I wanted to share my favorite recipe for BBQ sauce in time for Labor Day grilling this weekend.  I know there are a few decent varieties of BBQ sauce available in the grocery store, but once you make it yourself you may never want store-bought again.  Which is ok because from start to finish, it’s less than 30 minutes until you are (or the grillmaster in your house is) in BBQ sauce heaven. 

BBQ Sauce

(Yield:  About 1 c)

1 c pomegranate juice (such as POM Wonderful)

1/2 c apple cider vinegar

1/3 c lemon juice

3 oz tomato paste

1/3 c plus 1 TB brown sugar, lightly packed

1 clove garlic, peeled and cracked

1-inch piece ginger

1 bay leaf

1 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down to low and simmer (uncovered) until thickened and reduced by half (about 25 minutes).  Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve; store in the fridge.

I have been drinking cold-brewed iced tea all summer and I cannot believe I only just now thought to share it with all of you.  You probably already have a favorite recipe for iced tea, but if you haven’t tried cold brewing it yet I highly recommend it.  It’s a wink and a nod to Sun Tea, which was my favorite summertime drink as a child (but without the risk of food poisoning that Sun Tea has), and I think it’s the perfect way to enjoy the last few days of summer.  With any luck warm weather will carry into autumn, but if not there’s always next summer.  ;)

On a warm day, refreshment does not come in any purer form than a tall glass of iced tea.  This classic beverage is a smooth, crisp and complex symphony of subtle flavors, and if brewed properly, a form of art.  The best way to minimize the bitterness of tea and bring out all its various flavor notes is to cold-brew it.  The process of cold-brewing tea may seem to be as easy as combining tea and water and refrigerating, but there are a few nuances.  Here is the method I use to cold-brew tea.

Step 1:  To start, you will need a vessel in which to brew the tea.  A lidded glass jug works well, as the glass prevents odors from being absorbed. 

Step 2:  The amount of tea you use depends on how strong you like your tea.  If using loose leaf tea, a good rule of thumb is to use one tablespoon of tea per eight ounces of water.  If using tea bags, use one tea bag per eight ounces of water.  You can mix and match as many different kinds of tea as you want, or you can add spices, herbs or fruit for flavor.  A few of my favorite combinations are black tea with fresh rosemary and lemon peel, white tea with blueberries (be sure to wash and chop the blueberries before adding), and green tea with mint.  I have even made iced chai tea with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cardamom, black peppercorns, and vanilla bean.

Step 3:  Always use purified water so that the flavor of the tea can shine through.  The water should be room temperature or slightly chilled.

Step 4:  To make the tea, combine the tea leaves or bags and water with any spices, herbs or fruit you want in a glass container and refrigerate 12 to 24 hours (depending on your taste preference).  If you want, you can give the jug a gentle swirl from time to time while brewing, but it is not necessary.  Sample the tea at different times during the brewing process to see how its flavor develops; you may notice more pronounced flavor highlights at different times. 

Step 5:  After the tea is brewed, strain it through a fine mesh sieve and if desired, add the sweetener of your choice.  It is best to use a liquid sweetener, such as honey, simple syrup, agave nectar, or maple syrup.  Using a liquid sweetener ensures that it completely dissolves in the tea and without leaving the grainy texture that sugar can have.  In the black tea combination I mentioned above, (black tea, fresh rosemary, and lemon peel) I add maple syrup to compliment the woodsy flavor of the rosemary.  Milk is not typically added to iced tea (except for iced chai), but of course, make it to suite your tastes.

Each brew of tea is delicate and unique, making it a masterpiece in its own right.  A hot afternoon, a cold glass of iced tea, and a symphony of flavors work wonders for refreshing the soul.

I’ve only just recently started eating quinoa and I can tell you that I’ve been missing out.  Quinoa is one of those foods you know nature intended you to eat because of how healthy it is.  Quinoa is an ancient food native to South America that was referred to as “the gold of the Incas”.  It is usually thought of as a grain, but it is actually a seed that is related to leafy green vegetables like spinach. 

Some of the benefits of quinoa include:*

• Easily digestible and gluten-free
• Acts as a prebiotic, feeding the good bacteria (microflora) in your intestines
• Complete protein, which means that it contains all 8 amino acids
• Great source of fiber
• High levels of magnesium, which helps to relax your muscles and blood vessels
• Good source of manganese and copper, which act as antioxidants and help your body get rid of carcinogens

Quinoa is as easy to cook as rice, but does require soaking to remove the bitter saponin coating.  Most commercially processed quinoa has already had the saponin coating removed, but I like to give it a short soak to help remove any residual bitterness.  I soak quinoa in cold water or 15 minutes, then transfer it to a fine mesh sieve and give it a thorough rinse with cold water; after that I cook it as I would cook rice. 

Peachy Keen Quinoa Porridge

(Yield:  1 serving)

1/4 c quinoa

3/4 c water

1 medium peach, diced (I didn’t peel mine)

1/8 tsp cinnamon

Pinch salt

1/2 c plain soy or almond milk

1 tsp honey (more or less to taste)

Soak the quinoa in cold water for 15 minutes.  Strain it through a fine mesh sieve, then thoroughly rinse it under cold running water.  Transfer the quinoa, 3/4 c water, diced peach, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to a small/medium saucepan with a lid.  Bring to a boil over medium heat with the lid off; once it boils, give it a stir, cover it, and turn the heat down to a gentle simmer.  Cook for 14 minutes, add the milk, turn up the heat slightly, and cook (uncovered) until it reaches your desired consistency.  Add honey to taste and serve hot.

*The health benefits of quinoa listed here are from The World’s Healthiest Foods and Body Ecology.

Sweets are abundant during Ramadan (at least in my in-laws’ family).  Date and walnut-filled cookies called Ma’moul are traditional, but pretty much any and every type of sweets abound.  I remember my sister-in-law making Atayif (pancake-like sweets that are stuffed with nuts, cream, or cheese) almost every night during Ramadan (she was so good at it – they were seriously addictive!). 

Last year I made Date Bar Cookies; I was hoping to master the art of Ma’moul before this Ramadan, but sadly this still hasn’t happened yet so I won’t be sharing that recipe with you.  However, Mike asked for cream-filled pastries called Warbat bil Ashta, which are relatively easy to make and incredibly delicious. 

Mike didn’t have a recipe for Warbat (and surprisingly I couldn’t find a good recipe for it on the internet), but he described the pastries to me so I could use trial and error to come up with the method.  In the final version (which, believe me, was after a few failed attempts) I wrapped the pastries the same way I would if I were making samosas or sambousek with phyllo dough.  Finally success!  Mike said the end result looked and tasted exactly as he remembered it back in Syria.

(I’ll admit, the only reason I’m familiar with the method for making samosas and/or sambousek out of phyllo dough is because when I was a kid, in school during class our preferred method of passing notes was through the use of what we called “paper footballs”, which could easily fly unnoticed across a classroom.)

Paper Football Made out of a Dollar Bill (Image Source)

I didn’t have a recipe for the cream filling (ashta) either, but I remembered Joumana making it not too long ago on her beautiful blog, Taste of Beirut.  Thank you, Joumana, for sharing your lovely recipe, and for saving me the trouble of trial and error in making ashta!

Ashta

Arabic Cream-Filled Pastries (Warbat bil Ashta)

(Yield:  About 24 pastries)

Cream Filling (Ashta) (see below)

Sugar Syrup (see below)

1 lb phyllo dough (13 by 13-inch sheets)

1/2 c ghee (clarified butter), melted (plus a little more to brush on top if necessary)

2 TB pistachios, very finely chopped (for garnish)

Cream Filling (Ashta) (Yields about 2 c) (Adopted slightly from Taste of Beirut):

2 c milk

2 oz (about 2 slices) American-style white bread, crusts removed and cubed

3 TB tsp cornstarch

1 tsp rose water

1 tsp orange blossom water

Sugar Syrup:

3/4 c sugar

3/4 c water

1/2 tsp rose water

1/2 tsp orange blossom water

1/2 tsp lemon juice

Baking sheets

Silpat liners or parchment paper

Pastry brush

For the Cream Filling:  In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the bread and 1 c milk, making sure that the bread is completely immersed in the milk.  Transfer the saucepan to the fridge so the bread can soak for 30 minutes (or up to 12 hours).  After the bread has soaked, in a separate bowl, stir together the cornstarch with the remaining cup of milk.  Cook the soaked bread/milk mixture on medium heat until it simmers (stirring frequently with a whisk).  Whisk in the cornstarch slurry, bring the mixture up to a boil, then boil for 1 minute.  Turn off the heat and add the rose water and orange blossom water.  Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled to let the cream fully thicken.

For the Sugar Syrup:  Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring it up to a boil, then turn the heat down and let it simmer until thickened slightly (about 15 minutes), stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and stir in the rose water, orange blossom water, and lemon juice; set aside to cool. 

To Make the Pastries:  If you’re using frozen phyllo dough, let it thaw in the fridge overnight.  Preheat the oven to 350F and line your baking sheets with silpat liners or parchment paper.  Have the melted ghee and pastry brush ready, along with the ashta and a tablespoon-sized measuring spoon.  Unwrap the phyllo and arrange it in a stack in front of you. 

Using the pastry brush, brush melted ghee on the top half of the phyllo sheet that’s on the top of the stack; fold the sheet in half, bringing the unbuttered side on top of the buttered side.  On the sheet that you just folded over, brush ghee across the top half of it (the long way).  Fold the sheet in half again, bringing the unbuttered side on top of the buttered side.  You will be left with a long, thin rectangle, about 13 inches wide and 3 1/4 inches tall.

Place 1 TB of ashta on the left corner of one end of the rectangle.  Flip the right corner up over the ashta on the left corner, then continue to fold it over onto itself from one side to another.  You will be left with a little triangle.  Brush the top with ghee and place it on the prepared baking sheet.  Continue this way until all the dough is made (you will get about 24 pastries).

Bake the pastries until golden and crispy, about 18-20 minutes (rotating the baking sheets once halfway through).  (Be sure not to overcook, since this will cause the ashta to ooze out.)  When you take them out of the oven, drizzle each of the hot pastries with about 1-2 tsp of the cooled Sugar Syrup and sprinkle the pistachios on top.  (You will probably have a little leftover Sugar Syrup – you can use this to sweeten beverages such as tea or coffee, or to drizzle over grilled stone fruit.)

At the peak of corn season when fresh, local corn is at its finest, my favorite way to eat it is steamed on the cob.  I may add a touch of salt or butter, but other than that it needs nothing else.  After I’ve had my fill of eating corn on the cob this way for countless meals, I like to switch it up a little and look for different ways to make it.  This dish was inspired by a recipe I came across last winter in an Indian cookbook that I had bookmarked to make during corn season. 
The sauce has deep flavor from the onions and complexity from the spices.  It’s creamy and looks absolutely indulgent, but is actually yogurt-based and completely healthy.  I thought the sauce was a great pair with the corn’s sweetness.  As delicious as this sauce was with corn, during corn season I still prefer my old standby of fresh, steamed corn on the cob.  If you find you’re in the mood for a new way to eat corn, this is definitely worth a try though.  Also, I think it would be a great way to dress up frozen corn in the middle of winter.
 
A Note on Heating Yogurt:  Be sure to mix the yogurt into ingredients that are completely cooled and then heat it gently over low heat.  However, even if you do everything right your yogurt can still curdle.  (Such is the nature of yogurt.)  Mine did.  The good news is that this is one kitchen crisis that is easily solved.  Just mix together 1/2 TB cornstarch and 1 TB cold water; add this mixture to the sauce and bring the sauce up to a simmer, then remove from heat and proceed as normal.

Roasted Corn with Indian-Spiced Yogurt Sauce  (Adapted from Best Ever Indian Cookbook)

(Yield:  4 servings)

4 ears of corn on the cob, husks removed

2 TB canola oil, divided

1 small-medium onion, grated

1 clove garlic, grated

1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp chili powder

2 curry leaves*

1/4 c plus 2 TB plain, low-fat yogurt

1/2 TB cornstarch mixed with 1 TB cold water**

Salt and pepper

1 scallion, thinly sliced (optional, for garnish)

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Cut each ear of corn into 2 pieces, then toss the corn with 1 TB canola oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Roast at 425F for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350F and roast 20 minutes.  Flip the corn a couple times (or carefully give the pan a good shake) while cooking.

In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, combine the remaining 1 TB oil with the onion, garlic, ginger, sugar, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, curry leaves, 1/4 tsp salt, and a pinch of pepper.  Cook until thickened and browned (about 10-12 minutes), stirring occasionally.  Cool the onion mixture, then stir in the yogurt.  Cook on low heat until warm, stirring frequently.

If your sauce curdles, whisk in the cornstarch slurry, bring to a simmer (stirring constantly), then remove from heat and continue as normal.**

Taste the sauce and add salt, pepper, and/or sugar as desired.  Serve the corn topped with the sauce.  Sprinkle the sliced scallion on top if desired.

*Curry leaves are available at Asian markets.

**You will only need the cornstarch slurry if your yogurt curdles.