POMEGRANATE WALNUT DELIGHT

Posted in Salads, Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

This unusual salad will take the center spot in any meal with its intense flavors and contrast of textures. I spotted the recipe around Thanksgiving last year, saved it to my Pinterest cooking board, and finally made it. Please, don’t drag your feet like I did, make it sooner rather than later. Green olives, walnuts, pomegranate seeds… What a treat!

GREEN OLIVE, WALNUTS & POMEGRANATE SALAD
(adapted from Alexandra’s Kitchen, original recipe at Turquoise)

3/4 cup shelled walnuts
1/2 cup pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup roasted cashews, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1 red Serrano chile, seeded and finely minced
shredded flat-leaf parsley to taste
1 tablespoon walnut oil
splash of pomegranate molasses
juice of ½ lemon
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 350⁰F. Scatter the walnuts onto a jelly-roll pan and roast for 5-10 minutes, until deep golden brown. Chop the walnuts coarsely and toss in a sieve to remove any remaining skin or dust.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently. Leave to stand for 5 minutes or so before serving to allow flavors to meld. Taste and adjust seasoning. I ended up adding more lemon juice.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Confession: I tend to be salad-lazy. I don’t mind making a recipe that involves plenty of steps, be it reducing a sauce, braising for hours, or as you probably know, bake a loaf of bread that took 12 hours to proof. But, ask me to make a multi-ingredient salad and I am invaded by a sense of pure exhaustion. Washing the greens, cutting all ingredients, preparing the dressing… However, this salad never left my mind from the day I saw it at Alexandra’s site, which, by the way, is a site worth subscribing to. And, did you notice? No greens to wash. Yeaaaaaah! 😉

Everything works in this recipe. I am a lot more fond of black Kalamata type olives than green, but trust me, they taste unbelievably good here. Together with the unique heat that only a Serrano pepper delivers, you’ll enjoy the sweet and sour taste of pomegranate molasses, the toasty walnuts, the herby parsley, the lemon, and last but not least the pomegranate seeds! Like little pine nuts dressed for a gala party…
We love them!

Three words for you: Make this salad.

ONE YEAR AGO: Romanian Flatbreads

TWO YEARS AGO: Ziti with Artichokes and Meyer Lemon Sauce

THREE YEARS AGO: Blasted Broccoli, Stove-top version

22Jan2013

PUMPKIN UNCANNED

Posted in Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

A little over 3 years ago, I shared with you our recipe for pumpkin pie that uses home-made pumpkin puree. Phil is absolutely adamant about it, having grown up watching his Grandma and his Mom make the puree from scratch and producing delicious pies with it. But, there’s more than pie to pumpkin, and by making the puree yourself, you can also enjoy your own roasted pumpkin seeds. Plus, one large pumpkin will give enough puree to last for a year! Yes, you can do it with large pumpkins, even if they are a little more fibrous. And yes, it freezes quite well. Without further ado, here’s how we make it…

First, you need to cover a working surface with newspaper, and your body with a nice apron. Then cut open a lid on the top of your pumpkin, and scoop out all the seeds and the fibers that glue them together. Reserve them for later.

Next, cut large slices that will fit over baking sheets, and place them in a 350 F oven, with the cut side down. No need for salt, no need for oil. Easy as pie.

Bake the pumpkin for about 1 hour, or until soft. A good test is pushing your finger lightly on the skin, it should form an indentation.

Now, let the fun begin! Scrape the flesh into a bowl, and go to the sink, carrying the cooked pumpkin, an empty bowl, and a potato ricer. Place some of the pulp in the masher, and squeeze out with a light pressure, just to release what is mostly water. Let that go down the drain. Once you feel most of the watery stuff is released, puree the pulp into the clean, empty bowl. Do that in batches until all the pulp is passed through the holes of the ricer.

Now, marvel at the beauty of the mashed pumpkin you made yourself, or at least that you took pictures from while your husband worked hard at it… 😉

You can use it to make a nice pumpkin pie like the one I blogged about…

And save the rest in the freezer. I normally make a few 1-cup and some larger portions. Make sure to label, because the freezer can quickly turn into a parallel universe, unknown and mysterious.

My next two posts will feature goodies I made with our uncanned pumpkin… First, I will show you an interesting take on roasted pumpkin seeds, and next… well, next I cannot tell you yet. It’s a secret. 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Pork Ragu

TWO YEARS AGO: Friendly Kuri Squash

THREE YEARS AGO: Celery and Apple Salad

28Dec2012

THE ULTIMATE CRANBERRY SAUCE

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

For some odd reason, most people enjoy cranberry sauce once a year only. I am part of that crowd, reserving cranberry sauce to sit next to the Thanksgiving turkey, in its yearly appearance. This year I could not make it for Thanksgiving because we had a potluck-type celebration. Instead, the “annual sauce” showed up a few weeks later, with delicious turkey leftovers that were waiting in our freezer. I wanted a truly special recipe, and I hit gold with this version recommended by my friend Cindy. Dried Mission figs and Port wine mingle with cranberries, for an outcome that will make you reconsider the silly idea of once-a-year cranberry sauce.

CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH PORT AND DRIED FIGS
(adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2001)

1⅔ cups ruby Port
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
8 dried black Mission figs, stemmed, chopped
1 6-inch-long sprig fresh rosemary
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
1/2 cup sugar

Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium saucepan.
Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce
heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Discard rosemary.
Mix in cranberries and sugar. Cook over
medium heat until liquid is slightly reduced and
berries burst, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Cool. Transfer sauce to bowl; chill until cold.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The dried Mission figs are a must in this recipe, and of course the Port wine takes it over the top. Cranberry sauce can be a bit one-dimensional in texture, as the berries get all soft and mushy, even if you try to avoid cooking them to death. The figs offer a little body to the sauce, and contribute great flavor. The main modification of this recipe from its version in Bon Appetit was a reduction of sugar (it originally calls for 3/4 cup). If you have a particularly sweet tooth and like your sauce to be real sweet, go for the full amount. We prefer to keep some of the sourness of the cranberries, particularly when serving it with roast meats. Of course, you should not use a vintage Port wine for this recipe, it would be painful for your wallet. Go with a simple Sandeman Ruby Port and call it a day. Or call it a year! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Edamame Dip

TWO YEARS AGO: Gougeres

THREE YEARS AGO: Beef Wellington on a Special Night

23Dec2012

POTATO GALETTES A L’ALSACIENNE & BOOK REVIEW

Posted in Cookbook Reviews, Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

Right around the time I started this blog, I stumbled upon Pham Fatale’s site, and fell in love with it. The site’s name is a perfect choice for someone called Pham and who looks as gorgeous as she does… 😉 But what captured me for good was her multi-cultural style of cooking. Keep in mind that she was born in Paris, with parents who emigrated from Vietnam in the mid-70s. To make things even more interesting, she married a man who is also the son of immigrants, his parents came from India. If that does not make for an amazing array of recipes, I don’t know what would. Check her site and you will also be smitten by it, she is an amazing photographer and her recipes quite creative and unique. Jackie is a busy bee – she has a young baby, and cooks for a large family that includes teenagers with dietary restrictions – but even with such intense life she managed to publish her first cookbook. I asked her permission to publish a recipe from it, as well as write a little review. The book is called Haute Potato, and it includes 75 gourmet recipes using this “humble” vegetable. In Jackie’s hands, the potato is anything but humble!

POTATO GALLETES A L’ALSACIENNE
(reprinted with permission from Jacqueline Pham)

2 pounds Russet potatoes
1 lemon, freshly squeezed
2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
4 shallots, chopped
1 piece of leek (3 inches), white part only, chopped
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 + 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup canola oil, as needed

Prepare the potatoes: wash and peel the potatoes. Shred 2/3 of them and place in a large mixing bow. Add the lemon juice and cover with cold water. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and discard the liquid. Place all the shredded potatoes in a cheesecloth and remove as much excess wter as possible, than pat dry with paper towels. Pace inside a large bowl. Coarsely chop the remaining 1/3 of the potatoes and place them into the bowl of a food processor. Add the parsley, shallots, and leek. Pulse into a smooth raw puree. Add the mixture to the shredded potatoes.

Make the batter: in a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the cayenne pepper and the flour for 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add the nutmeg and baking powder. Add this egg mixture to the potatoes. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stir well to combine.

Fry the galettes: heat the oil over high heat in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan. You should have 1 inch of oil in the pan, so use as much oil as needed for that. Form small flattened patties with the potatoes (if you have disposable gloves, they work well if you grease them lightly with oil). When the oil is very hot, drop the patties into it, making sure they don’t touch each other. Lower the heat if they seem to brown too fast, and cook them for 5 to 8 minutes, until browned on the first side, then flip them and cook for about 3 more minutes on the second side. Season them with a little extra salt as you remove them from the pan and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. You can fry them and keep them warm in a low oven until serving time.

(makes 6 servings, about 12 galettes).

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I made one small modification to th recipe, and that was to add about 4 times as much parsley as it called for, which explains that my galettes had a bit more of a green aura than Jackie intended to. Let’s not delve too deeply into the issue. Suffice to say that I prepared the parsley to use in two different venues, and some unexpected firing of neuronal cells made me dump the full amount into the food processor. No harm was done to the galettes as far as taste is concerned. The key to the great texture of these fritters is the use of potato in two forms: grated and processed into a paste. It gives the galettes a very creamy and pleasant texture.

ABOUT HAUTE POTATO, THE COOKBOOK… I love the way the chapters are divided in an unorthodox way. Each chapter gives one type of “outcome” for the potato. Here is a list of them with one example of a tempting recipe found in it.

Chapter 1: Refreshing… Vietnamese-Style Shrimp and Potato Salad

Chapter 2: Decadent… Prosciutto-Wrapped Fig and Gnocchi Bites

Chapter 3: Cheesy…. Pine Nut, Chevre, and Potato Cigars with Lemon-Caper Sauce (this one a favorite of Jackie’s family)

Chapter 4: Crispy & Crunchy… Oven Sweet Potato Fries with Pineapple-Mango Aioli

Chapter 5: Creamy… Brie Cheese and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes (and Sally feels a little faint….)

Chapter 6: Spicy… Traditional Samosa

Chapter 7: Sweet… Sweet Potato and Matcha Green Tea Creme Brulee

I had a hard time deciding on a recipe to blog about, and almost went with her carrot and potato souffle, but since we very rarely make fried foods, I took the opportunity to try her galettes. I am definitely making the souffle next, and the potato cigars will be on our menu next time we entertain. Jackie said they disappear quickly whenever she makes them, and are the number 1 request of friends who were lucky enough to try them… 😉

This is a cookbook that will please anyone who likes to make their meals a little more special. However, even a cook without too much experience will be able to make most recipes, as they are very well explained. Some recipes are published in her blog, but most are exclusive to the book. You can find it at amazon.com, and in bookstores everywhere! I wish Jackie great success in her first adventure as a cookbook author, and look forward to her next cookbook! 😉

ONE YEAR AGO: Caramelized Carrot Soup

TWO YEARS AGO: Miso-Grilled Shrimp

THREE YEARS AGO: Pain Poilane

16Nov2012

THE MANY FACES OF KALE

Posted in Pasta & Noodles, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

The other day I bought a huge, and I mean HUGE bunch of kale with the firm idea of making a frittata with it. As the afternoon moved along, I changed my mind on our menu, and the kale transmogrified into a light gratin. But I also toyed with the idea of simple kale chips (which I love), only to drop that and settle on a salad. Maybe settle is not quite right. By the time I jumped on dinner preparation, the kale ended up as pesto. Flip-flopper? Who, me? 😉

FARFALLE WITH KALE PESTO
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

1 big bunch of kale, stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped
1/4 cup of walnuts, toasted
pinch of red pepper flakes
olive oil
squeeze of lemon juice
salt and pepper
1/4 to 1/3 cup yogurt

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Drop the kale leaves and blanch them for a couple of minutes. Immediately drain, and rinse briefly in cold water. Drain well, then place in a salad spinner to dry the leaves as much as possible.

Add the toasted walnuts and red pepper flakes to the bowl of a food processor, and process for a few seconds. Add the blanched kale and process together with the nuts until a paste forms. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon juice all over. Close the processor, and add the olive oil as a stream. Once the oil is incorporated, stop to scrape the sides of the bowl, add yogurt and process until everything is smooth. Taste, adjust seasoning, and reserve.

Meanwhile, cook farfalle pasta until al dente, reserving some of the pasta cooking water. When the pasta is cooked, mix with the pesto, and add the reserved cooking water to thin the sauce, if necessary. Serve with plenty of parmigiano-reggiano cheese grated on top.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I’ve seen recipes for kale pesto in which the raw leaves are processed with the usual suspects (garlic and olive oil). I decided it would be too harsh for our taste, so I took the extra step of blanching the leaves. If you are a garlic lover, add a couple of cloves together with the walnuts. I loved this version of pesto, and even used some as a spread for a ham sandwich at lunch next day. All amounts are a bit eye-balled, if you like the flavor of olive oil to be more pronounced, use more and omit or reduce the yogurt. Don’t leave the lemon juice out, though – it adds that citric brightness that is a must in this recipe.

For additional kale inspirations, a small sample of recipes from the internet:

Kale Gratin … A nice recipe from Taste Food, she used spinach, but I think kale would be great too

Kale Salad with Butternut Squash… from Eats Well with Others

Kale Frittata... from My Kitchen in the Rockies

Golden Chard Pie… from the early days of my blog