Rob and I had our big wedding anniversary dinner celebration on Saturday of Labor Day weekend, which is the day of the week we got married. Our actual anniversary date fell in the middle of the week this year, but we couldn’t resist having a small, pared down celebration on the real date as well. We had lemongrass-crusted salmon with a watercress coconut sauce for dinner. Even though this salmon dish really was easy enough to make on a regular Tuesday, it was very delicious, and it felt like a dish fit for a special occasion. (Good thing, since I think this qualifies as a special occasion! 🙂 )
I was inspired once again by a recipe from Roy’s Fish and Seafood: Recipes from the Pacific Rim. I followed his recipe for the salmon crust, but I completely changed the sauce to make it my own. The original recipe used a cup of beurre blanc, but I replaced it with coconut milk. (It was a good use for the leftover milk from the cheesecake!) I don’t use a lot of butter in my cooking, and the coconut added an additional tropical element. It also mellowed the bitterness of the watercress nicely.
Lemongrass-Crusted Salmon with a Watercress Coconut Sauce
Based on a recipe from Roy’s Fish and Seafood cookbook
Serves 2, with leftover sauce
Salmon and Lemongrass Crust:
2 salmon fillets, about 6 oz each
1 tablespoon minced lemongrass (white part only)
½ tablespoon minced garlic
½ tablespoon grated fresh ginger
½ tablespoon minced shallot
½ tablespoon shichimi
Watercress Coconut Sauce:
1 bunch watercress, stemmed (reserve 4 sprigs for garnish)
½ tablespoon ginger juice (fresh ginger squeezed through a garlic press)
½ cup coconut milk
Safflower, sunflower, or peanut oil for cooking
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine lemongrass, garlic, ginger, shallot, and shichimi in a bowl, and stir to blend. Set aside.
Bring a saucepan of water to a bowl. Place the watercress into a strainer, and when the water is bowling, pour over the watercress to wilt. Warm coconut milk. Combine watercress, milk and ginger juice in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until it is to your desired texture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Preheat a medium non-stick saucepan over medium high heat. Evenly coat one side of the salmon fillets with the crust mixture. Drizzle the fillets with a high heat cooking oil, such as safflower, sunflower, or peanut oil. Carefully transfer the salmon to the hot pan, crust side down. Sear until the crust is a little browned. Turn, and finish in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until baked to desired doneness.
To serve, plate the salmon crust side up. Spoon the sauce on the top or side of the salmon fillets. Garnish with reserved watercress leaves.
We paired our dinner with a bottle of 2000 Columbia Winery Peninsula red wine. We got married in 2000, and we had our wedding reception at Columbia Winery, so we bought a case of this wine several years ago. We like to open a bottle on our anniversary every year. It is aging nicely, which I’ll take as a good sign for us! 😉
Funny note: It began to absolutely pour down rain by the end of our dinner. Luckily, we decided to eat inside with the French doors open once again, so we could enjoy the thunder and showers instead of scrambling inside for cover. 😉 This bottom photo was taken in the middle of the downpour. It was actually kind of fun! It was definitely an anniversary to remember!
Christmas Baking ~ Gingerbread Cupcakes
/0 Comments/in Christmas, Cupcake, Dessert, Snack, Winter /by LauraI based the recipe on Martha Stewart’s Gingerbread Snacking Cake. It is such a flavorful recipe with the addition of fresh ginger, but I wanted individual cupcakes instead of one big sheet cake. I replaced the butter with light olive oil, and I replaced the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat pastry flour. The bold flavors of the cake stand up the whole grains beautifully. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try! I will definitely keep these cupcakes in my holiday recipe collection. 🙂 Yum!
Gingerbread Cupcakes
Based on a recipe from MarthaStewart.com
½ cup light olive oil
2 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup unsulfured molasses
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine boiling water and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, ground spices, salt, and baking powder; set aside.
In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, mix oil and brown sugar. Beat in molasses and grated ginger, baking-soda mixture, and flour mixture. Beat in eggs.
Pour batter into a muffin pan lined with paper liners, filling each about ½ full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Merry Christmas!!
A Decadent Holiday Treat ~ Gingerbread Caramels
/0 Comments/in Christmas, Dessert, Snack, Winter /by LauraI have never made caramels from scratch on my own before, so I followed the recipe from Martha Stewart to the letter. Candy making is really a science, and a few degrees can be the difference between a success and a dud. I learned two important lessons through this experience. The first is to make sure your thermometer is calibrated. I learned this the hard way, as my first attempt was a mess that did not set since it did not boil to the proper temperature. The second lesson I learned is that you can rescue your caramel if it doesn’t set by re-boiling it! On my second boil, I used a different thermometer, and the temperature reached the accurate level. Ta da! Success! 🙂
Gingerbread Caramels
From MarthaStewart.com
4 cups (2 pints) heavy cream
2 cups light corn syrup
4 cups granulated sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
Lightly coat a 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on short sides; spray paper.
In a large pot over high heat, bring cream, corn syrup, sugar, butter, and molasses to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches 248 degrees (firm-ball stage) on a candy thermometer, about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla, salt, and spices. Immediately pour onto prepared sheet, without scraping pot. Let stand, uncovered, 24 hours at room temperature (do not move pan).
Generously coat a large cutting board with cooking spray. Lifting it by the parchment overhang, invert caramel onto the cutting board; use a sharp knife to loosen parchment, and remove. Cut into 1-by-1 1/4-inch pieces. Wrap each in cellophane or waxed paper. Caramels can be stored up to 1 month in airtight containers.
Happy Thanksgiving ~ Wild Rice and Goat Cheese Stuffing with Chorizo
/0 Comments/in Autumn, Bread, Dinner, Lunch, Side dish, Thanksgiving /by LauraThis stuffing recipe has become a Thanksgiving standard in my family. 🙂 It adds a little spice and a little Southwestern touch to the dinner! I wrote about this recipe in Noon Café’s first year, and I thought I would repost it this year since it still holds up as a delicious addition to my Thanksgiving table. 🙂
Based on a recipe from Chef Bobby Flay
1 1/2 cups wild rice
5 cups water
Salt to taste
1/2 cup finely ground chorizo (Mexican)
1 finely diced large onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 finely chopped carrots
3 finely chopped celery stalks
3/4 pound cubed stale hearty white bread
6 ounces goat cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups low sodium free-range chicken stock
Boil the rice, water, and a little salt to taste in a medium saucepan until the grains open and the rice is tender. Drain. (This can be done a day ahead if you desire.) Cook the chorizo in a large saucepan over medium heat. Pour the chorizo over a bowl lined with a paper towel to drain the excess fat. In the same pan, add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and cook until the onion is tender but not browned. Add the rice, chorizo, bread, cheese, parsley, thyme, and stock and combine it all together. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking dish and bake at 350, uncovered, until golden brown on top, about 25 to 30 minutes.
This month isn’t *all* about turkey ~ Moroccan Chicken Tagine
/0 Comments/in Chicken, Dinner, Lunch, Main dish /by LauraMoroccan Chicken Tagine
Based on a recipe from Sur La Table’s cooking classes
Marinade:
1 medium onion, cut into ½ inch dice
1 medium garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
Pinch of saffron threads
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 (4 ounce) chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the marinade together. Arrange the chicken in a shallow baking dish, and pour the marinade over the top, mixing so all of the chicken is covered on all sides. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
Preheat a large heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add remaining oil. Remove chicken from marinade (reserving the remaining marinade) and sear. Pour the remaining marinade onto the seared chicken, and add the water. Cook until the liquid boils, reduce heat, and simmer about 40 minutes, until the chicken is tender and nearly falling apart. Add the thyme.
Serve with couscous.
Happy Birthday! ~ Beef Wellington, one more time around
/1 Comment/in Beef, Birthday, Dinner, Main dish /by LauraWe enjoyed Beef Wellington with good friends to mark the special occasion. 🙂 I made the dish last year for his birthday, and it was such a favorite, that I made it again this year. It may become a birthday tradition from now on!
Beef Wellington
Based on a recipe from BBC Good Food
2 lbs beef tenderloin
Olive oil
10 oz crimini mushrooms
1 large sprig fresh thyme
Splash dry white wine
12 pieces thinly sliced prosciutto
1 pack frozen puff pastry, thawed
Flour for dusting
3 egg yolks beaten with 2 tsp water
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle olive oil in pan until it is hot, but not smoking. Season beef with salt and pepper. Sear on all sides until golden. Then place beef on a roasting rack and cook in oven for about 20 minutes. (It will not be cooked through.) Remove from the oven to cool, and then chill in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
2. While beef is cooling, place the cleaned mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until fine. It should be the texture of coarse bread crumbs.
3. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms with the sprig of thyme in a dry pan with no oil, stirring often, about 10 minutes. When the liquid has cooked out of the mushrooms, pour a splash of white wine into the pan. Cook until dry once more. Remove thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Overlap 2 pieces of cling film (otherwise known as Saran wrap for us American cooks :)) over a large chopping board. Lay the prosciutto onto the cling film, slightly overlapping one another, in a double row. Spread the cooled mushrooms over the prosciutto evenly. Remove the beef from the refrigerator, and pat dry with a paper towel. Place it in the middle of the cling film with the prosciutto and mushrooms. Use the cling film’s edges to draw the prosciutto around the fillet tightly, and then roll it into a sausage shape, twisting the ends of the cling film to tighten. Chill the fillet once again.
5. Dust your clean work surface with a little flour. Roll out one piece of puff pastry until it is large enough to wrap around the fillet. Unravel the fillet from the cling film and set it in the center of the pastry. Beat the egg yolks and water together for an egg wash. Brush the pastry edges and the top and sides of the fillet with the egg wash. Wrap the pastry around the beef as tightly as you can, overlapping slightly to cover the whole fillet. Tuck the sides in as you would a package, so the beef is completely wrapped. Use the egg wash as a “glue” to make sure it stays together. Trim with kitchen shears if need be. Glaze the entire package with the egg wash. Using the back of a knife, mark the beef Wellington with long diagonal lines taking care not to cut through the pastry. (Or, as an alternative to scoring the pastry with a knife, cut thin strips of a second rolled puff pastry sheet with a pizza cutter. Lay the strips over the top of the Wellington in a crosshatch pattern. Tuck under, so there are no loose ends on the bottom. Then coat the entire package with egg wash.) Chill for at least 30 minutes.
6. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the Wellington with a little more egg wash and cook on a rack until golden and crisp, about 30 minutes, or until it is done to your liking. (Ours was still pink, but cooked through.) Allow to rest for about 20 minutes once it comes out of the oven. Serve in thick slices.
Happy Halloween! ~ Pork Tenderloin and Squash with Pumpkin Seed Vinaigrette
/0 Comments/in Autumn, Dinner, Halloween, Lunch, Main dish, Pork, Side dish /by LauraTo celebrate, I made a festive autumn dinner tonight of pork tenderloin and squash with a pumpkin seed vinaigrette. I based the recipe on one I found from Bon Appétit. I substituted pork tenderloin for pork chops to make the dish a little leaner. (More room for chocolate Halloween candy later, I figure! 😉 ) I also added more pumpkin seeds than called for, since they are one of the stars of the dish. (And you may have read about my feelings about pumpkin in the last post. 🙂 It’s one of my favorite things!)
Based on a recipe from Bon Appétit
3 tablespoons shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas), plus more for garnish
3 pounds winter squash (such as acorn, kabocha, delicata, or butternut), halved, seeded, cut into 1″ wedges
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 pork tenderloin, silver skin removed
1/2 small garlic clove, crushed into a paste
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread out pumpkin seeds on a large rimmed baking sheet. Toast, tossing once, until just beginning to darken, about 4 minutes. Let cool. Coarsely chop; set aside.
Toss squash with 1 tablespoon oil on a large rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast squash, turning occasionally, until golden brown and tender, about 25 minutes.
When squash has been roasting for about 20 minutes, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy oven proof skillet over medium-high heat. Season pork with salt and pepper and sear until brown on all sides. Finish in the oven until the internal temperature registers 145 degrees. Let rest before slicing.
Whisk garlic, 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 3 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a small bowl to combine. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide squash and pork among plates; spoon vinaigrette over. Top with cilantro leaves and pumpkin seeds.
I hope you have a safe and happy Halloween!
Pumpkin Season! ~ Pumpkin Custard
/2 Comments/in Autumn, Dessert, Snack /by LauraPumpkin Custard
Based on a recipe from Cooking Light magazine
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Pinch of salt
8-ounces whole coconut milk
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
15-ounces unsweetened pumpkin purée
Natural frozen pie crust (if you wish)
Whipped cream for serving
Preheat oven to 425°.
To prepare the custard, combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, and whisk until well blended. Add the pumpkin, and whisk until smooth.
Pour pumpkin mixture into either a crust or 6 small ramekins. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes, and then reduce the oven temperature to 350°. (Keep the custard in the oven.) Bake an additional 50 minutes for a large pie, or about 15 minutes for individual ramekins, until set. Cool completely before serving.
Serve with whipped cream.
Halloween Treats ~ Devil’s Food Cupcakes, Updated
/1 Comment/in Cupcake, Dessert, Halloween, Snack /by LauraFor the past few years, I have made devil’s food cupcakes to celebrate the season. This year I tried them with whole-wheat pastry flour, and it worked out beautifully! The hearty chocolate flavor stands up to the whole grain, and they are still moist and delicious. I think this will be my new and improved recipe from now on!
Devil’s Food Cupcakes
Based on a recipe from Bon Appétit magazine
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup light olive oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking pan with 14 cupcake papers. Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Sift in cocoa and baking soda. Stir to combine. Add flour, and mix until just combined. (Be careful not to mix too much at this point.) Fill each cupcake about ¾ full with batter. Bake until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely.
Spooky Dinner ~ Chicken Bog
/1 Comment/in Chicken, Dinner, Halloween, Lunch, Main dish /by LauraBased on a recipe from The Jasmine Moon Murder
About 6 servings
6 cups water
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
Salt to taste
3 to 4 pound whole chicken (I used one that my butcher cut up already for ease)
5 carrots, sliced
5 celery stalks, sliced
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
1 cup brown long grain rice
½ lb smoked chicken sausage, sliced
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
Place the water, onion, salt, chicken, 3 carrots, 3 celery stalks, and peppercorns in a large pot, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until chicken is tender, about 1 hour. Remove chicken and let cool, reserving the cooking liquid. Let the liquid cool, strain, and skim the fat from the top. Measure 3 ½ cups of the liquid, and pour into a fresh pot. (The remaining liquid can be put into the refrigerator or freezer for a future use.) Remove skin and bones from chicken, and chop into bite sized pieces. Add chicken pieces, remaining 2 carrots, remaining 2 celery stalks, rice, sausage, poultry seasoning, and parsley flakes to the stock. Make sure it is seasoned with enough salt to your liking. Add more if needed. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
Welcome Fall ~ Delancey ~ Apple Crisp
/0 Comments/in Autumn, Dessert, Dinner, Lunch /by LauraI replaced the butter with half the amount of Earth Balance, but other than that, I followed the recipe pretty closely. It was a sweet way to kick off the fall season. 🙂
Based on a recipe from the book Delancey
Makes 8 servings
For the apples:
8 medium Granny Smith apples
3 to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 to 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the topping:
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ stick Earth Balance (85 g)
½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
For serving:
Vanilla ice cream or frozen custard
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel, core, and slice each apple into 8 to 10 wedges. In a bowl, toss the apples with 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 4 tablespoons sugar. Taste. They should be bright with lemon but lightly sweet. Adjust lemon and sugar if desired. Scrape the apples and any juices into a 2-quart soufflé dish, an 8 by 8-inch baking dish, or individual ramekins.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the Earth Balance, and use your fingers to rub and pinch it into the dry ingredients until there are no large lumps and the mixture is evenly crumbly. Add the walnuts and stir to combine.
Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the apples are bubbling. (The time does not differ if you decide to make individual servings in ramekins.) Serve warm with ice cream or frozen custard.
I hope you have a sweet and happy fall!
One More Small Anniversary Celebration ~ Lemongrass-Crusted Salmon with a Watercress Coconut Sauce and 2000 Columbia Winery Peninsula
/0 Comments/in Anniversary, Dinner, Lunch, Main dish, Seafood /by LauraI was inspired once again by a recipe from Roy’s Fish and Seafood: Recipes from the Pacific Rim. I followed his recipe for the salmon crust, but I completely changed the sauce to make it my own. The original recipe used a cup of beurre blanc, but I replaced it with coconut milk. (It was a good use for the leftover milk from the cheesecake!) I don’t use a lot of butter in my cooking, and the coconut added an additional tropical element. It also mellowed the bitterness of the watercress nicely.
Lemongrass-Crusted Salmon with a Watercress Coconut Sauce
Based on a recipe from Roy’s Fish and Seafood cookbook
Serves 2, with leftover sauce
Salmon and Lemongrass Crust:
2 salmon fillets, about 6 oz each
1 tablespoon minced lemongrass (white part only)
½ tablespoon minced garlic
½ tablespoon grated fresh ginger
½ tablespoon minced shallot
½ tablespoon shichimi
Watercress Coconut Sauce:
1 bunch watercress, stemmed (reserve 4 sprigs for garnish)
½ tablespoon ginger juice (fresh ginger squeezed through a garlic press)
½ cup coconut milk
Safflower, sunflower, or peanut oil for cooking
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine lemongrass, garlic, ginger, shallot, and shichimi in a bowl, and stir to blend. Set aside.
Bring a saucepan of water to a bowl. Place the watercress into a strainer, and when the water is bowling, pour over the watercress to wilt. Warm coconut milk. Combine watercress, milk and ginger juice in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until it is to your desired texture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Preheat a medium non-stick saucepan over medium high heat. Evenly coat one side of the salmon fillets with the crust mixture. Drizzle the fillets with a high heat cooking oil, such as safflower, sunflower, or peanut oil. Carefully transfer the salmon to the hot pan, crust side down. Sear until the crust is a little browned. Turn, and finish in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until baked to desired doneness.
To serve, plate the salmon crust side up. Spoon the sauce on the top or side of the salmon fillets. Garnish with reserved watercress leaves.
We paired our dinner with a bottle of 2000 Columbia Winery Peninsula red wine. We got married in 2000, and we had our wedding reception at Columbia Winery, so we bought a case of this wine several years ago. We like to open a bottle on our anniversary every year. It is aging nicely, which I’ll take as a good sign for us! 😉
Funny note: It began to absolutely pour down rain by the end of our dinner. Luckily, we decided to eat inside with the French doors open once again, so we could enjoy the thunder and showers instead of scrambling inside for cover. 😉 This bottom photo was taken in the middle of the downpour. It was actually kind of fun! It was definitely an anniversary to remember!
Wedding Anniversary, Part 3 ~ Japanese-Style Coconut Cheesecake and 14 Hands Winery Reserve Red Blend
/0 Comments/in Anniversary, Dessert, Dinner, Lunch, Snack /by LauraThis recipe was from a website called Cooking Hawaiian Style. I omitted the butter completely, and I used reduced fat cream cheese, but otherwise followed the recipe pretty closely.
Japanese-Style Coconut Cheesecake
Based on a recipe from Cooking Hawaiian Style
Yield: One 8″ cheesecake
Note: Do not substitute homemade cake flour (regular flour mixed with cornstarch) for this recipe. Use a store-bought cake flour.
9 oz. reduced fat cream cheese (one 8 oz. brick plus 1 oz. of another brick)
1/3 cup coconut milk
6 eggs, room temperature – whites and yolks separated
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 cup plus
1/8 cup extra fine granulated sugar
1/3 cup plus 1 tsp. cake flour
3 tbsp. corn starch
1. Melt cream cheese and coconut milk in a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir occasionally to break up cream cheese and combine the ingredients. Remove bowl from heat and allow to cool. Mixture will be thick. If lumpy, use a whisk to vigorously beat the mixture until smooth. Set aside.
2. When mixture has cooled, fold in the egg yolks, flour and corn starch. Fold until thoroughly incorporated.
3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
4. In a large bowl, whisk egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and mix again, gradually adding the extra-fine sugar a little at a time until soft peaks form. Note: Soft peaks: mixture should be white and opaque, and meringue will fall onto itself when the beaters are lifted from the bowl.
5. Add the cheese mixture to the egg white mixture and fold together until well incorporated.
6. Pour into an 8-inch round spring-form pan that has been lightly greased and lined (sides and bottom) with parchment paper. Place a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the cake so it does not brown.
7. Bake in a water bath for 1 hour 10 minutes. When timer sounds, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes with the oven door cracked.
8. Carefully remove pan from water bath and let stand until cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove spring-form ring and serve.
Notes:
•Substitutions are not recommended for this recipe. Be sure to use whole milk, cake flour and extra-fine sugar. If you can’t find extra-fine sugar, grind regular sugar finer in a food processor.
•Sprinkle matcha green tea on finished cake, or top with fresh fruit for serving.
Wedding Anniversary, Part 2 ~ Macadamia Nut and Panko Crusted Ono with Happy Rice
/0 Comments/in Anniversary, Dinner, Lunch, Main dish, Seafood, Side dish /by LauraWe are lucky enough to have a Hawaiian fishmonger around Seattle called Tim’s Seafood in Kirkland. In addition to a wide selection of Northwest fish, he also gets fresh Hawaiian seafood. I had my choice of some beautiful fish for our dinner! He even makes his own poke.
I used coconut oil on the fish, and it gave it a subtle coconut flavor that was a nice compliment to the macadamia nuts. The original recipe used quite a bit of butter, but the coconut oil was a really nice alternative. This crust would work well with any firm white fish I think. The original recipe was for opakapaka, which I couldn’t find at the fish store that day, so I think any mild fish with a fairly firm texture would be lovely.
Macadamia Nut and Panko Crusted Ono with Happy Rice
Based on a recipe from Roy’s Fish and Seafood
Serves 2, with leftover rice for later
Happy Rice:
1 cup Japanese short-grain rice
1 cup water
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon furikake, plus more for top
Macadamia and Panko Crusted Ono:
4 tablespoons macadamia nut halves
4 tablespoons coconut oil
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
2 6 oz fillets of ono
Preheat oven to 350 F.
To prepare rice:
Put the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water, until the water runs clear. Drain the rice and transfer to a bowl. Cover with fresh cold water, and let soak for 1 hour.
To cook the rice on the stovetop, place the drained rice in a saucepan and add 1 cup fresh water. Bring to boil, decrease heat, cover, and cook until the rice is soft and sticky and the water has just evaporated, about 15 minutes.
Combine the rice with ginger and furikake. Use small cookie cutters to form rice into compact shapes. Alternatively, dip your fingers in a bowl of slightly salted water to prevent the rice from sticking and mold 1 to 2 tablespoons of rice into triangles, cubes, or balls. Set aside and keep warm. Sprinkle the tops with more furikake.
To prepare fish:
In a food processor, pulse the nuts until they are cut into course pieces. Add the panko and oil, and pulse it all together until it is a thick paste, but still has some texture.
Coat one side of the ono with the paste. Preheat an oven-safe sauté pan over medium high heat, and when hot, place the ono in the pan, paste side down. Cook until golden, and then flip. Finish the fish in the oven. Cook until flaky, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Taste and say “Wahoo!!” OK, I have that out of my system now. 😉
Stay tuned for our Hawaiian dessert in the next entry!
Wedding Anniversary, Part 1 ~ Martini of Spicy Tuna Poke and Dragon Fruit Lychee Sparkling Wine Cocktails
/0 Comments/in Anniversary, Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Seafood, Snack /by LauraWe celebrated our wedding anniversary this year with a special Hawaiian-style dinner. We love to explore foods from all around the world. For Valentine’s Day (also our engagement anniversary), we made a sushi dinner, so we decided to go with a twist on that theme for our wedding anniversary by making a few Japanese-influenced dishes from Hawaii. It was a summery meal from the land of endless summers!
The weather was not very Hawaiian-like for our celebration, though. Ha! (But it was very Seattle-like!) It was a little drizzly, and cooler than it usually is around our anniversary. We decided to use that opportunity to set the dinner table in a new place…We kicked open the French doors in the guest room, and ate inside overlooking a sea of candles and tiki torches. 🙂 Luckily it wasn’t too rainy, so the candles stayed lit. It was really beautiful!
I also found some sweet little printable paper orchids on Elli.com. They were free, very easy to assemble, and I think they added a fun tropical touch to our table.
I based two of our dishes on recipes from a cookbook called Roy’s Fish and Seafood: Recipes from the Pacific Rim. Chef Roy Yamaguchi has several restaurants in Hawaii and the mainland, and this book is a nice collection of a few of his Hawaiian seafood recipes. It was hard to choose what I wanted to make! I may continue to explore the recipes throughout our anniversary month. 🙂
We started our meal with a classic ahi poke, one of our favorite Hawaiian dishes. 🙂 I loved the cookbook’s idea to serve it in layers in a martini glass, and then garnish with micro-greens, fish eggs, and thin strips of nori seaweed. I dressed the ahi much more lightly than the recipe called for. I used salmon roe instead of tobiko, because it’s local and also natural. I also doubled the avocado, since we love avocado. 🙂
Martini of Spicy Tuna Poke
Based on a recipe from Roy’s Fish and Seafood cookbook
Serves 2 as an appetizer
6 oz center-cut ahi tuna, cut into ½ inch dice
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons sriracha
½ teaspoon fish sauce
A few micro-greens
¼ sheet nori, cut with scissors into thin strips
1 tablespoon salmon roe
1 avocado, cut into ½ inch dice
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine mayonnaise, sriracha, and fish sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Add as much or as little of the mixture to the ahi as you like. Stir to combine, and set aside.
Combine the avocado with the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Chill 2 martini glasses. Layer a few pieces of avocado in the bottom of the glass, then add a layer of ahi, another of avocado, and finish with a layer of ahi. Top with micro-greens, roe, and nori strips.
We also made fun dragon fruit and lychee sparkling wine cocktails to go with our first course. The dragon fruit added pretty little seeds and a very mild flavor, and the lychee gave the cocktail a nice sweetness. In a blender, I added a couple of slices of dragon fruit with about a ½ cup of lychee juice. Then I strained the mix, added a little to each champagne glass, and topped the juice with sparkling wine.
Stay tuned for the main course in my next entry!
August 1st Anniversary ~ Peaches with Ricotta Honey Cream and Aged Balsamic Vinegar
/0 Comments/in Dessert, Summer /by LauraTo celebrate, we had a steamed Dungeness crab dinner, which is our favorite Northwest dish. Whenever we have crab, it feels like a special occasion! To cap off dinner, I made this summery dessert. Peaches are ripe in the markets now, so I wanted to highlight their sweet deliciousness with a ricotta honey cream and a little aged balsamic vinegar. You could grill the peaches, but we preferred them natural, just as they come. I did use heavy cream, but I cut it in half with a low fat ricotta. Only a little dollop is needed, so I figured a little cream would be fine. It was a celebration, after all! 😉
Peaches with Ricotta Honey Cream and Aged Balsamic Vinegar
Based on a recipe from Sur La Table cooking classes
2 ripe peaches
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup low fat ricotta
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 teaspoons honey
Aged balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
Mint, optional
In the bowl of a food processor, add the cream and ricotta. Process until thick, about a minute. Add the zest, vanilla, and honey, and pulse until combined.
To serve, cut the peaches in half, and place a dollop of the ricotta cream mixture in the middle of each half. Serve with balsamic vinegar drizzled on the top or on the side, and a sprig of mint if you desire.
It’s Seafair Weekend ~ Beach Party Wine Label
/0 Comments/in Seafair /by LauraTo celebrate this special weekend, I put together this festive little beach party wine label. The printable is part of a set of free beach party printables from CatchMyParty.com. They are super cute, and did I mention, free? 🙂 They would be perfect to make any beach party a little more special.
Happy Seafair!
(There is a Blue Angel jet flying in the bottom left corner of the top photo! I was able to catch one flying by with my camera. :))
Bastille Day Celebration ~ Madeleines
/0 Comments/in Bastille Day, Dessert, Snack /by LauraI tried a little experiment with this dish, since it is traditionally made with butter (as most French dishes are…Ha!) I made half the recipe the traditional way, with butter. I figured they are tiny little cakes; so a little butter in moderation is fine. I made the other half of the recipe with Earth Balance. I baked them in the same oven for the same amount of time, and observed the difference. I have to say, they were *both* quite delicious. There was not a bad madeleine in the bunch. 😉 The taste is slightly different, but both lovely. The butter version looked more beautifully golden brown, and spread out in the pan a little more. The Earth Balance cakes were a tad lighter in color, less golden. They also were slightly smaller cakes, since they didn’t spread out in the pan quite as much. The photo at the bottom displays the difference…The ones on the left are made with Earth Balance, and the ones on the right are made with butter. Your choice!
Madeleines
Based on a recipe from Bon Appétit magazine
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
Pinch of salt
1 cup all purpose flour
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly (or Earth Balance buttery sticks)
Powdered sugar, optional, for serving
Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously butter and flour pan for large madeleines (about 3 x 1 1/4 inches).* Using electric mixer, beat eggs and 2/3 cup sugar in large bowl just to blend. Beat in vanilla, lemon peel and salt. Add flour; beat just until blended. Gradually add cooled melted butter in steady stream, beating just until blended.
Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each indentation in pan. Bake until puffed and brown, about 16 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Gently remove from pan. Repeat process, buttering and flouring pan before each batch. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)
Dust cookies with powdered sugar if desired.
*A metal mold with scallop-shaped indentations, sold at cookware stores.
South Carolina Kind of Summer ~ Lowcountry Boil
/0 Comments/in Chicken, Dinner, Lunch, Main dish, Seafood, Summer /by LauraLowcountry Boil AKA Frogmore Stew
Based on a recipe from Southern Living magazine
5 quarts water
1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning
4 pounds small red potatoes
2 pounds chicken kielbasa, chicken andouille, or other hot smoked link chicken sausage, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
6 ears fresh corn, halved
4 pounds unpeeled, large fresh shrimp (or peeled and deveined shrimp for easier eating)
Old Bay seasoning, for serving
Cocktail sauce, for serving
Bring 5 quarts water and 1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning to a rolling boil in a large covered stockpot.
Add potatoes; return to a boil, and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes.
Add sausage and corn, and return to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Add shrimp to stockpot; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Drain. Serve with Old Bay seasoning and cocktail sauce.
Sweet Little Oven Printable
/0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by LauraThis printout comes from EatBoutique.com. The creator, Lucy Engelman, was kind enough to offer it as a freebie. (If you plan to print it, I would recommend going to EatBoutique.com rather than printing it from the photo above.)
I hope you enjoy! 🙂
Happy Fourth of July! ~ Bison Hot Dogs on Homemade Buns; Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad; Blueberry and Raspberry Parfait with Vanilla Yogurt and Whipped Cream
/0 Comments/in Bread, Dessert, Dinner, Fourth of July, Lunch, Main dish, Side dish, Summer /by LauraClick photos to expand. 🙂
Bison hot dogs on homemade hot dog buns…
Red, white and blue potato salad…
Sparkling wine with blueberries and raspberries floating in the bubbles…
A red and blue berry parfait (with an equal combination of non-fat Greek vanilla yogurt and whipped cream for a layer of white)…
It’s our Fourth of July celebration!
I hope you all have a fun, safe, and happy Independence Day! I’m off to Seattle’s festival on Lake Union! 🙂
Enjoy it all!
Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad
From Cooking Light magazine
2 cups fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise (about 10 ounces)
2 cups small red potatoes, quartered (about 10 ounces)
2 cups small blue potatoes, halved lengthwise (about 10 ounces)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
3 hard-cooked large eggs, finely chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
Place fingerling and red potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Drain; cool slightly. Place potatoes in a large bowl.
Place blue potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Drain; cool slightly. Add blue potatoes, onion, parsley, dill, chives, and eggs to bowl; toss gently.
Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients. Pour over potato mixture; toss gently to combine. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Note: Blue potatoes are starchier than the others and tend to bleed, so cook them separately. If you need to, prepare this dish a day ahead, but add the blue potatoes just before serving. If your potatoes are larger than the ones we call for, cut them to a uniform size.