Mosqui Gras & Ramadan: "Fast" Summer Recipes

Peanut Butter & Jelly; Tuck & Patti; Rhythm & Blues: those are combinations that work. In contrast, fasting and long, hot DC summer days do not seem like the ideal combination. Ready or not, Ramadan in early summer is here! Are you ready?

As a dabbler in daytime fasting--who loves the "festivity" of breaking fast whether I have been fasting or not!--I, of course, have observations, opinions and suggestions.

Mosqui Gras!

Observation: As a Christian participant in the Lenten tradition, we make a big deal about fasting. Considering that we give up nominal things like chocolate, swearing, desserts--compared to not eating and drinking ALL DAY LONG, why are we the ones to raise a ruckus with Mardi Gras? Last year, a friend and I (in solidarity) kicked off Ramadan with Mosqui Gras--random outbursts, divine meals and frolicking before the month of solemnity and reflection ahead.

"Haram-free" Rice Krispy Treats
Blueberry Dumplings
Microwave Fudge-so wrong, so right
Faux-jitos Try with a splash of passion fruit juice concentrate--in the Latin food section of many supermarkets
Pavlova-Search this blog for recipe

Ramadan

Here are some lighter meals and refreshing drinks to prepare for breaking fast. These come together fast and can be combined with bread, pasta, rice or even potatoes for more heft. Note that none of these recipes require baking! Only the dumplings, above, are on the stove for a few minutes.

Coconut Water Cooler
Place a small mint sprig-3 leaves-in each section of an ice cube tray. Fill tray with coconut water and freeze. Serve with bubbly water and/or limeade combination. Fresh cucumbers and watermelon chucks would taste great.

Vitamin Water
Combine your favorite Emergen-C vitamin packet (FREE SAMPLES!) with:

• Frozen or fresh grapes
• Frozen or fresh blueberries
• Fresh cucumbers
• Slices of lime, lemon or grapefruit
• Bubbly, filtered or coconut water
• Ice, if desired

Pineapple Frosty
One 20-oz can crushed pineapple or one 12-16 oz bag frozen (plus 1/2 cup extra juice)
10 mint leaves or fresh basil leaves
2 cups ice (or 1 cup ice + 1/2 cup water if using frozen pineapple)
Blend at high speed until smooth.

Panzanella aka "bread salad", pictured above left. At home we skip the toasted bread and use Stacy's Pita Chips--it comes out half-crunchy. Yum! If cooking for kids, I serve the olives on the side and call it pizza salad. It has disappeared every time!

• 2 1/2 cups pita chips
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 5 ripe  large tomatoes or 7 plum tomatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size and shape
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1/2 cup pitted and halved Niçoise or Kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisking constantly, add the extra virgin olive oil in a stream until well incorporated.

Add the onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, and olives and toss with the vinaigrette. Add the pita chips. Adjust the salt and pepper.

Tear the basil leaves and add them to the bowl. Toss to coat. Set aside for 20 minutes or more.

Divide the salad among 4 plates. Garnish each plate with shaved cheese and serve. By comparison, here is the authentic recipe.

Strawberry Salad & Vinaigrette

• 4 cups organic spinach leaves (4 ounces)
• 4 tablespoons crumbled plain goat cheese (2 ounces)
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• 4 teaspoons chopped toasted walnuts, optional

Best Summer vinaigrette ever!!

• 5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 large basil leaves and/or fresh tarragon and parsley
• 10 fresh strawberries, rinsed and trimmed

Directions:
Using a stick blender, a food processor or traditional blender, mix the ingredients for 20-30 seconds until texture is creamy; small strawberry lumps and seeds are fine.
Don't let the pinkish-brown color stop you from drizzling this over fresh spinach, butter lettuce, frisée and other delicate leaves!
Watermelon salad-Arugula would make an easy replacement for watercress
Pickled Cucumbers  This recipe link can be followed to do a quick pickle. The one below makes a refreshing salad ready in 30 minutes.

• 3 English (seedless) cucumbers, sliced 1/8 inch with a mandolin or as thin as possible
• 1 teaspoon salt or 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 20 pieces peeled, fresh ginger, thin-sliced with a vegetable peeler
• 1 shake hot pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce
• 1 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup water (if vinegar taste is too strong
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup diagonal carrot slices (or as much as you like)
• 3 spring onions, cut into diagonal slivers (kitchen scissors work best)

Inspiration:  Consider adding crushed peanuts when plated for a spring roll flavor combination. This pickle also tastes delicious with extra plums. Use on salads and with poultry. Consider pickling extra zucchini instead of cucumbers.

If mango lassi were a salad, it would look like this

Avocado Delight, paired with a delicious dressing:

And this could be a meal with Salmon

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon water

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

I imagine having these in the morning--a pre-dawn treat accompanied by a meal.
Vegan "Ice Cream"-no machine needed!!
Pistachio Ice Cream
Date Shake

Food for thought: Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah--Are you ready???

Season's greetings! I love the holidays. At least, now I do, since I don't buy too many gifts. But more about that later.

Did you send out invites for a nice, cozy gathering, only to realize that you have no idea what you're going to serve? On the hook for Christmas dinner? New Year's Eve cocktails? Get some ideas here, and use the time (and money!) you save getting something nice for yourself...


Appetizers

Cream cheese will be your best friend. You can do so many things with it!

Ever heard of cheese logs or cheese balls? Well, why not make pear shapes? Or even a cone-shape for a tree?

Also, use cream cheese as the base for a mousse.

Salmon mousse (serves 25 hungry or 40 nibblers)
8 oz. smoked salmon pieces. Buy the pieces cheap, as in $6 or less at Trader Joe's and Harris Teeter.
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 sprigs fresh dill, stems removed
Pepper, to taste
Pulse cream cheese in food processor, then add salmon, and dill.

Voila! You have a ton of mousse! Use on top of seedless cucumbers, or peel & seed a regular cucumber, cut in half, then put mousse in the middle. Cut in 1/2-inch slices, and you have cute watermelon-like hors d'oeuvres. Stand them up, or slice them thin on mini toasts, melba rounds or bagel chips. To pipe out the mousse, store in a large Ziploc bag. Just before serving, cut a small slit with scissors at one corner. Start small; you can make the slit bigger, but not smaller! Also works well for frosting.

Salsa mousse
Use 8 oz. cream cheese, softened. Pulse in a food processor.

Add 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes softened in hot water, 4 slices pickled jalepeno, 1 sprig fresh or dash dried cilantro and 1 clove fresh garlic. Puree until almost smooth. Experiment with firm silken tofu if you're vegan or are entertaining vegan guests; you may need to add salt.

Use with tortilla chips, grape tomatoes. Serve in a seeded green or red pepper. Extra festive!


Brie with dried cranberries and pistachios
8 oz. brie cheese
8 small sandwich-size pitas
1 large handful dried cranberries
1 handful shelled, salted pistachios- will be bright green & powdery

Cut edges of pita in order to separate sides. Overlap thin circles on a large dinner plate. Put 2 wedges or small wheel of brie on top of bread. Heat in microwave for 1 minute to 1 1/2 minutes, until brie starts to melt in the middle. Sprinkle cranberries and pistachios on melted cheese. Cut remaining pitas into thick triangle wedges. Serve while hot (and reheat if it gets cold).

All of these appetizers would be great for Hanukkah if you're keeping Kosher-no meat.

Vegetables
I used to do complicated stuff for parties. No more hot veggies! People want company, not scurrying and worrying. A few things I like that are not your typical salads... I love marinated veggies. I use pre-prepared items from the grocery store, like matchstick or sliced carrots; frozen bell peppers cut lengthwise; frozen peas (thawed, but not cooked); or broccoli slaw. Use dressings with extra zing. If using mayonnaise, add it just before serving.

Also, I like chopped fresh mustard greens (wash really well!) tossed with Annie's Goddess dressing. They'll taste very peppery, so make sure you like mustard greens. If using an Asian theme, I've sprinkled crumbled seaweed sheets (only one per small bowl of greens) and toasted sesame seeds on top. Make a lot, as greens shrink and wilt. So good, and something different.


Meats

Meat is tricky. I love meat, but I still have a lot to learn about it.

Poultry
I have a tendency to overcook. If that describes you, too, one thing has helped keep chicken breasts moist: start from frozen. That way, I don't have to change my habits!
My favorite marinade for roasted chicken, hands down, is Goya brand Adobo. I has orange & lemon, juices, cumin, salt and pepper. Work some magic on store-bought rotisserie chicken!

Versatile sauce for meats
Sweet and sour sauce for lamb, turkey, duck and ham:

1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
bay leaf
Heat all ingredients, simmering for 20 minutes, or until thickened. For extra flavor, add 4 whole cloves for ham sauce; 1 thyme sprig for lamb; 1/4 cup orange juice for turkey and duck.

Beef
I'm still learning how to cook steaks and other cuts of meat. I do know what enhances the flavor: herbed butter. Use 1 stick unsalted butter; 1 bouillon cube (avoid those with MSG or anything with glutamate in the ingredients list); 4 sprigs parsley and 1 or 2 small cloves garlic. Blend in food processor. It will be bright green. It's so good on beef, chicken, and even garlic bread.

Fish
The only way I've served fish at a big party is fish croquettes. I'm giving away my secrets...Oh well. I use 2 pounds of catfish nuggets for every pound of frozen french fries. Yep, that's my secret! Puree with 1 chopped small onion, salt and lemon pepper in food processor until it's a paste with some chunks in it. I used a deep fryer, but you can use a deep pot 1/3 full with oil. Make sure oil is hot but not smoking. I prefer corn oil. Drop by big teaspoonfuls into oil. Fry until deep golden brown. So good, and a great alternative the normal party food. Make your own tartar sauce-just use pickles, mayo, a little onion or onion powder and cajun seasoning. Chop pickles separately and add into mayo, so you can gauge how much you want in your sauce.

I also like making fried smelt. This is fish for the "down home" crowd. They are small silver fish from Northeast U.S. that are quite inexpensive. One can buy them at the store, frozen and "dressed"-heads, bones and goop removed. I think they come in a 1-pound bags for 5 bucks. Run smelt under cool water to remove ice chips. Then dry them as much as possible with good-quality paper towel. Squeeze out excess water repeatedly. Coat them in flour and salt, and let them rest for a minute. Coat with more flour if smelt look soggy. Use a wok or other large metal skillet that can go into the oven. Fry them with 1/2 cup oil for 8 minutes, shifting pan to make sure oil coats all fish. Then transfer them to the oven for 25 minutes at 325 degrees. They will get insanely crunchy and will turn dark gold. Serve with a mixture of hot salsa and oil or hot sauce mixed with minced garlic and ranch dressing.

Seafood
I only use shrimp, since it's so versatile. Besides, I'm allergic to seafood and can never try what I'm preparing! Try premade flavor enhancers--jerk seasoning, pesto, curry paste and satay sauce to perk up your shrimp. Add some broth to these pastes, and you have a meal to serve with rice,potatoes and pasta.

Vegans
We can't forget the vegans! Making food vegan is so easy. Also, vegan dishes take a lot of juggling meat and dairy out of the picture for Hanukkah.

For an appetizer, alternate grape tomatoes and green olives on skewers cut in half. If preparing for Kwanzaa, add some Kalamata olives.

You could make a bean salad with chopped fresh kale, white beans or chick peas in a can, sundried tomatoes, olives and artichokes. Add olive oil if none of the other ingredients, like artichokes or olives, have oil marinades. Marinate a few hours, if you can. It's red & green, and tasty for vegans or carnivores. To use Kwanzaa colors, switch all or some of the white beans for black beans.

You could also grill veggies and marinate in lemon juice, oregano and olive oil. I actually use a nonstick pan, lightly coat with oil, such as olive oil spray from Trader Joe's, and heat until black marks form on the veggies. So good and easy! You could also use canola oil and use a curry paste (omit oregano) for curried vegetables. Heat some sweet potato fries in the oven, and add to "grilled" curry veggies or rosemary fries to add to oregano-lemon veggies.

Try a caponata, pictured above. It's a Sicilian appetizer/salad made with eggplant, capers, olives, pine nuts and raisins. I just saw one done with diced butternut squash instead of eggplant. Mmm.

By the way, if you're not used to cooking with tofu, don't start now! Stick to pasta salads, hearty bean salads, tabouleh, falafel, cous cous, and curries--whatever you already cook. Your vegan friends will thank you!

Breads
I don't even worry about bread. I use garlic bread--homemade, since store-bought usually has trans fats, corn bread mixes (I've had bad luck with Glory brand--I like Jiffy better) and Bisquick--low fat!-- for bisuits and quick breads. I've had a lot of success with refrigerated biscuits. The ingredients are scary, though. If you're rushed, just serve fresh bread with olive oil. Add herbs you're already using for cooking, and you're done.

Desserts
I used to be obsessed with desserts, until I went to Mali and dessert was an orange, or ice cream if we were dining out. If you're already running mad from all the other courses, relax and make something simple. I find cakes to be much easier than cookies. I also like making cookie bars, as it takes a lot less time than individually-formed cookies.

If you want to bake, here are two recipes I made at Thanksgiving, a ginger pumpkin tart, and a ginger cheesecake. I used the gingersnap crust pressed into a springform pan from the cheesecake recipe for both desserts. A great timesaver! I also added a LOT of diced candied ginger in both recipes. Oh, and I doubled the filling for the pumkin tart.

I love chocolate fondue at parties. I use semisweet chocolate chips (1 12-oz. bag), whipping cream (8 oz.), honey (1/4 cup) and cinnamon. Oh, and vanilla. Only the real thing, no "real imitation vanilla." You can also add liqueur, I'd say 2 oz. or less. Serve with fruit, cake, and/or ice cream. Keep warm in a crock pot. By the way, this makes a heavenly cake glaze, and when it's refrigerated and solid, you can roll small balls in cocoa powder for homemade truffles.

A few years ago, I made apple skewers sprinkled with lemon juice and cinamon sugar & dipped in caramel sauce. I used red & golden/green varieties for the Christmas theme. They were a big hit. (I think I saw a friend just eating the sauce by itself!) I can't find the recipe I used on the Net, so try the following:
2 cups whipping cream
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
Combine ingredients in nonstick pan. Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until brown, glossy bubbles form. You'll also smell a very aromatic buttery smell. It will take a while (15+ minutes, depending on how much you make & size of pan). Thin with water, if desired.
Drinks
Last, but not least. Have some fun, and embrace the traditional drinks of winter.

Glogg-it's a Scandanavian spiced red wine. You can use the same spices as for spiced apple cider and make it the same way. Some stores, like Glut Food Co-op, sell apple cider spices in bulk. But, if you want to avoid lush-ious glogg-related behavior, use equal parts red wine and a cranberry juice blend! This would be a great way to use leftover wine from a large dinner for some friends coming round the day after (like the day after Christmas).

Cider- You can just throw a cinnamon stick in some cider, and you have a treat. Mulling spices include orange peel, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, ginger and allspice. I also like cardamom sometimes. Also, try topping cider with whipped cream and caramel sauce.
Egg nog-Ever looked at the ingredients of store-bought? Yikes! Use dried egg whites whipped with hot water to thicken milk, whipping cream, sugar, nutmeg and...whatever y'all crazy kids put in your egg nog.

Hot chocolate-Mmm. I use Ghiradelli mix with milk, but if you're making a lot, save some money and make it yourself. Use milk, sugar, unsweetened cocoa and vanilla. Marshmallows are fun. I prefer a dollop of marshmallow cream over whipped cream with hot cocoa. Try ricemellow creme-vegan marshmallow fluff--and vanilla soy milk for an animal-free hot cocoa. Or, save a step and use chocolate soy milk. For the adventurous, try Abuelita--Mexican chocolate squares with cinnamon flavoring. For the gourmet, top whipped cream or marshmallow cream with a mixture of dark chocolate shavings, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. For the traditional, use some broken candy canes while heating cocoa. Yummy!

Use frozen juice and lemonades to make a killer punch. Use brightly-colored fruit and water/juice to freeze in a bundt pan and make an ice ring.

So, after all this, you probably want to know: am I having a party? Nope! But if you invite me, I'll bring something good!