Warm Goat Cheese Salad

Summer time is here.  It may seem a bit odd considering its September but all of a sudden the fog has dissipated to make way for clear skys and bright sunshine. The locals tell me that the real summer in San Francisco occurs in September and October so while the rest of the country bundles up in warm sweaters, people here are breaking out their summer wear and enjoying the warmth, sparkling water, and the beauty that is San Francisco.

My mother, who arrived in late August has really noticed and appreciated the change.   She's a fantastic cook and has been cooking up a storm since she arrived (I'm thinking of just keeping her here :)  In California, there are farmers markets almost every other day, and there's a huge one that takes place every Saturday by the ferry building.  The old ferry building has been converted into a space which houses specialty stores - one's dedicated to mushrooms, another has dozens of cheeses, and there's even a kale product stand alongside a speicalty honey store.  Interspersed between about twenty of these unique stores are places to eat from sandwiches, desserts, and seafood, which you can enjoy walking around or right outside by the water.

Last Saturday morning, my mother went to the ferry building farmer's market and picked up fresh flowers, beets, sweet corn, lettuce, fresh berries, sourdough bread, and made a delicious brunch.   We had a beet salad with a yogurt sauce, healthy berry smoothies, corn which was boiled in milk - so sweet I can't even describe how good it was- and breaded goat cheese salad with fresh lettuce.  It was all fantastic and we devoured everything.

The breaded goat cheese salad was one of my favorite items and I discovered that it is really easy to make. Just arrange the fresh lettuce in a bowl, cut out circular pieces from sliced bread or baguette, put round pieces of goat cheese coated with bread crumbs on top, and broil it in the oven.  Once the cheese is a golden color, place them on the lettuce and drizzle it with a simple dressing.  Its delicious with the crunchiness of the leaves complementing the gooey tanginess of the warm goat cheese as you bite into it.    If you're looking for a simple delicious summer salad or a side dish this is perfect.

Recipe for Warm Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients
8 oz goat cheese
Fresh lettuce
2 slices of bread
olive oil
Bread crumbs
Walnuts (optional)


Dressing
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions

Wash and dry the lettuce leaves and place in a bowl

Slice 8 pieces of goat cheese and form into circles and dip them into bread crumbs.

Slice each piece of bread in half and then half again (4 pieces for each slice) and drizzle each side with a bit of olive oil.  You can cut around the cheese to make the bread into a more circular shape.

Place the goat cheese in the oven (or toaster oven) on broil until it turns a light brown color

While the cheese is in the oven add 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar to 4 tbsp of olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper and mix it into the lettuce.

Place the warm goat cheese on the salad once you are done.

Sprinkle with walnuts (optional)

Date Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream

Its Ramadan, the month of fasting that tests patience, discipline, and most of all appetite!  Once my body's adjusted to the routine I've never found it too tough to get through the month.  The hardest part, when I lived at home,  was waking up to family sehris at 4 or 5am.  I would never have much of an appetite (but was forced to swallow paratas and keema).  My goal was to get through the meal with half closed eyes, as little conversation as possible, and remain semi concious so that I could snooze before the morning alarm sounded for work.  Everyone else would be in the same sleepy state except for my father who would be wide awake and cheerful every morning and ready to tackle "light" issues such as economics, politics, and current world events.  Needless to say family participation was at an all time low!

In contrast, ifthar (when Muslims break their fast), is one of my favorite parts of Ramadan.  I love devouring samosas, pakoras, lukmis (hyderabadi large samosa), fruit chaat, dahi baree, the list goes on...I also love the fact that in Pakistan things tend to slow down, the mad shaadi hopping schedule is put on hold, and hanging out with family and close friends over numerous ifthars and dinners takes priority.

I've realized that Ramadan is not quite the same in the US and you'll never get to replicate the atmosphere in Pakistan but this year it has actually felt a bit like Ramadan.  People are getting together for ifthars and dinners and some of the traditional ifthari dishes are among the spreads.  One of my favorite fruits are dates and I tend to eat 4 or 5 at every ifthar.  I can't get enough of them!

A few weeks ago, Nadir and I spotted a post by my friend Aisha which featured a fabulous looking date pie.  I guess Nadir was craving it even more than I was and decided to make it for dessert a few days ago.

It was delicious.  The crust was crisp, the date filling inside gooey and sweet, and the scoop of vanilla ice cream dripping over the sides complemented it perfectly.  It encompassed Ramadan in San Francisco - a bit of datey Ramadan mixed into a western dessert.

Modified from this recipe (http://theyumblog.wordpress.com/2008/11/09/date-and-walnut-mini-pies)

Ingredients

For Pastry Crust

• Buy readymade standard pie crust and bake in the oven until light brown before adding the filling.

For the Filling

• Dates -  300 gms
• Water –1/2 cup
• Walnuts – 1/2 cup (chopped)
• Lemon Juice – 2 tsp
• Butter – 2 tsp
• Cinnamon – 1 tsp

1. After buttering and sprinkling flour over the pie dish, transfer pie crust into dish, brush with beaten egg, and prick all over with fork.  Bake in the oven  at 425 F for 10-15 minutes until light brown and let cool.  Turn oven down to 400 F.
2. Melt butter in a heavy bottomed pan, add the dates and water and simmer until the dates are plump. Add cinnamon, walnuts and lemon juice and mix well.  Add more dates and water if you need more filling.
3. Spoon in the date walnut filling into the crust.  Bake the pie at 400 F for 20-25 minutes until crust turns golden brown.
4. Serve with vanilla ice cream

Tarragon Roasted Salmon with Creamy Avocado Sauce

I've been in California for about two months now and I thought as a tribute to the state I would make something with a creamy green buttery vegetable - yes, the one and only avocado!  I absolutely LOVE avocados and every market, grocery store, supermarket that I enter has a huge abundance of them.  I make salmon once a week but usually in the same style - dill crusted- so I was looking around for something new to try when the latest addition of the Bon Appetit magazine arrived at my doorstep with a glossy photo of  bright orange salmon on its cover.  I flipped through it and was pleasantly surprised at the 60 great light summer recipes inside.  Most were easy to assemble and perfect for the gorgeous weather that has graced San Francisco over the past few weekends.

The first few pages featured a recipe called "Poached Salmon with Avocado Sauce."  I decided to just grill the salmon as I normally do instead of poaching it.  Before putting it in the oven I salted the pieces generously, sprinkled some olive oil over the top, and covered them with a few pieces of fresh tarragon.  While the salmon was in the oven I scooped the flesh from two ripe avocados into a food processor adding yogurt, lime juice, cumin, and salt, and blended it together to form a delicious creamy avocado sauce.

After about 15 minutes I spread the avocado sauce across the bottom of the plate and placed the salmon on it.  The dish looks pretty with the orange tarragon speckled salmon contrasting nicely with the pastel green sauce beneath it.  The taste also does not disappoint; the flaky salmon with its hint of tarragon complements the butteriness from the avocado sauce beautifully.

If you enjoy avocados this is a great dish to make.  It only takes 20 minutes and has summer written all over it.

Salmon with Avocado Sauce  (Adapted From June edition of Bon Appetit Magazine)


Ingredients (for 2 ppl)


2 8-0z Salmon Fillets
A few tarragon leaves
2 ripe avocados
1 cup plain low or nonfat yogurt
1tbsp lime juice
1/2 to 1 tsp cumin (add a little to begin with and adjust to your taste)
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt

Directions


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Salt the salmon fillets generously, sprinkle with olive oil, and add a few tarragon leaves.  Put them in the oven once it has heated up.

Scoop out the avocados and add it to the food processor (make sure avocados are a bit soft from the outside or ripe).

Add the yogurt, lime juice, cumin, and a little salt and pulse until mixture becomes a smooth silky sauce.

Taste and add more salt and lime according to your taste.  I like a little tang so I usually add a little more lime.

Take the salmon out of the oven after 15 minutes or when it is done and place it on top of the avocado sauce.

Serve immediately.

Herb Roast Chicken

In the past few months I've been to Pakistan, packed up my NY apartment within weeks, moved to San Francisco, found an apartment in this ridiculously difficult market, bought furniture, and at long last moved and settled in - all a list of excuses for my hiatus from my food blog.  The cooking has continued even if the writing hasn't been as frequent and now I'm finally back with some new recipes!

Summer is fast approaching and people are looking to light, healthy, and simple dishes where they can enjoy the weather outside without having to spend too much time in the kitchen.  Roast chicken is a classic and is a great warm weather meal.  It was always a staple growing up and reminds me of countless lunches and dinners my family has spent around the table.  It also reminds me of childhood vacations in France where we would take long road trips, stop off at farmers markets, buy baguette, creamy cheeses, and a fresh rotisserie chicken, spread out our blanket, and devour it all in whatever beautiful setting we happened to be in.

Thinking it was fairly complicated, I never attempted the dish until recently, when I realized that it couldn't be simpler.  I bought a whole chicken from the supermarket,  already cleaned, with gizzards conveniently wrapped in a little packet that could easily be thrown away.  I salted it generously on both sides and melted two tbsp of butter which I massaged into the skin along with some dried herbs.  I then stuffed a whole onion with a few wedges of lemon (and herbs like rosemary are optional) into the cavity and tied the legs together with a string, and within 10 minutes I was done.  I like to have roast chicken with potatoes so I also pealed 6 potatoes and put them in the same pan as the chicken.  I put it in the oven for about an hour at 425 F and it came out moist on the inside, crispy and brown on the outside, and proved to be a completely satisfying and comforting meal to eat for dinner.  Carrot soup for starter followed by roast chicken and potatoes is now a regular feature on our dinner table.

Recipe


2-3 lb whole chicken (already cleaned)
1 small onion
1 lemon
1 sprig of rosemary (optional)
Dried herbs (rosemary, basil or whatever you feel like)
2 tbsp of butter
String for tying chicken legs
6 potatoes
Little flour for gravy

Directions


Preheat the oven to 425 F.


Rinse out the whole chicken and throw away the pack of gizzards.   Pat it dry and then salt generously.

Rub 2 tbsp of melted butter all over the outside and then sprinkle with dry herbs.

Stuff the cavity with a small onion and a few wedges of lemon along with a sprig of rosemary

Tie the legs together with a string

Peel 6 potatoes and put them in the same pot as the chicken

Put in the oven for about an hour and check to see if it is done.  If it still seems raw then leave it in for longer.

For Gravy


Take the chicken and potatoes out in a serving dish.

Scrape all the juices and remnants from the pan, add some water, and put it in a small pot on high heat.

Add a sprinkle of flour a little at a time while constantly whisking until it thickens.

Add more water until you have the amount and consistency you desire for the gravy.  Remember to keep whisking when adding flour so lumps do not form.

Mushroom Quiche with Butternut Squash Salad

One of my favorite dishes has always been mushroom quiche.  Growing up it was often lunch with a side of salad, part of dinner following a homemade soup, and inevitably in the center of a large spread when we had company.  It was probably one of the most versatile and popular dishes that frequented the dinner table.  At parties, the guests would devour it within minutes.  If there was a slice left over from dinner, it mysteriously disappeared by lunch the next day.

I always thought this delicious quiche was very complicated to make.  Not so.  While scouring quiche recipes last week I found that most of them were fairly simple and I was encouraged enough to replicate the one from home.

Last Friday was a busy day and by evening we didn't have the energy to go out for dinner.  I wasn't in the mood for greasy takeout and I really didn't feel like spending much time in the kitchen so mushroom quiche seemed like the perfect solution.  The key to making this recipe easy is to buy a ready-made crust from the supermarket and keep it in the freezer until needed.  All I had to do was unroll the pie crust into a baking dish.  I sauteed a diced onion  with some mushrooms in olive oil.  In a bowl, I beat three eggs, added some milk, and salt and pepper for seasoning.  I then poured the mushroom mixture onto the crust and topped it with the egg mixture.  I finished it off by sprinkling some freshly grated gouda cheese on top and then baking it in the oven.

Assembling the pie and cooking the mushrooms took all of five minutes.  When it came out of the oven, only 30 minutes later, the pie smelled delicious.  To accompany it I quickly whipped up a butternut squash salad.  I took a box of peeled and diced squash out of the fridge, added some maple syrup and a sprinkle of olive oil, and let it bake alongside the quiche for 30 minutes.  Once it was soft, I added it to a bowl of mixed greens and sprinkled it with mustard dressing.

That night we had an episode marathon of MI-5, my new favorite show.  For those who enjoy action packed conspiracy-filled and highly entertaining plots, this one has a twist at every turn.  Watching those episodes lazily on the sofa while digging into the rich quiche with creamy gouda cheese, we partially redeemed what could have been a very sad weekend night.

Here is the recipe.  Its a great meal thats simple, quick to make, and perfect as an emergency dinner for a movie night.  If you're a fan of mushrooms you'll love it!

Recipe for Mushroom Quiche


Ingredients
1 ready made pie crust
1 onion
1 pound sliced mushrooms
1 cup grated gouda cheese (or you can substitute another)
1 cup whole milk
3 eggs
salt and pepper

Directions


Take out the pie crust beforehand and let it thaw before placing it in the pie dish.  Bake it in the oven for about 5-7 mins (or follow the directions on the pack)

Dice the onion and sautee in a pan until it becomes translucent.  Add the mushrooms and let it cook for 5 mins seasoning with salt and pepper.

Beat 3 eggs in a bowl, add the milk, and season with salt and pepper.

Grate a cup of gouda cheese and keep aside.

Add the onion and mushroom mixture to the semi-baked crush and spread it on the bottom.

Pour the egg mixture over and then sprinkle on the cheese.

Put the quiche in a preheated oven at 375 F for about 30 minutes.  Check after 20 mins periodically to see if it is done.  If the knife comes out clean from the center then its ready to serve.

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup

It is that time of the year again- cleopatras, darth vaders, draculas, and even a few Gaddafis, roam the streets.  Skeletons hang in windows.  Parents raid candy stores.  Pumpkins, in all forms, await trick or treaters, with creepy smiles.

Halloween has hit in full force.  On Saturday, despite the snowstorm, with gusty winds and and pelting hail, the subways were crammed with party goers determined to make the most of Halloween night.

Preparations had started weeks in advance.  Walking around Manhattan, every neighborhood, had its own array of pumpkins, creatively displayed, sitting outside their doorsteps.  Having seen so many of them around, and in anticipation of the miserable weather on Saturday, I was inspired to make a hearty pumpkin soup.  When I stumbled into the apartment late last night - shivering, soaked to the bone, unable to feel my fingers, the soup followed by some hot chocolate, soon had me feeling warm and revived.

Rather than making a conventional pumpkin soup, which can sometimes be a bit bland, I opted to for a version I had found on one of my favorite food blogs, Smitten Kitchen (www.smittenkitchen.com).  Its a black bean pumpkin soup where the beans are pureed with some tomatoes, to which pumpkin puree is added, and then simmers in beef broth for about half an hour.  You can garnish it with some pumpkins seeds at the end.  I didn't have any so I used toasted pine nuts which gave it a great nutty flavor.  The soup, with some bread on the side, can make for a really hearty meal on its own.

I know its a big jump to go from the shrimp potato light lunch, of my last post, to a heavy, but delicious, winter soup, but my cooking is just mirroring the weather; a few days ago it was fall weather with a pleasant briskness, and overnight the temperatures dropped about 10 degrees.  Sadly, it seems NY has forgotten the autumn season, even the leaves are confused; green, on the verge of orange, and now, before they've had a chance to turn, the first snowfall has pummeled them.

Anyway, I think this bodes for a long cold winter ahead, so there are probably a few more soup recipes on the horizon.  Fresh homemade soups are always a good staple in cold weather; they're fuss free dishes, take half an hour to make, and warm you up from the inside on those brutally cold days.

Black Bean Pumpkin Soup Recipe (Slightly modified)
Gourmet, November 1996

(serves 4)

Ingredients

One 16 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup drained canned tomatoes, chopped
1 chopped onion
4 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
4 cups beef broth
24-ounce can pumpkin puree (about 1 1/2 cans))

Garnish: sour cream and coarsely chopped lightly toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions

In a food processor coarsely puree beans and tomatoes.

Cook onion, , garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper in olive oil over moderate heat, stirring, until onion is softened and beginning to brown. Stir in bean puree. Stir in broth and pumpkin, until combined and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Season soup with salt and pepper.

Serve soup garnished with sour cream and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Rustic Shrimp and Potato Dish

About two weeks ago, we had a "summer" weekend, a burst of sunshine, a last chance to soak in heat, greenery, and the outdoors, before the brisk chill set in.  And has it set in. My wool sweater, knee high boots, and protective raincoat, sadly replaced my light cotton wear, sometime last week.

Anyway, back to that weekend.  Everyone in NYC instinctively knew this was the last beautifully warm day of the season, and every New Yorker, determined to make the most of the 80 degree weather, had planned to spend it outdoors.  Nadir and I were no exception.  Instead of lazily spending the morning in bed, we hastily made our way to the supermarket, bought the ingredients for a picnic, had cooked and assembled it within an  hour, and donning our fedora hats, were on our way to Central Park by early afternoon.

Not surprisingly, when we reached Sheeps' Meadow, at the park, the whole of New York had the same idea.  The sprawling grassy area was filled with New York's finest; hipsters, wearing their tight jeans and funky glasses, Wall Street types, in their polo shirts and khaki shorts, children running around happily, students with books left untouched, and dozens of people like us, with packed lunches, people watching, reading, and dozing on and off.

It was an afternoon of relaxation.  Nibbling on the garlic shrimps, digging into the tangy potato salad, dipping it into the zesty yogurt sauce along with slices of baguette, we thoroughly enjoyed the light, delicious, and easy to assemble lunch.  The shrimp and potato meal was inspired by a cooking show from a  few days earlier.  Jamie Oliver, a lively British chef, who talks a million miles a minute, cooks wonderful rustic dishes, in his country home in the UK, often using fresh ingredients from his own garden.  One episode featured a meal of smoked salmon, topped with homemade potato salad, showered with fresh herbs, and sprinkled with a horseradish creme fraiche sauce.  I'm not a big fan of smoked salmon so I substituted it with shrimp and as a healthier option used greek yogurt as a base for the sauce.  The combination worked well.

This dish is worth trying.  Its a great summer lunch but works in autumn as well, especially if you want something light.  The best part is that it takes very little effort and produces great results!

Rustic Shrimp and Potato Salad Recipe (Modified from Jamie Oliver's Salmon and Potato recipe)

Ingredients
• 1 1/4 pounds new potatoes, washed
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• zest and juice of 1 large lemon
• a splash of  vinegar
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons capers, soaked and drained
• 12 tablespoon wasabi in a jar, to taste
• 6 oz nonfat greek yogurt
• a small bunch of fresh dill
• 1 lb or 3/4 lb shrimps (deveined)


Directions
Pick out the larger potatoes and halve them, making them roughly the same size as the smaller ones. Put all the potatoes into a pan of boiling salted water. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are just cooked, and drain in a colander. Put the lemon zest and half the lemon juice into a bowl and add the vinegar. Normally, when making a dressing, I stick to one type of acid, but in this case using vinegar and lemon juice together gives the dish a lovely zinginess. Pour in three times as much extra virgin olive oil as vinegar, and add the capers. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Mix everything well, then add the warm potatoes and toss around until they are all well coated.

Mix the wasabi paste into the crème fraîche with the remaining lemon juice and some salt and pepper. Sprinkle most of the dill over the cooled potatoes and toss again.

Sautee the shrimp in some olive oil and garlic for two minutes.  Don't overcook.  Lay them out on a big plate or platter. Don’t be too neat – I want you to make it look rustic!  Pile the dressed potatoes on top. Dollop over wasabi yogurt sauce, drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle over the rest of the dill
Served with some nice bread, this makes a delicious lunch.