Great Dinner for Any Night or Any Occasion

 A few months back, I was looking for something to do with white beans. I use white beans when I make my Mom & Dad's Bean Soup/Ham Bone Soup, yet I rarely use them otherwise. No particular reason for this, just that the Bean Soup recipe is the only one I had growing up that used white beans. 

White Beans with Bacon & Thyme

Wandering around the internet in search of ideas, I came on one that sounded promising, called White Beans with Bacon and Herbs on "Jo Cooks." I printed it off, then started to plan what I would do differently. Not that there was anything wrong with how the recipe sounded, as is. Just that I always tinker. Even with my own recipes, I go back and just have to do something different. Maybe I don't have some ingredients and have to substitute. Maybe I just have a hankering for something different than the original flavor profile. Whatever it is, I just seem to have a need to change things.

For starters, I had started cooking a pound of beans from scratch earlier in the day. I tucked in a couple of bay leaves while the beans cooked. Once I found this recipe, I realized that it sounded splendid with the fresh herbs, but I didn't have any! I did, however, have some pesto in the fridge, from my latest batch, and opted to use some of that for flavors instead. I only buy thick-sliced bacon, so I lowered the amount of bacon to 4 slices. There were no onions in the original recipe, so I caramelized a chopped onion, then added in 4 fresh minced cloves of garlic to the mix. I needed more salt, since I was using fresh cooked beans. I always cook my beans or lentils with no salt at all so they cook a bit more quickly, more tender. I add salt once they are already tender.  And that was my plan.

The beans came out so amazingly flavorful. Oh my! And I never once thought of taking photos.

Pork Tenderloin with Italian Flavors

So a couple of weeks back, I wanted to repeat this recipe, since it was so very tasty. And then I wondered what to pair with them as a main course? If it was just me in the house, I would have had a salad alongside these scrumptious beans and called it a night. My husband, however, would not be so easily placated. I got out some pork tenderloin and started thinking about what to do with that. 

As it turned out, I created a mix of "Italian" flavors, rubbed the mixture all over the tenderloins and baked them. The mixture is somewhat akin to what I do for things like steaks or lamb chops; a green mixture of garlic, rosemary, olive oil, pepper, salt, and other things that may differ depending on the meat involved. Since this was pork, I used sage and fennel. My preference would have been fresh sage, but again, I had none on hand. Oh, how I do miss having my own herb garden! The whole thing came out so good we both spent the entire meal moaning in pleasure.

White Beans with Bacon and Thyme

Serves 10 or more

White Beans with Bacon & Thyme

1 pound white dried beans, soaked overnight (OR - Pour boiling water over them and let set for one hour)
2 bay leaves
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4 slices thick-sliced bacon, cut in 1/4" bits
2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat from pan
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
4 fresh cloves garlic, minced finely
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (no stems)
1 - 3 tablespoons fresh basil pesto
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

If soaking beans overnight, in the morning, drain, then place beans in a large pot with tight fitting lid. Cover the beans with water by at least 1 inch above beans, add in the bay leaves, bring to boil, cover, reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 2 to 3 hours, or until tender, but not mushy.

ALTERNATELY: If, like me, you don't remember to soak overnight, in the morning place the beans in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak then 1 hour, drain, place beans in pot and cover with water by an inch, add the bay leaves and cook 2 to 3 hours, until tender but not mushy.

Once beans are nearly ready, remove lid and let the liquid cook down until there is only about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of liquid left. Leave on very low heat to keep warm.

In a skillet, fry the bacon to your desired doneness. Remove the bacon to paper toweling and reserve about 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the pan. Add in the onion with the salt and cook, stirring occasionally at first, then nearly constantly once they start to go golden. Continue cooking and stirring until they are deep golden brown and add in the garlic, cooking another 3 to 5 minutes, until the raw garlic smell is gone. Add in the thyme leaves, pesto and red wine vinegar and stir, then pour all this mixture into the beans and mix well. Cover and let flavors meld for at least 15 minutes before serving.

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For this next dish, use the pork tenderloins and not pork loin. Tenderloins are far thinner and will cook more quickly. Pork loins are a thicker cut and will be less tender.

Pork Tenderloin with Italian Flavors

Serves 4 to 6

Pork Tenderloin with Italian Flavors

2 pork tenderloins, about 1.25 pounds each
4 cloves fresh garlic, smashed and minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced finely
2 teaspoons dried sage leaves, crumbled (or use fresh sage and mince, measuring out at least 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, minced, OR use 2 - 3 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Trim the tenderloins of fat and silverskin. Set aside.

Mix all the remaining ingredients together and rub the mixture over the meat, coating all sides. Set the tenderloins in their coating into a zip top bag or into a container with lid and set aside for at least a half hour, though overnight in the fridge would be best.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and set the tenderloins on a rack in a foil lined rimmed baking sheet. Pour some water into the baking sheet, otherwise the drippings will cause a LOT of smoke. Roast the tenderloins for about 50 to 55 minutes, or to an internal temperature of at least 165. Remove from oven and tent with foil for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing - across the grain and on a diagonal.

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.

Overlooked Recipes

I put a stop to my website as of last September. I had been steadily working to add in to this blog all the recipes that had previously only been posted on the website, but inevitably, some get overlooked. I want to post three I discovered I had missed.

I have been horribly lax with working on my blog, or putting out a newsletter, or even cooking much of anything new. Why? I got into a project and it has occupied all my attention and interest for months, now. I periodically like to put together "books" with comb bindings for myself or for family. Often these are cookbooks of collected recipes for a family member, as well as being a quick reference for me. Sometimes I have dedicated myself to identifying flowers (as after a trip to California, with a slew of flowers I'd never seen before, living in the east) and making a small booklet, so I have them as a reference. I have done this with birds, using my own photos as well as photos my sisters had taken. We love birds. That book was immense, and it is in a large binder. Another was butterflies. Most often it has been recipes just because I love to cook.

Cactus Flower

The one that has occupied my time these past three months or so has been any and all plant photos taken in Arizona. I had visited AZ a fair bit in past, as one of my sisters lives here, but really never thought to live here myself. But, here I am, and now I am seeing cactus plants and wondering what kind they are, or other plants in general. While some seemed very straightforward, having been labeled, others not so much. And I have spent countless hours researching online. The last in a long line of plant types are succulents, and soon I will be wrapping up this project. I still have orphan plants I cannot identify, no matter how long I search. Alas. 

So back to these missed recipes. I just found that I had omitted them yesterday, and was horrified, because they are some favorites. So, without further ado:

Turkey or Chicken Tetrazzini

Serves 6

Turkey Tetrazzini

6 ounces spaghetti
¼cup butter
½ cup flour
2¾ cups chicken broth
1 cup light cream or evaporated milk
¼ cup dry sherry
1 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained (6 oz. can)
½ cup green pepper, chopped
1 small jar chopped pimiento, drained
2 cups diced cooked turkey, or chicken
½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water till just barely tender; drain. In a large skillet melt butter; blend in flour. Stir in broth, whisking so no lumps form. Add cream. Cook and stir till mixture thickens and bubbles. Add the wine, salt, pepper, spaghetti, mushrooms, green pepper, pimiento and cooked turkey. Turn into a 12 x 7½ x 2" baking dish. Sprinkle top with Parmesan. Bake @ 350 for about 30 minutes.

NOTES: I have on occasion tripled this recipe for a party. Divide the mixture into two 9 x 13 inch pans, and add on about 10 minutes of cooking time, or until it is bubbling all through.

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Smoky Pork BBQ Ribs

1 (3½ pound) rack pork loin ribs

Smoky Pork BBQ Ribs

6 - 8 tablespoons Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
3 cups mesquite wood for smoking
½ cup Sweet Tangy BBQ Sauce

Early in the day, soak the wood chips in water to cover, for at least 2 hours or more. Pat the Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub onto both sides of the slab of pork ribs, plus 1 teaspoon of the salt per side, and allow to stand at room temperature, while the wood chips are soaking; 2 hours.

Once the wood chips have soaked long enough, cut two sheets of foil. Place half the wood chips onto each piece of foil and make a packet enclosing the wood and poke holes into the top.

At least 5 hours before you want the ribs done, start the grill, heating only one side. Once grill is ready, place the slab of ribs onto the hottest side and allow to sear well, about 10 minutes. Flip over and sear the other side for about 10 minutes. Move the ribs to the unheated side of the grill. Set one of the wood chip packets onto the hot side of the grill. Close the lid and monitor the temperature, keeping it relatively low; below 300 degrees if possible for at least 2 hours. Midway between, if the first wood chip packet has stopped smoking, place the second packet onto the hot side of the grill, to keep up the smoking. 

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Once the ribs have spent at least 2 hours on the grill, prepare a sheet of foil large enough to completely enclose the slab of ribs and set it into a large baking sheet with sides. Remove the ribs from the grill and set onto the large foil sheet. Cover the top with ½ cup of Sweet Tangy BBQ Sauce and then fold the foil around the ribs, completely enclosing them. Place the baking sheet into the oven and allow to bake slowly for another 2 to 2½ hours, until completely tender.

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Tzatziki Sauce

Makes about 1½ cups sauce

Tzatziki Sauce

1 cup plain Greek yogurt or 1½ cups other plain yogurt
½ cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, diced small (optional)
2 tablespoons good quality olive oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced finely
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

If using a good quality Greek yogurt such as Fage brand, you may not have to drain the yogurt. If using other brands or the larger amount of just plain yogurt, set the yogurt into a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Place in the refrigerator and allow to drain for at least 1 hour or more.

If raw garlic upsets the stomach, set the minced garlic into a small bowl and just barely cover with vinegar. Allow to stand for at least 10 minutes, then drain. This removes the raw taste. Add to the recipe and continue.

Discard the yogurt liquid. Place the drained yogurt into a bowl. Add the olive oil. vinegar, garlic, dill and salt and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning. If using cucumber, stir in. 

Note: Cucumber, while true to the recipe, will add liquid if it sets for too long, making the mixture runny. If using cucumber, it may be best to stir in just before serving. Use this tzatziki when serving Falafel or Butternut Squash Falafel. 

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.

Mouthwatering Chicken Dinner

My son's birthday is in a few days, but the only time he could visit was this past week, so I made him a birthday dinner a week early. Within reason, I ask what he'd like for dinner and then I make it - my birthday gift. So this time, he asked for Chicken Madeira and risotto and Bread Pudding.

The Bread Pudding recipe is one I've made many times over the years, although it has been truly years now since the last time I made it, so that was a welcome recipe to revisit! 

Chicken Madeira

As for risotto, I have made a few of them over the years, also. Nothing I have made real note of, though, so I had no place to fall back on for that recipe. And as for Chicken Madeira - I was stumped. I had heard of Chicken Marsala, though I never made that, but Chicken Madeira? So at first, I wondered if he just named the wrong alcohol? Nope, apparently not, as I looked it up online. 

What was mainly available online were recipes that were "Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Madeira recipes." I've only ever eaten at Cheesecake Factory once maybe, many years ago, and this was not what I ate! I looked the recipes over, but they just didn't do it for me. While I don't care to drink Madeira on its own, I do like to cook with it. It is a special style of fortified wine that comes from the Portuguese island of Madeira. I have not used anything US domestic, nor would I. There are very nice Madeiras from Madeira that are inexpensive enough and more authentic. Generally, I have a Rainwater Madeira on hand, and as it is a lighter style, it is wonderful for cooking. 

So on with perusing recipes I went, and after reading what was available, I realized that essentially, this dish is made almost identically to the way I make my sauteed mushrooms. The main difference (besides the addition of chicken, of course) is that some of the alcohol liquid is left in the pan (and generally I use dry Sherry) rather than evaporating off all of the alcohol, and then the addition of some stock to further use for gravy. All the rest of the recipe is my own preferred method, despite finding others who did it basically the same way. I opted to do some things in advance, such as making my own stock. 

For the chicken, instead of buying whole chicken breasts, then slicing them into two flat pieces, pounding them to ¼-inch thickness - I bought chicken cutlets, already sliced thinly. This saved some time. Even so, it probably would have been better to pound a couple of them that were still cut a bit too thick. Oh well.

The Stock

For the stock, I bought some beef marrow bones at the grocery, and a couple of days in advance, set them on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for about an hour, until they were browned a bit. This gives great flavor to a stock. Then I placed the bones into a large pot with about 8 quarts of water, 1 onion with skins on (these give great color to the stock), 1 bay leaf and a teaspoon of black peppercorns, whole. I cooked this on a very low temperature, barely simmering, for two hours. At this point, I removed the 4 cups of stock that would be needed for the risotto. The stock had nice flavors at this point, but not overwhelming. I do not salt my stock, opting to salt the dish as needed when that time comes.

The rest of the stock, I allowed to slow-simmer for the remainder of the afternoon, planning to reduce the liquid by evaporation from 3 quarts to 1½ cups (just under one quart). By nearly dinner time, I removed the bones, onion and bay leaf and allowed the stock to further reduce to the 1½ cups I wanted. I strained this through a fine mesh strainer and stored this to use for the liquid in the chicken recipe. 

Chicken Madeira

Chicken Madeira

Makes 8 pieces of chicken

8 chicken cutlets, OR 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts halved into two flat pieces each and pounded to ¼-inch thickness
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1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ pounds baby bella mushrooms, or white button mushrooms, sliced
½ teaspoon salt
2 large shallots, sliced thinly
2 - 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced finely
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1¾ cups Madeira wine
2 - 3 quarts unsalted stock (chicken or beef)
oil, as needed for frying chicken cutlets
½ cup all purpose flour
salt, for sprinkling on chicken
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¼ cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch

A day or two ahead, slowly simmer the 2 - 3 quarts of stock down to just 1½ cups, cool, cover and refrigerate until needed.

Earlier in the day (if time will be an issue) heat a large skillet and add in the tablespoon each of olive oil and butter and add in the mushrooms and the half-teaspoon salt. Stirring often, saute the mushrooms. First, they will begin to release a huge amount of water. Cook past this, allowing all the liquid to evaporate and the mushrooms to begin browning. Now add in the shallots and continue to cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are nicely browned and the shallots are very soft. Add in the garlic, pepper and the thyme leaves and toss well, until the garlic is fragrant. Add in the Madeira wine and raise the heat, then cook, stirring, until the wine has reduced to a thick, glossy paste in the pan. Remove from heat and set aside.

When ready to proceed with the recipe, heat another large skillet with some of the extra oil. Sprinkle all the chicken cutlets with a little salt on each side, then lightly dredge each cutlet in the flour. Fry the cutlets until they are done to 165 degrees internal temperature at the thickest parts of the meat, and remove them to an oven safe tray and keep warm, at the lowest oven setting.

Add the reduced stock to the pan with the mushrooms and set back on the heat. Cook the stock down slightly more. Stir together the water and cornstarch and pour into the pan and stirring quickly, cook until the mixture thickens just slightly. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. [If you choose to do the chef-like finish, you can also whisk in a couple of tablespoons of butter, just before adding the chicken. I had planned to do this and completely forgot!]

To serve, set each of the chicken cutlets into the mushroom sauce, turning to coat with sauce, then set on a platter. Serve extra mushroom sauce on the side.

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Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Risotto

As for the risotto, 

I sort of followed a recipe from Kylee Cooks, but made some of my own adjustments. I made my own stock, and it was from beef bones, not chicken or vegetable stock. I used large shallots rather then onion. I also roasted a head of garlic to nicely tender and light brown, then extracted all the garlic and passed it through a garlic press to remove anything hard or clumpy, then used it all in the dish. If I made this recipe again, I believe an added cup of the stock would have been better. The rice just was a little more "al dente" than I was truly comfortable with, while eating. Flavors were wonderful.

Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Risotto

Serves 6 - 8

Roasted Garlic & Parmesan Risotto

1 head garlic
1 pinch fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon olive oil
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1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 large shallots, chopped finely
1½ cups arborio rice
⅓ cup dry vermouth, dry Sherry or other dry white wine
4 - 5 cups hot beef, chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup parsley, finely minced

Earlier in the day (or up to three days in advance), preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Clean a head of garlic, slicing a bit of the root end off so it will set straight. Cut off about a quarter-inch from the top of the head. Any little tips of the garlic that were cut off, remove from their papery skin and set atop the cut top of the head. Place the head of garlic onto a piece of aluminum foil and wrap foil up around the head, leaving the top open. Set the pinch of fresh thyme leaves on top, then the teaspoon of olive oil, then pinch the top closed. Set the garlic in its little packet into an oven-safe ramekin and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Once done, cool, then press out all the garlic into a small bowl. Either mash or pass through a garlic press. Cover and refrigerate if not using that day.

To Make Risotto: Heat a saucepan with the 4 - 5 cups of stock and have nearby. Heat a 4 - 6 quart saucepan and add in the tablespoon of oil and butter. Saute the chopped shallots until very soft. Add in the roasted, pressed garlic, and stir well, then add in the rice. Stir well to coat all the rice grains with the oil and butter. Pour in the dry vermouth and cook quickly until the vermouth (or other wine) is completely evaporated. Begin adding in the hot stock, one ladle full at a time, stirring the rice until each ladle of stock is absorbed. To use all the stock should take about 20 to 25 minutes. Be sure to leave a little bit of the liquid in the rice after the last ladle full of stock has been added.

When ready to serve, stir in the Parmesan cheese and the parsley, reserving a bit of parsley as garnish on top.


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 Different Kind of Potato Salad

It seems I have barely gotten around to trying anything new on the recipe front. So much stress has been present in other areas of my life, that sometimes it is all I can do to make some old tried and true recipes and have done with it. Not that there is anything wrong with the old tried and true, but it makes for scant blog posts.

Lamb Curry - Indian Rice & Cabbage - Rhubarb Pecan Coffeecake

Last week on Monday our friend Rich arrived with two fishing buddies, both of whom have visited in past. They are fun to be around, so that part is good, and they love to eat, so that is also good, for someone who loves to cook to please people. The guys went out at 7 in the morning and returned around 4:30 PM for the first three days. They did catch some fish, and ceviche was planned, in that eventuality. Meanwhile, I had my hands full with cooking dinners to feed three guys and me. Plus desserts. The first night I had made a lamb curry recipe; Curried Lamb with Peas. With the curry, I made Indian Cabbage and Rice, using brown rice to add a little fiber with the cabbage. I had some Naan breads in the freezer and pulled them out and everything went, with the guys practically licking the serving bowls. I had bought rhubarb at the Farmers' Market, so I made Rhubarb Pecan Coffeecake for dessert, and there was very little of that 9 x 13-inch pan of cake left! I had substituted all but ½ cup of whole grain Kamut Khorasan flour for the amount called for in the recipe, and no one noticed, so I got a little extra fiber and whole grain goodness in there without difficulty. 

Gumbo - Chocolate Beet Cake - Cream Cheese Icing

On Tuesday morning, I had absolutely nothing at all planned for dinner, and was starting to panic, trying to think of what I could make. I ended up making Chicken & Andouille Gumbo, with white rice on the side. I would  have preferred to make whole brown rice, but didn't have enough and didn't want to take the time out to run to the store. That recipe makes a very large pot, so even with everyone serving themselves second helpings, we had Gumbo leftover. That night I made my Chocolate Beet Cake, revised for dessert, frosting it with Cream Cheese Frosting. I used Kamut Khorasan flour in the Chocolate Beet Cake, revised recipe also, and it was delicious that way. The guys made a very serious dent in that cake too, though there was enough for the next night's dessert.

Lamb Burgers with Greek Olive Tapenade

Day Three I made Lamb Burgers, served with my usual Greek Olive Tapenade. The big difference in the burger recipe is that ever since making them in mini size for last year's wine tasting event, I had grated the feta and added it to the burger mixture before grilling. This worked so well that this is how I do it now, and it is so much better and easier. 
 

Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad

For a side dish to go with the Lamb Burgers, I did actually create a new salad side dish. Not a salad in the sense of "greens" but I used roasted sweet potatoes as a base and added in things as I thought of them. I wanted to use some leftover grilled corn kernels, and black beans, since they make a great contrast. I wanted to use a vinaigrette and no mayo. Into the vinaigrette I added some odd mixtures, but it all came out tasting wonderful. For crunch, I went for celery, red bell pepper and scallions. It came out colorful and absolutely delicious, and the guys polished all that off too. And it all happened so fast I totally forget to take any photos! That was no hardship though, so I made another batch that my husband and I have been enjoying for these past couple of days on our own. 

Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad

Sweet Potato Black Bean Salad

Serves 6 

1½ pounds sweet potatoes
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt

VINAIGRETTE:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced finely
1 teaspoon Curry powder or Garam Masala
½ teaspoon salt
dash pepper
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1 cup roasted/grilled fresh corn kernels
¾ cup red bell pepper, small chunks
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, well rinsed and drained
½ cup chopped scallions
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
½ cup chopped cilantro (or parsley, if preferred)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into about 1-inch cubes. Toss the cubed sweet potato with the olive oil and salt, then spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside to cool slightly before combining.

Place all the vinaigrette ingredients into a medium mixing bowl (one that will hold all the salad, ultimately) and whisk until combined.  Add in the slightly cooled sweet potatoes, and all the remaining ingredients and toss well. Garnish with cilantro leaves.



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 Quinoa Side Dish Worth Trying

I apologize for having been absent a lot from my blog in these last few months, as it has been a particularly challenging time for my husband and me. I am hoping that life settles down a bit, so I can continue trying out recipes and posting them here.
 

Quinoa Pilaf in Acorn Squash

Quinoa Pilaf

A couple of weeks ago, I had an idea to make something with quinoa (KEEN-wah). Quinoa makes a great base to start with, because it doesn't have a whole lot of flavor on its own, so it lends itself to things like a pilaf, which, strictly speaking, is a rice dish, but this works the same way. I had bought an acorn squash with the intent of filling it with Smoky Beef & Currants mixture. However, since I had just made and served some Smoky Beef & Currant Empanadas, it seemed too much to use that same mixture again in so close proximity, despite how good it is. Which brought me back to what to do with the acorn squash. 

When I started thinking of what kind of mixture to use, I thought of quinoa, since I hadn't used it in a while. And once I started thinking of flavors and ingredients to add, I just kept going and the mixture turned out so delicious that it is perfectly acceptable as a side dish (I served it alongside small pan-fried, skinless, boneless chicken breasts) or even a main dish all on its own. It may (or not) have been overkill to fill the acorn squash with it, but it was truly delicious, either way. The quinoa mixture made just a little too much for filling the acorn squash halves, so I kept aside the remainder for a lunch snack the next day.

If making the quinoa to fill the acorn squash, the recipe would be for two people, but the quinoa pilaf on its own could easily be a sufficient side dish for 3 or 4 people.

Quinoa Pilaf in Acorn Squash

Serves 2 to 4
 

Quinoa Pilaf in Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash
½ cup quinoa (I used red quinoa)
1 cup water
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
1 onion, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
½ green bell pepper, chopped
1 Fresno chili, seeded, minced

ADDITIONS:
1 teaspoon capers, drained
½ cup dried cranberries (craisins)
½ teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, minced
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 teaspoons maple syrup 

Preheat oven to 350. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment and spray the foil or parchment with cooking spray. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, then scoop out the seeds and discard. Set the squash halves, cut sides down, on the foil or parchment, place in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork. 

While the squash bakes, place the quinoa, water and first half teaspoon of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to steam for 10 minutes, then fluff. If water remains in the saucepan, drain it off.

In a skillet over medium low heat, cook the onion in the teaspoon of oil and teaspoon of butter, adding in the second half teaspoon of salt. Stir occasionally until the onions are golden. Once the onions are done, add the garlic and thyme leaves and cook for a few minutes more. Add the bell pepper and Fresno pepper and cook for about 5 minutes more, until tender.

Off the heat, add the "additions" to the skillet, along with the steamed quinoa and mix thoroughly. At this point, the Quinoa Pilaf is ready.

Once the squash is baked, carefully turn the squash cut side upwards and with a sharp knife, score the squash in 1-inch intervals in a cross hatch pattern, being careful not to cut through the skin. Sprinkle the squash lightly with salt, then mound in the Quinoa Pilaf. Return the squash to the oven for about 15 minutes more, then serve.

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.

Interesting Middle Eastern Flavors

The Night Counter
by Alia Yunis

In my last post, I wrote about making Baba Ghanoush for the first time. I was surprised to like it a whole lot, since eggplant is not necessarily the first vegetable I go for. Since that post, I happened to be reading a book (on my Kindle) called "The Night Counter," by Alia Yunis. The book was a fascinating journey through the life of an elderly Lebanese woman, Fatima, and told in "stories" to "Sheherezade" over 1,001 days. The book was absolutely fascinating on many levels. The characters were interesting and engaging and became very "real" over the course of the book. Another point of interest for me was Fatima's discussion of Lebanese foods.

I was telling my husband about the story as it progressed, and I made the comment that Middle Eastern cuisine is one I know very little about, but that some of the things Fatima described sounded interesting, such as Ma'amoul and Kibbe.

Cookbooks on the Middle East

Apparently this is all it took. My husband took this upon himself as a challenge, I guess, because a couple of days ago he brought home SEVEN different cookbooks. Six of them are on Middle Eastern cuisines. One is by Maureen Abood, a Michigan based Lebanese blogger I have been following for some time. Her blog "Rose Water and Orange Blossoms," is listed at right, below, in my list of blogs. Another book is about breads (Hot Bread Kitchen) and other foods made by immigrant women in New York, because I like making bread. And he claims he has yet a few more books on the way.

I told him it gets very confusing with all these books. One or two would have been a good start. But he only knows one way to do things, and that is big and over the top! So I have been poring over all these books, reading the stories, the recipes and the spice mixtures. The latest spice mixture to catch my attention is called Bahārāt. I have no recipe just yet, as I am still in the process of reading about it, the variances in the recipe in varying Middle Eastern countries. I've looked at at least 15 different recipes for this spice, so far. I will create one that sounds good to me very soon. But meanwhile, I found some variations on recipes for Baba Ghanoush.
 

Baba Ghanoush II

I love walnuts. They are, arguably, one of my most favorite nuts, along with almonds and pistachios. Oh! And cashews. My husband does not like walnuts. If they are very apparent in a dish, he will either pick them out, or just not eat the food. I can sometimes get away with grinding them very finely into a cake or cookie batter. But he claims they are very bitter, so if he tastes "bitter," that's the end of that food for him. I found a couple of recipes in this stack of books that mention using walnuts in Baba Ghanoush, instead of sesame tahini. Since my husband only took one tiny taste of my first attempt at Baba Ghanoush, I figured I may as well just go ahead and make this variation with walnuts, because the likelihood of him actually wanting to eat it is exceedingly slim. I roasted the eggplant yesterday. While I was roasting the eggplant, I took the opportunity to roast a head of garlic, as well. I wanted to try using roasted garlic in the Baba Ghanoush, instead of fresh garlic.

I made the new version, Baba Ghanoush II, this morning, and I love it. I actually love it using either recipe. So, I am sharing this new version here.

Baba Ghanoush II

Baba Ghanoush II

Makes about 2 cups

1 medium eggplant (about 12 ounces)
3 cloves garlic, roasted or raw
1 cup shelled walnuts
½ cup coarsely chopped parsley
3 - 4 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon good quality olive oil

Set oven to 400 degrees. Line a smaller baking sheet with foil. Set the eggplant on the foil and bake it for about 45 to 55 minutes, or until completely soft and skin is slightly charred. 

If you are roasting the garlic, cut off the top ¼ of the whole head of garlic. Set the head of garlic on a square of foil. If there are any larger garlic bits left in the parts cut off, take them out of their husks and set them on top of the head. Sprinkle a bit of olive oil over top of the garlic, then fold the foil up over the garlic, making a tight little packet. Set it into a small ramekin and place in the oven alongside the eggplant, for about 45 minutes.

Once roasted, remove the eggplant and let it cool. At this point, removing the skin is very easy. Discard skin. Remove excess sections of seeds inside, if preferred. Separately, squeeze out all the garlic cloves from the roasted head of garlic and store them in a small glass jar with tight fitting lid, refrigerated. If being kept for more than a few days, pour olive oil over the garlic to cover and maintain freshness.

Heat a skillet over medium heat until very hot and pour in the walnuts. Use a wooden spoon and toss and stir the nuts constantly. Do not turn away for even a second, as they can, and will, burn. It will take about 4 to 5 minutes for the nuts to toast gently, evidenced by both the color and the toasty nut aroma. Pour them immediately out onto a plate to cool.

To make the Baba Ghanoush II: Once cooled, place the walnuts into a food processor and process to a very fine texture, almost a paste. Add in the parsley and pulse until well broken down in the nut paste. Add the peeled eggplant, the garlic and about 3 tablespoons of the lemon or lime juice. Add in the salt and pepper and process briefly to blend. Taste and adjust salt or add more lemon or lime juice as needed. Pour out the Baba Ghanoush to a container and stir in the olive oil. To serve, swirl the top of the dip and drizzle on more olive oil and garnish with pine nuts, if desired.

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I also made a couple of other dishes two nights ago, and one was a side dish. I wanted a vegetable to go with a lamb entree. I used asparagus, which I have not seen suggested in any of these books yet. But I did use other flavors to make the asparagus taste of the Middle East. Olive oil, garlic, saffron, pistachios, Feta cheese and Zah'tar. Zah'tar is a spice mixture (sumac, sesame, oregano, thyme & salt) I made a few years back, and while I have used it, I certainly haven't given it a really good go. In this particular application, the Zah'tar really perked up the flavors of the asparagus. Understand that this method can be used on many kinds of vegetables. I believe carrots, or squash or zucchini or various other veggies would benefit by using these flavors. Simply cook the vegetables, then drain and proceed with the recipe.

Asparagus with Feta, Pistachios & Zah'tar

Serves 2 or 3

Asparagus with Feta Pistachios & Zahtar

1 bunch asparagus
½ teaspoon salt
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1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced finely
small pinch saffron 
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1 ounce Feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup shelled pistachios
½ to 1 teaspoon Zah'tar

Set the olive oil in a small pan over the lowest heat possible. Add in the garlic and the saffron, rubbed between the palms to break up. Stir, then allow this mixture to "steep", without ever boiling, for about 15 to 20 minutes, minimum.

Snap off the ends of the asparagus, then cut the spears on the bias, about 4 or 5 slices per spear. Set them into a saucepan with a small amount of water, about 1 inch deep in the bottom. Sprinkle with the salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until just tender but still bright green.  Drain the asparagus and return the pan to the heat to dry slightly. Pour in the garlic oil and stir. Add in the pistachios and stir. Pour into a serving bowl and add the Feta over top, then sprinkle with the Zah'tar, to taste. 



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.

Great Rice Dish with Superb Flavor

Another rice dish. Well, I have been making lots of whole grain rice, and sometimes it's great to have it be something with added new flavors. This particular dish is really superb. The flavors are bright and fresh and paired exceptionally well with the Hoisin Pork I was serving for dinner. Since I was trying to come up with a side dish for the Hoisin pork, these flavors really worked.

The recipe for the Hoisin Pork was originally made to serve as appetizers. Last night I just sliced it to serve as dinner. I still had some of the Blackberry Chutney left so that was artfully spooned over the meat slices to serve.  
 

Tropical Rice

The rice dish had one main criteria; it had to have plenty of vegetables added, so it would be adequate vegetable to rice ratio. I believe this worked well. So well in fact that we all served small portions and what was meant to be a portion of rice and a portion of vegetables, turned out to be just one, single small serving. Oh well.

What makes the flavors so good with the pork are things like lime juice, dark, toasted Asian sesame oil and the grilled pineapple. I tossed in some Macadamia nuts at the end for some texture. My goal of late is healthy, meaning plenty of vegetables and lots of fiber, coming also from lots of lentils, mainly of the Indian variety. Rice is only whole grain, sometimes red, sometimes dark brown Wehani, sometimes red and sometimes just simple brown rice.

Grilling pineapple

The grilled pineapple is exceptional for flavor, but if you don't have a grill, or just don't feel like grilling, just raw pineapple or even canned (in its own juice) will do in a pinch. Grilled pineapple has such a great kind of sweetness, offset by a bit of charring and I highly recommend it! Simply use large spears of pineapple and set them onto a very hot grill, turning as each side acquires a nice charring of grill lines. Chop into small cubes once done. Since I was grilling the pork, I took the opportunity to grill the pineapple at the same time.
 
I had found some mizuna (Japanese mustard or spider mustard) at the Farmers' Market a couple of days ago, and last minute lightly chopped about a cup of that to add in.  If not available, baby arugula would also be perfect. All in all, it was one bowl of splendid flavors.

Mizuna Greens

Tropical Rice

Serves 4 to 8, depending on portion size

Tropical Rice

¾ cup brown rice
1½ to 2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon dark Asian sesame oil
1 cup grilled pineapple, cut into small cubes
1 small cucumber, seeded, in small cubes
1 cup mizuna, or substitute baby arugula or spinach, chopped
¾ cup chopped orange bell pepper
½ cup chopped scallions
½ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
½ cup macadamia nuts, halved

About an hour and a half before serving, make the rice: place the brown rice into a saucepan with ¾ teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Lower heat to simmer and cover with a lid. Follow package directions for cooking time (mine cooked for 55 minutes). Once cooked, remove from heat, remove lid and let cool.

Once cooled, add the lime juice and dark Asian sesame oil to the rice and toss well. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the remaining ingredients and toss well. Add in the rice and mix well to combine and serve immediately. Or allow to chill and serve cold.


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.