July 1st 2007

[Queen]

July is the opening of the first Royal Foodie Jousting Tournament.

The ingredients for this month's joust are:

1) a dried fruit

2) nuts

3) cheese


Reminder: You must post your entry here on this forum by 12 am USA EST July 1st.

Let the games begin!

[uncledavros]

This sounds like fun. Hopefully we will all benefit from each others recipes.

Let the good food roll on.

[Queen]

David! Make sure you and Lucy both do it - that is of course if you are feeling up to competing against each other! 

I would love to see what you both come up with!

[Ruth]

Great idea and...Your Majesty...thanks for the mention.  Glad I could help out.   I know just what to make too!  Of course, knowing me, I'll probably change my mind 10 times between now and the writing.

[andtheeggs]

This will be fun!  I don't tend to procrastinate so I will work on a recipe this weekend.  Does it have to be a main dish?  My first time to play this kind of game, yeay!!

Jennifer

[andtheeggs]

My submission for the June Royal Foodie Joust !

Ingredients:
1 cup sliced almonds
3/4 stick butter
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup golden raisins
Camembert - small round 8.8 oz

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt 1/2 a stick of salted butter over low heat in a small saute pan and add almonds, toasting them until they're llight golden brown.  Remove from heat, add another 1/4 stick of butter and let it melt in the pan. 

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil and add dried apricots, cherries and raisins.   Boil for three to five minutes, until just softened.  Drain.

Place a sheet of foil on a cookie sheet, and place cheese on top.  Pile fruit on top of cheese and then pour almond and butter mixture over the whole thing. 

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until cheese is softened.  Serve immediately with mini toasts, or bread/cracker of your choice.

BON APPETIT!  Enjoy!     Try this recipe- it is fast and easy and if you like it, please vote for it on this forum!!

If you would like to see a series of photos, please visit www.andtheeggs.blogspot.com. 
A photo of the cheesy, fruity deliciousness just out of the oven is attached here!!

[uncledavros]

That looks so nice. Thankfully, I will be in France and Belgium this weekend, so you have enticed me to buy some camembert and give this a go

[Elly]

This is such a great idea. Thanks for hosting it!

I just posted my submission for the joust. You can view it on my blog: http://ellysaysopa.vox.com/library/post/bruschetta-pesto-trio.html

It's a bruschetta "pesto" trio.
- dried figs, goat cheese, pistachios and honey on ezekiel bread
- sundried tomato pesto (basil, pine nuts, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, sundried tomatoes, parmesan) on French crostini with balsamic vinegar
- dried cherries, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, pecans on cinnamon bread with chocolate



Can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with!

[roberto]

Elly!

Just reading about your dried cherries, cream cheese on cinnamon bread delicious creation made me get super hungry again!
I am sure it tastes amazing. I am going to ask Jenn to make them soon.

This site is going to get me some fatty fat.. everytime I browse the roll or the forum I want to eat it all

Roberto

[Ruth]

Interesting that so many of us came up with the idea of a spread of sorts.  They all look great and here's mine...

Crostini with Mascarpone, Currants & Hazelnuts
Inspired by Cucina Ebraica

Prep time: 5 minutes
Grill time: 3-4 minutes
Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:slices crusty multigrain bread (or whatever your favorite bread is), toasted or your favorite crackers
Cheese Spread:
½ cup mascarpone cheese
½ cup strong soft cheese (the recipe called for gorgonzola dolcelatte, which I couldn’t find so I bought some cream cheese spread with rum and hazelnuts)
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, peeled & coarsely chopped
¼ cup currants (actually I was looking for dried cherries, but couldn’t find any)

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine all the cheese topping ingredients and blend well.

2. Toast the bread slices and slather a thick layer of cheese spread on top. Or spread on your favorite crackers.

Serve and enjoy.

For more about this...http://onceuponafeast.blogspot.com/2007/06/crostini-with-mascarpone-currants.html

[Dharm]

When I first saw the ingredients for the Royal Food Joust, I immediately thought of making a chicken casserole with dried apricots, almonds and sprinkled with cheese.  Then I figured that may be pretty common so I thought of a cheesecake with an almond base and apricot filling.  Probably rather common too except for the nutty base.  Anyway, since my wife and daughter are great fans of cheesecake, I decided that I'd make something that they would like (hopefully) and submit it to the Joust and let all of you decide whether its worthy or not. 


Apricot Walnut Cheesecake with Almond Meringue Base

Base

3 Eggs whites
150 g castor sugar
150 g ground almonds

Filling
500 g Cream Cheese
4 eggs + 2 yolks (lightly beaten)
200 g castor sugar
3 tbs self raising flour
1 tbs corn flour
200 ml sour cream
200 ml thickened cream (unsweetened)
6 oz + 2 oz Dried Apricots
1 cup water

Praline
100g Walnuts
4 tbsp sugar

Method
Whip eggs whites and sugar till stiff.Fold in ground almonds.
Spread meringue mixture into a lined and greased springform
Bake in preheated 170C oven for about 40 minutes or till meringue is cooked.
Remove from oven and cool slightly. Remove springform and greaseproof paper from meringue. Allow to fully cool.

In a medium saucepan, combine 6oz dried apricots and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes so the apricots are soft and the water is almost absorbed. Remove from the heat and cool. Once cool, puree in a food processor.

Cream the sugar and cheese till light. Add in the sour cream and mix well. Add the beaten eggs a little at a time and continue beating till smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the cream until it forms soft soft peaks.

Fold in the sifted flour into the cheese mixture and add pureed apricots. Mix well and then fold in the whipped cream.

Place the almond meringue back in the springform tin and pour cheese mixture into pan. Bake for 20mins at 180C and then reduce heat to 160C and bake for another 40 mins or till done. Remove and let cool

While cake is baking, make the caramel by melting 4tbsp sugar with a little water and leaving it on high heat till it starts to burn and turn brown. Quikly add in the nuts and stir to combine. Pour out onto a baking tray to solidify - mixture will be lumpy. Chop remaining dried apricots as well.

Once cake is cooled, chop the praline and sprinkle over the cake together with chopped apricots. Place cake in fridge for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.


if you want to see more details and pictures, visit my blog at http://dad-baker.blogspot.com/2007/06/royal-foodie-joust-1.html

[marye]

I just made fresh cheve a couple of days ago..I am still working on it but I am thinking of chevre dessert empanadas...so I hope to get it done in the next couple of days..Do I get extra point for making my own chevre... 

[Queen]

Wow guys, I just have to comment that I just love all the creativity and results that are going into the Royal Foodie Joust! Keep those entries coming! I have really enjoyed all the entries so far and am looking forward to more to come!

[marye]

I did it! You can see the recipe and more pictures here:http://apronstringsandsimmeringthings.blogspot.com/2007/06/leftover-queens-foodie-joust-my.html

Chevre, Date, and Walnut Empanadas with Mango Rum Coulis


about a dozen
These have a tropical taste, sweet and tangy, flakey and rich..the combination of the flakey pastry and the smooth velvety mouth feel of the mango coulis is amazing. This is a party of tastes and textures.. I used homemade chevre, which is slightly sweeter and less dense than bought chevre, with less of the *goaty* flavor...You could substitute marscapone easily if you prefer.

Filling:

1 c chopped dates
1 c chopped walnuts
grated zest from 1 lemon
1 1/2 c chevre
1 c toasted coconut
1/2 c sugar
Mix well and set aside
Pastry:
2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c solid coconut oil
1/2 c unsalted butter
3/4 c sour milk or buttermilk..more if needed to make a biscuit type dough

mix dry ingredients. Cut in shortening and coconut oil until mixture is like coarse crumbs..add milk all at once and toss together with a fork until dough holds together. turn out onto a floured surface and knead lightly 5 or 6 times. ROll out about1/4 inch thick and cut with large round object..I used an clean sour cream container. Brush rounds with water, place 1 Tbs or so of filling in center and fold over, sealing filling inside with fork, pressing around the edges. Repeat until the filling and dough are gone..(I made 13 out of this recipe)
Fry 3 at a time in a deep fryer turned to 365. Turn once and remove when crust is golden and flakey looking. Drain on paper towels. Dust with confectioners sugar and serve warm with mango rum coulis

Mango Rum Coulis

1 mango, peelied, seeded and chopped.
1/4 c coco lopez cream of coconut
1/2 tsp rum extract or 1/4 c rum
water as needed to thin coulis if you use the extract

blend on high speed until smooth and liquid. Serve with empanadas.


 Thanks this was fun!

[Cris]

Congratulations on this wonderful idea Jenn! Here's my contribution for this month's joust:

Mixed Greens with Cashew Nut Dressing

You can also see the recipe here with additional pictures: http://fromourhometoyours-en.blogspot.com/2007/06/mixed-greens-with-cashew-nut-dressing.html


I picked a few ingredients that are common in Brazil, created this salad and named it Mixed Greens with Cashew Nut Dressing. The flavors blended so easily: cashew nuts and golden raisins for the dressing and grilled farmer's cheese with mixed greens for this Summer salad that was ready in a few minutes.

For the cashew nut dressing
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped cashew nuts
1 tablespoon raisins (I used golden raisins)
salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:
- Thick slices of farmer's cheese
- Mango slices
1 pound greens such as:
- Outer leaves of red cabbage
- Arugula
- Iceberg lettuce
- Cauliflower florets

Directions:
1) Start with the dressing: in a small bowl whisk all the ingredients until mixed.

2) Make a salad bowl with the outer leaves of the cabbage and add the arugula, the lettuce, the mango slices and the cauliflower florets. Add the cashew nut dressing and season with additional salt and pepper to taste. (Or, in a large bowl, place the mixed greens and add the cashew nut dressing, tossing gently until all the vegetables are evenly coated.)

3) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes (I used my George Foreman grill). Put thick slices of cheese in the skillet and cook for 2 minutes or until the undersides are golden brown. Add the cheese to the salad. Serve immediately.

More ideas...
- Use crêpes or flour tortillas and make wraps! Just spread the salad dressing down the center of each tortilla. Layer arugula, cauliflower florets, lettuce, mango and chopped cabbage over the dressing. Roll the tortilla around the other ingredients.
- You can also vary the type of greens you use to change the character of the salad.