Last Thursday was the final week of my CSA. I had the good fortune to be in a year-round CSA run by the local university. With hoophouses and cold storage, they provided veggies for every single week of the year, except the short breaks between semesters.
Although I loved getting a new treasure trove of goodies, I could not keep up. The demands of a full-time job, maintaining a household, and cooking with oodles of fresh veggies each and every week just became too much for me. So, with much sadness, I've given up the CSA for now.
The CSA was both liberating and constricting. On the one hand, I was preparing more veggies than I had in my life. On the other hand, I was locked in to cooking with the veggies for the week. If I wanted leeks, and there were no leeks, tough cookies.
Also, anytime we takeout or went out to dinner, that meant losing a day's worth of veggie cooking time.
I'll be taking many lessons from my time in the CSA and applying them to my everyday cooking. I have a lot of veggie recipes now, and I know how to cook veggies-and how I like them prepared-in a way I didn't just two years ago.
I may still participate in a smaller, growing-season-only share from May to October of next year. And there's always the farmer's market. One just opened within walking distance of me, which I can now take full advantage of. And, I may plant my veggie garden for the winter so I can harvest some carrots, parsnips, and leeks in the spring.
So long, monster cloves of garlic. Bye-bye, basil. Sayonara, random bitter Asian greens (and, no offense, but good riddance).
You are gone, but not forgotten.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Epic win for appetizer party
A good friend invited me to a party she was hosting, and asked if I could bring some appetizers.
I generally don't do the cocktail-party style of appetizers. It's just so time-consuming to make dozens or hundreds of little bites and then, if you have done your job well, to see them disappear in a matter of minutes.
However, she asked so nicely, and I had by chance just picked up a new cookbook chock full of appetizers, so I was game.
I used two recipes from the book, and one I invented on the fly when I saw that the local grocery store had apricots on sale. The recipes were time-consuming, but very easy to do and very flavorful.
Almond-Stuffed Apricots
Makes about 20-24 appetizers. Can easily be doubled.
1 bag fresh apricots (about 10)
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 cup raw almonds (no skins)
2 fortune cookies (can substitute any kind of crunchy cookie here)
2 large pieces, or 2 small pieces, crystallized ginger
3 tablespoons amaretto
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Take butter out of fridge to soften.
Cut apricots in half, removing pits.
Toast almonds until lightly browned and fragrant.
Break open fortune cookies, remove paper.
Crush fortune cookies and almonds into medium-sized pieces.
Mince crystallized ginger into very small pieces.
Add amaretto and stir to moisten everything.
Add butter and brown sugar. Mash until butter is evenly mixed in and there are no huge chunks left.
Add a touch of salt to taste.
Oil a baking sheet.
Place apricots on baking sheet, skin side down.
Fill apricot halves with amaretto almond mixture.
Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.
Let cool slightly before serving.
Pesto Tomatoes
This is so simple, it's hardly a recipe. It scales up well, and can be made a day in advance. I made a pesto using garlic scapes (when they are in season) and almonds, but store bought pesto is fine here.
Cherry tomatoes
pesto (homemade or store bought)
Slice tops off of cherry tomatoes.
Scoop out seeds and flesh with a small spoon or melon baller.
Fill tomatoes with pesto.
Cheesy Quail Eggs
Adapted from a recipe in Appetizers, Finger Food, Buffets & Parties by Bridget Jones
Quail eggs taste just like regular eggs, but are adorably small. They are worth tracking down. Try an Oriental or Asian grocery store. Do not be scared off by the length of the recipe. These eggs are very easy to make, but they are a little time-consuming because there are a lot of steps involved. You’ll want to do a lot of steps in advance, and break up the cooking over two or three days.
2 dozen quail eggs
4 cups breadcrumbs
1 bag pre-shredded cheese (I used a mozzarella provolone blend)
1 leek
1 teaspoon powdered garlic
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 teaspoons mustard
½ teaspoon black pepper
Half a bunch of parsley
4 chicken eggs, separated like so:
4 egg yolks
2 egg whites
2 egg whites
¼ cup milk
¼ cup sesame seeds
bottle of neutral vegetable oil
20 basil leaves (optional)
In advance (a day or two before)
Boil and peel quail eggs
Add a splash of vinegar and a tablespoon of salt to a large pot of boiling water.
Gently lower half the quail eggs in and boil for 3 minutes.
Get rid of any eggs that immediately float to the surface—these eggs are bad.
Remove eggs to a colander, and repeat with the second batch. Let cool.
Crack bottoms of eggshells, then roll egg around on a clean counter to crack the rest of the shell.
Peel carefully starting at the bottom of the egg.
Rinse off in water to get rid of the last bits of shells. Set aside.
Make cheesy breading.
Take shredded cheese and, if it’s not super finely shredded, chop it up a little bit more on the cutting board.
Put cheese and breadcrumbs into a very large glass or metal bowl.
Chop white part of leek very finely and add it to bowl.
Chop and add parsley. Add mustard, salt and garlic salt. Add pepper.
Beat egg yolks and add to bowl. Stir until everything is well mixed.
In a separate bowl, beat 2 of the egg whites until soft peaks form.
Fold egg whites into breading mix, stirring well.
Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or for up to two days.
To assemble eggs
Take a large handful of cheesy breading and squeeze it with your hands so it comes together into a ball.
Flatten to make a little hamburger-looking thing.
Place basil leaf on one side (optional) then place egg on top of leaf.
Carefully squish the breading around the egg, making sure there are no gaps. (You may need to grab a little bit more coating to fill in the gaps.)
Take the other two egg whites, and mix them with a little bit of water.
Get a small plate and put the sesame seeds on the plate. Add a little bit of salt and pepper to the sesame seeds.
Dip the breaded eggs into the egg whites, then into the sesame seeds.
When all eggs are coated, let them rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
To fry eggs
Fill a pan at least halfway full of neutral vegetable oil (canola, corn).
Heat oil on high for about 5 minutes, then turn the heat to low.
Fry eggs in small batches of no more than 3.
Turn eggs frequently while cooking.
When they look golden brown and delicious, remove them to a plate lined with paper towels to let them drain.
Wait at least an hour for them to cool.
Once they are cool, slice them in half and serve with mayonnaise or your favorite flavorful dipping sauce.
They are also pretty tasty by themselves without any dipping sauce.
I generally don't do the cocktail-party style of appetizers. It's just so time-consuming to make dozens or hundreds of little bites and then, if you have done your job well, to see them disappear in a matter of minutes.
However, she asked so nicely, and I had by chance just picked up a new cookbook chock full of appetizers, so I was game.
I used two recipes from the book, and one I invented on the fly when I saw that the local grocery store had apricots on sale. The recipes were time-consuming, but very easy to do and very flavorful.
Almond-Stuffed Apricots
Makes about 20-24 appetizers. Can easily be doubled.
1 bag fresh apricots (about 10)
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 cup raw almonds (no skins)
2 fortune cookies (can substitute any kind of crunchy cookie here)
2 large pieces, or 2 small pieces, crystallized ginger
3 tablespoons amaretto
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Take butter out of fridge to soften.
Cut apricots in half, removing pits.
Toast almonds until lightly browned and fragrant.
Break open fortune cookies, remove paper.
Crush fortune cookies and almonds into medium-sized pieces.
Mince crystallized ginger into very small pieces.
Add amaretto and stir to moisten everything.
Add butter and brown sugar. Mash until butter is evenly mixed in and there are no huge chunks left.
Add a touch of salt to taste.
Oil a baking sheet.
Place apricots on baking sheet, skin side down.
Fill apricot halves with amaretto almond mixture.
Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.
Let cool slightly before serving.
Pesto Tomatoes
This is so simple, it's hardly a recipe. It scales up well, and can be made a day in advance. I made a pesto using garlic scapes (when they are in season) and almonds, but store bought pesto is fine here.
Cherry tomatoes
pesto (homemade or store bought)
Slice tops off of cherry tomatoes.
Scoop out seeds and flesh with a small spoon or melon baller.
Fill tomatoes with pesto.
Cheesy Quail Eggs
Adapted from a recipe in Appetizers, Finger Food, Buffets & Parties by Bridget Jones
Quail eggs taste just like regular eggs, but are adorably small. They are worth tracking down. Try an Oriental or Asian grocery store. Do not be scared off by the length of the recipe. These eggs are very easy to make, but they are a little time-consuming because there are a lot of steps involved. You’ll want to do a lot of steps in advance, and break up the cooking over two or three days.
2 dozen quail eggs
4 cups breadcrumbs
1 bag pre-shredded cheese (I used a mozzarella provolone blend)
1 leek
1 teaspoon powdered garlic
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 teaspoons mustard
½ teaspoon black pepper
Half a bunch of parsley
4 chicken eggs, separated like so:
4 egg yolks
2 egg whites
2 egg whites
¼ cup milk
¼ cup sesame seeds
bottle of neutral vegetable oil
20 basil leaves (optional)
In advance (a day or two before)
Boil and peel quail eggs
Add a splash of vinegar and a tablespoon of salt to a large pot of boiling water.
Gently lower half the quail eggs in and boil for 3 minutes.
Get rid of any eggs that immediately float to the surface—these eggs are bad.
Remove eggs to a colander, and repeat with the second batch. Let cool.
Crack bottoms of eggshells, then roll egg around on a clean counter to crack the rest of the shell.
Peel carefully starting at the bottom of the egg.
Rinse off in water to get rid of the last bits of shells. Set aside.
Make cheesy breading.
Take shredded cheese and, if it’s not super finely shredded, chop it up a little bit more on the cutting board.
Put cheese and breadcrumbs into a very large glass or metal bowl.
Chop white part of leek very finely and add it to bowl.
Chop and add parsley. Add mustard, salt and garlic salt. Add pepper.
Beat egg yolks and add to bowl. Stir until everything is well mixed.
In a separate bowl, beat 2 of the egg whites until soft peaks form.
Fold egg whites into breading mix, stirring well.
Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or for up to two days.
To assemble eggs
Take a large handful of cheesy breading and squeeze it with your hands so it comes together into a ball.
Flatten to make a little hamburger-looking thing.
Place basil leaf on one side (optional) then place egg on top of leaf.
Carefully squish the breading around the egg, making sure there are no gaps. (You may need to grab a little bit more coating to fill in the gaps.)
Take the other two egg whites, and mix them with a little bit of water.
Get a small plate and put the sesame seeds on the plate. Add a little bit of salt and pepper to the sesame seeds.
Dip the breaded eggs into the egg whites, then into the sesame seeds.
When all eggs are coated, let them rest in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
To fry eggs
Fill a pan at least halfway full of neutral vegetable oil (canola, corn).
Heat oil on high for about 5 minutes, then turn the heat to low.
Fry eggs in small batches of no more than 3.
Turn eggs frequently while cooking.
When they look golden brown and delicious, remove them to a plate lined with paper towels to let them drain.
Wait at least an hour for them to cool.
Once they are cool, slice them in half and serve with mayonnaise or your favorite flavorful dipping sauce.
They are also pretty tasty by themselves without any dipping sauce.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Ren Fest Fun
Went to my first Wisconsin Ren Faire yesterday. I've been to three others, two in Michigan, and have actually been going to Ren Fests since well before I could drive.
This one, the Bristol Renaissance Faire, was pretty nice. Most fests are the same, but with a few minor variations. This one was nice because there was more open space, so it felt less crowded. Also, flushable toilets, which was amazing. Anyone who says that flush toilets detracts from an authentic experience hasn't had to use a privy in a hoop skirt and a bocice.
But I digress.
The other interesting difference between my "home" fest and the Bristol Faire was the food. There were certainly some of the same items--giant turkey leg, soup in a bread bowl--but there were also a lot of different things on the WI menu.
Some of the standout foots of both fests:
Scotch Eggs: Take a hard-boiled egg. Cover it with tasty sausage sphere. Bread and deep-fry. Split in half and eat. Recommended limit is 1 per lifetime, or else you shortenn your life.
Sassafras: A root-beer like beverage. Soft drink with a nice herbal, complex flavor, somewhat licorice. Very thirst-quenching for those who don't drink beer.
Fried cheese balls: Cremy, gooey fried cheese.
The beer selection at the Bristol Faire was also much more comrepehensive than my home fair. At my home fair you can get Guinness, Harp, etc. At Bristol, I had a Newcastle, a Hacker Pschorr, a Leinenkugel's, and a cider. They had two types of cider so I can't remember which it was. My home fair's selection is a touch more limited, and it's the same beer pretty much on any tap you go to. At Bristol, you've got to hunt around for the keg you want.
I'm sure I'm suffering a bit from the "Grass is Greener" syndrome, where my faire is routine to me, and this was new, therefore better. But I think there were some key places that Bristol shines through. I'll never give up my home faire, but I may be getting to Bristol once a year from now on, too.
This one, the Bristol Renaissance Faire, was pretty nice. Most fests are the same, but with a few minor variations. This one was nice because there was more open space, so it felt less crowded. Also, flushable toilets, which was amazing. Anyone who says that flush toilets detracts from an authentic experience hasn't had to use a privy in a hoop skirt and a bocice.
But I digress.
The other interesting difference between my "home" fest and the Bristol Faire was the food. There were certainly some of the same items--giant turkey leg, soup in a bread bowl--but there were also a lot of different things on the WI menu.
| Michigan | Wisconsin |
| Chili Dogs | Brats |
| Scotch Eggs | Cornish Pasties |
| Suffed, battered mushrooms | Grilled, Marinated mushrooms |
| Hummus and Pita | Butterfly Potato chip |
| Cheese sticks with marinara sauce | Fried cheese balls with mustard mayo and BBQ sauces |
| Root Beer Float | Sassafras |
Some of the standout foots of both fests:
Scotch Eggs: Take a hard-boiled egg. Cover it with tasty sausage sphere. Bread and deep-fry. Split in half and eat. Recommended limit is 1 per lifetime, or else you shortenn your life.
Sassafras: A root-beer like beverage. Soft drink with a nice herbal, complex flavor, somewhat licorice. Very thirst-quenching for those who don't drink beer.
Fried cheese balls: Cremy, gooey fried cheese.
The beer selection at the Bristol Faire was also much more comrepehensive than my home fair. At my home fair you can get Guinness, Harp, etc. At Bristol, I had a Newcastle, a Hacker Pschorr, a Leinenkugel's, and a cider. They had two types of cider so I can't remember which it was. My home fair's selection is a touch more limited, and it's the same beer pretty much on any tap you go to. At Bristol, you've got to hunt around for the keg you want.
I'm sure I'm suffering a bit from the "Grass is Greener" syndrome, where my faire is routine to me, and this was new, therefore better. But I think there were some key places that Bristol shines through. I'll never give up my home faire, but I may be getting to Bristol once a year from now on, too.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Best. Drink. Evar.
I hate to sound like I suffer from superlatives, but I would encourage you to try this drink recipe below before you claim I'm exaggerating.
This is one of those dangerous drinks, where the different components are so perfectly in balance that you can't really taste the alcohol. But the drink is also exceedingly complex and delicious, even though it contains only three ingredients.
I'm referring to a Watermelon Cosmopolitan. In my case, I made my own watermelon-infused vodka, which I think was the key to the drink's success. I'm sure you could also make this with a store-bought watermelon vodka, but I do encourage you to try to make your own. Not only is it very easy to make, you also get the bonus of alcohol-soaked fruit!
The drink was so good, when I offered a taste to my mister, he took the whole thing. High praise coming from a guy who usually prefers to sip scotch or a good microbrew.
Watermelon Cosmopolitan
1 part watermelon-infused vodka (recipe below)
1 part Triple Sec
1 part cranberry juice
Shake over ice. Strain into martini glass.
Watermelon-infused vodka
I used the rind of leftover watermelon, so I had a lot of the green part of the fruit that was soaking in the vodka. This gave my vodka a lovely cucumber vibe, in addition to the melon flavor.
Rind of one watermelon, with some red still attached.
750 ml bottle of your favorite vodka
1 gallon drink cooler, such as Coleman jug or glass Sun Tea jar
Take rind of leftover watermelon, that still has a little bit of red fruit on it. Peel waxy dark green skin off of rind and discard. Cut remaining rind and fruit into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces. Add to jar. Top jar with bottle of vodka. Save vodka bottle.
Let fruit and booze marinate for about a week, shaking every day or so. Strain vodka back into its original bottle using a funnel. You may wind up with a bit more liquid than you started with. If this happens, just pour the rest off into another container. Refrigerate until ready to use.
If you wish, you can keep the watermelon for eating later.
This is one of those dangerous drinks, where the different components are so perfectly in balance that you can't really taste the alcohol. But the drink is also exceedingly complex and delicious, even though it contains only three ingredients.
I'm referring to a Watermelon Cosmopolitan. In my case, I made my own watermelon-infused vodka, which I think was the key to the drink's success. I'm sure you could also make this with a store-bought watermelon vodka, but I do encourage you to try to make your own. Not only is it very easy to make, you also get the bonus of alcohol-soaked fruit!
The drink was so good, when I offered a taste to my mister, he took the whole thing. High praise coming from a guy who usually prefers to sip scotch or a good microbrew.
Watermelon Cosmopolitan
1 part watermelon-infused vodka (recipe below)
1 part Triple Sec
1 part cranberry juice
Shake over ice. Strain into martini glass.
Watermelon-infused vodka
I used the rind of leftover watermelon, so I had a lot of the green part of the fruit that was soaking in the vodka. This gave my vodka a lovely cucumber vibe, in addition to the melon flavor.
Rind of one watermelon, with some red still attached.
750 ml bottle of your favorite vodka
1 gallon drink cooler, such as Coleman jug or glass Sun Tea jar
Take rind of leftover watermelon, that still has a little bit of red fruit on it. Peel waxy dark green skin off of rind and discard. Cut remaining rind and fruit into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces. Add to jar. Top jar with bottle of vodka. Save vodka bottle.
Let fruit and booze marinate for about a week, shaking every day or so. Strain vodka back into its original bottle using a funnel. You may wind up with a bit more liquid than you started with. If this happens, just pour the rest off into another container. Refrigerate until ready to use.
If you wish, you can keep the watermelon for eating later.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
N-Ice surprise
Rejoice, Daiquiri Ice lovers.
Due to popular demand, Baskin-Robbins has brought back the original recipe for their Daiquiri Ice sorbet. They had replaced it with a revised formula a year or so ago, called Lime Daiquiri Ice, and it just wasn't the same.
The B&R Web site has it listed under "Flavors of the Month," so it may only be available on-and-off, during the summer months.
But, if you are a fan of the flavor, make sure to go over to Baskin-Robbins and have yourself a scoop or two.
Or, you can always try my daiquiri ice clone recipe. I put this together a few years ago when Baskin Robbins first pulled the plug on the original recipe.
BASKIN-ROBBINS DAIQUIRI ICE CLONE VERSION
(this is NOT Lime Daiquiri Ice)
The key to getting the right tartness level is the citric acid powder. The amount of citric acid powder will need to be adjusted depending on how sweet (or sour) your limes are.
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
Juice of 1 lime (fresh squeezed, a little pulp is fine)
1 tsp imitation rum extract
Between ½ and 1 ½ tsp citric acid powder (sold under the brand name FruitFresh. Or you can go to a health food store or online for generic food grade citric acid)
1 drop green food coloring
Heat sugar and water just until sugar melts. Remove from heat and add ½ teaspoon citric acid. Stir until dissolved. Let mixture cool a couple minutes, then add rum extract, lime juice and food coloring. Taste, and add more citric acid powder as needed, a quarter teaspoon at a time. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Churn in an ice cream machine for 25 minutes. Spoon ice into freezer-safe bowl, and move to the freezer for an hour before serving.
Note: The recipe only makes a little over 2 cups, so you may want to double the ingredients.
Due to popular demand, Baskin-Robbins has brought back the original recipe for their Daiquiri Ice sorbet. They had replaced it with a revised formula a year or so ago, called Lime Daiquiri Ice, and it just wasn't the same.
The B&R Web site has it listed under "Flavors of the Month," so it may only be available on-and-off, during the summer months.
But, if you are a fan of the flavor, make sure to go over to Baskin-Robbins and have yourself a scoop or two.
Or, you can always try my daiquiri ice clone recipe. I put this together a few years ago when Baskin Robbins first pulled the plug on the original recipe.
BASKIN-ROBBINS DAIQUIRI ICE CLONE VERSION
(this is NOT Lime Daiquiri Ice)
The key to getting the right tartness level is the citric acid powder. The amount of citric acid powder will need to be adjusted depending on how sweet (or sour) your limes are.
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
Juice of 1 lime (fresh squeezed, a little pulp is fine)
1 tsp imitation rum extract
Between ½ and 1 ½ tsp citric acid powder (sold under the brand name FruitFresh. Or you can go to a health food store or online for generic food grade citric acid)
1 drop green food coloring
Heat sugar and water just until sugar melts. Remove from heat and add ½ teaspoon citric acid. Stir until dissolved. Let mixture cool a couple minutes, then add rum extract, lime juice and food coloring. Taste, and add more citric acid powder as needed, a quarter teaspoon at a time. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Churn in an ice cream machine for 25 minutes. Spoon ice into freezer-safe bowl, and move to the freezer for an hour before serving.
Note: The recipe only makes a little over 2 cups, so you may want to double the ingredients.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
M-m-m-my Samosas!
A few weeks ago, I had some pretty tasty samosas at a local restaurant, and was inspired to try making some myself.
The flavors seemed pretty straightforward: Mashed potato, cilantro, some coriander and curry powder. Nevertheless, I hit the library to find a basic samosa recipe I could adapt.
Mollie Katzen's Moosewood cookbook had samosa recipe that I used as a template. Because I was in a hurry (read: lazy), I used store-bought won ton wrappers and did not make my own dough.
I also baked my samosas, instead of frying them, to try to save a little bit of time and calories.
Measurements here are approximate, you'll want to taste your potato filling often and season it to your liking. If you use leftover mashed potatoes, make sure to add a little milk or other liquid, to get them smooth again.
M-m-m-my Samosas!
Ingredients:
Store-bought won ton wrappers
1 pound potatoes (russet's fine)
1 bunch cilantro
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon Curry powder (more or less to taste)
2 tablespoons oil
Non-stick cooking spray (like Pam)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
salt and pepper
Equipment:
Pizza cutter
Frying pan
pot for cooking potatoes
clean work surface
potato masher
Peel your potatoes. Chop them into medium pieces, toss them in some boiling salted water until they are cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Drain, add a little bit of milk and mash until mostly smooth.
Meanwhile, while potatoes are cooking, chop your onions and garlic, crush the coriander seeds lightly. Add a little bit of oil to pan, fry onions and garlic with spices to bloom the spices, on low-medium heat, until onions are a bit soft and everything starts to smell awesome.
Take several springs of cilantro, but not the whole bunch, remove the center stems, and chop. Add onion mixture and cilantro to the potatoes. Taste, add additional salt, pepper, cilantro and spices as needed. While potato mixture is still hot, add the frozen peas, and stir gently. Try not to mash the peas.
Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray, liberally. (this is important. I forgot this step and paid for it).
To fill: have a pizza cutter, a small bowl of water, and a clean work surface.
Cut wontons in half from corner to corner so you have two triangles. Make sure the top of the triangle is pointing up. Put a tablespoon or two of filling into wonton. Wet edges of wonton, With the top of the triangle pointing up, fold over wonton so edges meet symmetrically as best you can. Press wonton together to seal. If filling oozes out, then use less filling next time.
Put wontons on baking sheet. Spray tops of wontons with cooking spray. Cook for 5 minutes at 375 degrees, then turn over, check after another 5 minutes. They're done when they are golden brown but not burnt.
The flavors seemed pretty straightforward: Mashed potato, cilantro, some coriander and curry powder. Nevertheless, I hit the library to find a basic samosa recipe I could adapt.
Mollie Katzen's Moosewood cookbook had samosa recipe that I used as a template. Because I was in a hurry (read: lazy), I used store-bought won ton wrappers and did not make my own dough.
I also baked my samosas, instead of frying them, to try to save a little bit of time and calories.
Measurements here are approximate, you'll want to taste your potato filling often and season it to your liking. If you use leftover mashed potatoes, make sure to add a little milk or other liquid, to get them smooth again.
M-m-m-my Samosas!
Ingredients:
Store-bought won ton wrappers
1 pound potatoes (russet's fine)
1 bunch cilantro
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon Curry powder (more or less to taste)
2 tablespoons oil
Non-stick cooking spray (like Pam)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
salt and pepper
Equipment:
Pizza cutter
Frying pan
pot for cooking potatoes
clean work surface
potato masher
Peel your potatoes. Chop them into medium pieces, toss them in some boiling salted water until they are cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Drain, add a little bit of milk and mash until mostly smooth.
Meanwhile, while potatoes are cooking, chop your onions and garlic, crush the coriander seeds lightly. Add a little bit of oil to pan, fry onions and garlic with spices to bloom the spices, on low-medium heat, until onions are a bit soft and everything starts to smell awesome.
Take several springs of cilantro, but not the whole bunch, remove the center stems, and chop. Add onion mixture and cilantro to the potatoes. Taste, add additional salt, pepper, cilantro and spices as needed. While potato mixture is still hot, add the frozen peas, and stir gently. Try not to mash the peas.
Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray, liberally. (this is important. I forgot this step and paid for it).
To fill: have a pizza cutter, a small bowl of water, and a clean work surface.
Cut wontons in half from corner to corner so you have two triangles. Make sure the top of the triangle is pointing up. Put a tablespoon or two of filling into wonton. Wet edges of wonton, With the top of the triangle pointing up, fold over wonton so edges meet symmetrically as best you can. Press wonton together to seal. If filling oozes out, then use less filling next time.
Put wontons on baking sheet. Spray tops of wontons with cooking spray. Cook for 5 minutes at 375 degrees, then turn over, check after another 5 minutes. They're done when they are golden brown but not burnt.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Post-Oscar debriefing
The final menu for the Oscar party deviated only slightly from what I’d planned. My friend B brought bacon salt dip, and gutless rumaki (bacon-wrapped water chestnuts). The squash soup was served sans greens, and the cheese plate was postponed. Also, no carrots.
The desserts went over well. I also had some ice cream to go with them for those who wanted.
I really enjoyed the broiled citrus topped with butter and brown sugar, in a shallow pan, broiled till browned and bubbly.
The poached pears also were pretty good. I tried a trick with them, and it worked pretty well. I did not want to spend forever peeling the pears, so I split them in half and scooped out the flesh with a melon baller. They were a little uneven, but came out fairly well.
Oh, the other thing I had was a champagne punch. This was based on a recipe I got 10 years ago but never made. I modified it a bit because there was no raspberry sherbert at the store, but otherwise it was pretty close to the original
Broiled citrus fruits
3 grapefruit
3 oranges
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Mix butter and brown sugar. Section grapefruits and oranges, reserving excess juice for another use. Toss sections into bowl to mix.
Spread fruit out in shallow baking dish so all fruit is in one thin layer. (can be done in advance to this point). Sprinkle brown sugar butter mix on top. Broil about 4-6 inches away from the heat for 5 minutes, or until the top is bubbly and just beginning to brown. Watch it carefully so that it does not burn. Serve warm.
Pear spheres poached in red wine
6 pears, firm, slightly underripe
1 bottle red wine
¼ teaspoon Chinese Five-spice powder
brown sugar or honey to taste, ¼ cup or more
orange zest from one orange
Cut pears in half. Using a melon baller, scoop out spheres, being careful not to hit the skin on the pears. (Can be done about a day aheadIf doing ahead, sprinkle with lemon juice and cover with plastic wrap). Add pears and the rest of the ingredients to large saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 45 minutes, letting the wine mixture reduce.
Using a slotted spoon, drain pears out of wine. Cook wine down a little bit more until it starts to get syrupy. Return pears to syrup, turn off heat. Serve warm, chilled or at room temperature. Can make a day in advance. Reheat or bring to room temp to serve.
Lemon Berry Champagne punch
Make sure all ingredients are chilled before you start.
1 bottle champagne
1 bottle rose wine
1 pint strawberry sorbet
¼ cup frozen lemonade concentrate
1 cup frozen raspberries
Mix all ingredients except for sorbet and raspberries. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop ice cream into punch. Stir to combine. Add raspberries and serve.
The desserts went over well. I also had some ice cream to go with them for those who wanted.
I really enjoyed the broiled citrus topped with butter and brown sugar, in a shallow pan, broiled till browned and bubbly.
The poached pears also were pretty good. I tried a trick with them, and it worked pretty well. I did not want to spend forever peeling the pears, so I split them in half and scooped out the flesh with a melon baller. They were a little uneven, but came out fairly well.
Oh, the other thing I had was a champagne punch. This was based on a recipe I got 10 years ago but never made. I modified it a bit because there was no raspberry sherbert at the store, but otherwise it was pretty close to the original
Broiled citrus fruits
3 grapefruit
3 oranges
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Mix butter and brown sugar. Section grapefruits and oranges, reserving excess juice for another use. Toss sections into bowl to mix.
Spread fruit out in shallow baking dish so all fruit is in one thin layer. (can be done in advance to this point). Sprinkle brown sugar butter mix on top. Broil about 4-6 inches away from the heat for 5 minutes, or until the top is bubbly and just beginning to brown. Watch it carefully so that it does not burn. Serve warm.
Pear spheres poached in red wine
6 pears, firm, slightly underripe
1 bottle red wine
¼ teaspoon Chinese Five-spice powder
brown sugar or honey to taste, ¼ cup or more
orange zest from one orange
Cut pears in half. Using a melon baller, scoop out spheres, being careful not to hit the skin on the pears. (Can be done about a day aheadIf doing ahead, sprinkle with lemon juice and cover with plastic wrap). Add pears and the rest of the ingredients to large saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 45 minutes, letting the wine mixture reduce.
Using a slotted spoon, drain pears out of wine. Cook wine down a little bit more until it starts to get syrupy. Return pears to syrup, turn off heat. Serve warm, chilled or at room temperature. Can make a day in advance. Reheat or bring to room temp to serve.
Lemon Berry Champagne punch
Make sure all ingredients are chilled before you start.
1 bottle champagne
1 bottle rose wine
1 pint strawberry sorbet
¼ cup frozen lemonade concentrate
1 cup frozen raspberries
Mix all ingredients except for sorbet and raspberries. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop ice cream into punch. Stir to combine. Add raspberries and serve.
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