Preheat the oven to 350
degrees. Place the pita rounds on a baking sheet and bake until lightly
browned and crisp. Alternately, place pita in toaster and toast briefly.
When cool enough to handle, break into irregular, bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
In a large salad bowl, place
tomatoes, red onion and cucumbers. Add 1 ½ t salt and gently toss to
combine. Allow vegetables to rest and release their juice (this should
take about 15 minutes.) Pour the liquid from the bowl into a measuring cup and
set aside – you’ll use it later in the vinaigrette.
Make the vinaigrette: Whisk
together olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic and sumac (if using.) Gradually
whisk in 1/3 C of reserved tomato/cucumber water. Taste for salt and pepper.
Set aside.
Add arugula, mint and parsley to the bowl with the tomatoes, red onion and cucumber. Pour in half of the vinaigrette and toss lightly. Add the toasted pita pieces and more of the vinaigrette and toss again. Note: I prefer a drier fattoush salad so I use less of the vinaigrette. Using more of the vinaigrette will allow the pita to soak up more of the flavorful dressing but makes them softer and your salad will have less textural contrast.
2 T chopped fresh
dill, mint, parsley (any combination)
1 t salt
Pinch of sugar
GYRO INGREDIENTS:
1 can garbanzo beans,
drained
2 cloves garlic,
minced
1 T grated ginger
2 t cumin
2 t paprika
2 t turmeric
1 t cayenne (more or
less or to taste)
2 T olive oil
1 small zucchini,
diced in ½” cubes
2 pita rounds, toasted
or warmed on grill
Garnish with thinly
sliced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced pickled red onion,
cilantro, or arugula
METHOD:
Prepare the dressing: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and
whisk until well combined. Set aside.
Prepare the filling: Preheat oven to 375 degrees or heat grill to
medium.
Place the drained garbanzo beans in a large bowl. Add spices and
olive oil and toss to combine. Use a fork or a potato masher to crush the
beans slightly, leaving about ¼ of them whole (you are aiming for a chunky,
jagged texture.) Add cubed zucchini and toss again and then turn mixture out
onto a foil-lined rimmed sheet pan. Taste for salt and pepper.
Roast garbanzo/zucchini mixture for 15-18 minutes until slightly
charred and heated through. During the last few minutes of roasting warm pita
breads on grill grates or in oven.
Spread reserved sesame yogurt sauce on pita and divide the
garbanzo bean mixture between them. Top with sliced cucumber, tomatoes,
arugula and red onion. Fold burrito style and wrap in parchment paper or paper
toweling for easier eating. Serve any extra sauce alongside.
Prepare hot chili oil: Heat oil in a small skillet until barely smoking. Remove from heat and add crushed chili flakes and Sichuan pepper. Set aside and allow to cool completely. Strain and store in a clean glass container under refrigeration.
Prepare Sauce: In a medium bowl whisk together soy sauce, sesame seeds, hoisin, tahini, peanut butter, vinegar, sugar, chili garlic sauce and hot water until smooth. Start with ½ C hot water adding additional water only if needed to achieve the consistency of heavy cream. Set aside.
Cook Noodles: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add noodles and cook until tender. Drain and toss with sesame oil. Set aside.
Cook pork: Sauté garlic and ginger in a medium skillet over medium high heat until fragrant. Add ground pork and cook through until pork is no longer pink. Add brown sugar and soy sauce and cook until liquid has evaporated and sugar caramelizes the pork slightly.
Add sauce to skillet and warm slightly and then toss with drained pasta. Top with sliced scallion and chopped peanuts serving reserved chili oil on side.
Combine goat cheese,
walnuts, parsley, lemon zest and scallion for the filling. Taste for salt and
pepper. Fill dates with 1 t of the filling and wrap with halved prosciutto
slice. Secure prosciutto to date with a toothpick.
Place on a parchment lined
baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to bake.
Preheat oven to 375. Bake
for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and prosciutto is crisp.
OUT OF THE BLUE COCKTAIL
INGREDIENTS
¼ C water
¼ C sugar
Pinch of sea salt
Handful of blueberries or
blackberries
¼ C fresh squeezed lemon
juice
¼ C brandy
1 bottle ginger beer
Prepare simple syrup – heat
water, sugar, berries and salt in a sauce pan and bring to a boil over high
heat. Reduce heat and simmer until berries burst. Stir well to combine flavors
and to be sure sugar is completely dissolved. Stir in lemon juice and cool to
room temperature. Strain before using.
Prepare Cocktail – Combine
brandy and strained simple syrup together. Just before serving add ginger beer
and serve over ice garnished with a lemon twist.
Leftovers
from cleaning out your refrigerator *see above
METHOD:
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare
an egg wash with 1 egg and 2 T water. Set aside.
For the Dough:
Heat
milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium high heat until tiny bubbles appear
around the sides of the pan. At this point the milk should be around 180
degrees and the butter should be melted. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
In
a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook, combine yeast,
warm water, cooled milk, sugar, and egg. Mix lightly to incorporate ingredients.
Add
half of the flour and mix well until dough is combined and no dry flour
remains.
Add
salt and enough of the remaining flour to form a soft but cohesive ball that
clears the sides of the workbowl.
Turn
dough out a lightly floured surface and knead, adding additional flour to form
a smooth, elastic ball.
Shape
dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Lightly spray the top with pan
spray. Cover with plastic film and let
rise at room temperature for 1 ½ hours.
Transfer
dough to a lightly floured surface flatten into a rough rectangular shape. Using
a rolling pin, roll dough into a 10” x 13” rectangle with short side parallel
to counter.
For the Filling:
Spread
condiments of choice down center of dough taking care to leave a wide boarder
around edges. Top with cheese, meats, cooked vegetables or grains. Brush edges
of dough with a egg wash and fold bottom and top edges over filling
ingredients. Then fold right side over the ingredients taking care to
completely cover them. Brush with additional egg wash and fold left side over
the prepared loaf. Pinch edges lightly to seal.
Transfer
loaf to parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden
brown and cooked through.
Remove
from oven and cool for 10-15 minutes before serving with additional condiments
on the side.
1 C instant masa
harina (available at Harmon’s, Red Mountain and 3 Amigos)
½ t baking powder
½ t salt
1-2 t diced
chipotle en adobo
¼ C water
¼ C solid vegetable
shortening
½ C + 2 T chicken
stock (vegetable stock may be substituted)
1 C shredded cooked
chicken
1 ½ C prepared
salsa verde, divided (see recipe below)
½ C shredded
cheddar or jack cheese
½ 8oz bag dry corn husks
soaked in warm water for 2 hours OR substitute six 8 inch square sheets
of parchment paper.
Chopped cilantro,
sour cream, pico de gallo and hot sauce for serving.
METHOD:
*Please keep in
mind that this is a streamlined method for making tamales. I use the food
processor first to make the green tomatillo sauce and then to make the tamale
dough. I folded my tamales in the traditional corn husks, but parchment paper can
also be used.
Prepare
the salsa verde: Combine one 14.4 oz. can tomatillos (drained),
1 clove garlic, ½ jalapeno pepper, ¼ chopped white onion, and 1 bunch cilantro
in food processor. Process until well
combined and smooth. Heat 1 T oil in a sauce pan and add pureed tomatillos and
cook until slightly thickened. Remove
from heat and add ½ t salt. Set aside.
Prepare
the masa: Pulse the masa harina, baking powder,
salt and chipotle in the work bowl of your food processor. Add the vegetable
shortening and with quick, short bursts combine the ingredients. Add the water
and pulse briefly. (Mixture should resemble coarse cornmeal.) Then with machine
running drizzle in the stock and process until evenly blended but not over
processed. The dough should be soft and tacky but not overly sticky and wet.
You may need to add more stock or masa harina to achieve the proper consistency.
Finish
and steam the tamales: Fill the bottom of a steamer basket with about
2” of water. Line the bottom of the
insert with a layer of crumpled corn husks or parchment paper.
Place a corn husk
or piece of parchment on your work surface.
Pinch off a golf ball sized piece of the masa and with wet hands,
flatten the dough to approximately 3 inches square and ¼” thick. Spread a bit of the sauce, shredded chicken
and cheese lengthwise down the center of the dough. *For a vegetarian option
black beans may be used in place of the chicken. Take care not to overfill the
tamale.
Fold the husk (or
parchment) together until the edges overlap and the masa and filling are
completely enclosed by the husk or parchment. Fold the bottom edge of the husk
or parchment up, leaving one end open.
Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Stand the filled tamales in the steamer basket with the open ends up.
Cover the tamales
with a layer of remaining corn husks or parchment and a few sheets of paper
toweling. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid. Steam the tamales 30-40 minutes. Add water to the pan as needed to be sure it
doesn’t run dry. Tip: I add 1 T of vegetable oil to the water. If
the water boils away, I hear the oil sizzling on the bottom of the pot to let
me know to add more water. (Eva strongly disagreed with my idea here – but
between us, I think it’s genius.)
To
Serve: Open the husks to reveal the tamales. Drizzle
with additional sauce, pico de gallo, sour cream and cilantro.
2 red
bell peppers, roasted, peeled and cut into ¼” dice
¼ C kalamata
olives, pitted and halved
1 T white
wine vinegar
2 T capers,
minced
3 T fresh
basil, chopped fine
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare cauliflower steaks as directed and
arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle both sides with 2T olive
oil and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast
steaks until fork tender, flipping halfway through, until deeply caramelized
and crispy around the edges, about 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile, sweat garlic, red pepper flakes (if
using) and anchovy in 1 T olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat until garlic
is fragrant but not browned. Remove from heat and add roasted peppers, vinegar,
kalamata olives and capers. Once cooled,
stir in basil. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon relish over hot steaks and serve.
Serves 2*
*I like to serve one cauliflower steak per person
as a side dish and 2 as an entrée portion.
Any
leftover relish can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
ROASTED
RED PEPPERS
With
this technique peppers are roasted or charred to remove the skin, but in the
process they develop a smoky, rich flavor that is absolutely delicious. Once roasted and peeled, they keep well in
the refrigerator, covered in olive oil, for up to 2 weeks. Any type or color of
pepper may be substituted for this preparation.
METHOD:
To
roast over gas flame: Turn your burner on to the highest setting and place the
pepper directly on the open flame. Using tongs turn pepper periodically until
charred and blackened all over.
To
roast in the oven: Preheat oven to 400 degree. Line a rimmed baking sheet with
foil. Toss pepper in small amount of olive oil and place on baking sheet. Roast in oven until well blackened. This
should take about 30-35 minutes.
Remove
charred pepper and place in a bowl and cover with plastic film. This will allow
pepper to steam and will aid in removing the skin. Let rest for 30 minutes or
until cool enough to handle. Holding the pepper over the bowl, carefully remove
the blackened skin. Take care to catch
the juice from the pepper. One strained, it is a flavorful addition to the
sauce if you’d like to add it. DO NOT wash
your peppers under running water to remove the charred skin. You will wash away the flavor you’ve
developed from the charring.
Note:
I don’t worry about having a little bit of the charred skin left on the
pepper. I think it adds significant
flavor and I like the rustic look of it.
¼ C finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus extra
for serving
½ # spaghetti
1 T olive oil
4 oz. pancetta, diced
2 T parsley, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD:
In a medium bowl, mix the egg yolks with the whole egg
until well combined. Add ¼ C cheese and set aside.
Bring 6 C of salted water to boil in a large pot. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the
pasta in a colander reserving ½ – ¾ C of the starchy cooking water. Note:
Standard practice for cooking pasta is 4-6 quarts salted water to #1
pasta. Abundant water allows the water to return to a boil faster after the
pasta is added and allows the noodles to move around in the water so they don’t
stick together. However, here we are using less water because we want the
reserved cooking water to be extra starchy.
This will give our sauce extra body and a more silky mouth feel. ***Just
be sure to stir the cooking pasta regularly.
While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a
skillet. Add diced pancetta and cook until crisp and fat is rendered.
Once the pancetta and pasta are cooked, toss the still hot pasta and pancetta
together in a large bowl. Add the egg mixture and a little more than half of
the reserved cooking water. Toss vigorously until the pasta is coated with the
creamy, silky sauce. You may need to add more cooking water if pasta seems dry.
Adjust S and P.
Serve pasta in shallow bowls, sprinkled with parsley,
extra cheese and coarsely ground black
pepper.
Note: If you can’t find pancetta, thick cut bacon
makes a good sub.
Optional
ingredients: Cinnamon stick, herbs, chili powder, liquor, orange zest, sea salt
Dipping Treat Ingredients:
Seasonal
Fruits and Berries
Mini
Cookies
Dried
Fruits
Brownies
cut into cubes
Method:
Place
the cream and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 minute. Add flavoring of choice
and allow to infuse for 2 minutes. Add the chopped chocolate to a bowl and pour
the warm cream over the chocolate. Whisk
until the mixture is silky, smooth and shiny. Pour the ganache into a bowl and
serve with dipping treats of your choice.
Ganache
may be made ahead of time and refrigerate until needed. To reheat, warm on low power in microwave.
2
C pineapple, peeled, cored and cut
into ½” chunks
2
T olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1
t
Worcestershire sauce
1
t granulated sugar
1-2 T Siracha (more or less to your taste) *Siracha is a
smooth & spicy red chili paste in
the squeeze bottle with the rooster label and green
top found in all grocery stores
1
clove
garlic
3
T cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1
# shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 corn tortillas, warmed
Avocado, red onion, cilantro, lime and
sour cream for serving
Special Equipment – 1 heavy duty rimmed
sheet pan
METHOD:
Heat broiler with oven rack in position
for broiling.
Toss pineapple in 1 T olive oil on sheet
pan and arrange in a single layer on half of rimmed baking pan. Broil until
lightly charred around the edges, 6-8 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine shrimp with remaining
2T olive oil, Worcestershire, sugar, garlic, and Siracha. Toss until shrimp are
evenly coated. Remove sheet pan from broiler and turn pineapple chunks over
using a metal spatula. Drain marinade
from shrimp and place in a single layer on the empty half of the baking sheet. Broil
until shrimp are cooked through and lightly charred, 1-2 minutes. Take care not
to overcook the shrimp. The sheet pan
will be smoking hot when you add the shrimp, so they will cook from the bottom
as well as from the broiler heat above.
It should only take a minute or two.
Remove from broiler and top with a
squeeze of lime juice and chopped cilantro.
Serve with avocado, cilantro, lime wedges, and warmed corn
tortillas. Additional toppings – pickled
red onion, sour cream and pico de gallo may also be used if desired.
