Doc April's Delicious Dishes

Langoustines, Lemon Curd and Quick Almond Coconut Shortbread

2011-11-16T20:53:00.000-05:00

My work colleagues and I have a monthly alphabet themed potluck lunch. Working our way backwards through the alphabet, we each make something that features that letter. This month, I stepped up to the "L" potluck challenge by making Louisiana Langoustine Etouffee using my friend, Joe's, recipe except no shrimp or crawfish, just langoustine. Langoustine? Yes! It's a sort of cousin to the lobster, shrimp and crawfish...looking almost like a cross between lobster and crawfish or a gigantic shrimp with claws.

I didn't stop there!

I had about 5-6 extra lemons around so I decided to proceed with a second "L" potluck dish and personal indulgent favorite: lemon curd. Yum! I think most chocoholics might pass on a chocolate dessert if it boiled down to that or a lemon based dessert, specifically involving lemon curd. Okay, well, maybe not, but I would!

I usually use Alton Brown or David Lebovitz's recipe but this time I tried out Barefoot Contessa's recipe. After all, Ina Garten is the Northern Yin to Paula Deen's Southern Yang and lemon curd certainly requires butter to be super creamy and smooth.

To accompany the lemon curd, I quickly made up a "shortbread" style butter cookie that I'm only now wishing I wrote down when I was in mad-scientist kitchen mode. It went something like this:

Combine 4 T butter and 1/4 C brown sugar in a food processor and blend until creamy (or use a mixer). To this, add 2 T honey, a pinch of salt, 1/3 C almond flour, 1/4 cup regular flour (though I think all of it can be almond flour), 1/4 C unsweetened flaked coconut and 1 T cornstarch. Process until a soft but slightly sticky dough forms. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap, form into a log (mine was rectangular) and freeze for about 15-30 min until hardened. Slice into 1/4 inch thick cookies and bake at 300 F for about 15 min or until light golden brown.

Soup Season 2011-2012

2011-10-23T23:04:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends, the cool weather has made its way into the crevices and cracks of the walls and windowsills. Soup season is upon us! This post will be the running list of soups and stews made, typically weekly for lunch, this season.

Oct 1-7, 2011: Lentil Soup (Moosewood recipe)
Oct 17-21, 2011: Cream of Celery with Potato (April Improvised)
Oct 22-24, 2011: Silky Avocado, Corn and Chicken (April Improvised)
Oct 31-Nov 4, 2011: Split Pea (Moosewood recipe)
Nov 14-18, 2011: Chicken Posole (Hominy chicken soup)

Silky Avocado Corn and Chicken Soup

2011-10-23T23:01:00.001-04:00

Step 1: Peel 4 ripe avocados and place into food processor or blender with the juice of half a lemon and pulse until blended

Step 2: Heat one onion or a large shallot, 2-3 large chopped cloves of garlic and 2-3 hot peppers (jalapeno, serrano) in some olive oil until fragrant and add 2 C of chicken stock

Step 3: Cut chicken breasts or boneless skinless thighs into cubes and cook in the simmering chicken stock

Step 4: Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon once cooked

Step 5: Carefully temper the avocado mixture in the food processor by adding 1/4 C of the hot chicken stock mixture, pulsing the food processor or blender between each 1/4 C to combine and blend the onion and garlic into the avocado mixture until about 1 C (or all) of the hot stock has been added and blended until silky smooth.

Step 6: Add some frozen or canned corn and the chicken back to the soup along with a dash of chili powder and serve with some tortilla chips!

Watermelon Lime Basil Sorbet (No Ice Cream Machine)

2011-07-06T18:46:00.002-04:00

This Independence Day, like most American consumers, we had a meal of hot dogs, sauerkraut, baked beans (home made of course), "Quickles" (quickly pickled cucumbers, aka cucumber dill salad), and corn on the cob. Of course the watermelon could not be left out and served to complete the meal seeing as huge whole seedless watermelons were on sale ($2.99).

When I put the watermelon on the kitchen counter after washing it, I only then realized the enormity of it. Feeling creative, I decided to make something with half of it so that we would not waste any of it. Sadly, I threw out the rinds before I realized I could have made some delicious watermelon rind pickles. In the spirit of the dog days of summer, I ended up making sorbet. I never made sorbet before, but this turned out to be a great recipe. Next time, I will try an alternative to corn syrup and sugar, though I'm not sure there really is one that will achieve a similar smooth not-too-ice-crystally sorbet texture. The corn syrup is a different sugar structure and basically intercalates between the sugar so that upon re-crystalization of the sugar and water, the crystals that form are smaller and less icy. I believe that honey might do the trick.

Surprisingly, I basically followed a recipe, more surprisingly it came from Rachel Ray Magazine because it was the top recipe returned for my Internet search of "watermelon sorbet", and even more surprisingly it was really simple:

WATERMELON SORBET
June/July 2007
8 servings; Prep: 30 minutes (plus freezing)

INGREDIENTS:
5 pounds seedless watermelon, cut into small chunks (6 cups)1/4 cup sugarGrated peel of 1 limePinch salt1/2 cup light corn syrup

DIRECTIONS:
Using a blender, puree the watermelon; you will need 4 cups watermelon puree.
In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup watermelon puree, the sugar and lime peel to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves; season with the salt. Pour in the remaining 3 cups watermelon puree, then whisk in the corn syrup until incorporated. Pour the watermelon mixture into a 9-inch metal cake pan and freeze until firm, about 4 hours or overnight.
Let the frozen watermelon soften at room temperature for 5 minutes. Using a butter knife, break up the frozen puree into 2-inch pieces. Transfer the pieces to a food processor in batches and pulse until smooth. Store the sorbet in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 week. Let stand for 5 minutes before scooping.

TIP: For a change - Replace the corn syrup with sweetened condensed milk to make ice cream.

The basil was my addition because I recently had a homemade ice pop made of kiwi and basil. The ice pop has a bit too much basil, but the combination was surprisingly refreshing and herbs in dessert applications are trending towards being more popular of late. I basically blended about 1/4-1/3 C packed basil leaves with some of the watermelon chunks and put all of that through the strainer. I also used my food processor and not a blender for all of this paying attention to mind the "max liquid fill line" on the bowl so I pureed everything in batches.

I highly recommend trying this and being creative yourself. I can't wait to try different summer fruits, and maybe I'll even try the ice cream version as suggested.

Home-grown + Home-made Tricolore Pesto

2011-07-02T13:17:00.005-04:00

Left most: Lettuce-leaf Basil; Back center: Italian Sweet Basil (classic); Right: Anise Hissop

Hello! All of the above herbs were grown in our little urban-suburban claim to land. It was a bountiful harvest today, and the plan is to make some "tricolore" pesto. Perhaps it will be spread on a pork loin, rolled up and grilled to make some pesto-stuffed pork loin!

More later!

Well...as it turns out, a trip to H-Mart later returned garlic scapes, supposedly amazing rice suggested to us by a trusted source to try out in our hand-me-down rice cooker, and some small whole Red Snapper. As a result, the pesto was made with deliciously fresh looking garlic scapes instead:

The small whole Red Snapper was paired with the pesto instead of pork loin this evening. The Snapper was sliced on the bias several times on each side and stuffed with pesto in the slits made as well as in the middle belly portion.

I seared the Snapper on both sides in a heavy bottomed stainless steel pan, deglazed with some white wine and stuck the whole pan (covered) in the over at about 400 F for 20 min, followed with a brief 5 min broil (uncovered) at the end. I removed the Snapper from the pan, added some butter on the stovetop, browned the butter and bits remaining and again deglazed with some white wine briefly to produce a nice pesto browned butter sauce that I strained and served over the fish. I forgot the "after" photograph of the fish. Oh well, trust that it was tasty!

Regarding the rice, I'm not sure if we did something wrong or the rice cooker has its own issues, but the rice turned out mushy and slightly burntish/stuck to the bottom. Therefore, being the quick thinking cook that I am, I remembered I had two zucchini in the fridge from the Farmer's Market the week before that really needed to be used. I thought: "Ah-ha! I'll make pesto-zucchini rice cakes!" Voila! I mixed 2 eggs, some of the remaining pesto and the rice in a bowl and pan fried the cakes in some olive oil. They were delicious and were an excellent application of the otherwise slightly gummy and tasteless rice.

Overall, it was a very tasty meal that cost in all $9.00 total. In a seafood restaurant this would have easily been a $60 bill. One note is that next time, I might just go for the filets...bones are a pain!

Black Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-05-02T21:02:00.003-04:00

Salt and cookies? Yup! Who doesn't love that sweet and savory combo? Much like a chocolate covered pretzel, this is simply a fancy sounding rendition of the plain old, and yet so yummy, classic chocolate chip cookie!

I was craving that good old dunkable deliciousness that is a chocolate chip cookie, when I thought to find a purpose for the Hawaiian black salt I've had for nearly 2 years now. I've used some in the past, but if you've never used or tasted Hawaiian black salt before, there are two things to know: (1) it's extremely intensely salty, therefore very little goes a looooong way, and (2) it tends to impart its color on anything you may season it with from the volcanic ash and carbon, and why would you simply use it in a recipe when there's regular salt for that, instead of on the finished product as a seasoning salt.

Anyway, I decided to bake chocolate chip cookies to satisfy the craving and also experimented at the same time by very lightly sprinkling some Hawaiian black salt on top of each cookie. ***Remember - a little goes a very long way!

I'm really glad I tried this. My work colleagues thought this salt addition was absolutely fabulous, and I tried a new chocolate chip cookie recipe that isn't the one from the back of the Tollhouse bag. Instead, I just tried a quick search for chocolate chip cookie recipe and used the first one I found. Indeed, the AllRecipes.com Best Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe turned out to be rather superior to the classic Tollhouse recipe. This recipe has a bit more sugar and flour, and also provides a good tip for adding the baking soda: dissolve in 2 teaspoons of hot water. The cookies were perfectly crisp on the edges and chewy in the middle. I did not add the salt or the walnuts:

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons hot water

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.

Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Oh, and by the way, they also make EXCELLENT salt-caramel ice cream cookie sandwiches!!!

Tofu Patties with Savory Mushroom Gravy and Mashed Potatoes

2011-03-22T17:19:00.001-04:00

This one is a shout out to Mom for sure! Growing up, meals in my house were mainly vegetarian because of Dad. Some had cravings for chicken tenders, lasagna, or Mom's beef stew: I had cravings for this dish. For those of you tofu-haters out there, give this recipe a try, you'll find yourself pleasantly surprised. I will note, however, that the frying of the patties is not that healthy, but does make them oh-so-deliciously-crunchy!

I definitely used Mom's scanned recipe for this one, but of course with a few modifications. I pan fried them to get the crunch factor, and I used sesame seeds, wheat germ, and cornmeal in the coating. My tofu was previously frozen because I tend to buy it in bulk (extra-firm of course) and keep it in the freezer for a last minute protein-packed meal. Also, when you freeze tofu, all of the water in it makes the little cellular pockets in the tofu expand as the water trapped inside freezes. Then, when you defrost the tofu, you can squeeze out all of the excess water the tofu is really substantial and quite literally like a sponge. This give the tofu a definitive texture and allows it to absorb more of the marinate and flavor you introduce it to, which makes it more enjoyable to eat than the regular old squishy stuff. As such, I had to us more whole wheat flour in my mix because of the wetness of the patty mixture. Just like you would make any patty, you add flour until the mix holds together.

My mom said that using mushroom bouillon is not necessary, but I did it anyway because I like to try and make things how Mom says to, you know? I used Better than Bouillon brand mushroom bouillon, but apparently this can also be found in the Kosher aisle of the grocery store as a 3-pack of cubes made by Telma. I also used about 3 C of sliced mushrooms and doubled the liquid: (1) because mushroom gravy is delicious, (2) because mushrooms shrink a lot, (3) because I like a lot of mushrooms in my gravy.

Of course, the key is to serve with a nice portion of homemade freshly mashed potatoes. This was essentially my childhood version of "meat"loaf, and I still crave it today! I hope it makes a tofu-appreciator out of you too!

Latin Rubbed Grilled Pork Loin Pesto Flatbread

2011-03-21T22:12:00.000-04:00

What do you do with leftover grilled pork loin?

Make grilled flatbread, of course!

Step 1: Roll out the dough. I was lazy and bought pizza dough from the store, pre-made. What?! Yes. For $0.99, which is less than the cost of the 5-6 cups of flour you'd need these days, you can save yourself the hassle and rising time. Oh, and it stores well in the freezer for that last minute, "How do I best re-purpose these leftovers?" kind of dinner!

Step 2: Brush dough with EVOO and grill on very high heat, about 3-4 min per side to get nice grill lines. Dough will bake in oven later, so it's okay for it to be a bit soft in the middle still.

Step 3: Spread grilled flatbread with any sauce or moisture base you want. I used a cilantro pesto I made fresh from my herb garden because the rub on the pork loin had a cayenne, cocoa powder, chili, cumin base of flavor.

Step 4: Top with anything else you want. Here, I used caramelized onions, mushrooms, and a bit of Havarti cheese.

Step 5: Garnish with fresh herbs: cilantro.

Cranberry Orange Scones

2011-03-06T16:37:00.004-05:00

Who doesn't love the taste of a buttery, flaky scone with their morning coffee? This is actually a recipe I follow, but what I love most about it is that the recipe is very forgiving: you don't have to measure things perfectly, and it still turns out great!

ISO 400 f/1.8 1/125

Cranberry-Orange* Scones

2/3 C Buttermilk or plain yogurt
8 TBS. cold unsalted butter, cut up

1 lg. egg
1 C. cranberries, raisins, or whatever you like in the scones

zest of one orange (about 1-2 tsp; *optional)
3 C all purpose flour
½ C sugar
4 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 TBS. butter, at room temperature

Large sugar crystals for the top

Heat oven to 375 degree. Measure buttermilk in a 2 cup glass measure; beat in egg with a fork. Put flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Stir to mix well. Add the 8 Tbs. butter and cut in with a pastry blender or rub with your fingers, until the mixture looks like fine granules. Add the cranberries, orange zest (if desired) and sugar and toss lightly to distribute evenly. Add the buttermilk mixture. Stir with a fork until a soft dough forms. (DO NOT OVERMIX) Turn out onto a lightly floured board and give 5-6 kneads, just until well mixed. Form into a ball; cut into 8 wedges. Form each wedge into a ball and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle tops of each scone with large sugar crystals if desired. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until medium brown. Remove to a wire rack. Brush with the 1 TBS. of soft butter. Let cool, uncovered, at least 1 hour before serving.

Braised Short Rib Bulgur Risotto with Asparagus and Mushroom

2011-02-07T22:57:00.004-05:00

My obsession with wheat berries has translated into alternative forms of the whole grain. Gluten allergies beware: although delicious, steer clear! Bulgur wheat is simply a form of processed wheat berry that has been cooked, dried and part of the bran removed. I decided to try making something with bulgur that was not a porridge and was not a simple pilaf-like side dish creation. Instead, I thought: risotto.

Short ribs were a steal at the store this week, and they are so delicious! I started by seasoning the shortribs with salt and pepper, and quickly searing the shortribs in a pan coated with olive oil on all sides until brown with crust. I put them in a crock pot, covered them with beef broth and a few cloves of garlic and let that cook overnight.

The next evening, I removed the short ribs from the crock pot, allowing them to cool. The meat was pulled and set aside. The broth was set aside to separate the fat off of the broth. I added enough water to the broth to make 4 C of stock.

Then, I prepped the veggies: one bunch of asparagus, one package of baby portobellas, one shallot, 5 cloves of garlic. I cut the asparagus into 1 inch pieces and the mushrooms into manageable sized pieces. I minced the shallot and garlic.

In a heavy bottomed skillet, I heated olive oil and quickly sauteed the mushrooms and asparagus, just until slightly soft, removing and setting aside. In the same skillet, I added a bit more olive oil and sauteed the garlic and shallot until soft. To this, I added 1 1/2 C of the bulgur stirring to coat the grain with the oil in the pan. When the bulgur began to toast, I deglazed the pan with about 1 C white wine. From there, the basics of risotto began: add 1 C of the beef broth stock, stirring the bulgur until all liquid is absorbed. Repeat until all broth is used and bulgur becomes silky and soft in texture. Add 1/2 C grated parmesan, and 1/2 C cream. Return the asparagus and mushrooms to the bulgur risotto and incorporate. Note: I did not have cream, so I used sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a portion of pulled braised short rib on top. This dish, full of richness, melt in your mouth creamy risotto and short rib, is sure to taste like an expensive and luxurious meal from a top notch restaurant!

Homemade Chinese Egg Noodle Soup with Baby Bok Choy and Homemade Shrimp Egg Rolls

2011-01-17T15:04:00.001-05:00

It all began with baby bok choy that had to be used. I really enjoy this shrimp wonton noodle soup in Chinatown, but I didn't have the motivation to make homemade wontons. In retrospect, I realize that I probably could have made the dough. Instead, I ended up making two labor-intensive dishes. First, I made egg noodles from scratch. It was actually much easier than I expected: flour, water, egg, salt. Hand-mix, allow to sit for 30 min, then roll out into long ovals, tri-fold like a letter, cut into thin strips, and boil. I kind of followed several recipes; but I really ended up winging it as usual. I put the noodles and baby bok choy in a vegetarian broth with some tofu, mushrooms, and carrots.

Then, I made egg rolls with some wrappers and shrimp I found in the freezer. The classic egg roll filling was employed: green cabbage, mushrooms, carrot, scallion, shrimp chopped up, all mixed with some sesame seeds a bit of Chinese 5-spice and some fresh ginger and garlic. Of course, I pan fried the egg rolls and kept them crispy on a baking cooling rack on top of a baking sheet in the oven. This keeps the bottoms from getting soggy too because the cooling rack keeps the whole egg roll raised above the baking sheet and allows the entire surface to crisp up. I served them with a sweet and spicy red chili and mustard dipping sauce.

This was my first time making a pasta from scratch: spaetzle is the same ingredients, but the process is much easier. The noodles were absolutely delicious and I'd highly encourage those who haven't tried making pasta to do so!
Preview

Easiest Chocolate Covered Pretzels!

2011-01-17T14:47:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year! For the NYE celebration this year, I was tasked with bringing a dessert. Who doesn't love the salty-sweet combo of the chocolate covered pretzel, especially while imbibing holiday spirits? This Christmas, my cousin made these chocolate covered pretzels with her kids because it's a great family project that keeps the kids occupied and full of chocolate all at once. It also turns out that these chocolate covered pretzels are no-hassle. You are not left with a bowl of melted chocolate, chocolate and sprinkles everywhere, and dipped pretzel rods requiring space for the re-hardening process of the chocolate. Instead, these chocolate covered pretzels make no mess, take about 10 minutes to make, and are the perfect ratio of sweet chocolate to salty pretzel.

Step 1: Lay pretzels on a nonstick baking sheet (parchment or silpat lined). The grid-like pretzel shape is recommended. This shape is called pretzel "Snaps".

Step 2: Unwrap chocolate kisses or hugs (the white chocolate striped kisses) and place one per pretzel

Step 3: Bake in oven at 250 F for about 3-5 min or until kisses just begin to melt slightly

Step 4: Remove from oven, allow to cool for about 2-3 min until kisses just begin to re-solidify.

Step 5: Press an M&M into the center of each slightly softened kiss

Step 6: Allow all of the chocolate to complete harden

Step 7: Exercise self-control...they are delicious!

P.S. Kisses and M&Ms often go on a major sale right after some sort of holiday. This is a great time to purchase the supplies needed for this recipe. Hugs very rarely go on sale, sadly. As you can see in this image below, the Easter M&Ms offer a great color palette for baby or bridal shower treats!

Pastel colored Pretzels

Red Velvet Cheesecake with Chocolate Covered Mini Pretzel Sticks

2010-12-04T19:31:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to four people today! This called for some super rich dessert! I first had this at a local restaurant on my birthday about 2 years ago; and I could not get it out of my mind (and I'm not the dessert person).

Here it is - I pretty much followed a recipe--wow! It's from Southern Living (clearly - where else would there be a recipe for cheesecake with a layer of cream cheese icing on top?!). It's delicious! I added my own twist of chocolate covered mini pretzel sticks, and I also used Oreos for the crust, not chocolate grahams.

It's also very festive for the holidays!

Enjoy!

Happy Hanukkah (Chanukah)!

2010-12-01T21:16:00.004-05:00

I couldn't help but think of my Grandma, Great Aunt, and the rest of my amazing family this first eve of Hanukkah! Therefore, I made a last minute decision to prepare a quick Hanukkah feast: and a great one, too! Besides, who can possibly resist deliciously golden fried potato latkes?! Now, the recipe for the latkes is a secret, so that I can't share, and as for the rest, I didn't do much, I just winged it as usual. I forgot to buy apple sauce for the latkes at the store, but luckily I had 4 leftover apples in the fridge from apple picking back in early Fall.

Thankfully, apples last a while in the cool of the refrigerator. Peel them, dice them, slightly cover with some water or apple juice and the juice of half a lemon, and simmer until soft. Then, run them through that food mill, and voila: apple sauce! This is my personal favorite on potato latkes, though some like sour cream or nothing at all.

I also decided last minute to make the brisket. Crazy, I know. However, I put it in as soon as I walked in the door, and let it cook about 2 1/2 hours at 375 F. It was tender and ready to go by an 8 PM dinner, which is not terribly late, all things considered. The brisket was meant to be simple, and full of classic flavors that remind you of Grandma and Great Aunt's house: seared on both sides seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne; deglazed with a bit of Vermouth; then covered with water, about 2 TBS of worcestershire sauce, 2 TBS dijon mustard, and a can of tomato paste; and left to braze at 375 F for about 2-3 hours.

Don't pay attention to the "green stuff" on the plate. This, too, was a last ditch attempt at being healthy...but it was not that appetizing, and simply served as color on the plate. If you really must know, it was a green bean and spinach puree, but I mistakenly added some basil from the garden to it, and that completely threw off the flavors. Next time: no basil.

Anyhow, it was a delightful Hanukkah meal, and nobody is ever sorry to have eaten a yummy latke....or two...or four!

Osipenko Family Borscht

2010-11-16T22:25:00.004-05:00

A trip to Richmond, VA for some quality time with dear friends resulted in a family recipe lesson in how to make the trademark soup of Russia and much of Eastern Europe: Borscht. Famous for its deep reddish-purple color, borscht is a nutritiously rich soup packed full of vitamins and minerals from the primary vegetable components comprised of beets, cabbage, carrot, and potato.

Apparently in some countries, tomato may actually serve as the main ingredient while beets serve as secondary; and some variations are known as "tomato paste" borscht (which may explain why one of the secret ingredients in this family recipe is tomato paste). I'm not quite sure what type of recipe this would be classified as, whether Ukranian, Russian, Polish, Lithuanian; but regardless it is absolutely delicious and rather simple to make.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 medium-large onion
2-3 small-medium beets, shredded (about 1 1/2 - 2 C)
7-8 small to medium sized potatoes (Yukon gold or red), peeled and diced
1/2 medium green cabbage, shredded (about 3 C)
2 large carrots, shredded (about 2/3 C)
2 T tomato paste
1 T ketchup (optional)
Cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper
Olive oil (any kind)

Step 1:
Coat the bottom of a large stock pot with olive oil Wash and dry the boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I typically wear disposable gloves for sanitary purposes and easy hand washing afterwards), cubing the thighs into the stock pot. I use kitchen scissors to do this (clean-up of scissors is far easier than a knife and cutting board). Add half of a medium-large onion whole to the pot, and quickly sear chicken on med-high heat, about 2-3 minutes. Add about 6-7 cups of water to the pot, and maintain at med-high heat until stock comes to a boil. Reduce to a simmer as stock comes to a boil, skimming foam and fat off of the top.

Step 2:

While chicken stock simmers, shred 2-3 small-medium beats using the medium size hole on a hand grater, or the shredding disc attachment for the food processor. Heat 2-3 T olive oil in a small skillet and add shredded beats. Season with a pinch of cayenne pepper. Saute on med-high for about 5 min or until slightly softened, they will just begin to get shiny and slightly translucent.

Step 3:

Add sauteed shredded beets to chicken stock. Simmer for 5-7 minutes (no more). Save the skillet for later (no need to clean it).

Step 4:

While beets are simmering, peel 7-8 medium yellow (Yukon gold) or red potatoes and dice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces.

Step 5:

Add potatoes to soup, simmering until almost tender to cut (al dente), about 5 min. Continue to skim foam off of the top. While the potatoes are simmering, the cabbage can be shredded using the food processor, or by hand using a grater or knife to finely chop the cabbage into shreds.

Step 6:

Once potatoes are just al dente, add 2 1/2 - 3 C finely shredded green cabbage. Meanwhile, shred 2 large carrots, again using either the food processor or a hand grater. Heat another 2-3 T oil to the same small skillet used for the beets in Step 2, add shredded carrots, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and 2 T tomato paste (as well as 1 T ketchup if desired). Saute shredded carrots until slightly softened, about 5 min, and add shredded carrots to the soup.

Step 7:
Add the seasoning packet, which can be purchased at most Russian food stores. The following website is provided on the package (www.arikon.ru), and may perhaps assist in locating the seasoning packet. This is not a necessary item and may be compensated for using a variety of dried spices given that the packet ingredients are: iodized salt, beet, carrots, garlic, onion, chilly (red hot pepper), coriander seeds, parsley, dill, black pepper.

Step 8:

Salt to taste. Serve with a generous dollop of sour cream (not light -- the real stuff), and chopped scallion.

Osipenko Family Borscht:

Soup Season!

2010-10-21T23:34:00.013-04:00

The cold has set in, and as Fall staves off Winter, the inevitable frost will bite. However, soup is ever-warming, a meal-in-one, and typically results in many servings for under $2 a meal.

So as to help me remember how many and what kind of bowl-icious concoctions I've created or made this season..."the soup is on!" This list will grow as it gets colder and colder...check back often (soup, stews and "stoups" are my favorite)!

1. Cauliflower Cheese Soup from the Moosewood Cookbook

2. Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup, Giada De Laurentiis

Quick & Spicy Tomato Soup (img. source: Food Network)

3. Italian Wedding Soup (Turkey Meatballs and Kale)

4. Smoked Turkey Navy Bean Cabbage Stoup (original)

5. Manhattan Clam/Crab Chowder

6. Roasted Corn, Poblano, Potato and Cheddar Chowder

7. Black Bean and Rice

Osipenko Family Borscht

8. Osipenko Borscht

I've been remiss...

2010-10-04T21:37:00.002-04:00

I've been so negligent, I don't even know where to begin. The whole point of beginning a blog was my attempt at trying to document all that I make and write down any semblance of a "recipe" corresponding to whatever deliciousness I throw together.

I've failed!

Anyway, a few photos of what I've been up to since July...

July 4: Red, white, and blue Sangria trio:

All-American Shrimp boil with Old Bay, corn, Yukon gold potatoes, all of course boiled in beer, served with melted butter:

Blurry, I know; but oh-so-delicious white wine, sundried tomato, Cannellini bean, fresh home-grown parsley, and garlic steamed Maine mussels served with steamed Broccoli rabe and crusty wheat baguette:

Smoked Salmon "Nicoise"

2010-07-01T21:32:00.000-04:00

How do you make use of pre-cooked smoked salmon pouches? You make it taste vibrant and fresh by infusing it with lemony herbed dressing in a "nicoise"-style salad. I would, however, suggest trying this with regular canned salmon instead as the smoked flavor was a bit artificial tasting almost like liquid smoke.

Fresh buttered seasoned croutons were fashioned from homemade sourdough. A light and lemony Caesar-like dressing was made by zesting half a lemon + juice, 1/4 C parmesan, 1 large clove garlic, a handful of fresh parsley and thyme, fresh pepper, about 5-6 T white wine or vermouth. This was all blended in the food processor until smooth, as light olive oil was drizzled in using the controlling "drizzle-rate" feature of the food processor to achieve a nicely emulsified dressing.

About 4-5 Yukon gold potatoes were slightly pre-cooked in the microwave prior to slicing about 1/8 inch thick, and tossed with balsamic vinegar, a sprig of fresh thyme, 1 clove microplaned garlic, a bit of salt and pepper, and a splash of white wine. The potato slices were grilled until golden and crispy, although oven roasting is certainly an alternate possibility.

The chunked salmon was tossed in the excess vinaigrette from the potatoes. The salmon was assembled in a stack between two layers of potatoes along with sliced grape tomatoes, French green beans, julienned carrots, olives, capers, and sliced hard-boiled eggs--served with a mixed salad tossed with the lemony-"Caesar"-like dressing and homemade croutons!

Remember the Herbs? Grilled Pizza

2010-06-29T22:55:00.004-04:00

As it may have become more clear...of late, grilled pizza is where it's at. This time, there was nothing in the house save for a few select items here and there.

Remember the herbs from my previous post?

Well, they have been sitting in a jar of water as previously depicted in the refrigerator just begging to be used. Tonight, the herbs (yes the medley that was dill, basil, cilantro, parsley, sage, fennel) were all consolidated into a quick pesto with some toasted walnuts (about 1/4 C). I also made a quick pizza dough (2 tsp active instant yeast + 2 C flour + 1/3 C corn meal + 3/4 C warm water + 2 tsp salt), and fished around the pantry for some toppings in the form of some sliced mushrooms, sun dried tomato strips, caramelized grilled onions, and goat cheese.

The well grilled pizza crust was spread with a good bit of pesto and toppings. The homemade pizza crust was a bit more crackery and cake-like than store-bought dough, and simultaneously so, oddly enough. Perhaps it needed a tad more working or proofing; but regardless, this grilled pizza was a wonderful vegetarian's delight!

Fresh Herbs and Lamb Burgers

2010-06-27T22:39:00.001-04:00

The garden has suddenly erupted with an abundance of assorted herbs. I had to do some trimming of a variety of sage, parsley, cilantro, fennel, and dill all while thinking of something to make with such a lovely bunch of fresh herbs.

Although there are still plenty, a great handful went into some delicious pulled chicken salad, and the rest went into seasoning lamb burgers.

A quarter of an onion, 1 stalk of celery, and some sage, parsley, and dill all went into the food processor. I made sure to squeeze the onion, celery and herb mixture dry of excess moisture so as to avoid making the ground lamb to wet (the moisture in the celery and onion itself is enough to keep the meat moist while grilling). This was all added to about 1 lb. of ground lamb along with an egg and a pinch of salt and pepper for this straightforward lamb burger. Some very lightly salt and peppered sweet potato and onion slices also went down on the grill.

The whole wheat rustic roll was lightly toasted on the grill, spread with a bit of creamy goat cheese, and the fresh herbed lamb burger was dressed with lettuce, grilled tomato and onions, and dill pickle slices.

It paired quite nicely with some refreshingly cold Brooklyn Brewery Sorachi Ace (Belgian golden farmhouse style ale).

Pumpernickel Rye Swirl Bread

2010-06-27T10:02:00.001-04:00

Don't ask me how and/or what I did to make this one...but I do know that next time I'll use a touch less molasses and cocoa in the pumpernickel part. I think I made a basic bread dough with sourdough starter, except instead of 3-4 C flour, I used 1 C rye flour + 1 C whole wheat flour for the light rye part; and 1 C rye flour for the pumpernickel part + 3 T cocoa powder + 1/3 C molasses. Of course both parts got caraway seeds; and I think that if there is a next time, I'd definitely add a bit more salt to the dough as it seems the missing ingredient.

It looks pretty, though, and tastes delicious toasted with a touch of butter!

Grilled Pizza, Take #1: Grilled Chicken Pesto

2010-06-21T21:46:00.000-04:00

Nothing says "Happy Summer" more than pesto, in my mind. Ironically, this pesto was leftover from one I made sometime in May. I typically make a bunch, and store it in 1/2 C quantities in my freezer. It's one of those deliciously fresh sauces or multi-purpose flavor bases that comes in handy. This one was a spinach-fresh from the garden anise hyssop-walnut-parmesan pesto that I took out of the freezer last night along with three giant sized boneless chicken breasts. I threw it all into a bowl with about 1/4 C white wine and snuggle overnight in the fridge.

Today, the process was super simple, and I'm certain there will be more grilled pizza to come. This was inspired by last week's grilled wheat pizza - made with leftover impromptu ground turkey empanada stuffing (ground turkey, black olives, raisins, onion, corn, latin spices) topped with cheddar, fresh cilantro and a dolup of sour cream (fail on the photo front).

I definitely did not have time today to make my own crust; but most grocery stores sell bags of fresh pizza dough ... Trader Joe's even offers several flavor varieties. I used a white flour dough and worked in some salt and parmesan, stretching it onto a non-stick pizza pan dotted with holes (I also coated it with some EVOO first).

The grill was pre-heated, the chicken pulled out of the pesto-marinade being careful to scrape excess off of the chicken, grilled to perfection, and set aside to rest. Once the chicken was done, the pizza crust went on until the bottom began to get golden brown. Meanwhile, I quickly threw the the reserved pesto marinade into the microwave to cook off the fact that the raw chicken had been sitting in it. The crust was then topped with a thin spread of the pesto and a handful of sliced grape tomatoes. As the tomatoes began to soften, the pesto-coated crust was topped with a good handful (approx. 1 C) of shredded Italian blend cheese. In the last five-six minutes of the crust grilling, three small heads of Romaine lettuce sliced in half length-wise and lightly drizzled with a bit of EVOO and balsamic of Modena, were grilled until lightly charred.

Once the crust was crispy brown on the bottom and top, and the cheese nice and golden...voila! Perfectly grilled pizza--topped with sliced pesto-marinated grilled chicken, shredded grilled Romaine, and fresh micro-basil from the garden!

Penne Carbonara

2010-06-19T12:49:00.005-04:00

A visit to NY inspired Carbonara, normally known for it's bacony goodness, but I made this "vegetarian-style", with bacon as a topping/side instead of using the bacon fat as the base of the carbonara. It's so quick and easy, addictingly delicious...but not that good FOR you. Oh well, every now and then is okay!

1 C breadcrumbs toasted in 2 T butter + 3 T EVOO + 1/4 C freshly grated parmesan + 1/2 clove fresh garlic + 1 T freshly chopped herbs from the garden (I used a mix of sage, chives and parsley), set aside.

3-4 T rehhydrated chopped porcini mushrooms quickly sauteed in 1 T butter + 2 T EVOO + a healthy shake of hot pepper flakes + 2 cloves minced garlic. Remove and toss in a large bowl with 1 large nicely ripened tomato, diced; 3-4 T freshly chopped herbs. Add another 3-4 T EVOO to the pan and scrape up all the bits of leftover breadcrumb, garlic, etc.

Beat 4 eggs in a bowl with about 1/2 C fresh parmesan and 1/2 C fresh mozzerella (I had monterey jack).

Heat 3-4 strips bacon (I used turkey bacon) in microwave on paper towels to absorb fat until crispy. Allow to cool and crumble.

Drain al dente pasta - do not rinse! - it's okay if there's still some pasta water. Put pasta in pan with oil and toss to coat. Temper egg and cheese mixture slowly with about 1/4 C hot pasta water, then very briskly stir into the pasta making sure the egg doesn't scramble! Heat from pasta will cook the egg.

Toss pasta in bowl with herbs, tomato, and porcinis.

Top with crunchy cheesy breadcrumbs and bacon crumbles. Yum!

Fresh Bay Leaves

2010-06-15T20:28:00.002-04:00

My neighbor carefully tends to a very pretty potted tree all year on their front stoop. Recently, the doorbell rang, and there was neighbor holding out a freshly snipped branch of bay laurel full of delightfully fragrant leaves.

Now, I don't know about you, but I almost always associate bay leaves with one of those "is it really in there?" herbs that I reach for and throw into a tomato sauce or steamed rice last minute. However, now I was confronted with, "What do I do with so many fresh bay leaves?"

This meal was literally like a food challenge as I used whatever was in the house. The photos don't do it justice, and I do realize that it could use a little more color, but the taste was superb, and, quite literally featured the bay leaf, leaving it the only herb used in the dish.

I started off by searing off salted, peppered, and lemon zested hormone- and anti-biotic free pork chops for about 5 min per side, removing from the pan, and setting aside (making sure to keep them covered to stay moist). To the pan with the pork drippings and EVOO, I added a shallot, 2 garlic cloves, hot pepper flakes, and about 16-20 of the fresh bay leaves, allowed this to soften up and then added two medium-small eggplants diced as well as the juice half a lemon. As the eggplant softened, about 1-2 cups of chicken stock was added, covered, and allowed to simmer until the eggplant was completely soft and beginning to break apart. About half of the eggplant (no bay leaves) was removed, and pureed with the immersion blender to make a thick, ragu-style sauce base, and returned to the pan. The pork chops were returned and nested into the sauce along with about 1/3 C of julienned sun-dried tomatoes. This was all served on top of whole wheat organic pasta that was tossed with 1 clove freshly microplaned garlic, zest of half of the lemon used for juice previously, 1 can of organic Great Northern beans, 1 can of quartered Artichoke hearts (Trader Joe's), salt and pepper.

I ended up cutting the pork into bite size pieces, and mixing this with the eggplant bay-leaf ragu into the pasta. Fresh bay leaves imparted a lovely almost citrus-fruity herbal flavor to the dish, and it was definitely worth featuring the bay leaf itself.

Moral of of the story: fresh bay leaves are delicious!

French Lentils with Mushrooms and Sage, and Brown Butter Grouper

2010-06-06T14:52:00.000-04:00

Craving lentils...I made these like one would make risotto--sauteed the lentils with shallot and garlic, adding liquid in the form of wine, a can of diced tomatoes, and chicken stock until lentils were al dente. I also folded in plenty of freshly ground black pepper, parsley, and sliced mushrooms browned in sage butter. The earthy flavors of the mushrooms compliment that of the lentils. A bit of garlic oil was also drizzled on top of the lentils to finish.

As for the grouper - very simply done. Salt, papper, and a dash of this amazing seasoning brought back from Italy - crushed red pepper flakes and herbs. Seared in a hot non-stick pan with brown butter.

Yum!

Apple Tart

2010-05-17T20:21:00.000-04:00

Favorite easy stand-by and low sugar too!

Crust: 1/4 C almond flour, 1 C flour, 5-6 T butter, a few T sugar - pulse in food processor, press into pan, bake 10-15 min at 350 until golden

Top: Any fruit you want. I pre-cooked the apples a bit so as to avoid burning the already baked crust.

Glaze with apple or apricot jelly melted down, voila!

From the pantry: Herbed Pesto Seafood Pasta

2010-05-13T19:00:00.003-04:00

I haven't been to the grocery store in over a week! I also haven't posted a darn thing here...too busy, too lazy.

Well anyway...

1. Freezer check: bag of Trader Joe's seafood mix and some almonds. Sold! What to make with it?

2. Refrigerator check: half giant bag of washed baby spinach aching to be eaten and a small near-rind of parmesano-reggiano.

3. Pantry check: can of diced tomatoes and artisan egg pasta (kind of the shape of large orichiette).

4. Back patio garden check: rampant amounts of sage and anise hissup.

Ah-ha!

Seafood medley and diced tomato (drained) over artisan egg pasta tossed with spinach-sage-anise-almond pesto topped with shaved parmesano-reggiano!

Voila! This is how dinner is typically invented nightly. I'm just too lazy to either write it down or remember to post it!*

(*taken with my new Blackberry)

Roasted Cobia, Orzo with Caramelized Brussel Sprouts, and Artisan Style Bread

2010-02-27T13:51:00.001-05:00

It's always nice when the visitor that arrives is the one who taught you what you know and is the inspiration for your love of culinary delights! At $5.99/lb it was hard to pass up Cobia, known as the "black salmon", made popular as the secret ingredient in Battle Cobia on Iron Chef America between chefs Jamie Oliver and Mario Batali.

Cobia is an amazingly rich, moist, and meaty fish with a taste quite akin to a cross between halibut and swordfish, and challenges the substantial texture of swordfish as well. I can envision its use in stews, kabobs, and on the grill too - substituted for meat in many of your favorite recipes.

The Cobia was prepared very simply to compliment my co-chef's side dish and allow the natural flavors of the fish to stand out. Place the filet of fish on a sprayed (oiled) foil-lined cookie sheet and brush with olive oil.

Lemon Garlic Mustard Marinade/Topping
Either by hand or in a small chopper, blend together the following:
3 cloves garlic
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
3-4 TBS olive oil
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
1 TBS dijon mustard
1 tsp finely ground black pepper

Spread the blended mixture evenly over the fish and zest the 1/2 lemon used for juice over top. I opted to use a can of stewed tomatoes, and distributed some of the tomatoes on top of the fish, the rest on the foil-lined sheet to roast with the fish. Optional is the dotting of butter along the filet.

Bake the fish for about 15-20 min at 400F, turning up to broil for 5 min at the end. *Note: Prior to broiling, remove the stewed tomatoes from the sheet as they will burn.

Caramelized Brussel Sprout, Almond, and Breadcrumb Pasta
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg brussel sprouts, washed, and halved
1/4 C toasted slivered/sliced almonds chopped finely
1/3 C Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2-3 TBS freshly chopped parsely
1/2 lb pasta cooked al dente, reserve some pasta water (about 1/2-1 C)
Freshly grated parmesan (or reggiano) cheese
Hot pepper flakes
Salt to taste
Olive oil

1. Liberally coat a non-stick saute pan with olive oil and heat.
2. Place halved brussel sprouts cut-side down into heated pan and caramelize on med-high heat about 3-4 min.
3. Turn the brussel sprouts after caramelized, adding 1/2 C reserved pasta water and cover pan with lid to steam brussel sprouts for about 5 min.
4. Add minced garlic, about 1/4 C olive oil, 1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes (or to taste), bread crumbs, and almonds, saute for about 5 min.
5. Add pasta and toss with all ingredients adding more reserved pasta liquid until pasta is coated.
6. Freshly grate parmesan cheese and salt to taste.

Artisan Inspired Bread
I can never get that full crust all the way around my bread, and then I read this article on America's Test Kitchen about baking bread in a pre-heated Dutch Oven. I didn't follow this recipe, but used the "no knead" and cooking method. However, next time I definitely plan to try out this recipe.

I tried to make a Ciabatta bread using this recipe; but I'm not too sure if the air pockets and texture resembled Ciabatta too much. Regardless, the bread tasted great!

Make the day before - Sponge:

1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water (not too warm or the yeast will die!)
1/3 cup room-temperature water
1 cup flour

Cover the sponge with plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 12 hours up to a day.

Make the day of, but allow 3-4 hours
Bread:

1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm milk
2/3 cup room-temperature water
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Add the above bread mixture to the sponge and mix until flour is incorporated. Allow to rise in a slightly warm dark place for 1-2 hours until doubled in size. Dough will be sticky.

Get a piece of parchment paper ready. This will be the "sling" used to pick up dough and transfer into the Dutch Oven. Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and gently knead 15 times...that's it! Form into a round loaf. Transfer to lighly floured parchment, sling into a frying pan, cover with dampened tea towel, and allow to rise about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Pre-heat Dutch Oven by placing in a 500 degree oven for about 10-15 min. Carefully remove pre-heated Dutch Oven. Picking up the dough placed on parchment, lower into the pre-heated Dutch Oven, dust top with flour, cover with lid, and bake for 30 min at 425F. Remove lid, and bake for another 20-30 min longer until golden brown. Remove bread from Dutch Oven and cool on wire rack for at least 30 min prior to slicing.

Serve Cobia with some of the roasted stewed tomatoes, the Caramelized Brussel Sprout Pasta, and a slice of freshly baked Artisan inspired bread!

Salmon Part II: Sesame Lime Salmon

2010-02-24T21:35:00.007-05:00

Someone I know *REALLY* likes salmon and could eat it everyday. I discovered at the local grocery, that farm-raised Atlantic salmon was $5.99/lb if the purchase was over 2 lbs. Well, another 2.4 lbs of salmon later, a new recipe beckoned. This time, I had some leftover cabbage and scallion from a recent household delicious creation of Okonomiyaki, a savory layered Japanese crepe-like dish.

This time, the salmon was skin-on, which I think makes a huge difference in the buttery flavors imparted into the fish during the cooking process. Perhaps, compared to the previous salmon recipe, which was wild-caught, this one being farm-raised made a significant difference in texture and rich flavor?

Regardless of the salmon source, try the following recipe!

In a bowl mix the following for a large ~2-3 lb salmon filet:

4 TBS sweet-spicy Asian chili sauce (kind of like the kind you find packed with spring rolls from the grocery store sushi section)
1 TBS Hoisin sauce
1 TBS Oyster sauce
2 TBS Sriracha sauce
1 clove grated garlic (microplane into the bowl)
2 TBS freshly grated ginger (microplane again)
4 TBS Saki or Rice Wine (not rice wine vinegar)
Zest and juice of 1/2 a lime

Pre-heat oven to 375 F, and place the salmon filet on a well-oiled (sprayed) foil-lined baking sheet:

1. Brush the salmon filet with sesame oil
2. Brush the above mixture evenly onto the filet
3. Sprinkle filet with sesame seeds
4. Toss 1/2 head cabbage and a handful of baby carrots sliced lengthwise in any sauce remaining in the bowl
5. Distribute the coated cabbage*** and carrots on the baking sheet around the salmon and sprinkle with more sesame seeds
6. Bake at 375 F for 15 min, then broil for 5 min or until golden brown

***If you've never had roasted cabbage...I HIGHLY recommend it. Not only is a head of green cabbage typically something like $0.69/lb and therefore super inexpensive, but if you've ever had roasted brussel sprouts and fell in love with them but not the price of them, then you will find roasted cabbage a wonderfully delicious and less expensive alternative!

Using the convenience of a microwave rice cooker, I made 2 C rice adding 1/2 tsp freshly ground ginger, 1/2 bunch (about 3-4) sliced scallions including greens, a small squeeze of sriracha sauce, and a splash of sesame oil all in 4 C water.

Voila! Dinner was literally ready start to finish in about 30 minutes total! It was super yummy, buttery, and full of flavor. The lime, although not as tangy as one might think it would be, was definitely a stand-out, and potentially key ingredient in this one!

Parsley, Panko & Lemon Crusted Salmon & Low-fat Vermouth Cream Sauce

2010-02-21T19:46:00.015-05:00

Admittedly, this is not the most original creation to date. However, I wanted to keep it simple, fresh, and limited to what I had in the house...besides 2.42 lbs of delicious Norwegian salmon. Yes, we've all had those cravings for a nice piece of salmon, and believe it or not, I find that the local wholesale club is one of the best sources for the freshest salmon out there. Even the salmon at the local fish market here in D.C. doesn't always look as nice. At $7.99/lb, the wholesale club is also really reasonable. However, I just discovered (after purchasing my salmon from the wholesale club) that I will likely try purchasing my salmon from the largest Korean-operated grocery chain in this area, H-Mart, because their fish looked beautifully pink, firm, and was situated right next to the sushi grade salmon on the shelf at $6.99/lb!

Salmon is an amazing fish. Born in freshwater, the salmon migrate to the ocean for adult life, whereupon they return to freshwater (their natal stream!) to breed and procreate, whereupon the female typically dies from exhaustion. As a source of protein, salmon is a deliciously buttery, supple and oily--high in Omega-3 and Vitamin D, it's pink color simply due to the carotenoids in the muscle tissue (just like carrots!). Salmon is quite possibly one of my favorite fishes.

All right, I know they say to stay away from dairy and fish; but this creation was not only served over a Vermouth cream sauce, but the crust contained parmesan cheese; but such rule-breaking tasted quite good.

The 2.42 lb skinless, boneless salmon filet was placed on a well sprayed foil-lined baking sheet, then brushed with olive oil and some dry vermouth, and liberally seasoned with salt and pepper.

Into the food processor went 2 cloves garlic, about half a bunch of fresh parsley (enough to yield 1/4 C chopped), 1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest, 1 TBS olive oil, and about 1 1/2 C panko bread crumbs. This was pulsed until nicely combined, and spread to cover the entire salmon filet. After a moderate sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese, the filet was dusted with paprika and dotted with butter. In an attempt to make this as low-fat as possible, about 1/2 TBS butter was cut very small to distribute over the entire fish:

Bake at 375F for 15 min, broiled for 5, and allow to rest for about 3-4 min.

While baking, about 1/2 TBS of butter, 2 TBS olive oil were heated in a saucepan. To this was added 1 1/2 TBS flour. Whisking briskly, over medium-low heat, about 1/4 C dry vermouth, 1 C low-fat (1%) milk, 1/4 C fish stock (chicken or vegetable may be substituted), 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, were added and incorporated thoroughly to produce a silky and smooth low-fat Vermouth cream sauce. Vermouth, of course, being a fortified wine typically aromatized with various herbs and spices.

The salmon was served on a bed of organic mixed greens with a slow-baked potato and low-fat Vermouth cream sauce.

Cauliflower Cheese Soup (Vegetarian)

2010-02-17T18:20:00.006-05:00

This is one of the very few "recipes" I actually "follow"...AND...repeat. It's a classic from the Moosewood Restaurant's original cookbook. This recipe is wonderfully warming, SIMPLE, and deceptively creamy. With only 2 cups of cheese for about 8 cups of final liquid (I cheated today and made about 12 C of liquid with 3 C cheese--even better), it's not terribly fattening (well, maybe a little, but hey - at least it doesn't call for cream!).

Of course I didn't follow the recipe precisely--how could I?

Again, just like my other soup recipes one will need an immersion blender (best kitchen tool!) for this blended soup, otherwise a blender will work but you have to be careful and wait for it to cool to prevent burning yourself with hot liquid.

In a pot, place the following ingredients all roughly chopped:

1 large onion

3 cloves garlic

1 large potato

2 carrots

1 large head cauliflower - reserve about 1-1 1/2 C small florets

Cover the above ingredients with water (about 4 cups) and add about 1 tsp kosher or sea salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp dried dill, 1/4 tsp celery seed, about about 1/4 tsp caraway seed (optional).

Bring all of this to a boil and allow to simmer until all of the vegetables are soft and tender.

While simmering, take reserved cauliflower florets and place on a lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 425F for about 10 min, then broil until golden brown. Set aside.

Once vegetables are soft, turn heat off, and blend the soup with the immersion blender until pureed and smooth. To this, add about 1 C skim or low-fat milk, and continue to blend.

Finally, add about 2 C shredded extra sharp or sharp cheddar cheese and stir into soup. Salt and pepper to taste--serve garnished with some additional shredded cheese, roasted cauliflower florets, and parsely!

Whole Wheat Bread(s): Almost-Everything Spiral Rolls & Cinnamon-Raisin Swirl

2010-02-15T22:05:00.017-05:00

After yet another day of cold and dreary weather, and yet MORE snow, I decided to break into the whole wheat flour I purchased a few weeks ago. Of course I had to use my sourdough starter in this recipe because any bread I've made thus far has included it (see other bread posts). I'm not so sure I can taste the sourness of it in there, but I always use it because I'm not sure if the bread would have such a nice texture without it!

I really, and I mean really made this one up this time:

1 pkg yeast - proofed

( about 1/4 C warm

water + 1 tsp sugar for 5-10 min)

~3-4 C whole wheat flour

1.5 C sourdough starter

4 TBS olive oil (or regular vegetable oil)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

After the yeast is proofed, place it in the mixing bowl with the sourdough starter (room temp) -- I used about 1 1/2 C this time I think. Gradually add about 2 C whole wheat flour and mix using dough hook attachment, adding the 4 TBS oil and abut 1 tsp kosher salt to incorporate. Add more whole wheat flour until a soft yet moist dough forms.

Allow dough to double in size about 1 hour in an oiled bowl with a moistened tea towel over the bowl. I typically pre-warm the oven a bit to "warm", turn it off, and allow the dough to rise in there.

I couldn't decide whether to go savory or sweet so I divided the dough and made both types:

"Almost Everything Spiral Rolls":

With half of the dough, divide into 6 small balls. Take one ball, and roll into a 1 inch thick rope always starting from the center of the rope and working your way out toward the ends:

Once the rope is about 1 inch thick, wind into a coil or spiral:

After placing the rolls on a SILPAT (you could use a sprayed cookie sheet), I used 1 egg + 1/4 tsp water to make an egg wash and brushed each coil with the egg wash, prior to coating with a mixture of pretzel salt, sesame seeds, and minced dried onion:

The rolls rested in a dark, warm place for 30 min prior to baking for 10-15 min at 350F. Enjoy!

Cinnamon-Raisin Swirl Loaf:

With the other half of the dough, simply roll to about 18" long by 7" wide. Sprinkle with some brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins - roll into a log and place in a greased loaf pan:

Allow the loaf to rise 30 min in a warm, dark place, brush with egg wash prior to baking for about 12-15 min at 350F. Resist the temptation! Allow bread to cool completely prior to slicing, enjoy by itself or as toast with butter or peanutbutter!

Bouillabaisse-inspired Soup

2010-02-14T21:52:00.007-05:00

Well, everyone knows by now the secret of the mega-wholesale-club seafood. That is, I should hope everyone does. Just like their cuts of meat, their salmon is usually some of the most fresh and delicious around town...unfortunately, this also accounts for the local seafood markets.

After battling the crazy parking lot for nearly 30 min, we went straight back to the seafood section to pick up the one and only item needed for tonight's craving: Salmon. Sadly, mega-wholesale-club disappointed, thus forcing creativity upon me while perusing the aisles of Harris Teeter.

Succulent sea scallops, cherry-stone clams, and catfish nuggets were all on sale, and that's when it hit me: Bouillabaisse! (well, okay, let's face it, I neither had time, money, or patience for a full-blown Bouillabaisse, but an April-ized version would work juuuust fine).

In a Dutch oven coated with EVOO and 2-3 TBS butter: 2 med sized onions roughly chopped, 3 cloves smashed garlic, ground with a mortar and pestle: celery seed, dried thyme, dried oregano; 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorn, pinch of saffron, and about 1/2 tsp Chinese 5-spice (I didn't have any star anise or fresh fennel!) - until onions are translucent. I added the shells of about 1/2 lb shrimp and cooked this briefly until they turned pink. This was followed by a deglaze with 2 C white wine, 1 C clam juice (reserved from 2 cans minced clams--save the clams for later) and 3 C water. To this was added 5 bay leaves, a handful of fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, and the juice from one can of diced tomatoes (reserve the tomatoes for later). Lastly, I used an ingredient I just happened to have around the house, but I'm sure fish bouillon could be subbed: I used about 3 TBS Dashi (MSG-free) which is essentially a Japanese form of dried fish-stock. This all simmered nicely for about 45 minutes.

The "stock" was strained into a large bowl, and returned to the pot along with about 3/4 lb baby yellow Yukon potatoes cut into 1/8ths (skins on) and the reserved diced tomatoes. After allowing the potatoes to cook until firm yet tender, about 25 min, all of the seafood was added: 1 bag small cherry-stone clams (scrubbed/cleaned well). These were cooked until they began to open, about 7-8 min. This was followed by the addition of 1/2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp, 6-10 large sea scallops, the reserved minced clams, and about 1/3 lb catfish nuggets cut into bite-size pieces. All of this simmered until the scallops and fish cooked through, about 5-6 more min.

Serve with a nice piece of crusty French bread to soak up all of the goodness!

Garlic Herbed Cornmeal Dinner Rolls

2010-01-10T14:39:00.007-05:00

Bread baking attempt #2.

Results: AWESOME

It's really too bad you can't be here right now to smell the aromas of freshly baked bread intermingled with garlic and herbs.

BUT

The recipe is so very easy, it would be a shame if you didn't try making them. I suppose my sourdough starter is what's kept me trying my hand at this bread-making business; but I don't think you need the starter to try this recipe.

These little flavor-packed dinner rolls are the perfect complement to any soup, salad, or pasta dish. They are also delicious just by themselves, and don't even require butter, although butter does make everything taste yummy!

Garlic Herbed Cornmeal Dinner Rolls:

Proof 1 pkg yeast in 1/2 C warm water + 1 tsp sugar (I used honey powder)

Bring 1-1 1/2 C sourdough starter to room temp

In a mixer with the dough attachment:

3 C all purpose flour

1 C cornmeal (preferably stone ground)

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp Italian seasoning (or whatever dried herb you'd like to complement the meal)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 T olive oil

To the dry ingredients above, add the yeast once proofed and frothy as well as the sourdough starter and mix. Add the 2 T olive oil and incorporate. Add water gradually until a soft dough forms.

Place dough in an oiled bowl and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size and soft to the touch (about 1-2 hours). Note the dough will have very elastic properties prior to doubling in size, you'll know it's ready when it's not resistant and spongy to the touch.

Punch down dough and form small dinner-roll sized balls, placing on a lightly oiled/sprayed baking sheet.

Allow rolls to rise for 30 min in a warm place, with a moist towel over the rolls (not necessary). They will double in size once again!

Brush tops lightly with olive oil, or give them a quick cooking spray. Bake at 375F for 15 min or until golden brown.

Recipe makes approximately 14-18 rolls, depending how big/small you make them!

Aromatic Panko Crusted Mahi, Kale Chips, and Wheatberry Caprese

2010-01-07T20:14:00.015-05:00

Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 30 min

Steps:

A. Start Wheatberry Caprese

B. Prep kale and fish while wheatberries boil

C. Bake fish when wheatberries are almost finished boiling

D. Bake kale with 10 min remaining on fish (about 10 min into baking the fish)

Well, I didn't mean to but I've created another complete and outrageously hearty dinner meal. By hearty, I mean healthy and delicious! I have to thank Harris Teeter and Safeway, two of the grocery stores in the area, for the sales on fresh Wild-caught Mahi-Mahi ($5.99/lb) and a gigantic bag of kale (I think 32 oz.) for the inspiration...as well as Mike, and his odd-ball affinity for "greens" as he calls the kale/mustard/turnip/collard group. It turns out, this taste-craving is a highly desirable one...Kale is just about the best thing anyone could eat:

Kale, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	117 kJ (28 kcal)
Carbohydrates	5.63 g
Sugars	1.25 g
Dietary fiber	2.0 g
Fat	0.4 g
Protein	1.9 g
Vitamin A equiv.	681 μg (76%)
- beta-carotene	8173 μg (76%)
- lutein and zeaxanthin	18246 μg
Thiamine (Vit. B1)	0.053 mg (4%)
Riboflavin (Vit. B2)	0.07 mg (5%)
Niacin (Vit. B3)	0.5 mg (3%)
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.049 mg (1%)
Vitamin B6	0.138 mg (11%)
Folate (Vit. B9)	13 μg (3%)
Vitamin C	41.0 mg (68%)
Vitamin K	817 μg (778%)
Calcium	72.0 mg (7%)
Iron	0.9 mg (7%)
Magnesium	18 mg (5%
Phosphorus	28 mg (4%)
Potassium	228 mg (5%)
Zinc	0.24 mg (2%)
Percentages are relative to US recommendationsfor adults. Source: USDA Nutrient database

As seen in the table above, it's packed full of so many essential vitamins and minerals that you just can't go wrong choosing to eat it, and let me tell you, the "kale chip" preparation is not only SUPER simple, but makes a really good-for-you veggie taste like a bad-for-you snack! The kale takes on a fantastic extra-crispy texture and a nutty, buttery and savory flavor. They are irresistible.

All right, so I'll get to the recipe(s) already. For tonight's dish I concocted an Aromatic Panko Crusted Mahi Mahi, served with Kale Chips (so good! but sadly, not my own creation) and Wheatberry Caprese.

Wheatberry Caprese

1 - 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. dried minced basil leaves/flakes (or fresh, but it's winter!!!)

1 T honey (I use honey powder *see below for a description)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Salt

Pepper

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add about 2 C of wheat berries.

2. Cook until tender (al dente, approx. 20 min) - they will be very chewy to the tooth, but this is good!

3. Drain and return to pot

4. With the heat on med-low, toss in about 2 T EVOO and the 1 tsp minced garlic, allowing the garlic to incorporate and cook lightly

5. Add can of stewed tomatoes, breaking into smaller chunks while incorporating

6. Add the basil

7. Add salt, pepper and honey powder to taste (balance the acidity)

*Honey Powder:

Typically sold at Korean grocers (such as H-Mart), and used in a lot of Korean cooking and for sweetening tea.

It's 100% honey with a small amount of Maltodextrin (a sugar derivative), and I find that it really is a great alternative to sugar and isn't poisonous like Aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose.

I use it in sauces to balance out the acids all of the time as well as in tea!

Kale Chips

1 large bag kale (about 16 oz.)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Sea or Kosher salt

Pepper

Lined baking sheet

Pre-heat oven to 375F

1. Open bag of kale, rinse and pick out any off-looking leaves

2. Return kale to a large plastic bag

3. Drizzle EVOO over the kale (about 1 T)

4. Season with salt and pepper

5. Hold bag shut and shake to evenly coat the kale leaves

6. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil

7. Evenly spread kale leaves over sheet

8. Bake at 375F for 10-15 min until leaves turn brown and crunchy on edges--you can turn them over half-way through if you'd like. I don't bother.

*Disclaimer: These are addictingly good.

Aromatic Panko Crusted Mahi Mahi

1 lb. Mahi Mahi filet (skin on, preferably--my filet was about 1 in. thick at the thickest part)

1/4 tsp fresh lemon zest

1/8 tsp freshly grated ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 C Panko bread crumbs

1 tsp Parsley flakes (dried) or freshly chopped

Sea/Kosher salt

Pepper

EVOO

1 T unsalted butter cut into small pieces (optional)

If you own a small food chopper (immersion blender attachment types work too!) or a food processor, I'd highly recommend using it because everything can be done right in the chopper.

Pre-heat oven to 375F:

1. Wash and pat the Mahi dry with a paper towel

2. Lightly salt and pepper the fish on the flesh side

3. Place 1-2 cloves garlic in a chopper, process until minced.

4. Zest the lemon and garlic right into the chopper. I use a microplane (if you don't own one, buy one!) to easily and quickly zest and grate!

5. Add the parsley, and a bit of salt and pepper to taste.

6. Add 1/4 C Panko breadcrumbs to the garlic, ginger, lemon, salt, pepper, and parsley and process until mixed.

7. Pour the mixture onto a plate and add the remaining 1/4 C Panko breadcrumbs, mixing to incorporate all ingredients together. This reserved 1/4 C Panko will have a larger crumb and add a more crunchy texture to the coating.

8. Lightly drizzle salt and peppered Mahi with EVOO and flip over onto the Panko mixture, pressing to thoroughly coat flesh side of fish with breadcrumbs

9. Place coated fish on a greased (I use EVOO or spray) foil-lined baking sheet, skin-side down

10. Press any remaining breadcrumbs onto top of fish

11. Dot top of coated fish with butter

12. Bake at 375F for about 20-25 min until fish is tender and flaky (NOTE: Depending how thick your filet or steak might be, raise the temp to 400F and the cook time will go to about 30-35 min)

Serve with Kale Chips and Wheat Berry Caprese.

Beer pairing: Lager

Wine pairing: Chardonnay

Minestrone Soup in a Sourdough Breadbowl

2009-12-31T11:26:00.012-05:00

Who doesn't like soup? I believe that someday I will publish a book just on the soup creations I come up with. They are soul-warming and an all-in-one meal. They are filling, hearty, chock full of delicious ingredients, and most of the time very low in fat. Soups can be made on a Sunday and last through a Thursday. I love soup.

Most of the time my soups end up velvety and thick because of my immersion-blender obsession. However, this time I decided to finally try and concede to the request for a brothy minestrone soup.

I began with a package of 16-bean soup (Goya, I think), boiled the beans in water for 5 min and allowed them to sit for 1 hour. I rinsed the beans, added around 7-8 C water, and brought that to a boil with about 3 t Italian seasoning, 1 t garlic powder, 1 t finely ground black pepper, 1/4 t cayenne pepper, 3 bay leaves, 1 can of diced tomatoes, and 1 sliced medium-large yellow onion.

Once the beans were tender, I added about 5 T of my favorite better-than-bouillon chicken stock (you could use veggie if you want it to be completely vegetarian/vegan!) and some salt to taste. I also added 1 stalk celery sliced into crescents, and 1 diced green bell pepper. I boiled a pound of Barilla Piccolini Mini Wheels in a separate pot and added the whole pound of pasta to the soup.

I was feeling ambitious, and then decided to try my hand at breadmaking, seeing as I keep this sourdough starter alive in my fridge by feeding it flour every week...until, of course, I forget about it and it explodes all over the place.

Anyway, what a better way to serve soup, than in its very own breadbowl?

I'm not quite sure if I followed a recipe, but here goes:

1 - 1 1/2 C sourdough starter (these recipes are all over the internet)

1 package dry yeast (follow packet directions for activating)

1/4 t salt

I basically let the sourdough starter and yeast come to room temp and activate, respectively. I put this in a stand mixer, added some warm water (about 1/2 C) and then added flour 1/2 C at a time until the dough pulled away from the bowl and seemed like a good consistency. Have I mentioned how much I hate baking because you have to measure...?

I put the dough in a giant olive oil coated bread rising bowl, covered it with a clean, moist kitchen towel, and stuck it in the oven (pre-warmed of course) and let it sit overnight. In the morning, I punched down the dough, kneaded it briefly on a floured surface and divided it into two boule shapes. I don't have a fancy pizza stone, though you can go to Home Depot, buy the bases to any clay flower pot and use that as a pizza stone (they cost about $1-2!!!). I used my regular old Silpat-lined baking sheet, popped the boules in the oven for about 20 min at 400F, brushed the tops with olive oil at the end and quickly broiled them for a top-brown:

The plan is to cut the tops, pull some insides out, and use them as a delicious vessel for the minestrone soup:

Spaetzle, Take Two

2009-12-28T17:16:00.011-05:00

In the Oktoberfest post, although not pictured, I tried my hand at Spaetzle making. For those of you not familiar with this delectable-al dente-eggy-not quite pasta-not quite dumpling-treat, it can be made either the old fashioned way by hand (as seen in this YouTube video) or by using a rather convenient and simple kitchen gadget:

Either way, the dough is so easy, there is no excuse not to try making it:

2 eggs

2 C flour

1/4 t salt

dash nutmeg (optional)

Mix all of the above with a fork (don't overmix), add 3/4 C milk slowly and incorporate until dough resembles thick drop biscuit consistency. Note: All 3/4 C milk might not be necessary.

The kitchen gadget method definitely goes much faster and ensures a wonderful chewy texture and uniform size:

I paired the delicious little Spaetzle with wonderfully seasoned roasted chicken thighs; a hearty and rich mushroom-onion gravy; and a mash of Rutabega, Broccoli, and Parmesan.

I highly encourage you all to try your hand at Spaetzle making - the accessory is rather affordable, and the product is well worthwhile!

OKTOBERFEST

2009-10-18T09:45:00.001-04:00

Oktoberfest, not in September, home-brewed Oktoberfest Ale, and a menu of deliciousness!

Menu:

Warm cheesy scallion and beer dip

Sourdough soft pretzels

Wild mushroom and spinach Streudel

Sage, lemon and brown butter Spaetzle

Red cabbage sauerkraut

Beer soaked Brats with caramelized onions

Braised gin-pickled beef with Dill Sauerbraten Cream

Black Forest Cupcakes

Sesame Ginger Brisket, Kimchi, and Ginger Rice

2009-10-12T19:44:00.001-04:00

Cream of Celery Root Soup and Truffle Oil Celery Seed Crostini

2009-10-12T10:13:00.000-04:00

Cream of Celery Root Soup

1 large celery root (3/4 lb), cubed

1 large onion

3 large cloves garlic

6 stalks celery, strings removed, reserve leafy tops

2 tsp ground black pepper

3 C chicken (or veggie) stock (3 T concentrated stock + 3 C water)

1/3 C dry sherry

3 C whole milk

3 T flour

Extra Virgin Olive oil (EVOO)

Immersion blender

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 F

2. Dice large onion

3. Roughly mince garlic

4. Remove strings from celery, roughly dice

5. To clean celery root, cut the leafy top and root-like rough bottom off so

that the celery bulb root has a flat top and bottom that is stable on the cutting board surface. With a sharp chef’s knife, follow the contour of the root, and trim the brown outer surface off of the root so that the white inner part of the root is exposed, rotating the root until all of the brown outer surface is removed. Trim off any remaining brown outer surface.

6. Dice the celery root into small ¼ inch cubes.

7. Add about 3-4 T EVOO to coat bottom of thick bottom soup pot (dutch oven)

8. Add half of the diced celery root cubes, onion, garlic, and celery to the

pot and sauté on med-low, about 15-20 min until the onions are translucent and celery root cubes have softened.

9. Add about 1 tsp ground black pepper to the sautéing vegetables.

10. Toss the reserved half of celery root cubes to coat in EVOO, salt, and pepper. Roast the cubes on a foil lined cookie sheet at 400 F for about 15 min, turning mid-way through, or until cubes are golden brown on all sides. Set aside.

11. To the sautéed vegetables, add the dry sherry and allow the alcohol to boil off for about 1 min.

12. To this, add the 3 C of soup stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 min.

13. To ¼ C cold water, add the 3 T flour and mix thoroughly to break up any lumps.

14. Add the flour-water mixture to the 3 C of whole milk.

15. Turn off heat to soup. With the immersion blender, puree soup until smooth, slowly adding the 3 C of whole milk and flour mixture.

16. Return the soup to very low (warm) heat, and stir. The soup should have a smooth and velvety consistency.

17. Add the roasted celery root cubes to the soup at this time.

18. Serve drizzled with EVOO, garnish with reserved celery stalk leaves, and serve with truffle oil celery seed crostini.

Truffle oil Celery Seed Crostini:

1 loaf crusty French bread

2 T freshly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsely

1 clove garlic finely minced

½ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp Kosher salt

¼ tsp celery seed

¼ C Parmesan (or Romano) cheese

Truffle oil (white or black)

EVOO

Wire cooling rack

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 F (Oven should be pre-heated from the roasted celery root)

2. Line a cookie sheet with foil

3. Place a wire cooling rack on the lined cookie sheet

4. Slice the French bread on a bias

5. Finely mince the parsely and garlic

6. Place the slices of bread in a large bowl

7. Toss bread to coat with EVOO, parsley, salt, pepper, celery seed, garlic, and cheese. Lightly coat with truffle oil. Note: Some of the garlic, parsley and cheese may remain on the bottom of the bowl—lightly rub some of the bread slices on the bottom of the bowl if this is the case.

8. Place coated bread slices on the wire cooling rack on the lined cookie sheet. Drizzle each of the crostini with truffle oil. Sprinkle lightly again with celery seed.

9. Bake crostini for about 10 min or until tops are golden brown, turn drizzle again with truffle oil, and continue to bake until the other sides are golden brown.