Christmas with Saffron

Cold weather, fire place, loads of gifts, hot cocoa and delicious food, that’s called December! This is the season of aromas in candles and potpourris. For me the aroma begins in the kitchen in the most exotic forms. Usually it is in baking, a simple concoction of flour, sugar, butter and eggs in any ratio creates that wonderful heart warming feel. This time however, I plan to bring in something special, Saffron.

The inspiration of Saffron came from my last session with the Third Graders where I introduced them the edible and usable flowers in our lives(Flowers Powerpoint). Saffron is one of the edible flowers; at least part of it is which is rich in aroma, flavorful and exotic. So, I decided to make this the theme of my Christmas dinner this year. The dishes would be one pot wonders and liked by all. Some of them will be rich and the others light to balance out the flavors. But one thing would be common and that is the Saffron.

Saffron is derived from a plant named Crocus which is essentially its stigma. Each flower has three red stigmas and when they are dried is called Saffron. This spice is the most expensive of all spices. Rightly so, because a field as big as a football field can produce only a pound of strands!

Saffron is used in cooking as a seasoning and coloring agent bringing out a luminous yellow-orange hue to foods. It has a sweet taste and smell, much like hay. Confectionaries and liquors also often include Saffron. It is also used in dyes, perfumes, medicines, and body washes. A common Saffron substitute is turmeric but only for color. Turmeric although has its own benefits and usage, it surely does not taste or smell anything like the Saffron.

According to Wikipedia, most Saffron is grown in a belt of land ranging from the Mediterranean in the west to Kashmir in the east. Annually, around 300 tones of Saffron are produced worldwide. Iran, Spain, India, Greece, Azerbaijan, Morocco, and Italy, in decreasing order of production, are the major producers of Saffron. Iran with its cultivation of different varieties is the largest producer of Saffron with 93.7% of the world's total production. Resulting we see a wide use of Saffron in Mediterranean food.

Taking a cue from this fact, my dinner menu would be Spanish Paella, Italian roasted cheesy vegetable casserole and for dessert, Indian creamy honey sweet yogurt. Two of these recipes have been inspired by the chefs of Food Network. Except for few variations I follow every step of their recipes and they always are a success. Each of these dishes has Saffron as one of the main ingredients, giving them a unique aroma and flavor but not overpowering for the whole meal. My family loves it each time I make them. I hope yours does too. Check out the recipes of these dishes. (Click here for the recipes)

Of course, my Christmas Plum cake wouldn’t lose its importance on the table. After all, it’s Christmas! What turkey was for Thanksgiving, Plum Cake is for Christmas. If you have not ordered one for yourself yet, this is the last time you can place your orders. After this, you got to wait till next year.

Wish you and your family a Very Merry Christmas!!!

Indian creamy honey sweet yogurt

**courtesy my Granny, reinterpreted by Food Writer Monica Bhinde. Yields 4
Ingredients

• 4 cups plain yogurt
• ¼ to ½ cup honey or granulated sugar (or to taste)
• 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese (especially if using Fat free Yogurt)
• A pinch of salt
• ½ teaspoon saffron threads, steeped in 2 tablespoons warm milk

Garnish

• saffron threads

Direction

To prepare yogurt cheese, place a colander over a medium bowl. Line the colander with several layers of cheesecloth. Place yogurt in the cheesecloth and let it drain its whey out in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Overnight works best.

A thick yogurt cheese would be left in the cheesecloth. Spoon the yogurt cheese into a clean bowl. Add honey or granulated sugar, ricotta cheese and salt to it. Mix well with a spatula or hand-held blender. Adjust honey or sugar to taste, adding up to 1 tablespoon more.

Blend the saffron and milk into the yogurt mixture.

Chill at least an hour.

To serve, spoon the yogurt cheese mixture into serving cups and garnish with saffron.

Variation: You can also top with plain, unsalted sliced pistachios or garnish with pomegranate arils, strawberries, kiwi slices and more.

Spanish Paella

**inspired by Rachel Ray’s recipe. Yields 4 to 6

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cups small white rice
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups chicken stock or broth
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into thirds
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3/4 pound chorizo or Italian hot sausage, casing removed and sliced on an angle
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp, 24 shrimps
• 18 green lipped mussels, cleaned
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 lemons zested

Garnish

• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 4 scallions, chopped
• Lemon wedges
• Crusty bread for passing

Directions
In a very wide pan or paella pan, preheated over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, add rice and sauté 2 or 3 minutes. Add saffron threads, bay leaf, broth, and thyme and bring liquids to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan with lid or foil and reduce heat to simmer.

In a separate nonstick skillet, over medium high heat brown chicken on both sides in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add peppers and onions to the pan and cook 3 minutes longer. Add sausage to the pan and cook 3-5 minutes more. Remove pan from heat.

After about 13 minutes, add shellfish (mussels and shrimps) to the rice pan, nesting them in cooking rice. Pour in peas, scatter lemon zest over the rice and seafood, then cover the pan again. After 5 minutes, remove cover or foil from the paella and discard any unopened mussel shells. Stir rice and seafood mixture and lift out bay and thyme stems, now bare of their leaves. Arrange cooked chicken and peppers, onions and chorizo around the pan. Top with parsley and scallions. Serve with wedges of lemon and warm bread.

Italian roasted cheesy vegetable casserole

**inspired by Giada’s Recipe. Yields 4 to 6
Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing the baking dish
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices
• 2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 2 zucchini, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce, divided
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 cup grated Parmesan, divided
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• 2 pinches of saffron threads soaked in ¼ cup of warm milk

Direction

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.

Drizzle the eggplant, fennel and zucchini slices with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill the vegetables until softened, 3 to 4 minutes each side. (The vegetables can also be baked in a 375 degrees F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until soft).

Spoon 3/4 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange the eggplant slices on top. Sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange the fennel slices in a single layer on top. Spoon 3/4 cup of marinara sauce over the peppers. Sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup Parmesan. Arrange the zucchini on top and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Drizzle saffron infused milk all over. Scatter the bread crumbs over the cheese and saffron. Drizzle liberally with olive oil on the top. Bake until the top is golden and forms a crust, 30 to 35 minutes.