Yogurt Saffron Sauce for Trout or Halibut (and probably others)

My favorite way to eat fresh trout is to panfry them and drizzle the cooked fish with a melted butter with a pinch of saffron. Saffron and trout are a match made in heaven but I am limiting how much butter I consume. I was happy to find an alternative sauce which may be somewhat healthier. 

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Yogurt Saffron Sauce

Source: NYTimes Cooking

Yield: about a cup, I usually half the recipe for the two of us

1 c plain yogurt, preferably full-fat but homemade low-fat works well, too

salt and pepper

1 large pinch Aleppo pepper or a small pinch cayenne

1/2 teas saffron threads

juice of 1/2 lemon, or more to taste

Place the yogurt into a small bowl and add salt, pepper, Aleppo or cayenne pepper, and the shallot. Stir. 

Crush the saffron with your fingers and stir it into the yogurt. Set aside while cooking your fish, or about 20 minutes. It can sit in the fridge for up to 2 hours. Add the lemon juice just before serving; stir and taste and add seasoning if you need to.

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Hot Chicken Salad

I recently sorted through my old recipe card files as well as my mother's and was reminded of dishes that once were served regularly at my table. But as kids grew up and my interests changed some dishes faded from my memory. It was a reminder of how time pressures and the tastes of a larger group directed my cooking in the past. Here is one vintage dish that was a favorite for a while; I believe it was the potato chip topping that tasted best to kids. It's quick and easy and a one dish meal if you figure celery counts as your vegetable. 

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Hot Chicken Salad

This was served to me at a church ladies' luncheon and probably originated with Martha Johnson, my good friend and mentor.

Makes a 9X13 pan

4 c cooked chicken, cubed or shredded

4 c chopped celery

1 3/4 -2 c mayonnaise (I prefer the lower amount)

1 c sliced almonds (or slivered if that is what you have)

1/4 c fresh lemon juice

4 teas grated onion

1 c grated cheddar cheese

2 cups crushed potato chips

Preheat your oven to 400F. Combine the chicken, celery, mayonnaise, almonds, lemon juice, and onion and place in a buttered  9X13 pan. Top with cheese and then with potato chips.

Bake for 15 minutes until heated through. The celery will be quite crisp-tender. If you prefer the celery to be softer, cook a bit longer.

Note: In January 2022, NYTimes Cooking published a very close rendition of this recipe along with an article which gives the antecedents of this old recipe. If you are interested, here is a link: Hot Chicken Salad. 

Roasted Leeks and Cauliflower

 A yummy cauliflower variation.

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Roasted Leeks and Cauliflower

Adapted from: The Washington Post

Serves: 4

2 medium leeks, (white parts only), trimmed

1 medium head cauliflower (about 1 pd)

1 teas brown mustard seed

1 teas caraway seed

1/2 teas salt, or to taste

freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

Heat the oven to 425F.

Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and place under running water to rinse thoroughly so all dirt is removed. Cut into quarter inch slices. Spread on a kitchen towel to allow to dry as much as possible while you prepare the cauliflower.

Core the cauliflower and cut into bite-size florets. Spread over a rimmed sheet pan. Add the leeks as well.

Place the mustard and caraway seeds with the salt and a pinch of black pepper in a mortar and pestle. and coarsely crush them. Sprinkle mix over the vegetables and drizzle with the olive oil. Mix well to coat the vegetables. Place in the oven.

Roast until the cauliflower is slightly charred and the leeks have browned about 20 minutes. Halfway through, remove the pan from the oven, turn the vegetables over with a spatula and return to the oven reversing the pan's position.

If desired, season with more salt and pepper and drizzle with more olive oil.

Notes: 

If you don't have leeks, this can be cooked with diced onions (large) but it isn't quite as good nor is there any contrasting color. If onion is what you have, top with chopped chives when you serve it.

If you have a larger head of cauliflower, increase the amounts of oil, seeds, and seasonings.

If you can't bring yourself to heat your oven in the summer, you can use these seasonings on cauliflower that has been pan fried, steamed, or boiled. The texture of the vegetable changes, but the seasonings work well whichever way you cook it. 

Spiced Black Lentil Salad with Potatoes and Fish

Main dish salads are wonderful any time but, for me, summer is the best time to eat them.

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Spiced Black Lentil Salad with Potatoes and Fish

Source: Alison Roman's book Dining In.

Serves about 6

The original recipe calls for good canned tuna which is how I usually make it. Once, though, I had some smoked trout in the freezer and used that. This salad is delicious either way. If you don't have all the ingredients you can leave some out or substitute with what you have in the fridge. I used red bell pepper instead of radishes.

 Begin with the lentils (these can be used as a side dish or in other recipes):

1 c black beluga lentils (or Le Puy or French green lentils), picked over and rinsed
salt
1/2 c olive oil
2 teas coriander seed, crushed
1 1/2 teas fennel seed, crushed
1 teas cumin seed, crushed
1/2 teas crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 lemon
6 small scallions, cut into 2" pieces
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring water to boil in a large saucepan and add lentils and a couple teaspoons of salt. Cook until the lentils are just cooked through 20-30 minutes. Drain them and set aside on the counter.

In a smaller pot, combine the oil with the spices and the garlic over your stove's lowest heat. Cook the spices and garlic in the oil until it is fragrant and the garlic has started to brown, approximately 15 minutes. Peel the lemon skin with a peeler in strips and add them to the pot along with the scallions and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Remove it from the heat.

Place the lentils into a bowl and toss with 1/4 c of the oil, strained if you think you won't like the texture of the seeds. Add salt and pepper to taste. Take the skinned lemon and squeeze half of it through a strainer into the lentils and stir to combine everything. Serve with the remaining oil to pass. Or use these lentils in the following recipe:

For the salad:

2 boiled and peeled eggs (or more if you prefer), halved
1/4 pd fresh green beans (I used home-frozen)
salt
1/4 pd small potatoes (purple are particularly pretty, but any boiling potato will do)
1 T lemon juice
freshly ground pepper
lentils and oil from above recipe
6-8 oz good oil-packed tuna or smoked trout, broken into chunks 
4 radishes
1/2 c dill, cilantro, tarragon, and/or parsley, tender stems and leaves (any combination)
lemon halves

Blanch the green beans for a few minutes in a pot of boiling water, cooking for 4 minutes. Scoop out of the water and drain and place in a large bowl.

In the same water cook the potatoes until tender, 10-15 minutes add water if necessary. You can also steam the potatoes if you prefer. When they are tender, remove from the water, allow to cool and cut into bite size pieces (again your preference) and place in the bowl with the beans.

Add the lentils to the bowl. Add the herb leaves and stir. Top with the fish, radishes and egg halves. Serve, passing lemon halves and any remaining spiced oil.

High Altitude Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

My local grocery store has had a long run of cheap flats of berries this spring (see http://www.piecrustcookies.com/2022/04/lemon-ricotta-pancakes.html). Recently I bought raspberries, thinking my boys would help me eat them, but instead I had to come up with ways to use them because I couldn't eat a whole flat by myself before mold began growing. This recipe was so delicious that they disappeared within a day and I had to make a second batch. A double batch of the chocolate raspberry oatmeal here http://www.piecrustcookies.com/2015/12/baked-oatmeal-three-stick-to-your-ribs.html was devoured within days as well! 

This recipe comes from Dough Eyed, a baker in Colorado, and will work at elevations for 4,000-6,000 feet. I can't vouch for what will happen at sea level. 

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High Altitude Chocolate Raspberry Muffins

Source: https://www.dougheyed.com/chocolate-raspberry-muffins/
Yields 12 or a few more muffins, depending on how full you fill the tins

2 c flour
1 teas baking powder
1/2 teas salt
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c unsalted butter, melted
2 T vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/4 c sour cream
1 1/2 teas vanilla
1/2 c buttermilk
1 c mini chocolate chips
1 pint fresh raspberries, washed and dried gently

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Whisk together the melted butter, oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and fold together gently, until there are a couple of flour pockets remaining. Stir in the chocolate chips and raspberries until just barely combined. Cover, then let the batter rest for 20 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 375F and prepare the muffin tin by lining with paper liners. (I didn't, and wish I had. the berries stuck to the pan, even though it was greased generously.) After resting, fill the tin generously with muffin batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. If you can stand it, let the muffins cool a bit, then enjoy! 

Chocolate Chip Coffee Scones

I discovered this recipe in a Cuisinart food processor manual which is ironic since cook's aren't instructed to use a food processor at all. Instead bakers are told to cut the butter in small pieces and use a stand mixer to mix it into the flour. When Betsy and I first baked these while at an Airbnb in Tennessee we had neither a food processor or a mixer so grating the cold butter was our only option. I find I prefer this method of incorporating butter into the flour so I'm modifying the instructions. 

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Chocolate Chip Coffee Scones

Adapted from Cuisinart Instructional Manual
Yields 8 scones

Ingredients for sea level follow. I found the recipe worked at my altitude (5000 feet). 

2 c AP flour
1/2 c sugar
1 teas baking powder
1/4 teas baking soda
1/2 teas salt
2 T  fine finely ground coffee, optional
1/2-1 c chocolate chips (I used dark chips, but you can use semi-sweet or milk)
1 c roasted chopped pecans 
8 T unsalted butter, cold (frozen or straight from the fridge) grated on a cheese grater
1/2 c sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
1 large egg
1 T vanilla extract
1 egg white 

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, coffee grounds, chocolate chips and pecans in a bowl. 

Stir in the grated butter and lightly mix it into the dry ingredients.

In a liquid measuring cup mix the sour cream, 1 egg and vanilla together. Stir this into the flour mixture with a fork, stirring until a ball forms.

Drop the dough onto a floured counter and form into a 3/4 inch thick 7-8 inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges and place on prepared baking sheet.

Whisk the egg white until loosened and brush some on the top of each scone. Then sprinkle with sugar or turbinado sugar. 

Place into the oven and bake 15-20 minutes until they are golden brown. Place on a rack and allow to cool. You can eat them after a 5 minute cool-down or allow to completely cool and drizzle ganache over the tops. You may simply melt chocolate chips for a thick smear of chocolate but if you want something thinner, heat 2-3 tablespoons of half and half cream in a microwave and stir in an equal amount of chocolate chips. Allow them to sit in the hot cream until they melt. Drizzle over the top of each scone.

Beet and Carrot Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

 A truly beautiful salad. 

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Beet and Carrot Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Adapted from: Cook's Country Magazine 

Serves: 6-8

This salad stores well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. However, I added the herbs, pistachios, and feta just before serving. 

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

1 shallot, minced

2 T white wine vinegar

1 T maple syrup

1 teas table salt (or to taste)

1/2 teas freshly ground pepper

1 teas grated orange zest plus 2 T juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teas ground coriander

8 oz raw beets, trimmed and peeled

1 pd carrots, peeled

4 oz  (1 c) goat cheese, crumbled or feta, divided

1/2 c salted, shelled pistachios, chopped, divided (I used roasted, unsalted pistachios)

1/2 c fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 c fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped

Place the olive oil, shallot, vinegar, maple syrup, salt, pepper, orange zest and orange juice, garlic, and ground coriander in a small jar and shake vigorously to emulsify. Set aside and shake again before adding to salad.

Shred the beets and carrots. This is easiest if you use a food processor but can be accomplished with a box grater. Place beets and carrots in a bowl and mix until combined. Pour over the amount of dressing you prefer. The original recipe uses the entire amount. I used about 3/4 of what I had and saved the rest for a green salad later. Mix well and allow to sit for 30 minutes. 

Top with the cheese, pistachios, cilantro, and mint, either over the entire salad over individual servings, especially if you are planning to refrigerate leftovers.