Hail to the Picnic!

This spread (and subsequent post) isn't so much about cooking as it is about food in general, but I think you'll appreciate it all the same.

Craving all things summer after a bout with the flu, I was anxious to prepare a lunch that captured the awesomeness of our soon-to-be climate. No doubt most of those still living in winter feel the need for a break from it. Instead of planning a break in the tropics, I've opted yet again to live through it, by doing what I always do: exercising, socializing and eating well. Eating well is about keeping it simple and nothing is simpler than a picnic. 

What do you need? Well, whatever you'd like! We picked up some cheddar and gruyere at a local market, along with an array of vegetables, pickles, deli meats and breads. The beer and chips aren't in the photo, but they were definitely present. You don't want to appear too sophisticated.  

What a perfect way to combine socializing and eating well than a picnic menu for a lunch with friends. I've included a couple of sandwich filling recipes below. 

Serves 4-6 (for both salad/fillinf recipes)

Egg Salad 

• 8 eggs, hard boiled (there is a method to hard boiling eggs, in order to avoid dry, grey yolks): http://www.getcracking.ca/perfect-hc.html
• 2 green onions, green part only
• 2 T mayonnaise
• 1 T sour cream
• 1 t pickle juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Tuna Salad

• 2 tins of tuna packed in water
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1/2 stick of celery
• 2 T mayonnaise
• 1 T sour cream
• 1 t lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Palak Paneer & Aloo Gobi

If you've visited Remedy Cafe in Edmonton and haven't tried the Palak Paneer, come over here so I can smack you across the head. It is the reason why I have no idea what anything else at Remedy tastes like (except the chai...ooohweee, yummy!). When a friend of mine offered to take me to a local Indian supermarket called Fruiticana, I figured this was an opportunity to attempt my own rendition of Palak Paneer and Aloo Gobi, another recipe I'd been pondering. Fruiticana is on 34th Avenue and 93rd Street and is one of a few markets in the city that offer a great selection of Indian treats.  

Make sure that you include tamarind sauce and roti or naan bread with your purchase. The palak paneer needs that sweet compliment to balance the salty one. Oh and of course, don't forget the beer!

Aloo Gobi

Serves 4

Adapted from: http://www.7spice.net

Ingredients

• 2 large russet potatoes, diced, but not peeled
• 4 cups cauliflower, chopped into bite-size pieces and parboiled
• 1 cup frozen or fresh peas
• 2 T oil
• 2 t mustard seeds
• 1 t cumin seeds
• 2 T garlic chutney plus 2 t
• 2 t garlic paste
• 2 t turmeric
• 2 t chili powder
• 2 t coriander powder
• 1 t garam masala
• 1 pinch of kasuri (kasoori) methi
• salt to taste
• water as required

Method

Wash and dice the potatoes and set aside. Boil the chopped cauliflower for two minutes and remove from heat. Drain and rinse the cauliflower with cold water set it aside until required.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them crackle for a few seconds before adding the cumin seeds. Add the 2 tablespoons of garlic chutney, 1 teaspoon of the garlic paste and the potatoes, mixing well.  Season with salt and add about two tablespoons of water to the pan. Cover and let cook for about 5-8 minutes. Check after 5 minutes and if the potatoes, once poked feel like they're about 50% cooked, add the cauliflower. If not, let them cook another 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower, another 2 tablespoons of water, cover and cook for another 5-8 minutes. If you're using fresh peas, add them with the cauliflower. The resulting curry will be dry. 

If cooking with frozen peas, add them after the cauliflower has cooked. Once the cauliflower and potatoes are tender when poked, but still hold their shape, add the coriander turmeric and chili, mixing well. Add the second teaspoon of garlic paste and the remaining 2 teaspoons of chutney at this point. Cook for another 2 minutes on low heat. Remove from heat and add the garam masala and kasuri methi. Season with more salt if required. 

Serve with warm roti and a cold lager.


Palak Paneer

Serves 4

From: The back of a box of National Palak Paneer Spice Mix (50g)

Ingredients

• Paneer 200g (I used a 340g brick of it), cut into cubes
• 1/2 kg spinach
• 1/2 cup oil/ghee
• 1 T ginger paste
• 1 T garlic paste
• 2 green chilies, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh milk
• 1/2 cup fresh cream
• 1 T soy leaves (didn't have these and did not substitute with anything)
• National Palak Paneer Spice Mix (50g)

Method

Boil spinach and grind in a food processor.

In a sauce pan, fry the ginger and garlic paste in the oil/ghee for 2-3 minutes or until light brown. Add the spinach, chillies and spice mix and fry for about 5 minutes. Add the milk and cook for 2-3 minutes. Finally, add the soy leaves and cream and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

In a separate fry pan, heat a tablespoon of oil and brown the paneer. Remove from pan and soak in ice water for 10 seconds, then remove.  

Add paneer to the spinach mix and cook for 2 minutes. 

Serve with roti or naan and tamarind sauce.  

Pork Molotes with Pickled Onions

I bought a bag of masa harina, or corn flour last year and figured it was time to use what remained of the bag on something new. I found a molote recipe online, a dough-encased meat pocket originating from Oaxaca, Mexico. This version includes pickled onions, a delightful combination and a fun alternative to the standard Western holiday eating I've been indulging in lately. The original recipe calls for an empanada iron in which to cook the molotes. Since I don't have one, I pan fried these pockets in canola oil. These go well with a light coleslaw of your choice. 

Adapted From: http://www.muybuenocookbook.com

Makes about 12 molotes

Ingredients

Marinated Pork

1 t dried oregano
1 1/2 T ground black pepper
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1 whole head of garlic
1 t salt
4 oranges, juiced
1 lime juiced
1/4 red onion
4 lb pork shoulder

Pickled Onions

2 large, red onions, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 cup fresh lime juice
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 1/2 t salt

A few molote challenges along the way.

Molote Dough

2 cups masa harina corn flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1 t vegetable shortening
1/2 t salt
2 1/2 cups of warm water
canola oil for frying

Method

Marinated Pork

Place all ingredients except the pork in bowl equipped to handle the spray of a hand blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a sealable plastic bag and add the pork to it, ensuring the mix coats all of the surface of the meat. Let stand for 30 minutes or refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Place the pork in a tin foil-lined roasting pan. Cover the roast loosely with tin foil and bake for 2 hours. The meat should be tender and falling off the bone.  Once cooked, cube the meat and set it aside.

Pickled Onions

Combine the juices and salt in a bowl. Add the onions to the mix and cover the bowl. Set aside.

Molote Dough

Mix the flours together with the baking powder, salt and shortening. Add the water and mix until all the flour mixture is combined with it.

Separate the dough into about 12 balls. Roll each ball flat between plastic sheets. Add a spoonful or two of the cubed pork and some onions onto half of the dough. Fold the other half overtop and seal the outside edges by pressing them closed with your thumb.

Heat 3 tablespoons of canola oil on high heat in a large pan. Place a molote in the pan and let brown for about three-five minutes on each side.

We served our molotes with salsa, sour cream and a side of coleslaw. 

Rosemary Lemon Shortbread Cookies

I believe the actual feedback from the subjects of this shortbread experiment went something like this:

Question: So, what's your first reaction?
Answer: This would be better without lemon and rosemary.

I get it. Your grandmother made shortbread, mince tarts and fudge...perhaps some ungodly marshmallow concoction too. Doesn't matter what she made, this is what you know and what you look for at Christmas.  I feel much the same way. Unfortunately, I'm also a sucker for unique flavour combinations and I think there's a place for recipes like rosemary lemon shortbread.  This particular one is zesty and delicious, especially with a mug of black tea. Just be sure to have the classic version handy too. You don't want your Christmas party to get ugly. 

From: http://www.sweetpeasandsaffron.com

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 T lemon juice
• 4 1/2 t minced, fresh rosemary
• 1 t lemon peel
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 1/4 t salt

Method

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the lemon juice, lemon peel and vanilla extract to the butter mix, stirring well. In a separate bowl combine the flour, rosemary and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in batches. 
Chill the dough for two hours or overnight. When ready to bake, let the dough warm up and roll it into tablespoon-sized balls. With a spoon, press the balls into a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, flattening them to 1/4 inch-width disks.

Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are a golden brown.  

Icelandic Lamb Soup

From the land of volcanoes and Scandi-babes comes one of Iceland's famed recipes: Kjötsúpa. No idea what this means?  You are not alone.  Kjötsúpa is a lamb soup. Not sure why, but this dish made me realize just how much my taste buds have evolved. I wouldn't have touched it as a kid. Lamb was stinky and root vegetables were gross. Ok, ok, I would have touched it, because I wasn't allowed dessert unless I ate my main course first. Anyways, I hope you savour this lamb-based broth and simple combination of ingredients as much as I did. Root vegetables are definitely in season in Alberta, so finding turnips, potatoes and carrots was a snap. I even managed to find some Alberta lamb too!

Now here's my attempt to shamelessly plug this soup: Pick up a crusty loaf of French bread, ply it with chunks of cold butter and pour yourself a glass of red wine to enjoy it with. This combination just might make your cold winter evening a little less chilly. 

Adapted from: http://www.soupsong.com

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 6 cups water
• 2.5 kg lamb shank(s), bone in
• Dried onions and other herbs (I used an onion soup mix...might be cheating)
• Half a large onion, diced
• 5 carrots, cubed
• 3 small turnips cubed
• 3 medium yellow or white potatoes, cubed
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• Salt & pepper to taste

Bring to a boil the water, lamb and onion in a large saucepan and once boiling, reduce heat to simmer. Add the herbs and dried onions and let simmer for forty minutes. Add the carrots, turnips and potatoes and cook on low heat for thirty minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Removed the lamb shanks and trim the meat off the bones. Discard the bones and add the lamb pieces back into the soup. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Maple Beef Tenderloin with Chocolate Red Wine Jus & Leek & Potato Mash

Yes it tastes as good as it looks; even better actually. The recipe was a finalist in the San Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef's Competition in Toronto. That I learned from the blog I pilfered this bad boy from. The recipe intimidated me at first, but it looked so good I figured that even if I didn't get it just right, it would be delicious.  As expected, I didn't reach the pinnacle of perfection here: the potatoes were a bit lumpy, I didn't have juniper berries for the beef marinade and my wine wasn't exactly a Meritage variety. I'll get there. At least I'd like try getting there and I'm going to enjoy the journey of making this again with all the right ingredients and a potato ricer, my father's secret for perfect mashed potatoes. At this stage in my culinary journey, I just felt fulfilled attempting it. Now I also feel fulfilled having eaten it!

Adapted: http://www.eatlivetravelwrite.com/

Serves 8 

Beef Tenderloin

• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 T chopped fresh thyme
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 kg of beef tenderloin
• Pinch of salt and freshly ground red pepper

Chocolate Red Wine Jus

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 carrot chopped
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 leek, white and light green part, thinly sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup of dry red wine
• 2 cups of beef stock
• 90g of dark chocolate (90% cocoa)
• 1 T red wine vinegar

Leek & Potato Mash

• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1 leek, white and light green part, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 T chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 t salt
• 625 g of Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup warm milk

Beef Tenderloin

In a large dish, combine the maple syrup, thyme and garlic. Add the loin, turning to coat evenly and let marinate for fifteen minutes. Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper on all sides. Place the loin on a rack in a roasting pan, and roast the meat at 450F for ten minutes. Reduce the heat to 275F and continue cooking for one hour. Let stand for about five minutes before slicing. 

Chocolate Red Wine Jus

In a saucepan heat the butter on medium-high heat and saute the carrot, onion, leek and bay leaves, stirring occasionally for about ten minutes, or until softened. Add the wine and simmer for about five minutes or until reduced by half. Add beef stock and simmer for about ten minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve or cheese cloth into a clean sauce pan. With the sauce pan on medium heat, whisk in the chocolate and melted butter. Once blended, add the red wine vinegar and set aside. 


Leek & Potato Mash

In a non-stick skillet, heat a tablespoon of butter on medium heat until melted. Add the leeks, stirring occasionally and let cook for ten minutes. Stir in the parsley and salt and set aside. Bring the potatoes and thyme to a boil in a large pot of water. This should take about twenty minutes. Drain well and mash until smooth. Add the remaining butter and milk stirring well to combine. Finally, fold in the leek and parsley mixture so that it's all combined. Set aside and keep warm.

To assemble, spoon a few tablespoonfuls of the leek and potato mix onto a plate. Place the tenderloin slices on top and drizzle the jus on the side or overtop of the beef.

Quinoa & Pea Spiced Croquettes

In the quest for snacks, I've decided to get a little creative. I'm tired of humus and vegetables, fruit or whatever I usually snack on. If these croquettes were a little more gluey, they'd be easy treats to pack. Add a little Sriracha and/or sour cream to them for some extra kick.

The original recipe did not include an egg, but I added it part way through my patty making process because I needed a binding agent. I'm not sure how the original chef made it happen without one. If you don't feel like making these into patties, this also acts as a nice hash. Grill a little fish or meat of your choosing and serve it on top.

Adapted from: http://www.cookrepublic.com/

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 russet potatoes, peeled, chopped and mashed

• 1 cup quinoa, cooked

• 1/2 cup peas fresh or frozen

• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

• 1 egg

• 2 t ground cumin

• 1 t garam masala

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• salt and pepper to taste

• olive oil for frying

Method

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic and saute for a minute and then add the peas, mixing well with the garlic and oil. Pour the pea mixture into a bowl and wipe the pan clean with a paper towel and return to low heat. 

Add the potatoes, quinoa, cilantro, cumin, garam masala and salt to the peas and mix well. Form the mix into little patties or croquettes and set aside.

Pour about two tablespoons of oil in the fry pan and bring the heat up to medium-high. Once the oil is hot, place about four of the croquettes in the pan and cook each side for about four minutes, flipping gently as needed. Repeat with the remaining croquettes and serve warm with Sriracha sauce and a little sour cream.