the dish on delish

the BIG move

2010-04-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

Dear fellow chefs,

I love posting my recipes for you all to try. It's one of my favorite things about blogging - sharing tips, tricks and ideas. However, posting recipes on this blog and trying to keep up with my personal blog is just too much so I'm consolidating by posting all future recipes on my personal blog: http://www.elizabethbryant.blogspot.com/. I also have a recipe index (click here) for easy access to all my recipes (past and present). Hope you join me there!

Love,
Elizabeth

quinoa salad with black beans and corn

2010-03-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, there are not enough words to describe how good this quinoa salad is. In fact, I won't even try to think of worthy adjectives. Just know this: Since I first tasted this a week and a half ago, I have made it three times. Thrice. It is so good and hearty and chewy and satisfying and healthy. Hmmm. I guess those are pretty worthy adjectives after all.

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
1 cup frozen sweet white corn
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir in onions and garlic and saute until lightly browned.

Add quinoa and cover with broth. Stir in cumin, cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes (or until all the liquid is absorbed).

Stir in frozen corn and black beans until heated through. Remove from heat and add chopped cilantro. Serve warm, room temperature or cold. Whatever floats your boat.

zucchini corn quesadillas

2010-03-29T21:38:00.000-07:00

David sent me a text today that read, "Let's try to eat vegetarian most of this week." Yipee! I do like eating less meat and I also enjoy the challenge of finding tasty, easy, meatless recipes. This was delicious and easy. Stay tuned for the side dish (which was my favorite part and of which I made a huge batch so I can eat it all week - it's THAT good).

2 medium zucchinis, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup frozen sweet white corn
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
4 flour tortillas
Shredded jack and cheddar cheese
Sour Cream, for serving
Salsa, for serving (see tip)

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a medium saute pan. Add onions and garlic and saute 2 minutes. Add zucchini and saute until soft and caramelized. Add frozen corn and saute until hot. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in chopped cilantro.

Heat saute pan over medium heat. Divide zucchini mixture between two flour tortillas. Layer with shredded cheese and top each with a remaining tortilla. Add quesadilla, one at a time, until crispy on the bottom and carefully flip over until the other side is crispy as well. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Tip: in a pinch here's how I improve on store-bought salsa. I trick I learned from my sister-in-law. Pour a good amount of Pace salsa (or whatever you have) into your Magic Bullet (trust me, it's worth it) along with a handful of cilantro and a squeeze of lime (or not). Blend until smooth. It's delicious.

Easy Spanish Rice

2010-03-11T07:57:00.000-08:00

This was quite possibly one of the easiest and yummiest things I've ever made. I like to make Spanish Rice along side enchiladas, tacos, burritos, etc. but it's often such a pain to make. Not this recipe! Just five ingredients and 25 minutes and David and I agreed that it was superb. I served this along with some enchiladas I made using this shredded pork. It was delicious.

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 of a medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice, uncooked
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup chunky salsa (I used good ol' Pace - perfect for this type of situation)

Heat oil in a medium or large pot over medium heat. Stir in onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Mix rice into pot and stir until it begins to brown. Stir in chicken broth and salsa. Reduce heat and simmer (covered) for 20 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.

sunday dinner feast

2010-03-08T10:02:00.000-08:00

As the tenth of eleven children Sunday dinners at my parent's house is pretty crazy. It's one thing I really miss about living in Arizona. Sunday dinner always consists of pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, peas, a salad and homemade rolls. I can rarely justify trying to replicate the whole meal for just the two of us so we invited some friends over for dinner last night as an excuse (and because we enjoy their company). I didn't really make my parent's meal but it was kind of close. I do my pot roast quite differently than my mom and dad but it's really good. I also made biscuits instead of rolls purely because I didn't have time to let them rise after church. So, here's my Sunday Dinner feast.

Pot Roast

2 1/2 - 3 pounds beef chuck roast (fresh or frozen - I buy a large roast from Costco and split it into smaller cuts and freeze it)
4 medium carrots
4 medium white potatoes
1 large sweet onion
4 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
1 chicken bouillon cube

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Pat beef with paper towels and season all sides generously with salt and pepper. Sear beef in the saute pan until a nice crust forms (about 3 minutes on each side). Place beef in crock pot. Don't drain the drippings.

Add carrots, onions, potatoes and garlic to the pan and saute for about 3 minutes. Pour in the diced tomatoes (with juices) and stir to combine. Arrange vegetables over the beef in the crock pot and pour in the beef broth with the bouillon cube dissolved.

Cook on low for 6 -8 hours.

Pot Roast Gravy

Pot Roast drippings/liquid
2 Tablespoons butter, cold
2 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 - 2 teaspoons cold water

Pour all the liquid out of the crock pot into a small or medium sauce pan. Let simmer over medium low heat for about 5 minutes. Mix butter and flour together in a small bowl and mash together with a fork until well combined (kind of like a buttery paste). Slowly whisk in the mixture into the liquid until starting to thicken and combined. I like my gravy pretty thick so I usually add the cornstarch as an added thickening agent. Just combine the cornstarch with cold water until dissolved and stir into the gravy, whisking until smooth. Season with freshly ground black pepper (I don't normally need anymore salt).

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 1/4 teaspoons (or 1 package) dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (approximately 110 degrees - should be warm not hot)
5 cups flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, cold and cut into 1/2 Tablespoon chunks
2 cups buttermilk

Dissolve yeast in warm water until bloomed (about 10 minutes). Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until little pea-sized balls form. Mix buttermilk with the yeast mixture. Stir into dry mixture, working in only until moistened. Put in a large, plastic container and cover. Refrigerate for at least an hour (I didn't do this but I suspect if I had these would have been even better. You can also store the dough in the fridge for up to one week). Carefully roll out on a well-floured surface 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

lobster rolls

2010-03-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

David and I watch a lot of Food Network. A couple of weeks ago we were watching an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay where he made a lobster club against a Maine chef (we thought her's looked better). In any case, it sparked David's fancy for a lobster roll. So, last weekend when we went to visit his family his mom bought 8 lobster tails and David's craving was fulfilled. FYI - lobster is pricey. I wonder what the price is like in New England? Any Maine or Massachusetts readers out there?

Making these rolls alongside David's sister brought back some fond memories of my culinary internship at Blue Hill Country Club in Canton, Massachusetts. Of course I didn't have such fond memories of lobster at the time (see here).
4 lobster tails
2 Tablespoons black peppercorns
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
3 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 - 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
6 Hoagie buns
2-3 Tablespoons butter, melted
6 leaves butter lettuce, cleaned
2 large tomatoes, sliced

Fill a large stockpot with water about halfway and bring to a rolling boil. Rinse lobster tails and place in boiling water with peppercorns - making sure lobster tails are submerged. Let boil over medium high heat for 12 minutes. Meanwhile, make an ice bath (fill a large bowl with about 3 handfuls of ice and cold water enough to cool the lobster after cooking). After the lobster has cooked (they will be red) place in the ice bath to cool.

Combine mayonnaise, cream cheese, onion, celery, parsley, dill, cayenne and lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.

Once lobster is cooled, remove meat from the tails. I did this with some sharp kitchen shears. I cut all the way down the "spine" of the tail until the end and pulled the shell apart and removed the entire tail intact. Chop into 1 inch cubes (anything smaller and no one will know what they're eating - a shame when you spend the money for lobster!) Pour dressing over lobster (as much or little as you want) and chill for at least 15 minutes.

Brush the cut sides of the hoagie rolls with melted butter and toast on a hot skillet until golden brown. Layer with a butter lettuce leaf, then 2 slices of tomato and top with the lobster filling.

{t}blt salad

2010-02-28T13:18:00.000-08:00

This salad was delicious. I really love BLT sandwiches but David and I have been on a major salad kick lately. I didn't really miss the bread with this salad but I suspect some homemade croutons or a slice of toasted sourdough might be good with this as well.

Last week, I just happened to have some organic turkey bacon in my fridge as well as some butter lettuce (which I almost always keep on hand since it's my favorite of the lettuces). Here's the kicker with this salad - the blue cheese. I have strong opinions about blue cheese from Stilton to Danablu to Roquefort to Gorgonzola. I love them all but Point Reyes is the BEST. Creamy and salty and just the right amount of blue. Mmmm. Plus you can get it pretty easily (I buy mine at Costco).
4 slices {turkey or regular} bacon
1 large tomato, sliced
1 head butter lettuce {or Boston bibb}
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 scallion, chopped
1 cup crumbled blue cheese {please go to Costco and buy the Point Reyes kind - I'm serious. no substitutions.}
2 Tablespoons milk, if necessary

Cook bacon in a hot skillet until crisp. Once cooked, transfer to a paper towel to drain and pour drippings into a small bowl (if you used turkey bacon, there won't be hardly any drippings so you can forgo this step - it's healthier but slightly less tasty). Once slightly cooled, chop the bacon.

Whisk sour cream, milk and vinegar into the bacon drippings (or alone in a small bowl if you used turkey bacon) until smooth. Season with a bit of kosher salt and pepper. Add chopped scallion and 3/4 cup of blue cheese. Stir lightly until combined.

Clean lettuce and tear into wedges and toss with salad dressing (as much or as little as you like). Top with tomato slices, chopped bacon, the remaining blue cheese and a bit of pepper to taste.

buttermilk waffles

2010-02-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

David is always begging me to make sourdough waffles. I often oblige but it's a lot of work getting the sourdough out the night before, carefully folding in egg whites and so on and so forth. Besides, my recipe always ends up throwing out around 4-5 waffles and that's bad news in our house where portion control reigns. So, I tweaked my sister-in-law's recipe just a bit and these were super! Just the right amount of crispiness (I hate me a soggy waffle) and it made 2 thick belgian waffles - which was exactly all we needed around these parts. Another major bonus was I made almost the entire thing in my Magic Bullet (thanks for the tip, Leone)!

1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat waffle iron. Beat egg until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, baking powder, salt, vanilla and cinnamon just until smooth.

Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour half of the mixture onto the hot waffle iron and cook until golden brown. I serve this with fresh whipped cream and strawberries.

artichoke tomato penne

2010-02-22T11:18:00.000-08:00

This was a cinch to make. Really easy and light. Of course, we had to use artichokes to meet our "A" requirement for the Go See Do project (see here) and this turned out pretty good.

12 ounces oil marinated artichoke hearts
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 16 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
kosher salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
12 ounces cooked penne pasta
Parmesan-Reggiano cheese (to taste)

Drain the artichokes, reserving the oil and halve them lengthwise.

Heat 3 Tablespoons of the artichoke oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onions and garlic and saute over medium low heat. Saute for 10 minutes and stir in diced tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano and season with salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.

Add the reserved artichoke hearts with the remaining oil marinade and stir while simmering for another 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked penne until well combined. Adjust the seasonings as needed and sprinkle with chopped parsley and grated cheese.

apple spice cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting

2010-02-22T05:25:00.000-08:00

This cake . . . oh! This cake!!! It was really good. I don't know about you guys, but I love spice cake. A lot. This was moist and perfectly spicy. I will definitely make this again.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon all-spice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
2 medium Gala or Fuji apples (peeled, cored and cut into 1/2" cubes)

Preheat oven to 350 and grease two 9" round pans. Whisk dry ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Using an electric mixer, beat butter until fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until light and smooth. Add eggs one at a time and beat well until combined. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix for just a minute (not combined) and then pour in applesauce. Beat until everything is combined. Stir in apples. Divide cake batter between the two pans and smooth out tops.

Bake cakes in the center of the oven for about 40 minutes (or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean - you don't want to overcook this cake). Cool on racks for about 15 minutes and then loosen edges with a knife. Invert cakes onto the racks to cool completely.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
4 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup walnuts, coarsley chopped (for garnish)

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in vanilla and a pinch of salt. Gradually add powdered sugar and cinnamon at the end, beating until smooth and creamy.

Using a long, serrated knife cut of the rounded tops of the cakes to make level. Frost cake and sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top along with chopped walnuts.

strawberry smoothie

2010-02-19T16:05:00.000-08:00

Ever had Trader Joe's nonfat plain frozen yogurt? Oh, it's sooooo good. Sooo tart and sooooo softy. It's nearly perfect. Plus, it has zero fat. That's a BIG plus.

Anyway, at night when David gets home and I'm hankering for a treat, I whip out about 4 frozen strawberries, one banana, rougly 1/2 cup of skim milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 2 big scoops of this froyo and blend it together . . . sooooo good. Don't doubt. Just make.

green chicken and corn enchiladas

2010-02-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is my healthiest version of enchiladas. While David loves your traditional enchiladas (fried tortillas, cheese-filled and red sauce), I find these a great alternative. I also suspect you could omit the chicken and double the veggies to make it vegetarian. But I think the chicken adds a great substance.

1/2 sweet white onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup frozen sweet white corn
2-3 chicken breasts
10 corn tortillas
1 can (26 ounce) Las Palmas green enchilada sauce
shredded cheese (I use a mixture of Monterey Jack and Cheddar)

Set a large pot of water on to boil. Add chicken breasts and boil until done (about 8 minutes if not frozen). Once cooked through, remove from water and let cool. Shred the chicken and set aside.

Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add onion and saute until starting to soften. Stir in diced bell pepper and cook until starting to soften (not too long!). Add the frozen corn and saute until warmed through. Pour in cooked chicken and about 3 Tablespoons of the enchilada sauce. Season with salt and pepper and stir until combined.

Preheat oven to 375. Take a glass casserole dish (9x13) and pour about 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom. Swirl to coat the pan. Wrap the corn tortillas in a wet (and rung dry) paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds just to soften the tortillas.

One at a time, put about 1-2 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture inside the tortilla and wrap up tightly (being sure not to break the tortilla). Place in the casserole dish and repeat until used all the tortillas and the filling. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top and layer a good amount of cheese on top as well. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes until the top is bubbly and browned (I like my top really crispy).

Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole and tomatillo salsa (my recipe here).

pasta a la caprese

2010-02-15T08:23:00.000-08:00

This was super easy and super delicious. I just happened to have all the ingredients in my fridge which was rare since I don't normally keep fresh basil and fresh mozzarella around the house. I'm glad I did though because dried basil and regular mozzarella wouldn't have been as good. By the way, unless you grow your own fresh basil I recommend buying it at Trader Joe's. Their's is good and very inexpensive.2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
10-12 cherry tomatoes, washed and cut in half
10-12 large basil leaves
2 large fresh mozzarella balls, diced
1/2 pound pasta of your choice (bowtie, penne, fusilli, etc.)

Set a pot of water on to boil. Add a bit of salt and boil the pasta until al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and stir until fragrant. Add the tomato halves and cook until they burst and the skins somewhat caramelize. Pour in the drained pasta and stir until combined. Remove from heat and add diced mozzarella and basil. Season with salt and pepper. You can also drizzle a bit of olive oil on top for more flavor.

salmon spinach salad with crispy potatoes

2010-01-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

here's a super quick and delicious way to use up salmon burgers without making burgers. it was an incredibly simple supper but I liked it.

Salmon Spinach Salad with Crispy Potatoes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 salmon burgers
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1 lemon, cut in wedges

Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, crispy and golden brown, 5 or 6 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and add salmon burgers. Cook until golden brown on both sides - about 4 or 5 minutes on each side.

Combine the shallots, vinegar and about 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat. Remove from heat and let cool a minute and then whisk in buttermilk. Place spinach leaves in serving bowls and toss with the salad dressing. Top with potatoes and salmon burger and squeeze lemon wedges on top.

salmon burgers

2010-01-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

I've really been loving salmon burgers lately. I could eat them every day. They are so easy to make, healthy and a quick dinner. I purchase a bag of Trident wild caught Alaskan salmon burgers from Costco and quickly saute them in a large skillet for about 4 minutes on each side until they're nice and golden. Then I lay then on a toasted bun with a bit of basil mayonnaise, fresh baby spinach leaves some tomato and red onion. Mmmm. try it sometime.

schnitzel and mushroom spaetzle

2010-01-27T20:33:00.000-08:00

my brother served his mission in Germany and when he came home I had all kinds of questions for him about the food there. the only German food venture I had during culinary school was making spaetzle and I loved it. I mean, LOVE at first bite. my brother happened to agree about the deliciousity that is spaetzle and I've been meaning to make some ever since. so, that's what I did this weekend. I made a traditional German/Austrian meal of schnitzel and mushroom mustard spaetzle (thanks Tyler Florence for the inspiration). I will say that this meal was hard work for me. if I hadn't been balancing meat pounding and pushing spaetzle batter through a colander with nursing a hungry three month old baby by myself, I doubt it would have been such a labor of love. so don't be daunted by my griping but I probably will only make this on special occasion (and also because it's not the most low calorie meal out there - in fact, quite the contrary but it was delicious).

Tyler's Ultimate Schnitzel

4 boneless skinless pork loin chops (about 5 - 6 ounces each)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

kosher salt and pepper

2 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

4 cups plain dried breadcrumbs

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon thyme (or one spring fresh thyme if you have it)

lemon wedges

Place each chop between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound them with a meat tenderizer with the flat side (or, if you don't have a meat tenderizer like me, carefully pound with a rolling pin but be sure to do it evenly).

Put the flour in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Whisk the eggs and milk in another shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Pour the breadcrumbs in a third dish and season with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the pounded pork chops in the flour and shake off excess. Then quickly soak in the egg and dredge evenly in the breadcrumbs to coat.

Lay the breaded pork chops in a single layer on a plate and refrigerate for about 10 minutes.

Heat the oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the thyme and gently lay the chops (two at a time) and cook until they are golden brown and crispy and cooked through. Remove to paper towels to drain. Season with salt and serve with lemon wedges (which really make the schnitzel taste so much better).

Mushroom Mustard Spaetzle

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whisk together the eggs and milk in another bowl. Making a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour the wet ingredients in and gently stir together until smooth. It should be thick and smooth. Let sit on the counter for 15 minutes (this is a good time to pound out your meat and cut up the mushrooms).

Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot over medium heat. Reduce the heat to simmer. To form the spaetzle, hold a large holed colander over simmering water and push the dough through the holes with a spatula. Do it in batches and stir after they drop in the pot so they don't stick together. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes until they float to the top. Drain and give a quick rinse in cold water and set aside.

3 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon thyme

1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (I used button but I think crimini would have been even better)

2 cloves garlic, minced

kosher salt and pepper

1 cup heavy cream

2 Tablespoons whole grain mustard

Add 1 Tablespoons of butter and the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cooked spaetzle and saute until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Set the same skillet back over medium high heat and add a bit more oil and the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter. Add the thyme, mushrooms and garlic and saute until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cream and mustard and let cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Fold in spaetzle. Serve with schnitzel.

Pork Chops with Golden Applesauce

2010-01-17T22:28:00.001-08:00

When I had my baby one of my good friends brought over dinner a few days after we returned home from the hospital. I wasn't expecting much - not because I thought she didn't know how to cook - but because most of the meals we had received that week were pretty standard. You know . . . typical crockpot fare or store-bought meals. So, when I tasted Stephanie's apple pork chops with garlic mashed red potatoes and a delicious green salad with sugared pecans I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

A few weeks later, I was still thinking about that meal and wondered, "Was it really that good or was I just starved for a decent meal?" When I saw her at church today I asked her to send me the recipe. She obliged. I made it. And it was still really good. Way good.

And yes, we serve very American sized portions around here.

4 apples (I used Gala), peeled and chopped

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 ounces golden raisins (eye ball it - sidenote: I don't typically love cooked raisins and if you're the same, give this a shot anyway. The cook so long and tender that they almost become part of the sauce and give it a perfect sweetness.)

1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and whole

3 Tablespoons light brown sugar

2 cups apple juice or apple cider, plus a splash more for deglazing pan

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 (1 inch thick) center cut boneless pork loin chops, 6 - 8 ounces each

2 Tablespoons butter

Combine first eight ingredients in a medium saute pan over medium high heat and cook until a chunky sauce forms, 10 - 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. If sauce begins to spatter as it bubbles, reduce heat back a little but it should be allowed to reduce and form quickly. Once apples are soft and the sauce forms, remove from the heat.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil to the pan. Season pork chops on one side with salt and pepper. Using a pair of tongs, add chops to the hot skillet seasoned side down. Season the opposite side of the chops with salt and pepper. Brown and caramelize the chops 2 minutes on each side, then reduce heat to medium and cook another 5 - 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until juices run clear (sidenote: my chops were quite thick so I actually butterflied them after getting a nice crust on both sides first). Remove chops from heat and let them rest a couple of minutes to let the juices redistribute. Deglaze the pan with a splash of apple juice and 2 Tablespoons of butter. Let cook down a little and pour pan sauce over the chops. Remove ginger from the sauce and top the chops with a generous portion of the warmed apple sauce.

P.S. I served this with broccoli which I broiled in the oven at 400 degrees coated in a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper until tender. Then I grated on some Gruyere cheese and let broil just a minute more until melted.

southwestern brisket tacos with red cabbage slaw

2010-01-14T10:47:00.000-08:00

I made smitten kitchen's Southwestern Pulled Brisket with red cabbage slaw the other night for dinners and it was good. I did make a couple of alterations so read on.

3 pounds beef brisket (or pot roast)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed (use the back side of your knife)
1 large spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can whole tomatoes, with juice
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup molasses

Season the beef with salt and pepper and heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add beef and sear on all sides until evenly browned. Transer meat to the slow cooker (or crock pot, whatever you fancy). Leave saute pan on heat.

Add garlic, onions, chili powder and cumin and stir for about one minute. Add vinegar and boil until it's almost gone, scraping the bottom of the pan. Stir in water and pour the mixture over the brisket. Crush the tomatoes through your fingers over the beef, adding juices as well. Add bay leaves and molasses. Cover and set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8 - 10 hours (I did 10).

Serve as tacos with warmed corn tortillas, red cabbage slaw (recipe below) and sour cream.

Red Cabbage Slaw
1 cup green onions, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 jalapeno pepper
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
salt and pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 small head red cabbage, shredded
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Blend green onions, vinegar, jalapenos, mayonnaise, salt and pepper in blender (or this is a GREAT time to pull out your Magic Bullet) until emulsified. Place cabbage and red onions in a large bowl and pour dressing on top. Mix until combined and fold in cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

braised cod with roasted tomatoes and zucchini

2010-01-14T10:35:00.000-08:00

Braising is one of my favorite cooking methods. It's easy and almost always produces a moist and flavorful dish. Plus, if you're like my husband, there's usually some sort of broth or sauce to dip your crusty bread in.

Last night I made Braised Cod with Roasted Tomatoes and Zucchini. I used cod because I can afford cod - not because it's my first choice. If I could have found halibut for less than $12 a pound then I would have used that. However, cod worked fine.

2 (7 ounce) cod steaks, skin and bones removed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
kosher salt and pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
2 medium zucchinis, cut into 1/4 inch slice
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
flat leaf parsley, for garnish

Sprinkle both sides of cod with oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle the tomato and zucchini slices with salt and pepper as well.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. When hot, add zucchini and saute until browned on one side (about 1 minute). Flip over and saute until brown on the other side and tender. Remove zucchini from pan and divide among two serving dishes.

Add cod steaks and tomatoes to the saute pan (adding a bit more olive oil if necessary). Cook until cod steaks are golden on the bottom (about 4 minutes). Turn cod and tomatoes over and add 1 cup of water and the garlic. Bring liquid to a simmer and let cook until the cod feels firm (about another 4 minutes). Place cod, tomatoes and broth of the zucchini and garnish with parsley. I also suspect some freshly grated parmesan reggiano on top would be a delicious addition but we're trying to cut down on extra calories around here.

baked cod

2009-10-06T09:07:00.001-07:00

I know that just hearing the word “casserole” probably makes your stomach gurgle with the thought of cream of chicken soup and mayonnaise (I’m already nauseous) but this is no casserole. There’s no cream, no canned soup and certainly no mayonnaise. There is, however, some delightful Gruyere cheese baked on top and I just can’t say no to Gruyere cheese. I served this up with some Haricot Verts (French green beans) lightly steamed and then finished off in a sauté pan with a swirl of olive oil, garlic and sea salt. I am making this one again and again.

Baked Cod

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium onions, very thinly sliced
1 cup dry white wine (I used non-alcoholic wine from Whole Foods which is the greatest thing ever)
1 1/4 pounds cod, cut into 4 pieces (Trader Joe’s is a great place for this – frozen)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups finely chopped whole-wheat artisan bread, (about 2 slices)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup finely shredded Gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until just starting to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Add wine, increase heat to high and cook, stirring often, until the wine is slightly reduced, 2 to 4 minutes.

Place cod on the onions and sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Cover the pan tightly with foil; transfer to the oven and bake for 12 minutes.

Toss bread with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, paprika and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Spread the bread mixture over the fish and top with cheese. Bake, uncovered, until the fish is opaque in the center, about 10 minutes more.

french breakfast puffs

2009-10-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up my older sister, Alice, made French Breakfast Puffs on special occasions – and heavens, I loved them. I mean, who doesn’t love muffins with cinnamon sugar stuck to melted butter on the tops? Mmmm, muffin tops. Have you seen that episode of Gilmore Girls when Sukie brings Loralei a basket full of muffin tops to request a favor? I bet they were so good . . . I just confessed that I have seen every episode of Gilmore Girls . . . well, actually NOW I have.

ANYway.

Even though I planned on making cinnamon rolls during General Conference this weekend (and then realized I only had 3 cups of flour left) I decided to make these. They did not disappoint. It’s been a while and this isn’t the original recipe my sister uses but I personally love the tanginess of the buttermilk.

French Breakfast Puffs

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the heavenly TOPPING:
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease 12 standard muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.

To make the muffins, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well until pale and smooth.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Add to the butter mixture in 2 additions, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy. NOTE: Never overmix muffin batter – just barely wet or incorporate the ingredients. Overmixing is the biggest mistake for “cone shaped” muffins.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each three-fourths full. Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins and let stand until cool enough to handle.

To make the topping, in a small, shallow bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon (I usually do extra cinnamon because that’s how I like it). Put the melted butter in another small bowl. Holding the bottom of a muffin, dip the top into the melted butter, turning to coat it evenly. Immediately dip the top in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, coating it evenly. Transfer the muffin, right side up, to the rack. Repeat with the remaining muffins. Let cool completely before serving.

Makes 12 muffins.

bruschetta

2009-09-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

I know I’m, like, way behind the times in terms of popularity here but I can’t deny the fact that Julie & Julia was fantastic. So, so fantastic.

Since you’re here I assume you’re a food lover as much as me. I don’t know if it was just my pregnancy hormones or just simply the delicious appearance of the bruschetta that they ate in the movie, but I knew I just had to make it. Bruschetta is so easy, makes a pretty plate and always tastes good with fresh ingredients.

I don’t really have a “recipe” but here’s what I did, which will inevitably convince you of the simplicity of this divine meal, snack, appetizer, whatever you like.

step one: I sliced up four pieces of Rosemary Sourdough bread.
step two: Heated a couple of swirls of olive oil in a small skillet over medium high heat.
step three: “Browned” the bread until nicely toasted.
step four: Cut one clove of garlic in half and rubbed it on the bread just for a little flavor.
step five: Sliced small heirloom and cherry tomatoes (and de-seeded when needed – a rhyme!), fresh basil and seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
step six: Spooned tomato basil mixture on top of bread and promptly devoured.

It was yum.

fajita burgers

2009-09-21T14:04:00.001-07:00

Summer is coming to a close. It seems this summer was extra long. I’m excited for long cardigans, scarves and stylish boots with skirts.

Before summer’s end though, David and I cooked up some Fajita Burgers the other night. They weren’t hard to make and I whipped up some fresh Hoagie Rolls to go with it which were quite good. Put together with some Grapefruit Sparkling Soda from Trader Joe’s and watermelon while sitting outside on the patio made for a nice, quiet, cool evening.

Fajita Burgers

1 pound lean ground beef
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup shredded or 4 slices Monterey Jack cheese
4 Hoagie Buns (see recipe below) split and toasted
2 Anaheim Peppers
1 cup shredded green cabbage
4 slices tomato
4 thin slices red onion

Preheat grill to medium-high and turn on oven broiler to high.

Wash Anaheim Peppers well and place on small cookie sheet. Place in the oven on the highest rack closest to the heat. Broil until charred (about 4 minutes), then flip over and broil until charred on the other side (about another 4 minutes). After fully charred on both sides, take out of oven and immediately place in a plastic bag. Close and let steam for about 5 – 6 minutes.

Meanwhile place beef, 1/4 cup cilantro, onion, scallions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Gently combine, without overmixing, until evenly incorporated. Form into 4 equal patties, about 1/2 inch thick and oval-shaped to match the rolls.

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup cilantro, mayonnaise and lime juice in a small bowl. Season with some salt and pepper.

Peel the roasted peppers, halve lengthwise and remove the seeds.

Oil the grill rack. Grill the burgers until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165°F, about 6 minutes per side. Top with cheese and cook until it is melted, about 1 minute more. Assemble the burgers on toasted rolls with the mayonnaise, half a roasted pepper, cabbage, tomato and onion.

Hoagie Buns

2 cups warm water
4 teaspoons yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
4 ½ - 4 ¾ cups flour, or as needed

Dissolve yeast with water and sugar, add butter, salt, and flour. (It says to make a soft dough, but I don’t think it works well if it is too soft—the rolls flatten too much). Knead 8 - 10 minutes, rise 45 minutes, punch down and shape into a long loaf. Cut into 12 equal portions and roll into neat balls.

Place on greased baking sheets, score tops with a knife. Cover and rise about 30 minutes or until doubled. Brush tops with egg white wash (diluted with a little water), and bake 400 for 25 - 30 minutes. I bake them with steam to make them crunchy on the outside (place your broiler pan on the lower shelf while preheating the oven, and then pour a cup or so of water into it when you start to bake). Cool on wire racks if you want the bottoms crunchy as well.

caesar chicken wrap

2009-09-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

I know I’ve been out of commission for a long while on this food thing. And believe me, it’s not just on my blog that I’ve been “out of the kitchen”. Poor David has been suffering through a summer of quick pastas, sandwiches and lame leftovers – none of which are very exciting.

I’m really hopeful that once this baby comes, my appetite will return to normal. However, I’m not so hopeful that I’ll have the time or energy to create special meals like I did when it was just the two of us. But with or without the time, I’m dedicated to making this new balance between motherhood and wifehood a success.

I’m also dedicated to saying “so long” to the 30 pounds that pregnancy bestowed on me, so I hope to post more healthy and vegetable laden meals. I’m not going to lie and say that I won’t post the occasional treat here and there (because I can’t completely omit those – I’ve tried) but cutting back never hurt anyone.

Without further ado, let’s start with a delicious meal I made tonight – Caesar Chicken Wraps with Zucchini, Lettuce and Tomato. First of all, my sister (who claims she’s a horrible cook but is quite an accomplished baker) sent me the recipe for these wraps. I believe she adapted it from a King Arthur recipe. She spent a semester of college in Jerusalem and fell in love with the pita type bread they sold on the streets. These wraps remind her of them and I’m going to take her word for it. Two Notes: This a rather strange recipe but follow it. Also, the recipe may seem intimidating but if my sister – who has 4 rambunctious boys, a picky-eater husband, teaches piano lessons, designs custom garden landscapes and dislikes cooking – can do this, then so can you. She recommends making the dough before hand and keeping it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use. I think that’s a great idea. She also had a bunch of other filling ideas (but more on that another time).

Caesar Chicken Wraps

Wrap Bread
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1/2 cup potato flakes
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon instant yeast

Place 2 cups of flour in mixer. Pour the boiling water over the flour and stir till smooth. Cover and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.

In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients. Add this to the cooled flour/water mixture, stir, then knead for about 5 minutes to form a soft dough. The dough should form a ball but will remain somewhat sticky. Add additional flour only if necessary; if kneading by hand, keep your hands and work surface lightly oiled.

Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces (each about the size of a handball, around 3 ounces), cover, and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes.

Roll each piece into a 7" to 8" circle, and dry-fry them (without oil) over medium heat for about 1 minute per side, until they're puffed and flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking either too quickly, or too slowly (cooking too quickly means they may be raw in the center while too slowly will dry them out).

Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack, stacking them to keep them soft. Serve immediately, or cool slightly before storing in a plastic bag.

Caesar Dressing
1 to 4 large cloves garlic, to taste, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup olive oil
1 cup grated Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or aged Asiago cheese
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Grilled Chicken-Vegetable Filling
1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
1 large onion, peeled and sliced in 1/2" slices
1 medium zucchini, sliced crosswise into 1/4"-thick slices
Romaine Lettuce

To make the dressing: Stir together the minced garlic, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and sour cream. Whisk in the olive oil. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and ground black pepper. You may do all of this in the food processor by processing together the garlic, lemon juice, anchovy or Worcestershire sauce, and sour cream. Drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube with the motor running, then gently pulse in the Parmesan and black pepper. Set the dressing aside. Refrigerate it if you're not going to use it within an hour or so.

To make the filling: Grill the chicken and vegetables over medium coals until done (or sauté them in a skillet). Cool, then slice the chicken and cut the vegetables into bite-size pieces. Place a lettuce leaf on each bread. Spoon some of the filling down the center, atop the lettuce. Top with dressing, wrap and serve immediately.

greek quinoa burgers

2009-06-22T17:09:00.000-07:00

Kelly over at my happy life is working on a goal to eat healthier (shouldn’t we all?) and she requested a few recipes to help her get inspired. One of my favorite healthy recipes is for Greek Quinoa Burgers. They are so good they shouldn’t count as “healthy”. I don’t care if you don’t like quinoa because you’ve never had it like this before. It is super good for you since it’s a complete protein filled with iron, zinc, magnesium and other vitamins. Plus, it’s super easy to cook. It’s a super food! So, without further ado, here’s the recipe:

Greek Quinoa Burgers

1/2 cup rinsed quinoa
1 medium carrot, cut in chunks
6 scallions, thinly sliced
15 ounces great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Coarse salt
Ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 pitas (each 6 inches)
1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced diagonally

In a small saucepan, bring 3/4 cup water to a boil; add quinoa, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until liquid is absorbed, 12 to 14 minutes; set aside.

In a food processor, pulse carrot until finely chopped. Add cooked quinoa, half the scallions, beans, breadcrumbs, egg, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; pulse until combined but still slightly chunky.

Form mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick patties (dip hands in water to prevent sticking). If too soft, refrigerate 10 minutes to firm. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium; cook burgers until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, and the remaining scallions; season with salt and pepper. Serve burgers in pita topped with cucumber and yogurt sauce.

chicken & dumplings

2009-01-12T18:01:00.000-08:00

when david and I went to hawaii for our first anniversary we took a shuttle to and from the airport. it was an adventure in, and of, itself but that story is for another day. we met a few interesting people on these shuttles, including a middle-aged man and his wife from canada. they were very nice and we started to chat about this and that . . . and then they found out I went to culinary school. immediately they turned to david.

man: "so, what's your favorite thing that your wife cooks?" (classic question)
david: "everything she makes is good." (good answer)
wife: "don't you have a favorite? something that you like the best?" (very eager for tips)
david: "well . . . she makes really delicious chicken and dumplings."

I. was. shocked.

I mean, really? really? I made chicken and dumplings once in our year of marriage and I didn't even know he really liked it. needless to say, I started making chicken and dumplings a lot more. and by golly, they are good!

behold - the perfect comfort food.
chicken and dumpling
3 Tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, large dice
5 medium carrots, large dice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup (spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons milk
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas

In a Dutch oven (or a heavy 5-6 quart pot), heat butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and thyme. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly; season with salt and pepper. Nestle chicken in pot; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 3/4 cup flour, dill, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. With a fork, gradually stir in 1/2 cup milk to form a moist and soft batter. It should be just a little thicker than pancake batter and should easily drop from the tip of a spoon. (Add additional 2 tablespoons milk if too thick.) Set aside.

Stir peas into pot. Drop batter in simmering liquid in 10 heaping tablespoonfuls, keeping them spaced apart (dumplings will swell as they cook). Cover, and simmer until chicken is tender and dumplings are firm, 20 minutes. Serve.

the ungreasy taco

2008-12-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

you guys, you guys! I'm so excited about this little trick I learned today from eating well. so, david loves greasy tacos. gross right? but then again, not really because they're really good sometimes. he's from southern california which pretty much equals greasy mexican food, hence the loving of greasy tacos. unfortunately, the devotion to this oily delicacy is not exactly conducive with our plan to lose weight . . . enter a baked alternative.
here's how it works. instead of firing up the old frying pan and filling it with canola oil, you heat your oven to 375 and spray those corn tortillas with canola oil cooking spray. then sprinkle it with chili powder and some kosher salt and drape them over a bar of your oven rack so that it creates a taco shell (bake for 7 - 10 minutes). so genius!

the ungreasy taco

12 Crispy Taco Shells (recipe above)
Lean & Spicy Taco Meat (recipe follows)
3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup diced tomatoes
3/4 cup prepared salsa
1/4 cup diced red onion

To assemble, fill each taco shell with (in any order): a generous 3 tablespoons taco meat, 1/4 cup lettuce, 1 tablespoon cheese, 1 tablespoon tomato, 1 tablespoon salsa, 1 teaspoon onion.

lean & spicy taco meat

8 ounces 93%-lean ground beef
8 ounces 99%-lean ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles, preferably Rotel brand (see Shopping Tip), or 1 1/4 cups petite-diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile or 1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Place beef, turkey and onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain off fat. Wipe out the pan. Return the meat to the pan and add tomatoes, cumin, ground chipotle (or chili powder) and oregano. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 3 to 6 minutes.

pumpkin bread + mulled cider

2008-11-14T10:20:00.001-08:00

so here’s the deal. it is 83 degrees today because I live in a barren wasteland. I should be “grateful” you say because I don’t have to deal with snow or ice or scraping windshields? well, tell me that in february when you’re all sick of the snow and it’s still 80 degrees here in arizona. the holidays are supposed to be cold so you can feel warm inside from all the holiday love and cheer. that was cheesy but I don’t care! I mean it!

(deep breath)

in any case, the smell of pumpkin baking always puts one in a cheerful holiday mood (which I apparently need badly) - that and the smell of hot mulled cider. so here’s both:
pumpkin bread
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
3 cups granulated sugar
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray three (medium/smallish) bread loaf pans.

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, oil, eggs, water and sugar. Sift in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda. Beat gently until batter is smooth, then gently add chocolate chips and mix until just incorporated. Pour batter into loaf pans until halfway full. Bake in preheated oven for one hour or (depending on your loaf pan – see note) until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely before slicing. Optional: You can also lightly butter the tops and dredge with powdered sugar.

note: if you don’t have small loaf pans, you can use two medium or one large loaf pan. just be sure that the batter only comes halfway up the sides of the pan. you should also increase the cooking time a few minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
mulled cider
1 orange, washed
4 cups (1 quart) apple juice or cranberry juice cocktail
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves

Peel the orange by slicing into strips. Combine your juice of choice, orange peel, cinnamon sticks and cloves in a saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat and warm the juice until tiny bubbles appear around the edges of the pan. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, reducing the heat as needed to keep the juice from boiling. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour into mugs and serve immediately.

oatmeal cookie cinnamon ice cream

2008-11-03T13:09:00.000-08:00

so, basically, it’s november and I’m blogging about ice cream. but this is no ordinary ice cream, sister. it's actually perfect fall ice cream. for example, don’t you make oatmeal cookies in the fall more than any other time? I do. don't you also love things with cinnamon in the fall more than any other time? I do. so, without further ado, I give you my version of the best ice cream on the planet:oatmeal cookie cinnamon ice cream

4 cups half and half
1 cup sugar
Pinch of Kosher salt
5 egg yolks
2 teaspoons freshly ground cinnamon
4 oatmeal cookies (need to be homemade and soft), crumbled

In a non-reactive saucepan, combine the half and half, sugar and salt over medium heat. Bring the cream to a boiling point and scald it. Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg yolks and cinnamon in a bowl. Add the half and half mixture, about ¼ cup at a time, to the beaten eggs, whisking in between each addition, until all is used. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring, over medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and cool completely in an ice bath. Pour the mixture into the ice cream machine and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for churning time.

While the ice cream is churning, crumble the cookies into small bite-sized pieces. After the ice cream is thick and finished churning, gently add the pieces of cookies.

note: I also suspect that you could use your leftover gingersnaps in this recipe instead of oatmeal cookies and it would be fab. whoa, I might have to try this!

spooky finger pretzels

2008-10-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

some people have been asking for the "lady finger" pretzels I made for the halloween spook fest. they were surprisingly easy and tasted great! they definitely should be eaten the same day though. I served them with warm queso and marinara sauce - they were a halloween hit!

if you need extra help, you can watch martha's tutorial here.

spooky finger pretzels

red or green food coloring (optional, for fingers)
24 blanched almonds, halved lengthwise
2 cups warm water (110 degrees), plus 3 quarts, plus 1 Tablespoon
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
Vegetable oil
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 Tablespoon coarse salt
2 Tablespoons baking soda
1 large egg
Sea salt
Fried rosemary (optional, for toes)

Place a small amount of food coloring, in a shallow bowl, and, using a paintbrush, color the rounded side of each split almond; set aside to dry.

Pour 2 cups water into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment. Add sugar; stir to dissolve. Sprinkle with yeast, and let stand until yeast begins to bubble, about 5 minutes. Beat in 1 cup flour into yeast on low speed until combined. Beat in coarse salt; add 3 1/2 cups flour, and beat until combined. Continue beating until dough pulls away from bowl, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup flour. Beat 1 minute more. If dough is sticky, add up to 1 cup more flour. Transfer to a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth, 1 minute.

Coat a large bowl with cooking spray. Transfer dough to bowl, turning dough to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap; let rest in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a 6-quart straight-sided saucepan over high heat; reduce to a simmer. Add baking soda. Lightly coat two baking sheets with cooking spray. Divide dough into quarters. Work with one quarter at a time, and cover remaining dough with plastic wrap. Divide first quarter into 12 pieces. On a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece back and forth with your palm forming a long finger shape, about 3 to 4 inches. Pinch dough in two places to form knuckles. Or, to make toes, roll each piece so that it is slightly shorter and fatter, about 2 inches. Pinch in 1 place to form the knuckle. When 12 fingers or toes are formed, transfer to simmering water. Poach for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer fingers to the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough, blanching each set of 12 fingers or toes before making more.

Beat egg with 1 Tablespoon water. Brush pretzel fingers and toes with the egg wash. Using a sharp knife, lightly score each knuckle about three times. Sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary, if using. Position almond nails, pushing them into dough to attach. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack.

macaroni & cheese gratin

2008-10-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

for my halloween spookfest last weekend, I decided that appetizers just weren't hearty enough for my guests, so I made macaroni and cheese gratin. that's one of those things that looks pretty when dolled up with herb broiled tomatoes and buttery breadcubes on top. besides, the crunch that comes from the crust mixed with the smooth sauce is perfection.

macaroni & cheese gratin

8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/2 inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (note: Tillamook or Cabot is best)
1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 pound large elbow macaroni

3 hothouse tomatoes, sliced

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 Tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk (note: this step is important). Melt remaining 6 Tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick (note: cook over medium-low heat. I think the sauce will be more smooth if you don't rush the thickening process.)

Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside.

Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top.

Lay sliced tomatoes on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, coarse salt, freshly ground pepper and thyme leaves. Broil for about 10 minutes until softened. Let cool for a few minutes and then arrange on top of the gratin (over the breadcrumbs).

Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

gingersnaps

2008-10-27T15:05:00.001-07:00

you all know how I feel about fall. true love.

with fall comes fall food, such as pumpkin bread, warm soup with crusty bread and . . . gingersnaps. there's something about the smell of warm, chewy gingersnaps that kills me. my sister, alice, is the master of gingersnaps - her recipe always results in long-term chewiness and strong flavor.

gingersnaps

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup blackstrap molasses

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar for 2 minutes. Slowly add eggs, molasses and vinegar and combine well until fluffy. Sift in flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Mix until just combined.

Pour approximately 1 cup of granulated sugar in a flat bowl. Roll dough into 1" balls and gently roll again in the granulated sugar until completely coated. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes (or until cracks start to appear on top). Let cool for 5 minutes on the pan.

note: if you ever find yourself at pike place market in seattle, buy a giant gingersnap at the stand next to beecher's cheese. you'll thank me later (by mailing me a box).

peanut butter popcorn

2008-10-24T08:56:00.000-07:00

nearly every time we go to my family cabin in Pinetop someone ends up making peanut butter popcorn. I don’t recall who started this tradition (or who shared this recipe first) but I’m happy they did. just thinking about it makes me think of sitting on one of the soft leather sofas at the cabin in front of a roaring fire. we’re all gabbering about this and that, while the kids do gymnastic tricks on the wood floor. then, thankfully, one of my sisters announces that it’s bedtime for the kids and the whining begins. nevertheless, thirty-ish minutes later, the kids are asleep and we’re all back on the sofas except one person who’s at the stove (for approximately 10 minutes) making peanut butter popcorn. it’s a yummy, gooey, easy treat that’s great for sharing (with adults) while you sit around talking, playing cards, watching movies – whatever. mmmm, finger lickin’ good.
peanut butter popcorn
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup unpopped popcorn kernels

Pop corn in an air popper and place in a large bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and corn syrup over medium heat. Stir until bubbly and sugar is completely dissolved. Remove the pan from heat and stir in peanut butter until smooth. Evenly pour the mixture over the popcorn and combine well. Let cool for 2 minutes before serving (best eaten with fingers).

peach cobbler

2008-10-15T09:52:00.000-07:00

it seems like everyone in the world "knows" my lovely sister-in-law, NieNie - since she and my brother were in a horrible plane crash, especially.

the first time I met stephanie I remember thinking she was practially perfect in every way. it seemed like everything she touched was beautiful and sweet. I was 16 and desperately wanted to be like her when I grew up. when she and my brother got married a few short months later, we went to utah to meet the family. at her parent's home on fir avenue, we had a delicious dinner which ended with stephanie's famous peach cobbler. it was so beautiful and though I had never been a "baked fruit dessert" type of gal, I tried some. that's when I fell in love with peach cobbler. I can't wait for stephanie to get back into the kitchen and make her yummy food again, encouraging so many people to make beautiful dinners, beautiful homes, beautiful lives.

two rules for peach cobbler:
1. fresh peaches only
2. vanilla bean ice cream on top

nienie's peach cobbler

8 fresh peaches
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder

Grease an 8" square pan (or pie pan). Peel and slice peaches into the pan. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Crumble on top of the peaches. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top.

shredded pork and roasted tomatillo salsa

2008-10-07T09:38:00.001-07:00

for my brother's "return home" dinner, I made some delicious mexican food. don't be fooled - that's not a mexican flag sticking out of green salsa. it's the german flag because that's where my bro returned from. hopefully I learn how to make a few german dishes here soon (such as: Spätzle, Klöße, Kalter Hund) so I can post them. in the mean time, here are two recipes that you won't be sorry you made.

shredded pork
*disclaimer: I will hunt you down if you do not follow the cooking time for this recipe exactly. it does not get easier than putting meat in the crockpot all day and letting it go to town.

6-7 pounds pork tenderloin
sauce:
3 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 (8 ounce) cans el pato sauce (in the yellow can)
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup water

mix together ingredients for sauce and pour over pork tenderloin in crock pot. cook on low for 8-9 hours. that's it suckers.

roasted tomatillo salsa
*disclaimer: the recipe for the salsa is not exact. I manipulated a recipe I found online and didn't write down the changes I made - mostly guessed. deal with it.

1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatillos
3 fresh serrano chiles
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

preheat broiler.

remove husks from tomatillos and rinse under warm water to remove stickiness. lay chiles, garlic, chopped onion and fresh tomatillos on a cookie sheet (evenly spread). drizzle with olive oil. place sheet on rack of a broiler pan 1 to 2 inches from heat, turning once, until tomatillos are softened and slightly charred, about 7 minutes.

remove from oven and peel garlic and pull off tops of chiles. purée all in a food processor with cilantro. slowly add kosher salt and sugar to taste.

turkey joe's + cucumber & tomato salad

2008-09-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

have I given you all the full force of how much I love rookie cookie? she is the best. I used her advice and made "turkey joes". that's what I call them anyway. I served it along with a yummy cucumber and tomato salad. I used some heirloom tomatoes, persian cucumbers, a splash of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rice wine vinegar and sprinkled on kosher salt and pepper and some sliced fresh mint. it was pretty much heaven.

turkey joe's

1 pound extra-lean ground turkey

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced (seeds and ribs removed)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 (15 ounce) can small red beans or pinto beans, preferably low sodium drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon molasses
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 whole-wheat burger buns

Brown the meat and the onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, breaking up the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and red pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes more. Toast buns and place a half-cup scoop of the mixture onto each bun and serve.

from Rookie Cookie blog (slightly adapted)

pizza

2008-09-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

I am definitely not a HUGE pizza person – David definitely is.

Anytime.
Any place.
Anywhere.
In the rain.
On a train . . .

Anyway, even though I’m not as crazy about pizza as him – I do love me a delicious slice. I live in the Phoenix area (home to the famous Pizzeria Bianco) and also home to the most heavenly La Grande L’Orange Pizzeria (affectionately known as “LGO”). It is so good, I could die. Check out their menu – it is divine and their wings . . . don’t get me started on their grilled goodness served with the most delicious, rich blue cheese and chive dressing.

Whoa, mouth is watering . . . on to my point.

Even though I can’t make LGO’s 80-something year old sourdough crust – I do make a pretty mean pie (which is usually whole wheat around our house).

There are a few ways that I love cooking pizza.

a) Trader Joe’s – love their whole wheat pizza dough. Just buy a sack of pre-made dough and let it sit out for 20 minutes before rolling out. I like to roll into an oblong, rectangular shape. Heat up your grill until very hot, keeping lid closed. Brush pizza dough with olive oil on one side. Place dough directly on grill - olive oil side down. Brush the other side of dough with olive oil. Immediately turn heat down to medium-low. Let cook with lid closed for just a few minutes until slightly puffy. Flip over and top with pesto sauce, fresh Mozzarella medallions, sliced tomatoes, shredded chicken (if desired), white corn kernels, half-moons of zucchini, blanched asparagus and a little grated fresh Parmesan cheese on top. Cook at medium-low heat until heated through and cheese is melted and slightly bubbly (about 5 – 7 minutes depending on grill – watch it carefully!)

b) This recipe is good for cooking indoors. If you lack a grill, this recipe is pretty good along with the same delightful toppings above (or whatever you like).

Whole Wheat Pizza

2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 cup warm water (approximately 110 degrees)

Combine honey with warm water until dissolved. Add yeast to the water and let sit. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients together and then add the olive oil. Add yeast mixture and combine kneading for about 5 minutes. Let rise for 30-45 minutes. Roll out into pizza crust, add ingredients and cook in oven at 450 for about 15-18 minutes.

sugar cookies

2008-09-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

My Aunt Madge –bless her. Seriously, she is the best! You have to understand my family and all my other aunts to fully appreciate my Aunt Madge. All my aunts have their skills and talents and awesome things about them, but my Aunt Madge is so very different from my other aunts. Maybe it’s because I was always at their house and so I got to know her better. Maybe it’s because she played “their coming to take me away ha-ha” over their house intercom in the mornings to wake up her children while dancing through the house like a lunatic. Maybe it’s because she always had frozen treats in their carpeted pantry freezer (the pantry was carpeted, not the freezer). I think I had a great connection with her though, because she is such a good cook. Her daughter, the lovely Melissa, is an incredible cookie/cake master. Seriously, check out these cookies. I don’t care who you are, it’s impossible to not like a soft, moist sugar cookie and obviously, hers are the best. So, here’s Aunt Madge’s sugar cookie recipe (adapted by Melissa).

(image from biggestmenu.com)

Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup instant vanilla or cheesecake pudding
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Cream the butter, powdered sugar and instant pudding very well until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract. Add the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar and mix until just combined. Form dough into a ball and wrap well. Chill for 1 hour. After chilling, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough out 1/4 inch thick and cut into desired shapes. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes until a light golden brown edge appears on cookies. Frost with Cream Cheese or Royal Icing frosting (below).

Royal Icing Frosting

1 cup C&H (in the box) powdered sugar
5 Tablespoons meringue powder
Scant 1/2 cup water (just shy of 1/2 cup)

Beat all ingredients in a mixer or with a hand mixer for 7 to 8 minutes. Scoop some in a bowl and color it with desired food coloring. Then, a teaspoon at a time, add water until it just becomes runny. Fill a pastry bag with a #3 tip. Outline the cookie and, then with zigzags, fill the center. With a toothpick, brush the frosting to fill in all the holes. If it doesn’t smooth out, your frosting is too thick.

grilled halibut over black bean salsa and steamed rice

2008-09-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

Tonight was one of those nights when we didn't have much in the house. I was in gym clothes and needed to shower so I was not about to go to the store. I had to make do with what we had and it turned out quite good (we also ate this with a bowl of chilled, fresh beets - yum!)

Black Bean Salsa
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can white corn, drained
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 small jalapeño, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons onion powder
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Chill while steaming rice and grilling halibut.

Grilled Halibut
4 (6 ounce) halibut fillets
2 limes
Olive oil
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Lightly oil a grill pan with olive oil, heat over medium heat. Wash halibut fillets and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Gently place fillets in the hot pan and let cool over medium heat for 5 minutes. Squeeze limes over fillets, flip over and let cook for another 5 minutes until cooked through.

To serve: Place a mound of steamed rice on serving plate. Drizzle salsa over rice, making sure to get some "juice". Place halibut fillet on top, sprinkle some chopped cilantro over the fish and serve.

lemon custard cake

2008-09-10T07:35:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that my mother-in-law is an amazing cook? Sometimes it's really hard for me to realize that no matter how good of I cook I think I am (or I may be, for that matter) - some things will never taste as good to David unless his mother makes them.

Case in point:
1. Homemade bread
2. Raspberry Jam
3. Enchilada sauce
4. Sopa
5. Sourdough waffles

Anyway, it's OK though because I love food and she loves food and we talk about food a lot. It's a subject that we can talk about all day . . . and I like that. The last time I was in California at their house, she was looking through some recipes and mentioned a recipe that she thought I would like to make - Lemon Custard Cake. She was right - I did want to make it and I waited for the perfect opportunity to do just that - my birthday a couple of weeks ago.

Lemon Custard Cake
8 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons ice water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Combine all above ingredients in a large bowl. With an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, start beating the egg yolk mixture on low speed. Gradually continue whisking while increasing the speed slowly. Beat until very thick.

Sift in:
1 1/4 cup sifted cake flour

In a separate large bowl, combine the following ingredients:
8 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt

With an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, start beating the egg white mixture on low speed. Gradually continue whisking while increasing the speed slowly.

Slowly add:
1 cup sugar

Beat until the mixture resembles stiff glossy peaks. Gently fold the egg white mixture into the flour/egg yolk mixture. Be very gentle with the batter (do not overmix!) Pour the batter into an ungreased Angel Food Cake pan. With a knife, carefully cut into the batter to remove air pockets. Bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes.

Remove cake from oven and invert immediately. Let cool for at least 2 hours while inverted. Once completely cool, remove the cake by gently cutting around the sides of the pan. Remove the cake and cut into 3 equal layers (use toothpicks on all 4 sides to make even layers). Spread with chilled lemon custard filling (recipe follows) in between each layer. Dust with sifted powdered sugar before serving. Garnish with fresh raspberries and serve immediately.

Custard Filling
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
1 small box (3.4 ounce) instant lemon pudding mix
1 cup cold milk

Combine pudding mix with the cold milk. Follow box instructions for instant pudding. Let sit 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat whipping cream until thick cream. Gently fold into pudding and chill.

summer fruit salad

2008-09-10T06:10:00.000-07:00

I made Rookie Cookie's Summer Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Syrup (who got it from Food Blogga) for my family party on Labor Day. My sisters and sisters-in-law (even an occasional brother-in-law) were raving over how delicious it was. Seriously, it's things like this that make me love cooking (or, in this case, chopping).
Summer Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Syrup

1 cup cubed watermelon
2 nectarines, pitted and cut into chunks
1 cup hulled and quartered strawberries
Zest of 1/2 lime
1 lime, juiced
3 Tablespoons honey
Pinch of salt

In a small bowl, combine zest, lime juice, honey and salt. Whisk until combined.

In a medium bowl, combine the watermelon, nectarines and strawberries. Drizzle syrup over the fruit. Stir well.

Serve chilled for best taste.

In conclusion -
Make this.
Enjoy the praise.
Thank me later.

french macarons

2008-09-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

When I was 17 my parents took me and my younger brother to France. Right off the airplane from London, we hopped on the train into Paris. I remember grinning when I heard the accordion music echoing back and forth against the tile of the train tunnel. It was "so French"! We stayed on the Champs-Élysées and walked directly to the pâtisserie downstairs for our breakfast each morning of either a baguette, cheese and chocolat chaud or maybe a croissant. Everything was so fantastic and I was enthralled with French food. One of my most memorable meals of my life was at a cafe outside the Musée d'Orsay - nothing terribly special or extraordinary - Le Poulet et les Frites and some more of that delicious hot chocolate (it was April). It was just one of those incredible moments. I remember my first Croque Monsieur and wondering how ham and cheese tasted so divine!!! I remember eating crepes in Mont Saint Michel on a gray, rainy day as we sat on a stone bench covered by wooden trellises. My imagination went wild there.

Do I need to go on?

I'm obsessed with French food. Strangely, I never had French Macarons (not to be confused with macaroons) while I was in France. Not even one. So here I am, 6 years later, and I've just eaten my first one . . . in the United States . . . made by me . . . an American. C'est la vie!

(image from Ladurée)

French Macarons

1 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 cup (4 ounces) sliced almonds, finely ground, or almond flour
All-purpose flour, for dipping
3 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 recipe Swiss Meringue Buttercream or Chocolate Raspberry Ganache (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Sift confectioner's sugar into a bowl. Whisk in ground almonds/almond flour; set aside. Line 2 baking sheets with Silpat mats or parchment paper and mark circles using 1 1/2 inch round cutter dipped in flour.

Put egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until foamy, then beat in salt. Beat in granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, until medium soft peaks form. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.

Using a rubber spatula, fold half the almond mixture into the egg mixture until just incorporated. Fold in vanilla and remaining almond mixture until just incorporated. Firmly tap the bottom of bowl on counter to eliminate air pockets.

Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch plain tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe mixture into marked circles on prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until macarons are slightly firm and can be gently lifted off parchment (bottoms will be dry), 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer macarons on parchment to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Spread 2 teaspoons of buttercream on flat sides of half the macarons, then sandwich with remaining halves, keeping flat sides together. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes, before serving.

IMPORTANT: Pink and Chocolate Variation:
Add pink or red food coloring to the macarons before stirring in the almond mixture until the desired shade is reached. Once macarons are cooled, spread with Chocolate Raspberry Ganache (recipe follows).

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), softened, cut into Tablespoons
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Put egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer; set over a pan of simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm (about 160 degrees).

Attach bowl to a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat egg white mixture on high speed until it forms stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until fluffy and cooled, about 6 minutes.

Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium low speed, add butter several Tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. If frosting appears to separate after all the butter has been added, beat on medium high speed until smooth again, 3 to 5 minutes more. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low; beat 2 minutes more to eliminate air bubbles. Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth.

Chocolate Raspberry Ganache

3 ounces fine quality bittersweet chocolate (60-64% cacao), finely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/16 teaspoon raspberry extract (preferable McCormick's)

Melt chocolate with cream in a metal bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth (bowl should not touch water). Remove bowl from heat, add butter and raspberry extract, stirring until butter is melted. Let stand at room temperature until cooled completely and slightly thickened.

chili and cornbread

2008-08-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

Last night, during David's scorpion hunting routine, I noticed that the evenings here in AZ are slowly, but surely, getting cooler. Hip hip! Most excellent news. Anyway, this (small) climate change has got me dreaming of cooler weather, sweaters, Halloween and of course - chili and cornbread. I really love both of these things for an autumn meal (and this cornbread recipe is amazing).

(image from "Baking and Books")

Chili

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice (about 3/4 cup)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (could use ground turkey)
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 can (15 oz) black beans, undrained
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, undrained
1 can (28 oz) crushed or diced tomatoes, with their juices
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Dried red pepper flakes (optional)
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder (up to 1/2 tsp is fine, depending on tastes)
Freshly grated Cheddar cheese
Sour Cream
Sliced Green Onions

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the onion and garlic are soft but not browned, about 1 minute longer. Add the meat and break up with a wooden spoon.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes.

Add the chipotle powder, tomato paste, black beans, pinto beans, and diced tomatoes, with their liquids, and bring the chili to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the chili simmer, gently stirring occasionally until thickened and the flavors are concentrated, about 45 minutes.

Add the salt, then taste for seasoning, adding more salt as needed, black pepper to taste, and red pepper flakes, if using. Serve the chili hot with bowls of grated cheese and sour cream on the side, if desired, and corn bread. If you are not planning on serving the chili at this time, let it cool to room temperature. It can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Chipotle Cornbread with Cheddar Cheese and Green Onions

3/4 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons chopped chipotle chilies (optional)
1/3 cup sliced green onion tops
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Stir to mix. Make a well in the center.

In another bowl, combine the egg and milk and whisk until just blended, about 10 seconds. Add the melted butter, chipotle chilies, green onions and cheese and whisk until smooth. Pour the egg mixture into the well in the flour mixture and fold gently until the batter is just blended.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean, about 18 to 20 minutes.

the dish begins

2008-08-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Welcome! Since I went to culinary school, I often get asked for recipes and tips on how to do certain things. Blogging is an excellent avenue for sharing all things food and so here's my attempt to assist all aspiring chefs to become better at cooking. There are lots of excellent food blogs out there (including my favorites: FoodBeam, Bake & Shake and Rookie Cookie) and I don't profess to being on their level, but here's my attempt. So, here's to lots of cooking!

(image from Whole Foods Market)

Let's start with one of my favorite things ever: Salmon. I like to make salmon at least once a week since it's so incredibly good for a person. Plus, I like it so much that I could probably eat it every day. (See: Rancho de Tia Rosa Salmon Tacos in Mesa, Arizona)

I also like to make salmon because there are so many things that pair up deliciously with it. For example, Salmon and a citrus glaze: yum. Salmon and A1 sauce: yum. Salmon and cream cheese: yum. Salmon and mango salsa: yum. The possibilities are endless. However, today we'll start with something very simple: Salmon, lemon and fresh dill.

1 pound salmon fillets
Juice of 1 lemon
1 bunch of fresh dill weed (or dried), coarsely chopped
Coarse kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place salmon fillets on a baking sheet. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil (probably 1 - 2 Tablespoons) over the fillets. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Place baking sheet in oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and squeeze lemon juice over the fillets. Top each fillet with a good amount of dill weed. Return to the oven for another 8 minutes or so until the inside of salmon is no longer dark pink.

Note: I love to serve this with brown basmati rice and steamed broccolini. I usually just steam the broccolini and drizzle a little of the lemon juice on top with salt and pepper. No need for butter even! Yipee!

"the dish" button

2008-05-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Spread the love for The Dish! You can add my lovely button by adding an Picture gadget to your blog layout and then linking this picture along with a link to http://www.thedishondelish.blogspot.com/. Isn't this fun???

Here's some instructions that might help:

1. Right click the image above.
2. Choose Save Picture As from the menu.
3. Choose where you would like to save the image on your computer and click Save.
4. Log in to Blogger.
5. Click on "Layout"/"Page Elements".
6. Click on "Add a Gadget".
7. Scroll down the list until you find "Picture". Click on the + sign.
8. Under "link" type in: http://www.thedishondelish.blogspot.com/
9. Download the picture/button by clicking on "Browse" from your computer.
10. Click "save".
11. Move your picture/button to where you want by dragging it up or down.

about me - faq

2007-01-01T11:09:00.000-08:00

an interview of me interviewed by me:
where did you learn to cook?
I thought I learned to cook in my mother’s kitchen but the fact is, my mother hates to cook . . . I just found that out about a year ago. who knew? I’ve always loved to cook but when I went on a trip to france in 2002, I was hooked. soon after that, I enrolled in the culinary arts program at brigham young university-idaho. while the program definitely wasn’t the best in the nation (they’ve since closed the program), I’m still thankful I went there – I met my wonderful husband, david, there.

what’s your favorite thing to make?
I get asked this question a lot and my answer is the same, “it changes every day.” I love to make different cuisines, different combinations and different flavors. I’ve never been a creature of habit and can hardly stand to eat the same thing twice in one week (leftovers are a problem for me). however, on a recent trip to hawaii, david and I met a couple from canada on the airport shuttle. once they heard I went to culinary school, their immediate question to david was, “what’s your favorite thing that she cooks?” I was very surprised when he answered with, “chicken and dumplings”. so, since I love to please my man, that’s probably my favorite thing to make . . . until he changes his mind to something else.

why did you start this blog about food?
I first started blogging when I moved to boston in may of 2005. I was doing an internship at blue hill country club in canton, massachusetts and part of my internship assignment was to keep a daily journal about my culinary adventures. blogs were starting to become very popular, so I started one. pretty soon, I was getting all kinds of e-mails from my sisters and other friends about recipes and tips and general cooking questions. from there, I mixed my cooking adventures with my life adventures on one blog and it got to the point where I wanted to separate them. so, that’s what I did.

what is your favorite thing about cooking?
I love how it makes people feel. I love making something delicious, sitting down together and feeling a combination of accomplishment, comfort and old-fashioned togetherness. it's a balance that I hope I can make a tradition in our home for our children. I also hope to instill in them the same love of cooking or at least an appreciation for it.

what is your least favorite things about cooking?
the clean up.

if you could build your dream kitchen, what would it look like?
to fully answer this question, would take up too much time (and finger strength) so I’ll go with some basic necessities.
1. gas appliances
2. huge workspace
3. white, open cabinets
4. bosch mixers
5. marble

if I have a question about you that hasn’t been answered, will you respond to it?
I will (and even put it in this section) if your question is:
1. appropriate (don’t bother if you’re a pervert, racist, mormon-hater or anything else that is dumb)
2. e-mailed to me (at elizabethabryant@gmail.com)
3. interesting (i.e. funny, clever, unique, informative)