Ingredient 14 - Lemongrass

This week I opted to cook with lemongrass because I had a hankering for Thai food.  Lemongrass is a native grass of Southeast Asia and a popular ingredient in Vietnamese and Thai cuisine.  As the name suggests, the grass has a mild citrus flavor.  Lemongrass is a staple seasoning for savory dishes, like curry and soup, and is also the source of lemon flavor in herbal teas.   
 
When purchasing lemongrass, look for stalks that are firm.  The bottom of the stalk should be pale yellow and the top should be green.  Avoid stalks that have browning leaves.

Pork and Lemongrass Meatballs in Lettuce Cups  
Adapted from Epicurus
Serves 2 to 3 as a meal

Meatballs:
1 lb ground pork
1 lemongrass stalk
1 shallot
2 tbp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbp fish sauce
2 garlic cloves
1 tbp vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 tsp ground white pepper

Dipping sauce:
1 lemongrass stalk
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tbp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbp coarsely grated carrot
4 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp minced green serrano pepper 
2 tbp vegetable oil

For serving:
20 Butter or Romaine Lettuce leaves
1 cucumber thinly sliced



Begin by making the meatballs.  Prepare the lemongrass by removing out the outside leaves and cutting off the very bottom of the stalk.  Keep the bottom 5 inches.  Roll over the remaining stalk with a rolling pin or wine bottle to help release the grass’s flavor.  Dice the lemongrass, shallot, and garlic and place it in a food processor or immersion blender with the fish sauce, cilantro, sugar, and white pepper.  Combine ingredients into a paste.

 

Place pork and lemongrass paste in a bowl and combine with hands.  Make 12 to 18 meatballs.




Place meatballs in freezer and begin making the dipping sauce.  Prepare and chop another lemongrass stalk, following the guidance provided above.  Chop the cilantro and de-seed and dice the serrano pepper.  Grate 1 large carrot or 4 to 5 baby carrots.  Place the lemongrass, carrot, cilantro, and serrano in bowl with the sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and oil.  Mix with a whisk and set aside. 
  


Once the sauce is finished, remove the meatballs from the freezer and heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet, medium high heat.  Cook the meatballs for 10 to 15 minutes, turning every few minutes.  I covered my meatballs for the last 5 minutes to ensure doneness. 

 

When the meatballs are finished cooking, plate them with the lettuce leaves and sliced cucumber.  To enjoy, place cucumber and meatball in lettuce leaf and top with sauce.

 

I really enjoyed this dish.  The lemongrass did not produce a strong flavor, but the dish did not lack flavor.  If you want to add heat to the sauce, don’t de-seed the serrano pepper.  I will be making these meatballs again for sure.  Overall grade A-. 

Ingredient 13 - Pistachios

Martha Stewart has redeemed herself in my book.  I lost a little faith last weekend while removing some overly roasted parsnips and brussels sprouts from my Sunday dinner.  When it comes to baked goods, Martha is in the know.  I made her pistachio shortbread sandwich cookies this weekend and they came out great.  Best of all, they were amazingly simple to prepare.  I was shocked at how easy they were to make.  Unfortunately, this new-found knowledge may lead to me ODing on shortbread.  Walnut shortbread dipped in chocolate, yes please.

FYI, pistachios are tree nuts that originated in Iran and Iraq but made their way to the Mediterranean in the first century A.D.  The pistachio tree thrives in dry climates with cool winters and hot summers.  Humidity is the enemy of the pistachio.  Iran, Turkey, Syria, and California are all top pistachio producers.

Pistachio Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup coarsely chopped pistachios
1/3 cup strawberry jam



Begin by bringing the butter to room temperature.  I placed my butter on the counter before going out for pizza.  It was ready when I got home 90 minutes later.

Place softened butter, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fully combined, low speed.  Measure and place flour in a bowl. Add flour to butter in small batches, beating on low.  When fully combined, the butter and flour will form a crumbly dough.
  
 

Roughly chop the pistachios and add them to the dough, mix with a wooden spoon or spatula.  Use your hands to press the dough into two logs.  Martha says to make two 8 inch logs, but one of my logs was closer to 12 inches.  Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.  Note: The logs can be frozen for up to a month.



When you are ready to bake, remove logs from freezer and slice into 1/4 inch pieces.  If the logs are frozen solid, let them warm up on the counter for at least 30 minutes before slicing.



Place oven racks in top and lower third positions and pre-heat the oven to 350.  Place slices on a parchment paper- lined cookie sheets and bake for approximately 15 minutes, switching oven position of the sheets halfway through.  The cookies are done when the edges turn golden brown.




When the cookies have completely cooled, spread jam on the bottom of a cookie and place bottom of a similarly-sized cookie on top.
 



These cookies were fantastic.  The perfect cookie for a cup of tea.  They are good sans jam as well.  A great take-along to any brunch or ladylike event.  Overall grade: A.  

Ingredient 12 - Parsnips

Not to sound cliché, but my life seems to be growing increasingly busy.  We are entering a busy time at work and David is entering his final month of graduate school.  Nobody's hair is on fire yet, but I am making a concerted effort to keep myself from filling my plate with way more than I can reasonably finish.  Thus, the blog will feature recipes that are simple, and hopefully relatively quick to prepare, for the next few weeks.

With simplicity in mind, this week I prepared parsnips.  Parsnips are similar in shape and size to carrots, but are are paler in color and sweeter in flavor.  In many dishes, parsnips can be substituted for carrots, turnips, or potatoes.  Parsnips are in season during fall and winter months.  When purchasing, select small to medium parsnips that are firm and blemish free.  Larger parsnips have a woody core that should be removed when cooking.  If kept in a non airtight plastic bag, parsnips can be stored in the fridge for up to a month.

Roasted Parsnips and Brussels Sprouts
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Serves 3 to 4 
1 lb brussels sprouts
1 bag parsnips  My bag had 7. 
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup pecan halves
Sea salt
Black pepper



Begin by lining a baking sheet with aluminum foil and pre-heating the oven to 425 degrees.  Next, peel the parsnips and slice diagonally, medium thickness.



To prepare the brussels sprouts, trim any remaining stalks from the end of the sprouts and remove any outer leaves that are brown or wilted.  Slice the sprouts in half lengthwise.  
 


Combine the parsnips, sprouts, and olive oil in a medium bowl.  Season liberally with salt and pepper and gently toss to ensure sprouts are evenly coated.



Spread the sprouts and parsnips on the baking sheet, single layer, and place in the oven for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, remove pan from oven, turn vegetables, sprinkle pecans on sheet, and return to oven for another 5 to 10 minutes.



Note: I followed Martha Stewart’s suggestion of 450 degrees and nearly 30 minutes of roasting time and had to pick out some over roasted veggies and blackened nuts before plating the dish.  Thinly sliced parsnips yielded blackened disks.
  


I really liked this dish and am looking forward to making it again with my suggested modifications.  The pecans take this dish from everyday to special.  Halfway through dinner I drizzled a touch of maple syrup on the veggies, it was a good decision.  Overall Grade: B+.

Ingredient 11 - Guinness

Happy belated St Patrick’s Day folks.  This week’s ingredient idea came from my beer loving husband David.  He was in the mood for some traditional Irish fare and I wanted to make something that would yield leftovers.

As you likely know, Guinness is a dry Irish stout.  It gets its distinctive dark color from roasted malted barley and its thick foamy head from an infusion of nitrogen.  Guinness is brewed in approximately 50 countries and sold in nearly 100.  However, all Guinness sold in the UK, Ireland, and North America is brewed at the St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin.  According to the Guinness website, as of June 2004, Great Britain, Ireland, Nigeria, US, and Cameroon were the top Guinness consuming countries.

I based my shepherd's pie off of a recipe developed by Gordon Ramsey.

Guinness Shepherd's Pie
Serves 6
2 lbs ground beef
2 medium onions
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup frozen peas
2 garlic cloves
1 15oz can plum tomatoes
1 12oz bottle of Guinness
5 tbp Worcestershire sauce
1 and 1/4 cups chicken stock
2 lbs Russet  potatoes
2 tbp butter
3/4 cup Cheddar cheese – I used Dubliner, it was featured at Trader Joe’s over the weekend.
1 large egg yolk
2 tbp olive oil
Sea salt
Black pepper
5-6 sprigs thyme, leaves only



Begin by peeling and chopping the potatoes, slicing the mushrooms, dicing the onions, carrots, and garlic, and pureeing the tomatoes with an immersion blender.  If you don't have any kind of blender or food processor, buy canned tomatoes.  I couldn't find canned pureed tomatoes at Whole Foods but I am sure diced tomatoes would be a good substitute.  



Next, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven or large oven-safe pot (medium high heat).  Add the ground beef, season liberally with salt and pepper, cook till brown, 4 to 5 minutes.  When browned, drain the fat by emptying the contents of pot into a colander.



Return the empty pot to the stove, heat another tablespoon of olive oil, and cook the onions and carrots for 4 to 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and thyme leaves and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes (medium heat).  Return the ground beef to the pot and add the tomatoes, stirring continuously for 4 to 5 minutes.  Add the Guinness and Worcestershire sauce and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, 10 to 15 minutes.  When reduced by half, add the chicken broth and peas, and increase heat to medium high.  Cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring every few minutes.   

 

After adding the Guinness to the meat, bring a large pot of water to boil, add a pinch of salt, and cook the potatoes until they are tender.  When tender, drain potatoes and add a tablespoon of butter to the pot.  Return potatoes to the pot and mash.  When fully mashed, mix in the remaining butter, 1/4 cup of cheese, and egg yolk.  Season liberally with salt and pepper.



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spoon the mashed potatoes on top of the meat mixture.  Score the mashed potatoes with fork and cover the potatoes with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes.



This recipe was not overly time consuming for the amount of food it produced.  It is a great meal for a cold and dreary day.  That being said, I felt the dish lacked flavor.  To be honest, I find most traditional Irish pub fare to be bland, corned beef with mustard being the exception.  To jazz up my bowl of pie, I added some Frank’s Red Hot sauce.  It added some much needed pizzazz.  Overall Grade: B-.

Forbidden Rice for Breakfast

When searching for black rice recipes last weekend, I found a breakfast recommendation I had to try, coconut black rice pudding.   Yes, I know that sounds like a dessert, but the author noted that it could be made into a suitable breakfast by adding less sugar.



Coconut Black Rice Breakfast Pudding
Serves 3 to 4
1 cup black rice
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups water
2 tbp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup coconut flakes

Combine rice, water, and coconut milk in a medium saucepan and bring to boil over medium high heat.  Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to medium low and let simmer until the liquid has absorbed, approximately 45 minutes.  Stir every few minutes. 



While the rice is simmering, toast the coconut.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spread the coconut flakes out on a cookie sheet and place in the oven for 4 minutes.  The flakes will turn medium brown and smell amazing. 



When nearly all the liquid in the pot has absorbed, add the salt and sugar.  Stir the rice for another 2 to 3 minutes and remove from heat.  Place pudding in bowls and garnish with toasted coconut.  If consuming later, store rice and coconut in separate containers.
   


This pudding was delicious and nicely filling.  The toasted coconut added a nice crunch, while the salt helped balance out the coconut milk and sugar.  Overall grade: A-.