Vicarious Foodie

Veggie Lover's Taco Salad

2008-07-16T19:02:00.005-04:00

When I was growing up, there were a bunch of regularly made meals that basically formed the foundation of my childhood dinners. One of those meals was taco salad. My mom loves chili and made it all the time, and the day after chili day was always taco salad day. She’d pile some Tostitos, iceberg, and tomatoes on a plate, always in that order, and top it with some leftover chili, some cheese, and some sour cream. I loved it then, and I still love it now.

My approach, however, is somewhat different from my mom’s. First of all, I can’t eat a dish the same way all the time. That’s boring. Second, I can’t be bothered to make a pot of chili every time I want taco salad. That’s crazy. Third, I’m not even sure how chili got all muddled in with taco salad in the first place. Does everyone use chili for taco salad, or is that just my mom?

Anyway, I like Martha Stewart’s recipe for taco salad. It’s easy, healthy, and delicious. No chili here. Martha calls for lean ground turkey mixed in with lots of veggies: onion, jalapeño, zucchini, and red bell pepper. The zucchini may sound unusual, but it’s really a nice addition. You don’t exactly notice the zucchini itself, but it does lend a nice depth of flavor. I think corn would have been a great addition to the mixture, and though the thought occurred to me too late this time, I’ll definitely be including it in the future. I spooned the turkey mixture over tender Bibb lettuce and topped it with even more veggies, including tomatoes, radishes, scallions, and avocado. I served the salad with multigrain tortilla chips and, of course, sour cream, and had a delicious, filling, and healthy meal.

Veggie Lover’s Taco Salad
Adapted from Turkey Taco Salad

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, mined
1 pound ground turkey
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced
1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 head Bibb lettuce, leaves separated
1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 cup shredded white cheddar
Garnishes: sliced radishes, diced tomato, jalapeño slices, avocado, sliced scallions, lime wedges, hot sauce, sour cream

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and jalapeño and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add turkey; cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add zucchini, bell pepper, chili powder, and cumin; cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and ground pepper. Transfer to a plate, and let cool.

Arrange lettuce leaves (torn or shredded, if desired) on dinner plates and top with crushed tortilla chips. Ladle some turkey mixture onto each plate and top with cheese. Add garnishes as desired.

Chili and Polenta Bowls

2008-07-10T18:46:00.006-04:00

I’ve gone on about my love of chili before, but I’m going to do it again. I’m sure this won’t be the last time, either, just so you know. But I can’t help it. What I love most about chili is its versatility. Not only are there a million ways to make chili, but there are just as many ways to serve it. I’ve had it over rice and mixed in with rice. I’ve had it over burgers and over hot dogs, stuffed in poblanos and in burritos, and mixed with cheese for a fantastic dip. All these possibilities, and I haven’t even gotten to corn yet. Chili and corn have a natural affinity for each other. No really, I mean it. Chili and corn bread? Come on. Chili tamale pie? Yes, please. And now, my newest chili experience, chili and polenta bowls.

This is another terrific idea from Rachael Ray. Just pile some polenta into a bowl, make a well in the center, ladle in some chili, and there you have it. Chili and polenta bowls. They’re fabulous. I don’t know how many other people are eating chili right now—I mean, it’s more of a winter dish, right?—but I could never go three months without it. And there are plenty of ways to make it more fitting with the season. I added frozen corn to mine, but fresh corn scraped off the cob would be even better. You could add some grilled veggies or, instead of mixing canned tomatoes into the chili, top the dish off with some fresh salsa. Or, my favorite idea, top it with some fresh chopped avocado and a squeeze of lime. Served with some margaritas, that’s a perfect meal any time of year.

Chili and Polenta Bowls
Adapted from Chunky Chicken and Chorizo Chili

This makes a very thick chili. If you like yours a bit thinner, you can add some extra liquid in the form of beer, chicken stock, or crushed tomatoes. Just add the desired amount at the same time that you add your tomatoes.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 links fresh chorizo
1 pound ground turkey
1.5 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
Salt and pepper
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup quick cooking polenta
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Garnishes: chopped scallions, shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped avocado

Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Add chorizo, break it up a bit with a wooden spoon, and allow to cook until meat begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Push the chorizo off to the sides of the pot and add turkey. Brown and crumble the turkey for 5 to 6 minutes. Season with chili powder and cumin. Add the onions, garlic, and jalapeno and cook another 5 to 6 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Add the beans, corn, and tomatoes with their liquid and heat through. Season the chili with salt and pepper, to taste, and allow to simmer, covered, while preparing polenta.

Bring stock to a boil in a medium pot. Stir in polenta, and keep stirring until the polenta masses and thickens to a porridge, about 2 minutes. Stir in butter and thyme and season with salt, to taste.

Fill bowls half-way with polenta. Spread polenta up sides of bowls, making a well in the center of each bowl. Fill up bowls with chili, top with desired garnishes, and serve.

Southwestern Salad and Cornbread Puddings

2008-07-06T10:41:00.009-04:00

We’re all eating more salads now that the warmer months are here, right? I certainly am. I try to plan a salad for a main course meal at least once a week. Salads are cool and refreshing when it’s hot and muggy outside, and they’re fast and simple to throw together. The only problem for me is that they’re not very filling. I have a big appetite, and lettuce doesn’t always cut it. I usually fill my salads with lots of yummy extras, but I still often like to have something on the side. Crusty rolls or breadsticks are a reliable option, but sometimes I like to change it up a bit.

First, the salad. I made Chopped Salad with Spicy Pork and Buttermilk Dressing, with some modifications. I made it vegetarian (not to mention cheaper) by substituting black beans for pork, and I took the seasonings that were meant to flavor the pork and simply added them to the dressing. This worked very well. The salad was substantial yet light, and the dressing was creamy and spicy. All it needed was the prefect companion.

I considered serving it with some blue corn chips. Those would work well with the salad’s southwestern flavors, and the crunchiness of the chips would provide a nice texture contrast, especially since this salad doesn’t have any croutons. I thought that would be too easy, though. The salad was such a cinch to make that I thought I could spare some time and make something a bit more special, so I turned to my trusty recipe queue (category: side dishes) and found Martha Stewart’s Mini Cornbread Puddings. Perfect! I’d been wanting to make these for a while.

The idea behind calling these “puddings” is that they’re much moister than regular cornbread, thanks to a healthy helping of sour cream in the batter. I adore the name (“mini puddings” just sounds so cute), but, after making these, I wouldn’t exactly say they’re pudding-like. The word “pudding” makes me think there will be an ooey-gooey center, and these don’t have that. They have more of a spongy texture, which means they’re not crumbly at all. They hold together very well and are just the right size to pop in your mouth. Fresh from the oven they went very well with the salad, but the next night I lightly grilled the leftovers, brushed them with garlic butter and sprinkled lightly with salt, and thought they were even better.

Black Bean and Corn Salad with Garlicky Buttermilk Dressing
Adapted from Chopped Salad with Spicy Pork and Buttermilk Dressing

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 scallions, whites minced and greens thinly sliced, separated
1/4 teaspoon chili powder or chipotle chile powder
1 garlic clove, crushed through a press or grated with a microplane
Salt and pepper
1 head romaine lettuce (1 1/4 pounds), trimmed and chopped
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed and patted dry
2 ounces pepper-jack or colby-jack cheese, cubed

Make dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, scallion whites, chili powder, and garlic; season with salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl, toss together romaine, corn, beans, cheese, and scallion greens. Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately

Mini Cornbread Puddings
From Martha Stewart

Butter, room temperature, for pan
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed and patted dry

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in upper third. Butter 24 mini muffin cups; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

Make a well in center of flour mixture. In well, whisk together egg, sour cream, and corn. Mix with flour mixture just until incorporated (do not overmix).

Dividing evenly, spoon batter into prepared muffin pan. Bake until tops have browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes in pan; turn out onto a cooling rack. Serve, or cool completely and store at room temperature in an airtight container, up to 2 days.

*These cornbread puddings are not sweet. If that’s what you’re after, add a little extra sugar.

Noodle Love IX: Rice Noodles

2008-07-03T08:53:00.010-04:00

This wonderful Thai Chicken and Rice Noodle Salad is another gem from Everyday Food. I've never before cooked with rice noodles, and to be honest I can't even recall if I'd ever eaten them before making this recipe. They're sort of foreign to me, and I generally tend to shy away from foods I'm unfamiliar with. I either think they'll be too hard to make or I won't like them. Well, this recipe proved me wrong on both counts. This rice noodle dish is easy to make and delicious. In fact, making it made me wonder why I don't see these noodles being used more often. They cook up so much faster than any other kind of pasta that I'm surprised I haven't seen them featured in a thirty-minute meal. No matter. I've found them now, and I'll be looking forward to finding more ways to use them.

So, as I said, this recipe is E-Z. The hardest part is chopping the vegetables, and that's not hard at all, just a bit time-consuming (but not too much so). The noodles are a breeze to cook. They're literally ready in two minutes. The chicken cooks up super-fast, too, because it's sliced very thinly. To help get those thin slices, you can pop the chicken in the freezer a bit until it firms up. It's much easier to slice a firm piece of meat than it is a squishy one. Personally, I always have a supply of boneless skinless chicken breasts in the freezer, and I just move some to the fridge the morning I'll be preparing the dish and slice them up before they've fully thawed. Of course, a sharp knife helps, too.

This salad is light and perfect for summer. The noodles don't have much flavor themselves, but they take on the flavor of the sauce, which is basically jazzed up soy sauce and rice vinegar. It's super yummy. Plus, this is the kind of dish that can please just about anyone, because you can choose your own toppings. For example, if you're serving it for a family meal, I recommend giving everyone a dish of noodles and chicken (or pork or beef), and setting the sauce and toppings out buffet-style so everyone can assemble their own salad. I used carrots, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, radishes, scallions, basil, and peanuts.

Finally, I just think it's pretty. I don't always get excited about vegetables, but there's something about the colors of this dish that just makes me want to dig in. So we've got easy, delicious, and pretty. I'm sold.

Thai Chicken and Rice Noodle Salad
Adapted from Everyday Food

Spicy Asian Dressing
4 thinly sliced scallion whites (reserve tops for garnish)
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced crosswise
Coarse salt
3 1/2 ounces thin rice noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 carrots, sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 cup fresh basil, torn
Alfalfa sprouts, sliced radishes, chopped peanuts, fresh mint leaves, red-pepper flakes, and sliced scallion greens, for garnish (optional)

Combine all dressing ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until sugar has dissolved. Transfer half of dressing to a resealable plastic bag, add chicken, and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to overnight). Reserve remaining dressing for serving.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until tender, about 2 minutes (times may vary depending on the thickness of your noodles—check package instructions). Drain, and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Transfer to a platter.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Working in batches, cook chicken (do not crowd skillet) until cooked through and nicely browned, about 2 minutes; transfer to platter on top of noodles.

Top with carrots, cucumber, and basil. Drizzle with reserved dressing, and sprinkle with garnishes, if desired.

Noodle Love VIII: Lasagna

2008-06-29T12:40:00.010-04:00

Although now I, happily, spend much of my time cooking for a man, I did, in my more youthful and culinarily inexperienced years, enjoy having a man cook for me. My junior year in college, I lived in a single-person dorm that was the size of a walk-in closet, and, with no kitchen of my own, my meals usually consisted of ice-cream scoop-mounded piles of the cafeteria's mystery meat du jour. But sometimes I'd pack a bag and leave campus for a weekend and be served food—delicious food—that was made just for me by a man who enjoyed indulging my every request. There were dishes I asked for over and over again, pepperoni bread and crab-stuffed chicken breast being the most frequent two. But sometimes he'd plan the meals and I'd sit at the kitchen table, greedily sipping glass after glass of wine, waiting impatiently for whatever was being prepared for me.

He liked to use onions, an ingredient which, at the time, I insisted I didn't care for. He used so many that the smell would permeate the air of his small apartment and I'd rub my watering eyes and complain that I didn't know why he had to use so many onions. He'd refill my glass and chop another onion.

The particular meal I'm thinking of now was lasagna. The man may have turned out to be a dud, but the lasagna was not. It was delicious, and I still remember it as the best lasagna I've ever had. I don't know how he made it—at the time I was interested in eating, not cooking—but, besides the onions, I remember that the sauce was heavy on red wine. When the weekend was over, I returned to my dorm, lasagna-filled Tupperware in tow, and stored the leftovers in my mini-fridge. In the following days I ate the leftovers cold from the fridge for breakfast—then, breakfast was around 11:00 am—and it was as good cold as it had been warm.

These days, I'm with a man who is wonderful but whose overly picky tastes threaten to cramp my budding culinary repertoire. He's not impressed in the least with Italian food, he insists that all pasta is the same, and he hates tomatoes and ricotta cheese. What is a lasagna-loving girl to do?

Well, I make it anyway, that's what I do. But only rarely, and only when I find a recipe that seems especially tasty. I thought maybe Martha Stewart’s Lasagna Primavera would get by Adam. There are no tomatoes in it, after all, and it’s filled with veggies, so I thought I could pass it off as health food. But he didn't like the ricotta or the frozen spinach, which is the latest addition to his growing list of dislikes. He ate one piece of the lasagna, and only after he'd doused it in Red Hot.

I hope that, in telling you this, I'm not doing this lasagna a disservice. Adam is strange and peculiar and you can't go by his tastes. But you can certainly trust me, and I'm telling you that this lasagna is wonderful. It's so good that I had to spend the next week finishing the leftovers myself, and I didn't mind a bit.

If I had to make one complaint, though, I'd say that I wish the noodles themselves had stayed a bit firmer. The recipe calls for the lasagna to be cooked for 65 minutes--is it possible for noodles not to turn soft after that long? I don't know. I used oven-ready noodles, as the recipe advised, but, if I ever dare to make lasagna again, I might try using regular noodles, soaked very briefly in hot water, and see how that works out.

I had planned to serve the lasagna with garlic knots, but making the lasagna was not a speedy process, and I didn’t have it in me to bake anything else. I found, though, that the lasagna goes really well served with a very simple side of vine-ripened, lightly salted tomatoes. Enjoy!

Vegetable Lasagna
Adapted from Freeze-Ahead Lasagna Primavera

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for foil
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups whole milk
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry*
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas
1 cup finely shredded broccoli florets**
1/2 pound carrots (4 to 5), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg***
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta (about 2 cups)
1 large egg
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 package (9 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles (12 noodles)
1 pound part-skim mozzarella, shredded
1 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; add onion and garlic and cook until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes (do not let flour mixture darken); whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently; reduce to a simmer, and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add spinach, peas, broccoli, and carrots; season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Set sauce aside.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

In the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of vegetable sauce. Layer 3 noodles, half the remaining vegetable sauce, another 3 noodles, half the ricotta mixture, half the mozzarella, and half the Parmesan; repeat.

Cover dish with lightly oiled aluminum foil, and place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake 45 minutes, uncover, and bake until bubbling and browned, about 20 minutes more. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

* I used my salad spinner to get the water out of the frozen spinach. It takes a while, but remove as much liquid as you can, or else your sauce will be watery.
** I added the broccoli because I had some to use up, but it’s optional. If you choose to add it, just shred it as finely as you can with a sharp knife until it looks like it does in the picture above.
*** The nutmeg is optional, too, but I really like the flavor. Nutmeg is often paired with both cream sauces and dark greens.

Chinese Chicken Salad

2008-06-26T18:09:00.010-04:00

You know, sometimes I just don’t have a story to go along with a recipe. I made this Chinese Chicken Salad last week and haven’t posted about it until now because I couldn’t think of what I should write. But you know what? I think this one mostly speaks for itself. It’s easy. It’s healthy. It’s colorful. It’s delicious. Nuff said.

I’m including the original recipe below, but this dish is easily adaptable. Use whatever nuts you like. I used walnuts, but I think cashews also would have been good. I used regular old green cabbage in place of napa because, for some reason, the former is half the price of the latter. I also served mine in (washed) cabbage leaves, just because it seemed like a good use for those outer leaves that I usually don't use. All the ingredients work wonderfully together, and the chicken, which is flavored very simply with a few brushes of soy sauce and sesame oil, is moist and tasty. The whole dish is fabulous, especially for summer.

OK, that’s it. Enjoy!

Chinese Chicken Salad
From Ellie Krieger

4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 head napa cabbage, thinly shredded (about 6 cups)
1/4 head red cabbage, shredded (about 2 cups)
1 large carrot, shredded (about 2 cups)
3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, greens included, about 1/2 cup
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts
1 (11-ounce) can Mandarin oranges in water or juice (not syrup), drained
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce or chili sauce
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and brush onto chicken breasts.

Arrange in a baking dish and bake until juices run clear, about 15 to 20 minutes, or until thermometer inserted in thickest part of the meat reads 160 degrees F. Remove from oven, allow to cool completely, and then cut into bite-size chunks.

In a large bowl, combine napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrot, scallions, water chestnuts, Mandarin oranges, and sliced chicken. In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil, brown sugar, and chili sauce.* Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. Divide among bowls and top each serving with 2 teaspoons toasted almonds.

*The dressing is good, but Adam and I both wished there was more. Consider doubling it.

Noodle Love VII: Whole Wheat Spaghetti

2008-06-21T11:12:00.013-04:00

It’s not often that I make a pasta dish that contains neither cream nor cheese, but I’m trying to get better. I recently found an Ellie Krieger recipe for Aromatic Noodles with Lime-Peanut Sauce, and, in the interest of trying to eat better, I decided to give it a try.

This recipe had two strikes against it from the start: 1) I’m not the hugest peanut fan and 2) I have a personal bias against anything “whole wheat,” and the recipe called for whole wheat spaghetti. I didn’t always have this bias, but we recently tried the new Papa John’s whole wheat pizza crust, and I was not a fan. Adam liked it though, so maybe it’s just me.

Anyway, the point is that I wasn’t sure how this recipe would turn out. But you know what? It was delicious! I was actually surprised how much I liked it. I really liked the flavor of both the noodles and the sauce. And it’s so healthy! Whole wheat pasta, lots of veggies, and a tasty peanut-butter-based sauce that I’m sure is better for me than the cream-based sauces I usually make.

Did I mention that Adam has been nagging me to lay off the heavy cream? Yeah, he has. It’s going to be rough, but this pasta dish is a good start.

I’m submitting this dish to next week’s Presto Pasta Nights, which will be hosted by Hillary of Chew on That. Be sure to stop by for the roundup on June 27, and visit Ruth of Once Upon a Feast for past roundups.

Aromatic Noodles with Lime-Peanut Sauce
From Ellie Krieger

3/4 pound whole-wheat spaghetti
2 cups (about 9 ounces) broccoli florets
2 cups (about 6 ounces) snow peas, trimmed
2 cups (about 6 ounces) sugar snap peas, trimmed
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 scallion, cut into pieces
3/4 inch fresh ginger, finely grated
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup shelled unsalted peanuts

Cook the pasta in a large pot of water according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water. While the pasta is cooking, put the broccoli in a steamer basket over a large pot of boiling water and steam it for 3 minutes. Add the snow peas and sugar snap peas and steam for 2 minutes more.

Toast the peanuts in a dry pan over a medium heat until they become fragrant, about 3 minutes. Set them aside to cool. Make the sauce by pureeing the peanut butter, soy sauce, water, vinegar, lime juice, scallion, ginger, sugar, and red pepper flakes in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Right before serving, toss the pasta with 3/4 cup of the peanut sauce. Divide into 6 serving bowls and top each serving with the vegetables. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the vegetables. Coarsely chop the peanuts, sprinkle them on top, and serve.

Honey-Glazed Pork with Asian Vegetables

2008-06-17T13:23:00.009-04:00

I have issues with meat doneness. Before I got my cooking thermometer, I was a total mess. Now I’m just somewhat of a mess. I’m trying to get better about predicting doneness without my thermometer, but it’s not something that comes easily to me. Some things, I have down. I know I can sauté a chicken breast half in 7-8 minutes. I also know I can do a burger, 1/3 of a pound, to well done in 8-9 minutes. Beyond that, it’s a guessing game for me. So I usually stick with my thermometer. If I have meat cooking in the oven, you can bet it’s been spiked with a metal probe.

When I came across a recipe for broiled pork tenderloin that claimed the pork would be ready in 12-16 minutes, I was skeptical. In fact, I almost didn’t try the recipe. I’ve been in that situation where the meat isn’t done when you think it should be and you have to keep putting it back in the oven and checking it and waiting for it to finish while all your sides are either getting cold or are still over the heat and turning to mush. I can’t be bothered with that—I’ll find a recipe whose cooking times seem reasonable, thankyouverymuch. But I just couldn’t toss aside this recipe. It seemed so delicious and easy. And it was from Everyday Food, so I thought the cooking times were probably accurate, and I didn’t even use my thermometer. This recipe calls for turning the meat, which can be made a bit complicated when there’s a thermometer sticking out of it that’s attached to a cord that’s attached to a digital unit on top of your stove. I didn’t want to have any complications that close to the broiler (I’m also prone to burning myself), so I left the thermometer out.

Which was, of course, stupid of me. It wouldn’t have been that hard to use it, and I should have, because when I took the meat out after 16 minutes and checked it with my instant-read thermometer, it was only at about 130, 15 degrees off from where it should have been.

Have I mentioned yet that this pork was on a sheet tray along with some delicate vegetables, like snow peas and scallions? Well, it was. So there I was with a pan of charred vegetables and undercooked pork. I tossed the vegetables around, tried to shelter the already-charred ones beneath the not-yet-charred ones, and put the meat back in for a few minutes. I’ll spare you the entire saga, but I will tell you that I had to do that two more times before the pork was done, and the final time my instant-read hit the 155-degree mark and just kept on going, so in the end the pork was overcooked. So, yeah, remember how I started out saying that I have issues with meat doneness? This is what I meant.

If you are crazy and rebellious and don’t mind hovering around your broiler and would like to prove to me that my cooking skills, not the recipe, are what’s at fault here, please do so and report back with the results. It’s entirely possible I screwed up, although I don’t really see how. I will admit, though, that there are three reviews of this recipe online, one of which reports an experience even worse than mine, and two of which were a success. And, here’s the kicker: I actually still like this recipe—the sauce was yummy, the ingredients worked well together, it’s simple in concept—and I’ll probably try this again. I will not, however, ever attempt this again without using my thermometer right from the start. If you try this recipe and have an oven-safe cooking thermometer (as opposed to instant-read), please use it. I suggest putting the meat and veggies under the broiler, cooking for 8 minutes, tossing the vegetables well and flipping the meat, then placing them back under your broiler until the meat reaches the desired temperature. According to the recipe, that temperature is 145, although that seems a bit low to me. Other sources I’ve seen say pork should be cooked to 160. It’s true the meat will continue cooking a bit as it’s resting, but will it really go up 15 degrees? I have no idea. I mean, I don’t actually know how to cook. You knew that, right? I think I’ve made it pretty obvious here.

Honey-Glazed Pork with Asian Vegetables
From Broiled Soy-Glazed Pork with Rice and Asian Vegetables

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
8 ounces snow peas, trimmed
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
1 bunch scallions, ends trimmed, cut crosswise into 3-inch lengths
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pork tenderloin (1 to 1 1/4 pounds), halved crosswise
1/4 cup honey

Cook rice according to package instructions; cover, and set aside. Meanwhile, heat broiler with rack set 4 inches from heat. On a large rimmed baking sheet (cover with nonstick foil, if you have it), toss snow peas, carrots, bell peppers, and scallions with oil and 2 tablespoons soy sauce; season with salt and pepper.

Place pork on top of vegetables, and season with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon honey. If you have an oven-safe thermometer, insert it into the thickest part of the meat and set it for 145 degrees. Broil until pork and vegetables begin to char, 8 minutes. Toss vegetables and turn pork; drizzle pork with 1 tablespoon honey.

Continue to broil until alert sounds or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of pork registers 145 degrees and vegetables are charred in spots, at least 6 to 8 minutes, tossing vegetables once more. Remove from broiler. Cover with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, make sauce: Stir together remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce and honey. Thinly slice pork and serve with vegetables, rice, and sauce.

Mini Strawberry Loaves with Walnuts and Pecans

2008-06-14T21:16:00.010-04:00

So I’m still working on getting through my strawberries. I have a pound or so still left in the fridge that I spared from the freezer. Today I made strawberry bread for breakfast. I’ve almost used up all the (unfrozen) berries now, and I plan on using the remainder to make strawberry lemonade tomorrow.

Making this recipe reminded me a lot of the lemon-blueberry loaves I made previously. Both recipes are from Joy of Baking, and both were made in my new mini loaf pans. There are some key differences though. The lemon-blueberry loaves seemed more cakey to me, and the strawberry bread was more like actual bread. The strawberry bread wasn’t as moist as the lemon-blueberry loaves—the former, after all, wasn’t doused with a sugar syrup at the end of baking—so it’s best served with a bit of butter, fresh and warm from the oven.

Besides adjusting the cooking time and temperature to accommodate four dark-metal mini loaf pans (decrease temperature by 25 degrees for dark metal and cooking time by 25% for mini pans), I mostly stuck to the recipe. The only additional modifications I made were using both walnuts and pecans, instead of one or the other, and adding a few gratings of fresh nutmeg. The original recipe calls for cinnamon, and for some reason when I see cinnamon in baked goods I always have to add some nutmeg. I just think they go so well together.

I’m submitting this recipe to Nutriferia’s Berrylicious roundup. Be sure to visit them soon for some great berry recipes!

Mini Strawberry Loaves with Walnuts and Pecans
Adapted from Strawberry Bread

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, or a mix of both, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or, for dark-metal pans, 325 degrees) and place the oven rack in the middle position. Butter and flour (or spray with a non-stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottoms and sides of 4 mini loaf pans (5.75"x3.25"x2.25"). Set aside.

Place the walnuts and/or pecans on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes or until brown and fragrant. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until softened (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture (in three additions) and sour cream (in two additions) alternately, starting and ending with the flour. Mix only until combined. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries and nuts.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 45 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the loaves from the pans. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 4 mini loaves.

Cheesy Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

2008-06-12T20:38:00.010-04:00

I don’t have much specialized cooking gear. I don’t have a Dutch oven or a stand mixer. I have a food processor, but it’s a mini, and so it can’t do most of the things I wish it could do, like make pie dough. There’s lots of stuff I wish I had, and one of the things that’s been on my wish list the longest is a springform pan. I used to eye photos of cheesecakes jealously, fantasizing about the ones I’d make if only I had the proper equipment. Well, I finally got a springform pan, and I have yet to make a cheesecake. I have, however, made a Tortilla and Black-Bean Pie.

I found this recipe on marthastewart.com, and when I saw it I knew it’d be perfect for breaking in my pan. I loved the thought of being able to use my new toy for something besides sweet dishes. And I mean, come on, tortilla and black bean pie? That’s my kind of recipe.

This recipe is tasty and easy to throw together, and it’s great served with some chips and salsa or guacamole. The recipe calls for you to alternate layers of tortillas with a bean mixture, which consists of garlic, onion, jalapeno, corn, and, of course, beans. I started out trying to be pretty careful and consistent with my layering, but at some point I stopped paying attention and just began making layers until I reached the top of my pan. It’s really easy: tortilla, beans, cheese. Repeat. Make sure to save some cheese for the top, as well as some bean mixture if you like. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the pie is warmed through, then sprinkle with chopped scallions.

I’m including the full recipe below, but feel free to use it just as a guide. This recipe is simple to make and easy to adjust to your own tastes. Mix it up however you like. Enjoy!

Cheesy Black-Bean Tortilla Pie
From Everyday Food

4 flour tortillas (10-inch)*
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces beer or 1 1/2 cups water
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan, using the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeño, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add beans and beer to skillet, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of springform pan; layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer. Bake until hot and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Unmold pie; sprinkle with scallions. To serve, slice into wedges.

*I actually had some tortillas that were just under 9 inches (Piñata brand), and if you can find these they’re great. No trimming required! Also, I made an extra layer and used 5 tortillas.

Fresh Pickin's

2008-06-09T22:19:00.011-04:00

I'm not usually one for getting up early on a Saturday. In fact, I'm often not one for leaving the apartment on Saturday. I prefer to stay in my PJs all day and putter around the house, cooking a little, maybe tidying up a little, and generally enjoying a slow and relaxing day. Add 98-degree weather to the mix, and you'd be out of your mind to expect me to step beyond my front door.

So what was I doing getting up and dressed at 6:30 a.m. this past hot and steamy Saturday? I was preparing to go strawberry picking. Crawling around a field is another thing you typically won't find me doing, but there I was, dirty and sticky, greedily scavenging all the ripe berries I could get my hands on at Butler's Orchard. Sixteen pounds of strawberries and two dirty knees later, I was on my way home with my goods.

I have a tendency to underestimate amounts in almost all scenarios. I'll buy another 5-pound bag of potatoes when there's already one in the pantry, just in case. And then I'll use 6 of those potatoes to make mashed potatoes, even though there are only two of us eating, ignoring the fact that we can't eat 3 potatoes each. And, this Saturday, I bought 16 pounds of strawberries, even though I don't have nearly enough room in my fridge for that amount and, even if I did, couldn't possibly use them all before they started to go bad.

I ended up freezing most of them. The texture of a frozen strawberry, once it's thawed, is generally not very good, but I figured they'd be fine to use in things like strawberry lemonade and strawberry margaritas. I already made Strawberry Agua Fresca, which is a fabulously delicious summer drink, and I don't see why frozen berries wouldn't work fine in that, as well. To freeze strawberries, just rinse them clean and hull them, then arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and store them in the freezer for a few hours. Once they're frozen, you can transfer them to a plastic freezer bag. Freezing them on a baking sheet first ensures that they won't stick together and freeze in one massive brick of strawberry ice.

Saturday night, I made strawberry shortcake. I was very tempted to use the Bisquick recipe. I've made it before, and it's really good. And it's so easy! I'd already been standing in the kitchen for several hours, cleaning, hulling, and storing berries, and the thought of simply mixing up some biscuit dough in a bowl and dropping it in big, careless dollops on a sheet tray was very tempting. But in the end I decided to be a good blogger and make them from scratch. I used a recipe from Joy of Baking, which begins with the assertion that the only proper way to make strawberry shortcake is with a cream scone. So that's what I did.

The shortcakes were very good. No surprise there—I mean, it’s strawberry shortcake. Of course, my scones didn’t bake up as big and fluffy as the ones in the picture at Joy of Baking. That’s no surprise, either. My relationship with scones, much like my relationship with biscuits, is strained, at best. There’s plenty of room to grow there. But you know what I discovered? Anything can be made instantly better by smothering it in sweet berries and fresh cream. Especially a flat scone.

Strawberry Shortcakes
from Joy of Baking

Scones:
2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (76 grams) cold unsalted butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120 ml) light whipping cream or half and half (12 - 18% butterfat)

Egg Wash:
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon cream

Filling:
2 pounds (900 grams) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup - 1/3 cup (50 - 65 grams) granulated white sugar (or to taste)

Topping:
1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon (14 grams) granulated white sugar

Scones: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and place rack in middle of oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Whisk together the egg, cream and vanilla extract and add to the flour mixture, mixing just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times and then pat or roll the dough into a circle that is about 7 inches (18 cm) round and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. With a 3 inch (7 cm) round cookie cutter, cut out rounds and place the scones on the baking sheet. Make an egg wash of one well-beaten egg mixed with 1 tablespoon cream and brush the tops of the scones with this mixture.

Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack.

Filling: Wash and slice the strawberries. Place about one third of the strawberries in a large bowl and crush them with a potato masher or fork. Add the remaining sliced strawberries, along with the sugar. (The amount of sugar used will depend on how sweet the berries are.) Set aside to macerate at room temperature for about 30 to 60 minutes.

For whipped cream: In a large mixing bowl place the whipping cream, vanilla extract, and sugar and stir to combine. Cover and chill the bowl and beaters in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. When chilled, beat the mixture until stiff peaks form. The whipped cream will hold for several hours in the refrigerator.

To serve: Cut the scones in half and place the bottom half of the scone (soft side up) on a dessert plate. Top with some of the strawberries. Place the top half of the scone on the strawberries. Top with whipped cream and a few more strawberries. If there is any juice from the strawberries, drizzle a little over the top of the scone. Serve immediately.

Deep-Dish Sausage and Tomato Pizza

2008-06-03T19:29:00.008-04:00

I’ve been trying to make the perfect pizza at home for a really long time. I know I’ll never make pizza the same as what you’d find in a pizza shop, and that’s fine, but I guess I just want to make the best at-home-pizza that I possibly can. It’s not an easy task when you don’t have a pizza stone. It’s easy to come up with delicious toppings, but when you can’t get that coveted crispy-yet-tender crust, well, it’s just not a perfect pizza.

I recently found a recipe from Sara Moulton that calls for making the pizza in a cast iron skillet, which is something I haven’t tried before. The recipe calls for cooking the dough in the bottom of the oven at a really high temperature, and I was optimistic about what this could do for my crust. Plus, the recipe reminds me of the sausage-and-tomato deep-dish pizza that I always get at Pizzeria Uno and that I absolutely love. I was really excited to try this.

I didn’t follow the recipe exactly though. I stuck to the concept, but I had my own sausage that I wanted to use. A while ago I made a batch of Cooking Light’s Atsa Spicy Pizza Sausage. It was really good, but it makes a ton, and I still had 2/3 of it left over in the freezer. So for my toppings I used this sausage and a can of Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic & Oregano. For me, it has to be these tomatoes. I really like the flavor of them and, for reasons that I haven’t quite figured out, they’re the only tomatoes I’ve ever been able to get Adam to eat. These tomatoes, therefore, must have special powers, and I’m sticking with them. But use whatever you like.

The pizza came out really well. The dough came together easily and it baked up big and tender and crisp around the outer edges. I will warn, though, that you need to thoroughly drain off any extra liquid from the sausage and tomatoes, because not doing so could cause your crust to get a bit soggy on the bottom. Other than that, though, there’s nothing else you need to really watch out for with this recipe. Except for maybe eating the entire thing yourself.

Deep-Dish Sausage and Tomato Pizza
Adapted from Cheesy Deep-Dish Sausage and Tomato Pizza

1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast (about 2 1/2 teaspoons)
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for oiling bowl
1/3 recipe Atsa Spicy Pizza Sausage, recipe follows
1 (14 to 16-ounce) can diced tomatoes, well drained
1 cup grated whole milk mozzarella cheese (about 1/4 pound)
1 cup grated fontina cheese (about 1/4 pound)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves, for garnish

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in water. Sprinkle yeast over water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 1/4 cups flour, cornmeal, salt, and 2 tablespoons oil and blend until mixture forms a dough. Knead dough on a floured surface, incorporating as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour as necessary to prevent dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Put dough in a deep oiled bowl and turn to coat with oil. Let dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

While the dough is rising, prepare sausage (see recipe below). Stir in tomatoes and transfer mixture to a strainer over a bowl to drain and cool.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Punch down dough and knead 4 times. In an oiled 10 1/2-inch cast-iron skillet, press dough with oiled finger until it comes 2 inches up the side and is an even thickness on bottom. Let dough rise, covered loosely with plastic wrap, in a warm place for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle dough with half of mozzarella and fontina and top with sausage-tomato mixture and remaining cheeses. Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan and bake the pizza in the lower third of an electric oven or on floor of a gas oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake 5-10 minutes more, or until crust is golden brown.

Top with fresh basil, if desired, and serve immediately.

Atsa Spicy Pizza Sausage

1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, crushed

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain.

The sausage can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Quinoa Muffins

2008-05-31T21:28:00.009-04:00

A few months ago I picked up a box of quinoa. I didn’t know what it was or what I was going to do with it, but I’d been hearing a lot about it and figured I needed to get some. I found a lot of recipes for salad-type dishes that involved quinoa, and they all looked delicious, but I wanted to do something a little different. Then I got an issue of Everyday Food that included a recipe for quinoa muffins, and I knew where my new purchase was going to go.

In case you don’t know, quinoa is often used much like a grain, but these little guys are actually edible seeds. They naturally have a bitter-tasting coating and often come pre-rinsed. My box was labeled “pre-rinsed” but, since the recipe calls for a rinsing, I did it again anyway. The seeds are so small that they fell right through my strainer, so I soaked them in a bowl of water and then fished them out with my hands. If you have some cheesecloth handy, you’ll be in better shape than I was.

The rest of the recipe is really easy. It calls for oil instead of butter, which I love. I hate creaming butter. I'm too lazy to get out my mixer and I never remember to take the butter out of the fridge ahead of time. I’m very demanding and when I want a muffin, I want it now. Not 3 hours from now when the butter is soft.

So anyway, I’m really glad I found the recipe for these muffins. I love the bumpy textured top that the quinoa gives the muffins, and they’re really nice and moist inside. They are, however, a tad on the plain side. Next time I think I’ll play around with some spices, maybe cinnamon or nutmeg, but for now, some strawberry preserves will do just fine.

Quinoa Muffins
From Everyday Food
makes 12 muffins

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for pan
3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
3/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 cup water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook until water has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, 11 to 13 minutes.

Meanwhile, brush a standard 12-cup muffin pan with oil; dust with flour, tapping out excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, raisins, and 2 cups cooked quinoa; reserve any leftover quinoa for another use.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, milk, egg, and vanilla. Add milk mixture to flour mixture, and stir just until combined; divide batter among prepared muffin cups.

Bake until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool muffins in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.

Lemon-Blueberry Mini Loaves

2008-05-29T21:35:00.008-04:00

I bought some new toys last weekend at Crate and Barrel. I can never control myself in that store. They have the same standard stuff all the time, but somehow every time I’m there I find something new I have to have. This most recent time I picked up, among other things, a new citrus zester and a set of four mini loaf pans.

When you buy new toys you, of course, must find cause to use them right away. I knew immediately that I’d be making some mini loaves of bread, but I didn’t know what kind. I browsed through some recipes until I found one for Lemon Blueberry Bread. Perfect! I could use my new loaf pans and my new zester, not to mention those blueberries that had been sitting in my freezer, neglected, for far too long.

Truth be told, I often shy away from lemon-based recipes. I’ve had one too many dishes (and even made some myself) where the lemon zest was overpowering, and I really dislike that flavor. But I’m glad I went with this recipe. This bread is easy and delicious, and the lemon flavor is subtle yet bright. It’s pretty and tasty and makes a perfect light breakfast with a cup of tea.

Besides substituting frozen for fresh blueberries, I didn’t change much about this recipe. I did, however, adjust the baking time to accommodate four mini loaves, and I also decreased the baking temperature a bit because my pans have a dark finish. One other note: You might notice that the tops of the loaves are sort of shiny. That’s because, at the end, they were topped with a lemon-sugar glaze. It’s a tad sticky, but it’s finger-lickin’ good.

Lemon-Blueberry Mini Loaves
Adapted from Lemon Blueberry Bread
makes 4 mini loaves

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Lemon Glaze:
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees for dark-finish pans) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray) the bottom and sides of four mini loaf pans (5.75"´3.25"´2.25"). Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until softened (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture (in three additions) and milk (in two additions) alternately, starting and ending with the flour. Mix only until combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the 1/3 cup of sugar and the 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

When the bread is done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Pierce the hot loaves all over with a wooden skewer or toothpick, and then brush the tops of the loaves with the hot lemon glaze. Cool the loaves in the pans for about 30 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Easy Brussels Sprout Gratin

2008-05-26T15:33:00.009-04:00

I’ve been thinking lately about seasonal recipes. In many respects, they’re fantastic. I’m very excited, for instance, about the fresh basil and strawberries of summer. But in other respects, seasonal recipes can be pretty limiting. I have two amazing pumpkin recipes that I’ve been dying to try, but a little voice in my head keeps saying, You cannot make pumpkin dishes in May. You must put those recipes on hold, hidden in a “November” file, where they must stay until they’re wanted.

You might call me insane. You might be right. But regardless of that, I do think it’s true that we have a habit of unnecessarily relegating certain recipes to a couple months per year. I mean, canned pumpkin is just as good now as it was six months ago, right?

Even so, I just can’t bring myself to make pumpkin fritters when everyone else is serving BBQ ribs and lemonade. But Brussels sprouts, on the other hand, are something I’m unable to resist. We normally don’t see these adorable little guys until Thanksgiving, but just last week I happened upon a Cook’s Illustrated recipe for Brussels Sprouts Braised in Cream. CI has this recipe in with its Christmas collection, but there was no way I could wait until December to make this dish. No. Way.

If you like cream and you like Brussels sprouts, you’ll love this recipe. But be warned: there’s lots of cream. That’s not a problem for me, but some of you may have significant others who are trying to lose weight and who complain that the vegetables you serve them are swimming in heavy cream. Ahem.

I followed the recipe exactly but, at the end, I topped it with a little something extra: a golden breadcrumb crust. Delicious! The golden crust is why I’m calling this a gratin, but, really, a traditional gratin is cooked in a béchamel or cheese sauce. You could certainly do that if you wanted to, but simmering the sprouts in cream is so fast and simple. The online version of this recipe requires you to have a subscription to CI, but if you don’t, don’t despair. I’m including the recipe below.

Easy Brussels Sprout Gratin
Adapted from Brussels Sprouts Braised in Cream

1 pound fresh small Brussels sprouts, rinsed, with stem ends and discolored leaves removed
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Ground black pepper
2 slices white bread, quartered
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat broiler.

Bring sprouts, cream, and salt to boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until a knife tip inserted into a sprout center meets no resistance, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in nutmeg and pepper.

Distribute sprouts between two individual gratin or baking dishes. Pulse bread slices in food processor to form fine crumbs, then toss crumbs with melted butter. Top dishes evenly with breadcrumb mixture, then set under broiler until topping is crunchy and golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Remove from oven. Baking dishes will be very hot, so allow to cool before serving.

BLAT Salad

2008-05-23T21:44:00.008-04:00

I love a BLT. Mayo is sort of implied when you’re having a BLT, right? And any sandwich in which mayo is integral is okay by me. But have you ever had a BLAT? A BLAT is a BLT sandwich with avocado, and it’s delicious.

Would you believe that I used to think I didn’t like avocado? I must have had some bad guacamole, or something, and I automatically concluded that I didn’t like avocado. But then I had whipped avocado about a year ago at a restaurant, which was just pure avocado, maybe mixed with a bit of lime juice, and I realized, finally, how awesome avocado is. Now I try to incorporate it into as many meals as I can, and a BLAT salad was my most recent avocado-enhanced creation.

OK, I didn’t actually create this recipe. I found it on Allrecipes.com, but the avocado was my addition, thankyouverymuch. This salad has everything you’d find in a BLAT: lettuce, tomato, bacon, bread (in the form of croutons), and, my favorite touch, mayo (in the form of a basil-mayo dressing). You don’t normally find basil in a BLAT, but it’s really delicious in this dressing. All of the elements in this dish complement each other perfectly. It’s one of my favorite salads.

BLAT Salad
Adapted from BLT Salad with Basil-Mayo Dressing

1/2 pound bacon
1/2 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Black pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1 large heart romaine, chopped
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 ripe avocadoes, chopped and tossed with a couple squeezes of lemon or lime juice

Chop bacon into bite-size pieces and place in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown and crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in a small bowl, then drain most of the rest, leaving enough drippings in pan to thinly but evenly coat the bottom.

Add cubed bread to pan, still over medium heat. Toss to coat evenly with bacon drippings and cook until bread has reached the desired crunchiness for croutons, stirring frequently, about 5 to 10 minutes. Season with pepper to taste, then allow to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons of reserved bacon drippings, mayonnaise, vinegar, and basil.

Divide chopped romaine between two plates, then top with tomatoes, bacon, and avocado. Scatter croutons over the top. Serve immediately with basil-mayo dressing.

Teeny Tiny Peanut-Butter-Cup Cheesecakes

2008-05-18T13:09:00.013-04:00

Not too long ago, I saw Paula Deen make Peanut Butter Cheese Cake Minis. Has anyone seen this episode? Watching the show, I swear it looked like Paula used a mini-muffin pan, but the recipe calls for a standard-sized muffin pan. I was intent on trying to use the mini-sized tin, but my plans were on hold until I found some mini-muffin paper liners.

Finally, last weekend, at the farmer’s market, of all places, I found some mini-muffin-pan liners. I also found something else: teeny tiny peanut butter cups. Now, we’ve all seen the miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups, but these teeny tiny ones are even smaller than those. Observe:

That’s a miniature peanut butter cup with a teeny tiny one sitting on top. See how much smaller they are? I picked some up, thinking they might come in handy.

My initial plan was to use the miniature peanut butter cups and the mini muffin pan. The miniature PB cups do fit in the mini muffin pan; however, I found that my paper liners were a bit smaller than the cups of the pan, and that the PB cups were a tad large for the liners. I didn’t trust the recipe to work well without using the liners—I thought it would be too hard to get the cheesecakes out in one piece—so what I decided to do, finally, was use the mini-muffin pan, the paper liners, and the teeny tiny peanut butter cups.

This method worked out well. I got cute little bite-sized cheesecakes with a chocolate-peanut-butter surprise inside. I will say though that, because these peanut butter cups were so tiny, their flavor was very subtle, so you could use two or three per cup if you want a stronger chocolate-peanut-butter flavor.

I made 24 of these tiny cheesecakes and still had some batter left over, so I decide to make some more in the standard-muffin size. Instead of using a muffin tin, though, I used silicone baking cups from Crate and Barrel. These are great because they don’t need to be greased and, when the cheesecakes are done baking, you can leave them right in the silicone cups for as long as you want, and they keep things nice and tidy. Plus, of course, they’re reusable.

The taste? Pretty sweet and pretty good. Plus, you could change this up a million ways. I’m thinking this recipe would work well using Oreos for the crust instead of graham crackers and a Hershey kiss in the center instead of a peanut butter cup. Yum! If you come up with any other tasty combinations, let me know.

Teeny Tiny Peanut-Butter-Cup Cheesecakes
Adapted from Peanut Butter Cheese Cake Minis
Makes 36 tiny cheesecakes (cooked in a mini-muffin pan)

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Filling:
36 teeny tiny peanut-butter cups*
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a paper cupcake liner in each cup of a mini-muffin pan.

For crust: In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until crumbs are moistened. Press about 1 scant teaspoon of crust into the bottom of each muffin cup. (You can use a shot glass to help pack the crumbs down. If the crumbs stick to the bottom of the glass, cover the glass with one of your paper liners.) Put 1 tiny peanut-butter cup into the center of each crust.

Beat cream cheese with a handheld electric mixer until fluffy. Combine sugar and flour in a bowl, then add to cream cheese, a little at a time, beating well. Add vanilla and then eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Spoon cream cheese mixture over peanut butter cups and graham cracker crusts. Bake until just set, about 13 minutes. Allow to cool completely before serving.

*According to Candy Blog, you can find these at Trader Joe’s.

Noodle Love VI: Rotini

2008-05-15T09:54:00.009-04:00

When I first saw Rachael Ray’s cauliflower mac-n-cheese, I had two thoughts. The first one was, Yum-o! (I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist that.) The second one was, This reminds me a lot of Ina Garten’s cauliflower gratin, which I’ve made previously and really liked.

There are some fundamental differences between the two dishes. For one, the seasonings are different. Rachael's dish is seasoned with cayenne, paprika, and Dijon, whereas Ina’s dish features nutmeg. Rachael uses smoked Gouda, and Ina uses Gruyère. There’s also, obviously, the omission of noodles in Ina’s cauliflower gratin. Rachael’s recipe calls for cavatappi, but my store, much to my disappointment, has a pretty limited pasta selection and no cavatappi. I didn’t think elbows would work that well. I’d have to cut the cauliflower up pretty small to get it to be similar in size to the pasta, and I wanted to leave the cauliflower in larger chunks, like it is in Ina’s gratin.

What I finally settled on was the following: I went with Rachael’s seasonings (cayenne, paprika, Dijon) but used Ina’s cheese (Gruyère). I chose rotini for my noodles, because I thought they’d be about the right size, and their ruffly edges sort of remind me of the bumpy surface of the cauliflower. To finish the dish, I topped it with a fresh breadcrumb crust, just like in Ina’s recipe.

The end result was really good! I already want to make this again and experiment with the ingredients. I think a combination of cheddar and Gruyère might be good, and I’m also thinking I might try using nutmeg next time. Has anyone ever used nutmeg in a pasta dish before? I don’t think I have, and I’m intrigued by the idea.

Cauliflower Mac-n-Cheese
adapted from Mac-n-Smoked Gouda with Cauliflower
3 servings

Coarse salt
1/2 pound rotini
1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 cups whole milk
2 cups shredded Gruyère
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
4 slices white bread

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt to season the cooking water, then add the pasta. Return to boil and cook for 3 minutes, then add the cauliflower and cook for 3 minutes more or until pasta is cooked to barely al dente and the florets are just tender. Drain well and return to the pot.

While the pasta cooks, heat a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and heat until it melts. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes to sweat them out and turn the juices sweet. Raise the heat to medium, then whisk in the flour, cayenne, and paprika. Whisk together until the roux bubbles up, then cook for 1 minute more. Add the milk and, whisking frequently, bring the sauce to a quick boil. Once it bubbles, drop the heat back to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens, a couple minutes more.

Add the cheese to the thickened sauce and stir to melt it, a minute or so. Stir in the mustard and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Combine the sauce with the pasta and cauliflower and then transfer to a greased shallow baking dish.

Remove crusts from bread and pulse bread to fine crumbs in food processor. Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter and toss with breadcrumbs to distribute evenly. Scatter breadcrumb topping evenly over cauliflower mac-n-cheese, then bake in oven for about 20 minutes or until edges are bubbly and topping is golden brown.

I'm Back!

2008-05-12T18:10:00.013-04:00

So I’m back from my wine-tasting weekend in Shenandoah Valley. I’ve been looking through my pictures and just noticed that, though I took a lot, I don’t have that many pictures of the actual wineries. Which is strange, but kind of makes sense if you’ve been to a winery. They’re sort of dark inside, so you’d need to use your flash, and I guess I just didn’t want to draw attention to myself as everyone was enjoying their wine. Instead, I took pictures outside the wineries—see the flower pot above and the weather vane below.

I had the same issue with the restaurants I went to. On Friday evening Adam and I had dinner at The Joshua Wilton House, and the setting was candle-lit, quiet, and on the formal side. I had a beautiful meal—pork loin with panzanella, all drizzled with a delicious strawberry glaze—and I was dying to take pictures of it, but I didn’t think I was supposed to. I mean, I don’t know, what’s picture-taking etiquette? Have any of you ever whipped out your camera at a fancy restaurant?

There was one place, though, where I didn’t restrain my urge to take pictures. We had lunch one afternoon at Edinburg Antiques and Tea Rooms, which is an adorable little place where you can get some proper English tea and other assorted goodies, and Adam and I had our own little table in a private room, so I let my trigger (camera) finger run wild.

We had scones with strawberry preserves and clotted cream, along with assorted tea sandwiches, and the best Earl Grey tea either of us has ever tasted.

The tea sandwiches were ham, chicken curry, and, of course, cucumber.

I’m a sucker for tiny sandwiches and cute dishes, so I really liked this place—you might be able to guess that from all the pictures.

Aside from all the wining and dining, we did a bit of shopping as well. There was a farmer’s market where we stopped and loaded up on homemade goodies for the pantry, and, as luck would have it, there’s a book fair going on in the area right now, as well. Of course, I went right to the cookbooks. I got two hardcover “The Best of Gourmet” books (2002 and 2005), both with a list price of $40.00, for—are you ready?—$6.00 each! I was like a kid in a candy store. I also picked up a reprint edition of the original 1903 Good Housekeeping Everyday Cook Book for just $1.99!

This book is almost as much an instruction manual for domesticity as it is a cookbook, and I’m looking forward to some amusing reading with this one. Here’s a taste of what’s inside: “I have found in my teaching that only the pupils who do not know how to wash them properly dislike the washing of dishes. When I hear a young lady say, ‘I hate to wash dishes,’ I know she is not a trained worker and does not know the best ways of doing things.” So there you go. If you think you don’t like washing dishes, you just don’t know how to do it right! If you suffer from this condition, I recommend picking up a copy of this book. It has a whole section devoted to the fine art of dish washing.

So, as much as I loved the shopping and the drinking, and as quiet and beautiful as was the setting, it’s still good to be home. I missed my cat and my own bed, and I haven’t cooked anything in days! It’s time to get to work on that. Plus, I have 14 bottles of wine to work my way through. Cheers!

Three-Pepper Chicken Chili

2008-05-08T17:57:00.007-04:00

It's been four days since my last post, and I've been trying to post something all week. I've had a busy week though. I am not a person who normally leads a hectic life, but the last few days have left me with no time left over for blogging. I've had deadlines at work and things that needed to be taken care of at home, and everything has to be settled before I leave town this weekend (I'll be spending a long weekend wine-tasting in Shenandoah Valley--yay!). So I won't be posting over the weekend, either. And yet, with all my stressful franticness of the past week, would you believe that, through it all, I kept thinking, I need to write a blog post before I leave for the weekend!

It sounds so silly, but I guess I realized that this little web-space of mine has become part of my daily (or semi-daily) existence, and I hate to leave it neglected. And I hate the thought of people checking my page (I know there are a couple of you out there who do!) and seeing the same tired content for a week straight. So finally—finally—I'm setting some time aside to post.

Last night I came home late from work and got started making some chili. I actually wasn't even hungry--I was too exhausted to have much of an appetite--but it was on the schedule (yes, I keep a meal schedule) and I'd already defrosted the chicken, so I got to cooking. I made Ina's Chicken Chili, which has been on my list forever, patiently waiting its turn, and finally came up in the queue. The Recipe Girl recently made this dish and it turned out fabulously. She served hers up with some chips for scooping—a very delicious idea. I served mine over rice with cornbread on the side.

I don’t know if anyone else has ever eaten their chili over rice, but it's pretty common in my family and sometimes that's what I'll be in the mood for. It's very tasty and pretty budget-friendly, too, as it lets you take a pot of chili and stretch it even further.

I changed the recipe very little, but I did add a seeded, minced jalapeno, hence the “three-pepper” part of the title. I’d like to write out the whole modified version for you, but I have bags to pack and dinner to cook, so I’m going to have to be quick. I sautéed boneless skinless breasts instead of roasting bone-in chicken, just to save time, and I cut out some of the liquid from the canned tomatoes to make the chili a bit chunkier. While the chili was simmering I baked the corn muffins and made the rice. I sautéed a shallot in a bit of butter in a pan before adding the rice and chicken stock (instead of water). When everything was finished I added some rice to a bowl, ladled the chili over the stop, sprinkled it with shredded cheddar and sliced scallions, and tucked a corn muffin along the side. Very filling, very warming. You can get the detailed recipe here.

OK, I’m off. Have a great weekend everyone!

Cheddar-Sausage Corn Muffins, Spicy or Sweet

2008-05-04T10:28:00.010-04:00

I found this recipe for cheddar-sausage muffins a while ago. Sounds good, right? Somehow, either in reading this recipe or remembering it, I thought it was for cheddar-sausage corn muffins. So when I went to make these yesterday morning and realized that there was no form of corn anywhere to be found in the recipe, I wasn’t quite sure what to do. I’d been thinking “corn muffin” for so long that I really wasn’t in the mood for anything else, but I didn’t know off the top of my head how to make a corn muffin. Nor did I feel like cleaning my hands, going to my computer, and finding another recipe. I have some corn flour in the pantry, and I was wondering whether simply substituting that for the regular flour called for would have given me a proper corn muffin. Anyone know? I suspect probably not. See, this is why I don’t bake more often.

I happened to have some Jiffy corn muffin mix in the pantry, which I like to keep around for just such emergencies. So I got it out, made it according to package instructions, and then added my sausage and cheese. I tossed in some chopped scallions, too, for freshness and color.

But I didn’t stop there. I knew these muffins would be good, but I wanted to see if I could make them even better. Some kind of jazzed-up butter, I thought. Adam likes things spicy, and I like them sweet, so I finally settled on two different butters: a roasted poblano butter and, my favorite, honey butter. I really liked this idea, because it allowed me to take the same muffin and enjoy it two different ways. And, as an added bonus, I used some of the leftover poblano butter to cook up some home fries this morning. Fabulous.

I served these muffins for breakfast, but I think they’d also be great as a side dish to a Mexican meal. I used breakfast sausage and sharp cheddar, but these would also be good with, say, some fresh andouille or chorizo and Monterey or pepper jack cheese. Yum!

Cheddar-Sausage Corn Muffins with Spicy and Sweet Butters

Makes 8 muffins

1 8.5-oz package Jiffy corn mix (or your favorite corn muffin recipe)
1/2 pound sausage, cooked and crumbled into small pieces
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 scallion, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare corn muffin mix according to package instructions (you’ll need one egg and 1/3 cup of milk). Add sausage, cheese, and scallion, and stir until just combined.

Grease 8 cups of a standard-size muffin tin. Distribute batter among greased cups. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until muffins are cooked through and edges begin to turn golden brown.

Honey Butter

1/2 stick butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons honey

Add ingredients to food processor, and pulse until thoroughly combined.

Roasted Poblano Butter

1 small poblano pepper
1/2 stick butter, room temperature
Juice of 1/2 lime

Heat broiler. When hot, please poblano, on a pan, on top shelf beneath broiler. Roast for 5 minutes, then turn pepper and roast for 5 minutes more, until pepper is blackened on all sides.

Place pepper in a small paper bag, closed tightly, for about ten minutes or until cool enough to handle. This allows the steam to loosen the skin. When cool, remove pepper from bag and gently remove blacked skins. Remove stem and seeds.

Chop pepper roughly and place in a food processor with softened butter and lime juice. Pulse until pepper is chopped in small pieces and evenly distributed through butter.

Note: You can use the same processor that you used for the honey butter, without washing it. Just scrape as much honey butter as you can from the food processor before beginning. I wouldn’t, however, recommend using the same processor to make the honey butter after the poblano butter. The pepper flavor may linger.

Tomato Salad

2008-05-01T18:57:00.006-04:00

There’s a Whole Foods a few blocks from my apartment. I don’t do my main shopping there, but when I’m downtown I like to stop in and browse the aisles. I always leave with something wonderful. The produce department is the first thing I see when I walk through the door, and they always get me there. On Tuesday night they had some gorgeous mini tomatoes positioned strategically next to mounds of basil that were clustered around a sign that said “just picked.” Just picked basil? Tiny cute tomatoes? Well, I’m only human, after all. I got some.

The container I picked up was actually a gourmet tomato medley, and I know that because the package said so. According to the package, these gorgeous green-striped ones are exotic tomatoes, the orange and yellow ones are cocktail and cherry tomatoes, respectively, and the red ones are of two varieties: grape and mini plum.

I knew right away what I wanted to do with these. I’d make a simple tomato and basil salad for myself for lunch the next day, simply dressed with nothing but a bit of extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon, and some salt and pepper. Nothing else. I didn’t want any extraneous ingredients to interfere with the natural beauty of these little guys. And they were so sweet, so delectably juicy, that really nothing else was needed.

Okay, I’m lying. Could you tell? Not about there being nothing more needed to enhance the flavor of the tomatoes—that part was true. But, even so, I couldn’t stop myself from adding a little something extra. After I took the pictures, I added a dollop of mayo to the tomatoes and stirred it in. I couldn’t help myself! And it was so good. The natural juice from the tomatoes thinned out the mayo and the two, together, formed a delicious dressing that was simultaneously fresh and creamy and, oh, so good. But if that’s not what floats your boat, I still recommend picking up some of these tomatoes if you see them, because there are tons of ways to use them. A nice panzanella comes to mind, or some tomato-topped bruschetta. And, really, they’re just so colorful and pretty—what more reason do you need?

Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad

2008-04-29T20:43:00.010-04:00

As the weather gets warmer, I try to have salads for dinner at least once per week. It just seems appropriate—warmer weather means eating less and “cooking” less. The problem is, though, that I’m not really a salad person (I’ll take the fat with a side of cholesterol, please), so to get myself to eat salads more I need to find ones that have something special to offer, such as a special ingredient or a phenomenal dressing. I usually like creamy dressings (I have a great mayo-based one—stay tuned for that), but vinaigrettes can be great, too.

In fact, a vinaigrette is what initially caught my attention about this pecan-crusted chicken salad. This salad is dressed with—are you ready?—caramel-citrus vinaigrette. As in, there’s actual caramel sauce right in the dressing. I used Smucker's Caramel Topping, which I think is meant for ice cream, and it was awesome! Not only is the dressing delicious on its own, but it’s a perfect accompaniment to the chicken, which is coated with a cinnamon-and-sugar pecan mixture. This is my kind of salad.

I changed the recipe just a bit. For the actual salad part I used romaine, cucumber, tomatoes, and scallions, but the original calls for mixed greens, tomato, and carrot, and that would be good, too. I made the dressing taste even more caramelly by using half as much olive oil as called for, and it was deliciously sweet, but not too much so. At least not for me.

Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad
adapted from Pecan Crusted Chicken over Field Greens
Serves 4

For the chicken:

4 chicken breast halves, pounded to an even 1/2-inch thickness
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups crushed pecan pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon oil

For the greens:

2 hearts of romaine, chopped
4 Roma tomatoes, sliced
2 small cucumbers, seeded and sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced

For the vinaigrette:

1/3 cup caramel sauce
2 teaspoons water
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lime, zested, optional
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the chicken:

Place chicken and buttermilk in a plastic bag and allow to sit for 15 minutes up to overnight.

While chicken is marinating, combine pecans with spices and mix well. Place mixture into a shallow dish. Remove chicken and allow excess buttermilk to drain. Coat both sides of the chicken pieces with the pecan/spice mixture. Lightly press in to chicken.

Place a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Heat oil and, working in two batches, sauté chicken for about 4-5 minutes per side, making sure pecan coating has set before flipping. When chicken is done and has slightly cooled, slice and arrange over salad bed.

For the vinaigrette:

Combine the caramel sauce with water and citrus juices and whisk. While whisking, drizzle in olive oil, lime zest, if using, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Date-and-Walnut Quick Bread

2008-04-27T15:43:00.007-04:00

Date-and-walnut has always been one of my favorite combinations. My absolute favorite use of these two goodies is date-and-walnut pinwheel cookies. My grandmom makes these every Christmas and was kind enough to pass the recipe on to me. The recipe requires the making and rolling out of dough though, so I very rarely make them, even though they’re delicious. I have a recipe for date-and-walnut snack bars that starts with boxed vanilla cake mix, and I cling to that as a surrogate.

As I’ve said before, I’m not much of a baker. I also like raisin, date, and walnut instant oatmeal—all that requires is boiling water.

So that’s why I love this recipe for Date-and-Walnut Quick Bread. Quick breads are the best. This one is easy and delicious. The bread is moist and fragrant and makes a lovely breakfast with some hot tea. It really doesn’t need to be slathered with honey butter, but I did it anyway because I laugh in the face of heart disease.

I don’t have a modified recipe because I followed the original exactly, all except for a few gratings of nutmeg added to the batter. It’s a great recipe. The spread is just room temperature butter mixed with an equal part of honey, and the proportions are easily adjusted depending on how sweet you like it.

Garlic Oven Fries with Pesto Mayonnaise

2008-04-24T21:15:00.009-04:00

I have a sincere and undying love of mayonnaise. I enjoy adding large quantities of it to many things. On nights when I don’t feel like cooking, Adam will bring Subway home, and I will sit on the couch with my sub, mayonnaise jar beside me, butter knife in hand.

I’m afraid to tell you any more than that. Let’s just say that there’s lots of mayonnaise involved.

We have burgers a couple times per month, and I must have mayonnaise on my burger. We usually have fries with our burgers, and I like to have mayonnaise with my fries, as well. On burger-and-fry night, I usually make garlic mayo, which is just mayonnaise mixed with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and a clove or two of grated garlic. Adam, who claims not to like mayonnaise, uses his fries to shovel the stuff in by the mouthful.

One of my favorite light meals is a tomato sandwich. Vine-ripened salted tomato slices, fresh basil leaves, and mayonnaise on white bread. That’s it. I love basil as well, and basil and mayo is so, so good. So when I saw Emeril’s recipe for Pesto Mayonnaise, I don’t have to tell you that I was all over it like mayo on my Subway sandwich. I made it tonight for burger-and-fry night, along with some oven-baked garlic fries.

Oven-baked fries can be a disappointment, because it’s hard to get them as nice and crispy as fried ones. But then I found another Emeril recipe, this one for oven-baked fries, that calls for coating the fries with a beaten egg white before baking them at a high temperature. The egg white forms a crackly coating on the outside of the fries and—voilà—crispy oven fries.

Just to really kick it up, I tossed the fries in some garlic butter when they were done in the oven. Then I served them with turkey burgers and, of course, the pesto mayo. I have some of the mayo left over, and I know what I’ll be having for lunch tomorrow: a tomato sandwich with pesto mayonnaise. Yum!

Garlic Oven Fries with Pesto Mayonnaise
Adapted from Emeril’s Oven Fries and Pesto Mayonnaise

Pesto mayonnaise, recipe follows
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 large baking potatoes, peeled, about 1 1/2 pounds
1 large egg white
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter
4 garlic cloves, minced

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and grease the parchment with the vegetable oil.

Slice potatoes lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Turn each slice flat and slice again lengthwise into even fries, 1/2-inch thick. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg white until very light and foamy. Add the potatoes to the egg whites and toss to coat evenly.

Spread the coated potatoes on the prepared baking sheet, not touching, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy, turning halfway through the cooking time with a spatula.

Melt butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, and cook garlic in butter for 2 minutes, stirring so garlic doesn't burn. Pour garlic butter over fries, toss to coat, and serve immediately with pesto mayonnaise.

Pesto Mayonnaise

1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves (about 2 ounces)
1/3 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup mayonnaise

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt, and pepper and puree, scraping down the sides as needed. With the machine running, add the oil through the feed tube and process until the mixture is thick and smooth. Add the Parmesan and process for 15 seconds.

Transfer to a bowl and add the mayonnaise, stirring to blend well. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Tagged!

2008-04-22T18:20:00.002-04:00

The Six-Word-Memoir craze has come my way, and I’ve been tagged by Elle of one of my favorite blogs, Elle’s New England Kitchen. If you don’t know, being tagged for the Six-Word Memoir means that you need to describe yourself in six words. It’s fun for sure, but definitely harder than it sounds.

The trouble, for me, is that you can’t really give an entire picture of a person in six words, so it’s hard to pick which six words to use. But I know that if I think about it too much I’ll just never get it done, so here are my six words, for better or worse:

Picky
Demanding
Critical
Moody
Reclusive
Hungry

Not the prettiest picture, is it? Did you notice that one of those words is “critical”? Yeah, that's me.

The next task after writing your memoir is to tag a few other people to play along. Here’s a list of the blogs I’m tagging:

Closet Cooking
Canela & Comino
Nina’s Kitchen
Natural Cuisine
Family, Friends, and Food
The Chocolate Peanut Butter Gallery

These are all really great blogs, so definitely stop by and check them out if you haven’t already.

Have fun!

Brunch Panzanella

2008-04-20T12:14:00.009-04:00

I’ve been wanting to make panzanella for a really long time. But panzanella is usually made with tomatoes, and this posed a bit of a problem for me. I happen to live with someone who refuses to eat fresh tomatoes. A freak of nature, if you will. And I know I could make the panzanella just for myself, but I never bothered. If there’s something that I like and Adam doesn’t, it usually doesn’t get made. This is mostly just laziness on my part. If I’m going to make something, I want it to be something we’ll both enjoy. And if I’m cooking for myself alone, I’m not making panzanella. I’m making Hot Pockets or some other culinary no-no that I probably shouldn’t be admitting publicly. Like I said, I’m lazy.

So when I saw a recipe for Brunch Panzanella that did not include tomatoes, I jumped all over it. But the merits of this dish go far beyond a simple omission of tomatoes. This panzanella has all sorts of goodies, such as strawberries, blueberries, raisins, and nuts.

I made a few changes to the recipe, but not many. I used walnuts instead of almonds, because that’s what I had, and amaretto instead of brandy, because that’s my favorite. I topped mine with whipped cream, because I’m like that, but you could also top it with yogurt to make it more healthy and breakfasty. I also found that the proportions for the recipe were a bit off (I ended up with less brown butter syrup than the recipe said I should have), so I’ve cleaned it up a bit and am including the modified version below. You can find the original here.

This recipe is full of possibilities. I’m already thinking of what other combinations of fruits, nuts, and liqueurs might be good. Yum!

This recipe is, as the name suggests, intended for brunch, but I also think it would make a great light supper on a warm night.

Brunch Panzanella
adapted from Brunch Panzanella
3 servings

2 cups macerated strawberries, recipe follows
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2-pound Italian country-style loaf of bread

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon amaretto
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4-5 oz. blueberries, washed
1/4 cup lightly packed torn mint leaves
1 cup heavy cream, lightly whipped (or vanilla yogurt)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare macerated strawberries, and refrigerate until ready for use.

Toast walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat, about 10 minutes or until fragrant, and reserve until ready for use.

Place the raisins in a small bowl. Cover with hot water. Allow the raisins to plump for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve until ready for use.

Cube bread into approximately 1/2-inch chunks. You should have about 4 cups. Reserve until ready for use.

Make the brown butter syrup. Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over high heat, and cook until it browns. Add the bay leaf and stand back (it might pop). Lower the heat to medium and add the sugar to the pan and stir. When the sugar has melted, add the amaretto and stand back (it might flame). Add the lemon juice. Cook for 15 seconds, then add the orange juice and salt. Stir and cook until the liquid has reduced and reached a syrupy consistency. You should have about 1/2 cup. Remove the bay leaf.

Place the cubed bread in a large bowl and toss with half of the brown butter syrup. Spread the bread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden and crispy on the outside and still chewy inside, 15 to 20 minutes, turning half-way through for even coloring.

When done, return bread to bowl and add remaining brown butter syrup, walnuts, raisins, blueberries, and mint. Toss well. To serve, spoon some strawberries into a bowl. Spoon some panzanella beside the strawberries. Spoon some whipped cream (or vanilla yogurt) over the strawberries. Garnish with fresh mint.

Macerated Strawberries

1 pound strawberries, washed and halved
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well until sugar is distributed and strawberries are evenly coated.

Soup and Sammy

2008-04-17T17:23:00.009-04:00

So I'm continuing to love my subscription to Everyday Food. Yesterday I made Green-Pea Soup with Cheddar-Scallion Panini from the March issue. It's very fast and very easy. The panino is basically a grilled cheese with scallions, and the soup is mostly pureed frozen peas and chicken broth.

By the way, I have a story about frozen peas. I recently caught an episode of Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello in which Michael was making a pea dish with frozen peas and, I suppose, felt the need to justify not using fresh peas. He told a story about how, when he was a young chef in France, he asked one of the older chefs how he got his pea sauce to be such a fresh, vibrant green. The chef took Michael over to the freezer and revealed a stash of frozen peas. "Monsieur, it is zee Birds Eye peas," said the chef. I'm paraphrasing here, but Michael definitely said that the French chef showed him "Birds Eye" peas. And you know what? They are pretty darn good.

That being said, the soup, while fresh and bright, is lacking a bit of oomph. I'm not sure what else to do with it, but I thought it might be good with some seasoned croutons floating on top. I served this for dinner but, because it's so light, I think it would make a better lunch. And the sandwich is fabulous. Be sure to use sharp cheddar.

The complete recipe is here. I followed it exactly except for adding extra lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the soup.

Wild Cherry M&M Cookies

2008-04-13T16:31:00.008-04:00

OK, first things first. How cute is this guy?

Adam and I went to see the cherry blossoms on Friday, and we spotted this squirrel chowing down on a soft pretzel. Before I did anything else, I had to show you that picture. Now that I’ve shared the cuteness, we can move on to me chowing down on cookies.

Some time last week I was browsing the web and discovered that there are now wild-cherry-flavored M&Ms. I can’t remember where I found out, and I don’t know how long these have been around without me realizing it, but I became fixated on getting some. This weekend I found them on sale at CVS (buy one get one free!) and I knew what I had to do.

I had to make cookies.

I knew right away which recipe I wanted to use. I recently found a Cook’s Illustrated recipe for oatmeal cookies with chocolate chunks and dried cherries. I figured this would be perfect, as I could just replace the chocolate and cherries in the recipe with my M&Ms.

My assessment of these cookies is what you might guess: If you like these M&Ms, you’ll like the cookies; if you don’t, well . . . you get the picture. The M&Ms remind me of the chocolate-covered cherry candies that you sometimes find in boxes of chocolate around Valentine’s Day. They’re very sweet, and the flavor is quite different from the tartness of a dried cherry.

The recipe itself is a good one, no matter which way you decide to go with it. I need to mention though that, as written, this recipe makes 16 huge cookies. You’re supposed to make the batter when your butter has softened but is still cool. I wonder if this step is to keep the cookies from spreading too much, because I let my butter come to room temperature and my cookies spread quite a bit. If you don’t feel like hovering around your butter waiting for it to hit the perfect temperature and softness, you could try setting up your cookies on baking sheets and then popping them in the fridge for a few minutes before baking. Or just make smaller cookies.

Wild Cherry M&M Cookies
Adapted from Chocolate-Chunk Oatmeal Cookies with Pecans and Dried Cherries

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
1 3/4 cups wild cherry M&Ms
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, stir together oats, pecans, and M&Ms.

In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until no sugar lumps remain. Add in egg and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Finally, with rubber spatula, fold in pecans and M&Ms.

Divide dough evenly into 16 portions, then roll between palms into balls about 2 inches in diameter. Stagger 8 balls on each baking sheet, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using hands, gently press each dough ball to 1-inch thickness. Bake both baking sheets 12 minutes, rotate them front to back and top to bottom, then continue to bake until cookies are medium brown and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, about 8 minutes longer. Do not over bake.

Cool cookies on baking sheets on wire rack 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Baked Falafel Pitas

2008-04-10T08:59:00.006-04:00

I never had falafel before yesterday. I wasn’t even sure what it was. Just in case I’m not the last person on the planet who didn’t already know this, falafel refers to a deep-fried cake or patty that’s made of spiced fava beans or chickpeas. Anyway, I saw Ellie Krieger make a baked version recently, and it looked so good and easy that I had to try it.

You just take some chickpeas, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, parsley, cilantro, and olive oil and mash them all together or pulse them in the food processor, and then you form the mixture into little balls and bake them in the oven for 40 minutes. I left out the cilantro because Adam doesn’t like it, and, as I was making the falafel balls, I rolled them in some breadcrumbs, just a little, to help them adhere. The breadcrumb step may not have been necessary, but some reviews of this recipe said that the falafel balls fall apart, so I was taking an extra precaution. Mine held together nicely and developed a golden outer crust.

Since I’ve never had falafel before I can’t compare these to the traditional deep-fried version, but I still say they were pretty good. The recipe calls for them to be served with tahini sauce, which is what I did, but I think next time I’ll make a nice tzatziki to go with them. This time around I only had half a cucumber in the fridge, and I chopped it up and stuffed it in the pitas.

Baked Falafel Pitas
Adapted from Ellie Krieger’s Baked Felafel Sandwiches

Falafel:
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup parsley leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
Breadcrumbs, for forming balls (optional)

Tahini Sauce:
1/2 cup pure tahini paste
3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice
3 to 4 tablespoons water, plus more if necessary

Salad:
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 medium cucumber, seeded, peeled and chopped

4 pita pockets, sliced open

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine all falafel ingredients except 1 tablespoon olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 10 seconds. Stop motor and scrape down sides of bowl, then pulse for another 10 seconds, until all ingredients are well incorporated but mixture is still slightly coarse and grainy. Form mixture into 16 falafel balls, adding breadcrumbs sparingly if necessary, and brush with remaining tablespoon olive oil. Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 20 minutes; flip falafel balls and bake an additional 20 minutes or until falafel balls are crisp and browned.

Combine tahini, lemon juice, and water and stir to incorporate, adding more water to achieve desired consistency. Reserve.

Toss together lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers in a bowl. Warm pita breads for 5 minutes in oven. Fill each pita with 3/4 cup salad, 4 falafel balls, and 1/4 cup tahini sauce.

Arugula Salad with Spring Onions and Blood Orange Vinaigrette

2008-04-06T19:58:00.006-04:00

I have previously expressed my love for the blood orange and what it can do for a martini. But blood oranges aren’t only great for martinis, of course. They also make a darn tasty salad. I used them this evening in Emeril’s Arugula Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette and discovered that arugula and blood oranges make an amazing pair. The arugula is peppery, the blood orange is tart, and the marriage of the two strikes the perfect balance. Add some romaine or any other green that you like, top with some spring onions, and you have a delicious jewel-toned salad.

I’m thinking I’ll submit this post to Nutriferia, which is doing a roundup of spring salads. Sounds like a great idea!

Blood oranges will be around until May, so get some while you can and enjoy this gorgeous delicious fruit.

Arugula Salad with Spring Onions and Blood Orange Vinaigrette
adapted from Arugula Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette

3 cups arugula
2 cup romaine
2 spring onions, sliced
2 blood oranges, segmented
Blood Orange Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Combine arugula, romaine, scallions, and orange segments in a bowl. Toss with vinaigrette to coat. Serve immediately.

Blood Orange Vinaigrette
1/2 cup blood orange juice
1 finely chopped spring onion
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Whisk together juice, onion, mustard, sugar, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil in a steady stream until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Noodle Love V: Spaghetti Rigati

2008-04-04T20:35:00.011-04:00

Adam has cooked for me a few times. There was soup once when I was sick. There were also some sandwiches here and there which, even though that’s not technically “cooking,” I will count because, somehow, a sandwich always tastes better when somebody else makes it for you.

The first time, it was spaghetti. Things started out well enough. Boil some water, add some noodles. Hard to go wrong. But it went downhill after that. He got a jar of spaghetti sauce, unscrewed the lid, and poured the sauce, straight from the jar, onto my plate. He then dropped some noodles on top of the sauce and, to top things off, added some chickpeas. The chickpeas, like the sauce, were unwarmed, and it’s possible they came straight from the can. I’ve worked hard to forget some of the gorier details, so it’s hard now to say for sure.

Because of this incident, I always thought of spaghetti and chickpeas as a sort of ridiculous combination. I ignored Adam’s future requests to add chickpeas to my pasta dishes. But eventually I saw Rachael Ray make Spaghetti alla Ceci, and I reconsidered the issue. Not only did Rachael warm the chickpeas, but she made them a fully incorporated part of the sauce. This was something I could handle. I made the dish.

I now rescind any earlier contempt I showed toward spaghetti and chickpeas. I was wrong. When it’s done right, it’s fabulous. A little wine, some garlic, a pinch or two of red pepper flakes—delicious! I’m not usually too big a fan of spaghetti and tomato sauce because I think it can be boring, but this dish definitely is not. It’s been added to my regular rotation, which isn’t something that happens very often.

Spaghetti alla Ceci
Adapted from Rachael Ray’s Spaghetti all Ceci
serves 2

1/2 pound spaghetti*
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Pino Grigio)
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped parlsey
Grated parmesan, for serving

Cook spaghetti to al dente in salted boiling water.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and onion and sauté until onions begin to soften; add crushed red pepper flakes and garlic. Place chickpeas in food processor and pulse them to a fine chop. Add chickpeas to pan and season them with thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and cook for one minute, then stir in tomatoes and adjust seasoning. Drain pasta and toss with sauce. Top with parsley and grated cheese.

*I really like spaghetti rigati for this dish. The chickpeas make the sauce thick and a bit chunky, and those ridges really help hold the extra weight.

Lasagna Sandwich

2008-03-30T14:42:00.007-04:00

In my continued pursuit to bring some excitement to grilled cheese, I have made the Lasagna Sandwich. Now, let me be clear about something right away: This doesn’t actually taste like lasagna. But it almost does, and it’s very good.

This sandwich is pretty much a grilled cheese with some Canadian bacon and a couple of sauces thrown in. I made mine with an Italian loaf and added some fresh basil, but I’ve made it before without those modifications and it was still very good.

I see where this recipe was going, but for me it mostly just suggests lasagna. You could pretty easily take the idea further, I think. Use prosciutto or thinly sliced sausage instead of Canadian bacon, or maybe even replace the sour cream with ricotta cheese.

Almost-Lasagna Sandwich
Adapted from Lasagna Sandwich
Makes 2 sandwiches

1/4 cup sour cream
1 finely chopped scallion
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup pizza sauce*
4 slices of bread
4 large fresh basil leaves
4 thin slices of Canadian bacon
2 thick slices of mozzarella, the size of your bread

Mix the first four ingredients in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide the sour cream mixture between two slices of bread. Divide the pizza sauce between the remaining two slices. For each sandwich, layer 2 basil leaves, 2 slices of Canadian bacon, and 1 slice of mozzarella between one sour-cream-coated and one pizza-sauce-coated slice of bread.

Grease a skillet with a bit of butter or some olive-oil spray, and cook sandwiches over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side, or until bread is toasty and cheese is melted.

*You can use store-bought pizza sauce or make your own by adding a small can of tomato sauce to some sautéed garlic and oregano. Or, if you have some, you could substitute marinara.

Noodle Love IV: Penne

2008-03-26T08:43:00.009-04:00

Everyone is excited about spring, and I can’t join in. Not yet. I’m not ready for spring. I still have too many winter dishes to make. You see, every time I find a recipe I want to try (which is often), I add it to the queue. With my schedule being what it is, I’m not able to do the cooking as quickly as I’m able to do the finding, and I still have a list of soups, stews, and baked pastas I’m not ready to give up on.

It’s supposed to be 65 degrees here in Maryland today. Soon it’ll reach 70—warm enough to open the windows but not to turn on the air conditioner—and I will insist on turning on the oven to make chicken and biscuits, and our small apartment will become very hot, and I will get very cranky, and I already feel bad for Adam because I see where this is going. But I must make the recipes! I can’t wait another year. And meanwhile I’m collecting spring recipes, and pretty soon I’ll have too many of those, and so the cycle will continue.

This is why I can’t get excited about spring. But the good news is that this dish, Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables, can become a spring dish.

As it is, I’d say it’s mostly suited to late fall/early winter. Turning on the oven to roast vegetables doesn’t initially scream “Spring!” to me. But I think that it can if you just play with the ingredients a bit. You could swap out the zucchini and peppers for asparagus and artichokes and use diced tomatoes instead of tomato sauce. Or even use roasted cherry tomatoes. Personally, I can’t stop wondering how this would taste with my favorite roasted vegetable of all time—Brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts and pasta sounds sort of strange, but I’ll never know for sure unless I try it. So I’m adding that to the queue, as well.

Also, I want to point out that this dish is easier than it might seem. Just cook the pasta while the vegetables are in the oven, and when they’re both done, toss them together in a big bowl (or your pasta pot) with the sauce and cheese. Bake and you’re done.

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables
Adapted from Giada’s Penne with Roasted Vegetables

1 yellow and 1 orange bell pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
5 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix
1/2 pound penne pasta
2 cups marinara sauce
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup grated fontina cheese
1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, garlic, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. When they’re done, lower oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Gently mix until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined. If your mixture seems a bit too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water until you reach the desired consistency. Remember that the pasta will continue to cook in the oven and absorb some of the sauce/liquid.

Pour the pasta into a greased baking dish. Top with extra Parmesan cheese and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 20 minutes. Top with parsley.

I’m thinking I’ll submit this to Presto Pasta Nights, which I’ve never done before but sounds fun. Who can ever have enough pasta recipes? Not me.

Urban Legend Cookies

2008-03-23T20:27:00.010-04:00

Today I made the famous Urban Legend Cookie. Have you heard of this one? If you want, you can read the details here, but basically the story behind this recipe is that a woman asked Neiman Marcus to share its cookie recipe and was told she could have it for “two fifty.” What she assumed was $2.50 turned out to be $250.00 and, to get even with Neiman Marcus for ripping her off, she spread the recipe around to everyone she knew. The recipe now circulates the Internet, serving as payback for the taken-advantage-of customer.

The story is, of course, false. This is its most recent reincarnation, but you may also have heard it told as the Mrs. Fields cookie recipe. Same tale, different name. Anyway, I don’t know where this recipe really came from, and I don’t much care. The cookies are delicious, and that’s good enough for me.

Urban Legend Cookies

2.5 cups rolled oats
1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
.5 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2.5 ounces chocolate bar, grated
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, finely grind oats. Set aside.

Cream together butter and sugars. Mix in eggs and vanilla.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder and fold into the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Stir in the oats, chocolate, and nuts. Dough will be stiff.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased or lined baking sheet. Arrange about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges begin to turn golden brown.

Chewy Oatmeal Blondies

2008-03-16T15:38:00.010-04:00

I get too many magazines. For a while, I was subscribing to Gourmet, Cook’s Illustrated, Simple and Delicious, Martha Stewart Living, and Everyday Food, not to mention a few other non-food-related ones. I couldn’t keep up with them. They would gather, in great tumbling piles, on my coffee table, until I finally had to toss some unread ones from 2006. Soon, I’ll need to toss the unread ones from 2007. I finally cut back, and, for a while, I was being very good about trashing the renewal notices that bombarded my mailbox. I let my Everyday Food subscription run out, because I can’t even keep up with the recipes I save online, let alone any additional ones, and I also let my subscription to Martha Stewart Living run out, telling myself that I wouldn’t renew it until we had a house and I could make more use of its brand of tips and advice.

Then, I didn’t realize who I was up against.

Martha Stewart is unrelenting, and she refuses to take no for an answer. She will win, period. I threw out dozens of renewal notices until, finally, after many many months of maintaining my resolve, Martha got me. When she told me that, if I only renewed my subscription to Living, I would get a year-long subscription to Everyday Food absolutely on the house, I gave up. I sent in my renewal, adding a memo on the check that this small payment was for both Living and Everyday Food. A few weeks later, I was surprised with a complementary Martha Stewart tote bag. Thanks, Martha.

I have to wonder, though, if Martha would have been so generous with her offer if she’d known that I would turn around and give away her recipes. I’m sorry, Martha, but when you come up with something as good as Chewy Oatmeal Blondies, I simply must share.

An added bonus with this recipe is that it begins with homemade baking mix, which is 3 cups spooned-and-leveled flour, 1.5 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1/2 tablespoon salt. This is great to have on hand when you feel like baking during the week. When you want to make dessert on a Wednesday night, your sifted dry ingredients are all ready to go. The April issue of Everyday Food contains four delicious recipes to use with the baking mix, including these Chewy Oatmeal Blondies.

Chewy Oatmeal Blondies
From Everyday Food

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 1/2 cups homemade baking mix
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease an 8-inch square baking pan, line with parchment paper (letting paper hang over edges on two opposite sides to form “handles”), and grease paper. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar together. Add egg and beat to combine. Slowly beat in baking mix, half a cup at a time, until just combined. Mix in 3/4 cups oats, and spead batter in prepared pan.

Sprinkle batter with remaining oats, and press gently. Bake for 30 minutes, and let cool in pan for 30 minutes more.

Using parchment paper handles, transfer blondies to a wire rack to cool completely. Using a serrated knife, cut into 9 squares.

Andouille Sausage Pizza with Onion Confit and Oven-Dried Tomatoes

2008-03-15T10:23:00.015-04:00

Yesterday was a day of firsts for me. It was the first time I made a Michael Chiarello recipe. I've always enjoyed his show, and I wish it was one of the more popular shows on FN. It seems that, with the exception of Bobby Flay, all the shows hosted by chefs are fading away, and, in turn, the more advanced recipes, at least in terms of technique, are being replaced by all things quick and simple. It's true that I'll more often make a Rachael Ray-type recipe than I will a Michael Chiarello-type recipe, but that's only because there are 2 days per week that I have hours to spend on a meal, and 5 that I don't. So while I, like most home cooks, may more often turn to a relatively simple recipe, I much more appreciate a complicated one, because it is in working through those that I find my cooking improves the most. Although I wouldn't exactly call Andouille Sausage Pizza with Onion Confit and Fontina Cheese complicated; it is, however, a bit time consuming. Most of that is down time, but you have to have a couple hours free to let things cook slowly in the oven.

The other first I experienced with this recipe was the making of a confit, which refers to a food item that has been immersed and slowly cooked in a flavoring liquid, traditionally for preservation. The confit here consisted of onions cooked in a mixture of oil, vinegar, wine, salt, and sugar. Though I've only done it once, I already feel like the making of an onion confit is a valuable method to become familiar with. The onions really absorb the flavor of whatever you cook them in, so much so that, by the end, they hardly taste like onions anymore. So if you're ever looking for a way to take a liquid and concentrate its flavor in a solid form, consider an onion confit.

Overall, this pizza was very good. I wish I had a pizza stone, so that my crust would have turned out more crispy, but that's another item on my wait-'til-we-have-a-house list. The crust was tender though (I used Emeril's recipe), and the toppings worked wonderfully together. The spicyness of the andouille and the sweetness of the confit balanced each other nicely, and the cheeses brought all the flavors together. The oven-dried tomatoes were a welcome alternative to the usual pizza sauce--they were sweet, delicious, and full of the flavors of the garlic-thyme oil in which they'd been cooked.

Andouille Pizza with Onion Confit and Oven-Dried Tomatoes
adapted from Andouille Sausage Pizza Pie, using Emeril's Basic Pizza Dough

Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 links fresh andouille
4 cloves garlic, divided
2 yellow onions, sliced
1/2 cup champagne or white wine vinegar
Pinch of sugar for confit, plus 1 teaspoon for dough
2 tablespoons white wine
2 roma tomatos
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup warm (110 degrees F) water
1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast
3 cups bleached all-purpose flour
1 oz. fontina cheese, shredded
2 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped parlsey

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

First, prepare the sausage. Remove the casings from two links of andouille, then tear the sausages into small pieces and drop into an oil-drizzled skillet over medium-high heat. Saute until cooked through. Reduce heat to medium, add two cloves of thinly sliced garlic, and cook 2 minutes more. With a slotted spoon, remove garlic and sausage from pan and set aside.

Next, prepare the onion confit. Add enough olive oil to andouille renderings to equal about 1/4 cup. Add onions, and cook for a few minutes, or until they begin to soften. Add 1/2 tablespoon salt, vinegar, pinch of sugar, and white wine. Cover skillet with a parchment-paper circle that's had a two-inch hole cut out of the center to allow steam to escape. Place skillet in the oven and allow to cook for 2 hours, or until pizza dough is ready. (You can plan to cook the vegetables for 3 hours if you have the time, but I'm impatient.)

Slice tomatoes into four slices each. Drizzle a baking pan or sheet with about 2 tablespoons olive oil, top with tomatoes, then drizzle an additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the tomatoes. Top with 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, a couple grinds of pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme. Place in oven to cook with onions (tomatoes and onions will be done at the same time).

About an hour before tomatoes and onions are finished, prepare pizza dough. In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 teaspoon of sugar, and stir to combine. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and 1 teaspoon of salt, mixing by hand until it is all incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Continue adding the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, working the dough after each addition, until all the flour is incorporated but the dough is still slightly sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky, 3 to 5 minutes.

Oil a large mixing bowl with 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Remove the dough from the bowl and briefly knead. Place on a lightly floured work surface and let rest for 10 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet (or a baker's peel, if you have one) and shape into a large round.

Remove vegetables from oven, and adjust oven temperature to 450 degrees. Scatter shaped dough with fontina, then top with onions and the tomatoes and reserved sausage, being sure to include the garlic that was cooked with both. With a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of the dough with the oil that the tomatoes cooked in, using just enough to lightly coat the outside of the dough. Finally, top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese and bake in preheated oven for about 12 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust begins to turn golden brown. Top with parsley and serve.

Chili Suizas Bake

2008-03-12T11:20:00.011-04:00

I haven’t written about a Rachael Ray recipe in a while, and I’m excited to finally be doing so now. I’ve really been impressed with some of her recipes lately. She still has some of the same problems for me that’s she’s always had (clearly, Rachael and I have drastically different definitions of what it means for a sauce to be “thick”), and I’m still not buying the whole thirty-minute thing (without a staff of people prewarming your pans and putting all your supplies in arm’s reach, thirty minutes is hard to do), but since adding less liquid is not a problem for me, and I don’t mind spending a bit longer than half an hour on dinner, I’ve really been happy with her dishes this season. I think Rachael’s are some of the most creative recipes on the Network, and I’ve frequently been surprised by some of the things she comes up with.

Take, for instance, her Chili Suizas Bake. This is a great and original idea. It’s pretty basic—chicken and poblano chili topped with tortillas and Swiss cheese (suiza means “Swiss”)—but the flavors are wonderful, and, despite the basic idea, this recipe uses some interesting techniques, such as roasting the peppers and making your own tomatillo salsa. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find tomatillos, so I used a bottled salsa verde by Goya (tomatillo-and-jalapeño-based). It was pretty spicy, I thought, so I only used half a cup, but, of course, that amount can easily be adjusted to suit individual tastes.

I did roast the poblanos though, something I’ve never done before. I was a bit afraid that it would be a pain removing the skins, but it really wasn’t hard at all. They cracked a bit during roasting, and all I had to do was look for the cracks and pull the skin away from the flesh. Actually, the original recipe doesn’t call for removing the skins, and I can’t remember whether Rachael did so on the show, but I removed mine and I think I did the right thing. I made Adam taste a strip of skin and he said it had a funny flavor. You can taste it and make your own call.

Besides using the bottled tomatillo salsa, I only made a couple of other changes. I used only one cup of chicken stock (two is definitely too much), and used sour cream instead of crème fraîche. I have nothing against crème fraîche—I just always have lots of sour cream on hand.

I served this dish with chips and avocado sour cream, which is, very simply, two avocados slightly mashed (I like mine chunky) with a juiced lime, salt and pepper, and about a quarter cup of sour cream. I made plenty of the avocado cream so that I could dollop some on top of the chili suizas. It was a fabulous, fabulous meal.

The original recipe is here, and my slightly modified version follows.

Chili Suizas Bake
Adapted from Chili Suizas Bake

3 poblano peppers
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup bottled salsa verde
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons honey
Salt and pepper
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cups lightly crushed tortilla chips
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 scallion, chopped, for garnish

Place the poblanos under a preheated broiler and char until blackened an all sides, 10 to 12 minutes, turning half-way through. Turn off broiler and set oven to 350 degrees. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to cool enough to handle.

While peppers char, heat extra-virgin olive oil in a high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and jalapeno and sauté until onions begin to soften, then add garlic and cook a minute more. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, stirring occasionally and breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Stir in salsa, then add chicken stock and honey. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer chili 10 minutes.

When poblano peppers are cool enough to handle, remove skins and seeds and chop. Stir into chili. Turn off heat and stir in lime juice. Transfer to a lightly greased casserole dish, and top with dollops of sour cream. Cover with a layer of crushed chips and top with Swiss and Monterey Jack cheeses. Cook in preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Scatter scallions over the top, if desired.

I will definitely be making this again, probably as soon as I see some tomatillos. And preferably on a Friday, served with some icy cold margaritas.

Noodle Love III: Ziti

2008-03-09T11:21:00.006-04:00

In my mind, there are only two types of prepared ziti: baked and unbaked. Baked, of course, is far superior, so I suppose I could actually say that, for me, there is baked ziti and baked ziti only. After that, it doesn’t much matter.

My all-time favorite ziti is from Sbarro. It’s baked in a tomato sauce that’s yuummied-up with ricotta and Romano cheeses, and I try to recreate it often at home. But pastas so often have red sauces that I make a conscious effort to prepare non-red-sauced pasta when possible, such as this Baked Ziti with Chicken, Veggies, and Herbs.

This pasta is packed with goodies: basil, thyme, parsley, broccoli, and artichoke hearts. It’s baked in a creamy sauce that has a touch of Parmesan cheese, and—here’s my favorite part—it’s topped with a crunchy breadcrumb crust. Behold:

I love that crust! It makes the dish for me. And you must use fresh breadcrumbs! I considered myself to have reached a new culinary plateau when I discovered the advantages of topping dishes with fresh rather than dried breadcrumbs. The taste is so much better, and you end up with a crunchy golden topping rather than, well, a layer of dried breadcrumbs. Panko might work well as a topping too, but since I always have a few slices of bread that I need to use up, I always use fresh. About three slices of white bread, crusts removed and run through the food processor, will get you what you need for this dish.

This dish makes 4-6 servings, depending on how ravenous the appetites.

Baked Ziti with Chicken, Veggies, and Herbs

Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 pound ziti
1 chicken breast, split lengthwise, or 2 breast halves
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 12-oz. package frozen broccoli, thawed
1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts in water, halved, or 1 box frozen, thawed
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook pasta until just al dente in boiling salted water, about 9 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Drizzle a thin coating of olive oil in a large pan and sauté chicken until just cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side, depending on their thickness. Remove from pan and set aside.

If needed, add extra olive oil to skillet so that you have about 3 tablespoons. Sauté onion until translucent. Add garlic and cook a minute more. Add flour and, stirring constantly, cook for one minute. Whisk in cream and stock and, over medium heat, stir frequently until sauce begins to bubble and thicken. Stir in 1/4 cup of Parmesan, thyme, basil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 a teaspoon of pepper.

Slice chicken into pieces that approximate the size of the ziti. Add to pan, along with any drippings and the broccoli and artichoke hearts. Combine, then stir in reserved ziti. Pour into a greased casserole dish.

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan, parsley, and melted butter. Scatter evenly over pasta.

Bake in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until edges are bubbling and topping is golden brown.

Chicken Noodle Soup: From Scratch and with a Twist

2008-03-04T19:46:00.008-05:00

I will no longer be held hostage by my tiny apartment kitchen.

I may not have room to store a 12-quart pot, but if I want to make chicken stock, I will make chicken stock. If I have to use a small 3-quart pot, I will use a 3-quart pot. If I have to save random bones over a period of weeks because I don't have the means to roast a couple whole chickens at a time (no room for roasting pans, either), then I will save random bones for weeks.

And that’s what I did.

The hardest part about making chicken stock (for the first time ever!) with random bones is finding a recipe to work from. I worked with Ina's recipe. Like hers, many recipes call for using several chicken carcasses at once, and there's no clear guidance on how to adapt a recipe to work with four split-breast bones and seven thigh bones, which is what I had. I got the random-bone-chicken-stock idea from Nigella's book, How To Eat. In it, she says that she saves all her leftover bones until she has enough to make a pot of stock, and she even talks about how, when she's dining with friends, she'll ask to take home their leftover unwanted chicken bones. For some reason, this inspired me. I thought, If Nigella can make stock from bones she's gathered from friends' houses, then I can make chicken stock from a few bones tossed into my meager excuse for a stock pot.

I've read that certain parts of a chicken carcass, such as the back, are great for stock. I didn’t have those parts, so I knew my raw material was lacking a bit. I didn't let that stop me. I cut Ina's recipe down to a third of the original and used that as a guide, but it as a very rough guide. I let the bones I'd frozen thaw, and then I piled them into my pot with an onion, two carrots, one celery stalk, six garlic cloves, eight sprigs of thyme, seven sprigs each of dill and parsley, half a tablespoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of peppercorns. I was able to fit about ten cups of water into the pot after that. I brought it to a boil then let it simmer away for four hours.

Ina's recipe instructs you to leave the pot uncovered, but I noticed that my liquid was rapidly being lost to the air. Since I was already making a fairly small batch of stock, I greedily determined to not lose another drop. I added about a cup of extra liquid back into the pot and clamped on the lid. This stifled the glorious homemade-stock aroma that had been wafting through my apartment, but I thought it was worth it.

When the four hours were up, it was time to strain the stock. Using a slotted spoon, I removed the bones and vegetables. Then I set a wire strainer over a large glass bowl, lined the strainer with a couple coffee filters (cheesecloth would be great, but I don't have that), and set to work. It was a slow process, as you might imagine. Per Ina's recipe, I let the stock chill in the fridge overnight so that I could skim the fat off in the morning. There wasn't much, but I was able to remove a small amount of fat the next day. When I was done, I had about 8 cups of stock. I don't know how I lost so much of my original liquid when I'd had the lid on the pot; all I know is that, in the end, I was able to fill four two-cup plastic containers. I stored them in the freezer, where'd they'd sit until I figured out how I wanted to use them.

They didn't sit long. I decided pretty much right away that I knew how they'd be used. It's already March, and we've had a couple 65-degree days here in Maryland. I can't prepare myself for Spring without first making my ultimate winter comfort food: chicken noodle soup with mashed potatoes. I'm dying to know: Has anyone else ever had this or even heard of it? Whenever I mention it to someone they look at me like I'm crazy. And Adam, who cannot eat a pea if it migrates beyond its designated place on his plate and touches his meat, refuses to try it. But he’s missing out, because it's delicious.

As the story goes, my mom used to make me chicken noodle soup with mashed potatoes when I was little, because I was very thin and didn't eat much, and this was a way she devised to sneak some potatoes into me, which I didn't used to like. I find it very difficult to imagine a time when I didn't used to like potatoes; furthermore, every time I tell this story I find myself longing for the alleged time when I didn't eat much and had problems gaining weight. But, so the story goes.

The method is, obviously, very simple: just dollop some mashed potatoes into a bowl of chicken noodle soup. You can stir the potatoes into the broth right away if you want, but I prefer to let them seep in on their own, slowly imbuing the broth with their rich potatoey goodness. To aid in this, I make the mashed potatoes a bit stiffer than I normally would, just so they don’t ooze apart the second they hit the broth. You can flavor the potatoes if you like (add a few garlic cloves to the cooking water or mash them with buttermilk), but I think it's best to just use a small amount of butter and a bit of milk or cream. You don't want any competing flavors to mask the taste of the stock you’ve made, which, by the way, will turn out delicious. There's much more nuance in the taste of homemade stock. You get hints of all the herbs and seasonings, and there's a depth and sophistication of flavor that just doesn't come in a box. It's fabulous. And, in case you're wondering, my four split-breast bones and seven thigh bones made a wonderful stock, even if it wasn't just like it would be if I'd used an entire carcass or two. The lesson I've learned here is that stock-making doesn't have to be an exact science: work with what you have, learn from what you've done, and enjoy your own homemade deliciousness.

For the soup, I used this recipe as a guide. It calls for precooked chicken, so, if you're making the stock and the soup close to the same time, it would probably work well to add a chicken breast to your pot and let it poach as your stock simmers. Then you can shred the meat and save it until you're ready to make the soup. But, just as with stock, the making of chicken noodle soup is a very forgiving process, and you can pretty much do what you like. Change the seasonings, add a bay leaf, use linguine instead of egg noodles. It all works, and it's all delicious. Just don't forget the mashed potatoes.

Mozzarella and Pesto Grilled Cheese

2008-02-27T08:37:00.010-05:00

The problem, for me, with grilled cheese is that it’s boring. Oh—that might not be fair to the grilled cheese—it might just be my own personal bias, but it’s true. When Adam and I first moved to Maryland, most of our money was spent trying to compensate for the drastic difference in living expenses between Pennsylvania and the DC area. We cut costs where we could, and the grocery list was one of the first to suffer. We targeted which meals we could have on the cheap, and grilled cheese was one of them. Along with spaghetti and hot dogs, we had grilled cheese every week. Plain. On white bread. And thus the boredom.

But it’s really not right to write off grilled cheese entirely. I mean, first of all, bread and cheese is a classic combination, and I really do love it. Plus, there are so many different ways to make grilled cheese that you can practically have a different cheese-and-bread experience every single time. Recently I’ve tried it on garlic toast, which was good, and on Dijon-coated bread with bacon, which was very good. Last night I made it Tyler-style with mozzarella cheese, pesto, and tomato.

This was the first time I made my own pesto. You know, I didn’t used to think I liked pesto very much. It was okay, but nothing to get excited about. Now I realize that I just never had good pesto. Tyler’s recipe is basic but delicious. It’s so fresh and flavorful, and I used two huge garlic cloves, which gave it a nice bit of heat.

You really don’t need a recipe for this, but it’s here if you want it. Just grab yourself some pesto or make your own, slather it on some bread (Tyler used sourdough), top with mozzarella and Roma tomatoes, and grill to perfection. I served mine with chicken noodle soup and it made a lovely rainy day meal. Plus, this sandwich really does take grilled cheese to a new level. I couldn’t exactly place my finger on it, but the taste really reminded me of another familiar dish. I think it’s vegetable pizza—mozzarella, herbs, garlic, tomatoes—those are the flavors of vegetable pizza, no? Whatever it is, it’s fantastic.

For the Love of Sierra Turkey

2008-02-20T17:27:00.009-05:00

Have you been to a Panera? Did you love it? Did you vow to go back every chance you could? No? Hmm. Then you must not have had a Sierra Turkey Sandwich, because, surely, all those who have had the Sierra Turkey Sandwich have experienced Panera Love, or at least Sierra Turkey Love.

I first discovered Panera when I was in college. I can't remember the first time I went though. My most vivid memories of it are going after I met Adam. (Adam is my fiancé, the only person I cook for, whom I've previously referred to by dumb names like Mr. Man because he didn't want me to use his real name. But I am now using his real name, so now you know it, and the next time you meet an Adam, just know that it's probably the very same one I'm referring to here, because Adam is such a rare name.) So anyway, Adam likes to assert his individuality by pretending to disdain popular businesses (you'll never get him to admit that he likes Starbucks coffee, but he does), so whenever I wanted to go to Panera, I would have to drag him. However, it only took a single visit there with me and only one bite of my sandwich before he, too, was overpowered by Sierra Turkey Love. Now whenever we go, he will refuse to order his own Sierra Turkey, but then he'll try to take half of mine. And I will oblige, because I'm that giving of a person.

You see, the Sierra Turkey is a simple yet wonderful blend of focaccia, turkey, field greens, and chipotle mayonnaise. I don't know what it is about these ingredients, but when they come together, it's delicious. There's a Panera within walking distance of where I live, but, to indulge my preferred hermit-like state, I had to learn how to make these at home. And the good news is that it's super easy, especially if you have a bread machine.

The Focaccia*
originally from Bread Machine Focaccia

1 cup lukewarm water
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus coarse salt for garnish
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus extra leaves for garnish
3 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Add water, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, garlic, 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, flour, and yeast to pan of bread machine. Select dough cycle.

When dough is finished, use floured hands to shape dough into a circle on a 12-inch pizza pan. Use your fingertips to dimple the surface of the dough. Brush with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and scatter evenly with rosemary leaves and a pinch or two of coarse salt. Cover with plastic wrap and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven. Allow to cool on wire rack before cutting and serving.

*Adam was thoughtful enough to point out that this recipe isn’t just like Panera’s, because Panera uses Asiago focaccia for the Sierra Turkey. I tried modifying this same recipe by adding a quarter cup of grated Asiago to the dough and a few extra shavings to the top. I wasn’t happy with the result though. I couldn’t really taste the Asiago, and I thought that the small amount I’d added had dried out the bread. So no Asiago focaccia this time, and I continue my search for a recipe. If you know a good one, do share!

The Chipotle Mayo
originally from Chipotle Mayonnaise

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 chipotle pepper in adobo, seeds removed and roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried crushed oregano

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl or, for a smoother result, blend in food processor.

The Sandwich

For two sandwiches, cut the focaccia in quarters and set aside two quarters for later. Cut the remaining two quarters in half through the middle so that you have four pieces, and spread the inside of each piece with a couple tablespoons of chipotle mayo. Layer the bottom pieces with greens (baby lettuces are good here, but I use arugula) and top that with about 1/4 lb. of turkey per sandwich. This part is really important, because the turkey can make or break the sandwich. Use the best, juiciest turkey you can get--I use Black Forest smoked turkey, thinly sliced. Finally, place the tops on the sandwiches, and, because this is how they do it at Panera, serve with kettle chips. I have a penchant for Grandma Utz's, just because they're the best.

Ina's Tablescape

2008-02-17T09:41:00.007-05:00

Not too long ago, I caught a re-run of Barefoot Contessa in which Ina was expounding the virtues of a simple and tasteful table setting. In this episode, Ina said—and this is a quote—“It makes me crazy when people start talking about things like tablescapes.” My first thought, of course, was whether this was a shot at Sandra Lee. Do people other than Sandra Lee talk about things like tablescapes? I suppose it’s possible. Who knows what goes on up there in the Hamptons.

Anyway, on yesterday’s episode, Ina was throwing a baby shower, and guess what she made in addition to Greek gazpacho and a roasted salmon nicoise platter? She made a tablescape! She didn’t use the word "tablescape,” but when you have a candy-filled train chugging across the same table where people are eating, you have a tablescape.

This is disturbing me a little. I mean, first, let’s talk about the meal. Spicy gazpacho soup and salmon nicoise are not traditional baby shower fare. Which is fine—I expect Ina to rise above the traditional and class things up—that’s her style. But when you pair a sophisticated meal with an unsophisticated tablescape, well, that’s when I become concerned.

I’m going to have to keep a close watch on Ina in the coming weeks. And a close watch on Sandra Lee, lest she try to one-up my girl by making a bigger, better trainscape.

Noodle Love II: Bucatini

2008-02-16T09:43:00.008-05:00

I’ve had a package of bucatini sitting in my pantry for a couple months now. I haven’t known what to do with it. Bucatini recipes aren’t exactly abundant, I’ve found. So I decided that what I needed was just a special sauce, because this is a special noodle. I bought a pound of it at an Italian specialty shop, and I think it was $13 or something crazy like that. It tasted—I don’t know—my inability with words in painfully obvious here, but I just can’t describe it except to say that it had a quality that was distinctly different from the pasta I normally buy at the grocery store. It was heartier, somehow. The noodles were sturdy yet tender. It was delicious, and, although I often feel that pasta plays second fiddle to its sauce, the bucatini was the star of the show here.

Which is not to say that the sauce wasn’t also delicious. It was, and I’ll definitely make it again. I made Emeril’s oreganata tomato sauce, which had originally been intended for rigatoni, which I’m definitely going to try in the future. It’s an incredibly simple sauce made with tomatoes, cream, and fresh basil and oregano. This was my first time working with fresh oregano, and I really like it. It has adorable fuzzy little leaves that remind me of a miniature African violet. That’s them nestled on top of the butter below—aren’t they cute?

I often serve garlic bread with pasta, but when I have a lot of fresh herbs around that are beginning to move past their prime, my favorite way to use them up is to make fresh herb butter. Don’t ever be afraid of buying a bundle of fresh herbs because you only need a couple tablespoons and you don’t know what to do with the rest. Herb butter is incredibly easy, adaptable, and delicious. I served about . . . oh . . . maybe 10 slices of Italian bread last night, and for that I used 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter and a tablespoon of olive oil. Let the butter come to room temperature, then add a small handful of whatever fresh herbs you have on hand, finely chopped. Drizzle in a bit of olive oil, add a small pinch of salt and a smaller pinch of pepper, and combine thoroughly. It’s delicious on warm bread. I used a few thyme sprigs, a couple of basil leaves, a bit of oregano, a pinch of rosemary, and some parsley. But I usually don’t have that much variety, and I’ve made it with just parsley and thyme or parsley and basil and it’s always delicious.

Below is the recipe for the pasta oreganta. This sauce would work with any noodle, I think, but it was especially great with the bucatini. Bucatini is a tad difficult to eat; it’s long, so you want to twirl it around your fork, but it plumps up a lot when it cooks and is really too round and thick to fit around the tines. In those situations you don’t want too much sauce, or it’ll splatter everywhere as you’re trying to slurp up the noodles. This recipe makes just enough sauce to put a thin, even, delicious coating on a pound of bucatini.

Bucatini Oreganata
adapted from Rigatoni Oreganata

2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound bucatini
1 small onion, diced onion
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh oregano leaves
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh basil leaves
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Set a large stockpot filled with water over high heat and bring to a boil. Season the water with the kosher salt and add the bucatini. While the pasta cooks, set a 14-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and slightly caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the oregano and basil. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste and stir well to combine. Continue to cook the sauce until it is slightly reduced, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the pan. By this time the pasta should be almost al dente. Drain the pasta and reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta and the reserved cooking water to the sauce in the pan and season with the salt and pepper. Continue to cook, tossing the pasta, until it is well coated with the sauce. Stir in the parsley and serve with Parmesan.

Breakfast Risotto

2008-02-10T12:51:00.000-05:00

A while ago, I bought Mr. Man a rice sampler from Lotus Foods. Ever since, he’s been asking me to make risotto. I was in no hurry—not usually too huge a risotto fan—but when I found this recipe on Epicurious, I had to give it a try. Risotto for breakfast—who knew?

The recipe calls for Arborio rice, but I used Carnaroli, which is a short-grain rice that is ideal for risotto. It results in a very creamy finished product, which is exactly what you want.

I should mention that this recipe uses a non-traditional method. It calls for all the liquid to be added at once instead of a little bit at a time. You could make this the traditional way if you want, but for me, I’ll take the simple way every time if it works. And this definitely works.

Here’s the modified recipe. I didn’t change it much—just used andouille instead of Italian sausage and added some fresh thyme. I will say that I’m not really sure what makes this “breakfast” risotto. A reviewer on the Epicurious website suggested that, for a more breakfasty dish, you could make this with breakfast sausage and serve it with a fried egg on top. That sounds like a good idea.

Breakfast Risotto
adapted from Breakfast Risotto

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided
3 andouille sausages, casings removed
1 small onion, chopped
2 small bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup Arborio rice or Carnaroli white rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Pino Grigio)
3 cups chicken broth
Pinch of saffron threads
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Salt and pepper

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Crumble in sausage. Add onion, thyme, and bay leaves. Sauté until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in rice. Add wine; boil until liquid evaporates, 1 minute. Add broth and saffron; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until risotto is tender, adding more broth if dry, about 18 minutes. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs; mix in 1/3 cup cheese and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Pass cheese alongside.

M&M Cookies

2008-02-09T22:18:00.000-05:00

I’m not a huge fan of Valentine’s Day. When it seems that I just can’t escape talk of love and romance, all I can think of is how obnoxious this must be to those who aren’t all coupled-and-loving-it. On the other hand, I do have a soft spot for the color pink, and I will jump at any reason to make cute cookies. So, just to be clear, this post is not in honor of Valentine’s Day. This post is in honor of cute cookies.

Just look at these:

When I saw these Valentine’s Day M&Ms, I had one thought: I have to make cookies with these.

I used the same cookie recipe that I always use. I found this recipe when I was in college, and it was the first time I ever made chocolate-chip cookies from scratch. And let me tell you something—I may not have known how to pick a man in college, but I sure knew how to pick a cookie recipe. These are awesome. Every time I make them, without fail, somebody asks what’s in them. People can sense that these are no ordinary cookie. There must be something in them, they think, that makes them taste so good. And they’re right.

My mom asked me for the recipe years ago, and I almost didn’t tell her. The recipe of course is not mine, but I was the only person I knew who could make them, and I guarded that role jealously. But, eventually, I gave my mom the recipe and revealed the secret ingredient. And now, dear reader, I’ll reveal it to you, too.

It’s a box of instant vanilla pudding mix.

This stuff makes the best cookies! These are incredibly soft, moist, cakey cookies. And now they have M&Ms. Pink M&Ms, no less.

Here’s the M&M-ified recipe, and it makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies. You can do tons with this recipe—change the flavor of the pudding, add walnuts or pecans or cashews, stir in some coconut. I’ve done it all, and it’s all been delicious.

M&M Cookies
adapted from Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 3.4-oz package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 14-oz bag M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.

Sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla until blended. In two or three batches, fold in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the M&Ms until just distributed.

Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven or until edges are golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Split Chicken Breasts

2008-02-09T16:19:00.000-05:00

Ah, chicken. The great thing about it is that it’s so adaptable. It can be cooked in a million different ways and is a great base for any spice you can think to add and any sauce you can think to simmer it in. The downside is that you sort of have to add spices or simmer it in sauce, because if you don’t, chicken all on its own can be pretty bland.

When I was younger, my mom used to make stuffed split chicken breasts. I loved them. There was something about not just having stuffing alongside chicken, but actually having the stuffing tucked under the skin and nestled next to the chicken breast. I swear it made the stuffing taste better. The chicken meat itself was a bit dull, but that was okay. I just slathered it in ketchup.

Now that I’m an adult, I realize that that was disgusting. So instead, I eat them with the salt shaker right next to me, much like I eat a hoagie with a jar of mayo next to me. But I realize that's all wrong, too.

So I had to come up with a better way. Split breasts are pretty thick, and even if you can liberally season the outer-most part of the meat, it’s back to bland once you’ve eaten past that top layer. I needed a way to penetrate the meat and jazz things up throughout the entire breast.

That’s when I remembered all the brining talk that was going on around Thanksgiving. Brine your turkey!, everyone screamed. I was intrigued, but since I wasn’t making a turkey, I didn’t pay too much attention. But now, it all seems so clear. Don’t just brine your turkey, brine your chicken! No more ketchup! No more bland bird! This could be the answer!

I consulted Alton’s book for instructions. Alton’s recipes were for larger pieces of meat, so I just looked at them to get the approximate proportions of salt to water. According to his recipe for orange brine, you should use 1/4 cup of kosher salt per 1 quart of water, or 1 tablespoon per cup. So that's what I did. And you know what? It works. I was expecting the breasts to taste salty, but they actually didn't. The meat just came out so juicy and tender and perfect that there was no need to add anything extra to it. No more ketchup, no more salt shaker. As Blanche Devereaux once said, Why paint the peacock? Or something.

All you need is two split breasts, salt, water, and a gallon-size zip-top plastic back. Wash the chicken pieces under running water and place them in the plastic bag. Add two cups of cold water and two tablespoons of kosher salt. Seal the bag and massage the bottom a bit to distribute the salt throughout the water. Then put the bag in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. I need to experiment more to find out the limits of how little and how long you can brine for, but this time I did an hour and a half and it worked out well.

When time’s up, remove the chicken from the fridge and pat it dry thoroughly with some paper towels (Alton says not to rinse off the brine). Set the chicken aside, preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and get started on the stuffing. You can use whatever stuffing you like for this. I usually just jazz up some Stove Top, which is very easy and very semihomemade. Just sauté a little bit of onion, celery, garlic, and thyme in some butter, add the stuffing mix and sauté for a minute more, then pour in just enough chicken stock to moisten the stuffing. You can toss in some fresh parsley at the end if you have it on hand.

When the stuffing’s cool enough to handle, it’s time to stuff the chicken. Gently separate the skin from the meat by running your fingers beneath it until you have a little pocket. Then work in your stuffing. Stuff the pocket full, but don’t try to pack in more than will easily fit—you don’t want to tear the skin. Once the stuffing’s in, rub some EVOO into the skin and sprinkle it with some seasonings. You can use a special blend or even just some fresh cracked pepper. If you choose to use a seasoning blend, make sure you use one that isn’t too salty.

I use a thermometer when I make these. I can’t be bothered to try to guess when my meat should come out of the oven, especially since I’m no good at it. These should cook until a thermometer reads 180. It will be, roughly, about 45 minutes. These are bone-in breasts plus stuffing, so they take a bit of time. About half-way through the cooking time, cover the chicken with a piece of aluminum foil. You want a nice dark crispy skin—not a burned one.

Since you already have the oven cranked to 425, it’s the perfect time to make my favorite side—roasted Brussels sprouts. One pound is a good amount for two sprout-loving people. You’ll need to cook them for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how crisp you like them to get around the edges. Wash the sprouts, trim the rough brown bit off the bottom, and remove any damaged leaves. Some people recommend cutting the sprouts in quarters, but I prefer halves—the more cuts you make, the more the leaves start to fall off. Pile your trimmed sprouts on a baking sheet, drizzle liberally with EVOO, and sprinkle with about a teaspoon of kosher salt and a 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Place the Brussels sprouts in the oven about 20 minutes after the chicken, and everything should be finished cooking around the same time.

It occurs to me that this post is very similar to the stuffed Cornish game hen post I did around Christmas time. The difference, though, is that stuffed chicken breast is much more practical for every day. It’s inexpensive, it’s easy, and, with a little time allotted for a salt-water bath, it’s delicious, too.

Meatball Heroes

2008-02-02T20:26:00.001-05:00

I keep trying with meatballs. I have a bit of a troubled past with them. The first time I made meatballs I used Ina’s recipe; they were fine, but, after a while, the nutmeg in them got to be a bit much. I had a bunch of the mixture left over, so I made meatball pizza. Still too much nutmeg.

Then I made Rachael’s meatball pizza. It was good, but I thought the deep-dish focaccia crust was the star of the show there. Plus, those weren’t really meatballs on top.

So now I’m at it again with Giada’s mini meatball heroes. These meatballs are about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. I wouldn’t exactly call that “mini,” but I guess it is on the smallish side. Anyway, I think this is officially my first real meatball success. These are perfectly moist without being too soft, and the flavor is just right. Mr. Man, who has claimed not to like meatball heroes, said this is the first good one he’s had. I don’t know that this recipe is radically different from most others, but there is a certain something special about it. What I liked most is the size. I have a really hard time eating a meatball sub without having a meatball shoot out the back and land on my lap, and I didn’t have that problem with these—they stayed securely snuggled in the bun. I think the cheese helped glue them in place. Definitely don’t skip the provolone and Parmesan on top, because they were the perfect complement.

This recipe makes a lot of meatballs. For two of us, I only made 12 meatballs, and I have plenty of leftover mixture stashed in the freezer. I’m already thinking about what to do with it next. Italian wedding soup could be good; so could meatball stromboli. Or maybe just good old spaghetti and meatballs. I was at Macaroni Grill not too long ago and got their mozzarella-stuffed meatballs—I might have to try making those on my own.

The recipe for Giada’s meatball heroes is here. I followed the directions for the meatballs exactly except I omitted the veal and, instead, used a pound of ground beef and 1/2 a pound of ground pork. After frying the meatballs I simmered them in about a cup of sauce, and while that was going I warmed the rolls in a 350-degree oven for 3 minutes. I then filled the rolls with sauce and meatballs, and I put a slice of provolone and a couple sprinkles of Parmesan on each one. Then I put them back in the oven for just a couple minutes to melt the cheese. I recommend putting only a small amount of sauce on the sandwiches themselves and serving the extra on the side—if you’re anything like me, a sandwich filled with red sauce is equivalent to an open invitation for a freshly splattered stain on your shirt.

Noodle Love: Rotelle

2008-01-31T20:25:00.001-05:00

I love noodles. I recently bought an unusual selection of them and have assigned myself the challenge of finding the perfect dish to best complement each noodle’s shape. The easiest one, by far, is rotelle, or “wagon wheels.” But I still have some bucatini, capricci, and spugnole waiting for me in the pantry. I’m open to suggestions.

Anyway, to me, rotelle just screams “chili mac.” So that’s what I made. I only used 1/2 a pound, so I’m looking forward to finding a way to use the second half of the box, but I doubt I’ll top chili mac. I mean, come on—what better way is there to use this noodle?

The recipe’s pretty simple. In fact, there is no recipe. I just thought about what I’d like to have and I added it to the mix. You could make this lots of different ways, but here’s what I did.

Chili Mac

1/2 lb. rotelle
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, plus extra for sprinkling on top
Sliced scallions, sour cream, and hot sauce, for serving

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water for 6 to 7 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey, onions, jalapeño, and garlic. Break up turkey with a wooden spoon and stir frequently. When turkey is cooked through, add chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir in beans, corn, and salsa. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until mixture is heated through.

Add Monterey and cheddar cheeses. Stir until melted. Add cooked pasta to turkey mixture and, very gently, stir to combine. Taste, adjust seasoning as needed, and serve with extra cheese and scallions.

Chocolate Oat Bars

2008-01-28T15:49:00.000-05:00

I haven’t yet told you how I do my grocery shopping, have I?

First, you need to know that I’m a rather hermit-like person. My preferred state of being is in my pajamas, on the couch, in my apartment. So it’s only fitting that I would have my groceries delivered to me rather than go to the store and buy them.

When I was in high school, I worked in a grocery store. We had a program called “Shop For You” that enabled customers to have an employee do their shopping for them, and all the customer would have to do is come in long enough to pay the bill and pick up their bags. All for a small fee, of course. I used to think, Why would you want someone else to do your shopping? Well, I now know why.

For me, it’s mostly about my desire to leave my apartment as infrequently as possible. But it isn’t only about that. In addition, I really don’t like my grocery store. It is always crowded, there are always long lines, the produce is always in bad shape, and they’re always out of at least one thing I need. So when one year ago Peapod sent me coupons in the mail that allowed me to get my first five deliveries free (there’s usually a $7.95 delivery fee), I had to try it out. I became hooked. I don’t think I can ever go back.

Not only do they bring your groceries right to your door, but shopping online is so easy! I can see all the weekly specials at a glance, and I adjust my shopping accordingly. Plus, they’re always sending free samples and coupons for delivery discounts. And the free samples are good ones. This week I got a free full-size box of Barilla whole grain penne, and the previous week I got a full-size box of Tazo tea. Nice.

There are, however, some drawbacks. The delivery guy is sometimes late, which means I can’t make any plans for nights when my groceries are coming. Also, when you’re doing your shopping online, you sometimes don’t know exactly what you’re going to be getting. You need to pay extra close attention to listed quantities and amounts. For instance, I recently thought I was getting a regular size container of quick-cooking oats, and mistakenly ordered the jumbo size. This container is so big that it doesn’t even fit in my cereal cabinet, and I need to sit it on the floor in my pantry.

As a result of this, I have, of course, become fixated on cooking with oatmeal. I’ve baked it and fried it, made scones with it, and today turned it into cookie bars. I could probably just let the container hang around and use it as the need arose—oats don’t go bad, do they?—but that’s not my style.

Here’s the recipe for Chocolate Oat Bars. These are quick, easy, and good for snacking. I bet you could use this basic method in lots of different ways. For instance, you could probably replace the chocolate layer with a fruity jam layer and have them turn out just as well.

Chocolate Oat Bars

1 tablespoon cold butter
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons quick-cooking oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with tin foil (for easy clean-up) and, using cold tablespoon of butter, grease bottom of foil and half-way up the sides. Reserve remaining butter (about 2 teaspoons) for later.

In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan over low heat, melt together chocolate chips and milk. Stir frequently, and remove from heat when chips have melted.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup oats, baking powder baking soda, and salt. In a medium owl, stir together egg, sugar, oil and vanilla. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

Reserve 1/3 cup dough. Spread the rest evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the chocolate layer evenly over the top.

To the remaining dough add 2 tablespoons of oats and reserved butter. Cut butter into the dough with a fork or with your fingers. Drop small bits of dough evenly over the chocolate layer.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for at leat an hour before cutting.

Sunday Breakfast

2008-01-27T14:07:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite parts of the weekend is getting to have a nice big breakfast. I don’t eat breakfast at all on weekdays, so it’s something I look forward to every Saturday and Sunday. But by “big” I don’t necessarily mean “heavy.” A big breakfast can also be light, and it can be just as satisfying as bacon and eggs.

On today’s menu:
Pussyfoot
Spiced Americano
Cinnamon-Oat Scones
Strawberries and Whipped Cream

Pussyfoot

This is Nigella’s recipe. I have no idea where the name comes from, but it is what it is. I cut the recipe in half to make enough for two people. It’s just 1.5 cups grapefruit juice, 1.5 cups orange juice, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1 tablespoon grenadine. The grenadine is what really caught my eye about this recipe. I’ve had a soft spot for it ever since I first laid lips on a Shirley Temple.

When I did my shopping for this I didn’t want to buy a carton of grapefruit juice and a carton of orange juice (crowded fridge), so I got a carton of grapefruit juice and a bag of oranges. In case you’re wondering, you’ll need about 6 oranges for 1.5 cups of juice. Also, half a lime will get you the tablespoon of juice you need. Nigella always uses “plastic lime,” as she calls it, which is just lime juice from a bottle. I find her no-fuss approach very refreshing, but I have to say that, when I have both fresh and plastic lime on hand, I’ll choose the fresh. There’s definitely a difference, and fresh is definitely better.

Spiced Americano

This recipe comes courtesy of Giada, and it’s just equal parts espresso and water sweetened with a spiced simple syrup and topped with whipped cream. The hardest part of this is making the simple syrup, which isn’t actually “hard” at all, but it’s something you may not want to bother with first thing in the morning. I suggest making it ahead, if you can, and storing it in the fridge. If you’re going to also make the strawberries and whipped cream, make some extra cream now while you’re at it.

Cinnamon-Oat Scones

This is a Betty Crocker recipe that is, of course, based on a Betty Crocker product. I love these kind of short-cut baking recipes. I love just dumping everything in the same bowl and being done with it, especially in the morning when you’re hungry and don’t want to wait forever for breakfast. One warning here: the dough is very sticky. The oats will suck up all that moisture in the oven, but working with it is messy. If you have a silpat, use it. Dump the dough onto your prepared pan and sprinkle it with some streusel mixture right away. This will keep the dough from sticking to your fingers. Shape the streuseled dough into an 8-inch circle, top with the rest of the streusel, and cut into 8 slices. I used a pizza cutter, which worked well.

These aren’t real scones, of course, but they’re good and they’re easy. You could do muffins instead if you wanted to. I served mine with butter and strawberry preserves.

Strawberries and Whipped Cream

You don’t need a recipe for this, of course, but a good tip is to serve these along with the Americano, so that you can get twice the use out of making fresh whipped cream. I served this in the mini margarita glasses I just got from Crate and Barrel. So cute!

So there you have it. A weekend breakfast that is easy and elegant. Believe me, I love pancakes and sausage and bacon as much as the next person, but sometimes it’s nice to lighten things up a bit. Especially when the hours you’ve been spending in the kitchen have begun to translate into inches around your waist.

The "It" Dish

2008-01-25T21:47:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking lately about exactly why I like to cook. I mean, a large part of it, obviously, is that I love to eat. I love food. I love making food and consuming large quantities of it. It's good stuff.

But, when I'm completely honest with myself, I realize that cooking sometimes is a chore. Baking, for instance, can take a long time. Sometimes I think that I shouldn't spend yet another Saturday afternoon in the kitchen, but something compels me to do it. It's like I have to make something. But as I'm making it, I can sometimes get cranky. I have a tiny kitchen, and when I'm standing in front of a stove and an oven that are both turned on, I get very hot. And when I have several things going at once and I suddenly can’t find the paprika in the avalanche-waiting-to-happen that is my spice shelf, I get pissy. And when, God forbid, something does not come out as I had planned, I can become a tad irate. Those who have been near me at such times can attest to this. One day, I will tell you about the time the bottom layer of my brownies adhered itself to my allegedly nonstick baking dish, or the time an oozing puddle of raw batter hid itself beneath an ostensibly finished layer of corn pudding. One day, I'll tell you how I reacted. But not just now--we don't know each other well enough yet.

But I've realized that those tantrums are key, because the explanation behind my cooking obsession lies within them. For me, cooking is all about the possibilities. It is about the great thing that could be. It is about the feeling I get when I stick a dish in the oven and imagine how it will be when I take it out. Will it be everything I hoped it would be? Will that first bite make me close my eyes and smile and think, yes, this is it? And, of course, if half my dish is either uncooked or glued to the bottom of the pan, all such possibilities are obliterated.

This also explains my rather obsessive habit of collecting recipes. A good recipe is loaded with possibilities. I collect recipes more than I actually cook. I have lists and piles of them, boxes stuffed with them, all in the hopes that one of them will be it--the one that is worth keeping, the one I'll want to make over and over again.

One of the things I enjoy most is planning my grocery shopping. I decide in advance what I'll be cooking and what recipes I'll need to shop for, and, when my list for that week is complete, I'll go back to it over and over again, staring at it, imagining myself making each thing, weighing in my mind how likely it is that each dish will be an "it" dish. And when I think I've got one, I will count down to the day that I make it, and that entire day will revolve around the making and eating of said dish, all the time hoping, hoping….

The danger with this, of course, is that only the rarest recipe stands a chance of living up to such elevated expectations.

And so I try again, continually, determinedly. It sounds a bit demented, actually. But it is what I do. And when I finally get it, and I take that first bite of a delicious something, and I am completely unable to keep the corners of my mouth from turning upward as I taste it, and I know that I'll have to keep eating this long after I'm full, because it's that good, that's when I'm rewarded for my efforts, and then--only then--am I satisfied.

And then I begin searching for the next one.

Cashew Chicken

2008-01-21T19:10:00.000-05:00

For years, I ordered nothing but cashew chicken (and won ton soup, of course) when I went to Chinese restaurants. I never ordered anything else because I loved cashew chicken so so much, and I needed to take advantage of every opportunity I had to get some. Then one day I saw RR make it and I thought, wait, why haven't I been making this at home?

Rachael's isn't exactly traditional though. It has chipotle in adobe in it, which is very spicy, and I'm a wuss. I'm nowhere near chipotle level. I'm getting better though. I remember a time when I didn't use garlic; I don't remember what sort of food I was eating then, but I know it must not have been very good. The recent adoption of andouille into my repertoire was quite a milestone for me, and lately I've been known to incorporate a jalapeño or two, although always meticulously seeded and deveined. But I'm just not on board with the chipotle in adobe yet.

I made this dish for the first time months ago. I wasn't able to find chipotle in adobe in my store, so I got some chipotle chili powder, which Rachael said could be substituted. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 tablespoons, so, knowing myself, I used only 1 scant tablespoon. I stirred some in and tasted it, and--I'll never forget this--I couldn't believe how hot it was. I kept adding more of the other ingredients, trying to save the dish, but even though I was able to decrease the heat level a bit, there is no getting rid of that chipotle flavor. It is strong, and it permeates everything it touches. And, aside from the heat, I find I'm not that crazy about the flavor of it. Although I do enjoy the chipotle mayonnaise on a Sierra Turkey Sandwich from Panera. But I think mayo could make me love anything.

Anyway, I made the dish again, this time without the chipotle. It's really very good. It's not exactly like you would get in a restaurant, but it's close. It has its own unique flavor that I appreciate. I never would have believed that a sauce made from honey, maple syrup, and cumin would give me what I was after, but it works.

Now when I make it, I leave mine spice-free and stir in some chipotle powder at the end or sprinkle some on top for my fiancé, who likes it spicy. And when I go to Chinese restaurants, I find that I no longer have a problem giving other dishes a try. I've discovered that sesame chicken is quite tasty.

Deep-Dish Meatball Pizza

2008-01-19T20:54:00.002-05:00

Today I took a 30-minute meal and turned it into a 2-hour meal. Sounds crazy, but I had good reason. Rachael’s Mega Meatball Pizza calls for already-made pizza dough. You can buy it, she says, or get it from your favorite pizza shop. Has anyone ever actually walked into a pizza shop and asked for some dough? Did they give it to you? I just don’t see it happening at the pizzeria across the street from me. As for store-bought dough, well, that’s just not an option. My store only carries refrigerated dough, not frozen, and you know what I’m talking about here—the stuff in a can that tastes like a poorly adapted biscuit. The last time I struggled with that stuff, cursing as it tore during my futile attempts to shape it into some semblance of a pizza, I swore I’d never use it again. And I haven’t.

So to make Rachael’s pizza, I made my own dough. I wanted something that would be no hassle whatsoever, and so I looked for one I could make in my bread machine. I used this one from recipezaar.com, and it worked really well. I flavored mine with (dried) rosemary, just like in Rachael’s recipe, and I got a perfect dough ball.

Because the toppings are a bit heavy in this recipe, I thought it would work well as a deep-dish pizza. I decided my 9x13-inch baking dish was my best bet for this, but I wasn’t sure how it would affect baking. I wanted to bake the crust a bit before adding the toppings, just to keep it from getting soggy, but I was afraid the center of the crust would puff up on me. I mentally scanned my pantry, thinking I could hold it down with some dried beans, the way you would a pie crust, but I knew I didn’t have any beans. Finally, I decided to just try it and see what happened. I greased my pan and then sprinkled it with cornmeal—the latter helped “grab” the dough as I tried to spread it into the corners of the pan. After working at it a while, I got the dough up the sides of the pan about half-way, then stuck it in a 375-degree oven for 11 minutes. Meanwhile, I made the filling for the pizza. I followed Rachael’s recipe exactly except I used 1 pound of ground beef and 1/2 pound of ground pork (instead of 1 1/2 pounds sirloin). This just felt more “meatball-like” to me.

After 11 minutes, I took the crust out of the oven. It puffed up even more that I had feared it would. I wish I’d taken a picture just so you could see how big it was, but at the time I was sure it was a disaster, and I’m not one to document my disasters. I added this to my ever-growing list of next-time-I’ll-know-better moments, and went ahead and piled the filling and cheese into the center. I put it back in the oven.

Eleven minutes later, it was done. I was terrified to cut into it. I pictured a chunk of bread with some meat sitting on top. But, bravely, I picked up my knife and forged ahead. I was completely surprised to see that the center had sunk back down during the second baking, and I ended up with a respectable deep-dish pizza, after all. A tasty one, too. The crust did taste more like bread than crust usually does, but that’s actually how this recipe is supposed to turn out. Rachael says she likes her pizza crusts to taste like focaccia, and this one definitely does.

This is very filling, and between two of us here, both with large appetites, we were only able to finish half the pizza. So feed a group or prepare for leftovers. Pair it with a coffee (or chocolate) float, and you’ve got a 2-hour 30-minute meal. Enjoy!

Chili Tamale Pie

2008-01-15T17:35:00.000-05:00

Yet another thing I love about chili is the possibilities for the leftovers. I usually keep it pretty simple--chili burgers, chili pot-pie, chili taco salad--but whatever it is, it's always delicious. What is it about chili that makes it taste even better a couple days later? Anyway, as much as I love my old standbys, it's always nice to try something different. So with my leftover Turkey and White Bean Chili I made Emeril's Chili Tamale Pie.

I often make something similar to this--chili casserole with cornbread topping--but the tamale topping is much softer and doesn't come together the way a bread does. It has a thick, creamy texture that doesn't really firm up unless you allow it to cool, and even then it's only slightly. The topping alone is a bit bland--I'll add extra salt and pepper next time--but, eaten together with the chili, it's very good.

I served this with a simple salad tossed in Tyler's vinaigrette (also very good, if you like your dressings a bit sweet) and lots of sour cream. There are certain things that I believe were not intended to be eaten without sour cream, and anything chili-related is one of them.

Turkey and White Bean Chili

2008-01-13T11:57:00.000-05:00

I love chili. I love anything that comes together slowly in a big pot and that you can taste as you go, adding things, adjusting the flavor, mixing it up as you wish. Plus, you can do so much with the toppings. Sometimes I serve it with tortilla chips for scooping, sometimes over rice, sometimes with the works. This weekend I made Turkey and White Bean Chili from Epicurious, but I ended up changing it quite a bit. The recipe itself is fantastic, but, as in most things, I am particular about my chili. It can’t have big chunks of tomatoes, and it has to be thick, not soupy. Plus, I’m still on my andouille kick.

The original recipe is here, and my modified version follows.

Turkey and White Bean Chili
adapted from recipe at Epicurious

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 medium onions, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, minced
3 cloves garlic
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 pound andouille sausage, casings removed
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 beef bouillon cube
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
2 19-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
2 tablespoons parsley

Shredded cheddar, sour cream, and cornbread, for serving

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat and sauté onions until translucent, then add jalapeno and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Tear sausage into bite-size pieces and add to pan; add turkey and stir. When browned, drain off grease. Season mixture with chili powder, oregano, cumin, bay leaves, coco powder, salt, pepper, and cinnamon stick. Add tomato sauce, beef broth, and bouillon cube. Bring mixture to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.

As mixture cooks, taste for seasoning. When cinnamon has reached the desired intensity, remove stick (I left mine in for about half an hour). At the end of cooking time, adjust other seasonings if needed and stir in beans and parsley. Remove bay leaves and serve with the works.

Chicken and Dumplings

2008-01-03T21:07:00.000-05:00

Tonight we had Rachael Ray’s Chicken and Dumplings. This recipe may not contain “authentic” dumplings, but it’s pretty darn good nonetheless. Plus, it’s so easy, and on a weeknight, I really need easy. I’ll be making these again. Here’s the recipe adjusted to thicken the sauce a bit and yield two big, delicious servings. Enjoy!

Chicken and Dumplings
adapted from Rachael Ray’s Chicken and Dumplings

3 chicken breast halves
salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 russet potato, peeled and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 dried bay leaf
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup and 2 tablespoons biscuit mix (I used Bisquick)
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 cup frozen green peas

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning, a thin layer of each. Set aside.

Heat oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a 5-quart pan over medium-high heat. Add potato, onions, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and garlic, and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in remaining tablespoon of butter, and when it melts add flour to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat veggies evenly and ensure that flour doesn’t burn. Slowly stir in broth, add chicken, and bring to a boil.

Place biscuit mix in a bowl. Combine with milk, parsley, and thyme. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of prepared mix into the pan, spacing dumplings evenly. You should get about 10 dumplings. Cover pan tightly and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook dumplings for 5 minutes, remove lid and gently flip each one, then replace lid and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove lid and add peas; stir to distribute evenly. Taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper as desired. To serve, ladle chicken mixture into bowls, top with dumplings, and sprinkle with parsley.

Fried Ravioli

2008-01-01T19:28:00.000-05:00

Pasta is one of the easiest and cheapest things to make. On the other hand, if you’re not careful, it can get boring. When I was growing up, my mom made spaghetti with plain marinara about once per week, and, after so many years of this, I groaned (silently) every time we had it. Now, I can no longer eat spaghetti with plain red sauce. I have to do something to it. I’ve added sausage, chick peas, cream cheese—anything that’ll mix it up a bit.

Ravioli carries similar challenges. I’ve experimented with sauces, made casseroles out of it, but I’m still always looking for something new. Recently I saw Giada make fried ravioli, and I thought, Why didn’t I think of this before? I’ve seen fried ravioli on restaurant menus as an appetizer, but there’s no reason not to make a meal of it. Some fried ravioli, marinara for dipping, a big salad, and you’re good to go.

The full recipe is here, but this is so easy that you don’t really need it. Just get a package of fresh ravioli, some buttermilk, and some Italian breadcrumbs. Begin heating up some oil in a skillet (I used vegetable oil in cast iron). One at a time, dip ravioli in buttermilk, then dredge in breadcrumbs. When you’ve dipped and dredged your way through the ravioli, fry them in batches, 3-4 minutes per batch, tuning half-way through. Let drain on paper towels, grate some parmesan over them while they’re warm, and that’s it. Add a salad, and a not-so-boring dinner is served.

Cinnamon-Sugar Pecans

2008-01-01T12:57:00.000-05:00

Like cinnamon and sugar? Like pecans? Try cinnamon-sugar pecans.

It’s really easy. Get 2 large zip-top bags. Fill one with 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk briefly. Fill the other with 1 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Add a pinch of salt. Combine thoroughly.

Add a pound of pecans to the bag with the egg mixture and shake to coat. Transfer pecans to the cinnamon-sugar bag, and shake to coat again.

Pour pecans out onto a baking sheet. If you have a silicone baking mat, this is a great time to use it. If you don’t, grease your pan well and stir pecans a few times during baking to make sure they don’t stick. Bake in a preheated 250-degree oven for 1 hour. Allow to cool completely, about an hour, on a wire rack before serving. Resist the urge to eat them as soon as they come out of the oven—they get better as they cool.

These are delicious, and the idea is a simple one that can be used in a hundred different ways. For instance, Barefoot Contessa recently made rosemary roasted cashews. I think I’ll try those next.

Loaded Sugar Cookie Bars

2007-12-30T19:37:00.001-05:00

I adore desserts that begin with packaged cake mix or cookie dough. I love baked goods, but am not always thrilled about what it takes to produce them from scratch. It’s just all too involved. The separate mixing of the wet and dry ingredients, the adding of the eggs one at a time and the addition of the flour in batches, the gentle and time-consuming folding . . . it’s such a bother. I love a good short-cut dessert, and fortunately so does Rachael Ray.

Today I made her Macadamia Coconut Cookie Bars, but I used cashews instead and semisweet chocolate chips in place of the suggested white chocolate chips. I’m sure Rachael’s version would be delicious, but I was using up what I had on hand.

Sugar Cookie Bars with Coconut, Cashews, and Chocolate Chips
adapted from Rachael Ray’s Macadamia Coconut Cookie Bars

1 package sugar cookie mix (I used Betty Crocker)
1 egg, room temperature
1 stick of butter, room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon (butter should be very soft but not melted)
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup roughly chopped cashews
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. With 1 tablespoon butter, grease 9x13 inch baking dish.

Toast cashews in a pan over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Add egg and butter to sugar cookie mix and combine. The best way to do this is with your hands—the heat from them will help blend the butter into the dry mix. Add coconut, chocolate chips, and cashews.*

Again with your hands, transfer dough to prepared baking dish and gently pat down into an even layer. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Bars will still be gooey in the center when removed from the oven, but they will set up as they cool.

Cool for 1 hour in the pan on a wire rack before cutting and serving.

*I added the cashews to the dough while they were still somewhat warm, and this caused the chocolate chips to begin to melt which, in turn, caused the dough to take on a slightly darker color. If you don’t want your chips to melt this soon, let cashews cool completely before adding them.

Chicken Tetrazzini

2007-12-29T21:40:00.000-05:00

Recently I caught an episode of Everyday Italian in which Giada was cooking a meal to serve to her husband and his friends. They were out biking, and “the boys,” as she kept calling them, would be hungry upon their return. So Giada spent the day in the kitchen, standing over the stove, cooking for the boys, and when they arrived she emerged fresh, her hair recently taken down and arranged just so, food in her arms and a very large smile on her face. She laughed when they spoke and applauded as they ate. She was so enthused, so sickeningly sweet, that I almost—almost—lost my appetite. But truth be told, as annoying as I may sometimes find Giada herself, that day I found her chicken tetrazzini irresistible. And so I made it.

This is the type of food I love to eat. Casseroles, one-pot dishes, anything like that. There’s something I love about having a bunch of yummy ingredients combined in one dish. It’s just comforting. As I type this I imagine the future time when my fiancé, who insists that there is no such thing as “comfort food,” will read this post and make a face, but there is such a thing as comfort food, and this is it.

I adjusted the recipe just a bit. This makes a ton of food, so I reduced the recipe somewhat. Plus we don’t like mushrooms, so I left those out. The original recipe is here, and my modified version follows.

Chicken Tetrazzini
adapted from Giada’s Chicken Tetrazzini

8 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 large onions, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk, room temperature
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 pound linguine
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
kosher salt, black pepper, and poultry seasoning

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread 1 tablespoon of butter over a 3-quart baking dish. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning—a thin dusting of each on both sides of each breast. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes per side. Allow chicken to cool, and then shred or chop into bite-size pieces. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Add 3 tablespoons of butter to the same pan. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion mixture to the bowl with the chicken.

Melt 2 more tablespoons of butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, cream, broth, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Drain. Add the linguine, sauce, peas, and parsley to the chicken mixture. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended.

Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a bowl, and to the bowl add the cheese and breadcrumbs. Combine thoroughly and sprinkle the cheese mixture over the pasta. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.