Loomi Tea

As you may remember from my very first Taste & Create experience, I was on a quest to find Loomi for my Kuwaiti Chicken Mechbous. Loomi are dried black limes (also called Omani and mistakenly marketed as "lemons"). The limes have been boiled in salt water and dried in the sun until they are blackened. Loomi have a very distinct odor and taste, not like anything I'd ever had.


My partner for the event, Dita, now has a beautiful picture and a description of loomi and its various other names here.

While I was researching a source for loomi, (although popular in the middle east, it is not readily available in the states), I ran across a recipe for loomi "tea." Unfortunately the link no longer works, but luckily I had already copied the recipe! I am sad to lose the contributor's name, but I couldn't get there today.

Loomi "tea" is supposed to be very refreshing when it is hot, so I thought it would be a perfect drink for summertime in the desert. Today, I set out to make it. My plan is to allow the loomi to steep all day, since I did not think to make this last night. This afternoon, when it is nice and hot outside, I will break out the ice cubes and have a nice refreshing, hopefully pleasant drink!

If you'd like to make some loomi tea for yourself, you can buy dried limes here, just search for "omani."


I crushed the limes (hard little things!) in my mortar and pestle. That's Sawed Off's little hand/finger, pointing at and saying "Tea! Tea!" The limes smell wonderful when they are freshly crushed, you'll have to take my word for it as I realize they don't look wonderful!


Floating in the pot of water they look a bit odd...


You can see that they have already started to color the water...and they do smell great!

I am intrigued. The limes have been boiled and are now steeping in the pot. I let the limes steep for several hours, basically until the mixture had cooled. I think it would be a good future plan to boil this in the evening, and then let steep overnight.


Then I strained the tea through cheesecloth into my pitcher, and then gathered up the cheesecloth and squeezed all the juice out of the limes. I added the sugar and mixed it up.


Served over ice, this is a very refreshing drink! It has an unusual flavor, but it is delicious. And there is no caffeine, and very little sugar. Excellent.



Here's the recipe:

Loomi Tea

As for most Middle-Eastern drinks, you have to use your own judgment for sugar and intensity of flavor. The recipe below is only a starting point. Add more loomi or sugar as you think fit.

8 Loomi Lemons, crushed (I used 9, why not)
1/2 cup or more to taste, sugar
1 gallon water

Add a gallon of water to loomi in a non-reactive pan. Bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes, turn off burner and cool. (I put a lid on the pot)
Strain and then add the sugar. Let sugar dissolve at room temperature.
Stir, taste for sugar and chill.
Serve chilled with ice cubes.


Note: You can also leave the loomi soaking in the gallon of water overnight. In the morning, bring to a boil, turn heat off and strain and add sugar. But the recipe above can be used when making it in a hurry.

Also, crush the loomi into small pieces using a mortar and pestle. This brings out the flavor and sourness. In old days I am told grandmas would use their hands to crush the loomi as they soaked in the water.

Blueberry Topping

I ran across this recipe (and picture) on marthastewart.com. It sounds delicious, and I bet it would be great on pancakes as well as ice cream.

Blueberry Topping

Pair two of the best things about summer: fresh blueberries and ice cream. Make a sauce by melting 2 teaspoons unsalted butter in a saucepan set over medium heat; then add 1 pint blueberries and 1/4 cup sugar. Cook, stirring, until blueberries release juices, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly, and spoon warm sauce over ice cream. Garnish with more blueberries, if desired. Makes 1 1/3 cups.

Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich

We've been on a Pioneer Woman kick recently, basically living on our variation of Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeños. Not that it's a huge or innovative variation, I just use thick bacon while she uses thin. (you should use thick too--trust me) Anyway, I can't tell you how many bags of those I have in the freezer right now. But oh man, a pan of those things and Coronas seem to be all Number One and I need these days.

The other night, I also made Pioneer Woman's "Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich." Our teeny tiny local grocery didn't have cube steak, but I've befriended the butcher, who ultra-tenderized some other kind of meat for me, and it was great!

I've made these sandwiches several times in the past, and I always just get the deli rolls like she suggests. But Number One had his own ideas about the leftovers, and today he actually gave me a bite. And I just HAVE to tell you about this: Number One found a sourdough loaf called a Jaco, which is kind of like a small French loaf size, in the fridge. He thought it was a bit thick, so he took a slice out of the middle, then he fried it in butter the way you're supposed to.


While I have really, really liked the Marlboro Man sandwich on the deli rolls, I FREAKIN' LOVE the Marlboro Man sandwich on the sourdough. LOVE IT. LOVE. If you make these sandwiches, do try them on sourdough. It gives the sandwich just a little bit of a tangy kick that pushes it over the top. I'm not kidding. And yes, there are bites taken out of the sandwich in the picture. Couldn't wait.

Marlboro Man’s Number One's Favorite Sandwich (on Sourdough)

2 to 3 pounds cube steak (tenderized round steak that’s been extra-tenderized), thinly sliced against the grain
1 large onion OR 2 small/medium onions, thinly sliced
1 sourdough Jaco loaf, cut in four sections (with slices out of the middles to decrease thickness)
Butter
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco

-Cook onions over medium-low heat in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside.
-Season meat generously with Lawry’s.
-Heat 2 TBSP butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown.
-Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides.
-Add 1/2 cup (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco, and 2 TBSP butter. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine.
-Butter halved sourdough and brown on skillet.
-To assemble, lay bottom half of sourdough on plate. Place meat mixture on bread, followed by a spoonful or two of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, and serve.

Pechugas de Pollo con Rajas

My dear friend Christina prepared this dish for us once years ago--one of our friends and co-workers, Winona, was moving away and leaving us, so this was part of a sort of farewell luncheon. I loved this dish so much, chicken and chiles and rice, and have thought of it often. I finally remembered to ask Christina for the recipe, only to find that I have had the cookbook on my shelf all along!

The recipe is an adaptation of Diana Kennedy's, from The Cuisines of Mexico. I actually have a newer version, The Essential Cuisines of Mexico. Christina serves this chicken with Arroz Blanco con Elote (white rice with corn).


Pechugas de Pollo con Rajas
(Chicken Breasts with Poblano Chiles and Cream)

Serves 6

6 small chicken breasts

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup butter

1/4 peanut or safflower oil

1 large onion thinly sliced

2 1/2 pounds chiles Poblanos, charred, peeled, seeds and veins removed, and cut into narrow strips (or about 20 to 22 canned peeled green chilies WHOLE not chopped)

1Cup milk if fresh poblanos

2/3 cup milk if canned chiles

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

2 cups thick sour cream

1/4 pound grated cheddar cheese

Oven proof serving dish at least 3 inches deep and about 10 inches in diameter.

Bone and skin the chicken breasts. Cut each into four filets. Season well with salt and pepper. (Christina cuts the chicken into bite size pieces)

Heat the butter and the oil together in a frying pan and saute the filets for a few moments on both sides until lightly browned. Set aside.

In the same fat fry the onion gently, without browning, until it is soft.

Peel and clean the chiles. Set aside eight poblanos or nine canned chiles. Cut the rest into rajas (strips). Add the rajas to the onions and cover. Cook over a medium flame (8 minutes for the poblanos and 5 for the canned chiles)

Blend the reserved chiles with the milk and salt until smooth. Add the sour cream and blend a few seconds longer.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Arrange 1/2 of the filets in the dish. Cover them with half of the rajas and half the sauce. Repeat the layers.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake until the chicken filets are done and the cheese melted. It is not necessary to brown the cheese. About 30 minutes.

You can prepare the separate parts of this dish ahead of time but do not combine until just before cooking.

Arroz Blanco con Elote

This dish is an excellent accompaniment to Christina's Pechugas de Pollo con Rajas (Chicken Breasts with Poblano Chiles and Cream) Also adapted from Diana Kennedy's The Cuisines of Mexico.


Arroz Blanco con Elote
(White Rice with Corn)

1 1/2 cups long grain white rice

Hot water to cover

1/3 cup peanut or safflower oil

1/3 medium onion, sliced

1 clove garlic peeled and finely chopped

3 1/2 cups chicken broth.

1 cup fresh or frozen - but not canned corn

Pour the hot water over the rice in a saucepan and let it stand for 25 minutes. Drain the rice and wash it in cold water until the washing water is clear. Drain well in a colander. Shake it several times.

Heat the oil in a saucepan until it is very hot. Give the rice a final shake to get rid of any excess water. Stir the rice well into the oil making sure that all the grains are coated. Fry the rice over a high flame stirring it from time to time (I say frequently) until it is just beginning to color. Add the onion and garlic and continue frying (and stirring) until the rice is a pale gold. (your patience will be rewarded because the rice turns a lovely color) About 10 minutes altogether. Drain some of the excess oil.

Stir the broth and the corn into the rice and do not stir again during the cooking time. Cook the rice over a medium flame - it should bubble fairly briskly - until almost all of the liquid has disappeared - about 10 minutes. Lower the flame, cover the dish with foil and cook the rice for 5 minutes longer. Remove the dish from the flame and let it stand, still covered for at least 30 minutes, so that it will continue to cook in it's own steam.

You can also make this rice with 1/2 carrot and a small handful of peas.

Aussie Bites

**Updated with lower fat version below!**

This recipe came about when I was hooked on Costco's Aussie Bites--mini muffins with coconut, dried fruit and sunflower seeds in them. Although I had a huge container of them, I RAN OUT. (yes, I pretty much ate all of them myself) Since the nearest Costco is a four hour drive, I couldn't justify it, no matter how much I really wanted more.

I searched and searched on the Internet for a recipe, found one that sounded close, and made it. It wasn't even close. They were dry and crumbly, and the larger ingredients were just too large for a mini muffin. I made some changes, baked another batch, and they turned out better. I made more changes, baked another batch, and they were great--Number One says they are better than the Costco ones, but I'd have to get another container to do taste test...yes, that's exactly the reason! This batch I sent to preschool with H-Bomb for snack. And this is the recipe I'm sharing with you. I am baking a batch of these for us to take on our trip to Michigan next week. A yummy road trip snack--or breakfast if we're desperate!

Aussie Bites

Makes about 50 mini muffins.

Ingredients:
2 cups Regular or Toasted Oats
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
2/3 cup Brown sugar
1 3½oz can of coconut (unsweetened) OR 1-1/4 cup flaked
½ cup sunflower kernels
1 cup finely chopped dried fruit (apricots, raisins, dates, figs, cranberries, etc)—I use a mixture of apricots, raisins and cranberries
¼ cup honey
2 sticks unsalted butter**
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons hot water
3 eggs, beaten

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix first six ingredients in a bowl.

3. Melt honey and butter together in microwave.

4. Mix baking soda with hot water and add to butter mixture.

5. Pour butter mixture into dry ingredients, add eggs and mix well.

6. Place tablespoons of mixture into non-stick mini-muffin pans (lightly greased) and flatten mixture slightly. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden. Cool on wire racks.

**For a lower fat version, reduce butter to one stick. Mix in 1/2 cup applesauce with eggs. You will have to grease your muffin pan, and bake the muffins a couple more minutes, but the muffins will be healthier and still delicious!

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

These are the best blueberry buttermilk pancakes. You will love them. The recipe (and the picture) comes from the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.


Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
Makes 16; Serves 4

2 eggs
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or nonstick spray
1 cup fresh blueberries
Powdered sugar, softened butter, warm maple syrup, extra blueberries

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

In bowl, using electric mixer, beat the eggs on medium speed until frothy. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla. Stir just until batter is smooth and no lumps of flour remain; do not over mix.

Heat griddle to medium-high, lightly grease. Ladle about 1/3 cup batter per pancake. Scatter 1 tablespoon blueberries evenly. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, flip and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Keep warm in oven.

Tips for Make Ahead (Freezable) Meals

As you may know, making meals ahead is sort of an obsession for me. It is just so much easier to pull a meal out of the freezer than to prepare one from scratch. It's not that I don't love making meals, it's that sometimes I don't love making dinner. I don't love wondering what to have and then forgetting to make something and at 5:45pm asking the boys, "do you want corn dogs or macaroni and cheese tonight?" Ugh.

Make ahead meals are also convenient for when you're having company, but don't want to spend all your time cooking. Or when your friends are expecting new babies, and you'd like to help them out in the first few days. Or for when you're having a party, so you don't get overwhelmed in the days before. There are so many reasons to do this!

I did realize that I have several recipes here labeled as "Make Ahead," but they cannot be frozen, so I have added a new category called "Freeze It." And the "Freeze It" recipes still qualify as Make Ahead. So don't get confused. Click on the links to see all of our freezable and make aheadable recipes! Enjoy.

Here are my tips for successful make ahead, Freezable meals. (there may be more tips later, this is all I can think of right now)

1. If you're making dinner, why not double the recipe? Serve half, freeze half. You know you love it, and you'll have a great dinner waiting for you on a busy night in the future.

2. Buy some cheap extra pans (8x8 or whatever the recipe calls for) so you won't be missing your good brownie pan when it's in the freezer filled with Beef Enchiladas. The kind they sell at grocery stores are perfect for this. Or you can even use the disposable aluminum pans--I've done that for giveaway meals so the recipient doesn't have to worry about getting a pan back to you. (this is quite helpful if your friend lives 60-90 miles away!)

3. Divide and store your meals in appropriate size containers for your family: if you have four people, store four servings together. If it's just you, store 4 separate servings in 4 separate containers so you won't have leftovers that might go to waste.

4. Securely cover and seal your food. For food in pans, I use Glad Press'n Seal first, covered by foil. You don't want your hard work to be lost to freezer burn! Securely seal all ziploc bags and plastic containers.

5. And most importantly: LABEL & DATE your dishes in the freezer. That way you'll know exactly what it is, and when you need to eat it by. If you're like me, it might be helpful to post a list on the outside of your freezer with the dishes you've made and when you need to eat them.

6. Consider getting a few friends together, and each making a triple batch of a freezable dish, divide them up, then trade! You will end up with several new and different meals to try. *I plan to host one of these parties when my new kitchen is complete. FYI. It will be fun!

Do YOU have any tips for freezable/make ahead meals? Please comment and let us know! Of course we'd love to have your freezable/make ahead recipes posted on the website too!

Picadillo: Cuban-Style Sloppy Joes

Since Number One and the crew are branding calves today, I wanted to make a ranch lunch. I have lots of ground beef, but no hamburger buns, plenty of hot dog buns (but not hot dogs again)! I thought of sloppy joes (on hot dog buns), but I wanted something different.

I really wanted to make a green chile version of sloppy joes, but couldn't find a good recipe and I'm not in the mood to experiment...much. I ran across this recipe for Cuban "sloppy joes" called Picadillo. I think it is exactly what I've been looking for, from Three Guys from Miami, who have written several cookbooks about Cuban cooking. (I don't have any of their cookbooks, but that could easily be remedied, if only amazon.com would sponsor my blog!). This recipe was posted on NPR's website.

I made a few modifications to the ingredients. I had a 2.5 pound package of ground beef, so I increased the spices, but I won't list those changes. I couldn't let go of my hankerin' for green chiles, so I added two 4-ounce cans along with the other peppers. This smelled so good simmering in the crock pot! A delicious blend of flavors, we will definitely make this again soon!

Picadillo

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 cups diced onion

2 cups seeded and finely chopped green bell pepper (I used 1 each yellow and orange, plus two cans of diced green chiles)

Olive oil to sauté

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds ground beef or ground round

3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (I used 2 cans diced)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 cup chopped green olives

1/3 cup raisins

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:

Rice

Cuban or French bread (I used toasted hot dog buns!)

butter

1. Sauté onion and green pepper in olive oil in a large frying pan.

2. Sauté about 5 minutes, until the onion is softened, then add the garlic and ground beef.

3. Mash the onion and green pepper into the sautéing meat and cook until the meat is browned, about 5 minutes.

4. Put everything in a crockpot set to low heat.

5. Add the tomatoes, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, oregano, olives and raisins.

6. Cover and let simmer in the crockpot for an hour or two or more. The longer it simmers, the better the flavor!

7. Salt and pepper to taste.

8. Serve hot over white rice or:

9. Cut a loaf of Cuban or French bread lengthwise, but not completely through — like you would for a hoagie. Generously butter the inside — top and bottom. If you like, toast the bread lightly on a skillet. Stuff the bread with plenty of picadillo to make a great picadillo sandwich!

Herbed-Baked Eggs

I've been wanting some good eggs lately, and I've been thinking of all the different ways to serve them. I wish there was a diner around here. Since there's not, here is a delicious method.

I don't know that I've ever mentioned how much I love Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. I saw her years ago, before she was very famous, on Martha Stewart's TV show. She was so warm and down-to-earth, and her food was fabulous! I have since acquired two or three of her cookbooks, and I love them all. You can find Ina's cookbooks here or purchase signed copies from her website (this I did not know...hmm. there are several I don't have...) Or, you can just come back here, where I share my favorite recipes!

This recipe comes from Barefoot in Paris. I got individual gratin dishes for Christmas one year (thanks, Mom!) just for making these eggs. I'm sure you can use other oven-safe dishes, just adjust the cooking time.

{picture soon!}

Ina says: "Lots of people who knew I was writing a French cookbook wanted a recipe for omelettes. I spent days making them but my heart was never really in it because I always imagined myself cooking lunch while my friends sat waiting at the table. Rori Trovato came up with the perfect solution--shirred eggs, or herb-baked eggs. They were so delicious that we were standing with our forks ready as soon as Quentin took this photograph. It's very French and you can make them with any seasoning you like."

Herbed-Baked Eggs

Serves 4

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
12 extra-large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Toasted French bread or brioche, for serving

Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.

Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley and Parmesan cheese and set aside. Carefully crack 3 eggs into each of 4 small bowls or teacups (you won't be baking them in these) without breaking the yolks. (It's very important to have all the eggs ready to go before you start cooking).

Place four individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Quickly, but carefully, pour 3 eggs into each gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. (Rotate the baking sheet once if they aren't cooking evenly). The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot with toasted bread.