i might have to try this

I stumbled across this recipe for baked feta -- such a simple concept but it looks absolutely delicious.  Read the full post and recipe here.

Photo and Recipe: Lottie + Doof

lazy sundays

I had an awesomely relaxing, do-nothing-at-all weekend -- definitely what I've been needing.  Feeling too lazy (and too cheap) to grab brunch on Sunday, so I threw together a quick and easy breakfast with what we had on hand. 

Soft scrambled eggs with herb goat cheese and roasted red pepper relish, arugula salad and whole wheat sourdough toast.  These flavors came together perfectly and really hit the spot!

Recipe --

Roasted Red Pepper Relish (makes about 2 cups)

3 tbl olive oil

2 14 oz jars roasted red peppers, rinsed, drained, chopped

1 1/2 cups chopped onions

3 tsp finely chopped garlic

4 tbl cider vinegar

3 tbl sugar

1/4 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Heat oil in a large saute pan over med-high heat.  Add peppers and saute 2-3 minutes.  Next add onions and garlic and cook until onions are tender, stirring frequently (about 5 min).

Mix vinegar, sugar, mustard and cayenne pepper in a small bowl until sugar dissolves .  Add vinegar mixture to the saute pan with peppers and season with salt + pepper.  Continue cooking relish until all the liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently.  Cool at room temp.  And for a "smoother" consistency, pulse in a food processor.

This relish is also great as a sandwich spread and could even work as a bruschetta topping!

Recipe: Bon Appetit

curry retake

Not sure if you recall, I made a way-too-spicy vegetable curry a while back...

Well it's taken some time for the taste buds to recover -- but I finally reworked some of the recipe proportions.  Let me tell you -- this version turned out SO MUCH better!  I ended up making a chicken pumpkin curry (the result of an impulse pumpkin purchase and some leftover chicken in my fridge), but the general concept is the same.

Recipe --

1 chicken breast, around 1/2 lb, thinly sliced on the bias (optional)

2 cups cubed pumpkin

1 13 oz can coconut milk

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced

2 tbl minced ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

8 oz water

5 tbl thai red curry paste (such as Thai Taste)

3 tbl palm sugar

1 tsp fish sauce

1 lime, juiced

fresh basil, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

Start by sweating onion, garlic and ginger in about 1 tsp veg oil until tender.  Add chicken and cook briefly, just long enough to start the cooking process (around 2 min).  Add pumpkin and bell pepper and cook 1 minute more.  Season the mixture.

Add curry paste to the chicken and vegetables and cook for a few minutes (careful not to burn the curry).  Add coconut milk and water and bring to a simmer.  Continue to simmer gently until pumpkin is cooked through and tender.  Finish with fish sauce, lime juice, and additional seasoning to taste.  Garnish with fresh basil. 

Ladle over steamed rice and enjoy!

christmas shopping + quesadillas

We swung buy a few shops last night -- trying to finish up our Christmas shopping (heading home to O-hi-O in just over a week).  This inevitably brought up our usual conversation, "what should we eat for dinner tonight?"  I was in the mood for Indian, "How about Pakwan?"  To which he responded, "YES!"...errr....if only we could find parking.   After tirelessly driving around the Mission with no luck, we ended up back home and disappointed. Darn.

Fortunately, I'd stocked the fridge with all the fixings for quesadillas (thinking ahead) -- and even had stuff to make my guacamole (which is really good...or so I've been told)!  So it all worked out in the end.  Sigh.

Guacamole recipe --

3 ripe avocado (I like hass)

1/2 small red onion, finely diced

1 med garlic clove, minced

1/2 large jalapeno, minced

3 limes, juiced

2 tbl minced cilantro

salt + pepper, to taste

Halve all avocados and remove pits.  Add onion, garlic, jalapeno, juice from 1 lime and half of the avocado (or 1 1/2 avocados) to to a med bowl.  Mash avocado with a fork and work in other ingredients until well incorporated.  Use a knife to "dice" the remaining avacados halves.  To do this hold the half in your palm and gently run the tip of our knife lengthwise (creating strips) then crosswise -- careful not to go through the skin.  Then scoop out chunks with a spoon and add to the rest of the mixture.  Gently stir to incorporate, leaving the chunks in tackt.  Finish with the remaining lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. 

stone fence

This is a really nice and festive fall/winter cocktail.  We've served it two Thanksgivings in a row -- and is sure to be a crowd favorite!

Recipe -- "The Stone Fence"

3  cups  apple cider

3/4  cup  Calvados (apple brandy)

1/8  teaspoon Angostura bitters
1  (26 oz.) bottle sparkling apple juice ice
8  slices unpeeled apple
8  cinnamon sticks

 

This drink is incredibly simple to prepare.  Just combine apple cider, brandy and bitters in a pitcher and poor over ice.  To finish it off, garnish with an apple slice and cinnamon stick!  But be careful, this thing will sneak up on you...

chowda

I recently made this butternut squash and chicken chowder -- sort of a take on the classic New England version -- using ingredients I had leftover in the fridge.  And I actually really love how it turned out!

Recipe --

2 strips thick-cut bacon, diced

1 tsp vegetable oil

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 small leek, white + light green parts, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup water

1 cup butternut squash, cut into 1" cubes

1/2 cup cooked chicken breast, cubed

1/2 cup cream

1-2 tbl cornstarch, plus equal parts water, whisked together

salt and pepper, to taste

dash tabasco sauce
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Start by cooking the bacon in a pot with oil, until it begins to brown and fat is rendered.  Add onion, celery and leeks to pot and sweat for a few minutes until softened. Next incorporate seasoning (thyme, bay leaf and old bay seasoning) and cook a couple minutes more.

Add chicken stock, water and cream to the bacon and vegetable mixture and bring to a simmer.  Then add squash and cook until tender -- 10 to 15 min.  The squash will naturally thicken the chowder slightly, but it will still be a bit too runny.  To thicken, I prepared a "slurry" -- which is the combination of water and cornstarch (in equal parts).  Add a small amount of the slurry and allow the mixture to come to a boil.  Continue to do this until you achieve the desired thickness.  If you accidentally over-do it, just add a bit more water.  Simmer for 5 more minutes, then add a dash of tabasco and adjust seasoning.  Top with cheese and serve.  Pretty easy! Love it!!

chick'n dinner

This is a whole roasted chicken I made for dinner the other night. I used this really nice rosemary salt a friend had given me a while back to season the bird --  which added really nice flavor.  I like to season it two days in advance and just wrap it loosely in the refrigerator.  This works a lot like a brine and gives you super juicy, tender meat.

To roast the bird -- I used a procedure from the Zuni Cafe Cookbook (a restaurant famous for its Zuni Roast Chicken, if you're not familiar), which I've found works great.  It recommends working with a small fryer (around 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 lbs.) and simply tucking a sprig of herb under the skin on each breast and thigh.  The recipe doesn't call for any extra fat because the fat from the skin naturally renders leaving you with beautifully crisp skin!  

To cook -- heat a small roasting dish (just slightly larger than the chicken) over medium-high heat, then add chicken, breast side up -- it should sizzle.  Place in a preheated 450 degree oven and roast for around 30 min.  The chicken will begin to brown and you should hear the juices sizzling.  If the pan begins to smoke, reduce the heat by 25 degrees.  Then, turn the bird over, so it's breast side down and cook another 10 min.  Return the chicken to breast-side up and finish cooking (another 15 - 20 min).  Internal temp should be 165 degrees and skin should be nice and crisp.  This is really all it takes -- and you will be amazed how declicious this simple dish can be.  I paired mine with the butternut squash gratin --- so good!

stock up

I wanted to make a turkey stock this year, rather than buying one of the "turkey flavored" variety, which doesn't really have the same character as a true stock.  While it takes a little extra time and some foresight to do yourself, the end result is a much more flavorful stock -- and thus delicious gravy!

What you'll need:

4 lbs of turkey necks plus 1 lb chicken wings (5 lbs total) 

1tbl vegetable oil

2 onions, diced

2 leeks, white and light green parts diced, dark green parts reserved

2 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 tbl tomato paste

2 sprigs fresh thyme

6 parsley stems

8 black pepper corns

enough water to cover

To start rinse turkey necks and chicken wings and pat dry.  Heat oil in saute pan until rippling and add necks + wings.  Sear on all sides and transfer to a large stock pot. Cover bones with cold water and bring temp up to a simmer.  

While the water is heating up add onions, leeks, celery and carrots to the same saute pan (do not wipe out, you'll want to retain the flavors) and saute until browned slightly.  Then add tomato paste and cook a few minutes more.  

 

Next you'll need to make what's called a bouquet garni.  Using the dark green portions of the leek,  fill with thyme sprigs, parley and peppercorns.  Roll into a tube and tie with butcher string.  This is used to add flavoring to the stock.

 

Once the water in your pot has begun to simmer, carefully skim any scum (looks a lot like foam) that starts to form on top.  This is something you'll want to continue to do throughout the cooking process.  Then add the vegetable mixture and bouquet garni to pot and return to simmer.  You want to make sure that the pot never goes beyond a gentle simmer -- this will give you a much clearer end product.  Simmer stock for 2 hours, skimming periodically.  

And that's it!  Home-made stock!

gratin

So I didn't make it to the Farmer's Market this weekend,  however I DID end up cooking with winter squash!  I decided to make butternut squash gratin (think potatoes au gratin -- if you grew up in the Midwest you know what I'm talking about). This was sort of a trial run for a potential Thanksgiving side dish.

Recipe --

Serves 2, but can easily be multipled to serve more.  If planning to do so, use a shallow casserol dish rather than the individual gratin dishes. 

1/4 medium butter nut squash, peeled and sliced very thin

1 tsp + 2 tbl butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 clove garlic, minced

salt + white pepper, to taste

pinch nutmeg

2 tbl parmesan

4 tbl bread crumbs

1 tsp minced fresh sage

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Peel and slice squash -- you want to make the slices as thin as possible (think potato chip thin).  Use enough squash to create 3-4 layers in the dish -- this could be more or less depending on the size of your squash.  Use 1 tsp of butter to grease the inside of the dish and lay slices flat.

Next, combine cream, garlic, salt, white pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.  Whisk together.  Note: be sure to salt liberally -- it should actually taste a bit salty -- as you won't be able to adjust seasoning later on. Pour cream mixture over squash until it is half way up the dish.  It's important not to over-fill the container.  Cover with a piece of parchment paper, then cover tightly again with foil.  If using small gratin dishes, set on a sheet pan before placing in the oven.  Bake for 35 - 40 min -- it is done when cream is bubbling and a skewer comes out clean when poked through squash.

While the gratin is cooking, melt 2 tbl of butter in a small saute pan.  Add bread crumbs, sage and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Toss until golden brown.

When done cooking, remove dish from the oven and preheat broiler. Uncover and top with shredded parmesan and bread crumb mixture.  Place under broiler until cheese is melted and bread crumbs are toasted.

The dish turned out REALLY good  (seriously, lick the plate good) and there's no doubt it's making its way onto the menu for Thursday...

salad + sandwich

Another quick and easy dinner -- rosemary ham (found at Whole Foods -- really delicious) and smoked gouda panini with traditional pesto mayonnaise, paired with an arugula, pear, shaved parmesan and toasted walnut salad!

Recipe for traditional pesto mayonnaise -- 

(Traditional Pesto)
1 cup fresh basil
1 cup fresh spinach
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, blanched
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
salt and pepepr, to taste


(Mayonnaise)
2 egg yolks
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbl white wine vinegar
1 1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 lemon, juice
salt and pepper, to taste 

To make this spread, you'll prepare each component (pesto + mayonnaise) separately before combining.  The pesto is SO easy!  Add all ingredients except oil to a food processor and pulse until finely pureed, then stream in oil (as processor is running).  Adjust seasoning.

The mayonnaise, which is actually a classical French sauce (and not merely something that comes in a plastic jar), is a little bit trickier -- but the end result is definitely worth making fresh at home!  However, if you're in a bind or don't feel up to the challenge you can always use a store-bought version.

OK, so you have two options -- to use a whisk and prepare by hand (which can be a little tiring, but totally doable) or use an electric mixer.  Either way, the process of making mayonnaise is the same.  First, break and separate egg yolks from whites.  In a bowl add dijon mustard, vinegar and egg yolks.  Whisk ingredients vigorously until well incorporated and mixture has stiffened slightly.  The goal is to create an emmulsion (a susspention of fat -- the oil -- in "water").  To do this you need to slowly incorporate the oil, all while whisking constantly...now the first time I tired this I ended up with mayonnaise soup.  This was because I didn't understand just how SLOWLY I needed to add the oil.  Start with just 1 drop at a time and whisk, whisk whisk.  Then add another drop and whisk, whisk, whisk.  As you continue this process, you'll notice that it starts to thicken.  The oil actually adds viscocity to the mixture and as this happenes, you'll be able to stream the oil more quickly without breaking your emmulsion.  Keep going in this manor until all of the oil has been added.  Finish the sauce with a few drops of lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Voilà - mayaonnaise!

You'll have more of each component than you'll need for the paninis.  Add roughly 3 tbl of pesto to 1/2 cup mayonnaise and reserve remainder for future spreads.

soup + sandwich

One of my favorite childhood food memories is of soup and grilled cheese -- a staple in my house growing up.  But rather than the classic Kraft American cheese and Wonderbread, I like to do a dressed up version with smoked gouda and an olive tapenade on rustic artisan bread.  I love the combination of the smoky cheese and briney olives and capers, which made a nice accompaniment to left-over root vegetable soup.

Recipe for Olive Tapenade --

1 cup nicoise olives

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 tbl capers

1 lemon, juice + zest

1 tsp ouzo (anise flavored liquor)

1 tbl extra-virgin olive oil

Finely chop olives, garlic and capers (or pulse in a food processor).  Add lemon juice, zest, ouzo and olive oil -- stir to combine.  Adjust seasoning -- to taste.

To make the grilled cheese -- brush 1 side of each slice of bread with melted butter.  Add a thin layer of the tapenade to the inside of 1 slice of bread, add cheese and top with the second slice.  I like to use a grill pan and press (panini-style) to cook the sandwich.  Cook until golden brown and cheese is melted.  Yum!

farm fresh II

 
A few more images from my weekend trip to the farmer's market!  This bag of tri-color potatoes turned out to be the inspiration for an impromptu dinner with family later that evening.

These potatoes reminded my marketing companion, Laura, of a particularly tasty root vegetable soup she'd had -- which we thought would be fun to try and replicate.  Along with the bag of potatoes, we bought turnips, rutabaga, baby carrots and shallots -- all perfectly suited for a warming bowl of fall soup.  We also picked up rustic pumpkin seed bread, some bitter wild greens and delicious persimmons.

Recipe for soup -- 
(Note: this was more or less an experimental recipe and quantities are "guestimates"...since I'm not always good about measuring things out.  When in doubt, taste and adjust)

Serves: 6-8 people

1 lb tri-colored potatoes
2 medium rutabaga
2 medium turnips
1/2 lb. carrots (multiple colors)
1 medium onion, medium dice
1 shallot, quartered
4 cloves garlic, whole and peeled
2 tbl tomato paste
1 1/2 cups red wine
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 bay leaves
2 tbl paprika
1 tbl chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
water or vegetable stock (enough to cover vegetables + more to adjust consistency) 
1 cup milk
salt and pepper, to taste


We started by roasting all of the root vegetables (450 degrees for 30 - 45 min, or until cooked through).  In a separated dish, we also roasted the shallot, onion and garlic (this will take less time -- 20 - 25 min, or so).



Once cool enough to handle, we diced all ingredients and added to a dutch oven with a tsp of oil and cooked for a few minutes. We deglazed with red wine and brought to a simmer -- reducing by half.  Next, we added the water (or stock if you have it on hand) along with all the herbs and spices and allowed this to simmer for 25 min.  If you have an immersion blender, this next part will be really easy (unfortunately, we did not)!  We strained the solids (reserving the broth), transferred them to a blender and pureed until smooth.  We added the puree mixture back to the pot along with the reserved broth and adjusted the mixture by adding more water until we obtained the proper "soup" consistency.  Finally, we added vinegar and milk, and simmered 15 more minutes.  




I'm so happy with how well this dish turned out.  It was super flavorful!



Our soup was served with pumpkin seed bread and a salad of bitter greens tossed in a simple vinaigrette with persimmons purchased at the market (so delicious), goat cheese and some of my left-over croutons.  Thanks to Laura (and our other cohort, Zach) for all your help in the kitchen -- it was so much fun cooking with you!

green pea risotto

Risotto can definitely be a meal in itself! I decided to include green peas in this particular recipe -- a minor twist on the classic Risotto Milanese (adding mushrooms to this would be great as well).  Preparing risotto is a labor of love and does require your full attention while in the process of making it.

Recipe --

1 tbl butter

1 tsp olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced

1/2 cup arborio rice

3 1/2 - 4 cups stock (vegetable, chicken or beef)

4-5 saffron threads
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup frozen peas

salt and pepper, to taste

It's important to have all your ingredients preped and ready to go before starting to prepare the risotto -- this means having the onions diced, parmesan grated and peas pulled from the freezer and quickly rinsed under cool water, allowing them to thaw slightly.

Once you're ready to get started, place the stock in a small pot over medium heat (you'll want the stock to be hot before adding it to the rice).  While the stock is coming up to temp, add the diced onions to a large saute pan with butter and oil.  Cook them slowly over medium-low heat -- I like to allow the onion to darken in color and caramelize, building up a nice base of flavor for the dish.  Once onions have cooked adequately, add the rice to the pan and cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally.

At this point you're ready to begin "making" the risotto.  Arborio rice has a high starch content -- and it's actually the starch from the rice that creates it's creamy consistency.  Begin by adding a ladle or two of stock to the rice and onion mixture -- stirring slowly in a circular motion.  You want to stir almost constantly throughout the process.  Another note: keep the heat low enough that you don't really see it simmer while you're stirring (although steam should be rising off the pan), but if you stop stirring, small bubbles being to rise.  As you're stirring, you'll see that the stock becomes absorbed by the rice and the mixture seems to reduce (not to be point of being dry, however).  Now you're ready to add more stock.  Continue this process (adding several ladles of stock at a time) until the rice is cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed.  At this point, stir in the parmesan -- this should tighten up the mixture slightly.  Finally, add the thawed peas and cook just until warmed through.

The final product should still have a loose consistency -- not thick and clumpy.  Risotto can be a bit tricky, so don't be disappointed if it takes a couple of tries to get it just right!

beet salad

Beets are one of my favorite fall vegetables!  I especially love the earthy quality they provide when incorporated in a salad.  This particular salad is really ALL about the beets, which create the base for the other ingredients.  They're accented by peppery dandelion greens and creamy crumbled goat cheese -- helping to balance their natural sweetness.  I was also able to make the most of some stale sourdough bread in my pantry -- turning them into croutons -- which added a bit of crunch to the salad.  And I tossed it all in a tasty balsamic-thyme vinaigrette. 

For the salad --

10 baby beets (or roughly 4 larger beets)

1 cup dandelion greens, torn into pieces

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

4 oz stale bread (sourdough or other), cubed

2 tbl olive oil

1 tsp dry Italian seasoning blend

salt, to taste

For the dressing --
2 tbl shallot, finely chopped

1 tbl rice wine vinegar

3 tbl balsamic vinegar

2 tsp honey

1 tsp mustard
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 sprigs thyme, leaves

salt and pepper, to taste

To start, I roasted the beets (just remove stems and wrap in foil with a bit of oil and salt) at 425 degrees for around an hour (or until tender).  Once cool enough to handle, remove the skins and cut into quarters (if using the baby beets or 1" cubes if using larger beets).  

The croutons are SO easy (you'll never want to by croutons again)!  Heat olive oil in a pan, add cubes of bread and sprinkle with seasoning mixture and salt.  Toss often until slightly browned and crisp on the outside -- this only takes 8 minutes or so. 

Finally, whisk together ingredients for the dressing.  Because the dandelion greens are pretty hearty, you'll want to toss these in a couple tablespoons of dressing and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes.  After the greens have had some time to absorb a bit of the dressing, add beets and toss with more of the dressing (you don't want the salad to be soaked with dressing, so just add until you get the desired ratio -- you should have some left over).  Top beets and greens with the crumbled cheese and a couple handfuls of croutons. Enjoy!

i heart pumpkin

Fall is officially here (can't believe Thanksgiving is only weeks away) and lately I've had pumpkin on the brain -- dreaming of pumpkin pie topped with pumpkin ice cream...or maybe just eating them separately.  Either way pumpkin is just sooo delicious. My personal favorite fall-time treat is the pumpkin ice cream at Mitchell's. Or, you can make your own -- came across this recipe for pumpkin pie ice cream that sounds really good!

Photos: via Christie's Corner

moroccan spice

Came across this recipe for a moroccan-style marinade.  It was so good -- I decided to use it twice!

Recipe --

3/4 cup olive oil

3/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tbl fresh ginger, minced

1 tbl garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne

To prepare, whisk all ingredients together.  

I used half to marinate cubed lamb (2 hours or so) -- which I skewered.  This would be great on flank steak as well!  The other half I brushed on assorted vegetables (reserve any left-over marinade): eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini and onion.  Using a cast iron grill pan, I grilled each of the vegetables, until tender.  Once cool enough to handle -- I diced into 1 inch pieces and tossed with reserved marinade, toasted pine nuts, mint and salt & pepper.

While the vegetables were cooling, I grilled the lamb skewers until caramelized on the outside, but still pink in the center (med to med-rare).  I served the lamb skewers over quinoa that I seasoned with lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, cumin, fresh mint (minced) and salt & pepper -- and garnished the dish with a sprig of mint.

I really enjoyed both of these dishes -- and the combination of the two together.  Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Recipe: Sunset