First Look, Then Cook

Chicken Noodle Casserole with Leeks and Fresh Dill

Published on March 28, 2010 by Dawn4 Comments

When I was first married my husband and I worked all the time. We didn’t have kids, and we were both very much into our careers (still are, but kids make us come home at a decent hour…). One of my favorite things to do on the weekends was to cook – and make us meals for the week. This way when we came home, we would have a delicious healthy meal – and all we had to do was put it into the oven. I came up with a few casseroles that I made a lot – one of them was a mexican casserole, and one was a chicken noodle casserole. We loved both of them – but especially the chicken noodle one. I would make it differently each time, depending on what I had in the house to use up. I never needed a recipe, and it always tasted great.

I was reading my Bon Appetit and they had a whole section dedicated to re-done casseroles – and they had a Tuna Noodle Casserole with Leeks and Fresh Dill. I read the recipe, and it sounded excellent – the potato chips on the top were what sold me. But because I am an anti-fishitarian (more on that in another post), I substituted chicken for the tuna, and it was fabulous. My older daughter loved it – and so did my husband. It definitely reminded me of those good old chicken noodle casseroles that I used to make…but maybe even a little better.

Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; from about 2 large)
1/4 teaspoon celery seeds
Coarse kosher salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup half and half
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
8 ounces wide egg noodles
1/2 cup coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 cups of cooked chicken – either shredded or cubed
2 cups coarsely crushed salted potato chips (about 2 ounces)

Preparation

Butter 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Melt unsalted butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and celery seeds to saucepan; sprinkle lightly with coarse kosher salt. Cover saucepan and cook until leeks are tender but not brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add flour; stir 1 minute. Gradually add milk and half and half; simmer until mixture thickens slightly, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Season leek sauce to taste with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Remove sauce from heat.

Meanwhile, cook egg noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, stirring occasionally. Drain noodles, reserving 3/4 cup noodle cooking liquid. Transfer noodles to large bowl. Pour leek sauce over noodles. Add grated Gruyère cheese and dill and stir to blend; add reserved noodle cooking liquid by tablespoons until mixture is moist and creamy (about 8 tablespoons). Fold in chicken. Transfer to prepared baking dish. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover with foil and keep refrigerated.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake noodle casserole, covered with foil, until heated through, about 20 minutes if freshly made or 30 minutes if chilled. Remove foil. Sprinkle crushed potato chips over and continue to bake, uncovered, until top is golden brown and filling bubbles, about 10 minutes longer. Serve hot.

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Chicken Soup with Dilled Matzo Balls

Published on March 26, 2010 by Dawn1 Comment

My grandmother’s matzo ball soup was legendary. We only got the pleasure of eating it a couple times a year – but that made it all the more special. When I moved to Denver, I was too far from home to enjoy her soup over the holiday – so I called her up so she could explain to me over the phone, how to make her soup. It took about 10 phone calls, but I made the most incredible pot of soup that you have ever tasted. I brought the spoon up to my face, and I knew I had it right. That aroma was so familiar to me, I was back in my grandmother’s dining room watching her serve the soup. When I finally took a taste, I almost fainted. It was incredible. This soup is really magical.

There are a few reasons why the soup and matzo balls are so good – she explained. For one thing, her balls were always light as a feather – and the secret was Manischewitz. She told me not to bother with balls from scratch, these were the best – and always turned out good. She said to add a little parsley (although I use dill) in to make them look homemade. The soup – the secret was to grate some sweet potato (or yams) in at the end – it turns the soup a rich golden color – and adds a wonderful sweetness to the soup. Also – instead of using salt, she puts in the soup mix that comes in the Manischewitz box into the stock. It works like a charm – I never have to add any additional salt.

Obviously I don’t believe in secret recipes – because sharing amazing food is what it is all about for me – so please – enjoy this soup…it’s a keeper.

Ingredients

1 package of Manischewitz Matzo Ball & Soup Mix
2 pounds of chicken wings (my grandmother used a baby kosher chicken, but it is easier for me to find chicken wings in our non-kosher supermarket)
2 medium onions, peeled and cut into quarters
5 garlic cloves, peeled
1 yellow squash, cut into large chunks
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into large chunks
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
5 celery ribs, cut into large chunks
1 medium leek, cut into large chunks – white and pale green parts only
2 sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into large chunks – I prefer the orange ones to give the soup a dark color
4 sprigs of dill, separated
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation

Put the soup mix (not the matzo ball mix) and the rest of the ingredients through the sweet potatoes in a very large stock pot. Cover with water. Cover the pot. Cook on high heat until you get a nice boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add 3 sprigs of dill, and simmer for another hour.

Strain out all of the vegetables and chicken using a fine strainer. Save the carrots for the soup – wash them off with water to remove any grime. Remove the potatoes and using a very fine strainer and a spoon, force one potato through and stir into the soup. Taste for flavor – boil the soup if it needs more flavor, or add water if it is too strong.

At this point you can freeze the soup with the carrots until you are ready to make the matzo balls. Bring the soup back to a boil. While you are doing that – make the matzo balls. In a small bowl, blend 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add matzo ball mix and stir with a fork until evenly mixed. Chop the last dill spring and add to the matzo ball mixture. Place bowl in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Wet hands and form batter into balls approximately 1 inch in diameter. Drop into boiling soup. Cover tightly – and reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

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Chicken Cutlets with Asparagus, Capers, and Shallots

Published on March 24, 2010 by Dawn3 Comments

Broiling chicken is not something I do very often, if at all. For some reason I have always thought that broiling chicken would burn it on the outside, and leave it raw on the inside. I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and what appealing most to me was the fact that everything went into the oven on the same baking sheet. This seemed too simple not to try. Plus – it just happened to have two of my favorite items cooking along side of the chicken: asparagus and shallots. The combination sounded divine.

Broiling the chicken worked like a charm – the chicken was so thin, that it was so nice and tender on the inside, yet nicely browned on the outside. The crushed fennel rub on the chicken was incredible – and it went perfectly with the shallots and asparagus. My girls just ate the chicken, but that left more asparagus and shallots for my husband and I – and there were no leftovers.

It’s funny now to think about all the different ways to cook chicken – I think I have now covered them all.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons drained capers
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 1/4 teaspoons fennel seeds, ground in spice mill or in mortar with pestle
1 pound medium asparagus spears, trimmed
2 cups sliced shallots (about 12 ounces)
1 1/4 pounds 1/4- to 1/3-inch-thick chicken cutlets (about 8 )

Preparation

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

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

Broil chicken and vegetables 4 minutes. Turn chicken cutlets and asparagus spears over; toss shallots. Broil until chicken is cooked through and asparagus and shallots are brown in spots, watching carefully to avoid burning, about 4 minutes. Divide chicken cutlets among plates; top with shallots. Arrange asparagus spears alongside. Drizzle mustard dressing over chicken and serve.

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Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Published on March 22, 2010March 22, 2010 by Dawn4 Comments

What is the difference between a Coffee Cake and a Crumb Cake? This was the question I got when I served my daughter a nice big wedge. I love the questions – because they really get me thinking – and sometimes I get to make up the answers – one of the benefits of being a Mom. I told her that a Coffee Cake is a cake that goes well with coffee in the morning, and a Crumb Cake is a cake with a crumb topping. They are not mutually exclusive. Improvising at it’s finest – and I think she bought it. Truthfully – I really don’t know the answer. To me, a Crumb Cake is one of these – which were forbidden in my household growing up – but occasionally I would get lucky and one of my friends would share one with me at school. When I went to college, these were definitely one of the first things I bought at the mini-mart when I was looking for a snack. Now that I look back at them though, the problem was the topping, it blended in too much with the cake.

Nowadays, when I make a cake with a crumb topping, I want a real crumbly topping, one that has a little bite to it – and a texture different from the cake. I love a good Sour Cream Coffee Cake – and so does my husband. We were at one of my favorite bakeries over the weekend – and we were eyeing the Coffee Cake in the case. It just so happened that I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, so it gave me a perfect excuse to make it. This was a delicious cake – extremely moist, flavorful – and a wonderful crumb topping. The oats gave it the perfect amount of texture that it needed. Definitely a Coffee Cake recipe worth saving.

Ingredients

3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (about 2.5 ounces), divided
Cooking spray
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 ounce whole-wheat flour (about 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) carton light sour cream (such as Daisy)
2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spread oats in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 6 minutes or until oats are barely fragrant and light brown.

Coat a 9-inch spring-form pan with cooking spray; set aside.

Reserve 1/4 cup oats; set aside. Place remaining oats in a food processor; process 4 seconds or until finely ground. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine processed oats, flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir with a whisk.

Place granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/3 cup butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. (Batter will be slightly lumpy because of oats.) Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly.

Combine remaining 1/4 cup oats, remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, nuts, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until well blended. Sprinkle top of batter evenly with nut mixture. Bake at 350° for 38 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, top is golden, and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes; remove from pan.

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Eggs in Purgatory with Artichoke Hearts, Potatoes, and Capers

Published on March 20, 2010 by DawnLeave a comment

Do you ever make something just because the picture is beautiful? I saw this picture in Bon Appetit, and went nuts. It was so beautiful, I just had to make it – it really didn’t matter at all what the ingredients were, or if it sounded delicious to me – I just had to see if I could recreate the scene. I remember when most of my cookbooks contained very few, or no pictures at all. You had to imagine what the dish would actually look like – sometimes I was right, and sometimes I was completely wrong. It was kind of fun actually – but I have to say, when cookbooks started printing lots of pictures, I was hooked. I would spend hours in the bookstore flipping through the pictures, looking at all of the beautiful food. Now that we have the internet, I don’t have to even leave my house – and I am inundated with so many beautiful things to make.

This dish was tasty, but it definitely looked better than it tasted. Don’t get me wrong, there was hardly any leftovers – and there were only 4 of us eating – but I wouldn’t say it was one of my most favorite dishes. It was a good meal – that looked spectacular – and pretty easy to make.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
Coarse kosher salt
1 8- to 10-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice (preferably fire-roasted)
8 ounces red-skinned or white-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons drained capers
8 large eggs
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion, chopped thyme, and crushed red pepper; sprinkle lightly with coarse kosher salt and sauté until onion is tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add artichokes and minced garlic; stir 1 minute. Stir in diced tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover skillet and simmer 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Meanwhile, cook potatoes in small saucepan of boiling salted water just until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain. Add potatoes and capers to tomato-artichoke sauce; cover and simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Tomato-artichoke sauce can be made up to 6 hours ahead. Cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm sauce before continuing.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Pour tomato-artichoke sauce into 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Using back of spoon, make 8 evenly spaced indentations in sauce for holding eggs. Crack 1 egg into each indentation in sauce (some of eggs may run together slightly in spots). Bake until egg whites and yolks are softly set, 12 to 16 minutes. Carefully remove baking dish from oven; sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over and serve.

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Chili-Spiced Chicken Soup with Stoplight Peppers and Avocado Relish

Published on March 18, 2010 by Dawn5 Comments

Soup for dinner has always been tough for me to sell to my husband. In my opinion a nice bowl of soup with a salad is a perfect dinner – especially when the soup has some type of protein. The best part of making soup for dinner, is rarely can 2 people finish a big pot of soup – and I always seem to have enough for leftovers – or better yet, for the freezer.

When my second daughter was born and I was on maternity leave from work, my quest was to fill the freezer with as many dinners as I possibly could. Whenever I made something that I thought would freeze well – I made a lot. When I finally went back to work, the freezer was packed with so much food – I couldn’t even tell what was in there. I realized then that I made a big mistake…I forgot to label the food. I just assumed I would know by looking at the container what was what – but when you have thirty different containers that all look the same, it is hopeless. For the next few months when I would take something out of the freezer for dinner, it was a game – try and figure out what is in there before it thaws. I actually did ok – but I learned my lesson – now I keep a sharpie and labels in the kitchen for this very purpose.

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, and decided I needed to start filling the freezer again. This soup was delicious – hearty, yet not too heavy – and the avocado/cilantro relish on top was incredible. It gave the soup an intense flavor and creaminess that was perfect. I can’t wait for the second round out of the freezer!

Ingredients

Spice blend:

2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Soup:

1 tablespoon canola oil, divided
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
2 cups chopped sweet onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 (32-ounce) carton fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Relish:

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
3 ounces queso fresco, crumbled
1 diced peeled avocado
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Preparation

To prepare spice blend, combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl.

To prepare soup, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons spice blend over chicken. Sauté 8 minutes or until done; cool. Chop chicken; set aside.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat; add onion, bell peppers, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle vegetable mixture with remaining spice blend; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in chicken, corn, broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Add lime juice.

To prepare relish, combine chopped cilantro and next 4 ingredients (through avocado).

Ladle 1 1/4 cups soup into bowls; top with 1/4 cup relish. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

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Red Velvet Cupcakes

Published on March 16, 2010March 16, 2010 by Dawn8 Comments

What can I say about Red Velvet Cupcakes, other than YUM!!!! Ok, aside from the cream cheese frosting (which I have already expressed my obsession with on other posts) – the cake is just so moist and delicious, I could just go on and on. These are definitely on the short list of my all time favorite treats.

Last year for the dessert frenzy at an auction, I made my first (in many years) red velvet cake. I was worried that it wouldn’t be fancy enough, so I decorated it with berries, and piped the frosting in a nice design – and it was a huge hit. The table that selected it just happened to sit right next to our table, and they devoured it. Fortunately I was able to secure a small sliver just to try it. There was only one problem – I didn’t have enough food coloring, so the cake was a mild chocolate pink. It never got that really deep dark red color. I apologized to the table, but they didn’t care – in fact, they liked that they weren’t ingesting huge amounts of red dye into their bodies. Recently I saw this recipe in Cooking Light – and of course because it was red velvet, I had to try it. Instead of the 2 sticks of butter I used last year for the cake, I used 6 tablespoons for the 24 cupcakes (I only have 2 cupcake pans, so I made mine extra-large) – and let me tell you, I could not taste the difference. These cupcakes were fabulous – and the icing – oh my goodness what a treat. You can also lighten up the frosting a bit by using light cream cheese – but I had regular cream cheese in the house, so that’ s what I used. The cupcakes had the perfect amount of frosting to cake ratio in my opinion. And this time, I had the right amount of food coloring, so the cake was the beautiful deep dark red that it is supposed to be. It was a match that was definitely meant to be. This recipe is a keeper – in fact, I can’t wait to make them again.

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

Cooking spray
10 ounce cake flour (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups non-fat buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons red food coloring (about 1 ounce)

Frosting:

5 tablespoons butter, softened
4 teaspoons non-fat buttermilk
1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (about 1 pound)
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare the cupcakes, place 24-30 (depending on how big you want your cupcakes to be) paper muffin cup liners in muffin cups; coat with cooking spray.

Weigh or lightly spoon cake flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine cake flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Place granulated sugar and unsalted butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and 1 1/4 cups nonfat buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Add white vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, and food coloring; beat well.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire racks.

To prepare frosting, beat 5 tablespoons butter, 4 teaspoons nonfat buttermilk, and cream cheese with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar; beat until smooth. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla; beat well. Spread frosting evenly over cupcakes.

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Beef and Guinness Stew

Published on March 14, 2010March 14, 2010 by Dawn2 Comments

Stew time is almost over, so I figured I had to get one last one in before spring hit. This stew seemed to be calling me – I had all the ingredients already in the house, so I really had no excuse – and what a better way to use up some parsnips and turnips. Guinness has such a distinct flavor – it is the only beer that I would describe as creamy – yet at the same time that deep nutty flavor takes over in your mouth. I was always told that Guinness tastes different if you have it in Ireland – and that is so true. I am not a beer drinker – but get me in a pub in Ireland, and I will drink a few of these. The first time I had a Guinness I was in high school (yes, I know…) travelling in Ireland with a string group I played with. One night after a concert we all went to a pub – and almost everyone ordered a Guinness – I couldn’t believe how delicious it was – it went down so easily, and the rich foam reminded me of drinking a milkshake. I remember my first Guinness back in the states after having one in Ireland – and it was horrible in comparison. Nothing beats a freshly poured Guinness right from the tap in Ireland. That is for sure.

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light, and I knew it would be good. Even after it had been cooking for hours, you could still taste that nutty, dark flavor coming through. The combination with the sweet parsnips was warm and comforting.

It is only fitting that my last stew of the season used a Guinness beer – it is hard to believe it was 23 years ago (almost exactly) that I tasted my first Guinness in Ireland. What a nice way to celebrate a wonderful memory.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 tablespoon butter, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt, divided
5 cups chopped onion (about 3 onions)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1 (11.2-ounce) bottle Guinness Draught
1 tablespoon raisins
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices carrot (about 8 ounces)
1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices parsnip (about 8 ounces)
1 cup (1/2-inch) cubed peeled turnip (about 8 ounces)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons butter to pan. Place flour in a shallow dish. Sprinkle beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt; dredge beef in flour. Add half of beef to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons butter, and beef.

Add onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in broth and beer, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Return meat to pan. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, raisins, caraway seeds, and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil. Cook 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrot, parsnip, and turnip. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and bring to a boil; cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with parsley.

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Custard-Filled Corn Bread

Published on March 12, 2010 by Dawn9 Comments

Last year I was on a quest to find the perfect corn bread recipe – I swear every weekend I made a different one. Eventually I will post what I think was the best one…but I found this recipe in Molly Wizenberg’s book, A Homemade Life and it was unlike any cornbread I have ever made before. I had to give it a try.

Corn bread to me is the perfect accompaniment to soups, stews, or BBQ. Any time I made any one of those, there is usually a side of corn bread to go with the meal. I was making soup for dinner, so I had an excuse. The recipe is strange – you make the batter, then right before you put it into the oven, you pour a cup of heavy cream right into the center of the pan, right on top of the batter, so it just swims aimlessly around the pan. Then you carefully put it into the oven to bake. I left it in the oven for an entire hour – until it was really nicely browned on top – but it still didn’t seem to be done. I took it out anyway though because I didn’t want it to overcook – and let it sit for a while. The funny part is, this is not a cornbread that you serve with dinner – this is dessert – a wonderful custard filled cake that you drizzle maple syrup on top of – and eat it with a spoon. I didn’t realize this until it came out of the oven. When I finally served it – the custard had set slightly, but it was still pretty runny. I thought it was fabulous – but my daughter loved it the next night more – the custard had hardened – but when you put it in the microwave to warm it up, it became slightly soft and just a perfect consistency. The first night I served it with maple syrup – the second with honey – both were fantastic. My daughter asked if she could have it for breakfast the next morning…

Ingredients

3 tbsp melted butter
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cormneal, preferably medium ground
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
3 tbsp sugar
½ tsp salt
2 cups whole milk
1 ½ tbsp white vinegar
1 cup heavy cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish or a 9″ round pan. Put the dish in the oven to warm while you’re preparing the batter. Don’t put the dish directly on a pizza stone if you have one in your oven. This applies while baking the cornbread too.

In a large microwaveable bowl, melt the butter in the microwave using medium power so that the butter doesn’t splatter everywhere.

In a small bowl whisk together the flour, cormeal, baking powder and baking soda.

When the butter has cooled a bit, add the eggs and whisk to blend well. Then add the sugar, salt, milk and vinegar and whisk well again. Whisking constantly, add the flour mixture. Mix until the batter is smooth and no lumps are visible.

Remove the heated pan from the oven, and pour in the batter. Carefully pour the cream into the center of the batter. Don’t stir! The cream will form a layer just under the surface of the batter. Bake for about an hour or until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes or so before slicing. Serve with maple syrup or honey.

Note: Covered with plastic wrap, this bread will stay good at room temperature for 1 day. If you put it into the refrigerator covered – it will last up to 3 days. Leftovers are delicious at room temperature, or warmed in a low oven (or microwave). Remember to serve with syrup or honey.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, click here: Custard-Filled Corn Bread

Fennel, Sausage, Spinach and Sweet Onion Pizza

Published on March 10, 2010 by Dawn4 Comments

What is it about pizza that kids just love? I can’t get my kids to eat a tomato to save their life, and pasta with tomato sauce is really unheard of – but for some reason when you spread sauce all over some bread and top it with cheese, it is a kid’s dream. I decided to do a little experiment. How about make a healthy pizza (well, healthy is a relative word here…) and see if the kids still love it – using ingredients that they would never eat alone even if I paid them. So, I saw a recipe in Cooking Light for Fennel, Sausage and Sweet Onion Pizza, and I thought I could do one better – saute the spinach I have in the refrigerator with that, and top it with cheese. I used sun-dried tomato, basil, chicken sausage and the topping tasted fabulous – I knew it was going to be good with that melted gouda on top. When it came out of the oven, my older daughter mentioned how good it smelled (1 point for the pizza) – she tried the pizza, and really liked it (10 points!)! My younger daughter, not so much. She didn’t fall for it at all – that spinach was not fooling her, nor were the onions or fennel. Oh well, at least one of them liked it. My husband and I, we thought it was an amazing combination – it was a complete winner in our book, and I will definitely be making it again – maybe in another year when my younger daughter has forgotten and I can try the experiment one more time.

Ingredients

3 ounces chicken sausage, chopped (I used one link of sun-dried tomato basil chicken sausage from Whole Foods)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups vertically sliced Walla Walla Sweet or other sweet onion
1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb (about 1 small bulb)
5 oz fresh baby spinach (or frozen if fresh is not available)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 package of pizza dough (found at Trader Joe’s) or 1 pre-made pizza crust
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Gouda cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan.

Add oil to pan. Add onion, fennel, and salt; cover and cook 10 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add spinach and sauté until wilted.

Place pizza crust on a baking sheet or pizza stone. I like to put my pizza stone in the oven while it is pre-heating – it gives it just a little bit more of a crispy bottom. Top evenly with onion mixture, top with sausage then sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 450° for 12-15 minutes or until cheese melts and the crust is nicely browned. Cut pizza into 8 wedges.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Fennel Spinach Sausage Onion Pizza

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