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Chez Panisse Rich Carrot Soup with Cilantro-Jalapeno Salsa
Ottolenghi-adapted Pan-Roasted Marinated Salmon AND Broiled Marinated Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Mint-Cilantro Sauce
Sheekey’s Mushy Peas
Deep-Roast Butternut Squash, Red Cabbage, Onions and Whole Garlic with Ras al Hanout
Layered Mango, Pineapple and Vanilla Ice Cream Tart with Lime-Zest Graham Cracker Crust and Fresh Tropical Fruits Topping
About the Class
First of all, for those of you who care, it's very low-carb. I'm occasionally asked for low-carb menus and this one is. If you are big on carbs, add rice, grain, couscous, or roast potatoes to fill the vacuum.
The good-for-you hot soup starter is wonderfully wintry with the taste of carrots richly pronounced and then tweaked in a good way by the addition of the cilantro-jalapeno salsa garnish. Easy and freezable, it's an ideal soup to have on hand. I haven't tried it yet but an iced summer version, kind of a carrot gazpacho, would be delicious and welcome in hot weather.
The Mint-Cilantro lamb is a simpler adaptation of an Ottolenghi recipe for Rack of Lamb and currently my favorite lamb preparation of all time. The abundant marinade (redolent of mint, cilantro, ginger, honey, garlic and soy) is boiled down into a scrumptious sauce. The same marinade and sauce on salmon filet is surprisingly divine. Different but at least as good. We'll make both in class--- for people who don't eat either lamb or salmon and also for those of you who just want to try both.
Mushy Peas is a British mainstay that has made true believers out of a number of pea-haters I know. My recipe is adapted from Sheekey's in London. I've never met anyone (though there must be exceptions somewhere) who didn't like it. It's an excellent side dish when you need something green on the plate or just can't face another serving or green beans or broccoli. AND you can make Mushy Peas in advance and reheat them. AND of course a no brainer with lamb. All win-win.
No one seems to tire of roasted vegetables, especially these. The combination of sweet, buttery, melt-n your mouth squash, onions and garlic contrasts nicely with crisp-cooked sliced cabbage and is further enhanced by the Moroccan spice mixture Ras al Hanout. Try veggies alongside all manner of tagines or replace the Ras al Hanout with thyme, fennel and/or rosemary and serve them with almost anything. else too.
The luscious ice cream pie recipe was complete serendipity. While visiting a friend outside of Atlanta and preparing an Asian-inspired dinner for friends, we were stumped vis a vis dessert. Lemon Meringue or Key Lime Pie are delicious after an Asian menu but seemed old hat right then. It was getting late and tropical ice creams and sorbets along with some fresh fruit sounded appropriate and easy. As often happens, though super easy went out the window but layering the ice cream in a spring form did not sound hard. Once there was the spring form, though, how could we not make a graham cracker crust, right? We added a couple of tablespoons of lime zest to the crumbs. After baking and cooling it, we layered up Haagen Dazs mango, vanilla, and pineapple-coconut ice creams and popped the thing in the freezer until ready to serve. In the meantime, we arranged sliced mango, banana, orange and pineapple slices decoratively on a plate. To serve, we transferred the fruit to the top of the pie and sliced it up. Somehow, it was beyond delicious. Everyone wanted the recipe. It must have been the combination contrasts-- a crunchy crust, creamy ice creams (I think a much better choice here than sorbets) and soft, ripe room temperature fresh fruit. You can make everything but the fruit weeks ahead and freeze, well-wrapped. It's my current favorite dessert to follow Asian and Mid-Eastern meals.