Sunday, January 12, 2020

ROSEMARY and BALSAMIC PORK TENDERLOIN

Recipe adapted from Natasha's Kitchen and the Food Network

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin
2 T balsamic vinegar, divided
1 T fresh rosemary, minced
1 t fresh sage or thyme, minced (optional)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 t salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 t olive oil, plus more to oil pan


Methodology:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Remove the silver skin from the loin, using a small, sharp knife.

Oil the roasting pan and lay down the tenderloin.  Rub it with 1 T vinegar, and evenly distribute the herbs, garlic, salt and pepper over the surface of the loin.  Pour over the remaining oil and roll the loin in it.

Roast the loin for 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes, and pouring over the second T of vinegar.  Continue roasting until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.  Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes.  Serve

Thursday, January 9, 2020

BHINDI MASALA with DRY BUTTER CHICKEN and RICE

Bhindi Masala adapted from Cook with Manali

Ingredients:

2 1/2 T oil, divided
500g okra, rinsed, patted dry and chopped into 1/2" - 3/4" rounds

1 t cumin seeds
1 red onion, chopped
1" ginger, peeled and minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c water

1 1/2 t coriander, ground
1/2 t turmeric, ground
1 t amchur (dried mango powder, which I omit since I don't have it)
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1 t salt

To garnish:
garam masala
julienned ginger
cilantro, chopped


Methodology:

Heat 1 T oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Once hot, fry the okra for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Turn heat to low and continue to cook for 5 minutes.  Transfer okra to a bowl and set aside.  The okra can be prepared in advance up to this point.

(If cooking the Dry Butter Chicken, use the skillet for that now)

Heat the remaining 1 1/2 T oil in the same skillet over medium heat.  Once hot, add the cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds.

Add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, until soft.

Add the ginger and jalapeño and cook for another minute.

Add the tomatoes and water and cook for 4 minutes, until they're soft and mushy.

Turn the heat to low, add the spices and return the okra to the pan.  Cook for another 5 minutes, adding more water if it looks too dry.

Top with garnish and serve with naan or rice.



DRY BUTTER CHICKEN
Recipe adapted from Cafe Delites

Ingredients:
2 packages of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 c plain greek yoghurt

1 T minced or grated garlic
1 T minced or grated ginger

2 t garam masala
1 t ground turmeric
1 t ground cumin
1/8 t cayenne powder
1/2 t paprika powder
1 t salt

2 T oil


Methodology:

Mix everything but the chicken together in a large bowl.  Add the chicken, covering it completely in the marinade, and let it marinate for at least an hour, but up to overnight.

(you may use the skillet from the Bhindi Masala for the following step.  Then the fond from the chicken will be used, rather than wasted)

Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and preheat it to 350°F.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 T oil.  Add as many thighs as will fit to the skillet, and cook for 4 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3 minutes.  Remove thighs to the baking sheet in the oven, and fry remaining thighs the same way.  Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through.


BOILED RICE
Recipe from somewhere on the internet

Add as much white long-grain rice to a pot as you'd like to cook.  Cover with cold water by 1".  Bring to a boil with the pot covered.  Crack the lid and simmer for 8 minutes.  Remove from heat, drain through a strainer and place back in the dry pot.  Cover and allow the rice to steam for 5 minutes.

Sunday, December 8, 2019

SCHOKOLADENSCHÄUMCHEN

Ingredients:

150g good dark chocolate
3 egg whites
500g powdered sugar, plus additional sugar for rolling out dough


Methodology:

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler set over boiling water.

Combine with the egg whites and powdered sugar and knead until it forms a ball.

Roll out 1/2cm thick on a powdered sugared surface and cut into shapes.

Place cookies onto a parchment paper covered baking sheet and allow to dry out for 1 hour.

Bake at 90°-100°C / 195°-212°F for 1 hour.  Let cool in the turned-off oven with the door cracked open.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

PUMPKIN PIE

Crust and pie filling from Food Wishes.  Topping from Bon Appetit

Crust: (enough for 2 single-crusted pies)

Ingredients:
12 oz flour
2 sticks (1 c) butter, cut into slices and frozen
1/2 t salt
7 T ice water
1 T apple cider vinegar

Methodology:

Weigh out the flour in the bowl of a food processor, with the blade already attached.  Add the salt.  Pulse a few times. 

Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. 

Combine the water and vinegar and add half to the food processor, pulsing a few times.  Add the remaining water and pulse until the dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead to bring together.  Divide in half and wrap well in plastic.

Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before using.


Partially blind bake the crust:

Heat the oven to 425°F.

Roll out the dough, place in the pie dish and trim and crimp the edges. 

Crumple up a piece of parchment paper large enough to fill the dish.  Un-crumple, place in dish, and fill with pie weights.  Dish should be 2/3 full.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is just beginning to turn golden.  Remove the weights and return the crust to the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes, just until it begins to get more golden.


Pumpkin Pie Filling:

Ingredients:

Filling:
1 15oz can pumpkin pie filling
1 large egg
3 egg yolks
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 t finely ground nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t ginger
1/8 t chinese 5-spice powder
1/2 t fine salt

Topping:
1 1/2 c whole pecans
1 egg white
2 T brown sugar
1 T maple syrup
1 T butter, melted
3/4 t salt


Methodology:

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Whisk all ingredients together and pour into a cooled semi-blind baked pie crust. 

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350°F and bake until almost set in the middle, approx 20-30 minutes.  Remove, top with topping, and bake an additional 10 minutes.  Remove and cool completely.


Topping:

Toast pecans while pie is baking, for 8-10 minutes.

Whisk remaining ingredients until foamy, about 30 seconds. Add pecans and toss to coat.


Monday, October 14, 2019

LENTIL SOUP with a HAM HOCK

Recipe adapted from The Spruce Eats

Ingredients:

1 smoked ham hock
1 qt (4 c) chicken stock (or better than bouillon)
1 qt beef broth (or better than bouillon)
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
1/2 t black pepper

1 c carrots, diced
2 c onion, diced
1 c celery, diced
2 c dry lentils, picked over and rinsed

Red wine vinegar, to taste


Methodology:

Add the hock, both liquids, bay leaves, thyme and pepper to a stock pot, and bring to a boil.  Simmer on low for 2 hours.

Add the carrots, onion, celery and lentils, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes.  Remove the hock from the pot, remove the meat from the bones, shred into small pieces, and add back to the pot.  Taste for seasoning, and add vinegar if you'd like.


******
Great served over spätzle!

SALMON HASH

Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
3 yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4" dice
2 shallots, diced
2 carrots, minced
2 celery stalks, minced
1/2 c frozen and thawed spinach, squeezed dry

Leftover cooked salmon
2 T sour cream (or regular cream)
2 t horseradish
1 t dijon mustard

Salt & pepper
2 T parsley, minced
Lemon wedges, for serving


 Methodology:

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat.  Add the potatoes, shallots, carrots and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until all components are cooked.  Add the spinach and heat through.  Season well.  Remove from heat.

Mix the sour cream, horseradish and mustard in a bowl.  Flake the salmon over the hash and pour over the sour cream sauce.  Toss, and allow the residual heat to cook the salmon to temperature.  Sprinkle with parsley and lemon juice, and serve.

******
Excellent topped with a couple eggs.

Add beets to make "Red Flannel Hash"

Always pass a bottle of Maggi seasoning around the table!

Saturday, August 24, 2019

VANILLA ICE CREAM WITH RASPBERRY SWIRL

Modified from here.

Ingredients:

Ice cream:
1 C milk (was 3/4 C)
1 C heavy cream (was 1 1/4 C)
1 vanilla bean (was 1/2 t vanilla bean paste), cut open in half
4 egg yolks
4 oz sugar (was 4.5 oz)
1/4 t kosher salt

3 T untempered chocolate fragments (was 1/2 C)

Raspberry swirl: (recipe originally called for half of this amount)
2 C raspberries
1/4 C sugar
1 t lemon juice
1/4 c water


Methodology:

Ice cream:
Bring the milk, cream, and vanilla bean to a simmer, then steep off heat for 10 minutes.  Remove the bean, scrape the seeds out and into the pot, and reserve the bean for another use.

Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt together.  Add the hot milk mixture by the 1/2 C, whisking constantly, until half the mixture is added.  Pour the egg mixture into the hot milk pot, and bring back to a faint simmer, whisking, until the mix thickens to coat the back of a spoon.  Remove from heat, (strain through a fine-mesh strainer, optionally,) pour into a lidded container, and cool in the fridge overnight.

Churn in an ice cream maker until frozen.  In my Donvier hand-cranked contraption, this is as follows: turn the handle 3 revolutions every 2 or 3 minutes, for 20 minutes.  Mix in the chocolate fragments in the last turn.  Pour half the ice cream into the storage container, and swirl the top with half of the raspberry mixture.  Add the remaining ice cream and swirl with the remaining raspberry mixture.

Freeze for at least 4 hours.

Raspberry Swirl:
Bring all the ingredients to a simmer, smashing the berries against the pan with a spoon to break them up.  Once the fruit has softened, press through a fine mesh strainer and cool in the refrigerator for a few hours.

_________
A note on the ingredient amount adjustments:
The first time I made this recipe, the resulting ice cream was too soft, sweet, and creamy for my taste.  I have adjusted the amounts, but not yet tested the adjusted recipe, so I can't vouch for the recipe yet.

Thursday, June 20, 2019

TACOS!

Recipes from all over the web:

Serve tacos with lime wedges and cilantro leaves

CORN TORTILLAS

Ingredients:

2 C Masa Harina
1/2 t salt
1.5 C warm water

Methodology:

Mix all ingredients until a soft dough is formed.  It's ok if it's tacky, but if it's too wet and sticky, add a bit more masa.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for an hour.

Roll the dough into golf-ball sized pieces, and press flat between two sides of a plastic ziploc bag (cut open along the sides).

Heat a skillet over medium heat and toast each tortilla on one side for 10 seconds, and then on the other side for approx. 1 minute, or until brown spots form.  Keep warm in a pocket made of tin foil.


CHIPOTLE GLAZE

Ingredients:

2 T rice syrup or honey
1 - 2 T chopped chipotles in adobo
2 t apple cider vinegar

(optional: 1 bunch scallions, cut into 3" lengths, bulbs halved if large)

Methodology:

Mix all ingredients together in a mortar and pestle and pour over meat 15 minutes before it's done cooking.  Add scallions, and toss in glaze.  Roast at 375°F for 15 minutes, flipping and stirring so that glaze thickens on all sides.


CHIPOTLE MAYO

Ingredients:

1/4 C mayonnaise
1/8 C sour cream
1 chipotle in adobo, minced
1 T lime juice

Methodology:

Mix all ingredients until smooth.  Taste, and add salt and additional lime juice to taste.


SLAW

Ingredients:

4 C shredded cabbage
1/2 t kosher salt
1 T lime juice
2 T mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced (pr 1/8 t powdered garlic)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Rice syrup, optional
1 carrot, grated
2 - 3 medium scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 bunch cilantro stems, finely minced
1/2 - 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced, optional

Methodology:

Toss the shredded cabbage with the salt and let sit for 15 minutes, massaging occasionally.  Squeeze well to remove liquid.

Mix the lime juice, mayo, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Add the cabbage, carrot, scallion, cilantro, and jalapeño, and toss to combine.  Taste for seasoning, and add rice syrup if you feel the slaw isn't sweet enough.

Sunday, June 9, 2019

MINI CHOCOLATE CAKE

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

This ratio makes a 4" cake with 2 layers.

Ingredients:

1/2 C flour
4 T sugar
2 T cocoa powder, plus more to dust pan
1/4 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
1/2 t instant coffee granules

1 egg
2 T coconut oil, plus more to grease pan
1/4 C yogurt
1/4 C buttermilk
1/4 t vanilla extract

1 batch of chocolate frosting, see recipe below


Methodology:

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Grease pan with oil and dust with cocoa powder.  Cut a circle from parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan and grease it as well.

Sift the dry ingredients together.  Whisk the wet ingredients together and pour into the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.

Pour into prepared pan and bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 350°F and bake for another 30 minutes, or until done.

Chill completely, cut in half, and fill and cover in frosting.


Chocolate Frosting

1/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chocolate pieces)
1/4 crème fraîche, room temperature

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, or in a warm oven.  Cool to room temperature and whisk in the crème fraîche until smooth.  Chill completely, then use to frost the above cake.

Friday, April 26, 2019

BEEF BRISKET WITH MASHED POTATOES

Adapted from Food Wishes

Ingredients:

3 lb beef brisket
4 t kosher salt
2 t ground pepper

2 T butter
3 yellow onions, sliced
1 1/2 c hard apple cider
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 t kosher salt
1 T fresh rosemary, minced


Methodology:

Season the brisket and let it rest in the fridge overnight.

The following day:
Melt the butter in a large skillet and sweat the onions until they take on light color.  Add the garlic,  rosemary, and salt and cook 30 seconds.  Deglaze with the cider and simmer until reduced by half.

Spread half the onion mixture on the bottom of the roasting pan.  Top with the brisket, and cover the top of the brisket with the remaining onion mixture.  Cover tightly in foil.

Roast at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours, then at 250°F for 3 hours.  Check for doneness (might need another 30 minutes if the brisket is thick).

Place the brisket in a separate dish and pour the onion mixture into a bowl.  Skim off as much tallow as possible, then pour into a blender.  Blend in bursts until the gravy is smooth.

Serve over buttermilk mashed potatoes, with a grated carrot side salad.



Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes:

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated, via

2 lb yukon gold potatoes
4 T butter, melted
2 1/2 c buttermilk, room temperature
1 T minced thyme
1/2 t truffle salt
1/2 t black pepper

Boil the potatoes until tender.  Mix the remaining ingredients in a large serving bowl and rice potatoes into it; mix well.  Taste for seasoning, and serve.

Monday, April 8, 2019

KALE, SAUSAGE & CANNELLINI SOUP

Adapted from Cup of Jo (the combination), AllRecipes (sausage),  and Epicurious (the beans).

Ingredients:

Beans: (or substitute with 1 30oz and 1 15oz can cooked beans)
1 lb dry cannellini beans
2 bay leaves
1 piece of kombu
1 1/2 t salt
1 head garlic, cut in half

Sausage: (or substitute with 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage)
1 lb. ground pork
1 T red wine vinegar
1 t salt
1/2 t fennel seeds
1/4 t brown sugar
1 t black pepper
1 t dried parsley
1 t dried basil
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
3/4 t paprika
pinch dried oregano
pinch dried thyme
pinch red pepper flakes

2 t olive oil
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and chopped*
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Grated parmesan cheese
4 garlic cloves


Methodology:

Beans:
Sort and rinse the beans, and bring them to boil, covered by ~2" of cold water.  Remove from heat, cover and soak for 1 hour.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring to boil, then uncover and simmer, until the beans are creamy, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours, adding more water if necessary.

Sausage:
Crush the fennel seeds, salt and sugar with a mortar and pestle. Add remaining herbs and spices and mix well.  Combine all sausage ingredients in a large bowl and knead until the spices are uniformly distributed.

Brown the sausage in the olive oil, in two batches if necessary.  Add the beans, kale and enough water (6c?) and bring to boil.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Add lemon zest and half of juice, and taste for seasoning.  Serve, topped with parmesan cheese** and fried garlic, recipe below.


*Consider replacing the kale with collard greens next time.
**Consider topping with croutons.


Fried Garlic

4 cloves garlic
1/4 c olive oil

Thinly slice the garlic vertically and gently cook in the oil until the garlic begins turning golden.  Take garlic pieces out one by one, if necessary, so all pieces are golden.

HONEY WALNUT BREAD

From Earth to Table, via Food & Wine's 2010 Best Cookbook Recipes Ingredients:   2 c walnut pieces 2¾ c bread flour 1½ c whole wheat...