Jan 30 2 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 5 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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Dec 07 1 comments
Cookbooks, Interests, Main Dish, Pork, Recipes

Sweet and Sour Lychee Meatballs

MeatballsinBowlNew ingredients are exciting to me and while lychee may be old hat for some people, when I saw this recipe I wondered, “What’s a lychee?” I’ve found that recipes by Jaden of Steamy Kitchen are so easy and accessible that I knew this would be a good weeknight meal with the bonus of a new ingredient. You can sub in pineapple for the lychee and that was my backup plan if I could not find this mysterious ingredient. I went to one of the markets around here that has a pretty extensive Asian aisle and at the bottom of the wire shelving was a bright blue can of lychee! The bold can was beautiful and I thought to myself that if I were more creative, I could make something decorative out of it. Instead, it was sent to the recycling bin so hopefully someone else will one day make magic with it.

Lychee and Peppers

The recipe was easy and came together very quickly. The only tricky part was forming the meatballs because the meat mixture is very sticky, but it was worth it. Jaden provides a picture of the easiest way to form the meatballs in her post. The only thing I would change for next time is to double the ingredients for the sweet and sour sauce so we have more delicious juice to spoon over our meatballs and rice. I served the meatballs and colorful veggies over brown rice and we had enough for dinner that night and lunch the next day. Go forth and make meatballs, but the veggies in the sauce were so good that you could definitely go vegetarian on this one. The lychee is unique, tasty and tropical tasting. I may try pineapple another time, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to resist that bright blue can.

FinishedinSkillet

Before you head over to the post and have your hopes dashed, Jaden was giving away copies of her cookbook and that contest has now ended. Hopefully Santa is planning on bringing Jaden’s cookbook to our houses anyway.

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Nov 21 0 comments
Recipes, Vegetarian

The Broccoli Secret

Maybe I’m just the slow one on this secret, but one morning while watching “Simply Ming” on PBS, Ming talked about the tender interior of the broccoli stalk. His family insists that it is the best part, even. I was mesmerized as he prepared the stalk and increased the amount of broccoli he had for the dish he was preparing. The miser in me was elated to use a portion of something I normally toss into our yard waste. I hadn’t been that excited since learning that celery stalk leaves are pretty tasty when thrown into tuna salad. Below is the best way I’ve found to tap into the delicious center of a broccoli stalk.

1. Cut away the broccoli florets

BroccoliStalk

2. Trim the tough leaves and hard bits that stick out

TrimmedBroccoli

3. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer layer

PeeledBroccoli

4. Cut into pieces that will cook at the same rate as your florets

CutBroccoli

5. Now make Baked Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheddar

FinishedPotato

Baked Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheddar

Adapted from a  Serious Eats recipe

4 russet potatoes

Your favorite oil

1 bunch broccoli florets (and the tasty inside!)

2 T. unsalted butter

2 T. flour

1 t. dry mustard powder

1 C. milk (I had skim and whipping cream on hand, so I did half and half)

1 1/2 C. sharp cheddar, grated

pinch of cayenne

1/2 t. kosher salt

1/4 t. pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat potatoes in a little bit of oil and sprinkle with salt. Put on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil and bake for about an hour, until tender.

2. Get your broccoli cheddar sauce ingredients ready, because the sauce comes together fast. Put 2 T. of flour in small bowl and add the dry mustard powder, salt, pepper and cayenne. Have the broccoli ready, cheese grated and 1 C. of milk handy.

FinishedIngredients

3. When the potatoes are about 10 minutes from being done, fill a pot with about 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Place steamer basket over boiling water and put broccoli in the pot. Cover the pot and steam for about 4 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green and slightly tender. If you don’t have a steamer basket, cook broccoli in 1 inch of boiling water without the steamer basket.

4. Put cooked broccoli in a bowl and set aside. Using the same pot, now over medium-low heat, toss in the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the seasoned flour and whisk for a couple of minutes until there are no lumps and the raw flour cooks a bit. Slowly pour in milk, whisking until it thickens up. Add the cheese, and stir until it has melted. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add cooked broccoli and toss until well coated with cheese mixture.

5. Remove baked potatoes from the oven and slice in half. Add as much broccoli and cheese as you like.

*We added Frank’s Red Hot to the top of our potatoes and we loved the extra zing.

*The potatoes I found at the grocery store happened to be humongous. The sauce above seemed more appropriate for 2 potatoes, than 4. I cooked 4 potatoes, but I cooled and refrigerated the extra 2 and heated them up until crispy (about 45 minutes) for an easy meal a couple of days later. I made a new batch of the broccoli cheddar sauce for the second meal. I could only eat half of my potato, so I cut up the second half, spooned more broccoli cheddar sauce on top, added a few dashes of Franks’s and I had a fantastic lunch the next day.

*Cutting into the broccoli stalk is a bit of work, but it is worth it. The inside is tender and yummy. I found myself searching out these pieces in my cheddar sauce.

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Nov 14 3 comments
Dessert, Recipes

Detroit Medicine

VernorsCan

Last week my stomach was not happy with me. For 2 days, I just did not feel right and I’m pretty sure I know why. We have been installing baseboard molding and it is the molding of my dreams. Contemporary, no frills and 5 1/2″ tall. We have been painting, cutting and sanding and I haven’t had much time to go to the grocery store or cook and we’ve had absolutely no desire to wash dishes (like we ever do). A few times we went the fast food route and on Tuesday and Wednesday my stomach and I were not on speaking terms.  Insert great husband. Marc went out and came back with a bag from the pharmacy and I was wondering what he had in his bag of tricks. Pepto Bismal? Ugh. Rolaids? Bearable. Inside the bag was a case of Vernor’s and vanilla ice cream. You see, friends, Marc’s family believe that a Vernor’s float and Nyquil can cure any ailment you have. Marc’s Dad has been known to whisper from the couch that he could use some Vernor’s and ice cream when he didn’t feel well. Not that my family doesn’t have its own weird “cures” (mostly old-school German superstitions) but the pop and ice cream thing boggled my mind.

FloatPour

Ever have Vernor’s before? I have to admit that I was an adult before hearing about the stuff, even though I grew up only 3 hours west of Detroit. The story of Vernor’s is that James Vernor, a Detroit pharmacist, had brewed up a secret mixture of 19 ingredients including ginger and vanilla and put it in an oak cask. In 1862, James was called up to fight in the Civil War and returned 4 years later to find that the aging process had turned his mixture into delicious Vernor’s. It also says on every can that they continue to age their soda in oak barrels to give Vernor’s its distinct flavor.

FoamyGoodness

We don’t usually keep pop (yep, I’m from the Midwest!) around, but Vernor’s is unique. I think the best way to describe it is a mix of cream soda with a bit of gingery flavor. It’s sweet and super bubbly. If you take a breath too close to your Vernor’s, you’ll soon be hacking like a heavy smoker. The extreme carbonation, however, turns the creamy vanilla ice cream into vanilla foam and that’s when the magic happens. I told Marc’s adorable Grandma that he made me a Vernor’s float when I didn’t feel well and her response was, “Well, I don’t know about the ice cream, but the Vernor’s sure helps.” Ha. Well, we’ve proven no facts here, but darn it, this skeptic felt better.

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Nov 05 1 comments
Appetizer, Recipes

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Slowroastedtomatoes

When I saw this beautifully simple recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Spork or Foon, I knew one day it would be mine. A couple of weeks back, the stars aligned and it was time to make it. I went to an apple orchard with the in-laws and this orchard also had a produce stand with some gorgeous heirloom tomatoes for .99/lb. What? I know! So I grabbed about 2 pounds worth, but was seriously considering asking how much for the entire stand. The yellow, orange, green and pinkish tomatoes could not have been more attractive. While wondering what my next move was with these precious tomatoes and then I remembered Teanna’s post. It happened to be my birthday the following week and I was traveling to my hometown to spend it with my family and some close friends. I love bringing food for my family, but since they live 3 hours away, I end up baking/cooking on Thursday night so we can leave from work on Friday evening and the treats are not usually consumed until Saturday or Sunday. Not exactly the way to bring the freshest representation of your favorite recipes, but, BUT, this recipe is great because Teanna notes that it can be chilled up to 5 days ahead of time and brought up to room temperature when you’re ready. It was a thing of beauty. These tomatoes had almost 2 full days to marinate and all I had to do is remember to take it out 2 hours before the party. I picked up a fresh baguette from one of my favorite bakeries in my hometown and yep, appetizer euphoria. Party goers were pleased and I was a happy birthday girl.

Heirloomtomatoes

Slow Roasted Tomatoes or Pomodori Al Forn

From Teanna of Spork or Foon via Bon Appetit via Molly of Orangette (yes, it’s that good that you just want to share)

The recipe calls for plum tomatoes and I can’t wait to try the original recipe, but I used my heirloom tomatoes and cut them into thick slices. Also, I used California Olive Ranch olive oil and the party goers raved about it. It is recommended by Cook’s Illustrated and I first found out about it on Local Lemons. Reasonably priced and very delicious.

1 C. good olive oil (divided)

2 lbs.  heirloom tomatoes, cut into thick slices about 3/4″ (or use 2 lbs. plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise)

1 1/2 t. dried oregano

3/4 t. sugar

1/2 t. salt

2 garlic cloves minced

2 t. minced fresh parsley

1 baguette, thinly sliced (toasted or fresh)

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Pour 1/2 C. olive oil into a 13×9x2 glass or ceramic baking dish (I lined mine in foil). Arrange tomatoes in dish, cut side up. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 C. oil. Sprinkle with oregano, sugar and salt. Bake 1 hour.

2. Using tongs, turn tomatoes over.  Bake 1 hour longer. Turn tomatoes over again. Bake until deep red and very tender, transferring to a plate when soft (time will vary depending on ripeness), about 15-45 minutes longer.

3. Layer tomatoes in a medium bowl, sprinkling garlic and parsley over each layer, reserve oil in baking dish. Drizzle tomatoes with reserved olive oil, adding more if necessary to cover. Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.

4. Serve with toasted or fresh baguette slices.

Do Ahead: Cover, chill up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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