Other People's Food

Sliced Mushrooms with Melted Mozzarella and Thyme

2009-03-20T15:18:00.003-04:00

This is something of an old recipe. Considering I haven't blogged since September 2008, I have a lot of oldies! I made this last summer after a mushroom impulse by at my Saturday farmer's market. I had no plans for them whatsoever, I just had to have them. Lucky for me, Jamie's Italy had this easy, tasty snack!

His recipe didn't call for the toast, he thought the mushrooms on a plate would be good enough. He's probably right - I mean, he IS Jamie Oliver! However, we're big toast fans... and frankly, why NOT add a toast element? I want to say we made these a half-dozen more times, and not always with market mushrooms (store-bought are just as nice, just get whatever type you like.)

The meatiness of the mushrooms, earthy thyme and creamy cheese played really well together. I'd only lightly oiled the bread, so it had a pleasant crunch and held up nicely to the weight of the toppings.

These toasts made a great weekend afternoon snack, but I could see them serving quite nicely as party fare - with a glass of wine, perhaps?

Sliced Mushrooms with Melted Mozzarella and Thyme
c/o Jamie’s Italy, by Jamie Oliver
http://www.amazon.com/JAMIES-ITALY-Jamie-Oliver/dp/1401301959/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195857365&sr=8-1

This is a great little recipe – it takes no time at all to put together and is perfect for serving at a party. I’ve used mozzarella, but another Italian cheese called scamorza would be good too. As this dish grills very quickly, I actually cook it on the plate I’m serving it on, but if you’re using bone china, think again. (I don’t want any bills through the post!)

2 big handfuls of mushrooms, very thinly sliced
2 5 ounce balls mozzarella or scamorza cheese, torn into small pieces
A sprig of fresh thyme, leaves picked
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Get yourself a large ovenproof platter and spread your mushrooms on it in one layer. Scatter over the cheese and the thyme leaves. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and place the plate under the grill.

Grill for a couple of minutes, checking frequently, until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and golden, and tuck in! Serve with some crusty bread.

from Latin: omne all, everything; vorare to devour

2008-09-09T21:54:00.003-04:00

Omnivore.

Do you know one? Chances are, you do. Chances are, you ARE one. Likely, you've heard of The Omnivore's 100 - brainchild of Andrew at Very Good Taste. While I've been more than a little mum lately, I thought I would give this a go. (And I'll shortly get that meme to you, Grace, I promise!)

While I may not be one yet, I am at least trying omnivorocity on for size (grasshopper taco and kangaroo burger, anyone?) I did strike-through three things on the list below - foie gras, headcheese, and roadkill. No foie gras due to my giant love of gooses; no headcheese because I think it's cooties; and no roadkill for obvious reasons. (Seriously, there are better things I could put in my mouth.)

I think exposure is key to broadening your horizons (well duh!). That and trust in the chef you're asking to provide you these delicacies (loosely used on the Big Mac meal, mind you). I wouldn't have had that grasshopper taco just anywhere... and I made the 'roo burger myself... and I tried marrow at Daniel Boulud's place in Las Vegas... I wouldn't get any of those things just anywhere... But you see what I mean? Proximity, trust and a leap of faith that it will all work out... or, at the very least, will make for a great story.

Here’s what I want you to do:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal,
including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:
1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. ~~Foie gras~~
24. Rice and beans
25. ~~Brawn, or head cheese~~
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin (does sea urchin foam count???)
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. ~~Roadkill~~
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef (but I will at my upcoming Hotdog-Off!!)
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Dare to Bake a Food Memory?

2008-08-31T21:53:00.000-04:00

I wanted to love you... I really did. From the very first announcement of the August Daring Bakers challenge, I wanted to rekindle this romance... but it just wasn't meant to be. It wasn't you, my dear eclair, it was me. I shouldn't have expected my first attempt to measure up to my childhood food memory... it was folly. I'm happy to try another date... just give me time to figure out what happened.

You see, I used to love eclairs. My grandpa would come home with a box of them every so often, and I was always so excited. They weren't even fancy - I want to say they were Entenmanns - but they didn't have the traditional pastry cream filling - oh no, it was much lighter and daintier. (I've since learned that this mystery filling is creme Chantilly - a fancied-up whipped cream.) I shy away from eclairs now, because I know I won't like the filling and I don't want to be disappointed.

We were allowed to swap out either the filling or the glaze (but something had to stay chocolate - I'm not complaining!), so I wanted to try my hand at a Chantilly cream. Where I got the idea to flavor it with lavender is anyone's guess. I wasn't sure if chocolate and lavender could be friends, but I wanted to try. As someone I polled said, how could something NOT be friends with chocolate?

Yes, yes, I waited until the absolute last day to get my challenge on. My kitchen ennui held me back, for starters. I also realized late in the month that my pastry bag, tip, and coupler had been thrown out and I needed to find a new one. When? Oh, yesterday. Ha! My new one is much fancier, so I shouldn't complain.

After yoga this morning, I pulled the choux pastry together and popped them in the oven. I didn't catch the part in the thread that suggested a longer baking time (to avoid deflation), so... well... my puffs aren't so puffy anymore. They WERE, I promise, but they all sank. I have to say, there aren't many things as sad as a flat cream puff. :) They needed time to cool and dry out, so I saved completion until after dinner.

At which point I steeped some lavender syrup (recipe courtesy of Chockylit), prepared the chocolate sauce and glaze. I then whipped the cream and added the syrup. Now, I think I must have mis-measured, because there seemed to be a high syrup-to-cream ratio that left the resulting cream really really soft. Like, really soft. Tasty as all get-out (and not the least bit soapy, as I'd feared), but just a little too giving in a pastry. (Read: it squishes right out when you bite in to the eclair - messy messy!!)

Are lavender and chocolate friends? Heck yes. Would I like to combine them in various other ways? Double yes! (I can't say that lavender will be the new pistachio in OPF-land, though.) Would I made this recipe again? Probably not. The sunken puffs were demoralizing and I found the chocolate glaze overly sweet. Overall, this was a good experience, and I'm more than happy to make more eclairs and cream puffs, just maybe with a different recipe (no disrespect to Pierre Hermes.) Many thanks to Meeta and Tony for yet another terrific challenge!!

For eleventy-billion more versions of Mr. Hermes' eclairs, check out the Daring Bakers Blogroll.

Pierre Hermé’s Chocolate Éclairs
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 20-24 Éclairs)

• Cream Puff Dough (see below for recipe), fresh and still warm

1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide the oven into thirds by
positioning the racks in the upper and lower half of the oven. Line two baking sheets with
waxed or parchment paper.

2) Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a 2/3 (2cm) plain tip nozzle with the warm cream puff dough.
Pipe the dough onto the baking sheets in long, 4 to 41/2 inches (about 11 cm) chubby fingers.
Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) space in between each dough strip to allow them room to puff.
The dough should give you enough to pipe 20-24 éclairs.

3) Slide both the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes, slip the
handle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep in ajar. When the éclairs have been in the
oven for a total of 12 minutes, rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continue
baking for a further 8 minutes or until the éclairs are puffed, golden and firm. The total baking
time should be approximately 20 minutes.

Notes:
1) The éclairs can be kept in a cool, dry place for several hours before filling.

Assembling the éclairs:

• Chocolate glaze (see below for recipe)
• Chocolate pastry cream (see below for recipe)

1) Slice the éclairs horizontally, using a serrated knife and a gently sawing motion. Set aside the
bottoms and place the tops on a rack over a piece of parchment paper.

2) The glaze should be barely warm to the touch (between 95 – 104 degrees F or 35 – 40
degrees C, as measured on an instant read thermometer). Spread the glaze over the tops of
the éclairs using a metal icing spatula. Allow the tops to set and in the meantime fill the
bottoms with the pastry cream.

3) Pipe or spoon the pastry cream into the bottoms of the éclairs. Make sure you fill the bottoms
with enough cream to mound above the pastry. Place the glazed tops onto the pastry cream
and wriggle gently to settle them.

Notes:
1) If you have chilled your chocolate glaze, reheat by placing it in a bowl over simmering water,
stirring it gently with a wooden spoon. Do not stir too vigorously as you do not want to create
bubbles.

2) The éclairs should be served as soon as they have been filled.

Pierre Hermé’s Cream Puff Dough
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 20-24 Éclairs)

• ½ cup (125g) whole milk
• ½ cup (125g) water
• 1 stick (4 ounces; 115g) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature

1) In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to the
boil.

2) Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium
and start to stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together very
quickly. Do not worry if a slight crust forms at the bottom of the pan, it’s supposed to. You
need to carry on stirring for a further 2-3 minutes to dry the dough. After this time the dough
will be very soft and smooth.

3) Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using your
handmixer or if you still have the energy, continue by hand. Add the eggs one at a time,
beating after each egg has been added to incorporate it into the dough.
You will notice that after you have added the first egg, the dough will separate, once again do
not worry. As you keep working the dough, it will come back all together again by the time you
have added the third egg. In the end the dough should be thick and shiny and when lifted it
should fall back into the bowl in a ribbon.

4) The dough should be still warm. It is now ready to be used for the éclairs as directed above.

Notes:
1) Once the dough is made you need to shape it immediately.

2) You can pipe the dough and the freeze it. Simply pipe the dough onto parchment-lined baking
sheets and slide the sheets into the freezer. Once the dough is completely frozen, transfer the
piped shapes into freezer bags. They can be kept in the freezer for up to a month.

Chocolate Pastry Cream
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by PierreHermé

• 2 cups (500g) whole milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 6 tbsp (75g) sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
• 7 oz (200g) bittersweet chocolate, preferably Velrhona Guanaja, melted
• 2½ tbsp (1¼ oz: 40g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1) In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. In the meantime, combine the yolks, sugar and cornstarch together and whisk in a heavy‐bottomed saucepan.

2) Once the milk has reached a boil, temper the yolks by whisking a couple spoonfuls of the hot milk into the yolk mixture.Continue whisking and slowly pour the rest of the milk into the tempered yolk mixture.

3) Strain the mixture back into the saucepan to remove any egg that may have scrambled. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk vigorously (without stop) until the mixture returns to a boil. Keep whisking vigorously for 1 to 2 more minutes (still over medium heat).Stir in the melted chocolate and then remove the pan from the heat.

4) Scrape the pastry cream into a small bowl and set it in an ice‐water bath to stop the cooking process. Make sure to continue stirring the mixture at this point so that it remains smooth.

5) Once the cream has reached a temperature of 140 F remove from the ice‐water bath and stir in the butter in three or four installments. Return the cream to the ice‐water bath to continue cooling, stirring occasionally, until it has completely cooled. The cream is now ready to use or store in the fridge.

[bNotes:[/b]
1) The pastry cream can be made 2‐3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

2) In order to avoid a skin forming on the pastry cream, cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the cream.

3) Tempering the eggs raises the temperature of the eggs slowly so that they do not scramble.

Chocolate Glaze
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 1 cup or 300g)

• 1/3 cup (80g) heavy cream
• 3½ oz (100g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 tsp (20 g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
• 7 tbsp (110 g) Chocolate Sauce (recipe below), warm or at room temperature

1)In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly begin to add the chocolate, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula.

2) Stirring gently, stir in the butter, piece by piece followed by the chocolate sauce.

Notes:
1) If the chocolate glaze is too cool (i.e. not liquid enough) you may heat it briefly  in the microwave or over a double boiler. A double boiler is basically a bowl sitting over (not touching) simmering water.

2) It is best to glaze the eclairs after the glaze is made, but if you are pressed for time, you can make the glaze a couple days ahead of time, store it in the fridge and bring it up to the proper temperature (95 to 104 F) when ready to glaze.

Chocolate Sauce
Recipe from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé
(makes 1½ cups or 525 g)

• 4½ oz (130 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup (250 g) water
• ½ cup (125 g) crème fraîche, or heavy cream
• 1/3 cup (70 g) sugar

1) Place all the ingredients into a heavy‐bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil, making sure to stir constantly. Then reduce the heat to low and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens.

2) It may take 10‐15 minutes for the sauce to thicken, but you will know when it is done when it coats the back of your spoon.

Notes:
1) You can make this sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for two weeks. Reheat the sauce in a microwave oven or a double boiler before using.
2) This sauce is also great for cakes, ice-cream and tarts.

Smokey Pork Pappardelle

2008-08-28T20:55:00.002-04:00

Alright, so. My excuse didn't stick. It's been weeks and I'm still on the outs with the kitchen. My foot is better, I've been to the gym every day but one since my last post (and incidentally, am as light as I've ever been as an adult) and I've even tried cooking a bit. It's a measure of how checked out I am, though, that I didn't take one measly photo. Blah.

What is carrying me through? Well, let me tell you about my freezer. Because sauce is so.... saucy... we are often left with more than enough leftover for multiple dinners. Out of the freezer and into the pot and we can have a delicious home-cooked dinner in a matter of minutes. I cannot wait to have a garage that I can put a giant freezer in - seriously. (This is how I know I'm grown-up now, I long for appliances.) I am more than happy to make some pasta while the sauce reheats - I find it soothing.

So. Three hours in the oven. Don't worry about it. Pop it in and wander off. You won't go far, believe you me, because the smell coming from your oven will intoxicate you. Seriously. It's meaty and deep yet sweet... and feels just like home. I really like that the sauce is strained, because bits other than pork would have been out of place. Smooth sauce, tender pork, and home made pasta - really can't go wrong.

The recipe will probably feed 6 at once, but in our case, we ended up with three meals.

Smokey Pork Pappardelle
c/o Food & Wine Magazine, July 2008
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/smoky-pork-pappardelle

For the luscious meat sauce here, Gerard Craft braises pork with apples and honey, which adds some unexpected sweetness. Another surprise: He finishes the pasta with a sprinkling of smoked salt.

One 2-pound piece of boneless pork shoulder
Smoked sea salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 Granny Smith apple, cut into 1-inch dice
1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch dice
1 carrot, cut into 1-inch dice
1 celery rib, cut into 1-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 thyme sprigs
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1/3 cup Champagne vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound pappardelle
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Season the pork with 1 1/2 tablespoons of smoked salt. In a medium, enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the canola oil until shimmering. Add the pork and cook over moderately high heat, turning, until browned on all sides, 15 minutes. Transfer the pork to a plate.

Add the apple, onion, carrot, celery, garlic and thyme to the casserole and cook over moderate heat until beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it deepens in color, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the chicken stock, vinegar and honey and bring to a simmer. Add the pork, cover and transfer the casserole to the oven. Braise the pork for about 3 hours, turning once halfway through, until very tender.

Transfer the pork to a plate. Strain the sauce into a large bowl, gently pressing on the solids. Pour the sauce back into the pot. Using 2 forks, shred the pork; discard any large pieces of fat. Transfer the shredded pork to the sauce and stir in the mascarpone. Season the sauce with smoked salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pappardelle until al dente. Drain the pasta and transfer to the casserole with the sauce. Toss the pasta with the sauce and the parsley over moderate heat until well coated, about 1 minute. Transfer the pasta to warm bowls. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with smoked salt and serve.

Make ahead: The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Wine: Craft’s smoky-sweet pappardelle will pair well with a red that has enough rich fruit not to be overwhelmed by the dish’s luxurious flavors. Southern Italy seems to specialize in reds of that nature, especially the flat, warm vineyards of Puglia and its primary grape variety, Negroamaro. Try the peppery 2005 Li Veli Pezzo Morgana Salice Salentino or the figgy 2006 La Corte Salice Salentino.

Bacon, Double A and T Sandwiches

2008-08-15T20:18:00.004-04:00

I have lost my vim. Have you seen it? I am sure I've left it in a good place...

I could say it was the weekend I pulled together my last Daring Baker's challenge - when I did the challenge, tried making homemade chicken stock for the first time, whatever we were eating that weekend AND preparing to have friends over for dinner the next night. I could easily blame that weekend (and I mostly do), because I haven't been in the mood to cook since (but believe me, I've tried anyway, and nothing has tasted right). As I was telling Dave, I need to get a wife to make ME dinner for a while, and then I'll be right as rain. But then I went and sprained my foot. And because of that, couldn't go to the gym, which has left me lethargic. Luckily, I have had two very nice days in a row at the gym, so things are on the up-and up!

While I made these sandwiches for dinner in early July, and these photos are of the sandwiches I re-made the next morning for breakfast, I think they would be perfect to break me out of my funk. Seeing as how avocados, arugula and bacon are three of my favorite foods, I don't see why not. Added the second go round is a nice over-easy egg... I know, sneaky of me - but it was breakfast after all!! The mayo was a really nice touch - something I wouldn't have thought of on my own, but was glad to have. You'll end up with plenty for more than the two sandwiches it's supposed to dress, but that's ok, cause you can just make more sandwiches!

I cannot say enough good things about this cookbook. It has become my new go-to book for dinner, and I have made almost a dozen things (if not more) and have yet to be disappointed. The recipes are creative and easy to prepare - and are just plain delicious. Prepare yourselves to see many more of Jeanne Kelley's creations - I have a stockpile!

Enjoy your weekend!!

Bacon, Double A and T Sandwiches
c/o Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes, by Jeanne Kelley
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Eggs-Yellow-Tomatoes-Recipes/dp/0762431830/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215393679&sr=1-1

Adding the double-A – arugula and avocado – to the traditional BLT makes the perfect sandwich! Any leftover mayonnaise can be saved for later use on other sandwiches.

Yield: 2 sandwiches

Mayonnaise:
½ cup mayonnaise, preferably organic
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 green onion, minced
1 garlic cloves, minced

Sandwiches:
6 slices (about 6 ounces) applewood-smoked bacon
4 slices country-style white or sourdough bread
1 avocado, sliced
1 large tomato, sliced
Salt and pepper
1 cup arugula leaves, lightly packed

To make the mayonnaise: Combine the mayonnaise ingredients in a small bowl. (Can be made several days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

To assemble the sandwiches: Cook the bacon to desired crispiness in a heavy, large skillet. Drain well.

Lightly toast the bread. Spread two pieces of toast with a thin layer of the mayonnaise. Top with avocado and tomato slices, dividing them evenly. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange 3 slices of bacon atop the tomatoes. Divide the arugula between the sandwiches. Spread the remaining slices of toast with the mayonnaise and place atop the sandwiches. Press the sandwiches gently to compress. Cut each sandwich in half and serve.

Straw and Hay Fettuccine Tangle with Spring Asparagus Puree

2008-07-31T16:50:00.004-04:00

I hate to say that we had this a month ago, at least. I'm even a little sheepish about it. I have a really strong affection to this pesto. Stupid simple to pull together and it was incredibly versatile. I know Ruth will get a laugh at this - yet another pesto for Presto Pasta Night! :)

Found in Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking, I chose this pasta dish because I really wanted to showcase the fresh vegetables I found at the market - asparagus and peas. If you are familiar with this recipe, you'll know that it doesn't call for fresh peas... but I had them, and they were green, and I wanted to eat them, so in they went with the asparagus to blanch.

Really tasty. Happened to have about a pint of fresh peas from the market, so I tossed those in to blanch with the asparagus. I did cheat and buy my pasta this time. Isn't it weird, how foreign something can be until you're used to it? At this point, I can't imagine not making my own pasta - so long as it isn't anything shaped - which I guess is kinda simple, but still. We have the attachment for macaroni, but my one attempt was a disaster. Pasta sheets it shall be. :)

Anyway, the combination of egg and spinach pasta was visually interesting and it tasted quite nice, too. The spinach pasta added an element we aren't normally used to - so much so that I want to try to make my own spinach pasta... but that is a story for another post.

The asparagus, spinach and peas played really nicely together in the puree. The flavors blended, leaving them all to be equal players - no one flavor stood among the rest. I think I added a little more than half a lemon, but I really enjoy the extra bite of citrus in pesto.

Because I'd added a good cup of peas to the mix, I ended up with quite a lot of puree. I followed Heidi's suggestion in the book and used it everywhere I could: in sandwiches, other recipes calling for pesto, and on pizza.... all in a 10 day period. We even had the pesto pizza TWICE in that time. Why? Because the pesto, on a pizza, with ricotta, goat cheese, or mozzarella, is amazing - and we tried it each way. You'd think that having the same flavor so many times would get old, but it didn't. Our socks were that knocked off.

I'm sorry to share this past the asparagus season, but if you're like me a cheat a little and get them at other times in the season, please bookmark this recipe and give it a try. In pasta, it is surprisingly creamy, smooth and tart. On pizza, it is even better.

Straw and Hay Fettuccine Tangle with Spring Asparagus Puree
c/o Super Natural Cooking, by Heidi Swanson
http://www.amazon.com/Super-Natural-Cooking-Incorporate-Ingredients/dp/1587612755/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214342419&sr=1-1

The folate-rich asparagus and spinach puree can be made ahead of time; store it in the refrigerator in a jar topped with a layer of olive oil. It’s also great slathered on a grilled vegetable Panini, as a swirl in a simple potato soup, or as a sauce for pizza.

Spring Asparagus Puree
1 bunch asparagus spears, trimmed and halved crosswise
3 handfuls baby spinach leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1 cup toasted pine nuts
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for topping
Juice of ½ lemon
½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

4 ounces dried spinach fettuccine, or 6 ounces fresh
4 ounces dried egg fettuccine, or 6 ounces fresh

Bring two pots of water to a rolling boil, one large and one medium. You’ll use the large one to cook the pasta and the medium one to blanch the asparagus.

To make the asparagus puree, salt the asparagus water and drop the spears into the pot. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the spears are bright green and barely tender. Drain and transfer to a food processor (preferably) or a blender. Add the spinach, garlic, the 1 cup of Parmesan, and ¾ cup of the pine nuts. Puree and, with the motor running, drizzle the ¼ cup olive oil until a paste forms. It should be the loose consistency of pesto; if too thick, thin it with a bit of the pasta water. Add the lemon juice and salt, then taste and adjust the seasoning.

Salt the pasta water well and cook the pasta until just tender; you’ll need less time for fresh pasta, more for dried. Drain and toss immediately with 1 cup of the asparagus puree, stirring in more afterward depending on how heavily coated you like your pasta. Serve sprinkled with the remaining ¼ cup toasted pine nuts, a dusting of Parmesan, and a quick drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Serves 4 to 6.

Daring Bakers July: You Mean I Can't Have Cake for Dinner?

2008-07-30T10:01:00.009-04:00

This Pistachio Gateau with Praline Buttercream has a power. The Power of Magnetic Deliciousness. I took my time this past weekend preparing it - and didn't cut into it until Monday night with friends. But yesterday? I spent almost my entire Tuesday thinking about this cake. I wanted to have it for dinner. And then again for dessert. Forking a bite was the first thing I did when I got home. (This obsession is starting to sound a little weird, isn't it?) I am not alone, however. A bite of cake was also on my husband's short list upon arriving home - I got a smooch and then off he went to the cake. At least he got it in the right order. ;)

I started this challenge this past Saturday night with the cake. I only have 8-inch cake pans, so I opted to use my 9-inch springform pan instead. The Daring Bakers that braved this challenge earlier in the month suggested using a round of parchment paper in the bottom, so I thought that the springform action would be an added help. I used pistachios instead of hazelnuts (the hazels were twice the cost for half the amount of shelled pistachios at the store - and I want to marry pistachios.) I was more than a little nervous that the cake wouldn't turn out - because the way the instructions read, it seems to indicate that we are to mix the nut flour into the butter - when it really means to fold it directly into the batter... so I ended up trying to delicately fold in the dense buttery nut meal into my light and fluffy egg mixture... A moment of panic, indeed, but it worked out in the end - the genoise seemed no worse for wear and baked up nicely. Cooled and wrapped up, it spend the night in the fridge.

Sunday afternoon, I started with the praline - pistachio, of course. Such a simple combination of sugar and nuts created a most delicious brittle. (I even made a second batch to snack on!!) While it cooled, I prepared the buttercream (with its three sticks of butter!!!) I was lucky in that it came together easily for me - I've read countless horror stories of failed buttercreams... I made sure to have extra of everything, just in case. Layering the cake was a little of a catastrophe, because I mangled the middle one - the center of the cake is mostly crumbly bits... I figured if I doused it with enough of the sugar syrup, it would just bond together, right? I'd like to think that worked - and if I slice the cake when it is still cold, it mostly stays put... but whatever - it all tastes the same, crumbly or not! :)

Final assembly: glaze, ganache, garnish. I am a big fan of glazing before ganache-ing. It acts like something of a crumb coat, allowing the chocolate to flow a little easier - which is terrific. I don't often ganache a cake, and I'm starting to wonder why. I find it remarkably easier than icing a cake, and it looks so spectacular in the end, too. Consider me a convert. I have also never ever not once used a piping bag and tips to decorate a cake. I own a set, yes, but I'd never used it. I picked a basic star tip and as you can see, went with a basic dot pattern. If this has been any other cake (not a challenge) and if it was only Dave and I eating it (instead of having friends over), I might have been a little more bold... but I didn't want it to be a major flop. I also prefer spare simplicity, so I was happy with the result. I considered using some of the second batch of brittle as garnish, but didn't want the hardness of it to detract from the cake itself. Texture issues and all that. Into the fridge to wait for Monday night.

Soon enough, it was time to have some cake! I boldly cut us all giant pieces and we all dug in. I don't think a single one of us finished our slice. Smaller is certainly better. This cake is rich rich rich and a little goes a long way. A long way I'm happy to take for breakfast, lunch or dinner! The buttercream is by far my favorite part. I really enjoyed the flecks of nut/crunch in it and it provided just the right amount of both. The cake was moist and light. I can't sing the praises far or wide enough for this cake. I am considering buying the book it is from: Great Cakes by Carole Walters - because if this recipe is any indication, I will love trying the rest!

I really enjoyed making this cake - all eleventy billing elements. I gleefully whipped, frothed, caramelized and folded every last bit. I skipped off with tastings of every stage for Dave and my excitement grew with each accomplished step. Not only that, but I never felt overwhelmed by this challenge - which is new for me. Yes, there were a lot of moving parts - and some of them were new - but I felt like, if I just followed them in order, took them as an individual piece and not a giant behemoth of a cake, I could do it. I did, and I loved it.

Thanks to the lovely Chris at Mele Cotte for a delicious challenge. Head on over to her post for the recipe and then pop over to the Daring Bakers Blogroll for more inspiration!

HHDD #21: The Tiramisu That Won Him Over

2008-07-28T14:04:00.006-04:00

I love tiramisu. Love it. Whenever I go into Whole Foods, I make sure to include a little square in my purchase. I adore the creamy mascarpone, the coffee and liqueur-soaked lady fingers, and the barest of dustings of cocoa powder. Tiramisu might be the one dessert I eat slowly, savoring each spoonful (vs. greedily stuffing my face.)

How I managed to marry a man that doesn't also share the same love of tiramisu is beyond me. He'll choke it down, sure, but it doesn't sit on quite the same pedestal. Silly man. When Alexandra announced this round of HHDD, I was both elated and worried. I knew I would make it - I knew it - but I wasn't thrilled for the mournful sighs from the hubs ("Can't you make a dessert I like??!?!?!") . How could I make it in a way he would like it, nay, love it??

I was staring at the Donna Hay recipe Alexandra provided... that stare one uses when they don't really see the object of their staring?... and it clicked - I would turn the mascarpone cream into ice cream! I would blend the soaked lady fingers into it! It would be brilliant! My brain clicked back and I set to work. I decided to use the recipe provided, and tweak another D. Hay recipe for mascarpone ice cream - I figured, if I'm going to do this, I'm going the whole Donna Hay Way.

I was sneaky about it, for sure. I didn't tell Dave what I was up to. I didn't even explain why I was buying the lady fingers very well, "O, I need those for ice cream." Such is his trust in me, however, he didn't even ask for more information. Maybe it isn't trust, but he probably knows by now that he doesn't really need to know. He just eats what I make and is happy - that's enough for him. I made the base Saturday morning and poured it into the machine. Thirty minutes later, and it still hadn't reached the soft-serve stage... cold, for sure, but in no way thick enough to pop into the freezer. I let it go another 20 minutes, thinking more mixing might help. Nope - the opposite happened... my mix was back where I started, cold, but completely liquid. I considered throwing in the towel. Instead, I poured it out of the ice cream bowl and into two containers. I hadn't realized just how much was in the machine - easily twice what I normally run. Perhaps if I let the bowl refreeze and then just process half at a time? Bingo - success!

Meanwhile, I soaked the lady fingers in a mix of espresso and coffee liqueur. The delay in getting the ice cream processed meant that the finished product was a little soggy - but it still mixed into the mascarpone ice cream nicely.

Maybe too nicely? As you can see, there aren't too many "chunks" of soaked finger - more like swirls. I contend that this is part of the reason Dave enjoyed the ice cream as much as he did. You see, Dave doesn't drink coffee. Doesn't like it, not the smell, not the taste. The benefit of having the fingers so soaked as to be to blended in dispersed the flavor enough that it was never overwhelmingly coffee-flavored. Each bite was a brilliant blend of tiramisu - I think this might always be the method of production in our home going forward. I get my guilty indulgence, and my dear husband can enjoy it with me - except - now I have to share.

Tiramisu
c/o Modern Classics Book 2 by Donna Hay
via Addicted Sweet Tooth
http://addictedsweettooth.net/?p=277

1/2 cup (4 fl oz) strong espresso coffee
1/2 cup (4 fl oz) coffee liqueur
16 sponge finger biscuits, halved widthwise
cocoa powder for dusting

filling
1 1/4 cups (310 g/10 1/2 oz) mascarpone
1 1/2 cups (12 fl oz) (single or pouring) cream
3 tablespoons icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted

To make the filling, place the mascarpone, cream and icing sugar in a bowl and whisk until light and creamy. Set aside.

Place the coffee and liqueur in a small bowl and stir to combine. Quickly dip both sides of half the biscuit halves in the coffee mixture and place in 4 glasses or small bowls. Top with half the filling. Dip the remaining biscuit halves, place on top of the cream layer and spoon over the remaining filling. Dust heavily with cocoa and refrigerate until required.

Serves 4.

Mascarpone Ice Cream
c/o Bear Necessities
http://brookes-bearnecessities.blogspot.com/2007/05/cinnamon-marscapone-ice-cream.html

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups water
2 tsp cinnamon
14oz mascarpone
1/2 cup cream

1. Place the sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 3 minutes, then remove from heat, add the cinnamon and leave syrup to cool.

2. Mix the syrup with mascarpone and cream. Place in an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions until ice cream is thick and scoopable.

Sher's Scallion-Chicken Noodles

2008-07-27T11:01:00.005-04:00

O, the comforting power of food. What could be a more perfect tribute to our friend Sher than to collect and make something from her blog, What Did You Eat? as a show of love and support. Her kind words touched so many of us, and the way her blog was written, I always felt like I'd been welcomed into her home with open arms. You know how you can feel like you just know someone - even someone you've never met? Someone so charming and wholesome and organic of spirit, they allow you to feel as though you've been friends forever? Sher was like that. And I wish I'd told her how happy I was to have known her, even if only through the internet.

Sher belonged to many groups. I looked forward to her dishes for Presto Pasta Night, and I felt like I always had something to learn from her posts to Weekend Herb Blogging. What charmed me, too, were her Weekend Cat Blogging posts, and I eagerly sought them out - often the first blog I'd read on the weekend. A fellow Daring Baker, she brought a spirit to our group that will be greatly missed. I am sure I've left a group or two out, but I think you get my point - she was an active member of almost every aspect of the food community, and will be sorely missed.

Once Mary and Kalyn put out the call to choose a recipe of Sher's, I immediately chose these scallion-chicken noodles. In fact, I'd had the dish bookmarked since she first shared it with us! Such a simple preparation and yet so delicious. The fragrance alone would knock your socks off. I totally agree with her one and only grievance with the meal - that she had to share it!! I too would have loved to keep it all to myself! This is a curl up on the couch under a blanket pasta dish, especially on a dreary day, as the ginger and cilantro are bright and warming.

So too, was Sher. Bright and warming and remembered today across the globe. Her kindness, generosity and friendship will live on.

Scallion-Chicken Noodles
c/o Sher of What Did You Eat?
http://whatdidyoueat.typepad.com/what_did_you_eat/2008/05/ppn-scallion-ch.html

1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs
3/4 pound fresh Chinese noodles (or dry linguine)
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 cup finely chopped scallions
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Pinch of sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the chicken thighs and bring back to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Drain the chicken and cut it into 1-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the linguine until tender, 12 minutes. Drain, shaking out the excess water.

Wipe out the pot. Add the peanut oil and heat until shimmering. Add the scallions and ginger and cook over moderately low heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the linguine and chicken along with the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, tossing, until the noodles are coated and heated through, about 1 minute. Toss in the cilantro, transfer to bowls and serve.

Crispy Black Bean Cakes with Sour Cream and Avocado

2008-07-23T14:47:00.001-04:00

I don't know what it is about the Summer, but I feel like time just slips away. I can pin some of it down: busy times at work, lazing by the pool, a dozen movies from Netflix. I just don't seem to notice the time. I don't know if that makes sense... but I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the last 10 days. Why? Because it feels like it was about 20 minutes. Can it really be so long since I've blogged? Crazy.

We are big fans of little veggie cakes. Ever since I tried my first meatless burger at home, we've been big fans. Variations are limitless and they are so easy to toss together (because odds are, you have most of the ingredients in your pantry already!)

What sets these black bean cakes apart is their crusty outsides/creamy interiors. Genius. Mind you, it calls for 12 cakes and we probably ended up with 6. C'est la vie. The mix out of the fopo is more than a little sticky, so keep a bowl of cold water nearby to wet your hands slightly - it helps, I promise.

Once fried and drained, I served the cakes with a little arugula, scallions, and avocados, as directed. You'll see the sour cream and tomatoes on the side - the husband isn't a fan of either, so I didn't mess with dolloping on both. I sauteed some cubed market potatoes to go with, on a lark, and the combo really worked. Not only that, but the variety of colors on the plate really made me happy.

Crispy Black Bean Cakes with Sour Cream and Avocado
c/o Melissa Rubel in Food & Wine Magazine, April 2008
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/crispy-black-bean-cakes-with-sour-cream-and-avocado

These pan-fried cakes are crispy on the outside (thanks to a thin coating of bread crumbs) and creamy in the center. They make an excellent vegetarian meal, especially alongside a green salad.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying
1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large garlic clove, minced
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Two 15-ounce cans black beans, drained
1 1/4 cups plain dry bread crumbs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
Sour cream, avocado, scallions and lime wedges, for serving

In a medium skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat just until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the cumin and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Scrape the onion mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Add 1 1/2 cups of the beans and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped but not smooth. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl. Mix in the remaining whole beans and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Form the mixture into twelve 1/4-cup patties, about 1/2 inch thick.

Put the flour, beaten eggs and the remaining 3/4 cup of bread crumbs into 3 shallow bowls. Dust each black bean cake with the flour, tapping off the excess. Dip the cakes in the egg and then in the bread crumbs, pressing so that the bread crumbs adhere.

In a very large skillet, heat 1/8 inch of oil until shimmering. Add the cakes and fry over moderate heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve the black bean cakes with sour cream, avocado, scallions and lime wedges.

Wine: Soft, plummy Merlot: 2005 Mia’s Playground.

Lamb Sausage with Lentils and Sauteed Pears

2008-07-13T16:56:00.004-04:00

I think this meal is going to become my new go-to dinner for guests. For a while, anytime we had anyone new over, we served this steak. Sure, that goat-cheese topped filet was awesome, but this lamb, lentil and pear dish wins. Dave and I had this for dinner and had enough leftover for lunch the next day. I'd even considered ways to finagle Dave's lunch helping away from him so I could have it all to myself. Greedy? Sure. But make this and you'll understand why.

Not only is the marriage of the lamb, lentils and pears a thing of beauty, it is also a lot easier. Yes, the steak was dead simple, but it had so many things going on WITH it (the mashed potatoes, asparagus, and Bearnaise) - that this new favorite simply doesn't. What's more ridiculous? There isn't a darn thing in the ingredient list that's tricky. You'll either have it at home or know where to get it. Although, now that I've written that out, it occurs to me that lamb sausage might not be as easy to find universally. I picked ours up at a local farmers market on a whim. Feel free to substitute what you have.

I will say that I soaked my lentils ahead of time. I then drained and covered them and went to the movies. I had been worried that doing so would harm the texture, but it didn't. I simply moved on to the next step once we got home. You know what's lovely about lentils? Packed with protein. Packed. Not only that, but loads of fiber and B vitamins and lentils are good for your heart. It's lovely to know that something so delicious is also incredibly nutritious! If you're interested in more protein-rich recipes, pop over to the Art of Cooking Indian Food for Sangeeth's round-up!

I had a red bell pepper in my fridge, so I roasted and sliced it instead of buying a jar of piquillos. I don't know how different the end result would be, but I was thrilled with how it turned out, and when I make this again, I'll probably do it the same way. In fact, I'll probably make double, so I can squirrel some away in the freezer.

Now, for those of you that don't like to mix fruit in savory way into your dinner, please try to overlook that aspect. Dave didn't seem too enthusiastic about it at first blush, either, but gobbled this dinner up, pears and all. The recipe calls for the pears to be cut into eighths, but once I had them that way, they seemed too big. I sliced all the larger eighths in half, which got them closer in size to the sausages (and easier to eat!)

I cannot tell you enough how lovely this meal was. In the photos, it certainly looks like a rich, heavy Winter meal - don't let that deter you. Each bite was a joy, whether you had a bit of everything on your fork or not. The pears were soft and juicy and mingled brilliantly with the heartiness of the lentils and bite of the sausage. I can't wait to make it again.

Shall I set a place for you?

Lamb Sausage with Lentils and Sauteed Pears
c/o Food & Wine Magazine, May 2008
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/lamb-sausage-with-lentils-and-sauteed-pears

One of Defne Koryürek’s favorite homemade sausages includes beef, lamb, red peppers and garlic; she loves eating it alongside a creamy salad of lentils, roasted peppers and sautéed pears. The recipe is also delicious when prepared with spicy, rich merguez sausage.

2 cups brown lentils (14 ounces)
4 cups boiling water
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
1 celery rib, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup roasted red peppers (8 ounces), preferably piquillo, cut into thin strips
1 1/4 pounds merguez sausage
2 ripe Bartlett pears, cored and cut into eighths

In a large heatproof bowl, cover the lentils with the boiling water and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain.

In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the diced carrots, onion and celery and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils and 1 1/2 cups of water and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat until the lentils are just tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of the olive oil, the cider vinegar and the roasted red peppers and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the lentil mixture to a serving platter.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the merguez sausage and cook over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Arrange the sausages around the lentils and pour over any accumulated juices.

Return the skillet to high heat. Add the pears and cook, turning once, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the platter and serve right away.

Make ahead: The cooked lentils can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently before serving.
Wine: The smoky, substantial red wines of Spain’s Jumilla region seem as though they were designed to go with spicy sausages like merguez, making them ideal partners for this rustic dish. Look for the 2005 Finca Luzón, full of blackberry fruit, or the plummy 2005 Mad Dogs & Englishmen from Bodegas y Viñedos de Murcia.

TwD: Snickery Bar Flashback

2008-07-08T09:30:00.004-04:00

This week's Tuesday with Dorie, hosted by South in Your Mouth , is a beautiful blueberry pie.

Neither of my photos look particularly blue or berry-y, so let me explain. I'm still traumatized from my last blueberry pie experience. I just couldn't brave it. I know, I'm a sissy. Instead, I went into the TwD archives and found these rocking Snickery Bars, previously hosted by Dinner & Dessert.

I generally love snickers bars. Especially when they are in their small, bite-sized form. That way, I can have three little nibbles and still feel like I haven't abandoned my better eating habits (see how I dodged the word diet?) Would I still feel the same way about a pan full of them? I did - but only because I could take half of them to work! These bars are nicely sweet, but overly rich - I could only get through a little bit before I was grasping for some cold milk. Which isn't a bad thing, mind you, because at least then I'm stopping myself from shoveling them ALL into my mouth.

I had never used dulce de leche before (and frankly, I still can't pronounce it) and I was pleasantly surprised by it. I know there are recipes to make it at home (I bought mine) that involve sweetened condensed milk, which is already pretty thick. I hadn't expected the dulce de leche to be as thick as it was... in my mind, it was runny, like butterscotch sauce, and I couldn't figure out how it would stay in bar form once I cut them up. Silly me! DDL is thick and easily spreadable. I had no problems smearing it atop the cookie base (which in itself was sweet and dainty.) This recipe wasn't difficult or particularly time consuming, and I think it would be a perfect dessert for a bbq or a bake sale (so long as it isn't too too hot out.)

As we don't post the recipes individually anymore, please click through to Erin's blog for the instructions. You won't be sorry.

Taste & Create Seasonal: Grilling Cheese-Filled Goodness

2008-07-07T16:53:00.006-04:00

And here I didn't think the typical made-at-home burger could get any better! For this round of Taste & Create (a special seasonal grilling version), I was paired with the event's creator and lovely hostess Nicole of For the Love of Food. I'm a big fan of Taste & Create, and I was tickled to try a grilling swap - even though I don't actually own a grill (grill pans and broiling were both allowed!)

Ultimately, I chose her Cheese-Stuffed Burgers. Why? Because I'd never stuffed a burger before, and I was intrigued by the inclusion of jam in the mix. You heard me. Jam. In. The. Mix. Now, hers specifically calls for apricot, but I didn't have any and couldn't rationalize buying a whole jar for a half-teaspoon. So I used what I had - peach - and I probably used a full teaspoon. I wasn't measuring, but it seemed like a bigger blob. My other modification was to use ground bison instead of beef - both leaner and more humanely raised, more often than not. I was at Wegmans for my shopping, and while I don't normally get my meats there, I also wasn't in the mood for a special trip to my butcher. Lazy, a little, but I tried to swap out smartly. These burgers are so tasty! I had a little bit of cheese seepage (now that's a sentence I bet you didn't expect), but overall, the cheese stayed where it was supposed to. The burgers were moist and flavorful (and not the least bit jammy.) I skipped a bun, but Dave doctored a sub roll, and he liked it a lot.

We didn't have dinner until close to 9:30 last night. We'd had a late, large breakfast and shared a pretzel at the mall after our movie (Wall-E - go see it!), so we just weren't hungry earlier. While Dave talked to his parents on the phone, I mixed and filled the patties. I also prepared this little salad of roasted beets, fennel and orange. I wasn't in my right mind, it seems, because it was a salad entirely composed of things Dave doesn't like. See, we received beets in our CSA last week... and we tried beets last summer and decided we didn't like them. I was determined to give them another go and found this recipe in Fresh Every Day. It looked good to me... I just wasn't thinking. In the end, it all worked out, because something about all of those ingredients really clicked, and Dave liked it. We even had the extra for lunch today. Whew, saved!

This was a lovely summer grilling dinner. A delicious, easily-prepared burger, alongside a salad that surprised us in its goodness.

Cheese-Stuffed Burgers
c/o Nicole at For the Love of Food
http://forfood.rezimo.com/?p=614

1/4 Cup finely shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 Cup fresh finely shredded Parmesan (originally calls for Gruyere)
1 lb. 90% lean Ground Beef (ground Sirloin)
*1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
*1/8 teaspoon Fructose (or Sugar)
*1/2 teaspoon Fructose-based Apricot preserves
1 1/2 teaspoons Paprika
1/4 teaspoon Pepper

*Soy Sauce, Fructose, and Apricot preserve can be substituted with 1 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

Preheat your grill to medium-high or preheat your broiler.

Combine the cheeses in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients until the spices are evenly distributed. Separate the mixture into 8 same-size balls of meat. Flatten each into a nice round thin patty.

Place 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture in the middle of 4 of the patties, leaving 1/2 an inch free from the edge. Top those 4 patties each with a cheese-less patty and press down the edges to seal in the cheese.

To Grill:
Grill over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes on each side. It is recommended not to press the burgers while they are cooking or the cheese will ooze out.

To Broil:
Place the patties on a rack in the oven and broil the patties as close to the top as possible without touching the heat source directly. Broil for 4 minutes on each side.

And:

Roasted Beet Salad with Oranges, Fennel, and Mint
c/o Fresh Every Day: More Great Recipes from Fosters Market, by Sara Foster
http://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Every-Day-Recipes-Fosters/dp/1400052858

Serves 6 to 8

6 medium beets (red, golden or any other variety, or a combination), trimmed of greens and washed well
Juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 navel oranges, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
1 large fennel bulb, halved, cored and sliced into thin slivers
1 small red onion, sliced into very thin rounds
3 ounces crumbled goat cheese (about 3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the beets on a baking sheet with sides or in a large, glass baking dish. If you're using a combination of red and golden beets, separate them to prevent the red from bleeding onto the golden. Pour the orange juice, olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup and 1/4 cup of water over the beets and season with salt and pepper. Cover the baking sheet tightly with foil and roast the beets until they're tender when pierced with a knife, 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover and let the beets cool to room temperature. Reserve the cooking liquid.

Peel the beets and slice them into 1/4-inch rounds. Arrange the beets, oranges, fennel and onion on a platter or on individual plates, placing contrasting colors and textures next to one another.

Pour the reserved beet liquid over the vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and top with the crumbled goat cheese, chives and mint. This is best served just after it's dressed.

Variation: Any pungent cheese, such as Stilton or blue, is delicious in place of goat cheese.

Pistachio Ice Cream Sammies

2008-07-04T17:02:00.003-04:00

Happy Independence Day!! I don't know about you, but our 4th has been quiet and uneventful. Dave and I slept in, watched some tennis, and went for a walk. Weather permitting, we'll go check out the local fireworks after dinner - and if not, we're off to the movies!

Now, I had been hoping to share our dinner with you today, but on their current schedule, my 7-hour maple baked beans won't be ready until next Tuesday... so I thought I would share this lovely dessert with you instead!

I've said it before, I don't know how I managed so long before pistachios. I have seriously taken every opportunity to work them into some kind of dessert, ANY kind of dessert, that I jumped at the chance when I saw this recipe in Food & Wine magazine. (And I have couple more trapped in Forgotten Draft Land.)

I know what you're thinking, how could I abandon David Lebovitz? I am normally so loyal to his book, Perfect Scoop - how could I branch out? Well, I can say that I gave him a chance. After seeing this recipe, I went to the Perfect Scoop and looked up pistachios... but the only ice cream they are featured in also included a bunch of other stuff (apricots and the like), and while I found it appealing, too, I really wanted a simple, unadulterated pistachio ice cream. I hope he'll forgive me. I blame the cream cheese.

Jeni Britton does not disappoint. Her pistachio ice cream is exactly what I was looking for. Shining pistachio flavor with a hint of the almond extract, creamy with a wonderful mouth-feel - and not the least bit gritty. I was feeling cheeky, so I baked up some of these butter cookies and made wee ice cream sandwiches. Because we'd nibbled away at a couple of cookies and slurped down so much ice cream, I was only able to put together four sandwiches - which is really sad, because they rocked. For serious.

I want to give a quick shout-out to KitchenAid. While making this, my ice cream attachment sprang a leak. The ice cream was ok - thank goodness - but the bowl was toast. I called KA on a Monday and by Thursday, I had a new bowl in hand. No questions asked and they replaced it. I couldn't be more impressed by their customer service.

I hate to put it all the way at the end like this, but I'm submitting this ice cream to the lovely Nikki's Ice Cream, You Scream Ice Cream Event. Did you know that July is Ice Cream Month? How kick-ass is that? And Nikki thought it fitting that we celebrate it - from the humble flavor to the most extravagant - all are welcome in her event. Please pop over and check out her site - it is wildly informative and a pleasure to read - and make sure you check back later in the month for her ice cream round-up!

Pistachio Ice Cream
c/o Food & Wine Magazine, June 2008
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pistachio-ice-cream

2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened (3 tablespoons)
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup toasted pistachios, very finely ground
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Fill a large bowl with ice water. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch. In another large bowl, whisk the cream cheese until smooth.

In a large saucepan, combine the remaining milk with the heavy cream, sugar and corn syrup. Bring the milk mixture to a boil and cook over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Off the heat, gradually whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and cook over moderately high heat until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Whisk in the pistachios, almond extract and salt. Set the bowl in the ice water bath and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cold, about 20 minutes.

Strain the ice cream base into an ice cream maker, pressing the pistachios with the back of a spoon to extract all the flavor, and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pack the ice cream into a plastic container.

Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the ice cream and close with an airtight lid. Freeze the pistachio ice cream until firm, about 4 hours.

Sesame Roasted Tofu with Satay Sauce and Broccoli

2008-07-03T20:57:00.004-04:00

I'm not sure when I talked myself out of worrying about it, but I did. After a handful of failed attempts at Tastespotting, I realized that I'm just not one to individually wrap my cookies and brownies in ribbons... maybe someday (because it certainly makes for a pretty picture.) This is not to say that I'm not still a big fan of Tastespotting - because I am. It is a visually stunning way to meet new bloggers and get dinner ideas.

However, with Tastespotting's stall due to legal issues, Food Gawker stepped in to fill the void. Same basic principle, same amazing submissions. Everyone is happy. Except, TS is back. And now with both in my Google Reader, I pop in to "catch up" and find I have 300+ entries! Whoa baby! Both are lovely - and users seem to submit to both... but it leads to duplicates... Which leads me to... who to choose? I feel like need to decide... and I have no idea which way to lean. I know how overwhelming to seems to have so many entries to read (too much pressure!)... Do you have a similar problem? If you are feeling the same way, how would you choose?

On to the recipe! I'd never made a satay sauce before - but it read so beautifully in Rose Eliot's Vegetarian Supercook, I just had to give it a try. As much as I know Dave will eat whatever I put in front of him (I love that he trusts me like that), I still worry when I add tofu to the menu. I shouldn't have, though, because as simply as the tofu is prepared (a simple soak in soy sauce and sprinkled in sesame seeds), the satay sauce really makes the dish.

I myself was a little worried when I first assembled the sauce in the pot, it didn't taste like much - it even seemed a little bland. (I thought I was screwed.) Have faith, though, because once the sauce heats up and the flavors have a chance to meld, it's amazing. Creamy, with a nice punch of heat from the ginger, garlic and chili flakes. Both the tofu and the broccoli were lovely dipped in the sauce.

My resident tofu-squeamish husband liked it so much, he had seconds - so if you're skittish, too - this would be a good way to get your toes wet!

Sesame Roasted Tofu with Satay Sauce and Broccoli
c/o Vegetarian Supercook, by Rose Elliot
http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Supercook-Rose-Elliot/dp/0600615677/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1214341705&sr=8-1

Serves 4.

1 lb tofu, drained
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 medium-sized bunches of broccoli, trimmed and broken into florets

Sauce
4 heaped tablespoons peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
½ teaspoon dried red chili flakes
2-3 teaspoons honey
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro, to garnish

Blot tofu dry on paper towels and cut into thin strips about ¼ inch thick. Put the strips on a plate in a single layer, pour the soy sauce on top, then turn the strips so that they are all coated.

Heat the sesame oil in a grill pan or shallow roasting pan under a preheated hot broiler. Put the tofu strips in the pan in a single layer and scatter with half the sesame seeds. Immediately turn them over and coat with the remaining sesame seeds.

Put the pan back onto or under the heat and grill or broil for about 10 minutes, or until the tofu is crisp and browned, then turn the pieces over and broil or grill on the other side.

Meanwhile, make the satay sauce. Put the peanut butter into a saucepan and gradually stir in the coconut milk to make a smooth sauce, then add the garlic, ginger, and chili. Heat gently, taste, and add honey to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside until required.

About 5-10 minutes before the tofu is ready, heat ½ inch depth of water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli, cover, and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until just tender. Drain.

Put some broccoli, tofu, and a serving of satay sauce on each plate, scatter the sauce with some cilantro and serve.

TwD: Apple Cheddar Scones

2008-07-01T09:26:00.003-04:00

It's been a few weeks since my last Tuesdays with Dorie entry... June was a bit of a busy and stressful month. Not even knowing what this week would hold, I promised myself and my fellow TwDers that I would participate (well, I whispered, so if you guys didn't hear me, that's why!) I couldn't have been more pleased that Karina chose these scones. Don't get me wrong, I love pies and brownies as much as the next baker, but I have a lot of love for everything breakfast food related - and these scones strike a nice balance between sweet and savory... just can't be beat.

These scones are close to drop biscuits, but denser. The dried apple provided a nice, thoughtful chewiness that I found really appealing. Now, I don't normally like cheddar - but it worked really well in the scones. It wasn't the least bit over-powering - and I didn't even notice it in each bite - in fact, I rather liked it. Shocking, I know. The dough was wicked sticky - so be prepared. I didn't want to go with the traditional triangle, so I tried to use a biscuit cutter... it mostly worked (not that you can tell), but it made for a sticky fun experience.

As an added crunch, I substituted polenta for the cornmeal (as I found I didn't have any). The polenta-crunch was certainly different, but enjoyable. I sometimes find store-bought scones to be a little uninspired and boring, and these were neither of those things.

Please see Karina's blog, The Floured Apron, for the recipe, and head on over to Tuesdays with Dorie to see other marvelous ways to make a scone!

Daring Bakers June: Success with Yeast (Finally!!)

2008-06-29T22:24:00.015-04:00

My word. I knew if the Daring Bakers pushed long enough, I would make friends with yeast. (At least, I'd hoped so.) My comfort level rose a bit with this pizza dough (especially since I've made it half a dozen times since), so I went into this challenge confident... at least as far as the yeast was concerned.

I'll be honest, when Kelly and Ben announced this Danish braid, I did shiver in my flip-flops. Laminated dough? Fold and turn, what? O dear. I felt like the potential for disaster was strong. However. This is clearly something I've never done before - and something I've always wanted to try... what better opportunity than with the Daring Bakers? With such a level of support, I knew it would be fun.

The month of June really got away from me. Middle of last week it finally sank in that I HAD to get this challenge done! I did a quick search for fillings and decided on this hybrid of cream cheese/peach filling, and then a second easy one - nutella and chocolate. So Saturday night, I made the dough, chilled it, added the butter and performed all the turns, setting the dough up for a relaxing nap in the fridge overnight.

I wish you could have been there, during all that rolling out. I wanted to make sure it was the right size, so I pulled out my trusty tape measure. Imagine a kitchen in disarray, flour coating most surfaces, sprinkled on the cat, a girl feverishly rolling... only to grab her dusty industrial tape measure and mutter to herself... ah, good times. I even used it for the flap creation... I know, I know, I have a problem. :)

Flapped, filled and folded, my babies got their proof on - and you know what? They actually rose! Hurray! This is usually the part in the story when I have to admit that my yeast defeated me... but not this time! Friendship has been forged! Awesome! Two and a half hours of resting and I popped the braid and little danish rolls into the oven.

Let me tell you, if I could bottle how wonderful my apartment smelled while the danishes baked... Not only would I be like this chick, but I could make a small fortune in sales. Sweet, slightly fruity, warm and cozy... that was my apartment yesterday morning. Before my first bite, I was completely in love with the danishes. While neither Dave nor I could place why, the flavor was familiar to us - the spices involved (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, orange and lemon zest) were heavily reminiscent of Fall, but didn't seem out of place. I don't make coffee at home anymore, but I can't wait to have a slice with my morning tea!!

These Daring Bakers are amazing people. I have learned so much month-to-month and made so many new friends... I can't imagine food blogging any other way! To see this wonderful group in action, check out the other Daring Bakers' wonderful creations!

Daring Bakers June: DANISH DOUGH

Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH
Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

BUTTER BLOCK
1. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.

2. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

4. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling.

Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Peach and Cream Cheese Filling
c/o:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/BLUEBERRY-CHEESE-DANISH-PASTRIES-10540
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/breakpastry/cream-cheese-croissants-strata.html

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolk
2 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 or 3 ripe fresh peaches, peeled
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a bowl beat together the cream cheese, the sugar, the yolk, the vanilla, the salt, the zests, and the flour until the mixture is smooth and chill the filling, covered, for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Slice peaches into a large bowl and sprinkle with a mixture of 1/2 cup sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Set aside.

DANISH BRAID
Makes enough for 2 large braids

Ingredients
1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
2 cups filling, jam, or preserves (see below)

For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.

2. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.

3. Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1. Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.

2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.

3. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

Poached Eggs with Arugula and Polenta Fingers

2008-06-24T20:36:00.002-04:00

Never been as angry at a dish as I was at this one. (I mean, as angry as you can get making dinner, I guess.) Either I don't know what I'm doing with polenta, or instructions to fry polenta are mean and evil. Polenta explodes... all those little bits of corn pop pop pop in the hot oil, causing much cussing and consternation. I had a dish towel covering the arm of my spatula hand, and a piece of aluminum foil in my other hand as a shield for the rest of me. Add the danger to the fact that the polenta rectangles don't stay in one piece, rendering themselves unpretty plate additions... bah. Hateful.

Other than that, I was pretty happy with dinner. The poached egg oozed dreamily over the lightly-dressed arugula and the polenta blobs provided nice texture and heft. Speaking of the polenta, this was the first time I'd made it with coconut milk and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. The coconut flavor was a nice twist - I wouldn't do it all the time, but it made for a nice change.

So. If you have an outfit made of silicone and gloves on, make this tasty salad for yourself!

Poached Eggs with Arugula and Polenta Fingers
c/o Bon Appetit Magazine, May 2008

From Oliver Maindroult of Urbane.

1 13.5 to 14 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
½ cup water
½ cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
4 large eggs
2 cups arugula
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Fleur de sel

Butter 13x9x2-ince baking pan. Bring coconut milk and ½ water to a boil in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in polenta; reduce heat and simmer until polenta is very thick and tender, about 7 minutes. Mix in cheese. Pour polenta into half of pan; spread to form 9x6-inch rectangle. Press plastic wrap onto surface of polenta and chill until firm, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Turn polenta out onto cutting board. Cut into 3x1 –inch rectangles. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat. Working in batches, add polenta fingers; cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to baking sheet; keep warm in oven.

Add enough water to large skillet to reach depth of 2 inches; bring to simmer. Mix in 1 teaspoon coarse salt and white wine vinegar. Crack each egg into separate custard cup. Slide eggs into water and cook until whites are set but centers are still runny, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss arugula with ½ tablespoon oil and balsamic vinegar in medium bowl; divide among 4 plates.

Top each salad with poached egg. Break yolks with tip of knife. Sprinkle with fleur de sel. Serve with polenta.

Turkey and Pork Meatballs with Orecchiette Pasta and Spinach-Almond Pesto

2008-06-19T20:37:00.000-04:00

I know this pasta dish looks completely ridiculous. I was in something of hunger-induced hurry to get to the eating part of the evening, and I didn't take the time I should have to photograph what ended up being a wonderful meal.

Dave and I had my lovely new friend Jessi over for dinner a few weeks ago, and if you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that means we had to eat something both New and Interesting. I'd recently brought the Top Chef cookbook home, and Dave promptly picked this recipe. (You can see the second recipe chosen from this book here.)

I am lucky to work across the street from where I live, so I popped home at lunch to mix the meatballs and ball them and make the pesto. I like getting as much as possible done before we have company, makes for easier chatting and whatnot.

The meatballs came together perfectly well. I always find it funny when making balls of things. You try to make them uniform, and you think you are, until you're done and you can see the ball progression.... little by little, they all get bigger and bigger. This leads me to....

Holy Garlic Whoa. Did you see how much garlic is in the pesto? Whoa 12 garlics, whoa. It wasn't too much flavor-wise (at least, I didn't think so), so don't let it scare you. Honestly, you only use enough pesto to coat, and that small amount needs to do the job of flavoring the vegetables and pasta - so it should be strong. But man, 12 garlics is scary. I don't know why we planned to serve our guest so many garlics her first night over, but she's still nice to me, so I guess I'm safe.

I will tell you that the recipe lies. Yes, it was on Top Chef, and they have time limits and all that, but its still television - and television is often fibbing. The mass of vegetables need more than 5 minutes to cook. Maybe more like 20. And while the big carrots are charming, their bigness makes it really difficult to stir the vegetables around with the pasta and meatballs. Just my two cents - these two grievances are easily manageable and don't detract much from the overall experience.

And that overall experience? Very good. This was a nice, wholesome dish. The possible heaviness of the pasta and vegetables is easily brightened by the pesto. The pasta, in fact, provided a nice bite as compared to the vegetables. Lots of steps, sure, but uncomplicated ones, and well worth it.

I am excited to be able to share this pasta with Ruth of Once Upon A Feast. She is the creater of Presto Pasta Nights (check out its new home!!) and one of the nicest people in the blogosphere. She is hosting PPN this week, so make sure to look for her round-up tomorrow!

Turkey and Pork Meatballs with Orecchiette Pasta and Spinach-Almond Pesto
c/o Top Chef: The Cookbook
recipe by Casey and Dale, Season 3, Episode 6

Turkey and pork meatballs:
½ pound ground turkey
½ pound ground pork
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons white wine
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon red pepper chile flakes
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed

Vegetables and pasta:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup baby carrots
One 14-ounce jar artichoke hearts, each cut in half
1 packed cup fresh spinach leaves
1 tablespoon white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound orecchiette pasta, cooked al dente

Spinach-Almond Pesto, recipe follows

For the meatballs:
In a large bowl, stir together all the meatball ingredients except the oil and form into meatballs about ¾ inch in diameter.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking and cook the meatballs, in batches, turning them as they cook, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add more oil to the skillet with new batches as necessary. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a wire rack to drain. Set aside.

For the vegetables and pasta:
In a large sauté pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the cauliflower, carrots, and artichokes and sauté until softened but al dente, about 5 minutes.

Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute, or until just wilted. Add the wine and cook until evaporated. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Add the orecchiette and meatballs to the vegetables and stir to combine. Add enough pesto to coat, then heat to warm through. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately.

Spinach-Almond Pesto
10 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole, plus 2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
4 ounces fresh spinach, plus more as needed
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more as needed
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, bring the whole garlic and oil to a bare simmer over low heat and poach until softened and lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

Combine the cooked garlic along with its cooking oil in a food processor. Add the minced raw garlic, the almonds, spinach, cheese, lemon juice, wine and salt and pepper to taste and puree. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble the dish.

Danish Pork Burgers

2008-06-17T15:54:00.001-04:00

I haven't uploaded any photographs of dinner this last week (and there is one in particular I'd like to share, because it really ticked me off), but I was scrolling through my drafts for something to share. I cannot believe I haven't sung from the mountain-tops about these burgers yet. Let me do so now. Ahem.

Delicious but different. Knock-your-socks-off tasty. Warm and cozy. Easy to prepare. Easily one of my top five favorite burgers. Maybe even top three.

Elise over at Simply Recipes posted about these in February 2007. I don't know when I happened upon them, but I didn't make them until December... which, now that I think about it, is a damn shame. All those months this recipe was available to me and I overlooked it.

You may wonder to yourself, "Do I want a pork burger with saltines in it?" My answer is a resounding YES! The red onion and saltines impart a delicate... something... to the burger that is plain addicting. I can't explain it, but the combination is fantastic. I don't remember how many burgers I ended up with, but between Dave and I, we ate them all. Seriously. All of them in one night. It was crazy. (Which, in retrospect, makes me hope there weren't a lot of them!)

Now, I didn't serve these babies on a bun. It was the middle of winter and I was longing for egg noodles. Once the burgers were done, I poured a little chicken stock into the pan and scraped up the bits. To that I added the mustard, forming a little sauce to go over the burgers and noodles.

Now that it's burger season, I implore you to give these a try.

Danish Pork Burgers
c/o Elise at Simply Recipes
http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/004289danish_pork_burgers.php

1 pound ground pork
1 red onion, finely diced
16 saltine crackers, crumbled
1/2 cup whole milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil for cooking
Dijon mustard for serving

Combine the pork, onion, saltines, milk, eggs, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Use your hands to mix well together.

Lightly brush a large, nonstick skillet with vegetable oil. Heat on medium high heat. Divide the pork mixture into 8 equal portions. Working in batches, drop them from a spoon into the hot pan, spacing them evenly. Pat down with the back of a spoon to form into patties. Cook each patty, turning once, for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Serve the burgers hot with a dollop of Dijon mustard.

Serves 4.

Creamy Quinoa with Dried Cranberries

2008-06-14T09:19:00.001-04:00

Caution: The breakfast above is hotter than it looks!!

I burnt the inside top of my mouth like nobodies business with my first bite. Admittedly, it was a bite while it was still in the pot, so it was my own silly fault. Take it from me, blow on it first. :)

Now, I didn't have maple sugar, so I used brown and a squirt of maple syrup. I also didn't have soy milk, so I used skim. (Between making it and having leftovers, though, I'd picked up some soy milk - and the leftovers were amazing with some poured on top.)

Earthy. Sweet. Wholesome = three words I use to describe this. "Tastes like camping" is what my husband said. I don't know what that means, but I hope it was a compliment. We are very much bacon and eggs for breakfast people, so this quinoa was a nice change. The dried cranberries plump up and the nuts are a nice contrast, both in flavor and texture. Maybe not the best choice for a summer breakfast, but believe you me, I'll be pulling this recipe out come Fall.

Creamy Quinoa with Dried Cranberries
c/o Vegetarian Times Magazine

Serves 4.

1 ½ cups vanilla soymilk, plus more for serving
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
½ cup dried cranberries
2 Tbs. maple sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground allspice or cloves
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted, for sprinkling

Bring soymilk, salt, and 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in quinoa and cranberries, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and grains are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in maple sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. Serve warm, topped with more soymilk and pecans.

Per 1-cup serving: 362 calories, 10 g protein, 15 g total fat, 50 g carbs, 0 mg cholesterol, 185 mg sodium, 6 g fiber, 17 g sugars

Tilapia with Parmesan Crab Sauce

2008-06-13T17:01:00.003-04:00

This will be a funny story, I promise. (Mildly amusing at the least.)

I saw this recipe on 28 Cooks a while back and bookmarked it. We've had frozen tilapia in the freezer (I don't know what possessed me to buy the bag of a million fillets) and this looked like an unusual yet delicious way to use them up. Not to mention, it is specifically mentioned that this recipe will garner compliments, and everyone needs those, right?

Now, as I mentioned, I had the tilapia in hand. In fact, I had all the ingredients I needed, save for the 8 ounces crab. This posed something of a dilemma. 8 ounces is a cup, a half-pound - really, not much. I went to two stores (three if you count checking while at Costco - but you shouldn't, because their products are bulky to begin with) in my search for a humble 8 ounce package of crab. In both places, 16 ounces was the smallest amount available. I wasn't up for finding something to do with the remainder (obviously, I was out of my mind), so I took this is a personal challenge.

While at Wegmans, I asked the clerk at the seafood counter if she could repackage a smaller portion for me. She said no. I stood there and looked sad. Still no. And then I asked the million dollar question:

"Um, well.... what's in your crab cakes?"

You see, each of the prepared crab cakes was 8 ounces. The perfect amount. She stated that they pride themselves on having each cake be 98% crab, minimal filler. While I don't necessarily agree with their 98%-ness, it was still more crab than not, and I rationalized that the filler itself would help the sauce thicken up. Sure, it would be weird and a little trashy to use a crab cake in lieu of normal crab, but I was desperate. All was not lost.

I prepared the sauce otherwise as written and it came together easily. I pulled the crab cake apart and added it to the sauce. Rather than just take it off and serve, I kept it on the heat for a minute or two, just to let the crab cake bits incorporate fully. The sauce was glorious and creamy and well worth the measures I had to take to make it!

Served with some wild rice and green beans, this was indeed a love-inducing dinner. Thanks to Fiber for sharing it with us!

Tilapia with Parmesan Crab Sauce
c/o Fiber at 28 Cooks
http://28cooks.blogspot.com/2008/03/tilapia-with-parmesan-crab-sauce-i.html

Serves 4

4 tilapia filets
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
A scant 1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp soy milk
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 c dry white wine
3/4 c Parmesan cheese, shredded
8 oz fresh crab meat (I use claw)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small saucepan over medium high heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour and nutmeg. Slowly whisk in milk. Continue whisking and cook until smooth. Add in Worcestershire, white wine, and Parmesan cheese. Add crab, mix well, and remove from heat. Season tilapia filets with salt and pepper. Place in well oiled baking dish. Pour sauce over tilapia. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Coconut-Lime Chicken & Snow Peas Salad

2008-06-10T09:20:00.001-04:00

I wish I could say that I've been on some kind of world-tour (or maybe following Bon Jovi around on HIS tour!), and that's why I haven't been blogging. I wish. And not just because it would be cool, but because it is way more interesting than the real answer: I've been lazy. Still cooking, still photographing, even still uploading said photos and recipes into Blogger.... just too lazy to share. I know, right? Silly! I can't promise to be back on track, but I'll certainly try - and this salad is the perfect way to get started.

Why? Because it's wicked H-O-T outside. So hot, I feel like the word "hot" should be a dirty word. Seriously - it's only early June! This is ridiculous! If your heat index is anything like mine (105°), you will love this salad. Now, you will have to use the oven, but not for very long, and you don't need to stand over it, I promise.

Whisk together the dressing, set some aside, and toss the chicken in. Bake it for 20 minutes and you're done with the heat. Chop up the lettuce, cabbage (great color, btw), peas and herbs and toss with the dressing. Top with the chicken. Relax with your tasty, healthy, not hot dinner. Sigh with relief.

Great flavor, this salad has. Usually, I shun lite coconut milk... it isn't as thick or as coconut-y as its full-fat kin. That said, the lite really is perfect for this salad. I think the more flavored regular coconut milk would have been too overwhelming and too thick for a salad dressing.

While I followed the recipe as-was, you may want to increase your chicken to a full pound. Four ounces each didn't seem like very much, especially considering the amount of actual salad. I have every intention of making this again, and I will use more chicken. Your call, really. The salad is great on its own, it doesn't need the chicken, but it makes the salad a bit more substantial and dinner-ready.

Coconut-Lime Chicken & Snow Peas Salad
Eating Well Magazine, Online Version
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/coconut_chicken_pea_salad.html

Makes 2 servings

1 cup lite coconut milk (see Tips for Two)
¼ cup lime juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
8 ounces chicken tenders
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1 cup sliced snow peas
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced red onion

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Whisk coconut milk, lime juice, sugar and salt in an 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish. Transfer 1/4 cup of the dressing to a large bowl; set aside. Place chicken in the baking dish; bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, add lettuce, cabbage, snow peas, cilantro and onion to the large bowl with the dressing; toss to coat. Divide between 2 plates.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and thinly slice. Arrange the chicken slices on top of the salads. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the coconut cooking liquid over each of the salads.

The dressing (Step 2) will keep for up to 2 days.

Tips for Two: Refrigerate leftover coconut milk for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Use to make extra Coconut-Lime Dressing; drizzle on sliced fresh fruit; use as some of the liquid for cooking rice; make a Pineapple-Coconut Frappe.

Per serving: 186 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 67 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 29 g protein; 4 g fiber; 191 mg sodium; 473 mg potassium.

TwD: French Chocolate Brownies

2008-06-03T12:15:00.004-04:00

These are the most amazing, gluttonous chocolate brownies in the History of Ever. And I mean that. You know you are in trouble when you lick the spoon, and then use the spoon to lick the bowl, and you end up needing a tall glass of milk. Trouble that starts with T, that rhymes with B, and you get holy-crap, the best brownies ever!

Di, of Di's Kitchen Notebook, chose for our TwD gustatory pleasure Dorie's French Chocolate Brownies. I don't know what makes them French, but I don't care. These are that good that I don't care about anything other than eating them. Short-sighted, maybe. But make these yourself and you'll understand. I would almost suggest you NOT make these, they are that dangerous. That, and I don't really want to share the world's chocolate resources with you - I want them all to myself so I can make these every day.

Well, not every day. My doctor would probably kick my ass. With 12 tablespoons of butter per pan, I would swiftly turn into a solid. My plan is ruined. I shall come up with another. World domination can come about another way: Dorie for President.

You heard me right. When we go to the polls this November and are given the opportunity to write-in our candidates, rather than vote for Mickey Mouse or Ronald McDonald, we should all vote Dorie into office. She would sooth the leaders of the world, not just with her famous World Peace cookies, but with these brownies. She could fight to lower food prices around the world and lead us all into a Chocolate Age of Happiness. Who's with me?

Before I move on to another topic, these brownies remind me a lot of Orangette's Winning Hearts and Minds cake - and you know how much I loved that cake. I skipped the inclusion of the rum and raisins. We neither care too much for each in our brownies.

I am sure you have all heard of Blake Makes. Blake is charming and hysterical and best of all, he loves giving away free stuff. Not long ago, he had some Amano Chocolate to give away. I wasn't one of the initial winners, but the fabulous folks at Amano decided to graciously send samples to everyone that expressed interest. A short week later, a package with three (three!!!) different chocolate varieties arrived in my hot little hands. Dave and I immediately popped them out of their classy packaging and sampled a tiny bit of each. I've left my notes regarding each at home, but I will update with our thoughts this evening. Overall, the chocolate was amazing. Superb mouth-feel and clean chocolate taste. We marveled at how different each one was from the other. It is so easy to think about how different coffee or wine tastes from different regions, and chocolate is no different. I can't wait to share our thoughts on each with you!

Now, each package was 2 ounces - together totaling 6 was the perfect amount for these brownies. I melted all three to use their chocolatey goodness to Dorie's recipe and the chocolate did not disappoint. The brownies are rich (seriously rich) and moist and fudgy. Make sure you have a gallon if milk on hand, because you will need it.

Remember what I said about this November. :)

French Chocolate Brownies
(adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan, pages 92-93)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins (dark or golden)
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces, at room temperature
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar

Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, butter the foil and place the pan on a baking sheet. (I lined the pan with non-stick foil and skipped the butter.)

Whisk the flour, salt and cinnamon together.

Put the raisins in a small saucepan with the water, bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the water almost evaporates. Add the rum and let it warm for about 30 seconds, then turn off the heat, stand back and ignite the rum with a long match. Allow the flames to die down, and set the raisins aside. (I had trouble with flaming the raisins--not enough rum? Also, I like to do this quite a while before I make the rest of the recipe to give the raisins lots of time to soak up the rum.)

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate melts. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and add the butter, stirring until it melts. It’s important that the chocolate and butter not get very hot. However, if the butter is not melting, you can put the bowl back over the still-hot water for a minute. If you’ve got a couple of little bits of unmelted butter, leave them—it’s better to have a few bits than to overheat the whole. (I used the microwave.)

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. (I used the hand mixer.) Reduce the mixer speed and pour in the chocolate-butter mixture, mixing only until it is incorporated—you’ll have a thick, creamy batter. (I just used a whisk, not the mixer.) Add the dry ingredients and mix at low speed for about 30 seconds—the dry ingredients won’t be completely incorporated. Then finish folding in the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula. (I used the spatula for all the mixing of the dry ingredients.) Fold in the raisins, along with any liquid remaining in the pan. Scrape the batter into the pan.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is dry and crackled and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

Carefully lift the brownies out of the pan, using the foil edges as handles, and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 16 squares, each roughly 2 inches on a side, taking care not to cut through the foil.

Serving: The brownies are good just warm or at room temperature; they’re even fine cold. I like these with a little something on top or alongside—good accompaniments are whipped crème fraiche or whipped cream, ice cream or chocolate sauce or, dare I suggest, all three!

Storing: Wrapped well, these can be kept a room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.

Olive Oil-Poached Shrimp

2008-06-02T22:49:00.001-04:00

I cannot tell you how excited I am to share this lovely dish with you as my 200th post! Yay 200th post! I don't always have the best follow-through with things, so it pleases me to not only have been blogging for over a year, but to have actually learned from and shared so much with you - fantastic!

And fantastic is the perfect way to describe these olive oil-poached shrimp. This was a new technique for me, and I'm not entirely sure I would have attempted it, but my fabulous husband (and sous-chef) requested it. I am so glad I did, because Dave and I had an awesome time pulling it together. He peeled and deveined the shrimp, infused the oil, took lots of pictures and did a ton of dishes - and kept me laughing the whole time. Collective cartoon bird-sigh, Everyone - "Awwwww!" Sappy, but true. This was a blast to make.

This recipe has a lot of steps, but don't be discouraged - nothing is tricky. It wasn't even especially time consuming, if you want to get right down to it. The oil infused while I prepared the lime syrup and roasted the poblano. The poblano steamed while I prepared the veg. The tomatoes marinated while we tidied up. Everything was ready to go by the time our friends Jeremy and Liane came over, so we were able to have quality friend time with no worries about our starter!

I did have reservations about the poaching. Would it work? Would the shrimp be oily? Would we like it? In short, it did, they weren't, and OMG, they were delicious!! Next time we make this (because we will be making this again), we'll do way more than 8 shrimp - two per person just wasn't enough! The shrimp were tender and flavored delicately with coriander and red pepper flake - and not the least bit oily!

As much as we loved the shrimp, they weren't the only stars of the show! Neither Dave nor Jeremy particularly care for tomatoes, but the marinade brightened them up to the point they didn't even taste like tomatoes - but in a good way. The cucumber salad was sweet and crunchy, crisp and smoky. The cucumber, lime zest and roasted poblano melded together in a most beautiful way. The brightness in both the tomatoes and cucumber salad was balanced deftly by the sliced avocado and mellow lime syrup. I couldn't possibly give you enough positive adjectives to explain how terrific every part of this plate was singularly, much less blended together. I can just say that it was a symphony of flavors, and each flavor came together beautifully as a whole.

Elegant and delicious, this appetizer was. A blast to create and a joy to share. Thank you for sticking with me for 200 posts. I hope I have 200 more, just as tasty as this one.

Olive Oil-Poached Shrimp
c/o Top Chef: The Cookbook
winning recipe by Lia, Season 3, Episode 4

2 tablespoons coriander seeds, crushed
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
One 750-ml bottle olive oil
1 lime
½ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
Salt
1/3 English cucumber
1 large poblano chile
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
Zest and juice of 1 Meyer lemon
Juice of ½ navel orange
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 vine-ripened tomato
8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Hass avocados

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, toast the coriander seeds and red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the oil. Heat until just hot to the touch, then remove from the heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a sieve lined with cheesecloth and transfer to a medium saucepan.

Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest of the lime, then trim off any white pith. (Reserve the lime.) Cut the zest into very fine dice, put it in a small saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then immediately drain in a sieve. Return the zest to the pan, cover with cold water again, bring to a boil, then drain. In the saucepan, combine the sugar and ½ cup water. Add the zest and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and let the syrup cool.

Pour the syrup through a sieve set over a clean saucepan; set the candied zest aside in a small bowl. Combine the cornstarch and 1 ½ teaspoons water. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the syrup and add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Let cool.

Cut the cucumber in half and scrape out the seeds. Cut the cucumber, peel included, into very fine dice and put in the bowl with the candied zest.

Roast the chile directly over a gas flame, turning with tongs until add sides are lightly charred. Place the chile in a heat-proof bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 20 minutes. Remove the blackened skin, seeds, and stems. Cut the bright green parts into very fine dice, to make 2 tablespoons. Add to the cucumber mixture, along with the juice of half the reserved lime (reserve the remaining lime for another use), ½ teaspoon of the infused oil, the cilantro, and salt to taste. Set the salad aside.

In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest and juice, orange juice, vinegar, and salt to taste. Slice the tomato into 8 thin wedges and add to the marinade. Set aside.

Warm the remaining infused oil over low heat. Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and add them to the oil – it should not be hot enough to sputter. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, turning once, until firm. Transfer the shrimp to paper towels to drain.

Peel and thinly slice the avocados. Lightly brush some of the lime syrup onto each of 8 serving plates. Place a shrimp on one side of the brushstroke. Place avocado slices next to the shrimp. Put 1 wedge of marinated tomato between the shrimp and avocado. Using a slotted spoon to drain the excess liquid from the cucumber salad, place a small line of the salad next to the avocado. Serve immediately.

The Daring Bakers Go Out for Some Culture!

2008-05-28T11:50:00.008-04:00

[Quick shout-out: Happy Birthday, Mom!!]

Growing up, that is what my friends and I used to call going to museums or the theater: getting culture. We'd go, we'd appreciate the arts or learn some history and come away smarter (or so we thought.) This cake certainly made ME smarter, and while it doesn't look the way it should, it was quite the learning experience. This is why I love being a Daring Baker.

Our darling, daring creators Lis and Ivonne, accompanied by members Fran and Shea, chose for us the dramatic Opera Cake. For those of you that don't know, the Opera Cake is a classic chocolate-coffee cake, thought to be served at a French-American Opera reception in the 1930s. It is usually a coffee-syrup soaked almond cake layered with chocolate. The sides of the cake are left bare to better showcase the layered effect. That said, our hostesses asked that we keep our cakes light in color in flavor, preferably yellow or white, in honor of our friend Barbara and her unwavering support of LiveSTRONG, the Lance Armstrong Foundation. While the recipe called for almond meal to make the jaconde, we were allowed to deviate, so I chose pistachio. I cannot tell you how long it took me to shell all those nuts, but it was well worth it. And I had help, so I can't complain. ;)

Why pistachio? You see, my husband and I have a new favorite dessert, found at Michel Richard's Citronelle in Georgetown, DC. It is this lovely layered dessert, much like an Opera Cake, with a cookie layer, a cheesecake layer, a pistachio cake layer, with blueberries and raspberry tuile on top. I wanted to try to get as close to that cake as possible. This seemed like the perfect first step. We were also allowed to customize the syrup and buttercream flavors - so I went with a basic vanilla syrup and used cream cheese instead of butter in my buttercream.

Now, I don't know enough about making buttercream to know what I did wrong, but man, was it a runny mess. A seriously runny mess. I was crunched for time - my mom was due over in a few short hours, so I couldn't go out and get more ingredients for a re-do. What I did do, and I imagine it probably counts as rule-breaking (but know that I wasn't happy about it), is I mixed unflavored gelatin with some heavy cream and mixed it into the runny cheesecake buttercream. 90 minutes in the fridge and the buttercream thickened up slightly. Not as much as I'd hoped, but enough. No crisp edges here, but close enough, right?

This cake was exactly what I had hoped for flavor-wise. The pistachio jaconde was light and tender and flavored perfectly. The cream cheese buttercream was delicate and smooth and brought the pistachios and blueberries together in a fresh way, almost as though they were made to go together. My mom commented that it was too sweet, and I tend to agree with her - but it wasn't anything that a slightly smaller slice and a glass of cold milk wouldn't solve!

Thank you, ladies, for a wonderful learning experience! This is definitely a dessert I wouldn't have tried on my own, but I am so glad to have made!

Please check out what the other Daring Baker's have created - I marvel at their creativity!

The Daring Bakers’ Opéra Cake
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Paris Sweets and Tish Boyle’s and Timothy Moriarty’s Chocolate Passion.

For the joconde:
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tbsp. (30 grams) granulated sugar
2 cups (225 grams) ground blanched almonds
2 cups icing sugar, sifted
6 large eggs
½ cup (70 grams) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. (1½ ounces; 45 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Divide the oven into thirds by positioning a rack in the upper third of the oven and the lower third of the oven.

Preheat the oven to 425◦F. (220◦C).

Line two 12½ x 15½- inch (31 x 39-cm) jelly-roll pans with parchment paper and brush with melted butter.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the peaks are stiff and glossy. If you do not have another mixer bowl, gently scrape the meringue into another bowl and set aside.
If you only have one bowl, wash it after removing the egg whites or if you have a second bowl, use that one. Attach the paddle attachment to the stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer again) and beat the almonds, icing sugar and eggs on medium speed until light and voluminous, about 3 minutes.
Add the flour and beat on low speed until the flour is just combined (be very careful not to overmix here!!!).

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the almond mixture and then fold in the melted butter. Divide the batter between the pans and spread it evenly to cover the entire surface of each pan.
Bake the cake layers until they are lightly browned and just springy to the touch. This could take anywhere from 5 to 9 minutes depending on your oven. Place one jelly-roll pan in the middle of the oven and the second jelly-roll pan in the bottom third of the oven.

Put the pans on a heatproof counter and run a sharp knife along the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cover each with a sheet of parchment or wax paper, turn the pans over, and unmold.
Carefully peel away the parchment, then turn the parchment over and use it to cover the cakes. Let the cakes cool to room temperature.

For the soaking syrup:
½ cup (125 grams) water
⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
1 to 2 tbsp. of the flavouring of your choice (i.e., vanilla extract, almond extract, cognac, limoncello, coconut cream, honey etc.)

Stir all the syrup ingredients together in the saucepan and bring to a boil.

Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

For the buttercream (The recipe for the buttercream that is listed here is based on the original. When testing the buttercream, we tested a slightly modified version that had 2 cups sugar, ½ cup water and 1¾ cups butter. The eggs remained the same. We ended up with a very creamy buttercream. But we don’t want anyone to be afraid of our modified version so you have the option of using the original above or the quantities we’ve listed here in this note):
1 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar (Used to say 2 cups but should be 1 cup)
¼ cup (60 grams) water (Used to say ½ cup but should say ¼ cup)
seeds of one vanilla bean (split a vanilla bean down the middle and scrape out the seeds) or 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1¾ sticks (7 ounces; 200 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature (Used to say 1¾ cups of butter but it should be 1¾ sticks).
flavouring of your choice (a tablespoon of an extract, a few tablespoons of melted white chocolate, citrus zest, etc.)

Combine the sugar, water and vanilla bean seeds or extract in a small saucepan and warm over medium heat just until the sugar dissolves.

Continue to cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 225◦F (107◦C) (Note: The original recipe instructs to heat the syrup to 255◦F (124◦C). We heated it to 225◦F and it worked just fine. However, if you are concerned, then by all means heat your syrup to 255◦F.) on a candy or instant-read thermometer. Once it reaches that temperature, remove the syrup from the heat.

While the syrup is heating, begin whisking the egg and egg yolk at high speed in the bowl of your mixer using the whisk attachment. Whisk them until they are pale and foamy.

When the sugar syrup reaches the correct temperature and you remove it from the heat, reduce the mixer speed to low speed and begin slowly (very slowly) pouring the syrup down the side of the bowl being very careful not to splatter the syrup into the path of the whisk attachment. Some of the syrup will spin onto the sides of the bowl but don’t worry about this and don’t try to stir it into the mixture as it will harden!
Raise the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the eggs are thick and satiny and the mixture is cool to the touch (about 5 minutes or so).

While the egg mixture is beating, place the softened butter in a bowl and mash it with a spatula until you have a soft creamy mass.

With the mixer on medium speed, begin adding in two-tablespoon chunks. When all the butter has been incorporated, raise the mixer speed to high and beat until the buttercream is thick and shiny.
At this point add in your flavouring and beat for an additional minute or so.

Refrigerate the buttercream, stirring it often, until it’s set enough (firm enough) to spread when topped with a layer of cake (about 20 minutes).

For the ganache/mousse:
7 ounces white chocolate
1 cup plus 3 tbsp. heavy cream (35% cream)
1 tbsp. liquer of your choice (Bailey’s, Amaretto, etc.)
Melt the white chocolate and the 3 tbsp. of heavy cream in a small saucepan.

Stir to ensure that it’s smooth and that the chocolate is melted. Add the tablespoon of liqueur to the chocolate and stir. Set aside to cool completely.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate to form a mousse.

If it’s too thin, refrigerate it for a bit until it’s spreadable.

If you’re not going to use it right away, refrigerate until you’re ready to use.

For the glaze:
14 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ cup heavy cream (35% cream)

Melt the white chocolate with the heavy cream. Whisk the mixture gently until smooth.

Let cool for 10 minutes and then pour over the chilled cake. Using a long metal cake spatula, smooth out into an even layer.

Place the cake into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set.

Enjoy!

TwD: Pecan Honey Sticky Buns

2008-05-27T16:58:00.003-04:00

I didn't participate in Tuesdays with Dorie this week - too much going on this holiday weekend, but please pop over to the site to check out what the other members made, Pecan Honey Sticky Buns, courtesy of Madam Chow's Kitchen.

Enjoy!

Taste & Create: Tasty, Tasty Biscuits

2008-05-24T21:31:00.006-04:00

In my house, we call these "crater biscuits." It comes from my husband's family. It is cutely appropriate, don't you think?

I know what you're thinking, all of Arundathi's delicious recipes I could have selected for Taste & Create (and there are PLENTY!!), and I picked biscuits? You see, I love them. I do. And I rarely, if ever, would make them from scratch. I would get those little Betty Crocker bags (or whoever makes them), add water, and go. I loved the idea of making them my very own self. And let me tell you, it gets no easier than this.

I happened to double the recipe, because when I had the dry ingredients in the bowl, it seemed small. Doubled, you'll get 4 biscuits - which is perfect for the two of us! I used Greek yogurt, because it was what I had on hand, and it lent the finished biscuits a tangy almost-buttermilky twist. I omitted the garlic powder and the cheese, because I wanted the option of slathering them with jam.

They baked beautifully - and topped with cheddar, breakfast sausage, and a little scrambled egg - terrific breakfast! It was just what we needed to get our errand-filled day going!!

Thank you, Arundathi, for showing me how to make delicious crater biscuits at home - and a big thank you to Nicole for a great pairing!!

Crater Biscuits
adapted from My Food Blog

12 Tbsps all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
6 Tbsp skim milk
3 tsp Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 425.

Mix dry ingredients. Quickly mix in milk and yogurt.

Drop into mounds and bake for 10-13 minutes.

Makes 4 biscuits.

TwD: Ugly but Delicious

2008-05-20T10:57:00.006-04:00

I can't begin to tell you how excited I was to see madeleines chosen for this installment of Tuesdays with Dorie. I had a lovely experience making them before, and knew that Dorie's would be just as excellent!

Who cares if they weren't pretty - because they made up for it in the taste department. They were perfectly lemony and sweet without being too much of either. I really like Dorie's direction to blend the sugar and the lemon zest before you start - the fragrance is heavenly. If it weren't weird to do so, I could just eat it with a spoon. I restrained myself and moved forward.

I would like to think it was some kind of rookie mistake... and certainly, I won't let it happen again, but I totally over-filled my pan. The batter was thick (and delicious) and I just spooned these heaping spoonfuls into the molds. That said, I could have ended up with more than just 12. If you don't count all the batter I ate - tested! - this could have netted at least 16 cookies... maybe 18. They didn't suffer for it, but they weren't as adorable and cute as I'd hoped.

All 12 cookies were gone in 12 hours. We had a bunch the night I made them and the rest for breakfast the day after. (Bacon and eggs are over-rated.) I fully intended to make these again over the weekend, and make them properly. Sadly, it just didn't happen. These lovely babies WILL be made again, however. They are too tasty to resist.

My thanks to Tara for a lovely choice! Please go check out the other bakers at Tuesdays with Dorie - their madeleines are MUCH prettier!

Traditional Madelines
c/o Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan
http://www.amazon.de/Baking-Home-Yours-Dorie-Greenspan/dp/0618443363/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books-intl-de&qid=1209562505&sr=1-1

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
½ cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Working in a mixer bowl, or in a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the eggs to the bowl. Working with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale, thick and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. With a rubber spatula, very gently fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or for up to 2 days. This long chill period will help the batter form the hump that is characteristic of madeleines. (For convenience, you can spoon the batter into the madeleine molds, cover and refrigerate, then bake the cookies directly from the fridge; see below for instructions on prepping the pans.)

GETTING READY TO BAKE:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 12 full-size madeleine molds, or up to 36 mini madeleine molds, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Or, if you have a nonstick pan (or pans), give it a light coating of vegetable cooking spray. If you have a silicone pan, no prep is needed. Place the pan(s) on a baking sheet.

Spoon the batter into the molds, filling each one almost to the top. Don’t worry about spreading the batter evenly, the oven’s heat will take care of that. Bake large madeleines for 11 to 13 minutes, and minis for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden and the tops spring back when touched.

Remove the pan(s) from the oven and release the madeleines from the molds by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter. Gently pry any recalcitrant madeleines from the pan using your fingers or a butter knife. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature.

If you are making minis and have more batter, bake the next batch(es), making certain that you cool, then properly prepare the pan(s) before baking.

Just before serving, dust the madeleines with confectioners’ sugar.

Makes 12 large or 36 mini cookies

Serving: Serve the cookies when they are only slightly warm or when they reach room temperature, with tea or espresso.

Storing: Although the batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, the madeleines should be eaten soon after they are made. You can keep them overnight in a sealed container, but they really are better on day 1. If you must store them, wrap them airtight and freeze them; they’ll keep for up to 2 months.

White Cheese Pizza with Spring Onions

2008-05-16T15:52:00.001-04:00

My two confessions for today: I miss the sun and I cannot stop thinking about this pizza. I couldn't decide which was more pressing, so I gave you both. The weather man says we should get a little sun tomorrow morning before we return to cloudy wetness, so I'll try to make the most of it. Reattaining this pizza is easier - and something I have far more control over.

I spent some time last weekend ripping recipes out of magazines and this one stayed top of the pile. I love home made pizza - and I've been itching to use my new pizza stone. It may also have had something to do with my love of white pizza... but who's counting.

I've never had a ramp. The original recipe calls for them. Considering their brief window of availability, the substitution of spring onions is offered. I happened across some of the most beautiful spring onions at the market Sunday morning. They were enormous and had beautiful purple outer skins. I really wish I had taken a picture of them before I prepared them for the pizza. (Considering my plan is to make this again this weekend, I will snap a photo then!)

I cannot begin to tell you how happy I was with the dough. I have a really shoddy track record with yeast anything, but despite my misgivings (and my husband's groans), I tried it anyway. It came together with minimal fuss, rose as directed, and tasted divine. Perfect marriage of crisp and chewy, it held up really well to the weight of the onions and all the cheese I piled on top.

My only complaint? I wish there were more of it. The recipe specifically says that it is a 12-inch pizza, and it was, but it was also decently thin. I hadn't planned anything to go with it (a salad would have been nice) but even with an approved pizza side, I would have preferred more pizza. This next go-round, I believe I will be making two.

White Cheese Pizza with Ramps
c/o Food and Wine Magazine, April 2008
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/white-cheese-pizza-with-ramps

The name Chicago comes from the Algonquin word chicagoua, which some historians say means “ramp”—a wild onion with a delicious garlicky flavor. That’s one reason Chicago chefs like Tony Mantuano feel a sentimental attachment to the pungent spring plant. (Scallions are also great substitutes.) To drink with his ramp-topped pizza, Mantuano suggests a Dolcetto d’Alba from Italy’s Piedmont region. It’s light-bodied enough not to overwhelm the pizza’s flavors, yet it has a peppery zip that can match the ramps’ intensity. Marcarini’s floral 2005 Fontanazza is a great choice, as is the plummy 2005 Cogno Vigna del Mandorlo.

Dough
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water

Topping
10 ramps or medium scallions
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
1 cup coarsely grated fresh mozzarella cheese (4 ounces); see Note
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano–Reggiano cheese

MAKE THE DOUGH: In a large bowl, whisk the flour together with the yeast, salt and sugar. Pour in the water and stir well with a wooden spoon to form a dough. Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth. Transfer the pizza dough to a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let stand in a warm place until the pizza dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Set a pizza stone on the bottom or on the bottom shelf of the oven and preheat to 500° for at least 30 minutes.

MAKE THE TOPPING: Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Blanch the ramps until they are bright green but still al dente, about 1 minute. Drain, pat dry and cut into 1-inch lengths.

Punch down the pizza dough and transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough to a 12-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured pizza peel or an inverted baking sheet. Brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle on the grated mozzarella in an even layer. Scatter the blanched ramps over the mozzarella and season lightly with salt and pepper. Top the pizza with the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Slide the pizza from the peel onto the hot stone. Bake for about 8 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the pizza crust is browned and crisp on the bottom. Transfer the pizza to a work surface, cut into wedges and serve right away.

Make ahead: The pizza dough can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Notes: For the cheese, Mantuano recommends the Crescenza by Paula Lambert’s Mozzarella Company in Dallas (mozzco.com). You can also use water-packed fresh mozzarella or fiore di latte; drain the cheese well before grating it.

TwD: It's Like Geology!

2008-05-13T14:26:00.003-04:00

I am a brand new member of Tuesdays with Dorie. I'd been watching them for ages (because who doesn't like Dorie!) and I really wanted to get in on the fun!

What is Tuesdays at Dorie, you ask? Well, Laurie of Quirky Cupcake wanted a way to push herself to bake more, and to bake more specifically from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours. She realized that there was no better way than to get a group together... because much like working out at the gym, sometimes you just need a push. Each week, a member selects the next recipe and the party starts anew. This week, Dianne chose the Florida Pie.

While I adore both key lime pie and coconut cream pie, I'd never had the two on a spoon at once. I don't know why, but I was a little nervous about the combination. Seriously, what was I thinking?? The tart lime layer combined beautifully with the coconut cream layer! I don't know how I'll ever be able to go back to single-flavor pie again! My favorite part is how it looks sliced in half. You have the older Coconut Cream Period, followed by the creamy Lime Age. We currently live in the Era of Meringue - and if you look closely, you can see teensy little coconut trilobites! Heh.

We are encouraged to make the recipes our own - so I opted to make mini-pies in large cupcake tins. I had a bit of a panic attack trying to get them out again, but suffered no broken pies. Only issue we did have with them miniaturized was that the bottom crust was thick and difficult to cut through. It didn't stop us, but it is worth noting. :)

This recipe isn't difficult in the slightest, but it isn't quick. The pies have to set in the freezer in various stages, so plan this dessert out in advance.

Florida Pie
c/o Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan
http://www.amazon.com/Baking-Home-Yours-Dorie-Greenspan/dp/0618443363

1 9-inch graham cracker crust (page 235), fully baked and cooled, or a store-bought crust
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
4 large eggs, separated
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh Key (or regular) lime juice (from about 5 regular limes)
1/4 cup of sugar

Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment of a silicone mat.

Put the cream and 1 cup of the coconut in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the cream is reduced by half and the mixture is slightly thickened. Scrape the coconut cream into a bowl and set it aside while you prepare the lime filling.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl beat the egg yolks at high speed until thick and pale. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the condensed milk. Still on low, add half of the lime juice. When it is incorporated, add the reaming juice, again mixing until it is blended. Spread the coconut cream in the bottom of the graham cracker crust, and pour over the lime filling.

Bake the pie for 12 minutes. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes, then freeze the pie for at least 1 hour.

To Finish the Pie with Meringue:
Put the 4 egg whites and the sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, whisking all the while, until the whites are hot to the touch. Transfer the whites to a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, or use a hand mixer in a large bowl, and beat the whites at high speed until they reach room temperature and hold firm peaks. Using a rubber spatula, fold the remaining 1/2 cup coconut into the meringue.

Spread the meringue over the top of the pie, and run the pie under the broiler until the top of the meringue is golden brown. (Or, if you've got a blowtorch, you can use it to brown the meringue.) Return the pie to the freezer for another 30 minutes or for up to 3 hours before serving.

Bad Photo Sunday: Chicken Goulash with Biscuit Dumplings

2008-05-11T22:07:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!

My friend Deborah, at Taste and Tell, has started breaking her weekend blogging silence with something she likes to call Bad Photo Sunday. She explains it perfectly - we strive to share beautiful dishes with the world, so our less-stunning recipes lie fallow. I couldn't agree more that this is a perfect way to ration them out! Sure, we food bloggers have our Daring Bakers, we have our Tuesdays with Dorie, our Weekend Herb Blogging, Presto Pasta Night and our Waiter, there is something in my's, but Bad Photo Sunday? It is a genius way to accept that not everything is perfect, and that we're happy to admit it!

"Goulash" doesn't even sound pretty, does it?

Having learned how delicious chicken thighs were, I was instantly attracted to this recipe. Not to mention the dumplings. I had never dumplinged in this fashion before. My grandpa used to make a fantastic Chicken and Dumplings, and while this is nothing like it, I had their memory as inspiration.

As you can see, my dumplings are a little dark. They aren't burned, exactly, but they are toasty. Even in their state, they were moist and tender and so nice with the saucy goulash. We really enjoyed the heat the Hungarian paprika gave the dish. It had a heat without being hot - and considering we had this in February, it was well received!

Chicken Goulash with Biscuit Dumplings
c/o Food and Wine Magazine, March 2008
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chicken-goulash-with-biscuit-dumplings

The chicken stock and sour cream both serve a dual purpose here: They moisten the biscuits and enrich the thick, luscious sauce.

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 cup sour cream
1 large white onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons hot Hungarian paprika
3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 425°. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust lightly with flour. In a large, deep skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the olive oil. Add the chicken and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Pulse in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk 1/2 cup of the stock with 1/2 cup of the sour cream and drizzle over the dry ingredients; pulse until a dough forms.

Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic to the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet. Stir in the paprika and caraway and cook for 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 cups of chicken stock and 1/2 cup of sour cream and stir until smooth. Add the thyme leaves and bring to a boil.

Scoop twelve 3-tablespoon-size mounds of biscuit dough over the chicken. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the biscuits are cooked. Turn on the broiler and broil for 2 minutes, until the biscuits are golden. Serve the goulash in bowls, spooning the biscuits on top.

Heidi's Coconut Macaroon Pancakes

2008-05-09T21:01:00.002-04:00

These are glorious. I printed the recipe the moment I read it on 101 Cookbooks. They are something of a happy experiment for Heidi - and I can only hope she has more of them!

These aren't your light and fluffy pancakes, no sir. They are dense (yet delicate), sweet and chewy. They are everything that is wonderful about the coconut macaroon, but miraculously a pancake instead. Now, I am a big fan of the fluffy pancake, but these are certainly a treat. Dave didn't love them as much as I did, but that's because he has "texture issues" with coconut. I love him anyway.

The only real trick to these is the flipping. The shredded coconut doesn't spread as much as the batter as they cook, which means you'll have a bit of thin pancake around the periphery of the pancake... and it is a little daintier than the center - which makes it a little iffy on the flip. Take your time and you will be rewarded.

I chose not to syrup them - a little butter did me fine. With a side of bacon, these beauties made a wonderful mid-week dinner. (I even took some leftovers for lunch! Lucky me!)

Coconut Macaroon Pancakes
c/o Heidi at 101 Cookbooks
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/coconut-macaroon-pancakes-recipe.html

Look for shredded coconut where each thread is thin and at least 1/2-inch long. Not dusty or fleck-like. If you make the batter the night before, the batter will thicken up quite a bit. Give it a stir, but dont worry about it beyond that. Drop little scoops onto the griddle - they will flatten out when they come into contact with the heat. They go from golden to burnt in a flash, so stay attentive. I prefer to use whole wheat pastry flour for this recipe but you can substitute whatever you have on hand - all-purpose flour, or regular pastry flour. Lemon zest might be a great addition, as would ginger, and/or toasted, chopped macadamia nuts.

1 14-ounce can of coconut milk
2 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar)
1 /4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose or regular pastry flour)
3 cups unsweetened dried shredded coconut
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 large eggs. whisked in a medium bowl
1/4 cup brown sugar

In a small saucepan heat the coconut milk and honey, bring barely to a simmer.

In a separate large bowl combine the flour, coconut, salt and baking powder. Stir the coconut milk into the flour mixture.

Whisk about 1/3 cup of the coconut mixture into the eggs. Now quickly mix the eggs back into the large bowl of coconut batter. Stir until well combined. You can do this the night before if you like.

Heat your favorite non-stick (or very well-seasoned) skillet, pan, or griddle to medium-hot and brush it with a bit of butter. Test for the right temperature. If a drop of water dropped onto the pan starts to dance, you are in the ballpark. Drop a heaping tablespoon into the skillet, sprinkle the top with a bit of brown sugar. Wait until the pancake bottom is deep golden in color, then flip with a spatula and cook the other side until golden and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Makes dozens of silver dollar sized pancakes, or a dozen or so larger ones.

Shrimp and Scallop Arrabiata

2008-05-08T12:34:00.002-04:00

Presto Pasta Night, o, how I miss thee!! It's been a while since we've had any pasta (this recipe is from early February!), but I missed emailing with Ruth, so I've pulled this arrabiata out of the draft black-hole that is my blogger! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!

I made my own pasta, which is why the ribbons above are thicker than normal linguine. I don't know why I have such a hard time cutting my pasta smaller... I think I just like the thicker ribbons and my hands act accordingly. Fresh pasta has such a nice chew to it, and considering how easy it is, I don't know that I can go back to store-bought (at least for the types I'm capable of making.)

What's so cool about this pasta sauce is how flavorful it is for how quickly it came together. In less than 10 minutes, dinner is done. Woo! We like an "angrier" arrabiata, so I probably used double the called-for red pepper flakes. My other change was to use fire-roasted canned tomatoes. I love the depth of flavor it provides to sauces, especially this one.

All in all, this was a real keeper. It wasn't fancy, sure, but it was spicy and delicious. Head on over to Ruth's round-up tomorrow for more fabulous pasta dishes!

Shrimp and Scallop Arrabbiata
c/o Cooking Light Magazine, March 2007
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1591041

Arrabbiata is Italian for "angry" and often refers to the classic combination of tomatoes, pancetta, and hot pepper. Substitute bacon for the pancetta, if you prefer.

1 (9-ounce) package fresh linguine
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
8 ounces peeled and deveined large shrimp
8 ounces bay scallops
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup onion, chopped
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 ounce pancetta, chopped
4 (14.5-ounce) cans organic stewed tomatoes, with juices
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Set aside and keep warm.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and scallops to pan; sprinkle with salt. Sauté 3 minutes or until almost done. Remove shrimp mixture from pan.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, fennel seeds, pepper, and pancetta to pan; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return shrimp mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Serve shrimp mixture over pasta. Sprinkle with basil.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup pasta, 2 cups shrimp mixture, and 2 teaspoons basil)

cals 480; fat 11.9g; sat 2.2g; protein 33.2g; cholesterol 110mg; sodium 718mg; fiber 5.7g; carbs 55.4g

Creamy Polenta with Arugula and Bacon

2008-05-07T14:50:00.002-04:00

I am still disappointed that I only learned about the deliciousness that its polenta a year ago. I don't know how I made it 31 years without it. Seriously. Since then, I've made it in a new recipe 11 times. (I have no idea how many MORE times I've made it - I only track new recipes - but I bet it's a lot.) Leafing through magazines now, if I see a recipe with polenta, I'm 99.9% sure to rip it out. This is the level of my love.

I'll be the first to admit (even though, if we're counting, my husband was the first) that this isn't anything special. I mean, it is (it has bacon!), but it didn't have a whole lot going on. I found its simplicity really added to its charm. You can't mess with a good thing. Especially when the good thing in question is comprised of creamy polenta, crisp bacon, and peppery arugula. You could try, but dinner would win. Sucka.

Creamy Polenta with Arugula and Bacon
c/o Pam at Cave Cibum
http://cavecibum.blogspot.com/2008/04/creamy-polenta.html

5 cups water
1 cup polenta
pinch of salt
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
4-6 slices of bacon, chopped
1 large bunch of arugula (about 1/2 pound), well washed and dried
shredded pecorino Romano
olive oil

In a medium pot, bring water to a boil. Add polenta in a slow stream, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and add a hefty pinch of salt. Stir frequently to prohibit sticking. The polenta is done when big lava-like bubbles form and the grains are no longer hard. Stir in parmesan and set aside.

In a sauté pan, fry bacon on medium heat until the meat is nicely browned. Pour off as much fat as possible, then add arugula and let it wilt. Add a little of the bacon fat back in if it seems too dry.

To serve, heap the polenta on a dish and top with the arugula and bacon mixture. Sprinkle with shredded or shaved pecorino Romano and drizzle with olive oil.

Boys Night Special

2008-05-06T20:21:00.012-04:00

I ate 6000 calories of brie. I must have. I don't know that for sure, and please don't google it for me, either. I would repent, but I feel that to earn redemption, I have to promise to avoid such temptations... and I am incapable of denying my love for brie.

How did this happen, you ask? I blame my husband. He got this brie ball rolling.

He announced this morning that it was Guy Night, and that he was going to Joe's.

I went to Whole Foods to see friends that were taping for their upcoming Emeril episodes (Squee!! I'm so excited for them!!)

I bought brie and pears and fresh pita bread.

I made dinner and ate 6000 brie calories.

I may have rushed through a few details. Like how, when I went to Whole Foods last week to check out this Emeril stuff, I ordered a sandwich from the cheese bar. So mesmerised was I by Mr. Lagasse that the sandwich I ordered was filled with blue cheese! (Yick!) I totally wasn't thinking. The menu clearly stated that it was a blue cheese sandwich. I knew I liked the premise of the sandwich (cheese, pears, and fig jam on raisin bread), but somehow, the word "blue" escaped my eyes. Until I remembered, and well, by then, it was too late. Screwed.

And boy, was it too late. I had this idea of this sandwich in my head, and it was filled with such potential. How could I made that sandwich just perfect (for me)? Why, by swapping the blue stuff for brie! Of course! I thought about it daily. Hourly, almost. I was fixated, and anyone that has ever been in that position knows, the only way to dispel the demon is to give in. (Work with me here.)

When I broke down and made this my way the first time, I had whole wheat tortillas on hand. I thought I had fig preserves, but I didn't, so I pulled out some pear butter. Let me take a moment to tell you about this pear butter. It's glorious. It is produced by my friend's family farm, and it is delicious. I was initially smitten with their apple butter, and when my butcher ran out, I thought I would give the pear a try. They are lovely on toast, scones, pancakes, and even simply mixed in to cottage cheese (that's how my friend's husband eats it!) Huh, I hadn't thought about it until just now, but her family has a market stand at the farmers market held in the very same Whole Foods Emeril is taping in. I love when things connect.

Right, so, whole wheat tortillas, smeared with pear butter, filled with triple cream brie and sliced bosc pears. Lightly toasted in a saute pan for 3-4 minutes per side, just long enough for the brie to get gooey. Heavenly.

Today, though, WF was all out of tortillas, but they had pita instead (and the pita is so thin, it is practically a tortilla.) I tried to wait an hour after I got home from work before I made dinner. I lasted 45 minutes. While I loved it the first time, I wanted to sass it out a little... I sprinkled the tiniest bit of cilantro into the pita and hoped for the best. Yowza! The kick provided by the cilantro was perfect. The tangy cheese, sweet pears, smooth butter and zingy cilantro melded beautifully. It is such a peculiar sandwich, but I couldn't have asked for a better Guy Night.

Pear and Brie Girls Only Quesadilla
4 whole wheat tortillas (or any type of bread you choose)
1 3-inch wedge of brie, sliced thin
1 pear, sliced thin
4 tablespoons or so of pear butter, fig preserves, or your preferred fruity spread
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped (optional

Spread pear butter on one side of each tortilla. Top two tortillas with brie and then pears. Top with remaining tortillas.

Warm in saute pan for 3-4 minutes per side. Cut into wedges and enjoy!

Heidi's Caramelized Tofu Recipe

2008-05-06T10:57:00.000-04:00

I made this back in February, but it would make a really nice Spring-time dinner. I actually made it within days of Heidi's posting about it, but because of that, I didn't want to chat about it while it was still fresh on her blog... and then it sat there and sat there... waiting patiently.

For those of you that shudder at the idea of tofu or Brussels sprouts, those that are quaking at the idea of both these ingredients together in one dinner, I beg you - suspend your disbelief and give this a try. The tofu-steaks are flavored nicely by the garlic, pecans and sugar, and the quick saute of the sprouts leaves them bright and crisp-tender. I promise you will not be disappointed.

I had great fun preparing this dinner. Not only was I able to break out my v-slicer to shred my sprouts, but I only dirtied up one pan during the cooking process! Sweet! The nice thing about the thinly sliced sprouts is that they don't need long in the pan to be cooked-through and caramelized. Only a few minutes to golden-up in parts, and you're good to go. Quick, easy, nutritious.

The varying textures were really nice, too. The soft-but-not-squishy tofu with the the crunch of the pecans atop the tender-but-not-squidgy sprouts... no uniform bites here! Try this. You'll like it.

Caramelized Tofu Recipe
c/o Heidi at 101 Cookbooks
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/caramelized-tofu-recipe.html

7 - 8 ounces extra-firm tofu cut into thin 1-inch segments (see photo)
a couple pinches of fine-grain sea salt
a couple splashes of olive or peanut oil
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, washed and cut into 1/8-inch wide ribbons

Cook the tofu strips in large hot skillet (or pot) with a bit of salt and a splash of oil. Saute until slightly golden, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and pecans, and cook for another minute. Stir in sugar. Cook for another couple of minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Scrape the tofu out onto a plate and set aside while you cook the brussels sprouts.

In the same pan (no need to wash), add a touch more oil, another pinch of salt, and dial the heat up to medium-high. When the pan is nice and hot stir in the shredded brussels sprouts. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, stirring a couple times (but not too often) until you get some golden bits, and the rest of the sprouts are bright and delicious.

Serves 2 - 3 as a main, 4 as a side

Roast Chicken with Watercress

2008-05-01T17:40:00.000-04:00

I always hesitate when it comes to posting following a Daring Bakers challenge. I enjoy the process so much, the sneakiness, the anticipation... that I feel like a kid a few days after Christmas... you know what I mean? It all starts over each month, but it weirds me out the few days after.

To get back in the saddle, I bring you a meal I made last Saturday. A meal I am really excited about. I don't often roast chickens... I don't often roast any whole birds, if we're going off specifics here. I don't know why this recipe spoke to me, but I am pleased that it did. Growing up, my grandmother would often roast chickens, and I really loved how the smell filled the house. My hope was to replicate that memory.

I read the reviews of this recipe online and followed their tweak recommendations (and added a couple of my own.) The recipe as written in Bon Appetit provided no direction for dressing the watercress. A reviewer suggested a lemony balsamic vinaigrette, and I suggest using it as well. The brightness of the dressing was quite refreshing atop the peppery watercress.

Rather than baste with chicken juices, I basted with extra butter. Gluttonous, I know, but if you knew how clutzy I am, and how unconducive to juice-basting my roasting rack was, you too would avoid using the chicken jus. That, and I like a butter-crisped skin. Who doesn't? The chicken roasted for about 85 minutes, even though it was just a 3.5 pounder. I would imagine it took longer because of all the oven-opening I did just to smear butter all over it. Heh. The butter/garlic/watercress under the skin did a beautiful job of flavoring the meat. I wouldn't have thought the watercress could do it - I don't know why - but the sharp pepperiness was definitely there in the chicken.

Don't you worry, though. I put that chicken jus to work! I boiled some small jeweled potatoes. When roasted, I removed the chicken to rest and placed the roasting pan on the stove, over medium heat. To the pan, I added the cooked potatoes. I don't know why I did it - I was just standing there, staring at the jus, and then the potatoes and then back again... and I had to throw them in. And whoa... these tasty potatoes alone are enough reason for me to roast more chickens! The spuds picked up the meaty goodness of the jus and soaked it in and they were amazing. Amazing.

This little chicken dish made my whole weekend. I'd been feeling crummy all week, the weather was poopy over the weekend, and this meal really hit the spot. The chicken, watercress and potatoes were terrific, but so was the comforting feel of the apartment once dinner was ready.

Roast Chicken with Watercress
Adapted from: Bon Appétit Magazine, May 1993
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/1821

You can turn this into a main-course salad for brunch, lunch or a warm-weather supper by simply drizzling vinaigrette over the sliced chicken and watercress.

Servings: Serves 4.

Chicken:
1 onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 4-pound chicken
1 large bunch watercress, trimmed (and by large, I mean really large. Get two if the bunches aren't big)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided, room temperature
¼ cup olive oil

Dressing:
Balsamic vinegar
1 lemon, juice and zest
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place onion and garlic inside chicken cavity. Slide fingertips between chicken breast skin and meat to loosen skin. Mix garlic and 1/4 cup butter, and stuff with half of watercress (chopped) under skin. Tie chicken lets together. Place chicken in roasting pan. Rub olive oil over chicken. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake chicken until juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced, basting every 15 minutes with pats of butter, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter. Let stand 10 minutes.

Whisk dressing ingredients together and toss with remaining watercress. Top salad with sliced chicken and serve.

My Cheesecake is Cool, My Cheesecake be Poppin'

2008-04-27T03:01:00.000-04:00

They're popping, they're popping!

(Let me preface by saying that I'm a raging nerd for just linking to this song. What it's doing on my ipod is a mystery. I was trying to come up with a title to this entry, and I couldn't shake the lyrics. Hey, it's catchy!)

Welcome to the April Daring Bakers Challenge - Cheesecake Pops! Elle and Deborah are our hostesses, and I could reach through the computer and hug them! I was so excited about this challenge that I got to planning my pop flavorings out right away. This is a vast departure for me, because I almost always wait until the last minute to complete my challenge (and thusly, because I am in a frenzied panic, I am rarely creative.) Cheesecake and graham crackers are friends, but I wanted to pop it in less traditional ways. I split the cheesecake batter into three different 9-inch round cake pans and flavored each differently.

I will lead with my favorite. Of this pop, there was only one. It was something spontaneous and interesting, but turned out to rather tricky. What you see to the left is a vanilla cheesecake pop, dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with a crushed Honey Drop. I processed the drop in my mini-chopper and sprinkled the bits onto the pop. I had hoped that the drop crumbles would be something I could dip into, but they were too busy sticking to each other to latch on to the chocolate. I had a tray of pops before me, so I moved on to the peanut butter pops. I wish had persevered, because the honey/chocolate/cheesecake combination was so, so amazing. Honibe's Honey Drops have such a delicate honey flavor, and the sprinkles imparted a soft sweetness to the lush creaminess of the cheesecake and chocolate.

For my second pop, my goal was chocolate banana pudding on a stick. I flavored the cheesecake itself with banana essence. Once dipped, I placed each pop on a nilla wafer and called it a day! Dave thinks I'm nuts, but they remind me of a little French girl once picked up. (Yanno, with the jaunty beret!)

You see it, too, don't you?

The flavoring I am most proud of, and the one that caused me the most anxiety, is the strawberry balsamic pop. I knew I could do it, but would it be as delicious as I'd hoped? I flavored the chocolate with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Once dipped, each vanilla pop went into a bowl of crushed freeze-dried strawberries (Yeah, astronaut food!) These inside-out chocolate-dipped strawberries exceeded my expectations. The sweetness of the balsamic vinegar paired perfectly with the strawberries.

Last but not least, and Dave's favorite, are the peanut-dipped pops. I tried to flavor the cheesecake with peanut butter essence, but it didn't seem to take. I couldn't tell the difference between it and the plain vanilla cheesecake. I tried to make up for that by adding some peanut butter to the melted chocolate, which seemed to do the trick. Rolled in peanuts, these little beauties had the right balance of creamy AND crunchy. They were by far the easiest to make and the most universally approved of. I think these would have been great with almonds or pistachios, too.

I couldn't be happier with the outcome of this challenge. Sure, it took me three days, but it was well worth it. These pops would be awesome for a party or shower, and at the very least, they made my husband and coworkers very happy.

Big pop props to Deborah and Elle - thank you for a fantastic challenge!

For 1000 other pops, click over to the Daring Bakers Blogroll!

Cheesecake Pops
from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor
http://www.amazon.com/Sticky-Chewy-Messy-Gooey-Desserts/dp/081185566X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209261000&sr=8-1

Makes 30 – 40 Pops

5 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy cream
Boiling water as needed

Thirty to forty 8-inch lollipop sticks

1 pound chocolate, finely chopped – you can use all one kind or half and half of dark, milk, or white (Alternately, you can use 1 pound of flavored coatings, also known as summer coating, confectionary coating or wafer chocolate – candy supply stores carry colors, as well as the three kinds of chocolate.)

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

(Note: White chocolate is harder to use this way, but not impossible)

Assorted decorations such as chopped nuts, colored jimmies, crushed peppermints, mini chocolate chips, sanding sugars, dragees) - Optional

Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Set some water to boil.

In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. If using a mixer, mix on low speed. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.

Grease a 10-inch cake pan (not a springform pan), and pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes.

Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

When the cheesecake is cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 – 2 hours.

When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate. In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, heat half the chocolate and half the shortening, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and chocolate and shortening are combined. Stir until completely smooth. Do not heat the chocolate too much or your chocolate will lose it’s shine after it has dried. Save the rest of the chocolate and shortening for later dipping, or use another type of chocolate for variety.

Alternately, you can microwave the same amount of chocolate coating pieces on high at 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Shake off any excess into the melted chocolate. If you like, you can now roll the pops quickly in optional decorations. You can also drizzle them with a contrasting color of melted chocolate (dark chocolate drizzled over milk chocolate or white chocolate over dark chocolate, etc.) Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate and shortening (or confectionary chocolate pieces) as needed.

Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.

Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake Pots with Shortbread Cookies

2008-04-23T00:02:00.000-04:00

Do you have a dinner party coming up? Do you want an amazing dessert that you can prepare ahead of time? One that will wow your friends and family? If so, these cheesecakes are for you!

Our friends Jeremy and Liane came over for dinner last week, for a revisit to the shrimp tacos. Considering that the dinner could be spicy, I wanted something creamy and luscious for dessert. (And I'd received these adorable dessert cups for my birthday and I wanted to try them out!)

I was also tickled to be able to use a tub of mascarpone from the dairy lady at my local farmer's market. (I'll try to get her name next time... although, the Dairy Lady has a nice ring to it!) Mascarpone is like an Italian cream cheese, and figures prominently in tiramisu. If you can't find any (or if it's marked up something crazy), you can substitute straight cream cheese or a mix of equal parts cream cheese to sour cream.

There aren't many ingredients to this dessert, so try to use the best you can get your hands on. Those seven (eight, if you include the rum - I didn't) come together easily. I only realized as I typed up the recipe that I neglected to cover the pan of pots with aluminum foil... my pots came out fine, but I'd be interested to see how they turned out if I'd paid attention. Evidently I was too interested in licking the contents of the bowl and less interested in the directions. Oops!

While the cheesecakes are rather tasty warm from the oven (what? like you wouldn't try one), they are MUCH better after getting their chill on in the fridge. Trust me. You could probably also divide the batter between six cups instead of 8, to make a bigger serving per person. I actually liked the smaller amount, because the cheesecake was really rich, and I found the eight or so spoonfuls to be the perfect amount.

Now, on to the cookies. I wish I had a spoon-shaped cookie cutter. I don't and I was too lazy to go tracing any spoons for these cookies... but I'm sure the triangles are just as delicious! The only hard part is waiting for the dough to firm up. When I want cookies, I WANT COOKIES! I made the dough and let it rest in the fridge overnight. I took the dough out the next day when I got home from work and it was really stiff - too tough to roll out. I let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes before I formed the cookies. I waited to bake them until an hour before we had dessert (we were stuffed with tacos!) and they were done and cool by the time we wanted them. I only went for 25 minutes, and they could probably have come out a little sooner. I think I'd keep an eye on them if you go for the spoon shape - they'd bake even quicker!

These cookies were delightfully crisp. The corners of the triangles served as tasty little cheesecake-bearing utensils (too bad we can't eat more things on cookies, eh?) These cookies would be great for use as a sandwich cookie or for ice cream sandwiches, too. Def. saving these to my keeper file.

Topped with a dollop of whipped cream and accented with a crisp, tasty cookie, had with friends or snuggled in bed late at night (which is how the rest of them went) and you have a great night on your hands!

Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake Pots with Shortbread Spoons
From: Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth by Jill O’Connor
http://www.amazon.com/Sticky-Chewy-Messy-Gooey-Desserts/dp/081185566X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208805807&sr=8-1

The silky, rich flavor or Italian mascarpone cheese marries well with dark chocolate and makes for a sublime cheesecake, baked up smooth and buttery in little custard cups and eaten with crunchy, sweet, and delightfully edible shortbread spoons! Add a dollop or whipped cream and a few chocolate curls to the tops of these individual cheesecake pots for the perfect dinner-party dessert.

Serves 8.

1 cup heavy cream
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
¼ cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon dark rum, brandy or grand marnier (optional)
Boiling water as needed
Sweetened whipped cream and chocolate curls, for serving
Shortbread spoons, recipe follows

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325°F.

In a saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat before the cream starts to boil and add the chocolate, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, whisk together the mascarpone and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition until the mixture is smooth. Add the vanilla, salt and rum (if using) and whisk to combine.

Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the mascarpone cheese mixture and whisk gently until smooth.

Put eight 4-ounce custard cups, ramekins, or small ovenproof coffee cups in an empty 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Divide the chocolate-cheesecake mixture among the cups.

Put the baking dish in the oven and carefully pour boiling water into the pan, adding just enough water to reach halfway up the sides of the custard cups. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake until the tops of the cheesecakes appear solid but jiggle slightly when shaken, 30 to 40 minutes. The perfect consistency is a little soft, but not liquid. The cheesecake pots will firm up as they cool. Transfer the pots from the baking pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Cover each pot with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight before serving. The cheesecake pots can be prepared up to 2 days before serving.

Top each cheesecake pot with a dollop of whipped cream and a few chocolate curls and serve with a shortbread spoon.

Shortbread Spoons

From: Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth by Jill O’Connor http://www.amazon.com/Sticky-Chewy-Messy-Gooey-Desserts/dp/081185566X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208805807&sr=8-1

There is nothing more fun than these little cookie spoons. I was lucky enough to find a spoon-shaped cookie cutter, but you can also use a small, sharp paring knife to cut these spoons freehand from the rolled-out dough. Use a small spoon (I like the size of infant feeding spoons) on the dough to use as a template. Chill the cutout cookies until very firm and cold – they will hold their shape better as they bake.

Makes about 12 spoons

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour and salt and stir together until the mixture forms a soft dough. Pat the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least hour and up to 1 week.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to ¼ inch thick and cut into 4-in spoons. Place the shortbread spoons on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until cold and very firm, 45 to 60 minutes.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 300°F.

Remove the shortbread spoons from the refrigerator and immediately place in the oven. Bake until the edges of the cookies are a pale, golden brown but the centers are still very pale, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let cool slightly. Using a large metal spatula, transfer the cookies from the baking sheets to the wire racks and let cool to room temperature.

Store the cookies, tightly covered at room temperature, for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 weeks.

Scallops with Edamame Salad and Puree

2008-04-21T20:08:00.000-04:00

We thought we were so smart, getting curtains for our bedroom. I'd bitched and moaned about the morning light for long enough, it seems. We chose a set that goes eerily well with our sheets and hung them with no issues. Until the next two mornings, when it was close-to-impossible to get out of bed. I'd heard it advertised in fancy alarm clocks, but I'd never given much thought to how light helps you wake up in the morning. Mind you, our room isn't THAT much darker... but it is just enough darker that I'm having trouble. Can't just be happy, can I? :)

Except, I AM happy! Let me tell you why! Ever since I saw this amazing dish on Sher's site, I've been waiting for just the right moment to make these gorgeous scallops with edamame. I happened to be at the butcher over the weekend and he had these beauties! Only 7 to a pound! That's nuts! Her recipe calls for 12, but since it was just the two of us for dinner, I opted for an even pound of scallops.

While the edamame cooked per their bag's instructions, I chopped and blended away. When they were finished and prepared as needed (tossed or pureed), I cooked the scallops. In less than 10 minutes, dinner was ready. And what a dinner it was!

"Spring on a plate" had been one of the reviews of the original, and I heartily second. The bright, fresh flavors of the beans and red bell pepper (tossed with the chili paste) provided the right amount of heat atop the scallops and puree. The puree itself was thick and had a really nice chew to it - and I totally didn't expect that. The play of textures was just brilliant - delicate scallop, sassy salad, both atop a fresh, thick puree, heady with mint.

I cannot thank Sher enough for sharing this fantastic meal with us!

Scallops with Edamame Salad and Puree
c/o Sher at What Did You Eat?
http://whatdidyoueat.typepad.com/what_did_you_eat/2008/03/scallops-with-e.html

Serves 4.

Start with a 16 ounce bag of frozen shelled edamame and divide according to below to make the salad and puree.

Salad
1/2 cup shelled edamame, cooked according to package instructions
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon white or black sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1/2 Asian chili paste
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients and set aside.

Puree
2-1/2 cups of the cooked edamame, (The rest of the package)
1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
ground pepper

If the soy beans are warm when you make this, the puree will be ready to use. If you make it in advance, reheat it in a small skillet or the microwave.

Process all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Making the dish
12 sea scallops
1 teaspoon salt
pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Season both sides of the scallops with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet until very hot, but not smoking. Cook the scallops until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes per side. Don't overcook!

Divide the warm puree among serving plates, top with scallops and the salad.

Mahi-mahi with Blood Orange, Avocado, and Red Onion Salsa

2008-04-17T00:44:00.000-04:00

Today was one of those days. I felt like I was herding cats. Every time I thought I had a handle on something, a new situation arose. Not that my job is brain surgery or rocket science, far from it actually... but today... whoa.

The best part of my day was this meal. I love how fresh fish combined with fresh, clean-flavored ingredients make me feel like I'm eating "spa food." You know what I'm talking about... a refreshing plate you'd have after your aromatherpy hot stone mud massage with rose petals.

Because, believe me, that is how I felt when eating this. The fish was so simply done with salt and pepper that the salsa really had the opportunity to shine. The sweet-tartness of the blood orange combined with the creamy avocado and the zingy red pepper in a way that tasted like fate... as though blood oranges, avocado, and red onion are grown only to be friends. No fussiness, very little effort, just happiness.

I took a reader's suggestion (in the comments of the Bon Appetit recipe online) and served this with plain couscous and a cucumber salad. I sliced the cucumber and tossed it with blood orange olive oil and pomegranite vinegar (I know, right? Could this have been more perfect?), but any vinegar/oil/citrus would do well.

I can't explain it, and I feel weird even typing it, but this dinner made my day. It was exactly what I needed.

Mahi-mahi with Blood Orange, Avocado, and Red Onion Salsa
Adapted from: Bon Appétit Magazine, February 2005
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/231590

1 blood orange, Cara Cara orange, or regular orange
1/2 cup 1/3-inch cubes avocado
1/3 cup chopped red onion
2 teaspoons minced red jalapeño
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 6-ounce mahi-mahi fillets
1 large cucumber, sliced
2 cups prepared couscous

Using small sharp knife, cut peel and white pith from orange. Working over small bowl, cut between membranes to release segments. Add avocado, onion, jalapeño, and lime juice to oranges in bowl; stir gently to blend. Season salsa to taste with salt.

Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Add fish to skillet and sauté until brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

Place 1 fillet on each of 2 plates. Spoon salsa atop fish and serve with cucumber slices and couscous.

>> Orange you sweet: Although they look like regular navel oranges, Cara Cara oranges are tinged pink on the inside and taste a little sweeter. You'll find them at some supermarkets and farmers' markets.

Green Chile Chicken and Pink Bean Stew

2008-04-15T18:26:00.000-04:00

I had really hoped that these pink beans would be as pink as the beans in the photo on the outside of the can. As you can see, they aren't so pink. O well. Should you not be able to find pink beans at your grocers, feel free to use pinto or kidney beans. You won't miss out!

As a recent convert to chicken thighs, I really loved this meal. Quick, flavorful and easy - can't go wrong! The heat provided by the two (yes two!) cans of green chiles was hot - and addictive. Even though it made my face sweat, I went back for more! Not so practical a dish once the weather warms up for good, but since we're in that grey weather period (is it hot, is it cold, should I bring an umbrella?), this is perfect for when the evening turns cold.

What's nice, too, is the cilantro and lime. Those flavors together brighten up the thighs and beans, and balance the heat in the chiles really well.

This didn't make enough for a small army, like most stews, but should you have leftovers, it does really well as lunch the day after and I bet it would freeze well.

Green Chile Chicken and Pink Bean Stew
c/o Food and Wine Magazine, April 2008
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/green-chile-chicken-and-pink-bean-stew

Canned green chiles contribute flavor and heat to this thick chicken stew, made doubly satisfying with the addition of pink beans. Pink beans are similar to pinto and kidney beans, and they give this recipe a nice Latin feel.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 white onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
One 19-ounce can pink beans, drained and rinsed
Two 4-ounce cans green chiles, drained
1 3/4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Lime wedges, for serving

In a medium soup pot, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Season the diced chicken thighs with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the pink beans, green chiles and stock to the chicken and bring to a simmer. Cook over moderately low heat until the stew has thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the chicken and pink bean stew into bowls and serve with lime wedges.

Serve with: White rice.

Wine: Spicy, black-fruited Malbec: 2006 Trumpeter.

Cheddar Beer Soup with Croutons

2008-04-14T21:53:00.000-04:00

Who doesn't like beer and cheese? Beer and cheese are like bacon and whipped cream (or in my case, goat cheese and peanut butter) - they go well with almost everything! As my Father-in-law would say, if you can't improve something with bacon, you could probably improve it with whipped cream. We spent the next stretch of time pondering this phrase, tossing meals around, and I can't remember one dish bacon or cream wouldn't do well on.

Now, this isn't Bacon Whipped Cream soup (Anyone want to take a moment to daydream about that for a minute?), but its just as interesting. I saw this recipe on YumSugar and immediately printed it out. You don't mess around with stuff like this.

The ingredients aren't anything fancy - absolutely easy to put together. The hardest part is all the stirring - not because I have the arm muscles of a toddler, but because it was so hard to stand over the pot, the soupygoodsmell filling my nose.

Not only dreamy soup, oh no, but delicious, crunchy croutons! Make extra, because if you get them ready before your soup is done, you'll snack on them - and I'd hate for you to run out before dinner is ready!

I would recommend making this when having guests, as I had enough beer soup after one bowl... it's kind of like butternut squash soup, in that you can't eat it forever (like goat cheese or peanut butter.) :)

Cheddar Beer Soup & Croutons
c/o YumSugar
http://yumsugar.com/user/partysugar/recipes/1042371

5 tbsp. butter
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup flour
3 cups milk
One 12-ounce bottle amber beer, such as Dos Equis
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 3 1/2 cups)
Croutons, for garnish, recipe follows

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.

Add the carrots and leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, 10 minutes.

Add the flour and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly.

Increase the heat to medium-high, add the beer and mustard and bring the soup to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, whisking, until creamy and thickened, about 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the cheese 1 handful at a time until combined.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with the croutons.

Serves 4.

Croutons

7 slices thick white bread, crusts removed
2 tbsp. melted butter
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tbsp. fresh thyme, minced
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Slice the bread into small cubes, about half-an-inch by half-an-inch.

In a large bowl toss the bread cubes with the butter, oil, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Toss well to coat all of the bread pieces.

Spread out on a baking sheet covered with foil.

Bake in the oven, checking often for 20-25 minutes.

Remove and let cool 5 minutes. Serve in a bowl alongside the cheddar cheese soup.

Why I Never Want to Move

2008-04-11T17:30:00.000-04:00

Ah, Friday! I don't know about you, but my work-week really flew by. Here it is Friday, and we've had nothing but leftovers all week!

Now, the Canadian geese in our area have all paired off to raise their chicks - these photos are from February! We have a wee baseball field behind our apartment (with these views from our balcony), and every morning, at around 7:15, this flock of geese would fly in. They would spend the day flying back and forth from this field to the little pond on the other side of our complex. (I don't have a photo of that.)

Why does this matter, you ask? It doesn't, other than that it brought me great joy every morning, listening to them honk by. You see, my darling husband proposed marriage to me while we were feeding geese (almost 3 years ago, now) and I couldn't have imagined a more perfect proposal.

We were supposed to move to our new condo in March, and I am glad it fell through, not only because of the crummy housing market, but this means that I get another late-Winter of morning gooses!

No recipe today, just good wishes for a great weekend! Enjoy!

Chile-Rubbed Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta and Cotija Cheese

2008-04-10T17:25:00.000-04:00

Over the next stretch of time, I'm going to trot out some of my older posts. In fact, I want to have something like Twilight Zone Thursday or something (I'm taking suggestions)... a nice, friendly way for us to all share those posts we've had kicking around, under the bed, lost in the couch, kicked under the oven. If there is enough interest, I'd be happy to try doing a round-up, too. Our poor neglected recipes should feel like stars, too!

Every so often, I let Dave pick out something he'd like me to make from one of his favorite cookbooks (of mine, he doesn't have any cookbooks!) They are usually all-day affairs, but I don't mind because they're always worth it in the end. This time, he chose a recipe from Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill cookbook. I want to say, too, that this was his main birthday dinner in November... but its been a while, so I'm fuzzy on the details. :)

These ribs were so tender and delicious. I like that the directions call for bone removal, because ever since I had braces, I'm hesitant to eat ribs. (And corn on the cob, since I'm sharing.) Plenty of warming heat - but that's ok, because the creamy polenta more than made up for it. The muffins you see in the top picture were so good, they're getting their own post - I promise!

While start-to-finish this dinner took a few hours, it really wasn't difficult. The ribs got a nice spice rub, seared, and then popped in the oven. While they finished, I pulled the polenta together. Super easy!

So. Let me know if you're interesting in playing along with me, and I'll get something going! (And if you have any clever naming ideas, send them my way!)

Chile-Rubbed Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta and Cotija Cheese
c/o Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook: Explosive Flavors from the Southwestern Kitchen,

3 tablespoons New Mexico red chile powder
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, preferably Mexican cinnamon (canela)
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
3 pounds bone-in short ribs
½ canola oil, plus extra as needed
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 medium Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
1 cup red wine
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
6 sprigs fresh thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
Creamy Polenta with Cotija (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 325° F.

Mix together the chile powder, 2 teaspoons salt, the cinnamon and the coarsely ground black pepper in a small bowl. Lay the ribs on a baking sheet and season one side with the spice mixture, rubbing the mixture in so that it adheres to the meat.

Heat the oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over high heat until it shimmers. Working in batches, place the ribs in a single layer, rub side down, in the oil and cook until a crust has formed and the ribs are golden brown. Turn the ribs over and cook until the second side is golden brown. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining ribs, adding more oil if needed.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pan and add the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery and cook until golden brown and caramelized, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the wine and boil until nearly reduced, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer.

Return the ribs to the pan along with the thyme and bring to a simmer. Place the lid on the pan and place it in the oven. Cook until the meat is tender and falling off the bone, 2 to 2 ½ hours.

Carefully remove the ribs to a large plate and let cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and discard the bones.

Strain the sauce into a medium saucepan and return it to the stove over high heat. Bring the sauce to a boil and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a sauce consistency, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and discard the thyme sprigs. Return the ribs to the pan to reheat.

Serve over creamy polenta with cotija in large, shallow bowls.

Serves 4.

Creamy Polenta with Cotija
c/o Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook: Explosive Flavors from the Southwestern Kitchen,

5 cups low-sodium chicken stock
Kosher salt
1 cup medium-grind white cornmeal
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
¼ cup heavy cream
1/3 cup grated cotija cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the stock and two teaspoons salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the cornmeal in a fine stream, whisking constantly with a wire whisk. Once all the cornmeal has been added, reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Stir the mixture, using a wooden spoon, every 5 minutes and continue cooking until all the liquid has been absorbed and the mixture is very creamy, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, heavy cream, and cotija cheese until combined; season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

Spaetzle Baked with Ham and Gruyere

2008-04-09T15:52:00.000-04:00

Spaetzle counts as pasta, right? I sure hope so, because this tasty comforting dinner is my entry to this week's Presto Pasta Night, hosted by the lovely Ruth!!

I had ripped this out of a Cooking Light magazine from 2004! I have been going through my stack of saved recipes and either making them or tossing them. I'm glad that this one made the cut!

I always enjoy spaetzle in restaurants, but I'd never made it at home. Wasn't too tricky, but boy, is it one sloppy process! I spilled the dough all over the place! I used a pasta insert in place of the colander, and it was a touch bigger than my pan, so yah, messy messy.

However, messy messy = tasty tasty! The dainty, soft spaetzle was so nice with the ham and cheese. The ham was cut into a fine dice, so it was really easy to get some ham, onion, and spaetzle with each spoonful. The gruyere was a great choice, it melted beautifully and bound it all together. I would maybe include a little extra cheese in the milk mixture, but only because I like it. :)

Pop on over to Ruth's blog, Once Upon A Feast Friday for the round-up!

Spaetzle Baked with Ham and Gruyere
c/o Cooking Light magazine, April 2004
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=604745

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/4 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
4 large eggs, divided
2 quarts water
Cooking spray
1 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup finely diced ham (about 4 ounces)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Sift together 1 2/3 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and baking powder. Combine 3/4 cup milk and 2 eggs, stirring with a whisk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring with a whisk until combined. Let stand 10 minutes.

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large saucepan. Hold a colander with large holes (about 1/4-inch in diameter) over boiling water; spoon about 1/2 cup dough into colander. Press the dough through holes with a rubber spatula (droplets will form spaetzle); set colander aside. Cook 3 minutes or until done (spaetzle will rise to surface). Remove with a slotted spoon; drain in a strainer (spaetzle will stick to a paper towel). Repeat procedure with remaining dough.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in ham. Combine spaetzle and onion mixture in a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray, tossing gently.

Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 cups milk, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons flour, and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Pour milk mixture over spaetzle mixture. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Nutritional info: cals 310, fat 9.6g, sat fat 4.4g, protein 18.8g, cholesterol 165mg, calcium 288mg, sodium 786mg, fiber 1.5g, iron 2.4mg, carbs 35.7g

One Year Old: Dinner in a Bucket!

2008-04-07T14:02:00.000-04:00

I cannot believe that I've had my little blog for a whole year. A whole year! I want to say that time sure flies, and it does, but I also know that a lot of meals have been made in the last year and I know I've learned a lot and met a ton of really great people! Thank you for tuning in and thank you for your kind support! To celebrate, I made dinner in a bucket, and I wish I could have had you all over for this funny little dinner this weekend!

Being a year-old blogger seemed the perfect reason to break out my nifty new Polyscience thermal circulator. I was lucky enough to win it through Menu for Hope 4, hosted by the lovely Pim. I seriously ran around the office squealing when I saw my name listed as the winner. I went rambling to my coworkers (who had NO IDEA what a thermal circulator was (and probably still don't, even though they've seen it)). I called my husband, I called my mom, I called the mailman. I felt like I was homecoming queen - or as best I can imagine that must feel, anyway. This is one clever kitchen accessory, and it goes so well with the snazzy vacuum sealer my darling husband/Santa brought me for Christmas!

The thermal circulator will allow me to more easily and safely sous-vide at home. Not that you couldn't wrap your product up in plastic wrap and monitor the temperature in a pot of water, but the fancy machines take the fussiness out of it. And the fear of botulism - which is a plus!

I pulled this recipe from the May 2007 issue of Food & Wine magazine. The recipe itself calls for roasting the loaf in the oven, but includes a blurb at the top mentioning that the chef prepares it sous-vide in his restaurant. I jumped on the opportunity!

I don't yet have a stock pot and my other pots weren't quite the right size, so I ordered a heat-safe hotel pan... that of course didn't arrive in time... We also ordered the little polyscience cage to protect the heat coils of the circulator (so the plastic wouldn't melt), but that also didn't arrive in time... so we used our multipurpose bucket from Home Depot and duct tape! Yay MacGuyvered dinner in a bucket!

While my husband fiddled with the bucket/tape set-up, I got to loafing! The meatloaf comes together the same way any other meatloaf would, but for one surprise - cottage cheese! I had never put cottage cheese in my meatloaf before, and now that I've done it, I don't know if I could go back (at least for turkey meatloaf, it might look weird in beef or pork.) Once ready, they got the spa treatment for about 90 minutes, until the meatloaf reached an internal temperature of 160°F. At that point, it was still pale pale meat, so I broiled the loaves for about 5 minutes for some color. (And as you can see in the photo above, the loaves got a little squished during the vacuum sealing, and they have sexy little squish-edges! Def. will freeze the loaves before I seal them, so they maintain their loaf-shape.)

I really really liked the red pepper sauce as it was, but Dave thought it needed a little pizazz, so I tossed in a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes. The little kick the flakes provided really did the trick, I think. I served the meatloaf, sauce, and peppers with quinoa instead of wild rice, because I wanted something closer to mashed potatoes - because who doesn't like potatoes and meatloaf?

Altogether, a lovely meal. Interesting gadgetry, moist and lovely meatloaf, fresh and vibrant red pepper sauce, joined with fluffy quinoa. A very satisfying way to mark a great year!

Mini Turkey Meat Loaves with Red Pepper Sauce
c/o Food & Wine Magazine, May 2007
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/mini-turkey-meat-loaves-with-red-pepper-sauce

Cottage cheese is a low-fat way to keep lean turkey meat loaf moist. At Gamba’s restaurants, he cuts even more fat by cooking the meat loaves sous-vide.

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground lean turkey, white meat only
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup panko
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
3 red bell peppers, sliced
1 thyme sprig
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon half-and-half
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
Cooked wild rice, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400°. Lightly oil two 6-by-3 1/2-inch metal loaf pans. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the carrot, celery, garlic and two-thirds of the onion; season with salt and white pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

Add the turkey and cooked vegetables to a large bowl. Add the egg whites, panko, cottage cheese, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper. Knead until blended and divide between the pans. Place the pans on a baking sheet and bake in the upper third of the oven for 35 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°. Remove from the oven and preheat the broiler.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add two-thirds of the red peppers, the remaining onion and the thyme. Cover and cook over moderate heat until softened, 10 minutes. Add the water, cover and simmer until the peppers are very tender, 7 minutes. Discard the thyme. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a blender, add the half-and-half and puree. Season with salt and pepper.

In a skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the remaining peppers and cook over moderate heat until softened, 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Broil the meat loaves 4 inches from the heat until browned, 2 minutes. Turn the loaves out onto a plate and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Spoon the pepper sauce onto plates. Top with the meat loaf and peppers. Serve with wild rice and the remaining sauce.

Per serving: 505 cal, 21 gm fat, 2.9 gm sat fat, 20 gm carb, 3.3 gm fiber.

Southwestern Tofu Scramble

2008-04-04T14:00:00.000-04:00

I won't lie, I chose this dish because it gave me an excuse to get more tortillas. I love tortillas and I will take any excuse to eat them. I think I confessed once that I used to eat leftover spaghetti in tortillas in college. I am currently under the spell of the whole wheat flour tortillas that Whole Foods carries in their bakery department. Glorious, they are. I've been eating them with hummus and peanut butter (not together) and just plain.

This recipe was a lovely way to fill those tortillas, let me tell you. The more we have it, the more I just adore tofu. It is a perfect flavor chameleon, super healthy and just so versatile! I had never "scrambled" tofu before and I was a little nervous. I know they're supposed to take on the texture of scrambled eggs, and in a way they did, but with the cumin and chili powder flavoring the tofu, it seemed more taco-filling-esque than scrambled-egg-y.

The zucchini was a nice touch, as it added a good texture difference and healthy chew. Of course I over-did it with the corn, but so what! I like corn! There isn't much chopping to this dinner, so it is perfect for a weeknight. (That, and we had a good amount left over, which made a terrific lunch the next day!) Pick out your favorite salsa, grate some cheese, and you're good to go.

I feel like I say this every time I make tofu, too, but this is another good Introductory Tofu Recipe... my husband happily gobbled this up!

Southwestern Tofu Scramble
c/o Eating Well Magazine, April 2008
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/southwest_tofu_scramble.html

Cooking crumbled firm tofu in a skillet approximates the fluffy texture of scrambled eggs in this vegetable-studded, vegetarian main dish. Enjoy it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Serve with steamed corn tortillas, some extra salsa and black beans.

Makes 4 servings, about 3/4 cup each

3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 14-ounce package firm water-packed tofu, rinsed and crumbled
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 small zucchini, diced
3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
4 scallions, sliced
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu, chili powder, cumin and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the tofu begins to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add zucchini, corn, scallions and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are just tender, about 3 minutes. Return the tofu to the pan and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in cheese until just melted. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons salsa and 1 tablespoon cilantro.

Per serving: 202 calories; 12 g fat (4 g sat, 5 g mono); 13 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrate; 13 g protein; 3 g fiber; 501 mg sodium; 422 mg potassium.

Pork Burgers with Avocado Dressing

2008-04-03T14:05:00.000-04:00

You had me at the avocado dressing.

The folks at Cookthink won me over quick and easy. I am a sucker for a different, yet tasty burger. Especially one that lets me smear it with avocado goodness. What can I say, I'm a slut for them. (Avocados AND burgers, really.)

I don't normally like my food salty, but it did indeed go really well with the creamy dressing - just like they said it would! We skipped the tomatoes, but I think their cool juiciness would have been a nice touch. Served with roasted red potatoes, this was a delightful dinner.

My only suggestion would be to up this whole thing by half and I'll tell you why - these burgers shrink. Not one of the four burgers was very big in the end, and one was even very sadly small (but hideously cute!). So make more - or just plan on them being large sliders instead.

Pork Burgers with Avocado Dressing
c/o Cookthink
http://www.cookthink.com/recipe/4086/Pork_Burgers_With_Avocado_Dressing

The richness of the avocado dressing is cut by the salty and slightly spicy pork burgers. Add more chipotle sauce if you want a spicier burger. We don't mention it here but sliced carrots make also make a great garnish.
avocado dressing

1 ripe avocado
1/2 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

pork burgers
1 pound lean ground pork
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chipotle sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons olive oil

garnishes
2 medium spring onions, thinly sliced
4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
4 slices Monterey Jack cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375F and put the rack in the middle position. Peel and pit the avocado and put it in a food processor or bowl. Add the lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Purée or mash until smooth. Refrigerate until you’re ready to use.

2. Form the burgers: Put the pork in a large bowl and sprinkle it with the salt and pepper. Add the chipotle sauce, soy sauce and cilantro. Using your hands, mix the pork just enough to incorporate the ingredients. Divide the pork into 4 equally sized burgers, each about 1 inch thick. Season them on both sides with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

3. Heat the olive oil in an oven-safe (preferably nonstick) skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the burgers. Leave them alone for 2-4 minutes to sear. When the bottoms are very brown, flip them and brown the other side another 2-4 minutes.

4. Prep the onions and tomatoes while the burgers are cooking.

5. When the burgers have browned on the second side, put them in the oven to roast. Cook the burgers until they reach 155F in the thickest part, 10-15 minutes. Check the temperature early and often, since they turn dry if you let them go too long. (They’ll be just firm but not hard to the touch when they’re done.)

6. Pull the pan out of the oven with an oven mitt. Put the burgers on a plate and loosely cover them with foil to rest 5 minutes. Serve on toasted multi-grain buns with avocado spread, slices of Monterey Jack cheese, spring onions and tomatoes.

Lamb Shanks, Cannellini Beans, and Oranged-up Swiss Chard

2008-04-01T20:21:00.000-04:00

I wish this photo was better. These lamb shanks deserve better!

We had these beauties in February sometime (Dave is at the Caps game tonight, so I thought I'd show you this instead of my leftovers!) and I remember that it was cold outside and perfect for this slow-cooked recipe out of Food and Wine magazine. This is one of those meals that doesn't require a lot of hands-on fiddling, but you definitely need to get started early.

Let me tell you about the smells. Holy moly, my apartment smelled delicious. I am often jealous of the smells coming out of my neighbors doors as I come up the stairs, but this time, I feel like I was able to give back a little and maybe, just maybe, they were wondering if they could come over with a cake and score some shanks. ;)

What's so interesting is that there is seriously nothing ON the shanks but salt and pepper and then some garlic cloves nestled in the pot. That's it. No juice, no other seasonings, nothing but shanky, garlicky goodness. The juices from the lamb are used to flavor the sauce that goes into the beans, too, so the meaty flavor remains throughout the dish. Yum!

What I am about to say is going to sound a little ridiculous, considering how much praise I gave the shanks.... but I think the orange swiss chard was my favorite thing on the plate. It was seriously THAT good. Crazy-amazing, in fact. The bright acidity and fruity sweetness, accented with the bacon... terrific! Perfect pairing with the lamb and cannellini beans.

Hurry out and make this before the weather changes (and if you're in the southern hemisphere, make this once it's cold) - you won't regret it!

Pot-Roasted Lamb Shanks with Cannellini Beans
c/o Food and Wine Magazine, February 2008
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pot-roasted-lamb-shanks-with-cannellini-beans

For a comforting wintry meal, F&W Test Kitchen Supervisor Marcia Kiesel, adopts Simple French Food author Richard Olney's method of roasting lamb shanks at a low temperature with no added liquid. The spare ingredients yield an incredibly rich sauce that infuses the beans. The currant and berry notes in a right bank Bordeaux brighten this luxurious dish.

1 1/2 cups dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight and drained
1 bay leaf
4 meaty lamb shanks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped thyme

In a large saucepan, cover the beans and the bay leaf with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the beans are tender, about 2 hours. Drain the beans and discard the bay leaf.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300°. Heat an enameled cast-iron casserole that's large enough to hold the lamb shanks in a single layer. Season the shanks with salt and black pepper and cook over moderate heat, turning a few times, until lightly browned all over, about 15 minutes. Nestle the garlic cloves among the shanks. Cover and cook in the oven for about 1 hour and 45 minutes, turning 3 times, until the shanks are very tender.

Reduce the oven temperature to 200°. Transfer the shanks to a small roasting pan, and the garlic cloves to a small bowl. Cover the shanks with foil and keep warm in the oven. Strain the juices from the casserole into a bowl and skim off the fat. Return the juices to the casserole, add the chicken stock and set the casserole over a burner. Boil over high heat until the juices have reduced to 2 cups, about 12 minutes.

Peel the garlic cloves and add the sherry vinegar. With a fork, mash to a paste. Add the garlic paste to the juices in the casserole and stir in the beans and thyme. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

Place the lamb shanks on plates and serve with the beans.

MAKE AHEAD The beans can be prepared through Step 1 and refrigerated overnight in their liquid. The lamb can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated overnight.

SERVE WITH Chard with Orange and Bacon.

WINE These succulent lamb shanks will go best with a Merlot-dominated red Bordeaux from what's known as the right bank—the appellation of Pomerol, for instance. Merlot's gamey, black cherry depth, which the 2005 Christian Moueix Pomerol has in abundance, is potent enough to pair with rich meats; at the same time it's not so tannic that it will conflict with the orange-spiked Swiss chard.

Swiss Chard with Orange and Bacon
c/o Food and Wine Magazine, February 2008
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chard-with-orange-and-bacon

Swiss chard spiked with both tart orange juice and tangy orange zest could easily clash with many red wines. But the citrusy greens here only serve to enhance the fruitiness of a Merlot-laden Bordeaux. This side dish would also be delicious with swordfish or pork.

2 pounds Swiss chard, stems discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 thin slices of lean-cut bacon, sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Salt

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the chard until bright green and tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, squeezing out any excess water from the leaves.

In a skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the bacon and cook over moderate heat until crisp, 5 minutes. Transfer all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon to a plate.

Pour the orange juice into the skillet and boil over high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the orange zest and the chard, season with salt and stir to coat. Transfer to a bowl, top with the reserved bacon and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The recipe can be prepared through Step 1 and refrigerated overnight.

Orzo Risotto with Sausage and Artichokes

2008-04-01T02:11:00.000-04:00

I am getting my pasta in early this week! I wanted something easy yet satisfying for Presto Pasta Night, and no pasta is as easy as orzo*! It is a dainty rice-shaped pasta that cooks up super-fast - which is just what you need when you want dinner in a hurry!

Except, making a risotto out of it sortof ruins the point, right? Don't you worry, the risotto-stirring lasts mere moments (15 minutes), which isn't long enough to get annoyed by it. In its favor, the orzo is sauteed in the sausage drippings - and who doesn't like sausage fat?

You wouldn't believe how creamy the orzo was! Yes, yes, I know there are 6 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese mixed in... but before I added the cheese, the pasta was already nicely creamy - I was so excited!

You can't really see the artichokes in the photo above because they were mostly the same shade as the pasta, but I promise they're in there. I used extra peas, too, because I love them. This pasta was thick and creamy and such a wonderful comforting dinner. As happy as I am to welcome Spring, I'm more than a little sad that dinners like these won't be around again for a while.

* At least to me!

Orzo Risotto with Sausage and Artichokes
c/o Food and Wine Magazine, March 2008
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/orzo-risotto-with-sausage-and-artichokes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups orzo (10 ounces)
2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup marinated artichokes, drained and quartered
1 cup frozen baby peas
3 tablespoons snipped chives
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

In a deep, 10-inch skillet, heat the oil. Add the sausage and cook over high heat, pressing to flatten, until cooked through, 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Break the sausage into bite-size pieces. Add the onion and garlic to the skillet. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 minutes. Add the orzo and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the stock and 2 cups of water and cook, stirring constantly, until the orzo is al dente and suspended in a thick creamy broth, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the sausage, artichokes, peas, chives and cheese to the orzo. Cook, stirring, until the peas are heated through and the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes. Serve the orzo risotto in bowls, passing extra cheese at the table.

The Daring Bakers Do Dorie: Perfect Party Cake

2008-03-30T18:30:00.000-04:00

After last month's bread-baking debacle, I was so excited to see that Morven chose Dorie Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake, sourced from her much-loved Baking book. Why? For starters, because there isn't any yeast (ha!), but mostly because it was recently my birthday, and this cake would serve as a lovely birthday cake. And! I made cakes from Dorie's book for both my mom and my husband's birthdays, so I wanted to complete the arc. And there wasn't any yeast.

I wish there was such a thing as taste-o-vision or something, because I wish all of you non-DBers, or those of you that aren't invited over when a DBer makes their challenge, could try this cake. It is seriously the most pillowy-soft cake I have ever put in my mouth (and believe you me, I have put A LOT of cake in said mouth.) I don't even know what to compare it to. Its a little like angel-food, but not all springy. It reminds me of really really sassy wedding cake, only better.

We were given the freedom to fill the cake as we wished, and though I'd fully planned to make the recipe to Dorie's letter, when I was at the grocery store picking out seedless raspberry jam (and I even had the jar in my hand!), I instead picked up a jar of preserves I've had before. My friend Liane once suggested to me this wonderful strawberry preserves with champagne. While I loved it, I never felt like my toast or pbj's did it justice. I thought that THIS cake was my opportunity to really let the jam shine.

And shine it did. The preserves went beautifully with the fluffy lemoney buttercream and surprisingly well with the coconut! (I hadn't expected that, but I should have, because Dorie is a genius!)

This cake was a dream to put together. I made the cakes last night and let them cool to room temperature before wrapping them in clingfilm. I made the buttercream this morning and layered the cake, preserves, and buttercream. I couldn't stand the idea of waiting to try it (and I think my mom is coming by with a cake she made for later), so we cut into it. (Yay cake for lunch!)

Please make sure that you have lots of milk, or some hot tea or coffee to serve with this cake, as it is really sweet. Really really sweet. Not that I'm complaining - it is just worth mentioning, for those of you with aversions to stuff like that.

If someone special to you is having a birthday or party, make this cake. You no doubt will be crowned the Rock Star of the Evening.

Thank you, Morven, for a wonderful challenge! This cake was just the thing I needed!!

Head on over to the Daring Baker's Blogroll to see all the other Rock Stars!

Spicy Chickpea Soup

2008-03-28T13:42:00.000-04:00

I love the food blogging community. I love all the interesting food events that encourage me to cook outside my comfort zone. I love the sense of togetherness and belonging and I love that it gave me a reason to embrace chickpeas! ;)

For this round of WTSiM, Jeanne chose pulses. Pulses? What are those? Pulses, or legumes, as you might guess, are beans (mostly dried) but the term also includes lentils, lupins, black-eyed peas, and chickpeas (among others!)

For my entry, I chose the humble chickpea. I've been a fan of hummus for a long while, and I always like a spoonful of chickpeas in my salad, but I'd never really given chickpeas a chance in any other way. I figured that since we love beans and lentils, that it should follow that we'd adore chickpeas as well - and I was right!

This came together so nicely in the blender - thick and creamy without being heavy. I used Fage Greek yogurt, as it seemed fitting to me. F&W suggested serving the soup with pita chips, but rather than make my own, I just bought a bag. I'll admit, I was on the fence with the chips, wondering if we really needed them... and I am glad I got them. They added a nice crunchy dimension (or less-crunchy, if you let them soak in the soup a little like I did!!)

Note: Pop over to CookSister for the round-up!!

Spicy Chickpea Soup
c/o Food and Wine Magazine, March 2008
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/spicy-chickpea-soup

Makes 6 servings.

Chickpeas are rich in both types of dietary fiber, which are important for maintaining heart health and for stabilizing blood sugar levels. Pam Anderson uses them as the base for this Indian-flavored creamy (though cream-free) soup, which she prepares by first pureeing it, then simmering it, to save time. “Pureed beans give you richness without having to enrich the soup,” she says.

Two 19-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
One 13.5-ounce can light coconut milk
One 14.4-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup naturally sweetened apple juice
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced

In a blender, combine the drained chickpeas with the coconut milk, chopped tomatoes, apple juice, cilantro leaves, garam masala and ground ginger and puree the mixture until smooth.

Transfer the puree to a medium saucepan. Stir in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer over moderately high heat. Season with salt and black pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with the yogurt and scallion greens and serve.

Make ahead: The soup can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently.

Per serving: 288 cal, 6 gm fat, 3.7 gm sat fat, 49 gm carb, 8.7 gm fiber.

Kung Pao Tofu

2008-03-27T14:53:00.000-04:00

Nevermind. I take back everything I said. I no longer want to make friends with my neighbors. In fact, I have a bucket-full of strong words for my neighbors. I hope they ALL stub their toes during their middle-of-the-night bathroom breaks, that they accidentally use salt instead of sugar in their baked goods, and that they sip some soured milk. A pox on my neighbors.

Why? Well, they had my car towed. I am sure they didn't all band together to do it, but SOMEONE did, and I'm chuffed about it. Tired and zoned out, I parked a spot to the left of my numbered spot. Rather than knock on my door or call me or have the leasing office call me, they called the (super-rude) towing company. I came out of my apartment to an empty spot and just stood there. (At least it happened at home - I frequently have nightmares in which my car is stolen while I'm in the grocery store or mall or something - and in my dreams, it's much scarier.) Anyway, it isn't like I'm new - we've been here 5 years and have always had the same spot. I should have looked. I just wish whoever called me in had had some common courtesy. Live and learn, I suppose.

I'm sorry for the rant. I hope I can make it up to you with this lovely version of home-made take-out. I've been really enamored lately with my issue of Eating Well Magazine (and you'll seen more from it shortly - I have some posts saved up!) I know that whatever I make from it will be healthy and delicious - and not to mention quick! I had never tried any "Chinese" food at home, and this recipe seemed like a nice starting point.

This would be another good dish to use, too, if you've wanted to break into tofu but have been squidgy about it. The tofu is flavored nicely by the five-spice powder and the oyster sauce, and since it's sauteed in the pan for a while before it is added to the veggies and sauce, it isn't the least bit squishy. I served the kung-pao over jasmine rice, but I'm sure the noodles would be terrific as well. This dish was really satisfying and I'll happily make it again. My Darling Picky Eater seemed happy with it as well, and asked that I look for a tofu-and-broccoli recipe next!

Kung Pao Tofu
c/o Eating Well Magazine, March/April 2008
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/kung_pao_tofu.html

You won’t be tempted to reach for another take-out menu again after trying this easy vegetarian remake of the popular Chinese classic. Serve with Chinese noodles.

Makes 4 servings, about 1 cup each

1 14-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder, divided (see Shopping Tip)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons oyster-flavored or oyster sauce (see Shopping Tip)
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
12 ounces broccoli crowns, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces (4 cups)
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons unsalted roasted peanuts
2 teaspoons hot sesame oil (optional)

Pat tofu dry and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Combine with 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder in a medium bowl.

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu and cook, stirring every 1 to 2 minutes, until golden brown, 7 to 9 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

Meanwhile, whisk water, oyster sauce, cornstarch and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder in a small bowl.

Add broccoli, yellow and red bell pepper to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Reduce heat to low, add the oyster sauce mixture and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 30 seconds. Return the tofu to the pan along with peanuts and stir to coat with sauce; stir in hot sesame oil (if using).

Per serving: 197 calories; 11 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrate; 12 g protein; 5 g fiber; 622 mg sodium; 517 mg potassium.

TIP: Shopping tips: Be sure to use “oyster-flavored” sauce (it’s oyster-free) to make this vegetarian; both it and oyster sauce are found in the Asian-food section or at Asian markets. Five-spice powder is a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns. Look for it in the spice section or with other Asian ingredients.

Brown Rice and Goat Cheese Cakes

2008-03-25T17:56:00.000-04:00

You know you've been memorable when your husband lovingly refers to a dinner as those "cakes that looked like pressed cow turds." I countered with the fact that they didn't seem dark enough for that, so maybe sun-bleached ones. Sorry, moving on. :)

When I get the cooties, all I can manage to eat is rice, so I make a lot of rice. Like, a lot. Usually brown, and since it takes so long to make, I tend to make way more than I need, because I def. don't want to mind a pot of rice for 50 minutes any more than I have to. Now, this has led to a herd of extra baggies of rice in my freezer. You'd think that when I get sick, I would just reach into the freezer for a bag, but I don't. I make more. You cannot argue with a sick person.

This meal wasn't intended to use them up, because like I said, I practically forget that rice is in there - until it drops on my foot - but it worked out that way. I was hungry for these, but not in the mood for the 50-minute rice action, and that much-underused light-bulb flickered on... "no need to worry, dearie, you have rice already!" Rad. (This is a wonderful thing, too, because I almost always have goat cheese and pecans at home, too, so I'll be able to throw these together in a pinch!)

I probably over-did it with the food processor, because the mix wasn't so much on the grainy side, but that didn't seem to matter. Formed, fried, and baked and they were quite tasty. Dave made the comment that these would make great veggie-burgers, and I have to agree. The rice gives it a nice chew, but the goat cheese kept them moist.

I served these with our new favorite salad. Let me tell you how we came upon it.

Dave and I visited with his parents in Phoenix in December. We went to Quiessence Restaurant & Wine Bar, located at The Farm at South Mountain. We'd arrived early and had a chance to tour the property. I was just smitten with row after row of vegetables, the noisy chickens, the citrus trees, heavy with fruit. The farm seemed to be a little piece of heaven, right there in an active and bustling city. Quiessence prides itself on its use of local, sustainable ingredients, and it shows. The meal we shared there was the best meal of my life. Seriously. The attention to detail, the marriage of flavors without complication... I cannot wait to go back.

Dave and I each had their root vegetable salad. It consisted of many varieties of sliced radish, carrot, and arugula, all tossed in a light vinaigrette. We asked the server to find out what was in it, and she listed radishes we'd never heard of: Easter Egg, French Breakfast, Icicle, Watermelon... I knew then that we'd have to find them.

I was able to find the Easter Egg radishes and some very colorful carrots to pull this together at home. (My favorite are the purple carrots - they're green in the middle!!) Topped with a little olive oil and a splash of whichever O Vinegar we're in the mood for, and we're happy salad eaters.

I've never grown radishes, carrots, or arugula at home, but this summer, I'm going to try. :)

Brown Rice and Goat Cheese Cakes
c/o Eating Well Magazine, April 2008
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/rice_goat_cheese_cakes.html

Medium-grain brown rice has a toothsome texture and nutty flavor that complement creamy, earthy goat cheese in these elegant cakes. Serve over salad greens as a main course.

Makes 6 servings

3/4 cup medium-grain brown rice
1 1/2 cups water
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 medium shallots, chopped
2 medium carrots, shredded using the large holes of a box grater
1/2 cup toasted pecans (see Tip)
3 ounces goat cheese
1 large egg white
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Bring rice and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer at the lowest bubble until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, 30 to 50 minutes (see Test Kitchen Note). Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; cook, stirring often, until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add carrots, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until softened and the shallots are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Transfer the cooked vegetables and rice to a large food processor. Add pecans, goat cheese, egg white, thyme, salt and pepper. Pulse until well blended but still a little coarse. Scrape into a large bowl. With wet hands, form the mixture into six 3-inch patties (about 1/2 cup each).

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle registers at least 160°F, 10 to 15 minutes.

TIP: Tip: Spread pecans on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring once, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes.

Test Kitchen Note: Perfectly cooked rice is not simple. In fact, it’s something that we struggle with occasionally in the Test Kitchen. To have the most success cooking whole-grain rice, we recommend using a pan with a tight-fitting lid, cooking on your coolest (or simmer) burner and making sure the rice is simmering at the “lowest bubble.” While testing the recipes that use less than 1 cup of dry rice, we found that the cooking time varied greatly depending on what stove we used. Although whole-grain rice usually requires 50 minutes of cooking, we found smaller volumes of rice were sometimes done in as little as 30 minutes (and burned at 50 minutes). So, when cooking a small batch of rice, start checking it after 30 minutes to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Make ahead tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Serve cold or reheat.

Per serving: 250 calories; 14 g fat (3 g sat, 7 g mono); 7 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrate; 7 g protein; 3 g fiber; 274 mg sodium; 250 mg potassium.

Taste & Create VII: Friends for Life Chocolate Cake

2008-03-25T02:46:00.000-04:00

I am in love with Ms. Omana Paul. She was Nags' neighbor growing up, and would bring her family this lovely cake during the holidays. Obviously, I need to make friends with my neighbors! My husband and I currently live in an apartment community that sees a lot of resident turn-over.... considering we've lived there for... wow... 5 years as of last week... we've watched many people come and go. Add to it that we're both shy and private... and you may understand how we know no one here. We did make friends with a lovely woman (Hi Gail!) and her sassy puppy (Woof Kayla!), but they moved away. No new friends or dogs have been met since.

I don't know why I shared all of that with you, other than to think that if I made this cake for the people that lived in my building, that we could be friends. (It's ok, it isn't a big building.) Seriously friends for life, I'd think. This is that kind of cake.

This cake reminded me a lot of Orangette's Winning Hearts and Minds cake. Nags cake is spongier, for sure, but the richness of it (thanks, butter/eggs) is very similar. Mine took about 55 minutes, but I think I could have gotten away with taking it out sooner. The center of the cake was still gooey, so make sure you let it cool for a while before you try getting it out of the pan. I chose not to frost, and while I enjoyed it tremendously as it was, I can see how some folks could find it a little less sweet than a traditional cake. (But I really liked that aspect - the under-sweetness allowed the flavor to be more chocolate-based.) Perhaps a nice compromise would have been some lightly sweetened freshly whipped cream. Deal?

O my gosh! I've gotten this far without thanking Nicole for pairing me up with Nags for Taste & Create 7! How silly of me! T&C is a terrific monthly event, create by Nicole. She sorts out all of the participants and pairs us together and then hosts the roundup at the end of the month! I cringe at the amount of work that entails, and I couldn't be more grateful that she goes to the trouble! Check back to her site in a few days for the T&C 7 collection!!

Rich Dark Chocolate Cake
c/o Nags, For the Cook in Me
Adapted from, http://cookingandme.blogspot.com/2007/07/rich-dark-chocolate-cake.html

2 cups powdered sugar
1 ¼ cups unsalted butter (2 ½ sticks), room temperature
5 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup AP flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup cocoa powder
4 ¼ teaspoons powdered milk
1 teaspoon espresso powder
pinch salt
1 cup yogurt

Optional Butter Icing:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
6 1/5 tablespoons sugar

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan.**

Beat sugar and butter well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, powdered milk, espresso powder, and salt six times. This is to make sure that the ingredients have blended completely.

Beat the yogurt well to remove any lumps.

Alternate adding the yogurt and the dry mixture to the butter and sugar mixture. Do not beat at this stage. Slowly blend the ingredients and keep mixing well.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 55 minutes, until risen and springy to the touch. Center will still be wet. Remove pan to a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes, then loosen the cake from the sides with a thin knife. Invert and cool to room temperature (or less, if you like it warm), right side up.

If frosting, mix butter and sugar and spread on the cake.

**Note: Unless you have really high-sided cake pans, I would recommend either using two pans or placing a foil-lined sheet pan underneath the cake pan as it bakes.

Fried Cornmeal Shrimp with Butternut Squash Risotto

2008-03-20T14:19:00.000-04:00

I enjoyed getting a little silly with this dish. I had blue cornmeal on hand, and I just couldn't resist the idea of crusting my little shrimps with it. I think the contrast between the shrimp and the risotto is lovely, too.

Happy First Day of Spring, btw. The weather here is more than a bit crazy. I feel like we're going to get blown away at any minute, the wind is so wicked. It was one of those mornings that had me not wanting to get out of our nice warm cozy bed. I even got back in a few times... got up, fed the cats, got back into bed. Got up, started the shower, got back into bed. I stayed in as long as I could... but we have bills to pay, so off to work I went. Sad. :)

This dish would be perfect for a windy, chilly day like today, because you'll need to hover over the stove stirring the risotto. I always feel like risotto is something of a present to myself on a cold day, because I'm almost always cold at home, so hovering over a nice warm stove makes me really happy.

I cheated a little and roasted my squash the night before. This is also a good time to get your shrimp soaking in their garlicy marinade. Both of those pieces accomplished, all you really need to worry about is stirring your rice and battering and frying your shrimp.

One last note about the shrimp and risotto, and then I'll shush up. These go really well together. The cornmeal-crust is such a nice crunchy contrast to the creamy risotto. The spark of the garlic in the shrimp popped against the smooth friendliness of the butternut squash. All around, this dish was just plain great.

Fried Cornmeal Shrimp with Butternut Squash Risotto
c/o Bon Appetit Magazine, October 2007
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/240105

1 1 3/4- to 2-pound butternut squash

24 uncooked large shrimp (about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled, deveined
3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 large garlic cloves, peeled, smashed, plus 2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

5 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine

Vegetable oil (for frying)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce squash several times. Place on baking sheet; roast until tender, about 1 hour. Cool. Cut squash in half; discard seeds. Scoop flesh into processor. Puree until smooth. Measure 1 1/2 cups puree (reserve remaining puree for another use).

Place shrimp, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, and 3 smashed garlic cloves in large reseal-able plastic bag; turn to coat. Chill 2 to 3 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Stir cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl. Add shrimp; toss. Arrange in single layer on large plate.

Preheat oven to 200°F. Bring broth to simmer in heavy small saucepan; reduce heat to low and keep hot. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic and 2 teaspoons thyme; stir 1 minute. Add rice and stir 1 minute. Add wine; stir until almost absorbed, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 cup hot broth and cook until almost all liquid is absorbed, stirring often. Continue adding hot broth 1 cup at a time and stirring frequently until rice is almost tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, add enough vegetable oil to heavy large skillet to reach depth of 1/4 inch. Heat oil over high heat. Working in 2 batches, fry shrimp until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to paper-towel-lined baking sheet and place in oven to keep warm.

Re-warm reserved 1 1/2 cups squash puree in microwave. Add warm puree to risotto and stir until rice is tender but still firm, about 2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese and remaining 2 teaspoons thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide risotto among bowls. Top with shrimp and serve.

Chicken, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Burritos

2008-03-19T22:33:00.000-04:00

I pulled this recipe out of a magazine and held on to it for a long time. Thinking about it later, I'm not sure why. I love burritos, yes. But burritos with mushrooms and spinach? What was I thinking?

My older self must have known something my recent self didn't, because I could hug old me. These burritos, as weird as they are, are scrumptious. Filling and delicious and HEALTHY! How many burritos can claim that? And quick-to-make! I got home and 20ish minutes later, Dave and I were chowing down on burritos with spinach in them. Crazy!

For whatever reason, I couldn't find green salsa at the store or they were out, but I didn't get it. We had lots of jars of salsa in the fridge already, so I dumped in some of a couple. Please feel free to use whatever salsa your heart desires. This is a perfect opportunity to impulse-buy a rotisserie chicken, too. (Except, if it's on your grocery list, it isn't much of an impulse-buy, now is it?)

Chicken, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Burritos
c/o Everyday Food Magazine
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chicken-mushroom-and-goat-cheese-burritos?autonomy_kw=goat%20cheese%20chicken%20mushroom%20burrito&rsc=header_1

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeno chile (ribs and seeds removed for less heat), minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 ounces white button mushrooms, trimmed, thinly sliced
1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds), skin removed and meat shredded (about 4 cups)
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels
1 cup prepared green salsa, plus more for serving
6 burrito-size (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 bunch flat-leaf spinach, thick stems removed (3 cups)
1 log (5 ounces) soft goat cheese, crumbled

In a large skillet with a lid, heat oil over medium. Add onion and jalapeno; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add mushrooms; cover, and cook until they begin to release their liquid, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms begin to brown and skillet is dry, about 5 minutes more.

Add chicken, corn, and salsa. Cook, stirring, until heated through and mixture is saucy, 4 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat tortillas according to package instructions. In center of each tortilla, layer spinach, chicken mixture, and goat cheese.

Wrap burritos one at a time: Fold side of tortilla closest to you over filling. Fold right and left sides toward center, and roll up. Halve if desired; serve with additional salsa.

Corned Beef and Cabbage with Dark Irish Soda Bread

2008-03-18T00:30:00.000-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Like any good Irish girl, I made sure to wear my green today, but I tried to get out of making our corned beef and cabbage. I asked Dave, "Wouldn't you like a nice lamb stew this year?" He promptly turned his face into a pout, and so it was decided. Corned beef and cabbage it is.

Even then, I didn't put much of an effort into even finding a recipe, I went with the first one I found. Slacker. If you yourself have ever made it, you know that there isn't much to it, so I wasn't worried. We picked up a lovely brisket from the butcher (and they even gave me a nice thermal bag!!) and went home. I'd even planned to make it Sunday night, but got started later than I planned, (movies and cupcakes with a girlfriend will do that) so I broke it into two parts.

Sunday night, I tossed everything (sans cabbage) into the pot with a bottle of Guinness and boiled for two hours. By that time, it was almost 8 pm, so I waited for it to cool and then put the whole pot into the fridge. Tonight, I pulled out the pot and brought it back to a boil and tossed in the cabbage. While that did it's thing, I made a loaf of Dark Irish Soda Bread I found in The Washington Post. (I'm normally crap at bread, but since this was baking-soda-based, I figured I was safe.

Thank goodness the cabbage only took an hour, because by the time it was finished, the apartment smelled so delicious, I could have gnawed on the couch!! The bread was done a little early, and we tore into it (which is why no pre-sliced pictures). I was delighted when I brought some to Dave and he asked me where I got it. Where I got it indeed! :) The corned beef was perfectly tender. The carrots were so soft that they seemed to be holding together in carrot shape by sheer force of will. And you know what? I actually liked the cabbage (and I thought I detested boiled cabbage!) This recipe, as whimsically as I picked it, has cemented it's place in our St. Patrick's Day routine.

You'll see in the background of the top photo some cupcakes. I picked those up on Sunday from my favorite cupcake place ever because they had a sign that promised their peanut butter cupcakes would go famously with my pint of Guinness. Darn them, they were right!

Corned Beef with Cabbage
c/o Epicurious.com
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/241775

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from Irish Traditional Cooking by Darina Allen.

Although this dish is eaten less frequently nowadays in Ireland, for Irish expatriots it conjures up powerful nostalgic images of a rural Irish past. Originally it was a traditional Easter Sunday dinner. The beef, killed before the winter, would have been salted and could now be eaten after the long Lenten fast, with fresh green cabbage and floury potatoes. Our local butcher corns beef in the slow, old-fashioned way which, alas, is nowadays more the exception than the norm.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

4 lb corned brisket of beef
3 large carrots, cut into large chunks
6 to 8 small onions
1 teaspoon dry English mustard
large sprig fresh thyme and some parsley stalks, tied together
1 cabbage
salt and freshly ground pepper

Put the brisket into a saucepan with the carrots, onions, mustard and the herbs. Cover with cold water, and bring gently to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 2 hours. Discard the outer leaves of the cabbage, cut in quarters and add to the pot. Cook for a further 1 to 2 hours or until the meat and vegetables are soft and tender.

Serve the corned beef in slices, surrounded by the vegetables and cooking liquid. Serve with lots of floury potatoes and freshly made mustard.

And

Dark Irish Soda Bread
c/o The Washington Post Food Section, March 5, 2008
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2008/03/05/dark-irish-soda-bread/

This soda bread gets its appealing brown color from molasses and whole wheat flour. The flour used here is the traditional whole-wheat flour that is made from red-wheat berries.
It's best eaten on the same day it is made, but it tastes great toasted the next day. The bread can be wrapped well and frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost with the wrapping on so that any condensation will form on the foil and/or plastic, and not on the bread itself.
Makes one 8-inch oval loaf (12 servings)

2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter (plus softened butter for greasing the baking sheet)
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour, plus more for the baking sheet
3/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon dark or light brown sugar
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon molasses
1 cup low-fat or regular buttermilk

Position a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet with softened butter, then sprinkle lightly with whole-wheat flour; tap to discard any excess flour.

Combine both flours, brown sugar, caraway seeds, baking soda and salt in the large bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Mix to combine on low speed; add the melted butter.

Combine the molasses and the buttermilk, then add to the mixer bowl, on low speed; beat for a minute or two, until a soft dough forms. Gather the dough into a ball and roll it around in the palms of your hands to smooth it; the dough will not be perfectly smooth. Form into an 8-inch long oval and place on the prepared baking sheet. Use a smooth-edge knife to cut a slash about 5 inches long and about 1 inch deep along the length of the loaf.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the bread feels firm and crisp and you can see that the bottom has browned when you lift it carefully. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Recipe Source:

From cookbook author Elinor Klivans.
113 calories, 3g fat, 1g saturated fat, 6mg cholesterol, 225mg sodium, 20g carbohydrates, 2g dietary fiber, 4g protein.

Penne with Beef and Arugula and Parmesan Popovers

2008-03-16T14:08:00.000-04:00

When I watched Giada make this, I wanted to reach through the tv and eat it. I longed to work in her husband's office, in the hopes that I could look starved in the corner, so that she might share some with me. Alas, tv's don't work like that, and I don't work with her husband. Such is life.

It occurred to me, as I watched, that this dinner would make excellent lunch leftovers. I know, I know, how crazy is it that I made this meal looking forward to its leftovers? I knew we'd like it for firstovers, but still! We're trying to cut back on our grocery purchases and control our lunches, so it only makes sense! :)

I really enjoyed the mix of the balsamic and the mustard. Both went beautifully with the beef and pasta.

The popovers, while tasty, were a reminder to me that I have to pay attention to the instructions!! I baked them in regular muffin tins, not mini's, so they weren't as light and airy as expected. Still yummy, though.

I submit this tasty dinner-and-lunch to Ruth for her Presto Pasta Night round-up. Check over to her site on Friday for all the tasty pasta the Internet has to offer!

Penne with Beef and Arugula
c/o Everyday Italian, Food Network TV
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_33971,00.html

1 (1-pound) New York strip steak
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for steak and pasta water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for steak
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 cups chopped arugula

Season the steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper, herbs de Provence, and minced garlic. In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook steak about 7 minutes per side. Remove the meat from pan and let it rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water.

In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, fresh herbs, and 3/4 cup olive oil. In a large bowl toss the pasta with half of the salad dressing and the reserved pasta water. Add the arugula and steak, more dressing, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed. Toss, pack for the picnic, or serve.

Parmesan Popovers
c/o Everyday Italian, Food Network TV
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_33976,00.html

3 eggs
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon herbs de Provence
4 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1 cups whole milk
3/4 cup grated Parmesan (about 5 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a blender, combine eggs, flour, salt, pepper, and herbs, milk, and cheese. Blend on medium speed.

Spray a mini-muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove popovers from muffin tin and cool on a wire rack. Save in a storage container to take to the picnic.

Fresh Tagliatelle with Sprouting Broccoli and Oozy Cheese Sauce

2008-03-13T20:11:00.000-04:00

For this week's Presto Pasta Night, I bring you a most glorious Jamie Oliver recipe. I went on a binge a few weekends ago and watched all my saved-up cooking shows, and this pasta dish was featured in his episode on eggs. I made sure to do as he asked and used farm-happy eggs in both the pasta and sauce.

Now, the pasta was something of a departure for me. I'd never made it in the food processor before, and I'd never not let it rest for 30 minutes before I rolled it out. I would probably have questioned the instructions, had I not just watched Jamie do it on television. Ya, ya, tv magic is often in play, but if you've seen his episodes, he doesn't appear to use too much trickery. My trust in him, I went forth and processed and didn't wait to roll, and as you can see, the pasta came out nicely. I am converted.

I mentioned a couple days ago that I don't like much cheese. This recipe may then be confusing. But fontina is way lower on the Stinkiness Scale, and it was smooth and creamy and oozy... all things that get me to like cheese better. His method of gently warming the creme fraiche and cheeses over top of the pasta water is pure genius, if you ask me. I put the pot of water on and the pan on top while I made the pasta. I've rarely done all the prep before I start cooking, so it was nice to be able to stage everything as I went.

If you are comforted by a nice, velvety smooth pasta, this could be heaven for you. I was floored by the cheesy aroma wafting from the pasta as I poured the sauce on it. I know I yammered about smells just yesterday and I meant it at the time. But this pasta blows that soup's smell out of the water. I could be kind and just say that they're different (in the way I find both Jack and Charlie hot, but for different reasons). But I would be lying. Or, at least, I wouldn't mean it. The beautiful cheesy smell just appeals to me more. Could have been my mood at the time, or the weather or something, I guess. I enjoyed them both, don't get me wrong. This one just wins. At least it had the baby broccoli as the token vegetable of the evening, so I didn't feel all bad about it. :)

Fresh Tagliatelle with Sprouting Broccoli and Oozy Cheese Sauce
c/o Jamie at Home, Food Network TV
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_120489,00.html

The hero of this dish (apart from the eggs, of course!) is fontina, a delicious Italian mountain cheese used for melting, available in good cheese shops and delis. But any combination of Parmesan, pecorino, taleggio or Gruyere cheeses will also work well.

For the pasta:
4 large free-range or organic eggs
2 cups pasta flour, plus extra for dusting
Sea salt

For the cheese sauce:
1 cup creme fraiche
5 ounces sliced fontina or other nice melting cheese
5 ounces freshly grated Parmesan
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound purple sprouting broccoli
2 large free-range or organic egg yolks
1 small bunch fresh marjoram, oregano or thyme tips, leaves picked

Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Extra-virgin olive oil

You can buy ready-made dried or fresh tagliatelle, but this is a really quick way to make your own.

Crack the eggs into a food processor and add the flour. Whiz it up and listen for the sound changing to a rumble - this means the dough is coming together nicely. Turn the power off and test the consistency by pinching the dough. If it's a bit sticky add a little more flour and pulse again.

Tip the dough mixture onto a floured surface and shape it into a ball using your hands. Give it a little knead until smooth, then divide your dough into 4 equal parts. Start on the thickest setting of your pasta machine and run the first bit of dough through 4 or 5 times, moving the rollers closer together each time until the pasta is silky, smooth and about as thick as a CD. Flour your finished sheet generously, then fold it up and cut across into 1/2-inch strips. Gather all the slices together and toss them through your fingers, with a little flour, to open them up and make your pile of tagliatelle. Place to 1 side and repeat with the rest of the dough.

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. In a bowl large enough to rest on top of the pan, put your creme fraiche, fontina or other melting cheese and your Parmesan with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place the bowl over the pan for the cheeses to slowly melt. It won't take long. Meanwhile, trim any dry ends off the broccoli, then finely slice the stalks diagonally and leave the florets whole (cutting any larger ones in half).

At this point the cheese sauce should be lovely and oozy, so remove the bowl from above the pan and drop the pasta and broccoli into the boiling water. Boil hard for 2 to 3 minutes, until the pasta is just cooked through. Whip up the 2 egg yolks and the marjoram, or other chosen herb leaves, into the sauce. Drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving a little of the cooking water, and quickly toss them with the sauce - the heat from the pasta will be enough to cook the eggs through. If the sauce is a little thick, add a few splashes of cooking water to make it silky and loose. Taste and season, if necessary. Serve as quickly as you can, with some extra Parmesan sprinkled over the top and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Grand!