February Daring Cooks Challenge: A Mezze Feast

The 2010 February Daring COOKs challenge was hosted by Michele of Veggie Num Nums. Michele chose to challenge everyone to make mezze based on various recipes from Claudia Roden, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Dugid.

This month's challenge from The Daring Kitchen was perhaps favorite so far.  And I've said that before, so I am very hopeful and excited that these challenges will just be more exciting and more fun as I continue.  We were asked to create mezze - a meal of small plates based on mediterranean cuisine, a sort of tapas to reference a small plate meal that many of us are familiar with in New York City.

The menu was up the cook this month, although I was required to make pita bread and hummus, both from scratch.  These were both exciting to me, but most of all was the opportunity to use a cookbook that I received months ago and pored over enthusiastically.  That book is Joanne Weir's From Tapas to Meze - it is a journey around the Mediterranean detailing each country or region's small plate meals.  I love eating this way and eagerly planned the menu all month.

Since the challenge also coincided with Valentine's Day (and Chinese New Year, but that recipe is to come later this week), I prepared a small mezze for my husband to honor his preference for little fanfare and no gifts for this holiday. 

The Mezze Menu

• Pita Bread
• Hummus
• Falafel
• Cucumber and Yogurt Salad
• Tomato, Preserved Lemon and Red Onion Salad

It took me hours to prepare this feast which, in the end, was beautiful because it was simple and healthful and a labor of love.  I started with the sponge for the pita bread, mixing yeast and warm water and flour to get the chemistry started.  I have previously complained about my impatience and lack of typical success in baking.  Bread, however, has been kinder to me and I went forth excited and optimistically anxious.

As my sponge rested, I started the hummus using the recipe provided for us in the challenge (pita and hummus recipes below).  Since the flavor of the hummus was again up to the cook, I decided to go with a spicy roasted garlic hummus - a homemade version of the one that I always picked up in the store. I had roasted a head of garlic earlier in the day and proceeded to add about 8 cloves of the roasted garlic to my chick peas. 

Our hummus recipe encouraged us to experiment with nut butters as a replacement for tahini if we wished.  I'm not opposed to tahini and had even bought a monstrous container of it (since with the snowstorm and a busy week, FreshDirect's 16 ounce jar was the lazy cook's choice - I do know that Sahadi's is a stone's throw away and I'm slightly ashamed).  This little note about experimentation, however, got my wheelings turning.  I've been turned onto sunflower seed butter and had just enough left in my jar to use in the hummus. 

To the mix of chick peas, roasted garlic and sunflower seed butter, I also added a couple of dashes of paprika and one quick hit of cayenne for some added heat.  The rest of the recipe was left intact.  The verdict: The flavors were nice and measured, ones that I knew would work well with the chick peas.  The sunflower seed butter, however, added a density and strong flavor that overwhelmed my other ingredients at times.  I'm not sure how others faired with other substitutions, but I think tahini may be really the best choice if you want hummus.  If you want a chick pea-sunflower seed spread, it was very interesting, indeed.

I also made the two salads and falafel during this time, but in the interest of keeping things a bit shorter and sweeter than they could be, expect recipes to follow in my week of mezze posts. 

With the hummus chilling, I moved on to my pita sponge.  I added salt and olive oil, and then more flour.  My dough required a considerable amount of additional flour to get the right consistency.  Then came the fun part, some fervent kneading and another rest of about an hour and a half. 

Once the dough had gorgeously doubled in size (I really need to make yeast breads more often - it's so fun to watch the science actually work!), I punched it down and separated the dough into two halves, and then eight portions again for each half.  Each portion was flattened into a disc and rolled out into a pita-ish shape.  I found that these shapes were very elastic which, to me, was a sign of a good dough, but also meant that the 8-9 inch discs did shrink as they rested under a towel into interesting shapes.

I turned my oven into a pita-making machine - removing all the racks except the bottom one which held my beloved pizza stone.  At 450F, the oven evoked a mediterranean climate for me which gave me high hopes for the pita bread experiment.  In they went, four at a time.  I found that it took a lot longer than the 2-3 minutes for the pitas to brown and blow up, but they actually did blow up (some did at least).  And even the ones that didn't blow up tasted great as promised and still had the signature pockets inside.  More magical science at work!

It was a lovely feast with lots of leftover bread which has been serving us well as side dishes for all manner of meals.  I don't know when I'll have the time to have an all day pita-making experience again, but I will.  The taste of fresh pita out of the oven is not to be missed!

Pita Bread – Recipe adapted from Flatbreads & Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
Prep time: 20 minutes to make, 90 minutes to rise and about 45 minutes to cook

2 teaspoons regular dry yeast (.43 ounces/12.1 grams)
2.5 cups lukewarm water (21 ounces/591 grams)
5-6 cups all-purpose flour (or more, as needed) (may use a combination of 50% whole wheat and 50% all-purpose, or a combination of alternative flours for gluten free pita) (17.5 -21 ounces/497-596 grams)
1 tablespoon table salt (.50 ounces/15 grams)
2 tablespoons olive oil (.95 ounces/29 ml)

Directions:
1. In a large bread bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir to dissolve. Stir in 3 cups flour, a cup at a time, and then stir 100 times, about 1 minute, in the same direction to activate the gluten. Let this sponge rest for at least 10 minutes, or as long as 2 hours.
2. Sprinkle the salt over the sponge and stir in the olive oil. Mix well. Add more flour, a cup at a time, until the dough is too stiff to stir. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Rinse out the bowl, dry, and lightly oil. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until at least doubled in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
3. Place a pizza stone, or two small baking sheets, on the bottom rack of your oven, leaving a 1-inch gap all around between the stone or sheets and the oven walls to allow heat to circulate. Preheat the oven to 450F (230C).
4. Gently punch down the dough. Divide the dough in half, and then set half aside, covered, while you work with the rest. Divide the other half into 8 equal pieces and flatten each piece with lightly floured hands. Roll out each piece to a circle 8 to 9 inches in diameter and less than 1/4 inch thick. Keep the rolled-out breads covered until ready to bake, but do not stack.
5. Place 2 breads, or more if your oven is large enough, on the stone or baking sheets, and bake for 2 to 3 minutes, or until each bread has gone into a full balloon. If for some reason your bread doesn't puff up, don't worry it should still taste delicious. Wrap the baked breads together in a large kitchen towel to keep them warm and soft while you bake the remaining rolled-out breads. Then repeat with the rest of the dough.

Hummus – Recipe adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden
Prep Time: Hummus can be made in about 15 minutes once the beans are cooked. If you’re using dried beans you need to soak them overnight and then cook them the next day which takes about 90 minutes.

1.5 cups dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight (or substitute well drained canned chickpeas and omit the cooking) (10 ounces/301 grams)
2-2.5 lemons, juiced (3 ounces/89ml)
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
a big pinch of salt
4 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) OR use peanut butter or any other nut butter—feel free to experiment) (1.5 ounces/45 grams)
additional flavorings (optional) I would use about 1/3 cup or a few ounces to start, and add more to taste

Directions:
1. Drain and boil the soaked chickpeas in fresh water for about 1 ½ hours, or until tender. Drain, but reserve the cooking liquid.
2. Puree the beans in a food processor (or you can use a potato masher) adding the cooking water as needed until you have a smooth paste.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

Meatless Monday: Apple and Cheddar Quesadilla with Passion Wasabi Mustard

One year, I will be set up in both my larder/freezer and local food connections to take part in the Dark Days Challenge.  I'm finding some interesting ideas as I watch others follow through and trust me, locavores, I am taking notes.

For now, I take the day-by-day ingredient-by-ingredient approach to keeping things local and seasonal.  One recent lunch got me pretty close.  Upon examining the fridge and the pantry, I realized that I had New York apples, New York Cheddar and a jar of Passion Wasabi Mustard that was purchased for us locally in Hawaii.  My tortillas were from Trader Joe's, although a product of some far off place.  Altogether, not an unsuccessful impromptu local meal for a cold dark season. 

Apple and Cheddar Quesadilla with Wasabi Honey Mustard

• 2 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 tbsp Passion Wasabi Mustard (or other favorite mustard)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup freshly grated New York extra sharp cheddar
• 1 medium crisp tart apple, cored, halved and sliced 
• olive oil, in mister

1. On one tortilla, spread mustard within 1 inch of edges.  Sprinkle half of the cheese.  Top with apple slices.  Add remaining cheddar cheese and top with second tortilla.
2. Lightly mist a nonstick frying pan with olive oil and heat to warm.  Place quesadilla in pan and heat until slightly melted.  Flip and repeat. 
3. Enjoy!

Ready for Some Football: Chipotle Turkey Two Bean Chili

In order to get ready for a little football game you might have heard about, I decided it was time for some chili! This might be the furthest into cold weather that I've gone without making chili ever.  It was definitely time.  Usually, I swear by Don Henley's recipe (yes, that Don Henley) which is a real Texas chili (read: no beans) and I generally tweak it slightly depending on my mood and how healthy I am trying to be.

This fall/winter season, I've been eyeing a Black Bean & Beef Chipotle Chili recipe that looked really unique and satisfied the deep love affair I've been having with chipotle peppers.  Since I made the shepherd's pie with beef earlier this month, I figured I'd switch things up and make this chili with turkey instead.  Then it turned out that I didn't have any black beans ready to go.  So I used the technique from the first recipe, tweaked it in accordance with Don Henley's recipe (no chili is complete without beer for me now...) and then added my own flair.  And so tonight, a new recipe is born.

One word of warning - my preparation is pretty spicy, even for us.  Adjust the chili powder and chipotles and use regular tomatoes to make it more your style.

And on a personal note, my philosophy of supporting everything local was obviously thwarted this year.  My football philosophy, however, is this - when in doubt, root for a Manning! It works for me.  Go Colts!

Chipotle Turkey Two Bean Chili

• 2 15 ounce cans kidney beans, drained and well rinsed
• 1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and well rinsed
• 1 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes with green chilis
• 2 medium chipotle peppers plus 1 1/2 tbsp adobo sauce
• 1 lb extra lean ground turkey
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, minced, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 3 tsp cumin
• 1 bottle of beer
• 1 lime
• 4 tsp cilantro
• 1 medium ripe avocado

1. Place 1/3 of the bean mixture in the food processor along with the tomatoes and chipotle peppers and process until smooth. Set aside.
2. Heat oil over medium heat in a large stock pot or dutch oven.  Cook turkey until no longer pink.  Remove from pot with slotted spoon.
3. Add 1/2 of onion and all garlic into pot and cook until fragrant and softened, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add cumin and chili powder and cook quickly, about 20 seconds.  Immediately add bean mixture, remaining beans, turkey and 1/2 bottle of beer (drink the rest!).
5. Simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes or until ready to eat. Keep an eye on the thickness if you continue to simmer.  This is a very thick chili.  If it's too thick, add more beer and open yourself another!
6. While simmering, place avocado, half the cilantro and remaining onion in bowl for avocado topping.  Squeeze half of the lime into the avocado and the other half into the chili. Add remaining cilantro to the chili.
7. Grate cheddar cheese to serve as an additional topping if you choose.

Clean Eating Comfort Food: Shepherd's Pie with Buttermilk-Chive Mashed Potato Crust

I've been doing a lot of indulgent cooking, but I have strayed from my commitment to indulgently healthy cooking.  I don't think those two have to be mutually exclusive.  I also generally disagree with the movement to use food-like substances to recreate indulgent favorites as lower calorie meals.  Enter Clean Eating.  I love this magazine.  I love what they stand for.  I have committed myself to turn to it more often this year for specific recipes and to reinforce the Clean Eating philosophy whenever I cook.

This week, I made the Shepherd's Pie from the Comfort Food issue.  I made it somewhat less healthy by using 85/15 organic grass-fed beef instead of ground turkey, but I've been craving beef recently so I went with it.  I also substituted butternut squash for the carrots because I had some extra squash to use up. Finally, I upped the garlic because rarely does a recipe meet my hands without some extra garlic thrown in to the mix.

In general, I really liked this recipe.  It was filling and comforting and still tasted clean.  My husband made his usual critique - it would taste better with curry powder or Asian spices of some kind.  It is not spicy, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have nice flavor.  I may try an Asian-inspired version to complement my meat loaf one of these days, but for now, this recipe will do.

 Clean Eating Shepherd's Pie  with Buttermilk-Chive Mashed Potato Crust (adapted from Clean Eating Magazine)

• 1 lb Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, whole, plus 1 clove garlic minced, divided
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil, to taste
• 1 lb organic grass-fed ground beef (or lean ground turkey breast)
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 butternut squash, chopped (or 3 medium carrots, halved and sliced into half moons)
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3/4 cup frozen peas

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Bring potatoes and whole garlic cloves to boil in a pot of water set over high heat. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well.  Mash potatoes and garlic with a potato masher (or your favorite mashing device) until smooth.  Add buttermilk and chives and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Set aside.
3. While water is boiling, heat 1 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add beef or turkey and cook, stirring often and breaking meat into small pieces with wooden spoon.  Cook until just done, about 8 minutes. Drain and discard fat, set aside.
4. Heat 2 tsp oil in same skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, squash, celery and rosemary and cook until soft, stirring occasionally.  Add reserved meat, broth and tomato paste and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Stir in peas.
5. Transfer mixgture to a shallow 2-quart baking dish and cover with mashed potatoes in an even layer.  Run a fork over top of mashed potatoes in both directions or swirl with the back of a spoon.  Brush top with remaining 1 tsp oilve oil.
6. Bake in oven until filling is bubbling and top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Meatless Monday: Red Wine Risotto with Peas

I love red wine risotto.  My husband does not.  So, when he ran off for the weekend with the boys, I settled in to indulge myself.  I have a few versions of this recipe that I like to make, one being Giada De Laurentiis' version and another being a variation with chorizo.  In a quest to make it a bit lighter and a good meatless option (not to mention my lack of chorizo on a cold evening), I used another favorite Giada risotto recipe as a base, her Champagne risotto, and came up with a nice and easy version that gave me a dinner and a lunch for my weekend home with the pup.

Note on cooking with red wine: the maxim is true - recipes taste best with a wine you would drink rather than some cheap cooking wine.  However, in a pinch, I keep the remains of a drinking bottle of wine vacuum sealed in the fridge to use in recipes.  It is not ideal, but I find it works for me since I use splashes of wine in my cooking often enough to keep the bottle relatively fresh (a little red wine makes even a jar of marinara sparkle).

Red Wine Risotto with Peas (adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)

• 3 cups mushroom broth or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup Arborio rice
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Bring chicken stock to a simmer on the back of the stove.
2. Melt butter in saucepan.  Add garlic and shallot and cook until fragrant.
3. Add Arborio rice and toss to completely coat the rice in butter mixture.
4. Add red wine and stir constantly until wine has reduced almost completely.
5. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock and stir constantly until reduced almost completely.  Continue with remaining broth in 1/2 cup portions.
6. When rice is soft with just a touch of chewy texture, add peas, cheese and seasoning.  Garnish with additional cheese if desired (I pretty much always desire).  Serve and try not to eat both servings all by yourself!