Okay, I tried these once and I'm sort of addicted. I confess. It's a hardship.
No kidding, these cookies are great. I've made three batches so far this year, and I'll probably make two more before I'm done. If you want an easy cookie to do for the holidays, this is it. The only catch is that it has to sit in the fridge for at least two hours (preferably more than two; up to five days is acceptable and more time will help with the spice blending).
Ginger Cookies
From Orangette, adapted from Leslie Mackie’s Macrina Bakery and Café Cookbook: Favorite Breads, Pastries, Sweets & Savories
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
½ cup vegetable shortening, at room temp
6 tbs unsalted butter, at room temp
1 ½ cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger, accept no substitutes. Powdered ginger does not work here, it must be freshly grated for the recipe to work. (This takes a larger thumb of fresh ginger than you might expect. Buy about twice as much ginger as you think you'll need, because when you grate it, you'll find that a lot of ginger turns out to be useless water.)
1/3 cup molasses
½ cup sugar
In
a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground cloves,
and salt, and mix with a whisk to evenly blend. Set aside.
In a
large mixing bowl and with electric beaters, cream the shortening,
butter, and brown sugar until smooth and pale in color. Add the eggs one
at a time, mixing until incorporated and scraping down the sides of the
bowl between each addition. Add the ginger and molasses, and mix to
blend well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
Using a
rubber spatula, fold half of the flour mixture into the wet mixture.
After the first half is incorporated, add the remaining flour, and
continue folding gently until all of the flour has been absorbed. Scrape
down the sides of the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in
the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. [At this point, the dough can
hold for up to 4 days.]
Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment (makes clean up so much easier, also helps cooking. Parchment. If you're making cookies and you haven't discovered it, you should).
Pour the granulated sugar into a pie pan or shallow bowl.
When
the dough is solid and cool enough to handle without horrible sticking,
scoop it out of the bowl and roll it into balls a scant 2 inches in
diameter. Toss each of the balls gently in the sugar, and then place
them on the baking sheet (you should be able to fit eight on a single
sheet), leaving 3 inches between each ball. Bake cookies on the center
rack of the oven for 15-17 minutes, until golden brown and slightly
puffed. Let cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring
to a rack. Repeat with two more sheets of cookies.
Serves: who even knows. The recipe produces about 25 cookies, but if you eat them as quickly as my family, then it only serves about three people.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Cider Glazed Salmon
Things what I like: easy, fast fish recipes. They're healthy(ish), they're really quick, and they're practically foolproof. Exactly what I like in a go-to recipe.
Cider-Glazed Salmon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot, peeled and sliced into strips
2 cups fresh unfiltered apple cider
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
Salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
In a large, heavy skillet, combine the butter, shallot, and cider. Place over medium-high heat, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove and discard the shallots (use a slotted spoon to remove shallots if necessary).
Place the fillets gently in the pan, adjusting the heat so that the liquid just trembles. Spoon a bit of the liquid over them, so that their tops begin to cook. Cover and simmer very gently. The fillets will cook for 8 to 10 minutes per inch of thickness. To test for doneness, make a small slit with a paring knife in the thickest part of the fillet: all but the very center of each piece should be opaque. (It will keep cooking after you pull it from the heat). Transfer the cooked salmon to a platter, and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.
To prepare the glaze, raise the heat under the pan to medium-high, add a pinch of salt, and simmer, stirring frequently, until the liquid is reduced by about two-thirds. It should be slightly thickened and should just cover the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the cream. Stir well to combine. Return the heat to medium-high and boil, stirring frequently, for a few minutes, until the mixture darkens to a pale golden caramel and is reduced by one-third to one-half.
Place the salmon fillets on 4 plates and top each with a spoonful of sauce. It should coat them like a thin, loose glaze. Serve immediately.
Serves: 4 (more or less depending on how you cut your salmon)
Cider-Glazed Salmon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot, peeled and sliced into strips
2 cups fresh unfiltered apple cider
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
Salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
In a large, heavy skillet, combine the butter, shallot, and cider. Place over medium-high heat, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove and discard the shallots (use a slotted spoon to remove shallots if necessary).
Place the fillets gently in the pan, adjusting the heat so that the liquid just trembles. Spoon a bit of the liquid over them, so that their tops begin to cook. Cover and simmer very gently. The fillets will cook for 8 to 10 minutes per inch of thickness. To test for doneness, make a small slit with a paring knife in the thickest part of the fillet: all but the very center of each piece should be opaque. (It will keep cooking after you pull it from the heat). Transfer the cooked salmon to a platter, and cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.
To prepare the glaze, raise the heat under the pan to medium-high, add a pinch of salt, and simmer, stirring frequently, until the liquid is reduced by about two-thirds. It should be slightly thickened and should just cover the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the cream. Stir well to combine. Return the heat to medium-high and boil, stirring frequently, for a few minutes, until the mixture darkens to a pale golden caramel and is reduced by one-third to one-half.
Place the salmon fillets on 4 plates and top each with a spoonful of sauce. It should coat them like a thin, loose glaze. Serve immediately.
Serves: 4 (more or less depending on how you cut your salmon)
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Poached Fish With Lemon
This is so easy. I made this tonight and served it alongside French Carrot Salad and fresh green beans, and it was a fantastic meal. Simple and fast, with clean flavors that complement each other and balance one another beautifully. It's pretty too: colorful enough to be sophisticated, and fast enough to be everyday casual. Amazing.
The one thing about this recipe that you CANNOT mess with: you want everything to be as fresh as possible. Tilapia is the freshest fish I could find, so that's what I used. My fish was caught on the same day that I prepared it. If you have cod or swordfish or even a really good salmon supplier that can get you fish that was caught today, use that. Two hints to help find fresh fish if you're not buying from a fish market: hunt down your grocery store's fish or meat manager and ask when the fish came in. In my experience, they'll love you for taking an interest, and they'll go above and beyond to help you out if you tell them that you want the freshest thing they have and that it's important. Tip two: if you can't find the manager to tell you what the freshest thing is, pick the white-fleshed fish with the pinkest veins. Pink means that the blood in the fillet hasn't had time to oxidize. DO NOT BUY FISH WITH WHITE FLESH AND BROWN VEINS OR CENTER LINES. Brown means that the fish is old. Fresh fish should be white and pinkish-red. No exceptions. If all that your market or grocery has is brown, switch your dinner plans away from a fish dish, and consider beef or chicken.
Another tip: lemon juice in bottles and actual juice from actual lemons are different things. This recipe calls for both. Do not mistake the former for the latter. There is a good reason to have an actual lemon on hand to make actual lemon wedges for diners to squeeze over their fillets. Finally, there is no substitute for fresh parsley here. None of the dried stuff. It's not an expensive recipe overall, so go ahead and buy the fresh parsley. Your mouth will thank you when your recipe turns out amazing.
Poached Fish With Lemon
Adapted from a recipe from Orangette.
4 or 5 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
8-10 branches Italian parsley, well-rinsed
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp lemon juice (bottled)
Water
2 tilapia fillets, sliced down the center line to make 4 portions (IMPORTANT NOTE: what you're going for here is four portions. If you use swordfish or salmon, then four portions will obviously be different than if you use tilapia or a similarly thinner fish. It's okay. What you want here is four portions of whatever fish you can get fresh.)
1 lemon, cut into 1/4 wedges
Salt
Pepper
Take the fish out of the fridge. Sprinkle salt and pepper over one side of the fillets, rub it in a bit, then turn them over and sprinkle-then-rub the other side. Let the fish sit aside to absorb the seasoning.
In the mean time, slice the leaves off the parsley stems. Discard the stems, and place the leaves, along with the minced garlic and 1 tsp salt into a 12-inch skillet or sauté pan. Add water to a depth of about 1 1/2 inches. (Seriously. Measure it. I used a ruler.) Add the bottled lemon juice. Bring the whole deal to a boil, cover it, then turn down the temperature until it's barely on the edge of boiling and let the whole thing simmer for 15 minutes. Your kitchen will probably smell like parsley and garlic.
When the poaching liquid is ready, gently place your fish fillets into the pan. Cover it again, and cook for 8 minutes if you're using tilapia. If you're using another fish, then the rule of thumb is 'use 8 min per inch' on the thickness of your fish steaks. Apply this rule to salmon, swordfish, mahi mahi, etc. If your fish is less than an inch thick, cook it for 8 mins (no really, time it), and call it a day. Your poaching liquid should be VERY gently boiling: try to achieve a temp at which your water is barely bubbling, but also is not still.
When your fish is done, transfer each portion to a plate (I'd advise against serving it out of a serving dish, because the fish would cool down. You want to serve this as fresh and hot as you possibly can, so that the fish goes from saute pan to plate to mouth with as little interruption as possible). Use a 1/4 wedge of lemon per portion to sprinkle juice over the fish.
Makes 4 servings.
The one thing about this recipe that you CANNOT mess with: you want everything to be as fresh as possible. Tilapia is the freshest fish I could find, so that's what I used. My fish was caught on the same day that I prepared it. If you have cod or swordfish or even a really good salmon supplier that can get you fish that was caught today, use that. Two hints to help find fresh fish if you're not buying from a fish market: hunt down your grocery store's fish or meat manager and ask when the fish came in. In my experience, they'll love you for taking an interest, and they'll go above and beyond to help you out if you tell them that you want the freshest thing they have and that it's important. Tip two: if you can't find the manager to tell you what the freshest thing is, pick the white-fleshed fish with the pinkest veins. Pink means that the blood in the fillet hasn't had time to oxidize. DO NOT BUY FISH WITH WHITE FLESH AND BROWN VEINS OR CENTER LINES. Brown means that the fish is old. Fresh fish should be white and pinkish-red. No exceptions. If all that your market or grocery has is brown, switch your dinner plans away from a fish dish, and consider beef or chicken.
Another tip: lemon juice in bottles and actual juice from actual lemons are different things. This recipe calls for both. Do not mistake the former for the latter. There is a good reason to have an actual lemon on hand to make actual lemon wedges for diners to squeeze over their fillets. Finally, there is no substitute for fresh parsley here. None of the dried stuff. It's not an expensive recipe overall, so go ahead and buy the fresh parsley. Your mouth will thank you when your recipe turns out amazing.
Poached Fish With Lemon
Adapted from a recipe from Orangette.
4 or 5 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
8-10 branches Italian parsley, well-rinsed
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp lemon juice (bottled)
Water
2 tilapia fillets, sliced down the center line to make 4 portions (IMPORTANT NOTE: what you're going for here is four portions. If you use swordfish or salmon, then four portions will obviously be different than if you use tilapia or a similarly thinner fish. It's okay. What you want here is four portions of whatever fish you can get fresh.)
1 lemon, cut into 1/4 wedges
Salt
Pepper
Take the fish out of the fridge. Sprinkle salt and pepper over one side of the fillets, rub it in a bit, then turn them over and sprinkle-then-rub the other side. Let the fish sit aside to absorb the seasoning.
In the mean time, slice the leaves off the parsley stems. Discard the stems, and place the leaves, along with the minced garlic and 1 tsp salt into a 12-inch skillet or sauté pan. Add water to a depth of about 1 1/2 inches. (Seriously. Measure it. I used a ruler.) Add the bottled lemon juice. Bring the whole deal to a boil, cover it, then turn down the temperature until it's barely on the edge of boiling and let the whole thing simmer for 15 minutes. Your kitchen will probably smell like parsley and garlic.
When the poaching liquid is ready, gently place your fish fillets into the pan. Cover it again, and cook for 8 minutes if you're using tilapia. If you're using another fish, then the rule of thumb is 'use 8 min per inch' on the thickness of your fish steaks. Apply this rule to salmon, swordfish, mahi mahi, etc. If your fish is less than an inch thick, cook it for 8 mins (no really, time it), and call it a day. Your poaching liquid should be VERY gently boiling: try to achieve a temp at which your water is barely bubbling, but also is not still.
When your fish is done, transfer each portion to a plate (I'd advise against serving it out of a serving dish, because the fish would cool down. You want to serve this as fresh and hot as you possibly can, so that the fish goes from saute pan to plate to mouth with as little interruption as possible). Use a 1/4 wedge of lemon per portion to sprinkle juice over the fish.
Makes 4 servings.
French Carrot Salad
This salad is terrifically simple and fast to prepare, but it's also very colorful and has bright, bold flavors that pair well with other simple, fast dishes. I served it tonight with poached fish and fresh snapped green beans for a beautiful, colorful, healthy plate that took about 30 minutes to prep start to finish. During the holiday season, when meals are often heavy and fussy, this is a welcome respite.
My take on this one isn't strictly the French version -- for something closer to what you'll get in Paris, omit the apples and add another carrot or two to make up the volume -- but it's darn close.
French Carrot Salad
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard (you can safely substitute stone-ground mustard here as well)
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb carrots, peeled and shredded
1 Fuji apple, UNpeeled and julienned into fine sticks
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or l tsp dried parsley flakes)
Salt
Pepper
In a small bowl, whisk the orange juice, mustard, olive oil, salt, pepper, and parsley together until the dressing is completely blended. Combine the carrots and the apple in a medium bowl. Pour the dressing over the carrots and apples and toss thoroughly to coat the carrots and apples in dressing. Chill it for 30 minutes, then toss again to make sure all the dressing doesn't settle to the bottom of the bowl before serving.
Optional garnishes: golden raisins, walnuts, slivered almonds, or unsalted sunflower seeds
Makes 4 servings.
My take on this one isn't strictly the French version -- for something closer to what you'll get in Paris, omit the apples and add another carrot or two to make up the volume -- but it's darn close.
French Carrot Salad
2 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard (you can safely substitute stone-ground mustard here as well)
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb carrots, peeled and shredded
1 Fuji apple, UNpeeled and julienned into fine sticks
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or l tsp dried parsley flakes)
Salt
Pepper
In a small bowl, whisk the orange juice, mustard, olive oil, salt, pepper, and parsley together until the dressing is completely blended. Combine the carrots and the apple in a medium bowl. Pour the dressing over the carrots and apples and toss thoroughly to coat the carrots and apples in dressing. Chill it for 30 minutes, then toss again to make sure all the dressing doesn't settle to the bottom of the bowl before serving.
Optional garnishes: golden raisins, walnuts, slivered almonds, or unsalted sunflower seeds
Makes 4 servings.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
French Onion Soup
This soup takes a while to make, mostly because it takes some time to finely slice all those onions! Honestly, I usually give this about three hours from when I start on it until when I plan on serving. But the classic taste and comforting, homey air to it make this one totally worth it. Try it on a cold day with a good glass of wine to keep you company while you chop and stir.
French Onion Soup
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 large red onions, thinly sliced
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 large yellow cooking onion, thinly sliced (if you need a larger amount of soup, you can use two yellow onions, or even add another red onion. Don't add another sweet onion if you can help it, though)
48 fl oz. chicken stock (this is about one and a half boxes of Kitchen Staples stock, which is what I use)
32 oz beef stock (one box of the Kitchen Staples stock)
1 cup red wine (You can get creative here a little. Half red wine and half sherry is a tasty mix, for example)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1 large (or 2 small) bay leaf
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper
8 slices French or Italian bread
8 slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese slices, room temperature (Jarlsburg also works in the absence of gruyere)
1 rind of Gruyere or Swiss (optional)
1/2 cup shredded Asiago or mozzarella cheese, room temperature
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in salt and all onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized to a deep brown and are almost syrupy. This may take 45 minutes or even up to an hour and a quarter or so. Be patient. It's good advice to let the layer of onions on the bottom of the pan brown just a little bit (not burn, just caramelize), then stir the whole thing so that a different layer is on the bottom, etc. Continue caramelizing and stirring until your onions taste sweet when you sample them, and are a uniform medium brown. A good rule of thumb for the first few times making the soup is: if you think the onions are done, give them another fifteen minutes. Don't pull them off too early, they'll generally reach another level of caramelized goodness after your first instinct might be that they're finished.
Mix chicken stock, beef stock, red wine and Worcestershire sauce into the pot with the onions. Add parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. Simmer over medium-high heat until the stock is reduced to about 1/2 of what you started with. This doesn't need to be a precise process, so just eyeball it. Reduce the heat to low, mix in the vinegar*, taste it after it's been simmering for at least ten minutes, then season to taste with salt and pepper. If you're using the rind of Gruyere or Swiss, add that to the soup now. Cover and keep over low heat to stay hot while you prepare the bread.
* Today's chemistry lesson via soup: salt is added to the initial caramelization process to help get all those sugars in the onions caramelizing. Sugars in the onions are also why we don't use sweet onions for all of the yellow onion content: their heavy sugar content would make the soup taste strangely sweet compared to the traditional french onion flavour. Vinegar is added because red onions have a tendency to turn somewhat grey-ish when caramelized and then added to soup (the same chemicals that make them red in the first place degrade with heat to a less appealing grey instead of brown) and the acid in the vinegar prevents this process from occurring, thus keeping your soup a nice warm brown colour. So don't neglect the salt just because you're worried about cholesterol (though I recommend that Kitchen Basics makes unsalted stocks, which are great for this), and don't neglect the vinegar. They're both in the recipe for chemistry reasons and will make your life easier when you're building your soup here.
Toast bread slices. If you're using a toaster oven or broiler to do this, turn the bread once so that it's toasted on all sides. Cut four of the bread slices into crouton-sized cubes, and serve in a small bowl to be added to the soup. Reserve the other four slices whole to be served alongside the soup. Arrange Gruyere slices and mozzarella in bowls so that diners can top their soup with them at the table.
Serve soup, bread, croutons, and cheeses while soup is still very hot. If you used the Gruyere or Swiss rind in the soup, remove rind before serving. Encourage diners to add croutons, and both cheeses to the soup before eating, then use the whole bread slice for sopping.
Serves 4-5.
French Onion Soup
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 large red onions, thinly sliced
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 large yellow cooking onion, thinly sliced (if you need a larger amount of soup, you can use two yellow onions, or even add another red onion. Don't add another sweet onion if you can help it, though)
48 fl oz. chicken stock (this is about one and a half boxes of Kitchen Staples stock, which is what I use)
32 oz beef stock (one box of the Kitchen Staples stock)
1 cup red wine (You can get creative here a little. Half red wine and half sherry is a tasty mix, for example)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1 large (or 2 small) bay leaf
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper
8 slices French or Italian bread
8 slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese slices, room temperature (Jarlsburg also works in the absence of gruyere)
1 rind of Gruyere or Swiss (optional)
1/2 cup shredded Asiago or mozzarella cheese, room temperature
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in salt and all onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are caramelized to a deep brown and are almost syrupy. This may take 45 minutes or even up to an hour and a quarter or so. Be patient. It's good advice to let the layer of onions on the bottom of the pan brown just a little bit (not burn, just caramelize), then stir the whole thing so that a different layer is on the bottom, etc. Continue caramelizing and stirring until your onions taste sweet when you sample them, and are a uniform medium brown. A good rule of thumb for the first few times making the soup is: if you think the onions are done, give them another fifteen minutes. Don't pull them off too early, they'll generally reach another level of caramelized goodness after your first instinct might be that they're finished.
Mix chicken stock, beef stock, red wine and Worcestershire sauce into the pot with the onions. Add parsley, thyme, and bay leaf. Simmer over medium-high heat until the stock is reduced to about 1/2 of what you started with. This doesn't need to be a precise process, so just eyeball it. Reduce the heat to low, mix in the vinegar*, taste it after it's been simmering for at least ten minutes, then season to taste with salt and pepper. If you're using the rind of Gruyere or Swiss, add that to the soup now. Cover and keep over low heat to stay hot while you prepare the bread.
* Today's chemistry lesson via soup: salt is added to the initial caramelization process to help get all those sugars in the onions caramelizing. Sugars in the onions are also why we don't use sweet onions for all of the yellow onion content: their heavy sugar content would make the soup taste strangely sweet compared to the traditional french onion flavour. Vinegar is added because red onions have a tendency to turn somewhat grey-ish when caramelized and then added to soup (the same chemicals that make them red in the first place degrade with heat to a less appealing grey instead of brown) and the acid in the vinegar prevents this process from occurring, thus keeping your soup a nice warm brown colour. So don't neglect the salt just because you're worried about cholesterol (though I recommend that Kitchen Basics makes unsalted stocks, which are great for this), and don't neglect the vinegar. They're both in the recipe for chemistry reasons and will make your life easier when you're building your soup here.
Toast bread slices. If you're using a toaster oven or broiler to do this, turn the bread once so that it's toasted on all sides. Cut four of the bread slices into crouton-sized cubes, and serve in a small bowl to be added to the soup. Reserve the other four slices whole to be served alongside the soup. Arrange Gruyere slices and mozzarella in bowls so that diners can top their soup with them at the table.
Serve soup, bread, croutons, and cheeses while soup is still very hot. If you used the Gruyere or Swiss rind in the soup, remove rind before serving. Encourage diners to add croutons, and both cheeses to the soup before eating, then use the whole bread slice for sopping.
Serves 4-5.
Chickpea, Artichoke, and Chicken Salad
My dad informed me that he'd never eaten chickpeas or artichoke hearts before I tried this variation on a chickpea-artichoke salad, but we both agreed we liked this simple, easy meal. It requires very little effort to prepare, but the flavors are wonderful.
Chickpea, Artichoke, and Chicken Salad
6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided (less if you're using non-stick pans)
2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1 16-oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I recommend Bush's as a brand; they seem to produce consistently good quality and don't have the annoying tinned taste of some other brands)
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (one for each person you intend to serve)
1/4 cup chicken stock
Pepper
Garlic salt or chicken rub (optional)
1/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds (seasonal alternative: pumpkin seeds)
In a large frypan, toast almonds (or pumpkin seeds, if you're using those) over medium heat until lightly browned. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together 3 Tbsp of the olive oil, lemon juice, basil, oregano, garlic and salt. Set aside.
In the same large frypan, heat another 1 Tbsp oil. Add the chickpeas and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until they are all golden brown (this takes about 10 minutes). Add to the bowl.
Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp oil in the pan and add the artichoke hearts, cut side down. Cook until they are browned, flipping over only once or twice to avoid breaking them up. Add them to the bowl as well.
While the artichokes are heating, in a separate pan, heat 1 Tbsp oil over high heat. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with pepper, and with garlic salt or chicken rub if desired. Place seasoned side down in the oil, then season the other side. Flip the chicken once the first side obtains a nice sear, and continue cooking. When the second side has seared as well, turn down the heat to medium and add the chicken stock to the pan. Cover and continue to cook at medium heat while you finish the artichokes and mix the salad.
Add the almonds to the salad and toss gently (try to avoid breaking up the artichokes), reserving a few of the almonds to serve as topping for people to add at the table. Slice the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, and spread atop salad. Serve while still warm.
Serves 2-3 as a main dish.
Chickpea, Artichoke, and Chicken Salad
6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided (less if you're using non-stick pans)
2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1 16-oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I recommend Bush's as a brand; they seem to produce consistently good quality and don't have the annoying tinned taste of some other brands)
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (one for each person you intend to serve)
1/4 cup chicken stock
Pepper
Garlic salt or chicken rub (optional)
1/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds (seasonal alternative: pumpkin seeds)
In a large frypan, toast almonds (or pumpkin seeds, if you're using those) over medium heat until lightly browned. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together 3 Tbsp of the olive oil, lemon juice, basil, oregano, garlic and salt. Set aside.
In the same large frypan, heat another 1 Tbsp oil. Add the chickpeas and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until they are all golden brown (this takes about 10 minutes). Add to the bowl.
Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp oil in the pan and add the artichoke hearts, cut side down. Cook until they are browned, flipping over only once or twice to avoid breaking them up. Add them to the bowl as well.
While the artichokes are heating, in a separate pan, heat 1 Tbsp oil over high heat. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with pepper, and with garlic salt or chicken rub if desired. Place seasoned side down in the oil, then season the other side. Flip the chicken once the first side obtains a nice sear, and continue cooking. When the second side has seared as well, turn down the heat to medium and add the chicken stock to the pan. Cover and continue to cook at medium heat while you finish the artichokes and mix the salad.
Add the almonds to the salad and toss gently (try to avoid breaking up the artichokes), reserving a few of the almonds to serve as topping for people to add at the table. Slice the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, and spread atop salad. Serve while still warm.
Serves 2-3 as a main dish.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Benne Seed Wafers
Benne seeds are another name for sesame seeds, so these are essentially very VERY thin cookies made of sesame seeds, butter, and flour.
The tradition for these delicate cookies goes back a long time. They're a staple from low-country South Carolina, where they originated back when plantations were in vogue, and they're still remarkably good and remarkably addictive. My mother found this recipe, and we've been making it for years. A single batch makes over a hundred cookies, but I can guarantee that you'll want to make two or more batches. These cookies are the ultimate example of "bet you can't eat just one"!
Benne Seed Wafers
½ cup sesame (benne) seeds *
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
1¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
Start by toasting the sesame seeds in a heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring often, 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Keep a close eye out, because sesame seeds burn in an instant, and the border between lightly toasted and burned is probably much finer than you'd think. (If you buy toasted seeds to begin with, omit this step. Honestly, buying toasted seeds is often both the easiest and cheapest solution here.)
Okay, once that's done, beat the butter at medium speed with electric mixer until creamy; gradually add the sugar, beating well all the while. Stir in sesame seeds, egg, and vanilla.You should end up with a creamy, sesame-seedy mixture that's quite a bit stiffer than icing, but the important bit is that the seeds are evenly distributed.
Next, combine the flour and the remaining three dry ingredients in a separate bowl; once those are stirred together homogenously, mix them gradually into the butter mixture. Cover the resulting dough, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Two or more hours is better.
Shape the batter into ½-inch balls using floured palms, then place on a greased (or parchment-lined) cookie sheet. Flatten to 1/16-inch thickness with a floured, flat-bottomed glass. (These cookies do not spread or rise at all, so you can put them pretty close together.)
Bake at 325ᵒ for 8-10 minutes or until barely browned (No really. VERY barely browned.) For this cookie, the quality of the cookie sheet is VERY important, even if you're using parchment to line your cookie sheets. I've had the best results with a dark non-stick sheet that I'd also greased very heavily (read: scrub Crisco over it until it's practically dripping; seriously do not skimp on the grease even if the cookie sheet is 'non-stick'). Pans that aren't non-stick, or are lightly-weighted, may require a whole bunch less cooking time. For a silver cooking sheet (as opposed to a dark one) that isn't non-stick and was fairly light weight, the cooking time on these should be cut from 10 min to 7.5 min in my oven. Your oven may differ and could require even less time, but my point is that the make-up of the sheet makes a big difference in cooking time, and it's easy to over-do these cookies. Cooking sheets make a HUGE difference here, so watch your cookies the first time they go in, and take them out as soon as they appear to start browning.
Transfer done cookies immediately to wire racks to cool, do not pass go, do not collect $200. The faster you get these cookies off the sheet, the easier time you'll have. It is very urgent that you transfer them to cooling racks immediately, otherwise they'll stick to the cookie sheets and it will be a whale of a time getting them free. So get them off as quickly as you can, and you'll avoid cracking the cookies in the transfer process.
Serves: about 10 dozen cookies. This will not serve as many people as you'd think. I would count the whole recipe as serving at most 4-6 adults. You read that right. These cookies are very thin, very fragile, and very addictive. Even a whole batch is probably not going to serve more than 6 adults.
*Very Important Note: sesame seeds are WAY less expensive in the Asian or Mexican food section of the grocery store than in the spice section. You can also buy them in bulk at natural food stores.
The tradition for these delicate cookies goes back a long time. They're a staple from low-country South Carolina, where they originated back when plantations were in vogue, and they're still remarkably good and remarkably addictive. My mother found this recipe, and we've been making it for years. A single batch makes over a hundred cookies, but I can guarantee that you'll want to make two or more batches. These cookies are the ultimate example of "bet you can't eat just one"!
Benne Seed Wafers
½ cup sesame (benne) seeds *
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
1¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
Start by toasting the sesame seeds in a heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring often, 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Keep a close eye out, because sesame seeds burn in an instant, and the border between lightly toasted and burned is probably much finer than you'd think. (If you buy toasted seeds to begin with, omit this step. Honestly, buying toasted seeds is often both the easiest and cheapest solution here.)
Okay, once that's done, beat the butter at medium speed with electric mixer until creamy; gradually add the sugar, beating well all the while. Stir in sesame seeds, egg, and vanilla.You should end up with a creamy, sesame-seedy mixture that's quite a bit stiffer than icing, but the important bit is that the seeds are evenly distributed.
Next, combine the flour and the remaining three dry ingredients in a separate bowl; once those are stirred together homogenously, mix them gradually into the butter mixture. Cover the resulting dough, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Two or more hours is better.
Shape the batter into ½-inch balls using floured palms, then place on a greased (or parchment-lined) cookie sheet. Flatten to 1/16-inch thickness with a floured, flat-bottomed glass. (These cookies do not spread or rise at all, so you can put them pretty close together.)
Bake at 325ᵒ for 8-10 minutes or until barely browned (No really. VERY barely browned.) For this cookie, the quality of the cookie sheet is VERY important, even if you're using parchment to line your cookie sheets. I've had the best results with a dark non-stick sheet that I'd also greased very heavily (read: scrub Crisco over it until it's practically dripping; seriously do not skimp on the grease even if the cookie sheet is 'non-stick'). Pans that aren't non-stick, or are lightly-weighted, may require a whole bunch less cooking time. For a silver cooking sheet (as opposed to a dark one) that isn't non-stick and was fairly light weight, the cooking time on these should be cut from 10 min to 7.5 min in my oven. Your oven may differ and could require even less time, but my point is that the make-up of the sheet makes a big difference in cooking time, and it's easy to over-do these cookies. Cooking sheets make a HUGE difference here, so watch your cookies the first time they go in, and take them out as soon as they appear to start browning.
Transfer done cookies immediately to wire racks to cool, do not pass go, do not collect $200. The faster you get these cookies off the sheet, the easier time you'll have. It is very urgent that you transfer them to cooling racks immediately, otherwise they'll stick to the cookie sheets and it will be a whale of a time getting them free. So get them off as quickly as you can, and you'll avoid cracking the cookies in the transfer process.
Serves: about 10 dozen cookies. This will not serve as many people as you'd think. I would count the whole recipe as serving at most 4-6 adults. You read that right. These cookies are very thin, very fragile, and very addictive. Even a whole batch is probably not going to serve more than 6 adults.
*Very Important Note: sesame seeds are WAY less expensive in the Asian or Mexican food section of the grocery store than in the spice section. You can also buy them in bulk at natural food stores.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Poached Fish with Russian Mushroom Stew
This is a great recipe for fall or winter: earthy with the taste of the mushrooms, warm with the stew, and really delicious. I'd never forayed much into Russian cuisine, but with this success under my belt I may have to revisit these flavor profiles soon.
Poached Fish with Russian Mushroom Stew
Adapted loosely from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium-sized sweet onion, finely diced
4 stalks celery, washed and finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 cup dry white wine (think chardonney)
3 cubes chicken bouillon
3 oz dried shiitake mushrooms (This was the equivalent of one package, in the store I was in. Don't be too stressed out about exact amounts with these, just grab the closest approximation that your store carries.)
1 lb white mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp dried marjoram
2 tsp dried tarragon
Salt
Pepper
4 tilapia fillets (You can use a variety of fishes, so just investigate what looks freshest at your fish counter when you go to buy fish. Go for something white fleshed [avoid salmon, tuna, or mahi], so think tilapia, cod, swordfish, or even catfish if there's nothing else that looks fresh)
Rinse off your tilapia fillets and season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside or in the refrigerator until later.
Start by re-hydrating the shiitake mushrooms. Bring 3 cups of the chicken or vegetable stock to a boil, and while it's heating, rinse the dried mushrooms thoroughly. Add the mushrooms to the boiling stock, cover, and simmer over low heat for 30-45 minutes while you go about fixing the rest of the recipe. This will create a broth flavored by both the stock and the mushrooms.
Melt the butter in a non-stick dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onions, celery, and garlic to the dutch oven and saute until the onions and celery are soft and melting, and the onions are barely beginning to brown. Turn up the heat to medium-high and add the remaining cup of chicken stock, wine, bouillon cubes, red bell peppers, sliced white mushrooms, marjoram, and tarragon to the dutch oven. Drain the broth that the shiitake mushrooms have been softening in into the dutch oven, reserving the shiitakes themselves onto a cutting board. Slice these and add them to the stew, then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the flavors get a chance to meld and mellow out.
Retrieve your tilapia fillets, and place two of them into the simmering sauce. Cover and poach on medium-high heat for five minutes, then turn the fish fillets and poach for a further three minutes. Remove the fish from the stew and set aside. Poach the remaining two fillets in the same way: five minutes on one side, three on the other. Return the first two fillets to the dutch oven for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time to bring them up to temp.
Serve immediately, preferably with crusty bread to dip in the stew.
Serves 4.
Poached Fish with Russian Mushroom Stew
Adapted loosely from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium-sized sweet onion, finely diced
4 stalks celery, washed and finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 cup dry white wine (think chardonney)
3 cubes chicken bouillon
3 oz dried shiitake mushrooms (This was the equivalent of one package, in the store I was in. Don't be too stressed out about exact amounts with these, just grab the closest approximation that your store carries.)
1 lb white mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp dried marjoram
2 tsp dried tarragon
Salt
Pepper
4 tilapia fillets (You can use a variety of fishes, so just investigate what looks freshest at your fish counter when you go to buy fish. Go for something white fleshed [avoid salmon, tuna, or mahi], so think tilapia, cod, swordfish, or even catfish if there's nothing else that looks fresh)
Rinse off your tilapia fillets and season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside or in the refrigerator until later.
Start by re-hydrating the shiitake mushrooms. Bring 3 cups of the chicken or vegetable stock to a boil, and while it's heating, rinse the dried mushrooms thoroughly. Add the mushrooms to the boiling stock, cover, and simmer over low heat for 30-45 minutes while you go about fixing the rest of the recipe. This will create a broth flavored by both the stock and the mushrooms.
Melt the butter in a non-stick dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onions, celery, and garlic to the dutch oven and saute until the onions and celery are soft and melting, and the onions are barely beginning to brown. Turn up the heat to medium-high and add the remaining cup of chicken stock, wine, bouillon cubes, red bell peppers, sliced white mushrooms, marjoram, and tarragon to the dutch oven. Drain the broth that the shiitake mushrooms have been softening in into the dutch oven, reserving the shiitakes themselves onto a cutting board. Slice these and add them to the stew, then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the flavors get a chance to meld and mellow out.
Retrieve your tilapia fillets, and place two of them into the simmering sauce. Cover and poach on medium-high heat for five minutes, then turn the fish fillets and poach for a further three minutes. Remove the fish from the stew and set aside. Poach the remaining two fillets in the same way: five minutes on one side, three on the other. Return the first two fillets to the dutch oven for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time to bring them up to temp.
Serve immediately, preferably with crusty bread to dip in the stew.
Serves 4.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Meatloaf
This recipe is an interesting take on meatloaf, a little peppier than your typical meat-and-breadcrumbs fare. It also manages to hide a surprising number of vegetables. It was a hit when I made it at my house, and served it alongside the Roasted Butternut Squash that I posted a few recipes back.
Meatloaf
Adapted from Alton Brown's Good Eats
For the meatloaf:
6 oz panko bread crumbs (if you can't find panko, regular bread crumbs will do)
1/2 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 tsp ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
5 whole cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 red bell pepper
1 lb ground chuck
1 lb ground sirloin
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
For the glaze:
1 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Large dash Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup honey
In a food processor, combine panko, basil, garlic powder, black pepper, ancho chili, chili powder, and thyme. Pulse until the mixture is of a fine
texture. Place this mixture into a large bowl.
Combine the onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper in the food processor bowl. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed. Combine the vegetable mixture, ground sirloin, and ground chuck with the bread crumb mixture. Season the meat mixture with the salt. Add the eggs and combine thoroughly, but avoid squeezing the meat.
Pack this mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, spray it with non-stick cooking spray, then turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads 155 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, combine the catsup, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and honey. Taste the glaze, and adjust ingredient amounts accordingly (more hot sauce if you like your glaze with a little more kick, more honey and ketchup if it seems too spicy). When the meatloaf has been baking for 15-20 minutes, remove it briefly from the oven and brush the glaze over all surfaces of meatloaf. Return meatloaf to oven to continue cooking for the rest of its allotted time.
Allow meatloaf to rest for approx. 10 minutes after removal from oven before serving.
Serves 8-10.
Meatloaf
Adapted from Alton Brown's Good Eats
For the meatloaf:
6 oz panko bread crumbs (if you can't find panko, regular bread crumbs will do)
1/2 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 tsp ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
5 whole cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 red bell pepper
1 lb ground chuck
1 lb ground sirloin
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
For the glaze:
1 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Large dash Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup honey
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine the onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper in the food processor bowl. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed. Combine the vegetable mixture, ground sirloin, and ground chuck with the bread crumb mixture. Season the meat mixture with the salt. Add the eggs and combine thoroughly, but avoid squeezing the meat.
Pack this mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, spray it with non-stick cooking spray, then turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads 155 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, combine the catsup, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and honey. Taste the glaze, and adjust ingredient amounts accordingly (more hot sauce if you like your glaze with a little more kick, more honey and ketchup if it seems too spicy). When the meatloaf has been baking for 15-20 minutes, remove it briefly from the oven and brush the glaze over all surfaces of meatloaf. Return meatloaf to oven to continue cooking for the rest of its allotted time.
Allow meatloaf to rest for approx. 10 minutes after removal from oven before serving.
Serves 8-10.
Vegetable Lasagne Bechamel
Most people, as I understand it, don't do the traditional Bechamel sauce anymore when making lasagne, which is sort of a shame, because this version tastes incredible, and the sauce is a huge part of that. Yes, this does take quite a while to make (dicing all of the vegetables into a fairly fine mince takes longer than you might think), but it turns out so hearty and delicious that you'll never miss the meat. It makes a LOT, but if you're having company over it's worth taking the effort to make this one. Plus, it's low-fat, which is like an extra bonus.
Vegetable Lasagne BechamelAdapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites
For the Bechamel:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unbleached white flour
2 1/2 cups milk (I like 1% for the low-fat factor, but use whatever floats your boat)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
Salt
Pepper
For the Lasagne:
1 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups finely chopped leeks, white & tender green parts
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups peeled & finely diced carrots
1/2 cup peeled & finely diced broccoli stalks
2 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets
3 cups canned tomatoes (one 28 oz can)
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1 box ( approx 3/4 lb) uncooked lasagne noodles (You don't need to cook them! They'll cook by themselves as the lasagne bakes.)
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated lowfat mozzarella
Begin by making the bechamel. Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a small sauce pan, then when the oil is warm whisk in the flour until no lumps remain and sauce is smooth. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens a bit, though the end product will not be very thick. Add the nutmeg and mustard, then salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large non-stick skillet, warm 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, leeks and thyme, then saute for 3-4 minutes (just enough to begin to soften the leeks). Add the wine, carrots, and broccoli stalks, cover and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Add the broccoli florets, cover and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender but still firm. Add a dash of salt and pepper, mix, then set the vegetable mixture aside.
Pour the canned tomatoes and juice into a bowl and crush the tomatoes by hand. Add fresh basil, mix until homogenous, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray an 8x12 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, then assemble the lasagne as follows: Layer half of the tomato-basil mixture on the bottom of the dish, then add a single layer of noodles on top of that. Layer half of the vegetable mixture on top of that, a cup of bechamel on top of the vegetables, 1/3 cup of Parmesan and 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce. Top with second layer of noodles, the rest of the vegetable mix, and the rest of the bechamel. Add third layer of noodles, the rest of the tomato-basil mixture and the remaining cheeses.
Cover and cook for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let sit for 10-15 minutes after cooking before serving.
Serves 8-10.
Vegetable Lasagne BechamelAdapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites
For the Bechamel:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unbleached white flour
2 1/2 cups milk (I like 1% for the low-fat factor, but use whatever floats your boat)
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
Salt
Pepper
For the Lasagne:
1 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups finely chopped leeks, white & tender green parts
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups peeled & finely diced carrots
1/2 cup peeled & finely diced broccoli stalks
2 1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets
3 cups canned tomatoes (one 28 oz can)
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1 box ( approx 3/4 lb) uncooked lasagne noodles (You don't need to cook them! They'll cook by themselves as the lasagne bakes.)
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated lowfat mozzarella
Begin by making the bechamel. Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a small sauce pan, then when the oil is warm whisk in the flour until no lumps remain and sauce is smooth. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens a bit, though the end product will not be very thick. Add the nutmeg and mustard, then salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large non-stick skillet, warm 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, leeks and thyme, then saute for 3-4 minutes (just enough to begin to soften the leeks). Add the wine, carrots, and broccoli stalks, cover and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Add the broccoli florets, cover and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender but still firm. Add a dash of salt and pepper, mix, then set the vegetable mixture aside.
Pour the canned tomatoes and juice into a bowl and crush the tomatoes by hand. Add fresh basil, mix until homogenous, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray an 8x12 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, then assemble the lasagne as follows: Layer half of the tomato-basil mixture on the bottom of the dish, then add a single layer of noodles on top of that. Layer half of the vegetable mixture on top of that, a cup of bechamel on top of the vegetables, 1/3 cup of Parmesan and 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce. Top with second layer of noodles, the rest of the vegetable mix, and the rest of the bechamel. Add third layer of noodles, the rest of the tomato-basil mixture and the remaining cheeses.
Cover and cook for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let sit for 10-15 minutes after cooking before serving.
Serves 8-10.
Roasted Butternut Squash with Orange Maple-Syrup Glaze
Winter squash were never a staple at my home when I was growing up, but after a couple of really nice experiences with butternut squash in restaurants, I became curious about making my own, so I adapted this recipe from one I discovered online. The results were very pleasing: tender squash with an intriguing hint of citrus.
Roasted Butternut Squash with Orange Maple-Syrup Glaze
Adapted from about.com
1 small butternut squash (2-3 lbs)
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare the squash by cutting the ends off to get rid of the stem and bottom, then cutting the squash in half lengthwise. Use a knife or spoon to scoop the seeds and pulp out of the center of the squash. Peel the squash until the green veins of the peel are gone, then dice the squash into roughly 1 inch x 1 inch cubes. Place the cubes in a large mixing bowl.
Combine the cinnamon, orange juice, maple syrup, and salt in a separate bowl, and whisk until the mixture is homogenous. Pour approximately one half of the mixture over the squash cubes in the bowl, reserving the remainder for later. Mix the cubes in the mixture until coated.
Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spread the squash cubes onto it in a single layer. Place in oven and roast for 30 min. At this point, remove from oven and use a spatula to turn the cubes over, so that both sides will roast evenly. Pour the remaining glaze that you held in reserve over the cubes at this time. Return to oven and roast for another 20 minutes, tasting a cube to test for softness at this time. Depending on the size of your cubes and on your oven, 10 or so more minutes of roasting may be required.
Serve immediately, spooning any glaze that is still liquid on the baking sheet over the squash cubes before serving.
Serves 4
Roasted Butternut Squash with Orange Maple-Syrup Glaze
Adapted from about.com
1 small butternut squash (2-3 lbs)
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare the squash by cutting the ends off to get rid of the stem and bottom, then cutting the squash in half lengthwise. Use a knife or spoon to scoop the seeds and pulp out of the center of the squash. Peel the squash until the green veins of the peel are gone, then dice the squash into roughly 1 inch x 1 inch cubes. Place the cubes in a large mixing bowl.
Combine the cinnamon, orange juice, maple syrup, and salt in a separate bowl, and whisk until the mixture is homogenous. Pour approximately one half of the mixture over the squash cubes in the bowl, reserving the remainder for later. Mix the cubes in the mixture until coated.
Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spread the squash cubes onto it in a single layer. Place in oven and roast for 30 min. At this point, remove from oven and use a spatula to turn the cubes over, so that both sides will roast evenly. Pour the remaining glaze that you held in reserve over the cubes at this time. Return to oven and roast for another 20 minutes, tasting a cube to test for softness at this time. Depending on the size of your cubes and on your oven, 10 or so more minutes of roasting may be required.
Serve immediately, spooning any glaze that is still liquid on the baking sheet over the squash cubes before serving.
Serves 4
Creamy Sauteed Brussel Sprouts with Pine Nuts
This is a really earthy, surprisingly filling, and very quick dish that presents a totally different take on Brussels sprouts than most people have become acquainted with. There's not a trace of bitterness, and the sprouts cook down to tender goodness that goes nicely with pasta (I recommend whole-grain fettuccine if you can find it; the taste furthers the whole earthy theme). It's sprouts for people who don't like sprouts, so if you have an inveterate sprout-hater in your home (my father is one such person), try serving this one without telling them that it's made up of Brussels sprouts. I'm betting that after they taste it, they'll never guess.
Creamy Sauted Brussel Sprouts with Pine Nuts
Adapted from Orangette
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and chopped into a rough hash
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Salt
3 Tbsp. heavy cream, with possibly more to taste
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
½ lb. dried pasta, preferably fettuccine or another long noodle, for serving
Place a large pot of salted water over high heat.
While the water is heating, prepare the pine nuts. Place a large heavy skillet over medium heat. When the pan is warm, add the pine nuts and, shaking the pan frequently, toast until golden and fragrant. (Careful: they burn easily.) Transfer to a small bowl, set aside. Set the pan aside as well, but do not wash it: you’ll use it again in a minute.
When the water boils, add the pasta and cook until al dente.
While the pasta cooks, prepare the Brussels sprouts. Return the skillet to the stove, and place over medium-high heat. You want it to get quite hot. Add the olive oil and 2 Tbsp. of the butter, reserving the remainder of the butter for later. When the butter has melted – it’s okay if it browns a little; mine did – add the Brussels sprouts and salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the Brussels sprouts have partially wilted and the white portions of the Brussels sprouts cores are beginning to turn very slightly browned and caramelized. Use the remaining Tbsp. of butter if the mixture appears to be getting too dry, or sticking too readily to the skillet.
If the pasta is ready at this point, drain it, and set aside to be served as with the sprouts. When the Brussels sprouts have sauted enough to lose their bitter flavor and gain an earthy edge (6-8 minutes on my range top), add the pine nuts and cream to the skillet with the sprouts, and stir until the sprouts are lightly coated in the cream sauce.
Serve immediately by creating a bed of fettuccine topped with generous servings of the sprouts. Garnish with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on top.
Yield: 4-6 servings
Creamy Sauted Brussel Sprouts with Pine Nuts
Adapted from Orangette
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and chopped into a rough hash
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Salt
3 Tbsp. heavy cream, with possibly more to taste
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
½ lb. dried pasta, preferably fettuccine or another long noodle, for serving
Place a large pot of salted water over high heat.
While the water is heating, prepare the pine nuts. Place a large heavy skillet over medium heat. When the pan is warm, add the pine nuts and, shaking the pan frequently, toast until golden and fragrant. (Careful: they burn easily.) Transfer to a small bowl, set aside. Set the pan aside as well, but do not wash it: you’ll use it again in a minute.
When the water boils, add the pasta and cook until al dente.
While the pasta cooks, prepare the Brussels sprouts. Return the skillet to the stove, and place over medium-high heat. You want it to get quite hot. Add the olive oil and 2 Tbsp. of the butter, reserving the remainder of the butter for later. When the butter has melted – it’s okay if it browns a little; mine did – add the Brussels sprouts and salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the Brussels sprouts have partially wilted and the white portions of the Brussels sprouts cores are beginning to turn very slightly browned and caramelized. Use the remaining Tbsp. of butter if the mixture appears to be getting too dry, or sticking too readily to the skillet.
If the pasta is ready at this point, drain it, and set aside to be served as with the sprouts. When the Brussels sprouts have sauted enough to lose their bitter flavor and gain an earthy edge (6-8 minutes on my range top), add the pine nuts and cream to the skillet with the sprouts, and stir until the sprouts are lightly coated in the cream sauce.
Serve immediately by creating a bed of fettuccine topped with generous servings of the sprouts. Garnish with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano on top.
Yield: 4-6 servings
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Pounded Chicken with Pepper Jelly Sauce
In some ways, this is my Southern take on Chicken Piccata. It involves chicken breasts that get pounded flat, and a sweet-and-sour sauce that sort of echoes capers, and mostly doesn't. It's awfully tasty, though. The pounded chicken is useful as a tenderizing technique in a number of recipes, so even if the topping throws you off or you don't have a local source of pepper jelly, try the chicken in recipes like chicken Parmesan (add grated Parmesan to the panko breading, and continue per the recipe). This is really versatile and always tasty, so don't be constrained to just this sauce for topping!
Pounded Chicken
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 eggs
1 cup flour
2 cups panko breading
1 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
4 tbsp olive oil for oiling the frying pan
Start about five hours before you actually intend to cook the dish. Take each of the three chicken breasts and using a sharp knife, cut in half lengthwise, parallel to the cutting surface. This should result in six thin breast-shaped cutlets: the top and bottom of each breast that's been halved. Wipe the cutting surface, and place a sheet of waxed paper large enough to hold both a top and a bottom cutlet on it. Add one breast (this means two pieces, a top and a bottom) to the waxed paper, and cover both top and bottom cutlets with another sheet of waxed paper. Using a meat-tenderizing hammer, pound the crap out of both cutlets. Really take it to them. The goal is to get them as thin as possible. This should result in one chicken breast becoming two very much thinner cutlets.Once you've done this to each of the chicken breasts (producing 6 cutlets), salt and pepper each cutlet then sit them back in the fridge for a few hours for the chicken to soak in the seasoning.
After several hours of letting the chicken just sit in salt-and-pepper seasoning having elapsed, it's time to actually make the recipe. Get out your friendly electric frying pan, and turn on the heat to somewhere between 350 and 375 degrees and add the 4 tbsp olive oil to prevent things from sticking. Make up three bowls of prep: a bowl of flour, a bowl of egg that's whipped enough to break up the yolks and combine the eggs somewhat homogenously, and a bowl of panko-and-parsley that's mixed by hand. Take your chicken out of the fridge, and dip each cutlet into first the flour until completely coated, then the egg, then the panko. The flour will stick to the raw chicken, the egg will stick to the flour, and the panko will stick to the egg. This produces a coating that will pan-fry to a crispy and satisfying coating. Cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side in the oil at 350 degrees (refreshing the oil as necessary; the oil shouldn't be at all heavy with this one, just enough to keep it from sticking to the pan), and sit it aside on a plate that's lined with paper towels to soak up extra oil.
Pepper Jelly Sauce
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 small sweet onion (SWEET is the key word. Go for your Videlia or your Ming onions here. An ordinary white onion will need to be halved to fit this requirement)
3/4 tbsp fresh ground pepper (1/2 tbsp ground pepper if you can't do it fresh)
1 chile pepper, minced, seeds removed
1/2 cup white cooking wine
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup red pepper jelly (go for a sweet and sour jelly. Nothing too hot, but you want a bit of a kick to it. Too hot will ruin the recipe, so err on the side of sweet here).
Mince your sweet onion. Add it and the butter to a non-stick saute pan, and saute the onion until it's translucent and melting (about 8 minutes). If you need to, add more butter or olive oil to this stage until there's enough to cover the bottom of your saute pan in a thin layer.
Add the flour to the butter-onion mixture, and whisk until the flour is combined with the butter. Hopefully this will make a moderately thick sauce. You don't want a roux, but you also don't want something so thin that it's just butter. Go for a happy medium (I realize that's not terribly helpful, but this may be one of those things that can only be described by someone who's already made the darn recipe. I hope that 'happy medium between roux and butter sauce' is enough of an explanation to give a good idea).
Once the butter sauce has thickened mildly, add the ground pepper, chile pepper, wine, stock, and pepper jelly. Keep the mixture on medium heat, and stir often. The goal is to get the pepper jelly to melt. This will take about ten minutes, in my experience. Do not add stuff during this time; you want the pepper jelly to be completely melted into the sauce before you start making decisions about what to add to balance what you're tasting.
Once the pepper jelly is completely melted into the sauce (be patient, it may take longer than you think. That's not a bad thing.), taste the sauce. Add salt, pepper, or sugar to taste. If sauce is too thick, add chicken stock. Simmer until sauce is appropriately thick.
Combine:
Serve the breaded chicken and the pepper jelly sauce separately, so that your diners can add as much or as little sauce as they desire, to suit the level of spiciness that matches their taste. If you use good pepper jelly, it's not uncommon that the sauce here be gone long before the chicken disappears.
Pounded Chicken
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 eggs
1 cup flour
2 cups panko breading
1 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
4 tbsp olive oil for oiling the frying pan
Start about five hours before you actually intend to cook the dish. Take each of the three chicken breasts and using a sharp knife, cut in half lengthwise, parallel to the cutting surface. This should result in six thin breast-shaped cutlets: the top and bottom of each breast that's been halved. Wipe the cutting surface, and place a sheet of waxed paper large enough to hold both a top and a bottom cutlet on it. Add one breast (this means two pieces, a top and a bottom) to the waxed paper, and cover both top and bottom cutlets with another sheet of waxed paper. Using a meat-tenderizing hammer, pound the crap out of both cutlets. Really take it to them. The goal is to get them as thin as possible. This should result in one chicken breast becoming two very much thinner cutlets.Once you've done this to each of the chicken breasts (producing 6 cutlets), salt and pepper each cutlet then sit them back in the fridge for a few hours for the chicken to soak in the seasoning.
After several hours of letting the chicken just sit in salt-and-pepper seasoning having elapsed, it's time to actually make the recipe. Get out your friendly electric frying pan, and turn on the heat to somewhere between 350 and 375 degrees and add the 4 tbsp olive oil to prevent things from sticking. Make up three bowls of prep: a bowl of flour, a bowl of egg that's whipped enough to break up the yolks and combine the eggs somewhat homogenously, and a bowl of panko-and-parsley that's mixed by hand. Take your chicken out of the fridge, and dip each cutlet into first the flour until completely coated, then the egg, then the panko. The flour will stick to the raw chicken, the egg will stick to the flour, and the panko will stick to the egg. This produces a coating that will pan-fry to a crispy and satisfying coating. Cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side in the oil at 350 degrees (refreshing the oil as necessary; the oil shouldn't be at all heavy with this one, just enough to keep it from sticking to the pan), and sit it aside on a plate that's lined with paper towels to soak up extra oil.
Pepper Jelly Sauce
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 small sweet onion (SWEET is the key word. Go for your Videlia or your Ming onions here. An ordinary white onion will need to be halved to fit this requirement)
3/4 tbsp fresh ground pepper (1/2 tbsp ground pepper if you can't do it fresh)
1 chile pepper, minced, seeds removed
1/2 cup white cooking wine
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup red pepper jelly (go for a sweet and sour jelly. Nothing too hot, but you want a bit of a kick to it. Too hot will ruin the recipe, so err on the side of sweet here).
Mince your sweet onion. Add it and the butter to a non-stick saute pan, and saute the onion until it's translucent and melting (about 8 minutes). If you need to, add more butter or olive oil to this stage until there's enough to cover the bottom of your saute pan in a thin layer.
Add the flour to the butter-onion mixture, and whisk until the flour is combined with the butter. Hopefully this will make a moderately thick sauce. You don't want a roux, but you also don't want something so thin that it's just butter. Go for a happy medium (I realize that's not terribly helpful, but this may be one of those things that can only be described by someone who's already made the darn recipe. I hope that 'happy medium between roux and butter sauce' is enough of an explanation to give a good idea).
Once the butter sauce has thickened mildly, add the ground pepper, chile pepper, wine, stock, and pepper jelly. Keep the mixture on medium heat, and stir often. The goal is to get the pepper jelly to melt. This will take about ten minutes, in my experience. Do not add stuff during this time; you want the pepper jelly to be completely melted into the sauce before you start making decisions about what to add to balance what you're tasting.
Once the pepper jelly is completely melted into the sauce (be patient, it may take longer than you think. That's not a bad thing.), taste the sauce. Add salt, pepper, or sugar to taste. If sauce is too thick, add chicken stock. Simmer until sauce is appropriately thick.
Combine:
Serve the breaded chicken and the pepper jelly sauce separately, so that your diners can add as much or as little sauce as they desire, to suit the level of spiciness that matches their taste. If you use good pepper jelly, it's not uncommon that the sauce here be gone long before the chicken disappears.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)