Grazin on Grecian Fusion - Greek Cups

OK, I will admit, the only thing that is "Asian" about this recipe is the wonton wrappers, the rest of it is pretty Greek. Be that as it may, these are a quick and delicious appetizer for your dinner party. This was originally a Pampered Chef recipe I stole from a friend. It has suffered a couple of modifications but nothing too earth shaking. The original just wasn't quite "Mediterranean" enough for me. ;)

If you have more time, then these are even better when you forgo the wonton and use Phyllo dough. Simply layer about 4 or 5 sheets together after brushing each sheet with butter, then cut the resulting layered sheet into 3 inch squares, then press those into the mini-muffin tin.

Greek Cups

24 small wonton wrappers (3-inch squares)
1 can Artichoke Hearts, chopped (not the marinated kind)
1/4 cup Roasted Red Pepper, chopped
1/3 cup Kalamata Olives, chopped
1/4 cup grated Myzithra
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 cup Homemade Mayonnaise (I substituted 1/4 with Hazelnut oil)
zest of 1/2 Lemon

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Press wonton wrappers into Mini-Muffin Pan.

Drain artichoke hearts and pat them dry.

Chop Artichoke Hearts, Roasted Red Peppers and Kalamata Olives.

Place in a small bowl and add grated Myzithra and crushed Garlic, then toss together.

Add Mayonnaise and Lemon Zest, stirring to combine.

Spray the wonton dough lightly with a olive oil.
Using a small scoop (1 TB size), fill the cups, 1 scoop to each wonton cup.

Bake 12-14 minutes.

Let cool in pan for 2 minutes.

Remove carefully and serve warm.

Mangia!!
~~

Rangoon Swoon – Tuna & Salmon Rangoons

I would crack the joke about being on a see food diet… (I see food, I eat it... Hardee Har Har) But I really DO love Sea Food… I even tried being Pescatarian at one point, although I started suffering from iodine overload and my Naturopath insisted I return to a more omnivorous way of eating. Be that as it may, I still have a fondness for all things from the waters of the planet -- Fish, Seafood & Shellfish. (OK, maybe not Sea Slug, but you get the idea). Dungeness and King Crab are at the top of the list along with Chinook Salmon, Olympia Oysters and Sea Scallops; all of which increase in price, exponentially, once you leave the vicinity of the Pacific NW Coast. Thus, in San Diego, I VERY rarely can afford GOOD Salmon or King Crab. Which is sad, because one of my favorite appetizers is a good Crab Rangoon…

Now, all that aside, have you ever had one of those V8 moments? You know, when you smack your forehead and say, “WOW! I could have had a V8” or “YOW! Maybe I shouldn’t have stuck a fork in the toaster”. Thus was the case the other day. No, I don’t mean the fork in the toaster thing. You see, I was reading my friend Bob’s blog… Do you know Bob? He cooks stuff. In fact, his blog is called “Cooking Stuff”, you should check it out. This dude is not only ingenious, but extremely industrious as well. He actually made Won Ton skins… I must, at this point, bow to his pastry prowess, for I would never even attempt such a thing. My forays into the world of Won Ton skin extends to a trip to the grocery store and a visit to the refrigerated section to obtain a package of prefab wrappers. What had me smacking my forehead though, was his inspired usage of said Won Ton. He made Rangoons, which are awesome to begin with, right? Well, it gets better... This is where the inspired part comes in... he used Tuna and Alouette. Absolute genius!! Thus it was, as I was picking my jaw up off the floor over the homemade Won Ton, that I smacked my forehead with the palm of my hand exclaiming, "WOW! I could have had a Tuna Rangoon". Especially with good crab at such a premium and let’s face it… Rangoons are really all about the deep fried cheese anyway… ;)

So thanks to Bob’s ability to think outside the box, or rather, the shell, I have been enjoying a delicious avant-garde version of the standard Crab Rangoon (I also tried Lemon Pepper Salmon – AWESOME!!)

Rangoons

Won Ton Skins
1 beaten Egg White
1 can of Tuna or Salmon, even those little Salad Shrimp or chopped Smoked Oysters
6 oz Cream Cheese, Alouette, Boursin or even 3 oz Mascarpone with 3 oz Silver Goat
Optional - Herbs of your choice (I added ginger to the Tuna)
Lots and Lots o' Peanut oil heated to 375 degrees

Drain the canned seafood product (I happened to have picked up a can of Yellowfin with Garlic – it was on sale)

Place it in a bowl with Cream cheese or Alouette and mix it together with your herbs.

Lay out your Won Ton Skins,

and place 1 level TB of the filling in the middle and brush the edges with Egg white.

Bring the cross corners together.

Then fold up 1 side, pressing as much air out as possible.

Then fold up the final side, again, trying to get as much air out as possible.

(I can’t actually remember what they are suppose to look like, this is only an approximation from what I remember the last time I ordered them in a restaurant)

Once you have completed your Rangoons (I got 15 from each batch)

Grab something you can lower the Rangoons into the hot oil with (This is actually an old egg whisk of my grandmothers)

Lower them into the hot oil a few at a time.

Remove when golden brown, only about 30-45 seconds, and drain on a paper towel.

Let cool slightly before tearing into them, cause hot cheese sticks and continues to burn (I know, cause I lost 3 layers off the roof of my mouth – DOH!!)

It is extremely important that you get as much air out of them as possible, or they will float too high in the oil and not brown evenly.

The one on the left is one where I didn’t get all the air out. Oops!

For more tasty Won Ton goodness, you should check out Bob’s Apple Pot stickers.

Mangia!!
~~

Wonton Traverses The Khyber Pass - Aushak

I was first exposed to Afghan cuisine at a restaurant called Khyber Pass. This is my attempt at one of their dishes called Aushak. It's a delicious combination of flavor and texture. From the spicy leek wonton dumplings, to the hearty meat sauce (similar to a ragù) all offset by the minty chill of a yogurt sauce. Hey, any dish that has TWO sauces is all right by me... :)

The nice thing about this dish is that it can all be prepared ahead of time and stored. The Aushak freeze beautifully and the sauces will hold in the refrigerator for at least 48 hours. It may seem a little daunting at first, due to it's three parts, but they are simple to prepare, and your efforts will be greatly rewarded.

Aushak

Yogurt Sauce
1 cup Greek style yogurt
2 tsp crushed garlic
1/4 cup Fresh Mint; Chopped
1/4 tsp dried Dill
1/2 tsp salt

Place all the ingredients in a bowl,

Stir, cover, and chill.


Meat Sauce
1 Onion; finely diced
Olive Oil
3/4 lb Ground Beef (I used Ground veal cause it was what was in the freezer)
3 cloves of Garlic; finely diced
1 1/4 tsp ground Coriander
1 tsp Mace or 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
3/4 tsp ground Ginger
1/4 cup Cilantro; chopped
1/2 cup of Beef Stock or Water (you might not need it all)
4 TB Tomato paste
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Sauté the onions in olive oil until soft.

Add Beef, Garlic, Coriander, Mace, Ginger and Cilantro; sauté until cooked.

Add 1/4 a cup of the Beef Stock and simmer slowly until the Stock is reduced by half.

Stir in the tomato sauce, add salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for five more minutes.

Add more Stock if the mix starts to look dry.
It should be as thick as a Ragù alla Bolognese (thick but not dry).

Cover and set aside in refrigerator.
The meat will absorb the flavors while resting

Dumplings
1 bunch of Green Onions, Green Parts ONLY and chopped finely
2 cups sliced Leeks; white and light green parts
Olive oil
1/4 cup Cilantro; chopped
1 tsp dried Chili Flakes or 1 inch Red Pepper Paste
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Black pepper
1/2 pkg Wonton Skins
1 egg, lightly beaten and mixed with a teaspoon of water (wonton glue)

Sweat leeks and green onions gently in oil until soft but not brown.

Meanwhile, combine cilantro, salt, pepper, and red pepper flake.

When leeks are soft, add them to the cilantro mixture and toss.

Place a teaspoon of filling on a wrapper, dab the edges of the wrapper with a thin layer of egg, fold the wrapper onto itself to form a triangle, and press firmly to seal.

Dust dumplings with flour and place on a flour sprinkled baking sheet.

Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap until ready to cook.
You can also freeze the aushak on the tray, then move them to a freezer bag and return to the freezer for several months.

Bringing it ALL together
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Place Beef sauce over low heat to rewarm.
Drop Aushak into boiling water, cooking for 1 minute if fresh and 2-3 minutes if frozen.
Drain Aushak and move to a plate.
Spoon warmed meat sauce and chilled yogurt sauce over them, in any configuration you like, from complicated, like above, or simple like below.


Mangia!!
~~