Roasted vegetable holiday (or any other day) platter

This was for a family holiday, but it's just as good for company or just for yourself, if you really like a lot of vegetables.  One hour's prep time, and you will shine.  With or without lemon thyme vinaigrette, just adjust the quantity based on your crowd.  This was based on an appetizer for 20 with several other offerings.

THE RECIPE

5 large carrots
2 bell peppers
1/2 head cauliflower
1# grape tomatoes
1/2 # mushrooms
1 bunch scallions

3-4 T EV olive oil, more as needed

2T dried oregano
Sea salt, to taste
Cracked black pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit

Slice all vegetables and trim scallions.  Toss vegetables with olive oil individually; season and roast in batches until slight char is evident.  Arrange on a platter and accept plaudits.  Serve with lemon thyme vinaigrette.

THE RECIPE
LEMON THYME VINAIGRETTE

1/2 C EV olive oil
2T cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1T dijon mustard
3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
Sea salt, to taste

Blend all together; adjust seasonings and chill.

Um, it's ratatouille, y'all, with HEAT

If you haven't picked up on some of the themes here, one is that I love to incorporate chilies into my food.  It's got to be hot! most of the time.  And I love the local IndoPak grocery for inspiration. Also I have to mess with traditional preparations and make them my own.  And of course, a little heat.

Here's one example...

THE RECIPE

2T EV olive oil
2 large onions, rough chop
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
Thai chilies, to taste, (I used 12)

1/2 C white wine
2 C vegetable stock
24 oz. diced tomatoes
32 oz can tomato sauce
2 large red bell peppers, rough chop
2T dried thyme
1T dried basil
1T dried oregano
4 dried bay leaves (you can tell this was not a market day, so feel free to use fresh herbs)
Sea salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste

1# eggplant, rough chop
1/2 bunch flat leaf Italian parsley, minced

Steamed white rice, for service

Saute the first 5 ingredients in the oil 3-4 minutes; add remaining ingredients except eggplant;  bring to a boil then simmer 15 minutes.  

Add eggplant and parsley. Simmer for an additional 20 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings, serve over steamed white rice.

Pretzels 101: the class

This was so much fun sharing one of my passions and favorite recipes with some of my friends, and in a commercial kitchen (even though I had to push Gina into it)!  This post has been sitting on the back burner for a while, so I have to share.  We made my sourdough pretzels in a catering kitchen, and a couple bottles of wine helped!

Attention, class...

Too cute to resist this photo.

No grapes were crushed and fermented in the production of this shot.

My pupils for the day.  Ham in the middle.

Ioana gets with the program.

Blah, blah, blah, in one ear and out the other.  Can I just go back to my desk and write out a proposal now?

Somewhere about this time, the real Chef looked over in trepidation.  Hey, we weren't in your space!

No, you can't spell out your name with the dough; stick with the program.

Boiling time.

And, ready for the oven.  Good class!

And the girls were good sports.  A good time was had by all.That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Asian avocado soup on fire

Shame on me, last year was very slow.  I cooked plenty, but posted very little.  Time to start off 2015 with a bang.

Here is a chilled avocado soup with an Asian twist -- and some heat!  Let's just go ahead and add a habanero chile as well.  Why not?  And a quick / simple dish -- you're welcome!

THE RECIPE

1 T EV olive oil

(Large dice / chop, remember you will be pureeing these later)
1 medium onion
4-5 cloves garlic
Thai chili peppers, to taste (I used 10)
1 habanero chili pepper

2 C vegetable or chicken stock
5 sprigs Thai basil leaves
5 sprigs Asian mint leaves
2 medium Hass avocados

Coconut milk

Sea salt / black Hawaiian sea salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste
Dash soy sauce
Dash fish sauce

Juice from 1 lime

Sweat the first 4 ingredients over a medium flame; add stock and simmer until tender.  Add the basil, mint and avocado and a touch of the coconut milk.  Season, puree (I used an immersion blender) and taste. Adjust seasoning and add coconut milk as needed.  Chill and serve with avocado / basil / lime garnish.

Yield 4 bowls as a starter.

Mesquite grilled lobster

Oh, man, it doesn't get any better than this.  Simple elegance.  If you get a female lobster, save the roe and serve as caviar.

THE RECIPE

Mesquite charcoal

1 lobster, approximately 2#

Olive oil, as needed
Smoked paprika
Garlic powder, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste

1 stick butter, melted and clarified, warmed over low flame
Hot sauce, to taste

Build a fire in a BBQ grill.  Split carapace and clean the lobster.  Baste with oil on both sides of the lobster.  Season, and grill,

baste with oil as needed.  Re season as needed and serve with spiced drawn butter.  Serve with steamed white rice and the vegetable of your choice.

Stewed Red Lentils with Habanero Peppers

SO, it's back to weight loss mode, thus the mostly vegetarian diet -- recently re-inspired.  As it is my belief that the best vegetarian recipes are Asian, here we go.  As always, no sense of portion control; feel free to divide this in half.  I would say this would make an appropriate side for a family of four for two days!

THE RECIPE

2T EV olive oil
2 large yellow onions, minced
3 large carrots, minced
3-4 stalks celery, minced (preferrably heart pieces - include leaves)
4-5 broccoli florets
4-5 cauliflower florets
1 large tomato, diced
6 - 8 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 3 jalapeno peppers, minced, 1/3 reserved
2-3 yellow chilies, minced, 1/3 reserved
3-4 habanero chilies, minced, 1/3 reserved
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Smoked paprika powder, to taste
Sea salt and white pepper, to taste
1T freshly grated ginger
1/4 bunch Italian parsley, minced, 1/3 reserved
4-6 sprigs thyme, minced
Sambal oelek, to taste (I used 3T)
1# lentils, rinsed
1 Qt +/- vegetable stock, for deglazing
4 scallions, chopped
Fresh lemon juice, to taste
2T white balsamic vinegar
1T cider vinegar


Heat a wide, shallow pan over medium flame.  Add olive oil, onion, carrot, celery, garlic in stages until caramelized.  Deglaze pan with white wine, stir briefly.  Add remaining ingredients up to vegetable stock.  Add just enough to cover solid ingredients.  Bring to a quick boil then reduce heat to low flame; let simmer until lentils are just tender.  Add reserved ingredients.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Serve over steamed rice or a bed of steamed vegetables.

Deluxe Potatoes au Gratin

Every Christmas dinner in our family is hosted at my Aunt's home.  No matter what the menu, my Uncle makes his "Company Potatoes"; the recipe is a secret and I've not tried to reverse engineer them as they are awesome and his thing.  He is THE Potato Guy in our family.  He loves potatoes.  However, this Easter I was tasked with a potato side dish.  I knew the bar was set high, and I went for it.

Like many of my sauces, I needed to keep extra of each ingredient on hand to keep things flexible; just add more or less to the bechamel sauce based on your tastes and how the batch of sauce is behaving.  Of course, I am of the belief that you can never have too much garlic or too much pepper.  I wanted this to stand out and bring out different elements, so I used a bit of wine and added a touch of horseradish.

THE RECIPE--
1# thickly sliced pepper bacon
1 stick unsalted butter, divided, + more for lining baking dish
One large onion, halved then sliced thinly
6 cloves garlic
6 T flour
2 C whole milk
3/4 C half & half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 - 4 dashes Tabasco sauce
3 - 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 bunch fresh thyme leaves, minced
1 bunch fresh Italian flat-leaved parsley, minced
1/2 bunch fresh oregano leaves, minced
1/2 bottle dry white wine
2 t prepared horseradish, +/-, to taste - start off with a smaller amount then add more until you can just detect a hint of this flavor.
4-5 large russet potatoes peeled, 1/4" slices -- put in cold water until ready for cooking
1 C Romano or Parmesan cheese, grated
3 C shredded cheese blend, esp. sharp cheddar + more for garnish

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Broil pepper bacon until crisp.  Cool, chop finely and reserve.

In a large, deep skillet heat 2 T butter over medium flame.  Saute onions until pliable; add garlic and saute for another minute.  Season and set aside.

Return pan to medium flame; melt butter and whisk in flour, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.  Slowly add milk and half & half, stirring constantly.  Season and add herbs and wine.  Keep in mind these flavors will concentrate as the sauce reduces.  Add horseradish and taste.  Simmer lightly until reduced, stirring frequently.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Gradually stir in the cheese and remove from the flame once it is melted.

Butter a large baking dish.  Place a layer of sliced potatoes in the bottom; season with salt and pepper, onion and garlic mixture, bacon and bechamel sauce.  Repeat this layering until the pan is full.  Top with more shredded cheese and cover with aluminum foil.  Bake at 400°F for approximately 1 1/2 hours.  Garnish with shredded cheese and fresh herbs.

EASY Spicy Cheese and Vegetable Enchiladas

Weeks of limited mobility and stress-eating have resulted in a strained belt line; back to salads and vegetables.  But I've never met a vegetable I didn't like, so this is not a challenge.  I've been thinking
about these for a while, so here we go.  This is also my first attempt at making homemade enchilada sauce (easier than I thought).  Of course, lacking any sense of portion control, I filled an entire 9" X 11" baking pan for just myself; if you let these rest in the fridge for a few days, you end up with tamale pie - or something like that.  You're welcome.

THE RECIPE

FILLING

2T EV olive oil
1 large onion, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, shredded
3 stalks celery, minced
1/4 head cauliflower, minced
1/8th head green cabbage, shredded
1/4 C spinach leaves, sliced
12 - 15 crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
8-10 Thai chilies, thinly sliced
8 oz. frozen or fresh green peas
1/2 C garbanzo beans, minced

1/2 bunch Italian parsley leaves, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, minced
Sea salt & ground black pepper, to taste
1T lemon juice

Shredded cheese
Corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350° F

3T EV olive oil
Extra cheese for garnish
Extra cilantro for garnish

Saute all vegetables over medium high flame until cooked; remove from heat.  Heat the 3T oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Dip corn tortillas into hot oil; turn and set onto a large plate.  Stuff tortillas with vegetable mixture, add cheese

 and roll enchiladas, leaving the outside edge on the bottom.  Line up in a baking dish.

Top with enchilada sauce, cheese and cilantro garnish.

 Bake approximately 30 minutes, until enchiladas are heated through, and cheese is melted.  Serve with charro beans, rice, or green salad.

THE RECIPE

ENCHILADA SAUCE

1/4 C EV olive oil
1/2 large onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2T flour

1/4 C dark chili powder
1T cayenne chili powder
1 t cumin powder
 2-8 oz. cans tomato sauce
3 C water

Saute onion and garlic until translucent; add flour and stir to avoid scorching.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer until reduced to desired consistency.  Blend in a food processor until smooth.

Let's eat!

Pancit - White boy goes native - a la PI

Click for larger image.

As in all cultures, there are as many Pancit recipes as there are Filipino grannies: I am going out on a limb and just working with what is in the house -- I am looking for awesome lunches to pack for work!  Here is my version with chicken (from the chicken pudding recipe posted earlier), sausage, diced pork and shrimp.

THE RECIPE

2 T peanut oil
1 onion, minced
1/2 Opo squash, quartered
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 florettes broccoli
1/2 cup sliced bamboo shoots
1/4 bunch cilantro, minced
1/4# pork, diced
1/4# shredded chicken\
1/4# Chinese, Filipino or Vietnamese sausage, sliced
2-3T soy sauce
3T Chinese red vinegar
6 Thai chiles, thinly sliced
2T sambal oelek
sea salt and white pepper, to taste
1/4# shrimp, split and sliced into quarters


4 Qts salted water, + 1 T oil
1 pkg pancit noodle, Cantonese or rice stick

Saute all ingredients up to sambal in a wok over high heat, adding shrimp last.  Boil noodles in salted water until done.  Add to wok and stir fry noodles while tossing remaining ingredients,  Serve hot and have some kind of hot sauce on hand - enjoy!

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The Perfect Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Perfect - such a high standard, and when you say, "I have made the perfect _________" you become the perfect scapegoat for anyone to follow in your footsteps, regardless of what they do to your brainchild. But THIS recipe, I say, is a fail safe venture into simple comfort food.

Meatballs - for the longest time, I could not make mine work -- you read recipes and hear folks describe theirs as "fluffy" -- WHAT?  Mine come out with the texture of lead!  I do not over mix, and pay attention to the addition of each ingredient, but to no avail.  So imagine my surprise when things just worked out with this last batch!  Apparently I have struck upon the right combination.  This is, of course, the classic usage for fresh meatballs, but be prepared to read about meatball sandwiches with Provolone, etc...

THE RECIPE - MEATBALLS

1# ground beef, not too lean - we like fat!
1# ground pork
1# ground veal
2 extra large eggs
1 large slice sourdough bread, toasted and ground in a food processor or 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 T whole milk
1 t minced parsley or cilantro
1 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
1 t Worchestershire sauce
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
3 Thai chiles, minced
1 T sea salt
1 T fresh ground black pepper

Heat oven to 350°; spray a baking dish with pan release. Mix all above ingredients with care, just enough to blend -- DO NOT OVER MIX.

Wet hands with water.  Roll approx. 1 T of meat mixture into a ball; use more or less for your desired proportions.  Repeat for the rest of the mix.  When complete, place the sheet pan into the oven.  Check after 30 minutes, turn and when cooked, remove from oven and cool.

THE RECIPE  -- MARINARA SAUCE

3 T EV olive oil for saute

2 cans San Marzano tomatoes, or if you are insanely lucky and have a garden, FRESH tomatoes steam peeled

1 large onion, minced
1 large bunch fresh basil, or 4T dried
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry red wine
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Saute onion, garlic, and basil in oil for 3 minutes over medium heat; add remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat until reduced by more than half.

THE RECIPE - PASTA

6 Qts water
1 Oz. EV olive oil
1 t sea salt
1 # spaghetti or capellini pasta - I like mine just past al dente -11 - 12 min.  Strain and reserve.

If you use homemade pasta, be sure to roll it out as flat as possible and only cook for 4-5 min.

1 t crushed chile pepper
1 t Parmesan cheese

Boil pasta until done; drain immediately and toss with sauce and meatballs.  Garnish with crushed chile peppers and cheese if desired.

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Chicken Pudding -- History with a Spicy Twist

Excellent - (Click for larger image).

It has been a LONG Summer / Fall / Winter since I have set myself down and prepared anything, but that has not precluded research...

Savory pudding?  I'm in!  I just discovered this dish which has documented history back to the 18th century - as an old soul, all I can say is, "Where have you been all my life?" but apparently the answer is, "right here".

Most of the older versions are simpler, with a minimum of ingredients.  Think of it as the ancestral recipe for chicken pot pie.  I have researched several versions of this dish and devised my own.

To contemporize this, I will kick up the spice with fresh serrano chiles, add more fresh herbs and mirepoix vegetables, potatoes, replace parsley with cilantro and then have more of a one-dish meal, though it can be served with a starter soup / salad and green vegetable.  The potato and filling serve well as a starch component.

We start with chicken boiled in herbs and mirepoix and repeat the same herbs in the pudding and gravy components for a double punch of flavors.  This was intended to be baked in a cast iron skillet but, as often happens in this kitchen, the concept ran away with the recipe and we ended up in a larger baking dish.  Finish this herbal wonderland with a rich chicken mushroom gravy.

THE RECIPE -- CHICKEN AND STOCK

One +/- 5# whole chicken
2 carrots, rinsed and sliced on the bias
3 stalks celery with leaves, sliced on the bias
One large onion, quartered
5 cloves garlic, smashed
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 bay leaves
3 large slices fresh ginger
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/4 bunch cilantro
3T kosher salt
1T black peppercorns

Place all ingredients in a Dutch oven, cover with water, bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer, 1.5 hrs -- I am especially excited to christen my beautiful new brick-red Cuisinart Dutch oven.  Remove from heat, cool chicken and pick / shred the meat.  Dice larger pieces.  Strain stock and reserve.

Butter or spray with pan release a 9"X13" baking pan.  Heat oven to 350°F.

THE RECIPE - CHICKEN PUDDING FILLING

Picked chicken from above recipe, reserved

1 T EV olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and minced
2 ribs celery, minced
2 Serrano chiles, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 bunch cilantro leaves, minced
1 onion, minced
1 medium potato, minced
2 T fresh thyme, chopped
1 T fresh rosemary, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Sweat the vegetables in the oil over medium heat, approx. 5 min.  Transfer to mixing bowl with batter. 

THE RECIPE - PUDDING BATTER

4 large eggs
2 cups of milk (or 1 ½ cups milk and ½ cup cream for richer flavor)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup or more of flour
1 t baking powder

Mix above ingredients in a large mixing bowl, add picked chicken and softened vegetables.  Mix together and add to baking pan.  Bake for approximately one hour.  Test for doneness with a toothpick in the center; when it is removed clean, remove the pan from oven and set out to cool.

Just out of the oven - (Click for larger image).

THE RECIPE - CHICKEN GRAVY

Stock, reserved from above recipe, reduced to approx. 2 cups
6 shiitake mushrooms, diced
3/4 cup flour
2 T butter
1/4 bunch minced cilantro
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Simmer all ingredients over medium heat until thickened.

Dash ground cayenne pepper, as garnish

Serve chicken gravy over warm chicken pudding and garnish with cayenne powder.

Are you going to get over here before I finish this?

Vegetable Hot and Sour Soup

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This is my favorite Asian soup.  It has a depth of flavors and that delightful balance of tart, sweet and spicy notes, as well as a slight crunch from the bamboo shoots.  My challenge with tofu continues, as I cannot make myself happy with the presentation (flub).  I bought extra firm tofu and pressed it for half an hour but my matchstick pieces still fell apart.  So I lost a few presentation points but it is GOOD.

I like more heat so I have added some fresh chilies to my recipe.  This is an interpretation without sliced pork tenderloin, an ingredient many traditional recipes call for.

THE RECIPE
Yield: 3 servings

1/2 t chili oil
1 t olive or vegetable oil
1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1 T Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
3 C vegetable or chicken stock

1/2 cup bamboo shoots, julienned
5-6 shiitake mushrooms, dried and reconstituted in hot water for 20 minutes
2 T dark soy sauce
3 T Chinese red vinegar
2 T sambal oelek (chili garlic paste)
1 T black Chinese vinegar
1 t granulated brown sugar
1/2 t sesame oil
Sea salt or MSG and ground white pepper to taste
1/2 t Chinese five spice powder

2 serrano chilies, thinly sliced
 4 oz. extra firm tofu, pressed in a paper towel, julienned

1 T cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup water
6 stalks cilantro, minced

1 egg, beaten

1 scallion minced, for garnish

Wrap the tofu in a paper towel or dish cloth.  Press with a weight for at least 30 minutes.  Slice horizontally and then slice into matchstick pieces.

Heat a 2 Qt. sauce pan over medium heat.  Add oil and sweat onion slices for 3 - 4 minutes.  Deglaze pan with wine and add stock.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.  Add ingredients up to five spice powder.  Simmer for 15 minutes; check and adjust seasoning as needed.  Add chilies and tofu; simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Gently stir in cornstarch and cilantro; stir continuously for 2 minutes over medium heat. 

Stir the egg into the soup with a fork and serve hot with the scallion garnish.

IF any readers have tips on how I can work better with tofu, PLEASE let me know!

Volcano stir-fried vegetables

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As promised, I am resting my Indian palate and paying some attention to my inner Asian.  I am working with what I have in the kitchen; had I what I wished for, I would add wood ear or shiitake mushrooms, and perhaps some shrimp and bean sprouts - but here we are.  This turned out INSANELY well, with great heat and cooling balance from the five spice powder.

THE RECIPE

2 T olive or vegetable oil
4 peeled carrots, sliced on the bias, 1/4" in. thick
4 ribs celery, sliced on the bias, 1/4" in. thick
Heat the pan over medium heat, saute for 3 minutes

1 onion, thick slices
2 large jalapeno peppers, medium sliced
Add and saute for 3 minutes

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 t grated fresh ginger
1/8th head cauliflower, small florets
1/8th head broccoli, small florets
1/2 can (3 oz.) sliced water chestnuts
1/2 can (15 oz.) sliced bamboo shoots
Add and saute for 3 minutes

6 Thai chile peppers, thinly sliced
1 T chili garlic sauce
1 T Chinese five spice powder
Add, simmer for one minute

1 T Shaoxing wine
1 t salt (OR MSG if you have no issues with this product)
1/2 t ground white pepper
1/4 bunch cilantro
1 can green curry sauce

EMERGENCY KIT
1 T corn starch
1 T cold water
Stir together and add if curry sauce does not reduce.

Add, sauté and flip for 2 -3 minutes.  Settle the curry in and flip two or three times in a ten minute time frame.  Check and balance seasonings as desired.  Do not overcook vegetables.  If the sauce has not thickened enough, stir in corn starch slowly with a whisk.

3 scallions, bulbs and leaves, thinly sliced.

1 Cup prepared Calrose or other sticky rice, for service.

Serve in large bowls over rice.  Garnish with scallions and keep some water or milk handy.  Despite my tolerance, this one lit me up.

If you wish, serve over noodles, brown rice, or any other starch you prefer.

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Pan-Asian fiery baked wings

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I think I'll take a rest from Indian vegetarian food for a while.  I'm cleaning out the freezer and have a found a package of chicken wing drumettes.  With such a small portion of chicken, I don't want to heat up and dispose of a large quantity of frying oil.  Instead, these offer a substantive heat level and a nice crisp skin when baked in a seasoned flour.  In lieu of a ranch or bleu cheese style dipping sauce or a sweeter hoisin sauce I have developed a mild sesame scallion tomato aioli.  A green salad and a few of these made a great dinner.

The chicken is better marinated overnight; however this recipe sat for three hours and delivered great results.

THE RECIPE

FIRE MARINADE

1/3 C brown sugar
3 T soy sauce (Aloha brand)
2 T rice wine vinegar
2 T Shaoxing wine, sake or dry sherry
2 T chili garlic sauce
2 T vegetable oil
1 T fish sauce
1 t lemon juice
1 t Coleman's mustard powder or Chinese mustard
1 t fresh grated ginger
1/2 t crushed red chili flakes
4 Thai chili peppers, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions, bulbs and leaves, thinly sliced
1/8 t ground white pepper

Combine all ingredients in a metal bowl, whisk over a low flame until sugar is dissolved and mustard is blended.  Cool to room temp.

SEASONED FLOUR

1 C all-purpose flour
1 t Chinese five spice powder
1 t paprika
1 t garlic salt
1/4 t ground white pepper

Combine all ingredients in a shallow bowl.

SESAME SCALLION TOMATO AIOLI

3/4 Cup mayonnaise (Kewpie brand, available at Japanese markets)
1/4 t sesame oil
1/4 t chile oil
2 Roma tomatoes, cored and blended in a food processor
Taste and re-season to your taste

Blend all ingredients and chill.

PREP

If you have full-sized wings, or drumettes and flat pieces, separate these with a sharp knife.  Discard wing tips and reserve for stock.  Score skin of wings with a sharp knife to facilitate marination.  Place in large Ziploc bag.  Knead the liquid into the wings and marinate in refrigerator 3 hours or overnight, turning often.

Heat oven to 375°F.

Drain marinade from the wings and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Dredge in seasoned flour and transfer onto a sheet pan treated with pan release.  Cook until crisp golden crust has developed, turning once, approximately 30 minutes.  Check for doneness, drain and serve hot with aioli.

House made saltine crackers

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So, referring to the last post, what's a good soup without a good cracker?  Here is a quick and easy (yes, real terms) recipe for a classic.

THE RECIPE

Preheat oven to 400°F.

1 C all-purpose or bread flour
2 T butter
1/4 C water
1/8th t sea salt
1/2 t baking soda

Baking sheet, parchment paper, pan release spray

Stir all ingredients into the flour; Roll out onto parchment paper.  Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut out squares.  Bake for 15 - 17 minutes, until crisp.

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"Kitchen sink" green pea and lentil soup

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I was not sure where this dish was going for a while; neither did it.  However I am glad to say we worked things out.  I have a bag of dried green peas and one of lentils from the IndoPak grocery, and thought to make yet another stew with chickpeas and curry, but I found some recipes online, ripe for mangling.  DETOUR!  I am adding some more heat, and some Middle Eastern flavors to this dish.

So, with some deletions, refinements, and herbs I embark upon this culinary journey.

THE RECIPE

GREEN PEAS

2 Cups dried green peas
Filtered water
Sea salt

Soak the peas overnight, simmer in salted water for about 45 minutes to reconstitute to softness.  Drain and smash with a potato masher.

LENTILS

2 Cups dried lentils
Filtered water
Sea salt

Soak lentils for one hour; drain and add to the soup as directed.

THE SOUP

2 T EV olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 carrots, small dice
3 ribs celery diced, leaves if available
2 large jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T dry Sherry
2 T dried mint leaves
1 t cumin
1 T cayenne pepper or crushed chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 T dried oregano leaves
1 T dried basil leaves
2 Qts. vegetable stock
1 23 oz. can tomato sauce

Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
 
Green peas and lentils, re-hydrated in directions above

In a medium sized stock pot, saute onion, carrot and celery for approximately 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.  Deglaze pan with sherry and simmer for an additional 3 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients up to peas and lentils; add jalapenos 1/2 at this time and reserve the rest for the final ten minutes.  This will lend half the flavor to the body of the stock and the other half to its heat.  Simmer for approximately 20 minutes; taste and re-season as needed.  Add peas and lentils, simmer until all vegetables are tender and soup is reduced, about 90 minutes.  Add the second half of the sliced jalapenos at the 70 minute mark.  Buzz the entire result with an immersion blender for texture and consistency.

Day 2 - This soup also makes a great pasta sauce!

Wondermous; click on image for larger view.

Zesty Vegetable Calzone

With a simple salad, Italian dressing, hot from the oven.  Click for larger image.

OK, so yesterday was stock-up day at the market, and now on to fresh inspiration.  Here is a light, vegetarian interpretation of the Italian classic.  Oh, to have access to a wood-burning pizza oven right now...  I have opted for a quick sauce (OK, "quick" being a relative term); if you have a garden, tons of tomatoes and lots of time, peel and cook from scratch.  Fresh basil was spotty in the market yesterday, so we're working with dried herbs today.  This is another "blank canvas" sort of meal, as you can play with the ingredients as you like.  Pepperoni, sausage, seasoned ground beef and the like star in more traditional preparations.  Also, in studying traditional recipes almost none of them use a sauce, but I'm going to change that.  Pizza needs sauce.  Add a light green salad, and you've got a great meal.

THE RECIPE - yield 2 calzones

THE SAUCE

1 T EV olive oil
1 medium onion, small dice
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T dry sherry
1 - 15oz. can tomato sauce
1 - 6oz. can tomato paste
1 T dried basil leaves
1 T dried oregano leaves
1/2 t crushed red chilies
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

In a medium sauce pan, saute onion until translucent; add garlic and cook for an additional minute.  Deglaze pan with the sherry, and simmer for 3 minutes.  Add tomatoes, herbs and chili flakes; season with salt and pepper.  Simmer for approximately 45 minutes.

THE CRUST

1 Cup warm water, 110°F
1 t granulated white sugar
1 t sea salt
1 packet active dry yeast
3 Cups all-purpose or bread flour
2 T EV olive oil

Stir sugar and salt into warm water; sprinkle yeast over the surface.  In about ten minutes, the surface should be bubbly and frothy as the yeast colony gives up its life for the sake of good bread!  Sift flour into a mixing bowl, add yeast mixture and oil.  Stir until a rough dough is formed.  Turn out onto a well-floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, approximately 5 minutes.  Place in an oiled mixing bowl and cover with a dish towel and allow to rise in a 70°F area for approximately 60 minutes, or until volume is doubled.

Divide the dough into two parts; roll into balls then roll out into large thin circles.  Top with sauce, fill and bake according to directions below.

THE FILLING

As I mentioned earlier, this is open to your own interpretation as far as filling ingredients go; but here is what I used --

6 pearl onions, sliced
6 scallions, bulbs and leaves, sliced
4 Roma tomatoes, cored (place the seeds and "guts" into the simmering pizza sauce) and sliced
2 large jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
6 - 8 broccoli florettes, chopped up into tiny pieces
6 mushrooms, sliced
1 Italian squash, cut in half, thinly sliced
(I must add if there were nice fresh basil or thyme leaves available, these would have been a welcome addition.)

Give the vegetables a quick saute over medium high heat to release any extra water, about 5 minutes.  You will be "roasting" the vegetables in preparation for the filling.

Click for larger image. 

 1 T olive oil to brush the crust (because you can never have too much olive oil.)

1 8oz. package shredded Mozzarella cheese

1egg and 2 T water scrambled well, for egg wash

THE PREP

Preheat oven to 375°F; cover a sheet pan with parchment paper and pan release spray.

Brush the two rounds with olive oil; add pizza sauce, spreading out within 1/2" of edges.

  Layer on cheese,

 

then vegetable filling on one half of the round.

  Brush inside edges with egg wash and fold the dough over.  Press the edges with a fork to seal and give a "scalloped" effect.  Brush the top with more of the egg wash.  Cut three slits in the top to release steam.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until crust is browned, vegetables are tender and cheese is melted.

Bacon jalapeno scallion bread

What a great Memorial Day weekend thus far - I was blessed to be able to visit with 8 of my nieces and nephews (there are more), one set of in-laws (there are more), and 6 grand-nieces and nephews (there are more) yesterday.  Food, fun, stories and lots of love.

Icing on the cake, I was sent home with a glorious armful of fresh-from-the-garden scallions and pearl onions.  GOT to use them now, but I am not leaving the house today, and working with what's here in the pantry.  This came out great.  My only regret  - I have no cheese or avocado - but there's always next time!  This is a basic white bread recipe reworked with the applicable additions.

THE RECIPE

 5-6 slices bacon, preferably thick black pepper smoked, crisp, fat reserved

1 t granulated white sugar
1 t sea salt
1 Cup warm water, 110°F
1 packet active dry yeast

2 large jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced
5 - 6 scallions, thinly sliced, bulbs and leaves

4 Cups sifted all-purpose or bread flour, plus more for kneading
1 T olive oil

1 egg + 1 T water scrambled together, for egg wash

Butter, for topping, approx. 2 T or go nuts

THE PREP

Cook bacon until crisp; reserve the fat, and chop the bacon finely.  Use the bacon fat to soften peppers, then scallions, over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.

Stir sugar and salt into warm water and sprinkle yeast over the mixture.  After approximately 10 minutes, the surface should be bubbly and frothy.

Sift flour into a mixing bowl.  Add olive oil and remaining ingredients.  Stir until a rough dough is achieved.  Knead on a floured surface, adding more flour as needed, until smooth and elastic, +/- 6 minutes.  Turn out into an oiled mixing bowl, cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled, approximately 60 minutes.

First rising.  Click for larger image.

Turn dough out and punch down; set into a buttered and floured single loaf pan (9" X 5") and allow to rise an additional 35 - 40 minutes until just over the top of the pan.

Ready to go - click for larger image.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Brush the loaf with egg wash.  Bake approximately 45 minutes.  After 20 minutes slit the top of the bread with a sharp knife, brush with butter and finish until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.  Remove from the pan and cool over a wire rack.

Voila!  Buttery goodness.  Is there any prosciutto in the house?  Click on image for larger view.