Pomegranate molasses was called a “power ingredient” awhile back. Kind of a funny description, but I do understand what they’re getting at because I have a sticky, half-empty bottle of it in the back of my cupboard. I’ve mixed it into seltzer, salads, and now an easy little cake that is perfect for, say, potlucks. It’s buttery but not too rich, and unexpectedly perfect for cutting into hand-held squares to be passed around and eaten like brownies.
Another thing: the recipe makes more glaze than you’ll need, so go ahead and make doughnuts, cookies, or even more cake to use it up.
Happy day-after-Thanksgiving everyone! I will share my big meal with you soon, but for now, I’m just posting this photo of nuts (as I’m snacking on them to wash down the leftover homemade ice cream and cookies I had for lunch). I made them on Wednesday, along with these lovely flatbreads. They were a nice accessory to all the good beers we had (I am thankful for Sixpoint in 16 ounce cans) along with some cheeses and my aforementioned pickled vegetables (they turned out well). The recipe is adapted from Alice Waters.
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon hot water
3 cups nuts of your choosing
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs of your choosing (I chose thyme, winter savory, and rosemary)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dissolve salt in hot water in a bowl. Add nuts and herbs, tossing to coat them evenly. Spread out in a large baking sheet and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring a few times. The nuts should be golden brown on the inside, and the only way to know is to bite one in half. Toss with olive oil while the nuts are still warm. Let them cool completely before storing in covered containers.
This granola is fantastic and I will probably make it over and over, especially because the recipe is easy and so very straightforward. It’s unconventionally salty and crisps up in olive oil instead of butter, but I eat it in the most conventional of ways: sprinkled heavy handedly on top of plain yogurt or shoved straight into my mouth by the fistful. I never thought I’d say this about something as… granola as granola, but this stuff has upgraded my weekday breakfasts to something a little more alluring than usual.
I kicked off this blustery week with a new take on fennel, a vegetable I usually have raw and thinly shaved in salads. The difficulty-of-preparation-to-deliciousness ratio is very low. You cut up some fennel and while it’s roasting in the oven, you combine raisins, walnuts, parsley, lemon juice, and olive oil. When it’s all done, you get softened, licorice-y pieces of fennel coated in a bright lemony dressing, chewy raisins, and crunchy walnuts. It’s probably obvious by now, but this is a simple and worthwhile fall vegetable side dish to try out, in my opinion. The recipe is from The Meatball Shop, featured in New York Magazine.
Continuing my baking spree… That first yogurt cake I made was great and all, but I wanted to revise it into something less spongy, less greasy, and more breakfasty. I wanted it to be something I could eat with hot coffee during class, without getting translucent oily-finger spots all over my notes. (Or in transit without greasing up the handrails because I am a train pig occasionally.)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup neutral oil such as canola or grapeseed
sliced almonds and sugar, for topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan.
Combine flours, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. In a small bowl, beat eggs then add sugar, yogurt, and extracts. Mix in oil. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix gently just until batter is completely moistened. Pour into pan and sprinkle sugar and sliced almonds on top. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top of the cake is lightly browned.
As you can plainly see, this is among the least photogenic edible things I’ve made. I doubt anyone will be reblogging this one on tumblr. What it lacks in appearance it makes up for in flavor: a little sweet, gently garlicky, and brightened up by lemon juice. The recipe can be found here. I found that the roasted eggplant provided enough of its own natural sweetness that I cut the amount of honey called for by half.
I have another fresh, easy, interesting, everything-you-need-right-now salad to share. It’s from 101 Cookbooks, with a few tweaks: lime juice instead of lemon juice, and shredded coconut instead of big flakes. Be careful when toasting the coconut — it will brown pretty quickly.
And now, since it is too hot to even type, I must go lay in a bathtub full of ice water.
This week’s issue of New York Magazine has a delicious recipe from ABC Kitchen (a new favorite) for a simple salad with lettuce, radishes, olives, and a nutty vinaigrette. Perfect for enjoying summer radishes and all the beautiful frilly lettuces piling up at the farmers’ market and CSA shares around here. I used basil instead of tarragon and skinny green onions instead of chives. Still delicious.
Before making this, I tossed around several ideas for what to do with several stalks of rhubarb I had collected several weeks ago from the farmers’ market and my CSA share. I thought about making a rustic galette or braised chicken, but ended up making little dessert bars late one humid, sticky weekend evening to bring to a July 4th picnic in the park. I used a pastry blender and cold butter instead of the grater and frozen butter called for by the recipe, and added a bit of minced ginger to the rhubarb mixture.
My dad has a saying that has profoundly informed the way I live: “There is always time for food.” Had the world actually ended this past Saturday, I probably would’ve died mid-bite while the Earth crumbled around me. An old friend of mine once legendarily missed a flight to his sister’s wedding because he was stewing lentils. I would be lying if I said that I don’t understand why anyone would do that.
Thankfully, I came up with this easy-to-make jumble of rice noodles, fresh herbs and vegetables, and other crunchy things about 30 minutes before I was supposed to leave the house to attend a wedding (congrats Chris & Valentina!). We arrived on time and no one had to listen to my stomach growl. I’ve made these noodles three times now, most recently as a welcome-home dinner after I returned from a quick trip to L.A. to attend another wedding (congrats Chris & Valerie!). The key is to take mise en place seriously so that nothing gets accidentally overcooked. These noodles are also a perfect vehicle for leftover shredded meat or sliced tofu.
serves 1
a few ounces of dried rice noodles
about 1/4 of a small head of cabbage, shredded
1/2 medium carrot, cut into strips
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small shallot clove/bulb/segment/whatever, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons palm sugar or brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce or fish sauce (or a combination of both)
almost all the juice from half of a lime
a handful of peanuts, lightly toasted and coarsely ground, crushed, or chopped
garnish: cilantro, scallions, fried shallots, Sriracha chili sauce
Soak rice noodles in warm water while you prepare all the vegetables. Combine sugar, soy/fish sauce, and lime juice. Set aside.
Heat some oil in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds, making sure they don’t burn. Add remaining vegetables. Cook until vegetables are slightly softened but still crunchy. Drain noodles and add them. Stir them around and add a splash of water to soften them up more. When water has evaporated (should be after only a few minutes) add lime juice sauce. Toss noodles around to coat evenly. Garnish with peanuts and everything else.
