Itinerant Muse

Cranberry Salsa ~ Spices up a Thanksgiving feast

Tex-Mex Cranberry Salsa

I developed this recipe from reading a combination of recipes from the magazine, New Jersey Countryside, and Tex-Mex cookbooks.  As you may know, NJ has probably one of the largest cranberry bogs in the U.S. (third only to Wisconsin, my home state, and Massachusetts) and cranberries could almost be considered the state fruit. Since my children have never like cranberries and I grew up always having cranberry sauce and my grandmother's delicious cranberry pudding on Thanksgiving and Christmas, I was constantly challenged every Thanksgiving to create a recipe that they would like. They love this cranberry salsa!

Serves Two cups

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped sweet onion, like a Vidalia
• 1 fresh jalapeno, seeded, deveined & finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic smashed, peeled & chopped
• 1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries blanch to slightly soften
• 1/2 small juicing orange, scrubbed, unpeeled, quartered & seeded
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• kosher or sea salt to taste

1. Combine onion, jalapeno & garlic in food processor. Pulse to coarsely chop.
2. Add cranberries that have been slightly blanched to soften, orange quarters, vinegar, sugar & orange juice. Pulse in food processor until uniformly chunky. Stir in cilantro and rosemary. Season to taste with salt.
3. Rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. preferably one hour to allow flavors to meld and develop.
4. Cover tightly and refrigerate salsa until thoroughly chilled, 2 hours or more.  Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.
5. Covered and refrigerated, cranberry salsa will keep nicely for up to 10 days and can be frozen for up to two months as well.

* For holiday or cocktail parties, serve as an hors d'oeuvres with sweet potato or tortilla chips  for   dipping.

Happy Thanksgiving and good health and happiness to all!

A Little Coddling for Eggs

 

Who can identify this beautiful porcelain object?  It is an egg coddler similar to the ones I received as a wedding gift 40-some years ago.

After I mastered the art of cooking coddled eggs, the dish became my father's favorite breakfast food whenever he came to visit ~ two coddled eggs semi-hard, with a dollop of butter, salt & pepper served with an English muffin.

Imagine my surprise when my daughter 40  years later told me her significant other had cooked her coddled eggs in a tomato no less!

Eggs with tomatoes (Uova A Piatto Con Pomodori)

2 tsp. olive oil, 4 large tomatoes, pinch of dried oregano, fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped, salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush olive oil on an ovenproof dish. Cut tops of tomatoes off and scoop out seeds and some flesh. Sprinkle insides with a little salt, place upside down on a paper towel and drain for about 10 minutes. Season inside of tomatoes with oregano, salt and pepper.  Divide olive oil among tomatoes and place them in prepared dish.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove dish from oven and break an egg into each tomatoe, return dish to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes.  Garnish with parsley and serve.  Serves four.

Credit to www.dancosta.typepad.com  who  followed the recipe from the Silver Spoon.

Fall Fruit Cake in a Skillet

Fresh blueberry, mango & apple cake (Adapted from Lena Corwin's Fresh Fruit Cake as seen on www.designspongeonline.com)
This is a fabulous way to create and bake a delicious cake for breakfast, tea or just snacking on and can be adapted with what is the season's freshest fruit.

2 cups diced fruit ~ I actually had almost 3 cups
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
Grated zest of lemon
1 cup flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp.  brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter, 1 Tbsp. brown sugar and sugar.  Add lemon zest.  Add eggs and vanilla stirring to combine.  In separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda ~ add to the butter & egg mixture.  Stir to combine.  Pour batter into a greased 8" skillet ( I used one of my old iron skillets inherited from my mom.)   Top with the fruit.  Combine the remaining 1 Tbsp. brown sugar with the cinnamon (I didn't have plain cinnamon, so I used the cinnamon sugar grinder that I always keep on hand.).  Sprinkle the mixture on top of the fruit.  Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean and top is browned.

Really a moisture and very delicious cake.  Enjoy!

Watermelon ~ Love it! It does wonders for you.

According to Marilee Tolen, Home Spa Lady, there are 12 reasons to eat watermelon besides the obvious ones of loving it, it's refreshing, thirst quenching, and delicously sweet.

My local farmer's market

1. It provides additional water to the body
2. Good for bad breath
3. Hangover remedy ( Who would have thought!!)
4. Can improve sore throat and mouth sores
5. Cleanses kidneys (juice the entire watermelon, rind, seeds and all, drink it for good kidney cleanse ~ WOW)
6. Naturally gets rid of excess fluid in body ~ it has diuretic properties.  YEAH, away with bloating stomach!.
7. Liver supportive ~ contains glutathione
8. Cleanses blood and strengthens glands ~ contains chlorophyll
9. It's a good source of potassium
10. Fat free ~ low in calories, high in energy
11. Nutrients in watermelon include Vitamins A, B6 and C
12. Helps lower risk of heart disease: Has the highest amount of  lycopenes in fruit and veggies according to the USDA Caratenoid Database.

WOW ~ Watermelon Our Winner!!  Who would have thought?

And here is a winner of a cool recipe from foodandwine.com: 

Baby Leaf Lettuce with Olives and Watermelon

2 cups seedless watermelon cubes, 2 T. extra virgin olive oil, 1 T. Champagne or white wine vinegar, salt & pepper, 12 cups baby leaf lettuce, torn and loosely measured, 1/2 small red onion thinly sliced, 1/2 cup snipped chives, 1/4 cup Italian parsley and 1/2 cup pitted Picholine olives halved.

In blender or food processor, puree 1/2 cup watermelon chunks.  Strain juice through a fine sieve into a large bowl = to about 2 T.  Whisk olive oil with vinegar into watermelon juice and season with salt and pepper. Add lettuce, onion, chives, parsley, olives and remaining watermelon chunks ~ toss gently.  Transfer to large platter and serve immediately.  One serving = 94 calories.

Go buy a watermelon today!

Le Cirque's Spaghetti Primavera

Back in May, Amanda Hesser's Recipe Redux article in the Sunday New York Times Magazine featured  1977: Le Cirque's Spaghetti Primavera from that year's article by Craig Claiborne with Pierre Franey.

Having always love what I know as Pasta Primavera and living in the Garden State surrounded with an abundance of fresh produce at farmers' markets, I finally decided to give the old recipe a try.  The photo here is the finished product of what was a rather laborious two-day journey through ten very detailed steps in the recipe (too lengthy to publish; link  is above).  Two days because I decided to clean, trim and cut all ten vegetables the night before, as well as mincing the herbs and garlic.  Now I know why I don't use many of my cookbooks published back in the 60's and 70's!  However, the end result was truly delicious ~ all the veggies were cooked to crisp perfection, the spaghetti was absolutely perfect al dente and the sauce was a light blend of cream and parmesan cheese.

Now, there were a lot of veggies left over that didn't make the final cut in the primavera, so last night I made my own version of pasta primavera with the leftover veggies and cappellini.  Total time to prep and cook, approximately ten minutes!  The only change I made was the sauce ~ rather than a cream sauce, I just mixed some of the pasta water with extra virgin olive oil and parmesan.  The

result was an equally flavorful, healthy and delicous pasta. 

I love my collection of old cookbooks and wouldn 't give them up for the world, but time is precious these days and improvisation is good when it can achieve the same results in a tenth of the time.

More on Salmon

Grilled Salmon Burger with grilled mushrooms and red peppers on a bed of spinach

Can't get enough of wild Alaska salmon!  Chef, author and New York Times columnist Mark Bittman talks about the dangers of eating farmed salmon, as I had mentioned in a previous post.  You can see his video at http://tinyurl.com/mps6op.

His video and article led me to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, a really interesting website where you can actually print out  a fish buying pocket guide for your geographical region.  This guide is invaluable as a buying guide on how to buy fish emphasizing three key issues:  where is the seafood from, is it farmed or wild-caught, and how was it caught.  The guide lists best choices, good alternatives and what to avoid.

For instance, did you know the Bluefin Tuna has become an endangered species and consumers are asked not to purchase it?  And did you know that when buying halibut, make sure it is Pacific Halibut, not Atlantic?  Who knew!

Anyone who loves fish as much as I do should check out this website.  In doing so, you also support those fisheries and fish farms that are healthier for ocean wildlife and the environment.

Be healthy and buy wisely!

Wild about Wild Alaska Salmon

Easy Salmon Cakes adapted from Eating Well magazine is a delicious salmon recipe.  I changed it slightly by using wild Alaska salmon that I poached slightly in white wine & herbs.  Also since the salmon was already cooked, I heated the oven to 375 and baked until golden (photo came out a little dark).  I served it with an herb-infused couscous and made a fruit salsa to complement it.

My guests gave the menu rave reviews.  The reason I have started using wild salmon is because of the controversy over farmed salmon.

In the May issue of Better Nutrition there  was an article about why wild-caught salmon is the only way to go.  Although farmed salmon is cheaper, it has been positively proven that it is loaded with toxins, including flame retardants and dioxins that are classified as human carcinogens.  It also is endangering the environment and the wild salmon population.  And, it is usually always dyed to looked more robust and redder, plus the flavor can not compare with wild-caught salmon.

When I purchased the salmon at my favorite market, Wegman's, I picked up interesting information about the salmon seasons, starting with the Copper River King/Chinook & Sockeye salmon running in May & June, then in other Alaskan rivers the Sockeye run in June & July.  In July a new salmon debuts, the Yukon River Keta Salmon, highest in Omega 3 content of any salmon and runs through August until the Coho or Silver salmon appears in August and September. Believe me when I say you can not compare the flavor of wild Alaska salmon to Atlantic and farmed salmon.  It is so far superior, rich and delicious. I promise you that you will save all your copper pennies to splurge on Alaska salmon, while eating healthily at the same time!

Tribute to Spring Chicken

Today is not a day in May, but a day that should be in April ~ rainy, cold, clammy  & very gray!

Interesting April was more like March ~ cold and windy ~ and now May has arrived mimicking April's weather.  When will we see true seasonal changes again?

Coping with the cooler spring weather, has led me to find two great recipes that soothe the body's chill,  yet take advantage of spring's early produce. 

Spring Chicken Soup

One 3.5 lb. chicken cut in pieces, 3 carrots halved crosswise, 2 ribs celery, 1 med. sweet onion diced,1.5 tsp. kosher salt, 4 oz. green beans cut in 2" pieces, 8 oz. asparagus cut in 2" pieces, 1 beefsteak tomato diced, 1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Place chicken in large pot w/ celery, onion & salt. Cover w/ water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer for about 45 min., skimming off foam.  Add water if necessary to keep chicken covered. Remove chicken & let cool. Add green beans, asparagus, tomato (and a turnip -opt.) to broth. Simmer about 5 min. until veggies are tender.

Shred chicken meat, discarding skin and bones. Add meat & pepper to soup. Stir & ladle into bowls.

Quick, easier version: Simmer veggies in 8 cups of chicken stock about 5 min.  Shred meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken and stir in at last minute of cooking. Taste for seasoning.

Note:  If you have too much broth, stir in 1 cup of quinoa.  Simmer for about 15 minutes, until just tender, but crunchy.  Super healthy!

Chicken & Andouille Sausage Jambalaya

1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1.5 lb. andouille or hot Italian sausage, 1 large onion diced, 2 ribs celery diced, 1 green & 1 red pepper diced, 2 cloves garlic minced, 1.5 c. long grain rice, 3 c. chicken broth, 1/4 tsp. cayenne, 2 bay leaves, 1.5 tsp salt and 1 lb. cubed chicken pieces.

In large saucepan, heat oil on medium.  Add sausages, browning for 5-10 minutes. Remove to cool ~ cut in 1/4" pieces. With 1 Tbsp. remaining oil, add onion, celery, peppers and garlic ~ cook covered over medium heat until veggies start to soften. Add rice, broth, sausage, cayenne, bay leaves & salt ~ bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes.  Stir in chicken and simmer, covered until chicken is just done and veggies and rices are tender.  Remove from heat, let stand for 5 minutes covered and serve.

Bon Appetit!

Acai ~ The New Miracle Food?

  I don't know about you, but I know I get as much spam mail about acai (ah-SIGH-ee) as the miracle diet food, as I do about Viagra.  I don't need to diet and I certainly don't need Viagra.  But I did decide to research the acai berry and what I learned was really, really interesting.

Acai is the high-energy berry of a special Amazon palm tree.  It is harvested in the rainforests of Brazil and, reputedly, tastes like a lively blend of berries and chocolate ~ yummy!  It is called the next miracle food (replacing pomegranate)because this little royal purple berry is nature's perfect energy fruit.  Yes, energy!  It has been used by athletes in South America for centuries to increase their energy and stamina during competition.  Additionally, acai is packed full of antioxidants, amino acids and essential fatty acids.  It is nature's perfect source of nutrition and carbohydrates and, taken on a regular basis, strengthens the immune system.

And, there's more to this little powerhouse of a berry.  Because it is jam packed full of powerful antioxidants, studies show its ability to fight off cancer and disease.  Acai is also known  to help maintain good cholesterol and fight off heart disease.  Also found in the berry's antioxidants, is anthocyanin known to fight various eye-related diseases and improve vision.

The list of health benefits go on from aiding digestion to promoting a more peaceful sleep.  Since spending so much time on my computer, my vision has really weakened, and many more nights than not, I can't sleep ~ either because my mind is aflurry with "to-do's tomorrow" or I am having an allergy attack.

So I decided to try acai ~ but, always careful about trying a new product, I delved deeper into my research, read the caveats, about scams with mail orders, etc. and found a product called Acai Puree, purely organic, at Amazon Thunder ™.  The puree contains essential fatty acids, Omegas 3,6 and 9, antioxidants, essential amino acids, sterols, and Vitamins A and C.  Just two ounces a day  is all that is required to give you all the essentials needed in a healthy diet.

  I'll let you know the results after I have tried the puree for a week.  I hope I will be sleeping like a baby and waking with the roar and energy of a tiger!

Raising the bar, the first acai-based spirit has been created. VeeV takes on the exotic flavor of acai with intense chocolate overtones, and hints of prickly pear and cherry.  Bartenders at Manhattan's Library Bar, Hudson Hotel and Asia De Cuba at Hotel Morgan are serving up a trendy new drink called Brazilian Rose.  Here's the recipe: 2 oz. VeeV Acai Spirit, 1/2 bar spoon Rose Water, 1/2 oz. grenadine, 1 oz. heavy cream, and 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice.  Shake all ingredients well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a rose petal.  Salud!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Heart Full of Chocolates

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, it's time to think about loved ones and givng an expression of your love with chocolates.  Unfortunately many of our loved ones can't eat chocolate because they are allergic to nuts.  I have a friend who started her own business in her kitchen making gourmet chocolates without any nuts in the cocoa powder, specifically created for people allergic to nuts.  No Nuts About It! is a home crafted business with Ariane making the rich, delicious chocolates by hand.  She creates truffles filled with caramel, mint and orange pastes ~ so succulent, they just melt in your mouth.  Juicy ripe strawberries are dipped in dark chocolate combining the sweet sugary taste of the strawberries with the slightly pungent taste of dark chocolate. 

In case you're not up on your chocolatiering studies, it has been said that chocolate is one of the most perfect foods consumed by man.  It contains essentilal vitamins and minerals, is high in antioxidants, and is good for cholesterol and cardiac health.

And, if none of your family and friends are allergic to nuts, there is still time to order delicious chocolates online from L.A. Burdick in New Hampshire.  These absolutely fabulous, gourmet artisan chocolates were rated among the top ten best chocolates in the United States by The New York Times.  They are truly the best ~ better than Belgian or Swiss chocolates, beautifully and artistically gift wrapped as well.

And for a bit of whimsical romance, try these delicious pudgy penguins that Burdick's pays homage to and describes as a ganache of dark chocolate and lemon with almond arms and dark chocolate dressing accented with white chocolate.  Who could resist these little fellas?

Remember chocolate in moderation is good for you!  Bon Appetit and Happy Valentine's Day!

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