Avocado, Grapefruit, Shrimp Tartine

Yes, maybe I did put on a couple of pounds over the holidays (aka: Halloween through Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas and New Years.) But, as the proverbial optimist, I choose to see it as an opportunity to Develop Interesting Eating Tendencies (aka: D.I.E.T, shhhhh.)

Avocado, Grapefruit, Shrimp Tartine

Just because I'm not eating my weight in Chocolate Marshmallow Santas for lunch anymore, doesn't mean it can't be exciting, colorful and packed with flavor. This past week I read an interesting article at NaturalFoods.com about water based foods that actually help make us feel full and in some cases actually use more calories to digest than they leave behind...well...on my behind.

Grapefruits are one of those miracle fruits that have tons of Vitamin C, Fiber, Antioxidants, Folic Acid, Potassium AND burn fat. It's like eating a little treadmill (aka: "treadmeal" ). When I was growing up, my grandmother used to serve Grapefruit in the morning with a spiked spoon (aka: a grapefruit spoon, but what's fun about that word when you're a kid.) She may have demolished the full health effects of the fruit by absolutely smothering it in white sugar. It was yummy, and kept my dentist employed.

How can you get more "health-packed" than with a California Avocado (aka: super fruit/heart fruit and hair shiner)? Add these to spinach (aka: Popeye's muscle serum, and gives you 200% of Daily Vitamin K in every cup), and thin slices of Green Tea poached Pacific Shrimp and you have a new mind, body and spirit sitting on a plate (aka: over stating it, but it's healthy and tasty.)
Layer those fat-buster's on a thin slice of toasted home-made bread (aka: Rachael of FujiMama's 1 hour Bread) and I'm expecting the pounds to start disappearing as I chew (aka: Mama's gettin' a brand new dress.)
This Tartine (aka: open faced sandwich) was inspired for my pals in the Lets Lunch Bunch (aka: a twitter group of friends who have a virtual lunch together almost every month). For January we're all posting healthy options to start the New Year. Click on the links below to see an entire week's worth of tasty and healthy lunch choices from the "Let's Lunch" bloggers around the world. Next month we're posting "Lucky" lunch ideas as a way of celebrating the Chinese New Year. (aka: Join us!)
*thanks for enjoying my little joke on the uses of "aka" :D 

RECIPE: Avocado, Grapefruit, Shrimp Tartine

1 ripe California avocado (sliced thin)
1 grapefruit (peeled and slice sections out, then squeeze grapefruit and save juice for vinaigrette)
Grapefruit Vinaigrette (recipe below)
Toasted bread slices (or dense bread such as pumpernickel or rye)
Doz or so, Large shrimp (cooked and sliced) [see recipe for tea poaching below]
1 bunch baby spinach, or arugula leaves Grapefruit Vinaigrette :
1/4 cup grapefruit juice
1 Tbls. red onion (minced)
1 tsp. lime juice
1 Tbls. honey
1/3 cup olive oil salt/pepper

1) Whisk together the grapefruit juice, lime juice, minced red onion, honey and a pinch of salt and pepper.
2) Drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to whisk constantly until a nice thick vinaigrette is reached. 
TEA POACHED SHRIMP:
1 Dozen Uncooked Large Shrimp
2 cups brewed green tea
1 tsp. fresh ginger (minced)1) In a deep sided pan, bring brewed green tea, 1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger to just-short-of simmer (approx. 188F).
2) Place the uncooked shrimp into the hot tea and keep just below a simmer while poaching for 5 minutes. Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and allow to cool before slicing for the tartine.

This can be made ahead of time and chilled in the refrigerator.

TO ASSEMBLE the Tartine:
1) Drizzle a spoonful of the vinaigrette over the toast
2) Place alternating slices of avocado, grapefruit and shrimp over the toast open-faced
3) Garnish with the greens (maybe some crushed walnut) and another drizzle of the Grapefruit Vinaigrette.

Also for a summer twist - take a look at many other California Avocado recipes here: Join Dine and Dish and Cookin’ Canuck for the California Avocado 4th of July Blast, sponsored by the California Avocado Commission. 

To keep the healthy glow going, see these Let's Lunch healthy recipes:

CowGirl Chef - Mandarin Orange and Arugula Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

Cooking In The Fruit Bowl - Spicy Cauliflower
Free Range Cookies - Mesquite Date Muffins
Dreaming of Pots and Pans - Quinoa with Grilled Veggies
The Kitchen Trials-Frittata (almost)
Hot Curries and Cold Beer - Curried Black Eyed Peas, Brown Rice and Beer

Aphrodisiacs for Lunch? It's Gettin' Hot in Here: Let's Lunch Bunch

Is there any doubt that food and sexuality are partners in life? One viewing of the movie, THE BIG NIGHT, would convince you of that. For this month’s Let’s Lunch Bunch, our theme is APHRODISIACS. Being a lover of variety, mood and narrative, I used several acclaimed Aphrodisiacs, including LOCATION.

THE “TAKE-A-BITE, TAKE-A BREAK” BEDSIDE CHEESE TRAY

When thinking about Aphrodisiacs, the first thing that popped up in my mind was CHOCOLATE (maybe not the first thought, but the first “food” thought.) Since chocolate is a daily addiction of mine, I wanted to go a little further. I considered OYSTERS. If I’m honest, I only considered them for a moment. Then I did a little research into the history, medical and fantasy background of Aphrodisiacs. It seems the reoccurring theme with a lot of the recipes that purported to have success read a lot like this: A little of this, a little of that, then…POUR IN THE TEQUILA. The more medically inclined articles listed herbs and barks, and VIAGRA. Since some of those were a little harder to find and even harder to turn into enticing pictures (no offense to the charming Viagra commercials), I continued my journey. Another route for “aphrodisiacs in food” seemed to be the shape, and the psychological suggestion that if we SEE something, that LOOKS even a little bit like a sexual organ, it stimulates our desire to…to…engage with such (just trying to keep it clean, folks.) Therefore: asparagus, bananas, peaches, long twisty sweet…uh..Licorice sticks were included. Lastly, there were opinions that the only real honest aphrodisiacs come in the form of foods that increase our health, immunity and well-being. Nutritious energizers like: almonds, green tea, quinoa, and bananas (aren’t they popular?).
I can understand the logic regarding the “healthy” tantalizers. I mean, if you don’t feel good or have the energy to even stay awake, how are you going to do much else, right? Thus, the “yes, if you don’t mind that I just lay here” kinda evenings. You know what I’m talking about, Ladies.

With all these thoughts and imaginations stirring inside me, I figured why not a whole mixed tray of healthy, inhibition lifting and visually stimulating food?

And while we’re at it, let’s just save time (it’s lunch hours, remember) and take it to the bedroom. My real advice: make these nibbles the night before, either stay in bed all morning or meet your “intended” at home for a delicious surprise lunch meeting. Cheeses: Your choice, but here I have a Mimolet and a Compte.

Banana Chips: Slice Banana onto a sprayed pan, heat for about 2 hours at 200F. Turn once or twice during the drying heat.
Matcha Green Tea Almonds:
1 egg white (beaten til frothy),
1 cup of almonds,
1 tsp. Matcha Green tea powder, 1 Tbls. sugar.
Whisk the egg white in a small bowl. Add the almonds in and coat thoroughly. Mix the Matcha and sugar together and sprinkle over the almonds. Toss to coat. Spread the almonds out in a single layer on a sheet pan. Bake on 200 for 40 minutes. Turn over half way through.

Buttermilk Fried Shallot Rings

1 small Shallot (peeled and sliced into thin rings)
1 cup Buttermilk
¼ cup flour
salt/pepper to taste

Separate the Shallot rings and soak them in a cup of Buttermilk for at least 30 minutes. Drain and toss in salt and pepper seasoned flour. Using tongs will help the rings stay separate and not clumped together.
In a deep saucepan, bring vegetable oil to 325F and fry small batches of shallots at a time til lightly browned. Drain on Paper towels before plating.

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
1 bunch Asparagus, trimmed and cleaned
6 slices of prosciutto, cut length wise to make 12 long strips
Olive oil, salt, pepper

Toss the Asparagus in a bit of Olive oil just to coat, then wrap a piece of prosciutto around the bottom third of each stem. Sprinkle with pepper and salt to taste, but remember that prosciutto is already a bit salty.

On a sheet pan, place the Asparagus with the loose end of prosciutto facing down. Bake in oven at 375F for about 12 minutes. Turn at least once during cooking.

Creamy Mints
4 oz. Cream Cheese softened
3 cups of Confectionary Sugar (sifted) (you may need more or less depending on moisture)

1 Tsp. Peppermint Extract
Drop of red or pink food coloring

In a mixer bowl, beat the cream cheese til smooth and soft. Gradually add the Confectionary sugar a little at a time until a dough is formed. Remove and knead a drop of food coloring in if desired, and also knead in the remainder sugar until a very stiff dough is formed. Roll out on Confectionary sugar sprinkled parchment to ½ inch thick. Cut out using tiny garnish shapes or designs of your choosing. Leave for 24 hours at room temp to dry and harden over just a bit. These can also be frozen for later.Chocolate Hearts w/ Candied Ginger
2 oz. of 70% Chocolate
1 cube of candied ginger minced

Melt chocolate slowly in a microwave or over a double boiler. Spoon out round dollops onto a parchment cover sheet pan or silpat. Drop a couple tiny pieces of ginger onto the chocolate. Using a toothpick or skewer, drag the tip from just above the round dollop, through the center and out the bottom. Lift the skewer. As the melted chocolate moves back together just a bit, this should leave a heart-shape with a quill-like tail. Chill for just a few minutes to set the chocolate, and then remove from the pan.

Happy Valentine's Day and I hope everyday is an aphrodisiac for you!

Pichelsteiner; You Heard Me. It's a Let's Lunch Bunch Stew

When it gets cold, even in California, it's time for Stew! I was more than happy to have a good hearty stew be the choice for this month's "Let's Lunch" bunch (a casual group of folks on Twitter that agree to join in on a virtual lunch-date every month.) For my cozy concoction this month I chose to make a Pichelsteiner; a classic 3 meat German stew that could warm the heart of a glaciated wolverine. My daughter's fiance, Potsch, is from Munich originally. For Christmas Eve I wanted to make him something that would recall his family holidays in Germany. His mom usually makes Beef Goulash (and you never tread on another mother's traditions), so I needed a different Bavarian Classic. I found a wonderful book, Germany Culinaria, that was very detailed about the food cultures and various regions. It had gorgeous pictures of the very places my husband and I visited in Munich last summer when Chris, (Potsch's Uncle) treated us like royalty in his absolutely cozy and beautiful Hotel and Restaurant, Der Tannenbaum. If you ever have the chance to go, let me know; it's one of the friendliest cities I've ever visited. Potsch was thrilled to have Pichelsteiner (which he made sound so great with the accent and everything) and the rest of us certainly ate our share, too. The recipe is very simple, on purpose; no one wants to be stuck in the kitchen cooking while everyone else is having fun in the living room with music, gifts, and laughs. (Beef, Pork, Veal - cubed with Carrots, Celeriac Root, Leeks, Potatoes, Parsley and Stock) One of the best parts about this stew is how well it freezes, or tastes for lunch the next day. Like most stews; it improves with a little time to marinade the flavors. I just know you'll love the stew ideas from the rest of my virtual lunch mates; just go on Twitter and search using the word #LetsLunch (the hash mark denotes a topic of conversation). And maybe you'd like to join us next month. We've made BLT's, Soups, Salads, Left-overs, Desserts and now-- Stews.

Just like the rules of structure and grammar give the needed tension to poetry that really moves us, so does being given a "challenge" for us self-proclaimed gourmands.

{ALSO; a little side note here - One of our spunky #letslunch gals is sitting in a hospital right this minute, and will hopefully read our lunch posts today. Take a moment to check out her cavalcade of recipes and stories at GeoFooding. Sending you a big-blogging-hug, Karen}

Lets Lunch Bloggers:
A Tiger In The Kitchen
Cowgirl Chef
Bon Vivant
The Cosmic Cowgirl
Pinch My Salt
Serve It Forth

RECIPE: PICHELSTEINER
1lb. Pork (cubed)
1lb. Veal (cubed)
1lb. Beef (cubed)
2 Tbls. Clarified butter
1lb. Potatoes (cubed)
2 Leeks (cut in ring slivers)
3 Carrots (cut in thin disks)
1/2 Celeriac Root
32 oz. Meat Stock
1 Tbls. Parsley (chopped)
Salt & Pepper

In a large bowl, combine all the veggies. In another bowl, combine all the meat.
In a large pot, melt the clarified butter on low/med. Add a layer of meat to the bottom of the pot, then a layer of veggies (salt and pepper). Continue to layer the meat, then veggies and seasonings until all is used. Pour the Stock over and just to cover. Heat the stew mixture to a simmer, then cover and cook on low for about 2 hours. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley to serve.
As they say in Munich: An Guadn

WOULD I FUYU? Persimmon Rum Raisin Bread Pudding

Here's how it started:

Me (to myself)

Wow, it's already time for the "Lets Lunch Bunch" posting and it's supposed to be
a Fall Dessert. (pause) Man, I love Persimmons. (pause) I could use a drink. (BOING!)

Fuyu Persimmon Rum Raisin Bread Pudding

Yeah, maybe it was a little more involved than that, but honestly this time of year, I'm so in love with these squatty little orange/yellow babies. Fuyu Persimmons taste like a Pumpkin, a Pear, and a crisp Apple got together and...and...you know, what ever Fall Fruit would do.

Now, maybe you are reading this and thinking:

YOU (to yourself)
Is she out of her mind? I tasted a Persimmon once and it turned my mouth inside out!!

Well, guess what - you probably ate a different kind, another species of Persimmon. There are many varieties, but mainly TWO to be aware of when eating or cooking with them.

FUYU - are glossy orange/yellow and kinda squat like a tiny pumpkin. They can be eaten right off the tree like an apple, and they're sweet and crisp like a pear. These Persimmons are fantastic sliced in a salad, or sliced and dried in a low heat oven for a few hours to make Persimmon Chips, or cubed and cooked into a jam, or caramelized and baked into this delicious cozy Bread Pudding.

HACHIYA - are deep orange, shaped like an acorn and are a bit heavier and packed with tannin (the stuff that will suck the moisture out of your mouth if taken in too big a dose). When these gorgeous orbs are RIPE; meaning soft like a water balloon and almost ready to pop - Oh Momma, they are sweet and juicy and lusciously rich in vitamins, fiber and potential. Some people just freeze Hachiya Persimmons - then thaw for a short time - slice them open and scoop/eat with a spoon like the easiest cup of sorbet you'll ever have. If you happen to find a good buy at the Farmer's Market on Hachiya Persimmons, but they're not ripe yet; put them in a bag with an apple or banana and they'll move right into pudding-like ripeness in no time.

You will not find a more beautiful fruit than a FUYU - Starburst in the middle, almost liquid orange, no need to peel and naturally sweet. These guys are grown mostly in China, although Brazil and Japan also produce them. The domestic crop is almost completely produced in California (during the months of October through December). Since Persimmons are an Autumn treat they pair really well with dried fruits like raisins and figs. They also taste great with nuts and cheeses. Almost anywhere you could use an apple, you could use a Fuyu Persimmon; tarts, pies, pancakes, salads, chutneys or just sliced and baked with a sprinkling of brown sugar and cinnamon. And, of course, if the hot toddy ingredient: Spiced Rum is nearby for some reason, throw that into the mix.

Keep your Persimmons at room temp. whenever possible. Putting them in the refrigerator actually makes them go bad faster. The season is not very long for these lovelies, so I hope you'll have the chance to try this recipe. If not, try it with nice firm apples and substitute Calvados for the Rum.

Wanna hear a confession?
Time: A few days ago:

ME (to myself)
Well, I have the pictures so I could just eat the Persimmon Bread Pudding now, right?

Cut to: a few hours later

ME (to myself)

Wow, did I eat both of those ?!?

The #LetsLunch bunch started on twitter a few months ago when Cheryl at Tiger In the Kitchen and Elise at CowgirlChef decided to do a lunch theme together and then post about it. Right away, a bunch of us joined in the virtual lunch events each month. Check out the great Fall Desserts presented to you at these fine locations:

Cosmic Cowgirl
Geo Fooding
Bon Vivant
Free Range Cookie


PERSIMMON RUM RAISIN BREAD PUDDING:

4 cups diced Fuyu Persimmon
1/4 cup melted butter
6 slices of dry or toasted bread in large cubes
1/2 cup raisins - soaking in rum to cover for at least 1 hour
1 cup milk
1 cup cream
2 eggs
dash of cinnamon

Mix all dairy with dash of cinnamon and eggs in a large bowl. Drop in the cubes of bread to soak while prepping persimmons.

Saute Persimmons in butter on low/med. heat til softened.
Drain raisins and add them to pan. Mix thoroughly.
In a large bowl, gently whip eggs and add the Persimmon mixture all together. Fold over several times and pour into 6 ramekins or 1 large pan (approx. 8x8)
Bake in a Bain Marie for 30-40 minutes at 375F.

Cool and slice or serve from dish.

This can be held for 1 day in refrigerator. Re-heat in oven 300F for a few minutes, then put under broiler for browning the top, but watch carefully.

PEACH CAPRESE SALAD

The Italian Caprese Salad takes on a California Fall twist with the peak of the season's PEACHES and a Balsamic/Almond Reduction Drizzle. Confession: I ate the first plate of these all by myself. It was supposed to be a taste, but oh those peaches were just so full and the basil balanced the sweet so well.

I made my LET'S LUNCH FALL SALAD a few days ago, because I knew I'd be so busy this week. I have a girl-friend visiting me. Not just any friend, but a friend that I haven't seen in over 20 years. We were baton twirling Majorettes together in High School - yep, you guessed it, I'm from the Southern United States. My friend, Teresa, and I lost contact and then one day found each other on Face Book (where else). Instead of the usual, "oh sure, I'll accept the friend, I think I remember her" - we actually continued emailing and discovering we had more in common now than ever and it turned into a visit that has been full of laughs, memories, creating new memories and forming a wonderful bond that I look forward to having forever.

I didn't want to miss posting this Let's Lunch Fall Salad event as I have so enjoyed meeting new food-friends like TIGER IN THE KITCHEN, BONVIVANT, COWGIRL CHEF, NAPTIME CHEF, etc.
The Peach Caprese is a simple and colorful salad, and I hope you'll give it a try or be inspired by the taste combinations.

PEACH CAPRESE: uses equal slices of Buffalo Mozzarella fresh cheese and Peach.
Overlap those and add fresh basil leaves along the way. The Balsamic/Almond Reduction is made with 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar, 3 Tbls. sugar in a saucepan, cooking on Med/High and reduced by at least 1/3 til it coats the back of your spoon. Then, add 1TBLs of almond extract and continue to stir to mix. Drizzle over the composed salad. Can be chilled or served room temp.

So, forgive the short post, while I reconnect with a wonderful friend that reminds me that life can be a healing and magical circle.