Chocolate Cherry Chunk Cookies

So I occasionally shy away from Martha Stewart recipes since they can be unnecessarily complicated, but these cookes came together very easily. That said, the individual ingredients are spendy (how can dried cherries be so spendy??) Regardless, they are tasty!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I simplified by using dark chocolate chips)
• 1 cup toffee pieces (I used Heath bits)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour and baking soda.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice during mixing. Add the egg; mix on high speed to combine. Add the vanilla; mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and mix on low speed until well combined. Add the oats, cherries, chocolate, and toffee pieces; mix to combine after each addition.
4. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of dough onto a lined baking sheet. Repeat, spacing 2 inches apart.
5. Bake cookies until golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days.

http://www.marthastewart.com/318628/tories-cherry-chocolate-chunk-cookies?czone=food/best-grilling-recipes/side-dishes-and-desserts&center=276943&gallery=274281&slide=259496

Raspberry Cordial

Tis the season for wonderful fresh berries. My mom used to make this every summer and then it was a special treat for Christmas. Adults had it after dinner and kids were allowed a little poured over vanilla ice cream!

Ingredients:
2 c sugar
2 pints ripe raspberries (I used a half flat of half dry pints)
1 qt vodka (4c or 32oz) note: a 1.75l bottle makes two batches of cordial

Directions:
Place sugar in 3 qt glass jar with lid. Add berries and vodka, stir and cover. Place in dark cool place. Each week for 2 months open jar and stir. Strain cordial through a cheese cloth into decanter. Makes 1 1/2 quarts.

Raspberry Sour Cream Muffins

These muffins could be made with any berry of your choice. They are fast, easy and delicious.

Ingredients
2c bread flour
3/4c granulated sugar
1tsp baking soda
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4Tbs melted butter
1c sour cream
1 large egg
2tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 large orange
1.5c fresh raspberries
Topping: 2Tbs Demerara sugar, 1tsp cinnamon, mixed together

Place paper liners in a 12 cup muffin tin. Preheat oven to 400* with rack in the middle.

In one bowl, combine dry ingredients and whisk together (flour, sugar, bp, bs, salt).
In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (butter, sour cream, egg, vanilla) and orange zest.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
Stir in raspberries.
Divide mixture eveny between ups. An ice cream scoop is helpful. Sprinkle tops with cinnamon sugar.
Bake 15-18 minutes.

Recipe from Small Parties by Marguerite Marceau Henderson.

Cajun Skillet Beans

This recipe is from the Moosewood Restaurant cookbook - page 167

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 celery stalks (1 cup chopped)

2 red bell peppers

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Pinch of cayenne

Pinch of salt

14 oz can of crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 15-15 oz cans of black beans (recipe calls for black eyed peas)

Chopped scallions

Grated cheddar cheese

In a large (wide) saucepan (that has a cover), sauté the onions and garlic in the oil on medium heat.

Chop the celery and bell peppers, and add them to the pan.

Continue to sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the thyme, basil, oregano, salt, black pepper, and cayenne.

Cover and And cook for 5 minutes, until the onions are golden, stirring once or twice.

Add the tomatoes, honey, and mustard and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.

Add the beans, cover, and stir occasionally until thoroughly heated (about 10 minutes for canned beans.

Serve with scallions and cheese on top.

Be sure to warn folks it's hot (temperature), those tomatoes really hold the heat!

8 oz serving: 200 calories, 10.2 g protein, 4.5 g fat, 31.7 g carbohydrate, 143 mg sodium, 0 cholesterol

Gruyere and Carmelized Shallot Fondue

A great fondue recipe with the addition of carmelized shallots. A great way to ring in the new year!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/4 cups thinly sliced shallots (about 6 ounces)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups (or more) dry white wine
14 ounces grated Gruy(re cheese (about 3 1/2 cups packed)
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
Generous pinch of ground nutmeg
1 sourdough baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes - or any other dipping treats like apples, broccoli

Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add thinly sliced shallots and sauté 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low; sprinkle shallots with sugar, salt and pepper. Sauté until shallots are caramelized, about 15 minutes. Transfer shallots to small bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups wine to skillet; boil 1 minute.

Pour wine into heavy medium saucepan; set over medium-low heat. Toss cheese with flour in medium bowl to coat. Add half of caramelized shallots to wine; add cheese mixture by handfuls, stirring until cheese melts and is smooth before adding more. Thin with more wine if mixture is too thick. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Transfer cheese mixture to fondue pot. Set pot over candle or canned heat burner. Top fondue with remaining caramelized shallots. Serve with bread cubes.

From Epicurious.com

French Onion Soup

This recipe for French onion soup is from Cook's Illustrated and is one of Seth's favorites.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 3 pieces
6 large yellow onions (about 4 pounds), halved and cut pole to pole into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Table salt
2 cups water, plus extra for deglazing
1/2 cup dry sherry
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups beef broth
6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
1 bay leaf
Ground black pepper
1small baguette , cut into 1/2-inch slices
8ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)

INSTRUCTIONS
For the soup:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
Generously spray inside of heavy-bottomed large (at least 7-quart) Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray. Place butter in pot and add onions and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, covered, 1 hour (onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume).

Remove pot from oven and stir onions, scraping bottom and sides of pot. Return pot to oven with lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, stirring onions and scraping bottom and sides of pot after 1 hour.

Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat. Using oven mitts to handle pot, cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot, until liquid evaporates and onions brown, 15 to 20 minutes, reducing heat to medium if onions are browning too quickly. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until pot bottom is coated with dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary. (Scrape any fond that collects on spoon back into onions.)

Stir in 1/4 cup water, scraping pot bottom to loosen crust, and cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6 to 8 minutes. Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are very dark brown. Stir in sherry and cook, stirring frequently, until sherry evaporates, about 5 minutes.

Stir in broths, 2 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, scraping up any final bits of browned crust on bottom and sides of pot. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove and discard herbs, then season with salt and pepper.

For the croutons: While soup simmers, arrange baguette slices in single layer on baking sheet and bake in 400-degree oven until bread is dry, crisp, and golden at edges, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

To serve: Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set individual broiler-safe crocks on baking sheet and fill each with about 1 3/4 cups soup. Top each bowl with 1 or 2 baguette slices (do not overlap slices) and sprinkle evenly with Gruyère. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly around edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Blue Cheese salad dressing

From Cooks Illustrated. It makes just enough for a couple of days. So much better than store bought, if not better for you.

Ingredients
2.5 ounces blue cheese , crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
3tablespoons buttermilk
3tablespoons sour cream
2tablespoons mayonnaise
2teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/4teaspoon granulated sugar
1/8teaspoon garlic powder
Ground black pepper

Mix the blue cheese and buttermilk together first, mashing with the back of a fork until it looks like cottage cheese. Then mix in remaining ingredients. Store leftovers in a tupperware in the fridge.

Chocolate Covered Seafoam

This recipe reminds me of two things - the Crunchie candy bar you can buy in Britian and the candies from See's my Dad used to buy for himself at Christmas. This adaptation is fun and pretty easy. And it makes a ton!

Ingredients
75 grams honey (1/4 cup)
140 grams light corn syrup or glucose (1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon)
400 grams sugar (2 cups)
20 grams baking soda (3 1/2 teaspoons)
1# tempered chocolate


Lay out a large silpat on the counter.
Combine the honey, corn syrup and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan--one large enough to allow the mixture to quadruple in size (which it will do when you add the baking soda at the end). Moisten the mixture with enough water so that there are no dry patches of sugar - about 1/4c- then wash down any stray sugar crystals that might be clinging to the side of the pan.

Set the pan on high heat and cook and cook and cook until a candy thermometer reaches 300 F and is a light amber color. While the mixture is cooking, do NOT stir it at all. Don’t worry about it mixing properly, it will do that on its own when it starts to boil.

When the honeycomb is sufficiently cooked, take the pan off the heat. Dump in all of your baking soda and whisk vigorously until it is well combined; while you whisk, the honeycomb will foam up dramatically. After the soda is whisked in, gently pour the mixture out onto a silpat and allow to cool completely, about one hour.

Once cool, break into smaller pieces and dip in the tempered chocolate. Honeycomb is hygroscopic, meaning that it sucks in moisture from the air, leaving an unprotected initially crisp candy sticky and gooey in a matter of hours, so coat fully.

Adapted from http://seattlest.com/2007/02/13/seattlests_answer_to_violet_crumble_.php

Fleur de Sel Caramels

I have a crush on my new candy thermometer. I used a Barefoot Contessa recipe but made the serving pieces much smaller. Man, Ina Gartner must have good teeth! These are lovely little party gifts, or Xmas stocking stuffers.

Ingredients
Vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon fine fleur de sel, plus extra for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Line an 8-inch-square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing it to drape over 2 sides, then brush the paper lightly with oil or a bit of butter.

In a deep saucepan (6 inches wide and 4 1/2 inches deep), combine 1/4 cup water, the sugar and corn syrup and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown. Don't stir -- just swirl the pan.

In the meantime, in a small pot, bring the cream, butter and 1 teaspoon of fleur de sel to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat and set aside.

When the sugar mixture is done, turn off the heat and slowly add the cream mixture to the sugar mixture. Be careful -- it will bubble up violently. Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the mixture reaches 248 degrees F (firm ball) on a candy thermometer.

Very carefully pour the caramel into the prepared pan and refrigerate until firm. I sprinkled my salt on the caramel when it was still a little soft and pressed it in a bit. When the caramel is cool, pry the sheet from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut into bite sized squares. It's easier to cut the caramels if you brush the knife with veggie oil.

Then wrap the candies in glassine or parchment paper individually, twisting the ends. Store in the refrigerator and serve the caramels chilled.

Foodnetwork.com

Playdough

I made playdough for my little buddy Sol Miller and it worked like a dream.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups warm water
1 cup salt
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon cream of tartar (optional for improved elasticity)
food coloring (liquid, powder, or unsweetened drink mix)
scented oils

Whisk dry ingredients together in a large saucepan. Combine the water and oil and pour into dry ingredients. Stir over medium-low heat while mixture thickens. As it comes away from the side of the pan, test for done-ness by pinching to make sure it's not too sticky. Turn it out on a Silpat or board and knead until smooth. Add food coloring and flavoring as desired.

Cheater's Risotto

I learned to make risotto when I lived in Milan, and I love it but it takes eons. This is from Cooks Illustrated and cuts the time down substantially. It still tasted great, so I'm a believer!

Ingredients:
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1.5 cups water
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion , chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
Table salt
1 medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
2 cups Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Bring broth and water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain gentle simmer.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat. When butter has melted, add onion and ¾ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened but not browned, 4 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes.

3. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir 5 cups hot broth mixture into rice; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until almost all liquid has been absorbed and rice is just al dente, 16 to 19 minutes, stirring twice during cooking.

4. Add ¾ cup hot broth mixture and stir gently and constantly until risotto becomes creamy, about 3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, parsley, and chives; season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, add up to ½ cup remaining broth mixture to loosen texture of risotto. Serve immediately.

Cider Glazed Turkey

This was my first roast turkey of fall and the recipe from Real Simple didn't disappoint. It was an elegant deep golden brown color, and the gravy was much more flavorful that anticipated (very cider-y though, so be forewarned).

Turkey Recipe
Ingredients:
4 c apple cider
2 Tbs cider vinegar
4 Tbs butter, room temp
salt and pepper
4 stalks of celery, halved crosswise
4 carrots, halved crosswise
2 medium onions, peeled and halved
12-14# turkey, patted dry and giblets discarded
1 tart apple (granny smith or pink lady), halved
8 sprigs fresh thyme
8 sprigs fresh sage

Heat oven to 375*.
Make the cider glaze: Boil the cider until reduced to 3/4c, 25-30min. Add the vinegar, 2 Tbs uttter, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 ts pepper and stir until the butter has melted.

In a large roasting pan, scatter the celery, carrots and onions; add 1c water. I kept in the roasting rack, but you could put the turkey directly on top of the veg.

Season the turkey cavity with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper and stuff with the apple, thyme and sage. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels and rub with remaining 2 Tbs butter, and seasons with 2 tsp salt.

Roast turkey, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices for 2 hours.
Continuing roasting, basting every 15 minutes with the cider glaze, until a thermometer in the thigh reaches 165* (30-60 minutes more).

If the turkey is browning too much, tent with foil. If the veggies in the pan start to scorch, add 1c water.

Carefully tilt the turkey to empty the cavity of juices into the roasting pan. Transfer turkey to a cutting board, tent with foil and let rest 30min to 1hr before carving. Reserve the pan contents for gravy.


Bourbon Gravy Recipe
Ingredients:
4 Tbs unsalted butter
1/2c all purpose flour
3-4 c low sodium chicken broth
salt and peper
roasting pan and its contents
1/2 c bourbon or dry white wine

Make the gravy base: (can be made up to 3 days in advance, refrigerate covered)
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over med-hi heat. Add the glour and cook, whisking, until smooth and golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Whisk in 3 cups of th ebroth, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 ts pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.

Discard veggies from reserved roasting pan and strain and separate the drippings. Place the empty roasting pan over two burners. Add the bourbon/wine and cook over med-hi heat, scraping up the bits stuck the pan, for 1 minute. Add the gravy base and turkey drippings (approx 1.5c) and cooked until warmed through, 2-3 minutes. Adjust consistency with broth, if needed, and adjust seasoning as needed.

Turkey Curry in a Hurry

From Cooks Illustrated (with some adaptations), so you know it will come together the way its supposed to. This was a great use of leftover roast turkey.

Ingredients
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion , sliced thin
2 Tablespoons curry powder
Table salt
4 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2cups vegetables , roasted (we like broccoli and cauliflower, or fresh bell pepper)
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas , drained and rinsed
1 cup water
10 ounces shredded cooked turkey (about 2 cups)
1 cup frozen green peas
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (don't use nonfat)

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just shimmering. Add the onion, curry powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Stir in the roasted vegetables, chickpeas, and water and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the turkey and peas and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more.

3. Off the heat, stir in the yogurt and cilantro. Season with salt to taste and serve immediately.

Cardamom Poached Apricots with marscapone and pistachio

Thanks to Holly for being my guinea pig and taste testing my recipe. I was looking for something to use my homemade marscapone with and these fit the bill. This is a nice little cheese course style dessert. They're a little sticky for finger food, but I think a fork with these would be a little silly too.

Ingredients:
1.25c water
3/4c superfine sugar
6 cardamom pods crushed
2 tsp lemon juice
8oz dried apricots
1/2c marscapone cheese1c finely chopped pistachios

Make a syrup on the stove top with the water, sugar, cardamom and lemon juice by bringing to a boil and then simmering for 1-2 minutes.
Add the apricots, return to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove for heat and scoop out apricots with a slotted spoon to a cutting board or plate to cool.

Once cooled, cut a slit in the apricots and fill with a little marscapone. I used a little pastry tube which worked great.
Dip the cut end into the pistachios so they stick to the marscapone, but they'll stick to the apricot pretty well too.
Refrigerate if your marscapone needs to firm up, but serve at room temp.


Recipe from Small Bites by Jennifer Joyce, a great Christmas gift from Nancy and Diane who are very supportive of my foodie habit!

Pastry Crust in the cuisinart

This is the go to Callahan family pie crust. From the kitchen of Nancy Bishop, long time family friend and superior cook!

Ingredients:
1 1/3c flour
1 tsp salt
1 stick of butter, cut in pieces
1/4c very cold/ice water

Put the flour, salt and cold butter pieces in the cuisinart and pulse to form a coarse meal. While running, slowly pour in cold water in a steady stream until a ball of dough forms - it may not take a whole 1/4c.

Roll out and fill your pie!

Kale Chips

After some recipe trials, this is the best version. I can eat more kale in one sitting in chip form than should be possible.

Ingredients:
Kale leaves of your choice (tuscan and curly both work), washed and DRIED
olive oil, in a mister ideally
salt or other seasoning

Preheat oven to 350*.
Rip the kale from the vein and dry it well with a paper towel. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Mist (or drizzle) a bit of olive oil and bake for 15 minutes.
Your chips should be dry, flaky and a little brown on the edges. Sprinkle with salt (or truffle salt!) and eat.

Homemade Pasta

I used this to make ravioli, but it could be used for spaghetti, etc. This uses the Kitchenaid which I alo use the pasta roller attachment with.
I use organic 'happy' eggs which are a little smaller so I generally need closer to 3c of flour. It's easier to add more flour than dl with dry dough.

Ingredients:
4 large eggs
0.5 c water
3-3.5 c all purpose flour
0.5 tp salt

Place eggs, eater, flour, salt in mixer bowl. Using flat paddle beater, turn speed to 2 and mix for 30 sec. Switch to dough hook and beat for 2 min on speed level 2. Remove dough and hand knead for 1-2 min. Let rest for 20 min. Cut into quarters before processing.

Buckeyes

I made these and took them to work to rave reviews. The chocolate dipping is a bit tricky, but even if they're ugly they taste great!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup (2 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups peanut butter (smooth, but you can use chunky if you are looking for more texture)
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (from about 14 graham crackers)
Salt (optional, see note up top)
3 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks or 5 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
12 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72%), coarsely chopped

Make the filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter together until combined. Add the graham cracker crumbs and beat for 10 seconds. Add the sugar and butter, and mix on the lowest speed until it stops floating off everywhere, then increase the speed until the ingredients are combined. Scrape down the whole bowl well, then mix again. The mixture will be quite sturdy and a little dry — perfect for shaping. Set it aside while you prepare the coating.

Make the coating: Melt the chocolate either over a double boiler, stirring until it is completely smooth or in a microwave in 30 then 10 second increments, stirring before you start it again until it is completely smooth. Let it cool to tepid (about 100 degrees, though I’d go a little cooler next time for a thicker coating; I had a few ounces of chocolate leftover) while you shape the peanut butter centers. [Alternately, you can temper the chocolate (fairly simply instructions here) for a perfect showy finish.]

Assemble the candies: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Scoop out slightly more than one tablespoon’s worth of filling (their suggestion; I used a scoop that made them a little smaller) and use your hands to form it into a ball. Place the ball on the prepared sheet and repeat the process until all of the candies have been shaped. They can sit close to each other but make sure they are not touching.

Using a fork or large skewer, dip each ball into the chocolate and roll it about so that almost the entire candy is coating, leaving a small circle uncoated. I found it easiest to stick the skewer in the side, angle the bowl I was using towards it and make sure it became submerged as I rolled the candy around.

Chill the buckeyes until they are set, about 30 minutes.

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen blog

Pea and Radish Salad with Chevre

A non-lettuce salad option for summer.

Ingredients:
1c frozen peas
1c frozen shelled edamame
1c fresh sugar snap peas
4 thinly sliced radishes
crumbled fresh goat cheese to taste
vinagrette to taste (I like red wine, dijon and EOO)

Cook your frozen peas and edamame in salted boiling water, transferring to ice water as soon as they're done. Blanche sugar snap peas the same way. Drain all the green things well and transfer to a medium bowl. Add sliced radishes and toss with your vinagrette. Garnish with goat cheese.

Adapted from Bon Appetit April 2011

Brown Sugar-Balsamic Swirl Ice Cream

You need some variety of ice cream maker for this one and you need at least a day to let the custard chill. Boiling the balsamic down will be roughly equivalent to making a batch of tear gas on the stove, so turn on your vent. It is, however, worth it.

Ingredients:
1.5c heavy whipping cream
1.5c whole milk
3/4c dark brown sugar (divided 1/2c, 1/4c)
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
6 egg yolks
1/2-3/4c balsamic vinegar

Combine cream, milk, 1/2c sugar and vanilla in a heavy saucepan. Bring cream mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

Meanwhile, whisk yolks and 1/4c sugar for 2 minutes until very thick and pale.

Gradually whisk some of the hot cream into the eggs to temper it. Once you're sure you've not scrambled your egg yolks pour it all back into the saucepan so you can make your custard.

Stir over medium heat until custard thickens and you get a temperature of about 180* - being careful not to boil it. This only took me a couple of minutes. Ice bath your saucepan or pour custard into nested bowls to rapidly cool. Stir constantly until it's all cooled off - about 15min. Cover and chill overnight.

Sometime well before the ice cream making step, put your balsamic in a saucepan and bring to a boil. I started with 1/2c but next time I'm going to 3/4c. Bring the vinegar to a rapid boil in as soon as 3 minutes (depending on how hot your stovetop gets) you'll be to syrup. Remember, boiling hot it won't really look thick at all. If it looks thick in a hot pan, it will be like glue in ice cream and you will lose all your fillings. To test you can put a drop on something cool and check the consistency. Let cool to room temperature.

Put your custard in the ice cream maker. After it has processed entirely, pour in your balsamic syrup and let blend for 5 seconds. Any more and you'll not have a swirl, but a nice overall flavor to your ice cream.



from Bon Appetit Dec 2010

Shrimp Salad with Tarragon-Caper Dressing

You can make a poor man's lobster roll or serve this on salad greens or with crackers.

Ingredients:
1/2c lite mayo
2 Tbs capers, drained and finely chopped
1.5 Tbs finely diced sweet onion
1 Tbs chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp tabasco
1/2c finely chopped celery
1lb fresh shrimp meat

You don't need instructions. Mix it all together. It's best if it can sit in the fridge a little before diving in.


From Bon Appetit Aug 07

Marinated Chicken Kebabs with Arugula and Corn Salad

The recipe is for 1 serving, but it will expand. Just figure 1 chicken breast per person and multiply everything else accordingly. We did this on the grill initially and it worked great.

Ingredients:
1/4c low fat greek yogurt (1/2 individual container)
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp chopped fresh dill (or 1 tsp dried)
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1.5in pieces
1c baby arugula
3/4c (~1 ear) corn kernels
olive oil and a bit more lemon juice to dress salad
salt and pepper to taste

Combine yogurt, lemon juice, and dill. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerated 1 hour, or up to overnight.

Heat broiler with rack in top position. Tread marinated chicken on metal skewers and place on a wire rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil chicken, turning occasionally, until cooked through and dark brown in spots - about 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile toss arugula and corn and drizzle with lemon and olive oil.

Mini Cheesecakes

I bought super cute 2oz mini ramekins and promptly needed to find something to bake in them! This is for 12 mini cheesecakes

Preheat oven to 350*

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup sugar

Mix together well and divide equally between ramekins, pushing with fingers to compact crust.

Filling:
8oz softened cream cheese
3/4 sugar
2 Tbs vanilla
2 egg whites
3/4 cup sour cream

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Add egg whites, mix well, add sour cream and mix thoroughly. Pour equally into ramekins until almost full.

Bake 20 minutes until center is almost set. Turn off oven, open door and let sit in oven for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and refrigerate until chilled. Top with berries if desired.

Tortellini with Italian Sausage, Fennel, Spinach and Mushrooms

When Seth was stuck in traffic on the way home one evening, I was pleased to see how well this faired keeping it warm on the stovetop. Makes plenty for lunches the next day.

Ingredients:
1 Tbs olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, halved through core and thinly sliced (reserve some fronds and chop as garnish)
1 lb spicy Italian sausage (bulk or casings removed)
8 oz mushrooms (I used shitake)
4 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 Tbs fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
1/2c heavy whipping cream
1 cup chicken broth
16 or 20oz package tortellini, cheese or pesto filled
5oz package of baby spinach
1/2c shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in large, fairly deep frying pan. Add fennel, sausage and mushrooms and saute until sausage is browned and fennel is almost tender, 12-15 minutes. Add garlic and fennel seeds; stir for 1 minute. Stir in cream and broth, boil until liquid is reduced and very slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile cook tortellini in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain tortellini and return to same pot.

Add sausage mixture to tortellini in pot. Toss over medium heat until blended. Add spinach; toss gently until spinach wilts. Stir in 1/2c cheese; add more broth if too dry. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds and serve with additional cheese.


Bon Appetit 12/2010

Chicken Cutlets with White Wine and Garlic

This is a great thing to keep in the fridge/freezer for a quick dinner when you need it.

Ingredients:
8 chicken cutlets (about 1.25#)
3 Tb olive oil
1/2c dry white wine
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
coarse salt and ground pepper

In a small bowl, combine oil, wine, garlic and thyme and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Pour marinade into a gallon freezer bag with chicken cutlets. Keep in fridge overnight, or freeze.

When you're ready, remove chicken from liquid and season as needed. Heat oil and butter in pan and cook until browned, 4 minutes total. Serve chicken sprinkled with parsley.


from Everyday Food

Moroccan-style Stuffed Acorn Squash

This is even better the second day, but it does look a little like dog food. Parsley helps, but go for taste instead.

Ingredients:
2 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3/4# ground chuck
ground cinnamon
ground nutmeg
2 tsp coarse salt
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4c bulgur wheat
2c water
1/4c golden raisins
1/4c flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 Tbs toasted pine nuts

Preheat oven to 400*. Place squashes, cut side down, in a 9x13 inch dish. Bake until tender, 35-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 4 quart pot with a tight fitting lid over medium heat. Add ground beef, a pinch each of cinnamon and nutmeg, and 1 tsp salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned and cooked through, 5-7min. Transfer beef to a bowl using a slotted spoon, keeping as much cooking liquid in the pot as possible.

Add onion, and cook until slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining teaspoon salt and the bulgar, and stir to combine. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand, covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork, and add reserved beef, the raisins, parsley, and pine nuts.

Scrape out baked squashes, forming 1/4 inche thick bowls, and fold flesh into bulgar mixture. Divide among squash halves, and return to oven. Bake until warmed through and tops are browned, 12-14 minutes.


from Martha Stewart

Sour Cream-Thyme Rolls

Ingredients:
1/2c (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 envelope (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1 c warm water (105-110*)
2 Tbs sugar
2c cake flour
2c all purpose flour
1.5 ts salt
1.5c sour crea
2 Tbs fresh thyme leaves

Butter a standard 12-c muffin tin and set aside.

Stir yeast, water and sugar together in a small bowl and let sit for 5 minutes until mixture gets a little foamy. Stir until yeast dissolves.

Whisk flours and salt together. Cut in butter with pastry blender (or cuisinart, if you're lazy) until it looks like coarse meal. Stir in yeast mixture. Stir in sour cream and thyme until combined.

Divide mixture between 12 muffin cups - aproximately a heaping 1/3c. Cover with buttered plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place about 1hr or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400* and bake about 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from muffin pan immediately and serve warm.


From Martha Stewart

Pasta with Corn Pesto

This pasta recipe tastes like summer to me. And it's a bit reminiscent of pasta carbonara with that great rich creaminess.

Ingredients:
4 bacon slices, chopped
4 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 6 large ears)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces tagliatelle, fettuccine or pasta of your choice
3/4 cup coarsely torn fresh basil leaves, divided

Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp and brown, stirring often. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet. Add corn, garlic, 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper to drippings in skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat until corn is just tender but not brown, about 4 minutes.

Transfer 1 1/2 cups corn kernels to small bowl and reserve. Scrape remaining corn mixture into processor. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan and pine nuts. With machine running, add olive oil through feed tube and blend until pesto is almost smooth. Set pesto aside.

Cook pasta until just tender. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Add corn pesto, reserved corn kernels, and 1/2 cup basil leaves. Toss pasta mixture over medium heat until warmed through, adding reserved pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls to thin to desired consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer pasta to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup basil leaves and reserved bacon. Serve pasta, passing additional grated Parmesan alongside.

Recipe from Bon Appetit

Shrimp and Corn Chowder with Fennel

A new one pot wonder. About 30 minutes, with minimal prep makes this a great weeknight dinner. Am I really making chowders in August? I can't believe it feels like fall.

Ingredients:
6 pieces of bacon (or use 2 Tbs butter)
1-2 leeks, white and light green parts, chopped
1 fennel bulb
salt and pepper
2 Tbs flour
1 8oz bottle of clam juice/stock
3c whole milk
1# potatoes, diced (I used Yukon golds and left the skins on)
3/4# cooked peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1 - 10oz package frozen corn (I actually used a 16oz bag, which works fine if you like a really thick, not brothy, chowder - which I do)
2+ Tbs chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 Tbs lemon juice

Heat a stockpot or dutch oven. Chop bacon and fry til crispy. (You should have about 2 Tbs fat, or add butter as needed.) Remove from pan. Cook leeks and fennel in bacon drippings with 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper, each, until veggies are tender - about 4-5min. Stir in flour and cook, while stirring 1-2 minutes.

Add clam juice, milk and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occassionally, for 12 minutes. Add corn and shrimp and cook until potato pieces are tender and corn and shrimp are heated through - 3-5min. Adjust seasoning to taste - I needed significantly more salt and pepper. Stir in parsley and lemon juice.



Adapted from Real Simple 2/2010

Chicken and Corn Pot Pie

A great short cut recipe - buy a rotisserie chicken and the best quality corn chowder you can find - and you're ready to go!

Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
2 - 14.5oz cans of corn chowder
1c frozen peas
1c frozen corn kernels
2 tsp fresh thyme
salt and pepper
1 sheet frozen puff pastry

Heat oven to 400*. In large bowl, combine chicken, corn chowder, frozen veggies, thyme and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a shallow 2 quart (or 8in square) baking dish. Lay the puff pastry on top, trim to fit and cut vents for steam. Bake until filling is bubbling and pastry crust is golden brown, about 25-30 min.

Cheesy Baked Rigatoni with Spinach and Artichokes

The original recipe (adapted from Real Simple) called for mozzarella and frozen creamed spinach. I couldn't find creamed spinach to save my life, so used regular frozen spinach. And the mozzarella melted wonderfully, but next time I'll substitute some Gruyere or white cheddar, for at least part of the total mozzarella.

Ingredients:
8 oz rigatoni (1/2 box)
1-14oz can artichoke hearts, rinsed and quartered
1-9oz package frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2c grated mozzarella or other cheese
black pepper

Cook the pasta according to package, drain and return to pot. Heat broiler.
Add artichoke hearts, spinach, Parmesean, half the other cheese and 1/4 tsp pepper to the pasta and toss to combine.

Transfer the miz to a shallow 2 quart or 8-inch square broiler=proof baking dish and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Broil until browned in spots, 2-3 min.

Chicken Cutlets with Asparagus, Capers and Shallots

A reasonably fast, limited number of bowls dish. The only trick, use the largest rimmed baking sheet you can find. In about a half hour you've got a tasty dinner.

Ingredients:
1 Tbs lemon juice
1.5 tsp Dijon mustard
4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp drained capers
1.5 tsp chopped fresh tarragon
1.25 tsp fennel seeds, ground in spice mill or mortar and pestle
1# asparagus, trimmed
2c sliced shallots (about 12 oz)
1.25# chicken cutlets

Whisk lemon juice and mustard in small bowl. Gradually whisk in 2 Tbs oil. Stir in capers and tarragon. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat broiler. Place remaining 2 Tbs oil in large bowl. Stir in ground fennel seeds. Add asparagus spears to bowl and toss to coat. Arrange asparagus in single layer at 1 end of a large rimmed baking sheet. Add shallots to same bowl, toss with oil mixture. Arrange in center of same rimmed sheet. Add chicken to bowl, toss to coat. Using tongs, transfer chicken to same rimmed sheet arranging in single layer at opposite end of sheet. Sprinkle veggies and chicken with salt and pepper.

Broil chicken and veggies 4 minutes. Turn chicken and asparagus over and toss shallots. Broil until chicken is cooked through and asparagus and shallots are starting to brown, about 4 minutes more. Divide among plates and drizzle mustard dressing over.

Asian Green Beans

This was a great find, adapted from Martha Stewart Everyday Food. The original recipe called for wax beans, which were lovely but over $4.50 a pound. I substituted in season and wonderfully crisp green beans and they were delicious.

Ingredients:
1 pound clean, trimmed green beans
bit of olive oil, salt and pepper
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp grated fresh ginger
3/4 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp light brown sugar
1/4c unsalted peanuts
1/4c cilantro leaves

Toss your beans with a little olive oil and salt and pepper then roast either on the BBQ or in an oven at 450* on a cookie sheet for about 15 minutes. While your beans are cooking, mix soy sauce, ginger, lemon juice and sugar in a small bowl. Toss beans with dressing, peanuts and cilantro. Yum.

Thai Style Mussels

If you're feeling exotic, and maybe a little decadent, this recipe for Penn Cove mussels is divine paired with a light salad and some crusty bread for dipping. I bet it would also be good over rice. The sauce is too good to miss. Plus it takes all of 15 minutes start to finish. What's not to love?

Ingredients:
1.5-2lbs Penn Cove Mussels
2 Tbs Fish Sauce
2 cans lite coconut milk
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh ginger
1-2 Tbs Thai chili paste, depending on how spicy you like it
2 Tbs chopped cilantro

Bring the coconut milk, ginger, fish sauce and chili paste to a simmer on medium high until sauce thickens slightly. Add mussles and cover. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the shells open. Remove from heat. Add cilantro and stir to baste mussels in sauce. Serve and enjoy.

This recipe is from the Penn Cove Shellfish Recipes online.

Chicken Spinach Alfredo Ziti Bake

In the quest for recipes that make delicious leftovers for lunch, this is a new front runner. The other good thing is that you can make this all ahead, refrigerate and bake off the next day - just add a couple minutes to your baking time.

Ingredients:
1# ziti, slightly undercooked and drained
4 Tbs butter
2 large shallots, diced
1.5 # boneless chicken breast, cubed
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/3 cup flour
1 cup grated parmesean cheese
2.5 cups whole milk
2 Tbs olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1# fresh spinach
1/4c water
1 tsp salt
pinch-o-nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375*
Cook the ziti, drain and set aside in a large bowl.
In a large skillet, heat butter and saute shallts for 3 minutes on low. Add chicken, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook 5-6 minutes, stirring to brown evenly on all sides. Stir in the flour and cook on low for 2 more minutes. Whisk in the cheese and milk and cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add to bowl with pasta.
(Now I'm lazy and use the same skillet, but purists may want a clean one.)
Heat olive oil, saute the garlic for 30 seconds and the add spinach water, salt and nutmeg. Cook, tossing gently, until spinach has wilted and is bright green. Add to bowl with pasta and chicken and toss.
Spray a 9x13x2 pan with olive oil spray and pour pasta mixture in. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until bubbly

Recipe from Small Parties by Marguerite Marceau Henderson.

Lamb Shanks with White Beans and Gremolata

This upscale slow cooker recipe worked out very well and I'd feel comfortable planning to serve it to guests on a weeknight. Adapted from The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone, I added additional beans to stretch the leftovers. Served with a little broccoli on the side, you've got a very nice meal.

Ingredients:
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
fresh rosemary sprig ~3inches
4lbs of lamb shanks (smaller approx 1# shanks will probably fit better, if you can get them)
1 cup beef broth
1 cup dry red wine
2 Tbs tomato paste
6 cups cooked white beans
1/4c chopped fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp lemon zest

Scatter chopped carrot, onion, celery, garlic and rosemary in your slow cooker.

Trim the shanks, if needed, and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange on top of veggies in as close to a single layer as you can manage.

Stir together broth, wine and tomato paste. Pour the mixture over the lamb. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until the lamb is very tender and falls off the bone.

Remove shanks to a serving platter, cover and keep warm. Skim the fat off the liquid in the slow cooker. Add the beans and turn heat to high. Meanwhile, make gremolata by chopping parsley, garlic and lemon zest together. Add half this mixture to slow cooker beans and stir. Spoon bean mixture over lamb shanks and sprinkle with remaining gremolata.

French Chicken in a Pot

Continuing on the roasted chicken theme, given our fall-like weather in June here in Seattle, I'm adding the tried and true French Chicken in a Pot recipe from Cook's Illustrated. If you've got a le creuset or equivalent dutch oven, this is the perfect recipe.

Ingredients:
1 whole roasting chicken (4-5lbs)
salt and pepper
1 Tbs olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and trimmed but whole
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of rosemary
lemon juice to flavor jus


Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until just smoking. Add chicken breast-side down; scatter onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, and rosemary around chicken. Cook until breast is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Using a wooden spoon inserted into cavity of bird, flip chicken breast-side up and cook until chicken and vegetables are well browned, 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove Dutch oven from heat; place large sheet of foil over pot and cover tightly with lid. Transfer pot to oven and cook until instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees when inserted in thickest part of breast and 175 degrees in thickest part of thigh, 80 to 110 minutes.

Transfer chicken to carving board, tent with foil, and rest 20 minutes. Meanwhile, strain chicken juices from pot through fine-mesh strainer into fat separator, pressing on solids to extract liquid; discard solids (you should have about 3/4 cup juices). Allow liquid to settle 5 minutes, then pour into saucepan and set over low heat. Carve chicken, adding any accumulated juices to saucepan. Stir lemon juice into jus to taste. Serve chicken, passing jus at table.

Pan Roasted Chicken Breasts

Patterned after our favorite dish at The Stumbling Goat, we love this with roasted broccoli and mashed potatoes as a super comfort food. Of course, it's Memorial Day weekend and it should be sunny BBQ weather - but it's not. It's cold, rainy but at least we have roast chicken with mashed potatoes as a silver lining.

Ingredients:
2 boneless skin on chicken breasts - you can butcher up a split fryer breast that has bones, if you need
vegetable oil
salt and pepper
cast iron skillet

Preheat oven to 450*
Season your chicken, both sides, with salt and pepper.
Heat a generous amount of vegetable oil in the cast iron skillet and heat over high heat just to smoking point. Sear flesh side of breasts for a few (2?) minutes, flip and sear skin side for another couple minutes (2-3).
Transfer skillet to oven and check after 7-10 minutes. Timing will depend on thickness of breasts. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Chicken, Spinach and Potato Hash

A good comfort food meal!

Ingredients:
olive oil
4oz pancetta, diced
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
bag of baby spinach
1 lb yukon gold potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2 shallots, diced
coarse salt and pepper

Start boiling water for your potatoes. Once the water comes to a boil, cook the potatoes for 10 minutes or until they're tender when pierced with a fork.

Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan and start frying the pancetta. Season the chicken and add it to the frying pan. Once cooked, transfer to bowl/plate and set aside. Heat some oil in the same frying pan and cook the shallots until soft. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add cooked potatoes and cook for 7-11 minutes, adding more water if the pan get too brown. Add chicken/pancetta mixture back into skillet and add spinach and cook until wilted.

Beef, Snap Pea and Asparagus Stir Fry

Now that I'm back in the working world, I'm seeking fast dinner recipes and this one fits the bill. We made it with beefalo, instead of NY strip, which was delish.

Ingredients:
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbs ginger in a jar (or use fresh and toss it in with the veggies)
1 lb NY strip steak, thinly sliced
coarse salt
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch lengths
6 oz snap peas
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs torn basil leaves
Cooked rice

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and ginger. Season steak with salt. In a large skillet, heat oil over high heat. Cook steak, undisturbed for 2 minutes, until brown on one side. Flip and cook until cooked through, just about 30 seconds. This works much better if you don't crowd the pan, so you can do it in batches. Transfer cooked meat to a bowl.

Add asparagus, snap peas and garlic to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly until veggies are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. If the bottom of the pan gets too dark, add a little water. Add soy mixture and cook until fragrant about 10 seconds. Remove skillet from heat and stir in lemon juice and basil. Toss steak with veggies and serve over rice with a lemon wedge.

Pork Souvlaki with Greek Salad

My fabulous husband had dinner all ready for me tonight when I got home after my board meeting and it was delish!

Ingredients:
for the skewers--
1.25 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 3/4inch cubes
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs minced fresh oregano
coarse salt and pepper

for the salad--
pitted kalamata olives
feta chunks
cucumber
cherry tomatoes
marinated artichoke hearts
red onion slivers
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 tsp olive oil
scant 1/4 tsp dijon

In medium bowl, combine pork, oil, lemon juice, garlic and oregano. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

Meanwhile chop salad ingredients and mix vinagrette.

Heat grill to high. Thread pork cubes onto skewers. Grill until brown on all sides and cooked through, about 12 minutes total. Serve with a lemon wedge.

Chewy Gingersnaps

I got this recipe off the back of a tin of crystallized ginger chips.

Ingregidents:
2.25c all purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4c unsalted butter
1c sugar
1/4c dark molasses
1 egg
3.5oz crystallized ginger chips

Preheat oven to 375*
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in molasses and egg. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in ginger chips. FYI - Dough is very sticky and easier to handle after being in the fridge for an hour.

Roll into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar. Bake on parchment lined cookie sheets for 8-10 minutes - removing from oven while still soft. Let cookies cool on the sheet.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

A great new cookie discovery. There weren't spicy at all. If you like a little heat, add more chili powder at the end.

Ingredients:
2.25c all purpose flour
1/2c unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1c (2sticks) unsalted butter
1.75c sugar
2 egg
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp chili powder

Preheat oven to 400*. In medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. In large bowl cream butter and 1.5c sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add dry mixture and beat until combined.

IN small bowl combine 1/4c sugar, cinnamon and chili powder. Form balls (heaping tablespoon) and roll in sugar mixture. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake until set in center and beginning to crack, about 10 minutes. Cool on sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to rack to cool completely.

Baked Artichokes

No room on your stove top for steaming an artichoke for 45 minutes? This baked version is a snap, allows you to do a bundle at once and may even been more flavorful. This preparation makes it easy to scoop out the choke after baking while leaving the leaves in tact, which makes a fun dip bowl.

Ingredients:
Prepared artichoke(s) = pointy tips of leaves trimmed, stem trimmed top 1/4 cut off
olive oil - about 1 Tbs per artichoke
lemon juice - about 2 tsp per artichoke
garlic clove, coarsely diced - 1 per artichoke
salt

Preheat oven to 425*
Prepare your artichoke and pull the leaves apart a bit. Stick garlic pieces in between some of the center leaves and drizzle oil and lemon juice into leaves as well. Wrap tightly in foil. Bake directly on rack for 60 minutes for an average/medium artichoke and more like 90 minutes for a really big one.

Salmon with Sweet Chili Glaze

A delicious spring entree excellent with sauteed snap peas or wilted greens. Cut back on the ginger if you don't like things too spicy.

Ingredients:
(This makes enough marinade for four 6oz fillets)
Salmon fillets
1/3c Asian sweet chili sauce
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Mix marinade ingredients together and pour over salmon. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the broiler. Spoon marinade over salmon one last time. Broil 6-10 minutes (depending on thickness of fish) until browned in spots and almost opaque in center of fish.

Fish Meuniere with Capers

We wanted a light pan-fried fish and this fit the bill. It cooks unbelievably fast, so have everything else ready first - or scramble around like me and make a mess.

Ingredients:
4 dover sole fillets, about 5oz each, but if they're more or less just make sure they're all about the same
1/2c flour
2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 Tbs unsalted butter

Sauce Ingredients:
4 Tbs unsalted butter (yes, I know, more butter)
1 Tbs parsley, chopped
1.5 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs capers, drained
lemon wedges for garnish/serving

Move the oven rack to the lower middle and place your dinner plates in there. Preheat your oven to 200*

Pat fish fillets dry with towels. Season fish with salt and pepper and let sit until glistening with moisture, about 5 minutes. Put flour in shallow pan. Dredge fillets in flour shaking off excess and place in single layer on baking sheet or dish until ready to cook.

Heat oil until shimmering in a large frying pan. Add butter and swirl in pan. Once butter stops foaming, add fish and reduce temperature to medium high. (Note: If you have a big frying pan (12") you may be able to do everything at once, but consider doing it in two batches. If you do cook in two shifts, heat only half the oil and butter, cook your fish and then wipe out the pan with a paper towel before you do the second batch.)

Cook until fillets are opaque at the edges and the bottom is golden brown. Don't move your fish around too much. Once it looks opaque at the edge, then you can peek at the bottom. Flip gently with a wide spatula (good luck) and cook the other side until golden. Transfer fillets to dishes in warm oven and start making your sauce.

Over medium high heat, melt butter and constantly swirling pan, cook butter until it browns and has a nutty aroma. Remove skillet from heat, add lemon juice and capers, adjust salt if necessary. Spoon over fillets, serve with lemon wedge and enjoy!

Turkey Meatballs with Pasta in Cream Sauce

Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min

Ingredients:
3 Tbs olive oil
1c scallions, finely minced and divided
1.25 tsp salt, divided
3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper, divided
8 oz shitake mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbs all purpose flour
2.5c chicken broth
1/4 c fine dry bread crumbs
1/3 c milk
1c freshly grated Parmesan, divided
1 large egg
1# ground turkey
2 garlic cloves minced
3 Tbs minced fresh flat leaf parsley
2/3c heavy cream
1 # dried pasta such as rotini

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2c scallions, 1/4tsp salt, 1/4tsp pepper, and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes more. Add broth, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Combine breadcrumbs and milk in small bowl, and let soak 10 minutes. Combine 1/2c Parmesan cheese, remaining 1/2c scallions, remaining 1 tsp salt, remaining 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 egg, ground turkey, garlic, and parsley in separate bowl. Stir in breadcrumb mixture and form into 1.5 inch meatballs.

Add meatballs to sauce; cover and simmer 20 minutes more. Add cream, and return to simmer. Add remaining 1/2c Parmesan and stir until sauce is slightly thickened.

Add drained cooked pasta and sauce to post and toss gently to combine. Serve with additional Parmesan.


Cottage Living Jan/Feb 2008

Life-changing Caramel Corn

Can popcorn change your life? What a silly question - of course not! Caramel corn, on the other hand, just may. This is a sticky recipe, but produces great results.

Ingredients:
approximately 10 cups popcorn
1c packed light brown sugar
1/4 c light corn syrup
6 Tbs melted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda (measure early and set aside)
1 Tbs vanilla extract (measure early and set aside)
This would be tasty with some chopped nuts in it as well.

Preheat your oven to 250* and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pop your popcorn and be sure to get rid of any old maids. I put my popcorn in a pyrex 13x9x2 pan for the ease of spreading the hot, sticky caramel, but a really big/wide mouth bowl would work too. It occurs to me that next time I do this, I will probably butter or nonstick spray whatever I toss my popcorn in to get the most caramel on the popcorn and not stuck to the dish.

In a medium sized saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, melted butter and salt with 2 Tbs of water and whisk together. Measure and have very close by your vanilla and baking soda. You don't want to measure them in the moment. Believe me.

Put saucepan on medium high heat and bring caramel sauce to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook until you get to 250* on a candy thermometer. Once you're there, remove pan from heat and dump in baking soda and vanilla and immediately whisk like crazy lest your gooey sauce ooze over the sides of the pan. Again, believe me.

Pour caramel over waiting popcorn and toss gently with a spatula distributing as best you can. But don't worry - you'll have three more shots as distributing your caramel. Pour sticky popcorn goodness onto parchment lined pan and spread out as evenly as possible.

Put in the oven for a total of 1 hour, stirring/turning/tossing popcorn every 20 minutes. Let cool, gently break up and store (whatever you don't eat immediately) in an airtight container. The hour in the oven is definitely worth the wait!

Pork Medallions in Rosemary Port Pan Sauce

My 100th recipe!
An adaptation from a Cook's Illustrated recipe. The original called for a 1/2c dried fruit (cherries, cranberries or apricots) but we went with a simpler option which turned out nicely.

Ingredients:
1 pound pork tenderloin (silver skin removed) cut into 1" thick medallions and pounded to 3/4" thick
2 Tbs olive oil
1/3 cup port
2/3 cup chicken broth
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary

Salt and pepper the pork medallions on both sides. Heat olive oil in large heavy frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. (Don't crowd the pan. Cook in batches if necessary.) Brown pork for 2-3 minutes per side until almost opaque on the sides and firm. Transfer to plate and tent with foil.

Add port to frying pan and reduce, scraping browned bits from pan into sauce. Boil, cooking until reduced to about 2 Tbs. Add broth, rosemary and any accumulated juices from resting pork. Increase heat to high and boil, stirring, until the consistency of maple syrup - about 2 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to medium, return pork to pan and turn over coating in sauce. Bring pork back up to heat and serve immediately, spooning sauce over meat.

Butternut Squash and Cheddar Bread Pudding

A very hearty savory bread pudding that could pass as an entree. I increased the cheddar substantially, because I like a cheesy baked top, but you could cut it down if you prefer.

Ingredients:
2# peeled, seeded butternut squash cut into 1" cubes
3 Tbs olive oil, divided
1.5 tsp coarse kosher salt
7 large eggs
2.25c half and half
6 Tbs dry white wine
2 tsb Dijon mustard
1 day old baguette, torn into 1" pieces (do not remove the crust)
1c chopped shallots (about 4 large shallots)
2 bunches tuscan kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped
12-16ox extra sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

Preheat oven to 400*.
Toss squash with 1 Tbs oil and put in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt, bake until tender, turning occasionally 20-25 minutes.

Whisk eggs in large bowl. Add half and half, wine, mustard and 1.5 tsp salt, whisk to blend. Add baguette pieces, fold into egg mixture. Let soak for 30 minutes - stirring occasionally.

Heat 2 Tbs old in large pot over med-hi heat. Add shallots and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add kale; cover and cook for 2 minutes. Uncover and stir until kale is wilted but still bright green, about 5 minutes.

Reduce oven temp to 350*. Generously butter a 13x9x2 inch pan. Transfer half of bread mixture to dish. Spoon half of kale mixture over it, then half of squash, then sprinkle with a bit less than half the cheese. Repeat ending with a layer of cheese. Any egg mixture remaining can be poured in as well.

Cover bread pudding with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and beak uncovered another 20 minutes, until custard is set and bread feels springy. Turn on broiler for 2-3 minutes to brown cheese topping. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Pulled Poultry BBQ Sandwiches with Slaw

The ultimate recipe for leftovers! Good for extra turkey or roasted chicken and quick to make.

Ingredients for Slaw:
3 Tbs mayo
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar (less if you like a more creamy slaw)
1/2 tsp celery seeds
3c shredded cabbage or broccoli (or whatever you prefer - I buy the pre-julienned veggies to save time)

Ingredients for BBQ:
4 slices of bacon
1 c tomato puree/sauce
1/4c apple cider vinegar
1/4c water
3 Tbs packed brown sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2.5c of cooked turkey or chicken, shredded (light and dark meat)
4 soft rolls

For the slaw:
Whisk mayo, vinegar, celery seeds together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss together with veggies. Cover bowl and chill.

For the BBQ:
Saute bacon over medium heat until crisp and brown. Pour off additional fat. Add tomato puree, vinegars, water, sugar, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 5 minutes. Add shredded meat to BBQ sauve and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally. You can keep it on low until you're ready to eat.

Split and toast rolls. I like to eat my slaw on my BBQ sandwich. Seth has his slaw on the side. To each his own...


Adapted from Bon Appetit 11/09

Hearty Tuscan Stew

I've always wanted to like kale. I know it's good for me. And I thought somehow, if I liked it, that would make me a more sophisticated diner. But alas, I couldn't get excited about it. At all. But now, I'm changing my opinion. This recipe features kale which gives the stew nice body and it's not too chewy or bitter. Delicious!

Ingredients:
1 Tbs olive oil
6 oz pancetta in a fine dice (I use the prepackaged pancetta from Trader Joes)
1 large onion in a medium dice
2 celery ribs sliced on the diagonal
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
8 garlic cloves, pressed or minced (don't skimp here, you really want all of it...or even more!)
5 cups high quality chicken or veggie broth
1-14oz can of canellini beans, rinsed and drained
1-15oz can of diced tomatoes (I like Muir Glenn Organic with italian seasonings)
2 medium bay leaves
1 bunch tuscan kale, ribs removed, coarsely chopped
1 sprig of rosemary
(if you reserve parmesean cheese rinds, I threw one in at the end)
Parmesan, Pecorino Romano or other favorite hard cheese to garnish with

Heat oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot. Render pancetta over medium heat, stirring occasionally - 6 to 10 minutes. Add onion, celery and carrots. Cook for 10-16 minutes until softened and lightly browned. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant - 1 minute.

Add broth, beans, tomatoes, bay leaves and kale. Increase heat to high, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 20-25 minutes. remove from heat. Submerge rosemary (and cheese rind, if using) and cover pot. Let sit for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with grated cheese.


(Adapted from Quick Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew from Cook's Illustrated)

Bibb Lettuce Salad with Pears and Blue Cheese

This fall salad paired beautifully with a roast chicken for dinner tonight. This makes more salad dressing than you'll really need.

Ingredients:
1/2 head of butter lettuce
1 pear - I used a red bartlett
2-3 oz of good quality blue cheese - I used Maytag Blue
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1/4 of a red onion, finely diced
1/2tsp dijon
1/2 tsp mayo
1 Tbs lemon juice
3 Tbs olive oil

Cut your lettuce to bite sized chunks, add celery, red onion and chopped pear. In a small bowl, mix lemon juice, mayo and dijon. Whisk olive oil in in a steady stream to create an emusion. Add additional lemon juice and salt/pepper to taste.

Crumble blue cheese on salad, toss with dressing and serve.

White Wine Poached Pears with Lemon and Herbs

A great recipe from Cooks Illustrated! I used beautiful red bartlett pears and served this with the smallest scoop of Creme Fraiche gelato by Snoqualmie Gourmet. The ice cream wasn't over sweet but added a delicious richness to contrast with the pears. I also quartered instead of halved my pears and served 3/4 of a pear per person.

Ingredients:

1	bottle dry white wine (750-ml, about 3 cups) - I used a Sauvignon Blanc
3/4	cups sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
6	lemon zest strips from 1 lemon
5	sprigs fresh mint leaves
3	sprigs fresh thyme
1	vanilla bean , halved lengthwise, seed scraped out and reserved (see the illustrations)
1/2	cinnamon stick
1/8	teaspoon salt
2	tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
6	ripe but firm pears (about 8 ounces each), preferably Bosc or Bartlett

1. Bring the wine, sugar, lemon zest, mint, thyme, vanilla seeds and pod, cinnamon, and salt to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves completely, about 5 minutes; cover and set aside until needed.

2. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with water and add the lemon juice. Peel, halve, and core the pears following the illustrations in the related quick tips, adding them to the lemon water to prevent browning.

3. Drain the pears, discarding the lemon water, and add to the wine mixture. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until pears are tender and a toothpick or skewer can be inserted into pear with very little resistance, 10 to 20 minutes, gently turning the pears over every 5 or so minutes.

4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fruit to a shallow casserole dish. Return the syrup to medium heat and simmer until it is slightly thickened and measures 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer, then pour over the pears, discarding the strained solids. Refrigerate the pears until well chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. To serve, spoon portions of fruit and syrup into individual bowls.

Pumpkin, Lentil and Chevre Salad

The best harvest salad you could hope for! This recipe far exceeded my expectations and the mint was a really wonderful addition. It sounds like a lot, but if you have to buy it for the grocery anyways, you'll have enough. Don't skimp.
It makes a hearty side for a simple dinner or a nice lunch entree.

Ingredients:
Small sugar pie pumpkin or butternut squash (I should note the original recipe called for 6 cups of cubed squash. I thought that was a bit overkill. I used about 4 cups and still found it to be plenty.)
4c Arugula
1/4c chopped mint leaves
3/4c french green lentils
1c chevre, crumbled and softened
3 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp sea salt

Soak lentils in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain and cook in boiling salted water for approximately 30 minutes until tender. Drain and rinse under cool water.

Peel, seed and cut the squash of your choice into 1 inch cubes. Toss with 2 Tbs oil, cumin, paprika and salt. Roast in an oven at 375* for 20-25 minutes turning once or twice, until tender.

Toss arugula, mint, squash (with any oil on the roasting pan), half of chevre, and lentils in a salad bowl. Dress with remaining 1 Tbs oil and 1 Tbs red wine vinegar. Crumble remaining chevre on top and serve.

Penn Cove Mussels in Lemon Cream Sauce

Ridiculously easy, everyone will be impressed when you whip this up. We recently toured the Penn Cove Shellfish farm on Whidbey Island. Absolutely the coolest things ever. If you get a chance to go - do so! Their website is www.penncoveshellfish.com

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 lemon (or more to taste), quartered
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 pounds Penn Cove mussels, rinsed and debearded
2 medium size fresh ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice

In a large pot, melt butter over medium high. Saute garlic and shallot for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in half of parsley until fragrant and lemon quarters. Add mussels and stir until coated in butter and herbs.

Add wine, lemon juice and cream. Bring to simmer. Cover pot and steam for approximately 5 minutes. Remove cover and check to make sure mussels have opened. Stir in tomato and remaining parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in large shallow bowls with plenty of bread to dip in the delicious broth.

This makes enough for 2 entrees, or 4-6 as appetizers

Pasta with Roasted Broccoli and Garlic Sauce

YUM! This recipe was declared imminently blogworthy by Seth shortly before he asked if there was more in the pot. The sauce is light and flavorful. It is a filling main or an impressive side. If you like lots of broccoli, you can peel and chop the stems for roasting as well. Make the whole amount and eat the leftovers for lunch.

Ingredients:
2 heads of garlic, top quarter o heads cut off and discarded
6 Tbs + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 lbs of broccoli, florets halved or quartered
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp sugar
1 lb pasta (fusilli, orecchiette or another short shaped pasta will grab sauce well)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2-3 Tbs lemon juice (ie juice of one fresh lemon)
1 Tbs fresh chopped parsley
2 oz or 1 cup shredded Manchego cheese (or comparable or more affordable sheep's milk cheese)
1/4 cup toasted slivered or sliced almonds (I think sliced almonds give off a more toasty flavor, especially if you toast them yourself, but you'll get less crunch/texture)


Adjust rack to middle position and place a rimmed baking sheet on it. Heat oven (and sheet) to 500*.

Take prepared garlic heads and set cut side up on a foot long piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle cut garlic with 1tsp olive oil and wrap into a sealed foil packed. Place in preheated oven and roast until tender, approximately 40 minutes. Open foil packet and set aside to cool. (Start salted water to boil for pasta.)

While garlic is roasting, trim broccoli. Toss cut broccoli with 2 Tbs oil, 1 tsp salt, pepper to taste and 1/4 tsp sugar. When garlic is finished, remove preheated baking sheet. Arrange broccoli in single layer, cut sides down. Roast for 10-15 minutes. (Start cooking pasta.) Transfer broccoli to cutting board. When cool enough to handle, chop into rough 1/2 inch pieces.

Squeeze roasted garlic cloves into bowl and smash with fork until smooth. Stir in red pepper flakes and lemon juice. Slowly whisk in remaining 1/4cup olive oil.

Drain pasta, reserving approximately 1c of cooking water. Return pasta to pot, mix with broccoli, 1/2 shredded cheese, garlic sauce, parsley and 1/4 cup of cooking water. Adjust consistency with additiona cooking water if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (I added a little more lemon juice since I started with just 2 Tbs.) Sprinkle with remaining 1/2c cheese and toasted almonds.


Taken from Cook's Illustrated Sept/Oct 2009.

Cola Shredded Beef Tacos

This is one of the most blog worthy recipes I've found recently and absolutely delicious! It takes ages to cook, but not so long to prep. I bet it can be adapted to a slow cooker as well.

Time: 4 1/4 hours; Serves 6 (makes 12 tacos)

Ingredients:

3 medium dried ancho chiles
2 large dried guajillo chiles
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried Mexican (whole) oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 4 pieces
1 dried bay leaf
1 can Coca-Cola (not diet)
12 to 24 warm corn tortillas (6-in. size)
Accompaniments: chopped avocado, red onion, and cilantro and regular sour cream

1. Make sauce for beef: Wipe chiles clean with a damp cloth, stem and seed, and tear into pieces. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add chiles and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water, the cumin, tomatoes, oregano, and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until chiles are softened, about 10 minutes. Purée sauce in a blender until very smooth.

2. Meanwhile, season beef with the remaining tsp. salt. Heat the remaining tbsp. oil in a 5- to 6-qt. dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown beef, turning occasionally, 10 to 14 minutes. Discard fat, if any.

3. Pour sauce into pot and add bay leaf, coke, and a little water if needed to barely cover meat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until beef is very tender, 3 hours.

4. With a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a plate. Let cool slightly, then tear into shreds, discarding any fat or gristle. Meanwhile, boil sauce over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced to about 3 cups, 10 to 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Stir in beef and heat a few minutes until hot.

Make ahead: Through step 3; chill, covered, up to 2 days.

I found this recipe in Sunset (10/09) where it was adapted from one in the forthcoming Amor y Tacos (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, May 2010).

Spinach Soup

It's like vichyssoise - only without the subsequent heart attack. Super simple and an unbelievably vibrant shade of green, this is a tasty light lunch or first course.

Ingredients:
1 big bag of pre-washed spinach (10oz) - you can use more, if you have it on hand, but this works
1 medium large yukon gold potato
1 large leek, white and light green parts
4 cups of chicken broth
a bit of butter

Chop and saute the leek in a bit of butter in a large pot for 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add chopped potato and simmer until tender 10-15 minutes. Stir in spinach until just wilted, about 1 minute. Process in batches in a blender.

Slow Cooker Country Style Pork Ribs

Seth got me a slow cooker last Christmas and this has been my favorite slow cooker recipe ever since. The meat is break apart tender and the homemade BBQ sauce is not too sweet. Delicious!

Ingredients:
3 pounds boneless country style pork ribs
salt and fresh ground pepper to season meat
3/4c ketchup
3 Tbs spicy brown mustard (I like Guldens)
3 Tbs honey
3 Tbs light brown sugar
3 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tsp mild hot pepper sauce

Preheat the oven broiler to high.
Salt and pepper the ribs, set on broiler tray (or baking sheet lined with foil). Broil each side for 5-7 minutes until meaty parts are browned. Transfer ribs to a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker.

Mix the ketchup, mustard, honey, brown sugar, vinegar and hot sauce in small bowl. Pour over the ribs and set to slow cook on high heat for 3-4 hours or low heat for 6-8 hours. Remove ribs to a platter and serve!


(recipe from Art of the Slower Cooker by Andres Schloss)

Cauliflower Gratin with Leeks and Swiss Cheese

This is an unbelievable cozy winter comfort food. Mmmm.

Ingredients:
1 large head of cauliflower, trimmed into 3/4-inch florets
2 Tbs butter
1 medium shallot, minced
2 leeks, sliced into 1/4-inch half round (the recipe called for 3 leeks or 1 cup - I used 2 leeks which was probably almost 2 cups, it was delish)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs unbleached, all purpose flour
1.5 c heavy cream
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cayenne
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
3/4 c shredded swiss or gruyere cheese
1/2 c bread crumbs - I used seasoned stuffing mix, but if it was just bread crumbs, add salt and pepper

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 450 degrees.

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven or stockpot over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and cauliflower; cook until outsides are tender but insides are still slightly crunchy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain cauliflower in colander and rinse under cold running tap water until no longer hot. Leave cauliflower in colander to drain.

Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat; when foam subsides, add shallot and leeks and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; stir in flour until combined, about 1 minute. Whisk in cream and bring to boil. Stir in nutmeg, cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, thyme, and generous 1/2+ cup cheese until incorporated.

Off heat, gently stir in cauliflower until evenly combined. Transfer mixture to 11- by 7-inch (2-quart) gratin dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over surface, then sprinkle evenly with bread crumb topping. Bake until golden brown and sauce is bubbling around edges, 10 to 12 minutes.

Pork Chops with Mustard-Sage Sauce

Labor Day weekend dinner with Suzi, Uncle Bill, MM and Seth!

Ingredients:
4 bone-in pork rib chops or center-cut chops, about 7 ounces each and 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, patted dry with paper towels
1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp granulated sugar

Pan Sauce:
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 clove of garlic minced
1/4 c chicken broth
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
3 Tbs unsalted butter
1 tsp fresh minced sage leaves

If using electric stove, turn burner to medium heat. Rub both sides of each chop with 1/8 teaspoon oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle one side of each chop evenly with 1/8 teaspoon sugar, avoiding the bone.

Place chops, sugared-side down, in 12-inch nonstick skillet. Using hands, press meat of each chop into pan. Set skillet with chops over medium heat; cook until lightly browned, 4 to 9 minutes (chops should be sizzling after 2 minutes; if not, increase heat to med-hi). Using tongs, flip chops, positioning them in same manner. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook until center of each chop registers 140 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 3 to 6 minutes; chops will barely brown on second side. Transfer chops to platter, tent with foil, and let rest.

Pour liquid in skillet into small bowl. While chops are resting, add vegetable oil and garlic to now-empty skillet; set skillet over medium heat and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add low-sodium chicken broth; increase heat to high and simmer until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 3 minutes. Add pork chop juices to skillet. Off heat, whisk in Dijon mustard and butter until combined. Stir in sage and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper; spoon sauce over chops and serve immediately.

Thank you Cook's Illustrated.

Grilled Asparagus Chopped Salad with Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette

I like this interesting salad with lots of good flavors in it. It makes plenty of dressing, which you can save and use on other salads.

Dressing Ingredients:
1/4c lemon juice
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 Tbs mayonaisse
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp whole grain mustard
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 c extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbs chopped fresh tarragon leaves

Whisk together first 6 dressing ingredients in a medium bowl. Correct seasoning. Whisk in olive oil until emulsified and stir in tarragon.

Salad Ingredients:
1-1.5 lbs grilled asparagus spears
4 cups baby greens
1/2 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halves
8 oz aged white cheddar cheese, cit into 1/2-inch dice
1 English cucumber cut in half longways, and then 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 kalamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
pita crisps for croutons

Prepare a grill for high heat. Toss trimmed asparagus in olive oil and salt and pepper. Grill for 5-8 minutes until tender-crisp and lighted charred. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer and set aside or refrigerate briefly to cool to room temp.

If you want to make your own pita croutons, lightly oil and salt whole pita. Place on grill until browned on both sides and crispy. Use a chef's knife to cut in half and then cut into 1/2-inch strips.

Mix salad ingredients together, toss with dressing (only part of it) and top with pita crisps.


Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay's Grill It

Balsamic Rosemary Steak Butter

One of my favorite entrees is steak tenderloin with bleu cheese butter that melts deliciously and decadently as you munch away. This steak topping is fantastic on a steak straight off the BBQ - I used a New York. It makes plenty, so freeze left overs for future steaks.

Ingredients:
2 cups balsamic vinegar
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 Tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tsp honey
12 Tbs room temperature butter

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, cook balsamic vinegar and peppercorns for 10 minutes or so, until the vinegar has reduced by 1/4 cup.

Remove pan from heat. Discard the peppercorns. Whisk in honey and rosemary. Let cool to room temperature.

In cuisinart, combine butter and balsamic syrup until well combined. Put in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set up.

Scoop a dollop of butter onto a hot steak and enjoy!

Homemade English Muffins

I'm still tinkering with this recipe. Expect to see updates as the weekends roll on. It's not as airy as I had hoped for, but it's a decent homemade breakfast bite. I personally recommend coupling it with my lemon curd recipe. Mmm...

Ingredients
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/4 cup melted shortening
4-5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Heat the milk on the stove over medium high heat until little bubbles start to form. Take milk off the heat, add in sugar, mix to dissolve and set aside.

Mix warm water with yeast packet. Set aside for 10 minutes until it looks milky.

Using a stand mixer and the paddle attachment, mix 3 cups of flour with milk, yeast mixture and melted shortening for one minute on high. Add salt and flour, a little at a time until you have a soft dough. (The original recipe I adapted this from said an additional 3 cups of flour, which was WAY too much. I used 1.5-2 cups max.)

Knead the dough. (Mine was pretty stiff, but still turned out ok in the end). Set in a buttered bowl, cover and let rise 30-45 minutes. Punch down the dough and roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter and dust with corn meal. Cover and let rise another 30 minutes.

Cook on a buttered griddle at 325* (350* was too hot) for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Fork split, toast and eat!

Seth's Tomato Power

What do you do with a surplus of tomatoes? It's a great problem to have. Seth found this recipe to try and made it for me for dinner last weekend. It's real name is shakshouska, but I call it "tomato power"

Serves 2 for dinner, takes 45 minutes

Ingredients:
1.5 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1.5 Tbs paprika
1/2 tsp salt
3 large garlic cloves pressed
1 large poblano chile, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 to 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs tomato paste
1.5 lbs Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise (1 lb is plenty if that's you have on hand)
4 large eggs
Freshly ground pepper

Mix coriander, cumin, paprika, and salt in plastic bag. Using a rolling pin, crush seeds in bag (or you can use a mortar and pestle. Once seeds are cracked, add garlic and mash into a paste with the seasoning. Set aside.

In a 10 inch saute pan (with a lid for later) over medium heat, cook chile in 1 tbsp. oil, stirring often, until well browned (10-12 minutes). Add spice mixture, garlic, tomato paste, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in 3/4 cup of water, then tomatoes. Cook, turning tomatoes occasionally until softened (10-20 minutes) add more water if mixture starts to dry.

With a wooden spoon, make 4 depressions in tomato mixture and crack an egg into each. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until eggs are set but yolks are still runny (4 - 5 minutes).

Serve with crusty bread.


From Sunset Magazine, Sept 09

Crepes

I love crepes! This easy make-in-the-blender batter improves if it refrigerate a few hours. And it will hold for a day or two, although it starts looking gray, it's still tasty.

Ingredients:
1c cold water
1c milk
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
-Blend briefly

Add:
2c flour
4 Tbs melted butter

Mix n high for 1 minute
Cover and refrigerate

Cinnamon Rolls

I got this recipe from a Sunset magazine subscription perk and it hasn't disappointed. When topped with cream cheese frosting, these are a big hit. I sometimes make the dough in the evening and then refrigerate overnight. If you let it warm up a bit in the morning, while heating the oven and making coffee, they bake off just fine.

Ingredients:
1.25c whole milk
1 package (2.25 tsp) active dry yeast
3 Tbs white granulated sugar
1.25 c brown sugar
3/4c plus 2 Tbs butter at room temperature
1.5 tsp salt
about 5.5 c all-purpose flour
1/4c ground cinnamon


In a 2 quart pan over medium heat, heat milk to lukewarm. In the mixing bowl of the stand mixer, dissolve yeast ins 1 cup warm water. Let stand 5 minutes

Using a stand mixer's paddle attachment, stir in:
milk,
2 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs butter
salt
3.5 c flour into yeast mixture

Beat on high until dough is slightly stretchy, about 2 minutes.
Switch to dough hook and, on medium speed, beat in 1.5c more flour until a stiff dough forms. Continue beating until dough pulls clearnly from bowl, 5 to 7 minutes longer. If dough is still sticky, add more four, 1 Tbs at a time.

Scrape onto floured work surface and knead until smooth, elastic and no longer sticky about 8 minutes; add flour as required to prevent sticking. Return dough to bowl, cover airtight, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 1.5 hours.

Scrape dough onto floured work surface and press gently to expel air. Divide dough in half. Using a floured rolling pins, roll each half into a 10- by 16- in. rectangle. Spread 6 Tbs butter over each rectangle. In a small bowl, mix 1.25 c brown sugar with the cinnamon. Sprinkle half the mixture over each rectangle.

Starting from a long edge, roll each rectangle into a tight cylinder. Cut each cylinder into 6 equal pieces. Place, cut side down and sightly apart in two 7- by 11- baking pans. Cover pans and let stand at room temperature until rolls are almost doubled in size, 1 to 1.5 hours.

Preheat oven to 350*. Bake until rolls are browned, 30-35 minutes. Coll in pan 10 minutes, then drizzle with icing. Serve warm!

Charcoal-Grilled Baby Back Ribs

We love to BBQ, and we love ribs, but I was always looking for a good recipe to follow for charcoal grilling that achieved tenderness with ribs. This one works pretty great. Use your favorite sauce and enjoy.

5lbs baby back pork ribs
4 tsp kosher salt
1.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp cayenne
BBQ sauce of your choice

1. Remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs. The original recipe said to "slide a screwdriver tip along each bone and under one end of the membrane to loosen, then grab membrane with a paper towel and pull off." Sounds easy, right? Really a knife works way better and if you invite He-man to dinner he can help wrestle the membrane off. I'm sure they suggest a screwdriver so you won't sever any digits. Proceed with caution. That said, it was doable and helps the ribs absorb more flavor on the grill.

2. In a small bowl mix salt, pepper and cayenne. Put ribs on a baking sheet and sprinkle both sides with mixture. Snugly wrap each rack in heavy duty foil. Be forewarned - leaks in your foil lets all the good cooking juices out and make flames shoot high. Wrap snugly indeed. Let sit 30 minutes at room temperature.

3.Prepare charcoal grill for indirect medium-low heat (300-350*). Light 60 briquettes in a chimney on firegrate. When coals are covered with ash, about 20 minutes, bank evenly on opposite sides of firegrate ad let burn to medium-low. Set a study drip pan on grate between mounds. The area above will be the cooking area. Add 3-4 more unlit briquettes to each mound when ribs go on and every 30 minutes while cooking.

4. Place rib packets, bone side down, on cooking grate over indirect heat, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover grill and cok ribs until fairly tender when pierced through foil, 50-70 minutes.

5. Transfer rib packets to a rimmed pan. Carefully remove ribs from foil. Set ribs, bone side up, on grill over indirect heat.

6. Using a silicone brush, baste ribs with sauce/glaze. Cover grill and cook ribs 10 minutes. Brush metled sauce/glaze from center of each rack up along sides of meat, turn ribs over, and baste with more sauce/glaze. Repeat brushing and turning every 10 minutes until ribs are browned and tender and meat has shrunk back from ends of the bones, 30-40 minutes total.

7. Remove ribs from grill. Cover loosely with foild and let sit about 10 minutes. Brush a little more sauce over ribs. Cut between bones to serve.


Recipe is adapted from Sunset August 09