Sandy Tart or Everything But the Kitchen Sink

Hurricane Sandy has left her mark in small ways and devastating ways.  While most of the country is focusing on tomorrow's election, I cannot think about anything but the devastation we have seen here in New Jersey and New York.

My town is wrestling with no power--a minor inconvenience--while so many others have lost so much more.  We are gathering supplies for Shore towns, wondering whether to skip the postponed trick-or-treating altogether, helping neighbors.  I am cooking and baking and hoping feeding people will offer them some comfort.

With gas and groceries in limited supply, "use what you have" is the name of the game.  This is my Sandy aka Everything but the Kitchen Sink tart.  I found puff pastry in the back of the freezer.  Hardy sage still standing in my garden. Bacon, roasted butternut squash and some cheeses in the refrigerator.  Some pistachios sitting on the counter were not be left out.  Why not?  I'm hoping to share with some neighbors who are sitting in their cold, dark houses.  Maybe for a brief moment they will be warmed and taken care of.  I wish I could do the same for everyone.

When this comes out of the oven, add a drizzle of balsamic glaze or vinegar or even maple syrup or honey would be nice.  Keep in the spirit of "use what you have".  And share with a neighbor.

Kitchen Sink Tart

Serves 4

1 sheet of puff pastry

2 cups cubed, roasted butternut squash*

4 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

1/4 cup of cheese (I used ricotta salata and parmesan)

2 T chopped sage

1/4 cup chopped pistachios

1T balsamic glaze (or truffled honey or maple syrup)

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Place thawed puff pastry sheet on a baking sheet.  With a sharp knife, score the tart on all 4 sides 1/4 inch from the edge.  Do not cut all the way through the dough.  This will form the edge of the tart.

3. Top with butternut squash, bacon, cheeses, pistachios and sage.

4. Bake for 20 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes. Cut and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

*To roast squash: Cube and toss with 2T olive oil, salt and pepper and 1T maple syrup.  Bake on baking sheet at 400 for 20 minutes or until squash is golden and tender.

Pork Belly on Steamed Buns with Gojujang Sauce and Pickled Cucumbers

If you haven't eaten all of your pork belly yet and haven't grown weary of my pig jokes...I know, I'm asking a lot.  I have another recipe for you.  Pork Belly on Steamed Buns with Gojujang Sauce and Pickled Cucumbers.  What is gogjujang you may ask?  It is a fermented red pepper paste from Korea.  It's a little spicy plus sweet and smoky and I can't get enough of it lately. 

 Now, here's the thing.  You'll probably only find gojujang at an Asian grocery store or I'm sure you could order it online.  Once you've acquired it, make this sauce below.  Make it a lot.  Use it for these pork belly buns and then make more and toss it with noodles. Bake or fry some chicken and slather it with this sauce. Use it as a dip for egg rolls or dumplings. Add it to your scrambled eggs.  You get the idea.

There are many recipes out there to make your own steamed buns but I bought mine at the Asian market in the freezer section and thawed, then steamed them in a bamboo steamer.  And although the package says you can microwave them instead, don't.  Trust me, they are not good.

The final element, the quick pickled cucumbers add the acid and crunch that the pork belly needs.  And these are so dead simple, they'd make a great side dish at any meal. 

 Here's a thought.  Serve these Pork Belly Buns at your Super Bowl party.  People may miss some of the game when they take a bite and their eyes roll back in their heads.  But that's a risk you'll have to take.  And let's face it, they could get buffalo wings and sliders anywhere.

Pork Belly on Steamed Buns with Gojujang Sauce and Pickled Cucumbers

1. Take pork belly slices out of refrigerator and let come to room temperature.  Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.  Warm pork belly slices in the heated pan starting with fat side down first.  Then turn to warm sides of pork belly, 2-3 minutes.  Do not cook the belly, just warm it.

2. Fill wok with an inch of water and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Set bamboo steamer over wok.  Line steamer with a piece of wax paper and fill with steamed buns.  Do not let them touch each other.  Put lid on steamer and steam for 10-15 minutes.

3.  Slice open steamed buns down the center of the top of the bun, rather than on the side of the bun.  Fill with warmed pork belly, gojujang sauce and pickled cucumbers.  Serve immediately.

Slow-Cooked Pork Belly
Recipe here

Gojujang Sauce
5 cloves of garlic
1 1-1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
3T gojujang paste (Korean red pepper paste)
1T honey
3T soy sauce
1 1/2T rice vinegar
1T sesame oil

In a food processor chop garlic and ginger.  My tip: Turn the food processor on and then drop the garlic and ginger down the feed tube and watch the magic happen.  Add gojujang, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil and whiz until combined.

  
Pickled Cucumbers
2 small Kirby or baby seedless cucumbers, slice 1/8 inch thick
1T sugar
3/4T kosher salt
2T rice vinegar

Combine sliced cucumbers, sugar and salt in a bowl.  Mix and let sit for 5-10 minutes.  Rinse salt and sugar off cucumber and pat dry.  Add rice vinegar and serve immediately or keep refrigerated for up to 4 hours.

Roasted Eggplant with Saffron Yogurt

The tree is laying sadly out by the curb and the Christmas decorations have been put away.  Spring is a long way off. The gym parking lot is filled with those "resolutioners" who will be gone by March but will take all my parking spots in the meantime.  It's a good thing I'm not bitter. 

I need a little ray of sunshine which I found in eggplant, pomegranates and saffron and yogurt.  The dish is beautifully balanced with the smoky eggplant, peppery arugula, the acidic lemony yogurt plus you get the pop of the pomegranate seeds and the crunch of pine nuts.  Served with roasted potatoes, it makes a great meatless meal.

This recipe is adapted from Ottolenghi The Cookbook which is filled with gorgeousness.  If you are of the vegetarian persuasion or just want to feel exotic AND healthy, give this cookbook a whirl.  In the meantime, I've converted the recipe from grams and Celsius to US measurements. For my method of seeding a pomegranate without making your kitchen look like a crime scene, click here.

Roasted Eggplant with Saffron Yogurt
Adapted from Ottolenghi The Cookbook
Serves 4

2 medium eggplants
2T olive oil plus more for roasting eggplant
6 oz. non-fat Greek yogurt
2T Meyer lemon (regular lemon is fine too)
1 garlic clove, crushed
small pinch of saffron threads
3T very hot water
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
4 cups arugula
3T pine nuts
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.  Cut eggplant into 3/4 inch slices.  Brush both sides with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt.  Roast on a baking sheet for 20 minutes then turn over slices and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown.  Set aside and let cool.
2. Crush the saffron threads and combine with 3T of very hot water.  Let sit for 5 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2T of olive oil, garlic and a generous pinch of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.  Add the saffron liquid, first straining the threads out of it and whisk all ingredients together.
4.  Plate a few slices of eggplant with the arugula, pine nuts and pomegranate seeds.  Drizzle with the saffron yogurt.

Note: Eggplant can be roasted up to 3 days ahead.  Let it come to room temperature before composing salad. 

Brussel Sprouts & Mushrooms-So Wrong, It's Right

What happens when you take two things a lot of people downright despise and put them together?  A little piece of heaven, I tell ya.  I am one of those people you've read about who actually like Brussel sprouts.  A lot.  I even ate them as a kid.  A lot.  Thanks, Mom!

Now mushrooms....um....not so much.  I have an occasional culinary hot flash where I'll purposely eat something with mushrooms and like it but the rest of the time I avoid them.  Why then, was I inexplicably drawn to this recipe?  I just knew it would be delicious.  And it is.

Seriously, with cream, white wine, shallots, earthy mushrooms and roasted Brussel sprouts it is luxurious and rich and perfect for your Thanksgiving table.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Wild Mushrooms and Cream
Serves 8
From Fine Cooking

1 1/2 lbs. Brussel sprouts (pick the smallest ones you can find), cut in half
5T olive oil
3T unsalted butter
3/4 lb. mix of wild mushrooms
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. 
2. Toss Brussel sprouts with 3T of olive oil and transfer to baking sheet.  Spread out and season with salt. 
3. Roast for 15-25 minutes until tender and browned.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add 2T of butter and 1T of olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook until tender and any liquid has evaporated.  About 5 minutes.  Season with salt and transfer to bowl.
5. Add the remaining 1T butter and 1T olive oil to hot skillet and add the shallot with a pinch of salt.  Cook until golden, about 3 minutes.
6.  Add wine and cook until reduced by half.
7. Add mushrooms and Brussel sprouts back to the pan.  Pour in cream.
8. Stir and cook until cream thickens and coats the vegetables, 3-4 minutes. 
9. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

BTW, if you have any leftovers: These are dreamy with a poached egg over them.

My Gift To You

You must make this salad. There, I said it. This is a great salad anytime of the year. It is especially great for summer because it contains no mayo, cream or dairy to decompose at the neighborhood picnic thereby poisoning your community and ruining your rep.

Another bonus, it holds up well in the fridge a day later.

WILD RICE SALAD

Serves 8-10

2 c wild rice

6 c water

3 T rice vinegar

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 t cardamom

1 1/2 t soy sauce

1 t ground pink peppercorns

1 t ground white peppercorns

3 T Maple Syrup

1/3 canola oil

3/4 c chopped celery

1 c dried cranberries

1/2 c finely chopped scallions

3/4 c chopped pecans (I like Trader Joe's Sweet & Spicy Pecans)

Bring water with a pinch of salt to a boil. Add rice and bring back to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low and let simmer about 30 minutes. Look for some of the grains to have opened but others should still have a bite. Drain and return to the pan. Cover and let steam for 5 minutes. Chill rice.

Combine rice vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, ground peppercorns, cardamom, maple syrup & canola oil. Add to rice along with pecans, scallions, cranberries and celery. You can double the dressing recipe if you like it really saturated or save the rest of the dressing for salad.

*Variations: Instead of the cranberries, substitute a crisp apple like a Granny Smith or Fuji in the fall & winter. You can also try other nuts if you don't like pecans. Also, while the pink AND white peppercorns are not essential, they add so much to the dish and are worth seeking out!