Mar 04 2 comments
Beef, Main Dish, Pasta Entree, Recipes, Restaurants

Cincinnati Chili

chilithreeway

How we came to know Cincinnati Chili

Last summer we went to North and South Carolina and on our way there, we stopped by my brother-in-law’s place in Florence, KY. He lives in Kentucky, but Cincinnati is so close that you can see it from his condo. It was our first time visiting and we were there for only a short time, but he recommended we check out Skyline Chili. This midwest chain is big all around Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana with some locations in Florida. I’m all up for trying new things, but in the far back of my mind I was wondering what was special about this particular chili. Chili is chili, right? At Skyline, their chili has unique spices like cinnamon and allspice that change the flavor of your average chili. One of their most famous meals is called the Three Way, spaghetti topped with their famous chili and lots of finely shredded cheddar cheese. We loved this chili with its unique spices and a week ago I saw that Cook’s Country had a recipe for Cincinnati Chili! Could it be? Could I possibly make my own at home?!? Our homemade version was really, really good. You can taste those earthy spices and there aren’t any hot spices which is perfect for people that don’t like spice, but serve with your favorite hot sauce for an extra kick. The chili is also very meaty. This would be a great recipe for a crowd. It makes a great chili all by itself, but try it on top of spaghetti with cheese. It may sound strange, but it is really delicious.

Horrific Story

This recipe almost broke me last week. The following is an unappetizing and ridiculous story, but every time I make this chili, I will think of this first experience, so here goes. I looked at the recipe a week ago and saw that it was very simple and would come together quickly. I had almost all of the ingredients already in my pantry and I was planning on making it on Monday evening after work. As my onions were browning, I started to put the spices in a small white bowl and suddenly I saw…gulp…2 small bugs! Please don’t leave my blog. I’m not gross, promise. I was horrified into stunned silence. I seriously did not know what to do since this had never, ever happened before. I try to be so careful about how long I’ve had my spices. As my onions turned from brown to black I vented my frustrations to Marc while he was attempting to solve a work problem on his laptop. I finally snapped out of it and decided that the spice culprit must be the allspice. I purchased it about a year ago and I use it sparingly, so I figured, yep, that was it. Monday dinner was ruined. I dumped the bowl of spices in the trash along with any remotely suspect spice in my cabinet and then had to clean burned onions out of my pot for a meal that never was, grrr. Marc noticed my foul mood and told me to take a seat and he would whip up some spaghetti quickly. The next morning I bought some new oregano and allspice from the grocery store and was ready for round #2. This time, I started with the spices and thank goodness I did, because when I poured out my fancy (not even two months old) ancho chili powder that I purchase from a boutique spice place in my hometown, I saw something. Those somethings were not alive, but I will not expound further as not to gross you out. I couldn’t believe it. I was going to have to go to the grocery store again to buy chili powder.  In the end, the dish was worth the trouble because it made for a very tasty Sunday afternoon and now we have a memorable story that we’ll laugh about one day.

Cincinnati Chili

Recipe from Cook’s Country

Serves 6 to 8 for just chili, but can serve more on top of spaghetti

1 T. vegetable oil

2 onions, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 T. tomato paste

2 T. chili powder

1 T. dried oregano

1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. salt, plus more to taste

3/4 t. ground black pepper

1/4 t. ground allspice

2 C. low sodium chicken broth

2 C. canned tomato sauce

2 T. cider vinegar

2 t. dark brown sugar

1 1/2 lbs. 85% lean ground beef

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook onions until soft and brown around edges. Add garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, salt, pepper and allspice and cook until fragrant., about 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth, tomato sauce, vinegar and brown sugar.

2. Add beef and stir to break up meat. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chili is deep brown and slightly thickened, 15-20 minutes. Add salt to taste and serve. Chili can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen up to 2 months.

Three Way Chili

1 batch of Cincinnati chili-recipe above

1 lb. spaghetti

2 C. cheddar cheese, shredded on the fine side of a box grater

your favorite hot sauce

1. Cook spaghetti al dente while your chili is simmering away.

2. Add a portion of spaghetti to the plate, top with chili and a generous amount of cheese. Add a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce, if desired.

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Feb 25 3 comments
Bread, Recipes, Vegetarian

Easy Boule

bakedboule

Holy deliciousness. A few month ago I added the book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day to my Amazon order, ya know, because I needed to reach the free shipping level. I learned so much from my first read through and was excited at the prospect of  fresh bread whenever I wanted it. They recommend using a pizza stone and pizza peel, both of which I do not own, so I put the book on the shelf. Out of sight, out of mind, you know how it goes. Then, a few weeks ago, I was hanging around Honey and Jam (love that blog) and noticed that she baked her bread in her cast iron skillet in the oven. Why didn’t I think of that?? Almost simultaneously the Artisan Bread in Five website posted that instead of using the pizza peel you could put your loaf on a sheet of parchment and remove the parchment 10 minutes before baking is finished to brown the bottom crust. Suddenly, I was out of excuses for not making this bread. Don’t make the same mistake, this bread is soooo good. A beautiful crunchy crust surrounds a spongy and flavorful interior. It reminds me of bread that we used to get at an Italian deli when I was a kid. While we were eating the first loaf, Marc kept looking at me with disbelief. He loved it and couldn’t belief how impressive the results were with very little effort.

cutboule2

You can find the recipe on Hannah’s wonderful blog or purchase the book. The only special purchase I made for this bread was a dough-rising bucket because with the master recipe you make enough dough for several loaves. I purchased mine from King Arthur Flour and used my husband’s drill to make a small hole in the top of the lid. Your rising bucket needs a place for air to escape and you can choose to keep the lid slightly ajar or drill a small hole in the top of the lid.

doughbucket

Some tips I found helpful:

*You bake this bread in 1 lb. loaves. It is helpful to have a scale to know you’re at about 1 lb.

*If you do not have a pizza stone or pizza peel, simply put your cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat it as you would the pizza stone according to the directions. Put your dough ball on a small piece of parchment to rest and when it’s time to bake, transfer the parchment with dough to the skillet.

*Drill a small hole in the top of your dough-rising bucket and then you can snap the lid shut when storing it in the refrigerator.

*Don’t be afraid to let this sucker get nice and brown on the outside. The dough is intentionally a bit wetter than normal bread dough and can stand the prolonged baking without getting dry in the middle. For me this takes about 30-35 minutes.

*There is no proofing and no kneading with this bread. Do you honestly need another reason to try this bread?

*Do not, I repeat, do not buy this book and put it on your bookshelf. Give it a shot and be amazed. I can’t wait to take a loaf home to my parents and knock their socks off.

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Feb 20 3 comments
Pasta Entree, Recipes, Vegetarian

Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

gnocchiwithsauce

When there’s gnocchi on the menu, Marc is sure to order it. He loves those potato dumplings something fierce. I was in high school the first time I ordered gnocchi and they were dryish, flavorless and a bit tough. For a long time Marc and I were on opposite sides of team gnocchi. I’ve tried a bite when Marc orders them and one bite was always more than plenty…until last summer. We were starving and made an impromptu visit to an established Italian restaurant. Our waitress was a middle-aged, speedy and matter-of-fact gal that you could tell had been doing this a while. The owner was a friendly, older gentlemen that was greeting guests at the door and walking around to say hi. I ordered the Grand Marnier chicken that was very tasty and Marc ordered, you guessed it, gnocchi. Things were different, though, this time around because it happened to be the tastiest gnocchi in the world. The gnocchi was tender and dressed in the most addicting Gorgonzola cream sauce. It was ultra creamy and had the perfect bite from the Gorgonzola. I seriously took at least 3 bites from poor Marc’s plate and for the first time in our relationship I wanted to switch dishes immediately. Sadly, Marc is not a fan of chicken and I never order pasta in a cream sauce for my poor waistline’s sake, so my 3 bites had to be enough.

gnocchiingredients gnocchionbits

This Valentine’s Day, I finally decided to take the plunge and try my hand at gnocchi because I knew Marc would love it and I was interested in the technique. I did some research online and found a great recipe from Bon Appétit via Epicurious that looked very simple and tasty. I saw in the reviews that some people had trouble with their gnocchi dough and I knew exactly who to turn to, Lidia Bastianich. She is (in my opinion) the queen of Italian cooking. Her regional, yet simple preparations of great quality food finds me tuning into PBS every weekend. Her gnocchi recipe has more lengthy directions, but it’s not more difficult, just more clear. Lidia’s recipe produced the most tender gnocchi I’ve ever tried and the cream sauce was a rich and creamy accompaniment. The sauce was not as addicting as the one in that Italian restaurant, but I think I’m making a spot for gnocchi in my life. This recipe is gnocchi-lover approved and was a fun meal to share.

gnocchionpan

Potato Dough for Gnocchi

Recipe from Lidia Bastianich

Makes enough for 6 first course or 4 main dish servings

1 1/2 lbs. baking potatoes (all the same size)

3/4 t. salt

2 large eggs, beaten well

1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour, plus more for working with the dough

1. Put the potatoes, whole and skin-on in a large pot with cold water covering them by at least 2 inches. Bring to a steady boil and cook just until they are easily pierced with a fork or sharp knife blade-don’t let them overcook or let skins burst.

2. Lift potatoes from the water and drain. Peel and press through a potato ricer or food mill (or alternately mash well with a potato masher) while they are still as hot as you can handle, so their moisture will evaporate. Spread the potatoes in a thin layer onto a baking sheet, sprinkle salt all over them and let them cool and dry for preferably 2 to 3 hours. *This is where Lidia’s recipe differs, the drying and cooling of the potatoes helps make the dough easier to work with.

3. To mix the dough, pile the dried potatoes in a large loose mound on a work surface. Pour the beaten eggs over them and sprinkle 1 C. of the flour on top. Set aside the additional 1/2 C. of flour and then using your hands, work in the eggs, mixing and moistening the flour and potatoes. Gather into a single mass and knead for several minutes, scraping in sticky bits from your work surface and hands. Incorporate the additional flour in small amounts, only as needed, until the dough is smooth, soft and only slightly sticky. Too much flour will make the gnocchi heavy and dry. Form the gnocchi as quickly as possible so it does not dry out. *This is another important tip from Lidia, make sure you are ready to form your gnocchi as soon as you combine the dough or they will dry out.

4. Cut the finished dough into 4 pieces. Dust the work surface and your hands with flour. Roll one piece under your hands into a thick cylinder and gradually stretch it into a long rope, about 1/2 inch thick. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, slice the rope crosswise into 1/4-1/2 inch lengths; sprinkle pieces with flour. *I adjusted the measurements here because I liked the gnocchi a bit smaller, for Lidia’s original recipe click the link above.

5. To prepare a spot for your finished gnocchi, put a clean kitchen towel onto a rimmed baking sheet and flour the towel. To shape traditional gnocchi, hold a dinner fork, tines downward at an angle to your work surface. Place one of the cut sides of a piece of dough against the tines. With your lightly floured thumb, press into the dough on the other cut side and push it off the end of the fork onto the work surface. It will be hollow and curved where you pressed it and ridged on the side that rolled off of the fork. Press and roll the other cut pieces into gnocchi, dust them with flour and set in a single layer on your prepared sheet, not touching. *The shaping was tricky. It’s best to work quickly and not fuss about the shape because the more you try, the less of a ridge you will have. My gnocchi turned out pretty “rustic” but I have hope that I can get the hang of it someday. Lidia’s small grandchildren can do this expertly, surely I might be able to?

6. Cook gnocchi in large pot of boiling salted (*properly salting the water is important for flavor) water until gnocchi are tender and rise to the surface, about 5 minutes.

Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Adapted from Bon Appétit via Epicurious

Makes enough for 6 first course servings

1 C. whipping cream

7 oz. Gorgonzola cheese

pinch freshly grated nutmeg

chopped fresh chives

1. Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. *You can heat the cream at the same time as you heat the water for the gnocchi to have them both ready at the same time.

2. Add Gorgonzola and pinch of nutmeg, whisk until melted.

3. Spoon sauce over gnocchi and sprinkle with chives and Parmesan, if desired; serve.

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Feb 11 2 comments
Main Dish, Recipes, Seafood

Crunchy Fish Wrap with Spicy Mayo

openfishwrap

I have this lofty goal of one day having a binder full of delicious recipes I can make in no time at all and when I start to think that dream is impossible, a miracle recipe like this comes along. I took a technique for fish I saw on Everyday Food and turned it into a different, but delicious recipe.

fishwraptoppings fishinskillet

Crunchy Fish Wrap

my recipe adapted from Everday Food, serves 3-4

1 lb. cod filet (or your favorite white fish), cut into 1″ strips

3 T. cornmeal (medium ground)

coarse salt and ground pepper

3 T. oil (high heat, flavorless variety)

Large handful of baby spinach

1 tomato, sliced or diced

1 avocado, sliced

4 whole wheat tortillas or other whole grain wrap

Spicy Mayo

1/2 C. good mayonnaise

1 t. cayenne pepper (it’s pretty spicy, but you spread it lightly)

*Have your wrap toppings ready because the fish cooks quickly!*

1. Pat fish dry and place in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle corn meal, salt and pepper over fish and toss to coat.

2. Heat oil in a cast iron or non-stick skillet over high heat. Brown fish on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Do not move fish during the first 2 minutes so it develops a nice golden brown crust. If you move it too soon, the fish will fall apart.

4. While fish is cooking, combine mayo and cayenne into a small bowl and mix well.

5. Transfer finished fish to a paper-towel lined plate and sprinkle with a bit more coarse salt, if desired.

6. Heat wraps in oven or microwave to soften or use my favorite method- put wrap or tortilla directly onto a medium-heat gas burner for a a few seconds until you see some dark brown spots, flip with tongs until the tortilla is warm and slightly crispy.

7. To assemble, take a warm tortilla or wrap, spread a layer of spicy mayo over it and then layer your favorite toppings with a few piece of crispy fish. Roll tortilla and serve.

Mmmm....spicy, crunchy goodness

Mmmm....spicy, crunchy goodness

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Jan 30 3 comments
Brownies, Chocolate, Dessert, Recipes

Dark Cocoa Brownies for Coco

finishedbrownies

I’m really not a weeper, but I have to admit to the world that I was a bit teary-eyed when Conan O’Brien thanked his band, crew and fans for their support and said goodbye to The Tonight Show. Everyone has their favorite late night host and for me, it’s always been Conan. His awkward charm and self-deprecating humor made his show a pleasure to watch. For those that may not know, Tom Hanks gave him the nickname “Coco” a few months back and I’m dedicating these dark cocoa brownies to Coco. On Conan’s last day I changed my Facebook status to “Sad it’s Coco’s last day” and a friend from high school sent me her condolences on the death of my pet. Ha! We had a good laugh about that after I explained.

Now let’s get to some brownies…and I love me some brownies. I’m kind of particular, but I think others may agree with my view of brownies. Fudgy, made with high quality chocolate or cocoa, no chocolate chips for me, but nuts are ok. I also am very fond of dark chocolate and when I saw dark chocolate brownies on The Craving Chronicles, I was jumping up and down. She used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa, but I realized I had seen black cocoa at King Arthur Flour. I added some of this black magic to my KAF order and waited for my delivery.

cocoaandbowl cupwithcocoa

They are not kidding when they say black cocoa. It is dark and once you add your wet ingredients in, it looks like you’ve made oil. And the photo shoot was no picnic. The brownies mocked me as the natural sunlight bounced off its shiny black crust. I brought these to my in-laws and everyone loved them. They taste like soft Oreos and I think they would make a killer Oreo trifle of some sort, but they were a bit cakey for my brownie tastes.  I don’t think it was the recipe since the picture over at The Craving Chronicles looked perfectly fudgy. I think it was too much black magic. If anyone has ever had the dream to incorporate chocolate in every room of the house, I believe you could grout tile with this cocoa powder. When I scraped the bowl, the batter left behind hardened and stuck. If you needed to occupy some kids, give them this bowl to lick and they’ll be working on it for days. I tweeted about my brownies and KAF suggested mixing their black cocoa with regular cocoa so that the deep cocoa is an accent. And that’s just what I did with the next batch.

bowlwithbatter spatula

batterinpan browniesinpan1

Brownie attempt #2. I used a different recipe that looked easy and the pictured brownies looked amazing. The first Oreo-like recipe was adapted from a KAF recipe and this next recipe was also from KAF for Deep-Dark Fudgy Brownies.  These were really good. So good, that I made my husband take the bulk of them to work as not to tempt myself to eat the entire batch. Marc returned with an empty container and apparently the whole office was buzzing and wondering who had brought in the “black brownies”. I tweaked the recipe a bit because I cannot help myself, so I will share my changes with you.

finishedbrownie2

Deep-Dark Fudgy Brownies

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

1/3 C. black cocoa

1/3 C. regular cocoa (I used Droste cocoa)

1 C. granulated sugar

1/2 C. confectioner’s sugar

1 t. kosher salt (or 3/4 t. regular salt)

1 C. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 T. espresso powder

1 C. toasted almonds, chopped

3 large eggs

1/2 C. vegetable oil

2 T. water (or brewed coffee)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease an 8×8 square pan.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cocoas, sugars, salt, flour, espresso powder and nuts.

3. Add the eggs, oil and water or coffee, mixing just until smooth. Spoon the mixture into a lightly greased 8×8 square pan, smoothing the top.

4.  Bake brownies for approximately 30-40 minutes, but check early. Mine were done in about 30 minutes.  To check for doneness, stick the tip of  a sharp knife into the center and wiggle around enough to see what’s going on. If the batter under the crust is still shiny and smooth, they are not done. Put back in and check frequently If the batter is ultra-moist and crumbly looking, they are done.

5. Place pan on a cooling rack and cool for 1 hour before slicing into 16 rich brownies.

6. Raise your brownie in the air and toast Conan before taking a delicious bite.

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Jan 23 6 comments
Breakfast, Recipes, Vegetarian

Best Waffles, Ever?

waffles

I’m on the hunt for the perfect waffles to serve at a bridal breakfast I’m throwing for my sister-in-law. I now have tried 4 different waffle recipes in the past couple of months and I think I’ve found a winner. Obsessed much? Yes. If you can believe it, the winning batter is entitled “The Best Waffles Ever” from King Arthur Flour. These waffles are crisp on the outside, tender on the inside and barely sweet. They are the perfect waffles to drizzle with my all-time favorite Blueberry Maple Syrup. What? I never shared that recipe with you? Well, that changes today. It’s sweet from the real maple syrup and brown sugar, bright and fresh from the addition of lemon juice and the touch of nutmeg really sends it over the top. And for Joy the Baker fans out there, I’m adding brown sugar bacon to the batter. She is the queen of breakfast, so I had a feeling some of my research would take me there.

wafflebatter waffleiron

Best Waffles Ever

Recipe from King Arthur Flour adapted with KAF reader tips

Makes 2 waffles (each waffle has 4 sections)

2 large eggs, separated

1 1/2 C. buttermilk

2 T. water

2 T. unsalted butter, melted or oil (ATK Twitter tip: use oil for extra crispiness)

1 C. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 T. yellow cornmeal

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. sugar (you can add more if like your waffles sweeter)

1. In a large bowl, beat together the egg yolks, buttermilk, water and oil or butter until well combined.

2. In a separate bowl sift together the dry ingredients and then gently stir them into the wet ingredients.

3. Beat egg whites until stiff and then gently fold them into the batter (fold in your bacon bits at this time, too, if using. Recipe below).

4. Cook waffles according to the directions on your waffle maker. KAF commenter tip: If you don’t have a fancy waffle iron that flips, he suggests flipping your waffle iron upside down for the first 2 minutes and then flip back for the rest of the cooking time. Make sure to use your oven mitts, it gets steamy!

Note: The recipe from KAF says that it makes 3 waffles and I’m not sure if it’s because their waffle iron was different than mine. I have a pretty standard Krups waffle iron, but I’d love to hear if you have different results.

bacon

Brown Sugar Bacon

Recipe from Joy the Baker

10 slice of high quality bacon

1/4 C. brown sugar

fresh cracked black pepper (if you’re feeling adventurous)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

2. Arrange bacon in single layer on foil. Sprinkle with brown sugar (and cracked black pepper, if you want).

3. Place in upper third of your oven and bake until sugar is caramelized and bacon is brown and crispy, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven.

4. Immediately remove the bacon slices using a pair of tongs. Place them on a cutting board (not on paper towels, they will stick!) to cool before chopping.

5. Once cool, chop into bite size bits. Add to the batter along with stiff egg whites and fold gently. Do not overmix or you’ll have tough waffles on your hands.

Note: Joy also has a waffle recipe if you follow her link. Her waffles are great, but the KAF recipe is my new favorite. This amount of bacon is enough for a double batch of the above recipe.

May I be so bold as to call this next recipe…

Best Maple-Blueberry Sauce Ever!

Recipe from Krups recipe booklet

Serves 4 (depending on how much you like syrup)

1/4 C. brown sugar

1/2 C. real maple syrup (sorry Aunt Jemima)

2 C. fresh or frozen blueberries (frozen works great)

1 T. cornstarch

1/2 C. water

1 T. lemon juice

1/8 t. nutmeg

1. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Gradually blend in maple syrup and water.

2. Cook, stirring until thick and bubbly, about 1 minute. Stir in blueberries, lemon juice and nutmeg. Cool slightly. Pour over waffles. Bask in breakfast euphoria.

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Jan 16 3 comments
Cocktail, Recipes

A Great Gin and Tonic

Hendricks

There’s a restaurant that Marc and I love for special occasions and not only is their food excellent, the cocktails are fantastic, too. It’s a chain restaurant, but stepping into a Mitchell’s Fish Market, you could never confuse it with an Applebee’s. I’m not much of a drinker, but once I tasted what a fine drink they make at Mitchell’s, a whole new world of cocktails was opened to me. One evening, their frequent bartender Barry whipped up something so fresh and bright that I looked at him like he had suddenly acquired a second head. I was amazed. And it was Barry who turned us on to Hendrick’s Gin. This particular gin is infused with cucumber and rosewater and the infusions can take certain drinks to the next level. The flavors are divine in the Cucumber Basil Cocktail I made over the summer. The company’s website is entertaining and I even took a picture of the tag that comes on the bottle because it cracked me up.

It says, "Loved by a tiny handful of people all over the world. Hendrick's. It is not for everyone."

It says, "Loved by a tiny handful of people all over the world. Hendrick's. It is not for everyone."

Inside it says, "preferred by 1 out of 1,000 gin drinkers. Which is fine by us, (it's not easy making this stuff)."

Inside it says, "preferred by 1 out of 1,000 gin drinkers. Which is fine by us, (it's not easy making this stuff)."

They recommend that you garnish this Gin and Tonic with a slice of cucumber instead of lime and let me tell you, it’s like a whole new experience. The fresh scent of cucumber hits you every time you take a sip.

Great Gin and Tonic

Recipe from Mr. Boston

Makes 1 drink

2 oz. Hendrick’s Gin

Tonic Water

Cucumber Slice

1. Fill a highball or collins glass with fresh ice.

2. Pour gin into the glass and fill the rest with tonic water.

3. Stir, if you like, but the bubbly tonic will blend the drink properly.

4. Garnish with a fresh cucumber slice.

I’ve recently discovered and have been digging Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s blog. He’s a master bartender that has tried and true drink recipes. He even shows you how to make your own grenadine and tonic water! I also love his humor and writing style. His article on the 10 Myths You’ve Probably Heard in Bars is an interesting and funny read. He even inspired me to change the name of the Cucumber Basil Martini to a Cucumber Basil Cocktail. The other thing I love about his blog is that the comments his readers leave are almost as interesting as the posts themselves. And maybe one of these days I’ll whip up his recipe for tonic water and make the best Gin and Tonic, ever!

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Jan 10 NO comments
Main Dish, Recipes, Seafood, Soup, Vegetarian

2010 and Mushroom Tarragon Soup

Mushroom Tarragon Soup

Happy New Year! I am hoping 2010 will be an exciting year of more exercise (what a terrible cliche!) and my first full year of liking mushrooms. Mushrooms and I have had a hard relationship in the past, but I’ve decided we can make things work. Since our Michigan weather is now really cold and that white stuff is all over the ground, all I seem to want these days is soup. Maybe I want to be in one of the Campbell’s soup commercials. Remember the one with the boy that is a snowman and the soup defrosts him? While at my parents’ for the holidays, Marc and I went to one of our favorite new restaurants, “The Biscuit” and had a delicious Mushroom Tarragon soup. It was a bit creamy, but it wasn’t super thick. For me, it was perfection. It was silky and just really good. To combine my dreams of being in a soup commercial and my new found love of the mushroom, I sought to recreate the delicious soup. After some internet research, I think I found the perfect one. It’s full of flavor and gets its creamy texture from some low-fat milk and blending half of the soup. I know I said in a previous post that I don’t like getting out my food processor or blender for soups, but after working hard to chop the ingredients, I did not want to taste the soup and feel like it might have been better. The chopping is pretty labor intensive, but it’s worth it. I promise.

Mushroom Soup Ingredients Shallots in Pot

Mushroom Tarragon Soup

Adapted from Epicurious

Serves 4-6

1 T. butter (or olive oil)

4 shallots, minced

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups cremini mushrooms, minced

1 1/4 C. vegetable stock

1 1/4 C. 1% milk (you could use 2%, whole or half and half if you would like it extra creamy)

2 T. fresh tarragon, chopped

2 T. dry sherry

1 t. salt (more to taste)

1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper (more to taste)

1. Melt butter (or add olive oil) in a large pot. Add the shallots and garlic and cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the mushrooms and cook gently for 4 minutes, stirring.

3. Add the stock and milk and bring to a boil (watch carefully as the milk can make this boil over quickly). Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until mushrooms are soft.

4. Stir in the chopped tarragon, salt and pepper. Taste and check if you need more seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste.

5. Ladle half of the soup into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return the pureed portion back to the pot and reheat slowly on medium low heat.

6. Stir in sherry. Serve immediately.

You know what else I’m resolving to do in 2010? I want to use up ingredients in my fridge before they go bad or before I’m sick of looking at them. I get very sad when I have to throw food in the garbage. Since this is my first time ever purchasing tarragon, I was trying to think of a way to use up the rest of my package. When I opened the package, there was a dandy marinade recipe inside and I quickly thought of a beautiful piece of halibut I had in the fridge. Oh yes, I used all of my tarragon and made two delicious and healthy dinners from it. Score.

HalibutwithSpinach

Tarragon Chili Marinade

Recipe from The Herbal Garden package of tarragon

I made half of the recipe and it made enough for a marinade for 1 lb. of halibut and enough left over to dress a spinach salad and spoon over the top of the finished dish. Below are the measurements I used, but you can double it if you’d like more.

1/2 pkg. of tarragon (or approximately 6 T. of tarragon)

1/8 C. chili powder (I used good quality ancho chili powder)

4 cloves garlic

1/4 C. lemon juice (I juiced 1 lemon)

1/8 honey (I had agave nectar on hand)

1/8 C. sweet molasses

1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil

salt to taste (I used about 1/2-1 t.)

Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor, except for extra virgin olive oil and blend well. With blender or food processor running, stream in olive oil (this was tricky with my blender, because it wanted to spit out of the top. I ended up adding a bit at a time and covering the blender completely after each addition and it worked just fine). Adjust with salt or chili powder to your taste.

Halibut with Tarragon Chili Marinade

my recipe, if you want to call it a recipe

3/4-1 lb. halibut filet (or your favorite firm, white fish)

1 batch of Tarragon Chili Marinade (recipe above)

4-6 C. baby spinach leaves

1 orange, supremed

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and add halibut filet. Cover the fish generously with about half of the marinade recipe. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wipe off all of the marinade from the halibut and discard so the sugars in the marinade do not burn in the oven. Bake halibut for 15-25 minutes or until it flakes easily.

3. Toss a few tablespoons of the marinade with spinach and add orange slices.

4. Add generous helping of salad to plate and serve halibut over the salad. Spoon extra marinade over, if desired.

We love, love, loved the soup. So flavorful and interesting from the combination of flavorful mushrooms and tarragon. We were really happy with how the halibut turned out, too. The marinade is sweet from the molasses and has a kick from the chili powder and garlic. I thought the orange in the salad really made the flavors come to life. This marinade would be really good with shrimp, pork, chicken, veggies, anything really. I like how 2010 is going already.

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Dec 22 5 comments
Bread, Dessert, Recipes

Christmas Stollen

Yeasted Stollen with Powd SugarMy Oma used to bring Stollen, a German Christmas bread, for Christmas every year. It was lovingly packaged in wax paper and again in aluminum foil. As kids, the glistening sugar crust was the best part. My Mom has insisted since my Oma’s passing that the last year she made it was the best, but sadly my Oma did not have a recipe box and I was never able to see her exact recipe. A week ago I went on an extensive search for Stollen recipes and there are tons of recipes out there, but I was looking for the rum/almond type since it was most like my Oma’s. There are many spiced recipes, usually with cardamom that sound delicious, like this one recommended by The Honey Eater that I will definitely be making another time. I combined a few elements from different recipes to come up with the yeast Stollen I made and then I also adapted a quick Stollen recipe from King Arthur Flour that uses baking powder to help it rise a bit and has the unique addition of ricotta cheese. I thought these two recipes had similar fruits and flavoring like I was looking for, but I was interested in the different approaches to the recipes.

My Stollen Tips

  • Soaking the dried fruit in dark rum is a good idea. It plumps the fruit and adds great flavor.
  • After the Stollen has baked, brushing it with melted butter and sprinkling with powdered sugar seals in the flavor and makes the crust extra tasty. I think repeating this process and creating two layers is a good idea, too.
  • Use your favorite dried fruits. Traditionally, you’d see citron and candied cherries in Stollen, but I prefer to use raisins, currants, apricots and cherries.
  • Toast the slivered almonds, always!
  • I used the Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor because I happen to be placing an order at King Arthur Flour and saw it was recommended for their Stollen recipe. It is not heavy or artificial tasting, it just adds a nice hint of sweetness.

Sweet Dough Flavor

Yeasted Stollen

Makes 2 loaves, adapted from several sources.

1/2 C. raisins

1/2 C. dried currants

1/2 C. dried apricots

1/2 C. dried cherries

1/3 C. dark rum

4 1/2 C. all-purpose flour, plus additional as needed

2 (1/4 oz.) pkg. active dry yeast or 2 scant T.

1/3 C. sugar

1 1/2 t. salt

1/2 C. milk

1/2 C. water

4 T. butter, cut up

1 t. grated lemon rind

2 eggs

1 t. almond extract

1/2 C. slivered blanched almonds, toasted and cooled

4 T. melted butter

powdered sugar

1 1/2 t. buttery sweet dough flavor (from King Arthur Flour, optional but good)

1. Combine raisins, currants, apricots, cherries and rum in a bowl and let stand at least 1 hour or overnight.

2. Stir together 2 C. of the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in large bowl. Heat milk, water, butter and lemon rind in a small saucepan over low heat until warm (115-120 degrees, optimal temp. for the yeast). Add to flour mixture along with eggs and almond extract (and buttery sweet dough flavor if using). Beat at low speed of electric mixture until flour is moistened. Beat at medium speed until well combined.

Warmed Milk Mixture Yeast Stollen in Mixer

3. Stir 1/3 C. flour into fruit mixture. Stir fruit mixture, almonds and enough remaining flour into batter to make the dough moderately stiff. I ended up adding about 1 C. more flour, but start adding in 1/4 C. increments until you get the desired texture.

4. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 to 8 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

5. Punch dough down, cover and let rest 10 minutes. Turn onto lightly floured surface and divide in half. Pat or roll each half into an 8×14 inch oval. Fold dough in half lengthwise, bringing upper half not quite to the edge of the lower half and press firmly along edge to secure. Place loaves on lightly greased rimmed baking sheet (I used my silpat, but you could also use parchment). Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Yeast Stollen Ball Yeasted Stollen on Pan

6. Uncover. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until loaves are golden and sound hollow when lightly tapped, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with powdered sugar. When the loaves have cooled, brush with another coat of melted butter and sprinkle with powdered sugar again.

Bite of Yeasted Stollen Slice of Yeasted Stollen

Easiest Stollen

Makes 2 loaves. Slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour

2 1/4 C. all-purpose flour

1/2 C. granulated sugar

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 C. unsalted cold butter, cut into small chunks

1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese

1 large egg

1 t. vanilla extract

1 1/2 t. buttery sweet dough flavor, optional but good

1 t. lemon zest

1/2 C. raisins

1/2 C. dried currants

1/4 C. dried cherries

1/3 C. dark rum

1/2 C. slivered almonds, toasted and cooled

6 T. butter, melted

3/4 C. confectioners’ sugar

1. Soak dried fruit in dark rum at least 1 hour or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet or line with parchment or a silpat. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.

3. Cut the cold butter chunks into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or two forks. In a separate bowl, mix together the cheese, egg, vanilla, lemon zest and buttery sweet dough flavor. Toss the fruit and almonds into the flour mixture until evenly distributed. Then combine the wet and dry ingredients, mixing until most of the four is moistened.

Cutting Butter Ricotta Mixture

4. Turn the sticky dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times until it holds together. I ended up adding quite a few sprinkles of flour to make it come together. Divide dough in half. Roll each piece of dough into a 8×7 inch oval about 1/2 inch thick.

Quick Dough Ball Quick Dough in Shape

5. Fold each piece of dough roughly in half, leaving the edge of the top half about 1/2 inch short of the edge of the bottom half. Fold lengthwise. Use the edge of your hand to press the dough to seal the edge. This is the traditional Stollen shape. Place the shaped Stollen on prepared baking sheet.

6. Bake the Stollen until they are very light browned around the edges, about 30-40 minutes. A cake tester inserted into the middle should come out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and brush with 2 to 3 T. melted butter and sprinkle heavily with confectioners’ sugar.

7. Allow the Stollen to cool and brush with remaining melted butter and sprinkle generously with sugar again. Wrap in plastic until ready to serve. Plastic-wrapped Stollen will keep well for 2 weeks or so at room temperature.

Bite of Quick Stollen Slice of Quick Stollen

Tasting Day 1

Yeast Stollen

Marc and I both thought this lacked a bit of flavor. It has a nice spongy texture because of the yeast, though. It is important that it has a nice butter and sugar crust to enhance the sweetness of the fruit.

Easy Stollen

SO tasty! It came out quite flat due to the lack of yeast, but it is moist and flavorful. I think the addition of ricotta adds a hint of tangy creaminess. It reminded me a little of a tender and moist breakfast muffin.

Tasting Day 2

Yeast Stollen

Much improved! I tried a slice this morning to see if it had changed at all and I was not missing flavor this morning. The flavor plus the yeasty texture made this very, very good.

Easy Stollen

Consistently flavorful and tasty. I think the texture of the yeast Stollen plus the improved flavor beat out the easy Stollen this morning, but it is still very yummy and a wonderful alternative.

Both recipes are great and I recommend them both. In the case of the yeast Stollen, I believe that recipe will improve with age since it is a more traditional recipe and I’m sure it was meant to be enjoyed for weeks. If you’re looking for a less traditional recipe with great Stollen flavor, try the easy Stollen recipe. Thank you for taking the Stollen journey with me! Have a great holiday with lots of family, friends and fantastic food!

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Dec 14 2 comments
Interests, Main Dish, Recipes, Soup, Vegetarian

Easy Red Lentil Soup

Red Lentil Soup

The good weather in Michigan lasted longer than any of us expected. We had warm, yes warm, days in November and on the east side of Michigan, we didn’t even get our first bit of snow until last week. Crazy talk. Now that it’s mid-December, though, the blowing wind plus low temperatures are what we’re used to around here. When the weather gets chilly Marc turns into a pyromaniac and tries to build a fire every night and I start dreaming of delicious soup recipes. There are so many good soup recipes out there, but alas, I do not want to blend anything in my blender to get the creaminess I crave. I want to throw yummy things in a big pot and come out with something that doesn’t need to be fussed with. Is that too much to ask? I know, I’m lazy. I think I’ve found a keeper, though. Healthy, delicious, easy and inexpensive Red Lentil Soup from Heidi of 101 Cookbooks. Seriously, it’s all of those things. I’ve made it twice now and I know the recipe by heart, that’s how easy we’re talking. The only ingredients I don’t normally have on hand are the garnishes Heidi recommends and they are a wonderful addition to this soup. Heidi is way cooler than me and just happened to have these items lying around and that’s how she came to garnish the soup in this way. Me, I make a quick trip to the fancy olive bar to get a few olives and make sure to pick up some good feta and then I’m good to go. If you have a Whole Foods by you, go to the bulk section for red lentils and brown rice, pick up their 365 brand broth and we’re talking super cheap.

Red Lentil Soup

Slightly adapted from Heidi of 101 Cookbooks

I added extra red pepper flake because I like spicy things, but you can kick that back to 1/2 t. like Heidi did. I also have tried this using 2 onions and 1 shallot because that’s what I had on hand and I did not notice a difference. It’s not fussy. You can garnish any way you like, but the creaminess and tang of the feta melting on top with the brininess of the olives and the crunch of the almonds is heaven.

Serves 4

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 shallots, chopped

1 t. red pepper flakes

6 C. low-sodium chicken broth, vegetable broth or water (I like 365 low-sodium chicken broth)

1 1/3 C. red lentils, picked over and rinsed

1/2 C. brown rice, picked over and rinsed

1-2 t. kosher salt (this will vary depending on broth you use, I used 2 t. with the low-sodium chicken broth)

almonds, chopped and toasted

your favorite olives, chopped (I used green olives from the olive bar)

feta cheese, crumbled

1. In a big soup pot over medium heat, add 2 T. olive oil and then the onion, shallots and red pepper flake. Let them brown and caramelize, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in broth or water and bring to a boil. Stir in lentils and rice and simmer for 30 minutes until rice is very tender and not at all toothsome. During this time, I chopped up whole almonds and put them in a small pan to toast until golden brown. Chop olives, crumble feta and set the toppings aside. The lentils really absorb the liquid and will make the soup very thick. You can thin it out with broth or water until it is the consistency you prefer, but I enjoyed it as is.

3. Taste and check for seasoning. Add salt if needed. Serve topped with almonds, olives and feta.

I realize this blog has a definite lack of holiday cheer. I want to bake something sweet and seasonal more than anything, but I’m still fussing with baseboard molding at home. I have some ambitious baking plans next week, though, so here’s hoping that Santa drops off his elves and they are good with a caulk gun.

molding books

On the left we have recently caulked molding from our office that is awaiting its final coat of paint. On the right we have what our bedroom has become, a storage unit for our monstrous office bookshelf with the contents of our closet lining the walls. I despise the mess, but it’s motivation to finish.

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