A Stack of Dishes

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Gail Watson

Spinach Lamb Hand pies- Comforting Food

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Ready to eat lamb hand pie.

I have weathered Sandy here in NYC without a single scratch- except for the emotional impact that I have for my fellow citizens. There is a very familiar similarity in my state this week compared to post 9/11. The same sadness, weariness and struggle to wrap my brain around so much devastation. I expected plenty of wreckage- but I am just so overwhelmed by the total losses. I’ve stopped watching the news updates and have turned instead towards putting my energy towards sending good thoughts and positive energy for our wounded city.

As the recovery unfolds I will no doubt find some way to help. I have a bag of clothes to donate sitting by the door, and I can certainly cook. There will be plenty of opportunity and I will be ready for it.

Ready to be folded

The mayor is presently on the TV saying that they need money, not food- or at least not right now. We’ll see about that as time goes on. NYer’s are a gathering of some of the most resilient folks around- but the future is long and the recovery is great.

So my pretty little lamb hand pies- what jewels to behold in the midst of this. I had made a fairly large roast the other day and ate all I could for a day or two. I live in a Hispanic neighborhood and in the freezer section of the markets are several brands of pre-made empanada dough. The one I found here is low in saturated fat and quite delicious. I usually make my own dough- the recipe for which you can find HERE– but this was a great alternative, and I’m not ashamed to say that for something simple like this, it was well worth it.

I quickly made up about 20 of them in no time flat. Some I have stashed in the freezer, the others I handed out to neighbors and friends. I had one the other day as a quick snack while studying. I only had to warm it up and I was good to go. Years ago I used to eat Cornish Pasties when I was a photo intern at the Catskill Center for Photography in Woodstock, NY. They are a delight. Comforting and wholesome- real stick to your ribs sort of food.

My heart goes out to any of my readers that have been negatively touched by Sandy.  Know that I am thinking of you.

Spinach and Mushroom Lamb Hand Pie
makes 20
 
You can make them and freeze them unbaked, or as I did, bake them off first. I like the latter for quick snacking or a rushed meal- both work equally well.
 
8-10 oz pre-cooked lamb- leftovers are fantastic, cut into small cubes
8 handfuls of fresh spinach, or one frozen package squeezed dry
1# white mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
.5 yellow onion, diced
2T fresh minced Rosemary
S&P
2 packages of pre-made empanada dough, thawed or homemade
egg wash for sealing and finishing (1 egg + 3T water)
 
In a large frying pan, sautee the garlic and onion over medium heat until onions become slightly translucent. 
 
Add the mushrooms and sautee 2-3 minutes until they release their juice.
 
Add the spinach and sautee until fresh spinach is wilted or the frozen is well heated through
 
Add the rosemary and S&P to taste.
 
Allow the mixture to cool as you prepare the dough. Allow the frozen dough to thaw but not fully room temperature- keep cool.
 
Fill each wrapper on one half side of the circle. I like to be generous with mine. I know it may seem that you won’t get them closed shut, but they will, promise.
 
Fold over the dough and paint edge with egg wash (or plain water if you prefer). Then pinch and crimp the edge together to seal tightly. 
 
Paint finished hand pies with egg wash and place on a lined baking tray.
 
Preheat oven to 375˚ and back until golden brown. The insides are pre-cooked, so they are done as soon as they look tempting.
 
Be patient and allow them to cook a few minutes before eating. The filling can get mighty hot.
 
 

Healthy Hash- Smoked Trout and Perfectly Poached Eggs

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Personally I find breakfast the most awkward meal of the day. We all know a healthy start is the best thing we can do for ourselves, but man it is so much easier to grab a bagel or be tempted by the mounds of calorie bomb muffins or sweet rolls on every corner. I’ve never been a cold cereal fan really, and as much as I love sweets (and DO I!), I don’t prefer sweet for breakfast. Aside from making me feel edgy early in the day, I just don’t like the idea of being in the nutritional hole right off the bat.

But preparing breakfast takes time. A commodity most of us have less and less of. Who wants to make a mess of the kitchen, or add 20 minutes to the morning rush? But maybe that is the problem right there. Why the rush? Why do we drag ourselves through late night TV so that we feel we must squeeze out every minute of sleep, and then power push through our morning routine to get out the door? How civilized would it be to actually awake with grace, rouse with ease, and start the day with a sense of calm and well being? 20 minutes. Really, that’s all it takes.

For this breakfast I used leftover potatoes from dinner and pre-chopped my orange peppers and spinach the night before. Then it’s just a matter of boiling water, warming some oil in a pan and quick cooking off the smoked trout hash. Easy, fresh, and you’ve gotten a healthy serving of vegetables and quality protein to really start your day off well.

Those who know me know that I am a big fan of eggs. The poor egg has been so harshly maligned that it almost strikes terror in some folks. Yes- eggs have a large dose of cholesterol, and saturated fat, so you would want to balance that out with the rest of your day- but they are also power packed with vitamins and minerals that are hard to get in other places. The AND (previously ADA) now says that one egg a day is fine and I agree. I’m not suggesting that you go hog wild here, I just want to quell some concerns and allow you to feel good about eating eggs from time to time.

Poaching is a great way to prepare eggs, both in terms of nutrition but also when it comes to clean up. The trick to poaching is there is no big trick. Fear not. Simply simmer some water in an adequate sized pan and add a Tablespoon or two of white vinegar. The vinegar helps bind the proteins in the white so that it contains itself and makes a pretty egg. Then gently crack and add an egg into the water and just let it gently simmer for  4-6 minutes, depending on how cooked you like your yolks, and then scoop them out. That’s all there is to it.

Beautiful, easy, delicious and healthy- just the way I want you to start every day.

Smoked Trout “Hash” with Perfectly Poached Eggs
preparing the vegetables while making dinner the night before is a big help. 
serves 2
 
1.5 c diced and boiled potatoes- leftovers are perfect
.5 c diced orange peppers
1c chopped fresh spinach
3oz smoked trout- or smoked salmon- in small pieces
1 clove garlic
1T olive oil
S&P
4 large eggs
 
Set a 5 qt pan on the stove half filled with water and bring to a simmer. Add 2T of white vinegar.
 
Carefully crack eggs into the water and bring back to the simmer. Cook for 4-6 minutes or until desired doneness. Remove with a slotted spoon and blot on a tea towel.
 
Meanwhile heat a medium frying pan on medium heat and add the oil. Add the garlic and sautee for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook until you get a crisp to the edge. Then add the peppers and cook for 1 minute, toss in the spinach and trout and cook another minute until spinach is wilted and trout is warmed through.
 
The trout is salty, so taste before adding any extra- or just salt the eggs. Top off with some freshly ground pepper.
 
 

Warm Spiced Chicken with Cumin Yogurt Sauce

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Warm Cardamom Spiced Chicken with Yogurt Cumin Sauce

Warm spices are the balm of Autumn. Cozy and seductive to warm the evening with out the zing of picante. Cardamom is not a big time spice in the overall scheme of things. Derived from lovely green pod seeds, the scent is a soft spice, truly like non other. Often it’s used in sweet dishes, but can hold it’s own here quite nicely.

This season has turned into a whirlwind of sorts for me that I hadn’t imagined. For starters, this semester at Columbia is far more intense in regards to reading and writing (about 3x more) than last semester! I hadn’t really counted on that- and so I had agreed over the summer to make a few road trips delivering wedding cakes hither and yon to make a little extra spending money. As many of you already know I used to own a custom wedding cake business here in NYC for about 25 years. Now retired I only lend a hand from time to time when needed. A very dear old client of mine insisted on the cake I used to make for her as a girl for her wedding- in Palm Beach, Florida 2 weeks ago. At the time I thought it could be a romantic road trip. So many miles later I had done a very successful, but exhausting, there and back over the long weekend.

Now this weekend I am off to Indianapolis with yet another cake!! Only 2/3rd’s the distance (ha!)- but more importantly I flew off to Dallas last weekend to be by the side of my beautiful fiancee at her induction to the TWU Women’s Softball Hall of Fame. A tremendous honor to her and her team that has an even more amazing story behind it.

The short version is a small women’s college softball team from Denton, TX, with a cutting edge and militant coach, worked and strove together to become the David that beat the big college Goliath’s at the National Championship in 1979. A team with no money (using an empty swimming pool as a batting cage for example), but with so much grit and determination and phenomenal talent- beat the unbelievable odds.

I had heard some of the stories of the grueling practices, and the harshness of the coach. Hearing the shared experiences of these amazing women, and to find out that what I thought were exaggerations were, in fact, down played- well it just humbled me and made me so incredibly proud of my girl. I love you baby, you are truly amazing!

apricot couscous with pistachios

All of this is to explain why I’ve been a little out of pocket here- and to also express that eating well during this time has been a challenge, as you could imagine.

Which leads me to this dish, which is SO quick to make, so flavorful and so healthy, that taking the few minutes to pull it together was healing for my soul. (I am also packing some leftovers for the road tomorrow).

While the couscous cooks the marinade is tossed together and rubbed into the chicken, and the additions for the couscous chopped. Once the pasta is cooked it’s only a few minutes on the grill with the chicken and the dish is ready to go. Honestly, from water in pot to table, it was 20 minutes.

I hope you enjoy it- and see you when I get back!

Warm Spiced Chicken with Cumin Yogurt Sauce
You can find cardamom in the spice isle either whole or ground. You may also use cumin for a slightly more intense flavor is that is more readily available to you.
serves 4
 
4T mild olive oil
1T ground cardamom
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
1 large pinch of salt
4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, pounded to an even thickness
 
8oz plain greek yogurt
1t minced cumin seeds
1T olive oil
2T milk or water to thin if desired
generous pinch of salt
 
For CousCous:
 
1.5 c Israeli Couscous
2c water
.25c diced apricots
1 scallion finely chopped
grated zest and juice from 1 tangerine
.25c pistachios, rough chopped
 
 
First prepare couscous. Bring water to boil in a small saucepan and then stir in the couscous. Allow to simmer for approx 10 mins, then remove from heat and cover to allow the pasta to steam finish.
 
Meanwhile, combine the zest and juice, apricots and scallion in a large bowl and set aside.
 
On a large plate combine the oil, cardamom and salt and stir to combine. Rub marinade into the chicken and set aside. Heat a grill pan.
 
In separate small bowl combine the yogurt, cumin, salt, oil. Add water or milk to thin if desired.
 
When the couscous is off the fire, grill your chicken breasts approximately 4 minutes per side, or until done.
 
Combine the cooked couscous in the bowl with tangerine juice and apricots and gently stir to combine.
 
Divide onto four plate equal amounts of couscous and sprinkle with pistachio nuts. Serve one chicken breast per plate. Serve the yogurt sauce on the side.