Red Sangria with Brandy-Soaked Fruit

So I'm going to pretend that a whole month didn't just pass since my last post. Because if anyone were to ask me where that time went, I wouldn't know. Can I offer you a drink?

I was hoping things might slow down work-wise a bit for the summer (though unsure why - I guess when I was in school, summer was a time of lazy afternoons, picnics, tall grasses, and singing cicadas) but it seems they are only picking up and I feel I'm caught in a perpetual whirlwind of always running out of time. Although I'd much rather spend lazy summer afternoons sitting on a porch or a terrace, sipping sangria.

And I would love to get back into making tasty things, arranging them, photographing them, writing about them on a more regular basis. But as things been lately, when I look at the clock, it's Sunday night, and then I say, well, I'll do it later. And before I know, a month passes. So that's where I've been. With that said, how about that drink?

About a year ago, we've had a white sangria around these parts. So let's try a red one. For this one, I've soaked the fruit in brandy prior to adding the wine for better extraction and more fruity flavor. This method also works if you are pressed for time to serve it. I find that with all the sweetness from the fruit and agave syrup, dry red wine works best. Enjoy!

Red Sangria with Brandy-Soaked Fruit
(Serves 12-16)

You will need:
1 cup brandy
1/4 cup agave syrup
1 sweet apple (such as fuji), cored, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
1 granny smith apple, cored, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
1 pear, cored, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
1 orange, sliced into wedges
1/2 lemon, sliced into thin rounds
1 lime, sliced into thin rounds
2 bottles of dry red wine
A splash of orange juice (about 1-2 oz)

Directions:

Place sliced fruit in a punch bowl or a glass pitcher. In a measuring cup, combine brandy and agave syrup, stir until syrup is fully dissolved, and pour over the fruit. Stir to combine and let sit for about 15 minutes to half an hour. Add in the wine and the orange juice, stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or over night. Ladle or pour into glasses with a little of the fruit; serve chilled.

Coconut Tartlets with Orange Mascarpone Filling (Gluten Free)

This dessert was the result of a few left over tidbits. I had some mascarpone from some ambitious plans for a dessert from earlier which never materialized. The fruit basket had two lone oranges whose skins began to slightly shrivel. And I was short on wheat flour, but I still had a fair amount of coconut flour from earlier experiments with it that had to be used up.

From that earlier experiment, which resulted in delicious gluten-free cupcakes, I knew coconut flour can be tricky. And for me, gluten-free baking has been a journey during which stumbling through trial and error seems to be the norm. Having done a quick search on coconut flour shortcrust pastry, I found nothing suitable. And so I decided to give it a try anyway, having accepted the fact that if it didn't work, at least it would be an experiment on which I could build on later (and it would still be a good excuse to use up the flour). And since it was snowing that particular day - the early spring warmth has since changed into a cold, at times snowy spell - I resolved to only work with the ingredients I had without having to make a run to the store. I had just enough butter for two tries.

Gluten-free baking calls for not only different ingredients but, I've found, also for different methods of preparation. For example, there is no need to wait for gluten to "relax" or "rest" - and since it's generally so tired it may be good to give it a rest altogether.

I usually roll out shortcrust pastry (for regular shortcrust pastry recipe, you can see a recipe I made here). Although the coconut flour dough can be made quite pliable, it is still brittle. So rather than rolling it out, the best way to handle it is to mold it into an elongated sausage shape, slice off a piece and mold it into the shell form directly. The dough firms up while baking and the texture becomes similar to that of a regular shortcrust pastry.

Coconut flour is generally much more absorbent, or thirstier, than wheat-based flour - and as a result requires much more liquid. Here I used as much water as I would add to about double of wheat based flour amount. I've also added xanthan gum to the coconut flour to give the dough the elasticity which is normally attributed to gluten. It comes as a powder, and becomes activated (and sticky) when it comes in contact with liquid. I learned the trick from my sister-in-law who bakes some amazing gluten-free desserts.

The filling I used for these tartlets is rich in orange flavor - which seemed appropriate for the snowy day. With just four ingredients, and when tartlets are chilled, the filling tastes like creamy orange-flavored ice cream, which goes well with the coconut flavored shells.

Coconut Tartlets with Orange Mascarpone Filling (Gluten Free)
Makes 12 1 1/2 inch tartlets

Coconut Flour Shortcrust Pastry

You will need:
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
4 tbsp cold butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 tbsp sour cream
4-6 tbsp ice cold water

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Butter 12 1 1/2 inch-wide tartlet or brioche forms.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt and xanthan gum in a bowl. Add the butter, and working quickly with your fingers, rub the butter into the flour mixture, until the mixture is flaky and there are no large butter pieces remaining. Mix in the sour cream. Gradually add the water, one tablespoon at a time, until dough starts to form and the mixture becomes soft and pliable. If it crumbles, continue to gradually add water up to 6 tbsp. Give the dough a knead or two and roll into a ball. Form the dough into a sausage shape about 2 inches in diameter. Place the dough on wax paper and slice into twelve even pieces.
3. With your fingers, take each piece and mold it into a tartlet form - the shell should be about 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick. Remove any excess and repeat with the remaining forms. Place the forms on a thin baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes, then prick the bottom of each shell with a fork to prevent them from rising. Return to the oven and bake 11 to 13 minutes more (20 to 22 minutes total), until the shells are golden and the edges are golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and let cool before adding the filling.

Orange Mascarpone Cream Filling

You will need:
8 oz mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tsp orange zest (about 1 small orange)
2 tsp Triple Sec liqueur
Small orange slices, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Place the mascarpone and sugar into a bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until blended, scraping the sides with a wooden spoon, about 1 minute. Add the zest and the liqueur and beat 1-2 minutes more, until combined and the filling is thick. Do not overbeat. Pipe or spread onto cooled tartlet shells. Top with orange slices. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Potato and Smoked Salmon Salad

As the weather turns warmer, soups, stews and various savory baked dishes get put on the back burner around these parts. At least for now (there might be a freak storm in April or May which might call for such things). This potato and salmon salad is great for lunch - it is filling without being heavy, with very light dressing.

The flavors here are Scandinavian-inspired. Although Scandinavian seafood salads tend to be creamier, with mayonnaise or crème fraîche which goes well with things like shrimp, I did not want to obscure the salmon with too much dressing.

The dressing here is lemon juice and a few other things (horseradish, dill, capers, scallion). The salmon is fatty enough that the salad does not need any oil. If you prefer to use the oil, feel free to add some, however I would use something of the tasteless variety, as not to interfere with other flavors. Adding the oil could also work well if the smoked salmon you get is somewhat dry.

Potato and Smoked Salmon Salad
(Serves 2)

You will need:
1/2 lb. young white potatoes
1 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
1 scallion, chopped
1 tsp capers
1/4 tsp horseradish, or to taste
4 oz smoked salmon, torn into chunks
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice, or to taste
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Bring a medium pot filled with water to a boil. Add the potatoes, skins on, and cook, until potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and let cool for about 10 minutes. Dice the potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces.
2. Place the diced potatoes into a bowl, add dill, scallion, capers and horseradish and toss to combine. Add the salmon, sprinkle with lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve or refrigerate until needed.

Stuffed Cabbage Leaves (Golubtzi)

We reserve weekends for play. Often times a whole day or two would be reserved to revolve around food. A six hour quest in making pho. A day trip to a Japanese food market and an evening spent making maki and sushi (making it fresher and cheaper than at a mid-range restaurant). But on weekdays things are different.

A mad rush to scramble something out of whatever is in the fridge or on the bottom of the co-op box, with an occasional mad dash to a take out. When on some days the amount of hours one is away are longer than those spent at home (including hours devoted to sleep), on weeknights time is sorely limited. And so lately our weeknight routine had been dinner, a glass of wine and an episode or two of whatever show we hadn't run out of watching on Netflix, and then bed.

To minimize the amount of cooking to be done during those few hours after getting home, I have been trying to accumulate recipes that would last for at least a few days. My husband made half a lobster-sized pot of chili that lasted us four days. We've been making Southwestern style enchiladas. And so things we can make ahead on the weekend and then eat for days afterwards are highly prized around these parts.

I also tend to fall into defaults when I don't have the time or the energy to be creative. I've fallen into these ruts before during busy times - rotating the same few recipes over and over again. Another thing I tend to do is fall back on is my comfort food. As much as I try to stray into new and at times exotic (to me) recipes, Russian food is my ultimate comfort food. It also helps that it is simple, filling, tasty, amenable to being cooked in large batches, with fairly uncomplicated and inexpensive ingredients.

Dishes like these stuffed cabbage leaves, or their naked sibling - meat and rice balls (made similarly except for the cabbage), along with things like pelmeni, would usually be made in bulk. While some dishes are more laborious than others (pelmeni can be a lot of work) - the time invested does pay off (kind of like the tale of the ant and the grasshopper - or the Russian version - the dragonfly and the ant).

Cabbage and meat tend to get along famously, like in the Norwegian lamb and cabbage stew which we made before. For this recipe, the stuffed cabbage leaves are made with a traditional meat and rice filling. Here you can use a combination of the ground meat you like - I made them with ground turkey and chicken. The dish can be served as is, with a spoonful of sauce in which it is cooked, or with a dollop of sour cream.

Stuffed Cabbage Leaves
Makes about 20

You will need:
1 1/2 cup water for rice, plus more for the filling
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground chicken
1 large egg
1 small onion, chopped, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup water

1 head cabbage

2 tbsp canola oil
2 cups chicken broth
6 tbsp tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and the rice. Bring back to a simmer and cook on  low heat until the rice is almost cooked through and the water has evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool. In a large bowl, mix together ground turkey, ground chicken, egg, 1/2 of the chopped onion, salt and pepper. Add the cooled rice and about 1/3 cup water to the meat mixture and mix until the rice is evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Rinse the cabbage and discard the outer leaves. Remove the cabbage leaves, one at a time, by placing the cabbage stem up and cutting each leaf off at the base; then peel off each leaf carefully. It is alright if they tear slightly, but take care to keep them intact as much as possible. Repeat until you have a few small leaves remaining; discard those or use elsewhere.
3. Blanch the leaves, a few at a time, in the boiling water, until pliable, about 3 minutes. Rinse under cold water, pat dry, and set aside. Cut an elongated triangle of about 1 1/2 inch in length at the base of each leaf to remove the tough middle stem.
4. To stuff the leaves, place a small fistful of the meat mixture into the inside of each leaf. Fold the base of the leaf over it, then fold in the sides like an envelope, and roll the leaf into a snug roll. Place on a plate seam side down. Repeat with the remaining leaves.
5. In a small saucepan, heat canola oil and add the remaining 1/2 onion. Sauté the onion until translucent. Add the broth and stir in the tomato paste. Season to taste as needed, and bring to a simmer. Place the cabbage leaves in a large dutch oven, seam side down, in one or two even layers. Pour the broth mixture over the cabbage leaves; the mixture should just cover the leaves. Cover with a lid, bring to a simmer on medium-low heat. Cook, until the meat is cooked through and the cabbage is soft, about 1 hour. Serve hot, with an optional dollop of sour cream.