My new nemesis: Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

Menu:
Grilled Artichokes with Whole Garlic Bulbs
Pizza with Chicken, Pineapple, and Brie on a Whole Wheat Crust
Grilled Corn
Steamed Broccoli

So I have this gigantic bag of Whole Wheat Pastry Flour sitting in my cupboard, and I am determined to figure out how the heck to use it to its fullest potential. So far I'm 1 for 3 (the only winner being the awesome waffles I made last week). And I've still got about 4.5 pounds to use up...I predict a lot of cookies in our future.

I had a hankering for grilled pizza, so I got up early this morning to prep the dough before work (YES, work on a Sunday AGAIN. Send your local vet some ice cream.). I've made plenty of pizza dough before, I've even made whole wheat pizza dough. But tonight's was a failure, as pizza doughs go. It was really fragile (I know, I know. I used PASTRY FLOUR. ) and did not rise much when I grilled it, so we ended up with really funny-shaped, very crunchy crust. It wasn't terrible, but I've made better. I'll flog myself as soon as I finish writing this.




I did two things differently from my usual pizza dough prep, so it remains to be seen which variable was the culprit:

1)I made the dough in the morning and let it rise in the refrigerator all day. I punched it down when I got home It rolled out really nicely, but didn't rise as much as I had expected.

2)I used pastry flour instead of regular whole wheat. I'm guessing this was the problem. This clearly needs further study.


Grilled Artichokes with Whole Garlic Bulbs
originally published in the NYTimes, 5/25/88

Have you ever tried to describe how to eat an artichoke to someone who's never seen or eaten one before? "It's like a big bulb with tough, spiky leaves on it, and you don't eat the leaves but rather scrape them against your teeth to get the stuff off. There's this mysterious thing called the 'choke' in the middle the you cut out because it might kill you--isn't that how it gets its name? Then you cut the heart out and eat that at the end."

Yeah, that explanation earned me a pretty blank stare from Nate after he included artichokes on his "willing to try" list. So when I saw this beauty in the produce section, I had to buy it.



I've always had artichokes with either melted butter or a yogurt/sour cream/mayonnaise dip, but I found this recipe and thought I'd try something different. I would definitely make it again; it was tasty. But then again, I've always thought artichokes were really just a vehicle for whatever sauce they're dipped in, so how can you go wrong with roasted garlic, lemon, and butter? Mmmmmmm.



And Nate approved. Yay!

I've written the recipe with my adaptations below.

serves 2

1 large artichoke
1 head of garlic
1 lemon
2 tsp Italian seasoning or dried thyme
2 tsp light butter
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze both halves into a large bowl.
2. Slice the top off the artichoke and snip the spiky tips off of the outer leaves with scissors. Cut the artichoke in quarters and cut out the choke. Put the quarters into the bowl with the lemon juice and cover with water. Place a plate on top of the artichoke quarters to completely submerge (this is to keep the artichoke from turning brown).
3. Cut the top off of the garlic bulb and remove as much papery skin as possible. Halve the bulb and set aside.
4. Prepare 2 large squares of tin foil. Onto each square, place two artichoke quarters (do not drain the lemon water from them as you lift them out of the bowl; you want some lemon water in there to help flavor and steam) and a garlic bulb half. Drizzle each serving with 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp light butter, sprinkle with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper.



5. Carefully wrap the tin foil around the artichokes to create a leak-proof package.
6. Place over high grill heat for 30-40 minutes, or until the artichokes are soft and the garlic is spreadable.



6. Serve out of the foil, dipping the leaves in the accumulated juices and taking a bite of garlic with each one.


Pizza with Chicken, Pineapple, and Brie on a Whole Wheat Crust

(I'm going to hold off on posting the crust recipe because I don't want to be responsible for your disappointing dinner).

Serves 2-4
1 crust recipe of your choosing, or store-bought, for a 12-inch crust
1 cup pizza sauce
3 oz Brie
4 oz cooked chicken breast (I am particularly fond of Trader Joe's frozen grilled chicken strips)
3 slices raw or grilled pineapple

1. Prepare your crust. Just don't use pastry flour.
2. If you are grilling, pre-cook the crust for about 3 minutes per side.


Crust tragedy.

3. Remove from the grill and spread the toppings on the crust.
4. Carefully put the pizza back on the grill and cook with the lid closed for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is cooked to your liking. Be careful not to let it burn!


What state is this: Ohio? Louisiana?

Mango Slaw and Whole Wheat Tortillas

I had plenty of time to contemplate my dinner as I sat at the local emergency animal clinic for 10 hours NOT seeing patients. While I never would wish any harm on the puppies and kittens of the greater Phoenix area, it sure is boring when they don't come in to see me!

But take a look at this cutie, a stray kitten brought in by a Good Samaritan. She has a stump for a rear leg but is otherwise perfect, and I had plenty of time to play with her while I was not busy sewing things up.


Ack! The Cuteness!


Tonight's dinner was inspired by smitten kitchen and my need to use up some mango and more of that Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. Of course, in my effort to use up stuff in the refrigerator, I had to go to the store to buy a bunch of ancillary ingredients and equipment (including a new rolling pin), so I guess I failed at being frugal. I did, however, succeed in feeding myself quite well. I'll take what I can get.


Mango Slaw with Whole Wheat Tortillas, Chicken and Avocado



The slaw was terrific and made a ton. It's light and summery, and great eaten plain or with chicken and avocados as I've done here. I left the cashews out because I was using the slaw as a wrap filling, but were I to eat it plain, I would definitely add the cashews for some crunch.

I halved the slaw recipe and it made a good 6 cups.

The tortillas came from the Bob's Red Mill website, and I only made them so I could use some of my pastry flour. They were not difficult and the taste was good, but these were not tortillas. Once they cooked, they were crisp and almost like a cracker. I had intended to make pretty wraps from these, but ended up using them like a tostada or small pizza crust.

For the Slaw:
2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and julienned
1 to 1 1/4 pounds Napa cabbage, halved and sliced very thinly (I used Savoy)
1 red pepper, julienned
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (I used a regular white onion)
6 tablespoons of fresh lime juice, from about two limes
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons oil of your choice (I used half toasted sesame oil and half canola)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste (or omit this and whisk in a chile paste to taste)
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup toasted cashews, coarsely chopped (I omitted these)

1. Combine the mango, cabbage, red pepper, and onion in a large bowl.
2. Whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, oil, salt, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
3. Toss the dressing, mint leaves, and cashews with the cabbage mixture and serve immediately.

For the Tortillas:
1 c whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 c water
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 T canola oil

1. Mix all the ingredients together until a soft dough forms. Let rest for 15 minutes.
2. Divide dough into 5 parts. Roll each part out into a very thin circle.



3. Heat a cast-iron skillet to medium and cook each tortilla (no grease) until browned on each side.




Assembly:
Place 1 cup slaw, 1/4 of a sliced avocado, and 1 oz grilled chicken breast on top of each tortilla. Serve imediately.

Eat that, Ra!!!

So yesterday Nate and I went out for sushi* for a lunch date. We had some particularly yummy gyoza that Nate thought I could probably replicate at home. Not being one to back down from a food challenge, I created our own version of gyoza, minus all of the fried-ness. Except for a minor steaming setback, I think these turned out pretty well, and they weren't really very complicated.

First, a word about equipment. I must give a shout-out to one of the workhorses of my kitchen, the Microplane. This little beauty (actually, I have two of them) gets used several times during the week for citrus zesting, ginger grating**, parmesan shaving, and the occasional nutmeg grind. I have only grated my knuckles a couple of times. Since I cook a lot of Asian-inspired food and have lately been using quite a bit of fruit at dinner (which often finds itself accompanied by grated ginger and/or some form of citrus zest), my microplanes get a lot of use. Get one. They're cheap and fabu.




*(((GASP!!! OMG I KNOW!!! First spinach, then sushi...my work here is done.*** ))))

**I keep a knob of ginger in the freezer and grate it right into whatever dish I'm making. Sometimes I'm too lazy to even peel it, and it works just fine. It keeps forever. Seriously. The 8half-life of frozen ginger is about 2 bajillion years.

***(Well, OK, not done yet, I'm still working on onions.)

Menu:
Shrimp Dumplings with Sesame Dipping Sauce
Vegetable Stir-Fry Over Rice

Shrimp Dumplings with Sesame Dipping Sauce
from Weight Watchers Take-Out Tonight

This is a great cookbook. Regardless of whether you're on Weight Watchers, on any kind of diet, or just trying to cook without so much oil and fat, the recipes and methods in here are very useful.



Makes about 36 dumplings

Dipping Sauce
1/4 c reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 c seasoned rice vinegar (I used 2 T and it was plenty)
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
pinch crushed red pepper

Dumplings
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used cooked, frozen salad shrimp that came from the freezer section at Fry's)
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
2 T water chestnuts, chopped
1 T minced peeled fresh ginger
1 T dry sherry
1 T oyster sauce
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg white
36 (3-inch) wonton wrappers

1. Make the dipping sauce: whisk together the soy sauce through red pepper and set aside.



2. To make the filling, process the shrimp through egg white in a food processor until smooth (I seem to have an obsession with pureed seafood).




3. Arrange the wonton wrappers on a work surface.



Place 1 tsp of filling at the center of each wrapper.



Dip your finger in water and paint the edges of the wontons with it, then fold the edges over and pinch together to form the dumpling.



4. Place dumplings on a baking sheet lightly dusted with cornstarch and cover with damp paper towels until ready to cook.
5. Place 8-10 dumplings in a steamer basket and set in a sauce pan over 1 inch of boiling water. Cover tightly and steam until the dumplings are cooked through, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately.


Shortly before dissolving into a gooey mess.

***DISCLAIMER*** Steaming the dumplings did NOT work for me; they all glommed together and came out in a gloopy, mushy, albeit very TASTY pile of shrimpy wonton-y goodness. I don't know if I'll ever succeed in cleaning the bits of dumpling from the holes in my steamer basket...

I ended up browning the rest of the dumplings in a skillet with cooking spray, which was much easier and involved far fewer steam burns.

Gooseberries!

Tonight's featured ingredient was gooseberries. When we commenced with the Fruit-stravaganza here on Le Rue de Fleur a few weeks ago, gooseberries were included on the list of "willing to try" provided by Nate.

I've never had gooseberries; I've never even seen them. So when I stumbled across a gooseberry display at Whole Foods, I knew I had to buy them.



They are so cute! Raw, they taste like a sour grape. I think they are meant to be cooked or used with other sweet things to offset their tartness. Most of the recipes I found, though, either involved making them into dessert (pie, fool, cobbler...) or canning them with an ungodly amount of sugar to make a preserve. So I was on my own! I think I did pretty well by them, if I may say so myself.

The naming of the gooseberry recipe became an issue when I referred to it as various things like relish, salsa, chutney, and compote. I realized that all of those names were pretty much the same in my mind, so in the interest of educating myself and the general food-loving public, here are some definitions (from CDKitchen):

Relish:a cooked or pickled sauce usually made with vegetables or fruits and often used as a condiment; can be smooth or chunky, sweet or savory and hot or mild.

Salsa: 1. Spanish for sauce. 2. Traditionally, a Mexican cold sauce made from tomatoes flavored with cilantro, chiles and onions. 3. Generally, a cold chunky mixture of fresh herbs, spices, fruits and/or vegetables used as a sauce or dip.

Chutney: The name for a large range of sauces or relishes used in East Indian cooking. Fresh chutneys have a bright, clean flavor and are usually thin, smooth sauces. Cilantro, mint, and tamarind are common in fresh chutney. Cooked chutneys have a deeper, broader flavor.

Compote:Dried and fresh fruit cooked with sugar to a jam like consistency, brief enough to allow the fruit to retain their individual identity.

So, it's not a compote, that's clear. But I think what I made tonight could qualify as a Salchutlish. Whatever. It was good.

Menu:
Chile-Rubbed Chicken with Gooseberry-Mango Salsa
Mixed Greens with Basil
Grilled Corn
Grilled Pineapple


Chile-Rubbed Chicken with Gooseberry-Mango Salsa

Note: I forgot two key things when making the chicken.

1. I forgot to brine it. Cardinal sin, in my grilling book. It's easy: Dissolve 2T salt and 2T sugar in about 4c warm water and submerge chicken breast for about 30 minutes. Rinse before coating with rub.

2. I walked away to hang my laundry after putting the chicken on the grill. It *may* have burned just a teensy bit. OK, it burned a LOT. You're not getting any pictures of this ugly debacle. Suffice it to say, when you're grilling over high heat and your chicken is coated in anything that contains sugar, watch it carefully!!!

Note 2: If you don't have the ingredients for the rub or if you're just feeling lazy, a pre-mixed chili-powder rub will do just fine.



I am a big fan of Penzey's Spices, especially their Ancho Chile powder. You should buy stuff from them. They're cheap and high quality.

Serves 2-4

Chicken:
1 T ancho chile powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp brown sugar
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp olive oil
2 skinless chicken breasts, bone-in

Salsa:
1 c gooseberries, de-stemmed, divided
2 T water
1 tsp lime zest (from about 1/2 of a lime)
1 T lime juice (from about 1/2 of a lime)
1 T packed brown sugar
1 tsp champagne vinegar
1 T grated ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 mango, cubed

2 c baby spinach
1 c baby arugula
1/2 c basil leaves, torn

1. If you brined the chicken, rinse it and pat dry.
2. Combine the chile powder through olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the mixture all over the chicken breasts and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour to overnight.
3. Heat the grill to medium-high.
4. Grill the chicken until done, being careful not to let the rub burn.
5. Meanwhile, make the salsa: Combine 1/2c gooseberries in a small saucepan with the water through cinnamon. Cook over medium heat, mashing the gooseberries with a spoon, until a thick syrup. Remove from heat and let cool.



5. Cut the remaining gooseberries in half and toss with the mango. Stir in the cooled gooseberry-ginger mixture. Taste for sweet-tartness; add more brown sugar or lime juice if needed.
5. Slice chicken and serve over greens topped with the salsa.



The leftover salsa made a very nice dressing on my salad the next day for lunch: I tossed together some baby spinach, baby arugula, torn basil leaves and torn mint leaves with some sliced strawberries, and mixed in about 1/2 c of the gooseberry salsa. Super easy and delicious.

When The Nate's Away...

...The Beck Will Play.

Solo dinner tonight, hence the following menu:

Creamy Garlicky Gazpacho with Crunchy Pecorino
Scallop and Plum Ceviche

Once again, Mark Bittman inspires with his brilliance. I never would have thought ceviche could be a dish I would try at home, but I saw this recipe whilst perusing The Times last night and could not wait to have a go at it. Hopefully eating raw scallops won't come back to haunt me tomorrow...

The ceviche was so easy and so tasty, I will definitely look for more ways to prepare this at home. I loved the scallops, but I have also had really tasty fish ceviche at restaurants (namely Hula's Modern Tiki's amazing version with lime and coconut), and look forward to trying a recipe myself.

The gazpacho was in the same feature article that day, and it looked so pretty that I couldn't not make it. It seemed the perfect accompaniment to the ceviche (in a "Nate would never eat this so I should make it while I'm eating alone" kind of way...I don't claim to be any sort of talent at food pairing). While mine came out decidedly pinker than the deep orange in the picture, it was still very good. I guess I should have expected pink when I mixed red and white...A word of warning, though: it is VERY garlicky (and this coming from a garlic-blooded garlic-lover!). Next time I might use roasted garlic or blanch it first to cut down on the garlicky bite.


Creamy Garlicky Gazpacho with Crunchy Pecorino
by Melissa Clark, originally published in the New York Times 7/9/10



serves 4, about 3/4c per serving

6 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano (I used I T shredded cheddar per serving)
2 large tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored and roughly chopped
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) plain sheep’s-milk or regular yogurt (I used nonfat Greek)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for serving (I omitted this)
12 basil leaves, roughly chopped, more for serving
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
2 scallions (white and light green parts), roughly chopped
2 ice cubes (I forgot this, it wasn't necessary)
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, more to taste
Pinch cayenne pepper
Ground black pepper to taste.

1. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the cheese until browned on one side. Carefully flip in one piece and brown on the other side. Remove to a paper towel and allow to cool until crispy. Break into 4 pieces.

2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

3. Divide gazpacho into 4 bowls and garnish with basil leaves and cheese crisps.




Scallop and Plum Ceviche
by Mark Bittman, originally published in The New York Times 7/9/10



serves 2-4

1 pound bay scallops, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 plums, pitted and cut into 1/2" dice
2 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 c fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp grated lime zest
salt to taste
pinch cayenne pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and let marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. The scallops will "cook" in the lime juice.

2. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

The most important meal of the day!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so they say. So important, we decided to eat it twice! Breakfast for dinner is one of my favorite meals, and this one did not disappoint.

Menu:
Whole-Grain Waffles with Mango and Almonds
Scrambled Egg Whites with Smoked Gouda and Sausage


Whole-Grain Waffles
from The Food Network

I've been meaning to try making yeast-based waffles for a while now, so when this recipe popped up with both yeast AND whole grains I knew it was fate. These were very good, but I don't know that I would go to the trouble of making them again. They definitely had yeasty undertones when eaten plain (in the interest of science, I did have an extra waffle after finishing my plate) but that flavor got lost once I topped them with fruit and maple syrup.

I loved the whole-grain aspect, though, and will happily replace my beloved Bisquick batter with a whole-wheat and oat version from now on. I will try just omitting the yeast to see if it still works as well.


I will have to make a lot of these waffles to
justify this enormous bag leftover...but it sure is pretty!

The recipe describes these as "light but also crispy on the outside from just a touch of oil and a yeasted batter with buttermilk." Mine definitely did not turn out crispy; maybe I didn't cook them long enough (5 minutes) or maybe halving the oil called for affected the crispiness, but in the end they had a creamy, almost steamed quality to them. I didn't feel this detracted from the flavor, but I had been looking forward to some crispy waffles.

Finally, the toasted almonds sprinkled on top really made this dish better than average. Next time I plan to mix the almonds into the batter so I'm not chasing every little almond crumb around my plate with my fork. (Rest assured, no almond went uneaten.)

serves 6, 2 waffles each

1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 110 degrees)
2 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons peanut oil (I used canola and cut it in half)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
4 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Cooking spray for waffle iron
Maple syrup


1. Sprinkle the yeast over the water in a large mixing bowl; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.


The yeast will bloom, it's fun to watch.

Add the buttermilk, oil, sugar and flour and whisk until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.


Last night...


Yeasty bubbliness tonight.



2. Preheat a waffle iron. Whisk the oats, egg whites, baking soda, and salt into the waffle batter until smooth. Lightly mist the hot waffle iron with cooking spray. Add about 1/3 cup of batter to each section, using the back of a spoon to spread batter to the edges.



Cook until the waffles are crisp and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with maple syrup.



3. My additions: I toasted 2 tsp slivered almonds over medium heat until golden brown (um, this took two tries...) and sprinkled them over the waffles after topping them with diced mango and strawberries.


Don't try to multi-task while toasting nuts. Take two: much better.



Scrambled Egg Whites with Smoked Gouda and Sausage



serves 2

8 egg whites
2 oz smoked Gouda cheese, cubed
4 oz turkey kielbasa, cubed
1/4 c skim milk
2 T sun-dried tomatoes, diced
sprinkle to taste: crushed red pepper, dried oregano, dried parsley, dried basil


Get your filling ready before turning on the heat.

1. Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray.

2. Combine egg whites through milk in the skillet and scramble, stirring occasionally, until not quite done (eggs should still be very slightly runny; they will finish setting in the heat of the pan. They will dry out and become tough if cooked all the way in the pan).

3. Remove from heat and stir in sun-dried tomatoes. Sprinkle with spices.

It's a Tuna Hay Day

We scored tickets to tonight's Cubs/Diamondbacks game, which necessitates eating early to avoid being forced to shell out $57 for a tiny hot dog and soda at ye olde Chase Field. We've been eating more meat than usual lately (what with all the sliders, leftover sliders, and more leftover sliders), so fish seemed a logical choice.

Menu:
Grilled Tuna with Sesame-Ginger Vinaigrette
Sweet Potatoes
Mixed Greens Salad

Grilled Tuna with Sesame-Ginger Vinaigrette
from Kim Rizk's Hay Day Country Market Cookbook

This is one of my favorite cookbooks. The recipes are not complicated, yet they are consistently good and out of the ordinary. There is an herbed peasant bread in there that is out of this world. But I digress.

This recipe fit the bill for quick, easy, and delicious. The vinaigrette is scrumptious, and I honestly had a hard time not licking out the mixing bowl.



OK, I did lick the bowl. I'm OK with it.

serves 4

Vinaigrette:
3/4 c vegetable oil (I used 1/2c Olive oil, and might even use less next time)
1/4 c rice wine vinegar
1 T minced fresh ginger (I grated it with a microplane)
1 small clove garlic, minced
finely grated zest of 1 orange
1/4 c fresh orange juice
1 t toasted sesame oil
1 t soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Tuna:
4 tuna steaks, 1 inch thick
1 cup Sesame-Ginger Vinaigrette
6 oz mixed salad greens (I used spinach and arugula)
4 t sesame seeds, toasted

1. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette except the salt and pepper.
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Pour 1 c vinaigrette over the tuna steaks in a shallow dish and marinate for 30
minutes.

4. Heat the grill to medium.
5. Coat grate with cooking spray or oil.
6. Remove tuna from marinade, discard marinade. Place steaks on the grill and cook until medium-rare, about 3 minutes per side.


7. Place steaks on mixed greens and drizzle 1 T vinaigrette over dish before serving. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.



Note:
I toast sesame seeds by heating them in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are light brown and fragrant. They will go from lovely brown to charred black in about 0.37 seconds, so don't walk away.


Raw...


Toasted! Subtle, I know.

For the sweet potatoes, I never have the patience or forethought to roast them in the oven. I have found it to be much simpler to prick them with a fork a few times, wrap in a paper towel, and drizzle water over the little bundle before placing in the microwave on high for about 5 minutes. Easy peasy.




Great dinner, now off to the ballgame!