Pickled Vegetable Salad with Anchovy Dressing

Pickled Vegetable Salad with Anchovy Dressing

Pickled Vegetable Salad with Anchovy Dressing

Pickled Vegetable Salad with Anchovy Dressing 

I had to think about this one for a long time before trying it. I know you will too, because it is “pickled” and a bit complicated. But what an amazing treat! You will absolutely not believe how truly fantastic this salad can be.  And so very different for the usual humdrum greens, cut-up what-evers usually served. If you’re one of those people who saw the word “pickled” in the title and said “Ugh, no, sorry, not for me,” fight the good fight because once your tastes cross over to the vinegar side, there’s little going back. Once you have tasted the triple-threat crunch/sweet/salty of a pickled anything, the food landscape can seem bleak without them. A big added plus to this recipe is the many ways to use the component parts. You can use pickled red onions on your tacos, sandwiches, on top of omelets, pickled carrots in the fridge whenever the mood strikes, pickled cauliflower as part of a an appetizer spread with fresh tomatoes, olives, flatbreads and hummus. They are also tasty cuddled up to some grilled meat. There is just no shortage of ideas. And if that were not enough reason to jump in and give it a try, all pickled bits can be stored in the frig for a whole month.

 

Pickled veggies for the salad

This recipe is divided up into first providing a list of each ingredient. Then, the individual component part recipes are listed….followed by putting the whole "enchilada" together!

Basic Pickling Liquid – makes about 1¾ C

• 1 C champagne vinegar
• ½ C granulated sugar
• ½ C water 

Pickled carrots

• 10 medium carrots or 20 baby carrots, peeled
• ½ tsp yellow curry powder or Madras curry powder
• ½ jalapeno, seeded
• Basic Pickling Liquid 

Pickled Cauliflower

• ½ tsp piment d’Espelette (substitute: hot paprika)
  
• Basic Pickling Liquid
• 4 C of ¾ inch cauliflower florets (about the diameter of a quarter) from about 1½ lbs. cauliflower

Pickled Red Onion (see previous posted recipe 5/27/13) makes about 4 C

• 2 large red onions (about 1¼ lbs each)
• 1½ C red wine vinegar
• ¾ C granulated sugar

Anchovy Dressing

• 1 salt-packed anchovy, filleted or 2 oil-packed anchovy fillets, or to taste
• ¼ C whole milk
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
• 2 Tb champagne vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 C Aioli
• 2 Tb buttermilk
• ½ tsp fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Torn Croutons

• 1 loaf country bread
• Garlic oil
• 2 Tb unsalted butter

The Rest

• Parmesan cheese – shaved
• Salami – cut (optional, but really loved the flavor addition!)

“Basic Pickling Liquid”

Basic pickling liquid is 2 parts vinegar to 1 part sugar to 1 part water – it can be scaled up easily for larger quantities of vegetables. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, and process as described below with each of the vegetables.

Pickled Carrots – makes 2 C

Cut medium carrots on the diagonal into 2-inch sections and then cut the sections lengthwise in half. Trim green tops of baby carrots to about ¼” and cut carrots in half lengthwise.

Put the curry powder in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 1-1½ min or until fragrant. Be careful – the curry burns easily.

Add the carrots, jalapeno and pickling liquid to the curry, bring to a simmer, stirring from time to time to dissolve the sugar, and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour into a container and let the carrots cool in the liquid, then cover and refrigerate up to one month.

Pickled carrots. Note size of the cut veggies

Pickled Cauliflower

Add the Espelette to the pickling liquid and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and blanche for 4 minutes, until crisp-tender; it should still be slightly resistant to tooth. Drain and transfer the cauliflower to a canning jar or other storage container. Pour the pickling liquid over the top. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for up to a month.

 

Pickled cauliflower

Pickled Red Onion – makes about 4 C

Also featured in recipe posted 5/27/13 Cauliflower & Chickpea Salad with Curry Vinaigrette:

http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2013/05/cauliflower-chickpea-salad-with-curried.html

Cut off the top and bottom of each onion and cut lengthwise in half.  Remove and discard the outer layer. Cut a V-shaped wedge from the bottom of each half to remove the roots and the very centerpieces of onion. Place the onion cut side down and slice lengthwise into 1/8 inch thick slices following the natural lines of the onion. Pack the onion slices into a 1-quart canning jar or other suitable container that can be covered. Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the hot vinegar over the onion slices and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, or for up to one month.

 

Pickled red onion....OMG these are good on sooo many things!

Anchovy Dressing – makes 1 ¼ C

Put the anchovies in a small bowl and pour milk over them. Soak the anchovies for 30 minutes (Soaking will give them a sweeter flavor). Drain the anchovies. Chop coarsely and transfer to a small food processor. Add the garlic, vinegar, mustard and puree. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the aioli and buttermilk. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to a week.

Torn Croutons

Cut the crusts off the loaf of bread. Tear the bread into irregular pieces no larger than 2 inches. Pour 1/8 inch of garlic olive oil into a large sauté pan and heat over medium heat until hot. Spread the bread in a single layer in the pan. Add the butter. The oil and butter should be bubbling, but if you hear sizzling, the heat is too high. Adjust the heat and stir the croutons often as they cook. Cook until they are crisp and a beautiful rich golden brown on all sides, about 15-20 minutes. Move the croutons to one side of the pan, and keep them warm until ready to serve. Do not drain on paper towels; you want the flavors of the oil intermingled with the other ingredients as you eat the croutons in a salad.  Torn croutons should be used the day they are made; you can reheat them in a love oven before serving if necessary.

Cooking the croutons

Croutons....finished product 

Cooking the torn pieces of bread very, very slowly is the key to these garlicky croutons. When toasted over high heat, croutons become a little dry; these absorb the oil and butter through the slow cooking, and result is a crouton that are very crunchy but bursting with flavor of the oil when you bite into them.

Assembling the final product

The plan is fairly simple – make each of the component pickled parts – once a day over a few days or all at once. Store in the fridge, make the dressing (amazing in its own right!) a day or two ahead of serving and the torn croutons just before serving.  For a pure veggie salad, you can leave out the cut salami. I like to place the components on a large platter with the dressing on the side so guests can take what they want and add dressing to suit. But one could also serve individually by dishing it up. 

Individual components before mixing. Great way to present.

Once on the plate, mix that scrumptious dressing about – and ready those taste buds for the upcoming sensation.

So yummy!!

I thought about this one for quite awhile and then sprung it on some good friends over for a relaxing weekend dinner. We all loved it. You will too….really. Think about it and then do it. Thank me later. 

Larue

Grilled BBQ Cornish Game Hens with Grapes

Grilled BBQ Cornish Game Hens with Grapes

Serves: 6

Grilled BBQ Cornish Game Hens with Grapes

Cornish Game Hens are not even hens and they are not game birds– they are small domestic hybrid chickens and can actually be a male or female. Who knew?

One food historian credits chicken mogul Donald John Tyson for creating the Rock Cornish game hen by crossbreeding White Rock hens and Cornish hens in 1965. His intent was allegedly to create a specialty item at a higher price that appealed to a fast-growing contingent of consumers referred to in our contemporary times as foodies.

However, other sources credit Alphonsine and Jacques Makowsky of Connecticut for developing this small bird some ten years earlier. Their intent was similar, to breed a small chicken with mostly white meat suitable for a single serving. The U.S. patent and trademark files show no ownership filings for the breed.

The game hens have a shorter growing span to adulthood, 28 to 30 days as opposed to 42 or more for regular chicken. It is half the size of a standard chicken, has more white meat and weighs an average of 1¼ pounds, bone-in—the perfect individual portion size.

It’s a great choice for a dinner party, as each person can have their own personal hen, and you don’t have to worry about who wants the thigh vs. breast on a giant roasted chicken. These are great served with roasted potatoes, sautéed spinach, stir-fried summer squash or a couscous salad. It’s a simple dish that’s certain to impress any dinner guest. This recipe riffs on the elements of traditional chicken salad: cucumber, grapes, walnuts and honey. Verjus, used in the vinaigrette, is the tart juice of unripe wine grapes; a lighter alternative to vinegar, it is available at specialty grocers.

For the Cornish game hens:

• 6- 1¼ pound Cornish game hens
• 6 shallots, thinly sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 bunch fresh parsley or cilantro, stemmed

For the garnish:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 bunch red grapes, separated into 6 smaller bunches

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 med English cucumber, finely diced
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 Tb minced fresh ginger
• 2 C Verjus
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 3 Tb honey
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ¼ C walnut oil

Use a pair of kitchen shears to remove the backbone from each hen, then open hens and lay flat, skin-side up. Toss shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes and parsley or cilantro in a bowl. Using a blunt stick, such as chopsticks, lift the skin of the hen over the breasts and thighs and tuck mixture under the skin. Be careful to not tear the skin. Gently massage the marinade into the meat and move about with gentle pressure. If time allows, allow this to sit on birds for 1-2 hours, refrigerated.

 

Use the chopsticks to lift the skin and tuck in shallots et al 

Prepare a grill for cooking over medium-high heat. Lay hens skin-side down on grill and cook 2 minutes, then rotate hen 90 degrees to create hash marks on exterior and cook 2 minutes more. Flip hens and continue to cook until golden and a meat thermometer inserted into breast meat reads 160 degrees, about 20 minutes. Remove hens from grill and set aside to rest, 10 minutes.

 

Grilling the hen

Make the garnish: Add oil to a skillet, set over high heat, then add the grapes and cook, shaking the pan often to ensure even cooking, until skins blister slightly, 3-5 minutes.

 

Cooking the grapes

Make vinaigrette: Mix red bell pepper, cucumber, scallions, ginger, verjus, soy sauce, honey, kosher salt and walnut oil together in a bowl.

 

The vinaigrette

To serve: Ladle a generous amount of vinaigrette onto each plate. Place 1 hen on each plate and top with a small bunch of grapes.  

This pairs well with many wines such as Grenache, Syrah, Merlot or Sauvignon Blanc. An amazing, juicy and flavorful delight will surprise you and your friends.  Don't miss this simple throw-together BBQ recipe this summer!

Larue

Devilishly Delicious Double Fudge Chip Cake

Devilishly Delicious Double Fudge Chip Cake

Makes: 2 - 8” x 4” x 2” loaf, or

5 – 6” x 3” x 2” mini-loaf

Devilishly Delicious Double Fudge Chip Cake (add ice cream!)  

I am often asked what to do with the leftover buttermilk from any of my recipes (cucumber soup [cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2013/05/amazingly-simple-spicy-chilled-cucumber.html] salad dressings, etc.).  My first and immediate response is to make a batch or two of Devilishly Delicious Double Fudge Chip Cake.  My mother-in-law, and amazing chef, Beverly, gave me this recipe many years ago.  I am certain I have made a hundred of these cakes.  It is a simple, always fabulous, go to chocolate cake – rich, but not too rich, moist and flavorful with discreet chocolate chip ooze.  In addition, it freezes beautifully. 

 

For those days when you just have to have chocolate – let this be the go-to cake – truly an everyday chocolate cake that is made simply in ONE BOWL!  Anything easy enough to be called everyday must be done in one bowl. Most cakes require the addition of eggs and a bit of oil. This circumvents those additions and calls for Mayonnaise instead (yes mayonnaise!) – it works, really, trust me and give it a try.

There are two types of unsweetened cocoa: natural and Dutch process. Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder tastes very bitter and gives a deep chocolate flavor to baked goods. Its intense flavor makes it well suited for use in brownies, cookies and some chocolate cakes. When natural cocoa (an acid) is used in recipes calling for baking soda (an alkali), it creates a leavening action that causes the batter to rise when placed in the oven. Popular brands are Hershey's, Ghirardelli, and Scharffen Berger.  Dutch-Processed or Alkalized Unsweetened Cocoa Powder is treated with an alkali to neutralize its acids. Because it is neutral and does not react with baking soda, it must be used in recipes calling for baking powder, unless there are other acidic ingredients in sufficient quantities used. Droste, Lindt, Valrhona, Poulain and Pernigotti are some popular brands. 

• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 C granulated sugar
• ½ C unsweetened natural cocoa (I prefer Scharffen Berger)
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• 1 C Mayonnaise (not salad dressing) – I prefer Hellman’s or Best Foods
• 1½ C buttermilk (if unavailable, use 1 Tb vinegar to 1 C milk and allow standing 5 min)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 12-14 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
• Coffee or vanilla ice cream topping (optional)

Here they are....fudge chips!

Heat oven to 350 degree F.  Butter and dust with flour loaf pans.  Combine flour, sugar, cocoa and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.  Mix well.  Add buttermilk, mayonnaise and vanilla and beat until smooth. Gently stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing equally.

 

Mix until smooth....

...and pour into mini-loaf pans

Bake about 55 min for the larger loaf pans and 40-45 minutes for the mini-loaf pans. A cake tester can be used but be careful to not assume more baking is necessary if you puncture a chocolate chip instead of the cake and misinterpret your findings.  I suggest poking in more that one spot to assure it is fully baked.

 

Hard to resist eating immediately

Let the cakes cool and enjoy. You could add chocolate frosting to top it off, but frankly, it does not need it. It is better heated slightly in the microwave just before eating to melt the chocolate chips, and especially good with vanilla or coffee ice cream on top.

Larue

Roasted Eggplant with Goat Cheese, Tahini & Pine Nuts

Roasted Eggplant with Goat Cheese, Tahini & Pine Nuts

Makes about 2 dozen

 

Roasted Eggplant with Goat Cheese, Tahini & Pine Nuts

Eggplant, grilled or roasted in the oven, is a Middle-Eastern favorite. This Israeli style recipe serves them with Tahini sauce. This one-bite hors d’oeuvre is very simple to prepare. I like them hot from the oven or made ahead, chilled and later assembled and served at room temperature.  Either way – they are a perfect start to most any meal and also very healthy.

• 2 med Japanese eggplants, sliced crosswise ½” thick
• 3 Tb olive oil
• ½ tsp paprika
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 4 oz goat cheese, softened
• ¼ C tahini
• 2 Tb fresh lemon juice
• ½ preserved lemon rind, finely chopped (optional) – see below
• 1 Tb honey
• ¼ C water
• 2 Tb toasted pine nuts, for garnish
• 2 tsp finely chopped oregano, for garnish 

Eggplant....star of the show!

Heat oven to 425 degree F.  Place eggplant in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine olive oil and paprika in a bowl, brush about 2 Tb over eggplant, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake in oven, turning once, until golden, about 20 minutes; set aside.



Toasting pine nuts gives them roasty flavor, browns them, and makes them firmer,too. It is easiest to do in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Shake the skillet frequently to ensure even browning - the pine nuts are small and full of rich oil, and will burn quickly if you do not watch carefully.  When the nuts are fragrant and lightly browned, take the pan off the heat. Transfer the pine nuts to a plate to cool.

 

Sliced eggplant before cooking

Toasted to a golden brown

Combine goat cheese, tahini, lemon juice, preserved lemon, honey, salt and pepper and ¼ C water in a bowl.  Top each round with 1-2 tsp of the cheese mixture and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and oregano. Serve to accolades knowing you have provided a healthy and tasty appetizer.  J

 

Mmmmm....bite sized and delicious!

Bon appetito!

Larue

A little note on preserved lemon: It is really really easy to make and provides a lemony-salty wonderfulness to so many things. (for example: salads, any vegetable, even cocktails) See my post on Israeli CousCous with Roasted Butternut Squash and Preserved Lemon from 9/24/11 for directions on how to make your own preserved lemons and for other suggestions. Any place you would use salt and lemon flavor is fair game – just expect it to be better! If my house were on fire, I’d grab my jar of preserved lemons on my way out.  They are that great – and so much better homemade.

http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2012/09/israeli-couscous-with-roasted-butternut.html