Carrot Salad A La Mode De Gautier

 Barry pulled fresh carrots just about the time Inge Teasley and Gwyn Johnson began singing the praises of this salad. Inge then shared the recipe and I made it to accompany last night’s fish. Originally I thought the olives and eggs were a strange accompaniment but after one bite, I changed my mind. An interesting and tasty recipe that will become a staple at our house.

Carrot Salad A La Mode De Gautier   4 servings

1/4 teaspoon finely chopped garlic (about 1 small clove)

Scant 3/4 teaspoon salt (I used kosher)

1/4 cup salad/vegetable oil (preferably peanut oil)

4 teaspoons wine vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

8 to 10 young, thin carrots

8 black Greek olives (I used kalamati and increased amount)

2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced 

1. Dressing: Put the garlic in a small bowl, add the salt and press garlic with a pestle till it is well mashed. Add the oil, vinegar, mustard, and pepper. Beat with a fork or whisk; cover and set aside.
2. Peel the carrots. Shred them into long thin pieces using the side with round holes on a four-sided conventional kitchen grater. Shred enough carrots to make 2 firmly packed cups.
3. Re-beat/whisk the oil-vinegar dressing and pour on the carrots. Toss lightly together, tossing till the dressing thoroughly coats the carrots. 
4. Pile on a platter and garnish with the olives and eggs. 

   

   Newspaper clipping of recipe — NOTE at the bottom suggests serving this salad  as a "lightful" hors d'oeuvre with drinks on small plates in the living room before going into dinner.

Tis' the Season - Fried Morel Mushrooms

Morels delivered to our door! What more could we ask for? They were the perfect size (not to big but not too small), and fresh too. All we had to do was prep, eat and ENJOY!
Bread and fried, we served them over cheesy grits -- and yes, this is a fried morel even though it looks like a small chicken drumstick!

Fried Morels over Cheesy Grits (recipe to be posted later)

Fried Morel Mushrooms    About 4 servings
8 medium morels
Frying oil (such as peanut with a high smoking point) -- enough so there is about 1 to
1 1/2" in skillet
2 eggs
1/2 to 3/4 cup whole milk
4 oz. packet (1 sleeve) finely crushed saltine crackers (we used a NutriBullet)
Salt, pepper &/or seasoning blend of your choice (such as TexJoy or Lawry's) to taste

1. Clean mushroom carefully with a damp towel or soft mushroom brush. Cut in half (or is small, leave whole).
2. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. 
3. Add eggs and milk to a bowl or pan and mix to combine. Add crushed saltine crackers to another bowl; season to taste with salt, pepper & or seasoning blend.
   
4. Coat the mushroom in the egg-milk mixture and then in the cracker coating.
   
5. Carefully add about half the prepared mushrooms to the hot oil. Cook until they are golden brown on one side and then turn -- the entire process will take just minutes.
   
6. Remove morels from the skillet to a paper towel-lined tray, allowing mushrooms to drain.
7. Season with additional salt and pepper or other blend, if desired. Serve hot. We served ours over cheesy grits.

Recipe without photos . . .

ried Morel Mushrooms    About 4 servings

8 medium morels
Frying oil (such as peanut with a high smoking point) -- enough so there is about 1 to
1 1/2" in skillet
2 eggs
1/2 to 3/4 cup whole milk
4 oz. packet (1 sleeve) finely crushed saltine crackers (we used a NutriBullet)
Salt, pepper &/or seasoning blend of your choice (such as TexJoy or Lawry's) to taste

1. Clean mushroom carefully with a damp towel or soft mushroom brush. Cut in half (or is small, leave whole).
2. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. 
3. Add eggs and milk to a bowl or pan and mix to combine. Add crushed saltine crackers to another bowl; season to taste with salt, pepper & or seasoning blend.
4. Coat the mushroom in the egg-milk mixture and then in the cracker coating.
5. Carefully add about half the prepared mushrooms to the hot oil. Cook until they are golden brown on one side and then turn -- the entire process will take just minutes.
6. Remove morels from the skillet to a paper towel-lined tray, allowing mushrooms to drain.
7. Season with additional salt and pepper or other blend, if desired. Serve hot. We served ours over cheesy grits.

3 competition-style recipes -- Kansas ProStart student competition

The Abilene High School culinary team has been working and is ready for the Kansas ProStart competition being held in Wichita March 3-4. Below are the recipes they are preparing. See the story I wrote about this competition, "Abilene High School Students Cook Up Talent!" on the Abilene Kansas blog. All photos were taken by Sarah Geiger

Teia Potter’s POTSTICKERS     Makes 2 portions

Pan frying is the technique employed in this dish. It’s a shallow frying method where the food is only partially covered in oil. Teia drops her potstickers in oil that is hot enough to ensure that the moisture in them can escape in the form of steam. The force of that steam also keeps the oil from soaking into the potstickers. Concerning the origin of her recipe, she explained, “It’s a mix between what I found online and my mom’s family recipe for egg rolls.”

Ingredients

Potsticker Filling

   ¼ lb. ground pork

   ⅛ cup (2 tablespoons) chopped scallions (green onions)

   1 ⅛ teaspoon grated ginger root

   3 tablespoons vegetable oil

   2 tablespoons finely chopped cabbage

   1 tablespoon soy sauce

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6 wonton skins  

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Sauce  

   1 tablespoon granulated sugar

   1 tablespoon rice vinegar

   1 tablespoon water

   ¼ teaspoon sesame oil

--

Additional vegetable oil for pan frying 

Directions

Potsticker Filling: Brown the pork in a skillet. Combine cooked pot with remaining ingredients.

To Assemble Pot Stickers: Brush edges of the skin lightly with water; place about a rounded ½ teaspoon of the pork mixture in the center of the wrapper. Fold, shape and seal edges.

Pan Frying: Heat just enough additional vegetable oil to partially cover pot stickers as they fry.

Sauce: Mix together sauce ingredients and serve as an accompaniment to pot stickers.

 Teia works on plating her potstickers.

Teia’s offering includes three potstickers with dipping sauce.

Issaih Lopez’s KUNG PAO BEEF     Makes 4 servings

After consulting with Mrs. Farr, his culinary instructor, Issaih decided to use a cookie cutter to mold the rice that accompanies his Asian entrée. He also noted, “I combined two recipes but the first time I made this dish, we determined it was too salty.” He tried two more adjustments, and after his third try, he said, “I got it just right this time!”

Ingredients

1 ½ lbs. boneless beef sirloin

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice wine or sherry

1 egg white, lightly beaten

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons peanut or corn oil

4 dried red chiles, split

1 tablespoon minced garlic

½ tablespoon grated ginger root

1 teaspoon Szechwan pepper, toasted and crushed 

2 scallions (green onions), cut in ½” pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut in pieces

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons rice wine or sherry

2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or balsamic

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

⅓ cup roasted peanuts

Directions

Trim fat from the steak and cut into 1” cubes. Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine/sherry, egg white and salt in a glass bowl. Add the beef and stir to coat. Marinate for 1 hour, covered in the refrigerator.

Place peanut/corn oil in a wok, swirling to coat the sides, and place over high heat. Add the chilies and cook until they begin to darken. Add the garlic, ginger and Szechwan pepper; continue to cook to infuse the oil. Add the scallions and bell pepper. Remove the steak from the marinade and add it to the wok. Stir-fry the beef for 3 minutes until brown. Blend in soy sauce, rice wine, Chinese vinegar, sugar and chicken broth. Dissolve the cornstarch slurry and add it to the sauce, stirring, to thicken. Sprinkle in the peanuts and stir to coat. Serve over rice.

Issaih Lopez stirs the ingredients for his Kung Pao Beef as Stephanie Mikulecky assists in the background.

Rice accompanies Issaih’s entrée dish that is garnished with a carrot flower.

Addie Alvarez’s STRAWBERRY-FILLED WONTON CUPS

Addie found the strawberry filling recipe online but had to tweak it to adjust the sweetness. She adds that filling and chocolate sauce to squeeze bottles for ease in dispensing, and to create the eye-catching chocolate designs on her dessert plate. She put her own spin on this dish by creating flower-shaped wonton cups that hold the sauce.

Strawberry Filling (this makes enough for several serving)

   1 cup fresh strawberries

   ½ cup granulated sugar

   2 teaspoons cornstarch

Mix ingredients together on a stovetop in a pan, mashing the strawberries. Cook over medium heat until the mixture becomes a thick paste.

Wonton Cups (ingredients & instructions for 1 serving of 3 wonton cups)

   3 wonton skins

   1 tablespoon vegetable oil

   1 tablespoon granulated sugar

   1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Using a cookie cutter, cut each wonton skin into a flower design. Lightly fry the skins in a pan with a small amount of hot oil. Remove and place them in the bottom of a small bowl (the bowl of a measuring cup works, too), allowing the skins to form into a cup shape. Mix sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle this mixture over the cup shapes.

Garnishes

   Chocolate plating sauce

   Whipped cream (made by whisking ½ cup heavy whipping cream with 1 tablespoon

   granulated sugar)

   Whole strawberries, partially cut lengthwise and fanned, then dusted with granulated

   sugar (1 per dessert plate)

To Assemble: Decorate dessert plate with chocolate sauce. Arrange 3 wonton flower cups on plate and fill with strawberry mixture; top each with a dollop of whipped cream. Add a fanned and sugared strawberry to each plate.

Addie sprinkles cinnamon sugar over a lightly fried, flower-shaped wonton dessert cup.

Pleasing to look at, delicious to eat—Addie’s Strawberry-filled Wonton Cups.