Veggie Kebabs as Main or Side Dish

If you love grilled vegetables, then this is a recipe for you. Whether you are vegetarian, or if you want these as a side dish, they have excellent flavor, both from the marinade and from the grill. 

Veggie Kebabs

When I made these, I used a mix of vegetables I had selected just for this application, but you can mix and match as you choose, keeping in mind that not all vegetables cook at the same rate. I used tiny potatoes whole, so I first boiled them and then marinated them to use on the skewer just for the added flavor of the grill. I used chunks of fresh pineapple, obviously not a vegetable but it does taste great on the grill! Bell peppers are an easy choice, and multi colored peppers make the kebabs look more visually appealing. I used hunks of portobello for the meatiness, but button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms would also work - or no mushrooms at all if they are not to your taste. Corn is best cut into small rounds across the cob, both for easy skewering and for quicker cooking, as more heat can reach the kernels. Sweet potato also needs a little cooking beforehand to make them soft enough to grill, just being careful not to over cook or they won't stay put on the skewer. I love grilled onion, so the more the merrier, whether white, yellow or red, and cut into wide enough squares to be comparable in width to the other vegetables on the skewer. 

Gourmet Gardens Italian Herbs

I happened to have on hand at the time a tube of Gourmet Garden Italian Herbs. If you have not used this mixture, it is really great to give flavor to all sorts of foods, whether steaks, baked potatoes, mix into a dressing - just use your imagination. Once you've tasted it, you will think of all kinds of things it would enhance. Our friend Rich is a fanatic about this stuff and has it on hand at all times, for stirring into vegetables, adding to sauces, to spread on pizza, whatever strikes his fancy. 

I tried once to make an approximation of this stuff, and it was okay, but somehow fell just short of the mark, for flavor, despite using fresh herbs to create it. The only actual herbs in this mixture listed on the label are basil, oregano, parsley and rosemary, out of 10 total ingredients, so you may understand why I wanted to go that route of making my own. 

👀My suggestion, if you do not have this ingredient, or choose not to use it because of the many "other" ingredients, would be to substitute a tablespoon of minced fresh basil and rosemary with another dollop of olive oil to approximate - as my recipe already calls for oregano and thyme, garlic, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. 

Veggie Kebabs

Makes about 10 to 16 kebabs, depending on size of skewers

Veggie Kebabs

1 – 2 ears corn, cut into 1½ inch wheels
1 red bell pepper, in 1-inch squares
1 orange bell pepper, cut in 1-inch squares
1 red onion, separated and cut in 1-inch squares
1 zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 (3-inch) Portobello caps, quartered
15 – 20 tiny 1-inch potatoes, or others, in 1-inch chunks
1 sweet potato, peeled, in 1½-inch cubes
2 cups fresh pineapple, in 1½-inch wedges

MARINADE/SAUCE:

1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons Gourmet Garden Italian Herbs 

(or see above 👀)

3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

Place the potatoes and sweet potato chunks into a small pot and cover with water. Bring to boil, adding 1 teaspoon salt to the water, and boil for about 10 minutes, or until they can just barely be pierced through. Drain and rinse under cold water and set aside to cool.

In a bowl, whisk together the Kosher salt, fresh oregano & thyme, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Italian Herbs paste and garlic. Whisk together and pour over all the vegetables in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Thread the vegetables onto skewers, keeping in mind, if using wooden skewers, they must be soaked for at least 30 minutes before using. When threading the corn, skewer it through the center of the “wheel.” Reserve the marinade aside.

Grill the skewers over a hot grill until they are browned in spots and tender. Brush them with some remaining marinade to serve. Or, remove the vegetables to a bowl to serve, pouring some of the remaining marinade over top.

NOTE: As a party idea, use small wooden skewers, well soaked ahead of time, and thread on just a small few veggies per skewer, Make extra marinade to have for guests to use as a dip or a pouring sauce when serving. As these do not have to be hot for serving, they can be made just slightly in advance, but do not make them so far ahead they need refrigerating, as this significantly changes the flavors.

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.

Ready for Meatless Monday

I recently made a lasagna, without meat. My husband has been willing to forego meat on occasion, so in an endeavor to make a dish where he might not miss the meat, I made a lasagna, with no meat, and instead adding in spinach and artichokes, as well as mushrooms, all things he really likes. Hubby said he was willing to try, but this was stated without much excitement.

As it turned out, he just loved it! Maybe not enough to say it was better than a lasagna with meat sauce, but it was good enough to be satisfied with, and that is all I can hope for. 

Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

I love putting spinach into lasagna, though in past, my husband shuddered when seeing something "green" where it is highly apparent, as there just should NOT be anything green! Oh well. And I also love things like Spinach and Artichoke Dip, as witnessed by that wonderful recipe, as well as others I have enjoyed elsewhere. And, while my husband loves artichokes in things, he just can't - quite - love - spinach. He has never tasted my excellent Spinach and Artichoke Dip, for that reason. Anyway, rambling along here, I just want to say that I know what a great combo those two things are together, so why not in a lasagna together?

Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

Ever since hubby got me a pasta machine, I have looked for ways to use it, to express my appreciation for the gift. That said, it isn't quite as great as I could wish. Its dies are plastic, not bronze, and they extrude spaghetti that is far too thick to be called spaghetti. Meaning that anything I try to extrude comes out so thick it will hardly cook through. So, of the about 10 different die cutters he got me, I use only two: lasagna noodles and angel hair pasta cutter, which comes out like regular spaghetti. But, I just love the lasagna cutter. The noodles are hardy enough, and work exceptionally well for a lasagna. No-cook lasagna noodles will work in this also, but - I have the machine, therefore I use it.

Another plus to this pasta machine is that I can make whole grain pasta. My favorite grain is Kamut Khorasan grain, which I grind in the Grain Mill he got me as well. Two birds, and all that.  Plus that grain mill is a gift that keeps on giving! I use it probably 3 to 5 times a week. It gives all sorts of new opportunities for unusual flour to try out.

Okay so back to the lasagna. As this one is meatless, I didn't want to go to a whole 9 x 13-inch pan, because if he didn't like it, then it was going to be my dinner for the next week, while I'd have to make him something else! Instead, I made this lasagna in a 9 x 9-inch pan.  And this is what I did . . .

Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna

How to assemble the Lasagna

Serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
10 green olives, minced
1 tablespoon pesto (or 3 tablespoons fresh basil, minced finely)
1 (24-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
½ pound fresh lasagna sheets, or about 6 to 9 no-boil lasagna sheets
16 ounces ricotta cheese
10-ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry (or use 10 ounces fresh baby spinach)
1 egg
1 (15 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained, lightly chopped
 2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella or your preference)
1 (6.5-ounce) jar mushroom pieces, drained

About 20 minutes in advance of assembling, set the olive oil and minced garlic in a small saucepan and set on a burner with the lowest heat possible. The object is to steep the garlic in the oil, without browning or burning. Keep a close eye on it. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Stir the garlic and its oil into the spaghetti sauce, along with the minced olives and the pesto (or basil). Set aside. In a food processor, combine the ricotta cheese and the spinach and pulse with the egg to combine. Set aside.

Grease a 9 x 9-inch oven safe baking dish. Arrange all the ingredients near to hand, then following this order shown here at right above, from bottom to topmost layer, assemble the lasagna. Make a tent of foil that covers the lasagna but does not touch the cheese (it will stick), crimping around the edges of the pan to keep in moisture. Bake the lasagna on a middle to lower rack for 18 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for 12 to 15 minutes more. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.



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 Rustic Pie for Dinner

The original recipe for this galette (rustic pie) came from Food and Wine Magazine, many long years back. I've been making it over these years, with wonderful results every single time. It does not contain meat, but my husband and I enjoy it enough that meat is not missed. It is filled with all sorts of wonderful flavors, wrapped into a pie pastry and baked. A nice green salad on the side and it's a meal. 

Leek & Mushroom Galette with Goat Cheese

While we have traditionally served it as 4 to 6 meal portion size pieces, it can be served as an appetizer portion, divided into 8 to 10 portions. While we have traditionally eaten it as lunch or dinner, it would also be excellent served for brunch or lunch.

The original recipe did not call for mushrooms, but my husband absolutely loves mushrooms, and I also like them a lot, so I added them in. I chose to use white pepper instead of black pepper, and more fresh thyme by far. Nutmeg is another addition I have found excellent with these flavors. 

Obviously, the better your pie crust, the better the overall flavors will be. I heartily suggest making Never Fail Pie Pastry. It makes 3 or 4 single pie crust portions, but the remainder can be divided into zip-top bags and frozen until needed. It is simple to thaw for an hour and use for any pie-making needs. It is preferable to use a third of the recipe, for a 10-inch sized pie portion, but you can make do with a fourth of the recipe for a 9-inch sized pie if needed, as I did here.  

Leek & Mushroom Galette with Goat Cheese

Leeks?

If you have never used leeks before, they have a far milder flavor than onions. They are of the same genus allium as are onions, shallots, garlic and chives. Instead of forming into bulbs, as with onions or shallots, leeks form a tightly bundled sheath of leaves. In order to keep the lower parts white, they are "trenched" with soil piled up around their base while growing. This also leads to the real possibility of finding mud or grit inside between some of the leaves.

When using leeks, use only the white and lighter green portions, as the dark green portions are much tougher and bitter flavored. The tops can be saved to flavor stock. Once the root end is cut off, and there is a nice white and light green cylinder, cut the cylinder down its length and then fan the leaves under running water to release and clean out any mud or grit. Once clean, slice them across the cylinder into ⅛ to ½-inch pieces, as needed.

Well browned mushrooms - Leeks sliced and sauteed

Galette?

A galette (for this purpose) is just a pie made in a "rustic" manner, meaning "free-form," not placed into a pie plate. The dough is rolled out to a diameter that will accommodate having a 2 to 3-inch border folded up, pleating as needed, to cover the edges of the filling. This can be done with sweet or savory fillings, though the amount of liquids must be kept low, with no deep pan to contain them. 

Leek & Mushroom Galette with Goat Cheese

Serves 4 - 6 as a meal; 8 - 10 as an appetizer 
 

Leek & Mushroom Galette with Goat Cheese

2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
¼ teaspoon salt
6 large leeks (5 - 6 cups, sliced) leeks,
    white and light green parts only
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves 
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 large egg, beaten lightly
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 pie pastry for 10-inch pie
¾ cup goat cheese crumbles

Heat a large skillet and add in the 2 teaspoons of oil and butter. Add the sliced mushrooms and sprinkle the ¼ teaspoon salt over the mushrooms. Saute, tossing frequently over medium heat until all the liquids have evaporated and the mushrooms are a deep golden color. Pour the mushrooms into a bowl and set aside. Return the skillet to the heat.

Add in the 2 tablespoons butter and the leeks and thyme leaves, adding in ½ cup of water. Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes until the leeks are very tender. Raise the heat slightly and add in the white wine, cooking quickly until it is mostly evaporated. Stir in the cream and cook quickly until reduced slightly, about 3 minutes. Season with the ½ teaspoon salt, the white pepper and nutmeg, then set the pan aside to cool slightly.

Reserve aside 1 tablespoon of the beaten egg. Stir the remaining egg, 2 tablespoons of the parsley and the reserved mushrooms into the leek mixture.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a clean surface strewn with flour, roll out the pastry to a 14-inch circle. No need for perfect edges. Set the dough onto a baking sheet or pizza pan that will accommodate a 10-inch diameter galette. Pour the leek and mushroom mixture into the center, leaving at least 2 or 3 inch border of dough all around. Sprinkle the goat cheese over top. Begin lifting the edges of the dough over the edges of the filling, pleating the dough as needed to make a rough circle. Brush the outside of the pastry with the reserved egg. Bake the galette for about 30 to 35 minutes, until golden. Cool slightly and sprinkle with remaining parsley before cutting and serving. 



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.

Sometimes a Great Thing Just Happens

Sometimes I sit and think, "What in the world am I going to make for dinner?" And sometimes I sit thinking like this all the day long and nothing at all to show for all that rigorous thinking.

But then sometimes, I just kind of flow with it and something great occurs. This happened yesterday. I looked in the freezer yesterday morning and my eyes wandered around a while, finally settling on ground lamb. I had nothing particular in mind, but it was a start.
 

Lamb & Mushroom Lasagna

Then I went grocery shopping, since the fridge was looking pretty bleak. Nothing green in sight and not much of anything fresh left. Okay, so while shopping, I looked at a pound box of mushrooms and just got a craving. Okay, so what do I do with mushrooms and ground lamb?

I kept those ingredients in the back of my mind, and as I often do, I Googled those two ingredients and there were all sorts of recipes out there, of course. I always say that there is no new combination on the face of the earth. Someone, somewhere, has thought of a recipe. I have had times where I never looked up a single thing, made a dish I created in my own mind, and only later discovered that it was almost ingredient for ingredient in someone else's blog. 😲

There were many different recipes for ground lamb and mushrooms, mixed with pasta of one kind or another, but I didn't want to use penne, or elbow, or any of those. And then I thought about lasagna. I am not the world's greatest lasagna maker. I am a really good cook, and often exceptional. But lasagna does not figure in the great successes. I guess I am a glutton for punishment, because somehow I keep trying. And my efforts are sometimes pitiful, sometimes good, but not great. Yet I keep trying. I figured I would give the pasta maker some use. I hadn't used it since last June when my husband and I started a diet. Mainly I was avoiding refined carbs. We eat lots of carbs: lentils, beans, whole grains, squash, etc, but very little of white flour. Except for the holidays; don't even want to think about all that!

Okay, so lasagna.

I'd just come home from grocery shopping when I came up with this idea. I did not buy any mozzarella or ricotta. I wasn't going back out. It was about 4 degrees when I went shopping. More of that deep-freeze I didn't particularly want. And then I was thinking about the lasagna with short rib meat I made nearly a year ago when my daughter-in-law told me about a short rib lasagna she'd eaten. In that one I used a béchamel with cheese melted in it, instead of the mozzarella and/or ricotta. I had other cheese in the fridge. I had some Fontina (which is not sold here where I live, but I'd happened to find some on one of our trips to Sioux Falls recently), and I did have things like Romano and Parmesan. In a pinch, Cheddar, though that wasn't the flavor I wanted. If you do not have access to Fontina, substitute Ementhal, Gruyere or even Provolone.

in my mind, I began assembling ingredients, and writing down my recipe plan. Then I started assembling and cooking. I got the lamb and mushroom part finished, and then the béchamel sauce. In the end I used the Fontina and Romano cheese in the bechamel. I used some "sweet" spices (cinnamon, allspice, cloves and even mastik - a new one!) in the lamb mixture. They were not readily apparent in the final dish, though it did have an intriguing flavor. Since I was using fresh rosemary and thyme, the use of mastik, which has a slightly pine-like flavor, seemed like it would pair well with the resinous flavor of rosemary. And all that remained was the pasta. I did use my pasta machine and made lasagna sheets. And yes I used white semolina flour - oh well. If you do not have a pasta machine, you will need 6-8 lasagna sheets (enough to cover the pan three times), pre-cooked.

Lamb and Mushroom Lasagna

Lamb & Mushroom Lasagna

Makes one 13 x 9-inch pan

MUSHROOM MIXTURE:
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
2 - 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup dry sherry or other dry white wine, optional

MEAT MIXTURE:
1 pound ground lamb (or substitute beef)
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon mastik gum, ground finely, optional
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1 can (14.5 ounces) tomato sauce

BÉCHAMEL SAUCE:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground white pepper, optional
1 cup shredded Fontina Cheese
1 cup shredded Romano cheese

6 - 8 lasagna sheets, pre-cooked

MUSHROOM MIXTURE: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the olive oil, onions and the ½ teaspoon of salt. Toss well, then lower the heat to medium low and cook slowly for about 10 minutes, tossing occasionally. Add in the mushrooms and raise the heat to medium. Cook, tossing the mixture occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and begin to brown. Add in the fresh thyme leaves and the sherry. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated, then turn the mixture out into a bowl and set aside.

Making Lamb and Mushroom Mixture

MEAT MIXTURE: To the same skillet, add the ground lamb and cook, breaking apart evenly. Add in the salt, garlic, rosemary and other spices. Toss well and cook for a couple of minutes before adding in the tomato sauce. Cook for a minute or so to meld the flavors. Return the mushroom mixture to the pan and mix well. Set aside, off the heat.

Making Bechamel Sauce

BÉCHAMEL SAUCE: Heat a 4 to 6-quart saucepan over medium heat and add in the butter to melt. Once melted, add in the flour and mix well, stirring for about 3 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the milk slowly, until the mixture is smooth. Return to the heat and add in the salt, nutmeg and white pepper and whisk constantly, scraping the pan evenly, until the mixture thickens. Once boiling, continue to whisk for another 3 minutes. Set aside about ¼ of the cheese mixture, then add the rest to the béchamel and whisk until completely melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

Assembling layers then baked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9-inch oven proof casserole lightly with cooking spray. put a small amount of the meat mixture in the bottom of the casserole. Place two (or three if needed) lasagna sheets to cover the bottom, without overlapping. Spoon on ⅓ of the remaining meat mixture and spread it evenly over the noodles. Ladle on ⅓ of the béchamel sauce. Top with another single layer of the lasagna sheets, another ⅓ of the meat mixture and another ⅓ of the béchamel sauce. Repeat these layers once more, then sprinkle the top with the reserved cheese. Bake the casserole for about 45 to 50 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling. Allow to cool for about ½-hour before serving. This allows for neater slices.



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 Wellington Style Appetizer for the Holidays

I have mentioned that I will be making appetizers for a wine tasting on December 20th. Kind of close to Christmas for my comfort, but I am diligently working on things that can be made ahead. A week or two ago I wrote about a recipe I made for Smoky Andouille Corn Pouches. That experiment turned out well, so I will be proceeding with that recipe for the wine tasting, as those little pouches paired excellently with a Malbec I happened to have.

Mock Wellington Bites

So, in casting about for something else new to make, and pair with a red wine (since this group mostly prefers red wine), I thought about Beef Wellington. However, I didn't want to spend a bundle and I wanted them to be tiny enough for a couple of bites. In order to manage this, I felt that the meat would have to be diced very small. My reasoning on this: a single larger cube of meat would be harder to bite into. We are talking about walking around with a little appetizer in hand. We do not want someone to take a little bite and end up with the meat on the floor, or worse yet, take a bigger bite and end up with a large piece of meat in their mouth and the rest of the pastry empty. 

Sauteed Mushrooms, Fried Meats and Assembly

To balance this out, I felt that small diced meat would be best. And then, what else would go in them? Long, long ago, my husband and I frequented a restaurant in Kalamazoo. They had a most wonderful Individual Beef Wellington on the menu, and I have recreated this, using the things I knew were in there (filet mignon, bacon, mushroom), and then adding in things that would make these basic ingredients taste exceptional. They have always turned out wonderfully flavored and perfectly done, so I went with the flavors I used for those. Mushrooms? Absolutely. I pulsed them fine in the food processor and sautéed them in butter and oil until they started browning, then added in garlic and fresh thyme leaves and some dry Sherry for flavor, cooking it out completely.

Mock Wellington Bites

I diced bacon and fried it crisp and set it aside while quickly sautéing the tiny cubed meat over very high heat. I did this in batches (with my extractor fan on high so the smoke alarm wouldn't deafen me!), so it wouldn't steam in the pan, then removed to a bowl. It still released a lot of liquid, which I poured off. Once the meat was done, and cooled, the bacon went in with the finished meat, along with freshly minced rosemary and some Gorgonzola crumbles. The Gorgonzola is one thing I never put in my Beef Wellingtons, but I was going for maximum flavor, something that would pair well with a strong red, like a Cabernet Sauvignon.

Of course, this excellent set of mixtures would be wrapped in puff pastry, so I tried out folding little pouches just as I'd done for the Smoky Andouille Corn Pouches. It seemed to work well. I froze the pouches, to be baked later. A day later I tried out baking just 4 of the pouches to see how they baked and how the whole little package came out. As it happens, they came out really wonderfully well. The only thing was that because they were so small, at 475 degrees the outside of the pastry got beautifully browned while the inside of the pastry was still doughy. I will lower the temperature to 400 degrees when baking the remainder. 

I felt that freezing the little pouches before baking was a good idea for a few reasons. First, it keeps the pastry in place while it begins baking, so they tend not to pop open in the oven, and they expand beautifully this way. Secondly, the insides are already cooked, so they only need reheating while the pastry gets baked. Thirdly, freezing means I can have them prepared way ahead and baked briefly just before serving. Best of all worlds.

Mock Wellington Bites

Makes 32 Little Bites

Mock Wellington Bites

MEAT:
5 - 6 slices thick bacon, diced
2 tablespoons bacon fat, reserved from frying
1 pound sirloin steak, in ¼-inch cubes
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced finely
½ teaspoon Beef & Pork Seasoning
6 ounces Gorgonzola Crumbles

MUSHROOMS:
1 tablespoon each butter and olive oil
1 pound mushrooms, finely minced
½ teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
1½ - 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
⅓ cup dry Sherry (NOT cooking Sherry!), or white wine, optional
-----
½ medium onion, minced finely
½ teaspoon salt
-----
1 Package Puff Pastry (2 sheets)
1 egg, for egg wash when baking

Remove the Puff Pastry Sheets from the freezer, unwrap and set on the counter to thaw completely.

Heat a large skillet and fry the diced bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon to paper toweling to drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease aside.

Use 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease in the pan and heat to high heat. Add half the meat cubes and sear them briefly, tossing until very little pink remains. Turn out into a bowl. If more grease is needed, add the second tablespoon of grease to the pan and sear the second half of the meat, adding it to the bowl when done. Giving the meat a few minutes to settle, drain off any liquids that form. Add in the salt, pepper to taste, rosemary and Beef & Pork Seasoning and toss well. Once the meat has cooled, add the drained bacon and the Gorgonzola Crumbles and toss well. Set aside.

In a clean skillet, heat to medium or medium high heat and add in the butter and olive oil. Add the mushrooms and the first ½-teaspoon salt and sauté, stirring and tossing continually. They will release a lot of liquid, but keep stirring until it has all evaporated and the mushrooms begin to take on a bit of golden brown color. Add in the garlic and thyme leaves and toss to distribute. Add the Sherry or wine, if using, and stir, cooking until all the wine has evaporated. Remove the mushrooms to a bowl.

Add the onions and the next ½-teaspoon salt to the pan and sauté the onions gently, over medium low heat, stirring often, until they get a golden color. Add the onion to the mushrooms and mix well. Set aside and allow to cool.

Flour a surface and unroll one Puff Pastry sheet. If it is completely thawed, it will open without cracking. If it wants to crack apart at one of the folds, it is not thawed enough. Once ready, lightly dist the top surface with flour.

Roll out the pastry sheet to about a 16½ x 16½-inch square. Keep it as squared as possible. Trim off the outer edges all the way around, leaving a 16 x 16-inch square. Cut the large square into 16 smaller, 4 x 4-inch squares: first cut the square in half in one direction, then each half into halves in the same direction. Repeat this halving in the opposite direction. Have a small cup of water at hand, for moistening the edges of the squares, when folding.

Folding the Wellington Bites

Using a teaspoon measure, scoop a generously rounded, packed portion of the mushroom mixture onto the center of each 4-inch square. Neaten it into a flat circle and then using the same teaspoon, scoop up a generous portion of the meat mixture, placing it atop the mushrooms on each square. Press the meat into neat mounds. Moisten all four edges of the square. Lift two corners, bringing the points together and sealing the seam. Lift another point to the center and press to catch the point with the previous two, then seal that edge. Now, bring up the remaining point to the center, pressing it with the other points, to adhere, then press the remaining two edges to seal. Do this with each of the 16 squares.

Set the little packets onto a baking sheet once they are completed. Repeat this whole process with the remaining Puff Pastry sheet, for a total of 32 little pouches. Set the baking sheet into the freezer and allow the packets to freeze for at least an hour. If baking that day, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

DO AHEAD: If making these ahead, once frozen, remove all the little frozen pouches to a zip-top bag and keep them frozen for up to 3 weeks. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Set the frozen pouches onto a baking sheet.

Whisk the egg lightly with 1 tablespoon of water, for the egg wash. This will make the pouches bake beautifully golden, with a pretty shine. Using a pastry brush, brush the top sides of the pastries with the egg wash. Do not allow egg to drip onto the baking sheet, as this can "glue" them to the pan, making removal from the tray very difficult later. Bake the pastries for 10 or 12 minutes, as needed for the pastry to become beautifully golden and puffed. Serve hot or at room temperature, preferably with a nice glass of Cabernet at hand. 😀

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.

Chicken & Mushroom Pate to Serve with a Pinot Noir

Continuing with my testing of new recipes to pair with the wines I will showcase at this year's Winefest Renaissance, benefiting the Boys & Girls Club of Aberdeen Area, yesterday I made Chicken & Mushroom Pate. This will pair with an earthy Pinot Noir from J Vineyards. Once again, the recipe came out splendidly, and just what I hoped, flavor-wise. Gathering ideas of what to use in the making of this appetizer, I selected items from my food and varietal pairing sheets. I wanted to use mushrooms, because what is more earthy than a mushroom? Still, I wanted to pair a meat in there somewhere. Chicken seems to be the dominant meat in this year's food pairings. So far I have 3 dishes with chicken as a part of the whole. 

Pairing list

Looking through the internet, the most common pairing in a mushroom pate is chicken livers. Perhaps chicken livers are a great match. I, however, will not eat liver of any kind. Believe me, it is not that I am blacklisting something I have never tried, either. I have tried chicken liver pate; even made it once myself. I was fed beef liver as a child and hated it then. I made it as an adult and still hated it. So, no liver in my pate!

So what would be good to pair with the mushrooms, I wondered. Since I had already bought boneless, skinless chicken thighs to use in the little Pork & Chicken Sausage patties for the sliders I wrote of a couple of days ago, I felt that chicken thighs, being a dark meat, would be a great pairing with the mushrooms. I do not really care for dark meat from chicken or turkey, but if it is mixed in something I can eat it just fine. Okay then, chicken thigh meat would be used. Looking at the list of foods to pair, I chose Pecorino Romano cheese to add that sharpness to the mix. I used fresh rosemary to perk up flavors even more. 

Chicken Mushroom Pate on Pita Crisps

Recently I created a spice mixture I am calling "Pepperless Piquancy". I love pepper. particularly black Tellicherry peppercorns, freshly ground. Not everyone is quite the pepper fanatic that I am though, so I was thinking about spices that could give a similar "zip" to a dish, but contain no true pepper. I made it up a while ago, but have not posted it here in my blog because I have been judiciously testing and tasting it to see how it works. I used some of this Pepperless Piquancy in my pate. I cannot really taste it as such, but I was really loving the overall flavors. Nothing was jarring or out of place. If you do not have the spices to mix a batch of my Pepperless Piquancy to try out in this appetizer, just substitute ground pepper; even better if the Gourmet Blend sort. If looking at the Pepperless Piquancy recipe below and you note that the main ingredient is pink peppercorns, understand that pink peppercorns are not related to pepper at all, but because they resemble pepper and have a certain pepper-like sharp fruitiness, they are included in pepper blends.

Pepperless Piquancy

Makes almost ¼ cup

1½ tablespoons pink peppercorns
1 tablespoon Szechuan "pepper"
1½ teaspoons Grains of Paradise
½ tablespoons ground ginger

Toast the first three ingredients in a hot, dry skillet until they are very fragrant. Pour them out onto a plate to cool, then grind them to a powder in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Stir in the ground ginger. Store the mixture in a jar with tight fitting lid in a cool dark place.
I also used a teaspoon of black cardamom seeds, going on what our friend Rich suggested when he first smelled their smoky aroma. He felt the black cardamom would pair well with mushrooms, and it truly does. Again, not everyone will have black cardamom in their spice rack, so this is optional. If looking for the smoky quality to substitute in this appetizer, I suggest smoked paprika. Use 1/2 teaspoon, taste and add another if it is not yet of the smoky flavor you want.

Down to the Basics

Okay, I now had a creditable list of food items I wanted to use in the making of this Chicken Mushroom Pate. I debated adding some dried mushrooms but left that out. Just another step, when there is already much to do. One thing I truly meant to do was add some toasted walnuts. Unfortunately I completely forgot! Another thing I absolutely wanted to do was deglaze the pan, after cooking either the mushrooms or the chicken. I like to add wine and let it completely evaporate. It gives such great flavor intensity. Mushrooms and chicken can be bland. I was looking for ways to punch up the flavor. I had some dry Prosecco in the fridge, so I used that. Any dry white wine would do well in this instance.

Now that I had an idea of how to make the Chicken Mushroom Pate, I also had to decide what to serve the pate ON. I thought long on this aspect. My sister in law suggested using the little bagel chips. Some bagel chips I have seen are very tiny, and I was unsure how this would work. I did like the idea of using something crisp, in contrast to the soft texture of the pate. I popped over to the local grocery yesterday and picked up a pack each of Bagel Chips and also Pita Crisps. Turns out that the bagel chips are so hard and crunchy, it makes it impossible to take a bite. Either you stuff your face with the whole thing, or it crumbles and breaks. Okay, nix the bagel chips. The Pita Crisps however, were perfect. I felt like I had found Mama Bear's Chair - it was just right. They are thinner, yet have enough strength to hold the pate. It is easy to take a bite and still have the remainder stay whole. Bingo.

One serving of Chicken Mushroom Pate, to pair with a sampling of Pinot Noir

This pate is perfect to serve in a bowl with a little spreader. Since I am using this to pair with a Pinot Noir at a wine tasting event, I am serving two little pita crisps with a little scoop of pate on each as one portion. Measured out, this recipe made 68 scoops (about 1 tablespoon each), or 34 servings.

Chicken Mushroom Pate

68 (1-tablespoon size) scoops

Chicken Mushroom Pate on Pita Crisps

CHICKEN PREP:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, well trimmed
1 teaspoon Pepperless Piquancy, or ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon salt
2 - 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

MUSHROOM MIXTURE:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion (about 6 - 6 1/2 ounces), finely chopped
1 pound mushrooms (I used Baby Bellas), sliced
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black cardamom seeds, ground, optional
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced
⅔ cup champagne or dry white wine
more olive oil, for frying the chicken
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 ounces (1 cup grated) Pecorino Romano cheese
½ cup heavy cream, divided
parsley leaves, for garnish

First, make sure the chicken is well trimmed of fat and cut into small pieces, none larger than 1-inch. Sprinkle on the Pepperless Piquancy, salt and the minced garlic and mix together well. Set this aside while preparing the mushroom mixture.

mushrooms releasing liquid  |  liquid cooked out  |  wine added  |  wine evaporated  |  chicken well browned

Heat a large skillet, preferably nonstick, and add in the butter and tablespoon of olive oil. Once melted, add the minced onion and lower heat to medium low, cooking the onion very slowly, about 8 minutes, until softened and golden. Add the mushrooms to the onions in the pan and raise the heat to medium high. It will seem a lot at first, but they will cook down quickly. Add in the 1/2 teaspoon salt, black cardamom, if using. Cook, stirring for 15 to 18 minutes, until all the liquid that releases from the mushrooms is cooked out, and the  mushrooms are golden brown. Add in the rosemary and the champagne and cook quickly, stirring, until all the wine has evaporated, 5 to 8 minutes. Pour this mixture into a large bowl to cool. 

Before and after processing the mixture

Return the skillet to the heat and add in a little more olive oil. Pour in the chicken mixture and cook on medium high, tossing continually to brown evenly and cook the meat through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Once meat is cooked through, add to the bowl with the mushrooms. Add in the parsley. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. 

Once cooled, add the Pecorino and mix. Using a food processor, process the mixture very fine in two batches. During this process, add in half the heavy cream to each batch being processed. Remove to a bowl and mix well. This can be made 1 or 2 days in advance. The mixture can also be frozen until needed. Thaw completely before using.

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.

Winefest Renaissance and Fine Fishing Friends

I have been absent from blogging for almost a solid week. I kept meaning to come up to my office and write a blog, but it was one crazy-busy time. Today I have free time; a real rarity lately.

For the last month I had been prepping for the Winefest Renaissance event to benefit the Boys and Girls' Club of Aberdeen. My part in the event was to create 6 different foods to pair properly with 6 wines I chose to showcase for the event. I believe I have already written about all the appetizers I created, except possibly the Chicken and Artichoke Spread with Pine Nuts. 

Chicken Artichoke Cheese Spread with Pine Nuts

This last is an old recipe I altered very slightly to better pair with the Sancerre wine. To make things a bit easier on myself, I used a rotisserie chicken from the deli and just removed all the meat from the bones and chopped it for the spread. Instead of using a mold to form the spread, I rolled it into logs and rolled the logs in a mix of finely minced fresh parsley and fennel fronds. It went wonderfully with the wine, as did everything else, for which I am grateful. There would be nothing worse than to try and demonstrate how good a wine can taste with the proper food and the pairing not work!

Chicken Artichoke Spread with Pine Nuts

Makes one mold, or 2 long, thin logs

1½ cups cooked chicken, finely minced
8 ounces cream cheese
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 (6 or 7 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained, minced
½ cup pine nuts, or other nuts of choice
3 scallions, white & light green parts only, minced
1 teaspoons capers, minced
3 olives, minced
1½ to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper

Place the cream cheese, chicken, Parmesan and artichoke hearts into the food processor. Alternatively, all this can be mixed by hand or stand mixer, if the cheese is soft enough at room temp. Process until well mixed, then add in the rest of the ingredients and process just to combine.

To make in a mold: line with plastic wrap a container large enough to hold the spread. Press the mixture in evenly and smooth the top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until needed. This can be done up to 3 or 4 days in advance. To serve, uncover the mold and set a plate over the top. Holding the mold on the plate firmly, flip over the mold and plate and remove the outer plastic wrap.

To make into a log: Form into two or more logs as needed. If serving on crackers, the logs should not be much larger in diameter than the crackers. Once the logs are formed, chop herbs of choice (such as parsley, fennel or cilantro) very finely. Coat the logs in the herb mixture. Keep chilled until needed; up to 3 or 4 days. Do not freeze.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the evening prior to the Winefest Renaissance Event, our great friend Rich arrived with three fishing buddies; Tom, Dick.... and Allan. I had prepared a lasagna the week before so I would not have to try and concoct a dinner in the midst of making all these little appetizer foods for the event. The lasagna was tasty, but I definitely need to give that recipe another try. Too dry, not enough sauce. Oh well. We had a meal, and I had fresh garlic bread and wine - no one went hungry. I even made my Best Apple Crisp, Ever at the last minute using frozen apples I had prepared and frozen last Fall. The guys went out fishing the day of the event, returning home to shower and change around 3 PM. No fish, alas. 

Best Apple Crisp, Ever

Best Apple Crisp Ever

Makes one 9 x 13 pan

8 cups apples, thinly sliced
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg, or to taste
4 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

Topping:
2 cup all-purpose flour
1½ cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
10 tablespoons butter, melted
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg, or to taste

Mix first 5 ingredients and arrange in an ungreased, 9 x 13-inch shallow baking dish. Mix first 4 topping ingredients in a separate bowl. Add eggs and toss with a fork until crumbly, like for streusel. Sprinkle the topping onto apple mixture in dish. Drizzle with the melted butter and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake in 350 degree oven about 45 minutes, or until browned and bubbling and apples are cooked through.

NOTES: This recipe can easily be cut in half.
Sunday, once the whole affair was done with, I had a lot of leftovers, so I set out everything that was left and between the 4 guests, my husband and myself, we did a really good job of polishing off the rest. That day was a blur.

Basic Potato Roll Dough, made into Buns

Monday I made a Chicken Curry for dinner. I also decided to make some Naan Bread to pair with the Chicken Curry and the Peas in Tomato Sauce. I had made Mango Chutney last Fall sometime, so that was also part of the meal. The guys came home from their fishing day with 5 Northern Pike. I understand that these particular fish are difficult to filet as there is something about the way the bones run that requires a bit of special skill. One of the group, Tom, was the only one that had done this in past, so he worked gamely to get all the fish fileted and frozen. Dick used one smaller fish to make Ceviche, which turned out fantastically good.

On Tuesday the fishing crew decided they might stay out late. They said not to try and hold supper. So I made Pulled Pork 

Baby Greens, Mandarin Oranges and Candied Almonds

and potato salad (see my blog of March 11 for the Potato Salad recipe). As I had no buns, I made some, using my Basic Potato Roll Dough recipe. I had bought some ring molds the last time I shopped here in town at a fantastic store featuring gourmet kitchen utensils and home decor, as well as serving gourmet coffees and chocolates. My plan with these ring molds was to try making buns and maybe at some point English Muffins. Haven't gotten to the English Muffin part yet, but the ring molds worked splendidly for the buns (see photo above). It ended up that the guys got back right at supper time, so we all sat down to eat. 

Perfect Medium Rare Filet Mignon

Yesterday was my birthday. The guys said I had been so hospitable and welcoming, as well as serving them all sorts of wonderful foods, that they were going to cook me a meal for my birthday. The day started out with Dick already in the kitchen making coffee when I surfaced. He also made a batch of scrambled eggs with bacon for the three of us who were awake for breakfast at that point. I was thoroughly questioned about my likes and dislikes for a fine meal. They wouldn't allow me to do anything at all to contribute, though I stayed in the kitchen most of the day just to be able to point them in the right direction to find ingredients or utensils. Merriment abounded all the day long as they shopped and then prepped the foods. All of them contributed some skill set to the day, at differing time slots. While Dick prepped potatoes and onions to be made on the grill, Allan and Tom worked on making the swinging door between the kitchen and dining room work again. Later they worked on some of my dining room chairs that are coming apart, and took a look at my kitchen table that won't come together! Rich was in charge of getting the potatoes and onions on the grill in sufficient time for the filet mignons to get done at the right time. Dick made a huge salad with mandarin oranges and also candied some almonds to use for the salad. He made a salad dressing I will try to approximate at some time, using vinegar, olive oil and frozen orange juice concentrate. Allan used to own and run restaurants, so he was chosen to grill the filet mignons. Dick also sauteed mushrooms in butter to serve with the steaks. I had requested coleslaw, because I just love it, so that was also served. They even went and got me a little bakery cake and candles.

Blowing out my candles

The meal was to-die-for good. I cannot imagine going out anywhere for a finer meal. My husband is a wonderful man, though no gourmet cook. He will take me out for my birthday and we have enjoyed some truly fine meals together over our 25 years together. I appreciate fully being taken out to dine; I thoroughly enjoy being served, since usually it is I who serve meals. Having this wonderful meal come out of my own kitchen without my help was truly out of the normal realm of things in my little universe. I sat and sipped tea while watching everyone cook and repair things. If any of you guys read this blog, my heartfelt thanks to Rich, Dick, Allan and Tom for a most enjoyable birthday from beginning to end. 




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.