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Sunday, June 23, 2019

ChezCindy: Gluten Free Tahini Brownies


I've mentioned this before, my husband has great loyalty to his favorite foods.  He eats the same breakfast nearly everyday, with the only change up being when I offer to make eggs for him on the weekends.  Most often he declines.  He takes pride in his breakfast habit.  He read an interview given by Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa icon, that she too eats the same breakfast daily.  He and Ina, simpatico.  Who would have thought.  Maybe we will get that invitation to visit the Hamptons.

He also has his favorite brownie recipe.  I posted about that one too.  Chez Cindy House Brownies  This brownie recipe is truly amazing, but brownies come in many others styles.  If I had to choose my favorite, the Alice Medrich  Cocoa Brownies with Brown Butter and Walnuts might be mine.

Recently I was craving tahini brownies, as I have seen many recipes offering this combination.  I had not made them before.  For some reason, in my imagination, this was the brownie I wanted.  After a bit of research, I settled on the recipe by Milk Street with Christopher Kimball.  Below is my recipe as inspired by theirs.  The result is a rich chocolate brownie with a nutty swirl of tahini.  I made mine gluten free by using Namaste flour, which is a one-to-one substitute for all-purpose flour.

Gluten Free Tahini Brownies
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup tahini
1/3 cup gluten free flour, Namaste or other name brand*
3 tablespoons cocoa

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare an 8-inch square baking pan by lining it with 2 pieces of foil with the excess hanging over the edges on all sides.  Lightly spray with cooking oil.

In a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter and the chopped chocolate, stirring until just melted.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs and sugar mixing until thickened and pale yellow in color, about 1 minute.  Add in the vanilla and salt, mixing to combine.  Add in the tahini, mixing thoroughly until combined.  Sift in the *gluten free flour, folding until combined.  At this point, spoon out 1/2 cup of the blond tahini mixture into a small bowl; set aside.  This will be added later to make the tahini swirls.

Sift in the cocoa powder; add in the melted chocolate mixture, folding until combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading evenly.

Spoon the reserved blond tahini mixture into several dollops over the top.


Using the tip of a knife, pull through the dollops to make swirls of chocolate and blond.


Place the baking pan into the preheated oven on the center rack, baking for 28-30 minutes.  Remove from the oven, cooling on a wire rack for 30 minutes.  Using the foil edges, lift the brownies from the pan.  Once fully cool, cut into squares and enjoy!


* all-purpose flour can also be used in the same amount as a substitute

Sunday, June 16, 2019

ChezCindy: Orzo Pasta Salad with Shrimp & Feta



This salad is a humble pasta dish that when shared at a picnic or a potluck, it quietly steals the show as the best dish at the gathering.  Everyone will begin asking "Who made this shrimp orzo salad?".  And you will demurely acknowledge it was you.  But go ahead, take in all the praise.  You have my permission.  But first, I need to give a nod to Chef Bobby Flay.  It is his recipe that I took inspiration from many years ago.  Thank you Bobby.  I have been reaping praise for Bobby's recipe for years.  Now you can too.
 

Orzo Pasta Salad with Shrimp & Feta
12 ounces orzo pasta, uncooked
1 English cucumber
3-4 green onions
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of black pepper
6-ounces feta cheese
1 pound cooked, peeled medium size shrimp (16-20 count)

For the dressing:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook the orzo pasta according to the package directions.  Drain and set aside to cool.

Cut the cucumber in half length-wise.  Using a small spoon, remove the seeds by scraping along the length of the cut side of the cucumber.  Dice the cucumber into 1/2-inch pieces.  Thinly slice the green onions, using both the white and green parts.  Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.  Combine the orzo, cucumbers, green onions and tomatoes into a large bowl.  Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper over the pasta and vegetables, gently toss to combine.  

Make the dressing by placing the vinegar, fresh dill, mustard, honey, salt and pepper into a blender or small food processor, blend until smooth.  Remove the top pour spout (not the lid) from the blender or processor.  With the motor running, slowly add the oil to the mixture to emulsify the ingredients into a smooth dressing.  If your blender or processor does not have a pour spout, add the oil 1/4 cup at a time, blending thoroughly before adding the next 1/4 cup.
 



Pour most of the dressing over the pasta and vegetable mix, reserving about 1/4 of it to adjust to your taste, stir to combine.  Add in the feta cheese by crumbling it over the mix.  Fold in the cooked peeled shrimp.  Taste for seasoning.   Add in more dressing, salt and pepper as needed.  Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

 


Saturday, June 1, 2019

ChezCindy: Steak & Mushrooms with Bourbon BBQ Sauce



This recipe gives you a new way to jazz up your summer cookouts by grilling steak and glazing it with your favorite BBQ sauce.  I have included a recipe for my homemade go-to BBQ sauce, with or without the bourbon!  My BBQ sauce is mustard based and adds the standard ingredients of brown sugar, molasses, and ketchup.

I like to use sirloin steak for this recipe in place of more expensive cuts such as strip steak or rib-eye.  The sirloin has great beef flavor and pairs nicely with the BBQ sauce.  The key is to cook the sirloin to medium-rare, or at most, medium.  If you cook it further, the meat may be too tough.  For tips on preparing less expensive cuts of steak, Click here

I encourage you to try using the blackberries as instructed in the recipe.  They are surprisingly a great compliment to the sweetness of the BBQ sauce, adding great balance to the plate.


Steak & Mushrooms with Bourbon BBQ Sauce
1 pound Sirloin Steak
16 ounces cremini mushrooms
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped herbs, parsley, chives & thyme
1 tablespoon bourbon
1/2 cup fresh blackberries
salt & pepper

3/4 cup Bourbon BBQ Sauce

To make the mushrooms:   Gently wash the mushrooms to remove any dirt, dry with paper towels.  Thinly slice the mushrooms; set aside.  Working with a large non-stick skillet, add 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Melt the butter/oil mixture over medium-high heat.  Once the butter is melted, add the sliced mushrooms.  Cook the mushrooms over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.  Once the mushrooms have lost most of their moisture and begin to brown in color, turn off the heat.  With the heat off, add the tablespoon of bourbon to the mushrooms, stirring to combine.
Turn the heat back on to medium, add in the minced garlic, chopped herbs, stirring to combine. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Add in the fresh blackberries stir to combine, cooking for 1 minute.  Turn off the heat and set aside.  Prepare the steak.
 

To make the Steak:  Allow the steak to sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes.  Heat a grill, either indoor or outdoor, to medium-high heat.  Season the steak with salt and pepper on both sides, drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the steak.  When the grill is hot, place the seasoned steak onto the grill, cooking this side for 4-7 minutes, depending on the thickness of the steak.  Flip over to finish cooking the steak to medium rare, or the desired temperature of your preference.  Once you have flipped to side two, generously spoon the BBQ sauce onto the steak.  When the steak is cooked to temperature, flip over and spoon side two with a small amount of sauce, leaving extra BBQ sauce for serving at the table.  Remove the steak from the grill.  Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing to serve.  Serve the sliced steak with a scattering of mushrooms and blackberries, with extra BBQ sauce on the side.  A note about slicing steak across the grain to achieve tender slices, click here.


To make the BBQ sauce:
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
black pepper

Measure out each ingredient into a small saucepan.  Place the pan over a low flame, stirring to combine, heating for 3-4 minutes.  Turn off heat and set aside.

To make this a Bourbon BBQ sauce:  In a second small saucepan, add 1/2 cup of bourbon, heat over high heat, cooking until the bourbon reduces to 1/4 cup.  This will take roughly 10 minutes.  Stir in 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, dissolving the sugar.  Turn off the heat.

Add the bourbon to the prepared BBQ sauce, stirring to combine.  Taste for seasoning, adding more black pepper as desired.