Romanesco Steaks with Romesco

Jul 24, 2018

Romanesco Steaks with Romesco Sauce – Candy Coated Culinista

It’s BBQ season; but what about all on you vegans and vegetarians. Here is one dish that is substantial and you won’t be envious that you aren’t apart of the BBQ season.

Yield/Serving: 2
Prep Time: 5 min.
Cook Time: 8-10 min. per side
Difficulty level is: Easy

Inspired by: Food 52 Any Night Grilling

Ingredients
• 1 head of Romanesco
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 large red bell peppers, halved, cored and seeded
• 2 fresh chilies
• ½ red onion, cut into thick wedges
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 plum tomatoes, halved
• ¼ cup skinned roasted hazelnuts or almonds
• 1 tsp sherry vinegar, plus more as desired
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped thyme or marjoram leaves
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 clove garlic or 1 tsp smoked garlic (from book)
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste

Assembly
1. Remove leaves and trim stem of the Romanesco leaving the core intact.
2. Place on a cutting board and slice in half.
3. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Prepare charcoal grill to medium-high heat and coat the gill pan with extra virgin olive oil over high heat using a paper towel. If you are using a grill basket allow to heat for 5 minutes prior to use.
5. In a bowl lightly toss bell peppers, chilies and onions in olive oil.
6. Place over grill on in grill basket turning and rotating for 6 to 7 minutes for the onions and continue to char the red peppers.
7. Cover peppers in a kitchen towel (to make it easier to remove the skin)
8. Grill tomatoes and when cooled enough remove skin also.
9. Using a food processor add peppers, chilies, onion, tomato along with nuts, thyme and paprika and salt into a thick puree. Drizzle in olive oil as you go.
10. Grill Romanesco rotating them to prevent excessive charring. The exterior should be just tender.
11. Serve in a pool of the romesco sauce and sprinkle with flaky salt id desired.

Please Enjoy

My thoughts
The original recipe called foe cauliflower; which I’m not fond of. I did plan on using cauliflower; but I came across the Romanesco a cousin to the cauliflower and said maybe this is better. The sauce was also supposed to be a harissa; but another recipe I made had way too much sauce left over and I hate wasting. So this is how I got here; I loved it, a red sauce is very complimentary to the green veg and it all worked out well. Romanesco still tastes like cauliflower to me and it was just ok.

Vineyard Cake (aka Cleopatra Cake)

Jul 17, 2018

Vineyard Cake (aka Cleopatra Cake) – Candy Coated Culinista

A gourmet cake that’s so light and unique it’s a absolute must try.

Yield/Serving: 12
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 60 min.
Difficulty level is: Medium

From Sweet by Ottolenghi & Goh

Ingredients
Cake
• 4 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• ¾ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Finely grated zest of 2 lemons (2 tsp)
• Finely grated zest of 1 oranges (2 tsp)
• Scraped seeds of ½ vanilla pod
• 4 large eggs
• 1 ¾ cups Carte d’Or or Muscat de Beaumes de Venise wine, at room temperature
• 3 ½ oz seedless red grapes, washed and halved lengthwise
Sugar Crust Topping
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 ½ oz seedless red grapes, washed and halved lengthwise

Assembly
Cake
1. Preheat oven to 400°F and grease and lightly flour the angel food cake or chiffon cake pan, tapping away excess flour.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment add sugar, butter, olive oil, lemon zest, orange zest along with vanilla seeds and beat for minutes at medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one by one letting them incorporate before adding the next.
5. Turn down to low speed and add a third of the flour mixture followed by half the wine.
6. Repeat with the remaining flour and wine finishing with the final third of flour continuing to beat at a low speed.
7. Once combined pour into pan and scatter grapes on top.
8. Bake for 20 minutes.
Sugar Crust
1. While the cake is in the oven immediately start on the sugar crust.
2. Place butter and sugar into a small bowl and beat into a thick paste using a wooden spoon.
3. When cake has been in oven for 20 minutes, remove from oven and scatter sugar crust onto cake into small pieces. Then add grapes evenly on top and place back in oven.
4. Immediately lower oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for 40 minutes, or until skewer inserted comes out clean.
5. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 30 minutes before removing from the pan.
6. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

Tips
• The cake must be made in an angel food cake or chiffon pan. The cake is so large this is the only pan that can ensure an even bake. A Bundt pan will not work as you want the sugar crust and grapes to remain on top when it is served.
• The cake will keep for 5 days in an air-tight container.
• To make this non-alcoholic add grape juice, like I did.
• I added my grapes to the sugar crust mixture. Either way works out well.

Please Enjoy

My thoughts
This cake is a total hit and I can’t gush about this enough. Now some wouldn’t think this is a great idea for a cake adding olive oil, grapes or wine; but this cake is sheer magnificence. I subbed out wine for a concord grape juice to make this a non-alcoholic version and it tasted just as wonderful. My taste tester loved it and tucked in upon receiving their slices; which was 10:45 in the morning I might add and my other guest enjoyed it with Sunday dinner. I had to purchase a new cake pan for this recipe as I have never made an angel food cake before. I didn’t think I could make this and then I got lucky and found a cake pan. I will be making this recipe again for sure and I may try a different fruit and juice combination.

Asparagus & String Beans with Smoky Romesco

Jul 13, 2018

Asparagus & String Beans with Smoky Romesco – Candy Coated Culinista

Having a BBQ? Try this interesting grilled appetizer for your guests.

Yield/Serving: 4
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 20 min.
Difficulty level is: Easy

From: Food 52 Any Night Grilling

Ingredients
• 2 bunches asparagus
• 1 pound, green, purple or yellow wax beans (preferably a combination)
• 1 thick slice country style bread
• 2 large red bell peppers, halved, cored and seeded
• 2 fresno chilies
• ½ red onion, cut into thick wedges
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 plum tomatoes, halved
• ¼ cup skinned roasted hazelnuts or almonds
• 1 tsp sherry vinegar, plus more as desired
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped thyme or marjoram leaves
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 clove garlic or 1 tsp smoked garlic (from book)
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste

Assembly
1. Prepare charcoal grill to medium-high heat and coat the gill pan with extra virgin olive oil over high heat using a paper towel. If you are using a grill basket allow to heat for 10 minutes prior to use.
2. Snap ends of asparagus and trim beans and set aside.
3. Grill the bread over direct heat until grill marks appear, about one minute per side.
4. In a bowl lightly toss bell peppers, chilies and onions in olive oil.
5. Place over grill on in grill basket turning and rotating for 6 to 7 minutes for the onions and continue to char the red peppers.
6. Cover peppers in a kitchen towel (to make it easier to remove the skin)
7. Grill tomatoes and when cooled enough remove skin also.
8. Using a food processor add peppers, chilies, onion, tomato along with nuts, thyme and paprika and salt into a thick puree. Drizzle in olive oil as you go.
9. Grill asparagus and beans and serve warm or at room temperature with romesco.

Tips
• Sprinkle some flaky finishing salt and serve.

Please Enjoy

My thoughts
This recipes was super simple and very easy to complete. The only thing here is you have to be a fan of romesco. I had heard of romesco before; but never had tried or made it. It reminds me of a salsa or pesto of sorts. Typically it is served with meat or fish; but today it’s served with grilled veggies and totally works. I added some finishing salt and it really rounded out the taste of the veggies.

Spatchocked Chicken with Asparagus & Grilled Lemons

Jul 10, 2018

Spatchocked Chicken with Asparagus & Grilled Lemons – Candy Coated Culinista

A simple weeknight grilling dinner, so good it can be served for Sunday dinner.

Yield/Serving: 2 to 4
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cook Time: 35 min,
Difficulty level is: Easy

From: Food 52 Any Night Grilling

Ingredients
• One 4-4 ½ pound chicken, spatchocked (ask your butcher to spatchock it for you
• Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper
• 1 bunch of thyme
• 8 ounces haricots, bottoms trimmed
• 2 spring onion, halved
• 2 lemons
• Flaky salt

Assembly
1. Spatchock chicken by removing the spinal cord and lightly drizzle with olive oil and then sea with salt and pepper.
2. Tuck the wings under the legs making the chicken lie flat.
3. Spread thyme and oregano on a baking sheet and set aside to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. Prepare charcoal grill or coat the gill pan with extra virgin olive oil over high heat using a paper towel.
5. Place season chicken, skin side down onto the grill with the thyme & oregano underneath and brown skin for 8 – 10 minutes.
6. Turn chicken, discard any burnt thyme or oregano, and cook until nearly cooked through and cook for another 8-10 minutes.
7. Flip chicken again and cook for another 3-5 minutes until skin is crisp and browned.
8. Transfer to a baking sheets to rest
9. Place asparagus over grill and char for about 5 minutes, ensuring you get grill marks.
10. Cut lemons in half and grill along with the onions.
11. Mix onions with the asparagus.
12. Serve chicken on a platter family style with asparagus and grilled lemons.

Tips
• I added oregano, used white onion instead of green onion and also swapped asparagus for the green beans as its asparagus season.
• Serve with potatoes on the side.

Please Enjoy

My thoughts
I have been wanting to practice my grilling skills and this book is a great option as these recipes are easy and well good for weeknight grilling. I opted to buy a enamel cast-iron grill pan as I didn’t want to pull out my cumbersome indoor grill. The recipes turned out excellent, the only thing I have to do is get stronger grill marks next time. Otherwise this recipe tasted to healthy and yet so simple. I opted to spatchock my chicken myself as I had never done this before. I found it a little gross removing the spinal cord, and have much respect to butchers getting the job done. All I could think of when I was butchering this chicken was the ritual called the Blood Eagle from Viking lore; which was a tad funny that my mind went there; but it was apt. This recipe is easy to swap out any in season veggies you prefer and get the same amazing results. I have never had a grilled lemon and enjoyed squeezing it over the asparagus and chicken. I served lemon oil gem potatoes with cayenne pepper on the side. I will be making this again. This recipe is visually attractive and will catch your dinner guests or families attention.

Dole Whip

Jul 4, 2018

Dole Whip – Candy Coated Culinista

What in the world is a Dole Whip and why is it only at Disneyland and Disney World? Dole Whip is a soft serve or float consisting on pineapple created by the Dole food company in 1986 and I need to try this.

Yield/Serving: 2
Prep Time: 5 min.
Cook Time: 5 min.
Difficulty level is: Easy

Ingredients
• 2 cups frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 frozen banana, cut into chunks
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk
• Fresh pineapple wedge, if desired

Assembly
1. Using a blender, blend pineapple, banana and coconut milk until very smooth.
2. Pour into glass and decorate with pineapple wedge.

Please Enjoy

My thoughts
When I heard dole whip I was immediately curious and wanted to make a version of my own. Now I don’t eat much ice cream and I haven’t really ever enjoyed a float; but a smoothie I’m all for and making the Dole whip into a smoothiesque consistency treat is right up my alley. Pineapple has always be one of my favourite fruits so trying this Disneyland essential was a no brainer for me and I will be making this again and again.