Pork Terrine with Pistachios, Apricots and Prunes

(1 9"x5" loaf)

Terrines are quite wonderful. They often end up looking very impressive, yet they are easy to make. I had some ham I wanted to use up, and thought this would be the perfect vehicle.

This is a great party food, or just nice for a hot day because once it's done, it's served at room temperature. It keeps for about a week refrigerated, and is great with pickles, bread and salad.

I add a 1/4 pound of chicken livers which impart a wonderful flavour. If people either aren't told or have had enough drinks, they will devour this regardless of the liver, hehe. It's hard to stop eating it once you get started.

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped or 1/2 tsp dried
1/4 lb chicken livers, trimmed and roughly cut up (optional)
1 3/4 lb good quality sausage meat, (I used pork bratwurst from the Whole Foods butcher)
1 large egg
1/3 cup Port or Madiera
2-4 bay leaves
8-10 thin slices of bacon
1/3 cup shelled pistachios
1/2 lb ham, (give or take) cut into strips
about 4-5 dried apricots, cut in half lengthwise
about 4-5 dried prunes, cut in half lengthwise

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and fry for about 1 minute, then add the onion. Saute over low heat until the onion is a light golden brown; about 10-15 minutes.

Add the thyme and cook another minute, then remove from heat OR if you are using the chicken livers, then add those too, but cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.

When the onion mixture has cooled a bit, place that into a large bowl. Add the sausage meat (remove the casings if there are any), egg and Port or Madiera. Combine everything really well. I find hands seem to do the job best here.

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Place 1 or 2 bay leaves on the bottom of a 9" loaf pan and then line the pan with a single layer of bacon (cut them up as needed), with some strips hanging over the sides. Add a layer of sausage meat mixture. Sprinkle a few pistachios over this and then arrange a few strips of ham over that. Fill everything in with a bit more sausage meat,

Arrange the prunes and apricots in a row in the middle. Sprinkle a few more pistachios, then fill everything in again with a bit more sausage meat.

Sprinkle some pistachios, and arrange a few strips of ham. Fill in with the sausage mixture. I imagine everything should be used up at this point, but if it isn't just continue until it is, ending with a layer of sausage meat.

Cover the top with the bacon which was hanging at the sides. Top with another bay leaf or two.
Place the terrine into a larger roasting pan and fill with water about halfway up the sides of the terrine. Cover the top with foil and place into the oven.

Bake for about 2 hours in the water bath or until the juices run clear when you pierce the meat with a skewer.

Remove from the oven. Weigh down the top with a cutting board and cans or place a smaller loaf pan on top with something inside as a weight. Allow to cool, (in it's water bath), then refrigerate.

This can be made ahead a day or two, the flavours seem to improve as it ages. It will keep about 1 week refrigerated.

Guacamole

(about 1 1/2 cups)

We haven't really had the brutal sort of heat I've become accustomed to this time of year. It's rained quite a bit which is really nice, but that messes with the humidity and raises those levels. Regardless, it's never entirely comfortable outside for me, so I'm tucked away inside where it's air conditioned.

The heat and humidity usually slow me down to the point where I'm not really in the mood to cook much. Today is no exception. I tossed together this guacamole instead, which came together very quickly.

2 avocados, peeled, seeded and cubed
1/4 - 1/2 clove garlic, minced (optional)
juice from 1 - 2 small key limes
a few drops of hot sauce
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small plum tomato, chopped
1/2 green onion, chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

corn chips

Place the avocado, garlic, lime juice, hot sauce and jalapeno pepper into a bowl. Mash together with a fork. Stir in the tomato, green onion, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with corn chips.

Sun-Dried FetaTomato Spread

(about 1 cup)

The jar of sun-dried tomatoes is almost finished. They were so good! I combined the last of them with feta cheese and yogurt for this delicious spread.

I can hardly walk past the refrigerator without stopping, pulling out this spread and having some of it with a multi-grain cracker or two.

1/2 lb feta cheese
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil and drained
1/4 cup greek style plain yogurt, (or sour cream if you prefer it less tart)
1 small clove garlic, chopped
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 green onion, sliced


Place the feta, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, yogurt and black pepper into the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.

Add the green onion and pulse until just mixed.

Serve with bread or crackers.

Chile con Queso with Meat

(about 3 1/2 cups)

I was asked to make this dip for a bar-be-que I was invited to. The hostess was quite specific; it was to be made with Velveeta cheese (/shudder, I'm highly suspicious of any "dairy" product that can sit on a shelf for years on end), Ro*Tel diced tomatoes and green chilies, and Jimmy Dean Sausage  (I used hormone free turkey sausage instead, hehe). I ended up doubling the recipe because all I could find was a 2 lb brick of Velveeta at the grocery store. This actually worked out well - all of it got eaten.

This stuff  does taste quite good (it's salty and wonderful with cold beer, to wash it down) and is very popular in Texas. A California native recently mentioned to me they don't use Velveeta there when they make it. At some point I will try to duplicate this dip using "real" cheese.

1 -2 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 lb Jimmy Dean sausage meat, (I used turkey sausage)
1 10 oz can Ro*Tel diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed
hot sauce, to taste
small handful of cilantro, chopped

corn chips

Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the garlic. Fry for 1 minute, then add the onion and jalapeno pepper. Lower the heat a bit and saute until the onion softens and turns a light golden brown; about 10-15 minutes. Add the sausage meat and cook, breaking the meat up, until it's cooked through; about 10 minutes.

Stir in the entire can of Ro*Tel (liquid and all), then add the Velveeta. Cook, stirring for another 5 minutes or so until the cheese has melted and the dip is hot. Add the hot sauce to taste and stir in the cilantro. I added no salt to this as it was pretty salty already.

Serve immediately with corn chips. If you double the recipe and make a huge amount as I did, you might consider transferring the queso to a slow cooker or fondue pot to keep it warm - otherwise this stuff congeals rather quickly, lol. Even when kept warm, you have to stir it from time to time, otherwise it will form a skin.

Olive Hummus

(about 3 cups)

Hummus has got to be one of the easiest things to make at home, and in my opinion it tastes much better than the ready made stuff. I usually intend to make a simple one with just a bit of garlic and lemon juice, but invariably I end up coming across something in my refrigerator or pantry and add that to the mix.

This time it was olives, and the hummus turned out great.

1 25 oz can chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained
1/2 cup tahini paste
1/2 cup olives, I used a combination of kalamata and spanish
1/4 cup water
3-5 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
freshly ground black pepper
salt, if needed

Place everything, except the salt, into the bowl of a food processor, and process until smooth. Check for seasoning. Add the salt if needed.

Serve with pita bread or crackers. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil if you wish.

Khao Pod Tod; Thai Corn Patties with Cucumber Sauce

 (8-10 patties)

Whenever I go out for Thai food, I try to have these corn patties as an appetizer. Whole Foods had corn on sale this week; 6 ears for $2..   I couldn't resist.

cucumber sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 english cucumber, chopped
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

Combine the vinegar, fish sauce and sugar, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the cucumber, cilantro and mint.


corn patties
2 cups corn, about 3-4 ears fresh corn
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 green onion, chopped
a pinch or two of cayenne
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 medium eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup rice flour, 1 tbsp more if needed

oil for frying

Combine all of the patty ingredients in a large bowl.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and add a bit of oil to coat the pan evenly.

Drop a couple of tablespoons of batter per patty and fry until the bottoms are brown; about 2 minutes. Flip carefully and fry the other sides until browned.

Serve immediately with the cucumber sauce.

Har Gow; Shrimp Dumplings

(about 42-48 dumplings)

While I was still living in Toronto, I took several evening cooking courses at George Brown College. Among them were two dim sum classes.

I loved those classes, and it wasn't until I left Toronto that I realised just how wonderful they had been. These were "hands on" classes where each student had their own workspace and prepared their own food, very unlike the classes I have come across in Dallas where you basically shell out a small fortune to squeeze between 15-20 individuals to watch someone else cook or prepare something.

Had I known how "special" these classes were at the time, I would have taken a lot more of them.

Har Gow was one of the dishes I learned to make and I still make it rather frequently. It freezes well, so I often double or even triple this recipe.

Filling
1 lb raw shrimp, cleaned and chopped
1/2 cup bamboo shoots, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
2 tbsp glutinous rice wine, or sherry
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tbsp tapioca starch

Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour, up to overnight.

Wrappers
3 cups wheat starch
4 tbsp tapioca starch
2 tbsp lard, or shortening, or olive oil
2 cups boiling water

Serve with
chinese mustard
chili paste

Combine the wheat and tapioca starch in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the water; add the lard, shortening or oil. Mix until a ball forms. Knead until the dough feels smooth; a minute or so.

Keep the dough under a damp cloth and break off small pieces, and roll them into little balls. Place each ball into a tortilla press, and press; this makes perfect circular wrappers. If you don't have a press, then roll each piece out by hand with a rolling pin. The ones I make in the tortilla press do make a slightly thicker wrapper, but that's the trade-off for getting them done faster.

Place a small amount of filling into the centre of each wrapper and fold starting at one side; keep one edge smooth and fold the other edge in as you work your way to the other side. Don't be tempted to overfill these; the smallest amount of filling will prevent the edges from sticking together.

*At this point the har gow can be frozen. I place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer, not touching and freeze  for 10 minutes or so before packing them into freezer bags for further freezing.

Spray the bottom of a steamer lightly with oil or cover with cabbage leaves, and arrange the har gow in one layer with a bit of space between. Steam for about 5-8 minutes. *I add a minute if I'm steaming them directly from the freezer. Be careful not to steam them for too long as the wrappers can disintegrate.

Serve these with chinese mustard and chili paste.

Kimchi Mandu, Korean Dumplings

(about 90-100 dumplings; they freeze really well)

My first introduction to Korean food was many years ago in Edmonton, Canada, of all places. We used to order these with Bibimbap, a rice dish with veggies which was topped with a raw egg.

Back then we dipped the Mandu into soy sauce and sugar we mixed together at the table. Now I make a sauce similar to one I make for most asian dumplings, except that I add sugar to this one.

Filling
1 1/4 lb lean ground pork
5-6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, chopped or 6-7 dried, soaked in water overnight, chopped
1 cup kimchi, finely chopped
2/3 cup firm tofu, crumbled
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp salt

2  12 oz. pkgs gyoza wrappers, about 90-100 total
water

Place all the filling ingredients into a large bowl, and mix gently with your hands until everything is well combined.

Place a small amount of  filling in the centre of each circular gyoza wrapper. Dip your finger into the water and wet the edges; bring them together in a half moon shape. Press firmly to seal.

*At this point the mandu can be frozen. I place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet  and freeze them for 10 minutes or so before packing them together into plastic bags for further freezing.

Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup  rice vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp chili paste, (optional)
1 tbsp green onion, finely chopped

Combine all of the sauce ingredients, and stir until the sugar has dissolved.

*Place a steamer in a wok filled with water. Either spray oil or place cabbage leaves over the bottom. Place the dumplings in one layer, cover and steam for about 10 minutes, or until done.

OR

Place them in an oiled skillet and fry for a few minutes over medium-low heat, then flip them over. Add about 1/4- 1/3 cup of water and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook for an additional 8 minutes or until the water is gone. Adjust the heat if necessary so they don't burn.

Serve with the dipping sauce.

* they can be reheated by pan frying.

Smoked Paprika Cheese Spread

(about 1 cup)

Last year my sister sent me a tin of Spanish smoked paprika. I had never tried it before, but I loved it immediately.

This past year I've experimented a bit with it, trying it out in various dishes. It's rather nice in this cheese spread. The hint of cinnamon seems to intensify the smokiness and the tiny amount of cayenne gives just a hint of heat on the back of your tongue.

Sometimes I add a bit more lemon juice or capers if I'm in the mood for this to be slightly more tart; it's very nice either way.

8 oz neufchatel cheese
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 clove garlic
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp cinnamon
a pinch or two of cayenne
salt to taste

1 tbsp capers
1 tbsp green onions, sliced

Place everything except the capers and onions into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

Scrape down the sides. Add the capers and onions and pulse just until they are combined.

Deviled Ham

(about 1 1/4 cups)

I decided to make some deviled ham with the last bit of ham I had left after all, and it was worth it. It turned out to be faster to make than the Croque-Madame.

1/2 lb ham, cut up
1/3 cup mayonnaise, (perhaps 1 tbsp more, check after you process)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne, or more to taste
freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp green onion, chopped

Place everything except the green onion into the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Adjust for seasoning and add the extra mayonnaise if the mixture is too dry.

Add the green onion and pulse until it's just combined.

Heringsalat, German Herring Salad

( 2-3 servings)

While I was at the German deli getting stuff for the meat salad, I saw some pickled herring and decided to make some herring salad as well. There are different versions of it. I prefer the one which includes beets because I love them, and the way they colour this salad.

1 cup pickled herring, drained and cut into 1/2" pieces
1 red beet, roasted and chopped or 1/3-1/2 cup chopped pickled beets
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 dill pickle, chopped
1/2 granny smith apple, chopped
1 tbsp capers
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
2 tbsp sour cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. Serve with bread, rolls or crackers.

Fleischsalat, German Meat Salad

(2-3 servings)

My mother used to make this when I was a child. I like using Schinkenwurst, which is a type of bologna studded with ham chunks; it's also known as Bierwurst in some parts of Germany.

1/2 lb sliced Schinkenwurst, cut into 1/4" strips
2-3 dill pickles, chopped
1/2  granny smith apple, chopped
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp pickle juice 
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. I like to let the salad sit for a few hours, but it's delicious right away as well.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

(about 2 cups)

Last night by the time I got home with the groceries, I didn't feel much like cooking. So, I made some hummus which is always quick and easy.

I was going to make a simple one with lemon juice and garlic when I noticed a jar of roasted red peppers I had picked up on sale a couple of weeks ago.

1 16 oz can chick peas, drained (garbanzo beans)
1/2 cup roasted red pepper  (I used some from a jar although this would probably be better if you roasted a couple of fresh ones).
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/4 cup water
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp hot paprika
pinch of cumin
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.

Serve with pita bread or crackers

Feta Cheese Spread

(4-6 servings)

Whenever I don't feel like cooking, I resort to cheese and crackers. This spread is much nicer than plain slices of cheese, and it's quick and easy to make.

1/2 lb feta cheese
1 small clove garlic
1 tsp Hungarian sweet paprika
1 tsp Hungarian hot paprika
1 tsp dried mint
2 tbsp olive oil

Place all the ingredients into the bowl of a food proceesor and process until smooth.

Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and serve with bread or crackers.

Körözött, Hungarian Cheese Spread

(serves 4)

This is an adaptation of a spread my father used to make. He added almost as much butter as cheese to his, which I consider way too rich. I not only omit the butter, but I replace the cream cheese with neufchatel for a lower fat version. I'm also inclined to add a bit more lemon juice, capers and anchovies as I prefer it fairly robust.

This piquant spread just isn't the same without the anchovies, and I strongly urge you to use them. I have served it to people who think they hate them and to be honest, I don't believe they even realised there were anchovies in it.

8 oz neufchatel cheese
4-8 anchovy fillets, drained
1 tbsp Hungarian paprika
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp caraway seeds

1 tbsp capers
2 tbsp green onion, chopped or chives

Place the neufchatel, anchovy fillets, paprika, lemon juice and caraway seeds into the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
 
Scrape down the sides and add the capers and green onions and pulse once or twice until just mixed.
 
Serve with bread or crackers.