Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate Chunks

This weekend we had our friend Lokesh over for dinner.  I tried to make Chicken Fried Steak and still had problems with the crust not crisping.  However, the Sour Cream and Chive mashed potatoes were awesome as were the Lemon Pepper Brussel Sprouts and of course the dessert!

I've been wanting to make something fruity to celebrate and further welcome Spring.  Tim's favorite ice cream (if you discount a Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard from Dairy Queen) is Strawberry.  Since we've all had a wonderful strawberry ice cream, what could I do to amp up the flavor?  Well, I have heard of pouring a drizzle of Balsamic Vinegar on strawberries before, but have never tried it.  But since it was a thing I decided to add it to the ice cream and see what happens.  I also added some chopped dark (70% Cocoa) chocolate for good measure.

This is a wonderful way to take advantage in the drop in strawberry prices this year.  You could certainly use frozen berries when fresh ones are not in season.  But don't use any that have already been sweetened.  Make sure the only ingredient on the package is strawberries.

The Custard:

•    1 1/2 C Half & Half (or as I did, 3/4 C Heavy Cream & 3/4 C Whole Milk)

Bring to a simmer over medium heat
•    2 whole eggs (I've used egg beaters, but you can tell the difference in the final texture)
•    1/3 C sugar

Cream the eggs and sugar together until smooth and light yellow.

Slowly, in order to not scramble the eggs, beat the heated cream into the egg mixture.  Once fully incorporated, place back into the pan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Set up an ice bath which consists of the largest mixing bowl you have with water and ice.  A smaller, but as wide as possible metal or glass bowl that can hold more than the custard.  You will use this to rapidly cool down your custard in order to freeze it on the same day.  If you are freezing the ice cream tomorrow, you can skip this step.

Meanwhile...

•    3 C Strawberries (I used the 2 pint/1 lb container; can you believe Organic for $3.99!)
•    1/4 t Kosher Salt
•    2 T Balsamic Vinegar

Slice the strawberries and blend with the salt and vinegar in your food processor or food mill.  If you choose to leave some strawberries in larger chunks, keep these separate as they will just fall to the bottom unless the custard is semi frozen.

Combine:

•    1/2 C heavy cream
•    1 t Vanilla (I used Double Strength and then regretted not making the custard with the vanilla bean pod I have in the freezer)

Pour the warmed custard through a fine mesh strainer into the bowl sitting in the ice bath.  Whisk until slightly cooled.  Add the cream and vanilla which will help stop the cooking.  Whisk.  Then pour in the strawberry puree and whisk some more.  Once the mixture was no longer pouring steam out you can stop whisking, but leave in the ice bath for at least an hour until the mixture is cold.  If you are skipping the ice bath, don't lid the mixture, but place in the fridge over night.  If you are not able to put in the fridge uncovered, make sure you allow a vent for any remaining heat to escape.  But you should never put steaming hot things in the fridge.  Allow to come to room temperature first.

•    1.5 oz Dark Chocolate, finely chopped
•    Any larger chunks of strawberries you've reserved

Now you've got your ice cream base.  Once the mixture is cold (if it's not cold your ice cream maker will work too hard and may not completely freeze the mixture), freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions on your ice cream maker.  Moments before the ice cream is fully frozen, gradually add in the chocolate.

When your ice cream mixer is finished the ice cream is ready to eat.  For a firmer texture, place ice cream in a container and into your freezer for a couple of hours.

The results are glorious.  The vinegar, while a scary ingredient really is undetectable.  What it does is amp up the strawberry flavor to 11.  You can taste it with all the tang of a perfectly ripe berry.  I was blown away.  The dark chocolate further enhances the flavor by complimenting the berry punch.  You could use chips, but I like the organic texture and variation in size you get by chopping the chocolate yourself from a block or a bar.  The more fine you make it the more integrated the flavors become.  Be sure to leave some chunks for a nice surprise.  This ice cream is well served as a cleansing dish at the end of a BBQ or anywhere a bright punchy fruit flavor is welcomed.

Enjoy!

Israeli Couscous

Tim and I were attending a pot luck dinner party where the host lived in a church they renovated. The place was magnificent only eclipsed by the wonderful company. We had a wonderful appetizer display of Pita Chips with hummus, olives and vegetable crudites. For dinner there were Chicken and Steak Kabobs and I brought an Israeli Couscous salad.

Israeli Couscous is much larger than the middle eastern counterpart and is toasted.  The individual kernels can be in excess of 2 mm in diameter. Still made from semolina, this is more like a pasta than a grain and can be prepared like a risotto. However, this mamoth couscous can be substituted for either pasta or grain in a wide variety of dishes. Due to the larger size, the preparation differs from that of traditional Couscous, which is typically steeped in boiling liquid and fluffed before serving. Israeli Couscous is boiled in a broth water mixture almost like a risotto.

You will need:

• 1 C Israeli Couscous
• 2 C Broth/Water or a combination according to taste (2 C total)
• 1 T Oil (I used Sunflower Oil)
• 1 T Olive Oil
• Freshly Ground Pepper

Place a sauce pan over medium heat with the oil. Once the pan has reached temperature, add the Couscous and toast lightly for 2 minutes. Stir to coat the granules in the oil. Add the Broth/Water mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until the little balls have reached al dente texture.

Strain out any unabsorbed fluid and spread on a baking sheet (I also lined with a silipad). This step is to cool the granules. Pour the olive oil on top and season with Pepper. No salt is needed unless you did not use broth. Stir to combine and spread out. Repeat the stir and spread process until the Couscous stops smoking.

For the Salad:

• 1/4 C Cucumber, diced or pie shape
• 2 T Mint, chiffonade
• 1/8 C Feta
• 1/8 C Golden Raisins
• 1/8 C Slivered Almonds
• 1/8 C Red Onion, diced
• 1/4 C Cherry/Grape Tomatoes, halved or quartered
• Salt/Pepper to taste
• 2 t White Wine Vinegar

Once the Couscous has cooled, toss with remaining ingredients until evenly distributed. Taste and season accordingly. Store in the fridge until ready to eat. Garnish with a tiny sprig of mint leaves and a fresh grind of pepper.

The possible variations goes on and on.  I added some garlic stuffed kalamata olives and have considered sun dried tomatoes.  I love the variety of textures and the fact that this salad can be served warm or cold.  I've made a batch to be my lunch for the week served on a bed of greens.  I think some salmon or tuna would also make a nice addition.

Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

Tim and I spent a relaxing Easter together.  This Day of rest for us was supported by having Good Friday off for Tim so he could get some work done in the yard.  He did yard work Friday and Saturday, then Sunday we watched a movie and made Chicken Pot Pie.  We are definitely fans of comfort food, but don't often allow ourselves to have it due to the typical abundance of fat and typical limited influence of vegetables on the plate.  However, there's nothing wrong with adjusting a recipe to allow for a comfort food to become more healthy.

I took a recipe from William Sonoma's Comfort Food book.  This marvelous tome has everything glorious from breakfast to desserts.  Absolutely everything we've tried from this book has been exceptional.  Additionally, it's not just comfort food, but I'd consider these recipes to be gourmet comfort food.  So I didn't need to modify much to make this recipe more special.

First, no good self respecting pot pie would be worth it's weight in salt without a fabulous crust.  Every good crust I've tried has always had a combination of butter and shortening.  We all know that shortening has partially hydrogenated oils which is the definition of trans-fat.  But you need the balance of the butter for flaky and the oil for tender to make the perfect crust.  I suppose this is a step up from lard, though, right?  My advice here is either to go light on the crust (one layer), to use puff pastry which only contains butter (read the label), to substitute the Crisco with canola oil, or to minimize the frequency with which you have this recipe and go ahead and have your dang crust.  As it was a holiday, we went ahead and had our dang crust, but used whole wheat flour as a consolation.

the Crust:

• 2.5 C Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 C (1 Stick) unsalted butter, very cold, diced
• 1/2 t sea salt
• 4 T Crisco (or 1/8 C canola oil)
• 6+ T Ice water

Using your food processor, pulse the flour and salt together to combine.  Drop in the butter and pulse 5 times at 1 second intervals.  Pour the oil in circles over the mixture, pulse again until the mass looks like crumbs the size of small peas.  Drizzle in 3 T of water, pulse.  Attempt to clump a bit in your fingers, if it holds it's shape you're fine.  If not, add in more water 1 T at a time.  You may not need to use all the water.  This depends on your elevation and the humidity of the day.  Don't allow the mixture to ball up in your food processor.

You can use a pastry cutter and your hands in place of the food processor. Or you can have a big fat wedding and two showers and get all the kitchen electrics your inner cook desires!

Dump the mass onto plastic film and shape into a disc.  Place the disc in your fridge for 30 minutes to 2 hours.  

the Veg:

• 1/2 lb Mushrooms, sliced (any variety, I used Baby Bellas and Cremini)
• 2 C Leeks, light green and white parts, sliced and well rinsed.
• 2 C other veggies (we used a thawed organic frozen mix of corn, green beans, peas and carrots)
• 1 T unsalted butter

In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add mushrooms and toss to coat with butter.  Cook until the mushrooms release some liquid and brown slightly.  Add in the leeks and cook until wilted.  Add in the other vegetables.  Remove from heat and set aside.

the Protein:

• 4 boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
• kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Pat dry the chicken and season with the salt and pepper.  You can grill or roast or pan fry the chicken, but cook completely until the internal temperature reaches 170.  Slice and set aside.

the Sauce:

• 4 T butter
• 1/4 C whole wheat flour
• 4 C Chicken Stock
• 1/3 C Dry Sherry
• 2 T fresh tarragon, stems removed, chopped
• kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

Melt butter over medium heat.  Sprinkle with the flour and whisk to combine.  Add in the Stock & Sherry.  Bring to a boil whisking frequently.  The sauce should thicken.  Once thickened, add in the Chicken and the Veg and stir to combine.  Let mixture rest for 1 hour.

Once cooled, roll out dough.  I believe the recipe I gave you is for two crusts.  Preheat oven to 400 F.

Lightly grease or spray a 3 L casserole dish (if using bottom and top crust, skip step if only using a top layer).  If using a bottom crust, line the crock with dough and allow some to hang over the sides.  Fill with pot pie mixture and cover with remaining crust. Crimp the two crusts together and pierce top with a fork prodigiously to allow steam to release while cooking.

Place casserole on top of a foil lined pan to catch any messes that might happen.  Bake for 25+ minutes until crust has achieved desired browning.  All ingredients inside are cooked through, so the only thing you are looking for here is a fabulous crust.

Insides will become molten lava.  Please serve, but allow to cool slightly before consuming.

Enjoy!

Mushroom Risotto w/Brown Rice

I mentioned in the Risotto Romance post that I was going to attempt a whole grain version of this delicious stuff.  And, well, the results are in!  In my search for Brown Aborio rice I saw a few articles mention that this particular rice was not suited for risotte, so I was on the hunt for something that would work.

The varieties of rice available in supermarkets today is blessedly staggering, but unafmiliar rice doesn't mean you must leave it on the shelf as a mystery.  Once you understand the texture something produces yoou can pretty well figure out the best use.  After that it's just a matter of taste.

Personally I'm a fan of long grain brown rice.  I like a Basmati for no other reason than it's got a great nutty taste.  The long grain in most varieties will produce a rice that is less sticky or clumpy.  Each grain will stand on its own.  Rice like this makes a nice base to any saucey application like curries or stir-fries.  I pretty much always have some in the freezer waiting for such a meal.

Short Grain rice is used when having a sticky result is just the thing you are looking for, such as making sushi or rice pudding.  There's something about the shorter grain that always produces this type of texture.

Medium Grain rice is kind of nebulous to me, mainly because I understand the properties of long and I understand the properties of short and I assume that medium is something in between.  But I'd rather have long and short than try to make do with something that doesn't really do either very well.  But, if space is limited as it is in most kitchens, then having one rice for everything is needed.  I just make room...

So, Short Grain Brown Rice is the winner.  I was looking for a Japanese variety as I read in an article it would make great risotto specifically.  And I thought, if there was a brown sushi rice, that would be perfect.  Unfortunately our local grocery store had medium grain and I just wan't going to guess that it would work.  Instead I got a Lundberg Organic Brown Rice in a short grain.

Essentially the same process and ingredients are in this Risotto, but Brown Rice does take more liquid and more time to achieve the same results.  But those results are so worth it!

• 2 T Olive Oil
• 1 small onion diced
• 1.5 C Brown Short Grain Rice
• 1 1/2 C dry white wine (I had a Gwerstraminer in the fridge, so used that)
• 6 C Chicken Stock
• 2 C Water
• 8 oz Mushrooms, sliced (I used baby bellas)
• 2 T Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces
• 1/8 - 1/4 C Parmesan + more to garnish
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a sauce pan combine the water and chicken stock and bring to a simmer.

In another pan, like a sautee pan, add the oil and saute the diced onion until translucent. As the flavors are very simple, don't brown the onion or the flavor might overpower the other ingredients.


Add the rice to the onions and stir to coat the grains with oil, toasting lightly for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the 1/2 C white wine and stir until completely absorbed.

Take a ladle full, or about 1 C of the Stock and add to the rice, stirring. You don't need to stir constantly, but periodically. Make sure the heat is set such that you maintain a solid simmer, but not a rolling boil on the rice. The agitation releases the starch in the grain which produces that tell-tale creaminess. Once the liquid is absorbed, add another ladle full. Repeat.

After the third dose, I added in the sliced mushrooms along with another ladleful of the broth.

Once absorbed, start tasting the rice.  You are looking for al dente. So the rice should be firm, but not crunchy. You will likely not use all of the liquid. Tasting the rice will let you know when to stop.

In your last or next to last addition add in the wine.  In the original recipe, wine was the first addition.  Which it is still in this recipe, but when I was making this rice I ran out of liquids (not thinking that I would use up all of the broth/water) so I added in more wine.  The result was amazing and the flavor phenomenal.  It was not alchol-ish, but it was nice and flavorful.  So I thought I'd keep doing this and recommend it to you.

Once the rice has absorbed as much liquid as it can and has achieved that perfect al dente tooth, remove from the heat and stir in the butter and cheese.  Reserve some cheese to garnish on top when plated.

The result was fantastic!  I still have the rest of the Aborio rice and will use it up, but I am so happy to have produced a whole grain version!  Yay!

Enjoy!