No vampires here, no sir.

New Year's Eve: different verse, same as the first.

We spent NYE in much the same way as Christmas Day last week; cooking, eating, and watching football. And lo, it was good.

I realized about halfway through dinner prep that everything I was making featured garlic prominently. And that's the way I like it!

Enjoy.

Menu:
Hot Mulled Cider
King Crab Legs
Herbed Garlic-Cheddar Rolls
Root Vegetable Mash
Lamb Chops with Rosemary Pan Sauce
Garlicky Green Beans
Blueberry Shortcakes with Lemon Cream




Hot Mulled Cider

Props to Nate for coming up with this as a menu item. I always love anything that lets me use oranges, which are in abundance in our front yard right now.

64 oz apple cider
2 oranges, sliced and pits removed
1" piece of fresh ginger, sliced into thin coins
10 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1. Combine the cider, oranges, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon sticks in a stockpot and bring to a boil.
2. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the mixture. Drop the bean pod in, as well.
3. Reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes and pour through a strainer into mugs.


Herbed Garlic-Cheddar Rolls



The hit of the meal! We're suffering through a cold-snap here in Phoenix (OK, you can just can your laughter. It's COLD, alright?), and I had visions of warm, soft bread-dough rising in my oven and the resulting homey hominess that would ensue as it baked. I could almost hear Tiny Tim knocking on our door.

There is a restaurant in my hometown, Rochester, NY, called Mario's. It's Italian, surprisingly enough. It has been around forever, and we used to go there regularly when I was little. They had a salad bar with a big basket of fresh rolls that was replenished throughout the night. I could down probably 10 of those suckers in one sitting, I kid you not. They were yeasty, chewy, herby, French bread rolls that I have never seen anywhere else, UNTIL NOW. These are those rolls, recreated accidentally, in my own kitchen.

Also, if you are afraid of baking bread, don't be. It's not hard. Pioneer women did it for ages, and so can you.

makes 16 rolls

1 head garlic
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 packet active dry yeast
1 1/2 c warm water
1 T sugar
4 c flour
2 T olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 T fresh rosemary, minced
1 T fresh oregano, minced
cooking spray

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Peel any extra paper off the outside of the garlic head, keeping the head intact. Slice off the top of the head, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap the head in foil and bake for 1 hour. Set aside.
3. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the water to activate the yeast. It should lightly bubble/foam after about 5 minutes, signifying it is ready.
4. In a food processor with the dough blade, add the flour, salt, olive oil, roasted garlic, cheese, and herbs. Pulse a few times until combined.
5. With the processor running, add the yeast mixture to the flour and process until it comes together in a ball, about 1 minute.
6. With floured hands, remove the ball from the processor and knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Add more flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking to your hands.
7. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place the dough ball in the bowl and roll to cover with spray. Cover the bowl with a dishtowel and set aside for 1 hour, until dough has doubled in size.
8. Heat the oven to 400F.
9. Punch down the dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Divide into 16 equal pieces and roll each piece into a rough ball.
10. Working in batches, bake the rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 16-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a rack.


Root Vegetable Mash



A vet school classmate of mine made this for a dinner gathering once; I have made it several times since. It's a nice, easy twist on mashed potatoes.

serves 2, generously

1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cubed
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into chunks
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 large sprig rosemary
1 cup low fat milk

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the potatoes, carrot, parsnip, and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft.
2. Meanwhile, heat the milk and rosemary in a small saucepan. Be careful not to scald; you are simply steeping the rosemary in the milk until ready to stir into the vegetables.
3. Drain the water and mash the vegetables coarsely with a fork.
4. Remove the rosemary from the milk. Stir in enough of the milk to the vegetable mash to bring it to the desired consistency.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Lamb Chops with Rosemary Pan Sauce



serves 2

1 tsp olive oil
2 garlic gloves, minced
1 T fresh rosemary, minced
4-6 small Australian lamb chops
salt and pepper
1/3 c dry white wine

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and rosemary and saute for about 1 minute.
2. Set the lamb chops on the garlic/rosemary, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook for 3-4 minutes, then turn to cook on the other side. Cook to the desired doneness, then remove to a plate and set aside.
3. Add the wine to the pan and deglaze, scraping up all the tasty browned bits. Boil the pan sauce for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Return the chops to the pan to coat with the sauce before serving.


Garlicky Green Beans



serves 2

1/2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp concentrated chicken stock, such as Better Than Bouillon
1/2 c dry white wine
2 generous handfuls fresh green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 2" pieces

1. Saute the garlic in the oil and butter for about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock concentrate and white wine and bring to a boil.
2. Add the green beans, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the liquid has reduced by half and the beans are bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.


Blueberry Shortcakes with Lemon Cream



I had intended to make these from scratch, but didn't realize until I had already whipped my entire carton of cream that most shortcake recipes call for cream or shortening or some other ingredient I didn't have. So I grabbed the trusty box of Bisquick from the shelf and made a mental note to flog myself later. Hey, Bisquick is good stuff and it made a respectable shortcake biscuit.

You might ask, "These look good, but are they still good for breakfast the next morning?"

Excellent question. Yes, yes they are. I'm always happy to do culinary research for you.

makes 3 biscuits

Lemon Cream
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 T powdered sugar
zest of 1/2 of a lemon

1. Whip the cream until soft peaks form.
2. Add the vanilla, sugar, and zest, and whip to combine.

Blueberry Sauce
1 T butter
1/4 c red currant jelly (any berry jelly would work here, or even a nice lemon marmalade)
6 oz fresh or frozen blueberries

1. In a small skillet, heat the butter and jelly until melted.
2. Add the blueberries and heat over medium heat for 5 minutes, mashing some of the berries with the back of a spoon.
3. Let cool slightly before serving. It will thicken a bit.

Shortcakes
1 heaping c Bisquick baking mix
juice and zest of 1/2 of a lemon
1 T sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 T butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl to make a soft dough.
3. Drop the dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet to make 3 equal biscuits.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
5. Remove from oven, slice in half, and top with blueberries and cream.

Holy Smoke!

We had a very laid-back Christmas. We didn't travel anywhere and we didn't have anyone over for dinner. It was just the two of us, so we cooked all day and then ate all night while watching basketball and football. It was great. I think Jesus would approve.

The only thing I'm not posting is the recipe for the Sweet Potato Gratin. It did not turn out well for some reason; it was very watery and just didn't set up. Everything else was pretty fantastic.

Menu:
Smoked Brisket
Snow Crab Legs
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Sweet Potato Rosemary Gratin
Steamed Broccoli
Rote Grutzl
Lemony Lemon Tapioca Pudding
Butterscotch Banana Bread Pudding


Smoked Brisket

OK, there are ten billion brisket recipes out there. They're probably all good. This was our first time smoking a brisket; so far, we have done a Thanksgiving turkey, and salmon, and now brisket. We're 3 for 3.

Quoth Nate, "That was the best piece of meat I have ever eaten in my LIFE."

So I guess he liked it?

All of the meats we've tried so far have cooked a lot faster than most recipes predict, and I can't really explain it, but I'm not complaining. Also, most of the recipes I came across for brisket said to buy more than you think you need because the meat shrinks during the smoking process. So I bought 5 pounds (yes, for two of us...I wanted leftovers, OK??), and I would say we ended up with, oh, 4 7/8 pounds after shrinkage. So, yeah. We have some leftovers.



5-lb brisket with ~1/4" fat cap on one side
spice rub of your choice (I used a one of those McCormick Grillmasters rubs with lots of cracked black pepper...probably anything would work fine)

1. Sprinkle the spice rub generously on both sides of the brisket the day before.
2. Heat the smoker according to instructions (we have a Brinkmann vertical electric water smoker and used hickory chips), fill the water dish about half full with water, and pour two beers in to top it off. I have no idea if the beers make a difference, but it felt more gourmet that way.
3. Smoke the brisket, fat side up. I soaked my wood chips in water and added more every 30 minutes; that seemed to be about when the smoke started to die down. Also, a few times I just used dry chips, which also works fine, but I think they burn more quickly (um, duh). Mine reached the recommended internal temp of 140-145 F in about 3 1/2 hours.
4. Remove the brisket from the smoker and let rest for 30 minutes before slicing across the grain.



My brisket was a touch tougher toward the middle, at the thickest part. So I sliced the ends to serve for dinner (and they had that beautiful rosy ring round the edges...yum) and wrapped the rest up in foil and stuck it in the oven at 275 for another 30 minutes or so before slicing it to pack away in the freezer.

Snow Crab Legs

This is one of our favorite special occasion foods. But honestly, they're so easy to prepare, we could seriously have them every night. Usually I go for Alaskan King Crab, but Whole Foods only had these little ones. They were good, but definitely not as meaty. To prepare them from frozen, wrap them in foil and heat in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through. Alternatively, you can put them in a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and heat in the microwave for about 5 minutes. Easy peasy.


Baked Macaroni and Cheese

One of my favorite comfort foods. I am sure I am not alone in that. Many years ago I learned the technique of using part chicken broth in the cheese sauce (called a Veloute sauce), which lightens and brightens an otherwise heavy cream sauce.

I have made this cheese sauce with many varieties of cheese, usually with whatever is left in the cheese drawer. It's great with a sharp cheddar as its base, but very nice with any other cheese as a supplement: parmesan, gruyere, goat, feta, swiss, blue, what have you. I've never met a cheese I didn't like. Nutmeg gives it a nice, deep flavor, and I often sprinkle smoked paprika or chipotle in there for some kick.

This is a basic mac and cheese recipe that can be baked or made on the stove top, and can also be embellished with broccoli, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, or anything else that sounds good on a tired weeknight.


Ugh. Pay no attention to the sad excuse for a gratin in this picture.

Serves 2

2 cups whole wheat macaroni, rotini, fusilli, or any other shape you like
1 T flour
1 T butter
1/4 c low fat milk, warmed
1/4 c chicken or vegetable broth, warmed
1 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 oz gruyere cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp smoked paprika or chipotle* pepper
black pepper to taste
additional shredded cheese to top, about 1/2 oz
fresh bread crumbs
cooking spray

1. Boil the pasta in water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, whisk together the flour and the butter over medium heat until smooth.
3. Combine the milk and broth and gradually whisk into the flour mixture, a tablespoonful at a time. You're making a smooth white sauce here, and if you don't start slowly, it can break apart and you'll be left with hot milk with floury lumps. If that happens, there's no rescuing it; toss it and start over.
4. After you've added all of the liquid, stir constantly over medium heat until it starts to thicken, then lower the heat and whisk in the cheeses.
5. Season with the nutmeg, chipotle, and black pepper.
6. Transfer the pasta to a small baking dish or individual ramekins. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle additional shredded cheese over the pasta.
7. Top with breadcrumbs and spray with cooking spray.
8. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling.

*Rant #1: It's pronounced chi-POTE-lay. Not chi-POLT-ay. Just look at the letters, the t comes BEFORE the l. Argh! It drives me bonkers when people mispronounce this word! Second only to mispronouncing nuclear!!! (GWB, I'm looking in your direction...). Also, espresso does not have an X. You take an EXpress train, but you drink an ESpresso. Oy; I should stop now.

Lemony Lemon Tapioca Pudding
adapted from a recipe found on the blog Pinch My Salt




The inspiration for this pudding came from having received a few Meyer lemons from a friend (if you've never smelled a Meyer lemon, you're missing out...they are so flowery and perfumy I have been known to just hold them to my nose while writing up charts at my desk).

I was trying to think of what dessert would do them justice, and I thought I'd try to make some variation of rote grutzl. But rote grutzl's body comes from the raspberries, and I couldn't figure out how to do that with lemons, so it morphed into more of a creamy pudding. Then I stumbled across a recipe for candied lemons, and lo, it was a Christmas miracle. Or something. It was tasty, anyway.



You can definitely stop before adding the cream, but it's pretty darn luscious with that added bit of sin. Come on, it's Christmas. Splurge.

1/4 c small pearl tapioca
1 c whole milk
1 large egg yolk
1/4 c sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 of a vanilla bean, or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 c fresh lemon juice, preferably Meyer
1/4 c well-chilled heavy cream
5 candied lemon slices, diced (before they've been dredged in sugar)
additional whipped cream for serving

1. Soak the tapioca in water for 30 minutes, then drain. Do not rinse.
2. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk, egg yolk, sugar, and salt.
3. Slice the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the milk mixture, then drop the bean pods in. If you are using extract, this will get stirred in later.
4. Heat the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly. When small bubbles start to form around the edge of the pot, turn the heat to low and simmer, stirring, for 15-20 minutes, until the tapioca is soft and translucent. Remove from heat.
5. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest (and vanilla extract). Let cool to room temperature or cover with plastic wrap and chill until you are ready to fold in the cream.
6. Stir the diced candied lemon pieces into the pudding.
7. Whip the chilled cream until soft peaks form. Fold it into the pudding.
8. Serve chilled. Top with whipped cream or lemon marmalade.


Rote Grutzl



One of my favorite holiday desserts. Probably not authentic, but I grew up with this version from the Rochester Junior League cookbook, Applehood and Mother Pie.

1 bag of frozen raspberries, 10-12 oz.
1/2 c red currant jelly
1 1/2 c plus two T cold water
3 1/2 T instant tapioca
heavy cream, either whipped or not

1. In a medium saucepan, combine everything except the cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to make sure it doesn't boil over.
2. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Let cool for 20 minutes, then refrigerate overnight until. It will thicken as it cools.
3. Serve chilled with cream.



Candied Lemons

I used a recipe posted on this lovely blog, Figs With Bri. This is a two-day process, just so you're prepared. It's easy, though, and the actual interactive parts don't take much time or effort; you're mostly just waiting for the lemons to sit and absorb the syrup. I used regular lemons for this, but I bet it would be over the top with Meyer lemons . As an added bonus, I'm pretty sure I accidentally made marmalade. The cooking syrup smelled too good to throw away, so I put it in a container in the refrigerator while I pondered what to use it for. The next morning I was rewarded with a container of sweet lemon marmalade, also fabulous atop the lemon tapioca!

4 lemons, sliced into 1/4" slices
2 c sugar
extra sugar for coating (about 1/2 cup)

1. Place the lemon slices in a large saucepan and fill the pan with enough water to submerge the lemons. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the rinds are tender.
2. Set a large cooling rack over a layer of paper towels next to the stove. Transfer the lemons slices to the rack to drain.
3. Pour two cups of the cooking liquid into a smaller sauce pan and add the sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
4. Remove the syrup from heat and pour into a large bowl. Add the lemons and stir to coat. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 8 hours.
5. Transfer the syrup and lemons to a medium saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes. The syrup will have reduced; if it gets absorbed completely before the time is up, turn off the heat to avoid scorching.
6. Use a slotted spoon to arrange the lemon slices in a single layer on a sheet of wax paper or foil. Let sit at room temperature overnight.



7. Dredge the slices in sugar to coat. Let dry for 3 hours before storing in an airtight container, in single layers separated by wax paper.



Butterscotch Banana Bread Pudding
adapted from Small-Batch Baking, by Debby Maugans Nakos



This is a great little book that I don't use nearly enough. Actually, tonight was the first time I've used it, and it's been languishing on the shelf for years! I look forward to making more from this.

I basically followed the recipe, but I used challah for the bread and layered sliced bananas on the bottoms of the ramekins before adding the bread pudding mixture. Mine made three servings, not two, but I think my ramekins were a little small. Also, I used Dewar's in the butterscotch sauce instead of Jack Daniel's, and I sprinkled chopped candied almonds over before serving. **

Puddings
unsalted butter, at room temperature, for greasing the ramekins (I used cooking spray)
3/4 c half-and-half or whole milk (I used whole milk)
1/4 c firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 T unsalted butter
pinch salt
1 large egg
white of 1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 c day-old "hearth-baked" bread cubes (1/2" cubes), such as ciabatta, country French, or country Italian

Tennessee Butterscotch Sauce
1/2 c sugar
2 T Jack Daniel's or bourbon whiskey
2 T water
1 1/2 T unsalted butter

1/2 banana, sliced thin (optional)
chopped candied almonds or toffee bits (optional)
whipped cream

1. Grease the ramekins. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Heat the half-and-half, brown sugar, butter and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir constantly until the sugar melts, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Whisk the egg and white together in a medium bowl. Gradually pour the hot cream mixture into the beaten egg, whisking vigorously as you pour to avoid scrambling the egg.
4. Stir in the vanilla. Then add the bread to the cream mixture and stir well to combine. Let the mixture stand, pressing down on the bread to submerge it, for 10 minutes or until saturated.
5. Divide the mixture between the ramekins and bake until puffed and golden, about 30-35 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes.



6. To make the sauce, heat the sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat, stirring with a fork, until melted and dark amber colored (about 20 minutes).
7. Remove from heat and carefully pour the water and whiskey down the side of the pan. It will hiss and bubble violently and the sugar will separate.
8. Return to heat and stir until melted again, then remove from heat and stir in the butter. It will keep for 4 days in the refrigerator.



9. Unmold the ramekins and spoon the sauce over each pudding to serve. Serve with cream



**Rant #2: Why can't I find toffee bits ANYWHERE? I can find chocolate-covered toffee bits and Heath bars and Heath Bar bits and Skor bars, but I'm not about to scrape the chocolate off just to get to the toffee. There are some people in this world who don't like chocolate!!



All I want for Christmas is that entire brisket you're slicing up.
My life: it is hard.

Luscious Leftovers

I was on my own for dinner tonight, which always means I go all crazy with mushrooms and onions and other such nasties that Nate won't touch. Mmmmm. Last night I had thrown some more tofu in the leftover marinade from the aforementioned Tofu with Sweet Ginger Marinade and used some of it, along with the Spicy Peanut Sauce, in a quick, hearty, thrown-together stew that I ate so fast I think I seared the entire lining off my proximal GI tract. Enjoy.

Marinated Tofu Stew
makes 1 large bowl



Cooking spray
1/2 of an onion, sliced vertically
2 garlic coves, smashed
1/2 tsp garlic chili paste
1 T grated fresh ginger
4-5 whole shiitake mushrooms (I used the mushrooms from the tofu marinade that were soaked and plumped)
2 pieces of marinated tofu, cubed, or 6 oz extra firm tofu
2 cups torn Romaine lettuce leaves
2 tsp yellow miso paste
2 cups vegetable broth
2 T Spicy Peanut Sauce, or 1 T peanut butter and 1 1/1 tsp each of brown sugar and soy sauce
1 scallion, white and green parts, sliced
juice of 1/2 of a lime, or to taste
Extra soy sauce to taste

1. Spray a soup pot with cooking spray.
2. Saute the onions, garlic, chili paste, mushrooms, and ginger over medium heat until onions are very soft, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the tofu and lettuce and saute for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the miso and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, stir in peanut sauce and scallions, and add lime juice and soy sauce to taste.

The Barista Does Beans!

OK, that's it. I'm hanging up my spatula. Tonight's dinner was entirely conceived of and executed by my barista, who, it turns out, also makes a mean black bean burger. And not only did he plan the whole thing out, he MADE IT UP. Just made up his own recipe. And I am so sorry to say that I ate my burger so fast that I didn't even remember to take a picture. But trust me, it was a thing of beauty.

Black Bean Burgers
makes 4 burgers

1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped broccoli, steamed
4 cloves garlic
1/2 of a tomato
1 egg
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1 T chili powder
1 tsp salt
3 T cilantro
4 slices provolone cheese
4 hamburger buns
sliced tomato and lettuce

1. Pour beans into a large bowl and mash coarsely.
2. Puree the broccoli through cilantro until uniformly chopped.
3. Stir the broccoli puree into the beans and form into 4 patties.
4. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray and bake at 375F for 10 minutes on each side. Top with cheese, lettuce, and tomato and serve in buns.

Veggie Nite

Tonight's dinner was entirely vegetarian and adapted from recipes in Annie Somerville's book, Fields of Greens. The hit of the evening was the marinated tofu, and thank goodness the marinade makes a bunch so we can throw some more tofu in to eat later in the week!

Nate roasted a huge spaghetti squash this afternoon, and we subbed squash for the noodles in the Chinese Noodle Salad. I find that most salads simply use the pasta as a vehicle for the dressing, anyway, so you might as well pack your veggies in while you're eating that dressing. We sub spaghetti squash for many pasta dishes with great success.

Menu:
Tofu with Sweet Ginger Marinade
Spicy Peanut Sauce
Grilled Kale
Chinese Noodle (Squash) Salad with Citrus and Spicy Peanuts


Tofu with Sweet Ginger Marinade
from Fields of Greens



This was excellent, and paired very nicely with the peanut sauce and kale. I am excited to try it again with some of the other suggested sauces. We grilled it, placing the slices over medium heat until grill marks appeared, then turning and grilling the other side. I might also try smoking it. IN THE SMOKER--I know what you were thinking...

1 package of firm tofu, about 1 pound
1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup dry white wine or mirin
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark sesame oil (I used 2 T)
1/2 oz dried shiitake mushrooms
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
2 T grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, crushed with the side of a knife

1. Slice the tofu in half horizontally or cut into slabs 1" thick. Place in a colander and drain for 10-15 minutes.
2. Prepare the marinade: combine all the ingredients in a nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Arrange the tofu in a shallow pan and pour the marinade over, being sure to cover all the slices.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 2 weeks.
5. Eat fresh or grilled.


Spicy Peanut Sauce
adapted from Fields of Greens



Unbeknownst to me, a little troll has been secretly eating from the jar of peanut butter that I had stocked away in my mental inventory on the "OK to assume we always have plenty without checking first" shelf. Lesson learned. I subbed sesame tahini paste for the PB here, because I had a big tub sitting there (the troll apparently hasn't yet discovered the tasty paste) and it was a fine replacement. This was great drizzled over the marinated tofu.

1 T coarsely chopped yellow onion
1 large garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 or 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded
1 T peanut oil or light vegetable oil
2 1/2 T soy sauce
1 T plus 1 tsp lime juice
2 T light brown sugar
1 tsp molasses
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1/4 c water
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Puree the onion, garlic, chiles, oil, soy sauce, and lime juice in a blender or food processor.
2. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the remaining ingredients.


Grilled Kale

One of my favorite ways to eat kale. It doesn't work as well with other greens. I usually do it in a 400F oven for about 15 minutes, but we had BTUs to use up on the grill, so I plopped the leaves down after the tofu was done. I cut the kale into large-ish bite-sized pieces, which is how I do it in the oven; next time I will use whole leaves on the grill so I'm not racing to turn all those little morsels before they burn. Use flat-leaf kale if you have the choice.

1 bunch flat-leaf kale
cooking spray
salt
pepper

1. Heat the grill to medium.
2. Spray the kale leaves with cooking spray, sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
3. Roast over direct heat until char marks just start to appear; turn the leaves and quickly remove from heat once they are lightly browned on both sides. If they get soggy after cooling, you can re-crisp the leaves for 5-10 minutes in a 400F oven.


Chinese Noodle (Squash) Salad with Citrus and Spicy Peanuts
adapted from Fields of Greens



I've written it as I made it, with spaghetti squash and a few other adjustments.

Marinade:
Zest of half a lime or orange
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 1/2 T fresh ground ginger
3 T rice vinegar
5 T soy sauce
3 T white wine vinegar
2 T dark sesame oil
1 T sugar
1 serrano chile, seeded

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree.

Salad:
1 small spaghetti squash, roasted and seeded
1 medium carrot, sliced into matchsticks
1 cup sugar snap peas, diced
2 scallions, diced
1/2 cup daikon radish, sliced into matchsticks
3 T cilantro, minced
1/4 c Spicy Peanuts, chopped

Scoop the squash into a large bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients. Toss with the marinade and let sit for 30 minutes before serving.

Spicy Peanuts
from Fields of Greens

1 cup peanuts
1/2 tsp peanut oil
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
salt to taste

Toss all ingredients together, spread in a shallow pan, and roast for 12-15 minutes at 325F. Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Smokin'!

We became the proud owners of an electric smoker over the Thanksgiving holiday. Our first foray into the realm of smoke was on Thanksgiving itself, when we made a lusciously succulent smoked turkey.

Tonight was our second experiment, and this time a pretty filet of sockeye salmon was the recipient of the smoky treatment. As is frequently the case, there were many different recipes for smoked salmon on the internet, most of which called for wildly different preparations and cooking times. The method I chose resulted in a very tasty filet, albeit a bit dry. Next time I might brine longer and smoke less. I'm looking forward to future smoking experiments!

For the record, we have a Brinkmann electric vertical water smoker.

Menu:
Smoked Salmon
Roasted Sweet and Sour Potatoes
Steamed Broccoli
Basmati Rice


Smoked Salmon



1 lb salmon filet with skin
4 c water
1/4 c kosher salt
2 T honey
1/2 c orange juice
1 T each of fresh oregano and fresh thyme

1. Combine the salt, honey, and orange juice and stir into the water until dissolved. Place the salmon in a shallow dish and cover with the salt water. Brine for 30 minutes, then rinse off.
2. Place the salmon on a piece of foil, sprinkle with the herbs, and air-dry for 30-60 minutes.
3. Smoke the salmon according the the smoker's directions.





Roasted Sweet and Sour Potatoes



These were a nice foil to the smoky fish.

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
2 T olive oil
4 tsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 ground pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh herbs (I used a mixture of parsley, sage, thyme, and oregano)

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Toss all of the ingredients in a bowl. Spread into a roasting pan and roast for 30-40 minutes until soft.

Go Green!

Nothing fancy tonight, just a simple soup and salad for me while Nate is off playing Ultimate. The soup recipe comes from San Francisco's Greens Restaurant cookbook, Fields of Greens, which I use entirely too little, I must admit. It's got tons of great vegetarian recipes for all seasons.

And you'll all be very excited to know that our orange tree is finally ripe (it was a very slow citrus season, for some reason), so now that I've used up my Miracle of Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, we'll move on to the bottomless pit of recipes that involve oranges, orange juice, and orange zest. Enjoy.

Menu:
Leek and Basmati Soup
Winter Greens with Orange Vinaigrette

Leek and Basmati Soup



This was very good and could be quite simple if you skipped the repetitively redundant step of making leek stock, which involves making leek soup, straining out the liquid, and then using that liquid to make...leek soup. Seriously, just use some veggie broth and save yourself an hour.

Also, this could be made heartier (and non-veggie) by adding some shredded chicken or swirling a beaten egg into each serving. Next time I might also puree some of it to give it a little more body. It was quite tasty as written, though.

I cut it in half and it made about 6 cups; I've written the full recipe below.

Leek Stock
1 yellow onion, sliced
10 garlic cloves, in their skin, crushed with the side of a knife blade
salt
3 leek tops, coarsely chopped and washed
2 medium-sized carrots, cut into large pieces
1 celery rib, cut into large pieces
1 large potato, sliced
1 bay leaf
2 fresh sage leaves
5 parsley sprigs
5 fresh thyme sprigs
2 fresh marjoram or oregano sprigs
9 cups cold water

Heat the onions and garlic in a soup pot with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 inch of water. Cover the pot and steam for 15 minutes over medium heat.

Add the rest of the ingredients and bring the stock to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes. Pour through a strainer and discard the vegetables.

The Soup
1 T light olive oil
1 T unsalted butter
4-5 large leeks, white parts only, cut in half lengthwise, thinly sliced, and washed, about 9 cups
salt and white pepper (um, who actually has white pepper hanging out in their spice rack? Come on over here with the common folk and use regular old black pepper)
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 c dry white wine
1 medium-sized carrot, diced, about 3/4 cup
2 celery ribs, diced, about 3/4 cup
1/4 c basmati rice
a fresh herb sachet: 1 bay leaf, 4 thyme sprigs, 5 parsley sprigs, 2 marjoram sprigs, and 1 sage leaf tied in cheesecloth or bundled and tied together (I tied the bundle together with parsley sprigs)
1 T chopped fresh herbs: parsley, chives, and marjoram
grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil and butter in a soup pot over medium heat; add the leeks, 1 tsp salt, and a few pinches of white pepper. Stir the leeks, coating them with butter and oil, then cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes, until the leeks are wilted.

Add the garlic and saute for another minute or two, then add the wine and cook for a minute or two, until the pan is dry.

Add the carrots, celery, rice, 1/2 tsp salt, the sachet of herbs, and 1 quart stock. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add 3 cups stock and season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the herb sachet and add the chopped herbs just before serving.

Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.





Winter Greens with Orange Vinaigrette



I used some fancy holiday goat cheese flavored with blueberry and vanilla, and it really made the salad pretty exceptional; but any plain creamy goat cheese would do.

Dressing (makes about 1/2 cup)
1 small shallot, minced
1/4 c champagne vinegar
2 T orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp honey or sugar
1 T canola oil
salt and pepper to taste

Salad (amounts are per serving)
2 c washed/dried mixed greens (watercress, endive, spinach, romaine)
1 T walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/2 oz soft goat cheese
2 T dried cranberries


Whisk all the ingredients together except the oil, then whisk in the oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange the greens on a plate. Sprinkle the nuts, cranberries, and goat cheese on top.

Drizzle the dressing over each serving of salad.

Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs

Aahhh, comfort food. It cures what ails you after a day in the ER. Here you go.

Menu
Baked Spaghetti Squash
Turkey Meatballs

Spaghetti Squash
makes 8 servings



I was inspired by a recent knockout side dish at The Big Orange, which, I'm sure, was laden with top shelf olive oil and years-aged Parmesan cheese, most likely the reasons I couldn't stop shoveling into my mouth. Nevertheless, I endeavored to replicate it tonight, since I had a lovely specimen taking up valuable counter-space. And as an added bonus, we didn't have to fight for parking.


My version, while admittedly not as rich, was nonetheless respectably delicious.

1 spaghetti squash, halved (please don't cut off a finger doing this)
2 T cilantro, minced
2 T olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, diced or grated
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced

1. Place the squash halves cut-side up in a glass dish and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 10-12 minutes or until flesh can be easily shredded with a fork.
2. Remove the seeds and use a fork to scrape the squash into an 8x8" baking dish.
3. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Toss with the squash until evenly distributed.
4. Cover with foil and bake at 425F for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve topped with meatballs and marinara sauce.


Turkey Meatballs



makes about 35 small meatballs

20 oz ground turkey
6 T fresh breadcrumbs (another opportunity to use up Thanksgiving leftovers...I used leftover stuffing)
1 T minced onion or dried onion flakes
2 T salsa
1/4 c fresh cilantro, minced
1/4 c fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp garlic powder
cooking spray

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into 1-inch meatballs and place in cooking-sprayed baking dish.
2. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Action expresses priorities.

We started watching Ghandi last night. So what kind of food does one eat while watching Ghandi?

Pizza, duh. From the uber-trendy Phoenix joint, La Grande Orange.

On the second night, however, (because, jeez, the thing is more than three hours long and a girl's got to get her beauty sleep!), one eats Indian food. Or at least, a white-suburban-Jewish-girl's rendition of Indian food. Enjoy. And be good.

Menu:
Cilantro-Mint Chutney
Tamarind Chutney
Cumin Potatoes
Steamed Fish with Cilantro
Mr. Panseer's North-Indian Style Spinach
Pitas

Tamarind Chutney
from The Global Gourmet

1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated or very finely minced gingerroot
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried hot pepper


I found this cute little jar at Whole Foods.


And look! It's local!


Cilantro-Mint Chutney
from Big Oven

OK, I have to interrupt, here. I've made a version of this before--there are recipes all over the internet--but this was the first one I've seen that called for cashews. I thought about omitting them at first for the sake of low-fat, reduced, calorie, blabbity-blah-blah-etc, but Oh My Goodness, USE THEM. They don't add that much fat and wowza, does it taste gooood. I think even Ghandi would have approved.



1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 1/2 c fresh mint leaves
1 1/2 c fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 c fresh lime juice (I used lemon)
1/4 c water
1 T sugar
2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Steamed Fish with Cilantro



2 T soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
2 T cilantro, minced
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T ginger, grated
2 T water
2 tilapia fillets

1. Combine soy sauce through water in a small bowl.
2. Place fillets in a large skillet and pour the sauce over them.
3. Turn the heat on high, bring to a boil, then turn to a simmer, cover the skillet, and steam for 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately.

Cumin Potatoes



3 cloves garlic
1/4 onion
2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp toasted cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt, or more to taste
1 medium carrot, sliced
4 medium potatoes (approx 3" diameter), peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup green peas, frozen

1. In a large skillet, saute the onions, garlic, olive oil and spices until onion are translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the carrots, potatoes, and chicken broth.
3. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Stir frequently and add water as needed to prevent potatoes from sticking to pan.
4. Just before serving, stir in the peas and warm through.



Mr. Panseer's North-Indian Style Spinach

(from Crescent Dragonwagon's Passionate Vegetarian, originally blogged about here)

2 tsp clarified butter or vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 serrano chile, diced, seeds and membranes removed
1 T peeled grated ginger
1 T finely minced garlic
2 pounds fresh spinach, well washed, coarsely chopped
2 T water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add half of the chile and ginger and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
2. Add the spinach a few handfuls at a time, allowing it to cook down until you are able to add all of it to the skillet.
3. Add the water, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over very low heat for 1 hour.
4. Just before serving, spray a small skillet with cooking spray and heat the remaining chile and ginger until very hot. Stir into the spinach and serve.

The Miracle of Thanksgiving.

Oy. Has it really been a month? I ate enough in the past week to make it feel like a month, that's for sure...

Thanksgiving came and went, and of course we ate like kings. I'm sorry to say I did not record a single thing during the entire 5 day event. You'll just have to trust that food was prepared and eaten by the ton.

And now, leftovers!!! Huzzah!!!

And for some bizarre reason, Hanukkah falls directly after Thanksgiving. So, natch, we have a challenge: try to use the multitudes of turkey-day leftovers in traditional Macabee fare. I think we did pretty well, even if it wasn't exactly "traditional".



Menu:
Mashed Potato Latkes
Broccoli Slaw Latkes
Jalapeno Sour Cream
Applesauce
Kale Salad with Bread Stuffing Crumbs


Mashed Potato Latkes



makes 6 pancakes

These were tasty, as all things mashed-potato-derived should be. There's nothing that can truly replace shredded potato and onion latkes deep-fried in oil, but these were fine in a pinch and a great way to use up the bucket of leftover spuds.

2 c leftover mashed potatoes
1 egg
1 scallion, minced
cooking spray

1. Beat the egg well in a small bowl.
2. Stir in the potatoes and scallion and mix well.
3. Heat a frying pan to medium and coat with cooking spray.
4. Form the potatoes into flat patties and fry until each side is golden brown. Serve with applesauce and sour cream.


Broccoli Slaw Latkes



makes about 5 cakes

Basically a shredded veggie pancake. Super easy if you use bagged broccoli slaw, but it would be only minimally more work to shred carrots/broccoli/cauliflower/zucchini or whatever vegetable you want to incorporate.

1 egg
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
2 cups shredded broccoli slaw
1 scallion, minced
4 T matzoh meal (or bread crumbs)
cooking spray

1. Beat the egg well. Mix in the nutmeg, salt and pepper.
2. Mix the broccoli slaw and scallion with the egg until combined.
3. Stir in the matzoh meal.
4. Heat a frying pan to medium and coat with cooking spray.
5. Drop the slaw mixture onto the pan and flatten gently.
6. Cook on both sides until browned.




Kale Salad with Bread Stuffing Crumbs



Inspired by a salad served at True Food Restaurant in Phoenix. Mine was just as good and quite a bit cheaper. This was also a nice way to use leftover stuffing, and I will probably freeze the rest of the stuffing to have on hand just for the purpose of making bread crumbs.

Dressing:
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
1 T olive oil
pinch of sugar to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Crumbs:
1/4 c leftover bread stuffing or shredded bread
2 T shredded cheddar or Parmesan cheese

1 bunch flat-leaf kale, chopped

1. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside.
2. Spread the stuffing on a toaster pan and toast until dried. Set aside to cool.
3. Toss the kale with the dressing and divide into desired number of servings.
4. Toss the cheese with the crumbs when cool and sprinkle over the kale.

Pantry Cleanout

With all the Thanksgiving and Halloween and fall themes going on at every store around, there's a general pumpkin tinge to the air these days. And hey, I can't complain...there is practically no baked good that doesn't taste better with a little pumpkin.

So when Nate announced that he was craving something pumpkin, I took the opportunity to appease his rare craving and use up some pantry staples at the same time. There's a can of pumpkin puree that's been sitting in there for, oh, a YEAR, and I've just never gotten around to cracking it open.

And yes, I'm still working on that bag of whole wheat pastry flour, which found its way in to today's project.

And our house smells So. Good.

Pumpkin-Corn Muffins
makes 12 regular muffins



1/2 c white flour
1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 c yellow cornmeal
1/2 c brown sugar, packed
1 T baking powder
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
3 T butter, melted
1/2 c whole milk
2 eggs
1 c canned pumpkin puree

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Spray the cups of a muffin pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter and eggs until golden. Slowly whisk in the pumpkin and milk until smooth.
4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
5. Divide the batter evenly amongst the muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted into the muffin comes out clean.
6. Serve plain, with butter, honey, apple butter, or pumpkin butter. Best served warm.

The Great American Pastime

Game 3 of the World Series, and obviously, the dinner of choice is Cioppino!



No, just kidding, I really was just craving tomato-y seafood-y salty food tonight, so made a quick detour to Whole Foods on my way home from work to score some misto de mare. I pretty much just made this up as I went along, because basically cioppino is just mixed seafood braised in a tomato/garlic/wine broth. Easy peasy. This is usually served over or with pasta or garlic bread. We served it over steamed spinach.

Cioppino with Steamed Spinach
serves 2-3



1 tsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 T tomato paste
3 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
3 large tomatoes, diced
2 T parsley, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 c dry red wine
1 6-oz can chopped clams with their broth
1/4 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 lb raw bay scallops
1 small tilapia filet, cubed
1 small calamari steak, sliced into thin strips
1/4 c fresh basil, julienned
salt and pepper to taste

1 lb baby spinach

Parmesan cheese

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the garlic and red pepper in olive oil. Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, parsley, oregano, wine, and clams and broth. Bring to a boil, lower heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add the remaining seafood and simmer for 5 minutes or until cooked. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Heat cooking spray in a large pan and had the spinach with a few spoonfuls of water. Cover and steam for 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted.
4. Divide the spinach between shallow bowls and spoon the seafood and tomato sauce over the top. Shave parmesan cheese over each serving.