A Great Pasta Salad as a Side or a Meal

I have been making variations of this pasta salad for a long time now; probably close to 20 years. It uses pasta of some kind that will have enough little nooks and crannies that will pick up and hold the little lentils, bits of vegetables or cheese. I have most often used bowtie pasta, but medium shells will work, or even something like penne. 

I made it again a couple of days ago, and it always strikes me how much I love this combination.  The cheese used can be varied. Feta makes a wonderful combination if you don't care for blue cheese, which is what I used in the recipe this time. The herbs could be cilantro or basil or parsley. I think dill would also be tasty, depending on what cheese is used. I tossed in a jar of mushrooms this time, but in summer, fresh chopped heirloom tomatoes would be an exquisite addition. Try using different lentils if you have them. I am going to try this again with little green DePuy lentils one of these days.

Pasta with Lentils and Blue Cheese

I love this salad. Most times that I make it, I eat it as my meal. It has pasta, vegetables, lentils and cheese. More than enough for a meal. If you are a die-hard carnivore, it can certainly be a side dish. I made it the evening I grilled steaks (when we had a break in the cold weather and I could get out the grill), so we ate it as a side dish. Tonight I will have it for dinner on its own. I think the salad tastes best just off-warm. Personal preference. It can be eaten hot, cold, or anywhere in between.

Pasta and Lentils with Blue Cheese

Serves 6 - 8

Pasta and Lentils with Feta Alternate Recipe

½ cup brown lentils
½ pound pasta (shells, bowties, fusilli, etc) 
1 tablespoon salt for cooking pasta
1 cup pasta cooking water1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 carrot, grated or julienned
1 large or 2 small stalks celery, sliced thinly
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 roasted red bell pepper, peeled, seeded, chopped (or use a small jar, drained)
1 jar (6 ounces dry weight) mushroom slices
salt and pepper, to taste
¼ pound (about 1/2 cup) blue cheese crumbles or Feta
¼ cup chopped cilantro (or basil, or parsley)

Set the lentils into a saucepan and add water to just cover. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.

While lentils are cooking, bring a medium pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add the tablespoon of salt to the water and then the pasta. Cook the pasta for the time given on the packaging. Once done, scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water; set aside. Drain the pasta and set in a large bowl.

While those two things are cooking, heat a large skillet, then add the olive oil. Add in the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook until just tender. Pour the vegetables into the bowl with the pasta, along with the cooked lentils, the red bell pepper and mushrooms. Add in the cheese and herb of choice and toss well to combine. Taste for salt. This dish is wonderful with lots of freshly cracked black pepper.


 
My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Empanadas to Pair with Malbec

April 12th is the date of the upcoming Winefest Rennaisance Wine-tasting event for the benefit of the Boys and Girls Club of Aberdeen. I will be hosting a wine rating and food pairing in one area, in order to try and help people better pinpoint what they like or dislike in a wine, and to see what a correct food pairing can do with the flavor of the wine. Many people like wine, but know little about it. Many will blacklist a whole grape varietal on the basis of tasting a wine made from one vintner's interpretation. Others will believe a Riesling is synonymous with "Piesporter" - one very tiny area - knowing nothing of the grape and its possibilities. I try to rectify these misapprehensions wherever I go.

For this wine tasting event, I will have six different wines, from all over the world. I have fairly well made decisions on the foods to pair with each of these wines.

1. Prosecco from Italy will pair with Smoked Salmon Mousse atop a Savory Hazelnut Blue Cheese Wafer
2. Sancerre (Sauvignon Blanc) from France will pair with Individual Chicken Artichoke Cheese Balls atop baguette slice
3. Conundrum White blend from California will pair with Chicken and Raisin Samosas
4. Pinot Noir from California will pair with Chicken, Pear and Onion Tartlets with Chevre Cream
5. Malbec from Argentina will pair with Smoky Beef & Currant Empanadas
6. Port from Portugal will be paired with a dark chocolate, still undecided in form. 

I had recently made the Chicken, Pear and Onion Tartlets, (see my blog of February 24, 2014) to pair with a Chenin Blanc. In this case these same flavors will pair as well with a Pinot Noir, so I have that recipe already, with the flavors well paired in my mind. The two wines causing more angst over the pairing were the Conundrum and the Malbec. I decided to try the empanadas first. A little while back (blog of January 7, 2014) I made empanadas with leftover Barbecued Pork, and using puff pastry as the dough. While these tasted wonderful, there was too much pastry dough-to-meat-ratio. At the time I filed that concept for later. Yesterday I finally got around to checking out other possibilities.

Smoky Beef and Currant Empanadas

The particular Argentinian Malbec's flavor profile is "smoky, rich with black fruits, cocoa, hints of tobacco and leather. . . fat, layered and boldly rich." I read in many places how Malbecs go exceedingly well with sausage and richly spiced foods. At first I thought of creating my own sausage, but as usual, my ideas morph continually over a period of days as my mind cogitates. What I ended up deciding on was using my own "Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub" with an extra dose of Smoked Paprika to really pick up on the smoky aspect as well as the cocoa flavor. I added currants to the flavors to bring in a subtle sweet fruitiness. I first thought of using pork, changed to pork and beef, and then, finally just beef. 

October 22, 2019 Update:  These were originally paired with a Malbec wine, and there was nothing at all wrong with that pairing. I converted some people to Malbec on that basis. However, at another wine tasting, with the same empanadas, meant to pair with a Malbec, again that pairing was very good. But!

In the course of the tasting, I happened to try these empanadas with a Predator 'Old Vine' Zinfandel. This wine has a slightly smoky note and it was the absolutely most fabulous pairing for these empanadas, ever.

Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub 

Makes 1⅓ cups rub mix
 
¾ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika, preferably Spanish
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons smoked paprika (Pimienta de la Vera)
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ teaspoons ground coriander seed
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder, or more to taste
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon chipotle powder, optional
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
 
Mix all ingredients until thoroughly blended. If storing, use an airtight container and keep in a cool, dry place away from heat or light.

I had no real empanada dough recipe, so I looked online and found an Argentinian woman's site with recipes for real Argentinian Empanadas and the dough. I am not using the filling recipe in any way, shape or form, but the dough recipe intrigued me. Not a yeast dough, yet kneaded for 10 minutes to build the gluten. I know my way around yeast doughs, but had rarely seen a dough where kneading was so important without yeast. The closest thing to this idea is when making pasta or noodle dough. I had to try it out. The woman's recipe was in Spanish (see her site here), but as I spoke Spanish very fluently for a good 10 years, I had no difficulty with that part. Her measurements were in grams and milliliters, so I weighed and measured it to cups and ounces.

Empanada Dough

Enough for about 40 or more (4 - 5 inch) rounds

3¼ cups all-purpose flour (use an extra 1/4 cup aside if needed)
½ teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons butter, cut in small pieces
1 egg
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons milk
⅔ cup lukewarm water

Left, sealed edge; Right, folding and crimping

In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a heavy duty stand mixer, place the flour and salt. Add in the butter pieces and with a pastry blender or whisk attachment, cut in the butter. Switch to a dough hook (or use a spoon if by hand) and mix in the egg, starting from the center, as when making noodle dough. Add in the oil and milk and continue to mix. Begin adding the warm water. When the dough comes together, if kneading by hand, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. If using a stand mixer, allow the dough hook to knead the dough for 10 minutes. Once kneaded, set the dough aside in a bowl, lightly covered, and set in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

When ready to work with the dough, I found the dough to be very elastic, which made it easy stretching it over the filling without holes. Roll the dough thinly. Being so elastic, after cutting 5-inch rounds, they shrunk back to about 3-inches. After cutting out all the circles, I rolled each one individually to about 5 inches before filling. Exact roundness is unnecessary. Moisten all around the edge of the dough, place a rounded tablespoon of filling in the center, then stretch the one side over to completely enclose the filling, pressing very firmly to seal. 

After sealing, begin folding and crimping the edges, again pressing very firmly, creating an almost braided appearance. I had never done this before, so it wasn't until about my 30th empanada (out of 38) that the folding process began to be remotely even. The empanadas can be baked or fried. I prefer baking. Brush the tops well with one beaten egg. Prick the tops with a knife in 3 or 4 places. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for approximately 15 minutes, until golden and glossy.

Smoky Beef & Currant Empanada Filling

Enough for about 38 empanadas

Smoky Beef & Currant Empanadas, out of oven

2 tablespoons bacon fat or other oil
1½ pounds sirloin, cut into very tiny cubes
1 teaspoon salt
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced or through a garlic press
¾ cup currants
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon bacon fat or other oil
1 large onion, chopped finely
1 can (8-ounces dry weight) mushroom stems and pieces, minced
2 tablespoons Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub, above
1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika (Pimenton de la Vera)
½ teaspoon salt

Dry the meat well on paper toweling. Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the first 2 tablespoons of bacon fat and then the meat. The meat will begin to leach out a lot of liquid. Generally this is to be avoided, but I wanted enough of the liquid to soften the currants later. Sprinkle on the first teaspoon of salt and cook the meat until there is just a little bit of liquid left. Add in the garlic and toss well, then the currants, cooking until the liquid has evaporated. Remove the mixture to a bowl. 

Add the tablespoon of bacon fat to the pan with the onions and cook, stirring frequently until the onions begin to look golden, but not browned. Add the finely chopped mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms and onions start to brown. Return the meat mixture to the pan, along with the Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub, smoked paprika and the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss well to combine. Remove from heat and allow to cool to at least lukewarm.

Fill the empanada wrappers with this mixture; seal, crimp, brush with egg wash, prick with a knife and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 15 to 20 minutes.

These empanadas came out far better than I even hoped. The flavors are spectacular, and I can easily (in my mind) taste the flavors with a Malbec wine. The use of bacon fat to fry the meat and onions was to incorporate more of the smoke and sausage idea. All the flavors married perfectly. My crimping may be pitiful, but the flavors were precisely right.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A New Twist on a Pilaf and a New Recipe for Cod

I am always interested in going back to basics when  making foods, partly because it was something I had to do in Guatemala and that is how I learned. When what is locally available is all you can use, one learns quickly. Back in the 1970s there was no availability of every thing one could imagine on the internet. There was no internet. No cell phones. It is hard to even remember what we did back then. No remotes for the TV. Two or three channels at most. Foods that were available locally were what could be used. Period.

When I came back to the US, it was the time when using whole grains, higher fiber and jogging came into vogue. I never got the jogging bug, but was always interested in being healthy. Using foods with higher fiber seemed natural. I really liked all those things, so there was no difficulty in it for me. But, just because something is high fiber does not immediately turn out tasting good. We have to try new ways to make some foods taste marvelous. Now, here we are, 40 years later. I am still experimenting. I buy foods like whole oat groats or raw buckwheat, raw cashews, millet, teff, amaranth. The list goes on and on. Not all of those were immediate hits. Not all of those were even something I tried more than once. Still, because once they weren't my cup of tea, doesn't mean that at some point they won't taste really good made in a different way.

Green Lentil and Millet Pilaf with Baked Crusted Cod

Recently a friend gave me a recipe for waffles using soaked buckwheat and millet. No cooking of the grains beforehand. I loved those waffles. I wish I could claim that recipe as my own, but it is not. I have been meaning to get them out and make those waffles again, but have yet to get to it. Meanwhile, I keep seeing the bags of the seeds in my freezer (where I keep anything that doesn't get used too often), and was thinking what I might do with them. A few days ago, I got an idea for a sort of pilaf with less-used or -known grains, lentils or seeds. I ended up making a Green Lentil and Millet Pilaf, which I just loved. I have been eating it the past few days, all on my own, as it is not a dish my husband would touch, though I keep hoping. I had green De Puy lentils because I had used them in another dish from the Food and Wine magazine. Their recipe was with these little green lentils, red quinoa and cauliflower and I loved that too. So, the lentils were there in the cabinet, and the millet was in the freezer and I decided they would make a nice looking dish; it remained to see what I could do with the flavor. 

Green Lentil and Millet Pilaf

Green Lentil and Millet Pilaf

Serves 4 - 6
 
½ cup green (De Puy) lentils
1 small carrot, grated
1¼ cup water
½ cup millet
1 cup water
1 small knob fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon salt
1 - 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced thinly
½ green pepper, chopped
½ teaspoon salt, or more, to taste
 
Place the first 3 ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, until cooked through. In another small saucepan, bring the next 3 ingredients to boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 to 18 minutes or until tender.
 
While these are cooking, heat a skillet and add the olive oil. Add in the shallot with the first half teaspoon salt and saute until soft. Add in the garlic, celery and green pepper and saute for another 10 minutes or until the vegetables are softened. Add in the drained lentils and the millet and the second half teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine.

A few weeks back, I bought some frozen cod. The pieces were individually wrapped so they were just fine in the freezer. But, I like fish and my husband doesn't, unless there is enough breading, it is fried and there is plenty of ketchup to smother it in. I like fried fish just fine. Just not as the only way. I like eating fish made in other creative ways. So, there is this cod. I had made Beef Vegetable Soup, which is a favorite of my husband's, so I left the soup for him and made myself a piece of fish. Mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese make a nice topping for things. I have long made pork chops by setting them onto a baking sheet, setting one (¼-inch thick) onion slice on top of each, placing a dollop of mayo onto the onion, and then Parmesan over the top of the mayo. Bake for 45 - 55 minutes at 350 and o-m-g! So, with a little play on that concept, I made my cod. The recipe was just for the one piece, so if making more than one, just multiply the recipe as needed. It took longer in the oven than I anticipated, so the next time I might set the oven to 400 degrees and bake for less time.

Baked Crusted Cod

Baked Crusted Cod

Serves 1

1 cod filet, (about 5 ounces)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (350 on Convection). If the cod filet is very thick in the center, butterfly so it lays flat with a more even thickness all along the length. Salt and pepper both sides of the fish. If you have white pepper, try using that instead of black.

In a little bowl, combine the mayonnaise and the 2 tablespoons of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Spread this paste over the top of the fish, evenly. In another small bowl, combine the panko, 1 tablespoon of Parmigiano-Reggiano and the olive oil. Press these crumbs onto the mayonnaise mixture on the fish. Set the filet onto a rack over a rimmed baking sheet. [To prevent messy cleanup, line the baking sheet with foil first.] Set the filet into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until it flakes in the center.
The cod was delightful. I smeared some tartar sauce onto my plate and set the fish on top of the tartar sauce to serve. It made for a prettier photo. You can always serve more tartar sauce on the side. Together these two recipes were just wonderful for dinner.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Happy New Year and Glorious Mushrooms

Our New Year's Eve Table

I hope everyone enjoyed the turn of the year 2014. When I was a child  back in the 1950s, never in my wildest dreams did I ever think of anything beyond 2000. And here I am, still young, and still enjoying each year as it passes. 

Some of my appetizers

Last evening was a very quiet one in our household. We are not great party-goers, my husband and I. It has been so frigidly cold here that it does not seem inviting to try and venture outside. Tonight it is supposed to get down to -24 yet again. Brrrrr! My sister-in-law would have been here to at least eat with us, but she had a tooth problem, got it fixed and stayed at home to let the numbness wear off. So, just the two of us, but I still made lots of little snack foods, as usual. I made more of the Smokies in Puff Pastry, Red Pepper Hummus with Caramelized Onion, another of those pre-made pizza shells with spinach dip, some sweet and sour meatballs (those made with chili sauce and grape jelly), a relish tray of sweet gherkins, hearts of palm and assorted olives, and one of those rolls of mozzarella with prosciutto. I had pita chips and carrot sticks for the hummus and some of my Herbed Onion Bread to go with the meatballs. It was all delightful, and we had more of the holiday cookies for dessert.

Smokies in Puff Pastry

Smokies in Puff Pastry

Makes about 75 (one package of "Lit'l Smokies")

1 (14 ounce) package "Lit'l Smokies"
1 (1.1 lb) box Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets

Remove puff pastry from freezer at least 45 minutes before working with it. Remove one sheet to thaw on a flat surface. Check after about 15 to 20 minutes. If the first flap begins to lift a little (do not force it or it will break off), set the pastry up like a little tent with the flap lifted out, allowing for air flow. As the dough thaws, open the flap more and allow the inner flap to drop down. Once sheet is completely thawed, flour a large surface and roll out the sheet to about a 14 - 15-inch square.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With a pastry cutter, cut strips one way a little less than the width of the Smokie. Measure length of strip needed by using one Smokie. Set it at one end and roll until there is enough to overlap. Cut the piece there, then use this as an approximate measure for all the rest. The length will be between 3 - 4 inches.

How to cut and roll Smokies in Puff Pastry

Roll one Smokie, and moisten the far end with water, so it will adhere. Set the rolled Smokie on a baking sheet, seam side down and continue until all the Smokies are used. Bake the wrapped Smokies for about 25 minutes, or until they are puffed and brown. 

NOTES: Do not try to re-roll any scraps from the puff pastry, as the dough will not puff up the same way.

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One of the appetizers I made for last night was the Boursin Stuffed Mushrooms. I love mushrooms. I do not love them quite so much as my husband, who, it seems, loves them "the more the merrier." I love them IN things, but not so much alone. Stuffed mushrooms are good, but there is too much mushroom to filling ratio, so they just seem flat. Mushrooms all by themselves are pretty bland, and need things to spice them up. Boursin Cheese is a very high fat content cheese, smooth and creamy and most excellent flavor. There are various herb combinations available. In my town, the only one available is garlic and herb. One of my favorites (eaten elsewhere) is black pepper. Anyway. looking up the fat content in Boursin cheese, I noticed that someone (many someones) had used Boursin to stuff mushroom caps. I thought, hmmmmm....I have some Boursin in my refrigerator.... So this is what I did:

Boursin Stuffed Mushrooms

1 (5.2 ounce) container of Boursin (I had garlic and herb) 

Boursin Stuffed Mushrooms

1 pound "Baby Bellas" or Creminis
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
2 small cloves garlic
a few grinds of black pepper
1 teaspoon salt (I used Alder Smoked Salt)

Set the Boursin in a bowl to soften. Brush clean the mushrooms and remove the stems. Chop the stems finely and put them in a skillet with the butter to saute until lightly browned. While the mushroom stems are sauteing, mince the garlic and thyme. (I also ran my finger around the inside of the mushroom caps, removing gills, for no other reason than that it allowed more room for the filling!) When the mushroom stems are light brown, add in the thyme and garlic and saute for another 3 minutes, until fragrant. Add this mixture to the Boursin in the bowl, along with the few grinds of pepper. With the salt in the palm of one hand, with the other hand take pinches of the salt and drop them into the dry mushroom caps, using a slightly larger pinch for the larger caps and smaller pinch for smaller caps. Mix the Boursin and mushroom stem mixture thoroughly and use all the mixture to fill the mushroom caps. Set them on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray and bake them in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes. _________________________________________________________

Yum!  These have to be the best stuffed mushrooms I have ever tried. The little pinch of salt in the mushroom cap seems to have helped with the blandness of the mushroom, too. It is an easy recipe and Gluten-Free too.

Today I am going to be making a dinner, and my sister-in-law will be attending, now that she is feeling better. I am making a Prime Rib Roast as the main event, with twice baked potatoes and Green Beans with Gorgonzola as the sides. I found online a few years back a high-roast method for making the roast and it works so perfectly, I will be using it again today. In essence, you set the oven to 500 degrees put the roast in and time it for 5 to 7 minutes per pound (5 minutes being rare, 6 being medium and 7 being well), then when the time is up, leave the roast in the oven, shut the oven off and do not open the oven door for 2 hours. The roast is so perfect so following that recipe is my go-to these days.

High Temperature Roast Prime Rib 

High Temperature Prime Rib Roast

1 prime rib roast between 4 - 8 pounds
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
Pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, smashed into paste
2 teaspoons rosemary leaves, minced
2 teaspoons thyme leaves, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

The night before, unwrap the roast and leave uncovered in the refrigerator, to better brown in the oven later. Remove the roast from the refrigerator at least 4 hours before roasting, to come to room temperature. Mix together the salt, pepper, garlic rosemary, thyme and mustard and rob all over the roast.

To calculate the roasting time: multiply the weight of the roast in pounds. Multiply this number by 5. This number will be the amount of minutes the roast will be in the heated oven. This will yield a beautifully medium rare roast. If you prefer your meat at medium, multiply the weight by 6 minutes.

Examples: For a four pound roast, medium rare: 4 x 5 = 20 (minutes). For a 4½ pound roast, medium rare: 4½ x 5 = 22½ (minutes). For an 8 pound roast, medium rare: 8 x 5 - 40 (minutes). For a 5 pound roast, done medium: 5 x 6 = 30 (minutes).

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Yes, 500 degrees. Line a roasting pan with foil (far easier to clean up later). Set a roasting rack into the pan and set the roast, fat side up, onto the rack. Once you place the roast in this extremely hot oven, begin the timing you have calculated for the weight of your roast. Once this time is elapsed, time the roast for another 2 hours and shut the oven off. At this point DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR FOR ANY REASON, until those two hours are up.

Once the time has elapsed, understand that since the roast has been "resting" for two hours, it has reached the best temperature and needs no "resting period" beyond this. Carve the roast at once and serve. 

___________________________________________________________________


For dessert I am serving the Dulce de Leche Turtle Cheesecake I described in my last post. I will be finishing the toppings on the cheesecake a little later today. 

Right now I have my potatoes baking. They need to be out of the oven before I need to have the roast going in, since I cannot use the oven for approximately 2 1/2 hours. I will scoop out the potato and mix it with fried bacon, sour cream, chopped scallions, and shredded cheddar cheese, salt and pepper, waiting to fill the potato skins until later in the afternoon. Once the roast comes out of the oven I can reheat the oven and bake the stuffed potatoes for a little bit to get them warm and delicious. Somewhere in between I will get the green beans prepared.
 

Green Beans with /Gorgonzola

Green Beans with Gorgonzola

Serves 4

1 pound fresh green beans or yellow wax beans
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 - 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or through a garlic press
1 teaspoon salt, more if needed
¼ cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

In a very small saucepan combine the butter, oil and garlic and set the pan over the lowest setting possible, or even half off the burner. The desired end is a very low and slow heating of the oils and garlic. The garlic is gently poached in the oils. Allow the garlic to steep for about 20 minutes, never boiling.

Snap off stem ends and cut the green beans as desired, whether French cut, blunt cut, or left whole. Place them in a steamer basket and bring the steaming water to a boil, lower heat to medium and steam for about 10 - 12 minutes, or until just tender. Drain off the water and return the beans to a pan. Add in the butter and garlic mixture (you may, if desired, strain out the garlic at this point) to the beans and toss well, with the salt. Pour the hot beans into a serving bowl and strew the Gorgonzola over top. Once the cheese is on top it will begin to melt, so serve immediately.


I give my very best wishes to all my readers for a most wonderful New Year's Day and a terrifically blessed year 2014.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things weekly. I would love to hear from you, to help me continue my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest. 

Appetizers and Wine at Open House

Millard's Artichoke Mini-Quiches and 
Rosemary and Pepper Cheese Coins

Yesterday I attended an Open House held by a Broker Associate for Re/Max in Aberdeen, SD. She had asked me to make some appetizers to serve and advise on some wines to have on hand. It is the first of this sort of open house in this area, and she hopes to hold many more like this. The idea is to invite people in to see some of the nicer homes and the food and wine help make the experience memorable.

We decided on three easy savory appetizer recipes for this event, plus mini chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream icing. The savory appetizers chosen were Millard's Artichoke Mini-Quiches, Flank Steak Rolls with Gorgonzola Walnut Spread and Savory Blue Cheese Coins with Apricot Jam. While making these last, I decided to make a few more than what I had and made a half recipe using all cheddar cheese and adding in chopped fresh rosemary and fresh ground black pepper.  

Millard's Artichoke Mini-Quiches

Millard's Artichoke Mini-Quiches

Makes 6 muffin-sized quiches or 35 mini tart-sized quiches

1 (12 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4 eggs
6 saltine crackers, optional
3 scallions, chopped, optional
Dash of hot sauce, optional
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients. Divide into 6 greased muffin cups or into greased mini-muffin pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden. If using mini tart pans (size as in the photo), bake for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Savory Blue Cheese Coins with Apricot Jam

Savory Blue Cheese Coins with Apricot Jam

Makes about 90 to 100, depending on size

1½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
¾ cup blue cheese crumbles (Gorgonzola, Bleu, etc.)
½ cup walnuts
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick cold, unsalted butter cut into ½-inch cubes
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons water

½ cup apricot jam (or use fig jam, peach jam.

In a food processor, combine the first 5 ingredients an process briefly to blend. Add in the cold butter cubes and process until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Combine the egg yolk with the water and mix well, then add to the food processor. Process until the dough forms moist crumbs.

Turn dough out onto a surface, preferably marble or granite. Smear the dough with the hands and use a pastry scraper to bring the dough together, fold it over, turn and repeat: smear, scrape, turn - about 4 times. Divide dough in halves. Roll each half into an 18-inch long log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 2 or 3 days.

When ready to make the coins, remove the log from its wrapper and slice thinly, about ¼-inch thick or less. Set these little rounds ½-inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Use a ¼-teaspoon measure and make an indentation in the center of each little coin. Insert a tiny 1/8-teaspoon dollop of jam into the well. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove from pan immediately, using a thin spatula. 

The little cupcakes were made with my Chocolate Cake recipe and topped with Chocolate Buttercream Icing.

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Mini cupcakes with
Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Makes two 8-inch cake layers

2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup water
¾ cup buttermilk
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8-inch round pans. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment and grease or spray the parchment as well.

Measure the flour, soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and whisk to blend; set aside. In a standing electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamy, then add in the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Pour in the melted chocolate and mix. Combine the buttermilk and water. Add the dry ingredients, alternately with the liquid ingredients, until completely mixed.

Pour evenly into prepared pans. Tap pans once or twice sharply on counter top, to release air bubbles. 

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

NOTES: If making mini cupcakes, use mini cupcake papers and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Will frost top and sides of an 8-inch cake

½ cup shortening
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
pinch salt
1 pound confectioners' sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons vanilla
¼ - ½ cup water or milk

In one bowl sift together the cocoa with one cup of confectioners' sugar and set aside. Into another bowl, sift the rest of the confectioners sugar with the pinch of salt and set aside.

In a stand mixer, beat the room temperature butter and shortening. This step can be just until combined, or may be beaten for about 5 or 6 minutes for a lighter and creamier outcome. Add in the confectioners' sugar and on low speed, combine the ingredients. Beat for 3 to 5 minutes to achieve a lighter texture. Add in the vanilla and ¼ cup of water or milk (or see notes for other ideas).

Add in the confectioners' sugar and cocoa mixture and on low speed, combine well. This is where the difference between a dark chocolate color and pale chocolate color is a choice. Longer beating will lighten color. Add in up to ¼ cup more liquid if the buttercream is not of spreading consistency.

NOTES: This icing can be flavored many ways. Use ¼ cup of a liqueur to flavor, such as Chambord for a raspberry flavor or Grand Marnier for orange flavor, as long as it is not meant for children. Add in some espresso for a mocha flavor or almond extract. The choices are almost limitless.

 

Flank Steak Rolls and Savory Blue Cheese Coins

The Broker Associate wanted some easy-to-drink wines that most people might like, so we settled on Velvet Crush Pinot Noir and Folie-a-Deux Merlot for the reds, and Menage a Trois White blend and Massimo Sauvignon Blanc for the whites. The mini-quiches and the Savory Blue Cheese Coins went exceptionally well with the white wines and the altered version of the blue cheese coins with rosemary and pepper, along with the flank steak rolls went very well with the red wines.

There was a steady stream of attendees for the open house from 2 to 4 PM. Tetiana was kept busy showing the lovely, large home. When the attendees wandered to the kitchen, my husband and I served them wine and appetizers, which were well received. We also handed out wine rating sheets to the guests. This may seem an odd thing to do at a realtor's open house, but as we were serving wines, and since so many people buy wines "by guess and by golly," rating wines for oneself is a marvelous way to become accustomed to the terms associated with a wine that one enjoys. This allows finding other wines with similar attributes at later dates. It becomes easier to understand what it is about any particular wine that really appeals or what does not.

I feel strongly that anyone interested in drinking wine should expand their palate and try new wines, new styles and alternate grape varieties, avoiding falling into the rut of consistently ordering or choosing the same thing over and over, based on being "safe" with one particular type or flavor. There is too much wonderful wine at really affordable prices these days to not take advantage and try them out.

This concept of serving appetizers (with or without wine) for open houses can be a wonderful way for a realtor or homeowner holding open houses to expand a quick run-through for attendees to a more leisurely and pleasurable event. If you are looking for a house or property in the Aberdeen area, check out Re/Max Preferred Choice.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Great Website, and an Appetizer

Hi Everyone,

I have recently been contacted by a gentleman from Australia who has traveled fairly worldwide and has a wonderful concept for his website. It is all about bringing cultures together through food. All sorts of ethnicities are included, and he is attempting to include such things as where bloggers buy their food for these ethnic cuisines, not counting large supermarket chains. He is also interested in "street foods", something I was highly interested in, when I lived in Guatemala, though I never took photos of any of it, back then. If anyone is interested, I did list his website here: www.allaboutcuisines.com. I urge everyone to at least check out his website and if anyone can help with fleshing out the categories, and adding some great street food photos to that section, I am sure it will be greatly appreciated. Food brings together diverse cultures. This should be celebrated.

Mushroom Crostini with Sherry & Rosemary

Having lived in Guatemala for 12 years as a new young wife (long ago), I came in contact with so much new and interesting food I had never seen or heard of before, and this journey led me to a lifelong interest in ethnic cuisines and different foods and spices. That has brought me to where I am today. I constantly look for new ideas, new spices, new combinations. At times I have lived in places where many wondrous ethnic shops are available and at others not so much. But it has been a lifelong joy when I find a little ethnic grocery, where entering the new sights and smells just transports me to another place. The smells are just amazing.

When we lived in Justice, in the greater Chicago area, there was a little Greek/Italian grocery we frequented. Sadly I cannot recall the name, or exactly where it was located, but walking in there, the smell of the barrels of olives or huge chunks of Feta cheese were immediately noticed, as well as many other interesting foods not seen in a grocery chain store. In Guatemala I recall loving the typical candies like Canillas de Leche, or just the candied fruits like figs and oranges, or candied vegetables such as squash or sweet potato. We often stopped at little stands outside someone's house where we ate things like Pipian de Pollo or Res, or Tripa. We bought Pupusas and curtido. We often stopped for freshly roasted corn on the cob, rolled in cream and then in Queso Fresco. Those memories will never fade.

Black Cardamom, closeup

Green Cardamom

I wish now that I had had the foresight to get photos, no matter that they wouldn't be of great quality. Alas, the memory alone must serve. For now though, I made another recipe today that is just spectacular. It has been something percolating in my mind for some time, but when our friend Richard was visiting recently I was giving him some of the less-known Indian spices to smell. He is very inventive when it comes to pairing flavors, and after smelling the black cardamom (not to be confused with green cardamom, he commented that the smoky earthiness of the cardamom should go well with the earthy flavors of mushrooms. And I thought, "Duh! Now why did this never occur to me?" It is just wonderful to have others with great ideas like that. So today, I finally got down to trying it out. I had wanted to revisit a recipe I had played with a couple years back. It was mushrooms, and meant to go onto toasted bread. However, I burnt the bread so badly, the whole thing was a bust. You couldn't even taste the mushrooms for the burnt bread, though my husband valiantly ate them anyway. True love, there!

A few days ago I made some Multi Grain and Seed Bread that turned out just spectacular, so I used that bread as the base for these Mushroom Crostini with Sherry and Rosemary. This would be perfect on thinly sliced baguette, shown. The recipe makes about 3 1/2 - 4 cups worth and will top at least 24 little baguette slices. This should make 24 appetizer servings or 12 servings as a first course. A nice earthy wine would go well with these, such as a Pinot Noir, or a Carmenere from Chile.

Mushroom Crostini with Sherry and Rosemary

1 baguette, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil for brushing on the bread

Mushroom Crostini with Sherry & Rosemary

1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked 20 - 30 minutes in 2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced and rough chopped
2 - 3 cloves garlic
1 pound "baby bellas" or cremini mushrooms, stems removed, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon sea salt
a few grinds of the pepper mill
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced
1 black cardamom pod, seeds removed and crushed, pod discarded
1/2 cup Fino Sherry, or dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 - 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a large skillet and add in the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion and reduce heat to medium low, cooking the onion slowly, tossing often, for about 15 minutes, or until nicely golden. Add in the garlic and sliced mushrooms with the salt and pepper and continue to cook, stirring often, until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown slightly. about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the shiitakes from the hot water (discard water) and cut out the hard stems. Slice them in half, then thinly slice them across. Add the shiitakes to the skillet with the cardamom, rosemary and Sherry. Raise the heat to medium high and cook, stirring, until all the Sherry liquid has evaporated. Add in the cream off the heat and stir to combine. Set aside.

Broil the olive oil brushed baguette slices very close to the broiler for about 2 minutes, or until browned. Flip them over and brown the other side. Remove from oven and pile on mushroom mixture and top with grated Parmesan. Broil for another 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and just beginning to brown. Serve immediately.

1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms

Bon Appetit!



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Dreaming Indian, again

I just love Indian foods. All the flavors that go together so wonderfully. The aromas that waft through the house. Many of the spices are also really good for you. Turmeric, in particular, being a great anti-inflammatory, anti-flatulent and anti-microbial, and a host of other things. Even if you have to get your clothes all yellow stained from the turmeric, use it in your foods. It has little flavor, but great color and side benefits.

Got sidetracked there. I was in the mood for something Indian, or at least a take on Indian. The recipe I make now and then is called Pepper Curried Chicken. It is highly adjustable, so you can really make it suit your tastes. I like using a pound of skinless, boneless chicken breasts, but if you prefer skinless, boneless thigh meat that is great, too. I make the recipe stretch so the amount of meat is less than we might normally eat, which is a good thing. I like black pepper, so I use 2 teaspoons. I would use more, but my husband can't take the heat. You may use more, or less, as desired. I used no green chiles in the recipe. Serrano chilies are great in this, and give that bright chile flavor and heat. Use them or not. I also like a lot of fresh ginger. Ginger is another root with similar properties to turmeric. As they are related, it is not surprising. Ginger is such a nice warm spice, and it is wonderful for upset stomachs. Very calming and soothing. However, some do not care that much for fresh ginger as we do, so use it at your own level. Same with garlic. 

So, now that I have given you all these things to adjust to your liking, there is certainly no reason not to try this recipe out. Play with it and make it your own. Add in some Garam Masala, if you like. I love that combination of spices. 

Pepper Curried Chicken

Pepper Curried Chicken

2 teaspoons ground coriander seed
2 teaspoons ground cumin seed
2 teaspoons coarsely ground, good quality black pepper
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, or equivalent
2 tablespoons coconut oil, or olive oil, if preferred
2 large onions, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 or 2 Serrano chilies, minced, optional
1 can coconut milk
2 cups frozen peas
½ cup raw cashews, roasted in a dry pan 

Mix together the first 5 ingredients and set aside. Cut the chicken into 1½-inch pieces and place in a bowl. Pour spices over and toss to combine. Set aside while sauteing the onions.

In a large skillet, heat the coconut oil and saute the onions until they are a nice golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add in the ginger and garlic (and chiles, if using) and continue to saute for about 30 seconds, or until very fragrant. Add in the chicken and toss to coat. Saute on medium high until the chicken pieces are all beginning to turn brown. Add in the coconut milk and stir. Bring to boil, lower heat to medium low and allow to cook for about 10 minutes. Add in the frozen peas and continue to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.


My passion is to teach people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and help pass along my love and joy of food, both simple and exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, trying new things weekly. Join me at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook and Pinterest.