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.

Cara, Cara

The season for Cara Cara or blood oranges will be ending soon, and because we love both their color and flavor, we chose this dish that pairs them with scallops. To gild the lily we stayed on the citrus train and made lemon soufflés – woo hoo!

Of note in this recipe is the use of fennel pollen, which has a more intense licorice flavor and aroma than fennel seeds.  The pollen is a powder, but not a fine one.

Although Amazon sells fennel pollen, Sue’s was hand carried by her from Italy.  It was a deliberate search and a special “find”.

Fennel Pollen

As we discussed the menu, we decided an appetizer was in order. Meg suggested the Parmesan Crisps, and Sue readily agreed. It is, after all, cheese.  Why did we wait so long for something this simple and this good?? Ok, we are dim.

Parmesan Crisps

Ina Garten

Total Time:  16 min
Prep:  10 min
Cook:  6 min
Yield:  makes 30 crisps
Level:  Easy

Ingredients
4 ounces Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

Grate 2 ounces of the Parmesan using the side of the box grater that finely grinds the cheese and then grate 2 ounces of the Parmesan using the side of the box grater that makes long shreds of cheese, and then mix them together. Drop rounded tablespoons of the grated Parmesan on the parchment paper to make neat mounds. Bake in the oven for 6 minutes until golden.

Cool slightly and loosen with a metal spatula. Serve at room temperature.

Raw fennel, cleaned and cored

Scallops with Blood Orange, Fennel and Pistachios

Contributed by Michael Tusk
Food & Wine email
TOTAL TIME: 45 MIN
SERVINGS: 10

2 small fennel bulbs—halved, cored and very thinly shaved on a mandoline
2 blood oranges
6 tablespoons fresh blood orange juice
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
10 large sea scallops
1 teaspoon fennel pollen
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons brined capers, drained and patted dry
1/4 cup sliced green olives
1/4 cup unsalted roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped

In a large bowl, soak the fennel in ice water. Peel the blood oranges with a sharp knife, being sure to remove all of the bitter white pith. Working over a bowl, cut in between the membranes to release the sections.

In a medium bowl, whisk the 6 tablespoons of blood orange juice with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Drain the fennel and pat dry. Add it to the dressing and toss to coat. Mound the salad on 10 plates.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1/2 cup of oil until shimmering. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and rub with the fennel pollen. Add the scallops to the skillet and cook over high heat until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and capers to the skillet. Turn the scallops over and cook just until white throughout, 2 minutes longer. Set the scallops on the fennel salad.
Cook the capers, basting them with the fat in the pan, until browned and crisp, 2 minutes. Scatter the capers, olives, pistachios and orange sections all around and serve.

Doesn't this just make your mouth water?

Ta  Da! 

We thought this meal merited a bit of bubbly, so to speak, and chose this Cava on the recommendation of Rebecca at our Total Wines store. It was the perfect complement to the richness of the scallops.

Berberana Cava Brut, Sparkling wine, Spain $10.79

Lemon Souffles

Source: “Great Desserts of the American West”, Frances Towner Giedt, Lone Star Books, 1999
Serves: 8

Ingredients

powdered sugar
1 c whole milk
1/3 c plus 1 T granulated sugar
1 T grated lemon peel
3 large egg yolks
¼ c fresh lemon juice
3 T unbleached all-purpose flour
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch salt
2 T brandy

Preheat oven to 400’.  Generously butter eight 2/3 c souffle dishes or custard cups.  Dust with powdered sugar and set on a large baking sheet.

In a heavy medium saucepan, bring milk, 1/3 c granulated sugar, and lemon peel to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and let stand 15 – 20 minutes to cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and lemon juice.  Gradually add flour, whisking until smooth.  Whisk in milk mixture.  Return egg-milk mixture to saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, cover surface with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form.  Gradually add remaining 1 T sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.  Stir brandy into chilled egg mixture.  Stir in half of the beaten egg whites.  Gently fold in remaining whites and div ide evenly between the pr3epared soufflé dishes.  Bake until puffed and browned, about 10 – 15 minutes.  Sift powdered sugar over each soufflé and serve immediately.

Our unsolicited and biased opinions:

We cannot emphasize enough the ease and what we see as the limitless possibilities for the cheese crisps. They would be perfect on a party tray, with soup, or on top of a salad. We only made a portion of this recipe (maybe we are dim). Just grate some cheese and make as many as you want, but make more than you think you will need, because they are irresistible.

The recipe for the scallop salad was written as an appetizer for ten people, one per person. We didn’t go that route. Really, one scallop per person?! We decided to serve it as an entrée and have a generous 4 scallops each. What a good idea.

What we loved most were all of the different flavor and texture elements of the salad; the crispness of the fennel, the tangy capers and olives against the sweetness of the blood oranges, a sprinkle of pistachios and the pure indulgence of the scallops. Perfection! We loved every bite!

The only thing we would do differently is cook the capers in the butter separately, because they didn’t get crisp.

Raw fennel was new to both of us, and we were surprised by the mild flavor. The addition of the fennel pollen was a nice layer of stronger flavor without overwhelming the scallops.

You could easily prepare everything for the soufflés except beating the egg whites ahead of time, making this an impressive dessert to wow guests. They were warm, beautiful,  fluffy and lemony. The amount of lemon zest and juice were nicely balanced with the small amount of sugar. We savored each bite with a sip of Cava. 

We are so grateful to be enjoying spring-like weather lately.  If you are digging your way out from a blizzard or just hunkering down, the bright, fresh flavors of citrus, scallops and fennel will remind you that sunshine is only a bite or two away.  Enjoy!

Another Chance To Celebrate The New Year!

Sue came across the recipe for the lemongrass chicken following an e-mail from “Food and Wine” magazine, and was intrigued by the concept of cooking with lemongrass.  (New experience for both of us…)

Lemon grass is an aromatic citrus-flavored herb used in Asian cooking. It is our “elusive” ingredient for this meal, and presented the opportunity to visit just about every store in our area.  We finally found lemongrass locally in two grocery stores and our favorite Asian market, Manila Hong Kong market in Sparks.

In addition to the “lemongrass expedition” we did some research on the internet to see how to prepare it.  Here is some of what we found:

• Purchase lemongrass with stalks that are full and firm with a pale green color.  The lemongrass should be moist to the touch with a fragrant aroma.  The bottom of the stalk shouldn’t be woody and tough.
• Wash the lemongrass under cool, running water.  Trim the ends of the lemongrass and peel off the outer leaves.  Use a sharp knife.   Lemongrass is fibrous and can be difficult to cut. 
• Use only the bottom 4 to 6 inches of the stalk and discard the grass, as it is too tough to use in cooking.
• Place the lemongrass stalk on a cutting board and crush it with a kitchen mallet or blade of a large (weapon sized) knife. 
• Add the crushed lemongrass to your dish, and then remove it just before serving, as the lemongrass stalk is tough and difficult to chew.

The method in this recipe differs in that the lemongrass is made into a paste and remains a part of the dish when served.

If you can't find lemongrass with the fresh produce, check the freezer section. Because lemongrass freezes well, it is often sold in frozen packets of about 6-8 stalks.

Oh, by the way, the lemongrass plant is believed to bring about a calming effect in relieving insomnia and stress. We usually rely on a couple of glasses of wine while cooking.

Once we started down the Asian road for this meal, Sue also found the recipe for the Chinese Sticky Cake, (Nian Gao), on the internet.  This steamed fruitcake is a tradition for Chinese New Year. We know, it was celebrated last week, but once we decide on a theme, there is no stopping us.

Meg pulled the broccoli recipe from the bulging binder she uses to store recipes she fully intends to cook someday. 

Forbidden rice is available in many grocery stores now, but we get ours in the bulk department of Winco.  Check around.  It’s worth trying if you have never had it -- the texture and flavor will surprise you.  We also love the color.

 

Marinade ingredients

Garlicky Lemongrass Chicken
Contributed by Grace Parisi
Food & Wine email

ACTIVE: 10 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 40 MIN
SERVINGS: 6 to 8

5 plump lemongrass stalks, inner bulb only, coarsely chopped
3 scallions, white and light green parts only, coarsely chopped
1 large garlic clove, smashed
1 large jalapeño, chopped
Pinch of sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs and breasts

In a food processor, pulse the lemongrass until finely chopped. Add the scallions, garlic, jalapeño and sugar and pulse until finely chopped. With the machine on, add the 1/4 cup of vegetable oil in a steady stream and process to a fine paste. Season the paste with salt and pepper.

Using a small, sharp knife, make 1/2-inch-deep slashes into the chicken and rub the paste all over, working it into the slashes. Marinate the chicken for 15 minutes at room temperature or refrigerate overnight.

 

Light a grill. Brush the chicken with oil, season with salt and pepper and grill over a medium-hot fire, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 15 minutes.

 

Lemongrass marinade paste on chicken thighs

Stir-Fried Broccoli With Chili-Garlic Sauce
(Source of recipe is unknown -- some magazine)
Serves 2

Ingredients

2 Tbsp low-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp soy sauce
1 ½ tsp dry sherry
1   tsp Asian chili-garlic sauce
½  tsp toasted sesame oil
½  tsp cornstarch
3 ½ tsp vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
12 oz broccoli florets (about 5 cups) cut into ¾ pieces 
1/8 tsp sugar

In a small bowl, whisk broth, soy sauce, sherry, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch together until well combined. In second small bowl, combine ½ teaspoon vegetable oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add broccoli and sugar and cook, stirring frequently until broccoli is well browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in garlic-oil mixture and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add broth-soy sauce mixture and toss until broccoli is evenly coated.

We thought a Chardonnay would compliment the lemongrass and not overwhelm the ingredients.

Kendall-Jackson Avant Chardonnay, California 2010 $8.99 on sale at Raley’s.

Chinese Sticky Cake (Nian Gao)
Number of Servings: 16
Prep Time: 1 hour

Ingredients
 3/4 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups glutinous rice flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup chopped dates (preseved plums, jujubes or candied orange peel can be used instead)
Instructions:

1. In a small pan, boil water.
2. In a mixing bowl, add brown sugar and stir in boiling water to make a syrup. Let cool.
3. Add flour, egg and milk and stir to blend.
4. Knead the dough until smooth, then mix in chopped sweets.
5. Pour batter into a lightly greased 7″ shallow cake pan.
6. Steam for about 45 minutes, or until edges move away from the pan.
7. Let cool before unmolding. Serve in thin slices.

Chinese Sticky Cake - cut in half to show the dates

Our unsolicited and biased opinions:

We recommend cutting the lemongrass into very small pieces before processing it with the other ingredients. We chopped ours into ½ to ¾ inch pieces and practically burned up the motor on Meg’s food processor. It never did reach a true paste consistency; so we removed most of it before grilling the chicken. It had a wonderful flavor and aroma, but was a bit too fibrous.

We marinated it for about an hour and a half in a zip lock bag. As usual, we only used chicken thighs. The chicken was moist and it had a distinctive lemon grass flavor. We added an extra garlic clove, and it was not spicy from the jalapeno. We are excited to have left overs.

Next time we will combine the two sauces for the broccoli and add them at the same time. This would prevent the garlic from overcooking. We think the overall cooking time in this recipe was too long. We only cooked the broccoli for about 3 minutes total. We had a screaming hot pan, and we like our vegetables crisp tender.  The chili garlic sauce is wonderful!

We cooked the cake in a make shift steamer (metal cookie cutters on the bottom of the pan to hold the basket above the water) and a small bowl, instead of a cake pan. Meg did not have a 7 inch cake pan, and you can bet if Meg, the baker, didn’t have it, Sue certainly didn’t. We lost track of how much longer we cooked the cake. But altitude and the thickness, from the bowl instead of a flat pan, required a much, much longer cooking time.

This was not a cake in the traditional sense of the word.  You could  taste the rice from the flour and the dates but the texture was gelatinous and dense. It was good to try something different, but next time we will make fortune cookies – an opportunity to write our preferred fortunes!

So this is our nod to Chinese New Year, the year of the horse.

Chinese New Year is fascinating and there is a wealth of information on the internet:

Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that the people born in each animal's year would have some of that animal's personality. Those born in horse years are cheerful, skillful with money, perceptive, witty, talented and good with their hands. Rembrandt, Harrison Ford, Aretha Franklin, Chopin, Sandra Day O'Connor, and President Theodore Roosevelt were born in the year of the horse.

Neither of us is a horse.  Meg is a rat, and Sue is a dragon… luckily the signs are compatible which we are sure is one of the reasons we have been such good friends for all these years.

We want to share these traditional Chinese wishes for your new year. The most common greetings and sayings consist of four characters, such as the following:

  金玉滿堂 Jīnyùmǎntáng - "May your wealth [gold and jade] come to fill a hall"
  大展鴻圖 Dàzhǎnhóngtú - "May you realize your ambitions"
  迎春接福 Yíngchúnjiēfú - "Greet the New Year and encounter happiness"
  萬事如意 Wànshìrúyì - "May all your wishes be fulfilled"
  吉慶有餘 Jíqìngyǒuyú - "May your happiness be without limit"
  竹報平安 Zhúbàopíng'ān - "May you hear [in a letter] that all is well"
  一本萬利 Yīběnwànlì - "May a small investment bring ten-thousandfold profits"
  福壽雙全 Fúshòushuāngquán - "May your happiness and longevity be complete"
  招財進寶 Zhāocáijìnbǎo - "When wealth is acquired, precious objects follow"
Pick your favorite and Happy New Year again.