What I ate for dinner

Quick tip

2012-01-26T17:31:00.001-06:00

To peel ginger scrape it with the side of a spoon.

Homemade English Muffins

2012-01-24T10:20:00.001-06:00

Making your own English Muffins is surprisingly easy.

Try this recipe:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/3241/sourdough-english-muffins

If you don't have starter, mix about 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup water and add 2 tsp yeast. Let sit out a couple of hours until bubbly. Then continue as directed.

I am still at it...

2012-01-19T21:03:00.001-06:00

Pizza making that is.

Here are two of this evenings pies. One white with hots, the usual. The other garlic with a touch of red sauce and caramelized onions.

Using until the end...

2012-01-18T19:06:00.001-06:00

When you get to the end of the mustard container and there isn't quite enough to use, make dressing with it.

Add oil and vinegar, salt and pepper and shake.

Italian herb roasted squash

2011-12-20T12:22:00.001-06:00

I was wanting to make a simple roasted squash and this fit the bill.

Italian Herb Roasted Squash
1 acorn squash, seeded and cut into 8
OilItalian herbs
Salt and pepper
Parmigiana

Dressing
3 TBS Extra Virgin olive oil
1 TBS Red wine vinegar
Salt and paper
1 tsp Italian herbs
Combine ingredients and set aside

Toss the cut squash with the oil, then add the herbs and season with salt and pepper.

Bake at 400 about 40 minutes until nicely browned and soft. To serve to with cheese and dressing for dipping.

Homemade Pita Chips

2011-12-16T15:38:00.001-06:00

I made more pita the other night to go with some hummus and realized that I was not going to eat them all before then went bad. Turning them into chips was a great way to extend their life, especially after they are a day or so old. You can also flavor them in any number of ways; fresh or dried herbs, any spices from za'tar to garlic to italian to hot peppers, or top with cheese... The possibilities are endless

Pita Chips
pita
oil
salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350. Cut the pita in half to create two circles then cut into wedges.

Brush the pita with oil and season with salt and pepper and any other flavoring.

Bake for about 30 minutes until crispy. Enjoy!

Red Lentil Soup

2011-12-14T19:09:00.001-06:00

Here is a great simple lentil soup. I was luck enough to have some paprika my in-laws brought back from Isreal, which added a nice touch, you can use Turkish paprika instead.

Red Lentil Soup
olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 - 2 celery stalks, diced
1 carrot, diced3 - 4 cloves garlic, diced
1 - 2 tsp cumin
1 - 2 tsp peprika
2 bay leaves
1 cup red lentils
4 cups stock or water
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the veggies. Then sauté in a large pot with a touch of oil and salt.

After about 7 minutes, as the begin to soften add the garlic and cook another minute.

Then add the spices, cook another minute and add the lentils and water.

Cook over medium heat about 30 minutes until the lentils are soft. Then purée in a blender or use an
immersion blender.

Season with salt and pepper.To serve top with a splash of hot sauce.

Paprika-Spiced Cauliflower Soup

2011-11-18T17:21:00.001-06:00

I was looking for something to do with some cauliflower and stumbled across this simple soup recipe from Saveur.com.

Paprika-Spiced Cauliflower Soup

1/3 cup flour
½ tsp. kosher salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1 egg
1 ½ tbsp. Hungarian hot paprika
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
6 cups vegetable stock
1 small head cauliflower, large stem removed, cut into florets
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, stemmed and finely chopped

In a bowl, stir together flour and salt. Add in 2 tbsp. butter and using your fingers, rub into flour until pea-size crumbles. Add egg, and stir until dough forms. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat remaining butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the paprika and onion, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add vegetable stock, cauliflower, and carrot. Season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are cooked but still hold their form, about 15 minutes.

Using a small spoon, portion out and drop all dumpling dough into simmering soup. Boil for a couple more minutes until the dumplings are cooked.

Top with parsley.

Brussel Sprouts in brown butter

2011-11-16T11:49:00.001-06:00

Here is another easy preparation for brussel sprouts.

Brussel Spouts in Brown Butter
Brussel Sprouts, halved
Oil
Butter
salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy skillet, cast iron works best, heat oil and toss with the brussel sprouts. Cook for about 5 minutes until they are nicely browned.

Remove the brussel sprouts and add the butter to the pan. Heat over medium low heat until the butter begins to turn brown and takes on a nutty smell.

Add the brussel sprouts back to the pan and toss with the butter and season with salt and pepper.

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Spinach Souffle

2011-11-16T10:28:00.001-06:00

I recently found myself with a bunch of extra egg whites. A savory souffle is a perfect way to use them. Serve with a salad and some bread and you have a great meal. Here I used this recipe, but replaced the sweet potato with spinach.

Start by sauteing the spinach.

Then drain, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Mix the spinach into the base.

Enjoy!!

Pita Bread

2011-11-09T13:27:00.000-06:00

Making pita at home is surprisingly easy. It only takes a handful of ingredients and a bit time. Its a great thing to do with the kids too. I found this recipe on one of my favorite bread baking sites the Fresh Loaf.

Pita
3 cups flour (I used half whole wheat half white)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tbs sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups water
2 Tbs oil

Measure out all the ingredients and add to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

Mix for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth. Place in an oiled bowl, and let rest about 90 minutes until doubled.

Divide the into 4 larger or 8 small balls. Let rest about 20 minutes. Meanwhile heat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll the dough out into a large circle about 1/4 inch think. Bake for about 5 minutes until puffy.

Cauliflower cassarole

2011-10-25T10:37:00.001-05:00

I wasn't always a fan of cauliflower. Maybe it was the mushy texture or the generally bland flavor, but as time has gone on I've warmed to it. What better way to enjoy it than covered in cheese and topped with a crispy bread crumb topping. This recipe is basically the same as for Mac & Cheese, but with the cauliflower instead of pasta.

Cauliflower Casserole

1 large head cauliflower, cut into large pieces

1 -2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 cups milk

2 Tbs cornstearch

salt and pepper to taste

3 - 6 oz cheese (I used cheddar and gruyere)

about 1/4 cup bread crumbs

Preheat over to 400.

Warm the 1 3/4 cups milk with the garlic.

Meanwhile boil the cauliflower in a large pot of boil water for about 5 minutes, until just tender. Drain and set aside.

Mix the cornstarch with the reserved milk.

Slowly drizzle into the warm milk and cook until the sauce thickens. Turn off heat and add about half the cheese. Stirring until the cheese melts.

Add the cauliflower and season generously with salt and pepper.

Pour into a baking dish and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and cover with the bread crumbs.

Bake in 400 deg oven for about 30 minutes, until the top is nicely browned. Let sit for a couple minutes before serving.

Eggplant in Garlic Sauce

2011-10-19T10:13:00.000-05:00

I had a bunch of Japanese Eggplant at home, and was looking for something easy to make. This simple dish fit the bill. I went a little heavy on the sauce so that we could pour extra over rice.

Eggplant in Garlic Sauce

4 - 5 Japanese Eggplant

oil

2 -3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 Tbs brown sugar

2 Tbs rice vinegar

1 tsp hot sauce (or more to taste)

1 Tbs corn starch

Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise, then score down the middle, making sure not to go through the skin.

Mix garlic, soy, sugar, starch and vinegar and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil and place eggplant skin side down. Brown for 2 or 3 minutes.

Pour in about a 1/2 cup of water cover and steam eggplant for about 10 minutes until soft.

Add the sauce and cook over medium high until the sauce thickens.

Serve with white or brown rice.

I'm Back...with more brussel sprouts

2011-10-17T22:05:00.000-05:00

I never really ate brussel sprouts. There wasn't a bad experience to point to, they just weren't something we ate. Well, until recently.

Here is another simple take, first roasting them then finishing in the pan and topping with some Parmigiano.

Brussel Sprouts with Parmigiano

Brussel sprouts

oil

salt an pepper

Parmigiano Reggiano

Trim the brussel sprouts of any brown leaves. Toss with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in 450 oven for about 20 minutes until they begin to soften.

Heat a cast iron pan, and coat with oil. Add the par-cooked sprouts and cook over high heat for about 5 minutes.

Turn once and sprinkle generously with cheese. Turn again and remove from heat after cheese melts, but before it burns. Season with salt and pepper.

Balsamic Brussel Sprouts

2011-08-16T14:13:00.000-05:00

I have never been a huge brussel sprouts fan. I have nothing against them, they just don't seem to end up making into my rotation often. The other day while at the store my son, asked what they were, what better way to tell then to get them and give a taste.

This is a super simple recipe, that even the kids loved.

Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Brussel Sprouts
Balsamic
Olive oil
salt and pepper

Remove any of the outer leaves of the brussel sprouts that are wilted, then cut in half. Toss with vinegar, oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast in a 400 deg oven about 15 minutes, then turn over.

Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes until then are nicely roasted and cooked through.

Tortilla

2011-08-09T14:48:00.002-05:00

What may be my favorite tapa, just happens to be made with but three ingredients.

Potatoes * Eggs * Onion
Look here for directions

Two easy Med dips

2011-08-06T12:01:00.004-05:00

Here are two great Mediterranean dips, baba ganoush and tzatziki. Serve both with pita.

Yogurt * Cucumber * Garlic
Cut the cucumber in half, and scoop out the seeds. Puree with garlic and yogurt and a little oil. Season with salt and pepper.

You can add lemon and / or dill as well.

Eggplant * Tahini * Garlic
Roast the eggplant in a 400 deg oven for about 45 min to an hour, until soft.
Let cool and scoop out insides. Puree with tahini, garlic, lemon, extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Nectarines

2011-08-05T11:54:00.002-05:00

My sister-in-law and her girlfriend came over for dinner last night, and has been the case they give me a "food challenge" they give me an ingredient and I create a dinner around it.

Last night was nectarines. Sticking with my 3 ingredient recipes I came up with this refreshing summer soup

Cucumber * Nectarines * Feta
Puree the cucumber with nectarines. Then strain. Season with salt and pepper. Chill the liquid and use the solids to make granita. Freeze in a shallow pan, mixing every half hour to create a slushy mix.

Top the chilled soup with the granita and crumbled feta.

The best summer salad

2011-08-04T10:46:00.001-05:00

Need I say more:

Tomatoes * Mozzarella * Basil
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper.

Cauliflower take 2

2011-08-03T10:18:00.002-05:00

Last year I made a cauliflower dish where you puree part and serve the rest as "steaks". It was good, but needed a little something else. Last night I tried adding some grilled corn and roasted peppers, and it definitely lifted the dish up.

Cauliflower * Corn * Peppers
Trim the out side of the cauliflower and with the stem attached cut into 2 or 3 thick slices. Chop the remaining pieces and boil or steam until soft in salted water. Puree the cooked pieces with some grilled corn and roasted pepper, thinning with the cooking liquid and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400 deg. Heat oil in an oven proof pan and saute the steaks on one until brown then flip and put in oven to finish cooking through about 10 minutes.

Make a salad with some corn and peppers, oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

To plate, place some of the puree on the plate, top with a steak and top with the corn salad.

Polenta and eggs

2011-08-02T10:44:00.002-05:00

I am always up for eggs for dinner. They make a great addition to almost anything, they are simple to make and can jazz up leftovers.

Polenta * Eggs * Spinach

Prepare the polenta and reheat by grilling or pan frying.
Meanwhile fry or poach an egg.
Top with fresh, sauted or pesto spinach.

Season with salt and pepper.

Homemade Mustard

2011-08-01T10:42:00.003-05:00

As anyone who follows this blog knows, my son is a huge mustard fan. So I figured it was about time to make our own.

I was painfully simple.

Mustrad * Vinegar * Salt
Mix about 1/4 cup mustard powder with 3 Tbs each yellow and brown mustard seeds with 1/4 cup warm water. Let sit about 20 minutes.
Add about 1/4 cup vinegar (red, white, sherry...) and 2 tsp salt.
Mix and place in a jar and refrigerate over night.

You can blend some or all of it to make smoother.

You can also add a range of flavors to enhance your mustard... honey, fresh or dried herbs, nuts... the options are endless.

Beans and Feta

2011-07-31T09:31:00.002-05:00

Our kids love bean, so I figured this would be a hit... not so much for them, but was great for us.

Garbanzo * Feta * Cucumber
Mix beans, cheese and diced cucumber. Season with salt and pepper and top with extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar.

This salad could take many more flavors; try adding dill or cilantro or basil, add fresh lemon instead of vinegar.

Three is the magic number

2011-07-28T10:11:00.004-05:00

Building recipes with three ingredients is becoming more and more fun. It allows for simple combinations that are easy to put together but make for great dishes.

Toast * Roaster Garlic * Goat Cheese
Roast garlic
Toast bread.
Spread garlic on bread, top with cheese and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper

Tomato * Mozzarella * Arugula
Slice tomatoes (from Lyons Farm)
Slice cheese
Arrange on plate and top with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic.
Dress greens (from Nichols) with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic, season with salt and pepper. Place on top of tomatoes and cheese.

Pimientos de Padrón * Oil * Salt
Heat oil until hot.
Fry pepper for about 3 - 4 minutes. Pat dry on a towel and season with salt

Pimientos de Padrón are a common tapa Spain, but are quite rare here. The fun part is that some (maybe one in five or so) are spicy, so you never know.

Corn and Beets

2011-07-27T11:39:00.003-05:00

Remember that corn from yesterday, well I had a little left over...perfect to top some roasted beets.

Beets * Corn * Feta
Roast beets, let cool and cut into wedges.
Grill corn and cut from cob. Toss with extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar (about 3 to 1), season with salt and pepper.
Crumble the feta on top of the beets and top with the corn and dressing.

Spicy corn

2011-07-26T10:30:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite summer foods is corn. I'll eat it almost any way it comes, but I especially like it grilled on the cob.

This simple preparation adds the sweetness of honey with the spiciness of hot sauce.

Corn * Honey * Hots

Grill the corn with a touch of oil, seasoned with salt and pepper
Melt some butter and add in honey to taste. Add jalapeños or hot sauce, season with salt.
Brush grilled corn with honey butter.

Feel free to squeeze a little lime on as well.

Summer = Salad

2011-07-25T11:57:00.002-05:00

Summer just lends itself to simple salads. Here is another one

Burrata * Asparagus * Arugula
Grill the asparagus.
Dress the greens with salt and pepper and extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Place on top of the cheese and top with grilled asparagus.

Pizza dough

2011-07-23T12:01:00.001-05:00

In my column at Blackberry Mom this week I give some detailed directions for making pizza at home.

Please go check it out here.

Thanks.

Edamame Dip again

2011-07-23T11:06:00.002-05:00

Remember that edamame salad from the other night... I was looking for something to do with the rest of the edamame and this worked great...

Edamame * Garlic * Basil
Cook the edamame according to the package. In a food processor blend garlic and basil with oil to form a paste, then add in the edamame. Blend until smooth thinning with a little water. Season with salt and pepper.

Two quick threes

2011-07-22T17:40:00.003-05:00

Here are two quick 3 ingredient recipes.

Cabbage * Onion * Carrot
Otherwise know as coleslaw...
Grate all three either using a box grater or the grater attachment on a food processor.
Make a dressing using about 2 parts white or red wine vinegar to 1 part oil. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit for at least an hour before eating.

Corn * Edamame * Onion
Grill the corn and onions. Meanwhile cook the edamame according to the package. Toss everything together with a splash of lime and extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

I served these as sides with quesadillas.

Broccoli and more broccoli

2011-07-21T11:46:00.002-05:00

I keep coming home from the market with buckets of broccoli. It is just so wonderful this time of year.

This was a simple dish that the kids loved, what can go wrong with a little cheese and my son's favorite dressing, mustard.

Broccoli * Parmigiano * Mustard

Toss the broccoli with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 deg oven for about 10 minutes, until it begins to brown. Top with cheese and cook another 5 minutes, until fully cooked and the cheese crispy.

The mustard I added as a dressing. Use about 1 part Dijon mustard to 1 part white wine vinegar to 2 - 3 parts Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the cooked broccoli or can be used as a dipping sauce.

Polenta and mushrooms

2011-07-20T11:09:00.002-05:00

Day three saw the use of some mushrooms that had been hiding in the back of the refrigerator.

Polenta * Sage * Mushrooms
Prepare the polenta as shown here, adding a small handful of chopped sage to the broth before adding the cornmeal.
Saute the mushrooms in a touch of butter and season with salt and pepper. When they are cooked, drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Top the polenta with the mushrooms and drizzle with more vinegar, season with salt and pepper and top with thinly sliced sage.

3 more 3's

2011-07-19T10:17:00.003-05:00

Last night I really got into the 3 ingredient recipes... here are 3 3's.

White Beans * Bread * Garlic
Warm oil in a pan and add about 2 cloves garlic, add about 2 cups (one can) beans. Heat until warm, and season with salt and pepper.
Toast the bread and rub with garlic.
To serve, drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and season with salt and pepper.

Beets * Arugula * Caramelized Onion
Roast beets.
Caramelize onions
Toss with arugula and drizzle with oil and Balsamic vinegar, season with salt and pepper.

Burrata * Tomatoes * Basil
Slice open the cheese, top with tomatoes and basil. Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Glaze. Season with salt and pepper.

30 recipes 3 Ingredients

2011-07-18T11:05:00.003-05:00

So for my latest cooking adventure I plan to make 30 dishes that each only consist of three ingredients. I have often said how easy cooking can be and I hope to share some of the easiest recipes that I can create.

Before I dive into the first recipe I wanted to set some self prescribed rules (it's my idea so I can make the rules too).
I will sometimes uses sauces that may in themselves use more than one ingredient, this first recipe is one, but will could the sauce as a single item. I will not count salt and pepper and sometimes oil and vinegar, otherwise most dishes will be dry and tasteless. Most recipes will have rough measurements, as it is about the combination, feel free to tweak them to your taste. I will also included additions to take the recipe up a notch, but those will be secondary to the three ingredient recipe. I hope you try and enjoy these.

Here goes with the first:

Kohlrabi * Mustard * Pesto
julienne kohlrabi
mix Dijon mustard and pesto about 1:1, thin with oil if desired. Season with salt and pepper.

This can be topped with nuts to add an extra crunch, try toasted pine nuts.

Frontera Margarita

2011-07-14T09:28:00.004-05:00

When summer rolls around I find that I am drawn to more fruity and cold drinks. This is a great and fairly simple margarita that I've been making for years, from the great Rick Bayless. It is great for parties too, because you can make the base ahead and just shake with ice at the last minute.

Margarita
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
zest of about 2 limes
1/4 cup sugar
10 oz water
3/4 cups taquila
1 oz orange liqueur such as Gran Marnier or triple sec (optional)
limes for garnish
course salt

Zest the limes and mix with the juice, you can add the pulp as it will all be strained out later.

In a pan mix the sugar and water and heat until the sugar dissolves, then mix with the lime juice. Place in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours or over night.

Before serving, fill the glasses with ice water. This will help keep them cold longer.

In a shaker, fill with ice. Add the taquila and strain the lime syrup in. Shake well.

Dump the water from the glasses. To salt, rub the rim with lime then dunk in a plate with salt. Strain the margarita into glasses and garnish with lime wedge or wheel.

Dark and Stormy

2011-07-10T09:21:00.003-05:00

No I am not talking about the crappy weather we have been having here in Chicago... A Dark and Stormy is what may be my new summer cocktail. It is a simple drink of ginger beer, rum and lime.

In my typical fashion, I decided to make my own ginger beer. (I looked into making my own rum, but the whole Still thing is a bit more than I want to take on.)

I found this seemingly simple recipe and went to work.

Homemade Ginger Beer
1 ounce ginger juice
2 ounces fresh lemon juice, finely strained
3 ounces simple syrup
10 ounces warm water
1/4 tsp yeast

To make the ginger juice, finely grate the ginger. As you won't be using the solids its not necessary to peel it. I had already, so tossed the peels in the simple syrup to make a ginger syrup.

With a cheese cloth, squeeze out the juice from the ginger.

Add all the ingredients to the bottle, give it a shake and let sit 48 on the counter. After which pop it in the refrigerator.

Now it's time for your Dark and Stormy.

Dark and Stormy
Ginger Beer
rum
lime

Fill a glass with ice and top with 1 - 2 oz rum, fill mostly with the ginger beer and squeeze in half a lime. Enjoy!

A little selfish promotion

2011-07-06T16:27:00.000-05:00

I was just featured on Slice.com. Check it out:

http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/07/pizza-obsessives-james-schulman.html

Goat Cheese Squash Blossoms

2011-07-06T11:42:00.004-05:00

This past weekend I picked up some awesome looking squash blossoms from Nichol's Farm. They make such a great presentation with the great orange leaves and the pocket to fill with any number of fillings. I went with a simple herbed goat cheese and a quick fry in a tempura batter.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms
about a dozen squash blossoms
3 -4 oz goat or other soft cheese
herbs, I used thyme
1 -2 garlic cloves, diced
salt and pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Garlic Oil

about one cup flour
1 TSB corn starch
about one cup beer

oil for fying

Mix the cheese with the herbs, garlic and oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Using a pastry bag with a large tip, or a plastic bag with the corner cut, carefully fill the blossoms with the cheese mixture about 2/3 full.

Twist the ends to seal and place in the refrigerator, until ready to serve. The cold cheese will be less likely to melt all over before the outside is cooked.

When ready to fry, heat oil in a large pot to about 350 deg. In a large bowl mix the flour and corn starch and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the beer until the batter is about the consistency of thin pancake batter. Dunk the blossoms in the batter then straight in the hot oil.

Cook a few minutes a side, until nicely browned.

Pat dry on a paper towel, then sprinkle with salt.

Flat Bread Take 2

2011-07-06T11:35:00.003-05:00

The other day I made grilled flat bread. After make two, I realized that we weren't going to finish more, so rather than make it all. I put the left over dough in the refrigerator. Then before using it again, I took it our an hour or so before to warm up.

Not wanting to heat up the grill I cooked it a cast iron pan. I preheated the oven with the pan in the middle to 550. Then following the same directions, stretched the dough, brushed with oil and tossed in the hot pan. A couple minutes a side and it was ready.

Grilled Flat Bread

2011-07-05T11:34:00.003-05:00

What better way to celebrate summer than some grilling. There is nothing like hot flat bread right off the grill, with the nicely charred outside and light fluffy inside.

I used a naan recipe with a few simple modifications from this awesome Indian cook book.

Grilled Flat Bread
500 g (4 cups ) flour, I used 400 g white, 100 g wheat
1 1/4 cup milk, warmed slightly
2 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 Tbs butter, melted
1 Tbs garlic oil
3/4 cup yogurt
2 -3 cloves garlic

Mix the yogurt, egg, oil, butter and garlic.

In a large bowl mix the flours, salt, baking powder. In a small bowl mix yeast with a little milk.

Now mix everything together to form a single mass. Turn onto a flour surface a knead a few minutes. Let rest about 15 minutes, then mix a few more minutes.

Form into a ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic and let rest until double, at least an hour, maybe more.

After resting, turn onto floured work surface.

Divide into even sized portions. I like using a scale to keep them all about the same size.

Let rest while heating up the grill. Just before you are ready, stretch out the dough. It is better to use your hands rather than a rolling pin as this can make the dough tough. Brush with oil.

Place the dough straight onto a hot grill. After a couple of minutes the outside will char slightly and will be easily flipped. Brush with oil before flipping.

Cook on second side for a few minutes. You can drizzle a little more garlic oil on after removing.

Got an hour... make focaccia

2011-06-29T16:17:00.005-05:00

Ok, so its more like two... but it is super easy and this is a great recipe I found on Serious Eats. I have topped this was a range of toppings; fresh or dried herbs, tomato slices, potato and last night fresh garlic.

(As I basically follow the recipe, I have reprinted it here with my few additions.)

Potato Focaccia
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast or about 1 3/4 tsp instant yeast
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading and shaping
1 1/2 teaspoons fine kosher salt or sea salt
5 ounces all-purpose potatoes, cooked and mashed
Extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt
topping as mentioned above

If using active yeast, dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water, and stir until creamy. Otherwise mix the yeast with the flour, there is no need to activate it. Make sure to up the water by 1/2 cup.

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl, and make a well in the center. Add the mashed potatoes and the yeast (if using active), and, using fingertips, bring in a little of the flour. Gradually add 2/3 cup warm water (if using instant add an extra 1/2 cup) and bring in the remaining flour as you go along. Knead briefly to make a rough ball of dough.

Dust a work surface with flour. Sprinkle the ball of dough with a little extra flour and knead for 2 to 3 minutes. Invert the bowl over the dough and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead for 2 to 3 minutes more, sprinkling with extra flour if the dough is sticky, until the dough is smooth and somewhat soft.

Grease a 9 x 12 metal baking pan with olive oil. Transfer the dough to the pan, and with oiled hands flatten and stretch the dough by hand to cover the bottom; the dough should be about 1/2 inch thick.

Cover with a wet but not dripping kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 1/2 hours. The dough should have doubled in volume.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Press with fingertips on the focaccia to make dimples all over. Brush generously with olive oil. Season with coarse salt and any other topping. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the focaccia is well risen and golden brown all oven. Serve warm, or transfer to a wire rack to let cool and serve at room temperature.

Chili Glazed Tofu and Mushrooms

2011-06-28T13:24:00.004-05:00

Sometimes you just look for a way to use the stuff you have in the refrigerator... Last night was one of those times. I had pea tendrils and snap peas, tofu and a couple of mushrooms and found this salmon recipe.

The mushrooms and tufo worked as great substitutes for the fish, and it didn't require a separate trip to the store.

Sweet Chili Glaze, Sugar Snap Peas, and Pea Tendrils

1/4 cup Asian sweet chili sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger, divided
portobella mushrooms and/or tofu
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry Sherry
3 cups pea tendrils
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

Whisk chili sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon ginger in small bowl. Place mushrooms and tofu in a shallow oven safe dish. Spoon chili sauce marinade over and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Bake in 400 over for about 10 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked through.

Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in wok or heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon ginger and minced garlic; stir until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add sugar snap peas and stir until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, rice wine, and pea tendrils and stir just until wilted, about 1 minute.

I served this over rice, place some of the veggies then the mushroom and/ or tofu on top and drizzle with sesame oil.

two salads four ingredients

2011-06-26T09:05:00.005-05:00

Ok so there are a few more than 2 ingredients per salad, but the idea is there. In the summer when produce is at its peak around here and the farmers market is bustling, it couldn't be easier to make great simple salads. With the addition of some bread (one even has it in it) you have a light lunch or simple addition to dinner.

Arugula is by far one of our families favorite greens. It's great both fresh or cooked. Here I serve it on some toasted bread for a great quick salad.

Toss the arugula with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and season with salt and fresh pepper. Place on top of toast (rub with garlic for an extra kick) and drizzle reduced balsamic over top.

This second salad uses one of our favorite cheese, burrata, think fresh mozzarella with a creamy center. This is served with roasted beets, topped with oil and a splash of balsamic, seasoned with salt and pepper.

The great thing about these salads is that you can easily mix and match... arugula and beets, burrata and bread, all four together. Easy quick and always delicious.

My other blog.

2011-06-26T08:42:00.001-05:00

For those that missed it, I am starting to write a weekly column on another blog. Please check it out:

http://withlovealib.com/blackberry_mom/easy-quick-healthy-kids-meals-salad/

Thanks

More Kohlrabi

2011-06-24T12:30:00.002-05:00

I have been really enjoying kohlrabi lately. It has a great crunch, perfect for salads, a fairly mild flavor, but with a hint of radish, it pairs well with most dressings, and is easy to handle.

Last night I made a quick mustard dressing. My son is a huge mustard fan, right now we have nine different ones (yes, I counted).

It is always a great way to convince him to try stuff, just make a mustard dressing and we are good.

This dressing used some fresh thyme and oregano, but almost any herbs will do. Add some garlic and mustard and finish with oil and vinegar (about 3:1). Season with salt and pepper and you are good to go.

I went for matchstick this time. Tossed with some dressing, added some toasted nuts and a little Parmigiana.

Strawberry Pops

2011-06-21T10:35:00.003-05:00

For camp this summer, I have started to make Auden his own popsicle. They could not be easier, and require all of two ingredients.

If you do not have a popsicle tray, you can always use an ice cube tray with tooth picks.

Strawberry Pops
about 2 cups strawberries
about 1 -2 cups yogurt to taste, I used Greek

Remove stems from strawberries and wash.

Puree in a blender or food processor. You can leave it a little chunky or blend until smooth.

Fold in the yogurt and mix to combine. Pour into tray, cover with plastic and poke with popsicle sticks. Freeze overnight.

Enjoy!

Almost any fruit works for these, any berries or combination, or bananas or mango... For harder fruits, like apples, cook briefly before freezing. You can also leave out the yogurt.

Its also fun to drop pieces of fruit in, such as blueberries or chopped strawberries or raspberries.

Grilled Pizza

2011-06-20T14:25:00.005-05:00

Grilling pizza is a great easy way to make super tasty pies. The smokiness of the grill ads a wonderful flavor, and the high heats allows you to cook several pies fairly quickly, great for a group.

Here I made two pies, one with a cooked tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella that were marinated in pesto.

The second one with white beans, balsamic onions and buffalo mozzarella.

The big trick with grilling pizza is to have everything ready and close by. Cook the dough on one side for about 3 -5 minutes, then when you flip it, put the toppings on as fast as you can, so you can close the lid. This will trap the heat and cook the cheese.

New Blog

2011-06-19T22:04:00.002-05:00

I will now be taking part in a second blog, adding a weekly column on food, cooking and the balancing act that is feeding the family. My column should run every Saturday starting next week.

Please check it out at: http://withlovealib.com/blackberry_mom/

BlackBerry Mom Blog Launched Father's Day:

Parent Bloggers share professional tips and challenges with fellow parents

What better Father's Day gift than an upgraded BlackBerry Mom? Popular syndicated columnist Allison Berman (aka: BlackBerry Mom) launches a blog, where she and fellow bloggers bring a unique parent-to-parent perspective on the daily joys and dramas of raising a family.

Parent bloggers will share their tricks of the trade in their areas of expertise, on topics ranging from home decor to downward dog, kid-friendly salads to skinny jeans for all shapes and sizes, networking to nail polish (and everything in between). The take away: inspiration to try new things, insight into a world outside- and inside our own, honest advice from real-deal parents and pros.

Weekly bloggers include:

BlackBerry Mom -Allison Berman
A weekly columnist for the Times Herald Record Sunday edition, Berman writes about the trials and tribulations of running a successful business, while rearing a family. Berman's business: She creates one-of-a-kind, custom home accessories, enabling people to create homes that reflect individuality. Berman simultaneously maintains a happy household, which includes one hot hubby, two cute daughters, and one fierce (but friendly) mutt.

Yogatude -Laura Merlo
A self-proclaimed yoga addict, this mom of two keeps it real -- and balanced (most days) -- by practicing yoga. This exercise-meets-meditation art form helps Merlo cope with the constantly-evolving world around her, including a husband, kids, and business. "I like to preach what I know. And what I know is how yoga makes me feel physically, emotionally & spiritually. Join me in learning to accept where we are today and maybe laugh at it a little, too."

Designing Woman -Allison Berman
Once upon a time, Berman worked in Marketing, in NYC, but that quickly changed when she became pregnant. "I discovered a serious lack of beautiful, child safe, decorations. A university trained artist, I was inspired!" Berman started using low VOC paints to turn wastebaskets, tissue boxes, peg racks, and picture frames into modern, sophisticated, high-end accessories now sold at specialty boutiques, through interior designers, and on www.WithLoveAliB.com.

netWorker - Marlowe Sidney Bamberger
Calling this media and marketing woman a guru and go-getting is an understatement: While still in college Bamberger did marketing for a local radio station, and assisted with media buying and marketing for Paramount Pictures at a local ad agency. Upon graduating she immediately plunged into working as a National Broadcast Buyer while simultaneously completing a MBA at Fordham University with a concentration in Marketing & Management.

After a brief stint in NBC's Marketing Department, Bamberger returned to agency life, where she worked on several blue chip accounts before leaving to take a ground-breaking, a job-share at Turner Entertainment Networks created specifically for her. And, all the while, she simultaneously served on the PTA Executive Board for her daughter's NYC public elementary School, bringing in more than 50% of the funds needed to run the school. Bamberger credits netWorking for her success: She lives and works in NYC with her husband, daughter, and son, getting things done personally and professionally by netWORKING.

Passion for Fashion -Alison Schwartz
With more than 14 years of fashion industry experience at some top department stores, including Bergdorf Goodman and Lord & Taylor, Schwartz is no stranger to the world of clothing, accessories and, of course, trends. Currently, she works as a personal shopper from her New Jersey home, living the dream of mommy and clotheshorse, all in one.

B.B.F.F. (Beauty Best Friend Forever) - Robin Immerman Gruen
A former Beauty Editor for some big-time national publications, including Parents, Seventeen and Shape, Immerman Gruen left the world of magazines and Manhattan to start a family. But, she didn't leave the writing -- or beauty -- behind.

She frequently contributes to publications, which include local-to-Chicago favorites, like Make It Better, Chicago Parent and AOL City's Best, as well as national media outlets, like Real Simple, Parents, American Way and totalbeauty.com. Immerman Gruen is a multi-tasker who tries to do it all, daily, which includes running at the gym in the morning, doing laundry (while working) during naptime, driving carpool in the afternoon, and making too many different dinners each evening.

Chef Daddy - James Wieselman Schulman
A mechanical engineer by trade, a chef by passion, Schulman is a consultant and a stay-at-home-dad in Chicago, who caters dinner parties, teaches informal pizza-making classes and details every kitchen adventure on his blog. Schulman understands that, as life becomes more complicated, providing healthy, creative, and approachable meals, does too. That said, he's on a mission to share his culinary experiences, philosophy and ideas with the BlackBerry Mom community weekly.

About BlackBerry Mom:

The BlackBerry Mom blog (www.BlackBerryMom.com) is a vehicle for imperfect parents to get judgment-free advice from industry experts who are fellow imperfect parents. It is a place to learn, share, and grow in the never ending hunt for the ever-elusive "balance."

Processed pizza..

2011-06-17T10:06:00.005-05:00

Ok, so its dough made in a food processor...

Of the many methods that I have been experimenting with lately, I am still somewhat skeptical of the food processor method. The Great Kenji thinks otherwise... here I try out his New York Style pie.

It is definitely easy, but I am become more of a touch and feel guy and this just misses that subtlety that handling the dough allows.

Kenji's New York Food Processor Dough
22 1/2 ounces (about 4 1/2 cups) bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
.35 ounces kosher salt (about 3 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons instant yeast
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
15 ounces lukewarm water

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in bowl of food processor. Pulse 3 to 4 times until incorporated. Add olive oil and water. Run food processor until mixture forms ball that rides around the bowl above the blade, about 15 seconds. Continue processing 15 seconds longer.

Transfer dough ball to lightly floured surface and knead once or twice by hand until smooth ball is formed. It should pass the windowpane test. Place in refrigerator in an oiled bowl and allow to rise at least one day, and up to five.

At least two hours (I prefer closer to 3) before baking, remove dough from refrigerator and shape into two or three even balls, then gathering dough towards bottom and pinching shut to form a tight ball. Flour well and place each one in a separate medium mixing bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise at warm room temperature until roughly doubled in volume.

Here on the left is the New York dough and on the right my own recipe with a wild culture, and a much high hydration (percent of water to flour), closer to 73%. You can see the bubbles, which leads to a lighter more open and uneven dough.

1 hour before baking, adjust oven rack with pizza stone to middle position and preheat oven to 550°F or the hottest your oven goes. Turn single dough ball out onto lightly flour surface. Gently press out dough into rough 8-inch circle, leaving outer 1-inch higher than the rest. Gently stretch dough by draping over knuckles into a 12 to 14-inch circle about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to pizza peel and top as desired. Here I used a cooked tomato sauce and aged mozzarella.

With the other dough I topped it with Franks Red Hot Sauce, roasted sweet potato, balsamic onions and Buffalo Mozzarella.

In the end, both were great pies, but we agreed that the culture dough tasted better.

Hon Tsai Tai... yeah I had never heard of it either

2011-06-15T15:45:00.004-05:00

One of the best parts of a CSA is the interesting greens that show up. This week brought Hon Tsai Tai "

"Hon tsai tai is a specific variety of yu choy (aka choy sum) which has a deep purple stalk, dark green leaves and yellow flowers. The entire plant can be eaten - stems, leaves, and flowers. So, eat up!"

As is usually the case, a little garlic and soy sauce works like a charm.

Saute a couple cloves of garlic, then add the hon tsai tai. The tougher stems should be removed, but the rest of the plant is edible.

Saute for a few minutes until the greens are wilted and the stems softened.

Splash with a little soy and enjoy.

I love my sister in law...

2011-06-14T09:46:00.003-05:00

...so much so that I shared with her my morels. At $3 per oz... this is not something you just toss around... but they are well worth it.

Morels have a fairly short season in the spring and if you get to the farmers market early enough you can count on River Valley having them.

To clean them cut in half and rinse under cool running water to remove any dirt. Then pat dry.

For this simple orzo dish, I sauteed the mushrooms in oil and butter that was infused with fresh herbs, brought by my sister in laws girlfriend. (She is an awesome gardener, unlike myself, and always brings awesome treats...that is if you could basil and tomatoes as treats. Thanks Noa!)

To flavor the oil, warm in a pan and add fresh herbs, here I used sage and rosemary. Cook for a minute or two until the herbs begin to bubble.

Drain the herbs and put the oil back in the pan, add a touch of butter and add the mushrooms. Saute over medium for a few minutes until the soften. Season with salt and pepper.

I used orzo, though any pasta will work. After draining, toss with oil and add the cooked herbs and mushrooms. I also tossed in some fresh spring onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste and top with fresh Parmigiana. This is great served at any temperature.

The Journey continues... with a little help

2011-06-12T09:07:00.002-05:00

As my journey to make great pizza continues, I've received some help along the way. My aunt gave me this flour:

Similar to the Italian Coputo 00 flour, this has a very smooth soft feel. The dough did have potential, but I think I need to play with it some more to perfect it.

Also, as time has gone on Auden has gotten more and more involved not only in the cooking process, but also the decision making. I have started to make him individual pies, that way he can have it just the way he likes it... which these days is with mushroom.

Here he is helping to top the dough with garlic oil before adding the mushrooms and cheese.

Mushroom Patties

2011-06-08T10:29:00.003-05:00

I was looking for another take on mushrooms burgers to make and came across this one. Though I usually don't go for vegan recipes, as they often lack a little something, this turned out great with a few tweaks. Without parsley, I substituted the greens from the tops of spring onions, and used the base in place of the onions

1 1/2 pounds (685 g) cremini mushrooms
1/2 cup (30 g)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, divided
2 large-size yellow onions, finely chopped
3 large-size garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 to 2 cups (165 to 220 g) bread crumbs or cracker meal
1 tablespoons mustard
3 tablespoons (45 g) tahini
2 tablespoons (30 g) hoisin sauce
3/4 cup (85 g) toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped
3 tablespoons (45 ml) tamari soy sauce
1 teaspoon (2 g) dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
salt and ground pepper, to taste

In a food processor, mince mushrooms and greens to form a smooth paste.

Meanwhile, in a pan over medium heat, warm about 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook onions and garlic for until soft, about five minutes.

Toast the nuts. I like to do this in a dry pan over medium high heat. Stirring to prevent browning. Chop when cooled.

Transfer onion mixture to a large-size bowl, and combine with minced mushrooms and parsley, bread crumbs, tahini, hoisin sauce,mustard, chopped nuts, tamari, oregano, sage, salt, and pepper. Add extra bread crumbs to make sure the mixture comes together to form a smooth, but not too wet mixture.

Place mixture in refrigerator for at least half an hour. Mixture will be soft, but you should be able to form patties.

Create patties using your hands. Then roll in more bread crumbs to coat. In a sauté pan, warm remaining oil, and fry patties over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until lightly browned and crispy. Be careful to keep patties intact.

I served them on whole wheat ciabatta with caramelized onion and arugula, and a side of home made sweet potato chips.

Spring Garlic pasta

2011-06-02T09:15:00.003-05:00

One of the best parts of the farmers market is all the produce that you can not get at the grocery store. Last week brought spring garlic, similar to spring onions (scallions) they have a subtle garlic taste.

For this simple recipe I used thinly sliced spring garlic with a frozen spinach pesto. Simple quick and super tasty.

The pesto I had made several weeks ago and froze the left overs in ice cube trays. Then when I want a little to add to a sauce or soup I can pop it out and mix it in. Not only is this a great way to store left over sauces and fresh herbs, it is how you make your own baby food.

After sweating the garlic, I added the spinach pesto cube and some of the reserved liquid to form a nice sauce.

Add the cooked pasta and top with cheese.

Edamame Dip take 2

2011-05-23T08:55:00.004-05:00

My previous effort to make an edamame dip was quite unsuccessful, to my surprise, as the kids love edamame and are big dip fans.

This recipe was much better and clearly was a winner. It is basically edamame with basil pesto, how can that be bad?

Edamame Dip
1 bag frozen edamame
1 bunch fresh basil
2 - 4 cloves garlic, to taste
Extra Virgin Olive oil
salt and pepper
2 - 4 oz Parmesean

Start by boiling the edamame in a large pot of salted boiling water, until tender about 5 minutes. Reserve about a cup of the liquid.

In a food processor, add the basil, garlic, oil and salt and pepper.

Blend to form a smooth paste. I them removed a few spoonfuls for garnish.

Add the edamame and cheese.Blend until smooth, thinning with the reserved cooking liquid to the desired consistency.

To serve, thin the reserved basil puree with a touch more oil and drizzle over the top. Serve with chips or cut veggies.

Rest assured..

2011-05-16T12:55:00.003-05:00

Be clear that my pizza making quest has continued, even as my posting has lapsed. Right now I am making pies about once a week. Each time, tweaking things, in that never ending quest to make great pies.

This week brought back the Jim Lahey no-knead recipe, with the addition of some whole wheat flour to amp up the flavor. This is one of those recipes that is so easy, its almost not believable. Mix, wait, shape, cook... oh and its super tasty too.

Last night I made a margherita with fresh basil from the farmers market.

Which brings me to a conversation I had with my sister-in-law. She asked how do you know whats in season. I responded that the easy way is to go to the farmers market and what ever they have... it's in season. Too easy, and never fail.

Our market opened a couple weeks ago and I have enjoyed seeing old friends, oh and great produce. Namely amazing asparagus. What better way to prepare great produce, then do nothing...

Here I shaved a stalk over some burrata. Drizzle with oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Stuffed Artichokes

2011-05-14T12:45:00.002-05:00

My son picked up this huge artichoke the other day at the store, and I wanted to make something that we could all share. This fit the bill.

Stuffed Artichoke
Large artichoke
lemon
about 1/2 cup bread crumbs
salt and pepper
2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 - 4 Tbs Parmesean
Olive oil

Cut the top off the artichoke, and using a small spoon or melon baller to remove the inner pieces and the fur above the heart.

To prevent the artichoke from browning, place the cut choke in a bowl with lemon.

Steam the choke for about 20 minutes until it begins to soften but is not completely cooked through.

Mix the bread crumbs with the Italian seasoning and season with salt and pepper and add the cheese.

Spread the artichoke out and fill the inside with the stuffing. Drizzle generously with oil and top with more cheese.

Bake at 400 deg. for about 20 minutes until bread crumbs begin to toast and stuffing is heat through.

BBQ Tofu Sandwich

2011-04-28T08:55:00.004-05:00

With my wife away, my son enjoys having tofu as much as he can. This was a great simple recipe that combines two of his favorites, mushrooms and BBQ sauce.

Marinate the tofu in your favorite BBQ sauce. I jazzed mine up with a little extra garlic and chili powder, salt and pepper and a touch of oil.

Cook the tofu in a touch of oil about 5 minutes a side. Adding more sauce to taste.

Heat a small pan and saute sliced onion then add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper.

To prepare the sandwich, place the warm tofu on bread, top with more sauce and the mushrooms and onions.

Coconut Curry Tofu

2011-04-16T07:12:00.005-05:00

I was looking for something to make for dinner that I new my wife wouldn't like but that me and the kids would, this curry and tofu dish was right on, as she is no fan of either, especially with the additional coconut crust.

Coconut Crusted Tofu with Curry Sauce
1/2 small onion diced
1 Tbs butter
2 - 3 cloves garlic
1 - 3 Tbs curry powder to taste
1 - 3 tsp Garam Masala to taste
2 small tomatoes, diced
1/2 can coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste
chili sauce or powder to taste

Tofo, pressed, then cut into wedges
flour
2 eggs, whipped with a touch of water
toasted coconut
oil for frying

To prepare the sauce, warm the butter in a sauce pan and add the onions. Cook over medium for a few minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Add the dry seasonings and cook another minute.

Add the tomatoes and cook another minute.

Add the coconut milk, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low to simmer and thicken. Season with salt and pepper and chili sauce to taste.

To prepare the tofu, prepare three dishes near the stove. The first with flour, the second with the egg wash and the last with the toasted coconut.

Warm the pan and add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Dip the tofu pieces in the flour, then the egg, then the coconut and straight into the hot pan.

Fry for a couple minutes a side until lightly browned.

Serve with rice and a drizzle of the curry sauce.

Peter Reinhart's almost Caramelized Onion Marmalade

2011-04-13T10:20:00.005-05:00

I first came across this recipe in American Pie, Peter Reinhart's book about his quest for great pizza.

I thought I would give it a try to add to a salad and knew that it could be used on sandwiches and pizza later in the week. The onions are not fully caramelized, but the sugar and Balsamic give a nice sweetness.

I cut the recipe in quarter, as I only had one onion on hand.

Balsamic Onion Marmalade
1 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 large yellow or white onions, sliced into thin strips (aka, julienned)
2 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Place oil in medium skillet set on medium-low and add onions. Cook for about 10 minutes until they soften, turning to prevent browning.

Turn up the heat to medium and cook another 10 to 15 minutes unit soft and translucent. Then add the sugar and turn to coat. Cook another minute or two.

Make a ring with the onions and add the balsamic in the middle, then fold in the onions to coat.

Turn off the heat and remove the onions letting the juices drip back into the pan. In a colander, press the onions to remove the juices, then gentle heat the mixture until it thickens.

It should turn syrupy. Do not over cook at this point or it will become too think.

After a minute or so, turn off the heat and add the onions back in, turning to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

This can be used on pizza or sandwiches or even eaten straight from the container.

Buffalo Tomato Soup

2011-03-29T20:29:00.004-05:00

We have been into Buffalo stuff lately. This simple soup was a great play off the combo of spicy, blue cheese and celery.

I made my typical tomato soup, but added a generous amount of Frank's Red Hot Sauce. Then topped it with these crackers, but without the nuts. And garnished with a sprig of celery.

Corn and Radish Salad

2011-03-27T08:01:00.003-05:00

I am always a fan of salads, as we have one of some sort almost every night. Last night I made this simple radish and corn salad. You always have to love recipes where all you do is toss all the ingredients.

Corn and Radish Salad

3 cups fresh corn kernels

3 - 4 thinly sliced radishes
6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about a lime and a half)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño chilies

salt

Add the ingredients to a bowl.

Mix. Season with salt. Serve.

Another Beet Salad

2011-03-24T21:14:00.002-05:00

I wasn't always a beet fan, but over the last few years have come to truly love them. They are easy to prepare, store well in the fridge and are a great base for a salad or a simple addition.

This is a simple beet and orange salad I made last night.

Over roasted sliced beets sprinkle feta and top with orange (or other citrus fruit) slices. Squeeze juice from about half an orange and drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and season with a course salt, such as Maldon, and fresh pepper. Top with lightly dressed greens, here with micro greens from Heritage Prairie Farm, used a lemon oil and apple cider vinegar.

Kale with Bravas Sauce

2011-03-22T16:30:00.003-05:00

I am always a huge fan of re-using sauces for different uses. I had some left over bravas sauce from tapas the other night and figured it would go great with some rainbow kale.

Rainbow Kale with Bravas Sauce

half onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup bravas sauce (or more or less)

one bunch rainbow kale, cut into strips

salt and pepper to taste

parsley, chopped

Warm oil in saute pan and cook onions over medium heat to soften. Add the sauce and thin with a little water. Heat until warm.

Add the kale and cook over medium heat adding water to keep from sticking.

Cook for about 10 minutes until kale is cooked though. Season with salt and pepper and top with parsley.

Roasted squash with chickpea salad

2011-03-19T09:07:00.004-05:00

I have been looking to branch out from my typical roasted squash recipes. I thought this nice version with a warm salad would do the trick...I was also looking to clean out the refrigerator.

Roast Squash with Warm Chickpea Salad

1/2 an acorn squash per person

1/2 onion diced

1 - 2 celery stalks diced

1 - 2 cloves garlic minced

about 2 cups chickpeas

one small bunch arugula

za'atar

salt and pepper to taste

Balsamic vinegar

Extra Virgin olive oil

Half the squash and remove the seeds. Drizzle with oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper and za'atar. Roast in 400 deg oven for about 40 minutes until soft.

While the squash is roasting, in a medium pan, warm oil and add the onions, celery and garlic. Cook for a few minutes to warm through. Then add the chickpeas and season with salt and pepper and za'atar. Cook for a few more minutes until warm but not mushy.

In a small bowl, toss the arugula with a drizzle of oil and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, top the squash half with a large scoop of the salad and top with the greens.

Squash and Goat Cheese Mac and Cheese

2011-03-15T22:55:00.004-05:00

I have truly learned to love the Mac and Cheese, though it rarely is made with macaroni in our house.

Its a great, fairly quick recipe that I know I will always have everything on hand. The other great thing is all the other stuff you can toss in. I made this with left over roasted squash, caramelized onion and goat cheese.

The sauce was extra creamy and the kids loved it.

Squash Mac and Cheese

1 Tbs butter

1 Tbs flour

1 1/4 cup milk

about a cup cooked squash

3 - 4 oz goat cheese

some caramelized onion (maybe about half an onion)

1/2 lb cooked pasta of your choice

salt and pepper

Begin by making roux with the flour and butter. Heat over medium flame until it begins to bind and form a paste.

Add the milk and continue to cook, while stirring, until it thickens.Remove from heat and add the squash, onions and cheese.

Add the pasta a stir to coat. Then place in a baking dish and cook in 400 Deg oven about 10 minutes until warmed through.

You can add bread crumbs to the top or extra cheese.

Sandwiches for Dinner...

2011-03-14T22:35:00.002-05:00

Ever since getting my panini machine last year it has been a regular tool in my arsenal. It makes for quick and easy grilled cheeses. Turn it on and 5 minutes later (while you prepare the filling) its ready to go. Pop in the sandwich and by the time the fries come out of the oven and the drinks are on the table the sandwiches are hot and ready.

Tonight featured some great mushrooms from River Valley. I first cooked them using the panini machine with a touch of oil and salt and pepper. Its great because it cooks from both the top and bottom.

Then sliced them up and topped with arugula, avocado and onions. A dash of Bar-B-Que and a couple slices of mozzarella. One great trick is to lay out all the sandwiches at once. That way its quick work to pile them up and toss in the panini grill.

A few minutes later, add some sweet potato fries and its dinner.

Oh so close

2011-02-20T11:06:00.003-06:00

As I have been tweaking my dough recipe, I have gotten so close to great pizza. Last night might be one of the best.

The dough is made with 25% culture, way more than I've seen elsewhere, but it adds a great flavor. I've also been upping the water, this recipe was with 70% hydration. I let the dough bulk ferment, rather than dividing before letting it rest in the refrigerator for 4 days. Then let the dough sit out and proof for longer than I had, almost 6 hours. The result was a great, light open crusty dough. It did need a touch more salt... So I guess I'll have to try again.

This pie as a mixture of white and crimini mushrooms.

Here you can see the great cornicione (crust).

Second was my standard garlic with hot peppers.

And finally a nod to Buffalo wings. This was topped with Frank's Hot Sauce and blue cheese, then finished with shaved celery.

Sweet Potato Souffle

2011-02-18T09:58:00.003-06:00

Making souffles is surprisingly easy. Though there are a few steps none are that difficult, and even if yours does not rise mile high it will surely be yummy. I picked up this recipe from Seriouseats.com

Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Souffle
3 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
3/4 cup milk
4 egg yolks
about 1 cup mashed sweet potato
1 - 2 oz goat cheese
salt and pepper
7 egg whites
pinch cream of tartar

Warm the butter and flour over medium heat, mixing to form a roux. Cook for a minute or two until smooth and warmed.

Addd the milk and cook a few minutes longer to thicken.

Remove from heat and mix in the egg yolks. Make sure to stir thoroughly so that you do not scramble the eggs but mix them into the sauce.

Add the potato and cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Mix to combine. Set aside and cool to at least room temperature. At this point this can be placed in the refrigerator and used later to finish the souffles.

Coat small ramekins with butter or oil and bread crumbs. Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks. Then fold this into the potato mixture. Fill the ramekins. Bake in 400 deg oven about 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve warm straight from the oven.

Velentine's Day 2011

2011-02-15T18:40:00.003-06:00

It's amazing what one cookie cutter can do.

For Valentine's Day, I made a bunch of dishes...yes all red and white, using a heart cookie cutter.

Here is tomato soup with heart toasts.

Then beets with warm goat cheese.

I made roasted red pepper pasta, and using the heart cutter made them into nice little hearts.

I served this with a sundried tomato pesto.

A little bit goes a long way

2011-02-14T12:53:00.004-06:00

As I am on my quest to make great pizza, I will periodically try new recipes. Last week saw one from pizzamaking.com. I tried the New York Style. Two things I found interesting about this dough. First, it has a fairly low hydration (amount of water to flour) of only about 56% . The second was the relatively large amount of yeast.
I'm not going to go into detail now, but higher hydration leads to better texture and the goal is to use as little yeast as is necessary.

According to the great bread baker Peter Reinhart: "use only as much yeast as it takes to get the job done and no more"

I would say there was way too much in this recipe.

At the same time I made another batch with my Ischia culture, at about 70% hydration. I let the doughs rest in the refrigerator for 4 nights. Then proof at room temperature for about 6 hours. Here you can see the difference in the doughs.

In the end the New York Style was too puffy for my taste. The parts under the topping was too doughy and the cornicione (crust) was too uniform in texture. Shown below is a fire roasted tomato with fresh mozzarella.

As you can see below the higher hydration dough, still puffed in the oven, but was less uniform in texture, creating big open holes (this is were that extra hydration comes into play). This one is topped with hot peppers and roasted garlic.

Here you can see the structure of the cornicione.

This last one was again with the New York dough and topped with mizuna (also called japanese mustard, has a similar taste to arugula) and blue cheese.

Jicama Salad

2011-02-12T09:31:00.002-06:00

In an attempt to expose the kids to new foods, I picked up a jicama to make a simple salad.

This simple salad was a big hit, and paired well with some beans and rice.

Jicama Salad
one jicama, pealed
1/4 thinly sliced onion
small handful cilantro
1/4 jalapeno, finely chopped (or more to taste)
juice of half lime
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt and pepper

After cutting off the skin of the jicama, half then thinly slice.

Toss with the rest of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

2011-02-10T17:02:00.002-06:00

Last night I made gnocchi using sweet potatoes. This was a simple change that added a nice sweet flavor. I prepared a simple sauce of parsley pesto and grated Parm.

I used this basic recipe, but had to add extra flour, as the sweet potato does not have the same starch that white potatoes do.

I boiled the potato and passed through a food mill.

I let them cool in the refrigerator for a hour or so, as they we soft. Then sauted them in a little butter and oil.

To finish, I tossed with some parsley pesto and topped with cheese.

Left over this left over that

2011-02-09T09:51:00.003-06:00

I am a fan of left overs. They make for a quick dinner, when there is not time to make something elaborate. I like to tweak them though, rather than serve the same thing over again, change a flavor, add cheese, or my favorite turn into soup. I pick this up while in Spain. We would make rice dishes (paella being one of them) then the next day turn the left over rice into soup.

A couple nights ago I was looking for something to make and saw we had some left over French onion soup and a jar of tomatoes. Perfect!

Puree the tomatoes and cook with a little garlic, then add the French onion soup. Heat through.

Then add a can of beans. I have been making large batches of beans and freezing them in containers. This is way cheaper than cans, and likely has way less salt too.

Finish with some greens, I had kale. Then top with Parm.

Lentils with Feta

2011-02-05T14:27:00.004-06:00

Last night we had some friends over for dinner and while the kids ran around and caused mayhem, I prepared this simple lentil dish. You can substitute goat cheese for the feta.

Lentils with Feta
1/2 onion
1 - 2 celery stalks
1 - 2 carrots
1 - 2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup brown or green lentils
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper
olive oil
small handful arugula or other greens
2 - 3 ounces Feta

Dice the vegetables, cutting about the same size as the lentils.

Saute in a pot over medium heat with a touch of oil, until soft about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Then add the garlic, cook another minute and add the lentils. Turn to coat.

Then fill with water or stock to cover by an inch or more. Cook over medium-high heat, adding more liquid as the lentils absorb it.

Cook for about 40 minutes, until the lentils are cooked through, but still hold their shape. Add the thyme, season again with salt and pepper. There should still be some liquid, but it should be soup like. To serve, top with greens and feta.

Because everyone (at least all the sane people) loves pizza, I made a four pies as well.

This is a red with half mushrooms.

This is a white with tellegio and black pepper, a la Pizzeria Oceano.

Grilled eggplant with hot peppers.

And lastly, caramelized onion and blue cheese.

Simple Cous Cous

2011-01-31T16:01:00.003-06:00

This simple take on cous cous was a nice accompaniment to hummus and the fennel salad below.

The cous cous will take on any flavor, similar to pasta, so be sure to be a bit heavy handed with the spices. This simple dish adds onion and fresh parsley to the cous cous.

Herbed Cous Cous
about a cup cooked Isreali cous cous (see here)
about half an onion, diced
1 - 2 cloves garlic
1 - 2 tsp cumin
1 -2 tsp zatar
oil
salt and pepper
small bunch parsley, minced

Prepare the cous cous, while it is cooling, heat oil in skillet and add onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until the soften, making sure not to brown. Then add the seasons. Cook until coated and flavors are blended.

Add the cous cous, tossing to coat.

Let cool slightly, then add the parsley and adjust the taste with more seasonings as needed.

I served this with a simple fennel and celery salad with sumac.

"Left Overs"

2011-01-29T09:49:00.002-06:00

Last night was another night of using up what is in the house, which meant squash and pizza dough.

I made a simple roasted squash salad.

I had made a couple pies a few nights earlier and had a couple left over doughs. I made another red pie.

And a roasted garlic, caramelized onion with roasted red pepper spread from Pastoral.

Mushroom and Caramelized Onion Toasts

2011-01-27T15:52:00.003-06:00

The other night we went to Abigail's with our friends Adam and Renee, there we had an appetizer with mushrooms and truffles. I was inspired by this.

I had recently read on SeriousEats.com about a new method to caramelize onions, using two slight changes. One is to caramelize a small amount of sugar, this jumps starts the process, the other is to add baking soda (a base) which changes the pH and allows you to cook hotter and breaks the onions down quicker. The end result was surely tasty and likely took a bit less time, was somewhat mushy. So for an application like this dish, it works great, but for something where you wanted pieces of onion, it would not work.

Mushroom with Goat Cheese Caramelized Onion Toasts
half a large onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar
1/8 baking soda
pinch salt to taste
oil and/or butter

1 - 2 cloves garlic, sliced
a couple cups thick sliced mushrooms
2 - 3 ounces goat cheese
3 - 6 slices bread
small bunch arugula
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt and pepper to taste

To make the onions, start by heating a stainless pan over medium heat, add the sugar and cook until melted and slightly golden.

Add the onions, and turn to coat. Then add the baking soda and salt, and butter and/or oil. Cook over medium heat turning occasionally. If the onions stick add a touch of water and incorporate any of the browned pieces.

Cook until the onions are broken down and have a nice caramel color. Cool completely before adding to the cheese.

To prepare the mushroom, add a touch of oil to a pan and add the garlic and a touch of salt. Cook for a minute to soften then add the mushrooms. Cook over medium heat, until cooked though and soft.

Mix the cheese with the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Toast the bread, then spread with the cheese.

To finish, top with the mushrooms, then with the arugula. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.

4 pies, 3 doughs, 1 oven set up

2011-01-26T12:09:00.003-06:00

We had good friends over last night for dinner (Thanks Dan for the wine, and Cat for the treats) and what a great way to do a little taste test.

I have been trying many methods lately and wanted to see how much they differed and which were the best to work with. Even though all the doughs were basically the same four ingredients (flour, water, salt and yeast) they ended up with different tastes and textures. (You can read more about the methods
.)

I made three batches of dough on Monday. This would not normally be enough time to let the dough ferment, but that's what I had to work with.

For the first recipe I made this recipe, originally from Cooks Illustrated. It uses a food processor to mix the dough rather quickly. This can be a great way to make dough, though there is a concern that the processor will heat up the dough too much, killing the yeast, leaving the dough flat.

The second recipe was a some what standard 65% hydration (meaning for 100% flour (250 g) , 65% water (163 g)) using a large amount of Ischia Culture (100% hydration), about 25% (300 g flour to 100 g culture).

The third dough was Jim Lahey's no-knead recipe.

In an attempt to get better heat out of my oven, I tried making a bit of a oven in an oven using fire bricks. These thick bricks retain a lot of heat and by surrounding the baking stone and building a little roof, I was able to direct more of the heat back to the pies and ultimately get a better cornicione (outer crust).

Pie one, cooked red sauce, half mushrooms, processor dough.

Pie two, roasted garlic and hot peppers, culture dough.

Pie three, mushrooms and truffle, no-knead.

Lastly, squash, roasted garlic and arugula, culture dough.

White Bean Soup with Winter Vegetables

2011-01-25T11:56:00.003-06:00

Soups are always a great way to use up any vegetables. With this recipe, as with many, there are not real hard and fast rules as to what to put in. I had some root vegetables and white beans, and finish with chard. I like to chop everything about the same size, in this case the size of the beans, so that when eating you do not have a huge piece of carrot and a tiny onion.

White Bean Soup with Winter Vegetables
large onion, diced
2 - 4 carrots, diced
1 - 2 parsnips, peeled and diced
1 - 2 turnips, diced
3 - 6 cloves garlic, rough chopped
2 - 4 cups white beans
2 - 3 potatoes, diced (I left the skin on)
bunch chard or other green, chopped
about 1 Tbs Thyme
about 1 Tbs Rosemary
salt and pepper
Parmesan

In a large pot, warm oil and add onions. Cook over medium heat a few minutes until they begin to cook. Add the other vegetables and season with salt and pepper.

Cook this for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften. Then add the beans and potatoes. Add more water or stock to cover.

Cook until the potatoes are almost cooked through.

Then add the greens and cook a few minutes more. Season to taste. Serve with Parm.

I always love to serve with a simple salad, here we had a beet with goat cheese and bibb lettuce salad with balsamic glaze.

Cucumber Salad

2011-01-19T10:38:00.002-06:00

Here is another quick and easy salad. I just tossed together a bunch of veggies I had, a little feta and used some of the arugula pesto from the other night to make a quick dressing.

Cucumber Salad
about a half of a cucumber, peeled or not, sliced
marinated onions*
2 - 3 stalks celery
about a 1 Tbs arugula pesto
Extra Virgin Olive oil
Vinegar of your choosing
salt and pepper
1 -3 oz feta to taste

Toss the veggies with the pesto, oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve top with the feta.

*to marinate onions, thinly slice and place in a small bowl. Add a few splashes of vinegar and oil. Season with salt and pepper and let sit at least 30 minutes. I've been using mine for days.

Grilled Mushrooms with Pesto

2011-01-18T10:12:00.002-06:00

The other night I made some arugula pesto, last night I used the left overs with some mushrooms.

I thinned the pesto with more oil and tossed with mushrooms.

I grilled them, on a grill pan for about 5 minutes.

To serve, I topped with a touch more cheese.

Smashed potatoes

2011-01-17T09:28:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I was in the grocery store with Auden, he noticed on the TV some one making smashed potatoes and asked if we could make them. Luckily, we had potatoes at home.

Smashed Potatoes
small to medium red potatoes
3 - 6 cloves garlic
olive oil
course salt and pepper

Boil the potatoes, whole, in heavily salted water for about 15 to 20 minutes, until cooked but not so much that they fall apart.

Drain, and let cool. Then using your hand or a spatula, smash the potatoes so that they are smushed but are still in one piece

In a large skillet, add enough oil to coat the bottom and add the garlic. Cook over medium to infuse the oil with the garlic. When they start to brown, remove and set aside.

Add the potatoes to the oil and pan fry. Cook for about 5 minutes a side until nicely browned.

Add the garlic back in to warm. Then serve with course salt and fresh pepper, drizzle with the garlic oil and the garlic pieces.

Carrot Soup

2011-01-16T18:38:00.002-06:00

We ended up with a lot of carrots this week from our CSA. Soup is always the easiest, and tastiest, way to use up a lot of veggies. I even tossed in some squash to enhance the flavor.

This is a simple soup flavored with some Indian spices and coconut milk.

Carrot Squash Soup
large bunch carrots, chopped
large onion, chopped
2 - 3 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium winter squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 - 3 cloves garlic
about 1 Tbs cumin
about 1 Tbs garam masala
salt and pepper
1 large piece chopped ginger
about 1 Tbs chili powder
one can coconut milk

Place all the vegetables in a lat pot, and cover with water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

After the soup has cooked for about 20 minutes and the vegetables are soft, add in the spices to taste and coconut milk. Puree in a blender or food processor.

Return to heat and re-season with salt and pepper

To serve, garnish with yogurt or sour cream and hot sauce.

Pestoed Squash and Pizza Sandwich

2011-01-15T08:53:00.004-06:00

We have ended up with a lot of squash lately and I was looking for something new to do with it. I came across this recipe with pumpkins seeds and thought that pesto would be a great addition. Instead of the pumpkin seeds, I made a simple arugula version.

Roasted Squash with Arugula Pesto
one winter squash, skinned and diced
salt and pepper
garlic powder
Italian Seasoning
oil

2 - 3 garlic cloves to taste
one large bunch arugula, washed
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt and pepper
Parmiginio-Reggiano

Toss the squash with the salt and pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic powder and oil. Bake on a lined cookie sheet in 400 deg oven about 40 minutes, turning after about 20 minutes, until cooked and starting to crisp.

Meanwhile prepare the pesto. Place the garlic and a pinch of salt in a food processor, blend until the garlic is chopped

Roughly chop the arugula and add to the garlic. Blend until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.

Add in enough oil to make a smooth paste (pesto means paste), season with salt and pepper and add the Parm. Mix one last time to combine.

Once the squash is finished cooking, place in a small bowl and toss with a spoon or two of the pesto. I served it on top of arugula, dressed with a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic, and seasoned with salt and pepper. Top the dish with more cheese and a drizzle of Balsamic Glaze.

Along with the squash salad, I made pizza sandwiches. I had seen this in Martha Stewart and thought it would be another fun adaptation of the calzone. Essentially, its a calzone where you do not seal the rim. This creates a nice sandwich appearance. I had some left over pizza dough, and with the addition of some broccoli made a great dinner.

Prepare the filling as you normally would for a calzone, laying them on only half the rolled out dough. Here I made one with fresh garlic, broccoli (I thinly sliced so that it would no get to bulky), mozzarella, and a sprinkle of pizza seasoning.

Fold over the top, leaving a small gap. (Next time I would have the ingredients poke out a little more for a better appearance.) You can brush the top with a little oil, as well.

Bake in 500 deg oven about 15 minutes.

More Experiments in pizza

2011-01-13T10:06:00.002-06:00

Lest there be any concern that I am backing off my pizza making, I am not (although I am spending more time making bread, in order to learn more about the chemistry, and because its yummy). And last night was another great round.
I have been playing with the Varasano recipe using a culture from Italy and a touch of yeast. I used KA Organic Bread flour at 65% hydration, meaning for 1 part flour I used 0.65 parts water, with about 9% culture. This was a nice soft dough that stretched out well after 5 days of cold fermenting in the fridge and about 3 hours of proofing at room temperature.

I have also been playing with toppings, inspired by what has been showing up on My Pie Monday an Slice.

I made a French onion soup inspired pie, this in part came from a new cheese I picked up at Trader Joe's that is part Gruyere and part cheddar.

I caramelized the onions with a touch of thyme. (Ok technically the onions do not caramelize, that only happens to sugar but they undergo a Maillard reaction.)

Along with the onion, I topped the pie with the Gruyere/cheddar and a touch of Parm, salt and pepper and a touch of oil.

I once again tried the cast skillet method, instead of the pizza stone. In the end, I ended up moving it back to the stone, this may have partially been because I was cooking other pies at the same time.

I also made a red pie, with a cooked tomato sauce.

And a white, with fresh garlic and lots of hot peppers.

Another night of leftovers

2011-01-12T18:26:00.002-06:00

I made potatoes, onion and cheese the other night, and had some leftovers. What better way to use them up and add some eggs and some sliced mushrooms. Almost any left over veggies will work here, broccoli, onions, peppers...

I baked it for about 20 minutes in a 400 deg oven until the eggs were cooked through.

Over Night French Toast

2011-01-10T10:07:00.002-06:00

This weekend was my father-in-laws birthday, and by special request he asked for French toast. This was also inspired by my mother-in-law who recently told me about her manicurist's over night recipe.

Luckily, he game me enough time to make the bread...but that is a whole other story.

Over Night French Toast
One loaf challah or brioche, thickly sliced
6 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk, buttermilk, or cream (or any combination)
1/2 white or brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Thickly slice the bread.

Lay the slices out in a deep pan. Meanwhile mix the rest of the ingredients, and pour over the bread. Turning to coat both sides. Cover and refrigerate over night.

You can cook the slices in a pan as you may normally would or bake on a cookie sheet in a 375 oven about 15 - 20 minutes, then turn and cook another 5 or so.

I served with some bananas warmed in syrup.

Potato and Rosemary Gallette

2011-01-07T15:18:00.004-06:00

Here is another easy potato dish that always impresses. The trick is to lay out the first layer carefully so that when you flip the gallette over you get a nice presentation.

You can slice the potatoes with either a mandoline or a slicing blade on a food processor, the thinner the better. Also make sure to work quickly so that they do not brown as you are assembling.

Potato Gallette with Rosemary and Parmesan
about 1 Tbs butter
about 1 Tbs oil
2 - 3 small baking potatoes
rosemary to taste
Parmesan to taste
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450.
Melt the butter and oil in an oven proof skillet. Remove most of the butter, but leave a coating in the pan.

Using a mandoline or food processor, thin slice one potato. Then lay this out in the pan, over-laping each slice by about half. Cover the bottom.

Brush with butter, then sprinkle with rosemary, cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Repeat this rest of the potatoes, creating three layers. Warm the pan on the stove, until the bottom starts to sizzle. Then place in hot oven.

Bake about 20 - 25 minutes. Sprinkle top with more Parmesan and return to oven.

Flip onto a plate to serve.

Cooking with Auden: Naan

2011-01-06T10:31:00.003-06:00

I am always on the look out for great homemade naan to go with my Indian food. Here is another attempt. It was from one of my new favorite sites, The Fresh Loaf.

I made half the recipe and it made 4 loafs. The result was good, but still not restaurant quality. Likely because I used far less butter (Ghee) then they do in the restaurants.

Naan

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry active yeast
1 1/2 cup milk, heated to 110F
1 tsp sugar
ghee or melted butter to taste

Activate the yeast in the warm milk with the sugar added or if using instant yeast just add all the dry ingredients together, as there is no need to activate the yeast.

Combine the flour and salt. Once the yeast is active, combine the yeast mixture with the flour mixture.

Mix in a stand mixer on medium speed for 5 minutes, or knead by hand until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Allow to rest for two hours, covered with a towel or plastic.

After the dough has rested turn it out onto a floured surface and divide into 8 - 12 equal pieces and round them into balls. Cover with a towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

While the dough rests heat your oven to 500 F and place a pizza stone, or cast iron skillet, on the bottom rack of the oven.

Once fully rested roll out the dough until it is thin, use a touch of flour to prevent sticking.

Moisten your hands with water, gently pass the dough between your hands to moisten gently, then lay on the hot pizza stone. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until puffed and beginning to get brown spots.

Remove from the oven, brush lightly with ghee (or melted butter) and cover with a cloth to keep warm.

NYE 2011

2011-01-05T15:36:00.003-06:00

New Years Eve was another chance to have some fun with food. I served up a few favorites, crab cakes, seared tuna, and warm chocolate chip cookies.

Dinner was for eight, so timing was a bit of an issue, but the trick is to prepare. Lay out all the plates and make the cold salads and dressings while the warm items are heating. Then plate the base, here an arugula salad, then top with the warm crab cakes, dressing and garnish. With all the plates set out, it was easy to do each step one after another.

Another great trick for parties is playing with the size of dishes. Shown below is a spicy tomato soup served in shot glasses, topped with an individual grilled shrimp and a splash of cilantro pesto. This also works great for cocktail parties passed, too.

OK OK...

2011-01-05T15:03:00.003-06:00

So I've been a bit absent from the blog lately...mostly due to a crazy fall, with lots of travel, but I'm back now and want to get back to things.

While we were in Tucson, I had the pleasure of using my in-laws pizza oven. Coincidentally, my aunt and uncle from Montreal, were passing through from Mexico and they brought me some Oaxaca Cheese, similar to Jack but stringy like mozzarella. The ball shown below came about the size of a grapefruit and was one long piece, about an inch wide. Its a touch salty, but melts nicely. What better way to use then on pizza?

I topped the pie with the Oaxacian Cheese, thinly sliced red onion and roasted red pepper with a sprinkle of fresh pepper.

It was a hit.

Thanks Rita and Joe!

Making pies for 20 isn't like making them for 4

2010-10-18T10:11:00.005-05:00

As you all know I have been working hard to make some great pizza at home. But when it comes to making it for the family, 3 or 4 pies, versus making it for a crowd it is a totally different game. For our daughters first birthday, we served pizza, what else?

First you have to have everything ready... all the toppings prepared, all the cheese shredded, the oil and salt and flour right in hands reach. This is how restaurants are able to crank out so much food. Its much faster (and easier) if i dont have to look for anything. As you can see, I have my toppings all together, my sauces all together and my cheeses all together. That made it easy to stretch out the dough, top the pies and pop them in the oven.

Second, you have to have way more pies going at a time. This makes it a bit trickier as you have to move them around the oven and every time you open the door the oven cools off.

I recently picked up these dough boxes. They allow me to make my dough and pop them in the refrigerator for a few days and not loose an entire shelf because I can put stuff on top. Then its easy to take them out to proof a couple hours before using them. Its much easier then my old system of each dough in a separate container.

After experimenting with different broiler / pan methods, I used a hybrid one here. Just for the record, my oven sucks. The broiler cycle was too short to use and every time I tried the oven cooled down too much. Some of the pies came out good, others a bit too well done on top (with the broiler cranking) but not enough on the bottom (because the oven had cooled).

Here was the run down:
Margherita
Spinach and mushroom

Even the decorations were enjoying the pizza. (It was an Itsy Bitsy Spider Theme)

Giardinera and garlic

Caramelized onion and blue cheese

Truffle with arugula

Grilled eggplant and sliced tomato

Potato rosemary

Oven roasted tomatoes

And another Margherita

I think all in all they were good but not great. I really do need to do more pizza parties....anyone interested in being my Guinea Pigs??

Mushroom and Squash Empanadas

2010-10-13T17:11:00.006-05:00

The other night I was looking for something to make with squash and/or mushrooms and came across this recipe. Other than the time to let the dough rest this was a easy and fairly quick recipe. I omitted the hot peppers, and added some cumin and chili powder to add extra flavor. The kids loved it. We didn't finish them all, so I par cooked the extra, let them cook then frozen them. Now when I want one I can pot it in the oven and when its hot it will be done without drying out.

Mushroom and Squash Empanada
Filling

1 cup diced (1/4-inch) butternut squash
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
6 small garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound fresh mushrooms
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
1/3 cup broth or water

egg wash: 1 egg mixed with 1 Tsp water
salt

Dough (I used this dough recipe)

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 large egg
1/3 cup ice water
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Sift flour with salt into a large bowl and blend in butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal with some (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.

In a separate bowl mix the egg, water, and vinegar.

Add this to flour mixture, stirring with fork until just incorporated.

Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and gather together, then knead gently once or twice to bring the dough together, but do not over mix, it will firm up. Form a ball and flatten into a round about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

To make the filling, bowl the squash in salted water for a few minutes until firm and slightly cooked but still holding there shape. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil and a pinch of salt over medium heat until softened.

Add the mushrooms, stock and cumin and chili. Cook over medium about 5 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked though. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the squash and let cool completely before filling the empanadas.

To make the empanadas, cut the dough into 8 pieces, roll out the dough to form a circle about 6 inches in diameter. Spoon some of the filling in the middle and brush around half the edge with egg wash. Fold over to form a half moon and crimp the edge with a fork. I have a little press that pinches the edges for me.

Brush with more egg wash and sprinkle with salt. Bake in 350 oven for about 25 to 30 minutes until golden.

I served these with some salsa verde, corn with tomatoes and refried black beans.

Squash Pie

2010-10-12T10:22:00.003-05:00

OK, so its a pizza pie...Its been a couple days so time for a few more pizzas. I wanted to experiment with some new toppings, I'm generally not one for crazy stuff on my pizza (don't ever give me pineapple), but sometimes with a subtle hand new flavors can do well... remember that pizza is just bread with stuff on it.

We picked up a butternut squash at the market this weekend and had some leftover blue cheese, what a great combo.

Slice a couple of pieces of the squash and roast in the oven with a drizzle of oil, salt and pepper and a touch of thyme. Cook in a 400 deg oven about 45 minutes, unit cooked and nicely browned.

Mash the squash up with a touch of oil, I used garlic oil, and season with salt and pepper and more thyme to taste.

Spread this on the dough and top with a sprinkle of blue cheese and Parmigiana.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I've been experimenting with the broiler method to varying success. I wanted to find out why the broiler was acting the way it was, that is turning off after only a short time. In my case not long enough to finish the top of my pies.

I did a few experiments, but the oven was cold. With the oven hot (550 deg for an hour) the broil cycles on and off, which led me to call GE, turns out they want it that way. Bummer for me... I guess I have to finish my grill-turned-pizza-oven project.

As you can see the top is nice, but the bottom need a touch more time, with the crazy broiler I need to maybe cook it more first then finish it under the broiler, which goes against everything I know.

The second pie was a slice tomato and basil. The basil was chopped and had been used as a dip for bread...like a thin pesto with chunky basil

As you can see from the crust, I am getting the cornicone to form great bubbles, with a great structure, I just need to get the bottom a touch more done. I guess its more practice. Good thing I will be making pizza for 20 this weekend.

Caramelized Onion Apple Mac-n-Cheese

2010-10-08T10:36:00.002-05:00

Remember all those apples I picked up over the weekend? What better way to use them then to add to this rich pasta. I used my basic mac-n-cheese recipe with the addition of the onions and apple.

Slice the apples thin, I used a mandoline.

Caramelize the onions and add the apples for the last few minutes to slightly cook and combine the flavors. Make the cheese sauce then add the pasta and onions and apple before adding to the pan.

Top with some extra cheese, and enjoy.

Marinated Eggplant

2010-10-08T10:15:00.003-05:00

Since Jim Lahey is a bread making genius, i figured he might know a thing or two about other cooking. This recipe looked good and I was looking for something to do with some eggplant.

This is adapted from his book My Bread.

Marinated Eggplant
1 eggplant sliced
2 - 3 cloves garlic
cilantro
red pepper flakes
red wine vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 500 deg.
Drizzle eggplant with oil and season with salt and pepper.

Bake for about 45 minutes, until slightly browned and cooked but not mushy.

In a dish place one layer of eggplant, top with garlic and cilantro, season with salt and pepper and splash with vinegar.

Repeat this layering until the container is full, then cover with oil. Refrigerate over night.

It makes a great sandwich filling, here I made one with the eggplant, fresh mozzarella and basil on the Ciabatta from the same book.

Cooking with Auden: Birthday Cupcakes

2010-10-07T09:23:00.003-05:00

We were looking for a yummy and easy recipe to make cupcakes for Liev's birthday. As always, Joy of Baking came through. We halved this and added some chocolate chips to make them extra chocolaty. Rather than a chocolate frosting, we made a vanilla butter cream that we tinted pink.

Chocolate Cupcakes
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 cup boiling hot water
2/3 cups (87 grams) all purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 375.
In a small bowl, dissolve the cocao in the water. And let cool to room temperature.

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

In another bowl, measure the sugar and add the soft butter.

Cream these until smooth and fluffy.

Add the egg, then vanilla. Mix until blended.

Add the flour mixture, blending until fully combined.

Then add the cooled cocoa. Then the chips.

Scoop into lined or buttered muffin tins.

Bake for about 20 minutes.

Frosting
1/4 cup soft butter
1 cup confectionery sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs milk
food coloring

Cream the butter until smooth, then add the vanilla.

Add the sugar and mix on low until combined, then add the milk. Mix until smooth and fluffy. Add food color to the desired color.

Ice the cooled cupcakes. Store in the refrigerator to set the frosting, but remove about 15 - 20 before serving to soften.

And, yes it was a huge hit!

I think I'm almost there...

2010-10-06T10:31:00.003-05:00

...but my fear is that it is an asymptotic limit (for those that forgot their coordinate geometry...it is a limit that you can get closer and closer, but never get to).

I have been experimenting with the broiler method of cooking pizza in the oven. The super high heat cooks the top of the pie quicker than the bottom, more like a wood burning oven. And the results are super tasty, a light airy cornicone (outer crust) with a touch of char (burntness).

Here is a grilled eggplant with roasted tomato pie.

And a roasted garlic with hots.

The challenge is that my broiler cycle is too short. By the time I finished the second pie the oven had dropped from 550 deg to around 375. I guess I have to make a few more to practice or finally finish my grill turned pizza oven...

Apples, apples everywhere...

2010-10-05T10:28:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we went up to Michigan to one of Auden's friends house to go apple picking. Not only did the kids have fun but we brought back a huge bag of apples. After making a huge pot of apple sauce, I was looking for something else to do with the apples. I came across this and thought it looked great.

I made a few tweeks but basically followed the recipe, and it was a hit.

Crostini with apple chutney and goat cheese

3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3/4 cup rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
5 allspice berries
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into -inch pieces (about 4 cups)
1 cup raisins

1 cup diced seeded plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1 French-bread baguette, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
Olive oil
head garlic
goat cheese

Mix the vinegar and sugar in a large pot. Cook over medium until the sugar dissolves.

Add in the spices and garlic and ginger and cook over medium heat until reduced, about 10 minutes.

Add the apple and raisins and cook another 10 minutes over medium until cooked but not mushy.

To roast the garlic, remove the skin and place the cloves in an oven safe container. Cover with oil and bake in a 350 oven for about 40 minutes until the garlic is soft and golden brown.

After the chutney has cooled, add the tomato and mint (I used dried).

To serve, toast the bread then spread with some cheese and a clove of the soft garlic then top with the chutney.