EAT WITH ME

Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée

2009-12-09T06:14:00.000-05:00

I continue to be a slow poke in posting things to the blog. Perhaps its my new way of doing business? I hope not...

Anyway, in continuing to share Post-Thanksgiving recipes, let's move on to the French Onion Soup.

To lessen the amount of time spent in front of the stove caramelizing onions, I use a roasting pan and the oven! Make sure you have a good quality roasting pan for this...

We need some butter.

I used 10 large onions for my soup. Two red ones and 8 sweet Vidalia onions.

The onions will start to sweat in the oven.

I could have stopped here, but I felt the onions weren't dark enough yet.

Here we go. Caramelized Onions!!!

Now, I put the roasting pan on the stove top to help dissolve the sugars and get the onions slopping around. Add the various types of broth, wine and cider.

Once the roasting pan is cleaned up, I simmer the soup in the big pot with a bouquet garni and start tasting to adjust the seasoning.

The soup simmers for about 20-30 minutes, developing the flavors. Notice that color! Dark and souper rich! I had to add additional broth prior to serving, as the soup almost had the texture of a thick stew.

Serve the soup in an oven safe bowl, top with bread and grated Gruyere cheese. Place under the broiler until golden and bubbly! Serve hot!!!

French Onion Soup
10 large onions (combination of red and sweet)
4 TB unsalted butter
Salt/Pepper
2 cups dry white wine
1 cup beef broth
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup unfiltered apple cider
Fresh thyme, Bay leaf and Parsley wrapped in cheese cloth for a Bouquet Garni

Fresh Bread cut into 1/2-1 inch pieces
1-2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 350, place the roasting pan in the oven while you prep the onions.

Slice onions in half from end to end, the slice each half, in half, finely slice into thin slices. When the onions are sliced, remove the roasting pan from the oven and add the butter. The butter will melt, add onions and stir to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Place onions in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and stir. Return to the oven for one hour. Check about half way through the cooking time. After an hour, stir and return to the oven for another 30-60 minutes until the onions have reduced and taken on a dark, rich color.

Place the roasting pan over two burners on your stove top. Over high heat, add the wine. Stir to incorporate, bring to a boil and reduce by half. Add the broth and cider. Scrap up any bits of onion stuck to the pan. Pour all of the onions and broth into a large pot.

Place pot of low heat and add the Bouquet Garni, bring a low simmer, cover and cook for 20-30 minutes. Adjust seasoning as needed.

To serve, pour soup into oven safe bowls. Top with bread croutons and grated cheese. Place under a broiler until golden brown and delicious. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot.

Thanksgiving Photos

2009-12-01T21:17:00.006-05:00

Hey gang. It was a busy few days immediately following Thanksgiving, and tomorrow we head out on the road for a few days to celebrate our 10th anniversary. I promise more photos and recipes in the near future.

Puff pastries rising in the oven. These will be our profiteroles.

A French Bread Boule! I made two loaves. Very good!

First course was French Onion Soup with Toasted Croutons and topped with Gruyere Cheese and baked until bubbly and brown.

Second course was a Frisee Salad with Spiced Pecans, Bacon and Apples, tossed with a Citrus-Chardonnay Vinaigrette.

Third course was a French Cassoulet with Chicken and Sausage. Super savory and amazingly filling.

Fourth course was Julia Child's Beouf Bourguignon on Creamy Mashed Potatoes. I think it was divine. But I'm not sure. I was so stuffed at this point, I'm not sure if I really enjoyed it.

Fifth course, dessert! Profiteroles filled with Spiced Pumpkin Ice Cream and topped with a Warm Creme Anglaise and Crushed Spiced Pecans. (I actually forgot to the take a photo when dessert was served, so this was a recreation the next morning, the sauce was thicker and I forgot the pecans...and this was breakfast!)

And that my friends was Thanksgiving 2009! I promise recipes and more photos in the next week or two. The profiterole recipe was really easy! The onion soup takes awhile, but it's mostly hands off. BTW, I'm craving turkey, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes...I loved a French Thanksgiving, but now I want the Traditional Thanksgiving. Christmas Dinner will be right around the corner!!! Perhaps I'll get my wish.

So, there were so many left over profiterole puffs. I repurposed them into a bread pudding, topped with mini-chocolate chips and extra creme anglaise. Damn!

Big Day

2009-11-26T07:30:00.003-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING YA'LL.
See youn the flip side, you can follow me on Twitter if you are bored; lin on the right.

A French Tease

2009-11-25T06:38:00.000-05:00

A sampling of what's coming down the line for tomorrow's dinner...

Perfect! Onions caramelized in the oven. A delicious base for the richest onion soup you can imagine. Next step, add stock, broth, cider, wine, herbs and simmer.

Beouf bourguignon after 3 hours in the oven. Next step, strain out the goodies and add braised pearl onions and mushrooms. Will be served on mashed potatoes.

Stay Tuned for more goodies...

Cracker Please!

2009-11-24T06:18:00.000-05:00

I have to start this post with an apology, I don't remember where this recipe came from. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a Martha Stewart recipe, but I have no idea. What I do know, these are delicious and worth trying. Let's get started.

Cheddar Rosemary Crackers

You need three tablespoons for fresh rosemary, which has been finely chopped. I think that's about 1/2 a cup of unchopped rosemary. I still think rosemary is one of my favorite herbs, based solely on aroma alone.

Delicious butter. Use the best butter you can get. Here we have Kerrygold, unsalted Irish butter. Chilled.

Mix together the flour, butter, cheddar & parm, seasoning (cayenne pepper and this time I tossed in a small bit of chipotle chile as well.) One egg yolk.

Mix together with some cold water, then add the rosemary. The dough will be crumbly and won't pull together. On the counter you will dominate the dough. You will make it do what you want. You must be aggressive and you force. Pushing and kneading, the dough will come together.

Roll the dough into a log shape, wrap with paper or plastic wrap and chill for a couple hours.

Slice the dough into 1/4 inch disks.

Bake until golden brown and delicious. As they come to room temperature, I think the flavors are best. They are tasty fresh from the oven, but I think they are best about an hour or two later.

Ta Da! You don't get too many with one batch. So, don't snack on more than one or two before your guests arrive, or you won't get to share. I think the recipe yields 2 dozen.

Recipe:
Cheddar Rosemary Crackers

Weekend Catch Up

2009-11-23T08:36:00.005-05:00

Bummer. Can't seem to find my camera. I think it's in a location in which I am not. Go figure.

We had a great weekend. Saturday I cooked and prepped all morning for a meet & greet for the local LGBT community at our house. It was a lot of fun, with lots of yummy treats. I'll get the photos up soon.

I made:

Cheddar Rosemary Crackers

Pigs-in-a-Blanket

Cheesy Sausage Balls

Hummus

Turtle Cheesecake Dip

Pumpkin Pudding

We were also treated to some warm spinach artichoke dip and warm taco dip.

Sunday was for the most part, a day of rest, with the main adventure being the shopping for groceries for Thanksgiving Dinner.

I spent some time going over all the recipes and figuring out what we needed versus what we had in the pantry. Thank god I keep a stocked pantry, or I would have been out a few hundred extra! That being said, I managed to keep the bill below $200 for a five-course French dinner. Two ingredients along were over $50. Damn French with their highfalutin tastes! But I'm so frakkin' excited!!!!

Tonight I start the cooking and prep work. Stay tuned for more adventures.

Cozy Braised Chicken

2009-11-20T19:07:00.004-05:00

The other night the Fabulous Becca & Mia from Red Letter Days in San Diego rolled into town on a cross country drive. As I continue to lobby the creation of Red Letter Days East Coast, I thought I'd try seducing the ladies with some braised chicken and plenty of sparkling wine!

It might take some time, but I'm pretty sure it worked!

Start with the recipe here.

Braised Chicken with Shallots, Fennel and Bacon

Get some of your ingredients ready. Fennel. Shallots. Carrots. Bacon.

Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Sear until the skin is crispy in the reserved bacon fat! Don't worry, the chicken doesn't cook through, just get the skin crisp and some of the fat is rendered out.

Pour out the fat from the pan, reserving one to two tablespoons. Start sauting the vegetables.

Carrots, Fennel, Shallots with an herb blend of thyme, sage, rosemary and parsley.

Snuggle the chicken into the vegetables and add some dry white wine and chicken broth, bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven for an hour.

Remove the chicken from the braising liquid and scoop the veggies out to the side. Boil the liquid until it's reduced down to about one to two cups. Stir in a tablespoon or two of butter. In the last minute or two of simmering, add the bacon. Pour over the chicken.

Serve steaming hot.

Chinese Style BBQ Pork

2009-11-19T08:52:00.003-05:00

Last night was a very tasty dinner that required a little advanced planning. This pork roast requires 24 hours of marinading for the best flavor. I would be interesting in trying to let the pork marinade for 48 hours. There was some good flavor going on, but I'm wondering if longer is better in this instance.

I served the pork with my carrot/cilantro salad.

For the salad, I started with the recipe located here as inspiration. I used the vegetable peeler to make ribbons from the carrots. The cilantro was very tender, so I didn't chop it, just torn it apart. (mistake!) The dressing was lime juice, rice vinegar and olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper. I didn't have any sesame seeds or sesame oil; which I wanted to use for an additional layer of flavor and texture. The salad was good, except the cilantro really was over powering! Next time, no matter how rustic and easy I'm trying to make something with cilantro, I will chop it.

The pork was really easy. Mix, pour, marinate, roast, rest, slice, serve. And you can do most of the work the night before. Don't be tempted to add an additional star anise pod, you'll see in the recipe, it's flavor is strong and aromatic, which is good, but like the cilantro in the salad, can be over powering. Use just one! Next time I make this, I might consider brush with some reserved marinade/sauce, then placing under the broiler for a minute prior to serving, to get the outer layer extra caramelized and crunchy!

Leftovers of this pork would be divine in stir-fried rice!

Chinese Barbecued Pork
Adapted from: 5 Second Rule

3-4 lb pork loin roast, cut into 2 large pieces
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 TB dry sherry
1 tsp 5-spice powder
2 scallions, smashed
2 stems cilantro, smashed
1 pod star anise

Mix sugar, soy sauce, sherry and 5-spice.

Place pork in a dish or zip top bag, pour soy mixture over the pork. Add scallions, cilantro and star anise. Zip the bag shut and give everything a good solid squish around.

Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Turn and squish once in awhile.

Preheat oven to 350. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and parchment (the sugar will make a huge mess as it caramelizes, the foil makes clean up easy, the parchment prevents the roast from sticking and tearing the foil). Remove pork from the marinade and place in the center of the baking sheet.

Strain and reserve the marinade. Simmer reserved marinade for at least 10 minutes, watch carefully as it reduces to a thick sauce.

Roast pork for 30 minutes, basting once or twice with reserved sauce. Flip the pork, baste again, and roast for an additional 10 mintues. Until the pork caramelizes and just begins charring at the edges.

Transfer meat to cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Drizzle some additional sauce over the sliced pork.

Tweet Tweet

2009-11-18T09:34:00.002-05:00

I am planning to Twitter my way through Thanksgiving. Feel free to follow me. I have opened my profile up to the public and am now getting the hang of this Twiting business.

EatWithMe75

Fair warning...you might get an earful about a lot of random stuff not related to this blog or food in general.

The Hot Tamale Pie

2009-11-18T09:00:00.002-05:00

Last night's dinner was a simple, tasty one. Tamale Pie. This is a throwback to the days when I was cooking Rachel Ray on a regular basis. I think this was a Rachel Ray recipe, anyway. If it was, I feel it's a strong example of what she does right and where there could be improvement. As is, the recipe is easy, fast, anyone can try it and make it work. Dinner in a snap. Prep, toss in the oven, clean up, serve and enjoy. Where there is room for improvement is in the flavor department. The recipe can come off as a little bland, at least for me. So, you will need to start experimenting with flavors to bring the dish up a notch of two. Add some additional spices to base. Last night I added some shallot, coriander and chipotle chile powder. Combined with the onions, garlic, peppers and cumin, we now have a great base. The cornmeal topping, well, that is really bland if you don't play around. I cooked my topping with cream, chicken broth, Adobe seasoning, plenty of black pepper and at the end, stirred in some cheese. Now we're talking!

Of the few times I've made this, last night was spot on. We were very pleased.

You'll notice in the photos, I made the Tamale Pies in individual ramekins. With half the recipe I had 6 individual pies. I do this more as a convenience for saving extras for lunch. Just cover, reheat and go. It is also helpful with portion control. Except we each ate TWO instead of one! We didn't have a side, give us a break! Anyway, you have beef, tomatoes, corn, onions, peppers and lots of good, rich spices. Basically, a solid chili, without the soupy base.

Top the pies with cooked cornmeal/grits and sprinkle a little extra cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until golden and bubbly.

Enjoy.

Catch Up

2009-11-16T09:02:00.004-05:00

I know I know I know...sorry. Geesh. I'm alive! I'm cooking. I'm just not blogging! I'm not giving it up...just siphoning my creative energy into a new side project...and it's wiping me out. I can't believe how many people have contacted me in the past week or so to make sure I'm alright. Love you all very much!!! Thanks for thinking of me!

So, to quickly catch up...it's been a few weeks since I've posted anything. We've had a few good things happen in the kitchen at Parkway Manor, and a few not great things.

This was ok. It's supposed to be a Bavarian Creme Cupcake...the custard set up almost to a tofu texture, it was nasty...tasted good, but nasty texture. The cake was good. The chocolate ganache didn't really work. I ended up sticking it in the fridge overnight and whipping it with the mixer the next day...it was tasty! Almost a rich chocolate mousse, with small chunks of chocolate in it. I was hoping these would have been fun for halloween. I tried to make the custard orange, and use a darker chocolate for the ganache. I had no red food coloring, only yellow. And the chocolate...once it was whipped, it was such a pale brown, there was no hope...

Here is a base for Roasted Red Pepper Soup. It's divine. Really tasty. Garlic, shallots, lots of red peppers, tomato and broth. Finish with a little cream.

The start of a salad. I was hoping for some Napa Cabbage, but Giant is ghetto sometimes and you can't get all the good stuff you need. So, it's green leaf, shredded carrots (w/ a peeler, instead of a grater) and cilantro.

The salad with finished with some toasted almonds, chunks of chicken and a soy-ginger dressing. Mmmm!

This was redonk! Super good. 2005 was a great year in Napa for cabs and this bottle, one of the most expensive bottles of wine I've bought ($25!!!), was so worth it. Please note, I rarely, rarely spend more than $10-$15 on a bottle of wine. This was a HUGE splurge, but divine!

Oh the carnage! The awesome Cab was served with Filet Mignon with a red wine/shallot pan sauce and white cheddar mashed potatoes. There was a salad on the side with pears, cashews, dried cherries on romaine with a balsamic basil dressing. Stupid Good!

Another soup base. This is the starter components for an amazing Tortilla Soup. The base is what takes the time...and that's only because it goes whiz whiz in the processor. Next time I make it, I'm making a double batch of starter, so the second pot can be just minutes away.

The final soup. The broth is phenom! But what makes it are the accoutrements! Chicken, Avocado, Cheese, Tortilla Chips, Sour Cream (if you have it, we didn't), Cilantro, Fresh Lime Juice. It's spicy, it's smokey, it'll make your sinuses sing with joy as they clear up. I really want to make this again...soon!

So there you have a it. A snap shot of the past few weeks. Part of the delays have to do with multiple nights away from home for work or when we go out for one reason or another. The other day, I've mentioned before, I'm trying my hand at writing fiction and my goal is finish 50,000 words or more by December 31, 2009...I have a ways to go, but I'm struggling through, as much on a daily basis as possible.

The holidays are here. They aren't even around the corner. If you are participating in a Thanksgiving Dinner, whether you are hosting or you going to a potluck, you should be making your plans now. Do you shopping as soon as you can, at least for the pantry staples and then just get the fresh produce and meats next week. The stores are madhouses and I like to do what I can to avoid them!!! I am really excited about Thanksgiving, even though I still don't have my menu fully worked out. I'm by-passing the traditional feast and going in a different direction all together! Stay tuned.

I have a full menu this week; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. I'm out for work on Monday and Friday. So postings will hopefully pick-up, but they might still be slow.

Curry Killz Cancer

2009-10-29T09:35:00.004-04:00

Tumeric
Image Source

Studies are showing that chemicals in Turmeric can kill cancer cells. Turmeric also stains things yellow! But yeah for cancer kill agents! Might have to make some curry soon, just to be safe!

Curry spice 'kills cancer cells'

Getting the most from the goods...

2009-10-28T15:51:00.004-04:00

image source

If you read something on the interwebz, it must be true right? Sure!

Here's an interesting, short article I saw online about bioavailability...getting the most nutrients out of your food. Your body only absorbs so much of the good stuff on its own. Sometimes with a little extra something something, you get more bang for your buck!!! For example, if you cook your tomatoes, the cooking process makes more lycopene available to your body, you do lose some vitamin C though. If you add black pepper, the chemicals there help more stuff make it into your system.

Some good tips. If nothing else, it's interesting...
Bioavailability: How to Get More Nutrients from Your Food

A quick heart attack recipe

2009-10-27T16:39:00.002-04:00

White Cheese & Sausage Pasta
from Culinary in the Desert

I made this for dinner last night. It was good! Gut bomb good! Spicy from the sausage. Ridiculously creamy and gooey from the cheese and bechamel sauce. Stupid Good. I more or less followed the recipe; even though I didn't have it in front of me, so some of the quantities were off and I ad libbed a bit. Added some shredded white cheddar cheese (1/2 cup) as well as the mozzarella and parm.

Instead of using another baking dish, I made sure to boil the pasta in an oven-proof pot. After I drained the pasta, I dumped it back in the pot and poured the sausage/sauce mixture over, stirred and baked. Saved us a little extra clean up. I used a half pound of spicy ground pork sausage, not turkey sausage. I don't think it matters much. But use the spicy if you like some good heat. If not, use regular, but add a little red pepper flake. You want some heat to cut through all the creamy, cheesey goodness.

4 cups dry rigatoni or any other short tube-shaped pasta
8 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
2 TB butter
3 TB all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
3 ounces fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt
4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400

In a large pot of boiling salted water, add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add sausage - cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

Add butter to the same skillet and allow to melt over medium heat - whisk in flour and allow to cook, whisking, for a minute or two. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook, stirring, until thick, about 8 minutes - remove from heat.

In a large bowl, toss together the sauce, cooked sausage Parmesan, crushed red pepper and salt. Scoop the mixture into a 7" x 11" baking dish coated with nonstick spray. Scatter the top with mozzarella. Bake until bubbly and the top is lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

Beef Stew

2009-10-26T09:16:00.000-04:00

This recipe for Oven Beef Stew is adapted from one shared with readers in a recent Penzey's catalogue.

The key to this adaptation is to find a very tender cut of beef. The original recipe has this cook for 5 hours...I cooked it for an hour. Long enough to make most beef pretty tough and chewy. But having a tender cut that slow cooks, for only an hour, in a wet environment, is key.

That being said...I didn't read what type of beef this was and was surprised how tender it was after an hour of cooking! Trial and error my friends. Sorry.

Oven Beef Stew
adapted from Penzey's

1 1/2 lb beef, cubed and trimmed.
2-3 large potatoes, peeled, cubed
1 onion, large diced
4-5 carrots, peeled and cubed
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
Salt/Pepper
2 tsp Oregano, dried
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 TB vegetable oil
Broth-chicken or beef or combo

Preheat oven to 350.

Coat the beef with the vegetable oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Sear the beef in a large pot, over medium high heat. You are trying to get a browned crust, not cook the meat through. Remove the beef to a bowl.

Add the onions to the pot and stir. Add the oregano. Stir. Add the tomatoes. Cover with broth and add the beef. Stir. Cover and place in the oven for 1/2 hour.

At the 1/2 hour mark, stir and add the potatoes and carrots. Cover and cook for another 1/2 hour, or until the vegetables are tender.

Serve hot!

Notes: If you want the broth to be thicker, you can stir in a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and cold liquid) to thicken it, or bring to a simmer over the stove, uncovered to allow the broth to reduce.

Using up apples

2009-10-23T07:18:00.001-04:00

I made apple crisp the other night, using up some apples before I buy more at this weekend's market.

I didn't really follow a recipe. I started with 6-7 apples that I peeled, cored and cut into 8ths...give or take. I tossed those with a little sugar and cinnamon and dumped them in a baking dish. I mixed the 'crisp:' oatmeal, chopped almonds, 3/4 stick of melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg and a pinch of salt. Toss until well mixed. Dump on top of the apples and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Delicious! The only thing missing was a little flour with the apples to help make them a little saucy instead of juicy, but it really didn't matter. Still good!

Random Flavors

2009-10-22T09:17:00.003-04:00

This was a fun adventure the other evening. We've been trying to avoid the store and use up any of our pantry items. I don't really have a name for this, but it's almost a cross between an Alfredo and Carbonnara sauce, with some French, German or Alsatian influences.

I started by browning some bacon pieces until crisp. I set the bacon aside and poured out the fat. To the pan I melted a TB of butter and browned about half an onion, diced small. When the onions were just beginning to brown I added some dried thyme and rosemary. I deglazed the pan with one cup of chicken broth. When that had reduced by half, I added some heavy cream. Bring this to a simmer and allow to reduce further until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and add about 1/2 a cup of grated Parmigiana Reggiano. Stir until incorporated, melted and smooth. Add half the bacon to the sauce and add whatever cooked pasta your are using. Stir. Garnish with the rest of the bacon.

This was very tasty, but it was an interesting blend of flavors. With the rosemary and thyme, I felt the sauce was more of an Alsatian style cream sauce. With the cheese and bacon I felt it resembled a standard Alfredo or Carbonnara. The bacon also seemed to lend itself to a German influence as well. All in all, it was tasty. But a tad salty, with the bacon and cheese, I didn't need an extra few pinches of salt to the cream. Oh well. Great on a chilly night.

Cold Meets Warm!

2009-10-15T09:08:00.004-04:00

I'm not a big follower of the belief that there are certain foods that are appropriate or in appropriate based on the seasons. Sure, I try to use as many seasonal items as I can, but if I am craving a bowl of chili in the summer, I'm going to have it. Or if I want a light tangy salad in the middle of winter, I'll find a way to make it happen.

But there are certain times when you just need to fire up the stove to pull together a pot of chili when it's chilly! The past few days have been damp and cool. Last night were were hovering around 50 degrees and rainy. Perfect for a bowl of Cincinnati Chili full of warm, aromatic spices like cinnamon, all spice and cayenne pepper. Rich and mellow, a perfect chaser on a chilly night**.

Cincinnati Chili

...served with buttered pasta (best with spaghetti, but most any type works. Garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, diced onions or tomatoes, beans, whatever your favorite chili garnish is, use it!

**And if you are a scrooge like me and are unwilling to turn the heat on; just waiting for the temp to drop just a bit more, you can temporarily avoid the chilly spousal wrath by providing a belly warming meal like this.

OctoberFest

2009-10-12T06:50:00.003-04:00

The other night was a simple night. One in which we went back to our German roots. A very tasty evening of embracing the waning days of Oktoberfest.

Kielbasa with sauerkraut and pan-fried potatoes.

Fried potatoes--cook them your favorite way. I liked these, diced just shy of 1/4 inch dice. Season liberally with salt, pepper and...I know...Mrs. Dash. Right here, in college, this was a meal for me. On special occasions, I would also get a little sour cream or grated parmesan. But generally, it was one or two potatoes, diced, seasoned and fried. Not the best nutrition, but I wasn't hungry!

The main part of this dinner was the kielbasa and sauerkraut. Cut the sausage into 1/4 inch half slices. Fry in a pan until they start to crisp up and brown. Season with 1 teaspoon of paprika, some salt and pepper. Stir.

Meanwhile, rinse the sauerkraut under cold water and drain. When the sausages are crisp and brown to your liking, stir in the 'kraut. (I bought a 1 lb bag, I think that's the smallest size you can get of the "fresh" variety). Season with 1 teaspoon of crushed caraway seeds. Add 1/2-1 cup of chicken broth. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until warm. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot. Simple, pretty fast, hearty and pretty tasty.

Curry & Shrimp

2009-10-09T10:44:00.004-04:00

Last night I took a recipe from a recent Penzey's catalog and reworked it a bit to make Coconut Curry Shrimp. The recipe had lots of promise, but I think we were thwarted by less than stellar ingredients. Sadly, without driving all over town, I didn't get the best quality shrimp for this dish.

All that being said, this could be a really good curry base for other main ingredients including chicken, lamb and/or vegetables.

Onions and butter with a blend of curry blends, little salt and some pepper.

Onions, curry, diced tomatoes, lemon juice, coconut milk. A great simmer sauce!

I was preparing to cook the shrimp and I was fascinated by the way the butter was melting in the pan.

Sauted shrimp. I seasoned the shrimp with another Penzey's spice blend-Balti Seasoning.

Stir the shrimp into the sauce and simmer for a minute or two. Serve with rice.

Coconut Curry Shrimp
adapted from Penzey's

For 2 large servings

1 lb shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
1 TB Balti Seasoning
2 TB butter
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tsp, fresh grated ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 TB Sweet Curry Powder
1 tsp Hot Curry Powder (optional)
1 tsp Garam Masala (optional)
1 TB fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 14 oz can, diced tomatoes, drained (reserve the juice)
1 14 oz can, coconut milk
salt/pepper to taste

1) Clean the shrimp and toss with the Balti Seasoning. Hold in the fridge until ready to cook.

2) In a large pan, saute onions over medium heat, in 2 TB of butter. When translucent, add the garlic & ginger. Cook until fragrant. Add curry powder(s) and Garam Masala. Saute for 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice, simmer for one minute. Add the tomatoes. Stir to incorporate, simmer for 5 minutes.

3) Add the coconut milk and bring to a low simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning.

4) Time to cook the shrimps. In a pan over medium high heat, quickly cook shrimp with oil or butter. Cook for up to 2 minutes per side. If the shrimp are not completely cooked through, it's ok, they will continue to cook in the simmer sauce.

5) Serve hot and over rice.

Gourmet

2009-10-06T09:05:00.002-04:00

Plenty has been said about yesterday's announcement that Gourmet is shutting down after 60+ years. I'm not going to add to the dialogue, just share a well written post & opinion (which I share) by Barbara at Tigers & Strawberries.

Gourmet Magazine: Going, Going Gone?

Risotto with Butternut Squash and Rosemary

2009-10-06T07:00:00.003-04:00

As the weather cools, it's time for some warm comfort food. Perhaps some risotto?!?!?!

For risotto, you need Arborio rice, a short grain rice that is conducive to the creamy delicious rice dish. To make risotto, use this recipe here. The only change I made this time was to stir in some chopped, fresh rosemary in the beginning while I cooked the onions, then another small pinch at the very end. This gives the rosemary a chance to create two layers of flavor, a deep, embedded flavor and a bright, green, piney flavor at the end.

To kick up the risotto, I took a butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced it, about 1/4 inch pieces. Toss with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and put into a preheated 450 degree oven until tender and golden. I think it was about 20-30 minutes, I wasn't really paying attention.

Tiny orange jewels. Little pieces of candy really. The flavor was mild, earthy and sweet. Soft and tender. Really delightful. These roasted pieces of butternut squash would be good with any number of dishes. But for this meal, I had plans.

While the risotto was cooking, I seared two seasoned chicken breasts. When they were done cooking, I used some shallots, a bit more risotto, Chardonnay and chicken broth to make a wonderfully rich pan sauce that was spooned over the sliced chicken. Together with the Risotto and Butternut Squash, this was a wonderful, nearly perfect autumnal meal! I choose to spoon the butternut squash over the top of the risotto, instead of stirring it into the risotto. Two reasons; 1) once cooked down, the small squash left us with about a cup of cooked squash, not very much and considering I made probably twice as much risotto as I needed, 2) I wanted to save the second half of risotto for some treats later this week. Do as you wish!

Take That Cracker Barrel...

2009-09-29T15:58:00.003-04:00

...I can make my own Chicken Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and White Gravy!

The chicken is coated, first in a light dusting of flour, then dipped in a spicy egg/cornstarch mixture, then coated with a highly seasoned flour mixture and fried in a little bit of oil until crispy. The chicken is then finished in the oven.

After the chicken was fried, I poured out the excess grease, add a bit of butter and some flour to make a roux. Added some milk, seasoned with salt and pepper and served hot, over mashed potatoes and the chicken with a side of corn.

Divine!

BTW: I'm heading out of town for a quick bit...woo hoo birthday celebration...when I'm back I'll post a recipe for the chicken and gravy. It really was great; something I want to make again!

Soup and Bread

2009-09-24T11:16:00.003-04:00

In continuing the cheap dinners, I made bread and soup. All with items we had on hand, unplanned! No shopping list for these items. Rosemary from the garden. A squash from the last farmer's market...everything else was here.

Rosemary & Caramelized Onion Focaccia and Butternut Squash & Apple Bisque!

A great fall meal.

My first note...I LOVED the bread. The soup was great, but it was missing something...and I know what it was. Continue.

The bread is super easy. Flour, water, yeast, olive oil. Mix, rise, stretch and dimple! Then you add some rosemary and caramelized onions on top with a little sea salt for flavor and crunch.

Back until golden and delish. I would have liked a little more topping, but as it was, I loved it. We ate half a pan the first night and the next day ate almost the rest of it!

The outside bottom crust gets crispy from the olive oil, almost like a pizza crust. It's amazing and paired perfectly well with the soup...

Butternut Squash & Apple Bisque. This was really good, but I felt something was missing. It wasn't salt or flavor, everything was there. I think I figured it out after the fact. I need a hint of some acid. Next time a little apple cider vinegar, I think that will give the POP I was looking for.

Rosemary & Caramelized Onion Focaccia
Recipe adapted from Epicurious.

Ingredients
1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus additional for kneading
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small to medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Special equipment: a standing electric mixer with paddle attachment and dough hook
preparation

Stir together 1 2/3 cups lukewarm (105 to 115°F) water and yeast in bowl of mixer and let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups flour, 1/4 cup oil, and 2 1/2 teaspoons table salt and beat with paddle attachment at medium speed until a dough forms. Replace paddle with dough hook and knead dough at high speed until soft, smooth, and sticky, 3 to 4 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour. Knead dough 1 minute (it will still be slightly sticky), then transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and turn dough to coat with oil. Let rise, covered with plastic wrap, at warm room temperature, until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Press dough evenly into a generously oiled 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan. Let dough rise, covered completely with a kitchen towel, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Saute onions in 2 tablespoons olive oil until soft and they start to caramelize. Stir in the rosemary with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, let cool.

Make shallow indentations all over dough with your fingertips, then sprinkle the onions and rosemary, letting them pool in the indentations. Sprinkle sea salt evenly over focaccia and bake in middle of oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Immediately invert a rack over pan and flip focaccia onto rack, then turn right side up. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Catch Up & Wine Tasting

2009-09-24T06:58:00.004-04:00

Let's play catch-up...again...?!!?? Sorry I haven't been blogging as much lately. It's one of the few things I feel guilty about. I've committed so much time to Eat With Me, that when I let days slide by without posting, I feel like a neglectful baby. Well, such is life and other ongoing projects. I'll keep trucking along and ask that you bear with me...

This week has been about not spending extra money and using what we have at home. To that end, we had some bratwurst in the freezer and those became Sunday night's dinner.

I wasn't up for firing up the grill, so I par-boiled the brats to cook them through. Then they were give a quick fry up in a pan, followed my a nice bath in beer, onions and butter. Heaven on a bun! Oh, we didn't have buns, we had a left over loaf of Italian bread that was purchased over the weekend. All was good.

Monday night I took some frozen chicken thighs out of the freezer and prepped them for a warm, slightly spicy/smoky braise. First, I cooked up a few slices of bacon that was cut into 1/2 pieces. With the fat rendered, I seared the chicken after seasoning it with salt, pepper and a blend of sweet paprika, smoky paprika, dried mustard and oregano. After the chicken was seared, I sauted some onions, red peppers and two medium tomatoes that I had seeded and diced. To that I added about 1 cup of chicken broth. When brought to a simmer, I returned the chicken to the pan, covered and placed in a 300 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes. Tender, juicy and flavorful chicken. Just prior to serving, I removed the chicken to a plate and simmered the braising liquid down to create a sauce. I returned the cooked bacon bits to the sauce and served over the chicken with some steamed rice and green beans. A very satisfying dinner. I'll make this again.

I felt I needed to get away and get lost this weekend so I took a great drive to the Shenandoah National Park and drove about half of Skyline Drive. What a beautiful day! I got lost in thoughts and reflection on things that have been happening over the past years and just let myself absorb all Mother Nature had to offer. It was a great experience.

On my way back from the Shenandoah National Park, I stopped at three different wineries and participated in their tastings. There was Rappahannock Cellars, Fox Meadow Winery and Philip Carter Winery. Rappahannock was the first stop and best for tasting, they seemed to really know the business of the tasting experience, great service and a nice atmosphere. The thing I think I appreciated the most; the bottle of water included with the tasting fee!!!! You know how often I've had to ask for water at a tasting? I loved it. The wines were all interesting and the guy who helped me out seemed to know what he was talking about and was genuinely interested in what my thoughts where. I left with a bottle of Meritage. Fox Meadow offered a tasting with food pairings. The pairings were tiny pieces of nibbles...I'm talking small, but you got enough to notice the differences with the wines. The most interest was Pinot Gris with rice krispie treats! It was a lovely pairing. I left here with a bottle of Merlot. The last visit was a terrifying experience for me, considering how mellow of a day I had been having. Philip Carter had some sort of special event going on and there were LOUD stinky children running around and screaming...and LOUD drunk adults screaming everywhere. I considered leaving, but I was curious about the wine. Finally, I got someone to help me out and I enjoyed several wines, they were good, but the most interesting here was the Chardonnay, which was oaked and not something I usually like, but the oak wasn't in your face monster oak, I really appreciated it, so I brought a bottle of that home with me! Good times...except for all the loud people!