January 2011 – First Look, Then Cook

Blanchard’s Caribbean Cornbread

Published on January 30, 2011January 30, 2011 by Dawn14 Comments

When my mother likes something at a restaurant, she has no fears about asking for the recipe. My step-father tells a story about one night when they were at one of Todd English’s restaurants – she loved the Vanilla Souffle so much, the next thing he knew, she was back in the kitchen talking to the pastry chef. Occasionally she will send me one of her finds, and I can usually count on the fact that it is going to be good.

This recipe came from Blancahrd’s Restaurant in Anguilla – and I must say, it is definitely one of the best cornbread recipes I have ever made. It is extremely moist and and just the perfect sweetness – there are bits of corn, but not too much – everything about this recipe is wonderful. I must say though, it is super rich – one small piece is really all you need – so one batch does go a long way. What I love most about this recipe is how easy it is – and how well it freezes. So no need to worry if there are leftovers – in fact, that’s what I plan for – to go with all the soup and stews I have in the freezer…

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal (such as Arrowhead Mills)
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar, scant
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups cream style corn
1/2 cup (small can) crushed pineapple, drained well and squeezed
1 cup shredded jack or mild cheddar cheese

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 9″ square baking dish.

Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and set aside. In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. (The mixture may appear curdled at some point, and that is OK.) Add the corn, pineapple, cheese, and mix to blend. On low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until blended.

Bake until a tester is clean and the cornbread is golden brown on top, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Serve warm.

To freeze, make sure the cornbread is at room temperature, then double wrap it with plastic wrap. If you are looking to make a double batch, you must use a larger pan than 9×13.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Blanchard’s Caribbean Cornbread

Lentil Stew with Potatoes and Warm Indian Spices

Published on January 26, 2011January 28, 2011 by Dawn18 Comments

I don’t exactly remember the first time I had Indian Food, but it was not love at first sight. I remember going to an Indian Restaurant when I was in high school and thinking it was ok, but that I would rather be eating Chinese Food. Then years went by before I tried it again, and that’s when I fell head over heels. Everything I ate so was incredible, I couldn’t believe how delicious it was. I was hooked – all of those spices, and tender chunks of meat – delicious. I could go on and on…I was blown away.

A few years later, I met an Indian women at work – and we became good friends. One day she invited me over to her house for lunch – her house was very close to where we worked. I had no idea what to expect – but she served the most wonderful lentil dish that she had made the night before. While we were waiting for the Dahl to warm up, she took some dough out of the refrigerator. She took some, rolled it into a small ball, then started to roll it out with a rolling-pin. Very quickly, she flattened this ball into a perfect circle – just like a tortilla. She place it onto a hot fry pan and waited for it to puff up – home-made chapatis right before my eyes. We dipped the chapatis into the Dahl, with some chutney she placed on the table – and it was the most perfect lunch ever. I never wanted to leave.

My college roommate sent me this cookbook for my birthday – The Family Dinner by Laurie David – and as I was looking through it, this recipe caught my eye – it was the warm Indian spices that lured me. I then read the list of ingredients, and knew I had to make it. This is a delicious hearty stew that is perfect for a cold winter evening. The coconut milk was a wonderful addition, and made it slightly rich and deep in flavor. Ok, so I still haven’t been brave enough to make chapatis yet – but hopefully soon – they would have been perfect with this stew…

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon good quality garam masala
1 cup diced carrots
1 large potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 cups red lentils, rinsed
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (or light coconut milk)
5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onions until wilted and golden, then add the garlic, ginger, and spices and stir for a moment until they are fragrant. Be careful not to burn the spices, as this will make them bitter.

Take half of this mixture and set it aside for later. Add the carrots, potato, lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk, and stock. Let the stew simmer, without a lid, for about 30 to 40 minutes until the potatoes and lentils are tender.

Fold in the remaining onion-and-spice mixture. Add the peas to the stew last to keep their brilliant color. Simmer for another few minutes until the stew is heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Lentil Stew with Potatoes and Warm Indian Spices

Classic Gingerbread Cake

Published on January 22, 2011 by Dawn4 Comments

Is there a rule about posting gingerbread cake after the holiday season is over? Am I breaking some type of blogging etiquette? I apologize if I am, but I was just way to busy in December to make this, and I couldn’t let it wait until next year.

I saw this in Cook’s Illustrated, and it was the beer that did it for me – not just any beer, but Guinness Stout. Then I started thinking that maybe this could be a type of St. Patrick’s Day cake – and as such, I am giving you all lots of warning so you can prepare to make this for your St. Pattie’s Day celebration. It is fantastic. It is so rich and spicy, yet decadent at the same time – like there is some really expensive chocolate in that cake. No – it is all the stout’s doing. It gives it that deep rich almost chocolately flavor. I actually brought some pieces to a meeting at work – knowing it would be a long afternoon – and people raved about it. Well – whether it is for St. Patrick’s Day coming up, or for next December – now I have a great recipe for Gingerbread cake. Do you want to know the best part? The recipe doesn’t call for a whole beer, so you have to drink the rest while it is baking…

Ingredients

3/4 cup Guinness Stout
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup mild molasses
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting pan
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper (optional)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

Preparation

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan.

Bring stout to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda (mixture will foam vigorously). When foaming subsides, stir in molasses, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until dissolved; set mixture aside. Whisk flour, ground ginger, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pepper (optional) together in a large bowl; set aside.

Transfer stout mixture to a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, oil, and granulated ginger until combined. Whisk wet mixture into flour mixture in thirds, stirring vigorously until completely smooth after each addition.

Transfer batter to prepared pan and gently tap pan against counter 3 or 4 times to dislodge any large air bubbles. Bake until the top of the cake is just firm to touch and a toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Cook cake in the pan on a wire rack, about 1 1/2 hours. Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 16 large squares.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Classic Gingerbread Cake

Bacon Cheeseburger Rice

Published on January 19, 2011 by Dawn3 Comments

My daughter loves looking at cookbooks – just like her mom… So, this year at the school book fair, when I asked her what she was interested in, she pointed to these three paperback cookbooks for kids. I winced. I am a cookbook snob. I admit it. It was the Taste of Home, Good Food Kids Love cookbook. Ugh.

The other week, she asked when we could make something out of one of the cookbooks – so I told her to pick something out, and we would have it for dinner. What did she choose? Bacon Cheeseburger Rice…with pickles on top. Boy this was going to be interesting.

I was very skeptical, but it was actually pretty good – and the best part was the pickles on top. The combination of the BBQ rice, ground beef, pickles and the crunchy bits of bacon – yum. Really, if it has bacon in it, can it be bad? It was delicious – and she ate it because she picked out the recipe. So – maybe these books aren’t that bad…although I should probably just quit while I am ahead.

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1-3/4 cups water
2/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups uncooked instant rice
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped dill pickles
5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Preparation

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the beef until no longer pink; drain. Add water, barbecue sauce, mustard, onion and pepper. Bring to a boil; stir in the rice. Sprinkle with cheese. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with pickles and bacon.

Serves 4-6

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Bacon Cheeseburger Rice

Fennel and Spinach Soup with Roasted Pepper Yogurt

Published on January 15, 2011January 15, 2011 by Dawn2 Comments

Here we go again – I know, the first word is fennel, I cannot ever resist a recipe with the word fennel in the title. Who am I kidding, even when fennel is in the ingredient list and not in the title, I still have to try it. Trader Joes has started carrying fennel, and now every week I cross my fingers before going into the store, hoping that they will have it. The problem with Trader Joes is that you can’t get too used to anything. Just because they have it one week, there is no guarantee it will ever show up again. So, back to the fennel – not only do they carry it, you get two huge bulbs for $2.99. It is the bargain of the century. Run out to your nearest Trader Joes right now and buy it up – but please don’t blame me if they don’t have it – or maybe they just ran out because all my blog followers beat you to it. That is wishful thinking, isn’t it.

This soup from Cooking Light was excellent – and so ridiculously healthy. What made this soup really zing in my opinion was the roasted pepper yogurt on top. It was so good, I was eating it with a spoon afterwards, and yes, I just happened to use the leftovers on these a couple of days later – how versatile. It is soup season, and this one is a keeper.

Ingredients

2 red bell peppers
2 large fennel bulbs with stalks
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped leek (about 2 medium)
1 cup chopped shallots (about 2 large)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
4 ounces fresh spinach
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Dash of ground red pepper

Preparation

Preheat broiler. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and chop; set aside.

Trim tough outer leaves from fennel. Mince feathery fronds to measure 2 tablespoons; set aside. Remove and discard stalks. Cut bulbs in half lengthwise; discard core. Chop bulbs to measure about 4 cups.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add fennel bulb, leek, and next 3 ingredients (through salt); cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth, water, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Stir in spinach and black pepper. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes at room temperature.

Pour half of fennel mixture into a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining fennel mixture. Return pureed soup to pan; heat over medium heat 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Season with salt.

Combine roasted bell peppers, yogurt, lemon rind, lemon juice, and ground red pepper in a food processor; process until smooth.

Ladle about 3/4 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with 2 tablespoons yogurt mixture. Garnish with fennel fronds.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Fennel and Spinach Soup with Roasted Pepper Yogurt

Fresh Pear Cocktail

Published on January 13, 2011January 13, 2011 by Dawn3 Comments

Boy do I need a cocktail right now, this has been quite a week, and it is not over yet. I have 100 things running around in my mind right now, having a party in my head. When life gets so crazy like this, it is hard for me to even think about cooking – yet I power through it, and more often than not, it actually relaxes me. The sizzle sound the hot pan makes when I add something to it, the caramelization that occurs, and then the smell…there is really nothing better.

It is pear season, pretty much the tail end of it here in the Pacific Northwest. My husband is the pear connoisseur of the family – he knows exactly the variety to buy, and when the pear is at its peak of ripeness to eat. I am not a huge pear fan, but occasionally the pears will be so ripe and delicious, I can’t resist a little bite. Making cocktails is like cooking to me, I love creating something new all the time. So when I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, I had to give it a try. It was delicious – I used a comice pear that had more than enough juice for the recipe below – and the juice was so sweet, I only used half the agave syrup. This cocktail was light and refreshing yet perfect for this time of year. Go ahead, it is almost Friday – give it a try – and cheers to tiring out the party going on in my head so I can actually relax…

Ingredients

1 medium Bosc pear
2 tablespoons citrus-infused vodka
1 tablespoon pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon agave syrup (or sugar syrup)
3 tablespoons har apple cider or cidre doux
Pear slices

Preparation

Shred pear; place pulp on several layers of cheesecloth. Gather edge of cheesecloth together; squeeze over a glass measuring cup to yield 1/3 cup juice. Discard solids. Combine pear juice, vodka, pomegranate juice, lime juice, and agave syrup in a martini shaker with ice; shake. Strain about 3 tablespoons vodka mixture into each of 2 martini glasses. Top each serving with 1 1/2 tablespoons hard apple cider. Garnish with pear slices.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Fresh Pear Cocktail

Oatmeal-Fudge Bars

Published on January 8, 2011 by Dawn11 Comments

This holiday season my mother brought a few “holiday baking” magazines with her to our house. I have always looked at these while checking out at the grocery store, but never managed to purchase one. I was extremely impressed – especially with America’s Test Kitchen Holiday Cookies. Every single recipe looked amazing. I know it is going to take me a long time to get through them all, but I will – eventually. The first recipe I had to try were these Oatmeal-Fudge Bars. I liked that the crust was the same dough as the topping, what simplicity. These were a bit hit – soft and chewy on the bottom, crunchy bits on top – and just so easy to make.

Ingredients

Crust and topping

1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Filling

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons instant espresso or instant coffee
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg

Preparation

For the crust and topping: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a foil sling: Fold two sheets of aluminum foil so they are as wide as the pan. Lay the sheets in the pan, perpendicular to each other, with the extra foil hanging over the edges. Push the foil into the corners, smoothing wrinkles. Grease the sides and bottom.

Whisk the oats, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter until combined. Reserve 3/4 cup of the oat mixture for the topping.

Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake the crust until light-golden brown, about 8 minutes. Let the crust cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour.

For the filling: Whisk the flour, sugar, instant espresso and salt together in a medium bowl. Melt the chocolate chips and butter together in the microwave, stirring often, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large bowl and let cool slightly. Whisk in the egg until combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the filling evenly over the cooled crust and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the reserved oat topping. Bake the bars until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached and the filling begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking.

Let the bars cool completely in the pan, set on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil, cut into squares and serve.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Oatmeal-Fudge Bars

Carnitas

Published on January 5, 2011January 15, 2011 by Dawn1 Comment

I love a good book – I love even more when I have time to read a good book. For the past few years, the majority of my reading has resolved around food. Not just food magazines, but books about food – written by people who are completely consumed by food. I love these types of books – because I can relate, and they are different than cook books, although many of them do share recipes. I have quite a library of food related books, and I get so excited when I learn of a new one that can’t be missed.

At this point, I can’t remember how I found out about my latest favorite, but he is a local writer, and has a podcast with one of my other local favorites, Molly Wizenberg. The title of his book is called Hungry Monkey. I remember when I saw the title, it brought me back to my nursing days when my girls were first born – I called both of them hungry monkeys, because when they would get hungry, they would root around and make noises almost like a monkey. I guess I was not alone since that was exactly the reason behind the title of this book, and I was hooked. It is about a father who is trying to raise his daughter to be an adventurous eater. In my own quest, I have realized that there is not much I can do aside from not changing my eating habits. My kids are going to make their own decisions, all I can do is ask them to try the food I make. Sometimes I get lucky, and I will not give up. This book is extremely humorous with so many stories I can relate to. Ok, the most ironic part? Our daughters actually go to the same school.

This recipe is from his book – the first one I have made. They came out so good though, I can’t wait to try more. They were super simple to make, and ridiculously delicious. I bought some really fresh corn tortillas from the market, topped them with some local salsa, and my homemade guacamole, and some roasted red pepper yogurt and they were a huge hit. If you have children, this book is a must – it will keep you laughing the whole way through…and when you are done, there are plenty of recipes to keep you happy.

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or country-style ribs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large red or yellow onion, diced
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup tequila
Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
Salt, to taste
12 corn tortillas, warmed
1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage (optional)
Salsa (optional)
1 cup guacamole or 1 avocado cut into slices (optional)
lime wedges (optional)
2 fresh poblano chiles (optional)

Preparation

In a large saucepan over medium-high, combine the pork, onion, broth, tequila, lime juice and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is tender and the broth is cooked off. If necessary, the heat can be increased toward the end of cooking to boil off any excess liquid. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high. If you don’t have a non-stick pan, add a bit of olive oil to the skillet.

Transfer the pork and onion mixture to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until well-browned or even lightly burned and crispy, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately on corn tortillas, with cabbage, salsa, guacamole, lime wedges and roasted poblanos, if using.

To roast the poblanos, heat the oven to broil. Place the poblanos on the oven’s top rack and broil, turning as needed, until all sides are blackened, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. When cool, slide off the skins, then slice open, discard the seeds and cut the flesh into strips.

Makes 6 servings.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Carnitas

Mini-Popovers with Brie Cheese and Dill

Published on January 2, 2011 by Dawn6 Comments

I am embarking on a first for my blog. I am posting something that I have already posted. These are just too good to pass up – and when I posted them the first time, I was just starting out, so I am not sure too many people saw these. This recipe was originally printed in Gourmet (yes, paying a little tribute here, because I still miss it each and every month), but I have changed it slightly by updating the cheese and the herb used.

My family loves these, in fact, polishing off 24 is not a problem at all. They are super easy to make – you just have to remember to plan ahead and make these an hour before you want them in the oven. You can use whatever cheese you have in the house – and whatever herbs – or, you can skip the herbs all together – although everything tastes better with fresh herbs.

Happy New Year everyone, and enjoy this recipe, again!

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped brie cheese with the rind removed
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped dill
Equipment: a 24-cup mini-muffin pan

Preparation

Whisk together milk, eggs, flour, 1 tablespoon butter, salt, and pepper until smooth, then stir in cheese and dill. Chill 1 hour to allow batter to rest.

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in upper third.

Butter muffin pan with remaining tablespoon butter, then heat in oven until butter sizzles, about 2 minutes.

Gently stir batter, then divide among muffin cups (they will be about two-thirds full). Bake until puffed and golden-brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 24 mini-popovers that you can pop right into your mouth.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Mini-popovers with Brie Cheese and Dill