recently moved to a new neighborhood, that is distinctly lacking in high-end grocery options, and it seems Herbs De Provence (a French spice mix featuring lavender) – in this hood anyway – is quite the rarity, and my option was to purchase it from my new boyfriend at Monsieur Marcel for an outrageous sum, make my own, or, as I ended up doing, using this insane looking bright purple (see the photo over there? That purple stuff is salt!) salt and some marinated olives. Then for my local ingredient, I fully intended on plucking a nice fat branch of that ubiquitous and fragrant hedge, rosemary, but alas, this hood seems to be “edible-hedge” free, so again, I opted for some lavender growing in my yard. Gee, I hope it was pesticide free…
The resulting dish was quite homey, would make a great party entrée if you have vegetarians (or you could easily add some roast chicken) it was a breeze to whip up and visually stunning. I do wish I had been able to capture a better photo, but my batteries were dying and my guests were hungry...I also must confess, I'm not entirely sure the miso added much, except salt, which the chick-pea flour desperately needs, so if you omit that, just add more of the blessed little crystals, ok? Now try this, and enjoy!
For the Socca
1 cup chick-pea (garbanzo bean) flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup cold water
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1 teaspoon miso
For the vegetables
1 cup assorted mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (I used crimini and golden chanterelle)
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced thin
6-8 herbs-de-Provence marinated olives, pitted and sliced (available in bulk at Whole Foods)
6-8 starburst or pattypan squash, cleaned and sliced
olive oil
(Lavender) Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh lavender flowers for garnish
In a large, hot pan, sear the mushrooms in a bit of oil. When browned, add the rest of the vegetables and cook until just crisp-tender (it's important your squash are sliced thin, or they wont catch up here.) When done, set aside and make the crepes.
In a small bowl, combine the water and salt, and stir to dissolve. In a larger bowl, combine the flour, oil and miso and stir. Add the water and whisk to make a thin mixture, then let rest for 5 minutes (it may thicken). Add pepper to taste and prepare your pan.
In an 8 inch non-stick skillet (or crepe pan. I tried to use mine and it kept sticking. Crepes, pancakes, whatever, I just have never mastered them in anything but a non-stick pan. Sigh.) heat some oil and pour in a 3 oz. ladleful of the mixture. Cook as any pancake, flip and remove from the pan. Set aside and continue with the rest of the batter. This should yield about 6 finished socca.
Top the socca with the veg mix, and if using, add some crushed lavender salt.
Serves six.
__________________________________
Herbes de Provence combines sweet French herbs and flowery lavender with Italian herbs and fennel, demonstrating the historical influence of the Romans. – Penzeys.com
Socca is a chick-pea flour crepe that hails from the seaside areas Nice and Marseilles in Southern France.
This week in Florida, the state Legislature passed a bill naming the Key lime pie as the official state pie During a House debate Thursday on the state pie, Rep. Dwight Stansel, a Democrat, proposed giving the honor to the sweet potato pie, calling the Key lime alternative "nasty.'' ''I don't understand how anybody in this body can designate a state pie from a fruit that is not even grown in Florida anymore,'' he said. "That fruit is grown in Mexico.'' Sweet potatoes, Stansel argued, are grown in Florida and are "coming back to the kitchen table.'' But his pitch didn't work. The House voted 106-14 in support of the Key lime pie. The bill already cleared the Senate and will now be sent to the Gov. for his signature.
Was it only a few years ago that fusion cuisine was the hottest thing around? Sure, sure, now its all about Spain and either scientific foods or the truly home-spun, but six or eight years ago, the buzz on the street was "fusion, baby!" And the combo platter that started the whirlwind was a sublime Japanese-French mishmash that resulted in such divinity as miso glazed cod, sesame tuile with crème fraiche and tobiko, and well, a zillion other culinary delights.That heritage (can we call it heritage at this point? Is it too soon? I do wonder.) made creating a dish for my favorite online event, Paper Chef, a snap in my opinion. The ingredients du jour (du mois?) lavender, miso, chickpeas and a local ingredient, well, that to me just screamed Provence, with a slight nod to, well, obviously, Japan…
The dish was easy to decide on, but heaven help me if it didn’t become a lavender-induced challenge. (I’m getting to be a broken record on this, but please do bare with me.) I recently moved to a new neighborhood, that is distinctly lacking in high-end grocery options, and it seems Herbs De Provence (a French spice mix featuring lavender) – in this hood anyway – is quite the rarity, and my option was to purchase it from my new boyfriend at Monsieur Marcel for an outrageous sum, make my own, or, as I ended up doing, using this insane looking bright purple (see the photo over there? That purple stuff is salt!) salt and some marinated olives. Then for my local ingredient, I fully intended on plucking a nice fat branch of that ubiquitous and fragrant hedge, rosemary, but alas, this hood seems to be “edible-hedge” free, so again, I opted for some lavender growing in my yard. Gee, I hope it was pesticide free…
The resulting dish was quite homey, would make a great party entrée if you have vegetarians (or you could easily add some roast chicken) it was a breeze to whip up and visually stunning. I do wish I had been able to capture a better photo, but my batteries were dying and my guests were hungry...I also must confess, I'm not entirely sure the miso added much, except salt, which the chick-pea flour desperately needs, so if you omit that, just add more of the blessed little crystals, ok? Now try this, and enjoy!
For the Socca1 cup chick-pea (garbanzo bean) flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup cold water
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1 teaspoon miso
For the vegetables
1 cup assorted mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (I used crimini and golden chanterelle)
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 clove garlic, sliced thin
6-8 herbs-de-Provence marinated olives, pitted and sliced (available in bulk at Whole Foods)
6-8 starburst or pattypan squash, cleaned and sliced
olive oil
(Lavender) Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh lavender flowers for garnish
In a large, hot pan, sear the mushrooms in a bit of oil. When browned, add the rest of the vegetables and cook until just crisp-tender (it's important your squash are sliced thin, or they wont catch up here.) When done, set aside and make the crepes.
In a small bowl, combine the water and salt, and stir to dissolve. In a larger bowl, combine the flour, oil and miso and stir. Add the water and whisk to make a thin mixture, then let rest for 5 minutes (it may thicken). Add pepper to taste and prepare your pan.
In an 8 inch non-stick skillet (or crepe pan. I tried to use mine and it kept sticking. Crepes, pancakes, whatever, I just have never mastered them in anything but a non-stick pan. Sigh.) heat some oil and pour in a 3 oz. ladleful of the mixture. Cook as any pancake, flip and remove from the pan. Set aside and continue with the rest of the batter. This should yield about 6 finished socca.
Top the socca with the veg mix, and if using, add some crushed lavender salt.
Serves six.
__________________________________
Herbes de Provence combines sweet French herbs and flowery lavender with Italian herbs and fennel, demonstrating the historical influence of the Romans. – Penzeys.com
Socca is a chick-pea flour crepe that hails from the seaside areas Nice and Marseilles in Southern France.
This week in Florida, the state Legislature passed a bill naming the Key lime pie as the official state pie During a House debate Thursday on the state pie, Rep. Dwight Stansel, a Democrat, proposed giving the honor to the sweet potato pie, calling the Key lime alternative "nasty.'' ''I don't understand how anybody in this body can designate a state pie from a fruit that is not even grown in Florida anymore,'' he said. "That fruit is grown in Mexico.'' Sweet potatoes, Stansel argued, are grown in Florida and are "coming back to the kitchen table.'' But his pitch didn't work. The House voted 106-14 in support of the Key lime pie. The bill already cleared the Senate and will now be sent to the Gov. for his signature.
Labels: Entree, Gluten Free, Luncheon, Paper Chef, Vegan, Vegetarian
Monday, January 09, 2006
Paper Chef - Broiled Perch with Quinoa-Cashew Crust & Kumquat-Pineapple Salsa
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Oh yea baby, this month I decided I was going to pander to the judges of Paper Chef. Not bribe mind you, just pander. Get into their heads, see what was there and concoct a dish so perfect they would contemplate flying down to LA to take a taste. It would be that fantastmagorical.
Yup. I had every intention of pandering. Down and dirty style. Pull out all the stops. Lay it on thick. Really blow the competition out of the water (and onto an island somewhere off the coast of nowhere) You get the idea.
Turns out though, there were a few things holding me back. Namely, that the judge is a humorous writer with a leaning towards fantastical whimsy, and I just plain am not that clever a girl, so a witty post wasn't on the list. Pout. And then of course, the competition is just too much fun to bring out any true sense of competition in me. Damn. Well, maybe next time the killer instinct will kick in (or at least the bribes) but not today.
So, in the end (as you can see) I didn't pander at all. I didn't make my dish in the shape of a penguin or include ingredients only found in a hardware store. I didn't spray-paint anything or do any interesting composites in photoshop, I didn't even write a funny post. (How DO comedy writers do it?) Nope, all I did was make a scrumptious dish, take the purdy picture, eat it, write this and send in my link.
It may not have been pandering, but it sure was delicious! Oh well, maybe next time.
XOXOX-
Rachael
Wait a second! I forgot the recipe. Doh! As you all know by now, (I'm hoping anyway) Paper Chef is an online event whereby four ingredients are selected at random and the participants have 72 hours to whip something up. This month the choices were Quinoa, Yogurt, Cashews and the mystery ingredient "something baby." (As in wee.) I opted for kumquats. Sure, they aren't the younger versions of themselves (heck, they aren't even citrus) but they are itty-bity, so I'm stickin' with it.
And the resulting dish? Broiled Perch with Quinoa-Cashew Crust & Kumquat-Pineapple Salsa. I used the yogurt under the crust, which kept the fish really tender and moist while under the broiler (that is the direct flame on the top of the inside of your oven that you use to brown things, for all of you who live in countries like England who call that thing by a different name that I don't know the name of) it also added a bit of tang to the rich cashew-quinoa crust. I liked the salsa because it was tropical, spicy, puckery-tart and fragrant-sweet, and went really well with the meaty fish and nutty quinoa. Aside from the time it takes to make the quinoa, this dish comes together quite quickly. Try it, and enjoy!
1 cup dried quinoa
4 filets perch or another white fish
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 cup cashews
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil
Zest and juice of one small lime
1 cup pineapple, small dice
1 small chile pepper, minced
3 leaves mint, minced
10 kumquats, sliced thin
1/4 teaspoon ground pink peppercorns
1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Toast the nuts until lightly browned, in a single layer on a baking sheet. About 6 minutes. Remove from the oven when browned and immediately chop in a small food processor until it resembles crumbly bits. (How's THAT for technical!)
Rinse the quinoa in several changes of cold water. (Don't skip this, it can be quite bitter if you don't)
In a medium sauce pan add the quinoa and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes, until fluffy. Remove from the heat and drain. Add the drained quinoa to a steamer basket or sieve and place in a pan over some water (not touching the water), cover the pan/sieve with a lid and steam for an additional five minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To make the salsa, combine the lime zest, pineapple, chile, mint, pink peppercorns, kumquats and macadamia nut oil and season to taste. Add lime juice as needed. Set aside until ready to serve.
Combine the steamed quinoa with the nuts, parsley and macadamia nut oil. Stir to coat.
Rinse the fish filets and pat dry. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly oil it so the fish won't stick.
Coat the top of each piece of fish with a thick layer of the yogurt. Top each filet with a thick layer of the quinoa mixture and some salt.
Broil the fish 10 inches from the flame for 8 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and the topping is lightly browned.
Serve with the salsa
Makes four servings.
__________________________________
Paper Chef + Food
Pronounced keen wah, quinoa has been cultivated for 5000 years. It is classified as a grain but is technically the fruit of a leafy plant.
Quinoa, a seed grain of the Chenepodium family, it has a superior nutritional profile compared to other grains. It is a complete protein containing all the essential amino acids as recognised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. Quinoa's protein is of an unusually high quality. It is a complete protein, with an essential amino acid balance close to the ideal - The Produce Directory
January is National Fiber Focus Month
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute has statistics showing their 2004 efforts sold Japanese buyers 308,825 metric tons of wild Alaska seafood valued at more than $854 million
Oh yea baby, this month I decided I was going to pander to the judges of Paper Chef. Not bribe mind you, just pander. Get into their heads, see what was there and concoct a dish so perfect they would contemplate flying down to LA to take a taste. It would be that fantastmagorical.Yup. I had every intention of pandering. Down and dirty style. Pull out all the stops. Lay it on thick. Really blow the competition out of the water (and onto an island somewhere off the coast of nowhere) You get the idea.
Turns out though, there were a few things holding me back. Namely, that the judge is a humorous writer with a leaning towards fantastical whimsy, and I just plain am not that clever a girl, so a witty post wasn't on the list. Pout. And then of course, the competition is just too much fun to bring out any true sense of competition in me. Damn. Well, maybe next time the killer instinct will kick in (or at least the bribes) but not today.
So, in the end (as you can see) I didn't pander at all. I didn't make my dish in the shape of a penguin or include ingredients only found in a hardware store. I didn't spray-paint anything or do any interesting composites in photoshop, I didn't even write a funny post. (How DO comedy writers do it?) Nope, all I did was make a scrumptious dish, take the purdy picture, eat it, write this and send in my link.
It may not have been pandering, but it sure was delicious! Oh well, maybe next time.
XOXOX-
Rachael
Wait a second! I forgot the recipe. Doh! As you all know by now, (I'm hoping anyway) Paper Chef is an online event whereby four ingredients are selected at random and the participants have 72 hours to whip something up. This month the choices were Quinoa, Yogurt, Cashews and the mystery ingredient "something baby." (As in wee.) I opted for kumquats. Sure, they aren't the younger versions of themselves (heck, they aren't even citrus) but they are itty-bity, so I'm stickin' with it.
And the resulting dish? Broiled Perch with Quinoa-Cashew Crust & Kumquat-Pineapple Salsa. I used the yogurt under the crust, which kept the fish really tender and moist while under the broiler (that is the direct flame on the top of the inside of your oven that you use to brown things, for all of you who live in countries like England who call that thing by a different name that I don't know the name of) it also added a bit of tang to the rich cashew-quinoa crust. I liked the salsa because it was tropical, spicy, puckery-tart and fragrant-sweet, and went really well with the meaty fish and nutty quinoa. Aside from the time it takes to make the quinoa, this dish comes together quite quickly. Try it, and enjoy!
1 cup dried quinoa4 filets perch or another white fish
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 cup cashews
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil
Zest and juice of one small lime
1 cup pineapple, small dice
1 small chile pepper, minced
3 leaves mint, minced
10 kumquats, sliced thin
1/4 teaspoon ground pink peppercorns
1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Toast the nuts until lightly browned, in a single layer on a baking sheet. About 6 minutes. Remove from the oven when browned and immediately chop in a small food processor until it resembles crumbly bits. (How's THAT for technical!)
Rinse the quinoa in several changes of cold water. (Don't skip this, it can be quite bitter if you don't)
In a medium sauce pan add the quinoa and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes, until fluffy. Remove from the heat and drain. Add the drained quinoa to a steamer basket or sieve and place in a pan over some water (not touching the water), cover the pan/sieve with a lid and steam for an additional five minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To make the salsa, combine the lime zest, pineapple, chile, mint, pink peppercorns, kumquats and macadamia nut oil and season to taste. Add lime juice as needed. Set aside until ready to serve.
Combine the steamed quinoa with the nuts, parsley and macadamia nut oil. Stir to coat.
Rinse the fish filets and pat dry. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly oil it so the fish won't stick.
Coat the top of each piece of fish with a thick layer of the yogurt. Top each filet with a thick layer of the quinoa mixture and some salt.
Broil the fish 10 inches from the flame for 8 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and the topping is lightly browned.
Serve with the salsa
Makes four servings.
__________________________________
Paper Chef + Food
Pronounced keen wah, quinoa has been cultivated for 5000 years. It is classified as a grain but is technically the fruit of a leafy plant.
Quinoa, a seed grain of the Chenepodium family, it has a superior nutritional profile compared to other grains. It is a complete protein containing all the essential amino acids as recognised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. Quinoa's protein is of an unusually high quality. It is a complete protein, with an essential amino acid balance close to the ideal - The Produce Directory
January is National Fiber Focus Month
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute has statistics showing their 2004 efforts sold Japanese buyers 308,825 metric tons of wild Alaska seafood valued at more than $854 million
Labels: Entree, Paper Chef, Seafood
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Paper Chef: Carrot-Rice Canapes with Anchoïade
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For your reading and veiwing pleasure, I humbly present (yet again) my entry to Paper Chef #13. (Hosted this month by the uber-creative Two Minute Noodle Cook.) The on-line contest that asks you to take four ingredients and whip them into a tasty treat for all to see. This month's star ingredients: Carrots, Anchovies, Rice and something from across the world that is festive. For me, that translated to canapes. (French you see, therefore across the world) Why is that an ingredient? Well, it isn't (even I couldn't figure out a way to actually make it sound as if it were) it is just the best way to present something at a party and isn't a party simply the most festive of things? Why yes, it is.
The tidbits of yum you see before you are carrot-rice canapes with pistou and anchoïade. Need I say more? Well, maybe I should perhaps clarify that pistou is the French word for pesto and anchoïade is an anchovy-garlic spread. Salty-pungent fantasticness. A classic in France, and hopefully after today, in your home too.
Mmmm.
It all started because I had these crazy purple carrots, which tragically, were only purple on the exterior. Instead of peeling, I simply scrubbed the heck out of them and peeled. I also made the pistou (but you could use bottled pesto) and the anchovy mayo, (I was planning on making that another entry in my Kitchen Project series, but I plum ran out of time) but you could just use jarred mixed with some mashed anchovies...or wait on all of this until I post that mayo recipe.)
When combined with everything else, the taste was quite startling. Sweet and crunchy with a strong anchovy-garlic flavor, slightly tempered by the rice, the tiny refreshing hint of anisey-basil from the pesto and just a whisper of smokiness from the paprika. Overall, I would make these any time for any one...try it, and enjoy.
4 large carrots
1 cup salted, cooked and slightly cooled rice (short grain)
2 anchovy filets
1 small clove garlic
Olive oil
2 tablespoons pistou (recipe: pulverize basil, garlic & olive oil)
2 tablespoons homemade anchovy mayonnaise
Smoked paprika
Coarsely chop the anchovies and garlic together with a few drop of olive oil. Mix this into the cooked rice.
Using a vegetable peeler, (and a bit of pressure) peel long ribbons of carrot. You need at least 25 curls.
Curl the carrots around your finger (they will self adhese. If they don't, use a tiny drop of anchovy, like glue to hold them closed) and using a small spoon, fill with the rice. Top with a tiny drop of pistou, some of the anchovy mayonnaise. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and a tiny dusting of smoked paprika. Chill, covered for up to three hours.
Makes 25
__________________________________________
Tagged with: Paper Chef + Recipe
Today in 1945 the microwave oven was patented
A canapé or canape is a small, prepared, and usually decorative hors d'oeuvres which is held in the fingers, and often eaten in one bite. - Wikipedia
According to the USA Rice Council, uncooked white rice can be stored on a shelf indefinitely
It's time again for the Food Blog Awards! I hope you will take some time to read Kate's excellent post on nominations.
For your reading and veiwing pleasure, I humbly present (yet again) my entry to Paper Chef #13. (Hosted this month by the uber-creative Two Minute Noodle Cook.) The on-line contest that asks you to take four ingredients and whip them into a tasty treat for all to see. This month's star ingredients: Carrots, Anchovies, Rice and something from across the world that is festive. For me, that translated to canapes. (French you see, therefore across the world) Why is that an ingredient? Well, it isn't (even I couldn't figure out a way to actually make it sound as if it were) it is just the best way to present something at a party and isn't a party simply the most festive of things? Why yes, it is.The tidbits of yum you see before you are carrot-rice canapes with pistou and anchoïade. Need I say more? Well, maybe I should perhaps clarify that pistou is the French word for pesto and anchoïade is an anchovy-garlic spread. Salty-pungent fantasticness. A classic in France, and hopefully after today, in your home too.
Mmmm.
It all started because I had these crazy purple carrots, which tragically, were only purple on the exterior. Instead of peeling, I simply scrubbed the heck out of them and peeled. I also made the pistou (but you could use bottled pesto) and the anchovy mayo, (I was planning on making that another entry in my Kitchen Project series, but I plum ran out of time) but you could just use jarred mixed with some mashed anchovies...or wait on all of this until I post that mayo recipe.)When combined with everything else, the taste was quite startling. Sweet and crunchy with a strong anchovy-garlic flavor, slightly tempered by the rice, the tiny refreshing hint of anisey-basil from the pesto and just a whisper of smokiness from the paprika. Overall, I would make these any time for any one...try it, and enjoy.
4 large carrots
1 cup salted, cooked and slightly cooled rice (short grain)
2 anchovy filets
1 small clove garlic
Olive oil
2 tablespoons pistou (recipe: pulverize basil, garlic & olive oil)
2 tablespoons homemade anchovy mayonnaise
Smoked paprika
Coarsely chop the anchovies and garlic together with a few drop of olive oil. Mix this into the cooked rice.
Using a vegetable peeler, (and a bit of pressure) peel long ribbons of carrot. You need at least 25 curls.
Curl the carrots around your finger (they will self adhese. If they don't, use a tiny drop of anchovy, like glue to hold them closed) and using a small spoon, fill with the rice. Top with a tiny drop of pistou, some of the anchovy mayonnaise. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and a tiny dusting of smoked paprika. Chill, covered for up to three hours.
Makes 25
__________________________________________
Tagged with: Paper Chef + Recipe
Today in 1945 the microwave oven was patented
A canapé or canape is a small, prepared, and usually decorative hors d'oeuvres which is held in the fingers, and often eaten in one bite. - Wikipedia
According to the USA Rice Council, uncooked white rice can be stored on a shelf indefinitely
It's time again for the Food Blog Awards! I hope you will take some time to read Kate's excellent post on nominations.
Labels: Appetizer, Gluten Free, Paper Chef
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Paper Chef - New Orleans Style
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In times of sadness, comfort can come in the form of food and companionship, virtual or actual, and this meal, made for this month's Paper Chef was quite comforting, but not nearly enough. I really wish there were more I could do for the people who are suffering. My heart goes out to them.
I feel a little bit guilty and really conflicted about saying this, (considering the circumstances so many people are living in) but this dish was lick-your-plate-clean delicious. (If I do say so myself. )
The cakes were golden, dense and crunchy, with large juicy bites of spicy sausage. The tomato ketchup was fantastically smokey, and complex (but a breeze to make) and tasted perfect with the briney, succulent shrimp.
Overall, this was not only supremely tasty, but took less than 20 minutes to make (minus cooking the rice) and I will be making this again (and again), so thanks to Owen at Paper Chef, and his choice of themes, for inspring a new meal, and for thinking of something compassionate we could all take part in.
2 links andouille sausage, rough chopped and cooked
1 large onion
1 stalk celery
1 small bunch parsley, minced
1 large egg
4 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup cooked wild and brown rice mix
1/4 cup beer
4 large tomatoes
2 chipotle (dried, smoked) chiles, chopped fine
1 tablespoon olive oil
pinch each: ground ginger, white pepper, cloves, allspice, paprika and cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, mashed
pinch of salt
1/2 pound (30-40 count) shrimp, shelled and de-veined
In a large bowl, combine the rice, sausage, onion, celery, parlsey, egg, flour, cornstarch and beer. Mix to combine. Form into patties and saute in a large pan until browned on both sides (about 4 minutes per side) Remove from heat when done.
Add the oil to a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, chiles and spices. Heat gently for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice. Let simmer for about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until curled and just pink (about 2 minutes) remove from heat and serve on top of the rice cakes.
Makes four large or 8 small cakes. Serves 4 - 8
____________________________________________
Red Cross
In times of sadness, comfort can come in the form of food and companionship, virtual or actual, and this meal, made for this month's Paper Chef was quite comforting, but not nearly enough. I really wish there were more I could do for the people who are suffering. My heart goes out to them.I feel a little bit guilty and really conflicted about saying this, (considering the circumstances so many people are living in) but this dish was lick-your-plate-clean delicious. (If I do say so myself. )
The cakes were golden, dense and crunchy, with large juicy bites of spicy sausage. The tomato ketchup was fantastically smokey, and complex (but a breeze to make) and tasted perfect with the briney, succulent shrimp.
Overall, this was not only supremely tasty, but took less than 20 minutes to make (minus cooking the rice) and I will be making this again (and again), so thanks to Owen at Paper Chef, and his choice of themes, for inspring a new meal, and for thinking of something compassionate we could all take part in.
2 links andouille sausage, rough chopped and cooked1 large onion
1 stalk celery
1 small bunch parsley, minced
1 large egg
4 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup cooked wild and brown rice mix
1/4 cup beer
4 large tomatoes
2 chipotle (dried, smoked) chiles, chopped fine
1 tablespoon olive oil
pinch each: ground ginger, white pepper, cloves, allspice, paprika and cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, mashed
pinch of salt
1/2 pound (30-40 count) shrimp, shelled and de-veined
In a large bowl, combine the rice, sausage, onion, celery, parlsey, egg, flour, cornstarch and beer. Mix to combine. Form into patties and saute in a large pan until browned on both sides (about 4 minutes per side) Remove from heat when done.Add the oil to a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, chiles and spices. Heat gently for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice. Let simmer for about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until curled and just pink (about 2 minutes) remove from heat and serve on top of the rice cakes.
Makes four large or 8 small cakes. Serves 4 - 8
____________________________________________
Red Cross
Labels: Entree, Paper Chef, Pork, Seafood
Friday, July 08, 2005
Spinach Souffle and Tapanade-Whipped Potato Timbale with Red Olive Relish*
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*AKA: Vintage Irish Cheddar and Fresh Spinach Souffle, and Nyon Olive Tapanade-Whipped Potato Timbale On a Potato Galette, Topped with Spicy Red Olive-Hazelnut Relish, and Garnished with a White Cheddar Frica and Fried Spinach Leaves. (My goodness. Does that title not sound like the writing of a girl who just graduated from cooking school last week, or what! I can't believe Neiman Ranch beef, Fennel Pollen or Maytag Blue Cheese weren't included! That would have perfected the absurdity.)
Considering the choices for the Paper Chef #8 contest this month, (hosted by Sensational Sarah, the blogger with the mostest,) I really should have made something Tex-Mex. I mean, the ingredients were spinach, cheddar, olives and either potato or cream (but not both.) What kind of girl am I that a spinach tortilla burrito did not immediately come to mind? There could have been a zillion choices had I only thought a little further South! Der. I guess I was just trying to be extra fancy. Still, it would have been the obvious choice for certain.
Actually, I've been pondering what to do with those four things for days, and what I did come up with was outrageously tasty. That, despite the fact I'm prone to think very few things hold a candle to the simple brilliance of a stuffed and rolled tortilla. As a matter of fact, I think I will make that tomorrow, just for kicks, and let you know how it comes out. I've been wanting to make homemade tortillas forever anyway...
What I did create was based entirely on some crazy-vibrant red olives I saw at the olive bar (when did that become a thing in markets? I love it, but it does seem a tad weird to me) in the market a few days ago. Enigmatically titled "French Olives," there was no other description, so it was up to me to snatch a sample and learn they were actually Italian Cerignola olives (huge and meaty, not salty or oily) that were dyed red a la 70's era pistachio nuts. Remember those? Despite the olives actually being a touch bland, they were just so happy and festive, I had to take some home.
So what did I make? A full meal is what I made. Seriously, it was hearty. A delicious tower of, well, let's see, from the bottom up, it was a crispy Yukon gold potato galette, spinach and white cheddar custard (I used something called Irish Vintage Cheddar. Who knows what that is, but it was nice and crumbly, sharp but not overwhelming and was a beautiful pale white), fresh spinach leaves, black olive tapanade whipped potatoes topped with a red olive and hazelnut relish, (well, it was more like a tapande too, but I didn't really want to say that twice. Then again, I just did, didn't I? Whoops.) a cheddar and pecorino frica (lace like cheese crisp) and deep fried spinach leaves (not a recommended treatment for such a watery veg. Quite dangerous actually what with all the sputtering and splattering and hot oil and all) It was a tour de force, a warm and satisfying vegetarian meal, a fancy as can be supper and overall, well, lets just say, I proudly retained my good standing in the clean plate club for one more day.
My overall idea was to have the main four ingredients show up at least twice in the dish, to highlight different textures and techniques. That and I got a little carried away with the deep frying (giggle). I loved the combination of the shattering crispiness of the fried spinach on the top and the potatoes on the bottom. The red olives, being somewhat mild were a perfect compliment adding flavor and texture without introducing overpowering saltiness, while the tapanade added a great burst of flavor to the creamy potatoes.
It was a little over the top in terms of preparation (It took 1.5 hours. Although, a lot of that was just waiting for the custard to cook) but it was great fun and worth every step. This recipe is a great time to practice mise en place. Have all your ingredients and tools out and ready from the start and it will come together much more smoothly. Try it, and enjoy!
*AKA: Vintage Irish Cheddar and Fresh Spinach Souffle, and Nyon Olive Tapanade-Whipped Potato Timbale On a Potato Galette, Topped with Spicy Red Olive-Hazelnut Relish, and Garnished with a White Cheddar Frica and Fried Spinach Leaves. (My goodness. Does that title not sound like the writing of a girl who just graduated from cooking school last week, or what! I can't believe Neiman Ranch beef, Fennel Pollen or Maytag Blue Cheese weren't included! That would have perfected the absurdity.)Considering the choices for the Paper Chef #8 contest this month, (hosted by Sensational Sarah, the blogger with the mostest,) I really should have made something Tex-Mex. I mean, the ingredients were spinach, cheddar, olives and either potato or cream (but not both.) What kind of girl am I that a spinach tortilla burrito did not immediately come to mind? There could have been a zillion choices had I only thought a little further South! Der. I guess I was just trying to be extra fancy. Still, it would have been the obvious choice for certain.
Actually, I've been pondering what to do with those four things for days, and what I did come up with was outrageously tasty. That, despite the fact I'm prone to think very few things hold a candle to the simple brilliance of a stuffed and rolled tortilla. As a matter of fact, I think I will make that tomorrow, just for kicks, and let you know how it comes out. I've been wanting to make homemade tortillas forever anyway...
What I did create was based entirely on some crazy-vibrant red olives I saw at the olive bar (when did that become a thing in markets? I love it, but it does seem a tad weird to me) in the market a few days ago. Enigmatically titled "French Olives," there was no other description, so it was up to me to snatch a sample and learn they were actually Italian Cerignola olives (huge and meaty, not salty or oily) that were dyed red a la 70's era pistachio nuts. Remember those? Despite the olives actually being a touch bland, they were just so happy and festive, I had to take some home.
So what did I make? A full meal is what I made. Seriously, it was hearty. A delicious tower of, well, let's see, from the bottom up, it was a crispy Yukon gold potato galette, spinach and white cheddar custard (I used something called Irish Vintage Cheddar. Who knows what that is, but it was nice and crumbly, sharp but not overwhelming and was a beautiful pale white), fresh spinach leaves, black olive tapanade whipped potatoes topped with a red olive and hazelnut relish, (well, it was more like a tapande too, but I didn't really want to say that twice. Then again, I just did, didn't I? Whoops.) a cheddar and pecorino frica (lace like cheese crisp) and deep fried spinach leaves (not a recommended treatment for such a watery veg. Quite dangerous actually what with all the sputtering and splattering and hot oil and all) It was a tour de force, a warm and satisfying vegetarian meal, a fancy as can be supper and overall, well, lets just say, I proudly retained my good standing in the clean plate club for one more day.
My overall idea was to have the main four ingredients show up at least twice in the dish, to highlight different textures and techniques. That and I got a little carried away with the deep frying (giggle). I loved the combination of the shattering crispiness of the fried spinach on the top and the potatoes on the bottom. The red olives, being somewhat mild were a perfect compliment adding flavor and texture without introducing overpowering saltiness, while the tapanade added a great burst of flavor to the creamy potatoes.
It was a little over the top in terms of preparation (It took 1.5 hours. Although, a lot of that was just waiting for the custard to cook) but it was great fun and worth every step. This recipe is a great time to practice mise en place. Have all your ingredients and tools out and ready from the start and it will come together much more smoothly. Try it, and enjoy!
2 pounds fresh spinach, rinsed, a few leaves set aside
1 large onion, minced fine
2 teaspoons butter
5 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
pinch of salt and pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup white flour
4 tablespoons finely grated cheese and a large pinch of flour, mixed
1/2 cup dry cured black olives, pitted (I used Nyon olives)
3 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon capers, rinsed
1 large anchovy filet
black pepper
a small fist full of parsley (hows that for an accurate measurement!)
1 clove of garlic, rough chopped
4 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and rough chopped
2 teaspoons butter
1/2 cup red "French Olives", pitted
teaspoons olive oil
large fistful of parsley
small pinch of red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
1 small clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, rough chopped
oil for frying (I used peanut oil)
Preheat your oven to 350F.
In a large pan over medium low heat, sweat the onion in the butter until translucent. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool, squeeze out any excess liquid and rough chop. (You could also chop the spinach before wilting it. Whatever your preference.)
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cheese, milk, flour, salt and pepper, then add the spinach. Pour it all into a oiled dish and bake until set, about 55 minutes. When done, remove from oven and let cool slightly to set.
Add the potatoes to a large pot of salted water, over high heat.
While the potatoes are cooking, make the tapanades. Either rough chop all the ingredients or add them all to a food processor. Adjust seasoning to taste and refrigerate until assembly.
On a non-stick baking mat create the frica by just making little mounds of the cheese/flour mixture then pressing down slightly. They don't spread too much but the piles shouldnt be too tall or too close together. Bake at 450 F for ten minutes. They are extremely delicate, so after letting them cool for a minute or two on the mat, remove with a spatula, using the utmost care, unto a piece of wax paper until you are ready to use them.
If you want to create the galette (a few incredibly thin potato slices overlapping to create a rough circle shape) and the fried spinach leaves (again, not recommended, but they sure do taste good!) go ahead and deep fry them at this point in 1 inch of hot vegetable oil. Remove when crispy and blot on paper towels. Salt liberally and set aside.
To compose:
Place the potato chip galette on the plate. Place a lightly oiled metal ring on top (I used a Heinz brand Spotted Dick can, with both ends removed. It was the perfect size and kind of tasty!), add the spinach custard, a layer of spinach leaves, a small pinch of salt and pepper, then the potatoes. Smoosh down gently (and yes, smoosh is a technical term. Im sure of it.) and remove the ring by gently lifting upwards. Top with the olive relish, custard and spinach leaves, and serve!
Enough for four
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Because of their higher starch content, Idaho and Russett potatoes are better for mashing than creamer potatoes.
The conventional canned "Black Mission" olives are actually green olives that have been cured with lye, which changes the color to black.
Anti-cancer compounds found in sauerkraut -- You might want to add a little more sauerkraut to your hot dog: The tangy topping, made from fermented cabbage, contains a class of compounds called isothiocyanates which were previously identified in other studies as potential cancer-fighting agents, researchers say. -Science Daily.com
I am deeply saddened that once again, terrorism has affected people and places I know and love. London and the whole of the UK are in my thoughts and I hope we all take a moment today to reflect on our lives and good fortunes and say a prayer (or whatever works best for you) for peace and understanding.
Labels: Entree, Paper Chef, Vegetarian
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Chicken, Date & Honey Sausages*
Are you all familiar with Paper Chef? It’s a virtual, on-line cooking thingy brought to you every month by the dashing, daring and darling, Owen of Tomatilla, and judged by the exceedingly talented Julie of A Finger in Every Pie. Basically, four ingredients are chosen and the lot of us food bloggers with too much free time rally round the cause and cook up a storm to see who makes what and how.
Sadly, every time I think about entering, it is either a month with ingredients I haven’t got time to rustle up, combinations I’m just not keen on or I just plain run out of time. Which is why, when this months surprise requirements of Buttermilk, Dates, Eggs and Honey were announced, I wasn’t jumping on any bandwagon. Turns out though, after a harrowing week being off line, and a curious urge to make chicken forcemeat sausages, I decided to give it a whirl…what the heck right? Turns out, I made a sound choice, and am happily digesting the results. This is my first foray into the Paper Chef world, and win or lose, I’m glad I gave it the old college try.
I whipped these tasty morsels up in about 5 minutes (plus about 15 minutes of cooking and an hour long chill in the fridge). It was so simple, used only ingredients I already had on hand, and was inspired and delicious. I was trying to go for a middle-eastern feel with the dates (because, other than people in Palm Desert, who really eats dates?) and honey, without ending up with a dessert. The solution was in the addition of the red pepper flakes and copious amounts of black pepper, sure signs this is no post meal pudding.
I served them sliced cold, on a salad of mixed greens with a honey-mustard dressing and was extremely pleased with the overall taste. Perhaps in the future I will skip the buttermilk, since I don’t think it added anything, but the honey was a good note and the dates added interesting texture to such a smooth sausage. Speaking of smooth, it would have been more traditional (read: French) to have passed the mixture through a fine mesh sieve before adding the rest of the ingredients, but I haven’t got one, and am happy bucking the system anyway…
I hope you will try making forcemeat sometime too, it’s a great way to use up bits from the fridge (I also made salmon sausages while I was bothering. Same principle really…protein, cream, eggs, season, create emulsion, poach) and tastes dynamite. I wish they took a prettier picture, but as you can see (below) they are a little pale to pop. Anyway...try, and ENJOY!
1 egg
1 chicken breast, cooked
Thigh meat of chicken, cooked, cubed
½ teaspoon salt
a few grinds of fresh black pepper
1 large pinch red pepper flakes
1 clove of garlic
3 tablespoons cooked white rice
½ teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon buttermilk
3 tablespoons heavy cream
4 large dates, chopped large
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
A few cashews, toasted, chopped
In a food processor, combine the egg, white meat of the chicken, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic, honey, buttermilk. Puree until smooth. Slowly add the heavy cream until incorporated.
Stir in the dates, dark meat, parsley, cashews and parsley. Mix to incorporate.
Have ready on your counter a 1.5 foot long piece of SaranWrap. In the center of the Saran, scoop out a long snake of the chicken mixture. Fold the plastic over it, hold the ends, and roll along the counter to create a tight packet. Tie off the ends. Repeat with tinfoil, twisting the ends tightly.
Chill for 15 minutes to set.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle simmer, place the foil packet into the water, with the ends curled up. Poach for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickeness of the sausage.
Remove the pan from the heat, and allow the sausage to chill in the water about 1 hour. Remove from water, but keep in the foil until ready to eat.
This sausage is fully cooked, so it is good col, sliced onto salads, as an hors devour with a honey-mustard sauce or grilled (carefully) and tossed with pasta.
Makes one large sausage, enough for 2 people or 4 appetizers.
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* Due to confusion as to what this recipe was, I changed the name from Chicken Sausages with Dates and Honey.
TOKYO, Wednesday, June 1 - To combat growing food shortages, the North Korean government is sending millions of city dwellers to work on farms each weekend, largely to transplant rice, according to foreign aid workers.
"The staff that work for us, the staff that work in the ministries, are going out to help farmers," said Richard Ragan, director of World Food Program operations in Pyongyang, referring to North Koreans who work for the program. Speaking by telephone on Wednesday, he said that in terms of food supplies North Koreans "are inching back to the precipice."
"It does happen every year," he said of the mobilization of workers to the fields, "but the difference this year is that everyone is involved."
Gerald Bourke, a World Food Program spokesman, said Wednesday that on a recent visit to the port of Wonsan, "We saw thousands of people who were marching out of the city."
"Later, we saw them digging out irrigation canals," he said, speaking by telephone from Beijing.
A decade ago, up to two million North Koreans starved to death in one of the rare peacetime famines of modern history. The famine was caused by a cutoff in Soviet aid, a collapse of North Korea's industrial economy, and the reluctance of a highly xenophobic government to receive foreign aid.
Labels: Chicken, Luncheon, Paper Chef
