More Savory, Less Sweet

Adventures in Food - Taste, Explore, Inspire and Share

Garbage Day Soup!

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It’s human nature to have many routines, whether they’re conscious or unconscious!  Often, we’re not even sure how long we’ve had them or how they got started.  One of mine is cleaning the fridge the night before the compost, recycling, yard waste, (garbage, if you’re not from Seattle) are collected.  I’m pretty sure my mom does the same thing.  However, now that I have “more time than money” I am very conscientious about the wasting of anything.  It’s not that I was not conscious before, but when your unpredictable work schedule takes you away from home 3-5 days a week, you don’t always manage the larder as efficiently as possible; leftovers get tossed, planned meals don’t get cooked, and the freezer quickly fills with foil packets I call UFO’s….unidentifiable frozen objects, that are rarely interesting a month or two later! 

Even with the best intentions, sometimes what’s left at week’s end, is pretty drab and has very few opportunities to be repurposed!  I’d love to hear ideas for leftover lettuce based salads, as that is one item that fills my compost bucket routinely!  Chicken or salmon – easily become next days sandwich with a little help of mayo, celery, bell pepper.  Potatoes, vegetable and gravy – perfect set up for Shepard’s pie, or “dinner for breakfast” potato pancakes.

I got lucky this week, when I opened the produce drawer to “clean it out”.  I had a few ears of corn, a half-dozen poblano peppers, a couple jalopeno peppers, cilantro and some leftover chicken.  I knew immediately I would be making a corn, pepper, chicken chowder.  We had onions, garlic, baby potatoes and chicken stock in the pantry, so I jumped right in.  This could all be thrown together in a crock pot, but I actually made the base one day, and reheated it with cream the second day.  This soup is delicious and will stay in our rotation throughout the winter, even though we will have to sub frozen corn for the fresh.

For the corn, poblano and chicken chowder

1 large sweet onion, chopped

4-6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 jalopenos , stems and seeds removed and finely chopped

5 poblano peppers, stems and seeds removed and chopped

4 ears of corn, cut away from the cob

12 tiny potatoes, quartered

1 quart chicken stock

2 cups water

2 cups cooked chicken meat in bite size pieces (from leftover chicken)

1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped – retain a few leaves for garnish

1 pint heavy cream

oil for sautéing

salt and pepper

grated cheese for serving – Mexican style

Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in the bottom of a heavy soup pot over medium heat.  Sauté the onion, garlic, peppers until soft, about 7 minutes

Add the corn cobs, chopped cilantro, potatoes and chicken stock, and allow to simmer at least an hour.

At this point, I added the chicken, simmered it about an hour more and then moved the pot to the fridge. You could easily complete the soup, but I think the extra day with the corn husks in the pot really pumped up the corn flavor! Add salt and pepper as needed.

About an hour before serving, I brought the soup to a slow simmer.  I reduced the heat as much as possible and added the pint of cream.

We served this with grated cheese and fresh-baked corn bread.  I really hope you’ll give it a try, whether you have  the ingredients on hand or not!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great evening.

Laura

First of Fall – Pork Chili Verde

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Wow!  Somebody flipped the “summer heat” switch to the “off” position!  I am grateful for cooler, more moderate temperatures, but it seems the change was a bit extreme!  There’s been at least a 20′ difference in temperatures from last week to this.  We knew rain was coming, so we scrambled to get the last of the garden clean-up / harvesting / fall planting done.  I ended up with a fair amount of peppers and tomatillos, which, along with the cool, rainy weekend, inspired me to make this dish.  We added a few more tomatillos, poblano peppers, garlic and onion from the farmers market, and we were set.

For the Pork Chili Verde (this makes a lot, we froze half)

for the tomatillo pepper slurry

8 poblano peppers

12-15 fresh tomatillos, husked and rinsed, stem removed

2 large white onions, peeled and quartered

8 cloves of garlic, peeled

8-10 assorted peppers – jalapeno, Fresno, Serrano, based on your taste and desired heat level!

Heat your oven to 500′.  Place all the peppers, tomatillos, quartered onions, and garlic on a sheet pan.  Roast the vegetables until they begin to brown and are softened.  This will take about 25 minutes.

Remove the stems and seeds from the roasted peppers.  Place all of the roasted veggies and any juice from the roasting pan,  in the large bowl of your food processor and pulse until smooth.

for the meat

4 pounds lean pork cut into 1″ cubes (I used boneless, thick cut pork loin chops)

flour, salt and pepper for dredging

neutral, high heat oil for browning

1 large, sweet onion, diced

1 can/bottle beer – an ale of your choice

2 cups fresh or frozen chopped Hatch green chili (I bought a ton directly from Hatch in August.  Canned chili ok, but not as flavorful.)

2-4 cups of chicken stock

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons of cumin

Avocado slices, chopped cilantro, sliced green onion, cooked rice, charred tortillas, sour cream and shredded cheese for serving.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of oil.  Place 1 cup of flour, one tablespoon of salt and one tablespoon of pepper in a zip lock bag.  Dredge the cubed pork, in small batches and add to the hot oil.  Do not crowd the pan.  Turn the pork to ensure all sides are browned evenly.  Repeat this process until all the meat is browned, adding additional oil as needed.

In the same pan, sauté the chopped onion until golden, scraping up all the bits from the bottom of the pan.  Deglaze the pan with the beer.  Let simmer 5 minutes.  Add the meat back to the pan, then the pureed veggies, and the chopped green chili, cilantro and cumin.  If too thick, add a cup or two of the chicken stock.  Stir well, cover and simmer over low heat, about 6 hours.  Stir frequently and adjust the salt as needed, also adding additional stock if needed.

I also made a batch of black beans to serve along side, and a delicious, but non instagram worthy,  apple pie for dessert.  Ahh fall!  I wish you could have all smelled the kitchen.

To plate, place a scoop of rice on a plate or bowl.  Add a serving of stew.  Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, cilantro and green onions.  I served black beans and charred tortillas along side.

I really hope you’ll give this recipe a try.  It’s one of our favorites.  Great left over and freezes well too.

Have a wonderful evening, and thanks for stopping by.

Laura

The Green Bean Summer

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I planted my green beans a little later then normal this year.  Typically that would have been a problem here in Seattle.  Since we have had ridiculously hot weather, their late start  has had no impact on the crop and harvest.  As I was cooking up this batch of beans, I became very melancholy.  No other food has been such a constant in my life.  I grow the Royal Burgundy variety of beans, because that is what my grandparents grew.  I think Granddad started growing them when we were kids, to thrill us by their novel change in color when they are cooked.  Growing up, green beans were the only vegetable my brother would eat.  When they were out of season, Mom resorted to canned (yuck) green beans.  Canned or fresh,  my Mom and Grandma would add bacon, and simmer them on the stove FOR HOURS, as was the norm back then.  There was never a doubt as to what the Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or Sunday dinner vegetable would be.   Once my brother had kids, the tradition continued in his own family.  I think there was a streak of about 10 years, when little smokies had to be added to the pot, per my youngest nephews instruction!  My nephews, now adults, specifically ask if we can have something besides green beans when they are invited to dinner at Grandma’s or Auntie’s house!

My first summer after college, my parents moved from Idaho Falls, ID to Washington DC.  I needed a break and an adventure, and my Mom needed help driving across the country, so I too packed up for the move.  Prior to hitting the road, we spent about a week at my Grandfather’s house.  Since it was summer, the green beans were plentiful.  I think we had them three or four times, all picked fresh and simmered for hours.  On the road heading east toward  I-70, our first night was in a little town somewhere in Montana.  We had dinner in a little diner, close to our motel.  When we asked what the vegetable of the day was, you obviously  guessed, it was fresh green beans.  Too tired after 9 hours of driving to think about, we ate quietly.  This continued across the country, for 7 more nights.  I’ll never forget Mom and I having dinner at the hotel in St. Joseph, Missouri, the 5th night on the road.  The waitress was very perky as she related the specials of the day, and was extra excited to inform us they had fresh green beans.  I actually screamed out loud, which lead to my Mom laughing so hard she launched her ice tea across the table.  The poor waitress could not figure out what she had done.  Once we calmed down, we explained our 5 day green bean odyssey.  We watched as she went from table to table, telling our story.  Bursts of polite laughter rolled through the restaurant, like the wave at a football game.

I learned to prepare green beans a little bit differently, while working in a restaurant.  Did you know, a lot of vegetables are cooked with dry vermouth and often  a spoonful of baking soda?  The baking soda does help retain the bright color in most veggie’s, but it also adds a whollop of sodium.  Therefore, I forgo this trick, unless I need a really special photo!

Laura’s Green Beans

1 sweet onion, such as Maui or Walla Walla, diced

3-4 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 cup dry vermouth

1 lb. fresh green beans, washed, trimmed, and strings removed

salt and pepper

optional – fresh dill

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet, that you can cover with a lid.  Sauté the onion until soft.  Add the green beans and continue to sauté about 5 minutes.  Pour in the vermouth, cover and simmer about 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and fresh dill, if using!

Thanks for stopping by.

I hope your summer was memorable and you have a great evening.

Laura

Farmers Market Treasures – Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and Spring Pea Salad

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Wow…4 months since my last post!  I’ll catch you up on the reasons for that, but first I have a couple recipes for you!  Both of these dishes are the result of an over-the-top buying spree at last weeks neighborhood farmers market.  It was my first outing of the season and everything was calling my name!  The perfect weather, the beautiful fruits and vegetables, plenty of cash, and a longing to get back into my kitchen resulted in two very large bags of goodies.  I bought far more then we needed for one week.  With a few things approaching the end of their usefulness, I got busy to ensure none of it would go to waste!  The results were a fantastic Strawberry-Rhubarb pie and an over the top “spring on a plate” pea salad.

The salad is a result of a Google search based on the unused veggies I had bought…shelling peas, pea pods, and ramps.  I had asparagus on hand, as I always have asparagus on hand until it disappears from the market or becomes ridiculously expensive.  I found this recipe on the Serious Eats website.  I made just a couple alterations, and it was fantastic.  I felt like it was something that would be a first course in a fancy French restaurant… ooh la la!

For the Vinaigrette:

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons juice from 1 or 2 lemons

2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley leaves

1 small shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (my addition)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk the ingredients together and set aside.  I always make my dressing in a measuring cup to make it easy to pour.

For the Salad

1 cup fresh shelled English peas

2 cups fresh sugar snap peas, strings removed, ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces on the bias

1 pound asparagus, stalks trimmed, tips removed, tips and stalks reserved separately

2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 to 12 whole ramps, ends trimmed and cleaned

1 large very fresh egg, per serving

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

Place a pot of water on the stove.  Salt heavily.  Bring to a slow simmer.  Blanch the shelled peas, then the snap peas and then the asparagus tips, about 1 minute, until bright green.  Remove with a slotted spoon.  Dip in an ice water bath. Place each vegetable in a small bowl and pop in the fridge.

Blanch the asparagus stalks until tender and place in a blender cup with a couple tablespoons of the blanching water and 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Puree until smooth.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the ramps.  Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy sauté pan.  Saute the ramps until tender.  Place on a paper towel line plate.  Set aside.

When ready to assemble the salads, bring the pot of water back to a slow simmer.  Add 3 tablespoons white vinegar.

Combine the peas and asparagus in a bowl.  Add the dressing and toss gently.

Make your poached eggs, one per serving.  Place a couple tablespoons of the asparagus puree on each serving plate.  Top with the pea and asparagus salad mixture.  Place the poached egg on top.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately! 

 

 

 

Ok, now for the pie!  Strawberry – Rhubarb.  Not typically my first choice, when I think of a pie I want to eat / make.   I honestly have a problem with most fruit pies as they always turn out to be thin, watery, runny, too sweet, too sour, fall apart messes on a plate.  I decided to try a different approach this time.  I roasted the fruit first.  This allowed me to taste the fruit and adjust the sweetness, as well as remove some of the extra juice, prior to filling the pie shell.  I will be using this technique for all future fruit pies.

For the Strawberry – Rhubarb Pie

Prepare pie crust for 2 crust pie – make your favorite or check mine out here.

4-5 cups fresh, ripe, strawberries – green part removed – sliced in half if they are large

4-5 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped into small, bite size pieces

3/4 cup of sugar

Place the fruit on a sheet pan, sprinkle with the sugar and roast at 375′ for about 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven.  Let rest about 10 minutes.  Adjust the sweetness to taste.  Add:

4 Tablespoons of flour

2 Tablespoons of quick cook tapioca

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

finely grated zest of one lemon

juice of one lemon – about 2 tablespoons

Mix all ingredients together in the roasting pan.  Spoon into piecrust with a slotted spoon.

Place the top crust on the pie.  Pinch the edges and cut steam vents.  Place on a sheet pan.  Place a foil collar around the edges of the pan.  Bake at 425′ for 15 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 375′, remove the foil, and bake 30 more minutes.  Let pie cool at least 2 hours before serving. You definitely want to serve this with vanilla ice-cream!  Enjoy!

Ok – on to the updates…In my last post, I mentioned I retired.  What that has meant for me is working harder then I ever have, without a pay check every other Friday. LOL!!!  I have been away from home, more then I have been at home, these past few months.  Thankfully, it’s not that much different for Dave, then when I was working full time! He’s always been spectacular at fending for himself and holding down the fort.

The work began when my Mom bought a new house.  She no longer needed stairs, 3000 square feet and a quarter acre yard!   She bought the new house last fall, but we really didn’t get busy moving her to her new place until April.  Mom updated 80% of her new place, which took a lot of time, decisions and work.  Dave and I helped out by repairing decks and fences, and assembling cabinets and other things.  Her new home has turned out to be a wonderful place for her.

Her move left us with the BIG job.  Emptying and selling her old house.  We  spent the past few months sorting, packing, selling, donating, dumping, laughing, crying, screaming, and yelling our way through about 25 years of stuff!  For those of you that have been through this, you know what I’m talking about!  For those of you that have not…my advice would be to START NOW!  I am so thankful I was able to go through family things WITH my Mom.  I know what all the stuff is, who the people in the pictures are and what mattered to she and my Dad.  I am still selling things on Ebay and I have a lot of pictures to scan, but the hard work is behind us.  I am happy to say that her house sold in 8 days.  She has a few things planned for fall, and none of those plans include yard sales or moving! For those of you that don’t know, my Mom is 88 years old!  She is absolutely amazing.  We worked side by side, hours on end, with her frequently ordering me to “sit down and rest”.  We should all be so healthy and spunky!

With Mom’s big project behind me, I can start to sort out what retirement really does mean for me.  You can see from the above, I am really happy to be able to wrap my head around cooking and photography again.  Dave and I are taking our own advice of “starting now” on sorting, selling things and downsizing.  Bit by bit, we are getting rid of the unnecessary things we’ve accumulated…just because we could!  It’s amazing to me how quickly stuff accumulates, and how little of it we really “need”.

It’s been great catching up. Thanks for stopping by!  Enjoy the food and have a wonderful evening.

Laura

Mediterranean inspired Chicken, Potato and Green Bean Sheet-pan Supper

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I always thought that when I retired, (Yes, RETIRED!  More about that in an upcoming post.) I’d spend my days making elaborate meals!   Meals that took lots of planning, shopping for exotic ingredients and hours in the kitchen.  I’ve kind of surprised myself with my recent desire for simplicity.  Simplicity of ingredients, quick cooking and easy, often one pan,  clean up!  Additionally, anything I cook usually makes two appearances.  The roast chicken below became chicken salad for lunches, two days in a row.  I am sure I will continue to explore elaborate and exotic adventures in food, but they will not be as frequent as I’d thought they would be.

Sheet-pan suppers are gaining in popularity for good reason.  They are quick, nutritious, delicious one pan alternatives to the crock pot.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my crock pot for many things.  But, you will never get crispy skin on a chicken or roast potatoes, in a crock pot!  Also unlikethe crock pot, you can prep, cook and serve in 45 – 60 minutes, which fits in better with my current state of spontaneity!

For this recipe, I suggest you spatchcock your chicken.  It will cook quickly and evenly and provide a safe, steamy haven for the green beans.  If you do not know how to spatchcock a chicken….Google it and watch a video or two.  Alternatively, you could ask your butcher to remove the back bone for you.  Just make sure you retain it, for your scrap bag of chicken parts, for stock.

For the Mediterranean inspired chicken, potato and green bean supper

Organic ingredients whenever possible

1 half-sheet, sheet pan

1 fresh young chicken 3-4 pounds, preferably organic, spatchcoked and patted dry

7-8 cloves of garlic, minced

leaves from 4-5 sprigs of fresh oregano, minced

zest of one lemon, finely grated on a microplane

juice of zested lemon

Mix the garlic, oregano, lemon zest and lemon juice together in a small bowl with about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 large lemon, sliced thinly

3/4 – 1 pound of fresh green beans, ends removed, uniformly sized

1 pound tiny red and gold potatoes, quartered

Salt and Pepper

additional olive oil

Drizzle a little olive oil on the sheet pan.  Pile the green beans in a tight pile, in the center of the pan.

Place the flattened chicken over the green beans, ensuring the beans are all tucked underneath it.

Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and massage it in!  Place a couple teaspoonful’s of the garlic, oregano and lemon mixture, under the skin.  Place a few lemon slices under the skin as well.

Place the potatoes around the chicken, in a single layer.   Drizzle the potatoes with the remaining herb mixture.  Toss well to ensure they are coated.

Season well with salt and pepper and Greek style seasoning.  (Greek blend offered by numerous spice companies.)

 

Pop it in a 400′ oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the temperature in the thigh registers 165′.

Let the chicken rest 10-15 minutes before serving.

I hope you will give this meal a try!

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a great evening,

Laura

Cider Glazed Pork Loin with Fennel – Apple Relish and Cauliflower Puree

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When I made these Cider Glazed Scallops a few weeks ago, I knew immediately that I wanted to use the same cider glaze and cauliflower puree with pork.  Pork chops, pork loin or pork tenderloin.   I also love apple and fennel with pork, and knew the combination of the cider glaze and the apple-fennel relish would be spectacular.  It was just delicious.

For the cider glaze, adapted slightly from this recipe

3 – 4 cups fresh apple cider

1 teaspoon minced shallot

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3-4 Tablespoons cider vinegar (I prefer Bragg’s)

Salt and pepper

Place the ingredients in a wide saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, and allow to reduce to about 1 cup.  This should take 15-20 minutes.  Keep warm over low heat.

For the fennel – apple relish

2 sweet, crisp apples, like Honey Crisp, diced

1 large fennel bulb, sliced

1 large shallot, sliced

Sauté the shallot in a tablespoon of olive oil, in a large oven proof skillet, that you will cook the pork roast in.  When shallots are slightly caramelized,  add the apple and fennel.  Sauté about 5 minutes and remove from the pan.  Set aside while your brown the pork.

for the Pork

Preheat the oven to 375′

1  3-4 pound boneless pork loin roast

salt and pepper

Season the pork roast with salt and pepper.  Bring the sauté pan you used for the apple relish to medium heat.  Add a little oil, if needed.  Brown the roast on all sides.  Add the apple, fennel and shallots back into the sauté pan.  Place in the pre-heated oven and roast approximately 30 minutes, or until thermometer reaches 150′ – 155′.  Do not overcook it!  The roast will cook a bit after being removed from the oven, while it rests.

While the roast is cooking, prepare the Cauliflower Puree.

for the Califlower Puree, again, adapted from this recipe

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into small pieces

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

Place the cauliflower in a large sauce pan.  Add the chicken stock, cumin, and red pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until the cauliflower is done.  Transfer the cauliflower and the liquid to a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.  Return the mixture to the sauce pan and keep warm, over very low heat, until ready to serve.

To serve, slice the roast into 1 inch thick slices.  Plate the cauliflower puree, the sliced roast and a spoon full of apple-fennel relish.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  Thanks for stopping by.

Have a great evening,

Laura

Orange – Oregano Roast Chicken with Olive Gremolata

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Do you eat as much chicken as we do?  The versatility, the convenience and the price all contribute to the reason it shows up on our plate so often. Diana Henry has by far, the most versatile, interesting and flavorful chicken recipes.  While she has an entire book devoted to the proud bird, titled A Bird in the Hand,  this recipe is from her newest book Simple.   Simple focuses on recipes that include things you typically have in a well stocked pantry.  My large bag of Cara Cara oranges led me to choose this recipe for last nights dinner.  It’s quick and flavorful, and I had all the ingredients on hand.  It’s simple enough for a weeknight meal but fancy enough for a dinner party.

Adapted slightly from Diana Henry’s newest book, Simple

For the chicken – this is best if allowed to marinate overnight

6 whole chicken legs, trimmed of extra skin and fat

1/3 cup chopped oregano leaves

8 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped

juice of 2 oranges, and thinly sliced rind of 1 orange

2 oranges, thinly sliced

1/3 cup of olive oil

salt and pepper

Finely chop the oregano, garlic and orange rind.  Place it in a large bowl that you will marinate the chicken in.  Add the juice from the orange and the olive oil.  Mix well.  Add the chicken.  Massage the marinade into the chicken, with your hands.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight, or a minimum of 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the gremolata

1 cup mixed green and black olives, pitted and finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

2 red Fresno chiles, seeded and finely chopped

zest of 1 orange

2 Tablespoons chopped oregano leaves

1/3 cup of olive oil

1 Tablespoon of orange juice

1 Tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar

a squeeze of lemon juice

Chop the olives, garlic, chiles and orange zest together on a cutting board.  Place in a small bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Set aside to let the flavors infuse.

To prepare the chicken

Heat the oven to 375′.  Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off the excess.  Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in an oven proof sauté pan, that will allow the chicken to lay flat in a single layer.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown on both sides.  Finish with the chicken skin side up.  Place in the oven for 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven.  Place the orange slices under and around the chicken.  Return to the oven and roast another 20 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165′ on a thermometer.  Scatter the gremolata on top.  Serve from the sauté pan with couscous or roasted potatoes.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  Thanks for stopping by.

Have a great evening,

Laura

Calling all lovebirds…a special meal for Valentine’s Day

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I previously mentioned we are trying to create a little excitement at dinner time this year.  One way we are doing this is to randomly grab a cookbook, open it and make whatever is on that page!  I have to say, this “experiment” is working out very well!  While I did not make all three recipes below on the same day, I do think they would make an inspired meal for your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day, or any other “show the love” day for that matter.

This post is a little different, as I am going to just “refer” you to the recipes.  I am endorsing all of them as truly inspired and delicious, and I hope you will give them a try.  I have provided you links to the books and the specific recipes.  The photos are from the dishes I prepared for Dave and I.  I am privileged to own a copy of all the books referenced.

The Chocolate Orange Beet Cake with Cream Cheese Walnut Frosting,  is absolutely delicious.  It is from Vivian Howard’s new cookbook, Deep Run Roots and was also featured on her PBS series A Chef’s Life. The book is heavy on southern, seasonal produce.  I cannot wait to cook from it this summer, when the fresh ingredients are readily available at the farmers market.  I made only 2 changes to the recipe.  I used two 9″ layer pans, rather than 3 8″ layer pans.  I also frosted the entire cake, sides and top.  It all worked out perfectly.

My next “open the book and cook” recipe is from Top Chef Master, Floyd Cardoz.  His new book Flavorwalla is filled with recipes inspired by what he cooks at home, what he grew up with and a few from the menus of his restaurants.  The Grilled Shrimp with Fennel and Radish Salad, is something that he served at Tabla.  It makes a wonderful first course, or a light meal.  It  gave me the chance to use my mandolin!  It’s a must for slicing the fennel and radishes perfectly thin.

I seem to be going backwards with the courses.  But hey, you can certainly start with chocolate cake if you want to….with a little ‘bubbly, and come back later  for the rest of the meal!

The main course is also from Flavorwalla!  This one was not a random recipe, but one I chose due to a craving for fresh, seared scallops.  It’s quite an unusual take on traditional pan seared scallops, with the Cider Glaze over the top and the Cumin Scented Cauliflower Puree underneath.  It all works!  It’s an amazingly flavorful dish.  Here is the link for Cider-Glazed  Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Puree.  I especially love the addition of cumin, ginger and shallot to the cauliflower puree.  It adds a wonderful depth of flavor and you will not miss the cream or butter at all!

So there ya go….Valentine’s or any other special occasion meal, all laid out for you.  All you have to do is shop and cook, pour the bubbly and light the candles.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you have a wonderful evening!

Laura

A few production photos….just for fun!

  

 

Game Time Spicy Miso Chicken Wings

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All geared up for a Seahawks win last Saturday, I made some extra special snacks for the game.  I love tradional Buffalo Wings, but I really wanted to try something new.  Flipping through Sara Moulton’s Home Cooking 101, I found a Japanese twist on the traditional little drummers.  Hiroko Shimbo shared her recipe from her book Hiroko’s American Kitchen, Cooking with Japanese Flavors for these wings, which are adapted slightly by Sara.  Dave had requested Egg Rolls as well, and the two dishes went together perfectly.  Let’s just say, the snacks were way better then the game.  Next year ‘Hawks!

For the Spicy Miso Sauce

1 cup aged brown or red miso

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of sugar

3/4 cup mirin

1/3 cup sake

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Prepare the miso sauce:  Place the miso, sugar, mirin and sake in a medium pot, and whisk until smooth.  Place the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer.   Cook the mixture about 5 minutes, while stirring constantly.  Add the lemon juice, reduce the heat and let cook another 8-10 minutes.  Add the red pepper flakes and stir.  Keep sauce warm, on the lowest heat possible, while you prepare the wings.  You will have extra sauce, which is also great on grilled steak!

For the Chicken Wings

1 1/2 pounds chicken wings

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon sake

6 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons of ginger juice, from a 5 inch knob of freshly grated ginger, divided into 2 – 1 tablespoon portions

(Peel and grate the ginger on a microplane.  Place the ginger in a garlic press to squeeze out the juice.)

1/2 – 3/4 cup Spicy Miso Sauce,  from recipe above

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons hot paprika

1 scallion, sliced thinly, green part only

Vegetable oil for frying

Prepare the wings:  Remove the wing tips and cut the remaining wings into 2 pieces at the joint.  Combine the onion powder, salt, egg, sake, cornstarch and flour and 1 tablespoon of the ginger juice in a large bowl.   Add the wings, mix thoroughly to make sure they are evenly coated.

Heat 3 inches of oil in a heavy skillet to 330 degrees.  Fry the wings in small batches, about 6 minutes, turning from time to time.  Remove to a cooling rack placed over a pan, to allow the oil to drain.

Prepare the sauce to coat the wings.  In a small bowl, combine the warm Spicy Miso Sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and paprika.

Heat the oil in the skillet to 350 degrees.  Refry the wings, to ensure crispiness and that they are thoroughly cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.  Drain on rack.  When all wings have been fried the second time, place them in a bowl and pour the sauce over them, stir to ensure they are evenly coated.  Plate the wings and garnish with the sliced scallion.  Serve, with lots of napkins!

I hope you try this recipe, next time you’ve got a craving for wings.

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great evening.

Laura

Skillet Steak with Pickle Salsa Verde and (not that big of a….) Hassleback Potatoes

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I am sitting in my office surrounded by many things I love.  Over 300 cookbooks, my camera gear, yarn and knitting supplies and my connection to ya’ll.  On the dining room table is another pile of cookbooks, all fairly new releases, about 30 in total.  On my corner of the couch are a dozen more cookbooks from the library, unread copies of Food and Wine, my I Pad with bookmarked blog pages, and a basket with 3, ok 5, current knitting projects.  In spite of being surrounded by all this inspiration and creativity I still find it difficult to figure out what to make for dinner!

I am not brazen enough to say I’m making a NY resolution here, but I am going to share with you how we intend to get out of the “recipe rut” going forward.  Dave’s idea actually!  He came up with it one day when I was even  more frustrated then normal, and really struggling to come up with “something for dinner”.   Dave handed me a book from the top of the pile and said “open it, any page”.  “There”, he said, “that’s what’s for dinner”.  I might mention,  that this is the same guy that chose his daily outfit by whatever was on top in the laundry basket and advised me to do the same when dressing for the day!  Anyway, the book on the top of the pile was Sara Moulton’s newest book “Home Cooking 101, How to Make Everything Taste Better”.  I had turned to a flat iron steak recipe, to be cooked in a skillet. Since our grill was acting weird; because of the sub-freezing temperatures effect on the propane, I thought the skillet approach was fabulous.  I showed Dave the salsa verde recipe and he was not enthused.   The book recommended a soft, baked polenta as a side…not Dave’s first choice.  So, I flipped further into the book and chose Hassleback potatoes.  I’d never made them before.   They looked really good.   What’s not to love about a potato basted with butter and garlic….crisp on the edges and soft on the inside?  All set, decision made, we headed to the kitchen!

Again, all recipes adapted from “Home Cooking 101″ by Sara Moulton”

For the Pickle Salsa Verde

2 tablespoons finely chopped cornichons

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon finely chopped capers

1 tablespoon minced shallots

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more to taste, if desired)

1/4 quick light olive oil

Mix all the ingredients well.  Add in

1 1/2 cups medium chopped, fresh parley leaves, and stir.  Set aside while you prepare the steak and the potatoes.

For the Hassleback Potatoes

heat the oven to 400′

2 – 4 russet potatoes, or 1 potato per person

4-6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 garlic cloves, smashed

2 sprigs of thyme

salt and pepper

Peel the potatoes.  Drop each potato into a bowl of cold water.  Work with one potato at a time, slice a small amount off the bottom of each potato to ensure it will sit flat.  Place the potato between 2 chopsticks on the cutting board. (Sara’s genius advice!) slice the potatoes into 1/8″ slices,  as shown.  The chopsticks will prevent your knife from cutting all the way through the potato.  Return the potato to the bowl of water until all are sliced.  Remove from the water and dry well.  Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave with the garlic and thyme. Brush each potato with the melted butter, getting in between the slices as much as possible.  Season with salt.  Bake 30 minutes.

Remove the potatoes from the oven.  Gently separate the slices with a bread knife and baste between all the slices with the butter. Return to the oven, and bake another 30-40 minutes, until crispy on the edges and soft in the centers.  Keep warm while you prepare the steak.

For the Skillet Steak

1 1/2 pound flank, flat iron or skirt steak, about an inch thick

Let the steak come to room temperature, about 15 minutes.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Dry steaks and hot skillets are friends!  Season the steaks as desired.  My favorite is Kosher salt and garlic pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet.  I think cast iron is the best for searing a steak.  Sear the steak on each side, 3-4 minutes for rare, 4-5 minutes for medium rare.  Remember, your steak will continue cooking a bit while it rests!!!  Remove from skillet to a plate.  Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 8-10 minutes.  Slice the steak across the grain and plate.  Place a couple tablespoons of the salsa on each serving.

We enjoyed this meal very much alongside a broiled tomato and tossed green salad.  I loved the salsa….I love salty briny things.  It was not Dave’s favorite.  Those potatoes though…MAKE THE POTATOES.

I hope you have a great evening.  Thanks for stopping by.

Laura