Posts filed under 'In Season'
Spring's fickle weather is upon us. Somedays summer seems just a few days away and then….it snows. Ah well. Still time to enjoy a few one bowl dinner stoups. This one was inspired by the Bread Works here in Boulder. Top it with a 1 teaspoon of this lovely harissa from Les Moulins Mahjoub.
It is one of the best harrissas I've had and is very unique as far as most harissas go. Instead of being a paste, it's actually more flaky, as seen in the picture above. I use this harissa like I would Sirachca as a garnish on all different types of dishes for an added element of heat.
Moroccan Chicken and Couscous Soup
Serves 5 to 6
1 medium sweet potato
1 small zuchini, cut into large 2-inch chunks (optional)
1 medium yellow or white onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cumin seed, toasted then ground (or you can use regular ground cumin)
1 (12-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (or diced, whatever you happen to have in your cupboard)
6 chicken thighs or breasts
salt and pepper
olive oil
6 cups homemade chicken broth
1/2 to 1 Cup Israeli or Jordanian Couscous (depending on how thick you like your soup)
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Peel and cut the sweet potato in large 2-inch chunks. Toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and spread out over a cookie sheet. Place in the oven and roast until the potatoes are just beginning to brown and get soft when touched with the end of a knife. Do the same thing with the zucchini, if using.
Meanwhile, heat a large casserole over medium heat and cover the bottom with nice thin layer of olive oil. Add the diced onion and cook until translucent. Add the carrots and stir to incorporate and coat all the vegeables with the oil. Season with the spices and stir well. Add the tomatoes, cover and let cook for a few minutes.
Bring the broth to a boil in another pot and cook the couscous, about 8 minutes.
Once the vegetables are done roasting, add them to the casserole on the stove and pour in the broth and couscous. Lower heat and allow to simmer. You might want to add more liquid depending if you want more of a soup or a stew.
Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. You can roast the chicken or grill it. Once it is cooked, cut it into large chunks on the diagonal. Adjust seasonings on the stoup and ladle into large bowls. Top with the cooked chicken pieces, a heaping teaspoon of harrissa and enjoy. Optional garnishes include chopped fresh cilantro and crumbed feta cheese.
April 14th, 2011
In a quandry of what to make for dessert one night I was inspired by a recipe on food52 by Merrill Stubbs. While recipes for this homey cake abound, many are filled with nuts, dried fruit and a myriad of different spices, I think this recipe takes the proverbial cake.
Just to be clear, it is nothing like my other two favorites Aspen Apple Cake or Upside Down Apple Cake. This cake is quite fast and easy to make.
If you are cleaning out your pantry this spring and come accross some homemade apple sauce or if you happen to have a jar of a really good quality, unsweetened apple sauce, this cake is simply delicious. Moist from all the apple sauce it doesn't need that much added fat.
You can play around with the spices; I've used freshly grated ginger; Merrill had 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper in hers (which frankly I didn't taste so omitted it the second time round). Smoked cinnamon would be interesting to try too.
Please sift your flour. If you don't you will simply be using too much. I made a few changes to her recipe, including adding 3/4 less powdered sugar in the caramel-like glaze. The glaze is optional but dresses up the cake nicely if you are having company.
Kimberly's dulce de leche would also be fabulous as a drizzle when serving. One little anecdote, I love the sound this cake makes when you take it out of the oven. If you make it, take a listen.
Apple Sauce Cake with Caramel Glaze
2 cups of sifted flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups apple sauce
2 tsp. Vanilla Bean Paste
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sift together the dry ingredients (after you have sifted the flour). Place all wet ingredients (applesauce, vanillas, oil and eggs) into a large bowl and mix well.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet 1/2 a cup at a time and stir well to incorporate before adding more flour. Continue until all the flour is gone. Pour into a prepared (greased and floured) bundt pan.
The cake Merrill features on food52 is far prettier than mine. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean.
Caramel-like Glaze
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp. salt (or sprinkle some Maldon's salt flakes or fleur du sel on top of the glaze for a nice crunch)
Once your cake has cooked and cooled, you can make the glaze. Heat the butter until it is melted in a small sauce pan. Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar melts. Cook for about 3 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Turn off the heat and whisk in the heavy cream and salt. Allow to cool for a few minutes then whisk in the confectioners sugar. Pour on to your bundt cake after you've turned it out on to a platter and it has cooled slightly.
Serve alone or with caramel ice cream -YUM!
April 6th, 2011
You may say, why bother to eat cauliflower, but really it can be very good. With winter in full swing, fresh produce will continue to become repetitive and very cruciferous so I would like to offer up some creative things to do with cauliflower to get you through the somewhat bleak winter months.
BTW – Look at all the caratenoids in the above photo of the yellow cauliflower! You could make this dish really fabulous by mixing some white with yellow cauliflower.
Guy Fieri featured a puree of cauliflower in milk combined with roasted cauliflower served his with a butterflied chicken cooked under 4 bricks. Yum.
Flavorista Tracey, my sister-in-law whose photos have often graced this blog, was here recently so I made my favorite – cauliflower couscous and tossed it with a vegan pesto made from spinach, cilantro and ginger. The textures were fantastic. I highly recommend it. This would pair perfectly with roasted vegetables for a Meatless Monday. I served in with grilled ono and ladolemono.
Almond, Ginger & Coriander Pesto with Cauliflower Couscous
Pesto
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
2 bunches cilantro, leaves picked off
1 1/2 cups spinach (I used the baby spinach which is already pre-washed. It’s far more tender. Do not use frozen)
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 cup almonds
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse together. Don’t just run the food processor. The beauty of this pesto is the texture.
Click here for the procedure to make the couscous. Omit the scallions and peppers.
Once the couscous is tender, place the pesto in the pan with heat off and stir all the pesto and cauliflower together. Place on a platter and top with roasted vegetables (like yellow squash, red bell peppers and zucchini), pan-fried tempeh slices or the fish and sauce
March 7th, 2011
Happy Lunar New Year! February 3rd is the start of the Year of the Rabbit. There is plenty of time to plan a celebration as the festivities go on for a week in China!
Kimchi Crepes
Duck Pancakes
Here are some ideas from my Tiger celebration last year. Most items turned out as planned but some really stand out and will be repeated. Both the green beans and broccoli are stellar recipes and are good anytime. The Kimchi crepes (first picture above) came as a last minute inspiration and they were delicious. Below is the recipe for the duck pancakes (pictured second).
I "cheated" and purchased assorted dim sum but I made some yummy spare ribs too.
The almond cookies (recipe soon) are now a family favorite and are so much better than the hard ones available at most Asian grocery stores. These recipes are super easy but do require a trip to a well stocked Asian grocery store for pantry items. Stay tuned for the rest of the recipes over the next several weeks.
Kimchi Crepes – an inspiration from David Chang, Chef at MomoFuku and the Milk Bar (to name just two) in New York (recipe soon).
Broccoli and Peanut Salad & Sesame Green Beans(previously featured as a Meatless Monday post)
EZPZ Peanut Noodles – Made with Sisters Pantry Peanut Sauce and fresh Chinese noodles
Sticky Spare Ribs – stay tuned
Nian Gao (this time I made it vegan and it was even better)
Almond Cookies – these are good anytime, especially with tea.
Vegan Mango Jelly
The duck pancake recipe came from a caterer I used to work for in San Francisco named Betty Zlatchin. I have always loved them as an hors d’oeuvres.
Duck Pancakes
This makes enough to feed at least 30 people as an hors d’oeuvres. The key to this recipe is a tea smoked Chinese Duck. These are available at Chinese butchers, some Chinese restaurants or if you have a Chinatown near you, they are plentiful.
1 Chinese Duck, from Chinatown, cut into long pieces, skin removed
(Use the carcass to make duck stock!)
1 package Menlo Lumpia wrappers (available in the freezer section of Asian grocery stores)
1 jar Hoisin Suace
1 bunch scallions, sliced thinly lengthwise
1 bunch cilantro, several sprigs cleaned
Place a lumpia skin on a kitchen work surface and have all your other ingredients around and ready. Brush some of the hoisin sauce on the lumpia then scatter some scallions and cilantro over the top. Place some nice meaty pieces towards the bottom end of the wrapper.
Now roll the wrapper up with the longest side facing you. Make sure they a not too loose. Place on a cookie sheet and continue making the remaining rolls. These can be done a day ahead. Wrap them well in plastic wrap trying not to get them stuck together as when you try to pull them a part they will tear.
Once you are ready to cook, place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice the rolls on the diagonal into 1 1/2-inch wide pieces. Place on the cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
Enjoy! Gung Hay Fat Choy.
February 3rd, 2011
Food52 is a wonderful blog, it’s the brain child of Amanda Hesser and Merrill Staub. They hold a weekly contest for recipes in unusual categories. I have yet to "win" but I keep trying in vain. I did get an official review on one recipe (finally) for my favorite curried apples (so perhaps I’ll get a winning nod soon).
The "Your Best Non-Pie Thanksgiving Dessert" contest held real appeal for me because I am not crazy for pie; I like tarts.
As you may well know, we here at flavorista like our sweets. There are a few upside down cakes and clafoutis already posted. This recipe is not quite as down homey as the others but VERY appropriate for any holiday or just some weekend baking.
The difference between this recipe and others that we have posted is that it has a basic genoise cake on top. I highly recommend that you use a spring form pan and line the bottom with parchment before adding the fruit.
If you happen to be attending a potluck and feel the need to "do something different" this cake will be welcomed by all. I used fresh cranberries but dried would also go well.
Pear-Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
For the Fruit:
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 to 4 medium, ripe pears, peeled, quartered, cored and either diced or sliced into long slivers
2 Tbsp. juice from an orange, or any variety tangerine
1/3 cup fresh or dried cranberries
Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan then add the brown sugar. Pour into a 9 inch spring form pan lined with parchment paper on the bottom.
Toss the pear with the orange juice. Scatter the cranberries on top of the butter-sugar syrup and then layer the pears on top. Now make the cake batter.
Genoise Cake Batter
2 Tbsp. butter
4 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. Massey’s Vanilla Bean paste (a Flavorista fave!)
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup sifted cake flour
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt until they triple in volume – this takes about 4 minutes.
Fold theflour into the mixture 1/3 at a time. Pour about 1 cup of this batter into the butter and fold. Return this butter portion into the main batter and fold until just combined. Try and do this as quickly and delicately as possible. You don’t want to loose any volume.
Pour the batter over the fruit and spread evenly. Bake for about 20 to 22 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing the springform and inverting onto a cake plate. Remove the parchment carefully.
January 23rd, 2011
There was a bumper crop of peppers this year chez Shafroth.
Outside of grilling them and making soups and salsa, one of my favorite ways to preserve them is by making Mexican escabeche which is a kin to pickled jalapenos but a little more than that.
This condiment is essential to a simple, really good soft taco with just beans and cheese but elevates fish tacos too. It is delicious on sandwiches like my favorite from New Orleans, the muffalatta. You can easily add cauliflower florets and celey to this recipe, but I prefer it with just onions, garlic, carrots and peppers.
Escabeche
1 lb fresh hot chile peppers, I used a variety of colors and types, anaheim, jalapeno and pasilla
1/3 cup olive oil
3 medium onions, sliced thinly
2 or 3 medium sized carrots, sliced in half lengthwise and cut into thin half moons
1 head of garlic, cloves peeled but left intact
4 cups apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. salt
2 sprigs fresh or each oregano and thyme (or 1/4 tsp. of each dried)
1 Tbsp. sugar
Cut the peppers in half, remove the seeds and inner membrame or veins out. Now cut the peppers into long slices. Heat the oil in a large deep pan. Add the chilies, onions, garlic and carrots. Cook until they soften, about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the vinegar, herbs, salt and sugar and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. You can can these (see my post on steam canning) or keep them in the refrigerator, they should last for two months.
October 20th, 2010
What I think might be the last of the Early Girls, small and perfect tomatoes, are in abundance – especially at Whole Foods Markets – but not for long.
I love these little gems. They are perfect for slow roasting and will last in your refrigerator for a few weeks. I add mine to stews and serve along side grilled fish for those last tastes of the late harvest season.
Roasted Tomato upside down tart with Boursin cheese.
The trick is to roast them low and SLOW! The results are a deep, rich tomato flavor with a caramelized like sweetness. Enjoy!
Slow Roasted Early Girls
Ingredients: As many Early Girls as you like. I used about 5 lbs.
Salt and Pepper
Some Good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVVO)
Heat the oven to 250 degrees. If you have a convection option, use it. Slice the tomatoes in half and lay on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle just a bit of oil over the tomatoes. All told I think I used about a 1/2 cup on a full large jelly roll pan.
Place in the oven and leave them alone for 2 to 3 hours. I store my in a container with the juices accumulated from the bottom of the pan. If you have a vacuum sealer with the storage containers, you can keep these for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
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Use slow roasted tomatoes in tarts like the one pictured which was made by The Traveling Chef, Kirk Warner in Michigan featured in these photos by flavorista Tracey.
Another great use of slow roasted tomatoes is Tori Ritchie’s recipe from Bon Appetit.
October 14th, 2010
If you are a vegetarian for ethical reasons or you belong to the anti-hunting camp, please click here for a post about making homemade applesauce, a perfect project for the weekend.
If you are a big fan of eating local or if you agree with Michael Pollan’s gospel of understanding of where your food comes from, please read on.
Allow me to introduce Lollie, the bird hunter:
Marco heads into Maine’s north woods a few times a year for hunting, fishing, camping and wood chopping. At the age of 10, children in Maine can legally hunt with a guardian. Last year was the first year a group of children joined the men’s annual bird trip.
Turns out my Lollie is quite an Annie Oakley. She "limited out" each day of the hunt and she shot with 100% accuracy. Marco was so proud, he shared Lollie’s accomplishments with anyone who would listen. His prideful boasts included "What a Maine Sportswoman I have!"
What did I do with 10 partridge for dinner? Some whole breasts were brushed with honey mustard, wrapped in bacon and roasted. Some were boned, cut into strips and deep fried. Partridge is very lean and has a very mild flavor. It tastes like chicken would be apropos here.
The roasted partridge was good, but the crispy partridge was the hands down favorite. Flavorista Julie has already requested a dinner invitation for partridge night this year.
Crispy Partridge "Fingers"
Marinade
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce, more to taste
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
6 partridge breasts, bones removed, cut into thin strips
Breading
1/2 cup flour
1 egg beaten with 2 Tbsp. water
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup canola oil
In a large bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients. Add the partridge and toss well to coat. Refrigerate for 4 – 6 hours. When ready to cook, drain partridge strips in a colander.
Add flour to a shallow bowl. Add the egg mixture to a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, stir the bread crumbs and salt together.
Heat canola oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. While waiting for the oil to heat, dip each strip in the flour, then the egg, then the crumb. Pre-breaded strips can be set onto a plate to wait for pan frying.
Add a few strips to the pan being sure not to overcrowd the pan. When golden and crispy, turn strips to finish cooking. Transfer fried strips to a paper-lined plate. Repeat this process until all the strips are cooked.
Did I mention just how proud Marco is of Lollie’s hunting prowess?
October 9th, 2010
My brother-in-law, Pat, has quite a green thumb. He brought some beautiful rainbow chard for dinner the other night. Enjoy this with dish with any entree, I served it with a Savory Roulade.
Ingredients:
2 bunches rainbow chard
olive oil
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced ( a mandoline makes this easy)
1 cup currants, re-hydrated in 2/3 cup boiling water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup pine nuts, toasted (slivered almonds also work well)
salt and pepper to taste
Using Maldon’s Smoked Salt Flakes as a finishing touch is highly recommended.
Procedure:
Remove the leaves from the stems. Chop the stems and the leaves but keep them separated. Clean the chard throughly.
Heat a large skillet and cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of olive oil. Add the onions. Cook until they are golden. Add the chard stems and a bit of the current re-hydrating water.
Once the stems start to soften, add the chopped chard leaves. Once they begin to wilt add the currants with the remaining water. Now add the minced garlic. Once the leaves are wilted and cooked through, remove from heat and place onto a warmed platter. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the pine nuts or almonds.
September 15th, 2010
While this is not a quick recipe, it is certainly an old favorite from the original Greens cookbook by "vegetarianista" Deborah Madison. This is a perfect vegetarian dinner, especially for a large group on a warm summer night.
Basically this roulade is a flat, filled souffle. You can fill it with anything you like, but I feel that less is more with a roulade.
This one was filled with drained ricotta cheese and pesto and the topped with a very simple salsa of fresh vine ripened tomatoes, some fresh chopped garlic and basil, a little EVVO and salt and pepper. Served alongside chard (stay tuned for recipe) and Israeli couscous with peas, our group of 12 had plenty to feast on.
For the Roulade:
10 eggs at room temperature
5 cups of milk
1/2 tsp nutmeg
8 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup flour
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put a few dabs of butter on the pan to help anchor the paper in. Lightly butter and flour the paper, knocking off any excess flour.
Separate the yolks and the whites; lighty beat the yolks and set them aside. Heat the milk and make the roux by melting the butter, add the flour, and, stirring cook for 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat until the roux is lightly colored.
Add the heated milk, and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly; then remove from the heat and season with 1 teaspoon salt and the nutmeg. Gradually whisk some of the hot mixture into the yolks to warm them; then return to the pan and combine with the rest of the roux.
In a large bowl, whisk or beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until smooth firm peaks form. Stir about a quarter of the whites and half the grated cheese and the milk-egg yolk mixture; then gently fold in the rest of the whites. Pour the whole mixture onto the baking sheet, spread it to fill all the comers, and sprinkle rest of the cheese over the surface. Bake until the top is nicely browned and puffed, about 15 minutes.
Remove the souffle from the oven and let it cool. Carefully turn it out onto a large flat cutting board, with a tea towel on it, by turning over the pan. Remove the paper. It is now ready to be filled and rolled.
Filling: If you’d like an extra punch of basil, scatter a few whole leaves over the ricotta mixture before rolling the roulade.
1 lb. tub plus 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, drained
1 cup prepared pesto (or Marcela Hazan’s tried and true pesto)
salt and pepper to taste
Place the drained ricotta into a bowl and stir in the pesto. Season with salt and pepper.
Assembling the Roulade:
With the long side of the roulade facing you, spread the ricotta/pesto mixture across 2/3 of the roulade. Using the towel gently guide the the roulade into a log form. If possible, take the whole cutting board and place it into your refrigerator and let the roulade sit for about 20 minutes.
Otherwise, you can cut the roulade in half and place it on to 2 smaller plates and refrigerate. You can assemble the salsa a this point. Remove the roulade from the refrigerator and slice into 1/2 inch pieces. Arrange on a serving platter or directly onto your dinner plates, top with the salsa and enjoy!
August 30th, 2010
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