Dawn – Page 40 – First Look, Then Cook

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Published on March 30, 2011 by Dawn5 Comments

My younger daughter is constantly telling me that I am the best cook ever – yet she hardly likes what I serve for dinner. The one ingredient that definitely excites her though is sour cream. The other week I picked her up from pre-school and she told me about the great lunch her “cooker” made – Chicken Enchiladas. I was pretty shocked that she liked them, until she told me about the bowl of sour cream that was served on the side…

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light not too long afterwards, and I decided I had to see if I could compete with her pre-school cook. This time though, I was not going to serve it with the bowl of sour cream – I felt like that was cheating. I could serve dirt with a bowl of sour cream on the side – and she would rave about the meal.

Turns out the cream cheese in the recipe was all she needed – she didn’t rave about it, but she ate it – I will take that as a victory. The enchiladas were delicious – nice and creamy, and a wonderful flavor. The best part was that the recipe made so much, I was able to freeze some for another meal. So, if you have young kids that like sour cream, here is a great recipe to try. I won’t promise anything, but if my picky eaters ate it, there is a good chance yours will too.

Ingredients

Cooking spray
4 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups chopped onion, divided
6 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup salsa verde
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeño pepper
9 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes on each side. Place skillet in oven; bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; let stand 15 minutes. Remove meat from bones; shred. Discard bones. Place chicken in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, corn, and next 5 ingredients (through black pepper) to chicken; toss to combine.

Return pan to medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup onion; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 3 garlic cloves; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add onion mixture to chicken mixture; stir to combine.

Combine remaining 1 1/2 cups onion, remaining 3 garlic cloves, broth, salsa, 1/4 cup water, and jalapeño in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Carefully pour mixture into a blender; add 2 tablespoons cilantro. Process until smooth.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tortillas; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove tortillas from pan; repeat procedure with remaining tortillas. Cut tortillas into quarters.

Spread 1/2 cup salsa mixture in the bottom of an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 12 tortilla quarters over salsa mixture. Spoon half of chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers, ending with tortillas. Pour remaining salsa mixture over tortillas; sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. Top with remaining cilantro.

Serves 4-6

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter

Published on March 26, 2011 by Dawn9 Comments

I have decided that there are just too many good brownie recipes. I have posted so many on this blog, and every one of them were outstanding. The problem is now, how can I decide which one to make again? So – my plan is only to make new brownie recipes – never go back. At some point, I would love to have a brownie bake-off with all the brownie recipes that I post – doesn’t that sound amazing? Who wants to come?

Ok – back to the Tower of Treats. In case this is the first time you are hearing about this, click here and catch up – so far I have posted the Peanut Butter Cupcakes and the Vanilla Bean Caramels. It had been a while since I made a tray of brownies, and I felt that the Tower of Treats was begging for some chocolate. Then I remembered the other month – and the wonderful chocolately brownies that were on the cover of Bon Appetit – and I had my fourth treat. These were so ridiculously delicious, and so easy to make – they are the perfect dessert for any night of the week.

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned in to cup to measure, then leveled)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, chilled
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

Preparation

Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 325°F. Line 8 x 8 x 2-inch metal baking pan with foil, pressing foil firmly against pan sides and leaving 2-inch overhang. Coat foil with nonstick spray. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form at bottom of pan, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; immediately add sugar, cocoa, 2 teaspoons water, vanilla, and 1⁄4 teaspoon (generous) salt. Stir to blend. Let cool 5 minutes (mixture will still be hot). Add eggs to hot mixture 1 at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition. When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended. Beat vigorously 60 strokes. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs attached), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Cut into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 4 brownies.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter

Steamed Chinese Dumplings

Published on March 23, 2011March 24, 2011 by Dawn26 Comments

Steamed Dumplings…a food from my childhood. Not just any type of food though – the kind I would get super excited about whenever they were in my future. It was an event – not just a meal. We had a long counter where all the dumpling wrappers would be laid out – we would scoop some filling into the center of each, then take some water – and with our fingers dab water on the edge of half the circle. We would seal them up – then store them on a cookie sheet. We would make tons of them – and then they would go into the steamer, batch after batch, and we would eat as much as we possibly could.

I could have lived on dumplings as a kid. I remember when I moved away from home to a new city – I was on a quest to find dumpling wrappers – at that time you couldn’t get them in the regular grocery store – so I took a field trip down to the Chinese section of town, and found a grocery store that sold only Asian products. I searched and searched until I found them – and then bought tons of the frozen wrappers to keep in my freezer. My friends were so impressed that I knew how to make these delicious morsels.

I can’t believe it has been so long, but I finally decided to make them for my kids. Fortunately I didn’t have to travel far to find the wrappers – they were in the refrigerated section at Whole Foods. This time the wrappers were square instead of circular, but they tasted just as good. I prefer the thin wrappers, and that’s what they had. My kids LOVED them – we ate the entire batch – and cooked them 3 different ways – we steamed them, boiled them, and fried them. I liked the steamed the best – the girls liked the fried. Any way you serve them though, they are delicious – and so much fun to make!

Ingredients

Dumplings

1 garlic clove
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 can water chestnuts
1 tablespoon ginger
1 egg white
2 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoons sugar
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons minced scallions
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-4 tablespoons cilantro
1 package dumpling wrappers

Dipping Sauce

soy sauce
rice vinegar
scallions
ginger

Preparation

Place the garlic in the food processor while it is running. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until well blended. Place about 1/2 tablespoon of filling onto the center of each dumpling wrapper. Dip your finger into a small bowl of water, and trace half of the outer edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over and seal.

Place the sealed dumplings on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. At this point you can either place them into a freezer until frozen then store them in a plastic bag until you are ready to cook – or you can cook them immediately.

For steamed dumplings, line the steamer with cabbage leaves or parchment paper, and place a single layer of dumplings once the water is boiling. Steam fresh dumplings for approximately 12 minutes – frozen dumplings will take about 20 minutes.

Serve the dumplings with a dipping sauce made of one part soy sauce, one part rice vinegar, and one part water. Add some sliced scallions and minced ginger into the sauce.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Steamed Chinese Dumplings

Hamantashen…again

Published on March 19, 2011March 19, 2011 by Dawn4 Comments

It’s that time of year again, my allergies start acting up, you have a few nice days that tease you like it might actually stop raining soon – and then comes Purim. What does that mean? It means it’s time to make the Hamantashen. I actually thought that this year I was going to get away without making some – since last year’s were such a disaster, but no…

My daughter came home from Sunday school last week and told me that her teacher asked if anyone in the class knew how to make Hamanatashen. She so lovingly thought of me – and told the teacher that I am great at making Hamantashen. Was she home last year? Did she see that only a few of my Hamantashen didn’t flatten like a pancake? Well – needless to say, he asked if I would bring in Hamantashen to Sunday school for Purim, and of course she said yes – even before asking me.

So – this year I was determined to make a good batch – so I asked my neighbor again for her recipe – she reminded me that I really needed to pinch the sides (even though if you read on the internet, everyone else specifically says NOT to do that) and wished me luck. This was a much better recipe – I really pinched those cookies to death, but it worked – and only a handful of mine flattened like a pancake this year – I was very pleased. Now, I have a keeper – a recipe I can count on – or did I just get lucky this year?

Ingredients

1 C sugar
1-1/3 C butter or margarine
2 eggs
6 T milk ( =1/4 C + 2 T)
1 tsp vanilla
5 C flour
Assorted Jams for the filling

Preparation

Cream together the sugar and butter. Add the eggs and cream until smooth. Add milk and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Gradually add the flour and mix till a ball of dough forms. Separate the dough into 3 balls and flatten slightly. Wrap with plastic and chill 2-3 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough, then cut into 3″ circles, add a little jam (level 1/2 tsp is probably enough), and pinch into triangle shapes. Be sure to really secure the seam so it doesn’t open up while baking. Bake about 13 minutes until slightly golden.

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

Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Icing

Published on March 16, 2011March 20, 2011 by Dawn11 Comments

Years ago, when Tupperware was the great thing since sliced bread – I had a Tupperware party. I remember my mother having them when I was little, and I thought it was so awesome that I was old enough to have my own – in my own home. I invited all my friends from work and my neighbors, and we all sat around my tv room looking at the latest and greatest in plastic while snacking on various foods that I made for the event. When all was said and done, I made out with hundreds of dollars of Tupperware – a container for every type of food I could imagine.

Fast forward a decade plus, and now I am trying to get rid of my Tupperware – the latest craze is glass – supposedly it is a much better way to store your food. So yes, I am getting on the band wagon. These cupcakes remind me of the Tupperware craze, since they were one of the items I made for the party. I found them in Gourmet Magazine, and I was so excited to make them. I remember they were fabulous, not too sweet, but the frosting gave them the perfect depth of flavor.

When I went to find the recipe to make these again, I was pretty surprised at the low ratings it received on Epicurious – people were not too fond of the cake – it was not sweet enough, and not moist enough. Well – maybe for some people, but for me – they were perfect.

Ingredients

For cupcakes:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup whole milk

For icing:

1/3 cup heavy cream
4 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped peanuts

Preparation

Make cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

Beat together peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until blended, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, then mix until just combined.

Divide batter among lined muffin cups (about two-thirds full) and bake in middle of oven until pale golden and a tester inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Turn cupcakes out onto a rack and cool completely.

Make icing while cupcakes cool:

Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate in a small bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until smooth.

To thicken icing to spreading consistency quickly, spread it on a metal baking sheet and chill until thick and glossy, about 5 minutes. Scrape icing back into bowl and stir until smooth. Spread icing on cupcakes and sprinkle with peanuts.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Icing

Vanilla Bean Caramels with Fleur de Sel

Published on March 13, 2011March 17, 2011 by Dawn6 Comments

I tend to over-extend myself. Whether it is at work, or at home – I always think I can do more. I fill my weekends with activities (ok, my kids fill me with activities), and I try to fit in baking and cooking whenever I can. I can never say no to baking for auctions, or various events at my kids schools…I actually look for those opportunities – as much as I end up cursing later on.

I signed up to bake for the “Dessert Dash” at an auction we are involved in last weekend. I didn’t want to just bake a cake, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to give people some choices, and some variety to choose from – knowing that 10 people bid on dessert – and they are stuck sharing one item. So – I decided to make a Dessert Tower – or what I called – The Tower of Treats. I bought a three-tiered cardboard cupcake stand, and filled it with various desserts (all of which I will be posting). Here is the first one – which I sprinkled in between the other goodies.

I found these delicious caramels at Annie’s Eats – I have always been afraid of the candy thermometer, but I faced my fears, and made these – and I am SO GLAD I DID. They were amazing – in fact, I am still enjoying them because the recipe made so many. They are buttery and rich, and the subtle salt flavor is just amazing with that deep caramel. I couldn’t believe they were so easy…I am making these every holiday to wrap my pretzels before dipping them in chocolate. Wow, I have really been missing out – don’t waste another day…MAKE THESE NOW!!!

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise and scraped
1¼ tsp. fleur de sel, plus more for sprinkling
1½ cups sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water

Preparation

Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment. In a small saucepan, combine the cream, butter, vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, pods, and fleur de sel. Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture is a light golden caramel color.

Remove the vanilla bean pods from the cream mixture and carefully stir the cream mixture into the caramel – the mixture will bubble up, so pour slowly and stir constantly. Continue simmering the mixture until it registers 248˚ F on a candy thermometer. Immediately remove from the heat and pour into the prepared pan. Let cool for 30 minutes, then sprinkle lightly with additional fleur de sel. Continue to let sit until completely set and cooled. Cut into 1-inch pieces (a buttered pizza cutter works well). Wrap the individual caramels in small pieces of wax paper, about 4-inch squares.

Makes approximately 64 caramels

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Vanilla Bean Caramels with Fleur de Sel

Swedish Meatballs

Published on March 9, 2011March 9, 2011 by Dawn1 Comment

I have never been to Sweden – it is on my list – but I haven’t made it there yet. Of course whenever I travel, I focus on the food. Sweden is one place that I don’t have a good sense as to the food theyeat – I know they eat a lot of fish (herring) – and some really good pastries (based on some Swedish bakeries I have been to), but as far as other items, Swedish Meatballs is the only thing that comes to mind. I remember going to IKEA once and noticing the restaurant – and they definitely had Swedish Meatballs on the menu, but nothing else sticks with me.

I have tried a lot of Swedish meatballs over the years, but none as good as this recipe from The Big Book of Casseroles. I love how all the flavors melt together and form a delicious ball of goodness. Unfortunately I didn’t have any beef broth in the house when I made these, so I used chicken broth instead. The sauce was not as dark as it usually is, but they still tasted amazing. The kids love them, and just keep popping more in their mouth. It is a really easy dish to make for a hot appetizer, or for a meal – served with noodles or rice.

Someday I will make it to Sweden, and since I can’t eat fish, at least I can count on eating some Swedish Meatballs – and hopefully lots of other delicious goodies – with the flavor combinations in these meatballs, I have a feeling that Swedish food is pretty darn scrumptious.

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 pound bulk sausage or ground veal
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup Beef Stock or canned beef broth
1/2 cup light sour cream

Preparation

In a large bowl, mix meats and onion. Add eggs, bread crumbs, milk, and seasonings. Mix well with a large spoon or your hands. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour for easier handling. In the meantime, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Shape meat mixture into 1-inch balls and arrange on a baking sheet with a rim. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer meatballs along with juices and beef stock to a 2-1/2-quart casserole dish lightly coated with cooking spray or oil.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Cover and bake meatballs until heated through, about 30 minutes. Stir in sour cream and bake, uncovered, until heated through once again, 10 minutes longer.

Note:
For an hors d’oeuvre, transfer meatballs to a chafing dish and serve with toothpicks.

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

Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

Published on March 5, 2011 by Dawn3 Comments

Buttermilk biscuits are synonymous with Bisquick in my book. When I graduated from college, I didn’t realize that you could make biscuits without using Bisquick – unless you wanted to buy some of those Pillsbury biscuits in a metal can that pops when you open it. Those made very different biscuits than Bisquick – instead of a uniform piece of dough (almost like a scone), you would get some nice flaky layers that you could pull apart one by one. I have to admit, they are pretty delicious – but there has to be better. So, as I was making the Broccoli and cheese soup – I decided I would give it a try. I would try and replicate the delicious Pillsbury biscuits, the ones with all the layers.

I found this recipe in Cooking Light – which is always just a little more challenging, especially when making something that needs butter for the magic to happen. I was skeptical, but the directions kept having me fold the dough over – roll it out, then fold it again. Well, it worked – because these biscuits were fantastic. They were definitely mini biscuits, but they were so flakey and delicious – we ate them all. The kids especially loved them. They were so easy – it basically took 15 minutes from when I started making them until they were baking in the oven. I can’t wait to make them again!

Ingredients

9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
3 tablespoons honey

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Chill 10 minutes.

Combine buttermilk and honey, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moist.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 4 times. Roll dough into a (1/2-inch-thick) 9 x 5–inch rectangle; dust top of dough with flour. Fold dough crosswise into thirds (as if folding a piece of paper to fit into an envelope). Re-roll dough into a (1/2-inch-thick) 9 x 5–inch rectangle; dust top of dough with flour. Fold dough crosswise into thirds; gently roll or pat to a 3/4-inch thickness. Cut dough with a 1 3/4-inch biscuit cutter to form 14 dough rounds. Place dough rounds, 1 inch apart, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan; cool 2 minutes on wire racks. Serve warm.

Make about 14 biscuits.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

Broccoli-Cheese Soup

Published on March 2, 2011March 2, 2011 by Dawn11 Comments

I love experimenting with ways to get my kids to eat their vegetables. Pizza is definitely a good way – but I have found that soup and smoothies is another one. One day we happen to be at Cost-Co when they were demoing the Vitamix blender. The man behind the counter was just about to make a “Princess and the Frog” smoothie. Of course the kids were intrigued. Anything that has the word princess in it gets their attention. So we decided to watch him – he threw in a banana, a whole orange (with just the orange skin removed), some grape juice, pineapple, and a ton of spinach. Yes, the smoothie was green. But, they both tried it and LOVED it. I seriously almost walked out that way with the Vitamix, but decided my Waring blender would work just fine – I just have to peel the orange though.

Then there is soup – both my kids love carrot soup, and even pumpkin soup – as long as there are no distinguishable vegetables in sight. So, I saw this recipe in Cook’s Illustrated, and I decided I must give it a try. The soup was delicious – both of my kids ate it – and although my younger one was not super crazy about it, she did manage to eat most of her bowl. What I liked most about the soup was how creamy it was without using any milk or cream. The cheese gave it a great flavor, and as the recipe mentioned, by cooking the broccoli to death, it really takes most of the bitterness out. I felt good that night when they went to sleep that they had gotten a well-balanced meal…without any grape juice.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds broccoli, florets roughly chopped into 1-inch pieces, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick-slices
1 medium onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
pinch or cayenne pepper
table salt
3-4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 ounces baby spinach
3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (3/4 cup)
1 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated fine, plus extra for serving

Preparation

Heat butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add broccoli, onion, garlic, dry mustard, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Add 1 cup of water and baking soad. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until broccoli is very soft, about 20 minutes, stirring once during cooking.

Add broth and 2 cups of water and increase heat to medium-high. When mixture begins to summer, stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Transfer half of soup to blender, add cheddar and Parmesan, and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer soup to a medium bowl and repeat with remaining soup. Return soup to the Dutch oven, and place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Adjust consistency of the soup with up to 1 cup of water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.

Serves 6.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Broccoli-Cheese Soup

Crostini with Lentil and Green Olive Salad

Published on February 27, 2011February 28, 2011 by DawnLeave a comment

Everyone has a safe place – mine just happens to be in the kitchen. I feel the same way about yoga, but fortunately the kitchen is in our home, so I never have to travel far to completely escape all the stresses of life. The kitchen has been such a big part of my life, no wonder it is my safe place – my husband proposed to me in the kitchen; I remember with my younger daughter, when she couldn’t sleep, I would bring her down to the kitchen, put her in a bouncy chair on the counter, and I would cook. She would stop crying, and just watch me chopping away. Oh, and then the countless meals and treats I have made over the years that have brought such happiness to my family and friends. I have such wonderful memories of the kitchen, and I look forward to many more.

The problem is that I am so used to cooking in my own kitchen that when I happen to be somewhere else and I need to cook, my safe place gets a little chaotic – and that is never fun. Part of my brain is telling me to calm down, you are in the kitchen, have fun – while the other side of my brain has no idea where anything is, how the stove works, whether the oven is on the warm side or the cold. It is times like that which remind me how important it is to be agile. It is something I deal with at work constantly – the ability to deal with ambiguity, and I at work, I am actually pretty good at it. I actually crave it – because it makes my day interesting. Cooking though is different – I like going through the motions – the ones I know so well – it is comforting, and cathartic.

Usually my stories have something to do with what I am cooking – but this time I decided to change it up a bit. I found this recipe in Food and Wine magazine many years ago, and never made it. I was looking for an appetizer that could sit in the refrigerator for a few days so I could get multiple uses out of it – and this was perfect. If you like lentils, this is a wonderful healthy spread to go on crispy pieces of bread or crackers. The green olives give it a nice subtle flavor. I actually thought it was so good, I was eating it with a spoon. Now, back to agility. It took me a while to figure out – but this year that will be my focus – but not just at work…this year in the kitchen.

Ingredients

1/2 pound lentils, preferably from Abruzzi, rinsed and picked over
1 small onion
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf
1/2 dried red chile
1/2 pound green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 large celery rib, thinly sliced
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
24 small thin slices crusty country bread
1 small fresh red chile, very thinly sliced lengthwise

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a medium saucepan, generously cover the lentils
with water. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf and dried chile and bring to a
simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the lentils are tender, about 30
minutes. Drain the lentils, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid; discard the
bay leaf and chile.

In a medium bowl, mash 1 cup of the lentils with a potato masher, then stir
in the remaining lentils. Add the olives, celery, shallot, 1/4 cup of olive oil
and the vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the reserved 1/4 cup of
cooking liquid.

Arrange the bread slices on a cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes or
until thoroughly crisp. Drizzle the crostini with olive oil and generously spoon
the lentil salad on top. Garnish the crostini with slivers of red chile and
serve.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Crostini with Lentil and Green Olive Salad

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