Side Dishes

Root Café’s Award-Winning Coconut Curry Collard Greens

October 29, 2014 by arfoodie 1 Comment

Root Cafe's Coconut Curry Collard Greens

Our sampling of the glorious greens from last week’s Food Day event. (I went in for more later.)

And can I get an amen?

This holy manna makes an appearance just about every day (although sometimes in different forms, depending on what greens are available) at The Root Café in Little Rock. Even if you don’t think you like greens, you’ll probably dig these.

People dug them pretty hard at the 2012 Arkansas Cornbread Festival, where this recipe won “Best Side Dish.” And to our knowledge, the recipe hasn’t been published anywhere…until now.

Root Café owner and chef Jack Sundell prepares the restaurant's Coconut Curry Collard Greens with Dr. Meenakshi Budrahaja.

Root Café owner and chef Jack Sundell prepares the restaurant’s Coconut Curry Collard Greens with Dr. Meenakshi Budhraja.

Root Café owner and chef Jack Sundell served as a panelist on last week’s Food Day event at Pulaski Tech’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute, giving insight on how restaurateurs can commit to using local ingredients. (Hint: It takes a lot of planning and networking.) After the panel, Sundell made this recipe for the audience, which included culinary students, middle schoolers from Conway, and members of the local food community.

Hope you enjoy as much as we did!

*********************************************

The Root Café’s Coconut Curry Collard Greens
Serves 4-6

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup minced onion
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. best quality curry powder
2 pounds collard greens or kale, washed and stemmed (should give you about 1 1/2 pounds ready to use)
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 can coconut milk
1 tsp. salt and more to taste
Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Sweat onions with salt until softening, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder and cook one minute, then add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.

Add half the greens, lower the heat a little bit, and stir occasionally until the greens have mostly wilted. Add rest of greens, coconut milk, stock, and 1 tsp. salt, cover pot, and reduce heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are tender, 25 – 30 minutes. Avoid over stirring.

Remove lid and increase heat to medium-high. Cook until most liquid has evaporated and broth has thickened, about 5 minutes. Watch carefully as not to scorch the greens. Remove pot from heat, stir in one tablespoon each olive oil and lime juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fattoush: The garlicky salad that’s as awesome as it sounds

October 17, 2014 by arfoodie 1 Comment

We pulled over at a ratty gas station somewhere in North Carolina, and I went promptly to the dank restroom to lose my breakfast.

The day before, the husband and I had witnessed the lovely wedding of our dear friends’ daughter (who is also a friend and super awesome) in Tennessee, and he talked me into the additional day’s excursion to Asheville. On the way further east, farther away from my kids and all the things I needed to be doing, I made the mistake of taking vitamins too long after the Holiday Inn Express just-passable breakfast of eggs and bacon and such.

The extra day of travel was to visit the Overland Expo East — think Jeeps, Range Rovers and such all decked out for serious long-distance travel, but with wine and cheese rather than meager rations. This is a trade show of sorts, where equipment providers can hawk their spendy wares. But overlanders also camped out, trading stories and tips, making it sort of a Woodstock of high-end adventurers.

I agreed to the excursion. I wasn’t crazy about the extra day away from home, since that would mean my mother having to take kids to school bright and early that Monday. But I knew that overlanders are often gourmet foodies, so I was on a quest to find them.

First, we looked for Overland Gourmet. Although I have but a passing interest in the overlanding experience, I’ve read this blog over my husband’s shoulder (and when he requested one of their recipes) many a time. Turns out they were on the original map of participants but didn’t quite get there. Gah!

I have to say, the travel rigs at the event were pretty cool. I mean, if you’re gonna go driving in the middle of nowhere, why not take along a gourmet kitchen?

Finally, we met the person who made the trip worthwhile (besides my awesome hubs, of course). My overland imzadi.

Allan Karl. This dude is legit. He motorcycled through countries all over the world over the course of three years, breaking bread with folks on five continents. And he wrote a book about it. Readers follow him along as he is led into a jungle, wondering if he is going to be killed (turns out they just wanted to show him something); awaits entry into not-so-friendly countries while border agents deny him and menacingly adjust their guns; and at every turn, finds friendly people who just want to share their food with him.

When we met Allan, he was selling copies of his book, Forks: A Quest for Culture, Cuisine and Connection. The book in front of him fell open to the recipe page from his travels in Syria, a colorful salad with cucumber, olives and feta called fattoush. We were hooked. He said a worker at a gas station there offered it to him, and he wondered if this was going to be a good idea. Turns out it was just the refreshing, nourishing bit of hospitality he needed to move along on his journey.

Not long after we got home, we made our own batch. I don’t have enough adjectives to describe it…garlicky, crisp, refreshing. As the recipe is written, it might be a little strong for some, but you can cut back on the garlic and/or feta if you like. (We dig it.) You could also use black olives in place of the pungent kalamatas, which is what my kids did. We also had to cut out the pita bread, obviously, for lack of time to make a gluten-free version. But next time I’ll use this GF naan recipe and go all the way. I also added some lemon zest, because, why not?

My recommendations?

Make this salad. With a quickness. Double the recipe. We did, and the tiny bit that survived was even better the next day.
Buy Allan Karl’s book, Forks: A Quest for Culture, Cuisine and Connection. I don’t have any financial benefit in telling you to do so. It’s just really good writing about an amazing adventure, with recipes for every single country he visited, over 35.
Share something with someone from a different cultural background. The whole book is about that very thing. Even within our own country, there are opportunities to break down borders, which is one thing food is really awesome at doing.

Oh, and when you’re traveling in a weird place, whether it be Syria or the wooded outskirts of Ashville, North Carolina, make sure you eat before taking your vitamins. And keep your eyes open…you never know what you’ll discover in a ratty gas station.

****************************

Fattoush
(Recipe courtesy of Allan Karl)

Ingredients:

1/2 English cucumber, peeled, seeded (if necessary), and cut into 1/4″ dice
2 large pitas (preferably pocketless, Mediterranian-style), cut into 3/4″ square pieces
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, premium quality
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4″ dice
1 vine-ripened tomato, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons stemmed and finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon stemmed and finely chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons stemmed and finely chopped mint leaves (save a few sprigs for garnish)
Hearts of romaine, hand torn, rinsed and spun dry, for garnish
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, preferably from sheep’s milk (optional)
1/8 cup pitted kalamata olives (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the diced cucumber into a strainer, sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the pita pieces on a cookie sheet and bake them in the oven until crisp and golden brown, about 20 minutes, shaking the pan 2 or 3 times as they toast. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. (Note from Christie: Gluten free folks can use my GF naan recipe in place of the pita.)
Make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. (Christie again: I used a food processor; a blender would be great, too.)
Continue whisking until the dressing is emulsified, then stir in the bell pepper, tomato, green onions, parsley, cilantro, mint, pita strips, and cucumber. Season to taste with more salt and pepper and toss well to coat.
Gently toss in feta and olives, if using, and transfer to a large platter garnished with the romaine and the mint sprigs. Serve immediately.
(One last Christie note: I added lemon zest to garnish.)

Squash Casserole (for People Who Don’t Like Squash Casserole)

June 27, 2014 by arfoodie Leave a Comment

Amazing squash casserole. It’ll make you a believer.

It’s been nearly a week since my visit to Bernice Garden Farmers’ Market. Although I seem to be growing Hardin Farms squash out of my ears, I still had quite a bit left today.

Solution: Squash casserole.

Thing is, I don’t even like squash casserole that much. It’s usually really soft and squishy. And really oniony, which doesn’t always agree with my tummy. And kinda bland.

Time for a remodel.

1. First, to tackle the squishy squash problem. Most recipes require boiling the veggie. Um, how about not. Let’s try sautéing instead, over fairly high heat. This will give the squash some nice caramelization while cooking it just a bit, not to death.

2. Next, the onion. Freshness matters, so I used one from the North Little Rock Community Farm, also at the Bernice Gardens market. Cooking it way down helps me be able to eat it, so after a small dice I added it to the same pan in which I had sautéed the squash. (The veggies had since been moved to a buttered casserole dish or individual baking dishes if you are making a lot.) I immediately added a half-cup of chicken broth and a good pinch of salt, both of which will help soften the onion and cook it to translucent without burning. When the onion was almost ready, I added one large clove of garlic, minced.

3. Lastly, I added flavor and creaminess using low-fat cream cheese. Borrowing from Crescent Dragonwagon’s renowned recipe for Featherbed Eggs, I cut half a block of cream cheese into cubes, 12 total, and pressed them down into the casserole dish of squash. Because, really, what can’t be improved by cream cheese?

The finished casserole, plated in all its delicious glory.

For the entire recipe, see below. But know this…I don’t like squash casserole, and I just ate three plates of this stuff.

***********

Squash Casserole for People Who Don’t Like Squash Casserole
Serves 8 (or fewer, depending on how much you end up liking it!)

About 6 cups diced squash, any kind (I used zucchini, Zephyr and pattypan)
1 T. butter
2 tsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, small dice
Kosher salt
1 cup chicken broth, divided
1 large garlic clove, minced
4 oz. cream cheese (can use low-fat/Neufchatel), cut into cubes
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs (I used gluten free, from leftover bread)

Slice squash into approximate 1/2″ pieces. For larger squash, quarter them before slicing; halve smaller ones. Butter the inside of a large, oven-safe casserole dish.

Sauté the squash over medium-high heat with a half-teaspoon of olive oil in multiple batches, only using enough squash each time to cover the bottom of your pan. Cast iron works well for this. Place the squash in a single layer and let it sit for about a minute, then stir to turn and let sit another minute. Once the squash is sautéed, move each batch to the buttered dish. You may need to add a bit more oil with subsequent batches to prevent burning.

Next, place the diced onion, broth and a heavy pinch of kosher salt into the empty pan; no need to clean any residue from the squash. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add more water or broth as needed to avoid burning the onion when it dries out. Add the minced garlic when the onion is almost translucent and cook another minute. Stir the mixture into the squash in the casserole dish.

Press the cut cubes of cream cheese down into the casserole dish, nestling them slightly under the squash mixture.

In a small bowl, whisk 1/2 c. chicken broth with three eggs. Pour the mixture over the casserole.

Top with fresh thyme, cheddar cheese and bread crumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, or until the egg mixture is no longer liquid.

Holiday Leftover Meal Ideas: New Year’s Sticky Rice and New Year’s Blackeye Peas

December 31, 2013 by arfoodie 1 Comment

This decadent sticky rice is simple to make and easy to substitute with holiday leftovers.

I opened my fridge this morning, and there it sat, taunting me.

The ham.

Ugh, I’m so tired of you. I had a bagel (GF, of course) instead.

But, before said ham is relegated to the freezer until I want it again, it’s going to have one more incarnation: New Year’s Blackeye Peas. It would have been even better with the bone, but my mom made the ham this year and kept that prize for herself.

You’re likely in the same boat, a fridge full of bits and pieces that need to get used or frozen pretty darn soon. Go ahead and do that; don’t be wasteful! Bag up and freeze what you can’t deal with, and make a few fabulous New Year’s dishes with what you can. I have a couple ideas that might help.

Leftover Nuts, Dried Fruit, Fresh Herbs

I discovered a quite lovely Christmas potluck dish a couple weeks ago when heading out to a party. This rice dish features walnuts, dried cranberries, fresh parsley and basil, which were beautiful and delicious in a red-and-green sort of way. I added orange marmalade to the original recipe for color, flavor and a bit of sticky-rice texture. I also toasted the walnuts, which you should totally do no matter what kind of nuts you use.

For New Year’s, just use whatever nuts and dried fruit you have left over. I’d say the parsley should stay, but also add some fresh basil if you have it. You might even experiment with the marmalade; I dare you to use the last of your holiday pepper jelly!

New Year’s Sticky Rice
(Modified from Parsley-Herb Rice with Cranberries recipe by Midwest Living)

1/2 cup walnut pieces (pecans, almonds or pine nuts would work as well)
1 1/2 cup long grain white rice, brown rice or wild rice blend (i.e. Lundberg brand; do not use anything with a seasoning packet!)
3 cups water or chicken broth
2 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 T. fresh basil, chiffonade
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup dried cranberries or other dried fruit, cut to similar size

In a skillet over medium-low heat, toast the nuts until just fragrant, stirring every so often so they don’t burn. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a medium saucepan, combine the rice, butter, oil and water or chicken broth and bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until the rice is done (white rice should take 15-20 minutes, brown rice or wild rice blend closer to an hour). While the rice is cooking, prepare the parsley and basil and combine them in a small bowl in the fridge.

When the rice is done, turn it out onto a sheet pan and spread it out to cool slightly. This helps the rice maintain its structure and not get smashed when mixed with the other items.

When still just a bit warm, gently mix the rice in a large bowl with the marmalade and cranberries or other fruit. Just before serving, fold in the parsley, basil and nuts.

Best served at room temperature.

****************************************************

Ham and Ham Bone

Every year, my mom buys a ham for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner at her house. Every year, I ask the same question: Is it bone-in? Because I know, if it is, she’ll be making something like this come New Year’s Eve. I make it at my house, too…Good luck all around!

Since Mom kept the bone this year, mine won’t have the (cover your ears, vegans) unctuous, gelatinous awesome that comes from a long simmer with the porcine hip bone. But even with the ham scraps alone, this makes for a festive and relatively easy dish to ring in the year.

New Year’s Blackeye Peas

1 pound dried blackeye peas (even better, order some cowpeas)
1/2 lb. bacon, cut into small pieces
2 T. butter
1 large white onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
4 stalks celery, diced
1/2 lb. ham pieces, cut into small bites, with bone if you have one
4 bay leaves
2 quarts chicken broth or water (or enough to cover the peas and other stuff by 1 inch)
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste

The night before cooking, pick through the peas for rocks and such (I honestly very rarely do this, but they say you should…meh) and rinse in a colander. Place in a large bowl and cover with fresh water, and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let the peas soak overnight.

On cooking day, rinse the peas again in the colander to remove all the toxins that come out during soaking.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon to a separate bowl and drain all but a couple tablespoons of the grease. Add the butter, onion, garlic and celery and cook over medium heat a few minutes until softened.

Place the peas and all the skillet veggies into a large pot, along with the ham pieces and the bone if you have it. Add the bay leaves and cover everything with the chicken broth or water. Bring to a bare simmer and let it cook for one hour. Check the texture of the peas and see if they are soft; you can continue to cook them much longer if you like. (This part may be done up to 8 hours in a slow cooker on low.)

When the peas are tender to your liking, remove the bone and bay leaves. Smash about 1/4 cup of the peas against the side of the pot, or use an immersion blender (being careful not to puree too much) to thicken the liquid a bit. Season to taste with salt, pepper and a bit of hot sauce. Garnish with the reserved cooked bacon.

These peas are fabulous right away, but they’re even better after being cooled and reheated the next day.

Divinely Inspired Tamari Noodles with Kale and Roasted Tomatoes

September 30, 2013 by arfoodie Leave a Comment

Well, divinely inspired might be a stretch, but…

My fellow church folk will know what I’m talking about. You know that last five minutes or so of service, when you’re trying really hard to pay attention and hear the last announcements and sing the last song, but your brain just goes LUNCH LUNCH LUNCH?

I kinda went there yesterday.

The noodles awaiting the chicken on the plate.

Here I was, sitting in the choir loft, truly paying attention but also brainstorming what I’d make once I got home. I must be a tad nutrient-deprived, because I was craving kale like a mad woman. Mmmmm, kale…

Before the last note, I had created this very dish in my head.

Just to make it more appealing to my carnivorous husband (and to continue to play with my new OptiGrill), I grilled some plain chicken breasts with it. Well, loaded with olive oil and kosher salt and freshly ground pepper that my husband did for me because I had one raw-chicken-hand and the pepper grinder is a two-handed operation. But still.

Chicken breasts on the OptiGrill. Delish, but I think I’ll take them off a tad earlier next time.

You should make this. Really. Even if you’re not gluten-free.

If you want, you could use soba or buckwheat noodles, or even plain old fettuccine.

Tamari noodles and kale and a gratuitous slab of chicken.

*************************

Divinely Inspired Tamari Noodles with Kale and Roasted Tomatoes
Serves 4-6

4 oz. glass noodles (often labeled Pad Thai, rice stick or rice noodles)
1 T. gluten-free tamari or soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. olive oil, divided
1 head kale, greens stripped from stalks and torn into bite size pieces, washed
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 c. vegetable or chicken broth
8 oz. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Toasted sesame seeds or crushed chia or flax seeds (optional, which means I ran out of time)

Turn on your oven to broil (500 degrees or so, a slower broil, if it gives you the option) so it’s ready for the tomatoes later.

Boil the noodles in salted water until al dente just as you would with regular pasta. (You may have to break them up a bit before putting them in the pan…do this inside a plastic bag to avoid shooting shards everywhere!) Drain and immediately place in a bowl or back in the pot and toss with tamari/soy while still hot. Cover the container while you work on other stuff.

In a large, high-sided sauté pan, heat one tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and heat until the garlic is fragrant, no more than a minute or so. Add the kale pieces right on top of the garlic. Don’t worry about drying the kale; the water will help wilt it with steam. And also don’t freak out if it towers higher than your pan; it will cook down quickly. Stir and turn the greens occasionally to help them cook evenly and to move the garlic around so it won’t burn.

When the kale is wilted but not completely soft and turns a bright green (or sooner if the garlic starts to burn), add the broth and stir a bit. Add the vinegar and nutmeg, plus a sprinkle of kosher salt to soften things up, stir again, cover the pan. Turn down the heat to low.

On a sheet pan, toss the halved tomatoes with the remaining olive oil, along with a good sprinkling of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Place in the broiler for 5-10 minutes, depending on your oven and the rack’s proximity to the element. Just keep an eye on it, will ya?

Use this 5-10 minutes to deal with other parts of the meal (such as the chicken), get your kids off their butts to prepare their own drinks, or generally look busy in the kitchen until it’s time to plate this up.

When the tomatoes are slightly browned, blistered and awesome, remove from the oven.

Place the tamari noodles right into the pan with the kale, which should be gloriously wilted by now. Add a bit more broth to loosen up the noodles if they stick together. Turn the heat back up a bit, toss the stuff together. Add the tomatoes. Taste. Season as needed.

Put it on the plate, sprinkle on the seeds if you had more time to deal than I did, and feel like a bohemian kale-eating rock star. Or hungry choir girl.

Either way.

Doing the Funky Ophelia: Cheese Soufflé for #VirtualDinnerParty

August 15, 2013 by arfoodie 13 Comments

Funky Ophelia cheese soufflé with poached pears, toasted walnuts, honey and basil.

NOTE: Don’t miss the giveaway! Click the link way down below the article to enter.

It sounds like a crazy wedding dance, but Funky Ophelia is what I’m calling the cheese soufflé we’ll share for today’s side dish course of the Southern Summer Nights Virtual Dinner Party. I’m glad you came by! If you’re new to these parts, I hope you’ll subscribe (see right column), follow me on Twitter and “like” the blog page on Facebook.

The cheese we’re using today, called Ophelia, is by Kent Walker Artisan Cheese (see previous post). It’s a really funky washed-rind variation of feta. Reaaaally funky. In fact, I wondered how it was going to go up until the last minute and first bite. In case you’re wondering, the final flavor is amazing, mellowed by the magic of béchamel and egg whites. Kent, you were right; the Ophelia nailed it.

Kent Walker’s Ophelia cheese, before I washed off the super-funky rind. Wow.

I was going to use a more traditional Maytag blue, but I decided to find an Arkansas product instead. The result, I hope, celebrates the often surprising culinary wealth that our state provides. Pull up a chair and dive in!

Want to make some of your own when you get back home? Just pick up some Ophelia (or his white cheddar, if you’re scurred) at one of Kent’s retail partners, or at his own upcoming retail location, and follow along.

Poorly lit walnut coating in the ramekin, awaiting the soufflé filling.

First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prepare the coating for four small ramekins. I had a mishmash collection of different ramekins, including some squatty brûlée ones, which turned out to be my favorite.

Being gluten-free and all, I chose finely ground walnuts as the base rather than bread crumbs (about a 1/2 cup), adding a couple tablespoons of parmesan and a dash or two of cayenne for added flavor. And of course, I used my Microplane grater to create those snowy wisps of fresh parm. Brush the inside of each ramekin with melted butter, and place a handful of the mixture inside. Turn the ramekin until it’s well coated, then pour out the excess into the next buttered ramekin. Wipe any excess from the rim.

I put a handful of whole walnuts on a sheet pan in the oven to toast while working on the next step. Miraculously, I didn’t burn them. I think it’s a first. Remove them from the oven when just fragrant, about six minutes, and hold them for the garnish.

Pears poaching in apple juice, honey, lemon and peppercorns.

Next, I poached some pear slices for the garnish. Peel one Bosc pear and cut it into slices, being sure to trim out any tough core or seeds. In a small saucepan, cover the pear slices with about a cup of apple juice, a tablespoon of honey, a splash of lemon juice and a few whole peppercorns. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat, letting the pear soften while you work on the soufflé.

Know how to make a béchamel? Because that’s next. It’s the base of many great dishes, from soups to macaroni and cheese. For this, just heat three tablespoons of butter (the real thing, please) and three tablespoons of flour, my gluten-free blend in this case, in a medium pot over moderate heat. Whisk a couple minutes until it becomes a solid paste, cooked through but not browned. All at once, add a cup of whole milk (or in my emergency case, heavy cream…I worried, but it worked) and whisk like crazy. Add more if it’s really thick.

Whisk in about two ounces of the Ophelia, crumbled finely (or shredded cheddar, if you chickened out), until it’s mostly melted. A few lumps are okay. Remove from the heat and add salt and pepper to taste; it can take a good amount of salt, but taste as you go. Grate in a bit of fresh nutmeg, again with a Microplane.

Wait, what? You’ve never grated fresh nutmeg? It’s pretty much life-changing. Microplane even makes a special little grater that’s perfect for it. I have one…somewhere. For now, this.

A well-loved nutmeg nut gets another hit from the Microplane grater.

Separate the yolks and whites of four eggs, putting the yolks in a small bowl and the whites in the work bowl of your stand mixer or in a large bowl for an electric mixer. Be sure the bowl is clean, as the whites may not firm up otherwise. I used eggs from my niece’s yard chickens. You wouldn’t believe the difference. If you have access to free-range chickens, whether from family or the farmers’ market, it will give this recipe a richer flavor (the yolks) and greater height (the whites).

Put a bit of the warm sauce (now technically a Mornay) into the yolks, whisk them like crazy, then whisk them back into the pot of sauce. This process is called tempering, keeping the yolks from scrambling when they hit the sauce.

These egg whites could hold up the Empire State Building. Fresh eggs for the win!

Using a stand or electric mixer, whip the egg whites until they are very stiff. If you like, you can add a dash of cream of tartar before whipping to make the end product more stable. When done, take a good spoonful of the whipped whites and stir them thoroughly into the sauce. Here, it’s okay to deflate them. The rest of the whites, not so much.

Here’s where you have to be very careful not to stir, but to fold. Plop the remaining egg whites on top of the sauce, and using a rubber spatula, carefully turn the sauce up and over the whites again and again. Get it mostly combined, but don’t overdo it — the more you mix, the less it will rise. A few white clumps are totally okay.

At this point, you better have your ducks in a row. (And of course, this is where World War III broke out between the kids. I had to let it go.) Oven ready. Prepared ramekins on a sheet pan ready.

Fill the ramekins. Load the oven. Hold your breath.

The soufflés begin their rise to stardom in the oven.

Now really, I’m making it sound difficult, and it’s really not. But soufflés are known to be persnickety, and they’re gonna fall pretty soon after coming out of the oven no matter what. Don’t tempt fate by slamming the oven door or doing cardio in the kitchen.

While the soufflés bake, prepare your garnish. Remove the pears from the liquid, discard the peppercorns, then turn up the heat to reduce the liquid to a syrup. Pour this back over the pears. Garnish your presentation plate with the pears and toasted walnuts, hitting them with a bit of cracked pepper if you wish. If you’re really feeling industrious, chiffonade some basil or mint (remarkably, either one works).

The instant the soufflés are done (about 15 minutes for a standard ramekin, slightly browned and not wet looking in the middle), remove one VERY carefully without touching the soufflé and place it on your presentation plate. I used a combination of metal and rubber spatulas, one to scoot under and one to grab. Quickly garnish with honey and basil or mint.

Funky Ophelia cheese soufflé in the brûlée ramekin. I like the way it turned out.

Serve immediately to your amazed guests.

Excuse me, but I’m gonna take a nap now. Y’all can see yourselves out, right?

**********************

GIVEAWAY!!

You know I was kidding about seeing yourself out, right? You just can’t go until you get yourself a chance for a prize.

Please click here to enter our drawing for a HUGE prize pack including $85 of product from Microplane and a $75 all-Arkansas gift basket from Argenta Market! Like I’ve said before, I adore both of these companies (in fact, I’ve wanted to do a giveaway with Microplane for ages!) and would say so whether or not they let us give stuff away. All opinions are my own.

Remember, visit each #VirtualDinnerParty blogger on her highlighted day for more chances to enter.

Zesty Orange Quinoa Salad

May 24, 2013 by arfoodie Leave a Comment

At our house, we’re getting ready for Disney. In just 7 short days, we’ll be on our way to the Mouse and all the walking and such that will come with it.

Trying to get in better shape (and to detox from my recent sugar overload), I’ve been a really good girl in the food department the past week or two. And since I really love quinoa already, this tangy salad was an easy swap.

Concentrated orange juice is one of those things that I normally eschew, being basically concentrated orange-flavored sugar and all. But for this application, it works, giving a super-concentrated orange flavor without watering things down. If I had some of that frozen orange zest like we had in culinary school, it would be a worthy lower-sugar substitute. But these days, I am all for using what’s already in the house.

How do you like to prepare quinoa? Let me know in the comments.

Enjoy!

**************

Zesty Orange Quinoa Salad
Serves 2 as main dish, 4 as sides

1 c. traditional (white) quinoa
2 c. vegetable broth or water
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 large head broccoli, cut into medium florets
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 c. cider vinegar
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. dry basil
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
2 T. celery leaves, chopped
1 T. fresh mint, minced (optional)

Cook quinoa according to the package directions, using the broth or water at a 1:2 proportion.

While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the vegetables. When all the vegetables are diced, put the peppers, broccoli and celery (not the leaves) in a microwave-safe bowl with a few tablespoons of water. Cover the bowl and microwave on high, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until the broccoli is bright green. Strain out the water. If you prefer not to use the microwave, you can blanch and shock the vegetables by boiling water, cooking the vegetables for about a minute, then straining them and rinsing with cold water.

Prepare the dressing in a small jar or other container with a lid. Place the vinegar, olive oil, orange juice concentrate, mustard, dry basil and black pepper in the jar, cover the jar and shake well.

When the quinoa is done and still warm, fold in the veggies, celery leaves and mint if using. Fold in as much dressing as you like, being careful not to crush the quinoa.

Serve warm or chilled, either alone or mixed with salad greens. No further dressing is needed.

My Favorite Pasta Salad

March 28, 2013 by arfoodie Leave a Comment

Hearts of Palm Sunday Pasta Salad, also featuring artichoke hearts and roasted bell pepper.

First a side note: Sorry to spam y’all with two Food Blogger Bake Sale posts in a row, especially email subscribers. I had tried to make that second one a private one for media use, and I couldn’t make it work that way. Anywho, share it with your favorite media/internal comm person!

My personal Facebook friends got a chuckle (or eye roll) at this photo I posted on Facebook earlier this week, Hearts of Palm Sunday Pasta Salad.

I know, hardy har.

I just love pasta salad, and I thought I’d be clever and add hearts of palm for Palm Sunday. Problem is, I’m the only one in the house who will eat those, or the artichoke hearts that were also included. I’m enjoying it for lunch all week, since I use it even for picnics, using different baskets that are perfect for picnics on the weekends.

While this dish was a little silly, it’s a spin on my family-friendlier pasta salad that I make pretty often. These days I have to use gluten-free pasta, and the only one for the job is Le Veneziane penne. (You can order it from Amazon, not me, at the link.) It’s made of corn, as are many gluten-free pastas. But the difference is an emulsifier made of flax seeds, which adds stability and texture that most GF pasta lacks.

Besides, it’s made in Italy, where there is a surprisingly high incidence of celiac disease. You think they’re gonna mess around with crappy pasta, gluten free or otherwise? I think not.

Anyway, here’s the basic recipe. It can be used with or without gluten-free pasta or hearts of palm. 😉 It could be a nice, light addition to your Easter table this Sunday!

*************************

Fancy Pants Pasta Salad
Serves 6

8 oz. penne pasta
1/4 c. roasted red bell pepper, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. olives, any type, sliced or halved
1/4 c. Italian or Caesar dressing of your choice, or homemade
1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan or similar hard Italian cheese
1 tsp. dry basil
1 tsp. dry parsley
1-14 oz. can marinated artichoke hearts, quartered (opt.)
1-14 oz. can hearts of palm, sliced if whole (opt.)
8 oz. cooked chicken pieces (opt.)
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water until al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse well with cool water to stop the cooking process, but do not completely chill the pasta.

Gently fold all ingredients except the salt and pepper together. The warm pasta will absorb some of the dressing. If you’re not serving it immediately, put it in the fridge for a little while. (It’s fine to serve warm, too.) When you’re ready to eat, test and re-season with salt and pepper to taste.

BLOGtober: Thanksgiving and Carolina on My Mind (with Recipe for Hoppin’ John)

October 17, 2012 by arfoodie 4 Comments

Hoppin’ John will probably make an appearance at our Charleston Thanksgiving.

Ever since the monumental Thanksgiving disaster of 2009, I haven’t planned a lot for the holiday.

Usually, we get together for a largely non-traditional dinner of chili and fixings (along with some ham, dressing and green beans for a degree of normalcy) at my niece’s house. I bring one thing, sometimes just the fixings for the chili.

A few months back, we decided at a family gathering that we’d do Thanksgiving in Charleston this year. We have extended family there, and we’d make an epic family-fest trip of it. I’d plan a simple-but-fab menu, go to the year-round farmers’ market, pull out all the stops. All the moms were on board.

Then, my mom bailed, then my mother-in-law.

My mom insists she can hang with friends this year, which seems silly, but whatever. We’re still going, at her insistence.

The menu in Charleston will probably include this, which I test-ran tonight: Hoppin’ John.

This traditional South Carolina dish is made with cowpeas there, which are similar to blackeyed peas but smaller. Tonight, I had some dry blackeyes in the pantry and some bacon in the freezer, so it made a delicious and inexpensive dinner. The hubs said at least three times, “Wow, this is really good!”

*******************

Hoppin’ John
Serves 6-8.

2 cups dry blackeye peas
6 rashers of bacon, diced
One half yellow onion, small dice
Three cloves garlic, minced
2 quarts chicken stock (guessing here)
Two bay leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce of your choice
2 T. fresh rosemary, minced

For the rice:

1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 cups water or chicken stock
1 T. oil
1 tsp. salt
2 T. fresh parsley, minced, plus extra for garnish

Soak the beans in cold water overnight, then rinse thoroughly in a colander.

In a heavy pot over medium-high heat, render the bacon until it is about halfway done, then add the onion. Reduce the heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, then add the garlic. Cook just until the garlic is fragrant.

Add the soaked beans, stir everything together, and cover the whole thing with chicken stock. I’m really not sure how much I used, since it was homemade stock in a big pot, but I’m guessing 2 quarts. Just use enough to cover the beans by about an inch. Add your bay leaves.

Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2 hours. (Check your beans before this point; mine were a little soft.) I covered the pot slightly, but I’m not sure it really matters.

About 30 minutes into cooking the beans, combine the brown rice, stock or water, oil and salt in a small saucepan, bring to a low simmer and cover. This will take about 45 minutes to cook.

When the beans are done to your liking, remove most of the liquid. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper, hot sauce (if you want) and rosemary. Crush some of the beans with your spoon (or whatever) to thicken the remaining liquid and stir.

When the rice is done, mix in the parsley, then spoon about a 1/4 cup into the bottom of each serving bowl. Ladle the bean mixture over the top, and garnish with some more parsley. (Confession: my rosemary is still alive, but my parsley is not; today, I used the dreaded dry kind that I usually hate.)

I hope my Hoppin’ John comes out as well at my Charleston Thanksgiving this year!

Posts this week will be part of Arkansas Women Blogger’s BLOGtober Fest challenge. I usually don’t blog daily unless there are a lot of events going on, so don’t freak out if you get posts by email! Click the pumpkin badge on the right side of the page for related (or not) posts from bloggers across Arkansas.

Clarity and Goat Cheese Watermelon Salad (Recipe) at #AWBU

September 6, 2012 by arfoodie Leave a Comment

Watermelon salad inside a hollowed watermelon half with rosemary sprig

Keep reading (or skimming) and be rewarded. Our winning Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad with Rosemary. Not bad for thrown together, Iron Chef style.

I started Fancy Pants Foodie about three years ago now, with the original intent of showing you peoples how to make some upscale food, fairly easily, at home.

Having had the journalism bug (and degree) as well, the blog soon included coverage of food events, new restaurants and stores, chefs and other food-related news. Sometimes the voice I used in these didn’t exactly match the one I used for recipes and instructional posts. Still doesn’t. One day you get snarky and fun, and the next you get inverted-pyramid-style straight journalism.

At the recent Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged conference, voice was an issue of conversation. Yeah, we needed to clarify our purpose, and then our voice. But what if we’re a little bipolar in what our blog does, like me?

What’s the purpose of this blog thing, anyway?

I’m very humbled and honored to say that this humble space has received a lot of love over the past three years. This is despite the redesign and site upgrade that I’ve threatened now for two years and still haven’t accomplished. The theme you see here (if you’re reading before said upgrade happens) is the one I randomly chose in the middle of the night when I decided to pull a blog out of my rear.

At the conference, and even more so after, I had to really think about what I’m doing in this space.

Sometimes lists help with clarity, so I made this one:

I write the blog to teach people how to cook from a semi-pro perspective, especially upscale things that may be new to them.
I also tell people about food news that’s going on in Arkansas.
And occasionally, I use the blog to inspire people to participate in food-related things that are bigger than themselves, or just to mess around and have fun.

So, if you’re counting, that’s at least three different blogs. All run together.

Based on what I learned at #AWBU, here’s some ideas:

No more straight-faced journalism pieces. I’ll save those for any outside writing gigs that use that sort of style. Even for newsy pieces like chef interviews or openings, my natural snark and wit are going to appear if it kills me. This is a blog, not a newspaper, for crying out loud.
A blog redesign is urgent, and will include categories separating the major styles and topics of the blog. I’m thinking “Recipes,” “News & Events” and “Features,” plus a category for outside work I’d like to do. Or something like that. Opening clips of all the stories will flow on the front page, though.
Write more freely. I tend to overthink and thereby not post as often as I should. The more I write, the more other good things happen.
Work on developing more of a community of Arkansas food people, specifically those who want to learn more about upscale cooking at home or professionally. I get traffic from all over the world, but I’d love for more of that to come from right here in our state, and for those who visit to join me in conversation.

Other bloggers have recapped the details of our conference pretty well, so I don’t feel obligated to fill you in on every little thing. But, of course, the highlight for me was Foodie Friday, completely dedicated to food-related blog love, orchestrated by the fab Lyndi of NWAFoodie.

And the best part of Foodie Friday? Iron Chef. No lie. After some brainstorming, sensory and other writing exercises, we were assigned a group and were placed into the hands of Tina Marie Wilcox, the “Herb Lady” at the Ozark Folk Center. Of course, I bounced in my seat when this activity was announced. By the way, we’d be feeding all the other AWBU attendees who were showing up for a reception. With OUR food.

Our team was assigned its herb: Rosemary. Walkthrough of a room filled with random available ingredients. GO.

We ended up making a sautéed mushroom and herb bruschetta that wasn’t my favorite ever, due to minimal of access to the toaster oven, as well as a stellar rosemary & berry lemonade created by fellow food blogger Kat Robinson. But the winner-winner-herbal-dinner was our watermelon salad with goat cheese and a red wine vinaigrette. With rosemary. Fo reals.

We won the “Best Use of Herbs” category by judges from the local Anglers restaurant.

I’m sure I’ll write further about the conference, so stay tuned for more details, foodie and otherwise. Meanwhile, find one of the last Arkansas watermelons and make this!

********************************************

Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad with Rosemary
From the Rosemary Team at #AWBU 2012 Iron Chef

One medium watermelon
4 ounces goat cheese, small dice (feta works, too)
One half medium red onion, cut thinly into strips
2 T. finely minced rosemary
1/4″ red wine vinegar
1/2″ extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Fresh raspberries and a clean rosemary sprig for garnish

Cut a very thin slice off one side of the watermelon, not cutting into the flesh, to create a stable bowl. If you’re chicken, or you just forget like I did, just place the watermelon on a towel to keep it stable. Cut the watermelon in half, keeping your slice in the center of the half you plan to use as a bowl.

Using a spoon or knife, remove as much flesh as possible from both watermelon halves and cut it into chunks or cubes. Remove seeds as much as possible. Place all these pieces into a large bowl and drain all the extra liquid. Carefully stir in the cheese, onion strips and rosemary. (Save a bit of rosemary for garnish.)

In a separate bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar and olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour over the watermelon mixture and gently toss.

Note: If you’re using the goat cheese, it will melt and get oozy. It’s what we had available. Go with it. If I were doing this at home, I’d probably go with feta, which has a known relationship with watermelon in some circles.

Fill the chosen watermelon rind with your finished salad, and sprinkle the remaining rosemary on top. Garnish the edges of the bowl with the berries, and place a sprig or two of whole rosemary in the side so folks know what’s in it.