Layered Carrot Mousse

Camila of Culinary Cam is our hostess this week, and she told us that November 30th is National Mousse Day, and added this:

November 30th is National Mousse Day! Share your favorite mousse. Think banana mousse or chocolate mousse.

Well, not me, I had to think outside the box, way outside the box. 😉

I don't know about you, but I find it intriguing that there are things like National Mousse Day. And at first, I wasn't going to participate, mainly because the only mousse I make is Citron Fromage, a Danish dish that my mom made every year for Christmas Eve. In fact, I'm going to be making it soon for myself, and I might even share it.

I knew I could make a chocolate mousse, but I wanted something different. Also, since it's not just Thanksgiving this week but also Black Friday, and I do not go anywhere on Black Friday, I thought I'd try my hand at a carrot mousse. I have lots of carrots in the fridge, along with some ripe avocados. I got my inspiration from La Cucina Italiana, but I modified it a bit, mainly because, as I said, I'm not doing any kind of shopping on Black Friday. And ummm, the picture on there might be AI. Mine isn't.

I also discovered the joy of steaming a vegetable, and I think I'll be doing that a lot in the future. I had a steamer basket that came with a set of pots and pans, but I had never used it until today. Can anyone say "GAME CHANGER"? The carrots came out perfectly cooked, and I don't think I'll be cooking them any other way in the future, well, apart from roasting them.

To start, peel your carrots and steam them until tender. Then puree them, however you like. I used my little Cuisinart blender attachment. Process them until light and fluffy, adding a couple of tablespoons of cream to them, as well as some finely grated ginger (I used my Microplane). I added just under a half teaspoon. And tasted it and added more, mainly cause I love ginger and it dances so nicely with carrots.

After I processed the carrots, I got the avocado out of the fridge and found it had decided it was RIPE and needed to have been used a couple of hours earlier. I used it anyway. I smooshed it with a fork and added a little lemon juice. And layered some of the carrot mousse in a small bowl, then added a layer of avocado, then more carrot mousse on top.

The original recipe called for rye crumbs and black sesame seeds on top, along with some fresh sprouts.

I didn't have any good rye bread, so I used some Gardetto's Rye chips and topped them with some sprouts.

The next time I make this, I'll pipe it into the bowl instead of using a spoon to layer it. I think it would make a much nicer presentation.

Serve this with some good, hearty crackers or some crostini. I ate it at room temperature, but I think it might also taste good if it's been chilled for a little while. The combo of carrot and avocado is actually pretty good, at least my taste buds liked it, and I tend to trust them when it comes to taste.

Layered Carrot Mousse

Yield: 2-4

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking adapted from many recipes

This is a surprising taste combo, and would be great served to any vegetarians you know, along with certified meat eaters. Easy to put together and even easier to eat.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. carrots, peeled and steamed til tender
• 2-4 tablespoons fresh heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly microplaned ginger
• 2 avocados blended with the juice of a lemon and a pinch of salt (just the meat)
• Gardetto's Rye Chips ( a good handful)
• Fresh sprouts to taste

Instructions

1. Get your serving dishes ready. Small, clear bowls work well here.
2. Process the steamed carrots and heavy cream with an immersion blender, and add in the microplaned ginger to taste. Set aside while you process the avocados.
3. Peel the avocados, removing the seed, and mash the meat with some lemon juice and a touch of salt.
4. Layer the Carrot mousse in a small clear bowl, then add the mashed avocados.
5. Top with more Carrot Mousse and as a finishing touch, add the Gardetto's and top with a small handful, or pinch of sprouts. Serve

 

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Check out some of the fun Mousses my fellow Sunday Funday people made.

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Cranberry Mousse 
• Amy's Cooking Adventures: Dark Chocolate Mousse 
• Karen's Kitchen Stories: Easy Gingersnap Cookie Mousse 
• Sid's Sea Palm Cooking: Layered Carrot Mousse 
• Sneha's Recipe: Masala Chai Mousse Bundt 
• Culinary Cam: Olallie Chocolate Mousse 
•  Mayuri’s Jikoni: Pomegranate Mousse

Stuffed Pork Loin Roast- Roulade

 I've made so many stuffed pork tenderloins over the years.  And here I go, sharing another version.    I was actually going to make another one for this challenge, but couldn't find one that wasn't pre-seasoned already, so I bought a small pork loin roast and then turned it into a Roulade. 

The challenge this week for Sunday Funday was for a "Small gathering holiday main course."  Holiday recipes for one, two, or three, or even four, but not a crowd! Not everyone has a big family or friend group to share a holiday meal with, so I'd like us to highlight some recipes for a more intimate meal that is still special.   Our hostess this week is Stacy Livingston Rushton of Food Lust People Love

Challenge accepted, especially when I can feature my favorite protein, pork. 
  

As I said, I was all set to make a stuffed pork tenderloin, but could not find one that wasn't already pre-seasoned.  So I picked up a small pork loin roast and cut it into a roulade. 

Honestly, a pork loin roast is the perfect size for a small gathering —well, for a couple of people, anyway.  This should serve up to 4 people.    As I said, I've made several versions of stuffed tenderloins over the years.   I've stuffed them with apples, cranberries, and stuffing, and even with a bunch of herbs.  And they were all good.    

I was all ready to do another tenderloin for this challenge, but I couldn't find one, so I got a small pork loin. 

And gosh, was it good. 

I decided to stuff the pork loin after cutting it into a roulade, with my wild rice stuffing.  This is kind of an all-in-one meal.   The stuffing is the carb; the pork is the protein; and I made glazed carrots as the veggie side.     Honestly, they all go so well together. It all looks festive, and they taste amazing together.  I ended up with lots of stuffing after preparing the roast, so I served it alongside.  

I butterflied the loin, or rather, OK, so it was a roulade.  Here are a bunch of pictures of the process.  What is a roulade, you ask?  Well, let me try to explain.   Basically, it's a version of butterflying a cut of meat.  You want the meat to be approximately the same thickness throughout.  I detail how to do it here, with better pictures.    You cut into it about a third of the way through, cut almost to the end (side), then take the middle portion and cut it almost through again.   Here are the pictures of how I did it.  

After all the cuts, I flattened it out a bit. 

I then proceeded to load up the pork roast with the cooled stuffing, and then rolled it up as I was stuffing it. 

After it's stuffed, roll it up jelly-roll style and secure it with a couple of toothpicks or wrap it with some butcher twine.  I didn't have any twine handy, so I used a couple of toothpicks to secure it. 

The next step is browning the roast.  And there are two separate roasts here, mainly because I neglected to take pictures of the process during the first roast, so I had to redo it, and umm, I now have lots of meals in my freezer, ready to take out, heat, and eat.  And since I happen to love Pork, this is not a hardship for me at all. 

The first one I made, along with the end bit I cut off to make the roast a little more even. 

 After I took it out of the oven, I let it rest for a few minutes.  I cut into it, and I don't know if you can see how moist the meat was.  But it was, and so tender, not to mention very flavourful.  

 You may have noticed, I didn't say anything about seasoning.  I try to cook salt-free as much as possible, and honestly, the stuffing seasoned the roast nicely, so I didn't feel it needed anything extra. 

I cooked up the wild rice mix, set it aside to cool, while I got the rest of the stuffing together.    I didn't add any craisins to this mix, but I did use some canned mushrooms because the ones I had in the fridge had passed their use-by date.   And I did add some of my own homemade stock to it as well. 

  

Once it was all cooled and ready to go, I stuffed the loin roast and used toothpicks to close it.  I would have tied it, but I didn't have any string. 

It kinda looks like a meat jelly roll at this point.  

I then browned it in a cast-iron pan before putting it into a 425-degree oven to finish cooking. It didn't take long. Just 45 minutes, and while it was in the oven cooking, I prepared the carrots.    I also checked the roast's temperature when I pulled it out of the oven, and it was about 165 degrees.  I always temperature check my meat.  I know that you can eat the meat at 145 degrees, but I'm old school and prefer it cooked to a higher temperature, in this case 165 degrees. 

Once I took the roast out of the oven, I put it on a plate to rest, deglazed the pan with some water, and made a gravy.  You just can't waste all that goodness in the pan.  If I'd thought of it, I would probably have deglazed it with some chicken stock, but it still tasted amazing. 

I cooked the carrots to fork-tender, melted a tablespoon of butter in a pan, added another tablespoon of sugar and 1/4 cup of water, stirred until the sugar dissolved, then added the cooked carrots.   

My finished plate, which looks a touch monochromatic, but it sure tasted good.  Best of all, I've now got several meals in the freezer for the future. 

 Take a look at some of the other meals my fellow Sunday Funday bloggers made:

• Bacon-Wrapped Sirloin Tip Roast from Palatable Pastime
• Confit Turkey Thighs from Food Lust People Love
• Dry Brined Roast Turkey Breast from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Milk-Braised Pork Loin with Carrot Sauce from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Nawabi Mutton Biryani with Burani Boondi Raita from Sneha's Recipe
• Roasted Lemon, Herb & Lavender Spatchcocked Chicken from Culinary Cam
• Stuffed Pork Loin Roast from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Stuffed Turkey Breast with Gravy from Karen's Kitchen Stories

No Knead Ciabatta

 It's National Home Made Bread Day tomorrow, November the 17th, and we, the Sunday Funday bloggers are all presenting you with our homemade breads or toppings.   I made Ciabatta bread. 

Here's what Camilla Mann of Culinary Cam  said: 

November 17th is National Homemade Bread Day. Share a favorite recipe for the bread. It can be a yeasted bread, a quick bread, or anything that you would slather on bread, such as homemade jam.

I personally love homemade bread and bake a lot of No-Knead bread, as well as a couple of other kinds.  I briefly considered one of the other kinds I usually make,  but I've been playing with Ciabatta's lately, and I finally feel like I nailed it.   Well, mostly...  

I admit to eating a couple of batches, but I also shared some with others. Even though I've had a couple of adventures along the way, I've persevered and eaten the evidence.   I may have put the dough in too small a container to rise...  I managed to rescue it, and it baked off nicely. 

This recipe yields two loaves and has a lovely chewy crust.    One of my favorite parts of a loaf of bread is the end piece, and these are never-ending end pieces, 😉  TMI?   I like slicing them lengthwise and making a sandwich.   In fact, I enjoyed a tomato sandwich just the other day.  

This recipe is actually a riff on my No-Knead bread recipe, but I think it's going to be a big part of my baking repertoire from now on. 

I was invited to join friends the other night, and brought a couple of loaves with me, and it was perfect for dipping into the 'juice' from these New Orleans-style BBQ shrimp.   I'm getting the recipe for these beauties.  OMG, they were good. 

Check out what my fellow Sunday Funday Bloggers posted:   The links are at the end of the recipe card.

Ciabatta Bread

Yield: 2 loaves

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking, adapted from many recipes

Easy, peasy, Ciabatta bread. Great for a sandwich or to accompany a good stew or soup.

Ingredients

• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 teaspoon yeast (I use instant)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 3/4 cup water + 1-2 tablespoons if needed
• 1/2 cup of flour to help shape the loaves

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients to a stand mixer and let mix until well combined. If too dry, you can add an extra tablespoon of water. It should look a little shaggy at this point.
2. Place the dough in a sealed container that allows some rise and keep it in a draft-free place for 12-18 hours. I use my oven for an overnight rise. If needed, the dough is very forgiving and will allow a longer rise time.
3. Dump the dough onto a floured surface and cut it into two pieces. The dough is quite sticky, and the extra flour keeps it from sticking to everything you don't want it to stick to. Form into two long ropes (18 inches by 3 or 4 inches), and place onto a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Let it rise again, in a draft-free area, for at least one hour.
4. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 205 degrees.  I also either throw in some ice cubes at the bottom of the oven or place an ovenproof pan on a lower rack filled with just-boiled water.  The steam helps the bread rise and creates a crisp, thin crust. 
5. Remove from oven and let cool before slicing. You can slice this bread up and freeze the individual slices for future meals.

 

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• Air Fryer Small Sourdough Sandwich Bread from Sneha's Recipe
• A Magical Small Sourdough Loaf from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Homemade Pitas from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• No Knead Ciabatta from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Orange Cinnamon Swirl Bread from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Two Ingredient Cottage Cheese Rolls from Our Good Life
• Vanilla Mirabelle Plum Jam - Small Batch from Food Lust People Love

Date and Walnut Bites

 I'm so glad I've finally... got some cooking mojo back.   This week on Sunday Funday, we're sharing appetizer ideas for Thanksgiving.  As per Amy at Amy's Cooking Adventures she suggested we do some Thanksgiving Appetizers.  And here is my offering,  Date and Walnut Bites. Best of all, not only are they easy to make and not too filling, but they also do not require any oven time. Just assemble and eat.   😜  

When I first saw our subject for this week, my mind went to the Thanksgivings I attended at my in-laws.    My mother-in-law used to make a cheese dip consisting of Velveeta, a can of green chiles, and some milk.  Serving it with a bowl of tortilla chips, and my husband and his brothers would basically inhale it before the main meal.   After moving away, I decided to make the same cheese dip for my husband and found out he really didn't want it; he said he didn't really care for it, even though I had watched him enjoy it just as much as his brothers did.   In other words, scarfing it down, uninhibitedly.  It wasn't until years later (OK, this year) that I realized she probably made the cheese dip so the boys (4 of them) would stay out of her hair while she finished the prep for the main meal.   And it didn't hurt that it took the edge off their appetites either. 

So, now that you've been totally bored — maybe with a family story, cause let's face it, Thanksgiving isn't just food, it's also time for family stories.   

I've been having a lot of fun with these Sunday Funday themes. I get to try to make new foods and exercise my brain again.   I tried these Date and Walnut bites a long time ago, somewhere, and I thought they were good, and I think they are a perfect light starter. 

I wanted to share this recipe. I can't remember the first time I had it, but it stuck with me.  And I think it's a perfect Thanksgiving appetizer, too.  Cause let's face it, you just want a bit of tease, enough to take the edge off before eating a nap-inducing meal like turkey.   

I like to set the cream cheese out for a little while, to soften enough so I can mix it up before I pipe it into the dates.  This is also a fun thing for the kiddos to do, if you're up to it.  No sharp knives, no cooking, just fill and eat.  Serve on a pretty plate and sprinkle with a little rosemary before serving. 

  

 

Walnut and Date Bites

Yield: 8-10

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking adapted from many recipes

These are a perfect little bite to start off the Thanksgiving meal. Light and moresome.

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
• zest from 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary + 1/4 teaspoon for sprinkling
• pitted dates
• Walnuts

Instructions

1. Beat the cream cheese, cream, lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary together until smooth. Place in a piping bag with a star tip.
2. Pipe a small amount of cream cheese into half a pitted date, then top with a piece of walnut. Place into the fridge to firm up for an hour or so.
3. Serve on a pretty plate, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of rosemary.

 

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                Take a look at the fun stuff the other Sunday Funday Bloggers came up with.

This week’s Sunday Funday is hosted by Amy by Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Sunday Funday

Thanksgiving Appetizers

• Baby Corn Rumaki by Palatable Pastime
• Baked Brie with Dried Cranberries, Apples, and Walnuts by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Charcuterie Bites Pumpkin Centerpiece by Our Good Life
• Cranberry-Chevre Twice Baked Potato Skins by Culinary Cam
• Creamy Duck Liver Mousse by Food Lust People Love
• Date and Walnut Bites by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Membrillo - Quince Paste with Manchego Cheese by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Mini Bread Cornucopia by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Mini Pumpkin Cheese Balls by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Mixed Vegetable Sliders by Sneha's Recipe

Chicken Cacciatore

 My mom used to make a dish from time to time; it was basically a spaghetti Bolognese sauce with chicken in it.  I loved it, cause the chicken was falling off the bone and had this unctuous, luscious feel to it.     

I was in a supermarket yesterday, and for some reason, my mind went to making a spaghetti sauce, but I didn't want to buy any ground beef, and honestly, I never even thought of maybe making it with ground turkey or ground pork.  I'd pretty much decided to just make it with the tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms, and then I got the bright idea, I could add some chicken wings to the sauce.   I had googled what it is called when you have canned tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and chicken cooked together.  The answer was a chicken cacciatore, aka chicken stew or hunter's stew.  I'd already had the can of tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, and garlic simmering on the stove, so I defrosted a package of chicken wings, threw them into the toaster oven, and browned them for a while, and then added them to the simmering tomato sauce, then read the original recipe and it called for some peppers and celery, so I grabbed a package of peppers, onions, mushrooms and celery out of the freezer.  (I'd frozen them for future dishes, like my Grilled Cheese, Extraordinary.)   They're also good for omelettes, soup, or stew.  And I think they added a nice touch to this dish.  I also had a few cherry tomatoes that needed to be eaten, so they got chopped up as well.  And not to be outdone, I added some chicken stock for some extra unctuousness.     I let it simmer on top of the stove for an hour and then put it into a Dutch oven, and let it cook for another couple of hours in the oven.  I think this would be a great dish in a crockpot as well.   But I don't have one, so it is what it is.  

 

Chicken Cacciatore

Yield: 2-4

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking adapted from many recipes

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 3 HourTotal time: 3 H & 10 M

This rich tomato sauce honors the best of chicken and tomatoes. There is no added salt in this recipe. You can add some if you like. But no more than a half teaspoon.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 can diced tomatoes - 16 oz. size
• 1 small can of tomato paste - 6 ounces
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4-6 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bell pepper - diced
• 1 stalk celery - diced
• 1/2-1 cup chicken stock - optional
• 4-6 whole chicken wings, drumsticks, or thighs - browned in the oven or some fat.
• 1-2 tablespoons butter for sauteeing the veggies

Instructions

1. Sauté the vegetables in butter with Italian seasoning until softened, then add the tomatoes and browned chicken.
2. Add the chicken stock if desired, along with another 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
3. Let cook in the oven for 1-2 hours or in a crockpot for 6-8 hours. The meat will be tender, falling off the bone. Dark meat or wings are best for this dish as they can handle the long cook time.
4. Serve with your choice of starch, such as pasta, rice, or potatoes.

Estimate only

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