Tonight at Frugal Foodies was all about the melons, and I think that we had five different types that we prepared. One of the challenges of a Special Guest Ingredient night, as I’ve mentioned before, is trying to have all the dishes taste sufficiently distinct as to not bore the senses. Not sure if we were up to the challenge on this front, but everyone did leave full, if not bloated. And what was nice is that all of these recipes were on the easy side, and required almost no stove time so we had a bit of extra time to make some melon art, which was a fun diversion. As for the food, many of the dishes were missing something, though I didn’t always know what it was. Here’s what we made:
Cucumber Melon Soup—this was a nice opening dish, not too sweet, not too tart, but needed a tad of something so as to not be confused with a smoothie. Someone suggested wasabe another suggested mustard, but I’m not a fan of either, so I think I might have tried cayenne or something along those lines. As is, I give it a score of 5 bucks.
Watermelon Salsa—who would think to make a salsa out of watermelon? Not me, but it’s the dish that I found the most captivating, even though it was missing something as well. In this case, I think that it could have used a bit more spice and salt, but more importantly, it could have used more time for all of the flavors to blend. But the watermelon really worked for me, and I’d suggest playing around with the recipe and coming up with something really lovely. I give it a score of 5.5 bucks.
Melon Salad with Lime and Mint—I remember this salad being much tastier when we made it a few years back. Today, it tasted under-flavored, and I’m not sure if this was due to the melons or to not enough mint or lemon/lime. But I found it disappointing, in fact the most disappointing dish of the evening. I give it a score of 2.5 bucks.
Herb-Marinated Fresh Mozzarella Wraps—another dish with a fair amount of promise that fell a little short for me. While the elements were all strong, even considering the quirky combination of fresh cheese, asparagus, olives, and cantaloupe, it needed more flavor, so I’m thinking that it could have been much much better with a more flavorful cheese like feta, or with some balsamic in the seasoning, or maybe both. As is, it was an entirely fine but forgettable dish, so it can only be scored as 4 bucks.
Casava Melon with Coconut Milk—this was our “dessert” but it was one of those dishes that didn’t seem too desserty. I added some sliced almonds to mine to give it some crunch but it was still missing something. I liked the coconut milk and the toasted coconut, but maybe it was the cassava melon that didn’t excite me. In any case, I give it a score of 3 bucks.
Overall—tonight’s menu didn’t really work for me as an overall performance, and I think that I’d only be inclined to make one of the dishes—the salsa—again. But I think that I got my fiber for the day, and it wasn’t a bad meal by any stretch. In all, a mildly disappointing 20 bucks in all, but I think that this was more about melon overkill than anything else. Now for the recipes…
Cucumber Melon Soup
Adapted from www.perfectentertaining.com
Ingredients
2 cups honeydew, chopped
2 large cucumbers, chopped
8 ounces plain yogurt
2 T fresh lime juice
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper
Instructions
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth.
2. Pour the mixture through a sieve to strain out any chunks of seeds and peel.
3. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
4. Cover and chill the soup for at least 30 minutes and up to 5 hours before serving.
Serves 4
Watermelon Salsa
Adapted from www.perfectentertaining.com
Ingredients
3 C diced watermelon (or other melon or mix of melons)
½ C finely diced bell peppers
¼ C sliced scallions
2 T lime juice
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
2 T minced jalapenõ peppers, or to taste
Instructions
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir well
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 6 hours before serving.
3. Stir before serving.
4. Serve with chips or as a condiment for a main course.
Makes about 4 cups
Melon Salad with Lime and Mint
Adapted from Tomato Blessings and Radish Teachings, by Edward Espe Brown
Ingredients
½ lb melon
Juice of 1 lime
2 T white sugar or maple syrup
Salt
15 to 18 mint leaves, sliced into narrow strips (about ¼ C)
Instructions
1. Cut the melon open and remove the seeds. Use a melon baler or remove the rind and cut into chunks.
2. Combine the lime juice and sugar or maple syrup, and toss it with the melon, along with a couple pinches of salt. Garnish with the mint leaves.
Serves 4-6
Herb-Marinated Fresh Mozzarella Wraps
Adapted from www.myrecipes.com
Ingredients
¾ cup (3 ounces) diced fresh mozzarella cheese
2 T chopped fresh basil
2 T chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 T chopped fresh chives
1 T chopped fresh oregano
1 t olive oil
½ melon, sliced into spears
16 asparagus spears, steamed and chilled (about 1/4 pound)
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Instructions
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and chill for an hour.
Arrange 2-3 spears of melon and 4 asparagus spears on each tortilla. Spoon about 1/3 cup cheese mixture over the asparagus, and roll it up tightly.
Cut wraps at an angle and serve.
Serves 4
Casava Melon with Coconut Milk
Adapted from www.perfectentertaining.com
Ingredients
8 ounces coconut milk
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
4 cups cubed casaba melon
¼ cup toasted shredded coconut
Additional lime zest for garnish (optional)
Instructions
1. Mix together the coconut milk, lime juice, and zest in a large bowl until well mixed. Add the melon and toss well.
2. Chill for at least one hour, and up to three hours.
3. Garnish with the toasted coconut and lime zest and serve.
Serves 6
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Tuesday, September 8th
This week was our vegan week, and many of you may know that I fear veganism. I’d like to be vegan, seems like a good thing to do for the body and for the planet, but it just seems so hard, and not altogether tasty. Add to this the fact that we had an attendee that ate no onions or garlic, so we were basically doing Sattvic vegan dishes. In other words, lower your expectations. Here’s what we had:
Orange Carrot Sunflower Salad—I’ve been meaning to use up some sunflower seeds that were given to me, and this was a good salad for doing so. I thought that it was a pretty good salad, though a bit on the sweet side. Very orange with the carrots and oranges, and it worked as a decent side salad. Not great, don’t think that I would make it again, but I give it a score of 5 bucks.
Pistachio and Grape-Studded Quinoa Salad—this was the better of the two salads for me, and I would make it again, with a few adjustments. Quinoa is really a great grain, as it’s not only versatile, but packed full of protein. This “miracle grain” actually has the amino acid structure of milk and is one of the few non-animal products that’s a complete protein by itself. In any case, this salad combined quinoa with grapes, cucumbers, and pistachios and was quite nice. I would have replaced the grapes with currants or another dried fruit, but the grapes were nice, and I give it a score of 6 bucks.
Chickpeas with Spinach—I expected this dish to have an Indian feel to it, but it really didn’t. Not sure what kind of feel it had, as I’ve forgotten the flavor already. The dish was fine but totally forgettable, which is not a compliment for an entrée. I would have liked much more complex spicing, and then it might have been a significantly better dish. As is, I give it a score of 4 bucks.
Sesame Broccoli—this was my least favorite dish, and I’m not sure if it was more about the broccoli being a bit undercooked or about the flavoring being unflavorful. It was one of those dishes where I just had no desire to finish what was on my plate. I do think that others liked it, but I didn’t at all, so the best score that I can give this dish is 2 bucks.
Chocolate Mint Chip Cake—I’m happy to report that for the second month in a row, I’ve been happily surprised with a vegan dessert. This one was chocolaty, minty, and a very satisfying dessert that didn’t seem to suffer from its veganitude. I should say that the group preparing this dish dramatically undercooked the dish, and I’m not sure if it was more a pudding or a lava cake, but it wasn’t as the recipe maker had intended. But it was still good and I give it a score of 5.5 bucks.
Overall—like last month, not a bad meal for being vegan. I think that we had a well-balanced menu and I wasn’t hungry an hour later. In all, the total score was 22.5 bucks, and that’s not bad for being vegan, Sattvic, and all for eight dollars. Now for the recipes…
Orange Carrot Sunflower Salad
Adapted from www.veganchef.com
Ingredients
½ C apple juice
2 T tahini
1 T maple syrup
1 T apple cider vinegar
Pinch of cinnamon
2 C carrots, shredded
1 orange, peeled, cut into segments, and each segment cut into three pieces
1/3 C currants
¼ C sunflower seeds
¼ C freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
1. In a blender or food processor, combine the apple juice, tahini, maple syrup, vinegar, and cinnamon, and process for 1 minute or until smooth and creamy.
2. In a bowl, place the remaining ingredients, pour the dressing over the top, and toss gently to combine.
3. Store in the refrigerator.
Serves 3-4
Pistachio and Grape-Studded Quinoa Salad
Adapted from www.veganchef.com
Ingredients
1 ½ C water
1 C apple juice
1 T ginger, minced
2 C quinoa, well rinsed
1 C English cucumber, cut into quarters lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1 C seedless red grapes, cut in half
1 C seedless white grapes, cut in half
1 C pistachios, shelled, and roughly chopped
½ C green onion, thinly sliced
¼ C parsley, chopped
3 T raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 T apple juice or water
2 T olive oil
2 T toasted sesame oil
2 t unbleached cane sugar (or white sugar from sugar beets)
½ t sea salt
¼ t cinnamon
Lettuce leaves, for garnishing
Instructions
1. In a medium saucepan, place the water, apple juice, and minced ginger, and bring to a boil. Add the quinoa, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain off any excess liquid, transfer the quinoa to a bowl, fluff with a fork, and set aside to cool completely.
2. Combine the cucumber, red and white grapes, pistachios, green onions, and parsley to the cooled quinoa, and combine, tossing lightly with the cooled quinoa.
3. In a small bowl, place the remaining ingredients (except the lettuce leaves), and whisk well to combine. Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and toss gently to combine.
4. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
5. Serve atop lettuce leaves or in a bowl lined with the lettuce.
Serves 4 - 6
Chickpeas with Spinach
Adapted from www.sattvicfoods.com
Ingredients
4 T olive oil
1 t asafetida
1 C tomato puree
3 C cooked chickpeas
1 lb spinach, steamed and chopped
1 t salt
½ t black pepper
1 t brown sugar
1 t Italian herbs
Olive oil, lemon juice, and parsley to garnish
Instructions
1. Heat oil over medium heat. Briefly fry asafetida.
2. Pour in tomato puree and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Fold in chickpeas and steamed spinach. Mix in remaining seasonings. Reduce heat and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
4. Serve hot drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice.
Serves 4
Sesame Broccoli
Adapted from www.sattvicfoods.com
Ingredients
1 t fresh ginger, grated
1 T liquid amino acids (like Braggs)
1 T sesame oil
1 T lemon juice
2 lbs broccoli florets and stalks
1 T sesame seeds, toasted
Black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Whisk ginger, soy sauce, oil, lemon and set aside.
2. Steam broccoli until crisp and toss in ginger sauce.
3. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and pepper.
Serves 4-6
Chocolate Mint Chip Cake
Adapted from www.veganchef.com
Ingredients
½ C soy milk, rice milk, or other non-dairy milk of choice
½ C Mori-Nu silken style tofu, extra firm
1 C water
1 2/3 C unbleached cane sugar
1 ½ C unbleached flour
¾ C soy flour
¾ C cocoa powder
1 ½ t baking powder
1 ¼ t baking soda
1 t salt
½ C applesauce
2 t vanilla
½ t peppermint extract
1 C vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
1. Lightly oil a 9x13 inch pan and set aside.
2. In a food processor or blender, place the soy milk and tofu, and blend for 1 minute. Add the water and blend an additional 30 seconds.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, soy flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the food processor and blend for 1 minute. Add the applesauce, vanilla, and peppermint extract, and blend an additional 30 seconds or more to combine. Add the chocolate chips and pulse 2-3 times to incorporate.
5. Pour into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Serves 12
Orange Carrot Sunflower Salad—I’ve been meaning to use up some sunflower seeds that were given to me, and this was a good salad for doing so. I thought that it was a pretty good salad, though a bit on the sweet side. Very orange with the carrots and oranges, and it worked as a decent side salad. Not great, don’t think that I would make it again, but I give it a score of 5 bucks.
Pistachio and Grape-Studded Quinoa Salad—this was the better of the two salads for me, and I would make it again, with a few adjustments. Quinoa is really a great grain, as it’s not only versatile, but packed full of protein. This “miracle grain” actually has the amino acid structure of milk and is one of the few non-animal products that’s a complete protein by itself. In any case, this salad combined quinoa with grapes, cucumbers, and pistachios and was quite nice. I would have replaced the grapes with currants or another dried fruit, but the grapes were nice, and I give it a score of 6 bucks.
Chickpeas with Spinach—I expected this dish to have an Indian feel to it, but it really didn’t. Not sure what kind of feel it had, as I’ve forgotten the flavor already. The dish was fine but totally forgettable, which is not a compliment for an entrée. I would have liked much more complex spicing, and then it might have been a significantly better dish. As is, I give it a score of 4 bucks.
Sesame Broccoli—this was my least favorite dish, and I’m not sure if it was more about the broccoli being a bit undercooked or about the flavoring being unflavorful. It was one of those dishes where I just had no desire to finish what was on my plate. I do think that others liked it, but I didn’t at all, so the best score that I can give this dish is 2 bucks.
Chocolate Mint Chip Cake—I’m happy to report that for the second month in a row, I’ve been happily surprised with a vegan dessert. This one was chocolaty, minty, and a very satisfying dessert that didn’t seem to suffer from its veganitude. I should say that the group preparing this dish dramatically undercooked the dish, and I’m not sure if it was more a pudding or a lava cake, but it wasn’t as the recipe maker had intended. But it was still good and I give it a score of 5.5 bucks.
Overall—like last month, not a bad meal for being vegan. I think that we had a well-balanced menu and I wasn’t hungry an hour later. In all, the total score was 22.5 bucks, and that’s not bad for being vegan, Sattvic, and all for eight dollars. Now for the recipes…
Orange Carrot Sunflower Salad
Adapted from www.veganchef.com
Ingredients
½ C apple juice
2 T tahini
1 T maple syrup
1 T apple cider vinegar
Pinch of cinnamon
2 C carrots, shredded
1 orange, peeled, cut into segments, and each segment cut into three pieces
1/3 C currants
¼ C sunflower seeds
¼ C freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
1. In a blender or food processor, combine the apple juice, tahini, maple syrup, vinegar, and cinnamon, and process for 1 minute or until smooth and creamy.
2. In a bowl, place the remaining ingredients, pour the dressing over the top, and toss gently to combine.
3. Store in the refrigerator.
Serves 3-4
Pistachio and Grape-Studded Quinoa Salad
Adapted from www.veganchef.com
Ingredients
1 ½ C water
1 C apple juice
1 T ginger, minced
2 C quinoa, well rinsed
1 C English cucumber, cut into quarters lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1 C seedless red grapes, cut in half
1 C seedless white grapes, cut in half
1 C pistachios, shelled, and roughly chopped
½ C green onion, thinly sliced
¼ C parsley, chopped
3 T raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 T apple juice or water
2 T olive oil
2 T toasted sesame oil
2 t unbleached cane sugar (or white sugar from sugar beets)
½ t sea salt
¼ t cinnamon
Lettuce leaves, for garnishing
Instructions
1. In a medium saucepan, place the water, apple juice, and minced ginger, and bring to a boil. Add the quinoa, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain off any excess liquid, transfer the quinoa to a bowl, fluff with a fork, and set aside to cool completely.
2. Combine the cucumber, red and white grapes, pistachios, green onions, and parsley to the cooled quinoa, and combine, tossing lightly with the cooled quinoa.
3. In a small bowl, place the remaining ingredients (except the lettuce leaves), and whisk well to combine. Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and toss gently to combine.
4. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
5. Serve atop lettuce leaves or in a bowl lined with the lettuce.
Serves 4 - 6
Chickpeas with Spinach
Adapted from www.sattvicfoods.com
Ingredients
4 T olive oil
1 t asafetida
1 C tomato puree
3 C cooked chickpeas
1 lb spinach, steamed and chopped
1 t salt
½ t black pepper
1 t brown sugar
1 t Italian herbs
Olive oil, lemon juice, and parsley to garnish
Instructions
1. Heat oil over medium heat. Briefly fry asafetida.
2. Pour in tomato puree and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Fold in chickpeas and steamed spinach. Mix in remaining seasonings. Reduce heat and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
4. Serve hot drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice.
Serves 4
Sesame Broccoli
Adapted from www.sattvicfoods.com
Ingredients
1 t fresh ginger, grated
1 T liquid amino acids (like Braggs)
1 T sesame oil
1 T lemon juice
2 lbs broccoli florets and stalks
1 T sesame seeds, toasted
Black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Whisk ginger, soy sauce, oil, lemon and set aside.
2. Steam broccoli until crisp and toss in ginger sauce.
3. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and pepper.
Serves 4-6
Chocolate Mint Chip Cake
Adapted from www.veganchef.com
Ingredients
½ C soy milk, rice milk, or other non-dairy milk of choice
½ C Mori-Nu silken style tofu, extra firm
1 C water
1 2/3 C unbleached cane sugar
1 ½ C unbleached flour
¾ C soy flour
¾ C cocoa powder
1 ½ t baking powder
1 ¼ t baking soda
1 t salt
½ C applesauce
2 t vanilla
½ t peppermint extract
1 C vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
1. Lightly oil a 9x13 inch pan and set aside.
2. In a food processor or blender, place the soy milk and tofu, and blend for 1 minute. Add the water and blend an additional 30 seconds.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the sugar, flour, soy flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the food processor and blend for 1 minute. Add the applesauce, vanilla, and peppermint extract, and blend an additional 30 seconds or more to combine. Add the chocolate chips and pulse 2-3 times to incorporate.
5. Pour into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Serves 12
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Tuesday, September 1st
This night at Frugal Foodies was dedicated to wrapped foods, and there are so many of those out there that it was quite difficult to choose. So I picked a long-time favorite of mine, Aram sandwiches, a more recent favorite of mine, fresh Vietnamese-style spring rolls, and two new recipes. It was important to not confuse the wrapped food species with the stuffed food species, both because I tend to dislike the latter, and simultaneously would like to dedicate a night to that later this year. I guess that’s the kind of guy I’ve become, challenging my dislikes, hoping that with enough exposure and creativity in approach, I’ll learn to love, or at the very least, be very very comfortable with my dislike. Here’s what we had (with link to scoring code to the left of this entry):
Chinese Broccoli Wonton Soup—the group working on this dish worked efficiently. They made some of the prettiest looking wontons, and did it quite systematically. They played nice with each other and even cleaned up well after themselves. That’s why it pains me to say that this was the least edible dish I’ve had since the scoring system began. In fairness, it was a two part dish, the wontons and the broth, and I liked the broth just fine, thought that it tasted subtle and soothing, and the flavoring for me was just right for being what it was, a basic broth. But the wontons, though cooked to perfection had a filling that was more than just off. It was bad. No, it was more than bad. Was it that it had way way too much ginger? Did the chefs get too drunk and not taste their filling? Or more troubling, did they actually like it before they fed it to the masses? I really see nothing in the filling that should have led to this result, and perhaps I’ll try to make this dish myself, just to see if it was the recipe or user error. But in the end, while I’d give the broth a score of four bucks, the overall dish for me was 2 bucks.
Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls—yum! While I love most all things fried, and especially spring rolls, I think that the fresh version of these Vietnamese treats are just outstanding, and maybe possibly perhaps could even top their deep-friend brethren. There’s something about the noodles, tofu, veggies, and mint/cilantro, all wrapped together that’s quite nice, and the dipping sauce for these rolls is to die for. In fact, the dipping sauce alone might have scored a perfect 8 bucks, but the rolls were a bit too loosely rolled and so they didn’t hang together perfectly, making the eating of these a bit of a challenge. But with that said, the whole dish was really strong, and with proper rolling, could near perfection. As it was, I give this dish a score of 6.5 bucks.
Aram Sandwiches—the recipe is called something different, but I think that it’s only fair to speak about the range of Aram sandwiches that were before me, and only a small percentage were of the warm Portabella variety. I don’t think that I had ever had a warm Aram sandwich before and that was a new twist that I think has some nice potential. But I didn’t love that particular recipe, though it certainly wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t nearly as good for me as some of the others, and specifically the cream-cheese based ones, replete with sundried tomatoes, peppers, avocado, sprouts, the like. I really love Aram sandwiches and they are so easy. Pretty close to a perfect dish in terms of taste, ease, and beauty of presentation, and only scores less because the hot version was not outstanding. So, overall, I give this dish a score of 7 bucks.
Berry Roll—please note that we made a vegan version of this recipe, replacing the milk with soy milk and the butter with Earth Balance and I’ve never made the dairy version. For me, vegan desserts can be a challenge, but this is yet another one that passed the test. But can you really go wrong with assorted fresh berries lovingly rolled in dough? I think that this recipe also would have worked out pretty well with frozen berries and what would have really taken it to a whole new level was a spoon of whipped cream or ice cream. Still, it was a solid dish as is, and I give it a score of 5.5 bucks.
Overall—we had highs, we had lows, and as a whole just surpassed the twenty buck mark. This was mostly a product of us only making four dishes, and that’s because wrapped dishes take more time. Not a bad meal overall, and if we could have replaced the wonton filling with something more edible, this whole meal might have been off the charts. But as is, the overall score was 21 bucks. Now for the recipes…
Chinese Broccoli Wonton Soup
Adapted from www.veganyumyum.com
Wonton Ingredients
16 square wonton skins
1 T oil
1-2 t fresh ginger, minced
1 C Chinese broccoli, thinly sliced
¾ C seitan, chopped fine
½ tsp hot chili sauce, more if desired (like Sriracha)
1 t Dijon mustard
1 t tamari or soy sauce
Ginger-Soy Broth Ingredients
4 C water
5-6 fresh ginger slices
1 T mirin
2 T tamari (or soy sauce)
1 ½ t sugar
2 t rice vinegar
½ t salt, plus more to taste
¼ C Chinese broccoli leaves, packed (or spinach/collards)
Instructions
1. Begin by chopping the Chinese broccoli very thinly with a sharp knife, from the base of the stem up towards the leaves (just like chopping scallions).
2. Heat a large pan with oil and add the ginger. Once the ginger becomes fragrant, add the broccoli and seitan, stirring well and cooking until the broccoli is bright green and tender-crisp.
3. Transfer the broccoli-seitan mixture to a small bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust to your liking. Set aside while you make the broth.
4. Heat all of the broth ingredients together except the greens in a small sauce pan, until sugar and salt is dissolved and the ginger has had time to infuse into the broth. Taste and add more salt if desired, but remember this is a mild broth that is only meant to be a complement to the wontons. Once the broth has begun to simmer, turn off the heat and toss in greens. Cover and set aside.
5. Place 1-2 t of filling in the center of the wonton. Wet the edges of the wrapper with water (a finger dipped in water works great) and seal into a triangle, removing as much air as possible from the dumpling. Make sure edges are secured.
6. Set the triangle in front of you, pointing up. Wet one of the bottom corners. Hold the corners, one between each thumb and forefinger. Begin to bend the wrapper, as if you were forcing it into a horseshoe shape. Don’t change your grip, and resist the urge to fold the corners over. Bring the two ends together, crossing them slightly, and press to seal. Going from the triangle shape to a completed wonton is one fluid motion. Your dumpling should look like a fun little fish-boat-hat.
7. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Re-heat your broth to steaming, if necessary. Gently lower the wontons into the boiling water and cook until they become translucent, about 2-3 minutes if the wontons aren’t frozen, longer if they are. Remove them from the water with a spider (or other slotted spoon device) and place them into the hot broth.
8. Take care to remove and discard any dumplings that have opened up during cooking. If they open, water gets inside, washes all the flavor away, and you’ll be sad if you serve it or eat it. It will taste like watery mush.
9. Ladle 3-4 wontons into a bowl and add a small amount of broth, enough to half-way cover the wontons. Make sure to get some greens in there, too.
10. Serve immediately.
Serves 4
Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls
Adapted from Heidi Winig’s Guest Chef Night at Frugal Foodies, 7/22/08
Dipping Sauce Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp chili paste
1 cup veggie stock
½ cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
Filling/Wrapping Ingredients
½ lb dried rice vermicelli, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
24 dried round rice papers
24 large soft red-leaf lettuce leaves (very soft lettuce)
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
Mint leaves
2 containers soft or medium tofu, sliced into 1 x 3 x ¼ inch pieces
Cilantro sprigs
Instructions
1. To make the dipping sauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Add the hoisin sauce, sugar, chili paste and stir well and simmer for 15 seconds. Stir in the stock until the mixture has a thick, creamy consistency. Add the peanuts and let cool.
2. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Drain the rice noodles and add to the boiling water. Boil until just tender, about 2 minutes. Pour the noodles into a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Drain well and set aside. Toss frequently to keep them from sticking together.
3. Make the spring rolls by laying one sheet of rice paper on a flat surface. Using a pastry brush, brush with hot water and leave it for 30 seconds until they are softened and feel like a wet tissue. Arrange 1 lettuce leaf on the lower third of the round. Add about 2 teaspoons of rice vermicelli, some carrots, and mint leaves atop the lettuce. Begin rolling from the bottom, tightly enclosing the filling with one roll to the middle of the rice paper but no further. Fold in the right and left ends, add the tofu and cilantro, and continue to roll as tightly as possible. Seal the roll with water and set aside.
4. Set the rolls on a tray and cover with a damp kitchen towel until all the rolls are done.
5. Serve with dipping sauce.
Makes 24 rolls
Portabella Aram Sandwiches
Adapted from www.grouprecipes.com
Ingredients
1 large tortilla wrap or flatbread
¾ C Gorgonzola
12 washed and dried spinach leaves
6 thin slices sautéed eggplant
1 large portabella mushroom sliced thinly and sautéed
¼ red pepper cut into strips and sautéed
1 T olive oil
Instructions
1. Put gorgonzola on wrap and warm until the cheese can be easily spread over the entire wrap.
2. Place the spinach leaves flat on the cheese covering the whole wrap.
3. Do the same with the eggplant slices then add portabella and red peppers then roll very tightly.
4. Bake for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven then cut into wedges and serve.
Serves 2
Assorted Cold Aram Sandwiches
Ingredients
Flatbread
Cream cheese, softened
Hummus
Pesto
Tomatoes, thinly sliced
Sundried tomatoes
Cucumbers, thinly sliced
Bell peppers, thinly sliced
Sprouts
Lettuce
Mustard
Cheese, thinly sliced
Spinach
Avocado, thinly sliced
Instructions
1. Open flatbread and sprinkle with a little water.
2. Spread a thin (1/8th inch) layer of cream cheese, hummus, or pesto on the flatbread.
3. Top this layer with other ingredients in stripes across the short length of the bread. Don’t pile vegetables on top of each other but instead make stripes of unique ingredients.
4. With one of the narrow ends in front of you, firmly roll up the flatbread, trying not to break the flatbread. Squeeze the roll gently to hold it in place and set it aside.
5. Once all the rolls are done, slice them about an inch thick using a sharp or serrated knife. Set the cut Aram sandwiches on a serving plate on their sides so that the ingredients can be viewed.
Serves ?
Berry Roll
Adapted from www.southernfood.about.com
Ingredients
2 C sifted flour
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 T granulated sugar
¼ C shortening
¾ C milk, more or less
2 C fresh cleaned and sliced berries
¾ C granulated sugar
1 T butter, cut in several small pieces
Instructions
1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles meal. Add enough milk to make a soft dough.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to a ¼ inch thickness.
3. Spread with berries to about ½ inch of edge. Sprinkle 3/4 cup sugar evenly over the berries then dot with the butter.
4. Roll up like a jelly roll and seal ends. Place in a greased shallow baking dish.
5. Bake at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes.
Serves 8
Chinese Broccoli Wonton Soup—the group working on this dish worked efficiently. They made some of the prettiest looking wontons, and did it quite systematically. They played nice with each other and even cleaned up well after themselves. That’s why it pains me to say that this was the least edible dish I’ve had since the scoring system began. In fairness, it was a two part dish, the wontons and the broth, and I liked the broth just fine, thought that it tasted subtle and soothing, and the flavoring for me was just right for being what it was, a basic broth. But the wontons, though cooked to perfection had a filling that was more than just off. It was bad. No, it was more than bad. Was it that it had way way too much ginger? Did the chefs get too drunk and not taste their filling? Or more troubling, did they actually like it before they fed it to the masses? I really see nothing in the filling that should have led to this result, and perhaps I’ll try to make this dish myself, just to see if it was the recipe or user error. But in the end, while I’d give the broth a score of four bucks, the overall dish for me was 2 bucks.
Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls—yum! While I love most all things fried, and especially spring rolls, I think that the fresh version of these Vietnamese treats are just outstanding, and maybe possibly perhaps could even top their deep-friend brethren. There’s something about the noodles, tofu, veggies, and mint/cilantro, all wrapped together that’s quite nice, and the dipping sauce for these rolls is to die for. In fact, the dipping sauce alone might have scored a perfect 8 bucks, but the rolls were a bit too loosely rolled and so they didn’t hang together perfectly, making the eating of these a bit of a challenge. But with that said, the whole dish was really strong, and with proper rolling, could near perfection. As it was, I give this dish a score of 6.5 bucks.
Aram Sandwiches—the recipe is called something different, but I think that it’s only fair to speak about the range of Aram sandwiches that were before me, and only a small percentage were of the warm Portabella variety. I don’t think that I had ever had a warm Aram sandwich before and that was a new twist that I think has some nice potential. But I didn’t love that particular recipe, though it certainly wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t nearly as good for me as some of the others, and specifically the cream-cheese based ones, replete with sundried tomatoes, peppers, avocado, sprouts, the like. I really love Aram sandwiches and they are so easy. Pretty close to a perfect dish in terms of taste, ease, and beauty of presentation, and only scores less because the hot version was not outstanding. So, overall, I give this dish a score of 7 bucks.
Berry Roll—please note that we made a vegan version of this recipe, replacing the milk with soy milk and the butter with Earth Balance and I’ve never made the dairy version. For me, vegan desserts can be a challenge, but this is yet another one that passed the test. But can you really go wrong with assorted fresh berries lovingly rolled in dough? I think that this recipe also would have worked out pretty well with frozen berries and what would have really taken it to a whole new level was a spoon of whipped cream or ice cream. Still, it was a solid dish as is, and I give it a score of 5.5 bucks.
Overall—we had highs, we had lows, and as a whole just surpassed the twenty buck mark. This was mostly a product of us only making four dishes, and that’s because wrapped dishes take more time. Not a bad meal overall, and if we could have replaced the wonton filling with something more edible, this whole meal might have been off the charts. But as is, the overall score was 21 bucks. Now for the recipes…
Chinese Broccoli Wonton Soup
Adapted from www.veganyumyum.com
Wonton Ingredients
16 square wonton skins
1 T oil
1-2 t fresh ginger, minced
1 C Chinese broccoli, thinly sliced
¾ C seitan, chopped fine
½ tsp hot chili sauce, more if desired (like Sriracha)
1 t Dijon mustard
1 t tamari or soy sauce
Ginger-Soy Broth Ingredients
4 C water
5-6 fresh ginger slices
1 T mirin
2 T tamari (or soy sauce)
1 ½ t sugar
2 t rice vinegar
½ t salt, plus more to taste
¼ C Chinese broccoli leaves, packed (or spinach/collards)
Instructions
1. Begin by chopping the Chinese broccoli very thinly with a sharp knife, from the base of the stem up towards the leaves (just like chopping scallions).
2. Heat a large pan with oil and add the ginger. Once the ginger becomes fragrant, add the broccoli and seitan, stirring well and cooking until the broccoli is bright green and tender-crisp.
3. Transfer the broccoli-seitan mixture to a small bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust to your liking. Set aside while you make the broth.
4. Heat all of the broth ingredients together except the greens in a small sauce pan, until sugar and salt is dissolved and the ginger has had time to infuse into the broth. Taste and add more salt if desired, but remember this is a mild broth that is only meant to be a complement to the wontons. Once the broth has begun to simmer, turn off the heat and toss in greens. Cover and set aside.
5. Place 1-2 t of filling in the center of the wonton. Wet the edges of the wrapper with water (a finger dipped in water works great) and seal into a triangle, removing as much air as possible from the dumpling. Make sure edges are secured.
6. Set the triangle in front of you, pointing up. Wet one of the bottom corners. Hold the corners, one between each thumb and forefinger. Begin to bend the wrapper, as if you were forcing it into a horseshoe shape. Don’t change your grip, and resist the urge to fold the corners over. Bring the two ends together, crossing them slightly, and press to seal. Going from the triangle shape to a completed wonton is one fluid motion. Your dumpling should look like a fun little fish-boat-hat.
7. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Re-heat your broth to steaming, if necessary. Gently lower the wontons into the boiling water and cook until they become translucent, about 2-3 minutes if the wontons aren’t frozen, longer if they are. Remove them from the water with a spider (or other slotted spoon device) and place them into the hot broth.
8. Take care to remove and discard any dumplings that have opened up during cooking. If they open, water gets inside, washes all the flavor away, and you’ll be sad if you serve it or eat it. It will taste like watery mush.
9. Ladle 3-4 wontons into a bowl and add a small amount of broth, enough to half-way cover the wontons. Make sure to get some greens in there, too.
10. Serve immediately.
Serves 4
Fresh Vegetable Spring Rolls
Adapted from Heidi Winig’s Guest Chef Night at Frugal Foodies, 7/22/08
Dipping Sauce Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp chili paste
1 cup veggie stock
½ cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
Filling/Wrapping Ingredients
½ lb dried rice vermicelli, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
24 dried round rice papers
24 large soft red-leaf lettuce leaves (very soft lettuce)
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
Mint leaves
2 containers soft or medium tofu, sliced into 1 x 3 x ¼ inch pieces
Cilantro sprigs
Instructions
1. To make the dipping sauce, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Add the hoisin sauce, sugar, chili paste and stir well and simmer for 15 seconds. Stir in the stock until the mixture has a thick, creamy consistency. Add the peanuts and let cool.
2. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Drain the rice noodles and add to the boiling water. Boil until just tender, about 2 minutes. Pour the noodles into a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Drain well and set aside. Toss frequently to keep them from sticking together.
3. Make the spring rolls by laying one sheet of rice paper on a flat surface. Using a pastry brush, brush with hot water and leave it for 30 seconds until they are softened and feel like a wet tissue. Arrange 1 lettuce leaf on the lower third of the round. Add about 2 teaspoons of rice vermicelli, some carrots, and mint leaves atop the lettuce. Begin rolling from the bottom, tightly enclosing the filling with one roll to the middle of the rice paper but no further. Fold in the right and left ends, add the tofu and cilantro, and continue to roll as tightly as possible. Seal the roll with water and set aside.
4. Set the rolls on a tray and cover with a damp kitchen towel until all the rolls are done.
5. Serve with dipping sauce.
Makes 24 rolls
Portabella Aram Sandwiches
Adapted from www.grouprecipes.com
Ingredients
1 large tortilla wrap or flatbread
¾ C Gorgonzola
12 washed and dried spinach leaves
6 thin slices sautéed eggplant
1 large portabella mushroom sliced thinly and sautéed
¼ red pepper cut into strips and sautéed
1 T olive oil
Instructions
1. Put gorgonzola on wrap and warm until the cheese can be easily spread over the entire wrap.
2. Place the spinach leaves flat on the cheese covering the whole wrap.
3. Do the same with the eggplant slices then add portabella and red peppers then roll very tightly.
4. Bake for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven then cut into wedges and serve.
Serves 2
Assorted Cold Aram Sandwiches
Ingredients
Flatbread
Cream cheese, softened
Hummus
Pesto
Tomatoes, thinly sliced
Sundried tomatoes
Cucumbers, thinly sliced
Bell peppers, thinly sliced
Sprouts
Lettuce
Mustard
Cheese, thinly sliced
Spinach
Avocado, thinly sliced
Instructions
1. Open flatbread and sprinkle with a little water.
2. Spread a thin (1/8th inch) layer of cream cheese, hummus, or pesto on the flatbread.
3. Top this layer with other ingredients in stripes across the short length of the bread. Don’t pile vegetables on top of each other but instead make stripes of unique ingredients.
4. With one of the narrow ends in front of you, firmly roll up the flatbread, trying not to break the flatbread. Squeeze the roll gently to hold it in place and set it aside.
5. Once all the rolls are done, slice them about an inch thick using a sharp or serrated knife. Set the cut Aram sandwiches on a serving plate on their sides so that the ingredients can be viewed.
Serves ?
Berry Roll
Adapted from www.southernfood.about.com
Ingredients
2 C sifted flour
3 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 T granulated sugar
¼ C shortening
¾ C milk, more or less
2 C fresh cleaned and sliced berries
¾ C granulated sugar
1 T butter, cut in several small pieces
Instructions
1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles meal. Add enough milk to make a soft dough.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to a ¼ inch thickness.
3. Spread with berries to about ½ inch of edge. Sprinkle 3/4 cup sugar evenly over the berries then dot with the butter.
4. Roll up like a jelly roll and seal ends. Place in a greased shallow baking dish.
5. Bake at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes.
Serves 8
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Tuesday, August 25th
Tonight was all about the tomatoes, with the goal being to enjoy wonderful tomatoes, but not be tomatoed out by the end of the night. That's the challenge of any Special Guest Ingredient Night. Do it up just right...not too much and not too little. And I think we did better on that front tonight than at corn night 4 weeks ago. Here's what we had...
Gazpacho--I tend to like gazpacho but I didn't love this one. It wasn't bad but there was absolutely nothing to recommend it, besides all the fresh veggies (since that's what it's all about). I think that there was too much garlic and too much onion for my taste, and it was all a tad too finely blended. I do tend to like blended soups but it seems a shame to lose most all the texture of not only the tomatoes but cucumbers and peppers too. Sadly, I can only give it a score of 2.5 bucks.
Mothership Tomato Salad--strange name given by a strange man, Jamie Oliver, but quite a right on salad. This should not be tried with anything but the best tomatoes, and we had them straight from Jennifer Snyder's farm (thanks, Jennifer!). As such, it was a delightful dish, and so simple. Something about the tomatoes sitting salted really did the trick, and it would be super accompaniment to just about any summer meal. I give it a score of 6 bucks and it could go higher in a non-tomato-rich environment.
Creamy Polenta, Lentils, Chard, and Mushroom Ragu--this was a great dish when done at Danielle Sakamoto's Guest Chef Night nearly four years ago, but sadly less good tonight. It wasn't bad, but each element was not perfectly done. I should say that this is one of the most complex--if not the most--that we've ever done at Frugal Foodies, and the group did an outstanding job to get this beast on the table. It's a four layer operation, which each layer requiring a fair amount of pre-cooking. Bottom layer were lentils which were a tad undercooked. Next layer was chard which was cut a bit too large and not de-spined. Above that was a creamy polenta which was solidly done, and then it was all topped off by the wild mushroom ragu layer which could have used a bit less moisture and more seasoning. It is an impressive dish altogether but the taste didn't match up to the visual presentation, so I'm giving it a score of 4 bucks, but with huge upside if you're up for the challenge.
Bruno's Tomato Confit with Rice Pudding--if scores were given for the element of surprise, this one would be off the charts. A dessert with tomatoes that turn out tasting smooth, sweet, and vanilla-y? Hard to imagine, but that's what we had. The rice pudding was good, and with a bit more of something, could have been great, and the tomato confit (whatever that means) atop it was unforgettable. I really recommend trying this recipe--and the confit could be used on lots of things if you're not a fan of rice pudding--because it's just such a unique treatment of tomatoes. All in all, I give it a score of 6 bucks.
Brie and Sun Dried Tomato Crostini--this was easy and quite delightful. I love the taste of slightly melted brie, and have certainly had it on bread, but never in a crostini. And this crostini had sun dried tomatoes instead of the fresh ones, and while I think that either would have worked, this way was quite nice. A good starter to just about any party where you've got food being passed since you want to eat these hot. So hot that I give them a score of 6.5 bucks.
Gazpacho--I tend to like gazpacho but I didn't love this one. It wasn't bad but there was absolutely nothing to recommend it, besides all the fresh veggies (since that's what it's all about). I think that there was too much garlic and too much onion for my taste, and it was all a tad too finely blended. I do tend to like blended soups but it seems a shame to lose most all the texture of not only the tomatoes but cucumbers and peppers too. Sadly, I can only give it a score of 2.5 bucks.
Mothership Tomato Salad--strange name given by a strange man, Jamie Oliver, but quite a right on salad. This should not be tried with anything but the best tomatoes, and we had them straight from Jennifer Snyder's farm (thanks, Jennifer!). As such, it was a delightful dish, and so simple. Something about the tomatoes sitting salted really did the trick, and it would be super accompaniment to just about any summer meal. I give it a score of 6 bucks and it could go higher in a non-tomato-rich environment.
Creamy Polenta, Lentils, Chard, and Mushroom Ragu--this was a great dish when done at Danielle Sakamoto's Guest Chef Night nearly four years ago, but sadly less good tonight. It wasn't bad, but each element was not perfectly done. I should say that this is one of the most complex--if not the most--that we've ever done at Frugal Foodies, and the group did an outstanding job to get this beast on the table. It's a four layer operation, which each layer requiring a fair amount of pre-cooking. Bottom layer were lentils which were a tad undercooked. Next layer was chard which was cut a bit too large and not de-spined. Above that was a creamy polenta which was solidly done, and then it was all topped off by the wild mushroom ragu layer which could have used a bit less moisture and more seasoning. It is an impressive dish altogether but the taste didn't match up to the visual presentation, so I'm giving it a score of 4 bucks, but with huge upside if you're up for the challenge.
Bruno's Tomato Confit with Rice Pudding--if scores were given for the element of surprise, this one would be off the charts. A dessert with tomatoes that turn out tasting smooth, sweet, and vanilla-y? Hard to imagine, but that's what we had. The rice pudding was good, and with a bit more of something, could have been great, and the tomato confit (whatever that means) atop it was unforgettable. I really recommend trying this recipe--and the confit could be used on lots of things if you're not a fan of rice pudding--because it's just such a unique treatment of tomatoes. All in all, I give it a score of 6 bucks.
Overall--not a bad night at Frugal Foodies, and also not the best that this blog has seen. A total meal value of 25 bucks. The food seemed to be well-received by the crowd tonight, and I will say that the dishes were some of the prettiest we've had in a while, so maybe I'll post some of the pictures that people took. In the meantime, here are the recipes:
Brie & Sun Dried Tomato Crostini
Adapted from www.finedinings.com
Ingredients
2 T pine nuts
1 loaf baguette bread, sliced ¼ inch thick
1/3 cup Brie cheese
2 sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil), finely chopped
1 T oil
2 T Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
1 T fresh parsley, chopped finely
1 small garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T fresh basil, sliced
Instructions
1. Place pine nuts on a baking sheet; broil 2 to 3 minutes; remove from heat; set aside.
2. On the same baking sheet, broil one side of bread slices 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Slice the brie into 1/8 inch slices and place one slice on each piece of bread. Broil in oven for 1 minute or until the brie is slightly melted.
4. In small bowl combine the tomatoes, oil, parmesan, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Spoon the tomato mixture atop the brie. Top with sliced basil and toasted pine nuts.
5. Serve immediately.
Serves 4-6
Gazpacho
Adapted from www.simplyrecipes.com
Ingredients
6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 purple onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
1 teaspoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
4 cups tomato juice
Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients. Blend slightly, to desired consistency.
2. Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate, allowing flavors to blend.
Serves 8
Mothership Tomato Salad
Adapted from Jamie Oliver and the Food Network
Ingredients
2 ¼ lbs mixed ripe tomatoes, different shapes and colors
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A good pinch dried oregano
Red wine or balsamic vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
1 fresh red chili, seeded and chopped
Instructions
1. Depending on the size of your tomatoes, slice some in half, some into quarters and others into uneven chunks.
2. Put the tomatoes into a colander and season with a good pinch of sea salt. Give them a toss, season again and give a couple more tosses. The salt won't be drawn into the tomatoes; instead it will draw any excess moisture out, concentrating all the lovely flavors. Leave the tomatoes in the colander on top of a bowl to stand for around 15 minutes, then discard any juice that has come out of them.
3. Transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl and sprinkle with the oregano.
4. Make a dressing using 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil, the garlic and the chili.
5. Drizzle the tomatoes with enough dressing to coat everything nicely.
Serves 4-6
Creamy Polenta, Lentils, Chard, and Mushroom Ragu
Adapted from the November, 2005 Danielle Sakamoto Guest Chef Night
This is a complex four part recipe served in layers. Not for the faint of heart.
Creamy Polenta Ingredients
9 C milk
3 C water
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
6 T butter
1 ½ T kosher salt
6 C polenta
1 C warm water for loosening polenta before ready to serve
3 T oregano, finely chopped
1 ½ T thyme leaves
1 T rosemary
4-5 oz grated Fontina cheese
Polenta Instructions
1. Combine milk, water, garlic, butter and salt in a large heavy saucepan or stockpot. Bring to a boil. Gradually add polenta, whisking until smooth. Reduce heat to low. Cook the polenta until it is creamy and thick, stirring frequently, about 35 minutes.
2. Add more milk or water if polenta is too thick.
3. Right before assembling, add water if necessary to loosen up the polenta. Add the chopped herbs and cheese. Add extra herbs and salt to taste and assemble.
Lentils Ingredients
4 cups lentils
6 large shallots, peeled and cut in half
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled, lightly smashed
½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
4 sprigs of thyme
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
Lentil Instructions
1. Pick over, rinse, and place in a large saucepan with water to cover by 1 ½ inches. Add the shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook the lentils at a bare simmer until they are just tender but not mushy; do not allow them to boil or they will become tough, about 25-30 minutes. If necessary, replenish the water so that it stays 1 inch above the top of the lentils. Halfway through the cooking time, stir in the salt.
2. Remove from the heat and drain. Remove and discard the shallots, garlic, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves.
Chard Ingredients
7 bunches of chard,
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Olive oil
Chard Instructions
1. Stack several similar size leaves together and cut off the stems and the lower thick ribs. Now cut into thirds crosswise.
2. Rinse and leave the chard pieces wet.
3. Heat a large sauté pan with olive oil, sauté in batches until leaves are tender; add a little water if necessary to complete cooking.
4. Place cooked chard into a colander and press out excess water. Adjust the seasoning and add a little olive oil.
Wild Mushroom Ragu Ingredients
2 C boiling water
2 ½ C dried wild mushrooms
3 lb fresh wild mushrooms, such as shiitake, cremini, oyster, in any combination
1 C sun-dried tomatoes
5 t olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1+ C dry red wine
4 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ t dried thyme
2 28 oz cans Italian peeled tomatoes, chopped, with their juices
2 t of sugar
1 t kosher salt
Freshly ground black peppers
Italian parsley, chopped
Ragu Instructions
1. Pour the boiling water over the dried mushrooms and tomatoes in a bowl, cover and soak until softened, at least 15 minutes.
2. Wipe the fresh mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Trim off the tough stems and discard; roughly chop.
3. Combine the olive oil, onions, and garlic, sauté until translucent.
4. Meanwhile, scoop the dried mushrooms and tomatoes into a strainer, reserving the soaking liquid (strain the liquid). Rinse them under cool water to remove any grit and press them with the back of a spoon to squeeze out the water. Coarsely chop them and set aside.
5. Pour the soaking liquid into the saucepan with the onion. Add the red wine and thyme and boil for 1 minute. Add the fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring 5 minutes over moderate heat. Stir in the canned tomatoes and their juices, the chopped dried mushrooms and tomatoes, the sugar, and salt. Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are tender and the Ragu is thick, about 15 minutes.
6. Chop the fresh parsley for assembly.
Assembly Instructions
Cover the plate with a flat bed of lentils.
Take the sautéed chard leaves and make a ring in the middle of the flat bed of lentils. Place the polenta in the ring of chard.
Top the polenta with the mushroom Ragu and chopped parsley.
Serves 15-18
Vegan version of Polenta
9 cups of broth
3 cup of water
3 cloves, garlic, peeled and minced
1 ½ T kosher salt
4 C polenta
½ C warm water for loosening polenta before ready to serve
3 T marjoram or oregano, finely chopped
1 ½ T of thyme leaves
1 T rosemary
Bruno's Tomato Confit with Rice Pudding
Adapted from www.cuisine.com/au
Ingredients
6 large, ripe and firm tomatoes
2/5 lb sugar
½ cup water
1 vanilla bean
1 strip orange zest (colored part only)
1 cardamom pod, bruised
1 quart soy milk
1/6 lb sugar
Pinch salt
1 vanilla bean, split
1/3 lb short-grain white rice
Instructions
1. Remove calyx from tomatoes. Cut a cross in the opposite end and plunge into boiling water for a few seconds. Lift out with a wide skimmer and plunge the tomatoes into very cold water. Drain, remove skins, quarter, and cut out the jelly and seeds to leave 4 well-shaped tomato sections from each tomato.
2. Dissolve the sugar in the water. Add the vanilla bean, orange zest and cardamom pod, and bring slowly to simmering point. Drop in the tomato quarters and keep the syrup just below simmering point for about 15 minutes. Cool for a few minutes in the syrup and then lift the tomatoes out on to a paper-lined rack resting over a plate to catch any drips.
3. Meanwhile, bring soy milk to a boil with sugar, salt and vanilla bean, then pour in the rice and stir until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until rice is completely cooked. Allow to cool somewhat.
4. Serve the tomato quarters in the centre of a plate of warm rice pudding, with a little of the tomato syrup drizzled over and around.
Serves 8-10
Brie & Sun Dried Tomato Crostini
Adapted from www.finedinings.com
Ingredients
2 T pine nuts
1 loaf baguette bread, sliced ¼ inch thick
1/3 cup Brie cheese
2 sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil), finely chopped
1 T oil
2 T Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
1 T fresh parsley, chopped finely
1 small garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T fresh basil, sliced
Instructions
1. Place pine nuts on a baking sheet; broil 2 to 3 minutes; remove from heat; set aside.
2. On the same baking sheet, broil one side of bread slices 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Slice the brie into 1/8 inch slices and place one slice on each piece of bread. Broil in oven for 1 minute or until the brie is slightly melted.
4. In small bowl combine the tomatoes, oil, parmesan, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Spoon the tomato mixture atop the brie. Top with sliced basil and toasted pine nuts.
5. Serve immediately.
Serves 4-6
Gazpacho
Adapted from www.simplyrecipes.com
Ingredients
6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 purple onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
1 teaspoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
4 cups tomato juice
Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients. Blend slightly, to desired consistency.
2. Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate, allowing flavors to blend.
Serves 8
Mothership Tomato Salad
Adapted from Jamie Oliver and the Food Network
Ingredients
2 ¼ lbs mixed ripe tomatoes, different shapes and colors
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A good pinch dried oregano
Red wine or balsamic vinegar
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
1 fresh red chili, seeded and chopped
Instructions
1. Depending on the size of your tomatoes, slice some in half, some into quarters and others into uneven chunks.
2. Put the tomatoes into a colander and season with a good pinch of sea salt. Give them a toss, season again and give a couple more tosses. The salt won't be drawn into the tomatoes; instead it will draw any excess moisture out, concentrating all the lovely flavors. Leave the tomatoes in the colander on top of a bowl to stand for around 15 minutes, then discard any juice that has come out of them.
3. Transfer the tomatoes to a large bowl and sprinkle with the oregano.
4. Make a dressing using 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil, the garlic and the chili.
5. Drizzle the tomatoes with enough dressing to coat everything nicely.
Serves 4-6
Creamy Polenta, Lentils, Chard, and Mushroom Ragu
Adapted from the November, 2005 Danielle Sakamoto Guest Chef Night
This is a complex four part recipe served in layers. Not for the faint of heart.
Creamy Polenta Ingredients
9 C milk
3 C water
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
6 T butter
1 ½ T kosher salt
6 C polenta
1 C warm water for loosening polenta before ready to serve
3 T oregano, finely chopped
1 ½ T thyme leaves
1 T rosemary
4-5 oz grated Fontina cheese
Polenta Instructions
1. Combine milk, water, garlic, butter and salt in a large heavy saucepan or stockpot. Bring to a boil. Gradually add polenta, whisking until smooth. Reduce heat to low. Cook the polenta until it is creamy and thick, stirring frequently, about 35 minutes.
2. Add more milk or water if polenta is too thick.
3. Right before assembling, add water if necessary to loosen up the polenta. Add the chopped herbs and cheese. Add extra herbs and salt to taste and assemble.
Lentils Ingredients
4 cups lentils
6 large shallots, peeled and cut in half
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled, lightly smashed
½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
4 sprigs of thyme
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
Lentil Instructions
1. Pick over, rinse, and place in a large saucepan with water to cover by 1 ½ inches. Add the shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook the lentils at a bare simmer until they are just tender but not mushy; do not allow them to boil or they will become tough, about 25-30 minutes. If necessary, replenish the water so that it stays 1 inch above the top of the lentils. Halfway through the cooking time, stir in the salt.
2. Remove from the heat and drain. Remove and discard the shallots, garlic, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves.
Chard Ingredients
7 bunches of chard,
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Olive oil
Chard Instructions
1. Stack several similar size leaves together and cut off the stems and the lower thick ribs. Now cut into thirds crosswise.
2. Rinse and leave the chard pieces wet.
3. Heat a large sauté pan with olive oil, sauté in batches until leaves are tender; add a little water if necessary to complete cooking.
4. Place cooked chard into a colander and press out excess water. Adjust the seasoning and add a little olive oil.
Wild Mushroom Ragu Ingredients
2 C boiling water
2 ½ C dried wild mushrooms
3 lb fresh wild mushrooms, such as shiitake, cremini, oyster, in any combination
1 C sun-dried tomatoes
5 t olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1+ C dry red wine
4 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ t dried thyme
2 28 oz cans Italian peeled tomatoes, chopped, with their juices
2 t of sugar
1 t kosher salt
Freshly ground black peppers
Italian parsley, chopped
Ragu Instructions
1. Pour the boiling water over the dried mushrooms and tomatoes in a bowl, cover and soak until softened, at least 15 minutes.
2. Wipe the fresh mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Trim off the tough stems and discard; roughly chop.
3. Combine the olive oil, onions, and garlic, sauté until translucent.
4. Meanwhile, scoop the dried mushrooms and tomatoes into a strainer, reserving the soaking liquid (strain the liquid). Rinse them under cool water to remove any grit and press them with the back of a spoon to squeeze out the water. Coarsely chop them and set aside.
5. Pour the soaking liquid into the saucepan with the onion. Add the red wine and thyme and boil for 1 minute. Add the fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring 5 minutes over moderate heat. Stir in the canned tomatoes and their juices, the chopped dried mushrooms and tomatoes, the sugar, and salt. Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are tender and the Ragu is thick, about 15 minutes.
6. Chop the fresh parsley for assembly.
Assembly Instructions
Cover the plate with a flat bed of lentils.
Take the sautéed chard leaves and make a ring in the middle of the flat bed of lentils. Place the polenta in the ring of chard.
Top the polenta with the mushroom Ragu and chopped parsley.
Serves 15-18
Vegan version of Polenta
9 cups of broth
3 cup of water
3 cloves, garlic, peeled and minced
1 ½ T kosher salt
4 C polenta
½ C warm water for loosening polenta before ready to serve
3 T marjoram or oregano, finely chopped
1 ½ T of thyme leaves
1 T rosemary
Bruno's Tomato Confit with Rice Pudding
Adapted from www.cuisine.com/au
Ingredients
6 large, ripe and firm tomatoes
2/5 lb sugar
½ cup water
1 vanilla bean
1 strip orange zest (colored part only)
1 cardamom pod, bruised
1 quart soy milk
1/6 lb sugar
Pinch salt
1 vanilla bean, split
1/3 lb short-grain white rice
Instructions
1. Remove calyx from tomatoes. Cut a cross in the opposite end and plunge into boiling water for a few seconds. Lift out with a wide skimmer and plunge the tomatoes into very cold water. Drain, remove skins, quarter, and cut out the jelly and seeds to leave 4 well-shaped tomato sections from each tomato.
2. Dissolve the sugar in the water. Add the vanilla bean, orange zest and cardamom pod, and bring slowly to simmering point. Drop in the tomato quarters and keep the syrup just below simmering point for about 15 minutes. Cool for a few minutes in the syrup and then lift the tomatoes out on to a paper-lined rack resting over a plate to catch any drips.
3. Meanwhile, bring soy milk to a boil with sugar, salt and vanilla bean, then pour in the rice and stir until boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until rice is completely cooked. Allow to cool somewhat.
4. Serve the tomato quarters in the centre of a plate of warm rice pudding, with a little of the tomato syrup drizzled over and around.
Serves 8-10
We've Been Yelped!
This is kind of a cool plug for Frugal Foodies...
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Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Tuesday, August 18th
Last night was a Guest Chef Night (and a benefit night for DiversityWorks, www.diversityworks.org), and I have to say that I was a bit skeptical about the menu before we started cooking. Normally when I don't think that a menu is going to go together so well, I let the guest chef know and try to push the menu in a particular way. But last night's guest chef was Jennie Chuang who was serving in this role for her fifth time. She was actually the first-ever guest chef at Frugal Foodies and is consistently loved by her guests, so I said nothing about how well I thought empanadas would go with three salads and some chocolate chip cookies.
Corn, Cucumber, and Tomato Salad
From the Guest Chef night of Jennie Chuang, August, 2009
Ingredients
4 T olive oil
2 T white wine vinegar or lemon juice
3 small clove garlic, minced or smashed
1 large sweet red onion
6 ears corn, really fresh
4 smaller cucumbers
6 tomatoes
1 t salt
2 T fresh basil, mint, cilantro, or parsley (optional)
Instructions
1. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar or lemon juice, garlic, and salt.
2. Cut the onion about thumbnail size.
3. Shuck corn and cut off kernels into a large bowl. Peel, seed, and dice the cucumbers, and add to the bowl. Core and dice the tomatoes, add to bowl.
4. Dress with dressing and garnish with herbs.
Serves 12
Classic Potato Salad
From the Guest Chef night of Jennie Chuang, August, 2009
Ingredients
30 small Yukon potatoes
5 eggs
1/3 c total red wine vinegar AND sweet pickle juice
3-4 stalks celery, chopped into 1/3 inch pieces
1/3 c sweet pickles, chopped
1 ½ T sweet red onions, finely chopped
3 T parsley, chopped
1 T Dijon mustard
¼-½ c mayonnaise
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Place potatoes in a pot of water over high heat. Once the water has been boiling for 10 minutes, add the five eggs to the pot. Continue boiling until the potatoes are just done and not mushy. Pour hot water out and dunk into cold water until cool.
2. Drain and peel eggs and potatoes.
3. Cut potatoes into ½-¾ inch cubes and splash vinegar and sweet pickle juice on them. Set aside.
4. Chop the eggs, celery, pickles, onions, and parsley and combine in a large bowl. Add the potatoes.
5. Mix together the mustard and mayonnaise and combine with the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.
Serves 12
Cold Sesame Noodles
From the Guest Chef night of Jennie Chuang, August, 2009
Dressing Ingredients
¾ c sesame seeds
Peanut oil
2 shallots
1 clove garlic
1 T toasted sesame oil
2 T soy sauce
¼ c rice vinegar
¼ c sugar
1 t chili paste
¾ c water
Noodle Ingredients
12 oz fresh thin Chinese egg noodles
1 c snow peas, blanched and thinly sliced
1 red pepper, julienned
1 c jicama, julienned
1 c scallions, chopped
(you can substitute whatever veggies you like for taste and/or color)
Garnish Ingredients
1 c cilantro leaves
½ c chopped peanuts
Instructions
1. Toast the sesame seeds. Let cool and grind in a food processor. Sweat shallots and garlic with a little oil and add to food processor. Add remaining dressing ingredients and puree.
2. Cook noodles in boiling water, not allowing them to overcook. Remove and cool with cold water.
3. Place noodles in a large bowl. Combine with remaining noodle ingredients. Top with dressing and garnish with peanuts and cilantro leaves
Serves 8-10
Picadillo Empanadas with Cornmeal Crust
From the Guest Chef night of Jennie Chuang, August, 2009
Cornmeal Crust Ingredients
¼ ounce package (2 ½ t) active dry yeast
1 ½ T sugar
½ c milk, heated to lukewarm
1 large whole egg, beaten lightly
1 large egg yolk, beaten lightly
1/3 c sour cream
5 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 ½ c all-purpose flour
1 ¼ c yellow cornmeal
¾ t salt
Picadillo Ingredients
1 ¼ cups onion, finely chopped
2 t garlic, minced
2 large pickled jalapeño chilies, seeded and minced, about 1 ½ T
2 t ground cumin
1 T chili powder
1 t crumbled dried oregano
1/2 t cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
2 T vegetable oil
1 ½ c TVP, soaked in hot water and then drained
¼ c tomato paste
28-ounce can plum tomatoes, chopped, including half the juice
1/3 c raisins
½ c plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives (about 4 ½ ounces)
Dried hot red pepper flakes to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Proof the yeast with the sugar in ¼ cup of milk for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy. Beat in the remaining ¼ cup milk, the whole egg, the egg yolk, the sour cream, and the butter. Add 2 cups of the flour, the cornmeal, and the salt, and beat the mixture until it forms a dough.
2. Knead the dough, adding as much of the remaining ½ cup flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking, until it is smooth and elastic.
3. Form the dough into a ball, transfer it to an oiled bowl, and turn it to coat it with the oil. Let the dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 ½ hours and punch it down. (The dough may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Let the dough return to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.)
4. Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the oil to medium-low, and cook the onion, garlic, jalapeños, cumin, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper, until the onion is softened. Add the TVP and cook the mixture over moderately high heat, stirring to make sure there are no lumps. Add the tomato paste, the tomatoes with the juice, the raisins, the olives, the red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the picadillo, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is thickened and most of the liquid is evaporated, and let it cool. (The picadillo may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Let the picadillo return to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.)
5. Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time and keeping the remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap, on a lightly floured surface roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick and with a 6-inch round cutter cut each piece into a round. Put about 1/3 cup of the picadillo onto the bottom two thirds of each round and fold the rounds in half, enclosing the filling. Seal the edges of the dough and crimp them decoratively.
6. Transfer the empanadas with a spatula to a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake them in the middle of a preheated 450°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden.
7. Transfer the empanadas to a rack and let them cool.
Make 12 large empanadas
Chocolate Chip Cookies
From the Guest Chef night of Jennie Chuang, August, 2009
Ingredients
1 2/3 c rolled oats
1 ½ c all purpose or unbleached white flour
1 t baking soda
¾ t baking powder
¼ t salt
¾ c (1 ½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 c granulated sugar
2/3 c light packed brown sugar
1 large egg
2 t vanilla extract
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
1. Set oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a blender or food processor, grind the rolled oats until they become a fine powder. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, mix butter until light, add sugars and beat until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture. Blend well before adding ground oats and chocolate chips.
5. Grease a cookie sheet. Roll dough into 1 ½ inch balls, flatten slightly and bake 2 inches apart.
6. Bake 8-10 minutes until brown on top.
Makes 30 3 ½ inch cookies
Good thing that I kept my mouth shut. The menu was all about "going on a picnic" and it worked together just fine. Not sure if that was simply because all the dishes were good, and good food goes well with good food, or if everything really complimented everything else. But there were almost no left-overs--and we made plenty--so everyone ate a lot and was eager to take food home. That bodes well for any night at Frugal Foodies. So here's what we had:
Corn, Cucumber and Tomato Salad--this wasn't bad but was my least favorite dish of the night. I attribute this to the fact that we've had lots of corn dishes of late, and some nice fresh salads. With this said, it was an excellent complimentary dish and the fresh raw corn was really tasty. I give it a score of 4.5 bucks.
Classic Potato Salad--talk about a dish for which I had low expectations! I'm not a fan of potato salads, and especially ones with mayonnaise. In fact, I almost never keep mayonnaise in my house, and might have this jar for the next year. But this salad was really really really good. Besides the flavoring, I think that what was key was that everything was cooked perfectly. The potatoes were absolutely just right, and the quantities of celery, pickles, and red onion really hit the mark. Whenever I make potato salads these days, I always try to shake it up with pesto, sundried tomatoes, etc, but after this dish, I may go back to the classics. I give it a score of 6 bucks.
Cold Sesame Noodles--I've also had this dish quite a few times since both Jennie and Oded Hilu make it a lot. It's a solid dish with the noodles, vegetables, and garnishes, but what really makes this salad for me is the great dressing. I really love it. I'm not a big fan of jicama but it adds crunch to the recipe and the other veggies--matchstick red peppers and snow peas--are super. I give it a score of 5 bucks.
Picadillo Empanadas with Cornmeal Crust--Jennie described this as 'a vegetarian dish that even meat-eaters love as much as its meaty equivalent'. And I think she was right. I'm not a meat eater, so I can't say for sure, but the TVP was incredibly meat-like, and wonderfully flavored. So you've got all this wonderful flavor made into a faux meat pie, and the pastry component--a flaky cornmeal--would also make a lovely pizza dough. Jennie broke all Frugal Foodies rules by making the dough ahead of time--and it was a good thing that she did since we had a couple of no-shows and were short on time--and the result was a beautiful pocket treat (I should add a photo of these once I get one). The only thing that I would change about this recipe would be to add more raisins, or more olives, or something to give it just a bit more of a kick. Still, I highly recommend this dish, and give it a score of 6.5 bucks.
Chocolate Chip Cookies--this is basically the Mrs. Fields recipe, or at least has the foundation of it--oats blended into a flour--and they were tasty but something was not perfect about them. Perhaps they were a bit overcooked or a little too runny, and it cost it a buck. With this said, I wish I had more to eat right now and give it a score of 5.5 bucks.
Overall--so as you can see, a very solid meal that had all above-average dishes. If I were going on a picnic and had lots of time, maybe I'd make many of these dishes, along with a fruit salad, and impress not only my date but myself. You really can't go wrong with this menu, and the total score of 27.5 bucks certainly bears that out.
Now for the recipes...
Now for the recipes...
Corn, Cucumber, and Tomato Salad
From the Guest Chef night of Jennie Chuang, August, 2009
Ingredients
4 T olive oil
2 T white wine vinegar or lemon juice
3 small clove garlic, minced or smashed
1 large sweet red onion
6 ears corn, really fresh
4 smaller cucumbers
6 tomatoes
1 t salt
2 T fresh basil, mint, cilantro, or parsley (optional)
Instructions
1. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar or lemon juice, garlic, and salt.
2. Cut the onion about thumbnail size.
3. Shuck corn and cut off kernels into a large bowl. Peel, seed, and dice the cucumbers, and add to the bowl. Core and dice the tomatoes, add to bowl.
4. Dress with dressing and garnish with herbs.
Serves 12
Classic Potato Salad
From the Guest Chef night of Jennie Chuang, August, 2009
Ingredients
30 small Yukon potatoes
5 eggs
1/3 c total red wine vinegar AND sweet pickle juice
3-4 stalks celery, chopped into 1/3 inch pieces
1/3 c sweet pickles, chopped
1 ½ T sweet red onions, finely chopped
3 T parsley, chopped
1 T Dijon mustard
¼-½ c mayonnaise
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Place potatoes in a pot of water over high heat. Once the water has been boiling for 10 minutes, add the five eggs to the pot. Continue boiling until the potatoes are just done and not mushy. Pour hot water out and dunk into cold water until cool.
2. Drain and peel eggs and potatoes.
3. Cut potatoes into ½-¾ inch cubes and splash vinegar and sweet pickle juice on them. Set aside.
4. Chop the eggs, celery, pickles, onions, and parsley and combine in a large bowl. Add the potatoes.
5. Mix together the mustard and mayonnaise and combine with the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.
Serves 12
Cold Sesame Noodles
From the Guest Chef night of Jennie Chuang, August, 2009
Dressing Ingredients
¾ c sesame seeds
Peanut oil
2 shallots
1 clove garlic
1 T toasted sesame oil
2 T soy sauce
¼ c rice vinegar
¼ c sugar
1 t chili paste
¾ c water
Noodle Ingredients
12 oz fresh thin Chinese egg noodles
1 c snow peas, blanched and thinly sliced
1 red pepper, julienned
1 c jicama, julienned
1 c scallions, chopped
(you can substitute whatever veggies you like for taste and/or color)
Garnish Ingredients
1 c cilantro leaves
½ c chopped peanuts
Instructions
1. Toast the sesame seeds. Let cool and grind in a food processor. Sweat shallots and garlic with a little oil and add to food processor. Add remaining dressing ingredients and puree.
2. Cook noodles in boiling water, not allowing them to overcook. Remove and cool with cold water.
3. Place noodles in a large bowl. Combine with remaining noodle ingredients. Top with dressing and garnish with peanuts and cilantro leaves
Serves 8-10
Picadillo Empanadas with Cornmeal Crust
From the Guest Chef night of Jennie Chuang, August, 2009
Cornmeal Crust Ingredients
¼ ounce package (2 ½ t) active dry yeast
1 ½ T sugar
½ c milk, heated to lukewarm
1 large whole egg, beaten lightly
1 large egg yolk, beaten lightly
1/3 c sour cream
5 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 ½ c all-purpose flour
1 ¼ c yellow cornmeal
¾ t salt
Picadillo Ingredients
1 ¼ cups onion, finely chopped
2 t garlic, minced
2 large pickled jalapeño chilies, seeded and minced, about 1 ½ T
2 t ground cumin
1 T chili powder
1 t crumbled dried oregano
1/2 t cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
2 T vegetable oil
1 ½ c TVP, soaked in hot water and then drained
¼ c tomato paste
28-ounce can plum tomatoes, chopped, including half the juice
1/3 c raisins
½ c plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives (about 4 ½ ounces)
Dried hot red pepper flakes to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Proof the yeast with the sugar in ¼ cup of milk for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is foamy. Beat in the remaining ¼ cup milk, the whole egg, the egg yolk, the sour cream, and the butter. Add 2 cups of the flour, the cornmeal, and the salt, and beat the mixture until it forms a dough.
2. Knead the dough, adding as much of the remaining ½ cup flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking, until it is smooth and elastic.
3. Form the dough into a ball, transfer it to an oiled bowl, and turn it to coat it with the oil. Let the dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 1 ½ hours and punch it down. (The dough may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Let the dough return to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.)
4. Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the oil to medium-low, and cook the onion, garlic, jalapeños, cumin, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper, until the onion is softened. Add the TVP and cook the mixture over moderately high heat, stirring to make sure there are no lumps. Add the tomato paste, the tomatoes with the juice, the raisins, the olives, the red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the picadillo, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is thickened and most of the liquid is evaporated, and let it cool. (The picadillo may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Let the picadillo return to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.)
5. Divide the dough into 12 pieces. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time and keeping the remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap, on a lightly floured surface roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick and with a 6-inch round cutter cut each piece into a round. Put about 1/3 cup of the picadillo onto the bottom two thirds of each round and fold the rounds in half, enclosing the filling. Seal the edges of the dough and crimp them decoratively.
6. Transfer the empanadas with a spatula to a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake them in the middle of a preheated 450°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden.
7. Transfer the empanadas to a rack and let them cool.
Make 12 large empanadas
Chocolate Chip Cookies
From the Guest Chef night of Jennie Chuang, August, 2009
Ingredients
1 2/3 c rolled oats
1 ½ c all purpose or unbleached white flour
1 t baking soda
¾ t baking powder
¼ t salt
¾ c (1 ½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 c granulated sugar
2/3 c light packed brown sugar
1 large egg
2 t vanilla extract
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
1. Set oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a blender or food processor, grind the rolled oats until they become a fine powder. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, mix butter until light, add sugars and beat until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture. Blend well before adding ground oats and chocolate chips.
5. Grease a cookie sheet. Roll dough into 1 ½ inch balls, flatten slightly and bake 2 inches apart.
6. Bake 8-10 minutes until brown on top.
Makes 30 3 ½ inch cookies
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Just Figured Out...
...why those tofu nuggets tasted so floury. The group that worked on them cut them much much thinner than the recipe suggested (the recipe said 1 inch cubes and these were about 1 inch x 1.5 inch by .5 inch--or even less in some cases). I'll spare you the math, but the result is a higher surface area to tofu ratio--we'll call that SATR--which means more floury. Again, not sure how much of a difference that would have made, but maybe I need to continue encouraging careful reading of recipes that people have never made before. After all, reading is fundamental!
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