An Experiment - #1 - Cucumber-Thyme Infused Vodka

The CSA bundle this week, thanks to friends who have graciously donated their share to us while out-of-town, had oodles of cucumbers. What to make?  We recently revisited our frozen watermelon margaritas that includes grinding up cucumber as well as frozen watermelon chunks - the cucumber adds a layer of cool slightly savory flavor that rounds out the recipe - delicious!  This refreshing cocktail gave me a thought...infuse vodka with cucumber.  That sounds potentially interesting, but why stop there?  Maybe another layer of flavor is needed...perhaps thyme.  Who couldn't resist adding a herb that is growing heartily just a few steps from the kitchen door.  So, here starts the experiment.  I'll let you know in a few weeks how it turns out and what we make with it!

Spicy Mince and Peas

We often have a hankering for hot, spicy food, especially in the winter. One of our favorites that is easy to make and delicious is Spicy Mint and Peas from an old, out of print Pakistani cookbook.  The best version is made with minced lamb, but beef also works. One caution is that it takes fresh ginger and garlic. I once tried to substitute powdered and it was sorely disappointing. Dried mint totally works, but fresh ginger and garlic are essential. I also highly recommend freshly grinding the dried spices (coriander, cumin).  Buy yourself a cheap coffee grinder and use it solely for grinding spices.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground lamb (or beef)
• 4 ounces canned or fresh chopped tomatoes
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1" peeled fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (more if you want it hotter)
• 1/2 teapsoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon dried mint flakes (if using fresh, increase to 3 teaspoons, minced)
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces frozen or fresh peas
• 1/4 pint yogurt
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation

Put the lamb (or beef) in a heavy-based saucepan over low heat and, stirring occasionally, let it cook in its own fat until all the moisture has evaporated.  Chop the tomatoes.  Add the chopped tomatoes and their juice, chopped onion, garlic, ginger, powdered spices, mint, salt and the peas.  Mix them all well, cover and leave to cook over low heat for 45-50 minutes until the ingredients are well blended and the mince and peas are tender.  Pour in the yogurt and lemon juice.  Stirring constantly until the yogurt and lemon juice are well absorbed.  Transfer to a heated serving dish and serve piping hot over rice.

New Year Nosh

I never seem to be able to stay awake until midnight on New Year's Eve, but I do enjoy New Year's Eve and New Year's Day nosh and drinks.  Here are a few easy things I'm going to make this year, followed by a few different drinks to try out.

Nosh

1. Dried apricots with goat blue cheese - This is so easy, just slather each apricot with a little goat blue cheese, maybe add a marcona almond on top, and then drizzle with honey if so desired. I use the Blenheim variety of apricots (also known as "slab" apricots) available from Trader Joe's, but most any will do.
2. Sundrops - Purchase a can of artichoke bottoms, rinse and drain.  Fill each bottom with crab meat and coat with hollandaise sauce.  Broil until lightly browned on top. Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.  This also makes a great first course when you serve it on top of a little marinara sauce. The only key is to get high quality ingredients. These days it is hard to find good canned artichoke bottoms. The only one we can find here in the grocery stores is the "Reese" brand, and it is not very good.  If anyone knows of a good brand, please let me know!  Freshly cooked would be best, of course, but this time of year good, fresh artichokes are hard to get as well.
3. Spinach balls with mustard sauce - these are so good, it's hard not to keep popping one after another into your mouth.

Ingredients

• 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of all its moisture
• 1 1/2 cup prepared bread stuffing, cooled
• 1 small onion, minced
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup grated parmessan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Mustard for serving (it's nice to have a variety - dijon, sweet, hot)

Preparation

Mix all ingredients together.  Roll into 1" balls and place on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Serve with mustard for dipping.

Drinkies

New Year's Eve drinks naturally revolve around champagne or prosecco. Bubbles are just the thing.  If champagne by itself doesn't do it for you, you might try these:

Korbel: http://www.korbel.com/New_Years_Cocktails.aspx

BakedBree Blog: http://bakedbree.com/cherry-thyme-champagne-cocktail

The other way to go with New Year's Eve cocktails in our house is the brown angle. Sazeracs, Manhattans, Rob Roys, and Old Fashioneds are just a few you can make in a batch and serve.

I'm inspired to try and make it to midnight this year! Wish me luck!

Spicy Chicken and Cucumber Salad

A friend brought us the most wonderful cucumbers out of her garden and in return only asked that I let her know of ways to put her bounty to use.  Besides the usual suspects - cucumber soup, cucumber salad, and raita, here is one my favorite salads that highlights the refreshing nature of cucumbers.  This is from my days at Le Cordon Bleu and I sadly forget to make it often enough.

Spicy Chicken and Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard (e.g., Coleman's)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium zucchini (~8 ounces)
• 1 medium cucumber
• 1 red pepper
• 8 ounces snow peas, blanched

Preparation

Slice chicken thinly.  Mix all the spices together and mix with the chicken.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and then into 1/4" slices crosswise. Heat the oil in a sauté pan and lightly sauté the zucchini until slightly softened, about 2-3 minutes.  Remove to a large bowl to cool.  Add a little more oil to the pan if necessary and sauté chicken over medium heat in small batches, 5-7 minutes per batch or until cooked.  Cool.

Cut the cucumber into sticks and toss with the zucchini.  Julienne the red pepper and add it and the snow peas to the cucumber and zucchini.  Add the cooked and cooled chicken and toss lightly.  Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.  I prefer to make this 1-2 hours ahead so that the spice on the chicken has time to flavor the vegetables.

Note:  This can be made with turkey breasts instead of chicken breasts for a nice variety. Also, you can cut back the sugar to a 1/2 teaspoon, but you need a little to bring out the rest of the flavors.  The original recipe had 2 teaspoons, but I think that is a little too much.

Horseradish and Mustard Roasted Potatoes

We are big fans of roasted root vegetables, as you've probably already ascertained. At the top of the list are usually potatoes. We have a distinct fondness for roasted potato recipes - this one is second only to rosemary roasted potatoes.  It originally came from Bon Appetit and you can still find it on the epicurious website.  Now, if you're thinking that horseradish is way too potent and you wouldn't like this dish, you will be in for a big surprise. Roasting horseradish takes away that pungent, eye-watering flavor.  It becomes mild and all the heat goes out of it.  Fair warning, though, if you buy a horseradish root and are grating it - it will probably be eye watering!  It affects me in the same way onions do, but it is so worth it that I don't mind shedding a few tears.


Horseradish and Mustard Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 pounds red potatoes, cut into 3/4" cubes (you can leave the skin on)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup coarse-grain mustard (you want one where the mustard seeds are  almost whole)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2/3 cup grated fresh horseradish

If you can't get fresh horseradish, you could substitute the bottled stuff, but it won't be nearly as good.  If you are using the bottled stuff make sure you get the bottle that only contains horseradish, sometimes called "extra-strong".  Do not get the "creamed" verison whatever you do.  Fresh horseradish root has to be peeled before grating.  I grate it on a medium-sized cheese grater with a few gratings from the large-sized portion of the cheese grater for variety.

If you like sweet potatoes - substitute 1/2 or 1/3 of the red potatoes with sweet potatoes.  You will love it.

Preparation

Choose small potatoes or cut larger ones into 3/4" dice.  Toss potatoes with oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. If you prefer your potatoes crisp - make sure you have plenty of room in the roasting pan.  If they are all piled on top of each other they will not crisp well. I use a heavy-gauge baking sheet (known as a half-sheet pan in the industry - you can get these at any restaurant supply store). If you were only making half the recipe they will fit into a 13x9 baking dish.

Combine horseradish, mustard, and butter.  Take potatoes out after 1/2 hour and pour half the horseradish mixture over.  Stir and roast for 15 minutes.  Pour the rest of horseradish mixture over potatoes, stir and roast 15 minutes more (or more if you like crispier potatoes).  Serve immediately and try not to eat the entire dish.  It's supposed to serve 8, but in our house it probably only serves 4.

Roasted Goodness

Up until this time cauliflower was probably my least favorite vegetable - I'd see it on vegetable platters and found it mildly palatable when coated with enough peanut dip, but as a steamed vegetable?  No way.  Not being a fan of "cheese" sauce I hadn't found a good method to make this vegetable shine - watery and dull was my most frequent experience.  Answer found.  Almost any vegetable roasted in the oven is heaven. Cauliflower is even better than that and my current favorite roasty.  Throw in a little garlic and it will fill your mouth with savory yet sweet fragrance and a creamy goodness with the slightest bit of crunch.  Easy, easy recipe, too.

Ingredients

• 1 head cauliflower cut into flowerets
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt & pepper
• As many peeled garlic cloves as desired

Preparation

Heat oven to 425 degrees (use 375 degrees convection roast if you have that setting). Toss the flowerets with the olive oil in a 13x9 baking dish (glass or ceramic). I tend to put the olive oil in the baking dish to start and throw the flowerets in and the toss until coated.  Messier hands, but it makes sure the dish is adequately oiled to prevent sticking, although I doubt that is really a problem. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.

Bake in oven for 15 minutes.  Add in garlic cloves and toss together before returning to the oven for another 15-20 minutes.

Remove and eat.  Easy and mouth-watering.