Raisin Pinenut Relish Recipes

CURRANT AND PINE NUT RELISH

Steps:

• Warm the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the onion, chile, and rosemary, and season with the salt. Sauté, stirring often to prevent the onion from browning, for about 5 minutes, until the onion is tender and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent it browning.
• Meanwhile, place the currants in a small saucepan. Add the vinegar, making sure there is enough to cover. Bring the vinegar to a simmer over high heat, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes, until they are soft and plump. Add the currants and vinegar to the sauté pan with the onion. If there is so much vinegar that the relish is runny, bring the vinegar to a boil over medium-high heat and boil it until there is just enough liquid to bind the currants. Turn off the heat and allow the currants to cool to room temperature. Remove and discard the chile and rosemary and stir in the pine nuts just before serving. Note: In order to ensure that they keep their crunchy texture, you want to add pine nuts only to the amount of relish you will be using at the time. Transfer the remaining relish to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER STEAKS WITH GOLDEN RAISINS AND PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Place the cauliflower steaks on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, flipping after the first 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the pine nuts to a dry medium saute pan and toast over medium heat until brown, about 3 minutes. Add the raisins and the butter, and season with salt. Cook until the butter has melted and coats the pine nuts and raisins. Off the heat, stir in the parsley.
• Transfer the roasted cauliflower to a serving platter. Pour the pine nut-raisin mixture over the top.

GRILLED SWORDFISH WITH OLIVE, PINE NUT AND GOLDEN RAISIN RELISH AND GRILLED ROMAINE SALAD WITH SUMAC HONEY VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Add the golden raisins to a small bowl. Cover with 1/4 cup boiling water and allow to sit for 10 minutes to rehydrate and plump. Remove the raisins but reserve the liquid.
• Heat a small saucepan over low heat with the butter. Add the shallots and cook until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the pine nuts and reserved raisins and stir to combine. Cook for another 2 minutes, then add 2 tablespoons of the reserved raisin liquid. Continue to cook until most of the liquid has reduced, about 5 minutes. Add the olives and chopped lemon, toss in the chives and season with salt. If the mixture gets too thick, you can add a little more of the liquid from the golden raisins. The relish should be thick and homogenous, but not too thin or saucy.
• Preheat a grill pan over high heat. Drizzle the swordfish steaks on both sides with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the swordfish onto the grill and cook without moving the fish for 2 minutes. When the fish starts to pull away from the pan, you know it's ready to turn. Turn the fish 90 degrees to create a crosshatch. Grill for another 2 minutes. Flip the fish, then repeat on the other side. Remove the fish onto a sheet tray lined with a rack. Transfer into the oven and bake for 8 minutes.
• Drizzle the romaine lettuce with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the lettuce onto the grill, cut side down, and grill for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip, then grill for another 2 minutes. Cut the grilled lettuce into 1-to 2-inch pieces and add to a large bowl along with the radishes and feta cheese.
• Add the white wine vinegar, lemon juice, 1/2 cup oil, honey and sumac to a small bowl. Whisk to combine until emulsified. Season with salt. Drizzle some of the vinaigrette over the grilled romaine salad. Gently toss to combine. There will be leftover vinaigrette - it can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
• To serve, top the grilled swordfish with some of the olive, pine nut and raisin relish. Drizzle with oil. Serve alongside the grilled romaine lettuce.

CUCUMBER AND RAISIN RELISH WITH MUSTARD SEEDS

Steps:

• Bring vinegar, brown sugar, salt, mustard powder, and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a medium pot over high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar and salt dissolve, about 5 minutes.
• Place cucumber, onion, raisins, and mustard seeds in a heatproof resealable container. Pour hot brining liquid over cucumber mixture; stir to combine. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving. Serve cool or at room temperature.

PAN-FRIED EGGPLANT WITH BUFFALO MOZZARELLA, WHITE ANCHOVIES, AND RAISIN-PINENUT RELISH

Steps:

• Distribute the eggplant on a sheet pan in one layer and generously salt on both sides. Lay another sheet pan on top of the eggplant and place a heavy object on top to add pressure. Set aside for 1 hour. Remove the weight and transfer the eggplant to paper towels and pat dry.
• Add the oil to a large hot skillet, making sure to cover the entire bottom of the pan with about 1/8 inch of oil. Add the eggplant just before the oil starts to smoke-it should sizzle as the eggplant is dropped in and the eggplant should brown pretty quickly. Once the eggplant is golden on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes, remove from the oil and transfer to paper towels. Allow the eggplant to come to room temperature or to cool completely.
• Grill the bread slices on one side only. Rub the grilled side of 4 of the slices with the garlic. Top with the eggplant, followed by the mozzarella, the anchovies, and the relish. Top with the remaining 4 slices, cut into halves, and serve.

CURRANT-AND-PINE-NUT RELISH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Toast pine nuts on a rimmed baking sheet just until pale golden and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine currants, saffron, and hot water, adding more water as needed to just cover currants; let stand 10 minutes. Strain, reserving saffron water.
• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low. Add celery, onion, chile, and fennel seeds; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is soft and sticky but not taking on any color, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard chile. Transfer onion mixture to a bowl.
• Pulse currants in a food processor 3 to 4 times, just until coarsely chopped. Add pine nuts and pulse 2 more times (mixture should be chunky and sticky). Stir currant mixture into onion mixture. Stir in saffron water, a little at a time, until relish has desired consistency; season to taste.

SWEET AND SAVORY PINE NUT RELISH

Steps:

• Combine first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Add tomatoes, pine nuts and cilantro to apricot mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER STEAKS WITH RAISIN RELISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Combine the peppers, raisins, parsley, cider vinegar, capers and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Trim the base of the core from the cauliflower, and then cut the head into 1-inch-thick slices. Cut any florets that fall off into 1-inch pieces. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper over both sides of each cauliflower slice. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower steaks and florets and cook, turning the steaks once, until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven.
• Roast until a knife easily pierces through the steaks, 15 to 20 minutes. Spoon the relish over the steaks and serve.