Saturday, September 10, 2011

Friday Night/Shabbos | September 9th, 2011: Coconut Chicken, Creamy Asparagus Soup, Zucchini Angel Hair Pancake, Honey Ginger Balsamic Glazed Beets

Sunset, View from Gannon's on Maui

My dinner plans apparently change like the wind...or rather like the weather.  Again, the whole meal planning thing this week didn't happen. Even my new dinner plans fell to oblivion.  My MIL had read my blog and when I brought out Friday night's meal she said, "But I thought you were making the other kind of chicken?!"  It was too hot and not "Autumn-ie" enough for the Pomegranate Chicken (I think even I was being swayed by Fall Fever when I initially picked my Shabbos menu).  The 85 degree weather did not, however, keep me from making the asparagus soup (in my on-going attempt to cook vegetables into oblivion -- and yet maintain some semblance of greenery).  Anyway, regardless of my failed plans last night's dinner got rave reviews and I only had to run out for 2 ingredients: shallots and chicken breast tenders.  The menu was as follows:


Friday Night/Shabbos Dinner Menu:






I know it seems like an obsene amount of food but...no, it really was, you pretty much had to roll us out of our chairs after dinner.  


Coconut Chicken Skewers:


The Hali'imaile General Store is in Maui.  I have the great honor of knowing the owner and chef, Beverly Gannon.  She and her husband own three restaurants on the island, Gannon's, Joe's and The Hali'imaile General Store.  They are all exceptional, truly.  Bev, apparently, even caters food for Oprah when she's on the island.  My husband and I got our first chance to eat on our Honey Moon last October (that's right, our 1 year anniversary is coming up! More on that later).  We had a wonderful meal at Gannon's first.  Bev set us up with one of the best outside tables and our view was of one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen.  I had a Miso Butter Fish which any fish I've had since has yet to reckon with.  One of our last meals on Maui was at The Hali'imaile General Store which was more casual but just as delightful.  I had to buy her cookbook.  There is also another cookbook out which I am adding to my cookbook wish list.  


The reason I crossed out "Skewers" is because, while the recipe calls for threading the chicken onto bamboo skewers I don't skewer them, mainly because the recipe calls for deep frying the chicken and I don't do that either.  I've changed the recipe just a bit to make it a wee bit healthier.  After breading the chicken with the Panko/Coconut mixture I brown each side of it in a small bit of canola oil and then bake the chicken for about 14 minutes.  Bev's version is certainly tastier and for parties I might divulge in the deep frying.  Also, I cut the recipe in half and still had a great deal of leftovers after feeding 3 people. For the vegetarian version of the dish after pressing the extra-firm tofu I sprayed it with Canola spray and then dredged it in the Panko/Coconut Recipe, browned it on each side in a little canola and then baked it with the chicken.  Here's Bev's recipe:


2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups flour
6 eggs beaten
Canola or Coconut oil, for frying


1. Cut chicken breast into long thin strips and thread the strips onto bamboo skewers


2. To make the coconut breading mixture, in a shallow bowl mix the sweetened and unsweetened coconut, panko, sesame seeds, salt and pepper.


3. DIp the chicken skewers in flour then dip into the egg, coating well. Cover with the coconut breading mixture.  Set the skewers aside on a tray until all of them are coated. AT this point you can refrigerate the skewers until you are ready to fry or freeze them.  


4. To cook the chicken, use a deep skillet or deep fryer.  Heat 3 to 4 inches of oil to 375 degrees F. Fry the skewers, a few at a time, until golden brown and crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.  (She recommends serving the chicken with her Mango-Chile Dipping Sauce but you'll have to buy the cookbook for the recipe ;) )  


Ingredient Note: To toast sesame seeds, place them in an ungreased small frying pan over medium heat.  Toast for 3 to 4 minutes, tossing and stirring, until golden brown.  SEsame seeds will burn in a flash, so keep your eye on them.


Serves 6







Creamy Asparagus Soup


I used vanilla almond milk instead of low fat milk.  Also, the recipe says to peel the lower half of the asparagus spear but my asparagus (from Farmers' Market) was so thin that there wouldn't be any asparagus left if I had so I left it as is and it was perfectly fine.  Finally, I didn't make the garnish, but I'm sure it's just as yummy as the soup recipe.  


Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb asparagus
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced small
1 tbsp whole-wheat flour
2 cups low sodium chicken broth (or veggie broth for us veggies)
2 medium white potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup low-fat milk
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper


Garnish:
2 slices multi-grain bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese
6 tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper
6 oz cooked crabmeat
2 tbsp slivered fresh basil


Instructions:
1. Wash asparagus, cut off bottom 2 inches and discard. Peel lower half of asparagus spear, then cut spear into 1-inch pieces.  Set aside. 


2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan on medium-high. Add garlic and onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until onion begins to turn translucent.  Mix in flour and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Then gradually add broth and 1 cup water, continue to stir and bring to a boil, about 5 more minutes.


3. Add potatoes and asparagus.  Bring broth to a simmer and coer. Cook for 20 minutes, until asparagus is tender.  Working in batches, transfer mixture to a blender and puree for 20 to 30 seconds.  (Careful; mixture is hot.) Return soup to pot off heat and blend in milk, salt and black pepper.


4.  Heat remaining 1 tsp oil in a small saute pan on medium-high heat.  Add bread and toss until lightly brown, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and sprinkle with Parmesan. To serve, sppon 1 cup soup into each of 6 bowls.  In center of each soup, place 1 tbsp croutons, 1 tbsp red pepper, and 1 oz crabmeat and 1 tsp basil.  Serve immediately. 


Serves 6
Calories: 205 Total Fat: 5g Fiber: 5g







Zucchini Angel Hair Pancake 


This type of "pancake" was a first for me.  It was easy to make BUT the hardest part is flipping the pancake half way through cooking it.  Put a plate on the pancake and flip the pan over and the pancake onto the plate then slide the pancake back into the pan. Also, I felt like it wasn't thoroughly cooked enough so I put the pancake in the pan in the oven for 5 more minutes.  I also made a few non-dairy substitutions:  instead of sour cream I put in Tofutti Sour Supreme, instead of grated fresh Parmesan cheese I used grated Soya Kass Mozzarella Cheese and instead of butter I used margarine.  I did not serve it with the suggested marinara sauce.  My favorite part of this whole recipe was that I got to use fresh herbs from my herb garden (I still need to post about this -- my new pride and joy).  I am now convinced that fresh ingredients improve recipes exponentially. So while I'm sure you can use dried herbs as substitutions I would really consider growing a few staples on a window sill or just picking some up from the store if you can. 



Ingredients

  • 3 cups shredded zucchini
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1 (8-ounce) package angel hair pasta, broken into 3-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup lower-sodium marinara sauce
  • 1 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)
  • 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallots
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Preparation

  • 1. Place zucchini in a colander, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss well. Drain for 20 minutes, tossing occasionally. Press zucchini between paper towels until barely moist.
  • 2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
  • 3. Bring marinara to a simmer in a small saucepan; keep warm.
  • 4. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, flour, and the next 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Add zucchini and pasta to bowl; toss well.
  • 5. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini mixture to pan, pressing down. Cook for 5 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned. Carefully turn pancake over; cook 5 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned. Cut into 8 wedges. Serve with marinara.


Both my husband and Father In-Law pointed out last night that beets are normally pretty flat but this recipe gave em a zing that really stood out.  I think my MIL and I both like to serve beets tossed in a little oil or just plain roasted because we appreciate the subtle flavor, but the boys apparently don't appreciate a good beet so this recipe was great for them and would be great for new beet eaters.  I roasted the beets the night before and refrigerated them, making this recipe a quick, easy and tasty addition to last night's meal.  

1 pound medium-sized beets, trimmed and scrubbed (about 6)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons peeled and chopped ginger
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
basil leaves for garnish
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place beets in an oven-proof pan with sides, such as a cake pan. Splash in about 1/4 cup of water and seal the top with aluminum foil. Place in oven and roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Test by piercing a beet with a sharp knife -- it should glide right in.
Remove beets from oven and allow to cook a few minutes, just enough to handle them comfortably. Peel beets using a sharp paring knife, or have a little fun and just slip the skins off using your hands. (A very sensual kitchen experience!) Cold beets won't peel easily, so be sure to do this while the beets are still warm. Slice beets into chunks. At this point you have the option of refrigerating the beets until you are ready to use them.
Heat the butter over medium heat in a large frying pan and add the ginger. Cook the ginger for a minute or two, just until it becomes fragrant. Add the beets and the balsamic and stir. When the beets are hot and glazed, test for sweetness. Add honey if needed and cook a little longer to glaze. Hint: Adding honey and upping the sweetness of this dish is a good way to introduce beets to the haters.
Remove from heat and serve hot. Alternatively, these beets are also really good served at room temperature as a salad.
Serves 4 to 6



Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Alas, a store bought mix; I just added chocolate chips.  


My favorite desserts in the whole world are cotton candy, churros and marzipan.  This tart does it for me because the whole thing tastes like pears dipped in marzipan.  I secretly baked the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies so I could have the tart to myself.  I'm selfish like that.  The MIL is good enough to make her desserts Jess friendly by substituting the butter with margarine and any milk with almond, soy, or rice milk.  


crust


filling

  • 3 tablespoons soft butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup almond flour or finely ground almonds
  • 5 canned pear halves in heavy syrup, well drained*; or poached pear halves
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1 tablespoon coarse white sparkling sugar, optional but pretty
  • *Save the syrup you pour off the pears to make the sauce below, if you wish. If you don?t plan to make the sauce, feel free to purchase canned pears in water.
1) Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2) To make the crust: Beat together the sugar, butter, salt, and flavorings.
3) Add the flours, stirring to make crumbs that cling together when squeezed.
4) Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 4 1/4" x 13 3/4" tart pan; prick it all over with a fork.
5) Chill the crust in the freezer for 15 minutes, then bake it until it?s just beginning to brown on the edges, 18 to 22 minutes. Remove it from the oven.
6) To make the filling: Beat together the butter, salt, sugar, flour, and almond extract.
7) Beat in the eggs, then add the almond flour, stirring just to combine.
8) To assemble the tart: Spread the filling in the bottom of the crust.
9) Place the well-drained pears on top of the filling, pressing them down gently so the edges are covered.
10) Brush the pears with melted butter and sprinkle with white sparkling sugar, if desired.
11) Bake the tart for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. Cool slightly before serving.
12) To make the optional sauce: Dissolve the Crème Caramel Mix in the pear syrup. Feel free to spice the sauce with ground cinnamon and a touch of ground cloves or allspice, to taste.
13) Heat the cream to a simmer, and stir in the pear syrup mixture.
14) Bring back to a simmer, and cool. Serve with pear tart.
Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

I think I'm still full...and now I miss Maui.  Happy eating all!  

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