Citrus Pudding, Green Gazpacho & Stuffed Zucchini

Green Gazpacho with Fried Almonds
Sally found this recipe in, of all places, The Wall Street Journal, when she was visiting Holly last week! This jade green chilled soup is great light supper item on a hot day, accompanied by a simple salad.

4 Scallions (green onions) chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1 medium Cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 - 1 Jalapeño Pepper, veined, seeded and chopped
1 clove Garlic, chopped
1 cup Water (not chopped)
3/4 tsp ground Cumin
Salt to taste
3 cups Spinach leaves
1/2 cup chopped Cilantro
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/3 cup whole raw Almonds, coarsely chopped
Plain Yogurt (optional garnish)

In a blender, combine the first six ingredients with 1/2 tsp each of cumin and salt. Pulse this mass until the concoction is nearly smooth. Now add the spinach, cilantro 2 Tbsp olive oil and the vinegar. Whirrr again until very smooth, adding a bit of water to keep things soup thin, if needed. Chill until very cold.

Over moderate heat and a splash of oil, saute the almonds with 1/4 tsp cumin, until golden and nutty smelling. Remove to paper towels to drain and cool. Season with salt and reserve to garnish the soup.

English Citrus Pud

Tis the season – citrus season, that is – and we're “suffering” from a plethora of lemons and limes. What to do... what to do. If all else fails, make a pudding – an English pudding that is, not that stuff from the Jell-Otm folks.

3 Tbsp Butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
7 oz Sugar
Zest 2 Lemons or 2 Limes or 1 Grapefruit
7 Tbsp Lemon, Lime or Grapefruit juice, or a mixture
3 large Eggs, separated
7 Tbsp AP flour
1 cup milk
Confectioner's sugar, for dusting (optional)

Heat oven to 350F. Grease a medium-sized oval baking dish (about 7” x 8”) with butter. 

 In a food processor, combine the butter, caster sugar and zest, and take them for a whirrr until the mixture is pale. Add the citrus juice, egg yolks, flour and milk, and whirrr again until well mixed – it may look a little curdled. Transfer to a bowl.

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until firm but not stiff, then gently fold into the zest mixture. Transfer to the baking dish and put it in a pan half-filled with hot water. Bake for 35-40 min. until the top is lightly browned and set, but the pudding is still soft-ish underneath. Serve dusted with confectioner's sugar, if you want.

I gotta tell ya, folks; this recipe turns out pretty darn good even if you don't follow all the directions! I got stupid and put everything in the food processor at once (did not separate the eggs, beat the whites and fold them in). I dumped it all in a bowl and then used a hand mixer to whoop everything together!! That's what you see in the picture here. 

I promise to make this again next week (yep, it's that good) and show you how it's supposed to turn out!

Banger Stuffed Zucchini

Our produce box this week contained a giant zucchini. Not quite as big as my forearm, it was a perfect candidate for stuffing, something I haven't done in a long time.

1 Large Zucchini

1 stalk of Celery

1/2diced Onion

1/4diced Red Bell Pepper

1/2lb Banger Sausage

Panko Breadcrumbs to tighten

Shredded Cheese for topping

Banger Sausage  

I make my own American Banger sausage using a package of “meatloaf mix” - 1/3 veal, 1/3 pork and 1/3 ground sirloin, combined with white pepper, mace and smoked paprika. For a pound of the meat mix I use perhaps 1 tsp White Pepper, 1 tsp Mace, and 1 tsp Smoked Paprika. Adjust the spice to your own liking.

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out the 'guts', leaving a nice shell. Saute the guts in a splash of EVOO, along with the meat mix, celery, onion and bell pepper. When the veggies are soft and the meat browned, simmer off most of the liquid, and used perhaps a quarter cup of Panko to tighten up the stuffing mix.

Spoon the mixture into the zucchini shells, mounding it nice and high; then top with shredded cheese. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 35-4 minutes, and serve.

Quick Dessert

Slice some strawberries, dust with sugar and splash with water. Let them set in the fridge for a day or so. Spoon into a bowl and add a couple of the Thin Minttm Girl Scout Cookies. Chocolate, strawberries and mint – what's not to like!

Tapas While the Cat's Away

Sally is out of town, in DC for a conference, and visiting Holly while she's there. So I'm keeping the cat's and BnB guests happy, and testing some dishes.

I was tasked with coming up with an appetizer sort of dish for one of Sally's work lunch-parties in the week. So I went delving into a book of Spanish Tapas recipes, and came up with these. The advantage, and disadvantage, of being a chef is that you get to eat your mistakes as well as your successes. Life is tough! Maybe I'll save some leftovers for Sally...

Tapas tray for Sally's homecoming dinner.

Patatas Rellanas -- Stuffed Potato Skins -- upper right, above

This dish is sort of a Spanish version of Stuffed Potato Skins. A little finicky, perhaps, but worth the effort. Here, I made them as a tapa, using small new potatoes; use bigger potatoes to serve them as a side dish.

6 small-ish Red Potatoes

1 Egg, separated

1/4 cup flaked Tuna

2 Tbsp minced Mushrooms

S&P TT

Shredded Cheese for Topping

Stab the tops of the potatoes (so they won't split when cooking), and cook them (bake or microwave) until tender. Cut off the tops and hollow out the spuds.

Mash together the potato “guts”, the egg yolk, and the mushrooms. Beat the egg white until stiff, then fold it into the mixture (makes the final filling light and fluffy). 

Mound the mixture into the potato skins, top with cheese, and bake 10 minutes @ 400F, or broil 5 minutes until the cheese melts. Yes, that's time enough to cook the egg in the dish.

Oh Boy! Soft and fluffy and creamy, with a bit of tooth in the skin; the tuna really comes through in this dish!

Garbanzos con Cebolla -- Chickpeas in Onion Sauce -- upper left

Simple but oh so flavorful! The result is not really a “sauce” in the American sense; although you could puree the cooked onions to make it more sauce-like.

1/4 lb dry Chickpeas/Garbanzos, or 1 can of garbanzos

2 Tbsp EVOO

1 Onion, diced

2-3 Tbsp skinned and chopped Tomato, or athe same amount of salsa

1/3 cup Chicken or Vegetable Broth

Cook the garbanzos, or open the can(s).

In a small pan, heat the EVOO, and add the onion and tomato and a pinch of salt. Simmer, covered, on low heat until the onion is fully cooked. DO NOT let the onion turn color! Low and slow is the name of the game – 15 or more minutes on medium-low heat! Mash the cooked onions to release more juice and make the particles smaller, then add the broth, and cook until thickened.

Combine the garbanzos and the sauce. Can be served as a thickened concoction on flatbread or crackers, or as a simple ramekin of yumminess. 

One can of chickpeas and one onion made this bowl-full of yummm!

The flavor is not as overwhelmingly onion-y as you would expect; the first impression is mild sweetness. Very tasty indeed!

Pisto Manchego -- Zucchini, Peppers and Tomatoes -- lower right

From La Mancha, the land of Don Quixote, comes this tasty tapa. No tilting at windmills necessary, just a simple saute. If you cook the dish drier, it could also be a rellana (filling) for the patatas above.

1 Green Bell Pepper, cut into 3/4” squares

1 Onion, chopped/diced

1 medium Zucchini

1 Tomato, chopped

5 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Tbsp minced Parsley

S&P TT

Cut the zucchini into 1/2” thick rounds, then cube the slices. Saute the onion, pepper and garlic until the onion is limp. Add the tomato, parsley, and salt & pepper to taste. Cook over medium-low heat 20-30 minutes until the liquid is mostly gone – you want a thick “stew” not a watery “soup”.

Fiambre de Bonito -- Tuna Balls in Wine Sauce -- lower left

Betcha can't tell they're made with tuna!  Recipe makes about 8 balls.

10 Tbsp Panko or other breadcrumbs

6 Tbsp Chicken or Vegetable Broth

4 Tbsp White Wine

1 4oz can Tuna, flaked

1 hardboiled egg, chopped

1 beaten Egg, for binder

2 Tbsp minced fresh Parsley

1 large clove Garlic, minced

Flour for dusting

Moisten the breadcrumbs with a tablespoon of the wine and another of the broth. Stir in the tuna, hardboiled egg, beaten egg, parsley, S&P TT.

Form the mixture into balls and dust with flour. Heat some EVOO in a skillet and brown the balls all around. Add the remaining broth and wine, cover and simmer 20-30 minutes. Add more liquid as necessary.

Don't let the balls sit in the wine sauce -- they'll absorb it all!  These did!

Indian Week - Curried Salmon and Keeri Poryal

Curried Salmon Salad Wraps

A perfect addition to a mixed lunch, or, as we did it, a light Sunday supper salad. Makes 2 servings. If you “just happen” to have a spare 6 oz fresh wild salmon filet laying about, you could cook that, let it cool and flake it out to make the salad! This will, of course also work with canned tuna or chicken.

For us, I doubled the recipe below, using two 6 or 7 ounce frozen salmon fillets (Costco). I baked the thawed fillets for about 12 minutes @ 450F, then let them cool before removing the skin and flaking the meat. We ate the curried salmon on romaine leaves and on water crackers like a dip; there was plenty for dinner and lunch leftovers.

1 5-oz can Wild Salmon, drained (or one 6-7 oz fresh salmon fillet)

1/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt

2 tsp Curry powder (I used a Vegetable curry powder blend from my local Indian market)

1 tsp lemon juice

4-6 Romaine leaves, trimmed

Mix together the salmon, yogurt, curry powder, and lemon juice. 

Open the leaves carefully, like a tortilla, and divide the mixture between them.  

I overdid the lemon juice -- I used juice of half a lemon, it overpowered even the salmon and curry powder.

Keeri Poryal

This South Indian sauteed dish can be made with a variety of leafy greens, and really works well with kale, which keeps it's shape after cooking much better than say spinach.

1 bunch Kale

5 Cloves Garlic, sliced

1 Onion, diced

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 cup Water or broth

1 Tbsp Oil

1/4 tsp Mustard seed

1/2 tsp cracked (broken) Black Lentils or whatever you have

1/4 tsp Cumin seeds

Red Chili flakes to taste

First wash the kale, remove the center spines and chop the leaves into 1” to 2” pieces.

Heat a large pan with oil and add the mustard seed. Once they start to snap and pop, add the lentils, cumin and red chili flakes. When the lentils start to color, add the sliced garlic and saute for 30 secs.

Add the chopped onion and continue to saute until they turn translucent. Add the salt and continue cooking until the onions turn golden brown. Finally, add the kale and about 1/4 cup of water or vegetable broth.

Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the liquid evaporates and the kale is fully cooked. Serve hot over cumin flavored rice, or as a side to a main entree such as the chicken sauteed with Garam Masala shown above.

Another Quiche

Sally wanted me to make a duck egg quiche as “trade” with her egg lady. So I combined the short-crust recipe from my Bison Tortiere recipe with my Quiche Lorraine recipe, and threw in a handful of diced red bell pepper for added color and flavor. Here's the result:

Mango "Cream"  & Strawberry Dessert

Sally's Mum came over for Sunday Lunch -- I made a quiche and fancy salad, and this "pre-Valentine" dessert.  One whole mango, half a small banana and about a quarter cup of Greek yogurt, decorated with strawberries and whipped cream.

Bison Tourtiere, Mahi Marsala, Mediterranean Chicken

Bison Tourtiere

This dish is for all my Canadian (especially French-Canadian) friends.  Tourtiere is a quintessential Meat Pie, and can be made with a variety of meats and other fillings (potatoes and othe veg).  Bison is naturally 97% fat free. But that means you actually need to add a bit of fat to any bison-based. dish; hence the ground pork. This dish still only has about 12% fat.

Meat Filling:

2 tbsp each Butter and Canola oil
2 cups finely chopped Onion
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 cup canned Tomatoes, chopped (I used the original Ro*Teltm for the spices)
1 lb ground Bison
1 lb ground Pork
1/4 cup Water
1/4 tsp each ground Cloves, Allspice and Cinnamon
1-1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh Parsley

In a large saucepan melt butter over medium heat, add the canola oil. Sauté onions and garlic until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, pork, bison, water, cloves, all spice, cinnamon, salt and pepper.

Continue to cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring to break up any clumping if it occurs. Cook until the meat mixture is practically dry. This will take 20 to 30 minutes.

Allow mixture to cool slightly, mix in chopped parsley.

Short Crust Pastry:
Of course you can use any of those pre-made crusts, but where's the fun in that? This recipe makes enough of this classic for a two-crust pie:

3 cups sifted AP Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 cup unsalted cold Butter, cubed
1/3 cup cold Water
1 tbsp White Vinegar
1 Egg, beaten
2 tbsp Half & Half

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the cubed butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles course breadcrumbs.

Combine the water and vinegar in a measuring cup. Sprinkle into flour mixture. Knead the dough into a ball. Do not overwork the dough this should only take a minute or two.

Divide and flatten dough into two equal disc-shaped portions. Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate for 45 minutes.

Take one portion of dough from the refrigerator. Roll it out on top of a piece of waxed paper that has been dusted with some flour. Be sure to roll it out wide enough to fill the bottom of the 10" pie plate. Slide the dough from the waxed paper into the bottom of the pie plate. Work the dough by hand so it fills the bottom and sides of the pie plate

Finishing The Tourtiere:

Preset the oven to 450F.

Evenly spread the cooled meat filling in the bottom layer of pastry; don't overfill.

Take the second portion of pastry from the refrigerator. Roll it out on flour-dusted wax paper so that it is just wide enough to cover the top of the pie. Place the wax paper holding the rolled out pastry directly over the pie. Gently slide and remove the wax paper from the crust. Crimp and seal the pastry edges (with a bit of water if necessary). Using a sharp knife, slit the top crust in 2 or 3 places, about 1-1/2 inches long, for steam vents.

Combine the egg and cream in a cup to make an egg wash. Paint the top crust with the wash.

Put the pie in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes; then lower the temperature to 350F, and bake for 40 minutes more.

Remove from oven and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Also good served later at room temperature or right from the refrigerator.

For a side dish, I made boiled new potatoes from this week's Produce box (see below), and served them with beef gravy (just try to find bison gravy!).

Try this folks, it's GRRRREEEAAATTT!   If you're leery of bison (tastes like lean beef), or don't want to spend the money (about $9 per pound), then use ground sirloin and ground pork.  We got a good deal on the bison from Costco.

SWFL Produce Co-Op

We were recently introduced to the Southwest Florida Produce co-op, which offers weekly boxes of quality fruit and/or veg at a very reasonable. You can choose a box of Organic produce (fruit and veg), an All Vegetable box, an All Fruit box, or our favorite -- the Combo Box. The products are really great, and for the two of us a combo box will last about a week, and costs much less than the local megamart.

Each week's offerings are different, which makes it great for me, as there will probably always be one challenging ingredient to make me work just a bit outside my usual “zone”. Last week's challenge was a beautiful head of purple cabbage. Luckily I have a great recipe for Rot Kohl, aka Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage, which we all love.

Mediterranean Chicken

This is a chicken variation of the middle Eastern dish called Imam Biyaldi – the Imam Fainted With Delight. Our produce box eggplant and beefsteak tomatoes went into this dish.

2 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless, cubed

1 medium Eggplant, skin-on, cubed

1 medium Onion, sliced

2 large Beefsteak Tomatoes, chopped

1/4 tsp Turmeric

2 cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 tsp each of Cumin and Italian Seasoning blend

1/4 tsp each of Smoked Paprika and Thyme

1/8 tsp each of Black Pepper and Salt

Saute the chicken in a splash of EVOO with the cumin, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Remove and reserve.

In a splash more oil, saute the eggplant a couple minutes, then add the onion and cook a few minutes more. Now add the tomato and the rest of the spices and simmer until the eggplant is nearly done Return the chicken to the pan; simmer to heat the meat through, and serve.

Mahi Marsala

We love mushrooms, and got nearly a pound of fresh locally grown beauties in our SWFL Produce box. This is an interesting variation on the ubiquitous Chicken Marsala. Who knew fish and mushrooms could be so good together!

4 (6 oz. ) Mahi Mahi fillets (any firm white fish will do)

1/2 tsp Salt, divided

1/2 tsp ground Black Pepper, divided

4 tsp Olive oil, divided

12 oz. Crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 tbsp minced Shallots

1 Garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp AP Flour

3/4 cup Chicken Broth

3/4 cup Marsala wine

3 tbsp minced Flat-leaf Parsley

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with cooking spray. Place fish on the baking sheet, rub with 1 tsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Bake until the fish is just cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms until they release and then reabsorb their juices, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl.

Heat another tsp oil in the skillet. Add the shallots and garlic, and cook until the shallots are starting to soften, about 2 minutes.

Add the remaining olive oil, then stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute to make a simple roux. Pour in the chicken broth and Marsala a,nd simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the cooked fish and mushrooms to the skillet and cook until the fish is heated, about 2 minutes.

Garnish with parsley and serve.