Kheer (Dessert of the Day)

Dessert of the Day calls this "spiced basmati rice pudding", which isn't wrong. That's what kheer is. It's a thin, creamy, basmati rice pudding with spices (and often almonds and/or pistachios).

Kheer

Slightly adapted from Dessert of the Day by Kim Laidlaw

Ingredients

• 8 c. whole (3.25%) milk
• 8 green cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
• 1/2 c. basmati rice
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. slivered almonds
• 2 Tbsp. chopped pistachios
• 3 Tbsp. golden raisins
• pinch of saffron

Directions

1. Combine milk, cardamom, cinnamon (if using), rice, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced (60-80 minutes).
3. Meanwhile, lightly toast the almonds and pistachios.
4. Add the toasted nuts, raisins, and saffron and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
5. Serve hot or cold.

This is an interesting cake: no leavener (beyon whipped egg whites), not too sweet, and with lots of pistachios in! It actually contains twice as much pistachio by volume as flour. The use of whipped egg whites/French meringue in the batter along with fat (in the form of melted butter) puts me in mind of a chiffon cake. But I feel like this has more flour than I'd normally expect in a chiffon. That said, I don't have enough experience with chiffon cakes to know for sure. Anyway, as noted, it's a nice, nutty cake that doesn't come out overly sweet.

Along with the pistachios, the batter incorporates a bit of vanilla and some orange zest for flavour. These were both very nice with it (although I didn't feel that the orange came through particularly strongly), but I think it would be interesting to try swapping out the vanilla for some rosewater next time. Not that I wasn't excellent the way it was, but pistachio and rose are such a classic combo that I'd really like to give it a try here. I actually ended up sprinkling a few rose petals on top before serving. Not enough to noticeably affect the flavour though; I just thought it needed a bit of decoration.

Pistachio-Orange Cake

Slightly adapted from Dessert of the Day by Kim Laidlaw

Ingredients

• 2 c. (~250g) pistachios
• 1 1/4 c. sugar, divided
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 Tbsp. orange zest
• 6 large egg whites (~3/4 c.)
• 1/8 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (or rosewater)
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• icing (powdered/confectioners') sugar and/or dried rose petals

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F) and spread the pistachios out on a baking sheet.
2. Bake at 160°C (325°F) until toasted and fragrant (6-8 minutes), shaking the pan every 2 minutes. Transfer to plate to cool.
3. Increase oven temperature to 180°C (350°F) and grease and flour a 23cm (9") springform pan.
4. Coarsely chop half of the pistachios. (A few quick pulses in a food processor works well for this.)
5. Transfer the chopped nuts to a bowl and set aside.
6. Add the remaining nuts to a food processor or blender along with 1/2 c. of the sugar and pulse until finely ground.
7. Add the flour and orange zest and pulse until mixed.
8. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until foamy.
9. Add the vanilla and the remaining 3/4 c. of sugar 1 Tbsp. at a time while continuing to beat until stiff peaks form.
10. Quickly but gently fold the flour mixture into the meringue.
11. Add the butter and chopped pistachios and quickly fold those in as well.
12. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
13. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 35-40 minutes.
14. Transfer to wire rack to cool for ~10 minutes.
15. Remove sides from springform pan and allow to cool for another few minutes.
16. Carefully remove cake from pan bottom and place on wire rack to finish cooling.
17. Dust with icing sugar and sprinkle with rose petals before serving.

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Variations

No Refined Sugar Pistachio-Rose Cake

I haven't had a chance to test this yet, but I think it would be interesting to try making this cake with powdered dates in place of granulated sugar. I'm not sure how well it would work for making the meringue, but I think it would be worth a try. I'd also be tempted to replace 1-2 Tbsp. of the butter with orange juice, just to amp up the orange flavour a bit (while also slightly reducing the fat). I know this wouldn't exactly turn this cake into health food, but it would hopefully make it a bit healier and maybe a little more diabetic-friendly. So, here we go!

Ingredients

• 2 c. (~250g) pistachios
• 1 1/4 c. powdered dates, divided
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 Tbsp. orange zest
• 6 large egg whites (~3/4 c.)
• 1/8 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 Tbsp. orange juice, divided
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (or rosewater)
• 1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted
• icing (powdered/confectioners') sugar and/or dried rose petals

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F) and spread the pistachios out on a baking sheet.
2. Bake at 160°C (325°F) until toasted and fragrant (6-8 minutes), shaking the pan every 2 minutes. Transfer to plate to cool.
3. Increase oven temperature to 180°C (350°F) and grease and flour a 23cm (9") springform pan.
4. Coarsely chop half of the pistachios. (A few quick pulses in a food processor works well for this.)
5. Transfer the chopped nuts to a bowl and set aside.
6. Add the remaining nuts to a food processor or blender along with 1/2 c. of the date powder and pulse until finely ground.
7. Add the flour and orange zest and pulse until mixed.
8. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt and 1 tsp. of the orange juice until foamy.
9. Add the vanilla and the remaining 3/4 c. of date powder 1 Tbsp. at a time while continuing to beat until stiff peaks form.
10. Quickly but gently fold the flour mixture into the meringue.
11. Add the butter, remaining orange 5 tsp. of juice, and chopped pistachios and quickly fold those in as well.
12. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
13. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 35-40 minutes.
14. Transfer to wire rack to cool for ~10 minutes.
15. Remove sides from springform pan and allow to cool for another few minutes.
16. Carefully remove cake from pan bottom and place on wire rack to finish cooling.
17. Dust with icing sugar and sprinkle with rose petals before serving.

We had some harissa left over from last time we made it, and Symbol was able to divert some for this recipe before I ate it all. And it came out pretty tasty!

Glazed Chicken Breasts with Currant-Pistachio Couscous

Cook's Country April/May 2019 (recipe card)

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp apricot preserves
• 1 tbsp harissa
• 1+3+1 tbsp olive oil, divided
• ¼ dried currants
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½+1 tsp salt, divided
• ¼+¼ tsp pepper, divided
• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1½ C water
• 1¼ C dry couscous
• ½ C decorticated pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Whisk together apricot preserves, harissa, and 1 tbsp oil in a small bowl.
2. Transfer 1 tbsp of this mixture to another bowl and add currants, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and 3 tbsp oil.
3. Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high.
4. Sprinkle chicken with remaining salt and pepper. Add to skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides and 160°F internally.
5. Remove chicken, butter, and brush with first harissa-apricot mixture.
6. Add water to skillet and bring to a boil.
7. Stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat; let stand five minutes.
8. Stir in pistachios and harissa-currant mixture.
9. Slice chicken and serve over couscous.

This dessert is given as the recipe for December 30th in my Dish of the Day cookbook. the idea is that it's meant to be something light and refreshing to offset all the rich, heavy foods that tend to get eaten over the holidays. I lightened it up slightly more by swapping out the whole milk ricotta for low-fat ricotta. I also halved the pistachios. The original recipe called for equal parts ricotta and nuts! I think next time I might double the ricotta and orange as well. I like the idea of having those two elements making up the bulk of the dish with the pistachios, honey, and pomegranate acting as highlights.

This was a pleasant dessert. It's definitely not going to become a go-to favourite or anything, but it was easy and it did taste nice, just not amazing. And it also let me use up most of the leftover pomegranate I had sitting in the fridge plus some of the blood oranges from the freezer. (Although I accidentally grabbed one blood orange and one navel orange, so only half of my little ricotta pots had actual blood orange in. Whoops! Oh well...) So, overall, glad I tried it and I might make it again sometime, but it probably won't be a regular occurance.

Ricotta with Blood Orange, Pistachios, and Honey

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1 c. ricotta
• 4 blood oranges
• 1/4 c. pistachios, chopped
• 1/4 c. pomegranate arils
• 1/4 c. honey

Directions

1. Place 1/4 c. of ricotta in each dish/jar/cup.
2. Use a knife to remove the peel and pith from the oranges. Segment or slice as desired.
3. Place 1/4 of the orange pieces (1 orange worth) on top of each portion of ricotta.
4. Top each with 1 Tbsp. of pistachios, 1 Tbsp. of pomegranate, and 1 Tbsp. of honey.

I've never had persimmons before and, I have to admit, I was a little wary of them. But they're actually quite tasty! And I really like the combination of flavours in this recipe. The toasted pistachios are especially nice. But really, it's all good and works well together.

Bulgur Salad with Persimmons, Pistachios, and Pomegranate

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1 c. bulgur
• 1 c. chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/4 c. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/3 c. chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 c. chopped green onion
• 1/2 c. shelled pistachios
• 3 fuyu persimmons, cored and chopped
• 1/4 c. fresh pomegranate arils

Directions

1. Place the bulgur in a heat-proof bowl.
2. Bring the stock to a boil and pour it over the bulgur. If using homemade stock, add a little bith of salt as well.
3. Cover and set aside for 15-20 minutes.
4. Mix in the lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, mint, and green onion and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, toast the pistachios over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
6. Just before serving, stir in the persimmons, pistachios, and pomegranate.

This salad has a few variants, but we made the raspberries and blue cheese version; the others are documented below. Not a favourite, but I'd eat it again.

Marinated Beet Salad

Cook's Country October/November 2016, by Katie Leaird (p.17)

Ingredients

• 1½ lb whole beets, trimmed
• ½ C water
• ¼ C sherry vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 2 oranges
• 1L arugula, kale, or other greens
• ¼ C shaved romano cheese
• ½ C walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Wrap beets and water in tin foil. Roast at 400°F for 1 hour or until fork-tender.
2. Whisk together vinegar, oil, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Once beets are cool, rub gently to remove skins, then cut into 1cm wedges.
4. Add beets to bowl with dressing, toss to cover, and let stand for at least 30 minutes.
5. Divide oranges into individual wedges.
6. Add oranges, greens, cheese, and walnuts to bowl with beets and dressing, and toss to combine.

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Variations

Marinated Beet Salad with Pear and Feta

Ingredients

• 1½ lb whole beets, trimmed
• ½ C water
• ¼ C sherry vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 pear, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 L arugula, kale, or other greens
• ¾ C crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tbsp pistachios, toasted

Marinated Beet Salad with Raspberries and Blue Cheese

Ingredients

• 1½ lb whole beets, trimmed
• ½ C water
• ¼ C sherry vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• ⅔ C raspberries
• 1 L arugula, kale, or other greens
• ¾ C crumbled blue cheese
• ½ C hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Continuing my way through the parfait recipes in the Breakfast Bible, I decided to give this citrusy one a try. It's ideally meant to be made with pistachios and goji berries, both of which I usually have on hand. But I'd forgotten that I'd used up the last of my goji berries a while ago and hadn't bothered restocking immediately since I don't tend to use them very often. Whoops! Fortunately the recipe also suggested golden raisins as an acceptable alternative. And those I did have!

I really enjoyed this combination. The colours were pretty and the flavours were excellent. That said, I think it also would have been fine with regular oranges. Not quite as visually striking, maybe, but I think the flavours still would have worked out quite well. And I actually really liked the sweetness of the raisins in it. The do think the goji berries would have been a nice complement to the lemon, but they also tend to be a bit less sweet than raisins in my experience, so choose your fruit according to your tastes.

I found pistachios a somewhat surprising combination here. It was good, don't get me wrong! Just unexpected. I really enjoyed the pistachios in it, but I think it would be interesting to experiemnt with different nuts too. Toasted almonds were my first idea, but I think cashews could also be quite nice. Maybe something to consider for next time...

Blood Orange and Lemon Curd Parfaits

Slightly adapted from The Breakfast Bible by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1 c. lemon curd, divided
• 4 blood oranges, peeled and sectioned¹, divided
• 1/4 c. dried goji berries or golden raisins, divided
• 3 c. plain Greek yogurt, divided
• 1/4 c. chopped pistachios², divided

Directions

1. Put 2 Tbsp. of lemon curd in the bottom of each jar.
2. Top each with the sections from 1/2 an orange.
3. Add 1/2 Tbsp. of raisins or goji berries to each one.
4. Then add 6 Tbsp. of yogurt to each jar.
5. Repeat layers. (This should use up the remainder of the lemon curd, oranges, raisins/goji berries, and yogurt.)
6. Top each parfait with 1 Tbsp. of pistachios and serve.

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¹ The original recipe called for "peeled and sliced", but I felt like cutting out the membrane entirely would make them easier to eat, so I opted for sectioning rather than slicing. ^Back
2 If you have the time and patience for it, I think toasting the pistachios before chopping would make the final result even tastier. That said, I still found it very good with untoasted pistachios, so go with whatever works for you. ^Back

I picked up some raspberries on sale during my last grocery shop and decided to try making these little buckles with them. They were pretty nice! Although I had to play around with the baking times a bit since I was using six 250mL baking dishes rather than eight 180mL ones. That wasn't a huge issue though. They just needed a few extra minutes to finish cooking through.

Photo goes here.

Raspberry-Pistachio Buckles

Slightly adapted from The Perfect Cake by America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. pistachios, divided
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3 c. fresh raspberries¹

Directions

1. Toast 1/4 c. of the pistachios over medium heat until fragrant (~4 minutes). Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F) and grease your ramekins. (I used six 250mL ramekins for mine.)
3. Add the pistachios to a blender or food processor and grind.
4. Add the butter, sugar, and salt and pulse to mix.
5. With blender/processor running, add the eggs, one at a time.
6. Pour in the cream and vanilla with blender still running and process until smooth.
7. Pour mixture into a bowl.
8. Add the flour and baking powder and stir to mix.
9. Add the raspberries and stir to combine.
10. Spoon mixture into ramekins and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c. of pistachios.
11. Place ramekins on baking sheet and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 35-45 minutes.
12. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
13. Serve plain or with whipped cream.

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Variations

Blackberry-Walnut Buckles

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. walnuts, divided
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3 c. fresh blackberries

Cherry-Almond Buckles

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. sliced or slivered almonds, divided
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3 c. frozen sweet cherries, thawed (or fresh pitted sweet cherries)

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¹ ATK notes that frozen raspberries don't work well for this recipe as they're too wet and mushy. ^Back

I found a bone-in leg of lamb on sale at the grocery store a few weeks ago. I nabbed it and stuck it in the freezer for later. I was initially planning on trying out a Cook's Country recipe with it. But then I spotted this recipe in the contemporary curries chapter of 660 Curries. Iyer notes that a beef roast makes a perfectly fine alternative to lamb here, but... I like lamb and I wanted to give it a try this way.

The roast is, as expected, delicious. I mean, it's lamb smeared with a spiced nut paste; what's not to like? But the sauce really stole the show. It was amazing! I think the long cooking time really brings out the best in everything.

Leg of Lamb with Onion-Coconut Sauce

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

Lamb

• 1 (1.1-1.4kg) bone-in leg of lamb
• 1/4 c. plain yogurt
• 1/4 c. slivered almonds
• 1/4 c. raw cashews
• 1/4 c. raw shelled pistachios
• 2 Tbsp. ginger paste
• 1 Tbsp. garlic paste
• 1-2 tsp. ground Kashmiri chilies¹
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt

Sauce

• 1-2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 tsp. bottle masala
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 (400mL) can coconut milk²
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Make four or five 6-mm deep slashes in the meat and set it in a shallow baking pan.
2. Add the yogurt, almonds, cashews, pistachios, and ginger and garlic pastes to a blender and purée until smooth.
3. Pour the nut paste into a bowl and stir in the chilies and salt.
4. Slather the marinade over the lamb, being sure to coat it thoroughly.
5. Cover and chill overnight.
6. The next day, preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F).
7. Meanwhile, place a rack in a roasting pan (or on a rimmed baking sheet). Spray it with cooking spray and transfer the lamb to the prepared rack. Allow to sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. Reserve any marinade that doesn't cling to the lamb.
8. Roast the lamb at 220°C (425°F) until lightly browned on the outside (10-15 minutes).
9. Reduce temperature to 160°C (325°F) and cook for another 15 minutes.
10. Remove lamb from oven and baste with any reserved marinade. If the pan is dry, pour a little water in to help keep everything moist and prevent the drippings from burning.
11. Continue to roast until meat registers 57-60°C (135-140°F) in the thickest part (60-80 minutes). Check every 20 minutes or so to see if the pan needs more water or if the meat drippings are in danger of overflowing.
12. Meanwhile, heat the oil for the sauce over medium-high heat.
13. Add the onion and garlic and stir-fry until caramel-brown (10-15 minutes).
14. Add the tomato paste, bottle masala, and salt and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the paste begins to look oily on the surface (1-2 minutes).
15. Add the water and deglaze the pan.
16. Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil.
17. Reduce heat to medium and boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced to just over half its original volume (20-25 minutes). Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
18. Once lamb is done, remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes.
19. Slice the lamb and stir the cilantro into the sauce.
20. Serve the lamb, allowing diners to top with sauce at the table.

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¹ The original recipe calls for 2 tsp. I scaled this back slightly for the sake of the Kidlet. I used 1/2 Tbsp. this time and that seemed to be okay. Might try the full amount next time. Also, if you don't have Kashmiri chilies, you can substitute a mixture of 1 part ground cayenne to 3 parts sweet paprika. ^Back
2 We used regular coconut milk this time around because we had a can that was getting close to its expiry. That said, you could probably shave quite a few calories by swapping the regular coconut milk out for lite. ^Back

I modified and abused this recipe quite a bit. The original was meant to be a 30-minute meal. It used pre-cooked chicken sausages along with "quick-cooking barley" (which I'd never heard of before). I had some regular old pot barley and some beef and barley sausages, so I made it with that. And, since my sausages were not pre-cooked, I decided to cook them on the stovetop. And since I already had the pan out for that, I decided to just convert the whole recipe to be done on the stovetop. Oh, and I also omitted all but 1 Tbsp. of the oil called for (1/3 c. in the original recipe). And, because I'm trying to be a bit health-conscious, I also cut back (slightly) on the Parmesan and the pistachios. Personally, I think it worked quite well! But I realize that it's quite a bit different from what the original recipe described.

Also, I didn't think of this until after I was already eating a bowl, but I think some pomegranate seeds/arils and/or a drizzle of pomegranate molasses would go quite nicely with this dish. Pistachios and pomegranate are such a nice combination! I've listed pomegranate as an optional ingredient below. Feel free to give it a try!

Photo goes here.

Barley with Broccoli and Sausage

Adapted from Cook's Country October/November 2018

Ingredients

• 1 c. pot barley
• 1-2 c. chicken stock
• 1-2 c. water
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt, divided
• 450g beef, chicken, or lamb sausages
• 340g broccoli, cut into florets
• 1/4 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/3 c. shelled pistachios
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 c. pomegranate arils (optional)

Directions

1. Combine the barley with the chicken stock and water. You want a total of 3 c. of liquid, but the exact proportions aren't super important. If you're using mostly water, or if your chicken stock isn't very salty, add ~1/4 tsp. of salt as well.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then cover and reduce to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, cook the sausages.
4. Once the sausages are mostly done, add the broccoli and continue cooking.
5. Once the sausages are nicely browned on all sides and cooked through, remove them from the pan.
6. Season the broccoli with 1/4 tsp. each of salt and pepper and drizzle with the oil and continue cooking over medium heat until broccoli starts to develop some good browning.
7. Reduce heat slightly and add the pistachios and cook until they are toasted and dark, but not burnt.
8. Remove from heat and add the garlic. Let it sizzle in the residual heat of the pan.
9. Chopp the sausages and return them to the pan.
10. Once the barley is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed, remove from heat and stir in the cheese.
11. Stir the contents of the pan into the barley.
12. Stir in the basil and pomegranate (if using).

I still kind of can't believe that I found a recipe that fit my ingredients so well. I had cream cheese, fresh goat cheese, and mascarpone to use up. This cake uses all three. And it calls for cranberries and pistachios, both of which I had in the freezer. And the cranberries have been going begging for months now, so I was thrilled to finally have a use for them. (I kept contemplating trying to make cranberry curd to use as either a cake or pie filling, but never quite getting around to it.)

And the cake was delicious. Not, I think, my favourite cheesecake, but it was still really good.

The cake itself is very simple. Just cheese, eggs, and a bit of sugar and vanilla. No crust either! The topping is a little more complicated since you have to poach the cranberries and then strain them and use the poaching liquid to make a gelée. Plus there's making the candied pistachios. But none of those tasks are particularly onerous. I think the worst part of making this cake was all the waiting! Everything needs to be cooled and cilled to set up properly, so it takes forever to be ready to eat. (I actually got impatient and cut mine before the topping had completely set. It was still tasty, just a bit messy.)

Goat Cheese Cake with Wine-Poached Cranberries and Candied Pistachios

Slightly adapted from Food & Wine

Ingredients

Cake

• 375g cream cheese, softened
• 225g fresh goat cheese
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1 vanilla bean
• 340g mascarpone
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

Topping

• 1 c. port¹
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 2-3 strips of lemon peel (~2cm x 5cm each)
• 225g fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 Tbsp. cold water
• 1 1/4 tsp. unflavoured gelatin
• 1/2 c. candied pistachios

Directions

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F) and wrap a 23cm (9") springform pan in tin foil.
2. Combine the cream cheese, goat cheese, sugar, and salt.
3. Split open the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds, and add them to the bowl with the cheeses and sugar. (Put the vanilla pod in your sugar bowl or save it for another use.)
4. Beat the cheese mixture for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the mascarpone and beat it in.
6. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
7. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared springform and place it in a roasting pan or other large vessel. Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it comes ~2/3 of the way up the side of the foil-wrapped springform.
8. Carefully transfer the cake in its bain marie to the oven and bake at 160°C (325°F) for ~60 minutes².
9. Transfer springform pan to wire rack to cool.
10. After 1-2 hours, transfer cake to fridge and chill for at least an hour or two before proceeding. (Overnight would be better, but I'm not that patient!)

Topping

1. Combine wine, sugar, and lemon peel and bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally, for ~3 minutes.
3. Add cranberries and cook until they begin to pop (~3 minutes).
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool (~1 hour).
5. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer, reserving both the cranberries and the poaching liquid. (Discard the lemon peel.)
6. Place cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle with gelain. Set aside for 5 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, return poaching liquid to pot and bring to a boil over medium heat.
8. Cook, stirring occasionally, for ~5 minutes.
9. Remove from heat, add softened gelatin, and stir until dissolved (~1 minute).
10. Pour mixture through a fine mish strainer into a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Skim off any foam or bubbles.
11. Pour gelatin mixture over the chilled cheesecake, tilting to completely coat the top of the cake.
12. Chill, uncovered, until gelatin has set (~1 hour).
13. Meanwhile, make the candied pistachios as directed.
14. Once gelée has set, decorate the cake with the poached cranberries and candied pistachios.
15. Run a hot knife or offset spatula around the edge of the springform pan, then remove the sides.

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¹ I didn't have any port and I didn't want to go out and get a bottle just for this, so I mixed ~1 tsp. of brown sugar into a cup of dry red wine and called it a day. ^Back
2 I checked my cake after 60 minutes and it still seemed really, really jiggly, so I gave it another 10. Then I was worried that it still wasn't done, so I turned off the oven, but put it back in the warm oven for another 10 minutes. I think that last 10 minutes in the warm oven may have been a bit too much though, because my cake came out kind of crumbly. Next time I should probably cook it a little less. Oh well... ^Back

I ended up with a surprise pomegranate in one of my recent produce baskets, so I picked out this meal to use it up since I also had some pork chops in the freezer that I was hoping to find a use for. The pork chops and brussels sprouts were both quite good, and a few accordion potatoes rounded out the meal.

I appreciate how quickly and easily this meal came together and that it only requires the use of a single pan. I ended up having to substitute pine nuts for the pistachios. I normally keep a bag of pistachios on hand in the freezer, but I must've used them all up at some point and forgot to get more. I think the pine nuts worked well, but pistachios would've been even better.

Sadly, the Kidlet wasn't a big fan of the brussels sprouts -- which actually ended up being a combination of brussels sprouts and cabbage for us because I didn't have as many sprouts as the recipe called for -- but she was a fan of the pork.

The original recipe calls for cooking the pork chops in oil, but I had a jar of bacon grease in the fridge, so I ended up using that instead. I highly recommend this approach if you have any bacon fat kicking around. And I bet lard would also work great. If you don't have either of those, then I'm sure any neutral oil will do just fine.

One-Pan Pork Chops and Brussels Sprouts

Slightly adapted from Cook's Country October/November 2019

Ingredients

• 3/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, divided
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. ground cayenne or Kashmiri chilies
• 4 bone-in pork chops (~250g each)
• 2 Tbsp. bacon fat
• 680g brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 1/4 c. water
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar¹
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. fresh pomegranate arils/seeds
• 2 Tbsp. pistachios, toasted and chopped

directions

1. Grind 3/8 tsp. of the salt with 1/4 tsp. of the peppercorns and mix in the ground chilies.²
2. Pat the pork chops dry and sprinkle them with the salt mixture on both sides.
3. Melt the bacon fat in a large pan over medium-high heat.
4. Add the pork chops (cook in batches if necessary) and cook until nicely browned on both sides and cooked all the way through (10-12 minutes), flipping every 2 minutes. Internal temperature should register 60°C (140°F).
5. Remove chops from pan and set aside. (Optionally tent with aluminum foil to help hold the heat.)
6. Pour off all but 2 Tbsp. of fat from the pan.³
7. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan cut side down.
8. Add the water and remaining 3/8 tsp. of salt.
9. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 4 minutes.
10. Uncover and cook for another 5 minutes.
11. Give sprouts a good stir and cook for 1-2 minutes longer.
12. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar, remaining 1/4 tsp. of pepper, pomegranate, and pistachios.
13. Serve sprouts and chops together along with your favourite starch (rice, potatoes, etc.).

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¹ Whoops! I just realized that I totally misread this line of the recipe and only put 2 teaspoons of vinegar rather than 2 tablespoons! Oh well... it was still tasty. ^Back
2 The pork chops were great with just the little bit of salt, pepper, and cayenne called for in the recipe, but it occurred to me while doing this write-up that it might be fun to experiemnt with a more complex spice rub like the one I used for my barbecued chicken a while back. I believe that rub was concoted with pork in mind, in fact. I'm not sure how it'd do in a pan on quick-cooking chops as opposed to on the grill on slow-cooked ribs, but I'd be interested to find out! I think my main concern would be burning the sugar. But I'm sure that the right pan at the right temperature could help avoid that. ^Back
3 If you're not confident eyeballing the amount of fat left in the pan, you can always pour off all the fat and then measure out 2 Tbsp. to add back in. ^Back

This claims to be a chili recipe. While it does involve beans and tomatoes and chilies, it also involves a three-nut paste and the overall effect is much closer to a korma than any chili I've ever had. Thus, I am deciding that it's really a mislabeled korma after all. Either way, it's very good. I served it with some fried rice and a simple bottle gourd squash curry.

Three-Bean Korma

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-4 fresh green Thai, finger, or jalapeño chilies, chopped
• 1 (400mL) can diced tomatoes
• 1-2 tsp. ground Kashmiri chilies (or 1 part cayenne + 3 parts paprika)
• 1 tsp. sweet paprika (optional)
• 2 tsp. Dhania-Jeera Masala
• 1/2 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 3 c. water, divided
• 1/2 c. raw pine nuts
• 1/2 c. raw cashew nuts
• 1/2 c. raw pistachio nuts
• scant 2 c. cooked pinto beans
• scant 2 c. cooked kidney beans
• scant 2 c. cooked black beans
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat oil over medium heat.
2. Add onion, celery, carrot, grlic, and fresh chilies and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, ground chilies, paprika (if using), masala, salt, and turmeric.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for ~5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, pour 1/4 c. of the water into a blender followed by all of the nuts and purée.
6. Add the nut paste to the tomato mixture.
7. Pour the remaining water into the blender and whizz it round to wash out the blender. Add this nutty water to the pot as well.
8. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
9. Reduce heat to medium-low, coer, and smmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
10. Reduce heat to low and cook for another 15 minutes.
11. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Ghraibi (Butter Cookies)

I was craving dessert tonight and wanted something that could easily be shared with friends, so I made these simple cookies. They're delicious and very easy to make. The flavours balance each other perfectly. The rose water is present without being overwhelming. I like them a lot.

Ghraibi

Slightly adapted from Our Syria by Itab Azzam and Dina Mousawi

Ingredients

• 75g unsalted butter
• 75g icing (powdered/confectioners') sugar
• 1 tsp. rose water
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 150g all-purpose flour
• 1 egg white
• 1 Tbsp. neutral oil
• 15-20 shelled pistachios

Directions

1. Warm the butter until very soft and beginning to melt.
2. Sift in the icing sugar and beat with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated. It may seem dry at first, but if you keep stirring it will form a smooth, buttery paste.
3. Stir in rose water and vanilla.
4. Mix in the flour, egg white, and oil.
5. Knead for a few minutes, adding a little more oil if the dough is too dry.
6. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
8. Shape the dough into several small balls and place on a lined baking sheet. You should get 15-20 in all.
9. Slightly flatten the balls and press a pistachio into the top of each one.
10. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 12-13 minutes. The cookies should still be pale and very nearly the same colour after baking as before.
11. Best enjoyed fresh!

Qatayef (Syrian Stuffed Pancakes)

I was going to make cookies today, but then I saw this stuffed pancake recipe and adjusted my plans!

Qatayef

Slightly adapted from Our Syria by Itab Azzam and Dina Mousawi

Ingredients

• 200g all-purpose flour¹
• 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 c. warm water
• 1 c. chopped walnuts
• 3-4 Tbsp. sugar syrup², divided
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 c. ricotta
• 1 Tbsp. pistachios, chopped
• oil for frying

Directions

1. Combine the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and baking powder and mix well.
2. Whisk in the warm water. Make sure it's warm enough to activate the yeast but not so hot that it kills it.
3. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, whisk the batter again to deflate it.
5. Heat a pan or griddle over medium heat.
6. Add a little butter to the pan if it needs to be greased.
7. Pour ~1/4 c. of batter into the pan.
8. The batter will bubble as it cooks. Once it stops bubbling and looks dry on top, it's done. DO NOT FLIP IT OVER! Simply remove it from the pan and allow it to cool.
9. Repeat cooking steps with remaining batter. DO NOT STACK THE PANCAKES! They must be placed in a single layer or they will stick together.
10. While the pancakes are cooling, combine the walnuts, 1 Tbsp. of the syrup, cinnamon, and ricotta.
11. Place a spoonful of filling on each pancake and fold them over to form well-stuffed semi-cricles. Press the edges firmly to seal. If you're having trouble getting a good seal, use some of the remaining syrup to glue them shut.
12. Pour oil into a wok or pot to a depth of at least 3cm and heat it over medium-high heat.
13. Deep-fry the stuffed pancakes (in batches) until they're golden brown and slightly crisp on all sides.
14. Allow to drain on a wire rack (or paper towels) for a few minutes.
15. Transfer to a plate and drizzle with the remaining syrup.
16. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and serve!

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¹ I was running low on all-purpose flour, so I used ~100g of whole wheat flour + 100g of all-purpose. I was very happy with how this worked out. ^Back
2 Make the syrup by combining equal parts sugar and water. Add a touch of lemon juice as well if you like. Boil until slightly thickened. (It should be about the consistency of maple syrup.) Set aside to cool. ^Back

We were supposed to be having "Indian" burrito bowls for dinner last night. But it wasn't until I went to start preparing them that I remembered that we were all out of bell peppers. With that plan out the window and only about an hour 'til dinner, I began frantically searchig for a replacement meal.

Conveniently this socca could be made entirely with pantry staples and freezer ingredients. It's not the heartiest of meals, but it was sufficient for us for the evening. And, added bonus, the Kidlet absolutely loved it!

I think this would be good with a little honey and olive oil drizzled over the filling just before serving, but it was plenty good as it was.

Socca with Kale, Pistachios, and Apricots

Slightly adapted from The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook by America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients

Batter

• 1 1/2 c. chickpea flour
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1/2 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1 1/2 c. water
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil (plus more for frying)

Filling

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 clove garlic, minced
• 3/4 tsp. cumin seeds, ground
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 3 allspice berries, ground
• 300g chopped kale (or Swiss chard/silverbeet)
• 3 Tbsp. finely chopped dried apricots (~6 apricots)
• 2 Tbsp. pistachios, chopped
• 1 tsp. wine vinegar
• pepper, to taste
• 1 Tbsp. honey (optional)
• extra olive oil, for drizzling (optional)

Directions

Socca

1. Combine chickpea flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and mix well.
2. Stir in water and olive oil.
3. Heat a little olive oil (1-2 tsp.) in a 20cm (8") skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Once the oil is hot, pour in ~1/2 c. of the batter and cook until the underside is browned 2-4 minutes.
5. Flip the socca and cook until the other side is done (1-2 minutes).
6. Remove from pan, add another teaspoon or two of oil and repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter.
7. If desired, keep the socca warm in an oven preheated to 95°C (200°F) while you prepare the filling.

Filling

1. Heat oil over medium heat.
2. Add onion and cook for ~5 minutes.
3. Add garlic, cumin, salt, and allspice and cook for another 30-60 seconds.
4. Add kale and apricots and cook until wilted (~5 minutes).
5. Remove from heat and stir in pistachios and vinegar.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. If desired, drizzle with honey and additional olive oil.
8. Top socca with kale mixture and enjoy.

This is another untested recipe. I didn't want to wait for the kulfi to set in the freezer, so I just got a bit of store-bought kulfi for topping the cupcakes. I've included this recipe for anyone who wants to give it a go, but I haven't actually tried it yet.

Pistachio Kulfi

From C&C Cakery

Ingredients

• 1L whole (3.25%) milk
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 3-4 Tbsp. unsalted pistachios, crushed
• 1/2 c. heavy (35%) cream
• 1 Tbsp. rosewater
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom seeds (from green pods), ground

Directions

1. Bring milk to a boil and cook until reduced to ~750mL (~25 minutes).
2. In a heatproof bowl, add ~1/4 c. of the hot milk to the sugar and stir until smooth.
3. Pour sugar mixture into the pot with the rest of the milk and cook until thick and creamy.
4. Add pistachios and cook for another minute or two.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
6. Whip the cream until thickened but not stiff.
7. Mix cream, rosewater, and cardamom into the milk.
8. Pour mixture into molds (popsicle molds should work) and freeze for 8-10 hours.

Sweet Glazed Peaches

These peaches were fairly easy to put together and they were tasty. That said, a good fresh peach is tasty enough on its own that I don't think I'd bother going to the trouble of making this one again. Not unless I wanted something fancy to show off for dessert or something.

Sweet Glazed Peaches
Slightly adapted from Cook's Country August/September 2015
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
6 peaches, peeled and halved
1/4 c. apple jelly
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 c. pistachios, toasted and crushed/chopped
vanilla ice cream, for serving

1. Combine lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Add peaches to bowl and make sure they get well-coated with the mixture.
2. Place peaches, cut side up, in baking dish (or an oven-safe skillet if you have one large enough to accommodate them). Pour any residual lemon-sugar mixture over the peaches. Pour 1/3 c. water around the peaches. Place under broiler (about 6" away) for 12-15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, microwave the jelly with the butter until melted. Stir to combine.
4. Baste peaches with half the glaze mixture and return to oven for 5-7 minutes.
5. Baste again, then remove to plate using a slotted spoon.
6. Pour the residual liquid into a skillet (or simply move the skillet to the stove top if you were able to broil the peaches in the skillet). Cook over medium heat until syrupy.
7. Pour syrup over peaches and top with pistachios. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Dothraki Blood Pie

I'm a big fan of black pudding. And white pudding. And pretty much anything you'd find in a full Irish breakfast. But especially black pudding. I'm also generally a fan of pistachios, leeks, and chèvre. So, when I saw a Game of Thrones-inspired pie that involved all of these things, I was intrigued.

Dothraki Blood Pie
Adapted from C&C Cakery
1/2 c. pistachios, ground
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. chickpea flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. cold butter, cut into cubes
1 egg
1/4 c. cold water
2 leeks, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 large eggs
2/3 c. heavy cream
140g chèvre
225g black pudding, chopped

1. Combine pistachios, whole wheat flour, chickpea four, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cut in cold butter until mixture has a uniform, crumbly texture.
2. Stir in egg. Add cold water 1 Tbsp. at a time until dough comes together into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, sauté the leeks and garlic in the remaining 2 Tbsp. of butter. Add thyme, rosemary, and pepper.
4. Once the dough has chilled, unwrap and roll out to ~1/4" thickness and line a pie plate (or in my case a square cake pan) with it. Prick the bottom with a fork and bake at 350F for 15 minutes.
5. Once the crust is baked, beat eggs until light and fluffy, then gradually add the cream.
6. Add the remaining 1/4 tsp. salt to the egg mixture and crumble in the chèvre.
7. Place the sautéed leeks in the bottom of the pie crust and top with chopped black pudding. Pour egg mixture over this and then bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

TF really liked this pie (and so did the froglet)! He generally finds black pudding too heavy and intense to eat much of it in a sitting, so he found the blood pie to be a great way to enjoy it. For my part, it was okay... but I felt like it could've used some work.

I was initially intrigued by the unique crust recipe. However, I found the dough to be fairly difficult to handle and I didn't think it actually complemented the filling that well. I actually think that a traditional pie crust, puff pastry, or a whole wheat crust (without the chickpea flour pistachios) would've worked better here.

I also wasn't a huge fan of the layering effect with the leeks and black pudding staying quite separate. If I made this again, I'd actually combine the leeks and pudding (and maybe try mixing in the cheese once the mixture had cooled as well).

I had an extra leek and it was starting to look a little sad, so I decided to throw it in. I liked the extra leek and still felt that there was enough pudding and cheese to go with it; the egg was a little lacking though. I think I'd like to try adding an extra egg next time. I know the egg isn't really meant to be centre stage here, it's just there to hold everything else together and give it some cohesion, but I still think I would've liked a bit more of it.

It's certainly an interesting recipe, and I'm glad that I tried it. That said, I wasn't overly impressed with it. I'll definitely try to tweak it if I make it again. However, unless TF specifically requests it, I doubt I'll be revisiting this one.