Fab Food Friday Fotos: Mustard Lamb Chops, Squash Blossom Soup, Radish Peacock, Slow-Roasted Beef, Carrot Love, Peanut Butter Hummus, Chocolate Mousse Torte, Recipes, & More
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on March 25, 2011
FOOD. GLORIOUS FOOD.
Comfort food comes in all shapes, textures, and flavors. Settle back and be prepared to be comforted by this week’s series of food photos…
When they’re available, recipes and/or links will accompany the “Fab Food Friday Fotos,” with a guarantee that at least one frugal recipe will always be included.
Turtle Bread, Beijing, China | Photo credit: Tricia Wang, Flickr, Creative Commons
Chinese turtle bread, too cute to eat… well, ALMOST too cute.
Peanut Butter Balls | Photo credit: Terri Oda, Flickr, Creative Commons
Mustard Lamb Chops, Mushrooms, Asparagus, Yum! | Photo credit: Lynn Gardner, Flickr, Creative Commons
Photographer/cook Lynn Gardner provided the recipe for these awesome Mustard Lamb Chops, and wrote this info about the dinner on her fab food blog, Savory Tart:
Monday’s supper of broiled lamb chops with mushrooms and asparagus was very tasty, but also very brown:
Ingredients: lamb shoulder chops (from freezer), Dijon mustard, thyme, pepper, salt, asparagus, mushrooms, shallots, red wine vinegar, parsley, unsalted butter, lemon juice.
For the lamb, I used Betty Crocker’s recipe for “Mustard Lamb Chops.” Just brushed four lamb shoulder chops with Dijon mustard, sprinkled them with thyme, and broiled them for about 5 minutes on each side. Easy-peasy! So easy, in fact, I wondered why I didn’t use my broiler more often!
The mushrooms and asparagus recipes both came from Kitchen of Light: New Scandinavian Cooking with Andreas Viestad and were also very easy and well worth repeating.
Spinach & Pine Nut Pesto Ingredients (Pine Nuts, Spinach, Black Pepper, Kosher Salt) | Photo credit: Daniel Eizans, Flickr, Creative Commons
Terrified Sandwich | Photo credit: Sakurako Kitsa, Flickr, Creative Commons
Soup of the Sea | Photo credit: Emily, Flickr, Creative Commons
Chinese New Year Candy Tray | Photo credit: hale_popoki, Flickr, Creative Commons
Photographer hale_popoki explained the significance of each type of sweet and candy on this Chinese New Year candy tray:
Candy Tray: The candy tray arranged in either a circle or octagon is called “The Tray of Togetherness” and has a dazzling array of candy to start the New Year sweetly. Each item represents some kind of good fortune. After taking several pieces of candy from the tray, adults place a red envelope (lai see) on the center compartment of the tray
* Candied melon – growth and good health
* Red melon seed – dyed red to symbolize joy, happiness, truth and sincerity
* Lychee nut – strong family relationships
* Kumquat – prosperity (gold)
* Coconut – togetherness
* Peanuts – long life
* Longnan – many good sons
* Lotus seed – many children
Wedding Fruit Dessert | Photo credit: gizzypooh, Flickr, Creative Commons
Salad with Feta and Sunflower Seeds | Photo credit: Elyce Feliz, Flickr, Creative Commons
Slow-Roasted Beef | Photo credit: Dave77459, Flickr, Creative Commons
Instructions for making mouth-watering, slow-roasted beef from a tough, cheap cut of meat is provided below by photographer/cook Dave77359:
Slow-Roasted Beef
We started with a tough, cheap cut of meat. We salted it for 24 hours, then seared it on the stove. After slow roasting, the meat had miraculously transformed into something like prime rib. It was almost too good.
But slow roasting, I mean it was cooked at 225 degrees until the inside reached 115 degrees. Then I turned the oven off, and let the meat continue to cook until it reached 135 degrees. I pulled it out of the oven, and the carry over raised it to 143 degrees. It took about 3 hours like this. Low and slow.
The result was totally, utterly worth it. My kids had three helpings. And cheap? I got the 4 Lb roast for $12 on sale, and we have more than a pound left over. It could easily feed 8 people. (And I am listening to my son bragging about it right now!
More valuable tips on slow-roasting beef from Cook’s Illustrated.
We don’t recommend cooking this roast past medium. Open the oven door as little as possible and remove the roast from the oven while taking its temperature. If the roast has not reached the desired temperature in the time specified in step 3, heat the oven to 225 degrees for 5 minutes, shut it off, and continue to cook the roast to the desired temperature.
For a smaller (2 1/2- to 3 1/2-pound) roast, reduce the amount of kosher salt to 3 teaspoons (1 1/2 teaspoons table salt) and black pepper to 1 1/2 teaspoons. For a 4 1/2- to 6-pound roast, cut in half crosswise before cooking to create 2 smaller roasts. Slice the roast as thinly as possible and serve with Horseradish Cream Sauce (see related recipe), if desired.
Harvest of Olives, Moulay Idriss, Morocco | Photo credit: Enrique, Flickr, Creative Commons
Chocolate Mousse Torte | Photo credit 1JLS, Flickr, Creative Commons
Photographer/cook 1JLS provided this link to the amazing Chocolate Mousse Torte, found on the Kraft website. The site has instructional photographs, so if you run into problems making the torte, refer to the site for visual help.
Chocolate Mousse Torte Recipe
* 37 NILLA Wafers, divided
* 4 squares BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided
* 2 pkg. (3.9 oz. each) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
* 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. cold milk, divided
* 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
* 1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 3/4 cup fresh raspberriesSTAND 16 wafers around inside edge of 9-inch round pan lined with plastic wrap. Melt 3 chocolate squares as directed on package.
BEAT pudding mixes and 2 cups milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Add melted chocolate; mix well. Stir in 1 cup COOL WHIP; pour into prepared pan.
BEAT cream cheese, sugar and remaining milk with mixer until well blended. Stir in 1 cup of the remaining COOL WHIP; spread over pudding. Top with remaining wafers. Refrigerate 3 hours.
MEANWHILE, shave remaining chocolate square into curls. Invert torte onto plate; remove plastic wrap. Top torte with remaining COOL WHIP, berries and chocolate curls.
Kraft Kitchen Tips
Size-Wise — At 16 servings, this easy-to-make torte is a great choice to serve the crowd at your next special-occasion gathering.
How to Make Chocolate Curls — Warm chocolate square by microwaving it, unwrapped, on HIGH for a few seconds or just until you can smudge the chocolate with your thumb. Hold the square steadily and draw a vegetable peeler slowly over flat bottom of square, allowing a thin layer of chocolate to curl as it is peeled off the bottom of the square to make long, delicate curls. Or to make shorter curls, use the same technique using the narrow side of the chocolate square.
How to Soften Cream Cheese — Place completely unwrapped package of cream cheese in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 10 sec. or just until softened. Add 15 sec. for each additional package of cream cheese.
Souper Sauce for Supper, Campbell's Vintage Food Ad/Recipe, Good Housekeeping, January 1975 - click image to enlarge to read recipes | Photo credit: jbcurio, Flickr, Creative Commons
I discovered the JB’s Warehouse & Curio Emporium blog last week and it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite sites to pop into for fun and to decompress from the politics of the day — so many fun vintage food, clothing, and household magazine ads, cookbook pages, and old-time recipes. More than 1,700, some dating back to 1784. Love it!
The photo above of the Campbell’s Soup ad with “souper sauce” recipes above was published in Good Housekeeping magazine in 1975. The Campbell’s recipes featured in the ad include Barbecue Lovers’ Barbecue Sauce, Barbecue Lovers’ Meatballs, and Barbecue Lover’s Chicken. Click the image to enlarge it to more easily read the recipes. These are quick and easy to make, fairly cheap, and most definitely will be loved by kids.
Meatball, Shanghai Village, Vancouver | Photo credit: Urban Mixer, Flickr, Creative Commons
Amaretto-Cranberry Kiss | Photo credit: framboise, Flickr, Creative Commons
Photographer framboise provided this link to making this lovely drink — slight change in that framboise modified the original Epicurious recipe, substituting white rum for the vodka:
Amaretto-Cranberry Kiss
* 2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
* 1 cup vodka
* 1/2 cup amaretto
* 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
* Ice cubes
* Clementines, peeled, separated into segmentsPreparation
Mix cranberry juice, vodka, amaretto, and orange juice in pitcher. Cover and chill until ready to serve. DO AHEAD: Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.
To make 2 drinks, fill cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Pour in scant 1 cup vodka mixture. Cover and shake vigorously. Strain into 2 Martini glasses. Garnish each with clementine segment. Repeat 3 times with ice cubes, remaining vodka mixture, and clementine segments.
Grilled Shrimp with Seven Bay Seasoning, Extra Spicy Cocktail Sauce | Photo credit: eekingen, Flickr, Creative Commons
Italian Cheese Trio: Taleggio, Salva, Strachitunt in Lombardy, Italy | Photo credit: Rubber Slippers in Italy, Flickr, Creative Commons
Root Beer Popcorn | Photo credit: Carrie Sloan, Flickr, Creative Commons
Oh, yes, I’m quite intrigued by this concoction… root beer-flavored popcorn? Would love to have a handful to taste! Photographer Carrie Sloan wrote:
I bought it mostly out of curiosity. It is weird. But it’s got oil of sweet birch in it. And pasteurized cream (derived from milk).
Halved Avocado | Photo credit: Elsa4Sound, Flickr, Creative Commons
Haggis, Neeps, & Tatties | Photo credit: Donald MacLeod, Flickr, Creative Commons
Chocolate Tower | Photo credit: Creative Commoners, Flickr, Creative Commons
Squash Blossom Soup | Photo credit: digiyesica, Flickr, Creative Commons
Gorgeous soup, filled with flavor and vitamins. And cheap-cheap-cheap to make. Photographer/cook digiyesica provided this brief summary of her squash blossom soup, although she didn’t provide measurements. Should be easy to wing it, though:
Squash Blossom Soup – My favorite childhood soup. The base is made out of tomatillos (the purple ones from the farmers market) with onion, garlic, jalapeno, lime and cilantro. All sorts of summer squash and zucchini in the soup with squash blossoms.
Yum! All organic.
Pies, Canadian Pie Company, 2011 CRFA Show, Toronto | Photo credit: Sifu Renka, Flickr, Creative Commons
Carrot Love, 2 Carrots Grew Together in Garden | Photo credit: Chris Campbell, Flickr, Creative Commons
Coconut Sugar Lemonade with Blueberries | Photo credit: sweetonveg, Flickr, Creative Commons
Cuban Red Beans & Rice | Photo credit: Paul Goyette, Flickr, Creative Commons
The simple combo of rice and beans is one of my favorite “peasant-comfort” foods. This red beans and rice dish is a Cuban classic — is super-frugal and has a bit of heat to it. Photographer/cook Paul Goyette provided the recipe and link:
Red Beans and Rice
Adapted from this simple recipe. whatever you do, make sure you don’t omit the smoked spanish paprika.
* 3 bacon slices, chopped
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 3 cups long-grain white rice
* 3 bay leaves
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 1 tablespoon hot Spanish smoked paprika (Pimentón de la Vera)
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 4 cups water
* 1 15- to 151/2-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed, drainedSauté chopped bacon in heavy 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until bacon is brown and fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Add onion, red bell pepper, and garlic; sauté until onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Add rice and stir until coated, about 1 minute.
Stir in bay leaves, tomato paste, cumin, paprika, and salt. Add 4 cups water and beans and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes.
Remove from heat; let stand covered 10 minutes. Fluff rice with fork. Remove bay leaves. Transfer rice to bowl and serve.
Carved Radish Peacock | Photo credit: foot slogger, Flickr, Creative Commons
Rainbow Parfait | Photo credit: badlby, Flickr, Creative Commons
Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage with Apples | Photo credit: norwichnuts, Flickr, Creative Commons
A delicious, hearty German side dish that is incredibly inexpensive to make that, a sweet-and-sour blend of allspice, cloves, and sugar coupled by tart apples and apple cider vinegar. Twang’s the buds! Photographer/cook norwichnuts shared the recipe:
Here is the recipe:
* 1 medium head red cabbage, cored grated
* 2 large tart apples, peeled grated
* 1 medium sweet onion, grated
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1 cup cider vinegar
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 tablespoon vegetable margarine
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 6 whole peppercorns
* 2 whole allspice
* 2 whole cloves
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 teaspoons cornstarch
* 2 teaspoons cold waterIn a Dutch oven, toss cabbage, apples, and onion. Add water, vinegar, sugar, margarine and salt. Place the peppercorns, allspice, cloves, and bay leaf on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and stir with kitchen string to form a bag. Add to Dutch oven.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/4 hours.
Discard spice bag. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir in cabbage mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
Vintage-Style Wedding Cakes, Midlands Vintage Chic Wedding Fair, UK | Photo credit: Hardluck Hotel, Flickr, Creative Commons
Halibut with Tomato Nectarine Salsa | Photo credit: esimpraim, Flickr, Creative Commons
Halibut with fruit salsa… fascinating! Photographer/cook esimpraim shared the recipe:
Halibut with Tomato Nectarine Salsa
(By Esi)* 2 firm nectarines, pitted and diced
* Small handful grape tomatoes, halved
* 1 small shallot, diced
* 2 tablespoons parsley or cilantro
* Juice from about 1/2 lemon, or to taste
* 2 4-ounce halibut filets
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oilIn a small bowl, mix together the nectarines, tomatoes, shallot, and parsley. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper, adjusting the seasonings as necessary. Let the salsa stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper. Cook for two minutes per side until nicely browned on the outside and just cooked through on the inside.
Serve the halibut warm topped with the salsa.
Makes 2 servings.
Fresh Tomatoes, Long Beach Farmers Market, California | Photo credit: Angela Noel, Flickr, Creative Commons
Homemade Candy Cane Making, Candy Palace, Disneyland, Anaheim, California | Photo credit: Loren Javier, Flickr, Creative Commons
Photographer Loren Javier shared this information about the homemade candy cane making at Disneyland’s Candy Palace in Anaheim, California:
Each year since 1968 during a series of days close to the holidays, homemade candy canes are made at the Candy Palace. They are always high in demand with people lining up early to get one of the coveted 135 canes that would be made during the course of the day. I was lucky enough to get canes last year and decided not to try to get them again this year so that others could have the experience. But, it sure is fun to watch the process.
Butternut Squash Soup with Whole Grain Bread | Photo credit: George Wesley & Bonita Dannells, Flickr, Creative Commons
Quick how-to on making this spicy butternut squash soup from the photographers/cooks George Wesley and Bonita Dannells:
Flavored with east-Indian curry paste, Italian spices, onion, garlic, celery and carrot, and finely pulverized Swiss chard.
Put into a blender to smooth out the texture. Fresh grated nutmeg and rosemary on top. Great with fresh, crisp Asian golden pears.
Chard Growing in Rooftop Farm in Greenpoint Neighborhood, Brooklyn, NY | Photo credit: Your Secret Admiral, Flickr, Creative Commons
Cauliflower Fritters | Photo credit: Island Vittles (Theresa), Flickr, Creative Commons
The recipe for Cauliflower Fritters is posted on the Island Vittles page with terrific photos showing the preparation. These fritters are made with chickpea flour batter — they go well with a cold glass beer while watching sporting events.
Roasted Corn, Black Bean, & Mango Salad | Photo credit: Alisa Cooper, Flickr, Creative Commons
Photographer/cook Alisa Cooper used this recipe from the EatingWell website for this sumptuous looking salad:
This simple, fresh-tasting salad adds delicious variety to grilled foods, such as salmon, halibut, chicken, or pork. Browning the corn in a skillet gives it a nutty, caramelized flavor that contrasts with the sweetness of the mango.
* 2 teaspoons canola oil
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1-1/2 cups corn kernels, (from 3 ears)
* 1 large ripe mango, (about 1 pound), peeled and diced
* 1 15-ounce or 19-ounce can black beans, rinsed
* 1/2 cup chopped red onion
* 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
* 3 tablespoons lime juice
* 1 small canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, (see Ingredient Note), drained and chopped
* 1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon saltPreparation
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes.
Transfer the corn mixture to a large bowl. Stir in mango, beans, onion, bell pepper, lime juice, chipotle, cilantro, cumin and salt.
Tips & Notes
* Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Serve at room temperature.
* Ingredient Note: Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapenos with a fiery taste that are canned in adobo sauce. Look for them in the Hispanic section of large supermarkets and in specialty stores.
Starbucks Red Velvet Whoopie Pie Petite | Photo credit: a.has, Flickr, Creative Commons
Peanut Butter Hummus | Photo credit: Carmyamryofme, Flickr, Creative Commons
Photographer/cook Carmyamryofme wrote about this peanut butter hummus on her blog Cook & the Books last year when she was making multiple dishes that have peanut butter in them as a main ingredient. While she cited two different cookbooks for her peanut butter adventures, no recipe for this hummus batch was provided.
I usually make my own hummus with peanut butter anyway (it’s a frugal alternative to tahini paste), so I hunted down this recipe that most closely matches the way I make my own. I put in more cloves of fresh garlic (3 or 4) than this recipe calls for, however — I also put in a small splash of sesame oil and another small splash of olive oil, rather than use vegetable oil. Your call.
Super cheap, super easy, and super delicious. This recipe for peanut butter hummus is from Yankee magazine. This recipe will make about 2 cups of hummus.
Peanut Butter Hummus
* 1 can (19 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained well
* 1/4 cup water
* 3 tablespoons peanut butter
* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 clove garlic
* paprika and chopped parsley, for garnishIn a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine all ingredients except paprika and parsley. Process until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed.
Spoon into a serving dish. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley. Serve at room temperature.
Raspberry Coconut Muffins | Photo credit: Jamieanne, Flickr, Creative Commons
Pancakes | Photo credit: Ruby Ran, Flickr, Creative Commons
Food photos selected and posted are credited and have Creative Commons-licensed content with some rights reserved for noncommercial purposes, unless otherwise noted.
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Past three months of Fab Food Friday Fotos posts:
The Frugal Irish Food & St. Patrick’s Day Recipes Edition… Éirinn Go Brách!
L-O-V-E… St. Valentine’s Day Romantic Food & Recipe Edition
The Hoppin’ John & Happy New Year’s Food & Recipe Edition
Special Christmas Eve Super Soups & Recipes Edition… Because Baby, It’s COLD Outside
Deck the Halls… Joyous, Glorious Christmas Food, Drink, & Recipes Edition
About the author
[...] Original post by Vicki McClure Davidson [...]