Tag Archives: basil

Bing! Cherries aren’t just for pies this year!

18 Jul

This summer, fruit is in. And I don’t mean “in” like “neon and neutrals”, I mean “in” EVERYTHING. Literally. Especially with cherries being in abundance as we speak, fruit is going in every meal at my house. But how to switch it up? I mean, you can always eat a piece of fruit by itself, but there’s got to be more ways to incorporate it while celebrating the versatility of the flavors.

When I caught word that Whole Foods had both Bing and Rainier cherries in stock, I knew this summer would be full of inspired combinations, such as this beauty below:

A Half Cup - Bing Cherry, Basil and Chevre Salad

This is a side salad I made for dinner Sunday night that was oh, so delicious. Wanna know what’s in it? (I thought you’d never ask!)

Bing Cherry Summer Salad

  • 2 doz. Bing cherries, washed halved and pitted
  • 2 oz. Chevre (any goat cheese will do great!)
  • 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 5 leaves of fresh mint
  • 5 leaves of fresh basil
  • 1 tsp. Finn River port (reduced over medium heat till a thick glaze. This is optional and I had it on hand)
  • Kosher Sea Salt for garnish

Directions:

  1. Start by washing and drying your cherries, pulling the stems off, and then run a small pairing knife around the seam, just like you would to core a peach or other stone fruit. Twist the two sides and then pluck the pit out. Toss all your cherry halves into a salad bowl.
  2. Next, take your washed and dried basil and mint leaves, stack them up and cut into small slivers (also called “Chiffonade”). Sprinkle over cherries in the bowl.
  3. Take 2 oz of goat cheese and crumble or dice and add to your bowl.
  4. Drizzle the salad with the balsamic (a little goes a long way here) and the port reduction if you have it (if not, no worries, it will still be delicious!)
  5. Lightly sprinkle with sea salt (I have kosher on hand, but if you have another kind feel free to substitute – just be careful of using table salt – it’ll get too salty REAL quick).
  6. Toss the salad gently and sparingly, plate up and top with a little more basil and mint.

This salad (made with essentially 5 ingredients or so) is an easy (as in “pull together at the very last second”) dish because it requires NO cooking, little effort (about 5 minutes total) and packs a distinct, flavorful punch. Just because it’s fruit doesn’t mean it can’t be for dinner! We had this along side steamed purple and red potatoes, french green beans and baked true cod with a spiced Greek yogurt crust (equal parts ginger powder, cayenne pepper and paprika dusted over nonfat plain Greek yogurt and finished with corn flake crumbs. Baked at 400F for 13 minutes). Light, healthy and pretty tasty.

A Half Cup - True cod, purple potatoes and bing cherry summer salad

What else? Well, that was Sunday night….but Sunday afternoon, we checked out the International District Food Walk, as you can see from my trusty assistant here (Harrison):

A Half Cup - Harrison at the International District Food Walk

That’s him holding his Phillapeno BBQ pork skewer and Taro bubble tea with lychee jelly (very adventurous!).

And Friday I made a run up to Bellingham to help out my sister with some last minute floral needs for a wedding she had on Saturday, so I got to see the ankle biters…and you know I can’t resist sharing a picture of them!

Later this week I’ll be experimenting with Rainier cherries, baking and roasting them, so keep your eyes peeled, and tell me, what’s your favorite dish or recipe for fresh, in season cherries????

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I’M A FINALIST!!!! Vote for “Samoa Curry Arancini” in the Girl Scout Cookie Recipe Contest!

17 Feb
IT’S TRUE!!!! I HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AS A TOP 5 FINALIST FOR THE GIRL SCOUT COOKIE RECIPE CONTEST in Western Washington. HOORAY!
Now it’s up to the public (that’s YOU!) to help me win! There’s a few wonderful prizes, but most of all, this will be a huge chance for me to continue with my dream of sharing food creativity and education with the masses! Please go to the Girl Scouts of Western Washington Food Blogger Recipe Contest page and VOTE for my “Samoa Curry Arancini” recipe now until March 1st! (I copied the recipe below for your convenience and to make your mouth water!) :)
Now here’s my original post with the recipe, you should count on buying a box (or 10) of Samoas and making these for a party (like, say, to watch the Oscars?!)
*******
In case you’re busy doing your taxes, watching the Grammys, or living under a rock, allow me to remind you – it’s almost GIRL SCOUT COOKIE TIME!!!!! I know, I know, it’s exciting! :) Before I get to my super exciting recipe and contest news, let me first give you the most important details: cookies go on sale SOON – March 2nd – 18th.
Girl Scout Cookies Samoas

How could you NOT want at least one sleeve of Samoas? If you drink a cup of coffee with them, it counts as breakfast, I promise!

You can learn more about the best sale of the year by visiting the Girl Scouts of Western Washington website here. And because the Girls Scouts are hip and keeping up with the times (I mean, they are the future leaders of America after all…) there is an awesome cookie locator, as well as an app, that tells you exactly where girls are selling cookies in your neighborhood! They won’t be updated until closer to the sale, but are very good to keep handy! (and to learn about the origin of the Girl Scout Cookie, check out the full history!)

This year, as an added bonus, the Girl Scouts turned to food bloggers in Western Washington to see what we’d do when turned loose with boxes of our favorite sweets. That’s right – a contest – with food bloggers – and COOKIES. It’s dangerous kids, and I’m getting serious….seriously excited. The contest is to use the cookies in a recipe of our own making. And you know I love a challenge. Without further ado, I present to you my savory AND sweet appetizer – Samoa Curry Arancini!

Girl Scouts Samoas in Curry Arancini

A little sweet, a little salty, a LOT addictive!

What in the heck is Samoa Curry Arancini you ask? That’s a great question – to which I answer: I made it up. :)

In “old world” Italy, people would take their left over risotto the next day and roll it into balls, then deep fry it into crispy, heavenly balls of fried deliciousness. I decided to take this old Italian recipe to India, to warm it up a bit. The recipe that follows IS EASY – I PROMISE. If it looks complicated, then take a deep breath, it’s smoke and mirrors, and you can use this to your advantage the next time you have company. This is the perfect appetizer to prepare ahead, and fry up at the last minute:

Samoa Curry Arancini

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup White Rice (sticky rice like Niko Niko)
  • 1 Cup Coconut Milk
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 1/2 Tbsp. Yellow Curry Powder
  • 1/2 Tsp. Salt (plus more for dusting the arancini after frying)
  • 1/2 Cup boiled then chopped chicken
  • 1 box Girl Scout Samoa Cookies
  • 1 Cup Greek Yogurt
  • 1 handful fresh basil leaves
  • 1 Tbsp fresh mint leaves + a pinch of salt

Coating

  • 4-6 Samoa cookies, pulsed into crumbs in a food processor
  • 2 Tbsp panko bread crumbs (or regular bread crumbs – plain)

Directions

  1. First get your rice and chicken prepared, this can be done at the same time. Get a small pot of water boiling and add your chicken breast (I use a frozen one). Boil till cooked through (about 15 minutes). While that’s boiling, get another small sauce pan for the rice.
  2. Combine the coconut milk, water, curry powder, 1/2Tsp. salt and rice in sauce pan. Put on medium heat and stir constantly, THE WHOLE TIME, with a spoon, till it boils. Continue stirring constantly for 2 minutes while boiling. After 2 minutes, turn heat off, cover with lid and remove completely from heat. Set a timer for 20 minutes and do NOT remove the lid.
  3. Meanwhile, prep your coating of Samoa crumbs and bread crumbs (I like panko bread crumbs – which are Japanese, but can be bought at any old grocery store). I put this mixture in a bowl and keep it in the freezer till I’m ready to roll the arancini and fry them. This prevents the chocolate from burning in the hot oil.
  4. Take 4-5 Samoas and chop each into 4-6 chunks, set aside. You’ll stuff a chunk of Samoa into the middle of each arancini.
  5. When your rice and chicken are done, stir them together and refrigerate until chilled completely. Once chilled, use a tablespoon to create evenly sized arancini balls (“arancini” means “orange” in Italian). As you create each ball, stuff a Samoa chunk into the middle and then roll in the crumb mixture.
  6. I like to pop the whole batch in the freezer for a few minutes, to chill them down before frying (again to keep the chocolate cold).
  7. To prepare your dipping sauce, just toss the greek yogurt, basil, mint and pinch of salt into the blender. Puree it and stick it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
  8. When guests arrive, get a small sauce pan ready with 1-2 inches of canola oil hot on medium high heat (I set it around 7-8). To test your oil, drop a tiny bit of your rice mixture in and see how long it takes to form a crispy outer crust (this should be no more than 1 minute).
  9. To fry, drop the arancini (up to 3 at a time) into the oil and let fry for 1 minute max – this will create a brown, crispy crust (that’s right, it’s a SAMOA CRUST).
  10. Plate them up with a saucer full of your basil, mint yogurt sauce, and serve hot. When you bite into the arancini, you’ll get the added surprise of a warm, melted center!
Samoa Curry Arancini from Siiri Sampson at A Half Cup

Don't blink, or someone will grab up that crispy, crunchy, melty ball of perfection before you do!

As the arancini fry to a golden crisp, that Samoa chunk you stuffed into the center is liquefying into a caramely, chocolatey, coconutty surprise. The warm flavors of coconut, curry and salty chicken are wonderfully balanced by the sweetness of chocolate and mint, and refreshing basil and yogurt.  Better make a big, BIG batch, because after the first bite, you’ll want to hoard the whole batch to yourself – and so will your guests! Enjoy, and if you have any questions about the recipe, just leave me a comment!

It is such a treat to participate in a wonderful contest that will benefit the Girl Scouts of Western Washington by raising awareness not only of their fundraising activities, but also by keeping the community aware of all the great work they promote in local communities. To find out more, please visit http://www.facebook.com/GirlScoutsWW and https://twitter.com/#!/GirlScoutsWW and the Twitter hash #GSCookieRecipe. DON’T FORGET TO VOTE, VOTE, VOTE! https://girlscouts.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_5vfxi5D0DTx0KKE

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Samoa Curry Arancini — WHAT WHAT?! It’s Girl Scout Cookie Season!

13 Feb
In case you’re busy doing your taxes, watching the Grammys, or living under a rock, allow me to remind you – it’s almost GIRL SCOUT COOKIE TIME!!!!! I know, I know, it’s exciting! :) Before I get to my super exciting recipe and contest news, let me first give you the most important details: cookies go on sale SOON – March 2nd – 18th.
Girl Scout Cookies Samoas

How could you NOT want at least one sleeve of Samoas? If you drink a cup of coffee with them, it counts as breakfast, I promise!

You can learn more about the best sale of the year by visiting the Girl Scouts of Western Washington website here. And because the Girls Scouts are hip and keeping up with the times (I mean, they are the future leaders of America after all…) there is an awesome cookie locator, as well as an app, that tells you exactly where girls are selling cookies in your neighborhood! They won’t be updated until closer to the sale, but are very good to keep handy! (and to learn about the origin of the Girl Scout Cookie, check out the full history!)

This year, as an added bonus, the Girl Scouts turned to food bloggers in Western Washington to see what we’d do when turned loose with boxes of our favorite sweets. That’s right – a contest – with food bloggers – and COOKIES. It’s dangerous kids, and I’m getting serious….seriously excited. The contest is to use the cookies in a recipe of our own making. And you know I love a challenge. Without further ado, I present to you my savory AND sweet appetizer – Samoa Curry Arancini!

Girl Scouts Samoas in Curry Arancini

A little sweet, a little salty, a LOT addictive!

What in the heck is Samoa Curry Arancini you ask? That’s a great question – to which I answer: I made it up. :)

In “old world” Italy, people would take their left over risotto the next day and roll it into balls, then deep fry it into crispy, heavenly balls of fried deliciousness. I decided to take this old Italian recipe to India, to warm it up a bit. The recipe that follows IS EASY – I PROMISE. If it looks complicated, then take a deep breath, it’s smoke and mirrors, and you can use this to your advantage the next time you have company. This is the perfect appetizer to prepare ahead, and fry up at the last minute:

Samoa Curry Arancini

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup White Rice (sticky rice like Niko Niko)
  • 1 Cup Coconut Milk
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 1/2 Tbsp. Yellow Curry Powder
  • 1/2 Tsp. Salt (plus more for dusting the arancini after frying)
  • 1/2 Cup boiled then chopped chicken
  • 1 box Girl Scout Samoa Cookies
  • 1 Cup Greek Yogurt
  • 1 handful fresh basil leaves
  • 1 Tbsp fresh mint leaves + a pinch of salt

Coating

  • 4-6 Samoa cookies, pulsed into crumbs in a food processor
  • 2 Tbsp panko bread crumbs (or regular bread crumbs – plain)

Directions

  1. First get your rice and chicken prepared, this can be done at the same time. Get a small pot of water boiling and add your chicken breast (I use a frozen one). Boil till cooked through (about 15 minutes). While that’s boiling, get another small sauce pan for the rice.
  2. Combine the coconut milk, water, curry powder, 1/2Tsp. salt and rice in sauce pan. Put on medium heat and stir constantly, THE WHOLE TIME, with a spoon, till it boils. Continue stirring constantly for 2 minutes while boiling. After 2 minutes, turn heat off, cover with lid and remove completely from heat. Set a timer for 20 minutes and do NOT remove the lid.
  3. Meanwhile, prep your coating of Samoa crumbs and bread crumbs (I like panko bread crumbs – which are Japanese, but can be bought at any old grocery store). I put this mixture in a bowl and keep it in the freezer till I’m ready to roll the arancini and fry them. This prevents the chocolate from burning in the hot oil.
  4. Take 4-5 Samoas and chop each into 4-6 chunks, set aside. You’ll stuff a chunk of Samoa into the middle of each arancini.
  5. When your rice and chicken are done, stir them together and refrigerate until chilled completely. Once chilled, use a tablespoon to create evenly sized arancini balls (“arancini” means “orange” in Italian). As you create each ball, stuff a Samoa chunk into the middle and then roll in the crumb mixture.
  6. I like to pop the whole batch in the freezer for a few minutes, to chill them down before frying (again to keep the chocolate cold).
  7. To prepare your dipping sauce, just toss the greek yogurt, basil, mint and pinch of salt into the blender. Puree it and stick it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
  8. When guests arrive, get a small sauce pan ready with 1-2 inches of canola oil hot on medium high heat (I set it around 7-8). To test your oil, drop a tiny bit of your rice mixture in and see how long it takes to form a crispy outer crust (this should be no more than 1 minute).
  9. To fry, drop the arancini (up to 3 at a time) into the oil and let fry for 1 minute max – this will create a brown, crispy crust (that’s right, it’s a SAMOA CRUST).
  10. Plate them up with a saucer full of your basil, mint yogurt sauce, and serve hot. When you bite into the arancini, you’ll get the added surprise of a warm, melted center!
Samoa Curry Arancini from Siiri Sampson at A Half Cup

Don't blink, or someone will grab up that crispy, crunchy, melty ball of perfection before you do!

As the arancini fry to a golden crisp, that Samoa chunk you stuffed into the center is liquefying into a caramely, chocolatey, coconutty surprise. The warm flavors of coconut, curry and salty chicken are wonderfully balanced by the sweetness of chocolate and mint, and refreshing basil and yogurt.  Better make a big, BIG batch, because after the first bite, you’ll want to hoard the whole batch to yourself – and so will your guests! Enjoy, and if you have any questions about the recipe, just leave me a comment!

It is such a treat to participate in a wonderful contest that will benefit the Girl Scouts of Western Washington by raising awareness not only of their fundraising activities, but also by keeping the community aware of all the great work they promote in local communities. To find out more, please visit http://www.facebook.com/GirlScoutsWW and https://twitter.com/#!/GirlScoutsWW and the Twitter hash #GSCookieRecipe.

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Sit back, relax and enjoy: a summer spritzer

20 Jul

When we celebrate the 5 days of summer in Seattle, it’s nice to have a cold spritzer of some sort to relax after a long day.

Yesterday I came up with just the thing!  It’s a vodka and organic lime spritzer.  It was super easy to throw together because I had done a bit of prep last week.  See, I came into a LOAD of lemons and limes and they were pretty ripe.  When a couple went bad without me noticing (and after drinking as much lime water as I could handle), I decided to make some lime infuse simple syrup.

Simple syrup is just that: simple.  For me, it’s equal parts liquid and sugar.  I used organic, raw sugar so it was a little dark, not white. I had a cup of fresh squeezed lime juice and I added a cup of the organic sugar, mixed together and simmered on low until it started to form a foam at the surface.

Now, I could have let it go longer, which would have condensed the syrup, making it thicker. But since I was thinking I’d use it for refreshing cocktails when my friends came over, I decided to keep it pretty thin.  The thickness definitely makes a difference on how easily it combines into other liquids.

I let it cool in the pan, then transferred it to a squeeze bottle and stuck it in the fridge.  I let it sit for a couple of days before giving it a try. It’s subtle, tangy and sweet. Just perfect for a spritzer.

Here’s what I used in the spritzer:

Siiri’s Vodka Lime Summer Spritzer

1 shot (so 1 fluid ounce) vodka
1 shot lime syrup
ice cubes
sparkling water (you could also use club soda, tonic water, 7Up, sprite, etc. just watch the sweetness)

Now, what I did realize is that it could use a little something extra…I’m not sure if it will be a cucumber slice, maybe a bit of cucumber juice (from Paul’s AWESOME Jack LeLane juicer that’s in my kitchen) or maybe some muddled basil. I think any of the above would be good.

This went down scary smooth, kids. It’s light and doesn’t leave your mouth feeling puckered or coated at all!  Just remember, one is enough – enough sugar, enough alcohol, enough to cool you down! Then back to the water….we Seattleites have to hydrate, afterall, it’s hot here!

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Spring and Summer easy entertainers: Dip it

9 Jun

I just found out that the King Arthur Flour Company has a food blog: Baking Banter.  I am really liking it!

They have a whole series of fun, easy dip ideas I had to share with you for three reasons:

  1. I’m REALLY hungry right now and they make me want to bite my screen.
  2. They’re easy to make and cheap, and you probably already have some of the stuff needed at home.
  3. You can improvise which means you don’t need to necessarily follow the recipe to a T, which is always a requirement for me!

So the first one I wanted to share from their blog is their pesto, made with parsley rather than basil. Don’t cringe yet, it’s actually fresh and green tasting, and still just as satisfying. Check it out:

Parsley Pesto

image credit to King Arthur Flour Company

For the whole post about the method and what they used, check it out here!

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Lunch Bites: Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Oyster Crackers

7 Apr

That pretty much sums it up. It was delicious, and this is what it looked like before I slurped it up on Monday for lunch:

 

Never underestimate the power of a strategically placed Oyster Cracker, friends.  Not only do they bring back great childhood memories (speaking of which, now I’m seriously craving a grilled cheese sandwich on 12 grain bread), they add a little “umph!” to your soup.

Enjoy!

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