Nutty CousCous with Asparagus

Forget everything you know about grain salads- this is a complete revelation.

Do you see those nuts down there?  They aren't ordinary nuts; they are roasted nuts.  Still not convinced?  I don't blame you, but it get's better.  What if I told you that after getting them nice and toasty in the oven, their next order of business is to be ground into a very aesthetically pleasing rubble only then to be tossed with olive oil, parmesan cheese, and Israeli couscous?

I'll give you a moment.

 

Oh!  And look who decided to join the party....

I told you it was an epic salad.

Do know that I am not due all of the credit, as this was adapted from Laura Calder's recipe for Nutty Pasta.  I used couscous instead of pasta, varied the ratio of nuts, added asparagus, and omitted the orange zest. 

 

3T. raw almonds
2T. pistachios
1T. pine nuts
....
2 c. water
1.5c. Israeli couscous
....
1 bunch of asparagus, tough ends removed and cut into 1 inch long sticks
....
1T. extra virgin olive oil
1 squirt of lemon juice (I unapologetically used a plastic lemon)
1/4c. grated parmesan

-Begin by roasting the almonds and pistachios for 7 minutes in a 325 oven.  Add the pine nuts to this and continue to roast for another 8 minutes.  When you take the nuts out of the oven, they should have the fabulous aroma of toasted nuts,  but if you have to guess, then I would toss them back in the oven for another 2 or 3 minutes, as oven temperatures can vary.

-Let cool and chop (by hand or with the aid of a food processor) until rubbly.  You are not looking for a powder here, but something along the lines of a brown, white, and green flecked confetti, if you will.

-Meanwhile, combine the water and couscous and a pinch of salt into a pan large enough to hold them and bring to a boil; reduce and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until tender.

-Bring yet another pot (I know!) of water to boil and blanch the asparagus, removing after 2-3 minutes and submerging in cold water to cease it's cooking.  Drain and put into a large bowl.

-To the asparagus, add the olive oil, parmesan cheese, nuts, and lemon juice. 

-Drain the finished couscous and toss with the ingredients in the large bowl; check for seasoning and serve either chilled or at room temperature.

Note:  This salad makes for fabulous left overs.   I think it is because the nuts are cut so small but they didn't seem to go mushy like most nuts do while in the ice box.   After I made it, I separated the rest of it into my usual glass jars and when it came time to put together my lunch before work, I just hard boiled an egg to go on top and it was even better than the day that I made it.  Also, there is nothing in this salad that will spoil, so I ate mine at room temperature, as in I didn't put it back in to the ice box when I got to work.  It just sat happily in my lunch tote until its consumption, but if you are finicky about that sort of thing, there certainly isn't harm in eating it cold.

Honeyed Pistachio Granola with Apricots

I love granola.  I mean, what's not to love?  Different flavours and textures mingling together to make each mouthful (I mean, really- who has 'just a bite' of granola?) just as perfect as the one preceding it.  Making granola at home is something that I rarely do, but I always enjoy the rare occasion and this time was no exception.  With a minimal ingredient list and minimal hands-on time, this was easy to say the least and made just the perfect amount- 2 cups, after sufficiently sampling.  It also made the apartment smell wonderful.  Like I said- what's not to love about granola?

I will admit, I made this mostly for my father, who loves granola even more than I do.   He also happens to love salt, maybe even as much as I do.  This is the perfect granola to satisfy your salty & sweet craving.  If you would like a less salty version, however, just halve the amount listed and it should be to your liking.

1.5c. oats

1/2 c. raw shelled pistachios

1/2 t. kosher salt

1/4t. cardamon

2 (heaping) T. honey

2 T. butter

1/2 c. dried apricots, quartered

-Put the oven on to heat to 300.

-Combine the oats and pistachios in a bowl. 

-In a small saucepan melt the butter and honey, stirring in the salt and cardamon at the last minute.  Toss this with the oats and pistachios.

-Spread mixture onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

-Let this cool on the sheet for about 30-40 minutes before gently crumbling and embellishing with the apricots.

Enjoy this with yogurt, milk, over ice cream, or as a lovely little snack with tea or coffee.

It's Christmastime, again!

There is no better time, in my opinion, to start a new blog then around the holidays!  I will have so much to post about for the upcoming week that I am just excited beyond imagination.  Spiced scents wafting from a warm kitchen are some of the very essential things that make the holiday season, for me.  I began my holiday baking endeavours last night with some speedy Vanilla Marshmallows and Pistachio Fudge.  I have been making the marshmallows annually for a few years now and am even expected to make them!  It was the first time for the fudge, but I rather think that it will be a new tradition as well!

The Marshmallows, are much easier to make than you might expect.  Most people, when presented with them often tell me that they didn't know that marshmallows could be made.  Well, of course they can!

Here they are, in all of their powdered ivory glory, ready to be plopped into a steaming mug of cocoa or just eaten alone.  To make them, you will need about 20 minutes of hands on work, and 2 hours for them to set up, and of course, some ingredients:

3/4 oz. of unflavored gelatin

2c. sugar

2/3c. light corn syrup

6oz. cold water

2t. vanilla

1/4t. kosher salt

-Begin by blooming the gelatin in 4oz. of cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer (you will be needed the whisk attachment).

-In a sauce pan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and remaining 2oz. of cold water.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and let boil for one minute.

-Turn the mixer on medium-high speed and, carefully, pour in the boiling sugar syrup.  Once the entirety has been added, turn the mixer up to the highest speed that it can go and let it whip for 12 minutes.  In about the 11th minute, add the vanilla and salt.  (If you are using peppermint, almond, or any other flavourings, then decrease the vanilla.)  

-Have an 8x8 inch square pan waiting lined with cling wrap that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.  Mound the ivory fluff into the pan and let set for about 2 hours.  If you're leaving it longer, I would cover the top with cling wrap so it doesn't dry-out.  

-When you're ready to cut, spray a knife with non-stick spray and cut into 16 pieces, spraying between each cut.

-Toss each marshmallow into a freezer bag with powdered sugar and shake to cover, and store in an air tight container.

While marshmallows are nice, what is Christmas without fudge?

This is a particularly wonderful recipe, especially if you are not partial to the grainy-sugariness that most fudges tend to have.  It is also perfect for those who claim that they can't cook.  It really is that easy.

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
14 oz. (one can) sweetened condensed milk
2T. butter
1c. shelled & bashed pistachios
dash of salt


-In a sauce pan over low heat, combine the chocolate, condensed milk, butter, and salt.  Let this cook until the chocolate has melted, stirring some what frequently to make sure the chocolate doesn't burn. It should take between 5-8 minutes, depending on your stove.
-When the mixture is melty and gooey, stir in the bashed pistachios and pour into a 6x13 or 8x8 pan that you've lined with foil.  
-Let this set up in the fridge, where it will also be stored.  Keep in mind that this is more of a hardened ganache than actual fudge meaning that at room temperature it will go very soft if left there for too long, but let me tell you- it does the trick nicely.  People will wonder how you've managed to make this terribly difficult confection, when you've only spent fifteen stress-free minutes in the kitchen.

Just in case you still think that this is quite an endeavor for only one evening, I will be honest and let you in on a secret- I made the fudge while the marshmallows were being whipped into shape in the mixer and spent only about 30 minutes of my night with these treats in total.  

I am eager to use different nuts with the fudge and maybe try bittersweet chocolate as well, for a less sweet treat.  Also, am wanting to experiment with the flavorings of the marshmallows- almond and chocolate would be a nice start.  Lavender would be interesting as well, but that might have to wait for Easter.

What are your thoughts?

Merry Christmas, all!