Adapted from Ina Garten on the Barefoot Contessa show (via Food Network)
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons good olive oil
Half a french baguette, torn into chunks (about 5-6 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 red onion,thinly sliced
Handful of basil, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons capers, drained
For Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons vinegar (I typically use Red Wine Vinegar, but Ina's recipe calls for Champagne)
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Add more oil as needed, and some fresh cracked pepper to your tasting.
For the vinaigrette, whisk all the ingredients together and set aside. I personally like to use a little jar to add all dressing ingredients then shake the life out of it. It keeps everything contained and its easy.
In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the toasted bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Savoy Cabbage Gratin
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.
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.
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.
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