Crackies!

Recently I attended my first advisory meeting at the local food magazine where I am going to be a regular contributor. It was sort of a potluck luncheon, and the food was amazing! (Leave it to food writers to bring on the gourmet.) After we ate, all the staffers and editors and writers crammed around a big board room table and pitched ideas for issue themes and articles and discussed and debated what makes a food magazine sell, and I felt like Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30--a bit out of my element, but loving the collaborative creativity!

As I said, there were many fancy dishes for us to enjoy at the advisory luncheon, but my favorite thing served--and the thing that seem to make everyone "ooh" and "ahh" the most--was this ridiculously easy cracker-based candy that my friend, Justine, brought and affectionately refers to as "Crackies," due to their addictive quality. It's not unlike the awesome matzoh toffee that I have made before, but this doesn't have a chocolate topping. It's the vanilla version, if you will. (And I certainly will!)

Of course, I had to run right home and make some for myself and my roommate to share, and then I made a second batch to take to a fabulous game night party at my friend Joanna's tonight. I was amused when I kept hearing people say to one another, "You have to try this!" And the other person would respond, "What is it?" Then the first person would say, "I don't know, but it's great! Just try it!" And them I heard groans of pleasure. Tee hee.

I have two tips to make this simple treat even better. Although I don't usually like coconut, I like it in this, but only if it's toasted first, which makes it all the nuttier and yummier. Also, I highly recommend using reduced fat crackers for this, as the full-fat crackers yield a greasier result once you pour on all that butter. Having said that, here's the rest of the very complex methodology:

Lay out a half-sheet of (reduced fat) Club Crackers on a Silpat, then sprinkle on some slivered almonds and toasted coconut (most recipes just call for untoasted coconut, but screw that). Then make a light caramel of sorts by bringing a cup of butter and a half cup of sugar to a boil. Remove from the heat, and then add a teaspoon of vanilla. Pour this mess as evenly as you can over the cracker stuff and bake for ten minutes at 350. That's it, and the people will go wild and call your name wonderful and marvelous!

THANKSGIVUKKAH 2013

HAPPY THANKSGIVUKKAH! For the first and only time in any of our lifetimes, the first day of Hanukkah falls on the same day as Thanksgiving, and this convergence will not happen again for 70,000 years! I suppose the right thing to do would be to create a Thanksgiving menu infused with kosher touches, and I did consider it. But it ended up being just me and my roomie celebrating at home this year, so I just went with traditional Thanksgiving dishes with a few new (non-kosher) twists. This year's menu included:

Apple Cider-Brined Turkey
Sausage and Sage Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes and Turkey Gravy
Cranberry Strumpet
Creamed Succotash
Spicy Vinaigrette Green Beans
Marbled Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie
Maple Rye Pecan Pie

This year's turkey was definitely the best brined bird I've ever done! I loved the sweetness from the apple cider and orange juice. And between the brining and roasting it breast-side down, it was perfectly moist and juicy. WINNER!

Apple Cider Brined Turkey
(Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman) 

3 cups fresh apple cider
1 cup orange juice
1 1/2 gallons (6 quarts) cold water
big handful of whatever's left in the herb garden--thyme, rosemary, tarragon, sage
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled but whacked with a knife
1 cup canning salt
2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons peppercorns
5 whole bay leaves
two lemons, washed and quartered
1 large onion, quartered

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover. Allow to cool completely, then pour into a large brining bag or pot. Place uncooked turkey in brine solution, then refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. When ready to roast turkey, remove turkey from brine. Submerge turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water. Allow to sit in clean water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside. Discard brine. Remove turkey from clean water, pat dry, and cook according to your normal roasting method. (I just slather the bird in a stick of butter and sprinkle it liberally with black pepper then roast it--breast-side down--at 325 until the thigh meat reaches 180F.)

I don't really have a recipe per se for the creamed succotash. I melted about a half stick of butter in a large skillet and sauteed a diced onion with mild chili pepper (Cubanelle), seeded and diced. Then I added a box of frozen bicolor corn and a box of frozen baby lima beans and cooked them risotto-style, adding turkey stock by the ladle-full until the veggies were tender and the last addition of liquid was absorbed. Then I finished the dish with salt, pepper, and maybe a half cup of cream. I might have added a teaspoon of dried thyme in there as well, as is often my way. Simple and delish!

The other vegetable I prepared was French-style green beans with almonds. As I was getting ready to cook the beans, I spied an easy, tasty-sounding recipe on the back of the package, and on a whim, gave it a try. It was yummy! The only thing I did was to add about a half cup of slivered almonds at the end. Oh, and I steamed the beans in the microwave instead of boiling them on the stove.

Spicy Vinaigrette Green Beans 
(Source: adapted from Pictsweet Recipes)

4 cups frozen French-cut green beans
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup slivered almonds, optional

Place frozen beans in a saucepan and cover with water. Place on a stove top and bring to a boil. Boil three minutes and drain. (Or microwave with a half cup of water added, covered, for five minutes.) In a small mixing bowl, combine garlic, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Slowly whisk oil into garlic mixture. Pour mixture over cooked beans. Add about a half cup of slivered almonds to finish (optional).

I made two pies this year, a pumpkin pie swirled with a cheesecake filling that I've done before (but in a regular pie shell instead of a cookie crust), and then a new pecan pie recipe made with rye whiskey that I saw in The New York Times. My roommate has been on a rye kick lately, and we have a bottle, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. My twist was to swap out the molasses (too strong a flavor for my tastes) for local maple syrup. I also cut back on the rye to balance the flavors with the lighter-tasting sweetener, and it was still plenty boozy. Also, I only used whole pecans all mixed into the filling, which is how I prefer to do it. You can artfully arrange them on top if you like, but they always scorch that way, in my experience. Anyway, my version came out beautiful and scrumptious, if I do say so myself!

Maple Rye Pie
(Source: adapted from The New York Times)

5 eggs

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar 

6 tablespoons butter, melted 

1/3 cup Grade B maple syrup 

1/3 cup light corn syrup 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

2 tablespoons rye or bourbon, not more than 90 proof 

2 cups pecan halves 

whipped cream (better yet, ice cream!) for serving 

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Prick bottom of dough with a fork. Lay a piece of parchment or wax paper in pan, then a piece of aluminum foil. Fill foil lining with dried beans to top of pan. Bake 15 to 25 minutes, until the sides of the crust have set and turned a light golden brown. Remove from oven and lift out the beans, foil and parchment. Patch any holes with reserved dough, pressing firmly. Bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until golden brown. Let cool at least 30 minutes before filling.

Lower oven heat to 325 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, melted butter.* maple syrup, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and rye or bourbon. Gently mix in the pecans.* Place baked pie shell, still in the pan, on a sheet pan. Gently pour in the filling. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, just until filling is firm and a wooden skewer comes out clean when inserted into center. (Tent with foil or a pie shield if the top starts to get too dark.) Let cool completely. Carefully remove outer ring of pan. Slice with a large, very sharp knife and serve with whipped cream or ice cream. 

Yield: About 12 servings. 

*A tip that takes pecan pie over the top: As you're melting the butter, add your pecans and toast them in the butter until it all starts to smell, well, nutty, and the butter starts to brown. Let this cool a bit before adding to the rest of the filling ingredients to avoid scrambling the eggs.

Delicious Memories of the Crescent H Ranch

After my freshman and sophomore years of college during the summers, I worked at guest ranch called the Crescent H in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (and also its sister ranch, The Firehole, in West Yellowstone, Montana). I somehow cajoled many of my college friends to join me, and we had some great times. It's also where I got some professional cooking experience, first as a prep cook, and later doing breakfast and lunch on my own.

That's me, top left, at the tender age of 19, pictured with Bruno and Wayne, the two head chefs, and Kris, the pastry chef, on the right. Fun fact: Bruno and Kris fell in love while working together at the ranch and have been married for about 26 years now, I'd guess. They have two grown kids, and they still cook at the Firehole Ranch in Montana! And in the picture below, I am in the raspberry polka-dotted sweater, middle left, acting as Vanna White, highlighting a couple of celebrity interlopers in our group photo. Why Ackroyd and Hanks joined us, who knows?

The summer after my junior year of college, I decided to switch things up and work at a salmon cannery in Cordova, Alaska, which is a whole other Oprah show. But some of my college buddies, including my friend, Todd, stayed on at the ranch as a waiter, working with another chef called Ken.

Apparently, one of Ken's specialties was a mushroom-Brie soup that everyone loved, and somehow Todd managed to wheedle the recipe out of him, but only if he promised never to share it. All these years later, Todd has kept his promise, much to my frustration and annoyance. But I searched online until I found a similar recipe that looked ideal. I never had Chef Ken's signature dish so I can't compare, but I can attest that this version is delicious!

Then last night when I got home after choir practice, it was already 9:30pm. So I stopped for a carton of steamed rice at No.1 Chinese, and then reheated the leftover soup (which had thickened in the fridge overnight), added some fresh spinach for color and a little extra nutrition, and a small hunk of leftover pot roast that I diced up to form a stroganoff of sorts served over rice. Am I not culinarily creative and clever?! Who needs Chef Ken and his secrets? Good food is meant to be shared!

Wild Mushroom-Brie Soup
(Source: adapted from FoodSwoon)

1 1/2 pounds wild mushrooms, sliced (I used a mix of oyster, shitake, and Baby Bella)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup diced onions
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/2 cup sherry (I used cream sherry)
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup Brie cheese, crumbled in pieces (white rind removed)
Pinch of cayenne (or more to taste)
Salt and pepper
Optional garnish: green onions or chopped fresh parsley

Add a tablespoon of butter to a skillet and cook the mushrooms until brown on each side, being careful not to crowd them. Remove mushrooms, set aside. Add another tablespoon of butter and cook in batches until the remaining mushrooms are browned.

Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, celery and garlic and cook until soft, approximately five to seven minutes. Add the thyme, flour and pinch of cayenne. Stir constantly until a light roux forms, approximately three minutes. Add the sherry, increase the heat to medium-high and let the mixture come to a boil. Add the stock and half-and-half and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for ten minutes.  

With an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Or, let the soup cool and blend it in batches in a blender before returning to the pot. Add mushrooms and let soup come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the brie and whisk to incorporate. Add the cream and simmer for ten minutes. Taste. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with green onions or fresh chopped parsley.

Ender's Game Brunch

The most recent selection that my book club read was the sci-fi classic, Ender's Game. And we planned it so that we could finish reading it just in time for the major motion picture release. Before attending the movie matinee, we met at our host's house (my friend, Janice), for a wonderful book and space-themed brunch. Here are a few pics for your enjoyment...

This is the tablescape, complete with a space mobile dangling from the chandelier! (I was assigned to bring a quiche, pictured on the lower right, closest to the camera.)













There was a birthday cake for Ender (tee hee). And can you just see the packet of freeze-dried astronaut ice cream next to it? (It was gawd-awful, but amusing as table decor.)

And brunch was served on cafeteria-style trays, just like in battle school. Ha!

Pictured clockwise from the top left: Breakfast potatoes, strata with potatoes and red peppers, cornbread casserole with sausage, apples and maple syrup, the quiche I made with Cajun turkey, Swiss chard, onion, and three cheeses, and a ham and cheese croissant from some fancy bakery in Syracuse, I believe. There was also a lovely fruit salad for "dessert" (not pictured).


As for my contribution to the affair, I didn't make anything space-themed or even related to the book. It was brunch, and Janice wanted to serve quiche, but she was going to be out of town until the day of the party. So I volunteered to make one. I chose the following recipe from my favorite pie guru, Ken Haedrich, but I substituted some Cajun turkey from the deli, because that's what I had on hand. I will definitely try it with the sausage next time. Obviously, this is a dish that can--and should--be adapted in many ways.

Swiss Chard and Smoked Turkey Sausage Quiche
(Source: adapted from The Pie Academy)

Basic pie dough, refrigerated (I cheated and used a refrigerator roll-out crust)

Filling:

1/2 to 3/4 pound Swiss chard, stems removed

8 ounces smoked turkey sausage (or diced Cajun-spiced turkey from the deli)

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups half-and-half or light cream

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tabasco)

1/2 cup each of 2 or 3 cheeses, including Swiss, Fontina, or Feta plus Parmesan

On a sheet of lightly floured wax paper, roll the pastry into a 13" circle. Invert the pastry over a 9 1/2" - 10" quiche pan or tart pan, center, and peel off the paper. Gently tuck the pastry into the pan, without stretching it, then pinch the edge into an upstanding rim. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400°. Tear off a 16" long sheet of aluminum foil and press it into the firmed shell so it fits like a glove. To prevent the pie shell from puffing as it bakes, fill the foil about 3/4 full with dried beans, banking them up the sides. Bake on the center oven rack for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°. Remove the shell from the oven, then carefully lift out the foil and beans. Using a fork, poke the bottom pastry 6 or 7 times; the holes will keep the pastry from puffing. Put the shell back in the oven and bake another 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a rack. (Plug the holes with dabs of cream cheese, or put shavings of cheese over the holes and let it melt there, so the filling doesn't run out.)

Reset the oven to 375°. Rinse the chard, remove the ribs (and discard), then coarsely chop the leaves (you don't have to dry them) and set aside. Dice about a quarter of the sausage; set aside. Melt the butter in a large skillet or saute pan and stir in the onion. Saute over medium heat for five minutes, then stir in only the diced sausage and garlic. Saute another two minutes, stirring, then add the chard. Cover and saute/steam for five to eight minutes, stirring often, until the chard is soft and cooked down. Remove from the heat and leave uncovered. While that cools, slice the remaining turkey sauce into 1/4"-thick rounds. Set aside. Whisk the eggs in a medium-size bowl until evenly blended. Whisk in the half-and-half, mustard, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Set aside.

To assemble the quiche, sprinkle one of the cheeses over the bottom of the tart shell (but save the Parmesan for the top.) Using a large fork - which will give you good control - place half of the chard here and there in the shell. Add half of the sausage. If you're using three cheeses, sprinkle on another one now; otherwise wait. Slowly ladle about half of the custard over the filling. Repeat with the remaining chard, sausage, and custard. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake the quiche on the center oven rack for about 40 minutes, until the top is light golden brown and the filling is somewhat puffy. Transfer to a rack and cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes ten or more servings.

Cooking...without really cooking.

We are heading into the roughest part of the semester, and it seems like I have commitments almost every weekend lately, too. So today, I am thankful just to be at home and to have no plans. I need a break! But a gal's gotta eat, so I made a simple yet innovative lunch that I thought I'd share with you. Ladies and gentlemen, the Grilled Kimcheese Sandwich! I used both sharp and smoked cheddars, my homemade kimchi, and a fried egg. (Carnivores may wish to add ham, but I found it unnecessary.) SO DELICIOUS! This "recipe" is a keeper, for sure.

Since I was just enjoying my lazy Saturday, I had no intentions of baking anything. But one of my friends on Facebook posted something about making a "Watergate Cake" for her boyfriend, and I was intrigued. It's basically just a pistachio cake, but the moniker is an homage to President Nixon. According to crafsty.com, "After the Watergate scandal broke, there was a surge of interest in all things Richard Nixon. Turns out, pistachio was a favorite flavor of Nixon’s, and so all sorts of pistachio-flavored treats proliferated and were dubbed 'Watergate.' This cake is one of the more enduring examples, possibly because of its clever topping: 'cover up' icing." Ha ha! Not only is the name of this cake interesting, it's a cinch to make, because it's made with a boxed cake mix and instant pudding. The food purists may balk, but it was pretty tasty. I like it best once it chills in the fridge.

A couple of notes: Many recipes that you find online call for chopped pecans, but I think a pistachio cake should have, well, pistachios! Most recipes also call for powdered Dream Whip in the topping, but Cool Whip saves you a step and holds up longer in the fridge. Lastly, many recipes call for shredded coconut either in the cake or the topping or both, but I personally can't abide it. But you do as you like. In the words of Nadia G, "It doesn't affect me." (Tee hee.)

Watergate Cake with Cover-Up Icing
(Sources: cobbled together from a number of similar recipes on the interwebs)

Cake:

1 box white cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup lemon-lime seltzer
1 cup finely chopped roasted pistachios
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (3 1/2 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix

Cover-Up Icing:
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 (3 1/2 ounce) packages instant pistachio pudding mix
1 regular tub (9 oz.) Cool Whip
1/2 cup chopped roasted pistachios

Cake: Mix all of the cake ingredients together. Pour into a greased and floured 13x9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until a tester comes out with just moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool completely.

Icing: Beat the milk and the pudding mix together, then fold in the Cool Whip. Spread on top of cooled cake. Sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours untl well-chilled. 

Store leftover cake covered in the refrigerator.

My first real writing gig!

So...I have some exciting news. I was featured in an issue of our local food magazine, Strictly Food for Thought, last January, which was very flattering. Since then, one of my wonderful former students has become the editor of that fine publication, and she has asked me to become a regular staff writer. Isn't that cool? Though I wasn't supposed to start until after the next advisory meeting on the 18th, she contacted me earlier this week to ask if I could throw something together at the last minute for their holiday issue, so I wrote an article about Christmas cookie swaps. I think it came out well. Let's hope so, as it will be my (semi-) professional writing debut! Next stop, the Food Network and a national cookbook tour! Ha ha.

Before I let the dreams of my future fame and glory go to my head, I'd like to share a simple, but simply delicious recipe from a friend of mine who also writes for SFFT. This is Anne Waling's Mushroom Saute, and it is quick, easy, hearty, savory, and perfect for a Meatless Monday, or in this case, a lovely Friday night meal that sure beats takeout!

Mushroom Saute
(Source: Anne Waling, Strictly Food for Thought)

2 tablespoons butter/olive oil (depending on your diet and the non-stick factor of pan)
1 tablespoon garlic or shallots, chopped (per cup of mushrooms)
1-2 cups mushrooms, slice (mix of baby brown, white, wild)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
worcestershire sauce
red wine
thyme, fresh or dried
red pepper flakes
parsley, fresh, chopped
truffle oil, salt, pepper, shaved parmesan 

Œ1.) With pan on low heat, add oil. Add garlic and cook until fragrant and softening but not brown.
2.) Turn up heat and add butter, and when it is hot add sliced mushrooms. (This recipe is not meant for them to be crispy, so feel free to crowd the pan and let them release their juices.)
Ž3.) When the mushrooms are hot, add a couple of tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar and a dash of Worcestershire sauce; stir.
4.) Sprinkle in a little thyme (chop it if it is fresh, crush it in your hand if it is dried).
5.) Crush up a few red pepper flakes and throw those in too. I actually put a lot of these because I like the heat.
6.) Add a half cup of red wine, more or less, depending on quantity of mushrooms you have used. Simmer this to let the sauce reduce a bit, add the chopped parsley and finish with a good bit of truffle oil, salt and pepper.

*I served this over miniature three-cheese ravioli, but a crusty loaf of bread to soak up the delicious pan juices would also be a fine pairing.

What does Mississippi have to do with pot roast?

I tried a recipe for Sunday supper tonight that I have seen on Pinterest and Facebook enigmatically called Mississippi Pot Roast. I have no idea what Mississippi has to do with it, but it is a very simple way to make a pot roast...in your crock pot! I don't even know who to credit for the recipe, but I will explain the very simple methodology.

Start with a three-pound beef chuck roast, or whatever will fit in your slow cooker. None of the versions of the recipe that I found called for searing the roast first, but I think it's an important step. It ultimately makes the meat look and taste better! So brown the roast on both sides in a little olive oil in a large skillet over high heat, then transfer it to the crock pot. Sprinkle one dry ranch dressing packet and one dry au jus mix packet over the seared roast. Place a stick of butter on top of all that, and lastly, add five to seven whole pepperoncini peppers. Cook on low for five to seven hours, or until the roast is fork-tender.

After the meat was done cooking, I used a bulb baster to transfer all of the liquid from the crock pot into a gravy strainer (there will be a lot of fat that you will want to separate). I served the pot roast over a big pile of mashed potatoes drizzled with the savory gravy from the pot.

Now, for the big question: Would I make pot roast this way again? I must confess that the "recipe" is super-simple, and that part is appealing. And it is tasty. BUT as I suspected, with the two sodium-bomb seasoning packets, the resulting dish is very salty. So unless I could find lower-sodium versions of those packets, I would probably just use my own combination of seasonings to be able to control the salt. Also, why do we need a whole stick of butter? A chuck roast is very fatty anyway, and is basically self-basting, producing a rich, tender result when cooked low and slow. So I would prefer to use a different cooking liquid, like beef stock or red wine or even Coca-Cola, and eliminate the additional fat. But you make your own decision--you're grown! ;-)

P.S. Whether or not I return to this particular pot roast recipe, I will DEFINITELY make the salad we had tonight again and again. I used fresh, local baby spinach, Castello blue cheese (hand-crumbled), Honey Crisp apple chunks, toasted pepitas, slivered shallots, all dressed with a blue cheese vinaigrette and a good grinding of black pepper. SO YUMMY!
 

A Tasty Twist on the Pumpkin Spice Craze

I confess, on Friday night at the end of a long week of work and extracurricular commitments, my roommate and I often go out to eat, or if even that seems like too much effort, we order a pizza or Chinese to be delivered. But tonight, I had just enough energy left to prepare something fairly quick and easy, something that I saw recently on Facebook on Aida Mollenkamp's page, called Pumpkin Almond Butter Red Curry Noodle Tangle. Yes, that title is a mouthful, but once you get a mouthful of this stuff, it will become your new favorite kind of "pumpkin spice."

Notes: I didn't have any broccoli on hand, so I used extra chard (from my garden--in November!), and I also threw in some of the pickled garlic scapes that I made in the spring. And I added a squirt ot two of sriracha to give it a little kick.

Pumpkin Almond Butter Red Curry Noodle Tangle
(Source: Aida Mollenkamp)

 

8 ounces whole wheat or quinoa spaghetti (I used regular linguini)

8 ounces baby broccoli, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and ends discarded

3 ounces baby spinach, kale, or chard (about 3 packed cups)

2/3 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree

1/3 cup natural creamy almond butter (I used maple almond butter which was a little chunky)

1/4 cup white wine vinegar (next time, I might try rice vinegar)

2 to 3 tablespoons red curry paste

4 cloves garlic, grated

1 tablespoon honey

1 cup hot water

6 green onions (aka scallions), thinly sliced and ends discarded

12 ounces cooked chicken, shredded into bite-sized pieces (I used half a deli rotisserie chicken)

2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds  

1. Bring a medium pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook 2 minutes short of the suggested cooking time. Add the baby broccoli to the noodles and cook until noodles are tender and broccoli is bright green and knife tender, about 2 minutes more. Meanwhile, place the baby greens in a colander then drain the noodles and broccoli into the colander (so that you pour the water over the noodles and you flash blanch the greens).
   Tip: If you don't have cooked chicken on hand, you can use storebought roasted chicken or poach a piece of boneless, skinless chicken breast while you cook the noodles.
2. Meanwhile make the pumpkin-almond curry sauce: whisk together the pumpkin puree, almond butter, vinegar, 2 tablespoons of the curry paste, garlic, and honey. Add the hot water (you could use some of the noodle cooking water here) and whisk until everything is evenly combined and smooth (you should have a pourable sauce that is about as thick as a whole milk). Taste, and add more salt or curry paste if desired.
   Tip: If you can't find red curry paste, you could use a garlic-chile paste (such as sriracha) but you'll have to add it little by little and taste as you go because they can vary in flavor, heat, and saltiness.
3. Combine the noodles and broccoli mixture with the scallions, chicken, and the sauce in a large bowl and toss well, making sure all the noodles get coated. Garnish with toasted almonds and serve.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me and to June!

My birthday was Saturday, and I enjoyed a whole celebratory weekend! It began with a noontime party at work on Friday with my colleagues, a lovely dinner out with friends Friday night, and then a whole day in Burlington (VT) on Saturday visiting the farmer's market and the arts and crafts and antique shows at the Expo. Just perfect!

My dear friend June's birthday is just two days after mine, and I sometimes feel like I get celebrated too much and she, too little. So I wanted to make her a very special birthday cake to prove to her how glad I am that she was born!

On the most recent episode of The Pioneer Woman's show on Food Network, and she made something with her famous Texas sheet cake that she called Chocolate Devils. They looked sort of like Ding Dongs, two rounds of chocolate cake with a thick white filling, glazed on top with ganache and topped with maraschino cherries.

This sounded like the sort of thing that June would LOVE, as she adores the chocolate-cherry combination, but I wanted to rework it into a layered birthday cake and pump up the cherry component. My kitchen floor is uneven, so the layers always come out a little lopsided, and the sides looked like they've been spackled with chocolate 'cuz I suck at frosting/decorating. But I know it tasted good, and I do believe that the birthday girl loved it! (And it's the thought that counts, or so my momma always told me.)

Chocolate Devil Cake
(Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

Cake Layers:
Baking spray with flour added 

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) butter

4 heaping tablespoons cocoa

1 cup cola (or water)

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs, beaten

 

Cherry-Vanilla Filling:
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 sticks (1 cup) butter

1 cup granulated sugar (not powdered sugar!)

1 jar maraschino cherries, drained and chopped

Ganache:

3 cups heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

24 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces

1 jar maraschino cherries

 

For the cake layers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 9-inch cake pans with flour-added baking spray.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar and salt. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cocoa to the butter and stir together. Add one cup cola (or boiling water) to the pan and then allow the mixture to boil for 30 seconds. Pour over the flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

Pour the buttermilk into a bowl and add the baking soda, vanilla and beaten eggs. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the butter/flour mixture. Pour into the prepared cake pans and bake for 20 minutes. Cool the cake layers completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate to make sure there is no warmth to the cakes at all. (The frosting is so light and fluffy, the coolness will help keep it all together.)

For the filling: In a small saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick--thicker than cake mix, more like a brownie mix. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. If in a hurry, place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about ten minutes or so until the mixture cools. It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.

While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. You don't want any sugar graininess left. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour mixture and beat the living daylights out of it. If it looks separated, you haven't beaten it enough! Beat it until it all combines and resembles whipped cream, then gently fold in the chopped cherries by hand. 

For the ganache: Heat the cream until very hot. Add the vanilla, and then pour over the chocolate pieces. Stir to completely melt. Spread two of the cooled cake layers with ganache and return to the fridge to let the ganache set up.

To assemble: Place one cake layer (glazed with ganache) on a cake plate, ganache side up. Spread on half of the cherry-vanilla filling. Place a second layer (again, ganache side up) on top of that. Spread on the rest of the filling. Top with the last layer of (unglazed) cake. Using a ladle, pour ganache over the top of cake, allowing the chocolate to run over the sides. Place cherries on top in a decorative pattern. Chill the cake until ready to serve.

Think you don't like spaghetti squash? THINK AGAIN!

On Pinterest awhile back, I saw a picture of a quiche with a "crust" made of spaghetti squash. I think it was a gluten-free or Paleo/Whole 30 recipe, but I just thought it looked yummy. So I picked up a lovely squash at the farmer's market, and then made up my own "recipe" which I will now describe.

So, you cut a smaller spaghetti squash in half and scrape the guts out. Drizzle with EVOO (or coconut oil or whatever you Whole30/Paleo people like to do), sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme and roast at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes until tender. Use a fork to separate the strings. Add a pat of butter and a couple of tablespoons of shredded parmesan and set aside to cool. (Clarify the butter and skip the cheese for Paleo.) Then press evenly into a pie dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Brown 1/2 pound of sausage with one large chopped onion. (If I had had some around, I would have thrown some mushrooms into the mix.) Drain off the fat. Now I added some quartered roasted potatoes and sliced carrots that I had left over from dinner last night. Use what you have and like in your quiche. Asparagus might be nice...and low carb. Or use roasted sweet potatoes instead of the deadly white kind. Season with a couple of pinches of salt, pepper to taste, granulated garlic and ground celery (about 1/2 teaspoon each), and about a teaspoon of dried Italian herbs. Let this mixture cool a bit as well.

Whisk together six eggs and a half cup of milk (I suppose the Whole30 crowd could skip the milk), then add the cooled meat and veggie mixture, a half cup of grated Swiss cheese (I like Emmenthal best--but no cheese of any kind for the Paleos), and stir to combine. Pour into your squash crust and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until set.

I think even those who think they don't like spaghetti squash this would enjoy this!

Bow Down Before This QUEENLY Salmon!

Dear readers, I may not be rich in material possessions, but I am extremely wealthy when it comes to friendships. One of my favorite people on the planet is my colleague and friend, Chris Ford. Chris teaches computer science at my school, but he is a man of many talents, including kiteboarding, jump-roping (earning him an appearance on The Gong Show in his youth!), filmmaking, cooking, and fortunately for me, fishing! Last week, he brought in some extra-smoky salmon to work to share with me that he had caught and smoked himself. It was SO delicious--savory and salty, not unlike bacon. I used it on a wonderful entrée salad for dinner one night.

As if that weren't enough, Chris showed up at pub trivia at a bar in Peru, NY called Pasquale's where my team was playing Tuesday night, and hand-delivered the amusing cooler pictured below which contained fresh salmon (already cleaned and filleted!), a little baggie of wood-smoking chips, and two recipes. One was for the extra-smoky fish that I used on the salad, and the other was for a preparation called Kingly Salmon, from Smoke & Spice: Cooking with Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison.

So tonight, in perhaps the last firing of the R2D2 smoker unit for the season, I prepared a QUEENLY salmon that literally had my roommate and I groaning in pleasure as we ate it. It is CRAZY good! So now I am going to have to work out a bartering system, baked goods for salmon, while they are still running and Chris is still fishing. And I also want to try creating a stovetop smoker to do it inside during the colder months. (I will report back on that.)

If the salmon are running where you are (or even if you find some nice fillets from your local fishmonger), you MUST try this recipe! By the bye, I used only half of the recipe as written, and that was perfect for four fillets.

 

Kingly Salmon
(Source: Smoke & Spice: Cooking with Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison)

Pacific king salmon butterflied tail section (or use coho or silver salmon)

Alder wood for smoking

Rub:

1/4 cup dill, dried

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons fresh-ground black pepper
*I added 2 teaspoons granulated garlic, optional

 

Optional Mop:

Remaining rub

1 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup oil (canola or corn)

The night before you plan to barbecue, combine dill, brown sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Open the salmon flat and massage it well with about 2/3 of the rub, reserving the rest of the mixture. Fold the salmon back into its original shape, place it in a plastic bag, and refrigerate it overnight.

Prepare the smoker for barbecuing, bringing the temperature to 180 to 200 degrees F. Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. If you plan to baste the fish, stir the remaining rub together with cider vinegar and oil in a small saucepan and warm the mixture over low heat.

Transfer the salmon to the smoker skin side down, placing the fish as far from the fire as possible. Cook for 50 to 60 minutes, mopping it after 10 and 30 minutes in a wood-burning pit, or as appropriate for your style of smoker. The salmon should flake easily when done. Have a large spatula and a platter ready when taking the salmon off the smoker, because it can fall apart easily. Serve hot or chilled.

BBQ Tips:
Alder remains the best wood for smoking Pacific salmon. Alder chips are fairly common across the country, but you may have more difficulty finding the wood in chunks or logs. Fruit woods are the best substitute, particularly when mixed with smaller pieces of alder.

Yield: 8 servings

Boring Sunday Night Chicken Goes on Spanish Holiday

I was driving home from choir practice last week, and I happened to catch a snippet of some program from Martha's Sirius Radio channel...it might have been Everyday Food? Anyway, they were discussing new and interesting ways to prepare chicken. One was a recipe calling for spatchcocking (one of my favorite words) and cooking the bird on top of thick bread so that you end up with a big, chickeny crouton at the end (yum and YUM!).

And then the following recipe is for a Spanish-style chicken that sounded equally delicious. It is a one-pot wonder kind of like chicken cacciatore, but lighter, tangier, and zippier (from the sherry vinegar, green olives, and piquillo peppers). I suppose you could serve it however you like, but we had some leftover ziti knocking about, so that's what I used. However, a crusty loaf of bread to soak up the delicious juices would be ideal. Also, I'd like to note (mostly so I remember to make it again) that we started our meal with an awesome salad made with local Bibb lettuce, local apples, shallots, gorgonzola crumbles, and sliced almonds, all dressed with a lemon-herb vinaigrette.
 

Spanish-Style Chicken

(Source: Martha Stewart Living, October 2013)

 

1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces      

coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

6 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste

1/3 cup sherry vinegar

2 cups chicken broth

6 jarred marinated piquillo peppers, cut into strips (about 2/3 cup)

1/2 cup green olives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season chicken on both sides with salt and paprika. Heat an ovenproof 12-inch skillet or shallow braising pan over medium-high heat. Swirl in oil. Working in two batches, add chicken to pan and cook until well browned, about 2 minutes on each side, adding more oil as needed. Transfer chicken as it is browned to a plate.

Reduce heat to low and stir in garlic, then tomato paste, scraping up browned bits in pan with a wooden spoon. Return chicken to skillet, increase heat to high, and pour in vinegar. Boil, stirring, until reduced to a glaze.

Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Add peppers and olives. Transfer to oven and braise until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast (do not touch bone) reaches 160 degrees and liquid is reduced by half, 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

Harvest Holiday

WHEW! Thank goodness it's finally Columbus Day weekend/Fall Break! I can't remember a busier autumn in recent memory, and I need a little break. Besides sleeping in and trying to clear out the dvr, I didn't have any grand travel plans, other than a few local and regional entertainments. But some folks did have leaf-peeping guests in from out of town, so my friend June decided to host a harvest holiday party and potluck.

Hailing from New Orleans, June prepared Cajun fare such as gumbo and pralines for dessert. But I was told that we did not have to adhere to a particular theme. So I made an easy bruschetta-topped pizza, taking the elements along with me and assembling and baking it at the party.

I hope there will be no audible gasps out there, but I started with a "cheater" crust, a thin-crust Boboli, which I really like. So there! I spread on a thin layer of pesto (homemade is best, of course), then topped it with shredded mozzarella and aged provolone (two cups?). I baked this in the oven at 450 for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese had melted and just started to brown at the edges. Then I added what is probably the last bruschetta of the season (seeded and chopped tomatoes, a little chopped onion, a big drizzle of olive oil, several cloves of minced garlic, a good glug or two of balsamic, and a handful of chopped fresh basil leaves) to the top and drizzled on a little balsamic glaze to finish. YUMMY!

 

Then for my dessert offering, I made a pumpkin cheesecake pie with ginger thin crust that I had originally made just for us to have at home, but it turned out so perfectly, I decided to take it to the party to share. (And I think the guests were very glad that I did!) I used a recipe I found online for the filling, but I was pleased with the crust that I fashioned from a package of Anna's Ginger Thins that I discovered in the freezer. Such a DELICIOUS combination! And don't you just love this time of year, where one can enjoy both the last of the tomatoes and basil and the first of the pumpkin spice deluge soon to follow?

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie with Ginger Thin Crust

(Source: adapted from Southern Food at about.com)

 

Crust:
1 package ginger thin cookies, crushed

4 to 5 tablespoons melted butter

pinch of salt

 

Filling:
2 packages (16 ounces total) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup pumpkin purée

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

dash cloves

2 large eggs

1 9-inch graham cracker pie crust

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cookie crumbs with enough melted butter and the salt until it all holds together when squeezed lightly. Press into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until firm and a little darker in color Cool on a rack for a least five minutes.

Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, vanilla, and spices; mix with a hand mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix until blended. Pour into the prepared crust. Bake at 350° F. for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Cool completely. Refrigerate at least three hours, or overnight. Serve garnished with sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping.

Seems a little fishy to me...

Last night, my friends and I went to see another wonderful Shakespearean production (The Comedy of Errors) by the National Players at Clinton Community College. Before the show, we had dinner at the bistro just down the hill, Latitude 44. I've been there a few times, and mostly I prefer it for brunch. I have yet to try a dinner entrée there that really knocked my socks off...until now.

I ordered the Crab-Stuffed Sole with Roasted Red Pepper Cream sauce--gorgeous and so delicious! In fact, it was so good, I wanted to try and prepare something similar at home. Now, I didn't bother with rolling my fish, but topped it with the "stuffing" instead, Southern style. Also, I used both red and yellow roasted peppers, so my sauce was orange in color, but equally flavorful. And I served it all over some yellow rice with fresh corn and black beans for a zesty complement.

Baked Haddock with Crabmeat Stuffing

(Source: Epicurious)

Notes: You could use cod instead of haddock, and milk instead of half and half. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired. This stuffing is also good in baked stuffed mushrooms.

2 pounds haddock (or cod), rinsed and patted dry
1 to 2 teaspoon lemon juice
Butter to grease baking dish

Stuffing:
1 tablesoon butter
3 scallions, sliced
7 ounces fresh Maine crabmeat
1/2 cup fine, plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons half and half
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Lay prepared fish in pan, cutting as necessary to fit, layering thinner pieces on top of one another to make a uniform thickness (I fold the thinner bits underneath). Brush fish with lemon juice.

Prepare Stuffing:
Saute scallions in one tablespoon butter in nonstick skillet over medium heat until slightly soft, but tops still bright green. Remove pan from heat; cool two to three minutes. Add the rest of the stuffing ingredients, tossing lightly to mix. Larger pieces of crab should still be intact.

Spoon stuffing evenly over haddock. Bake at 350 degrees, or until the fish flakes. Do not over bake, or fish will be dry and tough.

Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce
(Source: adapted from AllRecipes)

1 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into chunks

2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 pinch cayenne pepper

 
Combine the peppers and heavy cream in a pot and bring to boil over medium heat; reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until the cream reduces to about one cup, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the paprika, lemon juice, salt, white pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Pour the sauce into a blender (I used a stick blender in the pot). Hold the lid firmly with a towel while blending, using a few quick pulses to get the sauce moving before leaving it on to blend until smooth. Serve hot.