Soyrizo™ for that Pesky Pescatarian or Postmodern NeoHippie

Once upon a time I moved with head held high amongst its ranks, that subset of omnivore that for some inexplicable reason insists on referring to itself as vegetarian, but when confronted, admits that fish would be just fine, thanks. Even preferable. But in the absence of seafood, we'll take just about anything your R&D people can drum up, just as long as it bears a striking resemblance to the meat we've cast aside. Yes, I was a pescatarian for a spell. I am cured, now, but alas, my wife is not, so we have some dinner rules on Otis Street. Anyway my friend, Robert, dropped off some cod he caught yesterday, and I immediately and correctly thought spicy sausage. I mean, who wouldn't, right? Of course, in this house there will be no andouille or chorizo - at least not shared, so what's a guy to do? Then I remembered Soyrizo™ and I thought I'd give it a go. I also learned how to make the little trademark thingy on Blogger™ today, so I needed a branded product to showcase my progress.

For those of you familiar with the not-so-nuanced differences between Spanish and Mexican chorizo, Soyrizo™ is Mexican-style. For those of you unfamiliar with said differences, Soyrizo™ is still Mexican-style. At the market I set out thinking Basque and shopping accordingly, but after trying the Soyrizo™ I went with more of a Franco-New World fusion and something like a Mexican "chili con carne sin carne." (™pending) This I served with Robert's really great cod and a simple avocado sauce, but really tripped out actual vegetarians/vegans could simply leave out those last two flourishes and enjoy the Soyrizo™ stew on its own.

Cod, Chili con Carne sin Carne & Avocado

CcCsC

Soyrizo™

1 tube Soyrizo™

- prepare the Soyrizo™ as per directions on the package, which means cook it as you would ground beef in a non-stick skillet, chopping it up as it browns with some sort of utensil; set aside

Fennel

1/4 cup olive oil

1 bulb fennel, sliced into short matchsticks

4 leeks, white and light green only, cut into 1/4" rings

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp brine from kalamata olives

1 cup water

- heat a heavy saucepan over high heat and add olive oil, fennel, leeks, garlic and salt

- while stirring often, brown slightly; add brine

- reduce until brine has disappeared, stirring often, then add water

- cook until fennel has softened - about 12 minutes; strain and set aside

Tomatoes

3 very large tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, sliced thin

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp sweet smoked paprika

1/2 tsp sea salt

fresh ground pepper as desired

reserved fennel/leek mixture

reserved Soyrizo™

2 Tbsp minced cilantro

- blanch, peel and seed tomatoes by the shoemaker method (slice in half across the equator and squeeze out and reserve the seeds and guts)

- cut tomatoes into large dice; strain seeds and guts and add resulting pulp and juice to tomatoes

- in a large, heavy saucepan, lightly brown garlic in olive oil, then immediately add tomatoes to halt browning process

- add remaining ingredients, turn heat to as low as possible and cover

- cook, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes; stir in cilantro and serve

Avocado Sauce

1 avocado, skinned and rough chopped

3/4 cup water

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp cream cheese

1 Tbsp minced cilantro

- puree in blender

1/2 tsp salt

Cod

4 portions skinless cod fillets

- cook cod, serve over CcCsS and nappe with avocado sauce

This One's for Sandra

This may not look like much, but it's got a great sense of humor. Local cheeses, eggplant and, miraculously, tomatoes from our farm share coupled with herbs from our garden and topped with cheesy olive crumbs make for an easy and tasty vegetarian entree for two.

Bouvard et Pécuchet's Pavé aux Legumes d'Été.

1 eggplant, peeled and sliced vertically 1/4"
olive oil, salt and pepper as needed
2 large tomatoes, sliced 1/4"
1 ounce fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1 ounce smoked mozzarella, small pieces
2 Tbsp mixed herb flowers (fennel, basil, oregano)
3 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 slices whole wheat bread
1/4 cup grated grana padano
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 Tbsp chopped herbs (from the flowers)

- brush the eggplant slices liberally with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
- in a nonstick, pan saute the eggplant until browned slightly and just softened - about 2 minutes per side; remove to paper towels
- season tomato slices with salt and pepper
- in a loaf pan or terrine mold, alternate layers of eggplant and tomato, dividing goat cheese, smoked mozzarella and herb flowers between each layer
- in a food processor, pulse the olive oil, bread, grana, olives and herbs; top your new creation with this crumb mixture
- bake at 375 for about 25 minutes, uncovered, or until top is not quite as brown as the one in the picture above.

If your tomatoes aren't money, don't bother making this. Also, if you don't like eggplant or goat cheese, get over it and make it anyway, as long as those tomatoes are money.

Mock Peanut Sauce

It's been about a year since our older son was diagnosed with peanut and tree nut allergies - a diagnosis we question, but we are not so ill advised that we would really put it to the test. Yet. And it hasn't been all that challenging; I mean, you can swing a dead cat all you want and you'll never hit a school that allows peanuts anymore. But one thing he really misses is Asian peanut sauce, whether as a dressing for noodles or a dip for chicken satay. So this one's for you, Owen.

4 Tbsp sunflower seed butter (easier to find than you think)

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp mirin

2 Tbsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp lime juice

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp sriracha (or less)

1 Tbsp minced cilantro

1 tsp microplaned ginger

- puree thoroughly in a blender

New Sashimi 8.14.09

So here's the culmination of the last 3 posts. In the foreground you have hiramasa slices dressed with sea salt and olive oil, separated by thin slices of lemon and topped with herb and garlic infused milk foam. In the rear and out of focus are the caramelized onion custard and elephant garlic chips, which turned out fantastic. And in between the two is a dab of the mustard emulsion, which also wound up pretty darn tasty. Each element is acceptably yummy on its own, but the combination, the perfect forkful if you will, is the way to go. IMHO.

Spicy Mustard Emulsion for Sashimi (or Ham & Cheese Sandwiches)

This would make a tasty, spicy everyday mustard, as well.

1/2 cup white wine

1 Tbsp honey

2 tsp salt

1 tsp coriander seed

1 tsp horseradish powder

1/2 tsp sichuan peppercorns

1 pod star anise

3 eggs, poached (or nuked together for 1 minute)

1 1/4 cups grapeseed oil

1 cup mustard oil (Laxmi brand)

- reduce the first seven ingredients together over medium heat to 3 Tbsp - about 6 minutes in a small saucepan; strain

- in a blender puree eggs and wine reduction

- with the motor running, drizzle in grapeseed oil

- repeat process with 1/2 the mustard oil

- remove to a mixing bowl and whisk in remaining mustard oil

- use sparingly

Chips 'n' Dip

Good for you for making extra caramelized onions the other day. Nice work. Now you can go to the trouble of making this moderately involved, glorified onion dip. And while you're at it you can make the chips, too. Out of garlic. But make sure to use elephant garlic; I forgot to order elephant garlic last night, so I made a batch with regular garlic, and right now I can't drink my Diet Dew fast enough. Yuck.

Caramelized Onion Pot de Creme

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup caramelized onions

1 Tbsp minced dill

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup caramelized onion juice

1/4 cup creme fraiche

2 whole eggs

4 egg yolks

- combine cream, onions, dill and salt over low to medium heat; coo 10 minutes

- strain through sieve, pushing to extract as much flavor as possible from the solid ingredients

- whisk in onion juice, creme fraiche and eggs; strain again

- divide between 12 small ramekins, 1 ounce in each

- bake covered in a water bath at 250 for 35 minutes, or until just set.

Elephant Garlic Chips

desired quantity of elephant garlic sliced 1 mm on Ted's truffle slicer

simmering water

warm clarified butter as needed

salt as needed

- pour simmering water over garlic slices and allow to cool to room temperature

- pat dry and gently toss garlic chips with butter to coat

- lightly salt and bake between two silpats at 250 until light brown and crispy - about 20 minutes

- store at room temperature

Mediterranean Bubbles

Rule #1 - if using something like this, do not mention it, but rather, be discreet. For example, you might call it "garlic & herbs."

3 cups 2% milk

1 cup chopped mixed herbs such as chervil, parsley, and chives

1 bulb garlic, cloves smashed and peeled

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp soy lecithin

1/2 tsp demerara sugar

- over low heat bring milk, herbs, garlic and salt to a slight simmer

- cook, stirring often to keep the heat down, for about 10 minutes, or until garlic softens

- strain and return to pan; whisk in lecithin and sugar until fully dissolved; cool completely and strain once more

- foam as you would for cappuccino (with the steamer) for a dense hot foam, or with an immersion blender for cold airy results

PS, an afterthought: I would add a few sprigs rosemary to the steeping herbs to serve with a peppered lamb carpaccio, but I'm serving the above recipe with hiramasa sashimi, elephant garlic chips and caramelized onion custard.