by TheLastWonton | May 12, 2017 | Appetizers & Snacks, Salads & Bowls, Sides, Vegetarian, Veggies
Chop! Chop! Greekness-goodness-veggie-freshness in a bowl, riddled and crowned with dreamy, creamy, tangy feta. Feta rules!
sta-ple ˈ/stāpəl/
noun
1. a main or important element of something, especially of a diet.
Seldom a week passes without me making a good-size batch of Greek salad. It's pretty much a staple at our house. And Forest Grump devours it. Everytime. He loves it. He makes those happy eating noises whilst munching. Everytime.
Because I do make it so often and because Forest Grump has some very particular tastes, our version of Greek salad has developed to meet and greet his tastes. But in doing so, I daresay Our Greek Salad could well make many other partakers happy munchers too.
I've come to prefer those, now more readily available, mini cucumbers and always use red onion and cherry or grape tomatoes and plump Kalamata olives. Instead of green pepper, I chop up a fresh poblano pepper, to kick things up a bit, and a tad of orzo is a must. Then lemon juice, red wine vinegar and the best damn extra virgin olive oil you can get your hands on.
And then there's the feta. [Cue clouds parting, streams of sunlight, angels singing.] Promise me you'll always use superb feta. No really….promise me! It'll make all the difference in the world.
Of course there is great Greek feta, some fine French feta, and some locally available artisan fetas, that are exceptional. Seek, find, taste and purchase quality feta for your Greek salads and you'll elevate the deliciousness quotient up, up and up.
I'm quite tickled with myself that I have found the source for consistently praiseworthy feta. The been-there-so-long-its-almost-an-institution, bustling little Mediterranean Market, in Kelowna brings in this dreamy, creamy, tangy sheep feta, from Bulgaria, that kicks ass!
So, I'm thinking, maybe if you can find some Bulgarian sheep feta somewhere close to where you live, it'll be worth a try, too. Fingers crossed.
That's about it, a bit of chopping, a bit of shopping ahead for 'the right stuff' and you too might become Greek Salad junkies.
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OUR GREEK SALAD – 6 Servings
1/2 cup dry orzo, cooked al dente, drained, rinsed with cold water
2 cups chopped mini cucumbers (quarter cukes lengthwise, then chop in smallish chunks)
1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
1 pint fresh plump cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size
1 medium poblano pepper, chopped into about 1/2-inch chunks
2/3 cup whole Kalamata olives (not pitted)
1 cup roughly crumbled, bizarrely good feta cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons splendid extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and a good schwack of freshly ground black pepper
Extra crumbled feta, to top servings
Add cooked orzo, cucumber chunks, red onion slices, tomatoes, chopped poblano, olives and feta to a large bowl.
Add lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Gently mix and turn using a big spoon, spatula, or your hands, to evenly distribute all veggies, dressing and feta. You want some of the feta crumbles to break down a bit and become part of the dressing, but you also want some of the feta crumbles to stay 'whole', to stay put, as delicious little flavour bursts.
Transfer to serving bowl, crown with some extra feta crumbles, just 'cuz you can, and either serve up, or refrigerate from 2 to 24 hours.
That all said, you can't go wrong, adding a little more of this, or a little less of that. Make this baby you own! Opa!
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by TheLastWonton | May 10, 2017 | Italian, Main Dishes, Pasta & Noodles, Sides, Vegetarian
Mamma Mia! Perfectly al dente pasta tossed with sinfully rich, nutty, browned butter and slightly robust Mizithra cheese. A true Old Spaghetti Factory classic.
Mizithra is a traditional Greek whey cheese that has been enjoyed in Greece for thousands of years. Mizithra is manufactured from milk and whey derived from sheep, goats, or cows, or mixtures of these milks, in many regions of Greece, including Aegean and Crete Islands.
The Old Spaghetti Factory imports over 200,000 pounds of Mizithra cheese a year. And their spaghetti with Mizithra cheese and browned butter has remained the most popular dish since opening in 1969.
I haven't been back to the Old Spaghetti Factory for years now, but I surely remember the pure satisfaction of diving into an order of this cheese speckled, buttery repast, more often than not, now making it even more fun to prepare at home.
Like many of the most delectable Italian dishes, the preparation here is simple, straightforward. The results, for those so inclined, damn good.
Many versions of this recipe strain the nutty, browned bits out of the butter before serving. To that we say, no, no, no, those bits deliver quite the heavenly little flavour boost. Leave them be, they'll make your tastebuds say, "Hello dahlink".
I've also found that adding a tich of Pecorino Romano cheese to the mix, just seems to bring the textures and flavours together, all happy, happy.
And no matter what, please pass the pepper mill to one and all partaking of these buttery, cheesy twirls of noodles, 'cuz freshly ground black pepper and Spaghettini with Browned Butter & Mizithra Cheese are a bit of a magical merger.
That said, pepper or not, these very few, basic, quality ingredients lovingly combined are a magical merger themselves, and just kind of a groovy dish to make. Godere!
I wasn't going to mention it, because, um, er, well, I just wasn't. But apparently I can't stop myself. There's this person, who shall remain unnamed, who after enjoying the first half of her bowl of spaghettini sometimes has the audacity to add a wallop or two of ketchup to the remaining noodles. Ketchup? Geez!!!
But, rumour has it, that somehow because of the very nature of this dish (all that nutty butter and cheese!) the ketchup transforms and totally amps up the deliciousness factor. (like some secret chef-y condiment) Who woulda' thunk, eh? Hmmm…..Maybe, just maybe, I might have to cave in one day and go for the Heinz.
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SPAGHETTINI with BROWNED BUTTER & MIZITHRA CHEESE – 4 Servings
1 pound spaghettini
1 cup butter
1 cup good quality Mizithra cheese, grated
1/3 cup good quality Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
Freshly ground black pepper
Melt butter on medium high heat in small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium, allowing butter to foam and 'fry', whisking 
occasionally to cut the foam and keep the browned bits that form on the bottom, from burning. As the butter cooks it will transform from creamy yellow to golden brown.
Watch carefully at this point, whisking occasionally until butter smells nutty and sweet and is a dark golden brown. Remove from heat.
When you are ready, boil spaghettini to al dente, drain and return to pot. While pasta is boiling combine the cheeses. Now, add browned butter to cooked spaghettini and toss to evenly coat. Add cheeses and a couple of grinds of black pepper and toss again. Serve immediately with extra cheese, ketchup, and cracked black pepper.
Mangia, mangia!
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by TheLastWonton | May 9, 2017 | Appetizers & Snacks, Beef, Pork & Lamb, Breakfast & Brunch, Sides, Treats
Crispy bacon boasting a praline-ish, salty, sweet, nutty, caramelized cloak of rather brazen deliciousness, with just a little tingle of spice. Oh yes please!
TOP TEN REASONS TO MAKE CARAMELIZED BACON
10. Friends and family will appreciate you just a teensy, weensy bit more.
9. The Barefoot Contessa says, "This is the most outrageous hors d'oeuvre I've ever made."
8. The flavour combo of salty and sweet reaches new lip smacking heights.
7. Night breezes will whisper, "I love you."
6. You might possibly win the coveted Best Cocktail Hour Appy Award.
5. Birds may suddenly appear, whenever you are near.
4. These can be made early in the day and stored at room temperature.
3. Dogs will do your bidding.
2. They're damn good with a glass of wine, a tasty cocktail, or an icy brewski.
1. When you take them out of the oven, you'll want to exclaim, "Boom-Shaka-Laka!"
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BIG SHOUT OUT AND THANKS TO BO, FOR TESTING, TASTING
AND TAIL-WAGGING APPROVAL, OF THIS RECIPE!
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Once again, thank-you Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, for all
your amazing recipes, that never fail to inspire me to
eagerly tootle about my kitchen.
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CARAMELIZED BACON – Makes 16 to 20 appetizers
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon (or more) ground cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
8 – 10 thick-sliced applewood smoked bacon (about 1/2 pound)
Preheat oven to 375F. Line a sheet pan with foil (for easy clean-up) and place a wire baking rack on top.
Combine the brown sugar and pecans n a food processor and process until the pecans are finely ground. Add the salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper and pulse to combine. Add the maple syrup and pulse again to moisten the crumbs.
Cut each bacon slice in half crosswise and line up the pieces on the baking rack, without touching. With a small spoon, evenly spread the pecan mixture on top of each piece of bacon, using all of the mixture.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the topping is very browned but not burnt. Make sure your bacon is not underbaked, or it will not crisp as it cools.
While it's hot, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside to cool. Serve at room temperature.
(The caramelized bacon can be made early in the day and stored at room temperature.)
Boom-Shaka-Laka!
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by TheLastWonton | May 8, 2017 | Appetizers & Snacks, Hawaiian, Pasta & Noodles, Salads & Bowls, Sides, Vegetarian
Creamy, tangy, veggie riddled, down-home, Island-style potato salad, kicked up with a marvelous little blast of fresh jalapeno, just to keep Pele the Fire Goddess smiling.
This potato salad recipe is more a guideline than a recipe. It's very forgiving, and stays deliciously happy with carrots or fresh green beans added, instead of the cukes and celery. Damn good too with chopped homemade dill pickles. It's one of those family recipes that gets made again and again, sometimes with 'what's on hand', for potlucks or holidays or BBQ's – it's potato salad brah, it goes with just about everything.
And as long as we see Papa coming back for seconds or Forest Grump chowing down, with chopsticks of course, on a big heaping helping, I know I've got it right.
This version definitely leans towards Hawaiian style as it includes a bit of pasta, as well as the spuds. It's just a local kine thing to do. On the Islands, macaroni salad almost always has a few potatoes in it and vice versa. You might say, that in Hawaii, there's never too much of a good thing!
The addition of fresh, very lightly pickled jalapenos adds an almost soft, but discernible fiery undertone. Yum!
After all, when you live or spend time on the beguiling Big Island how can you not honour the Volcano every chance you get with something or other that packs a pleasurable utterance of heat, for your tastebuds.
Which brings me to share an entry I made into my journal when we lived in Kona.
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Dear Journal ~
I've been awed. Last week we went over to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to check out the recent flow activity from Kilauea volcano. We arrived at one area of the current flow site just in time to head out onto some of the newest land on the planet, with a Park Ranger.
Much of the ground we walked on was so new it was warm, not warm from the sun above but from the inferno below. As we followed along on the crusty new black lava and I wondered if any other human being had walked here yet, the Ranger shared some of his vast knowledge of the volcano with us.
Then we were 'there'! Not a stone's throw from our toes molten earth twisted and oozed and inched its way towards the sea. It seemed stubborn, almost reluctant to move away from us, that it would rather stop to play and cavort, knowing well it was creating a spectacle second to none, and wallowing in our attention. But the call of the sea is far too powerful, cannot go unheeded. So move it did. That huge rope of red hot lava, tinged with black as it cooled, kept on course, whirling, surging, sweeping towards the Pacific all the while demanding our undivided, eyes-wide-open fascination.
Then someone spoke. It was the Ranger. It was time to go. Excited chatter erupted within our privileged little group of lucky volcano visitors, and didn't stop until we said our good-byes. As we pulled away from the park that evening I wondered how many people will I meet in my life that have stood toe to toe with red hot lava. The Big Island……there's no place like it. I'll never ever forget the day I got up close and personal with Kilauea's flow. We'd come in search of natural splendour and Pele delivered as only Pele can.
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HAWAIIAN POTATO SALAD
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 Maui, Vidalia, or Red onion (suggestive of Pele's fiery power!), thinly sliced into 1/2 circles
2 fresh jalapenos, 1 sliced thin into rings, 1 finely chopped (minced), seeds included
2 pounds new red, or golden fleshed potatoes, halved
3/4 cup dry (uncooked) ditali pasta (or other small-ish pasta)
2 eggs, hard boiled, peeled, smooshed finely with a fork
1 cup (scant) crispy celery, thinly sliced
1 cup mini cucumbers, quartered lengthwise, chopped into small chunks
1 – 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a medium bowl mix together red wine vinegar, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt. Add onions and jalapenos. Marinate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving pickling juice.
Put potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, add 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn down heat to maintain an easy boil and cook until just tender. Drain potatoes and rinse well with cold water to stop cooking and to cool those spuds down. Chop into about 1 inch cubes, and set aside.
Cook ditali in boiling salted water until just al dente. Drain, rinse thoroughly with cold water.
Add diced potatoes and cooked ditali to large bowl. Add the eggs, celery, cucumber chunks and drained onion and jalapenos. Add one cup mayonnaise, mustard, 1/2 of the pickling juice and salt and pepper, to taste, to the bowl. Mix gently to combine and evenly distribute dressing. Add more mayo, if mixture is not well covered with dressing. Taste, adjust seasonings, and add more pickling juice, if desired. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours so flavours meet one another and get all friendly. Serve chilled.
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by TheLastWonton | May 7, 2017 | Baking & Desserts, Breads & Sandwiches, Breakfast & Brunch, Recipes
Easy peasy, moist, cream scones riddled with the tart sweetness of plump, ripe raspberries and strewn with toasty almond goodness.
According to Webster's Dictionary scones originated in Scotland in the early 1500s. It is strongly argued that the word 'scone' is thought to have come from the Scottish name for the Stone of Destiny, where Scottish kings were once crowned.
'Scone'. Say it, exclaim it, but do so with your verrry best Scottish accent!
'Ach, dinna ignore me! Ye must fash yersel. 'Scone!" Thank ye, now I shall be gettin' bahk to whay I be here……
These delicious, mostly common-place biscuits that we so enjoy in all their various down-home or uptown guises have indubitably stood the test of time. Rightfully so!
And as with most scones, this tasty version is perfect for breakfast, brunch, coffee breaks, or of course tea time! These scones are moist, but structured, with the crispy, golden-brown spots on the outside giving way to a beguiling soft goodness on the inside, and boasting just a bit of a bite, to keep things interesting.
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Many thanks to Two Peas & Their Pod food blog for delicious
inspiration to bake up this recipe
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RASPBERRY TOASTED ALMOND SCONES – Makes 8
For the scones:
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream mixed with 1 tablespoon Amaretto or 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 cup fresh raspberries
Extra 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream, for brushing on scones
For the almond glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
5 tablespoons heavy cream, or milk
1 tablespoon Amaretto or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup sliced almonds, for garnish
Directions: Preheat oven to 325F. Spread the combined 1/3 cup + 1/4 cup sliced almonds evenly on baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until toasty golden. Let cool.
Turn oven up to preheat to 400F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add cubed butter and mix, mix, squish, squish, with hands, until butter is incorporated into dry ingredients, with just a few little butter lumps left. Pour the mixture of 1 cup heavy cream with the Amaretto or almond extract over the ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until dough forms. Do not overmix.
Gently fold in raspberries and 1/3 cup toasted, sliced almonds. Some of the raspberries will get a little smashed, but that's all good.
Transfer dough to a floured countertop and knead and form dough, gently, with hands to form a ball. Now pat the dough into a 3/4-inch thick circle. Cut the scones into 8 even triangles (pie shaped slices).
Place the scones on prepared baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush tops lightly with the additional heavy cream.
Bake scones for 15-20 minutes, or until light golden brown and cooked through. Cool scones.
While scones are cooling, make the almond glaze. In a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar, 5 tablespoons heavy cream or milk, and Amaretto or almond extract. Whisk, whisk, until desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over the scones. Top with additional toasted almond slices. Serve, with a smile!
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