Month: January 2012

Appetizers · Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Fish

Crab Cakes with Ginger and Coconut milk

Belinda

This a recipe by Barbara Tropp from the “More than Burnt Toast” Food Blog
Spectacular and so different!

Ingredients


1/4 bunch of cilantro or parsley (depending on your taste) leaves and stems finely chopped
2 tbsp grated ginger
4 scallions sliced into thin rings, using the white part and about 2″ of the green part.
1 tsp (or more to taste) of Chinese chili sauce
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 pieces of white sandwich bread (as close to the Pepperidge Farm brand as possible) crusts removed, cut into tiny pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 lb jumbo lump blue claw crabmeat

In a bowl, mix the cilantro, scallions, ginger, chili paste, salt, coconut milk, bread pieces and egg together.
Set aside.
Inspect the crab meat for bits of shell being very careful not to break up the lumps of claw meat.

Gently fold the cilantro/ginger mixture into the crabmeat. Taste for seasoning. Gently but firmly press the crabmeat mixture into patties. Do this by filling 2 inch rings with the mixture, removing the ring and then gently pressing the edges towards the center.
Place the patties on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and let it sit in the refrigerator for about an hour which will make the crab cakes firmer and less prone to breaking apart.
Gently “film” a cast iron or any other sort of frying pan with vegetable oil, NOT olive oil and saute the crab cakes until browned.
Turn gently and brown the other side.

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Salad · Vegetable-related

Roasted cauliflower salad with chickpeas and brown rice

Belinda2 Comments

This recipe is from a fellow food blogger and is  lovely and really interesting in it’s combination. I get more excited about interesting vegetarian dishes than anything else these days. If the Food Blogger recognizes his/her recipe, please let me know as I have forgotten who posted it and would like to acknowledge them

Yield:  Two entree sized servings
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins

For the Roasted cauliflower
1 1/2lbs cauliflower, cut into florets
2 tsp grapeseed oil
sea salt
cracked black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cauliflower with the oil, salt and pepper to taste. lay in a single layer on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes or until slightly golden in color and cooked through with a touch of crispiness.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool a bit.

For the dressing
1/2 cup  0% fat plain Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
3 – 4 tbsp (or 2 oz ) blue cheese
juice of 1 Meyer lemon
zest of 1/2 a Meyer lemon
1 tsp honey
1 clove garlic, grated or minced
1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (Trader Joes sells this)
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
a few drops of White truffle oil (optional)

Place the yoghurt in a small bowl. Slowly add the olive oil while whisking (this is to avoid a clumpy dressing) Once the oil is added, add in the remaining ingredients and set aside.
Allow to sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 mins to let the flavors develop.

For the rice
1 cup brown rice
2 cups water
1 tsp salt.
Place the rice in  a medium sized saucepan and rinse under cold water a couple of times, draining each time. This prevents the rice from getting sticky and mushy.
Place the water in the pot with the rinsed rice and add the salt.
Bring to the boil, then cover and lower the heat to a bare simmer. Cook, covered for 50 to 60 minutes. Check for doneness after 50 minutes.

To assemble the salad
1 cup chick peas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 1/4 cups green onions, chopped

On two large plates, arrange a small pile of rice. Top with cauliflower florets, chick peas and green onions.
Drizzle the dressing over and serve immediately.

Baking · Chocolate · Do-ahead · Egg based

The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

Belinda1 Comment
I am posting this direct from another blog called Red Spoon, as they are so outrageously good.
Adapted to use milk chocolate instead of bittersweet, as it’s more gooey!
Makes 1 1/2 dozen 5 inch cookies
2 cups minus 2 tbsp (8 1/2 oz) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 oz) bread flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 oz) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tbsp (8 oz) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 lbs milk chocolate disks or feves
sea salt
Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Stir in the vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to low, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and fold them in without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against the dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
Scoop 3x 1/2oz mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls!) onto the baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie.
Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes.
Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack for 0 minutes then slip the cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more.
Repeat with remaining dough,  or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.
Eat warm with a big napkin and a very tall glass of milk