Roasted Tomato Tart

I have been very busy getting everything together before I leave on a long trip..to Malaysia...for a wedding...my wedding! B and I will be tying the knot at the end of August. I am going back a month early to get last minute wedding errands done. It seems to me the to do list gets longer every time I look at it. I have not had a bridezilla moment (yet) so I guess I am doing ok.

I have been spending more time in the kitchen the past few days. Being in the kitchen and carefully gathering the ingredients for chopping, mixing and stirring has been cathartic.

I made this tomato tart yesterday. It is loosely based on a recipe from Gourmet magazine. I was seduced by the picture more than anything else... Roasting the tomatoes totally made sense because who wants to eats a soggy tart. I didn't really follow a recipe for this. I used organic tomatoes and sliced them thick, sprinkled some salt, pepper, fresh thyme (from my garden) and drizzled some olive oil and roasted it at 400 degrees for about 50 minutes. I cut out circles from a sheet of store bought puff pastry, pricked it all over with a fork and baked it till the edges were golden brown. Spread some goat cheese over the pastry while it is still warm, top with roasted tomatoes and sprinkle some freshly grated parmesan cheese over the still warm tart.

The verdict? It was delicious! Every bite had a bit of both the cheeses, and sweet, juicy, caramelised tomatoes.

Firni

You are probabaly familiar with this rice pudding - it is a popular dessert served at Indian restaurants here in the US.This creamy and delicious dessert has nuts, fruits and is perfumed with rose water and cardamom. The restaurants are usually stingy with the nuts and apricots though....

Like everything else there are different versions of this recipe. I have used evaporated milk to speed up the cooking process and have used 2% milk instead of full cream milk. Most firni recipes call for ground rice. This does not mean finely ground rice. I soaked the rice in water for an hour, drained it and crushed it with a mortar and pestle. I have used basmati rice here instead of long grain rice because it has nutty flavour and a wonderful aroma. I gently toasted the cardamom pods, cooled it completely and ground it to a fine powder in a spice grinder..well a coffee grinder that I use specifically to grind spices. You could also get ground cardamom powder at most grocery stores.


Firni
1/4 cup of crushed basmati rice
1/4 tsp of saffron soaked in 3 tb of hot water
1/4 cup almond, finely chopped
1/4 cup of sugar
2 1/2 cup of milk
1 1/3 cup of evaporated milk
1/4 tsp of ground cardamom
1/4 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg 1 tb rose water
1/4 diced dried apricots
1/4 cup unsalted shelled chopped pistachio
1 tb butter or ghee (clarified butter)
pinch of salt

Heat 2 % milk in a pot on medium heat and add butter or ghee to it (use a heavy pot if you have it). Sprinkle chopped almonds ,rice and salt. Bring it to a boil. Stir frequently or the milk will burn. Cook till the rice is cooked and mixture is thickened. Then add evaporated milk and sugar. Once the mixture has the consistency of pouring custard, add saffron, ground cardamom and nutmeg. Remove the pot from heat and pour in rose water, apricots and chopped pistachios. Chill before serving. Put a sheet of saran wrap directly on the surface of the firni to prevent a skin from forming on top ( that won't be too bad...I am sure it would be delicious as well!). This serves 4-5 people.

Feta Dip - Tyrokavteri

I had a block of leftover feta cheese sitting in my fridge for a few days. I had to come up with a recipe right away or the feta was at the risk of ending up in the trash. I do not like wasting food, so that was not an option. I surfed the net and came across this wonderful recipe at everything2.com. The original recipe called for jalapeno peppers but I used chili flakes instead. This does not have a long list of ingredients and can be made ahead. You probably see a theme - I like stuff that can be made ahead. It gives me time to hang out with my guests. Of course this was not always the case. I used to run around at the last minute and be too tired to have fun when company arrived. It is a good thing that has changed. My mother still does it, she will be looking for her sari blouse 5 minutes before the guests are scheduled to show up!( but she would have cooked a fantastic feast)

I used roasted pepper that comes in a jar for this recipe - I had some lurking in the pantry. You could char the red pepper on a grill or over a gas stove. Once the skin is blistered, put the roasted pepper in a paper or plastic bag for about 10 minutes. The enclosed steam will help the skin just slide off. Remove the seeds and it is ready to use. Feta cheese can be salty, so taste the dip first before adding any salt. This dip is full of lemony, spicy, salty and creamy goodness.

Tyrokavteri - Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Dip
1 jar of roasted pepper or 2 -3 roasted pepper - chopped
1 cup of crumbled feta cheese
2 tsp chili flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tb fresh lemon juice
black pepper to taste

Combine oil and feta cheese in a food processor or a blender. Process till it gets creamy. Add chopped roasted peppers, black pepper and chili flakes. Pour in lemon juice. Enjoy with crudites or any other dippers of your choice. It is wonderful with a glass (or two!) of red wine.

Mocha Cake

I made this cake for B's brithday. The recipe is from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. This is actually a recipe for the Chocolate Buttermilk Cake...it was not chocolatey enough for me so I made it into a mocha cake.

It is important to have all the ingredients at room temperature . The chocolate can be melted on a double boiler and let cool for 10 minutes before adding to the cake. Or if you are brave enough, melt it in the microwave as I did.


Mocha Cake
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup softened unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
6 oz semisweet chocolate, melted
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 Tb instant espresso
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees celsius. Grease and lightly flour 2-9inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Sift flour and baking soda and set aside.

Cream butter and both sugars till smooth on medium speed. This takes around 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add the melted semi sweet chocolate and mix well. Add the sifted dry ingredients and buttermilk alternatively in three stages. Pour in the vanilla extract to the mixture.

Divide batter between the two pans and bake for 35-45 minutes or till the cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the centre of the cake. Cool for 15 minutes before removing cakes from the pans. Cool completely on a rack.

I used the traditional chocolate buttercream and added some instant espresso to it. This buttercream is very smooth and easy to work with. The cake was delicious and moist even on the next day which is always a bonus in my books because you could always make the cake and ice it a day ahead.

Mocha Buttercream
1 cup of unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tb plus 1 tsp milk
6 oz semisweet chocolate
1 tsp pure vanilla extrct
1 1/4 cup confectioner's sigar, sifted
3 tsp instant espresso powder

Melt semisweet chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water and set aside. The temperature of the melted chocolate should be lukewarm before adding it to the butter ( around 10 minutes).

Cream butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and mix well. Add sugar gradually and beat till creamy and smooth. Pour over the completely cooled cake. The verdict..B enjoyed his cake very much!

Radish Salad

I made this salad for a potluck a few days ago. As always I could not resist the beautiful, fresh vegetables at the local farmers' market. I have seen various recipes for radish salad and was eager to try it out. But again I was a little worried that it may not go over well with the crowd.

But my fears were unfounded. This salad is crispy, peppery and fresh. The addition of feta gives a wonderful creamy contrast to the peppery bite of the radish. I used walnut oil instead of olive oil for the dressing and the hint of nuttiness from the walnut oil added a wonderful twist to this salad.

Radish Salad
1 bunch of medium sized radish - 12-15 radishes
1/2 English cucumber peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Tb chopped fresh dill
2 Tb chopped fresh chives
4 Tb crumbled feta cheese
1/2 fresh basil, torn

dressing:
1 Tb honey
2 Tb red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup walnut oil - you could use olive oil if you want

Combine all ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and set aside.

Cut radish in half and slice them. Add the rest of the vegetables and fresh herbs in a bowl and drizzle dressing over salad. Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese over salad. This makes 5 servings.

Moules a la Mariniere

Sometimes the simplest food tastes the best. This time of the year can be a little hectic with all the entertaining and potlucks that one has to take part in. Don't get me wrong, I love to entertain and all that but can't possibly eat bbq everyday.

I wanted something light, quick and satisfying. I was driving by my local fish market and decided to run in to see what they had. It is no secret that I simply adore seafood. I laid my eyes on fresh mussels and that was it. I decided right then and there to make moules a la mariniere. There are a few versions to it and this is the simplest version, I think. 1 lb of mussels was enough for the two of us. Did you know that mussels are also used as host for freshwater pearls?

I usually buy the mussles the day I am planning to cook them. Dead mussels become toxic quickly after they die. There is a simple way to tell if they are dead -live mussels will be shut tightly. I tap the ones that are slightly open lightly on the edge of my sink and discard the ones that remain open. Make sure you pull out the "beard" when cleaning.

A word of caution if you are making this for guests or for someone who has not had it before because some people are averse to the smell of cooked mussels.

Moules a la Mariniere
1 lb mussels. cleaned and debearded
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 shallots, minced
4 sprigs of fresh flat leaf parsley
1 bay leaf
2 tb unsalted butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 springs of fresh thyme

Bring wine to a boil in a wide pot or pan with all the above ingredients except for the mussels. Boil for 6 minutes. Add mussels and cover. Boil for another 5 minutes. The mussels are done when the shells are open. Discard the ones that remain closed. Sprinkle some chopped parsley over it and serve with crusty bread..to sop up the juices after you have had your fill of the sweet and tender mussels!

Upside Down Plum Cake

We were busy this past weekend celebrating Canada Day, my beloved food warrior’s birthday and also 4^th of July BBQ – although it is not 4^th of July yet. And we have had gorgeous weather here for just that.

I made this plum cake for the bbq. My friend Russel hosted the bbq and he likes upside down everything and I made this plum cake instead of the classic upside down pineapple cake. This cake showcases the beautiful and juicy plums that are all over the grocery stores right now. You could serve it whipped cream if you like. This recipe is from my favourite recipe source – epicurious.com. I reduced the amount of brown sugar for the topping in this recipe and it was perfect. The orginal recipe calls for 1 cup of packed golden brown sugar. It also called for 6 large plums but 4 large plums were enough for this recipe.

Plum Upside Down Cake

12 Tb unsalted butter at room temperature

½ cup golden brown sugar – packed

1 Tb honey

4 large plums cut into 6 wedges

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

½ tsp vanilla extract

½ cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Celsius. Prepare 9 inch round cake pan. Butter and flour the side of the pan or line the side with parchment paper. Set aside.

Melt butter on low heat with brown sugar and honey. Sauce will be thick and smooth. Pour sauce in the pan . This will the base of your topping. Arrange the sliced plums in concentric circle on the sauce.

Sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and set aside.

Beat the remaining butter in a mixer till pale. Add sugar and honey. Beat till creamy. Add eggs one at a time with the vanilla extract.

Add milk and dry ingredients alternatively in three stages . Mix till blended. Pour mixture over plums. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting cake tester in the centre of the cake.

Cool cake for at least 30 minutes on a rack. Run a knife around the pan. Invert cake on a platter gently. You could serve this cake warm with whipped cream.