MADE WITH LOVE AND BUTTER

Carmelized Onion and Blue Cheese Burgers

2011-08-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

This is a little cheap, I know, but I'm just going to include the link here to these burgers:
Pioneer Woman's Favorite Burger. But please be assured they are worth the effort to make, even if I didn't take the time to document them in pictures, or write out the recipe.

The recipe has a great trick for caramelizing red onions, as well as spicing up some mayo and meat. I went with 1/2 lb burgers, instead of the admittedly daunting 1 lber like the recipe says, but basically stayed true to the recipe the rest of the way. The bite of the blue cheese with the sweet of the onions is pretty phenomenal.

Empanadas! and a Yogurt Tahini Sauce

2011-06-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

The wife and I have not posted anything in some time and I wanted to write this so that her earlier impetus would not be lost. First, we discovered a place in Morristown, NJ that has incredible and incredibly cheap empanadas: Raul's Empanadas. Many of you probably live further West where such food can be acquired easily. But you might want to check out their menu for some awesome ideas for fillings. We also had some really awesome guys seated next to us who were in a heated debate of what they would do in battle if they were in Star Wars.

Here is the recipe that justifies this post:

Yogurt Tahini Sauce
1/4 c. tahini
1/4 c. Greek yogurt
juice of half a lemon
1 minced garlic clove
salt/pepper

1. Mix well.

This is an awesome topping on lamb burgers. It also gives you something to do with your leftover tahini if you are sick of making hummus again and again and again. Besides, look at how easy the directions are.

These are a few of my favorite things...

2011-06-15T16:47:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for fresh produce once again. And thanks to Angela for kick-starting her blog again.I'll post some real recipes once I get another minute but for now here is what we've

been enjoying in our household this spring/early summer - a tiny love song to the farms and markets I will miss when we move out of New Jersey next month (not that you can't get fresh produce in Kansas, of course):

1. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2. Fresh Eggs

3. Roasted Garlic and Duck Fat bread and Cave Aged Cheddar from Bobolink Dairy

(www.cowsoutside.com), with Duck Rilettes

4. More rhubarb...

5. More strawberries...

6. Garlic scapes sauteed and added to the easy risotto recipe

Rice Pilaf

2011-05-17T14:13:00.000-07:00

I often fail when cooking rice and potatoes. Maybe it's because they're meal staples and seem so simple, so I assume I don't need to follow a recipe. So here's an American tested recipe for rice that is a winner! My daughter, who will eat nothing for dinner but whatever residual juices remain from a piece of whatever protein she put in her mouth before spitting it out, actually ate all of this rice. It's now my fail-safe for sure.

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Rice Pilaf
Serves 4

1 1/2 cups basmati rice or long-grain rice
2 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion , minced (about 1/2 cup)

1. Rinse rice in colander or fine mesh strainer 4 or 5 times. This rids them of excess starch and makes the rice fluffier and so lovely looking. Set aside.

2. Bring 2 1/4 cups water to boil, covered, in small saucepan over medium-high heat, add salt and keep warm. (Okay, I skipped this step because I wasn't feeling it, but I imagine it helps the salt to dissolve.)

3. Meanwhile, heat butter in large saucepan over medium heat until foam begins to subside; add onion and sauté until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat grains with butter; cook until edges of rice grains begin to turn translucent, about 3 minutes.

4. Stir hot seasoned water into rice; return to boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until all liquid is absorbed, about 16-18 minutes. Off heat, remove lid, and place kitchen towel folded in half over saucepan; replace lid. (Again, didn't do this step. It seemed excessive, though in retrospect I'm not sure why using a kitchen towel seemed too difficult and fussy to me.) Let stand 10 minutes; fluff rice with fork and serve.

Mushroom Lasagna with Garlic Béchamel Sauce

2011-04-27T16:22:00.000-07:00

I'm struggling with what to say about this lasagna. You should just make it. I made it for two families that just had babies, and for a dinner party. It's fancy comfort food, and a pretty inexpensive dish. Sooo flavorful as well, which was surprising because the ingredients are so simple and basic.

Serves 6 to 8

Salt
Olive oil
3/4 pound no boil lasagna noodles
1 large clove garlic, minced
4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, or to taste (less is okay)
1 1/2 pounds cremini or portobello mushrooms ( I prefer cremini, but I'm new to mushrooms)
1 cup freshly grated parmesan

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

1. Béchamel: Simmer the milk and garlic in a saucepan, and set aside. Melt 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons or 1 stick) butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for one minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon. Pour in the hot milk, a little at a time at first and stirring until combined. Once you’ve added half of it, you can add the second half all at once, along with 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt, the pepper, and nutmeg. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring or whisking frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until thick. Set aside, reserving one cup for top and bottom of dish.

2. Prepare mushrooms: Slice mushrooms 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium in large sauté pan. Cook half the mushrooms with a couple pinches of salt for about 5 minutes, or until they are tender and release some of their juices, tossing to make sure they cook evenly. Repeat with additional oil and butter, and remaining mushrooms. Mix into Béchamel sauce.

3. Assemble lasagna: Spread some of the reserved sauce in the bottom of an 8 x 12 or 9 x 13 baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more mushroom sauce (about 1/4 of what remains), and 1/4 cup grated parmesan. Repeat two more times then top with a final layer of noodles, your remaining reserved sauce and last 1/4 cup of parmesan.

4. Bake for 45 minutes, or until top is browned and the sauce is bubbly. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Beef and Broccoli

2011-04-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

Emerging from the hazy fourth trimester. We have been eating, I just haven't had the motivation to blog. Hopefully this short post (and more coffee in my life) will get things back in motion. Enjoy! This was a great way to satiate some good red meat cravings. Serves 4-6.

Chinese Beef Broccoli (adapted from Pioneer Woman)

1 lb tender chuck, top sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced into 1/8-in (3-mm)-thick strips
11/2 lbs broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
1 tablespoon high-heat cooking oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic

BEEF MARINADE:
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cooking oil
Freshly ground black pepper to season the beef

STIR-FRY SAUCE:
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine (can substitute rice wine vinegar or dry sherry)
2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)

1 In a bowl or ziplock bag, combine the ingredients for the Beef Marinade. Add the beef and let marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature.

2 In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the Stir-fry Sauce.

3 In a wok or large sauté pan, add 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli and cover to steam for 3-4 minutes. The broccoli should be bright green, crisp tender and you should be able to pierce the stem with a fork. Drain.

4 Rinse and dry the pan and set over high heat. When hot, add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and fry for 15 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the steak strips, keeping them in one layer and fry 30 seconds. Flip the strips and fry the other side.

5 Pour in the Stir-fry Sauce and stir to combine. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 30 seconds. Add the cooked broccoli back into the pan and toss to coat well.

Serve with rice or asian noodles.

Happy Feast Day!

2010-12-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

I haven't a recipe to share (we followed the ATK faithfully) but I did want to share the celebration of today's Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Also, I am contemplating what will be our family tradition for such holidays. Any ideas? Recipes? (e.g. Turkey for Thanksgiving, Ham for Christmas, Corned Beef for St. Pat's, Lamb for Easter. What does one serve for Dec. 8th? Perhaps something from the Lourdes region?)

This Week's Challenge: Inspiration

2010-11-11T16:15:00.000-08:00

Necessity pressed hard upon us recently so I have had some fun inventing a dish or two. To the right is my turkey-basil pizza of last night. As we wanted to get our 10 month old some protein we cooked some ground turkey without anything (fearing even black pepper would be too spicy). However, he could not eat that pound of ground meat in a few days (frankly, I'd be scared if he did) so I created this:

1 Boboli Crust
Tomato Sauce (enough to cover)
Mozzarella Cheese (enough to cover)
Ground Turkey
Two or three leaves basil (torn)

Heat oven to 450º. Add all but the basil to the crust. Cook in middle for 8-10 mins. Add Basil and serve.

Yes, I know, this is not how we make pizza; but like a few pierogi in the fridge, a pizza crust, a can of tomato sauce, and cheese are a simple way to eliminate leftovers. Speaking of leftovers:

I took the leftovers of this Greek vegetable soup (from The Olive and the Caper) and used them as a sauce to some handmade papardelle and it was awesome:

1 c. olive oil
2 med. eggplants, cut in 1" cubes
12 med. shallots, peeled and left whole
8 cloves garlic, slivered
4 med. tomatoes, chopped or can of chopped tomatoes in winter
3/4 c. dry red wine
1 bay leaf
salt/pepper
1/4 c. basil, shredded and whole to garnish

1. Heat oil in skillet. Add eggplant, shallot, garlic, 10-12 mins. Stir frequently
2. Stir in tomatoes, wine, bay leaf, salt, pepper. DO NOT TOUCH. Let simmer 45-50 mins. (Oil will rise to top)
3. Remove bay leaf and remove from heat. Let cool 10 mins. Add shredded basil to whole. Garnish individual bowls with some whole basil.

p.s. if you skimp on the oil, your eggplant will taste too sharp.

Chicken Carbonara

2010-11-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

Mary made this a few weeks ago and I've craved it ever since. I'll admit I've been afraid of this dish because of the possible end result of "scrambled eggs and pasta" that I know people have had to eat (if you're reading this, you know who you are). But that wasn't a problem at all, and if you want some good comfort food pasta, this is definitely for you. The recipe is based off of Giada's, but I changed a few things and that is what you see before you... (I will warn you it's a bit labor intensive. Giada's recipe says the total cook time is 22 minutes, but that would be in the lovely world of having a sous chef. The prep work probably takes that amount of time, and then you have to cook it. And if you're like me, just add another 15 minutes to that because I'm just slow.) Serves 6.

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 slices bacon (I think I'll add more next time) or 4 oz pancetta chopped
4 cloves minced garlic (Or more-- you know you want to)
2 1/2 cups whipping cream (admittedly, this much cream kind of freaked me out, so I just did 2 cups cream and 1/2 c milk)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
6 large egg yolks
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (didn't have this so I did 2 tbsp of dried)
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 pound spaghetti
3 chicken breasts, browned and cooked through, and coarsely chopped or 1 roasted chicken coarsely shredded
1 cup cooked peas
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (I used pecans, and this was such a nice touch)
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan (the pan needs to be large enough to fit all of your pasta, so make sure it's BIG) over medium heat. Add the bacon and garlic and saute until it is brown and crisp about 8 minutes. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, cheese, yolks, and herbs.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Add the chicken and peas to the pan with the bacon and stir to combine. Next, add the spaghetti and the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the chicken is heated through and the sauce coats the spaghetti thickly. Giada says this takes 4 minutes, but it took me about 10, though I was very afraid of cooking it too quickly. Just watch it and make sure you do not boil the sauce because that will scramble the eggs-- yuck. Season the pasta, to taste, with pepper and salt if needed (the bacon will likely add all the salt you need).

Sprinkle with the nuts and lemon, and serve.

Not Your Grandma's Chicken (Noodle) Soup

2010-10-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

This recipe is really good for a cold - there's no noodles, but it doesn't matter: it's just a little spicy and feels really nourishing. Make after you've roasted a chicken and want to do something with the leftovers. The recipe is from Tyler Florence's Eat This Book (which, incidentally, Goo tried to do quite literally).
Spicy Chicken Broth with Avocado and Lime

E.V. olive oil
2 medium onions diced
3 garlic cloves minced
3 medium sized ripe tomatoes chopped (adaptation for non-tomato season: use canned diced tomatoes, 1 can is probably fine - this time I had one last lovely tomato, which I chopped and added to the pot along with one can of diced tomatoes)
2 jalapenos minced (if you don't like it spicy, make sure you don't include the seeds)1 quart chicken stock - homemade is best (this time I had a quart of homemade but also added maybe a 1/2 cup of store bought sitting in my fridge, worked great)
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken (this is for 4 people - see instructions below)
avocados (1 works for two people, depending on how much avocado you want)
lime cut into wedges
[optional: 1/2 cup chopped cilantro - I never do this, as I hate cilantro]
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a stockpot. Add onions, garlic, tomato, and jalapeno; cook for 15 minutes until vegetables are soft and pulpy. Pour in stock, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
[Note: at this point in the recipe T.F. encourages you to make your own tortilla chips by frying corn tortilla strips. I am too lazy for this. You can just buy some Tostitos and they work just fine for a garnish.]
Divide shredded chicken among soup bowls - while the recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups, in reality each person can just pick off as much chicken as they want and put it in their own bowl, especially if you are working with leftover roast chicken. Ladle soup over the meat. Top with diced avocado (and cilantro, if you want). Each person can squeeze in as much lime as they want, as well as grab as many corn chips as they want.

German Oven Pancakes

2010-10-15T22:59:00.000-07:00

These are a delicious alternative to regular pancakes and so much easier and less time consuming. Some people call them Dutch Babies or other various names.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

3 large eggs

dash of salt

1 to 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine

Preheat your oven to 425° F. I usually use two smaller pans and do one recipe in each or you can double the recipe and use a 9x13 pan.

Place the butter in the bottom of the pan and place it in the oven while it's preheating to melt it (Don't let it start to burn though). Mix your milk, flour, eggs and salt in a bowl. Use a wire whisk to blend, but make sure all the lumps have disappeared before moving on. (Some people blend this in a food processor but I don't) When you've got your mix ready, pour it over the melted butter in your pan, and place it back in the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Edges will be puffed up. I like to server with powdered sugar or Nutella or both (that's why I like to make two).

Improvised Weeknight Pierogi

2010-10-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

Another cast-iron man creation has come about. Our new grocery store has some good pierogi which I like to keep handy in the fridge (like a spare pizza crust). The point of such meals is that you would feel too guilty ordering food but you are exhausted from work. This takes less than fifteen minutes, prep and cook time (hint, prep zucchini and garlic while bacon renders).

Feel free to improvise on this:

12 pierogi
2 farm-fresh zucchini, washing, cut off ends, slice lengthwise and then into half coins (they take so much less time to cook than the water-bloated grocery store ones)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
5 stripes bacon, cut into 1/2" bits
red pepper flakes
salt/pepper

1. Set heat closer to medium than low. Cook bacon in cast-iron. Once fat has rendered and bacon is not too crisp, remove.
2. Add red-pepper flakes and swirl for a minute to let fat absorb its heat (if it looks like you don't have enough for the zucchini, add a little olive oil at this point).
3. Cook zucchini about 5 minutes, sprinkling liberally with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally.
4. When zucchini has some browing and is not yet too tender to the touch, add your pierogi. Cook about 2 minutes until pierogi begins to brown. Stir occasionally.
5. Add garlic. Cook until garlic is aromatic (@ 1 min.)

6. Enjoy!

(Cast-) Iron Man

2010-09-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

If I ever write my own cookbook, the above will also be its title. Until then, apologies for not contributing of late. Here are the remainders from the farm's summer selection. Eliese was frustrated at the thought of dinner so I came up with (and made) this:

1 1/2 zucchini, ends trimmed & 1/4" coins
2 frying peppers (ours were red), seeded and cut into strips (I prefer to halve each strip lengthwise as well)
4 HOT Italian Sausages, casing removed, pulled into 1" chunks
1/2 yellow onion, cut in strips
1/2 lb. ditalini or other pasta you have in your cuphoard
salt/pepper
Olive Oil

1. On medium heat, cook sausage in cast-iron. Remove when browned, keep that delicious rendered fat for your veggies.
2. Salt a pot of water, bring to boil. Don't add ditalini until you are ready to cook veggies.
3. Add veggies to cast-iron on medium-low heat, salt and pepper generously. If onion carmelizes before peppers and zucchini soften, add olive oil.
4. Drain pasta, toss with veggies, add sausage. Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil on top.

*I am putting an asterisk on this whole recipe because you should feel free to invent your own cupboard masterpiece. I can say that this one, having been tested, tastes delicious.

The Ugliest and Most Awesome Sauce EVER

2010-09-15T19:21:00.001-07:00

OK, I don't have a photo to go along with this post 1. because I forgot, and 2. because the sauce is pretty ugly in comparison to its more sexy tomato sauce cousins. But I promise you it is the most DELICIOUS sauce ever: Mark Bittman's version of Bolognese from How to Cook Everything. I had it first when my mom came out and cooked for us, etc. shortly after Goo was born. In the past month I've made it twice - once to go simply over pasta, second as part of a somewhat improvised but turned-out-pretty-great lasagna. In the past I have eaten it over leftover mashed potatoes because I had no pasta. I have eaten the last leftover spoonfuls of sauce by itself.

You need a good amount of time (3 hours +) to do this right, but the majority of the work is basic prep, the rest is cake (mmm, cake).

2 tbsp e.v. olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 chopped carrot
1 chopped celery stalk
1/4 c chopped bacon or pancetta
1 lb ground meat - beef, or a mixture of beef and pork
3/4 c dry white wine or juice from tomatoes (or... I added a splash of red wine in addition to the juice from the tomatoes; it worked)
One 28 or 35 oz can whole plum tomatoes
1 c stock (beef or chicken)
salt and pepper
1 c cream, half and half or milk
Freshly grated Parmesan (optional - honestly, you don't need it)

Olive oil over deep skillet or saucepan (or Dutch oven) over med-low; when hot, add onion, carrot, celery and bacon. Cook for 10 minutes or so until veggies are softened. Add meat, cook stir to break up clumps, about 5 minutes. Add wine/juice, raise heat a little and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes for most of liquid to evaporate. Crush tomatoes (your hands work best) and add, then add stock. Turn heat to low and let simmer for about an hour - make sure to stir a couple times to break up any meat clumps or chunks of tomato. Then add some salt and pepper to taste and cook for at least another hour. When it's done, the sauce should be thick and most of the liquid should be gone. Add cream, cook 15-30 minutes, stir occasionally. Serve with/in desired medium! AMAZING.

Goodbye, Summer

2010-09-15T18:53:00.000-07:00

While I must admit I'm enjoying this cool Northeast weather, I am rather sad at the fading of summer and likewise summer produce. And I didn't even can anything this year (although there's hope yet for apple season)! Recently we made two un-recipe meals from some of the last of summer's produce.

Meal One: Breakfast for Dinner - Eggs and Bacon with Hash of Local Red Potatoes, Leeks, and Yellow Squash. (Let's see if I can remember how I made it - but the point is to give you ideas, anyway, 'cause you can just make it up too with what you have.)
Chop and cook several pieces of bacon to brown and render fat; throw in some roughly chopped garlic until fragrant. I probably added a little vegetable oil too, before tossing in chopped squash and leeks and letting them soften and brown. Then, add the diced potatoes with some salt, pepper, and paprika... let it brown a little by leaving it alone for a while, stirring, leaving it alone...; pour in chicken stock mixed with some cream and a few dashes of Tabasco. Cover, and let potatoes soften and simmer off the liquid. I've never been able to get my hashes crisp but this was great even mushy. Eggs and bacon on side - done!

Meal Two: Breaded Fried Local Eggplant with NJ Heirloom Tomatoes and Mozzarella (http://www.antoniomozzarella.com/).
Slice eggplant; bread by dipping in flour, then beaten egg, then bread crumbs. Let the eggplant chill in the fridge for about 10 minutes; then fry in maybe 1/2 inch hot vegetable oil for a few minutes each side until golden brown. We put these on top of salad while still hot. I also made a little drizzle sauce with sesame oil, soy sauce, mirin, garlic, and sugar to go over the eggplant and salad. Then we had the tomatoes and mozzarella on the side. Awesome.

Poutine*

2010-09-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

*This recipe comes from Rebecca L.

I had recently roasted a chicken à la Anthony Bourdain, and at his strong suggestion in his, “Les Halles Cookbook”, used the bones to make a homemade dark chicken stock. After roasting the bones along with the trinity of vegetables (onions, carrots, and celery), and simmering (never boiling! That’s a nono, apparently) the lot away for over 8 hours on the stove with fresh herbs, I was a bit attached to this stock. I wanted to use it in a dish that would highlight the deep flavors that I had labored to bring about. And once the weather here in Wyoming started getting downright chilly in the mornings and evenings, it hit me: poutine. A staple of Canadian cuisine, I had first encountered this dish in Montreal. It is a surprisingly simple dish at first sight: fries, gravy, and cheese curds. Now you can go and buy Ore-Ida frozen fries, a can of gravy, and some cheap Kraft shredded cheese, and it would probably taste alright. Hell, how can those three ingredients go wrong together, even if they’re the instant variety? But if you take a little time and effort, you can elevate this recipe from bar food to a downright glorious one-dish meal, worthy of pairing with a great glass of wine. The time and care is really spent on the poutine sauce, which stems from velouté, which should be based on a dark, rich homemade chicken or veal stock.

For the velouté:

1 quart of chicken or veal stock

2 Tb butter

2 Tb flour

-Bring the stock to a boil in a pot.

-Meanwhile, heat the butter over medium-high heat until melted. Add the flour gradually and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes, making a roux.

-The roux shouldn’t get too dark, so slowly pour some of the boiling stock into it, stirring constantly, until you get a consistency you wouldn’t mind pouring back in with the remaining stock. Add back to the remaining stock.

-Simmer for at least 40 minutes, skimming every 10 or so. Then strain well through a mesh lined with cheesecloth (if you’ve got this; I just strained through a fine mesh a few times, and it turned out fine). Add salt and pepper to taste.

You now have your velouté sauce, which only needs to be reduced to at least a half (up to a quarter) of its volume to become poutine sauce. Do this by simmering, not boiling, and stirring every so often. The resulting texture should be velvety.

Get out a bowl and throw a few fresh cheese curds into it. Then layer some home-made French fries on top, followed by more cheese curds, and topped with a generous ladling of poutine sauce.

This dish is fun to get creative with. To the poutine, I added a few shots of a white wine pan reduction I had made for the roast chicken that started this whole thing. This really added another dimension to the already incredible sauce. In Canada, they have menus full of varying types of poutine, some even with foie gras. If there are no fresh cheese curds available, use freshly shredded mozzarella or sharp cheddar. Top with bacon or crumbled sausage. Just have fun. And even though you can’t really go wrong with the basic ratio of parts for this dish, remember, the quality of your ingredients will greatly affect the quality of the finished meal.

Pork and Peaches (Moving Day, the Mother of Invention)

2010-08-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

My family has been living in two places simultaneously for the past month. We've been painting and moving small things (read: books) since late July. Between moving the majority of our furniture last weekend during a tropical New Jersey monsoon and moving the remaining furniture (read: bookshelves) this weekend - as well as a three full day orientation at the Archdiocese for my new job- , there hasn't been much time to do any thoughtful cooking. Or anything else. However, yesterday after finishing the move, we decided to go with husband's parents to the orchard and do some light apple- and peach/nectarine-picking.

I returned to the old apartment in the evening to clean the bathroom and try to move some straggling items (read: mainly books) over to the new place. After such an evening, one wants to cook with as much on hand as possible and spend minimum time in the grocery store and kitchen. So one brief run to the store later, I improvised the following meal using our fresh peaches and nectarines, with inspiration from Angela's pairing of the pork chops and sauteed peaches:

1. Sauteed chopped shallots in olive oil for a couple minutes. Added some fresh thyme and salt. Then added about 2 cups chicken stock, brought to boil; added 1.5 cups couscous, stir. Covered and took off heat, let sit undisturbed about 15 minutes.
2. In cast iron: in a little olive oil, cooked four Italian sausages, cut into pieces. Once browned, added one peeled sliced peach and one peeled sliced nectarine (I maybe would have used two peaches instead of a nectarine, but I used the fruits which had been bruised during picking). I let these soften and get a little caramelized, then I added some roughly chopped spinach only long enough to wilt.
3. Fluffed the couscous and served as a bed for sausage-fruit-spinach mixture. Great with a few generous squeezes of lemon.

As we ate dinner, we watched Iron Chef, Battle: Suckling Pig (I have cable now, for the first time in my life). I felt pretty proud of myself when one of the chefs did a speck and peach pairing: hey, pork and peaches! I did not, however, make a scrambled egg/pig brain snack, or anything with trotters; although husband and I have devised the most brilliant (seriously) idea for a restaurant that involves offal and would be a huge hit in Manhattan. I decline to elaborate here, suffice to say it would be titled Simply Offal.

Did I mention I love my new kitchen? 'Cause I do. Counter space and cabinet space are a novelty.

Life by Chocolate

2010-08-25T22:45:00.000-07:00

I am pretty sure I'm addicted to ice cream. However, maybe it is chocolate I can't live without, because whenever I'm shoveling my daily dose of Blue Bell into my mouth, it's usually smothered in nutella.

So of course I want to make these.

And maybe cover them with ice cream.

They're from the Pioneer Woman's website, and she puts a Hershey's kiss in each one. I'm something of a chocolate person, so Hershey's doesn't always cut it, but a little kiss in each bite size cake? That's a concept I could go for. I bet you could use Dove chocolates instead, if say, those are something you buy whenever you're at the grocery store, or little ritter sport squares. Really, the possibilities are endless. And look at how that ganache almost winks back at you.

Simple Pork Chop Follow Up

2010-08-18T15:11:00.000-07:00

This is just to say Eliese's recipe for pork chops reminded me of everything great about cooking-- simple ingredients, little to no prep time, one pan for clean up, and something delicious in the end. Here's a photo in honor of this delectable recipe. Thank you for teaching me the secret to these chops.

Chicken Marbella

2010-08-18T15:04:00.000-07:00

This is such an easy, earthy dish to toss together and then throw in the oven for an hour. It looks much more complicated than it is, and the sauce--you'll want to have something to sop it up with. I recommend polenta or cornbread, but rice or potatoes would pair well. Serves 4-5

2 chickens, 2 1/2 pounds each, quartered (Or about 5 lb chicken parts. I've used thighs, and legs, but I'd imagine chicken breast would work great)

1/2 head of garlic, peeled and finely pureed

2 tbsp dried oregano
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup pitted prunes
1/4 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/4 cup capers with a bit of juice

3 bay leaves
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white wine

2 tbsp Italian parsley or fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl or ziploc bag combine chicken quarters, garlic, oregano, pepper and coarse salt to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers and juice, and bay leaves. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, overnight.

Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest, yield clear yellow (rather than pink) juice.

With a slotted spoon transfer chicken, prunes, olives and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley or cilantro. Pass remaining pan juices in a sauceboat.

The Most Amazing Appetizer Ever

2010-08-04T12:23:00.001-07:00

I've eaten some amazing food, but this--hands down--is the best appetizer I have ever had. I visited my friend, Tabaitha, in California last May, and we ate dinner at this quaint Italian restaurant on the coast near Santa Barbara. This was our appetizer, and since then, I have recreated it about 10 times. It's just that good. After living in Italy I thought I'd tasted the best mozzerella-not so until you have tasted Burrata mozzerella. It looks like a plain mozzerella on the outside (ball shaped) but when you cut into it, it's creamy, almost like a cheese curd. We can only find this at Central Market, but if you can find it...wow. That's what makes this dish the most amazing appetizer ever.

The amount of ingredients would be based on the number of people to whom you are serving the appetizer.

Ingredients:
Tomatoes (we've used big and small, all varieties)
Fresh Basil leaves
Prosciutto
Good olive oil
Burrata mozzerella
Toasted pine nuts
salt and pepper

On a medium sized platter, artfully arrange prosciutto in slices. Then, stack tomato and basil, and scoop the mozzerella on top (like you would a caprese salad). Sprinkle with salt (Kosher salt adds a nice flavor), pepper, and pine nuts, and drizzle with olive oil. We usually eat this with a knife and fork, if that gives you an idea of how to stack the ingredients.

Without the amazing mozzerella, this really is like a caprese salad, but with that cheese...simply amazing.

Roasted Mustard and Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

2010-08-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

I don't start teaching for another week, so I have some time to post good recipes before the daily grind starts again. What I love about this pork recipe is that it is super easy to prepare and I can let it sit for a few hours in the refrigerator and it just gets better. We used a lean pork tenderloin, but I'm sure you could do this with any cut of pork, or chicken for that matter. I stole the recipe from Epicurious and paired it with Angela's easy risotto.

6 T coarse ground dijon mustard

1 T fresh rosemary (I added more because our rosemary plant is huge)

2 T balsamic vinegar

2 T olive oil

6 cloves garlic

1/2 t crushed bay leaves

1 to 1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin

Preheat oven to 375. Mix first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Pat pork tenderloin dry. Salt and pepper pork. Rub marinade on pork.

I let the pork sit in the refrigerator for two hours, but you can bake it right away. I baked the pork right in the baking dish as you can see above but you could also put it on a rack in the baking dish--that would probably give you a better crust.

Place pork in oven. We baked ours for 45 minutes and it was perfectly done, but depending on the size the time would need to be adjusted. The internal temp (we are food thermometer people) should be about 150.

As I mentioned before, this was wonderfully paired with Angela's easy parmesan risotto.

Grilled Peach and Prosciutto Salad

2010-08-02T06:04:00.000-07:00

I recently visited my best friend from high school, Stephanie, in Ft. Worth. She, her husband, and their adorable 4 month old live 5 minutes from Central Market, and I am constantly inspired by her fresh, easy cooking. This is her recipe that I tried out as soon as I came home from vacation. I used Parker County peaches, peaches grown right outside of Ft. Worth and available only 2 months a year. Needless to say, they were the best peaches I've ever had! Sorry, no pictures this time.

3 peaches, sliced
2 slices Prosciutto
Goat cheese (as much or as little as you want on your salad)
Arugula, or whatever type of salad you would like to use--I used mixed spring greens
1/4 C balsamic vinegar
2 T honey
1 T olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Put balsamic vinegar in small sauce pan on medium high heat until boiling. Then, turn down and simmer balsamic until reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Once reduced, remove from heat and add 2 T honey and stir. Set aside and let cool.

In a large salad bowl, add olive oil and salt/pepper. Add salad greens and mix until coated.

Put sliced peaches on oiled grill surface. Grill until you hav grill marks but peaches are still firm. Remove from grill. Trevor likes the peaches diced after removing them from the grill, but the plate is prettier when the peaches are kept in large slices.

Arrange salad on plates and top with goat cheese, prosciutto, and peaches. Drizzle balsamic/honey mixture over the top.

Simple but Very Decadent Potatoes

2010-08-02T05:51:00.000-07:00

I am so inspired every time I see this blog, and I will be making the easy risotto tonight! Trevor has been out of town on business for most of the summer, so when he comes home, I start to cook again. I just hate cooking for one person, and I guess I go overboard and want to cook everything when there are 2 people in my house again. Here is a recipe for gruyere potatoes; they are very rich but very easy to make. We have also substituted a good sharp cheddar for gruyere as gruyere can be pricey.

2 C grated Gruyere cheese

1 lb baby new potatoes (I have used Yukon gold and baby red potatoes)

1 C heavy cream

1/8 t pepper

Salt to taste

Heat oven to 375.

Put whole potatoes into cold ice water. Bring to a boil and cook until a knife can be inserted and potatoes are firm, not falling apart. Drain potatoes. Mash potatoes with a fork like you are making smashed potatoes but not mashed potatoes--leave chunks to give substance to the potatoes. Add cheese, heavy cream, and pepper and mix well. I usually divide the mixture into ramikins but I have also made one big casserole dish. Put into oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. When you take them out, it's best to let them sit for about 10 minutes to solidify and cool.

The Pleasures of a Simple Dinner

2010-07-26T18:10:00.000-07:00

You would think I have nothing to do judging by recent frequency of posting. Let me assure you, I do (have many things to do, that is); but I would rather not. I simply wanted to share our favorite way of doing pork chops (a cheap, delicious staple), along with an easy appetizer recipe. The appetizer recipe is one my husband likes making, and even though in most cases I am not a fan of radishes, it is delicious.

Radish Toasts: Thinly slice radish using a vegetable peeler, layer on baguette spread with butter, finish with coarse salt. These make a great easy party dish, too.

Simple steps to delicious pork chops: Heat oil - better, leftover bacon fat - in skillet (use cast iron if you have it) over medium high. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. When oil/fat is hot, cook chops for 3 minutes. Flip and turn heat to medium, cook 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the chop. Remove and place on plate, tent with foil and let sit for another 5 minutes or so. Done! (Enjoyed here with homemade applesauce and a Manhattan.)

On the side, a green salad with heirloom tomato - lettuce and tomato courtesy of farmer's market - over which husband later decided to shave a few more radishes (delicious).

There you have it: simple dinner. Enjoy with a glass of wine, or a cocktail if desired.

Banana Bread Two Ways

2010-07-25T15:22:00.000-07:00

No beer in this post. Just bananas. I didn't get a picture of the loaf, because you know what banana bread looks like. Not that bananas are anything new either (to most of us), but:

<---- Mmm, bananas.

This is the only banana bread recipe I've used since college. Call me boring - maybe there are better recipes out there - but this one always turns out well. It's slightly adapted from Cooking Light magazine (I know! Light! - but I promise it's good) from probably at least six years ago. Here's the basic recipe:

2 c flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c sugar
1/4 c butter, softened (hence, light)
2 eggs
1 and 1/2 c mashed ripe banana (about 3 - I usually have this many or more old nasty brown bananas lying about in my freezer, which is where they go when I buy bananas, don't eat them, and don't have time right then to make banana bread)
1/3 c plain yogurt - you can use low-fat if you're really into the light thing...
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Cream softened butter and sugar with mixer; add eggs one at a time and beat well. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until well blended. Add flour, baking soda and salt and beat on low until moist and incorporated. Spoon batter into buttered (or cooking-sprayed) loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour, until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes or so in pan on wire rack, then remove from pan and cool on rack.

TOTALLY AWESOME VARIATION: Marbled Banana Bread -
Same measurements for: flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, butter, banana, eggs, yogurt. Recipe doesn't call for vanilla but I don't see why not, if you really wanted to.
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENT: 1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips

Follow same procedure (up until putting the batter into the loaf pan). Melt chocolate chips in a medium bowl for about a minute in a microwave and stir until smooth; cool slightly. Add 1 c batter to chocolate and stir to combine well. Spoon chocolate batter into buttered (/cooking-sprayed) loaf pan alternately with plain batter (keep in mind there is much less chocolate batter as you portion it out). Swirl batters together using a knife - a figure eight type patter usually works. Then follow same directions as above for plain loaf.

Beer Battered Squash Blossoms

2010-07-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian - we used squash blossoms (somewhat hard to find; try them if you can find them at your local farmstand or market) but essentially you can batter and fry almost any vegetable, although the cooking time varies. Once we finished with the squash blossoms, we had leftover batter and subsequently battered and fried zucchini. [But note: this was simultaneously a brilliant and a horrible idea - brilliant because it was very good, horrible because I ate too much and had a stomachache the rest of the night.]

oil for frying (neutral eg. vegetable, corn...)
1 c flour + more for dredging
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
pepper
1 egg
3/4 cup beer (or sparkling water)
kosher/coarse salt for finishing

Put enough oil in deep pan on stove over medium high; prepare veggies as you allow the oil to heat - bring oil to 350 degrees. Mix batter ingredients but be careful not to overmix. Dredge veggies in flour, then dip in batter. Add veggies to oil - don't overcrowd to allow for proper browning. Cook and turn once if needed, until golden (a couple minutes). Drain and serve, sprinkled with coarse salt.

Spice-Rubbed Beer Can Chicken

2010-07-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

If it didn't taste so good, I would still post this for the photo of the chicken.

3lb. chicken
1 can beer
KC's All-Purpose Barbeque Seasoning (or BBQ rub of choice)

1. set oven to 350º.
2. rub chicken with rub all over, inside & out. drink 2 swigs from can 'o beer. sit chicken on can in shallow baking dish (cf. illustration).
3. put in oven, 1 hr. done.

It is that simple to have really, really moist chicken. Nor does the beer flavor it so much that you can't make an awesome spiced-up chicken sandwich for lunch the next day.

"Stout" Sausages

2010-06-28T19:19:00.000-07:00

A quick one, improvised by some leftover stout and the acquisition of a hefty farmer's market onion (I wanted to play with its taste rather than lose it in a larger meal):

1 lb. Italian Sausage
2 peppers [sliced] (either green, red, or yellow--I like at least one green to balance the meal's color)
1 onion [sliced]
6 garlic cloves [roughly chopped]
3/4 c. stout (or experiment with another beer--Yuengling has worked well in other manifestations)
3 dashes of red pepper flakes

1. Heat oven to 400º.
1. In cast-iron heat sausages on medium-high heat, 10 mins. Remove.
2. Add garlic. When flavor released, add peppers & onion, sprinkle with salt to taste and red pep. flakes, 8 mins.
3. Add sausages & beer. When boils, put in oven, 25 mins.
4. Serve on rolls, plain or with Dijon mustard.

Easy Risotto, Take Two!

2010-06-24T18:40:00.001-07:00

I was so (hungry/) excited about Angela's post that I had to make that risotto tonight, with a few additions and alterations based on what was floating about in my kitchen. Then I watched Julie and Julia, despite the fact that I said I wouldn't. And I kind of enjoyed it. Oh man, my husband, who was elsewhere tonight, is going to be mad! At least there's some leftovers. [My computer refuses to post the photo the right way round, but you get the idea.]

Here are my additions/alterations: I only had about 1/2 to 3/4 cup rice and it worked just fine. I used 2 cups water and 1 cup chicken broth, since I had chicken broth in the fridge that needed using. My major divergence is the addition of some sauteed yellow summer squash, which also needed using - sauteed in the cast iron skillet (dirty - the good kind of dirty - with a few past dinners' accumulated bacon/pork chop/steak fat) with a little roughly chopped garlic and a dash of the broth (so that the garlic didn't burn) - over low while the rice was simmering. I added the squash in the last step with the cheese, as well as some julienned basil from the plant on the window sill.

Thanks, Angela/Horvathia! Totally delicious!

Easy Risotto

2010-06-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

This one's from the wonderful chefs in the Horvath household. I love it. I keep trying new risotto recipes (butternut squash and prosciutto risotto! risotto with spring vegetables!) and always come back to this one. I do admit it's ruined me for new risottos because of its simplicity. There's none of that standing over a steaming pot stirring for 20-40 minutes (Ina Garten romanticizes this labor by pairing it with a glass of wine, but after trying this with a toddler, it's just not worth it to me). It's simple and uses only ingredients you probably already have on hand. I have made it with a varying combination of cheese: Peccorino Romano, Peccorino Romano and Parmesan, Parmesan, Romano, Romano and Parmesan, etc. Any of those delicious hard Italian cheeses seem to work, adjusting the salt amount accordingly (if any-- I find Peccorino provides enough salt).

Serves 4

Ingredients
3 c water
1 c arborio rice
4 tbsp butter (1/2 stick)
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/2-2/3 c grated Romano
salt to taste

1. Bring water to boil in medium saucepan and add butter, bouillon and rice. Cover and turn heat to low and simmer 20 minutes.

2. Uncover and turn heat to med, stirring until rice is goopy but not wet, about 5 minutes. You must be stirring constantly.

3. Add Romano and salt to taste and stir until combined. Serve warm and enjoy!

Farmers' Market Leftover Frittata

2010-06-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

I suddenly realized that it was quite simple to make a frittata--especially if one wishes to clear their fridge of leftovers. Every Wednesday our local farmers' market is open, offering the bounty of the Garden State. I like, on principal, to try to confine myself to things that are in season (how I live up to that principal is another matter...). What do you do then, when the first fresh zucchini etc. are in season and you have exhausted your normal recipes (zucchini bread, hash, pasta w/ zucchini...)? Make frittata. It is a light dinner on a hot summer night with a simple salad of oil & vinegar on the side (or a rather indulgent--pun intended?--Friday in Lent).

6 eggs
2 tbs. EVOO (Extra-virgin olive oil)
1 c. freshly-grated Parmesan cheese (or Pecorino for an edge--so long as it is not some cheese product pre-grated and meant to outlast cockroaches in the event of nuclear war)
1 c. chopped farmers' market veggies or whatever sits at the back of your fridge (here zucchini--but you can use almost anything except beets)
1/4 c. fresh herbs (whatever is outside your window--for us it was basil)

1. Preheat oven 400º. Heat skillet with EVOO on med-high.
2. Beat eggs in large bowl. Add a 1/2 tsp. or so of salt/pepper. Stir in cheese, veggies, & fresh herbs.
3. Pour in skillet. Immediately reduce heat to low. Cook 10-15 mins. (until bottom firms up nicely).
4. Put skillet in oven for @ 10 mins. When top is done, take out and sprinkle with extra cheese if you wish.

Serve hot or room temp. for breakfast, lunch, dinner (depending on what you add to the mix). If you make it for supper, you can reheat the leftovers and add a slice of bacon or what-have-you for breakfast.

Nana's Chicken and Rice

2010-06-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

If you just need some good comfort food try this recipe of Zach's Grandmother Weisse (aka Nana). She had 13 kids so she learned how to cook on a low budget and make easy dishes that would feed a lot of people. This is really simple, but you can do a few things to spice it up if you want.

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken (I use full Breasts)--use as much as you want

1 can Cream of Mushroom

2 can Cream of Celery

1 packet of dry Onion Soup Mix

1 can water (or 1 1/2 cans for larger meal)

1 cup rice (or 1 1/2 rice for larger meal)

Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Mix all ingredients (except chicken)

2.) Place in a greased pan

3.) Place chicken on top and cover a little with the rest of the ingredients.

4.) Cover with Foil. Cook at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Notes: I didn't have the soup mix so I just put in about 3/4 a cup of chopped onions. I had a bunch of mushrooms that I needed to use up so I diced those and threw them in too. You can fuss with the recipe however you want and it will still turn out pretty good. I served this with asparagus, but green beans or another green veggie would be good too.

Rhubarb Crumb Coffee Cake

2010-06-06T07:08:00.000-07:00

I hated rhubarb as a kid - HATED it. I could never understand why my mom adored strawberry rhubarb combinations so much. Perhaps rhubarb is an acquired taste, one which I have only recently started enjoying; but it is so much easier to enjoy when you can get beautiful farm-fresh, ruby-red stalks! I've been a little afraid to try baking with it on its own - why mess with a good thing, i.e. a strawberry rhubarb pie? But on our last visit to Wightman's Farm (1111 Mt. Kemble Ave, Morristown NJ), we were handed a free recipe with our rhubarb purchase, which I ventured to put together last night. Another virtue of this recipe besides being delicious is that it is relatively quick, an essential when you have a 5 month old Baby Hulk ("BABY SMASH!!"). So thank you, Wightman's Farm! Please accept my free advertising in exchange for letting me share your recipe here:

Cake ingredients:
1/2 c. softened butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon (note: I was nearly out of cinnamon so did not have the full amount; it was still delicious)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 c. buttermilk
4 c. chopped rhubarb (can use frozen if fresh is not available - they say to measure out while frozen, then thaw completely, drain but do not press liquid out)

Topping ingredients:
1 c. flour
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 c. cold butter (my note: cut into small pieces to speed process before getting out your pastry cutter)

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, beat well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; add to wet mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in rhubarb. Pour into greased 13x9x2 inch baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over batter. Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Memorial Day Continued: Ribs

2010-06-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

These aren't your 1950's BBQ ribs. They aren't the spiciest thing I've ever eaten, but I advise you pack the spice-seekers first-aide kit with you for the ride (i.e. a non H2O beverage, a napkin to prevent lip burning, and some form of bread).

2 lbs. baby-back ribs
KC-style BBQ seasoning (I used this)
Night of the Living Bar-B-Q Sauce

1. Preheat oven 325º
2. Cut ribs in half lenghtwise so that they fit in 11x13 baking dish. Rub with seasoning, cover with sauce. Cover dish with aluminum foil. Bake 1 1/2 hrs.
3. Grill for 5-10 minutes, brushing with more sauce to prevent drying out.

If you don't have an outside grill as we don't (darn you NJ apts.), you can put a cast iron grill on the range top. The only thing I don't advise improvising is the BBQ sauce. Night of the Living BBQ is from one of my favorite joints: Oklahoma Joe's (the only one I know in a gas station, pictured above).

Memorial Day Sweet Tea in a Mason Jar

2010-06-03T17:34:00.000-07:00

You can guess from my radio silence over the past few weeks (months) that an new-born can stifle culinary creativity. However, for Memorial Day I decided to live it up a little. Besides some excellent ribs (KC-rub and Night of the Living Bar-B-Q Sauce) and Dave's Guinness Cupcakes, I was missing Texas so I thought nothing is classier than some sweet tea in a mason jar.

1 pinch baking soda
2 c. boiling water
6 c. cool water
6 bags black tea
2 c. sugar

1. Pour the boiling water into a measuring cup which already contains baking soda and tea bags. Steep 15 mins.
2. Remove tea without straining bags. Pour into container (2 quarts) with sugar and stir. Add cool water.

[option 1: divide into 2 mason jars and live in style. option 2: make a simple syrup with crushed mint and some lemon. strain mint and lemon before adding in place of sugar in step 2]

Obviously we all know how to boil water, but I thought to share this because the pinch of baking soda is something I discovered which held me back from the authentic taste in the past.

Salmon with Pesto Sauce

2010-05-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

Salmon is one of my favorite types of fish, but lately I've been having less than the best luck with it. Maybe it's partly because I live in the desert so fresh fish is hard to come by, but frozen is usually a satisfying substitute. Maybe it's that I need lessons in thawing fish, so that's why I opened my much loved Better Homes and Garden Cookbook. This cookbook is so informative and has so many classic (they call them "favorite') American recipes. I think it's a great resource for ideas and I feel like armed with it and the Joy of Cooking I can come back from the store with whatever cut of meat was reduced and find a deliciously simple way to prepare it. And this recipe is that. There's three ingredients. Three. Four if you want to be decadent and add Parmesan. I'll assume if you're going for the prep with mayo then you'll probably want to just go ahead and go all out and add that Parmesan as well. I'm going to include variations in the ingredients that I have tired and tested so you'll have a few options, but I think this is a dish that fares well with some playfulness, just don't overcook that salmon. That's the worst.

Serves 4

4 5-6oz fresh or frozen skinless salmon fillets (I used fillets with one side of skin and had a hard time figuring out the cooking time, so watch out for that)
1/4 cup mayo, or sour cream, or yogurt*
3 tablespoons basil pesto (Trader Joe's pesto works great)
shaved parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse and pat dry.

2. Place fillets on greased broiler pan, tucking under thin edges. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 4-6 minutes per 1/2 in thickness or until fish flakes when tested with fork. If fillets are 1 in or more, turn halfway through broiling.

2b. I have also had this with the topping broiled the whole time with the fish and I'm not sure what the purpose for separating them is, unless you're going to need to flip them. It's your call.

3. Meanwhile, combine mayo and pesto. Spoon over fillets and broil about 1 min or until topping is bubbly. Garnish with Parmesan if you like.

So easy and so good.

*My sister has a variation of this recipe that calls for creme fraiche, though I have never tried it because sour cream is an easy substitute.

Sausage and Pepper Rigatoni

2010-05-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

*This recipe is from Jenny M--many thanks!

I have to admit, this was a little scary at first. My husband saw it in passing on the local tv show called the 'Valley Dish'. He said "MMMM, I wish we were having that for supper!" So I decided to be adventurous and look up the recipe a few days later. To my ultimate delight, he loved it and it wasn't that hard! A few side notes: I didn't know what fennel was, looked for it at Fry's and couldn't find it, so I never used it. We didn't know the difference :). Second, I used all dried herbs (cut amounts in half). I just didn't have the fresh ones on hand and it was still delicious!

Ingredients...

12 oz ground Italian sausage (not spicy)

1 red bell pepper

1 small onion

3rd of a bulb of fennel

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme

1/2 cup olive oil

6 cloves fresh garlic

3/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup white wine

3/4 cup your favorite tomato sauce

1 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley

1 Tbsp fresh basil

1/2 grated Romano cheese

21 oz cooked rigatoni pasta

1. Slice onions, fennel, and peppers. Mince the garlic and chop all the herbs.

2. In a large saute pan, heat the oil until it's at the smoking point (between 365-400 degrees Fahrenheit), add sausage meat. Make sure it's spread out so meat covers the full surface of the pan.

3. Add oregano, thyme, garlic, and vegetables. Brown all slightly. Add wine and chicken stock and reduce by half.

4. Add tomato sauce and bring to a quick boil.

5. Heat pasta and toss with the sauce mix. Then mix in basil, parsley and Romano cheese.

Enjoy!

Herb-Marinated Loin of Pork

2010-04-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

I love pork tenderloin. It's just such a beautiful cut of meat. It's lean, flavorful, and quick. These are great marinated overnight, but I just managed an hour this past time and still enjoyed this pig.

These proportions serve 6, but calls for three 1 lb pork tenderloins. I have yet to find these mythical 1 lber's so I usually just adjust the amount to how much I am making. Halving the recipe makes more than enough for one pork loin.

Grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 to 6 lemons)
1/2 c olive oil, plus extra for brushing grill if grilling
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 1/2 tbsp minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves (feel free to use dried, and just halve amount. I used dried before and thought it was still delicious)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
3 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine lemon zest, juice, olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, mustard, and 2 tsp salt in a 1-gallon Ziploc bag. Add the pork and turn to coat with the marinade. Marinate in the fridge at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight.

2. If you're grilling, grill for 15-25 minutes, depending on the heat of the grill and size of your pork, until meat registers 137 in the thickest part. Transfer the tenderloins to a platter and cover tightly with aluminum. Allow to rest 10 min and carve. If you're cooking in the oven, I recommend searing it first in a pan then popping it in the oven. Enjoy!

Lemon Orzo

2010-04-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

Eliese made this several times in college and I was so smitten with the recipe that it was ingrained in my memory. I don't know if it's completely accurate since I've been eyeballing it for years, but this is the closest I've come to the amazingness that this recipe is. It's probably from Gourmet because it was one of those fabulous recipes her mom would always send her, so you know of course it's good. And it's so easy. And it's made with everything you can regularly keep on hand in your cupboard. Honestly, as I eat this orzo my mouth waters for more, it has such a great citrus bite. Hope you can enjoy it as an easy go to recipe. It makes a great side with poultry and fish, or just eat it on it's own like I am today with the leftovers. Also, Eliese, feel free to note any differences you have in your original recipe.

Serves 4

2 tbsp butter
1/2 medium onion, diced
3-5 garlic cloves, diced
1 cup orzo
1 1/4- 1 1/2 cup of water (depending on how dry your climate is and how quickly your orzo cooks)
juice of 2 lemons (or 1/4 c lemon juice from the bottle, I've made it both ways and it's been great)
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 tbsp dried parsley

1. Melt butter in a large warmed skillet on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened, 3-5 min.

2. Add orzo and cook, stirring occasionaly, until starting to turn golden, about 5 minutes.

3. Add water, bouillon, and lemon and let simmer until most of the liquid is cooked off, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. You will need to taste the pasta to see if it is cooked and add more water if it needs a little longer.

4. Add parsley and cook, stirring, until orzo is moist but not goopy (see picture).

Grandma's "semi-homemade" Lentil Soup

2010-04-10T14:58:00.000-07:00

Angela, Becca, Jenny, and I used to have Sunday dinners together in college. I made this soup quite a bit, and we always loved it. It starts with cans of soup which seems somewhat odd, but definitely a go-to easy recipe!

2 Cans (depending on how much soup you want) Progresso lentil soup. None of that low fat stuff either
1/2 a bullion cube or bullion bits
1 small-medium onion
3-4 cloves garlic
olive oil, about 1/3 C
fresh basil, very finely chopped

1. sautee onion and garlic
2. put soup on stove and add bullion, sauteed onion and garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, and basil

I think that's it! Heat until nicely simmered

2010-04-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

Rosemary and Lemon Cupcakes (Better Homes and Gardens)
I made these for Easter and they were a hit! I thought they'd be more like muffins, but when you add the glaze they truly are like cupcakes. I guess you could eliminate the glaze and it would become a muffin. As usual, I have no pictures.

1/2 C butter, softened (let sit out for 30 minutes before baking)
2 eggs (let sit out for 30 minutes before baking)
1 3/4 C cake flour. I couldn't find cake flour so I used normal, everyday flour
2 t finely snipped fresh rosemary--next time I make these I will double the rosemary
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 C granulated sugar
1 1/2 t lemon extract
1/2 t vanilla
2/3 C milk
2 t finely shredded lemon peel
2 T lemon juice
1 recipe lemon glaze (at the end of the cupcake recipe)
Heat oven to 350

1. Line muffin cups with bake cups, or if you are using mini muffin tins, spray with non-stick cooking spray
2. Combine flour, rosemary, baking powder, and salt; set aside
3. In large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium high 30 seconds. Add sugar, lemon extract, and vanilla. Beat 2 minutes (Med-hi) until light and fluffy
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition
5. Alternately add flour mixture and milke to butter mixture, beat on low after each just until blended. Stir in lemon peel and lemon juice. (Here I thought the batter looked too runny, but it was just fine)
6. Spoon into muffin tins and bake 22-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Mini muffins will bake about 15-18 minutes. cool in muffin tins on rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool.

Lemon glaze:
Mix 1 C powdered sugar and enough lemon juice to attain spreading consistency. Add lemon peel to glaze if you want.

Potatoes Supreme

2010-03-30T01:35:00.001-07:00

Made with lots of butter and I love to eat them so I thought I better post them here. Plus, I have been a slacker about contributing anyway. Since I remembered to take pictures this time and they don't look too disgusting, I thought I should share. Zach's mom gets mad at me when I make them because she says they are too fattening, but I say that I a sure sign that they are delicious! Basically, it is just mashed potatoes that you throw lots of good stuff into and then bake.

Here are the basic instructions:

Peel and Cube about 6 medium potatoes. Boil them until tender and then mash.
Then add some variation of the following: 2 cups sour cream, as much butter as you like, tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 2 cups cheese, 1/2 to 1 cup of green onions, and sprinkle with Paprika
Put in a casserole dish and then top with 2 cups crushed corn flakes and drizzle 1/4 cup melted butter over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

My little masher.

Final product before the oven.

Enjoyed.

What are you faithful followers making for Easter?

2010-03-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

I think I might have to make this after I saw it on the Catholic Cuisine website:

Strawberry Coconut Tres Leches Trifle

Roasted Winter Vegetables

2010-03-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

Maybe this is old news, but I just recently discovered how delicious carrots, parsnips, potatoes, yams, and butternut squash are cut up and roasted in olive oil and salt and pepper. You can cook them in any combination (carrots and parsnips are delicious together), just make sure the veggies are cut in similar sizes so they will cook at the same speed. My picture features potatoes and sweet potatoes, so I've included the recipe for that, but whatever you have on hand will be delicious.

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 11/2 in cubes
2 baking potatoes, peeled and cut in 1 1/2 in cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tbsp kosher salt (or to taste)
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Prepare your vegetables, minding that they will shrink while cooking, so don't make the pieces too small. Place the cut pieces on a sheet pan. Add the olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss well.

Roast for about 25-35 minutes, depending on the size of your vegetables (1 1/2 in cubes usually take 25 min), and turning once half way until golden and crisp. Serve hot.

Fish Tacos

2010-03-07T20:52:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from Trader Joe's. They were giving a sample of these the other day and they were delicious. So delicious that I bought the ingredients and made them two days in a row. So go ahead and enjoy your Lenten penance with some Fish Tacos on Friday. This serves 4.

Battered Fish Nuggets (I highly recommend TJ's, but if you don't have one nearby, you could always use fish sticks or even popcorn shrimp. Eyeball the measurement, as in how many nuggets/fish sticks will fill you up for a serving)
2 cups cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup purple onion, finely diced (this measures out to about a 1/4 an onion. Feel free to skip this step if you don't like purple onions or don't have one on hand. It still tasted great when I made my second round without this)
Taco shells or corn tortillas
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup salsa verde

Prepare the fish as directed.

Meanwhile mix the dressing by combining the sour cream, salsa verde and purple onion. Stir in the cabbage.

Cut or tear apart the fish, fill your tacos or tortillas with your ingredients and enjoy!

Asian Chicken* Noodle Soup

2010-02-20T10:28:00.000-08:00

I love Asian food but often feel it is very foreign and intimidating to make. I finally broke down a bought the ingredients that I keep on substituting in Asian recipes and realize now that's the cause for all of my Asian culinary failures up until now. Rice vinegar= deliciousness. Chile paste (I have garlic chile sauce) is spicy and flavorful. Sesame oil, while I hate the smell of it, definitely lends the flavor that compliments the dish. And powdered ginger is no substitute for real ginger. I never buy it because I only ever need a small bit of it. However, according to a friend it freezes well, so just slice off the part you need, grate or slice the rest and freeze it until called for. Found this recipe on the Food Network's website, read the reviews and decided to try it. It was super easy-- probably took about 30 min. This recipe is very adaptable. I am including my version here, but the website's original is, I'm sure, every bit as delectable.

4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Garlic chile sauce (add more if you want it spicier)
8 cups chicken broth
*1/2 bag of Trader Joe's frozen Thai Vegetable Goyzas (the original recipe called for 12 ounces of boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut crosswise into thin strips. I really think you can substitute any protein at this point or even omit it altogether)
4 cups chopped asian vegetables (I used a frozen package of stir fry veggies and just defrosted it for 2 min in the microwave, though next time I think I'll just add them to the soup frozen) or Napa cabbage
1 (5-ounce) package rice noodles, prepared according to packing directions (I used bean noodles. They're the clear noodles that are often in Vietnamese food) You could probably use spaghetti in a pinch.
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
6 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
1 cucumber, julliened

Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, sugar, vinegar, and chile paste in a small bowl.

Heat the broth in a medium saucepan. Add the soy sauce mixture, the chicken or won tons, and the vegetables and bring to a boil. Simmer for two minutes or until chicken/protein/wonton is cooked through. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Pour over prepared Chinese noodles. Garnish with cilantro, scallions, and cucumbers. I also squeezed a few limes over the soup because I love that citrus bite. Sorry, no pictures, it was just that good.

Blood Moon*

2010-02-10T20:18:00.000-08:00

1. Open Blue Moon (or other blonde beer).

2. Garnish with blood oranges.

3. Enjoy.

*as punned by John K

Chicken with tomatoes, apricots and chickpeas

2010-02-03T20:02:00.000-08:00

I found this in Sunset magazine a while ago, made it once, loved it, and then filed it away with a bunch of other recipes I plan to someday arrage in a more orderly fashion than tossed in my desk drawer. In other words, it was long neglected and forgotten. I happily found it today and highly recommend it. It's fast and easy, and the only chopping you really have to do is 3 garlic cloves (or if you're me, more than 3 because I don't recall ever using the paltry amount of garlic a recipe calls for, except when Julie and I made 100 Garlic Chicken... mmm). I'm not a fan of dried fruit, but once cooked they definitely perk up and lose that awful dried texture that has haunted me since childhood. And the apricots add a nice balance to the spice of the dish.

Serves 4

4 boned, skinned chicken breast halves
kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1/3 c chopped dried apricots
1 tbsp sugar
3 minced garlic cloves
1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 c chopped parsley (I just did a couple tablespoons of the dried stuff)

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat, then add cumin, coriander, and cayenne; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add chicken and cook until golden brown, turning once, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Stir in tomatoes, apricots, sugar, and garlic. Return chicken to pan and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Stir in chickpeas, and parsley and cook until heated through. Serve with rice or cous cous.

Meatloaf Sandwich

2010-01-09T11:44:00.001-08:00

Well, it's a New Year and my posts have gone underground as we awaited and learned to live with the new baby. Here is a quick one to do with leftover meatloaf:
1 slice of leftover meatloaf

2 slices bread

1 slice cheese (American or experiment)

Dijon mustard

Ketchup

Oil

1. Put some bit of oil on the skillet. Brown both sides of the meatloaf slice.

2. Spread dijon on one bread slice. Ketchup on another slice. Put the cheese on the ketchup side.

3.Put the browned meatloaf onto the dijon slice. Close the sandwich.

4. Brown both sides of the bread on the skillet. Enjoy.

2009-12-01T04:44:00.000-08:00

Basil Pesto

For my first foray into this amazing blog, I decided to post one of our staples. I don't have pictures, but since we have this often, I will take some next time. I know that y'all have probably made pesto before, and it seems very simple compared to some of these recipes, but Trevor and I love it so much I had to post!

4 cups basil, slightly packed--we use fresh from our garden
1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese (shredded or shaved works)
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts--toasting the pine nuts is optional, but it makes the flavor much richer
1 small clove garlic
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

In food processor, combine 2 cups basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add olive oil until you reach the consistency you're looking for. Add the rest of the ingredients, and again, olive oil until the pesto reaches the right consistency. I never measure the olive oil; to me it depends on the ingredients how much olive oil we use.

If you are going to mix the pesto on top of pasta, I recommend saving about 3 tablespoons of your pasta water to mix in with the pesto. It gives the whole dish a creamier taste.

Pesto will stay in freezer or refrigerator. If you are going to store the pesto, consider putting olive oil on top to keep the flavor. Then, when you go to use the pesto, remove the extra olive oil from the top.

Mushroom Stuffed Pork Chops with Polenta

2009-11-21T23:04:00.000-08:00

I am ever so happy to finally contribute to this lovely blog dedicated to deliciousness. I just posted this same thing on my sister's food blog: Pots and Peter Pans. It is only the second time I have ever done it so I am quite proud of myself. It will be my policy from now on to post recipes on both blogs if I ever do get around to doing it at all. Zach actually picked out this recipe because he loves to grill meat. They turned out really great, but I want to see if it would be good just doing it in the oven instead of on the grill (that way I won't need Zach's help... I really should learn how to use it I guess). Next time I may experiment with that. If anyone else decides to try them in the oven, let us all know how it goes.

Mushroom Stuffed Pork ChopsPrep: 25 Minutes, Grill: 35 MinutesMakes 4 Servings (we made it into 6)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh mushrooms (button, chanterelle, or shiitake... we used portabello)1/4 cup chopped onion1 tablespoon butter or margarine1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon black pepper1 cup coarsely chopped fresh spinach1/4 cup soft bread crumbs4 pork loin chops or pork rib chops, cut 1 1/4 inches think (we got them cut by the butcher)1/4 cup ginger jelly or preserves or orange marmalade (we left this out, but it probably keeps it more tender)
1. For stuffing, in a small saucepan cook mushrooms and onion in hot better until onion is tender. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in ginger, salt, and pepper. Add spinach and bread crumbs, tossing gently until combined.2. Trim fat from chops. Make a pocket in each chop by cutting horizontally from the fat side almost to the bone. Spoon one-forth of the stuffing into each pocket. Secure openings with wooden toothpicks. Sprinkle chops with additional salt and pepper.3. For charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals around a drip pan. Test for medium heat above pan. Place chops on grill rack over pan. Cover; grill fro 35 to 40 minutes or until chops are slightly pink in center and juices run clear (160 degrees F) turning once, brushing occasionally with ginger jelly during the last 5 minutes of grilling (For gas grill, preheat. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust for indirect cooking. Grill as above)
*Compliments of Better Homes and Gardens New Grilling Cookbook

Polenta With Parmesan Cheese
Ingredients
4 cups water
1 cup quick-cooking polenta
2 Tbs unsalted butter
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
Directions
Bring the water to a boil.
Slowly whisk in the polenta.
Add the salt and cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
Stir in the Parmesan cheese and butter. Mix well.
Serve immediately.
Note: These directions did not say to turn down the heat, but I did anyway after I whisked in the Polenta. Even with the heat on Medium the Polenta started spitting out of the pot at me. I took it off the heat completely and then just put it back on simmer and it turned out fine. Also, one cup of Polenta should be 4 servings.

Linguine with Shrimp Scampi

2009-11-18T13:59:00.000-08:00

Contrary to the evidence in my posts, I do actually make savory dishes, I just haven't taken any photos of them. This was a recent success without photos but I decided to post it anyway. I've been struggling with seafood lately, especially because I don't prefer to cook fish unless it's fresh. Obviously not happening in AZ, so I was really happy with the outcome of this dish. I think the secret was the lemon zest. Also, love this because most of the ingredients I always have in my pantry.
Serves 6 (I halved this and we had about 4 servings, so the serving size is very generous)

Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
1 1/2 lb linguine (I actually used mushroom tortellini and it worked really well with the shrimp)
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
5 tbsp good olive oil
9 cloves minced garlic (3 tbsp)
2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c chopped fresh parsley
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 c freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
1/4 tsp hot red pepper flakes

Drizzle some oil in large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt (I found this to be too salty, so pare it back a bit if you don't prefer salt) and the linguine and cook until al dente (about 7-10 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a large pan (12 in), bring to medium-low heat and melt butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and saute for 1 min. Add the shrimp, 1 tbsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and saute until shrimp just turn pink, 5 min, stirring often. Remove from heat, add parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices and red pepper flakes. Toss with drained pasta and serve.

Nutella Ice-cream

2009-11-15T17:56:00.000-08:00

Now for the belated man-post:

Below is my improvisation with slight help from the ATK:

1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks
6 tbs. nutella

1. Prepare ice-bath: set medium bowl in a large bowl filled with ice and water.

2. Heat milk, cream, 1/2 c. sugar, vanilla in med. sauce pan over med. heat. Stir until sugar dissolves and hot (~175°, if you have a thermometer handy)

3. In a separate bowl, mix yolks, 1/4 c. sugar, and nutella. Slowly add 1 c. of milk mixture to temper egg mix. Then add egg/milk mix bake into sauce pan and heat until hot, not simmering (~180°).

4. Put in ice-bath for 10 mins. Obviously the medium sized bowl and not the one with the ice! Then chill in fridge for 3 hrs.

5. But the nutella custard into your ice-cream machine and churn (25-35mins.). It should look like soft serve at this point. Then put into containers and freeze for at least 3 hrs. but, if you can wait this long, overnight.

I realize not everyone has an ice-cream attachment to their stand-mixer, but here is one reason to think about it. It has a consistency ten times better than anything you buy at the supermarket or even at a parlor. The one drawback is that you have to eat it within a week or else it gets freezer-burn, ha! as if that is a problem.

Island Pork Tenderloin

2009-11-15T17:15:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite uses of pork tenderloin is this recipe, Island Pork Tenderloin (from the Gourmet Cookbook, 2004 - poor Gourmet...). I usually make the full recipe with 2 pork tenderloins, but the other night I just made a single tenderloin which was in the freezer. One was the perfect amount for two people - keeping in mind of course that one of those people is 34 weeks pregnant. The full recipe is supposed to serve 6.

For Pork - 2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp cumin (I usually use half this since Patrick doesn't like it, and just use more chili powder or use some paprika instead)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 pork tenderloins (about 2.5 pounds or little less)
2 Tbsp. olive oil

For Glaze -
1 c. packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp. finely chopped garlic
1 Tbsp. Tabasco

Put rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350. Stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon in small bowl. Coat pork with spice rub.
Heat oil in ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brown pork on all sides for about 4 minutes total. Remove from heat, leave pork in skillet.
Stir together glaze ingredients in small bowl. Pat mixture onto tops of tenderloins. Roast about 20 minutes, until instant read thermometer inserted in pork registers at 140 F. Take out of oven and let pork stand in skillet, covered loosely with foil, for 10 minutes.
Cut pork at an angle into slices about 1/2 inch thick.

We like to eat this as the cookbook suggests, with (or in our case, on top of) a salad of greens, red bell pepper, avocado, and sliced oranges, with the juices from the skillet drizzled on top.

Bittersweet Cafe Mocha

2009-11-14T10:55:00.000-08:00

This really brought me back to Italy. I seem to continue failing on the coffee front, but I marked this one as a success even though it destroyed my kitchen because I don't have any of the proper coffee making utensils (ie milk frother, espresso machine). However, that's why I love this recipe because I was able to recreate a delicious Italian coffee without the expense of a gorgeous copper espresso machine.

Makes 1 serving (I doubled this so I would have leftovers for an iced mocha the next day)
1 tbsp unsweeted cocoa powder (you want to use good cocoa powder like Dutch-process or natural cocoa power)
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 c brewed double strength coffee
dash of vanilla extract
1 c whole milk (I used 1 %)

In a saucepan over med heat combine cocoa, sugar, and coffee and heat until hot and steaming, 5 min. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour into a large mug with room for milk.

If you're without a milk frother like me, warm the milk in a saucepan over med-high heat until small bubbles appear around the edge of the pan. Do not allow the milk to boil. Pour the hot milk into the mug and stir to combine.

Yum. Reminded me of the lattes in Assisi. Did anyone else find the coffee in Assisi to be some of the best in the world?

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes

2009-11-14T10:41:00.000-08:00

I've started keeping Ricotta cheese on hand because it lasts forever, and I keep finding great recipes with it. The ricotta in this keeps the pancakes very moist, and I'm a sucker for any recipe involving buttermilk (which I've never actually purchased, I just make my own by adding lemon to milk- I add 1/2 tbs. lemon juice to 1/2 cup milk and let sit for 10 min, and for this recipe I obviously tripled that). And if you found you always went for the Limone flavor on your gelato tour of Italy, then you'll probably enjoy these.

Makes 4 servings
1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c buttermilk
2 large eggs, separated
1/4 c sugar
3/4 c ricotta cheese (whole or part skim)
1 tbsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp unsalted butter
strawberries for topping or maple syrup (optional)

In large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl whisk together the buttermilk, egg yolks, sugar, ricotta, and lemon zest. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until blended. There will be some small lumps.

In a separate bowl, using a mixer on medium speed or a whisk, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Using a spatula, fold the beaten whites into the ricotta mix just until blended.

Warm a frying pan or griddle to medium heat (just hot enough that a drop of water quickly evaporates). Butter the surface and ladle about 1/4 c of batter onto surface. Cook on med-low until edges look dry and bottoms are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook til golden. Makes about 16 pancakes, and you can keep them warm uncovered in the oven at 250 while finishing the batter.

Oven Crespella with Nutella Sauce

2009-11-01T20:41:00.000-08:00

Alright, this is an easy one. Eliese sent it to me a while ago and I can't believe I haven't made it more often. It's like a popover pancake; so easy to mix, with minimal clean up and you just pop it in the oven. It is delicious with strawberries, though I've had it without and wouldn't have known it was missing anything. I've found that 1/2 a cup makes more than enough nutella sauce (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), so you might want to skim back a bit.

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons whole milk, divided (I've used 2% with success if whole milk isn't on hand)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread such as Nutella

Garnish:

confectioners sugar
chopped strawberries

Put a 12-inch ovenproof heavy skillet in middle of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.

Whisk together flour, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, and 1 1/2 cups milk in a bowl.

Add butter to skillet and heat in oven until golden, about 1 minute. Pour batter into skillet and bake until puffed, set, and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together Nutella and remaining 3 tablespoons milk until smooth. Thin sauce with additional milk if necessary.

Cool pancake in skillet on a rack 5 minutes (it will sink). Dust with confectioners sugar and drizzle with sauce. Serve with berries.

Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

2009-10-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

One of Ina Garten's amazing recipes. For those of you in colder states that don't mind keeping your oven on for 3 hours, Smitten Kitchen says you can substitute slow roasted tomatoes with sun dried tomatoes. Yum. I might cut back the mozzarella when I make this next time, but that's just my preference. Everything else was golden. So good, in fact, there are no pictures. And I plan to make that vinaigrette again and again and again. Yields 6-8 servings, though I doubled it for 10 people and barely had much left, it's just that delicious.

1/2 pound fusilli (spirals) pasta
Kosher salt
Olive oil
1 pound ripe tomatoes, medium-diced (bite size)
3/4 cup good black olives, such as kalamata, pitted and diced
1 pound fresh mozzarella, medium-diced (bite size)
6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

Dressing
5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1 garlic clove, diced
1 teaspoon capers, drained
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup packed basil leaves, julienned

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.

Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and basil, and toss well.

Carrot Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-10-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

Just made these and they are scrumptious. One of the many finds from Tastespotting (thanks, Eliese, for that torturous link). Wonder how many count for a serving?

Apple Pie with Lard Crust

2009-10-18T14:35:00.000-07:00

I've always felt pretty lucky to come from a family who appreciates food, and this week I've been even more incredibly blessed by having my mother out to visit and make me food (and do mountains of dishes) while I teach, take French exams, and organize mountains of baby clothes. I also kind of hate to admit it, but I feel lucky to live in New Jersey, at least in respect to incredible produce. These apples - Fujis, to be exact - are fresh from the trees at Wightman's Farms in Morristown. (Incidentally, if you've not been apple picking up a hill while in your third trimester, you've missed an experience.) What you don't see is the gigantic bag, full of 10 lbs of Stayman Winesaps and Golden Delicious destined for apple-sauce and -butter, sitting on a nearby chair. So when the confluence of two great things happens - my mother visiting and fantastic fresh apples - it seems only appropriate to make an apple pie using Mom's heirloom lard crust recipe.

I do like butter+shortening crusts too, but there's nothing like a lard crust for flakiness and tenderness. Try it, you'll like it; and don't worry about your arteries, because you're only eating a bit as long as you share the pie like you should, and besides, you know it would be good with a couple slices of bacon anyway. I find lard in the ShopRite in the ethnic foods section, because apparently it's too un-PC for the upscale grocery store in the "normal" food sections. For this pie I used whatever apples were left from last week's picking (Macoun, Cortland, maybe some Cameos... I don't know what was in there) and used America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook for the actual pie filling recipe.

Grandma Elsie's Never-Fail Pie Crust

2 c. flour

3/4 c. lard

1 tsp. salt

1 beaten egg yolk

1/4 c. milk

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. lemon juice (Mom says vinegar works too)

Mix flour, lard, and salt until crumbly - a pastry cutter is good for this task. Make a well in the middle and put egg yolk into it, but do not mix into flour yet. Mix milk, sugar, and lemon juice in a small bowl and pour into the well. Quickly mix it all into the flour with a fork. Divide dough into two equal pieces and roll out on lightly floured surface. Makes enough for 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust pies.

Nota bene: Sometimes you may need more/less flour or more/less milk depending on your climate, etc. Yesterday the dough was a little wetter than usual due to the weather. Feel free to adjust as needed.

This pie probably would have been really good with something like meatloaf or fried chicken. We ate it after a cream of carrot soup (from this month's Bon Appetit), a simple risotto, and a butterflied stuffed pork tenderloin (from Jacques Pepin's More Fast Food my way).

Skillet Lasagna

2009-10-17T09:27:00.001-07:00

This is super tasty, especially the sauce. I'd like to know how to double it without having to put it in two separate skillets, but in the meantime it's just the right amount for our small family. It's a lighter take on lasagna from The Food Network (love those guys) that doesn't take all day. And the delicious sauce is so easy, I plan to make it for other pasta dishes. It takes me about 30 minutes to do the prep work, and then about 20 active cooking time. Serves 4

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, diced (I just use canned diced tomatoes)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil and/or parsley, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese (part skim works fine)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
6 sheets no-bake lasagna noodles
1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
1 zucchini, peeled into ribbons
3 1/2 cups baby spinach
1/3 pound mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic; cook until golden, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, 1 tablespoon herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook until saucy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree (I either skip this step or use an immersion blender and both works fine). Return 1 cup of the sauce to the skillet and reduce the heat to low; reserve the remaining sauce.

Meanwhile, mix the ricotta, egg, parmesan, the remaining 3 tablespoons herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl.

Place 2 lasagna noodles over the sauce in the skillet. Layer half of the carrot and zucchini on top; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with half of the spinach, half of the ricotta mixture, a few pieces of mozzarella and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce. Repeat the layers, ending with noodles. Top with the remaining sauce and mozzarella. Cover and simmer until the lasagna is cooked and the cheese melts, 20 to 25 minutes.

Let rest for a few minutes before slicing. Garnish with more parmesan and fresh herbs.

Cranberry-Ginger Cookies

2009-10-15T05:31:00.000-07:00

Until I think of a catchier title for my forays into a world mostly reserved for women (with the exception of the grill), we will call this a "m-ost" (i.e. man-post). Anyway, my mother-in-law has a chocolate allergy and I love cranberry-ginger chocolate chip cookies à la Ming Tsai (I know they are good because Becca tells me that, when she tried them, Olivia made whining noises by the oven in anticipation). Anyway with a few modifications, I give you the tea-friendly Cranberry-Ginger Cookie (makes ~25 cookies):

1/2 c. Light Brown Sugar
1/3 c. + 1 tbs. Sugar
9 tbs. butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbs. minced ginger
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven 325˚.
2. Mix butter & sugar. (I used a stand-mixer, but elbow-grease works just as well).
3. Add egg, vanilla, and ginger. Mix.
4. In another bowl mix flour, salt, baking soda.
5. Add flour mixture and cranberry in small doses to egg/butter/sugar bowl. Pour in flour first, then cranberries; repeat until incorporated but not much more or else you will have gummy cookies.
6. Tablespoon cookies on (parchment papered) cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 mins.
7. Now here's the brilliant part, hold off putting them on the rake for 5 mins. This will let them cook just a little bit longer flavor-wise but without losing too much moisture.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken Cushions

2009-10-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for an excuse to eat Prosciutto, and this recipe and sauce is one of my favorites. This photo is from my first time making it without mushrooms, and it was still delightful (n.b. all those fungi-haters out there: I am one too, but love them in this recipe). It's a pretty quick assembly, but do note they need to cook for 30 minutes in the oven. I like to serve it with cous cous, rice, or mashed potatoes because the sauce is so amazing, you'll want to add it onto something.

1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
pinch grated nutmeg
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 slices prosciutto
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 small onions or shallots (I've used one small onion when I don't have shallots)
1 1/2 cups button mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon flour
2/3 cup dry white or red wine
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper
toothpicks

1. Put the spinach in a strainer and press out the water with a spoon. In a small bowl, mix with the ricotta and nutmeg and season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Slit each chicken breast through the side and enlarge each cut to form a pocket. Fill with the spinach mixture, wrap each breast tightly with prosciutto,, and secure with a toothpick. Cover and chill in the fridge.

3. Heat a skillet on medium high and add the butter and oil. Brown the chicken breasts for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a large, shallow ovenproof dish (make sure it's large because you'll have lots of sauce!) and keep warm until required.

4. Fry the onions and mushrooms for 2-3 minutes in remaining oil and butter until lightly browned. Stir in the flour, then gradually add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Season to taste and spoon sauce around the chicken.

5. Cook the chicken, uncovered, in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn the breasts over and cook for a further 10 minutes. Remove the toothpicks if you care to, and good eating!

Challah French Toast

2009-10-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

I just keep making these since I received the Williams & Sonoma Breakfast and Brunch cookbook (which is amazing, I've drooled over it for hours-- thanks Katherine!). It's the touch of maple syrup that really gets me, though I've never made them with the real stuff so I'm sure they can still be even more fantastic some day when I have all the ingredients. I've also never made them with challah bread, just regular wheat bread, so you really can't go wrong skimping on the ingredients, it's still delicious.

Ingredients

3 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk (I'm sure a lower fat variety is fine as well)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter for pan
8 slices day-old challah, each 3/4 in thick with crusts

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Pour batter into a baking dish (this is to give yourself a shallow vessel for dipping the bread).

Heat a large frying pan to medium heat, melt half the butter and continue to heat until it foams but does not brown.

Place the bread slices in the egg mixture and let stand for 5 seconds before flipping and let stand for 5 seconds longer. Using tongs, lift the slices from the batter, letting any excess drip back into the baking dish, and transfer to the hot pan. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook until browned on the second side, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining butter, batter, and bread slices.

Enjoy!