Tag: make ahead

Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves) with Tahini Sauce

Leave a comment

IMG_3009.JPG

 

Happy Wednesday!

I went to a Greek restaurant with my mother-in-law a few weeks ago, and we had Dolmades, stuffed rice grape leaves, as an appetizer. I totally forgot about how much I love these little bundles of joy! A week later, I made them at home. It was a great rainy day project as it took about an hour and a half, but my husband and I have been eating them all week.

I love wine, so grapes and I are definitely good friends, but often the leaf of the grape is forgotten–it is a wonderful vessel for stuffing filling whether it be rice, ground beef/lamb, or an exciting combination of both!

They’re healthy, summery, and versatile. The ones I made have ground beef in them as well, but these are just as good simply with rice. You have the vegetarian/vegan flexibility with stuffed grape leaves. They’re paleo, low-carb, gluten-free, and all other hyphenated diet terms galore. These are good for you and taste good–often times, the both are not possible, but this is one fabulous exception.

Grape leaves are found abound in the Middle East/Mediterranean regions of the world. I’ve had the Greek, Turkish, Lebanese, and Palestinian versions, and they all have the slightest variant that makes the grape leave uniquely their own.

Greek Style (Dolmades, Dolmathakia): Lots of lemon, typically prepared with mint and dill

Turkish Style (Dolma, Sarma): Warmed spices (Currants, cinnamon, all spice) and a bit of sugar

Lebanese Style (Warak akish) : Usually lamb and/or ground beef, lemon juice, tomato paste/pomegranate molasses, some warm spices

Palestinian Style (Warak enab mehshi): Mainly Lebanese style with ghee (butter), sometimes parsley

**And I think Armenians do a stuffed cabbage roll similar to a grape leaf, so it’s an international delight!***

For my grape leaves, I went in the Greek direction with an Indian and Lebanese approach. I know Indians do not make grape leaves, but I decided to add Garam Masala to my sauteed onions to incorporate my version of the aforementioned “warmed spices”.

These are great to make for a party and/or picnic as a make-ahead dish. You can eat these cold, room temperature, or hot. Again, regional approaches vary here–I find that cold is popular among the Greeks and Turkish whereas the Lebanese and Palestinian people tend to serve them warm to hot. It’s totally up to you.

You can use fresh grape leaves if you can find them, but it’s just as easy to use jarred grape leaves. Fresh grape leaves must be boiled, and they must have the main stem removed–this is not edible! If your local grocery store does not carry grape leaves, I ordered mine online through Amazon.

Some people find the preservatives/brine off-putting, which makes some people not want to eat these. But if you properly rinse off each leaf before you roll it, it should take away most of the acidity. Besides, squeezing a lemon right before serving is the right tang it needs–not from sodium benzoate. The fresh lemon really brings it together, and if you make a Tahini sauce (or buy it from a reputable place, such as Trader Joe’s), you’ll get this delicious lemony and garlic combination that is perfect.

Ingredients

  • 7-8 cups of chicken broth (you may use water, but chicken broth will impart more flavor)
  • 3 lemons
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • One 16-ounce jar fresh small grape leaves in brine (about 70 leaves)
  • 1 cup uncooked short-grain rice (I use Basmati–it’s the best!)
  • 1-2 medium-large onions, finely diced
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pounds lean ground beef or lamb (or a mixture of both)
  • 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped (you may add some mint, but I did not)
  • 1 tablespoon of Garam Masala (optional, but it was my own Indian twist)

Let’s get rollin’!

  1. Remove grape leaves out of the jar. Place all leaves in a colander and rinse/drain very well in warm water. In addition to draining off all the liquid, I individually wash off each leaf before I roll it. If you have leaves that are damaged or ripped, set those aside for layering on the bottom of the pot.
  2.  Sauté the onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until translucent, not browned. Throw in the rice into the pan and toast the rice a bit. You are not cooking the rice–you are simply imparting flavor. The rice will cook inside the leaf, so you could also not saute the rice and simply mix it with the meat if you’re short on time, but go the extra mile. 🙂
  3. In a bowl, combine the onions, ground beef/lamb (if you’re using) rice, remaining olive oil, dill, juice of 1 lemon, and pepper. Mix well by hand.
  4. Once the filling is well incorporated, gently separate one leaf and place it shiny-side down on a work surface. Place a pinch (up to a teaspoon) of the filling on the leaf at the point where the stem joined the leaf. DO NOT OVERFILL YOUR LEAVES–THEY WILL EXPLODE!
  5. Roll the leaf like you would a cigar.  You are folding the mixture up and then folding in the sides, tucking them in. Fold up the bottom of the leaf over the filling, then each side inward in parallel folds, and roll up the leaf. The roll should be firm, not tight, as the filling will expand during cooking. Repeat until all the filling has been used.
  6. Repeat this about 70 times (I am not kidding–ask for help!)
  7. Layer the torn/damaged leaves until all are in the pot so that the bottom is covered. Place the rolled up grape leaves all along the bottom and stack them in alternate directions for the most support.
  8. Once you have all your leaves in the pot, place a plate on top to keep the leaves from floating.
  9. Add the chicken stock to the pot to cover the leaves. Add more or less as needed.
  10. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil, add the remaining juice from the 1 1/2 lemons, reduce heat to low and simmer for approximately 50 to 70 minutes. Keep the lid on–otherwise, they will not properly steam.
  11. Check to see if done–if the rice has cooked, they are done. If not, continue cooking for another 10 minutes and check again.
  12. Enjoy while they are warm, leave out for room temperature, or refrigerate. My husband and I like them cold for a picnic. 🙂
  13. Serve with a fresh squeeze of a lemon slice, and dip into garlic tahini sauce (or hummus like sauce).

Garlic Tahini Sauce (If you want to make it versus buy it in the store)

Ingredients

 

  • 1 cup tahini sesame seed paste (I prefer the paste made from light colored seeds)
  • 3/4 cup lukewarm water, or more for consistency
  • 3 cloves raw garlic (or 5 cloves roasted garlic for some sweetness–mmm!)
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp salt (or more to taste)

Directions

Combine above ingredients in blender or food processor, adding the liquid gradually to make a smooth consistency.

 

 

Bacardi Gold Spiked Peach Trifles

3 Comments

Bacardi Gold

Happy Saturday!

I love to cook; I like to bake, but people–it’s summer. All the recipes should be easy, light, and fun. More time should be spent outdoors than in during this time of year. Today’s post will make sure that you are enjoying life instead of slave driving in the kitchen (although I have a lot of fun in here, usually!) This recipe is tasty, fun, and easy. It’s particularly a crowd pleaser because of the booze (I used Bacardi Gold Rum)–alcohol in desserts always piques people’s interest. Now if you need to sober up this recipe, not to worry–this tastes fine with lesser or no alcohol, too.

I made this trifle last week to complement my future Mother In Law’s grilled kebabs. Her friend made this really awesome bean and rice salad (yes, rice can be made into a salad–I will post that recipe eventually), and I figured I would make dessert. I wanted to utilize the peaches that she had on the counter, and my mind went immediately to the trifle. It’s so easy, and it’s great to make ahead! Store bought pound cake makes this recipe nice because you won’t need to turn on your oven, either!

For those of you who don’t know what a trifle is, essentially it’s a layered dessert that traditionally has alternates sponge cake, fruit, and custard/pudding filling in a “trifle” (which is a large glass bowl that’s used for entertaining). I find that the trifle bowl does look lovely for presentation, but once you dig into it to scoop some out, it gets messy and ruins all the beauty you destroyed in preparing it. To me, I rather make the dessert more fun by making this into individual servings. Because mine have booze, I like to put these in martini glasses. Alternatively, you could use a smaller pudding cup as well. Any smaller glass can do!

For this trifle, I am using vanilla pudding, pound cake, and sweet, ripened peaches. They are perfectly paired for summer, and they take almost no time to prepare.

These peach trifles are not only easy to make, but they are easy to devour. As many of my readers know, I don’t always look for the simplest recipes to make. I always complicate things to make it gain just the slightest edge in flavor. I have made this trifle many times in many variations. When I feel like I need more of a challenge, I will substitute the pudding out and actually create a vanilla bean custard instead. But the truth…is in the pudding.

Yes, I used (gasp) pudding mix, and to make my crime worsened, I even used INSTANT PUDDING. You can get a soft set from instant pudding in about 5 minutes by simply whisking whole milk and the pudding powder. When the pool or the ocean is calling my name, I rather not turn on the stove and waste an extra 20, 30 minutes. If you really feel guilty about not making “real pudding,” by all means, go traditionally here. Or go gourmet like I’ve done before and make a fine custard. Up to you, peaches. 🙂

Lastly, I do believe in the authenticity of whipped cream being fresh. You do not prepare the whipped cream until you’re about to serve, but every thing else could made ahead. I usually make this about 4-5 hours before serving.

By the way, if you are drawn to this because of the alcohol, I would like to say that there is flexibility in which type of alcohol you use as well. When I made this recipe originally, I used Jim Bean (this is a southern inspired recipe that calls for bourbon). I personally think the rum is more summery, and it complements the peaches very well, but using bourbon is perfectly acceptable; that’s what I used last year! Rum and cake are always a great pairing, just ask the Caribbean natives! 🙂

Grocery List

1 (3 1/2-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix (or you can use the larger package if you plan on making more)
2 cups milk
6-8 large fresh peaches, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 (20-ounce) package pound cake
1/3 cup gold rum (I used Bacardi)**–Again, if you want to leave the booze out, that’s perfectly fine!
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

 

Simple Directions (Recipe makes 6-8 individual servings)

1.) Prepare pudding mix according to package directions, using 2 cups milk. Cover and chill 5 minutes in the refrigerator.

2.) Peel the skin off your peaches. Once the peaches are peeled, slice them into a cubed dice. Discard the pit and skins.

3.) If your peaches aren’t particularly sweet, toss diced peaches with granulated sugar (1-3 teaspoons, depending on sweetness of the peaches in their natural state.) Taste to make sure.

4.) Cut pound cake into cubes. Place half of cake cubes on bottom of a martini class; drizzle evenly with half of gold rum.

5.) Next, spoon half of peach mixture evenly over cake cubes. Spread half of pudding over peaches. Repeat with remaining cake cube, rum, peach mixture, and pudding. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

6.) Upon being ready to serve, beat whipping cream at medium speed with an electric mixer until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over trifle; sprinkle with almonds. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Croissant Honey Dijon Chicken Salad with Split Red Grapes and Roasted Pecans

1 Comment

12548848_10205565603032626_5410911449507926635_n

Happy Monday!

As I am writing this post, it is actually Sunday. Tomorrow is the last day of school for my students (I have block scheduling in the school I teach), and so, I will have 89 students handing in their final research paper (which are at a minimum of 4 pages each.) The math is not very comforting; I will be spending approximately 30 hours this week grading papers on top of proctoring the state examinations. I am dreading this week, but I want to take the stress off of myself by spending my weekend balancing…

Cleaning

Cooking

Relaxing (believe it or not!)

I am writing my blog in advance because I want to talk about planning your meals in advance. Often times, people think of meal planning as only important if one is dieting, or if someone is planning to entertain guests. Plan your meals and you will save money, time, and your health.

If your life is anything like mine, you are so busy during the work week and rarely have time to make lunch or dinner. So what happens? We fall to temptation; we go to fast food havens and order take out. We grab packaged candy bars and chips and hope for the best.

Now I know my last two posts were not the healthiest, but generally speaking, I like to eat a balanced, healthy meal at least 5 out of the 7 days of the week. But often times my goals combat the realities of the work place, and I, too, fall short. I’ll incessantly spend money going out to eat for convenience. There is just not enough time in the day…

Except, of course, there is time often the day before. We make time for the things we love like our friends, family and binge watching television shows on Netflix. And so, you should love yourself enough and prioritize food. If you plan your meals in advance, it will take a load off your shoulders for the week, and you can feel satisfied because you’ll have tasty home cooked meals that are affordable and easy to manipulate.

Another personal challenge I have is that I live alone; although, I often host parties and have friends over. During the work week, it just me, myself, and I which makes me even less motivated to cook. Luckily, I enjoy cooking and sharing what I make with the world. I hope that my blog can help you reconsider the way you prioritize your dinners, and hopefully, inspire you to do some meals ahead of time to relieve the stresses of our every day lives.

For today’s recipe, I knew I wanted to use chicken because it is very cost effective, tasty, and is versatile. My secret weapon for today is to either…

1.) Make a large roasted chicken

2.) Buy a rotisserie chicken already cooked

I will not judge you if you do the latter. I shred rotisserie chickens often times to make White Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chiles. It’s so good that it should be illegal. I use it in a pinch, but today, I wanted to make my own roasted chicken so I can control the seasonings.

My plan for today is to make my breakfast, lunch, and dinners ahead. I made snickerdoodle muffins so I can have a healthier* grab and go in the morning (healthier, yes, it’s not chia seed pudding or a kale shake). For lunch and dinner interchangeably, I made several spinach salads, and I cook the chicken to make some roasted chicken for dinner (duh), chicken enchiladas, and today’s blog post, Croissant Honey Dijon Chicken Salad with Split Red Grapes and Roasted Pecans. From one chicken, I am making three different types of meals and I am eating for the whole week. Winner, winner, chicken dinner! 😉

I don’t like chicken salad generally speaking, or any kind of “salad” that is ironically titled as such; there are usually no greens in sight, but mayonnaise reigns supreme.

I don’t like mayo. Go ahead and sue me, but I do use it as a binder for ingredients (like a crab cake). I will never use it as a condiment. Do not try to change my opinion on it–it’s nasty. But because there will be people who rally a petition against me if I say don’t use mayo when you prepare this recipe, I will allow it.

Instead of mayo, I used a healthy alternative by mixing Greek yogurt and sour cream. I totally left the mayo out because I’m a health nut, and it has nothing to do with my disgust for it–nope not at all. 🙂 If you are team mayo, feel free to replace my Greek yogurt for mayo, and the results should be the same.

I think what makes this chicken salad delicious (in addition to not having any mayonnaise in sight) is that it has elements of sophistication. I believe the chives and celery give a great flavor base; the honey and dijon mustard adds a classic French dimension; but most uniquely, it is on a buttery, flaky croissant, red grapes, and crushed roasted Pecans. I think the acidity of the fruit with the cool chicken is wonderful. It reminds me of an actual salad; in my opinion, the best salads have a balance of textures and taste. My favorite go to salad is grilled chicken, spinach, bleu cheese crumbles, dried cranberries, and pecans. The nuts, fruits, and cheese harmoniously balance each other out. I think that most sophisticated dishes incorporate more than one type of food group which is what brings it to that next level.

Similarly, this chicken salad has many different layers of flavor and textures. The best part? It’s super easy.

Make this chicken salad–you won’t regret it.

Step One: Roast Your Host (Please let it not be you as the cook–I meant the star of the show, your chicken…)

Roasted Chicken* 

1 whole chicken (about 4-5 pounds)

3 tablespoons of fresh thyme

1 tablespoon of salt (add more for the rub!)

1 tablespoon of pepper (add more!)

1 teaspoon of paprika** (optional)

1 lemon cut in quarters

3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

12 cloves of garlic

Julienned vegetables (carrots and celery)***

***-optional–only if you plan on making a chicken soup from the drippings.

*-Skip this step if you are purchasing a ready made rotisserie chicken. If you are not making your chicken, make sure it is as plainly seasoned; don’t get something too strong of one flavor as it would not be as versatile for other dishes for the week.

  1.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Get a deep covered baker, or a roasting pan (just make sure you can cover your chicken for the first part) and spray with cooking spray or brush on olive oil.
  2. Remove giblets and excessive fat from the chicken (you know, that creepy bag with your chicken’s organs; please don’t cook it!) Dry your chicken with a paper towel. If you have time, let your chicken “dry out” in the refrigerator to get extra crispy skin (my favorite part of the chicken.)
  3. Pour about two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil on chicken. You may use butter, if you prefer. Rub all on chicken and make sure it is evenly distributed.
  4. Grab a handful of thyme sprigs. Please use fresh thyme as dried thyme does not have the same “oomph.” Pick out the leaves and generously spread all over the chicken.
  5. Salt and pepper the chicken generously to create a light rub. If you like, you may add paprika as well.
  6. Quarter a lemon and shove inside the cavity of the chicken. Squeeze one quarter over the chicken, or more to your taste. Throw in some thyme sprigs into the cavity as well.
  7. Smash six cloves of garlic and throw whole cloves inside the chicken.
  8. Smash six more cloves and put around the chicken in the baker. **If you have carrots and celery, julienne these and put around the chicken as this would be a good base for chicken soup.**
  9. Roast your chicken in the oven for an hour covered.
  10. After an hour has passed, take off the lid and cook for about 35-45 minutes until chicken meat is white and skin is lightly browned and crispy. Once finished cooking, let cool before carving; do not carve immediately as you’ll lose all the juices and likely burn your fingers!

Step Two: The Cool Factor

2.5-3 cups cooked, shredded chicken

1 1/2 cups chopped celery (diced finely)

1 1/2 cups red grapes, halved

1/2 cup of roasted pecans (you can use sweetened ones like I did!)

3 tablespoons of diced chives, or alternatively, 2 green onions, thinly sliced*

1 cup Greek yogurt (I used Fage–and please get plain!)

1/4 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon black pepper *

1 teaspoon salt *

Two tablespoons of honey*

Two tablespoons of Dijon mustard*

*-start with this amount and add to taste

juice of 1 small lemon

4-5 croissants

  1. If you recently cooked the chicken, let it cool until it isn’t too hot to handle. Once chicken is cool, shred with a fork, hands, or combination if you’re like me. Be sure to sort through bones and be careful!
  2. Slice and dice thinly celery, chives (or green onions) and throw into a large mixing bowl. Also, slice red grapes in half and throw into the bowl.
  3. Scoop out the Greek yogurt and sour cream and place in mixing bowl.
  4. Throw shredded chicken into mixing bowl and squeeze lemon on top of the meat.  Stir to combine.
  5. Once throughly mixed, add salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, and honey. Mix again, and season to your liking. Tip: Rip a small piece of croissant and taste mixture to be accurate assess how it will taste “all together.”
  6. Ideally, you should let the mixture stay in the refrigerator overnight to let the flavors set. If you don’t have the time, a few hours chilled will do too.
  7. When ready to make the sandwich, split a croissant in half. Put approximately half a cup on the bottom half of the sandwich. Roughly chop some roasted pecans and place on top of the chicken salad. Put the top of the croissant and admire its beauty.
  8. Eat it for the rest of your work week and be happy!

Enjoy the salad! Make sure you use all of your roasted chicken for multiple purposes in addition to this sandwich. Some recommendations: Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Enchiladas, and Pulled BBQ Chicken.

See you on Friday! Hopefully, my papers won’t completely deprive me of a life!