Three Mushroom Sachets#Perfect Day

 

During the month of December, I was fortunate enough to participate in an exclusive trial of a revolutionary new product to the food world, Animal Free Cream Cheese.  I know it sounds bizarre, but the creators at Perfect Day did just that, creating a smooth, creamy, flavorful and versatile product, suitable for replacing a traditional animal based cream cheese in virtually any recipe.  Using a process of fermentation, scientists were able to isolate the milk protein and extract it, serving as the building blocks for the creation of this imaginative and quite genius spread.  

Through the resourcefulness of Chef's Roll, an industry leading hub for Chefs, both at home and professional, restaurant employees, restaurateurs, foodies, small businesses, Culinarians and the like, plus a bevy of sponsors with amazing products.  I was selected as one of only 100 chefs to participate in the opportunity to develop recipes in two categories for this soon to be trending food item.  Many thanks to both for a key ingredient and inspiration for this featured recipe, Vegan Three Mushroom Sachets.  

I wanted to showcase this wonderful animal free cream cheese with a recipe that would not hide its delicious taste and texture.  After a bit of research, I found inspiration in the Middle Eastern Borek, which is a pastry filled with either meats, cheeses or a sweet filling.  Phyllo dough is used, which is naturally Vegan and that was certainly an attribute to the dish as a whole.  I chose to create these almost hand pie- like pouches, filled with Perfect Day Animal Free Cream Cheese and meaty, earthy mushrooms, three types actually; Baby Bella, Button (8 oz. each) and the piece de resistance of the three, Black Morels, (5 small or about 2 oz.) which I personally foraged, dehydrated and stored from an anomaly of a season past.  I foraged almost 200 in one area!! This was especially satisfying, since I'd only collected 3 from the wild, before this moist and cool, late March mid morning.  Procurement of the Morels is a story for another day, so I must dial back my ADHD to the experience at hand haha, you can read about it here anytime though, just search Morels and Foraging on my page for stories and the recipes they inspired! 

I started this featured recipe by gently cooking about 2 tbsp. minced yellow onion and pressed, minced garlic, 2 cloves, until soft and translucent., about 6 minutes.    I used a plant butter for this part.  After sauteing the thinly sliced mushrooms in a bit of roasted Walnut oil with a tad of extra virgin olive oil, I de-glazed with a small portion of the mushroom water from re-hydrating the Morels, about 1/4 c. and cooked out the excess moisture.  I combined them with the chiffonade of fresh sage and mint, about 1 tsp. sage and 1/2 tsp. mint.  I added 1/4 c. nutritional yeast for body and flavor reminiscent to that of Aged Parmesan.  I then folded the veggie blends into the AF cream cheese. SPST (Salt and Pepper to Suit Taste).  I used Himalayan Pink Salt, fine grain, for lots of beneficial trace minerals and harmonious balance with the mushrooms.

Additionally, you can elevate the filling even more by using a counter top smoker and smoking the cheese blend before placing the filling in the pastry.  I used double sheets of the Phyllo dough to make the sachets, placing 2 tbsp. portions in the center and folding over to the ends, and then folding the outer sleeves under the filled portions.  I brushed them with plant butter, during and after.  Bake the sachets on parchment paper lined baking sheet for about 25 minutes in a 375* convection oven until golden.

  

Vegan Three 'Shroom Sachets with Perfect Day

Delicious warm or at room temperature.  Makes 10 sachets or you can reduce the portions to about 1 tsp. each and make appetizer servings.  

This dish is just perfect as is or as a vegan main course alongside a nice gourmet greens salad with cranberries and roasted pecans.  Additionally, the appetizer portions will go well at ANY social, dinner or occasion where food and wine is involved, even the strict carnivores can appreciate this dish.   My tasters approved unanimously, myself included.

Flaky, Delicious, Hearty and Vegan with Perfect Day AF Cream Cheese

Harlem Shrimp

All I can say is that this spice blend is as rich in culture and flavor, as the neighborhood it's named after.  Harlem Garlic Pepper seasoning by BADIA, is one of  my new favorite spice blends.  The flavors of garlic and pepper and prominent, while dehydrated veggies and other spices play a perfect part.  The kiss of sweetness, balances out the salt even more.  

I love this blend because salt is not the first, second, third or fourth ingredient.  As a matter of fact, each serving contains only 60 mg of sodium, that's 60% than a serving of Kosher salt!  You can get the beauty of the spices; garlic, onion, pepper and  bell peppers, without blowing your sodium intake for the day!  

I sprinkled some on popcorn for an awesome snack and also some salt and vinegar chips to test it out.  Lots of flavor and possibilities led me to the creation of this recipe.

Recipe: 

I sprinkled some de-shelled, de-veined and prepped Wild Caught Red Argentine Shrimp 21/25 ct. with the Harlem blend and allowed it to hang out while I made the wet batter.  

I used 1 part seasoned flour and one half part buttermilk pancake mix, along with some evaporated milk and a little water, to achieve the consistency I needed.  I didn't want them to be batter heavy and greasy tasting, so I thinned the batter just so it could drain off and set up in the hot oil. 

 Once the shrimp had been fried and drained well on paper towels,

 I plated them and added a bit more Harlem Garlic Pepper to seal the deal.  

I made a dipping sauce from 4 parts ketchup and 2 parts horseradish, with a hit of Blazin' Hot Ranch, mixing well.  It was phenomenal.  The "Father of Harlem" Philip Payton Jr. would be proud. 

 

 

Soulful Southern "Wrappetizers": Napa Cabbage Wraps w/Colby Jack Frico, Bacon, Golden Apples and Green Onion

Cool, crispy, salty, fresh and crunchy come together in this quick and wonderful appetizer I created on the fly yesterday.  With some simple on hand ingredients,  I was able to come up with a recipe, easy enough that anyone can do it and fancy enough to served as a fabulous dish for your next brunch or even dinner social.  2/3 slices of thick cut bacon anchor this dish, wrapped in a Colby Jack Frico, which is essentially a cheese crisp, named from a north east region of Friuli, Italy, from which it hails.  A Frico was a historically peasant dish by nature, created out of necessity, finding use for rinds of cheese. This is also sometimes accompanied by potatoes and is still one of the regions most popular dishes, respectively.  Next on the ingredient list is green onion.  I used a portion approximately equal to the length of the portion of bacon, encased with the bacon, to naturally steam with the heat of the protein and cheese. 

I used the petite leaves of a head of Napa cabbage to serve as the housing for the whole shebang, deliciously light and fresh and a nice change from the usual Iceberg or Red/Green leaf and Romaine. Additionally, Napa cabbage is somewhat more supple and privy to the folding than its leafy counterparts, enabling a nice snuggly wrap, like a cozy blanket around the goodness.  I finished this off with some small dice Golden Delicious apple, any crisp and firm apple type will do. 

This dish is like taking a bite out of several traditional Southern favorites, all at once; Cabbage, Apples and Onions, Cabbage and Bacon, Apples and Bacon...you get the drift, this is certainly a lighter take on those dishes, easy to manage and done in a few bites.  The flavors marry harmoniously and will soon become a hit with your friends and family and YOU!   This recipe is also Keto friendly. 

Recipe: 1 small head of Napa 🥬, about 2 lbs., 4 oz. Colby Jack 🧀, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, Cooked, thick sliced 🥓, Green 🧅 tops, cut to size, Golden Delicious 🍏, small dice 

Instructions: Prep all ingredients because the Frico goes quickly and is best made one at a time, (though you may have several in a large nonstick pan at once) to assemble before the cheese cools too much to encase the bacon and green onion. To make the Frico, you will need to melt the cubes down and allow them to spread naturally as it melts and crisp around its edges, (it will be about 2 inches in diameter) before transferring it to your work surface to add the 2 bacon portions and green onion portion.  Place the cheese crisp down, add the bacon and onion then fold each side of Frico up and over, then holding in place for several seconds until set.  You may prepare all the wraps before placing on Napa cabbage leaves and garnishing with diced apple.  Make as little or many as you choose, they won't hang around long!

Creamy Parmesan and Bacon Tortilla Cups

 This appetizer happened sooo fast and was received so well, I had to share with my fellow Culinarians.  I had to stop in by Kroger, which is usually a once monthly deal, when I pick up my scripts and saw some sweet deals going on, my wallet approved of.  There was a gourmet dip in the deli section, reduced and reasonable, so I grabbed it up, taking advantage of something that would normally be out of my budget's comfort zone, saving me several dollars, that I would gladly keep for other essentials. 

 I was initially envisioning this gourmet dip, smothering a baked potato, turning a side dish into a main course with a few sauteed mushrooms or garlic shrimp and leafy green salad by its side.  As I made my way through the store, picking up some healthful steps with my Samsung Health app that's installed on my phone, I saw the tortilla cups.  These two items were not meant to converge, until I was back at home and having a few of the cups with a Spinach dip another family member picked up on the same visit.  I have a Ninja Foodi and it helps facilitate many of the spur of the moment ideas that may need my immediate attention, before I either forget, or fail to write down.  Luckily, this recipe became only a matter of putting 3 things I enjoy together and adding some heat.  I filled the cups with the Parmesan forward dip and sprinkled in a few real bacon pieces from the package, usually adorning a salad.  I placed my Foodi on the broil setting and in a matter of  minutes, there was this piping hot, cheesy, melty, crunchy and smoky 2 -3 bite snack, full of flavor and good enough to share with others.  The family loved it and looked forward to the next time they would be making an appearance.  That was good enough for me.  We don't normally agree on everything, at least not all the time, but this time, everything fell into place, like Plinkos on a game of The Price is Right, gotta love it when that happens!  

Recipe:

Tortilla Chip Cups

Parmesan and Peppercorn Gourmet Dip, (Kroger)

Real 🥓 Pieces

SPST (Salt and Pepper to Suit Taste)

Instructions:

Fill cups midway with Parmesan Peppercorn dip.

Sprinkle with real bacon pieces.

Place in Ninja Foodi or under a broiler.

Broil until bubbly and melty.

Plate and serve. 

Makes as many as you don't feel guilty eating.

P.s. The shadow you see directly behind the plate is actually one of our dogs, Grizzley, he wanted in on the action! I was out by my herb garden, trying to catch some good natural lighting and he was curious about what smelled so darn good and if there was enough for him! 

Rice Balls w/ Anchovy and Pineapple

I made rice balls for the first time during these last several weeks, at the request of my youngest and Anime fanatic, Bronwyn and they are a real treat.  The best part about them is that they are virtually a blank canvas for any toppings you can dream up.  This particular version features two ingredients that I think work really well together as far as flavor contrast and balance goes.

 Since this was a spur of the moment request, I didn't have any smoked salmon or crab to top these off or bury in its center, as the initial recipe suggested.  Bronwyn wanted them plain anyway, so no buried treasures of simmered ginger infused pork or spicy beef was anywhere in sight.  I topped my rice balls with delicate and umami forward portions of canned anchovy and complimented the saltiness with the sweetness of freshly cut pineapple pieces.  The black sesame seeds provided a nice nuttiness and  pop of color.

Sticky rice is a rather labor intensive dish, though it is not difficult.  The most important factor is rinsing the rice to remove the starch. It must be done so many, many times.  There is a particular variety of rice traditionally used for this by the Japanese called Sushi rice, also known as glutinous rice, which is sticky when cooked.  For this recipe, I chose to use Jasmine rice, though it is not as sticky when cooked as the suited rice.  It did however perform well.

For this recipe, I simply vigorously rinsed the rice several times and cooked according to the indications on the rice label, but I use 1 1/2 cups of water for every 2 cups of rice.   I then drizzled the rice with mirin mixed with seasoned rice vinegar, while in front of a fan, constantly tossing and turning the rice for even coating.  Afterwards, I took portions of the rice and attempted to shape them into the traditional triangles, but opted for the balls, because they were easier.  lol.

We used low sodium soy, smoked tamari and Thai Chili Sauce for dipping.

Ninja Foodi Sensei: Prosciutto Wrapped Brie w/ Raspberry Chipotle Fruit Spread

This recipe  was a cinch using my Ninja Foodi and the results are in...Fantastic!  You will obviously have to be a fan of ripened cheese and Italian Style ham, but I don't think that will be a problem.  I used a store bought specialty fruit spread from Sam's Choice, which completed the circle with it's sweet and heat, pairing nicely with the creamy textures of the Brie and the saltiness of the prosciutto.
I used items from my herb garden and garden as garnitures for a bright and colorful presentation.  This recipe pairs well with warm, crusty breads, crackers, crudites and fruit.  Don't forget the wine! Prep is a cinch and the rest is smooth creamy, crispy and delicious history.

Recipe:
1 wheel of Brie
1 pkg. 3 oz.  Prosciutto or 6 slices
olive oil for brushing

Instructions:

Arrange slices of prosciutto in an overlapping fashion.
First, imagine the work area is a clock.
 Start with a piece at 12 o' clock, then place the second piece at 6, overlapping the bottom half of slice with the other.
Continue by adding a slice facing 3 o clock, the another at 9.
The last two pieces are to be added midway between the 12 and 9, then add the remaining slice between the 3 and 6.
Center wheel of cheese over the portion of the ham 'clock' where they all overlap.
Begin to fold the slices in, starting with the 12 o'clock, this way the flap is secured under the other slices and keeps the wheel from oozing cheese or the slices from peeling away, compromising its presentation.
If there are spots where the cheese is not covered, simply tear off small portions of the flaps to cover it completely.
Brush the wheel with olive oil and place in the Ninja Foodi on the rack.
Press the crisper button and set temperature to 400*F.
Set timer for 5 minute increments.
Check after each 5 minutes to see how the crisping is going.
The exterior should be crisped by the time the 15 minutes is up.
Let stand for several minutes before handling and use caution.
Arrange as desired and cut out a small section ro release the cheese.
Use a small sharp knife to cut portions of the prosciutto and cheese together.
Serve with crackers, warm breads, crudites and freshly cut fruits.
Serves Many.

Fun Fruits: Sprite Melons

I absolutely adore supermarkets.  When permissible, I will spend extensive time there, checking out new products and items, especially in the produce department.  I make it a point to read the information posted on the vegetables and fruits that are  unfamiliar to me.  Additionally, when my budget allows, I purchase the item and do my own flavor profile to lock into my mental Rolodex. My first job was in a supermarket and became my beginning registry for the copious amounts of fruits and vegetables that I can recite to this day.  On that note, I visited a Kroger in the Smith Mountain Lake area the other day and became familiar with yet another member of the melon family, The Sprite Melon.  This fruit has origins in Japan and has been successfully cultivated in our own backyard of North Carolina since the early 1990's .  When ripe, this fruit  is about the size of a grapefruit. 

The flesh of this melon is ivory to cream and can become a pale yellow with striations and mottling on the outside when fully ready to consume.  The striations are caused by the sugars within the melon that are approximately 18% percent higher than that of other melons.  The Sprite Melon has 150% of the daily allowance of Vitamin C per serving and no calories from fats.    The taste is said to resemble a cross between a honeydew and a watermelon, and some suggest a hint of pear.  The flesh is quite firm with an almost crisp, crunchy bite like that of an apple.  The particular fruits I tried, were very reminiscent of just that.  The sweetness was not as pronounced, but it also lacked the tell-tale mottling on the outside.  This fruit is generally served as a dessert and it's size makes for convenient servings for individuals.  

My family really enjoyed the Sprite Melon, especially Genesis my 6 year old.  I certainly did and found it paired exceptionally well with Cambozolo cheese, with which I used  to create the following recipe.  The freshness of this salad is impeccable, showcasing this melon and other fabulous vegetables with delicate as well as bold flavor profiles and a citrusy vinaigrette!   If you don't get a chance to try the recipe, please don't miss the opportunity to try this melon as is, it will lift your spirits in a Spritely fashion!
Asparagus and Sprite Melon Salad w/Cambozolo and Pancetta
1 lb. petite asparagus, blanched and chopped on bias
2 sprite melons, halved and de-seeded, hollowed out slightly, the bottom shaved enough to sit flat
2 oz. Pancetta, small dice
1 tbsp. shallot, finely chopped
2  oz. Cambozolo cheese
zest of 1 lemon
For Vinaigrette:
juice of 1 large lemon, about 2 tbsp.
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. Agave Nectar
SPST
In a cast iron skillet over medium high heat, saute Pancetta until golden, about 4 minutes, and add shallot.  SPST.  Saute  for 1 more minute. Turn off heat .
In a medium bowl, add asparagus, zest of lemon, about 1/2 c.  Sprite Melon flesh chopped (from the hulled  out portion), and vinaigrette, that has been combined in another small bowl.  Toss until well coated. SPST.  Toss with Pancetta and shallot mixture.  
Spoon into Sprite Melon bowls.  Divide cheese equally atop the two salads.  

Sprite Melon Salad w/ Asparagus, Cambozolo and Pancetta

Serves 4.  Serve Immediately.  
This salad is presented in two bowls or 1 melon because that is all I had available after the taste testing and subsequent consumption of additional 'bowls'.  For presentation, serve in 4 melon bowls that have been de-seeded, but NOT HOLLOWED out, as the melon will create an appealing border around the asparagus salad and the fruit may be scooped out afterwards with a spoon by the person eating.   Use the fruit of a 5th additional melon to provide the portion for the recipe.
This makes for a gorgeous first course salad in 4 bowls or 2 main course salads if you follow the recipe above.