Table Talk

Quinoa, Corn,Spinach, & Sundried Tomato Stuffed Artichokes

Debi — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:47:57 +0000

One of my favorite ways to enjoy the true flavor of artichokes is to just steam them and dip the leaves indulgently into melted butter with an added squeeze of lemon–perfection. Stuffing artichokes with buttery breadcrumbs, cheese, and herbs is pretty hard to beat too. While both of these options are delicious, they aren’t exactly what you would categorize with #light , #healthy , #SummerBeachBody tags.

The artichokes I’m sharing here today however, are something you can feel great about eating. They are low in fat, calories, and packed with a protein boost from the quinoa.

This recipe came together one afternoon when I was trying to figure out what I was going to make for dinner with the stuff I had on hand. Quinoa (ready in 15 minutes) has become kind of my go-to backdrop on these kinds of days, where often times I throw together a saute of whatever vegetables are in the fridge and toss it together with a few herbs or chiles.

On this particular day, I spotted the artichokes and decided my usual saute would make a really nice filling. Why not? —-Dinner was saved and we all loved the artichokes. I hope you will too!

Quinoa, Corn,Spinach, & Sundried Tomato Stuffed Artichokes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1½ cups water
¾ cup quinoa
½ tablespoon olive oil
¼ finely chopped shallots
3 gloves garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped sundried tomatoes (oil packed–drained)
Kernels from 2 ears fresh corn
5 ounces baby spinach
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup prepared pesto (good quality jarred or homemade)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 large artichokes, stems trimmed, thorns trimmed from leaves

Instructions

Heat water to boil in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Add quinoa, reduce heat to low; cover, and simmer 1 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, and sundried tomatoes; cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Add corn and spinach, cooking an additional 2 minutes, until spinach has wilted. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Add cooked quinoa to bowl with shallot mixture. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and pesto to bowl; toss well. Season with salt and pepper.
Using a spoon, stuff about 1 teaspoon of filling into the bottom of
each artichoke leaf. Place artichokes in a vegetable steamer or into a large pan with a steamer basket insert and steam artichokes 45-50 minutes or until artichoke leaves release easily when pulled.

Roasted Fingerling Potato Salad with Corn, Blue Cheese & Lemony Creme Fraiche Dressing

Debi — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 01:20:36 +0000

When it comes to entertaining in the summer, I like to keep it casual and relaxed. A fun and refreshing cocktail to get the evening started, and then a meal complete with something off the grill, and some really nice make ahead side salads and gratins that feature the farmer’s market’s best ingredients. For dessert, I like to go with something fresh and fruity with things like cherries, peaches, and berries.

I just finished teaching a week of cooking classes the last before summer break, that featured this menu:

Pickled Shrimp & Tomato Skewers

Grilled Tri Tip Steaks with Smoky Steak Sauce

Roasted Fingerling Potato Salad with Corn, Blue Cheese, and Lemony Creme Fraiche Dressing

Tomato Gratin with Asiago Bread Crumbs

Individual Bourbon Spiked Cherry Pies

The entire menu was make-ahead friendly, perfect for serving buffet style, and delicious eaten at room temperature. Exactly what I wanted for my casual no-stess evening.

Having everything ready before your guests arrive will definitely make you smile. You are sure to have fun, and will feel ready to enjoy that cool refreshing cocktail or two with your guests, instead of running around trying to pull everything together at the last minute.

I posted a picture of the little cherry pies on Instagram before class started…

but it’s the potato salad that I am featuring today. A spin on traditional potato salad, I have roasted the potatoes to bring out their warm, sweet flavor. Fresh corn & blue cheese also get tossed into the bowl and I used creme fraiche as a base for the dressing, which added a really nice tang.

—–And as long as you have creme fraiche and blue cheese in the mix, why not really take it over the top and add in a bit of crispy bacon crumbles too if you like. That combination would go really well alongside some ribs—-and a perfect addition to your Father’s Day grill menu.

Happy summer!

Roasted Fingerling Potato Salad with Corn, Blue Cheese & Lemony Creme Fraiche Dressing

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

2 pounds fingerling potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup creme fraiche
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
Kernels from 3 ears of corn
3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons lemon zest
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
1½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss potatoes together with the olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; transfer to a large baking sheet and roast 45 minutes. Cool potatoes to room temperature.
Whisk together the creme fraiche, lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic in a large bowl. Add potatoes, corn, and blue cheese and toss well to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Mix together the Italian parsley, tarragon, and chives in a small bowl. Sprinkle herb mixture over salad and serve.

Chicken Salad with Chinese Mustard Vinaigrette

Debi — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:55:33 +0000

There was a time that on each and every Friday, I would have lunch with my good friends Sandy and Vanessa. I can’t tell you how many times we ordered this chicken salad at a place on Main Street in Pleasanton California called Tongs. I don’t even know if the restaurant is still there, but the memory of that salad and our fun Friday lunches stays with me even today, many years later and many miles away from my girlfriends.

I love this salad so much recreated my own version of the salad we used to order at Tongs and included it in my first cookbook Signature Salads (2005). I cook the bone-in chicken breasts the same way Tongs did, leaving the skin on, and pan searing before finishing in the oven. The cooked chicken is sliced thinly and tossed with a Chinese mustard vinaigrette in a confetti mixture of romaine, Napa cabbage, cilantro, and radicchio. Chopped peanuts add the finishing touch.

While this was once my go-to Friday girlfriend lunch, it is now my go-to busy weeknight family meal. My daughter is in the middle of lacrosse season right now, which means lots of games (which I love to watch!) and not a lot of time for dinner preparation. When you get home from the game everyone is starving and then there is still homework they have to do. If you have kids, you definitely know what I mean.

There is never enough time,that’s why I love things like this. I can get the ingredients prepped early in the day and just toss together when we get home. —-And in 80+ degree temperatures, a really nice salad makes everyone happy and does the trick! Hope you like it too.

Chicken Salad with Chinese Mustard Vinaigrette

Chicken Salad with Chinese Mustard Vinaigrette

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Dressing: 1 egg yolk 3 teaspoons Chinese dry mustard powder
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1½ teaspoons honey
Salt and Freshly ground pepper
Salad:
3 bone in, skin on chicken breasts
2 tablespoons peanut oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1 head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced 1 head radicchio, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup chopped peanuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the peanut oil and heat until almost smoking. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook 4 minutes. This skin should be golden brown. Turn the chicken over and place in the oven. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through and the juices run clear, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the bones and slice into thin strips.
Add the chicken and salad greens to a large bowl. Add dressing and toss well to combine. Divide among plates and garnish with chopped peanuts.

Bourbon Shrimp

Debi — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:52:34 +0000

The groundhog was wrong about his prediction for an early spring around here. Snow, the last week in March… really?

With another day of yucky weather keeping me inside, I decided to do a little spring cleaning, beginning with my spice cabinet. I discovered an open jar of bourbon smoked sugar that I brought back with me from my visit to GE in Louisville last spring.

As I sorted through jars of salts and spices, my thoughts kept returning to the smoked sugar, and how it would probably be a good idea to use it up pretty soon; it was opened after all, and would expire soon.

By the time the old spices were tossed and the cabinet was back in presentable order, I had a plan in place for the bourbon smoked sugar. I would make some Bourbon Shrimp. What better way to take away the winter like chill on a cold springtime night than with a little bourbon and a little more bourbon, right?

Bourbon Shrimp

2 tablespoons bourbon smoked sugar (or dark brown sugar)

1 tablespoon Smoked Spanish Paprika

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 pound (u-15 count) shrimp, tails left on, shelled, deveined

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 tablespoons bourbon

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

Chopped Italian parsley for garnish

Combine bourbon smoked sugar and spices in a medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss to combine thoroughly.

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes on first side, flip shrimp, and cook an additional minute on second side. Reduce heat to medium low and add bourbon; cook 1 minute, scraping bottom of pan as you stir to break up browned bits on bottom of pan. Add butter and stir to combine. Transfer shrimp to a platter and garnish with chopped parsley.

4 appetizer servings

Dinner at ABODE: A Pop Up by Sarah Ashley Schiear & Gregg Drusinsky

Debi — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:19:05 +0000

When I found out my friend Sarah Ashley Schiear would be a contestant on the ABC cooking showing The Taste, I couldn’t have been more excited! I have been watching and cheering for her each week on Tuesday nights as she advances to the next round, one bite at a time.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit Sarah in NYC at her latest undertaking; ABODE, a pop up restaurant opened in a renovated subway station with fellow team Ludo teammate Gregg Drusinsky.

ABODE combines the talents of a trained chef (Gregg) and a home cook (Sarah)who share a vision for a new type of dining experience: Homestyle meets fine food.

The atmosphere in this supper club style pop up is casual and chic, with subway tiled walls and communal tables shared by guests; lending a true dinner party feel to the experience.

I was seated at the bar, which I later found out was made from recycled bowling alley floor (how cool is that?) which provided the perfect view of the open air kitchen and the chefs at work.

The menu, with complimentary pairings:

Crostini to Start

smoked dungeness crab, avocado

butternut squash, ricotta, pistachio oil

mushroom conserva, quail egg

Winter Salad

cauliflower, tangerine, marcona almond

Roast “Bobo” Chicken

Truffle Sauce

Fingerling Potatoes

Romesco Sauce

Brussels Sprouts

crisp-roasted with herbs, bacon and lemon

Buttermilk Cakes

Peanut Butter Buttercream

Chocolate and Toasted Almond Topped

I found the menu very approachable. The simplicity of the roasted chicken with perfectly crisp skin (Sarah’s home cook approach) combined with the luxurious truffle sauce (Gregg’s Le Bernardin saucier pro skills definitely at work there!) kind of summed up exactly what Sarah and Gregg are all about in the kitchen at ABODE.

Catching up with Sarah, meeting Gregg (who btw is quite charming in person) and enjoying an amazing evening of food & wine made for a memorable experience.

Grab your chance to reserve a space in their upcoming events here on Eventbrite. In the meantime, here’s a quick video for a look at ABODE. –And don’t forget to keep watching Sarah and Gregg on The Taste; they are among the remaining 10 to compete!

Abode Teaser from Abode Popup on Vimeo.

Chicken and Quinoa Stuffed Poblanos with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Debi — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:19:29 +0000

Pretty poblano peppers, stuffed and lined up all in a row. When I looked down at them sitting in their vibrant red sauce, I knew I needed to grab a quick picture before they went into the oven. I wasn’t planning to do a post about them, but after I shared this picture on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter, I had requests for the recipe.

So here we go, with just one picture that will have to do, taken on my iphone.

When we first moved here from California the only place you could find poblano peppers was in the latino market we had in town. Not exactly around the corner from me, but when I wanted to take care of my Mexican craving, I would make a point to drive out and get them. Thankfully a lot has changed since then, and all of our grocery stores carry a wide variety of chile peppers. I still can’t figure out why they don’t seem to know the code when I get up to the register though, or what the pepper is called…? Even if I have to wait while the checker calls for help, I don’t mind (too much), because I am grateful they have them for me to roast when I get home.

I roast poblano peppers and stuff them with all sorts of things like shrimp & goat cheese, roasted vegetables & Monterey Jack, Corn & Feta…the list goes on. It usually comes down to what I have in the refrigerator at the time, and then it all comes together. They are a favorite in our house regardless of the filling, and they are popular with me too, because on busy days I can prepare them ahead and pop them into the oven just before dinner.

So here you go, Chicken & Quinoa Stuffed Poblanos with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. I hope you like them!

Chicken and Quinoa Stuffed Poblanos with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (4 servings)

Ingredients

8 large poblano peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 pound chicken Italian sausage, removed from casing
3 cloves garlic, minced
1½ cups cooked quinoa
¼ cup chicken broth
Salt & pepper
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup minced shallots
2 cloves chopped garlic
4 red bell peppers (may use jarred roasted red peppers)
1 cup chicken broth
Salt & pepper

Instructions

Line the top oven rack with aluminum foil. Place peppers on foil under broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in foil 10 minutes. Peel chilies. Using small sharp knife, carefully slit chilies open along 1 side. Remove seeds, leaving stems attached.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, red peppers and sausage. Use a stiff spatula to break the sausage into several pieces. Cook until chicken sausage is cooked through, about 7-8 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir an additional minute. Add cooked quinoa and chicken broth, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
Carefully spoon filling into peppers, pulling up sides of peppers to close slightly. Ladle enough Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (recipe follows) to cover the bottom of a 13×9″ pan. Place stuffed peppers atop sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 20-25 minutes, or until heated through.
For sauce:
Line the top oven rack with aluminum foil. Place peppers on foil under broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in foil 10 minutes. Peel, seed, and coarsely chop bell peppers.
Heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, and chili; sauté until shallots are tender, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Transfer mixture to blender; add bell peppers and chicken broth. Puree until smooth. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)

Baja Style Tofu Tacos with Beet & Carrot Slaw: A Vegan Challenge

Debi — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:36:18 +0000

January marks the beginning of a brand new year, fresh with opportunity and sometimes some changes. Our 5 Star make over group is taking the opportunity to embrace a little bit of change, and have reorganized under a new name: Creative Cooking Crew. Our goal each month is to create original dishes inspired by a mutual theme. Laz of Lazaro Cooks and Joan of Foodalogue will graciously host our monthly roundups so that you can see what we have all come up with!

This months challenge: “Choose one of your favorite rich, heavy, fatty animal-protein based meals and give it a healthy VEGAN spin.”

With the snow and cold weather we have had (in-between 70 degree days), I have been missing the beach A LOT! One of my favorite things to eat when I’m in southern California or Mexico are Baja style fish tacos. An indulgent treat: battered and fried strips of succulent halibut nestled into warm corn tortillas with avocados, crema, and salsa fresca.

It’s the combination of textures and flavors in fish tacos that really do it for me. Now the challenge: could I capture that same experience with tofu instead of fish and make it vegan?

Actually….yes! To recreate that batter fried finish I dusted the tofu strips in almond meal before cooking in coconut oil which gave them a crispy bite. I added some habanero and lots of lime to the Beet & Carrot Slaw that topped the tofu. The avocado mash provided a creamy balance to the whole thing, so I never missed the crema.

The only thing I did miss? The margarita I usually have along with the tacos at the beach. Will have to make them again and fix that.

Baja Style Tofu Tacos with Beet/ Carrot Slaw & Avocado Mash

Ingredients

Beet & Carrot Slaw:
2 carrots, grated
2 large beets, grated
1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
Juice from one large lime
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ habanero pepper, seeds removed, minced
1 teaspoon agave nectar
Salt & Pepper
Tacos:
½ cup almond meal
12 ounces extra firm tofu, drained, patted dry
1 tablespoon organic coconut oil
8 corn tortillas
Avocado mash:
2 avocados, peeled, pitted
2 cloves garlic, minced
Squeeze of lime juice
Salt and Pepper
Garnish:
2 tablespoons chia seeds
Chopped cilantro

Instructions

Instructions
For the Beet Slaw:
Combine all ingredients together in a medium bowl.
For Avocado Mash:
Using two forks, mash avocados in a small bowl. Add garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper; stir into avocados.
For tacos:
Slice tofu into 3×1 inch strips. Place almond meal on a plate and roll to coat tofu strips on all sides.
Heat coconut oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add tofu strips and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning after a minute or so on each side.
To Serve:
Place two corn tortillas on each plate. Top with crispy tofu, Beet & Carrot Slaw, and Avocado Mash. Garnish with a sprinkle of cilantro and chia seeds

Stuffed Mussels with Serrano Ham, Spinach, & Garlic Aioli

Debi — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:22:54 +0000

It usually takes me a week or so after Thanksgiving passes (an intermission), before I am ready to start hearing Christmas music on the radio, and get into the spirit of the season. I need the time to transition from pumpkins to holly.

I can’t just jump right in. What I can do though, is start thinking about what I want to cook during the holiday season. Menu planning is something that comes naturally for me, and it’s the getting together with family and friends over food and wine part of the season that really gets me excited about celebrating, so today I will share a recipe that I recently served as part of one of my cooking class menus. The ingredients have some Spanish influence, making them a nice addition to a tapas menu, but they also have that special holiday feel to them so sharing some of these with friends would be a very good idea.

The mussels are steamed in a wine broth, then pulled from their shells, chopped and added to the rest of the filling ingredients: sauteed serrano ham, spinach, and béchamel sauce. Some prep work on the front end, yes. But you are able to assemble the stuffed mussels and refrigerate up to one day ahead before they are topped with garlic aioli and popped under the broiler until golden brown and bubbly.

Even the people in cooking class who thought they didn’t like mussels fell in love with these.

So as you think about inviting friends over to share a glass of wine during the weeks ahead, I hope you will consider making these go along with your holiday cheer.

Stuffed Mussels with Serrano Ham, Spinach, & Garlic Aioli

Serves: 6

Ingredients

Aioli:
10 whole cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup mayonaise
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Mussels:
¾ cup dry white wine
1 small yellow onion, minced
6 sprigs flat leaf parsley
Pinch of dried thyme
1 bay leaf
36 mussels (3 pounds)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups fresh spinach, finely chopped
3 tablespoons minced ham (serrano, prosciutto, or black forest)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ cup milk
Salt & freshly ground pepper

Instructions

For Aioli: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place garlic cloves in a very small baking dish. Cover garlic with oil (add enough to completely cover garlic), cover dish with foil, and bake until garlic is soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove garlic cloves with a slotted spoon and transfer to a dish to cool. Place cooled garlic, mayonnaise, and vinegar in the base of a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Reserve.
For mussels: Bring the white wine, half of the onion, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and mussels to a boil in a large covered saucepan over high heat. Once mussels have been cooking 3 minutes, check to see if they have begun to open. Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon as they open and transfer to a platter. Cool the mussels. Reduce the cooking liquid down to 2 tablespoons. Strain and reserve the liquid. Remove the mussels from their shells and save ⅔ of their shells. Separate each of the reserved shells into 2 halves. Chop the mussels coarsely and place in a large bowl.
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Cook the remaining onion until soft, 7 minutes. Add the spinach and ham to pan with onions, stirring until spinach has wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove mixture from pan and add to bowl with chopped mussels.
Preheat the broiler. Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Add the flour and cook; stirring 2 minutes. Add the milk and reserved cooking liquid and cook until smooth and very thick. Add to the mussels and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
Stuff the shells with the mussel mixture. Spread the aioli on top of the mussels and place on a baking sheet. Broil until golden, 10-20 seconds. Serve immediately.
servings

Pumpkin Cheesecake in a Gingersnap Crust

Debi — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 15:57:44 +0000

In my family, we all love the flavor of pumpkin, and are big fans of pie. But pumpkin pie? Not really a favorite around here, but for many Thanksgivings growing up, pumpkin pie would be made and served along with one or two other pies as part of our family tradition. If you didn’t include pumpkin pie, it felt wrong, I guess?

Well, when all of the other pies were quickly finished and the pumpkin pie remained in the fridge barely touched, it seemed to me something needed to change.

So one year, when it was my turn to host the Thanksgiving feast at my house, I decided to make a bold move and replace the traditional pumpkin pie with a recipe that I had been developing: Pumpkin Cheesecake in a Gingersnap Crust. At first, the idea of cheesecake after a heavy meal sounded ridiculously rich, but once everyone tried the first bite and realized how light and fluffy it was, they were hooked. We have made this cheesecake every year since, and have not looked back.

I included this dessert in a fall menu taught in my cooking classes a while back, and know many of those people make this every year too.

I like the recipe so much, I even included it in my cookbook, Friends at the Table.

Why not share it here on my blog too?

So go ahead and drive to the store to tackle your grocery shopping (if you haven’t already started!) and pick up the ingredients to make this cake. You can make it tomorrow and have it ready to go in the refrigerator on Thanksgiving day! No one will notice the pumpkin pie is missing from the table….I promise.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Pumpkin Cheesecake in a Gingersnap Crust

Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients

Crust:
1/4 cup of sweetened coconut
8 ounces of gingersnap cookies
2 tablespoons of sugar
4 tablespoons of melted butter

Cheesecake:
2 (8-ounce) packages of cream cheese
3/4 cup of firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 (1-pound) can of pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon of maple syrup

Directions
For the crust: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown. In the bowl of a food processor, place gingersnap cookies and pulse until the cookies are finely crushed. (You will need 1 3/4 cups of crumbs.) In a medium bowl, combine the gingersnap crumbs, toasted coconut, sugar and melted butter. Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch springform pan with a removable bottom. Press the crumb mixture about one inch up the sides of the pan. Bake the crust until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
For the cheesecake: With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar until blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and maple syrup; mix until well blended. Pour mixture into the pan.
Bake until the center barely jiggles when the cake is gently shaken, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Cover and chill until cold, at least 2 1/2 hours or up to 24 hours. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and remove the pan sides. Top each piece with whipped cream.

Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts: Recipe from an Edible Mosaic

Debi — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 11:17:13 +0000

If you are anything like me, the photo on the cover of this book made my mouth water as soon as I saw it.

The book, An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair, was written by my friend Faith Gorsky from An Edible Mosaic . This new release is Faith’s first cookbook , and I’m excited to be participating in her virtual book launch party and sharing a recipe from the book!

The book has over 100 Middle Eastern recipes, with a focus mainly on dishes from the Levant, but also a few recipes from other areas of the Middle East. Faith has a pretty unique story…after getting married Faith spent six months living in the Middle East, where she fell in love with the culture and cuisine. Subsequently, she returned four more times for visits, each time delving deeper into the cuisine and deepening her passion for and appreciation of the region. Recipes in her book are authentic Middle Eastern (taught to Faith mostly by her mother-in-law, Sahar), but streamlined just a bit for the way we cook today, with unique ingredients demystified and cooking techniques anyone can follow. If you didn’t grow up eating Middle Eastern food, it can be a difficult art to master; Faith understands that, and explains complicated dishes in an approachable, easy-to-follow way. The book is available to order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

After you check out the recipe below, please head over to Faith’s blog to check out her virtual book launch party to see the other bloggers who are participating. Also, as part of her virtual book launch, Faith is hosting a giveaway of a fabulous set of prizes. Be sure to head over and enter!

The recipe from the book that I’m sharing with you today is for Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts, along with a variation for Mixed White and Yellow Rice. The recipe is actually vegan so you won’t have any trouble incorporating it into a vegan or vegetarian meal, but it is just as delicious served with chicken, beef, lamb, or seafood, and it would be really fantastic with just about any curry dish. (In the cookbook, Faith recommends pairing Shrimp in Aromatic Tomato Sauce with this rice dish.)

I made this rice dish to go with one of my family’s favorite Middle Eastern dishes, Shish Taouk (chicken kebabs marinated in a yogurt/tomato/zataar mixture).

Faith’s rice dish was quick to put together, and complemented the kebabs beautifully. I can’t wait to work my way through the other recipes in the cookbook!

Saffron Rice with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts

ROZ MLOW’WAN

Recipe courtesy of An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair by Faith Gorsky (Tuttle Publishing; Nov. 2012); reprinted with permission.

Serves 4 to 6

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes, plus 15 minutes to let the rice sit after cooking

1½ cups (325 g) basmati rice, rinsed

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons pine nuts

1 onion, ﬁnely diced

4 tablespoons sultanas (golden raisins)

1¾ cups (425 ml) boiling water

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon saffron threads (or ½ teaspoon turmeric)

Soak the rice in tepid water for 10 minutes; drain. While the rice is soaking, put half a kettle of water on to boil.
Add the oil to a medium, thick-bottomed lidded saucepan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer the pine nuts to a small bowl and set aside.
Add the onion to the saucepan you cooked the pine nuts in, and cook until softened and just starting to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the sultanas, boiling water, salt, and saffron (or turmeric), turn the heat up to high, and bring it to a rolling boil.
Give the rice a stir, then cover the saucepan, turn the heat down to very low, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes (do not open the lid during this time). Turn the heat off and let the rice sit (covered) 15 minutes, then ﬂuff with a fork.
Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts on top; serve.

OPTIONAL Add two pods of cardamom, two whole cloves, and one 2-inch (5 cm) piece of cinnamon stick at the same time that you add the rice.

VARIATION

Mixed White and Yellow Rice

Serves 4 to 6

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes, plus 15 minutes to let the rice sit after cooking

1½ cups (325 g) uncooked basmati rice, rinsed

2 tablespoons oil

1 onion, ﬁnely diced

1 bay leaf

2 whole cloves

2 pods cardamom, cracked open

2 whole peppercorns

¾ teaspoon salt

1¾ cups (425 ml) boiling water

1-2 pinches saffron threads or ½ teaspoon turmeric dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

Soak the rice in tepid water for 10 minutes; drain. While the rice is soaking, put half a kettle of water on to boil.
Add the oil to a medium, thick-bottomed lidded saucepan, cover and place over moderately high heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the rice, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom pods, peppercorns, and salt, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the boiling water to the rice, turn heat up to high, and bring it to a rolling boil. Give it a stir, cover the pot, turn heat down to very low, and cook 10 minutes (don’t open the lid during this time).
After the rice is cooked, let the pot sit with the lid on for 15 minutes, then ﬂuff the rice with a fork. Transfer 1/3 of the rice to a separate bowl.
Stir the saffron or turmeric-colored water into 1/3 of the rice (the rice will turn yellow). Mix together the yellow rice and white rice; serve.