Mediterranean Meatballs with Baba Ganoush and Tomato-y Harissa Sauce

June 28, 2020June 28, 2020 | Julie Yates

I sure wish this photo looked as good as these meatballs taste! They are delicious made with ground beef or chicken, but are fabulous if it’s possible to get a hold of some lamb. While Jenn was staying with us during the COVID shutdown, she and I had a wonderful time cooking up all kinds of fun things. She came up with the idea of combining baba ganoush and harissa sauce to complement the meatballs. Truly an inspiration!

The baba ganoush is a cheat. The eggplant is roasted in the oven, not the grill, so if you are craving more of a smoky taste – add some smoked paprika.

According to you spiciness tolerance, adjust the amounts of tomato paste and harissa in the tomato-y sauce.

This would be great as part of a small plate type of spread or individual meatball appetizers besides being a really yummy main dish.

Mediterranean-ish Meatballs – Yields about 12 Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef, chicken or lamb

2 good sized green onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely minced or put through a press

2 tablespoons green za’atar (I use Ziyad brand because I can get it at the Mediterranean grocery by my house or here on Amazon)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon cumin

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place all ingredients in a bowl and gently mix.

Cover a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper.

Shape the meat mixture into walnut sized balls.

Bake for 15 minutes. Meatballs should be lightly browned and when one is sliced in half, it should be cooked through out.

Serve with baba ganoush and tomato-y harissa sauce, recipes below.

Baba Ganoush – Makes About Two Cups

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons tahini

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced or put through a press

If desired, something to sprinkle on top such as sumac, za’atar or parsley

Since this is baked, not grilled, add 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika if a smoky taste is desired.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and spray with a little non-stick cooking oil or wipe the surface with a bit of olive oil.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the skin collapses inward when its pressed.

Let the eggplant cool for a few minutes, scrap out the flesh into a colander. Place the colander over a bowl. Smoosh it down and let it sit for 5 to 7 minutes. Discard the water in the bowl. Place the eggplant in a food processor. Add the lemon juice, tahini, salt and cumin.

Turn on food processor and slowly add the olive oil. Turn off processor, put the mixture in a bowl and stir in the garlic.

Garnish with smoked paprika, sumac, za’atar or parsley.

Tomato-y Harissa Sauce – Makes about 1/2 cup

Ingredients:

2 to 3 tablespoons tomato paste – adjust with regard to how spicy the harissa is, according to personal preference.

1 to 2 tablespoons harissa – according to the amount of spice desired – I love it when I can get harissa from the Middle Eastern grocery store but most of the time I use Mina brand from Whole Foods or Amazon

4 garlic cloves, finely minced or put through a press

3 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Place all ingredients in bowl and stir until well combined. Heat on stove or zap in the microwave until hot.

This is very good on roasted or grilled vegetables as well as the meatballs above.

I’d love to keep in touch – let me know if you try this!

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Delicious Dukkah Roasted Cauliflower Salad

January 3, 2017May 20, 2018 | Julie Yates

Is this a salad? Or is it a side? It doesn’t matter because it is delicious! In fact, it could be a main dish and I would be happy. What makes it so good is that the cauliflower is roasted with an addictive seasoning from Egypt called Dukkah. I had been seeing it mentioned in foodie magazines and then I stumbled on it in a spice blend shop in Melbourne, Australia.

Of course I had to try it. We all loved it with crusty bread dipped in olive oil, and then the Dukkah. It was even good sprinkled on our breakfast of hard boiled eggs in our Airbnb. Earlier in the trip we had eaten roasted cauliflower atop a salad with yogurt sauce; I wondered how cauliflower would taste if it was sprinkled with Dukkah before it was roasted… It turned out to be a winner! Below is a recipe for basic Dukkah. As you can see, there are options listed to make variations. Following that is the cauliflower salad recipe. The lemon & oil salad dressing and yogurt sauce take the whole thing over the top – enjoy!

Basic Dukkah Recipe

1 cup chopped nuts (Australian tend to use hazelnuts, others use pistachios and/or almonds)

1/2 cup sesame seeds

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons pepper

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Other possible additions:

1 teaspoons turmeric powder

1 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

dukkah-collage

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the nuts out on it. Bake the nuts for five minutes, watching them carefully so they get brown around the edges but don’t burn. Set them aside and let them cool.

Place the seeds in a skillet and over medium heat, stir them until they start to brown. They may pop! Set them aside and let them cool.

Place the nuts in a food processor and pulse a few times until crumbly. Do not let it become a paste. Place in a mixing bowl. Process the coriander and cumin seeds until ground. Add them to the mixing bowl, along with the sesame seeds, salt, pepper and any additional spices and stir to combine.

Serve with olive oil and crusty bread. Use as a breading for chicken or fish. Or make the tasty cauliflower dish below:

Dukkah Roasted Cauliflower Salad – Serves Four

Ingredients:

For the roasted cauliflower:

1 head cauliflower

3 tablespoons Dukkah – recipe above

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash and cut the cauliflower into florets. Place them in a single layer on the parchment paper. Sprinkle the florets with the olive oil and Dukkah. Bake for 30 minutes. Cauliflower should be tender, easily pierced with a fork, and browned on the edges.

For the yogurt sauce:

1/2 Greek yogurt

1/4 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk all ingredients together.

For the salad:

6 cups arugula

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place the arugula in a large bowl. Whisk the rest of the ingredients together. Pour enough dressing over the arugula to coat it, but not drench it. Reserve the rest of the dressing. (It’s great drizzled over vegetables or as a dressing on any kind of salad.)

For Garnish:

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

To assemble the dish, place the dressed arugula salad on a serving platter. Place the roasted cauliflower on top. Drizzle some of the yogurt sauce on top. Scatter the chopped cilantro and cherry tomatoes over the top. Serve immediately and pass the remaining yogurt sauce at the table.

Reminiscing about Coffee in Spain

March 20, 2016June 24, 2016 | Julie Yates

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On the left above, is one of the several cups of coffee I had the first day I was in Spain; the photo on the right was taken just before heading to the airport to return home.

Just about a year ago, we had a great time visiting Allison in Spain. She was employed by a program that places native English speakers as teachers in secondary schools. During her week of spring vacation, Roy, Jennifer, and I met her in Madrid. We spent a couple days there, drove a rental car to Portugal, and then returned to Spain where we explored Seville, Barcelona, and finally Ibiza. A few weeks ago I woke up to the fact that I hadn’t done much sharing of our trip, so I blogged about Mannequins, Markets, and Tortilla Espanola. Here is my documentation of how I fell in love with Cafe con Leche and some of the delicious things I ate while sipping it.

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Roy and I flew into Madrid within minutes of when Allison landed there from Ibiza. We had agreed on where to meet ahead of time by using the map on the airport website. I was excited to see her, but also so impressed at her ability to figure out the subway system and guide us to our Airbnb apartment. After dropping off our suitcases, we explored our neighborhood and discovered a little cafe just down the street. It was there that I had my very first Spanish breakfast and cup of coffee. I followed Allison’s lead and ordered Pan Con Tomate ( bread with tomato) and a side of jamon iberico (Spain’s famous ham) just for the fun of it. Basically a DIY deal, it was up to me to slather the grated tomato onto toasted bread which had been rubbed with a little garlic. Then I sprinkled it with coarse salt and drizzled it with olive oil. If that wasn’t delicious enough, I added some of the ham on top and thought it was about the best breakfast I ever had. The cafe con leche was just the thing I needed for my jet lag. It’s made by pouring a shot of espresso into a cup and then filling the rest of it up with warm milk. The designs seen on top are achieved by pouring the milk in second with an experienced steady hand and using a toothpick to coax it into shapes such as hearts. I found coffee made this way so yummy, that I wanted to stop and have a cup of it every chance we got.

Pan con Tomate:

Toasted slices of baguette

1 clove garlic

1 tomato

Olive oil to drizzle

Coarse salt to sprinkle

Optional: Spanish ham or sausage, manchengo cheese

Slice and toast pieces of baguette. Lightly run the garlic clove over the top. Grate the tomato into a bowl, discarding the skin. Slather the tomato pulp on the toast. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Nice additions are the Spanish ham or sausage and manchengo cheese; either can be found in a specialty store or Whole Foods.

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The next day Jennifer joined us and it was her turn to deal with jet lag. A friend of Allison’s had told her about a bar in one of the Madrid neighborhoods that had great food. We took the subway over to it and found it was just a “hole in the wall”, but the food really was delicious. We munched on crusty bread, triangles of manchego cheese, and an impossibly tender meat dish that must have cooked in its perfectly spiced sauce for several hours. I attempted a similar dish in a post written soon after we returned, Tapas Inspired Braised Meat in Port Wine Sauce . While we were eating lunch, Jennifer ordered a coffee. It was delivered to her as a shot of espresso in a glass. I was surprised, but found out later that serving coffee that way was not uncommon.

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At the tail end of our trip, we ended up in Ibiza. It’s a legendary place for Europe’s rich and famous to frolic, but Allison worked their during the off season and never was fully exposed to how riotous it is reported to be! It seemed pretty tame while we were there, but there was no denying how absolutely breathtaking the raw beauty of the island was. For a sample of Ibiza photos, visit this post on Allison’s entertaining blog Naptime with Yasmine. One afternoon after wandering about, we stopped to watch the sunset and grabbed (of course!) a cup of coffee. We also ordered a slice of Allison’s favorite dessert, Flao. It is sort of like a cheese cake in a pie crust. The version Allison liked best was made from goat cheese and flecked with minced spearmint. Click here for a recipe I found on the web . I’m also going to post a photo of recipe I downloaded from http://www.Ibiza.Travel because I think it might be more authentic to what we sampled. Full disclosure: I have not tried making this yet, but hope to make it for Allison some day!

Flao

Now, a year after our trip, I still drink my coffee with half a cup of warm milk in it. The other half is rarely actual espresso; the majority of the time it’s just regular American coffee. Thank goodness for microwaves – right?

I’d love to hear about anyone else’s coffee traveling experiences – please feel free to comment!

Mannequins, Markets, and Tortilla Espanola

February 12, 2016March 20, 2016 | Julie Yates

tortilla with water mark

Ever feel like life is a roller coaster and every time is starts to slow down, it takes off again? In my case, perhaps a speeding train would be more like it. For the last year or so, I just seem to be headed to one experience after another. Throughout it all, I have enjoyed taking photos, but I haven’t taken the time to pause and do anything with them. Currently, my husband and I are living the dream (O.K. – maybe his dream!) of traveling around the United States in a motor home. Check out our travel blog at Yates RV Adventures. A couple of weeks ago, we were staying at a RV “resort” in Naples, Florida. These parks typically are a mix of prefab homes and recreational vehicles. As I was passing one of the homes, I was startled to see a mannequin guarding the door. My memory was jolted back to another mannequin I had seen when we were in Spain visiting my daughter Allison just several months ago. All of a sudden I realized I had tons of photos and lots of experiences from that trip that I had never shared or done anything with because the train I was on never slowed down. The Spanish mannequin I remembered was looking out onto the Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid. It was the first of the many fabulous markets we encountered on that trip. It had booth after booth of beautiful produce, meat, and seafood. Best of all, it had delicious ready made food that could be eaten right there or taken away for a meal at home. One dish every market in Spain had was Tortilla Espanola. This Spanish tortilla is basically a very yummy potato torte and is a common every day food in Spain. A wedge of it could be an entre, or cut in squares and served with aioli, it is often part of a tapas spread. The lady of the house where Allison was staying made it for us one night for supper and I saw how simple and easy it was to make. In this post are photos of some markets we saw on our travels. Below them is a recipe for Tortilla Espanola.

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The classy senorita on the left overlooks the Mercado de San Miguel. The American mannequin on the right surveys the trailer park.

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Above is the beautiful Mercado de San Miguel, a wonderful market in San Miguel Plaza in Madrid.

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This is a shot of my daughter Jennifer walking into a market in Porto, Portugal. Whether they were big or small, these places of commerce offered fresh meat and produce and we thought they were all charming.

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The Mercado de Ribeira in Lisbon, Portugal had the largest food court we had ever seen. The market area was in one side of the building, and the Time Out Food Hall was in the other half.

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Beautiful greens in the famous La Boqueria on La Rambla in Barcelona.

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The Mercat Nou in Ibiza, Spain sold every thing from tea and liquor made from local herbs to their famous salt and honey.

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Of course the market in Ibiza had an offering of take away foods, including a Spanish Tortilla.

Ingredients and Procedure for Tortilla Espanola:

Tortilla

Ingredients for Spanish Tortilla:

4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 medium sized onion, peeled and sliced

4 eggs

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon Spanish paprika

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch pepper

pinch saffron (optional)

Ingredients for Garlic Lemon Sauce:

1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 clove garlic, put through press or finely minced

pinch Spanish paprika

pinch saffron (optional)

Procedure for Spanish tortilla:

In a skillet, saute the onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and set the onions aside in a mixing bowl. Add 1/4 of olive oil and the sliced potatoes to the pan. Cook, covered, over fairly low heat for 20 to 25 minutes – gently turning over once at 10 minutes. Potatoes will be done when they are easily pierced with a fork but still retain their shape. Carefully remove the potatoes from the pan with a slotted spoon and add to the onions in the bowl. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the pan. Whisk the eggs, salt, paprika, pepper, and saffron together. Pour the egg mixture over the potatoes and onions. Gently mix the to coat the potatoes and onions. Add the potato mixture to the pan and cook over low heat. As the tortilla slowly sets up, run a rubber spatula along the sides to create a rounded edge. When the tortilla is almost completely firm, remove the pan from the heat. Place a plate on top of the skillet and using pot holders or a kitchen towel to prevent being burned, flip the pan over so that the tortilla is on the plate. Then slide the tortilla off the plate and onto the skillet. Place back on low heat and cook another 3 to 5 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate and either cut into slices as a main dish or small squares as part of a tapas spread.

Procedure for Garlic Lemon Sauce

Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, and saffron.

I’d love to hear anyone else’s experiences with the markets in Spain or Portugal!

Williamsburg Peanut Soup

November 23, 2015December 7, 2019 | Julie Yates

A few weeks ago, we spent a day at Colonial Williamsburg. Once the capitol of Virginia, it was one of the places where the forefathers of our nation discussed the idea of independence from Great Britain. I loved seeing it all and I was fascinated by the period’s methods of using fire and hot embers to do all the baking and cooking.

When Roy was in grade school, his family went on vacation to Williamsburg. While they were there, they ate at King’s Arms Tavern . He wanted to revisit it, so we went for dinner. He remembered eating on pewter plates and having the peanut soup – so of course we had to order it. I was doubtful about trying it, but found it was delicious! Since I was cold and hungry, it hit the spot. However, I shared a cup of it with Roy and since it’s such rich stuff, that was plenty. I detected a sort of bacon flavor in it and I asked the waiter about it. He said, “Oh – that’s the ham broth in it.”

Later in the trip we saw Roy’s brother Bruce and his wife Betsy. We were telling them about our visit to Williamsburg and she whipped out her copy of The Williamsburg Cookbook. She told us she used to make their peanut soup at Thanksgiving and showed us the recipe. It called for chicken broth which I’m sure is fine, but I was still remembering that ham flavor in the soup we had. So, I took the recipe in the cookbook and modified it just a bit by making ham broth and using it to make the soup. It’s not something to have everyday, but it is fun for something different and children might find it interesting if they are studying US history. The cookbook said it is also good served cold.

Williamsburg Peanut Soup

Ingredients for Six Servings:

2 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

2 tablespoons flour

1 quart ham broth (4 cups), ingredients listed below

1 cup smooth peanut butter

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cream

Chopped peanuts, crushed peppercorns, or sliced green onions for garnish

Ingredients for the Ham Broth:

1 ham hock

4 quarts water

2 or 3 small carrots

2 or 3 celery stalks with leaves if possible

1 bay leaf

2 or 3 pepper corns

Directions:

Make the ham broth by placing the ham hock, onion, celery, carrot, bay leaf, pepper corns, and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium and allow the mixture to simmer for an hour. Discard the vegetables. Skim off any frothy stuff that might raise to the top. Let it cool slightly, then use a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth to get rid of any remaining pieces of the vegetables as you pour it into a container. Refrigerate for several hours or over night. The fat will rise to the top and it will be easy to get rid of it before adding the broth to the soup.

To then make the soup…

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Melt the butter in large soup pot. Saute the diced onion and celery over medium low heat until they are very soft and tender, but not brown. Add the flour and combine well. Over high heat, whisk in the broth a bit at a time. Bring to a boil. Transfer to a blender, food processor, or use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables into the broth. Add the peanut butter and cream. Stir or blend again to completely combine all the ingredients. If needed, heat before serving, but don’t let the soup come to a boil. Ladle into serving bowls. Garnish with chopped peanuts and pepper corns or sliced green onions if desired.

The Kings Arms Inn served the soup with a sampling of corn relish, ham relish, and pickled watermelon. Just for fun, we bought a jar of corn relish to take home.

“Almost” Autumn Ingredient Salad from True Food Kitchen

September 20, 2015 | Julie Yates

Being from the Midwest, I’ve only gotten the chance to eat at a True Food Kitchen twice. The southwestern area restaurant chain was started by Dr. Andrew Weil, who thought the super healthy food he cooked at home was tasty enough that others would love it too. He was right because anyone I’ve ever talked to that has visited one of his restaurants has raved about it. Since my post on a copy cat version of True Food Kitchen’s Inside Out Quinoa Burger is the most visited post on this blog, I decided it was time to share my “Almost” Autumn Ingredient Salad. The real one includes dried mulberries and dried pomegranate seeds, but they are pricey and hard to find. I just used dried cranberries and they make a good substitute. At any rate, this salad is a great side dish and the dressing works well any kind of veggie or salad.

Ingredients for the Salad and Dressing

1 medium butternut squash

1 medium head cauliflower

1 pound Brussels sprouts

1 (15 oz.) can white beans such as Great Northern or Cannelloni

2 tablespoons olive oil (For roasting veggies)

1/2 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons champagne vinegar

2 tablespoons sliced green onions

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil. Cut off the cap and base of the squash, cut it lengthwise down the middle, and scoop out the seeds. Remove the skin by using a vegetable peeler. Lay both pieces of the squash on a cutting board and cut each in half, separating the neck from the rounded bottom. Then cut each of the four large pieces into two inch wide strips. Finally, cut each strip into squares. Spread the pieces on one of the baking sheets. Wash the cauliflower, cut into florets, and put them on one side of the second baking sheet. Wash the Brussels Sprouts, cut off the tough woody part of the base, and if they are large, cut them in half down the middle. Place them next to the cauliflower on the baking sheet. Drizzle the vegetables on both baking sheets with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Toss them around to make sure they are evenly coated and season with salt & pepper. Put both baking sheets in the oven for about an hour or until the vegetables pierce easily with a fork and are slightly browned.

Meanwhile whisk together the 1/2 cup of olive oil, vinegar, green onions, dried cranberries, horseradish, salt, red pepper flakes. Set aside. Rinse, drain, and put the beans in a microwave safe bowl.

When the vegetables are done, take them out of the oven. Warm up the beans for about a minute in the microwave. Then, place the beans, squash, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and gently toss.

I’d love to hear about other people’s experiences at True Food Kitchen!

Cherry Cobbler Pie

August 11, 2015August 11, 2015 | Julie Yates

One of the best times we had this summer was picking our own cherries at Rennie Orchards. It’s about 15 minutes from our family lake cottage and 15 minutes away from Traverse City, Michigan. Caroline and Adam were spending the week with us and it was the perfect thing to do on a day that started out rainy, but ended up clear and sunny. Everyone got a little bucket that would hold four cups of cherries – just the right amount for a cherry pie. The first one I made was so runny that it ended up being cherry sauce for ice cream. My mistake was not letting the cherry filling get thick enough, and then not waiting long enough for the pie to cool before cutting it. With the rest of the cherries we picked that day, I managed to master the thickness of the filling. But instead of pie, I made cobbler. I brought it to a pitch-in and got a thumbs up from our lake cottage neighbors. At the end of our stay, I talked Roy into going cherry picking with me again. We brought the cherries home and I got the great idea of combining a pie and a cobbler. The recipe posted here makes a very decadent dessert! It’s especially good with a scoop of ice cream!

Cherry Cobbler Pie

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Ingredients for pie crust:

1 cup flour

pinch salt

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup water

Procedure:

Cut the butter into slices and place in a large bowl. Add the flour and salt. Use an electric mixer to combine all the ingredients so they look like crumbs. Then add the water a little at a time while using a fork to mix it it. When it forms a cohesive ball, it’s ready to be rolled out. Honestly, this takes patience. I place the dough on a floured surface such as a pastry cloth or board. Then I roll it out in all directions to make a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of my pie pan. When the dough cracks, I patch it up and keep going. I have even balled it up again and started over. The experts say that’s a no-no, but because this crust is so buttery, it’s never affected the flakiness or taste. The main focus of this pie is the cherries and topping – not the crust. However, this crust really compliments the other two parts of the pie. When the crust is rolled out large enough, place it in the pie pan. Crimp the edges or cut off the excess if you are lucky enough to have that much extra dough. Set aside while you make the filling.

Ingredients for cherry filling:

4 cups pitted cherries, frozen or fresh- a combination of tart and sweet

1 cup sugar – if using mostly tart cherries add another 1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

dash of almond extract

1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice only if using mostly sweet cherries

Procedure:

Place the cherries in a medium sized pan, cover, and cook over medium low heat for 15 minutes. This releases the juice. Then add sugar and cornstarch. Also add the extract and lemon juice if using. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium low. Stir often until the mixture thickens enough to cling to the spoon. This takes about 10 minutes but don’t walk away – the bottom can burn if not watched closely. When it’s nice and thick, spoon it into the pie shell and set aside while you make the cobbler topping.

Ingredients for cobbler topping:

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch salt

1 stick butter

Procedure:

Mix flour, sugar, and vanilla together. Spread the dry mixture evenly over the surface of the filling. Cut the butter into slices. Arrange the butter slices on top of the dry mixture.

Bake the pie in a preheated 375 degree for 1 hour. The topping should get nice and brown, but will be uneven in coloration in some spots.

Allow the pie to cool before slicing.

Sirloin Tip Roast as Steak Tips in Mushroom Wine Sauce

March 21, 2015March 21, 2015 | Julie Yates

For a short time this fall, a very nice friend hired me to cook a couple dinners a week for their family. I needed to supplement my daughter Allison’s meager earnings as an English teacher in Spain, so she could afford a plane ticket to come home for Christmas. It was a fun experience; my friend would text me what she was craving for dinner. I’d scramble around to find recipes and run to the grocery store to get the ingredients. One day she wanted, “Pieces of steak in a mushroom sauce that could be put over mashed potatoes”, and this recipe was born. Since then, we have had it at our house several times and it’s always a hit. The trick is to make sure the whisk is employed. If it is diligently used and a little elbow grease is applied, the luxurious velvety mushroom sauce is well worth the effort!

Ingredients for Four Servings:

1 1/2 pound sirloin tip roast

1 carton of mushrooms

1 shallot

1 garlic clove

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/4 cup flour

2 cups beef broth

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash, rinse, and slice mushrooms. Cut meat into 2 inch wide strips and set it aside.

Peel and chop shallot. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in skillet and saute mushrooms and shallot until tender. Peel and mince garlic clove. Add to mushroom mixture and saute for 30 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mixture into a baking dish, leaving the pan drippings still in the skillet.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter to the same pan. Allow butter to melt, then over medium heat, brown both sides of the meat pieces. It will have to be done in two batches so the pan isn’t too crowded and the meat strips have a chance to brown – about three to four minutes a side. When the meat is done, add to the mushrooms in the baking dish.

Put the skillet back on the heat and pour the 1/2 cup of wine in. Bring the wine up to a boil and scrape up the fond from the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat down to medium.

Sprinkle the flour over the wine and whisk it in; it will be thick and pasty. Then, a bit at a time, gradually add the beef broth while whisking constantly until the liquid is smooth. Add in the salt, pepper, and thyme. Keeping it over medium heat and whisking often, cook until the mixture thickens up. This will take about 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over the meat and mushrooms in the baking dish and give it a stir. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve with rice, mashed potatoes, or wide noodles.

Scallops En Papillote for Your Sweetie

February 11, 2015February 22, 2015 | Julie Yates

Apparently, scallops are a very romantic food. It seems that in every painting of Venus, the Roman goddess of love, there is a scallop shell somewhere. Here in the Midwest, scallops are a splurge and usually on the menu at expensive restaurants. All this makes it the perfect thing to serve on Valentine’s Day when an exceptional meal made at home sure beats fighting the crowds at some fancy establishment. The dish posted here has a touch of elegance since cooking “en papillote” or in parchment paper is a classic French technique. Actually lots cultures wrap food in a material which allow the ingredients inside to be steamed when the package is exposed to heat . For instance, tamales are wrapped in corn husks and in Asia, banana and cassava leaves are similarly employed. Here in the United States, foil along with a campfire is used: (Click HERE). However, the French are so romantic that they actually cut the parchment paper into a heart before putting yummy things on one side and then close it up to make a cute little bundle of deliciousness. So have fun cutting out Valentine hearts and then enjoy a fabulous meal!

Ingredients for Four Servings:

1 pound jumbo scallops (about 12), rinsed and drained

4 (15 x 15 inch) squares parchment paper

1 cup beluga (black) lentils

1 carrot, peeled and cut in half

1 small bunch celery leaves or small stalk

4 shallots

8 to 12 stalks of asparagus

1 small bunch fresh cilantro (1/4 cup chopped)

1 lemon (to make 1/4 cup juice)

1 tablespoon garam masala or curry powder

1 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil for brushing

Directions:

The lentils need to be partially cooked before they are put in the parchment bundle or either they will turn out crunchy because they didn’t have enough time to get done, or the scallops will be rubbery for too long a cooking time. So, first rinse them in a fine mesh colander and look them over to remove any foreign objects. Peel and cut in half one of the shallots. Add the rinsed lentils, the halved shallot, the peeled carrot, and the celery leaves to a pot along with 2 cups of water. Bring the pot up to a boil, then turn down the heat, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

While the lentils are simmering, cut out the parchment hearts. Cut off 4 squares of parchment paper. Mine shown here are 15 inches by 15 inches.

Next, fold each square in half and trace half a heart.

Now, cut out along the tracing marks and open each heart up. Set the parchment hearts aside for later.

Wash the asparagus stalks,cut off the tough ends, and cut in half. If they are thick, cut them in half down the middle.

By this time the lentils should be done with their partial cooking. Remove the carrot and celery from the lentils and discard. Turn the oven on and let it preheat to 425 degrees. Peel and dice the remaining 3 shallots to make 1/4 cup chopped. Juice the lemon to make 1/4 cup juice. Chop the cilantro to make 1/4 cup. Add the shallots, lemon juice, cilantro, and the 1/2 teaspoon salt to the lentils and combine. Set aside for just a moment. Also, mix the garam masala with the 1 teaspoon of salt and set that mixture aside for a moment as well.

Brush both sides of the parchment paper heart with a little of the olive oil.

Place 1/2 cup of the lentil mixture in the middle of one side of each heart.

Lay the cut asparagus piece in a nice pattern on top of the lentil mixture.

Place three to four scallops on top of the asparagus and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the garam masala mixture over the top.

Place 1 tablespoon of butter over the middle scallop.

Close up the parchment packet by making a series of overlapping folds – almost like crimping a pie crust.

Place the packets on a baking sheet and put it in the preheated 425 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Place each packet on individual serving plates. With a sharp knife cut an “X” in the top of each packet. Pull the paper aside and smell the delicious aroma! The meal can be eaten right from the parchment or if desired be removed from the paper and placed on a separate dish. Happy Valentines Day! Enjoy!