Best Delicious and Easy Dinner goes to . . .

Flat roasted chicken with tiny potatoes!!!! From "The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook" by Deb Perelman

This one looked so simple I didn't try it for a while thinking it would be just like any other roasted chicken and potatoes.  Boy was I wrong.  This was just delicious, tender, flavorful chicken that I kept dipping into the drippings in the pan.  The roasted potatoes were a little run-of-the-mill but accompanied the chicken okay.  Maybe it was because I couldn't find the tiny potatoes Deb talked about and had to settle for the only yellow potatoes I could find.  Maybe you can find some . . . so you can make
FLAT ROASTED CHICKEN WITH TINY POTATOES modified only slightly

One 3-3 1/2 pound chicken (mine was slightly bigger)

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 pounds tiny yellow potatoes

Olive oil

1 lemon

1 T minced fresh thyme leaves

(PS this recipe is not for the squeamish, you actually have to cut a chicken).  Preheat your oven to 450.  Using kitchen shears or a sharp kitchen knife, remove the backbone from the chicken and discard it.  Season the cavity (underside) of the chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  The recipe uses table salt, but I much prefer kosher.  Lay, breast side up, in a roasting pan or cast iron skillet (I, like Ms. Perelman, like the cast iron skillet, it was the perfect pan).  Gently pat skin dry with paper towel and season top of chicken with more salt and pepper.  Peel potatoes and nestle them around chicken.  Drizzle olive oil over chicken and potatoes and sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper.

Roast 30-45 minutes until thermometer in thigh registers 165.  Toss potatoes about 20 minutes into cooking so they cook evenly.  

When finished, transfer potatoes to serving bowl or platter, then cut apart chicken with sharp knife: remove legs, thighs, wings, and breasts (I also cut breasts in 2 pieces each).  Squeeze lemon over dish, then sprinkle with thyme.  Eat at once.

*Note: can actually make this dish ahead a day, wrap tightly in foil, and the next day remove the foil and place the dish directly in the preheated oven.  Add about 10-15 minutes to cooking time.

This is a delicious, very easy classic dish for a fancy dinner or a just a really delicious week night meal.

Blintzes--guess that meal . . .

 Finally a cookbook from my favorite blog author--Deb Perelman of smittenkitchen.com.

I have to say my first look at the cookbook was disappointed in terms of main dishes.  There are a lot of things that I probably won't try.  On the other hand, maybe it will broaden my horizon a little.

This recipe falls under the category of Vegetarian Main Dishes.  But we couldn't decide if it was more appropriate for dinner, brunch, lunch . . . we did decide it was a bit heavy for breakfast.  

Blintzes are a bit like crepes, so the picture above is the filling.  It's a sweet potato and farmer's cheese filling with cinnamon and sugar, so it's not a really savory dish.

 The wrappers are cooked similarly to crepes but they are a bit more robust in texture.

I did enjoy the finished blintzes topped with raspberry jam and sour cream, but again felt a little like they weren't quite "dinner food".

Try them yourself and tell me what meal you think they work best as!

SWEET POTATO BLINTZES WITH FARMERS CHEESE from "The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook" by Deb Perelman.  Modified only slightly.

Wrappers:

1 1/2 milk, whole preferred but others fine

6 large eggs

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

Non-stick spray for the pan

Make wrapper batter by combining all ingredients in a blender.  Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic and refrigerate at least an hour or up to 2 days.

Filling:

3-4 medium sweet potatoes (really depending on size, sometimes it's hard to find a "medium sweet potato")

2 c farmer's cheese (available in specialty cheeses, probably could be substituted by queso fresco if you can't find it )

2 large egg yolks

1/4 c sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

dash of nutmeg (or a few fresh gratings if you have it fresh)

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 400, bake sweet potatoes on a tray for about 40 minutes, until soft.  Peel and mash or rice them.  The recipe indicated to wait until they were cooled, but I did them when they were warm and it was fine.  Stir in farmers cheese, yolks, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Cook the wrappers as you would crepes: preheat a medium skillet over medium-high heat, spray with nonstick spray, then pour 1/4 c batter into pan and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.  Cook until the bottom of the wrapper is brown, about 2 min (less as your pan becomes heated), remove from heat (no need to flip, top will be set).  Remove from pan and stack on a paper-towel lined plate.

To fill: put about 1/4 c filling into wrapper, tuck sides in to touch each other, then roll carefully, keeping sides in, to make an egg-roll shaped packet.  Repeat with all wrappers.  Reheat your skillet, or, like me, a large electric fry pan and spray with nonstick spray, then cook all blintzes till browned on both sides and crisp.  If you need to do multiple batches, place the finished blintzes in a 200 degree oven.

If making the cranberry syrup, simmer all ingredients over medium heat until berries burst, about 7-10 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes more, then strain out berries and discard.

Serve with syrup or jam and sour cream (or yogurt) on each blintz.

Possible topping--Cranberry syrup

2 c fresh or frozen cranberries

1/4 c orange juice

1/2 c sugar

 

or other toppings if you can't find cranberries, which I couldn't: raspberry jam (freezer jam was great), I have heard Smuckers all fruit is good and would work well on this or even a ligonberry syrup if you can find it.

Sour cream or plain yogurt

Swai

I know, it never rains but pours, and 3 blogs in a day is probably something of a record.

But I've just remembered we discovered a new fish.  They were sampling at Wegmans and I went ahead and bought some Swai, in the frozen section near the Salmon and Halibut.

It's a farm-raised fish originally from Vietnam.  It's a white fish similar to tilapia, but in my opinion more mildly flavored than tilapia.

We cooked some up for dinner last night and even my kids loved it.  I just sprinkled the pieces of fish with kosher salt and ground pepper, then a little regular flour.  Then I heated some butter and olive oil (probably equal portions) in the skillet, and cooked the fish gently to make sure I didn't overcook it and dry it out.

It was really nice, and went well with baked potatoes and a big salad.

So, Swai.

Yummy Apple Pancakes

Sorry my photography leaves much to be desired on this one, but trust me the recipe makes up for it.

This is another recipe from "Jamie's America" by Jamie Oliver.  Again I've modified it very slightly.

AWESOME APPLE PANCAKES by Jamie Oliver, slightly modified

1 apple, coarsely grated, core and all

1 large egg

1 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 c milk 

pinch of sea or kosher salt

1 T honey (I think I added 1 1/2 T)

pinch of ground cinnamon

butter for cooking

plain yogurt, optional

honey, optional

cinnamon, optional

syrup, optional

Mix all batter ingredients together and whisk until well mixed.  Cook at about 375.  I prefer my electric frying pan because I can get and keep a constant temperature, but if you prefer, these can be cooked in a frying pan over medium-high heat, but you will have to watch the pancakes and adjust the temperature as needed.  Put a little butter in the pan and start cooking.

Cook the pancakes (about 3 at a time in the electric pan, or one at a time in the skillet).  Watch to see when the underside is golden, flip, and cook until other side is golden.

Move to plate and serve as desired: Jamie recommends a dollop of yogurt, honey, and a pinch of cinnamon.  But on a lazy Saturday when I haven't been to the store and we've run out of honey or yogurt (or both!), plain syrup is delicious, too. 

**A note about salt**

I read (I should know where but I don't!) that up to a teaspoon, it doesn't matter whether you use table salt or kosher salt.  I have experimented with that and think it's accurate.  And I like the superior flavor of kosher salt, I think it adds more flavor and zing.  So, if you like kosher salt like I do, pull it out and use it for baking too, not just sprinkling. 

I'm back with Waldorf Salad

Sorry for the long break.  It's a long story.  Maybe later.

Anyway, I'm back with several new cookbooks and lots of new recipe trials.  This one is a Waldorf Salad from "Jamie's America" by Jamie Oliver.  I don't know if this book got very many props, I got it on clearance at B&N for about $7, and I feel like I got a steal, it's got some great recipes.  I modified this one very slightly.  Enjoy.

WALDORF SALAD MY WAY slightly modified from Jamie Oliver

4 large handfuls mixed greens

2 large handfuls seedless red grapes, halved

3 medium celery stalks, trimmed

2 large handfuls walnuts, roughly crumbled

small bunch of Italian parsley

1 red (crunchy sweet) apple

6 oz blue cheese, like Buttermilk Blue (just a mild blue is best on a salad I think)

Dressing:

1 heaping tsp Dijon mustard

2 T white wine vinegar

good quality extra virgin olive oil

1 heaped T plain or plain Greek yogurt

sea or kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, toss greens and grapes.  Use a peeler to remove stringy bits of the outside of the celery.  Finely slice celery at an angle and toss it in.  Toast the walnuts carefully in a dry pan over medium heat, don't let them color too much. Chop parsley leaves and add them.  

Make dressing by combining mustard, vinegar, then 3 times as much extra virgin olive oil.  Add the yogurt and a good pinch of salt and pepper, then shake well.  If desired, taste dressing and adjust yogurt, vinegar, or oil amounts.

Drizzle enough dressing just to cover leaves.  Finely slice apple into matchsticks and toss over the top.  Sprinkle with walnuts and toss everything with fingers or tongs.  Place on serving platter, then crumble blue cheese over.  

If, like me, you are just serving this for a weeknight dinner, toss the apples, walnuts, and blue cheese in with the salad and pass the dressing separately.

Summer Dinner

 So we had a bit of a lazy Saturday yesterday.  I couldn't get myself moving to accomplish anything too significant.  We had to go to a friend's baptism about mid-day, and afterwards my husband was thinking about dinner.  Specifically steak.  So we headed to the store and got some nice strip steaks from the butcher.  But we were debating on the side dishes.  Until I remembered this great recipe for onion rings that I haven't made in a really long time.  They are from the Barefoot Contessa book called "Barefoot Contessa at Home".  I really enjoy her books, and most of her recipes are spot on.  This one is great served with steak.

CORNMEAL-FRIED ONION RINGS

by Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa)

2 large Spanish onions (or 3 yellow onions)

2 cups buttermilk

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 c flour

1/4 c yellow cornmeal

Oil for frying

Heat oven to 200 F and place wire rack over cookie sheet, then place cookie sheet in oven. Cut the onions into about 1/2" slices.  In a large bowl, separate the layers of onions into individual rings.  I usually take out the inside and the very small couple of inner rings, put them in a bag, and throw them in the fridge to use for something else.  Pour buttermilk over the onion rings and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Toss the onion rings in the buttermilk and seasonings and let marinate at least 15 minutes.  Heat the frying oil to 350 F.  Dredge the onion rings, about 1/4 of them at a time.  Fry rings until golden brown, remove to paper-towel lined plate to drain. Then, place rings on wire rack in oven to stay warm while the remaining rings are finished.  Remove from oven just before serving, they cool quickly.  Serve with or over steak.

Along with our delicious dinner, we needed a yummy dessert. We haven't made homemade ice cream yet this summer, so that seemed like a good option.  Except I wanted it to be a little fancy.  I've been reading about a lot of gourmet ice creams lately in non-traditional flavors so I really wanted something a little different from the basic fruit or chocolate. So I found a great recipe on one of my favorite cooking sites.  Dulce de Leche ice cream with toasted pecans.  Wow.  It was so great.  Enough "off the beaten track" but not too strange.  My childrens' one complaint was too many nuts.  Sorry kiddos.  Nuts are a must!  

You can buy the dulce de leche flavoring itself at a store, if you have one with a good international section (this was right down the Hispanic aisle), or you can make your own with a can of sweetened condensed milk.  It just takes a little time.  You vent the top of the can just a little, with a pop-top can just pop a tiny bit open, with a regular can, just break the seal with a can opener.  Then place in a saucepan with water going up about 1/3 of the can.  Let simmer for about 3 hours, replenishing water as needed.  If you don't want to take the time though, which was my case, this canned dulce de leche was great and only a dollar more than a can of sweetened condensed milk.  Worth it in my opinion!  So, here is the link to the recipe for the ice cream:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/05/dulce-de-leche-ice-cream/ 

Enjoy these great summer nights!

Avocado Cheesecake

I can hear you thinking, Avocado Cheesecake? Is this a chip dip or a dessert?

Well, I saw this recipe as an advertisement in Bon Appetit.  I was immediately intrigued.  I LOVE avocadoes.  I could eat a ripe, creamy avocado absolutely plain right out of the skin.  Weird?  Maybe.

But, if you're adventurous at all, you definitely want to give this cheesecake a chance.  It's definitely unusual.  The crust has walnuts, crushed anise seeds (which give a really nice subtle spice but don't come over too strong), and doesn't use butter to bind the ingredients, just water.

The cheesecake itself is practically just avocado, cream cheese, and a little sugar.  And you don't bake it.  But it is creamy, flavorful, and very good because it's not too sweet but is packed with flavor.

So hey, go out on a limb.  Give it a try.  

PS--I made a raspberry sauce to garnish it with, but I ate every bite of mine just plain.  I didn't want anything getting in the way of all that delicious avocado flavor!!

AVOCADO CHEESECAKE

slightly modified from theamazingavocado.com

3/4 c shelled walnuts 

1 c graham cracker crumbs (about 1 individual package in the box of 3, plus 1 or 2 crackers)

1/2 c + 1 T sugar, divided

1/2 tsp crushed anise seeds (I used a mortar and pestle)

1/4 tsp salt

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1 lemon

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 fully ripened Haas avocadoes, halved, pitted, peeled and diced

8 oz cream cheese (I used regular, full fat), softened and cut into pieces

Heat oven to 350.  In food processor, pulse walnuts until finely ground.  Add graham cracker crumbs, 1 T sugar, anise, and 1/4 tsp salt.  Pulse until ingredients are well mixed and fine.  Add 2 T water and pulse until ingredients are combined and look like wet sand.  Press into bottom of  8 1/2" springform pan.  Bake 20 minutes, then cool completely.

In small bowl, combine gelatin with 2 T water and let stand 5 minutes.  With a sharp vegetable peeler, peel lemon to obtain zest (just yellow portion) of lemon in strips.  In saucepan, combine milk, zest, vanilla, and 1/2 c sugar.  Bring to a boil, then add gelatin.  Stir until gelatin dissolves, then remove from heat.  Strain out lemon zest and discard.

In food processor, combine avocado and cream cheese until blended.  Add milk mixture and process until very smooth.  Pour into baked crust, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set.  Run knife carefully around sides, then remove outer ring of springform pan. Serve with raspberry sauce if desired.  Cheesecake is best if served the same day. 

Lot 10

Saturday we checked out a new restaurant.  Accidentally.

We tried to go to Maxies, one of our long-time favorites. But it was a 40 minute wait. And when you have a sitter, you're literally on the clock! So we had to find someplace else.

We went downtown towards the commons, and found a parking place in front of the State Theatre. So we walked around the corner and remembered Delilah's was right there, so we walked in, got seated, and started to look at the menus.  Turned out the place is not Delilah's anymore.  It's called Lot 10 and just opened its dining room a month ago.

The style was a little different, and we really liked it.  Instead of offering appetizers, dinners, and desserts, it offers appetizers, "small plates", and side dishes.  It was great because you can order more different items and not spend a fortune, and I thought it was very romantic to pass around the plates and exchange opinions on the dishes!  We ordered a mahi-mahi dish (the special), a pork tenderloin dish with sage tomato jam and roasted root vegetables, cottage fries with cajun and sweet onion dipping sauces, and a cauliflower mash topped with Gouda. The food had some great flavor, we loved the cottage fries and my husband swears he never wants regular mashed potatoes again. The pork was not as tender as I would have liked, and I did enjoy the jam, but it was heaped on there a little much.  Just a taste is nicer.  

Anyway, great new little restaurant with a fun different style.  But, if you're looking for a good dessert, try someplace else.  Lot 10 hasn't hired a pastry chef yet so they only serve sorbet and ice cream.

Shrimp Tacos

My ambitious husband decided suddenly a few months ago that he wanted to learn how to cook Mexican food. So he went out and bought a book by his favorite mexican food TV chef, Rick Bayless. I must admit, I scoffed a little but the book is turning out to be pretty good after all!

Our favorite recipe so far is these Shrimp Tacos (modified from Rick Bayless' Seafood Salad Tacos with Tomato, Radish, and Habanero). I have to admit that the first thing that attracted me to these was the radish. I love radishes, but have never seen an actual recipe with them (I thought they were for salad and relish trays). I now love this dish because it tastes so fresh and delicious, with just a little spice.

Since I no longer seem to be able to control what order Blogger posts my photos in, here are the shrimp, waiting to be cooked. I have found this way to be the best way to cook them quickly and evenly, without overcooking them and turning them into rubber.
Here's the recipe, hope you enjoy!

SHRIMP TACOS
(adapted from Rick Bayless' book Mexican Everyday)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (I always buy frozen, then defrost it)
1/4 c fresh lime juice
1 small onion, finely chopped
6 radishes, sliced as thinly as possible
1 fresh jalapeno chile
2 large ripe tomatoes, or about 3/4 lb grape tomatoes (easier to find ripe in the winter!), chopped into 1/4" pieces
1/2 cup (loosely packed) cilantro
Salt
12 corn tortillas (believe me, the corn tortillas are so much better with this!)

1. Lay the shrimp out on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. 2. Turn broiler to high. 3. Cook shrimp, watching carefully, until no longer translucent, but just pink and starting to curl. 4. Remove shrimp and set aside while chopping and preparing the remainder of the ingredients. 5. In a medium bowl, combine onion, radishes, chile (which I recommend chopping while wearing a rubber glove on your hand!! I wear it on my left hand while chopping with my right. I've had too many experiences of burning fingers or face after chopping without a glove!), tomato, and cilantro. 6. Add shrimp to mixture (don't worry if shrimp are warm still). 7. Pour lime juice over and sprinkle with salt to taste. 8. Warm tortillas in microwave (wrapped in a wet dishcloth) or on skillet if desired. 9. Fill tortillas with shrimp mixture and enjoy!
Sometimes, I serve with avocado and cheese, just for a little something extra.

Blue Stone

So, a quick restaurant review for my fellow Ithacans:

We went out to Blue Stone last weekend. It's located on the commons, near Just a Taste and across the street from Viva La Taqueria.
It's a small, eclectic place with great decor. The walls showcase some great unusual artwork by a local artist. The tables are actually chalkboards, with chalk for you to show off your own artsy side while waiting for your entree. The place is small enough you might want to consider a reservation if you're going on a weekend.
The food is very original, and very good. I had the special, which I can't remember the exact name of but had turkey and a pistachio mole sauce served over an herbed tortilla. My husband had wasabi salmon which he enjoyed as well. We shared a piece of their "Famous Carrot Cake" (their name and claim!), which was also very good. The one down side I would say is the size of the appetizers. We ordered some Thai chicken skewers and they were TINY. Not at all what we expected when we ordered them!
But, overall, I would give Blue Stone a definite thumbs up, just consider going early so you can find a parking place somewhere downtown . . .

A little indulgence . . .

I've obviously been going through Nigella Lawson's cookbook, "Feast". I have to admit I'm not a huge hot dog fan. But this recipe looked interesting enough and easy enough that I thought I'd give it a go. Especially because I thought my kids would like it!
So, this recipe is:
Pigs in a Blanket with Mustard Dipping Sauce
1 sheet puff pastry (just one box, I can't remember the size of the sheet)
1 package hot dogs (I prefer the all-beef, but go with what you like)
1 egg, beaten in a small bowl
Mustard dipping sauce:
(you can halve this if you want, we had a lot leftover, and I made the full recipe)
scant 1/4 c Dijon mustard
scant 1/4 whole grain mustard
2 T sour cream

1. Thaw the puff pastry according to the package instructions (either in the fridge or on your countertop). 2. Carefully unfold the sheet and spread it onto a floured surface. 3. Roll out just a little, rolling the long way, just to even and smooth it out. 4. Cut in half both directions (Since I am very type A, I used a ruler, but you can just eyeball it!), a pizza cutter works well for this. 5. Cut twice more, to halve each of the four pieces. You should have 8 pieces total. 6. Place a hot dog, lengthwise, on each piece (the puff pastry should be approximately the length of the hot dog). 7. Brush the puff pastry with the egg, then roll each hot dog in its piece of pastry. 8. Cut each wrapped hot dog in 4 pieces. Place on a greased baking sheet, seam side down. 9. Brush each "pig" with more egg wash. 10. Bake 15-20 minutes, checking after 15 minutes, the pastry should be puffed and golden. 10. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and serve with the mustard dipping sauce. This fed 4, with quite a few leftover. Might make a great appetizer for that big game I've heard about this weekend . . .

So: This (of course) was a big hit with the kids. My husband and I really liked them, too--the dipping sauce made them a little more sophisticated and delicious. And, it was SUCH an easy weeknight dinner. Serve it up with a salad or some fruit, practically no work at all!
Photo courtesy of aperiodictableblog.com since I ALWAYS forget to take a photo until it's all over with and who wants to see a photo of our leftovers?!

Pasta with Butternut Squash and Blue Cheese

Recipe adapted from "Kitchen" by Nigella Lawson
picture courtesy of dinnerdujour.org

First I have to ask--have you ever seen one of Nigella's shows on Food Network? She just makes everything look so satisfying. Well, this dish is exactly that. So many flavors and textures, you just feel satisfied. And it's not hard to make. But, it does include a couple of pricier ingredients (ie: pine nuts and good blue cheese), so depending on your budget maybe this would have to be a special occasion dish, not a weeknight dinner! Although, I think it's okay to sometimes splurge on a really good weeknight dinner. Especially when it is delicious and hot and it's 12 degrees outside . . .

Pasta with Butternut Squash and Blue Cheese
1 large butternut squash (2-3 lbs)
1 medium-large onion (I used white, but I think any kind would be fine)
2 T olive oil
3/4 tsp paprika
1 T unsalted butter
3 T chicken broth or stock
1/2 c water
salt, to taste
2/3 c pine nuts (I may have used less, the store I went to only sold them in these little jars about the size of a spice jar, but it still seemed enough)
1 pound pasta, Nigella calls for Papperdelle but I couldn't find it so I just used bowtie and it was fine. She just says use a "robust" pasta
6 fresh sage leaves
5 ounces soft blue cheese, such as Saint Agur (I was able to find Saint Agur, but those of you who don't have a Wegmans may need to substitute. Saint Agur is just a nice creamy, fairly mild blue cheese)

1. Peel and seed the squash, cut into roughly 1" cubes.
2. Peel and finely chop onion and fry in olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan (make sure it's big enough to add the pasta to later). When the onion starts to turn golden, add the paprika.
3. Add the squash cubes and butter, stirring until everything the squash is well-covered with the butter and oil. Add the broth/stock and water, then let the pan come to a boil. Reduce the heat, put the lid on, and simmer about 20 minutes or until tender. *Check the squash before the 20 minutes, you don't want mush!
4. Meanwhile, put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Toast the pinenuts (*watch them closely--they are too expensive to burn!) in a small hot, dry frying pan until dark gold, then tip them into a bowl or plate to cool.
5. Once the water boils, add some salt (1 T per pound is recommended, but whatever you like), then the pasta and cook according to package directions. Check the squash and if it is tender, take the pan off the heat. Chop the sage leaves and crumble the blue cheese. Sprinkle the sage over the butternut sauce once it's done.
6. Before draining pasta, lower a cup or mug into the pan and collect a little pasta water to reserve for sauce if needed. Drain the pasta and pour into squash pan. Gently turn pasta into sauce to combine, adding pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Drop in crumbled blue cheese, stir gently, and serve.
*A tip for those with kids--I actually pulled out some of the pasta and sauce before I added the blue cheese, thinking they wouldn't like the blue cheese. Turns out one of my kids did like the blue cheese, and one didn't. So, do whatever works for your family!
Enjoy!

Tasty, tasty brownies . . .

Maybe it's pregnancy, but as soon as I saw this brownie recipe on one of the cooking blogs I haunt, I couldn't stop thinking about it. And thinking about it. And, well, you get the idea . . .

Plus they use these fun new "StackerMallows" that we discovered. These marshmallows are intended for s'mores, but (if I do say so myself) we have become quite the s'mores connoisseures (ever since we put in a backyard firepit last year!), and these just aren't great for s'mores. Primarily because, how do you get them on a roasting stick? The package suggests you put together your grahams, marshmallows, and chocolate, then wrap the entire thing in a piece of foil to stick it on the grill or in the fire. But really, apart from satisfying a wintertime craving for smores (this would work in a toaster oven too I assume), who would pass up the toasty marshmallow exterior and risk a soggy graham with the tinfoil method??

Anyhoo, back to brownies . . .
I risked heating up the house to make these the other day and believe me, they did not disappoint. I especially liked the ooey, gooey frosting. I might have to make another batch soon. We took a couple to the neighbors and gobbled the rest up.
Here's the link so you can try them:
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/07/mississippi-mud-brownies/
Yum, yum, yum . . .

Strawberries and Cake

Ahh . . . Strawberry season at last . . .

Strawberry picking is very popular around here. So when I got an email from my favorite local farm that their berries were ready, I planned an excursion for the following day. But woke up to drizzly rain. After some indecision, I decided to pull on my Wellies and go pick anyway. And I'm so glad I did! The berries were fantastic and me and my little helper had the fields practically to ourselves. We picked 11 pounds of berries in little over half an hour. I made 5 batches of freezer jam (which I of course forgot to take a photo of!), and a strawberry pie. YUM!
For Father's Day, I became a pastry chef. I test recipes for America's Test Kitchen (just an informal, non-paid, but very fun job . . . ). This recipe was for a pastry called "Paris-Brest Cake". Apparently this pastry was created in honor of a cycling race originally started in 1891. It is the longest running cycling event although it's no longer a race, just a ride.
There are two rings of cream puff-like shell. The larger one is cut in half, filled with a hazelnut-praline pastry cream, then the smaller ring is set inside. Just like a bicycle inner tube.

More delicious pastry cream, then the lid goes on and it is dusted with powdered sugar.

A very rich slice (can you see the "inner tube"?). A tasty dessert.

But, I am hanging up the pastry chef's hat. I just don't think the results justify the amount of time! This cake took a lot of work! The recipe was in 3 parts: a homemade hazelnut praline, a pastry cream, and of course the pastry shell.

So, kind of a fun novelty, but not one I'll make again soon.

BTW, I can't share the recipe as it's still in testing and not been published yet, but if you're interested, leave me a comment and when it's published I'll post it.

Linguine with Tomato-Almond Pesto

This is another Smitten Kitchen success (one of my favorite foodie blogs, www.smittenkitchen.com). It's a great summer recipe: quick to make, doesn't heat up your house much, and is just as tasty served at room temperature. It's also vegetarian. I have a New Year's Resolution this year to prepare at least 2 vegetarian meals a week. Not because we're against meat, but because I am trying to get our family to eat more veggies and more healthy, lean meals.

A quick little toast on the almonds gives them fantastic flavor.
The pesto mixed in with some cooked linguine.

And ready to eat. Enjoy!

LINGUINE WITH TOMATO-ALMOND PESTO

3/4 c slivered almonds

1 large handful fresh basil leaves

1-2 large cloves garlic (I only used one so it wouldn't be too spicy for the kiddos)

several sprinkles sea or kosher salt

6 ripe plum tomatoes, quartered OR 2 small packages grape tomatoes

1/2 c grated Parmesan (I may or may not have added an extra 1/4 or so . . . just for good measure . . . )

1/4-1/3 c olive oil (I thought 1/4 was plenty)

1 pound linguine

In large skillet, saute the almonds in a little olive oil until toasted. Let cool, then blend in food processor until they are in coarse pieces. Scoop out of processor and set aside.

Put basil, garlic, and a few pinches of salt into processor and chop. Add the almonds back to the processor along with the tomatoes, cheese, and olive oil and process briefly. Season with ground black pepper.

Cook the linguine to al dente (according to package directions). Reserve 1 c of the pasta water before draining. Toss hot pasta with pesto and mix quickly. Add pasta water to loosen to your desired consistency. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature.

NOTE: this makes a LOT, I will halve it next time for our family of 4.

Mushroom Strudel

I am very sorry about the lack of a picture to go with this recipe! If you want to see what these look like, please go to www.smittenkitchen.com/2008/05/mushroom-streudels/.
That being said, the recipe is from one of my favorite cooking blogs, Smitten Kitchen, but I made a few changes and had a few things turn out a little differently.
I originally found this while searching for a tasty appetizer to take to a dinner we were invited to. I needed something to serve to someone who is lactose intolerant, and it was surprisingly difficult to find an appetizer that didn't have cheese! These call for Parmesan, but I made some with the cheese and some without, and the ones without turned out just fine and were very tasty.
So, here's the recipe as I made it:
MUSHROOM STRUDEL
*Notes on phyllo: if you've never used it before, you may want to know that you will need to let it sit in the refrigerator to defrost about 7 hours, then on the counter for 30 minutes or so before you use it!
Small box of phyllo pastry (I used about 10 sheets)
1/2 c butter, melted
1 egg, beaten for egg wash
Filling:
1 pound cremini mushrooms (also called Italian brown mushrooms)
1 medium onion, minced
3 T butter
1 T chicken broth (recipe called for dry sherry but I don't use alcohol)
1 T flour
leaves from 1 sprig thyme
6 T freshly grated Parmesan (optional)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray or line with parchment. It helps to have a large work surface for this, like your kitchen table. Have all your ingredients ready and laid out before you get the phyllo out: melted butter, egg wash, filling, and cheese.
To make the filling: cook the onion in the butter until soft. Clean your mushrooms really well and slice fairly thin. If your mushrooms are large you may want to halve them before slicing. Add the mushrooms to the softened onion and saute until mushrooms are cooked through and some of the juices have begun to evaporate. Add the chicken broth (or sherry) and cook a couple of minutes more, until most of the liquid is gone. Stir in the flour, herbs, and salt/pepper to taste and let filling cool.
To assemble strudel: You'll need 2 damp dishcloths. Place one on the table, and use one to cover the remaining phyllo sheets as you work. Take one sheet of phyllo at a time from the package and place the remaining sheets between the damp cloths. Brush one half of the sheet at a time with butter. Carefully fold the unbuttered side over the buttered side and gently smooth out wrinkles and bubbles (doesn't need to be perfect). Repeat again, buttering half and folding it over, so the sheet is folded to 1/4 the size. You'll have one long column. Here I departed from the recipe the most. You can place a spoonful of filling, and fold triangular (like a flag) all the way up the column for one strudel per sheet of phyllo, or just place a spoonful of filling and fold over once in a triangle like a turnover and cut (a pizza cutter worked great), then repeat to get several strudel from one sheet (I did the latter--more filling to phyllo ratio worked for me!). If you use cheese, sprinkle each spoonful of filling on the phyllo with the cheese before folding the dough over. Then, brush the finished strudel with the egg wash and sprinkle more cheese on top. Place folded strudel on greased baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes until browned and crisp. Serve warm.

Beignets

Ahh . . . Flashback to Spring 2007 . . .

Sitting alone at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans, enjoying their patio and people-watching on a lovely New Orleans morning. Oh, and enjoying a plateful of powdered-sugar covered beignets and a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice. I've never tried to make beignets, but jumped at the chance to try when Our Best Bites posted a recipe during Mardi Gras a couple of weeks ago. Here are the freshly cut beignets, just before rising. And here's a kitchen equipment tip: I bought a metal ruler at Target a while ago and it's a GREAT kitchen tool for recipes like this where you're cutting dough into rectangles (or measuring dough height after rolling!). And because it's metal, I can throw it in the dishwasher after I use it. Love it.

The cooked beignets. They look like scones, but are puffed up and hollow inside.

Can you ever have too much powdered sugar? Not with these!!

Here's the recipe from www.ourbestbites.com:

BEIGNETS

1 c whole milk

1/4 c + 1 T sugar (divided)

1 scant T active dry yeast

1/4 c vegetable oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 c warm water

1 egg

3 1/2-4 c flour

Oil for frying

In small saucepan, combine milk, 1/4 c sugar, 1/4 c oil, and salt. Cook until small bubbles form around edges, then remove from heat.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine 1 T sugar, yeast, and water. Allow to sit 10 minutes, or until foamy.

In mixer bowl, combine milk mixture and 2 c flour. Mix 2-3 minutes, scraping bowl as needed. Add egg and mix well. Blend in yeast mixture, then add remaining flour a little at a time until a soft, slighty sticky, dough forms.

At this point, you can place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and refrigerate up to a day. Or, you can roll the dough out. When ready to roll the dough, turn onto a floured surface and roll 1/4" thick. Use a pizza cutter to divide dough into 3x4" rectangles. Slightly separate rectangles, then cover with a clean cloth and let rise 3o minutes.

15 minutes into rising, heat your oil. You should have at least 2-3 inches of oil in a frying pan, saucepan, or I like to use a Dutch oven for less splatter. Heat oil to 350F, then fry beignets 2 or 3 at a time 1 1/2-2 minutes each side or until golden. Drain and let cool slightly on paper towel-lined plate.

Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar and serve warm. Try not to eat all 2 dozen at once . . !

St. Patrick's Day Dinner, Part Two

I have to say WOW! this turned out so much better than I expected it to.

As you can tell from my previous post I felt a little iffy about rubbing a big piece of beef with salt and spices and smashing it under a bunch of cans in my fridge for a week.

But I highly recommend it.

The veggies, prepped and ready for their turn in the pot. As you can see from the recipe, you can choose from an assortment of veggies. I chose brussels sprouts, parsnips, and carrots. I thought we would eat those best.

Note--I don't know if I would use parsnips again. I really like them, but I prefer them roasted. Boiling them like this just didn't cook them evenly. The outsides sort of turned to mush and the woody core inside remained sort of firm which was not a pleasant affect. I liked the brussels sprouts and the carrots, though.
I also made some Irish soda bread and thought it was tasty with the meal.

Here is my lovely dinner. The meat turned out so tender and very tasty. The flavor of the spices was nicely subtle, not too strong, and it was not too salty (I was relieved to see in the recipe that you rinse the brisket before you cook it).

Definitely a keeper! Again, from Cook's Illustrated.

CORNED BEEF WITH VEGETABLES (serves 8, but I halved everything and it worked great)

1 beef brisket, corned/cured as in previous post

7-8 pounds veggies, chosen from the categories below:

Category 1 Veggies:

Carrots, peeled and halved crosswise, thin end halved lengthwise, thick end quartered lengthwise

Rutabagas (small), peeled and halved crosswise, then each half cut into 6 chunks

White turnips (medium), peeled and quartered

New potatoes (small), scrubbed and left whole

Boiling onions, peeled and left whole

Category 2 Veggies:

Green cabbage (small head), blemished leaves removed and cut into 6-8 wedges

Parsnips, prepared same was as carrots above

Brussels sprouts, blemished leaves removed and left whole

Rinse the brisket and pat it dry. Bring the brisket to boil with water to cover by 1/2-1" in a large soup kettle or stockpot, skimming any scum that rises to the surface. Cover and simmer until skewer inserted in thickets part of brisket slides out with ease, 2-3 hours (for the half-size brisket I cooked it about 2 hours, maybe a little more).

Heat oven to 200. Transfer meat to large platter, ladling about 1 c of cooking liquid over it to keep it moist. Cover with foil and set in oven.

Add vegetables from category 1 to kettle and bring to boil, cover and simmer about 10 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften. Add vegetables from Category 2 and bring to boil, cover and simmer until all vegetables are tender, 10-15 minutes longer.

Remove meat from oven, cut across the grain into 1/4" thick slices.

Serve meat with horseradish or grainy mustard (we ate it with Grey Poupon mustard, the Country Dijon kind, and it was GREAT. It added a little extra zing to the dish).

CLASSIC IRISH SODA BREAD (Note: I suggest making AND baking this while the beef is boiling, so you can use the oven to keep the meat warm while cooking the veggies)

3 c flour

1 c cake flour

2 T sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 T unsalted butter (2 T softened + 1 T melted)

1 1/2 c buttermilk

Heat oven to 400. Whisk flours, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in large bowl. Work softened butter into dry ingredients with fork or fingers until texture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add buttermilk and stir with a fork just until dough comes together. Turn out onto floured surface and knead until dough just becomes cohesive and bumpy (12-14 turns, don't overknead).

Pat dough into 6" round, about 2" high. Place on greased baking sheet or in cast-iron pot (cast iron makes the crust a little crispier).

Bake until golden brown and skewer in center of loaf comes out clean (internal temp 180). Remove from oven and brush with melted butter.

Corned Beef

I've never made the "traditional" St. Patrick's day dinner of Corned Beef and Cabbage, but I've always wanted to try it. So I looked it up on the trusty Cooks Illustrated website. According to Cook's, the corned beef you buy at the grocery store is nasty. So, they suggest you "corn", or cure, your own beef. So, here goes.

You need to purchase beef brisket. I halved the recipe because it feeds 8, but here's the original recipe from cooksillustrated.com:

HOME CORNED BEEF BRISKET

1/2 c kosher salt

1 T black peppercorns, cracked (I put them in a bag and used a rolling pin to crack them)

3/4 T ground allspice

1 T dried thyme

1/2 T paprika

2 bay leaves, crumbled

1 beef brisket, 4-6 pounds, trimmed of excess fat, rinsed and patted dry

Mix all spices in small bowl. Poke 30 holes in each side of the beef brisket with a meat fork or metal skewer. Rub each side evenly with spice mixture and place in 2-gallon zipper-lock bag. Press as much air out as possible. Place brisket in jelly roll, cookie sheet, or similar pan. Place another pan on top and weight with bricks or cans. Refrigerate 5-7 days, turning once a day.

Here's my set-up with the corned beef underneath the cans.
Looks and sounds a bit motley, eh?! We'll see if it turns out!
Stay tuned . . .

Spaghetti and (Turkey) Meatballs

I've been exploring my Christmas gift to myself: Nigella Lawson's new cookbook, "Nigella Kitchen". I really like her style of cooking and her recipes are usually good ones. Her recipe for Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce was on the menu for this week.

It turned out pretty well. I like the idea of using turkey, it's a healthier alternative to ground beef or sausage for the meatballs and I found it plenty flavorful. Her idea of cooking the meatballs in the tomato sauce rather than frying them keeps the turkey moist and tender. (Although I have to admit a small part of me missed the crusty brown exterior of a fried meatball!)

My only complaint on this recipe is perhaps the runny consistency of the sauce, even after boiling for 30-40 minutes. Likely next time I will add less water, which I have modified in the recipe. I like a nice, robust tomato sauce with my pasta. The sauce here was very flavorful, just not thick enough.

SPAGHETTI AND TURKEY MEATBALLS (modified from Nigella Kitchen)

For the Sauce:

1 medium onion, peeled and quartered

1 celery stalk, washed and quartered

2 T olive or veg oil

1 clove garlic

1 tsp dried thyme

28 oz can diced tomatoes plus 2/3-3/4 can full of water

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp kosher salt or 1/2 tsp table salt

pepper to taste

For the Meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey

1 egg

3 T unseasoned dry breadcrumbs (baking aisle or homemade)

3 T grated Parmesan cheese

2 T finely chopped onion and celery (from tomato sauce ingredients)

1 tsp Worcesteshire sauce

1/2 tsp dried thyme

Put onion and celery pieces in food processor and grind to a mush. Or, dice by hand. Reserve 2 T for meatball mixture.

In heavy large saucepan or Dutch oven, warm oil and garlic until garlic is fragrant. Add onion and celery mixture and thyme and cook at moderate to low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

Add the canned tomatoes and 2/3-3/4 can full of water. Season with sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir and let it come to a boil then turn the heat down to simmer gently.

Put all ingredients for the meatballs into a large bowl, including salt to taste (I suggest about 1 tsp kosher salt) into a large bowl and mix together gently (don't overmix as it will make the meatballs dense and heavy). Use gloves if you're squeamish!

When the ingredients are mixed, use a teaspoon measure to take out generously heaped teaspoon-sized balls and roll gently between the palms of your hands. Put the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet as you go. You should get about 50 little meatballs.

Drop the meatballs gently one by one into the simmering sauce, in concentric circles working around the outside of the pan to the inside. Let the meatballs simmer 30 minutes, until cooked through. If necessary, stir very gently once or twice, being careful not to break up the meatballs. While cooking the meatballs, bring water to boil and cook spaghetti (can also serve over rice).

Ladle meatballs and sauce over hot pasta and enjoy!