Fake Tuna Sandwich

Ok so we all know about fake meat products. They are all some weird smashed soy stuff with food coloring (or in the case of Quorn: mycoprotein translates into fungal sludge).  I know, I eat the stuff and I genuinely like it. However, I like this better: real food. This is how I made fake tuna sandwiches out of real food.

Combine equal proportions of cooked chickpeas* and artichoke hearts (canned or frozen but probably don't want do use marinated as it will change the taste and texture). Pulse in a food processor until the consistency is like tuna from a can. Then add other stuff you like: mayo, green onions, white onion, pickle relish, lemon juice, salt and pepper for me. You could do it like a chicken salad too and add grapes and walnuts. Get creative. Then I just spread it on some nice sourdough bread with crisp romaine leaves and ripe tomato.  It hit the spot. It has protein like tuna and a lot of fiber. I served it with an Israeli couscous asparagus salad on the side.

*I always buy dry beans and soak them overnight. After I boil in salted water, drain and rinse them, I let them cool to room temperature. Then I put them in a large freezer bag and lay flat in the freezer. This gives me a lot of beans on hand to use and they are a lot better than those from a can.

**For this recipe you could also use white beans.

Indian Pizza

I had this great idea for making Indian inspired pizza. I thought about it for a week and knew it would be a lot of work. I did it over the course of two days. I make the homemade paneer and marinated the Quorn chicken tandori on the first day. On day two I made the chutney and pizza dough. I also make lemon pickle swiss chard but found that the pizza was better without it. For the dough I used Fleishman's pizza yeast which does not require doubling time. I just followed the recipe exactly as written on the package. I could have made naan bread to be more Indian but I was looking for a short cut time-wise. I suppose I could have bought naan.

Indian Tandoori Chik'n Pizza

serves 4 (or 2 hungry bears)

Dough made according the package instruction or you can use my dough recipe here.

I always precook my dough. Usually I do this on the grill but I did it in a pan this time. I brushed it lightly with olive oil and cooked both sides on medium heat until bubbles formed.

For the paneer:

1/4 gallon milk

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (lime juice or vinegar would work as well)

cheese cloth

Place the milk in a heavy bottom sauce pan and bring to a boil. Then add lemon juice. The milk will form curds and whey. When your whey is greenish and thin it's time to strain. Tie your cheese cloth around the ball of curds and hang above the sink for 30 minutes to an hour. (As you can see I could not find my cheesecloth, so I found a shirt with open weave like a cheese cloth and made it work. It's kind of funny.) Then I pressed mine into a plastic container and put it in the refrigerator overnight. This helped to make it more firm. When it was time to use I cut it into cubes.

Making it work!

For the chutney:

1 bunch cilantro

2 hot peppers, serrano or jalapeno

1 handful shelled pistachios (I guess this is about 1/4 cup)

2 tablespoons lemon juice or to taste

salt to taste

Blend it!

For the tandoori chik'n:

1/2 bag Quorn chicken pieces

1/2 cup plain yogurt

Tandoori spice and paprica (enough to get the red color you desire for me this was about 1/4-1/3 cup)

Just mix this together and pop it into the refrigerator to marinated for however long you have. Mine marinated for 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. When it was time to assemble  I smeared the chutney onto the dough, placed the paneer and marinated "chicken" on my pizza. I let it cook for about 25 minutes if memory serves me correctly.

In retrospect the chutney lost it's acidity in cooking so I would probably change the recipe by cooking the dough and chicken in the oven on their own, then assembling all of the ingredients. Paneer doesn't really melt anyway so it doesn't need to be cooked in the oven. The other option would be to make the tandoori marinade as your sauce instead of marinating your chicken with it. I think I might try to make a saag paneer pizza or a madras mixed vegetable curry pizza.... mmmm.

How to make enchiladas

I have been making enchiladas for a few year but have only been making them well for about a year. It took a lot of toying with because they often just turned out so squishy. Being from Texas this simply would not work. 

Spinach and Mushroom Enchiladas Verdes

serves 4

12 ounces mushrooms (I used shitake because that is what I have)

12 ounces fresh or frozen spinach

8 ounces light cream cheese (I used Laughing Cow light)

10 tortillas

1 jar tomatillo sauce (or make your own)

oil for frying

shredded cheese for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in pan for tortillas. Cook down sliced mushrooms in oil. Then wilt the spinach or defrost if using frozen. Mix spinach and mushrooms with cream cheese. Place a tortilla in oil and cook on each side for about 5-10 seconds, until slightly puffed and soft fried. Then place tortilla in pan and spoon filling into it to fill it about 1/3 way. Roll, preferably using tongs. Do this with each tortilla. Then cover with tamatillo sauce and top with cheese. Put in oven for 25 minutes. Ta-da!

This is just the basic way to make enchiladas and can be used to make any number of combinations. I served mine with avocado and tomato salad.

First time making arancini

So I've never made arancini (pronounced like the name Aaron and then Chiny). Arancini are rice balls stuffed with cheese and fried. I had spinach artichoke and mushroom risotto leftover and decided to make this. I stuffed the arancini with goat cheese. I also made a grilled romaine salad to go on the side. Details below...

Leftover Risotto Arancini (with grilled romaine salad)

serves 3-4

2 cups leftover risotto

1 egg

enough breadcrumbs to thicken (I made fresh breadcrumbs and used about 1 cup)

-my risotto was very wet and I had to add about 4 tablespoons of flour to dry it up enough

 2 ounces of goat cheese (or other cheese, if using hard cheese cube it)

Oil for frying (about an inch in the pan)

 1 more egg for egg wash

flour to roll arancini 

more breadcrumbs to roll arancini in

2 heads of romaine plus whatever else you like in your salad 

Vinaigrette dressing

First heat your oil in a fry pan over medium heat. Get 3 shallow bowls and place flour in one, equal parts egg and water in one (mixed like scrambled eggs) and breadcrumbs in the next. Then grab a handful of risotto. (This part is messy.) Make a pocket in your risotto and place a small amount of cheese into the risotto ball. My hand is small and it makes about an ice cream scoop full. Place ball in flour and roll. Then put it in the egg wash. Then roll the ball in breadcrumbs. Place into the hot oil. Cook for about 2 minutes per side (until golden) and turn. Cook on all sides until golden brown.

For the salad I just cut a head of romaine in half and brush with vinaigrette. I grill the lettuce halves until I get char marks. Do not flip. chop the lettuce. Add whatever else you like in your salad. I put hearts of palm, tomato, cucumber, cannellini beans and red onions. Toss and add salt to taste.

Green Onion Blinis with Roasted Red Pepper Relish and Goat Cheese Cream

This is my entry for Ready, Set, Cook! on Food.com sponsored by Simply Potatoes.

Vote for me by giving a five star rating here: http://www.food.com/recipe/green-onion-blinis-with-red-pepper-relish-and-goat-cheese-474694

I also have another recipe submission here: http://www.food.com/recipe/indian-potato-cakes-aloo-tikki-with-cilantro-chutney-yogurt-474699

Little bites of creamy potato pancakes with tart goat cheese and sweet red pepper relish.... yum!

Green Onion Blinis with Roasted Red Pepper Relish and Goat Cheese Cream
makes approximately 1 dozen

2/3 cup Simply Potatoes mashed potatoes
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 egg
1 large green onion, chopped into small pieces
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon light sour cream
2-3 tablespoons milk

1 large red bell pepper (or used jar of roasted red bell pepper)

2 oz soft goat cheese
1/3 cup light sour cream
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
salt, to taste

dill sprigs (for garnish)

Turn the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil your bell pepper on all sides. I like to cut mine in half and put them on foil lined baking sheet, cut side down. Bake until skin is blackened and loose. Allow pepper to cool and peel skin. Chop into very small pieces (like pickle relish).

Whip the soft goat cheese, sour cream and lemon juice in a smooth consistency. Add salt to taste. Set in the refrigerator.

Heat a nonstick griddle or pan to medium heat. Mix the Simply Potatoes mashed potatoes, flour, egg, baking powder, and sour cream to a smooth consistency. Add enough milk to make a pancake like batter. Mix in the green onions. (No need to salt the batter as Simply Potatoes is already seasoned unless you wish to.) Spoon one tablespoon of batter onto pan, as many as you can handle at one time. When bubbles form then pop, flip the pancake. Cook each side to golden brown.

To plate your blinis, top with a dollop of goat cheese cream and a small amount of roasted red pepper relish and a sprig of dill. Enjoy!

I (Almost) Did It Salsa! -or- The Best Burnt Salsa

There is a restaurant in San Antonio, Texas called Guajillo's. It is this amazing Oaxacan place with fabulous mole. They also have the most amazing salsa. It is lick the bowl good. I have tried to make it several time. I know it has guajillo chilies which are responsible for the vibrant orange color. It also has a good helping of lime juice and a lot of heat. 

The other day I came very close to making it completely on accident. I was going to make a salsa negra and I did not cook/burn the tomatoes long enough. When I saw that familiar orange color I added fresh ground guajillo chilies and it was really close to that salsa that I love. 

Almost Guajillo's Salsa

makes about a cup

2large slicing tomatoes

2 medium jalapenos (mine were pretty mild honestly)

3 cloves garlic (I had roasted garlic on hand so I used that)

1/4  red onion

2 tablespoon fresh ground guajillo peppers (if you don't have these peppers the salsa is still good without them)

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons cilantro

salt, to taste

oil for coating veggies

Burn, Baby, Burn!

Turn on the broiler. Slice the tomatoes in half in which ever direction give you the most surface area. Coat the tomatoes, onions, garlic and jalapenos. Place the tomatoes cut side up. Put the vegetables in the broiler. For salsa negra you would wait until the tops of the tomato looked like charcoal. For this recipe they were about half charcoal. When they come out place everything in the food processor together. I like mine a bit more processed than most people. Add salt to taste. 

Pizza Perfect

On our first Valentine's Day together Eric decided that we should make pizza together. This was my first time making pizza from scratch. He bought a bag of semolina flour with a recipe on the back. It took forever, but by the time we got done it was soooo good. (Plus we were slightly tipsy from the wine, which always makes pizza better.) Over the years I have tried so many ways of making pizza crust, from pizza specific yeasts, different flours, even adding veggies in them like spinach and tomato purees instead of water. This post will be just about how to make the dough. Yes, I made my sauce but you can use any sauce and any toppings once you have great crust. 

Pizza Crust Dough

makes four 12 inch crusts

2.5 cups all purpose flour plus extra

3/4 cup very warm water (Make it the temperature you like in the shower. Yeast like it too.)

2 packages rapid rise yeast (can use regular yeast but this will require that you "bloom" it first.)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

If you have a stand mixer put the dough hook on it and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Put the flour in the bowl. Stir in the salt and yeast. Start the mixer and add your warm water and olive oil. You may have to scrape the loose flour from the sides and knead it by hand once or twice so it will all get incorporated. You will have to add more flour slowly after you get the general mixture together. I had to add almost a whole cup this time. It will depend on how dry the flour and the air are really. Stop when you get to the point where it is not sticking to the sides or bottom of the bowl but is also not to the point of breaking apart. Turn mixer up to 2 or 4 and let knead for 10-15 minutes to develop the protein. This makes the crust more chewy than flaky. 

Then spray or coat your dough ball with oil. Cover bowl with a towel and let sit in a warm place for one and a half hours, or until it at least doubles in size. I put mine on these floor vents in the house (registers) if I am running the heat or in a sunny window if it is summer time. 

After doubling, use your hand to score the dough ball in quarters. Remove one quarter. Dust a surface with more flour, semolina or cornmeal, and roll your dough. The best way to get a circle is to just roll, turn a slight bit and roll again. Repeat until you get your circle. If it's not perfect, you can take the base of your hand and give it a little tug to stretch out small sections. Rolling takes practice. If you mess up just make it into a ball again and start over (or just eat strangely shaped pizzas). 

I know it looks like naan, but believe me it is not.

I always precook my crust because I had too many experiences with soggy centers, which will always happen if you like lots of sauce and lots of toppings unless you precook. I usually grill mine first, which involves preheating the grill and brushing the dough with oil. You can also precook in the oven. Just cook each side on the rack directly until you see large bubbles form. 

Now you can top your pizza however you like. This time I used homemade tomato-roasted garlic sauce, a mixture of grueyere, fontina and smoked gouda, mushrooms, artichoke and bells peppers (all precooked in a saute pan). 

Pizza is fun and you can do anything with it. The hardest but most rewarding part is the crust. Hopefully some of these tips help you in your pizza making adventures.