Couscous with Eggplant and Morels

This is another great salad to try. Couscous makes a great base for salads. I needed to whip up something quick with the morels and eggplant we picked up from the farmer's market over the weekend so I figured I'd toss together a salad. While the morels deserve to be more of the star of a dish this became an incredible salad with the A list mushrooms. Here is how I prepared it:

soaked morels in salt water for 15 minutes, strained, rinsed, sliced

made couscous according to package (I made about 1 1/2 cups cooked), and I always throw in some dried herbs

sauteed some chopped eggplant with olive oil, salt, pepper

threw eggplant into fluffed couscous

sauteed morels with tablespoon of butter, salt, pepper

threw into couscous, tossed

added about 1/2 cup arugula

shaved some pecorino romano cheese

the morels are really optional and you could use any cheese you like (feta works really well with couscous), adding some toasted pine nuts is also delicious

Fresh Peas with Mint and Pecorino

I have a few salad recipes in my repertoire that I really love and I'm rather cautious when it comes to the prospect of adding another one. This salad is so delicious and easy I can see myself making it many times in the future. The fresh peas pair really well with the peppery arugula, hint of mint and creamy cheese. The recipe was chosen for our June cooking club "quick summer recipe" theme and was published in Cooking Light. I was fortunate enough to find fresh shelled peas at our farmer's market (their local season is ending but Whole Foods may carry them throughout the year). You can find the precise recipe through the link and here is how I prepared it:

Boiled about 2 cups of peas for about 2 minutes (I also added some green beans from our garden)

drained, blanched, cut the beans

tossed with 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint and about 4 cups arugula

juice from 1 lemon

some olive oil, salt, pepper

shredded pecorino romano cheese

As the recipe indicates, you could really substitute any cheese you are fond of. I'd recommend not making this salad significantly ahead of time as the arugula will wilt.

Hibiscus Hour

I recently discovered dried hibiscus flowers at our local international grocery store (Grand Mart). I was so ecstatic! I snatched them up and knew I'd create a delicious cocktail for a small dinner gathering we were having that evening (and the price? a mere $1.99 a bag). That night the menu was latin-inspired so we served hibiscus margaritas. Here is how you can prepare the juice:
Boil 2 oz dried hibiscus flowers with several cups water (about 6) and 1/2 to 1 cup sugar (or less or more, depending on how sweet you want it), you can also add some honey if you want, and the juice of one lime. Remove from the heat after a few minutes and let sit for about an hour, strain, then chill.

For the margaritas, we simply poured a shot of tequila in each glass and poured the juice in, over ice. It was the most incredible margarita. Of course, making frozen margaritas with the hibiscus juice would also work very well.

The juice is a very dark pinkish red and will dangerously stain so handle with care. It tastes delicious served just like tea, over ice, or hot. The plain juice is really refreshing and it doesn't have a strong floral flavor, like jasmine, it tastes more like a berry. An added benefit: hibiscus tea is high in vitamin C, and studies have shown it to reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol. Check out all the exciting things people are making with hibiscus here on TasteSpotting.

On Father's Day, we served hibiscus sangria. I took about 4 cups of the juice and combined it with a bottle of red wine.

If you can find hibiscus flowers grab them and make something yourself. I am looking forward to making hibiscus mojitos in the near future.

Seafood Paella

Another item that was on the menu for Father's Day was seafood paella. My father and I share a deep love for this Spanish dish, sparked by a family vacation through the beautiful country many years ago. We sampled Valencian paella and rich sangria in the Spanish capital and versions across the southern coastline of Adalucia. The flavors have always stuck with us after having immediately developed a fondness for them. Taberna Del Alabardero is a traditional Spanish restaurant in D.C. and they serve incredible paella, but being able to make it at home is something I've always wanted to conquer. I perused many recipes (including those from a paella cookbook my close friend gave me) and even watched some instructional videos online. I found Cook's Illustrated (and America's Test Kitchen) version very helpful. They are protective of their material if you are not a member, but you can find the recipe published here. I really liked their idea of using a dutch oven as most people (my father aside) don't own a paella pan. In the end, I couldn't find a recipe that I wanted to follow precisely, but I used the template from Cook's Illustrated and created my own version with seafood and some shortcuts. It came out beautifully. I have no idea why paella has somewhat of a reputation for being difficult; it was not at all as complex as I was expecting. Here is what I did:

Seafood Paella

Prepped almost 2 lbs of seafood. I used shrimp, lobster (tails), calamari steaks and scallops. I was tempted to also use mussels, but we were serving mussels as the first course. We washed, dried, chopped (except the shrimp), salt and peppered them. Harris Teeter has the best quality for the price, I find. Example: lobster tails at Whole Foods: $12.99 each. at Harris Teeter: $4.99 each.

I heated some butter and 4 cloves of chopped garlic in a dutch oven

Sauteed all the seafood together and removed after about 3 minutes (when seafood was almost, but not quite yet done), set aside in a bowl, covered with foil

Preheated the oven to 300 degrees

I added some olive oil to the dutch oven, threw in a small chopped white onion

4 more cloves of chopped garlic

I then added some spices to jazz it up and this is totally optional (the paella tasted nothing but authentic) ground cumin, coriander, red chili and tumeric, 2 cloves and 2 cardamom pods

1 chopped red bell pepper

1 can diced tomatoes

1/3 cup white wine, salt, pepper

I let this cook down for a few minutes, and then added a bay leaf

I then added 2 cups Arborio rice

3 cups chicken broth

I then added the saffron. I used about a teaspoon or so and I buy my saffron from Trader Joe's because it's the greatest bargain: a small jar for $5.99. I grinded the saffron up, which I read releases more flavor, poured a little boiling water over it in a small bowl and let it sit for a while

Stir the pot, and let it all come to a boil

I then placed the pot (covered) in the oven, for 15 minutes

I removed the pot and threw in all the seafood, 1/3 cup frozen peas, 1/3 cup freshly chopped cilantro, and some fried onions (another Indian addition I love in rice dishes, but totally optional)

I then placed the pot back in the oven for another 10 minutes and it was done

Lemon Tart

We had my family over for Father's Day and I decided to make a lemon tart as they are my father's absolute favorite. I found an appealing recipe at epicurious (also published in Gourmet). I find the precision required when it comes to baking and desserts a little intimidating but this recipe was very straightforward and simple. The only alteration I made was instead of almonds I used pine nuts. The crust was a hit, but I found it a little on the crumbly side. The filling is extremely authentic when it comes to lemon curd: very lemony and very tart. I highly recommend giving it a go if you are a big fan of lemon tarts.

Lemon Curd Tart with Olive Oil
FOR TART SHELL

2 tablespoons almonds with skins, toasted and cooled * I used toasted pine nuts
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
Pinch of fine sea salt
1/2 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg yolk
3 1/2 tablespoons fruity olive oil (preferably French) * I used Italian and Costco brand

FOR LEMON CURD

3 large lemons
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 whole large eggs plus 2 large yolks
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons fruity olive oil (I used Costco brand, from Italy)

EQUIPMENT: a 9-inch round tart pan with removable side; a small offset spatula

TART SHELL:
Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.
Pulse almonds with flour, sugar, and sea salt to a fine powder in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.
Add yolk and oil and pulse until just incorporated and a very soft dough has formed.
Spread dough evenly over bottom and up side of pan with offset spatula (I used my hand). Chill until firm, about 30 minutes, preheat oven at this point.
Bake shell until golden brown all over, about 13 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

CURD:
Grate enough zest from lemons to measure 1 tablespoon, then squeeze 3/4 cup juice from lemons.
Whisk together lemon zest and juice, sugar, cornstarch, whole eggs, and yolks in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil, whisking, 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and whisk in butter and oil until smooth.

ASSEMBLE TART:
Pour lemon curd into cooled shell and chill until set, at least 2 hours.

Roasted Cashews

After enjoying several packets of spicy cashews from Goa, Rohan and I were left with a few packs of plain cashews that were just a bit too plain. Roasting them myself with some spices and herbs fixed that. I drizzled some olive oil over them in a baking dish, sprinked some salt and pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, and chopped rosemary, thyme and sage. Then I roasted them in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until they were golden brown.

Ahi Tuna

When Harris Teeter has sashimi grade tuna on sale I pounce on them like a cat. I patted the tuna in salt, pepper and sesame seeds and seared them on a skillet, tossed a salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and laid the sliced steaks on top. A drizzle of a tangy marinade on top was a perfect compliment. I threw in a slew of ingredients into the blender to create it:

Fresh garlic, ginger, green chili, lemon juice. Soy sauce, honey, sesame oil. Horseradish, mustard, mayo. Sriracha sauce, and coriander chutney. The result was a complex yet gentle wasabi wash over the tuna.

Whipped Butter

With a piece of toast makes a healthy bowl of soup so much more decadent.

I simply beat a few tablespoons of unsalted butter with a few pinches of fresh rosemary and thyme, sprinkled in some kosher salt and spread on sourdough. Yes, we still have that loaf of sourdough.