Have a Cake and a Smile (It Makes You Feel Good)

My friend, Lee Ann, recently had a new back patio installed, so she decided to celebrate with an end-of-summer/back-to-school southwestern-themed BBQ. They prepared quite a few dishes on their own--her husband Steve's (pictured left with another cowpoke, Rufus) smoked brisket was my personal favorite--and then the rest was potluck. I brought a big vat of the beloved corn salad/salsa made with seasonal sweet corn. But I wanted to bring a dessert, too. One of my foodie friends (and former caterer), Randi, recently made a Coca-Cola cake by request for a friend's wedding anniversary. I was intrigued, so I thought I might try making one for the party.

The recipe is more southern than southwestern, but I didn't hear anyone at the party complaining! It was certainly easy to make, and it turned out very moist and delicious. I still prefer The Pioneer Woman's Texas sheet cake, which is somewhat similar, but I would certainly make this again. In fact, I did, because I brought a piece home for my roommate, and she insisted that I make another cake for us right away! Tee hee. I did oblige her, but I made half the recipe in a loaf pan, and that was perfect for just the two of us. I also omitted the mini-marshmallows the second time around. I thought the kids would like them for the party, but I don't know how to keep them from all floating to the top and glomming up in the middle. Moreover, the cake is plenty sweet without them.

Coca-Cola Cake
(Source: The Coca-Cola Company)
 
2 cups sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup Coca-Cola

1 1/2 cups mini-marshmallows, optional

1/2 cups butter

1/2 cups vegetable oil

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cups butter

3 tablespoons cocoa

6  tablespoons Coca-Cola

1 box (16-ounces) confectioners' sugar (3 3/4 cups)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans

• 2 Cups sugar
• 2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 0.2 liter Coca-Cola
• 1 1/2 Cups small marshmallows
• 1/2 Cups butter or margarine
• 1/2 Cups vegetable oil
• 3 Tablespoons cocoa
• 4.9 milliliter baking soda
• 1/2 Cups buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 4.9 milliliter vanilla extract
• 1/2 Cups butter
• 3 Tablespoons cocoa
• 6 Tablespoons Coca-Cola
• 1 box (16-ounces) confectioners' sugar
• 4.9 milliliter vanilla extract
• 0.2 liter chopped pecans

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, sift the sugar and flour.
3. Add marshmallows.
4. In a saucepan, mix the butter, oil, cocoa and Coca-Cola. Bring to a boil and pour over dry ingredients; blend well.
5. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk just before adding to batter along with eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well.
6. Pour into a well-greased 9- by-13-inch pan and bake 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and frost immediately.
7. To make frosting, combine butter, cocoa and Coca-Cola in a saucepan.* Bring to a boil and pour over confectioners' sugar, blending well. Add vanilla extract and pecans. Spread over hot cake. When cool, cut into squares and serve.

*I prefer to melt the butter and cook the pecans in it for a few minutes until the mixture starts to smell toasty/nutty. Then add the cocoa and Coke, bring to a boil, and continue with the recipe as written.

 

 

Pecan pie...in a muffin? YES, PLEASE!

OH SHOOT! I made these delicious little pecan pie muffins, and they were so good that we gobbled them up before I remembered to take a picture. So photo credit goes to someone named Dianne from St. Cloud, MN on All Recipes. In any case, these were so easy to throw together, and if you like pecan pie, this aptly-named muffin is calling your name!

Pecan Pie Muffins
(Source: All Recipes)

1 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour pinch of salt 1 cup chopped pecans

2/3 cup butter, softened 2 eggs, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 9 muffin cups with paper liners and spray with cooking spray (or 18 mini-muffins).
2.	In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar and flour. Melt the butter with the pecans in a small sauce pan until they begin to smell toasty and slightly browned. Remove from heat and cool for five minutes. Whisk the eggs until fluffy, then combine with the cooled melted butter and nuts and the vanilla. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring just t combine. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
3.	Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks when done.

Feeling awful? Try some FALAFEL! (Groan.)

I belong to a Facebook group called Healthy Eating on a Budget that one of my dear friends from college coordinates. One of her friends recently posted such a delicious-looking falafel and tzatziki recipe that I felt compelled me to give it a whirl. We LOVED this! My roommate called it a "vegetarian hamburger," and commanded me to make it again and often! This is pretty quick and easy to make, and would surely spice up your Meatless Mondays (though we enjoyed ours on a Tuesday).

I read a lot of reviews of this recipe before I made it, and I have a few notes. Unlike some reviewers, I had no trouble with the little patties falling apart (made as written), and I did not even have to refrigerate them. I used panko crumbs, though, so maybe that made a difference?

I have a few other recommendations as well, including cutting the salt in the falafel mixture by at least half and taking the cumin down by half as well (it's powerful juju!), and using fresh dill and a couple of cloves of minced garlic in the tzatziki. (I already made those changes in the recipe to follow). Lastly, I suggest doubling the recipe and freezing the second batch between pieces of waxed paper for a very quick fix the next time you crave falafel!

Sean's Falafel with Cucumber Sauce (Tzatziki)
(Source: adapted from All Recipes)

For Sauce: 1 cup plain yogurt (I like Greek for this) 1/2 cucumber - peeled, seeded, and finely chopped 1 teaspoon dried dill weed (I prefer 2T fresh) 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon mayonnaise   For Falafel: 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained 1/2 large onion, chopped 1/2 cup fresh parsley 2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 egg 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 dash pepper 1 pinch cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup dry bread crumbs (I used panko) oil for frying   2 pita breads, cut in half (optional) 1 cup chopped tomatoes (optional)

 

1.	In a small bowl combine yogurt, cucumber, dill, salt, pepper and mayonnaise and mix well. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
2.	In a large bowl mash chickpeas until thick and pasty; don't use a blender, as the consistency will be too thin. In a blender, process onion, parsley and garlic until smooth. Stir into mashed chickpeas.
3.	In a small bowl combine egg, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice and baking powder. Stir into chickpea mixture along with olive oil. Slowly add bread crumbs until mixture is not sticky but will hold together; add more or less bread crumbs, as needed. Form 8 balls and then flatten into patties.
4.	Heat 1 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry patties in hot oil until brown on both sides. Serve two falafels in each pita half topped with chopped tomatoes and cucumber sauce.

A little south for your mouth!

I make fried chicken about once a DECADE, because it just seems like too much work--it takes two days to make and two days of washing greasy pans afterwards! Plus, it never seems to turn out well enough to justify all the fuss. But d*mn that Pioneer Woman, she made fried chicken on her show recently, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head. So I gave it another whirl, and I must say, it was pretty darn good! I might even try it again as soon as 2014 (tee hee). I think the secrets are a buttermilk brine overnight, and sprinkling a little extra buttermilk in the breading mixture to make little clumps that fry up very crisp and help the coating to hold together and adhere to the chicken.

Even better than the fried chicken was the succotash that I made as a side dish. I wouldn't say that there was a precise recipe, but I heated a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in a large skillet and sauteed a large diced onion, half a seeded and diced yellow pepper (red would have been prettier, though), and one Anaheim pepper (seeded and diced). Once these veggies were tender, I threw in a few cloves of minced garlic, a bag of frozen baby lima beans, the kernels from four small ears of fresh corn, and two cups of chicken stock. I cooked everything on medium low, stirring frequently, until the liquid was all absorbed, then I seasoned the succotash with salt and pepper (to taste), and added about a tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme. SO YUMMY! My roomie agreed, and she swears she hates lima beans. I made a convert of her!

The Pioneer Woman's Buttermilk Fried Chicken
(Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cookbook: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl, via Steamy Kitchen)

2 cut-up fryer chickens
1 quart plus 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon salt, plus more to sprinkle on at the end
1 tablespoon (or so) hot sauce
5 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons seasoned salt (I used steak seasoning)
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

canola or vegetable oil for frying

1. In a large bowl (or 2 freezer bags) combine the chicken with one quart buttermilk, salt, and hot sauce. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to fry, remove chicken from bowl and let sit on counter for 30 minutes to take the chill off.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Stir together the flour, seasoned salt, pepper, thyme, paprika and cayenne in a very large bowl. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup remaining buttermilk into the flour and use a fork to mix until little lumps form throughout.
3. Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a deep skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat to 365F. Working in batches, thoroughly coat each buttermilk-soaked chicken piece with the breading, pressing to adhere the breading. Add the chicken to the oil 3-4 pieces at a time. Cover pan and fry 5-7 minutes, checking to make sure chicken isn’t getting too brown. Turn, cover and cook additional 3-5 minutes more. Monitor temperature of oil to make sure chicken doesn’t burn. Keep in mind that the chicken will finish cooking in oven.
4. Place chicken on baking sheet and continue frying rest of chicken. When done, bake the chicken for 10-15 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. (Tip: Fry the largest pieces first so that they can be cooking in the oven while you finish frying the smaller pieces--the wings probably won't need to go into the oven at all.)
5. Before serving, sprinkle each piece of chicken with a little kosher salt.

The First Canning Project of the Harvest Season: Pickled Peaches!

Peaches don't grow here in the North Country, but we do get lovely ones from downstate, and they are just starting to arrive. I bought a couple of small baskets the other day, and decided to make pickled peaches. I'm not sure where or why this idea entered my head, as I have never even had pickled peaches. But I have never met a pickle I didn't like, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. Maybe they will mellow as they sit in the jar, but my initial impression is that they are mighty powerful ju-ju on their own. (Of course, I only used half the sugar called for and a straight vinegar brine, so there's that.) But I can tell you that they are DEE-licious with some grilled pork chops!

One little tip, though. I had peaches at three stages of ripeness. The ripest ones almost turned to mush in the jar, and the hard ones were too crunchy for my tastes when pickled. So go for the peaches that are just a wee bit underripe, like they need another day on your counter before you'd eat them out of hand. They'll turn out perfectly.

Pickled Peaches
(Source:adapted from GardenWeb's Harvest Forum)

24 small peaches, peeled
3 cups sugar (I cut this in half)
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
2 tablespoons pickling spice
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
3” section of ginger peeled and thinly sliced (I cut the slices into tiny matchsticks)

Bring a sauce pan of water to the boil, the dunk the peaches in for 30-60 seconds. Strain them into a bowl of iced water to cool, the slip off the skins. Cut the peaches into eighths, and squeeze a little lemon or lime juice (or Fruit Fresh) over them as you work to keep them from turning brown.

Bring the sugar, vinegars, spices and ginger to the boil. Add the peaches to hot jars, then cover with the boiled brine. Remove the air bubbles, wipe the rims, add the lids and rings (fingertip tighten), then process in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes for pints, 25 minutes for quarts.
 

Pinterest Pasta Prompt

This is going to come as a complete shocker, but I was racking my brain, trying to figure out what to make for dinner tonight, and I turned in desperation to Pinterest for help. I found this luscious-looking pasta picture that I had pinned ages ago, but there was no recipe because the link was broken (boo hiss). Still, I used the picture and description as a jump-off and an inspiration to whip up my own version of a fabulous dish for din-din, with both chicken and spicy sausage, mascarpone, sundried tomatoes, lemon, onions, garlic, parmesan, and (thanks to my friend, Janice, who has been out of town a lot lately and lets me raid her garden) some homegrown kale. SO GOOD!

Pasta with Chicken, Sausage, Mascarpone, Sundried Tomatoes and Kale

1 lb. large shell pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup finely-chopped sundried tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
pinch red pepper flakes
2 cups (or so) stemmed kale, chopped (you could use fresh spinach)
zest and juice of one lemon
8 oz. mascarpone, room temp.
1/4 cup shredded parmesan, more for garnish
2 cooked, seasoned chicken breasts, sliced*
2 cooked sausages, sliced*

Cook the pasta according to package instructions, then drain.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet and saute the onions until tender. Add the garlic, sundried tomatoes, pepper, red pepper flakes, and kale and saute until the kale is wilted and tender. Add the lemon zest and juice, and remove from the heat. Stir in the mascarpone and parmesan until the cheese is no longer lumpy.

Combine the vegetable and cheese mixture with the cooked pasta and the chicken and sausage pieces. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with another sprinkle of parmesan before serving.

 

*I happened to have these things leftover in the fridge that needed to be used up. Throw in whatever extra protein(s) you have from summer grilling. And actually, it tastes fabulous without any meat at all, if you don't have any on hand. Make it for Meatless Monday!

Happy Birthday to You...with Tiramisu

Tonight was my community choir's annual Board of Directors' meeting and potluck. I also had a doctor's appointment this afternoon, so I wanted to make something...less involved than I usually bring. Also, I had planned to bring something savory. But just like last year, I was commanded to make a dessert, which of course, I begrudgingly agreed to do. But that didn't stop me from whipping up a batch of bacon and jalapeno devilled eggs anyway.

In case you want to know about those, here ya go: I brought a dozen eggs to the boil and then turned off the heat and let them sit for 11-12 minutes. Next, I cooled, peeled, and halved them. Then to the yolks I added about 1/4 cup mayo, a big squeeze of yellow mustard (1 tablespoon?), a heaping spoonful of zucchini relish (though pickle relish would suffice), four pieces of cooked bacon chopped finely, about five pickled jalapeno slices that I minced (or to desired level of hotness), a couple of tablespoons of finely-chopped fresh chives (though scallions would be fine, too), and 1/4 teaspoon or so of each of the following: ground celery, cumin, granulated garlic, and black pepper. I mushed all this up until smooth with a pastry cutter (my mushing device of choice), then loaded the filling in a sandwich baggie and snipped off one of the corners, which makes stuffing the eggs much easier and look nicer. Sprinkle with paprika if you want to go old school.

For the mandated dessert, I had to get creative. It was specifically for our Artistic Director's birthday, so I sent a private Facebook message to her husband to ask about her favorite dessert. Turns out, it was tiramisu. I think I may have made one once in the mid-nineties, but I don't remember being too impressed. I wanted to do a bang-up job for this special occasion, and I think I may have knocked it out of the park. The birthday girl was very pleased and grateful, I know that!

 

Tiramisu is not even that hard to make (it's a no-bake!), but if you're making a party-sized batch, it costs close to a kabillion dollars to buy all that mascarpone. That's probably why people don't make it that often or only for special occasions (not to mention, it's a calorie-and-fat-gram-fest!). But I recommend that you give it a try if you really want to make an impression on people.

Tiramisu

(Source: adapted from Epicurious)

2 cups strongly-brewed coffee mixed with plus one teaspoon of instant espresso
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup dry Marsala wine (I swapped out 1 tablespoon dark rum)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 pound mascarpone (2 cups), room temperature
1 cup chilled heavy cream
36 savoiardi (crisp Italian ladyfingers; from two 7-ounce packages)
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
dark chocolate bar, for shaving

Stir together coffee, espresso powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, and coffee liqueur in a shallow bowl until sugar has dissolved, then cool.

Beat egg yolks, Marsala or rum, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water using a whisk or handheld electric mixer until tripled in volume, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. Stir in vanilla, then beat in mascarpone until just combined. Beat cream in a large bowl until it holds stiff peaks. Fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture gently but thoroughly.

Dipping both sides of each ladyfinger quickly into coffee mixture, line bottom of a 13- by 9- by 3-inch baking pan* with 18 ladyfingers in 3 rows, trimming edges to fit if necessary. Spread half of mascarpone filling on top. Dust with a little cocoa powder. Dip remaining 18 ladyfingers in coffee and arrange over filling in pan. Spread remaining mascarpone filling on top and dust with cocoa. Chill, covered, at least 6 hours.

Let tiramisu stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving, then top with a generous grating of dark chocolate before serving.

*Having read the reviews of the recipe on Epicurious, I doubled the mascarpone filling, so I needed to use a slightly deeper dish than a 13x9 (I used a disposable aluminum baking pan, because I'm classy like that). If I were making this for home/one family, I might opt for the given amount of filling but only one layer of ladyfingers.

Cheaters never prosper...or do they?

As my readers well know, under typical circumstances, I favor real ingredients and slow food techniques. But sometimes, even a gourmande such as myself needs some cookies and needs them FAST! I found this recipe on (say it with me now) Pinterest, and I must say, it is super-easy, and makes 24 soft, cakey, luscious cookies. I made lemon poppyseed, but depending on the cake mix and what else you choose to add in, you could make these cookies in infinite variations to please your palate.

Death-by-Butter-Cookies (aka Gooey Butter Cookies)
(Source: Just a Pinch via Pinterest)

1 box Duncan Hines butter recipe cake mix (any cake mix is fine--mine wasn't butter recipe*)
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg

Combine all ingredients with electric mixer until well blended. Chill dough for two hours. Roll into balls (about walnut size). Roll balls in powdered sugar. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet in 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar when completely cooled.

*I used a lemon cake mix and added two tablespoons of poppyseed to the dough to make lemon poppyseed cookies. DELISH!

So that takes care of dessert. But what about dinner? There is another recipe that I found on Pinterest called Mexican Sour Cream Rice. I served it with a pork loin roast last night then some margarita-marinated grilled chicken breasts tonight. As the local sweet corn is starting, I used a few small ears instead of canned corn, and the resulting dish was very tasty! I think it would make a nice potluck casserole, too.

Mexican Sour Cream Rice
(Source: adapted from All Recipes via Pinterest)

1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
2 cups pepper jack cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups canned, frozen, or fresh corn (steamed in the husks, then cut from the cobs)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro salt and ground black pepper to taste

In a large pot, bring the rice and chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish. In the pot with the cooked rice, mix the sour cream, green chile peppers, one cup cheese, corn, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to the prepared casserole dish, and top with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned

Layering on the summery goodness...

My roommate is still home, malingering after her gall bladder surgery, so I find myself in charge of making us breakfast, lunch, AND dinner (or brunch, supper, and late-night snack, as the case very well may be). That's a lot of food ideas that I have to come up with every day! Today, I made a cream of tomato and roasted red pepper soup with fresh parsley and basil, and The Pioneer Woman's "best ever" grilled cheese sandwiches on the side. Bless her heart, P-Dub doesn't lie. Those sandwiches were the business!

I used multigrain bread buttered lightly on the outside and spread with a very thin layer of mayo and spicy brown mustard on the inside, a slice of provolone, a whole mild chile (from a can, though roasting your own Anaheim would be better), a slice of cheddar-jack, some pickled red onion slices, another slice of provolone, a tiny bit more of the mayo-mustard sauce, and topped with another buttered slice of bread. Then you grill the sammies SLOWLY over low heat so that all of the cheese has a chance to melt before the bread burns. PW's version also involves sliced tomato, but I omitted that layer because we were having tomato soup.

 

Then for dinner, I made a version of something I had pinned to my "Recipes to Try" board on Pinterest called Mexican Shrimp Cobb Salad (though it has no bacon or bleu cheese, so that's probably a misnomer). Mine had farm stand lettuce, smoky cumin-lime shrimp (large ez-peels tossed with cumin, smoked paprika, granulated garlic, salt and lemon pepper then sauteed, and the pan deglazed with lime juice), avocado slices, grilled corn cut from the cob (nuked for five minutes in the husks then blistered over a gas burner for a minute or two), seasoned black beans (from Trader Joe's), artichoke and garlic salsa (Aldi), chopped tomatoes, (farm stand), shredded cheddar cheese, black olives, green onions (farm stand), and creamy cilantro tomatillo dressing (1/4 cup each mayo and sour cream mixed with 1/2 cup of my homemade roasted tomatillo salsa, a couple of cloves of minced garlic, and thinned with lime juice).

The salad was really yummy, but I think it needed some crunchy, crushed-up tortilla chips tossed on there for good measure. Note to self for next time. Also, if you were to layer all of the ingredients in a trifle bowl, it would be a real showstopper to take to a picnic or potluck!

Recipe inspired by: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/07/mexican-shrimp-cobb-salad.html

Easy Pasta Bake from The Pioneer Woman

When I got home from NYC, I caught up on some shows that the dvr had recorded for me while I was gone. One of them was the latest episode of The Pioneer Woman, and in it, she was making all these casseroles to fill the freezer with quick weeknight meals to feed all those kids of hers. One of the recipes called Sour Cream Noodle Bake (which is a misnomer, as it's basically a cheater lasagna) looked appealing, but I knew instinctively that it would need some modifications to add more flavor. I read all of the reviews on the Food Network's site, and that gave me some good insight to improving the dish as well.

Though some reviewers reported that the noodles were somewhat dry and recommended adding extra sour cream, I used the amounts called for of sour cream and cottage cheese, and the noodles were not dry at all. One reviewer was disturbed by the inclusion of cottage cheese, but as PW claimed, most of the cottage cheese curds dissolved and were not very noticeable. One thing I would change for next time would be to undercook my pasta more, as it became a little too soft in the oven.

As for the sauce, like many reviewers, I added a large onion and four cloves of minced garlic to the meat. I also used about a tablespoon each of Worcestershire and balsamic and two teaspoons of Italian herbs. I did not use plain tomato sauce, but a pint of homemade sauce that already had LOTS of flavor. Lastly, I sprinkled on a tablespoon of grated parmesan on each noodle layer, and then I upped the shedded cheese to a scant cup per layer, almost doubling the amount originally called for. Also, I didn't use cheddar, because I didn't have any. Oh, and I omitted the green onions because I used a whole yellow onion instead.

By making these adaptations, the resulting dish was anything but bland (as some reviewers complained). This pasta bake is delicious, simple, and I also think this would be a perfect casserole to take to a friend in need--make it in an 8x8 disposable cake pan, and all the recipient would have to do is heat it up. Or if you don't have anyone to cook for right at the moment, double the recipe and make a second pan anyway to pop into YOUR freezer for another day when you just can't handle cooking!

Pioneer Woman's Sour Cream Noodle Bake
(Source: adapted from The Pioneer Woman via Food Network)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/4 pounds ground chuck
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
pinch red pepper flakes
one 15-ounce can tomato sauce (I recommend using your favorite pasta sauce instead)
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 ounces extra wide egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup sliced green onions, optional
2 tablespoons grated parmesan
1 cup grated sharp cheddar (up to two cups)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, then saute the diced onion until tender. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute or two. Next, brown the ground chuck in the skillet. Drain the fat, and then add the Worcestershire, balsamic, dried herbs, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Let the sauce simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook the egg noodles until al dente (I would stop a minute or two BEFORE al dente!). Drain and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, cottage cheese, and plenty of black pepper. Add to the noodles and stir. Add the green onions (if using) and stir.

To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish, then sprinkle with a tablespoon of grated parmesan. Top with half the meat mixture, and then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar (or whatever cheese you're using). Repeat with noodles, parmesan, meat and then a final layer of cheese. Bake until all the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.

Bringing NYC to the Infirm and Gall Bladder-Less

So I just got back from a FABULOUS--though hot and exhausting--trip to NYC. I saw FOUR shows in two days, plus got to see some wonderful friends. One night, we splurged on a fancy dinner on the Upper East Side at a restaurant called Rouge Tomate. We started with cocktails. My favorite was a Moscow Mule made with their spicy, housemade ginger beer. Once we sat down to dinner, the chef treated us to an amuse bouche of pumpernickel crumbs topped with beets tartare and a horseradish foam. For an appetizer, we had these lovely little toasts with different toppings--mine was avocado and sweet corn with blue crab. After that, I had this fabulous carrot gazpacho, and for my entree, I had branzino with couscous, fennel, almonds, apricot, asparagus, and purslane. YUM!

Unfortunately, my dear roommate couldn't go with me to the Big Apple, as she had to have her gall bladder out--poor thing! Of course, I brought her home some of the beloved Doughnut Plant doughnuts (the summery blueberry ones are to die for--perhaps literally, as one is not supposed to eat fatty foods for a month after gall bladder surgery, oops). On top of the sweet treats that I imported, I also wanted to make a special get well dinner for her that was reminiscent of the one that I had at Rouge Tomate. Not only was it delicious, but fairly healthful and lack-of-gall-bladder friendly as well.

We started with a Moscow Mule, which wasn't as awesome as the one made with homemade ginger beer, but using Reed's Extra Ginger Brew was a decent substitution. And the cocktail is so simple: Ice, juice of half a lime, 2 oz. citrus vodka (I'm a big fan of Sobieski), then fill up the glass the rest of the way with ginger beer. Very easy and very refreshing! (However, one is not supposed to drink for a month after gall bladder surgery either...oops again.)

Next, for our appetizer, I think I did an EXCELLENT job of cloning that carrot gazpacho. In fact, I'm not sure that mine wasn't a bit better, if I do say so myself. I didn't hide bits of veggies in the bottom of the bowl like they did at at restaurant, but I topped mine with some avocado slices and a big dollop of homemade roasted tomatillo salsa. YUM! And the gazpacho is fat-free and vegan, for those of you who care about such things.

Carrot Gazpacho

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 large carrots, scrubbed and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 quart vegetable stock
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or vinegar of your choice)
1 large seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 cup carrot, mango and ginger juice (or plain carrot juice), or to desired consistency
salt and pepper, to taste
sriracha, to taste (I used about a teaspoon)

To a large sauce pan, add the olive oil and cook the onions until they started to turn golden brown. Add the carrots and garlic, and cook another minute or two. Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and add the sherry vinegar. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until very smooth. Chill in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.

When the soup is thoroughly chilled, add the cucumber, carrot juice, salt and pepper, lime juice, and sriracha. Blend again until very smooth. Serve cold, garnished with any of the following: avocado slices, tomatillo salsa, sour cream, cilantro leaves and/or chives.

Lastly, for our entree, I prepared some glazed cod fillets and apricot and almond-studded version of my favorite Israeli couscous mix from Trader Joe's. So simple, so easy...so delicious! (Note: Tomate Rouge's version also had asparagus in it, so feel free to blanch some spears, slice them up, and throw them in as well, if you are of a mind to.)

Glazed Cod and Curried Couscous Blend with Fresh Apricots, Sliced Almonds, and Apricot Vinaigrette

Couscous:
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend (or just use plain Israeli couscous)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 large (or two small) apricots, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper, to taste

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup apricot pepper jelly (or apricot jam)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (or vinegar of your choice)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the couscous blend, stir, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for ten minutes. Fluff with a fork, and stir in the almonds, chopped apricots, curry powder, salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the apricot pepper jelly (or apricot jam), olive oil, vinegar, and mustard. Add about half of the vinaigrette (just eyeball it) to the couscous mixture and stir gently to combine.

Season a pound to a pound and a half of a mild white fish of your choice--I used cod because it was on sale today--with a spice rub of your choice (I had them add lemon pepper and Asian ginger spice blends at the fish counter). Melt a tablespoon of butter on a stovetop griddle along with a tablespoon of olive oil. Brown the fish on both sides, and glaze with the remaining apricot vinaigrette when the fillets are almost done. Serve the fish on a bed of the couscous.

Too hot to bake!

Today's recipe is the sort of thing I abhor...in that Sandra Lee, cheating, fake food product kind of way. But we are having the first real heat wave of the summer, and my roommate has been requesting pie. I'll be danged if I was going to fire up the oven and slave away in the sweltering kitchen! So to appease her temporarily, I turned to a recipe for a frozen lemonade pie that has been floating around Pinterest and Facebook recently, one purporting to require only FOUR (no-bake) ingredients!

To be honest, I expected the resulting pie to be awful, but I must confess that it sort of hit the spot, as it is cold, creamy, lemony, and sweet. And if you use a pre-fab graham cracker crust, it can be prepared and assembled in less than five minutes, only then requiring a couple/few hours in the freezer before serving. It pales in comparison to *real* pie, of course. But this will do in a pinch when you don't have much time and/or when the thermometer is pushing 100, and you can't be bothered to bake.

Frozen Lemonade Pie
(Source: Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy)

1 store-bought graham cracker pie crust
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, chilled
1 (12 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
1 (6 fluid ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate (kept frozen)

In a medium bowl, add chilled sweetened condensed milk and Cool Whip and fold gently. Add frozen lemonade and continue to gently fold. Do not let the mixture become soupy.

Pour mixture into the pie crust and freeze for several hours or overnight.

Makes 8 servings.

Kooky Korean Kondiment

Last summer, some friends and I attended a kimchi cooking class in Burlington. Each dish we sampled there was SCRUMPTIOUS, but one of the things that I was intrigued by were all the condiments that you could add to your food. My favorite were these garlic scapes that were cut up and pickled in a soy-based brine. So yummy! Of course, this was August, and garlic scapes were long gone from the local markets, so I had to wait a whole year to make my own. But I finally did!

 

The kimchi lady, Michelle, told me that she used the following brine from Maangchi's site: 5 cups of water, 1/4 cup salt, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of soy sauce, and 1/2 cup of vinegar, boiled.  That's it...that's all I had to go on. That is the brine I made, but I doubled the vinegar to one cup total. When I make it in the future, I would cut the sugar down by half and double the vinegar yet again. I think I might also leave out the salt and just use more soy sauce. Still, the resulting pickled bits were very tasty...just a bit sweet for my tastes.

 

The other issue is that garlic scapes are tough, and they need to be cooked for awhile to be edible (IMHO). Now you could boil them in the brine until crisp-tender, then pack them in containers afterward. But I decided to do it the other way around, packing the cut scapes (half-inch pieces) into pint-sized canning jars, covering with hot brine, and then processing them in a boiling water bath for ten minutes. However--and I MUST STRESS THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION--this is not a proper canning recipe, as the water-vinegar ratio would have to be at least 50-50. So the resulting jars of Korean pickled scapes should NOT be considered shelf stable! Oh, the jars will seal upon cooling, of course, but then store them in the fridge as you would do anything perishable. Then sprinkle the pickled scape bits on top of any of your favorite Asian recipes, like fried rice or noodles or what have you.

 

 

 

 

Hakka Noodles (Gesundheit!)

My friends and I made a return visit to the annual Antiques and Uniques Show in Craftsbury, Vermont today. We got there shortly before noon, and lunch was the first order of business after the two-and-a-half-hour road trip. My companions very unwisely chose some boring fair food at the festival proper, while I explored some of the food tents at the little farmer's market across the street.

My initial choice was some very tasty homemade Tibetan dumplings with a spicy minted dipping sauce. Delish! They also had some delicious-looking curried vegetable noodles, but I was eager to get over to the festival to start browsing, so I decided to come back later to try those. BAD DECISION! By the time I returned about an hour and half later, they were sold out! Boo hiss.

When I got home to Plattsburgh after a fun-filled but hot and tiring day, I was still craving those noodles. So what's a gal to do but to make her own? I found some images online that looked like what I was hoping to prepare, and the recipes I consulted called the dish, Hakka Noodles. They are an Indo-Chinese street food that are also popular in neighboring Tibet. And they are quick, easy, healthful, filling, and inexpensive.

Hakka Vegetable Noodles

1 lb. spaghetti

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large carrots, julienned
2 cups shredded Napa cabbage
4 large scallions, sliced
2 inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon chili paste (or to taste)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Boil the pasta according to package instructions and drain.

In a large skillet or wok, heat the vegetable oil and cook the carrots, cabbage, scallions, ginger, and garlic, for just a couple of minutes at most. Add the drained noodles and toss everything together. Remove the noodles from the heat, then stir in the sesame oil, chili paste, soy sauce, curry powder, and black pepper. Toss everything together and serve.

These are a few of my favorite things...

Last Friday, some friends and I decided to head north for a tour I might call, "You Show Me Yours and I'll Show You Mine: Sharing Our Favorite Places in Montreal." We visited the Dix-30 Quarter for some shopping and several bakeries (as I am still in pursuit of the most perfect croissant in the city). But two stops on our itinerary really stood out.

One was the Patisserie Au Kouign Amann. Their namesake pastry, from Brittany, is this absolutely decadent, flaky, layered confection which seems to be comprised entirely of butter and sugar. It is so sublime, that my friend, Martie, bought a piece, walked out to the sidewalk, took a bite, then walked right back and bought a whole one to take home to her family (or so she claimed)! I don't blame her. This is a must-try experience if you are ever in Montreal.

But the highlight of my day was visiting an Italian grocery called Milano's in Petite Italie near Jean-Talon Market. They have everything Italian that you can think of there, included a fabulous deli counter (imported meats and cheeses and a million kinds of olives), a dizzying selection of dried pastas, and a whole section of the store devoted solely to olive oils (pictured, right)! But one of the most wonderful things about Milano's is the fresh pasta counter. I would love to try them all, but I ended up choosing some lovely potato gnocchi to take home. And I was NOT disappointed!

For dinner last night, I created a dish with spicy sausage, Baby Bella mushrooms, and sweet corn in a roasted yellow pepper cream sauce with fresh herbs and those light-as-a-feather gnocchi that I bought. JUST AMAZING!

Potato Gnocchi with Spicy Sausage, Mushrooms, and Fresh Corn in a Roasted Yellow Pepper Cream Sauce with Fresh Herbs

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, diced
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
8 oz. Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
1 ear of corn, steamed for five minutes in the microwave, husks removed, kernels cut from cob
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup white wine
1 jar roasted yellow peppers (12 oz.), drained and pureed in a food processor
1 cup cream or half-n-half
1 lb. fresh gnocchi
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, parsley, basil--whatever you fancy)
grated parmesan to garnish
 
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the olive oil and butter and saute the diced onion, Italian sausage, and sliced mushrooms until the veggies are tender and the meat is no longer pink. Add in the steamed corn kernels, garlic, and black pepper, and cook for another minute or two. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and white wine, cooking and stirring until the liquid has mostly been absorbed. Stir in the pureed peppers and the cream, reduce to very low heat, and let it reduce while you prepare the gnocchi.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook about half of the gnocchi at a time for about two minutes, until they float to the top. Skim with a strainer and add to the sauce. When the gnocchi are all cooked and added to the sauce, toss in the fresh herbs. Serve with a garnish of grated parmesan.

A Proper English Crumble

Many years ago, when I lived in Salt Lake City, Utah, my friends and I used to get together on Sunday evenings for a potluck and parlor games. For one particular gathering, one of the attendees, a lovely Englishwoman named Sarah--a professor and dialect coach in the Theatre Department at UU--prepared the most wonderful fresh raspberry crumble. Unlike our American crisps that tend to have oats and/or nuts in the topping, an English crumble has a sandy, shortbread type of topping that is just PERFECT with berries, tasting similar to a linzer cookie.

I am still friends with Sarah (thanks to reconnecting on Facebook), and I asked her if she remembered the recipe, and as it's an old family favorite, she was able to explain how she makes it. However, her amounts were estimations (as she does it by eye and feel) and by weight instead of volume, so I had to do some mathematical calculations and experimentation. I also did a bit of online research to see if there was a common wisdom about the proportion of ingredients, and it seems like it's half as much sugar and butter as flour. However, I tried that, and it wasn't sweet enough to my liking. I prefer to up the sugar to about 75% of the amount of flour. The other important tip from Sarah is that you need a very thick layer of the crumble, so that the fruit juices don't bubble up and submerge the topping. Keeping these things in mind, here is my take on a triple berry crumble, in the English style. I believe I am now ready for the deluge of ripe summer fruit!

Triple Berry Crumble

Filling:
6 cups berries (I used Wyman's frozen raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries)
1/2 cup sugar
2 heaping tablespoons corn starch
juice and zest of a lemon
1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon vanilla
 

Topping:

3 cups flour
2 1/4 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks), cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350F.

 

Gently mix the frozen berries with the sugar, corn starch, zest and lemon juice, orange juice concentrate, and vanilla. Set aside while you get on with the cumble.

 

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt, then add the pieces of butter. Rub in with your fingertips until the butter is well-distributed and the dough feels sandy (if you squeeze some of it, it should just hold together--like shortbread). 

 

In a 9x13 baking dish* sprayed with cooking spray, pour in the fruit mixture and even out with a spatula, then add all of the crumble on top. Spread it out evenly with your hands, then pat it down lightly, but don't compact it.

 

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about an hour and fifteen minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

 

*This makes a party-sized crumble. Feel free to cut the amounts in half and bake in an 8x8 dish.