sel et sucre

Author: Claire

  • Roasted Curried Cauliflower

    roasted curried cauliflower

    I’ve been trying to fit a lot into my life. All things I feel quite passionate about (this blog included), but sometimes it really makes me crave simplicity. Something that doesn’t require complicated techniques or rare ingredients or constant attention. So here’s what I threw together when I had a head of cauliflower that needed to be used. Nothing too crazy, just four ingredients and a hot oven. And the result, the aroma of curry as the edges of the cauliflower caramelize in the oven, soon ready as a versatile side.

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  • Habanero Infused Mezcal

    habanero infused mezcal

    I’ve recently become obsessed with mezcal. Similar to tequila, mezcal is made with agave, but the plant is roasted before distillation, lending a pleasantly smoky flavor to mezcal that is missing from tequila. Since I happen to love the flavors that are usually paired with tequila (lime and salt? Orange juice and grenadine? Yes, please!) and also anything smoky (bacon, good barbecue, smoked cheeses, smoked salt – all irresistible to me), it’s really not all that surprising that mezcal has grabbed my attention. Of course, I couldn’t resist taking things a step further and infusing my mezcal with habanero peppers for a spicy punch on top of the smokiness. The result is amazing with anything fruity although definitely not for those without a high spice tolerance. My habaneros may have been extra spicy (or maybe this was because I opted to only infuse half of my bottle of mezcal rather than the whole thing), but I actually needed less than 24 hours to reach a level that tested my (rather high) limits. So be careful to keep tasting the mezcal as it infuses so it doesn’t get too spicy. This technique can, of course, be used with tequila instead of mezcal and with different peppers instead of habaneros (although I like the fruity and citrusy notes they lend).

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  • Stir-Fried Pork and Vegetables in Black Bean Sauce

    stir-fried pork and vegetables in black bean sauce

    Stir-frying is a really useful technique; it’s simple, fast, and yields delicious results. I especially love it for fresh vegetables where the high heat draws out their natural sweetness while keeping them nice and crisp. This type of preparation is my favorite for brussels sprouts which I think get a bad reputation due to often being overcooked. I like my brussels sprouts only slightly softened, still retaining a crisp nearly raw interior. Chinese long beans (which are very similar to green beans but a bit better suited to stir-frying as they stay crisper) are a great match here, while ground pork marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, and Chinese five-spice helps to round out the flavors. Despite the jarred black bean sauce being used here (as much as I like to make everything from scratch, sometimes it’s just not feasible), this stir-fry is miles ahead of your standard take-out – both tastier and healthier! Once you get the hang of stir-frying, you’ll realize how invaluable it is to be able to toss together whatever vegetables are hanging out in your fridge and end up with a delicious meal.

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  • Pomegranate Asparagus Quinoa Salad

    pomegranate asparagus quinoa salad

    Now that it’s spring, I’m weaning myself off of the soups and stews that kept me going all winter. This salad is a perfect match for the transition in seasons. In an homage to all the plants outdoors whose greenery is currently in full swing, this salad is full of green, with asparagus, spring greens, mint, and chives. Quinoa, toasted for maximum nutty flavor, keeps it filling while pomegranate molasses and fresh lime zest and juice add a little tartness and a little sweetness. I love food with a variety of textures, and this salad manages just that – chewy quinoa, crisp-tender asparagus, and crunchy walnuts. This can be served with the quinoa and asparagus still hot or with the whole salad at room temperature or even cold (great for those spring days when the temperature unexpectedly spikes to summer levels) which means it could just as easily be packed for a quick picnic as it could be served as a sophisticated appetizer at a dinner party. Versatile, tasty, and healthy, there’s not really much more I could want this time of year.

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  • Roasted Chickpea Fajitas

    roasted chickpea fajitas

    I’ve long loved roasting vegetables, but it’s only recently that I discovered how tasty roasted chickpeas can be. By coating them in spices and roasting, you can easily turn these healthy beans into your new favorite snack. Here, chickpeas are flavored with chili powder and cumin to form the perfect base for vegetarian fajitas. In case you can’t tell from my photo, my favorite part of fajitas is loading them down with toppings. I piled cilantro, lime wedges, salsa, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and diced avocado on mine, but these would even be good without extra toppings. I haven’t tried roasting beans other than chickpeas yet, but I can’t see any reason why this wouldn’t be equally delicious using black or pinto beans.

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  • Carrot Cake Muffins Baked in Eggshells

    carrot cake muffins baked in eggshells

    Usually I’m all about taste, but every once in a while, I decide to cook something mostly for the visual impact. These muffins baked inside of eggshells were perfect for a spring brunch (where I also served scrambled eggs from the emptied out eggs – waste not, want not). You can use this technique with your favorite muffin or cupcake batter, but I decided that carrot cake muffins (a less sweet and more breakfast friendly take on classic carrot cake) with a “yolk” made from a cream cheese filling seemed like a great fit. I was pretty pleased with how these turned out, but I’d definitely do some things differently next time. The batter stuck to the eggshells which I hadn’t quite anticipated, so I think swirling a drop of oil inside them before filling would be useful. I filled my eggs using a plastic bag with the corner cut off, but I think a professional pastry tip would make this a lot easier and quicker. I also overfilled the shells, and while it’s easy enough to scrape off the overflowing muffin after they’re baked, this meant that my “yolks” didn’t end up as pretty little balls in the center of the egg as hoped, so stick to filling the eggs a little less than 2/3rds full. Learn from my mistakes so you don’t have to make them! Even with these small issues (and the hours spent emptying eggshells and piping batter in them), everyone at brunch was very impressed, and it was really fun to crack away the shell and reveal a muffin!

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  • Fasoulia (Middle-Eastern Spiced Kidney Beans)

    fasoulia

    Fasoulia is simply Arabic for beans. Many different dishes go by this name, sometimes there’s meat included, sometimes a splash of pomegranate molasses. But the base of beans and tomatoes with Middle-Eastern spices stays consistent. I used kidney beans here, but other beans (including green beans) would also work, and my dad says black-eyed peas are what’s usually used in Lebanon. Traditionally, this dish would be cooked with baharat, a Middle-Eastern spice mix, but I didn’t feel up to making a new spice mix when cooking this, so after looking at the ingredients typically included in baharat (paprika, black pepper, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamom) settled on using a mixture of curry powder and paprika to come close to the same flavor. This combination worked very well, although if you have baharat, that would certainly be best.

    Fasoulia is usually served with breakfast, and I found it tasted amazing topped with a fried egg (or mixed with scrambled eggs) and sprinkled with a little zaatar. But this would also work by itself as a stew for a hearty lunch or dinner. I love how perfectly simple this recipe is while still managing to pack a lot of flavor; it’s really a great reminder how important spices are to a dish, so now is a good time to make sure you’re using fresh spices (ground spices typically don’t stay good for much longer than six months, and you can easily gauge how much flavor is left in your spices by taking a smell – you want a fairly strong aroma).

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  • Maple Bacon S’mores

    maple bacon s'mores

    Okay, it might be a little silly for me to post a recipe for s’mores. I know, you already know how to make s’mores. It’s really so simple, just marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers. But these were easily the best I’ve ever had. Very different from what I had as a kid (and I wonder what me as a kid would have thought of these). The salty-sweet combination with bacon in the homemade marshmallows and smoked salt on the homemade graham crackers adds another dimension to this classic dessert. As I’ve gotten older, my chocolate preferences have shifted away from milk chocolate and towards dark chocolate, and this was the perfect place to embrace that. Dark chocolate (60% cocoa content or higher ideally) helps these seem sophisticated instead of sickeningly sweet (although, okay, they’re still quite sweet). These s’mores were the perfect way to kick off the grilling season during the recent abnormally warm weather, and I’m pretty sure I’ll have to make them the next time I go camping. I think my young self would approve; these are the best of both worlds: playful and messy to tap into your inner kid but complex enough to please your adult taste buds.

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  • Homemade Graham Crackers

    homemade graham crackers

    This is probably not shocking to anyone who’s perused this blog, but I can be really ambitious with my cooking projects sometimes. Which is how I found myself in a bind with these graham crackers. I’d committed to making s’mores on an early Saturday afternoon to be the grand finale for the first grill session of the year; I had already invited a couple friends to join and made homemade marshmallows, and I was absolutely determined to make homemade graham crackers for the perfect s’mores. Somehow I easily envisioned myself making the dough on Friday night and baking the crackers on Saturday morning. Of course, I chose not to take into account my full day of work that Friday as well as a party happening at my house that night. The inevitable outcome of which was me frantically making the dough as party guests arrived. But the dough came together surprisingly easily and was soon chilling safely in the fridge for the night while I stayed up, engrossed in conversations. The next thing I knew, I was forcing myself out of bed the next morning with less than eight hours of sleep, because I was absolutely determined to finish these graham crackers. After rolling, cutting, sprinkling on some cinnamon, sugar, and smoked salt (I can’t help myself when it comes to salt and baked goods, and the smokiness seemed like it would be perfect paired with toasted marshmallows), and, inevitably, dropping a few crackers onto the floor (I’ve given up on pretending I’m not a clumsy person), I watched eagerly as they baked and filled the house with an irresistible aroma. The graham crackers were an undisputed success, well worth the frantic stress and lack of sleep (there’s always time to relax and sleep after my stomach is full). And the s’mores? You’ll have to come back on Friday to hear how those turned out.

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  • Maple Bacon Marshmallows

    maple bacon marshmallows

    The moment I laid eyes on the recipe for these marshmallows, I was determined to make them for s’mores as in the linked recipe (look for my version of the s’mores later in the week). Despite my excitement about this particular combination of flavors, this ended up being a particularly divisive recipe, with reactions varying from enthusiastic pleas for a taste to an incredulous “there’s meat in those?” Bacon in marshmallows may indeed seem strange but when it’s candied bacon alongside maple syrup, it actually makes a lot of sense, especially if you (like me) love salty-sweet combinations. If you had the same reaction as me, you already know you want to make this recipe. If you’re on the edge though, not sure if you’re up to something this strange, I’d like to encourage you to take the plunge. Of course, you could also make this recipe and omit the candied bacon; the base marshmallow is surprisingly easy to throw together with very impressive results. Having never had homemade marshmallows prior to this, I was very pleasantly surprised at the great fluffy yet sticky texture and sweet but not cloying flavor, reminiscent of but far superior to the store bought variety.

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