A naturally hearty vegan stew: Borscht!

Those of you whose only experience with borscht is as a cold magenta liquid, perhaps served with a single boiled potato, think again! This version of borscht (there are many variations) hails from Russia & the Ukraine (the former is more the Polish/Yiddish variety), and is more like a hearty stew than a sort of beet-based gazpacho. It’s still very much peasant food, though: immensely nutritious, satisfying, and seasonal. Perfect for snowy winter nights!

It’s also effortlessly vegetarian, and even vegan if you skip the dollop of sour cream at the end, or use a non-dairy version of the sour cream.

In a nod to our fabulously frugal roots, I recommend that you resourcefully save the beet greens, saute them in a little olive oil, and serve them with a dash of sherry vinegar alongside the steaming bowls of borscht.  A recipe (if you could even call it that, it’s so simple) follows the borscht recipe.

Na Zdorov’ye! (Vodka optional.)

2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, shredded
1 green pepper, diced
2-3 cups cabbage, shredded (approx 1/2 medium cabbage)
2 beets, shredded
5 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounces tomato paste
8 cups vegetable broth
1 apple, diced
1 russet or Yukon Gold potato, diced
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
juice of one lemon*
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced, plus more for garnish as desired

In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium high. Saute onion, celery, carrot, and green pepper until softened, 5-6 minutes. Add cabbage and beets and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and garlic, incorporating fully, then add the vegetable broth, apple, potato, and bay leaf, raising heat to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.

Add the smoked paprika, lemon, salt and pepper to taste, then cover again and cook over as low a heat as you can manage for at least another hour; two if possible. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, if using, and a generous sprinkling of fresh dill. (Don’t skip the dill, even if you omit the sour cream!)

* When Donna tested this for me, both for quality assurance and so Jim could skillfully photograph it (thanks, guys!), she tried using 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar in place of the lemon juice and dill. I personally love the dill, but you should definitely try her variation if it sounds more up your alley!

SAUTEED BEET GREENS

Reserved greens, washed, de-stemmed, and torn into approx 3-inch pieces
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sherry (or red wine) vinegar

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, until softening. Add greens to skillet and saute until greens are wilting and tender (not too long). Toss with vinegar and serve with a bit of salt and pepper if desired.

– posted by Anne

Wait no more. The time of year has come at last. NO, not Thanksgiving or Christmas themselves, but the magical day when Starbucks stores across the land start selling their limited-time-only Cranberry Bliss bars. Starbucks pastries are a mixed bag, in my humble, but this is one of their undeniable runaway hits – also sold by the full tray, if that gives you any indication. Today, in fact, those trays are on special for 50% off as part of the “12 Days of Giving”.

Most of you, as foodies, probably know exactly what I’m talking about, but if you haven’t had one of these, either run right out and pick one up  . . . or keep on reading here and try a homemade version that is also, yes, gluten-free!  Celiacs and other gluten sensitive folk can now partake in the joy, the mmm, the bliss that is Cranberry Bliss.

Of note: This happens to be egg-free as well, substituting flax for eggs works nicely in the base that is very much like a blondie, dense and moist; I used golden flaxseed meal for the purpose of color, but you can certainly use regular. I opted out on only one significant component: the crystallized ginger, saving a bit by increasing the ground ginger in the cake itself. On the white chocolate – I say this is one area to not skimp too much; I lucked out and Ghiradelli happened to be on special, but still, cheap white chocolate is just terrible.  Normally I am actually not crazy about white chocolate, like, at ALL, but there’s something about the tart cranberries and citrus and cream cheese that works beautifully with it. I really do enjoy it here. Oh, and I did want to work out a version that is also VEGAN, but because cream cheese is such a big component, I thought I’d best take it one step at a time.

GLUTEN-FREE CRANBERRY BLISS BARS

3 tablespoons flaxmeal (golden if you have it)
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup unsalted butter or vegetable shortening
1 cup firmly-packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup rice flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 cup (heaping) chopped craisins
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9×12 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Stir the flaxmeal into the warm water with a fork and let stand until thickened a bit – the time elapsed while creaming the butter and sugars and assembling some other prep should be fine.

In a large standing mixer, cream together butter or shortening and sugars. Add yogurt, flax and vanilla extract and continue mixing until incorporated. Stir dry ingredients (except craisins and chocolate) together in a separate bowl, then add to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix until flour is incorporated. Fold in the craisins and white chocolate.

Spread the batter in the prepared  pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown . Cool completely, then top with frosting as per below!

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoons orange juice (plus the zest of the orange if freshly squeezed)
Additional 1/3 to 1/2 cup minced dried cranberries

Drizzle

1/4 cup white chocolate
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon milk

Stir cream cheese, sugar, juice and zest together. Melt chocolate over a double boiler or by 10 to 20 second increments in a microwave.

After smoothing the frosting over the cooked blondie base, sprinkle additional craisins generously over the top, and drizzle the melted white chocolate over everything with artistic diagonal slashes. To be all the more authentic, cut into large rectangles, and then bisect the rectangles diagonally to form jaunty triangles.

Needless to say, you will be the star of the party at any holiday event you bring these babies to, so please report back!

– posted by Anne

Burgerville's Pumpkin Smoothie, even healthier!

One of the most wonderful things about moving to Portland is the local chain called Burgerville, beloved to all. Yes, I’m seriously speaking positively of what is essentially a fast food joint: They have all the treats and trappings of fast food, yet manage to turn many of the negatives about fast food completely inside out. When you throw out your trash, every restaurant has it divided into three bins: Recyclables, Landfill, and Compost. You read that right: COMPOST. They reuse all of their cooking oil as biodiesel. They offer, among many healthy yet seriously delicious choices, three different kinds of veggie burgers. They source their food locally, and they also include a rotating seasonal menu. So every fall, Portland residents look forward to sweet potato fries, salmon sandwiches, and pumpkin shakes and smoothies (all locally sourced, of course).

Those shakes and smoothies, are every bit as delectable as you can imagine. The ice cream shake is like an extra-custardy pumpkin pie in a glass, while the yogurt-based smoothie is a little tangy and a bit lighter overall.  But what about vegans, or those who are intolerant or sensitive to dairy? I thought I’d try making a dairy-free version at home.

And lo, it worked! I tried it first with silken tofu, which was just okay, then with hemp milk, which (although I love hemp milk in some things) didn’t work so well with the aftertaste factor; it was also a bit thin. Finally I tried coconut milk, and that was the ticket. Coconut milk is becoming my favorite cow’s milk subsititute for many reasons, including the health benefits of its good fat (I do recommend going with normal, not “light” coconut milk here, but do what you need to do).

So if you’ve got some extra pumpkin from your jack o’lanterns, or you’re craving pumpkin pie yet want something healthier, give this recipe a whirl. It would make a great leftover recipe after Thanksgiving, or even be a great addition to a turkey day breakfast!

Did I mention the EASY? It’s easy.

PUMPKIN SMOOTHIE A LA BURGERVILLE, MADE VEGAN

1 cup pumpkin
1 14 ounce can coconut milk
1 banana
1/3 to 1/2 cup brown sugar or maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6-8 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender and – take a guess  . . . that’s right, blend until smooth. That’s IT!

Note that you could, instead of the individual spices, use a pumpkin pie spice blend, approximately 1 tablespoon’s worth (you’ll have to taste test as you go). You could also freeze the banana in advance (I recommend doing do in pieces, rather than whole), and reduce the number of ice cubes a bit – see how icy you personally prefer.

– posted by Anne

Oatmeal Apple Cobbler for Breakfast . . . or Dessert!

Baked apples. Cinnamon oatmeal. Toasted walnuts. All of these are delicious on their own. But, together they are a fall flavor festival!

When a friend of mine told me about his baked oatmeal apple breakfast, I couldn’t wait for Saturday to roll around so I could make it. He stirred all the ingredients together, but I decided to separate the apple mixture out and turn it into a cobbler. A breakfast cobbler. Can’t think of a better way to start a fall day – can you?

This does have a small amount of sugar – just enough brown sugar to give the oatmeal a classic homey taste. And, this is a dish that is naturally gluten-free!

Love and comfort in a casserole.

Happy Fall to All!

– posted by Donna

First, some other bloggers’ unique apple cobbler recipes:
Patchwork Apple Cobbler, Never Enough Thyme
Apple Cobbler with Cheddar Biscuits, Honey and Jam
Apple Cobbler Cupcakes, Cupcake Project
Hatch Chile Apple Cobbler, Homesick Texan
Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cobbler, Created by Diane
OATMEAL BREAKFAST COBBLER

3 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup melted butter
3 large Golden Delicious apples, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup diced walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the oatmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, salt. Whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and butter, and then stir into the oatmeal mixture.

Toss together in the following order:  apple slices, lemon juice, cornstarch, cranberries and nuts. Spoon this mixture into a 9 by 9 baking pan.

Spread oatmeal mixture on top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until lightly browned. Serve warm, with milk or cream poured over top if desired.

Caprese Parfaits

For years, like many members of  the last few factory-farmed, shrink-wrapped, additived-and-preservatived generations, I thought I detested fresh tomatoes. Mealy and bland, almost always refrigerated, only acceptable in thoroughly stewed or sauced form. My mom used to nostalgically describe picking tomatoes as a child, out of my grandma’s garden in upstate New York, and eating them like apples. I could hardly imagine anything more revolting at the time.

Now, of course, we’ve all become much more sophisticated, in our current local, sustainable, seasonal collective consciousness. We know that what we really loathed were the out-of season supermarket imposters, mass-produced and shipped thousands of miles to your January attempt at a  salad (probably involving iceberg lettuce, which, I notice, is making an odd sort of comeback; perhaps it’s ironic, the produce equivalent of a hipster’s PBR). A truly fresh tomato, procured in its natural habitat and life cycle, that is a completely different experience.

I can think of no better expression of Tomato, its essence, the thing-in-itself, than the caprese salad. The first time I tried one, well into my twenties, was a revelation. Not as singularly defining as Julia Child’s sole meuniere moment, but akin to it, one of a series of palate-paradigm shifting moments. My first taste of pesto was another, as was cilantro.

But that first caprese, simple and brilliant – never had I experienced such perfect tomatoes, at their pinnacle in ripe flavor, firm but not tough, supple, not the slightest suggestion of mealiness. And the pairings, oh the harmonious flavor pairings, the basil and fresh mozzarella, with extra-virgin olive oil (used as it is meant to be used, not as an all-purpose cooking fat) and just the most delicate drizzles of balsamic vinegar (another revelation all on its own).  In short, it rocked my world.

This is so simple it hardly warrants a Formal Recipe; heck, I’m not sure it warrants an entire blog post, but I thought they came out so nicely I figured, why not share? Tomatoes are finally starting to ripen, at least around here; it’s been a late season, according to more adept gardeners than I. So I offer up not anything groundbreaking, but just an alternate way to present it as we all savor these tomato days, fleeting as they are and are meant to be.

CAPRESE PARFAITS

A pint or so of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
A cup or so of basil, chiffonaded
16 ounces or so of fresh mozzarella, sliced and then cut into wedges
1/2 cup or so prepared pesto (optional; also fine with olive oil alone)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

If you’re using the pesto, add a few tablespoons of olive oil to make it more pourable. Aside from that, my only advice is to layer in the order of tomatoes – mozzarella – basil and then drizzle a bit of pesto, if using. If not, this is where a touch of olive oil comes in for each layer. Repeat until glasses are full. Top with the prettiest tendrils of your chiffonade.

You might note the absence of balsamic in this; I do love it, but decided to keep the visual Viva Italia color scheme intact. Feel free to choose your own adventure here.

Salute!

– posted by Anne

P.S. I now completely understand the urge to eat a perfect, fresh tomato like an apple. My grandfather’s predilection for slicing  red onions and eating them in thick, buttered slabs, that’s a different matter.

Hummus meets hen.

Hummus: So delicious, so open to endless variation, so healthy . . .  SO annoying to photograph. It is beige mush. Blah in color and devoid of shape. It takes a truly gifted food stylist/photographer to really make it look good, aesthetically speaking.

So although the hummus in the picture above looks TERRIBLE, aesthetically speaking, I decided to share this shot because of the honest-to-gods spontaneous chicken photobomb. I was trying my dangdest to get a decent angle and utilize some good natural light, moving around the backyard. I added the dry chickpeas to get some shape and texture in the mix, and, this being a Portland backyard, it has chickens. These happened, also, to be hungry chickens, who thought I was bringing them a fabulous treat. In the above shot, girlfriend is actually pecking at the jar.

On to today’s recipe: This was shared by a friend in a Facebook mom’s group, and I liked her hummus history and recipe testing so much that I decided I just had to share it here, with her permission, as a guest post.

So I hereby happily present Hedy Bartleson’s Hummus, hen not included:

A few weeks ago, one of the ladies in my co-op group was talking about how she would shell garbanzo beans with her grandmother. And I thought to myself… “Wow. I was right about that. That MUST be what they do in the restaurants to get the right texture.” See, I really have no frame of reference, and have never bothered to look up a recipe for this stuff. I’m lazy that way sometimes, and I don’t fully trust recipes I find online.

I suppose that is a bit on the ironic side, and OK, it’s only happened once, but the chocolate disaster cake I made years ago (which was supposed to be this beautiful mix between fudge and cake, but ended up a crumbly, disgusting mess that I threw away before anyone saw it,) was enough to make me question things, and try to figure them out myself.

Yes.

If you know me, you know this. I’m the type who will go to a city she has never been to and purposely get lost so I can learn my way around. That always works, and then I can go back when I want to and find things again.

My method is uncertain. It’s a mess, but it’s workin’. (Stole that from a song, but you get the point.) So, this now comes to you from my YEARS of tinkering and trying to guess with my own palette the inner workings and nuances of really great hummus.

I can take you through my evolutionary trail from when I first tried to make it for a party about 10 years ago with my sister-in-law. We REALLY knew not what we were doing at the time, and we bought a can of garbanzos, threw it in the food processor with some cumin and called it hummus. It was dry, and completely hideously bad.

How bad was it?

So bad we laughed about it, along with EVERYONE else who came to that party. Yes. I believe, if I remember correctly, it had to do with my own stupidity, and my inability to bring the correct blade. That’s right. We attempted to make hummus with the slicer/shredder blade, not the other pulverizing one that would have been oh so much more appropriate.

Not only did I try to make hummus that night, but I also made a very poor attempt at salsa that resulted in a bizarre bowl full of sliced peppers, tomatoes, and onion. I still ate it, though no one else did, hence the longish slices of hot peppers… and we laughed about that as well.

Live and learn. That is what culinary evolution is all about, ‘non?

For a couple of years after that I bought that awful hummus mix, and actually thought it was good. Then I decided to get serious about it, and found out that tahini and oil helped the texture out a bit, but something was still… well? Slightly amiss.

One day, I made cannelini in the crock pot. They ended up so very very tender, that I decided to try honing my hummus skills once again. Well? It was better, but still not quite there. Still… just slightly grainy.

So, finally I decided to try sprouting, cooking, then shelling the beans. Sprouting is actually kind of important, as it helps to make the beans more digestible as well as adding more of a nutritional component than boiling alone, or even soaking overnight. This works best in a good sized jar, with a screen on top. First you soak them for 8-12 hours. Then, you add them to a sprouting jar, where you rinse and drain them, cycling once every 8-12 hours for 3 cycles. Yes. Rinse and drain. Wait. Rinse and Drain. Wait. Rinse and drain.

So… give yourself time to prepare. Couple days.

You of course, don’t have to sprout them. Soaking them overnight is enough if you are pressed for time. Or… if you are REALLY pressed for time, you can always boil them off for 1 minute, remove from heat, cover and let sit for one hour before cooking. Any of these methods will suffice.

I also switched the brand of tahini I was using from Maranatha to Arrowhead Mills. What is the difference between these two tahinis? A whole world. Truly. AM is slightly more expensive, but it’s much smoother, and not settled like Maranatha. That isn’t to say that it’s hydrogenated. It just has a higher oil content, and seems to be better pulverized. Not grainy. Not at all. The price difference is about $2, but well worth it. Seriously, what a difference! I think I can finally say with some confidence that it’s there! After 10 years of tinkering. And all you have to do is read the recipe and make it once. I promise. This time it’s the real deal, people! Yes. This time it is.

A few weeks ago our friends Kyle and Chrissy came over. I saw an opportunity to try it out on someone, and took it. And… I just have to say… yes! That was the missing link! Now, it really is just like the stuff you can get at Hoda’s.

So, without further adieu, I give you:

HUMMUS

2 cups dried garbanzo beans
8 ounces tahini
4 medium cloves garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 c olive oil (or more, depending . . . )
1/4 c water
1/4 cup lemon juice (or more, depending. I used three lemons this last time)
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon red sumac powder

Soak then sprout the garbanzos. (See above in body of post.)

Once sprouted, rinse thoroughly, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn them down to a high simmer, and simmer for about 2 hours, until tender. Allow to cool enough to be handled.

Once ready to be handled, rinse them well, then place into a bowl, set this next to the food processor. Set another bowl on the other side of the food processor. Shell the beans into the food processor, dumping the shells into the empty bowl adjacent to the food processor until done.

Add the garlic cloves, and start the processor. When you get a somewhat smooth consistency, turn off the processor, remove the lid, and add the tahini paste.

Next, replace the lid, start the processor again, and stream in the water. This will emulsify beautifully, and start to make the hummus creamy. It’s important to do this AFTER the tahini paste, so this happens. Once the water is fully incorporated, stream in the olive oil until you have a somewhat loose, smooth consistency.

Next, the cumin powder and the salt. You should be able to place a butter knife in shallowly to taste at this point, so you won’t have to stop the processing. Just be careful!

Let it go for another minute, and voila!

Chill for at least 2 hours, stir in lemon juice, and place into a pretty bowl. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of red sumac powder on top.

I wait until the hummus is cold to add the lemon juice so it doesn’t fade into the background, and actually remains one of the main flavor components.

This recipe does make a LOT of hummus. It freezes well, but due to its popularity, this may not be necessary.

-H

One last attempt to present hummus appetizingly, using Trader Joe's Cilantro-Jalapeno in the middle there.

]]> http://www.apronstringsblog.com/appetizers/hedys-hummus/feed/ 6 http://www.apronstringsblog.com/gluten-free/spinach-ricotta-roll-savory-sponge-cake-recipe/ http://www.apronstringsblog.com/gluten-free/spinach-ricotta-roll-savory-sponge-cake-recipe/#comments Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:05:16 +0000 Donna http://www.apronstringsblog.com/?p=3698

Spinach Ricotta Roll

Some flavor combinations stand the test of time: garlic and onions; lemons and raspberry; peanut butter and chocolate. One of my favorite combos: spinach and ricotta. I was thrilled to find this easy and elegant way to pair spinach and ricotta in a dish that so pretty you could serve it to Martha Stewart for brunch: a savory take on a sponge cake roll.

We have joined the Secret Recipe Club – a once-a-month blog hop over at Amanda’s Cookin – an event with food bloggers supporting each other by sneakily making each others’ recipes. Don’t you just love the secret part?! And that’s how I came across this recipe.

Our assigned blog to cook from this month is cookingrookie.blogspot.com, a lovely blog from a blogger in Vancouver, Canada. We chose a vegetarian recipe with a stunning presentation: Spinach Ricotta Roll. It is low carb and I made it lower in fat than the original recipe by using low fat cream cheese and ricotta. I also added a few sprinkles of nutmeg into the spinach mixture to add some sassiness!

I used to make a pumpkin cream cheese cake roll, and the look of this dish reminds me of that dessert. So pretty on a platter – perfect for a  Meatless Monday feast!

This recipe was so fun to make! It is basically a savory sponge roll with a ricotta filling. The only thing that was a bit challenging was translating the recipe from grams into ounces, so I have added the ounces below.

Thank you, Cooking Rookie, for a fabulous new recipe ~ I’ll definitely make this again!

– posted by Donna

SPINACH RICOTTA ROLL

Serve 6 to 8 as a side dish

For spinach roll:

5 large eggs
2 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
A pinch of nutmeg
2 boxes (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend in blender until smooth the following: eggs, cream cheese, flour, salt and baking powder. Stir this mixture into spinach.

Spread spinach mixture in a 9 by 13 inch pan that has been lined with aluminum foil and lightly sprayed with oil.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until set in center.

Ricotta filling:

15 ounces part-skim ricotta
2 tablespoons light sour cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons diced sun dried tomatoes
2 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese

Mix together ricotta, sour cream, garlic powder and tomato bits.

Spread Parmesan cheese over a sheet of parchment paper that is at least 9 by 13 inches. INvert spinach mixture onto Parmesan cheese, and then peel foil off of spinach.

Spread ricotta mixture over top of spinach. Roll like you would a jelly roll from wide end, using parchment paper to help roll stay round.

Chill for at least 4 hours, up to 24.

Slice and serve, spiral sides up.

NOTE: You can serve this roll either warm or cold. We reheated it in the microwave oven and then sliced it. DE-lish.

Check out the other bloggers’ fabulous dishes by clicking on the photos below:

Caribbean Vacation on a Stick - Jerk Chicken Kabobs

“These are the best kebabs I have ever eaten.”

Such is the comment my husband made when he tasted these kebabs. This, coming from a man who LIVES for grilling in the summer, is truly a “noted for the record” remark.

The two things I did to make these a success were: 1) use chicken thigh meat, which holds up better and is moister than breast meat; and 2) have a really flavorful marinade with lime zest and not just juice. (Remember the experiment we did a while back? I am convinced that zest is the key to flavorful marinades!)

I like to cook my kebabs so that all the meat chunks are on skewers together, all the hearty vegetables are together, and all the fruits are together. This way, you can cook the skewers the perfect amount of time for each type of food.

Happy Summer Everyone!

JERK MARINADE

3 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 serrano pepper (optional)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Juice and zest of two limes
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
3 tablespoons jerk seasoning (or use ours)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper sauce
1 teaspoon salt

Blend all ingredients in blender.

For chicken kebabs, add marinade to 2 – 3 pounds of chicken thigh meat which has been cut into 2 inch cubes. Marinate as follows: OPTION 1:  Marinate on counter top for 30 minutes; OPTION 2: Marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to 8 hours.

Skewer and grill!

– posted by Donna

Watermelon Feta Gazpacho Recipe

Yes, I missed her gazpacho-eating days.

Anne,  my daughter, co-blogger and culinary muse, grew up in Colorado with a mom who made gazpacho (described here recently) and she downed it by the gallon.

I missed those years after she was placed for adoption. Turns out that I, too, was still a kid and had some growing up to do before I was capable of being the mom she deserved.

Since we reunited in 1999, Anne very graciously welcomed me into her life and we began cooking our way along, making up for lost time all the while chopping, stirring, braising. More importantly for purposes of this blog, we are both adventurous in the kitchen and love taking ordinary foods and tweaking them, making a whole new creation we never thought possible. Kind of like us.

So here, as a tribute to you Anne, is a fresh take on gazpacho made with the winning flavor combo of watermelon and feta. If you would have been in my kitchen with me today, I am certain we would have made this exact dish together. Tasting and laughing as we went.

I had leftover watermelon and thought of making a watermelon feta salad, which I have eaten many times in restaurants. But then I thought of Anne’s recent gazpacho post, and decided to throw caution to the wind and whirl a batch of gazpacho in my food processor.

This will surprise you – I mean, how could something that looks like salsa in a bowl taste sweet and summery and refreshing? Well, it just does.

Happy Fourth Everyone!

WATERMELON FETA GAZPACHO

8 cups of watermelon cubes
1 large English cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup diced cilantro
Juice and zest of one lime
Dash of cayenne pepper sauce
1 cup tomato juice (I used V-8, because I had it on hand)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
A Dash of sugar IF watermelon is not sweet enough

Place half of watermelon, cucumber, and all of the onion, cilantro and zest and juice of the lime in food processor and process until very smooth. Pour into serving bowl.

Place remaining ingredients into food processor and pulse until very small pieces. Add to serving bowl.

Stir in half of the feta.

At this point, taste and add salt, pepper or sugar as desired.

To serve, ladle into serving bowl and then sprinkle with remaining feta as a garnish.

other food bloggers do gazpachos:

Watermelon Gazpacho, Perfect Pantry
Gazpacho, Brown Eyed Baker
Confetti Gazpacho, Kalyn’s Kitchen
Watermelon Strawberry Gazpacho, Delicious Days
Delicious Gazpacho, Jungle Frog Cooking
Beat the Heat Gazpacho, Taste Food

– posted by Donna

Gazpacho with a kick!

You guys might remember me talking about my upbringing with my beloved adoptive mom, who, God bless her . .  was just not a foodie. She wasn’t TERRIBLE, mind you – I didn’t have to worry about her giving dinner guests food poisoning the way Ruth Reichl described in her memoir “Tender at the Bone”, but she simply wasn’t a food lover the way I was, and the way Donna also was, I was later thrilled to discover.

But that doesn’t mean she didn’t have a few delicious things up her sleeve – and one of them was gazpacho. This cold tomato soup from Spain isn’t something you’d think your average American kid would like, but I absolutely devoured it. Mom made it by the vat every summer, and thus, every summer I look forward to making it myself.

We called it “liquid salad”, and though that makes it sound a bit less appetizing than it actually is, it’s a fair description of the raw veggie content. I can’t think of a more healthy recipe, for the life of me, and it’s one that can be dressed up with any number of garnishes. Also? Easy. SO EASY. This is my own definitive version, having tweaked it for literally decades now.

CLASSIC GAZPACHO

6 cups tomato juice, divided
2 tomatoes, cored and quartered
1 medium onion, quartered
1/2 green and 1/2 red bell peppers (or just one of either)
1/2 cup cilantro
2 cloves garlic, chopped
juice and zest of 1 lime
dash or two (or three) hot pepper sauce (to taste)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine about 2 cups of the juice in the food processor with all the vegetables and the cilantro. Blitz until smooth! You could do this in the blender, and indeed I have, but I actually like it to have a bit of ‘texture’. Don’t get me wrong – it should not be chunky or anything even near it, but I like being able to see and feel a bit of the fiber, if that makes sense. Anyway, pour contents into a large bowl, and add remaining juice and the rest of the ingredients. Stir well, making sure oil has been well-incorporated. Chill for at least 2-3 hours, if not more.

Then it’s ALL about the garnishes. I prefer a combination of finely diced cucumbers, peppers, and carrots, but many other things are great. Scallions, chives, more cilantro leaves, additional diced tomato  or halved grape tomatoes – all fabulous and still uberhealthy. We always used to add croutons when I was a kid, also an option.

(Okay, in all honesty: early on, the gazpacho was really a crouton-delivery mechanism; I would basically have a bowl of crouton-cereal with gazpacho-milk poured over the top. But I came to appreciate the soup itself more and more.)

In recent years I’ve been adding carefully diced avocado, too, which adds a wonderful creaminess. All in all, a cooling yet zesty addition to any summer grillfest, picnic, or ordinary dinner.

*****

And now for Donna’s updated twist! The photograph above is of her variation. I absolutely love her way of making it “creamy”.

Anne’s gazpacho looked so yummy I decided to try making it with a southwest twist. Anne called her gazpacho “liquid salad,” and  likewise mine could be labeled “liquid salsa.”

I decided to throw in an avocado to try for a creamy texture. It worked great and tasted smooth and delicious, but the color was very muddy. I added a small can of tomato paste for color. Result: creaminess with a deep red color! Perfecto!

CREAMY SOUTHWEST GAZPACHO

4 large ripe tomatoes, core removed
2 large cucumbers, peeled
1 jalapeno pepper, or more to taste
3 green onions, sliced
Juice and zest of one lime
2 tablespoons diced cilantro
1 large ripe Haas avocado, peeled
1 can (4 ounces) tomato paste
A few dashes tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut tomatoes in half and squeeze out seeds and gel. Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise and remove seeds with a spoon  by scraping down the center. Cut jalapeno in half lengthwise. If you want more heat, leave seeds and pulp in, but for flavor without heat remove seeds and pulp by scraping with a spoon down the center.

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Garnish with chunks of avocado, cilantro or sliced green onions.

Other intriguing gazpachos ’round our favorite blogs:

Watermelon Gazpacho from The Perfect Pantry
Confetti Gazpacho from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Gazpacho with Roasted Tomatoes and Peppers from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
White Gazpacho from Becks and Posh

– posted by Anne