Accidental Syrup

Apple Crumble

2012-02-11T07:20:00.000-08:00

Blogger.com and I have been quarreling about vertically oriented photos all morning so you might want to put your sideways glasses on before reading...

My mom always made apple crumble (or as some say apple crisp) when I was growing up. While I love apple desserts of almost any variety- a crispy oatmeal streusel crust atop perfectly spicy-sweet-tangy tender apples can't be beat. I typically have all of the ingredients for this recipe on hand at any given time so it is often the perfect answer to weeknight sweet tooth attack or an impromptu dinner party.

This recipe serves 4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Apple Filling:

3 large apples (I like honeycrisp or granny smith)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

scant 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
zest of an orange (only use half)
zest of a lemon (only use half)
juice of a lemon

Peel and slice the apples. I slice the apples as thinly as possible to ensure they get nice and tender while baking. Toss the apple slices in a large bowl with all other ingredients until the apples are evenly coated.

Transfer the apples to a medium size BUTTERED baking dish. A 9 x9 square dish would work, I like an oval dish because that's what my mom always used.

Crumble Topping:

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

pinch of salt

1 stick of cold butter, diced

**I actually added 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed as well which packs a mega nutritional punch of omega threes. You won't even notice its there.

The easiest way in my experience is to measure all ingredients into a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until the mixture starts to come together into large crumbs. This could take 1-2 minutes. If you let it go too far, it will come together like a cookie dough which is hard to spread over the apples- so keep an eye on it.

If you don't have a standing mixer- you can use your hands to work the ingredients together, rubbing the mixture between your fingers to break down the butter into crumbs.

Spread the topping over the apples- you might have a bit more topping than you need, but I like a nice thick crunchy layer on mine so I pack on as much as I can...It's my favorite part.

I set the dish on top of a cookie sheet lined with foil to catch any crumble pieces that try to escape and then bake for 1 hour. The top should be golden brown and you'll see caramely bubbles all around the edges.

Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes (the wait can be excruciating, sorry) and then serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

The soft apples literally melt in your mouth while you get a hearty crunch from the topping. The balance of flavors from the citrus and warm spices is wonderful. It really gives it that special something.

More of my favorite fruit crumble combinations:
*Peaches and raspberries or blackberries
*Strawberry-rhubarb
*Pear-cranberry
*Cherry-almond

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal

2012-01-26T07:36:00.000-08:00

So this recipe might not seem blog worthy at first but I'm telling you- this little trick shared with me by a friend has changed my life for the better. I can't help but think this would be a big hit with the kids too. I've always loved oatmeal but I tend to steer clear of the sickeningly sweet stuff that comes in a little packet. I'm a big fan of the classic Quaker Old Fashioned Oats in the cardboard container.

Bob's Red Mill has a great Gluten Free Rolled Oats variety and a Steel Cut Oat option that I really like as well. (Likely in the health foods section of your grocery store.) Both are going to take longer (10-15 mins) to cook however.

1) Prepare the oats per the package instructions using water versus milk. I don't like the gumminess that results from boiling them in milk. Don't worry- we'll add ample "creaminess" here in a minute.

2) Remove the oats from the heat and add 1 tablespoon of your favorite peanut butter (almond butter is delicious as well) per serving of oats prepared. Stir the the peanut butter into the oats as it melts, resulting in a luxuriously smooth and creamy concoction.

3) Transfer the oatmeal to a bowl and top with your favorite combination of the following:

* Sliced fresh banana
* Clover Honey (Go Local!!)
* Dark Brown Sugar
* Cinnamon
* Toasted pecans, walnuts or almond slices
* Semi sweet chocolate chips Toss them on while warm and they melt into the oatmeal- this tastes more like dessert than breakfast!
* A splash of milk

I'm telling you this is the true breakfast of champions. The boost of protein from the nut butter helps keep you full longer and gives you a huge flavor boost without the need for a bunch of sugar.

I also promise you that if you use the standard old fashioned oats (cook time is 3 minutes)- the entire process, start to finish takes 5 or 6 minutes max. I know its hard to get motivated to cook a weekday breakfast but there is something about starting the day with a warm, hearty meal (and a great cup of coffee) to get things off on the right foot.

Provencal Vegetable Soup with Pistou

2012-01-22T19:27:00.000-08:00

An indulgent Holiday season followed by a work trip to food mecca Charleston, SC and then a three day weekend of excess in Las Vegas means that we have officially arrived at pocket-book-and-waistline-friendly-recipe month on Accidental Syrup. I hesitate to preface this post this way because the recipe honestly is scrumptious.  While low fat and low cal its packed with hearty beans and vegetables and the bright flavors of garlic and herbs. I googled "hearty soups" and stumbled across a fantastic sampling from Saveur magazine.  I thought a mix of vegetables would be particularly light and healthy (and as we know I lean French these days) so I jumped on the Soupe au Pistou. (Note: pistou is in essence the French equivalent of pesto.)

The great thing about this recipe is that you could easily use whatever mix of veggies strikes your fancy. I took a few liberties from Saveur's original recipe.

Ingredients for the soup:

2 ounces of pancetta or bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 large stalks of celery including the tops, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
5 sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1 zucchini, diced
1/2 a small head of green cabbage- halved again, cored and sliced into quarter inch strips (approx 4 generous cups total)
1- 28 oz can of diced tomatoes with juices (reserve one tablespoon of chunks for the pistou)
8-9 cups (or 2 cartons) chicken stock
2- 15 oz cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

**Omit the pancetta/bacon and swap out vegetable stock for the chicken stock to make this vegetarian friendly.

Heat a large heavy bottom pot with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the pancetta/bacon and cook until crispy and golden brown. Remove the bits from the pot with a slotted spoon (drain on a papertowel to the side) and add one more tablespoon of olive oil to the pot with the renderings. Next add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 5-7 minutes until the onions are soft but not brown.  Stir in the garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes and cook one minute more.

Then add the cabbage, diced tomatoes, chicken stock and bay leaves. Cook everything together over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the zucchini and beans and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until the cabbage is tender. (I let mine simmer on low-low heat for a while longer until we were ready to eat.)

Meanwhile, you can make the pistou. Measure all of the below ingredients directly into a food processor fitted with a metal blade (or a blender would work too.)

2 cups of fresh basil
1/2 cup of parmesan cheese (I used pecorino)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large clove of garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 of a roma tomato, diced or a few of the diced tomatoes reserved from the soup

Pulse or blend until almost smooth (like a pesto). Set aside.

Garnish each bowl of soup with a scant teaspoon of the pistou on the top (and a few of the crispy pancetta bits if you want to splurge a little.) The smell of the garlic and the fresh basil wafts up at you as the pistou melts into the soup. It really kicks what at first seems like a basic veggie soup up to another level.

I personally appreciate soup first and foremost as the perfect excuse for bread. I made a delicious iteration of my Brown Butter Soda Bread from last year to accompany the soup. I substituted fresh thyme for the rosemary and 1/2 cup of grated pecorino romano cheese for the black pepper. I also used plain melted butter versus browned and dusted the tops of the dough with additional cheese after I brushed them with the egg wash.

A big bowl of steamy soup and a warm slice of fresh bread is the perfect weeknight winter meal. I froze two servings for a rainy day and we enthusiastically enjoyed left overs all week.

Ile Flottante (or Floating Island)

2012-01-19T08:38:00.000-08:00

By now you're onto my small obsession with all things French. 2011's trip to Paris might have stoked the flame but truly its been there for quite some time. My first recollection of being smitten with la cuisine francaise was actually in middle school. Living abroad in Saudi Arabia, our close friends were the closest thing to family therefore we spent many a holiday and holiday meal together. Our friend Susan Elving made Coq au Vin one year for New Year's Eve and she made Ile Flottante or Floating Island the next year I believe it was for Christmas Eve. I remember both meals very distinctly to this day and these French classic dishes remain a few of my favorites. If you're not familiar with Floating Island, it is delicate, light as air meringue literally floating on a puddle of creme anglaise (or custard sauce) topped with caramel. It is what I like to think of as "angel food" for a special occasion.

Susan brought the Floating Island dessert to our house. The meringue and custard were made ahead but my little sister and I got to watch her make a fantastic "web" of caramel. Spoiler alert: I was not able to recreate the net of sugar this go round - I ended up with a soft caramel sauce instead- but I intend to attempt again pending some further research. Susan cooked sugar down to a caramel (to thread stage I believe) that was then pulled into strands as thin as a spider's web and tangled together to form an avant garde kind of hat atop the meringues. The sugar then hardened to crispy which added just a slight toasty crunch to the fluffy meringue and silky custard. As you can imagine for two young, curious cooks in training, this was basically a yummy sugar laden art project and thus a big hit.

I looked at a few pictures online to give you a visual and this was similar to what I remember...

Amazing photo courtesy of http://www.latartinegourmande.com/

I studied a few recipes for the other components and landed on my dear friend Ina Garten's recipe. My Mom and I made this dessert together on New Year's Eve and for the record, she is the.master of meringue. I've been aspiring to make mile high meringue as she does on my cream pies for most of my adult hood... to no avail. She tackled the meringues and I made the creme anglaise. Note: The recipe serves 8-10 people. It held up okay for left overs the next day as well.

Creme Anglaise:

4 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 3/4 cups scalded milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons Cognac
Seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean, optional

**Can be made a day or two ahead of serving
Beat the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, or until very thick. Reduce to low speed, and add the cornstarch.

With the mixer still on low, slowly pour the hot milk into the eggs. Pour the custard mixture into a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thickened. The custard will coat the spoon like heavy cream. Don't cook it above 180 degrees F or the eggs will scramble!

Pour the sauce through a fine strainer, add the vanilla extract, Cognac, and vanilla seeds, if using, and chill until ready to serve.

Meringue:

8 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

**You want to make these the day of, especially for company, though a few hours ahead is fine.
Heat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

Beat the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium speed until frothy. Turn the mixer on high speed and add the remaining 1 cup of sugar. Beat until the egg whites are very stiff and glossy. Whisk in the remaining teaspoon of vanilla. With dessert spoons place 8-12 mounds (depending on how big you want the servings to be) of meringue on the parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

**In studying some other recipes, I learned some people actually cook the meringue in molds. You can make individual size or a single large meringue in various shapes. One recipe actually bakes the meringue in a pan lined with caramel sauce almost like a flan. Here are a few other ideas to consider:

Martha Stewart uses a Tube Pan as a mold
A fellow blogger bakes the meringue in a pan and then scoops out servings into a wine glass
Pipe the meringue for a more polished presentation

For the caramel sauce... as I mentioned, I went with a smooth, soft caramel sauce as is the most common approach. We actually struggled with Ina's recommendation. We attempted her caramel method twice unsuccessfully. I eventually switched gears and the below method was just right.

Caramel Sauce:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 tablespoon butter

Measure the sugar into a dry sauce pan over medium heat. Cook, swirling gently until the sugar starts to dissolve and turns golden brown. This takes 4-5 minutes but don't leave it unattended because once it starts to turn to caramel, it goes quickly. Remove the sugar from the heat and pour in the cream and vanilla. (It will bubble like crazy and the sugar will seize up a bit.) Whisk until the sugar dissolves completely. Lastly, whisk in the butter which I think gives it a nice silkiness. **This can also be done the day before- gently reheat when ready to serve.

To serve: place 1/3 cup or so of the creme anglaise in your dish of choice. Top with a meringue and drizzle with caramel sauce. You can garnish with some candied almonds as Ina does though it really doesn't need anything else...

I'm telling you the delicate meringue with the creamy custard and toasty caramel is to-die-for. Its like eating a fancy, delicious Parisian cloud.

Bon Appetit!

Braised Bourgignon-Style Short Ribs

2011-12-29T12:50:00.000-08:00

There is nothing cozier on a cold winter night than a big bowl of this...

A bottle of great red wine and a fire in the fireplace... That is exactly how John and I kicked off Christmas weekend last Thursday night. Like most inexpensive cuts of beef, short ribs require a low-slow (3 hrs) cooking method but the result is fall-right-off-the-bone tenderness and a gravy that will make you lick your bowl clean.

Ingredients: Serves 4 with leftovers

Braising:
3 1/2 pounds bone in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2 inch pieces
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 of a 750 ml bottle of dry red wine
8 sprigs of flat leaf parsley
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
3 cups of beef stock (low salt)

Garnish:
3 slices of bacon
1 large shallot- chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 package cremini or baby bella mushrooms, halved/quartered
2 thyme sprigs, leaves removed
2 tablespoons of brandy or dry vermouth
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

In a large cast iron dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over medium-high/high heat. Season the ribs generously with kosher salt and black pepper. In two batches, brown the meat on all sides - roughly 2 minutes per side. Don't disturb them except for to rotate after 2 minutes. This allows them to develop a nice crust. Remove and drain on a papertowel.

Pour the fat out of the pan (do not rinse) and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil back to the pot. Lower heat to medium. Add the onion, celery and carrots. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring often. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees at this point.

Add the flour to the pot, toss to coat the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes before adding the wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen all of the bits with the help of the wine. Add the ribs back to the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the wine has reduced a bit.

Add the beef stock, garlic and fresh herbs (whole on the stems is fine). Cover the pot and place in the oven. Cook for nearly 3 hours or until the bone can be easily pulled out of the meat.

While the ribs are in the oven- prepare the vegetables for the garnish. This is where the bourgignon style bit comes in... Render the bacon in a saute pan over medium heat. Remove the bacon once crispy. Add one teaspoon of olive oil, the shallot, carrot and mushrooms to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown. Add the thyme leaves for the last minute.

Add the vermouth/brandy and cook (or flambe if you like drama of a flame) until the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Now back to the ribs... remove the ribs from the pot and set in a separate dish. Strain the gravy through a sieve to remove the remaining vegetables, herbs, etc. Return the ribs to the pan and pour the gravy over. Gently fold in the garnish mixture and fresh parsley.

Serve over your favorite whipped potatoes (I like to whip half boiled potatoes and half boiled parsnips with butter and thyme and garlic infused cream) or buttered egg noodles with crusty bread for dipping. You can crumble the bacon over the top as well. I served a baby kale salad with balsamic vinaigrette, parmesan and pomegranate seeds on the side.

While the recipe has numerous steps and takes 4 hours total, I assure you it is simple and the active time is minimal- perfect for a Sunday or Saturday afternoon. These are great for entertaining too as the short ribs can be made up to a day ahead of time and reheated before serving. Add the parsley at the very last minute.

Qunioa with Fennel and Pomegranate Seeds

2011-12-19T07:44:00.000-08:00

If your Christmas week was half as decadent as mine was (and I have a few more recipes along those lines coming)- you're probably looking for a couple of healthy meals in this lull before New Year's Eve parties. I personally struggle with making the transition from the decadence back to nutritious because the taste buds are still amped so I try to pack the flavor in where ever possible. Lemon, tangy vinaigrette and fresh herbs are a great way to do so.

Inspired by a recipe in the January issue of Bon Appetite magazine (not yet published to epicurious.com) this quinoa dish is great warm or at room temperature - as a side dish or a standalone meatless dinner or lunch. You can make a big batch and enjoy it for a couple of days...

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
1 medium fennel bulb- diced
1 small onion- diced
3 cloves of garlic- minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
generous 1/2 cup freshly chopped herbs (I used parsley, dill and mint)
zest and juice of 1lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
pomegranate seeds for garnish

Saute the fennel and onion in a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat until just starting to caramelize, 10-12 minutes. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and some black pepper. Add the garlic and cumin and cook one minute more. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook until the liquid is evaporated, 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit while you prepare the quinoa.

Cook 1 cup of raw quinoa according to package instructions. This typically requires rinsing the grain, simmering in boiling water for 10 minutes and draining. Make sure you strain any left over cooking liquid. While the quinoa cooks- chop your herbs and juice/zest the lemon...

Combine the cooked quinoa with the vegetable mixture, the herbs, lemon zest, juice and olive oil. Toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish the dish with pomegranate seeds. Look for these at your grocery store by the grapefruit segments in the refrigerated produce section- Pom brand is selling them now. You can remove the seeds by hand from the whole fruit if you can't find them.

The tiny hint of cumin gives the dish a nice warmth in contrast to the tang of the reduced balsamic and lemon. The herbs and pomegranate seeds pack in more flavor and freshness. Don't be afraid of the fennel- if you cook it down this way, it loses virtually all of the licorice/anise taste. However you could add any combination of sauteed or roasted veggies to this as well.

Butterfinger Truffles

2011-12-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

While we're on the subject of Holiday sweet treats- I wanted to share a super simple recipe for homemade chocolate truffles. These are extremely rich little nuggets of punch you in the tongue chocolate-ness. Truffles are really quite easy to make but they look elegant and sophisticated- perfect to set out at a holiday cocktail party as I did or to wrap in festive packaging for hostess or office gifts.

I saw this recipe in the December issue of Bon Appetit and decided to give it a try because John is gaga for butterfingers...

10 ounces of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup of heavy cream

1 tablespoon of butter

1 1/2 cups chopped butterfinger candy bars (about 8 ounces)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

peanuts for garnish (optional)

I used semisweet chocolate- honestly I might consider using a portion of milk chocolate in here next time. As is, they are for the darker chocolate lover for sure..

Place the chocolate (not the butterfinger yet) and the butter in a glass bowl. Bring the cream to a gentle boil in a saucepan and then immediately pour over the chocolate. Let sit one minute and then whisk until smooth. Mix in the butterfingers, cover, and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to roll (ha, get it?!) put the cocoa powder in a shallow bowl and line an airtight container with parchment paper. I used a 3/4 inch ice cream/cookie scoop to portion the chocolate and rolled in into balls by hand. I recommend spraying your hands with nonstick spray to prevent excess sticking.

Roll the balls lightly in cocoa powder and place in the storage container. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

You could probably roll them in powdered sugar if you prefer a different look or sweeter flavor. Bon Appetit suggested garnishing them with peanut halves or pecans which would be cute but I'm not quite sure how you'd made them stick??

What's not to love?! The rich smooth chocolate ganache melts in your mouth yet you have a subtle peanutbuttery crunch factor as well. Will definitely be making these again soon...

Cherry Pecan Shortbread Cookies

2011-12-17T09:07:00.000-08:00

For seven years running- I look forward to an annual Christmas Cookie Exchange party with girlfriends. This tradition started back in Charleston with a great group of women from my work. When we moved to Kentucky - I decided to bring the tradition with me. This year I had about 20 ladies and 100+ dozen cookies crowded in my dining room for sampling and swapping of our favorite holiday baked goodness.

I like to try a new recipe every year. This year I went with a Martha Stewart classic shortbread recipe. The simple recipe of essentially just butter, sugar and flour is fool proof and the combinations of flavors and mixins makes for an infinite number of variations. I was also looking for a "no fuss" recipe as I was busy making appetizers and preparing to host- so the concept of having the dough waiting for me in the freezer- no rolling, scooping or shaping of dough required- was appealing.

I found some DELICIOUS dried Michigan tart cherries at Sam's club recently so I chopped some of those as well as some pecans to add to the mix. I also dipped the ends in melted white chocolate to turn up the fancy a little bit.

Here is the basic recipe:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup dried cherries- chopped
8 oz good white or semi-sweet chocolate- chopped **don’t use chips, they don’t melt as well

1. Make the dough: In a mixer bowl, beat butter, sugar, almond and vanilla extracts, and salt until smooth. With mixer on low speed, add flour; mix just until a dough forms. Lastly, mix in pecans and cherries.

2. Freeze the dough: On a piece of waxed paper, form dough into a rectangular log, 12 inches long, 2 1/2 inches wide, and 1 inch thick. Wrap log in the paper, and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours (and up to 3 months.) If freezing longer than 1 day, wrap log again, in plastic wrap.

3. Bake the shortbread: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove dough from freezer. (If dough has been in freezer a long time and is frozen solid, let it sit at room temperature 20 minutes so it slices without crumbling.)

4. With a sharp knife, cut dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheet at least 1 inch apart. (Keep them as close to the same thickness as possible to ensure they all cook evenly.) Bake until edges just BARELY begin to turn golden, 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet; transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.

Note: I doubled the recipe above to make two logs of dough.

I dare you not to eat at least one raw cookie while you're slicing.... yummy!

5. Dip in white chocolate: put the chopped chocolate in a glass bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each one, until melted and smooth. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Dip the ends of each cookie into the chocolate and place on the parchment. Let sit until the chocolate dries (put in the fridge to speed up the process). Store in an airtight container.

Crispy, crumbly buttery deliciousness, I tell you. Studded with a little chewy tang from the cherries and a toasty richness from the pecans- these are anything but boring . The white chocolate adds another layer of creamy sweetness without overpowering the taste of the cookie.

My ONLY complaint is that I was hoping the cookies would maintain their rectangular shape. The definitely spread a little bit in the oven so they were more oval shaped in the end. Also- once they begin to turn golden, they brown fast so keep a close eye and rotate your pans half way through if your oven bakes unevenly like mine.

Other flavor combinations to try:
*Orange zest and chopped almonds
*Lemon zest and chopped pistachios
*Hazelnut shortbread sandwiched together with nutella or jam
*Plain vanilla shortbread dipped in your favorite dark chocolate

Pork Tenderloin with Arugula, Endive and Walnut Vinaigrette

2011-12-15T08:54:00.000-08:00

Much like I'm trying to squeeze a few healthy/lighter meals in between the holiday parties, sweet treats and other indulgences- I figured I'd offer up a quick and easy weeknight dinner salad before I post more of the goodies I have on deck for you...

This salad was hearty, winter-esque AND uber nutritional. As I've said before, John's not a huge dinner salad kind of guy but even he was a fan.

Ingredients: serves 2 with leftovers

1 pork tenderloin

2 Belgian endives, cut crosswise into bite sized pieces

4 cups of baby arugula

1 cup of walnuts, toasted (divided)

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon of water
1/4 cup sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

1/4 cup olive oil

goat cheese for crumbling

optional:2 oven roasted tomatoes (could substitute 2 oil packed sun dried tomatoes)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Salt and pepper the pork tenderloin and heat a tablespoon of olive oil in an ovenproof skillet. Sear the pork for approximately 2 minutes on all sides- transfer the pork to the oven and roast for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

While the pork is cooking/resting, make the dressing... in a food processor, combine 2/3 cup of the toasted walnuts, garlic, oven roasted or sun dried tomatoes (again you can leave these out, the original recipe did not call of them), vinegar, and water. Pulse into a paste forms. Then with the blade running, pour the olive oil in slowly until it comes together to a smooth consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the greens with 2/3 of the dressing and plate. Garnish with additional toasted walnuts and goat cheese crumbles. Finally lay the sliced pork over the top and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.

The endive and arugula is a great combination of crunch and peppery. The walnuts give the vinaigrette a warm toasty flavor while also adding richness (and heart healthy omega 3's!). The tomatoes don't add a tomato flavor per se- its really more a depth of flavor and tangy sweetness which works well. You could omit them and toss some apples and dried cranberries to the salad as well.

Quick- easy- healthy- yummy! Now back to the holiday indulgences...

Lemon Glazed Gingerbread

2011-12-12T14:14:00.000-08:00

Holiday baking season is here and the AS kitchen is a-bustle cooking up all kinds of Christmas cheer! I have a huge backlog of posts for you so check back soon. A women's group here in Lexington hosts an annual Christmas bake sale for a local charity and this year I made my mother's gingerbread recipe - a long standing favorite around the Holidays. It is always perfectly moist with all of the soul-warming spicy gingerbread flavors. Typically a bundt cake- she serves it as a plated dessert with a warm lemon sauce but to make it more bake-sale friendly, I opted for an easy lemon glaze to give my loaf version of the cake a hit of lemony fresh flavor.

Recipe makes 1 bundt cake, two medium size loaves or three small loaves.

1 cup of sugar
1 cup molasses
1 cup melted butter (2 sticks)
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground clove
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the sugar, molasses, butter and eggs. (By hand, with a handmixer or standing mixer is fine.)

Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the boiling water, to the sugar-egg mixture until combined.

Pour the batter into greased and floured pan(s). Bake for 25/30/40 minutes (depending on pan size) until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before loosening the cakes with a knife around the edge to remove.

Lemon Glaze:
3 cups of powdered sugar
4-6 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Whisk the lemon juice into the sugar. Start with 4 tablespoons and add more gradually until the icing is just loose enough to pour. Place the cake(s) on a wire rack over a cookie sheet and spoon the icing over the cakes so that it runs off all sides. Let the icing dry completely before wrapping with plastic wrap.

Packaging of course is everything if you are gifting goodies for the Holidays (or selling them at a bake sale.) I wrapped each loaf first in plastic wrap so that the the extra plastic was at the bottom. I then tied a piece of burlap ribbon and a few pieces of red raffia lengthwise around the loaf so that the raffia was on top of the burlap. I then tied it all together in a bow on top. I found adorable hand made holiday gift tags that I tied to each of them as well.

If you want to go the plated dessert route- here is the Warm Lemon Sauce Recipe:

4 teaspoons of cornstarch
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 teaspoons of butter
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Combine cornstarch through the water in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce is smooth and thickened. Cover and cook 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat and stir in the butter, lemon zest and lemon juice. Serve warm. Can be made ahead and reheated before serving. Spoon over the individual gingerbread slices once on the plate.

Claudia's Pecan Pie

2011-11-30T09:26:00.001-08:00

Well it was an action packed Thanksgiving Holiday here in Kentucky this year! The final headcount at our Windy Hill Farm Thanksgiving feast was 44 people which means the AS kitchen has been cooking up a storm. (Hence the lack of posting activity.) We had family from all sides and all over the country in town and there was spectacular food, drink and merriment shared by all. My mother-in-law and I contributed the majority of the desserts this year- the spread ranging from her unbeatable Pecan Pie to my Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake to my grandmother's Apple Strudel. (and lots more in between) As we merged the Lacys with the Cobetto/Cunningham clan for the first ever holiday celebration- I thought I'd share a Lacy recipe that got rave reviews from the rest of the family.

Pecan Pie Filling: makes 1 pie

1/2 cup of sugar

1 cup dark Karo corn syrup
1/2 stick of butter, melted

3 eggs

1/2 cup of chopped pecans

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and fill an unbaked 9 inch pie crust. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes until golden brown and set.

Pastry for Pies: also Claudia's recipe

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (she likes Lily brand)

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
4-5 tablespoons of cold water

Mix salt with flour and cut in the shortening with a pastry blender. Add the cold water one tablespoon at a time until dough forms a ball. Roll out to fit pie pan.

A few other great scenes from the day...

my parents' barn decked out for the party

carving one of six turkeys fried for the occaison

mid-feast with Johnboy, "the littles" and my cousins

a beautiful ending to the perfect Turkey Day

photography courtesy of my extremely talented "boy little", Nate Lacy and my cousin Sarah

Prosciutto wrapped Pork Tenderloin

2011-11-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

Otherwise knows as Saltimbocca or "jump in the mouth" translated from Italian, the concept of wrapping veal or chicken in prosciutto with sage leaves is not a new one. I happen to LOVE this flavor combination- especially for fall- and my experimental method of wrapping the whole tenderloin turned out very well if I do say so myself.

This was a quick, relatively fuss free (and healthy) weeknight dinner but the presentation would certainly impress company too.

Serves 2 with leftovers

1 pork tenderloin
6 thin slices of prosciutto
10-12 fresh sage leaves
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

First rinse the pork and pat it dry with papertowels. Trim off any big fat pieces or silver skin and season well with salt and pepper. Next lay 4 slices of the prosciutto out on a large cutting board. You want them to be at a slight diagonal and overlapping about half an inch. (This should be the entire length of the pork.)

Lay the sage leaves down the middle of the prosciutto per the picture below. You want the outer part of the leaf to be down on the prosciutto. Depending on the size of the leaves, you might use two to be sure you get the sage flavor all the way around the pork.

Lay the pork in the middle and starting on the end where you first layed the prosciutto, wrap it up around the pork. My prosciutto wasn't long enough to get all the way around the pork so I layed two more sage leaves and two slices of prosciutto (horizontally this time) to cover the seam.

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork on all sides- rotating every 2 minutes until the prosciutto is golden brown. If your skillet is oven proof you can throw the whole thing in the oven. (I transferred the pork to a baking sheet lined with tin foil.) Roast the pork in the oven for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature at the thickest part reaches 145/150 degrees for medium.

Let the pork rest for 10 minutes before slicing on an angle. (Use a very sharp knife to cut 1.5 -2 inch slices so as to not pull all of the prosciutto off while you slice.)

As far as sides for this- I sauteed some fresh asparagus right in the same skillet while the pork was in the oven. I wanted to take advantage of the yummy salty flavor that the pork fat and prosciutto left behind. (I tossed in one minced garlic clove too.)

I also had a balsamic fig jam in the fridge that I made from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc Cookbook. (Book and jam both amazing- you'll see much more from that soon.) I put a little spoonful next to the pork and the sweetness was a great accompaniment with the saltiness of the prosciutto.

If you are entertaining, the pork would be amazing with a butternut squash risotto or ravioli on the side. (Whole Foods has a great butternut squash ravioli in the freezer section. I boil per the package instructions and then toss it with some butter browned slightly in a skillet with some sliced fresh sage.)

Tarte au Citron (Lemon Tart)

2011-10-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

I still can't kick my infatuation of all things French since our recent Paris trip so when looking for a light and elegant dessert to take to a dinner party, I tested my patisserie skills on an authentic tarte au citron. I researched a number of recipes before landing on a hybrid of a french sabayon lemon filling courtesy of Thomas Keller and a simple pastry crust from Ina Garten. Ina's lemon meringue tart also looked divine however I was looking for the proper french method and I wasn't up for fussing with meringue.

I can say with confidence that I will not be deviating from this lemon tart filling. Ever. It was perfection as far as I'm concerned. The lemon was bright and fresh without being overwhelmingly tangy and the texture was light, I'm talking cloud-like, yet creamy at the same time.

So anyway.. here it is. I did one and one half times recipe to fill a 10 inch tart shell, I had a little more than I needed but trust me it didn't go to waste. I poured the extra into a ramekin and enjoyed it straight up- almost like a mousse- the next day. It would be lovely served this way too, maybe with a handful of fresh raspberries in the bottom.

Lemon Sabayon:

3 large eggs, cold
2 large egg yolks, cold
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup lemon juice (I used 2 meyer lemons* and 1 regular lemon)
zest of one meyer lemon
9 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cut into 9 pieces

*Meyer lemons are a splurge but worth it if you can find them. They have a delicate lemon flavor with almost a hint of orange. They have an orange hue to them as well as you'll see compared to a regular lemon.

I'm giving you the instructions verbatim because it worked beautifully for me and I don't want anything to get lost in translation...

"Bring about 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a pot that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be using for the sabayon. Meanwhile, in a large metal bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, and sugar for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is smooth.

Set the bowl over the pot and, using a large whisk, whip the mixture while you turn the bowl (for even heating). After about 2 minutes, when the eggs are foamy and have thickened, add one-third of the lemon juice. Continue to whisk vigorously and, when the mixture thickens again, add another one-third of the lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture thickens again, then add the remaining lemon juice. Continue whisking vigorously, still turning the bowl, until the mixture is thickened and light in color and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl. The total cooking time should be 8 to 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water. Whisk in the butter a piece at a time. The sabayon may loosen slightly, but it will thicken and set as it cools. Pour the warm sabayon into the tart crust and place the pan on a baking sheet.

Preheat the broiler. While the sabayon is still warm, place the tart under the broiler. Leaving the door open, brown the top of the sabayon, rotating the tart if necessary for even color; this will take only a few seconds, so do not leave the oven. Remove the tart from the broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold." (I refrigerated mine for 24 hours. Let the tart sit out 20 minutes before serving.)

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lemon-Tart-231349#ixzz1bFW3laSX

The tart shell can be made a few hours in advance. I have to say this was yummy but not remarkable. Mostly likely because the lemon filling stole the show.

Tart Shell:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 stick of cold unsalted butter, diced
4-5 tablespoons of ice water

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Freeze for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse one or two times. Next add the butter chunks (which I also freeze for 10 minutes or so) and pulse until the mixture has only small clumps. Lastly, add the ice water (starting with 4 tablespoons and adding if needed) and process until the mixture just forms a ball of dough. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour before rolling it out as you would a pie crust.

Lay the dough gently into a 9 or 10 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. (Next time I would do 1.5 times the recipe if I were using a 10 inch tart pan.) If you try to stretch the dough, it will shrink back up while baking. Roll a rolling pin over the top to cut off any extra dough. Line the crust with a piece of tin foil coated with nonstick spray and then fill with dried beans, rice or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes.

Carefully lift the pie weights/beans out using the tin foil and prick the pastry all over with a fork. Return to the oven and bake 10-15 minutes more until lightly golden brown.

Cool before filling.

I served the tart with a few fresh raspberries on the side. I neglected to get any pictures as I served it so you'll have to trust me that it was beautiful AND delicious.

Bourbon Ginger Peach Cocktail

2011-10-09T19:15:00.001-07:00

This cocktail desperately needs a cool name... I can't seem to think of a good one at the moment but I wanted to post this before the sun sets on peach season.

This is the perfect for SEC football beverage as its a lovely concoction of Kentucky Bourbon and either South Carolina or Georgia peaches (depending on who we're playing.) John found this recipe on Garden & Gun's website and it is right up my alley.

Muddled fresh peaches (or pears as we get further into fall), a warm and spicy fresh ginger simple syrup and your favorite Kentucky Bourbon... how can you go wrong?

Ginger Simple Syrup:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium high heat. As soon as the sugar dissolves, turn off the heat and let steep for one hour before straining the syrup. (Keeps in the fridge for a week or two.)

To make the cocktail, muddle two fresh peach slices (peeled) in the bottom of an old fashioned glass with 1 tablespoon of the syrup. Top with lots of ice, 3 ounces of bourbon and a splash of soda. (I tried a splash of ginger beer which was also excellent.) Garnish with another peach slice, find a comfy spot on the back deck and enjoy. Warning: these go down rather easy so pace yourself!

Double Chocolate Torte

2011-10-09T18:33:00.000-07:00

I recently hosted a super girly surprise 30th Birthday party for a friend that happens to have... we'll call it an affinity for chocolate. I was searching for something elegant AND decadent to start her third decade off right and stumbled upon this double chocolate torte recipe from Bon Appetit magazine also featured on a fave food blog of mine, Smitten Kitchen.

The torte consists of a rich, fudgey cake/brownie layer and a light and smooth, yet equally chocolaty, mousse layer. A simple garnish of fresh raspberries gives it a "grown up" look while balancing out the richness of the chocolate. The Birthday Girl is also pregnant with twins so I had to improvise on the chocolate mousse layer to avoid the raw eggs. My whipped cream version worked quite nicely if I do say so myself...

This recipe does require a few hours of chilling time however it can be made a day or two ahead which makes it great for entertaining. It serves 8-10 people easily.

Cake Layer:

8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup of sugar
4 extra large eggs (or 5 large)
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup flour

For cake:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan; dust with sugar.

Melt chocolate and butter in heavy large saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.

Cool to lukewarm. Whisk in sugar. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and salt, then flour. Pour batter into pan. Bake until cake just rises in center (tester inserted into center will not come out clean), about 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Cover; chill while making mousse..

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Double-Chocolate-Torte-104512#ixzz1aKr2Hdw2

Mousse Layer:

8 ounces of semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups of whipping cream
3-4 tablespoons of confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon of Cointreau/Grand Marnier, Kahlua or Vanilla extract

1 cup of fresh raspberries for garnish

Let the cake layer cool COMPLETELY before topping it with the mousse layer. If its warm at all it will melt the whipped cream into a soggy mess. Note: leave it in the springform pan until ready to serve.

Melt the chocolate with 2 tablespoons of the whipping cream in a glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until smooth.

Let cool to room temperature. (You can put the chocolate in the fridge for 30 minutes to speed the process along.)

Whip the cream (ice cold is optimal) in a standing mixer until it just starts to thicken. Add the sugar and liqueor and whip until peaks form. It should be thick but not clumpy.

Add a large scoop of the whipped cream to the bowl of chocolate and gently fold to lighten the chocolate a bit. Then add the rest of the cream and gently fold with a spatula until the mixture is no longer has streaks of chocolate.

Spread the mousse over the cake layer while still in the springform pan. I used a metal spatula warmed in a mug of hot water to smooth the top before placing the raspberries along the edge of the cake. Chill for a minimum of 4 hours before serving.

When ready to serve, warm a sharp knife in a mug of hot water first. This will help you make neater slices.

Decadent for sure- a tiny slice will do ya- and absolutely delicious. This one will definitely be a go-to Special Occaison cake from here on out. You could fancy it up it even more with piped florettes of whipped cream along the edge or some extra shaved chocolate over the top. Either way, I'd highly reccomend a glass of port, bubbly or red wine with this one.

Individual Apple Tarts

2011-09-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

We're back from an AMAZING week in London and Paris and the food was definitely a highlight of the adventure. As I re acclimate to real life this week, I find myself at a loss without a perfectly flaky croissant and cafe for breakfast, a pint of ale alongside lunch and the glimmering Eiffel Tour in the backdrop of a leisurely two+ hour dinner. Therefore I decided to make some Parisian inspired apple tarts my very first day home to make the transition a bit smoother. I figure a tapered withdrawal from the pastries would be far better for morale than quitting cold turkey.

Apple Tarts makes 8 individual servings

1 package (large sheet) of Dufour Puff Pastry
2 extra large (or 3 medium) fuji, gala or honeycrisp apples
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of grated orange zest
juice of half an orange
2 tablespoons of apple jelly (apricot would work as well)
1 teaspoon of water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Thaw the frozen puff pastry according to the package directions. You can find Dufour Pastry in the freezer section at your Whole Foods or specialty market. It is heads above your average grocery store brand- largely because it is made with 100% butter- and while its a splurge ($9 per package), it is worth every penny, I assure you. (If you need help with a justification, remind yourself the total cost of the remaining ingredients is barely $3 - and therefore $12 for 8 generously portioned tarts is a steal, especially by Paris standards!

You want to keep the pastry dough chilled as long as possible while you assemble the tarts, so have the apples ready to go before you start rolling. Peel, core and halve the apples before slicing them super thin. Then toss them gently in a bowl with the brown sugar, spices, salt, orange juice and zest. Let them set for a few minutes and the sugar dissolves into a glaze that will coat all of the apples.

Next put the jelly or jam in a small bowl with a teaspoon of water and microwave for 40 seconds or so until melted enough to stir into a glaze. *I was lucky enough to have my mother-in-laws homemade apple jelly which is probably why this batch was particularly blissful.

Now you're ready to assemble the tarts... Roll the pastry dough out slightly on a board. It should increase in size by roughly an inch in both directions. Try to maintain the rectangle shape. Using a pairing knife, portion the dough into 8 smaller rectangles. Divide and place them on two baking sheets sprayed lightly with nonstick spray (and/or lined with parchment paper).

Arrange a line of apple slices in an overlapping fashion down each rectangle so that they are covering all but a tiny edge of the dough. Drizzle with the remaining sugary syrup from the bottom of the apple bowl and bake for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown along the edges. Switch racks half way through.

With about 5 minutes of cooking time left, take one baking sheet out at a time to brush with the jam glaze and return to the oven.

WARNING: The cinnamon sugar oozes a bit and bakes on to the baking sheet. You want to remove the tarts from the pans with a spatula as soon as you take them out of the oven before the glaze hardens and glues them to the pan. The nonstick spray should help with clean up. Otherwise a soak in some soapy water will eventually break the sugar loose from the pans.

Enjoy at room temperature as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for dessert. They are FANTASTIC for breakfast with a cup of coffee the next day as well. WARNING: Husbands, do not leave your wives home with the leftovers or they will disappear. Sorry, babe. I owe you another batch.

Croque Madame

2011-09-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

T minus 4 days, 2 hours and 33 minutes until John and I take off for vacation! We've been meticulously planning our London-Paris adventure for months and its almost here... I've spent the past week researching restaurants in both cities and my taste buds have been dreaming of all things Gastropub and Brasserie. So it will come as no surprise to you that even my mid-work lunch today is Euro-inspired...

A croque madame is traditional, simple French bistro fare that just about anyone can throw together in 10 minutes. All you need is the following:

1 thick slice of French bread
Some sliced or shredded Gruyere or Baby Swiss cheese
1-2 slices of ham
1 teaspoon of whole grain or dijon mustard
1 egg

I have a countertop toaster oven however you can do this under the broiler in your oven as well...

Toast the bread on a baking sheet to golden brown on one side. Take it out, flip it over, and spread the mustard on the untoasted side. Lay the ham slices over the toast, followed the cheese. Put back under the broiler or toast until the cheese is melted, barely golden and dripping down the toast.

Meanwhile fry your egg to your liking with some salt and pepper- perfect over medium for me (No runny white but lots of runny yolk.) Top the toast with your fried egg e voila!

A small salad of baby mixed greens drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette makes this into a rather gourmet-like lunch. A week from now I'll get to enjoy a glass of Sancerre along with lunch at a sidewalk cafe a Paris.. but for today, a Diet Root Beer will have to do as I have a conference call coming up shortly... Bon Appetit!

Quick Pork Chops with Green Olives and Lemon

2011-09-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

This was a super quick and easy weeknight meal that earned me a "wow what's the special occaison!?" from John when we sat down to eat on the back patio... definitely the best of both worlds. Inexpensive, simple meals don't have to involve boring boneless chicken breasts OR pasta with jarred sauce, though we love both of those in moderation as well.

The ticket to this recipe is two good quality ingredients. 1) Local, organic thick cut pork chops and 2) preserved lemon. Both could be found at your Whole Foods or specialty shop. I'll get on my soapbox for a quick minute to stress the local, organic pork factor here. Whole Foods has a great new color coding system that helps you understand exactly how local and how natural your options are. As the butcher explained to me, happy pork is tasty pork (literally the muscles develop differently and the meat is more tender) and its worth a few extra dollars. To put it this way, I got two beautiful thick cut chops for $8.00 which is frankly what you pay for a frozen pizza these days...

Ingredients:

2 pork chops on the bone
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced/grated
3/4 cup dry white wine
Skin of 1 preserved lemon, chopped
1/2 cup green olives with pits, use a pairing knife to slice the meat off around the pit
1 teaspoon total of fresh rosemary and/or fresh thyme
1 heaping cup of cherry tomatoes

(Confession... I didn't have preserved lemons in this case but I just happened to find olives with essentialy pickled lemon slices mixed in when perusing the olive bar at Whole Foods... I cut them into tiny pieces and they worked perfectly.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Let the pork chops come to room temperature for 10-15 minutes and then season with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides. Season also with some sugar on both sides. This helps the chops develop a beautifully caramelized crust.

Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a saute pan oven medium-high heat. Brown the chops of both sides, 3 minutes per side. Toss the garlic and half of the herbs into the pan around the pork and give it a little shuffle around for 1 minute. Pour the wine over the chops and add half of the lemon and olives to the pan as well.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan with a lid (or a cookie sheet works too), and simmer until the pork is tender (8-10 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 150 degrees). Meanwhile, toss the whole cherry or grape tomatoes with one tablespoon of olive oil, the remaining half of the chopped herbs and some salt and pepper. Roast in the oven on a cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes or until wilted and starting to burst.

Serve the pork chops with the pan juices spooned over the top and the extra lemon and olives. Scoop some of the tomatoes onto the side. The tang of the lemon and the brininess of the olives makes the dish feel really light and fresh. The pork has a great crust and juicy interior with lots of great flavor from being cooked on the bone. We paired this dish with a Rosenblum Zinfandel from California which was lovely. (They say Zinfandel works well with grilled meats...) A nice little Thursday dinner at home for under 30 minutes!

Garlic and Herb Roasted Chicken and Summer Vegetables

2011-08-23T11:53:00.000-07:00

I am a sucker for roasted chicken, I'll admit. In my opinion it is one of the most delicious, timeless and versatile dishes there is. Roasting a whole chicken is ideal for a family or if you're looking for left overs to make into soup. I've found when cooking for two on a weeknight, I often scale back to roasting just the chicken breast pieces. This ultra moist and flavorful method of rubbing softened butter studded with fresh garlic and herbs under the skin gives this roasted chicken a little something extra special (and decadent.) Added bonus: the price of chicken on the bone is significantly less than the boring boneless, skinless variety. Ironically they don't charge a premium for the added flavor (or calories).

Serves 3-4 (in our case 2 for dinner and left overs for lunch the next day)

3 split chicken breasts on the bone, with skin

3 tablespoons of softened/room temperature butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, chopped

1/2 teaspoon of fresh thyme, (I like lemon thyme) chopped

zest of one lemon

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

fresh cracked pepper

olive oil for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet or roasting pan with foil for easy cleanup. Pat the chicken dry with a papertowel and place on the pan. Mash the butter, garlic, herbs, lemon zest and half the salt together in a small bowl.

Using a small spatula (or your fingers), spread the herbed butter up under the skin of each chicken breast. Drizzle the outer skin with olive oil to help it crisp and season with the remaining salt and lots of fresh cracked pepper. Bake the chicken in the center of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. If its not as golden brown as you like, put it under the broiler for an extra minute or two at the end.

Meanwhile, prepare your veggies of choice for roasting. I found some beautiful baby eggplants and zucchini at the farm stand and supplemented those with red bell peppers and cherry tomatoes from my garden (well pots really) and half a red onion from the fridge.

Clean the vegetables and cut them all into a rough one inch dice. (Keep the tomatoes to the side for now.) Toss the vegetables with some olive oil, some fresh rosemary and thyme if you have extra and some salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet (lined with nonstick sprayed foil) and roast in the oven below the chicken for 25 minutes (or until tender). Take them out after 15 minutes and toss them around so they'll brown evenly. Add the cherry tomatoes to the pan for the last 10 minutes. I tossed the vegetables with some fresh basil just before serving.

Let the chicken rest 10 minutes before removing it from the bone (run a knife along the bone to free the whole breast) and slicing it into pieces. You can serve the skin or easily remove it. It has great flavor but so does the chicken at this point as the garlic-herb butter has slowly basted it while cooking.

Serve the chicken (you'll find you don't need a whole breast for each person- slicing it before serving allows you to take just what you want) with a generous scoop of roasted vegetables and a piece of toasted french bread. I keep a bottle of reduced balsamic syrup in the pantry to which I am currently addicted. I like to drizzle it over the roasted vegetables here - although a splash of regular balsamic vinegar would be good too. Simple but delicious...and even better yet with a big glass of red wine.

Peach and Blueberry Hand Pies

2011-08-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

I recently saw a tasty looking recipe for peach hand pies in a local newspaper. As a fan of most everything in the pie, tart, crisp and crumble family, I was very excited to try my hand at this portable version of a personal pie. Just a warning, the recipe requires two hours total "chilling" time so plan accordingly. I promise you, the end result is very much worth the wait!

Makes 6 individual pies

Pastry Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) of unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup sour cream (I used plain greek yogurt instead)
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water

Mix the flour and salt in bowl. Place the butter cubes in a second bowl and put both bowls in the freezer for one hour. Next mix the yogurt, lemon juice and ice water in another small bowl. When cooled, transfer the flour and the butter from the freezer to the food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse the butter and flour together until the butter is reduced to pieces so tiny you almost can't distinguish them.

Add the yogurt, lemon juice and water and pulse in quick spurts until the mixture clumps together to form a ball of dough. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form it into a disk. Wrap it up and refrigerate the dough for 1 solid hour. (Don't skimp.)

In the meantime, you can prepare the filling:

2 large peaches, peeled and sliced into half inch pieces
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons of flour
3 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of bourbon, amaretto, vanilla or lemon juice- your choice

Toss everything together gently in a bowl. Next make a simple Cinnamon Sugar for dusting over the outside of the pies. Mix together 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg. You'll also want an egg wash to help the pies brown and the cinnamon sugar to adhere. (Beat one egg in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of water.)

After the dough has chilled, cut the disc in half to roll out the pie shells. Work with one half at a time, put the second half back in the fridge. Roll the dough out on a floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness, flipping it over every so often to ensure it doesn't stick. You can make the pies as large or small as you like. I used a cereal bowl as a guide to cutting out three, 5 inch circles from the first sheet of dough. (Tracing the bowl with a paring knife.) I was able to fit two circles with the first roll, then I rerolled the scraps to make the third circle.

Transfer the circles to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Spoon 1/4-1/3 cup of the fruit filling into the center of each circle and fold in half, using a bit of the egg wash to help the dough stick together if needed. Crimp the edges with a fork to seal the pie.

Brush the pies with egg wash and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar before placing the pan back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Making sure the dough is cold when it hits the oven ensures the crust stays nice and flaky. Repeat with the second portion of dough.

Once chilled, bake the pies at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Don't be alarmed if blueberry juice oozes out a bit. I baked three pies to a pan to ensure they had plenty of room for such oozage. Let the pies cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream (I spiked mine with a little extra amaretto.) They truly are best fresh out of the oven. I tried reheating them the next day and its just not the same.. If serving guests, I would recommend assembling them a few hours ahead, keeping them in the fridge, and baking them while you eat dinner.

The dough is flaky and yet still a bit chewy at the same time. The warmth and crunch of the cinnamon crust is the perfect compliment to the perfectly sweet gooey filling. I love that the pie is served in a tidy little personal package. I always find it hard to serve fruit pie elegantly because the filling starts to ooze out from under the top crust as soon as you cut it. Transfer to the plate is always messy affair as well. Hand pies are most definitely a fun twist. I can't wait to try apple or pear hand pies as we get into fall!

Chiles Rellenos with Corn and Okra Succotash

2011-08-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

I'd been oogling this recipe ever since I first saw it in Food and Wine magazine last summer. Tim Love of Lonesome Dove restaurant in Fort Worth, TX did a tex-mex/bbq menu for the Fourth of July that looked absolutely heavenly. John and I had some friends over for dinner last weekend and seeing as one was from Austin and one went to school in Dallas, we decided on a tex-mex theme. I served these chiles rellenos alongside Pork Tacos al Pastor, a pitcher (or two) of strong margaritas and a Pat Green and Robert Earl Keen playlist...

Serves 6-8

10 poblano chiles

5 slices of bacon, sliced into half inch pieces

4 ears of corn, kernels cut off

1/2 medium red onion, cut into small dice

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into small dice

4 cloves of garlic, minced or grated

1/2 pound okra, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces (about 2 cups)

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon chile powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 cup of chicken stock

2 cups of Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

I took a few short cuts from Tim Love's original recipe. He grills the peppers first before removing the skins, seeds and and cores. He later cooks the stuffed peppers in a cast iron pot on the grill whereas I started with raw peppers and cooked them in foil packets directly on the grill. Frankly they came out great so I'm sticking with my method.

I made a slit from the core of of the pepper all the way down. I then used a pairing knife to cut the inner core and seeds out. NOTE: Poblanos are typically pretty mild but I had a few firey ones in this batch. If you don't love heat, you'll want to cut the inner white ribs out as well to be safe.

To make the filling, I first cut the kernels off of the ears of fresh corn and set aside. Next I started the bacon in some olive oil in a dutch oven (you want something with a lid) over medium heat. While the bacon rendered, I cleaned and prepped the okra, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. As soon as the bacon started to brown, I added the onion and pepper to the pot and cooked for 3-4 minutes.

Next I added the corn and okra, cooking another 4 minutes. Lastly I added the garlic and spices, tossing everything together to cook for 1 minute before pouring in the chicken stock and seasoning with salt and pepper.

I turned the heat down to medium-low and covered the pot- letting everything cook together for another 6-7 minutes until the juices thickened into a sauce and the okra was just tender.

I made tin foil "boats" to fit about 5 peppers each. Working directly in the foil, I spooned corn filling into each pepper. You want them full but not overflowing. I then topped each pepper generously with cheese, tucking it down into the pepper so it wouldn't melt off while cooking. I used a second sheet of tin foil sprayed with Pam to cover the packet.

John grilled the packets for roughly 10-15 minutes- I would guess at around 350 degrees. You want the peppers to steam until tender and the filling and cheese to warm through and melt. You could technically do this in the oven too but you'd lose the smoky flavor you get from the grill.

Once the peppers are done, you can keep them warm in a low oven until serving. These would make a great vegetarian entree with some black beans, rice or avocado on the side. Or you can serve them as a veggie and starch side-in-one as we did alongside your favorite tacos or enchilladas. Either way, make sure you have a cold beverage and maybe some sour cream to cool you (and your mouth) down on a hot summer night.

Dulce de Leche Layer Bars

2011-08-07T11:14:00.000-07:00

Magic Cookie Bars, Seven Layer Bars, Hello Dolly's... all the same delicious childhood favorite just called by different names. They still hold a special place in my repertoire as one of the very first things I learned to bake. This new grown-up version is made slightly more sophisticated - yet equally as decadent and addictive - with the addition of a gooey dulce de leche center.

Makes 16 bars

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
7 tablespoons of butter
12 ounces of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup of slivered almonds

1 1/2 cups of sweetened shredded coconut

1- 14 ounce can can of dulce de leche*

1- 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

*Look for dulce de leche in the latin foods section of your grocery store. You can make it from scratch by essentially caramelizing a can of sweetened condensed milk if you can't find it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the butter into pieces and place in the bottom of a 9 x 9 square pan or baking dish. Once the oven is hot, put the pan into the oven to melt the butter- takes roughly 4 minutes. Meanwhile mix the cinnamon into the graham cracker crumbs. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the melted butter and press down to form a crust in the bottom of the pan.

Next sprinkle half of the coconut, chocolate, and almonds over the crust. Then spoon the dulce de leche evenly over the top. The dulce de leche was thicker in consistency than I expected. I transferred it to a bowl and microwaved it for one minute or two minutes (stirring every 30 seconds or so) to make it a bit more pliable.

Next, repeat the layers with the remaining coconut, chocolate chips, and almonds. Lastly drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the top as evenly as possible. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let cool completely before cutting into bars or sampling. I was not so patient and burned my mouth with hot caramel which I'm still paying for a day later...

They are delicious but very rich so small bars will go a long way. The caramel and cinnamon gives them a little hint of something new and different from the bars you remember. The almonds add a great toasty crunch in contrast to the smooth chocolate and sticky dulce de leche. I bet you can't eat just one!

Halibut with Tomato Jam

2011-08-05T07:22:00.000-07:00

TGITS... Thank goodness its (finally) Tomato Season!! There is nothing better than fresh Kentucky tomatoes in the summer. I find I always have a few sitting on counter whether they are from my own patio plants, the vegetable stand down the road or a generous neighbor. This quick and easy savory "jam" was the perfect summer accoutrement for a weeknight pan seared halibut this week. It would be equally as excellent over grilled chicken, pork or beef as well.

I pan seared the halibut first* and then cooked the jam right in the same pan while the fish rested. (I am a stickler for hot food but I don't fret as much in the summer. Meals like this are every bit as delicious at room temperature.)

Savory Tomato Jam Ingredients: serves two generously

1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 roma tomatoes, diced (any tomato would work, barely 1 cup diced)
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, grated or minced
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon of honey
zest of half a lemon
salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in non stick pan. Saute the shallot for 1 minute before adding the garlic and fresh thyme. Saute for 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and honey- cook for 5 minutes or until the majority of the liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes have started to break down.

Finish with the fresh parsley, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste.

I generously spooned the jam over the halibut and served it with some roasted veggies (brussels sprouts, onion and golden beets)- and a small arugula salad dressed simply with lemon juice and olive oil.

The balsamic and tomato juices reduce to create a lovely sweet flavor while the herbs and lemon zest give it an earthy freshness. It would be great as a bruschetta topping (maybe with some goat cheese) over grilled bread too! For a quick and simple weeknight meal on the porch- I have to say it was a beautiful and more importantly delicious plate...

*To cook the halibut... I heated one tablespoon of olive oil in a non stick pan over medium high heat. I seasoned the fish with salt and pepper and then cooked for roughly 3 minutes per side. The filets were roughly 1 inch thick in this case. The fish should flake easily and be just opaque in the center. I placed the fish on a plate tented with foil which probably cooked it a bit more while I made the jam.

Zucchini Bread

2011-08-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

If you've ever tried to grow zucchini or squash, you know that from time to time you find a ginormous one on the plant that managed to escape your previous attempt at a harvest. These ones lose some of their flavor and delicate texture once they hit the 12 inch mark but they are perfect for shredding into zucchini bread. You can do this by hand using a grater if you're looking for an upper body work out or a food processor fitted with a grater blade will do the trick in a matter of seconds.

I found that one massive zucchini equated to roughly 4 1/2 cups shredded which was more than I needed for one recipe so I made another half recipe in a smaller loaf pan as well.

Ingredients: makes one large loaf

2 cups of whole wheat flour (white would work too)

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/4 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 cup of sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of vegetable oil*
3 large eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla

3 cups of grated zucchini

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

*The second time I made this, I did 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk and 1/4 cup vegetable oil to lighten it up and it was equally as moist and delicious.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Measure the dry ingredients (flour through salt) into a bowl and stir together with a whisk.

Beat sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in the mixer or by hand in another large bowl. Mix in the zucchini and then the dry ingredients. Mix gently until just combined (Add the nuts last if you use them.)

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning the loaf out onto the rack to cool the rest of the way. Once cooled completely, wrap in foil or plastic wrap until you're ready to serve. It keeps at room temperature for a couple of days or for a few months in the freezer (air tight).

The top gets nice and crunchy while the inside stays perfectly moist and tender. You can't help but sample a piece while its still warm... Even it if means showing up to your grandmother's house with a partial loaf, oops. =)

You'll note I didn't title this recipe Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread... That would likely give people the impression that we're dealing with dense, cardboard-like "healthy" tasting bread which is just not the case here. The original recipe calls for white flour but I assure you the whole wheat flour gives you the nutrition boost yet still yields the tender texture. The recipe also calls for half shredded sweet potato instead of all zucchini which would also be delicious and would pack in some additional vitamins and minerals too.

Summer Vegetable Farro Salad

2011-07-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

Farro is my favorite food discovery of 2011. A dear friend of ours gave me a package of organic Italian farro months ago and it wasn't until recently that I gave it a try and it is absolutely habit forming. From my quick research, Farro is the Italian name for this whole grain also known as spelt or dinkel commonly grown in Germany and Switzerland. Cooked it its whole form, it has a rich toasty flavor and a wonderfully hearty texture. You can serve it warm as a starch it would be delicious in soups, and most recently I've enjoyed it at room temperature as a salad with any combination of veggies or seasonings.

Serves 6 as a side

1 and 1/2 cups of dried Farro*

1 small zucchini, diced

1/2 of a red onion, diced

1/2 of a large yellow bell pepper, diced

2 cloves of garlic, grated or minced

1 medium tomato, diced (I give it a gentle squeeze to remove some of the seeds and juice before dicing)

1 teaspoon of fresh thyme, chopped

1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons of fresh basil, sliced thinly

zest of one lemon

2-3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

2-3 tablespoons of olive oil

crumbled feta or goat cheese as a garnish

*Refer to the package instruction but it will likely suggest that you soak the grain in water for a minimum of 8 hours before cooking it. I put it in a bowl with water after breakfast and just let it sit out on the counter until its time to make dinner...

When you are ready to cook the farro, drain it well and transfer it to a sauce pan with 3 cups of fresh water and a hefty pinch of salt. (You could cook it in stock for more flavor.) Bring to a boil over high heat. Then cover the pan and reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. (Again check your package instructions and follow those if they are different.) Don't worry if at the end of 30 minutes the water isn't completely absorbed or evaporated just drain the farro in a colander when its tender. It should still have some texture but no crunch.

While the farro is cooking, saute the zucchini, pepper, and onion in a skillet over medium high heat with a drizzle of olive oil for 3 minutes or until barely soft. I like the veggies to maintain a little bit of their crunch. Add salt, pepper, the garlic and fresh thyme and cook one more minute. Remove the veggies from the heat and let them cool.

Transfer the drained farro, the sauteed veggies, the tomato and fresh herbs to a mixing bowl. Lastly season with the lemon zest, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and some salt and pepper before tossing it all together. Taste and it add more of the seasonings if you like.

The salad is a great side dish for grilling or stands alone as a perfectly light but hearty lunch topped with some feta or goat cheese crumbles. It keeps well for a number of days in the fridge. I tell you its a delicious (and healthy) alternative to a boring cous cous or pasta salad any day . Give it a try!

Pesto Zucchini Flatbread

2011-07-28T09:13:00.000-07:00

Summer is in full swing here in Kentucky which means our gardens, farmer's markets and even Krogers are fully stocked with local delicious fruits and vegetables. My mother's garden grows zucchini overnight or so it seems recently thus I'm fortunate to get a regular share of the bounty. I have a couple of my favorite summer squash recipes to share this week. First up: a super simple flatbread/pizza... a great option for a quick weeknight dinner or the perfect starter for a casual get together.

1 recipe of your favorite pizza dough (I used the Pillsbury thin crust dough in the can)
2 small/medium zucchini, sliced thinly (1/8 of an inch if you have a mandoline)
1/4 cup of fresh or prepared pesto
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 generous cup of shredded Italian cheeses (I used a blend of provolone, parmesan, and asiago from Sam's. Any combination of your favorites will do.)
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme, chopped (optional)
the zest of one lemon (optional)
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Unroll or flatten the pizza dough on a cookie sheet. (I put a tablespoon or so of corn meal down first to make the crust extra crispy and to prevent sticking but its not entirely necessary.)

Mix the olive oil and pesto together is a small bowl. Drizzle, spread or brush the pesto mixture evenly over the dough.

Next spread the cheese over the pesto.

Lastly lay the zucchini over the top in rows, slightly overlapping, and season with a bit of salt and pepper.

Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Peek under the crust to be sure its golden brown as well so that it doesn't get soggy.

Sprinkle the top with the fresh thyme and lemon zest before cutting the flatbread into squares. I like to cut small 2 inch by 2 inch pieces to serve as an appetizer. Serve warm from the oven or even at room temperature with your favorite crisp white wine, a Pinot Grigio would be perfect.

Next up: a summer vegetable farro salad and my favorite zucchini bread. So check back soon!

Leek and Asparagus Risotto with Seared Scallops and Meyer Lemon

2011-07-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

If I had to proclaim a "specialty" in the kitchen, it would likely be risotto. It is a family favorite therefore I've had plenty of practice to refine my method. Risotto is incredibly versatile- you can dress it up in a number of different ways. It is wonderfully rustic and simple all by itself- a delicious vegetarian entree idea, however it also makes for an elegant accompaniment to your favorite seafood or protein. I made this particular combination with friends a few months back and again for Father's Day.

Serves 6 as a main course.

Ingredients:

18 large scallops

1 1/2 cups of Arborio rice

3 large leeks, white and pale green parts only

1 bunch of asparagus, tough ends removed

1 meyer lemon (regular lemon if you can't find one)

3 cloves of garlic, minced or grated

2/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup of fresh basil, chopped

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of butter

1/2 cup of white wine

6-8 cups chicken stock or broth

Prep ahead of time or before you start the cooking process:

*Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel

*Clean the asparagus and cut into half inch pieces

*Remove dark green parts of leeks, halve lengthwise and slice into half inch pieces. Rinse well in bowl of water to remove any sand. Dry on a paper towel.

*Zest and juice one meyer lemon.

The process of cooking the risotto takes 20-30 minutes. Constant stirring is the trick to keeping it creamy so be prepared to man the stove for the last 30 minutes before serving (the scallops can be done first) or have a few friends handy to help stir and pour while you work on the scallops.

Heat a skillet over medium-high/high heat. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Sear them in a few tablespoons of olive oil for roughly 3 minutes a side. The trick to perfectly seared scallops is to leave them alone. Avoid the temptation to flip them or shuffle them around the pan. This allows the sugars to caramelize creating a sweet and golden crust. Remove from the pan and set on a plate tented with foil to keep them warm.

Look at these beautifully fresh scallops! They smelled so sweet and delicious that we sampled one "carpaccio" style with a drizzle of meyer lemon juice and a bit of zest. Yummm....

When you are ready to start the risotto, start with the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed sauce pan or cast iron pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent. Next add the garlic and the rice and saute another 2 minutes until the rice looks almost translucent and barely golden. (Don't let the garlic burn.) Then add the white wine and stir until almost entirely dissolved.

Now you begin with the chicken stock. Some people will say you should warm the stock on the stove before you begin to add it but I've found that as long as its room temperature (and not cold) it works fine as is. You add the stock 1/2 or 2/3 of a cup at a time, stirring constantly over medium heat. As soon as the liquid looks almost totally absorbed, you add more stock. You continue this until the rice is cooked and the mixture is creamy.

I added the asparagus as soon as the rice was getting close to tender. When the rice and asparagus were just cooked through, I added the cheese, butter, lemon zest and basil with one more healthy splash of stock. I removed the pan from the heat at this time. (Once you've gently stirred it all together, check the consistency once more. You want it to appear a bit looser than you think it should be- add more stock if needed. It will continue to set up as you serve it.)

My other important secret to luxuriously creamy risotto is serving it immediately- if you let it sit too long, the starches seize up and it becomes sticky.

Serve the risotto in a rimmed soup bowl and top with the scallops. Drizzle some of the meyer lemon juice over the top. You could garnish with some more fresh basil as well. (Note my Scallops didn't get as brown as I would have liked in this case.)

For 45 minutes to an hour of effort, this meal is definitely a stunner. Serve with your favorite side salad and a crisp white wine. For Father's Day we celebrated with a bottle of Duckhorn Savignon Blanc from California which was just perfect.

Other delicious risotto ideas:

Mascarpone and porcini mushroom

Artichoke hearts and parmesan

Gorgonzola and crispy pancetta

Sun dried tomato and goat cheese

Once you've mastered the technique, you can experiment with the mix-ins to create dozens of great recipes.

Warm Potato Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

2011-07-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

It is grilling/cookout/patio entertaining season and I know I'm always looking for new and exciting side dish ideas and I'm guessing that you are too. This potato salad recipe (inspired by a grilled version that I saw Bobby Flay prepare on tv a few weeks ago) is a great departure from the standard mayo-laden variety. It would go perfectly with just about any grilling menu and I particularly like that it can be served warm, at room temperature or cold.

Serves 4 as a side.

Ingredients:

2 generous pounds of red skin new potatoes, scrubbed well
3/4 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 of a small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup of good olive oil
3 tablespoons of sherry vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons of dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic, grated
drizzle of honey
kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup of sliced fresh basil (or parsley)
1 tablespoon of capers, drained

Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. (If the sizes vary significantly, halve the largest potatoes so they are closer in size to the smallest ones.) Add a few tablespoons of kosher salt and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Drain fhe potatoes and when cool enough to handle, slice into bite sized pieces.

While the potatoes are cooking, make the vinaigrette in the bottom of a large glass bowl. Whisk the sherry vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic, salt and pepper together first, then whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.

Add the tomatoes, onion and capers- then add the warm potatoes and fresh basil- tossing everything gently to coat in the dressing. The warm potatoes absorb more flavor than mixing in cold potatoes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate to serve later.

My pictures really don't do it justice but I assure you it was quite delicious. On this occaison, I served it alongside a piece of salmon roasted in the oven with a schmear of pesto over the top (a super quick/easy weeknight meal). I am confident this one will be a summer potluck staple from here on out!

Chocolate Health Bar Trifle

2011-06-30T06:36:00.000-07:00

With the Fourth of July weekend only a few days away, I have a great cookout dessert recipe to share. I actually made this for our Memorial Day BBQ and it was a hit. If you don't have a trifle bowl yet, I suggest you add it to your wish list. Trifles (layered pudding like desserts) are super simple to put together but the presentation is elegant. This recipe serve 10-12 people and can be made the day before which makes it perfect for entertaining.

Ingredients:

1 store bought chocolate angel food cake, cut into one inch cubes
1 recipe of chocolate custard* (or one box prepared chocolate pudding)
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of Kahlua
3 Heath Bars- coarsely chopped

*Chocolate Custard:

3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoons of flour
1 tablespoons of cornstarch
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 cups 2% or whole milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 tablespoon of butter

Combine the dry ingredients in a sauce pan. Whisk in the milk and eggs. Cook the mixture over medium, stirring constantly, until gently bubbling and thick. (4-5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and butter. Transfer to a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap (touching the top of the custard), and refrigerate until cool. At least one hour, up to overnight.

Prepare the custard or the instant pudding. Whip the cream with the powdered sugar and Kahlua.

Cube the angel food cake and chop the Heath Bars. Now you are ready to assemble..

Start with a layer of cubed cake in the bottom of the trifle dish or a large glass bowl. Next spoon a layer of chocolate custard or pudding (about a third of it) over the cake, following by a layer of Kahlua whipped cream and a layer of chopped candy bar. Repeat 3-4 times until you've used up all the ingredients. You want to end with whipped cream and chopped Heath bar.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. It is best if you let it sit at least 3-4 hours. The cake soaks up some of the custard and cream.

A few other yummy trifle ideas:

Angel Food Cake with Lemon Curd, whipped cream, fresh Strawberries, Blueberries and Raspberries
Almond Pound Cake with Grand Marnier whipped cream, sweetened mascarpone cheese and macerated strawberries
Chocolate Angel Food Cake with Vanilla pudding, banana slices and chopped Reece's Cups

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2011-06-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

As we are quickly nearing the end of prime Rhubarb season, I wanted to share this amazing pie recipe. If you're skeptical of Rhubarb, you shouldn't be. It's absolutely yummy. Though it looks just like red celery (the brighter the red, the better) - it's actually crisp and tart like a granny smith apple. I wouldn't reccomend eating it raw, rather adding it to crumbles, pies, compotes, etc. is the way to go.

Strawberries and rhubarb is a classic combination of tart and sweet and they are both in peak season late spring/early summer. Look for both at your local farmer's market.

Ingredients:

1 nine inch pie crust (2 if you prefer a crust top to a crumble top)

Filling:
3 1/2 cups of rhubarb cut into 1/2 inch pieces (4 large stalks)
3 1/2 cups of strawberries- hulled and halved (1 container)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Crumble Topping:
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
8 tablespoons (1 stick) of cold butter, cut into cubes

First- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. To assemble filling, stir everything but the fruit together in a bowl. Then pour the mixture over the fruit in a larger bowl. Gently toss to coat.

Second- make the crumble topping. I do this in my standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to save time. Combine all ingredients in the mixer and mix on low speed until combined and crumbly in consistency. If you let it go too long it will turn to dough.

Third- line your nine inch pie plate with your pastry dough. (I use Pillsbury's refrigerated dough regularly to save time.) Press it into the dish and crimp the sides before transferring the filling.

Top the filling with the crumble mixture and place the pie on a cookie sheet lined with foil for easy clean up. (The pie might ooze juices as it bakes.)

Bake the pie for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another hour to 75 minutes until the filling is bubbly and thickened.

Serve warm or at room temperature with your favorite vanilla ice cream. I happen to know that the left over pie is delicious for breakfast with a cup of coffee as well.

Red Curry Noodles with Shrimp

2011-06-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

I adore Thai food and I find when dining out, I'm torn to decide between the noodle dishes that I love (pad thai, pad see ew, etc) and the red and green curries which I also love. (This problem is solved when John and I are together and we can share both.) I decided to marry the two delicious categories together into this quick and easy Thai inspired curry noodle dish. You could easily mix this up using chicken, beef or any combination of veggies you like. Its amazing to me how many of the formerly "exotic" ingredients can be found in almost any neighborhood grocery store now a days- just look for the "ethnic" section and all of these basic Thai fixins will be lined up together.

Ingredients:

1 lb of shrimp- peeled and deveined
1/2 of a large yellow onion, sliced
1/2 of a bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 cup of frozen or fresh green beans (thawed)
3 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of grated ginger (I use the jarred one you can find in the produce section)
1 tablespoon of Thai Red Curry Paste (a heaping one if you like heat)
1 tablespoon of Thai Fish Sauce
1 can (14 ounces) of Lite or Regular Coconut Milk
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 package of Thai Rice Noodles
1/4 cup freshly sliced basil

First I cleaned the shrimp and sauteed them over medium heat in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil until just cooked through- about 2 minutes per side. I seasoned them well with salt and pepper and set aside.

Second, I put a pot of salted water for my noodles on the stove to boil. You want the water to be ready to go but its best if you wait and cook the noodles at the very last second. The rice noodles need only 2-3 minutes of cook time and overcooking them is disastrous. (Mush city!)

Next I cooked the onion over medium heat in another drizzle of oil for 4-5 minutes until soft- seasoning with a pinch of salt. (I prepped the bell pepper and green beans in the meantime.) I then added the garlic, ginger and curry paste and cooked one minute longer- stirring to coat the onions.

Next I added the coconut milk and stock to the pan (bumping the heat up to medium high), followed by the brown sugar and the fish sauce- whisking to combine. I let the mixture come to a gentle boil for 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly before adding the veggies and shrimp. Everything cooks together for another two minutes to take on the flavors of the sauce- you want the veggies to be slightly crisp and to avoid overcooking the shrimp.

**This is a good time to put the noodles in the boiling water to cook- watching carefully to cook only 2-3 minutes. Take them out as soon as they are tender.

Strain the noodles, toss them back in the pot you cooked them in and pour the shrimp curry mixture and the fresh basil over top- tossing gently to coat. Serve immediately with some extra fresh basil and an icy cold beer or an off dry white wine (a Gewürztraminer or Voignier would be delicious). You'll get your spicy coconutty curry AND your noodle fix all in one. This would serve 4 people or makes great left overs the following day.

Nate's Banana Nutella Turnovers

2011-06-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

My brother in law Nate introduced us to his delectable Banana Nutella Turnovers on a recent visit to Charleston. Between these and his hot pepper infused guava martini- we considered moving in permanently.

Nate swears by a particular high-end brand of frozen puff pastry that he found at Whole Foods. The name has escaped me but we'll see if we can get him to share via a comment. I went with the standard Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry this time around.

Ingredients:

1 package- 2 sheets of frozen puff pastry

2 ripe bananas

1 1/2 cups of nutella

1 egg

raw or turbanado sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Give the bananas a rough mash with a fork in a large glass bowl and then mix in the the nutella. Set aside. Next, mix the egg with a tablespoon of water in a small bowl.

Thaw the puff pastry over night in the fridge or for 20-30 minutes on the counter top at room temperature. Working with one at a time, roll each sheet of puff pastry out to a 12 by 14 inch rectangle. Use a little flour on the board to keep it from sticking. Leave the other sheet in the fridge while you fill the first batch.

Cut the sheet into nine, 4 x 4 inch squares using a paring knife. Place a generous spoonful of filling in the center. You want to put as much as you possibly can while still allowing it to close all the without any filling squishing out. (After the first one or two you'll get the hang of exactly how much that is.) Work quickly to close them up before the filling oozes too much. Then brush all four edges with the egg wash.

Fold in half to form a triangle and press the edges together with the tines of a fork to seal. Set on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Once you've filled the first tray, brush the top of the pastries with more of the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Place back in the fridge while you roll, cut and fill the second batch. Bake both trays for 25 minutes or until golden brown. (Switch the trays between the two racks half way through for more even baking.)

CAUTION: As tempting as it is to stuff one into your mouth when they come out at the oven, the filling is HOT, so let them cool 10 minutes first. Store them on the counter for up to 12 hours. Beyond that they keep for a day in an airtight container. (Goodness knows they didn't last that long in our house.)

The turnovers are delicious for breakfast, for a mid-afternoon coffee snack or as I did below, served as dessert with some whipped cream and a chocolate fudge drizzle. Thanks Natester, this one's a KEEPER!

Frisee Salad with Poached Eggs and Bacon

2011-05-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

I'm going to deviate from the light/healthy/summer dishes I promised you for a quick minute. John and I celebrated our 4th Anniversary last weekend and we toasted the occasion with our favorite bottle of champagne. French champagne of course goes perfectly with classic French bistro fare so I decided to recreate one of our favorite bistro dishes, a frisee salad tossed with an sherry orange vinaigrette, some toasted hazelnuts and topped with some crunchy bacon and a perfectly poached egg.

For 2 generous starter-size portions, you'll need:

2 super fresh eggs, poached

4-6 cups of frisee or a blend of baby greens and frisee

3 slices of thick, center cut bacon, sliced into half inch pieces

2 tablespoons of hazelnuts, coarsely chopped and lightly toasted

4-6 tablespoons of your favorite vinaigrette or see the recipe below

If you're thinking about closing your browser because you're afraid of egg poaching, I ask you to hear me out. I've only poached eggs 3 or 4 times in my life up until now however I happened upon a simple, fool proof method (you can read about here) that will make these a regular item on the Lacy kitchen menu.

The eggs can be poached earlier in the day or just before serving- either way its best to let them cool on a papertowel lined plate for at least 20 minutes in the fridge.

The vinaigrette can also be made in advance:

1/2 teaspoon of orange zest

1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon of dijon mustard

1 teaspoon of honey

2 teaspoons of minced shallot

3 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a glass measuring cup. Whisk well with a fork until emulsified (the oil and vinegar no longer separate.)

Fry the bacon in a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil until perfectly crispy and brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a papertowel.

Toss the greens with the vinaigrette in a bowl before plating. Sprinkle with the hazelnuts and bacon and then top with the poached egg.

The subtle orange flavor of the vinaigrette works very well with the toasted hazelnuts and the runny yolk of the egg creates a silky sauce that begs for a crusty piece of french bread for dipping.

As simple as it is to prepare, it would make for a great lunch or a quick weeknight dinner, but as we'll attest, it also stands up to a great bottle of champagne on a special occasion as well. There is something about pairing rustic classic dishes at home with a super bottle of wine or champagne that makes me happy.

Along with the salad, we enjoyed a simple (and decadent) take on a croque monsieur. I toasted thick slices of rustic whole wheat bread, topped them with a slice of prosciutto and a velvety cheese sauce made with a high quality French Comte (gruyere cheese). I then put them under the broiler for a couple of minutes to toast the cheese. Yummm....

Berry Pecan Granola Bars

2011-05-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

Hello readers! Hopefully you haven't completely forsaken me given my lack of posting activity. I promise I'm picking up the pace over the next few weeks! As I mentioned, I'm attempting to focus on lighter more nutritious fare as we move into summer. Homemade granola bars are both a satisfying sweet treat AND a healthy alternative to a grab-and-go muffin or processed meal bar (though there some nutritious version of those too.)

Makes 12 bars. Recipe adapted from Ina Garten,'The Barefoot Contessa'

2 cups of old fashioned oats
1 cup of pecan pieces
1 cup of shredded coconut
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons of butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the oats, pecans and coconut together in a bowl and then transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

While the oat mixture bakes, combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon in a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil and let boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Turn the oven down to 300 degrees. Transfer the toasted oat, pecan and coconut mixture to a large bowl and pour the honey mixture over. Add the dried fruit and flax seed (optional) and toss to combine. Press the mixture into a 9x13 pan coated with nonstick spray and lined with parchment paper. It is very sticky so I used the bottom of a metal measuring cup (also coated with nonstick spray) to press the mixture down and into the corners of the pan. You want to pack it down well so the bars don't crumble apart later.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden brown. Let cool for 2-3 hours before you try to cut them. I was able to lift the whole thing out of the pan using the parchment paper. I then cut them into 12 bars. I used muffin liners to separate them in an airtight container.

They are absolutely delicious as is or you can crumble them up like granola as I did here with some fresh berries and plain Fage yogurt sweetened with a drizzle of honey and a bit of vanilla bean paste. I can't wait to try some different variations on this recipe. I would probably go a little lighter on the dried fruit next time.

Other combinations to try:
*Almond Apricot
*Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
*Trail Mix (sunflower seeds, m&m's, peanuts, pretzel pieces)

Citrus Avocado Salad with Toasted Almonds

2011-05-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

John and I just returned from a fantastic vacation week in Charleston, SC- our old stomping grounds- and I am still full from a week jam packed with eating and drinking. We're on operation "eat light" this week and ironically I am still dreaming of this Citrus and Avocado Salad that I had for lunch at the Hominy Grill so I decided to recreate it to the best of my ability. They served the salad with a light Ginger Vinaigrette however I adapted my own dressing that had a punch of sherry vinegar in it as well. The rich and buttery avocado is the perfect compliment to the sweet and tart citrus fruits. It is light and refreshing yet substantial enough for a hearty lunch or dinner. Especially if you make them as large as I did.

Serves 2 as an entree or 4 as a starter. Salad: One bag of Butter lettuce blend salad (or two heads of bibb lettuce, cleaned well) One navel orange, peeled and segmented* One pink grapefruit, peeled and segmented* One avocado, peeled and sliced 1/4 cup toasted almond slices or slivers *Click here to watch a quick tutorial on how to segment your citrus fruits. If you are serving the salad as an entree- you can top it with 1 small grilled chicken breast per person (I like to use a couple of tenders-you can cook them quickly on the stove top). Grilled shrimp or salmon would be delicious as well. Dressing: 1 1/2 tablespoon of sherry vinegar (you can substitute red or white wine vinegar) 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons of fresh orange/grapefruit juice* 3 tablespoons of olive oil 1 heaping teaspoon of honey 1 heaping teaspoon of dijon mustard pinch of salt and pepper *I just squeezed the remaining juice out of the fruit flesh after cutting the segments out. You don't need to use another whole fruit. Pour the ingredients into a small bowl or measuring cup and mix together with a fork until emulsified. To assemble the salad, divide the lettuce and the other ingredients among the plates (chilled plates if you have time and want to impress company) and drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Tuna Melt Panini

2011-05-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

A love a classic tuna salad or tuna melt sandwich for lunch. (Who doesn't?) It takes me back to my childhood when Mom would make lunch for us during the week. However this recipe... "is not yo mama's tuna sandwich" as they say. Cheap, fast and healthy (kinda), this is quickly becoming a dinner staple at the Lacy house. I have started to collect the Annual Food and Wine Magazine cookbooks that come out at the end of each year and I found an intriguing recipe for this Italian-flavored tuna panini. They season plain old canned tuna with a basil- balsamic vinaigrette instead of any mayonnaise and the flavors are so much more exciting. The fresh tuna salad is then pressed and toasted between buttered ciabatta bread with melty mozzarella and a tangy crispy pickle slice... to die for! Tuna Salad: (serves 2 to 3 people) 12 ounces of canned Albacore tuna 1 large shallot (or 1/4 cup red onion), minced 1/4 cup good quality olive oil (I went a little lighter) 1 generous tablespoon of balsamic vinegar (I added a bit more) 1 tablespoon of freshly sliced basil 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes salt and pepper Drain the canned tuna well and transfer to a medium to large glass bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and blend together with fork. For each sandwich you'll need: 1 ciabatta roll sliced in half (or a ciabatta loaf cut into individual sandwich pieces) 2 large dill pickle slices (I like Claussen) 1-2 slices of mozzarella cheese a schmear of dijon mustard If you have a panini press (on my wish list)- that would of course work great. If not, you can use the griddle or skillet method as I did. Assemble the sandwiches and then melt one tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Place the sandwiches in the skillet and then use a large cast iron skillet/pot/some combination of heavy things on top of the sandwiches to give them a good press. I lined the bottom of the pot/skillet touching the food with foil first. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side until toasty brown. Add an additional tablespoon of butter when you flip the sandwiches over.

I served the sandwiches hot with a simple arugula and parmesan salad on the side. (Dressed with just some fresh lemon juice and olive oil.) Truly truly yummy I tell you. **If you don't like tuna- you could use some shredded chicken breast in its place.

Strawberry and Cream Muffins

2011-04-27T06:59:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a recent blog post of my dear friend Morgan Jane. These heavenly looking Strawberry and Cream mini muffins are next on my list of Spring recipes to try. Yummm...

Cheesecake Marbled Brownies

2011-04-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

Not much else to say here other than Make these. They are incredible. (I used 3 ounces of bittersweet chocolate instead of 2 ounces unsweet. I also added a scant half teaspoon of almond extract.) Picture courtesy of epicurious.com.

Ginger-Garlic Stir Fry

2011-04-11T13:42:00.001-07:00

I adore Chinese food but shudder at the thought of the quantities of oil and sodium in the average take-out variety. Ever notice that you can barely fit a ring on your swollen fingers the next morning?? (Sorry to burst your bubble if you weren't aware.) I am not very well schooled in Asian cuisine or wok-technique however this is my version of a pretty versatile and tasty stir fry. You can use your favorite combination of proteins and/or veggies (Its relatively low salt and low fat too...)

Serves 4 Ingredients:

1 pound of meat or fish (shrimp, chicken tenders, beef, etc)
3-4 cups of chopped vegetables
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon of ginger, grated (I use the jarred pulp you can find in the produce section)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1/3 cup of chicken stock
1 teaspoon of cornstarch
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons of oyster sauce (can substitute hoisin)
1 tablespoon of chili garlic paste (can use 1/2 teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes instead)
¼ cup of toasted cashews or peanuts (optional)

In this case I used one package (about one pound) of chicken tenderloins cut into one inch pieces. I seasoned them lightly with salt and pepper. I also used a whole slew of veggies that I had on hand in the fridge. The ticket is to cut everything into similar, size pieces so that they cook evenly. You can use anything you like- consider broccoli, snow peas, asparagus, bell peppers, scallions, carrots, celery, shelled edamame (pre-cooked per package directions), sliced water chestnuts, etc. Clean and chop everything and set aside.

(crazy colored pic from my phone...)

Mince the shallot, garlic and ginger and set aside in a small bowl. In a bowl or measuring cup, combine the stock, cornstarch, soy, rice wine vinegar, oyster sauce and chile paste. Whisk to combine. Heat a large non stick skillet or wok to medium-high heat. Add one tablespoon of the oil and one teaspoon of the garlic, shallot, ginger mixture to the pan and then immediately add the chicken or protein. Toss together and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and the chicken is just cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl.

Heat two tablespoons of the oil in the pan and then add the remaining garlic, shallot, ginger mixture just before adding all of the vegetables. Toss the vegetables to coat and cook for 5-6 minutes until starting to become tender. Lastly, pour the sauce mixture in and toss everything together. Cook 3-4 minutes longer until the sauce begins to thicken and vegetables are cooked to your liking. Add the chicken back in for the last minute or so, tossing to coat with the sauce.

Taste first and add additional salt and pepper as necessary. Serve over steamed brown rice garnished with toasted cashews or peanuts if you like.

I promise it’s ALMOST as good as the greasy take-out and a MUCH better for you.

Baked Penne with Cauliflower and Pancetta

2011-03-31T09:34:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for melty, cheesy, toasty, crunchy, baked pasta. This penne dish with roasted cauliflower, heaps of fontina cheese, crisp pancetta and a savory creamy garlic tomato sauce checked all of those boxes for me. Perhaps not ideal nearing swim suit season (I keep reminding myself that it's rapidly approaching despite the recently chilly temps)- however the splurge was well worth it.

Serves 6 Ingredients:
- 1 pound of penne pasta
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 4-6 ounces of diced pancetta or bacon
- 1 to 1 1/2 jars of your favorite marinara sauce
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 large cloves of garlic, minced or grated
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme (or half a teaspoon of dried)
- 1/3 cup freshly chopped parsley
- 2 cups of Italian Fontina cheese (could substitute mozzarella), grated
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cut the cauliflower into florets- drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet at 375 degrees for approximately 35 minutes (until tender and golden brown.) This can be done in advance.

Boil the pasta per package directions. After draining it- toss it back in the pot with a drizzle of olive oil to keep it from sticking together. Set aside. Pour cream into a large sauce pan over medium low-heat.

Add the grated garlic and simmer for 5 minutes or so until warm and fragrant. Don't let it boil. Add 1 to 1/2 jars of marinara to the saucepan and cook together for another 5 minutes until warmed through.

Toss the cauliflower and half of the cheeses (save the other half for the topping) into the pot with the cooked pasta.

**Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the sauce to serve alongside the past. Pour the remaining sauce over the pasta and then add the parsley and thyme. Toss together with a large spoon and then transfer to a buttered/sprayed baking dish. (roughly 9 x 13 in size). You could also freeze half of the pasta at this point as well if you're cooking for 2. (John and I ate left overs for days..)

Top the pasta with the remaining cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until melted and brown.

If making ahead of time, you can freeze or refrigerate the baking dish covered tightly with foil and plastic wrap. Bake covered with foil for an extra 15-20 minutes if its cold when it goes into the oven.

While the pasta bakes, cook the pancetta or bacon in a skillet over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil until crispy and brown. (About 4 minutes) Spoon the cooked bits onto a paper towel lined plate to drain. Serve the pasta with a spoonful of the extra sauce in the bowl and ateaspoon or so of the pancetta/bacon bits over the top.

By the way if you think you don't like cauliflower- you probably haven't tried it roasted versus the boring old boiled-to-death variety. It's truly delicious and adds the perfect element of toasty flavor and texture to the pasta. And don't skip the fresh parsley! You'll be glad its there.

Adapted from recipe found on foodandwine.com.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

2011-03-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

Nothing says Happy St. Patrick's Day like Guiness, Jameson Whiskey, Bailey's Irish Cream... or if you like Irish Car Bomb "shots", an explosive combination of all three! In this case, stout chocolate cupcakes, filled with an Irish creme ganache and topped with a fluffy Bailey's butter cream are DECADENT and delicious (and far less likely than the beverage version to leave you with a headache the next day.)

Makes 24 cupcakes

Cake Recipe:
2 sticks of butter
1 cup of Guiness
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the Guiness and cocoa powder until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool. Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sour cream until smooth and creamy.

Add the butter, cocoa, Guiness mixture and mix well. Slowly add the dry ingredients with the mixer running on low- mix until just combined. Scraping down the side of the bowl at least once. Fill muffin lines 2/3 of the way with batter- bake for 14 minutes. (Rotate the pans in the oven half way through the baking time.)

While the cupcakes bake- make the ganache filling:

4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon Bailey's Irish Cream

Shave/chop the chocolate with large knife. Transfer to a glass bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat until barely simmering. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for 3 minutes to melt the chocolate. Whisk until smooth (microwave for 10-15 seconds if you still have lumps of chocolate.) Add the butter and Bailey's and whisk until smooth and shiny. Transfer the ganache to a piping bag and cool in the refrigerator until it sets up to a thick frosting-like texture.

I used a piping tip with approximately a quarter inch diameter opening to punch out the centers of the cupcakes. This made the perfect little cranny to hold the ganache.

Once the ganache was thick enough to pipe (maybe 20 minutes or so in the fridge)- I piped a small amount into each. The ganache is quite rich- so you don't need much. If you're not a big chocolate person, you might omit the filling all together. (You could actually do a white chocolate Bailey's ganache as an alternative.)
Lastly I made the Bailey's Irish Butter Cream:

1 1/4 sticks (or 10 tablespoons) of butter, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 box (3-4 cups) of confectioner's sugar, sifted to remove any lumps
3-4 tablespoons of Bailey's Irish Cream Liquor
(You could add a splash of Jameson if you like- I didn't have any on hand.)

Beat the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer for 5-6 minutes until light and fluffy. (Both MUST be completely at room temperature.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula once or twice. Add the sugar and liquor and beat for another minute or two until light, fluffy and well combined. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.

The fluffy white icing almost looks like the head on a draft Guiness beer. These are fantastic but not for the faint of heart. You certainly don't taste beer- rather the Guiness gives the chocolate a complex richness. The ganache gives a little extra dark chocolate zip and the fluffy Bailey's scented frosting is just YUMMY!

It would be great on a white cake spiked with a little Bailey's or even Kahlua. Could White Russian Cupcakes be next?! I'll have to work on some more cocktail - cupcake conversion recipes...

Brown Butter Soda Bread

2011-03-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

First let me say that while I tackle a lot of things as far as cooking and baking- I don't do bread. Anything that calls for yeast scares me to death. I definitely plan to address this fear later in my cooking life but I'm just not there yet. That said- I'm thrilled to share an EASY soda bread recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit that even I mastered on the first try.

Seeing as it is St. Patty's Day Eve, I wanted to make something festive to accompany my mom's corned beef and cabbage dinner. Epicurious.com had a slew of recipes for Irish Soda Bread to chose from- frankly soda bread can be heavy, dry and boring but I decided to give it a go based on the stellar reader reviews.

Ingredients: (Makes two loaves, serves 10-12 people)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of butter

3 1/2 cups flour (I used 1 1/2 cups white and 2 cups wheat flour)

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (I substituted dried)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper

1 3/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg white with a splash of water (beaten with a fork)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Swirl it around for 3-4 minutes until barely golden brown- remove from the heat and set aside.

Mix the flour through black pepper together in a large bowl.

Add the buttermilk and melted butter and stir together with a fork until evenly incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a well floured board or countertop. Knead briefly (I did exactly 7- as suggested- turning the dough, folding in half and pressing forward with the palms of my hands each time.) Form the dough into a ball - cut it in half with a large knife or pastry cutter - and then form the halves into two balls.

Place the dough 5 inches apart on a an ungreased baking sheet. Then brush the beaten egg white over the tops and sprinkle them with kosher salt and some extra black pepper.
Lastly, score an "x" into the tops wit a sharp knife for a rustic but official-bakery-looking presentation.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown.

Move to a rack and cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with lots of butter (honey is good too) - if made ahead, reheat gently before serving.

My very first bread baking experience! This is really really yummy and honestly it took me less time than a batch of cookies. The outside is crunchy and the inside is suprisingly fluffy and moist. I can't wait to try some different variations of this recipe. You could add raisins and nuts, dried berries, various herbs or even cheeses to this. Mini loaves would be festive too.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

2011-03-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from a week in sunny Mexico with John and I still have warm weather, tropical fruit and umbrella drinks on the brain. This pineapple upside-down cake that I made recently for a friend's mid-winter luau party is a great way to create your own "tropical holiday" moment- even if its at home in your own kitchen.

I borrowed this cake recipe from Gourmet Magazine circa 2000- adding a few twists of my own along the way. It is surprisingly simple to make yet the presentation is fun and elegant at the same time.

Ingredients:

Topping:
1 container of fresh pineapple - peeled and cored**
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons of dark rum
1 maraschino cherry- optional

Cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 tablespoon of dark rum
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple juice**

**Fresh pineapple is absolutely recommended for this. Instead of peeling and coring a whole one yourself (and buying extra juice)- look for the peeled and cored -whole piece of pineapple in the clear plastic container in the produce section of your grocery store. Slice the pineapple into 1/3 inch slices and then cut all but one of the slices into quarters. AND SAVE THE JUICE from the container to use in the cake.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

First Make the Topping: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the brown sugar and simmer over medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Next add the rum and cook for one more minute until incorporated. Pour half of the caramel mixture into a lightly greased 9 inch springform pan. (See the Gourmet recipe link for the cast iron skillet version.) Save the other half of the caramel sauce for serving. Next arrange the pineapple pieces over the caramel layer: I used a whole slice with a cherry in the middle and then the quarter slices in concentric circles. Some tiny pieces around the edges.

Lastly prepare the cake batter:

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Beat butter with an electric mixer until fluffy- gradually beat in the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Next add the vanilla and the rum. Gently mix in half of the flour, then the pineapple juice, then the other half of the flour mixture Mixing slowly until just incorporated. Spoon the batter over the pineapple and caramel in the pan.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan and inverting the cake onto a cake plate. If any of the pineapple pieces stick to the pan, just pluck them off and place them back on the cake.

The cake is fairly rich and serves 8-10 people easily. I put a little scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side and then drizzled it with the left over caramel rum sauce. (Reheat it gently before serving.)

Looking for more sweet treat ideas this week? Check out the collection growing on fellow blogger's site "Sweet as Sugar Cookies"

Hominy Grill Chocolate Pudding

2011-03-03T06:18:00.000-08:00

I'm hooked on Food TV's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate Show" lately. Favorite episodes include Best things Garlic and of course Best things Chocolate... I jumped on the opportunity to try Hominy Grill's (one of our favorite Charleston, SC haunts) Chocolate Pudding recipe per Alton Brown's glowing reccomendation. Fortunately for me (and John) someone had posted it online This baked pudding is rich, decadent and perfect in its simplicity.

Recipe makes 6 portions

8 ounces of good quality bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
4 cups heavy cream (I used whole milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

Chop the chocolate and set it aside in a large glass bowl. Whisk 1/4 cup of the sugar in another glass bowl with the egg yolks. Mix the remaining sugar, milk/cream and vanilla in a sauce pan and bring to a gentle boil. Add a cup or so of the warm cream mixture to the bowl with the egg yolks and whisk well.

Pour the remaining cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth and melted. Add the egg mixture and salt to the chocolate bowl and mix well. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool. (I let it go over night.) When ready to cook- preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Pour the chocolate into 6 ramekins (that hold 2/3 cup each).

Place the ramekins into a large baking dish or roasting pan and fill the dish with water so that it reaches half way up the ramekins. Bake for one hour and then let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before refrigerating for another three hours. Serve with some freshly whipped cream, shaved chocolate or fresh berries.

Delicious with a glass of a big red wine. These are also a great make ahead dessert as they keep for 2-3 days in the fridge. Thank you Hominy Grill for sharing!

Mussels with White Wine and Fennel

2011-02-21T10:58:00.000-08:00

This post is for my fellow Top Chef fans out there. It is my absolute favorite show on television and the current Top Chef All Stars season on Bravo is getting incredibly exciting as we near the finale. One of the highlights for me this year was the Mafioso-style Italian cook off challenge at Rao's restaurant in New York. Not only were the characters great fun to watch, all of the dishes looked mouth wateringly delicious. Spoiler alert for any ti-vo'ers reading.... I was thrilled to find Antonia's winning mussel recipe online. You can actually watch Chef Rick Moonen prepare them live at hulu.com. These mussels are super simple and absolutely fantastic. Don't forget some fresh crusty bread to serve on the side. Serves 2 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound of fresh black mussels 1 cup of thinly sliced fennel 1 large shallot, sliced (I added this) 1 clove of garlic, minced or grated (I upped to 3 cloves) 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 to 1 1/2 cups of dry white wine 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems 4 fresh basil leaves, sliced (I used 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley) 1 tablespoon of butter (I upped it to 3 tablespoons) I found some beautiful mussels at Fresh Market. However, they handed them to me tied up in a plastic bag which I imagined was suffocating them so I promptly ripped an air hole for the little guys. When I got them home, I rinsed the mussels under cold water and carefully picked through them- discarding any broken ones or shells that were open (which means they are dead), tapping them first to see if they'd close up. You also need to "remove the beards" which I've always thought sounds creepy. Essentially you are looking for a little piece of fuzz sticking out of each shell...if you find it, pull it off. If you're not going to prepare them immediately, you can store them in a bowl of cold water in the fridge for a couple of hours. I started with the olive oil over medium high heat in a heavy dutch oven (a large skillet would work too, something with a lid.) I sauteed the fennel and shallot in the oil for 3-5 minutes until soft and tender but not brown- adding the garlic, red pepper flakes and thyme and cooking one minute longer. Next, I added the drained mussels to the pot, tossing them together with the veggies before adding the white wine. I covered the mussels with a lid (you're still medium high heat) and steamed everything together for 3-4 minutes until all of the mussel shells had opened and the meat had cooked through.

Note: I actually doubled this recipe to serve four- so don't let the above picture mislead you.

I removed the pot from the heat and added the fresh parsley and butter before serving hot. The butter melts into the wine creating a luxurious sauce for the mussels and dipping bath for some warm crusty bread.

Yummmm... mussels are one of my all time favorite dishes. I've had them all over the world and I can see why Antonia took the prize with this particular recipe! (Even though I was kinda rooting for Fabio.) The dish pairs well with a crisp and dry Pinot Grigio, Albarino or Savingnon Blanc.

Bolognese Sauce

2011-02-17T11:39:00.000-08:00

I know I've blogged about Bolognese before but I want to share this latest iteration because John and I believe that I have finally perfected it! John is an afficianado of Bolognese so this is quite a feat for me. This sauce is heavenly served with your favorite fresh or dried pasta and some good crusty bread.

Fresh Bolognese Sauce:
1/2 or 2/3 pound of sweet Italian Sausage
1/2 pound ground beef (we used Chuck)
1/2 of a large onion, diced
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups of fresh wild mushrooms, sliced (we used shitake, baby bellas would work too)
1/2 teaspoon of dried crushed rosemary
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon of kosher salt and some black pepper
1/3 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 1/2 cups of jarred marinara or tomato sauce
1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped

Saute the onion in olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the sausage (remove from casing) and ground beef and brown over medium high heat, breaking apart with a spoon while it cooks. (I skimmed off some of the residual oil with a spoon as the meet cooked down to avoid a super oily sauce.) When the meat has almost browned all over, add the mushrooms- cooking for 3-4 minutes. Then add the garlic, dried herbs, peppers and salt- cooking for another 2-3 minutes.

Add the white wine to deglaze the brown bits from the pan- cooking until the liquid it is almost completely evaporated. Next add the stock, cooking 2 minutes before adding the tomato sauce or marinara. Turn the heat down to med-low/low and simmer for at least 15 minutes until everything comes together to a rich looking sauce.

I like an even consistency to my bolognese, so I use an immersion blender to break it down at the very end. I pulse the blender to avoid pureeing it, the goal being to blend the mushroom and meat bits together into a cohesive sauce. Stir the fresh parsley in at the very end to give it a freshness of flavor.

I've tried a dozen bolognese recipes and I'm pretty sure this one is the keeper! The beef is rich (I've actually swapped this out for ground turkey which I thought was great for a lower fat option), the sweet pork sausage adds depth of flavor with the flavors of fennel seed, and the mushrooms add an earthiness and lightness to the sauce.

This sauce was the PERFECT match for our homemade potato gnocchi!

Potato Gnocchi

2011-02-17T10:30:00.000-08:00

John and I celebrated Valentine's Day together in the kitchen cooking dinner, with some music and a great bottle of wine... much more fun than fighting the crowds at the overpriced fix prix restaurants for sure. For a special occasion, we tend to start with the wine and work backwards to the menu. In this case it was Miner 's Gibson Ranch Sangiovese from California- one of my very favorites of all time. Its hard to find but I assure you worth the hunt (or the expense of having the good people of Miner Family Vineyards mail it to your doorstep.)

From the Sangiovese we arrived at pasta, specifically a rich bolognese, and we decided homemade potato gnocchi would make for a fun and interactive Valentine's Day project.

Potato Gnocchi (recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello)

Serves 3-4 people

2 large russet potatoes
4 eggs yolks
1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1 cup of all purpose flour (a bit more for dusting)

Scrub and dry the potatoes. Pierce the potatoes to the center 6-8 times with a pairing knife and then bake at 350 degrees for one hour. When they are cool enough to handle, cut them in half and scoop the flesh out into a bowl. Press the potato through a ricer into another bowl. (If you don't have a ricer you can pick one up at Walmart or Target for $16-$18).

Measure two heaping cups of the riced potatoes (careful not to pack the potatoes down, you want them light and fluffy) onto a large board or clean countertop dusted lightly with flour. Mound the potatoes, forming a well in the center and then add the egg yolks, cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg to the center.

Mix the yolks into the potatoes using your fingers until everything is incorporated. Then sprinkle half a cup of the flour and press it into the potato mixture using your knuckles. Fold the dough over itself and press down again. Sprinkle more of the flour over the dough, folding and pressing until the dough looks cohesive. Resist the temptation to knead the dough like bread.

We didn't use the full cup of flour but if the dough gets too dry, you can add a splash of water. John halved the dough and rolled it into two long snake like ropes, about an inch thick.

He then cut the ropes into half inch pieces using a knife.

You could cook them just like this but rolling them down the tines of a fork gives them ridges that help the sauce hang onto the dumplings.

Once they were rolled, we placed the gnocchi in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with a clean kitchen towel. We dusted them lightly with flour to ensure that they didn't stick together. We let them rest and dry for 30 minutes before we boiled them. The gnocchi could also be frozen after a few hours of drying as well.

Fresh gnocchi cook up in no time so once we have everything else for the meal ready, we boiled them (in two batches) in a large pot of salted water for 3 minutes or until they floated to the top of the water. Give the water a strong stir before dumping the gnocchi in- the moving water keeps them from sinking into a pile at the bottom of the pot. You don't want them to stick together. As soon as they start floating to the top, I scooped them out with a strainer into a colander in the sink.

As soon as both batches had cooked, we poured all but 1/4 cup or so of the cooking water out. We then added the gnocchi back to the pot (with the remainign cooking liquid) and spooned in a few generous scoops of fresh sauce - tossing it gently together before serving. (Topped with fresh parmesan of course.)

Fresh gnocchi would be great with a simple marinara sauce, a pesto cream sauce, or maybe gorgonzola cream sauce. I think the ticket is to keep it simple so that you can really appreicate the pasta.

I tell you these gnocchi (prepared primarily by John while I was making the sauce) were delectable- light, fluffy and flavorful. Avoiding over handling the dough ensures they are tender and fishing them out of the cooking water the very second that they float to the surface prevents them from getting mushy. AND this bowl of pasta paired perfectly with our special bottle of wine. (As did the homemade chocolate pudding! Check back soon for that recipe!)

Molten Chocolate Cake

2011-02-11T06:48:00.000-08:00

One of my all time favorite romantic desserts is molten chocolate cake. This recipe is super simple yet very impressive AND unlike a souffle, you can assemble it entirely in advance and then bake them off just before serving. These few ingredients are probably in your pantry/fridge at this very moment: 5 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped 10 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 large eggs 3 large egg yolks 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1/2 cup all purpose flour *This makes six individual molten chocolate cakes . Melt chocolate with the butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Set aside to cook while you whisk all of the eggs together in a large glass bowl. Measure the flour and sugar into two separate bowls.

Next, whisk the sugar into the eggs until well blended. Then add the chocolate/butter mixture, whisking until encorporated. Lastly, add the flour and stir well. The batter resembles brownie batter.

Portion the batter into six, buttered ramekins that hold at least 3/4 cup each. You can then cover and refrigerate for hours or even overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Bake the cakes on a cookie sheet for 12-13 minutes until the outer edges look puffed and cakelike but the centers are still sunken and darker in color.

Let the cakes cool for 5 minutes. Then run a knife around the edges, cover with a dessert plate and holding the plate to the ramekin (using a towel if still warm) invert to drop the cake out onto the plate.

Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar, a dollup of freshly whipped cream, or as we did, a scoop of good quality vanilla ice cream with a few sliced berries.

I promise you happy bellies and clean plates! Check out the chocolaty oozy center below...

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2011-02-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

Everybody loves cupcakes. And you certainly don't need a special occaison to indulge however these red velvet beauties with a rich cream cheese icing are the perfect Valentine's day/week treat. The recipe is from my Martha Stewart Cupcake book and I have to say it is the very best I've ever had. The cake is incredibly moist and tender and perfect. The recipe as its published makes two dozen cupcakes however I've halved it below to make just one dozen. Actually I ended up with just 11 cupcakes which was plenty for me and my Valentine to share this week. Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour 1 packed tablespoon of cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt 3/4 cup of sugar 3/4 cup of vegetable oil 1 large egg at room temperature 1 tablespoon of red food coloring 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract 1/2 cup buttermilk 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with paper liners. I found festive white liners with red dots at Michael's. (Martha Stewart's line.) Whisk together flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl. Beat the oil and sugar in a standing mixer (or with a hand mixer) on medium high speed until well combined, about three minutes. Add the egg and beat well. Mix in the food coloring and the extracts. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk- scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple of times. Mix until just combined. Mix the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will bubble up) and then mix it into the batter. Mix for 10 seconds until everything is incorporated. I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup coated in vegetable oil to portion the batter into the muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting. Cream Cheese Icing: I've posted this before and I'll toot my horn again in saying this is the best cream cheese icing you'll ever eat. 8 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature 3/4 stick of butter, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste if you can find it 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract 3/4 lb (3/4 box) of confectioners sugar Beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer (paddle attachment) until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl a couple of times. I'll say it a third time: its critical that these be at room temperature first. Add the extracts and sugar (sift the sugar in a bowl first to ensure no lumps) and beat well, scraping down the sides periodically. I tend to favor the "rustic" frosting method whereby I spoon a big dollup of frosting onto the cupcake and then use a butter knife to spread it evenly, leaving "homey" swirls in the icing. Frankly they are beautiful just like this... I'm not the most artistic cook in the kitchen however a little inspiration from the one and only Martha Stewart had even me creating a few fun and festive design ideas for you. For a more polished look, you can pipe the icing onto the cupcakes. starting at the outside, swirling inward will stack the icing per below. I then held the cupcake on an angle and poured some pink sparkle sugar on one sidee and white on the other for a temptingly sweet yet professional looking presentation.

Hug and kiss cupcakes are adorable as well. For these I used cinnamon candies to create x's and o's.

My favorite however was probably the simple "hand frosted" cupcakes with a little decorative sparkle sugar. Nothing says "be mine" like something that looks and tastes perfectly home made.

Store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.

Honey Marinated Pork with Gremolata

2011-02-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

I'm always looking for ways to jazz up chicken breasts and pork tenderloin. My arsenal has at least a dozen stand-by marinades, spice rubs, and pan sauces yet from time to time I get bored with them. This marinate/gremolata combo that I found in the February Bon Appetit magazine is simple and unlike anything I've had before. The balance of fresh earthy herbs and bright citrus over the perfectly caramelized pork is wonderfully refreshing any time of year.

Ingredients: Two 12-14 ounce pork tenderloins, trimmed 1/3 cup honey 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon of orange juice, freshly squeezed 1 teaspoon (or more) of kosher salt 1 tablespoon of olive oil 1/4 cup of dry white wine 1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary 1 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

Whisk the honey, garlic, and orange juice together in a measuring cup or a small bowl. Place the pork in a baking dish and pour the marinade over, turning to coat them evenly. Then sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or up to overnight.

Meanwhile- to prepare the gremolata mixture for sprinkling over the cooked pork, mix the orange zest and chopped herbs together in a small bowl. You can cover this and place in the fridge for later.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Move the pork over to a plate and SAVE THE MARINADE. Heat oil in a large non stick skillet over medium heat for one minute. Then sear the pork, rotating to brown each side for about one minute. I didn't have a skillet large enough to do both, so I did them one at a time.

Transfer them back to a baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a thermometer reads 150 degrees. Let the pork rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

(I'll definitely try this on the grill when the weather improves a bit.)

Meanwhile, I prepared a sauce in the same skillet that I used to cook the pork... pour the reserved marinade and the white wine into the pan and cook over medium high heat until reduced to half a cup. This takes anywhere from 3-5 minutes.

Serve the sliced pork with a drizzle of the pan sauce and a sprinkling of the gremolata. You could serve the pork with roasted potatoes, couscous or your favorite veggie. I made a fennel risotto that worked well with the citrus flavor and some garlicky green beans. Check back soon for a detailed risotto "how to."

Strawberries and Cream Crepes

2011-02-07T08:24:00.000-08:00

I have some great Valentine's Day desserts to share this week in preparation for your romantic dinners at home. First up- my Mom's strawberry crepes. This is a great make-ahead recipe for an impressive dinner party, a brunch gathering, or a quiet night at home with a special someone. The strawberry cream filling is absolutely amazing but you can mix it up with variations such as my Nutella banana crepe below. (I like to eat left overs the next morning with some melted butter and maple syrup!) The recipes here for the crepes and the filling below serves up to 8 people. The crepe batter itself is assembled in the blender and requires an hour to rest before you cook them. I used an Alton Brown recipe featured on foodtv.com- adding some sugar per the sweet variation. When it comes time to cook them, I use a small to medium sized non stick skillet over medium/medium high heat. It might take one or two to get the hang of it but you'll hit stride from there. I find that brushing the pan with a small amount of melted butter every second or third crepe is all that you need to keep it from sticking. I pour directly from the blender into the pan, maybe a scant 1/8 of a cup per crepe. Pour and then immediately swirl the batter so that it coats the whole pan. It should be just enough batter to barely cover. As Alton suggests, cook the first side for about 30 seconds, and then flip to cook the underside for about 10 second. You can then slide them out of the pan onto a board to cool before stacking on a plate. Once completely cooled, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. (They keep well for a day or two.)

The Strawberries and Cream Filling 8 ounces of cream cheese- softened (the third less fat variety works great)

8 ounces of sour cream- (light is also fine here)

1 cup of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice

At the last minute:

1 cup of whipping cream

3 tablespoons of powdered sugar

2 pints of fresh strawberries, sliced Mix together with a hand or standing mixer until well blended and lump free. You can refrigerate the mixture at this point until ready to serve or even over night. When ready to assemble, set the filling out to soften while you whip the cream with a three tablespoons of powdered sugar until light and fluffy. You could add a splash of Cointreau or Framboise for a little extra something special. I fold about half of the whipped cream into the cream cheese filling along with all but one cup of the sliced strawberries. (Save those for garnish.) Working directly on the dessert plate, put a heaping spoonful of the filling down the center of the crepe and roll it up, tucking the seam side down. I typically serve two per person (though plan on a few extra!)- topping them with some of the extra whipped cream, a few sliced strawberries - and perhaps a dusting of powdered sugar.

They are like sweet fluffy pillows of yumminess. Delicous served with a glass of champagne or sparkling wine. Another one of my all time favorite crepe variation entails simply a generous schmear of Nutella and some sliced bananas- maybe some toasted chopped hazelnuts if you want to get fancy. Another dessert stunner but also great for breakfast if you're a sweets-a-holic like me.

Beef Bourguignon

2011-01-21T10:49:00.000-08:00

John and I have the travel bug lately and we're working on preliminary plans for a trip to France, hopefully in the fall. Nothing sounds better on a frigid, snowy winter day than a rich, rib-sticking beef stew (ideally in a cozy Brasserie in Paris, but in this case, home was going to have to do.) French Food at Home is a great show on the Cooking Channel. People are often intimidated by the idea of cooking French Food but she makes it very approachable. I was virtually drooling on the remote when she made this dish so I decided to give it a try. I adapted the recipe to cut it in roughly in half which served 4 people generously. (Note, this takes about three hours to cook slowly in the oven, active cooking time is only 40 mins or so. Definitely a Saturday or Sunday meal.) Ingredients: 2 pounds boneless stew meat cut into large chunks, I used a sirloin tip roast 1 cup of baby carrots (or 1-2 carrots peeled and cut into pieces) 1 small onion, quartered 3 cloves of garlic, crushed 3 tablespoons of flour 1/2 bottle of dry red wine, I used a Bordeaux 2 1/2 cups beef stock 2 bay leaves 4 sprigs of fresh parsley, whole including stems 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, whole 3 slices of bacon, sliced thinly into lardons 20 pearl onions, I used frozen 1- 8oz package of cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, quartered Preheat the oven to 325. You want the rack in the bottom third of the oven so that a dutch oven will fit. Cut the sirloin roast into large pieces, 2-3 inch squares, and then seasoned it with kosher salt and black pepper. I browned the meat in some olive oil over medium high heat in a large dutch oven (you need one with a lid for baking.) I cooked the pieces in two batches to avoid crowding them. I cooked the beef for 2-3 minutes on all sides until it was brown. As soon as it gives way easily when you try to pick it up, its done. If its clinging to the pot, give it a minute more.

Next, I removed the beef from the pan, turned the heat down to medium and added the carrots and the quartered onion. (You'll strain these out later which is why you don't have to cut them up.) I cooked them for 3-4 minutes until golden before adding the garlic cloves, cooking one minute longer. div>Next, I sprinkled the flour over the vegetables- tossing to coat. This helps to thicken the sauce as the stew cooks. Lastly, I added the liquids and fresh herbs to the pot- scraping all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pot as they deglazed it. The beef pieces are tucked down into the liquid and then the covered pot goes into the oven for about 2 hours. I let mine go closer to 2 and a 1/2 hours. The meat should be falling-apart-tender and your kitchen smells mouth-wateringly delicious.

I wish this picture wasn't so hazy but you can see the richness that develops as the vegetables flavor the cooking liquid that then slowly braises the meat.

During the last 30 minutes of cooking time, I prepared what Laura refers to as the traditional French garnish for this dish. I first crisped the bacon lardons in a pan, rendering all of the fat. I strained the bacon pieces out and set aside for later. I then browned the pearl onions (I set them out to thaw a bit first) in the bacon fat until they were golden, 6-7 minutes.

I strained the onions out into a large glass bowl and then browned the mushrooms for 5-6 minutes. (To get nicely toasted mushrooms, use a large skillet so they aren't crowded and don't stir them too often.) I added a tablespoon of butter to the bacon fat as they browned.

When they were brown and tender, I poured the mushrooms into the bowl with the onions and set aside. At this point, you carefully transfer (using tongs) the chunks of beef from the pot to the bowl with the onions and mushrooms. You then strain the cooking liquid from the pot into another large bowl. The carrots are probably super mushy which is why Laura removes them- mine weren't too bad so I actually kept some of them in. You want to remove the onions, herbs, garlic skins, etc.

My sauce had thickened to my liking- however as Laura suggests in her recipe- you can transfer the liquid back to the pot and boil down to a thicker sauce if you prefer. You then add the beef and garnish back into the pot with the liquid. You can serve immediately or reheat to serve later. This keeps well for a day in the fridge. I served the stew over some buttermilk whipped potatoes, garnished with some freshly chopped parsley and the crispy bacon lardons. I did a quick saute of haricot verts (thin French green beans) and garlic in some butter as well. Make sure you have a crusty French baguette to help soak up the delicious sauce. I can't wait to try the real thing a Paris some day soon! Bon Appetit!

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Corn Bread

2011-01-19T07:36:00.001-08:00

I borrowed this delicious Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Corn Bread recipe from Smittenkitchen.com -my go-to favorite cooking blog- and while I wanted to share it with you, I'll also direct you to her post for more insight and pictures. (I'm not sure what the etiquette would be for blogging about a blog either so I want to give credit where its due!)

I happen to love cornbread and all of the yummy twist and varieties you can create. You can make it white, yellow, savory, sweet or shape it into muffins, loafs, sticks or cakes. This version in particular was unlike any I'd seen before. I was picturing chunks of goat cheese but you actually blend it into the batter which gives it a nice tang. The savory flavors were delicious together and the bread was perfectly moist and fluffy in texture (with a little contrasting crunch from the corn.)

Ingredients: 1 cup cornmeal (I used yellow)

2 cups buttermilk 6 tablespoons of butter total

1 cup onion, medium dice

1 3/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 6 ounce log of goat cheese, at room temperature

2 sprigs of fresh thyme- leaves removed

2 tablespoons honey 1/4 cup granulated sugar 3 large eggs, at room temperature 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (I used frozen)

Recommendation: Set the goat cheese out at room temperature a few hours ahead. First, I combined the corn meal and buttermilk together in a bowl to soak while I prepared the rest. I sauteed the onions in two tablespoons of the butter and a small pinch of salt over medium heat until they were barely golden brown all over. Next I measured the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together in a bowl and mixed well with a whisk.

After that, I placed the softened goat cheese in the standing mixer and whipped it until it was light and smooth. I then added the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl each time.

Next in went 2 tablespoons of melted butter, the sugar, honey, thyme and the buttermilk/cornmeal mixture, mixing until well incorporated. Lastly, I gently mixed in the flour mixture before folding in the corn kernels. (I would cut back to a scant 2 cups of corn next time.) With the oven at 350 degrees, I placed the remaining two tablespoons of butter in the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan. (As SK.com mentions, you can use a round cake pan or square baking pan, whatever you have on hand.) I put the pan in the oven for 5 minutes to melt the butter and to heat the pan, ensuring a crunchy brown crust on the bread. I then poured the batter into the pan, sprinkled the top with the onions and baked for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center came out clean. I let the pan cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before removing the ring and cutting it into squares. It truly is best if you serve it right away or at the very least reheat before serving. (I especially like the crunchy edge pieces.) I took this to a pot luck and we had some left over with soup the next night. Will definitely use this as the base for my next cornbread creation!

White Bean Chicken Chili

2011-01-14T11:58:00.000-08:00

This is a delicious and nutritious alternative to making a big pot of chili on a cold day. I've had these "white" or "green" chili's in the past- the major difference is that the warm spice of Cumin and Oregano stands alone without the heat of the red Chili powder- also there are no tomatoes. I used cubed white meat chicken which eliminates the majority of the fat associated with ground beef. All healthy talk aside, the flavors are big and a bowl of this chili will warm you up and and fill you up just the same. Ingredients serves 8-10 people 2 medium yellow onions 2 fresh poblano peppers 5 large garlic cloves 1.5 tablespoon of dried Mexican Oregano 1.5 tablespoon of Cumin 2 bay leaves 1 large and 1 small can of chopped green chiles 3 chicken breasts bone-in, skin on** 6 cups chicken stock (see recipe below for homemade 2 cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1/4 cup fresh Cilantro- chopped **Shortcut: Use the white meat (and maybe a little bit of the dark meat) from 1 large rotisserie chicken from your grocery store. If starting with split chicken breasts, I roast them on a rimmed baking sheet at 375 degrees for 35 or 40 minutes. I drizzle them with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper first. I let them cool completely before removing the skins and cutting the meat from the bones. This ensures that the meat holds onto all of the flavors. (They come in packages of two so I roasted all four breasts and then reserved one to make a chicken salad with later.) I then cubed the meat and refrigerated it until I was ready to make the soup. **I then made a simple fresh Chicken Stock from the bones of the four breasts. (You could also do this with the rotisserie chicken once you've picked the meat.) See recipe below if you're interested, if not, store bought is just fine as well. White Bean Chicken Chili: While warming a large heavy bottomed soup pot drizzled with two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, I gave the onions a rough chop with a knife and then pulsed it into a fairly fine dice in the food processor. I poured the onion into the pot and let the onion start to cook while I chopped the peppers. Next, I removed the stem and the majority of the seeds from the poblanos- gave them a rough chop and then used the processor to break them down to a dice. I added the pepper to the onion and cooked the veggies together for another 4 minutes or so (total of 7 minutes ). The onion should be translucent but not too brown and the pepper softened. I seasoned the mixture with a generous teaspoon of kosher salt and some black pepper at this stage. Next I grated the garlic cloves into the pot using a rasp, added the cumin and oregano- letting them toast for one minute before adding the chopped green chiles, the cubed chicken, the beans, the chicken stock and the bay leaf. I brought the soup to a boil and then reduced to medium-low heat to simmer for 30-40 minutes- giving the beans time to soak up lots of flavor. I stir in the fresh cilantro just before serving, using some extra for garnish. Serve with tortilla chips, a dollup of sour cream, some grated pepper jack cheese or maybe a jalapeno cheddar corn bread. It freezes great as well if you want to stash some away for a lazy rainy day. **Fresh Chicken Stock: Place the bones and all of the juices in the bottom of the baking sheet into a large pot. I then added a handful of baby carrots, one onion, cut into quarters, three cloves of garlics that I whack with a knife to release more flavor (you can leave the peel on), three sprigs of fresh thyme, and a bay leaf. (A stalk of celery would be great too if you have one, I didn't in this case.) I filled the pot with water so that it was just covering the bones (about 8 cups) and placed it over medium-high heat. As soon as the mixture reached a boil, I lowered the heat to low and covered the pot, cooking for an hour or 90 minutes until the liquid is a toasty golden brown. Bonus: Your house smells like delicious chicken soup when its done. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a pitcher to remove all of the veggies to and refrigerate or freeze until you're ready to use.

Pan Seared Salmon with Roasted Ratatouille

2011-01-14T11:13:00.000-08:00

I might need to change the name of my blog to "Deliberately Roasted Vegetables" here soon seeing as it seems that's all I write about lately... but I'm not bored with them yet so I hope you're no either. It seems everyone is in "healthy eating" mode with the start of the New Year and this is a satisfying way to work in some heart healthy protein and a whole bunch of veggies. I promise you won't miss the carbs but a big slice of whole grain garlic toast rubbed with garlic and sprinkled with olive oil would fix you right up if you did. Roasted Ratatouille: (serves 4) 1 small/medium sized eggplant- sliced and cut into 3/4 inch pieces 2 medium sized zucchini squashes- cut into 3/4 inch pieces 1 cup of grape or cherry tomatoes- whole 1 bulb of fresh fennel- halved lengthwise and sliced into half inch slices 4 large cloves of garlic- thinly sliced 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar 8 sprigs of fresh thyme- leaves removed from stems 6 large leaves of fresh basil- sliced thinly 1 tablespoon of the fennel fronds- roughly chopped 1 generous teaspoon of kosher salt and some black pepper Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place two large baking/cookie sheets in the oven. Meanwhile, toss the eggplant, zucchini and fennel in a bowl with the olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. NOTE: I actually did the eggplant in a separate bowl so that it wouldn't hog the olive oil from the other veggies. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and spray lightly with Pam before spreading the veggies out. I put the eggplant on one and the zucchini and fennel on the other. The hot pan ensures that you get a nice brown crust and reduces the cooking time slightly. I think you need two pans to give the vegetables plenty of room to caramelize nicely. Next, toss the tomatoes in one of the bowls with a drizzle of oil and the sliced garlic. After 15 minutes I removed the pans from the oven and stirred/flipped the vegetables and added the tomatoes and garlic to the pan with the zucchini and fennel. I cooked it for another 10-15 minutes until the zucchini was tender and the tomatoes had softened. A benefit to cooking the eggplant on its own pan is to ensure it doesn't sop up the juices of the other vegetables and become soggy. Once the vegetables had all cooked through, I tossed them in a large bowl with the balsamic, basil and fennel fronds. (I gave the tomatoes a little squish on the baking sheet first to break the skins, creating a "sauce" for the mixture. I also picked out a few of the skins that had come loose.)

I let the veggies hang out while I seared the salmon. I sprinkled the skinless filets with salt and pepper and then seared them in a skillet - with a drizzle of olive oil- over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes per side until toasty and barely cooked through. They will continue to cook once you take them off the heat so air on the medium rare side to avoid it getting tough.

I served the salmon over/beside a heaping scoop of the ratatouille e voila! A snap to throw together on a weeknight or something worthy of a great bottle of pinot noir to share with company.

Bananas Foster

2011-01-11T06:59:00.000-08:00

If I'm judging by the last two weeks, I'd have to say that 2011 is going to be the year of decadence. We rung in the New Year with a food-filled weekend in New Orleans for a friends wedding and then I spent the next week in Charleston where I made it a mission to visit as many of my favorite eateries as physically possible. A highlight of it all for me an amazing meal at Galatoire's in New Orleans. It was the bananas foster bread pudding that set the whole thing over the edge for me thus I've had bananas foster on the brain ever since. Ingredients: (serves two generously) 2 bananas, air on the barely ripe side 3 tablespoons of butter 1/4 cup of dark run 1/4 cup of brown sugar juice of 1/4 of a lemon small pinch of kosher salt vanilla ice cream I peeled and sliced the bananas into one inch pieces while my butter melted in a skillet over medium-high/high heat . You want the bananas thick so that they don't get too mushy while they brown. Choosing barely/perfectly but not overripe bananas is the other trick.

I cooked the bananas for two minutes and then flipped them over to brown the other side for another two minutes.

I then added the rum and carefully- using a long fireplace lighter- ignited the sauce to flambe the mixture. This allows the alcohol to burn off more quickly than letting it simply reduce over the heat. Again you are aiming to caramelize the bananas without cooking them to mush. (You can just let it simmer for a minute if you prefer.)

As soon as the flame disappeared (takes 20 seconds or so), I sprinkled in the brown sugar, salt and lemon juice. I gently tossed the mixture together to coat the bananas in the toasty caramel-y sauce. As soon as the sugar had dissolved (maybe one or more two minutes), we to were ready to serve.

I tried to get fancy and I served the bananas over a scoop of vanilla and a scoop of Hagen Dazs Dulce de Leche ice cream. If you believe in such a thing, this was actually too decadent. I'd stick with plain old vanilla next time. Nonetheless, it was absolutely yummy. I'll try to work it into a bread pudding version next time!

Slow Cooker Pork Tinga Tacos

2010-12-31T14:23:00.001-08:00

I'm super excited about a new cookbook that I received as a Christmas gift from my inlaws. Rick Bayless (some of you may know him as the winner of the very first Top Chef Masters on Bravo or by his three famous Chicago eateries) is the guru of authentic Mexican cuisine. His book "Mexican Everyday" is packed with simple yet delectable sounding Mexican food that doesn't require a dozen ingredients you've never heard of before. There will be a ton of mexican food going on at the Lacy house in 2011!

John and I decided to try the Pork "Tinga" tacos in the slow cooker and they were fantastic and super simple to prepare. I tweaked a few minor things. For example we used pork tenderloin instead of boneless pork shoulder which lightened things up a bit. I threw in some sweet potato with the regular potato. We also ended up doing about one and one half times the recipe.

Ingredients:

2 pork tenderloins-just under 3 pounds total- cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

1 medium size russet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1 medium size sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1- 28oz can and 1-15 oz can of diced tomatoes

5-6 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped

1 large white onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon of dried oregano

1 1/2 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce

1 teaspoon of kosher salt 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

*The recipe called for 4 teaspoons of chipolte canning sauce which I skipped because I wasn't sure if he meant the adobo sauce or something entirely different...

First you scatter the potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker. Next layer in the cubed pork and finally, mix the remaining ingredients (minus the cilantro) together in a large bowl and pour over the pork. Cook on a high setting for 6 hours until the meet is falling-apart-tender. I stirred everything up every two hours to be sure it was cooking evenly. Then I kept it on warm for another hour or so until we were ready to serve- adding the cilantro at the very last minute.

I made some fresh guacamole for snaking on before dinner and we used the rest of it to garnish our tacos. With this recipe, I prefer corn tortillas fried lightly in a bit of vegetable oil (this makes them a bit less likely to fall apart believe it or not) but I had small flour tortillas for my guests as well (as you can see in the picture, John always has makes one of each). I also had some crumbled queso fresco, fresh cilantro and Jack's salsa (THE BEST) for folks to use for taco building.

Though you can make a lovely meal of the tacos alone, on the side I served some Mexican style rice and black beans and some sauteed onion and rainbow chard. *My sister is a vegetarian and Rick Bayless had a yummy recipe for tacos of spicy sauteed onions, greens, and queso fresco. She made her tacos with that and I sampled some on the side with my pork tacos. With some black beans for protein, I think she was a happy camper!

This recipe could easily serve 8-10 people. I ate it "chili style" the next day over rice garnished with some fresh sliced avocado, salsa and fresh cilantro. You could add a can of black beans for the last hour of slow cook time and have an amazing soup/stew for tailgating. It actually really is light yet perfectly satisfying if you go the tenderloin route.

Can't wait to sample more recipes from the book! I'll be sure to report back when I do. Happy New Year Everyone!!!

Stuffed Shells

2010-12-21T11:37:00.001-08:00

When it comes to comfort food, one of the all time favorites in my family is Stuffed Shells. Where some Italian families specialize in spaghetti and meatballs, baked ziti, or lasagna- this is the Cobetto's go-to. Its perfect for a quiet Sunday dinner at home, or to feed a hungry crowd at a gathering. (Its vegetarian friendly too...) Ingredients: 1 package of large pasta shells 3-4 cups of your favorite jarred marinara or my "staple tomato sauce" *see recipe below 2 1/2 cups of ricotta cheese 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheeese 3/4 cup of frozen chopped spinach (thaw and squeeze dry with papertowels) 1/3 teaspoon nutmeg 2 eggs - lightly beaten 1-2 cups of shredded mozzarella for sprinkling over the top Cook the pasta per the package directions, minus 2 minutes of cook time. (They'll continue to soften when they bake so I air on the al dente side when boiling.) I drain the pasta and then run it under cool water in the strainer to stop the cooking process. I then immediately separate the shells and set them in the baking dish I'm going to use so that they don't stick together. Next I assemble the filling-combine the cheeses with the spinach and the eggs- season the mixture with kosher salt, black pepper and the nutmeg. Its important that you squeeze as much water out of the spinach as possible to keep the filling light and fluffy. Line the bottom of a large baking dish with a scant cup of the sauce and then begin stuffing the shells. Fill the shells with a heaping tablespoon (like one you'd eat with) of the cheese mixture. It should be peaking out but not overflowing.

Arrange the shells in a single layer and then spoon more of the sauce over the top. I don't cover them entirely, maybe a tablespoon of sauce over each shell. Top with some additional mozzarella and/or parmesan cheese and cover with foil. If you want to cook them right away, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 10-15 minutes or so to toast the cheese a little bit.

You can also keep store the unbaked shells in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours or in the freezer for up two months- (be sure you wrap well with plastic wrap and foil.) Add 15 minutes or so to the bake time if your shells are coming straight from the fridge. Another 15 minutes if frozen.

My Staple Tomato Sauce:

1 medium onion- finely diced (I pulse in the food processor)

3 large cloves of garlic- minced (or pulsed with onion in the processor)

2 teaspoons of dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2- large (28 oz) cans of diced tomatoes and the juices (I like the Red Gold Brand)

2/3 cup water

1 tablespoon of sugar

1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced

Sautee with the onion in 3-4 tablespoons of good olive oil for 4-5 minutes until soft but not brown. Add the garlic and dried herbs - cooking one minute more. Add the tomatoes, water and sugar and simmer over medium or medium low heat for 30-40 minutes. Finish with the basil at the very end. (This makes a chunkier sauce. If you prefer you can use one can diced tomatoes and one can of sauce or you can puree the sauce to the desired consistency before serving.)

*If I'm making my own sauce for the shell recipe, I would do that first or even a day or two before. I like to keep a batch on hand in the freezer as well.

Bourbon Ball and Orange Ball Cookies

2010-12-20T09:36:00.000-08:00

Orange Ball Cookies are one of the Lacy's Christmas favorites and they instantly became one of mine when I tried them. The simple, no bake recipe is fantastic just as it is but the method is something with which I've had fun experimenting. My Bourbon Ball variation is the perfect holiday gift for friends- especially here in Bourbon country! Ingredients: 4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs 2 cups confectioners' sugar 2 cups finely chopped pecans (I substituted lightly toasted chopped hazelnuts for 1/2 cup) 1 stick of butter melted Orange Ball Variation: 1 small container (approximately 1/2 cup) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed Bourbon Ball Variation: 1/3- 1/2 cup decent quality Bourbon (I used Maker's Mark, my personal favorite). *Note: These have a pretty bold bourbon flavor to them. If you're not a big fan, you might go with another variation. Other Variation Ideas: Dark Rum, Kahlua/Espresso, half bourbon and half orange juice concentrate, Amaretto, etc. You could substitute hazelnuts, almonds, etc. for the pecans or substitute graham crackers or chocolate wafers for the vanilla wafers too. I use the food processor to chop the pecans and the cookies. You want to process the cookies into very fine crumbs- removing any large pieces. The pecans should also be fine per the below picture.

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix to form a dough. It should be moist enough to easily form into a ball. I use a small ice cream scoop to portion the dough so that the balls are all the same size- rolling them into balls in my hands. For the orange balls, roll the balls in additional confectioners' sugar and store in an airtight container in the fridge. For the bourbon balls, skip the sugar and let set up in the fridge for at least 4 hours before moving to the chocolate dipping step:

Melt approximately 1 1/2 cup of high quality chocolate in a double boiler (glass bowl siting atop a pan of simmering water) until smooth. I used Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips in this case. Coat the bourbon balls one at a time in the chocolate. I found that dropping it in and using a teaspoon to roll it around worked well. I then scooped it up and set it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to cool (I put them in the fridge for an hour when finished). You'd probably want to store these in the fridge until serving as well.

(You'll see that I set them on a wire rack to cool/set. DO NOT DO THIS. Set directly on parchment to avoid losing chunks of chocolate from the bottom after the chocolate has hardened. =) I had to redip them after the fact to recoat the bottoms.)

I put the balls into little plastic treat bags tied with ribbon to give to friends/family. I bought a Holiday stamp and some red ink at Michael's and made little labels for each. Any variation of these scrumptious little morsels would be great to enjoy at home any time of year or as a tasty gift!

Potato and Leek Soup

2010-12-17T13:02:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to try the classic French staple that is Potato and Leek Soup. It is beautifully simple yet elegant at the same time. (Not to mention a whole pot costs a whopping $5 or $6 to prepare. Certainly helps balance out all of the recent Christmas shopping!) I studied a few recipes online and learned quickly that they all say almost exactly the same thing... Ingredients: 3 tablespoons of butter 1 bunch- 3 large leeks, white and pale green parts only 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into one inch pieces 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme 2 bay leaves 4 cups chicken stock 2 cups water If you've not cooked with leeks before, beware they are sandy, dirty little things. The best way to clean them is to cut the dark green tops off and then slice them in half lengthwise. Soak them in a bowl of cold water, scrubbing in between the layers with your fingers to be sure you get all of the dirt out. Pat them dry with papertowels and then slice into pieces about 1/4 of an inch thick Melt the butter over medium heat in a large heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven. Sautee the leeks for 5-7 minutes until wilted and tender. Meanwhile, peel and cube the potatoes and mince the fresh thyme leaves. Season the leeks with a pinch of kosher salt before adding the the thyme and bay leaves to the pot. Cook for one minute more until fragrant and then add the stock and water to the pot. Bring it to a gentle, simmering boil and let it go for anywhere from 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are absolutely fork tender.

Remove the bay leaves and puree using an immersion blender if you have one. (Transfer to the blender if you don't.) David Lebowitz warns that using a food processor could cause the potatoes to take on a gummy texture so avoid that method in this case.

The soup will likely need more salt if you use a low sodium stock so taste and season until you get it just right. Some use white pepper to avoid black flecks in the soup but that doesn't bother me. I cracked some black pepper in there as well.

I served the soup piping hot with a dollop of sour cream and a few snips of green onions. (I also made a rather elementary style "ham and cheese toast" with some dijon mustard, black forest ham and gruyere cheese to eat alongside the soup. I topped some fresh, lightly toasted, ciabatta bread with a drizzle of dijon, a slice of ham and some thin slices of gruyere. I then toasted it under the broiler for a minute before serving.

Perfectly hearty on a chilly winter night!

Roasted Vegetable Salad

2010-12-13T07:51:00.000-08:00

I love roasted vegetables year round but especially in the winter. Squash, potatoes, asparagus, beets, brussels sprouts, broccoli... the options and combinations are endless. This salad is a great way to use up whatever veggies you have on hand in the fridge or to reinvent leftover roasted veggies for lunch the next day.

I had three fresh beets, approximately one cup of fresh brussels sprouts, half of a yellow bell pepper, one small sweet potato and the white ends of three very large green onions on hand in this case. I peeled/cleaned the veggies and diced them into 3/4 inch pieces- halving the brussels sprouts and green onion bulbs. I kept the beets in a separate bowl so they wouldn't stain everything ruby red. It is actually pretty that way too but I like to have a variation of colors.

I tossed the veggies with olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper and a pinch of dried thyme and roasted them for 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees until all of the veggies were golden brown and tender. I used two cookie sheets lined with tin foil and lightly sprayed with Pam for easy clean up. I wanted to be sure the vegetables weren't crowded so they would roast and caramelize without steaming.

I served them at room temperature over a bed of arugula drizzled generously with a quick homemade balsamic vinaigrette. I shaved some good parmesan cheese over the top as well- using a vegetable peeler to get nice wide ribbons.

Balsamic Vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

a squeeze of honey

half of a garlic clove, grated with a rasp

sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper

This would be fantastic with goat cheese crumbles instead of parmesan, you could also add some oven roasted shrimp or left over rotisserie chicken for some protein.

Roasted Shrimp with Feta

2010-12-12T15:02:00.000-08:00

First let me say that I'm oh so happy with Ina Garten's newest cookbook "Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That?" My friend Liz preordered it for me for my birthday and it was a fantastic surprise. I didn't even know she had a new one coming! This is the first recipe that I've tried and we're definitely off to a great start! I tweaked it a little bit based on the ingredients I had on hand but it was still fantastic. Roasted or baked shrimp with feta and tomatoes is a classic Greek dish that I've had out a few times out in restaurants- this was my first attempt at home. Cooks Illustrated also published an article this summer featuring a few iterations of the recipe. Its great served with rice or quinoa as I did in this case or as an appetizer served over grilled bread. Ingredients: 1 and 1/2 cups medium-diced fennel 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1/4 cup dry white wine 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes 2 teaspoons tomato paste 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon Pernot (or Oozo if you want to be more traditional, I skipped it all together) 1 teaspoon kosher salt (I used a bit less seeing as the feta is quite salty) 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 pound of shrimp (16-20 per pound), peeled and deveined 5 ounces of good feta cheese, coarsely crumbled 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (I used 2/3 cup panko instead) 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (I used 2 tablespoons of the fennel fronds instead) 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 2 lemons Preheat the oven to 400 degree. I used a 12 inch heavy bottomed All Clad skillet. Ina recommends something oven proof so that you can do your saute and your roast in the same pan. Cook the fennel in a bit of olive oil over medium-low heat until tender- 8 to 10 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook one minute more. Next add the white wine and scrape all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan as you stir it in. Cook it until most of the liquid has evaporated (2 minutes). Lastly add the tomatoes with the juices, tomato paste, oregano, salt and pepper to the skillet and simmer over medium low for 10-15 minutes to marry all of the flavors together- the liquid cooks down a bit. I added a splash of white wine to ensure we had lots of juices. Meanwhile, you make a breadcrumb topping. I used panko and I didn't have as much as Ina called for but it turned out to be plenty (and deliciously crunchy.) Toss the panko, the parsley (or fennel fronds-the green dill looking tops of the fennel), and the lemon zest in a bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil. When the sauce is done, lay the shrimp over the top and then sprinkle with the crumb mixture. Roast in the oven for 14-15 minutes or until the shrimp are just cooked through. Now how easy is that?? =) Squeeze lots of fresh lemon juice over the top (I used the juice of one whole lemon) and serve the shrimp over something that will soak up the juices, I used quinoa. I cook it per the package instructions using a blend of water and chicken stock (ratio 1/3 water to 2/3 chicken stock.)

One pound of shrimp wouldn't normally feed four but we easily made two meals of this- with a large arugula salad on the side, dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Also, we paired a Veramonte Savignon Blanc with the meal and I think it was perfect. Very light and crispy- picking up the citrus notes and complimenting the zing of the feta. Food and Wine magazine featured it as one of the "best value" wines in the October wine issue this year. You can typically find it for $9 or so and its really fantastic. I like the screw cap too...

Thank you, Ina for another delicious addition to the repertoire- this one will definitely be a staple.

German Chocolate Cake

2010-12-03T07:34:00.001-08:00

John's Birthday cake of choice varies slightly from year to year (he's actually more of a pie guy) but German Chocolate is always in the running. His mom passed down a fantastic recipe for moist and tender mild chocolate cake with an AMAZING coconut pecan icing. The icing of course is the star of the show so we cheat a little bit and start the cake from a boxed mix. You can use a German Chocolate mix or you can doctor up a yellow cake mix per below. Ingredients: 1 package yellow cake mix 1-4 ounce package vanilla instant pudding 4 ounces German sweet chocolate, melted and cooled 4 eggs 1 and 1/4 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup of vegetable oil Combine ingredients and beat in a standing or with a hand held mixer for four minutes at medium speed. Pour into two or three* greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. *I only have two 9 inch cake pans so I cut each cake in half (using a large serrated/bread knife) to create four layers versus three.

Coconut Pecan Filling/Icing: 1- 12 ounce can of evaporated milk 1 and 1/2 cups sugar 3/4 cup butter 4 egg yolks 1 and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1- 7 ounce package of shredded coconut (sweetened) 1 and 1/2 cups chopped pecans Whisk the first four ingredients together in a saucepan until combined. Cook the mixture over medium heat for 12-14 minutes or until thick. Stir constantly to avoid burning/sticking to the bottom of the sauce pan. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, coconut and pecans. Cool completely before frosting the cake. I transfer the mixture to a glass bowl and refrigerate to speed up the process.

When ready to assemble, I start with the first layer on my cake stand. I tuck rectangular pieces of parchment paper under the edges (just half an inch under the cake) to protect my cake stand. Once you're finished, you simply pull the paper out gently and your cake stand is mess free.

I put a modest amount of filling in between each layer, just enough to "glue" it together-saving lots for the outside of the cake. I'm not a pro at cake decorating by any stretch and I'm pleased to say that the coconut pecan icing is very forgiving. I start with a big mound on the top and gently spread outwards toward the edges. Then I go around the outside using a knife to apply and smooth the icing. It will be lumpy and rustic looking regardless so it takes some of the presentation pressure off.

(Apologies for the bad lighting in the below picture.) Store the cake in the refrigerator until you're close to ready to serve. I like to give it 8 hours or even overnight to set up in the fridge-the icing seeps into the cake a bit more. Set it out for 30 minutes or so at room temperature before slicing.

The icing is absolutely heavenly but also quite rich so a small slice will do you. Therefore this cake can definitely serve a crowd. (16 people or so easily)

Sweet Potato and Cranberry Casserole

2010-11-24T06:38:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving Week!! I thought it only appropriate to share my personal favorite Thanksgiving dish. This one has been passed down through my Mom's family over the years. I'm not sure where it came from originally. Its hard to chose a favorite on Thanksgiving, I truly do love them all, but if I had to pick just one item to accompany my turkey (always deep fried at our house), this would be it... Ingredients: 2 large cans plus 1 small can of yams- drained 2 cups of fresh cranberries 1/3 cup butter 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup oats 1 teaspoon cinnamon mini marshmallows (optional) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Struesel topping: In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, oats and cinnamon. Use a fork to cu the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a 1 1/2 quart buttered casserole dish, add sweet potato, cranberries (whole) and 1 cup of the struesel mixture and gently fold together. Sprinkle the remaining struesel over the top and bake for 40 minutes or so until warmed through. If you have a sweet tooth like me add a generous handful of mini marshmallows over the top for the last 10 minutes or so. They get toasty melty brown and add another layer of crunch as the dish cools. This dish is super simple to throw together and you can assemble it a day or two ahead if you like. The tart cranberries offset the sugary sweet yams and the warm cinnamon struesel makes it feel more like dessert than a dish. Enjoy!! Picture coming soon!

Truffled Oven Fries with Parmesan

2010-11-23T10:36:00.000-08:00

For John's birthday dinner this week, I made his his favorite french bistro meal. Seared filets topped with Roquefort cheese, truffled oven fries, and sauteed spinach. Of course the fries (or pommes frites) are typically deep fried (if you're in the right place, they are fried in duck fat...yummmmy) but I decided to try a baked variation. I am pleased to say that the Birthday Boy declared it a success!

Ingredients: (serves 2)

1 large russet potato

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of dried, crushed rosemary generous pinch kosher salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons of finely grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon of black truffle oil

1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley

First I peeled the potato and cut it into sticks roughly a quarter of an inch thick. (I sliced the whole potato lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices, then I sliced each of those into 1/4 inch sticks and then cut those in half.) I soaked the potatoes in a bowl of cool water until I was ready to bake them.

I then drained the potatoes well and then spread them out on some papertowels to remove more of the moisture- blotting the top with another papertowel. I wanted to be sure they would get crispy so I attempted to get them as dry as possible.

I then tossed the potatoes with the olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper in a bowl before spreading them into a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. (You want to spread them out the best you can so they brown on all sides, If you double the recipe, you'll definitely want to bake them on two baking sheets to give them ample room.) I baked them at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes and then, using a metal spatula, I flipped them oven and put them back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Watch for them to reach your desired level of brown and crunchiness.

As soon as they came out of the oven, I tossed them in a bowl with the cheese, truffle oil and parsley. Serve right away while they are nice and hot.

*If you're not familiar with truffle oil, it is absolutely heavenly. I picked up a small can of it at the grocery store for $12 and a little goes a long way. Its a worthwhile splurge and a great way to kick up a recipe for a special occasion!!!

Pulled Pork Barbecue for a Crowd

2010-11-21T09:15:00.000-08:00

I love pork barbecue...Some people crave burgers or steaks- my go-to is a bun piled high with smokey, spicey, sweet pulled pork . Nothing beats a bbq sandwich with all of the trimmings- mac and cheese, baked beans, coleslaw, etc. There are many different schools of thought on the subject- you have your Memphis, Texas, Carolina, and Kansas City varieties to name a few. I don't discriminate by any means but if I had to name a favorite, I'd say my preference would be the mustard-vinegar based Lexington/Carolina style barbecue. I've tried a few slow cooker recipes on a smaller scale but I decided I would try a new method for an event we hosted at our house Saturday for the Urology group at UK. We had 18 adults and a few kids to feed so I figured two pork shoulders (also known as "Boston butt") would feed the masses. Our guests all chipped in with side dishes and beverages to share which was perfect. I studied at least half a dozen recipes and morphed them into this one. It is a two day process- broken into three phases- but it really takes very little "active" cooking time. 1) The Brining Phase- I started with two, bone-in pork shoulders, approximately 5-6 pounds each. I made a brine in the largest stock pot that I own and soaked the pork shoulders for two and a half hours in the fridge. Brining ensures that the pork stays extra juicy and tender in the event you use the slow roast or smoked method of cooking it. The brine consisted of: 1 cup of flour 1/2 cup of sugar 1 tablespoon of whole peppercorns 4 quarts of water

2) The Spice Rub- I removed the pork from the brine and patted the shoulders dry with paper towels. (Removing any peppercorns that stick.) I rubbed them generously on all sides with a spice rub and placed them on a large roasting pan covered with tin foil to hang out in the fridge over night. (I covered the pan tightly with more foil.)

Spice Rub: 1/2 cup cumin 1/2 cup brown sugar 2/3 cup paprika 1/2 cup chili powder 2 tbsp cayenne powder 1/2 cup salt 1/4 cup black pepper, ground 2 teaspoons onion powder 4 teaspoons garlic powder *I didn't use all of the spice rub mixture so I saved a third of the mixture for later. It would probably be great on grilled chicken or pork tenderloin another day.

I also made a vinegar-based sauce the day prior and let it sit in the fridge over night as well. After much tasting and adjusting of ingredients, I ended up with a mixture of the following:

3/4 cup rice wine vinegar 1 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup molasses

1/3 cup yellow mustard 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Carolina style coleslaw is also typically vinegar based. I read that many people use this very same sauce to dress the cabbage so I poured roughly 1/3 cup of a sauce into a mixing bowl for that purpose. John prefers a mayo-based coleslaw so I decided to marry the two concepts together. I whisked the vinegar sauce together with about one cup of mayonnaise. The flavor was fantastic however next time, I would prepare the vinegar sauce without the cayenne and red pepper flakes first and take the 1/3 of a cup for the slaw before adding the heat. I like a kick to just about everything but I think the coleslaw should really have a cooling balance to the heat of the barbecue.

*I used one head of green cabbage and a generous 1 cup of baby carrots for the slaw. (This ended up being pretty carrot heavy.) I gave it all a rough chop by hand and then pulsed it into a course confetti like slaw in the food processor. I had to do it in three batches based on the volume. I poured the sauce over and tossed it all together before putting it in the fridge to set up overnight.

3) Sear and Bake the Pork- The next morning I set the pork out on the counter to come to room temperature - or for about an hour and preheated the oven to 325 degrees. I seared each shoulder over medium-high/high heat in a cast iron skillet coated with oil - rotating it every 90 seconds or so to get a nice crust on all sides. (You need some seriously sturdy tongs for this, its a little awkward to maneuver.) I had two of the flatter roasting pans covered with tin foil and I set one pork shoulder in each to bake. I wanted to give them space so that the heat could distribute evenly. (Make sure the oven rack is in the lowest of the three positions. Also check that your two pans can fit side by side on the rack before you put the pork on them. One large roasting pan might work as well- I don't have one.) I covered the pans with more foil and roasted the pork for 4 hours. Two hours in, I took the two pans out and turned them to ensure that they were cooking evenly.

I would start checking the internal temperature of the meat around 3 hours- you want them to 170 degrees exactly. (Insert the thermometer to the thickest part of the meat, avoiding the bone.) The baking time could vary based on the size of the pork, the position of the pork in the oven, etc. Let the pork cool for 30 minutes or so before removing the bones. You can then slice, chop, or pull the pork depending on your preference. I placed the pork in two large baking dishes and drizzled it with just a bit of the vinegar sauce to keep it moist until we were ready to serve. (I reheated it for a few minutes in a 350 degree oven- covered with foil - just before.) I will say that the vinegar-mustard sauce is quite tangy. I had a few bottles of different sauces for my guests to sample and I determined that the perfect combination was the vinegar-mustard sauce that I made mixed with a Sticky Fingers Sweet Carolina sauce.

Also- if you're a real Carolina barbecue believer, you know that you eat your coleslaw ON your barbecue sandwich. (I like a few pickle slices in there too.)

I would say the barbecue was definitely a hit. By the end of the night (countless sandwiches and some late night picking later) we'd polished all but a few scraps of the pork which was quite a feat. Fortunately John and I did get one more sandwich for lunch the next day. I might need to make up another batch to have on hand around the holidays!

Holiday Sugar Cookies

2010-11-21T08:31:00.000-08:00

John and I hosted an event for his department this weekend and I have a few great recipes to share. First up- my mother in law's Holiday Sugar Cookies. This versatile dough recipe is perfect for rolling and cutting into festive holiday shapes to be decorated with icings or sugars. I decided to make some fall inspired cookies for the kids that would attending Saturday. (Also, I thought the timing would be appropriate as we approach Christmas cookie season!)

The dough recipe is super simple:

1 cup of sugar

1 stick of butter at room temperature

1 egg

2 cups of self rising flour*

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

* I used all purpose flour. To make your own self rising flour, mix 2 cups of all purpose flour with 1 tablespoon of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Cream the room temperature butter and sugar together until light. Mix in the egg and extracts until well incorporated and then mix the flour. Shape the dough into a disc and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least two hours before rolling.

I rolled the dough on a lightly floured counter top to a 1/4 inch thickness. I used a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter to cut roughly a dozen cookies. I baked the first batch on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees until BARELY turning golden. I prefer the cookies to be a little chewy versus crisp.

(I went the icing route this time, if you prefer to use colored sugars, you'd decorate them before baking. You can also sprinkle some sugar over the wet icing for a glitter effect.)

I gathered the dough scraps together and re-rolled the dough. I then used a pairing knife to cut some free form fall leaves from the dough. I didn't have any other fall shaped cutters so I had to improvise. It actually worked out quite well to have mismatched leaf shapes of different sizes.

I ended up with roughly two dozen cookies total.

While the cookies cooled, I made an extremely simple icing from confectioner sugar, orange juice, and food coloring. I used some small mixing bowls and filled them about half way with sugar. I then added orange juice (you could use milk or lemon juice, whatever you like) a tiny drizzle at a time until the icing was a spreadable consistency.

I mixed a few different shades of orange, yellow, and red/brown for fall. (I also ended up with a beautiful pistachio green by mistake so I threw a couple of those in there too.) I used a spoon to scoop some icing onto each cookie and then the back of the spoon to spread it out to the edges.

I came up with a fun way to "vein" the leaves as well. I used a toothpick to pull some icing of a contrasting color down the middle and out to the sides of the leaves. I did the same to make the pumpkin stems look more realistic.

I let the icing dry for an hour or two before arranging on a platter and covering with plastic wrap until serving.

(Mostly) Turkey Bolognese

2010-11-15T11:37:00.000-08:00

John had the day off on Friday and because he is wonderful- he spent the majority of it cleaning/repairing/projecting around the house for me. I told him that I would prepare the dinner of his choice as a reward. He requested pappardelle bolognese and his mom's chocolate pie. (I made one big pie this time.) With the holidays rapidly approaching, I wanted to lighten it up a bit so I made my variation of Michael Chiarello's Chicken Bolognese recipe. I love his approach because the recipe comes together in 30 minutes or so (versus your simmered all day kind of sauce which is great too) and it has all the the flavor without all of the fat. Ingredients: 1 lb of ground turkey 0.5 lbs of Italian pork sausage (I used hot) 1 medium yellow onion (chopped) 4 large cloves of garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon of dried, crushed rosemary (or crush it with your hands) 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (or to your taste) 1/3 cup of white wine 1 cup (a little more) of chicken stock roughly 2 cups of jarred marinara or tomato sauce (I use marinara if I have it) 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley 1 pound of fresh or dried pasta (Per the recipe via the link above, definitely use the porcini mushrooms if you have them on hand- I didn't this time.) In a heavy bottomed pot or skillet, heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Sautee the onions 3-4 minutes or until almost tender. Next add the turkey and sausage (turn the heat up a bit to med-high) and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. As soon as its browned all over, add the garlic and herbs and cook for one minute longer. Add the white wine and cook, stirring to scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan, until its almost entirely evaporated. Next goes the chicken stock and marinara/tomato sauce. Cook everything together over medium low heat for 10-15 minutes or until the flavors have come together. Use chicken stock to thin the sauce to the desired consistency. At this point, I use my immersion blender to break down the larger chunks of turkey and sausage a bit more. I just pulse it a few times. I like the sauce chunky but to have an even consistency. (You can also do this with a few pulses of the food processor if you don't have an immersion blender- or you can leave it as is if you like.) I wait to stir in the fresh parsley just before serving. I made fresh pappardelle pasta using the pasta machine John got me for Christmas last year (he claims I don't use it enough). Pappardelle are the widest of the pasta noodles to my knowledge, roughly an inch wide. Pappardele with bolognese was one of John's go-to orders when we were in Tuscany for our honeymoon 3.5 years ago. Something about the wide noodles scooping up the chunky sauce just works. Transfer the cooked pasta into the pot with the sauce as soon as the pasta is done cooking. Reserve a ladle or two of the pasta cooking water and use that to thin the sauce if necessary once the pasta has been tossed together with the sauce. (The noodles tend to soak up some of the liquid and you want to be sure you have a silky sauce versus a sticky one.) Serve with a generous sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese and a bit more parsley if you like. Confession.. I did not take any pictures (we were visiting and drinking wine with my parents while cooking and I forgot.) this picture was borrowed from the Internet but I assure you mine looked very similar except that I was less stingy with the cheese.)