Roasted Tangerine and Chocolate Tart

A few weeks back, we decided to celebrate the solstice with a dessert and eggnog party.  What goes with eggnog, I pondered, while thumbing through recipe books, the gray skies of impending snow filtering through my kitchen window.  Alexander looks up.  Chocolate?, he asks, hopefully.  Sure, I could see that.  After all, the cafes have been selling out of eggnog lattes, the nog's rich spicy sweetness pairing perfectly with the bitter espresso.  Maybe truffles are just the thing.  But wait.  My stash of good chocolate is gone (blame holiday season stress), and i've just used my last drop of cream on a batch of cheddar sage scones.  Besides, I have all of these beautiful tangerines sitting cheerily on the counter, waiting to be enjoyed.

Here is the result:
Roasted tangerines, infused with a pinch of brown sugar, grace silky chocolate "ganache" in a crunchy almond crust.  

 
Ganache without chocolate or cream?, you ask astutely.  It's my new favorite recipe!  Ganache for the industrious.  Cocoa powder (a blend of raw and very dark dutch), a few hefty tablespoons of coconut butter (I imagine other nut butters would work here for a more flavored ganache), a dash of maple syrup, and a few pinches of good sea salt.  Blend.  A bit of coconut milk or more maple syrup could be added to thin if necessary.  This mixture will harden like traditional ganache when cool, making it ideal for frosting, tart filling, truffles, etc.   

The roasted tangerines are from one of my favorite dessert cookbooks, In the Sweet Kitchen, by Regan Daley.  Find this book, and find a spot for it right at hand in the kitchen.  It is my most loved baking reference. 
 

Nori-wrapped Honey Miso Salmon

In school, we are always looking for new and exiting ways to use seaweed!  Who isn't?!  ;-)  This recipe from Bauman college was simple to make, produced delicious results, and was unlike anything I'd every tried before!

Make a marinade using sweet white miso, mirin, honey, ginger, garlic, and some rice vinegar or lemon juice to balance the sweetness.  Coat salmon fillets in the mixture and place in a baking pan.  Fold a few sheets of nori in half, and wrap around the fillets, tucking the ends underneath.  Cover the pan with foil, bake at 400 until done, about 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with pickled ginger and wasabi on the side.  Guaranteed to be the biggest piece of "Sushi" your guests have ever seen. 

Photo by Crystal at zen-eats.com

Pan-Roasted Chicken with Marsala Wine Sauce

Pan-roasting is one of my favorite methods for fast, flavorful meat dishes.  This Bauman College recipe gives proof that you can feed a crowd quickly and cost-effectively.  Cut up whole chickens (leaving skin on and bone in), season the pieces with salt and pepper, pan-roast them in cast-iron until crisp, then place the pan in the oven with handfuls of mushrooms, shallots, and rosemary scattered over the chicken.  When chicken and veggies are cooked (about 30 minutes), remove them to a serving plate.  De-glazed the pan with marsala wine, cooking it down with the chicken drippings until thickened, then pour it over the steaming, juicy chicken.  Serve scattered with fresh rosemary. 

Photo by Crystal at zen-eats.com

Thai Green Curry

I try to contain my excitement as the group leaders count down.  3...2...1....SWAP!  Suddenly people are flying around the room, jars of yumminess switching hands in the blink of an eye.  Emotions run high as screeches of delight blend with groans of disappointment.  That's right, I'm at a food swap!  Everyone brings jars of delicious homemade goods, usually preserved, such as jams, mustard, pickles, soups, stocks, liquors...You name it!  The groups spends a fun hour or so chatting, drinking beer and, most importantly, checking out each others' goods.  Then when the moment comes, the swapping begins!

I made a preserved Thai Green Curry paste: fresh galangal, lemongrass, garlic, thai chilis, shrimp paste, lime zest, cilantro, toasted sesame oil and cumin.  It's great for a quick, weeknight meal: just add a can of coconut milk, some veggies and seafood and you have yourself an authentic spicy Thai Green Curry!

   
So, you ask, what did I get in return for my 5 little jars of curry?  Nothing less than:
-Hand-harvested Pinto Bean soup with home-raised ham hocks
-New England clam chowder
-Organic Blueberry Grand Marnier Jam
-Organic Cranberry Rosemary Mustard
-Curried Local Carrot Pickles
-A rosemary plant!
-Homegrown Delicata Squash

This whole SWAP thing is addictive!

Pad Thai

The relatively small country of Thailand has conquered the world with its unique cuisine.  It's no wonder.  They have mastered the art of balancing flavors and nearly every bite is salty, sweet, sour perfection.  Having grown up on a fairly bland diet, my first taste of Thai food was a revelation.  Needless to say, Thai food day in class was one of the best.  Thai lettuce wraps with sweet tamarind paste, red curry squash, green papaya salad, Tom Kah soup and the famous Pad Thai. 

Photo by Crystal at Zen-eats.com

I've always been intimidated by making Pad Thai, because the flavor is complex and I assumed it must be complicated.  Not so!  After soaking some noodles and julienning some vegetables, the only other prep is making an exquisite sauce with tamarind paste, palm sugar, fish sauce, rice vinegar and chilies.  Then it's just a quick trip to the wok or sauté pan and you have delicious, homemade Pad Thai.