The first time I made this was for a study group I was part of while I was getting my MA. Seven of us met weekly to study the entirety of Gaardner's History of Art because we were responsible for all 1000 or so images in that book for our MA Slide Exam. Considering that we spent more time laughing, eating and asking each other how to spell "sarcophagus" then actually studying, it's fortunate that the professors must have graded the Exam like we were kindergarteners ("Oh, she got the time period right within a century and described the painting in great detail--even though she didn't know its title or artist or anything about it otherwise. Give her full credit; her description was pretty.")
All that said, this bread is incredibly good. And if you eat it right after it comes out of the oven (which you should) it has this amazingly crispy outer crust with a soft, warm, doughy inside (because of the onion). It's from a cookbook called Fat-Free Cooking (and, yes, it's pretty low-fat, as is most bread that isn't full of, say, cheddar).
Olive and Oregano Bread
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 tsp. dried yeast
pinch of sugar
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/3 cup pitted black olives, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. black olive paste
1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
(you may substitute 1-2 tsp. of dried herbs, if you wish)
Put half the warm water in a cup and sprinkle the yeast on top. Add the sugar and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan and fry the onion gently until golden brown.
Sift the flour in a mixing bowl with the salt and pepper. Make a well in the center; and add the yeast mixture, the fried onion (with the oil), the olives, olive paste, herbs and remaining water. Gradually incorporate the flour; and mix into a soft dough, adding a little extra water if necessary. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in a mixing bowl, and cover with a damp dish towel. Leave in a warm place to rise for about 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in bulk. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead again for a few minutes. Shape into an 8inch round and place on the prepared baking sheet. Using a large sharp knife, make crisscross cuts over the top. Cover and let stand in a warm place for 30 minutes until well risen. Preheat oven to 425˚F.
Dust the loaf with a little flour. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 400˚F. Bake the 20 more minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Transfer to wire rack and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Friday, March 24, 2006
Food Fridays #4
As promised, last week's absolutely delicious fish and chips meal. An indulgence, sure, but so worth it. Really.
Crispy Horseradish-Battered Fried Fish
Vegetable Oil, for frying
2 1/2 cups complete pancake mix (the kind that needs only water)
1 heaping tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 pounds fresh cod, cut into 4- to 6-ounce pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pour about 2 inches of vegetable oil into a large skillet. Place the skillet over a large burner and heat the oil over medium-high heat. To check if the oil is hot enough, drop in a 1-inch cube of white bread. The bread should be brown in a 40 count.
While the oil is heating up, make the batter for the fish. In a wide mixing bowl (or deep plate), combine 2 cups of the pancake mix, 1 1/4 cups water, and the horseradish. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of pancake mix in another wide mixing bowl (or deep plate). Arrange the batter and the bowl of dry pancake mix near the cooktop and the heating oil. Line a plate with a few sheets of paper towels and keep it within reach.
Season the fish with salt and pepper, then toss it in the dry pancake mix, coat evenly, and shake off the excess. The pancake mix will help the batter stick to the fish. Add the fish to the batter, flipping it around in the batter with a fork. You want the fish to be completely coated. Remove the fish from the batter, carefully place it in the hot oil, and fry for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until deep golden. Remove from the oil and drain on the paper towels.
French Fries
4 large or 6 medium baking potatoes, such as Idaho or Russet, peeled
Vegetable oil as needed
Salt to taste
Cut the potatoes into any shape you like (I like my fries medium thick). Rinse in a few changes of water, then soak in ice water while you heat the oil.
Place the vegetable oil to a depth of at least 3 inches in a large, deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat it to a temperature of 375 degrees Fahrenheit. (I didn’t have a proper thermometer, so I just guessed, but they turned out fine. Basically, the oil needs to be very hot.)
Drain the potatoes and dry them well; drop them, a handful at a time, into the oil. After the first addition, turn the heat to high. Once they are all in, turn the heat to medium. Fry the potatoes in one batch, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the majority of them have begun to brown. Turn the heat to low (or turn it off if you’re going to wait to fry them again) and drain the potatoes on paper towels or a paper bag; they will be pale and soggy. If you like, you can allow them to rest here for up to 1 hour before proceeding.
Raise the heat to high and bring the oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the potatoes back in the oil and cook, stirring now and then, until brown and crisp, just a couple of minutes. Drain on paper towels or paper bags, season with salt, and serve immediately.
* * * * * * * * * *
The fish recipe comes from Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats and the recipe for the fries is from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything (if you don't own it already, go buy a copy now--it's one of the best all-around cookbooks out there). I did the first stage of potato frying before cooking the fish and then let the fries sit as Bittman suggests while I cooked the fish. And then I threw the fries in the oil for the second, shorter frying right before the fish was done. Make sure to use enough oil in the fish pan so that the fish does not touch the bottom of the pan (but rather floats in the oil), otherwise the batter will stick to the bottom of the pan and the fish will fall apart when you try to take it out of the pan. For the fries I used a big pot full of oil (this is for those of us who don't have deep fryers!) and for the fish I used a deep frying pan. You'll need about a gallon of oil between the fries and the fish...just a warning.
Make sure to have tartar sauce and lemons and/or malt vinegar on hand for the fish. And whatever your fancy for the fries (I like ketchup mixed with a couple teaspoons of curry).
Crispy Horseradish-Battered Fried Fish
Vegetable Oil, for frying
2 1/2 cups complete pancake mix (the kind that needs only water)
1 heaping tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 pounds fresh cod, cut into 4- to 6-ounce pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pour about 2 inches of vegetable oil into a large skillet. Place the skillet over a large burner and heat the oil over medium-high heat. To check if the oil is hot enough, drop in a 1-inch cube of white bread. The bread should be brown in a 40 count.
While the oil is heating up, make the batter for the fish. In a wide mixing bowl (or deep plate), combine 2 cups of the pancake mix, 1 1/4 cups water, and the horseradish. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of pancake mix in another wide mixing bowl (or deep plate). Arrange the batter and the bowl of dry pancake mix near the cooktop and the heating oil. Line a plate with a few sheets of paper towels and keep it within reach.
Season the fish with salt and pepper, then toss it in the dry pancake mix, coat evenly, and shake off the excess. The pancake mix will help the batter stick to the fish. Add the fish to the batter, flipping it around in the batter with a fork. You want the fish to be completely coated. Remove the fish from the batter, carefully place it in the hot oil, and fry for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until deep golden. Remove from the oil and drain on the paper towels.
French Fries
4 large or 6 medium baking potatoes, such as Idaho or Russet, peeled
Vegetable oil as needed
Salt to taste
Cut the potatoes into any shape you like (I like my fries medium thick). Rinse in a few changes of water, then soak in ice water while you heat the oil.
Place the vegetable oil to a depth of at least 3 inches in a large, deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat it to a temperature of 375 degrees Fahrenheit. (I didn’t have a proper thermometer, so I just guessed, but they turned out fine. Basically, the oil needs to be very hot.)
Drain the potatoes and dry them well; drop them, a handful at a time, into the oil. After the first addition, turn the heat to high. Once they are all in, turn the heat to medium. Fry the potatoes in one batch, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the majority of them have begun to brown. Turn the heat to low (or turn it off if you’re going to wait to fry them again) and drain the potatoes on paper towels or a paper bag; they will be pale and soggy. If you like, you can allow them to rest here for up to 1 hour before proceeding.
Raise the heat to high and bring the oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the potatoes back in the oil and cook, stirring now and then, until brown and crisp, just a couple of minutes. Drain on paper towels or paper bags, season with salt, and serve immediately.
* * * * * * * * * *
The fish recipe comes from Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats and the recipe for the fries is from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything (if you don't own it already, go buy a copy now--it's one of the best all-around cookbooks out there). I did the first stage of potato frying before cooking the fish and then let the fries sit as Bittman suggests while I cooked the fish. And then I threw the fries in the oil for the second, shorter frying right before the fish was done. Make sure to use enough oil in the fish pan so that the fish does not touch the bottom of the pan (but rather floats in the oil), otherwise the batter will stick to the bottom of the pan and the fish will fall apart when you try to take it out of the pan. For the fries I used a big pot full of oil (this is for those of us who don't have deep fryers!) and for the fish I used a deep frying pan. You'll need about a gallon of oil between the fries and the fish...just a warning.
Make sure to have tartar sauce and lemons and/or malt vinegar on hand for the fish. And whatever your fancy for the fries (I like ketchup mixed with a couple teaspoons of curry).
Saturday, March 18, 2006
overcoming inertia through the magic of chemistry
I was feeling overwhelmingly sluggish today (I would even describe myself as "sloth-like," doing everything at 10-20%) and so I decided to buy Coke's new soft drink/energy soda, Vault at the grocery store this afternoon. And, um, wow. I had three-quarters of the bottle (a normal 20 oz. bottle, not a liter or anything!) about three hours ago and the last few swallows about 20 minutes ago, and I'm completely wired. Earlier, I was talking non-stop. Now, I can't seem to stop blinking.
I am both fascinated and disturbed. I certainly don't feel sloth-like anymore, but I'm not sure I have the willpower to channel all this excess energy into something productive. I also can't be completely confident that everything I'm writing right now won't read like complete jibberish in the morning, since my brain is working too fast for me to concentrate on one word at a time in an ordered sequence--you know, what we usually call reading.
I am both fascinated and disturbed. I certainly don't feel sloth-like anymore, but I'm not sure I have the willpower to channel all this excess energy into something productive. I also can't be completely confident that everything I'm writing right now won't read like complete jibberish in the morning, since my brain is working too fast for me to concentrate on one word at a time in an ordered sequence--you know, what we usually call reading.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Food Friday #3
In honor of St. Patrick's Day and Friday in general, I made fish and chips tonight for April and her friend. It was ridiculously good, if I do say so myself--I used a Rachael Ray recipe for the fish and a Marc Bittman recipe for the fries. It was also ridiculously unhealthy (the most healthy part of the meal being the oil and vinegar-based cole slaw), and now the entire house smells like oil. But, no matter. I think next week I'll at least post the recipe for the fries (okay, maybe the fish too), since they were relatively easy to make and very good, but I didn't have time tonight to type up all the recipes.
Instead, I leave you with a really lovely pasta dish (also part of last month's Valentine's Day meal along with the Chocolate Lava Muffins). This Rachael Ray dish is very simple (not terribly low-cal, though) and excellent. The cream sauce is tomato-based and tastes quite light and refreshing considering it's full of cream, or maybe it's the vodka that makes this sauce so delicious.
"You Won't Be Single For Long" Vodka Cream Pasta
(recipe also available here)
This recipe will make enough for 4 people. If serving only 2, reserve half the sauce to freeze for another supper before the addition of basil, and only cook 1/2 to 2/3 pound of penne.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
Coarse salt and pepper
16 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
Crusty bread, for passing
Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it). While pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.
Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Pass pasta with crusty bread.
Instead, I leave you with a really lovely pasta dish (also part of last month's Valentine's Day meal along with the Chocolate Lava Muffins). This Rachael Ray dish is very simple (not terribly low-cal, though) and excellent. The cream sauce is tomato-based and tastes quite light and refreshing considering it's full of cream, or maybe it's the vodka that makes this sauce so delicious.
"You Won't Be Single For Long" Vodka Cream Pasta
(recipe also available here)
This recipe will make enough for 4 people. If serving only 2, reserve half the sauce to freeze for another supper before the addition of basil, and only cook 1/2 to 2/3 pound of penne.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
Coarse salt and pepper
16 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
Crusty bread, for passing
Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it). While pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.
Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Pass pasta with crusty bread.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
home again
So, I'm back home again after a ridiculously seamless and excellent NYC trip* which included, but was not limited to: seeing my favorite 7-year-old twins (who were not eager to see me go...their little teary eyes this morning almost made me want to change my flight); going to the Whitney Biennial (and randomly running into one of my fellow grad students there); meeting up with my friend Lisa (which was lovely) and her friend and eating the best vegetarian food I've had in a long time; having lunch with my friend T'ai.; going to Henrietta Hudson with Misa; going to see Anne Heaton (and having her ask me "have I met you before?" [which she had] when I asked her to sign my poster) at The Living Room, also with Misa; horseback riding in Central Park, on a horse named Nellie (whoa, Nellie!); shopping; eating Curried Duck Noodles and Black Sesame Ice Cream at Republic; and having my NYC direction sense suddenly improve by leaps and bounds.
That's it in a nutshell. Also, I finished a novel while I was away, which seems as much an accomplishment to me (since I haven't been reading fiction as much as I'd like) as the successful travel venture itself.
*The brilliance of my trip was only dampened a bit by three things: April couldn't join me this time because she had to work, Anna was out of town, and I almost died on the flight home. The latter was, obviously, the worst. I have travelled a lot in my life, and I can honestly say that I have never experienced worse turbulence in my life. About halfway through the flight, the plane lurched--really lurched, not just falling a bit in an air pocket, but jerking off to the side and tilting downward--so sharply that one of the flight attendants screamed (and you know it's bad if they react) and dropped a tray of cups and ice in the lap of several passengers. And then the approach into the airport was so rocky that I was convinced the pilot was going to say it was too windy to land and pull up, but he landed anyway, even though we hit the ground pretty hard and pretty wobbly. Not fun. But I'm alive. So. That's good, I guess.
That's it in a nutshell. Also, I finished a novel while I was away, which seems as much an accomplishment to me (since I haven't been reading fiction as much as I'd like) as the successful travel venture itself.
*The brilliance of my trip was only dampened a bit by three things: April couldn't join me this time because she had to work, Anna was out of town, and I almost died on the flight home. The latter was, obviously, the worst. I have travelled a lot in my life, and I can honestly say that I have never experienced worse turbulence in my life. About halfway through the flight, the plane lurched--really lurched, not just falling a bit in an air pocket, but jerking off to the side and tilting downward--so sharply that one of the flight attendants screamed (and you know it's bad if they react) and dropped a tray of cups and ice in the lap of several passengers. And then the approach into the airport was so rocky that I was convinced the pilot was going to say it was too windy to land and pull up, but he landed anyway, even though we hit the ground pretty hard and pretty wobbly. Not fun. But I'm alive. So. That's good, I guess.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Food Friday #2
The next installment of Food Fridays--this one a bit early because I'm going to NYC tomorrow and won't be back till Tuesday.
I made these Chocolate Lava Muffins (an Alton Brown recipe, for anyone who watches Food Network)for Valentine's Day dessert this year, and they are truly incredible. They're also frighteningly easy to make, and so it's tempting to whip up a batch just to have around the house--except that they're basically pure chocolate and eggs and sugar, which isn't exactly healthy per se. Unless you count tastebud happiness as a part of your general mental well-being.
Chocolate Lave Muffins
(click here for the recipe on the Food Network site)
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
Butter, to coat muffin tin
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 cup vanilla ice cream
1 teaspoon espresso powder
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place a small metal bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Melt the chocolate and butter in the bowl. Stir in vanilla.
In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour and salt. Sift these into the chocolate and mix well with electric hand mixer. Add eggs one at time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next. Beat at high until batter is creamy and lightens in color, approximately 4 minutes. Chill mixture [I chilled these for approximately forty minutes--while we ate dinner--but I think they're only supposed to be chilled for as long as it takes you to coat the muffin pan. Either way works.]
Coat the top and each cup of the muffin tin with butter. Dust with the cocoa powder and shake out excess. Spoon mixture into pan using a 4-ounce scoop or ladle. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes. Outsides should be cake-like and centers should be gooey.
While muffins are in oven, melt the ice cream in a small saucepan. Stir in the espresso powder. Serve over warm muffins.
Yield: 1 dozen
I made these Chocolate Lava Muffins (an Alton Brown recipe, for anyone who watches Food Network)for Valentine's Day dessert this year, and they are truly incredible. They're also frighteningly easy to make, and so it's tempting to whip up a batch just to have around the house--except that they're basically pure chocolate and eggs and sugar, which isn't exactly healthy per se. Unless you count tastebud happiness as a part of your general mental well-being.
Chocolate Lave Muffins
(click here for the recipe on the Food Network site)
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
Butter, to coat muffin tin
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 cup vanilla ice cream
1 teaspoon espresso powder
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place a small metal bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Melt the chocolate and butter in the bowl. Stir in vanilla.
In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour and salt. Sift these into the chocolate and mix well with electric hand mixer. Add eggs one at time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next. Beat at high until batter is creamy and lightens in color, approximately 4 minutes. Chill mixture [I chilled these for approximately forty minutes--while we ate dinner--but I think they're only supposed to be chilled for as long as it takes you to coat the muffin pan. Either way works.]
Coat the top and each cup of the muffin tin with butter. Dust with the cocoa powder and shake out excess. Spoon mixture into pan using a 4-ounce scoop or ladle. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes. Outsides should be cake-like and centers should be gooey.
While muffins are in oven, melt the ice cream in a small saucepan. Stir in the espresso powder. Serve over warm muffins.
Yield: 1 dozen
Saturday, March 04, 2006
dear rachael, please come live with us...
I just bought a subscription to Everyday with Rachael Ray because what I really need in life is yet another cooking magazine. April thinks I'm a little crazy, but she's awfully indulgent of my whims when it comes to food-related things.
I would like to add that this is all my aunt Rhonda's fault! ;) If she hadn't shown me episodes of Rachael's cooking show two years ago at Thanksgiving, I would never have become so obsessed. Rachael Ray and Iron Chef America have me tuning in to the Food Network whenever I'm in the mood for TV and there's not a re-run of Law and Order or CSI on somewhere.
I would like to add that this is all my aunt Rhonda's fault! ;) If she hadn't shown me episodes of Rachael's cooking show two years ago at Thanksgiving, I would never have become so obsessed. Rachael Ray and Iron Chef America have me tuning in to the Food Network whenever I'm in the mood for TV and there's not a re-run of Law and Order or CSI on somewhere.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Food Fridays #1
I've been planning to do this for a while now, but only just got my act together to post. As of now, watch this space every Friday (I'll try to post every week for now and see how it goes) for Food Fridays (sharing the joy of food). Each week, I'll post a recipe I've really enjoyed to share with you all. Some will be fairly easy, some may be a bit more time-consuming, but I'm not a gourmand so I doubt any will require obsure ingredients (no $100 truffles or anything) or excessive/complicated preparation (I generally don't choose recipes that require more skill then the basic preparatory skills: chop, blend, mix, stir, bake, fry, boil, etc.)
April and I both love to cook and, when we have the time and inclination (which is not as often as we'd like), we enjoy seeking out fun and interesting recipes from the Food Network, Epicurious, one of my Cooking Light magazines, her Bon Appetit subscription, or one of our myriad cookbooks. Whatever recipe I post, I'll make sure to let you know from whence it came.
I only ask that if you try one of the recipes and enjoy it (or if you don't), please comment and let me know!
Today's recipe comes from Epicurious.com (click here for the recipe on their site, with pictures). It's extremely easy to make. April made it for my birthday in late January, and we loved the recipe so much that we've been making it over and over again since then (although we usually make it without the mangoes because they're more expensive, but it's excellent with or without the mangoes). I think the dressing (and the avocado) is really what makes this salad so wonderful.
We substituted Welch's frozen berry mix juice concentrate for the passion fruit juice because our grocery store isn't fancy enough for frozen passion fruit juice. And, despite our early misgivings, the berry juice worked very well.
****
Avocado and Mango Salad with Passion Fruit Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons frozen passion fruit juice concentrate, thawed
3 tablespoons minced shallot
4 teaspoons Sherry wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds, coarsely cracked
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 cups herb salad mix (about 4 ounces)
1 large ripe mango, halved, pitted, peeled, sliced
2 small avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, sliced
Whisk first 5 ingredients in small bowl to blend; gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing generously with salt and pepper. Toss salad mix in large bowl with 1/4 cup dressing. Divide salad among 4 plates. Tuck mango and avocado into salad; drizzle some of remaining dressing over mango and avocado.
Makes 4 servings.
April and I both love to cook and, when we have the time and inclination (which is not as often as we'd like), we enjoy seeking out fun and interesting recipes from the Food Network, Epicurious, one of my Cooking Light magazines, her Bon Appetit subscription, or one of our myriad cookbooks. Whatever recipe I post, I'll make sure to let you know from whence it came.
I only ask that if you try one of the recipes and enjoy it (or if you don't), please comment and let me know!
Today's recipe comes from Epicurious.com (click here for the recipe on their site, with pictures). It's extremely easy to make. April made it for my birthday in late January, and we loved the recipe so much that we've been making it over and over again since then (although we usually make it without the mangoes because they're more expensive, but it's excellent with or without the mangoes). I think the dressing (and the avocado) is really what makes this salad so wonderful.
We substituted Welch's frozen berry mix juice concentrate for the passion fruit juice because our grocery store isn't fancy enough for frozen passion fruit juice. And, despite our early misgivings, the berry juice worked very well.
****
Avocado and Mango Salad with Passion Fruit Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons frozen passion fruit juice concentrate, thawed
3 tablespoons minced shallot
4 teaspoons Sherry wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds, coarsely cracked
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 cups herb salad mix (about 4 ounces)
1 large ripe mango, halved, pitted, peeled, sliced
2 small avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, sliced
Whisk first 5 ingredients in small bowl to blend; gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing generously with salt and pepper. Toss salad mix in large bowl with 1/4 cup dressing. Divide salad among 4 plates. Tuck mango and avocado into salad; drizzle some of remaining dressing over mango and avocado.
Makes 4 servings.
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