five hungry girls

Chicken Canzanese

2011-02-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

This is a easy, delicious meal that makes ordinary chicken thighs amazing. We love it over polenta.

Serves 4 to 6. Published May 1, 2010. From Cook's Illustrated.

When seasoning the dish at the end, be mindful that the prosciutto adds a fair amount of salt. It is important to use a piece of thickly sliced prosciutto in this recipe; thin strips will become tough and stringy. An equal amount of thickly sliced pancetta or bacon can be used in place of the prosciutto. Serve the chicken with boiled potatoes, noodles, or polenta to absorb extra sauce.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ounces prosciutto (1/4 inch thick), cut into 1/4-inch cubes (see note)
4 medium garlic cloves , sliced thin lengthwise
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and skin
ground black pepper
2 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups dry white wine
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
4 whole cloves
1 (4-inch) sprig fresh rosemary , leaves removed and minced fine (about 1/2 teaspoon), stem reserved
12 whole fresh sage leaves
2 bay leaves
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Table salt

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed ovensafe skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add prosciutto and cook, stirring frequently, until just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add garlic slices and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is golden brown, about 1½ minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer garlic and prosciutto to small bowl and set aside. Do not rinse pan.

2. Increase heat to medium-high; add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and heat until just smoking. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with ground black pepper. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until well browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken and brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to large plate.

3. Remove all but 2 tablespoons fat from pan. Sprinkle flour over fat and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly add wine and broth; bring to simmer, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Cook until liquid is slightly reduced, 3 minutes. Stir in cloves, rosemary stem, sage leaves, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and reserved prosciutto and garlic. Nestle chicken into liquid, skin side up (skin should be above surface of liquid), and bake, uncovered, until meat offers no resistance when poked with fork but is not falling off bones, about 1 hour 15 minutes. (Check chicken after 15 minutes; broth should be barely bubbling. If bubbling vigorously, reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.)

4. Using tongs, transfer chicken to serving platter and tent with foil. Remove and discard sage leaves, rosemary stem, cloves, and bay leaves. Place skillet over high heat and bring sauce to boil. Cook until sauce is reduced to 1¼ cups, 2 to 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in minced rosemary, lemon juice, and butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce around chicken and serve.

Best Blueberry Muffins

2011-01-23T06:31:00.001-07:00

Just the thing for a morning that is seven below. In New Jersey. "Seven below what?" Holly asked. My thoughts exactly.

Makes 12 muffins. Published May 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated.

Lemon-Sugar Topping

1/3 cup sugar (2 1/3 ounces)

1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated zest from 1 lemon

Muffins

2 cups fresh blueberries (about 10 ounces), picked over

1 1/8 cups sugar (8 ounces) plus 1 teaspoon

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces)

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon table salt

2 large eggs

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter , melted and cooled slightly

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. FOR THE TOPPING: Stir together sugar and lemon zest in small bowl until combined; set aside.

2. FOR THE MUFFINS: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Spray standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Bring 1 cup blueberries and 1 teaspoon sugar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, mashing berries with spoon several times and stirring frequently, until berries have broken down and mixture is thickened and reduced to ¼ cup, about 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl and cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk remaining 11/8 cups sugar and eggs together in medium bowl until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter and oil until combined. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla until combined. Using rubber spatula, fold egg mixture and remaining cup blueberries into flour mixture until just moistened. (Batter will be very lumpy with few spots of dry flour; do not overmix.)

4. Use ice cream scoop or large spoon to divide batter equally among prepared muffin cups (batter should completely fill cups and mound slightly). Place 1 teaspoon of cooled berry jam in center of each batter-filled cup, pushing it below surface.

Using chopstick or skewer, gently swirl berry filling into batter using figure-eight motion. Sprinkle lemon sugar evenly over muffins.

5. Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm, 17 to 19 minutes, rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool muffins in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes before serving.

kumquat-champagne cocktails

2010-11-27T15:42:00.004-07:00

I just took this out of the Martha Stewart Living December 2010 issue. Her quantities were for twice as much (a party). I halved everything here for a one-bottle party for six..... These cocktails are really pretty!

1 pint kumquats, pricked a few times with a pin
1.5 cups sugar
1 bottle sparkling wine

Place kumquats in a saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Drain immediately. Repeat twice.
Add sugar and 1 cup water to drained kumquats in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat immediately, and let kumquats and syrup cool completely.
Spoon 3 kumquats and 1 TBS syrup into each of 6 champagne glasses.
Top off with champagne.
Toast, drink, enjoy.

Delicious, Stupid-Easy Salsa Verde

2010-08-29T13:09:00.001-06:00

My friend Susan Stevenson brought a small group of local farmers and producers to our tiny burg for a monthly farmer's market this summer (hopefully more often in 2011!). Here's what I did with yesterday's $3 of tomatillos. We ate some with chips and will have the rest with chicken enchiladas. Thanks Chuck Williams (Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library "Mexican Favorites")!

Makes 2-3 cups

3 cups water
2 1/2 tsp salt
3 fresh serrano chili peppers
1 lb (I used 1 qt) tomatillos, husks removed
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro
1/4 cup finely chopped onion

In a saucepan over high heat combine the water and 1 tsp of the salt and bring to boil. Add the garlic, chilies and tomatillos and cook uncovered 8-10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup liquid.

When cool enough to handle, stem the chilies and tomatillos.

In a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine chilies, garlic, tomatillos, reserved liquid, remaining 1 1/2 tsp salt and cilantro and process to a smooth puree. Add the onion and pulse to combine.

Let the salsa cool to room temperature and serve.

Will keep refrigerated for up to one week.

sausage in puff pastry

2010-06-27T16:41:00.003-06:00

I've made this twice and it was a hit both times. The recipe is in Ina Garten's The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I did change it ever so slightly. Instead of using lamb sausage I used italian chicken sausage (mild). Because those sausages tend to be fatter, I sliced them in halve lengthwise before rolling in the puff pastry. Here is the link to the original..... It is super-easy and totally yummy. And yes, both times I made it ahead, refrigerated wrapped in plastic wrap and then baked when I got to my destination.....

Tiramisu

2010-06-20T07:24:00.000-06:00

I realized today that my only copy of this recipe is from the original issue of Fine Cooking (May 1999) when it was published. If that goes missing I will never forgive myself, so now here, I have a backup. Joanne Chang was a former economist with a startup Boston bakery when the article was published. Today she is a respected chef; I even saw her on Throwdown doing sticky buns (she beat Bobby Flay easily).

I'm making this for Father's Day dessert.

You can make the sponge yourself, which makes all the difference. Or you can cheat, and use lady fingers (the dried savoiardi are better than the fresh ones) and just do the filling. I admit to doing that frequently, and it's still delicious!

Another change is that sometimes I use half Kahlua and half sweet Marsala (the latter is traditional).

Finally, my grocery store cuts the price of the mascarpone when it's close to its expiration date. I've paid as little as 99 cents for an 8.8 ounce container! It can be frozen and thawed successfully.

serves ten

For the coffee-flavored sponge cake:

4 eggs, separated
2/3 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup hot brewed espresso
4 1/2 ounce (1 cup) all-purpose flour
pinch salt

For the mascarpone filling:

4 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup coffee liquor such as Kahlua (*see my note above)
pinch salt
3/4 cup mascarpone
1/2 cup heavy cream

For assembly:

1 cup hot brewed espresso
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate

For the sponge cake:

Heat the oven to 350. Line a rimmed pan or jelly roll pan measuring 14x11 or 15x10 (or close to those measurements) with parchment. Using a stand mixer with its whisk attachment or a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks, 1/3 cup of the sugar and the hot espresso on high until thick and voluminous, at least 6 minutes. In another bowl and with clean beaters, whisk the egg whites on medium speed. When they reach the soft-peak stage, slowly add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar with the mixer running. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until the whites are smooth and glossy with peaks that hold their shape without drooping; another 1 to 2 minutes. Fold one-third of the whites into the yolk mixture to lighten them and then gently fold in the rest of the whites.

Sift the flour and salt over the mixture and fold it in gently. Spread the batter evenly on the prepared sheet pan. Bake until the center of the cake springs back when lightly pressed and the cake doesn't stick to your fingers 12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven and invert it onto a cooling rack. Gently peel off the parchment and allow the cake to cool completely.

For the filling:

Set a pan of warm water to simmer and fill a large bowl with ice. In a medium stainless-steel bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, coffee liquor and salt. Set the bowl over, but not touching, the simmering water and whisk until the mixture thickens, the whisk leaves ribbons trailing off of it and you can see the bottom of the bowl when you scrape the whisk along the bottom; 6 to 7 minutes. Cool the yolk mixture by setting the bowl on the ice bath and whisking the mixture occasionally. Meanwhile, whisk together the cream and mascarpone until it holds peaks. When the yolk mixture is cool, gently fold in the cream mixture until combined. Keep the mixture cool.

For assembly:

Divide the sponge cake into thirds (three rectangles about 4.5x11 or 5x10 inches). Lay one of the cake rectangles on the bottom of a rectangular pan (I use a Pyrex baking dish, or a glass loaf pan if I use the lady fingers). Brush the top with one-third of the hot espresso. Spread just under half of the mascarpone filling over the cake. Grate one third of the chocolate on top of the mascarpone. Repeat with another layer of cake, espresso, filling and chocolate. Top with the last layer of cake, brush on the last of the coffee, spread on a very thin layer of mascarpone and grate the rest of the chocolate on top. Refrigerate several ours or overnight before serving. Slice and serve.

Grilled Lemon Chicken Skewers with Satay Dip

2010-06-18T13:02:00.000-06:00

This is one of my go-to recpies for parties. A neighbor has me make it for her parties about twice a year. Tonight I'm taking it to book group, as it's perfect at room temperature.

I love that you cook the breasts whole and slice them to skewer. Much easier and much prettier. When I make it in the summer I usually lay the skewers on a bed of thyme from the garden.

From Ina Garten; The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, 1999
serves 8-10 easily

Ingredients

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
3/4 cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
Satay Dip, recipe follows

Directions

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Pour over the chicken breasts in a nonreactive bowl. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight.

Grill the chicken breasts for 10 minutes on each side, until just cooked through. Cool slightly and cut diagonally in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Skewer with wooden sticks and serve with Satay Dip.

Satay Dip:

1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2/3 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion) (sometimes I just use a large shallot - A)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice (lemon is just fine too - why be complicated! -A)

Cook the olive oil, sesame oil, red onion, garlic, ginger root, and red pepper flakes in a small, heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat until the onion is transparent, 10 to 15 minutes. Whisk in the vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, peanut butter, ketchup, sherry, and lime juice; cook for 1 more minute. Cool and use as a dip for Grilled Lemon Chicken skewers.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Chipotle-Garlic Butter with Lime and Cilantro

2010-04-11T18:26:00.002-06:00

Um, you had me at "hello?"

Cook's has this recipe in their March & April 2002 issue. I put it on top of pan-roasted halibut steaks. But, I bet it would be equally yummy on top of steak or something else equally decadent that doesn't need more calories but rejoices when you dollop it on top..... Sigh.

1/2 stick of unsalted butter, softened
1 chipotle chile en adobo, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp honey
1 tsp grated lime zest
2 tsps minced fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp salt

Beat butter with a fork until fluffy. Stir in remaining ingredients. Dollop a TBS of butter on top of cooked fish. YUM. (The recipe easily halves if you live with a butter phobic person like I do.)

Spanish Style Garlic Shrimp

2010-04-03T11:30:00.002-06:00

We are having a springtime nosh today including Prosecco (two kinds for tasting!) the Caramelized Tomato Tarte Tatin and this great garlic shrimp tapas dish from Cook's (Jan 2008). I was looking for this recipe here and realized I hadn't posted it. So...enjoy!

Garlic Shrimp:
Serves 6 as an appetizer

Serve shrimp with crusty bread for dipping in the richly flavored olive oil. The dish can be served directly from the skillet (make sure to use a trivet) or, for a sizzling effect, transferred to an 8-inch cast-iron skillet that's been heated for 2 minutes over medium-high heat. We prefer the slightly sweet flavor of dried chiles in this recipe, but 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika can be substituted. If sherry vinegar is unavailable, use 2 teaspoons dry sherry and 1 teaspoon white vinegar.

Ingredients
14 medium garlic cloves , peeled
1 pound large shrimp , peeled, deveined, and tails removed
8 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 bay leaf
1 (2-inch) piece mild dried chile , such as New Mexico, roughly broken, seeds included (see notes and step by step)
1 1/2 teaspoons sherry vinegar (see note)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

1. Mince 2 garlic cloves with chef's knife or garlic press. Toss minced garlic with shrimp, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt in medium bowl. Let shrimp marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes

2. Meanwhile, using flat side of chef's knife, smash 4 garlic cloves. Heat smashed garlic with remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is light golden brown, 4 to 7 minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow oil to cool to room temperature. Using slotted spoon, remove smashed garlic from skillet and discard.

3. Thinly slice remaining 8 cloves garlic. Return skillet to low heat and add sliced garlic, bay leaf, and chile. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is tender but not browned, 4 to 7 minutes. (If garlic has not begun to sizzle after 3 minutes, increase heat to medium-low.) Increase heat to medium-low; add shrimp with marinade to pan in single layer. Cook shrimp, undisturbed, until oil starts to gently bubble, about 2 minutes. Using tongs, flip shrimp and continue to cook until almost cooked through, about 2 minutes longer. Increase heat to high and add sherry vinegar and parsley. Cook, stirring constantly, until shrimp are cooked through and oil is bubbling vigorously, 15 to 20 seconds. Serve immediately.

Guinness Beef Stew

2010-03-13T06:06:00.002-07:00

I don't really do much with my slow cooker, other than serve warm food from it. But I've been making this recipe since it appeared in Cook's Country in March 2007. It's great, and easy. After two weeks of sun and 60+ degrees, we have a cold, rainy weekend in the Garden State, and this is on the counter already simmering away for dinner tonight.

Serves 6-8

3 lbs boneless beef chuck stew meat
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups Guinness Draught (not the extra stout)
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp dried thyme
1 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 bay leaves
5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 1/2 lb baby red potatoes, scrubbed clean
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp minced parsley (fresh)

Pat beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tsp oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook half of beef until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker insert and repeat with additional 2 tsp oil and remaining beef.

Add remaining 2 tsp oil, onions, and 1/4 tsp salt to skillet and cook until onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add broth, 1 1/4 cups stout, sugar, thyme, chocolate and bay leaves - bring to boil using wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits. Transfer to slow cooker insert.

Add carrots, parsnips, and potatoes to slow cooker insert. Cover and cook on low until meat is tender, 9-10 hours (or cook on high for 6-7 hours).

Set slow cooker to high. Whisk flour and remaining 1/4 cup beer until smooth, then stir mixture into slow cooker. Cook, covered, until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper, and discard bay leaves.

Linguine with Steamed Cockles in Saffron-Tarragon Sauce

2010-02-10T09:59:00.004-07:00

We decided to splurge and make a trip to the fish market on Friday. You never know what you're going to find, and I spied some gorgeous cockles. I decided to make this from epicurious (Bon Appetit 6/05) and it was absolutely scrumptious. I omitted the cream at the end and added a tiny bulb of fennel that I diced.

This yields two dinner-size servings; I halved it for a first course for the two of us. (The main dish was Parmesan-crusted tilefish with asparagus risotto.)

If you can't get cockles you can use small clams.

12 ounces linguine
2 T butter
1/4 C chopped shallots
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 C dry white wine
2 T chopped fresh tarragon (I used 1 t dried)
pinch saffron threads
2 pounds cockles or small Manilla clams
2 T whipping cream (OMITTED)

Cook linguine in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, melt butter in large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add shallots & garlic, saute 2 minutes. Add wine, half of tarragon and saffron. Increase heat to high, bring to boil. Add cockles, cover and cook until cockles open, about 3 minutes. Use tongs to transfer cockles to a bow, discarding any that do not open. Stir cream into skillet, season with salt & pepper to taste. Add pasta to skillet, toss. Divide into large flat serving bowls and top with cockles and remaining tarragon and serve.

Lebanese Lentil and Rice Pilaf with Blackened Onions

2009-12-29T16:21:00.003-07:00

This recipe is wonderful. It's vegetarian and exactly what we needed after a week of overindulging in Puerto Rico. I usually slice up cucumbers and tomatoes to eat alongside. I also make the flatbread that is in Cook's Jan/Feb 1999 issue.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lebanese-Lentil-and-Rice-Pilaf-with-Blackened-Onions-108813

strawberry sauce

2009-12-06T14:55:00.002-07:00

I made this last night to go on top of ice cream and brownies. It was so good. I got the recipe out of a B&B cookbook - the original intent was to put it on top of fancy French toast.... I can see where that would be good, but it just screamed vanilla ice cream and chocolate brownie to me.

1 Qt strawberries
2 TBS orange liqueur (I used Cointreau)
2 TBS water
1/3 cup sugar

Slice the strawberries. Put all ingredients into a sauce pan and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir. Let cool before you burn your mouth.... Can be easily reheated in the microwave.

Almost-No-Knead Baguettes

2009-12-03T07:40:00.004-07:00

This recipe was in the King Arthur Flour Baker's Catalog earlier this year. It makes enough dough for four loaves, so I have halved the recipe successfully. (Also, who can manage EIGHT CUPS of flour?!) I've made it three times successfully without a baguette pan.

Apologies to you high-elevation people for another bread recipe...

"Better is half a loaf than no bread" -- John Heywood

3 cups lukewarm water
8 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon table salt or 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
(or, by weight:)

24 ounces lukewarm water
34 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon table salt or 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast

Directions
1) Find a large (6-quart) bowl or bucket, for dough storage in the fridge. Lightly grease the bowl or bucket.
2) Place the water directly into the bowl or or other large container.
3) Add the dry ingredients to the water, and stir to combine. Mix until there are no dry spots; the texture of the dough should be fairly soft.
4) Knead the dough gently for a few minutes, by hand; it'll be very sticky. Or knead for 1 or 2 minutes in a stand mixer. Cover the container, and let the dough rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
5) Refrigerate overnight, or for up to 7 days.
6) To bake bread: Scoop out a scant 1 pound of dough (about ¼ of the batch, about 14 ½ ounces). Place on a greased work surface.
7) Shape the dough into a rough, slightly flattened oval, cover with greased plastic wrap, and let rest for 15 minutes.
8) Fold the dough in half lengthwise, and seal the edges with the heel of your hand. Flatten slightly, and fold lengthwise and seal again.
9) With the seam side down, cup your fingers and gently roll the of dough into a 15" log.
10) Place the log seam-side down onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, or into the well of a baguette pan.
11) Cover and allow the baguette to rise till it's very puffy, about 1 1/2 hours. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 450°F.
12) Slash the baguette three or four times on the diagonal.
13) Spritz the baguette heavily with warm water, and bake until a very deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

roasted brussel sprouts

2009-09-23T18:58:00.005-06:00

I found this recipe today in an attempt to get rid of some of the random bags of frozen vegetables that JR seems to buy two at a time and then forget about. So after looking at all the cookbooks I had here and not finding anything simple or anything AT ALL to do with brussel sprouts I went online to try my luck. What I loved most about this recipe was how simple it was and to top it off I used grated Gouda that someone suggested on another website. It was awesome and b. sprouts might be making a comeback into our regular diet.

Note: the recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa on Food Network

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts (I used a bag of frozen ones)
3 tablespoons good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt ( I like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.

Grilled Snapper with Olives & Oranges

2009-09-21T15:08:00.005-06:00

This sounds like an unlikely combination but the fruit "salsa" is pretty and quick and really good.

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 8 mins

Serves 4

1-1/2 c. orange sections, chopped (sweet is good: I used mineolas)

1/3 c. sliced green olives (I used queens)

1/4 c. diced red onion

2 T. finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

3 T. fresh lime juice, divided

(I used double the amounts listed above. The more salsa per filet, the better.)

4, 6-oz. snapper fillets

2 T. olive oil

Coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat grill to medium (300-350F). In a small bowl combine oranges, olives, onion, parsley and 1 tablespoon of lime juice. Set aside.

Season fillets with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with oil and remaining lime juice.

Place fillets on grill. Grill 4 to 5 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Spoon orange-olive salsa over filets (and extra on the side if you made double per my instructions!).

Serve with rice.

(From a free recipe card given away at our local grocery store (!).)

mallorcas!

2009-08-24T20:55:00.002-06:00

- Makes 9 rolls -

Ingredients

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup milk
2-1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
flour for dusting work surface
butter to grease bowl and pan
confectioners' sugar for dusting

Procedure

1. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water. Add the sugar, salt, egg yolks, milk, 4 tablespoons of the cooled butter, and 2-1/2 cups of the flour. Mix well.

2. Lightly flour a work surface. Turn out the dough and knead for 5 minutes. Add enough of the remaining flour so that the dough is not sticky.

3. Grease a bowl with butter. Pur the dough in it and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

4. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan. Set aside. Punch the dough down. Knead it on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 18x9 inches. Brush with the remaining melted butter. Roll up the dough from one short end and cut it into 9 slices; trim the ends to make them neat. Arrange the slices in the baking pan. Cover and let rise for 40 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Bake the rolls for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let the rolls cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter and dust with confectioners' sugar.

Peach Pie

2009-08-23T07:05:00.003-06:00

Here's the recipe link and picture. Forgive me for not re-posting.

Carmelized Tomato Tatin -- at last!

2009-08-05T17:15:00.002-06:00

I finally made this tonight (served with simple grilled steaks) and it was ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Check my blog for real-life photo and details.

Brownies

2009-07-30T16:33:00.002-06:00

This is from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home.

1/2 cup butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup white flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter an 8- or 9-in square baking pan.
In a medium or large saucepan melt the butter and chocolate together. When the butter and chocolate have melted, remove the pot from the heat.
Add the brown sugar and vanilla and mix with an electric mixer.
Add the eggs. (If you aren't using an electric mixer, be sure the beat the eggs first. If you are using the mixer just crack the eggs right into the pot.)
Stir in the flour, and mix until the batter is thoroughly blended and smooth.
Pour batter into the pan and bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

Blackened Salmon with Blue Cheese Sauce

2009-05-18T08:50:00.003-06:00

Yesterday afternoon the four of us settled on the couch for some food tv time. While we were waiting for Jacques Pepin to come on PBS we caught part of "Big Daddy's House" on FN, starring the latest "Next Food Network Chef" Aaron McCargo Jr.

This sounded so good that I put on shoes and went to the store to buy salmon. We had everything else in the house, save for heavy cream, so I used half and half. I halved the spice rub (for our 2 fillets), but still had a lot left.

It was as delicious as it looked. The spice and the sauce is almost reminiscent of buffalo chicken.

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil, for frying
4 (6-ounce) portions skinless and boneless salmon fillets

Blue Cheese Sauce:
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the Italian seasoning, black pepper, paprika, salt, and cayenne. Season each piece of fish with the rub.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter and oil. Once the butter has melted, add the fish and cook about 2 minutes per side.

Transfer the whole pan to the oven and cook for another 4 to 6 minutes.

For the sauce:
Place the white wine into a medium saucepan and reduce by half. Add the heavy cream and allow to reduce. Add the blue cheese and whisk until smooth. Serve on top of the salmon.

marinade for chicken and ribs

2009-04-06T17:51:00.002-06:00

This is from Nigella Express. I made the chicken and ribs for when Clark and Ash came down this past weekend. Super yum. The marinade is good for 12 pork ribs and 12 chicken thighs (skin on).

1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 TBS vegetable oil
2 TBS soy sauce
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick, halved
6 unpeeled cloves of garlic

I mixed all the wet ingredients together, put the ribs in one freezer bag and the chicken thighs in another. I poured the wet ingredients into both and evenly divided the spices and garlic into both. I marinated everything overnight and roasted at 400 degrees for about 1.25 or 1.5 hours.

Cavatelli w/ Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

2009-03-07T21:29:00.004-07:00

I found this recipe on epicurious while trying to figure out what the heck to do with broccoli and sausage (the two ingredients I had sitting on my counter). I loved that the sauce was very light tasting - opposed to some of the heavier cream-based or tomato-based. And also, it's super quick!

yield: Serves 2

Ingredients

1/2 pound (about 2 cups) dried cavatelli or other small shell-shaped pasta
1/2 pound (about 3 links) sweet Italian sausage
1 bunch (about 3/4 pound) broccoli rabe, tough and hollow stems discarded, washed well
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Accompaniment: freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

In a kettle of boiling salted water cook pasta until al dente.

While pasta is cooking, squeeze sausage from its casings into a large heavy skillet and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring to break up chunks, until no longer pink. With slotted spoon transfer sausage to a bowl, reserving drippings in skillet.

Cut broccoli rabe into 1-inch pieces and sauté in reserved drippings, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown. Add garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add broth and raisins and simmer until broccoli rabe is just tender, about 3 minutes. Add butter, stirring until incorporated.

Drain pasta and return to kettle. Add broccoli rabe mixture and sausage and heat through if necessary.

Serve pasta with Parmesan.

Pomegranate and Cranberry Bellinis

2008-12-21T16:11:00.003-07:00

I bought the new Giada's Kitchen cookbook for myself recently. They were having a book sale at work and the staff got 50% off the books! I used that opportunity to purchase some cookbooks that I wouldn't ordinarily buy at full price. Anyway - last night we tried the pomegranate and cranberry bellinis. Here is the link for the recipe. I did change it - for the better I think. First of all, we didn't have a pitcher big enough for all the juices and prosecco at the same time. So I used the pitcher to mix the simple syrup and juices. I filled each champagne flute halfway with the juice mixture and topped it off with the prosecco. I also only garnished with a slice of lime. They were pretty! And darn easy to drink. Next time I think I would cut the simple syrup down to a cup (or even less). If you like sweet cocktails, leave it as prescribed.

Rustic Dinner Rolls

2008-11-06T05:21:00.005-07:00

I made these super crusty rolls last Saturday. We couldn't wait, and had them warm out of the oven. They were not quite so awesome at room temperature, but reheating is easy.

The biggest caution is that there are a LOT of proof/rise cycles. I think I started these around noon, and had them out of the oven around five-thirty. Nothing bad in terms of hands-on time, but this is in no way a mix-it-and-forget it dough.

Next time I would totally double the recipe. The four of us ate three each while they were still warm. (oink!)

Makes 16 rolls. Published November 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.

Because this dough is sticky, keep your hands well floured when handling it. Use a spray bottle to mist the rolls with water. The rolls will keep for up to 2 days at room temperature stored in a zipper-lock bag. To re-crisp the crust, place the rolls in a 450-degree oven 6 to 8 minutes. The rolls will keep frozen for several months wrapped in foil and placed in a large zipper-lock bag. Thaw the rolls at room temperature and re-crisp using the instructions above.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon water (12 1/2 ounces), room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
2 teaspoons honey
3 cups plus 1 tablespoon bread flour (16 1/2 ounces), plus extra for forming rolls
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour (about 1 ounce)
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt

Instructions
1. Whisk water, yeast, and honey in bowl of stand mixer until well combined, making sure no honey sticks to bottom of bowl. Add flours and mix on low speed with dough hook until cohesive dough is formed, about 3 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature 30 minutes.

2. Remove plastic wrap and evenly sprinkle salt over dough. Knead on low speed (speed 2 on KitchenAid) 5 minutes. (If dough creeps up attachment, stop mixer and scrape down using well-floured hands or greased spatula.) Increase speed to medium and continue to knead until dough is smooth and slightly tacky, about 1 minute. If dough is very sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour and continue mixing 1 minute. Lightly spray 2-quart bowl with nonstick cooking spray; transfer dough to bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

3. Fold dough over itself; rotate bowl quarter turn and fold again. Rotate bowl again and fold once more. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes. Repeat folding, replace plastic wrap, and let dough rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

4. Transfer dough to floured work surface, sprinkle top with more flour. Using bench scraper, cut dough in half and gently stretch each half into 16-inch cylinders. Divide each cylinder into quarters, then each quarter into 2 pieces (you should have 16 pieces total), and dust top of each piece with more flour. With floured hands, gently pick up each piece and roll in palms to coat with flour, shaking off excess, and place in prepared cake pan. Arrange 8 dough pieces in each cake pan, placing one piece in middle and others around it, with long side of each piece running from center of pan to edge and making sure cut-side faces up. Loosely cover cake pans with plastic wrap and let rolls rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes (dough is ready when it springs back slowly when pressed lightly with finger). Thirty minutes before baking, adjust rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees.

5. Remove plastic wrap from cake pans, spray rolls lightly with water, and place in oven. Bake 10 minutes until tops of rolls are brown; remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees; using kitchen towels or oven mitts, invert rolls from both cake pans onto rimmed baking sheet. When rolls are cool enough to handle, turn right-side up, pull apart, and space evenly on baking sheet. Continue to bake until rolls develop deep golden brown crust and sound hollow when tapped on bottom, 10 to 15 minutes; rotating baking sheet halfway through baking time. Transfer rolls to wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Chocolate-Espresso Lava Cake

2008-10-21T09:33:00.003-06:00

Click here for Chocolate-Espresso Lava Cakes. Super yum.

Pomegranate-Marinated Lamb with Spices and Couscous

2008-10-18T19:23:00.008-06:00

We made this tonight (Bon Appetit) and it was soooo good that I had to run to the computer to post it so I could share the love.

Changes made: used mint instead of basil, had Greek yogurt on the side (it really brought the flavors together) and made my own pom molasses since I couldn't find the good stuff here in our remote location.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup pomegranate molasses

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 pounds lamb shoulder blade chops, cut into 3/4-inch square pieces, bones reserved
1 1/4 cups water, divided
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 10-ounce box plain couscous
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup pomegranate seeds
3 tablespoons torn basil leaves

PREPARATION

Whisk pomegranate molasses, coarsely chopped garlic, olive oil, ground ginger, cinnamon, 1 3/4 teaspoons cumin, paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl. Add lamb and toss to coat. Cover and marinate 2 hours at room temperature, or up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Drain, reserving marinade. Pat lamb dry.

Heat heavy large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add meat and bones, if using, and cook until browned, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes total per batch. Return all lamb and bones to skillet. Add reserved marinade and 1/4 cup water. Cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer over medium-low heat until meat is tender, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring remaining 1 cup water and chicken broth to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add couscous and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cumin. Remove saucepan from heat and let stand covered 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork, then stir in butter until melted. Divide couscous among plates and top with lamb, pomegranate seeds, and basil leaves, spooning remaining sauce over lamb.

Sangria

2008-10-13T16:18:00.004-06:00

I helped make vats of this sangria for a party at Ward and Allison's years (10???) ago. I don't remember where we got the recipe from. I have it scrawled down on some scraps of paper. It was a super-yummy memory and it did not fail when I made it on Saturday night. I wasn't sorry that Jesse, Bob and I had to finish the whole pitcher by ourselves.

2 oranges - 1 sliced, 1 juiced
1 lemon, sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup Triple Sec (I used Cointreau)
1 bottle of inexpensive, but good, red wine

Add sliced orange and lemon and the sugar to a large pitcher. Stir for about a minute with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the orange juice, Triple Sec and wine. Refrigerate and for at least two hours (up to eight hours). Stir before serving. Pour into glasses with ice cubes.

Caramelized Tomato Tarte Tatin

2008-09-15T13:09:00.004-06:00

Ward found this recipe in the Times...it sounds amazing.

Caramelized Tomato Tarte Tatin
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

1 14-ounce package all-butter puff pastry
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 red onions, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup plus a pinch of sugar
1/2 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/4 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
1 1/2 pints (about 1 pound) cherry or grape tomatoes; a mix of colors is nice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Unfold puff pastry sheet and cut into a 10-inch round; chill, covered, until ready to use.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and a pinch of sugar and cook, stirring, until onions are golden and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water and let cook off, scraping brown bits from bottom of pan. Transfer onions to a bowl.

3. In a clean, ovenproof 9-inch skillet, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons water. Cook over medium heat, swirling pan gently (do not stir) until sugar melts and turns amber, 5 to 10 minutes. Add vinegar and swirl gently.

4. Sprinkle olives over caramel. Scatter tomatoes over olives, then sprinkle onions on. Season with thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Top with puff pastry round, tucking edges into pan. Cut several long vents in top of pastry.

5. Bake tart until crust is puffed and golden, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, then run a knife around pastry to loosen it from pan, and flip tart out onto a serving platter. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Here's the link to the article.

Classic Red Tomato Rice

2008-08-23T16:09:00.003-06:00

I made this out of Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen cookbook (a great gift from Jesse). The salsa that goes into the rice is so delicious. It is especially good this time of year because nearly every ingredient came from the farm. Move over Bobbie Salsa, Lisa Salsa is in town! (Doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it.) Warning: this recipe is a little fussy, but totally worth it.

1 lb ripe tomatoes
2 jalapeños
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
salt
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 TBS vegetable oil
2 cups white rice
1.5 cups water

Roast the tomatoes on a baking sheet under the broiler until blackened on one side, about 6 minutes. Flip and roast the other side. Cool and peel, collecting all the juices with the tomatoes. While the tomatoes are roasting, roast the chiles and unpeeled garlic directly on an ungreased griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until soft and blackened in spots. (The chiles will take 5 - 10 minutes, the garlic 15 minutes.) Cool, then pull the stems from the chiles and peel the garlic.
In a food processor, whir the chiles, garlic and 1/2 tsp of salt into a coarse pursee. Add the tomatoes and whir again. Rinse the onion in a strainer under cold water, shake off the excess and add to the tomato mixture along with 1/2 cup of the cilantro. (At this point, make sure you have at least 2 cups of salsa.)
Turn on the oven to 350 degrees. In a 3-qt ovenproof saucepan heat the oil over medium. Add the rice and cook, stirring regularly, until the rice turns chalky looking, about 5 minutes. If some kernels brown, it's fine. Add 2 cups of the salsa and stir for a minute as the salsa sears and reduces a little. Add the water and 1 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil and stir. Cover the pan tightly and bake for 25 minutes. (Test and make sure the rice is nearly done.) Let the rice stand out of the oven for a few minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of the cilantro over the rice, then use a fork to fluff the mixture and fold in the cilantro.

Fine Cooking September 2008

2008-08-15T11:49:00.003-06:00

If it's still on the newsstand, you should rush out and get a copy of this one. It's chockablock of great recipes.

So far, I've made the Mexican Black Bean Burgers, Pepper Crusted Beef with Rosemary Chimichuri and the Nicoise Salad with Tuna and Potatoes (above).

Still to try: Cinnamon-Walnut Shortcakes with Caramelized Plums, Summer Vegetable Soup with Dill, Smoked Heirloom Tomato Relish and much more.

I'll post recipes for the first dishes when I get more time.

Here's the summary from the website:
http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/pages/fc_currentissue.asp

Spinach and Hot Ham Pasta Bake

2008-08-01T09:15:00.006-06:00

My really good friend Jill lost her dad earlier this week. She's also a military wife and her husband is deployed. The instant I got the phone call I knew exactly what I needed to do. Make her something she would eat. Jill has said before she would eat anything I cook for her so I dug deep and thought about something that would look pretty, seem healthy but had immense amounts of cheese. This is truly one of the most comforting meals I can think of and it yields a ton (9x13 dish).

Btw, this is a Rachel Ray recipe and she scares me - but I think we have already talked about this... So here it is:

Ingredients:
1 lb cavatappi pasta or any short pasta with lines (I used mezza penne)
3 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1.5 cup whole milk or 2%
1/2 lb sliced capocollo ham, sliced thin
1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup grated parmigiano-regiano
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 lb mozzarella, in 1/2" cubes
1 cup breadcrumbs

preparation:

1/ boil pasta and pre-heat broiler
2/ in large saucepan at medium heat - 1 tbsp EVOO and butter. when
butter melts add garlic and onion. season w/ salt and pepper.
3/ dust onions w/ flour and cook stirring for 1 min. slowly whisk in
milk. bring to a bubble and let thicken.
4/ stir in ham, spinach and 1/2 cup parmigiano-regiano
5/ season w/ nutmeg and cayenne pepper
6/ drain pasta when ready. combine cubed mozzarella w/ pasta and sauce
and toss to coat. transfer to baking dish.
7/ breadcrumb topping: combine breadcrumbs, 2 tsp EVOO and 1/2
parm-reg cheese. sprinkle on top of pasta.
8/ broil for 1min until topping browns.

Note - I usually put it in the oven at 300 covered after the broiling part when waiting for guests so the mozzarella melts and makes it all gooier and yummier...

Enjoy!

Fresh Peach and Gingercream Shortcakes

2008-07-22T09:24:00.003-06:00

(photo from epicurious.com)

Saturday was the great day of the brisket in the Riker residence - I will post the recipe soon, I promise, but first feast your eyes and taste buds on this. John picked this out from the August Bon Ape and it was great. The recipe was super easy to make and the results were scarfed down quickly. I will admit to not bothering with the crystallized ginger (I just assumed that it wasnt going to be found in these parts) so I substituted with ground ginger and the result was super subtle, yet tasty. I'm not a huge fan of peaches, so we also had strawberries around.

ingredients::

2 cups all purpose flour
13 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled salted butter, diced
1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger, divided
1/2 cup ginger ale
3 tablespoons plus 1 1/4 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
4 large peaches,halved, thinly sliced

preparation::

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, 6 tablespoons sugar, and baking powder in large bowl. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until very coarse meal forms (oatmeal-size flakes). Mix in 1/4 cup chopped ginger. Add ginger ale and 2 tablespoons cream. Toss until moist clumps form. Gather dough into 7-inch log. Cut crosswise into 6 equal rounds. Place on sheet, spaced apart. Shape each into 21/2-inchdiameter round. Mix 1 tablespoon cream and 1 tablespoon sugar in small bowl; brush over top and sides of shortcakes.

Bake shortcakes until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Cool on sheet.

Meanwhile, toss peaches in large bowl with 4 tablespoons sugar and remaining 1/4 cup chopped ginger. Whisk remaining 1 1/4 cups cream and 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl to peaks.

Halve shortcakes horizontally. Place bottoms on plates. Top each with peaches, whipped cream, and shortcake top.

Jenny's Take on BPG's Chipotle Lime Shrimp

2008-07-20T19:14:00.003-06:00

Hot, garlicky, spicy, delicious! This reminds me of my favorite appetizer at the Blue Point Grill. It is delicious serves with Judy and Mark's rice dish (on my blog) and a green salad with mangoes and cukes. (Inspired by a recipe from The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman.

To serve 4:

7 large garlic cloves, peeled
3 T. olive oil
1-2 chipotle peppers (canned, but use as little adobe as possible)
a couple of pinches of dried chipoltle pepper flakes
6 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped
1 c. cilantro without any thick stems
2 lb. peeled shrimp
s&p
1/3-1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 c. white wine

With blade running, drop garlic cloves into food processor. When finely minced, stop f.p. and add oil, peppers, S & P, scallions, and cilantro and process until mixture is minced. Add some of the lime juice if mixture seems too dry.

Add green mixture to saute pan and add juice. Heat, stirring for a couple of minutes, and add shrimp. Cook until shrimp is pink, turning 2/3 of the way through. Add wine and more lime juice if you want it more juicy. Also could add orange juice if you want it juicier!

Farmstand Corn Fritters

2008-07-20T05:18:00.004-06:00

Sometimes in the summer we eventually get a little tired of corn on the cob as a side dish. I'll make these fritters as a change of pace, especially if we're having a light main course.

If you're feeling really decadent, you can add cheddar cheese and chives (1/3 cup shredded & 2 tablespoons chopped, respectively) plus 1 tsp Dijon to the mixture. I've not tried that, but it's probably great.

Farmstand Corn Fritters
Cooks Country – August 2005
Makes 12 fritters

1 1/2 pounds fresh corn (2 large or 3 to 4 medium ears), husks and silk removed
1 large egg , beaten lightly
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornmeal
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 small shallot, minced
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 cup corn oil or vegetable oil, or more as needed

Method:
1. Using chef’s knife, cut kernels from 1 to 2 ears corn and place in bowl (you should have about 1 cup whole kernels). Grate kernels from remaining 1 to 2 ears on large holes of box grater (you should have generous 1/2 cup grated kernels) into bowl with cut kernels. Using back of knife, scrape any pulp remaining on all cobs into bowl. Stir in egg, flour, cornmeal, cream, shallot, salt, and cayenne.
2. Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Drop 6 heaping tablespoonfuls batter in pan. Fry until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer fritters to plate lined with paper towels. If necessary, add more oil to skillet and heat until shimmering; fry remaining batter. Serve fritters immediately.

lamb marinade

2008-07-10T16:18:00.002-06:00

I found this in a very old edition of Joy of Cooking. It's really easy and really good. I've made it a few times. The book suggests that the marinade would be good for kebobs. I used it for 4 - 6 loin lamb chops, which I then grilled for 6 minutes on each side for medium.

1/4 cup olive oil (I used extra virgin)
2 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/8 ground black pepper (I just gave a good grind of the pepper mill)

Mix the ingredients together and marinate the meat for at least 3 hours, turning every so often. (I put everything into a zip-lock bag and tossed it into the fridge.)

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

2008-06-16T15:39:00.003-06:00

Source: "Barefoot Contessa at Home"

I made this AWESOME cornbread to go with Ward's Father's Day dinner of steamed crabs and barbecue ribs. I wouldn't change a thing, other than to note that if you halve the recipe (use 2 eggs, though) you can do it in a 9" square pan.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups milk
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix!

Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Creamy Rosemary Polenta

2008-04-22T11:36:00.004-06:00

This is from the new Ina Garten book "Barefoot Contessa at Home." I served it with seared diver scallops (great sale at The Market Place!). I made it ahead, at first intending to cut and saute it, but wound up re-heating it in the pot, whisking in extra chicken stock and it was just great.

serves 6

4 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup whipped cream cheese (I used 1/3 C. regular)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the chicken stock in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until the stock comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly add the cornmeal, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps. Switch to a wooden spoon and simmer over very low heat, stirring almost constantly, for 7-10 minutes until thick. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan while stirring. Remove the polenta from heat and stir in the cream cheese, Parmesan, oilve oil, rosemary, salt & pepper. Stir until smooth and serve hot sprinkled with extra Parmesan cheese.

Strawberries stuffed with goat cheese cream

2008-04-21T10:34:00.004-06:00

I actually saw Paula Deen making this recipe, and when I went online for the recipe I found another one from Disney Resorts using goat cheese. So I combined them.

For not quite 2 quarts of strawberries I combined the following in the food processor

3 ounces goat cheese
2 ounces low fat cream cheese
enough light cream to bring it together

Then I dumped it into a ziplock bag and piped it into the strawberries, which had been washed, trimmed and cut down into quarters. Topped with some chopped, toasted pecans and off to book group I went.

Great recipe!

Chicken, Mango, and Rice Salad

2008-04-16T14:12:00.004-06:00

I had to post this recipe because it's one of the things I make that I always get tons of requests for the recipe. It's super awesome for grill-outs in the summer and it's an easy dish for people to like.

Mango and avocado may seem unlikely partners, but they have one thing in common: an affinity for cilantro. Here the herb ties them together in an unusual and unusually delicious dish. The salad makes a fine light meal all by itself. It's easy to replace the mango and avocado for things that are easily available or favored in your home - we have made it with pineapple (sorry, Lisa) and with bananas and it holds up real well.

SERVES: 4

ingredients
* 1 1/2 cups rice, preferably short grain
* 1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4)
* 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cooking oil
* 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
* 3/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
* 3/4 cup chopped red onion
* 1 mango, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
* 1 avocado, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
* 3 1/2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 2 limes)
* 3/4 cup chopped cilantro

directions
1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rice until just done, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water. Drain thoroughly.
2. Coat the chicken with the 1 tablespoon oil. Season with 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan over moderate heat. Cook the breasts until just done, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Alternatively, heat the tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan and season and cook the chicken as directed above. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, cut it into 1/2-inch dice.
3. Toss the rice with the chicken, onion, mango, avocado, the 1/3 cup oil, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the lime juice, and cilantro.

Crashing Computers and Microwavery

2008-04-04T18:36:00.004-06:00

I'm definitely moving all my recipes to some blog or the other. My computer crashed along with the detailed index of my recipes I had just finished compiling, plus many of the recipes themselves, along with pictures and more stuff that I'll eventually stop whining about.
So thanks, sweet p. for creating this blog, though I've been a bad contributor.

Next, NYTimes articles on Microwaving on 4/2/08. Some good recipes, but best was a reference to this blog: http://raspberryeggplant.blogspot.com/ for vegetarian recipes and sweets. I can't wait to try some.

Steak Fajita Marinade

2008-03-30T16:14:00.004-06:00

I made this from The New Basics cookbook (of the Silver Palette ladies). I still have the copy that Ward and Allison gave to me when they moved in together - it was a double-copy - they both owned it. It's been well-used and it's binding is totally falling apart. But I can't bear to buy a new one because I would never be able to transfer all my notes and smiley faces... It's definitely one of my faves.

P.S. the original recipe called for 1.5 lbs of skirt steak. I used flank steak because that's what the store had. Also - this was delicious in fajitas, but it would have been very good just to eat as, well, steak!

1.5 pounds beef skirt steak
Juice of 2 limes
1 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 small chile pepper, minced - whatever hot pepper you like
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
ground black pepper - however much you like

Cut the steak crosswise to create four pieces.
Stir the lime jiuce, oil, cilantro, chile pepper, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper together.
Put the steak in a large zip-lock bag and pour the marinade over the meat.
Throw into the fridge for a few hours.
Grill - eat, enjoy.

Pear and Ginger Muffins

2008-02-24T14:20:00.003-07:00

This is another recipe from Nigella Lawson's Nigella Express. These are super-yummy and it is very hard to eat just one.

1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 TBS honey
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups peeled and diced pears (about 1/4 inch dice)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper muffin cups.
In a large bowl mix flour, sugars, baking powder and ground ginger.
In another bowl whisk together sour cream, oil, honey and eggs. Fold into dry ingredients.
Mix in pear dice and divide batter evenly among the muffin cups.
Bake about 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack.

Salt-Crusted Beets

2008-02-16T15:23:00.005-07:00

I made this recipe as part of our anniversary dinner and even thought I was completed befuddled by the 'crusting' part of the recipe once I figured out that it was more of a 'sand castle' building skill than a culinary one, things went well. When crusting the beets just follow the instructions and place them on the salt mix mound instead of trying to hold it in your hands, like I did for the first 5 minutes. Put it down, really, and crust the top and sides with salt. It doesn't need to be perfect since it's not part of the final presentation. For the creme fraiche, we couldn't find pre-made one and didn't have time to make it from scratch, so we just used sour cream and it was really really good. And now that I think about it, not that hard to make - once I gave up having to perfectly crust them, things went smoothly and easy. The result is a salty flavor on the beets that was pretty amazing. John decided it was a definitive 'restaurant worthy' effort!

ps-call me if you start freaking out when salt-crusting!

- - - -

INGREDIENTS::

Horseradish Crème Fraîche:
1 cup crème fraîche (8 ounces)
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons Sherry wine vinegar

Beets:
2 cups coarse kosher salt
5 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
3 large unpeeled beets (each about 8 ounces), trimmed, scrubbed

PREPARATION::

For horseradish crème fraîche: Whisk crème fraîche, horseradish, chopped chives, and Sherry wine vinegar in small bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

For beets:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix coarse salt, horseradish, thyme, and orange peel in medium bowl. Place three 3-tablespoon mounds of salt mixture on small rimmed baking sheet, spacing apart. Top each salt mound with 1 beet, then cover all beets with remaining salt mixture, pressing very firmly with hands and forming crust around each beet, covering completely.

Roast beets 1 3/4 hours. Remove from oven; crack salt crusts open and remove beets. Peel beets; cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange beet slices on platter. Serve with horseradish crème fraîche.

(from Bon Appetit February 2008)

Chipotle Scalloped Yams

2008-01-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

I modified the recipe I found on food network site to get rid of cream and use up some frontera grill brand chipotle sauce I had. You can use whatever chipotle pepper form you want, though use less than the amount if you're not using salsa - original recipe called for 1 T. of chipotle puree. Lindsey requests that I not use the black pepper next time.

2 cups skim milk
4 heaping tablespoons chipotle salsa (Wegmans)
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced 1/8-inch thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Whisk together milk and chipotle puree until smooth.

In a 9 by 9-inch casserole dish, arrange the potatoes in even layers. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of the milk mixture and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, milk, and salt and pepper to form 10 layers.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes, remove cover and continue baking for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the milk has been absorbed and the potatoes are cooked through and the top is browned. Inspired by Food Network recipe.

Spaghetti Carbonara

2008-01-22T19:47:00.001-07:00

We made this for dinner tonight and it was totally awesome. The original recipe calls for a complex process of curing pork belly but guess what - I happened to have some bacon in the fridge and the recipe had this alternative to the pork belly fest - so in went the bacon.

- - - - -

Ingredients

12 ounces diced browned bacon
2 tablespoons bacon drippings
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine

1 pound spaghetti
1 1/2 cups fresh shelled peas (from about 1 1/2 pounds peas in pods) or 1 1/2 cups frozen petite peas, thawed

2 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Preparation

In large skillet bring first five ingredients so a simmer and keep warm.

Cook spaghetti in large pot of boiling salted water until almost tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Add peas; cook 1 minute longer.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs in large bowl. Add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, Pecorino Romano cheese, and parsley; set aside.

Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Whisk 1/4 cup hot cooking liquid into egg mixture. Add pasta; toss to coat. Add mixture to skillet with pork and toss, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if dry. Season generously with black pepper. Divide among bowls and serve, passing remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese alongside.

Of oil and grounds.

2008-01-06T11:28:00.001-07:00

Two questions for my fellow hungries:

First - how do you save your used frying oil? My mom had this awesome canister when we were growing up that was made out of some metal and it had a lid but right under the lid it had a sieve so when you would pour the cooled off oil it would strain it.

Second - does anyone know how you can reuse used coffee grounds? I make coffee every morning and I read somewhere that it's good to use it as part of your plant food - any clues?

Christmas in a glass

2007-12-13T12:53:00.000-07:00

We went out to dinner with friends last month (extraordinary enough), and the Gladstone Tavern had a fabulous and gorgeous red winter cocktail that is going to be our standard this holiday season.

1 part cassis
1 part pomegranate juice
top with sparkling wine

I had some Norwegian berry liquor in the house (don't ask) that made an acceptable substitute for the cassis, so I'm sure Chambord or any other would do fine. Today I did buy the real stuff for company, though.

I'm thinking of serving it with a fresh raspberry in the glass, or maybe on the rim. Might also be interesting with cranberry juice.

Cheers!

breakfast bars

2007-12-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

I splurged on the new Nigella Express cookbook. I've only had time to try one recipe, and I was immediately drawn to the breakfast bars. They are a yummy cross between a granola bar and a breakfast bar. YUM. Obviously you can use whatever nuts or seeds you have on hand.

1 14-oz can condensed milk
2.5 cups rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 cup dried cranberries (I used a mix of cranberries and dried cherries)
1 cup mixed seeds (I mostly used sunflower seeds with some sesame seeds thrown in)
1 cup unsalted peanuts

Preheat oven to 250 degrees and oil (I used the spray) a 9 x 13 baking pan.
Warm the condensed milk in a saucepan
Mix all other ingredients in a bowl and add the warmed condensed milk, using a rubber spatula or big wooden spoon to fold everything together.
Spread the mixture into the pan and press to make the surface even.
Bake for 1 hour. After about 15 minutes, cut into bars (I made 16) and cool completely on a wire rack.

getting ready to gobble.

2007-11-20T22:25:00.000-07:00

We are hosting 11 adults (4 kids) for dinner on Thursday, so I put on the superwoman cape and after dinner and putting Maia to bed I made: turkey stock, 24 servings of roasted butternut squash soup, lemon-garlic butter for the turkey, seasoned the turkey with mom's seasoning recipe and had a beer. Of course, with Mindy by my side (no one else will agree to wreck my kitchen so happily as Mindy will) we wreaked havoc and brought the kitchen back to life.

Oh and Lisa, the turkey fell again... it seems that it's not Thanksgiving at J&P's if the turkey doesn't hit the counter - hard.

So what are everyone's plans?

Your thoughts on cookware?

2007-11-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Maybe I'm off topic here, but does anyone want to talk about cookware (pots/pans/knives etc.)? With the holidays approaching I'm thinking of what I have, what I "need" and what I would LOVE for Santa to bring me.

What do you love, and why?

What do you want to replace, and why?

perfect roast chicken

2007-11-03T14:33:00.000-06:00

I really think this is the best roast chicken I've ever made. I morphed the recipe from The Barefoot Contessa.

4-lb chicken

a few sprigs of fresh thyme

half of a lemon

1 head of garlic, halved crosswise

1 TBS of olive oil

1 large onion, thickly sliced

Preheat oven to 425. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Liberally salt and pepper inside of chicken. Stuff the cavity with the thyme, the lemon half, and as much of the garlic as you can cram in. (I have only managed to get half of the head of garlic inside.) Brush the outside of the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and place the chicken breast side up in a roasting pan. Scatter the onion slices around the chicken. Roast for about 1.5 hours or until done. Remove chicken to a platter and cover with foil while you make gravy with the pan drippings or until you are ready to carve.

Tarantula Cookies

2007-10-31T09:25:00.000-06:00

So in one of my best Martha Stewart moments I decided to bake Halloween goods for the squadron party on Monday - and I brought in the remaining ones to work this morning. They turned out really cool. The pictures is of the cookies right out of the oven before getting chocolate and chocolate sprinkles all over them. I totally simplified the process by brushing the chocolate instead of dipping them in chocolate...

- - - -

ingredients ::
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugaar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 bag (8 ounces) thin, short pretzel sticks
1 large bag (11 1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Chocolate sprinkles
Small red candies

preparation::
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well blended.

4. Gradually add the flour mixture and cocoa powder. Beat to form a smooth dough.

5. Roll a tablespoon-sized ball of dough, and place it on a baking sheet. Arrange eight pretzel sticks around the ball like spokes on a wheel. Press the tips of the pretzel sticks firmly into the dough ball. Continue with the rest of the pretzels and dough.

6. Bake until cookies start to brown around edges, about 7-10 minutes.

7. Lift the cookies from the baking sheets with a spatula, and place on wire cooling racks. Let cool completely. Place the racks on sheets of aluminium foil or waxed paper.

8. In a double boiler (or the microwave), melt the chocolate chips with vegetable oil.

9. Pour the melted chocolate over each cookie. Coat with chocolate sprinkles. Press in two red candy eyes on the front of the head. Eeek!

(Recipe from epicurious.com)

Rosemary Chicken with Marmalade Sauce

2007-10-30T14:48:00.000-06:00

This is excellent; my mother-in-law made it a week or so ago. Although maybe it's a little late in the season to still be thinking about grilling, this dish is worth bundling up for and firing the up the grill one last time.

from Fine Cooking, Aug/Sept 2007
Serves 4-6

-------

2Tb minced fresh rosemary
2 tsp dark brown sugar
2 tsp salt (kosher suggested but not required)
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2Tb oil (olive or otherwise), plus more for grill
2.5 lb chicken thighs (boneless + skinless best) (2.5lb = 8pc large / 10pc medium / 12pc small)
1 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup rice vinegar

-------

In small bowl, mix 1 Tb rosemary, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. In shallow pan or plate, drizzle oil over chicken and toss to coat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with rosemary mixture.

Warm marmalade, vinegar, and remaining 1 Tb rosemary in small saucepan over low heat. Warm to just before boiling, then set aside.

Grill chicken, transfer to serving platter, top with marmalade sauce and serve.

Cranberry-Almond Wild Rice Salad

2007-10-26T08:16:00.000-06:00

2/3 cup brown rice
2/3 cup wild rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 ounces dried cranberries
10 large basil leaves, sliced into ribbons (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup minced red onion
3 tablespoons flaked or slivered almonds, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

For the dressing:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine brown rice, wild rice and chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until all water is evaporated and rice is fully cooked, about 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.

When rice is cool, add dried cranberries, basil, red onion, almonds and orange zest; mix to incorporate.

For the dressing:
Combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, orange juice, mustard, honey and salt in a metal bowl and whisk to incorporate.

Pour over rice mixture and toss to incorporate. Serve at room temperature.

Yields about 6 servings.

NOTES:

The dressing is a little bit too much for this quantity of rice, so either hold some back for a salad or make more rice. You can also use the quick-cooking long-grain and wild rice in the box, but omit the seasoning packet.
I modified this recipe from one I found online that calls for orange segments. I substituted the cranberries. The client isn't a big orange fan, but the zest and the dressing add just a hint of orange flavor. You could also substitute pistachios for the almonds.

Fresh Fennel Whitefish

2007-10-14T15:41:00.001-06:00

Mindy has been going crazy with the postings, so I thought I had better get a word in....

Here is a really easy, yummy fish recipe that you cook in a foil pouch. So you can do it in the oven or on the grill. I adapted it from a recipe in The New Basics (the Silver Palette ladies).

1 small fennel bulb
1 TSB, plus a little more for brushing, olive oil
1 med onion cut in strips
1 clove garlic slivered
about a 1 lb piece of fish - a nice cold-water whitefish works great. I've used haddock and other similar fishes with great success.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Brush with oil and set aside.
Cut fennel into 1/2 inch strips.
Saute the fennel, onion, and garlic in oil until golden, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Lightly salt and pepper fish. Put the fish on the foil and spoon the fennel mixture on top of the fish. Cover with a second sheet of oiled foil. Fold and pinch the edges shut.
Bake until the fish is sizzling and cooked, about 30 minutes.

Scrambled Eggs w/ Poblano Chiles and Cheese

2007-10-14T14:29:00.000-06:00

Scrambled Eggs w/ Poblano Chiles and Cheese- Bon Appetit July 04
I'm not a scrambled egg lover, but these were sooo YUMMY!!! They could also be served in a tortilla for a breakfast burrito.

6 T butter, divided
1 c. onion, chop
2 garlic cloves, chop
½ t. oregano
14.5 oz petite diced tomatoes in juice
¼ t. chili powder
2 lb poblano chiles, seed, dice
½ c. green onions, chop
½ c. cilantro, chop, divide
8 lg eggs, beaten
1 c./4oz queso fresco/feta, crumble

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and oregano and sauté until onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice and chili powder. Cover and simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors. Transfer sauce to blender; puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Return sauce to pan and keep warm. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add chiles; sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add green onions and 1/4 cup cilantro. Add eggs and cheese. Cook until eggs are softly set, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Divide eggs among 4 plates. Spoon sauce over; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro. Y:4

Bread Cake

2007-10-14T14:26:00.000-06:00

Bread Cake- Yoko Prakash

This recipe was given to me by our former DO's wife. She was an AWESOME cook. The "cake" is a stacked sandwich which is cut in wedges....BEWARE though...the ingredients need to be drained very well and it can be a little time consuming....FYI Patri:)

32 oz pkg frozen bread dough, thaw
2* 10 oz pkg frozen spinach, thaw
14 oz can artichoke hearts, quarter
12 oz jar roasted red peppers
6 oz pitted olives, slice
1 lb mushrooms, slice and sauté
1 T olive oil
8 oz thinly sliced salami
8 oz thinly sliced provolone cheese
8 oz thinly sliced ham
1 lg egg
1 T water
Cut one bread loaf in half crosswise. (I have found that if you sprinkle dough with a little flour and let it sit for abou 10 min it’s easier to roll out). Roll 1 half on lightly floured surface into 10” circle. Cover dough, set aside. Press together remaining 1.5 loaves. Roll out onto lightly floured surface into 12” circle. Fit dough into lightly greased 9” springform pan, allow edges to overhang. Saute mushrooms in oil in skillet for 8 min. DRAIN all ingredients VERY VERY WELL (spinach, artichoke, pepper, olives, mushrooms). Place half of salami in dough lined pan; top with mushrooms, olives, half of cheese, & half of ham. Top with spinach, peppers, remaining salami, remaining ham, artichokes and remaining cheese. Stir together egg and water. Brush on overhanging pastry edges. Fold edges over cheese; top with remaining pastry round. Tuck edges into pan; press to seal. Brush top with remaining egg mix. Bake at 350 on bottom rack for 30-35 min. Cover with foil, if needed to prevent excessive browning. Bake 15-20 min more. Cool in pan on wire rack. Remove pan and cut in wedges.

Spicy Brownies

2007-10-14T14:24:00.000-06:00

Spicy Brownies - Midwest Living Aug 07
2 c. sugar
1.25 c. flour
¾ c. cocoa powder
4 t. cinnamon
1.5t. ground anise or Chinese 5 spice
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper (I would increase)
¾ c. cooking oil
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla

Line 13x9 pan w/ foil; lightly grease foil ( I didn’t do this). Set aside. In large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, ground anise/5 spice powder, baking powder, salt and cayenne. In med bowl, whisk together oil, eggs and vanilla; add egg mix all at once to flour mix. Stir w/ wooden spoon just til combined. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 min or til toothpick comes our clean. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 24 brownies.

Larb

2007-10-14T14:23:00.001-06:00

Larb
This recipe came from my mom. She took a cooking class when they travelled to Thailand from a chef there....so it really is authentic:)
1 c. ground chicken meat
2 c. chicken stock or water
1 c. diced shallot( I used extra green onion)
4 T green onion
1 t. Chili powder or chili flakes
4 T roasted rice powder* (cut down to 3 T it was too grainy)
4 T lime juice
2 T fish sauce
¾ c. cilantro, chop
1/8 c. mint leaves
Heat up 2 c. water/stock. Quickly add ground meat. Mix constantly. Stir until chicken is cooked. Drain excess liquid. Add remaining ingredients, except mint(I added the mint in for the flavor). Mix well. Garnish with mint. *Rice powder: bake white rice in oven (I think I did it at 350, but I don't know how long. It was browning) Then put in food processor and ground into powder.

Chipotle Beef with Lime Crema

2007-10-13T23:24:00.000-06:00

chipotle beef chili with lime crema Bon Appétit September 1999 Makes 6 to 8 servings.

3 pounds ground beef ( I cut it down to 2-2.5 lb)
3 cups chopped onions
6 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 cup chili powder ( I cut it down to 1/4-1/3 c. and then used 6 T chipotle chiles instead)
2 14 1/2-ounce cans beef broth
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes with added puree
1/2 cup stout or dark beer
2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle chilies
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
2 15 1/2-ounce cans black beans, drained, rinsed

1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon grated lime peel
Corn tortilla chips

Heat heavy large pot over high heat. Add beef; sauté until cooked through, breaking up meat with spoon, about 8 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Add onions and garlic to same pot. Sauté until onions are tender, 8 minutes. Add chili powder. Sauté until fragrant, 3 minutes. Add beef, broth, tomatoes, stout and chilies. Cover partially; simmer until chili is thick, stirring often, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
Gradually stir cornmeal into chili. Stir in beans. Simmer until heated through. Season generously with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over medium heat.)
Whisk sour cream, lime juice and lime peel in small bowl. Season with salt.
Spoon chili into bowls. Spoon lime crema atop chili. Serve with chips.

The crema is a must! It added really good flavor to the soup. I didn't think that there was that much heat to the soup, but I like it hot. However, for people who don't like a "spicy" soup it would cut the heat.

Enjoy!

Penang Curry

2007-10-13T23:20:00.000-06:00

Ok, Patri....here's one of....(how many do I owe you now?) I'm on the wrong computer for the rest of them, but we'll consider this a good start:)

Penang Curry

You need:
1 cup of chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 c. cocnut milk (I used half of the can:)
1 tablespoon of chopped garlic
2 to 3 tablespoons of penang curry paste
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
sugar to taste
2 lime leaves, finely shredded
10-15 basil leaves, finely shredded

Place a wok over medium high heat, and warm the coconut milk, but don't let it boil. Add the curry paste, and stir it until the oil begins to seperate out and form a thin film, to bring out the maximum flavour. Add the remaining ingredients except the lime and basil leaves, and simmer until the sauce is absorbed and thickened, then add the leaves and stir fry briefly before serving. Garnish with julienned red chillies, with steamed white rice, and the usual table condiments.

Sorry, I can't remember which site I swiped this from. I will hunt it down and post it later:)

Crockpot Eggplant and Tomato Stew

2007-10-13T18:08:00.000-06:00

This is totally awesome. I served it with corn bread and a green salad with arugula, lettuce, fennel, oranges, and pears.

1 large eggplant -- cut in 1/2" cubes
2 cups chopped tomato
1 1/2 cups sliced carrot
15 ounces garbanzo beans, canned -- drained
15 ounces red kidney beans, canned -- rinsed and drained
1 larg chopped onion
1 cup sliced celery
3 cloves garlic -- minced
3 cups vegetable broth
6 ounces tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano -- crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried basil -- crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 bay leaf

1. In a 3 1/2, 4 or 5-quart crockpot, combine eggplant, tomatoes, carrots, beans, onion, celery and garlic.

2. Combine vegetable broth, tomato paste, oregano, basil, pepper, crushed red pepper and bay leaf. Pour over vegetables.

3. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Discard bay leaf. Makes 6 servings.

Garlic herb marinade

2007-10-08T15:56:00.000-06:00

OK, while this recipe is a bit summery, it was 86 degrees here today. And I was making split pea soup. Long, slow simmered split pea soup. Blech.

We're having grilled shrimp marinated with this recipe for dinner, accompanied by rosemary polenta.

This is a Barefoot Contessa recipe (I LOVE Ina!!!!!) that I've been using for about 6 months now. It's great on shrimp and yummy on chicken too. The recipe makes enough for 2 pounds of protein. It's easy to divide or multiply.

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, small-diced
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 lemon, juiced

Combine all the ingredients and allow them to marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Chili Queens

2007-10-06T10:57:00.000-06:00

Mindy and I cooked dueling hot chilis yesterday afternoon for the squadron's annual chili cook off hoping that at least one of the two would defend my co-title from last year of BEST HOT CHILI. I HEART cooking with Mindy, so that was the real treat of the day.

Mindy's Chipotle Beef Chili defended the co-title of BEST HOT CHILI and it was really yummy and chipotle-ish - for someone (Mindy) who doesn't like chili she kicked some serious chili ass and her pot was empty pretty quickly.

My chili won BEST OVERALL CHILI! Dethroning once and for all the two year title holder. Even though John said mine wasn't going to win because it was too weird... Who listens to him anyways?! I stuck to my guns and made Green Chili with Pork from where else but epicurious! The beauty of it is that it takes all of 30mins to make - which means it will end up in our standard recipe pile.

I will post my recipe and make Mindy post hers!

- - - - -

Green Chili with Pork
(4 main course servings)

ingredients::
1 medium white onion, quartered
2 (3- to 4-inch) fresh jalapeño chiles, stemmed and quartered, including seeds*
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 fl oz)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 lb ground pork
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (14- to 15-oz) can white hominy (also called pozole), rinsed and drained
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

preparation::
Purée onion, chiles, and garlic with 1/2 cup chicken broth in a blender.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown pork, season meat with salt and pepper or Adobo while browning, stirring and breaking up clumps with a fork, just until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot.

Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to pot and heat over moderately high heat until hot, then carefully add purée (it will spatter), cumin, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened and most of liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes.

Add pork, hominy, cilantro, and remaining 1 1/4 cups broth and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Serve chili sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and cheese.

*For more heat add 1/2 or 1 jalapeño extra to the recipe.

chili cookoff.

2007-09-30T20:06:00.000-06:00

I'm calling in for reinforcements _ Mindy and I have a squadron function on Friday and it's the annual Cook-Off. Last year I brought the title home for 'best hot chili' with our Pork Chili Verde recipe - I have to say, it's a really mean recipe and it's as good as it is labor intensive. But since I won't have time to char, peel and babysit peppers any time this week, I decided to call in reinforcements.

Fellow hungry girls - you got anything for us??

Sorry for the picture of Homer, all I can think of when someone says the word 'chili' is 'Mmmaaarrrgggeee, chili!'

Our favorite thin-crust pizza dough

2007-09-25T13:26:00.000-06:00

1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)
1/4 ounce active dry yeast
1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, honey and 1 tablespoon of the oil, stirring to combine. Let it sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and the sale, mixing by hand until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Continue adding flour 1/4 cup at a time, working the dough after each addition, until the dough is smooth but slightly sticky. You might not use all the flour.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky; about 3-5 minutes.

Oil a large bowl with the remaining oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to double in size, about 90 minutes.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is best used on the day it's made. It does keep in the fridge overnight (make sure you leave a LOT of room) but gets very sticky.

We make pizza about once a week. I preheat my stone for an hour in a 425 oven.

Fresh Cilantro Chutney

2007-09-21T08:33:00.000-06:00

We had Mindy and her clan over for dinner last night. We have dinner together at least once or twice each week (it's a leftover reflex from the deployment days). I have to be on my A-game because if I slip a little Mindy will end up cooking everything (which is not as bad as it sounds!). So last night we made Mahi Mahi with Fresh Cilantro Chutney (Bon Appetit, October 2007). There was really nothing special about the mahi - seasoned with adobo (it really called for s&p, but the Puerto Ricanness runs deep!) and some cumin - but the awesome part was the chutney. It was used as liberally as chimichurri and it was just so flavorful, I'm sure Mindy can back me up.

ingredients ::
1 cup (packed) chopped fresh cilantro
1 large kiwi, peeled, cubed
1/4 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk*
1 large garlic clove, peeled
2 teaspoons chopped jalapeño chili

preparation::
Coarsely puree first 5 ingredients in processor. Season chutney with salt and pepper.

(photo snatched from epicurious.com)

shakshuka

2007-09-18T06:28:00.000-06:00

Think of it as Middle Eastern huevos rancheros. Shakshuka (pronounced shack-SHOUK-ah) is a classic North African/Middle Eastern dish. In Israel, it's typical cafe food, eaten any time of day with pita or a slice of bread.

It's a humble, extremely simple recipe: thick tomato sauce, peppers (bell or hot), onions, with eggs poached on top. But as with most recipes of this kind, there are thousands of regional and cultural variations on the theme. You can add or subtract sausages, hot peppers, grated cheese, or red wine, just as you would with any good tomato sauce. I make it with leftover spaghetti sauce.

Use the recipe below as a sketch, meant to be adjusted and riffed off of.

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2 sm. onions, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed or sliced finely
1/2 green pepper, sliced or cubed
1 red pepper, sliced or cubed
1 fresh red chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
1 sm can tomato paste
1 can whole tomatoes (cut tomatoes in half, juice reserved)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
6 (or so) eggs
salt and pepper to taste

chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

1. Make tomato sauce: In heavy saucepan, dice onions and fry in olive oil until golden. Add garlic, peppers and tomatoes. Stir gently, on medium heat, and add reserved tomato juice, tomato paste, and spices until sauce becomes stewy and aromatic. Add water or juice as necessary if sauce becomes overly thick.

2. Poach eggs: Once sauce has become thick, with a spoon carve out holes in sauce and gently place raw the eggs in holes. Cover saucepan and simmer until eggs are poached.

Serve very hot in the pan, garnish with cilantro. Great with fresh bread or toast.

Serves 4 for breakfast.

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Here's a video someone took at the excellent Dr. Shakshuka restaurant in Jaffa (just south of Tel Aviv), where the owner demonstrates his technique. (No Hebrew language skills required.)

Orange Bread

2007-09-16T18:09:00.000-06:00

I got this recipe from The Best of Shaker Cooking. I was given this cookbook as a present when I left Darrow. I had doubts that there would be anything good in it, but it has been a surprisingly good resource! This bread has an almost sponge-cake-like consistency. I think it would be quite good with chocolate sauce for a dessert. PLEASE don't tell Bob about the milk or butter in the recipe. He is in love with this bread.....

1 cup small pieces of orange peel
water
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 TBS butter
1 egg
2 c. milk
4 c. flour
4 tsps baking powder
1/8 tsp salt

Put the orange peel in a small saucepan and just cover with water. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add 1 cup of the sugar and boil until you get a syrup. Cream the butter and sugar, add the egg and milk. Mix flour with baking powder and salt. Add to other ingredients and beat well. Add the orange peel mixture. Put the batter into two greased bread pans. Let stand for 20 minutes. Bake for 40 minutes in a 325 degree oven.

Chicken Hominy Soup

2007-09-13T08:01:00.000-06:00

I told Mindy I would give her this recipe when she was complaining that her pozole recipe took too long to cook. I found this one earlier in the year out of a Bon Appe and the cool thing is that by using the purchased chicken time cuts down immensely and making pozole is actually doable.

ingredients::

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 bunches green onions, sliced
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
10 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can petite tomatoes in juice
1 purchased roast chicken, meat shredded, skin and bones discarded
4 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
3 (15-ounce) cans golden or white hominy in juice
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

preparation::

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add green onions, cumin, and paprika; sauté 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes with juice, chicken, and hot pepper sauce. Puree hominy with juice in processor or blender. Mix into soup; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Ladle soup into bowls.

Bon Appétit, February 2007

Jenny's Recipes

2007-09-09T11:03:00.001-06:00

I've created a place to share links to great sites for recipes which doubles as a shameless plug for my recipe blog, Jenny's Recipes. I was feeling lazy about re-posting....

Pumpkin & Black Bean Soup

2007-09-07T07:10:00.000-06:00

Made this Wednesday as a test for the business. Everyone loved it. Tasters included my friend Julie (who sent me the recipe) and her family, as well as three pre-school teachers who are on Weight Watchers. There's a joke in there somewhere!

I modified the original recipe by doubling the amount of broth (I used homemade chicken -- not veg), adding a second can of beans, and changing the 1 cup of heavy cream to 1/2 cup half-and-half. I also added the seasoning to the onions, rather than at the end. I think that they really need to bloom in the oil, but that's me. Recipe yielded 4 quarts with these changes.

Finally, true confessions. It's a Rachael Ray recipe. So it's quick and easy, and I'm going to recommend it despite how infernally annoying I find her.

Here's the modified recipe.
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
2 cans (15 ounces) black beans, drained
2 cans (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt
20 blades fresh chives, chopped or snipped, for garnish

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add onion. Saute onions 5-10 minutes until softened, then add curry, cumin, cayenne and stir about 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes, black beans and pumpkin puree. Stir to combine ingredients and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in half-and-half and salt to taste. Simmer 5 minutes, adjust seasonings and serve garnished with chopped chives.

Original recipe is at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_21825,00.html?rsrc=search

Chimichurri

2007-09-06T16:02:00.000-06:00

1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley
1 cup (packed) fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2/3 cup olive oil

Just mix it all up in a blender and drizzle all over chicken, meat, fish... and let some fall on your plate but make sure you have enough fresh bread to clean the plate with!