White Bean Dip, or, how I nearly starved to death for want of a photo

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The mind of a blogger is a dangerous thing.
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It all started the other day when we forgot a pot of beans on the stove and cooked them into mush. Nevermind, I said. I'll just turn them into something else. I saw an interesting pasta sauce the other day that used pureed white beans. But without the scallops or the right cheese or the white wine (I was out) it didn't sound destined for success. I then remembered that a friend had brought over a pureed white bean dip a few months back that had been pretty good. Pretty good, but no wow factor. I wanted wow factor. So I headed back to my lonely writer's garret (fictitious bonus points to anyone who gets this very esoteric musical reference - hint, if you're thinking bananas you're on the right track) kitchen to see what I could do.
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Five minutes and six ingredients later I'd discovered bean dip nirvana. Seriously, this recipe turned out so well that I practically licked the bowl. (I would have too, if that big sharp blade from the food processor hadn't scared me off.) If you like white beans this is definitely the dip for you, and since it is, of course I wanted to share it with you. Which means I needed to quantify my "throw it in until it's right" recipe. And that I needed a photo.
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Now, how did I nearly starve? It's like this... (subtitled "Why I am never going to be a food stylist")
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I was about to sit down to eat my wonderfully smoky and delicious dip (love that smoked paprika) when I realized that the red peppers and red paprika would do very well for the Ruby Tuesday shot I'd been looking for.
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Okay, plate the dip in a small bowl. Dump Neatly arrange red pepper slices on a plate. Realize that red peppers on a red plate is ridiculous. Get a yellow plate. Dump Arrange, peppers on the new plate. Rearrange five or six or a million times.
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Take pictures of the whole setup.
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Concede that today's horrible weather was not exactly bathing my kitchen in lovely soft natural light. Turn on lights. Bump ISO up to 1600 in an attempt to avoid using the flash, thus making all the food appear a wonderfully appetizing shade of orangey-beige. Try again. And again.
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Rearrange peppers. Get progressively hungrier. Take a few last shots before giving up in disgust and going off to eat my lunch before it got manhandled to death.
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Eat. Ahhh... Bliss...
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It really was that good, even after the grand photo fiasco.
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Finish eating. Sneak in a few extra spoonfuls. Look at photos. Spend way too much time in photoshop, and finally end up settling for this.
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Click to enlarge (you can, but why would you on this one? If you're looking for actual good photographs go here)

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Trust me, it tastes way better than it looks. Really.
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Really.
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Robin's White Bean Dip
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1.5 cups dried beans, soaked and cooked into oblivion (very mushy) - can substitute 3C canned beans (drained)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbl olive oil
1-2 tsp smoked paprika
2-3 tsp lemon juice salt to taste
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Saute the garlic until golden. Add paprika and saute over low heat for another 2-3 minutes. .
Dump everything into the food processor. Puree until very smooth.
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That's it.
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Serve with raw vegetables. Or crackers. Or just with a spoon. Not that I'd know anything about that of course.
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Hamentaschen Recipe

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Since a number of you asked yesterday, here is my Helene Eichler's hamentaschen recipe, courtesy of the Dor L'Dor (Generation to Generation) Cookbook put out by the South Palm Beach County (Florida) Jewish Federation several decades ago (I'm guessing, since my grandmother gave it to me nearly that long ago). This is one of those treasures of traditional community cooking - while most of the "regular" recipes are outdated or simply not something I'd ever want to make (not being a big fan of either schmaltz or 1970's style "healthy" processed convenience foods), for those old from-scratch holiday standbyes nothing beats a grandmother's recipe, unless it's an entire collection of grandmothers' recipes.

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Here's Helene's, whoever she was, with my changes in parentheses:

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Cookie:

2/3 C shortening (I used butter)

1/2 C sugar (I used demarara)

1 egg (I used an egg - ha ha fooled you)

3 Tbl milk or water (I used 1% milk)

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 C sifted flour (I used 1.5 C white flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat, but you could go half and half if no one in your family is Maya put off by the darker appearance of whole wheat.)

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Cream the shortening and sugar together. Add egg and continue to beat until smooth. Add water/milk and vanilla and gradually mix in flour until a ball of dough is formed. Chill a few hours or overnight (or about 45 minutes in the freezer if you're like me and don't plan ahead). When ready, form the dough into 2-inch balls and roll out to about 1/8" thick circles. Place a dollop of filling in the center of the circle and bring the edges together to form a triangle, pinching the seams to seal any leaks.

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Optional: brush tops with melted shortening or slightly beaten egg before baking. (I didn't bother with this step, I don't think it needs it.)

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Bake 20-25 minutes at 350F (180C) until golden. Cool 5 minutes on tray before transferring to a wire rack.

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Filling:

Here's where Helene and I diverge - I used ordinary chocolate spread, the hands-down favorite of every Israeli schoolchild I've ever known. It's similar to Nutella but cheaper without the hazelnut component. All Israeli kids scarf this stuff down as a sandwich spread - except for mine, because their mean and rotten mother won't buy it for them. They have to get it at their afternoon program instead, which their mom feels is already quite often enough.)

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Helene's more traditionally Ashkenazi (Eastern European Jewish) version*:

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2 C poppy seeds (sorry, I hate poppy seed filling)

1 C water

1/2 C honey

1/4 C sugar

1/8 tsp salt

2 eggs

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Combine poppy seeds, water, honey and salt in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring to prevent scorching. Let cool before adding eggs, beating in thoroughly. If the eggs make the filling too thin, return to the heat and cook while stirring for a minute or two.

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* Note: Various fillings can be substituted for the poppy seed - jams, such as apricot, prune or cherry, are also traditional and work well. In Israel you also see halva as a filling, though as I said most children prefer chocolate.

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Red Velvet Cake

Because I prefer not to dwell on what are likely to be utterly abysmal election results in Israel's national election Tuesday...

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In the spirit of Valentine's Day and Ruby Tuesday and Hapoel Tel Aviv and all things red, I give you:

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Red Velvet Cake

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My thoughts:
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Recipe: (see above link for the full recipe) While the batter started out quite red, the finished product was a much more sedate reddish-brown. I did use gel coloring instead of liquid (as per the gel option in the recipe), but the gel is pretty potent stuff so I doubt that was the reason. Whatever the color, it was delicious. Rich, but not overly heavy, and the cream cheese frosting was divine. If I make it again I'll stop at two layers though, and use the rest of the batter for cupcakes - that third layer looked very elegant, but it made the cake ridiculously high.

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Decoration: I'd intended to stick a fondant rose on the top of the cake but forgot to get one. Luckily our GNI hostess with the mostess had a perfect pomegranate just sitting on her counter waiting for my cake to come along, and the idea that we use it. It was a stroke of brilliance, the slight tartness of the pomegranate was a great balance for the sweet frosting.

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Proof that the batter really did start out red

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And the kicker? I'm on a diet - out of this entire cake I only had three bites! I've still got leftovers on my table and I am very steadfastly not eating them. Sheesh.

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Corn and Red Onion Relish

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I haven't posted a recipe in ages, but this one was so quick and easy and such a big hit that I figured I had to share it. This chili-flavored relish is almost more of a salsa and goes really well with Mexican food - I served it with make your own soft tacos last night, but it would also be great with burritos, nachos or even fajitas.

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The recipe comes from a favorite cookbook of mine - Angela Spenceley's A Taste of the Caribbean. I bought it years ago as a souvenir of a sailing trip to the British Virgin Islands and every recipe I've tried has been great, especially when cold winter days leave you longing for the warm sun of the tropics.

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Enjoy!

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Corn and Red Onion Relish

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2 cups corn kernels, fresh or thawed frozen

1 large red onion, minced

1 sweet red pepper, minced

1/4 cup jalapeno peppers, chopped (I used Israeli hot peppers)

1 cup fresh ripe tomato, chopped

1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

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Place all ingredients in a heavy pot and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until the corn kernels are soft.

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Remove from heat and cool. Pour into sterilized jars and refrigerate. (I just put it into a plastic container, but I knew it would be used up within a day or two.)

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This relish does not keep long so use within the week.

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TT - Raw V8 Juice

Huh? Has Robin finally fallen off her rocker? Raw V8 juice is a Thursday Thirteen? Is she NUTS?

It is in fact true (which part read on and decide for yourselves).

Why on earth am I looking at recipes for raw V8 juice? I'll tell you...

It all started a week or two ago when my husband decided that his life, and his incessant craving for carrot juice, would not be complete without owning our very own juicer. After doing some research an order was placed over a popular internet shopping site and we sat back to await our juicer. And we waited. And we waited. And still we waited. (Turns out the supplier ran out and had to get a rush shipment in from Australia.)

Well tonight The Juicer finally arrived. The first thing we tried was apple juice. Very tasty, but we didn't spend *cough cough* money on a juicer just for apple juice. Next up was carrot juice, at which point I was able to confirm my inherent dislike of plain carrot juice. I was trying to figure out what type of exotic juice I might be able to enjoy from the juicer (because really, if all I wanted was apple or orange juice it wouldn't have been necessary now, would it?) when it hit me. I used to like to drink V8 on occasion, but they don't sell it here in Israel. If I could figure out what was in it, I could make my own! Off I went to research.

I soon found that most V8 recipes call for cooking the ingredients, which may be fine but doesn't make good use of the awfully expensive juicer my husband just bought. Back to the drawing board...

I finally found it - a recipe for V8 juice that uses a juicer - perfect! Even better, it has thirteen ingredients, so perfect for this week's thirteen. (And more to the point I didn't have any better ideas, so...)

So here you go:

Raw V8 Juice

Ingredients:

1) 6 medium-sized carrots
2) 1 small beet (wash well)
3) 3 large tomatoes
4) 1 bag baby spinach
5) 1/4 head fresh cabbage
6) 1 red bell pepper
7) 1 green bell pepper
8) 3 stalks celery
9) 1/4 sweet onion
10) 1/2 clove garlic
11) A few kale leaves (go easy)
12) Chili pepper or Tabasco sauce to taste
13) Salt to taste

Juice the vegetables all together and add salt to taste.

Enjoy!

(I hope I will. I actually can't stand raw tomatoes, so I'm really hoping that the other veggies and spices overpower that awful raw tomato taste!)

Happy Thursday everyone!

WFMW - Perfect, and Perfectly Simple, Asparagus

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It's another "five ingredients or less" WFMW at Rocks in My Dryer this week, so what better to share than this amazing, and amazingly simple, asparagus recipe. It was so good that half the dish never even made it to the table! My husband and I couldn't keep our hands off it and devoured the lion's share straight out of the bowl while I finished cooking dinner. Even better, it can be served either warm or at room temperature, so there's no last minute rush.

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Ingredients:

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Since this dish is so simple it's worth using the very best quality ingredients you can find.

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1 bunch of very fresh asparagus

2 Tbl freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 Tbl high quality olive oil

2 tsp lemon zest

salt and pepper to taste (preferably sea salt and freshly ground pepper)

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Method:

1. Put up a pot of water to boil.
2. Wash asparagus and snap off the tougher bottom bit of the stalk. Don't worry, it will break naturally at the right spot.
3. Cut into 2-inch (5cm) pieces.
4. Boil for just two minutes.
5. Toss cooked asparagus with all the other ingredients.
6. Try not to eat it all before you sit down to dinner.

That's it. Couldn't be easier.

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Tip: Store fresh asparagus upright in the fridge in a container of water to keep them fresher longer.

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I don't remember where I came across this recipe, but if anyone out there does let me know and I'll be happy to give credit where it's due. The photo is mine - those very asparagus are going to be prepared this way and consumed very soon. Tonight for dinner, or if I can't help myself this afternoon for my lunch - where I will scarf them all down by myself without having to share. So there!

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Sate Chicken Skewers

The chicken itself was long gone by the time Janet asked for this recipe, so since I didn't have any food to photograph I decided to show you the recipe card itself. See for yourselves how well-loved this recipe has been over the years. The card is one of a number of family recipes my mom wrote out for me when I got married and nearly seventeen years later it's still a family favorite. We make it often at home, and it's our favorite go-to dish for summer barbecues whenever we're asked to bring "something to throw on the grill".

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Enjoy.

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Indonesian-style Sate Chicken Skewers

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Ingredients:

4 large chicken cutlets, cut in strips (or easier to skewer bite-sized pieces, whichever you prefer)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 Tbl oil

1 Tbl molasses

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1 clove of garlic, crushed

2 Tbl lemon juice

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Mix above ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Marinate chicken for at least 2 hours.

Just before grilling, soak bamboo skewers in water (so they won't catch fire, which might put a damper on your dinner, so to speak). Thread the chicken onto the skewers. Grill 4-5 minutes or until done. (May take longer if you've done your chicken in chunks.) Brush with marinade. Or don't, I often skip this step.

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Note: The original recipe calls for serving this with a spicy peanut sauce, but since no one but Jay and I ever ate the sauce (Israelis don't tend to be big fans of peanut butter in any shape or form) I've stopped bothering over the years. The chicken is delicious plain, but the sauce definitely kicks it up a notch. This recipe is similar to the one I used to make, but I leave out the coconut milk, thinning the peanut butter with a bit of hot water instead. Get creative, it's hard to go wrong with peanut sauce.

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Click here if you'd like to see more of my recipes.

Turning up the heat - Passover Recipes

The Jewish holiday of Passover is right around the corner and with it all its difficult and annoying unique and special dietary requirements. (For those who don't know, thoughout the week of Passover, also known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jews are required to eat matza and avoid "leavened" products, known as "chametz". This includes anything made with yeast, anything that rises, all regular flours, rice, beans, corn and a whole host of other restrictions.)

The next edition of the Kosher Cooking Carnival, hosted this month by A Mother In Israel, is devoted to Passover - Passover recipes, recipes for getting rid of all that leftover chametz before the holiday, and all sorts of other Passover preparations.

For my contribution I've got a recipe that may actually compete with my matza balls in the not exactly health food competition (quick MII, you may need to hide your eyes). As I said then, I'm happy to cook fairly healthy, vitamin-laden food all year long but holidays in my house are for tradition, arteries be damned...

Yam Souffle

Ingredients:
2 very large yams (those of you in the US can use 1 large can, I've never seen canned yams here in Israel)
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Handful of raisins
1/2 cup coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
170g (1½ sticks) butter/margarine
Cinnamon

Preparation:

1. Peel and cube yams. Boil until very soft. Cool slightly. (Skip these steps if using canned yams.)
2. Mix yams, eggs, butter (margarine), sugar, vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon in the food processor until smooth.
3. Transfer to mixing bowl.
4. Mix in coconut, raisins and chopped walnuts.
5. Bake in greased dish for 45 minutes at 350 degrees (180 celsius).

This dish can easily be made ahead of time and reheated. Keeps well.

This is a VERY rich dish, a little goes a long way. If it sounds suspiciously Southern, that's because it is – my grandmother got this recipe, known in our family as Margie's yams, from her Georgia-born and raised housekeeper at least fifty years ago. Since then it's become a well-entrenched holiday staple in all the children's and grandchildren's families, and has now become a tradition in its own right for the Anglo friends we celebrate all our holidays with here in Israel.

Switching gears to a more traditionally Jewish dish, here's an easy no-bake dessert:

Coconut-Apricot Bars

Ingredients:
1/2 cup thin-sliced almonds
1/4 cup dried apricots (chopped)
1/2 cup toasted coconut
3 Tbl oil
3 Tbl honey
6-8 oz good quality chocolate chips

Preparation:

Mix oil and honey together until thick. Mix all ingredients together except chocolate. (Note: you can either finely chop the apricots or you can throw them into a food processor for a smoother consistency (I go with this option - it's much faster). Press firmly onto shallow dish, making a thin layer. Melt the chocolate chips and spread on top of the apricot layer. Chill and then cover in foil. Refrigerate. Cut into squares and serve.

And as an extra, this devastatingly good (dairy) flourless chocolate cake is great for Passover, but don't let that stop you from making it all year round! (Oh, and I skip the glaze on top. It's quite rich enough on its own. A few fresh berries are nice as a decoration though.)

No Knead Beer Bread

For those of us who are not Jay amateur artisan bakers. Easy, impressive (yes, it does look and taste like "real" bread, even slices well too), and very tasty...

I threw this bread together yesterday for a playgroup afternoon I was hosting and served it to rave reviews. Most people ate it with the sun-dried tomato cream cheese I put out, but it was also really good with just a bit of butter (or for that matter with the mango chutney I spread on the leftover end this afternoon).

Ingredients

1 standard size (12oz / 33oml) can of beer or malt beer - ordinary Maccabi seems to work best if you can get it

3 cups flour

1 packet (12g or approximately 2tsp) baking powder

1 tbl sugar

1 tsp salt

Optional:

• "Something" to throw into the dough. I used about 1/4 cup of chopped black olives. Chopped nuts would also work well.
• "Something else" to sprinkle over the top - I used sunflower seeds

Method

Mix everything together (took about 2 minutes in my stand mixer).

Pour into greased loaf pan.

Bake 30 minutes at 350F (180C).

Note: I accidentally used a larger size can of beer but other than having to bake the loaf significantly longer (which is probably why the top cracked) and having it smell slightly of beer you'd never notice. I like a forgiving recipe...

Super Effective Homemade Cold Remedy

This week's Works For Me Wednesday tip comes to you courtesy of a wonderful friend, the very lovely Lea of Tales From The Labyrinth, who came to my rescue when I was felled by that tiniest of villains, the lowly virus.

So without further ado, I give you "Lea's Mother's Cold Remedy", fresh from a successful run at my house. Brew it up today to give your immune system the boost it needs to fight back.

Place the following in a mug:

- the juice of half a lemon
- one peeled clove of garlic
- one tablespoon of honey
- "as large a pinch of cayenne pepper as you can stand"

Add boiling water and steep for a few minutes.

Drink. Go ahead, drink it. It's surprisingly good. The taste actually grew on me and I continued drinking it for several more days, which I'm sure contributed to the speed at which I managed to kick my cold (well, except for this ridiculous lingering cough, but I think that has more to do with my late in life tendency towards breathing trouble. I should go brew up a mug right now, I'll bet it would help...)

All about me me me

I enjoyed Meredith's interview over at Poppy Fields a few weeks ago so much that I asked her to send me some questions too. And now weeks later here they are (sorry Meredith, it's been nuts around here lately).

So now without further ado...

1) You may have already posted this story once, but how did you meet your husband?

Jay and I met in college when I was a freshman and he was a junior. We were both invited to a planning meeting of the campus' Zionist student organization. We met, dated all through college, got married and actually moved to Israel. In other words, we were their perfect poster children LOL. Actually, we both ended up very involved in the organization's activities and my college years wouldn't have been the same without them. It's amazing how idealistic you can be at 20...

2) If money wasn't an issue, where would you like to live and what would you be doing there?

I fantasize about a life of the idly wealthy. I'd have a gorgeous penthouse on the beach in Tel Aviv, another in Manhattan with a view of the park, a villa on some tropical island (Greece? Thailand? the BVI? the possibilities fantasies are endless), a gorgeous big light Parisian apartment, and (yes AND) a small estate somewhere in Tuscany. Oh, and the yacht. Can't forget the superyacht. Such lovely daydreams, so very far from reality...

I copied this off another interview I read, but I like the question so...
3) What was your favorite board game as a child and why?

I was never a huge fan of board games, but I loved playing Mille Bornes. Hmm, maybe I'll buy a set and teach my son to play.

Because I think I'm a foodie...
4) What is your favorite holiday food and can you share the recipe please?

I'm a foodie too, but in truth the holidays are not my favorite food-wise. I'm all about traditional food on the holidays but very far from that the rest of the year. My own cooking style tends to be a lot more ethnic, spicier, and just plain more fun. I'll cheat here and say that my favorite holiday dessert at the moment is this flourless chocolate cake. It's from the Gluten-Free Goddess, and if this particular recipe is any indication she is truly a goddess - it's divine. Good enough in fact that I made it again for Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year) despite the fact that I could have used all the flour I wanted for that one. I'm also incredibly proud of myself for finally figuring out that the gluten-free websites would be a great source of flour-free Passover desserts. I was desperate for a change from fruit compote and Aunt Sadie's peach cobbler... If I really had to pick a traditional dish it would be my chicken soup with matza balls. They're damn good, if I do say so myself:

(Everyone knows how to make chicken broth, so I'll leave that bit out and just give the recipe for the matza balls.)

Robin's Matza Balls
Makes about 12, can be easily doubled (or even tripled if you're expecting a crowd)

4 large eggs
1/2 cup water
6 Tbl (85g) melted margarine
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 C matza meal (basically matza flour, it's easily available in Jewish areas around Passover)

In a medium-sized bowl beat the eggs, water, margarine, salt and pepper with a fork until blended. Stir in matza meal. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour so the matza meal can absorb the liquid (and to make it easier to work with).

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce heat so it's boiling gently.

3. REMOVE ALL OF YOUR RINGS (you'll thank me for this one later)

4. Wet your hands with cold water. Roll matza mixture into 2" (or so) balls

5. Carefully drop into water with a slotted spoon. Wait for all matza balls to rise to the surface (if any are stubborn give them a nudge with a spoon). Cook for about 10 or 15 minutes more, until they look lighter in color and a bit "fluffy". Drain and cool.

6. Replace your rings before they get lost. (you're welcome)

7. Add to soup. Heat and serve.

That was fun. Anyone else want to play along? Let me know if you do and I'll send you some questions.

Aack! What's for dinner???

Shannon over at Rocks in my Dryer is doing a themed Works for Me Wednesday this week - what to make for dinner when there's nothing to make (actually, she said "fix" for dinner, but this girl grew up too far north of the Mason-Dixon line to say that without sounding ridiculous).

My real go-to standard when there is Absolutely Nothing At All In The House is stir-fry, usually Chinese or Thai style. It's deliciously, healthy and super-easy. We eat this way often. I just put up some rice or noodles, chop up a bunch of whatever is in the house, and wok it up with a bunch of Asian seasonings or sauces. Here's an example (with ingredients and instructions). It looks complicated if you're not used to cooking this way, but once you are it's a cinch. It also works well for me because I keep all the Asian stuff stocked at all times and then just need to throw in whatever veggies are around, and some chicken/beef/tofu (or not) as a protein. Plus, if you do throw in both vegetables and a protein, it's a great all-in-one dinner, no sides to fix. (See, there's that fix again. It's creeping into my NY born and bred vocabulary!)

For more American-style cooking, my easy there's nothing for dinner standard is sloppy joes.

Dice and fry up one onion
Brown a package of ground beef
Add a combination of:

Crushed tomatoes (I use the ones that come with garlic)
BBQ sauce
A bit of tomato paste to thicken
Tabasco sauce (or cayenne pepper, depending on my mood)
Perhaps some liquid smoke
And a bunch of spices (cumin, hot paprika, coriander, chili pepper, garlic, etc., or, if if I'm feeling particularly lazy just a whole bunch of McCormick's Mexican seasoning mix).

There are no real quantities, it's all to your own particular taste.

Simmer for about 20 minutes

Serve over warmed bread. Or, if you have no bread in the house (who me?) it works equally well over rice. Not that I would know...

Now, as we say in Israel, b'teavon, which is Hebrew for bon appetit.

Ribollita - the ultimate winter soup

A specialty of Tuscany, this hearty bean and vegetable soup is served all over Florence in the winter. To call it a soup though is actually a bit of a misnomer. While it starts out as a soup, it gets thickened with bread before serving and by the time it's brought to the table it's actually more like a stew. A delicious, stick to your ribs, warm you right up from the inside stew.

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I gorged myself on sampled ribollita in many different restaurants during our recent trip to Florence (and in fact ran out to buy a Tuscan cookbook to be sure I could recreate my new favorite winter food once I returned home). Out of all the ones I tasted the hands-down winner had to be the one served at Trattoria Mario. That particular one is so well known that it's recipe is posted on the website of an Italian cooking school. Their recipe is the one I used to make the dish you see above (with the substitution of swiss chard for the unavailable in Israel black cabbage).

I couldn't wait to try it out, and now that the weather is cooling off a bit and making it possible to think about soups again I did. I'm happy to say that it was every bit as good as the one I got in the restaurant, though I must admit that the atomosphere was somewhat lacking... I should have brought in a few strangers to share my table and added some house wine and a huge amount of noise to get the full effect.

Buon appetito!

Baking Salmon (CORRECTED)

I love baked salmon, but I only love it when it's moist and tender, not overcooked and dry.

Baking salmon on a bed of KOSHER salt takes the guesswork out of it - the salt helps distribute the heat more evenly, ensuring a nice moist texture and excellent flavor, without transferring a salty taste to the fish. Best of all, the cleanup is easy too. (Note: This is NOT rock salt like you'd put on your driveway! Sorry, I always mistakenly call it that but rock salt is inedible (and not sold as food)!!)

To cook salmon this way, buy filets or a large hunk of fish (we usually do the one large piece, it's more easily available here in Israel and is easier to cook) with the skin still on.

Marinate the fish for at least 30 minutes in your favorite marinade, or rub with spices just before cooking.

Cover a large baking sheet with tinfoil (for speedy cleanup) and spread KOSHER salt over the tray to a depth of about 1 centimeter (about 1/3 of an inch).

Set the salmon carefully on the tray, skin side down. Bake at 325 degrees fahrenheit (170 celsius) until just cooked, about 35 minutes.

When you're ready to serve, lift the fish carefully onto a clean cutting board for cutting or serving. The salt will have baked into a "crust" and will remain behind.

When it's time to clean up, just carefully lift up the tinfoil and slide the whole thing into the garbage, then just give the tray a quick wash and you're done. No baked on fish residue to worry about. (I've done this without the tinfoil too. It works, but it's easier with the foil.)

I've been baking salmon this way for years and haven't had a miss yet.

Visit Rocks in My Dryer for all sorts of other household tips.

Super summer dish - curried chicken salad

It's August already and I don't know about you but by this time in the summer I'm ready for a change from the standard picnic fare.

Here's a variation on chicken salad that will get your taste buds perked up again. It contains mayonnaise, so remember to keep it nice and cool if you do plan on bringing it for a picnic.

Curried Chicken Salad

All quantities are approximate

3-4 chicken cutlets, cooked and cubed (can use dark meat, but I prefer white)
mayonnaise to taste
1 Tbl soy sauce
1 Tbl lemon juice
1 tsp curry powder
about 2 cups seedless white grapes, halved
1 cup roasted cashews

Optional: celery or water chestnuts, for added crunch

Taste and correct seasonings.

Chill to blend flavors before serving.

Bon appetit.

Check here for more of my recipes.

Chicken in Green Curry Sauce

We had a fantastic GNI (girls' night in) last night. My good friend S is moving back to the States in a few weeks, so we had to send her off in style with loads of good food, good drinks (appletinis are my new BFF) and loads of good company. Oh yeah, and a pretty beaded bracelet too.

Since it was her last GNI, we let S pick the menu and to my surprise she picked my very own chicken in green curry sauce as one of her all-time favorite foods! It got rave reviews and loads of requests for the recipe last night, so after going and digging it out (I remembered I'd written it up for someone else ages ago but didn't remember where I'd put it) I figured I'd share it with all of you, too.

Chicken (or Tofu) in Green Curry Sauce

This isn't a "real" recipe so all quantities and ingredients are suggestions... Don't be put off by the number of ingredients, this is much more of a "make it up as you go" dish and is actually quite easy to cook once you've gotten the basic idea down.

garlic (2-3 cloves)

scallions (separate whites from greens)

5-8 dried kaffir lime leaves

lemon grass (fresh is best but dried will also work)

galangal (dried root similar to ginger, sold sliced and dried, looks like wood). Substitute freshly ground ginger if you don't have galangal.

1-3 Tbl of green curry paste, depending on strength and desired heat. Available anywhere that sells Asian food products. It comes in a little plastic bag or tub and will last forever in your refrigerator. BE CAREFUL though, fresh chili paste is VERY strong. If in doubt start with a little and add more later. (If you can't find curry paste you can substitute 2-3 dried birdseye chilis or other small red chilis. It won't be quite the same, but it will still be good.)

Cut up any or all of the following (e.g. whatever happens to be in the fridge at the time):

eggplant (this can be left out if you're in a hurry)
carrots
zucchini
celery
peas
green beans
mushrooms

2 chicken breasts, cut into strips or chunks OR 1 package of firm tofu (cubed)

peanut or other light oil for stir-frying

Sauce:

Soy sauce
Mirin (or other white cooking wine)
Hoisin sauce
Oyster sauce
Coconut MILK (not cream). Shake to mix before using.

Approximately 1 heaping tablespoon corn starch mixed in about 1/3 Cup water. (You'll need to restir this just before using.)

Optional:
Cashews
Handful of chopped basil
Scallion tops (greens)

To prepare:

Stir-fry garlic, galangal/ginger, kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, chili paste and scallion bottoms (white parts) in a bit of oil for 1-2 minutes. Remove from wok and set aside.

Add a bit more oil to the wok and stir-fry the chicken until just cooked through. Remove from wok and set aside.

Stir-fry the eggplant with a bit of salt. Add a little oil if necessary. (Not too much, eggplant soaks it up.) Cook until eggplant is very soft (5-10 minutes).

Put seasonings (garlic, etc.) back into the wok.

Add the "take longer to cook" vegetables (carrots, zucchini, etc.). Stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Start adding the remaining vegetables. When they're nearly done, add in the cashews and the tofu or chicken. (Note: tofu doesn't need to actually cook, just get warmed and seasoned) and cashews.

When the vegetables are bright colored and still fairly crisp, start adding sauces - I use a combination of soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, mirin (or other white cooking wine) and a little chicken (or veggie) stock to help make a sauce. Next add about half a can of coconut milk. Stir to mix. Taste. When you've got the seasonings the way you want them, give the corn starch mixture a quick stir. Pour into the wok and stir quickly. Add a little more if you want to make the sauce thicker.

Serve over noodles or rice. Top with fresh scallion greens. Remind everyone NOT to eat the galangal, lemon grass or kaffir lime leaves. As in Thailand, they're left in the dish but the diner just leaves them on the side of the plate.

Enjoy, or as we say in Israel, B'Teavon, which roughly translates to "Bon Appetit".

Thursday Thirteen #21 - My Favorite Cookbooks

Many of you already know that I love cooking (or more precisely I love eating good food and am happy willing to cook it to get it) and that I collect cookbooks, often bringing one back as a souvenir of my travels. This week I'm going to share 13 of my favorites with you. They're not all the most sophisticated. In fact, some are pretty basic, but they're all tried and true standbyes that I can turn to and feel confident of finding delicious to eat.

1. Sheila Lukins' USA Cook Book - this one was a real find. It was in an odds and ends bin in a small bookstore I just happened to stumble into in a small city in Israel. I got it for about $5 and it became an instant favorite. All those great American standards, but with loads of interesting twists. And, it has my favorite chocolate brownie recipe.

2. The New Pillsbury Family Cookbook, 1975 edition - this one was my grandmother's, which makes it all the more special now that she's gone. It's ancient and battered and completely outdated (recipes say things like "use 1 can of mushrooms (ok to substitute fresh)", but for the basics it can't be beat. Whether it's finding out how long to roast a stuffed turkey or finding the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, this one gets the job done. As long as you only use it for the standards it serves just fine, just don't look here for anything more exotic than a salad, unless you want it covered in aspic LOL!

3. Molly Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook - The bible for healthier vegetarian cooking, but not just for vegetarians. After more than 15 years with this book I still find new discoveries. You can tell my favorites by the number of stains on the page. Be forewarned though, vegetarian food is not necessarily diet food!

4. New York Cookbook, Molly O'Neill - a taste of home on every page, in all it's multicultural glory.

5. Gloria Bey Miller's The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook - the absolute must-have handbook for anyone who wants to learn to cook Chinese food. I don't refer to it that much anymore, but it's served me long and well and still retains pride of place as a reference book.

6. 100 Fast Noodles, John Midgley - many of my very favorite noodle recipes come from here, including mango chicken, pepper chicken, and the ever-popular cold sesame noodles

7. Marcella Hazan, The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (the one that got my husband started making homemade pastas and pizzas!). Marcella NEVER takes shortcuts. She can be an incredible pain in the ass, but she knows her stuff. The gold standard for classic Italian cooking.

8. A Taste of the Caribbean, by Angela Spenceley - a vacation in a book! This one even has cocktail recipes. Every time I cook something from this book I imagine myself sailing the turquoise waters of the Caribbean again.

9. Gap's Cooking School Thai cookbook - poorly printed and chock full of MAJOR mistakes, but a great souvenir from a fun day in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It's even a good cookbook guideline if you remember to use common sense when the recipe says something ridiculous (like an entire CUP of chili paste! My god, that would singe your eyebrows off!).

10. Mevashlim, Haim Cohen - an Israeli cookbook (in Hebrew) by one of Israel's favorite chefs. What makes this one unique is that it's arranged by ingredient, rather than by course, so if you go to the greengrocers and find that the asparagus, or cherries, or broad beans look great you can snap them up and then come home and easily find inspiration for what to do with them.

11. My birthday cake books. I'll lump all these together. I have four or five books just on decorating birthday cakes. My kids pore over them for weeks before their birthdays, heck months even, trying to decide which cakes they want that year. And since each birthday needs at least 3 different cakes (friends party, afternoon program, and family party) that means I've generally got my work cut out for me.

12. The Northwest Best Places Cookbook. Another vacation souvenir, from an earlier trip. It's got amazing, albeit fairly complex and time-consuming recipes.

13. Pasta e Verdura, Jack Bishop. An entire book of vegetable-based pasta sauces. Always something fun in there.

Whew. That was tough. So many great cookbooks to choose from... So, what are some of YOUR favorites?

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Another great picnic dish - Indonesian Rice Salad

Since searches for "great picnic dish" and "cold rice salad" have been bringing loads of new visitors to my blog lately (Hi everyone - thanks for coming, why don't you kick off your shoes, make yourselves at home, and have a look around. Drinks and nibbles are on the side table.) I figured I'd share another favorite of mine. This is another surefire crowd-pleaser.

I've made this one, from Molly Katzen's classic Moosewood Cookbook, so many times that not only is the page all stained (always a sign of a favorite recipe) but the book actually falls open to that page. That's saying a lot considering how many other things in this book I make.


Sri Wasano's Infamous Indonesian Rice Salad
From the Moosewood Cookbook
(Italics are mine)

About 1 hour to prepare, plus time to chill
Yield: 4-6 servings (or more if you have a lot of other dishes)

1) Place rice in a saucepan. Add the water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and simmer until tender (35-45 minutes).

2 cups brown rice
3 cups water

2) While the rice cooks, combine in a large (and I do mean LARGE) bowl:

1/3 cup peanut oil
3 Tbls Chinese sesame oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1-2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
2 Tbls soy sauce
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (to taste)
2 Tbls rice or cider vinegar
1 cup chopped fresh pineapple (also ok to use canned-in-juice crushed pineapple)

3) Add the hot rice directly to the bowl of dressing. Mix well. When it has cooled to room temperature, cover tightly and refrigerate until cold. Shortly before serving (I go ahead and do it as soon as it's cold) stir in:

3 scallions, finely minced (whites and greens)
1 stalk celery, finely minced
1 medium red or green pepper, thinly sliced (I prefer red, or even orange)
1 8-oz can water chestnuts, drained and thinly sliced (I often leave these out)
1/2 lb fresh mung bean sprouts
1/2 cup (packed) raisins or currants
1 cup coarsely chopped peanuts and/or cashews, lightly toasted (I normally love cashews, but I like peanuts better for this recipe)
2 Tbl sesame seeds (again, these get left out if I don't have any)

Optional: fresh snow peas, for garnish

Enjoy!

Click here to see more of my recipes.

Another great summer/picnic dish - Cold Rice Salad with Spinach and Herbs

This time it's a side dish. I was looking for a new cold rice dish to bring to a barbecue the other night and found this one from Delia Smith. I wasn't that excited by her choice of herbs though, so I tweaked it a bit to make better use of some the best of what my greengrocer had to offer this week. If people's coming back to take second and third helpings means anything it was a hit.

Here's my version. (This is where I would have inserted a photo of the dish, but my husband went and finished it when I wasn't looking. You're just going to have to take my word for it that it looked lovely and summery with all those little flecks of green against the white rice.)


Robin's Cold Rice Salad with Spinach and Herbs

Ingredients
12oz (350ml) white or brown rice
24 fl oz (700 ml) boiling water or vegetable stock - double the volume of rice (I used water)
2-2.5 Tbls oil
1 tsp salt
2-3 handfuls of spinach leaves
3-4 spring onions, including the green tops
1-2 heaped tsp EACH of fresh sage, mint and dill
grated rind of 1/2 lemon

For the dressing:
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1 clove garlic
1 tsp dry mustard powder
1 Tbls cider vinegar
5 Tbls olive oil

Heat the oil in a pan, stir in the rice, then pour in the boiling water or stock. Add the salt, stir once and allow it to come back to the boil. Cover, then reduce the heat to give a bare simmer. Cook until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is just tender (15-20 minutes).

Throw all the green ingredients (spinach leaves, green onions and herbs) into the food processor and pulse a few times until they're finely chopped. (Don't overprocess or you'll wind up with a puree.)

Mix the green ingedients and the lemon zest (the grated rind) gently into the rice. Cover the pan with a folded cloth and leave aside for 10 minutes.

Make the dressing by crushing the salt, peppercorns and garlic together with a pestle and mortar. (You could probably do this in the mini bowl of a food processor, but it was very easy to do in a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, just mince the garlic beforehand and then use regular salt and ground pepper). Pour into a screw-top jar. Add the mustard, vinegar and olive oil, and shake the whole thing until well-mixed.

Put the rice into a serving bowl, pour the dressing all over and mix gently.

Serve warm or cold.

Summer picnic fare

Shelly over at This Eclectic Life asked for suggestions for picnic food, particularly for things she could bring to a blankets on the grass outdoor theater performance. I'm a huge fan of picnics and outdoor eating, so I couldn't help but jump in and offer up a few of my favorites.

What are some of your family's favorite summer picnic foods? Leave me a note in the comments and I'll post the links below.

Here are some of mine:

Cold Sesame Noodles (always a real crowd-pleaser)
Note: this can be made vegetarian by leaving out the meat, but since we all know how much Shelly loves her bacon I suspect that won't be needed in her house)

Serves 2-3 on its own or 4-6 as a side dish

2oz/50g lean back bacon (hard to find here so I use Chinese-style roast pork - I roast up a big hunk every now and again and freeze it in smaller portions for throwing into things like this, stir-fries, etc.)
1 Tbl peanut (or other light) oil
1/2 inch/1cm piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped (no need to peel)
1 clove of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
4oz/100g fresh bean sprouts
2 tsp Mirin or sherry (or other light white cooking wine)
7 inch/18cm cucumber, diced (no need to peel or seed unless it's one of those big waxy, seedy ones. If it's au naturel just dice that sucker up)
8oz/225g dried egg noodles (skinny ones like soba noodles, i.e. the ones that look like spaghetti)
2 spring onions (scallions), very thinly sliced
3 Tbl sesame oil
1 1/2 Tbl light soy sauce
plenty of freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Grill or broil the bacon until the edges crisp up, then cut it up into very small pieces. Heat the peanut oil in a wok (or deep frying pan if you don't have a wok) until very hot, then add the ginger, garlic and bean sprouts. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, splash in the wine and toss 30 seconds longer. Scoop into a small bowl and leave to cool.

If you've got a big seedy waxed cucumber: cut it in half lengthwise, scoop out and discard the seedy center and finely dice the flesh. Set aside. (Thankfully, they sell the little ones here, no need for all this nonsense. I want wax on my candles, not on my food!)

Boil the noodles until al dente or as directed on the package, separating the strands with a wooden spoon, then rinse them under cold water and drain thoroughly. Combine all the ingredients in a serving bowl, mixing very thoroughly. May be served straight away or refrigerated up to 6 hours.

Shelly also asked for some savory tart recipes. Here are a few I like because they're actually light and reasonably healthy. Ok, the truth is I absolutely adore the traditional, heavy, laden with fat and cholesterol versions (I can't help it, it's the Hungarian in me, a love of heavy creamy dishes is in my blood), but since I might just as well go ahead and glue those directly to my already quite a bit larger than I'd like it to be derriere I've made it a project to find decent lower calorie substitutes. (If anyone really really wants the fattening versions I'll post them, as long as you sign this handy little waiver I've got in case your favorite jeans no longer fit after eating it...)

Spinach Pie
1700 calories (for the whole pie)

1 bunch fresh spinach (washed and chopped) OR 1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup water
3 fist-sized potatos, peeled and grated and with the water squeezed out
4 zucchinis, grated and squeezed
3 Tbl bread crumbs (homemade if you got 'em)
2+2 Tbl olive oil
2 Tbl mayonnaise (lowfat ok)
2 eggs
2 Tbl chicken soup powder (ubiquitious in Israeli recipes)
1 Tbl dried dill
1/4 tsp black pepper
salt to taste

9x13 inch (20x30cm) or so rectangular pan

Steam the spinach in water for about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and steam for another 3 minutes while stirring. Drain and return to pot.

Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Transfer to a greased dish and bake in a medium oven (say about 350F/170C) for about 45 minutes (keep an eye on it).


Green Tart
750 calories (for the whole pie)

5 medium leeks, cut into thin rings
2 heads of celery, roughly grated (i.e. give it a quick whizz around the food processor)
1 cup (yes, cup) of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
1 tsp sesame seeds
2 eggs
1/4 tsp ground caroway seeds
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 Tbl good quality olive oil

Pour enough boiling water on the leeks to cover them and leave to sit for 15 minutes.

Drain the leeks and squeeze out the excess water. Add the celery, cilantro, dill and sesame seeds and mix thoroughly.

Beat the eggs with the spices and the oil, add to the leek mixture and mix thoroughly.

Pour into a greased 9-10" (26cm) pie plate and make in a medium oven (say about 350F/170C) for about 45 minutes (keep an eye on it).

Butternut Squash and Eggplant Tart

2 large eggplants
2 large butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise and cleaned of seeds
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup lowfat soft white cheese (i.e. farmer cheese or other)
1 cup lowfat garlic flavor soft cheese spread
2 Tbl mayonnaise (lowfat ok)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Grill the eggplant and squash on a medium-high heat until soft. Remove seeds. Put in large mixing bowl and mix together well (they should each be falling apart a bit). You can mix them in a food processor if you like, but I prefer to leave them a little bit chunkier. Add the beaten eggs and mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add to the eggplant-squash mixture and combine thoroughly.

Pour into a greased pie plate and bake for 45 minutes in a medium oven (say about 350F/170C) for about 45 minutes (keep an eye on it).

Optional: throw in some sauteed mushrooms in addition, or even instead of the eggplant. Steamed carrots and/or sweet potatoes would also work. It's a flexible style of cooking. Get creative.