Cauliflower with Brown Butter, Pears, Sage & Hazelnuts

Ok I know the combination of pears and cauliflower sounds a bit odd...but I promise this was delicious!!  Cauliflower is not a vegetable that I typically serve at Thanksgiving, but I was very intrigued by the ingredients in this recipe.  The pears added a perfect crisp texture and a slight sweetness that was delectable.  I heard a rumor that my aunt recently picked around all of the pears in a salad so I don’t think this dish will make my Thanksgiving menu, but it would pair perfectly with other Thanksgiving flavors!  

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I promised a few people that I would post a sample of my Thanksgiving itinerary so I’ve included it below.  Some may mock me for this display of compulsive organization, but it helps me visualize all of the steps to avoid complete chaos.  This is especially important for a dinner that includes so many dishes that need oven space.  The cauliflower would actually be a great addition since it can be done at the last minute on the stove and doesn’t require time in the oven.  In order to free up even more oven space this year I will be cooking my turkey on the grill!  I have very high hopes for the outcome.  

As you think about your turkey plans, I would like to make a case for the benefits of brining.  The salt in brine draws out the blood, cleansing the bird and seasoning the meat down to the bone.  Sugar adds depth of flavor and helps the turkey brown to perfection.  Most grocery stores carry brine mixtures and I usually use those.  Just dissolve the brine in boiling water, cool, and add a bottle of dry white wine.  Then submerge the bird in the liquid for 2-4 days.  Using a very large pot works well.  It also helps if you have two refrigerators since it takes up a bit of space.  Make sure you dry it thoroughly before roasting.

CAULIFLOWER WITH BROWN BUTTER, PEARS, SAGE & HAZELNUTS
Recipe from Fine Cooking
makes 8-10 servings
 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets about 3/4 inch wide
1/2 cup toasted, skinned, chopped hazelnuts
8 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced crosswise
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
2 Tbs. chopped fresh chives (original recipe called for parsley but I think chives add more flavor)

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter until light brown and bubbly. Add the cauliflower, hazelnuts, and sage. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is browned and crisp-tender, 6 to 7 minutes more.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the pear slices and chives. Gently toss to combine and warm the pears. Season to taste with more salt. Serve hot or at room temperature.
   
 

 

Thanksgiving Agenda 2009

11:00	Assemble Stuffing Dress Turkey		Emily & Mom
12:30	Mash Potatoes Prepare Butternut Squash, and pine nut mix		Emily & Mom
2:00	Turkey in Oven	325 Bottom	Emily
3:45	Cranberry Sauce		Emily
4:20	Both Stuffings in Oven (1 hour covered, 10 mins uncovered) Make Biscuit Batter	350 Top	Emily Erin, Lizzy, Aunt Suzi
4:30	Caramelize shallots, add green beans		Emily
4:40	Heat Potatoes Drink a glass of wine at the bar and talk to chef		Emily  Aunt Suzi & Mom
4:50	Turkey out of oven Make Gravy Roast butternut squash (35-35 mins)	425 Bottom 450 Bottom	Emily Mom
5:10	Biscuits in Oven (14-16mins) Sauté pine nuts and garlic for squash	425 Bottom	Erin, Lizzy, Aunt Suzi Emily
5:20	Carve Turkeys  Assemble and Dress Salad		Dad Mom & Emily
5:30	Biscuits, Stuffing, Squash out of Oven Add squash to garlic and pine nuts		Everybody Emily

Roasted Chickpeas

I don’t like to snack.   I wish I didn't have to do it.  If I could survive without passing out from hunger, I would avoid snacking at all between meals because I think that the options for full meals are so much more exciting.  Unfortunately, snacking is necessary if I am going to make it from lunch at noon to dinner at 7.  So in an attempt to make snacking more interesting (and healthy) I present roasted chickpeas.  This recipe is easy, quick, and requires few ingredients.  Using canned chickpeas saves time and the spice blend is very flexible- use whatever you have.  Chickpeas also have a lot of health benefits that make them more desirable than a lot of the other snacking options out there- they are a good source for protein, fiber, and folic acid and they have a low glycemic index. 

Roasted Moroccan Chickpeas

1 can chickpeas

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon chile powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Rinse and drain chickpeas in a colander for about 15 minutes, or until they are completely dry.  Meanwhile, mix together the spice blend.  Toss the chickpeas with olive oil and about ¾ of the spice blend (do a taste test and add more if needed).  Lay the chickpeas flat on a baking sheet and roast for about 45 minutes- 1 hour until they are browned and crispy.  Keep an eye on them towards the end- they burn fast.  Let cool and store in an air tight container.

Fried Squash Blossoms with Goat Cheese

I have never seen squash blossoms in the store before so I got SO excited when they had them at the Sunshine Market by my house in Chelan. There was a recipe in the most recent issue of Fine Cooking for tempura fried squash blossoms so I decided to make them. I stuffed mine with goat cheese because everything is better with goat cheese. Usually I hate frying things because it wastes so much oil, but this recipe only called for a half cup. Basically it coats the bottom of the pan and you flip the blossoms while they cook. Be careful of grease explosions though, I almost scalded my poor sister…
The tricky thing about squash blossoms is finding them. They have an extremely short shelf life (cook them the same day you buy them) so most grocery stores don’t carry them. Farmers markets or farm stands are your best bet.

Fried Squash Blossoms with Goat Cheese
adapted from Fine Cooking
makes 4-6 appetizer servings
1 1/3 cups flour
Kosher salt
1 ½ cups cold plain seltzer water (one 12 oz can)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
10-12 squash blossoms, stamens removed
10-12 tablespoons soft goat cheese (fresh ricotta would be good as well)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 200 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and a heaping 1/4 tsp. salt. Add the seltzer and stir to blend. The mixture should be the consistency of a semi-lumpy but loose pancake batter. Put about 1 tablespoon of goat cheese inside each squash blossom and twist the tops slightly to seal them.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. When a drop of batter sizzles in the pan, the oil is ready. Holding its stem end, dip a blossom into the batter. Swirl it around to coat. Drag the end of the blossom over the bowl’s edge to remove excess batter. Gently lay the blossom in the pan and repeat with 4 or 5 more blossoms, depending on the size (don’t over-crowd the pan). Cook until the blossoms are light golden-brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn the blossoms with tongs and cook until light golden-brown on the other side, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the blossoms to a rack covered with paper towels and set over a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and transfer to the oven to keep warm. Return the skillet to medium heat and repeat with the remaining blossoms.

Pita Bread and Htipiti

First of all, I would like to point out the new google search feature of my blog- it makes it a lot easier to find older recipes.  I am working on trying to figure out how to set up an index of the recipes as well...Also, if you want to subscribe to email alerts about new postings, follow the link to the google group and join.  Becoming a follower of the blog doesn't automatically give you alerts.  Thank you to everyone who has been sharing the blog with their friends and family- it is very exciting to hear from so many people who have tried some of the recipes.

So last night  I had a delicious meal at Tilth in Seattle and I loved their menu.  I especially appreciate the fact that they offer half portions of all their dishes to make it easier to try more items.  Small plates are almost always my favorite type of meal to have at restaurants because then I don't have to make as many hard decisions about my meal.  Last night I actually ended up doing the vegetarian tasting menu which I highly recommend.  My favorite item was their housemade pappardelle with fava beans, cipollini, and a sous vide egg.  I'm going to try to make some version of this very soon....

 Anyways, back to small plates.  In DC,  Zaytinia, José Andrés’ restaurant in Chinatown, has a delicious selection of Mediterranean inspired small plates.   I love going there with groups because although the items can get kind of pricey, they bring you unlimited pita bread so you never leave hungry, even if you don’t order the recommended four plates per person (which I think is a little overboard anyway).  The pita bread is amazing- especially when it first comes out of the oven.  It barely even resembles the cardboard-like equivalents that are sold in grocery stores.  Since Zaytinia’s pita bread ruined me for the store-bought alternatives, I decided to try to make my own.  I also made my favorite dip from Zaytini- htipiti (don’t ask me how to pronounce it) which is a simple blend of roasted red peppers, feta, and thyme.

Out of all the breads I have made this summer, I think that pita was the easiest.  It rises in an hour and a half and then it only takes 5 minutes to cook!  A pocket magically appears in each piece of bread and I swear the flavor was just as good as the ones from Zaytinia.  I actually had three people try the pita bread who have also been to Zaytinia and they agreed with me.  The bread was also pretty sturdy and I think the pocket would definitely hold up to being filled with sandwich or salad contents.  I want to try making wheat pitas next and I might make some kind of cucumber salad to stuff them with.   The pitas would also be a great accompaniment to grilled meats (like lamb kebabs) and yogurt sauce. 

Pita Bread

Recipe from The Fresh Loaf

makes 8 pitas

3 cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons yeast

1 ¼ cup water, at room temperature

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil, at room temperature

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients using a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball.  If it seems too dry, you may need to add a little water.

If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment and knead the dough at low speed for about 10 minutes.  If you do not have a mixer, knead it by hand (you may need to put some flour down since the dough is pretty sticky).  After kneading, place the ball in a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover it with plastic wrap and let rise until it doubles in size (1 ½ - 2 hours).

When the dough has doubled in size, punch the dough to release some of the gasses, then divide the dough into eight pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball, then cover the balls with a damp paper towel for 20 minutes to let the dough rest.  This makes it easier to roll it out. 

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 475 degrees and place a baking sheet in the oven (if you have a baking stone, this would work even better).  Using your hands or a rolling pin ( I just used my hands), flatten each ball of dough to about ¼ inch thickness.  The dough will not spread out at all in the oven but it will puff up and get thicker.  Cook the pitas on the hot surface of the baking sheet or stone for 3-5 minutes.  Mine took 5 minutes exactly.  If you want them a little crispier, leave them in longer.  Let them cool for a few minutes before you start eating them but don’t wait too long because they are best warm.

Htipiti

Inspired by Zaytinia

½ cup of roasted red peppers from a jar, roughly chopped

¼ cup feta, cubed or crumbled

1 ½ teaspoons thyme

~1 teaspoon olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until they are combined but not so much that it becomes a purée.  Its best to still have pieces of red peppers.  I don’t usually measure the olive oil so just kind of eyeball it.  The flavors together are delicious no matter what so proportions aren’t very crucial.