Watercress, Seckel Pear, and Brie Salad: Safe to Serve for Company

I don't think there is a cheese that my father doesn't like. He once received a pungent, powerfully-smelly Italian cheese from a friend; he described it as: "Good. Very tasty. With the smell though, you could never serve it for company, but if it's just for close family, yeah, it's good."

It certainly didn't stop him, or my family, from eating it.

At my house we ate a lot of cheese -- as a appetizer, on dishes, after dinner, or just for a snack. Unlike Reggiano-Parmesan and Grana Padano, brie was not a staple cheese growing up, but it's a staple in our refrigerator now.

In fact, there is currently a wheel of brie made from goat's milk in my refrigerator courtesy of Steve at Ile de France, (he has no idea how happy he has made Jeff). It has a remarkably silky texture and pleasingly tart flavor.

Though most typically served as an appetizer with crackers and cured meats, or baked into a puff pastry, brie is quite versatile. It enlivens paninis, enriches pastas, and makes delectable crostini and quesadillas. For a rustic dessert, pair it with nuts and fresh fruit such as grapes, figs, dates, and pears.


Although brie is a French culinary specialty, it is popular outside of France, and available at most supermarkets here in the States.


I used brie to make a seasonal salad of spicy watercress, sweet Seckel pears, and chewy Medjool dates. Seckel pears are the tiniest of all pears and one of the tastiest -- so sweet that they have been called, "sugar pears." As you can see, they are short and rotund with dark green skin that often has a bloom of burgundy. If you are fortunate enough to have them in your market, then try them.

This is my submission for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging. The host is WHB's creator, Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, who recently celebrated her two-year anniversary for the always popular Weekend Herb Blogging.

Watercress, Pear, and Brie Salad
Print only the recipe here.
Serves 4

Dressing:
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
3/4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
1 small bunch watercress, washed, stems removed (about 1 1/2-2 cups)
2 Seckel pears or 1 large Bosc or D'anjou pear, sliced crosswise
6 Medjool dates, pitted and slivered
4 ounces brie, thinly sliced (the thin rind is edible)
1/4 cup toasted pecans, slivered

To toast the pecans, place nuts in a single layer in a medium size skillet. Over medium-low heat, cook pecans for 5-7, stirring occasionally until slightly toasted and fragrant. Alternatively, pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Place nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet in oven for about 5 minutes, give them a stir, and bake another 3-5 minutes or until slightly toasted and fragrant.


Saute shallots in 1 tsp olive oil, for 3-5 minutes until softened. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

To make individual salads, start by placing some watercress in the center of a plate, then add pear slices, some brie, and some dates. Top with toasted pecans and drizzle with dressing. Repeat with remaining three dishes.



You might also like:
Sicilian Salad of Fennel, Oranges, and Olives
Butternut Squash Risotto with Rosemary, Walnuts, and Blue Cheese
Mediterranean Jacket Potatoes
Broccoli Rabe (Rapini) on Crispy Polenta with a Rosemary-Goat Cheese Sauce

P.S. I just found a delicious salad of Roasted Golden Beets and Brie over at Aria's Passionate Nonchalance.

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Date and Pistachio Scones Without Apple Sauce

I once made a half dozen low-fat cranberry muffins. It was during the no-fat craze of the early '90's. Snackwell cookies dominated grocery store shelves. Back then any time a recipe called for butter you were supposed to substitute apple sauce. I dutifully used apple sauce in my low-fat cranberry muffins. "Rubbery" was probably the best thing I could say about them.

"Rubbery" is never a good thing to say about muffins.

This was not to be my last baking difficulty. Baking requires precision; forgetting one ingredient such as baking soda can completely ruin a dish. Trust me.

My mom, unlike me, has managed to become an extraordinary baker. She even modified her recipes to accommodate the no-fat days of the '90s and the no-carb days of this century without ever sacrificing flavor.

When Joanna of Joanna's Foods announced low-fat baked goods as this month's topic for Heart of the Matter, a wonderful heart healthy food event which she co-hosts with Ilva of Lucullian Delights, I thought I'd give low-fat baking another try. But first, I called my mom. I asked her if she had a recipe for a baked good that had no butter or cream and very little margarine, oil, and egg yolks; she suggested scones.

I noted it did not include apple sauce. Instead, non-fat cottage cheese and buttermilk (which is lower in fat than regular milk) keep the scones moist. I told her I had some fresh, sweet medjool dates I wanted to use. We started brainstorming and came up with a dynamic combination of flavors: dates, fennel seeds, pistachios, and orange zest.

Mom assured me that scones are about “the easiest things you can bake.” They really were easy; the hardest part was having to refer to the recipe 27 times to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I heeded her warnings, most especially the one about not over mixing the batter or it’ll become "like lead."

When I served one of the freshly baked scones to Jeff on Sunday morning, I didn't tell him it was a low-fat recipe. (He remains scarred from an unfortunate incident with an Entemann's fat-free pineapple cheese dessert in 1991.) Not only did he love them, but he also never guessed that they were low fat, well, that is until he read this post.

The savoriness of the pistachios and toasted fennel seeds pair beautifully with chunks of sweet, sticky dates; they are also delicious served with blood orange marmalade (from Mom). Feel free though to choose your own heart-healthy add ins. It's an easy, versatile recipe that I will certainly make again. They were moist and light and helped revive my faith in low-fat baking.


Heart Healthy Date, Fennel, and Pistachio Scones
Print this recipe here.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp Smart Balance, chilled (butter substitute)

1/4 cup non-fat cottage cheese
1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup fresh Medjool dates, coarsely chopped (about 10-12)
1 Tbsp fennel seeds, toasted

1/4 cup pistachios

Optional egg wash for top of scones:
1 egg, lightly beaten OR 1 egg mixed with 1 tsp low-fat milk, lightly beaten

Simply brush on top of scones before baking for a shinier, softer finish.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place oven rack in the middle of the oven. To toast the fennel seeds, add to a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until aromatic. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a bowl, whisk cottage cheese, buttermilk, and vanilla; set aside.

In another bowl, mix dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add chilled butter (in small pieces), and mix with a pastry blender or fork, until a coarse meal forms with tiny pea-sized butter pieces. Mix in orange zest, dates, fennel seeds, and pistachios. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and, using a fork, mix until just combined. Do not over mix or the dough will become leaden.

Using a floured surface, shape the dough into a disk, about 1/2-inch thick. With a wet knife (to make slicing easier) cut the dough into 8 triangular shaped scones. Place scones on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet leaving about 2 inches between them.

If using, then brush egg wash over the tops of the scones before baking. Otherwise, place in oven.

Bake scones 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Once baked, transfer to a rack to cool.

For another easy and tasty low-fat dessert, check out these Warm Citrus and Banana Cups. In fact, I made these the other night and substituted fresh pineapple and mango for the oranges.

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Squash's Swan Song

Growing up in New England, I’ve always anticipated the arrival and lamented the passing of the seasons. Having lived in Southern California for a few years now, I’ve come to realize that there are no seasons here. Oh, sure, we pretend it’s winter by donning our wooly knitted scarves, but then undermine any attempt at credibility by pairing them with flip-flops and oversized Channel sunglasses.

Now, I realize it’s February, and squash and yams had their leading roles back during Thanksgiving dinner. But, I’m sure most of you still have some around and might like a new recipe or two. If you do, then check out a simply delicious squash soup at Cookiecrumb's hilarious site I'm Mad and I Eat (01.Feb.07 post). I've also got a couple of recipes up my sleeve that will enliven these former ingenues with some seasonal citrus.

This is my recipe for squash; on my next post, I’ll share one for yams. Since roasting vegetables causes their natural sugars to caramelize into a satisfyingly sweet delight, it remains my favorite method of preparation. With the sugary, chewy dates in this dish you could practically call it dessert. Okay, even I don’t believe that. Just eat this, then eat chocolate.

Roasted Acorn Squash with Medjool Dates and Toasted Almonds
Makes 4 servings.
Print recipe only here.

1 medium acorn squash or other winter squash (about two cups)
2 tsp butter
1 shallot, chopped
1 tsp brown sugar
The juice of ½ small lemon (about 1 tsp)
A little bit of lemon zest
A pinch of ground cinnamon
5-6 Medjool dates,* coarsely chopped
¼ cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
1-2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
Some salt and pepper, to taste

To toast the almonds, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly golden and aromatic.

Bump up the heat in the oven to 375 degrees. Roast the squash face side down for 35-45 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven, and let cool. Scoop out the cooked flesh, and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, sauté shallots in butter until slightly caramelized. Add brown sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cinnamon. Add the cooked squash, and mix well by hand. (You can puree it at this point if you like, but I prefer a lumpy texture). Stir in the dates, and season well with salt and black pepper. Remove from heat. Stir in chopped almonds and fresh parsley. Garnish with more almonds and parsley before serving.


*TIP: Medjool dates are sweeter than most varieties, and have a soft, creamy texture and deep amber-brown color. I usually buy them at the farmers’ market, but Trader Joe’s and all major markets sell them. If you can’t find them, then just substitute a different variety.