You may have noticed I didn't post as often this month. December is just crazy. There was a lot more eating out, eating at other people's houses, ordering in, and making meals that were either not worth blogging about or covered keepers I've already filled you in on. Here are the best:
December 1st: Spicy Southwest Pork Tenderloin
December 8th: Sausage, Peppers and Peas
December 11th: Chicken with Roasted Garlic
December 15th: Southwest Salmon and Green Beans Amandine
December 16th: Mochaccino Shakes
December 18th: Hoisin Steak Stir-fry
December 21st-23rd: Lemon Chicken Stew, Candied Pecans, Pecan-Cranberry Granola
December 21st-23rd: Egg Nog, Tangy Maple Meatballs, Beer & 5-Cheese Penne, Frank's Red Hot Wings
Now to January: detoxing and gearing up for the year ahead. Happy 2011!
December 31, 2010
December 21st-23rd: egg nog, mac & cheese, meatballs, wings
This is retrospective #2 on last week's "best of."
Egg Nog
This is a recipe I've had for a billion years, and it is so good, I must share. (No pic because white drink + white mug = bad photos. I need a new camera.) I made this Tuesday night and drank the leftovers Wednesday morning, re-heated.
1 egg yolk*
2 tbsp sugar
2 cups milk**
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
pinch nutmeg
In a saucepan, whisk sugar into egg yolk. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, till hot.
Makes 2 servings.
*perhaps you want to use the egg white to make Candied Pecans?
**the higher the milk fat percentage, the creamier the egg nog; I used 2%
Tangy Maple Meatballs
A keeper, and served at the Christmas Eve eve party. We had 4 meatballs leftover; don't know why. (No picture, oops, that's what happens when you're busy hosting.)
Meatballs
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 egg, whisked
2 tbsp parsley, freshly chopped or dried, optional
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp vinegar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup finely diced onion
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine ground meats, egg, parsley, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Form into 1 1/2" balls. Place in 8" square pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine cornstarch, dry mustard and remaining salt in a small saucepan. Gradually stir in vinegar, maple syrup, water and onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat.
Drain fat from meatballs and pour sauce over them. Return to oven and bake 20 minutes longer.
Makes 4 servings.
Beer & 5-Cheese Penne (AKA fancy mac & cheese)
This was a gamble, one of the recipes I made for the party without trying it out in advance. It involves gorgonzola, which had Greg worried, as he is not into blue cheese. It was, however, delicious. The blue cheese gets diluted by all the others involved. Definitely not your waist-friendly mac & cheese, but if you're cooking for a crowd, it's all good! (no pic again)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (125 mL) flour
1/2 cup (125 mL) amber beer
2 cups (500 mL) half and half cream
1/2 lb (225 g) brie (remove any rind)
16 oz (500 g) cream cheese
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
2 1/2 cups (625 mL) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
16 oz (500 g) penne pasta, cooked al dente and drained
salt (if necessary) and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup (125 mL) panko or bread crumbs
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium, heavy-bottom pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to form a light roux. Slowly whisk in the beer and half and half.
Add the brie and cream cheese to the sauce, stirring until the cheeses are melted and incorporated. Stir in the Gorgonzola, Cheddar and 1 cup (250 mL) Parmesan cheese.
Stir in the pasta, then taste and adjust the seasoning as desired with salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture into a 13 by 9 inch baking dish. Top the mixture by sprinkling over the remaining Parmesan cheese and panko crumbs. Place the dish in the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbly and the toppings are crisp and golden, about 1/2 an hour.
Cool slightly before serving. Makes 12-16 servings.
Frank's Red Hot Wings
The hit of the party, for sure. (These were made late in the night though, when opinions were not the most neutral. However, these really are the best wings I've ever made, and I've made many wings. We make these ones several times a year. Yum.) From the Frank's Red Hot website, with some modifications by moi. If you were to order these in a pub, I believe they would be classified as "medium" heat wings. (no pic)
1 lb split chicken wings, tips removed
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup Frank's original cayenne pepper sauce
1/3 cup salted butter, melted
Preheat oven to 500°F. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a large bag or bowl, and toss chicken wings to coat. Shake off any excess flour and place wings on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet.*
Place in oven and reduce heat to 400°F. Bake 45 minutes, turning wings halfway.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine Frank's sauce and melted butter. When wings are cooked, toss in sauce and serve.
Sour cream optional. Napkins necessary.
*The more space the wings have between one another, the crispier they will cook up.
Egg Nog
This is a recipe I've had for a billion years, and it is so good, I must share. (No pic because white drink + white mug = bad photos. I need a new camera.) I made this Tuesday night and drank the leftovers Wednesday morning, re-heated.
1 egg yolk*
2 tbsp sugar
2 cups milk**
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
pinch nutmeg
In a saucepan, whisk sugar into egg yolk. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, till hot.
Makes 2 servings.
*perhaps you want to use the egg white to make Candied Pecans?
**the higher the milk fat percentage, the creamier the egg nog; I used 2%
Tangy Maple Meatballs
A keeper, and served at the Christmas Eve eve party. We had 4 meatballs leftover; don't know why. (No picture, oops, that's what happens when you're busy hosting.)
Meatballs
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 egg, whisked
2 tbsp parsley, freshly chopped or dried, optional
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp vinegar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup finely diced onion
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine ground meats, egg, parsley, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Form into 1 1/2" balls. Place in 8" square pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine cornstarch, dry mustard and remaining salt in a small saucepan. Gradually stir in vinegar, maple syrup, water and onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat.
Drain fat from meatballs and pour sauce over them. Return to oven and bake 20 minutes longer.
Makes 4 servings.
Beer & 5-Cheese Penne (AKA fancy mac & cheese)
This was a gamble, one of the recipes I made for the party without trying it out in advance. It involves gorgonzola, which had Greg worried, as he is not into blue cheese. It was, however, delicious. The blue cheese gets diluted by all the others involved. Definitely not your waist-friendly mac & cheese, but if you're cooking for a crowd, it's all good! (no pic again)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (125 mL) flour
1/2 cup (125 mL) amber beer
2 cups (500 mL) half and half cream
1/2 lb (225 g) brie (remove any rind)
16 oz (500 g) cream cheese
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
2 1/2 cups (625 mL) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
16 oz (500 g) penne pasta, cooked al dente and drained
salt (if necessary) and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup (125 mL) panko or bread crumbs
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium, heavy-bottom pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to form a light roux. Slowly whisk in the beer and half and half.
Add the brie and cream cheese to the sauce, stirring until the cheeses are melted and incorporated. Stir in the Gorgonzola, Cheddar and 1 cup (250 mL) Parmesan cheese.
Stir in the pasta, then taste and adjust the seasoning as desired with salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture into a 13 by 9 inch baking dish. Top the mixture by sprinkling over the remaining Parmesan cheese and panko crumbs. Place the dish in the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbly and the toppings are crisp and golden, about 1/2 an hour.
Cool slightly before serving. Makes 12-16 servings.
Frank's Red Hot Wings
The hit of the party, for sure. (These were made late in the night though, when opinions were not the most neutral. However, these really are the best wings I've ever made, and I've made many wings. We make these ones several times a year. Yum.) From the Frank's Red Hot website, with some modifications by moi. If you were to order these in a pub, I believe they would be classified as "medium" heat wings. (no pic)
1 lb split chicken wings, tips removed
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup Frank's original cayenne pepper sauce
1/3 cup salted butter, melted
Preheat oven to 500°F. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a large bag or bowl, and toss chicken wings to coat. Shake off any excess flour and place wings on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet.*
Place in oven and reduce heat to 400°F. Bake 45 minutes, turning wings halfway.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine Frank's sauce and melted butter. When wings are cooked, toss in sauce and serve.
Sour cream optional. Napkins necessary.
*The more space the wings have between one another, the crispier they will cook up.
December 24, 2010
December 21st-23rd: the best of Christmas week cooking
If you can imagine, Christmas week has been on the hectic side, and there's been little time for cooking, let alone posting. Rather, there has been night after night of staying up til midnight prepping: painting, cooking (for later) and a bit of wrapping. With the culmination of the preparations over (AKA Christmas Eve eve party), I can now sit back and relax. Or cook some more, which is more likely.
As a retrospective, I'll just touch on some yummies this week:
Lemon Chicken Stew
From In Erika's Kitchen. I made this on Monday night and we ate it on Tuesday night. This is a simple chicken thigh-based stew and it's a slow cook (2 hours on the stove-top), but the meat falls apart with a fork when it is done. Lovely. It's really strong in lemon flavour, a bit more than I would like (and I love lemon!). I didn't add figs though (pure laziness, and note the above busy-ness of the week) and I didn't have as much meat as the recipe called for; those two items may have cut the sourness. The stew also has olives, which are soft and slip right off the pits. Have I mentioned my child's love for olives? She digs strong flavours. Greg gave her all of his.
Candied Pecans
From Cooking With My Kid. I made this for our Christmas Eve eve party, and received several compliments on them. These are really easy, just a slow cook again (1 hour). I didn't know what baker's sugar is, nor could I find it in the grocery store, so I used half icing sugar and half granulated. Worked out just fine.
Granola
From December 2010's Chatelaine. Pecan-Cranberry Granola. I also made this for our Christmas Eve eve party but had some with yogurt for breakfast for a few days in advance of the party. I don't think many people tried it but that's okay because I loved it and will eat it up myself.
This is not even close to the amount of food I've cooked this week, but why inundate you when I can highlight the best?
Merry Christmas to all. :)
As a retrospective, I'll just touch on some yummies this week:
Lemon Chicken Stew
From In Erika's Kitchen. I made this on Monday night and we ate it on Tuesday night. This is a simple chicken thigh-based stew and it's a slow cook (2 hours on the stove-top), but the meat falls apart with a fork when it is done. Lovely. It's really strong in lemon flavour, a bit more than I would like (and I love lemon!). I didn't add figs though (pure laziness, and note the above busy-ness of the week) and I didn't have as much meat as the recipe called for; those two items may have cut the sourness. The stew also has olives, which are soft and slip right off the pits. Have I mentioned my child's love for olives? She digs strong flavours. Greg gave her all of his.
Candied Pecans
From Cooking With My Kid. I made this for our Christmas Eve eve party, and received several compliments on them. These are really easy, just a slow cook again (1 hour). I didn't know what baker's sugar is, nor could I find it in the grocery store, so I used half icing sugar and half granulated. Worked out just fine.
Granola
From December 2010's Chatelaine. Pecan-Cranberry Granola. I also made this for our Christmas Eve eve party but had some with yogurt for breakfast for a few days in advance of the party. I don't think many people tried it but that's okay because I loved it and will eat it up myself.
People also loved the prosciutto-wrapped dates and Parmesan.
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| Top row L-R: salami + olives; salami + tomatoes Middle row: prosciutto + dates + Parmesan Bottom row: prosciutto + dates + Parmesan; salami + olives |
Merry Christmas to all. :)
December 19, 2010
December 19th: Buttermilk Pumpkin Pancakes
(Breakfast post.) If you're like me and have some pumpkin in your freezer you'd like to use up, I might recommend this pancake recipe from Cooking With My Kid: Buttermilk Pumpkin Pancakes. Olivia and I made these for breakfast this morning and it was a tasty way to start the day, without being too sweet. Full disclosure: I used one cup white flour and one cup whole wheat, although the recipe calls for two of the latter. Bonus: now I have enough pancakes in the freezer to feed Olivia breakfast en route to gymnastics for all of January, and maybe a little longer!
December 18th: Hoisin steak stir-fry
From the keeper book, as I don't have time to expend on unfamiliar recipes this week: from September 2005's Chatelaine: Hoisin steak stir-fry with egg noodles. We've made this one time and again and it's not the most amazing stir-fry ever, but it is consistently good. Go easy on the sauce; it's strong-tasting and you don't need much on the plate.
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| I used broccoli in place of green beans. |
December 17, 2010
December 16th: Fiesta Chicken Soup and Mocha Milkshakes
Feeding the in laws tonight, so a perfect time to make a big pot of soup. No leftovers, just the way I like it! This one was from the 2009 Milk Calendar: Fiesta Chicken Soup. I made this one last year and we liked it enough to try it again. Not quite good enough to be a keeper, but pretty good. I took the suggestion of adding a can of chilies as well as some hot red pepper flakes to the pot. Topped with Monteray Jack cheese, tomatoes and cilantro, pretty good!
To accompany the soup, which I expected to be spicy (it was, mildly), I made the best milkshake recipe I have ever tried ever: Rachael Ray's Mochaccino Shakes. I came across this one years ago and I would drink it every week if I could! We have it about once a year as a treat. I use Haagen-Dazs ice cream (2 pints = 1 L), and for the coffee, I just use instant coffee mixed with cold water. I don't do the whipped cream or chocolate shavings unless I'm super organized, which I am usually not on Thursday night! I only had enough ice cream to make 2 servings, but had to spread it out for 5 people, so I may just have to treat us to this one again sometime before a year is up.
To accompany the soup, which I expected to be spicy (it was, mildly), I made the best milkshake recipe I have ever tried ever: Rachael Ray's Mochaccino Shakes. I came across this one years ago and I would drink it every week if I could! We have it about once a year as a treat. I use Haagen-Dazs ice cream (2 pints = 1 L), and for the coffee, I just use instant coffee mixed with cold water. I don't do the whipped cream or chocolate shavings unless I'm super organized, which I am usually not on Thursday night! I only had enough ice cream to make 2 servings, but had to spread it out for 5 people, so I may just have to treat us to this one again sometime before a year is up.
December 15, 2010
December 15th: Southwest Salmon & Green Beans Amandine
Keepers! Keepers! Keepers! How I love you! Two keeper recipes tonight for supper: From March 2006's Chatelaine: Salmon goes southwestern and from May 2010's Today's Parent: Green Beans Amandine. Both recipes are heavily flavoured by citrus: lime for the salmon and lemon for the beans. The salmon recipe is written for 1 serving, so simply multiply by the number of people you are serving. Two changes to the bean recipe: I would up the almonds to 1/2 cup and reduce the salt to 1/2 tsp. Other than that, yum yum yum! I served this meal with quinoa on the side.
December 13, 2010
December 13th: Upside-Down Chicken Pot Pies
It's been two months since I last made pot pie, so it was time again. This one from December 2010's Chatelaine: Upside-Down Chicken Pot Pies. As far as weeknight meals go, this is the quickest pot pie I've made yet. Would have been even quicker if I had turned on the large burner under my large pot rather than the small one. Bloody stupid glass top stove. Again, this one is not as good as our famous keeper recipe, which I haven't shared yet, but it was tasty nonetheless.
Side dish to this meal was Braised red cabbage from in erika's kitchen. The recipe ingredients are almost identical to the Chatelaine one I made Saturday, but the longer cooking time made for more tender cabbage in the end. We liked this version a bit better, but decided we're not super fans of red cabbage. Gorgeous colour though, and I'm assuming chalk full of nutrients and likely local to boot (I didn't check the sign when I bought it).
Side dish to this meal was Braised red cabbage from in erika's kitchen. The recipe ingredients are almost identical to the Chatelaine one I made Saturday, but the longer cooking time made for more tender cabbage in the end. We liked this version a bit better, but decided we're not super fans of red cabbage. Gorgeous colour though, and I'm assuming chalk full of nutrients and likely local to boot (I didn't check the sign when I bought it).
(Not sure why my links aren't navigating to a new page. Am I writing my HTML code incorrectly? Too tired to figure this one out...)
December 12, 2010
December 11th: Chicken with Roasted Garlic; Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies
I wish every night could be Saturday night for oh, so many reasons. Often, the only night of the week I watch TV or a movie. Still a whole day left before worrying about schedules. Hopefully, accomplished something during the day and feeling good about that. And, oh, the food! This Saturday night was a success. From December 2010's Chatelaine: Chicken with Roasted Garlic. I used 21 cloves of garlic to two chicken breasts. We like garlic. This was drink-the-sauce delicious, and really quite simple. To accompany, from the same magazine, I made braised red cabbage wedges, topped with sour cream. This was good, but not keeper good. I'll be making an almost identical recipe again this week, because the three of us can't eat a whole (giant!) red cabbage in one go. I chose this recipe to make up for the lack of colour in the rest of the meal, which was rounded out by some bread (supposed to be homemade, but I was too tired to put in the 5 minutes of work on Friday night after some spontaneous late-night Christmas shopping).
From the same magazine, I also made Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies. I used chocolate chips instead of chunks (why chop chocolate if you don't have to?). I was disappointed with these. I thought they'd be flavourful power houses; they weren't as strong as I expected. I may actually try them again, and add some candied ginger to the dry mixture; that would up the flavour, I think.
From the same magazine, I also made Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies. I used chocolate chips instead of chunks (why chop chocolate if you don't have to?). I was disappointed with these. I thought they'd be flavourful power houses; they weren't as strong as I expected. I may actually try them again, and add some candied ginger to the dry mixture; that would up the flavour, I think.
December 9, 2010
December 9th: Ginger-shrimp brown rice bowl
Okay, this one is just weird. From December 2010's Chatelaine: Ginger-shrimp brown rice bowl. I had doubts about this one, but I was swayed by the "reader comment" saying it was good. No. It was weird. Asian flavours + avocado + feta = not good. I considered not blogging about this one at all, but I did learn one trick tonight to getting Olivia to eat shrimp: honey for dip! She ate 4 large shrimp, a record number for her.
Our good night went downhill from there though: ending in tantrums and me saying "Olivia, you need to relax," and her choking out, "I ... Don't ... Want ... To ... Breathe!" So much for my yoga breathing techniques, which have always worked well in the past. That sentence broke my heart. :(
Now, at 10:10 p.m., here we are, both still awake. Sigh. But at least we've made up.
Our good night went downhill from there though: ending in tantrums and me saying "Olivia, you need to relax," and her choking out, "I ... Don't ... Want ... To ... Breathe!" So much for my yoga breathing techniques, which have always worked well in the past. That sentence broke my heart. :(
Now, at 10:10 p.m., here we are, both still awake. Sigh. But at least we've made up.
December 8, 2010
December 8th: Sausage, peppers and peas + Brussels sprouts and bacon
Crazy Chatelaine had this sausage recipe (from December 2010's Chatelaine: Sausage, peppers and peas) calling for one sausage, but making 4 servings. Granted, it was intended to be a side dish. I wanted it to be my main, so I upped the sausage number to 5 (a whole package), and added half a white onion. I didn't use chorizo, but rather German sausages, which meant the cooking time was a bit extended from what the recipe recommends. With no fat or flavouring other than what the sausages supplied, this was a delicious meal. To accompany, I made one from Epicurious: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Bacon. This was a re-try from some past time (can't remember) and I don't know that I loved it quite as much this time. I do love Brussels sprouts though, so can't say too much against it. I skipped the salt called for in the recipe, as I think the bacon supplies quite enough.
All three of us loved this meal. Is this a weird thing though? I felt unsatisfied by the fact that everything in the meal was pre-chopped. It seemed like toddler food, and I wanted to be a big girl and use a knife. Hmm.
December 6, 2010
December 6th: Perogies with garlic spinach
We're getting close to Christmas and I've got perogies on my mind. Not just any perogies. Dad's perogies. No joke, my dad makes the best perogies in the whole wide world. I know all you folks of eastern European descent with family recipes are already protesting, but it's true. It's all about the love. Perogies are a Christmas Eve tradition, and therefore, one that I've missed out on for too many years, as I no longer spend Christmas with my family. Let's not go there.
Full disclosure: I hate making perogies. I don't have the patience for the amount of labour they require as compared to the small amount of time they get eaten in. It's a whole production line thing that George and Shannon are good at, and I am not. (I am good at eating them, though.)
So I buy M&M Meat Shops perogies. These are NO WHERE near as good as the real thing, but I make do. Tonight, I made do with the following recipe from December 2010's Chatelaine: Perogies with garlic spinach. This was a pretty tasty meal, and yes, easy to boot. Not quite an entire meal on its own, but with some broccoli on the side, and with me eating part of Olivia's serving (5 perogies are a bit much for her), I was pretty full when all was said and done. I added some salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice to my spinach, as it needed a bit of jazzing up. The perogies don't need anything more than the tasty lemon-yogurt dip.
Full disclosure: I hate making perogies. I don't have the patience for the amount of labour they require as compared to the small amount of time they get eaten in. It's a whole production line thing that George and Shannon are good at, and I am not. (I am good at eating them, though.)
So I buy M&M Meat Shops perogies. These are NO WHERE near as good as the real thing, but I make do. Tonight, I made do with the following recipe from December 2010's Chatelaine: Perogies with garlic spinach. This was a pretty tasty meal, and yes, easy to boot. Not quite an entire meal on its own, but with some broccoli on the side, and with me eating part of Olivia's serving (5 perogies are a bit much for her), I was pretty full when all was said and done. I added some salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice to my spinach, as it needed a bit of jazzing up. The perogies don't need anything more than the tasty lemon-yogurt dip.
December 5, 2010
December 5th: Rosé Penne & Raspberry Vinaigrette
The two items listed in the title were NOT eaten together. The Rosé Penne recipe was from a Philadelphia Cream Cheese ad, and the Raspberry Vinaigrette (eaten on a spinach salad) was from December 2010's Chatelaine. Both were good, and this was a really easy weeknight meal. I might not make either one again, but you would likely enjoy the results if you were to make this meal yourself.
The Raspberry Vinaigrette goes like this: Whisk 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam with 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tsp white-wine vinegar.
However, back in July, Chatelaine had a Raspberry Vinaigrette I liked better. This is the one I would really recommend. Here it is: Whisk 1/4 cup raspberry jam with 2 tbsp water, 2 tbsp red-wine vinegar and lots of pepper. Whisk in 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil.
The Raspberry Vinaigrette goes like this: Whisk 1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam with 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 2 tsp white-wine vinegar.
However, back in July, Chatelaine had a Raspberry Vinaigrette I liked better. This is the one I would really recommend. Here it is: Whisk 1/4 cup raspberry jam with 2 tbsp water, 2 tbsp red-wine vinegar and lots of pepper. Whisk in 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil.
December 1, 2010
December 1st: spicy southwest pork tenderloin
From the keeper book, from July 2006's Chatelaine: Spicy southwest pork tenderloin (that's my name for the recipe). I keep it simple and use Tabasco, not chipotle pepper. Mm mm mm.
Yes, I know. It's a barbecue recipe and it's December 1st. We're having freakishly warm weather in Ottawa, my barbecue knobs unfroze, and I took advantage of it. I think you could bake the tenderloin just as easily.
Likely won't be posting for a few days. O is off to the grandparents, and I'm off to Montreal!
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| The sauces in the background are really what the recipe is all about. In our case: L: no cilantro, R: cilantro. I'm such a good wife, I put up with such effrontery in my kitchen (no cilantro, that is). I don't think I boiled my sauce down enough tonight; it was on the runny side. Been awhile since I last made this, so I can't remember. |
Likely won't be posting for a few days. O is off to the grandparents, and I'm off to Montreal!
November 30, 2010
Best of November
Here we go, the roll call for the recipes I made this month that I think are worth your time. Enjoy!
November 3rd: Roasted-vegetable salad and Caramelized pumpkin seeds
November 4th: Hot and sour chicken soup
November 5th: Parmesan Bread Sticks
November 6th: Artisan bread, Crispy French Fries with Mustard Mayonnaise, Sticky Chicken Wings
November 7th: Thai Pork with Spicy Noodles
November 8th: Lemony Snow Peas
November 9th: Double Mushroom Risotto
November 11th: Risotto cakes, roasted cauliflower
November 14th: Artisan bread, Bean-free chili
November 17th: Mac & Cheese
November 19th: Garlic Knots
November 20th: Lemon, Sage & Garlic Roast Chicken, Classic Gingerbread Cookies
November 21st: Fish cakes
November 23rd: Sausage tomato sauce
November 24th: Freezer biscuits
November 26th: Honey-Dijon chicken
November 28th: Lasagna, Caesar Salad & Pfeffernüsse
November 29th: Fish & potato succotash
Can you believe it's December already?! EGAD. Who's ready for Christmas? Not me!
November 3rd: Roasted-vegetable salad and Caramelized pumpkin seeds
November 4th: Hot and sour chicken soup
November 5th: Parmesan Bread Sticks
November 6th: Artisan bread, Crispy French Fries with Mustard Mayonnaise, Sticky Chicken Wings
November 7th: Thai Pork with Spicy Noodles
November 8th: Lemony Snow Peas
November 9th: Double Mushroom Risotto
November 11th: Risotto cakes, roasted cauliflower
November 14th: Artisan bread, Bean-free chili
November 17th: Mac & Cheese
November 19th: Garlic Knots
November 20th: Lemon, Sage & Garlic Roast Chicken, Classic Gingerbread Cookies
November 21st: Fish cakes
November 23rd: Sausage tomato sauce
November 24th: Freezer biscuits
November 26th: Honey-Dijon chicken
November 28th: Lasagna, Caesar Salad & Pfeffernüsse
November 29th: Fish & potato succotash
Can you believe it's December already?! EGAD. Who's ready for Christmas? Not me!
November 30th: Quinoa-broccoli salad
Verdict:
Toss: quinoa-broccoli salad
For all you who always ask me for a good quinoa recipe: this is a good one! I know, I just wrote "toss" up there, but you know how it goes, my criteria is a bit tighter than most. Most's? Whatever. It's late. Anyway, I made this riff on a broccoli salad tonight, which I have to say, is not as good as the broccoli-bacon-cheese drenched in mayo salad, but might leaving you feeling a bit better about yourself. Here it is (from the Ottawa Citizen):
Broccoli and Quinoa Salad
1/2 cup (125 mL) quinoa, rinsed
2 cups (500 mL) chopped broccoli florets
1/3 cup (75 mL) dried cranberries or raisins
1/4 cup (60 mL) unsalted roasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup (60 mL) mayonnaise
1/4 cup (60 mL) plain yogurt
1 tsp (5 mL) grated lemon zest
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 tsp (5 mL) honey
pinch each, salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 1/3 cups (325 mL) water to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.
Add broccoli,* cranberries and sunflower seeds to the quinoa.
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon zest and juice, honey, salt and pepper. Pour over quinoa mixture and toss to coat.
Makes 6-8 servings.
*I recommended blanching your broccoli 1-2 minutes prior to adding it to the salad. It's my personal preference to have the broccoli a little more tender than raw.
Toss: quinoa-broccoli salad
For all you who always ask me for a good quinoa recipe: this is a good one! I know, I just wrote "toss" up there, but you know how it goes, my criteria is a bit tighter than most. Most's? Whatever. It's late. Anyway, I made this riff on a broccoli salad tonight, which I have to say, is not as good as the broccoli-bacon-cheese drenched in mayo salad, but might leaving you feeling a bit better about yourself. Here it is (from the Ottawa Citizen):
Broccoli and Quinoa Salad
1/2 cup (125 mL) quinoa, rinsed
2 cups (500 mL) chopped broccoli florets
1/3 cup (75 mL) dried cranberries or raisins
1/4 cup (60 mL) unsalted roasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup (60 mL) mayonnaise
1/4 cup (60 mL) plain yogurt
1 tsp (5 mL) grated lemon zest
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 tsp (5 mL) honey
pinch each, salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a saucepan, bring quinoa and 1 1/3 cups (325 mL) water to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.
Add broccoli,* cranberries and sunflower seeds to the quinoa.
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon zest and juice, honey, salt and pepper. Pour over quinoa mixture and toss to coat.
Makes 6-8 servings.
*I recommended blanching your broccoli 1-2 minutes prior to adding it to the salad. It's my personal preference to have the broccoli a little more tender than raw.
 |
| Not the most appetizing looking, I know, but it's good! |
 |
| Complete meal. |
November 29, 2010
November 29th: Lima Beans & Fish!
Verdict:
Try Again: fish with potato succotash
Oh, come on. You know you wanna. After I tried lima beans in September, I knew I had to do them again. My bag of Green Giant "Valley Selections" Lima Beans (free advertising!) had a good-sounding recipe on the back, and I made it tonight for supper: Halibut with Potato Succotash. In our case, it was haddock. In any case, we loved it and left not a scrap behind. I'm telling you. You've got to try lima beans. Word to the wise: dice the potato small, like frozen hash brown size.
Try Again: fish with potato succotash
Oh, come on. You know you wanna. After I tried lima beans in September, I knew I had to do them again. My bag of Green Giant "Valley Selections" Lima Beans (free advertising!) had a good-sounding recipe on the back, and I made it tonight for supper: Halibut with Potato Succotash. In our case, it was haddock. In any case, we loved it and left not a scrap behind. I'm telling you. You've got to try lima beans. Word to the wise: dice the potato small, like frozen hash brown size.
 |
| (Haddock hiding under the vegetables.) |
November 28, 2010
November 28th: Make ahead meal: Vegetarian lasagna (+ Caesar salad & Pfeffernüsse)
Verdict:
Keeper: Pfeffernüsse
Try Again: lasagna & Caesar salad
Tonight we finished up the last of our cook-ahead foods from Cook's Illustrated. After the failed make-ahead manicotti, I wasn't holding out much hope on this one. Oven-ready noodles again, about which I am leery. This one had no ricotta though, but rather lots of mozza and Parm to hold it together, which was promising. It's vegetarian and upon reading the recipe I thought, if I can find a decent vegetarian lasagna to make, I'll be laughing. I have the meat lasagna down to a T, thanks to my parents and their amazing recipe, but haven't found a vegetarian one that can hold its own. So here was the test. I assembled the lasagna a couple weeks ago, froze it, and defrosted it in the refrigerator over two days. I was worried right off the bat when I took a look at it before putting it in the oven. The noodles were already soft. I figured they would end up squishy, just like the noodles in the manicotti did.
And the verdict? Surprisingly good. The noodles didn't seem too squishy, the lasagna had rich taste, and was filling, as only lasagna can be. When I asked G how he felt about the lack of meat, he said he didn't miss it at all. A ringing endorsement, I would say!
Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
5 tbsps olive oil
1 (10 oz) bag spinach, washed, stemmed and chopped
salt and pepper
1 medium onion, minced
1 lb cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced thin
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 tbsps chopped fresh basil leaves
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
1 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)
3 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add spinach in handfuls and cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste; transfer spinach to colander. Let cool, then gently squeeze any excess liquid from spinach and transfer to medium bowl.
Wipe pot clean and add 2 more tbsps oil; return pot to medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until golden. Season with salt and pepper to taste; transfer to medium bowl with spinach and set aside.
Add remaining 2 tbsps oil and garlic; return pot to medium heat and cook until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes; bring to simmer and cook until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce into large measuring cup and add enough water to make 3 1/2 cups.
Spread 1/2 cup sauce evenly over bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Lay 3 noodles over sauce, making sure they do not touch each other or sides of the dish. Spread 1 cup prepared vegetables evenly over noodles, 2/3 cup sauce evenly over vegetables, and 1 cup mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan evenly over sauce. Repeat layering of noodles, vegetables, sauce and cheeses twice more. For fourth and final layer, lay last 3 noodles over previous layer and top with remaining 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
TO STORE: Wrap dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day or freeze, tightly wrapped with additional layer of foil, for up to 1 month. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator for at least 24 hours before baking.
TO SERVE: Before baking, allow lasagna to sit at room temperature for about 1 hour. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375°F. Remove plastic wrap and wrap dish tightly with foil. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove foil. Return lasagna to oven and continue to bake until cheese is spotty brown and sauce is bubbling, about 15 minutes longer. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
To serve right away, bake as described above, reducing covered baking time to 15 minutes.
Serves 6-8.
To accompany the lasagna, I made a Caesar salad, also from Cook's Illustrated. I intended to put in the required two anchovy fillets, but alas, when I pulled mine out of the depths of the fridge, I discovered the best before date on them was sometime in 2009. It probably suited the vegetarian at the table just fine that I made the Caesar sans fish. I was happy with this recipe. The anchovies likely would have improved the flavour of the dressing, but even without them it was tangy and yummy. The croutons were great; why do we buy them packaged when you can make them easily and they taste so much better?
Caesar Salad
1/2 cup olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, pressed
1 6-inch piece baguette, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
salt and pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 oz Parmesan, finely grated
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry
1 tbsp each lemon juice, white wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard
3 romaine hearts, torn into bite-size pieces, or two 10-oz bags chopped romaine lettuce
2 oz Parmesan, shredded
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Whisk oil and garlic; reserve half of mixture. Toss bread cubes with remaining oil mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake croutons on rimmed baking sheet until golden, 15-20 minutes. Cool.
Process mayonnaise, grated Parmesan, anchovies, lemon juice, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste in blender until smooth. With blender running, slowly add reserved oil mixture until incorporated.
Toss romaine, shredded Parmesan, and dressing in large bowl. Toss in croutons and serve.
Serves 6-8.
The winner for today was the pfeffernüsse. I am doing a cookie exchange with some friends, and these hard little spicy cookies are one of my contributions. The recipe appeared in November 2006's Chatelaine, and I made it once years ago and have meant to again ever since. They're flavourful little bites that make a good accompaniment to a warm beverage.
I can't find the recipe online. Here you go:
Pfeffernüsse
1/2 cup (125 mL) candied lemon or orange peel
1 tbsp (15 mL) all-purpose flour
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 mL) ground almonds
1 tsp (5 mL) each ground cardamom and cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 mL) each baking soda, nutmeg, allspice and cloves
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper
2 eggs
3/4 cup (175 mL) each granulated sugar and packed brown sugar
1/2 cup icing sugar
In a food processor, whirl 1 tbsp (15 mL) flour with peel until ground. Set aside. In a medium bowl, stir 2 cups (500 mL) flour with almonds, cardamom, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, salt and pepper. (Really, put in a whole 1/4 tsp (1 mL) of pepper!) In a large bowl, beat eggs with granulated and brown sugars, 3 minutes. Gradually beat in flour mixture, then candied peel mixture. Continue beating until mixture begins to form a ball. Remove and press into a ball, then wrap dough in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight to allow flavours to develop.
To bake, arrange oven racks in top and bottom thirds of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pinch off about 1 tbsp (15 mL) dough and roll into a bowl. Place on baking sheet. Continue with remaining dough, spacing balls about 2 inches apart. Bake on 2 racks, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden, 12 to 14 minutes. (Watch them closely!) Remove to a cooling rack.
Meanwhile, place icing sugar in a small bowl. Once cookies are baked and still slightly warm, gently toss in sugar until evenly coated. Place back on cooling rack and cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days or freeze up to 1 month.
Makes 40-50 cookies.
Keeper: Pfeffernüsse
Try Again: lasagna & Caesar salad
Tonight we finished up the last of our cook-ahead foods from Cook's Illustrated. After the failed make-ahead manicotti, I wasn't holding out much hope on this one. Oven-ready noodles again, about which I am leery. This one had no ricotta though, but rather lots of mozza and Parm to hold it together, which was promising. It's vegetarian and upon reading the recipe I thought, if I can find a decent vegetarian lasagna to make, I'll be laughing. I have the meat lasagna down to a T, thanks to my parents and their amazing recipe, but haven't found a vegetarian one that can hold its own. So here was the test. I assembled the lasagna a couple weeks ago, froze it, and defrosted it in the refrigerator over two days. I was worried right off the bat when I took a look at it before putting it in the oven. The noodles were already soft. I figured they would end up squishy, just like the noodles in the manicotti did.
And the verdict? Surprisingly good. The noodles didn't seem too squishy, the lasagna had rich taste, and was filling, as only lasagna can be. When I asked G how he felt about the lack of meat, he said he didn't miss it at all. A ringing endorsement, I would say!
Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
5 tbsps olive oil
1 (10 oz) bag spinach, washed, stemmed and chopped
salt and pepper
1 medium onion, minced
1 lb cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced thin
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 tbsps chopped fresh basil leaves
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
1 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)
3 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add spinach in handfuls and cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste; transfer spinach to colander. Let cool, then gently squeeze any excess liquid from spinach and transfer to medium bowl.
Wipe pot clean and add 2 more tbsps oil; return pot to medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until golden. Season with salt and pepper to taste; transfer to medium bowl with spinach and set aside.
Add remaining 2 tbsps oil and garlic; return pot to medium heat and cook until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes; bring to simmer and cook until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce into large measuring cup and add enough water to make 3 1/2 cups.
Spread 1/2 cup sauce evenly over bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Lay 3 noodles over sauce, making sure they do not touch each other or sides of the dish. Spread 1 cup prepared vegetables evenly over noodles, 2/3 cup sauce evenly over vegetables, and 1 cup mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan evenly over sauce. Repeat layering of noodles, vegetables, sauce and cheeses twice more. For fourth and final layer, lay last 3 noodles over previous layer and top with remaining 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
TO STORE: Wrap dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day or freeze, tightly wrapped with additional layer of foil, for up to 1 month. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator for at least 24 hours before baking.
TO SERVE: Before baking, allow lasagna to sit at room temperature for about 1 hour. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375°F. Remove plastic wrap and wrap dish tightly with foil. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove foil. Return lasagna to oven and continue to bake until cheese is spotty brown and sauce is bubbling, about 15 minutes longer. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
To serve right away, bake as described above, reducing covered baking time to 15 minutes.
Serves 6-8.
To accompany the lasagna, I made a Caesar salad, also from Cook's Illustrated. I intended to put in the required two anchovy fillets, but alas, when I pulled mine out of the depths of the fridge, I discovered the best before date on them was sometime in 2009. It probably suited the vegetarian at the table just fine that I made the Caesar sans fish. I was happy with this recipe. The anchovies likely would have improved the flavour of the dressing, but even without them it was tangy and yummy. The croutons were great; why do we buy them packaged when you can make them easily and they taste so much better?
Caesar Salad
1/2 cup olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, pressed
1 6-inch piece baguette, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
salt and pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 oz Parmesan, finely grated
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry
1 tbsp each lemon juice, white wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard
3 romaine hearts, torn into bite-size pieces, or two 10-oz bags chopped romaine lettuce
2 oz Parmesan, shredded
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°F. Whisk oil and garlic; reserve half of mixture. Toss bread cubes with remaining oil mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake croutons on rimmed baking sheet until golden, 15-20 minutes. Cool.
Process mayonnaise, grated Parmesan, anchovies, lemon juice, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste in blender until smooth. With blender running, slowly add reserved oil mixture until incorporated.
Toss romaine, shredded Parmesan, and dressing in large bowl. Toss in croutons and serve.
Serves 6-8.
The winner for today was the pfeffernüsse. I am doing a cookie exchange with some friends, and these hard little spicy cookies are one of my contributions. The recipe appeared in November 2006's Chatelaine, and I made it once years ago and have meant to again ever since. They're flavourful little bites that make a good accompaniment to a warm beverage.
I can't find the recipe online. Here you go:
Pfeffernüsse
1/2 cup (125 mL) candied lemon or orange peel
1 tbsp (15 mL) all-purpose flour
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 mL) ground almonds
1 tsp (5 mL) each ground cardamom and cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2 mL) each baking soda, nutmeg, allspice and cloves
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper
2 eggs
3/4 cup (175 mL) each granulated sugar and packed brown sugar
1/2 cup icing sugar
In a food processor, whirl 1 tbsp (15 mL) flour with peel until ground. Set aside. In a medium bowl, stir 2 cups (500 mL) flour with almonds, cardamom, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, salt and pepper. (Really, put in a whole 1/4 tsp (1 mL) of pepper!) In a large bowl, beat eggs with granulated and brown sugars, 3 minutes. Gradually beat in flour mixture, then candied peel mixture. Continue beating until mixture begins to form a ball. Remove and press into a ball, then wrap dough in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight to allow flavours to develop.
To bake, arrange oven racks in top and bottom thirds of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pinch off about 1 tbsp (15 mL) dough and roll into a bowl. Place on baking sheet. Continue with remaining dough, spacing balls about 2 inches apart. Bake on 2 racks, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden, 12 to 14 minutes. (Watch them closely!) Remove to a cooling rack.
Meanwhile, place icing sugar in a small bowl. Once cookies are baked and still slightly warm, gently toss in sugar until evenly coated. Place back on cooling rack and cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days or freeze up to 1 month.
Makes 40-50 cookies.
November 27th: steak salad
From the keeper book: Teriyaki Beef Salad. This one is so good, Chatelaine published it twice: in July 2004 and again in April 2009. They occasionally repeat recipes in the magazine, which I tend to notice, since I've been obsessively making most of their recipes for over six years now. This one deserves repeating though; it's one of our long-time faves. I should note, we usually make this one in the summer. Tonight when I went out to turn on the BBQ, I found the knobs frozen in place, so, oh well, I fried up the steak instead. Turned out just fine. I did have some pangs of conscience over buying Mexican asparagus in November; I'm making a bad habit of that this fall. The asparagus was on the bitter side though, which is what happens when you buy it six months out of season.
November 27, 2010
November 26th: honey dijon chicken
From the keeper book: Honey-Dijon chicken. This originally came from December 2005's Chatelaine, but I changed it. Here's my version:
Honey-Dijon chicken
2 tsp (10 mL) butter
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/3 cup (75 mL) apple juice
2 tbsp (30 mL) each Dijon and liquid honey
1/8 tsp (1 mL) cayenne
1/4 cup (50 mL) sour cream
Melt butter in a large frying pan set over medium heat. When hot, add chicken and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Meanwhile, stir together juice, Dijon, honey and cayenne. When chicken is golden, add juice mixture. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, turning occasionally, until chicken feels springy when pressed, 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove chicken to plates. Stir sour cream into sauce and pour sauce into bowls. Serve alongside chicken.
Serves 2.
Halfway through the meal, Olivia turned to me and said, "I love this chicken, Mommy." Enough said.
Honey-Dijon chicken
2 tsp (10 mL) butter
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/3 cup (75 mL) apple juice
2 tbsp (30 mL) each Dijon and liquid honey
1/8 tsp (1 mL) cayenne
1/4 cup (50 mL) sour cream
Melt butter in a large frying pan set over medium heat. When hot, add chicken and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Meanwhile, stir together juice, Dijon, honey and cayenne. When chicken is golden, add juice mixture. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, turning occasionally, until chicken feels springy when pressed, 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove chicken to plates. Stir sour cream into sauce and pour sauce into bowls. Serve alongside chicken.
Serves 2.
Halfway through the meal, Olivia turned to me and said, "I love this chicken, Mommy." Enough said.
 |
| More bok choy! |
November 25th: easy shrimp stir-fry
Verdict:
Toss: Shrimp stir-fry
A quick reference to this recipe, which I didn't love, but was dead easy and pretty good. I'm doing another shrimp stir-fry next week too; keep your eyes out for that one!
From Clean Eating Mag: Cajun Shrimp Stir-Fry. (Can't find this recipe on the clean eating mag website, but found it elsewhere. Thank you, Google.) I added some baby bok choy* to the pan, and would recommend reducing the time on cooking the shrimp from 3 min to 1.
*Baby bok choy back story:
Wednesday night. I planned to make a dead easy soup, a repeat from November 2009's Chatelaine: Japanese dumpling soup. After the meal, we decided to toss the recipe and I figured it wasn't worth blogging about. However. When I bought groceries on the weekend, I couldn't find the one baby bok choy I needed for the soup, so I sent Greg to Farm Boy to get one. Due to the fact we got into an argument prior to the shopping trip, the message about what I wanted wasn't entirely clear, and he bought a BIG bag of itty-bitty bok choys. We have been eating bok choy every day since, and there is not much of a dent in the bag. Thus, bok choy in the shrimp stir-fry.
Toss: Shrimp stir-fry
A quick reference to this recipe, which I didn't love, but was dead easy and pretty good. I'm doing another shrimp stir-fry next week too; keep your eyes out for that one!
From Clean Eating Mag: Cajun Shrimp Stir-Fry. (Can't find this recipe on the clean eating mag website, but found it elsewhere. Thank you, Google.) I added some baby bok choy* to the pan, and would recommend reducing the time on cooking the shrimp from 3 min to 1.
*Baby bok choy back story:
Wednesday night. I planned to make a dead easy soup, a repeat from November 2009's Chatelaine: Japanese dumpling soup. After the meal, we decided to toss the recipe and I figured it wasn't worth blogging about. However. When I bought groceries on the weekend, I couldn't find the one baby bok choy I needed for the soup, so I sent Greg to Farm Boy to get one. Due to the fact we got into an argument prior to the shopping trip, the message about what I wanted wasn't entirely clear, and he bought a BIG bag of itty-bitty bok choys. We have been eating bok choy every day since, and there is not much of a dent in the bag. Thus, bok choy in the shrimp stir-fry.
November 26, 2010
November 24th: Make ahead snack: Biscuits
Verdict:
Try Again: freezer biscuits
Again, in preparation for perhaps not wanting to cook this week, I made and froze three types of biscuit dough over the last couple weekends from Cook's Illustrated: Freezer Biscuits.
This recipe spurned me to purchase something I've been missing from my kitchen supplies: a biscuit cutter. I have been making biscuits for at least ten years, always using a drinking glass to cut the dough. I'm a worrier. One of my worries when making biscuits is the closed top of the glass: does it somehow affect the biscuit and make it less than perfect, taste- or texture-wise? Problem solved, as I now own not one, but two biscuit cutters! They are the same size, so redundant, but they came in a pack of two, and they are nice, heavy, stainless steel ones that can go in the dishwasher, which is a BIG selling point in this household. Shannon can attest to this. I think we annoyed her when she lived with us, with our "everything that can go in the dishwasher will go in the dishwasher" mantra.
The dough is so tasty, Olivia and I ate a lot of the scraps from the biscuit-pressing process. The whipping cream lends itself to richness of character, and it's so simple! Here's O, whisking the dry ingredients in the chive version:
Here is the finished product:
Here is the recipe:
Freezer Biscuits
6 cups flour, plus more for work surface
2 tbsps each sugar and baking powder
1 1/2 tsps salt
4 1/2 cups whipping cream
Line large baking sheet with parchment; set aside. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir in cream with a wooden spoon until dough forms, about 30 seconds. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface and gather into ball. Knead dough briefly until smooth, about 60 seconds, adding extra flour as needed if dough is too sticky.
Pat dough into 3/4-inch thick circle. Cut out biscuits using biscuit cutter, trying to cut as many biscuits as possible without reworking dough. Lay biscuits on prepared baking sheet, spaced about 1/2 inch apart. Gather up scraps of dough and knead briefly to combine, then repeat process. Discard (or eat!) remaining dough.
Place baking sheet in freezer and freeze biscuits until solid, about 6 hours. Transfer biscuits to bag or container and freeze for up to 1 month. Do not thaw before baking.
Bake from frozen at 450°F for 20-25 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Serve hot.
Makes 24 biscuits.
Variations:
Cheddar cheese freezer biscuits
Toss 6 ounces Cheddar cheese, cut into rough 1/4-inch pieces, into flour mixture before adding whipping cream.
Herb freezer biscuits
Whisk 6 tbsps minced fresh mild herbs (chives, dill) or 3 tbsps minced fresh hearty herbs (thyme, rosemary) into flour mixture before adding whipping cream.
I made 1/3 the recipe (about 8 biscuits), 3 times and tried each variation, for a total of 24 biscuits. I really liked the plain and the Cheddar, but didn't dig the chive so much. Maybe another herb would be more suitable.
Try Again: freezer biscuits
Again, in preparation for perhaps not wanting to cook this week, I made and froze three types of biscuit dough over the last couple weekends from Cook's Illustrated: Freezer Biscuits.
This recipe spurned me to purchase something I've been missing from my kitchen supplies: a biscuit cutter. I have been making biscuits for at least ten years, always using a drinking glass to cut the dough. I'm a worrier. One of my worries when making biscuits is the closed top of the glass: does it somehow affect the biscuit and make it less than perfect, taste- or texture-wise? Problem solved, as I now own not one, but two biscuit cutters! They are the same size, so redundant, but they came in a pack of two, and they are nice, heavy, stainless steel ones that can go in the dishwasher, which is a BIG selling point in this household. Shannon can attest to this. I think we annoyed her when she lived with us, with our "everything that can go in the dishwasher will go in the dishwasher" mantra.
The dough is so tasty, Olivia and I ate a lot of the scraps from the biscuit-pressing process. The whipping cream lends itself to richness of character, and it's so simple! Here's O, whisking the dry ingredients in the chive version:
 |
| Look at that index finger. What technique! |
Here is the finished product:
 |
| L-R: chive, Cheddar, plain |
Here is the recipe:
Freezer Biscuits
6 cups flour, plus more for work surface
2 tbsps each sugar and baking powder
1 1/2 tsps salt
4 1/2 cups whipping cream
Line large baking sheet with parchment; set aside. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir in cream with a wooden spoon until dough forms, about 30 seconds. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface and gather into ball. Knead dough briefly until smooth, about 60 seconds, adding extra flour as needed if dough is too sticky.
Pat dough into 3/4-inch thick circle. Cut out biscuits using biscuit cutter, trying to cut as many biscuits as possible without reworking dough. Lay biscuits on prepared baking sheet, spaced about 1/2 inch apart. Gather up scraps of dough and knead briefly to combine, then repeat process. Discard (or eat!) remaining dough.
Place baking sheet in freezer and freeze biscuits until solid, about 6 hours. Transfer biscuits to bag or container and freeze for up to 1 month. Do not thaw before baking.
Bake from frozen at 450°F for 20-25 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Serve hot.
Makes 24 biscuits.
Variations:
Cheddar cheese freezer biscuits
Toss 6 ounces Cheddar cheese, cut into rough 1/4-inch pieces, into flour mixture before adding whipping cream.
Herb freezer biscuits
Whisk 6 tbsps minced fresh mild herbs (chives, dill) or 3 tbsps minced fresh hearty herbs (thyme, rosemary) into flour mixture before adding whipping cream.
I made 1/3 the recipe (about 8 biscuits), 3 times and tried each variation, for a total of 24 biscuits. I really liked the plain and the Cheddar, but didn't dig the chive so much. Maybe another herb would be more suitable.
November 23, 2010
November 23rd: Make ahead meal: Manicotti
Verdict:
Toss: manicotti
Try Again: sausage tomato sauce
Here I am, still alive. That's an enjoyable place to be.
The last couple of weeks, I've been dedicating some weekend time to preparing food to put in the freezer, in preparation for surgery week (that's now!). Two days ago, I pulled the first meal out of the freezer and left it in the fridge for two days to thaw, and tonight we had, from Cook's Illustrated: Streamlined Manicotti. At least, that's what they're calling it. Let me tell you, this was a labour-intensive project on the prep side, and a time-intensive project on the cooking side. This recipe will not be kept, which is unfortunate after all the work I put into it. I'm attaching a link, but it doesn't work because (annoying) they don't post all their recipes online for free. I would type it out for you, but hey, it sucked, and right now I'm not interested in promoting Cook's Illustrated.
Here's what I wrote the night I made it, a Sunday night a few weeks back:
I was tired tonight because I spent two hours making manicotti after Olivia went to bed, which is going in the freezer to eat in a couple weeks' time. More on that later. My feet and calves are killing me. Bed calls.
I have problems with both oven-ready noodles and ricotta. This recipe promises to streamline the process of making manicotti. It took me two hours of prep, prior to cooling, freezing, defrosting and cooking. That, to me, is not streamlined.
And, sure enough, after eating:
I haven't liked ricotta in the past, thought I'd give it one last try, and have now vowed never to buy it again. The oven-ready noodles (lasagna noodles rolled up to form manicotti) came out mushy. Even after 40 hours of defrosting in the fridge, the dish took way longer in the oven than the recipe called for. Every time I checked it, the centre was still cold. One of my least favourite things to do as a mother is tell my 2 year old that supper will be "a little longer." If a recipe tells me it will take 75 minutes to bake, and it takes 105, I turn into a cranky mama.
Okay, we all know I'm not a pasta fan, right? It behooves me to say that G & O did like supper tonight, however, it was agreed we would toss the recipe. And alright, I will give the recipe this: delicious sauce. I opted for the sausage version, which goes like this:
Sausage tomato sauce
2 (28-oz) cans diced tomatoes in juice
2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
2 tbsps chopped fresh basil leaves
1) Pulse 1 can tomatoes with their juice in food processor until coarsely chopped, 3 or 4 pulses. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining can tomatoes.
2) Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook sausage, stirring to break it into pieces, until no longer pink, about 6 minutes.
3) Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 tsp salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in basil; season with salt to taste.
Toss: manicotti
Try Again: sausage tomato sauce
Here I am, still alive. That's an enjoyable place to be.
The last couple of weeks, I've been dedicating some weekend time to preparing food to put in the freezer, in preparation for surgery week (that's now!). Two days ago, I pulled the first meal out of the freezer and left it in the fridge for two days to thaw, and tonight we had, from Cook's Illustrated: Streamlined Manicotti. At least, that's what they're calling it. Let me tell you, this was a labour-intensive project on the prep side, and a time-intensive project on the cooking side. This recipe will not be kept, which is unfortunate after all the work I put into it. I'm attaching a link, but it doesn't work because (annoying) they don't post all their recipes online for free. I would type it out for you, but hey, it sucked, and right now I'm not interested in promoting Cook's Illustrated.
Here's what I wrote the night I made it, a Sunday night a few weeks back:
I was tired tonight because I spent two hours making manicotti after Olivia went to bed, which is going in the freezer to eat in a couple weeks' time. More on that later. My feet and calves are killing me. Bed calls.
I have problems with both oven-ready noodles and ricotta. This recipe promises to streamline the process of making manicotti. It took me two hours of prep, prior to cooling, freezing, defrosting and cooking. That, to me, is not streamlined.
And, sure enough, after eating:
I haven't liked ricotta in the past, thought I'd give it one last try, and have now vowed never to buy it again. The oven-ready noodles (lasagna noodles rolled up to form manicotti) came out mushy. Even after 40 hours of defrosting in the fridge, the dish took way longer in the oven than the recipe called for. Every time I checked it, the centre was still cold. One of my least favourite things to do as a mother is tell my 2 year old that supper will be "a little longer." If a recipe tells me it will take 75 minutes to bake, and it takes 105, I turn into a cranky mama.
Okay, we all know I'm not a pasta fan, right? It behooves me to say that G & O did like supper tonight, however, it was agreed we would toss the recipe. And alright, I will give the recipe this: delicious sauce. I opted for the sausage version, which goes like this:
Sausage tomato sauce
2 (28-oz) cans diced tomatoes in juice
2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
2 tbsps chopped fresh basil leaves
1) Pulse 1 can tomatoes with their juice in food processor until coarsely chopped, 3 or 4 pulses. Transfer to bowl. Repeat with remaining can tomatoes.
2) Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook sausage, stirring to break it into pieces, until no longer pink, about 6 minutes.
3) Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 tsp salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in basil; season with salt to taste.
November 21st: fish cakes! and apples & sweet potatoes baked together + more cookies
Verdict:
Try Again: fish cakes
Toss: apples & sweet potatoes
Sunday night. I am (self-)routine-bound most days of the week, but no more so than on Sunday night. I do not go off schedule. However, I'm having surgery this week, which makes me a little more morbid than usual, and I opted this weekend to optimize my time with Olivia, just in case I don't make it. You never know. Therefore, when Greg suggested (last minute) that we join Casey, Kelly & Ella at the Barrhaven Parade of Lights (Santa Claus parade) on Sunday evening, I thought I'd better go for it. This was fun for the kids in snowsuits and sucked for the adults in jeans and sneakers. Lesson learned.
Unfortunately, I had been soaking salt cod in preparation for making fish cakes, and even though we were out of the house for several hours, which encompassed supper time, I wanted to go ahead with making supper, no matter how late it ended up being. Which led to:
First, the side dish: From Cooking With My Kid: Baked Sweet Potatoes & Apples. O would have loved these, had she still been awake when we were eating them. Hopefully she enjoys them in her lunch this week. G & I were more indifferent however, so, banished.
Now, for some back story:
When I was home in August, I was in Sobeys with Mom, guru of all things in the kitchen, and we were at the fish counter where Mom was buying salmon. Noting the packages of salt fish on display, and having always wondered what to do with one (especially after reading Sylvanus Now), I asked Mom, who promptly bought a package, took it home, and amazed me with her fish cake-making skills. Well, she amazed me a day or two later, as one of the catches with salt fish is you have to soak it in fresh water to get the salt out of the fish. Combine cooked fish with some potatoes and herbs, dredge and fry and voilà: fish cake heaven. I ate more fish cakes than anyone else that night.
I've been wanting to make fish cakes ever since. But blast it, the salt fish in Ottawa's grocery stores don't have recipe on the back of the package (yes, M followed a recipe on the package). They have some reference to a web site, but who wants to go looking online for recipes? Oops, that's what I do all the time. In the meantime though, there appeared a recipe in the Citizen, so I decided to go with that one. I had to modify slightly, as this is a deep-fry recipe, and I pan-fried in my lovely new Scanpan frying pan.
Here's the recipe, including several questions it raised in my mind, to which I do not have the answers:
Fishcakes and Aioli
Makes about 25 pieces.
For fishcakes:
1 lb (454 g) salt cod
4 cups (1 L) milk
2.75 lbs (1.25 kg) potatoes
1/2 cup (125 mL) parsley
1/2 cup (125 mL) dill
1/2 bunch chives
1/2 cup (125 mL) flour
salt and pepper to taste (optional)
oil for frying
Ingredients for crumbing:
1/2 cup (125 mL) milk
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
flour for dredging
panko bread crumbs to coat
For aioli:
1 cup (250 mL) mayonnaise
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
To prepare salt cod:
1) Soak salt cod in cold water in refrigerator for 24 hours; remove from refrigerator and rinse repeatedly throughout second day to remove excess salt.*
2) Place rinsed salt cod in large pot and cover with milk; bring to boil and simmer until tender.** Strain and let cool; discard milk.
To form fishcakes:
1) Peel potatoes and place in large pot with water. Bring to boil and simmer until cooked.
2) Strain and mash.
3) Roughly chop all herbs.
4) In a large bowl, flake the salt cod into small pieces.
5) Add potato, herbs and flour. Combine well (do not overwork).
6) Season to taste, if necessary (salt cod will add salt to the mixture).***
To crumb:
1) Combine milk and eggs in one bowl. Place panko and flour in two additional bowls.
2) Form salt cod into small cakes, about 1/4 cup (75 mL) each.
3) Dredge fishcakes in flour, shaking off excess, then in egg and milk mixture and finally, crumb in panko.
To fry:
1) Heat large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add oil when hot and allow to heat. Fry fishcakes for 5 minutes each side, lowering heat if necessary, until golden brown and heated through. Fishcakes can be refrigerated. Do not freeze.
To prepare aioli:
1) Combine all ingredients and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
*Does this mean you are actually supposed to leave it on the counter-top during the second day? I didn't like that idea, so I kept it in the fridge, and changed the water a couple times over the course of the day.
**How long should salt cod take to get tender? Quickly, like fresh fish? Over a longer period of time? I had no idea. I boiled for about 15 minutes, which, from what I read online, should be okay.
***I didn't add salt or pepper; tasted fine.
Did I mention? We loved these. The garlic aioli was delish. Were they as good as Mom's fish cakes? I think maybe. The only thing they were missing, in my opinion, was onion. G doesn't enjoy onion as I do, so I think he'd disagree.
Also today, I pulled another pack of gingerbread dough from the freezer and made one of the suggested options from November 2009's Chatelaine: Sugar crackle cookies. I would say these were not as good as the gingerbread men, but were tasty in their own right. Better as a treat with tea. In this case, the recipe is supposed to make 35 cookies, and my 1/4 package made 10. I'm beginning to think I didn't divide my dough evenly.
Try Again: fish cakes
Toss: apples & sweet potatoes
Sunday night. I am (self-)routine-bound most days of the week, but no more so than on Sunday night. I do not go off schedule. However, I'm having surgery this week, which makes me a little more morbid than usual, and I opted this weekend to optimize my time with Olivia, just in case I don't make it. You never know. Therefore, when Greg suggested (last minute) that we join Casey, Kelly & Ella at the Barrhaven Parade of Lights (Santa Claus parade) on Sunday evening, I thought I'd better go for it. This was fun for the kids in snowsuits and sucked for the adults in jeans and sneakers. Lesson learned.
Unfortunately, I had been soaking salt cod in preparation for making fish cakes, and even though we were out of the house for several hours, which encompassed supper time, I wanted to go ahead with making supper, no matter how late it ended up being. Which led to:
First, the side dish: From Cooking With My Kid: Baked Sweet Potatoes & Apples. O would have loved these, had she still been awake when we were eating them. Hopefully she enjoys them in her lunch this week. G & I were more indifferent however, so, banished.
Now, for some back story:
When I was home in August, I was in Sobeys with Mom, guru of all things in the kitchen, and we were at the fish counter where Mom was buying salmon. Noting the packages of salt fish on display, and having always wondered what to do with one (especially after reading Sylvanus Now), I asked Mom, who promptly bought a package, took it home, and amazed me with her fish cake-making skills. Well, she amazed me a day or two later, as one of the catches with salt fish is you have to soak it in fresh water to get the salt out of the fish. Combine cooked fish with some potatoes and herbs, dredge and fry and voilà: fish cake heaven. I ate more fish cakes than anyone else that night.
I've been wanting to make fish cakes ever since. But blast it, the salt fish in Ottawa's grocery stores don't have recipe on the back of the package (yes, M followed a recipe on the package). They have some reference to a web site, but who wants to go looking online for recipes? Oops, that's what I do all the time. In the meantime though, there appeared a recipe in the Citizen, so I decided to go with that one. I had to modify slightly, as this is a deep-fry recipe, and I pan-fried in my lovely new Scanpan frying pan.
Here's the recipe, including several questions it raised in my mind, to which I do not have the answers:
Fishcakes and Aioli
Makes about 25 pieces.
For fishcakes:
1 lb (454 g) salt cod
4 cups (1 L) milk
2.75 lbs (1.25 kg) potatoes
1/2 cup (125 mL) parsley
1/2 cup (125 mL) dill
1/2 bunch chives
1/2 cup (125 mL) flour
salt and pepper to taste (optional)
oil for frying
Ingredients for crumbing:
1/2 cup (125 mL) milk
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
flour for dredging
panko bread crumbs to coat
For aioli:
1 cup (250 mL) mayonnaise
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
To prepare salt cod:
1) Soak salt cod in cold water in refrigerator for 24 hours; remove from refrigerator and rinse repeatedly throughout second day to remove excess salt.*
2) Place rinsed salt cod in large pot and cover with milk; bring to boil and simmer until tender.** Strain and let cool; discard milk.
To form fishcakes:
1) Peel potatoes and place in large pot with water. Bring to boil and simmer until cooked.
2) Strain and mash.
3) Roughly chop all herbs.
4) In a large bowl, flake the salt cod into small pieces.
5) Add potato, herbs and flour. Combine well (do not overwork).
6) Season to taste, if necessary (salt cod will add salt to the mixture).***
To crumb:
1) Combine milk and eggs in one bowl. Place panko and flour in two additional bowls.
2) Form salt cod into small cakes, about 1/4 cup (75 mL) each.
3) Dredge fishcakes in flour, shaking off excess, then in egg and milk mixture and finally, crumb in panko.
To fry:
1) Heat large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add oil when hot and allow to heat. Fry fishcakes for 5 minutes each side, lowering heat if necessary, until golden brown and heated through. Fishcakes can be refrigerated. Do not freeze.
To prepare aioli:
1) Combine all ingredients and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
*Does this mean you are actually supposed to leave it on the counter-top during the second day? I didn't like that idea, so I kept it in the fridge, and changed the water a couple times over the course of the day.
**How long should salt cod take to get tender? Quickly, like fresh fish? Over a longer period of time? I had no idea. I boiled for about 15 minutes, which, from what I read online, should be okay.
***I didn't add salt or pepper; tasted fine.
Did I mention? We loved these. The garlic aioli was delish. Were they as good as Mom's fish cakes? I think maybe. The only thing they were missing, in my opinion, was onion. G doesn't enjoy onion as I do, so I think he'd disagree.
 |
| Can you see the time on the clock? 10:01 p.m. That's when supper was finished. |
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