Cream of Watermelon!, Moqueca, Camarones a la Mexicana, Romesco Amarillo, Pomegranate Glazed Salmon

 Moqueca
I don't make this classic Brazilian fish stew often enough.  "Moe-keck-a"  has great Latin/Caribbean flavor but very little heat.  Pretty simple to make too.

1-1/2  to 2 lbs White Fish -- I use Cod, but any firm white fish works well too.
1 large Red Onion, sliced
1 Red and 1 Yellow Bell Peppers, sliced
1 Poblano Chili, sliced, with or without seeds and veins for heat (or other green chilis to taste).
1-2 cups diced Tomato
1 bunch Green Onions, chopped
3-4 cloves minded Garlic
1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
1 can unsweetened Coconut Milk
Cilantro to taste

Saute the sliced onion in a splash of oil, add the garlic, chili and bell peppers.  Cook until the onion is going translucent.   Now add the tomatoes, green onion and spices simmer for a couple minutes. 

Remove about half of the veg from the skillet and spread the rest around to make a bed for the fish.  Lay the fish filets or pieces on the veg, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and cover with the removed vegetables.   Pour the coconut milk and lime juice over all.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.  

Adjust seasonings, and plate with plain white rice or Aroz Amarillo (mis-named Spanish Rice) as shown at the top.  

Camarones a la Mexicana
Shrimp, veggies and Mexican flavors.  My version of Camarones a la Mexicana uses a packet of taco seasoning as a simple way to give you a lot of flavor.

Shrimp
Red Bell Pepper
Yellow Bell Pepper
Poblano Chili
1 can White Hominy with liquid
Diced Sweet White Onion
Taco Seasoning packet

Dust the peeled shrimp with a bit of taco seasoning, then saute them in a minute or two in a hot skillet.  Remove the shrimp, then saute the veggies with more seasoning and some water. 

When the veggies are nearly done, return the shrimp to the pan to warm through.  Serve with Aroz Amarillo or white rice.

Romesco Amarillo!
Romesco is a nut and bell-pepper sauce that originated in Tarragona, Spain.  Created by local fishermen to serve with a variety of fish, it's also excellent on eggs, or with vegetables or as a cracker/chip/veggie dip.  Ordinarily romesco uses roasted red bell peppers, but I had these big beautiful yellow bells, and I thought "Why Not?"   I give you Romesco Amarillo (Yellow Romesco). 

3/4 cup Sliced Almonds
3 large Yellow Bell Peppers, roasted till soft but not totally blackened
2 Tbsp Malt Vinegar
1-2 Tbsp minced Sundried Tomatoes
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked Black Pepper
6-8 largish Basil Leaves
1-2 peeled Garlic cloves

Throw it all in your blender and take it for a whirrrr for 1 minute or more until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. You can also adjust the liquidity of the sauce with a bit of added water.  I like mine a bit 'drier' so I can thin it out as needed.

Here I've topped a black bean rissole with a dollop of Romesco Amarillo.

Pomegranate Glazed Salmon
Sally wanted something with Indian spiced lentils, and I wanted to experiment with making a Pomegranate Glaze.  This was the result. 

The lentils were simple cooked with 3 measures of water to 1 measure of dried lentils, a bit of fine diced onion and red bell pepper, and  Arhar Dal, the classic Indian spice blend for lentil dishes.  I used a half teaspoon of spice fore 1/3 cup of dried lentils and 1 cup of water.

for the Glaze:
Simmer 1 cup pomegranate juice and 1/4 cup of sugar until reduced by 1/4.  Stir in 1/8 cup Dijon mustard and 1 Tbsp butter or Oliviotm and stir until smooth. The glaze (sometimes called Pomegranate Molasses) thickens significantly as it cools. 

I broiled the salmon meat-side-down for 8 minutes @400F, Then flipped it over and added a dollop of the thick pomegranate glaze -- which immediately melted and ran.  So I brushed it all over, and then broiled things meat-side up for another 7 minutes.  Just before serving I added another dollop of the glaze to each filet.

Cream of Watermelon Dessert Soup
A refreshingly different way to serve that iconic summer melon!  Serves 4.  This one's a keeper, kids!

2 cups seedless Watermelon cubes or a bit more 
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/8 to 1/4 cup Sugar to taste
1-2 cups Greek Yogurt or Icelandic Skyr
24-30 Red or Green Grapes, halved
Fresh Mint to garnish

Spin the watermelon and vanilla in a blender until smooth.  Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the yogurt to dissolve.  Toss in the grapes and stir a little more.  Place in freezer until "slushy" cold.  Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with fresh mint.

Lamb Shashlik, Eggplant Stuffed Peppers, Pesto Pasta with Tuna, Tortilla Soup

Lamb Shashlik
Shashlik is a Turko-Russian word related to shish -- as in shish kebab (which are ground, molded meatballs on sticks)  Basically shashlik is pieces of marinated meat, and occasionally vegetables, grilled on skewers and served in various ways. Shashlik are ubiquitous throughout Central Asia and the Middle East all along the ancient Silk Road caravan route.

Holly learned to like them when she was on a student-work program in Kazakhstan several years ago.    She came home to help celebrate her Grandma's birthday. the other day, and I made shashlik for her as her first night back dinner.  

Shashlik is all about the marinade -- different places, different ingredients.  At the Kyz-Zhibek restaurant in Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan that means:

1/2 Onion, sliced and sautéd
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Shallot, chopped
1/2 cup Pomegranate Juice
Olive oil for brushing
pinch of Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp ground Nutmeg

Meat for the skewers.  I used 4 nice lamb loin chops since I was only making a couple skewers. 

I trimmed the fat from the chops and cut the meat away from the bone into "bite sized" pieces.  I added the meat, diced shallot, minced garlic and spices to a glass container and then poured over all the pomegranate juice to cover; put the lid on and shook it to combine and coat everything.  Set it in the fridge overnight to marinate -- 8-12 hrs.

The next day I threaded the meat on metal skewers and broiled/roasted them for about 15e minutes to get them cooked to perfection as you can see above.  I also skewered assorted veggies (peppers, onion, zucchini) and grilled them as well...

Spicy Eggplant Stuffed Bell Peppers
This is a really good vegetarian take on a hamburger-and-rice classic.

1 Eggplant
1 can no-salt-added diced Tomatoes
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Italian Seasoning – We like Everything Italiantm from Olde Thompson Spices
1 can Chickpeas, rinsed and drained (1 cup)
1 cup finely chopped Onion
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
4 Bell Peppers (and color, but we like red or yellow)

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Slice the eggplant 3/4” thick and lay out on a baking sheet. Broil about 10 minutes per side until cooked but firm. Cool until easy to handle.

Turn oven to Bake at 375°F.

Meanwhile, put all of liquid and half of the canned tomatoes into bottom of a 3-qt baking dish and stir in 2 tsp tsp of seasoning, and mix well. Put the rest of the tomatoes in a bowl.

Peel and coarsely chop the eggplant. Add the eggplant, chickpeas, onion, and garlic to the bowl with tomatoes. Stir in the remaining seasoning.

Cut the tops off the peppers and set aside; remove the seeds and membranes. Spoon the eggplant mixture into peppers. Place peppers in the baking dish.

Bake 30 minutes. Place tops on peppers; bake 30 minutes more or until peppers are tender and tops start to brown. Serve warm or at room temperature with pan sauce on the side:

Pesto Pasta with Tuna
Tuna with pasta?   Yep, those wacky Italians will try anything, and they do love their fish!  Surprisingly, this does not taste of tuna or fishy at all.  I asked Sally to tell me what was in the dish and all she could identify was mushrooms and pesto.  Winner, winner, pasta dinner!

Long Pasta for two 
12 thick Mushroom slices
Onion, sliced thin
Italian Seasoning to taste
1 can Albacore Tuna, drained and flaked
1/2 cup Pesto
Pine Nuts - toasted in a dry skillet
Parmesan to taste

Cook the pasta al dente.   I used Pasta Partner's brand Butternut Squash Linquine. 

Very nice texture and taste, although it takes longer to cook than the package suggests.

While that's going on... In a skillet, saute the onion and mushrooms until the onion goes translucent.  Add the flaked tuna and seasoning, and cook together another couple minutes.  Add the pesto and turn the heat off.  Toss to combine. 

Drain the pasta and toss it in the skillet with everything else and fold to combine.  Plate and serve with toasted pine nuts and Parmesan to taste.

Chicken Tortilla Soup
I asked Holly if there was a dish she'd been craving which I could make for her, and she replied "Tortilla Soup".  And here it is/was!  There are a dozen or more recipes for Chicken  Tortilla Soup.  What I liked about this one is that the chicken was easily cooked apart from the rest of the soup, making the liquid a vegetarian dish, and the chicken a "topping" along with cheese, tortilla strips and other goodies.

1 Onion, diced
2 Tbsp minced Garlic
1 Ancho Chili diced
6 cups low-sodium Chicken Broth (I used Vegetable Base powder and water)
1 can fire-roasted diced Tomatoes
1 can White Hominy including the liquid
1-2 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
1-2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning – from a packet
3 Limes – 2 juiced, and 1 cut into wedges for garnish
1 cup chopped Cilantro (optional)
2 8-inch White Corn Tortillas
1 cup shredded Monterey cheese

In your soup pot heat a splash of vegetable oil, add the onion and cook a minute or so until soft. Add the garlic and diced chili pepper, and cook for another minute.

Pour in the broth, tomatoes and hominy and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the chicken. (If making this for a 'mixed' family of vegetarians and carnivores, simmer or microwave the chicken separately. Cook the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes.

"Fry"  the tortillas in a hot, dry, skillet a few seconds until they start to brown and bubble.  Flip and repeat.  Cut into 1/4" wide strips and reserve.

Once chicken is cooked remove and cool enough to shred it and set it aside.

Add lime juice and cilantro (if using) to the pot.   To serve, ladle the broth into bowls and garnish with lime wedges, tortilla strips, cheese, chicken, even avocado if you choose.

Starfruit x 2, Mulled Plums, Applesauce substitute for Egg

Applesauce Dredge
On Fridays Sally and I usually have one of her favorite dishes -- my cornmeal-crusted Cod with our favorite roasted Brussels Sprouts dusted with Cavender's Seasoningtm and Everglades Seasoningtm. 

But when I cracked my last duck egg to make the avgolemono (egg and lemon) liquid part of my dredge, I discovered that it had gone "off" (phew!)....   Oh no!  What to do!     All I can say is Thank Murphy for the Internet. 

 Before the oil in the skillet could get hot, I had found a substitute for an egg when making a two-stage dredge -- unsweetened applesauce!  

Luckily I keep some shelf-stable small containers in the cupboard, so it was easy to pull the lid and get out my kitchen brush. Applesauce is too thick to dip the filets in, so I brushed it on both surfaces before pressing it into the dish of panko.

I gotta say -- I actually like this better as a crust-maker.   Give it a try the next time you're making crusted fish!!

Starfruit Salad Dressing
I must admit, starfruit isn't very pretty  once you chop it and cook it, but the flavor is certainly interesting!

I got this idea from the Blue Osa Yoga Retreat & Spa in Costa Rica.  They of course, have starfruit trees growing on their property like many of us here in Florida.  Unlike many of us, they have created some interesting things to do with starfruit other than just put star-shaped pieces on a salad or a dish of ice cream!

3 Starfruit --  points just turning dark
2+ Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/4+ tsp Salt
1+ Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1+ tsp Honey

All those + signs mean you can adjust the amounts to suit your own starfruit harvest -- some fruit are sweeter than others at any stage.  The numbers here worked great for 3 average size fruit that were barely ripe.

Trim the ends of the fruit and chop into pieces.  Put them in your blender as you build the rest of the recipe right in the carafe.  Take everything for a nice long spin so that the oil and acids emulsify.  Makes about a cup of dressing.

Starfruit "Butter" 
Like apple butter, but with starfruit!   Again, not particularly pretty, but excellent flavor. 

Chop and puree the fruit to a coarse texture.  Cook low and slow to reduce 25-50% of the liquid and thicken things.  Adjust the sweetness level with some brown sugar,  and add cinnamon and clove to give it a nice flavor palate.   

You can see the difference in texture here, between the thin salad dressing and the starfruit butter.  Great on toast, spooned on salmon filets, or as a coulis for any occasion.

Mulled Plums
Based on a recipe from the BBC.  This past week I got a ton of different kinds of plums in our produce boxes from SWFL Produce, and there were more than enough for something besides just 'out of hand' eating.  This is an old British dessert recipe. 

4-6 Plums halved or quartered and pitted
Water to cover
1/2 cup Red Wine
2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
1 tsp ground Cardamon
1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon

Bring water to a simmer and stir to dissolve the sugar and blend the spices.  Add the plums and continue cooking 20 minutes or so until they are tender but not falling apart.

Serve warm, topped with a big dollop of custard -- Bird's Custardtm or made from scratch. 

You can find Bird's Custard powder in the British part of the International food section of Publix or World Market --  red/yellow/blue short, round container.     Great for all sorts of dessert applications!

Mango Nicecream, Boiled Veggie Supper, Purple Latkes, BEST Focaccia EVER!

Mango Nicecream
Four cups of mango pureed with 1 large chopped banana.  A dash of cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamon if you like.  Freeze at least 4 hours.  Then puree a second time to make things even smoother.   Refreeze again or eat immediately as "soft-serve".   Simple.  Yum.

Boiled Veggie Supper
A classic Southern boiled vegetable side dish elevated to a vegetarian main dish.   Classically the boiled veggies -- cauliflower, green beans and new potatoes -- would be served as a side for a slice of ham or fried chicken.  As a pescatarian I could have served it alongside salmon or another seafood, but I chose to serve it simply on it's own.  

Spicing is the key to making this dish palatable rather than bland.  I used chopped garlic and diced onion in the 'pot likker' for the cauliflower/green bean mixture; and thyme and marjoram in the purple potato pot likker.  The other trick is to not overcook any of the veggies -- another reason (beside the color leeching issue) to cook the potatoes separate from the other veg.  Purple potatoes want a bit more cooking time than white potatoes, else they can be mealy and dry in the mouth, but don't over cook them.

Purple Latkes
Latkes, or potato pancakes, are an old German/Eastern European tradition.  I made these with purple potatoes for extra healthy eating!

4 Purple Potatoes (about 1lb) 
1/2 cup Red Onion, finely diced
1/4 cup AP Flour
2 Eggs, beaten
2 tsp  Garlic & Herb Spice Blend

Grate the potatoes on the large side of your box grater.  Wrap the mass in a non-pretty tea towel (one you don't care about staining) or several layers of strong paper towel, gather it up and squeeze like a mad-man to get as much liquid out as you can.

I got nearly half a cup!  This lets the latkes fry up crisper.  Then let them drain for an hour or so before making up the batter and frying.

Mix together the potato shreds, diced onion, flour, spice, and beaten eggs.  Drop golf-ball sized spoonfuls of batter in a lightly oiled hot skillet, and pat them flat with the back of a spoon.  Fry for a few minutes until the bottom is brown, then flip carefully and repeat. 

Remove finished latkes to a paper towel covered plate and keep warm until the batch is done. 

Best Focaccia EVER!
I picked up a $2.99  e-book of Suzanne Dunaway's No Need To Need:  Handmade Artisan Breads  the other day, and if you like to bake breads I suggest you do too! 

What a revelation!  Simple, basic ingredients:  flour, water, yeast, salt.  A little olive oil and fresh herbs for brushing and topping.  Simple tools.  No kneading, just stir things into a shaggy dough, proof, pan, proof again and bake a short time.

One of the things that she wrote which I appreciate is that (of course) bread tastes best the day it is baked  -- so bake bread often.  Most recipes however have you making enough bread for 4-6 people for one day.  By the time the two of us get to the end of a bake it's just not as good as the first day.  So I took her basic Focaccia recipe and halved it, figuring that would be plenty of bread for two for one day. 

Following the halved recipe below, I made two beautiful 6" diameter x 1" thick rounds of thin crispy crusted, airy mouth-watering perfection.  Absolutely the best bread I have ever made! 

1 cup warm Water
1 tsp Active Dry Yeast (better than rapid rise) -- half a packet.
2 cups Unbleached AP Flour
1 tsp Salt
2-3 tsp EVOO for brushing
3 Tbsp fine chopped Rosemary for topping
2, 6" round baking tins
Baking Spray or butter for prepping the tins

Put the water in a largish bowl, sprinkle the yeast on the surface and with a large spoon stir to dissolve.    Now stir in half the flour and the salt, and stir for about 2 minutes.  Lastly stir in the remaining  flour and stir for another couple minutes until the dough just pulls away from the side of the bowl.  Cover and let it rise in a warm place (it's Florida -- I put it outside in the shade on our lanai) for 30-45 minutes.

Prep two 6" diameter baking tins (or one 9-10" tin) with baking spray or butter, then "pour" the dough into each tin carefully (so as not to squeeze out any air).  Brush with the EVOO and let it rise, covered, another 15-20 minutes on the counter.  Bake at a pre-heated 400F for 30-40 minutes until nicely browned and it sounds hollow when thumped (190F internal temp if you're measuring).   Let it cool 10-15 minutes before removing from the tins.

Here's a full-sized loaf made with whole wheat bread.

One of the few marginally specialized tools the author recommends is a Risotto Spoon -- a mixing spoon with a large hole in the center.  When stirring risotto it lets you mixing things more gently, without breaking up  lot of the rice grains.  With the doughs, the spoon lets in a bit more air and likewise makes the mixing more thorough and gentle.   Risotto spoons are hard to find, as the author mentions.  I didn't want to buy one, but I have an electric drill, a 1" diameter Forstner bit to drill clean-edged holes, and a spare wooden spoon.  Five minutes of set-up and drilling and another few minutes fine sanding things, and voilà -- Bread Spoon (not to be confused with Spoon Bread (which is one of the more than 80 bread recipes for all occasions in the book).  I don't know if it helped, but it was fun to turn an ordinary spoon into a Risotto Spoon.

For my WW readers, half of one 6" loaf is 7 points, and is the perfect size for a chicken or turkey sandwich, or for mopping up the dregs of a home-made Zero Point Soup (lots of recipes for those here...).

Algerian Chakchoukha, Pesto Stackers, Roasted Cauliflower, Salmon Casserole

Algerian Chakchoukha
Note -- this Algerian stew is not a variation of Shakshuka --  the eggs-poached-on- diced-tomatoes dish -- which also comes from North Africa.   I suspect that the "shuka" or "choukha" element of both words means something like 'stewed' or 'simmered'.  You can make this with canned beans and tomatoes (the quick way), or cook up a bag of garbanzos and dice up a couple tomatoes for a fresher approach.  I used canned garbanzos and a couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes quartered.   This is a Blue Zones recipe except I used a red bell pepper rather than green.

2/3 cup Onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 tsp Black Pepper
2/3 cup diced Carrot
1 stick Celery, chopped
1 can (3/4 cup) low/no sodium added Garbanzos, drained & rinsed
1 can (3/4 cup low/no sodium diced Tomatoes
1/2 large Bell Pepper (any color), diced
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Caraway seed
2 slices of Bread, toasted and cubed/crumbled
2 cups Water

Start by sauting the onion in a splash of EVOO until it starts to go translucent.  Add everything else except half of the water, the bread and the beans.  Cover and simmer for  few minutes.  Last, add the bread and beans, and continue cooking until the bread cooks down to and the beans are heated through.  

Depending on the bread you use, you may need to add more water.  I used a total of 3 cups to get a stew-like consistency.  Serve with rice or lentils.

As written, the dish is tasty but bland.  I strongly suggest taking the spice level up a few notches unless you like bland.

From the cumin/caraway spices that Blue Zones wants you to use, I suspect they were trying to imitate Tabil, a classic Algerian spice blend of  1/3 cup of coriander seed with a tablespoon each of cumin, caraway and garlic powder.  Take those for a spin in your spice grinder and add about a tablespoon to the stew!   

Another Algerian spice you could use here is the ubiquitous North African/Moroccan Ras El Hanut which we've discussed here several times, and included a recipe for making your own.

Pesto Stackers
We do love our eggplant, and are always looking for new ways to prepare it.  Can't for the life of me think why I never  combined pesto with eggplant before.  But here it is!   Simple layers of thin sliced broiled (but still al dente) eggplant schmeared with basil pesto, with thin slices of onion and tomato between.  Then topped with grated parmesan and shredded cheese then baked to marry all the flavors.

Garlic & Herb Roasted Cauli
Sally came back from a weekend visiting her daughter Holly up in Alexandria, and brought me one of the wonderful Women's Bean Project spice blends.  This one is Garlic & Herb. 

I just happened to have a head of cauliflower begging to be roasted and spiced.   

If you can't find these spice blends locally, you can order them online.  

Women’s Bean Project is a nonprofit social enterprise which operates a food manufacturing business tied directly to their transitional employment program for women in need.

Salmon & Pasta Casserole
I first created this dish back in 2017 and it seemed like the thing to do last week when I had to pick Sally up from the airport and have "something" ready to eat when she walked in the door.

This is simple to make in stages, then assemble and bake.  

1/2 bag frozen Peas

2 Salmon filets

Spice Blend of choice

4 oz sliced Mushrooms

2 cups classic White Sauce

1/2 box Large Shell pasta

Shredded cheese and Panko for topping

Dust the salmon filets with your favorite spice blend (I used smoked paprika and Evergladestm).  Broil the salmon filets for 12 minutes, until flake-able, discard the skin.  Allow the fish to cool while you boil up the pasta to package directions for al dente.  Cool the pasta.   

In a large bowl, fold together the pasta, flaked fish, frozen peas and mushrooms. 

Make two cups of a traditional roux using butter, flour and milk.   Pour it into the fish/pasta mix and fold to combine and coat everything.

Turn the mixture out into 9x9 baking dish and pat it flat.  Top with a handful of shredded cheese and then a handful of Panko.  Bake at 450F for 45-60 minutes.  

I baked it for 45 minutes, then turned the heat off and left the casserole in the oven, just before I went to pick up Sally at the airport.  When we got home an hour later, the casserole was still nice and hot and ready to eat.

Victoria Sandwich, Black Velvet Soup, Best New Veggie Burger, St Croix Fish Pie

Sally and I have completed another stellar circumnavigation, one week apart.  My birthday is the 14th, and hers the 21st.  We always try to do something special for "our week", and try to eat special things as well.  This year we spent a long weekend on Manasota Key, one of our favorite olde Florida places...

Victoria Sandwich
Not a savory sandwich, mind, this is a classic British "tea" cake, with sponge cake, whipped cream, and fruit or fruit jam.  The version I make comes from the classic British baker Mary Berry.   The one I made for Sally's birthday this week featured her favorite fruit -- mango from her tree -- and fresh-made whipped cream.

For the Sponge
1 cup softened Butter
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Self-Rising Flour
4 Eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

Cream the butter and sugar with a fork, then beat with a mixer until the combination turns almost white and becomes very fluffy.  Add the beaten eggs a bit at a time, beating between each addition until well combined

Sift the flour on top of the mixture and then with a large metal spoon, fold the flour in carefully so you don't knock out any air.  Fold until there aren't any more streaks of flour, then divide it equally between two baking tins which have been buttered on the side and have the bottom lined with parchment paper.

Bake 20-30 minutes until you get a nice golden brown top and the sponges are springy to the touch.  Let them cool for a few minutes before running a thin knife around the edges and carefully turning the cakes out to cool further.

When down to room temp, put one of the cakes upside down on your serving plate, and get ready to fill and finish.

For The Filling
I like to keep it simple -- fresh fruit and fresh whipped cream.  Berries of any kinds are good, but we loooove Mango.  So I dissected a couple of ripe mangos into crescents and kept them chilled while I made the Whipped Cream, Alton Brown style:

1 cup cold heavy Whipping Cream
2 Tbsp Sugar

This will make 1-1/2 to 2 cups of whipped cream>

Chill a metal bowl and your whisk in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.  Then... put the sugar in the cold bowl and add the cold cream.  Start whisking like mad and after about a minute the cream will start to stiffen.  Stop when you get stiff peaks (it took me a total of about 2 minutes total).   

Using a cold metal spatula or knife, spread half the whipped cream on the upside down cake.  Top that with fruit.  

Carefully put the second cake on top of that.  Now use the rest of the whipped cream and more fruit to finish your Victoria Sandwich.  

Don't eat it all at one sitting!

Best New Veggie Burger
Almonds, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Red Quinoa feature in our new favorite Veggie Burger/Rissole.  These even look like finely ground beef patties, and taste A LOT better than any of those Impossible type Burger things.

2 cups Whole Almonds
1-1/2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1/2 tsp Rosemary
1 Garlic Clove, minced
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp low sodium Soy Sauce
3/4 cup diced Sweet Onion
1/2 cup chopped Sundried Tomatoes (not the oil-stored ones)
1-1/2 cups cooked Red Quinoa

Take the almonds for a spin in the food processor until you get a coarse meal.  Add the tomato paste, rosemary, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic and soy,  and spin to again to a smooth, thick consistency.  Remove to a bowl and fold in the quinoa and diced onion.  

Form into patties and fry in a splash of oil for 4-6 minutes per side on medium heat.  

Serve in a bun or as a plated rissole.  I like topping them with slices of dill pickle and a schmear of bleu cheese dressing, Sally likes hers with sliced tomato (go figure).

Black Velvet Soup
This takes ordinary Black Bean Soup up a couple notches...  Sally had a black bean soup at Bahama Breeze when we went out for my birthday dinner a week ago, which she said had a hint of "something different".  One taste, and I knew I could match their recipe -- the 'secret ingredient' -- was either tomatillo sauce or salsa verde -- either one would give me that "green chili" flavor.

So I cooked up a 1 pound bag of black beans, with about a tablespoon of Thyme and a 2x2" square of Kombu seaweed to reduce gas emissions, then pureed the whole batch.  I put that in my soup pot and thinned it out with a couple cups of water and a couple tablespoons of Vegetable stock powder.    

I cooked things down a bit to get the consistency I wanted, then added 1/2 cup of my favorite Salsa Verde and simmered for a few minutes more to marry the flavors.  Wow!   What a difference that Salsa Verde makes!  The soup was almost velvety smooth -- hence the name -- and that touch of green chili makes a fabulous taste difference!!    Sally wanted a bit more 'texture' to her soup for the second day's lunch serving, so I added some sauted crimini mushrooms which you can barely see in this photo:

Fancy Fish "Pie"
We spent last weekend at our favorite Manasota Key resort, and Saturday Night we celebrated Sally's birthday a bit early with dinner at Farlow's On The Water in Englewood, a really great eclectic seafood restaurant who's Kentucky owners also feature Hot Brown sandwiches, and corn pudding.  I had their fabulous House Special  St. Croix Seafood Pie with Caribbean lobster, Gulf Shrimp and Scallops, with a lobster-infused cream sauce, between two sheets of puff pastry!  Plus, as you see a side of roasted veg and fingerling potatoes.  It does have a top and bottom "crust" so technically it is a pie....  but who cares about a name, it's delicious!  I'll have to try this 'sheet pie' idea here at home.

I hardly ever mention, let alone recommend restaurants here in Fooding Around With The Kilted Cook.  But...  If you ever get to Englewood, just south of Venice, this is a great lunch/dinner restaurant.  Reservations highly recommended -- service is fast but Farlow's is very popular!!

Corn Pudding, Kentucky Hot Brown, Malay Apples, and Pesto Pasta with Summer Squash

Isn't this a lovely buncha Malay Apples?  Read about them below...

Corn Pudding
Southern comfort food, and a great thing to do when the sweet corn comes ripe in the field.  My version uses plain yogurt instead of heavy cream.  You can make this with frozen or even canned corn, but it's really much better with fresh kernals off the cob!

Kernals from 3 ears of Corn -- about 1-1/2 to 2 cups
1/3 cup Red Bell Pepper, diced small
2 Eggs, beaten
1/2 cup plain Yogurt
1/3 cup Sugar
2 Tbsp melted Butter
1/3 cup AP Flour
1/4 cup Yellow Corn Meal
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/8 tsp Salt
optional (smoked paprika dusted on top)

Whisk everything together and pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish. 

Dust with paprika if using.  Bake 45 minutes at 350F until the top is getting a bit brown.

The texture is 'softer' than cornbread.  You can cut corn pudding into squares to serve, or use a large spoon to transfer to your plates.  Serve along side almost anything from ham to chicken -- to my Black Bean Rissoles:

Kentucky Hot Brown
First came the humble ham & cheese sandwich.  Add Welsh Rarebit (Mornay cheese sauce on toast),  and the sandwich is elevated to French cuisine stardom as the Croque Monsieur.  Then along came Fred K. Schmidt, at the Brown Hotel in 1926 Louisville, KY.  Fred added slices of turkey breast inside, and crispy bacon outside, and carried this sandwich to culinary godhood, which he called the Hot Brown!

Although I have made my own Hot Browns at home, I feasted on this example at the Boone Tavern in Berea, KY last weekend during the annual Berea Traditional Dulcemore Gathering which I help host.

Try it yourself:
Slices of turkey breast
Slices of ham
Mornay Sauce (white sauce with cheese) from scratch or a packet
Strips of fried bacon
Toasted thick cut bread like sourdough

Stack it together, pour the hots cheese sauce over, add crispy bacon, and chives and cherry tomatoes for garnish.  Delish!!!

Malay Apples
Remember a couple weeks back when I featured Rose Apples?  This is a related species called the Malay Apple  -- Syzygium malaccense.  These I also found in a local garden.

These are larger and rougher shaped than the Rose Apples, which are growing nearby.  And of course the Malay Apples are mottled red and cream rather than being green,  Not nearly as wonderfully perfumed, either.   When ripe, the outer skin is waxy as you can see at the top of the page.

Inside, the pit of the ripe apple isn't as loose as those on Rose Apples.  The flesh is firm like an apple or pear, and not super juicy.  Very neutral in flavor. 

Here I've stewed 16 chopped apples in a cup or so of water, with 1/8 cup of sugar and a 1/2 tsp of Chinese Five Spice. 

Certainly a "quite nice' and  different dessert fruit, when you can find them in season...

Chickpea Pasta, Pesto and Summer Squash
So here I am trying another brand of non-wheat-flour pasta.  This time it's Banza brand Rotini made from chickpea flour.  The last time I tried somethings similar,  the pasta dissolved into mush.  We'll see...

Banza Non-wheat Rotini 

Basil Pesto to taste

1 Zucchini, sliced into matchsticks
1 Yellow Squash sliced into matchsticks

Mushrooms sliced into matchsticks

1/8 cup diced Red Onion
Olde Thompson Everything Italiantm spice blend to taste

Cook the pasta to package directions.   Drain and rinse.  Meanwhile saute the onion, squash and mushrooms with a dash or two of Everything Italian seasoning.

When the pasta is drained, toss gently with a 3-4 tablespoons of  pesto, plate, and top with the sauteed veggies.

This brand of non-wheat pasta turned out very nice!  The pasta has a bit of nutty taste that went very well with the pesto and sauteed squash.