Rhubarb, Blueberry & Cherry Upside Down Cake

These fruits were not chosen on purpose. It came about by necessity. I was going to make a rhubarb upside down cake, and found I bought not nearly enough rhubarb. It wasn't the first time either: somehow, as much as I love rhubarb, I always end up overestimating the amount the stalks will yield.

What I did have, was a pint of blueberries, and little ziplock of cherries I had pitted and frozen earlier. Oh well why not. I love these fruits individually (or is rhubarb a vegetable?), all three combined should give an appetizing amount of tart and sweet. I just hoped the tart deliciousness of rhubarb would still dominate. And it does: that typical taste of rhubarb is delightfully there, balanced with the aromatic sweetness of blueberry and cherries. If you are mad about rhubarb (like me), use all rhubarb - just make sure you have enough (about 4 cups for this cake)!

I used a 10inch round cakepan. If you use a 9inch, make sure you leave it in the oven longer: it will be higher with a slightly thicker cake layer.

fruit base 
2 cups cut rhubarb
1 cup blueberries
1 tsp cornstarch
1 cup pitted cherries (frozen)
1/2 cup raw cane sugar (or regular granulated sugar if you prefer)

2 tbsp (30gr) butter
batter
2 sticks softened butter (225gr) 

1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup organic plain yogurt
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt

• preheat the oven to 325F (160C)
• Cut the rhubarb in small chunks, add the cornstarch and 1 tbsp sugar (taken from the 1/2 cup raw cane sugar). Let macerate while you prepare the rest
• butter the cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper
• sift flour, baking powder and salt together
• add the blueberries and cherries to the rhubarb. Mix together
• in a small sauce pan, heat 2 tbsp butter and raw can sugar until melted. Pour into the prepared cake pan and divide (making sure fruits are more or less evenly distributed)
• in a mixing bowl, on medium-high beat butter and 1 cup granulated sugar until creamy (2-3 min). Scrape the sides down every so often. Add the vanilla extract.
• add the yogurt, and mix in on medium high
• add the eggs, one by one, also on medium high
• turn speed to low, and add the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt
• mix until the batter looks smooth like peanut butter. If you find it too thick, add a tbsp milk
• divide batter over the fruits carefully (do it by dividing it in dollops across the fruit, then spread with a spoon that you wet with a little water)
• bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour. Check by inserting a metal skewer: if it comes out dry, the cake is done
• when done, take out of the oven and leave to cool for about 20 minutes (not much longer: the syrup should still be runny but not too liquid.
• carefully turn the cake upside down on a cake plate.

Lamb Kofte, Saffron Rice, and Colorful Salad

When minced lamb smells good enough to eat raw, close your eyes and you can almost picture the animal running around in a meadow rich with grasses and wildflowers. On my kitchen board was farm-fresh, pasture-raised lamb from a local ranch (link). This lamb begged for fresh herbs, for natural sweetness, for a hint of spiciness. It longed for a gentle roll on the hot grill. This lamb also sought a tantalizing liaison with the vibrant colors and crisp flavors of fresh vegetables, and the fragrance of saffron in rice. This was a weekday meal for us, one we loved so much I decided to cook the same for friends when they came to dinner. And like often, the question arose: "so do you cook like this every day?" Well, yes, I do. When I'm not eating out somewhere.

Dessert was a yogurt-coconut-lemon cake, a recipe for another time. Following recipes are for 3-4: adjust amounts accordingly!

Colorful Salad
1 orange
1 medium fennel bulb
1/2 small red cabbage
4-5 radish
1 medium red beetroot
2-3 scallions
2 small cucumber
fresh herbs (to taste)

vinaigrette
You can use any vinaigrette you like. Here's one I use
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Tarragon Vinegar (I make my own; use another vinegar if you don't have)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp tahina (if you don't like tahina in this vinaigrette, use mustard)
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint and parsley

Prepare the vegetables: grate the beetroot, shave fennel and cabbage, slice radish thin, dice the cucumber, and chop the scallions. Layer in a wide bowl. Clean the orange and cut segments (without white). Catch the orange juice that spills and add to the vinaigrette. Add the orange to the salad, scatter fresh herbs over it all. Make a vinaigrette by mixing all ingredients together. Add the vinaigrette just before you're ready to serve. Toss at the table (all separate colors will run red the moment you toss the salad, owing to the beetroot).

Lamb Kofte
500 gr ground lamb
1 tbsp mixed spice (equal amounts of cumin, ground ginger, paprika, cayenne)
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint and oregano (2/3 mint, 1/3 oregano)
sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp dhibs (date syrup)
1 clove of garlic, minced

Saffron Rice
2 cups basmati rice
4 cups water
1 pinch saffron threads
1 medium/small onion, diced fine
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter

Rinse the rice 2-3 times. Pound half of the saffron threads in a mortar and pestle. Bring 1 cup water (of the 4 cups) to a boil, add to the pounded saffron and leave to infuse. Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the onion and sweat gently over low heat until soft and translucent. Add the rice and stir to coat in the onion-butter. Add the pounded saffron, and the water. Add salt to taste, and the rest of the saffron threads. Bring to a boil and let simmer slowly until fluffy and soft.

Cucumber, Mint & Yogurt Sauce
1 cup thick yogurt (if you use plain yogurt: let it strain in a cheesecloth for an hour or so)
1 small cucumber
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced (depending on how much garlic you like)
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
salt flakes and fresh ground pepper to taste

Grate the cucumber, and let it strain in a sieve to get rid of excess liquid. Mix with the thick yogurt, and add garlic, mint, and seasoning.

and this is what happens when you toss the salad: all shades of delicious red

A recent post on Texas Local Meat: In My Kitchen here

My meat came from A Better Way Beef, a local farm I found through www.eatwild.com

Find me on Facebook (here) and Twitter (here)

Chocolate Mousse & Dirt Dessert

Spring is erupting. The dead-tree look in the garden is pushed to the back of a winter memory, and shades of refreshing green are taking over. Bulbs buried under dirt are peeking, some have already pushed the stalks up to carry young leaves and flower buds. Spring is also in this dessert, where young green is poking out of the dirt.... or is it dirt?

If you make this dessert in an empty (clean!) garden pot, it will look like a pot of dirt with plants. Try it, and surprise someone on April Fools' Day!

Chocolate Mousse & Dirt Dessert
(recipe generously serves 4)

Chocolate Mousse
2 egg yolks
80gr dark chocolate
40 ml sugar syrup (equal parts water & sugar)
150ml whipping cream

Whip the whipping cream until stiff. I don't add sugar, but feel free to do so. Whisk the egg yolks until pale and creamy. Bring the sugar syrup to a light boil, and then proceed to add to the egg yolks slowly, adding a couple of drops of the hot syrup to the yolks first to temper, then slowly add the rest in a steady stream while whisking until cool. Melt the chocolate (over hot water or in the microwave). Keep an eye on it: when 50% is melted, take it off the heat and let residual heat melt the rest of the chocolate. When slightly cooled, add to the sugar syrup and egg yolk mixture, working fast. When cool, start folding in the whipped cream in batches. Gently fold it in, from the outside inwards. As for the whipping cream and amount of it: the more you fold in, the airier the mousse becomes, but it will also make the mousse less pure "chocolatey". Taste when you're halfway through the whipped cream amount. If you're happy with the consistency and overall taste, don't use the rest. If not, continue to incorporate the cream.

The Dirt
To make the dirt, the easiest is to use dark chocolate chip cookies (homemade or store-bought). Three or four large cookies will do. Gently pound in a mortar and pestle (be careful not to pound into a paste!), or grind in a food processor (same paste-warning). It will truly resemble dark earthy dirt. I used a leftover slice of chocolate mousse cake that I made on another occasion, and kept in the freezer. Only use the crumbly outside layer (unless, like me, you baked the cake in the oven just a little too long, and it turns out quite crumbly throughout...).

To assemble: spoon a layer of chocolate mousse in a deep bowl that opens wide at the top. Sprinkle the dirt over to cover completely. Garnish with fresh herb leaves such as mint, basil, thyme and/or edible flowers. In the picture are slices of kumquat confit.

Kumquat Confit

1 cup cleaned kumquat

1 cup sugar

tbsp water

To clean the kumquat: quarter and scrape off the pits. Blanch three times as follows: place the kumquat quarters in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Immediately take off the heat, drain, and start over: cold water, boil, drain. This is to remove all impurities from the skin, and reduce the bitterness. It also softens the skins. After your 3-time blanching, add a cup of sugar and 1-2 tbsp water and bring to a boil. Now, let simmer for up to 30 minutes. Cool down in the syrup and keep until ready to use. If you don't use all: it keeps for weeks in an airtight container (under syrup).

Balqees Honey Pear Salad

This is a salad that marries the well-known combination of pear, nuts, and blue cheese with a hint of the Middle East, a touch of the Southern states, and a memory of liquid deliciousness: raw Yemeni saffron infused honey by Balqees (link).

When I moved from Dubai to Houston, one of my worries was that I would not be able to find the great flavors of the Middle East, from spices to condiments. And then I found Phoenicia. Founded by an Armenian couple in the 1970s, Phoenicia is as close to the Middle East as you can get in Houston. I happily started to browse through my Middle Eastern cookbooks again. One thing I haven't found is the prized raw Yemeni honey, which in Dubai you can find sold in big glass jars for you to taste, compare, and choose.

This salad vaguely evokes Arabic flavors in the rose water that lends an aromatic touch to the dish. The soft, mild blue cheese and the characteristic flavor of pecans bring it home to Texas (yep, still getting used to calling it "home"). You can make this salad with any honey, but it will never have that same depth of deliciousness or that velvety richness that comes with natural, raw honey. Saffron-infused at that. Below recipe is loosely based on Malouf's Honey-Roasted Pear And Walnut Salad (page 261 of his must-have cookbook New Middle Eastern Food).

Balqees Raw Honey Roasted Pears, Blue Cheese and Pecans

Recipe for 4
2 ripe pears
fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup roasted pecans
150gr crumbled soft, mild blue cheese (I used an artisanal Vermont blue cheese)
1 tbsp Balqees Raw Yemeni Honey (saffron-infused if you have: an unforgettable taste)
1 splash of rosewater
100gr (or 2 cups full) of young leaf salad
a handful of fresh, small herb leaves (mint, thyme, basil, for instance)

Cut each pear (skin on) into six wedges, cut out the cores, and sprinkle with fresh lemon juice to prevent discoloring. Heat the butter in a skillet until melted. Add the pears and toss regularly over high heat for 1-2 minutes (make sure each side "gets a turn"). Add the honey and toss well to coat (it caramelizes quickly). Add the rosewater (steam will rise), and toss some more, always over high heat. When the pears are nicely coated and caramelized, take them out and keep warm.

In the same pan, toss the pecans over high heat. The residue of honey-butter-rosewater left in the pan will cling to the nuts. Sprinkle some coarse salt on and let cool (make sure to separate the individual nut pieces: once they cool, the honey will stick them together like glue).

Carefully mix all ingredients together and serve. Keep aside some of the blue cheese, 2 slices of pear, and some pecans to garnish the top.

A huge miss: a Balqees shop around MY corner, where I can go, taste that gorgeous honey, and decide on which jar to take home. From the renowned Sidr honey and infusions from wildflower to saffron, Balqees is paradise for a honey lover! In this photo toasted raisin-walnut bread, an artisanal goats cheese from Burgundy, and raw Yemeni Wildflower honey. You don't need much else!

Squash & Root Vegetable Casserole

Don't you just love the color and variety of root vegetables? From a deep purple potato to the warm orange rutabaga, dark red or golden yellow beetroot, warm white celeriac and parsnip. It is vegetable time!

This Squash & Root Vegetable Casserole is open to interpretation. In fact, so is the name: I've called variations of this dish "curry" and "tajine", depending on the spice mix I used, and pan I cooked it in. Choose your own favorite squash and root vegetables. I use acorn squash here, but made it before with butternut squash (my favorite squash, with its warm color, rich flavor and velvet texture). You can add coconut milk if you like.

Squash & Root Vegetable Casserole 
ingredients
6-7 different squash/root vegetables: I used 1/2 acorn squash, 2 parsnip roots, 1 medium yellow beetroot, 1/2 medium celeriac, 1 turnip, 1 rutabaga, all cut in relatively same size chunks.
1 medium onion, sliced in half moons
500 ml good stock (organic vegetable or chicken)
paste
4-5 cardamom pods
1/4 tsp of each: ground ginger, cumin, turmeric, white pepper
chili flakes to taste
3 garlic cloves
generous tbsp fresh lime juice
4 shallots
1 tbsp olive oil (+ 1 tbs oil for cooking)

• In a mortar and pestle, pound the cardamom pods until fine (you can use the seeds only, but I usually don't bother separating, and leave the outside skin in).
• add all the spices and garlic, and pound until forming a paste
• add the lime juice, then add the olive oil
• continue pounding carefully (don't splash) until all is mixed into a smooth, runny paste
• heat a tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute for up to 5 minutes
• add the root vegetables and stir to mix with onions. Let caramelize lightly, stirring regularly for up to 10 minutes
• add the spice paste, stir well to coat all vegetables, and cook for 1-2 minutes (not too long, or it will become bitter)
• add the stock, stir all together, and bring to a boil
• over low heat, simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the hardest vegetable (in my curry that was the beetroot) is soft.

You can serve this as a main course with rice. I served it with a homemade salsa verde as well. Now, if your family is like mine, they will love it yet will also mutter how great this would be with grilled lamb chops!

you may also like my Many Vegetable Lasagna and In My Kitchen: Six Months After Leaving Dubai

Find me on Facebook
Find me on Twitter

An Elegant Hot Dip and Shrimp Boil Chowder

Last week, a ziplock full of leftover shrimp boil came my way again (see "Shrimp Boil Artichoke Salad" here). Juicy shrimp, spicy sausage, mushrooms, corn, and potatoes soaked with the flavorful boil. We ate with gusto, and still there was enough left over for me to "play" with. Cold outside, fireplace burning, I made a chowder with the remaining potatoes, shrimp and corn. And a lush "shrimp boil avocado" dip. Both recipes below, and as usual: the list of ingredients suggests alternatives if you do not have the same leftovers. You will need to spice it up to taste, though: it's only when you have such wonderful shrimp boil leftovers that the main ingredients provide a depth of flavor that needs very little else.

Shrimp Boil Chowder

A great way to use those leftover red potatoes, cooked in the spicy boil and soaked with seafood and spice flavors. This chowder could not be any easier: it takes all of its flavor from the shrimp boil. The only "extra" ingredients in this chowder are the stock, the cream, and 1/2 cup of finely diced celery, which I add for a refreshing depth, but could be left out. One thing: these shrimp boil potatoes are spicy. And as a result, your chowder will be spicy. If you want to tone down the heat in the chowder, add a large russet potato, chopped up and cooked (remember: you are using boiled potatoes, so you can't just add the russet potato uncooked - it's why I suggest you use cooked russet potato).

Ingredients

10 or so small boiled red potatoes (leftover from shrimp boil)
1 large russet potato, cooked (optional: it tones down the overall spiciness if using shrimp boil leftovers)

1 cup cooked corn kernels, scraped from the ear (leftover from shrimp boil, keep the "stalk")

1 cup chopped cooked shrimp (leftover from shrimp boil, keep 1 or 2 for garnish if you wish)

1 liter well-seasoned organic stock (approx. 4 cups, or 1 quart)

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/2 cup double (whipping) cream

salt/pepper to taste

Heat the stock, and add the bare corn "stalk". It will lend some additional flavor to the stock. Take it out before you blend the soup! Peel the red boiled potatoes, cut up and add to the stock in a large pan. Cook to infuse for 2-3 minutes, then puree with an immersion (handheld) blender, but watch the ratio potato-liquid. You want a thick, creamy soup, so it may work best to keep a cup or so of the stock separate, blend the rest to a puree and add the remaining stock as you go until you achieve the desired thickness. At this point, add the finely chopped celery to soften. After 2-3 minutes, add the corn kernels, chopped shrimp and cream, and cook through for 2-3 minutes. Check the taste and adjust if needed. Serve hot with crusty French bread.

Shrimp, Corn and Avocado Dip

1 cup chopped boiled shrimp (or leftover from shrimp boil)
1/2 cup fresh cooked corn kernels (or leftover from shrimp boil, scraped from the ear)
2-3 cloves garlic from the shrimp boil (soft and soaked with flavor) or 1 large fresh garlic clove, chopped fine
1 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 medium ripe avocado, cut into chunks
1 handful fresh parsley (leaf only), chopped fine
1 handful fresh koriander (leaf only), chopped fine
1 tsp (or a squirt) fresh lime juice
a few drops of tabasco, or to taste
salt/pepper to taste
1 cup grated cheese (I use a 50-50 ratio of parmesan and mild aged farmer's Gouda), optional

Mix together cream cheese and sour cream until creamy and free of any lumps. Mix in chopped herbs and finely chopped garlic. Season with the lime juice and tabasco (careful with the latter if you are using shrimp boil leftovers). Add the chopped shrimp, corn and avocado chunks, and carefully spoon through. Put in an ovenproof serving dish, cover with the cheese and bake in a hot (400F, or 200C) oven for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese has melted and dip is bubbling. Serve immediately, for instance with blue corn chips.

For an elegant appetizer, spoon the avocado shrimp boil dip in filo cups, and bake at 350F for about 10 minutes, or until hot throughout.

You can also serve this avocado shrimp dip cold (room temperature). In that case, leave out the cheese and sprinkle with fresh herbs and chunks of avocado instead.

You may also enjoy: "Shrimp Boil" and Artichoke Salad


Find Me On Facebook Here

Roasted Golden Beetroot and Lobster Risotto

I like to roast beetroot bulbs. It brings out their natural sweetness, and deepens their flavor. It makes for instant flavor when you use them in a soup, or like here: in a risotto. Roasting also deepens the color, and the roasted golden beetroot gives the risotto a warm golden yellow. The eye does not go wanting with this risotto!

Ingredients (makes for a main course for 4)

2 cups Arborio rice (or other risotto rice)

100 gr butter

20 gr onions, finely chopped

1-2 liter good, flavorful stock (from scratch or organic cube, your choice vegetable or chicken)

40 gr parmesan cheese, grated

your flavor ingredient(s): in this case 1 cup finely diced roasted golden beetroot

2-3 medium cooked lobster tails, cut into chunks

It is important to have a good, flavorful stock: the grains will soak it up and make or break your risotto. If too bland, your risotto will be bland too. For the risotto you are making, add part of your flavor ingredients to the stock to simmer at least 30 minutes prior to using the stock. For instance, if you're making a mushroom risotto: add mushrooms to the stock. I added chopped beetroot to the stock prior to using it. Also, be playful with your stock: add aromatic herbs and scraps from vegetables to deepen the flavor.

Directions (to make a risotto this way will take about 20-25 minutes start to finish)

• gently soften the onions in 1/3 of the butter
• add the risotto grains to "roast" (but not brown): you will notice they get a little glossy
• add a ladle of hot stock: the shock makes the grains absorb the liquid rapidly and soften the starch to be released. When the liquid is all soaked up, add another ladle. 
• this is the process for the next 20 or so minutes: add a ladle of stock every time the liquid is incorporated. Stir to get all the grains off the sides of the pan and bottom, and simmer. I don't stir continuously, but am close to the pan at all times.
• After about 10 minutes, add half of the diced beetroot with your next ladle of stock.
• Continue to add stock and stir until the risotto starts to thicken (it will look creamier and grains have swollen in size). At this point, taste a grain and check for desired tenderness. You are looking for a little bite, but nothing "chalky". If still too firm, continue with stock and stirring. If soft enough to your liking, and not a hint of chalkiness: take off the heat, add the remaining beetroot, grated parmesan and butter. Stir well to incorporate.
• Add another ladle of stock if you want your risotto a little "runny". Add the lobster chunks to warm through (or warm separately and serve on top of risotto).

Garnishing herbs that will go well with these sweet and seafood flavors are fresh chives, young parsley, or even fresh (wild) thyme. I also like to sprinkle a couple of rose peppercorns.

ps. you could use the lobster heads for the stock. I didn't, as I find it makes the risotto overly sweet, whereas a hearty, herb-rich stock adds more savory notes to the sweetness of the golden beetroot and lobster meat. I do, however, use the "coral" chopped up and added to the risotto.

the natural beauty of golden beetroot