Christmas Week -- Carambola Tarte Tatin, Stuffed Peppers and Rib Roast

Carambola Tarte Tatin

We were gifted with a dozen or so medium sized Starfruit – Carambola in Spanish – it being “that time of year”. Starfruit are available from October into March around here. I hadn't made a Tarte Tatin in ages, and never with starfruit, so I thought I'd give it a try.

The recipe I followed, from the NY Times Cooking section, sounded alright, and came out OK, but I'm going to tell you how I would do the same ingredients the next time, to make it better. This will make a nice 8-9” tarte – dessert for 3 or 4 people.

2 or 3 Starfruit, sliced into 1/2” to 3/4” stars, tips trimmed if they are dark/stiff

1/3 cup Brown Sugar

1/3 cup Butter

Mace or Nutmeg and Cinnamon to taste

1 sheet Puff Pastry

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Thaw the sheet of puff pastry and cut a circle of dough the same diameter as the skillet (trace the rim of the pan with a sharp knife.

Put the sugar and butter in a 9” non-stick oven-proof skillet on medium heat, and stir to combine. Cook a few minutes until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from the heat. Add a layer of stars, interlocking, all the way to the edge of the pan. Follow with another layer of fruit on top. Dust with the spices. 

This photo shows the NYT method which was to smear butter and spread sugar 

over the cold skillet, then heat it up. 

Cover with the pastry and tuck it around the edges of the fruit. Return to the heat and cook another 3-5 minutes until the caramel is bubbling around the edges.

The NYT wanted you to cover the fruit before beginning to cook, 

the result is insufficiently cooked filling in the tarte.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30-45 minutes until the pastry is browned and firm.

Place a plate on top of the tarte and flip the whole thing over so the bottom becomes the top. 

Although I followed the NYT recipe the result was certainly tasty.  

Follow my directions instead.

If you're not serving immediately, you can leave the skillet upright, and then re-heat in a 350F oven 10 minutes or so until the caramel softens. Then flip it over. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if you choose.

Cauliflower & Broccoli Casserole

I had both, and wanted to do something other than just steam or roast them. I found this casserole recipe, and simplified it for all of us.

2+ cups Broccoli florets

2+ cups Cauliflower florets

1/3 cup diced Onion

3 Tbsp Butter

Flour to make a roux

2 cups Milk or Half & Half

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1/3 cup Bread crumbs

2 Tbsp Butter, melted

Saute the onion in the butter, until soft. And some flour (a couple tablespoons) to absorb the butter and cook the roux a minute or two. Slowly add the milk, stirring, and dissolve the roux. Bring to a boil until it starts to thicken. In a casserole dish, pour the roux over the mixed florets, and top with cheese. Lastly, combine the melted butter and breadcrumbs and top the dish. Bake at 375 F for 30-45 minutes until browned and bubbly.

Holly's Stuffed Peppers

My guest chef this week is Sally's daughter, Holly, who is “Home for the Holiday”. Her claim to culinary fame lies in the simple but tasty dish of Stuffed Peppers. 

Her use of Orzo rather than rice for the filler is a great touch. Couscous (especially the large grain 'Israeli' version) would also be a good 'filler' if you don't happen to have Orzo handy.

4-6 Bell Peppers, topped, seeded and veined; keep the tops

4-6 oz Orzo

1 lb Ground Beef

1/2 Onion

2 Tbsp Garlic, minced

3 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1/2+ Jar Marinara Sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste

Assembly is pretty straightforward. Pre-heat the oven to 400 F. Put the cleaned peppers on a tray and place in the oven to soften, but not brown. 

While that's going on, saute the onion and garlic. Then add the hamburger and brown it with the soy sauce and spices before stirring in the marinara and orzo. Cook for an additional 10 minutes or so, to marry the flavors.

Stuff the softened peppers and pack the filling down well. Put the tops on and bake for 45 minutes. The tops help prevent the filling from drying out during the baking process.

Christmas Roast

We had our English Christmas Dinner on Boxing Day (Dec 26) this year. I got a really nice, nearly 6 lb Rib Roast.

Sally wants to do it the way her family traditionally makes Christmas Din, so she's the Guest Chef this time, with Holly as her Sous Chef.   This is one meal a year that I can sit back and watch rather than cook!

Sally marinates the roast overnight (10+ hours) in half a bottle of red wine, after liberally “stabbing” the meat with a dozen cloves of garlic. She then cooks it in a “cooking bag” to the medium side of medium-rare (two hours in this case to 143 F). In this case the medium side of medium-rare.

The traditional accompaniments for this feast are: roasted peeled potatoes, parsnips & carrots, along with a green veg – steamed green beans with a splash of soy sauce. 

 To this Sally adds her family style Yorkshire Puddings, which I covered in detail last year, and her Mum contributes the Christmas Pudding which she made back in January and has been 'aging' in the refrigerator throughout the year.

Mold-baked Yorkshire Puddings

My only job for this meal is to simmer the Christmas Pud for several hours so it's nice and warm and will un-mold properly. For that I'm using our Saladmastertm MP-5 – a very deep electric pot with controlled temperatures from 150-500F. I put a stand-off block in the pot, then added water, and lastly added the plastic sealed Christmas Pud in its steel bowl. I ran the temperature up to 225 F, and put on the lid.  When I got a light boil I reduced the heat to 210.  It takes a good 2-3 hours to bring a Christmas Pud up to serving temperature.  When it's ready to serve, warmed brandy is poured on the pudding and ceremonially lit:

Flaming Christmas Pudding.

Classics x 3

Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house... but we're not buying into all that saccharine sweet baking stuff. Why spend time making those goodies when we're all trying to watch our diets? Besides we've gotten a few tasty goodies as gifts. I've given a few tasty treats too – marmalades to boat folks, arepas to a Venezuelan friend, savory dishes for potlucks, etc.

Quiche Lorraine

Gosh, I haven't made a quiche in at least 5 or 6 years. Looking for something light for a Sunday dinner and lunch additions, I rediscovered the classic Quiche Lorraine – bacon, Swiss cheese, and leeks. Here's what I did:

1 pkg rolled up Pie Crusts

8-10 strips Bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled (½ cup)

1 cup shredded Swiss Cheese

1/3 cup diced Onion, or 1 Leek

4 Eggs, beaten with spices below

2 cups Half & Half

1 pinch each Salt & Pepper

1 pinch Cayenne

Preheat oven to 425F

Thaw and roll out pie crust to 2” larger than diameter of pie pan. Carefully lay the crust in the pan and up the sides. Dock the crust and pre-bake until the crust starts to brown. Remove from oven. Reduce oven to 325F.

Sprinkle bacon, leek and cheese in crust. Combine beaten eggs and half & half. Pour over fillings. Bake 45-50 minutes.

Oh this is good!  We had it for Sunday supper, and Sally took some to work this morning in her lunch.

Bisquicktm Meatballs

A holiday party dish we shared with Sally's work folks. These are good all year round with marinara, or white sauce over pasta, or just served plain on toothpicks, with a couple dipping sauces.

1 lb Mild Italian Sausage – bulk if you can get it.

1 lb Hot Italian Sausage – bulk if you can get it

3+ cups Bisquick

8 oz shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Other spices, or additions like diced bell pepper or onion, if desired

Remove the meat from the casings if necessary and place meat in a bowl along with the Bisquick and cheese. Work the ingredients into a well distributed mass. Pinch off pieces and roll between your hand to form balls the size of a quarter. Place the balls on a non-stick baking tray or tray with parchment.

Bake at 375F for 30-35 minutes until done in the center. Stick each meatball with a toothpick and arrange on a platter or in a large bowl for serving.   

Makes about 60 meatballs.

Eggplant Parmesan

Here's another timeless classic I haven't made in a loooonnnnggggg time. My version isn't as time consuming and fiddly as many you'll find.

2-3 Eggplant, sliced into 3/4” rounds

1 jar Pasta Sauce – your favorite brand and flavor

1 8oz bag shredded Parmesan Cheese

1 container grated Parmesan Cheese

EVOO

Italian Spices

Bread Crumbs or Panko

Turn on your broiler. Lay the eggplant slices out on a broiler pan, drizzle the rounds with EVOO and dust with Italian spices. You'll probably have to work in two batches. Broil for 5-6 minutes, flip over and apply more oil and spice. You don't want the rounds totally mushy; just cooked through.   Broil the second side as well. Spoon-sprinkle the tops with panko or breadcrumbs, and broil for another few seconds until they brown.

Put down a splash of sauce in an 8x10 or larger pan, and fit slices of eggplant to fill the bottom. Dust with grated Parmesan and add a layer of shredded Parmesan too. Now add a thick layer of sauce.

Repeat with the remaining eggplant to form a second layer. Use leftover bits of eggplant to fill the gaps  After the sauce, add more cheese.

Bake in a 400F oven until the top is browned and bubbly – 35-45 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes or more before serving. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the goodies.

Short & Sweet & Spicy

Well, it's been a busy week here in Paradise, even though it's the nominal calm before the storm of Christmas and New Years. Just four simple, but tasty recipes for you to try this week.

Murgh Makhani & Chana Dal

Sally asked me to make “curried lentils” to take to a going-way party at work. When I discovered I needed both lentils and my favorite Chana Dal Masala spice mix, it was time for a trip to my local Indian Market. When I told the lady behind the counter what I was looking for, she pointed me to Chana Dal, not the common orange or green lentils. Chana Dal, it turns out, are split chickpeas. These are not the larger garbanzos that we see regularly, chana dal are smaller and more yellow. So I grabbed a 5 pound bag (as cheap as 2 pounds of green lentils at the megamart), and a package of Chana Dal Masala, and headed back to Sally's.

I cooked up an extra large batch of Chana Dal, so we could have some for dinner, and there would be plenty for Sally to take to the office.

1 cup Chana Dal or lentils

4 cups Water

3-4 Tbsp Chana Dal Masala

Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30-40 minutes until tender. Add a tablespoon or so of the masala to the lentils as they cook.

While the lentils cooked, I diced the “usual” additives – diced tomato, red bell pepper, and onion. These are folded into the cooked and seasoned lentils just before serving.

For dinner I made two orders of Murgh Makhani, also known as Butter Chicken, one of the classic dishes of northern India. Well, you know me – I made my version of the dish.

2 Chicken Breasts

3-4 Tbsp Butter Chicken spice blend

3/4c cup Half & Half

1 cup Almond Milk

Saute the chicken on the 'beauty' side for six minutes @ 350F. Remove from the skillet and cut into bite size pieces. Return to the skillet and add 2-3 Tbsp of the butter chicken spice blend. At the same time, add the half & half and the almond milk. Stir to combine. Put a lid on and bring to a foaming boil. The liquid will sort of curdle. Knock down the foam and stir vigorously to re-incorporate the curdled bits into the gravy. Taste, and add more spice if desired. Continue cooking until the gravy is nicely thickened. Serve with rice or lentils.

Butternut Squash Soup

For a couple days last week, we had a “taste of Winter” Temperatures into the 40s at night and daytime highs in the 60s and 70s. What a delightful change! Made us think of all sorts of things, including soups. Sally requested her favorite butternut squash soup for her lunches next week. This simple and Oh So Tasty!!

1 Butternut Squash – 2-3 lbs

1 large Sweet Onion (Valdosta, Walla Walla, etc.) diced

1 large sweet Apple (Honeycrisp, Ambrosia, etc.) chopped

10 whole Cloves

10 Allspice berries

1 whole Star Anise

1 Tbsp Cinnamon

1 Tbsp Nutmeg or Mace

1 Tbsp ground Ginger

Cut the squash into 1” thick rings. Discard the seeds and ends. Peel the rings with a sharp knife. Cut the squash into finger sized pieces and microwave on high for 10 minutes.

Put the whole spices in a linen garni bag or tied square of cheesecloth.

Put everything in a large pot. Add 6-8 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the squash is soft. Remove the soup, in batches, to a blender or food processor, and whirrrrr until you get a nice consistency. Leave some chunks if you like Add some half & half or cream if you please. Cook for about 45 minutes total Then serve with a dollop of sour cream and some crusty bread.

Yam Chips

I had two crummy yams and was trying to think of what to do with them. There are yam fries, why not yam chips? So I sliced them 1/8” or thinner. Then I laid them out on a baking sheet, drizzled a tiny bit of cane syrup (honey would do too). Then dusted them with a bit of cinnamon. After 5 minutes under the broiler, I flipped the pieces, then dusted this side with chili powder. Again with the broiler; and serve. Sweet and tangy and not quite crispy – Sally has ordered more for future meals.

Mexican Luncheon, Spinach

After all the rich foods of Thanksgiving, Sally wanted "something else" for this week's brunch with Mum.

We had a partial bottle of sangria leftover from T-Day, and I decided to start there.  Before long I came upon a Mexican recipe for 

Sangria Chicken

Sangria is a Caribbean/Spanish punch made from wine, fruits and fruit juices. Sangrias are traditionally red wine based (fruit and sugar was used to cover up the bitterness of cheap red wine with too many tannins) but in modern times Sangrias are also made with a white wine base.

For Thanksgiving, I made my friend Sara Peterson's Ham-gria, but the crockpot couldn't hold all the vino. This is what I found to do with the leftover wine (rather than just drinking it straight up over sliced fruit).

4 Chicken Breasts

1/2 Onion, diced

2 Tbsp Green Chilies, diced

1/2 tsp ground Red Pepper flakes

1 small Papaya, diced

1/2 cup Sangria

1 cup shredded Mexican style cheese

Preheat oven to 375F.

Saute the onion until soft. Remove the onion to a bowl. Brown the chicken in same skillet. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes while browning.

To the sauteed onion, add the green chilies, sangria, and diced papaya. Toss to mix.

Place chicken in an ovenproof baking dish. A 9x9 will easily hold 4 breasts.  Pour the onion mixture on top. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees F.

 

Top with shredded cheese and return the dish to the cooling oven to melt the cheese a bit.

Serve with an antohito of no-salt tortilla chips and guacamole, and a glass of the wine.  I love this presentation of the guacamole:

I find it easier to find large ripe smooth-skinned Florida Hall avocados rather than the smaller pebbly-skinned California Haas (which always show up hard as the proverbial...).

California Haas

Florida Hall

Mexican Style Fried Potatoes

You can leave the dish as-is Or, you can add other things to make this a Mexican style hash. Bell peppers, carrot, green onion, zucchini, and bacon or chorizo all would be welcome to the party. I particularly like red bell pepper and green chiles.

3 med-large Russet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, or quartered New Potatoes
1/2 medium Onion, chopped
5 cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 cup shelled raw Sunflower seeds
2 tsp ground Cumin
2 tsp Chili powder
1 tsp ground Oregano
1/2-1 tsp Cayenne
Grated cheese

Either boil the potatoes for 1-2 minutes, or nuke them in the microwave for 4-5 minutes to “par cook” them.

Saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and sunflower seeds and cook another minute or so. Transfer to a large bowl.

Fry the par cooked potatoes in a bit of oil until they are nice and brown outside and soft inside – 10-12 minutes. Toss with the onion/garlic/seed mixture and serve, topping with cheese.

Sally's Spinach

This recipe appeared in my e-mail box a week or so back. Sally loves spinach (I can take it or leave it) so I made this for her one night last week as a side dish to our favorite Panko Cod.

3 10-oz boxes Frozen Chopped Spinach

8 oz Sour Cream

1 packet Onion Soup Mix (I used Lipton'stm)

Thaw the spinach, squeeze every bit of water out of it.  Place in a microwave container and cook for 5-6 minutes to drive out moisture.  Shred the spinach and mix it together with the sour cream and onion soup mix.  Spread the mix out in a bowl, and bake for 15 minutes @ 350F.

What's not to like?  You've got onion flavored sour cream and spinach.  The brown around the edges in the photo below is onion sup mix that somehow ended up on the side of the dish during baking.   Serve as a side dish, or as a hot dip for fancy crackers.