Archived entries for recipes

Almond and Orange Tart

I really, really love this tart. It’s easy and absolutely delicious.

I can’t explain how wonderful it is to have a dessert that is perfectly sweet, lusciously fruity, and slightly macaroon-like. It gets more delicious after a night of sitting on the table. My husband took a slice to work two days in a row to have with his coffee – and he works right next to some great pastry shops!

Almond and Orange Tart

Adapted from The Organic Seasonal Cookbook

Crust:
One pre-made pie crust, put into tart shell. (My fav pie crust recipe coming soon!)

Filling:
1 orange or 3 clementines (work with what you have! :)
1 star anise
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup almond meal

Preheat oven to 350.

Put your citrus fruit in a pot and fill with water until covering the fruit. Add the star anise to the water. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook about 1/2 hour. Remove cooked and softened fruit, and cut open to remove the seeds.

Add citrus fruit, almond meal, beaten eggs, butter, and sugar in a food processor. The butter will melt because of the warm fruit. Process until all ingredients are pureed.

Spoon puree into tart shell. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool at least 30 minutes.
Excellent the next day!

Hearty Poblano Stew

My first exposure to the poblano pepper was not romantic. It was also not novel, unique, wholesome, or flavorful.

It was on a frozen Rick Bayless “Frontera” pizza I got from Whole Foods a few years ago.

The opinion on the pie from all gathered was “pretty good – for a frozen pizza”. I remember the consistency of the peppers, slightly chewy and watery as vegetables frozen and then shocked to life at 450 degrees are apt to weep at their fate. Oh, these poor peppers cried, we had so much more to live for than this! But I do remember something about the flavor as wonderfully different, mercifully due to those poblanos.

Continue reading…

Black Sesame and Green Onion Tofu

I’ve always been such a fan of sesame seeds, whether sprinkled on bread, used in salad dressings to give a nice texture, or as the base product in such staples as tahini or halva. Yum. But black sesame seeds, that’s another story! Having never tried to use them in a home recipe before, I bought a small amount of seeds at World Spice Market in Pike Place Market.

Regarding preparing tofu at home: I was vegetarian for many years, and I want to share these two bits of knowledge I learned. First of all, if you want to make tofu extra sponge-like, freeze it first and then thaw it before marinating. It changes the texture so that it’s able to soak in flavors more. This is, of course, if that’s what you’re going for ;) Secondly, tofu on its own won’t really get a nice crunch. You can fry it until it’s dark brown, you’ll just have a very dry outside. Just apply a very light coating of cornstarch on the outside of the tofu. It’ll brown beautifully and will soak up more flavor from whatever you’re frying it in!

Black Sesame and Green Onion Tofu

1 package firm tofu
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp tonkatsu sauce
4 green onions
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
1/4 cup cornstarch

Cut the tofu into approximately 1×2 inch cubes.
Mix together soy sauce, sesame oil, and tonkatsu sauce and pour over tofu in a bowl. Let marinate 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop the bottom half of the green onions into small slivers.
Spread the cornstarch on a plate, and lightly coat the tofu pieces with the cornstarch.
Heat up a pan on high heat with a little canola oil. Place the tofu in the pan, and fry until medium brown and crispy. Turn individually to brown other side.

Garnish with black sesame seeds, green onions, and a quick dash of tonkatsu sauce.

Goes great with vegetables and rice also mixed with the sesame seeds!

Chanterelles in White Wine and Cream Sauce

If prices are any reflection of how abundant the mushrooms are this year, then those fungi were out growing and reaching for the forest canopy in unheard-of numbers. I still find it hard to believe that there are so many foods that I claim to love, but never thought of making at home. Chanterelles are a perfect example. If I see them incorporated into a dish at a restaurant, I usually hop up and down, repeatedly stunned by their delicate flavor. I also realized that in spite of the price per pound, I really don’t have a need to buy an entire pound of mushrooms. 1/2 of a pound is more than enough to flavor a dish.

I like to use this simple sautee to top crackers or to make baked chicken extra special.

Chanterelles in White Wine and Cream Sauce

1/4 cup white wine
1 small onion, diced
1/8 cup cream
1/2 pound chanterelle mushrooms
1 sprig thyme
salt and pepper

Sautee onions in pan on medium-high heat until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle salt over onions, I find that adding some salt at this point instead of at the end helps bring all the juices out. Add the mushrooms. Stir frequently until tender, about another 5 minutes. Add the wine and let simmer about 1 or 2 minutes, or until most, but not all, or the liquid has evaporated. Add the cream, and stir until it just comes to a boil. Reduce heat, keep stirring about another minute, then take off the heat. Serve as a savory topping, and a garnish of fruit will help intensify the flavors.

Persimmon Muffins

Moist, spicy, and slightly boozy muffins

The leaves are slowly changing color; the air is cooler. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger are the perfect additions to any baked item at the moment. It’s autumn!

While leafing through one of my older cookbooks, I came across a warm and spicy-sounding recipe that uses persimmons. While the book gives a nice explanation of the differences between fuyu and hachiya persimmons, the only type my grocery store had was the fuyu. Fortunately, they were already soft and ripe, so they were ready to go for making a puree.

My main impression of persimmon is how gooey and jelly-like the insides are when ripe. The skin is thin and similar in texture to a tomato, but is easy to separate from the flesh. The taste is a bit hard to describe. The texture is similar to an overripe plum or honeydew, and the sweetness is definitely there but not as sugary as I’d expect.

My first "food collage" - did not include toy train in actual recipe.

Adapted from the Williams-Sonoma Collection : Desserts book. The biggest change is the recipe is supposed to be a “pudding”, but I didn’t feel like making a fuss.

Persimmon & Spice Muffins

1/4 cup Grand Marnier
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 ripe Fuyu persimmons
2 eggs
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp hot water

Turn on oven to 350 degrees.

Add dried cranberries and brandy together in a small pot, and bring to a boil. Take off heat and cover – we’re waiting for those cranberries to plump up.

Melt the butter, and set aside to cool.

Now to make the persimmon puree. Cut off the papery tops of the fruit and scoop out the soft flesh into a food processor. Try to avoid getting the skin into the mix. Process mix until pureed.

Put a small amount of water in a tea kettle or pot and start heating.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.

In a large bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Then add cooled butter, persimmon puree, vanilla, and orange zest.

Take the 2 Tbsp hot water and add to baking soda in a small bowl, and add to the wet mixture.

Slowly incorporate dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Finally, fold in the warmed cranberries.

Pour mixture into muffin tins lined with paper muffin cups, and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Makes 9 muffins.

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