Nourish Network » Type of Food

Chai-Spiced Amaranth Pudding

Alison Ashton — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:00:44 +0000

Bulk-bin buys are the basis for this recipe, starting with amaranth seeds, a high-protein grain, along with golden raisins, pistachios, and the fancy salt for the brittle. Cooked amaranth has a gelatinous quality that lends itself to pudding. If you have a chai spice blend on hand, substitute 1 teaspoon for the cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. This pudding caused a little controversy in our household. I loved the flavor and aroma of the warm spices. Richard liked the texture, but would have preferred it plain, without the spices–”like a proper English pudding.” Of course, not too many English puddings are made with amaranth, but a version of this sans spices would be a kid- and Englishman-friendly dessert.

3 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 cup amaranth
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons crumbled Salted Pistachio Brittle OR toasted chopped pistachios

Whisk together first 7 ingredients and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Cover, and cook 25 minutes or until amaranth is tender.

Meanwhile, whisk together remaining 1/2 cup sugar, egg, and egg yolk. Ladle in a little of the hot milk mixture from the pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Slowly add egg mixture to pan, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook 1 minute or until thickened. Stir in raisins and vanilla. Cool to room temperature, stirring frequently to prevent a skin for forming on the surface. Refrigerate. Serve topped with crumbled Pistachio Brittle.

Serves 6

Salted Pistachio Brittle

Alison Ashton — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 19:51:44 +0000

We’re not exactly fans of corn syrup–a common ingredient in candy-making–at Nourish Network. Agave nectar makes a good substitute. Since it’s twice as sweet as corn syrup, you can use half as much in this recipe, adapted from Chef Guy Reuge of Three Village Inn in Stony Brook, New York. You can use different nuts or seeds and add a dash of spice (Reuge’s original version uses pumpkinseeds and cumin with delicious results). Here’s your chemistry lesson for the day: baking soda is the key ingredient that gives brittle its characteristic snap. Our version uses pistachios and coarse sea salt for a salty-sweet treat that’s delicious on its own or crumbled over ice cream or our Chai-Spiced Amaranth Pudding.

2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon light agave nectar
1 tablespoon butter
1-1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup chopped pistachios

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 8 minutes or until golden-brown. (Keep an eye on it–this puppy can go from just right to burned in now time. Hint: as the bubbling slows down, you’re getting close.)

While the sugar mixture cooks, place a silicone baking mat on a work surface. Have a large piece of parchment paper and a rolling pin handy.

When sugar mixture is done, working quickly, remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in the salt and baking soda. Stir in nuts. Pour mixture onto baking mat. Cover with parchment paper, and roll it as thin as possible (about 1/8 inch). Don’t worry if the parchment paper sticks to the warm brittle–you’ll be able to peel it away once the brittle cools.

Cool, break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.

(Cleaning tip: The caramel leaves a sticky mess in your saucepan. Just boil some water in the pan so the sugar melts.)

Yields about 7 ounces

Cherry-Basil Buttermilk Sorbet

Lia Huber — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:57:06 +0000

This sorbet is like summer in a bowl: light, refreshing, sweet and perfumed with the quintessential summer herb (which has a surprising affinity for cherries). It’s also ridiculously simple to make. It can get icy when frozen too hard, so eat it fresh from the ice cream maker or leave it on the counter to soften a bit if pulling it from the freezer.

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups lowfat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup packed basil leaves, or several stems
2 cups cherries, pitted and chopped, juice reserved

Heat the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat and stir for 2-3 minutes, until sugar melts. Pour in buttermilk, stir in vanilla extract and remove from heat. Crush basil leaves with your fingers and submerge in the buttermilk mixture. Let steep for 30 minutes while chilling in the refrigerator.

Strain out leaves and stir in cherry juice. Chill in an ice cream maker until set just beyond slushy. Add cherries and continue to churn until set. Scrape into a container and transfer to freezer.

Serves 8

Cold Salmon Sandwich with Lemon-Caper Mayo

Cheryl Sternman Rule — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:57:14 +0000

Buy a little extra salmon the next time you’re fillet-shopping and cook it all up at once. The next day, pair the cold leftovers with a hit of lemon-spiked mayo and briny capers for a fancy-looking lunch perfect for one.

1-1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons drained capers
3 ounces cold leftover (cooked) salmon fillet
1 slice good sourdough or French bread
Salad greens

In a small bowl, stir together the mayo, lemon juice, and capers. Lay the salmon on a slice of sturdy bread, slather it with the lemon-caper mayo, and serve with fresh, crunchy salad greens.

Serves 1

Recipe licensed from Cheryl Sternman Rule at 5 Second Rule

Kathleen’s Fresh Peach Pie with Toasted Walnut Crust

Lia Huber — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 19:46:05 +0000

By Kathleen Kanen

Ground nuts and a touch of whole-wheat pastry flour give this crust a healthier edge. It also has less fat than traditional pastry, yet there’s enough to make it satisfyingly tender. As with any pastry, handle the dough gently (so it doesn’t get tough) and don’t skip chilling it for 30 minutes. That helps the gluten relax and makes a more tender crust. I use the chilling time to peel the fruit and assemble the filling.

For variety, you can substitute cherries and/or blueberries for half the peaches. Taste the fruit first and adjust the sugar in the filling accordingly. Same goes for amount of flour in the filling. Really juicy peaches may need an extra tablespoon of flour; not so juicy, use less flour.

Pastry Dough

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup finely ground toasted walnuts or almonds
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, chilled
6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

Filling and Finish

6 cups sliced peeled fresh peaches (about 4 pounds)
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into 6 pieces
Nonstick cooking spray
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon turbinado or granulated sugar

To prepare pastry dough, combine first 5 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse 2 times. Add 1/4 cup butter and shortening and pulse 4 times, or just until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Transfer flour mixture to a large bowl. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork just until moistened. Gently gather dough into a ball. Divide dough in half and press each portion into a 4-inch circle. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375.

While the dough chills, prepare the filling. Combine peaches, 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

Remove 1 portion of dough from refrigerator. Place dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Refrigerate 15 minutes or until plastic can be removed. Repeat with remaining dough portion.

Remove top sheet of plastic from 1 dough portion. Place dough, plastic side up, in a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate (not deep dish) coated with cooking spray. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap, allowing ends of dough to extend over sides of pie plate. Spoon peach mixture into pie plate and dot with pieces of butter. Whisk together egg white and 1 teaspoon water. Lightly brush edges of dough with egg white mixture.

Remove plastic from remaining portion of dough and gently place dough over pie. Seal edges of dough and flute. Lightly brush top of dough with egg white mixture; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar. Cut 6 slits in top of pie to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 375 for 50 to 55 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Lightly shield edges of pie with foil during last 10 minutes, if necessary. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Serves 8

Grilled Fish in Parchment with Cherry Tomatoes and Corn

Lia Huber — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:43:24 +0000

Flaky white fish are tough to grill, but that doesn’t mean they need to be left out of the summer repertoire. Just wrap them up in a parchment package with a handful of summer veggies and you’ve got yourself a whole meal on the grill.

1/2 pound red new potatoes, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes, destemmed
1 cup corn kernels, cut off cobb
1/4 cup sliced scallions
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons basil, cut into a chiffonade
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 4 ounce white fish fillets, like barramundi, tilapia or catfish

Preheat grill to medium heat. Cut four 14-inch by 14-inch squares of parchment paper. With each one, fold in half and cut into a wide heart shape. Then unfold and lay flat.

In a medium bowl, mix together potatoes with half the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Arrange a quarter of the potatoes on one half of each of the parchment paper hearts, leaving a one inch border around the edge. Place a piece of fish on top of each. In the same bowl, mix tomatoes, corn, scallions, garlic, basil, remaining olive oil and salt and pepper.

Divide tomato and corn mixture to top each fish and drizzle a tablespoon of wine over each. Then fold over the empty half and crimp the edges. Beginning at the top of the heart, roll the edges up and tightly over onto themselves and twist the end so that the packet is securely sealed. Lay finished packets on a rimless cutting board, a peel, or on the back of a cookie sheet.

Using a wide spatula, carefully transfer sealed packets onto the grill grates and cook for 10 minutes (they should be puffed and golden brown). Again using the spatula, transfer the packets to individual plates. Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice open packets (or have diners do it themselves) and serve.

Serves 4

Beet and Purslane Salad

Lia Huber — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:00:31 +0000

The crisp, tart qualities of purslane pairs beautifully with beets. If you’d rather have your beets two ways, try Mama Kourtesi’s Beet and Greens Salad.

1 pound beets, greens removed
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 cup summer purslane leaves

Preheat oven to 400. Place beets in a small roasting pan, fill with 1/2–inch of water and cover tightly with foil. Depending on size, roast for 40–70 minutes; when you can slip a sharp-tipped knife through to the center of a beet easily, they’re done.

Toast fennel and cumin in a small saute pan over medium heat for a minute or so, shaking occasionally, until fragrant. Transfer seeds to a mortar and pestle and grind them into a powder. Mix with salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk in olive oil and vinegar.

When beets are done, let cool slightly and peel off skins. Cut into 1/2–inch cubes (or if small, wedges) and add to bowl along with purslane. Toss well to coat and serve. Can be served cool or room temperature.

Serves 4

Make-at-Home Socca

Alison Ashton — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 20:50:53 +0000

The French word socca refers to flour made from chickpeas, as well as the delicious, crepe-like snack that’s a specialty of Nice, where street vendors cook it over a wood fire in giant, shallow cast-iron pans. Using a cast-iron skillet, you can start the socca on the stovetop and finish it under the broiler to achieve similar results at home.

You can find chickpea (garbanzo) flour at Indian markets (where it might be labeled besan or gram flour), health food stores and even in some supermarkets with the gluten-free offerings. Serve it as a summertime starter with a garnish of coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper, and a chilled rose. Or dust it with powdered sugar for dessert.

1 cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
1 cup water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to oil the pan
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fleur de sel or other coarse sea salt, for garnish

Whisk together flour, water, oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 4 hours.

Position rack 8 inches from broiler in oven. Preheat broiler.

Pour a thin layer of oil into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, swirling pan to coat thoroughly. Heat pan over high heat. Pour half of batter (about 3/4 cup) into pan, swirling to distribute batter evenly. Cook 2 minutes.

Transfer pan to oven and broil 2 minutes, or until socca is golden.

Remove pan from oven and transfer socca to a clean work surface. Repeat procedure with additional oil and remaining batter.

To serve, garnish socca with fleur de sel and additional pepper. Cut it into wedges or serve it whole and let diners tear off pieces as they wish.

Yields 2 (10-inch) soccas

Spicy-Sweet Pickled Cucumbers

Alison Ashton — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:18:21 +0000

When we lived in San Diego, Richard and I frequented Saffron, a popular Thai takeaway. One of my favorite items was their spicy-sweet pickled cucumbers, which inspired this recipe. Use thin-skinned Japanese, Persian English or pickling cucumbers, and slice them as thinly as possible. If you have a mandolin, this a good time to use it; otherwise, just use a sharp chef’s knife. Serve these cucumbers as a refreshing summer side dish, or use them as a condiment in sandwiches and tacos. They’d be delicious on a sandwich or tortilla with Grass-Fed Beef Bulgogi and Fiery-Sweet Peach Salsa.

2 cups rice wine vinegar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2-3 medium limes)
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 pound Japanese, Persian, English or pickling cucumbers, thinly sliced (1/8-inch thick or thinner)
1/2 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Combine cucumbers, onion, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Add vinegar mixture and stir to combine. Let stand at room temperature for at least 45 minutes before serving, or transfer cucumber mixture to a clean jar and refrigerate up to 5 days.

Yields 1 quart

Honey-Roasted Fig Tartine with Prosciutto

Lia Huber — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:21:51 +0000

I had a fantastic sandwich from Cowgirl Creamery while in Point Reyes this weekend that reignited my love of sandwiches … in particular, topless ones called “tartines.” I made this one with leftover Red Hawk from my visit, along with luscious figs picked up en route. Drizzling them with honey and popping them under the broiler gives them an impromptu jammy quality; especially good paired with gooey cheese and crisp prosciutto.

3 medium to large figs, cut in half lengthwise
2 teaspoons honey
several grinds of black pepper
1/4 ounce of Camembert (or similar, like Red Hawk from Cowgirl Creamery), cut into thin slices
1 thin slice of prosciutto
1 half (cut lengthwise) of a quarter of a baguette

Preheat broiler. Place figs, cut side up, on a piece of foil in the broiler pan and press down gently with a fork to flatten. Drizzle with honey, grind pepper over top and broil for 5-10 minutes, until bubbling and soft.

In the meantime, lay the cheese slices on the cut side of the baguette and top with prosciutto. Place on tray with figs and broil until prosciutto is just crisp and cheese melted, about 3-5 minutes.

Arrange figs on top of prosciutto and serve.

Makes 1 sandwich