BEST DIET TIP #8

Celery Root Puree

   

    
I'm a puree kind of guy.  Seems silly to say, and I imagine read.  Is that an oxymoron: puree and guy?  In some sense it couldn't be more manly.  What does the stereotypical guy want?  Meat and potatoes.  Purees provide us away to serve more interesting potatoes with our meat.  As fancy as I sometimes get, or want to serve, I still have a natural predilection toward some kind of supporting starch.  Maybe it's in our DNA, like the need and therefore taste for salt and fat.  Or it could be nurture.  I grew up in the Midwest with three squares a day.  And what more puts the square in a meal than meat and potatoes?  Although, while this recipe does contain potatoes, not all of my puree suggestions do. For instance, I like to pair a pea puree with seared scallops.  I also have recipes for cauliflower puree.  Indeed, purees provide that dual opportunity to provide a vegetable, and do so in a form and taste that is more savory, more satisfying.  To that S alliteration I might also add silky.  And now also celery root.  Celery root is related to celery, and has hints of celery flavoring, but it is a smoother, more subtle flavor (more Ss, I know).  It pairs wonderfully with potatoes and cream.  I served it with pan-seared duck breast and and a chery port sauce and was rewarded.  So, next time you want to get fancy for your man (or yourself), and sneak some vegetables in too, think of this puree recipe from Food & Wine 2006.  It will certainly satisfy!  Serves 2.
    
Ingredients:
1 large celery root, peeled and diced

2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

1 garlic clove, diced

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

salt/pepper

    

Directions:

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the celery root, potato, garlic, cream and milk and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes.  Drain into a colander and reserve the liquid.  Puree the mixture in a blender.  Add back in such liquid as necessary to form a soft puree consistency.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

   

Tangy Seasonal Soup with Tasty Meatballs

In Turkish this recipe is called Terbiyeli Köfte and again it is a classic. This is one of the very first Turkish dishes I ever attempted back in those distant Ankara days after watching my mother-in-law prepare it several times, and seeing how much the family enjoyed it. So for us it is forever connected with her and the time when our children were young. In fact we call it Babaanne’s yemek or Granny’s meal! According to Angie Mitchell in Secrets of the Turkish Kitchen,  the recipe dates back to the days of culinary experimentation in the Ottoman palace kitchens. Terbiyeli literally means well-behaved but in Turkish cooking it refers to a sauce made with lemon and egg. This dish can be either just that: a dish, or as I prefer to make it since that is how I was introduced to it, a delicious seasonal soup with little meatballs. Since the markets are now full of the winter vegetables that we will be seeing for the next few months, this recipe sprang to mind when I went to my usual Selami Çeşme market yesterday.

Ingredients for Terbiyeli Köfte

Serves 4 – 6

For the meatballs:

450g minced lamb or beef

1 tbsp rice, rinsed and drained

1 small onion, grated

1 handful of finely chopped parsley

1 handful finely chopped dill

1 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsps plain white flour

For the stock:

2 potatoes, peeled and diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 small celeriac, peeled and diced

2 tsp salt

4 cups/1 litre boiling water

For the terbiye/tangy sauce:

2 egg yolks

Pinch of salt

Juice of 1 lemon

Chopped parsley or dill to garnish

Method

§  Place the prepared vegetables in water with a squeeze of lemon to prevent discolouration.

all the ingredients for the köfte/meatballs

§  Combine the minced meat, rice, grated onion (keeping any residual onion juice to add to the stock), parsley, dill, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using your hands, mix together well. With wet hands, roll into balls the size of walnuts and then roll in flour.

§  In a large pan heat the water with the salt. When it is boiling, drain the vegetables and add to the pan.

 Once the vegetables are simmering, add the meatballs. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes until the rice grains are protruding from the meatballs and the vegetables tender. Remove from the heat.



simmering the soup before adding the terbiye/sauce

 

§  Put the egg yolks in a bowl. Add the pinch of salt and whisk with a fork. Add the lemon juice and continue whisking, adding spoonfuls of the hot stock a little at a time. Return this mixture to the pan and on a gentle heat continue stirring until the sauce thickens. Take care not to let it reach a rapid boil as it may curdle.

§  Serve at once garnished with the fresh parsley and dill. If serving as a meal, a rice pilaf would be a good accompaniment. 



afiyet olsun!



Tips

1.       This is the first time that I have actually followed a recipe (it comes from Secrets of the Turkish Kitchen) for this soup as opposed to just following my own inclinations, and the measurements are perfect. However, next time I will add a little more rice as it makes the meatballs look like little hedgehogs. I like that and I remember so did my children!

2.       I also let the mixture cool a bit before I made the sauce. It just reduces the risk of it curdling.

A nice easy, extremely seasonal soup for either lunch or dinner. There is no direct translation for afiyet olsun but basically it means Enjoy! It is said before every meal by the cook to those about to eat!

My Latest Obsession

You know what that means.  Ingredient overload.  Fortunately for you guys, I used up all of those hazelnuts (sorry, Henry), so you don’t have to hear about them again for awhile. Unless, of course, you want my recipe for mushroom, artichoke and hazelnut salad.

For now though, I’m focused on preserved lemons.

Have you ever had preserved lemon? Not out of hand (who would do that anyway), but in a dish such as a Moroccan tagine? It adds a big “wow” factor and a lovely depth of flavor. The best way I can describe it is intense lemon flavor multiplied by the power of ten.

I recently made them to use in a chicken and olive tagine, which is a pretty classic combination. The dish was delicious, but I ended up with more preserved lemons that I knew what to do with. Now what?

“What” turned out to be using them in a roasted zucchini dish. I made a big batch of the stuff the other night and served it with grilled bison burgers (c’mon, it was a weeknight and I was slopping the hogs). The good news is that I had enough left over to eat for breakfast the next two days. (I know, I have weird breakfast preferences, but we’ve already discussed that, so let’s not go there again!)

The next “What” was stirring them into couscous, along with some scallions, toasted pine nuts and chopped Italian parsley. I served this with cedar-planked King salmon and ka-ching! Another winner.

Oh, but I’m not done. I haven’t told you about the shrimp and rice yet, possibly the most delicious dish of all.

See, I told you I was obsessed!  "What?"


PRESERVED LEMONS  (from Gail Arnold and Ina Garten)

3 lemons

2 tablespoons kosher salt

Preheat oven to 250-degrees.

Wash lemons and cut in half lengthwise then cut each half lengthwise into thirds.  Place in one layer in a large baking dish (I used a 13 x 9 x 2-inch Pyrex) and sprinkle with the salt.  Add enough water to cover and bake for 3 hours.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Place lemons in a wide-mouth quart glass canning jar and pour in enough of the liquid to cover.  Screw lid on top and refrigerate.

These can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Yield:  18 wedges


ROASTED ZUCCHINI WITH PRESERVED LEMON AND OREGANO (adapted from Beau MacMillan)

4 to 5 medium zucchini
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup pitted and chopped Kalamata olives
1 wedge preserved lemon, rinsed and chopped (including rind)

Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Place a roasting pan in oven to preheat.

Slice zucchini in half lengthwise then cut across into thirds. Place in a bowl and toss with the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, shallots, parsley and oregano. Season well with salt and pepper.

Remove the hot roasting pan from the oven and add the zucchini mixture, spreading it out in one layer. Return to oven and roast for 5 minutes. Stir in the Kalamata olives and roast for an additional 4 to 5 minutes or zucchini is just tender. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 – 6 servings



PINE NUT AND PRESERVED LEMON COUSCOUS  (adapted from Emeril Lagasse)

2 cups couscous
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 cup chopped scallions
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 wedge preserved lemon, rinsed and chopped (including rind)
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Place couscous in a wide bowl or shallow pan. Bring stock to a simmer and pour over the couscous. Cover and let sit until liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter (or heat oil) in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add scallions and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 1 minute, then add to couscous along with pine nuts, preserved lemon and chopped parsley. Use a fork to fluff well and blend all ingredients. Taste to adjust seasonings.

Yield: 4 – 6 servings

SHRIMP AND RICE PILAF WITH SAFFRON AND PRESERVED LEMON (adapted from the Food Network)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon saffron threads

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup brown rice

2 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
½ cup chopped and pitted green olives
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 wedge preserved lemon, rinsed and chopped (including rind)
Chopped Italian parsley, for garnish

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and saffron threads and cook for 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper, then add rice and sauté, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the stock, cover the pot and lower heat to simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes, or until rice is tender.

Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in a sauté pan. Add tomatoes and cayenne pepper and cook for 5 minutes until liquid reduces slightly. Add the olives, shrimp and preserved lemon. Cook over medium heat until shrimp turns pink and starts to curl slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not overcook. Season with salt and pepper.

Add rice mixture to shrimp in sauté pan and stir to blend. Taste to adjust seasonings. Turn into serving bowls and garnish with the chopped parsley.

Yield: 6 – 8 servings

• You can make this with white rice, if desired (although I like brown rice better for its texture and healthier qualities). If using white rice, decrease cooking time to 20-25 minutes.
• This recipe is somewhat “paella-like.” To make it more so, you could add chunks of cooked sausage and/or chicken.
• And yes, saffron is expensive. If you can’t bring yourself to buy it, you can substitute  turmeric (poor man's saffron). A little smoked paprika or pimenton would be good in this dish also.

Whew!  I'm done now.  Enough recipes for now?

Recipe of the Week

Chicken Alpine 

2 small cans Worthington Foods Fri Chik, diced

2 cups celery, chopped 

1 onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup sliced Almonds 

1 can cream of mushroom soup 

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

2 cups cheese croutons

4 ounces of cheddar cheese, grated 

Saute onions and celery in canola oil. Combine Fri Chik, milk, mushroom soup, mayonnaise, croutons, cheddar cheese, and the sauteed onions and celery together. Put mixture into a 9x13 glass baking dish (sprayed with non-stick spray). Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle almonds on top of Chicken Alphine, then bake dish for another 10 minutes. 

Enjoy! And be sure to link up your recipes below!