Fruit Gazpacho

No foolin' -- this is a great cold soup to enjoy as the weather is getting warmer, and just one of the many delicious recipes you'll find in Eat Raw, Eat Well.

Fruit Gazpacho
from Eat Raw, Eat Well (p. 110) with notes by K2

2 cups chopped hulled strawberries
1 cup frozen raspberries (see Tips)
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup chopped kiwifruit
1 cup coconut water (see Tips)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice*
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
pinch fine sea salt

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and kiwi until chopped and broken down (it is important to keep the texture at this point). K2: I was a little too enthusiastic so lost some of my texture.

Add coconut water, lime juice, mint and salt.  Pulse to combine.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.

TIPS

(from page 110) You may use any blend of frozen fruit in this recipe. I also like using blackberries, gooseberries or cherries. When making this soup, make sure to use at least 2 cups frozen berries to give the soup body.  K2: I used a frozen berry mix that had blackberries, black raspberries, blueberries and cherries. 

(from page 21) Coconut water, which is the watery liquid inside a young coconut, is nature's electrolyte replacer. It is full of naturally occurring salts and sugars, which help to regulate many bodily functions. It is also a great source of potassium. The best kind is straight from a young organic coconut, but if that is not available the next best thing is pure organic coconut water in cans not lined with biphenol A (BPA) or Tetra Paks. If you're purchasing coconut water, look for high-quality products that don't contain additives or preservatives (many prepared coconut waters have added sugar and other ingredients).

* two small limes will yield 1/4 cup fresh squeezed juice

Cajun Spice Pecan Cheese Bites

Since my blog promoters (aka Parents) have been touting these goodies about town, I wanted to get them posted for you all sooner rather than later.  I have some guests posts coming up this week that I think you are really going to like.

Last weekend I helped celebrate my friend Dana's birthday with a mini feast of Cajun goodness.  My contribution to the eatin's were these little treats.  I really wanted to make cheese straws but much to my chagrin, I found I didn't have a cookie press readily on hand so went the biscuit cutter route.

The cheese bites have just that, a nice bite that sneaks up on you.  The pecans make a sweet complement to the red pepper and bring it all together.

Cajun Spice Pecan Cheese Bites

8 tbsp. butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup chopped pecans, small bits

Cream together the soft butter and cheeses.

Add flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper and bring it all together as a dough.

Mine was very crumbly in the mixing bowl, so I transferred it to a rolling mat and kneaded it together until it formed a solid ball of dough.

Fold the pecan bits into the dough until evenly distributed.

With a rolling pin, roll dough out to about a 1/2" thickness and use a small biscuit cutter to cut small discs.  I split my dough in half and rolled out one half at a time, made it easier to manage.  You can re-roll the dough until all is used up.

Place discs on lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until crispy and golden brown around the edges.

Remove from oven and immediately transfer to a cooling rack.

Spiced Pickled Apples: Part I

I'm excited about this one.  Had never heard of pickled apples before but they came up in a conversation about country foods.  My friend Blair's grandma used to make them and as she sat there drooling at the memory of pickled apples, I started thinking that this would be a great post idea.  Then I started thinking about things I could do with pickled apples, like make a rustic tart. Mm-mmm.

Step 1 in this road to rustic tart scenario is actually making the pickled apples themselves so I searched around to find some recipes and then picked and chose the parts I liked best and came up with the one below.

Figured I would start them this weekend, we'll let them pickle up during the week, then next weekend, we'll tart 'em up.

Spiced Pickled Apples

2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)
2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. allspice berries
1 tsp. whole peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
3 Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced

In a medium saucepan, simmer all ingredients except the apples until the sugars and salt dissolve.

Place the sliced apples in a non-conducive bowl and pour the liquid mixture over them. Let it sit until it cools to room temperature, then put in a jar with a sealed lid and let sit for a week until ready.

NOTES

A lot of the recipes I looked at removed the peel from the apples before pickling, but I left mine on because I like the skin. We'll see how that works out.

If you're not familiar with whole peppercorns, allspice berries, or star anise, this is what they look like (below).

Green (Devilled) Eggs and Ham

 

Since we're still in the middle of picnic food season, and feeling inspired by my earlier Seussian experiment, I had an idea for a new version of devilled eggs.  I mean, can you really have too many versions of a devilled egg?

Green (Devilled) Eggs and Ham

6 hard-boiled eggs
1/2 ripe avocado
3 tbsp. salsa verde
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. salt
6 slices prosciutto de Parma
Chili powder, for garnish

Slice the eggs length-wise and remove the yolks.

Mix the yolks with the avocado, salsa verde, mayonnaise, and salt until smooth.

Cut the prosciutto into thin strips.  Wrap one around the egg, putting the ends into the yolk hollow then pipe the mixture into the egg.

Sprinkle with chili powder and you have delicious eggs...green eggs and ham, that is.

Asian Cabbage Salad

 

I met some friends for lunch the other day at The Nasher Museum Cafe in Durham and enjoyed a delicious salad that was so crispy and light and filling I decided that I wanted to try it at home.

I'm very happy with my final product and as an added bonus I now have a recipe for the same miso-ginger dressing that you get on your salad at a Japanese steak house. Num! All around good stuff.

Asian Cabbage Salad

2 cups shredded white cabbage
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup cooked edamame
1/3 cup toasted cashew halves
1 orange, peeled, de-pithed and segmented
3-4 tbsp. miso-ginger dressing

Toss everything together in a large bowl. Serves 4.

miso-ginger dressing
1/4 cup white miso
3 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. minced ginger
1-1/2 tsp. sugar
3 tbsp. sesame oil

Blend together all but the sesame oil in a food processor.  Slowly add the oil in as you pulse the mixture on low.  Leftovers will keep up to a week in the fridge.

NOTES

You can find pre-made ginger dressings in the grocery store.  To make the dressing, I went to a local Asian market to get the miso.  Heads up, found it in the refrigerated section of the store and it was not inexpensive, but worth it.  I'll be seeing what other recipes I can come up with to use it.

Kale Corn Risotto

 

Okay, it's not exactly like the cheesy rice-corn-kale dish that my caterer friend makes, but it runs a close second.  Very tasty and filling.

Kale Corn Risotto

1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
4 cups vegetable (or chicken broth)
1 cup water
1 cup chopped green kale
1 cup canned corn
1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a large deep-sided skillet.  Add in olive oil, toss in uncooked rice and stir until rice is well-coated.  Continue stirring and cook for 2 minutes.

Add in 1 cup of broth.  Stirring occasionally, cook rice until the broth is absorbed.

Repeat this process 3 times, adding 1 cup of broth at a time, cooking until it is absorbed.

Stir in your corn and chopped kale.  Add in 1 cup of water and cover.  Let the rice dish cook until the rice is cooked through.

Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan.  Cover once more and let sit for 2-3 minutes.

And then your dish is done!   

Dipping Fruit with Basil Sugar

 

Now that the weather is getting nicer, more people are flocking to the great out of doors to dine al fresco.  You can tell that people around here are desperate for sunlight and fresh air because despite the yellow pollen coating EVERYthing the outdoor seating area at a local eatery was packed this morning.

So I was in Paris last week for business (yeah, new job is pretty okay) and we ate ridiculously well.  French food is not only delicious, it's so beautifully and creatively presented that you can't help but eat whatever they put down in front of you.  You will be seeing things coming up that have a Parisian inspiration, including tonight's very simple post.

No matter what time of day, there seemed to be a plethora of fresh fruit to enjoy and tonight's post is based on some of the snacks that we were offered during our work day.  These are light, refreshing, easy to make and a great new addition to any picnic offering.

Dipping Fruit with Basil Sugar

1/4 cup white sugar
1-1/4 tsp. basil paste

blueberries
raspberries
Mandarin oranges
pineapple chunks
4" skewers

In a food process, blend together sugar and basil until mixture is a consistent texture.  Put in a small bowl, set aside.

Thread fruit on skewers in descending size order -- pineapple, orange, raspberry, blueberry.

To enjoy, simply dip the fruit in the basil sugar.

Voila, simple dish with a pretty presentation.  Wow your friends.

NOTES

Basil paste is available in the produce section of the grocery store with the fresh herb packages.

If you can't find basil paste, you can always food process fresh basil leaves before adding to the sugar.  Made sure to add a drop of oil to help it come together as a paste, then add in the sugar afterwards.

Butternut Squash-Apple Soup

 

As the weather gets cooler...somewhere (apparently not in NC)...soup becomes a pretty common go-to dinner move.  So here is something that blends two of my favorite fall edibles, apples and butternut squash.  It's pretty easy to pull together and makes a nice meal, or side dish.

Butternut Squash-Apple Soup

32 oz. vegetable stock
1 small-large (versus large-large) butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and coarsely chopped
3 Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Half-n-Half, at room temperature or slightly heated
salt and ground white pepper to taste

In a large saucepot, bring the vegetable stock to a simmer over medium heat.

Add in the butternut squash and apple pieces, then cover.

 

Cook over medium heat for 20-30 minutes, or until butternut squash is fork tender.

If you like a coarser textured soup, use a potato masher to squush the cooked squash and apples.  If you like smoother textured soup, run it through a blender to puree.

Add in the warm Half-n-Half, and salt and pepper to taste.

Done! With a couple of thick slices of rustic bread on the side, you have a nice belly-filling meal.

Johnnycakes with Black Bean-Turkey Sausage Chili

 

Since I brought back a bag of Geechie Boy cornmeal, I thought I would try to find something to do with it other than make cornbread (too obvious).  What resulted was...interesting.

I'd always heard the term "johnnycakes" but was never 100% sure what one was so I did a little research.  Basically they are cornmeal pancakes without the sweet taste. They are also sometimes called "journey cakes" and historically they were a quick and easy grain made by frying up corn gruel in a skillet, made them easy to eat and travel with.

You don't want to eat them by themselves, that's for sure, so tonight I have included one of my what's-in-the-cupboard-chili recipes for you to try with it.

Johnnycakes

1-1/2 cups white cornmeal
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup milk
cooking spray (or bacon drippings if you've got them)

Mix together the cornmeal and salt and set aside.

After you boil some water, measure out a cup and pour into the cornmeal and salt.  Mix in your milk until texture is consistent.  Will be thickish like pancake batter.

Pour 1/3 cup batter into a hot skillet prepared with cooking spray (or bacon drippings if you've got them).

Cook until brown on one side and flippable.  Then flip over and continue cooking until both sides are browned.

Serve up while hot.

K2's Black Bean-Turkey Sausage Chili

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, NOT drained
1 (15 oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 (10 oz.) can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 (10 oz.) can sweet corn, drained
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 cups Jimmy Dean's Turkey Sausage Crumbles
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. cumin
1/3 cup sliced green olives (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste

Put all the ingredients in a deep dish skillet and cook for at least 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, over medium heat.

Garnish with shredded cheddar and/or sour cream and a johnnycake or two.

Red Coleslaw

 

Since white coleslaw got its day in the sun, figured I couldn't let you go without adding a "red" slaw to your NC BBQ repertoire.

If you like things with a kicky tang, then this peppery slaw will be just the ticket.  Red slaw is also known in some circles as "barbeque slaw" and is oftentimes used as a condiment on hot dogs, burgers, or pork sandwiches.  Because of it's vinegar-base, its not unlike sauerkraut, but much less pungent and much more crunchy because it hasn't been fermented like kraut has.

Red Coleslaw

4 cups finely chopped green cabbage, raw
1/3 cup ketchup
6 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

In a medium size bowl whisk together ketchup, cider vinegar, sugar, pepper flakes, tabasco, salt and pepper.

Cut your cabbage very fine and add it to the mixture.

Mix together well.  Put in the fridge for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to blend.

Serve up with your favorite BBQ dish.

White Coleslaw

 

Did you know...the term "coleslaw" is the anglicanized version of the Dutch word "koolsla" which is short for "koolsalade" which literally means "cabbage salad"?  Both the word and the dish were brought to the U.S. by Dutch and German settlers.

Since the 18th century, coleslaw has been a popular side dish, usually served cold, consisting of raw chopped cabbage dressed with mayo or buttermilk or vinegar.  Oftentimes spices, or carrots or sometimes even fruit (like pineapple or apples) is added to the dish.

If you like a traditional slaw, here is a simple recipe to follow.  In the land of NC BBQ, it's known as "white" slaw.  It's a mayo-based salad with a crunchy refreshing taste that nicely offsets the tanginess of a heapin' helpin' of sauce-drenched drenched pulled pork.

White Coleslaw

3 cups finely chopped green cabbage, raw
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot, raw
1/2 cup  mayonnaise
4 tsp. white vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt

In a medium size bowl, blend together the mayo, vinegar, sugar, celery seed, pepper and salt.

Add in the chopped cabbage and chopped carrot.

Mix well and allow to sit for 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

NOTE

In the photo, we served up the white slaw with an Eastern-style (vinegar-based) pulled pork BBQ which is why it looks like nothing is on it meat.