Pomegranate-Lentil Soup (Ash-e Anar)

I've posted most of the recipes out of the Mediterranean cookbook that I find interesting, so there wasn't much to mark when I went through it.  I've probably passed up this Persian recipe because of the pomegranate juice.  I really don't buy it much.  However, for half a batch of this you only need half a cup, and pomegranates are cheap right now.  I decided to go through the drama of cutting one up and running it through a food mill for the juice.

Despite the addition of pomegranate, this soup does not come off as sweet until you bite into the garnish.  The juice adds depth to the broth.  It isn't an overwhelming flavor.  It would take the addition of sugar to intensify the pomegranate influence.

This is the version from Rose Dosti's book, which is different than a lot of the recipes I found online. I'm using red lentils instead of yellow split peas.  It's vegetarian, and doesn't use lemon juice.  Whether you use this version or one of the meatier ones, it's still a main-course soup.  You could always throw some shredded turkey in it, and it would still be lighter than most Thanksgiving leftovers.

2/3 C red lentils
1 Tb butter
1/2 C diced onion
*1 quart water or vegetable stock
1/2 C long grain rice (dry)
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
1/4 C chopped green onions
1/2 C pomegranate juice
*1 Tb chopped fresh mint
*raisins or pomegranate arils for garnish

1.  Rinse lentils until soapy water effect stops.  Set aside to drain.

2.  Melt butter in a soup pot on medium and add onion.  Sauté until tender.  Add broth, lentils, rice, turmeric, salt, and pepper.  Cover and simmer over low heat until lentils and rice are cooked, about 20 minutes.

3.  Add parsley, green onions, pomegranate juice, and mint and simmer another 10 minutes, until thick and fragrant.

4.  Serve hot, garnished with pomegranate arils (or raisins if out of season).

Difficulty rating  π

In the Mood for Salad

On what I hope is the last hot day of the year, with half an inch of rain in the forecast, I decided to rip out the tomato plants and prep for winter planting.  I was still getting a few small Romas, and getting to some of them before the squirrel did.

The front yard patch was easy.  I plucked a few half-green tomatoes to finish up in the ripening bag, pulled up the plant and cage, and raked water and food into the soil.

I made a pretty good mess tearing out the tomato vines in the Pond.  The plants were mostly healthy, with just a few signs of mold from cooler nights.  I kept the green tomatoes to make pickles and put the vines in the greens bin.

At this point, the Pond had more grass in it than my lawn did.  I did a thorough weeding, feeding, and watering to make it ready for planting in a few days.  You don't plant the same day the vegetable food goes in.  It has to dissolve into the soil.  I also wanted the upcoming rain to finish deep-watering the mud puddle I had made.

Meanwhile, the artichoke plant that I thought had died came back to life with a month of persistent watering.  I also still have a flourishing pot of basil that needs some ripened seed pods removed.  Two pots of catnip are still healthy and have not been eradicated by Molly.  I went to weed the one in the back yard and found some cilantro sprouts that must have self-seeded from last year.  In the middle of November!

A few days after the rain, the soil was still moist but not muddy.  The day was around 72º and the next rain won't start until tomorrow.  Perfect planting weather.  I put lettuces and celery in the front yard and the root veggies in the pond.

Right now, they are merely planting sticks.  The radishes and beets should come up first, followed next week by the Romaine and arugula.  I need to get more carrot seeds, though.  All of them would have to succeed for a decent number of carrots in their line.  I'll know in a week.

Baja California Chicken

Until the most recent four or five administrations, U.S. First Ladies put forth the image of housewife. They were not professionals, but mothers and homemakers.  Their recipes were widely distributed, even though most were from affluent families who had cooks and housekeepers and the most complicated thing they ever made was toast.  Except Mamie Eisenhower may have actually made the Pumpkin Chiffon Pie that I do.  Or at least one of her near relatives.

This recipe is credited to Nancy Reagan.  While simple enough that she may have cooked it herself, it was probably developed by a chef when Ronald Reagan was governor.

I'm not thrilled with the name.  This does not use the flavors of Baja California.  A better name would be Napa Chicken, if someone insisted on giving it a California-based title.  If I had found this on a regular blog or recipe site, I would have changed the name.  Being credited to a specific person, I'm posting it as written.

Based on the age of the recipe, I'm assuming the chicken breasts had skin on them.  The end result would have been more appetizing.  All I could find in boneless was also skinless.  I feel less bad about using so much oil.  I'm not sure what is meant in the original by "seasoning salt".  Maybe it was a common combination sold in markets at the time.  I'm just using regular salt.

4 boned chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 Tb olive oil
2 Tb tarragon vinegar
*1/3 C dry sherry

1.  Preheat oven to 350º.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Yes, I'm aware there are 5 chicken breasts in the pan.

2.  Crush garlic into oil and vinegar in an oven-proof skillet, or a regular skillet and have a baking dish ready on the side.  Sauté chicken pieces until golden brown, turning frequently.

3.  If using a separate dish, transfer chicken once seared.  Pour sherry over the pieces and place in the oven for 10 minutes, or until a food thermometer registers 160º.

Difficulty rating  π

Olive and Feta Breadsticks

I had half a package of feta left over from the spaghetti squash, and that stuff doesn't keep more than a week once opened.  Bread products, however, can be frozen.  Plus, I haven't made a yeast bread on the blog in a while.

Intense with Mediterranean flavors, these breadsticks go well with pasta, chicken, lamb, or fish.  They're great as a side with salad instead of putting croutons on it.

To use a packet of yeast instead of by measure, double the recipe.

2/3 C milk
*1-1/2 tsp dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 Tb olive oil
2+ cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
*4 oz feta, crumbled
1/2 C chopped kalamata olives
*1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1.  Heat milk to 100º.  Stir in sugar, yeast, and oil.  Let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.

2.  Place 2/3 C flour in mixer with paddle.  Beat in milk mixture on medium to make a smooth batter. Add another 2/3 C and the salt and beat into a soft dough.

3.  Turn out dough onto a generously floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Shape into a ball, turn over in a lightly oiled bowl, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

4.  Punch down dough and let rest for 10 minutes.  Combine chopped olives, crumbled feta, and rosemary.  Knead into rested dough until evenly distributed.

5.  Divide dough into 8 portions (roughly 2 oz each).  Roll each piece into a small baguette and place on a greased baking sheet, parchment, or Silpat.  Allow to rise another 30 minutes.

6.  Bake at 375º for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden but still soft.  If desired, brush with butter before baking.  I didn't, and they did not need butter, but some people really like a buttery roll.  Remove to a cooling rack.  Serve at room temperature or warm.

Makes 8

Difficulty rating  :)

Maple Ice Cream

A co-worker wanted some Unicorn Poop meringues for a children's party.  They're easy to crank out, but you end up with yolks.

This is why I bookmarked a site of ways to use up egg yolks.  The link to this recipe is under "6 yolks", but I just cut it in half.  I've done much more complicated egg math than this for cakes.

This is a perfect flavor to make this time of year.  Think of all the apple, pumpkin, and pecan pies that this flavor could top.  If you're dairy free or vegan, just stir the maple and salt into coconut milk and run it through the ice cream maker.  You could add chopped pecans or walnuts while it's in the ice cream maker.  Have it on pancakes instead of syrup!  Seriously, anything to have this as part of a holiday dessert offering.

I'm modifying the original recipe to be closer to my basic ice cream proportions, and so I don't have a random amount of whipping cream and half-and-half left over.

2 C whipping cream (not heavy)
1 C milk
*3 egg yolks
6 Tb maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt

1.  Beat together yolks, salt, and syrup in a 2-cup measure or small bowl.  In a 1 quart saucepan, heat milk and cream to a low boil, stirring frequently to avoid scorching.

2.  Pour or ladle a small amount of hot milk mixture into the eggs and whisk to mix.  Add another ladle and whisk again.  This is to temper the eggs so they won't curdle.  Pour diluted egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low until custard thickens, stirring constantly.  If it boils, you'll end up with scrambled egg grains.  Remove from heat, place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface to avoid a skin, and cool in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours.

3.  Pour into running ice cream maker and churn until soft-serve consistency.  If desired, add chopped nuts at this stage.  Spoon into a freezable container and chill another 2 hours in the freezer before serving.

Makes about 1 quart, depending on overrun

Difficulty rating  :)

Golden Fish Chowder

This was the second thing I bookmarked in the international cookbook.  The original recipe includes New Brunswick in the title and calls it Canadian.  I'm sure something similar is made in the northern Atlantic U.S., so I'm not giving it a Non-American label.

It isn't soup or stew weather yet in L.A., but I'm feeling the need for holiday and comfort foods.  I usually don't get into the Christmas spirit until the week before, so this is pretty impressive.  If I didn't have a freezer full of baked goods already, I'd be starting on pies and cookies.

Cod costs more than I was expecting in my area.  There's a reason you should buy local.  Anything shipped in from across the country has been previously frozen and costlier.  If you're in New Brunswick, you can go down to the docks and the farmer's market and pick up everything for much less.

1 lb haddock or cod fillets
*2-1/2 C milk, more for thinning
1 C water or chicken stock, more for thinning
*1 bay leaf
1 rib celery, cut in 1" pieces
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 C butter or margarine
*1/2 C onion, diced
3 Tb flour
2 C diced potatoes
2 C (8oz) shredded cheddar cheese
salt and white pepper to taste
1/4 tsp liquid smoke (optional)

1.  In a large soup pot, melt butter.  Sautée onion until tender.  Add flour and stir into a roux.  Add 1 C water or stock, 1 C milk, and stir to thicken slightly.  Stir in diced potato and pepper.  Add more stock  if necessary to cover potatoes.  Bring to a low boil over medium heat, and liquid will continue to thicken.  Lower head to a simmer, cover, and cook while you make the fish separately.

2.  In a large skillet, lay fish fillets.  Add bay leaf, thyme, and celery.  Pour 1-1/2 C milk over and bring to a simmer.  Poach fish until done, turning once, about 8 minutes per side.  If necessary, remove skin and bones.  Chop into bite-sized pieces.

3.  Pluck out bay leaf and add contents of skillet to the pot once the potatoes are done.  Turn off heat and stir in cheese and liquid smoke.  Taste and add salt if needed.  If too thick, thin with milk to desired consistency.  Serve hot.

Serves 4-6
Difficulty rating  :)

Chicken Curry

After a few weeks of Pantry Project, I'm ready to get back to cookbook recipes using ingredients I don't necessarily have on hand.  Actually, I had to buy everything for this one.  I do have a chicken carcass in the freezer to make stock, but didn't have half a day to do it.

I've only had curry once, and didn't really like it.  For this, I convinced myself that I do like Indian and South Asian food when I make it myself and bought the smallest container of curry powder, which was also the only one listing red pepper as the last ingredient.  Turns out I had online coupons for it that I'd forgotten I'd clipped, so it was not much of a dent in the budget.

And how did I like my curry?  It's pretty good.  I went far easier on the spice than most would, so the coconut flavor came through very well.  A normal amount of curry powder for something like this would be about a tablespoon.  I didn't measure, but I'm guessing I used around half a teaspoon.  Maybe a full teaspoon at the very most.  It barely made a dent in the container.

One chicken, cut up, or 8 pieces
1 Tb oil
curry powder to taste
1 can coconut milk
1 can low-sodium chicken stock
1" fresh ginger, grated

1.  In a large, deep skillet with a lid, heat oil over medium heat.  Add curry powder and allow to activate in the oil, 2 minutes.  Add chicken pieces and cook until browned, about 5 minutes per side.

Not your imagination.  I only made 5 pieces.

2.  Add coconut milk, stock, and ginger.  Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cover.  Cook 15 minutes, turn pieces, and cook until 165º in the thickest piece.  Serve over rice, noodles, or vegetables, with generous amounts of sauce.

Difficulty rating  π

Spaghetti Squash with Spinach and Chickpeas

After a week of combing squash piles whenever I was at the market, I got my spaghetti squash.  Then I had to decide what to make with it.  Having already blown my best idea on the acorn squash, I got out the rest of the chickpeas and made this.

The spinach part of this dish is basically Spanakopita filling, so I topped it with feta.  You can make this vegan by omitting the cheese and using plant-based margarine instead of butter.  I opted against a sauce because spaghetti squash isn't pasta, and doesn't really take well to a heavy sauce.  A drizzle of herbed butter or oil is all it needs.

I'm using frozen spinach intentionally.  It has a different moisture content than a similar weight of fresh spinach.  Plus, it's tons easier to prepare.  I wasn't in the mood to wash, sort, and chop a bundle of fresh spinach, just to have to cook it longer to reduce the moisture.

*1 C dry chickpeas (or one can, drained)
1 spaghetti squash (2-3 lbs)
*1/2 C diced onion
*2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
1 Tb butter or margarine
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 lb frozen leaf spinach, thawed
4 oz feta
1/4 C toasted pine nuts for garnish

1.  The day before, start the chickpeas.  Soak in water to cover by 2" for 12-16 hours.  Chickpeas take a long time to hydrate.  Drain, refill pot with water to cover by 1", and bring to a simmer.  Salt the water to taste.  Cover and simmer beans for 2 hours.  Or, you can drain and rinse a can of them if you didn't plan ahead.  It's a texture thing with me.  I wanted the beans firmer.

2.  Prepare the squash.  Preheat oven to 400º.  Wash squash and puncture in several places so it doesn't explode.  Set on a lined baking sheet (in case of moisture leaks) and roast 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours, turning halfway through.  Squash is done when a fork easily pierces the skin, but it isn't so soft that it's collapsing.  Set aside to cool a bit while you prepare the filling.

3.  Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add thawed spinach, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste.  Cook until warmed through, then fold in drained chickpeas.  Drizzle with a tablespoon of oil.  Keep warm while you finish the squash.

4.  There are two ways to cut a spaghetti squash.  The grain of the fibers is around the equator.  If you cut it longways, it's easier to scrape out the seeds without also getting the meat, but the strands will be shorter.  I cut it along the equator to get the longer strands and used an ice cream scoop to pull out the seeds and their strings.  (You can wait for the steam to stop.  Bakers have few nerve endings in their fingers.)  Use some kind of a scoop or spoon for this part, as a fork will start to pull the flesh.  If you've fully cooked the squash, the fibers just pull right off with a fork until you're left with only skin and a bowl full of noodle-ey flesh.  Discard skin, seeds (unless you want to toast them) and the little fibers.  Drizzle noodles with a touch of oil.  Unlike pasta, they won't stick together later.  The oil here is like salad dressing.

5.  Fill serving bowl with the squash noodles and top with spinach mix, crumbled feta, and pine nuts. Serve hot.

Difficulty rating  :)

Astro Burger

Restaurant reviews on this site are very rare.  Usually, they're because I've been on vacation and ran out of pre-scheduled posts.  This time, I had an out of town guest and we ate out a lot.  Healthy, but out.  The only dinner I cooked last weekend was some new brand of frozen fish fillets, with steamed broccoli and brown rice as sides.

One day, we went to Hollywood and took the Paramount Studio tour.  I'd never been, plus I wasn't up to a full day at Universal.  It's only two hours, giving us plenty of time to go to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery around the block after.

Before the tour, we had a little time for lunch and went to Astro Burger at Melrose and Gower.  After two days of surprisingly healthy meals out, I wanted something...not healthy.  Once we got in there, I had to remind myself I wanted a patty melt.  The vegetarian and Greek parts of the menu looked at least as good as the breakfast and burger sections.  Their website could use some work, unfortunately.  You'll have to take my word for it that the extensive menu exists.

The best part of this was short-order food at a reasonable price.  Two hot sandwiches, some very fresh zucchini fries (yes, I ate zucchini), and drinks were about $20.

If I'm ever in that neighborhood at mealtime again, I will definitely go back.

Asparagus and Quinoa Soup

I made this back when I was using up stuff on hand after the tea party.  The vegetable stock emptied the whole broth bag, so I could start fresh.  It's good to do that every six months or so; otherwise, the veggies at the bottom get freezer burn.

This was also before the squirrel started stealing all my tomatoes and citrus out of the back yard.  Half of this year's oranges are gone and they aren't fully ripe.  It must be a new squirrel.  The old one just barked at everyone, but stayed up on the wires.  He hasn't realized my few tiny butternut squash are edible yet.  I should just pick them this weekend and hope for the best.

This gets points for being both vegan and GF, if that's a thing with you.  I had buttered bread on the side, since that's not a thing with me.  This is easy, even if it does use more dishes than I wish it did, and is ready in about half an hour if you don't make your own broth.

*1 qt vegetable stock
*1/2 onion, diced
*2 ribs celery, diced
1 Tb olive oil
1 lb asparagus
*2 Roma tomatoes, diced
*2/3 C any color quinoa
salt and pepper to taste

1.  If necessary, soak or rinse quinoa.  Start cooking to package directions.  This generally takes about 15 minutes.

2.  In a soup pot, sautée onion and celery in oil until softened but not brown, about 5 minutes.  Add stock and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, then let simmer on low heat 15 minutes.

3.  While the broth is simmering, prep asparagus.  Trim off tough bottoms and cut remainder into inch-long pieces.

4.  Here's where there's some leeway.  You can add the asparagus and quinoa at the same time and let cook about 5 minutes for crunchy asparagus.  I happen to like mine as mushy as canned and let it cook another 15.  If you do that, wait until the last couple of minutes before adding the cooked quinoa.

5.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.  Serve hot.  The first day, you have to keep stirring to bring up the quinoa.  For leftovers, it's much easier to get an even distribution.

Difficulty rating  π