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thai basil seed drink

when i saw this drink recipe on www.importfood.com , i had to try it.   i just happened to be ordering thai basil seeds from that site, so a got an extra bag. 

i got my basil seeds today and immediately made the thai basil seed drink.  very unusual and extremely cool looking.  it didn't taste like thai basil at all.  in fact, it just tasted like honey flavored water....kinda disappointing.   the texture of the basil seeds was interesting and reminded me a little bit like tapioca with a tiny, crunchy center.  while i was drinking this concoction, i couldn't help but think that this was a waste of thai basil seeds.  i couldn't finish the whole drink and ended up dumping the remainder in my back yard...hopefully thai basil plants will grow from it.  i'm still glad i tried the drink though.

 

here's the recipe for those who are interested:

thai basil seed drink is made by stirring 1/3 cup sugar into 2 cups water (use less sugar as per your taste preference), add 1 tablespoon honey and stir. Then add 4 teaspoons of sweet basil seed. Within 2-3 minutes the basil seeds expand and look very odd.

posted by: artichoke72 at 18:46 | link | comments (5) |
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rigatoni alla disgraziata (rigatoni with eggplant and bread crumbs)

this is one of my favorite eggplant dishes.  the recipe originates from sicily.  disgraziata means "a disgraced one" or "a poor wretch" and the name may derive from the fact that in impoverished sicilian households, toasted bread crumbs were a substitute for the more expensive grated cheese.

i usually skip the salting of the eggplant part of this recipe....i think it makes the eggplant too squishy and i like to see the actual chunks of eggplant and to be able to bite into it.  i also have a hard time finding ricotta salata (and when i do it's like $13 a pound!) so i usually use mozzarella...not the same, but still delicious!  this recipe makes a big batch of food and luckily it freezes well.

rigatoni alla disgraziata (rigatoni with eggplant and bread crumbs)

2 medium eggplants, trimmed and cut into 1 " cubes
salt
extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 pound rigatoni
2 cups of red sauce (your favorite spaghetti sauce)
1/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
1/4 cup grated ricotta salata
parmigiano-reggiano

put eggplant into a a colander, sprinkle generously with salt, then set aside to drain for 1 hours.  rinse, then pat eggplant dry with paper towels.

heat 2 T. of extra virgin olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.  add bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.  transfer to a bowl and set aside.

wipe out skillet, add enough olive oil to coat bottom, and heat over medium-high.  add half of the eggplant and cook, stirring often, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes (sometimes i have to add a bit more olive oil to the pan if the eggplant is sticking to the bottom).  transfer eggplant with a slotted spoon to a large bowl and season to taste with salt.  add a little more olive oil to the pan and repeat process with remaining eggplant.

cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water over high heat until just tender.  put red sauce and red pepper flakes into a small pot ans warm over medium heat, about 5 minutes.  drain pasta and add to bowl with eggplant.  add warmed red sauce, ricotta salata, and bread crumbs and toss well.  serve sprinkled with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano.

posted by: artichoke72 at 18:53 | link | comments (1) |
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Kao Soi (Curry Noodle Soup)

This is my interpretation of kao soi, a spicy noodle soup found in northern Thailand.  This dish is also known as Chiang Mai Noodles and there are numerous variations.

In Thailand, kao soi is made with ba me, a type of egg noodle, but a Chinese lo-mein style egg noodle is a good substitute.  I could not find either kind of noodle locally, so I used linguine....it worked for me.  Rice noodles would also work.  I use Thai Kitchen brand red curry paste and 3 teaspoons makes makes for a really hot soup, so adjust to your tastes.  Some red curry pastes are hotter than others, so keep that in mind too.  The sugar snap peas are in no way traditional for this soup, I added those in there for crunch and color.  if you can find pickled cabbage (found in Asian markets) use it as a topping.  It's delicious.

Kao Soi (Curry Noodle Soup)

1 lb. linguine, cooked (or lo-mein noodles or ba me)
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 - 3 tsp. Thai red curry paste (to taste)
1 T. Madras curry powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can (13.5 oz.) unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups chicken stock
2 T. nam pla (Thai fish sauce) (found in Asian markets)
1 tsp. sugar
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2" pieces
1/4 lb. sugar snap peas, strings removed and halved
2 shallots,  peeled and sliced
fresh cilantro leaves
limes, cut into wedges

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add curry paste, curry powder, and cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant (about 40 seconds).  Whisk in coconut milk and stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium, add nam pla and sugar, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.  Stir in chicken and sugar snap peas and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of water if soup is too thick.

Divide noodles in soup bowls, ladle soup into bowls, and top with sliced shallots and cilantro leaves.  Serve with a wedge of lime.

Pickled cabbage (rinsed and drained), chile oil, and fried noodles are traditional toppings for kao soi, as well.

posted by: artichoke72 at 20:57 | link | comments |
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cherry breeze pie

this is a pie that my mom would make us when i was growing up.  it was a favorite of mine.   i still love cherry breeze pie, but i rarely make it (maybe once a year) because i end up eating half of the pie (or more ) myself.   i can't afford that kind of caloric luxury.  the creamy tartness of the filling with the sweetness of the cherry pie filling and graham cracker crust is just heaven and takes me back to my childhood everytime.  it is super easy to make.

 

cherry breeze pie

1 (9 inch) graham cracker ready-crust pie crust
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1/3 c. Real Lemon reconstituted lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling, chilled

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in sweetened condensed milk. Add lemon juice and vanilla, and stir until well mixed. Pour filling into crust. Chill at least 2 hours. Top with cherry pie filling before serving.

posted by: artichoke72 at 18:30 | link | comments |
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Bamia (Okra with Tomatoes and Chickpeas)

this is an egyptian dish that i made for dinner tonight. i absolutely loved it!  i'm a big okra fan though.  i used fresh okra and used canned chickpeas instead of cooking my own.  i used two cans of chickpeas (drained), but will probably use three next time i make this.  i didn't have parsley, so i used cilantro instead.  i served it with basmati rice. 

Bamia (Okra with Tomatoes and Chickpeas)

2 cups chickpeas, soaked overnight
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/4 lb. frozen Middle Eastern okra (or fresh small okra)
1 28-oz. can plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 cup vegetable stock
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

1. Place chickpeas in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer until chickpeas are tender, 20–30 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Cool beans in cooking liquid. Transfer beans and liquid to a large bowl and store, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to use.

2. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add okra and cook, stirring once or twice, until it turns bright green, about 3 minutes.

3. Stir in tomatoes and cumin and cook for 1–2 minutes. Add stock and lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to
medium-low, and cook until okra is soft, about 35 minutes.

4. Drain chickpeas. Add to okra mixture, cover, and cook just until chickpeas are heated through, 5–10 minutes. (Chickpeas should still hold their shape.) Add parsley, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and serve warm with rice, if desired.

This recipe was first published in Saveur in November/December 1996

posted by: artichoke72 at 01:50 | link | comments (2) |
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fresh summer rolls

fresh summer rolls (like the ones you get at thai or vietnamese restaurants) are some of my favorite things to make and eat.  they are super easy to make, but are a tad bit time-consuming.  i usually make lots of extra summer rolls so that we have plenty of leftovers. just make sure to wrap them in a damp paper towel to keep them from drying out. it's certainly a better deal to make your own fresh spring rolls. they are so expensive at restaurants....sometimes they go for up to $3.50 for 2 rolls. i can make 20 at home for that price.

i change my summer roll ingredients often. sometimes i don't add shrimp and instead add cucumbers and mung bean sprouts. sometimes i add fried tofu instead of the shrimp. i've added shredded beets and don't recommend that (unless you like beets) because the taste is too overpowering. 

to make the summer rolls, start with a round sheet of rice paper.  soak  that in hot water until it was pliable.  lay it out on a clean, dry dish towel and put a little bit of red leaf lettuce on the bottom third portion. on top of the lettuce,  place cooked rice vermicelli noodles and then cilantro and mint leaves. i usually add thai basil as well....if i can find it or if i have some growing in the garden.  next, add a little shredded carrot that has macerated in a bit of sugar to the summer roll and then i roll it up enough to enclose the fillings. fold in the two sides and add a couple pieces of cooked shrimp that has been cut in half lengthwise.  continue to roll the roll until all ingredients are fully enclosed. keep prepared summer rolls covered with a damp cloth or paper towel so that they don't dry out.

for the dipping sauce,  mix equal parts of hoisin sauce and water and a dash of soy sauce. stir well and then sprinkle with chopped peanuts. i also chop up whatever hot chiles i have on hand (thais, serranos, or jalapenos) to add to my peanut sauce. i like tons of chiles in mine.

posted by: artichoke72 at 00:32 | link | comments |
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new mexican-style stacked enchiladas

the other night, i didn't feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen, so i made new mexican-style stacked enchiladas. they were super easy, inexpensive (less than $5 for the whole meal), fast (15 minutes from start to finish), and delicious.  i served the enchiladas with black beans, which meshes really well with the enchilada sauce.

new mexican-style stacked enchiladas

enchilada sauce
corn tortillas
grated cheese
chopped onions (optional)

to make the enchiladas, heat enchilada sauce (either homemade or canned) until hot.  keep hot so the sauce will melt the cheese when added to the enchilada stack.   

heat some canola oil in a small frying pan and briefly fry corn tortillas (about 4 per person), until they were soft, but not crispy.

to assemble the enchiladas, put a softened corn tortilla on a plate, spoon on some hot enchilada sauce, sprinkle on grated cheese (i use cabot's habanero cheddar cheese) and onions, if using.  then top that with another softened tortilla. repeat the process....sauce, cheese (onions), tortilla.....three more times and top the enchilada stack with more sauce and a little more cheese.

 
for a quick enchilada sauce, season 2 cans of (old el paso) mild enchilada sauce with chili powder, garlic powder, habanero powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, and salt until it tasted good and not like it came from a can.

posted by: artichoke72 at 20:19 | link | comments |
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Chai Butter Cookies

This is a recipe I got from my friend Donna in L.A.   I love chai tea and had to make these cookies.  They reminded me a little of gingersnaps, but better.  I'm sure the brand of chai tea mix used will slightly alter the taste of these cookies.  I was only able to find the Lipton Chai Latta mix (Original flavor), but there are several other brands of instant chai tea mix (Oregon Chai and Celestial Seasonings are two others).  I rolled my cookies in Florida Crystals Demerara natural sugar.  The large sugar crystals not only looked great, they also added crunch to the cookies and even caramelized a bit on the bottoms of the cookies.

Chai Butter Cookies

1 cup instant chai tea mix
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
* extra sugar in bowl to roll cookies in. 

In a large bowl cream butter, sugar, and chai tea mix until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time mixing well.  In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt and mix well  Blend flour mixture into the creamed mixture until all the dry ingredients have been absorbed.  Cover dough and refrigerate one hour for flavor to set.

Preheat over to 375 degrees.  Roll cookie dough into walnut sized balls and then roll into sugar.  Place cookies onto greased cookie sheets about 3 inches apart and flatten slightly using a fork or bottom of a glass.  Bake 10-12 minutes, just until the edges are brown.  Remove from sheets and cool on wire racks.

posted by: artichoke72 at 01:01 | link | comments |
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Cream of Cilantro Soup

my arteries started clogging just reading this recipe...so i tweaked the recipe quite a bit to lower the (saturated) fat content.  we enjoyed the version i came up with.  i served the soup alongside spinach and portabella mushroom quesadillas and fresh salsa (1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, 1/2 medium onion, 1 clove garlic, 2 serrano chiles, a handful of cilantro, juice from 1/2 a lime, salt and cumin to taste.  blend ingredients in blender or food processor). i didn't make the black bean salsa to go with the soup, so i can't vouch for that.    my recipe notes are below the recipe.

Cream Of Cilantro Soup W/Black Bean Salsa
Yield: 10 Servings

1/2 c butter or margarine
1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro; divided
1 medium onion; chopped
2 stalks celery; chopped
1 1/2 ts ground cumin
2 cloves garlic; minced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded; finely chopped
1 shallot; chopped
1/2 c flour
4 14.5 oz cans vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 c whipping cream
4 oz Monterey jack cheese; shredded

BLACK BEAN SALSA:
1 16 oz can black beans; rinsed & drained
1 lg tomato; seeded & chopped
1/2 c chopped purple onion
4 green onions; chopped
2 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 T fresh lime juice
1 T red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, onion, and next 5 ingredients. Cook, stirring constantly, 5-7 minutes or until tender.  Stir in flour and cook mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly about 7 minutes or until mixture is golden brown. Add vegetable broth, stirring rapidly until blended; add bay leaf. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in pepper and whipping cream and cook 5 minutes.  Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding vegetables. Add shredded cheese and remaining 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro.  Pour soup into individual serving bowls. Spoon Black Bean Salsa in center of each bowl.

To prepare Black Bean Salsa: Combine black beans, tomato, and remaining ingredients. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

my recipe notes:

* i only used 1/4 cup of butter instead of 1/2 cup.
* i used 1 cup of half and half instead of 2 cups of cream.
* i eliminated the cheese from the recipe.  i grated some cheese to put on the table so we could add cheese if we wanted, but forgot to put it out....the soup really didn't need it, imo.
* after adding the flour, i cooked the mixture for only a few minutes (the flour was burning at the bottom of the pan) instead of browning it for 7 minutes, as the recipe states.
* instead of straining the mixture, i used the hand blender to puree the veggies into the soup.  this added more flavor (to replace the flavor from all the fat i removed) and thickened the soup a bit.
* the soup came out a little on the thin side, i'll probably use a little less vegetable broth next time i make it.

posted by: artichoke72 at 14:46 | link | comments |
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