Blueberry-Yogurt Bark, Bulgur-Mushroom Soup, Mango-Lime Strata, Yogurt Crust?

Blueberry Yogurt Bark
Here's a great frozen treat for the dog days of summer!  Easy to make, sweet and slightly tart, what more could you want?    This recipe comes from Weight Watchers -- makes 16 squares of bark, each square is 1 WW food point!

2 cups Greek Yogurt or Icelandic Skyr
2 cups fresh Blueberries or similar fruit
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Lemon Zest
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar or Honey
6 squares Graham Crackers

Line an 8x10 or 9x11 pan with tinfoil that hangs over the edges, to help remove the finished bark.  Crush the Graham crackers and reserve.

In a bowl, combine the yogurt, sweetener and lemon juice/zest.  Fold in the blueberries and 3/4 cup of the crushed crackers.    

With a spatula spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan.  Sprinkle with the remaining crackers.  

Cover and freeze for at least 1 hour.  Using the foil edges, lift the bark from the pan and let it warm up for just a minute.  

Then cut the bark into 16 squares and re-freeze them individually on a baking sheet or tray.  Once frozen solid, they can be placed in a zip top bag or snap top container for freezer storage.

I like mine icy cold.  Sally prefers hers warmed at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.  Your choice.

Bulgur Mushroom Soup
We love homemade mushroom soup.  This unique version also features Bulgur Wheat and chopped cashews.  The original recipe here created a sort of bulgur pilaf.  I've extended it with additional vegetable broth and corn fresh off the cob to make a hearty vegetarian soup.

6-8 cups Vegetable or Mushroom Broth or a mix of broth and water
1 cup Bulgur Wheat
3/4 lb Mushrooms, chopped
1 cup fresh Corn off the cob
3/4 cup raw Cashews, chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (jar cheese is good here)
3-4 cloves of Garlic minced
White Pepper (not black) and Salt To Taste

Simmer the bulgur in the broth and garlic until tender -- about 15 minutes.  Add the onion, spices,  mushrooms, corn and cashews.  Simmer 30-45 minutes more.  Add the Parmesan just before serving, or as a garnish on the plated soup. 

 

Yogurt Tart Crust?
No, I'm not crazy!!  This pizza crust/tart dough from the Food Network kitchen is made with two ingredients -- self-rising flour and Greek yogurt or Icelandic Skyr!!  Makes a 12" crust or larger...  

1-1/2 cups Self Rising Flour
3/4 cup Skyr or Greek Yogurt

Combine the flour and yogurt with a fork until you get a sort of stringy dough.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 8 minutes until it is smooth and a little elastic, dusting with additional flour as needed.

Roll the dough out as you see fit, top with whatever you like, and bake in a pre-heated 450F oven for 8-10 minutes.   Here, I topped it with the Spinach-Cashew Pesto I wrote about a couple weeks ago, and added about a pound of asparagus, tomato, mushrooms and 1/4 cup of shredded cheese.  

                     

For WW, this is 2 points per 1/8 slice for the crust, plus whatever you top it with.  A similar recipe in the WW App is called Two-Ingredient Dough.

Mango-Lime Strata
I needed a quick dessert for Sunday Brunch. I had lots of fruit on hand and came up with this fruit and graham cracker "strata".

2 cups Mango chunks
8 oz Fresh Blueberries
8 oz Strawberries, sliced
1 package Graham Crackers  -- 10? rectangles of 4 crackers, crushed
Juice of 1 Lemon

Layer the fruit in a nice bowl, spreading the crushed crackers between layers and on top. 

 Refrigerate for at least an hour to get things nice and cold.  Serve with the juice of a lime slice over the fruit, and a nice dollop of whipped cream.

Timbale di Risu, Garbanzo (Meat)balls, Beer Bread Update!

Timbale di Risu

One of the dishes I made ahead for us to eat with minimal fuss during the several days of kitchen cabinet and countertop installation.  It's been years since I wrote about a couple difference versions of timbale here, and the definitely need to be brought forward as it were!

Timbale is an Italian word that is also found in the drum called a tympani.  It means "drum".  Here, Timbale di Risu means a filled dish with a crust made from rice (risu) and eggs.  Think of this as a very tasty snare drum! 

Crust
I used a generic short grain rice.  Short grain rices are 'sticky' rices which will compact nicely when used for a crust like this.  Do Not use long grain rice... trust me on this!  I made 4 cups of cooked rice, using my rice cooker, and seasoned it with Sazon Tropicaltm for both color and flavor.  Definitely let this cool before continuing to make the crust.  

Once the rice has cooled and been fluffed, put it in a large bowl and fold in 4 beaten eggs.  If the rice is at all warm you'll end up with scrambled eggs and rice -- not Good Eats!    The egg-rice mix is really sticky, so use a paddle or stiff spatula for the next step.

Filling

The filling can be anything your culinary heart desires -- exotic meats and veg, Italian goodies like meatballs and pasta and sauce, Cajun/Creole gumbo or etouffee ingredients;  or in this case roasted veggies.  You'll also want to use appropriate seasonings to bring out the flavors.  Not much, if any, salt, please.

For this recipe you'll need about 4 cups of "filling".  I roasted potatoes, onion, sweet potato, mushrooms, golden beets, celery, and some green beans, all cut into 'bite size' pieces, spritzed with minimal oil, and dusted with a combination of Italian seasoning, Everglades Seasoningtm, and Cavender's Seasoningtm.  I did a couple baking sheets worth of veggies and roasted them for about 30 minutes until just turning brown.   Let them cool.

Assembly

Pack the bottom and sides of a 9" diameter springform pan with a 1/2" thick layer of eggy rice, using about 2/3 of the prepared rice.  You'll want to use a rice paddle or spatula here, not just your hands.  Measure the layer thickness, don't just guess, or you could run out of rice.  

Once the rice is packed and smoothed, spoon in the filling, in a couple stages, adding altogether about half a cup of shredded cheese between layers.  Pack down the filling, then spoon the remaining rice on top and smooth it; sealing the top to the side crust.

Bake the completed timbale at 450F for about 45 minutes until the crust is well set.  Remove the timbale to a cooling rack and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before releasing the springform and slicing.

To serve, cut wedges with a serrated 'bread' knife, just as you would for a layer cake. 

A 1/8th slice makes a nice filling dinner, with or without a side salad.  

For my WW friends, a 1/8th slice, made as described here, is a 6 point meal.  

Garbanzo (Meat)balls

We do like our meatballs!  I've made them from fish, pork sausage, ground beef, and ground lamb.  These days I mostly make (meat)balls -- that is with no actual meat, but rather beans or even eggplant substituting for animal protein.  This is a new one for me -- using chickpeas or garbanzos.  Pretty darn tasty, too.

I made a nice large batch and frozen a bunch for use later.  This makes about 40 one-ounce balls:

1 large can Garbanzos (29 oz)
1 regular can Garbanzos (15 oz)

6 Tbsp Aquafaba (the 'juice' that comes in the garbanzo cans

1 cup Panko or Italian breadcrumbs

1+ Tbsp Italian Seasoning -- to taste

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Put the garbanzos and spice(s) in your food processor and take them for a nice long spin.  Once they're crumbled a bit start adding the aquafaba until you get, more or less, a dough.  Transfer to a large bowl and fold in the breadcrumbs.  Add breadcrumbs or aquafaba to get a moist but 'packable' mixture.  Mold the mixture into balls about 1" in diameter -- squeeze a lump of dough firmly, then roll between your palms.  Bake about 30 minutes in a 450F oven until they're starting to brown a bit.  Then cool and store.  

Can be used as meatballs in marinara with or without spaghetti, in a (meat)ball sub sandwich, or as an appetizer with a variety of dipping sauces.

For WW, since the breadcrumbs are the only point-count ingredient, these are 3 (meat)balls per point!

Beer Bread Update
Remember that 3-Ingredient Beer Bread recipe from a couple weeks ago?  I said then that I thought it was far too sweet.   For my second loaf, I cut the sugar from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup; and for the third loaf I reduced it to a single restaurant sugar packet.  I also changed from Yuengling to Michelob Light.  Now I've got a really good loaf -- barely sweet (I'll try the next one with no added sugar at all), great texture, good crust.   

You may also want to up the 375F baking time to 50-60 minutes to get to 190F+, and be prepared to tent with foil if the top starts to get too dark.  Alternatively, you could boost the temperature from 375F to 425F or even 450F and reduce cooking time to still get 190-220F internal temperature.  

Also, I think next time I'm gonna slash the top like you do with Soda Bread, to control where the crust fissures appear as the bread rises. 

Black Bean Burgers, Octopus Sausage, Shrimp & Grits, Potato Green Bean Salad

A little late this week, but well worth waiting for!!  Next week may be a bit chaotic, as tomorrow (Thursday) the kitchen cabinet and counter guys are supposed to descend on us...

Warm Potato & Green Bean Salad 

Wow!  This one you've got to try!   Baby potatoes, fresh green beans, bulgur wheat for protein, and a fabulous dressing.  Less than an hour to make.  What are you waiting for?  Serves 6-8 as a side.

2 lbs small Potatoes sliced into 1/4" rounds

1 lb fresh Green Beans (or frozen if you must) topped and tailed

1 Red Onion, sliced thin

4 cups uncooked Bulgur Wheat
Fresh Dill

6 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar

6 Tbsp Aquafaba -- the "juice" in cans of Garbanzos.  Don't have any?  Use vegetable oil.

3 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

3 cloves Garlic, minced
S&P TT

In a large pot, cover the potatoes with about 2" of water and bring to a boil.  After two minutes of boiling, add the green beans and cook for another 3-5 minutes until both are tender but not falling apart.  

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the aquafaba or oil, vinegar, dijon, and a teaspoon or two of minced dill frond with the garlic.  Actually I used a screw-top jar; and instead of whisking the dressing together, I shake the daylights out of it!

Cook the bulgur wheat to package directions -- it only takes about 15 minutes.  Fluff.

Drain the cooked potatoes and beans, and place them in a nice large serving bowl.  Add the bulgur wheat.  The original recipe called for serving the salad on a bed of bulgur, as you see in my photo.  But it makes more sense to just combine the bulgur with the rest of the ingredients.

Salt and pepper if you must, but it doesn't need it.  Add some sprigs of fresh dill.  Pour the dressing overall and gently fold everything together.  Serve while still warm.

Shrimp & Grits Birthday Brunch

Sally's Mum's birthday dinner was Sunday, and she requested Shrimp & Grits.  Well, I decided to make them just that little bit more upscale for her birthday celebration this year.  

I started with my Creamy, Dreamy, White Cheesy Grits, with lots of Italian 5-Cheese Blend as well as grated Parmesan.  I cook them low and slow until they're no longer grainy, then I added the cheeses at the last minute.  

I cook my grits 'stiff'; some folks cook them fairly liquid.  Either way, use slow-cook grits, not the instant kind, the flavor and texture are far superior.  I made lots, because Sally will take the leftovers for her breakfast-at-work for the next few days.

Actually, I started with some fabulous locally wild-caught U-15 shrimp that I found on sale at Whole Foods the other day!    I dusted them with a 'no-name' Cajun spice blend I happen to have laying around, and simmered them in just a bit of water until they barely turned pink.

Bacon-Mushroom Gravy
Then I made a gravy; something I hadn't put with my shrimp & grits in a long time.  Shrimp & Grits in Louisiana and the Carolinas almost always feature a sausage and ham gravy.  Since we're mostly vegetarian, that meant no Andouille Sausage, or Tasso Ham in the gravy.  But I "made do" with  McCormick brand Bac'n Piecestm --  crunchy little nuggets of bacon-flavored soy that have at least as much flavor as the real bacon bits I've bought on occasion.  

I added 3-4 heaping tablespoons of bits to a cup of water, 2 tablespoons of Mushroom Base (I like Vogue Cuisinetm Instant Mushroom Soup and Seasoning Base, that I get on-line), a couple finely chopped white mushrooms, a 1/2 teaspoon of Healthy Solutionstm no-salt Cajun Seafood spice blend and a shake of Mrs Dashtm Chipotle spice blend.     I simmered all that together low and slow while the grits cooked, and it thickened nicely.

Whew!  That's a lot of product endorsement, but I really like those flavors and products.

Once everything was done, I plated the grits fairly thick.  Each of us got 1-1/2 cups of cooked grits.  I smoothed down the grits, then used the back of a wet ladle to make a "well" in the center of each serving, and spooned in the gravy.  Then I placed the shrimp around the edges, and served.

For dessert I made, again by request, a Mango Gingerbread Upside-down Cake.  A simple box mix cake, poured over a traditional brown sugar-butter sauce with wedges of ripe mango and then baked until firm.  The trick is to not let the cooked cake cool for more than 10-12 minutes before flipping it over.  If the caramel hardens you've got a gingerbread and mango flavored mess!!

Food Fun With Tako (Octopus) Sausage

There is an absolutely wonderful series currently on Netflix, called  Midnight Diner.  Stories about love and life and human drama, joys and tears -- all set in a tiny back-alley Tokyo restaurant called Midnight Diner, open only from midnight until 7 AM.  

Although the primary emphasis is on the human interest stories, there is, of course, a food element.  The owner has a limited menu:  Pork and Miso Soup combo, Beer, Sake and Shochu.  But Master will make anything which his guests request, for which he 'just happens' to have ingredients.   

One such dish which caught my fancy is Tako or Octopus Sausage, served as an appetizer, or filler item for a bento lunch box.   Simple and fun -- especially if you are cooking for young ones.

Disclaimer:  No actual octopus were harmed in the production of this culinary masterpiece!

Take some Japanese sausage or hot dogs.  They are normally only about 3" long and smaller in diameter than small American sausage.  If you have longer American hotdogs they can be trimmed to length.  You can also use Lit'l Smokiestm sausages or other cocktail wieners.  The ones above are Al Fresco brand Chicken Breakfast Sausages -- apple & maple flavor!

Cut each sausage into eight "legs" about half the total length of the wiener. The first two cuts are easy, but take a little care to hold things together when making the second set of cuts.  Pan fry the octopus over medium heat until they start browning and the legs are curling.

Here's a Japanese Rolled Omelet with Octopus Sausage that I made from an Aidell'stm Cajun sausage.

Black Bean Burgers -- Rissoles
It's been a couple years since I posted this, so I thought I'd bring these meatless burgers back to everyone's attention.  This was my best-first veggie burger and still a favorite with my favorite food critic.

The original recipe came from Food Network's Sandra Lee, and I've tweaked it for your dining pleasure.  Although the recipe calls for cups of beans, I generally make this with an entire one pound bag of dried beans and scale up the rest of the ingredients to match.

2 cups cooked Black Beans, rinsed & drained (3 cans)

1/2  Sweet Onion, chopped

1 Egg Beaten

3-4 clove Garlic

3 Tbsp minced Parsley or Celery tops

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 cup Panko or Italian Bread Crumbs

1-2 Tbsp Spice Blend of choice, to taste.  Taco seasoning is good.  Greek or Italian seasoning too.

Take half the beans, the onion, red pepper flakes, greens, garlic and egg for a spin in your food processor.  You want a nice thick puree.   Mash the remaining beans in a large bowl so they get broken into pieces.  

Add the bean puree to the mashed beans.  Fold in the panko and seasoning(s).  Too wet?  Add a bit more panko.   Press into patties and fry them about 7 minutes per side at 350F (medium heat).  

As you see,  I generally make 4 patties about 4" in diameter and 3/4" thick to serve as a plated rissole, topped with sliced tomato and bleu cheese dressing.  But you can make smaller burger-sized patties and serve them on buns with burger toppings if you want.