Food is Love

Recipe Snapshot: Blueberry Lemon Trifle

2011-07-24T20:35:00.001-04:00

Our air-conditioning died sometime yesterday. We didn't notice until it got to be about 76 degrees on the main level of our house (we keep it about 70 year round, since our upstairs is usually 5-6 degrees warmer). I guess we shouldn't be surprised, since we're at the tail end of a record-setting heat wave. And yet...we are at the tail end of a record-setting heat wave. Which means it was 100+ yesterday, and 95 today. By some miracle, it's still below 80 inside the house, and a refreshing 70-something in our basement. Which, conveniently, is where our home office (and my computer!) is located. The repair folks will be here tomorrow. Please cross all of your fingers and toes that it's an easy fix and the house will be cool by the time I return from work.

Now, back to this trifle. I made this blueberry lemon trifle last weekend when it was less hot. I was looking for a no-bake dessert, since we're still having troubles with our oven. While the original recipe involves baking, I substituted store-bought angel food cake for the homemade cookies. (I think the cookies would have been delicious, so if my oven ever works again, perhaps I'll give that a try!) It was a snap to pull together, and surprisingly delicious.

So what is a trifle? It's really just a layered dessert, with layers of cake (or cookies), creamy filling, and fruit. It's traditionally served in a tall clear glass bowl (usually footed), so that you can admire all the pretty layers. However, I do not have a trifle dish, so I just made it in a souffle dish. It may not look as pretty, but it sure tasted beautiful!

In addition to substituting the angel food cake for the cookies, I also made one big trifle rather than the small individual ones in the original recipe. I also used just 2 cups of yogurt (yes, yogurt!) and a whole jar of lemon curd. I was shocked at how good the yogurt-lemon curd cream tasted--it didn't taste yogurty at all.

Click for the recipe!

Blueberry Lemon Trifle, recipe adapted from Cake, Batter, and Bowl blog
Time: 30 minutes (plus time to "set"). Serves: 6-8, depending if you'll all be having seconds!

Ingredients

for blueberry sauce:

1 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

for trifle assembly:

1 store-bought angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes (will have leftovers)
2-3 cups vanilla non-fat Greek yogurt
one 10-oz. jar lemon curd
3 cups blueberries

Directions

To make the blueberry sauce, place blueberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Simmer for 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and berries have broken down.
Let cool about 10 minutes and then pulse in a food processor until smooth (or blend with an immersion blender).
To assemble the trifles, start by whisking yogurt and lemon curd in a large bowl until smooth.
Spread a thin layer of yogurt cream over the bottom of the dish you're using. Top with cubes of cake, a bit of blueberry sauce and some fresh blueberries. Layer once more the yogurt, five squares of cookie, a bit of blueberry sauce, and some fresh blueberries. Top with remaining yogurt, blueberry sauce, and garnish with fresh blueberries.
Allow to set for at least 30 minutes (you could chill overnight--the cake will soak up more of the lemony creamy filling and blueberry sauce if you do this). Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Snapshot: Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Grilled Vegetables

2011-07-22T19:58:00.001-04:00

This record-setting heat wave is bound to end eventually. Maybe I'll feel like cooking again when it does. But in the meanwhile, I'd like to share some more of thr recipes I made last weekend. Like this awesome orzo salad.

This Mediterranean orzo salad wth grilled vegetables is great because it's adjustable. The basics--proportions and the dressing--are a good foundation to build from. You can use whatever veggies you'd like, and you could use goat cheese instead of feta if you prefer. I left out the olives because my husband doesn't like them, and it was still delicious. I forgot to add the fresh parsley the first night I served it, and it was still good. I used a bit of fresh oregano that I grew, as well, and it added a nice touch.

I used 2 small zucchini, 2 small yellow squash, one orange bell pepper, and one medium-sized Vidalia onion. I probably didn't need all the zucchini, but they looked so pretty at the farmer's market, I couldn't help myself! The largest time sink in this recipe was grilling the veggies--I used my indoor grill pan, and it took three batches to get them all cooked.

I served the orzo salad with grilled pork chops on Saturday night, and the leftovers with salmon grilled indoors on my grill pan on Sunday (pictured). It was great leftover.

Click for the recipe!

Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Grilled Vegetables, recipe adapted from For the Love of Cooking blog
Time: 30-45 minutes. Serves: 8.

Ingredients

for the vinaigrette:

1/4 cup of olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic, minced
Dash of dried oregano (or fresh, but not more than 1/2 tsp.)
Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

for the salad:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 zucchini, cut into spears (more if small)
1 yellow squash, cut into spears (more if small)
1 medium-sized onion, red or sweet, sliced into rings
1 whole bell pepper, red, yellow, or orange, sliced
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Dash of oregano, to taste
1 cup of orzo, cooked per instructions
1 1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp of crumbled feta (I used 1/4 cup)
Handful of kalamata olives, sliced (optional)

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette together in a small bowl and whisk well. Set aside.
Heat a large grill pan over medium high heat. Spray with cooking spray or brush with olive oil.
Slice the vegetables then drizzle the olive oil over them and season them with oregano, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Toss to coat evenly.
Place vegetables on the hot grill pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until tender. The onion and bell peppers may take longer than the zucchini and squash. Set the vegetables aside to cool before dicing.
Cook the orzo in salted water per instructions, then drain well. Pour the cooked orzo into a large bowl.

Add the diced grilled vegetables, fresh parsley, feta cheese, and olives (if using) to the orzo.
Drizzle the vinaigrette onto the mixture then toss to coat evenly (you may not need all of the vinaigrette). Taste and re-season if needed. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Step-by-Step Recipe: Butterbeer (for Adults)

2011-07-18T22:32:00.001-04:00

Friday night, my husband and I stood in line for over an hour just to get seats at a late showing of the final Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part II. Luckily, I bought tickets online a week in advance, or else I'm not sure we would have gotten in! It was a great movie, and extra great to enjoy a little glass of butterbeer before heading to the theater!

As promised last week, I spent a fair amount of time in the kitchen this weekend. The first experiment was to try the popular beverage of witches and wizards: butterbeer. I found a recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, Ezra Pound Cake.

I'll tell you right now that while I fully believe this is a good buttebeer recipe, I'm not sure I'll make it again. And since it has about 98398739 calories, that's probably a good thing. The end result is a creamy, butterscotchy beer beverage. If I could not make the beer part, I think it would be even better. But then it's basically homemade butterscotch eggnog. Because I didn't like the beer part that much, I used very little of it, which is why my glass here looks so pale compared to the one from the original recipe.

But the butterscotch cream is pretty tasty, and you could probably cut it with some cream soda to make a nice, though admittedly less buttery, drink.

Click for pictures and recipe!

Start by assembling your ingredients. You'll notice that there are no cloves in this picture--that's because I don't like cloves. I also used freshly grated nutmeg and skipped the extra bourbon or rum. I forgot to include the beer and butter in this shot. Note: this recipe calls for 4 egg yolks. Rather than throwing away the whites, I refrigerated them and used them for breakfast the next morning.

Beat the yolks in a bowl (I used my stand mixer) until they lighten a bit in color.

Slowly add the sugar and beat until dissolved. Set aside.

Add the milk, cream, and spices to a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until it just starts to boil.

Remove from heat. Slowly add small amounts of the hot cream mixture to the egg mixture, stirring constantly. (This will temper the eggs; they won't be cooked in such a way that they scramble, but they'll be cooked enough to be safe for people who worry about raw eggs.) I did not get any pictures of this process because 1) it required both hands, and 2) it was a bit messy. Return cream to pot and heat to 160 degrees. (If you don't have a candy thermometer, just heat until bubble form around the egde and it starts to simmer--do not boil. Remove cream from heat and refrigerate.

Meanwhile, add the beer a small sauce pan and heat over medium-high. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Add butter, and stir until melted. Add a pinch of salt. Set aside to cool.

I served this cold, so it was extra important that the cream be cold, since the beer mixture was room temp. You can add ice if you like. Enjoy!

Butterbeer for Adults, recipe from Rebecca at Ezra Pound Cake
Time: 30 minutes + cooling. Serves: 4.

Ingredients

Butterscotch Cream Mixture:

4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pint (2 cups) whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
6 ounces (3/4 cup) butterscotch schnapps
1 tablespoon bourbon or rum (optional)

Beer Mixture:

1 bottle of beer (I used Yazoo Hefeweizen.)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Kosher salt

Directions

For the Butterscotch Cream Mixture: In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color.
Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar, and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Set aside.
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, stir the milk, cream and spices, and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pan from the heat, and gradually add small amounts of the hot mixture into the egg and sugar mixture, whisking the entire time.
Pour everything back into the pot, and heat until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the heat, and stir in the butterscotch schnapps and bourbon or rum (if using).
Pour the butterscotch cream mixture into a bowl, cover, and chill in the refrigerator.
For the Beer Mixture: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the beer. Add the sugar, and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Add the butter, and whisk until it melts. Whisk in a pinch of salt, and remove from the heat.
To Serve Warm: Pour the warm beer mixture into glasses. Set aside. Whisk your butterscotch cream mixture (or froth it with an immersion blender), add a small amount to the glass, and stir. Serve immediately.
To Serve Cold: Let the warm beer mixture cool to room temperature. Set aside. Whisk your butterscotch cream mixture (or froth it with an immersion blender), add it to the glass, and stir. Serve immediately. (If you’ve been storing the beer mixture in the fridge, it will have a layer of butter and sugar collected on its surface, so you’ll need to warm it over low heat before adding it to the cold butterscotch cream.)

Recipe Roundup: What I'll Be Making This Weekend

2011-07-14T18:13:00.000-04:00

I am off from work every other Friday, and tomorrow is one of those Fridays. On my "long" weekends, I usually have more time (and desire) to cook and try new things.

Given that I still don't have a reliable oven (it works, but the temperature is inconsistent, which makes it unpredictable and frustrating), I won't be making any blueberry muffins like I really want to. But there are other things I can do with those blueberries! And there are some other things that look interesting. Here are a few things I'm considering trying over the next few days.

The final Harry Potter movie opens tomorrow, and Rebecca of Ezra Pound Cake has been posting Harry Potter-themed recipes all week. Most sound delicious, but many involve baking (Pumpkin Pasties, anyone?). But this homemade Butterbeer recipe does not! I fully intend to brew a batch so that we can enjoy it before we head to the movie theater!

Gina of SkinnyTaste.com shared a recipe for a Fish and Shellfish Soup that sounds awesome and easy. We'll see if my husband will go for it. Perhaps if I can find a recipe for that delicious French rouille that goes so well with toasted rounds of bread and French fish soup? It is Bastille Day today, after all, so a French-themed meal might be called for. And this soup recipe basically sounds like a simplified version of the fish soup we had in Provence and Nice, which was unexpectedly delicious.

Speaking of blueberries, don't these Blueberry Lemon Trifles from Kerstin at Cake, Batter & Bowl look good? I could probably substitute store-bought poundcake for the cookies... Anything involving lemon curd is a winner in my mind!

Since the weather is supposed to be nice this weekend, I see us spending some time on our patio, and I will definitely be asking my husband to fire up the grill. Perhaps some steaks or pork chops served alongside this yummy-looking Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Grilled Vegetables from Pam at For the Love of Cooking?

(And I'm still thinking about that Grilled Chicken Salad with Fresh Corn, Feta, and Blueberries that Pioneer Woman shared a while back that I included in my salad post the other week. We'll see if I can squeeze that in, somewhere. Maybe if we get some good-looking corn from the farmer's market?)

I'm definitely looking forward to spending some time in the kitchen--what about you all? What's on the menu for this weekend?

Step-by-Step Recipe: Chicken Tortilla Soup

2011-07-12T22:36:00.002-04:00

I'll be honest with you all, the heat of the summer is making me cranky. Despite many years lived in the south, including 6 years in Florida, I've just never become a fan of hot weather. It could be because I'm fair-skinned and don't tan (so I just walk around looking flushed and sweaty all summer), or maybe because my hair has just enough natural wave in it that the humidity turns me into a big frizzball. Or perhaps because it's so hot that I don't even feel like cooking. Really.

Truth be told, I haven't cooked that much in the last couple of weeks. A couple of nights ago we grilled burgers (no recipe needed). Last week we had "kitchen sink pasta" at least once (pasta + whatever we've got on hand, all tossed together). But nothing really worth sharing. My parents were visiting over the Fourth of July holiday, and we only cooked at home once. What did we make? Grilled pork chops (again, no recipe), and two of the salads from my last post. (That squash ribbon salad is awesome, by the way! Even my husband, who doesn't care for squash or zucchini, really enjoyed it!) All delicious, but nothing really blogworthy.

And I'm afraid it's going to get worse. My oven is on the fritz again (it had a slow meltdown this past spring, and we had it repaired under our home warranty; the same issue seems to be rearing its head again), which means no baking, roasting, broiling, etc. Not only does this limit my options, it also just puts me in a bad mood. We have tons of blueberries at home, and I can't even bake muffins! (I know, I know. Cry me a river.)

But you, my friends and few readers, deserve better than this. So I'm going to reach back in time and provide a recipe I made a while ago, and then I will endeavor somehow to find recipes to share that don't involve the oven.

When it's nearly triple-digit heat outside, it seems a silly time to share a soup recipe. But I honestly think this soup recipe is so delicious and flexible that you could adjust it to make it lighter in warm months and heartier in cool months. And it's easy and quick, which are good things no matter what the weather's like.

I found the inspiration for this recipe from a recipe for crockpot chicken tacos on Tasty Kitchen. The chicken taco meat has three ingredients. What's not to love? I recommend you give them a try, as well, and then you can use some of the leftover chicken for this soup, as the original recipe intended. But if not, no worries, you can still make this soup in a snap.

Click for recipe and pictures!

Start be assembling your ingredients. This time I used the Southerwestern blend corn, just because that's what I had on hand. Not pictured: the seasoning I used, but I believe I used Arizona Dreaming from Penzey's. I used blue corn tortilla chips, but you could use any kind you like.

Dump everything but the cheese, sour cream, and tortillas into a medium-size pot and heat over medium. Simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After 30 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning as appropriate. To serve, ladle into bowls, add about 1/4 cup of cheese, a small handful of crushed chips, a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkle of more cheese and cilantro, if desired.

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup, recipe adapted by Julie, original found on Tasty Kitchen
Time: 30-45 minutes, depending on whether you need to cook chicken. Serves: 4.

Ingredients

2 cups of leftover chicken taco meat from recipe linked above, OR half of a rotisserie chicken, meat shredded, OR, 2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, poached and shredded (if you do this last technique, the chicken will have less flavor, so I recommend adding more seasoning to the soup)
1 32. oz box of low sodium chicken broth
1 can of Milder Ro-Tel (tomatoes with chilies)
1 1/2 cups of frozen sweet corn, thawed
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
juice of one lime, freshly squeezed
1 tsp. of your favorite Mexican or Tex-Mex seasoning (taco seasoning will do in a pinch, but try for the lower sodium variety)
Tortilla chips, crushed, for serving
Light sour cream, for serving.
1 to 2 cups cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, for serving (depending how naughty you want to be)

Directions

Add the first seven ingredients to a medium-size pot and simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If you want the cilantro to retain more of its bright color and flavor, you can hold off on adding half of it until the last 10 minutes.)
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. (Seriously. I've been known to add a pinch of Adobo seasoning if I feel like it. You could add some cayenne for some heat. Just be sure to taste as you go!)
To serve, ladle soup into bowls, add about 1/4 cup of shredded cheese, a small handful of crushed chips, and a dollop of sour cream to each. Garnish with more cheese and cilantro, if desired. (The cheese added first will sort of melt into the soup, adding body and richness. In the summer, you might use less of this.) Enjoy!

Feel free to experiment with this one--you could use the regular Ro-Tel for a bit more spice, or you could add some black beans to the mix. Or maybe even some finely diced zucchini, considering it's summer and zucchini is everywhere! This recipe almost isn't even a recipe--and some nights, that's just what the doctor ordered!

Recipe Snapshot & Ideas from Around the Web: Summer Salads

2011-06-29T12:13:00.002-04:00

We haven't hit it yet, but we know it's coming--that part of summer when it's just too hot to cook. When you can't bear the idea of turning on your stove, let alone the oven. The good news is that there's so much wonderful produce floating around this time of year that it's a lot easier to get dinner on the table with little or no actual "cooking" involved.

One of my favorites this time of year is the simple caprese salad--luscious ripe tomatoes, creamy fresh mozzarella cheese, bright fresh basil, and very little else. I prefer mine with just a drizzle of really good olive oil, and a sprinkle of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.

I recommend using a mix of tomatoes if you can--I made this salad last summer, and the plum (Roma) tomatoes and yellow tomatoes complemented one another perfectly. Yellow tomatoes have less acid in them, and are a bit milder. I like to think of them as a "gateway tomato" for folks who don't love tomatoes. (It's sad, yes, but there are many people who don't.) Also, you need to use fresh mozzarella, which is usually sold in the deli section of your grocery store, with the fancy cheeses--it's spongier in texture than the stuff you usually put on pizza, and is often packaged in liquid. If you prefer to gussy your caprese up with balsamic or other flavors, might I suggest this recipe from the Pioneer Woman? My recipe is at the end of this post.

What if Caprese salad isn't really your thing? Never fear. Here are some other ideas for yummy hot weather meals that won't even make you break a sweat!

Seared Chicken Salad with Cherries and Goat Cheese Dressing, from Everyday Food magazine: I've made this a couple of times, and it's delicious and easy. The tang of the goat cheese is perfect with the crisp lettuce and sweet cherries!

Grilled Chicken Salad with Feta, Fresh Corn, and Blueberries, from the Pioneer Woman: I haven't tried this, but it sounds delish!

Thai Chicken Salad, from For the Love of Cooking: This sounds totally delish, and might help satisfy a craving for Asian food while keeping things light.

Squash Ribbon Salad with Goat Cheese and Pine Nuts, from Ezra Pound Cake: This is so unique; I wonder if I could get my husband to eat squash this way?

Hope there's something here to inspire you to make the most of the summer's bounty of fresh produce. I want to head to the farmers' market right now!

Caprese Salad, recipe by Julie
Time: 15 minutes, including washing the basil. Serves: 2-4.

Ingredients

Mixed ripe tomatoes, about 1 large or 2 small tomatoes per person
8-16 oz. fresh mozzarella (depending how much cheese you want per person!)
1-2 cups fresh basil leaves, whole (again, depending how much you like).
Very good extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Sea salt, such as fleur de sel, to taste
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Wash tomatoes, remove the cores of large tomatoes, and slice into 1/4-1/2 inch slices using a serrated knife. Arrange on a large plate or platter. (You may add some salt and pepper at this point if you want to focus the seasoning on the tomatoes themselves.) Since the ends of the tomato don't usually look as pretty, you can just go ahead and eat them right now--no one will know!
Slice mozzarella into equal thickness slices and arrange on top of the tomato slices, however you like. Tip: the trick to slicing the mozzarella is to use the same serrated knife you used for the tomatoes.
Rinse and pat dry the basil leaves. Scatter across the salad.
Drizzle the whole salad with olive oil, to taste, and season with sea salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.

Recipe Snapshot: Blueberry Cobbler

2011-06-24T10:04:00.003-04:00

Well, it's officially summer, and about that time of year, with blueberries everywhere. I don't know about you all, but I often forget about blueberries in the colder months (I think it's a defense mechanism), but then in the summer, when they are bountiful, I just cannot get enough. One of the simplest ways to enjoy them is to bake them into a yummy homemade cobbler. It's far easier than pie, but just as delicious, in my humblest of opinions.

Forgive me the bad picture--while I did in fact bake a blueberry cobbler last weekend when my father-in-law was in town, I did not take any pictures of it. The pictured cobbler was made a couple of summers ago, pre-blog. But you get the idea, right?

So what's the difference between a cobbler and a crisp, or a crumble? Well, this isn't scientific or well-researched, but a cobbler is most likely to have a cakey or biscuity topping, while crisps are usually topped with nuts and/or oats, and crumbled with, well...crumbles. I prefer cobblers, personally, because you get both a soft and fluffy topping AND a crisp crust. Win-win.

Recipe below the cut!

I use a variation on this cobbler recipe with other fruits--I've made plain cherry, cherry and rhubarb, and even peach and blueberry. All have been delicious and met with lots of "mmmm"s and "yummy"s. The cornstarch/sugar/boiling water at the end is what gives the cobbler it's sweet sauciness, and helps the crust get brown and crisp. I've kept the original recipe I found online mostly as-is, but have reduced the amount of sugar called for significantly (my adjustments are below), added some vanilla, and on occasion, substituted some lavender buds in place of the cinnamon. Y'all know I love lavender--and it goes really well with blueberries. All this needs is a scoop of good vanilla ice cream, and...mmmm.

Yummy Blueberry Cobbler, recipe adapted by Julie, original from AllRecipes.com
Time: about 1 hr. Serves: 8.

Ingredients

3 cups fresh blueberries, cleaned and de-stemmed
juice of half a lemon
1 1/2 cups white sugar, divided
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 pinch ground cinnamon (optional) or 1 teaspoon dried lavender buds (optional)
3/4 cup boiling water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x8 or 11x7 inch baking dish.
Spread the blueberries out to cover the entire bottom of the baking dish. Squeeze the juice from the lemon over them.
In a medium bowl, stir together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Stir in flour and baking powder alternately with the milk until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Batter will be thin. Spoon over the berries, and spread evenly.
In a small bowl, stir together remaining 3/4 cups of sugar, salt, and cornstarch. Sprinkle over the top of the batter. Dust with a pinch of cinnamon or sprinkle on lavender buds, then pour the boiling water over the entire dish.
Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Step-by-Step Recipe: Mushroom Risotto

2011-06-21T21:14:00.002-04:00

I'll be honest and admit that I actually prepared this recipe a few weeks ago and just never got around to posting it. So the mushrooms I used in the recipe may not be easily available, but no matter--any fresh (or maybe even dried) mushroom will do! I used a mix of your standard white grocery store mushrooms, and some pioppini mushrooms bought at a local farmers' market. Morels would be a great, though pricey, addition. Use whatever mushroom is available and suits your budget, so long as it doesn't come from a can or a jar.

As soon as I saw them, I just new I'd be putting them into a risotto. I love making risotto--almost as much as I like eating it! All the stirring is downright therapeutic. I like it so much that I've even quasi-published my own recipe on the TastyKitchen website for a lemon herb risotto. The basics are the same for this risotto recipe, but the flavor is much earthier, and it satisfies a totally different craving.

Recipe and pictures below the cut!

First, assemble your ingredients.

Heat the broth over medium heat.

Prep the mushrooms: mince half and trim/slice the other half as appropriate. Other than wiping them clean and trimming the ends, I didn't do much to the pioppinis, because I thought they looked cool.

Heat olive oil in large saute pan over medium. Add sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring, until golden and cooked through 7-10 minutes. Keep warm.

Melt butter in large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add onions and minced mushrooms. Cook until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add rice to onions and mushrooms, and raise heat to medium high. Cook rice, stirring, until translucent around the edges, about 1 minute.

Add wine and stir until evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium low, and start adding broth, one cup at a time, stirring until evaporated.

Keep adding broth, one cup at a time, as the rice soaks it up, stirring continually. After about 30-35 minutes, the rice will be tender (but not mushy), and it will stop absorbing the broth.

Stir in the Parmesan.

Stir in the parsley, and season to taste.

Serve topped with sliced mushrooms and extra Parmesan.

Mushroom Risotto, recipe by Julie
Time: 45-50 minutes, including prep. Serves: 4-6 (depending whether you serve as a main course or side)

Ingredients

6 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 whole small yellow onion (or one large shallot), finely diced
1-¼ cup Arborio rice
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, such as white button mushrooms or wild mushrooms, such as pioppini
½ cups dry white wine
½ cups grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1-2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 teaspoon coarse salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoons fresh ground black pepper, or to taste

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring broth to a simmer over medium heat.
Mince half the mushrooms very finely. Slice the other into bite sizes.
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until golden and cooked through, 7-10 minutes. Keep warm.
Meanwhile, in a large, straight-sided skillet or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium, then add onion and minced mushrooms and saute until onion is translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
Increase heat to medium-high. Add rice and cook, stirring, until translucent around edges, about 1 minute.
Add wine and stir until evaporated, about 2 minutes.
Add 1 cup broth. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until broth is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Repeat process, gradually adding broth, until rice is al dente and risotto is creamy (you may not need all the broth), about 35 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan and parsley. Cover and let stand for 2 minutes. Season risotto with salt and pepper. Top with the sliced mushrooms and extra Parmesan.

Step-by-Step Recipe: Southwestern Green Chile Chicken

2011-06-19T22:33:00.001-04:00

I promise I've been cooking, but I've been making stuff that I've already blogged about, or that wasn't worth blogging about. But that all changed this evening, with this recipe for green chile chicken. I'd remembered seeing it on one of the other food blogs I follow a while back, and was inspired today to make a variation on it.

Have you seen the commercials on TV for Philadelphia brand Cooking Creme? It's like cream cheese, but softer and easier to mix in. It also comes in a few flavors--tonight's flavor was Sante Fe. If you're like me, and you just love cream cheese, give this stuff a try. Since it's relatively new, it's often on sale at the grocery store. That's how I tried it. Also, it's not nearly as unhealthy as you'd think. I used this in place of the monterey jack cheese-mayonnaise blend called for in the original recipe.

My husband doesn't care for black olives, so I left those out. I topped the chicken with fresh cilantro instead. I also left the chicken breasts whole, since there didn't seem to be any reason not to! It was flavorful but not really spicy--just a bit of zip--and was delicious served with corn-tomato relish and cilantro-lime rice (from a box) and some fresh guacamole.

Pictures and recipe below the cut.

First, assemble the ingredients.

Next, beat the eggs and season. I used Arizona Dreaming seasoning from Penzey's.

Dip the chicken in the egg mixture.

Cook the chicken over medium in a non-stick skillet for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish and top with the green chiles.

Top the chicken breasts with the Cooking Creme and spread to make a relatively even layer. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Top with the cilantro leaves.

Serve with other Southwestern-style yummy sides and enjoy!

Southwestern Green Chile Chicken, recipe from For the Love of Cooking blog, adapted by Julie
Time: 40 minutes. Serves: 4.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 eggs
Salt, pepper, Southwestern seasoning of your choice, to taste
1 can whole mild green chiles halved
1/2 cup of cheddar, shredded
10 oz. Philadelphia brand Cooking Creme, Sante Fe flavor
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

Lightly beat eggs and add in seasoning in a bowl.
Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and spray with cooking spray.
Dip chicken into egg mixture & add to pan.
Cook chicken 3-4 minutes on each side, until lightly golden.

Remove from pan and place in a baking dish. Cover each piece of chicken with a green chile half. Top with Cooking Creme, sprinkle with shredded cheese. Cook for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro leaves and serve.

The Best Thing I Ever Ate: San Francisco/Napa Valley Edition

2011-06-03T18:14:00.000-04:00

Well, unfortunately, there wasn't just one. But I'll try to narrow it down to the top few.

First of all, my apologies for the long absence. I just did not have the energy to blog when we first got back from California. I've been cooking at home, but mostly just throwing things together, and not really following recipes. I have a few recipes in my stash that I plan to post next week, probably. And with the farmers' markets back in full swing with the late spring/early summer produce, I'm sure there will be plenty to blog about!

Back to the task at hand. We ate like crazy on our vacation. San Francisco is known for good food, certainly, and with good reason. The Napa Valley is also known for great food--lots of delicious locally grown produce, artisan cheeses, organic meat, and of course--fantastic wine. I almost wish I could say we'd been more mindful of the calories we consumed. But we weren't.

Highlights of San Francisco:

Tiny Swedish pancakes at Sears Fine Food, which was, conveniently, right next to our hotel. It was so nice to start out a day of sightseeing with a filling breakfast. I also loved the sourdough French toast (my husband less so), but overall, it was just a great experience. The one more we diverged and went somewhere else, it was tasty, but we wished we'd gone to Sears!
Amazing Parisian macarons and other tasty treats from Miette Patisserie at the Ferry Building. I tried the chocolate-lavender macaron, and I've got to be honest...it was better than any of the macarons I had in Paris. It was amazing. I ate it in teeny-tiny bites to try to make it last and refused to give my husband a bite (uncharacteristic). Now that I see they do a mail-order business, I am sorely tempted to have a box shipped to my house immediately. We also picked up some peanut butter cookies that served as our bedtime treat the rest of the week (on the occasion we were able to resist dessert with dinner, that is).

My entire meal at Fleur de Lys. My chef crush on Hubert Keller knows no bounds. My husband and I had dined at the Las Vegas location in 2009 (now known simply as "Fleur"), and at the time, it was one of the best meals of our lives. We booked our reservation for our last night of our trip, thinking it would be a last hurrah of sorts. But as that Friday night reservation approached, we were so satiated with good food from our time in Napa (more on that in a bit) that we actually considered canceling. But wow, am I glad we didn't. We were smart this time and only did a three-course tasting menu with wine pairings, instead of the four we did in Vegas, because we recalled that there would also be an amuse-bouche and petits fours that came with the check. (In Vegas, the very sight of the petits fours had made me queasy; in San Francisco, I managed to make some room for them and enjoyed every last crumb.) I don't remember everything that we ate, but I vividly remember my appetizer course, which involved a little baeckeoffe (Alsatian casserole) of vegetables and foie gras in veal stock, topped with a delicious crust and slices of black truffles. On the side was a tiny little foie gras and duck sausage "burger." The dish was, as you might expect, divine. My other most vivid memory of our meal there was our dessert. We both opted for the souffle--I had the chocolate, and my husband tried the Grand Marnier. If you ever have the opportunity to dine at Fleur de Lys--and I hope that you do--I suggest, no, I urge, that you have the souffle. It is well worth all 1,383,394 calories. Promise. (Pictured: the souffle I had in Vegas in 2009. It looked pretty much the same this time, except the ice cream was a cherry-kirsch flavor instead of mocha.)

Highlights of Napa Valley (with pictures!) below the cut!

Highlights of Napa Valley:

Dinner at Tra Vigne in St. Helena. Several friends had suggested we visit Tra Vigne, and I'll be honest--the menu looked good, but not that good. Unfortunately, it was raining the night we went there, so we didn't get to experience the amazing atmosphere on the patio, but it was a wonderful experience, nonetheless. I remember everything we ate for dinner that night (it was that good), but here are the highlights: the freshmade mozzarella "al minuto" is made when you order it. Seriously. It is a-may-zing. I can still taste it if I think hard enough. Served with warm bruschetta toasts (rubbed with garlic, of course). For my main course, I had the crispy duck leg confit risotto, with apples and thyme. It was so rich and flavorful, but comforting at the same time. I could only eat about half of it, but I tried to eat more, it was so good. (Pictures: mozzarella al minuto; I didn't take this shot--I found it via Google. Our toasts were not this brown!)

The harissa-seasoned french fries at Carpe Diem in downtown Napa. We went there on the recommendation of the gentleman who poured us wine tastings at the Reynolds Family Winery. After a long day of tasting, it suited us perfectly. The food was delicious, but it didn't require us to think that hard. Everything we ate was great, but the french fries were spectacular. Crispy outside, fluffy inside, not too greasy, salty, and a tiny bit spicy. Yummmmm...
The simple but perfectly exected menu we had at Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc in Yountville. Unable to secure a reservation at The French Laundry, I decided to give his newer restaurant a shot. It almost seemed gimmicky--the restaurant has one set menu, a four course meal, that changes every day. You don't really get to make many decisions--there are, of course add-ons and wine pairings if you want them, but the menu is set. In some ways, it harkens to the best meal you ever had at your grandma's house--you didn't pick the menu then, either. I was actually able to take pictures here because we sat outside, and it was light enough for pictures until the dessert course (hence the flash--sorry!). Our first course was a simple salad--fresh mixed greens with pickled green beans, marinated cucumber slices, shaved sugar snap peas, and fried shallots in a light lemon vinaigrette.

The next course was a roasted Prime beef sirloin with caramelized cauliflower, creamed barley, and braised swiss chard, all drizzled with a beet vinaigrette.

We also opted to try the roasted beef bone marrow, which was the first time either of had had it. It was like foie gras in that it was so amazingly intense and rich, but with a slightly weird texture. It was delicious, but I can tell it's only meant to be an occasional treat!

The third course was a cheese course, which I often dread because there are so many cheeses I just don't like. I didn't get any pictures of this course, primarily because it was so yummy it disappeared very quickly. Ooops! The fourth and final course was a vanilla panna cotta with fresh local strawberries and oatmeal tuiles. It was perfection. Even my husband, who is not a vanilla-and-strawberries kinda guy had to admit it was amazing, and a perfect ending to the meal. We talked about how that's the benefit of having a schtick like Ad Hoc--because everyone is eating the same menu, you can make sure all of the courses flow together and balance one another!

There were probably dozens of other delicious things we ate on our vacation, but this is long enough as it is. Don't even get me started on the wine!

Bottom line: we'll be going back some day, for sure. And if you find yourself headed to San Francisco or the Napa Valley any time soon? Be sure to bring your appetite!

Foodie Anticipation: San Francisco Edition

2011-05-13T17:29:00.000-04:00

My husband and I are going on vacation to San Francisco and Napa Valley very soon. I am so excited about all of the food and wine that I can barely contain myself. What this also means is that I won't be cooking or posting much for a bit. Which is too bad, because I have two recipes ready for posting, but just haven't had the time. Perhaps when I am refreshed from vacation?

But in the meanwhile, some thoughts on what we'll be eating. It's my understanding that San Francisco is one of the best foodie cities in the U.S., and we are looking to take full advantage of that fact. We have some dinner reservations in both SF and Napa thus far, though we're hoping to be a little flexible to try some different things when we get there.

We'll be dining at Fleur de Lys, Hubert Keller's place, our last night in San Francisco. We've eaten at the sister restaurant in Las Vegas, and it was perhaps one of the best meals of my life. We expect we won't be disappointed.

In Napa, we were unable to secure reservations at Thomas Keller's famed French Laundry, unfortunately. (Though our American Express card is relieved. That's some heavy lefting.) So we're going to try out one of his newer ventures: Ad Hoc. Ad Hoc is a very different type of restaurant; the menu changes every night, but everyone gets the same 4 courses every night. The food seems to err toward comfort food (lots of red meat and homey-sounding desserts), but I know it'll be more interesting than that!

We also have reservations at Tra Vigne, which was Michael Chiarello's brain child. Several friends have recommended we eat here, and I'm already daydreaming about the freshmade mozzarella.

I'd also love to have some traditional dim sum while in SF, because where else can you be sure you're getting the real thing (other than NYC)? If anyone has any recommendations, we'd be appreciative.

Sears Fine Food is right near our hotel, so it's likely we'll stop in for their famous Swedish pancakes, as well.

We do plan on doing some things other than eating while we're there, but not much. Just kidding!

Any tips or recommendations before we head out?

Restaurant Experience: Willow

2011-05-05T17:57:00.004-04:00

This past Monday was my husband's and my second wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe it's been two years already, but at the same time, sometimes it seems we've been together forever.

As my oven is currently broken, thus limiting my cooking abilities, and because it was a Monday night after a very busy weekend, we decided to go out for a special dinner. I made a reservation at Willow via OpenTable.com, and entered into the comments that it was our second anniversary, and we hoped for a quiet table. Apparently the folks at Willow actually read those comments, as we learned!

Pictures and details below the cut. (Forgive the quality of the photos; they were taken with my flash-less iPhone and I was dependent on the lighting available to me.)

When I arrived (from work), my husband had a glass of Prosecco waiting for me. We were seated immediately at a quiet table by the window in the back of the restaurant. When they gave us our menus, we realized they had printed special menus for us.

For my husband's first course, he ordered the crispy fried crab cakes (not pictured), which were good...but they were literally deep-fried crab cakes. Who does that? Anyway, I had the butter poached lobster tail and lobster ravioli with creamy fennel gratin and savory and sherry lobster sauce. Delish. (Aside: having visited the DC Red Hook Lobster Roll truck for lunch that day, it was a deliciously buttery lobstery day for me. Mmmmm.)

For his main course, my husband had the sauteed flounder, with butter poached lobster agnolotti, butternut squash risotto, potato gnocchi, and lobster sherry sauce (and lima beans). It was much lighter than my main course, but he really enjoyed it.

I had the crispy foie gras-stuffed chicken with creamy mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts with bacon, and black truffle sauce. It was as decadent as it sounds. YUM. And while the mashed potatoes were plain, they were pretty much the best plain mashed potatoes can be. The the chicken might look a little weird, but it was delicious. I'm seriously curious how they make it, because it was like the foie gras was part of the chicken.

We decided to share a dessert, and went with the chocolate marquise, which was basically chocolate mousse with crispy chocolate wafer balls scattered on top. The perfect ending.

We both were moving a bit slow when we left at the end of the meal, but we were full and happy. In addition to the yummy food, we also enjoyed great service, and a couple of great glasses of unusual white wines. (He had a Semillon, and I had a Pinot blanc.) And to top it off, when our waiter returned with our bill, he brought a small Willow wine glass filled with tiny homemade cookies, tied with plastic and ribbon, and rolled up copy of our personalized menu. Classy. Perfect.

All in all, the meal was a great way to celebrate two years of wedded bliss. Solid A, Willow!

Recipe Snapshot: Lavender Cupcakes

2011-04-29T13:41:00.002-04:00

It's officially spring. My car is covered in icky yellow pollen, the azalears are blooming, there is asparagus everywhere I turn, and I finally broke out my flipflops a few days ago to give my toes a taste of freedom. With the arrival of spring comes a variety of holidays and special occasions. The Royal Wedding was today, Mother's Day is just around the corner, and graduation and weddings are on nearly everyone's calendars. In my mind, special occasions mean special food! So when my work had a bake sale with a Royal Wedding theme, I just had to try something a little special: lavender cupcakes.

I may have mentioned in a previous post that I love the taste of lavender. Yes, the taste. I love the smell, too, as evidenced by the lavender sachets in some of my drawers and the soap in my shower, but the flavor is really special if done right. Because many people have never eaten anything with lavender flavor, some will find it peculiar or even perfumey, but if you don't go overboard with it, it adds a lightly floral je ne sais quoi to these that is just perfect for spring. If I had a bridal shower to go to, I would totally make these! So if you've got a mom who loves cupcakes, a grad who loves lavender, or a girlie baby/bridal shower coming up, take note!

Recipe and notes below the cut!

Some notes on these cupcakes:

First, I tried these at home over the weekend before making them for the bake sale. I then had my husband and a couple of colleagues taste-test them--since I love lavender, but not everyone does, I needed a reality check.
The feedback I got was a suggestion to add some lemon flavor. This makes perfect sense because lavender and lemon are often paired together (including in my own favorite lavender shortbread cookies!). The lemon just complements the lavender perfectly and mellows the flavor, without covering it up. I didn't want to add actual lemon juice because I didn't want to affect the chemistry of the cupcakes, and didn't want to curdle the milk in the frosting! So I used real lemon extract, and then garnished the finished product with some fresh lemon zest. (The cupcake pictured is from the test batch, so no lemon.)
If you don't have the time to let the sugar sit with the lavender buds for a while before baking (I let mine sit for two days), you can speed up that process by putting the sugar and lavender buds in the food processor for a bit. Then you wouldn't need to strain the regular sugar, though you could if you wanted. I would still strain the confectioner's sugar, because you want the frosting to be fluffy and smooth.
I thought the frosting was a tad sweet, so when I made these for the bake sale, I used about 2/3 of the powdered sugar, but the full amount of butter and milk. Perfect.

Lavender Cupcakes, recipe from Dawn of Beat Until Fluffy blog, found on Tasty Kitchen, with my own alterations
Serves: 12. Time: 45 minutes + cooling.

Ingredients

3 teaspoons dried lavender buds, divided
½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons whole milk
¾ cups sugar (original recipe calls for "superfine sugar, which I could not find--regular worked fine)
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1-½ teaspoon baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
1 whole egg
1-½ teaspoons lemon extract, divided*** (optional)
3 drops red food coloring
3 drops blue food coloring
dried lavender buds, for garnish*** (optional)
fresh lemon zest, for garnish *** (optional)

Directions

Place one teaspoon of lavender buds and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Scald the milk and pour into a heatproof container. Chill in the fridge. (Note: if you've never scalded milk before--I hadn't--here's how. This step is where most of the lavender flavor comes from. DO NOT SKIP.)
Place regular and confectioner’s sugar each in their own zip lock bag (quart size works fine) or tupperware. Add one teaspoon of lavender buds to each. Stir, seal and allow to rest for several hours, or as long as you like—the scent will just get stronger.
Heat your oven to 325 degrees. Place muffin cups in your muffin pan, or place the cups on a cookie sheet if you do not have a muffin pan. Spritz the cups with cooking spray.
Sift flour and baking powder together, set aside. Strain the regular sugar. Strain the scalded milk of lavender buds and set 2 tablespoons of it aside, leaving about 1/2 cup for the batter.
Place regular sugar, 3 tablespoons of the butter, 1 teaspoon of lemon extract (if using), and the egg in your mixer bowl and beat well. Add sifted flour/baking powder to the batter and combine. Keep the mixer going and slowly add 1/2 cup of the scalded milk and beat until fluffy.
Scoop batter into muffin cups, filling each one halfway. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cupcakes cool until you can handle them and remove to wire racks.
To make the frosting, sift lavender buds from confectioner’s sugar. Place confectioner’s sugar, remaining 5 tablespoons butter and 3 drops each of blue and red food coloring in your mixer bowl. Mix until combined. With the mixer running, slowly pour in remainder of scalded milk and beat until fluffy. The longer you beat this frosting, the more ‘fluff’ it will acquire. When cupcakes are cool, frost and garnish as desired.

Easter Recipe Rundown

2011-04-24T21:49:00.002-04:00

Happy Easter, all! If I had my act more together, I would have posted Easter recipes over the last couple of weeks, so that people could feasibly recreate any recipes that seemed appealing. But alas, I am not. The good news, though, is that the recipes I'm sharing now are good any time of year, not just at Easter!

My husband and I were alone this Easter, which just means...more leftovers! I only scaled back slightly on the food. We had a small orange-glazed ham, twice-baked potatoes, honey and curry glazed carrots, and steamed asparagus. The recipes for the ham glaze and the potatoes are worth trying for any special occasion!

The ham glaze was perhaps the best I've had. I'm not the biggest fan of orange-flavored things, but the recipe got great reviews on the Food Network website, and I've had great luck with Ina Garten's recipes, so I decided to give it a try. The twice-baked potatoes are a standby in our house. (Note: normally, I like to make them with smaller potatoes, but our grocery store only had these enormous Paul Bunyan-size russet potatoes; as a result, my husband and I shared one large potato.)

Here are links to the recipes, if you're interested. I can't say enough about the ham--I'm actually looking forward to the leftovers this week!

Orange-baked ham: Ina Garten (Note: the recipe is for a very large ham; since I wasn't feeding 30 people, I got a much smaller--and boneless--ham. As a result, I cut the glaze recipe in half.)

Sour cream and chive twiced baked potatoes: Everyday Food

Step-by-Step Recipe: Pasta with Proscuitto and Peas

2011-04-20T21:35:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the long absence, friends. No good excuse, really, except that life has gotten in the way. I'm going to try and make up for it, I promise!

It's definitely spring here in the DC area, and I continue to crave dishes with spring ingredients. This particular dish, pasta with prosciutto and peas, is something that definitely makes me think of spring, because of the peas and the lemon juice/zest added to the sauce, which adds a springy brightness. As a kid, I never would have eaten this, because I hated peas. They are still not a favorite of mine, but I've learned to appreciate them in certain dishes. But a bowl of creamed peas? Still like a bowl of kryptonite to me. Ha!

With a green salad on the side, this is an easy and filling weeknight meal. And if you're like me an enjoy pasta with cream sauce, but don't enjoy how guilty it usually makes you feel, this is a slightly lighter version than some.

Pictures and recipe below the cut!

First, assemble your ingredients. Note: I used shredded Parmesan instead of grated because that's what I had on hand. The grated would be preferable because it melts into the sauce better.

Cook the pasta according the package directions (not pictured). Reserve one cup of the pasta water before you drain it. Melt the butter over medium-low heat, then add the shallot and sautee until softened, about 5 minutes..

Add cream, peas, and proscuitto, and bring to a simmer over medium.

Heat peas through and add lemon juice and zest. Add reserved pasta water to the sauce until it is the desired consistency (it will be thin, regardless).

Pour sauce over pasta. Add parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the pasta and sauce until pasta is coated.

Top with more Parmesan, if desired and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Pasta with Proscuitto and Peas, recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine/cookbook
Serves: 4. Time: <30 minutes.

Ingredients

Coarse salt and ground pepper
12 ounces fettuccine
1 tablespoon butter
1 shallot, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
8 slices prosciutto (about 4 ounces total), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise, about 1 cup
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)

Directions

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.
Meanwhile, make sauce: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat; add shallot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add cream, peas, and prosciutto; bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer until peas are heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in lemon zest and juice. Add enough reserved pasta water to thin sauce as desired. Pour sauce over pasta; add Parmesan, and season generously with salt and pepper. Serve immediately; top with additional Parmesan, if desired.

Step-by-Step Recipe: Ham and Cheese Quiche

2011-04-08T10:54:00.003-04:00

The spring flowers and trees are blooming...but the spring temperatures have been inconsistent at best. This means more recipes with the tastes of spring, but with some extra heartiness. This quiche totally hit the spot. Say what you will about quiche being feminine, my husband loved this. It was hot, cheesy, filling, and delicious.

You could put whatever you wanted into this quiche; I went the traditional way with diced ham and shredded cheddar cheese. You could do whatever cheese you'd like--swiss would have been great, too. You could probably add vegetables, too, though you'd want something that wouldn't add too much moisture to the quiche, because that would affect how it cooked. (I'm as much of a fan of veggies as the next girl, but I decided to just serve a salad on the side.) And quiche is good for brunch, lunch, or dinner! The secret to this quiche is that it uses cottage cheese instead of heavy cream. This makes it lighter without sacrificing the taste or texture.

Recipe and pictures under the cut!

First, assemble your ingredients.

Next, roll out the pie crust in your pie dish. You'll want to use a large, deep pie dish.

Next, mix the shredded cheese with the flour and scatter it in the pie crust.

Add the diced ham on top of the cheese.

Whisk together the remaining ingredients.

Pour the egg mixture over top of the ham and cheese in the crust.

Bake the quiche at 400 degrees for one hour or until set. (You may want to cover with foil for part of the time so that the crust doesn't overbrown. I only covered mine for the last 20 minutes, and wish I'd covered it a bit longer.)

Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes, then slice and serve!

Ham and Cheese Quiche, recipe found on Tasty Kitchen
Serves: 6-8, depending how big you slice it. Time: <90 minutes, including baking.

Ingredients

1 whole Refrigerated Pillsbury Pie Crust
2 cups Freshly Grated Cheese (swiss, Cheddar Or Whatever You Like)
4 teaspoons Flour
1 cup Cubed, Cooked Ham
6 whole Eggs
1 cup Milk
1 cup Cottage Cheese
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Dried Ground Mustard

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).
Let the rolled pie crust sit on the counter for 15 minutes. Once room temp unroll it and put in a deep dish pie pan.
Mix the cheese and flour together and place in bottom of pie. Top with the meat.
In a bowl combine the rest of the ingredients whisk until blended well. Pour on top of the meat.
Bake for 60 minutes at 400 degrees. Then, remove from the oven and let it sit on counter until cooled and enjoy!

Step-by-Step Recipe: Potato Leek Soup

2011-04-03T21:54:00.004-04:00

Lately I've been craving food with the taste of spring. But because it's been unseasonably chilly, I've been looking for recipes that have spring ingredients but are still hearty enough for cold days. I made this potato leek soup from my Everyday Food cookbook for the first time a couple of years ago, and my husband and I both really liked it. Then I promptly forgot about the recipe until recently. It's really easy to make and has simple ingredients, yet tastes somehow more complex than you'd expect. It can be eaten hot or cold, though why you'd ever want to eat cold potato soup, I don't know.

Tips: the recipe says to puree the soup in a blender, but because my food processor was more easily accessible, I used that instead--the puree was not as smooth (which you can tell from the pictures). You could also try an immersion blender if you've got one; I've not had the best luck with mine, though. Also, if you can't find fresh chives (my grocery store was out), you can use dried, just use half as much.

Recipe and pictures below the cut!

First, assemble the ingredients.

The leeks need to be sliced and then cleaned thoroughly to remove the grit. If you're not familiar with leeks, they're really wonderful and delicious. First, cut off the dark green ends and trim off the root end. Then slice in half lengthwise.

Then slice into half moon shapes.

Place the leeks in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cool water.

Then put the leeks, diced potato, broth, and water into a large saucepan. Season with salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until potatoes and leeks are tender, 20-25 minutes.

Then puree the soup in batches. (Sorry--no photos; I was too busy trying not to make a mess or burn myself.) Then stir in cream. Adjust the seasoning as needed and serve, garnished with the chives. (Technically the recipe calls for the soup to be served chilled, but I like it hot.)

Potato Leek Soup, recipe from Everyday Food cookbook (2007)
Serves: 4 (6-8 if served as an appetizer). Time: 45 minutes.

Ingredients

6 medium leeks, (about 2 1/4 pounds), whites only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise, cleaned
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (8 ounces) baking potato, peeled and diced
Coarse salt
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup snipped fresh chives (or 2 Tbsp dried)

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine leeks, broth, potato, 2 cups water, and 1 teaspoon coarse salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Working in batches, puree soup in blender, transferring it to a clean bowl as you work. (To prevent splattering, fill blender only halfway, and allow heat to escape: Remove cap from hole in lid, and cover lid firmly with a dish towel.) Stir cream into pureed soup, and season with salt.
If served chilled, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. If necessary, thin with water, and season with salt. If serving hot, garnish with chives and serve immediately.

Recipe Snapshot: Best Ever Chocolate Layer Cake

2011-03-27T21:38:00.005-04:00

Every year for his birthday, I offer to make my husband whatever cake he'd like. Usually he flips through my recipes for inspiration, but this year, he searched online and told me he'd like me to make Ina Garten's chocolate layer cake. Every recipe of Ina's that I've tried has been delicious and pretty straightforward to follow, so I agreed. And wow, am I glad I did. This is officially the best chocolate layer cake I've ever had. And definitely the best cake I've ever made! My husband and his family (who shared the cake with us) loved the cake--even our two-and-a-half year-old nephew.

What makes this cake so special is the coffee. If you're not a lover of coffee-flavored things, never fear. For the most part, the coffee just amplifies the chocolate flavor. It's a bit more noticeable in the frosting, but you can't even identify it in the cake itself. The cake is light but firm, and not overly sweet. The frosting was rich and smooth and totally delicious. If there's a special occasion coming up and you need a great dessert, I totally suggest you try this cake.

Recipe below the cut!

Best Ever Double Chocolate Layer Cake, recipe by Ina Garten as shared on the Food & Wine website
Serves: 12+. Time: 90 minutes plus chilling.

Ingredients

for the Cake

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

for the frosting

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

Directions

MAKE THE CAKE: Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line them with parchment paper; butter the paper. Dust the pans with flour, tapping out any excess. (I used 9-inch cake pans because that's all I've got. I also used baking spray instead of buttering and flouring the pans.)
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour with the sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt at low speed. In a medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the oil, eggs and vanilla. Slowly beat the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until just incorporated, then slowly beat in the hot coffee until fully incorporated. (Note: the batter will be very thin. This is normal.)
Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 35 minutes (I baked for 30 because I was using the 9-inch pans), or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then invert the cakes onto a rack to cool completely. Peel off the parchment paper.
MAKE THE FROSTING: In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate at high power in 30-second intervals, stirring, until most of the chocolate is melted. Stir until completely melted, then set aside to cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat for 1 minute, scraping down the side of the bowl. At low speed, slowly beat in the confectioners' sugar, about 1 minute. In a small bowl, dissolve the instant coffee in 2 teaspoons of hot water. Slowly beat the coffee and the cooled chocolate into the butter mixture until just combined.
Set a cake layer on a plate with the flat side facing up. Evenly spread one-third of the frosting over the cake to the edge. Top with the second cake layer, rounded side up. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and side of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing.

The frosted cake can be refrigerated for 2 days. Let stand for 1 hour before serving.

Recipe Snapshot: Balsamic and Cherry Pork Chops

2011-03-21T20:37:00.002-04:00

Some weeknights are tough for my husband and I, in terms of getting a decent homecooked meal. I suppose that could have something to do with the fact that neither of us gets home from work until after 7 o'clock, but it's also because we both have jobs that are intellectual in nature, and some days I don't have the brain power to follow a recipe. My husband sometimes wishes he could spell me from cooking duty, but cooking does not come naturally to him. Every now and again, though, there's a recipe that is simple enough that either of these challenges can be overcome. These balsamic and cherry pork chops fit the bill completely. I can make it even when I feel braindead, and my husband can make it, as well, without too much coaching on my part.

A friend from work actually shared the original recipe with me a few years back, from Cooking Light. I altered it slightly to suit our tastes (and what was available in my pantry), and it's become a regular in our weeknight dinner rotation. I usually serve these with couscous and a green vegetable (whatever I have on hand)--this last time it was simple sauteed spinach (a major upgrade from the boiled frozen spinach of childhood). It's because I'm midwestern by birth, I think--all meals need a protein, a starch, and a vegetable. I can't help myself!

Recipe below the cut!

Balsamic and Cherry Pork Chops, recipe originally from Cooking Light, altered by Julie as shared at Tasty Kitchen
Time: about 20 minutes. Serves: 4.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
1-½ pound boneless center-cut loin pork chops (4 chops, about 6 oz. each)
¾ teaspoons coarse salt, divided
½ teaspoons freshy ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons finely diced shallots
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
¼ cups ruby port wine
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ cups cherry preserves

Directions

Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork evenly with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and all of the pepper.
Add pork to the pan; cook for 3 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan.
Melt the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter in a skillet. Add shallots and garlic to the pan; sauté for 30 seconds.
Add port and vinegar to the pan; cook for 30 seconds, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and cherry preserves; cook for 30-60 seconds, stirring constantly, until smooth. Return the pork to the pan; cook for 30 seconds or until desired degree of doneness, turning to coat. Serve immediately.

Recipe Snapshot: Dark Chocolate Mocha Brownies

2011-03-13T21:29:00.007-04:00

In my house growing up, I don't remember my mom ever baking brownies. My mom was far more likely to bake some fancy exotic sounding cookie. Or homemade apple fritters. Or a triple chocolate cheesecake. So until recently, I didn't know one could bake brownies from scratch--I'd only ever made them from a boxed mix. Sometime last year I volunteered to make brownies for a baby shower at work--and decided to look for a recipe online. I was so pleasantly surprised after I tried them--while from scratch brownies take more prep work than boxed brownies, they bake in less time. And these were delicious. I tweaked the recipe to suit my tastes, and I've been making them this way ever since, to delicious and well-received results.

My husband's birthday is tomorrow, so we celebrated this weekend. We went to dinner with friends on Saturday, and my husband asked to have brownies and games at home after. Blessedly, there are only a few leftover, as we don't really need the temptation! The secret to these (other than the butter) is the little bit of instant coffee. If you add just a little, the brownies don't taste like coffee, just really chocolatey. But my husband likes coffee and chocolate together, so I added a little more than normal. Result: yum!

Recipe below the cut!

Dark Chocolate Mocha Brownies, recipe by Julie

Time: about 45-50 minutes. Makes 24 small brownies (recipe can be halved)

Ingredients

1 cup Unsalted Butter
2 cups White Sugar
4 whole Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
⅔ cups Hershey's Special Dark (TM) Cocoa Powder
2 Tablespoons Instant Coffee Granules, Or To Taste
1 cup All-purpose Flour
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Baking Powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9×13 inch pan. (I use Pam spray for baking, which has flour in it already.)
In a large glass mixing bowl, melt butter in the microwave. About 90 seconds should do it—keep an eye on it. (If you do not have a glass mixing bowl, you can melt the butter separately in a microwave-safe bowl and then transfer to a large mixing bowl to mix with the other ingredients.)
Stir sugar, eggs, and vanilla into the melted butter.
Gently stir in cocoa, instant coffee (to taste—2 tablespoons will give a richer coffee flavor), flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir until just blended—do not overmix.
Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 28 to 30 minutes.

Oscar Night Roundup

2011-03-02T16:38:00.001-05:00

Whew. This post will be a short one, as I am extremely busy with work these days, and still sort of worn out from Sunday night's festivities! I made it through the workday on Monday mostly on adrenaline, and that's all gone now. Oscar night was a great success. I served two of the last three recipes I've shared here on the blog, and they were big hits with our guests!

Here's a picture of the spread, minus a few things that were still in the oven. I wish I could have gotten a picture of everything, but I was busy playing hostess and didn't get any pictures of the table when all the food went out. Plus, certain items disappeared so quickly it was hard to get pictures. You can see my cute little gold stars that described all of the items.

The full menu, with links to recipes as appropriate:

Olives and cornichons
Crudités with sour cream dip (no recipe for the dip--just sour cream, a bit of mayo, some parsley, and some other herbs and seasonings depending on my mood)
Popcorn
Cheeses (manchego, fontina, sharp cheddar, and chevre with herbs), crackers
Sliced Spanish chorizo
Spinach dip (brought by a friend)
Ricotta and goat cheese crostini
Asian turkey meatballs with soy lime sauce (I made these about 1/3 the size as the regular recipe, and then baked at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.)
Cheddar puffs
Stuffed mushrooms
Chocolate covered strawberries
Dark chocolate mocha brownie bites (I baked for 28 minutes, so they were a bit firmer than I usually do, and then used a small round biscuit cutter to cut into small rounds)

The evening was a lot of fun, despite the fact that I had the poor taste to win my own Oscar pool. Ha! Until next year, friends!

Recipe Snapshot: Stuffed Mushrooms

2011-02-25T09:27:00.001-05:00

The other recipe I tried last weekend was stuffed mushrooms. I know, I know...stuffed mushrooms are played out. But no one can deny that they taste good. And this particular variation, brought to us by the fabulous Pioneer Woman, is especially yummy. Unlike the puffs I posted about the other day (which I'm not sure I'll make for my Oscar party), I am definitely making these for our guests. My husband would probably leave me if I didn't. Just kidding!

The filling, with the spicy sausage (I used turkey sausage), onions, cream cheese, etc., is a bit different than mushrooms I've had in the past, but was super yummy. I made a half batch to sample with my husband, and we ate all of them in about 3 seconds. (Hey, it was dinner!) Make these for your next get together, and enjoy! Thanks, PW!

Recipe below the cut!

Pioneer Woman's Stuffed Mushrooms, posted on Tasty Kitchen site
Serves: 8-12 (makes about 24-30 pieces). Time: 1 hour, including baking.

Ingredients

24 ounces whole white button mushrooms
⅓ pounds hot pork sausage
½ whole medium onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
⅓ cups dry white wine (or chicken broth)
8 ounces cream cheese
1 whole egg yolk
¾ cups Parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Wipe off or wash mushrooms in cold water. Pop out stems, reserving both parts.
Chop mushroom stems finely and set aside.
Brown and crumble sausage. Set aside on a plate to cool.
Add onions and garlic to the same skillet; cook for 2 minutes over medium low heat.
Pour in wine to deglaze pan, allow liquid to evaporate.
Add in chopped mushroom stems, stir to cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set mixture aside on a plate to cool.
In a bowl, combine cream cheese and egg yolk. Stir together with Parmesan cheese.
Add cooled sausage and cooled mushroom stems. Stir mixture together and refrigerate for a short time to firm up.
Smear mixture into the cavity of each mushroom, creating a sizable mound over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Allow to cool at least ten minutes before serving; the stuffed mushrooms taste better when not piping hot.

Recipe Snapshot: Chorizo and Manchego Puffs

2011-02-23T20:11:00.002-05:00

This past weekend was spent in large part preparing for our annual Oscar party next weekend. We saw two movies and I tried out two more possible recipes for the party. This post is about the chorizo and manchego puffs I tried first. (Check back in the next couple of days for PW's stuffed mushrooms.) I got this recipe from the Food Network website after seeing one of the recruits make it on an episode of Worst Cooks in America a few weeks back. I figured that if someone considered to be a terrible cook could make these, so could I!

I have a couple of notes about this recipe if anyone else cares to try it. I had trouble filling the puffs with the filling, because my pastry bag isn't a real pastry bag but part of a cake decorating set, so the tips I had were way too small, and little bits of chorizo kept getting stuck. I ultimately just spooned some filling into the puffs. Also, my husband and I really loved the flavor of the filling, the puffs themselves tasted very eggy, and this sort of distracted from the yummy cheesy chorizo-y center. We have some filling leftover, and I think we'll just eat it on crackers or bread, and enjoy it even more. I mean, manchego + chorizo + mascarpone = guaranteed deliciousness. Also, if you're not familiar with chorizo, you should know that Spanish chorizo is like a salami--it is already cooked, so it just needs to be cut or minced and added in. Mexican chorizo is a different meat, and is not cooked. I found the Spanish kind in the deli section with the fancy cheeses at my local grocery store (same area where I found the manchego and mascarpone). The recipe explicitly calls for Spanish paprika. The one I bought is a smoked paprika. It is totally delicious, and if you can find it, I suggest you use a smoked variety as well. One last note: these ingredients are expensive. They are also delicious. Just make sure that the guests you're feeding are worth the cost of the ingredients. I know mine are!

Recipe below the cut!

Chorizo and Manchego Puffs, recipe from Anne Burrell via the Food Network site
Serves: 10+ (yield is about 40 puffs). Time: 40-60 minutes.

Ingredients

for the puffs

2 cups water
1 stick butter, cut into a few pieces
Pinch salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
8 eggs

for the filling

1 1/4 cups chopped Spanish chorizo sausage
2 1/2 cups mascarpone
1 1/2 cups grated aged manchego cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
1 1/2 teaspoons pimenton (Spanish paprika)
Kosher salt

Directions

for the puffs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the water, butter, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the butter melts. Stir in all the flour at once and stir with a wooden spoon. Stir and cook until a dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture will be in a tight ball and not stick to the sides or bottom of the pan.
Remove from the heat and transfer the dough to the bowl of a standing mixer and let cool for 3 or 4 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, making sure the first egg is completely incorporated before continuing. Once all the eggs have been added and the mixture is smooth, turn off the mixer and remove the bowl.
Spoon half the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a round tip. Don't fill the bag completely. Twist the top of the bag so that the dough will not leak out. (To pipe out the dough, gently squeeze out the amount you want, then release.)
On a sheet tray lined with parchment paper, squeeze out 1-inch size dough balls, about 2 inches apart. Form more balls on another sheet pan, if needed.
Place in the oven and bake until they're golden and crispy, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

for the filling

In a food processor, pulse the chorizo until finely chopped, but not a paste. No large chunks.
Transfer to a bowl, stir in the mascarpone, manchego, pimenton, and chives. Stir until well combined. Taste and add salt, if needed.
Place the filling in another pastry bag outfitted with a small straight tip.
Poke a hole in the side of each puff with the pastry bag tip and gently fill each puff with the filling and serve.

Recipe Snapshot: Asian Turkey Meatballs

2011-02-20T18:55:00.002-05:00

Every year for the last few, I've thrown an Oscar party. My husband and I have a few (the most ever was 15) people over to watch the red carpet, watch and heckle the show, see who can pick the most winners, and of course, eat. I typically make a mix of hot and cold hors d'oeuvres. I've learned over the years that when I try new recipes for the first time right before the party, I become stressed, and it makes it hard for me to enjoy my own party! Last year I finally got it right. I had tried most of the recipes in the weeks before the party, so I could prepare everything confidently. I planned it out so I had time to spare, and actually had time for a short nap in the afternoon before my guests came over. The party was a LOT more fun for me.

To that end, I have a few recipes picked out for next weekend's Oscar party, and at least one of the recipes was perfect for making into a weeknight meal: asian turkey meatballs. I found this recipe on a food blog I started to follow off and on more recently--SkinnyTaste.com (Gina's Skinny Recipes). These meatballs can be made larger for a weeknight meal, or smaller to be served as an appetizer. They were super easy to make, and dinner was ready in less than 30 minutes! I was able to get most of the prep done while the oven was preheating.

I served these meatballs with precooked brown rice (the Uncle Ben's stuff in the plastic packets). The plain brown rice is great because it comes out properly and has very low sodium; when I try to make brown rice at home, it always comes out badly. I heated two packages in the microwave and then tossed the rice with 2 cups of shredded mixed cabbage (cole slaw mix, minus the dressing), some extra scallions, cilantro and ginger (all in the meatballs, so just prep some extra), and just a splash of sesame oil. We drizzled the dipping sauce that goes with the meatballs over the whole plate, so some got mixed in with the rice, too, which was yummy. And healthy!

Recipe below the cut!

Asian Turkey Meatballs, recipe from SkinnyTaste.com
Serves: 4 (3 large meatballs each). Time: less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients

for the meatballs

1-1/4 lbs 93% lean ground turkey
1/4 cup panko crumbs
1 egg
1 tbsp ginger, minced (or grated)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 scallions, chopped
1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil

for the dipping sauce

4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp water
1 chopped fresh scallion

Directions

Preheat oven to 500°F.
Combine ground turkey, panko, egg, ginger, garlic, salt, cilantro, scallions, soy sauce, and oil. Mix with your hands until combined well. Wet your hands and shape 1/4 cup (just shy) meat mixture into a ball and transfer to a baking dish. Repeat with remaining mixture.
Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
For the dipping sauce mix together lime juice, water, soy sauce, and remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in a bowl. Add scallions.
Transfer meatballs to a serving dish. Stir sauce, then drizzle meatballs with 1 tablespoon sauce.
Serve meatballs with remaining sauce, about 1 tablespoon per person. Chances are you won't use all the dipping sauce.

Expanding Nutritional Horizons: Eggplant

2011-02-17T18:18:00.001-05:00

Eggplant has always been sort of hit or miss for me. What is an eggplant, after all? It's sort of like a squash, but not quite. I like pretty much all varieties of squash I've tried, regardless of preparation. But eggplant--not so much. Eggplant is so pretty on the outside, and ugly on the inside. If it's not prepared just right, it also has a very bitter taste. The only preparation I'd ever truly enjoyied until recently was eggplant parmigiana, which almost shouldn't count--everything tastes good fried.

Then last May, my husband and I were on vacation in France. We spent a few days in Provence, spending time in the little city of Avignon, and taking day trips to the Côtes du Rhône wine area and the Pont du Gard aqueduct. One afternoon, after doing a tour of the Palais des Papes (where the pope used to reside in Avignon back in the 1300s), we went for lunch at an outdoor cafe just off the place outside the palace. I remember that it was very sunny and windy, just as it was during most of our visit to Provence. (Le mistral was blowing in earnest the whole time.) Luckily, this cafe had a semi-enclosed patio, so we could enjoy our lunch outside without being blown away! As most lunches in France seem to be, ours was a relaxed and lengthy event--partly because we went with the three-course lunch special. For our first course, we had a choice between the eggplant provençale (aubergines confites a la provençale) and French onion soup (soupe de l'oignon gratinée). I'd been wanting to try something in the traditional provençale style, so I ordered the eggplant, but fearing I'd be disappointed. (My husband, being slightly more risk averse when it comes to food, ordered the soup.)

Imagine my surprise when this dish came out, smelling amazing, and tasting better than I could have imagined. It was basically eggplant cooked until it was incredibly tender and sweet, and then topped with a garlicky fresh tomato sauce. My description doesn't begin to do it justice. With a glass of chilled French rosé (dry and refreshing), this was perhaps one of the most memorable lunches I've ever eaten. (I had roasted chicken for my main course, and some kind of caramel dessert--both were delicious, but the eggplant was such a revelation that I rarely recall the rest of the meal!)

I was so impressed by my eggplant experience in Provence that I decided last summer to try to recreate the dish. My result was okay, but nothing like the delicious dish I had discovered in France. I had a hard time cooking the eggplant sufficiently such that the sweetness would come out without burning it entirely, so it was still a bit bitter. But the sauce? It was fantastic!

The bottom line on my feelings about eggplant: it's not going to be on the top of my list of favorite vegetables, but I appreciate being proven wrong about some things. I won't be so skeptical the next time. And there will be a next time, for sure.

What vegetable or food have you always been wary of? Did a special dish change your mind?

Step-by-Step Recipe: Shrimp Scampi with Linguini

2011-02-15T21:43:00.003-05:00

My husband requested shrimp and pasta for our early Valentine's dinner. This recipe got 5 stars on the Food Network site, so I gave it a try. It was totally delicious. If I could get away with making something this easy for all special occasions, life would be much easier. The key to this dish is good mise en place, because everything cooks so quickly, you do't want to be messing with chopping something when you need to be stirring.

Is there anything better than pasta, shrimp, and butter? I don't think so! I served this with steamed haricots verts tossed in a light vinaigrette. (Haricots verts are very thin, tender green beans.)

Recipe and pictures below the cut.

First, assemble the ingredients.

Next, melt half the butter with half the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the butter is melted, add the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Saute until shallot is tender and translucent.

Add the seasoned shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, 2-3 minutes, until pink. (Note: you can see I let the shallots get a bit browner than ideal. They weren't burnt, though, so it was okay. If they get black at all, though, you should throw it out and start over. You can't recover from burnt.)

Once the shrimp are cooked, remove them to another plate and keep warm. Add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil.

Once the sauce has reduced a bit, add the rest of the butter and olive oil. When the butter is melted, return the shrimp to the pan and add the parsley. Stir.

Add the cooked linguini and season with salt and pepper (don't forget to season!!). Toss well.

Drizzle with a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.

Shrimp Scampi with Linguini, recipe from Tyler Florence
Serves: 4. Time: less than 30 minutes, unless you need to peel/devein the shrimp yourself.

Ingredients

1 pound linguini
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 shallots, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
Juice of 1 lemon (I might also add some zest next time, too)
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves

Directions

For the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to the boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates; cover.
When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat.
Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm.
Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil.
Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.

Step-by-Step Recipe (sort of): Beef Bourguignon

2011-02-07T21:09:00.003-05:00

If you've seen the movie Julie & Julia, then you already know that Julia Childs' recipe for beef bourguignon (boeuf bourguignon, en français) is sorta famous. And known for being delicious. Well, for Christmas in 2009, I received not one, but three copies of Julia Childs' famed cookbook (actually the set of both volumes), containing this recipe (hey, my friends and family know me well--they just didn't coordinate). So last March, I volunteered to make this for my husband for his birthday, as we had tried the traditional dish during our visit to Burgundy, the region of Franch from whence this dish came, on our honeymoon. I also made roasted garlic mashed potatoes and a birthday cake. The entire meal took me about 7 hours in the kitchen. By the time the meal was ready, I was exhausted, disheveled, and thoroughly disgusted. "That movie lies!" I crowed to my husband. They make it seem like all you do is stir the stew! Then put it in the oven! And voilà!" And that is simply not how you make Julia's boeuf bourguignon.

Boeuf bourguigon is essentially French beef stew. After browning the pieces of beef and sauteeing some of the veggies, you let it all braise in the oven in a whole bunch of red wine (and beef stock). Let me be clear that this was, by far, the best beef stew I'd ever had. But after 7 hours in the kitchen...it was hard to even acknowledge that. I vowed never to make the dish again, and haven't cracked my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking since then. When I think about it, I just remember dirtying virtually every pot and pan in our kitchen, and following Julia's steps thinking, "Why, Julia, why? WHY does the sauce need to be strained and cooked separately? WHY do the pearl onions need to be braised separately in red wine? WHY???"

Nearly a year later, I was contemplating what to make for a weekend dinner for my husband, myself, and another couple. I have a history of stressing myself out by making new or complicated recipes for guests, ignoring my guests, and then not enjoying myself at all. I've worked on this for years, and in the last couple of years, have learned valuable lessons about testing recipes before serving them to guests, making things that don't require a lot of last minute work, and making things that are hard to screw up. So I thought I'd make a braised meat dish, as such recipes require most of the "hard" work on the front end, with a couple of hours spent in the oven, meaning that when my guests arrived, my house would smell great, and I'd be relaxed and
refreshed. Someone had also mentioned to me that they'd seen Ina Garten (of the Barefoot Contessa cooking show on the Food Network) make a variation of beef bourguignon that seemed easier than Julia's. I pooh-poohed the idea at first...despite the hours of labor required to make Julia's recipe, I was still very proud to have done it, and considered it to be the signature bourguignon recipe. But I really like Ina Garten's cooking style and recipes, sooo...I gave it a try.

The verdict? It was MUCH easier than Julia's recipe. Still not the easiest thing ever, but easier. And delicious. SO delicious. I'd be hard pressed to say which recipe was better. And my husband thought Ina's recipe was better, if only because it wasn't tainted by the bitter feelings of the chef (me). This is a recipe I'll make again. (Not often, because the sheen of bacon grease left on every surface in the kitchen is not something I want to clean up very often, but again.)

Recipe and photos under the cut.

Sorry, no picture of the cast of characters this time. No good excuse except that I forgot.

The first cooking step is to brown the bacon and render the fat. Heat a large Dutch oven (or French oven, in my case) over medium heat. Add the olive oil, let it get hot, and then add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp. Remove the bacon to a large plate or platter.

Add the beef (dried and seasoned) to the Dutch oven in a single layer. Brown on all sides in batches, about 3-5 minutes per batch (I did three batches--this picture is from the third batch, hence the dark color on the bottom of the Dutch oven).

Put the seared beef on the same plate as the bacon. Add the carrots and sliced onions to the pot. Cook until the onions start to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook one more minute.

Return the beef and bacon to the pot. Add the wine and beef broth. Add the tomato paste and thyme.

Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, until the beef and vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork.

Combine 2 tablespoons of the butter with the flour. Add to the stew and stir. Add the frozen onions and stir. Meanwhile, sautee the mushrooms in butter until lightly brown, about 10 minutes. (You really shouldn't crowd them in the pan like this, but I only have two large burners on my stove, and they were both in use, between the stew and the boiling water for the egg noodles.)

Add the mushrooms to the stew. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve! Bon appetit!

I served the stew with buttered egg noodles. Much easier to make than mashed potatoes, and to be honest, as much as I love mashed potatoes (and oh, do I), I liked this better. I obviously skipped the bread for serving, though I did serve slices of whole wheat baguette to sop up the stew, and that seemed good to me! I also skipped the cognac (and the resulting flames) that Ina's recipe calls for, because 1) we don't keep cognac in the house, and 2) I am afraid of fire. There is also what seems to me to be a typo in the recipe on the Food Network website (250 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes will not have a good result, I don't think)--others who reviewed the recipe on the website said the same thing, and I made small adjustments to the cooking temperatature and time, listed below. Otherwise, I followed it as written.

Beef Bourguignon, recipe adapted from Ina Garten
Serves: 6-8. Time: 3 hours (30-45 minutes prep time, 2 hours in the oven, another 30 minutes on the back end)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon good olive oil
8 ounces dry cured center cut smoked bacon, diced
2 1/2 pounds chuck beef cut into 1-inch cubes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1 (750 ml.) bottle good dry red wine such as Cote du Rhone or Pinot Noir (I used a true Burgundy wine)
1 can (2 cups) beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound frozen whole onions
1 pound fresh mushrooms stems discarded, caps thickly sliced
Fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the juices. Add the bottle of wine plus enough beef broth to almost cover the meat. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer.
Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork and stir into the stew. Add the frozen onions.
Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew.
Bring the stew to a boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles.

Recipe Snapshot: Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini

2011-01-31T20:46:00.003-05:00

I grew up in the Midwest (Ohio), and my family ate a lot of casseroles. My husband grew up on the East Coast (New Jersey), and his family did not eat a lot of casseroles. When we first met, I was concerned that his lack of love for all things casserole would spell the end of our relationship...but eventually I was able to bring him over to the other side with me. Sort of. You'll never catch me making tuna noodle casserole (complete with crushed up potato chips as the crust) for him. Maybe because even I hated tuna noodle casserole? But I did get him to love my chicken tetrazzini--and I think it's because I did a couple of things to bring it into the next century.

Mostly what I did was replace all of the canned/jarred veggies with their fresh counterparts. It's a tiny bit more work, but totally worth it! (Canned mushrooms and jarred pimento are not things my husband will eat, and I don't blame him.) The base is still cream cheese and chicken broth, but some things should not be messed with. (Though I have bowed to concerns about our waistlines and replaced the full-fat cream cheese with the reduced fat kind.) Many recipes call for heavy cream or cream of chicken soup, and I think the cream cheese base is superior to both other options. The heavy cream is, well, heavier. And the cream of chicken soup just doesn't have the same tang of cream cheese.

I also use a short pasta instead of spaghetti noodles. This is just a personal preference--I really like penne or farfalle. If you use a long pasta, use something thin (e.g., no fettucine).

When I was growing up, we usually had tetrazzini made with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. You can do it this way, as well, but I really like tetrazzini and want to have it more than once a year! The perfect solution is a rotisserie chicken from the deli section of your grocery store. (You can also poach or bake a couple of chicken breasts yourself and then shred them, if you prefer.) Just shred up a couple cups of the meat, and if there's more on the bird, you can save it for chicken salad or something else.

Recipe below the cut!

Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini, recipe from my mom's collection, altered slightly to suit my yuppie tastes
Serves: 4. Time: <60 minutes. (Less than 30 minutes prep, 30 minutes baking.)

Ingredients

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
drizzle of olive oil
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 of a red bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup butter
14 ounces chicken broth
8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, cubed
8 ounces short pasta
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (or turkey)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet, and then sautee the mushrooms until cooked. Set mushrooms aside.
Cook and stir onion and celery in butter in a large skillet on medium heat until tender.
Add broth and cream cheese. Cook on low heat until cream cheese is melted, stirring occasionally.
Add all remaining ingredients except 1/4 cup parmesan. Mix lightly.
Transfer to 13x9 inch baking dish (or a round casserole will be fine--2 qt. size); sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan.
Bake for 30 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Step-by-Step Recipe: Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Creamy Mustard Sauce

2011-01-25T19:27:00.006-05:00

This recipe is how I learned why stainless steel pots and pans really are different from nonstick. The first time I made this recipe, I made it in a nonstick pan, and it did not come out right--because it's not advisable to try to make a pan sauce in a nonstick skillet. This recipe is also how I learned to make a real pan sauce, and how easy it is! It comes from my beloved Martha Stewart Everyday Food cookbook. The dish has a mildly French feel to it, due to the mustard (soooooo good) and the tarragon in the sauce. It's also really quick to make, and seems fancier than it really is.

As I said the other day, I made this chicken dish with the potato-fennel gratin. I also sauteed some spinach on the side. (Why? Because sauteed spinach is delicious, and because if the sauces from either the chicken or the gratin mixed in with the spinach, it would be delicious.)

Recipe and pictures below the cut!

First, assemble the ingredients.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a stainless steel (not nonstick) skillet or sautee pan, and add the chicken. Sautee on one side until the chicken releases, 5-6 minutes. Sautee on the other side, until chicken is brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and keep warm.

Carefully add the wine to the pan (it will sizzle), and stir. Allow to reduce by half, and add the mustard, cream, and tarragon. Allow to cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Reduce heat to low. Pour the accumulated chicken juices from the plate with the chicken breasts into the sauce and stir. Note: the recipe says you can use wine or chicken broth, but I think the wine is much better. The broth results in a saltier sauce.

Spoon the sauce over the chicken breasts and serve. Enjoy!

Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Creamy Mustard Sauce, from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food cookbook
Serves: 4. Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 ounces each)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine, or chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried tarragon (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh)

Directions

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; saute until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes, turning once. Transfer to a plate; keep warm.
Pour wine into hot skillet; cook, stirring, until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Whisk in cream, mustard, and tarragon. Cook, whisking, until thickened, about 2 minutes.
Pour any accumulated chicken juices into sauce. Right before serving, drizzle cream sauce over chicken.

Step-by-Step Recipe: Potato-Fennel Gratin

2011-01-23T22:02:00.008-05:00

My only resolution for the new year was to try more vegetables. I'm pretty brave when it comes to eating new vegetables, but I've been hesitant to try to prepare them myself. I'd never tried to make anything with fennel before. But then a friend shared a recipe for potato-fennel gratin with me, and I thought, "well, why not?" Anything covered in a creamy cheesy sauce has to be good, right? Right. The recipe is from the one and only Ina Garten, aka the Barefoot Contessa. It is definitely not low-fat. But it is delicious!

I served the gratin with sauteed chicken breasts with a creamy mustard sauce and sauteed spinach. I'll share the chicken recipe later this week. It was a nice pairing. The chicken is lighter, but still rich in flavor. Since I was just cooking for two (plus leftovers!), I cut the recipe for the gratin in half--we still have plenty of leftovers!

Pictures and recipe below the cut!

Start by assembling the ingredients. (Note: these are the ingredients for a half recipe.) Yes, that olive oil is from France--we bought it on our trip last spring, in Nice. It is the best olive oil I've ever had. It tastes best when dipping bread in it, but it's starting to get "old," so I'm using it in cooking now, too.

Prep the fennel by cutting off the fronds and stalks, and cut it in half, lengthwise. Trim out the core and then thinly slice the rest. Ina's recipe calls for slicing crosswise, but I sliced lengthwise. It's fine either way. Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium low, and add the fennel and onion. The purpose of sauteeing the fennel before baking it in the gratin is to lessen (significantly) the licorice-y flavor of the fennel. If you are like me and hate licorice, you'll appreciate this.

Sautee the fennel and onion, stirring regularly, until tender, 10-15 minutes.

Thinly slice the potatoes, and mix with the cream, cheese, salt, and pepper. Add the fennel and onion mixture, and mix well.

Pour the potatoes into a buttered baking dish, and press down.

Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes. Let set for 10 minutes before serving. Note: the recipe does not say to cover the gratin, but after 30-40 minutes, I could tell that it was browning a lot, so I covered it with foil for the rest of the baking time, and it was perfect. You could cover for the first 45-60 minutes, and then uncover for the rest of the time.

Potato-Fennel Gratin, recipe from Ina Garten
Serves: 10 to 12. Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes.

Ingredients

2 small fennel bulbs
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 pounds russet potatoes (4 large potatoes)
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese (1/2 pound)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter the inside of a 10-by-15-by-2-inch (10-cup) baking dish.
Remove the stalks from the fennel and cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Remove the cores and thinly slice the bulbs crosswise, making approximately 4 cups of sliced fennel. Saute the fennel and onions in the olive oil and butter on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until tender.
Peel the potatoes, then thinly slice them by hand or with a mandoline. Mix the sliced potatoes in a large bowl with 2 cups of cream, 2 cups of Gruyère, salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed fennel and onion and mix well.
Pour the potatoes into the baking dish. Press down to smooth the potatoes. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream and 1/2 cup of Gruyère and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, until the potatoes are very tender and the top is browned and bubbly. Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve.

Recipe Snapshots: Breakfast Enchiladas and Hot Tomato Grits

2011-01-14T08:52:00.005-05:00

I did not make these Breakfast Enchiladas. Just want to be upfront about that. My mom made them the morning after Christmas. This was the second time we'd had these, and it was so yummy. Many breakfast casseroles are too heavy...but this one, while being filling and hearty, just doesn't feel like a lead brick. And when you serve it with Hot Tomato Grits on the side? Perfection!

Recipes below the cut!

Breakfast Enchiladas, from Southern Living magazine, December 2004.
Serves: 6-8. Time: 1 hour (30 minutes of baking).

Ingredients

Cheese Sauce

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups milk
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
3/4 teaspoon salt

Enchiladas

1 (1-pound) package hot ground pork sausage (could substitute turkey sausage)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
14 large eggs, beaten
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Cheese Sauce (see above)
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeños
Toppings: halved grape tomatoes, sliced green onions, chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Tip: Make the cheese sauce before scrambling the eggs; it should take about 8 minutes. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, and whisk in remaining ingredients.

Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink. Remove from pan; drain well, pressing between paper towels.
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add green onions and cilantro, and sauté 1 minute.
Add eggs, salt, and pepper, and cook, without stirring, until eggs begin to set on bottom. Draw a spatula across bottom of pan to form large curds. Continue to cook until eggs are thickened but still moist; do not stir constantly.
Remove from heat, and gently fold in 1 1/2 cups Cheese Sauce and sausage.
Spoon about 1/3 cup egg mixture down the center of each flour tortilla; roll up. Place, seam side down, in a lightly greased 13- x- 9-inch baking dish. (Note: I think my mom only used 6 or 7 tortillas, and baked them in a smaller dish, since there were just 4 of us.)
Pour remaining Cheese Sauce evenly over tortillas; sprinkle evenly with Monterey Jack cheese.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly. Serve with desired toppings.

Hot Tomato Grits, from Southern Living magazine, December 2008
Serves: 6. Time: 40 minutes.

Ingredients

2 bacon slices, chopped
2 (14 1/2-oz.) cans chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons canned chopped green chiles
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
Garnishes: chopped fresh parsley, shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Cook bacon in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon, reserving drippings in pan. Drain bacon on paper towels.
Gradually add chicken broth and salt to hot drippings in pan; bring to a boil.
Stir in grits, tomatoes, and green chiles; return to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 15 to 20 minutes.
Stir in Cheddar cheese until melted. Top with chopped bacon. Garnish, if desired. Serve immediately.

Step-by-Step Recipe: Potato Leek Frittata

2011-01-09T21:53:00.002-05:00

In honor of the new year, I am trying to introduce the occasional lighter dish into my repertoire. But being me, I refuse to compromise on taste. So when the January issue of my Everyday Food magazine arrived chockfull of lighter recipes, I was interested to see if anything sounded good. Luckily, it seems to have a lot to offer! My usual practice on Sunday nights is to make a more elaborate meal that yields leftovers to start off the work week. But this Sunday, I decided to take it a bit easier on myself, and chose a recipe for potato leek frittata. Sounds like breakfast? Well, frittatas are like omelets--quick, easy, and good for any meal of the day. Also, I had potatoes and leeks on hand, sooo...

Pictures and recipe below the cut.

First things first: assemble the ingredients. (This photo was taken after I'd peeled, diced, and cooked the potato. It should be cooked but not mushy, since it's going to cook more in the skillet.)

Next, get out a 10-inch oven-proof nonstick skillet. Oven-proof means it has no plastic parts (e.g., a metal handle).

Heat the skillet over medium high heat, and add the olive oil, leeks, and potatoes. Season with coarse salt and pepper.

Saute until the leeks are translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the eggs and ricotta and stir to mix. Let it cook, without stirring, until the edges set.

Transfer the skillet to the oven, and bake the frittata until the center is just set, about 12 minutes.

Slide out onto a plate, and contemplate how ridiculously easy that just was.

Slice like a quiche and serve!

I obviously served this with a mixed green salad. If I wanted to make it for breakfast, I'd probably serve it with an English muffin and some fruit. If I make this again, I'd probably use goat cheese instead of ricotta, and maybe add a few herbs. It was tasty, but basic. Make sure you don't under season.

Potato Leek Frittata, from Everyday Food magazine, January 2011

Serves: 6. Time: 35 minutes, including pre-cooking the potatoes.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 leek (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced and rinsed well (1 cup)
2 cups cooked, cubed, peeled potato
coarse salt and ground pepper
8 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add leek and potato, season with salt and pepper, and cook until leek is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add eggs and ricotta, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Cook, undisturbed, until edges are set--about 2 minutes.
Transfer skillet to oven and bake until top of frittata is just set, 10 to 13 minutes. Invert or slide frittata onto a plate and cut into 6 wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

New Year's Resolution: Help Me Help You

2011-01-06T19:36:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, all! My apologies for my long absence from the blogosphere. My husband and I were in Kentucky over the holidays visiting my parents, and our trip was unexpectedly extended a couple of days when our flight home was canceled. When we were able to get home, we were swept up into work, New Year's events, and a sick cat. Everything is okay for now, and I hope to be a better food blogger in 2011. I'm not going to make that an official resolution, though, because that's a surefire way to make sure it doesn't happen!

I received a totally adorable pink netbook computer as a Christmas gift from my dear husband, which should increase my ability to blog in the new year (allowing me to do so from any room in the house!). Unfortunately, the screen is defective, and we're having to ship it back for a replacement. In the meanwhile, I thought I'd ask for some help from you, my dear readers (all three or four of you), and share a New Year's-themed recipe (sorry, no pictures!).

First, my request. What do you want to see in this blog in 2011? Recipes for specific dishes? How-to's on specific things (the proper way to dice an onion, how I prefer to peel garlic quickly, etc.)? Just pictures? Please be specific if you can--I can keep going posting some of my favorite recipes, but I'd feel less self-indulgent if I knew my posts might be helpful for useful!

Now back to cooking. Growing up in my family, it was a tradition to have a pork roast and sauerkraut on New Year's Day. I never quite got into the southern tradition of black-eyed peas, despite all my years living in the south, so I needed to figure out my own pork and sauerkraut. Last year I tried to the recipe from my edition of Joy of Cooking, and let me tell you--it was a winner. I'm told this recipe only appears in the most recent edition, as my mom had never heard of it. What makes this so yummy is that is pleases both those who like sauerkraut (me, in smallish doses) and those who don't! The kraut in this case is made up of half fresh cabbage (which is braised along with the pork in broth and beer and herbs) and half rinsed sauerkraut. It still has a tang, certainly, but it's much milder and not as vinegary as what many of us expect. I made the same recipe again this year, and was once again very pleased (and so were my dinner guests!).

And so, here is the recipe. Enjoy! (Below the cut.)

Braised Pork Roast with Sauerkraut, from The Joy of Cooking, 75th Anniversary Edition (2006)
Serves: 8. Time: 3 to 3.5 hours, plus time for the roast to "marinate" (2 hours to overnight)

Ingredients

2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
4 pound Boston-style pork shoulder, butt or blade roast, excess fat trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil or bacon fat
4 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups thinly sliced onions
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced leeks (white part only)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1 cup chicken stock
12 ounces dark beer
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon dried savory
2 bay leaves

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together the sweet paprika, salt, black pepper, sage, thyme, and dry mustard with a fork. Pat the meat dry and rub with the spice mixture. Allow to "marinate" in the refrigerator for 2 to 24 hours.
Position a rack in the center of the oven (or lower if your Dutch oven is tall) and preheat to 325 degrees.
In a large heavy Dutch oven, brown the meat over medium heat on all side in the bacon fat or olive oil.
Remove the meat to a plate temporarily.
Pour off the rendered fat, leaving 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add the cabbage, onions, carrots, and leeks. Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the vegetables are softened and the cabbage is wilted, about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Add the sauerkraut, chicken stock, beer, caraway seeds, dried savory, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
Return the meat to the pan, nestling it into the cabbage mixture. Cover and braise in the oven for 2 hours. Check the meat. It should be fork tender. If not, cook for 30 to 60 minutes more.
Remove the meat from the pan and skim off any fat from the pan juices. Slice the meat (it will probably fall apart and require very little slicing) and serve with the vegetables and pan juices.

I also serve mine with plain (but creamy!) mashed potatoes, which I think provide a nice balance to the tangy sauerkraut. I know the ingredient list is long, and it's a long cook time, but truly, this recipe is very easy. I bet you have half the ingredients already--I know I did (though that's partly because I bought some of them last year! ha!). Once you get the roast in the oven, you've got 2+ hours to take a nap, play with the cat, or get into trouble. A perfect meal for when you're having guests!

Recipe Snapshots: Christmas Cookies

2010-12-17T16:37:00.005-05:00

Because work and life have been very busy this December, I haven't had the opportunity yet to back any Christmas cookies. This pains me. But it will be remedied soon, when my husband and I head to Kentucky to visit my mom and step-dad for Christmas. My mom and I plan to get our bake on! Seeing that many of you may wish to do some baking this weekend, here are some of the recipes I used last year, most of which are likely to be repeated this year!

Peanut Butter Kisses: We all remember these from childhood, right? Well, I had to make them myself, and they were easy and delicious. The recipe made about 93847587583 cookies, though, so keep that in mind. I also made a slight upgrade to the basic recipe: I used the dark chocolate kisses. Yum!

More recipes (and pictures!) below the cut!

Magic in the Middle Cookies: These were a new discovery last year, and I am not quite sure how I lived so long without them. They were amazing and delicious.

I used Hershey's Special Dark (TM) cocoa to make mine, which is why they are so dark. I think they taste fine either way. But what makes them so special? It's the magic in the middle!

Lavender Shortbread Cookies: These were a lovely surprise. I had bought some dried lavender at Penzey's Spices, and was looking for opportunities to use it. These were easy and delicious! Rather than roll out the dough and use cookie cutters, though, I rolled my dough into two logs, wrapped them in plastic wrap, chilled them, and then sliced them into individual cookies. (I also didn't use the mint in the recipe--partly because it was winter and my mint plant had died, but also because I thought the lemon and lavender were great by themselves.) I sprinkled a bit more lavender on top, but you could skip that if you thought it was overkill.

I made a couple of other recipes last year, but I either wasn't that impressed by them, or found them to be more work than they were worth (I'm talking about you, cream cheese cookies filled with jam!).

Happy holidays, all! I hope to update while we're away, but I may find myself too caught up in the kitchen...but I promise to take pictures and post after the fact if that happens.

Step-by-Step Recipe: Spaghetti all' Elsa and Roasted Sausages with Peppers and Onions

2010-12-08T22:16:00.007-05:00

The holiday season is busy for many of us. This week in particular, I have a lot going on at work, in addition to trying to make the holidays happen (Christmas shopping, decorating, and working on Christmas cards). In these situations, I love a recipe that will make a lot of leftovers. These recipes do just that--they will make about 6-8 servings, depending how generous you are. Which is fantastic!

I'm not always the biggest fan of Rachael Ray, mostly because I find her a little irritating on TV. But I've made a few of her recipes that were all pretty good...so I will try to be more kind in my assessment. Of the recipes I've tried, Spaghetti all' Elsa and Roasted Sausages with Peppers and Onions are probably my favorites. (FYI, I skip the cheesy bread part of that second recipe, as this already makes SO MUCH food. Maybe if I were feeding an army I might try it...) The other great thing about these recipes is that they aired together on a episode of "Thirty Minute Meals." I've never actually managed to make this meal in 30 minutes, but it doesn't take much longer than that. A great help on a busy Monday night!

Recipes and photos below the cut!

First things first--assemble your ingredients. Starting with the sausage, peppers, and onions.

Put the sausages on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 15-25 minutes (25 for turkey sausage) at 425.

Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice 3 cloves of garlic. And do not mock my dinged up and dingy cutting board. I promise it's clean!

Then slice up the peppers. Not too thin--otherwise they'll get too mushy.

Then slice the onions--again, not too thin.

Now it's time to prep the ingredients for the pasta and sauce. Start by assembling everything. (Note: that small can of diced tomatoes should actually be crushed tomatoes, but my grocery store doesn't sell crushed tomatoes in the 14-oz. size anymore. They also don't sell the Barilla Plus pasta in regular spaghetti--hence the angel hair. Whatever. It's all fine.)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the sliced garlic to the pan. Let it get a little toasty.

Then add the peppers and onions.

Then heat some olive oil over medium-low, and add the crushed garlic cloves and red pepper flakes. Let the garlic cook low and slow until it's golden. Remove with a slotted spoon (or if you LOVE garlic like I do, you can leave it in and get a surprise in your sauce!).

Check on your peppers and onions. They should be getting softer, but retaining their bright color. Add a little bit of the tomato sauce (see next step), thinned out with water, as well as salt and pepper, and stir to coat.

Add wine/chicken stock to the pan with the olive oil and red pepper flakes (carefully--will spatter). Cook for 30 seconds, then add the crushed tomatoes and stir well. Add the basil (I usually add half at this point and sprinkle the rest on top when everything is done--your choice). Cover and let simmer.

Meanwhile, your pasta has been cooking (right?). Once you drain it, return it to the pot you cooked it in, and add the butter. Stir until it's melted and the pasta is coated. Add half the sauce and all of the Parmesan (or a little less, and save the rest for sprinkling on your finished plates). Mix until everything is coated. Serve with more sauce and Parmesan!

And voila--your finished products!

Yum!

I suggest serving these together. You could serve with a salad to add some veggies to the mix, but to be honest, this is SO MUCH food that you may well skip it. Enjoy!

Spaghetti all' Elsa, from Rachael Ray
Serves: 6-8. Time: 30-40 minutes (when made with roasted sausages below)

Ingredients

Salt
1 pound spaghetti
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 cup chicken stock or white wine
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano), plus 1 (14-ounce) can
Several leaves basil, torn or chopped, a handful
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add pasta. Cook to al dente, with a bite to it.
Heat a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and red pepper and let them cook 5 minutes, garlic will be soft and light golden. Remove garlic.
Add stock or wine and stir 30 seconds, add tomatoes and combine. Season the sauce with salt, to taste, then stir basil in and reduce heat to low.
When pasta is cooked, turn off the heat, drain the pasta then add it back to the still-hot, deep pot. Add butter to spaghetti and toss to melt and coat.
Add half the red sauce and all of the cheese, work in a handful at a time as you toss to combine. To serve, use tongs or a meat fork to swirl the pasta into buttery, cheesy mounds to pile onto each plate. Top each portion with spoonfuls of remaining sauce.

Roasted Sausages with Peppers and Onions, from Rachael Ray
Serves: 6-8. Time: 30-40 minutes (when made with Spaghetti all' Elsa)

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds thin Italian sausage hot and sweet varieties (I use turkey sausage, which is a bit thicker)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling plus 3 tablespoons, 3 turns of the pan
4 cloves garlic, 3 thinly sliced, 1 cracked from skin
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 large onion, 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup tomato sauce, thinned out with water
Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place sausages on a baking sheet and liberally drizzle extra-virgin olive oil down over them. Place in hot oven and roast until casings are crisp and juices run clear, somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes (25 minutes if using turkey sausages). Remove from oven to rest sausages.
While sausages roast, heat a skillet over medium heat with 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and sliced garlic.
Simmer garlic in extra-virgin olive oil 2 to 3 minutes then add peppers and onions. Turn the heat up a notch, and cook until the vegetables are tender but the peppers still hold strong color, 5 to 6 minutes.
Add thinned tomato sauce, salt, and pepper and reduce. Turn heat back to low and hold the veggies until the sausage comes out of the oven, a couple of minutes.

Recipe Snapshot: French Chicken

2010-12-01T17:44:00.005-05:00

This recipe is known in our home simply as "French chicken." I think it has a real name, but being that I found the recipe in French (with its French name), I find it's simpler to stick with "French chicken." I love this recipe. It's easy, delicious, and impressive. I've made it for guests, including a special birthday dinner for a friend this past fall. I also made it last night on an ordinary Tuesday, because I happened to have all the ingredients on hand, and I felt like it. What else makes it great? It tastes, somehow, French, without being fussy or complicated (unlike the traditional boeuf bourguignon that I made that took nearly 7 hours to complete).

I often serve this chicken with haricot verts (fancy-sounding French words for skinny green beans) and some kind of potato. Last night I served it with a green salad and some spaghetti squash. I love that it has come out perfectly every time I make it. And like I said above, it just tastes "French." I think it's the Dijon (must use real Dijon, not plain yellow mustard or the grainy stuff) and the herbs. If my guess is right, this is actually pretty healthy, as well. Think about it--the only real fat is the Parmesan and the pine nuts.

Recipe is below the cut.

French Chicken, recipe found online in French, translated by Julie
Time: 45 minutes. Serves: 4.

Ingredients

1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/8 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves (can substitute tarragon if you prefer)
4 boneless and skinless half chicken breasts
4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp olive oil to oil the baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Toast the pine nuts in dry skillet over medium. While toasting, rinse, dry, and trim the fat from the chicken breasts.
Coarsely chop the toasted nuts, cheese, garlic, parsley, and rosemary in a food processor. Place the resulting crumbs in a large, flat pan or plate.
Brush the top side of each breast with 1 tsp of the mustard and then press the top of each breast into the nut/herb/cheese mixture.
Arrange the breasts, coated side up, on a lightly oiled baking dish and top with the remaining nut mixture;
Bake the chicken breasts for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Thanksgiving Tidbits

2010-11-18T11:03:00.002-05:00

My apologies for being a neglectful food blogger. My husband and I took a long weekend last weekend to visit my undergraduate alma mater and attend a football game. There was no cooking to be done. And since our return, I seem to have picked up a head cold, so the only cooking going on in our house has been microwaved soup. I hope to pick things up again after Thanksgiving--so many Christmas recipes to dream about!

Nevertheless, Thanksgiving is next week. My husband and I will be visiting his parents in New Jersey for the holiday, so I won't be cooking. Part of me is relieved, but a bigger part is actually sad not to be hosting. I've made Thanksgiving dinner a couple of times in years past, and with careful planning, it's actually been pretty fun! And being the control freak that I am, I LOVE planning menus. But such is life!

For those of you who have not yet planned out your Thanksgiving menu in full, I thought I'd share a couple of recipes I've really enjoyed--high on flavor, low on effort. I can't share my favorite recipe (mashed potatoes), because it's a family secret. Well, not really--mostly I don't follow a recipe. I cook potatoes and mash them up with butter, milk, and sour cream. And voila, mashed potatoes. Anticlimactic, isn't it?

Fresh Herb Stuffing from Real Simple magazine: I also sauteed some sliced mushrooms and added those to the mix when I made this. I like this recipe because you can completely control how moist your stuffing is. I prefer mine to be soft but not soggy (all the better to cover in gravy), but I know my husband likes his much drier. (I give him the crustier edges.) I like this recipe because it's easy, has a traditional flavor, and it shares many of the same ingredients as other dishes, so it's low stress. I enjoy a fancy sausage stuffing as much as the next girl, but really, if you're making dinner by yourself, why make it more complicated than it needs to be?

Cranberry and Dried Cherry Relish from Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine: Could this be any easier??? No! And that's why it's perfect. You can spice it up with some cinnamon and/or ginger if you'd like, but this is also good as is. And the fact that you could make it in your sleep doesn't hurt!

Please promise me that you'll make your own gravy. Promise? It's really quite easy, and it seems a shame to waste the juices from the gorgeous turkey you roasted. If you've been to scared to try it in the past, just follow these steps. Classic Gravy from Real Simple. If you don't have wine on hand, you can just use more broth.

Also note that if you've got a smaller group to cook for, go ahead and roast a turkey breast rather than a whole turkey. Because you're only cooking the breast meat, it will cook faster and more evenly, and it will be the juiciest turkey you've ever had. Trust me! Because the breast is leaner, you'll have fewer juices in the pan for gravy, FYI.

Best of luck, everyone! Happy Thanksgiving!

Step-by-Step Recipe: Cinnamon Apple Crepes

2010-11-09T06:50:00.006-05:00

I woke up Saturday morning with the urge to make crepes for breakfast. This has never happened before, as I usually have the urge to let my husband make me an English muffin and some coffee. But I went with it. I had seen a recipe for pumpkin spice crepes a while back, and decided those could be easily adapted. (I might try the pumpkin version later, though.)

Believe it or not, I've never really made crepes before, despite my francophilia. These took a little getting used to, but after a couple disasters, I got the hang of it!

Start by assembling your ingredients (not pictured: apples or apple cider, which were already cooking away).

Cook the apples as directed. You'll know when they're done because they'll be soft.

Then mix the crepe mixture in a blender. (I used a blender here instead of a food processor because the blender has a pouring spout, plain and simple.)

Mmmmm...crepe batter.

Next, heat a 10-inch nonstick (very important--MUST be nonstick) skillet over medium (the recipe I borrowed this from says medium-low, but if you do that, it will take 10 minutes to cook each crepe). When hot, spray with cooking spray, and pour in the crepe batter.

It will start to cook and look dry around the edges, when is how you'll know when to flip it. Flip carefully.

Repeat until all crepe batter is used up. Then serve with apple filling and apple butter.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Apple Crepes, by Julie, adapted from Gina's Pumpkin Spiced Crepes
Time: about 30 minutes. Serves: 2-4, depending how hungry you are. (Makes about 8 crepes, unless you ruin a bunch and have to throw them out like I did.)

Ingredients

for the filling

2-3 apples, cored and thinly sliced (you can peel if you want, but I left the skins on out of laziness)
splash of apple cider
dash of vanilla
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
apple butter (about 1 tablespoon per crepe)

for the crepes

1 1/2 cups fat free milk
2 large egg whites
1 whole egg
1 tsp oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
butter flavored cooking spray

Directions

In a small saucepan, add the apples, apple cider, vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, and nutmeg. Heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft.
Blend flour, milk, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, eggs and oil until smooth in the blender.
Heat a 10-inch nonstick pan on medium. When hot, spray with buttered flavored spray to coat bottom of pan.
Pour 1/4 cup crepe mixture into pan, swirling pan slightly to make crepe thin and smooth. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until bottom of crepe is light golden brown. Flip; cook 30 seconds to 1 minute or until light golden brown. Repeat with remaining buttered flavored spray and crepe mixture. (If you have to throw out the first couple, don't sweat it--it takes a while to get the hang of it with crepes!)
Meanwhile, heat apple butter in microwave until warm.
To serve, spoon 2 spoonfuls of cooked apples and 1 tbsp apple butter into center of each crepe, fold the edge of crepe over filling and roll, placing the crepe on a plate seam side down. Top with more apples and/or apple butter, if desired. (Or whipped cream or yogurt might be good.) Serve warm.

Step-by-Step Recipe: Creamy Pumpkin Soup

2010-11-06T09:27:00.005-04:00

I feel like a bad food blogger. It's been too long, and I know it. But in my defense, it's been a crazy week. Last weekend was a bit of a whirlwind, and then on Monday and Tuesday, I traveled to Portland, Oregon for work. Yes, 5,600+ miles in less than 48 hours. And so I've been...wrecked...since then. Then yesterday I had a medical procedure that required anesthesia, so I wasn't allowed to do much in the kitchen when I got home. All I have cooked in the last week has been a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches. Hopefully that will change today!

In other news, my dark chocolate cupcakes with pumpkin cream cheese frosting won the Halloween Bake Sale/Contest at work in a couple of categories--Most Wicked and Most Haunted; I came in second for Most Creepy, and tied for third for Best in Show. So that's good, right?

Last weekend was Halloween, and despite the fact that I needed to wake up at 3 in the morning on Monday to make it to the airport to catch my flight, I did want to "celebrate," even if in a small way. We only had a few trick-or-treaters (anyone want a Kit-Kat? We have lots!), but luckily that gave me time to whip up a little something for the holiday: creamy pumpkin soup.

I've been making this recipe for years, and have shared it with several friends. I think it could be a perfect first course at Thanksgiving dinner, but it's also perfect for a simple Sunday supper on Halloween, especially when accompanied by the perfect grilled cheese sandwich (which it was this past Sunday!).

I originally found this recipe online at AllRecipes.com, but I have made some alterations. First, I don't make the cinnamon croutons; second, I use much much much less cream, as the soup doesn't need it.

More below the cut!

Start assembling your ingredients.

First things first, dice the onion and melt the butter. Add the onion to the butter and saute until tender.

Add half the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor and process until smooth (I tried to do this with my immersion blender, but it didn't work at all). Then return it to the saucepan.

Add the the rest of the ingredients, except the cream. It's sort of white looking here because the food processor made the broth mixture very frothy.

Stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the cream or half-and-half. (I suggest you start with just a little and taste as you go; you may not want to add any; the soup is less creamy that way, but still delicious. The cream adds some richness, though.) I added about 1/3 cup of cream, because that's what I had on hand. Heat through, but do not boil.

Ladle into bowls to serve. Sprinkle with a pinch of pumpkin pie spice, if desired.

Enjoy!

Creamy Pumpkin Soup, recipe from AllRecipes.com, altered by Julie
Time: 30-40 minutes. Serves: 4.

Ingredients

1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
2 (14.5 ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream OR half-and-half (to taste)
pumpkin pie spice, for serving

Directions

Melt butter in medium saucepan and saute onion until tender. Add 1 can chicken broth; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
Transfer broth mixture into the container of a blender or food processor. Process until smooth.
Return mixture to saucepan. Add remaining can of broth, pumpkin, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground pepper; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and adjusting seasoning to taste.
Stir in cream and heat through. Do not boil. Ladle into individual soup bowls. Sprinkle each serving lightly with pumpkin pie spice, if desired.

Step-by-Step Recipe: Apple Cider Braised Pork with Onions and Leeks (sort of)

2010-10-27T06:39:00.002-04:00

I really like braising meat, as I believe I've said before (braised short ribs) It's pretty much the easiest thing you can do that delivers such amazing results, though admittedly it takes a while. The good news is that most of that time is hands-off from you.

This isn't quite a true step-by-step posting, as I had guests over for dinner, and then I got a tiny bit flustered,
and then I didn't take pictures. It happens. Sorry!

More below the cut.

No assembling the ingredients picture, but please do that. :) There aren't that many. And preheat the oven to 325. My first picture is of the seared roast. You can see the little slivers of garlic poking out of the meat. I will admit I needed help searing this roast because it was almost 8 pounds (the smallest I could find at the grocery store), and turning it was a challenge. If you get a 4-5 pound boneless roast, it should be easier.

After the roast has been seared on all sides, add the onions and leeks to the fat in the dutch oven. Let them brown a bit, then season well with salt, then continue to let them cook till they are nice and golden.

Then add the apple cider. The original recipe only called for a small amount, but I think it could use a bit more...1 cup or even more if you'd like.

Return the roast to the dutch oven, on top of the cider-onion-leek mixture.

Then put the lid on and put that puppy in the oven for at least 2.5 hours. (I just like looking at my pretty blue dutch oven. Ignore me.)

I left my roast in for 3 hours since it was quite a bit bigger than what the recipe called for, but I'm not sure it needed it. When you pull it out, the meat should pull above easily with a couple of forks. Remove the roast, carefully, from the dutch oven, and set aside to rest. Bring the braising liquid to a boil on the stove, and let it reduce by half (it still won't be that thick, but the flavors will be concentrated). Then you can try to skim some of the fat off, but this is very hard. (Easier to do if you make ahead and then refrigerate.) Serve the roast with the braising liquid. (Mine is sitting on a pile of mashed potatoes, as all things should.)

It's not the prettiest meal, but I promise, it's a tasty one.

I suggest serving this with something soft and mild flavor--I served this over mashed Yukon gold potatoes, with some curried carrots on the side (it was a mild curry flavor with honey). The flavors all played well together.

Apple Cider Braised Pork with Onions and Leeks, borrowed from Daily Unadventures in Cooking
Time: Less than 30 minutes prep, about 3 hours cooking. Serves: 6-8.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 4-5 lb pork roast (NOT a tenderloin; you want something fattier here; if it has a bone it will probably be heavier)
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, cut into slivers
1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise then into 1/4″ slices
1 large leek, cut into 1/4″ slices, well washed
fresh thyme sprigs
1 cup apple cider, or more, depending how much sauce you want.

Directions

Preheat oven to 325F.
Using a sharp knife score fat and any skin on the roast in a checker board pattern.
Make slits in the meat and insert the garlic slivers in.
Rub the roast with a generous amount of salt and freshly ground pepper.
Heat oil to medium in a dutch oven; add pork and brown on all sides.
Remove pork to a plate and add onion and leeks.
Saute until just starting to brown, add a big pinch of salt and continue until a light golden brown.
Add cider, thyme and then pork back to the pan. Cover and bake for 2 1/2- 3 hours.
Remove pork from sauce and simmer until reduced by half. You can try to skim some fat from the sauce at this point, but it'll be tough.

You can make this recipe ahead of time, and if you do, you will have the opportunity to skim the fat from the sauce. Separate the sauce from the meat and refrigerate. Once cooled you should be able to skim the fat from the top. Reheat sauce and pork together gently.

Step-by-Step Recipe: Best Ever Apple Pie

2010-10-23T09:43:00.002-04:00

First things first--time for a confession. I made a pie yesterday. An apple one. But I did not make pie crust. Yes, yes, I know *how* to make pie crust. I just...didn't feel like it. And I'd never used the ready-made stuff before, so I wanted to see how good it was (and just how easy). And let me tell you...I can see why people don't bother to make their own crust. :) The Pillsbury stuff tasted good and was the easiest thing to use ever.

Okay, now that that's over...I *did* make the filling, which I think is more complicated than the crust. Have you ever had apple pie where the apples weren't soft enough? (Ick.) Where they were still sour tasting and not saucy enough? (Gross.) Well, if you make this filling, you will not experience that. This smelled like...heaven. And it tasted pretty great, too. So if, like me, you've been scared or nervous to make an apple pie...fear not! Try this recipe (and consider cheating with a storebought pie crust if you must), and you'll feel like a pro!

Start by assembling your ingredients (apples not pictured--I used a mix of Stayman, Granny Smith, and Macintosh). Note: that weird brownish thing sitting at the intersection of the sugars and flour? That's a nutmeg. I keep one in a tiny jar in my pantry and grate it fresh when a recipe calls for it. It tastes SO much better fresh.

Next, melt the butter over medium heat. (This is when I started peeling the apples, to get a head start. I did it by hand this time, rather than use my fancy apple peeler thing.)

Once the butter is melted, add the flour and cornstarch. Stir until it makes a paste.

Then add the next 6 ingredients: water, vanilla, sugars, nutmeg and cinnamon. (You can see the fresh nutmeg on top of the white sugar.)

Stir everything together until smooth. It will already smell awesome at this point.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat and let it simmer for a while to thicken.

Meanwhile, finish up those apples.

Check on the sauce to see if it's thickened. Try not to eat it yet, because it's really hot and will burn your tongue. Trust me.

Now it's time to add the apples! Gently stir them into the sauce (trying not to break up all the apple slices). Then fill the prepared bottom pie crust with the apples. (Sorry--I must've forgotten the camera here!)

Once the apples are all evenly spread and secure in the bottom crust, lay the top crust on top. Gently press it on top of the apples, and then fold the edges over the bottom crust and "crimp" or flute as desired. (Or if you're like me and have a ruffled edge pie dish, you can be lazier.) Use a knife to make slits in the top of the crust to allow steam out.

Then mix up a quick egg wash (see proportions in recipe below), and brush the top crust lightly. (This is optional, but an egg wash always makes a pie look better!)

Bake in the oven for 1 hour, and make sure you have a snack handy, because the smell will be overpowering, and you will be tempted to gnaw off your own arm. Tip: I have an oven liner sheet at the bottom of my oven so that if anything bubbles over, it doesn't burn on the bottom of the oven. Spills just wipe right off. If you do not have one of these (got mine at Bed, Bath & Beyond), you might want to put a cookie sheet or something under the pie.

Let it cool at least 20 minutes before serving. We ate ours several hours later, and it was awesome. (Sorry, no pictures of the servings. Bad blogger Julie!) Here, my husband shows how much he liked it. (He told me it was possibly the best apple pie he's ever had.)

Best Ever Apple Pie Filling, recipe found at TastyKitchen.com
Time: 30 minutes + 1 hour baking. Serves: 8.

Ingredients

1 stick Butter
3 Tablespoons Flour
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
3 Tablespoons Water
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
½ cups Brown Sugar
½ cups White Sugar
1 dash Nutmeg
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
6 whole Baking Apples, Peeled, Cored And Sliced
1 whole 9-inch Prepared Pie Crust With Top Crust (optional)
1 egg (for egg wash, optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour and cornstarch to form a paste. Add water, vanilla, white sugar and brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer for a few minutes, until thickened.
Wash, peel, core, and slice applies.
Add the apples to the sugar sauce and pour into the prepared pie crust. If using a top crust, place over the apples and brush crust with an egg wash for a nice sheen, if desired. Egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water.
Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Let sit for about 20 minutes for the apples to cool and thicken a bit.

And the winner is...

2010-10-22T11:40:00.000-04:00

Based on the votes from your comments, comments on Facebook, and a couple by email...Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting is the winner. Thanks for voting, everyone! I might whip up a half batch this weekend to make sure I'm comfortable with the recipe. Maybe pictures, too?

My apologies for being so quiet lately. My husband and I have been very busy with work, and I have not been doing much cooking. I made some pesto pasta the other night with what was probably my last basil harvest of the year...but since I've already posted that recipe... I hope to whip up a few new things this weekend. Braised pork roast with apple cider and caramelized leeks, anyone? And maybe, finally, that apple pie.

Happy fall, everyone! Hope you're enjoying some tasty fall treats!

PLEASE VOTE! Halloween Dessert Ideas

2010-10-18T13:48:00.000-04:00

So my office is having a Halloween dessert competition/bake sale next week. Apparently I've set the precedent that I am expected to make something awesome to compete. Part of me is flattered...but most of me is anxious just thinking about it.

To minimize my stress, I'm thinking I'll want to make something I've made before. I need some help deciding what would be best. Here are my current thoughts. Please respond in a comment to this post with your vote.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Gingersnap Crust
Apple Cake (see post from last week)
Something else entirely?

If your vote is for #4, please submit an idea...something I'll have time to try this weekend before the actual competition, since the very idea of baking something for other people to eat without testing it myself makes my stomach twist up into a giant knot.

Thanks! I hope to get back to regular posting this week at some point. I hardly cooked last week, since I was on travel for work for a few days. And then I was just lazy. And then my camera battery died when I was trying to photograph last night's dinner. Oh well! You folks don't care about sauteed chicken with mustard-cream sauce, do you?

And one more request...PLEASE VOTE!

Recipe Snapshots: Apples (Part II)

2010-10-12T12:36:00.002-04:00

Over the long weekend (it was Columbus Day yesterday, which is a federal holiday, in case it wasn't a long weekend for you!), I used up a few more of our apples. I still haven't made that apple pie I've been planning, but maybe next weekend? The apples are looking good and fresh, which I guess makes sense because the ones you typically buy at the store were probably picked weeks before they find they way to the produce section.

One of my challenges with the apples was finding savory recipes to use them in. Delicious as it was, that apple cake didn't exactly stretch the imagination much! But then low and behold, a friend told about this recipe: Creamy Chicken-Apple Chili. I know, it sounds weird. But the reviews on the recipe were good, and the friend who told me about the recipe enjoyed it. So I thought I'd give it a whirl.

It was pretty great. It needs a little cilantro for garnish, and the apple flavor could actually use a boost, but overall, I was pleasantly surprised.

Also over the weekend, I tried to make Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes. A couple of things: there are no actual apples in this recipe. But it does call for applesauce, which I could have made with my apples. I just don't plan to do this, since I don't really care for applesauce all that much.

According to my husband, these were fantastic. I thought they were just pretty good. The ingredient list is really long, and I'm not sure how much a lot of those items really added. And they sure didn't taste very apple-y. But anything fluffy and baked and coated in buttery cinnamon-sugar? How bad could it be? (Note: my "donut holes" look more like muffins because I don't have a mini-muffin pan and had to use a regular one.)

Recipes below the cut.

Creamy Chicken-Apple Chili, from Rachael Ray Everyday Food Magazine
Time: 35-45 minutes. Serves: 8.

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds chicken tenders, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and pepper
2 apples, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 onion, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
Two 15-ounce cans pinto or white beans, rinsed
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese (about 8 ounces)
Toasted tortillas, for serving
Chopped scallions or cilantro, for serving

Directions

In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, chili powder and cumin. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl.
In the same pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the apples and onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 6 minutes; add to the chicken.
In the same pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute; whisk in the chicken broth and milk until thickened, 3 minutes. (It's going to look pretty terrible at this point. Trust me, it'll work out.) Stir in the chicken-apple mixture and beans, bring to a simmer, then stir in the cheese. Serve with the tortillas and scallions/cilantro.

Baked Apple Cider Donut Holes, from Tasty Kitchen
Time: 30-45 minutes. Makes: 24 (if you use a regular muffin pan; more if you use a mini).

Ingredients

For donuts:

3 Tablespoons Sugar (for Pans)
1 cup Flour
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1-½ teaspoon Baking Soda
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
½ teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
½ teaspoons Nutmeg
1 whole Egg
⅔ cups Brown Sugar
½ cups Applesauce
⅓ cups Pure Maple Syrup
⅓ cups Apple Cider
⅓ cups Plain Greek Yogurt
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

For cinnamon-sugar topping:

¾ cups Sugar
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
½ cups Butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush a mini muffin pan with butter and sprinkle sugar on top, shaking out the excess.
In a bowl, mix together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, mix together brown sugar, applesauce, maple syrup, cider, yogurt, and vegetable oil.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir gently just until evenly blended. Divide the batter into the muffin pan, filling the cavities only halfway. Bake for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the topping. Melt the butter. In a large Ziploc bag, combine the sugar and cinnamon.
When donuts are still hot, brush them with the butter and toss them in the cinnamon sugar mixture until evenly coated. Serve warm.

Step-by-Step Recipe: Apple Cake

2010-10-09T09:17:00.002-04:00

I don't think I had ever had an apple cake until last fall. My sister- and brother-in-law had gone apple picking and were kind enough to share a half dozen or so of their pickings. Being terrified of making a pie, and not being a fan of apple crisps (too healthy), I decided to try one. My expectations were low...but wow. Zack and I devoured the cake ourselves within a couple of days. And then I made it again and actually shared it with other people!

I found this recipe online at AllRecipes.com. If you click that link, I have no idea what makes this cake "German." I just know it's delicious! I made a few alterations based on reviews from other bakers, and I think they're delish!

Begin by assembling your ingredients. (Note: I'm assuming everyone knows how to dice an apple, so I didn't provide instructions. If that would be a helpful tip, let me know!)

Next, cream the eggs and oil with an electric mixer. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix well.

Then blend the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Then with the mixer on, slowly add the dry ingredients to the egg-sugar mixture. Mix until well incorporated; batter will be very thick.

Now it's time to fold in the apples. Do this by hand. You'll probably look at the bowl of apples and be like, "there is no way all those will fit in this batter." But they will, I promise! The apples start to release some juice and it softens the batter up.

Once well mixed, spread the batter in the pan. (I used a bundt pan, and the instructions below reflect this.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes, until it tests done. It will have formed a glorious crunchy crust. Try not to eat it now. Let it cool for at least an hour in the pan.

Then invert onto a serving plate. Drool. (I was taking this to work, hence the plastic serving plate.) You could dust this with powdered sugar to pretty it up, but I think it's great as is!

The end result should be a dense, extremely moist and delicious cake. Enjoy! Here's the recipe.

Apple Cake, recipe from AllRecipes.com, altered by Julie
Time: 80-90 minutes, depending how fast you can get the apples ready! Serves: 12-15.

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups apples - peeled, cored and diced (about 4-5 apples, depending on size)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour (or spray with Baker's Joy) a bundt or tube pan.
In a mixing bowl; beat oil and eggs with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well.
Combine the flour salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon together in a bowl. Slowly add this mixture to the egg mixture and mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Fold in the apples by hand using a wooden spoon. Spread batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 55-60 minutes or until cake tests done. Let cake cool on a wire rack before inverting onto serving dish. Serve as is or with a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Recipe Snapshots: Apples (Part I)

2010-10-05T20:33:00.004-04:00

For these first couple of apple recipes, I didn't do the full step-by-step thing. Since the galette was a first-time recipe, I was too focused to take pictures. And then I forgot for the second recipe. But here are some pictures of the finished products and the recipes!

First I made an apple galette, which is basically a cheater's pie--it's pie crust filled with fruit filling and then folded in on itself, no pie dish needed. It's rustic and a little bit less effort than a pie. I had seen this recipe on one of the food blogs I follow, and decided to give it a try.

All in all, this was an okay recipe. The filling needed a little bit more "sauce," because the apples on top were a little dry. I altered the recipe a bit--I made my own pie crust from a fool-proof recipe I found, and then added some nutmeg to the filling and increased the amount of apples in the filling (maybe why it was dry?). I would make this again, for sure, since it was pretty simple to throw together, even making my own pie crust! I like how rustic it looked. But I'll be trying a regular ol' apple pie sometime soon, to show off my crust-crimping skills (or lack thereof).

I also made roasted pork tenderloin with apple-cherry chutney, which was fabulous. I like savory recipes that incorporate apples, and this was also very easy. The recipe is from Southern Living magazine, though I found it online.

I've made this recipe before, and it's delicious. I served it with brussels sprouts and a wild rice blend. I made a few tweaks--I halved the amount of chili sauce in the chutney (I used sriracha sauce, and 2 tablespoons of that would have made it inedible for us), and added more apples, as well as a touch of cinnamon. I also used a shallot instead of onion, but that's just because I had more shallots on hand.

Recipes below the cut.

Apple Galette, inspired by Pinch My Salt recipe, altered by Julie
Time: 30 minutes prep, 35 minutes baking. Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

For filling:

4-6 good baking apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (4 if they're large, 6 if they're smaller)
1/4 cup sugar
Ground cinnamon, to taste
Freshly ground nutmeg, to taste (just a pinch will do)
1 tablespoon flour
2-3 tablespoons of butter, diced

For the crust: (recipe from AllRecipes.com: Easy Food Processor Pie Crust)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
5 tablespoons shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons ice water (or more)
1 egg, lightly beaten with a bit of water (for egg wash)

Directions

Put all of your apple slices in a bowl and toss with the sugar. Sprinkle in a bit of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, and a tablespoon of flour. Toss it all together and set the bowl aside.
Now preheat the oven to 400 degrees while you make the pastry. This is important, don’t forget to turn on the oven!
Next, clear a large space on a countertop or table and sprinkle it lightly with flour. If you have a pastry board or cloth, even better. Have a rolling pin handy and more flour available for sprinkling. A dough scraper will also come in handy if you have one. Also get out a large cookie sheet, preferably with rim. Line it with parchment paper and have it handy.
Now it's time to assemble the crust. Measure the flour into the processor with the regular blade attached. Add the unsalted butter, cut into cubes, and shortening, cut into cubes. (Your fat should be frozen or very cold. You may vary the proportions, or use some lard, but the total should be 9 tablespoons.) Add salt. Pulse three times with three counts per pulse to lightly mix the ingredients.
With the motor running, pour ice water into the workbowl just until the dough just starts to get noticeably crumbly. Don't wait until it is a big clump or it will be way too wet and will turn out tough.
Stop the machine, dump the crumbly dough into a bowl, and gather the dough into a ball with your hand. you can squeeze it a bit to make it stick together. If it just won't form a ball, add a tiny bit more water. (Note that if you are making crust in the food processor, you will use less water than most recipes call for.)
Wrap your dough ball in wax paper or plastic wrap and chill it about 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Roll dough out into a large circle, about 1/8 inch thick, making sure to add a bit of flour on top and underneath the dough occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the counter. Try to roll the dough as evenly as possible to about 1/8 inch thick. The circle doesn’t have to be perfect and if the dough starts splitting and tearing, just patch it together as best you can. Most importantly, work quickly and make sure to keep the counter underneath lightly floured to prevent sticking.
Gently wrap the dough around the rolling pin and transfer it to the baking sheet. Try to unwrap the dough so that it is somewhat centered on the pan. The pastry circle will overlap the sides of the pan by quite a bit, that’s what you want.
Now dump the apple mixture right into the center of the circle and spread them out a bit. Drop the diced pieces of butter over the top of the apples. (I didn't do this, and I think this is why my apples were drier and didn't have as much "sauce.")
Next, just fold the edges of the pastry over the apples, sealing any holes that appear along the edges as you go. You want to seal the holes and cracks so that the juices don’t escape while it’s baking. The pastry shouldn’t cover the apples completely in the center.
Brush the crust with the egg wash. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until crust is golden.

Pork Medallions with Spicy Apple-Cherry Chutney, altered from MyRecipes.com
Time: 45 minutes. Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 (1 1/2-lb.) pork tenderloin
1/2 teaspoon coarse-grain salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Cooking spray (such as Pam)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
1 1/2 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith or other firm cooking apples
3/4 cup cherry preserves
1/2 cup dried sweetened cherries
1 tablespoon sriracha chili sauce
dash of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Pat pork tenderloin dry with paper towels, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Coat a roasting rack with cooking spray, and place in a roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Place tenderloin on rack.
Bake, on middle oven rack, at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion of pork tenderloin registers 160°. (I prefer my pork cooked to a medium/medium well, so it's still lightly pink in the middle, which still takes a full 30 minutes.)
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; add 1/2 cup diced onion, and sauté 3 minutes or until golden and tender. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in diced apples and next 4 ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes or until apples are slightly softened.
Cut pork diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick medallions, and arrange on a serving platter; spoon chutney over pork.

Coming Soon: Apples, Apples, and More Apples!

2010-10-04T15:43:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, my husband and I went apple-picking with some friends. I had never been apple-picking before, and I really enjoyed it. I am also enjoyed the 19+ pounds of apples we brought home! I've already made a couple of things, and plan to make more in the next couple of weeks. Last night I made my very first apple galette, and for dinner, I made roasted pork tenderloin medallions with spicy apple-cherry chutney. I used about 5 percent of my apples to make these. So there will be much more in the days to come. Stay tuned!

And now I will leave you with my favorite picture from our apple-picking adventures: my favorite teeny-tiny little apple.

Check back later this week for my adventures in apple-cooking. (I'm thinking apple cake tonight.) In the meanwhile, please share any favorite apple recipes!

Step-by-Step Recipe: Mini Honey-Mustard Meatloaves with Roasted Potatoes

2010-09-30T20:04:00.003-04:00

It's been grey and rainy in the DC area the last few days--particularly last night and this morning. It's made me crave comfort food, so I did something I almost never do--prepared two beef dishes within one week. I generally try to make only one beef dish per week, if that, for health reasons. I figure we're already eating it twice a week since we usually have leftovers, and that's more than enough red meat for a week! Because I try to limit the amount of red meat we eat, I often make these mini meatloaves with ground turkey. Feel free to do the same, but be sure to use the dark meat turkey--the all white meat is too dry. Also be sure to cook it all the way through, which might mean a few extra minutes in the oven. But this week? I was extra bad and used the "meatloaf mix" ground meat sold by our grocery store (a mix of beef, pork, and veal). Don't tell on me! It was delicious, and I have no regrets.

This recipe for mini honey-mustard meatloaves with roasted potatoes came from one of my Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazines. My husband and I like it so much I'll make it 2 or 3 times every fall/winter. When I make it, I skip the salad that is included in Martha's version of the recipe and prepare another kind of vegetable. This week it was a green salad, but more interesting than the one provided in this recipe (I added grape tomatoes! I live on the edge, eh?). Before we get to the recipe itself, let me state for the record that I am almost embarrassed to share this recipe because it is so easy. But it's delicious. And can be made on a weeknight. And for those two facts? On the blog it goes!

And now for the step-by-step. As always, start by assembling your ingredients. Some notes: I used regular cheddar instead of white cheddar because that's what we had on hand. Other than the color, I cannot tell a difference. And I'm with Pioneer Woman on the shredded cheese thing--please, pretty please, shred your own. The pre-shredded stuff comes coated in yuckiness that affects its taste and texture. /end soapbox moment. Also, that gloopy stuff in the middle? That's the honey-mustard and ketchup mixture.

In a medium bowl, combine the meet, half the cheese, the panko, the egg, and salt and pepper. Mix well (but not too much) by hand.

When combined, shape into four mini loaves about the same size. Place on baking sheet (or in a baking dish like I did) and top each with honey-mustard mixture.

Then sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.

Next it's time to get the potatoes ready. I like to mix mine in a bowl rather than on the baking sheet. So once the potatoes are quartered, mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. I also added a couple of pinches of herbes de Provence because I had some from our trip to Provence...and it was right there in front of me. A good choice, but not necessary. The simple roasted potato tastes great without much dressing up.

Once mixed, spread potatoes out on a rimmed baking sheet. Try to spread them out evenly so none of them are touching, so they roast properly.

Time to go in the oven! Put the meatloaves on the top rack and the potatoes on the bottom. After 10 minutes, swap 'em. After 10 more minutes, take out the meatloaves. (Aren't they cute?!?)

Roast the potatoes for 5 more minutes or until they look totally irresistible. You can test one...or 6...to make sure they're cooked through.

Serve the meatloaves with the potatoes...and some sort of vegetable. Please. And enjoy!

Mini Honey-Mustard Meatloaves with Roasted Potatoes, from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine
Time: 60 minutes or less, including prep and cooking. Serves: 4.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for baking sheet
2 tablespoons honey mustard
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 pound ground beef chuck (or other ground meat)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 cup shredded white cheddar (about 4 ounces)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound white new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil (or use a 9 x 13 baking dish). In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons mustard and ketchup.
In a medium bowl, combine beef, egg, panko, 1/2 cup cheddar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper. Form into four 2-by-4-inch loaves; place on baking sheet (or in baking dish). Brush with mustard mixture; top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper (I prefer to mix potatoes with oil and seasonings in a large bowl and then spread out on the baking sheet).
Place meatloaves on upper rack of oven, and place potatoes on lower rack. Bake until loaves are cooked through, 20 minutes, rotating sheets after 10 minutes. Remove loaves from oven; continue to roast potatoes until tender, about 5 minutes.
Serve meatloaves with potatoes and vegetable of your choice.

Step-by-Step Recipe: Braised Beef Short Ribs

2010-09-30T07:08:00.004-04:00

In honor of fall, I felt it was time to make something hearty for dinner this past Sunday. So I pulled out one of my favorite Pioneer Woman recipes, and we were not disappointed. I made braised beef short ribs with creamy goat cheese polenta and brussels sprouts. The latter two aren't part of the step-by-step, but I can link to the recipe for the polenta below (there was no recipe for the brussels sprouts). I know braising sounds like some fancy technique, but it's really very easy--it just takes a while. Lucky, most of the time is spent in the oven, with little hands-on help from you!

If you've never had beef short ribs, they are inexpensive, fatty, and delicious when braised. Just make sure that if they have bones you get bigger pieces than I did. Usually when I ask the butcher to cut them for me at the grocery store (they never actually have them in the meat case), they debone them, too. It doesn't matter much--bone or no bone--since the meat becomes so tender from the braising that it falls apart, anyway. But if you don't want to feel cheated, follow my advice.

First, assemble your ingredients. Note: that is a Côtes du Rhône red wine. You can use any red wine, really, but something on the heartier end (i.e., not an American pinot noir or a Beaujolais). As always, it's best to use something you'd actually drink, and not the "Two Buck Chuck," if you can help it. But there's no need to cook with a $20 bottle of wine. I think this one was on special at the market for $9.

In case you don't know what beef short ribs look like, here ya go. Season with salt and pepper.

Then coat those babies in flour. Set aside.

Then cook the pancetta in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Once it starts to brown, remove the pancetta and set aside. Leave the grease in the dutch oven and add the olive oil.

Now it's time to brown the short ribs. Brown them all on all sides--about 45 seconds per side. It's gonna get dark in the pan, FYI.

Then remove the short ribs and add the onions, carrots, and shallots. Saute for a couple of minutes.

Now it's time to add the wine! Scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring to a boil.

Boil for a couple of minutes, then add the broth, salt, and pepper.

Now it's time to add the short ribs back to the mix. Settle them in so they are mostly covered by the liquid. Throw the rosemary and thyme in there.

Put the lid on, admire your pretty dutch oven, and put that baby in the oven. Cook for 2 hours at 350 degrees.

After 2 hours, reduce the oven temperature to 325 and cook for another 30-45 minutes. When you pull it out of the oven, check to make sure the meat is tender and falling off the bone. Then put the lid back on and let it sit on the counter for 20 minutes. (Now is when you can make the polenta or whatever you're going to serve these with.)

After 20 minutes, skim as much grease off the top of the liquid as you can (this is easier to do if you refrigerate at this point, but that only works if you're making this to serve later). Then serve on a bed of delicious creamy polenta, and spoon some sauce over the top. Add a veggie to the plate if you're Midwestern like me and must have meat + starch + veggie at all meals. (These brussels sprouts worked well with this dish--they're just sauteed and steamed, so super easy.)

If the short ribs are pretty fatty, there won't be a ton of meat, but trust me, this is so rich that it'll be okay. The sauce on the polenta is almost enough to send you over the top!

Braised Beef Short Ribs, from the Pioneer Woman
Time: 20-30 minutes prep, 2 hours 45 minutes in the oven, 20 minutes resting; allow at least 3 hours 30 minutes. Serves: 4.

Ingredients

8 whole beef short ribs
Coarse salt & pepper to taste
¼ cups all-purpose flour
6 pieces pancetta, diced (or about 3-4 ounces)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 whole medium onion, diced
3 whole carrots, diced
2 whole shallots, peeled and finely minced
2 cups red wine
2 cups beef broth
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Directions

Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.
In a large dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove pancetta and set aside. Do not discard grease.
Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.
Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.
Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid.
Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)
Serve 2 ribs on bed of creamy polenta, spooning a little juice over the top.

Recipe for creamy polenta, also from Pioneer Woman.

Recipe Lesson Learned: Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Topping

2010-09-27T17:26:00.000-04:00

Having made a less-than-pleasant discovery about something I made, I decided to try a new type of post here at the ol' blog-front. Consider it an apology to all my friends and coworkers who ate the leftovers from Friday's blog...or consider it a lesson learned for future attempts. I'm sure this will happen again, and in my efforts to be honest with the 5 people who actually read this blog, I'm owning up.

These muffins were good on Friday, I promise. And Saturday, too. Sunday we didn't eat any, because we got breakfast from our local bakery. This morning they looked fine, but I didn't eat one, having reverted to my usual healthy breakfast. I brought a few into the office and offered them to my coworkers, as I often do.

And now I feel bad. I just ate the last one, giving in to the need for a snack. And...it wasn't very good. Somehow in the two days since Saturday, they got downright mushy. Not moist--but unpleasantly mushy. They lost their fluffy muffiny texture. And the apples had a sort of weird bitter taste. They weren't terrible, but they certainly weren't yummy like they were two days ago.

So...my apologies. And if you make this recipe (and I hope you still will)? Try to eat them all in 48 hours. Or maybe make half a recipe.

And now I will go hang my head in baking shame... It's terribly vain, but I pride myself on my kitchen skills and get very upset when something comes out poorly. (Which is why I didn't make pie crust for such a long time, because that is hard.)

Step-by-Step Recipe: Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Topping

2010-09-25T09:26:00.006-04:00

It is technically fall, but the record high temperatures here yesterday sure didn't feel like it. It hit 98 down at National Airport. It was my day off, so I stayed inside. And then turned my oven on and baked some muffins.

In the summer I had a large bunch of rhubarb to deal with from my grandpa's garden, which is when I found this recipe. Because I wanted to make something I knew would be good, I took this recipe and subbed apples for the rhubarb. Success! I can already think of a dozen ways to make them better, but this was a pretty good start.

Before assembling the ingredients, you need to get the apples ready. You could just peel them and then core and dice them with a knife, but I have an apple peeler/corer, and like to use it whenever I can! When the apples come off the end, they have been cored, peeled and sliced, making dicing them the rest of the way a snap.

Once the apples are all chopped and ready, assemble the ingredients. Clockwise from the oil: canola oil, apples, brown sugar, salt/cinnamon/baking soda, melted butter for the topping (I suggest softening this below), buttermilk, flour. Inside: vanilla, one egg, lightly beaten. One word on buttermilk: it is GREAT for baking. It makes cakes and muffins light and moist, but it adds virtually no fat if you get the low-fat variety. You can use the leftovers in salad dressing or mashed potatoes. If you don't have buttermilk, you can make your own sour milk by adding lemon juice to regular milk.

Combine your dry ingredients and make sure there are no big lumps of brown sugar.

Then combine the wet ingredients.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients until just combined. (This photo was taken before it was all combined, fyi.)

Then fold in the diced apples.

Spoon mixture into the muffin cups, filling them less than full. Then combine the ingredients for the topping. The original recipe said to melt the butter, which I did here, but you'll see that the topping wasn't really easy to sprinkle because it wasn't crumbly enough. I suggest softening the butter for a better outcome. Once you've mixed the topping mixture, sprinkle it on the muffins.

Bake at 375 degrees for 18 minutes or so, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes and then devour.

Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Topping, adapted by Julie from rhubarb recipe found at AllRecipes.com
Time: 40 minutes including prep and baking. Serves: Makes 20-24 muffins, depending how big you make them.

Ingredients

For the muffins

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup low fat buttermilk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2-3 cups finely chopped apple (I used 2 whole Braeburn apples)

For the topping

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients.
Combine egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
Fold in apples.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffins cups about half full.
Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over each muffin.
Bake for 16-18 minutes or until muffins test done (longer if they're fuller).

Note: This recipe isn't "light," but it's probably lighter than many comparable recipes--given the low-fat buttermilk and lack of butter (except in the topping). You could make these even better by substituting 1 cup of the flour with whole wheat flour, substituting half the oil with apple sauce, and perhaps adding some oats.

Step-by-Step Recipe: Homemade Basil Pesto, with Pasta

2010-09-20T20:06:00.003-04:00

In honor of the official end of summer (which is September 23 this year), yesterday I made a double batch of homemade basil pesto. Is there anything better? (Don't answer that.) My basil plants will probably keep producing until our first frost, but they are definitely slowing down because of the shortening days (and lower heat). Aside: Oddly enough, in July when it was about 1,000 degrees outside and 200% humidity (don't tell me I don't have a flare for hyperbole!), my basil grew and grew and grew. The basil growth thing is pretty much the only good thing I think came out of that ridiculous heat wave.

Anyway, everyone should make homemade basil pesto. There's no reason not to do so--unless you'reallergic to basil, can't have Par mesan cheese, or just hate yummy things. Because basil pesto is certainly yummy. And nearly embarrassingly easy to make. Unless you don't like garlic, in which case...well, maybe this blog isn't for you, because I am not shy about garlic.

I hadn't harvested my basil plant for a few weeks, so I had enough for a double batch. The second half is currently in my freezer, and will hopefully make some dreary December day a lot brighter! Some recipes tell you to made the pesto without the cheese if you plan to freeze it, but I've never had any problems freezing it as is. Well--it does lose its bright green color in the freezing-thawing process, but it still tastes good, I promise!

Just look at the bounty of basil that I grew in my own back yard! (I actually didn't cut the plants back that far, if that tells you anything!)

Start by washing the basil. If you grow it yourself, chances are it's not that dirty--no scary pesticides or anything. Just regular dirt, so just give it a quick rinse and separate any of the yucky-looking leaves. Let it dry before you try to use it.

Meanwhile, go on and toast your pine nuts in a dry non-stick skillet.

Then assemble the rest of your ingredients. Note: I also sauteed some chicken sausage to serve with the pasta, which I sliced up here. You'll see that again later. I used the roasted garlic flavor. My husband and I both love the stuff!

Next, pull all the pesto ingredients except the olive oil into the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse until coarsely ground.

Then turn the food processor on and drizzle the olive oil in through the feeder tube.

Process until smooth--you should have a glorious green paste. Scrape down the sides and process again if anything didn't get blended in.

If you're going to add a protein, now's the time to cook it. This is also when you should put your pasta on to cook. I sauteed some sliced chicken sausage until lightly browned and heated through. (It comes fully cooked.)

Toss with hot pasta and serve topped with the protein of choice and little sprinkle of Parmesan. Enjoy!

I recommend serving this pesto with a short pasta--I used penne, but also like farfalle or orecchiette. You want something with ridges or nooks and crannies that the sauce will get caught in. Or gnocchi. Because that is delicious. I usually sautee some chicken (or chicken sausage) to serve with the pasta, but you could also grill up some fish or something--you want something lighter so it won't compete with the pesto flavor. Here's the chicken sausage brand I use, if you're curious. (This brand makes a lot more flavors, including breakfast sausages, but this is our favorite!)

Julie's Homemade Basil Pesto
Time: 15 minutes, including washing the basil. Seriously. It's that easy. Serves: 4 for a pasta main course, 6 for a side.

Ingredients

1/3 cup pine nuts
2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and dried, lightly packed
1/3 cup fresh grated/shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled (adjust for your taste and the size of the cloves)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the pine nuts to the dry skillet. Lightly toast, tossing occasionally. When lightly brown and toasted (do not overbrown, as that will result in a bitter and unpleasant flavor in the pesto), transfer pine nuts to a bowl and turn off the heat. Let pine nuts cool a bit.
Add the basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. (You can use a blender, but trust me, a food processor is much easier for this.) Pulse with metal blade until coarsely ground.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil through the feeder tube while the processor is on. Add enough olive oil to get the consistency of a tapenade or thick apple sauce. Process until smooth.
Toss sauce with freshly cooked pasta of your choice. Toss to coat evenly. Top pasta with more Parmesan.

Restaurant Experience: Jaleo (and Red Velvet)

2010-09-16T06:57:00.000-04:00

I almost feel like it's cheating to write about Jaleo, since I've eaten there at least a dozen times. But that just proves how yummy it is, right?

For those not fortunate enough to have been there (you need to visit me, because I will take you there!), Jaleo is the Spanish tapas (small plate) restaurant of famed chef José Andrés. (Chef Andrés also owns Cafe Atlantico--and mini-bar, Zaytinya, and Oyamel, all located in Washington, DC.) There are three Jaleo locations in the DC area, but the best is the one in DC proper, in the Penn Quarter neighborhood (which happens to be close to my office!). The Crystal City location is really beautiful and the food is still quite good, but I have a soft spot for the DC location. Which is where my husband took me for dinner last night. It was a special treat for a weeknight, especially since he works out in the suburbs and had to drive all the way downtown to go there.

Clearly I was very excited to go there. But as it was not planned in advance, I only had my iPhone camera available. And while the camera is surprisingly good, the lack of flash means it does poorly in low light. Sorry! I hope you'll forgive the poor quality photos.

We started the evening with a half carafe of their famed red sangria. Something you should know about me: I love sangria. I cannot go to Jaleo and not have sangria. It makes my soul cry. A glass of the sangria after a long day at work? Makes my soul giggle with joy.

We ordered 7 separate tapas plates. I can't remember them all, but some standouts: the sauteed spinach with apples and pine nuts (as always), the fried salt cod fritters with honey-garlic aioli, the fried bacon-wrapped dates (I mean, come on!), and the gambas al ajillo (garlicky sauteed shrimp). All so yummy. And fun to share. The only thing I wasn't excited about was the special we ordered--it was the sauteed asparagus topped with romesco sauce. That's a regular on the menu, for the special, they topped it with some melted cheese. Said cheese turned out to be a very strong aged goat cheese. As I have previously comments on my feelings about strong cheeses...you can see why I might not have been excited.

But the best of the night? The surprise winner? Was the duck and rice tapas. Specifically, the "Arroz de pato ‘Jean-Louis Palladin’."

Sure, it sounds fine if you like duck (which I do). But the description really does not do justice to this dish, which I would describe as ridiculous. And our waiter agreed with me. It's so rich and decadent. I mean...duck confit AND foie gras cream?? It was almost too much. But this being Jaleo, we got just this small plate...and it was gone in three minutes flat. I am not one of those snobby food people who eats foie gras on a regular basis (maybe once a year or once every two years?), but let me state for the record that while I know it's not a politically correct food...but it is certainly a delicious one. And to make it into a rich cream sauce? Almost too much to handle.

Between this amazing food and the good service we had...Jaleo gets an A on this occasion.

After we licked our plates clean, we paid the bill and headed across the street for dessert. Why, you might ask? Jaleo's desserts have never done much for me. And there's a Red Velvet across the street.

Sue me...I like their cupcakes. Theirs are the best in DC, in my humble opinion. Their cake is moist and light (some others are too dense), and the frosting is creamy and rich, but not too rich. Neither is it too sweet, which I appreciate. Last night I had their peanut butter cup flavor, which is a chocolate cupcake with a peanut butter frosting--topped with a sprinkle of sea salt. It was perfection. My husband tried the key lime pie. Good, he said, but light. We may or may not have bought two more to stick in the fridge for dessert tonight. (In my defense, the flavor of the day was Italian Country Side or something, which is a zucchini cupcake with a lemon-basil-mascarpone frosting. How on Earth could I not try that???)

Just for Fun Diversion: Chef Crushes

2010-09-15T13:48:00.000-04:00

In honor of tonight's Top Chef Season 7 finale, during which a chef that I definitely do not have a culinary crush on will take home the title (I know this for a fact since none of the three finalists really do it for me), I thought I'd post about chefs. And crushes. (Also, I can't upload last night's photos from my iPhone at work, so I can't blog about that. Yes, I'm at work. It's my lunch hour, and it's completely allowed.)

I was inspired to talk about chef crushes because I had my first ever Chef Sighting yesterday. I was on my way to lunch with my project team, walking near the Verizon Center, and I spotted a familiar face. It was Susur Lee, the celebrated Asian fusion chef who was a finalist in season 2 of Top Chef: Masters.

Let me say for the record that Susur is not one of my chef crushes, though he was so fun to watch on Top Chef: Masters, and I am totally intrigued to eat at his DC restaurant, Zentan, at some point. Mostly I was excited to see him walking around, and to recognize him!

So who are my culinary crushes?

First would be Bryan Voltaggio from Season 6 of Top Chef (finished in second place; his brother Michael won). In addition to being cute, his food always seemed sophisticated and thoughtful, without being too crazy. That really appeals to me.

Next would be the head judge from Top Chef, Tom Colicchio. He cracks me up on the show, and I follow his blog on the Bravo website during the season. He has a sense of humor and an interesting perspective.

Lastly, there's Hubert Keller. Yes, he's quite a bit older than the others. But he's French! And the ponytail is so cute (not pictures here)! And I don't believe I've ever seen him make something I wouldn't eat. I was introduced to Hubert via Top Chef: Masters, season 1, in which he was one of the finalists. My husband and I had the opportunity to dine at his Fleur de Lys restaurant in Las Vegas last fall, and it was definitely one of the top 3 meals of my lifetime. Truly. And for that (especially for that truffled onion soup with braised duck breast and black truffles...holy cow that was good!)...Hubert will always have a place in my heart. And my stomach, should we ever make it back to Fleur de Lys.

And as my husband can't really cook (though his scrambled eggs are pretty awesome), he understands and accepts my culinary crushes. Just so you know.

Who are your culinary crushes?

Step-by-Step Recipe: Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake

2010-09-12T21:00:00.006-04:00

So I bake too. Less often, of course, as I have fewer opportunities to bake than cook, but I find it therapeutic in an entirely different way. This past week was a good friend of mine's birthday. As long as I have known her, I've always known that she loves lemon cake. So when I saw this recipe on Pinch My Salt, I knew I had to make it for her! (It also gave me an excuse to use my bundt pan, which I am truly in love with. It was a wedding gift.)

The recipe was a big hit--the birthday girl may or may not have had a third piece--I would never embarrass her by saying that she did. Ha! My husband has declared it superior to his favorite TastyKake, which I think is a compliment. I enjoyed it--the lemon flavor in the cake is mild; it's much more potent in the glaze, which is why it's very important.

First things first--assemble your ingredients! Also be sure to get some buttermilk, which I inexplicably left out of this photo. FYI, that is the zest of three lemons and the juice of just one. So yes, I have naked lemons in my kitchen. I'll figure something out, eventually.

Then combine your dry ingredients.

Then cream together the butter and sugar with a mixer. (If you have a stand mixer, that's best, but a hand
mixer will work, too.)

Add in 2 tablespoons of the lemon zest and the eggs, one at a time.

Then combine the vanilla, buttermilk, and oil. Try not to be grossed out by its appearance, because I promise it makes for a good cake.

Slowly add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixture, alternating, to the butter and sugar mixture, making sure to end on the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Ignore the cat litter bucket we use for recycling in the background. (Hey, at least we recycle!)

Spread it into the prepared pan.

Then bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 45-60 minutes before removing from pan. (No photos because the battery was charging.) Then very carefully cut off the bottom of the cake with a serrated knife (I used my bread knife) so that it will sit flat on a plate. Eat all of the scraps and do not tell anyone. Then admire the beautiful cake sitting all flat on the plate.

Then prepare the glaze...and drizzle it all over the beautiful cake.

This cake does not take a full pound of butter, which I think makes it a bit lighter than regular pound cakes. Also, the bit of oil in the batter helps it stay moist. We finished the leftovers tonight and it was still just as good! Enjoy!

Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake, recipe found on Pinch My Salt (which links to the original elsewhere)
Time: 80-90 minutes, plus at least an hour for cooling. Serves: 8 people who'll all have seconds or 16 people who can control themselves, perhaps.

Ingredients

for the Pound Cake

3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 tbsp lemon zest
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil

for the Lemon Glaze

2 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan (or bundt pan).
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in lemon zest, then beat in the eggs one at a time until well-combined.
In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine vanilla, buttermilk and vegetable oil.
Working in two or three additions, alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, ending with a final addition of dry ingredients. Stir only until no streaks of flour remain.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack before topping with lemon glaze.
Prepare lemon glaze: combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Step-by-Step Recipe: Penne with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

2010-09-09T19:50:00.002-04:00

It's September, and I needed a taste of fall. Last week I posted about my food obsessions, and pumpkin is definitely on that list. I really like finding pumpkin in unexpected savory dishes, and this is one of those. The first bite the first time I made it was like, "Hmmmm...that's not what I expected." But it's delicious if you can get over the whole pumpkin-not-at-all-like-pie flavor thing.

This recipe is from one of my monthly Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazines (which I have received for about three years now, thanks to my sister-in-law and her husband). It's a quick one that is perfect for a week night. Perfect served with a green salad...or by itself. Pumpkin is a vegetable, after all. Ha!

Assemble your ingredients. Note: the pumpkin does not need to be organic. In fact, I don't usually use the organic, since it costs so much more...but last year there was a nationwide pumpkin shortage (seriously), and I stocked up on any and all pumpkin whenever I was able to find it. It keeps in the pantry for at least a couple of years.

Put on a pot of salted water to boil, and then boil the penne according to package directions. Try not to watch it boil, because we all know what happens...

Reserve 1-2 cups of the pasta water and then drain the pasta. Set aside. In the same pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Then fry the rosemary for just a minute, to infuse the flavor into the oil and make the leaves crisp. Pull it out of the pot before you burn the heck out of it, because burnt rosemary tastes terrible (not that I'd know). Drain the rosemary on a paper towel.

Then very very carefully (the oil is hot and everything will spatter and pop--no joke) add the pumpkin, garlic, half-and-half, Parmesan, vinegar, and red-pepper flakes to the pot. Stir quickly so the half-and-half doesn't scorch.

Then quickly add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water and stir. Heat for 2-3 minutes.

Add the pasta and toss to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add some more pasta water (or half-and-half if you're naughty like me) to get the right consistency. Season with salt to taste.

If you can resist eating it straight from the pot, serve in a bowl and garnish with the fried rosemary, a bit more Parmesan, and more red pepper flakes if you like it spicy.

Penne with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce, from Everyday Food magazine
Time: 30 minutes or less. Serves: 4.

Ingredients

12 ounces penne rigate (ridged), or other short pasta
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for garnish (optional)

Directions

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 2 cups pasta water; drain pasta and set aside.
In pasta pot, heat oil over medium. Add rosemary and fry, stirring, until starting to brown, 1 to 2 minutes (I find that it is more like 30-60 seconds). Using a slotted spoon, transfer rosemary to a paper towel, leaving oil in pot.
Carefully (oil is hot and will spatter) add pumpkin puree, garlic, half-and-half, Parmesan, vinegar, red-pepper flakes, and 1 cup reserved pasta water to pot. Stir sauce until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add pasta to sauce, and toss to coat. If sauce is too thick, add some reserved pasta water. Season generously with salt. Serve pasta sprinkled with fried rosemary and, if desired, more red-pepper flakes.