Risotto

Time between the Daring Cooks challenge posts seems to go faster and faster. Maybe it has something to do with the endless gray skies and damp weather we've been having. The perfect weather, as it turns out, for risotto, which happily was the subject of this month's challenge.

The 2010 March Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Eleanor of MelbournefoodGeek and Jess of Jessthebaker. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make risotto. The various components of their challenge recipe are based on input from the Australian Masterchef cookbook and the cookbook Moorish by Greg Malouf.

The challenge required us to make our own chicken stock from scratch and the risotto base. Mike and I regularly make our chicken stock because it tastes much better than the boxed variety, so we were very familiar with that step of the challenge. While I certainly wouldn't call either of us professional risotto makers, we've made our share of risotto in the past, so we decided to try to mix it up as much as we could and do something that would be entirely new for us.

So instead of the traditional arborio or other short grain white rice, we decided to use short grain brown rice, and come up with a heartier dish better suited for our weather.



Instead of a base using white wine, we decided to go with red wine. From there, a wild mushroom risotto seemed like the perfect, and logical choice.






The result was delicious, I have to say. The risotto had a nuttier texture than traditional risotto, and using red wine produced a risotto with deeper flavor.





I'd highly recommend trying out a risotto like this when the weather's just right for staying in.

For a similar recipe, see: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/wild-mushroom-and-red-wine-risotto

Spinach Feta Pie

I'm sure you'd have thought that with the softball nature of this challenge, our post wouldn't be more than a month late.

The irony, of course, is that we completed the challenge weeks in advance, only to have our computer refuse to cooperate with anything we wanted it to do.

We've since found another computer to use, ergo our just now arriving post.

As for the challenge, reaching back into the recesses of December eating, it was successful, if just a little unexciting. I both loved the fact that there was no traditional crust, and yet at the same time missed the crust.

We used fresh spinach, which I don't think contributed much, if anything to the dish itself. I think it would have been just as good with frozen spinach.

As far as quickness and ease of preparation, though, this was a winner, and something we're glad to have tried.

The real question is, now that we've lobbed you this, what are you going to throw back?

Looking forward to the next challenge!

Mezze, and a little of why I left the Midwest

The beauty of food lies in its ability to transport those eating to different places in time and space.

Last week, as the snow fell, and continued to fall until we were unable to leave our house, we were able to escape the winter doldrums by conjuring up a Mediterranean feast that brought some much-needed sunshine to our gray skies.

The 2010 February Daring COOKs challenge was hosted by Michele of Veggie Num Nums. Michele chose to challenge everyone to make mezze based on various recipes from Claudia Roden, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Dugid.

We were required to make pita bread and hummus from scratch, but from there the sky was the limit. Not wanting to stop with the pita bread and hummus, we added cucumber raita, falafel, marinated olives, pomegranate, and preserved lemons to round out our mezze.

Everything was delicious, but we loved, loved, loved the pita. It came out puffed up and the perfect texture for dipping and eating - no extra toasting required. The recipe also left us with the perfect amount left over, so we happily have a good amount of pita bread left.



With the details of Lindsay and Jason's trip to Cairo fresh in our minds, while eating our mezze, at least, we were just a tiny bit less envious that while they had been visiting the pyramids, we were under a heavy blanket of snow.

Now that the snow has finally stopped, and the cars and the salted, sanded roads have ruined the momentary winter wonderland, we're busy planning our next culinary escape.

Thanks to Michele for a fabulous challenge!


Pita Bread – Recipe adapted from Flatbreads & Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

Prep time: 20 minutes to make, 90 minutes to rise and about 45 minutes to cook

2 teaspoons regular dry yeast (.43 ounces/12.1 grams)
2.5 cups lukewarm water (21 ounces/591 grams)
5-6 cups all-purpose flour (may use a combination of 50% whole wheat and 50% all-purpose, or a combination of alternative flours for gluten free pita) (17.5 -21 ounces/497-596 grams)
1 tablespoon table salt (.50 ounces/15 grams)
2 tablespoons olive oil (.95 ounces/29 ml)

Directions:

1. In a large bread bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir to dissolve. Stir in 3 cups flour, a cup at a time, and then stir 100 times, about 1 minute, in the same direction to activate the gluten. Let this sponge rest for at least 10 minutes, or as long as 2 hours.

2. Sprinkle the salt over the sponge and stir in the olive oil. Mix well. Add more flour, a cup at a time, until the dough is too stiff to stir. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Rinse out the bowl, dry, and lightly oil. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until at least doubled in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.

3. Place a pizza stone, or two small baking sheets, on the bottom rack of your oven, leaving a 1-inch gap all around between the stone or sheets and the oven walls to allow heat to circulate. Preheat the oven to 450F (230C).

4. Gently punch down the dough. Divide the dough in half, and then set half aside, covered, while you work with the rest. Divide the other half into 8 equal pieces and flatten each piece with lightly floured hands. Roll out each piece to a circle 8 to 9 inches in diameter and less than 1/4 inch thick. Keep the rolled-out breads covered until ready to bake, but do not stack.

5. Place 2 breads, or more if your oven is large enough, on the stone or baking sheets, and bake for 2 to 3 minutes, or until each bread has gone into a full balloon. If for some reason your bread doesn't puff up, don't worry it should still taste delicious. Wrap the baked breads together in a large kitchen towel to keep them warm and soft while you bake the remaining rolled-out breads. Then repeat with the rest of the dough.

Hummus – Recipe adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia RodenPrep

Time: Hummus can be made in about 15 minutes once the beans are cooked. If you’re using dried beans you need to soak them overnight and then cook them the next day which takes about 90 minutes.

1.5 cups dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight (or substitute well drained canned chickpeas and omit the cooking) (10 ounces/301 grams)
2-2.5 lemons, juiced (3 ounces/89ml)
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
a big pinch of salt
4 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
additional flavorings (optional)

Directions:

1. Drain and boil the soaked chickpeas in fresh water for about 1 ½ hours, or until tender. Drain, but reserve the cooking liquid.

2. Puree the beans in a food processor (or you can use a potato masher) adding the cooking water as needed until you have a smooth paste.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Adjust the seasonings to taste.


Cucumber Raita – Recipe adapted from The Indian Grocery Store Demystified by Linda Bladholm

Prep time: Approximately 15 minutes

1 medium cucumber, peeled and most of the seeds removed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (.1 ounce/3 grams) OR use a small pinch of dried cumin—to taste
2 cups plain whole milk or Greek yogurt (17 ounces/473ml)
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
fresh coriander or mint, chopped, a couple pinches or more to taste
cayenne pepper or paprika, just a pinch to use as a garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Peel cucumber, de-seed, and dice. Blot off moisture with paper towels.

2. Toast cumin seeds for a few seconds in a small, heavy frying pan over high heat.

3. In a bowl, stir yogurt until it is smooth.

4. Mix it with the cumin, garlic and coriander or mint leaves

5. Stir in the cucumber and sprinkle with cayenne or paprika, and chill before serving.


Falafel - Recipe from Joan Nathan and Epicurious.com

Prep Time: Overnight for dry beans and 1 hour to make Falafel

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight OR use well canned drained chickpeas (7 ounces/100 grams)
1/2 large onion (roughly chopped, about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped OR use a couple pinches of dried parsley (.2 ounces/5 grams)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped OR use a couple pinches of dried cilantro (.2 ounces/5 grams)
1 teaspoon table salt (.1 ounce/5 grams)
1 teaspoon dried hot red peppers (cayenne) (.1 ounce/2 grams)
4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon cumin (.1 ounce/2 grams)
1teaspoon baking powder (.13 ounces/4 grams)
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour (1 ounce/24 grams) (you may need a bit extra) tasteless oil for frying (vegetable, canola, soybean, etc.), you will need enough so that the oil is three inches deep in whatever pan you are using for frying

Directions:

1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, and then drain. Or use canned chickpeas, drained.

2. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed. If you don’t have a food processor, then feel free to mash this up as smooth as possible by hand.

3. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur or flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.

4. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts.

5. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees (190C) in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

6. Drain on paper towels.

Spinach-Feta Pie: Results!

Happy New Year!

OK, first let me call you out on a softball challenge. Then, let me thank you for that. You guys, in your wisdom, could see past Christmas and into this holiday limbo before New Years, and know that huge gourmet undertakings are not first priority. We ended up squeezing this one in for lunch before heading out of town again.

We followed instructions to the T, except for replacing fresh spinach with the frozen blocks (no fresh to be found), and making an entirely separate second trip to the grocery for the feta.



The process was simple, and the results were pretty darn good. I think working with the frozen spinach definitely complicated matters - with so much water already in there and all compacted together, it was pretty time consuming to get it thoroughly dried out. Maybe you guys had an easier time with the fresh?

This is one instance where the addition of onions (eek!) or garlic (ah) wouldn't hurt. We added no salt, and didn't think it needed any either. J said he thought it was a touch too spinachy for him, but it suited me. It's always nice to have a quiche-like dish sans the crust too. And no dairy? Which made us ask, 'which is better, a lot of eggs no dairy, or a few of both?' I really don't know. I did read recently that eating egg yolks and all their cholesterol actually doesn't increase your cholesterol levels....





Thanks for the challenge - next one coming up soon!!

CD Challenge: Spinach-Feta Pie

CD (that's cullinary drift for the acronymically declined) challenge 4 (we think). Listen up cause this is going to go quickly: Spinach-feta pie.

2.5 lb fresh spinach - you should probably remove the stems
8 eggs - yep, beat em
6 oz crumbled feta
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
black pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil - yes, unfortunately RR is still referring to it as EVOO

Step one: Heat the oven - preferably to 375 degrees F.
Step Two: Fill a pot halfway with water.
Step three: Bring the water that you just put in the pot to a boil.
Step Four: Add the spinach by the handful to the pot with the boiling water and cook until wilted.
Step Five: Drain the wilted spinach and let cool.
Step Six: Squeeze out all the liquid from the wilted spinach (this is why you let it cool in step five).
Step Seven: Chop the wilted spinach coarsely.
Step Eight: Whisk the eggs, feta, 1/4 c pecorino/romano, 1/4 c parmesan, and a bunch of pepper in a bowl.
Step Nine: Add the wilted spinach that you just chopped coarsely...
Step Ten: Butter a 2 qt baking dish.
Step 11: Add the mixture to the baking dish.
Step 12: Sprinkle the remaining 2 tbsp of pecorino/romano and parmesan on top.
Step 13: Drizzle the olive oil all over.
Step 14. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden and sizzling.
Step 15. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Step 16. Enjoy... But make sure you post by 01-Jan-2010.

Culinary Drift Challenge - Apple Strudel

Okay, so we are more than a month late in posting the results of our apple strudel debacle.

For the record, we also made apple strudel two ways, although the first way ended up in the trash without any photos - it was that bad a mess. Which will undoubtedly surprise you when you see how the one we're posting turned out. All I'll say as a sneak preview is that it tasted better than it looked!

So the first mystery in making apple strudel was the instruction that the dough should be rolled out thin enough to read a newspaper through.



This is where things went horribly wrong both times we made it. We got it rolled out thin, really thin, but couldn't understand then how the dough was to be wrapped around the fillings without everything breaking through the dough, which was what happened when we made it.



Are you ready to see how good it looked when we rolled it up? I can guarantee you that this has gotten a lot funnier in the month since making this.



Yep, and it got even prettier when it came out of the oven. Somehow what you can't see here is the apples poking through the crust of the dough - yea, don't think that is supposed to happen. Oh... the trials and tribulations of apfelstrudelin'...



We were clearly missing some technique in making this. I would love to see someone else making it, because it seemed really, really difficult for something that seems like it's supposed to be rustic. Additionally, the photo above obscures the immensity of what we created. It could have fed a group of 20 easily.

I'm glad we gave it a second shot, but in the end felt like we would have been better off making an apple pie.

Lindsay, you'll have to show us how it's done at some point!

Salmon en Croute

The December 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Simone of Junglefrog Cooking. Simone chose Salmon en Croute (or alternative recipes for Beef Wellington or Vegetable en Croute) from Good Food Online

In what's becoming a monthly pattern, we got this made just under the wire. Having left it to the last minute, we weren't able to make our own pastry crust, as Simone encouraged us to do, and as we had originally intended. Harris Teeter and frozen puff pastry crust came to our rescue. Someday we'll make it from scratch.

For this challenge, we rolled out the pastry dough to a thickness of 2 -3 mm, and then placed the salmon in the center of the rolled out crust. Atop the salmon, we placed a blended mixture of mascarpone cheese, arugula, watercress, spinach, salt, and garlic powder. Then we wrapped up the salmon, so that it looked like this:



We then made three slits in the top to allow steam to escape and brushed it with an egg wash and put in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, it came out looking like this:



We ate the salmon with broccolini that unfortunately was not photo-friendly due to overcooking. However, we both enjoyed the salmon, which looked prettier, and was more delicious than we had expected.

Thanks to Simone for a great challenge, and a surprisingly easy weeknight dinner, as long as the puff pastry crust comes from the store!