Rouge Valley Royal Riviera Pear Salad

Received a lovely box of beautiful pears for Christmas! Made a delicious salad to complement our dinner. Omitted the champagne vinegar, walnut oil and blue cheese. Still, it was good.

For the dressing:

1/4 cup Champagne Vinegar (used TJ's white balsamic which is fine)
1 Tb Dijon
1 Tb honey
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
3/4 cup walnut oil (used canola- a little heavier but innocuous)

Blend using whatever method you prefer. I like a detachable whisk and whir it up real quick in a pint or measuring glass then cover with Press 'n' Seal wrap.  You could put it in a jar, shake and save for later. It will need shaking again.

For the salad:

1 head of butter or other lettuce, washed and dried (a bag of mixed greens heavy on spinach is good)
2 Ripe pears, peeled, cored and sliced thin. (I left the peels on)
2/3 cup blue cheese (omit unless you are really hungry or this salad is not part of a large meal)
2/3 cup candied nuts or toasted walnuts (Trader Joe's sells 5 oz. packages of "Very Crunchy, Lightly Sweetened" candied pecans)

Arrange salad on plates or compose in a large bowl.
Offer guests to apply their own dressing or just toss it in the bowl.
Place fans of pear slices on lettuce. Crumble blue cheese evenly on top.
Drizzle the dressing generously over the salad. Sprinkle with nuts and serve at once.

Sorry no pics for this one- but you get the idea. It was Christmas rush! The dressing a versatile for any salad. Try using goat cheese crumbles/adding lemon zest to brighten it up. Dried cranberries or fresh strawberries would be good, too!

Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Stock from Leftover Carcass

Now that I am working full-time, my cooking has become convenience-based.
We all go through phases of inspiration and well, phases of survival mode.

The other day I was going to roast my own chicken but they were around $10 each. Rotisserie chickens were half the price and already cooked! No brainer.

Here, I am using the carcass to make stock in the slow cooker. I am doing this overnight. Hopefully it won't be too much of a pain to deal with in the morning!
In the morning I will strain the broth and refrigerate it. After work I will bag it for the freezer.
Hopefully the flavor is great! My guess is that it will be even better since it will simmer for hours in the crock pot :)   

Ingredients

---

• 1 chicken carcass
• 2 carrots
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 medium onion
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme and a (optional) generous pinch of sage
• 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns

---

• Break the chicken bones so marrow can add flavor. I used boning shears but a heavy, sharp knife will also work.
• Turn a large crockpot on high and set the timer for 10 hours. 
• Put all the chicken parts in the crockpot. Save the meat for another use. (Chicken pot pie?)
• With the carcass in it, fill the crockpot 3/4 full with water.
• Chop (no need to peel) the carrots into large chunks. I happened to use organic baby carrots so no chopping required.
• Roughly chop the celery and the onion and add to the large crockpot.
• Cover, leave on high for 2 hours, then to low for 8 hours. If you are going to sleep the cooker should automatically go into the "keep warm" mode after it's done, which keeps the temperature at safe levels.
• Carefully pour the liquid gold through a sieve set over a stock pot, pressing on the parts. Cover and refrigerate the liquid gold, discard the solids.  
• Chill the stock in the fridge and later skim off the top layer of fat.
• Put the stock in baggies, label with date and amount (I like 1 and 2 cups), then freeze.

Dim Sum Dip

This is a great dip!
Use for things like scallion pancakes, crab rangoons, gyozas, etc. It is drinkably good!
Go easy on the sesame oil since the flavor is strong; adjust to your liking.

The first 4 ingredients are staple pantry items.
I also keep pickled ginger which can be finely grated/chopped in a pinch.
I go out to the garden for the green onions/chives (they are easy to grow and are useable even in winter).

• 2 tablespoons sriracha (red rooster)
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon fine grated ginger
• 1 green onion (scallion or chives), finely chopped

Japanese-Style Baked Mussels

I confess that I am a mussel lover. You know, that lowly cheapest of all shellfish to be found in New England. I spent a whopping $$ $2.99/lb recently. All the mussels I purchase are raised on seashore farms in P.E.I.
There is a scallop dish I will never forget, where they were baked in scallop shells in a richly delicious mayonnaise sauce. This was my inspiration plus I am obsessed with Asian flavors as of late.

Buy 1 lb. mussels per piggy person. 
If watching waistline (this is laden in fat), use half.
Also a useful recipe for passed h'orderves.

For an entree, serve with favorite pasta, in my case, linguine. Use the extra sauce to blend into the pasta. Sprinkle fresh herbs/greens over the pasta or use to decorate the plate. It is very rich and benefits from this touch.  

Ingredients

• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon gingerroot, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, minced
• 1/2 lemons, juice of
• 1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi, prepared (it comes in a tube!)
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 whole green onions, sliced fine
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (homemade is best)
• 3 tablespoons tobiko (flying fish roe, optional)
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 lb mussels
• panko, Japanese bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to: Broil, top heat, 500°. (Broil function in toaster oven worked great.)
2. Prep ingredients: Steam mussels or cook in saute pan, just until they open up and you can access the meat. Save the steam water and freeze to use for fish chowder. Once cooled, pull meat from mussels and coarsely chop. Pick out the best mussel shell halves and place in a large metal dish or one that can handle the heat. Fill each shell neatly with a 1/2 -1 tsp of meat.
3. For dressing and cooking: Combine all ingredients. Place about a drizzle of dressing over the meat. Sprinkle with a little panko bread crumbs over the sauce. Broil until bubbly and lightly browned. Remove from baking pan and top with snipped green onions or chives.

Cider Doughnut Muffins

Cider Doughnut Muffins
Yields: 17 regular muffins
Find the perfect muffin liners :) I used classic white.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbs apple cider
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1 2/3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup milk
idea: in centers of muffins, add a tsp of minced apple mixed in sugar & cinnamon
Topping –
3 tbsp butter
6 tbsp cinnamon-sugar mixture (looks good with turbinado or a coarse sugar)
I used a 1:3 cinnamon-sugar ratio

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (375 degrees F if using a dark, non-stick tin). Place baking cups in a 12-cup muffin tin and lightly grease the insides. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, thoroughly whisk together butter, oil, sugars and apple juice concentrate. Add eggs, beating to combine, until mixture is smooth. Stir in baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.
Add the flour to the butter mixture alternately with the milk, starting and ending with the flour. Stir to combine well.
Spoon or scoop batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted into one of the center muffins comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes.
Melt butter for topping. Dip the tops of each muffin into the butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely.

**Of course, taster-approved. Inhaled. Dinner-time replacement (with a hearty, healthy smoothy to complement). 3 friend recipients enjoyed, 1 in return gave apple cake. I rewrote the above recipe to improve it with additions of whole wheat flour and diced apples so it will definitely be revisited. 'Tis the season! 

Tom Kha Gai

 This recipe is truly from the archives, when my interest in cooking was first sparked.
It came from a Thai restaurant in my hometown of Hanover, MA. I think I was in high school at the time and definitely well over ten years ago.  Food memories are some of the best.
I raved about this soup so much that the owner, who was super friendly, brought out the recipe for me to copy down! It was scrawled on the only scrap paper available: an advertisement for a newly opened nail salon.
I never got around to making this recipe until now...
It is so easy to buy this soup at any Thai restaurant. Now that I know how easy it is to make it (despite the coconut part, in which case you can use canned), I am all over it!

There are also many Asian markets around here that sell the "exotic" ingredients. Truthfully, you can go without them (except for the lemongrass). Also buy some quality fish sauce (which is, mmm, fermented anchovies). 

My little man was desperate to open and drink from a coconut. That's how this all started. Sure enough, I bought one and did my internet search on how to handle it. You can use canned but after reading about all the health benefits of fresh, try it if you have a food processor or blender and a sieve!

Coconut Processing:
Of the three divots on the bottom, one of them is soft enough to pierce with a knife and drain the water. We both drank it and found it delicious (way better than the prepackaged stuff). The next challenge is cracking the nut open. I hammered away using a knife but any hammer would be fine.
The annoying part is scraping the meat out. I used a knife which was easier on smaller pieces but I also learned there are special curved coconut knives.
Make sure to exclude the outer bark and rinse the meat to exclude it. As you cut the meat off, put it in a food processor or blender. Process the meat for a minute. Pour in 1/2 cup boiling water and process another minute. Allow to sit for a bit. Come back to it and add 1 cup boiling water and process for 5 minutes. Strain into a 2-cup measure (or bowl) via a sieve (preferably lined with 2 layers of cheese cloth). Squeeze the coconut to release as much juice as possible. Refrigerate until using, up to 1 week. My coconut yielded 2 cups of milk.

Tom Kha Gai (chicken coconut soup)
1 cup chicken stock
2 stems lemongrass, outer leaves removed and sliced lengthwise in half
2" galangal (or ginger root), peeled and sliced
3 kaffir lime leaves, torn into small pieces (don't stress it if you can't find them, use more lime juice)
1/2 lb chicken cut into thin 1 x 1/2" strips and cooked
4 oz mushrooms (traditional is straw but any small fresh mushrooms are fine)
3 Tb lime juice
2 Tb fish sauce
1/4 tsp sugar
2 c. coconut milk (preferably homemade for maximum health benefits)
4 red bird's-eye chilis, bruised (or reduce to taste and/or use other hot pepper)
cilantro leaves to garnish (optional)

Pound chicken into very thin cutlets. I used tenders. Season with salt and pepper and cook in a skillet over medium high, until done. If using tenders, remove the tough tendon when cutting up.
Pour chicken stock in pot, add lemongrass, galangal or ginger, and kaffir leaves. Bring to boil over medium heat.

Add chicken, mushrooms, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar.
Simmer slowly, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Add coconut milk and chilis. Bring almost to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove the lemongrass and ginger. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve. Beware, the chilis are HOT!

Kale and Scallion Negimaki

Today we had a Labor Day family cookout and these tender morsels were the perfect, pre-burger appetizers.
They are quite rich (though I gobbled down three).
I'd like to experiment with other cuts of meat. 
I pounded the meat into 2" x 1/2" slices.
Recipe adapted from FoodandWine.com.

1.   2 Tb soy sauce (recipe suggests milder tamari but don't go out of your way to buy it)
2.   2 Tb mirin
3.   3/4 Tb miso (I prefer white but recipe suggests red)
4. 1/2 Tb sugar
5. 1/4 tsp sesame oil
6. 1/4-inch-thick slices of tenderloin steak (3/4 pound or less), pounded 1/8 inch thick
7. 1/4 pound kale, stems discarded
8. green onions 
9. Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

1. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, mirin, miso, sugar and sesame oil. Spread 1 teaspoon of the mixture on each side of the beef slices. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Reserve the remaining marinade to drizzle over the cooked rolls (so do not contaminate).
2. In a saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the kale until bright green, 2 minutes. Drain.
3. On a work surface, lay out a slice of beef with a long side facing you. Place 3 green onions slice across the lower edge. Top with some of the kale. Roll the meat up over the filling very tightly. Secure the roll with a toothpick or two. Repeat with the remaining meat, onions and kale.
4. Prepare a grill or preheat a grill pan. Grill the rolls over high heat until charred, 2 minutes. Brush the rolls with some marinade and grill for a few seconds more, until glazed.
5. Transfer the rolls to a work surface. Discard the toothpicks. Cut the negimaki into 1-inch lengths (or not, if you use smaller pieces). Transfer to a platter, cut sides up, and drizzle with the remaining marinade. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Corn Salsa

We had a great time at Swedish Car Day!
While Dad was outside installing a new car part and Andrew was busy watching, per his request, the show "Chopped", I got busy in the kitchen with my Allandale Farm treasures: corn and jalapenos.
My version of corn salsa is one I'll definitely come back to!
It is simple and delicious.

Make a vinaigrette:

1 lime, juiced
1/8 cup of your favorite vinegar (tried a mix of cider and champagne)
1/8 cup your oil of choice (I used canola)
salt & pepper (lots of pepper)
a pinch of sugar

Whisk together.

Finely dice 2 jalapenos and add to vinaigrette.

Steam 2 ears of corn for 6 minutes, run under cool water to stop the cooking, lay on towel to dry.

Add a can of rinsed and drained black beans.

The salsa is really good as is but if you'd like, try adding finely diced red onion or snipped green onions and chopped red pepper for color.
I added some chopped pickled red cherry peppers from our garden last summer. Yum!!

Cheese Apple Sandwich

Per Andrew's request, he wants to call this latest creation, "Cheese Apple".

It is so simple and GOOD!

Top 2 slices of whole wheat bread with one slice of mozzarella, cut in half.

Toast in oven until bread is browned and cheese bubbles.

Top one slice with Stonewall Kitchen's Cinnamon Apple Jelly, make it a sandwich, cut in wedges and enjoy!

On a recent trip to Maine and Stonewall Kitchen in York (just off exit 7), Andrew and I tried several jellies. We loved them all but this one definitely stood out as the most original and tastiest!

 A very serious double thumbs-up!

Taco Dip

This is a great taco dip recipe my mom wrote down for me a few years ago.
On a recent trip to my friend's vacation house in VT, I found that I left it there- it was amongst a stack of magazines. I recognized my mom's handwriting! 
I haven't made it yet but when mom did I remember it was *fabulous*! And so she wrote it down for me.
The next time you are tempted to buy one of those pre-made layer dips, try this instead!
Guaranteed it's far better and will be be gobbled up :)
Besides, 'tis the season for ripe tomatoes!

Taco Dip 

1 15 oz can refried beans
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
2 Tb salsa
1 8 oz sour cream
2 avocados, mashed
1 squeeze lemon juice
1 4 oz. can diced chilies
1 large tomato, diced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups Monteray Jack cheese
1 can (or preferably from an olive bar) black olives, sliced

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Layer:
 1. beans, taco seasoning, salsa
2. sour cream, avocados, lemon juice
3. chilies, tomatoes, onions
4. cheese, olives

Bruschetta

I love a recipe that is so easy to make! Oftentimes the best way to learn is to watch someone else do it.  In this case I watched my friend Lisa. She worked in a restaurant and has whipped this up many times.

Make the tomato dip:
Dice up 3 cloves of garlic, 4 plum tomatoes and half an onion.
Saute the onion then add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook down a bit.
Drizzle in some balsamic vinegar (white balsamic is also good and won't affect the color).
Remove from heat and mix in some chopped basil.
Drizzle olive oil over slices of baguette, rub with a cut piece of garlic, sprinkle of parmesan and toast them.
Serve with a dollop of goat cheese over the tomatoes and enjoy! 

Confetti Sandwiches

A great way to get some exciting veggie action into your kid's lunch! I had one too :)
Just spread some nice soft bread (in this case, scali) with mayo, grate some veggies of choice (carrots, zucchini, summer squash, etc.) over the bread, top with preferred cheese and voila! Colorful and fun/fast to prepare.

Baked Sole with Spinach, Olives and Tomatoes

This was a special dinner I made for my friend Kerri.
It is adapted from Jamie Oliver's "Happy Days With The Naked Chef."
I definitely give it a thumbs up! 

Here are the olive puree, rosemary skewers and tomato sauce, prepped ahead of time.

The final dish, ready to dig in!

Serves 4

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine
• 1 28oz can plum tomatoes
• Fine sea salt to taste
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1 large handful fresh basil
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 4 (7-oz) sole fillets
• 5 oz baby spinach 

Make sauce:
Cook garlic in 2 tablespoons oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat (on stovetop), stirring until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine and boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice, breaking them up with a spoon, and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Add sea salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.
Prepare fish while sauce simmers:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Pulse olives, basil, and anchovies to a paste in a food processor (or chop finely). Add olive oil  to create a more spreadable paste.
Lay fish fillets, skinned sides down, on a work surface and season with pepper. Divide olive paste among fillets and spread evenly. Beginning at narrow end, roll up each fillet. Peel the leaves of the lower end of the rosemary and use to skewer the fillets closed.
Bake fish:
Arrange fish rolls on tomato sauce in baking dish. Drizzle lightly with oil and bake, uncovered, in middle of oven, until fish is just cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Transfer fish to 4 heated plates. Heat tomato sauce over medium heat, then add spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 1 minute. Spoon sauce with spinach alongside fish.


 

Broccoli Cole Slaw

 I first had this a few years ago at my friend Katie's baby shower. Her sister made it and I loved it! Was very surprised to learn that it is made with Ramen noodles! The taster didn't like it but I sure did. I halved the below recipe. It would be good to make for a party.

Ingredients

• 2 bags (3-ounce) Ramen Noodle Soup in Oriental (other flavors will work, too)
• 3/4 stick butter
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 2 bags (12-ounce) bags broccoli cole slaw (in the bagged salad section of the grocery store)
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• Chopped green onions, for garnish

Dressing Mix:

• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup brown or white sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 ramen noodle seasoning packet

Directions

Put the ramen noodles in a bag and crush them with a rolling pin while melting butter in a large skillet over low/medium heat. Add the crushed noodles and slivered almonds to the skillet and saute, stirring occasionally (keep temperature at low/medium heat). Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Place the shredded broccoli into bowl and toss with the noodles, almonds, and sunflower seeds. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Grilled Chicken and Mango Salad

In coming up with this delightful treat, I had a perfectly ripe mango and leftover grilled chicken in the fridge.  Plus, it was a blistering 90+º outside.  I reached for the cookbooks and searched the indexes. I knew Chris Schlesinger was the guy to go to.

This is a perfect summer salad and is quick to assemble if you do the preparations ahead of time.
I think it could even be great to bring on a picnic or serve a large group for lunch.
It is very flavorful and healthy.
For vegetarian friends just leave out the chicken and/or let people assemble the salad themselves.
The taster was not really into it but that's o.k., it's the tasting effort that counts.
My friend Helen said, "It's the best salad I've had in five years!" 
I will definitely be making it again and I am happy to share a new good recipe.
Adapted from Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby's book, License to Grill.  

Grilled Chicken and Mango Salad
serves 4 (easily can prepare a half recipe)

2 grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts (seasoned to taste, salt & pepper is fine)
  As soon as they are cool enough, cut into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl
Add:
2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted and diced medium
1 cup seedless green or red grapes, halved
1 small red onion (or less/to taste), peeled and diced small/medium
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced medium
1/4 cup rough chopped cilantro (or parsley)
2 Tb roughly chopped fresh basil
and set aside.


Make the dressing: In a small bowl whisk together
6 Tb fresh orange juice (1 small orange)
1/4 cup lime juice (2 limes)
1 Tb fish sauce (optional- I need to buy some, next time I'll try it)
2 Tb minced fresh chili pepper of your choice (again, optional)
1 Tb minced ginger (I used pickled ginger which is handy to keep in the fridge)
salt & pepper to taste

Add just enough dressing to the mango mixture to moisten, toss well and serve atop arugula or other desired greens (the original recipe doesn't include greens but I think the arugula is great). 
Sprinkle with chopped unsalted peanuts that have been toasted in a 350º oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Peanuts can be roasted ahead of time.
I excluded the chili pepper but the peanuts I used were spicy cajun nuts.

Interesting mango facts:
In India, over 350 varieties are cultivated.
Mangoes are known throughout tropical Asia as the King of Fruits due to their sweetness and richness in phytochemicals and nutrients.
Do not refrigerate your mango.  Like bananas, typically when purchased they are underripe.
The best indicator of ripeness is aroma of a rich flowery perfume and a little give when you feel them.

Mini Quiches

I searched many recipes and including the quiche dough (yes you can be lazy and buy store-made pie dough).  I ended up buying mini Athens phyllo shells and buying a mini muffin pan and making special dough since I wanted to find out which is better.

Quiche is a custard poured into a shell (typically, pie) and baked carefully so the proteins don't toughen.  A delicate (and undeniably fatty) flavor burst.  Perfect for a brunch or cocktail party/any time people need sustenance. Does a kindergarten potluck count? It was my experimental ground and they went fast!  The verdict is out whether to make the quiche dough (recipe below) or use the mini phyllo shells.  The phyllo is crispier which adds a nice contrast while the dough just adds extra calories.  Umm, you cannot be counting calories if you are eating these ;D   

What I learned is that quiche can be purely simple (you add flavor to the egg and cream base- perhaps simply goat cheese and chives) or most elaborate like Emeril's Mediterranean Quiche (love that recipe!)

I was recently re-introduced and treated to the simple (perfect for h'oerdourves) mini quiches at my best male buddy, David Vaughn's wedding.  From what I could tell, the crust was perfect and the custard simply eggs and cream and topped with snipped chives. I love that you can make these ahead and even serve at room temperature.  If reheating do it carefully at 300º.    

Sun-dried Tomato & Goat Cheese Mini Quiches

Ingredients:

2 packages mini phyllo shells
2 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 log of goat cheese (herbed is nice), frozen and shredded on a grater (then refrozen for ease in handling)
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh green onions (or chives or parsley or whatever looks good)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place the phyllo shells on a baking sheet. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the eggs, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese until combined. Fill the phyllo shells with the egg mixture. Top with herb garnish. Bake for 9 minutes, or until egg is set.

Quiche Dough

Ingredients:

1/2 cups butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small mixing bowl blend butter and cream cheese until smooth; slowly add flour; form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill 2 hours.









Divide the dough into 3 parts (or 4), roll out the dough using flour to prevent sticking.* 
Using a cup slightly larger in diameter than your mini cupcake pan, cut out 24 rounds. 
Gently press into cupcake pan, trying to crimp the edges evenly.
Once filled, bake for 30 minutes or until set and serve.

* When I made this I cut the dough into 24 hunks and rolled the rounds one by one.  This is not the fast or consistent way to do it! 

Dashi

 I've been suffering the past couple days from a very irritated digestive system and my only comfort is in liquids.  I finally made some dashi and it is simple and easy!  The perfect base to miso soup. 

I found the konbu and bonito flakes at Whole Foods.  I am sure you can find miso there as well.  I prefer white miso over red.    

For a simple quick soup add a heaping spoonful of white miso to the dashi.  Use another spoon to help dissolve it.  Yum! 

Ingredients

• 1 piece konbu (approximately 5 by 6 inches)
• 1 cup bonito flakes
• 5 cups cold water

In a medium pot, place konbu into cold water. Set pot over medium heat. Just before the water begins to boil pull off heat and let stand 5 minutes.
 Remove konbu, and bring back to heat.

Again, right before stock begins to boil, remove from heat and add the bonito flakes. When flakes sink to the bottom, strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer.

Dashi keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks (but it's so good it won't last that long, mine was gone in one day/3 bowls of soup!)

Greek Pasta Salad

This salad is perfect for a pot-luck or to bring to the beach.

I cut the recipe in half but wish I made more! Recipe from America's Test Kitchen.

 GREEK PASTA SALAD with
CREAMY FETA VINAIGRETTE

Hands-on time: 45 minutes
Time to table: 3 hours
Makes 14 cups (but easily halved)

PASTA
• 1 pound (about 4 cups) mini or medium pasta shells
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced (it is fine if you omit the peppers)
• 4 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
• ½ cup Kalamata olives, chopped

VINAIGRETTE
• 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 - 4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt (you may want to omit, the olives add plenty of salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 ounces feta (small container)
• ¼ cup olive oil

BEFORE SERVING
• 8 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered 
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, quartered, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

PASTA Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain well. While still warm, transfer to a large bowl and stir in olive oil. Stir in peppers and olives.

VINAIGRETTE In a medium bowl combine all ingredients except olive oil. With the back of a fork, smash the feta until it ‘creams’ the vinaigrette, leaving small bits of feta intact. Whisk in the olive oil. Stir the vinaigrette into the pasta. Refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours until cold.

BEFORE SERVING Stir in tomatoes, cucumber and parsley. Serve cold.

Tuna Salad for Hungry Moms

Ah! I've made this so many times- finally posting it here. You don't need to be a hungry mom to enjoy it. Please keep in mind the hungry mom you know in your life who you could make it for! It keeps for a couple days. You can make it look fancy by serving over lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes, even some hard boiled eggs tossed in (for the extra-ambitious).

Tuna salad for hungry moms

Serves 2 hungry moms

1 can tuna in oil
1 can beans of your choice, (red kidney works well) rinsed
1/4 cup sliced red onion (or less, really to liking)
1/4 cup finely chopped broccoli florets
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice (I like lemon but do try a nice vinegar)
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
Chopped basil
Salt and Pepper

In a medium bowl, combine tuna, beans, onion, broccoli, lime juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix well. The salad can be made up to this point a day in advance. Right before serving, arrange tomato on a plate, sprinkle with basil, top with tuna salad. Gobble up before the baby needs to be fed or changed.

Porcini Mushroom Soup

I crave mushroom soups!

On Saturday I took Andrew to the Museum of Fine Arts for the first time (they offered children's activities)! We ate lunch outside the cafeteria, in the garden. Perfect spot to sip on hot soup. It was good but not that good so I was thus inspired to try making something better.

Buy a 1/2 ounce baggie or use up to 3/4 ounce of dried Porcini mushrooms. Soak them in 2 cups of water for 15-30 minutes. Stir occasionally, they tend to release a lot of sand/grit.

Sautee one chopped up onion in 1/2 stick of butter over medium in an accommodating pot for your soup, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt.
Next add 1 peeled, small diced carrot and cook until softened, 5 minutes.
Add a large handful of chopped white mushrooms. I would have used Shiitakes, if they weren't $5 a package!
Also add a stalk of fine-chopped celery, or in my case since we didn't have any, 1 heaping tablespoon of dried celery flakes.
Also add in a clove of minced garlic and some thyme.

Add 1 cup of chicken stock (I had some homemade, frozen) and the Porcini mushroom liquid (scoop the shrooms out to cut up a little bit for the finished soup) and a splash of your favorite white wine or champagne vinegar. The acidity is important, you could also experiment with other choices you may happen to have on hand.
Bring to a simmer.
Add in a discretionary amount of heavy cream. I eyeballed it and would guess it was around 3/4 cup.

Simmer for 20 minutes to reduce and concentrate the flavor. Salt and pepper to taste.
Use a stick blender or other blending device to puree the soup. Add in the reconstituted (and chopped if large pieces) porcini mushrooms. Serve!

This soup was so delicious I even licked the pot! The taster did taste some but at that moment was more focused on snacking on hummus and Ritz crackers.

Baked Stuffed Potatoes

These are yummy treats! Not at all low fat, 1 potato could probably feed 4.

First, slice a big russet potato in half lengthwise. Put pats of butter under each cut side and bake at 375º for 45 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes until cool enough to handle. Scoop out potato and into a bowl. Try to maintain a 1/4" edge on the potato shell.

Put the shells back in the oven and bake at 500º for 10 minutes, to crisp them up.

Meanwhile, add a large pat of butter, scoop of sour cream, handful of cheddar cheese and sprinkle of green onion. I used a hand-held beater to whip up the mix really fast.

Put stuffing in shells, top with more cheese and bake a little longer until cheese melts.

Allow to cool because they'll be piping hot! Enjoy!

Haddock with Bacon and Onions

This dish is delicious! One thing to watch is the salt. The original recipe is by Rachel Ray. To cut back on the fat, I did not use butter and olive oil. I also did not use Italian bread crumbs.
It came out really flavorful (you can't go wrong with bacon & onions!); I'd definitely make it this way again. The tester liked it but did note it's saltiness.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound haddock filet
  
• lemon juice
  
• Salt (optional/I like smoked salt)
  
• 2 slices smoky bacon, chopped
• 1/2 a medium yellow onion, diced
  
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 short stack of Ritz crackers (or any butter cracker), crushed with your fist
  
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped
• 1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sprinkle fish with lemon juice on a plate. Allow to sit while you prep the ingredients.

Heat a small skillet over medium high heat. Add the bacon and render the fat until it begins to brown. Use paper towels to wipe excess fat. Add onions. Cook until softened then add garlic. Cook a little longer. Remove pan from heat.

Add parsley, capers and crushed crackers.

Remove fish from plate, pat dry with paper towels and place in a baking dish. Fold any thin sections under, so that the fish cooks evenly. Optionally sprinkle with smoked salt. Cover/surround with the topping.

Bake 10-15 minutes.

Transfer fish to dinner plates and top with chopped tomato.

Chicken Stock

• 2 pounds chicken parts
  
• water to cover
  
• 1 large onion, halved and peel left on
  
• 3 stalks celery cut into pieces
  
• 4 carrots, cut into pieces
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 whole peppercorns
  
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (optional- depends on application of broth)
  
• salt to taste

First put your chicken in a suitable pot with a cover (the cover will stay on the whole time).

Cover with water. I actually used bottled. This is going to be the zen of broth, after all!

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for one hour.

Remove meat using tongs and allow to cool for 15 minutes (unless you have heat-proof gloves!)
Tear apart the chicken, put back in the pot, and use heavy scissors (or a hammer, mallet, cleaver) and hack apart the bones. Basically, include all parts of the chicken back into the pot.
I was tempted to reserve the chicken meat but after an hour it is well drained of flavor.

Add the remainder to the pot and more water if necessary. Bring to a boil then simmer away for 3 more hours. Stir occasionally and serve a few tender (cooled) carrot bits to little people.

Turn off heat and let it sit to cool for a bit.

Pour through a sieve into a bowl suitable to stick in the fridge. I pressed hard on a large spoon to extract as much juice as I could.

Once cooled in the fridge, skim off the fat and store in single use portions, in the freezer.

Bacon, Egg and Goat Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches

While I was gone with Andrew at swim class this morning, Dad was busy back at home, devising an innovative breakfast sandwich.
It was divine!!
I will describe how to make 1 sandwich:

Need:
1 Dash of freshly ground pepper
1 Dash of freshly ground sea salt
1 tb soft goat cheese
1 minced green onion (green part only)
1 English muffin
1 egg
1 tb of milk
1/2 tsp Trader Joe's Green Olive Tapenade
1 Thick-cut slice bacon

Fry up the bacon.
In a small bowl, mix softened goat cheese with 1/2 tb of milk. A small whisk or spoon will do.
Toast an English muffin then spread both sides with goat cheese mixture.
Whisk together egg, remaining milk and, tapenade. Heat a skillet over medium and pour the egg in. Allow to cook without handling, then carefully fold cooked sides over and put on muffin.
Top with bacon, green onions, assemble sandwich, and devour!
The fearless taster had a big bite and liked it even though he was previously satiated on chocolate.
Such a tasty treat and quite easy to make, a great new recipe!!
Thanks to Alex ♥

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Fruit Cookies

Hail to cooking inspiration! The other day while at Trader Joe's, I was browsing their marvelous assortment of dried fruits and nuts and trail mixes. It dawned on me that I should try using some dried fruit in my next cookie batch!
Before Andrew, it was a common wintertime activity for me to make chocolate chip cookies with pecans. In fact, it was so common, I am surprised this tried and true recipe is not on the blog yet! Well, regardless, this new recipe is healthier and tastes great! It was even 'healthy enough' that I allowed my child to eat cookies for dinner!

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups rolled oats (preferable but instant are fine)
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup dried fruit, of personal preference (tried blend of strawberries, blueberries and cranberries)

Adjust oven racks to low and middle positions (for 2 cookie sheets). Preheat to 350º (325º for nonstick cookie sheets). Spray with nonstick spray or cover in parchment.

In a medium bowl, blend flour, baking powder and salt.

Either by hand or with a mixer, beat butter on medium speed until creamy. A Kitchenaid stand mixer is perfect for this. Add the sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time.

While mixing as minimally as necessary, add the flour mixture. Once combined, add all the oats and blend. Then add the chocolate and fruit.

You can use the dough right off or, as I did, save it for tomorrow. Make sure to tightly wrap any dough you put in the fridge (or freezer, too). Any fats (butter) quickly absorb other odors in the fridge (onion scented cookies, anyone?).

Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough with a spoon and place on sheets, 2" apart. Try to keep the tops looking rough and don't over-handle the dough, rather pat together any crumbly dough parts.

Bakes until the edges are golden and some of the tops turn light golden, around 20 minutes, switching cookie sheet locations halfway through (top to bottom, front to back).

The cookies should be removed to a rack to stop browning (don't burn them!) and are cool enough to eat in about 10 minutes.

Share the love with your friends and they will disappear fast!
So fast that you won't even remember to take a photo of them! ;D

Shime Saba Oshi Zushi (Marinated Mackerel Pressed Sushi)

Ahhh~~~ Finally for me, a 'zen' moment making sushi.

In case you didn't read my food blog misadventure making marinated mackerel with a fish, that wasn't in fact mackerel, you may understand why it took me a couple years to give it a try again.

Finally there is a reliable local fish market that sells fish specifically for making sushi! I even gave Sakanaya kudos by writing a Yelp review.

First, I coated a frozen fillet of the Norwegian mackerel in kosher salt and refrigerated it a few hours to thaw. I understand it should be salted for at least 30 minutes. It was still slightly frozen but with handling, thawed right out. Rinse the salt off well and pat it well to dry with paper towels.

Create your marinade according to personal taste. I used unseasoned rice vinegar 10 parts to maybe 1 part mirin. I found a mixture similar to this, maybe slightly heavier in mirin, to be ideal for seasoning the sushi rice.

Submerge the fish and let it soak for 1-2 hours. The acids will cause the flesh to turn white, basically cooking it (as in, ceviche). I was impatient and it was getting late so I marinated for only 30 minutes which was fine.

Make your sushi rice. Use Japanese short grain rice. Before I bought a bag of sushi rice at the big Asian market, I used California-grown sushi rice. I was fine but I am happy with my current batch.

Measure according to need. I found 3/4 cup of rice to be plenty for myself.
Put the rice into a mesh sieve and over a bowl of water. Put your hands in and move the rice around. When the water is milky white, change for a fresh bowl. This will typically take 3 bowl-fulls until it is mostly clear. Drain the water and let the rice sit in the strainer for 30 minutes or so.

I made the rice using kombu (a type of dried kelp) for the first time.
Kombu lends flavor that is deep, complex, almost vaguely smoky. It is an essential ingredient in making miso soup. I purchased some at Whole Foods but certainly any health food store should have it. Can you believe there is a blog dedicated to kombu? http://www.umamiinfo.com/ is also a fascinating site.

Use a piece around 2 x 4" and slice it with scissors to help release flavor.
Put the sushi rice in a small pot with cover, pour in 3/4 cup of water a place the kombu on top.
Bring to boil over medium heat. Once boiling, cook for 3-5 minutes and adjust heat in case the saucepan boils over.
Reduce heat to very low and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Lift the lid and remove the kombu.

Transfer rice to a bowl and initially sprinkle with seasoned vinegar. Gently mix and add more seasoning, until it tastes how you'd like.

Remove mackerel from marinade and carefully peel off outer skin. It helps to start from the underbelly corner (white). Some of the iridescent skin may peel off with it but try peeling from a new spot if flesh comes off.

Put your fillet on a plate and have a good pair of tweezers handy to pull out any small bones. You will definitely know they are there because the fish should not feel grisly.

Next:
Making Pressed Sushi

First off, find a suitable container to press your sushi in. I found metal mini-loaf pans to be ideal. They cool down fast and the width was the same of the filet I worked with.

Line your container with plastic wrap (once squished down, lifts out easily).
Slice your mackerel into perfect little filets and arrange in the container. Keep in mind how it will look, unmolded. The shiny skin has a lot of appeal. It is also fine to show off the evenly cut sides.

Optionally, thin slice up some green onions and mix with some sushi rice. I made some with the green onions and some without and I have to say the green onions are a must! If you leave them out they can also be used as a garnish.

Always use damp hands to work with super-sticky sushi rice. Portion some on top of the fish, wash or wipe your rice-hands then top the rice with plastic wrap and press down. It helps to have containers that nest but your own hands feel more and that is fine.

I refrigerated overnight and ate the delectable little pieces for lunch... And dinner the next day! The taster also had a piece and- get this- ate just the fish, not the rice!
What he really wanted (and had) for dinner: some fresh-baked Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Fruit Cookies.
More sushi for me ;D.











Take a 2 x 4" piece of kombu and cut slits in it.

Cavatappi Pasta Bake

I was under the gun: dinner idea and shopping spree in under 10 minutes at Shaw's. (This was my last chance at shopping freedom before school pick-up). A personal challenge.
Call to the co-executor while enroute: pasta entree, o.k.'d (this is always an important step in consideration of cooking).
Ruminated over Cabot recipe seen on internet earlier (Make-Ahead Stuffed Shells with Cabot White Cheddar Cheese). While on shopping spree I kept that inspiration alive and went with my own ingredients.

Makes 2 smaller casseroles or one 9 x 13" (cut up and freezer friendly).
12 lunch servings (serve with a side salad) or 8 if you're hungry.

cook 1/2 of 16 oz package of pasta of choice
3/4 jar Shaw's 'Culinary Circle' Three Forest Mushroom Pasta Sauce (you'll swear there's meat in it)
Bag of spinach (prewashed, baby-ish sized leaves), chopped
small .75 oz fresh basil, more finely chopped than spinach
Microwave spinach & basil in covered casserole, enough to cook, 3 minutes or so. Allow to cool and squeeze out excess moisture (there will be a lot) using a cheesecloth or trusty thin dish towel.

1/2 bar of cream cheese, 1/3 less fat
15 oz container part skim ricotta cheese, any excess liquid drained off
1 egg
Combine in a mixing bowl with a mixer, well. Add pepper, a dose of italian dried herbs and garlic powder. Add spinach-basil mix.

Grate 8 oz low fat mozzarella (Shaw's) and 4 oz Romano cheese (Stella)
Add half of each gratings to mixer and combine. Reserve appropriate remainder for topping.

Layer pasta sauce, pasta, cream mix, pasta sauce, pasta, cream mix, then top with cheese.

Bake in preheated 375º oven for 30 minutes. Turn up to 425º and cook 5 minutes longer. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before cutting and serving (yet allow additional 5 minutes to cool).

Make up salads (store salad bar comes in handy) to serve with Good Seasons Italian dressing.

Optionally, include pitted kalamata olives and parsley.

Very delicious- and an easy dinner for a couple other nights!

Microwave from frozen carefully, at half power then full, maybe even finishing in toaster oven.

Kid-Friendly Pineapple

I *love* pineapple! This time of year, it seems to be plentiful.
Know what a nice and ripe fruit smells like (very aromatic) and snag it!

You will know they're special when you walk by a display and the aroma brings you in closer. As pineapples fully ripen, almost to the point of spoilage, their antioxidant levels actually increase.

Check out this link about the benefits of pineapple.

Use a sharp knife to remove the outer skin and occasional small seeds.

The best way to remove the, grisly core from 1/4-1/2" thick slices was to use some small cookie cutters. Keep the cores, the edges are still good to gnaw on. Yum!

Mom's Meatloaf

Mom's Meatloaf

Recipe courtesy Charity Boyd of the South Side Soda Shop and Diner, Goshen, IN

Food Network Show: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives
This show is a favorite of Alex and mine lately. Really lots of great ideas. This meatloaf is good, the only change I would make next time is to saute the onion. This seems to help reduce the 'onion burps' afterward.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
  
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound ground beef (80% lean)
  
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  
• 1 cup bread crumbs (I used more like 1/2 cup Panko)
  
• 1 cup ketchup (also used less, just enough to top it)
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix together the horseradish, mustard, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

In large bowl, mix ground beef, onion, egg, and Worcestershire sauce. Add contents of small bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the bread crumbs and combine well.

Place mixture into a 1-pound loaf pan. Pour ketchup over top and place in oven.

Bake uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes.

Almost-Famous Soft Pretzels

I've always loved Auntie Annie's pretzels. It's been a desire of mine to somehow recreate them at home. This recipe is pretty dead-on. The only thing I didn't work out yet is a good honey-mustard dip. I had mine with mustard, Andrew ate his with honey and Alex had his, straight up. I froze the remaining 3, hoping they should reheat well for a snack sometime.
My biggest challenge was actually forming the pretzels. Check out some youtube videos to get the knack of it.

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk (low fat is fine)
  
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/3 cup baking soda
• 2 tablespoons coarse salt

Directions

Make the pretzels: Warm the milk until it's about 110-120 degrees; sprinkle in the yeast. Let the yeast soften, about 2 minutes; stir in the brown sugar and 1 cup flour. I used a stand mixer with a dough hook but you could also mix by hand with a wooden spoon. Dice 2 tablespoons butter and soften; stir into the mix. Add the remaining 1 1/4 cups flour and the fine salt to make a sticky dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding more flour if needed, until smooth but still slightly tacky, about 5 minutes. I found it necessary to add a lot more flour to this sticky dough. Shape into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and grease a large baking sheet. Punch the dough to deflate it, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. (If the dough seems tight, cover and let rest until it relaxes.) Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Roll and stretch each piece with the palms of your hands into a 30-inch rope, holding the ends and slapping the middle of the rope on the counter as you stretch. Form each rope into a pretzel shape.

Dissolve the baking soda in 3 cups warm water in a shallow dish. Gently dip each pretzel in the soda solution, then arrange on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with the coarse salt. I used two sheets, three pretzels on each. Be careful not to over salt. Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Brush on some melted butter so it's glistening.