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Walnut Saffron Gelato
I feel I am on a roll with these cornstarch gelato recipes. I have figured out that the recipes with nuts have the best consistency.
The other day I started thinking of another gelato recipe. I was envisioning one with hazelnuts and saffron. I was very excited all day and when I finally got home, I took the milk out and the hazelnuts which are stored in the freezer (nuts should be kept in the freezer to achieve a long shelf life). I placed them in a small cookie sheet and proceeded to roast them in the oven. Once they were cooled off, something in my head urged me to taste one- I had this strange feeling the hazelnuts had been sitting in the freezer for a while. Well, what do you know- they tasted awful! What was I going to do now??? The milk was already thickened with the cornstarch and the saffron was steeping in there.
I opened my freezer again to pick another nut- walnuts screamed out at me. Well, I am very glad this little mishap occurred- the walnuts went fabulously well with the saffron. The taste reminded me of kulfi, which is essentially an Indian ice cream.
The flavor was nutty and sweet; the texture was smooth and creamy. What makes me really happy is that it’s made out of whole milk- so eat as much as you like. Try this one- it’s truly a winner.
So Busy Cooking- You Forget About The Hungry
As a Cook and a Mom, I am always thinking of what to cook next. I am so busy concocting the next meal that it is hard to imagine there are people out there, especially kids who go hungry every day. I am at a grocery store almost everyday thinking about healthy ways to feed my family. Shop Rite is one store that is helping people who are desperate to eat anything at all- there are over 36 million Americans who go to bed hungry every night and 12 million of them are children.
I am writing about this problem on behalf of The ShopRite Partners in Caring program. It is a program that fights against hunger by supporting 23 regional food banks and more than 1,400 charitable agencies with food or meal components.
You can help by purchasing products with the ShopRite Partners in Caring shelf tag. This will help support the brands that help the fight against hunger and ultimately help fill empty bowls for thousands of hungry families in your community.
Please go to ShopRite and do your part.
As a thank you, General Mills and ShopRite will donate one box of cereal to a food bank in ShopRite’s trading area for the first 30 people who comment on this post.
Thank You!
Fresh Ancho Chili and Sausage Pasta
When it is hot outside, I think of Southwestern or Mexican flavors. Fresh chilies, cilantro, corn and avocados come to mind. I feel like making fresh guacamole and eat tons of chips with it- or make enchiladas. I do try to come up with different recipes to post on this blog- sometimes it gets quite challenging…
Some chain restaurants have a southwestern style pasta on their menus. That is what I started to think of when I visited the farmer’s market the other day- I bought some fresh ancho chilies. I pictured roasting them and then making a sauce out of them- maybe a cheese sauce for a pasta. I planned on stopping at the grocery store to pick up chicken thighs to grill and add to the dish- but as usual something came up and I didn’t get time to go. I then remembered I have chicken sausage in the freezer- perfect!
I roasted the ancho chilies and diced and sauteed them with sliced shallots and garlic. I then sprinkled all-purpose flour to make a roux. Chicken broth and a little half and half completed the sauce. I had a bag of shredded mexican cheese (including queso fresco, monterey, etc.)- which I thought would be perfect for this dish- though any cheese will do.
I roasted the chicken sausages in the oven and added them to the cheese sauce. I added a my favorite ingredient- smoked paprika. It gave the cheese sauce a delicious smoky flavor that complemented the smokiness in the ancho chilies really well.
Overall the flavor was very delicious and different. I added fresh cilantro on top instead of the usual basil or parsley. I felt cilantro was a better fit with all the southwestern flavors- and it was – really yummy. I wasn’t sure if my family would like it- but they did- they all relished it with a bottle of red wine and milk (for my daughter).
Rice Dish Cooked with Raisins: Kishmish Pulao
It’s nice to have a few rice dishes in your weekday repertoire. This is on top of my list.
I realize a lot of people don’t like sweet things in their meal. Most people I know including my daughter don’t like the idea of having raisins in their rice. I love it- especially accompanied with a spicy dish. I love the bursts of sweetness in my mouth paired with the creamy rice grains, smoky cumin seeds and savory onions. I could eat this just by itself as a meal- with some raita– it would be a complete meal.
We made it with the fish curry and the cucumber and tomato salad. The curry was spiced with ajwain and onion, garlic, ginger and tomatoes. The sweet golden raisins were paired beautifully with the savory fish dish. This versatile pulao can be served with any kind of protein.
I like using golden raisins instead of the dark ones. The lighter ones have more of a tang to them compared to the dark ones which tend to be mostly over sweet. I also like using currants in rice and couscous dishes- same concept of pairing savory flavor with sweet. Obviously any kind of raisins will work in this dish but I would recommend the lighter ones.
It’s an easy delicious side dish to make for any kind of meal- enjoy!
Fresh Tuna Salad
This was the first thing I did with the fresh tuna steaks I got from my friend. I was at the mall when I got the call telling me she was on her way to drop the fish off. I immediately left all the shopping and headed home. Ideas began to swim in my head – it’s very hard to drive when that happens- all I could think of was to get in my house and get my hands on those tuna steaks.
It happened to be lunch time and what is more refreshing on a hot day than a freshly made tuna salad? Well, that is what I made. I briefly seared both sides and seasoned them with salt and pepper. I kept them aside to cool off while I went to my back yard to decide what herb to use in the salad. A few years ago I remember eating a lemon thyme chicken salad at a local wrap place in South Orange. It was delicious and I made it at home many times after eating it. While I was outside in my backyard, I thought of that salad and brought some fresh thyme for the tuna salad. I wanted to add a sweet element to the salad- an apple came to mind. I had one left in my fridge and it was my favorite variety- Braeburn. I love the sweet and sour taste paired with the crisp texture of this particular apple. It all came together really well, a little mayo, fresh thyme, lemon juice and an apple.
It was a simple salad but absolutely delicious. I have never had fresher fish before- I couldn’t believe someone caught it just a few days before I put the salad together. Makes me want be more of a locavore.
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Quick and Easy Pesto Salad with Green Beans and Tomatoes
I love anything made out of pesto. It’s my favorite thing to have around and use in a pinch. Since it has all the yummy ingredients I would normally cook with, it’s easy to add a dollop of it on anything. My favorite way of eating pesto is making a shrimp pasta with lots of pesto and more fresh basil on top. Shrimp and pesto are a match made in heaven- really, you should try it. I always have shrimp in the freezer- and on days when I am all out of ideas and don’t have a lot of time to cook- the pesto and shrimp come out. A nice salad on the side and some garlic bread with a yummy bottle of red- what else do you want??
Last summer I tried making a big batch of pesto to freeze for the winter- but it was a disaster. I harvested the basil too late which made it extremely bitter. All my hard work went down the drain- I was not happy. I was off making pesto for a while and yes I was buying it from the store. The store bought versions are actually quite good. For people who are working all day and don’t have time to make their own pesto- store bought is a great option- I would highly recommend it. Having a container of pesto in the fridge is very handy- it makes a great condiment for sandwiches; a big dollop on a piece of fish with a salad is a great lunch; meatballs with pesto are delicious and easy; pasta with mushrooms and pesto is out of this world- this list goes on and on.
We were going out for dinner and I wanted to eat a light lunch at home. There was nothing made in the fridge and I decided to go outside to harvest my yummy looking tomatoes. While out there, I noticed the basil plants thriving. I decided to bring some inside and make a pesto- a small quantity, just enough for the meal. I cut the tomatoes in half and remembered the green beans in the crisper. I blanched and added them to the mix. I had frozen fresh pasta which I decided to use. The whole thing came together in just a few minutes. The pesto was absolutely delicious and so was the salad. There were a few pieces of leftover chicken from a restaurant which worked out very nicely with this dish.
I think this would be a great accompaniment to any barbecue or nice just by itself for a light lunch. Grilled shirmp or chicken would taste delicious in this dish as well- again sky is the limit- enjoy!
Easy and Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Pasta Salad
This is probably my favorite pasta salad to make in the summer. Although it can be made year round, it tastes the best in the middle of summer when all the ingredients are bursting with flavor. I brought fresh tomatoes from my backyard- this year the tomatoes have been amazing. With all the rain we have had, they are red and delicious. I like to grow cherry tomatoes- I find them easier to work with because of their size. I also harvested fresh basil from the herb garden- the sweet aroma was amazing!
I cut the tomatoes and added a bit salt and minced garlic. The tomatoes macerated for a few hours on my counter and till the delicious juices came out. In the meantime, I cooked the bowtie pasta and cut up fresh mozzarella. I use fresh mozzarella all year long but somehow paired with the fresh tomatoes and basil, it tastes extra special. I added the cheese onto the warm pasta so it would slowly begin to melt and flavor it. I added the macerated tomatoes, salt and most importantly balsamic vinegar.
Balsamic vinegar is a very essential vinegar in my pantry. I love it’s sweet and tart flavor and use it for salads all the time. It is available quite inexpensively and is worth having it at home. It is yummy on fresh strawberries, especially if you make a glaze out of it.
The whole salad came together in minutes. The pasta, fresh mozzarella, basil and tomatoes with the balsamic vinegar. I topped it off with some freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese.
I took the salad to a friends house and she grilled some chicken and made a green salad. We had a delicious white wine with it and life was good!
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