Tropical Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh is perfect hot weather food.  No cooking and lots of flavor.  You already know how to make the usual tabbouleh, cracked wheat soaked in water and tomato juice and garnished with tomatoes, cucumbers, lots of mint and parsley and a good dash of lemon juice and high quality olive oil.  Now try a tropical version with fruit juice, pineapple, mango, scallions, cilantro and mint. 

Tropical tabbouleh goes really well with any grilled food and I've been bringing it to the office for a light lunch on steaming hot days.  I soak the wheat in its liquid overnight in the refrigerator then add fruits and herbs.  Most recipes call for soaking for an hour and that is fine if using bulgar wheat in your recipe.  If using cracked wheat, plan on at least three hours or more to get the grains to swell to a nice, chewy consistency.

Tropical Tabbouleh
Yield: about 2 cups, recipe can be doubled

Ingredients
1/3 cup cracked wheat (bulgar wheat may be substituted)
2/3 cup liquid (combination of water and fruit juice such as apple or pineapple juice)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch salt
1 cup chopped fruit--any combination of fresh pineapple, mango, jicama, Asian pear*
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
1/4 cup fresh, chopped mint

Method

1. Mix wheat, water, juice and salt in a bowl or resealable container that can hold about one quart.
2. Cover and store in refrigerator until wheat has absorbed the liquid and had softened.  Plan on 1-3 hours.  
3. Stir in fruit, scallions, red pepper and herbs. Taste and add additional salt if needed.  

*Tip: try using a fresh fruit salsa as the fruit in this recipe.  Many markets sell healthy ones like mango salsa that already have some onion and bell pepper too.

Cold Corn Soup

Three leftover ears of corn, a lime and a can of light coconut milk are all you need for a cold soup on a day when it's too hot to cook. We spiced ours up two ways.  American style with chopped heirloom tomatoes from the farmers market and Asian fusion style with sliced hot red peppers, cilantro and mint. 

Buy that extra half dozen ears of corn at the market this week and you'll have what you need.  This recipe serves three or four as a first course.  We served them as shooters and had enough to serve eight generously. 

Cold Corn Soup
Yield: 3 cups, four 2/3 cup servings

Ingredients
3 ears of corn, cooked and cooled
1 14-ounce can light coconut milk
juice of one lime
1/2-2/3 cup water
salt
Garnishes: chopped tomato, sliced hot pepper (red or green), extra lime, mint leaves, chopped cilantro

Method

1. In a deep bowl or pot, use a serrated knife to cut kernels away for corn cob.
2. Add coconut milk and half of the lime juice.
3. Use an immersion blender to puree soup.  Or puree in a blender.
4. Add water, 1/4 cup at a time to create a pourable consistency.   
5. Taste and season with salt.
6. Chill at least three hours for most refreshing flavor. 

You will need a blender or an immersion blender for this recipe.  If you do not own either, I would recommend an immersion blender with a small bowl attachment as the most versatile investment.  You can puree hot or cold soups, mix pesto, create smoothie concoctions and even smooth out a lumpy gravy.

Pantry Pickle Relish for Hot Dog Season

File this under the semi-homemade if you'd like.  The internet is clogged with recipes for truly homemade pickle relish that first requires you to make your own pickles.  We wanted one that could be put together in minutes using already canned and preserved pure ingredients.

Instead of starting with cucumbers, we start with your favorite jar of pickles.  We like dill pickle chips; you might like bread & butter pickles instead.  Roasted red bell peppers are the other main ingredient, either jarred or your own.  Heat seekers reading this are already making the leap.... your favorite hot pepper can be used in place of or in addition to red bell peppers.  Try jarred peppadews for a sweet/hot flavor or pickled jalepeños for a serious kick, for example. 

The ratio of pickles to peppers is about 2:1.  You can adjust this up or down to suit your tastes.  The great thing about using pure ingredients to create your own condiments is that you get to use your own taste buds to find your favorite flavor balance.  Design your own Pantry Pickle Relish and bring it to the next grilling party.

Pantry Pickle Relish
Base recipe yields about 1 1/2 cups relish

Ingredients
1 16-ounce jar dill pickle chips, drained
1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained
Optional: pinch cayenne pepper

Method

1. Place drained pickles in a food processor.  
2. Roughly chop roasted red peppers and place in food processor with pickles.  
3. Process/Pulse a few times until you reach the desired rough or fine chop for relish.  
4. Taste.  Add cayenne if desired.  
5. Serve immediately or pack in sealed container and use within 4-5 days. 

At our house, this pickle relish is de rigueur on grilled hot dogs with a smear of Dijon mustard.  You can also use pickle relish in egg salad, ham salad or mix it with a bit of mayonnaise to slather on a fried fish sandwich.  One of my sisters would put this in potato salad, I'll bet. 

Jalepeño Popper Chicken Casserole

There are several ways to prepare the jalepeños for this dish.  I like to grill them the night before but you can also dry-saute them in a cast iron skillet before making the rest of the dish.  If the peppers are very spicy, it may keep the fumes down to roast them as you prepare the cream cheese filling, as described in the recipe below.  In a pinch you can use canned green chilies and skip the cooking the peppers but the dish will not be as spicy. 

Jalepeño Popper Chicken Casserole
Yield 6-8 servings

Ingredients
8 jalepeños, halved and cored
4 ounces cream cheese
2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, divided
2 packages thinly sliced chicken breasts (about 10 pieces)
1 egg
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
Vegetable oil for pan

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F.
2. Line a small baking dish with 1-2 inch sides with tin foil.  Oil lightly (or use spray oil.)
3. Roast jalepeños in prepared pan until wilted and a bit charred, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove jalepeños and allow them to cool.  
4. In a food processor mix together the cream cheese,  shredded cheddar and one tablespoon mayonnaise to form a thick cheese paste.
5. Lay chicken breasts out on a platter and cover each with a layer of the cream cheese mixture.  Use the back of a large spoon to spread the cheese evenly.  
6. Lay one-two jalepeños on each chicken breast and roll up.  Place rolled chicken breasts in the roasting pan.
7. Mix together one egg and the other tablespoon of mayonnaise in the bowl of the food processor or small mixing bowl that the cram cheese was in.  Spoon this sauce over the chicken breasts and sprinkle panko bread crumbs evenly over the top of the rolled chicken breasts.
8. Bake at 425˚F uncovered for 30 minutes.  Lower the heat to 325˚F and cook another 10 minutes.  A thermometer stuck into the center breast meat portion should read 170˚F.  Remove the pan from the oven and let casserole sit for 10 minutes before serving.

 This dish may may be cooked ahead, cooled completely and frozen.  

Rhubarb BBQ Sauce and Bonus Rhubarb Applesauce

Rhubarb BBQ sauce is a savory use for rhubarb this season.  Its tartness lends itself really well to grilled pork and chicken.  Use Rhubarb BBQ sauce on burgers as a thick ketchup too.  Just in time for the nation's birthday.

If rhubarb is already out of season in your area, you can use frozen rhubarb for this recipe. 

Rhubarb recipes often use a lot of sugar.  To cut the amount of sugar back, I first made a Rhubarb Applesauce using 4 cups of chopped rhubarb and 2 peeled and diced apples.  Most rhubarb sauces use 1 cup of sugar for 4 cups rhubarb.  With two apples, use only 1/2 cup sugar.

Place the three ingredients into a heavy bottomed pot in which the fruit will cook down over medium-low heat.  Add a splash of water (about an ounce) to get the mixture going without scorching the fruit.  Cover the pot, check it and stir occasionally.  The sauce should be broken down within 20 minutes.  Use a masher to break down the last chunks of apple.

Now you have about 2 cups of Rhubarb Applesauce, a tart and refreshing twist on applesauce.  Set aside half to enjoy as a snack.  Eat as is or enhance with a few drops of vanilla or almond extract and a shake of cinnamon.

Use the remaining cup to make Rhubarb BBQ sauce.

Rhubarb BBQ Sauce
Yields about 2 cups

Ingredients
1 cup Rhubarb Applesauce (see above)
1 14-ounce can low sodium tomatoes, un-drained
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Method

1. Combine Rhubarb Applesauce with tomatoes, vinegar and molasses in a heavy bottomed pot.  Cook on medium-low heat while you mix the spice blend.
2. In  a small bowl, mix together the next ten ingredients, ground mustard through red pepper flakes.  
3. Add spice-salt blend to rhubarb mixture.  Lower heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Use an immersion blender to puree the sauce. Use warm or cold.  Store in a covered cotnaciner it the refrigerator.  use within three days.

Another great use for Rhubarb BBQ Sauce is to make quick barbequed beans.  Stir some sauce into some canned (drained) white beans and cook to heat through.  Instant barbeques beans, vegetarian friendly.  You can also make these in a small quantity slow cooker-- on low for 2 hours- to really soak in the flavor. 

Mushroom Goat Cheese Quesadillas

Have you noticed?  The Pure Foods Project is focusing on mushrooms for the past few weeks.  This time of year is wonderful for mushroom hunting.  Find someone knowledgeable to help you forage or take advantage of the abundance that finds its way to farmers markets.

This week, mushrooms sauteed with lemon and parsley create a vegetarian base for several easy meal ideas.  Top a pizza, flavor a quiche, serve as an appetizer rolled into some puff pastry or create a French-fusion dish, Mushroom Goat Cheese Quesadillas.

These can be made ahead and frozen.  To reheat, defrost for a half a minute in the microwave (or defrost in the refrigerator before you head off to work).  Then reheat in a toaster oven or skillet.  Mushroom Goat Cheese Quesadillas are also nice to have around for a last minute appetizer.  Defrost, reheat and cut into wedges to serve guests.

The secret ingredient is mashed white beans.  A lot like Mexican refried beans, mashed white beans provide substance and sustenance here.

Mushroom Goat Cheese Quesadillas
Yield: 8 quesadillas

Ingredients
10 ounces mushrooms
1 tablespoon oil
salt, pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
juice of 1/4 lemon
1 12-ounce can white beans (low sodium), drained
2 ounces soft goat cheese
8 flour tortillas (plain or whole wheat)
1/2 cup shredded Gouda (smoked or plain)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F.
2. In a wide skillet, saute mushrooms in oil over medium high heat.  Salt and pepper mushroom as they cook down.
3. Once mushrooms are tender, add parsley and lemon juice.
4. While mushrooms cook, place beans and goat cheese in a a food processor and process until beans are broken down but not completely pureed.  You will have a thick mixture.  
5. Place bean mixture in a bowl.  Fold in cooked mushrooms.  
6. Lay tortillas on a lightly oiled baking sheet.  Scatter about a tablespoon of shreded Gouda cheese on each.  
7. Equally divide the bean-mushroom mixture among the eight tortillas, spooning it over one half of each tortilla.  
8. Fold tortillas over to form half circles.  Rub the top of each with a little vegetable oil and bake 12-15 minutes, turning once, until tortillas are lightly browned.

Enjoy immediately or cool and freeze for future use.  

Easy Mushroom Steak Sauce

This is a simple sauce for grilled or roasted beef that combines the best of mushroom sauces and classic steak sauces.  Dribble any extra over potatoes or rice.  It can be made well ahead of the grilling task, even a day ahead if you'd like to put your feet up while others do the grilling.

Easy Mushroom Steak Sauce
Yield: about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients
10 ounces Bella mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
squeeze of lemon juice or splash of sherry vinegar
8-10 ounces beef or chicken broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 ounces cold water

Method

1. Clean and slice mushrooms. 
2. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add olive oil and mushrooms.  Add salt and pepper and saute until mushrooms a almost cooked through.
3. Add lemon juice or sherry vinegar and allow to cook down.  
4. Add broth, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard.  Lower heat to simmer and cook mixture 2-3 minutes.
5. In a small cup, stir corn starch into cold water.  Pour into sauce while stirring.  Keep stirring while cornstarch slurry is absorbed and sauce thickens,  Add more water or broth if too thick for your tastes.  Sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  
6. Remove from heat.  Serve immediately or cover and store in refrigerator.  Use within two days.

Summer Crock Pot Poached Chicken and Mushrooms

Chicken cooked low and slow in a crock pot (aka slow cooker) comes out tender and keeps the kitchen cool.  The slow cooker is a great option on nights when it is too hot to turn on the oven. 

The 'secret' to the rich yet light suace is dried mushrooms. They reconstitute alongside the cooking chicken. 

If you do not have time to make this meal for tonight's dinner, make it alongside a quick to prepare one and enjoy a pre-cooked meal tomorrow night or take poached chicken to work the following day.

For this recipe, select skinless chicken breasts with the bone-in.  Once the chicken is cooked, remove and cool for a few minutes before pulling away the bone. Slice and return to the vegetables and broth to serve over rice.  If you are using boneless chicken breasts expect the dish to be ready about 20 minutes sooner.

Summer Crock Pot Poached Chicken and Mushrooms
Serves 4

Ingredients

6 carrots
4 ribs celery
1 medium zucchini
1/2 ounce dried Porcini mushrooms2 large* skinless chicken breasts, bone in preferred
1/4 teaspoon each dried thyme and basil
Salt and pepper
1 cup chicken broth
 optional: 1 cup green beans

*if using smaller breasts on boneless ones, cut back the cooking time but about 20 minutes.  

Method

1. Peel carrots and cut in half crosswise.  If very large, split down the middle to create large pieces that are of uniform size.  Place in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Cut celery and zucchini into large chunks. Add to the carrots in the pot.
3. Scatter dried mushrooms over vegetables.
4. Place chicken breasts on top of vegetables.  Cover with salt and pepper.
5. Pour chicken broth over chicken and vegetables. 
6. Turn slow cooker on high for 2 1/2 -3 hours.  Check chicken at the 2 hour mark.  If it has reached 165˚F degrees, remove and leave vegetables to finish cooking.  Vegetables are ready when you can cut a carrot with a fork.

Serve over brown rice or egg noodles.  

Salad Caprese To Go

Individual Salad Caprese is the perfect side to bring to gatherings if you just know you are going to forget the serving utensil.  The stiff romaine lettuce leaf underneath allows diners to pick up a single serving with their hands and move on down the buffet.

Salad Caprese requires only a few ingredients and begs to be served when tomatoes and basil come into season. 

Individual Salad Caprese
Yield- 10 servings

Ingredients
10 Romaine lettuce leaves
3 ripe tomatoes, medium size
1 ball mozzarella cheese (fresh recommended)
handful of fresh basil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil or vinaigrette dressing
salt and pepper
optional: roasted red pepper (try a variation with red pepper and no tomatoes when tomatoes are not yet ripe), baguette slices

Method:

1. Lay lettuce leaves on a serving tray
2. Lay alternating slices of tomatoes and mozzarella on each leaf. Tuck a few basil leaves in between the layers.
3. Cover and refrigerate until read to serve
4. Just before serving, drizzle with olive oil or dressing and finish with a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground black pepper
5. Serve as is or with sliced baguette or country loaf

Use medium sized romaine leaves that have a little backbone.  These salads can even be eaten without a fork.  Smaller leaf versions are a nice option for passed hors d'oeuvres.  Use the inner leaves of the lettuce to collect enough or break larger leaves in two. 

Fruit Kebabs

Fruit salad is a fun picnic food that can be made more transportable and user friendly by making it into kebabs.  No serving spoons needed and no problem if no one has remembered to bring forks. 

Thirst quenching and not bad with a brownie or cookie, fruit kebabs survive transport without oxidizing and look as appetizing as they taste by using a few simple techniques. 

• When shopping for fruit, be sure to pick up a lemon or two.  Squeeze lemon juice over your cut fruit and rub the plate with the squeezed lemon to protect your fruit.  
• Cut fruit into large bite-sized chunks so they do not break off the wooden skewers.
• Thread pineapple chunks on first.  They coat the entire skewer with an acidic base that will prevent fruit from browning at the skewer core.  Fresh pineapple will hold its shape better than canned.
• Select ripe yet firm fruits with a wide color variety.  Here bright green kiwis add a new color group to the platter.
•  Use lemon zest and mint to garnish the kebabs.  

For these kebabs we used:
2 cups cubed pineapple
2 medium-large nectarines
4 apricots
2 kiwis
2 cups strawberries
16 wooden skewers

If it is difficult to find several fruits in season, pick two fruits and alternate.  Red strawberries and yellow pineapple cubes, green kiwis and pale orange peaches, purple grapes and creamy white pears (really nice with some soft cheese alongside).  Don't for get the lemon!

Tres Leches Cake for Sarah

Our next portable dessert for picnics and potluck dinners is a Tres Leches Cake, the famous "three milk" cake of Mexico.  This cake is easy to make and only requires a few ingredients.  If you are really short on time, you can serve the cake without the leches with sliced fruit.  It tastes like a giant, cloud of a lady finger.  But try to take the time to let the sweet milks soak in to make this classic dessert.  We topped ours with fresh strawberries for a very international strawberry shortcake variation.

To travel with Tres Leches Cake, leave the cake in its pan swelled by the soaking liquid.  Smear on whipped cream and pack your rinsed strawberries on the side.  Cover the cake and hit the road. Add the finishing strawberry touches once you've arrived. 

Tres Leches Cake for Sarah
Serves 6-8
Two small cake pans (7-8 inch diameter) or one large 9X13

For the cake:
4 eggs
½ t vanilla
½ cup sugar
1 cup + 2 T cake flour (or 2 cups all purpose flour)

For the tres leches filling
½ can sweetened condensed milk (6-7 oz)
½ can evaporated milk (6-7 oz)
4 oz whole milk (or cajeta, a sweet milk cooked until caramelized)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups whipped cream (use about 1 tablespoon sugar for every cup of cream)
1 pint strawberries, sliced

Method

1. Separate egg whites from yolks.  Place the egg whites in a large bowl.  Place the egg yolks into a medium bowl.  
2. Beat egg yolks on medium high until they are pale yellow and thickened, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla and beat another minutes.   
3. Beat the egg whites on medium for 4-5 minutes, until they form soft peaks. Add sugar, one tablespoon at a time, while beating on medium-high until stiff peaks form.  
4. By hand, using a wide spatula, stir half of flour into the egg yolks.  
5. Add egg yolk mixture to egg whites in larger bowl.  Gently fold together, adding remaining flour by scattering flour over batter, a spoonful at a time.  To fold, using the side of your spatula, cut down the middle of the batter then turn the spatula to comb along the bottom of the bowl with the flat side. Lift and turn the batter over onto itself.  Repeat this gentle action to incorporate the lighter egg white mixture into the denser egg yolk mixture.  The result is a very light, foamy batter.  
6. Pour the batter into prepared baking pans and bake 13-15 minutes until the top is light brown and the cake is starting to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Cake can be cooled at this point and the filling liquid added the next day.  It is also nice to fill the cake while it is warm—not hot.  Let cool at least 15 minutes.  Prick cake with a fork and pour filling all over cake.  Soak, refrigerated, at least one hour before serving.  Top with  whipped cream and strawberries.

Banana Split Cake

There are lots of banana bread and banana cake recipes out there, but Ina Garten's Old-Fashioned Banana Cake ,with the zest of an orange, is tops around here.  We skip the frosting and use it to make our twist on a banana split. 

This is the first of this May's portable desserts.  To plan ahead for Memorial Day, this month I'm posting some springtime desserts that travel well to picnics, the beach and neighborhood potlucks.

Banana Split Cake is on the list because it can be baked ahead (even frozen), packed for travel with pre-cut fruit, sauces and ice cream on the side and assembled by guests to suit their tastes.  It fits whether you are living in a region that has seen good, ripe strawberries or are still relying on frozen ones. Here's what you'll need:

Banana Split Cake
Serves 8-10

Ingredients
One recipe Old-Fashioned Banana Cake
1 quart fresh strawberries or 1 bag frozen strawberries 
Juice of 1/2 orange (or 1 lemon)
1-2 teaspoon sugar or honey
8 ounces chocolate sauce*
8 ounces caramel sauce (or cajeta)
1 pint vanilla ice cream 
optional: 5-6 rip bananas, 1 cup roasted, chopped nuts, whipped cream

Method

1. Bake the cake and allow to cool completely.  Wrap well for travel. Cake does not need to be refrigerated but can be frozen.  Defrost cake the nigh before your picnic.
2. Prepare the strawberries.  If using fresh strawberries, slice them in large chunks and place in a microwavable container with top loosely on.  If using frozen strawberries, place whole berries in container.  Pour juice and sugar over strawberries and microwave on medium 1-2 minutes, until fruit softens.  This step can also be done ahead.  Cover cooked strawberries and refrigerate. 
3. When ready to go, pack cake, fruit, sauces and ice cream in a cooler (ice cream on ice).  Don't forget a good knife to slice the cake and some serving spoons for the strawberries, sauces and ice cream.  Cut the bananas on the spot.

 * Jarred sauces are pretty good but making your own chocolate sauce is easy too.  Add 3 ounces whole milk to 2/3 cup of dark chocolate morsels and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir and microwave 15 seconds more if not fully melted.  Mixture will look milky at first then turn into a glossy sauce.  Add a few drops of pure vanilla extract to finish your sauce.  Some people around here also add the barest wink of salt.