Last week, I was craving jello salad, but didn't have all of the fixings to make the usual variety we make at this time of year. So I decided to do a little improv and we all enjoyed the results.
1 package raspberry jello
1 package blackberry jello
1 can crushed pineapple, drained and juice reserved
1 half bag of frozen raspberries
Add water to reserved pineapple juice to total 1 cup. Microwave to a boil. Mix with jello packages. Add 3/4 cup cold water. Stir in frozen raspberries and drained pineapple. Pour into serving dish and refrigerate until firm. (It only took about 30 minutes to firm up, thanks to the frozen raspberries.)
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Easy Cranberry Pot Roast
A fellow teacher recommended this easy recipe for me, which the family appears to enjoy. The house smelled wonderful all day, and even Ben ate some of the pot roast. (Or at least chewed on it for a while until he spit it back out.)
Directions
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Almost Hands-Free Risotto
Brian saw this recipe on America's Test Kitchen and we decided to give it a try. It was amazingly easy, and so much less work than the usual pour-and-stir risotto I make. Next time, though, I think I'll use shallots instead of onion for a milder flavor, or potentially finish it off with butter, marscarpone, and lemon zest, my usual risotto fare. But it's nice to know that I won't be having to stand over the stove for half an hour straight the next time I want to make it, a definite plus with two very active children.
Serves 6-8 as a side dish
This recipe does not employ the traditional risotto method; the rice is mainly stirred for 3 minutes toward the end of cooking instead of constantly throughout. This more hands-off method does require precise timing, so we strongly recommend using a timer. The consistency of risotto is largely a matter of personal taste; if you prefer a looser texture, add extra broth in step 4.
INGREDIENTS
- 5cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2cups water
- 4tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1large onion , chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
- Table salt
- 1medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
- 2cups Arborio rice
- 1cup dry white wine
- 2ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
- 1teaspoon juice from 1 lemon
- 2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- Ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- 1. Bring broth and water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain gentle simmer.
- 2. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat. When butter has melted, add onion and ¾ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened but not browned, 4 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around edges, about 3 minutes.
- 3. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until fully absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir 5 cups hot broth mixture into rice; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until almost all liquid has been absorbed and rice is just al dente, 16 to 19 minutes, stirring twice during cooking.
- 4. Add ¾ cup hot broth mixture and stir gently and constantly until risotto becomes creamy, about 3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, parsley, and chives; season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, add up to ½ cup remaining broth mixture to loosen texture of risotto. Serve immediately.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Butternut Squash Chowder Even MY Family Will Eat
Brian found this recipe online a week or so ago, and I've been dying to try it. Aside from the laborious chopping of the butternut squash (is there an easier way to do this?!?), it was a piece of cake and so yummy I went back for a second bowl. Even Jack ate everything in his bowl, in spite of protests that he doesn't like squash. We told him to just eat the apples instead. Sneaky, huh?
Roasted Butternut Chowder with Apples and Bacon
Makes 4 servings
Time: About 1.5 hours
Roasted Butternut Chowder with Apples and Bacon
Makes 4 servings
Time: About 1.5 hours
Roasting the squash, onion, and apples, then simmering them until they break apart, leaves you with a thick, rich soup that you’ll turn to every fall. Try the mixed root vegetable variation, too; it’s just as good. And to sweeten the pot, add a pinch of nutmeg or allspice just before serving.
1 butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes
1 large onion, chopped
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
4 bacon slides, or one 1/2-inch-thick strip slab bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup dry white wine or water
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock or water
1 large onion, chopped
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
4 bacon slides, or one 1/2-inch-thick strip slab bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup dry white wine or water
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock or water
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread the squash, onion, apples, bacon, and garlic in a deep roasting pan or on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with the oil. Roast, stirring every now and then, until the squash, onion, and apples are tender and browned and the bacon is crisp, about 45 minutes.
2. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Stir in the sage and white wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom. If you’re using a roasting pan that can be used on the stovetop, position the pan over 2 burners and put both of medium heat. Otherwise, transfer the contents of the pan to a large pot or Dutch oven and set it over medium heat.
3. Add the stock and cook until the squash, onion, and apples break apart and thicken and flavor the broth, about 25 minutes. You can help the process along by breaking the mixture up a bit with a spoon. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve.
Roasted Root Vegetable Chowder: Substitute any combination of celery root, turnips, parsnips, and rutabagas for the butternut squash.
For more recipes from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters, check out our feature “Family Food Matters: 3 healthy dinner recipes from Mark Bittman.”
Monday, September 5, 2011
Back-to-School Pot Roast
Brian has taken up watching "America's Test Kitchen" on PBS to see how to best make certain dishes, and he seemed pretty enthusiastic about their rendition of a classic pot roast, so when Jack and I found a chuck-eye roast at Meijer today, I decided to live it up on my last night before school started and make a "fancy" pot roast dinner.
We were pretty impressed with the results -- tender, yet not overly fatty, and deliciously rich. I served it with mashed purple potatoes (with some onion chive cream cheese blended in), baby carrots, and homemade apple sauce.
Why This Recipe Works:
Pot roast can be boring and bland full of dry, stringy meat, stubborn bits of fat, and wan gravy. We wanted a meltingly tender roast sauced in savory, full-bodied gravy.
To start, we separated the roast into two lobes, which allowed us to remove the knobs of fat that stubbornly refused to render and also shortened the cooking time. Salting the roast prior to cooking improved its flavor, as did sautéing the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic before we added them to the pot.
Some recipes use water as a pot roast cooking liquid but when we tried this, the gravy turned out as you’d expect—watery. We had better luck with beef broth. Other flavor-boosting ingredients went into the pot as well: garlic, tomato paste, red wine, thyme, and bay leaves. The resulting gravy boasted a rich, complex character but its flavor didn’t stray from the dish’s simple roots. Finally, sealing the pot with aluminum foil before securing the lid concentrated the steam for an even simmer and fork-tender meat.
We were pretty impressed with the results -- tender, yet not overly fatty, and deliciously rich. I served it with mashed purple potatoes (with some onion chive cream cheese blended in), baby carrots, and homemade apple sauce.
Why This Recipe Works:
Pot roast can be boring and bland full of dry, stringy meat, stubborn bits of fat, and wan gravy. We wanted a meltingly tender roast sauced in savory, full-bodied gravy.
To start, we separated the roast into two lobes, which allowed us to remove the knobs of fat that stubbornly refused to render and also shortened the cooking time. Salting the roast prior to cooking improved its flavor, as did sautéing the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic before we added them to the pot.
Some recipes use water as a pot roast cooking liquid but when we tried this, the gravy turned out as you’d expect—watery. We had better luck with beef broth. Other flavor-boosting ingredients went into the pot as well: garlic, tomato paste, red wine, thyme, and bay leaves. The resulting gravy boasted a rich, complex character but its flavor didn’t stray from the dish’s simple roots. Finally, sealing the pot with aluminum foil before securing the lid concentrated the steam for an even simmer and fork-tender meat.
Serves 6 to 8
INGREDIENTS
- 1(3 1/2- to 4-pound) boneless beef chuck-eye roast , pulled into two pieces at natural seam and trimmed of large knobs of fat
- Kosher salt
- 2tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2medium onions , halved and sliced thin (about 2 cups)
- 1large carrot , chopped medium (about 1 cup)
- 1celery rib , chopped medium (about 3/4 cup)
- 2medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1cup beef broth , plus 1 to 2 cups for sauce (see note)
- 1/2cup dry red wine , plus 1/4 cup for sauce
- 1tablespoon tomato paste
- 1bay leaf
- 1sprig plus 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- Ground black pepper
- 1tablespoon balsamic vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS
- 1. Sprinkle pieces of meat with 1 tablespoon salt (1½ teaspoons if using table salt), place on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet, and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
- 2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Heat butter in heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. When foaming subsides, add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add carrot and celery; continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes longer. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 1 cup broth, ½ cup wine, tomato paste, bay leaf, and thyme sprig; bring to simmer.
- 3. Pat beef dry with paper towels and season generously with pepper. Using 3 pieces of kitchen twine, tie each piece of meat into loaf shape for even cooking.
- 4. Nestle meat on top of vegetables. Cover pot tightly with large piece of foil and cover with lid; transfer pot to oven. Cook beef until fully tender and sharp knife easily slips in and out of meat, 3½ to 4 hours, turning halfway through cooking.
- 5. Transfer roasts to cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Strain liquid through mesh strainer into 4-cup liquid measuring cup. Discard bay leaf and thyme sprig. Transfer vegetables to blender jar. Allow liquid to settle 5 minutes, then skim any fat off surface. Add beef broth as necessary to bring liquid amount to 3 cups. Place liquid in blender with vegetables and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer sauce to medium saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat.
- 6. While sauce heats, remove twine from roast and slice against grain into ½-inch-thick slices. Transfer meat to large serving platter. Stir chopped thyme, remaining ¼ cup wine, and vinegar into sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon half of sauce over meat; pass remaining sauce separately.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Rustic Vegetable and Polenta Soup
It was a happy coincidence that the weekend before school starts up Giada featured easy weeknight meals on her show. I was captivated by an easy soup featuring farmers market ingredients, so I decided to try it tonight. It was creamy, delicious, quick and easy. Definitely a keeper!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed or chopped
3 plum tomatoes, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium zucchini, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup instant polenta
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Directions
In a large heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onions, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to brown, about 6 minutes.
Add the parsley, thyme, garlic, tomatoes and zucchini, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Slowly stir in the polenta and cook until the soup thickens and the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper.
Ladle into soup bowls and serve
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed or chopped
3 plum tomatoes, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium zucchini, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup instant polenta
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
Directions
In a large heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onions, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to brown, about 6 minutes.
Add the parsley, thyme, garlic, tomatoes and zucchini, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Slowly stir in the polenta and cook until the soup thickens and the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper.
Ladle into soup bowls and serve
Monday, August 15, 2011
"More Zucchini Muffins!"
When I asked Jack what he wanted for breakfast this morning, I was surprised to hear him ask for a zucchini muffin. Especially since he had just eaten the last one for breakfast the morning before. So, after some tears, we decided to make some more. While I would like to have made my grandma's recipe, my mom and I have not been able to find it. (She's still working on this.) So Paula Deen's recipe has sufficed, especially popular in our house since she uses chocolate chips instead of raisins.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
OPTIONAL:
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup chopped pecans
Or replace the chocolate chips with 1 cup raisins
Directions
Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease (2) 9 by 5-inch loaf pans OR fill 24 muffin cups with muffin papers.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, spices and baking soda.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, pecans, chocolate chips, and orange zest. Stir in sifted ingredients. Pour into prepared loaf pans.
Bake for 50 minutes for bread or 20 minutes for muffins, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from pans and cool. Cool before slicing.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
OPTIONAL:
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup chopped pecans
Or replace the chocolate chips with 1 cup raisins
Directions
Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease (2) 9 by 5-inch loaf pans OR fill 24 muffin cups with muffin papers.
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, spices and baking soda.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, pecans, chocolate chips, and orange zest. Stir in sifted ingredients. Pour into prepared loaf pans.
Bake for 50 minutes for bread or 20 minutes for muffins, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from pans and cool. Cool before slicing.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Sinfully Yummy Corn
I picked up some sweet corn at the farmers market on Wednesday, so I decided to try this recipe, suggested by an email from Cooking LIght. However, it's not actually from Cooking Light, but from their sister magazine: Southern LIving. Cooking Light would be appalled by the contents of this recipe. Leave it to the region that spawned Paula Deen to come up with a recipe this naughty. And this delicious.
Creamy Fried Confetti Corn
Ingredients
8 bacon slices, chopped (I used Trader Joe's nitrate-free bacon)
4 cups fresh sweet corn kernels (about 8 ears)
1 medium-size white onion, chopped
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper (I just had green, so I doubled the green pepper)
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Preparation
Microwave corn, wrapped in saran wrap, for 5 minutes. Let cool, then shuck from cob.
Cook chopped bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Set bacon aside.
Sauté corn, onion, and bell peppers in hot drippings in skillet over medium-high heat 6 minutes or until tender. Add cream cheese and half-and-half, stirring until cream cheese melts. Stir in sugar, salt, and pepper. Top with bacon.
Creamy Fried Confetti Corn
Ingredients
8 bacon slices, chopped (I used Trader Joe's nitrate-free bacon)
4 cups fresh sweet corn kernels (about 8 ears)
1 medium-size white onion, chopped
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper (I just had green, so I doubled the green pepper)
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Preparation
Microwave corn, wrapped in saran wrap, for 5 minutes. Let cool, then shuck from cob.
Cook chopped bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Set bacon aside.
Sauté corn, onion, and bell peppers in hot drippings in skillet over medium-high heat 6 minutes or until tender. Add cream cheese and half-and-half, stirring until cream cheese melts. Stir in sugar, salt, and pepper. Top with bacon.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Life Just Got a Little Cheesier: Zingerman's Shared Their Mac & Cheese Recipe!
ROADHOUSE MACARONI AND CHEESE
Ingredients:
Coarse sea salt
1 pound macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup diced onion
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 pound grated raw milk cheddar cheese
2 Tsp Olive Oil
Method:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons salt and the pasta and stir well. Cook for about 13 minutes (if using Martelli) or until the pasta is done. Drain it and set it aside.
Meanwhile, melt the butter for the sauce in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat (be careful not to scorch the butter). Add the onion and bay leaf and sauté until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf. Add the flour, and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly.
Slowly add the milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly to avoid lumping. When the flour and milk have been completely combined, stir in the cream. Keep the mixture at a gentle simmer (not at a high boil) until it thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the mustard, cheddar cheese and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes and set aside.
In a heavy bottom skillet over med-high heat get the pan very hot. Add olive oil and when it begins to smoke add the cheese sauce and the drained cooked noodles. Toss thoroughly and continue to cook, stirring occassionally until you have approximately 15 % of the mixture golden brown.
Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Remove from heat.
Serve each bowl of macaroni. Dig in!
Ingredients:
Coarse sea salt
1 pound macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup diced onion
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 pound grated raw milk cheddar cheese
2 Tsp Olive Oil
Method:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons salt and the pasta and stir well. Cook for about 13 minutes (if using Martelli) or until the pasta is done. Drain it and set it aside.
Meanwhile, melt the butter for the sauce in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat (be careful not to scorch the butter). Add the onion and bay leaf and sauté until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf. Add the flour, and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly.
Slowly add the milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly to avoid lumping. When the flour and milk have been completely combined, stir in the cream. Keep the mixture at a gentle simmer (not at a high boil) until it thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the mustard, cheddar cheese and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes and set aside.
In a heavy bottom skillet over med-high heat get the pan very hot. Add olive oil and when it begins to smoke add the cheese sauce and the drained cooked noodles. Toss thoroughly and continue to cook, stirring occassionally until you have approximately 15 % of the mixture golden brown.
Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Remove from heat.
Serve each bowl of macaroni. Dig in!
Monday, July 11, 2011
A Baking Mishap
Jack and I made a chocolate cake on Saturday. Jack added ingredients and turned the mixer on to blend everything together. This time, he turned the mixer on a little too high.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
C4 (Chocolate Coffee Cream Cheese) Frosting
Yesterday, Jack and I baked a chocolate cake to use up some of the buttermilk I bought for the chicken we made. But the sour cream was expired, so we couldn't make our usual chocolate sour cream frosting and I'm not crazy about the overly-sugary taste of buttercream, so I looked for a new recipe and found this: Chocolate Coffee Cream Cheese Frosting. Yum!
Ingredients
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted (I only had 3 ounces, so I supplemented by adding 1 ounce of bittersweet chocolate)
1/4 cup extra-strong coffee (I didn't cool the coffee, but stirred it into the chocolate to help it melt faster)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar (the recipe called for 3 c., but I liked the taste with just 2 c.)
Directions
Beat the butter and cream cheese together. Drizzle the melted chocolate (I microwaved it for 30 seconds, stirred, microwaved another 30 seconds, stirred, and then stirred the hot coffee in to it, a couple tablespoons at a time) and coffee over the butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla. Mix well. Mix in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. You can do up to 3 c., but taste it to see how sweet you want it.
Jack and I loved licking the beaters, and neither he nor Brian seemed to be bothered by the faint coffee taste, which I felt added an extra richness to the frosting. Delicious!
Ingredients
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted (I only had 3 ounces, so I supplemented by adding 1 ounce of bittersweet chocolate)
1/4 cup extra-strong coffee (I didn't cool the coffee, but stirred it into the chocolate to help it melt faster)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar (the recipe called for 3 c., but I liked the taste with just 2 c.)
Directions
Beat the butter and cream cheese together. Drizzle the melted chocolate (I microwaved it for 30 seconds, stirred, microwaved another 30 seconds, stirred, and then stirred the hot coffee in to it, a couple tablespoons at a time) and coffee over the butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla. Mix well. Mix in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. You can do up to 3 c., but taste it to see how sweet you want it.
Jack and I loved licking the beaters, and neither he nor Brian seemed to be bothered by the faint coffee taste, which I felt added an extra richness to the frosting. Delicious!
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Buttermilk Baked Chicken: Healthy Southern Cookin', Y'all
I happened to catch an episode of Down Home with the Neelys on Food Network and saw them make a buttermilk baked chicken recipe and a roasted broccoli and feta salad, so I decided to make tonight Southern cooking night and try both recipes.
The broccoli salad was okay -- I prefer Melissa D'Arabian's parmesean roasted broccoli, myself -- but the chicken was delicious. I put it in the buttermilk marinade around 1:00 after Ben and I got home from the grocery store (where his cheeks were repeatedly pinched by gray-haired shoppers). When I baked it off at 6:00, it was tender and flavorful.
I modified the recipe a bit, so I'll include the original recipe with my modifications in parentheses.
Ingredients
2 cups buttermilk
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon hot sauce (I left this out, since I hate tabasco)
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
5 sprigs fresh thyme (I used lemon thyme from my planter on the porch)
3 cloves garlic, smashed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (3 pound) chicken cut into 8 pieces, rinsed and patted dry (I used 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts instead, since I hate having to cut chicken off the bone for Jack)
2 cups crushed corn flakes
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Fit a sheet tray with a wire rack and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix together buttermilk, lemon juice, hot sauce, onion, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Add chicken and coat with mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours or up 12 hours.
Mix corn flakes, Parmesan cheese, and thyme together. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and dredge through the corn flake-Parmesan mixture, pressing to help it adhere.
Place on the wire rack-fitted sheet tray and bake for 45 minutes until golden and crisp. (Since I was making boneless chicken breasts, I only cooked them for 35 minutes instead and they were perfect.)
*****
I was able to cook the roasted broccoli salad right on the same cookie sheet as the chicken, so I'll include that recipe too, since it was ridiculously easy and relatively tasty.
Ingredients
2 heads broccoli, cut into florets
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 ounces baby arugula (about 3 large handfuls)
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Add the broccoli florets and cherry tomatoes to a rimmed sheet tray. Drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat completely. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the broccoli is tender and lightly golden brown.
Toss with arugula and crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss. Serve immediately.
The broccoli salad was okay -- I prefer Melissa D'Arabian's parmesean roasted broccoli, myself -- but the chicken was delicious. I put it in the buttermilk marinade around 1:00 after Ben and I got home from the grocery store (where his cheeks were repeatedly pinched by gray-haired shoppers). When I baked it off at 6:00, it was tender and flavorful.
I modified the recipe a bit, so I'll include the original recipe with my modifications in parentheses.
Ingredients
2 cups buttermilk
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon hot sauce (I left this out, since I hate tabasco)
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
5 sprigs fresh thyme (I used lemon thyme from my planter on the porch)
3 cloves garlic, smashed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (3 pound) chicken cut into 8 pieces, rinsed and patted dry (I used 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts instead, since I hate having to cut chicken off the bone for Jack)
2 cups crushed corn flakes
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Fit a sheet tray with a wire rack and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix together buttermilk, lemon juice, hot sauce, onion, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Add chicken and coat with mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours or up 12 hours.
Mix corn flakes, Parmesan cheese, and thyme together. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and dredge through the corn flake-Parmesan mixture, pressing to help it adhere.
Place on the wire rack-fitted sheet tray and bake for 45 minutes until golden and crisp. (Since I was making boneless chicken breasts, I only cooked them for 35 minutes instead and they were perfect.)
*****
I was able to cook the roasted broccoli salad right on the same cookie sheet as the chicken, so I'll include that recipe too, since it was ridiculously easy and relatively tasty.
Ingredients
2 heads broccoli, cut into florets
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 ounces baby arugula (about 3 large handfuls)
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Add the broccoli florets and cherry tomatoes to a rimmed sheet tray. Drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat completely. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the broccoli is tender and lightly golden brown.
Toss with arugula and crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss. Serve immediately.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Smoky Pork and Polenta
Yesterday on Rachael Ray, I saw her make a Smoky Chipotle BBQ Potted Pork that sounded delicious and sounded like something both of my men would like (Ben doesn't get included in this yet). I was not mistaken -- both Jack and Brian gobbled it up. But I do have to say that this is definitely NOT a 30 minute meal -- it took closer to an hour and a half from start to finish. Granted, I had to take a 15 minute break to hold Ben who got tired of being in his exersaucer, but it took a while to chop the pork and the veg, and then I had to cook the stew a bit longer than planned because the pork wasn't cooked all the way through. Well worth the wait.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into bite-sized pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Smoked paprika, for seasoning
Flour, for dredging
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 onions, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bottle Mexican-style beer (I used some Moose Drool because it's what we had and I wasn't cooking with Oberon -- I drank the Oberon instead)
15 oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, medium to spicy heat level, seeded and finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
A handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped (I used the kind that comes in a tube, just to try it out, and couldn't tell the difference)
Quick-cooking polenta, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving
Directions
Season the pork cubes with salt, pepper, and paprika. Dredge in the flour. Heat a Dutch oven with 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 3 turns of the pan, over high heat. Brown the pork on all sides. Remove to a plate, reduce the heat, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onions, peppers, celery, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cover and sweat for 8 minutes or so. Uncover and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, and then deglaze the pot with the beer and let the liquid reduce, 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes, chipotle and adobo sauce, thyme, and cilantro and heat through. Add the pork back to the pot and simmer over medium-low heat until ready to serve. (This process took a while because the pork wasn't cooked all the way through, so it had to cook in the liquid. I think this allowed the flavors to meld nicely though.) Prepare quick-cooking polenta (1 minute). Serve with lime wedges.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients
2 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into bite-sized pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Smoked paprika, for seasoning
Flour, for dredging
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 onions, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bottle Mexican-style beer (I used some Moose Drool because it's what we had and I wasn't cooking with Oberon -- I drank the Oberon instead)
15 oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, medium to spicy heat level, seeded and finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
A handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped (I used the kind that comes in a tube, just to try it out, and couldn't tell the difference)
Quick-cooking polenta, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving
Directions
Season the pork cubes with salt, pepper, and paprika. Dredge in the flour. Heat a Dutch oven with 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 3 turns of the pan, over high heat. Brown the pork on all sides. Remove to a plate, reduce the heat, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onions, peppers, celery, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cover and sweat for 8 minutes or so. Uncover and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, and then deglaze the pot with the beer and let the liquid reduce, 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes, chipotle and adobo sauce, thyme, and cilantro and heat through. Add the pork back to the pot and simmer over medium-low heat until ready to serve. (This process took a while because the pork wasn't cooked all the way through, so it had to cook in the liquid. I think this allowed the flavors to meld nicely though.) Prepare quick-cooking polenta (1 minute). Serve with lime wedges.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Another Pretty Salad
Tonight, we went with another pretty chilled salad for dinner, largely because Meijer had red peppers, English cukes, and rotisserie chicken on sale this week, so we're all set for the salad fixings.
Lemon-Orzo Salad with Chicken and Veggies
Adapted from Cooking Light by Our Best Bites
3/4 c uncooked orzo pasta
1/4 tsp grated lemon rind
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbps extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp honey
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 c cooked shredded or diced boneless, skinless chicken
1/2 c diced cucumber
1/2 c diced red bell pepper
1/3 c sliced green onions
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, or 1 tsp dried dill
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta feels cool to the touch. Drain and place in a large salad bowl.
While orzo cooks, combine lemon rind, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, garlic, honey, and black pepper. Whisk to combine.
Add chicken, cucumber, bell pepper, green onions, and dill to pasta. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine. Divide onto 4 plates and sprinkle with feta.
I served it on top of a bed of spinach for some extra veggies. The bright flavor of the lemon is perfect for a warm summer evening.
I also would consider making it with quinoa next time instead of orzo to add a little more fiber and protein, rather than empty carbs.
Nutrition Facts per Serving (1 1/4 C)
Calories: 275
Fat: 9.7g
Protein 18.2 g
In addition to making this for ourselves, I made an extra batch (along with some blueberry crisp) for our neighbors who just had a baby. It seems like the kind of salad that would travel well.
Lemon-Orzo Salad with Chicken and Veggies
Adapted from Cooking Light by Our Best Bites
3/4 c uncooked orzo pasta
1/4 tsp grated lemon rind
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbps extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp honey
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 c cooked shredded or diced boneless, skinless chicken
1/2 c diced cucumber
1/2 c diced red bell pepper
1/3 c sliced green onions
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, or 1 tsp dried dill
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta feels cool to the touch. Drain and place in a large salad bowl.
While orzo cooks, combine lemon rind, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, garlic, honey, and black pepper. Whisk to combine.
Add chicken, cucumber, bell pepper, green onions, and dill to pasta. Drizzle with dressing and toss to combine. Divide onto 4 plates and sprinkle with feta.
I served it on top of a bed of spinach for some extra veggies. The bright flavor of the lemon is perfect for a warm summer evening.
I also would consider making it with quinoa next time instead of orzo to add a little more fiber and protein, rather than empty carbs.
Nutrition Facts per Serving (1 1/4 C)
Calories: 275
Fat: 9.7g
Protein 18.2 g
In addition to making this for ourselves, I made an extra batch (along with some blueberry crisp) for our neighbors who just had a baby. It seems like the kind of salad that would travel well.
Friday, June 10, 2011
The Prettiest Salad Ever
Tonight Jack helped me make dinner. That's how easy it was.
He rinsed the black beans, put all the ingredients in the bowl, squeezed the lime, and whisked the dressing. And then he ate it, which is perhaps the most impressive part, especially if you know that it was a Mango Quinoa Salad that we made.
I found the recipe on a down-to-earth food blog I follow (Our Best Bites) and it was adapted from a recipe Ali Vincent demonstrated this season on The Biggest Loser. So, we know it's ridiculously healthy. Here's how to make it:
Mango Quinoa Salad
2 cups of cooked quinoa, at room temperature or chilled (I used about 3/4 c. dry quinoa and 1 1/2 c. chicken broth to cook it)
1 mango, peeled and chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 green onions
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
1 lime, juiced
4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. olive oil
salt
pepper
Mix the quinoa through the cilantro in a bowl. Whisk together the lime through pepper for the dressing. (I confess that I used approximations for the measurements as I am wont to do and it turned out delicious.) Pour the dressing over the quinoa and chill for at least an hour.
The result was so pretty that both Jack and I took pictures with our cameras.
He rinsed the black beans, put all the ingredients in the bowl, squeezed the lime, and whisked the dressing. And then he ate it, which is perhaps the most impressive part, especially if you know that it was a Mango Quinoa Salad that we made.
I found the recipe on a down-to-earth food blog I follow (Our Best Bites) and it was adapted from a recipe Ali Vincent demonstrated this season on The Biggest Loser. So, we know it's ridiculously healthy. Here's how to make it:
Mango Quinoa Salad
2 cups of cooked quinoa, at room temperature or chilled (I used about 3/4 c. dry quinoa and 1 1/2 c. chicken broth to cook it)
1 mango, peeled and chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 green onions
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
1 lime, juiced
4 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. olive oil
salt
pepper
Mix the quinoa through the cilantro in a bowl. Whisk together the lime through pepper for the dressing. (I confess that I used approximations for the measurements as I am wont to do and it turned out delicious.) Pour the dressing over the quinoa and chill for at least an hour.
The result was so pretty that both Jack and I took pictures with our cameras.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Grandma's Chocolate Cake: A Birthday Tradition
I'm a baking snob. I'll admit it. I think box cakes are cheating and I brag that I can spot a box cake a mile away. I think in part my need to bake from scratch has to do with love: I know how good a homemade cake tastes, so why would I make something that is not as good for my family, especially for special occasions, like birthdays. It's an act of service to those I love to make something from scratch, a way of demonstrating my affection.
But my snobbery has another legitimate source: my grandma. I learned from the best, and that genius with pastries and batter would never have considered making a box cake. And after eating her homemade concoctions, neither would anyone else.
My grandma makes the best chocolate cake EVER. Even the Barefoot Contessa's famous chocolate cake is essentially my grandma's recipe with a little bit of coffee stirred into the boiling water at the end for good measure. While I confess to liking the coffee addition, my little family has no need for added caffeine, so we stick to Grandma's version. Brian always requests it with chocolate frosting; my mom always liked it with peppermint candies crushed on top, too; Jack prefers his with sprinkles.
Grandma's Chocolate Cake
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. cocoa powder (we've tried the extra dark kind, but regular is better)
1/2 c. shortening (I like Butter Crisco in the stick form)
2 eggs
3/4 c. buttermilk (or in a pinch, make sour milk by adding 1 Tbsp. lemon juice to regular milk)
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. boiling water
I recommend a stand-mixer for this, since there is a lot of beating. I'm usually pretty resistant to using the stand-mixer because I'm a traditionalist, but it does make it so much easier.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two round cake pans or fill 2 muffin tins with paper cups.
Cream together the sugar, cocoa and shortening. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add buttermilk with soda stirred in; beat well, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add dry ingredients and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes while boiling the water in the microwave. Add boiling water and slowly mix in to avoid spattering.
Pour prepared batter into the two cake pans or into the muffin tins. Bake for 35 minutes for layer cakes or 20 minutes for cupcakes.
Once cooled, frost with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
6 oz. chocolate chips (I prefer Ghiradelli bittersweet chips over the semi-sweet variety for a richer flavor)
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. sour cream
2 1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar (I frequently skip the sifting in favor of mixing it all together by hand -- remember, I'm a traditionalist -- in the double boiler, so I only put in 2 1/4-ish c. of powdered sugar)
Melt the chips and butter in a double boiler over medium heat, stirring frequently until completely melted. Cool 5-10 minutes. Stir in the sour cream until blended. Stir in the powdered sugar 1/2 c. at a time. (As I said, I usually just stir it all in by hand with a spoon until it gets a smooth sheen to it and there are no chunks of sugar left, but it would probably be easier to put it all in a separate bowl and use a hand-mixer. On the other hand, you'd dirty more dishes, which is why I always do it by hand.)
Frost cake and store in refrigerator.
Jack demonstrates the delicious messiness of taste-testing a chocolate cake.
But my snobbery has another legitimate source: my grandma. I learned from the best, and that genius with pastries and batter would never have considered making a box cake. And after eating her homemade concoctions, neither would anyone else.
My grandma makes the best chocolate cake EVER. Even the Barefoot Contessa's famous chocolate cake is essentially my grandma's recipe with a little bit of coffee stirred into the boiling water at the end for good measure. While I confess to liking the coffee addition, my little family has no need for added caffeine, so we stick to Grandma's version. Brian always requests it with chocolate frosting; my mom always liked it with peppermint candies crushed on top, too; Jack prefers his with sprinkles.
Grandma's Chocolate Cake
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. cocoa powder (we've tried the extra dark kind, but regular is better)
1/2 c. shortening (I like Butter Crisco in the stick form)
2 eggs
3/4 c. buttermilk (or in a pinch, make sour milk by adding 1 Tbsp. lemon juice to regular milk)
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. boiling water
I recommend a stand-mixer for this, since there is a lot of beating. I'm usually pretty resistant to using the stand-mixer because I'm a traditionalist, but it does make it so much easier.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease two round cake pans or fill 2 muffin tins with paper cups.
Cream together the sugar, cocoa and shortening. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add buttermilk with soda stirred in; beat well, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add dry ingredients and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes while boiling the water in the microwave. Add boiling water and slowly mix in to avoid spattering.
Pour prepared batter into the two cake pans or into the muffin tins. Bake for 35 minutes for layer cakes or 20 minutes for cupcakes.
Once cooled, frost with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
6 oz. chocolate chips (I prefer Ghiradelli bittersweet chips over the semi-sweet variety for a richer flavor)
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. sour cream
2 1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar (I frequently skip the sifting in favor of mixing it all together by hand -- remember, I'm a traditionalist -- in the double boiler, so I only put in 2 1/4-ish c. of powdered sugar)
Melt the chips and butter in a double boiler over medium heat, stirring frequently until completely melted. Cool 5-10 minutes. Stir in the sour cream until blended. Stir in the powdered sugar 1/2 c. at a time. (As I said, I usually just stir it all in by hand with a spoon until it gets a smooth sheen to it and there are no chunks of sugar left, but it would probably be easier to put it all in a separate bowl and use a hand-mixer. On the other hand, you'd dirty more dishes, which is why I always do it by hand.)
Frost cake and store in refrigerator.
Jack demonstrates the delicious messiness of taste-testing a chocolate cake.
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