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Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Archives for April 2010

Moroccan Preserved Lemons

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Lemons, Lemons, Lemons

When life hands you lemons, do as the Moroccans do, and preserve them!

The truth is that there are few things in life I love more than a bowl full of lemons. They’re such a beautiful, versatile fruit- zest them, juice them, slice them up thin… I can think of a dozen things I can do with a fresh lemon right off the top of my head. And one of those things is to preserve them.

If you’ve never cooked with preserved lemons, be forewarned: you’re likely to become addicted, seeking out their singular goodness in every stew you make from hereon out. Yes, they’re that good. And so easy to make!

Homemade Moroccan Preserved Lemons

You’ll need a lot of lemons, the number of which depend on the size of your container. My husband and I purchased a large glass jar for this, but any airtight container should do. I recommend glass, ceramic or stone- not plastic or metal.

Scrub the lemons clean, then quarter them, but make sure to leave them attached on one side, sort of like a blooming flower. Sprinkle each lemon generously with sea salt, rock salt, pickling salt or kosher salt. Don’t use fine table salt.

Pack the lemons tightly into the container, adding spices if you like (totally optional)- examples would be bay leaves, a cinnamon stick, some coriander seeds… whatever you like.

Or leave them plain. Which is what I like.

You want to push the lemons down constantly so they release their juices, and ultimately become completely covered in their own juices. You can also squeeze some more lemon juice on top of this.

Keep in a cool, dark place (I am forced to use the refrigerator). They will be ready in about a month.

Halabos na Hipon, or The Tastiest Steamed Shrimp Ever

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Shrimp

Fresh shrimp is one of those things that I’d rather not do “too much” to. Like a good steak or some organic free-range chicken, it’s an ingredient I like to really taste. And it’s pricey enough.

To me, shrimp doesn’t get much tastier than this: Halabos na Hipon, a Filipino dish my husband and I (and every FIlipino I know) grew up with, is fresh shrimp at its most basic: steamed in its own juices. These are usually served unpeeled on large platters, with or without a dipping sauce, meant to be peeled with your fingers and popped in your mouth as you chatter away.

Its one of my favorite memories of Family Sunday lunches… and my fingers always smelled shrimpy for days after, despite constant hand-washing.

Shrimp cooked this way, without even water to dilute its natural flavor, is unbelievably tasty. You will love it.

Filipino Halabos na Hipon

1 kilo fresh shrimp
1 whole head garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
vegetable oil

Wash and clean the shrimp, but don’t peel. Combine in a large saucepan with garlic, onion and seasonings. Cover and cook over medium heat. Stir once or twice to make sure the shrimp is nice and wet (from its own juices!) and not sticking to the pan. You want to cook it for 5 minutes tops. Then sprinkle some oil around, saute a bit, and serve.

*Note: I realize that instructions like “sprinkle some oil around” and “saute a bit” are not exactly good recipe speak. But Filipino cooking is like that- delicious recipes passed on by teaching.

Make It Yourself: Lemon Meringue Pie

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Mmm… pie. Is there anything a slice of pie won’t fix? I’ve always felt that pie- good pie- is one of the best man-made inventions ever. I’m particularly fond of cold pie- taken straight from the chiller, often sans plate, eaten directly from the pie pan with a fork or spoon.

I know, I know. I can’t help it, though- pie does this to me. Especially great pie, like this dream of a Lemon Meringue Pie.

Have you ever had homemade Lemon Meringue Pie? It’s life-changing. But only if you really, really like lemons. And I do.

And here’s the thing: Lemon Meringue Pie seems like it’s a difficult thing to make from scratch. Its beautiful billowy gorgeousness can make it look like it’s made by a pro, but I promise you, this is one of the easiest pies there is. Especially if you start with store-bought frozen pie-crust.

Gorgeous Lemon Meringue Pie

For Lemon Layer:
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

For Meringue Layer:
4 egg whites
1 pinch cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar

1 (9-inch) pre-baked pie shell

Preheat your oven to 375F. You want to preheat for at least 15 minutes.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk egg yolks. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, water, sugar, and salt, whisking to combine. Put over medium heat, and- while stirring frequently with a wooden spoon- bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and SLOWLY whisk this hot mixture into your bowl of egg yolks. You’re tempering here, so do it slowly. You don’t want scrambled eggs.

*At this point, you want to make your meringue, so you can put it over the filling while the latter is still hot. In your mixer bowl, combine egg whites and cream of tartar. Beat until soft peaks form, then gradually add sugar, and continue beating to stiff, glossy, beautiful peaks.

Return the lemon filling mixture to the saucepan, put over LOW heat, and stir constantly for about a minute. Remove, and stir in butter, lemon juice and zest. Pour into pie shell, and top with meringue. Make sure you spread the meringue well to the edges of the crust (no holes!)

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden.

Stir Fried Beef & Vegetables

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Yes, I was the genius who decided to paint our kitchen red. It was October when we moved in, so I hadn’t yet experienced what it would be like cooking in a red kitchen during the summer.

Now I know. When it’s scorching hot outside, it’s even hotter in our red kitchen. And that’s when I don’t have my two ovens going.

Which is why I prefer to spend the least amount of time in the kitchen when preparing our meals. And that means quick food, dishes that can be completed in under ten minutes, after which I can run to the blissful temperature of our airconditioned home office.

This beef and vegetable stir fry- especially if made with pre-cut vegetables- is exactly that. Quick, hearty, and delicious.

Flash in the Pan Beef & Vegetable Stir Fry

500g beef, thinly sliced (I like skirt steak, but any good steak with nice marbling will do)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled & thinly sliced
1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 cups veg of your choice, in 2″ slices (I like snow peas, asparagus or string beans… but whatever floats your boat)
vegetable oil (I ♥ Sunflower, but Canola or Palm is just fine)
soy sauce
sesame oil

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Add one tablespoon vegetable oil, and the sliced beef. Stir fry by – um- stirring and frying for about a minute and a half, two minutes tops. You do not want to overcook the beef! Remove from pan, and set aside.

Add another tablespoon of vegetable oil to the hot wok (or skillet), and add the garlic and ginger. Stir fry quickly, less than a minute, then add all the rest of the vegetables. Stir fry around 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, combine with cooked beef… aaaand you’re done.

Serve with plain steamed rice, or- and this is how we’ve been rolling lately- some boiled, fluffy Quinoa.

Roasted Eggplants are Heaven

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A revelation, that’s what they were.

See, my husband and I are blessed with the best relatives ever – our family members like to send us fresh fruit and vegetables regularly, and recently we received a particularly large bag of eggplant. After two (delicious) dinners of Eggplant Parmigiana, as well as a couple of stir-fries involving eggplant, we decided we might as well try throwing them on the grill when we were firing up some hotdogs yesterday.

Well. No one told us how eggplant, when roasted over hot coals, magically transforms into one of the most delicious, indescribable vegetables ever. Needless to say, we barely touched our hotdogs, swooning instead over our hot barbecued eggplants like they were caviar and foie gras.

If you haven’t tried roasting your eggplants over an outdoor grill, please please do. It’s really simple. Here’s what you need:

4 medium-sized eggplants
extra virgin olive oil
barbecue skewers or sticks
kosher salt

Fire up your grill until the coals are hot. Salt and thoroughly dry the eggplants. Insert on skewers, and brush with extra virgin olive oil. Grill over hot coals until soft and cooked through.

Peel and enjoy the soft, smooth, amazing flesh.

Salted Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream

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Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Photo from rosy outlook

Those of you who love the divine combination of salty and sweet can rejoice: this frosting, which is rich yet light and sweet yet not cloyingly so, is what you’ve been looking for. It’s Swiss Meringue Buttercream, delicious all on its own, but made amazing with some salted caramel.

The latter adds a new dimension to the frosting, and for that reason I suggest pairing the buttercream with a cake of a simple flavor. Our favorite Vanilla Cupcake recipe, for example- or, if you’re feeling particularly decadent, a dark and dense Chocolate Cake. It works well on cupcakes, but is just as lovely to fill and frost a regular 2-layer cake (which is about how much this recipe makes).

Salty-Sweet Salted Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Think the name is a mouthful? Wait until you try this buttercream.
First, you want to make the salted caramel, which might be daunting if you’ve never made caramel sauce before. But don’t fear. Check out my past post on making perfect caramel, and apply the same technique.

Salted Caramel
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup heavy cream
generous pinch of sea salt

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan. Over low heat, swirl the pan gently (don’t mix, don’t touch with a spoon or implement of any kind). You just want the sugar dissolved. Once its dissolved, bring the heat up to about medium, and continue swirling every once in a while until it reaches a dark amber. Remove from heat, and slowly pour in the cream, stirring with a whisk. The mixture will spatter, but just be careful and all will come together beautifully. Add sea salt. Set aside until cooled and gorgeous… while you make the

Swiss Meringue Buttercream
3 large egg whites
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 sticks salted butter

In the bowl of your electric mixer (stand or hand, but stand is infinitely easier), combine sugar, egg whites and cream of tartar. Set over a large saucepan of simmering water, and constantly whisk (unless you want scrambled eggs. Sweet scrambled eggs.) until sugar is dissolved, and mixture is nice and frothy and white. I use a candy thermometer, because I’m O.C., and bring it to about 160F.

Remove from heat, give the bottom of the bowl a good wipe, attach your stand/hand mixer, and beat on high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the mixture is glossy and holds stiff but NOT dry peaks.

Add butter in tablespoons. Note how your mixture looks curdled (if the butter was cold), and sally forth. It will come together, and give you the most glorious, billowy buttercream.

If the room is warm, it’s a hot day, or your butter wasn’t cold, the mixture may look melted and gloopy even after a few minutes of mixing. If so, take your bowl and stick it in the fridge for about ten minutes. Then re-whip.

Beat the Heat Mexican Bean Dip

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The temperature has been unforgiving, and when it’s this hot, the last thing I want to eat is something rich and steamy. When the weather’s this hot, it calls for something light yet filling and delicious- like this Mexican Bean Dip.

Now, there are, without a doubt, quite a few heavy bean dip recipes out there. Not this one. This one is light and refreshing and vegetarian.

Oh, and it goes perfectly with an ice-cold Margarita. Or a Tequila Mojito.

You’ll want to serve this with good corn chips. A brand like Tostitos will do in a pinch, but if you can get something more authentic from your local Mexican grocery, it’s worth it. Mmm… chips and dips always makes me feel like partying.

Mexican Bean Dip
1 package taco seasoning
2 16 oz. cans refried beans
1 16 oz. jar salsa
1 16 oz. container sour cream
1/2 cup leeks, green onions or spring onions, chopped
1 large fresh tomato, chopped
2 ripe avocados, diced
2 cups shredded cheese (I am partial to Monterey Jack, but Cheddar is good too)
1 4 oz. can sliced black olives
2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
tortilla chips (to serve with dip)

In a medium bowl, combine taco seasoning and sour cream. Refrigerate, and let chill for about 30 minutes.
In a saucepan, mix together refried beans and salsa. Heat on medium just until nice and hot. Set aside to cool.
Spread the cooled beans and salsa mixture in a large lasagna pan (or something similar). Spread sour cream and taco seasoning mixture over this. Then make your layers: cheese, olives, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced avocados, and green onions.

And that’s it! Serve with tortilla chips, and the aforementioned cocktails.

Cauliflower Bake

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The husband and I are back doing low-carb, which means that our vegetable bin is full of cauliflower again. When rice is so much a part of your culture, as it is with us, finding a good rice substitute when you’re low-carbing is essential. And cauliflower, which is perfectly creamy and bland, contains only 14 grams of carbs for a medium-sized head.

I’ve made it like couscous, grating raw cauliflower then lightly sauteing it, but lately it’s been far too hot to spend time in front of a stove, so we’ve been oven-roasting our cauliflower. Here’s how:

Oven Baked Cauliflower

1 medium head of cauliflower
3 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and minced
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Squeeze of fresh lemon
Salt & Pepper
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375F. Bring some water to a boil.

Prepare cauliflower by cutting into florets, blanching for 5 minutes in boiling water, and straining.

Lay cauliflower in a baking dish. In the dish, add garlic, lemon juice, and about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss together, and sprinkle with salt and pepper and parmesan cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until very light brown.

Delicious with roast chicken or pork chops- or any other low-carb dish of your choice.