Chillin and Grillin

I am taking a break from the Mediterranean tour today. I am in a serious grilling mood and a grilled Chimichurri covered steak sounds good to me. This sauce also works well with skewered grilled shrimp. Grill some up with a steak for a tasty surf and turf. Marinade the beef for 2 hours, and the shrimp for 1 hour, grill and serve with more sauce.

Chimichurri is a pesto style sauce and marinade used with grilled meat in Argentina and Uruguay It is usually the only seasoning used for steak and chorizo sausages in Argentine asados. It can also be used as a marinade for any kind of grilled meat.

Chimichurri Sauce

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup extra virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh Lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh Lime juice
• 1/2 cup minced fresh Cilantro
• 6 cloves crushed Garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped or crumbled fresh or 1 teaspoon dried Oregano.
• 1 tablespoon Cumin
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 2 minced Shallots
• 1 teaspoon minced Basil, Thyme or Oregano, or mixture
• Kosher Salt and Course ground Black Pepper to taste

Preparations

1. Puree all ingredients in food processor.
2. Reserve 1/4 of a cup for use as a marinade.
3. Transfer remaining sauce to a bowl.
4. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Babaganoosh

Here we go with another middle eastern appetizer that can be made well in advance.

Babaganoosh is a paste made of roast or grilled eggplant and tahini.This is a delicious healthy snack that can be eaten with pita. It is served along with hummus and tabouli as an appetizer course.

Ingredients

• 3 eggplants broiled
• 4 cloves garlic
• fresh lemon juice, to taste
• Olive oil, to taste
• Kosher or Sea Salt
• ½ cup tahini
• 1½ teaspoon ground cumin
• chopped fresh mint, and parsley for garnish

Preparation

1. Pierce eggplants with fork.
2. Place the eggplants in a baking dish.
3. Roast in oven on shelf furthest from the flame.
4. Broil 20 minutes on one side.
5. Turn and broil 10 minutes on other side.
6. Cool for easy handling.
7. With a spoon scoop out the flesh of the eggplant.
8. Place the flesh in bowl, sprinkle with salt.
9. Press to remove water from the flesh.
10. Drain the water and sprinkle with more salt.
11. Repeat this 3 times.
12. Combine all the ingredients in food processor or blender
13. Process until the mixture is smooth.
14. Garnished with chopped fresh mint, and parsley
15. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Tabouli

I am still on my middle eastern food making binge. Here is another one of the recipes I like a lot. Since I have said to hummus and tabouli make a good pairing; I should give you the recipe for one of my favorite salads.

Tabouli is a refreshing bulgar wheat salad combining tomatoes, green onions, cucumber. fresh flat leaf parsley, fresh mint leaves, olive oil and lemon juice. The bright lemon flavor is great for cleaning your palette and waking up your taste buds. I like it as an appetizer, side dish with a meat course, or for a light lunch with some hummus and pita bread.

Ingredients:

• 1¼ cup bulgar wheat fine grind
• 2 cups boiling water
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1¼ cup green onions chopped
• 1¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley chopped
• ½ cup fresh mint chopped
• 1½ cup tomatoes, chopped
• 1¼ cup cucumber - peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1¼ teaspoon Kosher or Sea salt
• coarsely ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Combine bulgar and boiling water in a large bowl.
2. Cover, and set aside to soak for 1 hour.
3. Finely chop the parsley and mint.
4. Chop the green onions.
5. Peel cucumber, remove the seeds.
6. Slice the cucumber into thin strips, dice finely.
7. Dice and chop the tomatoes.
8. Juice the lemons strain out the seeds

Assembly

1. Once the bulgar has cooled, but still warm uncover the bowl.
2. Fluff the bulgar with a fork to separate the grains,
3. Add oil, lemon juice, stir until the grains are coated.
4. Stir in the onions, parsley, mint, tomatoes, and cucumber
5. Toss the ingredients to combine them.
6. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
7. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 24 is better.

Makes 8-10 Servings

Hummus

Lately I have been into a Mediterranean journey through recipes that I had the pleasure of tasting while visiting friends homes as a young man. Their grandmothers would stuff us on Middle eastern cooking. I tried to pay attention so I could try my hand at making it at home. This is the first of a few of my favorite middle eastern recipes.

Hummus is made from garbanzo beans a.k.a. chickpeas. Dried chickpeas are usually soaked in water overnight then simmered for an hour or more. It is also possible to cook chickpeas in a pressure cooker without the pre-soaking. Personally I go for convenience and speed, so I use canned chickpeas instead.

The chickpeas are ground, using a food processor or hand blender, with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cumin, and tahini. A bit of the water in which the chickpeas were boiled may be added to reach the desired consistency.

Garnish with chopped parsley and roasted pine nuts. Serve with a good flat bread. Hummus goes well with a tabouli salad for a light appetizer course.

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup liquid from the can
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 14 -15 oz canned chickpeas rinsed and drained
• ½ cup tahini
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• Toasted Pine Nuts for garnish
• Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley for garnish

Preparation

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender.
2. Process until smooth, scraping the sides occasionally.
3. Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl.
4. Garnish with roasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.
5. Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the top.
6. Serve with lemon wedges and lots of good pita bread.

Pesto Time

I have patiently waited, watching my herb garden in anticipation, Today was the day I had been waiting for. My basil plant was ready for mass harvest today. Once they start flowering it's time to cut them back and make one of my favorite seasonal treats, pesto.

Overview:

This classic Italian sauce is easy to make and versatile in usage, I keep it on hand for quick dishes. Pesto is traditionally made with pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, basil, and Parmesan cheese. Pesto can be tossed with pasta, added to soups and salads, or used instead of a tomato based sauce on a pizza.. I had better stop there, we are getting into a completely different post.

Pesto Recipe

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup coarse-crushed roasted pine nuts
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cups sweet basil leaves (about 4 ounces)
• ½ cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano Reggiano
• ¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Preparation:

1. Heat a large dry flat bottomed saute pan over medium heat.
2. Add the pine nuts to the pan.
3. Pine nuts burn easily so keep them moving by shaking the pan
4. Roast until they are fragrant and lightly browned.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and let them cool.
6. Put the pine nuts in a ziplock bag and seal
7. Lightly smash the bag with a heavy skillet to coarsely crush the pine nuts.
8. Crush and peel the cloves of garlic.
9. Rough chop the garlic.
10. Process the pine nuts and garlic until finely minced.
11. Add the olive oil and pulse three or 4 times.
12. Add basil, Parmesan cheese, and salt to the processor bowl.
13. Process until finely minced, scraping down sides.
14. add more olive oil if you want to make a thinner looser sauce
15. Store for later by pouring the pesto into an airtight container.
16. To prevent oxidation add a thin barrier layer of olive oil over the pesto.
17. Seal the container and store refrigerated for around 1 week.

Bagna Cauda

The name Bagna Cauda, means hot bath or warm sauce. Bagna Cauda was first created in Piedmont, Italy. It is usually kept hot in a pot over a flame, but you may see it presented at the table in a serving dish or in individual small bowls without the flame.

Bagna Cauda is a bold mix of olive oil, anchovies, garlic, and butter. Bagna cauda is served as a warm dip with a variety of raw fresh vegetables, including fennel, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, Belgian endive, sweet peppers, cucumbers and zucchini as an appetizer or a sauce for penne pasta. Trust me, anchovies can be your friend.

Here is the way to eat Bagna Cauda: Spear bite-size pieces of raw vegetables on a long fork-like prong (fondue forks work well). Hold the morsels in the hot sauce for a few seconds. Eat over good crusty bread. Eat the bread when it becomes covered in sauce. Repeat until it feels good.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced
• 10 anchovies in olive oil, drained and chopped
• ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• For dipping:
• A crusty Italian bread, sliced.
• a variety of raw fresh vegetables including:
  • fennel
  • mushrooms
  • cauliflower
  • brocolli
  • Belgian endive
  • sweet peppers
  • cucumbers
  • zucchini

Preparation:

1. Pour the olive oil into a saucepan or saucier.
2. Add the garlic and anchovies.
3. Cook over a low heat.
4. Stir until the anchovies and garlic disintergrates.
5. Whisk in the butter, until it is melted.
6. Remove the pan from the heat.
7. Whisk to a creamy consistency.
8. Pour into a dish over a warmer service.

Variations

Penne with Mixed Vegetable Grill

I do like Bagna Cauda as a dressing for pasta. Here is a quick and simple recipe for a variation using grilled vegetables and penne pasta.

Ingredients:

• 1 large Portabella mushroom
• 1 Fennel bulb
• 1 medium Red onion
• 3 young small Zucchini
• 2 sweet peppers red and green
• 1 pound Penne pasta cooked al dente
• Bagna Cauda sauce
• Kosher salt to taste
• Black Pepper corse ground to taste.
• 1 teaspoon Capers
• Sprig of Sweet basil

Preparation:

1. Remove the fronds from the fennel and save for a garnish
2. Slice the vegetables into pieces that will not fall apart on the grill.
3. Lightly dress the vegetable slices with Extra Virgin olive oil.
4. Season with Salt and Pepper.
5. Grill the vegetables until just done. They should still be slightly firm.
6. Dress the drained pasta with the sauce and capers.
7. Plate and arrange the grilled vegetables over the pasta.
8. Garnish with fennel fronds and basil leaves.
9. Serve Immediately

King Cakes

The King Cake is an oval-shaped bakery delicacy rich in flavor and history. The Cake is made with a rich Danish dough which is a cross between a coffee cake and a French pastry It is covered with a poured sugar topping and decorated with the traditional Mardi Gras-colored sugars. Purple which signifies "Justice" Green for "Faith" and Gold for "Power."

Hundreds of thousands of King Cakes are consumed at parties every year, making the King Cake another fine Louisiana tradition. A Mardi Gras party just wouldn't be a Mardi Gras party without a King Cake!

The King Cake Story

The King Cake is believed to have been brought to New Orleans, Louisiana, from France in the 1870's. It evolved from the Twelfth Night or Epiphany pastry made by those early settlers. They added their own touches with the Spanish custom of choosing Twelfth Night royalty. A King Cake is shaped like a crown to represent the kings.

A dried bean or pea was hidden inside the cake and whoever found it received a year of good luck and was treated as royalty for that day. Starting around the 1930s, a tiny naked baby was used instead of the bean or pea. The baby can be pink, brown, or golden. Some people believe that the baby represents the baby Jesus because Twelfth Night was when the three kings found the baby in Bethlehem.

The payback for being king or queen for the day is that person has to buy the king cake for the next day. That can cost from $4.00 - $6.00 for a small, plain grocery store cake to well over $25.00 for an elaborately filled and decorated cake. The good thing is it keeps the party rolling along throughout the holiday season.

King Cake season lasts throughout Mardi Gras from Epiphany until Mardi Gras Day. The royal colors of purple, green and gold on the cake honors the three kings who visited the Christ child on Epiphany.

The three colors appeared in 1872 on a Krewe of Rex carnival flag especially designed for the visiting Grand Duke of Russia. He came to New Orleans just for the carnival, and the universal colors remain his legacy.

Bring the Mardi Gras celebration to wherever you live! Bake a King Cake and start the tradition. Once you have tasted a homemade King Cake, those you buy from the grocery store can't hold a candle to it. This recipe may look long and complicated, but it really isn't.

King Cake

(From Southern Living 1990 Annual Recipes)

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter or margarine
• 1 (16-oz.) carton sour cream
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1 t. salt
• 1 pkgs. dry yeast
• 1 T. sugar
• ½ c. warm water (105° to 115°)
• 2 eggs
• 6 to 6 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 ½ t. ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• Colored icings
• Colored Sugars

Preparations

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan
2. heat until butter melts, stirring occasionally.
3. Let mixture cool to 105° to 115°.
4. Dissolve yeast and 1 T. sugar in warm water in a large bowl
5. Let stand 5 minutes.
6. Add butter mixture, eggs, and 2 cups of flour; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or by hand until smooth.
7. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
8. Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured surface
9. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
10. Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top.
11. Cover and let rise in a warm place free from drafts, for 1 hour or until dough is doubled in bulk.
12. Combine ½ cup sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
13. Pinch dough down and it divide in half.
14. Turn one portion of dough out onto a lightly floured surface
15. Roll to a 28" X 10" rectangle.
16. Spread half of the butter and half of the cinnamon mixture on the rolled out dough.
17. Roll dough, jelly roll fashion, starting at the long side.
18. Gently place dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet.
19. Bring ends of dough together and form an oval ring.
20. Tuck a tiny plastic baby or a large, dried bean into the seam before sealing.
21. Moisten and pinch the edges together to seal.
22. Repeat this procedure with the second half of the dough.
23. Cover and let rise in a warm draft free place, 20 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
24. Bake at 375° for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.
25. Decorate each cake with bands of colored icings
26. Sprinkle with colored sugars.

Makes 2 cakes.

Note: If you prefer, you can replace the cinnamon and sugar inside the roll of dough with a cream cheese filling or a pie filling in the flavor of your choice... just spread it thinly on the center of the rectangle before you roll it up. Popular flavors are blueberry, cherry, and lemon.