Fig and Almond Tart

I was recently in San Francisco and went to a farmer's market with one of my friends. We went looking for seven fresh vegetables for a Moroccan stew (which we found, oh so yum!) but before anything found baskets of the softest freshest black mission figs for real cheap. So we bought two. And out of those two came a lovely tart. I made it up as I went, but it was fantastic with a touch of vanilla bean ice cream.

Ingredients:

1 pie crust (substituting vanilla for water)
1-2 baskets fresh black mission figs, sliced in half
1/4 cup sliced almonds
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tbsp flour


Directions:

Preheat oven to 450.
Roll out tart crust, press into a buttered and floured tart pan.
sprinkle flour over base of crust (it is to absorb any moisture from the figs)
Spread figs in the crust in concentric circles.
Sprinkle sugar over figs
Sprinkle almonds over figs.
Sprinkle honey over everything.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until juice is bubbly - so it will thicken a little as it cools slightly.
Cool slightly before serving.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I don't know when it happened, but I love brussel sprouts. Nowadays I can't seem to get enough of them. Any excuse. My favorite way to make them is super simple. It's all by eye and taste. And goes with so many things.

Ingredients:

Brussel Sprouts - cut in half
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Parmesan, grated finely
chile pepper flakes (optional)
garlic, finely chopped (optional)
balsamic vinegar (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450F

Toss the brussel sprouts in oil, salt and pepper and any of the optional ingredients you want.
Spread onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle with parmesan.
Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until crispy on the outside (but not burnt) but soft enough on the inside to be easily pierced by a fork.

Mole Negro

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Amazing how reading and writing can take over one's life. To make up for it, I've put together one of the best sauces ever. I've always wanted to learn how to make this...and this is a combination of a friend's mother's recipe and one that I found in Saveur Magazine. Serve over potatoes (cooked with garlic and salt – a good conduit though not the best balance to the sauce), queso fresco (seriously the best combination with the sauce ever!!!), or cooked pork (marinated in chipotles in adobo sauce, honey, vinegar, oregano, and garlic). I’m still looking for more vegetarian options with this sauce. When I come up with them, I’ll tell you.

Ingredients:

5 tomatillos, stemmed, rinsed, and quartered
1 tomato, halved
1 small yellow onion, quartered
6 (total) dried pasilla, california, and negro chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 ripe plantain cut into 1⁄2" cubes
1 cup mixed nuts and seeds: peanuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds, sesame seeds
3 tsp oil
¼ cup raisins
2 ½ cups chicken broth
2 oz. Mexican chocolate, chopped
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground cinnamon
salt to taste
fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions:

Preheat to oven to broil.
Line a baking sheets with tin foil. Really, you want to!
Place prepared tomatillos, tomato, and onion on sheet.

Broil for about 15 minutes, until soft and browned. I like to stop just before real charring. Put vegetables and any juices into a large bowl and let cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 400F.
Place prepared dried peppers on lined baking sheet.
Bake 3 minutes, turning once. Do not over do the peppers, as they will get bitter.
Place peppers in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let soak for at least 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the soaking liquid.

Remove foil from baking sheet.
Place nuts and seeds on sheet. Toast in oven until oils begin to smell, about 10 minutes.

In the meantime, heat oil in large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. Add plantain and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, until it begins to brown. And nuts and seeds, raisins, and vegetable mixture. Stir for another 3 minutes. Add the chiles, along with ½ cup of the reserved liquid, broth, chocolate, cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Stir until the chocolate is melted (a matter of minutes).

In batches, blend until smooth.

Pain de Campagne

This recipe is very slightly modified from The Bread Baker's Apprentice (the best bread book every if you are learning yeast breads, like I still am). It provides a richer flavor the longer you give the yeast to activate and gas. Because of the whole wheat flour, it doesn't rise and create bubbles the way a traditional country bread would, rather it has a more spongy texture (though I've occasionally gotten it just right to get large holes in the final bread)

Ingredients:

Pate Fermentee
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat white flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp yeast (from a package of dry active)
1 cup water, room temperature

Bread
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat white flour
3/4 tsp salt
remaining package yeast
1 cup (plus some if needed) warm water (as hot as your sink will make it without steaming).
extra flour for dusting.

Spray bottle of water

Directions:

In a medium bowl, to make the pate fermentee, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add 3/4 cup water and stir until it comes together to make a ball. Add more water by the spoonful if needed. Turn onto a lightly floured counter and knead for 6 minutes. Make sure it is lightly tacky and pliable, but not sticky; your hands should remain clean.

Place in a lightly oiled bowl. turn to coat the ball with oil. Cover with plastic (or a damp towel) and let ferment at room temperature (about 70F) until 1 1/2 the starting size, about one hour. Punch down gently, cover again, let rise a second time, about one hour.

For the bread, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Cut the pate fermentee into small peices and add. Add water and stir until everything comes together into a ball. The dough should be soft and pliable, but not sticky. Add more water if needed.

Turn onto a lightly floured counter. Knead for 10 minutes, adding flour as needed to keep it tacky but not sticky. After 10 minutes of kneading, you should be able to stretch the dough so thin that you can see light through it before it breaks.

Oil a large bowl, place dough ball into bowl, turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic or damp towel. Let rise 2 hours until it is double in size.

Gently remove dough and place on a lightly floured counter. Using a pastry scraper or a sharp knife (so as not to degas the dough) cut into 6 pieces. Shape dough delicately into loaves by stretching the tops towards the bottom. Spray with oil. Coat with flour. Cover and let rise for 1 hour until at least 1 1/2 original size.

Place a heavy metal pan on the bottom of your oven (or the lowest possible rack). Preheat oven to 500F. Have 1 cup boiling water at hand and ready to pour.

Transfer dough to generously dusted baking sheet or bread stone (the stone would be in the oven already, the baking sheet won't be). Immediately pour the boiling water into pan at bottom of oven. Close oven. 30 seconds later open up of the oven and spray the loaves with water. Close oven. Repeat spraying 3 more times. Lower oven temperature to 450F. Bake for about 15 minutes (turning half way if needed for even baking). The loaves will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom when done.

Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

Sweet Potatoes and Mango Relish

I've been making this recipe for at least 10 years now. It is easy, good in winter or summer and packed full of flavor. It's really hard to mess up sweet potatoes - just add a couple spices and they are golden! The salsa is really flexible. I often use a little of whatever my favorite tomato salsa from the store is at the moment to mix in with the mangos, sweet peppers, and lime, and cilantro.

Ingredients:

for the potatoes
4 sweet potatoes, skin left on, scrubbed, and sliced into wedges
1 tsp each cinnamon, allspice, ginger, salt, pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil

for the salsa
1 large mango, cut into small pieces
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tbsp cilantro (more if you want)
zest and juice of one lime
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 spicey tomato salsa of your choice.
1 Tbsp hot sauce (a non-vinegary but smokey one, such as boulder or d'oni - no tobasco!!)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Toss together all the ingredients for the potatoes in a large bowl. Make sure the potatoes are well coated with oil (add more oil if needed). Spread on a baking sheet.
Bake for about 30 minutes, turning once (bake until the begin to brown on the edges and are tender in the center).
While the potatoes are baking, mix together the ingredients for the salsa. Let sit 30 minutes (overnight is best) before serving so flavors can mix.

Blue Corn Bread

Can't beat the combination of cornbread and black beans. well, you can if you throw in sweet potatoes and mangos. but still. it's always a safe and yummy and hearty way to go. and I don't know why, but I love blue cornbread. not sure if it really tastes different or if it's just that I like the color. This recipe is my modification from the Joy of Cooking.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup blue corn meal
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk (or 1 cup milk, 1 cup plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar)
1/2 cup sugar or honey
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450F.
In large bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Break eggs separate bowl and whisk until frothy. Mix remaining wet ingredients in with eggs (except the oil). Add wet to dry and stir until everything is just moist.
In an iron skillet over medium high, heat the oil until it begins to smoke.
Add the batter all at once.
Place skillet in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Best if served warm.

Black Beans

These are some of the best beans I know. They take a day of being at home in order to make them, but there really are only three major steps and a lot of simmering. (great to cook on a day of cleaning.) Now that I've been making them regularly, it's hard to go back to any other kind of bean. I want them all to be this flavorful.

Ingredients:

1 cup dried black beans, rinced
1/2 onion, whole
1 bay leaf
7 springs fresh oregano
7 garlic cloves, 3 smooshed with the side of the knife, 4 finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped, both white and green parts.
2 green peppers, diced.
1 tablespoon cumin seeds, ground
salt to taste
1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil

Directions:

Place beans in a bowl. Cover with water by 3 inches. Soak for at least 4 hours, overnight if possible.

Drain and rince beans. Put in heavy pot and cover again with water by about 3 inches. Add bay leaf, half onion, smooshed garlic, oregano, and about a teaspoon of salt. Simmer for 2-3 hours, until beans are soft and most of the water is absorbed. If you need to add water, add it by the half cup full. You want there to be liquid with the beans, but more of a stew consistency, not a soup.

Once beans are desired texture, heat oil in pan over medium high heat. Add chopped garlic, and green onions and saute until garlic begins to turn gold. Add green beans and cumin. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the green peppers are soft.

Add saute mixture to the beans. Add another teaspoon salt. Let simmer for 15-30 more minutes to mix the flavors.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

My dad loves peanut butter and chocolate. together. in any form. So, I made these cookies for him. This recipe is reminiscent of some cookies he and my mom used to make growing up (the kind with Hershey kisses pressed into the top). Here I just used dark chocolate drops I found in the bulk section of my grocery store.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup peanut butter, all natural (this is important for flavor and texture). I used chunky.
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 dark chocolate drop per cookie (40-60)
sugar for rolling

Directions:

Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
In separate bowl mix together melted butter, peanut butter, egg, milk, and vanilla.
Add dry to wet and mix until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Place bowl in freezer for 1 hour to chill. After an hour, preheat oven to 350F. Line baking tray with parchment paper.
Remove cookie batter from freezer. A spoonful at a time, roll the batter into balls, roll the ball in sugar and place on the paper covered tray. Do this until the tray is full. make sure cookies are about 2 inches apart. Using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar, press each cook to turn ball into a disk about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven. Immediately press chocolate drops into center of each cookie. Let cool on tray for one more minute. Then let cool on rack.

Cornmeal Cake with Rosemary and Orange Icing

I've been looking for wheat free recipes for desserts for a while, with so many friends that can't do wheat. And here, based in a sweet cornbread recipe, I've finally found a cake that I can make without wheat. Now, to try it on my wheat-free friends.

Ingredients:

For the cake:
1 cup barley flour (can be wheat)
1 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup chopped pine nuts or pecans
1 Tbsp ground rosemary
Zest from one orange
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup marscapone
1/3 cup plain yogurt
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (on stick) butter, melted.

For the Icing:
1 tsp ground rosemary
zest from one orange (strips is best)
3 Tbsp Cream (can be all juice, though)
3 Tbsp orange juice
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar (sifted if you've got the time and energy).

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Butter a 9x2 inch cake pan. line the base with parchment paper. butter the paper.

In medium bowl, mix together barley flour, cornmeal, pine nuts, rosemary, orange zest, and baking powder. In separate bowl mix together marscapone, yogurt, eggs until smooth. Add sugar and stir until blended. Stir the wet and the dry together. Mix only until all the dry is moist. Do not over stir. Pour batter evenly into cake pan.

Bake for 45 minutes. (skewer should come out almost dry.)

Remove from oven and let stand in pan for 10 minutes. Cut around the edges with a knife and turn the cake over onto a plate.

In the meantime, make the icing: whisk together all of the ingredients until a thin paste forms. Spread icing over cake. Let set for at least one hour before slicing.

Chocolate Truffles

I love making these. they are an all afternoon project - it takes three different rounds. Each time I've been experimenting with different rolling methods, but I think it's just with practice that each time they get a little rounder and rounder. It's a paitence game - working between the heat of melted chocolate and the cool of chilled base. Overall, though, I love the simplicity for the elegance, the crunchy outside and the gooey inside. pure happiness in chocolate form!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup whipping cream
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Optional for coating:
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Cocoa nibs
Coconut (unsweetened or sweetened)
Chopped nuts

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, bring the whipping cream to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes. Then remove from heat and let cool slightly for 5-10 minutes.
While cooling, melt 9 ounces of chocolate in a small sauce pan on as low of heat as possible (can use a double boiler if you want...you'll waste less chocolate if you do, but make a bigger mess).
Whisk the cream and the chocolate together. Chill until solid (and your spoon will stand up in it), about 3 hrs. This is your truffle base. (If you want a flavored middle, add before chilling: a tsp of vanilla, balsamic vinegar, orange zest, or a half teaspoon of any spice you want such as cinnamon, or just a pinch of cayenne pepper.)

Once firm, take the truffle base by the teaspoonful and roll into balls. Place the balls (careful to make the not touch) into a glass pan or a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Chill the balls for 1 hrs, until solid.

Once the balls are solid, melt the remaining 8 ounces of chocolate in a small saucepan over very low heat. In batches, remove the balls from the fridge or freezer (so remaining balls stay cold while you are working). Take one ball at a time and place it in a spoonful of chocolate. If you are going to leave it coated only in chocolate, then let sit for 1 minute. Then roll it over and coat other side with chocolate and place on a wax paper prepared tray. If you want to roll in a topping, coat the whole ball all at once with melted chocolate and then roll it in the desired topping after it has sat for at most 10 seconds. Repeat with remaining balls.

Let cool at room temperature for 1 hour.