Chilaquiles y mas

We are so excited that it is margarita time again!  Not that we can’t enjoy them whenever we want, but since we are celebrating Cinco de Mayo it is a requirement, right?

This became our favorite margarita recipe after making it for last year’s Cinco de Mayo blog. We are including the recipe again; so you don’t have to waste any time searching the blog. 

Margarita

By Erika Kotite • January 23, 2013 • 9 Comments
Source: Food 52
Serves 2

4 ounces tequila
2 ounces Cointreau
2 ounces fresh-squeezed lime juice (plus spent lime rind)
1/2 ounce agave syrup
Ice
Coarse sea salt
Additional lime wedges (for garnish)

Mix tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and agave syrup in a shaker or large measuring cup filled partway with ice and stir or shake until thoroughly chilled.

Spread salt on a plate. Rub rims of two rocks glasses with the spent lime. Turn glasses upside down in the salt. Fill glasses with ice and pour in the margarita liquid. Add lime wedge to each.

Salud!

To go with the first batch of margaritas we chose spicy garlic shrimp. 

Garlic Shrimp with Chiles de Arbol

Source: “bon appetit”, May 2014
Servings: 6 appetizers

1 lb small shrimp
½  c olive oil, divided
4 finely chopped garlic cloves, divided
2 crumbled dried chile de arbol (or ¼ t crushed red pepper flakes), divided
bunch of flat leaf parsley
salt to taste

(This is cooked in two batches.)

Peel and devein the shrimp. 

Heat ¼ cup of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 2 finely chopped garlic cloves and 1 crumbled dried chile de arbol.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is barely golden, about 1 minute.  Season half of the shrimp with salt and cook until just cooked through, about 1 minute per side; transfer shrimp and oil to a bowl.

Repeat with the remaining shrimp, oil and chiles.  When the shrimp are cooked, return the first batch of shrimp and oil to the skillet, season with salt and toss in some chopped flat leaf parsley.
Serve with crusty bread.

Sue recently returned from a vacation in Oregon with this “Mexico, The Beautiful  Cookbook” in hand. It was published in 1991, and is a “coffee table” book with beautiful pictures and fascinating information not only about the food, but also the various regions of Mexico.  She is seriously considering not returning it to the rightful owner.

 

We chose the chilaquiles recipe because neither of us had cooked with tomatillos. The challenge, (isn’t there usually one?), was finding the epazote, which is a green leafy herb. It looks somewhat like baby dandelion leaves.

Ever adventurous, we decided to ignore the online descriptions, which included “gasoline like” taste and the alternate name “wormseed”. We found it in a local market, (Marketon), that caters to Hispanic shoppers. They had both fresh and dried epazote.  We tasted the fresh herb, and it indeed had a slight gasoline taste at first bite.  In this recipe, the epazote is cooked briefly in the sauce and then removed. So we decided to go for it.

Chilaquiles Verdes
 
Source: “Mexico, The Beautiful Cookbook”, Collins Publishers San Francisco, 1991
Serves: 6 main courses, 8 as first course

“ The Aztecs combined their leftover tortillas with chiles and herbs to create chilaquiles, which in their Nahuatl language means just that – “chiles and herbs in broth.”  Chilaquiles can be prepared ahead up to the point of adding the sauce to the fried tortilla pieces.

1 whole chicken breast, about 12 oz
5 cloves garlic
1 T plus 1 t salt
½ onion
7 sprigs parsley
6 chiles serranos (or to taste)
1 ½ lbs. tomates verdes (tomatillos), husks removed
¼ onion
½ c chopped cilantro
1 T oil
16 corn tortillas, preferably day-old
Oil for frying
1 small sprig epazote
1 c thick cream (crème fraiche)
½ c crumbled queso fresco or queso anejo (feta cheese)

Place the chicken in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover.  Add 2 cloves of the garlic, 1 T of the salt, ½ onion and the parsley.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender.  Remove and shred the chicken, reserving 2 cups of the stock.

Place the chiles and remaining 3 cloves garlic in boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the tomatillos, cook 5 more minutes and drain.  Transfer the chiles, garlic and tomatillos to a blender, add the remaining onion, then puree.  Add 1 t salt, the cilantro and 1 cup of the reserved stock, and process briefly.  Set aside.

Heat 1 T oil in a skillet, add the sauce and sauté for 5 minutes.  Correct the seasonings, lower the heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes.  If the mixture is too thick, dilute with more chicken stock.
Cut the tortillas in half and cut each half into 3 pieces.  Place ¼ inch oil in a large skillet.  When it is very hot, add one third of the tortilla pieces and fry, stirring constantly, until they are golden and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.  Transfer to a colander. Repeat until all the tortillas are fried. Drain and set aside.

Before serving, heat the sauce and add the epazote. Add the tortillas and stir carefully so as not to break them. Add the shredded chicken and top with cream and cheese. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese melts.

 

Verde sauce in blender

Homemade tortilla chips

Shredded chicken in sauce

Chilaquiles

The salad recipe is also from the above cookbook.  They had us at avocado. We hear that there are people who don’t like avocado. Really!?

Ensalada Mixta con Aderezo de Aguacate
Source: “Mexico, The Beautiful Cookbook”, Collins Publishers San Francisco, 1991
Serves: 6

1 large head of Romaine, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 ½ large avocados, cut into thick slices
2 large, firm, ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
3 green onions, sliced (optional)

Dressing
2 T mayonnaise
6 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
¼ c chopped onion
1 T lime juice
½ t dried thyme
½ t salt
¼ t freshly ground pepper
1 bay leaf
½ avocado, peeled and pitted
½ c water
1 c corn oil

To make the dressing, puree the mayonnaise, garlic, onion, lime juice, thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaf, avocado and water in a blender.  With the motor running, add the oil in a thin stream until the mixture forms an emulsion, about 2 minutes.   Chill.
Arrange the lettuce on a platter and top with the avocados and tomatoes.  Cover with the dressing, garnish with the green onions and serve immediately.

Somehow we knew we would want something cool and soothing for dessert. The mango lime sorbet was the answer.

 

 

Mango Lime Sorbet

Source: marthastewart.com
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Makes: about 3 pints

2 pounds ripe or overripe mangoes (preferable Champagne)
1 t finely grated lime zest, for sprinkling
½ to 1 t lime juice
pinch of coarse salt
lime wedges for garnish

Peel mangoes and cut flesh away from pits; discard pits.  Cut mango flesh into 1 inch chunks and spread in a single layer on a plastic-wrap-lined baking sheet.  Freeze mangoes, uncovered, until hard, at least 8 hours; once hard, mangoes can be transferred to plastic freezer bags and kept frozen up to 2 months.

Remove mangoes from freezer and let soften slightly at room temperature, about 15 minutes.  Place mangoes and salt in a food processor; puree until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.  Pulse in juice to taste.  Serve immediately, scooped into bowls and sprinkled with lime zest and garnished with lime wedges.

**Alternate preparation:
Freeze mangoes until hard.  Put through a “Yonannas” machine.  Stir in lime juice and salt to taste.  Scoop into bowls and serve.

 

Our unsolicited and biased opinions:

The shrimp recipe called for small shrimp, and for once we followed the recipe. Next time, we will use larger shrimp, and use Maldon salt to finish the dish. The salt really brings out the shrimp flavor. The chile de arbol is immediately noticeable but mellows as you eat the shrimp. If you don’t want the heat, this may not be the dish for you, because we think the chile flavor is essential.  Sue says “you could take the seeds out”. Meg says “too much trouble”.

 

You know how we are always telling you that a dish isn’t spicy, well listen up, because guess what, the Chilaquiles ARE spicy. The recipe called for 6 serrano chiles and did not specify removing the seeds; so we didn’t. Next time we think we would use 3 chiles with their seeds. The depth of flavor in the sauce is wonderful, but we both agreed that it was just a little too hot.  Our other critique is that we would serve the tortilla chips separately. We suppose that would make this not true chilaquiles but we loved the crunchy tortilla chips.

 

The cooked epazote added another dimension to the sauce. We were a little surprised after tasting it raw, but would definitely cook with it again. 

 

The salad was a nice counter point to the heat of the chilaquiles. The dressing makes about two cups, and you will want to make the full recipe. It is absolutely delicioso.

 

We are now fans of fresh bay leaves. They are aromatic and so much more intense then the dried ones. They made the dressing extra special.

Fresh bay leaves

Meg used her “Yonannas” machine to make the mango lime sorbet.  She froze chunks of mango earlier this year when they were in season and has been waiting somewhat impatiently for the opportunity to make this sorbet. Basically this sorbet is straight mango and a touch of lime juice. No added sugar. Totally refreshing and creamy.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

 

Easy Easter

There has been a bit of cake obsession going on around here. Meg saw a rerun on the Food Network of Ina Garten making this Lemon Yogurt cake and decided we had to have one. Luckily, Easter provided the perfect opportunity to indulge, even though Ina didn’t use any butter, making this a small indulgence.  Readers of our previous posting will remember the salted caramel gelato and know why we are toning it down a bit. Knowing that we couldn’t eat just cake, we quickly decided, since it was Easter, a quiche and salad would nicely pave the way for the cake.

Sue saw some golden beets in the store and our salad grew around them as the featured ingredient. We decided to roast the beets to retain their full flavor.

Golden Jewels 

Roasted Beet and Greens Salad
Recipe developed by Sue & Meg For Saturday Night Specials  04/19/2014

1 bunch of golden or other beets
Salad greens of your choice
3 Tbsp. good olive oil
1 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 clove grated garlic
¼ tsp. agave nectar
2 Tbsp. chopped roasted, salted pistachios for garnish
Coarsely ground black pepper to taste
Salt to taste

Scrub the beets and cut off the greens leaving about one inch of stem and the roots on the beets. Save the greens for a later use.

Line a large piece of foil with parchment paper, place beets on parchment and seal the package by rolling the foil and parchment together. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.
Remove from oven and carefully open package to allow beets to cool. When beets have cooled enough to handle, cut off stem and root ends and slip or peel skins off.

At this point they can be put in a sealed container and kept refrigerated for several days.
Combine dressing ingredients and allow  the flavors to blend for at least an hour. This will mellow the raw garlic.

To prepare the salad, slice the beets in about ¼ inch slices and dress with some of the vinaigrette. Toss the greens with the remaining dressing, arrange beets on top of greens and sprinkle with nuts.

Roasted Beet and Greens Salad

Asparagus is in all of the markets here and was a natural for the quiche.  And because it was Easter, Sue said, “How about some ham?” One of the great things about a quiche is that you can put anything in it.

Asparagus and Ham Quiche
Recipe developed by Sue & Meg For Saturday Night Specials  04/19/2014
Serves: 4 – 6

1/3 lb. Emmentaler cheese, finely shredded
1 9” unbaked pie crust
12  large spears asparagus
¾ lb. diced ham
3 eggs
1 ½ cup heavy whipping cream
3 tsp. flour
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Trim ends of asparagus and steam lightly to partially cook. Reserve 5 spears to decorate the top of the quiche. Cut remaining spears into about ½ inch pieces. .  Combine with diced ham and sprinkle with 3 teaspoons of flour.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, beat eggs, cream and black pepper until blended.

Scatter half of the cheese evenly in pie crust.  Layer the ham and then the asparagus evenly over the cheese. Add remaining cheese and then pour cream mixture over everything. Decorate with reserved asparagus tips, pressing lightly into the mixture. Sprinkle top with red pepper flakes.

Bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees.

Turn oven down to 350 and bake for 15 minutes.

Turn oven down to 300 and bake for 15 minutes.

Cover crust during baking if browning to quickly. Cool to room temperature before serving.

Ham and Asparagus Quiche

Sue lobbied to have Cava again, but Meg said we couldn’t have it with every meal. So the second choice was a nice bottle of barrel aged Chateau Ste. Michelle 2011 chardonnay from the Columbia valley in Washington.  It actually went very well with the meal.

 

And finally we arrive at the reason for this meal, the lemon pound cake.   It is dense, moist, lemony and absolutely delicious. If you are going to be obsessive about a cake this is a good place to start.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten , 2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home, All Rights Reserved
Total Time:1 hr 20 minutes
Yield:1 loaf

Ingredients

1 ½ c all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
½ t kosher salt
1 c plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/3 c sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 t grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
½ t pure vanilla extract
½ c vegetable oil
1/3 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the glaze:
1 c confectioners' sugar
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 ½  by 4 ¼  by 2 ½ -inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Our unsolicited and biased opinions:

We used a homemade crust for our quiche. Meg’s secret is to replace the cold water with whipping cream and use butter as the shortening. (I guess it’s not a secret any longer.) If you are not into making crusts, then buy one.

We selected the Emmentaler specifically to go with the ham and asparagus. If you choose other ingredients, suitable cheeses could be Fontina, Gruyere, Jarlsberg, Muenster or Port Salut.

We did not use any salt in the quiche preparation, because ham is inherently salty.

If you are not a fan of the traditional red beets, this golden variety is worth a try, as they are milder flavored.  The whole grain mustard and letting the vinaigrette rest at room temperature mellowed the garlic and rounded out the flavors in this dressing.  We also marinated the sliced beets for about an hour before assembling  the salad. We intended to use only arugula for the greens, but instead used a mix of “Super Greens” containing red and green chard, tat soi, arugula and mild spinach. The pistachios added a nice crunch.

We did not make the glaze for the cake and served it with sliced, sweetened strawberries. Meg says she feels less guilt eating cake with fruit. Sue says who cares.


Happy Easter to all!

Buona Pasqua!
Feliz Pascua!
Frohe Ostern!
Joyeuses Pâques!

Needlepointed eggs by Meg

Dinner At The End Of The Road

This make-ahead meal is prompted by a fantastic 50% off glass sale in Santa Rosa, California. We hit the road at “zero-dark-thirty” (03:30am) to make the 8:00 am opening time. This was a one day, 4 hour sale, and when you are fused glass fanatics, being there when the doors open is important.

We made the mushroom burger mix, vinaigrette, and walnuts the day before; so all we had to do was sauté the burgers and assemble the salad. Good thing, because we are tired but happy shoppers.

Portabella and button mushrooms

Cooked Bhutan Rice

Red bell pepper, green onions, shallot, minced garlic and sautéed, pancetta

Sue and Meg’s Mushroom Burgers
Recipe developed by Sue & Meg For Saturday Night Specials  04/05/2014
Serves: 4
 
¼ lb. pancetta, ¼ inch dice
3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 medium shallot, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
½ red bell pepper, ¼ inch dice
6 oz. Portabella mushrooms, chopped into ¼ - ½ inch pieces
8 oz. button mushrooms, chopped into ¼ - ½ inch pieces
2 cups cooked Bhutan rice, cooked in chicken broth (see note)
3 scallions, sliced (green and white)
2/3 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 tsp. dried thyme

Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to a non-stick skillet and brown the pancetta.  When done, remove and reserve (resist eating). In the same skillet, add 2 teaspoons olive oil and lightly sauté the garlic and shallots until soft. Add the red bell pepper and sauté for about 2 minutes until crisp-tender. Remove from skillet and add to reserved pancetta.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mushrooms to pan. Cook over low heat, until mushrooms have released most of their moisture and have reduced in volume by about two-thirds.

In a large bowl, combine sautéed and remaining  ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight.

In a large nonstick skillet heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to medium-low heat. Use a half cup to measure each patty. Place 4 burgers in the skillet and lightly flatten with spatula or fingers. Cook for about 3 minutes per side until lightly browned. Keep warm in oven while cooking the remaining 4 burgers.

Note: Bhutan rice is a “red” rice with a distinctive flavor and texture. We think brown rice could be substituted in this recipe. We substituted chicken broth for the water to cook the rice.

Red Cabbage Salad with Blue Cheese & Maple-Glazed Walnuts
Source: Eating Well magazine March/April 2014
Serves 8: About 1 cup each

Vinaigrette
1 Tbsp. crumbled blue cheese
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. red-wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Salad
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. butter
1 cup walnuts
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
8 cups very thinly sliced red cabbage
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese

To prepare vinaigrette: Combine 1 tablespoon blue cheese, ¼ cup oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a mini food processor or blender; process until creamy.

To prepare salad: Place a piece of parchment or wax paper near your stove. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper and drizzle in maple syrup. Cook, stirring until the nuts are well coated and have begun to caramelize, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the paper, spooning any remaining syrup over them. Separate the nuts while they are still warm. Let stand until cool, about 5 minutes.

Place cabbage and scallions in a large bowl. Toss with the vinaigrette. Serve topped with blue cheese and the walnuts.

To make ahead: Store glazed walnuts (Step 2) airtight for up to 1 day

 

 We found this wine on a “girls’ weekend” in February when we took a road trip to Minden, Nevada. The Tahoe Ridge Winery has a good selection of flavored vinegars and olive oils and a small wine tasting bar. The menu for their restaurant was very tempting, but we had other plans. After tasting several vinegars, olive oils and wines, Sue signed up for their wine club.  She also selected the bottles for her first case, which we brought home. This “Rat A Tat” was one of our favorites and Sue bought every last remaining bottle in their store room.    It is a California red blend that is heavy on the cherry and tobacco flavors.

 

Tahoe Ridge Rat A Tat, 2008

Our biased and unsolicited opinions:

According to Sue, Meg is a rice connoisseur. Any rice that you see in our blog is because Meg bought it and said, “Let’s try this sometime”.  So here we are trying Bhutan rice. The flavor is nutty and mild and it is slightly mahogany colored.  Meg made the rice the night before and cooked it in chicken stock.

The mushroom burgers had a creamy texture but some crunch from the red pepper and green onions. They would not hold up to cooking on a grill and are a bit delicate; so some care is needed when turning them. They are very rich and satisfying. You certainly don’t need a bun. Save the carbs for dessert.

The red cabbage was really sweet and was nicely complemented by the blue cheese vinaigrette. We may have put in more blue cheese than called for in the recipe, but we happily admit to being cheese heads. This slaw can go with everything we can think of. We loved it and had second helpings. 

We didn’t plan a dessert, but raided Sue’s freezer after dinner, and lo and behold, what did we find but some Haagen Dazs Sea Salt Caramel Gelato. Oh, poor us. No bowls necessary.

This gelato is worth scouring to the ends of the earth to find. It is unbelievably rich and silky smooth and, oh yes, there is a ribbon of salted caramel running through it. Sue first noticed it in the sample sizes . . . thank God she bought a pint! We only ate half though, and are saying, “You take it home. “ “No, you keep it.”  Pure, unadulterated pleasure.

Proof we didn't eat it all.  OMG!!

Simply Delicious

Happy Spring! According to Sue it was time for pasta, and in this case it’s easy being green. We are not sure how long we have had this recipe. The page came from an “Everyday Food” magazine and was in Meg’s “want to fix” binder. (She really does have a recipe binder.)  The pasta sounded so simple and fresh.

Lemony Pasta with Goat Cheese and Spinach

Source: Everyday Food
Serves: 4
Total time: 20 minutes

Salt and pepper
¾ lb spaghettini or spaghetti
4 oz fresh goat cheese
10 oz baby spinach (10 cups)
3 c fresh parsley, chopped
2 c fresh cilantro, chopped
1 T grated lemon zest plus 1 T juice
½ c toasted walnuts, chopped

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions.  Reserve 2 cups pasta water, then drain.

In a pot, stir together goat cheese and 1 c pasta water over medium.  Add pasta, spinach, parsley, cilantro, lemon zest and juice, and more pasta water if necessary to create a light sauce that coats pasta; season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with walnuts and serve.

Instead of a salad, (too much green), we opted for roasting and marinating red, yellow and orange peppers. We made the marinade with Sue’s current favorite olive oil, Barbera Aglio Peperoncino, that she gets from Bella Italia on Plumb Lane in Reno.

She has been enjoying it since December on anything and everything. It was her holiday gift of choice for Meg and all of her other cooking friends. If you are not local, Lorena and Marco will ship this and any other products from their Bella Italia store. 

Aglio Peperoncino and Italian White Balsamic Vinegar

Marinated Peppers
Recipe developed by Sue & Meg For Saturday Night Specials  03/22/14

3 bell peppers, roasted and cleaned
1 Tbsp. Barbera Aglio Peperoncino (hot pepper olive oil)
2 Tbsp. Italian extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. Italian white balsamic vinegar
Salt & coarsely ground pepper to taste

Roast the peppers under the broiler or on top of a gas burner until charred all over. Put peppers into a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. When cool, remove skin, stem and seeds, and slice into strips.

Place peppers in a shallow bowl or container. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over peppers. Let sit at room temperature at least an hour or longer.

Eat.

 

Luscious Roasted and Marinated Peppers

Meg recently found this wine at Raley’s, tried it, turned Sue on to it and now we are scouring the shelves for more of it. We wanted a strong red to go with the full flavors of the pasta.



Campo Viejo Rioja 2008 Tempranillo Reserva, Raley’s about $12

 

Meg has been obsessed with making these cookies since the latest Raley’s Extra magazine was available. Her preferred Raley’s has not had the “Just Raspberries” product. She conned Sue into contacting Raley’s customer service and finding it locally. Sue only had to drive 2.6 miles to an alternate Raley’s. Meg’s mileage would have been 32 miles. What are friends for? 

 

 

Lemon Raspberry Macaroons

Source: Raley’s.com, “Extra magazine
Makes: 24 macaroons
Prep: 20 minutes
Chill: at least 2 hours
Cook: 20 minutes

4 egg whites
½ c sugar
2 c powdered sugar
1 (16 oz) package Bob’s red Mill finely ground almond meal
2 T Meyer lemon juice
1 t lemon extract
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
¼ c “Just Raspberries”, crushed

Beat egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form.  Beat in sugar, then turn mixer to low.  Add powdered sugar, one large spoonful at a time.

Add almond meal, lemon juice, extract and lemon zest, stirring until well blended.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 300’ F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Lightly mix in crushed rasp berries and roll dough into 1 ½ inch balls.  Place on baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes.

Macaroons ready for baking

Yum!

Our unsolicited and biased opinions:

Meg remembers the picture of this dish  having more green coating the pasta. Although we followed the recipe, there were only islands of green and the pasta was not completely coated. Meg is going to make it again and use an immersion blender on the sauce and then add the pasta. We both agree that we would double the goat cheese and double the lemon zest. Maybe even a little more lemon juice. We cooked a pound of pasta instead of the ¾ pound called for in the recipe.  More is better . . . you heard it here again.

We couldn’t taste the cilantro. We are thinking of next time omitting the cilantro and throwing in a handful of fresh basil.

All this critiquing aside, we liked the pasta and are looking forward to the leftovers.

When marinating vegetables or making salad dressing, we think it is important to use the “best” and most flavorful oils and vinegars you can find. It is time to pull out the good stuff, not what you use to sauté.

The “Just Raspberries” product is freeze dried raspberries, which are available online or in other grocery stores, perhaps by a different name.

These cookies are delicately crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. We are at high altitude and found the baking time to be accurate (surprise). We set the timer for 15 minutes and turned the baking sheets around for the last 5 minutes. Perfection!! We served them with a cup of espresso.


Celebrate Spring!

Spice Is Right

The inspiration for this dinner was a challenge issued by Lauren, the owner of “Prism Magic Clothing & Imports” in Sparks, to prepare a gluten free meal. If you are local, be sure to stop by and check out the rainbow of tie dye in her shop.

We quickly decided on an Indian themed menu.  Lauren was specific about not including the following ingredients: soy, corn, spelt, quinoa, or rye. She also said “don’t just roast a cauliflower and call it gluten free”!

Well, Lauren, we are abiding by your wishes except we had to roast some cauliflower!

Cauliflower is too perfect a canvas for all of these wonderful Indian spices. We drizzled the cauliflower with olive oil and then rubbed the florets with a mixture of garam masala, ground cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Twenty minutes in a 400’ oven on a baking sheet and it was done to perfection.

The sautéed spinach was just because.

Sautéed Spinach
Recipe developed by Sue & Meg For Saturday Night Specials  03/08/14

Ingredients

10 oz fresh spinach
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, roughly chopped
1 green chili, chopped, seeds and membrane removed
1 teaspoon turmeric
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon fresh cream (optional)
salt

Directions

In a pan lightly sauté garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, and the green chili until softened and fragrant.

Add spinach and sauté until wilted. Stir in cream and serve hot.

The recipes for the garam masala, rice, cachumber, and carrot halva came from two vegetarian cookbooks Meg has had for a very long time.  The spice, garam masala, is readily available in grocery stores . . . you choose.

Garam Masala
Source: “Vegetarian Epicure Book Two”, Anna Thomas

“A masala is a mixture of spices, either dry or in the form of a paste, and there are many masalas for many uses.  This one is a fragrant blend of spices – not especially hot – which is sometimes added to food during cooking and sometimes sprinkled over a dish just before serving.  It is not curry powder.  It can be used alone, but more often it is blended with other seasonings.”

¼ c cardamom pods
2 T peppercorns
2 T cumin seeds
2 sticks cinnamon, each 2 inches long
2 t whole cloves
1 t ground mace
2 T ground coriander
1 bay leaf

Spread the spices out on a large metal pan and roast them in a 200 degree oven for about 20 minutes, stirring them often and making sure they don’t scorch.

Remove them from the oven and shell the cardamom seeds, discarding the pods.  Crush the cinnamon sticks by wrapping them in a towel and pounding them with a wooden mallet or other blunt instrument.

Combine all the spices and grind them, in batches if necessary, in an electric blender or food processor, until they are a powder.  If you don’t have a blender, you can grind the spices in a stone or ceramic mortar and good luck to you.  Keep the masala in an airtight container, at room temperature.

Note:  We used an electric spice grinder…acquired after we made our first Indian meal long ago.  Save yourself the cost of anger management classes and buy one, you will find many uses for the little guy.


The cachumber sounded fresh and crunchy and was a nice contrast to the cooked elements.

Cachumber
Source: “The Vegetarian Epicure”, Anna Thomas
Serves: 4 - 6

2 large tomatoes
1 large cucumber
½ c chopped green onions
½ c thinly sliced radishes
2 T coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 T lemon juice
¾ t salt
1 t finely minced green chilis
black pepper to taste

Cut the tomatoes in ½ inch chunks.  Peel and seed the cucumber and cut it in ½ inch dice.  Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, radishes, and cilantro in a bowl.

Mix together the lemon juice, salt, and minced green chilis, and our over the vegetables.  Toss everything together so that it is thoroughly combined and add a little black pepper to taste.  Chill for about ½ hour, toss again, and serve.

Note: We used 4 small cocktail cucumbers (so cute) so there was no need to seed the cucumber.

Plain Pilau
Source: “The Vegetarian Epicure Book Two”, Anna Thomas
Serves: 6 – 8

4 T butter
2 c long grain white rice
¼ t cinnamon
crushed seeds from 8 cardamom pods
¾ c blanched, slivered almonds
½ c raisins
1 c shelled fresh peas
4 c hot water
1 ½ t salt

Melt the butter in a large, fireproof casserole and fry the rice in it over low heat until it just starts to color.  Add the cinnamon and the crushed cardamom seeds.  Stir, and continue frying for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir briefly.  Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the casserole, tightly, and let the rice steam for about 20 minutes.  All the water should be absorbed and the rice just tender but not mushy.

Notes: We substituted 1 tsp. ground cardamom. We used defrosted peas and did not add them until ready to serve the rice

We included a roasted chicken because Sue bought this nifty ceramic chicken roaster at World Market last year, and Meg has been pressing her to use it.  This seemed the perfect opportunity to roast a chicken with Indian spices.

Indian Spiced Roast Chicken
Recipe developed by Sue & Meg For Saturday Night Specials  03/08/14

5 ¾ lb chicken, or large roasting chicken
2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. ginger, minced
1 Tbsp. and 1 tsp. olive oil, divided
1 tsp. garam masala
1 ½ tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 large baking potato, cut into chunks
½ large onion, cut into wedges
1 Meyer lemon, cut into wedges

Grind garlic, ginger, ½ t salt and olive oil in a mortar and pestle to make a paste. Gently loosen the chicken skin and rub the paste underneath.

Rub outside of chicken with 1 T of olive oil and give the little guy a massage with the spices. 

Because we used the spiffy ceramic chicken roaster, we started with a cold oven. You can roast it as you would normally – on or without a rack with the veggies around it.

Roasting time at 350’ was about 2 hours.

We are lucky to have a jar of peach lime chutney, made with peaches from Sue’s mom’s tree, to complement the roasted chicken.  Chutneys of all kinds are available in most grocery stores.

Peach Lime Chutney
Source: “Farm Journal Freezing and Canning Cookbook”, Doubleday

5 lbs fresh peaches
½ lb seeded raisins
½ lb dates, chopped
1 lemon, quartered, thinly sliced
2 c vinegar
3 c sugar
¼ c fresh lime juice
½ c candied ginger, coarsely cut
½ c nut meats, (optional)

Scald peaches in hot water for 30 seconds, dip in cold water; slip off skins.  Dice in small pieces.  Add raisins, dates, lemon, vinegar and lime juice.

Cook mixture slowly until peaches are tender; stir to prevent scorching.

Add sugar; cook until chutney has thickened, about 1 ½ hours, over low heat.  Stir in ginger (1 ½ t powdered ginger may be added for a stronger chutney).  Add nut meats.

Ladle chutney into hot, sterilized jars; seal at once.  Makes 5 pints.

This is the third time we have had this wine with Indian food. There’s a reason – it’s a good match.

Riesling 2012,  Dr. Heidemanns-Bergweiler , Germany  / $9.99 at Total Wine 

Carrot Halva
(Gajar Halva)

Source: “The Vegetarian Epicure Book Two”, Anna Thomas

1 ½ lbs carrots
1 ½ qts milk
1 c sugar
1/3 c raisins
¼ t crushed saffron threads
Pinch of ground cardamom
¼ t rose extract
1 T butter
1/3 c ground blanched almonds
1/3 c slivered almonds
Unsweetened cream, well chilled

Trim and scrape the carrots and shred them as finely as possible.  Combine the carrots with the milk in a large, heavy saucepan and bring the milk to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer the mixture very gently, stirring often, for about 2 hours, or until it is reduced by more than ½ and is thick enough to lightly coat a spoon.

Stir in the sugar, raisins, saffron, cardamom, and the rose extract and continue simmering until the mixture is thick enough to hold a soft shape.  This could take another long while, so relax.  Add the butter and ground almonds and stir over low heat for about 10 minutes more, taking care not to let the mixture scorch.  It should now be thick enough to form a solid mass.

Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.  Turn the halva out onto a platter and shape it into an even mound.  Decorate it with the slivered almonds and serve it either warm or cool, with cream.

Our unsolicited and biased opinions:

What a feast for all the senses! The aroma of the spicy roasting chicken filled the house and is still present as we sit writing.  The air is full of rich and enticing fragrances.  This meal was like taking a trip without packing a suitcase or boarding an airplane. 

The next time around we will add more heat with the spices. None of these dishes were hot, but all were very flavorful.

The carrot halva is time consuming, but Meg had made it previously, (20 years ago), and remembered it being worth the time.  Sue didn’t know what to expect but put her trust in Meg. Luckily, they are still friends. Just teasing, she really enjoyed it and is looking forward to leftovers.

This halva, while not traditional, was a nice bit of sweetness at the end of this meal. 

As an alternative, we think that dates and dried figs would be a nice choice, too, especially served with a hot cup of Chai tea.