ZEN AND THE ART OF RISOTTO

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

For a long time certain of my favorite dishes (for example souffles and risottos) were restricted to restaurants, because I felt intimidated to make them myself. I lost my souffle-phobia thanks to my friend Vanda, who kept sending me e-mails about the broccoli or spinach & cheese or other tasty spur-of-the-moment souffle that she was serving for dinner. Indeed, she can whip up a souffle in her sleep… but because she was 6,000 miles away in Brazil, I resorted to Julia Child in order to Master the Art of Souffle Cooking.

Risotto took a little more time. I had some failures that slowed down my learning curve. Then it hit me: my main problem was lack of patience. You can’t rush it, and you can’t be completely sure how long it will take. Risotto takes however long it needs to reach the stage of perfection, and that is its Zen beauty.

This recipe reinforces the Zen of risotto with green tea as the cooking liquid. I found it in a nice food blog years ago, and made it several times. It’s lighter than traditional versions, and a perfect dish for Spring!

GREEN TEA RISOTTO WITH PEAS
(adapted from Cooking Books blog)

1 quart water
4 bags green tea
oil for the pan
3/4 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup Arborio rice
1 small shallot, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated parmeggiano-reggiano cheese

Bring 1 quart of water to a near boil, then pour it over 4 bags of green tea in a pot, allowing to steep for 2 minutes. Remove the bags and place the pot over low heat to keep it warm.

Blanch the peas in boiling water for one minute, then drain and run them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.

Warm the olive oil in a large pan or heavy-bottomed pot and sauté the shallots until they soften. Add the rice, season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes, then begin adding the tea, one ladle at a time. Stir constantly until all of the tea has been absorbed by the rice and add another ladle. Continue this process, adding tea and stirring to incorporate. The rice will take at least 20 minutes to be ready, check it from time to time.

Stir in the grated cheese and peas until the cheese is melted and incorporated and the peas are warmed through. Remove the risotto from the heat, and begin adding the lemon juice, tasting, until it has a bright flavor. Then stir in the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with a few shavings of parmiggiano over the top.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Most recipes for risotto start with some white wine and end with quite a bit of butter. You can modify this basic recipe to take it in that direction, or try this lighter version, that is still very satisfying. It is important to avoid over-brewing your tea, because green tea can quickly become bitter. I used this tea from Peet’s, a favorite of mine. The original recipe called for mint, but our mint was not growing yet, so I used parsley instead. I think fresh tarragon will be excellent too.

18Apr2010

BLACK OLIVE BIALY

Posted in Breads, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

I’ve never had a bialy until today. But, ever since I first saw a picture of a bialy in cookbooks and all over the net I wanted to try one, or even better, to make one!

Many weekends I was ready to give it a go, but things came up and… bialy was postponed until next week. And the next… and the next…and the next. Then I saw Dan Lepard’s recipe for black olive bialy and I couldn’t wait any more. Black – olive – bialy. Three simple words that made my heart jump with joy. I’m a Kalamata-cheerleader…

BLACK OLIVE BIALY
(from Dan Lepard)

1/2 tsp instant dry yeast
150 g pitted Kalamata olives, diced
25 mL olive oil
1 tsp salt
550 g bread flour
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 Tbs poppy seeds

Pour 250 mL warm water and yeast in a bowl then add the minced olives, olive oil and salt. Add the flour, mix forming a firm dough, and refrigerate for 24 hours or more (up to three days).

Dry fry the onion a few minutes on a non-stick skillet until soft but still pale, scrape into a bowl with the poppy seeds, and leave in the fridge.

Heat the oven to 450F.

Divide the dough into ten pieces (use a scale to get equal pieces) and shape into balls. Leave covered for an hour to rise at room temperature. Pat the balls out to about 4 inches diameter, and firmly indent the middle area, leaving a very thin and wide skin of dough in the center. Cover a tray with parchment paper, and lay five bialys on it, well spaced. Press 1 tsp of onion/poppy seed mixture in the center, with wet fingers.

Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until puffed and just beginning to get dark, then repeat with the remaining five pieces.

ENJOY!

Comments: If this recipe didn’t have Dan Lepard behind it, I probably wouldn’t have tried it, because it’s essentially a no-knead bread. Quoting Seinfeld, “not that there’s anything wrong with that,” but I prefer recipes that involve kneading and/or folding the dough. This was one of the easiest breads I’ve ever made, that’s perfect for a dinner party or brunch: once the dough is in the fridge it takes just a little over 1 hour to enjoy the fruits of your labor (i.e., the bread!).

Two important remarks:
1. Use Kalamata olives or another good quality black olive that’s high in moisture. Avoid the black olives sold in tins, that are brine-free and have almost no olive flavor.

2. Don’t be shy when pressing your fingers into the dough to make the depressions. Try to leave a very thin skin in the center. My second batch was better than the first, because I was too delicate in shaping the first five.

The flavor of the olives as you bite into the soft bread, mixed with the onion filling, is just dreamy! I’ll revisit this bread again and again.

I am submitting this post to this week’s Yeastspotting….

13Apr2010

TORTA DI LIMONE E MANDORLE

Posted in Desserts, Sweets, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

Italian is such a beautiful language! Most Italian phrases sound poetic, warm, and enticing… For example, this title translates as “lemon and almond cake,” but by sticking with the original Italian, I can pretend that it’s not really a cake, and therefore, it is doable. 😉 This recipe came from Fer’s blog (Chucrute com Salsicha), where I find a lot of inspiration, and she convinced me to ignore my cake-phobia and give it a try.

Done! I can’t say it was painless, but it wasn’t as horrible as some of my past cake experiences.

TORTA DI LIMONE E MANDORLE
(recipe adapted by Fer, original found in Twelve: A Tuscan Cookbook)

125 g softened butter
125 g granulated sugar
3 eggs, separated
125 g almond flour
60 g all purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
juice and zest of 2 lemons
powdered sugar (optional)

Heat the oven to 355F / 180 C.
Prepare a springform pan (8 inches diameter) by coating it with butter and dusting with flour. Take a deep breath and beat the butter with the sugar until it forms a cream. Hope that the stars are correctly aligned so that the elusive cream stage appears in recognizable form. Take another deep breath and add the egg yolks, one by one, beating after each addition. Calm yourself, collect yourself, and move away from the Kitchen Aid mixer. In a large bowl, combine the flours with the baking powder, mix them well together, and add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix to incorporate. Stop hyperventilating. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, and fold them into the cake batter, trying to avoid deflating the egg whites too much. Cross your fingers for sustained alignment of the stars.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, and hope it will be enough to cover its whole surface, as cake batters tend to dissipate into thin air and never ever fill the pan called for in the recipe (which is very annoying!). Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (mine baked for 43 minutes and 19 seconds), until the cake is lightly golden. Allow it to cool before opening the springform pan. If desired, dust with powdered sugar.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

para receita em portugues, siga esse link…

Comments: This was a lovely cake, I’m so glad that I made it! If you have Meyer lemons, use them, as Fer recommended. The almond flour brings an interesting texture: a little more dense, but it quickly melts in your mouth, with a bright lemony finish. It sure brightened up our lab meeting last Friday… 😉

6Apr2010

BANANA BREAD

Posted in Desserts, Sweets, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

I realize the world has no shortage of banana bread recipes, as a quick google produces 5,580,000 hits! You’ll find all shapes and styles: moist, classic, healthy, vegan, gluten-free, low-calorie (!?!?), with nuts, chocolate chips, blueberries, cinnamon, with sour cream or pumpkin…. if you dream it, chances are someone already made it and spread the word about it. Once I hit “publish”, you’ll have at least 5,580,001 options! I am sure you will sleep better tonigt… 😉

This recipe comes from cookbook author extraordinaire (and very dear net-friend), Glenys Morgan, and makes a moist, very pure, dense but not heavy, banana bread. She doesn’t recommend using this recipe to bake muffins, so stick to a regular loaf pan.

GLENY’S BEST BANANA BREAD
(from Glenys Morgan)

1 cup mashed bananas (2 large or 3 medium, very ripe bananas)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 egg
1 + 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla or dark rum (optional)

Heat the oven to 375F.

Mash or purée the bananas and buttermilk until smooth. Add the baking soda and mix.
Cream the brown sugar and butter together until smooth. Beat in the egg. Add the banana purée and combine. The mixture will seem curdle.

Add the baking powder to the flour, mix well. Gradually add it to the banana mixture. Stir just enough to combine evenly. Add the vanilla or rum.

Pour into sprayed or greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch pan, filling the pan to 2/3 full of its capacity. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Leave in the pan for 10-15 minutes before turning out. Do not leave in the pan as the loaves sweat and become soggy.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: The most important thing in this recipe is to use very ripe bananas, those that are black, soft, begging to be put out of their misery. Usually I peel them, mash lightly and stick in a zip-lock bag (writing on the bag how many bananas are inside). You can also freeze the bananas whole, but sometimes they can be tricky to peel. Some people like nuts and other bells and whistles in their banana bread, I am more of a purist, and find this recipe absolutely perfect. Our graduate students seemed to agree, as the loaf was gone in minutes! 😉

receita em portugues na pagina seguinte!

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23Mar2010

SUN-DRIED TOMATO AND FETA CHEESE TORTE

Posted in Appetizers, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

I first made this torte in 2001, for a large cocktail party to celebrate my beloved’s Birthday. We’d never hosted quite so many people (perhaps 60), and this layered appetizer was one of the highlights of that memorable night. The recipe came from Chiqui, a caterer from New Orleans, whom I “net-met” many years ago. I hope you’ll consider it for your next dinner party, or for a potluck. I recently made it again for another birthday party, so I might have to start calling it “Birthday Torte”. 😉

FETA CHEESE TORTE
(adapted from Chiqui)

1/2 cup slivered pine nuts, toasted (I substituted slivered almonds)
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
1/2 garlic head, roasted
8 ounces feta cheese
1/2 stick unsalted butter
8 ounces cream cheese
1 tsp white pepper, ground
2 Tbs vermouth
1/2 cup arugula pesto (or regular basil pesto, preferably homemade)

Prepare the ingredients for all layers: toast the nuts in a dry skillet or in the oven, being careful not to burn them. Coarsely chop the sun-dried tomatoes, drain of most of their oil, and mix them with 1/2 of the roasted garlic. Mix the feta cheese at room temperature with the butter, cream cheese, pepper, vermouth, and the remaining roasted garlic. Add to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and fluffy. Adjust seasoning if necessary. If using commercial pesto, drain it to reduce the amount of oil. If using homemade, make it with less oil than the recipe calls for.

Line the mold of your choice with plastic wrap, leaving 6 inches overhang on all sides.
First layer: toasted nuts.
Second layer: Sun-dried tomato mixture.
Third layer: Half the cheese mixture. Spread it gently over the tomatoes.
Fourth layer: Pesto sauce.
Fifth and final layer: Remaining cheese mixture. Spoon gently, and smooth the surface well.

Cover it with the plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, overnight is best. Unwrap it, invert the torte on a serving dish. Serve with crackers of your choice.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: You can make this layered torte in any kind of container. Sometimes I prepare it in mini-loaf pans: the full recipe is enough for two completely full mini-loaves, or three smaller (shorter) ones. For a Valentine’s dinner, a heart-shaped container sounds interesting, but keep in mind that the dish is rich, so the full recipe is way too much for two people.

(receita em portugues na proxima pagina)

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