Adapted from Orangette and Molly Stevens book, All About Braising
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Savoy cabbage, quartered, cored, and sliced into ½-inch-wide shreds
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, sliced into ½-inch-wide pieces (I actually used a yellow onion here as I had no green onions on hand...worked just fine)
Kosher salt
1 ¾ cups good chicken stock
1 ripe Saint-Marcellin cheese (again...I just used a good-sized mixture of Parmesan and Havarti which was fantastic)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a large (roughly 10”x 14”) gratin dish, or another dish of similar size.
Melt the butter in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and onion/scallions, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until the cabbage is wilted and just beginning to brown, which takes anywhere from 10 minutes to 15 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes.
Transfer everything in the pot into the prepared gratin dish. Cover tightly with foil, and bake for 45 minutes (this is where the braising comes in). Remove the foil, and continue to bake until the liquid is mostly evaporated, about 20 minutes more. Then remove the dish from the oven. Cut the cheese into small lumps and scatter it over the cabbage. Increase the oven temperature to 375°F, return the dish to the oven, and cook until the cheese is thoroughly melted and/or bubbling, about 10 minutes.
You can serve this as a side dish but i say grab some bread and a glass of wine, and call it a day.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Lassi
Here is the simple and basic recipe that my mom and G-ma have made for decades (and probably decades before that, but that's back in the old country and I just have to guesstimate how long they've been making this for).
Ingredients:
Tub of yogurt (like I said, I use low-fat or whole-milk, but if you just LOVE fat-free yogurt, go for it.)
Sugar
Ice Cubes
A cup and a half of yogurt, plus a handful of ice cubes and a couple tablespoons of sugar are all blended together and should fill a very tall glass, or two small glasses if you're going to be meek about it. Which is silly, because there is nothing meek about the awesomeness of this drink. You just multiply the quantities for the amount of lassi you want, and, if you so choose, add some mango nectar and go crazy. YUM. As a side note, you might need a small splash of milk or water to make it a bit frothier and drinkable, but just play it by ear and taste.
Ingredients:
Tub of yogurt (like I said, I use low-fat or whole-milk, but if you just LOVE fat-free yogurt, go for it.)
Sugar
Ice Cubes
A cup and a half of yogurt, plus a handful of ice cubes and a couple tablespoons of sugar are all blended together and should fill a very tall glass, or two small glasses if you're going to be meek about it. Which is silly, because there is nothing meek about the awesomeness of this drink. You just multiply the quantities for the amount of lassi you want, and, if you so choose, add some mango nectar and go crazy. YUM. As a side note, you might need a small splash of milk or water to make it a bit frothier and drinkable, but just play it by ear and taste.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Like I said, I got this recipe off another website that claims it is from Cooks Illustrated. I have my doubts. HOWEVER, it is still a good basic recipe... I took the liberty of adding dried cherries and walnuts in because it just sounded good. I also sprinkled a little sea salt on top of each cookie for an added oomph.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, (and more for sprinkling if you'd like, but if you decide to sprinkle, omit the salt here)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups oats (not the quick-cooking kind)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Preaheat oven to 350 degrees, and butter a cookie sheet. Whisk flour, salt and baking powder together in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, by hand or by mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars and beat the mixture until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture with a wooden spoon or a large rubber spatula. Stir in oats and chocolate chips (and additional mix-ins if you like: nuts, dried fruit, etc). Place dough onto cookie sheet by large spoonfuls (about 2 tablespoons each), leaving at least 2 inches between. Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, about 20 minutes. Slide cookies onto cooling rack. Let cool, and store in airtight container.
They're good warmed up! I'm just saying.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, (and more for sprinkling if you'd like, but if you decide to sprinkle, omit the salt here)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups oats (not the quick-cooking kind)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Preaheat oven to 350 degrees, and butter a cookie sheet. Whisk flour, salt and baking powder together in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, by hand or by mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars and beat the mixture until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture with a wooden spoon or a large rubber spatula. Stir in oats and chocolate chips (and additional mix-ins if you like: nuts, dried fruit, etc). Place dough onto cookie sheet by large spoonfuls (about 2 tablespoons each), leaving at least 2 inches between. Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, about 20 minutes. Slide cookies onto cooling rack. Let cool, and store in airtight container.
They're good warmed up! I'm just saying.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Lemon Curd
I'd say that the basic recipe for Lemon Curd is pretty simple...I found that the easiest one was in The Gourmet Cookbook, and did just fine. If anything, I would reduce the sugar to one cup (I like it on the tart side rather than sweet) and increase the amount of zest.
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 cup fresh lemon juice (this ended up being about 4 big, juicy lemons worth)
1 1/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs
Pinch of salt
1 3/4 sticks (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
Whisk together zest, juice, sugar, eggs and salt in a heavy saucepan. Add butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubbles appear on surface, about ten minutes.
You can then either force the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a owl and discard the zest, or, like me, you just skip this step altogether because you like having your curd with a little zest in it. Cool to room temperature, stir occasionally if you like (I didn't). Refrigerate in an air-tight container until cold (I put the curd into two jars I had laying around).
Note: The lemon curd can be refrigerated, covered, for up to one week. If it even lasts that long, which I doubt, since it is so dee-lish and you probably won't be able to stop yourself from opening the jar and scooping yourself some at any given opportunity.
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 cup fresh lemon juice (this ended up being about 4 big, juicy lemons worth)
1 1/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs
Pinch of salt
1 3/4 sticks (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
Whisk together zest, juice, sugar, eggs and salt in a heavy saucepan. Add butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubbles appear on surface, about ten minutes.
You can then either force the curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a owl and discard the zest, or, like me, you just skip this step altogether because you like having your curd with a little zest in it. Cool to room temperature, stir occasionally if you like (I didn't). Refrigerate in an air-tight container until cold (I put the curd into two jars I had laying around).
Note: The lemon curd can be refrigerated, covered, for up to one week. If it even lasts that long, which I doubt, since it is so dee-lish and you probably won't be able to stop yourself from opening the jar and scooping yourself some at any given opportunity.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Pasta Alla Norma
Adapted from Jamie Oliver, via Jamie's Italy
Ingredients:
2 large, firm eggplants
extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
dried red chili flakes (optional)
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
large fresh bunch of basil, stems chopped, leaves reserved
1 tsp. good herb or white wine vinegar
2 14 oz. cans of good-quality chopped tomatoes
sea salt, and pepper (to taste)
1 lb. dried spaghetti (i used the fresh refrigerated kind)
salted ricotta or pecorino or parmesan cheeses, grated (whichever you have on hand or prefer)
Slice the eggplants and cut into quarters lengthwise. If they have seedy, puffy centers, remove them and throw away. Cut the eggplants across the length into finger-width pieces. Fry up the eggplant (in two-three batches) with some olive oil, but dont let them get too greasy. Add some dried oregano and salt, and brown them on all sides until they are soft and golden. Once you finish with the first batch, remove to a plate and continue the process till all of the eggplant is cooked.
Once the eggplant is done, add the first batch to a larger pot (something that will hold the sauce, and pasta). Add a bit of the dried chili flakes, if you like. Turn the heat to medium and add a little oil, the garlic, and the basil stems. Stir so everything gets evenly cooked, and add a bit of the vinegary and the cans of tomatoes (which you can leave chunky like I did, or whir up in a food processor to make it smoother). Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, then taste and correct the seasoning with salt and pepper. Tear up half of the asil leaves, add to the sauce, and stir it around.
Meanwhile, get your spaghetti boiling in salted water and cook according to the instructions. When it's al dente, drain it in a colander and reserve a bit of the pasta water in case you need to add it to the sauce. Add the spaghetti to the pot of norma sauce and toss it around...add a bit of the cooking water if desired, and make sure it is well combined. Adjust the seasoning. Heap onto plates (or in bowls, as I prefer). Sprinkle with the remaining basil leaves and the cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Twirl on a fork, and enjoy.
Ingredients:
2 large, firm eggplants
extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
dried red chili flakes (optional)
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
large fresh bunch of basil, stems chopped, leaves reserved
1 tsp. good herb or white wine vinegar
2 14 oz. cans of good-quality chopped tomatoes
sea salt, and pepper (to taste)
1 lb. dried spaghetti (i used the fresh refrigerated kind)
salted ricotta or pecorino or parmesan cheeses, grated (whichever you have on hand or prefer)
Slice the eggplants and cut into quarters lengthwise. If they have seedy, puffy centers, remove them and throw away. Cut the eggplants across the length into finger-width pieces. Fry up the eggplant (in two-three batches) with some olive oil, but dont let them get too greasy. Add some dried oregano and salt, and brown them on all sides until they are soft and golden. Once you finish with the first batch, remove to a plate and continue the process till all of the eggplant is cooked.
Once the eggplant is done, add the first batch to a larger pot (something that will hold the sauce, and pasta). Add a bit of the dried chili flakes, if you like. Turn the heat to medium and add a little oil, the garlic, and the basil stems. Stir so everything gets evenly cooked, and add a bit of the vinegary and the cans of tomatoes (which you can leave chunky like I did, or whir up in a food processor to make it smoother). Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, then taste and correct the seasoning with salt and pepper. Tear up half of the asil leaves, add to the sauce, and stir it around.
Meanwhile, get your spaghetti boiling in salted water and cook according to the instructions. When it's al dente, drain it in a colander and reserve a bit of the pasta water in case you need to add it to the sauce. Add the spaghetti to the pot of norma sauce and toss it around...add a bit of the cooking water if desired, and make sure it is well combined. Adjust the seasoning. Heap onto plates (or in bowls, as I prefer). Sprinkle with the remaining basil leaves and the cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Twirl on a fork, and enjoy.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
French Onion Soup
Slightly modified from Epicurious.com and Bon Appetit
Like I mentioned in this post...I got bored stirring the onions and had fun playing with flour, salt, pepper, and thyme. You should do the same and make it your own.
Ingredients
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
6 onions (about 3 pounds), sliced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 cup red wine (I used a Beaujolais)
4 cups good beef or chicken broth
2 cups water
2-3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Baguette, sliced
Gruyere, grated
or a mixture of Swiss and Parmesan cheeses, grated
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until very tender and brown, about 45 minutes. Add wine and simmer until reduced to glaze, about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken or beef broth, water, and mustard. Simmer 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Refrigerate. Return soup to simmer before continuing.)
Preheat broiler. Now, you can either: ladle soup into broilerproof bowls and top each with slice of toast and grated cheeses, broiling until cheeses melt and bubble, OR you can be lazy (or just lacking in boiler-proof bowls like me) and just toast the bread and cheese and then put it on top of the soup.
As for my next tweaking of the recipe, I think next time I'll do mostly chicken or a combo of chicken and beef broth, and use a white wine instead. It's fun to play with soup.
Like I mentioned in this post...I got bored stirring the onions and had fun playing with flour, salt, pepper, and thyme. You should do the same and make it your own.
Ingredients
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
6 onions (about 3 pounds), sliced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 cup red wine (I used a Beaujolais)
4 cups good beef or chicken broth
2 cups water
2-3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Baguette, sliced
Gruyere, grated
or a mixture of Swiss and Parmesan cheeses, grated
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until very tender and brown, about 45 minutes. Add wine and simmer until reduced to glaze, about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken or beef broth, water, and mustard. Simmer 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Refrigerate. Return soup to simmer before continuing.)
Preheat broiler. Now, you can either: ladle soup into broilerproof bowls and top each with slice of toast and grated cheeses, broiling until cheeses melt and bubble, OR you can be lazy (or just lacking in boiler-proof bowls like me) and just toast the bread and cheese and then put it on top of the soup.
As for my next tweaking of the recipe, I think next time I'll do mostly chicken or a combo of chicken and beef broth, and use a white wine instead. It's fun to play with soup.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Tave Tiranse
The great thing about this dish is it is highly adaptable for vegetarians...just don't add the meat. We made it vegetarian-style for one of the people in our group and she was in love with it.
As they say in Albania, Ju befte mire!
(Bon Appetit for those of us who aren't quite hip with Albanian lingo yet.)
2 red peppers, cubed
1 16 oz can of diced tomatoes
1/4 pound of cubed lamb or veal
A large chunk of feta cheese, preferably medium consistency to soft
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil in a deep pot and saute the peppers on low to medium heat. The peppers should saute for about a half hour, till they've softened. Add the cubed meat and allow the meat to brown for about 15-20 minutes. Add the tomatoes with all of their juices and simmer together for another 10 minutes. Finally, add in the crumbled cheese and let everything simmer for 10 additional minutes. Test the meat to see if it's cooked to your taste and test for saltiness. Add freshly cracked pepper. The consistency should be thick, but juicy. Pour the stew into a clay pot and put in the oven to bake for about 10-15 minutes. The dish is done baking when the top has browned, but has remained juicy in the middle. Allow the dish to cool for about 15-20 minutes before eating. Make sure to have some crusty bread on hand to soak up the juices.
As they say in Albania, Ju befte mire!
(Bon Appetit for those of us who aren't quite hip with Albanian lingo yet.)
2 red peppers, cubed
1 16 oz can of diced tomatoes
1/4 pound of cubed lamb or veal
A large chunk of feta cheese, preferably medium consistency to soft
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil in a deep pot and saute the peppers on low to medium heat. The peppers should saute for about a half hour, till they've softened. Add the cubed meat and allow the meat to brown for about 15-20 minutes. Add the tomatoes with all of their juices and simmer together for another 10 minutes. Finally, add in the crumbled cheese and let everything simmer for 10 additional minutes. Test the meat to see if it's cooked to your taste and test for saltiness. Add freshly cracked pepper. The consistency should be thick, but juicy. Pour the stew into a clay pot and put in the oven to bake for about 10-15 minutes. The dish is done baking when the top has browned, but has remained juicy in the middle. Allow the dish to cool for about 15-20 minutes before eating. Make sure to have some crusty bread on hand to soak up the juices.
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