Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Something Fishy

In these hotter, brighter times weather wise, it's best to eat lightly and watery, watery to replace the moisture you sweat out. That 's why Mother Nature is delivering all the water-filled berries, melons, cucumbers and tomatoes now. And why those who like their protein from animals instead of beans and dairy turn to those creatures of water: fish. And hopefully turn to the fishmongers who show up at farmers' markets, if not the local brick and mortar ones.  (Be careful with the quality and labeling of supermarket fish no matter what name is on that supermarket, hint hint.) So here are a few things you can do with all the fish in season. I'll serve more in a later post.

You can also adapt the season to fish you can get year round. For instance, last night for a gala birthday celebration, I made fresh pea hummus from mint, scallions and mascarpone instead of the goat cheese always in the recipe I post--just did that again recently. I slathered it on strips of smoked salmon, which I rolled up and garnished with fresh chive flowers. Those colorful, lip-smacking rolls were gone in seconds!

Fisherman's Soup from Crete

Serves 4
2 1/4 lbs medium potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters
1 turbot or similar (around 4 lbs), scaled, gutted and cut into 5 pieces, including the head

1 1/2 c tomatoes, chopped
2 celery sticks
4 bay leaves
Salt
1 2/3 c extra virgin olive oil
3 c water
Juice of 2 lemons
Parsley leaves
4 langoustines or prawns or meat of a 1 1/4 lb lobster

 
 Use a lidded saucepan that will fit the potatoes snugly in a single layer at the bottom of the pan. After adding the potatoes, add the fish, followed by the tomatoes, celery, bay leaves, salt, olive oil and water. The liquid will only partly cover the fish. Put the saucepan over a high heat and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and continue to boil another 20 minutes. Shake the pan every so often, but never stir the contents. Before you turn the soup off, make sure the potatoes are soft. Add the lemon juice and parsley leaves, then give the pan a final shake. Turn off the heat, add the langoustines or prawns and let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.
To serve, use a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the fish to shallow bowls. Divide the soup and potatoes into bowls. Add a langoustine or prawn or piece of lobster to each  Serve with toasted baguette or warm pita.


Basque Hake or Cod Piperade

Something else from my old recipes for French housewives collection, touted as quick, simple and cheap. Piperade is the Basque delicious combo of bell peppers, onions and garlic perfect on just about everything.

serves 6
2 lb thick oval piece of cod, haddock, or other white fish like halibut or turbot (see photo)
1 green bell pepper
2 red bell peppers
1 yellow or orange bell pepper
6 large tomatoes or a lg 28 oz can chopped tomatoes
3 med red onions
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tbsp unbleached white flour
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme or 3 sprigs fresh
1/3 c olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and clean out the seeds and pith. Wash, dry and cut them into thin strips. If using fresh tomatoes, plunge them into rapidly boiling water 10 seconds, then remove, run under cold water and slip off the skins. Chop or smash them into pieces. If using the can, start here.
Peel the onions and slice into thin disks. Mince the garlic.
Cover the bottom of a heavy gauge casserole with lid with 3-4 tbsp olive oil and warm over low heat. Add onions and peppers. Sauté 3 minutes to soften. Add the tomatoes, garlic, thyme, a pinch of salt and bay leaf. Cover the pot and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom.
While that's happening, wash the fish and pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the flour on both sides and season with salt and pepper.
Coat a sauté pan or skillet with 2-3 tbsp olive oil, warm over med heat. Put in the fish and brown it 10 minutes.  Flip it over. Pour the pepper mix over the fish and cook another 20 minutes. If you like your fish very well done cook it 25. Remove the fish to the center of a long high sided serving platter and surround it with the piperade to serve. Garnish with either chopped fresh flat leaf parsley or for a more peppery taste, with chopped fresh cilantro.
 
Basil flavored Aegean Seafood
serves 4-5
 1/4 c Greek olive oil
3 tbsp dried basil
1 bunch scallions, cleaned and chopped
2 lbs canned (cooked) whole roma or Marzano tomatoes with juice
1 tbsp fresh parsley minced
1/4 c dry white wine
1 lb small cooked and peeled shrimp
1/2 lb scallops, rinsed and dried
1/2 lb white fish like haddock, scrod, flounder
1 1/2 lb cooked lobster meat
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 lb feta, crumbed
salt and pepper
garnish: chopped flat leaf parsley and chives

In a small casserole, heat the olive oil over med/low and add dried basil and scallions with a dash of freshly ground black pepper. Sauté 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add tomatoes with juice, minced fresh parsley and white wine. Cook 5-7 minutes until bubbling hot. Stir. Add the fish. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 7-8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and fresh basil. Cook 2 more minutes. Cover the top with the feta and cook only until it starts to melt. Remove from heat and immediately ladle into a serving bowl or high sided plate. Garnish with fresh parsley and chives.

Palestinian shrimp
serves 6
1 kg (2 1/3 lbs) fresh shrimp, peeled
3 sm red onions, diced (about 1 1/2 c)
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
salt
1/4 c pine nuts, silvered almonds or raw cashews
2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
2 Serrano chili peppers
1 26 oz can diced tomatoes (or 6 fresh tomatoes skinned and diced)
6 garlic cloves
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
1 c water
2 tbsp sesame seed

Preheat oven to 325º.
Put the peeled shrimp in a dry sauté pan or wok on med/low heat 3 minutes until the liquid they release evaporates and they are pink. Remove from pan and hold.
Coarsely shop the chili peppers and crush with 1/2 tsp salt into a chunky paste. Chop dill and garlic together as finely as you can.
In the pan shrimp were cooked in, add olive oil and heat over med. Add onions and sauté until soft and translucent, 5-8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and blend. Add diced tomatoes, spices, crushed salted chilies, water and the dill/garlic mix. Blend well with a wooden spoon or spatula. Simmer 10 min.
   While that's happening, toast the nuts and sesame seeds or fry them in 1 tbsp olive oil: either way.
Stir shrimp into the sauce. Pour the contents of the pan into an earthenware or other oven casserole dish. Cover with the toasted nuts, sesame and chopped parsley. Cover the top with foil or a lid. Bake 10 minutes. Remove foil/lid and bake 2-3 minutes until the top is crusty. Serve with bread and green salad.


Moroccan Fish Soup
serves 4

3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/8-1/4 tsp chili flakes depending on your tolerance
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp saffron threads, soaked for at least half an hour in boiling water
1 preserved lemon, pulp scraped away, rind finely chopped OR zest of 1 lemon
2 boxes or cans of plum or Marzano tomatoes drained and chopped,
1 ½ lb boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
1 c white wine
1 ½ lbs cod loin or red mullet or similair, skinned, cut into 1” pieces
1 lb mussels, scrubbed and cleaned

To serve:
handful of1 fresh dill, chopped
Croutons like this.
Handful cilantro leaves finely chopped
Greek yogurt
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil mixed with 2 tbsp harissa (that’s North African hot sauce)

large croutons or fresh crusty bread

In a large frying pan for which you have a lid, warm the oil over medium heat, then gently sauté the onions, garlic, coriander, chili, oregano and a good pinch of salt until everything is very soft, 8-10 minutes. Turn the heat up to med/high, stir in the soaked saffron along with its water, the preserved or regular lemon, tomatoes, potatoes and wine. Simmer 12 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the sauce has thickened slightly. Season to taste. Reduce heat to low.
Lightly season the fish with salt and pepper. Very gently with a wooden spoon fold it into the stew. Scatter the mussels over the top and put on the lid. Cook over low heat 4-5 minutes, then check to see if mussels have opened. If they haven’t, continue cooking until most do. Discard all that don’t.
Spoon the stew into bowls and garnish with dill and cilantro. Serve at the table with the yogurt, harissa oil and croutons or fresh crusty bread.

Bluefish in Cinnamon Orange Sauce
This is a tasty winner because the orange magically removes the oil from the bluefish and imparts surprising flavor. Most of us are not used to having cinnamon and orange on our fish but it's very worth doing. And this is one of the easiest recipes ever.
serves 4-5

3 tbsp olive oil
2 lg onions sliced into thin rings, keep them apart
1/2 c white raisins plus another 1/4 c of raisins or currants, apart
3 tsp freshly grated orange peel
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 c orange juice plus 2 tbsp more, separately
1 1/2 lbs fresh bluefish fillets, rinsed, drained and patted dry
Garnish: orange slices and minced fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350º. Cover the bottom of a large baking dish with olive oil. Make a layer of onion rings from 1 onion, top it with raisins and 1 tsp orange peel, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 c orange juice. Lay the fish fillets on this bed. Cover them with another layer of onion rings, 1/4 c raisins or currants, 2 tsp orange peel, pinch of ground cinnamon, 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp orange juice. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350º 30 minutes. Uncover. Garnish with orange slices and parsley to serve.

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

World Peas

 The most versatile and tasty spring into summer fresh vegetable may be the garden pea, sometimes called the English pea. Twas the English who discovered peas because South Asians of the Raj loved their split peas, their green dal, every which way they could eat them. British botanists had the idea to bring those peas home and began experimenting with getting bigger peas in that pod. Thomas Jefferson was a great enthusiast who joined the experimenting by growing all sorts of "garden peas" at Monticello, bequeathing us those luscious fat green pearls in today's pods.

Like its South Asian dal cousin, the English pea is remarkably nutritious. It's also mighty tasty whether quickly steamed with mint leaves or, as some prefer, a lettuce leaf or two, or mashed into a vivid sauce for poached or steamed fresh salmon. Here are a few ways people love fresh garden peas right now.

Italian Peas with Tiny Pasta
This is a favorite from my Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking book, an antique southern Italian recipe made with tiny tubes of pasta meant to resemble rosary beads. The ideal pasta, happily available in supermarkets, is ditali, also called ditalini. In a pinch, use the shortest macaroni you can find. But remember, this is peas with pasta: there should be twice as many peas as rosary beads. The final dish, which has neither sauce nor cheese, is surprisingly fingerlicking, especially when the peas and parsley are fresh from a farmers’ market or your garden. And btw, I learned making this dish how flavorful pea pods can make water so save them and boil them up for really good veggie broth.
Serves 3 (double to serve 6)

1½ lbs fresh shelling peas in the pod
2 soft lettuce leaves (red lettuce works great)
¼ tsp coarse sea salt or other salt
1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley (you will need a dozen sprigs)
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ cup vegetable broth
¼ tsp freshly ground or cracked black pepper
¼ tsp sea salt
1cup rosary bead pasta

Wash peapods carefully in cold water. Shell them, saving the pods. Put the pods in a large saucepan or small stockpot with lettuce and cover with 1 gallon of water. Bring to a boil and add coarse salt. Cook over medium low heat for about 20 minutes.  You are trying to get highly flavored cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, rinse and dry the peas. Remove the leaves from the parsley sprigs and coarsely chop them. (A small food processor works as well as a cleaver.) Discard the stems.
Remove the pea pods and lettuce from the boiling water, saving the water. Bring it back to a boil and put in pasta in. Cook according to package instructions, which should be about 12 minutes.

In a medium size heavy gauge saucepan or casserole, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped parsley and garlic. Sauté 1 minute. Add peas, black pepper and salt. Cover the pot and cook 5 minutes.
 Add broth to the peas, cover the pot and cook over low heat about 15 minutes or until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the peas. Blend well. Cook 1 minute over low heat. Add more salt and/or pepper if you wish and serve immediately in shallow bowls.

Fresh Pea Hummus
I've posted this favorite before but it's especially appropriate here because the recipe uses green garden peas like chickpeas. This is a very refreshing bagel spread or nosh on a cracker. You can instead of goat cheese use plain Greek yogurt to get more of a thick sauce, which is yummy on freshly poached or steamed salmon. And what a colorful eyeful! In the photo left it's on baguette with pieces of smoked salmon topped with fresh pea shoots.

2 cups shelled peas (more or less 1 lb shelled peas)
2 bunches fresh green onions, roots off and stalks trimmed (do not remove all the stalk)
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil 
1/3 c chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, another 2 tbsp for garnishing
Freshly ground black pepper to your taste
Sea Salt to your taste
4 oz creamy soft unflavored goat cheese
1/2 cup cooked cannellini beans, drained
pinch of nutmeg

Chop the scallions coarsely.
In a medium/large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium flame. Add scallions and garlic and sauté 1 minute or until scallions start to soften. Be careful not to burn garlic. Lower heat if necessary. Add the shelled peas and shake the pan. If it's too dry and they want to stick add another tbsp olive oil. Add 1/2 cup water and cook over medium heat 3-4 minutes until peas start to soften. Add the parsley and cook another minute.  The peas should be soft but not soggy or losing color. Drain off any excess water and pour the contents of the pan into a food processor. (if you have an immersion blender you can keep the peas in the pot, okay). Add the mint, salt, pepper, goat cheese and beans. Quickly puree into a thick paste. If it's too thick, add a tbsp or two of olive oil. Sprinkle on a pinch of nutmeg.

That's it.  You can serve this with or on sliced cucumbers--a very cooling dish. You can spread more creamy goat cheese on a slice of baguette and top it with a smear of the pea hummus and a sprinkling of chopped mint leaves. You can use this to fill radicchio leaves--the lower half or smear it on a lavash, top with mascarpone and salmon roe, then roll up the lavash into a large cigar. Now cut it into serving size pieces. In a pinch you can just stick a spoon in and enjoy all the freshness of spring.

Veal Stew with Spring vegetables
This is from my collection of old French housewife recipes. It's categorized as "not much time to make", simple to do and relatively cheap. How perfect is that!
serves 4-6

3 lbs veal flank or stew meat
1 lb baby carrots
1/2 lb baby turnips
1/2 lb baby white or cippolini onions
1 tomato, skinned or 2 tbsp boxed/ canned diced tomatoes
2 lbs fresh peas in the pod, shelled
1 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley
1 c white wine
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 lg bay leaf
 2 tbsp sugar
 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste

If you have veal flank, cut it into thick slices.
In a heavy gauge casserole melt 1 tbsp butter over medium heat. Salt the veal and add it to the hot pot. Sauté until the veal is browned on all sides. Stir in the sugar and flour with a wooden spoon. Add the wine and 1 c hot water. Add the bay leaf and a good helping of freshly ground black pepper. Stir everything well to be sure the flour gets into the liquid evenly. Lower heat to simmer/low, cover and cook 1 hour. Add the tomato. 

While the veal cooks, cut the carrots into thin disks and quarter the turnips. Blanch them along with the onions, peeled,  in boiling water. Drain well.
Melt the remaining butter in a saute pan. Add the carrots, turnips and onions and saute 15 minutes to soften them. Add to the veal pot. Add the shelled peas and cook the stew uncovered 10 minutes. 
If you've used slices of flank, lay them on a platter and top with the veggies and sauce.
If you've used stew meat, put it all into a large serving bowl.
 To serve, garnish with chopped parsley.

 Aloo Mutter or Matar
This is how the Indians who introduced the Brits to the split pea turned around and prepared the Brits' garden peas: with potatoes and curry spices! It's one of the most common Punjabi dishes now. Madhur Jaffrey has a unique recipe for making this with yogurt sauce in her initial cookbook: A Taste of India.

3 med boiling potatoes, in bite size cubes
1/2 lb shelled fresh garden peas
1/3 c chopped or strained tomatoes
2 onions, diced
2-3 tbsp mustard, sunflower or corn oil
1 green chili, seeded and chopped
1/2 tsp (heaping) cumin seeds
2" fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 garlic cloves, peeled, mashed and minced
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garam masala 
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt to your taste
handful freshly chopped cilantro leaves

Heat the oil in a sauté pan or wok, using enough to coat the bottom. Put in the cumin seed and saute over medium heat until they crackle, 30-45 seconds. Add onion and green chili and continue cooking until onion is soft and translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add ginger and garlic. Sauté stirring 60 seconds. Add the tomato and stir. Cook 2 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, garam masala, turmeric and salt. Cook over med/low heat until the oil begins to separate from the rest of the sauce. Add the potatoes and peas and cook 2 minutes. Add just enough warm water to cover the potatoes. Cover the pan (foil if you have no lid) and cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, adding water if necessary--8-10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt if necessary. Put into a serving bowl and garnish with the chopped cilantro leaves.
Serve with basmati rice and/or flatbread. Goes well with a plain omelet or roast chicken.

Cold Pea Soup with Tarragon and Mint
serves 8
6 c chicken or veg broth
1 sm onion, peeled and stuck with 2 cloves
1 garlic clove
1 tsp tarragon leaves
3 lbs freshly shelled peas (this means about 5 lbs in the pod)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 c heavy cream or Greek yogurt if you want less calories and a slightly tart taste
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

In a med soup pot or large saucepan, combine the broth, onion, garlic, tarragon and peas. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook just until the peas are tender, 8-10 minutes max. Remove onion. Season the soup with salt and pepper.  Pour the pot contents into a food processor or blender and purée. Stir in the cream or yogurt. Chill and then serve garnished with the mint leaves.

Risi e bisi
So this is how northern Italians, specifically Venetians, serve peas: with rice not pasta. It's a famous dish whose name translates: rice and peas. People also argue endless about whether it should be soupy or dry or how close to risotto it is. Also whether or not it should, like this recipe, contain bits of pancetta or be vegetarian. Do your own thing and love it.

 2 lbs peas in the pod
1 tbsp unbleached flour
1 tsp coarse salt
1 med celery stalk, cleaned
10 sprigs flat leaf parsley, leaves only
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
4 oz pancetta or other unsmoked bacon, in tiny pieces
1/2 c dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
3 c beef stock
2 c Arborio or similar Italian rice
To serve: 3 tbsp unsalted butter
scant 1/4 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Shell the peas. Fill a bowl with enough cold water to cover them and stir the flour into the water. Add the peas and let them soak 30 min. Meanwhile wash the pods, put them in a large pot with 4 c water and the  coarse grained salt. Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook 50-60 minutes.

Drain and rinse the peas. Finely chop the celery and parsley together on a board. 
In a med saucepan/pot, heat the butter with the oil until the butter is melted. Add the pancetta and sauté over med/low heat 5 min. Add the celery/parsley mix and cook 5 more minutes. Stir in the peas and continue cooking 5 minutes. Add salt and black pepper to your taste, then the wine. Cover the pan and simmer 20 minutes. The peas should be cooked but firm. Remove from heat but let pot stand covered.

Remove the pea pods from the cooking water. Add the beef broth and heat toward boiling.
Into a large heavy covered casserole, carefully pour the juices from the pea pan. Over med/high heat bring them to a boil and quickly stir in the rice. Sauté 3 min. Now start ladling one ladle at a time the hot peapod broth into the casserole, stirring so the rice absorbs it. Keep ladling once the rice absorbs the last and continue until almost all the liquid in gone except 1/4 c. Add the peas and pancetta to the rice with the last broth mixture. Taste and adjust salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the butter and cheese. Blend and serve immediately.

 


Monday, June 11, 2018

Salads for a Summer Meal

Produce is coming faster and fuller into farmers' markets as the days heat up and get longer. Nature is telling us to put away the roasters and braisers and heavy pots. It's time to be raw. And light and watery. Plus with all that heat and light, who wants to stand around cooking when you can just get out the cutting board and have a meal in minutes? Please notice how Mother Nature is providing lots of water filled fruits and vegetables now that we're sweating and need hydration.

So here are a few composed salads to serve for summer lunch. A few of them I just found in an old collection of French recipes, as in these are in French written for French housewives.

Shrimp, Mango and Avocado Salad
This becomes a major meal when served with fried plantains and tortilla chips.
Serves 3-4

6-7 oz smoked or cooked small shrimp (they should be peeled in the package)
1 med avocado, peeled
1 yellow mango, ripe, peeled
4 scallions or 1 sm red onion
1 sm serrano pepper, seeded and minced
2 extra lg eggs, hard boiled and peeled
1/2 c sm green olives with pimento stuffing
16 sm grape or cherry tomatoes (bite sized)
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves only, coarsely chopped
3-4 oz. arugula or watercress or frisee
1/4 c fresh lime juice (probably 1 1/2 limes)
1/2 c good quality olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste

Cut the avocado and mango into bite-sized pieces.
Slice the scallion into thin disks, the red onion into very thin rings
Cut the eggs in half lengthwise, then cut each half into two or three wedges
To compose this salad: lay the arugula or watercress on the bottom of the serving plate or individual plates.
In a medium/lg bowl, combine the avocado, mango, scallions/onion, shrimp, pepper, olives, tomatoes and cilantro.  Mix them up.
Whisk the lime juice and olive oil together and pour as much as you prefer over the salad.
Arrange the contents of the bowl on top of the greens. Surround with the egg wedges. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Salade Henriette: chicken with apples, watercress and cheese
This is one of my old French housewife recipe finds. It's listed as "dietetic."

Serves 4
2 Granny Smith apples
1 bunch watercress, very green and crisp, washed and dried carefully
2 cooked chicken breasts
4 oz Gruyere cheese
1 lemon, juice only
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 doz fresh chives
2 tbsp chervil OR fresh tarragon and parsley, finely chopped
1 sm red onion
1 tsp French/Dijon mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste
1 sm lemon, in very thin slices for garnish

Wash the apples. Cut them in quarters and remove all seeds and fibrous core. Then cut the quarters into small pieces. Cut the cheese into small cubes. Shred the chicken and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Slice the onion into very thin rings. Chop the chives.
In your salad bowl, put the mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk in the oil to make a creamy dressing. Put in all the salad ingredients you've prepared and carefully blend with the dressing.  Garnish with lemon slices and serve.

Vietnamese Cabbage and Chicken Salad
One of my all time old favorites, included in How to Fix a Leek and Other Food From Your Farmers' Market. The flavor combo is always wins new fans. Photo is not of my salad; the photo is borrowed.

For the dressing which you make first

2 chilies, seeded and minced   
3 garlic cloves, minced              
1 tbsp sugar                                 
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar             
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
3 tbsp corn or vegetable oil
3 tbsp fermented fish sauce (nam pla)
1 med onion, sliced in very thin rings
Combine all ingredients into a dressing and let stand 30 minutes.

2 poached, shredded chicken breasts without skin or bones
4 cups shredded green or white cabbage  
1/2 c fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 c shredded carrots                              
1/2 c fresh cilantro leaves, chopped                                 

Combine all but cilantro in a serving bowl and blend in the dressing. Garnish with cilantro to serve.


Salade Claudine: ham and apple with cucumber and tomato
This is another of those French recipes listed as "dietetic."
Serves 4

1 cucumber
2 ripe tomatoes
1 Granny Smith apple
2 thick slices of ham
1 c fromage blanc or quark or any fresh white cheese soft enough to whip (thin cream cheese)
1 lemon
2 shallots
1 celery stalk, preferably from inside so it's not stringy
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves or 1 tsp dried
Fresh flat leaf parsley for garnish, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste

Peel and slice the cucumber into very thin disks. Put them in a sieve with a pinch of salt for five minutes to get some of the water out.  Cut the tomatoes in quarters and lightly salt them.
Cut the apple in quarters, remove the seeds and pith, then slice the quarters lengthwise into thin half moon wedges. Squirt a bit of lemon juice on them so they don't brown. Dice the celery.  Remove any fat from the ham and slice it into thin strips. Mince the shallots and garlic.

Put the white cheese into a large salad bowl and whip it to aerate. Keep whisking while you add the lemon juice. Add freshly ground black pepper to your taste. Dry the cucumber slices. Add all the salad ingredients to the bowl, the tarragon and parsley last. Carefully blend everything. Refrigerate 10 minutes before serving.

Asparagus with Eggs and Smoked Salmon
This is a great way to use the less costly smoked salmon bits you often find at fish and farmers' markets. It's best when asparagus is fresh in season so you get tender stalks that cook quickly.
serves 4
2 eggs, hard boiled and peeled
2 bunches tender medium thick asparagus--try to get uniform stalks
2 tsp small capers, drained
4 oz smoked salmon bits or slices cut into bits
1 sm red onion, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp best quality olive oil
8 slices day old baguette
soft herbed white cheese like Boursin or any soft, herbed goat or sheep cheese

Put the bread slices on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with a tiny amount of olive oil. Toast them in a 325º oven until they are brown and crunchy. You can do this ahead and store them in an airtight tin.

Cut the tough ends off the asparagus spears and put them in a large pot of boiling salted water on medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until they are tender but NOT mushy.  Drain and dry. While they are still warm, cut them in half, put them on a serving plate and drizzle with the olive oil. Salt them lightly. Sprinkle the capers and salmon bits over the top. Season everything with freshly ground black pepper.  Grate the eggs over the top of everything.

Slather the soft white cheese on each crouton like bread slice and arrange them around the rim of the salad plate. Serve and enjoy!







Monday, June 4, 2018

A Quick Chic pea fix plus getting in a jam

More on the theme of warm weather instant gratification from my chickpea collection plus making apricot jam, faster and fresher than you think.

Portuguese salt cod and chickpea salad
 serves 4 as a light summer salad

2 cans chickpeas, drained, rinsed and drained
 (4 cups)1 quart water
1/2 pound dry salt cod, soaked in various changes of cold water for 16 to 24 hours in the refrigerator
1 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp good quality olive oil
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tsp coarse sea salt or to taste
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped or cut in wedges for garnish
1/2 tsp paprika
black olives for color garnish if you like
 *OPTIONAL: to make this more substantial, you can boil 3 med potatoes, cool and quarter them.

Remove the salt cod from its soaking water and rinse. In a medium pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the cod. Cover for 15 - 20 minutes, then drain. Set aside until cool.
Shred the cod, discarding skin or bones. Put it in a serving bowl with the chickpeas, onion, and garlic—plus the potatoes if you are using them.
In a small bowl, whisk oil and vinegar. Add parsley and salt, if needed. Pour the dressing over the chickpeas and toss softly.
Garnish with cooked eggs, black olives and a sprinkling of paprika. This can be served hot, cold, or at room temperature.


Moroccan Rice, Lentil and Chickpea Salad with dried fruits

serves at least 4
1 c rice
1/4 c raisins
2 tbsp currants
3 tbsp brown lentils
1 tbsp yellow split peas
8 dried apricots, chopped
2/3 c cooked chickpeas, drained
4 scallions. chopped
1 cup chopped spinach
1/2 c whole roasted almonds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly chopped cilantro leaves for garnish
For the dressing:
3 tbsp orange juice
1/4 c olive oil
pinch ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp orange flower water
1/4 tsp orange rind

Cook the rice with the raisins, currants, brown lentils and split peas. When it's done, drain excess liquid. Stir in the apricots, chickpeas, scallions, spinach, almonds, salt and pepper to your taste.
Make the dressing by whisking together all ingredients. Pour over the salad. Garnish with cilantro leaves
NOTE: If you want to serve this cold, cool the lentil mix before adding the apricots et al.

Hot Buttered Turkish Hummus
A little something different, from central Turkey. I've published baked hummus with yogurt. This one is all butter from dairy country. What's missing is tahini.



2 15 oz cans chickpeas, drained with liquid reserved
2 garlic cloves, minced or mushed through a garlic press
8 tbsp butter (one stick), cut in small pieces
¼ c good quality olive oil
1 lemon, juice only
Two tsp. ground cumin (plus a sprinkle for garnish)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp pine nuts

In a small sauté pan, over med/low heat melt 1 tbsp butter. When it foams, add the garlic and gently cook until it’s soft. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 350º.
In a food processor, combine chickpeas, 6 tbsp butter, lemon juice and cumin. Pour in the olive oil as you begin to blend. If more liquid is needed to make a smooth, soft paste, use some of the water from the chickpea cans. Blend until everything is very smooth and creamy. You can’t really overdo it but do give it at least 3 minutes. Stop the processing and taste. Season with salt and pepper.
With rubber spatula, transfer the hummus to a small ovenproof pie dish. Smooth to a level layer. Dot the top with the last tbsp. of butter, cut into pieces and the pine nuts. Sprinkle with a bit more ground cumin.
Bake at 350º until the butter on top has melted and the hummus is hot all the way through—5-8 minutes..
Serve hot with pita or flat bread, raw vegetables, black olives, tomato cucumber salad, etc

Catalan Chickpea Salad
This is a summery version of the traditional chickpea chorizo stews the Catalans are noted for.
serves 2-4


1 tbsp vegetable oil
½ red onion, finely sliced into half moons
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
½ lb chorizo, cut into bite sized cubes
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp sherry
1 tbsp water
1 14 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tomato, finely diced

In a medium frying pan over a medium heat, heat the oil.  Add sliced onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously. Add chorizo and bay leaf, reduce heat to low and sauté for 5 minutes. Pour in sherry and water and let bubble a minute to burn off the alcohol. Add chickpeas and pine nuts and heat through so the flavors combine.  Taste and add salt. Let the dish cool slightly, then add the chopped tomato and mix well.  Serve warm, sprinkled with plenty of freshly ground pepper.

AND NOW A WORD with a few pictures ABOUT MAKING APRICOT JAM
because apricots are at high tide on the West Coast and flooding our markets in the East.
 I like to use turbinado or brown sugar in my jams to give a depth to the flavor and I can use less. I rigorously use much less sugar than commercial instructions advise; they call for huge quantities of white sugar because that's actually the long term preservative.  To compensate for much less sugar, I use small jars. Once open I keep them in the fridge where they will last up to 1 month.  I also use fresh lime juice because it brightens the fruit taste but also because, think ceviche, lime juice is a bacteria killer and thus preservative. Those two ingredients are in most of my jams. (I do not use commercial pectin.) What varies is the fruit and the spice for it. I give you a choice here to cater to your personal taste.

2 lbs apricots
1 1/2 c turbinado or light brown sugar  
1 lime, juice only
1/4 tsp spice: ground ginger, ground cardamom, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon--have it your way.  These spices enhance apricots.

5-6  4 oz canning jars with lids and rings (the jars and rings can be recycled but not the lids)


Put the canning jars in a wide tall pot and cover them with at least 2" of water. Bring the water to a boil, then drop heat to simmer. This sterilizes the jars. You need to put the jam into hot jars. 

Wash and half the apricots. Remove the pits and cut the fruit into bite-sized pieces.  Put them (you can do this as you cut) in a very large saucepan or a med/lg cooking pot. Add 1/4 c water and bring to a boil. This is a secret way to cancel out the skins so you don't have to peel the fruit. Boil 2 minutes. Add the sugar, lime juice and spices, stirring to blend.
Over med/high heat bring the jam to a boil, stirring occasionally but don't leave the pot. Best with a long handled spoon and a pot holder mitt on the hand stirring  as the hot jam will eventually splash upwards.  Keep going until the pot contents start to bubble and swell upward. Stir that down immediately.  Reduce heat to medium and continue stirring--if foam forms on top skim it off as that's excess sugar-- until the mixture thickens into jam. You'll know it's there two ways: push the spoon across the bottom of the pot and if the jam parts so you see the actual pot bottom, it's done OR put some on the spoon, raise the spoon toward the top of the pot and turn it sideways so the jam slides off. If it sticks to the spoon and doesn't run off like liquid, it's done.  Start to jam should be under 30 minutes.

Remove the jars from the water to the counter top and have the lids and metal rings handy. Dip a ladle into the boiling water where the jars were to sterilize it. Ladle the jam into the hot jars, leaving 1/4" at the top. Shake the jars or press down on the jam to avoid air holes. Seal the jars with new lids and then the screw caps. Return the jars to the boiling water, turn up the heat to get active boiling and boil the jars 10 minutes to seal them. Using tongs remove the jars to a cool surface and wait for the popping sound that indicates they're sealed.  Clean up. When the jars are cool, remove the screw rings and test that the lids really are tightly sealed by poking gently. Put back the rings and label the jars and there you are: apricot jam!