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.

It's important to have cookies in the house at all times.

My mom says so. So what did I do on this brisk autumn day of 105 degrees? I baked. And it was really hot in my kitchen. I like to think I was sweating out the calories.

I baked because I have a serious condition called Bittmanopathy. I am completely incapable of NOT making a recipe that Mark Bittman posts in the NY Times. Yesterday he posted a recipe for Savory Cheddar Biscotti, and wouldn't you know it, now they are cooling on my counter.

Fie on you, Mark Bittman! Fie!

I made a savory and a sweet version, and they were both fabulous. AND, I used all whole wheat pastry flour, because YES, I'm still trying to use up that gigantic bag. I've made biscotti before, and I forgot how easy they are. Aside from the long cooking time (they are twice baked), they are a cinch, and it's simple to make small batches of different flavors. I look forward to making more.



And then eating them.

Jalapeno Cheddar Biscotti
adapted from Mark Bittman's recipe in the New York Times

makes 8 cookies

1 egg
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 c plus 1 T whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 small jalapeno or serrano pepper, seeded and minced

1. Heat the oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whirl the egg and the cheese together in a food processor until golden and smooth.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the egg mixture and pulse 3-4 times until just incorporated.
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until you can shape it into a log. It will be crumbly at first.
5. Place the log on the parchment paper and flatten it slightly.
6. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until firm to the touch.


After the first bake.

7. Cool for 10 minutes, slice on the bias into 1/2" slices, and arrange them in a single layer on the cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, flip them over, and bake for 15 more minutes or until hard and lightly toasted.





Almond Cardamom Biscotti

makes 8 cookies

1 egg
1/4 c sugar
3/4 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 c sliced and toasted almonds
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whirl the egg and the sugar in the food processor until golden and smooth.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse 3-4 times until just incorporated.
4. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until you can shape it into a log. Add more flour as needed.
5. Place the log on the parchment paper and flatten it slightly.
6. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until firm to the touch.
7. Cool for 10 minutes, slice on the bias into 1/2" slices, and arrange them in a single layer on the cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, flip them over, and bake for 15 more minutes or until hard and lightly toasted.

Adventures in Spinach, Part 3; or, July 4th! In Miniature!

Today we honored America's birthday with the traditional fare of burgers and pie. But since it was just the two of us (much to Sparkle's dismay), we scaled things back and had tiny versions of the classics. Well, maybe not classics, but we got the gist of it.


Wrigley likes sliders. And Pie.

Menu:
Stuffed Lamb Sliders
Turkey Sliders
Lemon-Ginger Salmon Sliders
Parmesan Spinach Cakes
Grilled Corn
Grilled Broccolini
Peach Pie-lets with Brie
Lime Mousse Espresso Parfaits

Stuffed Lamb Sliders

Sliders are perfectly bite-sized burgers that allow for a lot of variety without having to eat your weight in meat. These sliders are stuffed with a cube of smoked cheese that melts inside while it grills, creating a delicious, gooey surprise bite. I used smoked Gouda, but any smoked cheese would work. I served these in a miniature whole wheat pita with sliced tomato and grilled onions.



makes 10 sliders

1 1/4 lb lamb leg, trimmed of fat and cut into chunks
1 T ground cumin
1 t garlic powder
1 t half-sharp paprika, or cayenne pepper to taste
3 oz smoked Gouda cheese, divided
10 miniature pitas or slider buns



1. Working in batches, pulse the lamb with the spices in a food processor until uniformly chopped.
2. Divide the meat into 10 portions. Place a piece of cheese in the center of each patty and wrap the meat around it.
3. Grill or pan-fry to desired degree of doneness. Serve while hot.


Turkey Sliders

An easy alternative to beef at a BBQ.



1 lb lean ground turkey
1 egg
1/4 c plain bread crumbs
1 T chili powder
2 t garlic powder
1 t smoked paprika
1 T Worcestershire sauce
10 slider buns

1. In a large bowl, combine turkey, egg, crumbs, spices, and Worcestershire sauce until just incorporated. Form into 2 oz patties.
2. Grill or pan fry until done. Serve immediately.


Lemon-Ginger Salmon Sliders

A repeat of a recipe I made last week (found here). This time I used canned salmon and decreased the egg whites to make a drier mix. These were rather delicate and needed some gentle handling on the grill. I used a grill pan; I think would have lost them through the grates otherwise. Served in mini pitas with lettuce and tomato.



Parmesan Spinach Cakes
from EatingWell.com

Ding ding ding!!! We have a winner!!! This was Part 3 of Adventures in Spinach, and Nate approved mightily. I halved the recipe to make 4 cakes, and he ate THREE!!! Success, victory, excitement!

These were very easy to make and looked pretty, too. They were a little fragile coming out of the muffin pan, but a little finessing with a butter knife did the trick. I've posted the recipe as written, which makes 8 cakes.



12 oz fresh spinach
1/2 c part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper



1. Place spinach in a food processor and pulse until it is roughly chopped.
2. Combine spinach in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients and mix well.
3. Spray 8 cups of a muffin pan with cooking spray.
4. Preheat oven to 400.
5. Divide the mixture among the 8 muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes or until set.
6. Cool for 5 minutes, then remove by running a knife around the edge of each muffin and lifting gently.


Peach Pie-lets with Brie

Who wants a whole pie sitting around the kitchen after a party, taunting you with its buttery, fruity, sinful dance moves? Well, OK, I know, secretly we ALL want to munch on that pie for days. But in the interest of continuing to have pants that fit, we must find ways to have our pie and NOT eat it, too (or at least, not eat it and eat it and eat it...).

Enter the pie-let.



I found this recipe on the Cupcake Project blog a few days ago and have not been able to stop thinking about it since. Peach pie? Yes! Brie? HECK YES!

Having just licked the crumbs from my plate mere moments ago, I am indeed thankful that there are only a few pie-lets in my house right now and not a whole pie, as I'm not sure I could stop myself.




I halved the recipe, but followed it as written otherwise. I'm going to repost it exactly as Stef wrote it on her blog. The filling made way too much, and now I have to think of a way to use up those lovely peaches coated in cinnamony-sugary-goodness. Maybe a crisp later in the week?



The pie crust was super-easy.



Don't be afraid of pie crust, you can do it.



And you don't even need a rolling pin (as I discovered when it came time to roll...I could have sworn I had one, but the heel of my hand worked just fine). Just remember to keep it all well-chilled and it will treat you right.



Pei-let. Brie. I'm already dreaming about my second helping.

Crust
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1 c (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
4 egg yolks
grated rind of one lemon

1. Clean your counter well and pour flour onto the counter.
2. Make the letter O with the flour and put all of the other ingredients in the middle of the O .
3. Using your hands, work the center ingredients into a paste and then knead in the flour. If necessary, dip your fingers in water while you are working to help the dough stick together better.
4. Roll the dough into a ball and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes.

Filling
5 c sliced peaches (about 8 peaches)
2 T lemon juice
1/2 c flour
1 c sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t salt

1. Place the sliced peaches in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour over the peaches and mix gently.

Put it together:





Unbaked pie dough (see above)
Prepared peach filling (see above)
4 oz Brie cheese

1. Remove half of the dough from the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick.
2. Use a 3 1/2 inch diameter circle cookie cutter to cut the dough into circles. If you don't have a cookie cutter that width, see if you have a glass you can use or experiment with different widths.
3. Put cupcake liners into cupcake tins. (I did not do this and it worked fine)
4. Press the center of your circle into the bottom of a cupcake liner and work the rest up the sides. It should come about 3/4 of the way up the side.
5. Fill the pie crusts with slices of the prepared peach filling.
6. Dot the top of the peach filling with small pieces of Brie
7. Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes.




Lime Mousse Espresso Parfaits

When I asked Nate what kind of pie he wanted for the 4th of July, he said Key Lime. Then he told me about a fond memory he has of eating key lime pie and drinking an espresso, and how the flavor combination was really great. So I got to thinking, what if I made a key lime espresso concoction and avoid the trouble of lugging out the espresso machine? I thought the flavor combination sounded weird, but that's what he asked for.




It took me about 0.2 seconds to find this beautiful blog, which had the perfect recipe for espresso (insert fruit here) cake. I can't even pretend that I made something as eye-catching as the mango mousse cakes in the photos, but I can vouch for the tastiness of the end result. I used Stephanie's recipe for the cake layer, the syrup, and the gelatin layer exactly as written, and I subbed a delectable lime mousse for her mango cream. I bet it would also be killer with mango, or --ooh!-- raspberry! Ooohhh. The possibilities are endless.



This was an all-day affair due to the many different parts that make it up. I was also delayed at one point because the Kahlua bottle I bought the other day still had the absolutely-impossible-for-a-mere-human-to-remove security cap on it (so THAT'S why the alarm went off when I walked out of the store...), necessitating an emergency trip to the store so Nate could convince one of the stand-up teenage cashiers to let him into the goods.




The cake layer was very light and delicate, almost spongy, which soaked up the syrup nicely. The mousse was out of this world, and I could not stop sneaking tastes of it all day. The gelatin layer on top set up really quickly and gave the dessert the intense coffee flavor it wanted.



I could not find espresso powder anywhere. I used instant coffee granules, and that seemed to work fine.

For the lime mousse filling, I used Julee Russo and Sheila Lukins' recipe from their book, The Silver Palate. I cut the recipe in half, and cut the butter in half again. Otherwise, I followed the recipe.

Oh, and I couldn't find Key Limes ANYWHERE. I honestly don't know that there is a significant taste difference between regular (Persian) limes and Key limes. I used regular limes, and it was still great.

Cake:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
2 t instant espresso powder
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar (100 grams)
3/4 cup sifted cake flour (75g)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9 baking pan with parchment paper and then grease and flour the paper. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine chocolate and boiling water. Stirring constantly, cook for five minutes until chocolate thickens into a pudding-like consistency.
3. In a mixer bowl using the whisk beater, whisk together the eggs and sugar on high for five minutes until triple in volume.
4. Fold in the flour to the egg mixture in two parts. Then, fold in the chocolate mixture.
5. Pour the batter immediately into the prepared pan.
6. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
7. Line six 3" cake molds with parchment paper or plastic. Cut out six 3" rounds of chocolate cake and place at the bottom of each mold. (I used 3" ramekins and cut the cake with them)

Syrup:
1 oz. sugar
2 oz. water
1 oz. Kahlua or Godiva liquor
1 t instant espresso powder

1. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat, cover tightly and let cool completely.
2. Once cooled, stir in the liquor and espresso powder.
3. Brush the syrup liberally onto cake rounds.


Lime mousse:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 eggs plus 1 egg white
1/2 c sugar
7 T fresh lime juice
grated zest from 3 limes
1 c heavy cream, chilled

1. Melt the butter in the top of a double boiler over simmering water.

2. Beat the eggs and sugar in a bowl until light and foamy. Add the mixture to the melted butter. Cook gently, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes a custard, about 8 minutes. Do not overcook or the eggs will scramble.

3. Remove the custard from the heat and stir in the lime juice and grated zest. Cool to room temperature.

4.Using an electric mixer, whip the chilled cream until very stiff, almost, but not quite, to the point where it would become butter.

5. Stir the lime custard into the whipped cream until just incorporated. Chill for at least 4 hours.

6. Divide the mousse among the ramekins and smooth over the cake layer.

Espresso jelly:
2 t gelatin powder
2 T water
1 cup whole milk
2 t instant espresso powder
3 T sugar (45 grams)

1. Combine the gelatin and water in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, espresso powder, and sugar just until the sugar dissolves. Do not boil.
3. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the milk mixture from heat and stir in the gelatin until it completely dissolves. Let cool at room temperature.
4. Once the combination has cooled, pour a small layer into each cake mold or ramekin, on top of the lime mousse. Refrigerate until set, about an hour or two.



"Fireworks: I do not like them!"

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Aaahh I have nothing witty to say tonight. On to the food.

I had two chicken breasts defrosting in the fridge and nothing exciting planned. I needed something quick that could be thrown together after getting home from a late day at work (which usually means walking in the door at 7:30 at the earliest). I found this recipe on EatingWell.com and it fit the bill.

It helped tremendously to have Nate get things started when he got home (thanks, man) so we could brine the chicken and use the grill, but you could easily skip the brining step, use boneless breasts, and either broil or saute them for speed. I just happen to prefer brined* chicken breasts, and I really like to grill.

The chicken recipe originally called for drumsticks, but I used bone-in, skinless breasts and drizzled the dipping sauce over them just before serving. The glaze is sweet and has a subtle hint of mint, and would probably also be really great on grilled shrimp, grilled fruit, or maybe even grilled pork tenderloin.

*a note on brine: I will now grill chicken and shrimp only if they've been brined first. It keeps the meat so moist and juicy, you pretty much can't dry it out, which is always a danger with chicken and shrimp. A 30 minute brine for each is really all you need, and I usually stick with salt and sugar. Sometimes I'll throw in maple syrup, or a lemon, or some chili powder...I don't know if I can actually taste the difference, but it makes things seem fancier.

Menu
Sweet and Sour Chicken Breasts
Corn on the cob
Grilled pineapple
Steamed broccoli
Sliced tomatoes
Grilled Peaches with Honeyed Ricotta

Sweet and Sour Chicken Breasts
adapted from EatingWell.com



Chicken
4c warm water
2 T kosher salt
2 T sugar
2 bone-in, skinless chicken breasts

Glaze
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cider vinegar, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1. Stir the salt and sugar into the water and dissolve. Place chicken in a bowl, pour the brine over it, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Heat the grill to medium and grill the chicken until done, about 10-15 minutes per side.

3. While the chicken cooks, make the glaze. Whisk together the orange zest and juice, water, honey, 1 T vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt, and coriander in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1 tsp vinegar and add slowly to the orange juice mixture, whisking constantly until thickened, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in the mint.

4. Slice the chicken and drizzle the glaze over each serving.



Grilled Peaches with Honeyed Ricotta




1 peach, just ripe and still firm, halved and pitted
2 T part-skim ricotta cheese
1 tsp honey
1 tsp chopped mint

1. Mix together the ricotta and the honey and place in the refrigerator.
2. Place the peach halves on the grill, cut side down, for 3-4 minutes or until grill-marks appear.
3. Serve the peaches warm with a dollop of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with mint.

I has a hard life.