Arroz caldo
Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Serves 6
This recipe is adapted from one by White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/8 cups canola oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
12 medium cloves garlic, 6 of them finely minced
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger root
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 cup uncooked jasmine rice or medium-grain rice
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fish sauce, or to taste
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup whole or low-fat milk
Cayenne pepper
Sea salt
3 tablespoons finely sliced scallions, white and light green parts
6 small calamansi or key limes, juiced
Scallion oil, for garnish (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large saucepan over medium-high to high heat, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of the oil until it shimmers. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, for about 7 minutes or until the chicken is lightly browned. Reduce the heat to medium and add the 6 cloves of minced garlic, the ginger and the onion. Cook, stirring, for about 5 to 8 minutes, until the mixture is fragrant and the onion becomes translucent. Add the rice and stir until well coated, then add the chicken broth and mix well. Cook, covered, about 15 minutes or until the rice is tender. Add the fish sauce; season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low.
Cut the remaining cloves of garlic into paper-thin slices and place them in a small bowl. Add the milk and soak for 10 minutes, then transfer to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Drain, discarding the milk, and pat the garlic dry with paper towels.
Line a plate with paper towels. Heat the remaining 2 cups of oil in a medium pot to 350 degrees. Carefully add the garlic slices and cook for 1 minute, until crisp. Transfer to the paper towel-lined plate and dust with cayenne pepper and sea salt to taste.
To serve, ladle portions of the soup into individual bowls and garnish with the crisped garlic, scallions and calamansi or lime juice. Drizzle with scallion oil, if desired.
Per serving: 353 cal.; 21 g pro.; 37 g carb.; 13 g fat (3 sat., 6 monounsat., 4 polyunsat.); 71 mg chol.; 583 mg sod.; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 34 percent calories from fat.
Salsa-baked goat cheese
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 23 minutes
Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer with tortilla chips or crackers
This recipe is from Rick Bayless' "Salsas That Cook" (Scribner, $18, 128 pages).
Note: The prep and cook times do not include the time to make the salsa.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup pine nuts or coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
one 4-ounce log of goat cheese (there are flavored goat cheeses available, but think about flavor combination)
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup roasted jalapeño-tomato salsa (recipe below)
1 tablespoon)chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until lightly browned and very fragrant, 7 or 8 minutes (the pine nuts will brown quickest). Remove and slide into a medium-size bowl.
Add the cheeses to the bowl and combine thoroughly with the nuts. Scoop it in the center of a baking dish (I like to use a decorative 9-inch pie pan) and form it into a 5-inch-diameter disk. Spoon the salsa over and around the cheese. Place the dish in the oven and bake until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle on the cilantro and set it out for your guests to enjoy as a dip or a spread.
Per serving based on 4 servings without chips or crackers: 275 cal.; 13 g pro.; 8 g carb.; 22 g fat (13 sat., 6 monounsat., 3 polyunsat.); 53 mg chol.; 461 mg sod.; 1 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 70 percent calories from fat.
Thomas Keller's molten chocolate tart
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 11 minutes
Serves 6
Note: The prep time does not include the 3-hour freeze time.
Keller's recipe appears in "Classic Home Desserts: A Treasury of Heirloom and Contemporary Recipes from Around the World" by Richard Sax (Houghton Mifflin, 688 pages, out of print but available via used-book sellers)
