Carrot salad with ginger & mint

A fun, small side dish. The combination is pretty strong, and I imagine not everyone might like it, but we did!

Carrot Salad with Ginger & Mint
serves 2

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp sambal oelek

1 tsp grated ginger

Ten (or so) mint leaves, finely shredded

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp shelled, unsalted pistachios

Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, sambal oelek and ginger. Toss with the carrots. Fold in mint leaves, salt and pistachios. 

Pesto, White Bean and Broccoli Dip

I was sent a copy of The Truly Healthy Family Cookbook by Tina Ruggiero and after a brief page-through I knew it was a keeper.  You can usually tell when a healthy dish will end up stale and flavorless just by reading the recipe, and all of these sound delicious (yes, I read recipes for fun, what's it to you?).  Some of the meals on my to-do list: Risotto with Mushrooms, Butternut Squash and Kale, Mini Salmon Sliders and Turkey Meatloaf with Chipotle Glaze.  Yes, please, all of that.  

Right off the bat I made this Pesto, White Bean and Broccoli Dip because I'm trying to feed my daughter more iron.  Beans and Broccoli are great sources of iron!  Iron, iron, i-ron... that's a weird word.  Anyway.  This was simple to make, yielded a HUGE batch, and was great on pasta or crackers.  

Thanks for the book, Tina!  Recipe here.
  

Sweet Roy Fares

I've mentioned the Swedish pastry chef Roy Fares a few times before - like when he won pastry chef of the year back in 2010, and when his first cookbook, Sweet, came out. At the moment, he's one of the judges on the Swedish version of Top Chef: Just Desserts ("Dessertmästarna"), and he's also just released a second cookbook called United States of Cakes. Despite the name, it's in Swedish - for now, I'm sure someone will eventually translate it into English. As the name implies, it's a book about American sweets, many cakes but also plenty of cupcakes, pies, crumbles and donuts. Just as his last book, this one makes me drool as I read through it. I want to make E V E R Y T H I N G. Where to begin? The peanut butter filled donuts? Or the apple crumble cheesecake? Seriously. Amazing. And the book has beautiful photos, by one of my very favorite food photographers, Wolfgang Kleinschmidt. (It also has, just like the last book, plenty of photos of Roy himself.)



And since I'm such a fan, when I saw Roy at this year's chocolate festival, I frankly couldn't help myself -  I had to ask a friend to take a picture of us. *blushing*

So, ok, just get this book. Ok?

Pearl Couscous with Roasted Veggies and Pumpkin Seeds

I hereby proclaim it Veggie Week here on Siriously Delicious!!!  (And you will find me use that term loosely, ahem, more on that later...)  After eating every carb and protein in sight in New York City for 2 full weeks, I've been feeling the need to lighten things up.  A bit.  Last night, Carson and I ate like plant-eating dinosaurs and it was a nice change.  This couscous dish accompanied with a simple salad of tomato, avocado and feta was the perfect dinner.  I've always had trouble finding pearl couscous but finally discovered they keep it in the ethnic food aisle.  Go look!  It's so delicious, and kids love it because it more closely resembles pasta.  By "kids" I mean Carson and I, by the way.  You can also find balsamic glaze at most grocery stores, and it is delicious on roasted fall vegetables.  

Please enjoy, like fancy restaurant people say.

Pearl Couscous with Roasted Veggies and Pumpkin Seeds

(Serves 4)

Printable Recipe

2 1/4 cup chicken broth (or water)

2 cups dry pearl couscous

2 cups chopped butternut squash

2 cups chopped brussel sprouts

2 cups chopped mushrooms (I use portobello)

Olive oil

Balsamic glaze 

Salt and pepper

Pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 450.  In a large baking dish, toss chopped vegetables with a generous amount of olive oil and a few drizzles of balsamic glaze.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast in oven for 30-40 minutes, until vegetables are caramelized.

While vegetables are roasting, bring chicken broth to a boil in a medium pot.  Add couscous, cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until broth has absorbed.  Fluff couscous with a fork.

Add couscous to pan of roasted veggies and stir.  Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil, taste for seasoning and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

Chicken stew with olives & feta cheese

Here's another good weekday dinner recipe. Not super fancy in any way - as you well know by now, that's not my style. Not that pretty, either.However, filled with flavor and very tasty. We ate this with bulgur wheat, but rice, pasta and potatoes would all be good matches.

The original recipe comes from Lotta Lundgren's awesome book "Om jag var din hemmafru" ("If I was your housewife")

Chicken stew with olives & feta cheese
1 fresh chicken, cut into 6 or 8 pieces, skin mostly removed
olive oil
4 garlic cloves
400 ml tomato passata
250 ml white wine
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
400 g cherry tomatoes
150 g feta cheese
large handful of your favorite olives
salt, pepper, runny honey

Heat a little oil in a large pot. Brown the chicken a little bit. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two, until it becomes fragrant. Add the tomato passata and the wine, and cook, covered, on low heat for 45 minutes. The chicken should be well cooked through by then. Add the vinegar and the cherry tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and possibly a little bit of honey.

Just before serving, crumble in the feta and stir in the olives.

Serve with your choice of carbs - or none - and a dollop of greek yogurt.

Copy Cat Sparkling Daily Cleanse Probiotic Drink

MY NEW FAVORITE HEALTHY DRINK
quite similar to the "Kevita" Lemon-Cayenne Daily Cleanse...
which, by the way, is about 3.25 a bottle.

i was tired of spending all that $ AND i was collecting way too many bottles.  so...i decided to experiment with the probiotic lemonade recipe i found HERE at Flock in the City.  a few red pepper flakes and fresh ginger did the trick.

PERFECT...

tart crisp vitamin C lemon juice
with probiotic whey...
fresh ginger for a zing that will sooth an ailing stomach after a indulgent meal
AND the spicy red pepper will boost that metabolism.

i'll call this
SPICY LEMON GINGER "AID"



SPICY LEMON GINGER-"AID"
or...COPYCAT LEMON-CAYENNE DAILY CLEANSE 

(probiotic...fermented)

2 cups fresh lemon juice, strained of pulp (10-12 lemons?)

1 cup whey from strained yogurt

1 cup organic pure cane sugar

1 cup fresh grated ginger...washed, but no need to peel
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

enough filtered water to fill up 1 gallon jug


put 2 quarts filtered water and 1 cup grated fresh ginger in a pot and heat to a boil.  simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes.  turn off  the heat.  add your red pepper flakes while it is hot/warm.  let it all steep for a little while.  taste it.  you might want to strain it before it comes to room temp due to the "heat-spicy" factor....remember, this will have lemon juice and more water added so it can be on the "spicy"side.  then strain it to make "spicy ginger water".

squeeze lemons to equal 2 cups strained juice.

in a one gallon size glass jar (like the one shown) add strained spicy ginger water, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups strained lemon juice and 1 cup whey.  stir until sugar is dissolved.  now add enough filtered water to fill the gallon jar...leave about 1 1/2 to 2 inches, as shown in photo.  i like to cover the top with a double layer of saran and clasp down the lid WITHOUT THE RUBBER GASKET.  this leaves it "almost airtight" but allows air to escape if necessary so that it will not run the risk of exploding due to the carbonation from fermentation.
leave this out on the counter...not in direct sunlight.  it should take 3-4 days in the large jar.  i like to stir it once a day.  after the third day you will see some action...some bubbles.  this is good.  give it a little stir.  now strain this through some cheesecloth into some airtight bottles (lock-top) that are made for carbonated drinks.  i use a ladle  and a funnel because the one gallon jar is very heavy and awkward.  straining is not absolutely necessary, but it keeps the drink a little more clear of the "white cloud" that can settle at the bottom.  i like to use Grolsch Beer bottles or the 32oz lock top bottles.  leave the filled bottles out for another day or two.  check one after a day and see if you have THE FIZZ FACTOR.  open carefully.  be sure to move these to the fridge.  this will definitely slow any further fermentation and carbonation.  the weather can be a factor.  my bottles take a few more days on the counter when it's cooler.

NOTE...i have left some bottles on the counter for an extra 3-4 days to get some good fizz action.  sometimes i get more fizz if the bottle has been in the fridge for a week.  sometimes i get more fizzz from the larger bottles.  sometimes i get fizz in a reused glass "kevita" bottle.  it all has to do with the sugar content, the ripe lemons, the weather, the timing, the bottles etc....

FINAL NOTE...i am fairly new to this.  i am not an expert.  this recipe and method works very well for me.  if you have any questions i will answer them in my novice way, but please google around for more safety issues and or further information.  try the lovely bloggers at Flock in the City and Food Renegade.  also...if you have any input or tricks of the trade...i would love to hear it.

example of locking top covered with a double layer of saran...NO rubber gasket.  this makes it "almost air-tight", but allows pressure to release so there will be no explosions.

Royal Raspberry Ras el Hanout Truffles

TRUFFLES...

not always the perfect sphere,

but guaranteed smooth chocolaty decadence.

take the short cut and make truffle squares...

no need to slave over a messy chocolate bowl with latex gloves and rolling into perfect little balls.

i've made so many little truffle balls in the past year or two that i've lost count.  it's the rolling, the mess and the clean up i don't look forward to...so i decided to pour the mixture in a flat pan, cut them into squares, dip them in cocoa and call it a day.

ROYAL RASPBERRY

RAS el HANOUT

dark chocolate truffles

say that 3x's fast ...

RAS el HANOUT...a Moroccan spice blend usually containing coriander, cumin, cardamom, fennel, cinnamon, all spice, turmeric, paprika and black pepper.  it does vary a little bit from region to region, spice vendor to vendor.

i found my Ras el Hanout at Mother's Market.  if you can not find a Ras el Hanout blend, try the spice shop called "Savory" or you can make it yourself.  this recipe from Wiki-how(link) is similar to the one i have.

ROYAL RASPBERRY ?...an extract i have found very useful at Surfas.  it read on the bottle "for chocolate" so i snatched it up.  it's much better than your regular store bought raspberry flavoring.

FREEZE DRIED RASPBERRIES...crushed to a powder consistency in a spice blender for the exterior.  they look like THIS found at Trader Joe's.  for these truffles i chose to dip the top only.  i found that handling them fully coated is a bit of a "red" mess for the consumer.  then i dipped the sides and bottom with good cocoa powder....who doesn't mind a little cocoa powder fairy dust?...

i make small batches.  just enough for all my pals to get 1 or two.  this small recipe is just enough for about 24 nice bite size squares.

ROYAL RASPBERRY RAS EL HANOUT TRUFFLES

9.7 oz good 61% dark chocolate, chopped into tiny pieces

1/2 cup plus 3 TBSP coconut milk

2 tsp ras el hanout spice blend

1/2 tsp, plus a few drops of "royal raspberry extract"
freeze dries raspberries, crushed or whizzed into a powder
 and cocoa powder for dipping

(NOTE...coconut milk for dairy free, but can use heavy cream)

prepare a small square/rectangle dish or tupperware.  use something with a flat bottom.  mine is 8 x 5 inches.  lightly spray the inside, then line it with heavy saran or just use regular tinfoil.  make sure you have over-hang for easy removal.

chop chocolate in very small pieces...set aside in glass bowl. 

heat coconut milk with ras el hanout in a small sauce pan

NOTE...i put an extra tablespoon of milk in due to the straining.

heat the milk to just a boil.  strain directly into and over chocolate.  let sit for a moment.   i wrap a kitchen towel around the bowl to keep the chocolate mixture cozy when gently stirring the ganache.  start stirring from the middle.  the ganache will start to come together.
when the ganache looks nice and glossy and there are no visible lumps you can get the hand whisk out.  lately i have found that after everything is smooth and creamy a good hand whisking is in order to fully emulsify the fats...see notes below.  when you are satisfied with the consistency, pour into prepared dish.   tap on the counter a few times to even it out.  refrigerate until completely set.  should only take about 30-40 minutes.
remove by lifting out in one piece holding the saran.  cut into squares and coat in powdered raspberries and cocoa.  if you store them in the fridge they will darken as shown, but can handle room temp for a day or so, covered.
NOTE...quite often my coconut milk ganache seems to "break"...this means it is not absolutely glossy after it is combined and will result in a grainy truffle texture...you DO NOT want this.  i can now recognise it right away.  if this happens keep whisking to emulsify until glossy.  if you don't notice it until after it has set, don't worry...just cut block into small squares and reheat over a double boiler...then whisk until fully emulsified. and pour into another prepared dish.

Spunky Stork Giveaway Winner

So long for now New York, back to cooking next week.  And after MANY meals out, you can look forward to some lighter recipes.  How do people live in NY and not eat bagels, pizza, hot dogs and pasta ALL, THE, TIME?  I'm large.  Anyway, excited to get back in my kitchen : )

The winner of the Spunky Stork Giveaway is... Lauren Brewer!  Lauren, email me (contact info on top) with size and style preference (see web site).  Have a great weekend Internet Friends!   

Cinnamon Bun Day again!

October Fourth is the national cinnamon bun day in Sweden - Kanelbullens Dag.


I have several recipes. The ones above are cinnamon "knots", a sort of twisted bun.



Regular buns.



Buns free from eggs and dairy.



And finally, American style sticky cinnamon rolls. Not traditional in Sweden, but delicious.

One Hungry Yogi

You don't read words like "raw" or "vegan" or "gluten-free" on this blog very often because, well, I don't type those words very often.  It's not that I don't enjoy following a (somewhat) healthy lifestyle (moderation people) it's just that I really enjoy butter and bacon.  That said, I've had readers contact me, asking for vegan ideas or gluten-free ideas and while I do that from time to time, I want to point you in the direction of someone that does that ALL the time.  My future sister-in-law!  She just launched a blog called One Hungry Yogi that chronicles her experiences as a yoga instructor and lover of creating healthy food.  That ice cream above?  RAW.  Frozen banana, cocoa powder and coconut milk.  She even made a chocolate tart the other day out of avocado and sweet potato.  Genius!  Check out the site.

I am so excited for my brother to marry this woman : )  

Amasya Kebab House

A little word association test for you.  Think bread.  Now think Footscray.  I bet you a bag of Olympic's finest you are either thinking of Nhu Lan's crusty French-style bread, or a supple round of injera.  But the bread that gets most overlooked in the 'scray is Turkish bread.  I'm talking big fluffy rectangles with lovely undulating tops, sprinkled with sesame seeds, just begging to be torn apart and swiped through some lovely tzatziki.  One of the best spots to pick some up is Amasya in Nicholson Street.

Amasya is run by Esen who makes all the dips, salad and bread in house.  You can buy a whole freshly-baked, slab-sized loaf for $3.50.  Don't ever let me catch you buying that horrible packaged Turkish bread from Coles - this is well worth the detour.

The fare is Turkish, from a Turkish bread-wrapped kebab to plates loaded with shish kebabs or felafels, dips and salads.

Meal of the day (small), $13

This is the staggeringly excellent meal of the day.  Two hillocks of shaved chicken and lamb from the spit - the meat is really tasty, not too salty or fatty, with loads of delicious crisp bits.  It comes piled up against your choice of two dips (there's yoghurt-based cacik, spinach, eggplant and more) and some lovely fresh salad, plus a basket of fluffy bread - all for a fabulous 13 bucks.  (PS:  You can take leftovers home, and vegos can get a similar spread but with felafels and stuffed vine leaves for $10.)

The other winning tip here is the pides.  Theses are long submarine-like loaves enclosing a filling - maybe cheese and spinach or lovely creamy egg and sucuk, a salami-style sausage.  They are a bargain for $4 or $5 and you can eat them in, too, making them a great pitstop snack.

Cheese pide, $4

I ordered some of these for a function and when ordering said I was happy to have them cold as I'd heat them up later.  "What time are you coming again?" said the fellow there.  "About 10," I replied.  "Oh, they'll be hot then - they will only just have come out of the oven," he replied.  That's fresh!

Amasya Kebab House

134 Nicholson St, Footscray

Phone:  9687 7032

Spunky Stork Giveaway

As a mother, I'm really excited about this giveaway.  The Spunky Stork, an online baby and toddler clothing boutique dedicated to eco-friendly materials (from organic fabrics to recycled packagings) is offering this adorable "Future Foodie" onesie or toddler T (your choice) to one lucky winner.  Um, can I win??  But you don't have to be a mama to enjoy this giveaway, you just have to know a kid who might like it, or perhaps you just enjoy super tiny T-shirts yourself, ahem... Adam Levine??   

Please visit Spunky Stork, look around, and comment below to win.  You must be an official follower of this blog to qualify, and a winner will be chosen at random on Friday, October 4th.

Good Luck!

p.s. I don't know who that kid is but he, is, CUTE.

Temptation Candy Giveaway Winner

The winner of the Temptation Candy Giveaway is Jamie Leigh Martin!  Thank you all for your comments, it was fun to read what everyone is going as.  My favorite was Niles and Frasier Crane because, my first job in Hollywood was a...

...Production Assistant for the final season of that show!  Oh we were fed well that season.  And I had very blond highlights in my hair.  

As you can see, I'm still out of town and not cooking but I will be offering a new giveaway shortly.  Free things!  I love you people!  (Jamie please email me, contact info up top.) 

California, Here We Go.

We've been plotting and planning for close to eight months. We've been roommates with boxes and bubble wrap for about as many weeks. Address changes, car selling, new banks, lists and lists and lists, goodbye breakfasts, lunches and dinners, goodbye glasses (that turned into bottles) of wine – all of this, leading up to a moment. The moment we drive away from the City of Angels towards our new home, three thousand miles away in Richmond, Virginia. And that moment happened last Thursday.

It was so hurried and frenetic, nary a moment for goodbye tears or nostalgia. Which suited me just fine. Fred, Eduardo, Byron and I all loaded up in our little car, loaded with our life for the next few weeks - not without grandma Janie's cast-iron skillet and my bacon drippings. Ahead warp zillion! Ahead first to Phoenix, Arizona, where we were set to meet up with the legendary Chris Bianco, creator of what is purported to be the greatest pizza on Earth outside of Italy. And then what next? We were not certain. And that is the beauty. We are like Hansel and Gretel, eating those breadcrumbs all along the trail across this great country to find our way home.

After experiencing a wonderful dinner at Chris' newest iteration of Pizzeria Bianco (which you will be able to read and see all about on TasteSpotting soon!), we popped up bright and early to meet up with him at his cafe and 'test kitchen' of sorts, Pane Bianco. This is where his brother, Marco, bakes the loaves of bread and also where the mill lives. Yes, they grow their own wheat, have their own mill, and bake their own bread with their very own flour.

After a tour of the kitchen, dining room and mill, with tastes of biscotti here, and gelato there, Chris sat with us and talked about love and the beauty in everything, and what inspires him (of which food is but a slice). He talked about rectangles, triangles and circles (everything in Pane Bianco is on wheels). He then sent us on our way with hugs, a bottle of chilled rosé from his restaurant (the label is from a painting his father gave his mother ages ago, of a rose) and told us to pick out one of the loaves that had just come out of the oven – to pick the one 'that spoke to us.'

And on the road we went. To infinity: The Grand Canyon. Where we went to watch the sunset, crack open the bottle of rosé, and eat that beautiful fresh bread with some Italian cheeses we picked up in Flagstaff. And yes, the bread was remarkable – mouth-injuringly crusty on the outside, yet moist, airy and filled with beautiful air pockets on the inside – fundamentally satisfying in every way. I suppose Marco was right, it 'spoke to us.' All this while watching the sun disappear into the canyon. How remarkable was it? So much so that I have goose bumps even writing this.

The next morning we were up bright and early to get on the road again. We needed to make it to Albuquerque, at least. Which shouldn't have been too much of a challenge, but Fred wanted to amble. So we stopped at Meteor Crater, walked the dogs, looked around, took pictures. And then we were off again. Well, for about thirty minutes. When I noticed the car slowing considerably, I looked up and found that Fred had pulled off into a small town. And we were driving down the main drag: Route 66.

Fred turned to me and flatly explained (as though it was quite obvious), “I want to be standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona."

Oh, of course. Clearly.

We pulled over, leashed up the pups and went to find The Corner. It wasn't hard to find. After Fred posed for his obligatory picture, we began to wander and stumbled across none other than the 15th Annual Standin' on a Corner Festival. What are the chances?!

So we found a vendor selling Navajo Tacos on Fry Bread, wandered back to the car and had our lunch. As we sat in the sun, noshing this new kind of taco, I looked around and thought about Chris' words from earlier. I ruminated on unexpected beauty, I looked down at my pizza-shaped taco loaded with meat, cheese, tomatoes, green onion, lettuce and salsa with the fry bread confidently glistening with hot oil, I relished the love of Fred and our dogs on this singular adventure. I then looked up and saw a bird fly over (how amazing would it have been if it was an eagle?).

Take it easy? No problem.

And just think, only fort-eight hours prior we were watching the City of Angels disappear in our rear view mirror.

Navajo Fry Bread

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Makes 6 breads

Ingredients

3 cups All-purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon Salt

3 teaspoons Baking Powder (slightly Rounded Teaspoons)

3/4 cups Milk

 Water As Needed To Get Dough To Come Together

 Vegetable Shortening Or Lard For Frying

Directions

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir with a fork as you pour in the milk; keep stirring for a bit to get it to come together as much as possible. Add just enough water (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup) to get it to come together. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it sit for 35 to 45 minutes to rest.

When you're ready to make the fry bread, heat about 1 to 2 inches shortening/lard in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Grab a plum-sized piece of dough (or larger if you want larger fry bread) and press it into a circle with your fingers: place it on a clean surface and begin pressing in the center and work your way out, stretching it as you go.

When the circle is about 4 to 7 inches (however big you want it) carefully drape it into the skillet. Allow it to fry on one side until golden brown, about 1 minute, then carefully flip it to the other side using tongs. Fry it for another 30 to 45 seconds.

Remove the fry bread to a paper towel-lined plate and allow it to drain while you fry the other pieces.

Serve warm!

Printable recipe.

One year ago: Ham Hock & Lima Beans

Two years ago: Chocolate Sea-Salt Pie

Three years ago: Chicks with Knives at Test Kitchen, 2010

Four years ago: The Marked 5 Truck

Chocolate Mousse, Cherry Compote, Chocolate Crumble

A fairly elegant little thing, but really, very easy. The chocolate mousse is from Roy Fares' cookbook Sweet, and while certainly tasty, a pretty basic mousse. The cherry compote was largely improvised and I'm sorry, I didn't write down the exact measurements, but all I did was take 200 g frozen cherries, add a few spoons of sugar, a vanilla bean, and the juice of a lemon. I let that simmer until the cherries were nicely soft, then added a little corn starch to thicken. I let it cool completely.

The cookie crumbles are just these chocolate cookies, bashed in a pestle and mortar. Use any chocolate cookie!

Chocolate Mousse, Cherry Compote, Chocolate Crumble
serves 8

120 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
100 ml cream (full-fat)
4 egg yolks
25 g sugar
25 g water
200 ml cream (full-fat)

Place the chocolate in a bowl. Heat the first amount of cream, 100 ml, and pour over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute, then stir until smooth.

Place the egg yolks in a bowl. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. While using handheld electrical beaters, beat the egg yolks on full speed and slowly add the sugar solution. It should become thick and foamy.

Add the chocolate truffle to the egg foam, and stir well to combine.

Beat the remaining cream until light and fluffy. Fold into the other ingredients. Divide between eight little glasses or bowls and set in the fridge for at least two hours.

When ready to serve, add a spoonful of cherry compote to each glass, and top with some chocolate cookie crumble.