This is one of my new favorite recipes! Put some plain Yoghurt on a dish with a couple slices of Orange (Cara Cara have a lovely pink hue), thinly sliced Dried Apricots and Dates (pitted), Toasted Almonds, Sesame Seeds, a drizzle of Honey, Cinnamon, and a splash of Orange Blossom Water (or it’s also good with a few drops of Rose Water).
The recipe is from a Moroccan Street Food class I attended last week at Kitchen On Fire. They have classes for all levels and I highly recommend them!
Thought you might like to see this post about cutting wheat from another blogger. The photos caught my eye.
This video is from the owner of Rancho Gordo who grows delicious varieties of heirloom beans.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSbXHusX16g&feature=youtube_gdata_player
He also has a cookbook and a monthly newsletter that includes recipes. The latest May newsletter has a Garbanzo Herb Salad that sounds perfect with the warmer weather. If you visit Napa, you can find his beans at The Fatted Calf and in The Oxbow Market, or go online to shop…there are some great gift boxes!
Another bonus about dried beans compared to canned is that you will save money plus they have much better flavor and texture. I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I do!
Rim your glasses with Sugar, Salt, Chili Powder or a combination of any or all three. Pour over Ice. Use 1 oz. of Tequila per serving or 1 Cup of Tequila for 6-8 servings. Recipe is adapted from Sunset Magazine.
What I love about the ratio is that it’s so easy to adjust for any quantity, plus a no-brainer to remember. If your Grapefruits are very sweet, you could add some Lime Juice to balance the flavors or alternatively, if too tart, add some Agave Nectar.
I’ve shared this recipe previously but thought it wouldn’t hurt to post it again. It’s one of my favorites and perfect for a Cinco De Mayo cocktail!
What’s your favorite Margarita?
This recipe is super easy and so full of flavor! In a mini food processor, blend together 1 cup of pitted Kalamata Olives, a few sprigs of Parsley, a clove of Garlic, a couple of Tablespoons of Olive Oil and Black Pepper to taste. Optional: add 1 or 2 Anchovies and/or 2 Teaspoons of Capers. You could also use other kinds of olives, but Kalamata are one of my favorites.
Spread a generous amount of the Tapenade on one side of your Tuna. Then, in a hot cast iron skillet (or nonstick pan) pour a couple of Tablespoons of Olive Oil, place the fish (Tapenade side down) in the hot pan and cook for about 4 minutes. Turn it over with a spatula and cook for another 4 minutes (or less if you like your Tuna rare in the middle).
Serve on a bed of Arugula that is lightly tossed with Lemon juice/Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and some thinly sliced cucumbers, dressed with some seasoned Rice Vinegar (seasoned Rice Vinegar has salt and sugar added). Enjoy!
Here’s a tasty idea I found on Cooking Light…along the lines of my recent post on Apple Pie In An Apple. This could be easily adapted for Vegetarians or Vegans too. Click on this link for details.
Other combinations or substitutions I might try are the following:
By changing up the flavors, you’ll be able to serve this for many occasions as a main course, or for a side dish I think that half an apple per person would be adequate (cut in half before stuffing). This could also be a good dish for entertaining, since you could easily make the stuffing a day or two ahead. It would be delicious with a Pork Roast or any poultry!
This post is related to Apple Pie In The Apple on my blog in February. I found another recipe online yesterday, and after trying this idea myself, I’ve adapted the original “re-blogged” recipe, and feel obliged to add Part 2.
Check out this link for the other recipe I found. It’s got nice pictures, including the lattice crust, that you may find helpful.
I’ve mentioned previously I’m not much of a baker (mainly because I don’t have the patience to measure out lots of ingredients), therefore, hoped to find an easy pie dough recipe and referred to Michael Ruhlman’s ratios for Pie Dough. I’ve put a link of his book Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking on My Tasty Store and there is also iPhone App available for about $4.99. I think it’s worth it just for the convenience of having it if you’re a traveler who cooks while on vacation.
For a single crust:
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt (Optional)
1 Tablespoon of Sugar (Optional)
Mix dry ingredients and Butter in a Food Processor until Butter is in Pea-sized pieces.
Slowly add in the Water until it starts to hold together , but work it as little as possible (you may not need all of the Water, depending on the humidity of your environment). Don’t worry if it’s not totally formed into a ball.
Dump it out onto a piece of plastic wrap, knead it a bit and shape into a flattened disk, wrap up the plastic disk and place it in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes and up to a full day.
Once chilled, roll out on a floured surface and cut into strips for the lattice (you should count on chilling longer than 20 minutes if the temperature is warm and/or if the dough is very soft).
My tips/filling recipe are below:
I think this concept would work equally well if you wanted a short cut and topped the Apple with some nutty Granola instead of a crust. If you try it, please share your tips or ideas. Would love to hear them!
It takes a creative chef to turn a Tamale, or anything for that matter, into something memorable. This dish definitely hit the mark! Imagine the inside of a delicious, homemade, authentic Tamale with stoneground Masa, slowly cooked Pork shoulder, seasoned with Onions, Garlic, Cumin, and Mexican Oregano, maybe some Epazote or Cilantro. But then, don’t hide all those delicious ingredients inside the Husk.
Instead, layer the Husk, Tomatillo sauce, Masa (think of a round slice of Polenta, but with more texture than a traditional Masa since this one had bits of corn kernels added), and Pork that has been cooked a long time so it melts in your mouth (think of Confit), then garnish with some Guacamole, Queso Blanco, Micro-greens and Red Bell Pepper. This modern and elegant dish would work well for a dinner party too. The other photo here is a Crab Pozole…also delicious!
Bocanova’s Executive/Proprieter Chef Rick Hackett provides an ever-changing Pan-American menu for brunch, lunch and dinner, including many great options for Vegetarians. The restaurant is located on the waterfront at Jack London Square in Oakland, CA. I highly recommend Bocanova!
Whenever I think of an Antipasti platter, I think of various cured meats, such as Prosciutto, Salami, Sopresatta, and Bresaola. The one pictured here, from Peter Lowell’s Restaurant in Sebastopol (West County Sonoma) was all Vegetarian and I didn’t miss the meat one bit! I’m definitely going to be ordering it again.
This one included Grilled Radicchio with Balsamic Vinegar (I think it was White Balsamic), a head of Roasted Garlic, a small slice of Frittata, Roasted Potato sprinkled with some Parmesan, Roasted Beets, Bosc Pear slices, a Mustard Greens Pesto (delicious!) and Kalamata Tapenade with Kumquat (a very nice creative twist!), Olives (including Castelvestrano which are one of my favorites), Caperberries and a couple of Pickled Red Chiles, Brie, Crostini, a bit of fresh, lightly dressed Kale, Curly Endive and Watermelon Radish.
I recommend trying to put together your own Vegetarian Antipasti–I think you’ll love it!
And of course, if you’re in the area, visit Peter Lowell’s…it’s one of the best places in town (open 7 days a weeks for breakfast, lunch and dinner).
Artwork courtesy of Krank Press
I’m getting hungry reading recipes online and thought why not share them? They sounded especially appetizing to me! You might also be interested to know that Asparagus is one of the “Clean 15” (lowest in pesticide) and not one of the “Dirty Dozen”. Organics are best, for many reasons, but I know they are not available or affordable all the time, so if you’d like, you can refer to EWG’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce.
Spring Asparagus and Bacon Hash (tasty for any time of day…Pancetta would also be a nice option)
Spring Asparagus Salad (or roasted, with a Lemony Vinaigrette and Capers would be great too)
Asparagus and Gruyere Tart (perfect for an Easter Brunch!)
Chopped Spring Salad with Asparagus and Peas (I’d probably add some toasted Almonds or sliced or quartered Radishes for a pop of color, or maybe Tofu or White Beans to make it into an main course)
Do you have a favorite Asparagus recipe to share?
Food Outside The Box 