Sweet & Spicy Hazelnuts

Makes 3 cups.

We found this recipe in a book by NW cookbook author Kathy Casey and now it is one of Charlie's "regular" specialties.

1# raw hazelnuts (about 3 cups)
1 egg white
1 Tbsp water
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the nuts on a large, rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 6 to 8 minutes or until they are lightly roasted and the skin is starting to come off. Remove from the oven and let cool. With a clean, non-fuzzy dish towel, rub the skins off the nuts. Reserve the baking sheet.

Meanwhile, reduce the oven heat to 250°F. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white and water until foamy. Add the haelnuts and toss to coat well. Transfer the nuts to a sieve, shake, and then drain for at least 2 minutes. Mix all remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add the drained nuts and toss to coat thoroughly.

On the baking sheet, spread the nuts out in a single layer. Bake for 30 minutes. Stir with a spatula, spread the nus out again and bake 25 to 30 minutes longer, or until the nuts are dry.

Loosen the nuts from the baking sheet, then let them cool to room temperature on the sheet. Be sure to let the nuts cool completely and become crisp before putting them away. They can be stored for up to 1 month in an airtight container.

Grilled Scallops with Coconut Curry Sauce

1 cup orange juice or bottled mango nectar
3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1# sea scallops or 1# bay scallops
Coconut Curry Sauce

Combine juice/nectar and basil in a large bowl, add scallops, tossing to coat. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Remove scallops; discard marinade. Grill, with lid closed, over medium-high heat, 6-7 minutes on each side or until done. Do not over cook. If using bay scallops toss them in a grilling basket that has been sprayed with olive oil or brushed with coconut oil to grill. Serve with Coconut Curry Sauce, below. (I put the scallops right in the sauce to serve.) I like to serve on a bed of Forbidden/Japonica/Black rice. The nutty flavor of the rice and the dark color are nice compliments to the curried scallops. Makes 8-10 appetizer servings or 4-5 entree servings.

Coconut Curry Sauce
1 cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp curry powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 tsp fresh lime juice

Combine coconut milk and curry powder in a small saucepan, and cook 4 minutes. Add salt, red pepper, and basil. Cook 1 more minute. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Makes 1 cup.

Coconut Ginger Rice

1 (14 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk (not water or cream)
2 1/4 cups water
2 cups jasmine or Basmati rice
4 slices fresh, peeled giner
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Combine coconut milk and 2 1/4 cups water in a heavy saucepan. Stir in rice and ginger. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Remove ginger before serving. 4-6 servings.

Mango Glazed Salmon

2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 tsp rice vinegar
10 oz bottled mango nectar
6 (6 oz) salmon fillets, about 1" thick

Sir together first 6 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes or until reduced to 3/4 cup. Pour mango mixture thru wire mesh strainer; discard solids. Return mango mixture to saucepan; keep warm.

Place salmon on a rack in a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 5" from heat for 5 minutes. Brush fish with 1/3 cup mango glaze. Broil 3 more minutes or until fish flakes with a fork. Spoon remaining mango mixture evenly over fish. You can grill the salmon instead of broiling. Yields 6 servings.

This is really good served with Coconut Ginger Rice

Kale & Brussel Sprout Salad

First discovered at a 4th of July potluck in Michigan with sister Cyndee this has quickly become one of my favorites. I do everything in the food processor, including the dressing... but NOT the almonds, it doesn't provide the nice uniform size you want. Since kale is one of the few dark leafy greens that will grow in Kauai this recipe will become a standard there.

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 pounds total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced (this is the flat find of kale, also known as dinosaur & lacinato kale)
• 12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded with a knife
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup finely grated Pecorino

Preparation

Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.

Measure 1/2 cup oil into a cup. Spoon 1 tablespoon oil from cup into a small skillet; heat oil over medium-high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel–lined plate. Sprinkle almonds lightly with salt.

Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in cup into lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. 

 DO AHEAD: Dressing, kale mixture, and toasted almonds can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover dressing and kale mixture separately and chill. Cover almonds and let stand at room temperature.

Add dressing and cheese to kale mixture; toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds.

Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup

"Sweet potato soup is made Asian style with coconut milk and curry paste. This soup is easy to make and unbelievably good!" The thin slices of ginger cook in the broth, becoming soft enough to eat... so tasty. Introduced to me by friend Rayme, at a Book Group dinner.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (yams) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced 1 tablespoon red curry paste 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place the sweet potatoes directly on the rack and bake until tender enough to easily pierce with a fork, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. 2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and heat for 1 minute, then whisk in the coconut milk and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes. 3. Remove the skins from the sweet potatoes and cut into smallish bite size chunks. Add to the soup and cook for 5 more minutes so they can soak up the flavor. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of sesame oil and a little bit of cilantro. I add about 1-2 tsp. toasted sesame oil directly to the soup, along with the cilantro and then drizzle and garnish with a bit more.

1 (15 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk 3 cups vegetable broth 3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Very Easy No Knead Bread

  
This fun recipe came to me by way of book group friend, Kathleen. It is remarkably easy and very forgiving. I just realized as I was typing this that the first 3 times I made this bread I put in only 1 1/2 cups of water, never adding the additional 2 Tbsp, and it was delicious all 3 times. Also, the rising times are very flexible, I have gone with as few as 12 hours on the first rising or as long as 17. The second rising can really be anywhere from 2-3 hours. Now I'm ready to start some experimentation with salted crust or adding rosemary or walnuts.

3 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour (you can use either but the bread flour does a little better job)
1/4 tsp instant yeast (such as Fleischmann's RapidRise or Red Star)—and that is truly all you need
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp tepid water

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add the water and stir until blended, the dough will be shaggy and very sticky.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 12 hours, or up to 18, at room temperature, about 70°. Dough is ready when dotted with bubbles.

Turn dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle dough with a little more flour, and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to your work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously dust a cotton (NOT terry cloth) kitchen towel with flour and put the dough seam side down on the towel. Dust with more flour and cover with another cotton kitchen towel and let rise for 2-3 hours (3 is good but not necessary). When it is ready, dough will be more than double in volume and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least 30 minutes before the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 450° and put a heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic, Kathleen uses her All Clad Dutch oven, I use the cast iron pan in the photo with high sides) in the oven (with lid) as the oven heats. This part is important.

When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven and try NOT to burn yourself, put it on a stove burner or trivet... it is VERY hot! Slide your hand under the towel and turn dough over into the pot, seam side up; it will look messy but that's OK. The towel will probably stick, so just pull the dough away from it. After putting dough in pan, shake the pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed. It will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with the lid and bake at 450° for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and bake another 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the pot you use and your oven. My cast iron pot cooks really fast so I do 30 minutes with the lid and only 5-10 without. Loaf should be nicely, evenly browned. Slip it out of the pan and cool on a rack.