#15 The Big Dip!

The music for the opening and ending of the show is Fast Food Rampage by the The Touch Ups, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network.

Stuff you need to know for this show's recipe:

All the recipes here are an hour or less. Total preparation time for is less than 30 minutes.

Talk Back! We are a Snacking Community. Go to the End of these Shownotes and click on comments. Leave your thoughts and experiences. Or email me at Munchiespodcast@gmail.com.

The podsafe music used in the show:

This week I feature a comic song by Diedre Flint, the bass player for The Four Bitchin Babes. Check out her website and her podcast at www.podcastfondue.libsyn.com

Here is the lead recipe I describe in the show:

Use these dips with any of the following raw veggies: Asparagus (which great raw, but make sure it’s relatively fresh. Don’t buy it is any of the stalks that look wilted or floppy), Broccoli (especially the peeled stems, but the floweret’s are great too), Carrots, Celery, French or Belgium Endive (separated into little spoon-like leaves), Green beans (especially fresh ones; avoid the ones with brown spots. tipped stringed and blanched in salted boiling water, then shocked in ice water makes them easy to chew and gives them a bright green color)), Scallions, Snow peas and Sugar snap peas (blanched and shocked like the green beans), Zucchini, Cauliflower, White (not brown) Mushrooms (pick the most beautiful you can find) , Red and White Radishes, Cherry or Plum Tomatoes, or Raw Turnips.

Here are some additional recipes from the show :

Avocado Dip
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tbs chopped parsley
1 tbs vinegar
½ tsp tarragon
6 anchovy filets
¼ c mustard
1 c mayonnaise
1 very ripe avocado, peeled seeded and roughly chopped
3 tbs light cream
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend , scrapping down the sides as necessary. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate, covered until ready to eat.

Roquefort Dip
¾ c heavy cream
¼ c crème fraîche
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp white pepper
1 c. imported Roquefort cheese

Combine cream, crème fraîche, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor and blend , scrapping down the sides as necessary.
Add cheese and process again. Do not over process. The dip should be chunky. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Refrigerate, covered until ready to eat.

Green Peppercorn Mustard Dip
1 c mayonnaise
¼ c Dijon-style mustard
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp water-packed green peppercorns, drained plus additional peppercorns as a garnish.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Taste and correct seasonings. Stir in additional peppercorns. Refrigerate, covered until ready to eat.

Tapenade Dip
½ c imported black olives (Kalamata ) pitted
¼ c imported green olives (Sicilian), pitted
4 anchovy filets
1 garlic clove
2 tbs capers, washed and drained
1 tbs lemon juice
1 c fresh basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry (or 1 c fresh parsley and 2 tbs dried basil)
¼ extra virgin olive oil
¼ c mayonnaise

Combine black and green olives, anchovy filets garlic, capers, lemon juice and basil in a food processor and blend until smooth. With the motor running dribble in the il to make a thick sauce. Stir in the mayonnaise. Taste and correct seasonings. Refrigerate, covered until ready to eat.

Here is the shopping list for next week:

At least one can of tuna fish, white or light, water packed or oil packed, doesn't matter. Whatever you like. However, you may want to stock up because all the recipes are great. Some mayonnaise, a fresh lemon or two, some fresh celery, and an onion. See if you can find some dill seed ion the spice section of the market. You'll also need some Dijon style mustard, some red wine vinegar and some ketchup. Finally, you'll need a a can of cannelloni beans (Italian section) or Great Northern beans (no real difference in taste, just size), flat-leaf parsley, fresh basil (if available), a red onion, a cucumber, a tomato and some French bread, or sliced white bread for toasting. Sound intriguing? Well, this isn't going to be your mother's tuna salad.

Next week I'm going to tell you about how to make great spreads from a can of tuna.

Here is a list equipment you will need for next week:

A bowl

Shownotes for #14 Emergency Pizza!

The music for the opening and ending of the show is Fast Food Rampage by the The Touch Ups, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network.

Stuff you need to know for this show's recipe:

All the recipes here are an hour or less. The pizza roll-up are very fast, 15 minutes from refrigerator to mouth. The sauce for the pizza pita takes about 30 minutes. This can be done once to produce enough sauce for an entire week. The assembling of the pizza takes about 15 minutes. Baking these pizzas takes about ten minutes. So, total preparation time for is less than and hour. If you have the sauce on hand, or want to use a sauce right out the can (not recommended), it takes less than 30 minutes.

Talk Back! We are a Snacking Community. Go to the End of these Shownotes and click on comments. Leave your thoughts and experiences. Or email me at Munchiespodcast@gmail.com.

The podsafe music used in the show:

The musical selection this week is Fly, Fly, Fly by Adrina Thorpe. She is a singer/songwriter from California. She has a Sarah Mclachlan/Norah Jones vibe going in this song. Check out her website for other downloads and info on her new album.

Here is the lead recipe I describe in the show:

Pizza Roll-ups

1 flour tortilla

1/3 c shredded cheese (mozzarella, jack, fontina, taleggio, ricotta, or combination, or vegan melting cheese)

1 tb grated parmesan

1 tb ketchup

extra crushed red pepper, garlic slices, or Greek oregano to taste (optional)

Sprinkle the cheese on the lower half of a the tortilla, but leave about half of inch free of cheese at the edge. Place the tortilla in the toaster oven and toast through on cycle. The cheese should be melted. If not, place on the baking tray and toast again, watching it to make sure the cheese does not burn. Sprinkle a little extra crushed red pepper, garlic slices, or Greek oregano on the cheese, if you like. Then put a line of ketchup across the melted cheese from "4:00 o'clock" to "8:00 o'clock." Fold the bottom edge over the ketchup and roll up.

If you want to make several at a time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the tortilla with the cheese on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Baking until cheese melts and just begins to bubble, about 5 minutes. Finish the roll-ups as above.

Basic Pizza Sauce

1 can tomato sauce

2 tbs olive oil

salt

Bring sauce to simmer in a saucepan with oil and salt to taste. Cook until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool. Refrigerated, this sauce will keep for a week.

Spicy Pizza Sauce (Pizzaiola)

1 large garlic clove, minced

pinch of crushed red pepper

1 1/2 tbs olive oil

1 can tomato sauce

1 tsp. Greek oregano

Salt

In a skillet, cook the garlic and the red pepper in the olive oil over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, oregano and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool. Refrigerated, this sauce will keep for a week.

Pizza Pita

1 round of pita bread (or any flat bread: saltine crackers, matzoh, lavash, naan, chapati, flour or corn tortillas )

2 tbs pizza sauce

1/2 c shredded cheese (mozzarella, jack, fontina, taleggio, ricotta, or combination, or vegan melting cheese)

2 tbs grated parmesan

extra crushed red pepper, garlic slices, or Greek oregano to taste (optional).

Using the back of the tablespoon, spread the sauce to the edge of the pita. Do not add any more sauce! Use less if possible. Spread it as thinly as possible. You want the sauce to evaporate and glaze the bread. Toast the pita with the sauce only in the toaster over set to the same setting you usually use for making toast. If the pita starts to puff, take it out immediately and stick a knife in the side to deflate it. Distribute the shredded cheese evenly over the sauce. Then, sprinkle on the parmesan. Add additional seasonings to taste. Put the pita on the baking tray of the toaster over and toast it on a second cycle. Watch the pizza carefully. Otherwise, the cheese will run off the bread and make a mess of your toaster. If the cheese is not yet melted, toast again and watch it carefully. If pita starts to puff, stick a knife in to deflate. The pizza is done when cheese is melted and begins to bubble.

Here are some additional recipes from the show :

Grilled Pizza on frozen dough (Piadina)

1 can refrigerated Traditional Dinner Roll dough

flour for dusting

Mixed greens tossed in a garlic dressing

sliced deli meats

semi firm cheese slices, like fontina, fresh goat cheese

Nutella

Allow the dough to come to room temperature. Break open the can. Unroll and separate the pieces of (usually 8) dough and squeeze two of the pieces together each into a ball. If you just press them flat against each other, they will puff when you cook them. That's fun, but wait till my Emergency Calzone show to do that. Right now just squeeze and squeeze until they are solid mass. Then flatten it out. Prepare a flat surface for rolling the dough by getting everything out of the way. A counter will do. You can put down some sheets of plastic wrap. Flour the surface lightly and evenly. Getting a rolling pin or wine bottle wrapped in plastic wrap. Flour the flattened dough on both sides with your hands.

Heat a well-seasoned griddle, cast-iron skillet or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water flicked on the surface sizzles and evaporates immediately. In the meantime, roll out each disk on the floured surface until it is about 8 inches in diameter, the size of a flour tortilla, and just as thin. The thinner the better, even if it starts to tear. Gently pull the dough off the counter and put immediately on the hot surface. Cook 30 seconds until the dough begins to stiffen. The bottom should turn a mottled, golden brown. If it start to burn, turn down the heat slightly. Flip the dough and brown the other side for 30 seconds. Place on a plate covered with a towel or foil while you grill the other breads. It's done at this point. If you're really hungry, throw something onto it, fold it over and start eating.

Fill the piadina with either mixed salad greens tossed on a garlic dressing (1 crushed garlic soaked in 1 tbs red wine vinegar for ten minutes, then removed. Vinegar is then mixed with 2 tbs olive oil). Or, you can layer in some deli meats and slices of cheese. The breads will remain warm and yeasty while eat them.

For breakfast, try getting yourself a bottle of Nutella, the chocolate and hazelnut spread that Europeans love and Americans are just beginning to appreciate. It plays the same role in the European table that peanut butter does in North America. Just spread it on the piadina, fold and eat. You'll be very happy. Then, try the same this with peanut butter and jelly. See which one you like better.

If you have any piadina left over, they keep for a day or two in a plastic bag. They make a great base for the flat bread pizzas I described above.

Here is the shopping list for next week:

Well, that’s all for emergency pizza. Next week I'm going to tell you about how to make great dips for raw vegetables. First of all, get yourself some veggies, such as Asparagus, Broccoli, Endive, Green beans, Scallions, Snow peas, Sugar snap peas, Zucchini, Cauliflower, White Mushrooms, Red and White Radishes, Cherry or Plum Tomatoes, or Raw Turnips. Feel free to buy the pre-cut stuff if you want to save time. Cutting it yourself let's you save money. For the first dip, you'll need garlic, vinegar, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, some light cream, an avocado, some anchovies or anchovy paste, and some dry tarragon leaves. For the second, you'll need some heavy cream, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, a about 1/4 pound of imported Roquefort cheese. For the third, see if you can find some green peppercorns packed in water. For the fourth, you use some of the ingredients for the first dip. Look for bottle of imported black (Calamata) and green olives (with pits) in the Italian food section of your supermarket, or get a small container of each at the olive bar, some capers, a lemon and some fresh basil leaves (if available, otherwise flat leaf parsley will do).

Here is a list equipment you will need for next week:

A food processor or blender

Shownotes for #13 Take a Can of Chickpeas!

The music for the opening and ending of the show is Fast Food Rampage by the The Touch Ups, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network.

Stuff you need to know for this show's recipe:

All the recipes here are an hour or less. Total preparation time for the chickpea salads is less than 15 minutes.

Talk Back! We are a Snacking Community. Go to the End of these Shownotes and click on "comments." Leave your thoughts and experiences. Or email me at Munchiespodcast@gmail.com.

The podsafe music used in the show:

This week, I'm featuring a song by Marina V called Pesnya O Tebe. That translates as Song about you. This singer songwriter is from Los Angeles was born in Russia and settle in the U.S. about six years ago. She already has two CD's and quite a following in L.A. If you like to understand her lyrics in English, you can find them here.

Here is the lead recipe I describe in the show:

"Bead" style Hummus (adopted from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian)

Hummus just means chickpeas in Arabic. This is a mixture very similar to the tradition hummus al tahina that is served everywhere in Middle Eastern restaurants, but this one is not blended to a puree. The chickpeas are like little beads.

2 cloves of garlic, crushed and very finely chopped

1 tsp salt

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3 tbs fresh lemon juice

i medium tomato

3-4 tbs fresh parsley, chopped

a dash of hot sauce or cayenne pepper

4 tbs olive oil

Warm up the chickpeas in a microwave or in a little water on the stove. Warm peas absorb the flavors better than room temperature peas.

Crush the chopped garlic together with the salt by scrapping the mixture back and forth on a board under your knife until it is practically a paste. Put this in a mixing bowl and add the chickpeas, lemon juice, tomato, parsley and pepper. Toss well and taste. Add more lemon juice or pepper, depending on how sharp you like it. Put this in a serving bowl and drizzle on the olive oil. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Will keep for several days. Eat with flat bread, like pita, toasted or fresh, on the side.

Hummus al Tahina (Traditional Middle Eastern style)

This is the blended style with sesame paste (tahina) added

1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 tsp salt

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 c sesame paste (tahina)

1/4 c olive oil

Crush the chopped garlic together with the salt by scrapping the mixture back and forth on a board under your knife until it is practically a paste. Put this in a mixing bowl of food processor and add the chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil and tahina. Cover and process until pureed, scrapping down the sides to insure that everything gets pureed. taste and correct for sour (lemon juice) and salt. Pour onto a large plate, dust with paprika, and drizzle with extra olive oil. Eat with flat bread, like pita, toasted or fresh, on the side.

Moroccan Style Hummus (adopted from The Versatile Grain and the Elegant Bean)

Cayenne/Cumin Vinaigrette:

1 medium shallot, finely minced

1 small clove of garlic, finely minced

3 tbs red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp sweet paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne

a few grindings of black pepper

1/4 c. olive oil

1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro

Combine the shallots, garlic, vinegar, cumin, paprika, cayenne and black pepper in a bowl and allow to sit for a few minutes to develop the flavors. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add the cilantro. If you have a wide mouth bottle, you can use that instead of the bowl. Then add the oil and cilantro all at once, cover and shake until combined.

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed.

about 10 Kalamata black olives (or any black olives), pitted and slivered

a large carrot, shredded on the course side of box grater

3 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped

In a large bowl, toss together the first three ingredients with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle the cilantro and toss again.

Here are some additional recipes from the show :

Fried, Spiced Chickpeas

1 can chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried on paper towels

1/4 stick butter

1/4 c cooking oil

2 tsp finely minced garlic

Spanish Style:

2 tbs Spanish smoked sweet paprika

Mexican Style:

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp onion salt

Asian Style:

1 tsp ground ginger, or 1 tbs grated fresh ginger

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tbs soy sauce

You need two frying pans. Put half the butter and halt the oil in each pan and heat over low heat (Do not burn the butter!). When the butter is melted add 1 tsp of garlic to each pan. Divide the chickpeas in half. Add half to each frying pan. Increase heat to medium. Saute very slowly shaking the pans and stirring often until beans start to sizzle. Keep cooking until they turn a dark golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Mix either the Spanish paprika, the Mexican flavorings or the Asian flavorings in separate mixing bowls. It's nice to have at least two different flavors. Mix the ingredients in each bowl well. Sprinkle a mixture over the chickpeas in one frying pan and then the second mixture in the other frying pan. Toss or stir well to thoroughly coat the chickpeas.

Transfer to bowls and serve hot or at room temperature. These are eaten with toothpicks or the fingers. Have napkins ready. And plenty of beverages.

Here is the shopping list for next week:

Next week I'm going to tell you about how to make pizza snacks on a variety of breads. Anyone can make pizza on pre-baked pizza crust. This show is breaking the mold and putting the tomato and cheese on just about any other baked product. You'll need a can of plain tomato sauce, some garlic cloves, mozzarella (dry-firm or fresh) or jack cheese (or a combo) and any of the following breads: french bread, pita bread, lavash (flat) bread, english muffins, plain bagels (full size or mini), crumpets, saltine crackers, ciabatta bread or rolls, naan, flour or corn tortillas, chapati, or frozen dinner rolls (any variety). If you have access to some fresh basil, that's a nice addition. If you cannot eat pizza without something else on it, by all means, lay in some of whatever topping you like. Substitute a vegan cheese that melts, if you like.

Here is a list equipment you will need for next week:

a toaster oven or broiler.

Shownotes for #12 Rice Paper Wraps!

The music for the opening and ending of the show is Fast Food Rampage by the The Touch Ups, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network.

Stuff you need to know for this show's recipe:

All main recipe here are an hour or less. Total preparation time for is less than 30 minutes. The second recipe is about 90 minutes.

Talk Back! We are a Snacking Community. Go to the End of these Shownotes and click on comments. Leave your thoughts and experiences. Or email me at Munchiespodcast@gmail.com.

The podsafe music used in the show:

Today I am featuring "Come back to You” by one of the great contemporary singer songwriters, Samantha Murphy. If you haven’t heard her interviews on her podcast SMtv, you are missing out on great information about the music scene in North American cities. She travels around from club to club meeting other artists and talking to them about the creative process, who they are listening to and the music business. She’s fun, witty and smart. And a great singer songwriter. And I’m grateful to her for permission to play this wonderful song for you.

Here is the lead recipe I describe in the show:

Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls (adapted from Noodle Fusion by Dorothy Rankin)

12 medium shrimp, cooked and shelled and cut in half the long way

4 oz dried rice vermicel.li

8 round rice papers

1 small head of soft leaf lettuse

2 c. bean sprouts, washed in cold water and drained

1/2 c basil, cilantro or mint leaves

Wash and lay out all the ingredients. Dip the rice paper into the warm water until soft, Lay a piece of lettuse on the bottom 1/3rd of the rice paperput a tbs or 2 of the rice noodles on the lettuce. Press these a bit. Add a thin layer of bean sprouts and roll up to the half way point. Place the shrimp on the roll and continue rolling until the rice paper seals itself. Cut in thirds to eat immediately, or cover with a damp towel to eat later. Do not refrigerate.

Peanut Dipping sauce

Smash a garlic and chop it finely. Sauté this in 1 tbs of oil until it is lightly browned. Add this to ¼ c of peanut butter, 1 tbs tomato paste, 1 tsp Sriracha or chili paste, 1 tbs Nouc Mam (Vietnamese fish sauce), I tsp sugar and ½ c of very warm water. Mix everything together and bring to a boil, simmering for 2 minutes until it thicken. Don’t let it boil constantly or the oil will separate. This is bit of work, but well worth it. Warm or cold, this is great sauce.

Here are some additional recipes from the show :

Grilled Lemon Grass Beef (adapted from Flatbreads and Flavors by Alford and Duguid)

2 stalks of lemon grass or 2 tbs dried lemongrass soaked for 20 mins. in 1 to 2 tbs water

2 to 3 clove garlic finely chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 chili finely chopped

2 tbs fish sauce

1 tbs lime juice

1 tbs water

1 tbs roasted sesame oil

1 pound rump roast or eye of round

Mix the marinade from thevfirst eight ingredients. Cutr the meat in very thin slices agains the grain. It helps if the meat if very cold. THen slice it in 1 1/2 inch lengths. Put in a bowl and mix in the marinade. Cover and let stand for 1 hour at room temperature or 8 hours in the refrigerator. Soak some wooden skewers in water for a hour. Prepare a grill. Wipe the meat and thread the pieces onto the skewers. Grill or broil about 1 minute on each side.

Rice paper

1 cucumber, cut into strips

2 c. shredded lettuce

1/4 c cilantro leaves

Soften the rice paper in warm water. Put some lettuce and cucumber strips on the bottom third. Add the meet from a skewer. roll half way. Arrange some cilantro leaves. Continue rolling until rice paper seals. Cut in thirds with a very sharp knife, or eat whole dipping in the Nuoc Cham that follows.

Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce)

3 cloves of garlic

1 small chile

6 tbs Fish Sauce (nuoc mam)

3 to 4 tbs fresh lemon or lime juice

5 to 6 tbs cold water

2 tbs sugar

1 small carrot, shredded

Chop the garlic and chile until they are a fine paste. Add the fish sauce, citrus juice, and water and stir. Stir in the sugar. Add the carrot.

Here is the shopping list for next week:

Next week I'm going to tell you about how to make quick bites with a can of chick peas. You'll need a can, of course. You'll also need some sesame paste. You can find this is the middle east food section of most metropolitan supermarkets, middle east markets or the if you're really far away from centers of cultural diversity, the internet. While you're at it, look for a bag of powdered sumac. This crushed dried berry tastes like lemon and will be used in a salad. You'll need some olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh parsley and one or two fresh lemons. Try and find some smoked Spanish sweet paprika. You want find it in most supermarkets, but if there is a specialty food shop or even a tapas restaurant in your town, you may be able to get an oz or 2 there. It will be worth it. Otherwise, regular Hungarian sweet paprika, or even chili powder will do. You need some flat breads and ordinary vegetable oil for frying. Finally, try to find some fresh spearmint leaves. These are sometimes available in small plastic cases in the vegetable section.

Here is a list equipment you will need for next week:

food processor or potato masher, large bowl, wok or pan for frying.