Thursday February 18th, 2010

Smoke Ale Chili

Smoke Ale Chili

Beer is an awesome secret ingredient. Whether you are braising short ribs, grilling chicken, or simmering a batch of chili, the hoppy nuanced undertones of beer will elevate a dish to a new level of flavor. On yet another weekend characterized by blowing snow and cold temperatures, Mr. B and I set out to simmer our way to happiness by cooking a large batch of hearty chili. To kickoff the flavors, Mr. B pulled out his latest Rouge brewery find, a bottle of Smoke Ale. Dark, complex, and with a noticeable background of smoke, this ale created an excellent foundation for a robust chili.

Smoke Ale Chili

For additional flavor inspiration, I turned to two rising food bloggers, Nishta of Blue Jean Gourmet and Kate of Savour Fare. (Kate was recently nominated for a Bloggie for Best New Blog, a HUGE honor. I have my fingers crossed for her!) Kate’s recipe uses a slow cooker but I set my stove to a very low simmer and let the chili cook for about six hours with excellent results.

Making Smoke Ale Chili

The wind blew, the snow flew, and by the time night fell our entire house was perfumed with a spicy tomato aroma. Curling up in front of the TV with a bowl of cheese topped chili, I wondered aloud why on earth we didn’t cook chili more often. When it comes to late winter comfort food- chili is perfection in a bowl!

Smoke Ale Chili (Printable Recipe)
Serves 8
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced (about 3 cups)
2 14.5 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 lb Yellow Indian Woman Rancho Gordo Beans, cooked (or 4 cups of canned beans)
3 green bell peppers, roasted, skins removed, and chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon epazote
1/2 teaspoon adobo seasoning (optional)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups chicken broth (or leftover pot liquor from cooking the beans)
1 cup smokey beer, such as Rogue Smoke Ale
1 cup frozen corn kernels
Toppings
Sharp-flavored cheese, finely grated (I used Tilamook aged cheddar, a favorite cheese)
Avocado, diced
Sour cream
Fresh cilantro
Red onion, diced
Directions:
Place a large heavy pot with a lid over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into small chunks, until the beef is browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside. Drain the fat from the pot, discard, and return the pot to the heat.
Add olive oil and onion to the pot. Cook until the onion is softened but not translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the serrano and garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant. Next add the tomato paste, and stir for one minute. Add the browned beef, beans and bell peppers, stirring well to combine.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, add all dry spices and the bay leaf, and stir well. Pour the chicken broth into the chili, stir, and heat with the lid off until the liquid reaches a gentle simmer. Reduce heat if necessary to maintain a very low simmer, cover the pot with the lid, and cook for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. The chili will thicken considerably. If it begins to stick to the bottom of the pot then the stove is too hot. Reduce the heat and stir in more chicken stock to prevent sticking.
After 4 hours, add the beer and frozen corn kernels to the chili. Stir well, and continue to gently simmer with the lid set ajar for 1-2 hours longer. Find the bay leaf in the chili, and discard it before serving.
Serve the chili topped with cheese, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, and red onions.

 

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Sunday February 14th, 2010

A Mezze Feast

Mezze

The official line: The 2010 February Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Michele of Veggie Num Nums. Michele chose to challenge everyone to make mezze based on various recipes from Claudia Roden, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Dugid.
When the challenge was thrown down to create a mezze (an assortment of small plates), my mind raced off in a million directions, thrilled with the possibilities. Homemade pita bread and hummus from dried garbanzo beans were at the top of the list. Fresh pita is impossible to find in town and with my recent foray into bread baking for once the thought of working with dough didn’t scare me silly. A bag of dried garbanzo beans had been sitting slouched down in my pantry for over a year and begged to be used. Also, Mr. B and I managed to squeeze in a big-city run just before the mezze, where I stocked up on peppadew peppers, artichoke hearts, balsamic marinated cippolini onions, and the makings for dolmas and muhammara. The ingredients were pulled together, a sleepy snowy Saturday in February was selected, and we set out to create a mezze feast.

Making Pita Bread

The pita bread came together beautifully. A simple dough, of water, olive oil, and flour, it happily bubbled and rose into a large bowl of dough. Once rolled out and tossed into the hot oven the pita rounds puffed up like blowfish. It took several rounds of cooking to work through all of the dough but the reward of warm fresh pita was well worth the effort. I can’t wait to make this recipe again.

Pita and Hummus

Once soaked and cooked the garbanzo beans were whizzed in a food processor along with tahini, garlic, and lemon, creating a nutty thick dip. I had always wondered at the difference between hummus made with canned chickpeas versus dried chickpeas, hearing from many online that there was no discernible difference. When I tasted a spoonful of the hummus made with dried chickpeas, however, the improved texture of the hummus blew me away. It had the fluffy but smooth texture of the hummus from our favorite Lebanese restaurant- something I had never been able to recreate at home.

Greek Salad

Greek Dolmas

You have already heard about the dolmas, and the Greek salad, which added the necessary protein and vegetables to make this into a somewhat balanced meal. The delicious and addictive muhammara recipe is from Lebanese food blogger extraordinaire Olive Fig Grape. Together with the pita and hummus it all created a veritable feast.

Kozlovic Wine

Mr. B got into the spirit of the meal, lighting a fire in the fireplace, and pulling out a bottle of Kozlovic Malvazija wine. Our first encounter with a Croatian wine and the malvazijian grape, the Kozlovic had a beautiful golden honey color and a bright acidic aroma. If you are used to a fruit spectrum of flavor in white wines, the absence of fruit in this wine may surprise you. The Kozlovic paired quite well with the savory mezze dishes, providing a smooth and slightly bitter counterpoint to the richly flavored food.
Sitting by a fire, drinking wine and nibbling on a mezze feast is a wonderful way to spend a cold Saturday in February.
Pita Bread (Printable Recipe)
Adapted from Flatbreads and Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
Makes Approximately 16 pitas
Prep time: 20 minutes to make, 90 minutes to rise and about 45 minutes to cook
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons regular dry yeast
2.5 cups lukewarm water
5-6 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon table salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
1. In a large bread bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir to dissolve. Stir in 3 cups flour, a cup at a time, and then stir 100 times, about 1 minute, in the same direction to activate the gluten. Let this sponge rest for at least 10 minutes, or as long as 2 hours.
2. Sprinkle the salt over the sponge and stir in the olive oil. Mix well. Add more flour, a cup at a time, until the dough is too stiff to stir. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Rinse out the bowl, dry, and lightly oil. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until at least doubled in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
3. Place a pizza stone, or two small baking sheets, on the bottom rack of your oven, leaving a 1-inch gap all around between the stone or sheets and the oven walls to allow heat to circulate. Preheat the oven to 450F (230C).
4. Gently punch down the dough. Divide the dough in half, and then set half aside, covered, while you work with the rest. Divide the other half into 8 equal pieces and flatten each piece with lightly floured hands. Roll out each piece to a circle 8 to 9 inches in diameter and about 1/4 inch thick (do not roll much thinner than 1/4 inch or the pita will become hard). Keep the rolled-out breads covered until ready to bake, but do not stack.
5. Place 2 breads, or more if your oven is large enough, on the stone or baking sheets, and bake for 2 to 3 minutes, or until each bread has gone into a full balloon. If for some reason your bread doesn’t puff up, don’t worry it should still taste delicious. Wrap the baked breads together in a large kitchen towel to keep them warm and soft while you bake the remaining rolled-out breads. Then repeat with the rest of the dough.
Adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden
Makes Approximately 3 cups
Prep Time: Hummus can be made in about 15 minutes once the beans are cooked. If you’re using dried beans you need to soak them overnight and then cook them the next day which takes about 90 minutes.
1.5 cups dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight (or substitute well drained canned chickpeas and omit the cooking)
2-2.5 lemons, juiced
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
a big pinch of salt
4 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
Paprika
Olive Oil
Directions:
1. Drain and boil the soaked chickpeas in fresh water for about 1 ½ hours, or until tender. Drain, but reserve the cooking liquid.
2. Puree the beans in a food processor (or you can use a potato masher) adding the cooking water as needed until you have a smooth paste.
3. Add the lemon juice, garlic, salt, and tahini, mix well. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
4. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle paprika on top, and drizzle olive oil around the edge of the bowl.

 

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Thursday January 14th, 2010

Shrimp and Tofu Satay

The Official Line: The January 2010 DC challenge was hosted by Cuppy of Cuppylicious and she chose a delicious Thai-inspired recipe for Pork Satay from the book 1000 Recipes by Martha Day.
When I read the Daring Cooks’ challenge for January, I must admit I breathed a sigh of relief. After blow out cooking marathons over the holidays I needed a bit of a break. Satays with a peanut sauce were simple enough to pull together on a weeknight and with the ability to use any type of meat I could even keep it on the healthy side.
With an eye for simplicity I opted to use shrimp and tofu, which only needed to rest in the marinade for about 30 minutes. (Other options such as pork or chicken would also work very well in this dish, but need to marinate for 8-24 hours.) After infusing the meat with ginger, onion, and an array of spices, all that was left was a quick turn on the grill. Everything was hunky dory until I tried to turn the skewers. The shrimp happily popped right off the grill pan, but the tofu hung on for dear life. After much prodding I finally got the tofu to turn over, but it left a layer behind that refused to budge and proceeded to burn while the second side cooked. Do you see a pattern here? I’m beginning to think that I should call myself a “challenged” Daring Cook! Fortunately the peanut sauce came together without a fight- requiring only that you warm up the coconut milk and peanut butter until they are combined.

When the shrimp and tofu were dipped into the thick and creamy coconut flavored sauce they were delicious. Warm, crispy on the edges, and slathered in a mildly spicy peanut sauce, satays are a fantastic way to eat food on a stick. Plus I always think food tastes better if you get to use your hands!
Shrimp and Tofu Satay (Printable Recipe)
Recipe from Cuppylicious
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 lb. Shrimp
8 oounces Extra-Firm Tofu,  drained and cut into 1″ squares
Satay Marinade
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 T ginger root, chopped (optional) (2 cm cubed)
2 T lemon juice (1 oz or 30 mls)
1 T soy sauce (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
1 tsp ground coriander (5 mls)
1 tsp ground cumin (5 mls)
1/2 tsp ground turmeric (2-2.5 mls)
1 serrano pepper, seeded
2 T vegetable oil (or peanut or olive oil) (30 mls)
Peanut Sauce
3/4 cup coconut milk (light is fine) (6 oz or 180 mls)
4 Tbsp peanut butter (2 oz or 60 mls)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
1 Tbsp soy sauce (0.5 oz or 15 mls)
1 tsp brown sugar (5 mls)
1/2 tsp ground cumin (2.5 mls)
1/2 tsp ground coriander (2.5 mls)
1-2 dried red chilies, chopped (keep the seeds for heat)
Equipment:
Blender
Bamboo Skewers
Grill or Grill Pan
Directions:
Make the Marinade
If you have a food processor or blender, dump in everything except the shrimp and tofu and blend until smooth. Lacking a food processor, I prefer to chop my onions, garlic and ginger really fine then mix it all together in a medium to large bowl.
Marinate the Meat
Thaw shrimp if necessary. Place shrimp and tofu cubes into a gallon size Ziploc bag. Add the marinade into the bag, seal, and gently shake the bag until all ingredients are well covered. Set the bag in the fridge and let marinate for 20-60 minutes.
While the meat is marinating, place the bamboo skewers in water to soak.
Assemble the Peanut Sauce
Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add soy sauce and lemon, mix well.
Over low heat, combine coconut milk, peanut butter and your soy-lemon-seasoning mix. Mix well, stir often. Keep the sauce warm while you cook the meat.
Cook the Satays
Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high.
Broil or grill at 290°C/550° F (or pan fry on medium-high) for 8-10 minutes or until the edges just start to char. Flip and cook another 8-10 minutes*. Serve hot with peanut sauce on the side.
* If you’re grilling or broiling, brush the meat once with extra marinade when you flip the skewers.

 

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Monday January 11th, 2010

Tandoori Roast Chicken

Tandoori Roast Chicken
When the weather turns cold I inevitably find myself craving warm comfort food. In January this often poses a challenge, as comfort food and healthy food don’t always play together nicely. Whoever first thought that January 1st was the best time for diet resolutions must have been nuts or living in Hollywood. Or even more likely both nuts and living in Hollywood- I tease. Seriously though, sub-zero temperatures and salad greens that are thousands of miles away from their source create nothing but a sad cold stomach.
To satisfy my desire to spend entire days between warm flannel sheets and the need to balance out holiday excess, I find a happy middle ground in roast chicken. Almost every Sunday night during the winter months I find myself stuffing ingredients underneath a chicken skin, patting salt and pepper on top, and roasting the bird in a warm oven that fills the house with a comforting chicken aroma.

Making Tandoori Roast Chicken
Our favorite recipe is still a roast chicken with meyer lemon and sage. However in an attempt to avoid butter and branch out a bit I created this delicious variation on tandoori chicken. Marinating a chicken in yogurt and spices resulted in a fantastically tender bird. If you have an older or mediocre quality whole chicken this is an excellent way to achieve the moist tenderness that can be lacking in lower quality birds. The Indian spices added a bit of heat and took the dish beyond typical roast chicken flavors into an interesting and delicious alternative. Mr. B braved the cold and cooked this chicken on our grill to achieve a smoky tandoori quality. However if your grill is buried under 3′ of snow (which subsequently happened to ours!) the oven would definitely be an acceptable alternative. For a comforting yet healthy dinner, roast chicken is hard to beat.

Tandoori Roast Chicken
Tandoori Roast Chicken (Printable Recipe)
Serves 4-6
The chicken will need to marinate for a minimum of 6 hours and up to 24 hours, so please plan accordingly.

Ingredients:
1 3-4lb whole Chicken
2 large Onions, cut into wedges
Salt and Pepper
Kitchen Twine (If roasting the chicken in an oven)
Marinade
1/2 cup minced Onion
2 Garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 cup non-fat plain Yogurt
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh Lemon juice
1/2 Tablespoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
Pinch ground Cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground Black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground Tumeric
1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon chopped Cilantro
Directions:
Place all of the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl, and mix together until they are well combined.
Place the whole chicken on a large rimmed plate or dish that will fit in your fridge. Use your fingers and carefully separate the chicken skin from the breast and leg meat, creating a pocket between the two. Take care not to tear the skin- it should still be attached to the bird.
Next take small handfuls of the marinade and stuff it into the pockets created between the skin and meat. Rub the marinade around to cover the meat as best as possible. (This is a messy step.) Once all of the marinade is underneath the chicken skin, tie the legs together using kitchen twine if you plan to roast the chicken in an oven. Sprinkle a dusting of additional salt and pepper on top of the Chicken skin, and pat it in. Cover the plate and chicken with plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge to marinate for a minimum of 6 hours and up to 24 hours.
An hour before cooking the chicken, remove it from the fridge and set it on the counter to come to room temperature.
Pre-heat the grill to medium-high heat or an oven to 425 degrees. Set the chicken on a grill pan or a rack set into a roasting pan. Distribute the onion wedges around the chicken. Cook the chicken on the grill for 45-75 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees. Cooking time will vary depending on the temperature of your grill and the size of the chicken, so check the bird frequently after 45 minutes.
If you are using an oven, roast the chicken for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, and then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. If the onions look too dry in the roasting pan while the chicken is still cooking, add a 1/2 cup of water or chicken stock to the pan. Continue to cook the chicken for another 30-60 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees and the juices run clear.
Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before carving and serving.

 

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Thursday December 31st, 2009

Mussels in a Tomato Wine Broth

These mouthwatering mussels have been working their way to your screen for a year now. Exactly one year-ago, Mr. B and I drove to a big city and celebrated New Year’s Eve a day early. We spent the night in a hip hotel and ate a memorable meal of classic French cuisine with a flaming bananas foster. The next day we had a late breakfast at an edgy diner with awesome huevos rancheros. Doing everything a day early meant no reservations, no crowds, and no inflated prices. But best of all, it meant we could ring in the New Year at home on the couch with a steaming bowl of mussels and a bottle of white wine. Bliss.

That night I prepared the mussels according to the memory of a fantastic mussel dish we ordered regularly at our favorite restaurant on the West Coast. The resulting dish was delicious, but not quite as good as we remembered. Thus began a year-long quest to perfect the recipe and recreate the incredible combination of salt-kissed mussels, sweet tomatoes and piquant wine that filled our memory.

After a year of tweaking, tinkering, and gladly working through several loaves of crusty bread and bottles of white wine, I am happy to say we nailed it. This dish is bursting with flavor and is guaranteed to make you crave mussels with a fierce regularity. The sweet mussels are steamed open in a fragrant broth of tomatoes, saffron, herbs, and wine. A touch of crushed red pepper and pungent garlic keep things lively, while the wine and tomatoes provide a balanced acidity that begs for a hunk of crusty bread to soak it all in. At about $5 per pound, mussels are an unbeatable deal compared to the cost of most seafood, and in this mouthwatering dish they have quickly become one of my favorite foods.

Mussels in a Tomato Wine Broth (Printable Recipe)
Serves 4 (As an appetizer)

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs Mussels
4 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 medium Onion (about 1 1/2 cups) finely diced
3 Shallots, finely diced
4 Cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 Lemon, zested and juiced
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh Basil
2 Tablespoons Tomato paste
1 teaspoon Anchovy paste
1 14oz can San Marzano Tomatoes
1 Bay leaf, torn in half
1 sprig Tarragon
1/2 teaspoon crushed Red pepper
pinch of Saffron
1/2 cup dry White wine, plus a splash (divided)
1/2 cup Seafood stock (or vegetable stock)
Salt (to taste)

Directions:

Rinse and scrub mussels, removing any barnacles or beards.

Place a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil to the pan and heat until the oil is shimmering. Add onion, shallot, and garlic to the pan. Saute until the vegetables have just softened. Next add lemon zest, basil, tomato paste, and anchovy paste to the mixture. Stir until just combined. Pour lemon juice and tomatoes into the pan and add the bay leaf, tarragon, crushed red pepper, saffron, seafood stock, and wine. Stir until all ingredients are combined and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. Place the cleaned mussels into the pan and cover. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until the mussels have steamed open. Using tongs, remove the mussels from the pan. Cover the mussels with foil to keep warm.

Working quickly, discard the bay leaf halves and the tarragon sprig. Bring the remaining liquid to a vigorous boil, and cook for 4-5 minutes until reduced to your desired consistency. Taste the broth and add additional salt as needed. Add the mussels back into the broth along with a splash of white wine, and heat up slightly. Divide the mussels and sauce into individual bowls and serve hot.

 

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Monday December 14th, 2009

Salmon en Croute

Salmon en Croute

The official line:
The 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Simone of Junglefrog Cooking. Simone chose Salmon en Croute (or alternative recipes for Beef Wellington or Vegetable en Croute) from Good Food Online.

Working with pastry is always something of a challenge. This month’s Daring Kitchen project took it to a new level by using pastry to completely envelop a savory filling of salmon and greens. The recipe encouraged you to make your own puff pastry but also allowed for the use of pre-packed puff pastry.

I should have taken the easy way out and gone straight for the store bought variety, but feeling confident after a recent string of delicious pie crusts, I dove right in. The list of ingredients appeared normal: flour, butter, water, salt. However as I assembled the dough warning bells started to go off in my head. The results appeared an awful lot like a hard dry pie crust and not like puff pastry. I remembered a beautiful post by Diane and Todd on making puff pastry from scratch, and this process didn’t look anything like what they described. Not one to give up, I carried on, whizzing arugula and cream cheese together for the filling, and patting down a wonderful hunk of fresh salmon with herbs and salt.

Making Salmon en Croute

Once it came time to put everything together the crust crumbled into big dry chunks and it took every trick in my book to get it to wrap around the salmon. Visions of shaping the crust into a whimsical fish were quickly forgotten and I just felt lucky to roll the darn thing into one piece. Grumbling, I finally put the pastry wrapped fish into the oven and hoped for the best.

Salmon en Croute-6

As I cut into the salmon, the crust flaked nicely while the fish appeared moist and perfectly cooked. Optimistic, I set our plates on the table and we dug in. Ugh. An utter absence of flavor put a final death knell on this dish. Leaden pastry dough and under-seasoned salmon is not a winning combination. The sauce of arugula and cream cheese didn’t help matters. Mr B. took a bite and said, “It tastes like grass”. Disappointed we scraped off the pastry and the sauce and just ate the salmon.

Was it the recipe or was it me? That is the question that always goes back and forth in my mind when something like this happens. I imagine that it was a bit of both- a combination of poorly made dough and the lack of recommended seasoning. Wrapping food in puff pastry is a novel and potentially delicious idea. I haven’t given up on the dream of making puff pastry from scratch, but when that day comes I think I will fill it with chocolate instead of fish!

 

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Monday November 23rd, 2009

Thanksgiving Day Game Plan


Lets talk about Thanksgiving.

Instead of bombarding you with yet another recipe for Grandma’s gravy, I want to share my general approach to the holiday. In short- we love Thanksgiving. Admitted stuffing junkies, we squabble over the drumsticks (thank goodness there are two!) and sneak bites of cranberry sauce straight from the fridge. Even when it is just the two of us, Mr. B and I look forward to cooking a blow-out feast with enough leftovers to last a week.

The Turkey

I have been responsible for cooking the turkey since I was in high school (mom was often working). I have tried every method from brining to rubbing, and stuffing or salting. The most reliable recipe from all of these attempts is not surprisingly the simplest. Gourmet’s Simple Roast Turkey with Rich Turkey Gravy is a standout winner. My only tweaks are to use the dry brine method and salt the turkey at least 24 hours before cooking. I also stuff slices of lemon, butter, and sage underneath the skin just before it goes into the oven (adapted from my favorite roast chicken recipe). The result is one seriously delicious bird!

Turkey

I have cooked grocery store special Butterballs, pricey Heritage turkeys, experimental injected turkeys (don’t ask), and even beef (my grandparents don’t like turkey). This year, for the first time, I am very excited to be cooking a fresh local turkey. In late September we visited the farm and saw the turkeys in person. Raised in a natural manner, they moved around the grassy acreage in pens, eating bugs and grubs. Knowing the high quality of produce we enjoyed all summer from this farm, I am anticipating a fantastic turkey.

Each year I buy not one, but two turkeys. Two turkeys you ask? Yes, two. I picked this little habit up from my mother who would always buy a second turkey on sale after the holiday and stick it in the freezer. It is an economical way to feed a family later in the winter and gives you a great opportunity to play around with non-traditional turkey recipes. Last year Mr. B and I were enraptured by the Latin feast featured in the November 2008 issue of Gourmet and sometime in February set out to recreate a large part of the menu. In a word it was awesome. So good that we are skipping the traditional route entirerly this year and going straight for a menu of:

Clementine and Jicama Salad
Adobo Turkey with Red-Chile Gravy
Cornbread and Chorizo Stuffing
Poblano Potato Gratin
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (an odd choice, yes, but a family favorite)
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

My family is driving cross-country to join us and I can hardly wait to spend several days eating, drinking, laughing, and hanging out with them. Mr. B and my father are on a mission to go hunting as much as possible, and I’m sure to have several wild pheasant recipes for you in the very near future.

So, what are your plans for the holiday? I would love to hear any favorite recipes or approaches. Please speak up, because as you know, there’s always turkey #2!

 

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Saturday November 14th, 2009

Sushi from Scratch

Sushi

The official line: The November 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was brought to you by Audax of Audax Artifex and Rose of The Bite Me Kitchen. They chose sushi as the challenge.

Making sushi at home was a true challenge. Not because the technique was difficult or the flavors were unfamiliar- the rolls actually came together easily and we love sushi. The challenge came in finding fresh sushi grade fish when you live in a small town 1,000 miles from the nearest ocean. For a girl who once seriously considered becoming an oceanographer, I somehow ended up about as far away from an ocean as possible! After searching high and low and even online for sashimi grade fish, I finally gave up and decided to get creative. Cooked shrimp and a can of quality dungeness crab were my pinch hitters and surprisingly they delivered an enjoyable albeit unauthentic sushi dinner.

Sushi-3

Sushi-7

The first and longest part of any sushi recipe is preparing the rice. A bag of short grain sushi rice is rinsed several times, drained for thirty minutes, and then carefully cooked with kelp leaves to infuse flavor. Once the rice is cooked, it is mixed with a sauce of rice vinegar and sugar, while you gently turn and ‘fan’ the rice for about 10 minutes. My arm wanted to fall off just thinking about fanning rice that long, so I pulled out my trusty hair drier and turned it to the cool setting. This worked like a charm, creating a beautifully glossy sushi rice.

Sushi-5

Making Sushi

Once the rice was ready to go, the rest of the steps were pretty straightforward. With Mr. B’s assitance I toasted sheets of nori, spread out the rice, and then layered cucumber, crab, green onion, and avocoado to create rolls. Cooked shrimp were perched happily on little mounds of rice ‘nigiri’ style with a dab of hot wasabi underneath to bump up the flavor. As we sat down to enjoy our first round of sushi I was surprised at how happy I felt to be sitting at home with sushi. I have become so accustomed to only enjoying sushi when traveling out of town, it was really a treat to enjoy it at home in my socks and with Oscar trolling for crumbs.

Sushi

So if you happen to find yourself days from the nearest ocean or just want to try making sushi at home I encourage you to set aside an evening and give it a go. Even using cooked ingredients, the results may surprise you! Detailed recipe instructions and accompanying photographs can be found at The Daring Kitchen.

 

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Thursday November 12th, 2009

Braised Kale with White Beans and Turnips

My family tree is sorely lacking when it comes to Southern roots. I can count on one hand the number of times I have eaten fried chicken and cannot remember my mother ever using hot oil to cook anything beyond taco shells. Gumbo, grits, greens, all of these words were foreign to me- as strange sounding as tempeh, tataki, or even tamari.

Then one day I decided to grow swiss chard. It was an impulse really. Who could resist a flat of rainbow stemmed seedlings with deep green leaves? To say that the chard was happy in our little garden is an understatement. It multiplied like overeager rabbits and we had arm loads of the stuff. Now what does this have to do with braised kale? Well, chard became my gateway green. In my desperate attempts to work through the abundance of chard I recalled something about Southerners braising greens and decided to give it a try. The chard proved to be too delicate for braising (it got mushy fast) yet once I tasted the creamy tang of the braising liquid I was hooked. I found myself searching for kale, collard greens, and turnip greens at the grocery store and eagerly bringing them home.

Making Braised Kale with White Beans and Turnips

With each attempt at braising greens, my love for this Southern dish has grown. It is pure comfort food in a bowl without all of the heavy calorie-laden meat and fat that one often finds in a bowl of comfort. The addition of white beans, a little bacon, and tender turnips quickly turns this into a one pot meal. The entire dish cooks in 30 minutes making it perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. Combined with slices of crusty bread to sop up the liquid it is a hearty winter meal that will leave you hooked on greens for good. And like most braised dishes- leftovers taste even better the second day!

Braised Kale with White Beans and Turnips (Printable Recipe)
Inspired by Elise’s Beet Greens Recipe
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of Grapeseed Oil (or olive oil)
4 strips Bacon, cut into 1″ pieces
1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs Turnips (preferably small white Tokyo Turnips), ends and tops trimmed off
3 cups Chicken broth
1/8 – 1/4 cup Apple cider vinegar (adjust to taste)
2 cups cooked White Beans (I used Mayacoba beans)
2 large bundles of Kale, washed, stems discarded, and leaves roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Place a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the bacon strips to the pot and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is lightly browned. Add the onion, garlic, and turnips to the pot. Stir and cook until the vegetables are softened and beginning to turn brown on the edges. Pour the chicken broth and apple cider vinegar into the pot, and stir while scraping the bottom to deglaze and browned bits stuck to the pot. Next add the beans and kale (pressing down on the kale if it threatens to overflow the pot). Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Braise the kale for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leaves are tender and wilted and the turnips are cooked through.

Once the kale is tender, remove the lid and add in the sugar, hot sauce, and lemon juice. Stir and taste the liquid. Add salt, pepper, and apple cider vinegar, until the flavors are to your liking. Turn off the heat and serve the braised kale with slices of thick crusty bread to sop up the liquid.

 

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Thursday October 01st, 2009

Fire Roasted Chicken Enchiladas – Updated!

Fire Roasted Chicken Enchiladas

Now with new pictures, freezing instructions, and a printable recipe I couldn’t resist sharing one of my favorites again- I love these enchiladas.

Please click below to go to the full story and recipe!

Fire Roasted Chicken Enchiladas

 

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