Lunch Is Served: Senegalese Saladu Awooka ak Mango (Avocado-Mango Salad)

Generally speaking, I'm not someone who typically eats a salad for lunch. But yesterday I found myself craving a salad-- not lettuce or spinach based-- something with a little bit more heft. I saw this recipe for Saladu Awooka ak Mango in Saveur Magazine and since it's packed with avocados, I was pretty sure it would leave me feeling sated. 

The verdict on lunch? It was absolutely delicious and bursting with flavor. The Senegalese like eating this refreshing salad because it's a nice break from their traditional stews which tend to be much heavier. I thought it was the perfect lunch. It was just over 80 degrees in Denver yesterday, so light(er) was the way to go.

Making this salad reminded me that I really want to delve into West African cooking, though I think that this particular dish seems rather Caribbean too. And while I'm going the West African route, maybe I should try to cook my way through the whole continent! There's a ton of diversity in African cooking (from ingredients, spices, styles, influences, etc.), and that means that there are lots of options. I know that most people don't typically think of vegetarian fare when they think of Africa, but there are some really great national dishes that don't use meat. Well, okay, unless you are Masai (Maasai). They eat cow and...that's pretty much it. 

I travelled to Kenya and Tanzania a few years back, and actually had amazing vegetarian food-- thanks in large part to the sub-continental Indian community's influence on East African cuisine (many Indians were recruited to work on the British railway that connected points in Uganda to the Indian Ocean at Mombasa.)

Of course North African cooking (Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian and Egyptian) has some great options for vegetarians such as tagines, couscous and legume dishes. And there's Ethiopian food, one of my favorites...but I don't think I'm confident enough to start with that just yet.

So there you have it. My first West African post. I hope to explore more Senegalese dishes in the future. 

Happy eating!

Saladu Awooka ak Mango (Avocado-Mango Salad), Courtesy of Saveur Magazine, A Feast for All

Serves 4–6

INGREDIENTS

½ cup finely chopped parsley

¼ cup peanut or canola oil (I used peanut)

¼ cup fresh lime juice

2 tbsp. fresh orange juice

1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4" cubes (I went with 1/2 inch)

2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and cut into 1″ chunks

1 small navel orange, peeled and cut into segments (I only had half an orange left, so I used it)

2 tsp. unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk together 6 tbsp. parsley, oil, both citrus juices, jalapeño, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add mangoes and avocados, and toss gently to combine; cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate to meld flavors, about 1 hour. (I didn't chill it for an hour, and still thought that the avocado and mango soaked up the flavor.)

2. To serve, transfer avocado salad to a serving bowl; halve orange segments crosswise, and lay over salad. Sprinkle with remaining parsley, and coconut if using. Serve chilled.

Euclid Hall Inspiration, Grilled Cheese: Camembert with Pear Puree (And A Walk Through LoDo)

It was 5:30 in the afternoon (or should I say early evening) and the babysitter had arrived. We had a quick review of instructions/suggestions, said goodbye to the boys (in a very undramatic way) and we were out the door- very, very happy to spend a night out on the town. It is a rare occasion. 

We met two other couples for drinks at Peak's Lounge, a bar near the top of the Hyatt Hotel, which is known for its spectacular views of the city and the mountains. After a round, or was it two (?), it was time to head out for dinner, located about 8 blocks away. The restaurant, Euclid Hall, is one of three Jennifer Jasinski joints on or near Larimer Street. I was excited to try it. We didn't have reservations so the wait was pretty long. Not to worry though, we hit the bar. And as best as I can recollect, the drinks were excellent. I got the "Rosita"- Republic Blanco tequila, Campari, sweet vermouth, lavender simple syrup and lemon juice. It was an a** kicker...and very good.  

Euclid Hall is definitely not what I would call a vegetarian haven (it's motto is "Crafted, Not Cranked Out" and that refers to their sausage), but it had quite a few options for yours truly. I shared a mushroom poutine and the gingered spring vegetable were excellent. For my main I had a delicious sandwich-- "Griddled Camembert and Pear Preserve Sandwich" which was served with a red grape and basil salad, topped with a sherry vinaigrette.

When I got home I knew I was going to make something like it for lunch. The pairing of Camembert and pear is a really nice alternative to classic grilled cheese. And with the Denver Bread Company a short walk from my house, I can get fresh (amazing) artisanal bread in a snap!  

As for the cheese, I picked up a really delicious Camembert from my local cheese shop, St. Killian's. The people who work there are so incredibly nice.

I found a recipe for pear puree on Epicurious and went with it. It takes about an hour to cook the pears down, but there's very little hands-on time, and it can be made up to 2 days in advance. 

I made these sandwiches on Saturday, the day we were supposed to do an early morning walk of  Lower Downtown (LoDo) Historic District. (Our walk was postponed until later in the afternoon because the Colorado Rockies were playing a game on Saturday and the stadium is located at the end of LoDo....I didn't know the game was going on during our initial descent from the Highlands). 

I've found that LoDo is relatively quiet during the weekend compared to the weekdays when it's pretty crowded. But baseball season has started and the fans were out. Available parking was pretty much non-existent, so we drove back home, walked to our local playground, napped and then ventured back out to LoDo once the crowds died down. We walked around for about an hour and a half, and it was a really nice way to spend the late-afternoon.

If I had to think of someplace that is comparable to LoDo, I think I would probably say the Warehouse District in New Orleans. In fact, I think the two are pretty similar. 

LoDo has some great loft spaces, excellent restaurants, lively bars and some breweries (Wynkoop Brewing Company) too. There's Union Station, which is under repair, and The Tattered Cover-- an amazing independently-run book store. I took a few shots of the neighborhood to give you a sense of our walking tour, but the area is much larger than what I was able to cover on foot yesterday... enjoy! 

Oh, if you want more information on the District, you can take a Denver Microbrew Tour!

Not the best picture of said sandwich...but by the time I uploaded the photos, the grilled cheese was already done...so a re-shoot was not an option!

Roasted Pear Puree (Courtesy of Epicurious)
(I had enough puree for 4 sandwiches)
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
• 8 Bosc pears, peeled, quartered, cored

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine honey, lemon juice, and melted butter in large bowl. Add pears; toss to coat. Arrange pears in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast pears 30 minutes. Turn pears to coat with juices and roast until very tender, about 35 minutes longer. Transfer pears and caramelized liquids to food processor; blend until smooth. (Pear puree can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Assembly
1. Cut two slices of bread, each about 1/2 inch thick.
2. Put a generous amount of pear puree on each sandwich (1/4 of the puree for each sandwich).
3. Add three thin slices of Camembert per sandwich (Camembert has a very rich and intense flavor, so you don't need to use a lot.)
4. Close sandwich and brush olive oil on each side.
5. Heat in a panini press/sandwich maker until the bread is golden brown and the cheese has melted.
6. Eat! 
This really is a very nice alternative to classic grilled cheese. Thanks Euclid Hall for the inspiration. I'll be back soon to see what else you've got! 

* * *

I had a good deal of bread left over the next day, so I made these Parmesan-Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches . And, after that, I still had bread left over. (It was a loaf of considerable size!) So I made some fresh pea crostinis and turned the rest of the bread into croutons for Cauliflower Soup with Mustard Croutons. 

* * * 

Art installation

Lentil "Meatballs" with Lemon Pesto

The hunt was on for a good vegetarian entree recipe. I wanted  something relatively light, not too time consuming to make and I wanted it to be pasta-free. Not that there's anything wrong with pasta.  As I've mentioned before, pasta is kind of my go-to, my default, and sometimes I have to dig a little deeper in order to get some variety in my diet. I came across this recipe for Lentil Meatballs on SproutedKitchen, which I had also pinned a few weeks ago. I checked my pantry and wouldn't you know, there, staring up at me, was a big bag of French green lentils. Dinner was on. 
I liked the texture of these meatballs and unlike The Meatball Shop's vegetarian balls (which are awesome), these are smoother because the lentils are pureed. {The two recipes also use different ingredients and are topped with different sauces.} 
If you are someone who likes Meatless Monday this is a really nice recipe to have in your rotation. Now for me, everyday is Meatless Monday. That's because I've been a vegetarian for, I can't believe it's been so long, 26 years. I can't recall if I ever explained how I became a vegetarian on this blog, but I'll try to give you the story in a paragraph or two...

The year was 1986 and I was turning 10 years old. There were two things I wanted for my birthday-  Little Orphan Annie drapes and a dog. I really wanted a dog. I didn't care what kind or what size. A mutt from the local shelter would have done it. Now my parents are incredibly loving people, but I wouldn't say they are known for their affection towards animals. In fact my mother was terrified of dogs at that time.* And so that year, for my 10th birthday, I got two goldfish. Nary a dog in sight. 
I named the goldfish Romeo and Juliette and they lived in a little fish bowl right next to my bed. The bowl had some colored gravel, a little ceramic sign that said "No Fishin'"and a straggly weed that bobbed up and down. I loved those fish. 

After a most unfortunate accident (I filled the water up too high), Juliette died (she jumped out of the bowl). I was devastated. And I felt responsible. I sat shiva, buried her in a box in our backyard and mourned the loss. I wore black. And that was the day I decided I would never eat fish again. Meat was out of my diet a short while later. Then chicken disappeared from my diet when I was in college. 

Being a vegetarian is just how I roll. I never feel limited and I eat from almost every cuisine on the planet. But I'm not here to proselytize, so let me stop where I am...
Back to the balls. They hit the spot. The lemon pesto dressing gives the dish a really nice pop. It's a great pairing. 
So make these meatballs for Meatless Monday, or any old day...

{The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook comes out August 28th. I can't wait to get my hands on it.}

* Postscript: I eventually adopted a wonderful Rottweiler named Omar...only 14 years after my 10th birthday. He came from the LASPCA in New Orleans. He's been with us for 13 years (knock on wood) and he is loved. 

Lentil "Meatballs" (Adapted (barely) from The Sprouted Kitchen, adapted from In Jennie's Kitchen) 
Serves 4, Makes 18 small balls** 
Ingredients
2 cups cooked lentils (I used about about 1 1/4 cups of dried French green lentils , put them in a medium saucepan and covered them in a few inches of cold water. I brought the water to a boil, then lowered the flame to a simmer. Cooked, partially covered, until the lentils were tender. This gave me a little bit more than 2 cups cooked.) 
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup Ricotta
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
Hefty pinch of dried thyme
1 teaspoon each sea salt and black pepper 
2/3 cup breadcrumbs (I used Panko- Japanese breadcrumbs)
Lemon Pesto Sauce (Courtesy of The Sprouted Kitchen)
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup pinenuts 
Zest and juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup packed basil leaves 
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons water to thin

Preparation
In a food processor, pulverize the lentils into mush. Put them in a large mixing bowl.
Add the beaten eggs, ricotta, parmesan, garlic, fennel seed, parlsey, thyme, salt and pepper and stir to mix well. Stir in the breadcrumbs and let the mix sit for 20 minutes.
For the pesto sauce, put the garlic, nuts, lemon zest and juice and salt in a food processor or blender and run until smooth. Add in the basil leaves and olive oil until you get a smooth, sauce-like consistency. Add water, oil or lemon juice to thin as desired. Stir in the parmesan and set aside. The sauce will keep covered in the fridge for about a week.
Preheat the oven to 400'. Check the lentil mix by rolling a 1'' round ball between your palms, it should hold together fairly well. If it seems pretty wet and it falling apart, stir in another Tbsp. or two of breadcrumbs until the ball with stay together.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the mix into balls and line them up on a baking sheet (they don't need lots of space between, they won't spread). If you like a bit more of a crust, brush them with olive oil.
Bake on the middle rack for 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden brown, gently turning the balls over halfway through baking. Remove to cool slightly.
Serve with your favorite noodles, on a bed of sauteed greens, or simply on their own with a nice drizzle of the pesto sauce.

** For some reason I got 25 balls out of this recipe, and because of that, I didn't have enough sauce. I divided the meatballs into two groups- the first 18 were coated with the lemon pesto and the rest were topped with my homemade marinara.  

Home Is Where The Heart Is: Almond Olive-Oil Cake (Torta di Mandorla)

This past weekend our very good friends moved into their new home. It's hard to convey how much I love their new abode, but I will try...
It's perfect. It's a wooden house built just after the turn of the last century. It has gorgeous molding, a built in bookcase and stunning hardwood floors- tons of  charm and character that you just don't see in generic new-builds. The rooms have tons of light. And there's an outdoor landing that's just begging for a porch swing.  The kitchen has tons of storage, great light, and it opens up into a really large garden. I haven't purchased their housewarming gift yet, but I'm feeling like a bocce ball set or a yard bowling kit might be in order.
I know Denver is nothing like New Orleans, but for some reason the Berkeley District (which is where they bought) really reminds me of my old stomping ground in New Orleans. Maybe it's the friendliness of the people. The small garden plots. The quirkiness of the place. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but my husband thought the same thing...so that confirms it.
Our friends moved in on Saturday, but no one was really relying on me to do any heavy lifting since I had Otis and Theodore to watch over. I thought a nice contribution on my part would be some homemade cake! 
I had been craving olive oil cake ever since I had some at Spuntino about a month ago. Yes, in case you are wondering, the memory of a great dessert can linger on my brain for well over 30 days. So, there I was-- determined to make an olive oil cake and searching through recipes and then I found the perfect one. It's from Gina DePalma, the brilliant pastry chef at Babbo. (She also makes one of my favorite cakes--  Zucchini Olive-Oil Cake with Crunchy Lemon Glaze. It's seriously amazing.) I found this recipe for Almond Olive-Oil cake on Serious Eats. I had a big bag of almonds in the pantry too, so that sealed the deal. 
Notes on the cake: I made my own almond flour by grinding the almonds in the food processor. I stopped pulsing them once they turned into a floury consistency. If you process them too much, the oil from the almonds can make the flour a bit clumpy...so under grind if you aren't sure. 
Notes on the glaze: I toasted the almonds in the oven for 4 minutes at 350 degrees.
Also, I didn't have any almond extract in the house (the recipe call for 1/4 teaspoon). I don't think the cake was any less delicious. There was still tons of nutty flavor. 
Enjoy!

Almond Olive Oil Cake/Torta di Mandorla (Recipe Courtesy of Gina DePalma via Serious Eats)
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup blanched or natural almond flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract (I omitted this extract because I didn't have any around...)
Grated zest of 1 medium lemon or 1/4 a medium orange
1/2 cup orange juice

For Glaze:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
A few drops of fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced, blanched almonds, toasted and cooled

Procedures

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt to thoroughly combine them and set aside.
• Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk them lightly to break up the yolks. Add the sugar to the bowl and whisk it in thoroughly in both directions for about 30 seconds. Add the olive oil and whisk until the mixture is a bit lighter in color and has thickened slightly, about 45 seconds. Whisk in the extracts and zest, followed by the orange juice.
• Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and whisk until they are thoroughly combined; continue whisking until you have a smooth, emulsified batter, about 30 more seconds.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake the cake for 30 to 45 minutes, rotating the cake pan halfway through the cooking time to ensure even browning. The cake is done when it has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan, springs back lightly when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Allow the cake to cool for ten minutes in the pan, then gently remove it from the pan and allow it cool completely on a rack.
• While the cake cools, make the glaze. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small, heavy saucepan. When the bubbles subside, lower the heat and watch the butter carefully, swirling it in the pan occasionally to distribute the heat. When the butter begins to turn a light tan color and smells slightly nutty, turn off the heat and let the butter sit. It will continue to darken as it sits.
• While the butter cools, sift the confectioner's sugar into a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk until completely smooth but thick, then slowly whisk in the butter. Taste the glaze and add a few drops of lemon juice to balance the sweetness. Stir in the toasted almonds. Spread the almonds and glaze onto the top and sides of the cake and let it sit until set and dry.

And after having three, I mean one, slice of cake, it was time to move out. The boys started to crash and nap time was imminent. I decided to put Theo in the carrier, Otis in the stroller, and walk around this quiet residential neighborhood. Birds were chirping, the sun was out, people were hanging out on their porches drinking and conversing. And me? I just walked around thinking about how nice this place is...and thought about the time when I owned my home, in a similar kind of neighborhood, miles away, way down in New Orleans....
Now, I am not exactly an expert on Denver architecture, but I do think, that as a casual observer (and historic walking tour devotee), I can make certain generalizations about Denver's neighborhoods and their associated architectural styles. For example, Lower Downtown (LoDo) living makes me think of loft conversions and big spaces with high ceilings. Country Club and Cherry Creek conjure up stately turn-of-the-century mansions on generous plots of land. When I think of the Highlands I think of Victorian homes, modern "in-fills" and American bungalows. Capital Hill? I might say the Denver Square, also known as the Prairie House. And after walking around the Berkeley neighborhood, I think that cottages and bungalows are the most frequent styles of architecture I came across . They are cute, practical and just the right size. 

               

The Tennyson Street business district, which runs through the Berkeley neighborhood from 38th to 46th Avenue, has tons of great, independently owned shops. Some of my favorites include: The Bookery Nook (there's a Lik's Ice Cream parlor inside in case you are looking for a little something sweet), Mod es Tea, The Comfort Cafe and Parisi. I've drooled over the decor options at the Covered Wallpaper. And I've eaten one cookie too many (maybe not!) at Cake. Axios is on my list of places to try and I pray that My Sweet Bakery returns (it closed following a landlord dispute). There are antique shops and some consignment stores. An old-school men's barbershop called Proper. There's Hops and Pie- which serves pizza and has a beer selection that many would envy. (If you are looking for Mexican food, you've got a bunch of options on 38th Avenue right off of Tennyson.) There's a yoga studio, a super-cute baby store and some really great breakfast joints. Right... there are also a few medical marijuana boutiques on the street-- you really can't make this stuff up. Right off the strip at Tennyson and 44th Avenue is the Oriental Theater, which I went to for the first time over Earth Day weekend. Gallery and restaurant doors are open late on the first Friday of every month (Tennyson Art Walk), and there are tons of upcoming events such as A Taste of Tennyson and TotallyTennison, which benefits NW Denver Public Schools... you should stop by if you are in the hood. 

          

Photos With The 50mm.

Pictures tell the story...