Monthly Archives: September 2010

Off the Shelf: Nigel Slater Appetite

Posted by Heather in Off the Shelf and tagged with , , , ,

Appetite by Nigel Slater is one of my favorite inspirational cookbooks. I love reading cookbooks by people who are not only passionate about cooking but also eating. And, another thing I like about Nigel is his flexibility. Many of his recipes give guidelines, not precise ingredients, and he also adds lots of suggestions on ways to tweek the recipe he gives.

The first fourth of this book contains all kinds of helpful information such as: the new cook’s survival guide, learning to trust your own taste, how to make something taste better, measurements and why you don’t always need them, kitchen kit, basic kitchen skills, ingredients — how to buy, store, and use them, herbs, vegetables and fruit, fish, meat, and dairy, as well as seasonal cooking.

Nigel then launches into the recipes which include all kinds of things: a simple loaf of bread, a great tomato sauce, variations of soup, easy pasta dinners, different ways with rice, thirty-minute fish supper, classic roast chicken, a thin, crisp, fruit tart, a warm and crumbly fruit tart, and a rib-sticking pudding for a cold day.

We have used Nigel’s Creamy, Unctuous Potato Dish over and over at family dinners and holidays. Yes, it is rich, but it pairs so nicely with holiday meats, and it is so easy to prepare, that it is fine with me to enjoy this treat once or twice a year.  (Note potatoes to the top left in picture below.)

A CREAMY, UNCTUOUS POTATO DISH
(Appetite, by Nigel Slater)

potatoes — waxy-fleshed if possible, about 2 pounds
garlic — 2 large, juicy cloves
butter — just enough to butter the baking dish thickly
heavy cream — enough to cover the potatoes (about 2 1/2 cups)

You will need a moderate to low oven, so set the heat at 325F. Peel the potatoes and slice them thinly. This, by the way, is one of those dishes where you really must peel: strings of brown, “healthy” skin are totally at odds with the gratin’s hedonistic overtones. The slices should be no thicker than 1/8 inch. If the garlic is really juicy, cut the cloves in half and rub them around an earthenware or enameled cast-iron dish, pressing down hard to release the juices. Otherwise it might be better to slice it thinly and tuck the slices between the potatoes.

Smear the dish generously with butter. Please don’t be stingy — you are only cheating yourself. Lay the potato slices in the dish, orderly or positively hugger-mugger, it matters not, seasoning with salt and black pepper as you go along. Pour the cream over the potatoes — it should just come to the top of the slices. Bake for an hour to an hour and a half, until the potatoes are virtually melting into the cream.

Enough for 6 as a side dish.

I recently made Nigel’s custard recipe and then threw it into our ice-cream maker to create this incredible frozen custard. Topped with raspberry coulis, it was a delicious, well-rounded dessert.

Counter Culture

Posted by Heather in Counter Culture and tagged with

Have you ever eaten a paw-paw? I’ve heard of them in historical books but had never seen or tasted one until I saw these interesting fruits (technically berries) in our local farmer’s market. Of course I had to try them!

Paw-paws, also known as “Hoosier Bananas” are native to North America, and easy to grow organically because they have few pests. They are not widely cultivated because when the fruit is ripe it has to be eaten right away and can’t handle travel.

The texture of the flesh resembles an avocado, the color — banana, and the taste, well, something of a mix between the two with some floral notes thrown in. I would eat them again!

My kids have noted that we’ve been eating a lot of soup around here. We enjoyed this amazing corn chowder on our night to eat food from New Hampshire. To accompany it, we made a salad with apples and cranberries (also popular foods from NH), and ate pumpkin pie for dessert.

I finally purchased an immersion blender last week as I didn’t want to go through another soup season without one. We tried Roasted Butternut Squash Soup and the blender worked great. Turkey soup hit the table after roasting a turkey from the freezer and then later in the week we had chicken noodle soup.

It’s also apple pie season and this was one of the last things I made for our gluten-free diet (which is now over!!). Gluten-free pie crust filled with apples and then topped with a pecan/butter/rice flour topping. Very delicious!

We had a birthday around here this week and angel food cake was the requested cake. Some frozen strawberries and a pile of whipped cream made a nice accompaniment.

I’m gearing up to start making my own baby food. Peas, sweet potatoes, and carrots are on the menu. I steam a large batch, puree and then freeze them in ice-cube trays for easy thawing.

I hope you all are enjoying these first cool days of fall!

Weekend Fare & Foodie Fridays

Posted by Alaina in Foodie Friday, Weekend Fare and tagged with , , , , , ,

We enjoyed a yummy Asian Noodle Dish this week! I adapted it from a recipe I found and it was kind of lo-mein style dish. Everyone liked it – I would have added a few more chili flakes but kept it mild for the kids. This is super easy and very quick to prepare! It’s also a very flexible recipe, you could substitute whatever type of meat and vegetables you prefer.

ASIAN NOODLES
Print This Recipe

8 ounces of dried Asian noodles
1 bunch broccoli
1/2-3/4 c. sliced carrots
5 green onions, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried ginger or 2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
juice of 1/2 lemon
pinch of chili flakes (more if you like it spicy)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the noodles according to the directions on their package.  Drain and keep warm until ready to toss into stir-fry mix.

Wash and chop vegetables (leave broccoli in small-medium florets and peel and cut stem) and cut chicken into chunks.

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and chicken.  Stir-fry it for a few minutes until golden, then move the chicken onto a plate.

Put the garlic, ginger, and vegetables EXCEPT green onions, in the frying pan with a little more oil.  Stir-fry them for 5-6 minutes, turning them all the time.  Add the chicken, green onions, and drained noodles.  Mix everything together.

Blend the soy sauce and lemon juice together, then pour over chow mein mixture.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for 2 more minutes to heat through. Enjoy!  

__________________________________________________

FOODIE FRIDAYS!

Welcome to another edition of Foodier Fridays! There is so much we can learn and share from one another! We hope you will find this feature encouraging and inspiring.

Here are just a few guidelines for participating in Foodie Fridays:
1) Leave a link to your post with Mr. Linky (you can also click on Mr. Linky to check out who has linked up!).
2) Your entry can include a recipe, a kitchen success, an ingredient, a tradition, a book/magazine/restaurant review, a favorite (or not) tool or gadget, food photos, recipe website, a food memory, a cooking or eating experience or anything food related.
3) Please link back here in your participating post.

Hope you have fun, meet new people, learn a few things, feel encouraged, and find inspiration as you cook, bake, and entertain!

Foodie Fridays

Posted by The Cooks Next Door in Uncategorized

Hey everyone! Just a reminder that we will have Foodie Fridays tomorrow. We would love to have people join in – we are going to give it a try for a couple more weeks!

If you do not have a blog but would like to participate, I think you could write a facebook note and make it visible to everyone instead of “just friends.” You could also leave a comment on the Foodie Fridays post.

Remember that it can be anything food or eating related – it does not have to be a recipe!

Off The Shelf: Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food

Posted by Heather in Off the Shelf

Comfort Food by Rick Rodgers (commissioned by Williams-Sonoma) is a large book full of delicious photos of all the food you want to eat when you are in need of relaxation or respite.

Thumbing through you will come across recipes such as: Blueberry Pancakes, Cinnamon Buns, French Onion Soup, Chicken and Dumplings, Reuben Sandwiches, Shepherd’s Pie, Meat Loaf and Gravy, Texas Beef Chili, Real Sloppy Joes, Roast Lemon Chicken, Buttermilk Biscuits, Creamy Coleslaw, Maple Baked Beans, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Peach Cobbler, Apple Pie, and Strawberry Shortcake.

I tried the Spaghetti and Meatballs. They came out great, and I liked the blending of the two meats. However, I felt that, true their nature, Williams-Sonoma had to add in a few extra steps that just didn’t seem that necessary for the home cook (such as soaking the breadcrumbs in milk and then straining them rather than just adding a small amount of milk). However, the book does have quite a number of really appealing recipes and perhaps not all of them would be as involved.

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS
(Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food)
Print this recipe

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs (can use gluten-free breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
1   1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1   1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 pound ground beef round
1/2 pound EACH ground pork and veal (I just used 1 pound ground pork)

6 cups Marinara Sauce (see below)
1 pound Spaghetti
freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. In a small frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool to lukewarm.

Meanwhile, place the bread crumbs in a small bowl. Add the milk and let stand for 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a sieve and drain, pressing hard on the bread to extract the excess milk. Add the soaked breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, salt, oregano, and pepper to the onion mixture and mix well. Add the ground meats and mix with your hands just until combined. Do not overmix, or the meatballs will be dense.

Using wet hands, shape the mixture into 18 meatballs, and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the tops are browned, about 20 minutes, then turn and bake until cooked through, 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven.

In a large saucepan, bring the marinara sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Add the meatballs. Discard any fat on the baking sheet, add 1/2 cup boiling water to the baking sheet, and use a wooden spatula to scrape up any browned bits. Pour into the marinara sauce and stir. Simmer until the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and stir occasionally until the water returns to a boil. Cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander. Return the pasta to the pot. Add about half of the sauce to the pasta, without  the meatballs, and toss to combine. Divide the pasta among individual pasta bowls, and top each serving with more sauce and an equal number of the meatballs. Serve hot, with Parmesan.

Serves 6.

MARINARA SAUCE
(Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food)
Print this recipe

2 can (28 ounces each) plum tomatoes with puree,
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup hearty red wine
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Pour the tomatoes and their puree into a large bowl. Using your hands, crush the tomatoes between your fingers. (Don’t squeeze too hard or you’ll be squirted with tomato juice.)

In a large, nonreactive saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the crushed tomatoes and their puree, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, and adding water if the sauce thickens too quickly, until the sauce has thickened, about 1 1/2 hours. During the last 15 minutes of the simmering, stir in the basil.

Discard the bay leaf. Use the sauce at once, or let cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Makes about 6 cups.

My Kitchen View

Posted by Alaina in Kitchen View

I don’t feel like my kitchen has been very inspired of late. Oh well, I suppose it’s a season of life. Making fall recipes is high on my priority list but will have to wait until next week. Anyway, here’s a sweet treat I created a couple of weeks ago - Caramel Apple Sundaes. We loved these! It was vanilla ice cream, sauteed apples (with a little butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar), homemade warm caramel sauce, homemade crumble (oats, pecans, cinnamon, butter, brown sugar), and fresh whipped cream. Not particularly healthy and definitely a treat but delicious nontheless.

And that will have to do for today. :)

Market Fresh: Mushrooms

Posted by Heather in Market Fresh and tagged with , ,

Mushrooms are a wonderful seasonal addition to your fall table. Some of you may be lucky enough to find mushrooms such as these (below) at your local farmer’s market. The rest of us must choose from the selection at the grocery store.

Wherever you find your mushrooms, here is an amazing side dish that I recommend you try. We all loved it so much that the ingredients to make it are in my fridge again. You can make the sauce a day ahead of time and refrigerate it so all you have to do is cook the beans and mushrooms.

GREEN BEANS AND MUSHROOMS WITH TANGY SOY DRESSING
(greatly adapted from www.bbcgoodfood.com)
Print this recipe

1 pound green beans, trimmed
8 oz small white mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp. chopped chives (optional–I didn’t feel they were a necessary component)
5 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. grated fresh root ginger (essential)
1 Tbsp. honey
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

butter for sauteeing mushrooms

Melt two tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Saute the mushrooms (leaving plenty of room between them) in several batches until they are nicely cooked (about 5 minutes). Add more butter as necessary.

Cook the beans in boiling water for 5-7 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain.

Put the remaining ingredients in a jar and shake well. Mix the beans and mushrooms, pour over the sauce.

Serves 6.

For more mushroom ideas, check out these recipes:

Supreme Pizza Pasta Salad

Orzo with Mushroom, Snow Peas, and Pine Nuts

Savory Mushroom Meatloaf

Mushroom Soup

Spinach Mushroom Bacon Swiss Casserole

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Frittata

Baked Garlic Butter Mushrooms

Weekend Fare & Foodie Fridays

Posted by Alaina in Weekend Fare and tagged with , ,

It’s that time of week again! What are you planning for this weekend? I’d like to make soup, homemade bread, and an apple pie. Maybe some of that will happen but I will also be taking boys to their soccer game, finalizing details for the charity walk, and planning the menu, & school plan for next week. I think I’ll do the latter two over a cup of coffee or a pumpkin spice latte. Mmm…fall.

I think I’ve mentioned before my love of brunch. It’s the perfect weekend meal, in my opinion. Anyway, here’s a delicious coffee cake recipe that I made recently for a family gathering. It turned out beautifully and while I think I would have baked it just a couple of minutes less, we enjoyed anyway! The recipe is from one of my favorite celebrity chefs…Ina Garten. Most all of her recipes that I have made had been delicious!

SOUR CREAM COFFE CAKE (Ina Garten)
Print This Recipe

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the streusel:

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional

For the glaze:

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons real maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired.

Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake, streusel side up, onto a serving plate. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary, to make the glaze runny. Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon.

_________________________________________

FOODIE FRIDAYS!

Welcome to another edition of Foodier Fridays! There is so much we can learn and share from one another! We hope you will find this feature encouraging and inspiring.

Here are just a few guidelines for participating in Foodie Fridays:
1) Leave a link to your post with Mr. Linky (you can also click on Mr. Linky to check out who has linked up!).
2) Your entry can include a recipe, a kitchen success, an ingredient, a tradition, a book/magazine/restaurant review, a favorite (or not) tool or gadget, food photos, recipe website, a food memory, a cooking or eating experience or anything food related.
3) Please link back here in your participating post.

Hope you have fun, meet new people, learn a few things, feel encouraged, and find inspiration as you cook, bake, and entertain!

International Cuisine: Sabse Borani

Posted by Alaina in International Cuisine and tagged with , , , ,

I know, I know,  I said it would be market fresh but a girl can change her mind, right? My boys and I made this yummy dish last week during our study of Afghanistan. I found the recipe online and we all loved it! I served it on naan and as much as I would love to impress you and say that I made the wonderful onion naan, it would be a lie….it was a mix. There, I admitted it. :) It worked out great and since my kiddos were helping, it made the process more age appropriate for them. Perhaps the making of naan from scratch will occur one of these days. In the mean time, this was easy and fabulous.


Sabse Borani
Print This Recipe

4 cups fresh spinach leaves, chopped
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup lightly drained plain yogurt (drain about 1 hr – easiest method is to place the yogurt in a coffee filter and let stand)

Place damp spinach in a skillet and cook until wilted (can cover). Drain and squeeze to remove excess water. Heat oil in a large skillet, sauté onion at low heat until golden, add garlic and sauté briefly, then add spinach, and cook for a minute or two more. Let cool. In a bowl, smooth yogurt and add spinach mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Delicious! We love it on the naan - kind of  like a pizza!

Off The Shelf: New Flavors For Vegetables

Posted by Heather in Off the Shelf and tagged with , , ,

New Flavors for Vegetables put out by Williams-Sonoma is a beautiful book filled with fresh, seasonal ideas for vegetables. Arranged by season, you will find inspiration for even the commonest vegetable. Admittedly, some of the recipes may seem a bit too gourmet for regular cooking, but not all are complicated. Have a look at some of the recipe titles:

SPRING: snow pea and radish salad, sautéed english peas with garlic and sesame, steamed new potatoes with chive oil, quick two-pea saute with basil and pecorino, roasted asparagus with fried eggs and parmesan.

SUMMER: green beans with creamy tarragon dipping sauce, spicy okra stew, sautéed yellow pear tomatoes with arugula pesto and feta, spicy cucumber salad with roasted peanuts, marinated summer vegetables grilled on rosemary skewers, creamed corn with chipotle chiles.

FALL: stir-fried broccoli with cashews and dark soy sauce, roasted beets with orange and herbed goat cheese, roasted acorn squash with chipotle and cilantro, caramelized cauliflower with honey and smoked paprika, glazed carrots with coriander, roasted root vegetables with indian curry and cilantro.

WINTER: spicy roasted potatoes with cool yogurt dipping sauce, gingered winter squash with pear puree, braised mustard greens with pancetta and lemon, braised winter vegetables with coconut and red curry, individual swiss chard gratins.

We tried the Sautéed Baby Spinach with Lemon Zest and Cream. This was beyond my expectations. It was so good. I’ve never had such mild, sweet (as in naturally sweet), delicious creamed spinach before. I would love to make this again. (Yes, I know fresh spinach is not cheap. Save this recipe for when you find some on sale.)

SAUTEED BABY SPINACH WITH LEMON ZEST AND CREAM
(New Flavors for Vegetables)

1 cup heavy cream
1 lemon
2 pounds baby spinach
1 tsp. sugar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pour the cream into a saucepan. Using a vegetable peeler, peel 2 stripes of lemon zest, each 2 inches long from the lemon. Set the lemon aside. Add the zest strips to the cream and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook the cream, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 8 minutes; watch that the cream does not boil too vigorously. Remove the zest strips and discard.

Remove any tought stems from the spinach leaves and rinse them well in a colander. heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the spinach, with the rinsing water still clinging to the leaves. Sprinkle with the sugar and toss well. Cover the pan and cook the spinach for 3 minutes. Uncover and toss the leaves well. Continue to cook, uncovered, until the spinach is wilted and tender, 1-2 minutes.

Place the spinach in a colander and, using a wooden spoon, press on it firmly to remove all the excess liquid. Chop the drained spinach coarsely and add it to the pan with the reduced cream. Finely grate the remaining lemon zest and add to the spinach (reserve the fruit for another use). Season the spinach with a pinch of salt and about 1/2 tsp. pepper and stir well to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until just heated through, 2-3 minutes.

Transfer the spinach to a warmed serving bowl and serve right away.

Serves 4.