Last night’s Dinner gathering was really really wonderful….. the nutrition conversation with Steve, the tasty food and the 12 people …. who from came various parts of the Bay Area … Marin, Livermore, Berkeley, and the San Jose area. ♥ The star player of the 4-course meal was the Chicken Piccata. ♥ Wow, it was very tasty and was so tender it melted in your mouth. Second runner up was the roasted Tomato Soup, and the third place winner was Steve’s brownies … they are always very good, but this time was exceptional.

Check out all the recipes, below, try’m out, and write … tell me/us … about your experience.

♦ Our dinner menu ♦

Appetizer: Marinated Cucumbers with Smoked Salt

Soup: Coconut Cream Tomato Basil Soup

Main course:

• Chicken Piccata
• String beans w/caramelized onions and shallots
• Roasted Summer Squash w/hazelnut oil and herbs

Dessert: Homemade Very Berry Coconut Cashew Ice Cream

♦ My experience ♦

I kid-you-not … I listened to George Winston’s ‘Thanksgiving’ song on my iPod over and over and over again while cooking the meal. This is my favorite song, it grounds me, gives me an inner feeling of peaceful bliss. Let’s see, I was in the kitchen from 12:30 – 5:30, but Anne and Steve were setting up the table at 5, so I turned off the iPod at that time because we were talking about table arrangement, place setting needs, family stuff, moving (we might move to a larger place) … anyway…  that means …. the song played …. 66 times …. during that 4.5 hours(!). Could that be right??  …sounds like I ought to submit this to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Click here to listen to George Winston’s “Thanksgiving.”

Even tho that sounds excessive (or rather – obsessive) it seems to have been a good thing because my time in the kitchen was pretty minimal considering I was cooking for 15 people (two of the 12 people said they might bring friends, so I planned to feed 15, the extra food went home in to-go boxes with some of the guests – they were very happy). Okay – so – I went shopping at 11am and was in the kitchen at 12:30pm. By 5:30pm I was set, ready for the guests – a full hour before dinner time – what a treat! I was able to take a break, make some phone calls and change my clothes.

BTW – One of the phone calls was with Cheri Calbom, the Juice Lady, best known for being a spokeswoman for the George Foreman grill and the Juiceman juicer. She’ll be coming to the Bay Area during the last week of July to promote her new book:  The Juice Lady’s Turbo Diet.

Her website is:  http://www.juiceladyinfo.com/

We hope to have a couple of events (including a Dialog Dinner on July 26th) with her while she’s here, so please check the calendar soon.

♦ Changes ♦

The only thing I can think of changing would be two things with the Roasted Summer Squash dish. First – to use only two of the three types of squash, or peel the skin of the Patty Pan squash. It was just too bitter to enjoy. And, I would have changed the hazelnut oil to a stronger tasting oil – like sesame oil – to match the strong sweetness of the zuccs.

And, one more thing…. I would add a bit more tamarind syrup to the ice cream, and/or add a bit more salt – the ice cream was just a bit ‘flat,’ it could have used just a bit more zeal and I think the sweet/sour of the tamarind syrup would have been just the right thing. Here’s an image of the product I used in the Ice Cream and with the Roasted Tom Soup.

___________

The recipes ↓↓↓

Fyi – These recipes are built to feed 15 people, I ought to (eventually) post recipes for smaller servings.

Starter: Marinated Cucumber with Smoked Salt

Serves 10, 6 – 8 bite-sized pieces per person.
Time: prep is minimal, perhaps 10 minutes, but you’ll want to start 2 hours before serving (or the day before) so that the cucs can sit with the salt for an hour and then sit for at least an hour (or overnight) with the vinegar – chilling in the fridge.

This is one of my favorites b/c it’s easy to make, tasty and promotes stomach acid (the vinegar helps to produce stomach acids, getting the body ready to digest the oncoming meal).

• 8 Persian Cucumbers, use the roll cut to get the triangular shapes, (click here to learn how to do the ‘roll cut’ method I used, also – see image on the right)
• about 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup Champagne Vinegar (any vinegar will work, I prefer the lighter vinegars)
• smoked salt, to taste

1. Trim the ends of the cucs and cut (see “Roll Cut” image, and link, above).

2. Sprinkle with salt, toss, sprinkle more salt, toss and sprinkle more salt, let sit for an hour or two.

3. Drain the excess liquid, and add the vinegar, toss well. Refrigerate for at least an hour, toss often.

4. Sprinkle with smoked salt and serve. Hmmm, this is interesting, click here to learn how to make your own smoked salt. See image of smoked salt.

Appetizer: Coconut Cream Tomato Basil Soup

Serves 12, 2 cups per person (or 6 quarts, or 1.5 gallons).
Time:  This recipe requires a bit of planning and a bit of time b/c it has some prep work and a couple of stages Cutting, cooking, cooling and processing: Cutting and deseeding the 10 lbs of toms takes a bit of time (10 or more minutes, perhaps?), then oven roasting the toms for 30 minutes, then the toms need to cool before removing the skins, then you need to put the toms and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor (in batches). It all takes time, yet allows you to do other things in between the stages. (I worked in prepping the other dishes in between these stages.)

I wanted to serve this soup chilled, so I made it early on and put it in the freezer (and stirred it often) in order for it to cool down by dinner time.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup Sucanat, or Rapadura, or 10 Medjool dates (soaked in 1 cup water for 3 hours or overnight and then blended to make a syrup), or other low-processed sugar (see my “sugar su stitute” list, to be posted soon). I used Sucanat, see image.

  A minimally processed brown sugar, used with roasted the tomatoes.

• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground is best
• 10 lbs. Roma tomatoes, quartered and seeds removed
• the retained broth
• 20 sun-dried tomatoes plus soaking liquid (soak for at least 3 hours in enough water to cover the toms; no need to soak the toms if you buy them in the jar soaked in olive oil)
• 10 roasted garlic cloves (I roasted the garlic – still in it’s ‘paper’ and bathed in olive oil – in the oven on a small dish at the same time as roasting the tomatoes)
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbls dried basil
• 2 Thai Young Coconuts, water and meat

1. Turn oven on to 425 degrees.

2. In large mixing bowl, mix well:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup Sucanat, or Rapadura, or 10 Medjool dates (soaked in 1 cup water for 3 hours or overnight and then blended to make a syrup), or other low-processed sugar (see my “sugar su stitute” list, to be posted soon). I used Sucanat, see image.
  

  A minimally processed brown sugar, used with roasted the tomatoes.

• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground is best

3. Then add and toss well:

• 10 lbs. Roma tomatoes, quartered and seeds removed

4. Put the tomato mixture in a large deep pan lined with parchment paper, and roast for 20 – 30 minutes (stir/flip the tomatoes once or twice so that all the tomatoes are cooked evenly).

5. Remove from the oven and allow the tomatoes to cool, best to drain the liquid – be sure to retain the liquid b/c you’ll want to use this very sweet and tasty broth when you puree the tomatoes.

6. Remove the skins when the tomatoes are cool.

Tip:

The thin skin of the roasted tomatoes should remove easily, if quite a bit of tomato pulp remains on the skin, then they didn’t cook long enough. Best thing to do at this point is to continue to remove the skins and retain them, so that you can blend them and put them through a sieve to separate the pulp from the skins. Some people would think this a tedious task, yet, for me – I’d spend the bit of extra time in order to use all of the edible pulp.

7. Blend the skinless roasted tomatoes in batches along with these ingredients in a high-speed blender:

• the retained broth
• 20 sun-dried tomatoes plus soaking liquid (soak for at least 3 hours in enough water to cover the toms; no need to soak the toms if you buy them in the jar soaked in olive oil)
• 10 roasted garlic cloves (I roasted the garlic – still in it’s ‘paper’ and bathed in olive oil – in the oven on a small dish at the same time as roasting the tomatoes)
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbls dried basil
• 2 Thai Young Coconuts, water and meat

Tip:

I have a Blendtec, a high-speed blender – it does a wonderful job of blending, so, it chops, minces, purees very very very well …. I didn’t have to mince the sun-dried toms. It even cuts the dried basil flakes to basically being invisible. (A food processor will work if you don’t have a high-speed blender.)

8. Chill, or serve warm.

9. Garnish with:

• a dollop of tamarind paste (I used this to give it a sweet/sour taste – everyone loved it)
• fresh basil, minced

The entree:

Chicken Piccata (also spelled Chicken Picatta)

Serves 15: I bought 15 pieces of chicken thinking that I was serving 16 people… so I planned for just under one piece of chicken per person.
Time: Just like the Tom Soup – this takes some planning and a bit of time, too, b/c it has a couple of stages:  Cutting, sitting, frying, sitting, sauteing, which you’ll learn about as you read the recipe.

I was inspired to make this dish while I was enjoying a wonderful Salmon Piccata meal in Tahoe this past weekend. (Me and two others did two days of mountain biking … the Flume Trail, on the ridge above the east shore of Lake Tahoe – a truly epic ride for it’s constant vistas of the lake basin (http://www.theflumetrail.com/). And, we did the Downieville Downhill (http://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/downieville-downhill.html), the annual race here is known for being the longest and most demanding downhill mountain bike race in the nation. Watch this video of me going through the Rock Garden…..

Click here to see a video of me going through the Rock Garden …. teehee, JK (just kidding) it’s not me. … but I did make it through the rock garden – just not with as much finesse. I can attest that – at least for me – this ride is very demanding, yet not quite as technical as Santa Cruz’s Soquel Demonstration Area downhill ride (http://www.mountainbikebill.com/DemoForest07.htm). Ooooh-khhaaaye – back to the recipe….

Tip:

There are two quintessential steps, no, there are three steps, to do in order to have the most tender meat you can imagine.

• Step #1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces by cutting against the grain. This will keep the meat fibers short – lessening the workload on your teeth. See image, that illustrates the knife cuts going against the fibers of the meat.
• Step #2. Once you salt, pepper and flour the chicken pieces allow the chicken to ‘sit’ for an hour. I think this gives the chicken an opportunity to dry out, which then will absorb more flavors when it’s cooked.
• Step #3. Be sure to fry the chicken pieces for only 2-3 minutes on each side. In order to do this you need to set aside time to be at the stove, do small batches and have no distractions … heck, listen to ‘Thanksgiving’ over and over again.
• Step #4. YES – I thought of one more important step…. to let the fried chicken cool before cooking it in the white wine reduction sauce. Again, I think this gives the chicken an opportunity to dry out a bit, which allows it to absorb more flavors.

Here’s the recipe….   (reminder – this is for 15 people, or enough to freeze for several meals)

• 6 chicken breasts
• 9 chicken thighs (I used the two types of meat to keep the food cost lower and b/c I really like the taste of dark meat.)
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground is best
• 1/2 – 1 cup brown rice flour (I’m gluten-free)

Ingredients to fry the chicken, to be divided into 3 batches:

• 24 oz butter (three 8 0z packages of Irish Butter)
• 1 1/2 cup minced shallots

1. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces (see image), add salt and pepper, toss, add more salt and pepper, toss, and add more salt and pepper. Then add enough flour to cover each piece really well; set aside (refrigerate) for at least 1 hour.

2. In medium-sized frying pan, cook until translucent:

• 8 oz butter (I used Irish Butter, grass fed, delicious)
• 1/2 cup minced shallots

3. Then add the chicken, in batches, about 10 pieces at a time. Cook for only 2 – 3 minutes on each side, remove, set aside in medium-sized bowl.

4. After several batches the butter will be low and the shallots and bits of flour will turn brown … so…. remove the remaining butter and shallots – and bits of flour – before they get too dark, retain in medium-sized sauce pan for the reduction sauce. Pour a bit of white wine on the pan to deglaze the pan, scrape the pan to remove this very tasty caramelized residue. Save all of this for the reduction sauce.

5. Add a new batch of 8 oz butter and 1/2 cup shallots and repeat # 2, 3 and 4 above. I did this 3 times.

NOTE: For the first batch I used a mixture of 50% butter and 50% MCT oil (a mixture we had on hand).

6. Allow the chicken to cool and then refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Making the reduction sauce and serving the chicken:

1. In a medium-sized sauce pan heat on low for an hour or so, stir occasionally:

• the retained butter and shallots
• 1 cup orange juice (recipes call for chicken stock, I think the orange juice gives the sauce a wonderfully sweet and lighter flavor)
• 1 cup white wine
• the caper juice (I tossed in the capers just before serving b/c I don’t like cooked capers – they lose their potency and become too mushy to enjoy.)

Tip:

The sauce will reduce to less than half of the beginning amount, making a concentrated flavor with browning on the bottom of the pan, so stir occasionally. Lower the heat if it’s too bubbly, and turn up the heat a bit if the evaporation is too slow.

2. Transfer the heated reduction sauce to a heated large frying pan, and add:

• all the chicken pieces
• 1 bunch parsley, leaves only, chopped

Tip:

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before adding it to the heated sauce. Adding chilled chicken will reduce the temperature of the sauce and there will be a delay in cooking time while the sauce comes back up to a hot temperature. The chicken will cook a bit during that time, which you don’t want b/c this could overcook it and make it tough and chewy.

3. Allow the bottom layer to heat for 3-5 minutes, then flip over and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Remove promptly when the chicken is hot.

4. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and mix in:

• 1/4 – 1/2 cup capers (I used the 2.4 oz bottle)

String beans w/caramelized onions and shallots

Serves 12.
Time: 10-15 minutes to trim the beans and chop the onions, one to two hours to saute the onions, 10-15 minutes to cook the beans.

Tip:

String beans have a hard time absorbing flavors b/c of its tight waxy skin, so, the trick is to soak them in a salt bath in order to get the tight cellulose walls to open up, which will allow flavors to be absorbed. Here’s the best way to cook string beans …

1. Wash the beans and remove the stems. Remove the tails only if they are wilting and/or are turning dark/black.

2. Soak the beans in enough water to cover. Add 2 tsp sea salt to the water and stir well, let sit for at least one hour, then drain the salt water. FYI – I would use the salt water in the future – for soaking the zucchinis, or soaking kale or other dark green leafy vegetable, or use the water in a soup. I have more biochemical info to share about the salt bath process, yet feel I need to put my attention to writing the recipe. Let me know if you want more info about this technique, I’d be happy to share.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs coconut oil
• 2 yellow onions, cut into thin half-moon slices
• 1 cup minced shallots (about 2 large shallots)
• 80 string beans, salted (I estimated 5 beans per person, 5 x 15 people is 75 beans)
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground is best
• 1 tbs coriander seeds
• 1/4 cup date water, from 3 dates soaking in 1/2 cup of water for at least an hour (see note, below)

1. In large frying pan, or wok, heat the coconut oil and add the onions, saute on medium to low heat for an hour or two, stir often (I like to cook them for quite a while b/c it caramelizes the onions).

2. Add the shallots, green beans and black pepper and cook on medium heat until the beans are just about done, about 10 minutes, toss often.

3. Just 2  minutes before serving, add the coriander seeds into the oil (I pushed aside the beans and onions in order to get the seeds right to the oil), cook for 2 minutes to allow the seeds to infuse the oil, stir well.

4. Add the date water and cover, cook for a few minutes until the beans are tender, see note, below.

NOTE: I added the date water mainly b/c I wanted the beans to cook faster. The Chicken and Squash dishes were done and I thought the best thing to do is put a lid on the beans to steam them, so I needed a liquid. I looked around and saw the soaking dates, which were meant for the squash, yet, I thought the squash already is sweet enough, and the sweetness of the date water would be a great combination with the beans, onion and coriander. (The 3 soaked dates found their way into my oatmeal breakfast this morning, yummmm.)

Roasted Summer Squash with hazelnut oil and herbs

Serves 12.
Time: 10 or so minutes for cutting the veggies, 45 minutes in the oven.

• 8 green zucchinis
• 6 yellow crooked neck squash
• 4 Patty Pan squash
• Sea salt
• Black pepper
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley, most stems removed, chopped
• 1 tbs hazelnut oil (this was not strong enough flavor, I think sesame oil would be a better combination to hold up to the strong sweetness of the zuccs.)
• Fresh lemon thyme (garnish, add at the end)

1. Turn oven on to 375 degrees.

2. Wash and cut all the zuccs. I cut the green zuccs in rounds (1/4 inch-thick full moon slices), the Patty Pan in wedges, and the crooked necks in triangle shapes. I got in the habit of using a variety of cuts from cooking Macrobiotic meals, where the size, shape and color of the food is a prominent part of each dish.

3. Sprinkle salt and pepper the veggies, toss, salt/pepper some more, toss and salt/pepper some more and let sit for a bit. This will help reduce the bitter flavor in the skin.

4. Add the oil, toss well, and put in a large deep pan lined with parchment paper (you can reuse the parchment paper from the roasted tomatoes, I didn’t b/c one of the guests cannot eat tomatoes (no night shades), so, in order to accommodate her needs I washed and line the pan with new paper between uses).

5. Roast the zuccs for 15 minutes, then toss/flip and roast for another 20 – 30 minutes, until they are tender.

6. Remove from oven, add the thyme, toss well, and serve.

Very Berry Coconut Cashew Ice Cream

Serves 12.
Time: One to two hours soaking time, 10 minutes of blending, two to three hours in the freezer.

• 2 cups cashews
• 2 Thai Young coconuts, water and meat
• 10 medjool dates (I always wonder – do I need to say ‘pitted’ …. I think people know to do this … but, maybe not, well, please write, I’d love to hear what you think)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp salt (you may need a bit more to balance out the flavors for your taste buds)
• 1 tbs tamarind syrup (I will use 2 tbs next time)
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1 cup blueberries, for garnish

1. Place all ingredients, in the order listed, into a blender and allow to sit for (at least) one hour.

2. Blend well, and pour into electric ice cream maker, or pour into medium-size bowl and place it in the freezer for 2 – 3 hours, and stir often.

3. Serve with Steve’s brownies and some blueberries.

Steve’s Double Chocolate Gelatin Brownies

Serves –, about 2-inch square piece per person
Time:  Prep time is ___, includes: melting the chocolate and coconut oil, mixing all the ingredients. Baking time is __, and cooling time is __.

Steve doubled the oil and chocolate, and used gelatin instead of eggs.

• 1 pkg Trader Joe’s Wheat-Free Brownie Baking Mix
• 1 cup coconut oil (this is double the amount shown in the pkg directions)
• 1 cup gelatin (Steve will write up the description here)
• 1/3 of Trader Joe’s Pound-Plus Dark Chocolate
• sweetener?

1. In medium-sized sauce pan (double boiler works best) – melt the chocolate with the coconut oil.

2. In medium-sized bowl, blend the chocolate mixture well with the brownie mix.

3. Mix in the gelatin, blend well.

4. Pour into greased 9×12 baking pan.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (or until a knife or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean).

NOTE: Here are a few substitution ideas….

• Another egg substitution: ground flax seeds – (more info to come here)
• Sweetener substitutions: 5 dates soaked in 1 cup water and blended to make a syrup

How to make tender chicken »