Thank-ya Solyanka

The Lowdown:

There were two reasons that I wanted to start wasting my time with this blog. One was to prove Kristy wrong. If you get to know me, you'll soon understand that this is a common theme in my life. I once ate an entire pack of expired bacon just because my lovely girlfriend said I couldn't. Well, I did... and paid dearly (Kristy can tell you all about it as it effected her birthday). But the point is that I did it! Proving a point is much more important than the consequences that follow. 

Secondly, it was an excellent way to expand my repertoire. Obviously it expanded my repertoire of recipes and cooking techniques (not to mention useless dishes and place settings... ugh). But an unforeseen result of this blog is the expansion of my musical repertoire. Often while I'm writing these posts I'll throw on youtube and search for a song, any song, that happens to come to mind. Then, I'll listen to the recommended songs on the sidebar. Often, I'll put these in the posts. I'm sure you've noticed.

To continue on with that tradition, Wyclef Jean - Knockin on Heaven's Door, is a great place to start. It suits the theme of this post, as it is a remake of Bob Dylan's classic hit. Likewise, on our schedule, this week's post is a remake of another blogger's recipe. Yes, I've actually started following the schedule.

Being that summer has seemed to have forgotten about Victoria, I was craving a cold weather favourite. For me, this is usually soup. Then I remembered a soup that my Nan once made a while back. Dill pickles in soup? I'd thought she'd surely become senile (I'm still not fully convinced that she isn't). But as it turned out, I loved it. Who'd know that tomatoes, dill pickles, and onion would make a delicious soup (other than the hundreds of millions of people who have enjoyed solyanka before me).

If any of you are interested in other Eastern European dishes, or the original post that this came from, you can find it at russianchef.blogspot.ca. If any of you are interested in another amazing remake, check out Wyclef Jean - Wish You Were Here. This is, in my opinion, is an amazing remake of one of Pink Floyd's greatest songs. Most of the time you hear a cover, it sounds as if the artist is just trying to make easy money off of another artist's hit. However, Wyclef's covers seem as if they are paying homage to great artists that have since been forgotten by the majority of today's people, while adding his spin on modern issues. I hope I can pay the same sort of homage to solyanka. Enjoy.

The Playlist:

500g Meat (I used leftover turkey, but any mixture of meat is good).
6-8 Tomatoes, chopped*
2 cups Pickles, chopped
1 Onion, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 Lemon, juiced*
1 tbsp Honey (sugar if you don't have honey)*
2 Bay leaves*
2 tbsp Parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup Canola oil
750ml Water
Salt & Pepper, to taste

OPTIONAL - Vegetarian:
1 Carrot, chopped
1/4 head Cabbage, chopped
1 Potato, cubed

*A can of tomato sauce can be used in place of these ingredients.

The Skinny:

1. In sauce pan: stew tomatoes with bay leaves, parsley, lemon juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cook on a low simmer for 20 minutes (I mashed mine). Alternatively, you could used a can of tomato sauce to save time.
2. In frying pan: brown onions, garlic, and meat in oil.
3. In large pot: bring water to a boil.
4. While water is heating, combine onions, meat, pickles, and tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Put mixture into boiling water, cover, and remove from heat. Allow to set for 10 minutes.
6. Serve warm.

Featured on: Chef in Training, 33 Shades of Green, Premeditated Leftovers, Spain in Iowa, Food Renegades, This Chick Cooks, Lady Behind the Curtain, What's Cooking Love,  

Stay Rad -h

RPI: MIssion Espresso - Tiramisu

Last night was the most fun I've had in as long as I can remember.

No, not that kind of fun. I wish. 

No, I don't wish. This was better. This was joyous! And phenomenal! And just. plain. epic.

Oh yes - epic. I'm not exaggerating. Last night was absolutely life changing. 

Last night.... I saw Fred Penner. No wait. I experienced Fred Penner.

Do you know who Fred Penner is? You should. He's a beloved and monarch honoured Canadian children's entertainer. His era was in the mid eights - late nineties and he brought musical joy to millions of Canadian children on his television show Fred Penner's Place. These days, he tours the bar scene and does the same thing for the same people, only 15-20 years older.

Who woulda' known that songs like The Cat Came Back, or Sandwiches, or I Had a Rooster, or my personal favourite, Puff the Magic Dragon could elicit such a positive response from so many grown adults. If you can call University kids adults.

Seriously. This guy is either the most generous, kind, and altruistic man that has ever lived... Or he's sure cashing in on a nostalgic gaping wound that has embedded itself in the souls of Canadian University students. 

Did I also mention I got a t-shirt....? And had it signed....? 

Thank you Fred!!!

And now, something to make your little mouth sing: RPI mission - espresso!

I toiled for a bit as to whether I should make a drink or something savory. But after sending out some feelers on Twitter the response was over-whelming: Tiramisu. I know, it seems like the obvious choice for espresso. And it was, which was why I was avoiding it to begin with. But after eating it, I realized there's a reason why the obvious choice is the obvious choice. Because it's fucking good. 

Classic Tiramisu

adapted from Guy Fieri

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

 2 C Strongly Brewed Coffee, cooled off.

4-5 Ounces Kahlua (boozy = good!).

3 Egg Yolks.

1 3/4 C Whipping Cream.

1/2 C Sugar.

2 C Mascarpone Cheese.

36 to 42 Lady Finger Cookies.

2 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder.

1/4 C Good Quality Shaved Bittersweet Chocolate (optional).

What to Do:

Combine the coffee and the booze in a bowl and set aside.

Bring to a boil a small saucepan with 2 inches of water in it over high heat. Place a glass bowl over the top of the pot to act as a double boiler and add the egg yolks and 1/2 C of the whipping cream. Whisk continually until mixture coats the back of a spoon - approx 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat and continue whisking for a further 3-4 minutes as it cools. Set aside to cool completely - about 15 to 20 minutes.

Once cooled, in a larger bowl add the remaining whipping cream, prepared yolk mixture, and sugar and beat until soft peaks form. 

*Now, I did this for 30 minutes and it still wouldn't firm up! Not sure why - either way my tiramisu turned out spectacular. If you have any idea why it didn't work (I had a very cold bowl and even put a bag of peas underneath it to help keep it cold) please let me know!

Add the mascarpone cheese and combine well.

Now assemble! Measure out how many lady fingers will fit in the bottom of you pan. I used a 9 X 9 baking dish though the original recipe calls for 9 X 13. Your choice. Now that you know how the cookies will fit in the dish, dip each one briefly on both sides in the coffee/boozy mixture. Place back in the pan. 

After the first layer of cookies are in the pan, spread half the mascarpone mixture over the cookies and sprinkle with half the cocoa powder. Repeat starting with the cookies dipping in the coffee. 

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or even better, over night.

If desired, shave the chocolate over the top just before serving. Cut into squares, and serve.

Eat.

This post is linked up with This Chick Cooks; Cast Party Wednesday; Simple Lives Thursday; Full Plate Thursday; Tastetasic Thursday; Fight Back Friday; Fresh Bites Friday; Seasonal Inspiration Saturday; Seasonal Celebration Sunday; The Hearth and Soul Blog Hop via The 21st Century Housewife; Tasty Tuesdays; Slightly Indulgent Tuesday; Tuesday Talent Show.

Braising Greens & Caramelized Onion Tacos

Anyone who spends any time perusing food blogs or magazines or sometimes even friend's recipe boxes has a list.

You know what I'm talking about.

A collection of an absurd amount of recipes that our eyes spot and our taste buds dare us to make. And then eat. Regardless of fat content, complexity, or time intensiveness. We want those dishes. 

Some of them get made. Others lay quietly in wait. I currently have over 300 bookmarked, heaps pinned, and even more dog-eared. Well, dear taste buds...

...Challenge accepted!

I've been meaning to make this recipe for a while now, especially with the amount of braising greens we're getting from our CSA (community supported agriculture) box. A girl can only cook them this way so many times. 

If you read my other blog, you've heard of Sam @ Cooking My Way Through My CSA before. I heart her. She's a kindred for sure. Only on the opposite side of the continent. Back in September she made Chard & Caramelized Onion Tacos. Pitter-patter went my little heart soul! And so now - 5 months later - I'm making them!

I did have to modify her recipe a touch. My braising greens were mostly kale with flecks of chard. Instead of salsa - which I've never been much of a fan of unless there's corona & lime involved - I substituted a balsamic reduction for acidity. I also chucked in some butternut squash I had on hand as well as some white beans for protein. 

The result? Savory West coast Winter tacos that were fun to assemble, a flavor punch in the face (in a good way), and a new staple dish that I'll be making again. Sam, you ARE a genius. 

Braising Greens & Caramelized Onion Tacos

(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

1 Package Organic Corn Tortillas.

1 Large Onion, peeled & thinly sliced.

3-4 Large Handfuls of Braising Greens, cleaned.

2 Garlic Cloves, peeled & finely chopped.

1 Lemon for juice & zest.

1 C White Beans, cooked (canned beans would work in a pinch if necessary, drain well).

1/2 Medium - Large Butternut Squash, peeled & chopped into 1" pieces.

2-4 oz. Queso Fresco or Feta Cheese, crumbled.

1 Tsp Crushed Pepper Flakes (optional).

1 Batch Balsamic Reduction.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.

What to Do:

Pre-heat your oven to 475 degrees F.

In a shallow baking pan, throw in the squash with a couple glugs of olive oil and a nice helping of salt and pepper. Arrange as a single layer in the pan. Roast uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until just fork tender but still holding it's shape and generously colored on the down side. You may want to mix/shake the pan half way through cooking.

Meanwhile, heat a couple Tbsp of oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onions with a sprinkle of salt. Mix well. Allow to caramelize slowly, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning. This should go on for about 20 minutes or so until the onions are deep brown and sticky. Set aside.

In that same pan, carefully add about 1/4 C of water and the braising greens. Cover. Allow to steam for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the lid and toss in the garlic, half the lemon juice, and chilies if using. Cook for about 1 minute, remove from the heat and set aside. 

In a bowl, combine beans, lemon zest, the rest of the juice, and a good helping of salt and pepper. Mix well. Taste.

Heat tortillas according to package directions.

Assemble! Throw everything on a hot tortilla and top with a little cheese and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. About 2-3 tacos per person should fill people with a side salad.

Eat.

This post is linked up with Tasty Tuesdays; Slightly Indulgent Tuesday; Tuesday Talent Show; This Chick Cooks; Cast Party Wednesday; Simple Lives Thursday; Full Plate Thursday; Tasteastic Thursday; Fresh Bites Friday; Fight Back Friday; Seasonal Inspiration Saturday; Seasonal Celebration Sunday

Baby Cow Piccata with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce. Moo.

I don't ordinarily hit up the grocery store for meat. There are so many quality butchers selling happy meat here in Victoria I usually go to one of them - like Terra Nossa or Island Meat & Seafood in the Cook St Village or The Halal Butcher in Quadra village or if in a pinch, I'll hit up The Market on Yates. But I was at the grocery store yesterday. Lazy bitch!

Yes, I was at the grocery store yesterday, perusing the meat isle. And feeling like I was dying a little bit inside. Unhappy meat lives here. Easy, my sad little heart. This moment will pass...

...when a rather disheveled gentleman asked me"is that beef or pork?".

My first thought: what an odd question. Why not look at the label?

My second thought: maybe he can't read.

So I replied, "it's veal".

He looked at me like I had just spoken Klingon.

So I clarified, "baby cow. Mooooo". 

His perplexed expression then contorted to disgusted / horrified as he hurriedly walked away...

Maybe the "moo" was a little much.

Baby Cow Piccata with Red Wine Mushroom Sauce
(printable recipe)

Ingredients:

4 Veal Cutlets.
1 Onion, finely diced.
2 Cloves Garlic, peeled & finely chopped.

1 Lb Mixed Mushrooms (i.e. crimini, button, portobella).

1 Lemon for zest and juice.

1 Tbsp Capers, rinsed & dried.

Small Handful Flat-Leaf Italian Parsley, roughly chopped.

1/2 C Parmesan, Asiago, or Grana Padano Cheese, finely grated.

1 C Dry Red Wine.

3/4 C Chicken or Beef Stock.

3/4 C Half & Half Cream (or higher).

3-4 Tbsp Butter, unsalted.

1 Bird's Eye Chili (optional), finely chopped.

1 C Flour.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black pepper.

6-8 oz. of Pasta for serving (I used pappardelle noodles).

What to Do:

 Place each piece of veal in between 2 loose pieces of saran wrap. Bash the crap out of it with a meat cleaver, a rolling pin, or a heavy bottomed pan. Make them flat, uniform in size, and lookin good! Remove from the plastic and season both sides with salt and pepper and then dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess. Set aside.

* Some butchers will do this first step for you or some grocers will even carry them already smushed. Warning: nothing feels better than beating the shit out of a piece of flesh. I recommend doing it yourself or you'll be missing out.

Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta, stir well, and cook until el dente - approx 7 to 9 minutes for dried pasta. Drain well. 

Meanwhile, throw the olive oil and butter into a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Allow to melt until just sizzling and then add the veal, being cautious not to crowd the pan. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, flip, and cook a further 3 minutes. Remove from the pan, place on a wire rack to rest and cover with aluminum foil.

Now toss the mushrooms, onion, and garlic into the hot dirty pan with a little extra oil. Stir well. Allow to soften slightly and then pour in the stock, wine, and lemon juice, lemon zest, and if using, the chili. Make sure to stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan to get all those delicious veal bits. Hello flavour! Allow the mixture to come to a boil and reduce to about half the original amount of liquid (approx 3-5 minutes).

Remove from the heat, stir in the cream, capers, and parsley. Keep it moving until incorporated because you don't want the cream to curdle. Season well with salt and pepper.

Serve the veal on the pasta with a great big ladle of the sauce and mushrooms. Don't be shy. Finish with the grated cheese.

Eat.

 

This post is linked up with Tasty Tuesdays; Slightly Indulgent Tuesday; Tuesday Talent Show; This Chick Cooks; Cast Party Wednesday; Full Plate Thursday; Simple Lives Thursday; Tastetastic Thursday; Fight Back Friday; Fresh Bites Friday;
Seasonal Inspiration Saturday; Seasonal Celebration Sunday.

RPI: Mission Endive

Haydn's full of crap. I won this addition of RPI fair and square! He tried to accuse me of cheating earlier in the week but he was dead wrong.

See, these past 2 weeks have been horrendously busy for both of us. School is kicking our asses. So when we were unable to get together to hash out a good 'ole game of rock, paper, scissors (which is how we decide who gets to choose the feature ingredient for RPI), we chose to do it over the phone. That. Was. A. Process.

As Haydn mentioned in this first post of RPI, decide your rules for rock, paper, scissors in advance. You never know when lack of visual cues may spur a heated but loving debate over when the final throwdown should occur.

Moreover, how can you tell if the person is cheating or not?? There's no visual evidence to suggest what they say over the phone is what they've actually drawn or not drawn. Not that I thought anyone would cheat. But Haydn did by assuming he couldn't trust me over the phone. You know Haydn, cheaters are always the first to accuse...

When I justly won - which by the way, I revealed my hand movement before Haydn revealed his so if anyone was going to cheat it was going to be him - I selected, endive. 

What exactly is endive you ask? Endive is a bitter lettuce green. It comes in various shapes and sizes, some of which include Belgian endive, radicchio, frisee (if anyone knows where in town I might find some of this illusive and delicious green, please let me know) and escarole.

I came up with this recipe after having a discussion with Haydn about the redundancy of Belgian endive. Everyone stuffs them and uses them like cups or sticks em in a salad. I get it, it's been done. But the reason it's been done is because the flavours are so magical. Big bold cheeses, nuts, fruit, etc... So what did I do? I took those flavours and stuck em in cheesy carbohydrated goodness. Oh yeah.

I'll be honest here, and I know food bloggers say this shit all the time but seriously: one of the best things i've ever made. Hands down. No question. Period - and I mean that full stop. It's a bit of a long recipe but if you make the risotto a day ahead of time, it's a cinch to pull together.

My advice to you? Make this. Or don't - and instead, hire me to cater your next dinner party, luncheon, or brunch-fest.

Endive "Cup" Risotto Balls with "Cup" Salad
(printable recipe)

Ingredients for Your Balls (hehe):

2 Shallots, thinly sliced.
2 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced.
2 Tbsp Butter, unsalted.
1.5 Cups Arborio Rice.
3/4 Cup Dry White Wine.
5-6 Cups Chicken or Veggie Stock, heated.
Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.
  Approx 1 Cup Asiago or Parmesan or Grana Padano Cheese, grated + 4 Tbsp, grated.

Small Handful Dried Cranberries.

Small Handful Toasted Walnuts, roughly chopped.

Small Handful Gorgonzola, crumbled.

1 Belgian Endive, cut in half and sliced.

1/2 Lb. Bacon, cooked, drained & roughly chopped.

1 C White All-Purpose Flour.

4 Eggs, gently beaten.

2 C Panko Crumbs.

Canola or Peanut Oil for frying.

Ingredients for the Salad + Dressing:

1 Belgian Endive, cut in half and sliced.

1 Head Radicchio, leaves separated.

1 D'Anjou Pear, cored & diced.

3-4 Slices of Bacon, cooked, drained & roughly chopped.

1 Handful Toasted Walnuts, roughly chopped.

1 Small Handful Dried Cranberries.

Handful of Gorgonzola.

1 C Creme Fraiche.

Juice of Half a Lemon.
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.

What to Do:

On a low heat, melt butter in large pan and add shallots and garlic, covering with lid. Allow 5-10 mins to become translucent.

Add rice, stirring until grains become slightly clear and golden on the outside, approximately 2 mins.

Pour in the wine and allow the alcohol to evaporate - this should take about a minute or so.

Next ladle in enough stock to just cover the rice mixture and allow for a low simmer, stirring fairly regularly to avoid burning. Continue adding further ladles of broth as it gets absorbed, again only as much as is needed to cover the rice.

This will continue for roughly 30mins, or until rice mixture is creamy and has reached the desired texture. You want it to be soft but still hold it's texture and not be mushy.

At this point, remove from heat and fold the cup of grated cheese into the finished dish along with the dried cranberries, walnuts, endive, gorgonzola, and bacon. 

Eat some of it tonight if you like but save at least half and refrigerate until cold (i.e. a couple hours or over night). If you don't eat any of the risotto you should end up with approx 18-20 balls. Haha....

Once cold, remove from the fridge and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Gather a palmful of the mixture. Shape into 2" wide balls. Gently push the center of the ball toward the center of your hand, creating a little divot in the middle. Place a small cube of gorgonzola in there and cover with the surrounding rice to reshape the ball. Set on the parchment paper. Continue until you have enough balls (that's what she said!) or run out of risotto. Cover and place back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

In 3 separate bowls, place the flour, the whisked eggs, and the panko crumbs + a little salt, mix. 

As you dredge, you'll want to heat your oil. So in a large wok filled to no more than 1/2 - 2/3rds full of oil, heat over medium heat. The oil will be ready when a piece of white bread is dropped into the oil and browns in 30 seconds. If it browns too quickly, turn down your heat. If not quickly enough, wait longer. BE VERY CAREFUL when deep frying! DO NOT BURN YOURSELF or START THE HOUSE ON FIRE! A good site that tells you how to deep fry safely can be found here.

Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees F.

As the oil heats, remove your balls from the fridge (hehe) and dredge each one in the flour, then the eggs, then the panko/salt mixture. Place back on the parchment. Once oil is hot, gently and carefully, using a slotted spoon, place your balls (about 5-6 at a time) in the oil. After a minute or so, gently turn them so as to ensure even browning. When golden and crisp, remove from the oil onto some paper towels to drain and place in a pan and put in the oven to keep warm.

Once finished, turn off the oil, remove it from the element and serve your delicious balls (tehe) with a little grated cheese on top and a side of the following:

It's time to make your salad! Toss all the ingredients into a bowl save for the creme fraiche, gorgonzola and lemon juice. 

In a small sauce pan, gently melt the cheese and soften the gorgonzola over medium-low heat. Once combined, remove from the heat and add the lemon juice. Throw it all in the bowl with the fruit/veg/nut mixture, stir well, and spoon into the radicchio leaves.

Serve on the side of your balls (last time...hahaha) and...

Eat!

This post is linked up with The Hearth & Soul Blog Hop via The 21st Century Housewife; Tasty Tuesday; Slightly Indulgent Tuesday; Tuesday Talent Show; This Chick Cooks; Cast Party Wednesday; Simple Lives Thursday; Full Plate Thursday; Tastetastic Thursday; Fresh Bites Friday; Fight Back Friday; Seasonal Inspiration Saturday

Roasted Rosemary Sunchokes + Giveaway!

Good morning lovelies!

I hit 100 followers yesterday on my other blog, Gastronomical Sovereignty! And while I know that followers aren't everything, it sure makes you feel good when someone likes you (or at least your blog) enough to click and publicly display their virtual affection. It's the second best thing to comments.

So to celebrate.... I have a giveaway that I'm sharing both here as well as on the other blog because hey! - I want you to get some cool shit. And lemme tell you, this is one sweet deal of a giveaway; not to mention cost some serious cheddar. Aye! 

So here's the deal. School is coming to an end for me. My immediate reaction to that is, "bring on the wine!"... However, I can't ship wine internationally. And so what's the next best thing after vino for sipping in the middle of the afternoon? Well... at the end of every term John gets me a "Floating Cloud" package from this incredible local spa called Silk Road - essentially, it's a one hour full body massage followed by a one hour facial followed by as much fresh brewed tea as I can possibly consume. This place is the shit. So I'm giving away: tea.... but not just any tea.

I'm giving away 9 incredibly diverse and flavourful different varieties (3 green; 3 black; 3 herbal) of their spectacular tea, each one supplying 7-10 cups per package:

A Scandanavian styled, Finnish made steeper/mug that is super fucking cool:

Some home baked chocolate chip cookies:

And of course... a little reading material. John has put together 10 copies of what could be called my very limited edition, very first cookbook ever. Happy Valentines Day to me, yo! And to you! I'll send you a copy along with the package.

So let's review: 9 types (63-90 cups!) of incredible tea, one amazing tea pot/mug, home baked mother ef'n chocolate chip cookies, and something to pass the time with - my first cookbook. Hellz yeah I did yo! 

To Enter: 

Simply click here and follow the directions!

This giveaway closes February 19th - so get your entries in! The winner will be announced on February 20th.

via magisso

...Okay, onto roasted sunchokes! Because really, who doesn't love roasted sunchokes?? 

Sunchokes - aka Jerusalem artichokes - are related to sunflowers! Funny looking gingeresque tubular little guys (tubular as in like a tube, not like TMNT "totally tubular dude!") taste sort of nutty yet sweet and can be prepared the same way you'd prepare a potato or eaten raw in a salad if you so desire. If eating raw make sure to give them a little lemon bath (lemon jc. and water) to make sure they don't discolor.

When buying, look for non-marked knobbles and store in your vegetable crisper for up to two weeks. If I were you, I'd leave the skin on when preparing because their knobbliness (is that a word?) is a bitch to get around. Just scrub well before cooking. 

Seriously! Try them! They're fantastic! And roasting them in the oven with a bit of garlic and rosemary (oooh! or duck fat!) makes a different yet scrumptious addition to any meal. Well, maybe not any meal. I find it hard to imagine that sunchokes would fare very well with these.

Roasted Rosemary Sunchokes

(printable recipe)

Ingredients: 

1 to 2 Lbs of Sunchokes, scrubbed clean, well dried, and chopped into 1" pieces.

5 Cloves Garlic, peeled.

2 Sprigs of Rosemary, finely chopped.

1 Lemon for Juice.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.

What to Do:

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F.

In a baking pan or two, toss the sunchokes, garlic and rosemary with a Tbsp or two of olive oil, lemon juice, and season well with salt and pepper.

Arrange in a single layer in the pan(s) and roast in heated oven for 30-45 minutes or until desired tenderness is achieved.

Remove from the oven and serve.

Eat!

This post is linked up with Tasty Tuesdays; Slightly Indulgent Tuesday; Tuesday Talent Show; This Chick Cooks; Cast Party Wednesday; Simple Lives Thursday; Full Plate Thursday; Tastetastic Thursday; Fight Back Friday; The Gallery of Favorites via the 21st Century Housewife; Fresh Bites Friday; Seasonal Inspiration Saturday; Seasonal Celebration Sunday.

RPI: Mission Mango...

I know what you're thinking. I thought it too. Unfortunately, I lost this first challenge of Rock, Paper, Ingredient. Haydn's selection? Mango. Are you kidding me?? What on Earth is sustainable or healthy or happy about fuel-laden mangoes??! Those of you that follow Gastronomical Sovereignty (no, I won't mention my other blog in every single post...) will know that I eat - which is to live - by the season. Locally. Organically. Happily. So accepting this first challenge was actually a bit of a challenge for me.

I fought with my ethical stance on food and whether or not I was prepared to ditch my morals in the event that Haydn selected something that I ordinarily wouldn't have. After all, it's his blog too! Shouldn't we do some of the things he wants to do? Ultimately, I acquiesced to mangoes this week. But I'm vetoing any further unhappy produce. At least for myself and for future RPI assignments.

From now on, there are rules:

1. You do not talk about Rock, Paper, Ingredient.
2. You DO NOT talk, about Rock Paper Ingredient.

Hang on, wrong rules...

1. The ingredient selected by the winner of Rock, Paper, Ingredient must be locally (Pacific Northwest) in season and somehow accessible.
2. Refer to rule #1.

That being said... I rocked that shit. Mangoes are rad. I'm not sure I've actually even eaten a mango before but as of this week, I ate 3. And they were juicy, brilliant yellow in color, and a massive pain in the ass. Do you have any idea what a process it is to get the fruit off the little buggers? I googled it and figured it out but it took me a while. Aye.

The flesh of mango is delicately sweet, floral in scent, pliable, and moist. The juices trickled over my fingers, across my wrists, down my arms and onto the counter - I made quite a mess! Oh the succulence of it all!

Note to self: Enjoy it while the left-overs last, sister. No more mangoes for you!

Mangoes 2 Ways: Firely Lime Sauce & Tempura Sliced Mango

(printable recipe)

Ingredients for the Sauce:

2 Mangoes.

1 Lime for juice.

1 Bird's Eye Chili, thinly sliced (you may remove the seeds for less heat if desired).

1 Tbsp Ginger, peeled & finely grated.

1 Tbsp Local Organic Honey.

Ingredients for the Tempura:

1 Mango.

1 C All Purpose Flour.

1 Tsp Baking Powder.

1 C Iced Soda Water.

1 Free-Range Organic Egg.

2 to 3 C Vegetable Oil for frying.

Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.

What to Do for the Sauce:

 To begin, remove the flesh of 2 of the mangoes. Mangoes come with very large seeds in the center which you can't cut through. Therefore you must cut away the "cheeks" (fleshy sides) of the mango, carefully dice/cube the flesh and peel it away from the skin.

Chuck the flesh into a food processor along with the ginger, lime juice, honey, and just a touch of salt and pepper. Puree until the mixture becomes soft and silky. Gently mix in the chili and set aside. Ta da!

As you can see from the photo, I served my mango with some pan-seared halibut. If you wish to do this, just pat your fish dry with some paper towel, and season well on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a bit of oil and/or butter over medium heat in a frying pan, and once the butter starts to sizzle, gently place fish in the pan. Cook 3 - 4 minutes, flip, and continue cooking a further 3-4 minutes. Fish will be done if flaky and white. Remove from the heat and set fish on a surface, covered in foil, and let rest about 5 to 10 minutes. Top with some pea-shoots and a little green onion.

Otherwise, it would also work very well with chicken also or maybe some chick-pea patties.

Eat! (almost...)....

What to Do for the Tempura'd Mango:

As above, cube or slice the mango flesh from the cheeks. Set aside.

Pour your oil into a deep wok and heat over a medium-high setting. The oil is ready when a 1" cube of white bread dropped into the oil browns in 60 seconds; that oil temperature will be about 365 degrees F. Be careful to not heat too high and keep water away from the oil because water + oil = explosive disaster. Literally.

As the oil heats, mix together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, gently whisk the egg. Add the cold water and mix well. Throw in the flour mixture and stir to just barely combine. Do not over mix or  the starches in the flour will active and you'll end up with a very "doughy" tempura.

Lightly dredge the pieces of mango in the mixture and very carefully drop them into the hot oil. Always drop away from you (think of it like pushing the food away rather than pulling toward) to avoid splashing yourself with oil. Watch your fingers!

Allow to brown and crisp up, turning often to ensure even cooking. Once golden and crisp, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and let drain on a side of paper towels. Serve immediately.

Eat!

This post is linked up with This Chick Cooks; Full Plate Thursday; Tasteastic Thursday; Tasty Tuesdays; Tuesday Talent Show.

RPI: Mango Infused Crepes w/ Stawberries & Bananas

The Lowdown:

This is the first installment of Rock, Paper, Ingredient (RPI), which is a clever little scheme devised to expand mine and Kristy's culinary adventures. You can, of course, get the formal description from the Rock, Paper, Ingredient sub-heading on the menu bar. Version 1.0 of RPI required that we use mango in one of our creations. I dont' really care for mangoes. That's right, I said it. They are pure evil to peel (unless you know the handy dandy trick), they have a weird odor, and they take over the flavour of pretty much everything. However, through many failures, I have learned how to disguise the flavour of many ingredients and force people to eat things that they don't even know they are eating. I'm so devious. But seriously, if you'd just eat your damn mushrooms I wouldn't have to hide them in everything! Ya, so, anyway.

After a few attempts at some other recipes that utilized mango, I was drawing a blank. The other recipes would suffice, but they just didn't have the right feel to them. Don't get me wrong, there were no leftovers, so they must have been good. However, they lacked the creative edge that I wanted to display for the RPI Version 1.0. Then, like everything else that I devise, inspiration came in the oddest place - Bob Marley's, "Sun is Shining." Don't ask me how mango infused crepes relate to Bob Marley, or the Sun is Shining, but for whatever reason, they do in my odd little world.

The Playlist:

(printable recipe)

1 cup Wholewheat flour.

1/2 tsp Salt.

2 Eggs.

1/2 cup milk (I substituted soy milk because I'm a lacto).

1/2 cup water.

2 tbsp vegetable oil.

1 Mango, cubed.

1 tbsp Oil (for frying).

12 Strawberries (my lucky number).

2 Bananas

The Skinny:

1. Place flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.
2. Blend mango and milk until smooth.
3. Add mango/milk mixture, oil, and eggs into the flour.
4. Mix until no flour clumps remain.
5. Slowly add water and mix until desired consistency.
6. Heat oil in a shallow frying pan on medium heat (crepe pan if you have one).
7. Pour 1/3 - 1/2 cup of the crepe mixture into the pan and tilt in circular motions.
8. Cook the crepe on either side for 1 - 2 minutes.
9. Place fruit inside and roll.
10. Garnish as desired.

 H

This post is linked up with This Chick Cooks