Tropical Chicken Salad with Cheddar and Tarragon Crisps

One of my favorite salads is Waldorf, but I really enjoy the addition of a protein like chicken or shrimp. This salad is close to a Waldorf, but with papaya and pineapple used instead of apple. These ingredients came from the most recent Foodie Joust - papaya, cheese and tarragon. At first sight, I was a little lost, but after a lot of time to mull it over, this is what I came up with.

Lara, Ian and Katie couldn't get enough of it, and with a picky audience like that, you know it's good stuff.

Tropical Chicken Salad with Cheddar and Tarragon Crisps
Serves 4

2 cups cooked chicken breast - cubed
1/2 cup red pepper - diced
1/2 cup each yellow and red papaya - cubed
1/2 cup pineapple chunks
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts

Combine and toss to coat well. Refrigerate for half an hour to allow flavors to blend.

Cheddar and Tarragon Crisps
Makes 1 baking sheet of crisps

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons tarragon leaves

Mix well and spread on a greased parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a 450 degree F oven until bubbly, browned and crisp - 5 - 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. Let stand until cool before peeling from parchment and breaking into serving pieces.

Turmeric Shrimp in Banana Leaves with Banana Salsa

Inspired by this month's ingredients for the Royal Foodie Joust - turmeric, banana and honey - I came up with this. We just had this for dinner and it was summer-all-over. Ian ate more than his fair share and my brother-in-law, Tim stopped by and declared the salsa a hit. He balked at the name, but bent over the bowl and inhaled and quickly turned to me and said he would try it. He even told me to mention that he loved it.

I think it was very refreshing, and I love the earthiness of the turmeric with the shrimp. The flavor that the banana leaf imparts to the shrimp was just another delicious layer.

So, here's the recipe - roughly:

Turmeric Shrimp in Banana Leaves with Banana Salsa
Serves 4

1 pound large shrimp in shell
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 clove garlic - minced
4 sections of banana leaf - 8x8 each
kosher salt

For Salsa:

1/2 cup red onion - diced
1/2 each red and yellow pepper - diced
1 medium cucumber - peeled, seeded and diced
1 large just ripe banana (a little green is best) - diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime - juiced
1 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Rinse banana leaves and set aside. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Gently toast spices in a small pan - this works best before spices are ground, but still helps to boost flavor when they have been ground. Combine spices and garlic and make a paste. Toss with shrimp (I like the shell on, but you can remove it) until well coated. Divide shrimp between banana leaves and fold up into small packets. Set, seam side down, in a shallow pan and put into the oven. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and open each on a plate. Serve with banana salsa.

For salsa - combine onion, cucumber, peppers, cilantro, lime juice, honey and salt. Stir well. Cut and add banana just before service. Toss gently once banana is added.

Arancini

Lest anyone think I've not been blogging due to lack of inspiration, I present Arancini to thwart those thoughts. I'm full of inspiration, creating like mad lately, but with very few opportunities to photograph and write. I also had a couple nights of 'no cooking' with meals provided by Omaha Steaks from Martin's Aunt Joan - we even had dessert with them - lovely little caramel apple tarts that were perfect with vanilla ice cream. This is the second package from Omaha Steaks from Martin's family; the other was from his cousin Chris. I feel positively spoiled.

This recipe for Arancini is my submission to this month's Royal Foodie Joust. Last month's winner, Núria of Spanish Recipes, offered up tomato, bacon and rice as the three ingredients for this month's Joust. My first thought was rice and beans, but let's face it, that's not exactly a winning entry in such a tough competition unless it's presented in a truly fabulous way - which I don't seem to be very adept at. My second thought was rice balls, but not onigiri, which are wonderful in their own right, but not what I was looking for. I had thought on something more Hispanic in flavor, but Arancini seemed to fill the bill for me.

Normally Arancini is made with leftover risotto, but as my arborio rice had gone missing since the move and I didn't have the energy to head to the store for that single ingredient, I made these with regular long-grain leftover rice. They were just as delicious as the risotto kind and the kids are asking me to make them again very soon.

Arancini
Makes 8

4 cups leftover cooked rice OR leftover risotto
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (if you use rice or if the risotto didn't have any added already)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
8 - 1" cubes mozzarella cheese
2 Tablespoons water
1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1 cup all-purposed flour
2 cups thick Marinara sauce

Combine rice, 1 egg, Parmesan, salt and crumbled bacon together until well blended.
Form into 8 evenly sized balls. Flatten each slightly and add a cube of cheese to the center of each ball, making sure to wrap the cheese completely within the rice.
Bread each rice ball by dipping in flour, egg wash (the other egg and water mixed well) and then breadcrumbs until well coated. Fry each in deep hot oil until golden brown. Drain well on paper toweling and serve with warm Marinara sauce.

**The consistency of these should be like dough - they should hold their shape easily. If they don't stay together well, try adding another egg to the mixture.

Royal Foodie Joust Entry: Pork and Asparagus Rolls on Wilted Spinach

Here is my entry for this month's Royal Foodie Joust for which the 3 ingredients are, lemongrass, almonds and asparagus. Even the littlest noseminers liked this one.


Pork and Asparagus Rolls on Wilted Spinach
Serves 2

12 spears asparagus
4 one-inch thick slices pork tenderloin
2 four-inch lengths of lemongrass
1/4 cup whole unsalted almonds
2 teaspoons orange marmalade
6 ounces fresh baby spinach
1 Tablespoon thinly sliced green onion
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon Sherry
2/3 cup beef stock
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
salt and pepper to taste
neutral oil such as canola for frying

Remove woody ends of asparagus spears and tie the spears together. Cut the outer leaves of the lemongrass away from the tender centers and set aside. Steam asparagus spears with water prepared with these outer lemongrass leaves and salt. Steam lightly for 2-3 minutes only. Set aside.

Pound tenderloin slices thin. Do this very gently. Pork tenderloin is already very tender and over-pounding will cause them to break up. Spread 1/2 teaspoon orange marmalade on each pounded filet.

Cut asparagus spears into 3 inch lengths. Set 3 cut spears (the end with the top intact) onto the smaller end of the filet. Roll up tightly and set aside, seam side down while you roll the other filets and asparagus.

Grind 1/4 cup almonds fine. Add salt and pepper to taste and roll each pork and asparagus roll in the almonds.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add each coated roll, seam side down, to the pan and cook
until well browned on each side. This takes 6-8 minutes for each roll. Set aside and keep warm.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Chop one length of lemongrass (with harder outer leaves removed) and add to the oil. Heat briefly until fragrant - just a few seconds will do it. Add spinach and stir just until wilted. Remove to 2 plates and top each mound of spinach with 2 asparagus and pork rolls.

For sauce - stir together soy sauce, 1 Tablespoon thinly sliced lemongrass stalk, green onion, garlic, Sherry, stock and cornstarch. Pour sauce ingredients into the same pan used for the spinach and heat until thickened.

Pour sauce over rolls and serve immediately.

Veggie Wednesday: Mandarin Orange and Cucumber Rice Salad with Orange Blossom Vinaigrette

This is a dual-purpose recipe; it works perfectly for Veggie Wednesday and is my submission to the Royal Foodie Joust for this month. The ingredients this month were Satsuma (or any other orange citrus) - zest, fruit or juice, shallots and Edible Flowers. I couldn't find anything fresh (don't ever eat edible varieties if they are bought at the florist - check HERE for more tips) and there weren't any dried varieties I wanted to use, so I broke out one of my flower waters - orange blossom this time - and invented this rice salad.

It's very bright and fresh tasting - just like Spring!

Mandarin Orange and Cucumber Rice Salad with Orange Blossom Vinaigrette
Serves 6

Vinaigrette:

1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons orange blossom water
1 Tablespoon pomegranate vinegar (or other fruited vinegar)
1/2 cup liquid from canned mandarin oranges
1 shallot - minced
1/2 teaspoon salt


Salad:

2 cups water
1 cup rice
1 shallot - diced finely
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced - about 1 cup
1 small can (11 ounces) mandarin orange segments

Combine vinaigrette ingredients, stir well and let stand in the refrigerator for one hour to blend flavors.

Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add oil. Stir in shallot and rice. Stir well so that rice is well coated with oil. Add water, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover tightly and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat and cool completely. It's important to have the rice cool before adding the vinaigrette so that the rice will not absorb it all.

Toss orange segments and cucumber with vinaigrette and let stand - refrigerated - until rice is cool. When rice is fully cooled, combine with vinaigrette mixture and serve immediately.

Sunday Breakfast - Royal Foodie Joust Entry

This month's RFJ ingredients seemed to throw several of us for a loop. They are: acorn squash, sage and orange. My first attempt at a submission was truly horrid. I made a dessert acorn squash stuffed ravioli with an orange/sage relish. I actually gagged at first bite. Something about the flavors put together that way just didn't work, but I refused to give up.

This morning I made an excellent breakfast of acorn squash pancakes and chicken sausage with a maple-orange glaze. It was truly delicious!

Acorn Squash Pancakes

2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon each powdered ginger and cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed or pureed acorn squash
2 eggs
1/2 to 1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine squash, eggs, and vanilla and blend well. Mix together flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Add flour mixture to squash mixture alternately with milk until a loose batter forms. Drop by 1/4 cup onto a hot griddle and cook until bubbles form on the top and the edges are dry. Flip over and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Chicken Sausage with Maple-Orange Glaze

1 pound ground chicken
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all and blend well. Form into small balls or patties and fry until golden. Add the juice of one orange, 1/2 teaspoon orange zest and 1/3 cup maple syrup. Simmer for several minutes and make sure all sausages are coated well.

Royal Foodie Joust Entry: Braised Fennel and Salmon with Cream Sauce

The ingredients for this month are: fennel, parsley and dairy. This is what I decided to do with those.

Braised Fennel and Salmon with Cream Sauce

2 salmon steaks or fillet cuts
1 bulb fresh fennel with top
3 cups chicken or seafood stock
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1 bunch parsley stems
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
chopped fresh parsley and fennel top

1. Combine stock, parsley stems, fennel seed and several lengths of fennel top (the frilly stuff) and simmer for 15 minutes.Strain stock and put 1 cup back into pan.

2.Slice fennel bulb in half vertically and remove hard center. Slice thinly across the leaves and add to stock. Simmer until tender - about 8-10 minutes.

3. Remove fennel from stock and keep warm. Strain stock and add reserved stock.

4. Add salmon and simmer until salmon flakes easily with a fork - about 10 minutes. Keep warm.

5. Strain stock one last time and put back into pan. Simmer until reduced by half.

6. Add cream and continue reducing until thickened. Add butter and whisk to combine.

7. Serve with salmon over fennel and topped with cream. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and fennel top.

Un-Foodie Joust Entry: Sesame Shrimp Tempura with Cilantro Creme Fraiche

Last month's Royal Foodie Joust ingredients were coriander (or cilantro), sesame and seafood. I wasn't sure right off what I wanted to make, but then I settled on this recipe. I didn't submit it to the Joust, though - I didn't really feel like it was worthy of a contest and besides, I had gone and fried yet another food and couldn't shake the guilt.

Here it is anyway, they were very yummy.

Sesame Shrimp Tempura with Cilantro Crème Fraîche

16 large shrimp - peeled and deveined - tails left on
1 tablespoon sesame seeds - toasted
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 egg(beaten)
3/4 cup very cold water
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro - minced
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup crème fraîche

Combine sesame seeds, coriander, salt and flour. Working quickly, add beaten egg and water until a loose batter forms. Keep batter away from heat while you are working. Dip shrimp into batter and then in very hot oil. Cook, turning once if necessary, until shrimp are pink and batter is just crisp - do not brown, they must be golden only. Drain on paper toweling.

For crème fraîche, combine all and stand in refrigerator for at least an hour before serving with hot shrimp.

Royal Foodie Joust Entry: Orange Ginger Chicken Tabbouleh

This month's Royal Foodie Joust brings on 3 ingredients that seem to have left a few people stumped: citrus, ginger and whole grains. Having just written about Tabbouleh at Short Order Mom, I knew right away that I would make a new tabbouleh-with-a-twist, and so I did.

This was really delicious. I love the bright flavors of orange, ginger and mint, and combined they are refreshing and wonderful.

Orange Ginger Chicken Tabbouleh

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cubed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Sea or Kosher salt to taste
1 large orange - zested and juiced*
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons sliced green onion
1/2 cup cracked wheat
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

*If you do not have 3/4 cup orange juice from the freshly squeezed orange, add enough store-bought to make that amount. The zest should amount to 1 tablespoon total.

1. Toss chicken cubes with 1/2 teaspoon of the ginger, 1 tablespoon green onion, pepper, salt and 1/2 cup orange juice. Set aside for 30 minutes.

2. Pour warm water over cracked wheat and let stand for 30 minutes.

3. Cook chicken in a small amount of oil until no longer pink. Cool completely.

4. Remove cracked wheat from water and squeeze out excess water with hands. Place into a large bowl.

5. Combine 1/4 cup orange juice, orange zest, 1 tablespoon green onion, 1/2 teaspoon ginger and mix well.

6. Toss drained wheat with parsley, mint, cucumber and chicken. Add orange juice mixture and blend well. Salt to taste and chill until ready to serve.

Royal Foodie Joust Entry: Gingered Pork Wontons

This month's Royal Foodie Joust ingredients had me excited at first; and then I had too much time to think. I got to the store today and told my oldest daughter what the three ingredients were and asked her opinion on them. She drew a blank as well as I because of the butter.

You see, the three ingredients are ginger, apricots and butter. I've been baking quite a bit lately and didn't feel like a pastry was in the cards for me, so I was going a savory route. The butter ... the butter kept throwing me. Salad; no - what would I do with the butter? A steak with gingered butter; nah, not inventive enough.

So, my frustrated eldest sighed and said, "OK, pretend it's a 'Quick-Fire'." If you don't watch Top Chef, you won't know what that is. It's the short segment at the beginning of each episode where the chefs are given a quick assignment and a short time-span in which to finish. I laughed and told her that after an hour and a half of milling around Whole Foods I would be disqualified.

I feared my cries of, "I am SO in this month!" would be all for naught and I would have to sit this one out.

Then, as we walked past the wonton wrappers, instant inspiration struck and I raced off for the rest of my foodstuffs. Here, then, is the culmination of all that angsty brain work. By the way, each and every one of my kids thought these were just the best. I think they're pretty good, too.



Gingered Pork Wontons with Apricot Plum Sauce

16 ounces ground pork
1 inch peeled ginger
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons brewed soy sauce
2 tablespoons sliced green onion
48 wonton wrappers
oil for frying

Mince together ginger and garlic until it almost forms a paste.
Mix this with pork, soy and green onion.
Drop a teaspoonful of pork mixture on each wonton and close diagonally, sealing with a small amount of water. Fry each in hot oil until golden brown. Serve with Apricot Plum Sauce.

Apricot Plum Sauce

4 tablespoons butter
1 inch peeled ginger, cut into 4 thick slices
1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
3 black plums, pitted and diced - skin on
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro - minced

Melt butter over very low heat.
Add ginger and simmer until fragrant - about 5 minutes.
Toss in apricots and plums, stir and continue simmering until apricots are soft and fruits begin to caramelize.
Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, puree with honey, orange juice and cilantro until smooth.
Run through a fine sieve and reheat just until warm.

Royal Foodie Joust: My UN-submission

My last post was the recipe I submitted for this month's Royal Foodie Joust using the ingredients cardamom, brown sugar and mango. I had so many ideas running around in my head that I couldn't stop with that one entry. I can't enter twice, but there's nothing stopping me from posting my other ideas here.



These are Mango Egg Rolls with Cardamom Devonshire Cream, my Oriental/Hispanic/European idea; talk about fusion!

I had egg roll wrappers leftover from the Chicken Cannelonni I posted at Cookies to Caviar and when the ingredients for RFJ came up, I knew I had to use them somehow. There's no recipe here, just strips of mango sprinkled with brown sugar and rolled up in egg roll wrappers. I fried them like usual and made Mock Devonshire Cream with a half teaspoon of ground cardamom stirred into the powdered sugar.

Oh, and the kids? They devoured them and clamored for more!

Royal Foodie Joust Entry: Sweet Chicken Curry with Mango and Kumquats

This month's Royal Foodie Joust ingredients are, cardamom, mango and brown sugar.
I know most jousters are thinking along the lines of baked goods, but I'm more pulled to the savory side of life.

Here's what I made:

Sweet Chicken Curry with Mango and Kumquats

1 lb. chicken breast - cubed
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 tablespoons sliced green onion
1 clove garlic - minced
1 small onion - sliced
1/2 cup each red, green and yellow peppers
1/2 cup pineapple bits - drained
1/2 cup small kumquats
1/2 cup diced mango
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon curry powder (the cardamom is in the curry!)
2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 cups cooked jasmine rice

Stir together flour, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Toss chicken cubes in flour mixture and fry in a large heavy pot in batches until lightly browned. Set aside.

In the same pan, cook shallots, green onion, garlic and onion until limp. Do not brown. Add peppers, pineapple, kumquats, mango, stock, curry and brown sugar. Simmer for 20 minutes or until peppers are tender. Stir in reserved chicken and simmer for another 5 minutes. The cornstarch and flour on the chicken will thicken the sauce. Serve over jasmine rice.

Look how pretty this was just after getting it together in the pot:

Royal Foodie Joust Entry

This is my very first "Royal Foodie Joust" and my entry is:

Butterflied Shrimp on Coconut Risotto with Avocado, Lime and Cilantro Cream

I know I shouldn't pat myself on the back, but this was so good I could have eaten all 4 servings! If I ever get that restaurant to run, this will be on the menu!


For 4 Servings:

Risotto:

1 cup arborio rice
1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
2 - 3 cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon sliced green onion
1 Tablespoon neutral oil
1/4 cup shredded coconut - toasted

Shrimp:

12 large shrimp - tails on and butterflied (sliced down the back nearly all the way through)
1 Tablespoon neutral oil

Cream:

1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
1/2 small avocado
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup sour cream


Make the risotto:

Saute green onion in 1 T oil briefly. Add rice and toast lightly. Mix coconut milk and chicken stock.
Add stock mixture to rice one cup at a time - letting rice absorb stock before adding another cup.
Add the toasted coconut after the second cup of stock.
Stir nearly constantly. When you get to the 20 minute mark, check the rice for consistency.
Once the rice is al dente and creamy, you're done. You may or may not use all of the stock.
Keep warm.

Make the cream:

Combine cilantro, avocado, lime and sour cream in a blender. Puree until very smooth.

Make the shrimp:

Pan-fry the shrimp - cut side down - until lightly browned. This will take about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan so the shrimp will finish cooking and curl slightly. This will take just another 2 minutes or so.

For service I used coconut halves filled with risotto and topped with 3 shrimp each. Place a
dollop of cream on each shrimp and garnish with a sprinkling of toasted coconut and a cilantro leaf.

Let's Put This to Rest, Finally

Way back in January of 2006 we started playing a game based on the cooking show, Ready, Set, Cook! . We played for quite some time and had a LOT of fun.

I think it's time to quit, though and I'm going to refer you instead to The Leftover Queen, Jen, and her Royal Foodie Joust, which was started in June of 2007. They have a lot of fun there, too and she gets far more entries than I. It's basically the same premise, except that you really have to make something for the Royal Foodie Joust, where my R,S,C could be virtual or real.

At any rate, I'm busy, busy, busy and may throw in a game from time-to-time just for kicks.