I'm More Than My Microwave

Banana Nut Bread

2009-11-25T06:19:00.000-08:00

A blogger friend of mine whose job involves writing about food told me about the C & H Sugar website. I use C & H sugar all the time but had never checked out their site before. It contains all sorts of great recipes for yummy-sounding treats. I decided to try their recipe for banana bread, which uses brown sugar. I make banana bread all the time but have never seen a recipe using brown sugar. It was great--the brown sugar added a deeper flavor and I will definitely make this one again. I omitted the nuts, and, to my kids' dismay, decided not to add chocolate chips! The nice folks at C & H are sending me a $20 gift card to help out with the expenses. Thank you so much, C & H--I'll definitely be back to your lovely site!

BANANA NUT BREAD

2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cup banana, mashed ripe (about 4 medium)
1 cup C & H Pure Cane Golden Brown or Dark Brown Sugar (I used Golden Brown)
1/2 cup butter, melted or vegetable oil
3/4 cup walnuts or pecan, coarsely chopped (I omitted)

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Make a well in center and set aside. In another large bowl, combine eggs, bananas, sugar, and melted butter or oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened; batter will be lumpy. Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and cool completely on rack.

Barefoot Bloggers: Cheddar Corn Chowder and How I Stalked Ina On My Summer Vacation

2009-10-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

Don't pay the ransom!!!! I've escaped!!! Not really--I HAVE been MIA for QUITE a while but am back. I spent the summer all over the place.....including the Hamptons, where I not only met and had dinner with Ina's decorator--and may I just say....he is FABULOUS.....but I also spent several days stalking Ina herself. No, I never found her, but I did go to many of her favorite Hamptons' spots! How bad can that be?? I spent several wonderful days at my very good friend's house in Southampton....or, actually, in South, as the lingo goes. Yes, that's right, we Hamptoners--Hamptonites--Hamptonians--well, we just say South for Southampton, East for East Hampton, Bridge for Bridgehampton, and so on. So my friend, we'll just call her "S," and she is also FABULOUS, or maybe I should say FABULOUSER, led a few of us on a several-day Ina-stalking tour. Armed with Barefoot at Home, where Ina details her favorite places in the Hamptons, we aimed to go to as many of them as possible. The first night I was there we had dinner at Robert's house. He is Ina's amazing decorator and he is a wonderful host. He is my friend S's decorator and friend. And now he is my friend. My new best friend, in fact. Yes, we are besties.... BFF's.....best buds. He served great food, told great stories, and introduced me to "Hamptons' pool water" which to all you non-Hamptonians out there--is a very delicious and very pricey Rosé wine. The "All Ina All the Time Tour" started the next day. S took us to Loaves and Fishes and also to Cavaniola's Gourmet Cheese Shop for amazing cheese and even more amazing panini sandwiches--S's daughter claims they are life-changing and after eating one I had to agree with her. We went to Tate's Bake Shop for their famous chocolate chip cookies.

Every place was great--and I wouldn't expect anything less from Ina--but my favorite place, hands-down, was Round Swamp Farm, (see photo above) a shop located in a tiny little house which sells fabulous produce, baked goods, and prepared foods as well as seafood.

Cinnamon rolls to die for. I am still dreaming about them. We also went to H. Groome, Bloom, the Monogram Shop, and Turpan, which are some of Ina's faves for cookware and tableware. And yes, I tried to buy a little something everywhere--after all, if it's good enough for Ina, it's good enough for me. The stalking culminated in a visit to Ina's house. Well, maybe not a visit--maybe a viewing is more accurate. Yes, I saw the house, the barn, the garden.....I saw whatever I could see peering over her front gate. Here's a sneaky little shot of the barn. Yes, THE barn. Here it is:

Thank you, S (and family), for being a fantastic tour guide and host--I think even Ina could learn a few things from you! The food, the beach, the fun, the shopping, the talking, the walking, the stalking....it was all great! Can't wait til next summer......:))

I also spent some time in Paris and our hotel was right around the corner from Ina's apartment. I don't know which one was hers, but I stumbled upon her favorite street market (the Boulevard Raspail Street Market) which, as she says in Barefoot in Paris, is right in front of her apartment. So, it was an exciting summer.....now back to blogging.

The latest "Barefoot Bloggers" recipe is from Ina's Barefoot Contessa cookbook and is another keeper! Thanks to Jill of My Next Life for selecting this easy and delicious recipe! I halved the recipe and it still made a lot. It was really good!

CHEDDAR CORN CHOWDER
from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

8 oz bacon, chopped (optional)
1/4 C good olive oil
6 C chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 C flour
2 t kosher salt
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t ground turmeric
12 C chicken stock
6 C medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
10 C corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (2 pounds)
2 C half-and-half
8 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

NOTES: I halved the recipe and used 1 1/2 half bags of frozen corn. I mixed yellow and white corn and it looked really nice. I think you could easily omit the bacon. Chives or green onions would make a nice garnish.

Barefoot Bloggers: Curried Couscous

2009-06-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

The latest "Barefoot Bloggers" recipe is from Ina's Barefoot Contessa cookbook and is another keeper! Thanks to Ellyn of Recipe Collector and Tester for selecting this easy and delicious recipe! It can easily be adapted to use anything you have in your refrigerator or pantry. (You could even substitute many different grains for the couscous!) I forgot to get both scallions and red onions at the store so I used the sweet onion I already had at home. I made the dressing as directed, using less salt, of course, and then made a little extra after I mixed it with the couscous. I think it needed it. This would be a great side dish for a summer picnic, BBQ, or just dinner at home.

CURRIED COUSCOUS
from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Serves 6

1 1/2 C couscous (I used half whole wheat couscous and half regular)
1 T unsalted butter
1 1/2 C boiling water
1/4 C plain yogurt
1/4 C good olive oil
1 t white wine vinegar
1 t curry powder
1/4 t ground turmeric
1 1/2 t kosher salt
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 C small-diced carrots
1/2 C minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 C dried currants or raisins
1/4 C blanched, sliced almonds
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1/4 C small-diced red onion

DIRECTIONS

Place the couscous in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in the boiling water and pour over the couscous. Cover tightly and allow the couscous to soak for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, curry powder, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Pour over the fluffed couscous, and mix well with a fork. Add the carrots, parsley, currants, almonds, scallions, and red onions, mix well, and season to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Barefoot Bloggers: Outrageous Brownies

2009-06-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

Ina, Ina, Ina--we've had such a good run so far. Until now. Call me crazy--but I just don't feel the brownie love that everyone else feels for this recipe. In fact, I found it to be kind of......meh. I know, I know, it's subversive to even THINK like that, much less put it in writing. Maybe it was the coffee, maybe I overbaked them--although they cooked for exactly 30 minutes, I don't know what the problem was, but all I know is I have two chocolate-loving boys at home--and a week after I made this "Barefoot Bloggers" recipe from Ina's Barefoot Contessa cookbook, I STILL had brownies left over. Yes, you heard that right. I rest my case. That NEVER happens with my old stand-by--my secret, never-fail, to-die-for brownie recipe. OK, OK, it's the Ghirardelli brownie mix (pack of five) that I buy at Costco. But if you tell anyone, I'll deny it. Get it??? Good. Glad we understand each other. This conversation NEVER happened.

OUTRAGEOUS BROWNIES
from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

INGREDIENTS

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 T instant coffee powder
2 T real vanilla extract
2 1/4 C sugar
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour, divided (1 C for batter and 1/4 C in the chips and nuts)
1 T baking powder
1 t kosher salt
3 C diced walnut pieces (I omitted)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 13 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Melt together the butter, 1 pound chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together 1 C of the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips with 1/4 C flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not over-bake!! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.

Barefoot Bloggers: Tuna Salad or This is Not Your Mother's Tuna Salad!

2009-05-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

Put the mayo and the pickle relish away--this is a whole new kind of tuna salad. Ina Garten's Tuna Salad is made with fresh tuna and has sort of an Asian vibe going on. It's light, fresh, and delicious--a great summer lunch or dinner for people you really like--because fresh tuna steak is not cheap!! I walked out of the first store I went to when I saw that fresh tuna was $30.99 a pound. If I paid that much for the tuna I would have to put it in my safe deposit box!! I ended up getting it at Whole Foods for $20.99 a pound. As always, I didn't use as much salt as our girl Ina calls for. I sprinkled kosher salt on the tuna steaks before cooking and then added a little additional salt to the mixture after tasting. I would definitely make this one again! Probably a good dish to make when you see tuna on sale at your grocery store.

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds very fresh tuna steak, cut 1-inch thick
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling (NOTE: taste dressing before adding salt)
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black, plus extra for sprinkling
2 limes, zest grated
1 teaspoon wasabi powder (available in the Asian food section of most grocery stores)
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (3 limes)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
10 dashes hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco) (NOTE: I used all 10 dashes)
1 to 2 ripe Hass avocados, medium diced
1/4 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)
1/4 cup red onion, small diced

DIRECTIONS

Brush the tuna steaks with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the tuna steaks in a very hot saute pan and cook for only 1 minute on each side. Set aside on a platter.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, lime zest, wasabi, lime juice, soy sauce and hot sauce. Add the avocados to the vinaigrette.

Cut the tuna in chunks and place it in a large bowl. Add the scallions and red onion and mix well. Pour the vinaigrette mixture over the tuna and carefully mix.

Cathy's Famous Vietnamese Spring Rolls

2009-05-02T14:42:00.000-07:00

My fabulous manicurist (and so much more!) Cathy surprised me the other day when I went to get my nails spruced up. She told me she had bought me all the ingredients I needed to make her Vietnamese spring rolls. Not only had she bought me the ingredients, she also wrote up the recipe, took these photos, and made up a batch of the dipping sauce!! She bought me an extra bottle of hoisin sauce, a bottle of Sriracha hot sauce, mint, cucumbers, bean sprouts, rice paper, and some nameless Asian greens to try, too. You'd think at that point that she could have offered to come over to my house and just make them, but I don't want to seem TOO demanding. Oh, and she also did a fantastic job as usual on my nails. She's amazing! Cathy even rolled up a sample roll for me right there at the salon so I could see how much of each ingredient was used. She did everything but type up this post!

CATHY'S FAMOUS VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS

SPRING ROLL SAUCE

2 cups of water
1 1/2 cups of Hoisin Sauce
1/2 cup of peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
2-3 tablespoons of white vinegar
Sriracha hot sauce to add on when eating (optional)

SAUCE:

In a small saucepan add water, Hoisin sauce and peanut butter all at once. Over low heat, stir with a spoon until the peanut butter is nicely blended, then add the white vinegar. Turn off heat and set aside.

SPRING ROLL

1/2 pound of boneless chicken thigh or 1/2 pound of Sirloin pork end
1/2 pound of bean sprouts (open the bag and drain and rinse well)
1 cucumber (cut both ends off of cucumber, clean & cut in half and then into 1/4" thin slices-- about 3" length)
1 bunch of green leaf lettuce
1 bunch of fresh mint leaves
1 package of Rice papers
(Other ideas include--noodles--Asian rice noodles, cilantro, carrots, and as mentioned below, shrimp)

DIRECTIONS

NOTE: Cathy usually uses pork, but for those who don't like pork chicken works well too. I think shrimp would be good as well.

For pork: In a slow cooker add water and 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt, 3 gloves of garlic and maybe 8-10 peppercorns. Slow cook for 20-30 minutes. When meat gets tender, remove from slow cooker and rinse with cold water, then set aside for 5-10 minutes to keep the moisture inside meat. Then slice thinly and set on a plate. You can also bake this in an oven til done.

For chicken: Marinate chicken with 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt, bit of fresh ground pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder for about 15-30 minutes. You can grill your chicken or pan-fry your chicken. Cathy says "I like to pan-fry the chicken because this dish has a very clean taste so I don't mind pan-frying the chicken to keep the moisture and juice from the meat-- also when you pan-fry you can add on some fresh chopped garlic." Make sure the chicken is cooked well but not over-cooked, wait about 5-10 minutes after cooking for the meat to cool down, then slice 1/2" thick and set aside.

ROLLING SPRING ROLLS

In a big mixing bowl add warm water from the faucet to dip rice paper. Dip rice paper in water and then set on a big plate. On rice paper about 2" away from the edge of the rice paper--put 1/2 of a lettuce leaf or a little less, a few bean sprouts, a cucumber slice, 2 pieces of thin-sliced pork (or chicken or shrimp) and 2-3 leaves of fresh mint, (place all ingredients on top of each other and about 2" away from the edge of rice paper).

Now fold both sides of rice paper toward the center and try to cover the food, then start to roll as tightly as possible. Try not to have the rice paper dry out, it will stick to the plate. To help your work go faster use 2 plates for the rice paper while working on one and the other one has time to get soft and dry. Do not put your Spring Rolls on top or too close to each other, because rolls will be sticky and break when pull apart. Cathy usually uses clear plastic wrap to keep the rolls from drying out and sticking to each other.

Serve with dipping sauce and hot sauce on the side.

Cathy says "Have Fun Making Your Spring Rolls......!"

UPDATE: We made these spring rolls tonight using bean sprouts, lettuce, mint, cellophane noodles, cucumber, and shrimp. They were great! I mixed a LITTLE bit of the Sriracha sauce into the dipping sauce and it really cleaned out my sinuses--that stuff is HOT! Thank you Cathy!

Barefoot Bloggers: Croque Monsieur

2009-04-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

You don't need your passport to get a taste of France--Ina Garten's come up with another winner and it's the classic French ham and cheese sandwich known as Croque Monsieur. A simple sandwich that the French have transformed into heaven on a plate, the Croque Monsieur is surprisingly easy to make. This "Barefoot Bloggers" recipe from Ina's Barefoot in Paris cookbook took me no more than half an hour start to finish. Thanks to Kathy of All Food Considered for a great choice! This would be great with a simple salad for lunch or dinner--and it would be a big hit as lunch for your girlfriends. Bon appetit!

CROQUE MONSIEUR
from Barefoot in Paris

INGREDIENTS

2 T unsalted butter
3 T all-purpose flour
2 C hot milk (I used skim)
1 t kosher salt (I used less, knowing Ina's a bit of a salt freak)
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
12 ounces Gruyere, grated (5 cups)
1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan
16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed (Ina prefers Pepperidge Farm white bread--I used supermarket brand no-
name white bread and it was fine)
Dijon mustard
8 ounces--or more (at least 8 slices) baked Virginia ham, sliced but not paper thin (I think I used French ham from the deli

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan and set aside.

To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.

Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Let's Take a Trip Back to the '80's (Minus the Shoulder Pads) or Sonya and Maureen's Appetizer Vegetable Pizza

2009-04-16T13:14:00.000-07:00

When I was young, single, and employed--- back in the 80's, I worked for a big company in a department with several fabulous women. We all got along and socialized both in and out of work. Occasionally we organized what we called a "Food Fest" at the office--essentially, a potluck lunch where everyone on the floor brought a dish to share. My friends Sonya and Maureen once brought this yummy cold vegetable pizza which was a big hit. I brought this to many, many get-togethers during the 80's and I think it's time for an encore. After all, everything old is new again, isn't it?

VEGETABLE PIZZA

2 pkgs. Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 regular size packet Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
2 8-oz. pkgs cream cheese, softened (I use light cream cheese)
slightly less than 1 C mayo (I use light)
chopped broccoli (I used about 2 cups, finely chopped)
chopped cauliflower (I used about 2 cups, finely chopped)
chopped scallions (about 3-5 scallions, green part only)
chopped tomatoes (about 2, seeded and chopped)
chopped black olives (one can large olives, minus a few that fell into my mouth)
grated Cheddar cheese (about 2 to 2 1/2 C--can also use a mixture of cheeses--Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, mozzerella)

Preheat oven to 350º. Lay the crescent roll dough flat on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, pinch together any gaps, poke a few holes in dough with a fork, and bake til just golden--about 10 to 14 minutes. Let crust cool. After it cools, mix the Ranch dressing with the cream cheese and mayo. Spread mixture on the crescent rolls and top with all toppings, ending with cheese. Cut into squares and enjoy.

NOTE: You can add or substitute any toppings you like--these are just the ones I use. Or should I say--the ones Sonya and Maureen used!

Dark-Haired Julie's Mother's Cookies or Ro's Cherry Drop Cookies

2009-04-15T16:52:00.000-07:00

There were a lot of girls named Julie in my school when I was a kid. Julie, Laura, Jill, Lisa, Debbie, Amy, Susan, Beth.....the list goes on and on. For every Julie, Beth, and Laura then---there's an Olivia, Emma, and Hannah now. I have two friends named Julie and for some reason my aunt can never remember which one is which. Apparently last names are too much for her. So she calls them blonde Julie and dark-haired Julie, as in, "I ran into blonde Julie at the grocery store today and we talked for 15 minutes about our snow plow service problems." Or, "I saw dark-haired Julie at the mall today. We were both buying underwear for our husbands." All stuff I need to know. Anyway, dark-haired Julie's mom Ro makes these fabulous Cherry Drop Cookies which have the most scrumptious chocolate frosting. I used to make the cookies without the frosting because I don't like chocolate and fruit together, but yesterday I baked some cookies for a teachers' lunch at school and frosted them. And tasted them. Just one or two broken ones. And....I'm a convert. These cookies MUST always be made WITH the frosting! They are easy and delicious. If you take the butter out the night before it will take you about five minutes to mix up the dough. Make sure to make the frosting AFTER the cookies cool--if you make it too soon it may be difficult to dip the cookies into the frosting. Thanks, dark-haired Julie. Thanks, Ro!

DARK-HAIRED JULIE'S MOTHER'S COOKIES OR RO'S CHERRY DROP COOKIES

1 C butter, softened
3/4 C powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
1 t almond extract
1/2 t salt (I use kosher salt)
2 1/4 C flour, sifted (I must confess that I don't!)
1/2 C chopped maraschino cherries, drained well
1/4 C walnuts, finely chopped, optional (I omit)

Preheat oven to 350º. Gradually add the powdered sugar to the butter and cream. Add vanilla, almond extract, and salt.
Blend in flour. When flour is incorporated completely, add cherries and nuts (if using).

Roll dough into small balls (I use a very small scooper to scoop and then roll by hand) and place on parchment paper or Silpat on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. When done, bottom will be golden but cookie top will still be light. Let cool on baking sheet and then move to cooling rack. Cool completely before dipping top of cookie into chocolate frosting.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/4 C butter (1/2 stick)
3 T unsweetened cocoa powder
3-4 T buttermilk
2 1/4 C powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla

In microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, cocoa powder and 3 T buttermilk. Bring to boil in microwave. (I am very impatient and usually just microwave til the butter is melted--and it turns out just fine) Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat with electric mixer until smooth. Frosting should be thick but not too thick--you may have to add a little extra buttermilk while you are using the mixer--I usually do. You want to be able to dip the cookies into the frosting and not have the frosting run off the cookie.

Barefoot Bloggers: Chinese Chicken Salad

2009-04-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

Today's recipe from "Barefoot Bloggers" is Ina Garten's Chinese Chicken Salad. This recipe was chosen by McKenzie of Kenzie's Kitchen. and is from Ina's Barefoot Contessa Parties! cookbook. I just got back from a weekend away AND am trying to get ready for Passover, so I decided to make my life a bit easier and use a rotisserie chicken from Costco. I have roasted chicken breasts per Ina's instructions before and they turned out great, but the store-bought chicken worked out fine in this recipe. I also omitted any extra salt, as the soy sauce contains plenty of salt, and many commenters said that the recipe as written was too salty. I felt that the 1/4 C of peanut butter was a bit too much and added a bit more vinegar and soy to compensate. Next time I would start with 1/8 C of peanut butter and taste before adding more. I also added a package of Chinese noodles and some snow peas, making this a Chinese Chicken Noodle Salad. The salad was delicious and I would definitely make it again. Ina, although a bit of a salt freak, certainly knows her stuff!

CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD
from Barefoot Contessa Parties!

INGREDIENTS

4 split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound asparagus, ends removed, and cut in thirds diagonally
1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
2 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally
1 T white sesame seeds, toasted

FOR THE DRESSING

1/2 C vegetable oil (I would probably use a bit less next time)
1/4 C good apple cider vinegar
3 T soy sauce
1 1/2 T dark sesame oil
1/2 T honey
1 clove garlic, minced (I grated it using a Microplane)
1/2 T peeled, grated fresh ginger (I also used a Microplane to grate this-and I probably used more than 1/2 t)
1/2 T sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 C smooth peanut butter (I would start with less and taste before adding more)
2 t kosher salt (I omitted)
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350º. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in large bite-sized pieces. (Or just go buy a rotisserie chicken and shred.)

Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain. Cut the peppers into strips about the size of the asparagus pieces. Combine the cut chicken, asparagus, and peppers in a large bowl.

Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the scallions and sesame seeds and season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Passover: Fantastically Fabulous Matzoh Toffee

2009-04-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

You don't have to be Jewish to love this delicious Passover confection! Simple to make and addicting to eat, it is sure to be a treat that you will make year after year. I make some with nuts and some without to make everyone happy!

MATZOH TOFFEE

4-6 unsalted matzohs
1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 C firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 C coarsely chopped chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet and I don't chop them)
chopped nuts, optional

Preheat the oven to 350º. Line one or two baking sheets completely with foil and then with parchment paper. Place the matzohs on the baking sheet, covering completely. You may have to break some of the matzohs into pieces to fit onto the sheet.

In a saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar and stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil--about 2-3 minutes. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour over the matzoh, covering completely. Spread to cover if needed.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, checking every couple of minutes to make sure nothing is burning. If mixture or matzoh seem to be burning or browning too fast, remove the pan and lower heat to 325º before replacing pan.

Remove from oven and sprinkle immediately with the (chopped) chocolate chips. Let stand for several minutes, then spread the soft chocolate over the matzoh. If chocolate is not spreadable at this point, turn off the oven and place pan back in oven for a minute or so until chocolate is spreadable. After spreading chocolate, sprinkle on nuts if you are using them. Break into pieces while still warm. Chill in pan or on plate, in freezer until set.

Barefoot Bloggers: Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts

2009-03-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today's recipe from "Barefoot Bloggers" is Ina Garten's Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts. This recipe was chosen by Anne of Anne Strawberry. and is from Ina's Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook. It looks elegant and is easy and delicious! This would be a great appetizer or first course. Using frozen puff pastry made it really easy--Ina herself even admits that "pastry still makes me anxious" and that when she "discovered frozen puff pastry, it was such a relief." If it's good enough for Ina, it's probably good enough for you and me! Ina also suggests this tart for an elegant lunch.

TOMATO AND GOAT CHEESE TARTS
from Barefoot Contessa at Home

This recipe makes 4 individual tarts

INGREDIENTS

1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted (just defrost overnight in the refrigerator)
Good olive oil
4 C thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 T dry white wine
2 t minced fresh thyme leaves
4 T freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
4 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese (Ina recommends Montrachet)
1 large tomato, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
3 T julienned basil leaves

DIRECTIONS

Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Using a 6-inch wide saucer or other round object as a guide, cut 2 circles from the sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Heat 3 T of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 t salt, 1/4 t pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.

Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.

Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.

Barefoot Bloggers: Chicken Piccata

2009-03-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

The latest recipe from "Barefoot Bloggers" features Ina Garten's Chicken Piccata. I am weeks late on the last recipe, Meringues Chantilly, but it is coming soon. The current recipe was chosen by Lindsey of Noodle Nights and Muffin Mornings. This recipe is from Ina's Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook and it is a keeper! I actually have made this before, following Ina's instructions to the letter. I liked it but found the sauce not "saucey" enough--in other words, there wasn't enough sauce, and a bit too lemony, if that is possible. This time around I added about a 1/2 cup or so of chicken broth at the same time as the wine. I also added some capers at the end or, in the words of Boy #2, "What ARE these things???" I will definitely make this again--it is easy and delicious!

CHICKEN PICCATA
from Barefoot Contessa at Home

(This recipe makes 2 servings. Adjust quantities accordingly for more.)

INGREDIENTS

2 split (1 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 extra-large egg (NOTE: Ina always uses extra-large eggs--she feels they are the best value for the money)
1/2 T water
3/4 C seasoned dry bread crumbs
Good olive oil
3 T unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
1/3 C freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves (scrubbed clean) reserved
1/2 C dry white wine
1/2 C chicken broth, optional (NOTE: I added this to the recipe)
sliced lemon, for serving
Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving (NOTE: I forgot to get parsley at the store, so mine were parsleyless)
1 T or so capers, optional

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. (NOTE: You can also ask your butcher to do this for you at the store). Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, 1/2 t salt, and 1/4 t of pepper in a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the egg and 1/2 T of water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread crumb mixtures. NOTE: This works best if you use one hand only to dip the chicken in all three mixtures.

Heat 1 T olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

For the sauce, wipe out the sauté pan with a dry paper towel. Over medium heat, melt 1 T of the butter and then add the lemon juice, wine, the chicken broth if you are using it, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 t salt, and 1/4 t pepper, and capers if you like. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 T of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves and serve 1 chicken breast on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Barefoot Bloggers: Real Meatballs and Spaghetti

2009-02-12T20:08:00.000-08:00

Today's edition of"Barefoot Bloggers" is Ina Garten's Real Meatballs and Spaghetti. This recipe was chosen by Rebecca of Ezra Pound Cake. I guess I have been making fake meatballs all this time but now I have the secret-- straight from the master. Actually, Ina tells us (in her Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook) that spaghetti and meatballs was not something her mother made while she was growing up, so she had to do some research about the dish. She tells us that "the best idea came from the famous New York Italian restaurant called Rao's"--where they add water to the meatballs, which keeps them "moist and delicious." I really liked the meatballs--they WERE moist, light, and delicious--but found them a bit salty. I find in general, that Ina has a bit of a heavy hand with the salt. I cut the salt down to about 1 1/3 t kosher salt--yet I still found the meatballs a bit too salty. That also may have been due to the seasoned bread crumbs. I might use only 1 t of salt the next time I make them. Also I think next time I would bake the meatballs rather than fry them in order to cut down on the fat. Ina's sauce was good but not great. It was missing that certain something that makes you want to take a piece of bread and sop up all the extra sauce on your plate. Maybe some fresh basil would be a nice addition. I would definitely make this dish again with a few tweaks. Bon Appetit!!!

FINAL VERDICT:

Meatballs--Great!
Sauce--Needs something.....not sure what.

REAL MEATBALLS AND SPAGHETTI
from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

For the Meatballs:

1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 C fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed) (NOTE: I used 1 C only of seasoned dry bread crumbs and
omitted the fresh ones)
1/4 C seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 t kosher salt (NOTE: I used 1 1/3 t and I thought THAT was too much)
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
3/4 C warm water
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

For the Sauce:

1 T good olive oil
1 C chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 1/2 t minced garlic
1/2 C good red wine, such as Chianti
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 T kosher salt (may want to cut down a little)
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

For Serving:

1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package direction
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 C warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs. (NOTE: I used a small ice-cream-type scoop to measure out the meat and then formed them into balls with my hands. I ended up with about 30 meatballs.)

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4 inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan cheese.

Some helpful hints from Ina:

When you cook spaghetti, don't use oil in the water; the sauce will stick better.

When the spaghetti is cooked, drain it in a colander. If you don't use it right away, run hot water over it and it will separate.

I (Ina) use Pepperidge Farm sandwich white bread for fresh bread crumbs.

Marianne's Mac 'n' Cheez for Boy #2

2009-01-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

Boy #2 has been bugging me for weeks to make the mac & cheese recipe he found in a Nickelodeon kids' (obviously) cookbook we have. I finally got around to it and it was pretty good. I still think I like Ina Garten's recipe better--but this was good. It was easy and surprisingly quick to prepare. Buying pre-shredded cheese made it even easier.

MARIANNE'S MAC 'N' CHEEZ
from Stir Squirt Sizzle, a Nick cookbook

6 T unsalted butter
1/2 C plus 2 T all-purpose flour
4 C milk ( NOTE: I used skim--not that it will help!)
1 1/2 t dry mustard
1/4 t cayenne, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound elbow macaroni
3 C coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (about 12 ounces)
1 1/3 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 C fresh bread crumbs (NOTE: I omitted these)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a long, shallow baking dish (like a 13-by-9-inch pan).
2. With an adult's help, melt the butter in a big saucepan over low heat. Add the flour slowly while whisking until it's completely combined.
3. Turn up the heat just a bit and add the milk, slowly pouring it in as you whisk. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat and add the mustard, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
4. Let the mixture simmer, whisking it occasionally, until it begins to thicken. This should take about 2 minutes.
5, Meanwhile, cook the macaroni by following the instructions on the box, undercooking it the teeniest bit.
6. Combine the macaroni, the sauce, the Cheddar cheese, and 1 C of the Parmesan in a big bowl. Mix it all up and pour it into the baking dish.
7. In a smaller bowl, mix the remaining 1/3 C Parmesan with the bread crumbs and sprinkle it on top of the macaroni and cheese. (NOTE: I just sprinkled the remaining Parmesan cheese over the top)
8. Have an adult place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is so golden and bubbly that you can't bear to wait another minute.

Serves 4 to 6.

Mrs. Smith's Lemon Squares

2009-01-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

When I was in 5th or 6th grade I took piano lessons from Mrs. Smith, who lived around the corner from us. Every so often she had a recital featuring all her students. I don't know which was more exciting--playing in the recital or eating one of her fantastic lemon squares, which she made for each recital. I don't know if Mrs. Smith is around anymore, but I will always think of her whenever I make these delicious, citrusy, sweets.

MRS. SMITH'S LEMON SQUARES

Crust
3/4 C (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 C powdered sugar
1 1/2 C flour

Topping
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 C sugar
3 T flour
juice and rind of 1 1/2 lemons (NOTE: 2 if they're small--a microplane is great for zesting the lemons)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Cream butter and powdered sugar together, then mix in flour til blended. Spread on bottom of square pan and bake for about 15 minutes. Crust should be soft and pale--not raw-looking but just slightly set. Meanwhile, mix together the topping ingredients. When crust comes out of the oven, pour topping over crust and return to oven. Cook for an additional 20 minutes or until topping is set (not wiggling). Cool, cut into squares, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Barefoot Bloggers: Easy Sticky Buns--or "You Might Want to Have Your Sweat Pants Handy"

2009-01-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

Ina, Ina, Ina. You'll stop at nothing to fatten us all up, won't you? You don't care about our New Year's resolutions or our tight jeans, is that it? It's all about the butter, isn't it, Ina? This installment of "Barefoot Bloggers" features Easy Sticky Buns. This recipe was chosen by Melissa of Made by Melissa.
This recipe WAS easy and very good. You DO need to discard the ends of the roll as instructed by Ina--just listen to her--she knows what she's doing. Also--make sure you check on the rolls toward the end of cooking--burned raisins and blackened puff pastry are NOT a good combo. I mean, that's what I hear.

INA GARTEN'S EASY STICKY BUNS
from Back to Basics

12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 C light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 C pecans, chopped in very large pieces
1 package (17.3 oz/2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted

For the filling:

2 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled--NOTE-you may need a bit more
2/3 C light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 t ground cinnamon
1 C raisins

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a 12-cup standard muffin tin on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the 12 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place 1 rounded tablespoon of the mixture in each of the 12 muffin cups. Distribute the pecans evenly among the 12 muffin cups on top of the butter and sugar mixture.
Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry with the folds going left to right. Brush the whole sheet with half of the melted butter. Leaving a 1-inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle each sheet with 1/3 cup of the brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the cinnamon and 1/2 cup of the raisins. Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down. Trim the ends of the roll about 1/2 inch and discard. Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces, each about 1 1/2 inches wide. Place each piece, spiral side up, in 6 of the muffin cups. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry to make 12 sticky buns.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden to dark brown on top and firm to the touch. NOTE: It's a good idea to check on them at about 20 and 25 minutes--you don't want to burn these babies!. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only, invert the buns onto the parchment paper (ease the filling and pecans out onto the buns with a spoon), and cool completely.

Simple and easy, right? Unbutton your jeans, eat, and enjoy! Great for a brunch too!

Roasted Cauliflower or "I Can't Believe I Ate an Entire Head of Cauliflower All By Myself!"

2009-01-21T10:04:00.000-08:00

For all you people who are still steaming or boiling vegetables--read this. Friend don't let friends steam or boil. I don't know what it is about roasting that transforms vegetables into something amazing--but it does. The ingredients are simple and the process is easy--I roast practically any vegetable--asparagus, green beans, brussels sprouts, onions, potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, carrots, beets, and more. I have a hard time picking my favorite--it changes from time to time--but right now it is cauliflower. Boy #2 eats roasted cauliflower like it is candy. OK, maybe not like candy...but he just loves it! Now I usually roast two heads at a time and we RARELY have any left over.

One of the keys to roasting is a hot oven--I usually roast at about 400°F to 425°F. Preheat your oven for at least 15 minutes before you put the baking sheet in. You can also preheat the oven WITH the baking sheet IN the oven and then pour the vegetables on the baking sheet--you will hear a nice sizzle that way. For the cauliflower, I cut the head up into small pieces because I want as much of the surface to brown as possible. Put the pieces in a large bowl or ziplock bag and add olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper and toss. Don't go crazy on the oil but don't be stingy either--about 1/8 of a cup per head should be fine--I don't really measure--you can always add more if you think you haven't used enough. Kosher salt is less salty than regular salt--so don't be worried that it's going to be too salty--probably about 1/2 to 3/4 of a teaspoon per head is good. Again--I don't measure--I just sprinkle. Fresh pepper to taste. That's it. Spread out on a baking sheet--I line mine with parchment paper for easier clean-up. You want the cauliflower to roast, not steam, so don't overcrowd the baking sheet. Cook about 20 to 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Basically--with any roasted vegetables--you cook them til they are done the way you like them--I like my cauliflower brown and a bit crunchy so I probably cook them for at least 30 minutes--sometimes more. It's a matter of personal taste. Try it tonight--let me know how it turns out.

Grandma's Toffee Bars

2009-01-19T20:52:00.000-08:00

Every time I used to go to my grandma's house there was something yummy there. Both my grandmothers were great cooks AND bakers and one of my mom's mom's specialties was Toffee Bars. There were usually some in the freezer and, while I preferred to wait til mine thawed, my brothers liked to eat them straight from the freezer. My grandfather always claimed ownership of the little bits that crumbled off during cutting!

GRANDMA'S TOFFEE BARS

1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 C light brown sugar
1 t vanilla
1 egg yolk
2 C flour
1 small bag semisweet chocolate chips
chopped nuts (Grandma always used walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream the softened butter and sugar together. Add the vanilla and the egg yolk. Then mix in the flour til completely blended. Spread on bottom of square baking pan and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes--check after 20 minutes--cookie bottom should be set but pale. Then turn oven off and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and return pan to oven for 3-4 minutes or til chocolate is melted and spreadable. Spread over top to cover and sprinkle with the chopped nuts. Wait til cooled slightly before cutting into squares.

Beth's Glazy Crazy Cocktail Franks

2009-01-09T06:49:00.000-08:00

OK, OK, not the best photo, I know, but what can I say? I need to plan ahead better. Many years ago, when I was young and single, my roommate Beth and I used to have parties all the time. She made these cocktail franks that had people practically licking the toothpicks they used to spear the little devils. These are sure-fire winners, easy and delicious. Dump all the ingredients in a pot and cook the crap out of them. I'm serious--cook (uncovered) for about 2 to 3 hours--you want the little dogs to get all shriveled and glazy.

BETH'S GLAZY CRAZY COCKTAIL FRANKS

several packs (3,4,5??) cocktail franks or cocktail smokies
1 box light brown sugar
1 bottle seafood cocktail sauce
1 bottle beer

Add all ingredients to pot and cook, uncovered, for several hours. That's it!

Barefoot Bloggers: Banana Sour Cream Pancakes

2009-01-08T06:51:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's time for another episode of "Barefoot Bloggers" featuring Banana Sour Cream Pancakes. This recipe was chosen by Karen of Something Sweet by Karen. I make pancakes from scratch all the time for my kids, so at first this recipe didn't seem that exciting to me, but the pancakes were actually quite good and my kids really liked them. I think the lemon zest and the vanilla extract really added something great to the batter. The recipe I usually use is from one of the older Joy of Cooking cookbooks and is pretty similar but does not include sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. I made a few minor changes to Ina's recipe (my changes are included as notes below)--I added more milk because we don't like our pancakes quite as thick as she apparently does--and the pancakes were STILL pretty thick even with the additional milk I added.. I also added 3 T melted butter to the batter, thereby eliminating the need for butter on the pan or griddle. I used a non-stick pan for cooking. You can make this batter the night before if you like, but you may need to add additional milk to the batter in the morning before cooking. Another easy way to save time is to measure out the dry ingredients into a bowl or ziplock and then add the liquid ingredients in the morning. When my kids were younger and I made pancakes A LOT, I used to measure out several ziplocks of dry ingredients at a time in an effort to make my life just a bit easier! You can also substitute another fruit for the bananas (berries, peaches, etc) or serve them without any fruit at all. I made these for dinner the other night because, in our house, whenever I can't think of anything for dinner, I make breakfast! We all agreed that we would definitely make these pancakes again!

INA GARTEN'S BANANA SOUR CREAM PANCAKES

1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (NOTE: I used about 3/4 t kosher salt)
1/2 cup sour cream (NOTE: I used light sour cream)
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk (NOTE: I used about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 C skim milk)
2 extra-large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (NOTE: Anywhere from 1/2 to 1 t should be fine and if you don't have a lemon-just make it without the zest and it will be fine)
Unsalted butter (NOTE: I added 3 T melted butter to the batter)
2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving
Pure maple syrup

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles.(NOTE: If you've added melted butter to the batter and you are using a non-stick skillet you can skip the previous step.) Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes. Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, (NOTE: Again, if you've added butter to the batter, no need to wipe out the pan--just keep cooking!) and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.

Barefoot Bloggers: Pappa Al Pomidoro

2008-12-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

It's time once again for another "Barefoot Bloggers" recipe. This time Natalie from "Burned Bits" got to choose the recipe, and she chose this classic Italian tomato soup with lots of basil that is thickened with......bread!!!!! This soup was not only easy to make but delicious. I made it exactly as written--although I DID peel the carrots. I guess I'm not quite as rustic as Ina. The soup was great even without the carrot dirt. Don't skimp on the basil--you'll be sorry if you do! Enjoy!

INA GARTEN'S PAPPA AL POMIDORO
from her Back to Basics cookbook
Serves 6

1/2 C good olive oil
2 C chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
1 C medium-diced carrots, unpeeled (3 carrots) NOTE: I peeled.
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and medium-diced (1 1/2 cups)
4 t minced garlic (4 cloves)
3 C (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes, crusts removed
2 (28-oz) cans good Italian plum tomatoes
4 C chicken stock, preferably homemade
1/2 C dry red wine
1 C chopped fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan

For the topping:

3 C (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes
2 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, chopped
24 to 30 whole fresh basil leaves
3 T good olive oil, plus more for serving
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel, and garlic and cook over medium-low
heat for 10 minutes, until tender. Add the ciabatta cubes and cook for 5 more minute. Place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process just until coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the chicken stock, red wine, basil, 1 T salt, and 1 1/2 t pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375˚F.

For the topping, place the ciabatta cubes, pancetta, and basil on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, sprionkle with salt and pepper, and toss well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until all the ingredients are crisp. The basil leaves will turn dark and crisp, which is perfectly fine. reheat the soup, if necessary, beat with a wire whisk until the bread is broken up. Stir in the Parmesan and taste for seasoning. Serve hot sprinkled with the topping and drizzled with additional olive oil.

Barefoot Bloggers: Coq au Vin

2008-12-11T06:35:00.000-08:00

In an effort to get myself to post more regularly, I have joined a group called"Barefoot Bloggers" -- a group of people who love to cook and bake and also looooove that Barefoot Contessa . Every month two members of the group each pick a Barefoot Contessa recipe and members make it and write about it on their blogs. The first recipe this month was selected by Bethany of this little piggy went to market..... . It is Coq au Vin. I have never made Coq au Vin but I have always thought of it as a chicken stew. Imagine my surprise when I pulled out my "Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook "and opened to page 115 to read the Coq au Vin recipe. In her notes before the recipe, the Contessa says that for years she had tried many times to make Coq au Vin with disappointing results until her TV producer told her that it's just beef bourguignon with chicken and she thought, "So it is!" So it is, Ina, although many of us just call beef bourguignon beef stew. So anyway, here is Ina Garten's Coq au Vin--or, for those of you who are intimidated by French--chicken stew in wine.

I followed this recipe exactly as written, which I often do when trying a recipe for the first time. I used brandy, not cognac. Actually, the only thing I didn't do was to light the brandy on fire. I'm not that daring. I'm not sure if it was "good" brandy as Ina instructed, but at $6.99 a bottle, how good could it really be? Nonetheless, the dish turned out great! The only change I would make in the future is that I would remove the chicken skin from the chicken after I browned the chicken. Ina didn't tell me to, so I didn't, and the stew had a lot of fat in it that I removed after it was done. It would have been much easier and probably just as good to get rid of the skin after the browning process and have less fat to skim off after the dish was done. The Coq au Vin was delicious---the chicken was fall-off-the-bone moist, and the gravy had a great flavor that I don't think would have been there if not for the $6.99 brandy!

INA GARTEN'S COQ AU VIN
from her Back To Basics cookbook
Serves 6 (according to Ina)

Good olive oil
8 oz good bacon or pancetta, diced
2 (3- to 4-pound) chickens, each cut into 8 pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 t chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1/4 C Cognac or good brandy
1 (750-ml) bottle good dry red wine such as Burgundy
2 C chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 bunch fresh thyme sprigs
4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
3 T all-purpose flour
1 pound frozen small whole onions
1 pound porcini or cremini mushrooms, stems removed and thickly sliced

Preheat the oven to 275°F.

Heat 1 T olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Liberally sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. After the bacon is removed, add a few of the chicken pieces in a single layer and brown for about 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Remove the chicken pieces to the plate with the bacon and continue to add the chicken in batches until all the chicken is browned. Set aside.

Add the carrots, onions, 1 T salt, and 2 t pepper to the pot and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the Cognac, stand back!, and carefully ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol. NOTE: I DID NOT DO THIS STEP AND THE DISH TURNED OUT GREAT!! Put the bacon, chicken, and any juices that collect on the plate into the pot. Add the wine, chicken stock, and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just no longer pink. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.

Mash 2 T of the room temperature butter and the flour together in a small bowl and stir the paste into the stew. Add the frozen onions. In a medium saute pan, melt the remaining 2 T butter and cook the mushrooms over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until browned. Add to the stew. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste. Serve hot.

Pantry Raid Dinner

2008-10-14T21:23:00.000-07:00

I have been trying not to go to the grocery store lately because every time I go to the grocery store I seem to spend a lot of money. I go to the store for eggs, grapes, and milk and I walk out a hundred dollars poorer. So I've been trying to use what's in my freezer and pantry for the most part and tonight it was kind of fun. Remember that show which used to be on the Food Network?--I think it was called Doorknock Dinners--where a chef would come to somebody's house and make a fabulous dinner out of whatever was in the kitchen. Sometimes it was kind of scary to see what people had in their refrigerator or freezer but the chef always came up with something great

Today I pulled a couple of boneless skinless chicken breasts out of the freezer and tried to ignore my temptation to go to the store "just for a package of mushrooms." I pulled out a can of artichoke hearts, a can of diced tomatoes, an onion, some garlic and I even found some dried mushrooms which I reconstituted in some warm water. I also had some leftover butternut squash, a box of vegetable broth, and some Israeli couscous, which apparently is actually pasta. I called my friend, the Israeli couscous expert, for some support, and with her on the phone, started cooking:

For the chicken dish, I sauteed some sliced onion in olive oil til it started turning golden. Then I added strips of chicken and kosher salt and pepper and continued to saute, adding chopped garlic at the end. I then removed the chicken, onion, and garlic from the pan, added a bit more oil, and threw in the drained artichoke hearts and mushrooms and more salt and pepper. When those were heated through and starting to brown, I added the chicken and onion mixture back in and added the drained diced tomatoes. I had reserved the tomato liquid and kept adding it back in til the dish was the consistency I wanted. After it was done I went outside and snipped some fresh rosemary, chopped it up, and sprinkled it over the chicken.

The point of all this is not that you have to have exactly the items above to make dinner--but rather that it is kind of fun to challenge yourself and see what you can create from what you have on hand. I could also have used some leftover spaghetti sauce for the chicken--or no sauce at all--maybe just a big squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

For the couscous--I sauteed the onion in a pot with some oil and was supposed to let the onion caramelize--per my friend's instructions, but I got a little impatient and just let them get soft and translucent. My friend told me to make the couscous like risotto, adding broth as it cooked and to cook the couscous til it was tender. I added several handfuls of couscous and some broth along with some salt and pepper. I kept stirring and adding broth and tasted it after a while--it's a little bland, I said to my friend, who was still in my ear. "Add the butternut squash," she suggested, "and a little brown sugar." I added some diced up cubes of already-cooked squash, along with a little brown sugar and some more salt and pepper. I tasted. It was delish! My friend, the couscous expert, is a genius! Now that I think about it a bit of butter at the end would have made the dish even better. Oh well, I still have some leftover squash left over so there's always tomorrow.......

Banana Bread with a Fantastic Twist!!!!

2008-10-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

I'm always searching for great banana bread recipes because I always have old--I mean--extra--bananas around. A while ago I saw a recipe for a Banana-Apple Bread on another blog and have been meaning to make it. The other day I got around to it and it was amazing. The apples--which you caramelize--make the bread incredibly moist and delicious. The combination of spices, caramelized apple chunks, and bananas is just perfect. This bread is so delicious that Mr. Minivan ate some and immediately asked me to stop baking--he just can't resist eating it. So here--via
Dinner and Dessert, who got it from A Whisk and a Spoon by way of the Sweet Melissa Baking Book, is Banana Apple Bread. Make it today!

BANANA APPLE BREAD

Apples:

2 T unsalted butter
3 T firmly packed brown sugar
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 t pure vanilla extract

Banana Bread:

2 C all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t kosher salt
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 C sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 C orange juice
1 t pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 C mashed very ripe bananas (2-3 bananas) NOTE: I used about 3 1/2 bananas

With your oven rack in the center of your oven, preheat to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour (or use a baking spray) a 1 1/2 quart loaf pan.

Prepare the apples: Preheat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter and brown sugar and heat until bubbling. Add the apples and cinnamon and saute til tender and golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

For the banana bread:
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine the orange juice and vanilla. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar til light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture, in three batches, alternating with the orange juice mixture. Mix well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each flour addition. Stir in the mashed bananas until combined. Then stir in the apples.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool IN pan on wire rack for about 20 minutes and then unmold loaf onto wire rack to continue cooling.

Aunt Carole's Famous Jello

2008-09-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

My Aunt Carole once arrived at our house with this fabulous jello mold. Everybody makes fun of Jello--but everyone loves it. Or, at least, they love THIS jello mold. Or is it jello salad? Maybe mold is the container? And do you really want to eat something called mold? Anyway, I make this for many events and it is always a big hit. Aunt Carole's version calls for chopped walnuts but when I started making it my kids were too little for nuts so I list nuts as an optional ingredient. It is, however, yummy WITH nuts. Oh, and also WITHOUT nuts.

AUNT CAROLE'S FAMOUS JELLO

1 6-oz pkg. lime Jello

2 C boiling water

1 pt. sour cream (I use LIGHT sour cream)

small jar maraschino cherries, drained and chopped

small can crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 C walnuts, chopped, optional

Using a whisk, mix Jello and boiling water until Jello is completely dissolved. Add sour cream and whisk together until no white bit remain. Add cherries, pineapple, and walnuts. Pour into Jello mold that has been sprayed with Pam. Refrigerate until solid and unmold.

Lovely Lamb Chops

2008-08-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

Next time you're at Costco buying a year's supply of chocolate chips and BBQ sauce, throw a package of their lamb chops into your cart. They are delicious. I like to marinate them in a ziplock for several hours or overnight and then grill them. Here's what I used:

LOVELY LAMB CHOPS

6 thick lamb chops

1/4 C olive oil

1 heaping T chopped garlic

1 heaping T dijon mustard

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper

lots of fresh rosemary, chopped

NOTE: some fresh lemon juice probably wouldn't hurt either! Grab a lemon and squeeze!

Put oil, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, and rosemary in a bowl and mix til combined. In a large ziplock bag place the lamb chops and the mixture. Close the bag, squeezing out any air, and "smush" the bag around til the lamb chops are coated. Refrigerate until ready to grill (or broil). Grill or broil til done and enjoy!

Banana Cake

2008-08-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

There is this cute little place in L.A. called Clementine's. They do a huge lunch business and have great salads, sandwiches, and desserts. The day I brought a piece of banana cake home Boys #1 and 2 practically licked the bakery box it came in--it was THAT good. So I was very happy to see a recipe in the L.A. Times a couple of weeks ago for Clementine's Banana Cake--along with the secret ingredient that makes this case light and delicious. It is pastry flour (not cake flour). I made this cake for the brunch we had last weekend and everyone loved it! Here goes:

CLEMENTINE'S BANANA CAKE

2 2/3 C pastry flour NOTE: I used whole wheat pastry flour

2 2/3 C sugar

3/4 t baking powder

1 1/2 t baking soda

1 t kosher salt

3 large or 4 small very ripe bananas

3 eggs

1/2 C buttermilk

3/4 C canola oil

1 1/2 t vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350°F. Into a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, mash the bananas. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until each is completely incorporated, then mix in the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Finally, mix the dry ingredients into the batter just until thoroughly combined.

Pour into a 9-by-13 inch greased pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (I would check at 30 minutes), until golden-brown on top, a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool on a rack. Frost with cream cheese frosting when cool.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 C plus 1 1/2 T cream cheese, at room temperature

5 T butter, room temperature

1/2 C powdered sugar

2 T sour cream

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a medium blow with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and there are no lumps. Add the butter and whip until incorporated, then add the powdered sugar and the sour cream. Frost the top of the cooled cake, then slice and serve.

The Lucky Winner!!! Or is it Winners????

2008-08-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

What if I held a giveaway and (almost) no one showed up? I feel like Mary Richards! For you 70 or so people who stopped by and didn't post a comment--maybe you should have. Because here is what I have to say to those who did. All two of you. YOU win a cookbook! And YOU win a cookbook! Everybody wins a cookbook!!! Yes, it's true--both Steve and Ellen are the lucky winners!! Winging its way to Ellen is The Silver Palate Cookbook 25th anniversary edition--beautifully illustrated with color photographs instead of the drawings in the original edition--don't miss the Chicken Marbella recipe!! And for Steve--if that's his real name--Steven Raichlen's BBQ USA featuring BBQ recipes from all over America! Check your mailbox and enjoy!! Oh, and the reference WAS "Try it, you'll like it" and it WAS from an Alka-Seltzer ad from the '70's.

Jump on the Short Rib Bandwagon

2008-08-27T20:20:00.000-07:00

Last night I did something a little crazy. I got home from the grocery store at 10 to 6 at night and decided to make short ribs for dinner. Not advisable. Short ribs are delicious but require a long, slow cooking time. The more I get to know short ribs, the more I love them. Boy #2 kept asking me when dinner would be ready and I kept saying "in about an hour." After the second or third time he caught on. This kind of meat is always better the next day in any case. And who decided cereal was a BREAKFAST food anyway?

This is the kind of recipe that is sometimes hard to re-create--because I sort of combined several recipes and just threw stuff in. All three of the recipes called for red wine but I didn't have any so I threw in half a bottle of beer--actually, I noticed the bottle was empty when I cleaned up --and I don't drink beer--so I think I actually used the whole bottle. This is a great dish to make the day before you want to eat it. That way you can remove any excess fat that will have solidified on the top. These short ribs are similar to brisket in that if they are too tough or chewy you have not overcooked them, you have undercooked them. When done, they should be fork-tender. This is a GREAT fall/winter dinner.

5-6 lbs short ribs--I used about 13 ribs

1/3-1/2 C flour for dredging and a little kosher salt and pepper

oil--for searing--I used canola

1 large onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 heaping tsp chopped garlic

2 C red wine or 1 bottle beer

2 C chicken broth--can also use beef or vegetable stock (NOTE--I added a spoonful of a veal demi-glace, too)

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

3 bay leaves

handful chopped parsley

2-3 large sprigs fresh rosemary

2 containers fresh mushrooms, washed and halved

3 carrots, in large chunks

Combine flour, salt and pepper and dredge the short ribs in the mixture. Shake off any excess. Heat a couple of tablespoons canola oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sear 4 or 5 short ribs at a time on all sides til brown. Put each rib in the pot and wait a minute or two to try to turn it over. When it is ready to be turned, it will release from the pot easily. Sear the meat in batches and do not crowd the pan. Transfer to bowl. After all meat is seared, reduce heat to medium and add diced onions and celery to pot. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for a few minutes and then add garlic. Cook for another minute or so, stirring to ensure garlic doesn't burn. Add wine or beer and chicken stock. Boil uncovered for a few minutes, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan. Add broth, tomatoes, bay leaves, parsley, and rosemary. Return ribs to the pot, cover partially, and simmer about 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and simmer until rib meat is tender, stirring occasionally--about 1 1/2 hours longer, adding mushrooms and carrots about 1/2 hour or 40 minutes before ribs are done.

Serve with pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread.

CONTEST OVER!!! Winner Announced Soon! Real People DO eat Quiche AND The First Ever IMTMM GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-08-24T14:36:00.000-07:00

Don't pay the ransom.....I escaped. Just kidding. About the ransom part. And the escaping part. I guess we've been on a break. And it's all my fault. I HAVE cooked in the last 10 months. I really have. But sometimes--OK, most of the time--I forget to pull my camera out. I am going to try to be a bit more responsible from now on though. Starting right now.

We had some friends over for brunch today and I pulled out a recipe I haven't used in years. A mom from the baby playgroup I joined with Boy #1 made this once and I thought it was both easy and delicious. At the brunch today, 2 of Boy #1's friends joined us, too, and I offered one of them a piece of quiche. "Have some, it's good," I said. "And real men DO eat it." "Huh?" he asked, looking at me as if I had two heads. I guess he's too young to remember THAT particular cultural reference. But the quiche IS good. Try it.....you'll like it!

GIVEAWAY: To win one of my favorite cookbooks (brand-new--not one from my collection--just one of my faves), please identify the quote in the above post that was the tag line for a well-known product. Do so in the Comments section of this post. Bonus points if you can identify both the quote and the product! If you have no idea what to guess just post a comment anyway and you'll be entered in this random drawing! Contest will end this Tuesday, August 26th, at 9 PM Pacific Time. Good luck!!

And now.........

JAN'S VEGETABLE QUICHE

1 T butter

1 cube vegetable or chicken bouillion

1 scallion, chopped

1 1/2 C cauliflower, chopped in small pieces (3/4") or any other vegetable or combination of vegetables --NOTE--I used broccoli AND cauliflower--about 1 C each

1/2 C chopped tomato

1/2 t chopped parsley

1/2 C shredded American chese (Velveeta works great!) NOTE--I used small cubes of Velveeta

1/2 C shredded Swiss cheese (you may use any combination of cheese you like to total 1 C)

1 8" frozen pie shell NOTE--I used a deep dish shell

1/4 C evaporated milk

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 t pepper

1/2 t Italian seasoning

1/2 T dry sherry

Preheat oven to 350 F. Melt butter in saute pan and break bouillion cube into it. Add scallion and vegetables and saute til vegetables are tender but a little crisp. Take off heat and add tomato, parsley, and cheese. Pour into pie shell and smooth. In a separate bowl, combine milk, eggs, pepper, Italian seasoning and sherry. Mix well. Pour over vegetables evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm. To reheat, place in 300 F oven for 5-20 minutes.

Food Network Wannabe

2007-10-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

I must admit that sometimes when I watch the Food Network, I can almost envision myself doing everything the TV chef is doing. I see myself smoothly dicing that onion, evenly sprinkling salt over the soon-to-be roasted vegetables, and rolling basil leaves together to chiffonade them. In my imagination, I can whip together a fabulous dinner in 30 minutes and serve it up to my eager family, who of course will appreciate my hard work and compliment the finished product. Or maybe not. The other day I watched a new Food Network show, The Gourmet Next Door. I think the host, the Gourmet, earned a spot on the Food Network line-up by winning a competition, which was also a show on the Food Network. Of course it was. Anyway, she whipped up an easy and impressive-looking chicken with a pan sauce as well as roasted potatoes and an endive and roasted beet salad. She also found time to make a layered ice cream terrine for dessert. I know--it's amazing--all in only 30 minutes. So I decided to make the chicken and potatoes. And some roasted broccoli. For some reason when I was at the store I also bought beets--but not for the salad--just to roast in solidarity with the Gourmet. The chicken was easy and very delicious. I didn't need her recipe to roast potatoes, but I used it anyway, so as not to hurt her feelings. Now if I could only get her staff over to my house to wash the dishes......

AMY FINLEY'S HERB-MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN PAILLARDS WITH PAN SAUCE

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders removed and trimmed of any cartilage
1 lemon, zested and juiced, 1 tablespoon juice reserved
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt, for seasoning
Pepper, for seasoning
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cold butter

One by one, place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, or inside of a resealable plastic bag, and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin or heavy-bottomed pan until about 1/2-inch thick. In a glass baking dish, combine the zest and all but 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice with 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the shallot, garlic, and a little more than 2 tablespoons of each of the chopped fresh herbs. (Reserve the remaining chopped herbs.) Add the pounded chicken breasts to the herb mixture and turn to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and put in the refrigerator to marinate, at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook, turning once, until cooked through and golden brown on both sides, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Cook the breasts 2 at a time if the pan is too small. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and the white wine to the pan, scraping to loosen any brown bits, and reduce until almost dry. Add the chicken broth and reduce by half, then off the heat add the reserved herbs and cold butter, swirling to melt the butter and thicken the sauce. Pour over the chicken paillards and serve immediately.

AMY FINLEY'S OVEN-ROASTED POTATOES

1/2 pound purple Peruvian potatoes, scrubbed clean (NOTE: I used all Yukon Gold potatoes)
1/2 pound red bliss potatoes, scrubbed clean
1/2 pound small new potatoes, scrubbed clean
8 small garlic cloves
2 large shallots, peeled and quartered
Rosemary or thyme sprigs (NOTE: Rosemary is great with potatoes. You can also omit both herbs and the potatoes will still be very good)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut the Peruvian potatoes in half or in quarters, about the same size as the small new potatoes. Do the same for the red bliss potatoes. Place all potatoes, garlic cloves, shallot quarters and rosemary sprigs on a baking sheet. Season well with salt and pepper and drizzle oil on top. Toss all to combine and coat in oil.

Place the potatoes in the oven and roast for about 30 to 40 minutes, shaking the baking sheet occasionally, until the potatoes are nicely browned and fork tender and the garlic cloves and shallots are caramelized.

Remove rosemary sprigs and serve immediately.

Classic Cookie Time or....How I Discovered the Secret to Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Even Trying

2007-09-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

I decided to bake some cookies today to give to a few people. I didn't feel like combing through my many cookbooks and cooking sites for new recipes, and instead went with two old, trusted recipes. Also known as back-of-the-box recipes. After all, the reason some recipes stay on the back of the box, or under the lid, is because they are great. Today's choices: Quaker Oatmeal's Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies (found under the lid), and Nestle's Tollhouse Cookies. Along with whipping up 2 batches of cookies, I also happened to discover the secret to perfect chocolate chip cookies. That is, perfect if you like gooey, soft, oozing-chocolate kind of cookies. That's right. You heard it here first. Or maybe second. Third? I don't know. Here it is: Take the cookies out of the oven when they are starting to brown on the bottom and still look undercooked on the top--even a bit pasty on the top. Then let them sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to a cooking rack. They will be golden brown, melt-in-your-mouth perfect. Trust me. I also used a Silpat baking mat and a medium scooper,both of which making baking so easy. The cookie scoop ensures that your cookies will be uniform in size and the mat makes removal of the cookies from the baking sheet as well as clean-up easy.

QUAKER OATMEAL'S VANISHING OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

1/2 pound (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened (I use butter for baking--let sit out on counter to soften)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins (I use a mix of dark and golden raisins and Craisins)
(Optional add-ins include 1 C chopped nuts and/or 1 C chocolate chips--can substitute for 1 C of the raisins if you like)

Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy. This is where your KitchenAid comes in handy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.
Use cookie scoop or tablespoon to place dough onto Silpat ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Check after 10 minutes. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

NOTE: I whipped up a pretty little glaze for the top--powdered sugar, a bit of vanilla, and milk. Whisk and add more sugar or milk til desired consistency. I used a squeeze bottle to apply. Consistency should not be runny. Glaze is not necessary--I just wanted to use the squeeze bottle!

TOLLHOUSE COOKIES

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

PREHEAT oven to 375° F. (I just realized I cooked them at 350 because I had baked the oatmeal cookies first. Note to self: Always read your directions completely before starting. Maybe the 350 temp is another secret to perfect chocolate chip cookies.....)

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by cookie scoop or rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven when cookies are just starting to brown on bottom and look not quite done on top. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Bear Weather Chili

2007-09-09T13:47:00.000-07:00

Football is very important in our house. Some of us are heavily into fantasy football and SOME of us, cough-cough, are heavily into real football. As you may know, I am into football purely for the social aspects of it. I'm not ashamed to admit it. It is also an excuse to create a nice little football spread, and what says "football" on a 75-degree LA day better than chili? As with all chili this recipe is better if made a day or two before it is served. That gives all the flavors a chance to meld.

BEAR WEATHER CHILI

2 T olive oil
1 1/2 - 2 C chopped onions
1-2 carrots, peeled and diced small
1-2 stalks celery, diced small
2 to 3 lg. garlic cloves, chopped
2-3 lbs ground chuck ( I used ground turkey and ground chuck--probably a total of about 3 1/2 lbs)
5 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
1 t dried basil
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t dried thyme
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 14 1/2 oz can chicken broth (I use the lower-sodium kind)
1 12-oz bottle beer
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 15-16-oz can chili beans
2-3 cans beans, drained (kidney, black, cannellini, etc.)
kosher salt and pepper, to taste
chopped fresh cilanto (optional)
Your favorite chili toppings for serving--sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, chopped onions, etc

Heat oil in large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Saute until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add garlic. Add ground meat and saute until brown, breaking up meat with spoon, about 5 minutes. Drain off oil. Add chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano and thyme. Stir for 2 minutes. Mix in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, beer and tomato paste. Simmer until thickened to desired consistency, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Mix in beans; simmer 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve. Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Refrigerate until cold, then cover. Rewarm over low heat before serving. Serves 8 to 10 football, cooking, and shopping fans.

NOTE: Cooking is an art, baking is a science. What this means is that in baking you need to follow the recipe pretty much as written. In most cooking recipes, however, you have a little more wiggle room. For this recipe what it means is, if you don't have celery, don't worry about it. If you don't have onions or carrots, go to the store, however! If you want to use half beef and half turkey, that's OK. If you want to use 4 lbs of meat and 1 can of beans go ahead. If you want to add an extra can of diced tomatoes or a little bit of crushed red or cayenne pepper for more heat, that's fine too. Enjoy!

First Day of School Sour Cream Coffeecake

2007-09-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

When I was in college my friend Linda shared her mother's coffeecake recipe with me. Actually, Linda always called it "Jewish Sour Cream Coffeecake" because her mother's friend, who had given her the recipe, was Jewish! I made this at about 11:30 the night before the first day of school this year. I had volunteered to bring something to the first day coffee, and this is always a hit. I cut the cake into nice little squares and put the squares into white muffin cups. I put them on a disposable tray because I didn't want to wait around at the coffee to retrieve one of my nicer serving platters. I took the tray into the cafeteria and went out in the hall to schmooze with some moms I knew. Five minutes later I poked my head back into the cafeteria to see how the coffeecake was going over and all I saw was....my empty tray. Not even an empty muffin cup remained! I grabbed the tray and went home. This is a great brunch item, too.

CATHOLIC LINDA'S JEWISH SOUR CREAM COFFEECAKE

BATTER:

1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened (I use butter and if I am baking in the morning I take the butter out the night before and let it soften in a dish on the counter)
2 C sugar
1 pint sour cream (I usually use light)
2 t baking soda
4 eggs
2 t vanilla
3 C flour
2 t baking powder

TOPPING:

1 C sugar
2 t cinnamon
1 C chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. If you have a KitchenAid or other mixer, this is the time to drag it out. Add sour cream and baking soda. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla, flour, and baking powder. Mix together. In a separate bowl mix together topping ingredients until well blended. Use a 9 x 13 pan (I usually use Pyrex). Pour 1/2 the batter in and smooth. Sprinkle 1/2 the topping over the batter. Using a knife, swirl the topping into the batter. Then pour on the rest of the batter and smooth. Sprinkle the rest of the topping over the batter. Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes. Check after 50 minutes by sticking a toothpick into the cake. If the toothpick comes out dry it is done. I usually find that about 55-60 minutes is perfect. This cake also freezes nicely. I made 2 for a brunch about a week ahead of time and froze in the Pyrex dishes.