Minimal Monday: Tangerine Tea

I'm a die hard coffee drinker, but I can't 'do' caffeine after noon.  I end up wide awake in bed, thinking about things like the fiscal cliff, or how in the world Downton can go on without cousin Matthew.  So in the second half of the day I turn to herbal fruit teas as my hot beverage of choice, especially in the winter.  When I feel chilled, they warm me, and get me through the late afternoon snack attack.  But the ready made stuff is pretty boring, it usually lacks the flavor I'm looking for.  I'm going to fix all that by making it myself.

According to Livestrong, tangerine peel can help lower cholesterol and fight cancer.  That's great because tangerine tea is my favorite and tangerines are in season right now, so grab a bagful to get started.  Because you're going to be using the peel, try and find organic fruit--- you want a fresh, fragrant fruit tea, not a chemical soup.
 

Wash and dry a few tangerines and then peel them.  You can just let the peels air dry for a day or two, or set them in a low oven to dry out.  When they're crisp dry, you can crumble them by hand, chop them with a knife, or use a small food processor to break them up into small pieces. 

There are a lot of flavors that go well with tangerine, like mint, ginger, cinnamon, clove, star anise, even vanilla.  But after some experimenting I decided I really wanted to feature the tangerine flavor in my tea, so I went with some hibiscus for its citrusy tang and rosy color, and a few jasmine green tea leaves.  I found these at the spice stand at my farmer's market, but if you don't have a spice stand nearby :) you can find loose tea in regular markets, and hibiscus at health food stores, or online.  Just mix it up together in a small bowl.

To store your tea you need something opaque and airtight.  Air and light will destroy the flavors you worked so hard to put in there.  Glazed ceramic or a metal tin work perfectly, and you probably have something around the house already.  Ideally, put small amounts of tea in small plastic bags or baggies, and then into the container.  Keep in a cool dark dry place, i.e not in the fridge, not next to the stove, not on a sunny windowsill.

You could buy empty tea bags to fill, but I think it's so much easier to use it loose with an infuser, or even in a small coffee press.  I found my delicate little vintage spoon infuser in a thrift store.

Pour boiling water into your cup or pot and let the tea steep for several minutes. Much as I love it hot, this tea will be amazing iced in the summer, too.

The wonderful color and aroma of this tea makes you forget that it's completely calorie free!  Unless you drop in a little bit of honey.  Which I recommend; it enhances the tangerine flavor.

Pretty, huh?




One year ago today---

Buckwheat Biscuits

Breakfast Pasta

I have to say, this pasta is a pretty good multi-tasker.  It managed to snap me out of a 4-am-round-trip-to-LAX induced stupor, it distracted me from the fact that one daughter was here and gone in a five day flash, it gently eased me back into blogging after the holiday hiatus, and it even fed a couple of ravenous late rising 20 year-olds.  I'd say that's one talented pasta.

One of my favorite restaurants serves a breakfast pasta like this.  It's modeled after pasta carbonara, but with a heavier emphasis on the meat and eggs.  I used the ever present leftover ham, and a few slices of apple wood smoked bacon.

I'm so happy that the recent rains brought my herb garden back to life.  I finally gave up trying to water it during the heatwave and it was frizzled down to nothing by November.  I love it when a plant magically pops back on its own.  Parsley and chives are pretty good at that, and it's so helpful to have them on hand when you get the yen for a quick dish like this.  

This is pure satisfying comfort food.  I use thin spaghetti, no cream, to keep it on the lighter side.  The salty ham, crisp bacon, fresh parsley and creamy egg and Parmesan 'sauce' makes a fantastic breakfast lunch or dinner.  Don't forget to shower your pasta with lots of coarse black pepper.  And don't be afraid to pair it with a cup of strong coffee.  Yes, coffee.  Don't knock it till you've tried it.

Breakfast Pasta
serves 4
3/4 lb thin spaghetti
4 slices apple wood smoked bacon
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
about a cup of chopped leftover ham
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
extra large handful chopped parsley
salt and coarse ground fresh pepper to taste

• Cook the pasta in salted water until just al dente.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet until it's crisp.  Add the ham and garlic and saute for a few minutes.  Add a little olive oil if the bacon didn't render much fat.
• In a small bowl, mix the cheese into the beaten eggs, and grind some black pepper in as well.
• When the pasta is ready, drain and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
• Add the pasta to the skillet and toss, along with the egg and cheese mixture, and parsley.  Continue tossing over medium heat, adding a little of the reserved pasta water, until the eggs are cooked and the sauce is silky and thick.  Add salt (if necessary) and more pepper to taste.
• Serve with extra parsley and cheese as garnish.

One year ago today---

Ham and Black Lentil Soup

Some All Time Favorites

I had some fun looking back on the blog today and picking out some of my personal favorites.  They aren't necessarily the most scintillating posts, or the best photos or anything, but they stand out in my mind as some of the most delicious food I've made, and they're front and center in my virtual recipe box.  Here are a few of them, in no particular order---

Spicy Tangerine Chicken

Filet Mignon Chili

Fried Olives

 

Pasta with Sun Dried Tomato and Almond Pesto

Pad Thai

Hummus with Spiced Lamb

Summer Fruit Granola

Shoestring Onion Rings

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Spicy Orange Moroccan Salad

Persian Jeweled Rice

Cold Chocolate Snacking Cake

Miso Ramen with Shitake and Chicken

Toasted Almond Bark

Spinach and Onion Pakora with Green Chutney

Lemon Chicken with Buttermilk Dressing

Hope some of these inspire you--- my husband's been begging for the Tangerine Chicken, so I'll probably make that here this week.  I'll be back to normal blogging in a day or so!


One year ago today---

Pear Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting

Who Wants Pancakes?

Gingerbread Pancakes 

Cornmeal Molasses Pancakes

Seven Grain Pumpkin Pancakes

Banana Buttermilk Pancakes with Vanilla Bean and Pecan

Cocoa Pancakes

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes

Enjoy!

Post Holiday Quiches, Tarts, and Pies

I'm not cooking today, my daughters and I have some returns to get to before they leave.  But if I were, quiches and tarts are my favorite things to have around post holiday...if you're feeding a crew this week, here are a few great choices:

Vidalia Onion and Ham Quiche

Fennel and Roquefort Tart

 

Leek, Mushroom and Gorgonzola Tarts

Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese and Herb Pie

Onion Tart

Southern Tomato Pie with Vodka Crust

Persian Mixed Herb Frittata (Kuku Sabzi)

At this point all that's going to get done has been done.  There's no use fretting about what could have been done better, or differently, or what didn't get done at all.  I'm beginning to realize that that's the sneaky, dark side of Christmas, all that self doubt and insecurity.  I'm going to try to shrug that off this year. 

Today's post will be my last until after Christmas.  I had planned to make these adorable present shaped cookies, but it wasn't to be.  In fact it was a total disaster.  I think the synapses must have been firing off on the entirely wrong side of my brain when I attempted them.  But, as I say, I'm learning to shrug these little holiday mishaps off.

I'm looking ahead with Kuku Sabzi, a Middle Eastern version of a frittata.  This dish is traditionally served during the Persian New Year, which is in the spring.  It's heavily herbed, and lightly spiced.  It usually contains walnuts and barberries, which I left out--- I didn't want anything to detract from the wonderful mass of green herbs.

This frittata makes all other fritattas look frumpy.  It's sleek, fresh, fragrant and green.  It's also versatile; it can be a simple dinner for you after a day of last minute shopping, an appetizer, or part of a holiday brunch menu.

Herbs are notoriously difficult to measure accurately.  The important thing here is that you will have more greenery than egg.  I'm going to guess that, after chopping, you will want at least 2 cups of the herbs.  Don't skimp, they are what make this frittata special. 
My recipe is adapted from this one on The Kitchn. 
Persian Herb Frittata
oven to 400
6 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
fresh cracked pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp flour
handful of parsley, chopped
handful of cilantro, chopped
handful of dill, chopped
handful of mint, chopped
handful of chives, chopped or snipped
6 or 7 scallions, sliced
1 leek, thinly sliced 
2 Tbsp butter (or olive oil)

• Beat the eggs with the flour and spices.  Mix in the herbs, scallions and leeks.  
• Heat the butter or oil in a cast iron pan.  Pour in the egg mixture and spread out evenly.  
• Cook for a few minutes on medium heat until the edges start to set.
• Put the pan in the oven for about 5 minutes until cooked through.
• Serve hot or at room temperature.

Have a warm and wonderful holiday---

I'll see you after Christmas!