I think I should write down this recipe ratio before I forget. The oven was busy, so this batch got sauteed in a pan with olive oil and butter. I'm guessing on the portion sizing since not everyone who attends a party will eat these.
Feeds: 8-10 adults
Ingredients
2 lb fresh brussels sprouts, stems trimmed and halved
2-3 tbsp olive oil
3-4 tbsp unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, peeled and mashed flat with a knife blade
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional, about 1/4 c)
Directions
1. In a nonstick skillet, melt butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Stir in garlic cloves until the oil is fragrant. Remove garlic from the pan and add sprouts, cut side down.
2. Let the sprouts cook until lightly browned. For two pounds, you'll have to work in batches to get everything evenly cooked until sprouts are fork-tender; about 8 minutes.
3. Before removing from the skillet, add salt, black pepper, and half the grated Parmesan cheese. Give the vegetables a quick stir before removing them to a plate. Sprinkle more cheese on top, if desired.
Delicata Squash
What? That makes two of us. I never heard of it either. This was just another (random) winter squash picked up from the farmers market. I had to look at image galleries of squash available in the Pacific NW before matching the name to this one. I've read that it is an alternative to butternut squash; I suppose other food bloggers are suggesting that it is the next best thing for preparation and how it is used.
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| Photo: Delicata Squash |
I am preparing this tonight with two recipes. The first is a baking method, 375 degrees F for 40 minutes; with the peeled de-seeded squash halved and filled with olive oil and brown sugar. One and a half squashes were used since that's all that would fit in the 8" x 8" baking pan. That would mean that I have a total of three of these strange squashes to use as tonight's vegetable.
The second is a frying method proposed by Jerry Traunfeld, author of the Herbfarm Cookbook. The Herbfarm, a Woodinville restaurant, is curiously just five miles away (I wasn't aware of that either until today). I suppose my version of the recipe will have taste like it has a lot less sage and a lot more rosemary since I am only using what I have on hand. It may turn out to be sweeter than normal since the spiced apple cider I'm about to use is what is leftover from Thanksgiving. Traunfeld's recipe calls for two squash, with the assumption that each squash is about a pound each.
Delicata Squash with Rosemary, Sage, and Cider Glaze (Epicurious, March 2000)
1 1/2 delicata squash, peeled, de-seeded, and cut into 1/2" thick pieces
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp fresh sage, minced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
1 1/2 c fresh apple cider or juice
1 c water
2 tsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Melt the butter in a skillet over low heat. Add herbs and cook until butter just begins to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown the herbs.
2. Add squash to the skillet, then add apple cider, water, vinegar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the liquid has reduced to a glaze and the squash is tender, 20-30 minutes. Taste and season with pepper.
Mashed Potato and Cheese Soup
Another dinner of leftovers, again! Thanksgiving sure does make a lot of leftover food. This is a recipe that you can use with leftover mashed potatoes, in the event that you find mashed potato pancakes way too salty because someone thought it'd be a great idea to mix salt, butter, and some random dairy into the mashed potatoes for T-day.
Fortunately, the main ingredient is already cooked and mashed, so now I build a soup around it. There is no added salt because the mashed potatoes are already salted. If you don't have leftover turkey stock on hand, you can substitute the liquid component of this soup with water or chicken broth.
Ingredients
2 slices of bacon, cut into thin strips
1-2 carrots, diced
1-2 celery ribs, diced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced (optional)
2 c turkey broth
1-2 c mashed potatoes
3/4 c cheddar cheese, grated
Spice mix (optional): dried thyme, garlic powder, dried oregano
Directions
1. Fry bacon until crispy. Take bacon out of the pan and drain on a paper towel. This will be used to garnish the soup before serving.
2. Pour the bacon fat into the pot that will hold at least two quarts of soup. Over low-medium heat, fry onion slices until they are translucent and slightly golden brown. Add carrots and celery. Cook until vegetables are fork tender.
3. Add broth and mashed potatoes. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat. Puree with an immersion blender. Then, over medium heat, add grated cheese and stir until all the cheese has melted.
4. Serve hot in a bowl and top with some fried bacon bits.
Fortunately, the main ingredient is already cooked and mashed, so now I build a soup around it. There is no added salt because the mashed potatoes are already salted. If you don't have leftover turkey stock on hand, you can substitute the liquid component of this soup with water or chicken broth.
Ingredients
2 slices of bacon, cut into thin strips
1-2 carrots, diced
1-2 celery ribs, diced
1/2 onion, thinly sliced (optional)
2 c turkey broth
1-2 c mashed potatoes
3/4 c cheddar cheese, grated
Spice mix (optional): dried thyme, garlic powder, dried oregano
Directions
1. Fry bacon until crispy. Take bacon out of the pan and drain on a paper towel. This will be used to garnish the soup before serving.
2. Pour the bacon fat into the pot that will hold at least two quarts of soup. Over low-medium heat, fry onion slices until they are translucent and slightly golden brown. Add carrots and celery. Cook until vegetables are fork tender.
3. Add broth and mashed potatoes. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat. Puree with an immersion blender. Then, over medium heat, add grated cheese and stir until all the cheese has melted.
4. Serve hot in a bowl and top with some fried bacon bits.
Savory Pie Crust
I have been using this pie crust recipe for pot pies. Seeing how there is a lot of turkey meat leftover, I think a few mini pot pies will be good to make this week.
Ingredients
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 tbsp (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 to 4 tbsp cold water
Directions
1. In a food processor, pulse together flour, salt, black pepper and butter. Gradually add enough cold water so that the dough comes together.
2. Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
3. To use, roll out dough to desired shape and bake according to pie or tart instructions.
Yield: one 9-inch or 10-inch crust
Kitchen note: This amount of crust is enough to make four 6 oz double crust pot pies which are baked at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
Ingredients
1 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 tbsp (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 to 4 tbsp cold water
Directions
1. In a food processor, pulse together flour, salt, black pepper and butter. Gradually add enough cold water so that the dough comes together.
2. Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
3. To use, roll out dough to desired shape and bake according to pie or tart instructions.
Yield: one 9-inch or 10-inch crust
Kitchen note: This amount of crust is enough to make four 6 oz double crust pot pies which are baked at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
Lemon and Sage Buttered Clams
Was at the U-district farmers market today and picked up two pounds of fresh clams (manila and savory, harvested from the Hamma Hamma River Delta in the Hood Canal) from a seafood vendor.
This is a good cooking liquid for clams:
1/3 c freshly made garlic-sage butter
1/2 lemon peel, no pith, thinly sliced
juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (or substitute with a dry sherry)
1/4 c water
You'll need a covered casserole pan for this. Since most of the cooking happens with the lid on. If the clams are fresh, like these were, all the clams should open within 2-3 minutes of cooking. Don't cook them for longer than 5 minutes, or the meat will be tough and chewy.
Cheers!
Turkey Gravy with Mushrooms
After the turkey has been removed to a cutting board or serving platter, everything leftover (except for the burnt bits) are fair game to be incorporated into the gravy. If the burned charcoal bits bother you for health reasons, simply take a spoon and scoop them out of the pan before proceeding with the gravy.
Ingredients
8 oz cremini mushrooms (small brown mushrooms), washed and sliced
4 green onions, white part only, sliced
1/2 c dry red wine
1 1/2 c turkey broth
1 1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
3+ tbsp all purpose flour
roasting pan juices, lard and bits from the roasted turkey
Directions
Place the roasting pan over two stove burners and turn on both burners to low-medium heat. Use red wine to deglaze the bottom of the pan. You may need more than the specified amount of turkey broth to dilute the saltiness of the gravy. Hopefully you started a stock pot with extra turkey necks when the turkey was put into the oven. Add all the ingredients and whisk to combine the flour with the gravy. More flour may be needed after the broth is added.
The gravy should be thickened and runny; and certainly not gloppy with flour.
From a 15 pound turkey, this made roughly 3 1/2 cups of gravy.
No-knead Beer Bread
This is one of the laziest bread recipes I have come across. On the whole it tastes pretty decent. At least it doesn't have a ridiculously long proofing time like the Jim Lahey no-knead bread recipe. It probably also won't taste as delicious as an artisan bread. The bottle that went into this version was a Costco-brand pale ale. I made it as a backup bread for the stuffing.
Ingredients
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c warm water (110 degrees F) + 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast + 1/2 c all purpose flour
One (12 oz) bottle of beer or ale
1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
some cornmeal, for the bottom of the bread (optional)
Directions
After proofing the yeast, stir all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Let rise once for a couple hours until doubled in size. Fold dough into itself to make a ball or loaf or an oblong shape and transfer to a baking sheet. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise again for 45 minutes. Score top of the loaf a few times with a sharp knife. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a pan filled halfway with warm water below the loaf. Bake for 30 minutes.
Ingredients
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c warm water (110 degrees F) + 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast + 1/2 c all purpose flour
One (12 oz) bottle of beer or ale
1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
some cornmeal, for the bottom of the bread (optional)
Directions
After proofing the yeast, stir all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Let rise once for a couple hours until doubled in size. Fold dough into itself to make a ball or loaf or an oblong shape and transfer to a baking sheet. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise again for 45 minutes. Score top of the loaf a few times with a sharp knife. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a pan filled halfway with warm water below the loaf. Bake for 30 minutes.
Garlic-Sage Butter Spread
I'm sure there are better ways to prepare this. If you don't have a food processor, you can certainly let the butter soften at room temperature before mixing in the roasted garlic or fresh sage. For this recipe, I used a stick of unsalted butter (1/2 c) and sea salt to taste. A little bit of salt goes a long way and helps add a contrasting taste to bring out the other flavors mixed into the butter.
Lop off the top of a garlic bulb with a sharp knife and wrap the bulb with aluminum foil. Drizzle some olive oil on top of the bulb before closing up the foil. This can go into any baking cycle on Thanksgiving day, but it needs to roast for at least an hour, if cooking at 250 degrees F; or 40 minutes at 350 to 375 degrees F. The garlic should be spreadable on its own once it's done.
For the sage part, I minced three whole fresh sage leaves.
Let the butter soften to room temperature and mix in roasted garlic and fresh sage. You can then spoon this butter into decorative butter moulds and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
This butter can be used to cook with chicken or fish. Guests used it on the buttermilk biscuits and beer bread.
Buttermilk Biscuits
I'm not sure what I did wrong here. They didn't rise at all; but at least there weren't any leftovers for this side dish. The only ones that looked "normal" had two biscuit rounds stacked on top of each other when baking. Maybe if I had used fake ingredients like vegetable shortening they might have risen to great poofiness like the Staypuft marshmallow man. When it comes to preparing dishes for Thanksgiving, I shudder at the notion of using post-industrial methods; like using shortening in baked goods. Frankly, I don't think vegetable shortening existed in 1621, but hey, in today's America it's all about speed and convenience.
These biscuits are easy enough to make and I could have posted the recipe years ago; but never got around to it because it is so simple.
Ingredients
2 c all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
8 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled, cut into chunks
3/4 c buttermilk
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
1. Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender until it resembles pea-sized crumbs. Add buttermilk and mix. Dough will be sticky.
2. Pour dough onto a floured surface and roll out with rolling pin. Be sure to not overwork the dough, because I think that's what I did during the folding-in-half and rolling out part.
3. Roll out dough to 1/4" thickness, fold in half and cut out rounds with a biscuit cutter.
4. Place onto a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
5. Remove from oven and set onto a rack to cool before putting into a clean kitchen-towel-lined bowl or basket.
These biscuits are easy enough to make and I could have posted the recipe years ago; but never got around to it because it is so simple.
Ingredients
2 c all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
8 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled, cut into chunks
3/4 c buttermilk
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
1. Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender until it resembles pea-sized crumbs. Add buttermilk and mix. Dough will be sticky.
2. Pour dough onto a floured surface and roll out with rolling pin. Be sure to not overwork the dough, because I think that's what I did during the folding-in-half and rolling out part.
3. Roll out dough to 1/4" thickness, fold in half and cut out rounds with a biscuit cutter.
4. Place onto a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
5. Remove from oven and set onto a rack to cool before putting into a clean kitchen-towel-lined bowl or basket.
Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread
This recipe is used just about every year I've been in the Northwest as the bread base for cornbread stuffing for the turkey. I suppose it could be baked in different pans or shapes; but if the end goal is to cube all the bread, then a) it doesn't matter how moist the cornbread is, and b) its baking shape doesn't matter either. The recipe ratio comes from The Cast Iron Skillet cookbook.
Ingredients
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c fine white cornmeal
1/2 c medium-coarsely ground yellow cornmeal
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 c half-and-half
1/2 c sour cream
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, sour cream, butter and half-and-half together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until it forms a batter.
Butter the interior of the cast iron skillet, bottom and sides. Pour in cornmeal batter and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the top is lightly golden brown.
Yield: 4 1/2 c cornbread, or 8 servings if sliced into wedges
Ingredients
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c fine white cornmeal
1/2 c medium-coarsely ground yellow cornmeal
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 c half-and-half
1/2 c sour cream
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, sour cream, butter and half-and-half together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until it forms a batter.
Butter the interior of the cast iron skillet, bottom and sides. Pour in cornmeal batter and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the top is lightly golden brown.
Yield: 4 1/2 c cornbread, or 8 servings if sliced into wedges
Rosemary-Garlic Roasted Yams and Sweet Potatoes
I really don't get why Americans would put a layer of marshmallows on top of an already sweet root vegetable; perhaps to get the kids to eat it? to salute industrialized manufacturing? to pad the coffers of the corn industry? At any rate, this recipe ignores all of that marshmallow nonsense.
Depending on how many guests you have, it is likely that you'll either have a few leftovers or a lot. This side dish is for people who don't necessarily care for mashed potatoes for their starch allotment at Thanksgiving; like me. I don't like putting a serving size estimate on a side dish since it doesn't really reflect a true serving size when paired with a larger holiday meal. A whole yam or potato is the typical serving size for an adult.
Ingredients
6-8 medium-sized yams, any variety, peeled and cut into 1" wedges
1-2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in to 1" wedges
3-4 small sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves only, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
1. In a very large bowl, combine peeled yam and potato wedges with garlic, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Mix with hands or a large spoon to evenly coat the wedges.
2. This may need two rimmed baking sheets, depending on the amount of cooked. Spread into a single layer on a prepared baking sheet (either use a Silpat, or a buttered baking dish, otherwise the wedges will stick to the bottom of the sheet)
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the wedges are fork-tender.
Depending on how many guests you have, it is likely that you'll either have a few leftovers or a lot. This side dish is for people who don't necessarily care for mashed potatoes for their starch allotment at Thanksgiving; like me. I don't like putting a serving size estimate on a side dish since it doesn't really reflect a true serving size when paired with a larger holiday meal. A whole yam or potato is the typical serving size for an adult.
Ingredients
6-8 medium-sized yams, any variety, peeled and cut into 1" wedges
1-2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in to 1" wedges
3-4 small sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves only, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
1. In a very large bowl, combine peeled yam and potato wedges with garlic, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Mix with hands or a large spoon to evenly coat the wedges.
2. This may need two rimmed baking sheets, depending on the amount of cooked. Spread into a single layer on a prepared baking sheet (either use a Silpat, or a buttered baking dish, otherwise the wedges will stick to the bottom of the sheet)
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the wedges are fork-tender.
Burnt Pecan Vinaigrette
Overcooking nutmeats is darn easy to do, even when watching the stove or oven. This recipe helps use up some of those burned pecans that aren't fit for the pecan pie. I was told that there was too much garlic in the salad dressing. That may be true since I put in more than what a typical salad dressing recipe calls for.
I tried to use a standard vinaigrette ratio for this and ended up adding more olive oil, vinegar, and a little water to balance out the consistency, acidity, and thickness of the dressing. I wanted guests to be able to spoon it onto their salad.
Ingredients
2 tbsp red wine vinegar, to start
4 tbsp (or 1/4 c) olive oil, to start
1 tsp honey, any mild flavor
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
up to a handful of burnt pecans
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
In a food processor, put in a generous handful of burnt pecans (without the shell), pulse until it is finely ground. The oil to vinegar is a 2 to 1 ratio; so for every 2 tbsp of vinegar add 4 tbsp of eating-quality olive oil (like an extra virgin olive oil or organic olive oil). Blend all ingredients together.
I tried to use a standard vinaigrette ratio for this and ended up adding more olive oil, vinegar, and a little water to balance out the consistency, acidity, and thickness of the dressing. I wanted guests to be able to spoon it onto their salad.
Ingredients
2 tbsp red wine vinegar, to start
4 tbsp (or 1/4 c) olive oil, to start
1 tsp honey, any mild flavor
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
up to a handful of burnt pecans
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
In a food processor, put in a generous handful of burnt pecans (without the shell), pulse until it is finely ground. The oil to vinegar is a 2 to 1 ratio; so for every 2 tbsp of vinegar add 4 tbsp of eating-quality olive oil (like an extra virgin olive oil or organic olive oil). Blend all ingredients together.
Kitchen Note: Thanksgiving on the Sides
I received a real chef's jacket for my bday. It even says "Executive Chef" under my name. It's really cute. :) One could say that my true passion in life is food; isn't that the same for everyone who eats on a daily basis? While I don't particularly have good knife skills, am able to keep a tidy mise en place and meals eventually get prepared, though not entirely in a timely manner.
For a food event like Thanksgiving, planning the dishes and prep times takes a few days of researching recipes and ingredients with what is locally and seasonally available. Planning is what allows a succession of dishes to be baked one after another at different temperatures before and after the turkey is roasted with the same oven.
This year I made the following side dishes:
a batch of skillet cornbread (from the Cast Iron Skillet cookbook; for the stuffing)
roasted brussels sprouts (Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa cookbook)
a loaf of beer bread (in case the cornbread wasn't enough for the stuffing)
rosemary and garlic roasted yams and sweet potatoes
burnt pecan vinaigrette
buttermilk biscuits
roasted garlic-sage butter (for the beer bread)
mushroom rosemary turkey gravy
The gravy and vinaigrette are new recipes; as they were made on the fly as I was doing it. I'll have these posted soon.
For a food event like Thanksgiving, planning the dishes and prep times takes a few days of researching recipes and ingredients with what is locally and seasonally available. Planning is what allows a succession of dishes to be baked one after another at different temperatures before and after the turkey is roasted with the same oven.
This year I made the following side dishes:
a batch of skillet cornbread (from the Cast Iron Skillet cookbook; for the stuffing)
roasted brussels sprouts (Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa cookbook)
a loaf of beer bread (in case the cornbread wasn't enough for the stuffing)
rosemary and garlic roasted yams and sweet potatoes
burnt pecan vinaigrette
buttermilk biscuits
roasted garlic-sage butter (for the beer bread)
mushroom rosemary turkey gravy
The gravy and vinaigrette are new recipes; as they were made on the fly as I was doing it. I'll have these posted soon.
Chicken with Lemon and Olives
This recipe originates from Morocco; or at least that's what the Mediterranean the Beautiful Cookbook says. I've had Moroccan food before at a restaurant, and it involved eating everything (including the chicken) with my hands. This dish is intended to not replicate that experience but to use up a lot of preserved green olives that just happened to be on hand at the time.
The organic chicken from Trader Joe's was skimpy on giblets, so I wasn't able to take them or the chicken's missing liver to mash up into the sauce. The hardest part of the recipe was pitting the whole green olives using a cherry pitter. It's very hard work to do it by hand. Overall, this recipe process was very similar to making curry chicken.
The original recipe called for preserved lemon, and I only had fresh lemons on hand. Using a vegetable peeler, I removed the peel of a lemon and sliced the peel thinly then soaked the peel in lemon juice with a pinch of salt and sugar; because if I had two extra days, that's how the preserving could have started. Anyhow. The peel doesn't go into the pot until 30 minutes of cook time has transpired.
This dish was served with Israeli couscous that was cooked in duck broth and lightly spiced with ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cumin, and freshly ground black pepper.
Ingredients
1 whole organic chicken, cut into pieces
1 c white onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c olive oil
2 c water (I used mushroom dashi that was leftover from a previous meal)
2 c good quality green olives, pitted
juice of two lemons
peel of one lemon, thinly sliced
Directions
1. Take a whole raw chicken and carve it into individual pieces (wings, thighs, drumsticks, etc). I thought the chicken breasts would have added too much meat to the recipe; so those were reserved for another dish. If you are going to trim off the excess fat, don't throw it out, toss it into the pot with the chicken.
2. In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, add olive oil. Add spices and onion and stir until the oil is fragrant, a couple minutes. Add the chicken pieces (including giblets, if any) and turn the pieces over to coat with the spices and oil. Add water or a neutral broth to cover (approx 2 cups). Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Add olives, lemon peel, and lemon juice. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. Transfer chicken and sauce to a platter. Serve hot.
The organic chicken from Trader Joe's was skimpy on giblets, so I wasn't able to take them or the chicken's missing liver to mash up into the sauce. The hardest part of the recipe was pitting the whole green olives using a cherry pitter. It's very hard work to do it by hand. Overall, this recipe process was very similar to making curry chicken.
The original recipe called for preserved lemon, and I only had fresh lemons on hand. Using a vegetable peeler, I removed the peel of a lemon and sliced the peel thinly then soaked the peel in lemon juice with a pinch of salt and sugar; because if I had two extra days, that's how the preserving could have started. Anyhow. The peel doesn't go into the pot until 30 minutes of cook time has transpired.
This dish was served with Israeli couscous that was cooked in duck broth and lightly spiced with ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cumin, and freshly ground black pepper.
Ingredients
1 whole organic chicken, cut into pieces
1 c white onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c olive oil
2 c water (I used mushroom dashi that was leftover from a previous meal)
2 c good quality green olives, pitted
juice of two lemons
peel of one lemon, thinly sliced
Directions
1. Take a whole raw chicken and carve it into individual pieces (wings, thighs, drumsticks, etc). I thought the chicken breasts would have added too much meat to the recipe; so those were reserved for another dish. If you are going to trim off the excess fat, don't throw it out, toss it into the pot with the chicken.
2. In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, add olive oil. Add spices and onion and stir until the oil is fragrant, a couple minutes. Add the chicken pieces (including giblets, if any) and turn the pieces over to coat with the spices and oil. Add water or a neutral broth to cover (approx 2 cups). Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Add olives, lemon peel, and lemon juice. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes. Transfer chicken and sauce to a platter. Serve hot.
Asiago Crisps
This recipe originated from the French Laundry cookbook under the guise of "Parmesan Crisps". FL's recipe called for "moist" Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, which doesn't seem to exist to the average consumer. When I look at it, it's a pretty darn hard wedge of cheese. Asiago cheese, while considered a semi-hard cheese, has enough--probably too much--moisture for this recipe; and is as strong-tasting as the goat cheese mousse I put in it.
To make the crisps, simply grate enough cheese. FL calls for a cup of grated cheese. This will make approx six 2" diameter crisps, when using a 2" biscuit cutter (the only round cutter in the kitchen). Using a Silpat mat is better than parchment paper.
Simply place the biscuit cutter on the Silpat and fill it up with a layer of grated cheese. Gently remove the cutter and repeat with more cheese, spacing the rounds of cheese about an inch apart.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.
If you just want to eat these flourless cheese "crackers", remove the baked cheese from the Silpat with a spatula and let cool on paper towels. Once cooled, you should remove the cheese from the towels to a plate since the paper will stick to the cheese if you don't.
If you are going a step further and using the cheese crisps as a carrier for another appetizer, say, as a tiny basket for goat cheese mousse, then immediately remove the crisps from the oven and gently stuff into small heat-proof bowls to form the "basket" curve. You can then let these cool while in the bowls until ready to use. Or, once cooled, you can place these into an empty egg carton. Instead of a small prep bowls, you can also use the egg carton to form the baskets.
Do not use a semi-soft cheese like cheddar to make crisps. There is simply too much liquid (high fat content) in the cheese to make them look or taste good.
Five Spice Roast Duck
It's been a while since I last made this dish and I ended up adjusting it because I roasted the duck in a pan that was too large for the duck and a lot of the tasty sauce boiled off during baking. When I took the duck out of the oven to baste it a second time, I had to deglaze the pan with some red wine and added another cup of water to the pan for the final hour of baking. I think my dad uses a 2-quart oblong casserole dish with a 3/4" rack inside.
Total cook time should be roughly 1.5 hours, but with taking the duck out to baste and pour off the oil, the cooking/prep time can easily be 3 hours. Plan ahead if you are using the oven to make other things.
This spice ratio is a family recipe; which, in our family means that my dad created it out of experimentation and someone bothered to write it down. No one has the time to grind a custom five-spice powder anymore; any store-bought mixture of Chinese five-spice powder will do.
Ingredients
1 whole duck, giblets removed
2 tbsp organic granulated sugar
3/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tbsp five spice powder
6 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp Chinese rice cooking wine
+ 1 cup of water (for 2nd basting)
+ 1/4 c to 1/2 c wine (for deglazing the roasting pan)
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Tear out a sheet of aluminum foil that is long enough to cover the entire duck. Poke holes in it with the tines of a fork.
1. If using a frozen duck, thaw completely before roasting. If using fresh duck, wash the duck inside and out with water and remove all the giblets from inside. If you intend to trim the excess fat, do not discard it. Place the excess fat and giblets on the bottom of the roasting pan under the rack. The fat will melt during baking and can be used in any lard-based recipe. Place in baking dish.
2. Combine spices and wine in a bowl. Using a spoon, pour the sauce over the duck. Flip the duck and baste the other side of the duck. It shouldn't matter which side is up for the first or second bastings, it should just be the opposite side... ehh if that makes any sense.
3. For example, if the duck goes in breast-side up then for the second basting, the duck should be turned so that it is breast-side down. The goal here is to get both sides of the duck roasted to a gorgeous golden brown.
Roast for:
20 mins, breast side up
45 mins, remove duck from oven, baste with pan juices, breast side down
60 mins, remove duck from oven, baste, cover with aluminum foil
4. Remove from oven when the duck breast or thigh meat measures 165 degrees F with a meat thermometer. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Serve warm (with steamed bao, if using).
Total cook time should be roughly 1.5 hours, but with taking the duck out to baste and pour off the oil, the cooking/prep time can easily be 3 hours. Plan ahead if you are using the oven to make other things.
This spice ratio is a family recipe; which, in our family means that my dad created it out of experimentation and someone bothered to write it down. No one has the time to grind a custom five-spice powder anymore; any store-bought mixture of Chinese five-spice powder will do.
Ingredients
1 whole duck, giblets removed
2 tbsp organic granulated sugar
3/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tbsp five spice powder
6 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp Chinese rice cooking wine
+ 1 cup of water (for 2nd basting)
+ 1/4 c to 1/2 c wine (for deglazing the roasting pan)
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Tear out a sheet of aluminum foil that is long enough to cover the entire duck. Poke holes in it with the tines of a fork.
1. If using a frozen duck, thaw completely before roasting. If using fresh duck, wash the duck inside and out with water and remove all the giblets from inside. If you intend to trim the excess fat, do not discard it. Place the excess fat and giblets on the bottom of the roasting pan under the rack. The fat will melt during baking and can be used in any lard-based recipe. Place in baking dish.
2. Combine spices and wine in a bowl. Using a spoon, pour the sauce over the duck. Flip the duck and baste the other side of the duck. It shouldn't matter which side is up for the first or second bastings, it should just be the opposite side... ehh if that makes any sense.
3. For example, if the duck goes in breast-side up then for the second basting, the duck should be turned so that it is breast-side down. The goal here is to get both sides of the duck roasted to a gorgeous golden brown.
Roast for:
20 mins, breast side up
45 mins, remove duck from oven, baste with pan juices, breast side down
60 mins, remove duck from oven, baste, cover with aluminum foil
4. Remove from oven when the duck breast or thigh meat measures 165 degrees F with a meat thermometer. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Serve warm (with steamed bao, if using).
(Sweet) Steamed Bao
This week I made this twice: once with salt and again without. The unsalted bao ("bread") tasted better. One thing to note about this bread recipe is that leftover rounds of dough can't be left out (even in a food storage container) overnight. The dough will rise and deflate again, and if there isn't enough room, the balls of dough will stick to each other making it a terrible (but edible) mess.
One batch of dough yielded 12 bao. It'll be a good base recipe when get around to making sweet black bean steamed buns. The smooth consistency of the black bean brownies will make a good addition to this future recipe.
To make cake flour: Substitute 2 tbsp cornstarch per cup of flour for flour. An easy way to measure this out is to first put the cornstarch in a two-cup measuring cup and fill it up with all purpose flour. For this recipe, put in 4 tbsp cornstarch and fill the rest of the two-cup measuring cup with flour to make two cups of cake flour.
Ingredients
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/3 c warm water (110 degrees F)
1/4 tsp organic granulated sugar
2 c cake flour
1/4 c organic granulated sugar
3 tbsp dry milk powder
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 c warm water (110 degrees F)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt (optional)
Directions
1. In a small bowl, proof yeast in 3 oz warm water (110 degrees F) with 1/4 tsp sugar. After 10 minutes if the yeast hasn't turned foamy, it is probably dead or the water was too hot. There is a tiny bit of baking powder in the recipe, but if your yeast is dead, the dough won't rise properly.
2. In a larger mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, olive oil, milk powder, and water. Mix well, but don't overwork the dough. Add in the yeast water. Mix again. Gently knead the dough by hand and form it into a ball. Cover the mixing bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for an hour.
3a. Knead the risen dough until it is smooth and elastic. The dough will be sticky at this point, and a little bit of flour can be added while kneading. Roll out dough into a log or to 1/2" thickness with a rolling pin. Separate the dough into equal portions and roll each portion into a ball, if making steamed bao.
3b. This recipe is the same for making steamed bao for roast duck, and balls can be rolled out to a 2" diameter, 1/4" thick circle. Brush some vegetable oil on half the circle and fold it in half. Set aside on a 4" square parchment paper. Repeat until done.
4. Heat a pot with a steamer rack inside to boiling. The amount of water in the pot should be just below the height of the steamer rack. If using bamboo steamer baskets, make sure that the boiling water doesn't touch the bottom-most basket. Place prepared dough (with the parchment paper) into the baskets. If you don't want to be scalded by the hot steam, you could turn off the heat, insert the steamer basket, cover the pot, then crank the heat again. Steam bao for 10 minutes. When done, immediately remove from pot and baskets. Peel off the parchment paper and serve.
One batch of dough yielded 12 bao. It'll be a good base recipe when get around to making sweet black bean steamed buns. The smooth consistency of the black bean brownies will make a good addition to this future recipe.
To make cake flour: Substitute 2 tbsp cornstarch per cup of flour for flour. An easy way to measure this out is to first put the cornstarch in a two-cup measuring cup and fill it up with all purpose flour. For this recipe, put in 4 tbsp cornstarch and fill the rest of the two-cup measuring cup with flour to make two cups of cake flour.
Ingredients
1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/3 c warm water (110 degrees F)
1/4 tsp organic granulated sugar
2 c cake flour
1/4 c organic granulated sugar
3 tbsp dry milk powder
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 c warm water (110 degrees F)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt (optional)
Directions
1. In a small bowl, proof yeast in 3 oz warm water (110 degrees F) with 1/4 tsp sugar. After 10 minutes if the yeast hasn't turned foamy, it is probably dead or the water was too hot. There is a tiny bit of baking powder in the recipe, but if your yeast is dead, the dough won't rise properly.
2. In a larger mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, olive oil, milk powder, and water. Mix well, but don't overwork the dough. Add in the yeast water. Mix again. Gently knead the dough by hand and form it into a ball. Cover the mixing bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for an hour.
3a. Knead the risen dough until it is smooth and elastic. The dough will be sticky at this point, and a little bit of flour can be added while kneading. Roll out dough into a log or to 1/2" thickness with a rolling pin. Separate the dough into equal portions and roll each portion into a ball, if making steamed bao.
3b. This recipe is the same for making steamed bao for roast duck, and balls can be rolled out to a 2" diameter, 1/4" thick circle. Brush some vegetable oil on half the circle and fold it in half. Set aside on a 4" square parchment paper. Repeat until done.
4. Heat a pot with a steamer rack inside to boiling. The amount of water in the pot should be just below the height of the steamer rack. If using bamboo steamer baskets, make sure that the boiling water doesn't touch the bottom-most basket. Place prepared dough (with the parchment paper) into the baskets. If you don't want to be scalded by the hot steam, you could turn off the heat, insert the steamer basket, cover the pot, then crank the heat again. Steam bao for 10 minutes. When done, immediately remove from pot and baskets. Peel off the parchment paper and serve.
Steamed Manila Clams
According to Wikipedia, among the natural predators of this humble clam are the dungeness and red rock crabs...which in turn would suggest that I could harvest manila clams in the same areas where people drop crab pots for these crabs. Mmmm, what a tasty thought.
In this recipe, the Chinese rice wine and dry sherry are a substitution for a dry white wine. Up to a half cup of white wine is typically used to steam most clams. Also, shallots can replace the green onions. Against a strong flavor like garlic, I can't taste the thyme in the broth.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs fresh manila clams, scrubbed clean
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 c Shaoxing rice cooking wine
1/8 c dry sherry
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 green onions, white part only, chopped
pinch of dried thyme
Directions
1. In a skillet (with a lid), melt butter over medium heat and add the cloves and onions. Saute until fragrant, about a minute.
2. Add clams and pour alcohol on top. Cover and let cook until the clams open, 5-8 minutes.
3. Scoop the cooked clams into a bowl and pour the broth over them. Serve hot.
In this recipe, the Chinese rice wine and dry sherry are a substitution for a dry white wine. Up to a half cup of white wine is typically used to steam most clams. Also, shallots can replace the green onions. Against a strong flavor like garlic, I can't taste the thyme in the broth.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs fresh manila clams, scrubbed clean
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 c Shaoxing rice cooking wine
1/8 c dry sherry
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 green onions, white part only, chopped
pinch of dried thyme
Directions
1. In a skillet (with a lid), melt butter over medium heat and add the cloves and onions. Saute until fragrant, about a minute.
2. Add clams and pour alcohol on top. Cover and let cook until the clams open, 5-8 minutes.
3. Scoop the cooked clams into a bowl and pour the broth over them. Serve hot.
Chocolate Zucchini Bread
I can't say that zucchini is one of my favored vegetables, but it certainly tastes a whole lot better when it gets deep fried or baked up into a dessert bread.
Ingredients
1 1/2 c raw zucchini, grated
1 c all purpose flour
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c organic granulated sugar
1/2 c light brown sugar
1/2 c Ghirardelli sweet ground chocolate and cocoa
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Prepare a loaf pan by buttering it all, especially the corners and ridges, if using a Silpat loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together dry and wet ingredients.
3. Fill loaf pan with batter and bake for an hour, or use the toothpick method at 50 minutes to check if it is done.
Turkey Pot Pie (without potatoes)
This came out tasting pretty good, considering I didn't have any potatoes on hand. I should probably take a photo of the remaining pie before it gets eaten. I didn't use an egg wash on this because frankly, egg washes are a waste of an egg and I don't like my breads to look dark and shiny when they come out of the oven. This batch made two 16 oz pot pies, at least that's what my guess is. I was able to use one pie crust recipe to cover two 5" round cake tins.
Ingredients
2 c cooked turkey meat, cubed
6 oz half-and-half cream (can also substitute milk)
2 organic carrots, diced
2 organic celery ribs, diced
1/2 c frozen organic peas
1/2 c frozen organic corn kernels
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp each: dried thyme, dried parsley, garlic powder, salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 savory pie crust for a 10" pie (see recipe)
Directions
1. In a small bowl combine salt, freshly ground black pepper, and dried herbs.
2. In a medium pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots and celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the carrots can be easily pierced with a fork. Add spices and stir to combine. Add milk and flour. Stir while cooking until the flour has mixed in with the milk and vegetables. Remove from heat. Add peas and corn kernels. Mix to distribute ingredients evenly.
3. Cut the dough in half and roll out each half until it is at least five inches across, or just slightly larger than the diameter of your baking tin or ramekin. It's okay if there is excess dough hanging off the rim.
4. Divide the pot pie filling evenly between the two tins (or ramekins). Place the rolled out pie dough on top of the pie tin and use the tines of a fork to make crimping marks on the edge. Use a sharp knife to poke a few slits in the top to let the steam escape.
5. For easier handling, place both tins onto a baking sheet to put in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes, or until the top crust is lightly browned.
Ingredients
2 c cooked turkey meat, cubed
6 oz half-and-half cream (can also substitute milk)
2 organic carrots, diced
2 organic celery ribs, diced
1/2 c frozen organic peas
1/2 c frozen organic corn kernels
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp each: dried thyme, dried parsley, garlic powder, salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 savory pie crust for a 10" pie (see recipe)
Directions
1. In a small bowl combine salt, freshly ground black pepper, and dried herbs.
2. In a medium pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots and celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the carrots can be easily pierced with a fork. Add spices and stir to combine. Add milk and flour. Stir while cooking until the flour has mixed in with the milk and vegetables. Remove from heat. Add peas and corn kernels. Mix to distribute ingredients evenly.
3. Cut the dough in half and roll out each half until it is at least five inches across, or just slightly larger than the diameter of your baking tin or ramekin. It's okay if there is excess dough hanging off the rim.
4. Divide the pot pie filling evenly between the two tins (or ramekins). Place the rolled out pie dough on top of the pie tin and use the tines of a fork to make crimping marks on the edge. Use a sharp knife to poke a few slits in the top to let the steam escape.
5. For easier handling, place both tins onto a baking sheet to put in the oven. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes, or until the top crust is lightly browned.
Roasted Pork Sirloin Roast
Seems odd to use "roast" twice in a post title. Anyhow, that's exactly what it is. The cut of meat is called a "pork sirloin roast" and I am roasting it in the oven. I am using winesap apples since they are slightly sweet and somewhat tart, an overall good baking apple, I'm told. I hope I remember all the spices I put in. Hmm, let's see...
Ingredients
One sirloin pork roast (this one was 1.4 pounds)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp each: garlic powder, dried thyme, dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried marjoram (optional)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
pinch of nutmeg
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
kosher salt, to taste
2 tart organic apples, cored and sliced
3 organic carrots, sliced into 1" pieces
Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine salt and spices.
2. Core and quarter the apples. Chop the carrots into 1" pieces.
3. In a dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and brown the sides of the pork roast. Remove roast from pot and set aside.
4. Place the apples and carrots on the bottom of the pot. Then rest the roast on top of the apples and vegetables. Gently cover all sides of the roast with the spice mixture.
5. Cover dutch oven pot and bake for an hour. Internal meat temperature should be 145 degrees F. Remove from oven and let the meat rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Serve with apple butter or apple sauce.
Ingredients
One sirloin pork roast (this one was 1.4 pounds)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp each: garlic powder, dried thyme, dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried marjoram (optional)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
pinch of nutmeg
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
kosher salt, to taste
2 tart organic apples, cored and sliced
3 organic carrots, sliced into 1" pieces
Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine salt and spices.
2. Core and quarter the apples. Chop the carrots into 1" pieces.
3. In a dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and brown the sides of the pork roast. Remove roast from pot and set aside.
4. Place the apples and carrots on the bottom of the pot. Then rest the roast on top of the apples and vegetables. Gently cover all sides of the roast with the spice mixture.
5. Cover dutch oven pot and bake for an hour. Internal meat temperature should be 145 degrees F. Remove from oven and let the meat rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Serve with apple butter or apple sauce.
Chestnut Soup
It is good to end a rainy day with a hot bowl of homemade soup. This one turned out really tasty and I only added one leftover to it, baked Japanese sweet potatoes. Tree-grown chestnuts are hard to come by, mostly because the last three seasons haven't been good growing conditions for local chestnut growers. This years' chestnuts from the farmers market were really small. In previous years I'd gotten my chestnuts, fresh and dried, from the Allen Creek Chestnut Farm in Ridgefield, WA.
Steaming chestnuts rather than roasting allowed me to peel the chestnuts easier with less waste. For this soup, half were roasted and the other half were halved then steamed.
Ingredients
2 c. roasted or steamed chestnuts, coarsely chopped
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 carrot, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 1/2 Japanese sweet potatoes, cooked and coarsely chopped
1 tbsp dry sherry
1/2 tsp dried marjoram (optional)
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
1. In a 3-qt pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook vegetables for 25 minutes, or until the onions start to caramelize.
2. Add peeled chestnuts, salt, freshly ground black pepper, marjoram and water. Bring to a boil, then let simmer over low-medium heat for 45 minutes. Mid-way through cooking, add the Japanese sweet potatoes, if using. In the last five minutes of cooking, add the sherry.
3. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup.
4. Serve while hot. Can garnish with fresh cream.
Steaming chestnuts rather than roasting allowed me to peel the chestnuts easier with less waste. For this soup, half were roasted and the other half were halved then steamed.
Ingredients
2 c. roasted or steamed chestnuts, coarsely chopped
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 carrot, diced
1 celery rib, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 1/2 Japanese sweet potatoes, cooked and coarsely chopped
1 tbsp dry sherry
1/2 tsp dried marjoram (optional)
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
1. In a 3-qt pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook vegetables for 25 minutes, or until the onions start to caramelize.
2. Add peeled chestnuts, salt, freshly ground black pepper, marjoram and water. Bring to a boil, then let simmer over low-medium heat for 45 minutes. Mid-way through cooking, add the Japanese sweet potatoes, if using. In the last five minutes of cooking, add the sherry.
3. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup.
4. Serve while hot. Can garnish with fresh cream.
Pan de los Muertos Bread Pudding
What to do with leftover bread? Why.. make bread pudding, of course. If it hadn't been shaped so oddly, I might have been able to make French toast out of it too. Because Day of the Dead Bread is a sweetened bread, there is less sugar in this bread pudding than what it traditionally calls for. The first batch just had added raisins, it also used two leftover egg whites plus one leftover egg wash and two whole eggs; the second batch had less bread to work with and used two whole eggs and six ounces of half-and-half cream with raisins and a random tart apple from the fridge.
I suppose I could have taken a picture of it. While bread pudding tastes good, it's just not that sexy to look at.
Ingredients
leftover bread cubes (do not use croutons)
4 large eggs
4 c whole milk (organic or rBST-free)
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c organic granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 organic tart apple, peeled, cored, and diced (optional)
1 tbsp rum (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Cube the bread. Depending on the size of your leftover loaf, you'll have plenty of bread to fill a 2-quart baking dish. You can nest an 8" x 8" baking dish inside a 9" x 13" baking dish for the water bath; but at the time the square dish was in use by another food item. I used a round baking dish inside a rectangular baking dish and that worked out all right.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, beat together sugar, melted butter, eggs, milk, spices, vanilla, and rum (if using).
3. Put the cubed bread inside the smaller baking dish. Add raisins (and chopped apple). Stir to combine. Make sure that the raisins are not on the top layer on top of the bread, otherwise they will burn to a crisp when the dessert bakes. If you don't have enough custard liquid to submerge the bread, then don't put all the bread in. Pour in the custard liquid. Let this sit for 10 minutes.
4. Bake using a water bath method for 45 minutes, up to an hour, or until the custard has set. At the 45-minute mark, you can test doneness by pressing on the bread with the back of a spoon. If liquid comes to the surface, the custard has not set yet.
5. Remove from oven. Serve warm or cold.
I suppose I could have taken a picture of it. While bread pudding tastes good, it's just not that sexy to look at.
Ingredients
leftover bread cubes (do not use croutons)
4 large eggs
4 c whole milk (organic or rBST-free)
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c organic granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 organic tart apple, peeled, cored, and diced (optional)
1 tbsp rum (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Cube the bread. Depending on the size of your leftover loaf, you'll have plenty of bread to fill a 2-quart baking dish. You can nest an 8" x 8" baking dish inside a 9" x 13" baking dish for the water bath; but at the time the square dish was in use by another food item. I used a round baking dish inside a rectangular baking dish and that worked out all right.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, beat together sugar, melted butter, eggs, milk, spices, vanilla, and rum (if using).
3. Put the cubed bread inside the smaller baking dish. Add raisins (and chopped apple). Stir to combine. Make sure that the raisins are not on the top layer on top of the bread, otherwise they will burn to a crisp when the dessert bakes. If you don't have enough custard liquid to submerge the bread, then don't put all the bread in. Pour in the custard liquid. Let this sit for 10 minutes.
4. Bake using a water bath method for 45 minutes, up to an hour, or until the custard has set. At the 45-minute mark, you can test doneness by pressing on the bread with the back of a spoon. If liquid comes to the surface, the custard has not set yet.
5. Remove from oven. Serve warm or cold.
Polvorones de Naranja (Orange "Dusts" Cookies)
These cookies aren't quite the same as Mexican wedding cookies and are somewhat more dense in texture. I adapted this recipe from the "Mexico the Beautiful Cookbook", and I must say, 25 minutes is far too long of a cooking time at 400 degrees F for any cookie, which is what the cookbook recommended. Made this for a Halloween/Dia de los Muertos potluck. It's not terribly scary nor is it made to look scary.
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| Orange Tea Cookies |
Ingredients
3 c. all purpose flour
1 c. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into chunks
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
1/2 c. powdered sugar + more for sprinkling
1/4 c. fresh orange juice
2 large egg yolks
zest from 2 large oranges
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg yolks, orange juice, sugar, and zest. On low setting, add flour and unsalted butter. Mix until well combined and there aren't visible chunks of butter.
2. On a lightly floured surface (I used a bit of powdered sugar instead of flour), roll out dough to 3/4" thickness and cut out into 1 1/2" to 2 1/2" rounds.
3. Place cookie rounds on a greased baking sheet, parchment paper, or a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden brown.
4. Let cook on a rack before dusting with powdered sugar.
Pumpkin Fried Rice
This recipe is a homage to a dish of the same name from Ginza, a downtown Bellevue restaurant. I can only hope that I can get the presentation close to how Ginza serves this up (inside a cooked kabocha squash).
From looking and tasting the dish, it has these noticeable ingredients: green onions, bacon, short grain white rice, caramelized onions, and chunks of kabocha squash. It easily serves 2-3 adults. Except for the rind and stem, it's all edible. I only have one sugar pumpkin on hand for this recipe; so no fancy presentation for me. You'll need to have two small sized kabocha squash on hand to replicate Ginza's plating for this dish. I think Ginza finishes the dish in the oven or steamer for the last ten or so minutes of cook time.
I only had five slices of bacon on hand, and while I could have taken more out of the freezer, I didn't. This recipe ratio definitely needed ten slices of bacon for the amount of rice cooked and prepared diced pumpkin. I used 1/4 cup less water when making the rice since I wanted the cooked rice to have more texture when frying. I also stirred the freshly made steamed rice until it cooled.
Ingredients
2-3 stalks green onions, sliced green parts only
1/2 medium white onion, small dice
5 garlic cloves, minced
10 slices of bacon, fried to a crisp then coarsely chopped
4 c. cooked white rice (2 c dried + 1 3/4 c water)
1/4 c. light soy sauce (optional)
1 tsp kosher salt
2+ c. diced sugar pumpkin (or kabocha squash)
Directions
1. With a rice steamer, cook two cups of rice in 1 3/4 cups of water. This will give the short grain rice a firmer texture for fried rice. Long grain white or brown rice can be used, if you prefer.
-or- Have four cups of cooked rice. White rice works better than brown rice. Long grain is the preferred American style of fried rice; while short grain is typically used in Asian cuisine.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, fry bacon over low-medium heat until all the strips are crispy. Pour out all but two tablespoons of bacon grease. Let the cooked bacon cool on paper towels before chopping up.
3. In the same skillet, turn heat to medium and saute onions and garlic until onions have turned translucent and begin to brown; about 5 mins. Add diced pumpkin and stir mixture occasionally until the pumpkin is fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes.
4. If you intend to add a saltier taste to the rice by using soy sauce, add it before the rice and stir until the pumpkin is mostly coated with it; instead of adding it to the rice which gives the rice an uneven color. Then, add the cooked rice and stir to evenly distribute ingredients. To preserve the green color of the scallions, these should be added last and about 10 minutes before serving. Add bacon and green onions. Stir to combine.
5. Turn off heat and cover until ready to serve.
This is how my version came out. It really did need more bacon; and the pumpkin could have cooked for longer:
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| Ginza's Pumpkin Fried Rice |
I only had five slices of bacon on hand, and while I could have taken more out of the freezer, I didn't. This recipe ratio definitely needed ten slices of bacon for the amount of rice cooked and prepared diced pumpkin. I used 1/4 cup less water when making the rice since I wanted the cooked rice to have more texture when frying. I also stirred the freshly made steamed rice until it cooled.
Ingredients
2-3 stalks green onions, sliced green parts only
1/2 medium white onion, small dice
5 garlic cloves, minced
10 slices of bacon, fried to a crisp then coarsely chopped
4 c. cooked white rice (2 c dried + 1 3/4 c water)
1/4 c. light soy sauce (optional)
1 tsp kosher salt
2+ c. diced sugar pumpkin (or kabocha squash)
Directions
1. With a rice steamer, cook two cups of rice in 1 3/4 cups of water. This will give the short grain rice a firmer texture for fried rice. Long grain white or brown rice can be used, if you prefer.
-or- Have four cups of cooked rice. White rice works better than brown rice. Long grain is the preferred American style of fried rice; while short grain is typically used in Asian cuisine.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, fry bacon over low-medium heat until all the strips are crispy. Pour out all but two tablespoons of bacon grease. Let the cooked bacon cool on paper towels before chopping up.
3. In the same skillet, turn heat to medium and saute onions and garlic until onions have turned translucent and begin to brown; about 5 mins. Add diced pumpkin and stir mixture occasionally until the pumpkin is fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes.
4. If you intend to add a saltier taste to the rice by using soy sauce, add it before the rice and stir until the pumpkin is mostly coated with it; instead of adding it to the rice which gives the rice an uneven color. Then, add the cooked rice and stir to evenly distribute ingredients. To preserve the green color of the scallions, these should be added last and about 10 minutes before serving. Add bacon and green onions. Stir to combine.
5. Turn off heat and cover until ready to serve.
This is how my version came out. It really did need more bacon; and the pumpkin could have cooked for longer:
 |
| Pumpkin Fried Rice, first attempt |
Toasted Pumpkin and Winter Squash Seeds
Sure, nearly all squash seeds are edible, but some definitely yield larger seeds than others. These are edible seeds worthy of toasting:
butternut squash, kabocha squash, jack-o-lantern pumpkins (the ones that
usually get carved up into scary shapes), sugar pumpkins, and acorn
squash.
Basic Prep Method:
Remove seeds from the squash, and discard any strings or pulp. Wash the seeds and spread them to dry on a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet. I put mine in a salad spinner and then onto a Silpat-lined baking sheet to dry more. I don't recommend using paper towels or kitchen towels because as they dry, the seeds will stick to the paper or pick up lint from the kitchen towels.
If using flavorings, mix the flavorings with the seeds prior to heating.
Heating Method(s):
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Toss in the squash seeds and cook, occasionally shaking or stirring the pan. Once the seeds start to "pop", they are done. Do not let the seeds burn. Remove from heat. If using a spice mix flavoring, taste one before adding additional spices and/or salt.
-or-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake seeds for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the seeds are a light golden brown color. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Flavoring Options:
1-2 tbsp olive oil + spices to taste (cayenne pepper or paprika, sea salt, black pepper)
1 1/2 tbsp butter or olive oil & 2 tsp kosher salt
Basic Prep Method:
Remove seeds from the squash, and discard any strings or pulp. Wash the seeds and spread them to dry on a parchment or Silpat-lined baking sheet. I put mine in a salad spinner and then onto a Silpat-lined baking sheet to dry more. I don't recommend using paper towels or kitchen towels because as they dry, the seeds will stick to the paper or pick up lint from the kitchen towels.
If using flavorings, mix the flavorings with the seeds prior to heating.
Heating Method(s):
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Toss in the squash seeds and cook, occasionally shaking or stirring the pan. Once the seeds start to "pop", they are done. Do not let the seeds burn. Remove from heat. If using a spice mix flavoring, taste one before adding additional spices and/or salt.
-or-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake seeds for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the seeds are a light golden brown color. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Flavoring Options:
1-2 tbsp olive oil + spices to taste (cayenne pepper or paprika, sea salt, black pepper)
1 1/2 tbsp butter or olive oil & 2 tsp kosher salt
Zucchini and yellow squash fritters
Aye ya. Two terrible dishes in the same day. I must not be in sync with the universe today. I'm told that if yellow squash isn't ripe (as if anyone can tell just by looking at it), the squash can be bitter. I don't think this would have tasted any better if I made it into something else. Why would it be for sale at a produce stand if it weren't ripe? Maybe farmers can't even tell when the yellow squash is ripe during harvest season...
This is a typical fritter recipe. You have a shredded ingredient, say a potato, zucchini, carrots, or squash, or any combination of ingredients, say clams or crab meat, add it to a flour-based batter and fry it up.
The base of the fritter usually involves some mixture of water, eggs, flour, and sometimes baking powder. The baking powder supposedly makes the fritter more crunchy; though, it didn't do much for this batch. If I were to do this recipe again, I'd definitely omit the yellow squash. Ugh.
Ingredients
2 small yellow squash, grated
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 carrot, grated
1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg, lightly beaten + 1 tbsp water
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
olive oil, for frying
Directions
1. Grate vegetables and stir in 1/4 tsp of salt. Let this sit for 10 minutes, then with cheesecloth or with your hands, squeeze out and discard the excess liquid from the vegetables.
2. Lightly beat an egg, salt, and freshly ground black pepper; stir this into the vegetables.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder.
3. While stirring, sprinkle in the flour to the egg/vegetable mixture. It should be slightly runny, like a batter.
4. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls into the hot oil. Fry on each side until lightly golden brown. Remove fritter from heat and repeat with the remaining batter.
These would probably taste good with a light sauce or sour cream.
Goat cheese and zucchini omelette
Using a flavored goat cheese (Primo Taglio, a Lucerne brand), in this instance garlic & herb, for an omelette proved to be too strong tasting and overpowered all the herbs in the eggs. I don't think it would have mattered if I used fresh herbs instead of dried. The original recipe from Cooking Light magazine calls for red bell pepper and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
4 eggs
3 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp fresh chives, chopped (optional, as garnish)
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
olive oil, for frying
Directions
1. In a bowl, beat eggs, salt and black pepper together.
2. In a small bowl, combine tarragon, parsley and goat cheese.
3. In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 tsp of olive oil and fry zucchini until lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in the skillet and add half the egg mixture. As the egg cooks, evenly spread on top half the cheese and half the zucchini. Using a spatula, loosen the edges of the omelette before attempting fold it into thirds. Carefully flip the omelette over in the skillet and let it cook for 2-3 minutes more. Remove the omelette to a plate and repeat with the remaining ingredients.
5. Sprinkle fresh chives on top before serving.
Ingredients
4 eggs
3 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp fresh chives, chopped (optional, as garnish)
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
olive oil, for frying
Directions
1. In a bowl, beat eggs, salt and black pepper together.
2. In a small bowl, combine tarragon, parsley and goat cheese.
3. In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 tsp of olive oil and fry zucchini until lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in the skillet and add half the egg mixture. As the egg cooks, evenly spread on top half the cheese and half the zucchini. Using a spatula, loosen the edges of the omelette before attempting fold it into thirds. Carefully flip the omelette over in the skillet and let it cook for 2-3 minutes more. Remove the omelette to a plate and repeat with the remaining ingredients.
5. Sprinkle fresh chives on top before serving.
Ratatouille Tart
I made a double cornmeal crust for this and even after baking it twice, once for the crust and again with the assembled tart, the crust did not hold up too well to slicing. Some potluck guests had suggested that instead of it being the crust, to use the cornmeal as a topping on top of the crust. That would be an interesting notion. I'll have to think about how to make it so that it cuts well and is crust-less. It is entirely doable if the bottom layer is comprised of sturdier slices of vegetables like more overlapping layers of eggplant and zucchini. This tart only had a single layer of roasted eggplant, zucchini and tomato slices. Without the 1/4" cornmeal crust it can easily accommodate more layers of vegetables. The inclusion of the shredded Gruyere and Swiss cheese into one of the cheese layers was certainly worth repeating. The original Food Network recipe only called for shredded mozzarella cheese, and three ounces was not enough for a 10" tart. I don't think it would be enough had I used a 9" tart pan.
For roasting:
1 green zucchini
1 Japanese eggplant (the long, thin one)
3 medium tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Slice vegetables into 1/8" slices and lay out in a single layer on a 9" x 13" glass baking dish (for easier cleaning) or onto a Silpat-lined baking tray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and bake vegetables for 12 minutes. The vegetables should be soft and doesn't have to be cooked all the way through. Take roasted vegetables out and set aside to cool until ready to fill the tart pan.
The cornmeal crust (optional):
One batch will supposedly fill a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom. But, that is not the size I had on hand. I made a double batch and packed it all into the 10" tart pan, which turned out to be way too much crust.
2/3 c. finely ground white cornmeal
1/3 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into chunks
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
In a food prep, pulse together dry ingredients, then add butter and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Add in the olive oil and pulse until well combined.
If you managed to roast the vegetables first, turn the heat down to 350 degrees F. After packing the crust into the tart pan with a 1/4" edge around the base of the tart. Place a sheet of aluminum foil between the top of the tart and the pie weights. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and pie weights and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the crust no longer looks shiny.
Kitchen note: this crust did not hold together and tasted very dry. The combination of olive oil and butter did not do much as a binder. Perhaps just a water, butter, flour crust would have sufficed.
Putting it all together:
The remaining ingredients for this recipe involves shredded cheese, sliced basil leaves, and grated Parmesan cheese (or some comparable tasting hard cheese).
3 oz - 5 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 oz Gruyere and Swiss blend cheese, shredded
5 medium fresh basil leaves, sliced
1/4 c. grated Parmigiano-regianno cheese
Bottom layer: roasted eggplant slices and mozzarella cheese. When I did this, I placed the slices in a circular manner with the slices slightly overlapping each other.
Middle layer: zucchini slices and Gruyere and Swiss cheese
Top layer: tomato slices, fresh basil leaf slices, and the remainder of the mozzarella cheese. Generously scatter the grated hard cheese on top of the tart.
Bake tart for 30 minutes, or until all the cheese has melted. It will smell a lot like a pizza because it is made up of similar ingredients.
Remove tart from oven and let cool before serving.
For roasting:
1 green zucchini
1 Japanese eggplant (the long, thin one)
3 medium tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Slice vegetables into 1/8" slices and lay out in a single layer on a 9" x 13" glass baking dish (for easier cleaning) or onto a Silpat-lined baking tray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and bake vegetables for 12 minutes. The vegetables should be soft and doesn't have to be cooked all the way through. Take roasted vegetables out and set aside to cool until ready to fill the tart pan.
The cornmeal crust (optional):
One batch will supposedly fill a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom. But, that is not the size I had on hand. I made a double batch and packed it all into the 10" tart pan, which turned out to be way too much crust.
2/3 c. finely ground white cornmeal
1/3 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into chunks
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
In a food prep, pulse together dry ingredients, then add butter and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Add in the olive oil and pulse until well combined.
If you managed to roast the vegetables first, turn the heat down to 350 degrees F. After packing the crust into the tart pan with a 1/4" edge around the base of the tart. Place a sheet of aluminum foil between the top of the tart and the pie weights. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and pie weights and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the crust no longer looks shiny.
Kitchen note: this crust did not hold together and tasted very dry. The combination of olive oil and butter did not do much as a binder. Perhaps just a water, butter, flour crust would have sufficed.
Putting it all together:
The remaining ingredients for this recipe involves shredded cheese, sliced basil leaves, and grated Parmesan cheese (or some comparable tasting hard cheese).
3 oz - 5 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 oz Gruyere and Swiss blend cheese, shredded
5 medium fresh basil leaves, sliced
1/4 c. grated Parmigiano-regianno cheese
Bottom layer: roasted eggplant slices and mozzarella cheese. When I did this, I placed the slices in a circular manner with the slices slightly overlapping each other.
Middle layer: zucchini slices and Gruyere and Swiss cheese
Top layer: tomato slices, fresh basil leaf slices, and the remainder of the mozzarella cheese. Generously scatter the grated hard cheese on top of the tart.
Bake tart for 30 minutes, or until all the cheese has melted. It will smell a lot like a pizza because it is made up of similar ingredients.
Remove tart from oven and let cool before serving.
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