Monday, April 20, 2020

Easter Supper & Dessert, Bolognese, Multi-grain Burgers, Rustic Galette

Apple & Blackberry Tart ---  but first...


Salmon Florentine
This is one of those dishes that Sally will order when we're out to eat somewhere, that for some reason I've never made.  And since we're not going out, I thought this would be a Good Thing to make her for Easter Supper.    I made enough so she could take a meal to her Mum who is really "distancing", plus a serving for Sally's lunch on Monday

4 Salmon Filets
1 bag fresh Baby Spinach
1/2 cup or so Vegetable Broth
1 cup Half & Half
3/4 cup Icelandic Yoghurt
1 Tbsp Healthy Solutionstm Salmon Seasoning with Dill, divided

Season the salmon.  Fry in a splash of EVOO for 6-8 minutes.  remove from the skillet and reserve.

Add the spinach to the skillet, and the broth, put the lid on and wilt the spinach for 3-5 minutes.

Add the half & half and yogurt and stir to mix with the spinach.  Return the salmon to the skillet and cook another 5-7 minutes until the salmon is forkable.  

For a side veg I made Steamed Green Beans With Slivered Almonds.    Just what it sounds like -- fresh green beans, topped and tailed, steamed until tender with pieces of lemon in the steam liquid.  About half way through steaming you add as many slivered almonds as you want.  


English Apple & Blackberry Tart with Custard
Our Produce boxes last week included some small green, quite tart apples.  Not Granny Smith's, but similar.

When life gives you tart apples, cook them!  I sliced up 5 apples, simmered them in a bit of water and the juice of a lemon.  When soft, I tossed in about 8 ounces of Blackberries and half a cup of sugar and let them cool together.

I already had a pre-formed deep-dish crust on hand, so I thawed it and pre-baked it, because nobody likes a soggy bottom!  Filled the crust with the fruit mixture and baked it at 400F for 30 minutes.

The Brits love creamy custard with fruit dishes like this tart, and we always have a container of Bird's Custard Powdertm on hand (find it in the International/Ethnic section of your megamart.  Mix the powder with milk and bring it to a boil and stir a minute or three.  Sally made a batch so we each had about half a cup or so to spoon onto our tart.


Pasta Bolognese
My version of Bolognese is vegetarian -- with chickpeas and mushrooms substituting for animal protein.  So much better than that stuff in a jar!  This makes enough for four servings.

4 Beefsteak Tomatoes, chopped
1 can Garbanzos
1 medium Carrot, diced 1/4"
1/2 small Red Onion, diced
3/4 cup sliced Mushrooms, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp Oregano
1 Tbsp Mushroom Powder
Pasta of Choice:  I used Ziti

Add the tomatoes, carrot and onion to a sauce pan and simmer for about an hour.   After a few minutes add the garlic, oregano and mushroom powder.  Mash the tomatoes during cooking to help break them up, but don't puree. 
You want a long slow cook here to bring out all the flavors.  In the last fifteen minutes of cooking add the garbanzos, with their liquid, and the mushrooms.

Serve over pasta.  
If you want an extra kick of flavor, you can add a dollop of home-made Catalonian Romesco sauce which I showed you how to make back in January:

https://foodingaround-kiltedcook.blogspot.com/search?q=romesco+sauce


Rustic Strawberry Banana Galette
So I had half a box of strawberries and a couple of bananas that were getting over-ripe.  Oh.  And a "leftover" pie crust from the tart I made earlier.  Slice the fruit and toss it in a bowl. 
Fold in a couple tablespoons of brown sugar and cornstarch.  Spread across the bottom of the thawed crust and gently fold over the sides.  Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes, cool a bit, and serve.


Multi-grain Veggie Burgers
This Forks Over Knives version of the veggie burger features not just the usual smashed beans, but several "grains" as well -- quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, and oatmeal.  Makes about 6 large patties.

1/4 cup uncooked Wild Rice
1/3 cup uncooked Brown Rice
1/3 cup uncooked Quinoa (I used Red Quinoa)
1/2 cup uncooked Oatmeal (not Steel Cut)
1 small Onion, diced
1 cup Mushrooms, diced
3-4 cloves Garlic, minced
3 Tbsp Soy Sauce
3 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Coriander
1 tsp Cayenne
3 cups cooked Black Beans

In a sauce pan or your rice cooker, cook together the wild rice, brown rice, and quinoa.  Reserve.
Cook the beans, drain and rinse; or open cans, drain and rinse.  Reserve.  These can all be made well in advance.

Combine the cooked grains with the herbs, spices, and fine chopped veggies.  In a large bowl, smash the black beans.  Add the grain mixture, th,e oatmeal and mash together well (I used my Pampered Cheftm Star Masher but any potato masher works too).

Taste, and adjust seasonings as desired.  Form patties about 1/2" thick.  If the mix is too wet and the patties don't stick well, you can add a bit more oatmeal.  If too dry, add a beaten egg.

There's always something wrong with a Forks over Knives recipe!!   They have interesting ideas but poor execution -- or at least poor presentation -- they leave out ingredients, use far too little spice, etc.  This time the issue is texture.

To the original FoK recipe, I added 1/3 cup more oatmeal and a beaten egg and it still wouldn't form patties.  So I took most of the mixture for a short spin in my food processor.  Perfection!  Moldable but still with plenty of texture.   Do Not Skip This Step!

About 3/4 cup of mixture made 6 large rissoles -- 4" diameter x 3/4" thick, plus a 'baby burger about 3" in diameter.  Dinner for six with a side veg!

Fry until brown and crunchy outside -- 6-8 minutes per side on medium-high.  Serve as a rissole with a slice of tomato, or on a bun or roll of your choice with condiments.  
REALLY GOOD!  Our new favorite veggie burger.  Reminiscent of the taste and texture of a commercial burger.

These rissoles, once fried up, store really well in the freezer (a month or more).  I freeze them for an hour or so, bare, on a baking sheet; then wrap individually in waxed paper and store in a zip-top freezer bag.












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