Happening Squares

The Ingredients:

Topping

• 120 cc (or ½ cup) of pecans
• 15 g (or 1 tablespoon) of butter
• stevia equivalent of 12 g (or 1 tablespoon) of sugar
• 1.5 g (or ½ teaspoon) of powdered cinnamon

Cake

• 30 g (or 2 tablespoons) of butter
• 60 ml (or ¼ cup) of coconut cream
• stevia equivalent of 100 g (or ½ cup) of sugar
• 5 ml (or 1 teaspoon) of pure vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 100 g (or 1 cup) of almond flour
• 10 g (or 2 tablespoons) of all-purpose flour
• 2.5 g (or ½ teaspoon) of baking soda
• 3 g (or ½ teaspoon) of salt
• 1.5 g (or ½ teaspoon) of powdered cinnamon
• 1 apple, weighing approximately 175 g (or 6 oz)

The Method:

Topping

1. Butter a square or rectangular baking pan, approximately 20 x 20 cm (or 8 x 8 inch).
2. Set the oven to 175°C (or 350°F).
3. Prepare the topping by first chopping the pecans to the desired size for a crumbly texture.
4. Melt the butter, and add the stevia and cinnamon, stirring to distribute evenly.
5. Add the pecans to the butter mixture and stir to coat the nut pieces with the butter.
   

Cake

1. Prepare the wet ingredients by first melting the butter.
2. Place the coconut cream, egg, stevia, and vanilla in a medium-size mixing bowl.
3. Whisk to break up the egg.
   
4. Add the melted butter and continue to whisk until the mixture is homogeneous.
   
5. Prepare the dry ingredients by placing the almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into a medium-size mixing bowl.
6. Stir thoroughly, breaking up any lumps of almond flour, until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
   
7. Prepare the apple by washing and drying it, then dicing it into cubes approximately 6 mm (or ¼ inch) in diameter.
   
8. Add the apple cubes to the dry ingredients mixture, and stir to cover each piece of apple with flour.
   
9. Add the flour-apple mixture to the wet ingredients and stir quickly and thoroughly to make a soft dough.
   
10. Turn the dough out into the greased baking pan and spread it evenly across the bottom.
11. Sprinkle the pecan topping over the dough.
    
12. Lightly and rapidly press the pecan topping down so the larger pieces are halfway into the dough.
13. Immediately place the baking pan into the oven.
14. Bake the cake for 30 minutes.
15. Cool the baking pan on a rack before cutting the cake into Happening bars or squares.

Salad from Senegal

The Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 225 g (or 1 cup) of fonio, an African grain, preferably a well hulled and clean brand such as Earth's Goodness
• 10 g (or 2 teaspoons) of salt

• 1 or 2 mangoes, weighing approximately 450 g (or 16 oz)
• 1 small red onion, weighing approximately 240 g (or 8 oz)
• 1 medium Japanese cucumber, weighing approximately 300 g (or 10 oz)
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 1 bunch of Italian flat-leaf parsley,  weighing approximately 100 g (or 3½ oz)
• 1 bunch of mint, weighing approximately 60 g (or 2 oz)
• a few sprigs of basil,  weighing approximately 15 g (or ½ oz)
• 60 ml (or ¼ cup) of lemon juice
• 180 ml (or ¾ cup) of salad grade olive oil

Keith mangoes—sweet and tangy with
small, flat seeds and no long fibers

The Method:

1. Place 2 cups of water into a small saucepan that has a fitted lid, add the salt, and bring the water to a boil over high heat.
2. Meanwhile, if necessary, rinse 1 cup of fonio in a bowl of water and pour off the water. Repeat this until the rinse water is clear. (With Earth's Goodness product pictured above, this step is not necessary.)
3. When the salted water boils, turn the burner to its lowest possible setting, pour the fonio into the pan, and immediately place the lid on the pan.
4. After 5 minutes, remove the lid and stir the fonio thoroughly with a fork or fine-bladed spatula to break up congealed lumps of the cooked cereal.
   
5. Remove the pan from the stove and replace the lid, allowing the fonio to cool.
6. From time to time, repeat step 4 until the fonio is at room temperature.
7. Place the fonio into the refrigerator or freezer to further cool it until it reaches a temperature suitable for assembling the salad.
8. As the fonio cools, prepare the other salad ingredients by first peeling the mango and slicing it into approximately 1.5-cm (or ½-inch) cubes.
9. Peel and dice the red onion into the same size cubes.
10. Wash and dice the cucumber into the same size cubes.
11. Wash the cherry tomatoes and halve them.
12. Wash and dry the parsley, mint, and basil, remove the leaves from the tougher stems, and chop them finely.
13. Place the lemon juice in a small bowl or measuring cup and drizzle the olive oil in, whisking with a fork to form an emulsion. (Alternatively, my preference is to place lemon juice and olive oil in a small, screw-top jar and shake it vigorously for several seconds, giving a better emulsion.)
14. When the fonio is cool, empty it into a salad bowl.
    
15. Add the prepared salad ingredients and toss to distribute them evenly throughout the fonio.
    
16. Toss again, adding the salad dressing sparingly until all of the salad has a thin coating.
17. If you have them on hand, sprinkle shelled pistachios on the top of the salad before serving.

The Story:

I modified somewhat a recipe that I found on The Splendid Table website for this salad. In particular, I added instructions on how to cook fonio, an easy but quite specific technique.

Pad Thai Gai

Pad Thai Gai with steamed Chinese long beans

The Ingredients (for 4 to 5 servings):

• 300 g (or 12 oz) of extra-firm tofu
• 4 lime leaves
• 45 ml (or 3 tablespoons) of tamarind paste
•  stevia equivalent of 30 g (or 2 tablespoons) of sugar
• 30 ml (or 2 tablespoons) of fish sauce
• 2 g (or 1 teaspoon) of ground Cayenne pepper
• 680 g (or 1½ lb) of boneless chicken
• 6 cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 30 g (or 1 oz)
•  2 shallots, weighing approximately 120 g (or 4 oz)
• 50 g (or ⅓ cup) of sweet preserved radish. (I used a local, Korean-inspired pickled daikon.)
• 4 eggs
  
• 50 g (or ⅓ cup) of unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
• 1 large or 2 smaller scallions weighing approximately 40 g (or 1½ oz), or the equivalent amount of Chinese chives
• 225 g (or 8 oz) of brown rice noodles
• 4 cups of mung or soybean sprouts weighing approximately 275 g (or 10 oz)
• salt
• white pepper
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Three to four hours before you intend to serve this dish, press the tofu by placing it between two flat plates next to a sink, and putting a weight on top.
   
   (I used a full water pitcher for the weight.)
2. About half an hour before serving time, wash the lime leaves and slice them finely. 
   
3. Mix together the tamarind paste, stevia, fish sauce, Cayenne pepper, and lime leaves in a large bowl.
4. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and place them in the bowl with the tamarind marinade.
5. Mix the marinade thoroughly into the chicken and place the bowl into the refrigerator.
   
6. Grind or smash the garlic cloves with a small amount of salt until the mixture becomes shiny or foamy.
7. Chop the shallots finely.
8. Chop the preserved radish into small slivers.
9. Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk them with a fork until yolks and whites are thoroughly mixed.
10. Chop the peanuts into small pieces and set them aside.
    
11. Chop the chives or scallions finely.
12. Discard the water that has been pressed out of the tofu, wipe the tofu dry, and cut it into 20 or 25 cubes.
    
13. Heat a wok or skillet over high heat and add olive oil to a depth sufficient to fry the tofu cubes.
14. Place the tofu cubes into the oil and stir-fry them until they turn a light tan color, then set them aside in a small bowl.
    
15. Place the dry rice noodles into a bowl that will hold them easily and place a colander on top of the bowl.
16. Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to boiling point.
17. Blanch the bean sprouts for 1 minute in the boiling water then drain them in a colander set over the bowl of noodles. Add cold water to the bowl until the noodles are completely submersed.
18. Rinse the bean sprouts with cold water, then set them aside in the colander.
19. Meanwhile, allow the noodles to soak for a few minutes in the hot water while stir-frying the aromatics.
20. Reheat the wok or skillet over high heat, using only enough of the olive oil to coat the bottom and sides generously.
21. Add the shallot, garlic, and preserved radish and stir-fry until some pieces are starting to turn brown.
    
22. Immediately drain the noodles in a colander and add them to the wok, stir-frying to coat them with a thin film of olive oil.
    
23. Add the chicken pieces, setting aside excess marinade.
24. Stir-fry until the chicken is lightly browned on all sides.
    
25. Turn the heat to low, and push the noodle mixture to one side of the wok or skillet.
26. Pour the beaten egg into the cleared part of the skillet and stir-fry it vigorously until it is completely cooked.
    
27. Chop the cooked egg into small pieces with the thin edge of the cooking spatula.
28. Continue stir-frying to mix the egg into the noodle mixture. 
29. Taste the noodle mixture and add some of the reserved marinade, if necessary, to enhance taste or noodle texture. (I used all of it.)
30. Turn the heat to low, add the tofu, bean sprouts, and scallions or chives, and sprinkle with white pepper. 
31. Mix well, and turn the pad thai gai out onto a serving dish.
32. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts on top or serve them separately in a bowl.

The Story:

With whole-grain, brown rice noodles and a sauce slightly sweetened with stevia, this pad thai is an excellent choice for an Asian meal with a low glycemic index. I based it on a recipe found on the Taste of Asian Food web site.

Steelhead Dijonnaise

Steelhead Dijonnaise, an Artichaut Vinaigrette, also on this blog, and chick-pea flour linguine with pesto

The Ingredients (for 5 to 6 servings):

• 680 g (or 1½ lb) of steelhead trout fillet(s) (I used a single, large fillet which was easier to skin)
  
• 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 20 g ( or ¾ oz)
• 2 g (or ¼ teaspoon) of salt
• 80 ml (or ⅓ cup) of white wine
• 60 ml (or 4 tablespoons) of Dijon mustard
• 25 ml (or 1½ tablespoons) of lemon juice
• 5 g (or 1½ tablespoons) of dried dill weed
• 8 g (or 1½ tablespoons) of unsalted lemon-pepper seasoning
• Olive oil

The Method:

1. If necessary, peel the skin off the steelhead fillet(s) using a small, sharp knife to loosen the flesh while pulling the skin back with the other hand.
2. Turn on the oven and set it to 205°C (or 400°F).
3. Spray or brush olive oil all over the inside of an oven-proof dish that will hold the steelhead comfortably in one layer.
4. Place the fillet(s) into the oven-proof dish.
5. Peel the garlic cloves and mash or grind them with the salt until they form a paste.
6. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together the garlic, wine, mustard, lemon juice, dill, and lemon-pepper seasoning until the mixture is homogeneous.
7. Pour the wine and mustard mixture over the steelhead fillet(s) until they are completely coated.
   
8. Place the dish into the oven and bake the steelhead until it is opaque on the outside and still soft and moist in the thickest part of the fillet. This might take 10 to 16 minutes, depending on the size of the fillet(s). 
   

The Story:

This dish is very little changed from a recipe by Nora on the allrecipes web site.

Orange You a Snapper?

The Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 900 g (or 2 lb) of fileted snapper or similar fish (I used opakapaka, a Hawaiian pink snapper)
• 1 orange
• 4 g (or ½ teaspoon) of salt
• 3 g (or ¾ teaspoon) of ground white pepper
• 60 ml (or 4 tablespoons) of tangerine balsamic vinegar (or white balsamic vinegar)
• 1 medium onion, weighing approximately 170 g (or 6 oz)
• 225 g (or 8 oz) of white mushrooms (I used king oyster mushrooms)
• 6 small Asian eggplants, weighing approximately 675 g (or 1½ lb)
• 40 g (or 1½ oz) of ginger root, preferably young ginger
• 450 g (or 1 lb) of cauliflower
• 450 g (or 1 lb) of  broccoli
• Cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Rinse the filets of snapper, pat them dry, and slice them into pieces a little larger than bite size. 
2. Place the snapper into a bowl that will hold it comfortably.
   
3. Scrub the orange skin to clean it, then grate off the zest.
4. Add the orange zest, salt, white pepper, and about half of the balsamic vinegar to the snapper.
5. Mix the marinade thoroughly but gently into the snapper pieces.
6. Place the snapper into the refrigerator for up to one hour.
7. Chop the onion into small dice.
8. Chop the mushrooms into bite-size pieces.
9. Chop the eggplants into slices about 2 cm (or ¾ in) thick.
10. Place a deep skillet or large wok over high heat and add 45 ml (or 3 tablespoons) of olive oil.
11. Place the onion, mushrooms, and eggplant into the skillet and stir-fry rapidly until the oil coats all slices. If necessary, add a little more olive oil.
    
12. Stir-fry the vegetables frequently until the oil is absorbed and is beginning to be rendered by the eggplant.
13. Add the remaining balsamic vinegar and stir-fry briefly to mix it evenly.
14. Remove the skillet from the heat and place the eggplant mixture into a bowl.
15. Wash and brush the ginger root. If it is a mature root peel the skin, but this is not necessary for young ginger.
16. Slice the ginger as finely as possible.
17. Slice or separate the florets of cauliflower and broccoli.
18. Reheat the skillet over high heat with about 15 ml (or 1 tablespoon) of olive oil.
19. Place the ginger slices in the skillet and stir-fry them until they are limp and somewhat translucent.
    
20. Immediately add the cauliflower and broccoli and stir-fry just long enough to coat each piece with oil. If necessary, add a little more olive oil.
21. Lower the heat to medium and add back the eggplant mixture. Stir-fry briefly to mix the vegetables.
22. Spread the pieces of snapper on top of the vegetables, cover the skillet, and steam the fish for approximately 7 minutes, until it is just cooked. If necessary, add a little water to the skillet.
    
23. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir gently to fold the fish into the vegetables.
    

Lemony Chicklet

The Ingredients (for 5 servings):

• 10 to 12 chicken drumsticks, weighing approximately 1.3 kg (or 3 lb)
• 6 to 8 cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 30 g (or 1 oz)
• 3 g (or ½ teaspoon) of salt
• 2 lemons
• 110 ml (or ½ cup) of white wine
• 30 g (or 2 tablespoons) of unsalted butter
• 15 g (or 2 tablespoons) of salt-preserved capers
• 3 g (or 2 teaspoons) of tarragon
• 30 ml (or 2 tablespoons) of Dijon style mustard
• cooking grade olive oil 

The Method:

1. Rinse the drumsticks and pat them dry.
2. Peel, then crush or mash the garlic cloves with the salt until the mixture becomes slightly frothy or creamy.
3. Extract the juice from one of the lemons.
4. Slice the other lemon finely to yield about 12 slices. Discard the ends of the sliced lemon.
5. Heat a large skillet to medium-high and add enough olive oil to lightly cover the bottom of the pan.
6. Place the chicken drumsticks in the skillet and brown them on both sides.
   
7. Remove the drumsticks and set them aside.
8. Turn the heat to medium-low.
9. Add the wine and lemon juice to the skillet, scraping and stirring to deglaze the pan.
10. Add the butter, capers, tarragon, and mustard and continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil.
    
11. Add the lemon slices and stir briefly.
    
12. Add the reserved chicken drumsticks and stir to coat them with the sauce.
    
13. Place a lid on the skillet and simmer the drumsticks on low heat for 15 minutes.
    
    

    

    Lemony Chicklet

Horse's Neck Salmon

The Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 160 ml (or ⅔ cup) of brandy
• 15 ml (or 1 tablespoon) of soy sauce
• 2 g (or 1 teaspoon) of ground ginger
• 1.5 g (or ½ teaspoon) of finely ground white pepper
• 1 fillet of salmon (skin on), weighing approximately 900 g (or 2 lb)
• 1 lemon
• 45 g (or ¼ cup) of sugar-free sushi ginger
  
• 110 g (or 4 oz) of butter
• cooking grade olive oil
• 120 ml (or ½ cup) of fluid from the sushi ginger bottle

The Method:

1. In a small bowl or measuring cup, add the soy sauce, ground ginger, and white pepper to the brandy and stir to distribute evenly.
2. Rinse the salmon and place it in a Ziploc bag or similar receptacle.
3. Pour the brandy mixture over the salmon and close the container.
4. Marinate the salmon for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
5. Meanwhile, finely grate the zest off half of the lemon.
6. Finely chop the sushi ginger.
   
7. About 15 minutes before serving the salmon, heat a large skillet over high heat.
8. Spray or brush the cooking surface lightly with olive oil.
9. When the oil is smoking, remove the salmon from its marinade (save the marinade for step 14) and place it, skin-side down, in the skillet.
   
10. When the skin turns dark and crispy, turn the heat to low, cover the skillet, and continue to cook the salmon to the desired doneness (I prefer medium-rare).
    
11. Remove the fish to a serving platter.
12. Place the butter into the skillet and allow it to melt over low heat.
13. Add the lemon zest and chopped ginger and stir for 2 minutes.
14. Add the marinade and ginger juice, and simmer until an emulsion is formed.
    
15. Immediately pour the brandy-ginger sauce over the salmon fillet.

    

    Horse's Neck Salmon with Cauliflower Nuggets and Caraway Cabbage, also in this blog

The Story:

I altered an internet recipe for Grilled Salmon with Brandy Marinade, by eliminating ¾ cup of sugar and adding more ginger. The resulting sauce is tangy and actually complements the taste of the salmon more than the sweet sauce would.
('Horse's Neck' is the name of a cocktail made from brandy and ginger ale with a twist of lemon.)