Superfood or Crazy Hairy Monster?

In the latest edition of Bon Appetit, they declared coconut as the next cult superfood, proclaiming "Coconut is the next quinoa." I have always loved coconut and decided to look into its health benefits. After perusing various sources, coconut is touted to increase energy, aid in weight loss, prevent infection from bacteria, viruses, and fungi, lower cholesterol, stabilize insulin, and even halt the symptoms of Alzheimer's. Wow! Sounds good, right? Maybe not. According to an article by the New York Daily News, "Coconut is bad for you." Gasp! The article also stated that coconut "is loaded with heart-damaging saturated fat, sugar and calories that hide behind its healthy, food co-op image." In addition, a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic's Heart and Vascular Institute stated that she cautioned "patients with high cholesterol or a history of heart disease" not to even toy with coconuts at all. Aw...

At this age of what I consider mass dietary dysfunction, the key to anything is moderation. Good or bad, I will not give up my coconut! Why not try this lighter version of  "Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup" from Cooking Light: The New Way to Cook Light. It is fresh, spicy, and quick! Serve it with steamed rice and sauteed sugar snap peas for a fantastic weeknight meal! Coconut ice cream would be the perfect ending!

Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken (or shrimp) Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons canola oil

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

4 teaspoons minced, peeled fresh ginger

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (3-inch) stalk lemongrass, halved lengthwise and tied together with kitchen twine

2 teaspoons sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)

3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth (if using shrimp, substitute seafood stock)

1 1/4 cups light coconut milk

4 teaspoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (about 8 ounces) (can substitute cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp, if desired)

1/2 cup diagonally sliced green onions

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Directions:

Heat a dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add mushrooms and next 4 ingredients (through lemongrass) to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chile paste, and cook 1 minute. Add broth, milk, fish sauce, and sugar; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes. Add chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Discard the lemongrass. Stir in onions, cilantro, and juice.

Posole to Die for!

Posole is a "national" tradition in Mexico and parts of the Southwest, eaten on special occasions such as Christmas. However, this delicious dish has deep, deep Aztec roots. Unfortunately, the facts are quite disturbing, and frankly grotesque! Before the Spanish invaded, and outlawed cannibalism, posole was enjoyed after human sacrifice. Yep! All the remaining bits were relished with lovely creamy bits of hominy, the dried corn kernels of the sacred cacahuazintle variety nixtamalized with alkali. In addition, after human flesh was outlawed for consumption, pork became the meat of choice because according to a Spanish priest, it "tasted very similar." Bacon will never be the same. (I truly hope my vegetarian kid doesn't read this!)

Anyway, back to 2016, phew! I've had this wonderful recipe for years and finally gave it a try. Although not the classic posole of dried chiles, hominy, and pork, this version combines the traditional dried chiles with the ease of Ancho chile powder, readily available canned hominy, pork, and fresh chile poblano! The result is succulent and produces a more modern version of the classic. Traditional garnishes that I think are essential include shredded green cabbage, diced avocado, sliced radishes, a squeeze of lime, hot sauce, and tostadas on the side. If you've never tasted or made posole, I strongly urge you to give this recipe a try! Bissinger's Chocolate Cinnamon Chile Cake would make the perfect ending to a meal steeped in history.

Posole Rojo

Serves 6

Ingredients:
For the Stew:
2-3 pounds pork butt, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 quarts chicken stock
2 cups canned hominy, preferably white, if possible
1 cup red bell pepper, 1-inch dice
1/2 cup poblano pepper, finely diced
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 cup Roma tomatoes, large dice
1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Garnishes:
1/4 head green cabbage, thinly shredded
1/2 cup radishes, thinly sliced and crisped in ice water
3 avocados, diced
6 lime wedges
hot sauce
tostadas, on the side

Directions:
Season the pork with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the pork in batches on all sides. Set aside. (This should take you about 30 minutes!) Add the onion and garlic to the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Saute for 5 minutes. Return the meat to the pot. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, cover and simmer for about 2 hours or until very tender. Skim off any surface fat.

Add the hominy, red bell pepper, poblano pepper, ancho powder, Roma tomatoes, and lime juice. Simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes or until the hominy starts to absorb the flavor of the sauce and thickens slightly. Stir in the cilantro. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve in big bowls with garnishes. Yummy!

Recipe adapted from Canyon Cafe: Bringing the Southwest Experience Home.

The Bonne Femme, Chef Davide, and French Lasagna?

Continuing my exploration of The Bonne Femme Cookbook, by Wini Moranville, I was intrigued by her recipe for "French Lasagna Mardi Soir." Wait? What? French lasagna? That reminded me of an article I read recently, by a mysterious Chef Davide, in which he wrote, "The 16th century Italians did indeed teach the French all about eating well - but it was the French who created a uniform kitchen application which then spread through out the world, thus rightfully creating the grandness of the French cuisine. The Italian masters failed to take advantage of their skill in where such masters eventually had to give way to the virtue of great French cookery applications and uniformity." Wow, what would Batali say? So, okay, French lasagna it is.

According to Wini, a "great lasagna isn't simply about piling on cheese, cheese, and more cheese. The true path to lusciousness" is a creamy bechamel sauce and "a truly amazing cheese. In Italy, that would be Parmigiano-Reggiano; in France, it's often Comte or Emmental." Mardi soir, meaning Tuesday night, implies that this recipe is simple and quick enough to pull together, even on a weekday night. So what did I think? I thought the combination of herbes de Provence and Comte cheese produced a more genteel and lighter version of traditional Italian lasagna, which I really liked! In addition, it was quick and extremely easy! I will definitely make it again! To make it a true French meal, I recommend starting with a small bowl of soup, serving the lasagna with a simple salad and baguette, and finish with a classic French dessert! (Don't forget to check back for the dessert!!!) What to drink? Wine, of course!

French Lasagna Mardi Soir

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the bechamel

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Freshly ground nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 1/2 cups 2% or whole milk

For the meat sauce

1/2 pound loose mild Italian sausage

1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence, crushed

1/2 cup dry white wine

1, 14.5 can peeled tomatoes, undrained, pureed in a blender or food processor

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

For the lasagna

6 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles (I use Barilla oven-ready lasagna.)

1 1/2 cups shredded Comte or Emmental cheese, or a combination (about 6 ounces) (I used Comte, exclusively)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

For the bechamel:

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, a few gratings of nutmeg, and salt and pepper to make a smooth paste. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Do not allow the flour mixture to brown. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring, until thick and bubbly; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and set aside.

For the meat sauce:

Cook the meat and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to break up the meat into small pieces, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain off all of the fat from the pan. Add the garlic, herbes de Provence, and the red pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the white wine. Bring to a boil and boil until nearly evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the pureed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cook at an active simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Finishing the dish: 

Spread 1/2 cup of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 8" square baking dish-you won't cover the entire surface, but that's okay. Top with 2 sheets of lasagna noodles, side by side. Top with 1/3 of the remaining meat sauce (spreading to cover the noodles as best you can) and then 1/3 of the bechamel sauce. Top with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat the layers (starting with the noodles) twice.

Bake, uncovered, until the lasagna is bubbly and the top is golden brown, 25-30 minutes, covering loosely with foil during the last 10 minutes if the top browns too much. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting into four pieces to serve.

Recipe adapted from The Bonne Femme Cookbook, by Wini Moranville.