My cousin, Jessie, and her boyfriend, Tom, recently moved 10 minutes away from us. When they came to dinner a few weeks ago, I made paprika-rubbed steaks with blue cheese butter, baked potatoes, & steamed broccoli. This is my adaptation of a February 2005 "Food & Wine" magazine recipe:
5 thinly-sliced cloves garlic
1/2 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. smoked Spanish paprika
Pinch cayenne
Pinch oregano
1/4 c. olive oil
4 10 oz. ribeyes, about 1" thick
4 tbsp. butter, softened
1 tbsp. finely-chopped shallot
1 scallion, finely-chopped (dark green only)
2 oz. crumbled blue cheese (Valdeón recommended), at room temp
Mash garlic to a paste with the salt (a molcajete is useful here). Mix with the spices. Add the oil, mix well, and rub into steaks. Let stand 1-4 hours or overnight in fridge. Mash butter with shallot & scallion. Add cheese & mix well. Pat into 4" long log, wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper, & chill until firm. Grill or broil steaks to desired doneness. Serve with butter slices on top. Serves 4.
Friday, October 05, 2012
Carrot Soup & Jicama Salad
I love the monastery kitchen cookbooks & often pair a soup & a salad from those respective books. The food is delicious and the books have cool illustrations & great little stories & quotes. You should own them. Last month, we had the carrot potage & the mixed jicama salad, both lovely. Sourdough rolls completed the meal. These are my adaptations:
Carrot Potage
10 carrots
1 potato
1 onion
8 c. chicken stock
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. sugar
Salt & pepper
2 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
Peel & slice carrots, potato, & onion. Put in a soup pot with stock, tomato paste, butter, & sugar. Cover & cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat about an hour. Blend with an immersion blender or carefully, in small batches, in a regular blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, do yourself a favor and get one. They're wonderful. Season soup and add cream. Heat through. Garnish with parsley when serving. Serves 6.
Mixed Jicama Salad
About 1 lb. jicama, peeled & cut into matchsticks
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, & cut into matchsticks
2 green peppers, cut into matchsticks
2 apples, peeled & cut into matchsticks
1 tbsp. lemon juice
7 mint leaves, cut in chiffonade
1/4 c. olive oil
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. cider vinegar
Salt & pepper
Toss all ingredients up to mint gently in a large salad bowl. Chill 1-2 hours. Just before serving, toss in mint. Whisk
olive oil with 2 tsp. lemon juice, cider vinegar, salt, & pepper until slightly thickened. Toss with salad, making sure everything is nicely coated.
Carrot Potage
10 carrots
1 potato
1 onion
8 c. chicken stock
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. sugar
Salt & pepper
2 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
Peel & slice carrots, potato, & onion. Put in a soup pot with stock, tomato paste, butter, & sugar. Cover & cook, stirring occasionally, over low heat about an hour. Blend with an immersion blender or carefully, in small batches, in a regular blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, do yourself a favor and get one. They're wonderful. Season soup and add cream. Heat through. Garnish with parsley when serving. Serves 6.
Mixed Jicama Salad
About 1 lb. jicama, peeled & cut into matchsticks
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, & cut into matchsticks
2 green peppers, cut into matchsticks
2 apples, peeled & cut into matchsticks
1 tbsp. lemon juice
7 mint leaves, cut in chiffonade
1/4 c. olive oil
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. cider vinegar
Salt & pepper
Toss all ingredients up to mint gently in a large salad bowl. Chill 1-2 hours. Just before serving, toss in mint. Whisk
olive oil with 2 tsp. lemon juice, cider vinegar, salt, & pepper until slightly thickened. Toss with salad, making sure everything is nicely coated.
Pork Cordon Bleu & Other Yummies
Playing recipe catch-up again, a round-up of dishes I've made in the last month. First up, a delicious variation on chicken cordon bleu, using pork tenderloin. I served it with mashed potatoes & applesauce.
Pork Cordon Bleu
1 1/4 lb. pork tenderloin
Salt & pepper
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 slices Swiss cheese, halved
4 slices ham, halved
1/4 c. dry white wine
1/4 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. sage
Slice pork diagonally, across the grain, into 8 thin slices. Pound to 1/8" thickness. Season. Lightly dredge in flour. Heat oil on medium-high in a large skillet. Cook the pork about 3 minutes in the oil. Turn & top each slices with a slice of ham & a slice of cheese. Carefully pour wine & broth into the skillet. Bring to a boil. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with sage & serve with sauce in the pan. A twist of lemon is nice, too. Serves 4.
One night when Jeannene was out of town, I made an adaptation of my friend, Diane Carpenter's Szechuan chicken pasta salad. I call my version "Asianish chicken pasta salad." It was yummy indeed even before the recommended overnight chill.
Asianish Chicken Pasta Salad
1 lb. thin noodles, cooked (I just used spaghetti)
3/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. peanut oil
2 c. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. Dijon
1/4 c. sesame oil
2 chicken breasts (skinless, boneless), cooked & diced
6 thinly-sliced scallions
2 chopped carrots
1 chopped red pepper
8 oz. sliced water chestnuts
6 oz. mini corn, sliced
1/2 lb. snow peas, julienned
Lightly toasted sesame seeds
Szechuan chili oil
Toss noodles with 1/2 c. soy sauce, then peanut oil. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to make sure pasta is well-coated. Mix mayonnaise, Dijon, sesame oil, 1/4 c. soy sauce, chili oil to taste. Add chicken, scallions, carrots, red pepper, water chestnuts, & mini corn to noodles. Mix with sauce. Chill overnight. Add snow peas just before serving. Garnish with sesame seeds. This makes a ton, so if you have cousins living nearby, stop by their place late on a rainy night to drop off leftovers & have a good visit.
My friend, Suzanne Evans, who is a fantastic life coach, gave me a recipe for her corn frittata, which is out of this world. I served it with my friend Kira's herbed potatoes, a stunner of an heirloom tomato salad, & my almost-grandma's boozy fruit.
Suzanne's Corn Frittata
3 ears sweet corn
Cooking spray
Salt & pepper
5 egg whites
2 eggs
1/4 c. chopped basil
1/4 c. grated smoked mozzarella
Preheat broiler. Cut corn off the cob. Sauté in sprayed skillet with salt & pepper for about 5 minutes. Set aside. Lightly beat the egg whites & eggs. Add basil & half the cheese. Add corn. Spray an oven-proof skillet and add egg mixture. Cover & cook 5 min. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese across the top & broil until bubbly & browned. Serves 4.
Kira's Herbed Potatoes
1 1/2 lb. small red potatoes
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
6 sprigs rosemary
6 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp. white wine
2 1/2 tsp. paprika
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash & halve the potatoes. Put 1/2 c. of potatoes on each of 6 squares of foil. Divide the rest of the ingredients evenly among the foil packets. Seal, place on a baking sheet, and bake 1/2 hour. Let cool 5 minutes before opening. Serves 6.
Heirloom Tomato Salad
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1/4 lb. haricots verts, trimmed
1/4 lb. olive oil
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. minced chives
2 tsp. minced thyme
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 lb. assorted heirloom tomatoes, cut in big chunks
1 small head fennel, cut in 1/8" slices
2 c. arugula (I subbed baby spinach after discovering my arugula had keeled over)
1/2 c. finely-chopped red onion
6 oz. crumbled gorgonzola
Bring a pot of water to a boil with the salt. Cook haricots verts in it for about 2 minutes, until just tender, then plunge into an ice bath. Whisk oil, vinegars, herbs, salt to taste, pepper, & garlic together. Add tomatoes, arugula, & onion. Toss to coat. Divide among 8 plates & top with cheese.
Much more pedestrian, but still yummy, was the tuna noodle casserole I threw in the crockpot one day. Good with a green salad with plenty of crunch---peppers, cucumbers, radishes...
Crockpot Tuna Casserole
2 large cans tuna, drained
2 c. uncooked egg noodles (macaroni would be fine, too, or shells)
4 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 c. finely-chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup (reduced-fat works great)
1/4 c. hot water
2 oz. jar chopped pimientos (unless you are serving this to my auntie, or someone like her, who is horrified by them)
8 oz. frozen peas, thawed
1 tsp. parsley
Spray the slow cooker with butter-flavored cooking spray. Mix everything together & cook it on low for 4 hours. Serves 4-6.
Pork Cordon Bleu
1 1/4 lb. pork tenderloin
Salt & pepper
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 slices Swiss cheese, halved
4 slices ham, halved
1/4 c. dry white wine
1/4 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. sage
Slice pork diagonally, across the grain, into 8 thin slices. Pound to 1/8" thickness. Season. Lightly dredge in flour. Heat oil on medium-high in a large skillet. Cook the pork about 3 minutes in the oil. Turn & top each slices with a slice of ham & a slice of cheese. Carefully pour wine & broth into the skillet. Bring to a boil. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with sage & serve with sauce in the pan. A twist of lemon is nice, too. Serves 4.
One night when Jeannene was out of town, I made an adaptation of my friend, Diane Carpenter's Szechuan chicken pasta salad. I call my version "Asianish chicken pasta salad." It was yummy indeed even before the recommended overnight chill.
Asianish Chicken Pasta Salad
1 lb. thin noodles, cooked (I just used spaghetti)
3/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. peanut oil
2 c. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. Dijon
1/4 c. sesame oil
2 chicken breasts (skinless, boneless), cooked & diced
6 thinly-sliced scallions
2 chopped carrots
1 chopped red pepper
8 oz. sliced water chestnuts
6 oz. mini corn, sliced
1/2 lb. snow peas, julienned
Lightly toasted sesame seeds
Szechuan chili oil
Toss noodles with 1/2 c. soy sauce, then peanut oil. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to make sure pasta is well-coated. Mix mayonnaise, Dijon, sesame oil, 1/4 c. soy sauce, chili oil to taste. Add chicken, scallions, carrots, red pepper, water chestnuts, & mini corn to noodles. Mix with sauce. Chill overnight. Add snow peas just before serving. Garnish with sesame seeds. This makes a ton, so if you have cousins living nearby, stop by their place late on a rainy night to drop off leftovers & have a good visit.
My friend, Suzanne Evans, who is a fantastic life coach, gave me a recipe for her corn frittata, which is out of this world. I served it with my friend Kira's herbed potatoes, a stunner of an heirloom tomato salad, & my almost-grandma's boozy fruit.
Suzanne's Corn Frittata
3 ears sweet corn
Cooking spray
Salt & pepper
5 egg whites
2 eggs
1/4 c. chopped basil
1/4 c. grated smoked mozzarella
Preheat broiler. Cut corn off the cob. Sauté in sprayed skillet with salt & pepper for about 5 minutes. Set aside. Lightly beat the egg whites & eggs. Add basil & half the cheese. Add corn. Spray an oven-proof skillet and add egg mixture. Cover & cook 5 min. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese across the top & broil until bubbly & browned. Serves 4.
Kira's Herbed Potatoes
1 1/2 lb. small red potatoes
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
6 sprigs rosemary
6 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp. white wine
2 1/2 tsp. paprika
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash & halve the potatoes. Put 1/2 c. of potatoes on each of 6 squares of foil. Divide the rest of the ingredients evenly among the foil packets. Seal, place on a baking sheet, and bake 1/2 hour. Let cool 5 minutes before opening. Serves 6.
Heirloom Tomato Salad
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1/4 lb. haricots verts, trimmed
1/4 lb. olive oil
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. minced chives
2 tsp. minced thyme
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 lb. assorted heirloom tomatoes, cut in big chunks
1 small head fennel, cut in 1/8" slices
2 c. arugula (I subbed baby spinach after discovering my arugula had keeled over)
1/2 c. finely-chopped red onion
6 oz. crumbled gorgonzola
Bring a pot of water to a boil with the salt. Cook haricots verts in it for about 2 minutes, until just tender, then plunge into an ice bath. Whisk oil, vinegars, herbs, salt to taste, pepper, & garlic together. Add tomatoes, arugula, & onion. Toss to coat. Divide among 8 plates & top with cheese.
Much more pedestrian, but still yummy, was the tuna noodle casserole I threw in the crockpot one day. Good with a green salad with plenty of crunch---peppers, cucumbers, radishes...
Crockpot Tuna Casserole
2 large cans tuna, drained
2 c. uncooked egg noodles (macaroni would be fine, too, or shells)
4 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 c. finely-chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup (reduced-fat works great)
1/4 c. hot water
2 oz. jar chopped pimientos (unless you are serving this to my auntie, or someone like her, who is horrified by them)
8 oz. frozen peas, thawed
1 tsp. parsley
Spray the slow cooker with butter-flavored cooking spray. Mix everything together & cook it on low for 4 hours. Serves 4-6.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
First Rainy Day of Fall Soup, 2012
A few years ago, I started my own little tradition of making a pot of soup for dinner on the first rainy day of fall. Jeannene & I picked up a few new Gooseberry Patch cookbooks at the Country Living Fair recently. She expressed intense interest in a sweet potato corn chowder in one of them, so I carried a list of ingredients around with me for the few days it took to rain this fall. The soup was splendid, especially out of the beautiful new pottery soup mugs we also picked up at the Fair. We had it just with some French bread, but I bet some nice, crisp apple slices with caramel dip would be a delicious finish to the meal. Here's my adaptation:
Sweet Potato Corn Chowder
1 lb. kielbasa, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
7 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
6 cups chicken broth
16 oz. frozen corn, thawed
1 large sweet potato or yam, peeled and diced into small pieces
3/4 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, diced
1 c. whipping cream
Salt & pepper to taste
Brown sausage in soup pot about 5 minutes. Add onion & garlic. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add flour, spices, and cook, stirring, another couple minutes. You may need to add a dash or two of olive oil. Add chicken broth & bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, & simmer about 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through & sweet potato is tender. Add cream & adjust seasonings. Heat through. Serves 8-10.
Sweet Potato Corn Chowder
1 lb. kielbasa, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
7 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
6 cups chicken broth
16 oz. frozen corn, thawed
1 large sweet potato or yam, peeled and diced into small pieces
3/4 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, diced
1 c. whipping cream
Salt & pepper to taste
Brown sausage in soup pot about 5 minutes. Add onion & garlic. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add flour, spices, and cook, stirring, another couple minutes. You may need to add a dash or two of olive oil. Add chicken broth & bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, & simmer about 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through & sweet potato is tender. Add cream & adjust seasonings. Heat through. Serves 8-10.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Upside-Down, Inside-Out Pizza
Last night, I was nervous about trying a new recipe, especially a one-dish one, after having the Mexican rice turn out so meh. But this one was a keeper. We had it with a green salad, burrata crostini with tomato & basil, and balsamic berries. Delish!
For the crostini, preheat the oven to 425 degrees & bake baguette slices crisp, 7-10 minutes. Rub them with garlic and tomato. Top with burrata, tomato slices, and basil leaves. Drizzle with good olive oil, then sprinkle with salt (I used Maldon sea salt) & freshly-ground pepper.
The berries are just cut-up strawberries drizzled with balsamic & sprinkled with sugar. Black pepper adds a nice counterpoint to the sweetness.
For the pizza:
1 lb. ground beef
5 scallions, sliced
14-oz. jar pizza sauce (I used locally produced Carfagna's)
1/2 green pepper, chopped (put the other half on your salad---or greedily chomp it down while cooking, if you love 'em like I do)
1 c. shredded mozzarella
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. milk
1 egg
In cast iron skillet, brown beef with scallions. Drain. Add pizza sauce & green pepper. Simmer 3-5 minutes. Top with half the cheese. Whisk the flour, milk, and egg together. Add remaining cheese. Spread evenly over the meat mixture. Bake 20 minutes in a pre-heated 425 degree oven. Cut into wedges to serve. Serves 4-6.
For the crostini, preheat the oven to 425 degrees & bake baguette slices crisp, 7-10 minutes. Rub them with garlic and tomato. Top with burrata, tomato slices, and basil leaves. Drizzle with good olive oil, then sprinkle with salt (I used Maldon sea salt) & freshly-ground pepper.
The berries are just cut-up strawberries drizzled with balsamic & sprinkled with sugar. Black pepper adds a nice counterpoint to the sweetness.
For the pizza:
1 lb. ground beef
5 scallions, sliced
14-oz. jar pizza sauce (I used locally produced Carfagna's)
1/2 green pepper, chopped (put the other half on your salad---or greedily chomp it down while cooking, if you love 'em like I do)
1 c. shredded mozzarella
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. milk
1 egg
In cast iron skillet, brown beef with scallions. Drain. Add pizza sauce & green pepper. Simmer 3-5 minutes. Top with half the cheese. Whisk the flour, milk, and egg together. Add remaining cheese. Spread evenly over the meat mixture. Bake 20 minutes in a pre-heated 425 degree oven. Cut into wedges to serve. Serves 4-6.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Meh Mexican One-Dish Dinner
Tonight called for something quick & easy, given Jeannene's 3:30 wake-up call tomorrow. This fit those criteria, but wasn't terribly delicious. The corn was the saving grace. However, I am posting it should you be tolerant of "serviceable" as an adjective describing your meal. I served it with a very tasty salad of romaine, baby spinach, basil, & mint and with the only commercially canned peaches I eat, Margaret Holmes O'Sage Raggedy Ripe Freestone Peaches.
12 oz. Mexican-style chorizo
2 c. corn kernels (I used frozen)
14 oz. diced tomatoes
2 c. uncooked Minute Rice
1 c. water
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed & drained
1 1/2 c. Mexican cheeses, shredded or crumbled (asadero, cotija, that sort of thing)
Brown & drain chorizo. Add corn, tomatoes with their liquid, rice, water, chili, & cumin to skillet. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, & simmer 5 minutes (or until rice is tender). Add beans and heat through. Top evenly with cheese. Cover & let stand a few minutes until cheese has melted. Serves 4-6.
12 oz. Mexican-style chorizo
2 c. corn kernels (I used frozen)
14 oz. diced tomatoes
2 c. uncooked Minute Rice
1 c. water
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed & drained
1 1/2 c. Mexican cheeses, shredded or crumbled (asadero, cotija, that sort of thing)
Brown & drain chorizo. Add corn, tomatoes with their liquid, rice, water, chili, & cumin to skillet. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, & simmer 5 minutes (or until rice is tender). Add beans and heat through. Top evenly with cheese. Cover & let stand a few minutes until cheese has melted. Serves 4-6.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Cowboy Steaks
Tonight, Jeannene had thawed some strip steaks, but was felled by a migraine & not up to grilling. Since I am a bit grill-phobic, I made cowboy steaks instead. Pat a couple of steaks that are just over an inch thick dry. I think ribeyes are perfect, but these strips came out nicely, too. Cover the bottom of a cast iron skillet evenly with 1/2 c. coarse kosher salt. Heat on high for about 5 minutes---salt will begin to crackle & lightly smoke. Lay the steaks on the salt & cook 5 minutes. Flip & cook 4 minutes. Let rest on cutting board 5 minutes before peeling salt crust from steaks. Warning---if you use fine salt, it will be much harder to peel off the crust. I only had fine in-house this time & it was much harder. Previously, it has just kind of fallen off the steak as I lifted it from the pan. I had to work at it tonight. But this cooking method keeps the steak very juicy!
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