Sweet Potato Rosti and Spinach/Feta Quiche

 

From Olivia's Mediterranean Kitchen

For the Sweet Potato Rosti Crust 

2 large sweet potatoes (about 1-1/3 pounds) peeled and coarsely grated with water squeezed out

1 large egg

2 T flour

2 T olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

For the Spinach and Feta Filling

5 large eggs

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 cup fresh spinach and chopped

1 sliced shallot

2 t garlic, minced

1 cup cream

1 T fresh thyme leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish

1/4 c. walnuts, chopped

2 T honey

1 T fresh thyme leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Use parchment lined quiche or tart pans. 

In a large bowl, combine the grated sweet potato, egg, flour, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly. Shape and bake by pressing the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden and base has begun to crisp.

Saute the vegetables: Heat 1 T oil in a skillet and cook the shallot 2-3 minutes, add the garlic and cook 30 sec. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Cook off the excess moisture.

Prepare the filling. Whisk together the eggs, cream, any other seasoning, pepper and a bit of salt. Stir in the spinach mixture and crumbled feta. 

Reduce the temperature in the oven to 375 degrees. Pour in the mixed egg, spinach, feta mixture into the partially baked crust. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet for a few minutes. Toss with olive oil and fresh thyme. 

Let the quiche rest and then sprinkle the walnuts, extra feta and then drizzle with honey. 

Garnish with thyme sprigs and slice into wedges. 

Roasted Grapes Burrata, Proscuitto and Pistachios Platter

 

Ingredients:

Roasted grapes:

2-1/2 c seedless red grapes, stems removed and washed and dried. 

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Platter:

2-3 burrata balls, drained

4 slices prosciutto, torn

2 T chopped roasted pistachios

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Fresh or toasted bread for serving.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the grapes in a baking dish large enough to hold them in one layer. Toss with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Spread the grapes evenly across the dish. Roast for approximately 30 minutes, until softened, slightly wrinkled and releasing their juices.  Let them cool briefly until warm rather than sizzling 

Gently open the drained burrata onto the serving platter. Arrange the torn prosciutto in loose folds over the burrata. Spoon the roasted grapes and their juices onto the platter.

Sprinkle with the pistachios and thyme.

Serve immediately with bread or crackers. 

Recipe from katerynas cafe dot com

Burma Superstar's Coconut Curry Chicken

Our son-in-law Rob made us this wonderful dish from the Burma Superstar cookbook. Burma Superstar is a restaurant in San Francisco and imagine they had easten there in the past. Rob served the dish with rice but it might be great with noodles, too. The spice was perfect although Rob left out some of it (with reason he did not use a Madras Curry powder due to some of Beth's allergies to cinnamon and the like.) He also served it with a lovely Ginger Salad from the same cookbook. 

Gather your ingredients and plan to marinate the chicken for 24 hours before cooking the dish.

Ingredients:  

2 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tbsp. ground paprika

 tsp. ground turmeric
2 tsp. salt, plus more as needed
1/4 cup canola oil
3 cups finely diced onions
*1 tbsp. fresh ginger (not in the cookbook, but a nice addition)
2 T garlic, minced
1 can (13 1/2 oz) unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 tbsp. fish sauce
1 cup water
1 tsp. red curry paste, or Madras curry powder, or yellow curry powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Cilantro for garnish
Lemon or lime wedges for garnish

Instructions:  

Remove excess fat from the chicken and cut into 1-inch pieces.
Mix the chicken with the paprika, turmeric and salt, in a large bowl and allow to marinate 24 hours.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmery, add the onions and reduce the heat to medium. Gently sauté the onions until translucent.
Add the ginger and garlic. Continue to stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the chicken to the onion mixture and stir to combine.
Pour in the coconut milk. Increase the heat to bring to a near boil. Let simmer for a few minutes to thicken the sauce.
Reduce the heat, add the fish sauce and water, and increase the heat again to bring back to a boil.
Lower the heat to simmer for about 45-50 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the curry and cayenne at the end of 45-50 minutes and simmer for 5-10 minutes more.
Turn off the heat and let the curry rest for 20 minutes.
At the end of the rest, if desired, skim the fat/oil off the top.
Turn on the heat to medium-high and bring just to a simmer to warm through before serving.

Fig Tart made with Homemade Fig Jam

Blend 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp. salt in a separate medium bowl. In another blend one egg yolk with 3 T. half-and-half (or milk and heavy cream) and 1 tsp.of vanilla or black walnut extract. Finely chop 1/2 c. walnuts. Blend these with the dry ingredients. You will need at least a cup of your homemade fig jam. Slice 10 moist dried figs. Chop 1/2 cup walnuts.

Getting the Crust ready: Keep one cup of unsalted butter that is cut into small squares in the frig or freezer until you are ready to blend all of the above in a bowl.

With a pastry cutter, blend the dry crust ingredients in a large bowl and cut in the cold butter. Make a well in the crust mixture and add the egg/cream. Mix well, continuing to use the pastry cutter. Break up large clumps with your fingers.

Getting the Crust ready: Keep one cup of unsalted butter that is cut into small squares in the frig or freezer until you are ready to blend all of the above in a bowl.

You will need at least a cup of your homemade fig jam. Slice 10 moist dried figs. Chop 1/2 cup walnuts.

With a pastry cutter, blend the dry crust ingredients in a large bowl and cut in the cold butter. Make a well in the crust mixture and add the egg/cream. Mix well, continuing to use the pastry cutter. Break up large clumps with your fingers. 

Press the dough firmly into a large fluted quiche pan with a removable bottom, lined or unlined with parchment. Place the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove from the freezer the chilled crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.

Cover the tart crust with a 1/2 inch layer of your homemade fig jam and sliced figs and 1/2 cup walnuts.

Bake for 35-40 minutes in the 350 degree oven. Cool before cutting.

Asparagus Soup

This is a delicate and pale soup and it is delicious. Serve it with blanched tips of the asparagus, and with a swirl of cream, creme fraish and fesh tarragon leaves.

2 pounds of fresh asparagus

3 T butter

1-1/2 cup thinly sliced leeks

3 T. flour or Wondra

4-6 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup light cream

1 T chopped fresh tarragon leaves plus more for garnish

salt and pepper

Cut the tops of the asparagus 2-1/2 inches off the asparagus spears and blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes. They must stay freshly green. Drain them and slice them into 2-4 pieces. Set them aside.

Trim the woody ends of the stalks. Chop the stalks into 1 inch pieces. 

Heat the butter in a Dutch oven. Add the leeks and cook over low heat for 5-8 minutes. Stir in the chopped asparagus stalks, cover and cook for 6-8 minutes longer. 

Add the flour and still well into the vegetables to blend and cook all 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the stock. Bring to a boil and stir until lowering the heat and simmering for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

Cool and puree the food. Stir in the cream and tarragon leaves. 

Serve hot and garnished. 

Note: I got this from The Soup Bible edited by Debra Mayhew. It was suggested to serve cold but it was delicious hot.

Fig Jam from Dried Figs

 

Ingredients:

28 ounces dried figs covered with 4 cups water

½ cup fresh lemon juice
3 cups granulated sugar
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Add the figs to a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Add water and bring to boil. Remove from heat, cover and let stand until figs are plumped. Using a slotted spoon, remove figs and reserve liquid.  When the figs have cooled enough to handle remove and discard their stems with kitchen scissors or a sharp knife.  Chop the figs and set aside.
Add the lemon juice, sugar and reserved liquid to the Dutch oven and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the chopped figs and pinch of salt, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Ladle hot fig mixture into jars. If you are canning them, see Savor the Best dot com for her suggestion.  I will be using the fig jam and giving it away with the instruction to refrigerate and use within 3 months. 
Yields: About 6 cups.

Butter Chicken in the Instant Pot

Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani is one of the easiest Indian recipes, especially if you use the IP. It's quick and delicious and you can make it for a crowd.

I have found that many Indian cookbooks are easy on the spice, compared to the Indian restaurant cooking. I would double up the spices when cooking after you've made it at least once, or you've become familiar with the cookbook. This one I used is in the Indian Instant Pot Cookbook by Urvashi Pitre.

Serve it over basmati rice cooked with a few star anise pods and with sides of thinly-sliced cucumbers sprinkled with rice vinegar, cilantro and salt and some fresh naan.

1. 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes (not drained)
2. 5-6 garlic cloves, minced
3. 1 T. minced ginger
4. 1 tsp ground turmeric
5. 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
6. 1 tsp ground paprika
7. 2 tsp Garam Masala, divided
8. 1 tsp ground cumin
9. 1 tsp salt
10. 1 pound skinless and boneless chicken thighs or breasts
11. 4 oz butter, cut into cubes or 1/2 coconut oil
12. 1/2 c heavy whipping cream or full-fat coconut milk
13. 1/4-1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Remember, you might want to double the spices.

This recipe calls for you to make the sauce, cook the chicken and then save some sauce for later. I think that's great if you are using only a pound of chicken. I cooked two pounds of chicken thighs (about 12-14) and used 2 cups of basmati cooked in 3-1/2 cups water. There was still sauce left over but it's nice to have to sop up with the naan.

Place the first 9 ingredients (half the Garam Masala) into the instant pot. Mix and then place the chicken on top. Lock the lid in place (pressure not venting!) and pressure cook for 10 minutes.  Those of you who pressure cook know that it will take time to come up to seal and pressure. After pressure cooking, let the pressure release naturally, this might take 10 more minutes. So the complete cook is about 1/2 hour.

On a platter or in a dish with rounded or square sides, place the pieces of chicken on top of the cooked rice. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce in the pot until it is smooth. Add the butter, the rest of the Garam Masala and cilantro. Cook for a few minutes on the saute setting in the IP. The sauce should be saucy, not watery. I actually added a few T of Wondra flour and cooked it until the sauce was thicker.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and rice and sprinkle with extra cilantro.

Yum!