This winter has been a strange brew of warm sunny days mixed with some serious wind and a generous dose of cold rain. What ain’t we got? We ain’t got snow (Sung to the same tune as There is Nothing like a Dame from South Paciifc).
In the winter, one can only eat so much oatmeal. So when you are tired of dreary mornings and warm cereal, start off with a bright fruit plate made of sliced bananas, kiwi and oranges (with a few almonds tossed in for good measure).
Maverick has enthusiastically jumped onto the kiwi bandwagon. I sliced up 4 kiwis for him and a friend the other day. Before I blinked, the entire plate was devoured. I would venture to say that he loves kiwi as much as Lollie loves pomegranates.
The time to enjoy California kiwi is November to May. At roughly 50 calories each, kiwis are very nutrient dense. One kiwi delivers about as much vitamin C as an orange in addition to Vitamn K and E. All those little seeds equal 2 1/2 grams of fiber, 10% of the RDA.
For youger children, I like to peel and slice kiwi. For solo snacking, I simply cut the fruit in half and scoop out the middle with a spoon.
Maverick’s Strawberry Kiwi Milkshake adapted from All Recipes Serves 2
1 banana, sliced
6 frozen strawberries (or 1 cup frozen raspberies)
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream (or frozen yogurt)
1 kiwi, peeled and roughly chopped
1/3 cup milk
Add everything to a blender and process until smooth.
Some food in China is mostly about texture. This cake, referred to as Nian Gao, is made during the Lunar New Year celebrations and it is a textural marvel. I searched the web to find something to make for our New Year’s celebration and ended up combining a few techniques and ingredients from recipes I found on Chow.
I really enjoyed the texture: chewy, gummy, silky and soft, all at once. There are many variations and traditionally it is steamed. This baked version is very easy to make. Here is a picture of Nian Gao steamed in banana leaves
Nian Gao is made with glutinous or "sticky"rice flour. What separates this type of rice is that it was specifically developed by Asian farmers over the centuries for its higher content of amylose and amylopectin, two components of starch.
There is no dietary gluten in glutinous rice and it is used throughout Asia in numerous ways. It is more widely available here for gluten free diets. It is the primary ingredient in this dessert so do not substitute white rice flour. It will not work.
4 eggs at room temperature
2 cans light coconut milk
3 cups sweet rice flour
2 1/2 cups sugar (you can use a combination of brown and unrefined sugar)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. toasted, shredded coconut (to use as garnish at the end)
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13-inch pan with butter or non-stick spray coating and line with parchment paper.
Beat the eggs. Add the sugar and beat well for a few minutes. Now alternate adding wet and dry ingredients into the egg/sugar mixture (do not add the shredded coconut). This batter is very runny. Pour into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes. Sprinkle the coconut over the top and rotate the pan. Continue baking for another 25 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes. Using the parchment paper as handles, lift the nian gao out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Cut into your desired shapes. You can chill it to serve or serve at room temperature.
For more info on Chinese New Year Celebrations, check out the video below:
Tamarind is a tropical fruit with origins in sub-tropical Africa. It is very popular in South and Central America, India and Southeast Asia. It is revered for its unique flavor profile of being tart and sour.
Interestingly enough, especially for fruit, tamarind is actually high in calcium and B vitamins. In some cultures, it is recommended for gastric ailments and in others it is enjoyed as a beverage during hot steamy weather. It is one of the secret ingredients in Worcestershire sauce. It is wonderful in Zingy, Tangy and Fruity Chicken.
This tangy and tart dish delivers incredible pomegranate and tamarind flavor.
1/4 cup mild oil like safflower or canola for high heat cooking
6 to 8 skinless chicken thighs
1 large red onion, diced into small pieces
1 cup fresh cilantro
5 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. spicy paprika
3 Tbsp. Tamarind paste or 2 tsp. tamarind concentrate
(Neera’s is great, otherwise it’s available at Latina and Asian markets)
1/4 Cup Pomegranate molasses diluted in 1/2 cup water or 3/4 cup Pomegrante juice
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, finely chopped
1/2 cup grapes
1 tsp each salt and freshly cracked pepper
Juice from 3 tangerines
In a large dutch oven or large stainless steel pan, heat the oil and place the thighs in and brown on each side for about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from pan. Saute onions until soft.
In a food processor process the garlic with the cilantro. Add to the pan with the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Return chicken to pan and make sure to coat and submerge into the sauce. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, turning a few times during that time. Garnish with extra chopped cilantro and fresh pomegranate seeds if you like.
Every January, I complete a thorough purge of my pantry. You would be surprised at all the random items that land on my shelves after a year of various recipe assignments: 1/2 full boxes of pre-cooked lasagna noodles, too many spice blends too count and many, many assorted cans.
Some items with valid "use by" dates get donated while others are turned into dinners with intention, the intention of a clean pantry to start the new year. I happened upon a box of Isreali couscous in the back of my grain & rice shelf. With all of the couscous talk here at Flavorista, I couldn’t resist coming up with a recipe of my own.
I like to toast couscous before adding the cooking liquid because it adds a nice layer of flavor. This dish came together very quickly with convenience items and pantry items. Because it combines your vegetable and starch in one pan, all you need is a protein like a store-bought rotisserie chicken or you could even add 1 pound of peeled and deviened shrimp into the couscous for a one pan meal.
We shared this meal with neighbors and I am happy to report that it was kid-approved.
Isreali Couscous with Parmesan & Peas Serves 4 - 6, depending on appetites
1 Tbsp. olive oil or butter
1 (8-oz) pkg. Isreali couscous (about 1 1/3 cups uncooked)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 (12-oz) pkg. steam in the bag frozen peas
1/4 cup finely chopped chives or flat parsley (optional)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
In a large skillet or medium soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add the couscous, cook and stir until the couscous is toasted, about 3 minutes.
Add salt, pepper and broth. Stir and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the couscous is al dente. While the couscous simmers, prepare the peas according to package instructions.
Stir the cooked peas, lemon juice and the herbs (if using) into the couscous. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle the cheese over the couscous and then stir it into the couscous until melted and incorporated.
One of my favorite Middle Eastern spice mixtures in baharat, a wonderfully aromatic blend of 9 spices that includes cassia (cinnamon), paprika, black pepper, cumin, allspice, cardamom, clove, corinader and nutmeg. It lends itself to just about anything from potatoes to pork. I especially love it on pork tenderloin.
It’s easy enough to make if you have a spice grinder and all the spices in your pantry. Otherwise, my friends at the Savory Spice Shop have a unique blend that features ginger as well. Over the holidays flavorista Tracey and I made this and served it with her favorite Israeli Couscous. Some leftover roasted broccoli bits were mixed into the couscous. I served it this summer for Sue’s Nifty Party. This pork is outstanding served hot or cold!
Citrus and Baharat Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Marinade
2 Tbsp. orange zest
2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
1 Tbsp. lime zest
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup baharat spice blend
2 pork tenderloins
Place all the ingredients, except the baharat, into a large mixing bowl. On the stove in a dry skillet, heat the baharat until it starts to release its aroma. While whisking the juices, add the spice mixture. Place the pork tenderloins in to large zip lock bags or a non-reactive mixing bowl and pour the marinade over the meat. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Make sure that all the pork is submerged into the mixture. Ziploc bags work great for marinating for this very reason.
An hour or so before you want to cook the pork, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. You can either grill or roast the pork, either way it is delicious. Cook until it is medium rare. Meanwhile reduce the marinade over medium/low heat until it has been reduced by half to make a zesty sauce. You can skip this step but it’s nice to have the added flavors.
Remove the pork from the grill, place it onto a platter and cover for about 10 minutes. This is very important as you want all those juices. Heat a large serving platter and place your couscous onto it. I like to place my carving board into a baking sheet so that I can really capture the juices, this also more santitary as they won’t run all over your counter. Slice the pork and place it on top of the couscous. Pour the juices on top and serve!
I picked up a jar of this vanilla bean paste with high hopes. I had previously tried other vanilla bean pastes and they just never lived up to my expectations.
This version from Nielson-Massey delivered true vanilla flavor and vanilla bean seeds without scraping a pod or investing in whole vanilla. Not only did it satisfy my inner flavorista but it appealed to my tendency to be obsessed with efficiency.
To find a retailer near you, click here. If you happen to live in greater Portland, check out Micucci’s on India St., they sell a nice assortment of Nielson-Massey products at very reasonable prices.
