Tag Archives: sauce

Roasted cauliflower with red harissa

8 Jan

I love my veggies. But like with most foods, it’s hard to find new recipes that are worthy of a spot on my weekly menu. I know you see a lot of restaurant reviews and higher calorie foods on this blog, but the truth is, on weekdays, we eat quite healthy around here and we don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen or running to the market to get obscure ingredients. And Ottolenghi’s veggie-centric recipes are amazing and all, but a tad too involved for the everyday… So “healthy”, “quick” and ”easy” are search terms I tend to google a lot. And when I stumble upon something that also provides a party in my mouth, it’s a winner.

Golden brown, fragrant, delicious roasted cauliflower is a sinch to make. And healthy to boot!

Roasted cauliflower is the bomb. It’s popping up everywhere – food blogs, cooking shows, magazines - in different variations. I favour indian spices and kick it up a notch with a red harissa sauce made with roasted red bell peppers (that I buy in a jar for weeknight cooking!), jalapeno peppers and garlic. Do it! This week. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Recipe
Adapted from Food Network Canada, courtesy of Roger Mooking.
Makes about 4 portions

3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon of cumin
1/2 tablespoon of turmeric
1 head of cauliflower, cut into large chunks
Salt and pepper to taste

See recipe for red harissa here.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a bowl, combine all ingredients until cauliflower is well covered with spices. Cook 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with red harissa sauce. Voilà!

Apple butter and canning

13 Oct

I had never even heard of apple butter before this, but as soon as I read the name I was hooked. APPLE BUTTER… Yum! It sounded rich, tangy, sweet and right up my alley. It’s all that and more with a nice hit of comforting spices, similar to those in apple pie. I discovered this recipe while searching for something original to make with apples, given they abound in market stalls right now. As a bonus, it includes simple instructions for canning, which allowed me to finally try my hand at the process.

Because I know you’re wondering by now (I sure was…), apple butter can be used in a variety of sweet and savory preparations. You can spread it on buttered toast, biscuits or muffins, add a spoonful in oatmeal, yogurt or on top of ice cream, and even use it for roasting pork or veggies. So far, I love it straight out of the jar!

Additional resources:
I ordered adorable mason jar labels from Mudandtwig on Etsy. I figure if I’m going to put so much effort into making something from scratch, I want the packaging to match. I can’t wait to get them!
Mason jars and lids aren’t so easy to find… After going to three different places, I finally found them at a Rona hardware store and thought I would share.
In case you’re a newbie at canning like me, Bernardin‘s website provides some pretty good info on the process.

Recipe
Adapted from 101 cookbooks
Yields about 6 cups

3.5 lbs of Macintosh apples, peeled, cored and cut into pieces (any cooking apples will do)
1.5 litres of apple cider (can be replaced with apple juice)
1.5 cups of sugar
1.5 teaspoons ground spice mix for baking (cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg)
¼ teaspoon additional ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

Special equipment
Blender
Mason jars and lids (12 x 125 ml or 6 x 250 ml jars)
Candy thermometer (optional)
Spatter guard (optional)

If you want to keep things simple, you can forego canning and store the apple butter in the fridge. I think it would keep for about two weeks.

Preheat oven to 225 °F. Place jars (but not lids) on a baking sheet and heat for at least 10 minutes to sterilize. Wash lids in soapy water, rinse and dry thoroughly with clean dish towel. Leave jars to cool in the oven while you make the apple butter.

In a big pot with a thick bottom, bring apples and cider to a simmer. Skim off the foam from the top – there will be a lot! Simmer for 20 or 30 minutes, until apples are soft. Remove from heat and cool about 10 minutes.

Puree the mix using a blender. Do this in batches, never filling the blender more than half way. Also place a cloth over the lid to protect your hands and arms from accidental splashes. Press down firmly on the lid while blending.

Using caution (it’s HOT), return the pureed apples to the pot and attach the candy thermometer to the side. Bring to a simmer/boil while stirring frequently. I found 210 °F to be just the right temperature to get bubbles going without boiling over. Keep a close watch on the pot as you adjust the temperature. You may also need to skim off the foam again – I sure did.

Once the mix is simmering, add the sugar, spices and lemon juice. Continue simmering for about 2 hours (yep, it’s long…), stirring very frequently to avoid sticking or burning. During the last half hour, the sauce will thicken a lot and the simmering will become more lava-like. I strongly recommend using a spatter guard if you have one. At the end, you should have a thick dark brown sauce that sets when you leave a small quantity to cool in a bowl. Remove from heat when ready.

In another big pot, put enough water to completely cover the mason jars and bring to a rapid boil. Fill the mason jars with apple butter, leaving some space at the top. Wipe rims with paper towels. Tightly screw on the dry lids. Using tongs, gently place a few jars in the pot of boiling water and boil for at least 10 minutes. Repeat in batches until all jars are done.

Voilà! You now have pretty little jars of goodness to give away as gifts or keep all to yourself.

Lamb and shrimp kebabs with red harissa

26 Sep

Before summer is over and we Montrealers abandon our grills for good, I wanted to share this fun and original recipe with you. Lamb and shrimp kebabs sound weird but the two ingredients play off each other surprisingly well here. These “mini” kebabs are relatively simple to make and, if you invest the little extra time required to make the red harissa, it will pay off big time. This dish is an explosion of flavour, so go simple with the side dishes. Think basmati rice, grilled eggplant or a green salad. Keep it simple and focus your attention on these little gems. By the time they hit your lips you won’t even remember there is anything else on your plate anyways!

*Sigh* I wish this picture did the lamb and shrimp kebabs justice... I was so eager to eat that I couldn't be bothered with my usual 20 minutes of picture-taking.

Lamb and shrimp kebabs:
Adapted from the July 2011 Bon Appétit
Makes about 24

1 1/4 lb. ground lamb
2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup coarsely grated red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp.crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. large raw shrimp (about 20), peeled, deveined, coarsely chopped
Vegetable oil for brushing
24 short skewers (you can cut regular wooden brochette sticks in two – just soak them before trying to cut them)

Place lamb in a large bowl and reserve. Sprinkle 1 tsp. salt over garlic and chop, occasionally smearing with side of knife to create a paste (this should sound familiar to those of you who celebrated my birthday with me at an Indian cooking school). Mix garlic paste, red onion, cilantro, cumin, pepper flakes, black pepper, and remaining 1 tsp. of salt into lamb, blending well. Add shrimp and mix to combine.

Measure about 2 Tbsp. of lamb and shrimp mixture and roll between your palms to form an oval. Slide skewer halfway into middle of oval, pressing to adhere. Repeat with remaining lamb and shrimp mixture and skewers.

At this stage, the kebabs can keep in the fridge for up to six hours.

Heat BBQ to high. Brush kebabs with oil and grill, turning occasionally, for about 6 minutes per side. They should be just cooked through and charred on the outside. Serve with red harissa sauce for dipping.

Red harissa:
Also adapted from the July 2011 Bon Appétit
Makes about 3 cups

3 large red bell peppers
2 1/2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 jalapeno peppers (red, if you can find them)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Cut peppers in half, remove membranes and stem. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the peppers on top, pressing lightly to flatten a bit. Roast peppers under broiler for about 10 minutes or until charred all over. Transfer to a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes. The steam will allow you to peel the peppers easily. Peel and chop coarsely.

Place peppers, next 4 ingredients, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper into a food processor or blender. Purée until very smooth. With machine running, gradually add oil. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

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