Saucy Side Dishes, Arugula Pesto

Most evenings after work, it's all I can do to make sure I make an entree for dinner. Tonight: spaghetti. Tomorrow: broiled chicken. Blah. 

After a while, it's like, "Jeeeez, let's just go out to eat." 

Orchiette Swathed in Arugula Pesto

The trick for me is side dishes, sauces, toppings, and other accoutrements that make food more, well, interesting. You'll see in an upcoming post about sweet potato soup, it's not about the soup as much as it is about the candied bacon, the rye croutons, and the drizzle of seasoned butter. 

One of the things that helps bring more characters to a boring ol' chicken breast for me is arugula pesto. The pesto is peppery but soft on the palette quenched by the other flavours that marry nicely. It can also be a garlicky fun time, if you so choose.

The recipe I'll share today is from The Blue Bottle Cookbook. My friend Emily found this gem and it's your lucky day that it's here for you. Why? Because it is simple, fast, and every time I've made it, it's been absolutely perfect.

I struggle with basil-based pestos: 

• They go brown/off-colored quickly unless used immediately. 
• I cannot keep them tasting fresh; they seem to go off quickly or the flavors fizzle in the 'fridge.
• My basil pesto rarely folds or sticks easily and nicely to the pasta.

The reason for these problems? Probably varies, but it's most likely because basil is a tender leaf that is not also chlorophyll-laden, but also vitamin- and mineral- rich. Arugula has none of these challenges. It appears to have virtually no vitamins or minerals of note. A little frustrating because I always thought arugula was healthy for you, but hey, if I'd known this about basil before I wrote this blogpost, I'd have sought out a fool-proof basil pesto recipe. As I say, I'm not aware of one that doesn't tune the pesto into a lemony culinary detour.

In the images I have included here, I've only used this over pasta as you can see. However, this pesto works beautifully over boiled and sliced potatoes. It makes a terrific cold potato salad. But as a warm pasta dish, it's unbeatable. So attractive and so flavorful. Enjoy experimenting with this.

And don't be turned off by the rosemary or the parsley. You don't taste either very much at all. And I've made the same recipe below with 3 cups of arugula and no almonds at all, and it's just as delicious. I'm not sure the nuts are required at all. The way it blends, it's perfect without.

Orchiette Lightly Touched
With Arugula Pesto

Blue Bottle Cookbook's Arugula Pesto

1/2 c almonds

1 c arugula

1 c parsley

1/4 c Parmarsan (pecorino)

Salt

2 T EVOO oil

2 to 3 inches of rosemary leaves fresh

1/4 c water

1 clove garlic

Puree all ingredients in a food processor. Done.

Happy side-dishing. This pesto will bring zing to your humdrum 

weekday dinners.

___________________________________________







Be sure to follow A Lunch Box Blog  






Twitter   *   Facebook  *  Tumblr  *  Google+

Stone Cold Fox From Chronic Cellars

What is it to be a foxy wine? "Foxy" usually means "Ewwwww, spit it out" gross. But Stone Fox is a foxy wine from Chronic Cellars, from what I believe is sourced out of Sonoma, and it stirred the French cockles of my heart (read: palette). It is quite simply a fox of a wine, like a "hot chick" or like that song from the '70s, "Sexy Lady" by the Isley Brothers. Now, why the image on the bottle has a Medusa-headed gal on it is anyone's guess. Certainly not a foxy image. But in spite of its packaging, I really enjoyed this wine.

Chronic Cellars' Foxy Lady: Stone Cold

2014 Stone Fox

Chronic Cellars

$22 online 

• 35% Grenache Blanc
• 33% Viognier
• 32% Picpoul

As Rhone-styled whites go, it's hard to beat the sensational trio of varietals that drive the wines of this region of France. So, attention new world wine makers, please help Chronic build the idea of Rhone white varietals in the states, so we begin getting better white wine blend options.

The Stoop: Grenach Blanc-heavy Whites Await

Grenache Blanc.

Viognier.

Marsanne. 

Roussane. 

Picpoul.

These grapes positively scream my name. Well, so do Alsace's Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris, but I suppose that's for another blog post.

Goes Nicely With Grilled Pork Loin,
Did I Mention?

This bottle is a terrific expression of these grapes via the California terroir that ages them into this bottle. Overall, Stone Cold is a really enjoyable bottle, and it's Tuesday night sippin' wine. While the price may be above your Tuesday sippin' wine price, I think it serves nicely, given it's expression in the glass. I nursed this for 4 days in the 'fridge and was simply not disappointed.

The fresh and round shape with its fatty viscosity sidles up to a soft acidity that doesn't complicate the way a dry Riesling or a more purely floral Viognier might. I relish the way it floats on the tongue and brings simple joy to the glass.

Where I live, it's what I wanna have when I'm sitting languid on The Stoop (see picture above) watching all the girls and boys go home from work up 18th Street, back into Adams Morgan at the end of a hard day.

The Pros:

• Will please those who are accustomed to Rhone whites. 
• The silky mouth feel gives way to a pleasant punch without an alcohol burst at the finish. You can drink this without the stupor associated with higher alcohol California Chards.
• The wine is pretty in the glass; superb color, nice balance on the tongue.
• It's a memorable concoction of grapes, the Rhone white blends, so it's a new journey for friends who don't know these grapes.

The Cons:

Thank you, Wine Exchange

• Not many folks know Rhone whites, so this may be a standoffish hipster for wine newbies.
• The bottle artwork is not my cup of tea, much like I said about the company's red. Again, ideal for the Dead Head in your life who is weening himself off weed. 
• Feels like they're trying to corner the market on men looking to remember that "Stone Cold Fox" that they can still taste on their lips—like she used lipsmacker cinnamon lipstick or something. This bottle's flavors will disappoint for those chaps.
• Not sure folks will "get" the marketing of this wine, and it could die on the shelf without an awareness campaign of how special this version of Rhone white blends is.

Hope you are finding these reviews helpful and not annoying. Wine reviewing can really bug folks, I get it. But hey, I write the best I can, not the way a pro would.

Be well, drink Rhone wines like my friend Muffy taught me back in the '80s. She was right. And if you cannot afford the French ones, Stone Fox will do just fine.

___________________________________________

Be sure to follow A Lunch Box Blog  

Twitter   *   Facebook  *  Tumblr  *  Google+

Happy Norouz, Everyone!

Ali travels the world, as I was saying during yesterday’s post. As a Foreign Policy Analyst, he rarely has the time for dinners with Shane and me. But finally, we all set a date. That date was summarily scuttled when the Shane came down with some equally international bug.

But true to form, Ali wanted to impress; he knew that Shane had been talking him up as an outstanding chef and wanted me to know that where the best Persian food in the city is. Turns out Shane was right, the best Persian in D.C. can be found at their home.

And so, the date is upon us, Happy Norouz, everyone! Persian New Year begins forthwith! In fact Norouz starts at this very minute.

And Ali and Shane are healthy again, so it is time for a little Norouz-shment.

This event usually coincides with the Vernal Equinox which according to the google-o-meter says:

Originally being a Zoroastrian festival, and the holiest of them all, Nowruz is believed to have been invented by Zoroaster himself, although there is no clear date of origin. Since the Achaemenid era the official year has begun with the New Day when the Sun leaves the zodiac of Pisces and enters the zodiacal sign of Aries, signifying the Spring Equinox.

Well, I’ve always like Pisces (although, I think Ali is Gemini and Shane is Capricorn, uh, so never mind…) At any rate, I watched Ali make possibly the most tasty chicken thigh dish I can imagine. And this sort of cooking magic compels me to share the results with you.

Nothing special seemed to go into it, though. So, while I’ll tell you what he did, I must confess, I’m not sure why it tastes so excellent. Perhaps because the meat perches atop a bed of Javahar Polo or “jewelled rice.”

Javahar Polo

1/2 c sugar and 1/2 c grated carrot and orange zest boiled for 10 minutes to get the bitterness out. Create a simple syrup.

1 chopped large onion

olive oil for quick frying

1/2 c sultanas (golden raisins)

a couple fistfuls of slivered almonds and chopped pistachios

1 c barberries

4-5 c rice

1 t ground saffron in 1/2 c water and 1/2 c olive oil

First create the simple syrup as above. Set aside. Bowl rice with about 1″ of water above the rice in a Dutch oven with salt. Boil 6-7 minutes. Don’t cook more than 10 minutes, whatever you do. Drain.

Incorporate the carrot/orange peel mixture by laying it in the rice in layers. Replace the rice into the pot layering with the peel. Now pour the saffron/water/olive oil mixture into the hot pan on low heat and pour the berries and nuts in. Quickly fry these first until the nuts are lightly browned. Remove the berries and nuts. Pour the oil and syrup mixture back over the rice. Cook through. The oil, sugar and starch create that incredible tahdig or “bottom of the [rice] pot” crust that is so popular in middle eastern cuisine. I find it utterly indispensable for making flavorful rice and just wish I could make it every time I make rice.

Jewelled Rice

While you are making the javahar polo, begin preparing the entrée. Fry 8-12 boneless and skinless thighs on one side for about 15-20 minutes in some olive oil and the juice of two lemons in a regular (not a non-stick) pan. Add 1 medium onion, chopped, and 4-5 cloves of roughly chopped garlic near the beginning of the process. Salt and pepper the chicken as you go. Flip the chicken and cook through; you may need more lemon juice as you go, so the chicken stays in a moist lemony bath. After about 45 minutes, you’ll have dinner.

Sprinkle the berries and nuts over the top of the rice. And then place the browned chicken thighs atop the rice. Let the oooooohs and aaaaaaahs begin.

On a side note, Shane brought a little bit of home (Upstate New York, that is) to the table as well, taking this most Islamic affairs to a decidedly secular level with a Dr. Konstantin Frank’s Fingerlakes white varietal called Rkatsiteli. Crisp and clean, dry and not overly-alcohol-y, this vineyard is one of the very best in the Fingerlakes region.

2009 Rkatsiteli

Dr. Frank's Fingerlakes White

Dr. Konstantin Frank Vineyards

12%

Hammondsport, N.Y. 

I’d never had such an obscure varietal, which according to Wikipedia is a Georgian grape, and prior to the fall of the Soviet Union was the most widely exported grape in the country. Dare I say it: count on Shane to bring it! Who knew that a Persian/ Georgian mash-up was to be the order of the day.

Until our next Persian meal of veal shoulder, lava beans, and dried fenugreek herb, Happy Nourouz, everybody! And as Ali says, Noushe e Jan (roughly “Bon Appetit” or “To your life’s enjoyment!”)

___________________________________________

Be sure to follow A Lunch Box Blog  

Twitter   *   Facebook  *  Tumblr  *  Google+

balsamic roasted butternut squash

Written on November 24, 2013, by Nicole Cibellis in Slow Food on the weekends

I used to make this recipe for soup, but it is so good by itself, that I have made it my Thanksgiving side dish. It is amazing how the sweetness of the balsamic and molasses caramelize the squash into this savory dish. It is shear perfection. This recipe also easily evolves into many of my favorite left over dishes such as, Ravioli’s or Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.  

Soaking the Butternut Squash in the
Melted Butter and Balsamic/Molasses
Means you can Cook it When You are Ready

Recipe by Michael Chiarello

Servings: 12+

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

·         1 large butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded** and cubed

·         1 stick of butter

·         2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped

·         2 tbsp sugar

·         1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

·         1/4 cup dark unsulfured molasses

DIRECTIONS

1.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.     Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter ceases to foam and has turned light brown, pull pan off of heat and add: sage, sugar, vinegar and molasses. (Stand back – it can splatter), Mix well and let simmer for 2 minutes.

Basic Ingredients Providing a Not-So-Basic Taste!

3.     On a tin foil lined pan, pour sauce over squash and mix thoroughly.

4.     Cook in oven for 1 hour or until soft.

5.     Garnish with sage

** When peeling a butternut squash, it is easiest and best to use a serrated peeler. To cut the squash, use a sharp serrated knife.