Tuna Burgers with Wasabi Mayo

Having spent most of last week in the hospital, having gone in to the ER on Monday for what I thought was simply dehydration only to find out it was more serious, having survived on Palace Caterers fare, occasionally interspersed with some truly delicious chicken soup and meat balls – prepared and given to me by the ladies of Bikur Cholim – I couldn’t wait to try out some new dishes (new for me, at least).

Although over the last few years, I’ve tried some fish and slowly changed my mind on their edibility, I have never become a fan. A notable exception – however – has been tuna ever since I first tried it at Levana’s home. Since it’s time for me to start cutting down on red meat – rather unfortunate for a lifelong hardcore carnivore – I thought I’d try some Tuna Burgers…

I found an interesting recipe in a paperback titled: Not Your Mother’s Weeknight Cooking, by best selling James Beard Award winning author, Beth Hensperger published in 2008 by Harvard Commons Press and adapted it.

Serves 4

Detail from photo by: Eksite Photography – photo between pages 118-119

Cooking Method: Stovetop
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: About 10 minutes

Ingredients

WASABI MAYO

• 3 green onions (white part and some of the green), cut in chunks
• One 1/2-inch chunk fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons wasabi sauce
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

TUNA

• 3 green onions (white part and some of the green)
• One 1 and1/2-inch chunk fresh ginger
• 1 1/4 lbs tuna steaks, dark spots trimmed away
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick)cold butter, cut into chunks (use margarine if you do not want a dairy version)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• Few grinds of freshly ground black pepper
• 4 round sesame seed-topped buns
• Butter lettuce leaves for serving

Directions

1. To make the mayo, in a food processor, add the green onions and ginger; pulse to finely chop. Add the soy sauce, wasabi sauce and mayonnaise. Process until smooth. Remove to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until serving.
2. In the food processor, toss in the green onions and ginger; pulse to chop. Cut one-quarter of the tuna into  1/4-inch dice and place the rest in the food processor with the butter (or margarine); pulse to combine the butter and tuna; do not overprocess. Place in a bowl and add the diced tuna, soy sauce, sesame oil, and pepper.. Shape into 4 equal size patties.
3. Split the and toast the buns, set aside.
4. Preheat a large saute pan over medium high heat. Place the patties in the pan and brown quickly on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn over with a patula and brown the second side to the desired degree of doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes., leaving the center moist and reddish for medium-rare.
5. Slather the toasted buns on both sides with the wasabi mayo and top with butter lettuce leaves. Place the burgers o the buns and serve immediately.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!
CS

Pizza with Artichokes

[The pizza party at 115:1pm at the Raleigh, this past motzey Shabbos, came just about the time I was starting to feel serious withdrawal symptoms, therefore since I am a passionate pizza lover, I thought I’d explore some variations on the theme. As I perused my email yesterday, I fortuitously came across the following recipe by reader Rita W, from Miami. CS]

Pizza Dough

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Topping

Ingredients

• 14 oz artichoke hearts in oil
• 7 oz mozzarella
• 4 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for greasing)
• flour for dusting
• 8 mild chilis in oil
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour.
2. Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour.
3. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. Roll out to a 10″ circle.
4. Distribute the artichokes and chilis on top. Sprinkle with garlic and half the parsley. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle on the olive oil. Put the mozzarella on top of the pizza and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley before serving.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Baby Spinach Salad with Roasted Strawberries

While looking for easy to prepare,  nice summer salads, we came across this one in Williams Sonoma‘s New Flavors for Salads – Classic Flavors Redefined:

From book, page 37 – Photo by: Kate Sears

The flavor of this salad sparkles with the bright acidity of red wine vinegar, its tartness tempered by the sweetness of fresh orange juice. Roasting strawberries with a bit of sugar intensifies their fruitiness and softens their texture, creating a nice counterpoint to the salty cheese and crunchy toasted almonds.

Ingredients

• large strawberries, 2 pints (1 pound total weight)
• extra-virgin olive oil, 8 tablespoons
• sugar, 1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• fresh orange juice, 1/4 cup
• fresh tarragon leaves, 4 teaspoons finely chopped
• blanched whole almonds, 1 cup toasted *
• baby spinach, 9 cups
• pecorino romano cheese, 9 ounces shredded

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Using a pairing knife, hull the strawberries** and cut them in half lengthwise. Spread the berries on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with with 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper. Toss to coat the berries evenly, then spread them out again. Roast until softened, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

In a small nonreactive bowl, whisk together the vinegar, or orange juice, tarragon, the 3 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper until the sugar dissolves. Slowly whisk in the remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil until well blended to make a vinaigrette. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

In a small bowl, stir together the almonds and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, combine the spinach, 3/4 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Whisk the vinaigrette to recombine, drizzle about one-third of it over the spinach and toss well (reserve the remaining vinaigrette for another use). Taste and adjust the seasonings. Divide the dressed spinach evenly among individual plates, top each serving with an equal amount of the roasted strawberries, and sprinkle with the almonds and cheese. Serve right away.

Makes 6 servings

* toasting nuts and seeds

Toasting nuts and seeds crisps their texture and lightly browns them, giving them a rich full flavor. Be sure to let toasted nuts and seeds cool to room temperature before use.

in the oven Scatter the nuts or seeds in an even layer in a baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in a 325 F. oven stirring once or twice, until fragrant and slightly darkened in color , 5-10 minutes, depending on the size and quantity of the nuts or seeds.

on the stove top Place the nuts or seeds in an even layer in a frying pan. Toast over medium heat , stirring or shaking the pan often, until fragrant and slightly darkened in color, 2-5 minutes, depending on the size and quantity of the nuts or seeds.

** hulling strawberries

Hull fresh strawberries after washing them and just before use.

1. Insert the tip of a pairing knife – Insert the sharp tip of a pairing knife at a slight angle just below the stem areauntil the tip of the knife reaches the center of the berry.
2. Trim and pull off the top – Cut around the stem area, rotating the berry to make a circular cut. Gently pull or pry off the top.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

White Chocolate Ice Cream in a Cookie Cup

I still haven’t been able to kick my chocolate habit, therefore I just had to try this one from Jacqueline Bellfontaine‘s What’s Cooking Chocolate:

Photo by: St John Asprey, page 195

Serves 6

Ingredients

Ice Cream

• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 tbsp superfine sugar
• 5 1/2 oz white chocolate
• 1 1/4 cups milk

2/3 cup

heavy cream

**Cookie Cup

• 1 egg white
• 4 tbsp superfine sugar
• 2 tbsp all-pupose flour, sifted
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa, sifted
• 1 tbsp butter, melted

Directions

1. Place baking parchment on 2 cookie sheets. To make the ice cream, beat the egg, egg yolks, and sugar. Break the chocolate into pieces and melt in a double boiler with 3 tablespoons of the milk. Heat the milk until almost boiling and pour into the  the eggs beating. Place over a pan simmering water and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Beat in the chocolate. Cover with dampened  baking parchment and cool.
2. Whip the cream until just holding its shape and fold into the custard. Transfer to a freezer container and freeze the mixture for 1-2 hours until frozen 1 inch from the sides. Scrap into a bowl and beat until smooth. Refreeze until smooth. Refreeze until firm.
3. To make the cups, beat the egg white and sugar together. Beat in the the flour and cocoa, then the butter. Place 1 tbsp of mixture on one sheet and spread out to a 5″ round. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 F for 5 minutes. Remove and mold over an upturned cup. Let set, then cool on a wire rack. Repeat to make 6 cups. Serve the ice cream in the cookie cup.

** Heavy Cream Substitute

• 3/4 cup MimiCreme
• 1 1/2 tbsp unflavored powdered gelatin

1. Stir together until fully blended
2. Use in place of one cup of heavy cream.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy! I certainly did.

CS

Pizza Fiorentina

As a lifelong pizza connoisseur I can’t wait to make it this evening! From 365 Ways to Cook, by Firefly Books (page 150):

Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes (plus making the pizza dough*)
Cooking time: 7-8 minutes per pizza

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for drizzling and grazing
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 pound baby spinach leaves
• 1 Basic Pizza Dough recipe *
• all purpose flour for, for dusting
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce
• 7 ounces mozzarella cheese, chopped
• 20 black olives
• 4 eggs
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large frying panwith the garlic for 15 seconds, add the spinach and cook over high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until just wilted.Season lightly with salt and pepper
2. Heat a baking sheet in a preheated 475 F. oven. Place 1 pizza dough ball on a 9 inch pizza pan, Push down on the dough with your fingertips, pressing it out to fill the pan, leaving the border slightly thicker. If you get any tears, forcefully pinch the dough around the hole together.
3. Soon 3 tablespoons of sauce over the base  and scatter wityh a quarter of the mozzarella, spinach and olives. Crack 1 egg onto the pizza, drizzle with oil to glaze. remove the baking sheet from the oven, slide the pan onto it, then quickly return to the oven. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until crisp and risen. Serve immediately. As the first pizza cooks prepare the next for the oven.

—xOx—XoX—xOx—

From page 7:

* Basic Pizza Dough

Makes 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus rising

Ingredients

• 1/4 ounce fresh yeast or 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
• 1 pinch of granulated sugar
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 1/3 cup lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Disslove the yeast in a bowl with the sugar, 2 tablespoons of the flour and 1/4 cup of water. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, until the mixture starts to form bubbles. then add the remaining water. Add the salt and half the remaining flour and stir with one hand until you have a paste-like mixture. gradually add all the remaining flour, working the mixture until you have a moist dough.
2. Shape the dough into a ball, cover with a moist cloth and leave to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes.
3. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and knead the dough for 10 minute, until smooth and elastic. Shape into 4 equal-sized balls and place, spaced apart, on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Cover with a moist cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Meyer Lemon Cheese Pie Cheesecake

A great variation on the theme of cheesecakes, from none other than Marye Audet‘s Restless Chipotle blog:

Photo by: Restless Chipotle

Go to Marye’s blog for the recipe…

By the way, we’ve reposted one of Marye’s recipes before, Roast Chicken with Citrus and Aromatics. Everytime we make it, the taste and the aroma get better and better!

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!
CS

Queso Blanco Pull Apart Bread

In scouring the web for some great recipes we’ve come across one that we know you’ll love. From Evil Shenanigans:

RECIPE AND PHOTOS © 2013, EVIL SHENANIGANS

Queso Blanco Pull Apart Bread

Author: Kelly Jaggers
Recipe type: Bread
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Prep time:  40 mins
Cook time:  30 mins
Total time:  1 hour 10 mins
Serves: 8

Photo by: Evil Shenanigans

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 2 serrano peppers, seeded and minced
• ½ medium onion, finely chopped (about ⅔ cup)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon coriander
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¾ cup beer, heated to 110F (any ale will do)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1¼ teaspoons dry active yeast
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
• ½ cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese

Directions

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat add 1 tablespoon of butter.
2. Once the butter foams add the diced peppers and onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to soften, about 1 minute. Add the chili powder, cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika and cook until the spices are very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Divide the mixture in half, placing one half in the work bowl of a stand mixer and the other half in a medium sized mixing bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature.
3. In a small bowl combine the beer, water, and yeast. Let the mixture stand until very foamy, about 10 minutes. Pour the yeast mixture into the work bowl with the pepper mixture along with 2 tablespoons of melted butter, flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix with the dough hook for 3 minutes on low speed. Check the hydration – the dough should form a smooth ball that is fairly sticky. Add additional flour if needed to achieve the right consistency. Increase the speed to medium and continue mixing for 5 minutes.
4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a smooth ball. Place the ball into a bowl that is lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray. Spray the top of the ball lightly, cover and let the dough proof until double in bulk, about 2 hours.
5. Once the dough has proofed turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust the top of the dough lightly with flour, and with the palm of you hand lightly press out any large air bubble. Roll the dough out into an approximately 18×12-inch rectangle.
6. Melt the remaining butter and brush half of the melted butter on the dough. Spread over the remaining pepper mixture and both the shredded cheeses. Slice the dough into 8 strips and place the strips into two stacks of four strips each. Cut each stack into 4 equal pieces.
7. Brush the inside of a 10-inch loaf pan with the melted butter. place the stacks into the buttered pan so the cut sides face up. Pour over any remaining butter, cover, and let rise until the dough holds a finger mark when gently pressed about 1½ hours.
8. Heat the oven to 350 F. Bake the bread for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when gently thumped on the top. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. Serve warm.

Photo by: Evil Shenanigans

Since the shape of this is very different from traditional breads, there is little chance to forget that it is a dairy rather than a parve product.
Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

// //

Kusa b’Jibn: Zucchini-Cheese Frittata

I found the following delicious recipe in Poopa Dwek‘s Aromas of Aleppo:

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds zucchini or yellow squash chopped (about 5 cups)
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1 pound Muenster cheese, grated
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into 6 pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a large skillet saute the squash and onion in the vegetable oil for 8 minutes, or until the squash is crisp-tender.
3. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cheese, squash-onion mixture and salt. Stir well
4. Pour the contents into a 2-quart baking dish. Dot the top of the mixture with butter. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until lightly browned.

Enjoy, gentle reader. Enjoy!

CS

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Something to Break Today’s Fast With

//

Beer Cheese Soup

With Shavuoth fast approaching what better than a delicious dairy soup? From Pam Reiss‘ Soup – A Kosher Collection:

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1/2 small yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups beer
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 lb grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup, air popped popcorn for garnish

Directions

Use whatever beer you like to drink. Using a lighter beer will make the flavor of the soup subtler  than a dark beer. It’s a rich soup, so go easy!

Over medium low heat, sweat the vegetables in olive oilfor 12 to 15 minutes, until they are wilted but not brown.

Add the beer and bring it to a simmer. Allow the soup to simmer gently for 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, milk and half-and half. Whisk the this mixture, along with the salt and pepper, into the soup and bring the soup back to a simmer. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, allowing the flour to cook and the soup to thicken.

Using a whisk, add the cheese to the soup slowly, mixing well. Whisk until the cheese is completely incorporated

Serve the soup with popcorn for a garnish.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

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Donuts, Donuts, Donuts – It’s Chanuka!

Tonight we lit the second Chanuka candle and what better way to celebrate than with our dear friend Geila Hocherman‘s (kosherrevolution.net) recipe for doughnuts?

© 2012 Geila Hocherman. All Rights Reserved
It’s Chanuka and Jewish tradition calls for oil fried dishes, such as latkes – potato pancakes; sufganyot – jelly-filled doughnuts and more. Jelly filled doughnuts never appealed to me, so here is my version of doughnuts.

(Videos to follow)

Makes 36 small donuts

• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 packet of yeast
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• ¼ cup warm water
• ¾ cup milk – cow, soy, almond, and cashew…warmed
• 2 ½ tbsp. shortening- softened
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup sugar
• oil for frying

1.Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Mix well until there are no lumps, and let stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy.
2.In a large bowl, mix together the yeast mixture, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 1 cup of the flour. Mix for a few minutes at low speed, or stirring with a wooden spoon. Beat in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a greased bowl, and cover. Set in a warm place to rise until double. ,(You can also put in in the refrigerator for a slow overnight rise. Just bring the dough to room temperature before continuing.) Dough is ready if you touch it, and the indention remains. About 1 hour.
3.Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and gently roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a floured 3-inch cutter. * (See note) Let doughnuts sit out to rise again until double. Cover loosely with a cloth.
4.Heat oil in a deep fryer or large heavy skillet to 350 degrees F. Slide doughnuts into the hot oil using a wide spatula. Turn doughnuts over as they rise to the surface. Fry doughnuts on each side until golden brown. Remove from hot oil, to drain on a wire rack. Dip doughnuts into the glaze while still hot, and set onto wire racks to drain off excess. Keep a cookie sheet or tray under racks for easier clean up.

Optional glaze

• 2 cups
• Confectioner’s sugar
• 1-tablespoon corn syrup
• 2-4 tablespoons of water

1. Place sugar. Corn syrup and vanilla in a bowl and mix well. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Continue until you reach desired consistency.  It should be liquid but not runny.
2. Submerge doughnut half way, turn over, and place on a cooling rack to set

NOTE: At this point the formed doughnuts can be refrigerated overnight, brought to room temperature the next day, and then rise before baking.  You can also freeze them on a cookie sheet.

Geila

When we taped the video for this recipe at Geila’s kitchen I had the pleasure of tasting these doughnuts, I made them myself and served them this evening. I found them easy to make and utterly delicious!

CS