Mehan's Kitchen

Swiss Chard Pizza

2012-02-02T09:03:00.009-05:00

I can't believe it took having a baby for me to finally make pizza dough from scratch. Pre-baby I would hit up so many different grocery stores for ingredients - Trader Joe's for this, Whole foods for that, Harris Teeter for this, Korean or Indian store for that. I got in the habit of always grabbing pizza dough from Trader Joe's, which was perfect for my spinach calzones. Now, I have to plan ahead and tend to make one big trip a week to Whole Foods alone when my mom comes over to babysit. Even with planning ahead things get tweaked and I often end up with something extra I don't have a dish planned for, like an extra bundle of swiss chard. Soups seem like a popular dish for swiss chard but I didn't have any stock, and for some reason pizza just sounded so darn good. But alas, no store bought pizza dough in the fridge so I just made some, which was embarrassingly easy. I followed Jamie Oliver's recipe, halved. I'd say it's an easy recipe, but I'm pretty sure all pizza dough recipes are easy. After rolling out the dough I spread a layer of pesto, then sauteed swiss chard, and then goat cheese with a sprinkling of mozzarella. I previously only made homemade pesto in the summer but I've actually been making it every week throughout the winter as well. I think I've mentioned this before, but pesto is an essential condiment in our house - we put it on sandwiches, burgers, in pastas and sauces, egg dishes, anything and everything. I've included a simple recipe for basil pesto below. This pizza completely hit the spot and I hope to make it often.

Pizza Dough (Rolls out to a large sheet pan, serves 4)

3 1/2 c all purpose flour

2 t salt

1 packet active dry yeast

1 1/2 t sugar

2 T olive oil

1 1/4 c warm water

Combine water with yeast, sugar and olive oil and let sit for several minutes. In a large bowl with flour and salt make a well in the center and pour in water mixture. With a fork, mix until it comes together and then knead with your hands until a ball of dough is formed. Remove dough and wash and dry bowl, and then coat with olive oil, place dough back into bowl, cover with damp towel and place in oven. Let rise for about an hour or until doubled. Remove bowl from oven and punch dough in center, then knead it. Use immediately or wrap with plastic wrap and place in fridge until you are ready to use it.

Swiss Chard Pizza

1/4 c pesto

1 bundle rainbow swiss chard, washed, ribs removed, chopped

1/2 red onion,chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small log of goat cheese (I used a round of Boursin)

1/2 c shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 400. Roll out pizza dough that has come to room temperature. In a medium pan heat some olive oil and sautee onion, then add garlic and swiss chard. Let cook down for about 5-8 minutes. Spread over pizza, dot goat cheese across and then sprinkle mozzarella. Bake for about 20 minutes, on pizza stone if possible.

Basil Pesto

2 cups basil, washed

1/4 c olive oil

2 cloves garlic

squeeze fresh lemon juice

1/4 c pecans

salt, pepper

2 T shredded parmesan cheese

1 T cream cheese

Combine ingredients in a food processor, or Vitamix (what I use) and puree until smooth. I do not use pine nuts in anything anymore due to the poor quality of imported pine nuts and "pine mouth", and use pecans or walnuts (I don't recommend using almonds).

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Dal with Swiss Chard

2012-01-30T11:19:00.002-05:00

Dal is a true staple of a dish in our house, as it was in both my husband's and my home growing up. Dal is always in the pantry and you don't need much more to make it come together, and it's an incredible hearty and comforting dish. You also get the added benefit of it being vegetarian and healthy. It's a dish I've come to be able to throw together very easily and one of those recipes I don't even need to think about it comes so naturally. I've posted about it before but I thought I would share a modified version with swiss chard. I find swiss chard beautiful, a stunning green I love to reach for in the produce section. It just makes me happy. Silky swiss chard swimming in warm, soupy day over steaming basmati rice is a favorite dinner for my husband and myself. There are a few dishes that he requests when he has a craving and this is one of them, especially after he's been traveling for work and eating out a lot. I like to cook a combination of moong and masoor dal (split). These are very quick cooking, and aren't "gassy" lentils which is important for me while I am breastfeeding.

1 cup mix of moong (yellow) and masoor (orange) dal

1 onion, chopped

1 t ginger paste or fresh ginger, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch swiss chard, any variety, I like rainbow, removed from rib and chopped

spices - 1/2 t cumin seeds, ground tumeric, cumin, coriander, red chili pepper, garam masala

1 T tomato paste, or 1/2 c fresh or canned tomato chopped

In a medium pot sautee 1/2 onion. Add 1/2 t tumeric, then add in dal, and cover with water or chicken broth (or combination). Salt and pepper. The amount of water depends on the consistency you want. Add about 5 cups for a soupier dal. If you want it spicy, throw in a sliced, fresh green chili. Let this simmer for 20 minutes. I like to take an immersion blender and puree for a few seconds once the dal is tender. In a large sautee pan heat 2 T oil and cumin seeds and allow to roast for a few minutes. When browned (not burned) add remained 1/2 onion and let brown. Then add ginger and garlic. Add spices, about a 1/2 spoon of each, and let roast in pan. Add tomato or paste and let cook. Add swiss chard and let cook down for a few minutes. When the pot with the dal is ready slide in everything from the sautee pan and stir. Let simmer for a few minutes and then it should be ready to serve.

Fish Kebabs

2012-01-26T18:19:00.001-05:00

Kebabs, patties, cakes, whatever you want to call them. I'm 1/2 Pakistani so everything is a kebab to me. These make a delicious afternoon snack or as part of a light dinner. You could eat them in a slider bun and add a smear of some tarter sauce.

3 fillet of tilapia, poached
2 medium size yukon or white potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 small onion, diced fine
fresh corinder leaves, about 2 to 3 tbsp
1 green chili chopped
salt and dry mustard to taste
pinch of ground cumin (optional)
1 beaten egg for kebab mixture
1 egg for dipping
bread crumbs

Mix the first 8 ingredients and form patties. Dip in egg and then in crumbs and fry in 3 tbsp oil in non stick pan. Size can vary. If serving as an appetizer for small balls.

Chocolate Yogurt Cakes

2012-01-16T12:22:00.002-05:00

I was in the mood for something chocolately but light, something I could have in the morning with coffee. I was all set to tackle a biscotti recipe as I've had a slight obsession with them lately and then I stumbled upon this recipe at Smitten Kitchen, courtesy of David Lebovitz. If there is one person who knows chocolate and baking, it's David Lebovitz. It sounded perfect. It comes together quite easy but I must warn you you really do need to be in the mood for something more on the healthier side. When I first took a bite I kind of wished it was a brownie packed full of butter, or a cupcake. Sigh. But it makes a great snack.

Recipe from The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz

Makes 12

7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used semi sweet so I cut back on the sugar)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup plain, whole-milk yogurt (I used Greek)
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cupcake liners. Melt the chocolate with 1/4 cup of the oil either over a double boiler or in the microwave. In another bowl, mix together the remaining 1/4 cup of oil with the yogurt, sugar, eggs, and vanilla and almond extracts. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the yogurt mixture. Stir lightly a couple of time, then add the melted chocolate, and stir until just smooth. Divide the batter into the muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes, or until they feel barely set in the middle.

Shrimp Pulao

2012-01-16T11:58:00.001-05:00

1 lb uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined
half bunch cilantro
1 T garlic paste
1 T ginger paste
2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
1 onion, chopped
1/2 c frozen peas
2 cups mushrooms, sliced (any variety)
salt, pepper
whole peppercorns, cardamom and clove

This is my mother in-law's recipe and she made this for us during her recent visit. So, I hope I get this right. I've been avoiding spicy food so she did not add in any chilis. It was packed full of flavor without any spice, and the shrimp was perfectly cooked. If you'd like it spicy add a green chili to the cilantro. In a small food processor pulse cilantro until it forms a paste. Marinate shrimp in cilantro, garlic and ginger paste for 30 minutes to 2 hours. In a medium pot (dutch oven) heat some oil and sautee mushrooms until soft. Remove mushrooms. Heat more oil in the pot with peppercorns, cardamom and cloves (a few of each or to taste). Once they pop add onion and sautee for a few minutes. Then add rice and allow it to toast. Then add 4 cups of water or broth along with shrimp, salt, pepper, let come to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. A few minutes before rice is fully cooked stir in peas and add back in mushrooms.

Molten Chocolate Cake

2011-12-26T17:18:00.005-05:00

Ah, finally, a nice decadent recipe without vegetables. This photo really leaves out the best part - the oozing center, but I took this photo the day after they were served and the center is really only oozing when served immediately. I have wanted to make molten chocolate cake for I don't even know how long and I'm not sure why I waited so long as it's an incredibly easy chocolate dessert. I used Anne Burrell's recipe because I have a lot of faith in her recipes for some reason. I would make a few minor adjustments next time and have adjusted the recipe below.

1 stick plus 1 T butter

6 oz chocolate (I used a combination of semi and bittersweet)

3 eggs

3 yolks

1 c powdered sugar (original recipe calls for 1.5 but I think that would be way too sweet)

1 t vanilla extract

1/2 c flour

6 ramekins

Preheat oven to 425. Melt 1 T butter and brush inside of each ramekin. You could dust inside with sugar or cocoa. Melt 1 stick of butter and chocolate (either over double boiler or in the microwave). I added a pinch of espresso powder to the chocolate mix but I think chocolate liquor would be ideal, or you could jazz it up with some orange zest. With a hand beater or stand mixer with the whisk attachment beat eggs, yolks, sugar and vanilla on high for several minutes until large in volume and pale yellow. Gently whisk in the chocolate, then fold in flour. Pour into each ramekin, place onto baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes . Let rest for a few minutes before serving - turn over onto dessert plate and dust with some powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, fresh raspberries, etc.

Bulgur with Braised Kale

2011-12-23T12:09:00.002-05:00

While most people are posting holiday cookie recipes galore I seem to be focusing on more nutritious foods of late. This is partly due to my parents bringing over food every week and they want to make sure I eat healthy. Of course I don't have a great deal of time to bake much (though banana bread has been made weekly as my husband does the groceries now and he somehow always seems to come home with a large bunch of ripe bananas).

This recipe comes from my father who shares my love for kale and swiss chard. Braised kale is a magical, magical thing. Pasta with braised kale is still a favorite in our house but this recipe is definitely a close second. You can adjust the ratio of bulgur to kale and make this more of a salad or more of a hearty side dish. It's so filling it makes a great lunch by itself.

1 cup bulgur

large bunch kale or swiss chard, ribs removed, leaves chopped

1 onion, chopped

salt, pepper, olive oil

Rinse bulgur (try and use #4 which you can find at most Korean or Middle Eastern grocery stores) and let drain. Sautee onion in some olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add kale, salt, pepper and saute for 15 minutes. Add bulgur and saute for 1 minute. Add 1 and 1/2 cup water and let come to a boil. Lower heat and and cook for 15 minutes, adding more water if needed. Bulgur should fluff out and absorb all water (notes: tastes better if home made vegetable stock is used instead of water).

Sprout Salad

2011-12-11T12:17:00.002-05:00

It may appear, from these recent postnatal posts, that I have been eating extremely healthy. I can assure you that's not really the case. While I have been making sure I eat a good amount of fruits and veggies and protein, my appetite has been ravenous and I have had a huge sweet tooth. Since breastfeeding, I have been eating twice as much as I had when I was pregnant. But I do try and make an effort to get a lot of good nutrients in my system everyday. This sprout salad is an energizing, refreshing, juicy and filling salad. You can find sprouted mong at Whole Foods or some Korean or International grocery stores. In the summer my mother sprouts her own whole mong which Whole Foods also carries (1 cup will double in volume: soak the mong for 12 hours and then drain the water and cover the container with a dish towel and keep in an oven. Do not use a glass container as the idea is for the mong to sprout and grow in search of light. In one and a half days you will have the sprouts).

2 cups sprouted mong
1 red pepper, chopped
1 orange pepper, chopped
1/4 c chopped spring onion
handful of dried cranberries
handful of chopped pecans or walnuts

Toss everything together and add juice from one lemon and about 2 tablespoons or so of olive oil. Salt, pepper. Add a handful of chopped fresh cilantro or parsley if desired.

Wild Rice and Spinach Salad

2011-12-03T12:16:00.000-05:00

I believe the original credit of this salad goes to my cousin, Rashna, who always had this as a Thanksgiving side, so this year when my mother hosted Thanksgiving for our family it was on the table. It's a nice fresh salad that I think goes so well with all the other warm, overcooked veggies you see at Thanksgiving. But Thanksgiving aside, this is a perfect salad. I love when I can combine a carb and a veggie and I have been consuming an insane amount of spinach lately as the iron is essential for me and my baby. The proportions of the elements of this salad need not be accurate at all. I like it heavy on the spinach, but you can certainly have it heavier on the rice or other ingredients.

1 6oz box long grain wild rice (Uncle Ben's) not quick cooking

1/4 c finely chopped spring onions

4 cups chopped baby spinach

1 cup chopped mushrooms (any kind you like)

1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes

handful of chopped walnuts

handful of cranberries

Cook rice according to box and allow to cool. Toss with other ingredients and then drizzle some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, add salt and pepper, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and toss again. Let flavors marry for an hour before serving.

Ajwain Water

2011-12-03T11:46:00.003-05:00

Behold. The power of ajwain water. For anyone who is nursing or planning on nursing anytime soon I highly recommend drinking ajwain water. It's a natural digestive and infuses the breast milk as a homeopathic aid in stimulating proper digestion and relieving gas. Of course I haven't conducted a scientific experiment of my own, but I drink this everyday and my daughter seems content. In India they would give the water directly to infants but of course in this country we are given such strict guidelines for what newborns and infants can consume (yet our children seem to have an abundance of health problems). It is also said to help the mother heal after delivery. I take 1 teaspoon of ajwain seeds and stir it into about 2 cups of water in a small pot and let this come to a simmer for a few minutes. The water should become golden in color. You can sweeten it with some sugar or honey if you like but I like the natural taste. It's very herbal and lemon tasting, almost like thyme. Strain the water to remove the seeds and drink warm or cold. You can find ajwain seeds at any Indian or spice store or order some online.

Lasagna

2011-10-17T16:02:00.002-04:00

After making this lasagna I realized that I am simply not the type of girl who is going to prepare lots of freezer meals like casseroles in preparation for our new arrival. While this was divine on a chilly, lazy Sunday, and delicious the next day for lunch, after the third day of seeing this lasagna that just would. not. die, I wanted to throw it out the window. I just can't eat lasagna for three days straight. Why do all lasagna recipes make enough to feed a family of 8? What I should have done was freeze half and pull it out next year, and then I would have been happy to see it. But I am a total skeptic when it comes to food lasting too long in the freezer. I've never been a fan of frozen food - the tastes get altered, and I don't think food should sit in a freezer more than just a few weeks, at the most. So we'll have to figure out another way to manage in those first few blurry eyed weeks, and having my mother on speed dial may just be the way. But back to this lasagna, that perfectly hit the spot on a Sunday evening. Evening is actually being a little generous. This meaty, cheesy, bubbly dish came out of the oven at 4:45pm and my husband and I proceed to eat dinner 15 minutes later. I dare anyone to not dive into freshly baked lasagna after it's cooled off. The smell was intoxicating. Now before I share the recipe the disclaimer is I can't quite recall how I made this. It was a few weeks ago and I'm running on pregnancy brain these days and if I don't write something down I forget it. I was all set to make this in the crockpot, actually, as slow cooker lasagna sounded like a fantastic idea, but after realizing the meat would need to get precooked anyway I read a few other recipes and since I had the time I figured I'd just do it the old fashioned way. This is a pretty basic recipe, and I had very simple ingredients purchased from Trader Joes the day before, so when I decided last minute to make a bolognese I just had to make do with what I had, which is to say it was not a true bolognese but just a simple meat sauce. I think that's what I loved about this dish - it was incredibly easy and simple, not labor intensive at all, but with ample rewards of a slow cooked comfort meal. Lasagna is also a forgiving dish that doesn't need a precise recipe as the basic elements taste good no matter how assembled.

Lasagna

~1 lb ground beef (85/15)

1/2 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 can Trader Joes marinara sauce (28 oz)

1/4 c cream

1 container Trader Joes ricotta (15 oz)

1 egg

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 c grated parmesan

16 oz Trader Joes shredded mozzarella

1 package no bake Barilla lasagna sheets

In a dutch oven heat some olive oil over medium heat. Sautee onion until soft and add garlic. Toss in meat, salt, pepper and brown, brown, brown. Pour in crushed tomatoes, marinara, whatever you've got. If you have some red wine in the fridge pour that in as well. Add whatever seasonings you like such as dried herbs (thyme, etc) or a dash of cinnamon and garam masala which I did and loved. Finish off with some cream. Mix up your ricotta with a beaten egg and add parmesan as well as some salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pull out your 9x13 inch pan, get the mozzarella and lasagna sheets ready, bring over pot of meat sauce with a ladle. Before assembly, watch this video for inspiration. Drizzle some olive oil on bottom of pan, overlap 4 sheets of lasagna, spread some ricotta mixture then meat sauce, then cheese. Eyeball this all. You'll have four layers, I believe. So keep repeating, finishing off with some meat sauce and cheese on the top. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 350 for one hour.

A Fresh Look

2011-10-16T14:47:00.004-04:00

Now that the weather has cooled a bit and it's starting to feel more like fall things have finally quieted down in our house, just in time for me to relax and put my feet up these last few weeks of pregnancy. Our summer was a whirlwind of redecorating and repainting and purging, purging, purging. I suppose you could call it nesting, though I'm a constant nester. Our kitchen got a nice face lift as we redecorated our sitting room, repainted and installed new granite counters and a new sink, which added so much more life to the kitchen. I had no idea what a difference a better designed sink would make. For weeks after install I would remark out loud "I love this sink".

With the new look of the kitchen came the opportunity to add a creative print. Easy Canvas Print offered to created a lovely canvas print for me of any one of my food photographs. This is a look I've always loved so I happily obliged. I decided to select a photograph of food from one of our travels as opposed to one of my dishes I spent hours preparing so I chose my photo of churros con chocolate in Madrid. I loved the idea that I could look at the print while in the kitchen and think fondly of our trip to Spain. And drool just a bit.

I would definitely recommend giving the process of creating your own print a try. It couldn't be easier, and the quality is perfection. It's still a crisp photo but with more texture. I think it adds a nice artistic element to the kitchen. I foresee canvas pictures of baby having her first bites of food added to the kitchen wall some day.

Cauliflower Puree with Braised Short Ribs

2011-09-29T19:15:00.004-04:00

I'm a meat eater. I love my veggies too. But I love the sight of a big hunk of a short rib on a plate that's been braised until the meat flakes off with a fork. When braised short ribs are on a menu I tend to be unable to resist them. Hence, this was my birthday dinner last weekend, thanks to my lovely husband. He followed this recent recipe from Pioneer Woman and we decided to pair it with some pureed cauliflower and some French green beans (why are theirs better?). I find it nothing short of amazing how creamy pureed cauliflower can be....with very little cream. In fact, you really don't need any, we just had some so I spilled in just a spoon.

1 head of cauliflower
1 T cream (optional)
2 T olive oil
1 clove garlic
salt, pepper

Prep cauliflower and cut into quarters and place in a medium sized pot of water. Place on stove and allow water to come to a slow boil. Let boil for about 8 minutes, until cauliflower is tender but not mushy. Strain. Dump cauliflower and garlic into Vitamix or food processor. Puree while pouring in olive oil and a little cream. Salt and pepper to taste.

Carrot Soup

2011-09-26T18:49:00.003-04:00

When my mother told me this soup had apples in it she quickly said "but it's not sweet". I admit that being told it had apples in it did not sound appealing. I thought it would taste like a smoothie. But I was wrong. It's a rich and velvety soup that's all savory and complex flavors.It's a nice change from tomato soup and pairs well with a grilled cheese or another hot sandwich. It's healthy, easy to make and a great soup recipe for fall. This recipe comes from the Washington Post.

1 tablespoon olive or canola oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into thin slices

1 apple, peeled cored and chopped

8 cups no-salt-added chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 cup Greek-style yogurt

Salt

Heat oil in a large pot and add the onion, carrots and apple; cook, covered, until the vegetables soften, about 15 minutes. Add the chicken or vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and cook until the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the solids and transfer them to the blender or food processor (or Vitamix!). Process until smooth. Add the yogurt, if desired, and process again, then stir this mixture back into the soup in the pot. Season with salt

Strawberry Shortcake

2011-09-26T18:00:00.006-04:00

I meant to post this recipe before summer ended so my apologies for tempting you with a lovely summer recipe. Not that you shouldn't make it. If you can find some good strawberries I highly encourage you to make this cake - it's such an incredibly upbeat cake that will brighten any mood. This recipe is adapted from chef Dennis Marron, the chef at Jackson 20. I took one bite of this dessert at his restaurant several weeks ago and was desperate for the recipe so I could make it at home. To my delight he was quite willingly to share it with me. He instantly became a favorite of mine. I decided to whip this up for my cooking club gathering because though I am 7 months pregnant I could not eat an entire cake myself. In fact, one of the reasons I love this cake so much is it isn't overly sweet as I have been very sensitive to overly sugary desserts during this pregnancy (in fact I cut back a bit on the sugar called for). The cake reminds me of a shortbread and the frosting is a perfect buttery cream cheese frosting full with plump strawberries that tint it pink. I will be making this recipe for many summers to come.

Strawberry Cake

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

4 egg whites

2 tsp. vanilla

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup corn starch

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

Sift dry ingredients into mixing bowl and reserve. Place butter, sugar, vanilla to a stand mixer and beat with a paddle until smooth. Add egg whites and beat to incorporate, continue mixing on medium high for 1 minute. Turn down to medium and add remainder of ingredients slowly alternating dry and wet. Finish with the wet. Poor into 2 greased 10 inch cake pans. Bake on 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. Check doneness with a skewer. Skewer should come out clean. Allow cake to cool completely on a rack before frosting.

Strawberry Frosting

12 oz. Cream Cheese

4 oz. butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean scraped
1 cup diced strawberries

Mix butter, cream cheese, sugar and scraped vanilla bean in a stand mixer until smooth. Add strawberries and mix to incorporate. Frost cake, and eat!

Cheese Steak

2011-08-30T16:13:00.005-04:00

Thinly sliced rib eye, sauteed onions and bell peppers, loads of cheese, sourdough bread toasted on a hot panini press.

My husband and I were on our way home from a trip to the beach recently and decided to stop in Philly for lunch to grab some cheese steaks. We wanted to stop somewhere not too far into the city and close to the highway so we went to Tony Luke's - a famous institution that we were sure would not disappoint. Sadly, it did, though we probably ordered wrong. We got the rib eye cheese steaks and I upgraded to some sharp provolone. The cheese was still cold, not melted, there were no grilled onions, no spices, no flavor whatsoever. I was crestfallen. How can they serve a cheese steak with cheese that hasn't been melted?! Shameful. I threw my sub with one bite in our cooler and decided I'd jazz it up when I got home, which I did to the most delicious results. Ever since then I wanted more so I decided to try and make some at home. Our local International market sells the most perfect meat for cheese steaks: paper thin rib eye that is intended for Sukiyaki. If you live in the DC area, stop by Grand Mart, and you'll find this in their frozen meat section. I think any meat that is sliced for pho would also work well.

Cheese steak panini, serves 4

1 lb thinly sliced rib eye

1 large onion (sliced)

1 yellow or orange bell pepper (I used orange)

1 T paprika

1 t garlic salt

1 t cayenne pepper

1 t black pepper

salt, to taste

1 T cream cheese

3/4 cup shredded cheese (sharp cheddar or provolone)

french rolls or sourdough bread

Heat about a tablespoon of grape seed or other oil along with a tablespoon of butter in a medium cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Start sauteeing onions, once they have soften add bell peppers. Salt. Add spices and stir. Cook until brown and nearly caramelized. Remove vegetables into a bowl. Next, brown the meat by placing a few (about 4-5) slices on the skillet and flipping over after a few seconds and salting slightly along the way. Don't crowd or allow the slices of meat to overlap. Keep removing browned meat, adding fresh slices and repeating. Once all the meat is cooked, add one tablespoon of butter to pan and dump meat, onions and peppers back into pan. Add cream cheese and allow to melt. Turn off stove, add shredded cheese and stir. Either toast up a sub and add filling, or place between two slices of sourdough and toast up on a panini press (adding more cheese if desired).

Red Beans and Rice

2011-08-30T11:12:00.003-04:00

While many people were making hurricane inspired cocktails this past weekend my husband and I decided to cook up a different kind of New Orleans specialty: red beans and rice. It was the perfect comforting dish to have simmering away on a truly lazy, very rainy Saturday spent inside. We adapted it slightly from a Cook's Illustrated recipe which sounds very odd because the point of their recipes is to follow them precisely. But I prefer sausage out of its synthetic casing and wanted to brown it first, so we rearranged a few steps. The red beans definitely pack a punch, but can be cooled down with a dollop of sour cream. When my husband makes chili we always use canned beans and I hadn't appreciated what a difference soaking and cooking dry kidney beans makes. It's a much creamier tasting bean and I now realize it's definitely worth the trouble (and a lot more economical).

1 pound small red beans (about 2 cups), rinsed and picked over
8 ounces andouille sausage
2 slices bacon, chopped fine
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
1 celery rib, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon sweet paprika (see note)
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Ground black pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
6 cups water
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, plus extra for seasoning
3 scallions, white and green parts, sliced thin
hot sauce or sour cream

1. Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large bowl or container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.

2. Heat large Dutch oven over medium heat and brown sausage and remove. Add bacon, stirring occasionally, until browned and almost fully rendered, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bacon if desired. Add onion, green pepper, and celery; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, paprika, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in beans, broth, and water; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and vigorously simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are just soft and liquid begins to thicken, 45 to 60 minutes.

3. Stir in sausage and 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar and cook until liquid is thick and beans are fully tender and creamy, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and additional red wine vinegar. Serve over rice, sprinkling with scallions and passing hot sauce separately, if desired.

Banana Bread

2011-07-20T20:40:00.001-04:00

When you're five months pregnant people are often asking about what kinds of cravings you're experiencing and I wish I had a good answer, but as my husband often points out, I've been a very boring pregnant person. I think he's a bit disappointed as when I remark that I'm hungry he lights up and offers to thrown on the superman cape and pick me up anything my heart desires.....and then I just walk to the kitchen and have a bowl of cereal. There have been little nuances to my appetite here and there. I didn't have any morning sickness throughout my first trimester, and instead I had a large morning appetite. One of the first days I suspected I was pregnant was when I woke up and needed an omelette immediately. I've never been a breakfast person and am not all that big a fan of eggs. But there I was, for two weeks straight, eating an omlette every morning. I also immediately lost my taste for coffee (again, before I even knew I was pregnant). That was another shock for me. But since then things have calmed down and I have as normal an appetite as I always have. Sometimes I'm in the mood for something, but no more than I usually am. But the biggest, most surprising effect this pregnancy has had on me is the loss of my sweet tooth. Normally this time of year I eat ice cream after dinner, and I always, my whole life, have had a fondness for desserts. I could not go a day without eating dessert. And yet, like clockwork, I immediately lost my sweet tooth. I've been to two weddings pregnant now and could not eat the wedding cake! I'm practically ashamed of myself. On occasion a dessert will look appealing to me, but then I take one bite and my faces scrunches up over the sugary sweetness. Instead, I've been enjoying more savory sweets, like a tiny bite of bitter dark chocolate, or something simple like banana bread, with some of the sugar cut out. This banana bread was my kind of indulgence for a week. I ate a buttered slice every morning. If I had some overripe bananas now I'd be baking some. It's nearly as traditional as you can get and a loyal recipe to keep for years.

Banana Nut Bread, adapted from Food & Wine
3/4 c toasted pecans
1 1/4 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t cinnamon
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 t salt
3/4 brown sugar (original recipe calls for 1 cup granulated sugar)
2 eggs
1/2 c canola oil
3 overripe bananas, mashed
1 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan and line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk flour and baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, combine sugar, eggs and oil and beat on high speed with a handheld until creamy and light. Mix in mashed bananas and vanilla and beat until combined. Stir in dry ingredients and nuts. Pour batter into pan and bake for one hour.

Cyprus

2011-07-09T12:16:00.007-04:00

My husband and I recently returned from a fabulous trip to Cyprus. It was the perfect summer vacation and ended up being a lovely babymoon as I'm expecting this fall. Yes, there is a little bun cooking away in Mehan's kitchen....

oh how I wish I was there right now.....

There were lots of things we loved about Cyprus, the weather, the sights, the beaches, and of course the food. It was a wonderful blend of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors. Incredibly fresh Greek salads with the creamiest feta (which I'm sure was not pasteurized), grilled, salty halloumi, Lebanese style kabobs, rich tzatziki and tahini (tashi), incredibly fresh fish, grilled meats, and the most amazing olive oil. While I find Italian olive oils earthy and Spanish to be nutty, the Cypriot olive oil had a rich and complex fruitiness to it. I only brought back two bottles and now I am really regretting it. Most of our dinners were the Mediterranean meze style which was often 20, yes, 20 plates of food. We spent a day on the Turkish side of Cyprus where we saw some sights and had a meze lunch with a main dish of grilled chicken and I picked up a few different varieties of Turkish paprika with strong aromatics. I love traveling and it felt great getting in a rejuvenating, international trip before our addition arrives. Of course, it also felt great eating a lot, taking a lot of naps by the beach and reading a book I couldn't put down.

Moussaka! One of my favorite dishes I had there....and a fabulous afternoon nap followed.

Rustic Peach Cake

2011-07-04T14:17:00.004-04:00

I'm not sure what makes this cake rustic but I just like calling it that. My mother makes this cake often in the summer and the typical version is with plums but I love it with peaches. There is a variety of fruit that would work well in this cake such as cranberries or apples in the fall. You could also add nuts to the batter and flavor elements such as vanilla or nutmeg. It's not too sweet and goes well with some vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or creme fraiche and makes a great addition to a bbq.

Rustic Peach Cake

3/4 c sugar

1/2 c unsalted butter

1 c flour

1 t baking powder

pinch of salt

2 egg

4-5 sliced peaches or 16-20 pitted plums, sliced in half

raw sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon for topping

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar and then add flour, baking powder, salt and eggs. Beat well. Spoon batter into springform pan and place sliced peaches (with or without skin) skin side up on top of batter. Sprinkle with about 1 spoon of lemon juice and then 1 spoon cinnamon and sugar. Bake 1 hour. Cool. Cake freezes well.

Spiced Lamb with Red Lentils

2011-05-31T14:17:00.005-04:00

I made this dish a while ago but am just now getting a chance to post it. It doesn't exactly scream a hot summer evening kind of a meal, but I wanted to share because it's a great slow cooker dish, and we could all use more slow cooker recipes. I found an amazing book in the bargain shelf of Borders a few months ago. It's called Slow Cookers: more than 100 easy recipes. And that's the only information on it. No author credit at all. It's a compilation of recipes published by Bay Books. Despite the fact that it's a nondescript, thin, paperback with no photos I was drawn to its recipes: lamb dishes, Moroccan, Spanish, Greek and Indian recipes. And it was $2.99! This is a hearty lamb stew, a one pot meal that goes well with some simple cous-cous, or nothing at all.

Spiced Lamb with Lentils

1.5 lbs boneless lamb leg or shoulder, cubed
2 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1/2 t turmeric
1 t red chili powder
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
4.5 oz green beans, chopped (optional)
1 T freshly grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups beef stock
1 cup pureed tomatoes
1 T lemon juice
1 cup red or green lentils
handful of chopped cilantro

Combine spiced listed above and toss in bowl with the lamb to coat it. Add lamb, vegetables and ginger garlic to the slow cooker. Pour in stock, lemon juice, and tomato puree, stir in lentils. Add one bay leaf, if desired, season with salt and pepper. Cook on high for 4-6 hours. The longer it cooks the thicker it will become so you can thin it out with stock. Serve with cilantro and rice or cous-cous.

Scones

2011-05-22T13:38:00.004-04:00

Have I seriously not posted anything since April?! I am shocked. OK, I'm not all that shocked - I've been busy, we've been traveling, I haven't been cooking too much during the week and I've been lazy. Laziness is more likely the culprit. I've snapped a few photos here and there of new dishes I've tried but I haven't been motivated to post, or the pictures just haven't been all that great. I am, however, impressed enough with this simple scone recipe that I had to share. This is a really easy recipe and I love that it doesn't call for a lot of sugar as I hate overly sweet scones. Scones should be buttery and flaky and have perhaps a tart dried fruit bite here and there and there should be clotted cream and sweet preserves to slather on top. I woke up this Sunday just itching for some fresh baked scones so I threw these together in just minutes. I must say, I was very impressed I had shortening sitting around in my pantry....I have no idea when or why I bought that. It had actually expired about a month ago, so there went the shortening after I sneaked it in for this recipe.

Scones, courtesy Alton Brown

2 c flour

4 t baking powder

3/4 t salt

1/3 c sugar

4 T butter

2 T shortening

3/4 c cream

1 egg

handful of raisins or dried cranberries

Combine flour, baking soda, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in butter and shortening. Mix together egg and cream, pour into flour mixture and lightly stir with hands. Add in dried fruit and combine. Turn out onto floured surface and pat into a flat disk. Either roll out to about an inch height or just pat down. Cut into appropriate biscuit shapes. Lay on baking sheet with parchment or silicone pad and bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until brown.

For some imitation clotted cream I beat about 2 T of heavy cream with 1/4 c mascarpone cheese and a squeeze of agave.

Marinated Flank Steak Fajitas

2011-04-27T19:01:00.003-04:00

Now that it's grilling season I have the pleasure of sitting back and relaxing while my husband flips meat on a hot, smoky grill on Sunday afternoons. I'm not usually one to chose a steak fajita over a chicken, but for some reason thinly sliced marinated steak sounded delicious wrapped in a tortilla with some grilled peppers and onions (and a large scoop of guacamole and sour cream - not pictured). The marinade is easy and straightforward and the meat just has to marry with the savory juices for about 4 hours. Slap it on the grill, let it rest on the counter and then slice it up thin while your puppy stares up with wide, expectant, eyes.

Steak Fajitas (adapted from Tyler Florence)

2 lbs flank or skirt steak
juice of 2 oranges with a bit of zest
juice of 2 limes with a bit of zest
4 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic
4 chipolte chilis in adobo sauce
small handful of cilantro
2 t ground cumin
salt, pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree. Place steaks in large ziplock bag and pour in marinade. Let sit in fridge for 4 hours. Grill for 6 minutes on each side for medium, let rest for 5-7 minutes and then thinly slice.

For the pepper mixture I heat up a cast iron skillet nice and hot and added a bit of butter and olive oil. Toss on thinly sliced bell peppers (3) and one red onion. Let cook (don't stir too often, let it get a nice, brown sear) for about 8 minutes and season with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika and cumin.

Crab and Artichoke Dip

2011-04-20T17:58:00.006-04:00

This is dip is not healthy but it's one of those once and a while decadent dips that guests absolutely love. This recipes makes a hefty amount so you can divide it up and freeze some and bake up a small ramekin for when you're having people over. It's great served with water crackers or some sliced baguette. You want to serve it immediately, piping hot while it's still bubbling and the cheese is nicely melted.

1 can artichoke hearts (~10-15 oz) in water, drained, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise (make Paula Deen proud)
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 6 oz can crab meat, drained
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ground chili pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Divide into oven safe dishes and bake at 375 (F) for 20 min.

French Toast

2011-04-16T14:59:00.003-04:00

I've finally settled on my favorite french toastrecipe. I had been stuck on sourdough bread for a while which at some point I felt was great as french toast, but after recently using challah I realized that's definitely the way to go. A thick slice of challah dredged in a sweet egg wash and crisped to perfection on a hot cast iron sizzling with butter....plated up with maple syrup lightly poured on top. So very good on a cool morning. I love sweetening the egg wash with some brown sugar and a bit of orange zest wakens the bread up.

4 slices of challah

2-3 eggs

1 T half and half

dash of cinnamon

2 t brown sugar

drop of vanilla extract

1/2 t orange zest

Heat some butter in a hot cast iron skillet. Beat all ingredients together in a breading dish and dip one slice of bread in, flipping four times. Sear on each side and serve.

Mujaddara

2011-03-23T10:29:00.003-04:00

Caramelized onions make things better. More special. Sweet, and with a knowing addition that the flavors were slowly coaxed out. I often find myself craving lentils, of any kind, and this dish has quickly become a favorite of mine. I was inspired some time ago from the site, Not Derby Pie, and had to make it my own. It’s vegetarian and hearty and healthy and just all around satisfying, comfort food. You cook up some rice and infuse some flavors, you boil some lentils and infuse some flavors, and you caramelize some onions, toss all three together, and then mix up some spiced yogurt to pair it with.

Mujaddara, serves 4

2 large onions, thinly sliced

1 cup basmati rice, rinsed, and soaking in water

3/4 cup French lentils, rinsed and drained

Aromatics: bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, green chili

Place lentils in a pot and cover with water. Salt generously and toss in a bay leaf, a few black peppercorns, two cloves and a sliced chili (seeds removed). Bring to a simmer and cook lentils about 25-30 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside. Cook rice how you wish, in a rice cooker, or in a pot with 1 and 1/2 cups water, add in some aromatics such as clove, peppercorns and cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer, cover, turn stove to low for 15minutes and then turn off and leave covered for 10 more. Caramelize onions by heating some butter and olive oil in a large pan, stir in onions, salt and pepper. Let onions soften on medium for about 25 minutes. Add more oil or water to moisten the onions and when they are light brown, increase heat to brown them. In a medium serving bowl, toss together rice, onions and lentils. You can serve this with some Greek yogurt mixed with fresh mint and lemon juice.

Granola

2011-03-21T18:28:00.001-04:00

I've been on a bit of a granola kick lately and I think I've finally settled on the perfect recipe for me. Stirred into a bowl with some cold, rich, Greek yogurt and fresh, sweet blueberries and I'm a happy, happy girl. Now all I need is to figure out how to make tart frozen yogurt and I will be happy all spring and summer long.

This is a pretty basic, traditional granola, but it's got all the flavors I enjoy like vanilla and almonds. Don't be scared of the coconut, it is very subtle. If you'd like to add some dried fruit you can toss that in after it's pulled out of the oven. This recipe is similar to this granola recipe I made before, but I think the flavors are much more well-balanced.

3 c old fashion oats
3/4 c sliced almonds
1/4 c packed sweetened coconut
1/4 c packed dark brown sugar
2 T butter, melted
1/8 c canola oil
1 t vanilla extract
1 T agave nectar (or more if you want it more sweet)
1 t of cinnamon
pinch of salt

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl. Spread out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, stirring granola every few minutes to ensure an even toast throughout.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

2011-03-05T10:33:00.009-05:00

I think I've found my little black dress of chocolate cake recipes. I adore its simplicity and elegance. It's French without being fussy and you can whip this up on a Friday evening for a friend's dinner party without being fazed (as I did). I adapted this recipe from a show on the Cooking Channel, French Food at Home. I love the host, she has an adorably slight French Canadian accent, makes everything seems so effortless, measures in grams, isn't afraid of butter and has a beautiful copper bowl she whips eggs in by hand. I find her a bit mesmerizing. This cake is so smooth and light in texture but dark and rich in flavor. It puffs up like a souffle and then falls down after you pull it out of the oven as cracks form on the top.

You'll need three bowls, a pot with some water on the stove, a hand beater, and a springform pan.

Flourless Chocolate Cake, from French Food at Home

7 oz 70% chocolate (I used 72%)
7 oz butter
4 eggs
2/3 c sugar (the recipe called for a full cup, but if you like desserts not overly sweet, I recommend cutting back to 2/3 cup)

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line an 8 inch springform pan with parchment paper, butter and dust with powdered sugar (or flour). Place a glass bowl on the pot, on the stove with simmering water, and melt the butter and chocolate until smooth. In two bowls, separate the eggs (place the whites in a larger bowl). Beat the yolks with 1/3 c sugar until thick and pale. In the other bowl, beat the whites until soft peaks, then add 1/3 c sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Slowly whisk the chocolate mixture into the yolk mixture. Stir in a spoonful of beaten egg whites, then pour the chocolate mixture over the egg whites and gently fold together with a spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake about 45-50 minutes. The recipe called for baking for 50 minutes, but depending on how your oven is calibrated you may need to adjust. Remove from the oven. Run a knife around the outside edge, then let sit until cool. It will sink down and the top will crack. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream.

Shrikhand

2011-02-23T09:36:00.007-05:00

I'm in awe of the power of saffron. I truly am. Its addition to savory or sweet dishes provides such a complex, exotic flavor that always makes me feel as though I'm walking through sights and scents of a market in Morocco. This traditional yogurt dish is incredibly easy to whip up, especially now that you can find Greek yogurt in the stores. Served with some fresh fruit in the summer after a heavy meal, or sprinkled with granola, or just enjoyed by the spoon, it's a real treat.
1/2 tsp saffron

3 cardamom pods
1 1/2 cup Greek yogurt (full fat)
3 tbsp sugar
handful of toasted nuts for garnish (pistachios or almonds)

Soak saffron in 1 teaspoon of boiling water. Meanwhile, remove seeds from cardamom pods and grind (use a coffee grinder devoted to spices or a mortar and pestle). Mix in the spice, saffron,sugar into yogurt and chill before serving. Top with nuts.

Tomato Soup

2011-02-21T11:00:00.008-05:00

I'm not sure where I started with tomato soup (though I have no doubt I have a blog post on that topic) but this is where I've ended up, and I have my Vitamix to thank. I can't remember life before my Vitamax. It was at first ohmy, how much for a blender to worth every penny. Though I still occasionally use an immersion blender, traditional blender and my food processor, none of those compare to the Vitamix when it comes to certain things. I've been making a ton of soups lately and it's all because I love the velvety creamy texture that pours out of the Vitmax. This post shouldn't really have a detailed recipe because this has been one of those things that I mix up all the time and toss in whatever I have lying around in the fridge: sour cream, cheese, pesto, arugula, miso paste, and it comes out great every time. Grilled cheese sandwiches crisp off a cast iron with a bowl of hot tomato soup have been a weekly occurrence in our house this winter and part of me wonders if it will continue through the spring we've become so hooked.

1 28 oz can of Cento whole, peeled tomatos
1 c chicken broth
3 cloves garlic
3 shallots
salt, pepper

I've listed out a few ingredients but I always add some more. A handful of arugula, a spoon of some pesto, or some fresh herbs, dash of paprika, and I like to finish it off with a few spoons of cream or a little goat cheese (or sour cream) and a drizzle of truffle oil. In a pot, heat some olive oil and sautee the shallots. Add in chopped garlic. Pour in entire can of tomatoes, and break them up with a wooden spoon. Salt, pepper (and add some red chili pepper flakes if you want a little heat). Let this simmer for a few minutes, pour in chicken broth and simmer for 10 minutes. You could make this vegetarian by adding vegetable broth, but be careful as some have MSG. If adding, toss in some arugula and let wilt. Pour everything in Vitamix, remove clear plastic from top and cover with kitchen towel. Turn on and increase speed to 8, then place on high for 1 minute. Pour soup back into pot and let simmer until ready to serve. I like to stir in cream as it simmers. Check for seasoning and add some salt and pepper.

Pea and Edamame Salad

2011-02-16T12:42:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I like to be healthy, though if you scanned a lot of the foods I cook you may not come to that conclusion. I'm a lover of food, a lover of the act of eating, a lover of all things delicious, and a lover of daily workouts. This is one of my favorite healthy snacks. It's clean, satisfying and filling and I love the crunch, the blanket of creaminess and the bite of the mustard. I will admit this isn't one of my most popular buffet items when I host a brunch. People either love peas, or they don't. I like a ratio of 2:1 edamame to peas for this salad, but if you steer clear of peas give it a try with just some edamame.

2 cups shelled edamame

1 cup frozen peas

1-2 T goat cheese (depending on how cheesy you want it)

2 t dijon mustard

Bring a pot of water to boil, salt. Toss in edamame and after 2 minutes toss in peas. After about 30 seconds drain and run under cold water. Toss into a serving bowl and stir in goat cheese (let it melt throughout the warm peas and edamame) and mustard. Salt and pepper. This can be served at room temperature and lasts for several days in the fridge.

Crepes (with Nutella)

2011-01-31T10:49:00.030-05:00

I can't get enough of crepes lately. They are easy to make and a great addition to brunch menus. I love that I can fill them with both savory and sweet, I love how easy the batter is to make, and I like that you can make a stack ahead of time and either serve them at room temperature, or heat them back up. Nutella is my choice of sweet, with a dusting of powdered sugar, and if you decide to make these braised short ribs, I highly recommend filling crepes with the sauce the next morning. Highly recommend. This recipe is from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food, Jan/Feb issue of this year, and there are some great ideas in there of what to do with crepes: wrap them around veggies, bake an egg in them, and even roll them into a peanut butter and jelly crepe as a snack.

Crepes, courtesy Everyday Food Magazine

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 T sugar

1/4 t coarse salt

1 1/2 c whole milk

4 eggs

3 T melted butter

Combine all ingredients in a blender, let rest in fridge for 15 minutes, or overnight. Heat a 10inch non-stick pan over medium heat. I like to lightly brush the pan with a silicone brush dipped in melted butter after every other crepe. Use an ice cream scoop or 1/4 measuring cup and pour batter into pan (lift pan and swirl until batter coats entire pan). Cook for about 1 minute, gently lift the edge with a spatula and flip over, cooking on other side for a minute. This recipe makes about 16 crepes, if I'm remembering correctly. I like to spread Nutella on half the round crepe, fold in half and then half again, and dust with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

2011-01-27T11:21:00.002-05:00

This cake has become one of my favorites. I love the concept of a bundt cake, but often they are too dry or lacking something (icing, perhaps?). This cake is moist and sweet, but not overly sweet. It's chocolately, but not too chocolately. You don't miss anything. You could scoop some ice cream or whipped cream, but it's great by itself, warmed up, with a cup of espresso perhaps. Now would you believe I've never baked this cake? I don't even own a bundt pan. I first tried this cake last Spring, at a party my neighbor had thrown. My neighbor, my friend, baked this up last Sunday evening because I happened to have mentioned the cake was on my mind of late. Our neighborly friendship goes well beyond picking up papers or keeping and eye on each other's homes; our pups are best friends, we hit the gym everyday together, we cook together or discuss recipes together and when we cook, we often share. I braise her short ribs when she and her husband are returning home from a trip, she bakes me bread when she knows my husband and I are having a light dinner, and she baked this cake because she knew I'd love it. I am so grateful for our friendship.....and, this cake. This recipe is adapted from Southern Living (she leaves out the nut topping which doesn't work well in her bundt pan).

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake, adapted from Southern Living, May 2010

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Other: 2 hours

Yield: Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate mini-morsel

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.

2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

3. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer 3 to 5 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Beat in chocolate mini-morsels. (Mixture will be thick.) Spoon batter into prepared pan.

4. Bake at 350° for 50 to 55 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour). Garnish, if desired.

Mac and Cheese

2011-01-25T21:04:00.002-05:00

No truffle butter, no lobster, no fancy cheese, just good 'ol classic mac and cheese. This recipe comes from the Pioneer Woman, the all-knowing of comfort food recipes, and was shared by my friend. I love the creaminess the mustard powder adds. I never would have thought of that. This recipe is a true classic, and would please all ages. See link below for the original recipe with tons of photos and step-by-step instructions

Macaroni and Cheese, courtesy The Pioneer Woman

4 cups macaroni

1 egg, beaten

1/2 stick or 4 T butter

¼ cups flour

2-½ cups whole milk

2 teaspoons (heaping) dry mustard

1 pound cheddar cheese, grated

1 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper

Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain. In a small bowl, beat egg. In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn. Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low. Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth. Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. Add in cheese and stir to melt.Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed. Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.

Provençal Fougasse

2011-01-21T10:37:00.003-05:00

This lovely bread recipe comes from my neighbor, who baked some up and shared the bounty with me. It's divine; chewy, savory, full of body with herbs and amazing dipped in olive oil or slathered with a bit of goat cheese. Pair it with some hot tomato soup and you've got dinner.

Provençal Fougasse

courtesy of Williams Sonoma "Essentials of Baking"

Makes 2 large flatbreads

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano

1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 package (2 1/2 tsp) active dry yeast

1 3/4 cups warm water (105-115 degrees)

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp salt

Semolina flour for dusting

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the garlic, rosemary, oregano, thyme, and olive oil. Bring to a simmer and cook just until the garlic is tender, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

*BY STAND MIXER: In the 5-qt bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the oil mixture, flour, and salt. Place the bowl on the mixer, attach the dough hook, and knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5-7 minutes.Remove the dough from the bowl.

Form the dough into a ball, transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, 1 1/2-2 hours.

Punch down the dough and turn it onto a clean work surface. Cut the dough in half with a sharp knife or a bench scraper. Shape each piece into a loose ball, cover with a dry kitchen towel, and let rest for 5 minutes.

Liberally dust 2 half-sheet pans or rimless baking sheets with semolina flour. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each portion of the dough into a rectangle with about the same dimensions as the prepared pan. Transfer each rectangle to the prepared pan, spreading it out with your hands if it shrinks when you pick up. Facing the narrow end of a rectangle, and eyeing the vertical center of it, use a sharp knife or a pizza wheel to cut 3 slits at an angle down the left side of the center, and 3 slits down the right side of the center. Gently pull on the dough to open the slits up slightly so that they widen into ovals.

Cover the dough loosely with a dry kitchen towel and let the breads rise again until they double in size, 20-30 minutes.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven, and preheat to 425 degrees. Bake the breads until they are lightly browned and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, 15-20 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely in the pans. Store tightly wrapped in aluminum foil at room temperature for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 2 weeks. Reheat at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Pie

2011-01-19T18:59:00.002-05:00

This chocolate chip pie recipe comes from my childhood, somewhere, somehow, my mother found this recipe and would always throw it together last minute for dessert. It's the perfect recipe for guests coming over for coffee or tea, or a dinner where you just don't have time to make an elaborate dessert. It basically tastes like a big chocolate chip cookie, but sometimes you need something a bit more presentable to slice into. Top it with some ice cream or whipped cream and kids and adults are in heaven. It's great served warm. This is easy, as pie. You could, of course, make your pie dough from scratch and make things a little less easy.

¼ cup and 2 tbsp butter (room temperature)

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

½ cup flour

6 oz choc chip

¾ chopped pecan

½ cup flaked coconut

1 unbaked pie shell

In a medium bowl, combine butter, sugar, vanilla and beat well; add eggs, beat, stir in flour, chocolate, pecans, coconut and a pinch of salt. Pour into pie shell.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Leek Fried Rice

2011-01-04T11:35:00.000-05:00

The inspiration for this recipe comes from Mark Bittman's The Minimalist (published in The New York Times) and was adapted from Jean Georges. I had made a simple leek fried rice for a dinner party and had decided to prepare this recipe with the leftovers as I had watched the podcast and was looking forward to making it ever since. It's absolutely divine. The creamy yolk mixes into the rice, and the crunch from the ginger and garlic is sweet and warm. It's brilliant, and a perfect weekend lunch.

Leek Fried Rice, adapted from The Minimalist

~ 2 cups leftover basmati rice

1 T minced ginger

1 T minced garlic

1 c thinly sliced leeks, washed and trimmed

1 T soy sauce

1 T sesame oil

salt, pepper

~ 1/4 c grape seed oil

In a pan over medium heat, heat oil and add garlic and ginger and cook until crisp and brown. With a mesh spoon, remove from pan and place onto plate with a paper towel. Salt. Toss leeks into pan and cook for about 8 minutes, until tender. Add rice. Salt and pepper. Stir in soy sauce and sesame oil, turn off heat. Fry up two eggs meanwhile in a separate pan, with a little butter. Serve rice onto two plates, top with fried egg and sprinkle ginger and garlic.

Pasta with Braised Short Ribs

2010-12-30T14:08:00.004-05:00

I'm a total sucker for a hearty pasta dish and I love when I find one that I know will become part of my repertoire. Once that is forgiving, one that I can adapt and call my own, and one that has popular appeal. Some of my all-time favorite pasta dishes that I make on a regular basis are:

Spaghetti Bolognese

Creamy Faijta Pasta

Kale with Pasta

and of course, Tandoori Chicken with Pesto

I've made a braised short rib with pasta before (with morels, for a recipe challenge), but something about this one seemed more attractive. I watched Giada make it on the Food Network and was immediately hooked. This isn't a weeknight kind of a meal, but a great snowy, Sunday afternoon kind of a dish. The kind where you are cozying in with the fire on, mug of mulled wine, and all the time in the world to wait for a perfectly satisfying dinner. The picture up there doesn't really do it justice. The first night we enjoyed this I tossed it with penne and let the pasta cook in some of the sauce (which is deep, rich and creamy), and that picture above was taken the next day, when I tossed some of the leftover meat with some elbow. So trust me, it's a beautiful dish, and shred some parmesan when serving up, drizzle some truffle oil, and curl up with a big bowl of it.

Penne with Braised Short Ribs, adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

4 pounds beef short ribs

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

~ 2 cups diced tomatoes (canned)

1 cup red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 pound penne pasta

1 t garam masala

1 t ground cumin

2 t paprika

1 bay leaf

salt, pepper

Place an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the ribs with salt and pepper. In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or ovenproof stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. In batches, add the ribs and brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the ribs and set aside. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine and mustard. Bring the mixture to a boil and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add bay leaf, and spices. Return the ribs to the pan. Add the beef broth, cover the pan and place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours until the meat is fork-tender and falls easily from the bone.

Remove the ribs from the cooking liquid and toss the bay leaf. Using a large spoon, remove any excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. Using a ladle, transfer the cooking liquid in the bowl of a food processor or Vitamix. Process until the mixture is smooth. Alternatively, you can leave the liquid in the pot and use an immersion blender. Pour the sauce back into the pot and keep warm over low heat. Remove the meat from the bones. Discard the bones. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into small pieces. Stir the shredded meat into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until very aldente. Drain the pasta and toss back into pot. Pour about two cups of sauce over pasta and let finish cooking. Serve into bowls and spoon over meat sauce.

French Pâté

2010-12-23T09:33:00.005-05:00

My husband loves pâté. It's one of those things I've picked up from cheese shops when we host our wine club, but I've never made it from scratch and always thought about doing so. I grew up watching my mom sauté chicken livers so the thought of doing so doesn't really phase me. I watched a few Mark Bittman podcasts on my way to and from Japan and his recipe for chicken liver pâté completely inspired me. He makes things look so easy and effortless and I appreciate that, though I love America's Test Kitchen, he's the complete opposite - no fretting over precision. I doubled the recipe so I would have enough for our holiday wine club party, ourselves, and a dinner party my parents were having. So, I made a lot of pâté. Way more than necessary, so I'll just post one for 1 lb of chicken liver. I was feeling so inspired I even ran out to The Container Store to pick up a few hermetic glass jars but all kinds of containers would work, like a small mason jar or a ramekin. I adapted Mark Bittman's recipe and added some garam masala (along with brandy and Marsala wine). If I ever publish a cookbook it may be called "Everything's Better With Garam Masala". Don't steal that, OK?

I pureed the pâté in my Vitamix, which made it unbelievably smooth, but a food processor will also work well

Chicken Liver Pâté, adapted from Mark Bittman's The Minimalist on The New York Times (link to video)

1 lb chicken livers, washed and dry

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

~ 1 stick butter (more as you see fit)

~1/2 c cream (more as you see fit)

2 t ground black pepper

1 t salt

1 t garam masala

1 t paprika

1/4 c Marsala wine

2 T brandy

Sauté onion in a medium skillet with about 1 T of butter. Add bay leaf and spices and aromatics. Toss in livers and let cook, but not overcook. They should be firm but still a bit pink inside. Halfway through this process, add in alcohol and let simmer. Remove livers from pan when cooked, and spoon into food processor (remove bay leaf and toss). Meanwhile, let the liquid in the pan reduce down for a few minutes, then pour into food processor. Pulse until pureed, then slowly add cream and add butter, and pulse until smooth and creamy. Let set in fridge for a few hours before serving.

Toffee

2010-12-22T14:52:00.000-05:00

These nutty, crunchy, buttery toffee bars come courtesy of my friend in cooking club, who adapted the recipe from Martha Stewart. Here is a link to the original recipe. She used semi-sweet chocolate instead of dark chocolate so go with your deep desire on that one. I can't wait to try these myself - I've kind of always wanted to pour hot toffee in a pan, let it cool and then break it apart into pieces. A note from another friend in cooking club is to possibly score the toffee before it cools to make breaking it up easier.

1/4 pound almonds (I think any other nut would also be fine, pecans or hazelnuts sound great)

3 cups (6 sticks) salted butter (yikes! but worth every calorie!)

3 cups sugar

1 pound semi sweet or dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast nuts on baking sheet, about 15 minutes. Remove nuts from oven and let cool completely. Transfer cooled nuts to a large ziplock bag and pound nuts until coarsely ground.

Melt butter in an 8-quart pot over medium-low heat; stir in sugar. Continue stirring until toffee reaches 305 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 30 minutes.

Pour toffee onto an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet, spreading evenly. Let cool until toffee is slightly hardened. Run a knife along the edges of the baking sheet to make toffee easier to remove.

In a bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water, melt chocolate. Remove chocolate from heat and let cool slightly until it reaches about 95 degrees on a candy thermometer. Immediately pour melted chocolate over toffee, spreading evenly to cover. Sprinkle over coarsely ground almonds, pressing down with offset spatula. Transfer to refrigerator until toffee is set, about 1 hour. To remove toffee from pan, run a sharp knife along the edges and lift toffee from the bottom. Using your hands, break toffee into large pieces.

Chai Cookies

2010-12-21T17:31:00.010-05:00

Someone needs to seriously ask me to stop eating cookies. I'm always a cookie monster, but I've turned into a terribly bad one this holiday season. I just can't seem to get enough. I've been craving Mexican Wedding Cookies for weeks now so I decided my Cooking Club holiday treat exchange was the perfect excuse to whip some up. And the fact that I couldn't have the entire batch all to myself was a huge incentive. I jazzed them up a bit by adding some "chai" inspired spices. So I guess I should have just said I "spiced" them up, and then written no pun intended, ha! I love the slight complexity the cardamom and ginger add. The base is a nice nutty shortbread that isn't sweet at all, and then you roll them around in powdered sugar which makes each bite sweet, but not overly sweet, as the cookie crumbles. These are perfect with tea. I feel like I always say that, but seriously, these are perfect with tea.

I combined a bit of garam masala along with ground ginger and cardamom, but my garam masala is home made and has predominately clove in it, so just add a bit of ground clove instead, as store bought garam masala will not be the same.

"Chai" Mexican Wedding Cookies, adapted from Mom's old recipe box

1 c butter (2 sticks)

3/4 c blanched almonds, toasted
1/4 c toasted pecans
1 T vanilla extract
2 c flour
4 T powdered sugar plus about 1 cup more for rolling cookies in after baked
~ 1 t mix of ground ginger, clove, cardamom (just sprinkle them in and judge by the smell how strong you want the spices in the cookies, I like less cardamom and more ginger, for example)

In mini food processor (or coffee grinder) pulse nuts until fine. Cream butter with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) and then add sugar. Add vanilla, nuts, flour and spices and beat until incorporated. Form 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes (until just toasted looking). Roll cookies in powdered sugar while warm, and then roll again after they cool.

Pumpkin Custard and Shortbread Parfait

2010-12-07T10:57:00.005-05:00

I had hoped to be able to post this recipe before Thanksgiving, but just didn't get a chance before I left for Japan. I created this recipe for Walker's shortbread who generously sent me boxes of shortbread cookies so I could develop a recipe for them. I'm usually quick to decline these kinds of offers, but I've always loved Walker's shortbread so was happy to oblige. I've also always thought my favorite custard recipe would pair so well with some shortbread cookies.....so I decided to make it a bit seasonal by converting the custard into a pumpkin custard. It turned out perfectly, and I crushed a combination of butter shortbread and orange Viennese shortbread. The orange essence tasted brilliant with the pumpkin. I lightened up the texture with some whipped cream, but I think it's optional.

Pumpkin Custard and Shortbread Parfait (link to my recipe on Walker's website)

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups half-and-half
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon almond liquor
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup pumpkin (not pie filling)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 cup cream, whipped

12 walkers shortbread cookies (6 butter shortbread, 6 orange Viennese cookies)

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Whisk together half-and-half, egg yolks. Gradually whisk half-and-half mixture into sugar mixture in saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook, whisking constantly, between 2-4 minutes - watch it carefully and as soon as it starts to thicken and "smell" like a custard remove mixture from heat.

Whisk in 3 tablespoons butter, vanilla and almond liquor. Stir in pumpkin and spices; cover and chill at least 4 hours. Place cookies in large ziplock bag and crush.

Layer pumpkin custard, crushed cookies and whipped cream in martini glass or parfait glass. Serves 4.

Arigato!

2010-12-02T10:28:00.003-05:00

Hello there! It's been a while, and I have an excuse....I've been in Japan! My husband has been traveling there for work and when we realized he would be there the week before Thanksgiving and the week after Thanksgiving we booked my flight over to Japan for the week OF Thanksgiving! I can't say I missed my dear U S of A traditions all that much.....because, really, who has time to think of such things when there is Japanese culture and food to enjoy? We were in Tokyo and Kyoto and had the most amazing time (Kyoto was charming beyond my expectations and I would go back there in a heartbeat). We ate sushi to our hearts' content, I inhaled bowls of noodles (including some Miso Ramen that changed my life). I enjoyed delectable yakisoba, platter upon platter of dumplings, an embarrassing number of rounds of tebasaki and lots of evenings full of yakitori and yakiniku. And of course cups of green tea and I may or may not have had some sencha ice cream twice in one day. I also ate the most amazing apples I've ever eaten - juicy and crisp beyond belief. I don't know if these were Japanese apples, or, as I learned, Grade A apples from orchards in the US that never make it onto the US market because the Japanese buy them all up. We celebrated Thanksgiving with dinner at Nobu. Would you believe I was nearing growing tired of sushi at this point (I think the early morning trip to the Tsukiji fish market followed by sushi for breakfast may have starting pushing me over the edge). Not quite, but I was getting there. But everything on the menu at Nobu sounded amazing and I proved that the kobe beef gyoza, the tempura rock shrimp and the tuna tacos were more that just that. I was only there six days, so as it may sound, I purposely overate. I was quite determined, in fact. Some of the things I brought back with me include Japanese sea salt, sushi rice, wasabi salt, packets of loose green tea, ceramic tea cups, bamboo trivets, and adorable bags of delicious hard candy in flavors like ginger and green tea (these are going to make great hostess gifts through the holidays). Unfortunately, it was hard to get good photos of food that I ate, mainly because it was too dark in most restaurants to get a good shot, or, I didn't bring my camera with me at night. So there you have it. I am back now and can't wait to have my first Japanese inspired dinner party. Back to blogging soon!

Mini Pecan Tarts

2010-11-15T13:51:00.004-05:00

This is a repost of one of my favorite fall recipes that my cousin in-law shared with me. They have a flaky, cream cheese crust, a dark buttery, gooey center with bits of pecans and a crunchy sweet top. My favorite part of this recipe is there is no stand mixer required. You just need two bowls, one to mix the crust and one to mix the filling. You'll want to take the butter and cream cheese out well in advance so they come to proper room temperature (OK, so I've cheated before and softened them in the microwave). This is a great finger dessert for parties - I made them as part of my dessert trays for an engagement party we hosted and they are easy to whip up the morning of a party.

Makes about 24 (one mini muffin pan)

For crust:
3 oz cream cheese at room temp
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter at room temp
1 c flour

For filling:
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 T butter at room temperature
1/2 c chopped pecans

Combine brown sugar, egg, butter and pecans in small bowl. Mix together cream cheese, butter and flour in mixing bowl (I use a fork to cut the butter and cheese into the flour). Form dough into small balls and flatten and then press around into mini muffin pan. Spoon filling into each tart. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Chocolate Mousse with Thin Mints

2010-11-08T07:43:00.003-05:00

I'm starting to realize that two boxes of thin mints was not enough. I am totally powerless around them. We had some friends over for dinner so I crushed some up and layered them between some chocolate mousse because "how bad could that be?" This is still one of my favorite chocolate mousse recipes. It's simple and satisfying. This made four servings. Four amazingly minty, cloudy, chocolately servings.

4 egg yolks

1/4 c sugar

pinch of salt

2 T cocoa powder (unsweetened)

2 oz bittersweet chocolate

3/4 c heavy cream

~ 8 cookies

chop up chocolate; set aside. In a double boiler, whisk yolks, sugar, and salt until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes. Off heat, quickly whisk in chopped chocolate until melted and cocoa until smooth (mixture will be thick). Cool to room temperature. In a medium bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Whisk half of whipped cream into room-temperature chocolate mixture. Gently fold in remaining whipped cream with a rubber spatula. Divide mousse among four serving dishes (and layer with crushed cookies if desired). Chill at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Corned Beef

2010-11-04T14:42:00.003-04:00

I really like picking up corned beef brisket when I see it at Costco (usually in March, but they had them in stock recently). I marinate it overnight and throw it in the slow cooker the next morning, and come home to the most amazingly comforting smell. When my husband and I pull it out of the slow cooker to slice it up it, the piping hot slices just fall right off and we end up eating quite a bit right then and there, and then we've still got a few sandwiches to spare. Slather on some mustard on a piece of toast and there you have it. I like to marinate the brisket in Shan's Hunter Beef Curing Mix which you can find in your local Indian grocery store. It's a mix of all kinds of spices.

3 lbs corned beef brisket (it really shrinks down, to about 6 servings)

1/2 packet Shan Hunter Beef Curing Mix

juice from 1 lemon or lime

32 oz beef or vegetable broth (plus a bit more liquid to cover the meat, I used water)

Make a paste with the spices and lemon juice. Rub this all over the brisket and marinate overnight (ziplock bag). Place in slow cooker and cover with liquid. Keep slow cooker on high for about 6-8 hours. The brisket from Costco also comes with a packet of spices like coriander seeds and bay leaves, which I also throw in.

Brownies

2010-10-26T19:43:00.006-04:00

I've never made brownies from scratch, so I figured for my first attempt I should go big or go home. This was also the first recipe I've made from my beloved Thomas Keller cookbook. I've loved staring at it the past month and was pleased to finally open it out onto the counter and listen to what the master wanted me to follow. These are not the kind of brownies you can consume all yourself. They are incredibly rich and incredibly decadent so they require you share them with colleagues and neighbors. What I love about these brownies are that they aren't sweet but what's highlighted is the rich chocolate flavors - one small piece is really satisfying. I slightly adapted them by adding in some espresso powder and cutting back just slightly on the sugar. I always prefer a dessert that isn't too sweet, especially if it has really high quality cocoa and chocolate.

Brownies (adapted from Ad Hoc at Home, by Thomas Keller)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder (or Dutch processed. I found some at Williams and Sonoma)

1 tsp kosher salt

3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1 tbsp chunks

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar (recipe calls for 1 3/4)

1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract

6 oz. 61-64% chocolate (I used Scharffen Berger)

1 1/2 t espresso powder (optional)

powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9″ square pan.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt.

In a large bowl, place half the amount of cubed butter. In a saucepan, melt the remaining half of the butter over medium heat, stirring. Pour the melted butter over the cubed butter, and stir to combine. The butter should look creamy, with bits of unmelted butter still present.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed for three minutes, until light and doubled in volume. Add the vanilla. On low speed, alternate adding the flour and the butter in several additions. Stir in the chopped chcocolate.

Pour the batter into pan, and bake for 40 minutes.

Cool and dust with powdered sugar before serving. Makes about 16.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-10-19T19:32:00.002-04:00

This is a repost, of this recipe, from Cook's Illustrated. I took a proper picture of them so I decide to post again and rave about what a fantastic recipe it is. Dark chocolate, semi sweet, whatever chocolate chips you want, nuts or no nuts, mini cookies or big cookies, this recipe always comes out great and it's the only chocolate chip recipe I use and I make them all the time. Ok, I mean, not all the time, but often. Often enough. Just make these cookies, they are worth every calorie.

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 t baking soda
14 T unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 t table salt

2 t vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

1 1/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips or chunks (when I use semi sweet, I cut the granulated sugar back to just over 1/4 of a cup)

3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Whisk flour, baking soda together and set aside. Heat 10 tablespoons of butter in skillet. Cook while swirling pan constantly until butter is dark brown and nutty. You'll see little brown specks throughout. Remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl, Add remaining 4 T of butter and stir untill completely melted. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk untill fully incorporated. Add whole egg and 1 egg yolk. Whisk until mixture is smooth with no lumps remaining. Let mixture stand for 3 mins, then whisk for 30 secs. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times untill mixture is thick, smooth and shiney. Using spatula or wood spoon add flours mix until just combined, about 1 min. Add choco chips and nuts. This recipe makes 16 large cookies or 3 dozen small cookies. With ice cream scoop, scoop mounds of dough on to baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone pad. Bake at 350 for 10-14 minutes.

Blinis with Smoked Salmon

2010-10-11T14:16:00.002-04:00

I'm always on the hunt for good appetizers. Something that doesn't require a fork, and something that doesn't need to be served immediately. I've been wanting to try Barefoot Contessa's recipe for blinis for a while, so I assigned that to myself for my most recent cooking club's appetizer theme. I followed Ina's recipe precisely except for the dill (I'm not a big fan of dill or buying an herb just for garnish, though that photo is pretty much screaming for some). The recipe calls for clarified butter, which has a higher smoke point, but it still started smoking a bit toward my last batches. I actually think grapeseed oil would work well, which I'm a new fan of for cooking. These pancakes are great little bases for things....cavier, cheese, a cucumber slice, a sliced grape, so I will most likely be making them again. I think the recipe made about 25 small pancakes.

1/3 cup buckwheat flour

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

1 extra-large egg

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, clarified, divided

1/2 pound smoked salmon, thinly sliced

1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

Fresh dill sprig, for garnish (optional)

Combine both flours, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and 1 tablespoon of the clarified butter, then whisk into the flour mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon of the clarified butter in a medium saute pan and drop the batter into the hot skillet, 1 tablespoon at a time. Cook over medium-low heat until bubbles form on the top side of the blini, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 more minute, or until brown. Repeat with the remaining batter. (I clean the hot pan with a dry paper towel between batches.) Set aside.

To serve, top the blini with a piece of smoked salmon. Add a dollopof creme fraiche and a sprig of dill.

Goulash

2010-10-01T13:53:00.004-04:00

It's been a galoshes and goulash kind of a week here in D.C. and I was craving the latter, though I've never actually had goulash. I had come across this post ages ago from a lovely food blog, and it really appealed to me, so I finally got around to making it. I read several recipes online, and couldn't really figure what a traditional goulash was all about, so I took a little from everything and created my own interpretation. It looks a lot like hamburger helper, no? Well, I assure you it tastes much more homemade. I love that the pasta cooks with the meat sauce. Truly a one pot dish. Really comforting and perfect to welcome fall.

2 cups macaroni

1 lb ground beef

1 red, bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 12 oz can diced tomatoes

1 8 oz can tomato puree

1 cup red wine

2 T soy sauce

2 bay leaves

salt, pepper

seasonings to taste (cayenne pepper, thyme, Italian seasonings)

Heat some oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat and brown ground meat. Salt. Next, add onions and garlic and let cook. Salt. Add bell pepper and then wine and let the wine reduce. Pour in soy sauce and then tomatoes along with puree. Add seasonings and bay leaf, 1/2 cup water, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes on medium low. Next, stir in uncooked pasta and let cook in sauce, covered, for about 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit until ready to reheat and serve (let flavors get absorbed).

Brown Butter Apple Shortbread

2010-09-28T12:16:00.001-04:00

I'm starting to think everything is better with browned butter. When I brown butter (I say that as though it happens every day) my husband always walks into the kitchen saying "it smells good!". It's butter browning and it's an amazing smell. There should be candles that smell like browned butter. I made this apple shortbread as an adaptation of Smitten Kitchen's peach shortbread and upon the recommendation of a friend. I wanted to bring an apple dessert to my friend's BBQ and something that didn't require a pie server or forks. This was the perfect answer. Apples and browned butter is like fall in a pan.

Apple Shortbread, adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) browned butter*
1 large egg
2 apples, I used granny smith, peeled, cored and sliced thin

* Melt butter in a small/medium saucepan over medium-low heat until it turns a golden brown with brown specs. Transfer to small bowl and set it in the freezer until solid (about 30 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9×13 inch pan, or spray it with a nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, baking powder, flour, salt and spices with a whisk. Use a pastry blender, fork or your fingertips, blend the solidified brown butter and egg into the flour mixture. It will be crumbly. Pat 3/4 of the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing firmly. Lay apple slices over crumb base, overlapping slightly. Scatter remaining crumbs evenly on top and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until top is slightly brown and you can see a little color around the edges. Cool and cut into squares.

Birthday Love

2010-09-27T10:59:00.050-04:00

Is when your Dad grinds fresh wheat berries to make his own flour and bake you bread. You'll need a Vitamix for this one if you want to make it from scratch. It is the most heavenly bread I've ever had, most likely because it was made with love. It has a smooth taste of orange with bites of blueberries and a really luscious texture to it. I can't seem to get enough of it; I've been enjoying it for breakfast, and as an afternoon snack before hitting the gym.

Blueberry Orange Bread, courtesy Vitamix

Use 3/4 cup of wheat berries in place of whole wheat flour. Grind berries into flour using a Vitamix Dry Blade container for I minute on high prior to using in recipe

preparation: 5 minutes processing; 30 second. bake time: 60-70 minutes, yield: I loaf (16 slices)

1 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

2 T butter

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 orange, peeled, halved

1/4 inch orange peel

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

Preheat oven to 350, spray an 8 1/2 in x 4 1/2 in loaf pan with cooking spray. Combine first five ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Place butter, water, sugar, egg, orange and orange peel into the Vitamix in the order listed and secure lid. Select Variable 1. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High. Blend for 30 seconds. Pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients and mix gently to combine. Fold in blueberries. Pour into loaf pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Salmon Curry

2010-09-26T16:39:00.001-04:00

A simple fish curry is incredibly easy to make. If you have the staples that most any Indian dish calls for as well as a can of rich coconut milk, you can create an aromatic broth and add whatever kind of meat or seafood you like. Salmon has a stronger taste than other fish and I felt it competed a bit too much with the curry itself, but my husband loved it and its complex flavors. Tilapia or any white fish would also work well. I adapted this recipe from a new cookbook I picked up, the Curry Bible.

4 salmon fillets
salt, to taste
1 T lemon juice
3 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 t garlic paste
2 t ginger paste
1/2 t ground turmeric
1 t ground coriander
1/2 t ground cumin
1 t chili powder
2 T tomato puree (or a small spoon of tomato paste or a chopped tomato)
1 cup coconut milk
1 green chili, chopped
2 T white wine vinegar
2 T chopped fresh cilantro

Cut each piece of salmon in half and sprinkle with salt. Rub with lemon juice. Let sit in fridge for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Sautee onion for several minutes. Add ginger and garlic paste and stir for a minute. Add spices and let cook for a minute. Add tomato and let cook for one minute. Pour in coconut milk, add chili and vinegar and some salt. Let simmer for 5 minutes. You may want to thin out the coconut milk if you want it less thick. Add in fish and let cook gently for 5 minutes. Add fresh cilantro. Serve over rice, with quinoa, cous cous or naan.

Chocolate Frosting

2010-09-21T09:49:00.001-04:00

I adapted this frosting from the recipe on Sprinkle's cupcake mix (sold at Williams and Sonoma). I was actually pretty disappointed in the cake part (it was dry) but I could have eaten a bucket of this frosting. I still have a lot of extra frosting in the fridge and I'm wondering if I should bake up a small yellow cake so I can enjoy it. Or is it OK to just eat it with a spoon? I can pretend that it's ice cream. This frosting should be enough for at least 16 cupcakes and perhaps even two dozen depending on how much frosting you like to slather on.

2 1/2 c confectioner's sugar (2 cups if you want it less sweet)

1/2 c cream cheese (room temperature)

1 1/2 sticks butter (room temperature)

1 t vanilla extract

4 oz dark (or semi sweet) chocolate

In a glass bowl, melt chocolate and 1/2 stick butter in the microwave, about 20 seconds. Stir until smooth. In a stand mixer beat 1 stick butter and cream cheese for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add sugar and continue to beat, on medium low. Add vanilla, then pour in melted chocolate and beat for 2 more minutes, medium.

Cucumber Lime Margarita

2010-09-19T14:19:00.037-04:00

The new jello shot. Cucumber lime margarita. When I stumbled upon this site I could hardly wait for the next opportunity to serve a cocktail this creative way. My husband and I were hosting our monthly wine club so I tried this out on the crowd as they entered and I think it was a hit. I actually think less tequila would work well, and it would be less like a shot and more like a proper cocktail. Mix this up the evening before and let it set in the fridge. Cut it up into squares and present it how you wish.

Cucumber lime margarita (adapted from Jelly Shot Test Kitchen)

1 small cucumber (I used persian) plus one half for garnish (if desired)
1 12 oz can frozen limeade concentrate (thawed)
1 T agave nectar (optional)
2 packets Knox gelatin
3/4 c water
3/4 c agave tequila (1/2 c would also work well)
1/4 c Cointreau

In a small saucepan stir Knox gelatin in water and limeade. Turn heat on to low and stir until dissolved, about 4 minutes. Stir in agave nectar (or honey). Remove from heat. Chop up cucumber and throw into a cocktail shaker. Muddle with tequila. Strain and add into sauce pan. Stir in Cointreau. Pour into square 8x8 dish and let set in fridge overnight. Cut into about 16 squares and garnish with cucumber slice, lime zest and sprinkle of sugar if desired.

Pasta alla Vodka

2010-09-15T21:01:00.039-04:00

My husband has been infusing vodkas and after a few weeks his chili infused vodka became pretty potent. Even he wasn't quite sure what to make of it.....bloody mary's, perhaps? When I came across this pasta dish on Pioneer Woman I knew it'd be a great way to use some of that vodka up. I've never made penne alla vodka but always wanted to try it. I was thrilled when I even stumbled upon this unique handmade pasta at Whole Foods.

Though not a light pasta dish by any means, it's a very simple dish that comes together fast. It has a great zing to it. Whatever that means. The dish came out surprisingly not too spicy - perhaps most of the heat from the chilis dissipated, though I assumed it would get intensified after reducing. It is creamy. All kinds of creamy. I followed Pioneer Woman's recipe quite precisely.

1 pound pasta

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup Vodka

1 can (14 oz.) tomato puree

1 cup cream

1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (if not using chili infused vodka)

1 cup grate parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and butter. When butter is melted, add in chopped onion and garlic. Stir and allow to cook for two minutes. Pour in vodka. Stir and cook for three minutes. Add in tomato puree and stir. Reduce heat to low and stir in cream. Allow to simmer, being careful not to overheat. Stir in red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water in case sauce is too thick. Add cooked pasta to the sauce, tossing to combine. Splash in a little water if it needs it. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

The Roquette

2010-09-07T10:12:00.000-04:00

This sweet and savory libation comes courtesy of my husband, who has been experimenting with different cocktails lately. He was looking for a perfect drink (not too sweet, and not too alcohol-y) to go as a starter for the lamb we were grilling for dinner (that recipe to follow). He found this recipe in the new issue of Bon Appetit, and just had to try it. This variation on the gin gimlet adds some fresh arugula, agave nectar, lime juice and (of course) some gin. Don't be put off by the arugula, he found the taste perfectly balanced!

It's pretty straightforward: combine a handful of arugula, 3 tsp agave nectar, 3 tsp lime juice in a shaker and muddle. Add ice and 1/4 cup of gin (he used Hendrick's, but any good gin will do), shake quickly and pour over ice.

Tomato Chutney

2010-08-27T20:03:00.019-04:00

This chutney goes perfect with some freshly grilled chicken, fish or kabobs. A shiny spoonful is all you need on your plate and it's such a marvelously seasonal accompaniment. You can also slather it on some crostini or a cracker with cheese. It lasts well in the fridge for weeks and a small jar makes a great hostess gift.

Tomato Chutney

8 cups chopped tomatoes

1 c apple cider vinegar (with the mother, Whole Foods carries this kind - it's cloudy)

2 c brown sugar

1 c granulated sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

5 cloves

1 inch chunk of fresh ginger

1 lemon sliced thin

Combine everything in a pot and cook on high heat for 15 minutes. Simmer for 1 hour until thick. Some tomatoes are more watery than others so you may need to cook it down for 1.5 hours. Yields 3 cups of chutney.

Peach and Nectarine Crisp

2010-08-23T19:54:00.052-04:00

Sweet. Silky. Gooey. Crisp. Crunchy. Buttery. Not healthy, but oh so good. The theme of our most recent cooking club was all things "Southern" - mac and cheese, creamed corn, corn bread, bbq chicken, okra, sausage balls, and a food coma. I agreed to make a peach dessert and since fruit pies scare me I thought a crisp would be perfect. I loved this blogger's idea of using this recipe for the filling, and this recipe for the topping and I also love that she's a fellow librarian. I may have to ask her to be my friend. I haven't been happy with peaches I've been picking up lately, and this past weekend was no exception - they were mealy. But I had a handful of ripe and juicy nectarines and I figured they would be perfect in place. I adapted the recipes a bit, holding back on the sugar, adding agave to sweeten the filling and adding in some crystallized ginger. Ina Garten's recipes always lean toward the overly sweet side so if that's your thing, great, but next time I may add even less sugar. I served this with some creamy and decadent custard which was mean and unnecessary. This crisp is great on it's own, or how about some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream?

Serves 8. Allow 1.5 hr

Filling

7 large peaches or nectarines (I used 5 nectarines and 2 peaches)

1 T flour

1 T corn starch

1/4 c sugar

2 T agave nectar

1 T crystallized ginger, chopped finely

1 T lemon or orange zest

In a large pot of boiling water, immerse peaches for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Strain and run under cold water. Peel skin off peaches and slice up into cubes. Throw into medium baking dish. Toss with remainder of ingredients. Preheat oven to 350.

Topping

1 1/2 c flour

1 c oats

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

1 t cinnamon

pinch of salt

2 sticks soft butter (I know)

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients until butter is incorporated (if the butter is soft you do not need to use a stand mixer, like the recipe asks). Press topping onto fruit and bake on a sheet (to catch any juices that may spill over) for 50 minutes.

Tomato Curry with Ravioli

2010-08-22T21:28:00.021-04:00

Do you have tomatoes bursting out of your vegetable garden? CSA box? Kitchen? Of course I'm partial, but I think this recipe for tomato curry is a winner. I didn't submit a recipe this year for the Post's tomato contest, but maybe next year. I still savor that feeling of having that recipe and photo being published. Anyway. Wedding season has now come to an end in our house and after the most recent trip out of town we returned home late on a Sunday evening with nothing much in the fridge except for some tomato curry. I didn't feel like simply having it over rice, so I grabbed some mushroom and cheese ravioli and presto - a lovely dinner. Who knew the Indian flavors of a tomato curry paired so well with mushroom and cheese ravioli? So whip up some tomato curry if you can and I promise you'll find dozens of ways to enjoy it.

Tandoori Shrimp Salad

2010-08-16T18:31:00.003-04:00

Tandoori seasoning loves more than just chicken - it goes perfectly well with some freshly peeled shrimp, grilled to perfection. I love tandoori shrimp on skewers, as an appetizer, or slid off onto a salad. Tossed with a simple vinaigrette, maybe some crumbled cheese, a grilled peach. You can't go wrong.

Tandoori shrimp
24 shrimp (peeled)
2 T Rajah Tandoori Masala
2-3 cloves crushed garlic, or 1 T garlic paste
juice from half a lemon
salt, pepper
olive oil

Salt and pepper shrimp. Mix together tandoori masala with lemon juice and some olive oil and garlic. Coat shrimp with seasoning and let marinate about 20-30 minutes. Skewer and grill for just a few minutes on each side.

Pesto Pasta with Tandoori Chicken

2010-08-11T19:58:00.004-04:00

Have I mentioned my love for the combination of pesto and tandoori chicken? I feel like I have, but here is a post dedicated to my original discovery, and one of my favorite comfort foods. As I know I have mentioned countless times, before I was married my mother would cook for me and send me home with leftovers - the most popular of these items being her fresh basil pesto, and leftover tandoori chicken, hence, I often boiled pasta, tossed it with my mother's basil pesto, and topped this with some tandoori chicken. It's the greatest thing ever. I don't know what it is about the combo, but it's magical. Sweet basil pasta with the soft spice of the chicken. What was once a single gal's weeknight hunger fix turned into one of my most coveted recipes. All you need to do is make some fresh pesto and some tandoori chicken. Or, leftover chicken from this dish.

Seeing as how it's summer, I would marinate some chicken and grill some up fresh. It's great in salads or as a sandwich or wrap.

Grilled Tandoori Chicken

4 chicken breasts, cubed

4 t (or a bit more) Rajah Tandoori Masala

1 T garlic paste

1 T ginger paste

2 T yogurt

juice from 1/2 lemon

olive oil, salt, pepper

Marinate chicken overnight (or for a few hours) in all ingredients. Skewer and grill. Boil some pasta, toss generously with pesto, slide some sliced tandoori chicken on top, sprinkle a little parmesan and curl up on the couch and enjoy.

Beet Salad

2010-08-04T18:10:00.008-04:00

Beets. I love beets. In all colors, shapes and sizes. Before I was married my mother would roast beets for me often. Tossed with some mint and a drizzle of olive oil. Mmmmm.....a summer salad of beets. I'll never quite forget finding out my husband hates beets. I think I made the same expression as when I found out he was a registered Republican. No judgement, just a bit of a scrunchy face. Similar to the one last night when I begged him to take a bite of a beet and he spit it out. I accepted this part of him and once we were married I just never brought home beets. I knew they'd be rejected so I refused to allow my beloved roots to be subjected to the humiliation. As a result, it's always the first thing I order at any restaurant. Seeing the word printed on a menu makes me positively giddy. Whoever thought of pairing goat cheese with beets is my hero. Restaurants in D.C. are bursting with beet salads in the summer and they make me so very happy. But lately my cravings have not be satiated so I found myself eying a bunch of beets at the farmer's market last week. I strode by my husband, head held high, gripping a handful of them still tickled with soil and leaves arched out. I knew he could read my mind thinking "hey, deal with it, buddy". I roasted them until their bright purple color was bursting with sweetness and their rough skin peeled off their silky meat. Sliced thin and served with some crumbled goat cheese, toasted pecans and a drizzle of olive oil. It was a sight for sore eyes. For me, at least. This can be served cold or at room temperature. And if you have some fresh (or dried) mint, toss some on top as well. Oh, and don't worry about my husband, he's taken a few steps away from the right, and he had some homemade kebabs while I enjoyed my beet salad with a grin.

Beet salad
serves 4 small portions
1.5 hour

3 medium beets (or 4 small)
goat cheese to crumble on top
toasted pecans to sprinkle on top
handful of salad greens (optional)
olive oil

Wash beets and slice off ribs and leaves. Wrap each one in foil and place in baking dish. Bake at 425 for 45 minutes or until tender to a knife. Let cool for about 15 minutes. Slide off skin. Slice beets thinly. Place on bed of greens, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with cheese and nuts. Salt and pepper if desired.

What I'm reading....and picking

2010-08-02T21:31:00.016-04:00

Apologies for the infrequent postings - we are in the throes of family and friends' weddings and my schedule hasn't really allowed for time to blog about new recipes during the week. But we are thoroughly enjoying the summer and our local CSA (my parents' vegetable garden) has been bursting with lots of vegetables! That's about one tenth of what was harvested yesterday evening. Last night my husband and I sautéed some zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and peppers with some ravioli and it was a nice treat after a weekend of stuffing ourselves with traditional Indian and Pakistani food.

I've also got some new summer reading, Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller, an absolutely stunning cookbook, and Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain. Say what you will about him, but I really love his gritty, masculine writing. Hope you are enjoying the summer and I will post something yummy soon!

Mango Lassi

2010-07-20T12:15:00.004-04:00

No, it's not an orange julius, it's a mango lassi. Velvety and a little sweet with a warm spice. Ripe Marathon mangoes from Mexico are bursting out of a lot of markets this time of year and we have our fair share in the kitchen so I thought this was a great way to honor them. The portions aren't really important in this all that much. I made a blender full and this is approximately what you can blend together:

2 c milk
1 c yogurt
4 pumps vanilla syrup (about 4 t simple syrup)
2 mangoes, chopped
t ground cardamom
pinch garam masala
juice from 1 lime (or lemon)

Cajun Meatloaf

2010-07-19T17:58:00.007-04:00

I know, meatloaf, not the most glamorous of dishes, but stay with me. I loved my mother's meatloaf growing up, and one of my favorite pairings with it was pesto with pasta. I'm not sure how my mother thought of the combo, but every summer she would make loads of fresh basil pesto, toss it with linguini and serve it with her tangy, hearty meatloaf that had just a hint of spice. It's a rockstar combination. Trust me. I've been making a lot of fresh pesto this summer with mounds of basil from the farmer's markets and we seem to burn through it every week with various dishes so it's almost at the point where I can make fresh basil pesto with my eyes closed. I decided some meatloaf was in order. I came across this recipe over at Pioneer Woman and while I completely adapted it, hers was my inspiration. Meatloaf is so forgiving, you can really add in any vegetables you have on hand (which is what I did) and the portions do not need to be even remotely exact.

Cajun Meatloaf

3/4 lb ground beef

1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 c chopped carrots
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 squash, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 c milk
1 T Worcestershire
~ 3/4 c bread crumbs

T paprika

t cayenne pepper

t garlic powder

t ground nutmeg

t black pepper

salt

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 c ketchup
1 T honey

Sauté veggies, onion and garlic in a sauté pan with some olive oil for several minutes. Salt, pepper and add seasonings. Add worchestershire sauce (and a squeeze of ketchup if you like). Let this cook down for a few minutes. Remove from heat and pour in milk. Add breadcrumbs and stir, allowing it to thicken up. In a bowl, mix together ground beef and eggs and then mix in vegetable mixture. Form into the shape of a football in a roasting pan. Mix together honey and ketchup and spread half this on the meatloaf. Bake at 400 for about 40 minutes, and glaze over ketchup mixture halfway through the baking.

Cherry Pie

2010-07-15T18:52:00.004-04:00

How beautiful are those? Little pocket-sized cherry pies. Heaven. This is another baking post courtesy of my amazing neighbor who brought these over for us to enjoy after we went out to dinner. She's turning into my guest blogger. Everything she bakes is beautiful. I felt like my counter was the set for a Williams and Sonoma shoot. Speaking of, these are made with these pie molds from Williams and Sonoma, and their cherry pie filling which holds so well together and is incredibly delicious. I need to watch her make pie dough next time because it was so flaky, so crisp, so perfect and I'm crazy jealous of her pie dough skills.

Lattice Pie Pockets (courtesy Williams and Sonoma)

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 t salt

2 T sugar, plus more for sprinkling

16 T (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice and stored in fridge

6 to 8 T ice water

About 1 cup Williams and Sonoma pie filling

1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tsp. water

In a food processor, pulse together the flour, salt and the 2 Tbsp. sugar until combined, about 5 pulses. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 pulses. Add 6 Tbsp. ice water and pulse twice. The dough should hold together when squeezed with your fingers but should not be sticky. If it is crumbly, add more water, 1 tsp. at a time, pulsing twice after each addition. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide in half. Shape each half into a disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and let refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Let the dough stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. On a floured surface, roll out 1 dough disk into a round 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick. Brush off the excess flour. Using the Lattice Pocket Pie Mold, cut out 7 of the solid shaped bottoms, rerolling the dough scraps once if needed. Repeat with the remaining dough disk, cutting out 7 of the latticed tops.

Place a solid dough shape in the bottom half of the cutter and gently press the dough into the mold. Fill the center with about 2 Tbsp. pie filling and brush the edges with the egg wash. Top with a latticed top. Press the top half of the cutter down to seal and crimp the edges of the pie. Remove the pie from the mold and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Freeze the pies for 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Brush the tops of the pies with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is gently bubbling, 20 to 24 minutes (you may need to bake for a few minutes longer for a nice crispy crust). Transfer the pies to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Baked Eggs with Zucchini Blossoms

2010-07-14T11:19:00.008-04:00

I'm not usually one to make eggs over the weekend unless we're hosting brunch, but one of my favorite food bloggers completely inspired me with her recipe for baked eggs with zucchini blossoms (my gawd her photography skills are amazing). I adapted the recipe, leaving out cheese and adding in some pesto as well as some truffle oil. I ended up making this twice in one weekend. I love that I found another use for zucchini blossoms, I love that this is a perfect little serving size, I just really love this baked egg recipe. I tagged this vegetarian if you want to ignore the smoked salmon with toast on the side.

Serves 2

2 eggs

2 T cream (or half and half)

2 zucchini blossoms, chopped

2 t pesto

salt, pepper

breadcrumbs

truffle oil

parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 and grease two small ramekins. Pour cream into bottom of each, add in zucchini, then pesto. Crack egg into each ramekin, sprinkle with salt, pepper, breadcrumbs and parmesan. Drizzle with truffle oil. Bake for 12 minutes until the white are set.

Orange Julius

2010-07-13T18:39:00.002-04:00

It's summer. It's hot. I want a drink that can cool me down after a long walk outside with my puppy, after a long day at work. I recently picked up some Torani vanilla syrup and have been making iced vanilla lattes at home (1 Nespresso lungo, two pumps syrup, splash of milk, over ice), but some days I want a cool and refreshing drink without the extra jolt of caffeine. For some reason I was really craving an orange julius the other day - where is there an Orange Julius, anyway? It had been a while since I had one, but I think I managed to create a nice imitation. I highly recommend getting a bottle of some flavored syrup for your kitchen this summer - it's really quiet versatile and it may just save you some cash from Starbuck's.

serves 2
1 1/2 c orange juice
1/4 c half and half
1 c ice
4 pumps vanilla syrup

Blend together and serve!

Corn

2010-07-08T18:19:00.002-04:00

Just corn. Freshly sliced off the cob. Cooked up in a skillet, some butter, some olive oil and a little seasoning. I can't resist corn this time of year. I could eat a bowl of freshly grilled corn and I could call that dinner. Nutritious, no, but delicious, yes. We picked up some corn at the farmer's market, and they were nice and petite with small yellow and white kernels and so so sweet and lovely.

4 ears of corn
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
salt
pepper
1 t paprika

Husk corn and remove silk. Slice off kernels into a bowl, or directly into a skillet on the counter (I like using the least amount of dishes and I need the shallow skillet to slice all the way down). Heat this up with some butter and olive oil and sauté for just a few minutes. Salt, pepper and toss around in some paprika. Enjoy nice and piping hot.

Strawberry Tart

2010-07-07T09:30:00.009-04:00

Picture perfect, no? So innocent, so sweet looking. If you only knew the self-inflicted damage this tart was capable of. OK, to be fair, I should have taken the instructions of "serve immediately" literally.

I'll tell the story. It's short, I promise. I offered to bring dessert to our friend's dinner and really wanted to bring something seasonal, so I settled on a strawberry tart. I figured my neglected tart pan would love the attention. I read several recipes, and decided to not go with my usual trust in Ina - hers seemed a bit high maintenance so I settled on this Southern Living recipe because it just sounded so classic. The crust came out well, and the custard was to die for. I mean, I could have eaten an entire bucket of this custard. I will definitely be making the custard again, though perhaps just served in bowls with fresh fruit and a shortbread cookie. The problem was I assembled this before heading out to our friend's, and the tart was too full with custard, too fluid, too heavy with strawberries and they began sliding this way and that way and my once beautiful tart looked quite frazzled upon our arrival. This tart does not want to travel. It wants to sit delicately in the kitchen it was prepared in. No matter, I placed it in the fridge until we served dessert, hoping it would reset itself and be delicious anyway. It was delicious, however, slices did not retain their shape like most fruit tarts I've seen - the custard just slid out all over the place (did it need more corn starch?). What I thought was going to be such a proper, presentable dessert turned into an unruly teenager. Regardless, it was delicious - fresh and creamy and it was a hit. We all enjoyed it and had a good laugh. I've found a winning custard recipe for my repertoire, but I may change things up a bit next time I want to serve this as a fruit tart.

Strawberry Tart (courtesy Southern Living)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cold butter or margarine, cut up
2 tablespoons cold shortening
3 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups half-and-half
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon almond liquor
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced

Pulse first 3 ingredients in a food processor 3 or 4 times until combined.

Add 1/3 cup butter and shortening; pulse 5 or 6 times or until crumbly. With blender or processor running, gradually add 3 tablespoons water, and process until dough forms a ball and leaves sides of bowl, adding more water if necessary. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and chill 1 hour.

Let chill come out of dough, and then roll to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Press into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch tart pan. Line dough with parchment paper; fill with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Remove weights and parchment paper, and bake 3 more minutes.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan.

Whisk together half-and-half, egg yolks, and, if desired, rose water. Gradually whisk half-and-half mixture into sugar mixture in saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Remove mixture from heat.

Stir in 3 tablespoons butter and vanilla; cover and chill at least 4 hours. Spoon into prepared pastry shell; top with strawberry slices, and serve immediately.

Stuffed Squash Blossoms

2010-07-04T07:27:00.007-04:00

I could lie to you. I could tell you that I am a huge squash blossom fan, that I wait for them to come in season in year, and prepare these delicacies and savor each bite. But the truth is this was the first time I prepared these at home. This was the first time I ran up to a vendor with squash blossoms and left with handfuls, feeling like such a seasonal, localvore, determined to experience what I am constantly reading and hearing about, at home. We found an abundance of these at the Old Town Alexandria's farmer's market - the best farmer's market in the area, in my opinion. They had gooseberries, people. Gooseberries! My grandmother used to make the most incredible gooseberry jam. When I think of my grandmother, her gooseberry jam always enters my mind.

I highly recommend picking up some squash blossoms at your local market, while they are in season. You should probably prepare them the day you pick them up. I decided to stuff them and fry them, as is a common preparation and one that doesn't sound like a bad idea. I think goat cheese would have been lovely, I had cream cheese, so I used that. I also had some fresh pesto, and I knew the herb and garlic flavors would be appreciated. I tossed them in cornmeal, but I think regular flour or a tempura batter would also work well. These were even more delightful than we had expected. They were light and crunchy and have not a floral flavor, but a really mellow summer squash taste. They taste as though you are taking a deep breath of an overgrown vegetable garden. And of course the cheese and whole frying thing makes them feel southern and comforting.

If you're looking for another seasonal vegetable treat, try these fried, green tomatoes I made last year.

Squash Blossoms stuffed with pesto cream cheese

12 squash blossoms
2 T cream cheese
1 T pesto
1 egg
1 T milk
1/2 c corn meal
oil for frying

Beat egg and milk in a bowl. Toss some salt and pepper with corn meal in a small, shallow prep dish. Mix together pesto and cheese. Heat a shallow amount of oil in a fry pan or dutch oven. Gently open up each squash blossom and fill with a small spoon of cheese mixture. Twist blossom closed. Dip each blossom in egg, then toss in cornmeal and let rest on a plate. Fry up each blossom for 15 seconds on each side, let rest on paper towel lined plate. Note: I think our squash blossoms could have been stuffed with even more cheese, so mix up more and be generous.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

2010-07-03T14:47:00.006-04:00

Go big or go home. That's quoting my neighbor, who baked these delicious muffins. Filling muffins. Muffins with chocolate chunks, how wrong could that be? They make the most perfect 4 o'clock sugar fix.

courtesy of The Williams Sonoma Baking Book:

Chocolate Chip Muffins

(Makes 12 muffins)

1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted

3/4 c. buttermilk

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

2 c. all-purpose plain flour

3/4 c. sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12 standard muffin cups with butter or butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray or line with paper liners.

In a bowl, whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. In another bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the buttermilk mixture, and beat until smooth and well mixed, 1-2 minutes. Using a large silicone spatula, fold in the chocolate chips just until evenly distributed. Do not overmix. Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling it level with the rim.

Bake the muffins until golden, dry, and springy to the touch, 20-25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins and let cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

Churros (con chocolate)

2010-06-30T18:11:00.004-04:00

Next time I make these I will get a nice picture of them with the chocolate, but I snapped this after they were fried and evening (and dark lighting) came upon us when we served these with small glasses of chocolate. You munch on the churros and sip the chocolate and every so often, dip the churros in the chocolate. These were rock star. We were so excited they turned out well. We decided we didn't want to fry them when our guests were over, so we fried them two hours ahead of time, and then toasted them in the oven. While this worked out fine, they were really spectacular freshly pulled out of the oil. We pretty much followed this recipe (from a cafe in Madrid), though we doubled the chocolate to make it extra chocolately. I had never used a pastry bag and was quite apprehensive of the whole process, but don't be intimidated, it's all quite easy.

churros:
vegetable oil for frying (~6 cups)
1 c water
1/2 c butter
1/4 t salt
1 c flour
3 eggs
1/4 c sugar
cinnamon and sugar for rolling

hot chocolate:
8 oz good quality dark chocolate
2 c milk
1 T cornstarch
4 T sugar

For the hot chocolate, melt the chocolate with half the milk in a saucepan over low heat, stirring, until chocolate melts. Add sugar. Dissolve corn starch in the remainder of the milk in a small bowl and then whisk into warm chocolate milk. Whisk until it thickens after several minutes. Keep warm and pour into small mugs or glasses when ready to serve (serves 4).

For churros, heat water, salt and butter to a rolling boil in a small pot. Add flour and whisk vigorously off heat until ball is formed. Beat eggs until smooth in a small prep bowl and then add to pot (we waited a few minutes to avoid scrambling the eggs in a hot pot). Whisk this all together and a sticky, smooth batter will form. Scoop half into a pastry bag fitted with the appropriate tip. Heat oil to 350 in a dutch oven and fry about 4 strips at a time. It took two of us as I would squeeze out the strips and my husband would slice off the batter from the pastry tip. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side, drain and let rest on paper towel. Roll in cinnamon sugar mixture.

Gambas Al Ajillo

2010-06-29T18:37:00.015-04:00

Yes, those shrimp are in some serious butter and olive oil, but that's the best part because you get to soak it up with bread. We made this dish for our Spanish themed dinner party over the weekend and it turned out great. Serve with some toothpicks and slices of a baguette and everyone will be crowded over the little dishes. Serve on your bar, or pass around a table. One of the best parts of this dish is how quickly it comes together, gotta love shrimp, they are ready for you in just minutes.

24 shrimp, peeled
1/4 c butter
1/4 c good quality, extra virgin, olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or pressed
1 t red chili pepper flakes
1 t paprika
salt, pepper
chopped parsley to garnish

Heat butter and olive oil together in a sauté pan. Toss in shrimp and garlic, let cook for a few minutes, add chili pepper flakes, paprika, salt, pepper, lemon juice. Serve in shallow dishes and garnish with parsley.

Orzo Tuna Salad

2010-06-25T17:31:00.003-04:00

Not sure why this photo is practically sideways, or why I can't see all that much tuna in it, but this is in fact a wonderful summer salad. It's nice and filling and is quite substantial enough as a lunch meal in a bowl kind of a deal. I was completely inspired by this food blogger's Mediterranean tuna and chickpea salad (especially since I had chickpeas and tuna sitting in the pantry).

1 15 oz can of chickpeas
2 5 oz can albacore tuna
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup orzo, uncooked
1/4 c toasted pine nuts

dressing
1 T mayo
1 T mustard
1 t cilantro chutney
1 T olive oil
1 T while balsamic vinegar
1 t paprika
salt, pepper

Toss together tuna, chickpeas, pine nuts and bell pepper into a bowl. Boil orzo and drain. Whisk together dressing, pour and toss. This sits well for a few days in the fridge.

Bald Head Island

2010-06-23T19:04:00.008-04:00

My husband and I just returned from a mini vacation in Bald Head Island, NC, where we were attending the wedding of our friends. It is an amazing island with beautiful beaches; so peaceful, so relaxing, so quiet. Cars are not allowed on the island, so you take a ferry there and drive golf carts. I mean, seriously, how cute? We will be back again soon, next time for much longer. We had quite our fill of southern food - fried shrimp and fried oysters and fried crab cakes and fried chicken, oh you name it and we had it. Ice cream. Lots of ice cream. The island had the most amazing ice cream stand. I love when mint chocolate chip ice cream isn't green.

Road trips can be dangerous for me.....look what we picked up on the way home, after a weekend of nonstop eating.

We were in North Carolina, how could we not have Krispy Kreme?

We're trying to detox this week so bare with me. Tonight is kale with pasta and we may just stuff ourselves with more veggies until the weekend.

Speaking of, we're hosting a dinner party this Saturday and are featuring a Spanish themed menu, of course. We're still finalizing the menu but we're thinking of some tapas, gazpacho and seafood paella, and lots of cava and rioja, and of course olives and cheese and iberico that we vacuum packed and brought home. So stayed tuned!

Blueberry Muffins

2010-06-15T19:24:00.002-04:00

Ahh, blueberry muffins. So quaint and cozy, no? I made these to bring over to a friend's as a housewarming treat. I ate three after the came out of the oven. That's allowed, right? They taste like blueberry pancakes. Exactly like blueberry pancakes. Oh and the batter is out of this world. I completely licked the leftover batter on the spoon. Yum. It was heaven. Really delightful muffins, and I followed Ina's recipe exactly.

Courtesy Barefoot Contessa

1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature (I know, annoying, pull it out the night before)
1 1/2 c sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 c sour cream
1/4 c milk
2 1/2 c flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t kosher salt
2 half pints blueberries

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin pan (makes 16)
In a stand mixer with the paddle, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (5 minutes). On low speed, add eggs, slowly, then vanilla, sour cream and milk. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder and baking soda (add salt after). On low speed, add flour mixture until to batter until just mixed. Remove bowl from stand and fold in blueberries. With ice cream scoop, generously pour into muffin liners to top. Bake for 25 minutes.

Chicken Salad

2010-06-12T12:23:00.013-04:00

I've gotten in the habit of making chicken salad every weekend as I think I've settled on my favorite recipe. My husband loves polishing this salad off as he isn't the biggest fan of mayo and appreciates the addition of sour cream instead. I absolutely love the arugula - a nice lemony, grassy flavor. I feel like an Ina broken record, but the key really is to roast chicken with the skin and bone. The seasonings are approximate (I never measure the paprika or curry powder so sometimes it comes out a bit more yellow in color)

4 chicken breasts, with bone and skin
1/2 c chopped celery
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
large handful of baby arugula, chopped
1 T mayo
1/4 c sour cream
2 T mustard
1 T paprika
1 t curry powder

Salt and pepper chicken breasts and roast at 350 for about 45 minutes. Let cool and remove meat from skin and bone, chop and toss into bowl. Add seasonings, mustard, sour cream and mayo and stir. Salt and pepper. Toss in vegetables. Add some olive oil, water or white wine if you wish to thin it out a bit.

Penne with Salmon

2010-06-12T11:30:00.003-04:00

This is a great weeknight meal - easy and fast with not many ingredients. I love smoked salmon and we tend to always have some in the fridge - toast with a little smoked salmon is what my husband and I love having for breakfast. I decided to toss up a pasta dish my mother often made for me. Sauté some onions and garlic, chopped tomatoes, and smoked salmon and you're done. Salty, a little sweet from the tomatoes, and nice and light.

1/4 lb Penne, or ziti, bow tie, any pasta really

1/4 white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 t red chili flakes

~ 8 oz chopped tomatoes

~1/2 c chopped smoked salmon

salt, pepper

olive oil and some butter

Heat some oil in a pan, sauté onions and then garlic. Add salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and let cook for several minutes. Add some chili flakes. Add a pad of butter and let simmer. Boil pasta aldente, drain and toss in along with the smoked salmon which will shift from translucent to light pink. Let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce for one minute. Shave some pecorino after serving.