peasprout spouts

2007-08-28T13:29:00.002-05:00

July 18, 2007

The Minimalist

Summer Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less

The pleasures of cooking are sometimes obscured by summer haze and heat, which can cause many of us to turn instead to bad restaurants and worse takeout. But the cook with a little bit of experience has a wealth of quick and easy alternatives at hand. The trouble is that when it’s too hot, even the most resourceful cook has a hard time remembering all the options. So here are 101 substantial main courses, all of which get you in and out of the kitchen in 10 minutes or less. (I’m not counting the time it takes to bring water to a boil, but you can stay out of the kitchen for that.) These suggestions are not formal recipes; rather, they provide a general outline. With a little imagination and some swift moves — and maybe a salad and a loaf of bread — you can turn any dish on this list into a meal that not only will be better than takeout, but won’t heat you out of the house.

1 Make six-minute eggs: simmer gently, run under cold water until cool, then peel. Serve over steamed asparagus.

2 Toss a cup of chopped mixed herbs with a few tablespoons of olive oil in a hot pan. Serve over angel-hair pasta, diluting the sauce if necessary with pasta cooking water.

3 Cut eight sea scallops into four horizontal slices each. Arrange on plates. Sprinkle with lime juice, salt and crushed chilies; serve after five minutes.

4 Open a can of white beans and combine with olive oil, salt, small or chopped shrimp, minced garlic and thyme leaves in a pan. Cook, stirring, until the shrimp are done; garnish with more olive oil.

5 Put three pounds of washed mussels in a pot with half a cup of white wine, garlic cloves, basil leaves and chopped tomatoes. Steam until mussels open. Serve with bread.

6 Heat a quarter-inch of olive oil in a skillet. Dredge flounder or sole fillets in flour and fry until crisp, about two minutes a side. Serve on sliced bread with tartar sauce.

7 Make pesto: put a couple of cups of basil leaves, a garlic clove, salt, pepper and olive oil as necessary in a blender (walnuts and Parmesan are optional). Serve over pasta (dilute with oil or water as necessary) or grilled fish or meat.

8 Put a few dozen washed littlenecks in a large, hot skillet with olive oil. When clams begin to open, add a tablespoon or two of chopped garlic. When most or all are opened, add parsley. Serve alone, with bread or over angel-hair pasta.

9 Pan-grill a skirt steak for three or four minutes a side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, slice and serve over romaine or any other green salad, drizzled with olive oil and lemon.

10 Smear mackerel fillets with mustard, then sprinkle with chopped herbs (fresh tarragon is good), salt, pepper and bread crumbs. Bake in a 425-degree oven for about eight minutes.

11 Warm olive oil in a skillet with at least three cloves sliced garlic. When the garlic colors, add at least a teaspoon each of cumin and pimentón. A minute later, add a dozen or so shrimp, salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley, serve with lemon and bread.

12 Boil a lobster. Serve with lemon or melted butter.

13 Gazpacho: Combine one pound tomatoes cut into chunks, a cucumber peeled and cut into chunks, two or three slices stale bread torn into pieces, a quarter-cup olive oil, two tablespoons sherry vinegar and a clove of garlic in a blender with one cup water and a couple of ice cubes. Process until smooth, adding water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper, then serve or refrigerate, garnished with anchovies if you like, and a little more olive oil.

14 Put a few slices of chopped prosciutto in a skillet with olive oil, a couple of cloves of crushed garlic and a bit of butter; a minute later, toss in about half a cup bread crumbs and red chili flakes to taste. Serve over pasta with chopped parsley.

15 Call it panini: Grilled cheese with prosciutto, tomatoes, thyme or basil leaves.

16 Slice or chop salami, corned beef or kielbasa and warm in a little oil; stir in eggs and scramble. Serve with mustard and rye bread.

17 Soak couscous in boiling water to cover until tender; top with sardines, tomatoes, parsley, olive oil and black pepper.

18 Stir-fry a pound or so of ground meat or chopped fish mixed with chopped onions and seasoned with cumin or chili powder. Pile into taco shells or soft tacos, along with tomato, lettuce, canned beans, onion, cilantro and sour cream.

19 Chinese tomato and eggs: Cook minced garlic in peanut oil until blond; add chopped tomatoes then, a minute later, beaten eggs, along with salt and pepper. Scramble with a little soy sauce.

20 Cut eggplant into half-inch slices. Broil with lots of olive oil, turning once, until tender and browned. Top with crumbled goat or feta cheese and broil another 20 seconds.

21 While pasta cooks, combine a couple cups chopped tomatoes, a teaspoon or more minced garlic, olive oil and 20 to 30 basil leaves. Toss with pasta, salt, pepper and Parmesan.

22 Make wraps of tuna, warm white beans, a drizzle of olive oil and lettuce and tomato.

23 The New York supper: Bagels, cream cheese, smoked salmon. Serve with tomatoes, watercress or arugula, and sliced red onion or shallot.

24 Dredge thinly sliced chicken breasts in flour or cornmeal; cook about two minutes a side in hot olive oil. Place on bread with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.

25 Upscale tuna salad: good canned tuna (packed in olive oil), capers, dill or parsley, lemon juice but no mayo. Use to stuff a tomato or two.

26 Cut Italian sausage into chunks and brown in a little olive oil; chop onions and bell peppers and add them to the pan. Cook until sausage is browned and peppers and onions tender. Serve in sandwiches.

27 Egg in a hole, glorified: Tear a hole in a piece of bread and fry in butter. Crack an egg into the hole. Deglaze pan with a little sherry vinegar mixed with water, and more butter; pour over egg.

28 New Joe’s Special, from San Francisco: Brown ground meat with minced garlic and chopped onion. When just about cooked, add chopped spinach and cook, stirring, until wilted. At the last minute, stir in two eggs, along with grated Parmesan and salt and pepper.

29 Chop prosciutto and crisp it in a skillet with olive oil; add chopped not-too-ripe figs. Serve over greens dressed with oil and vinegar; top all with crumbled blue cheese.

30 Quesadilla: Use a combination of cheeses, like Fontina mixed with grated pecorino. Put on half of a large flour tortilla with pickled jalapenos, chopped onion, shallot or scallion, chopped tomatoes and grated radish. Fold tortilla over and brown on both sides in butter or oil, until cheese is melted.

31 Fast chile rellenos: Drain canned whole green chilies. Make a slit in each and insert a piece of cheese. Dredge in flour and fry in a skillet, slit side up, until cheese melts.

32 Cobb-ish salad: Chop bacon and begin to brown it; cut boneless chicken into strips and cook it with bacon. Toss romaine and watercress or arugula with chopped tomatoes, avocado, onion and crumbled blue cheese. Add bacon and chicken. Dress with oil and vinegar.

33 Sauté 10 whole peeled garlic cloves in olive oil. Meanwhile, grate Pecorino, grind lots of black pepper, chop parsley and cook pasta. Toss all together, along with crushed dried chili flakes and salt.

34 Niçoise salad: Lightly steam haricot verts, green beans or asparagus. Arrange on a plate with chickpeas, good canned tuna, hard-cooked eggs, a green salad, sliced cucumber and tomato. Dress with oil and vinegar.

35 Cold soba with dipping sauce: Cook soba noodles, then rinse in cold water until cool. Serve with a sauce of soy sauce and minced ginger diluted with mirin and/or dry sake.

36 Fried egg “saltimbocca”: Lay slices of prosciutto or ham in a buttered skillet. Fry eggs on top of ham; top with grated Parmesan.

37 Frisée aux lardons: Cook chunks of bacon in a skillet. Meanwhile, make six-minute or poached eggs and a frisée salad. Put eggs on top of salad along with bacon; deglaze pan with sherry vinegar and pour pan juices over all.

38 Fried rice: Soften vegetables with oil in a skillet. Add cold takeout rice, chopped onion, garlic, ginger, peas and two beaten eggs. Toss until hot and cooked through. Season with soy sauce and sesame oil.

39 Taco salad: Toss together greens, chopped tomato, chopped red onion, sliced avocado, a small can of black beans and kernels from a couple of ears of corn. Toss with crumbled tortilla chips and grated cheese. Dress with olive oil, lime and chopped cilantro leaves.

40 Put a large can of chickpeas and their liquid in a medium saucepan. Add some sherry, along with olive oil, plenty of minced garlic, smoked pimentón and chopped Spanish chorizo. Heat through.

41 Raita to the rescue: Broil any fish. Serve with a sauce of drained yogurt mixed with chopped cucumber, minced onion and cayenne.

42 Season boneless lamb steaks cut from the leg with sweet curry powder. Sear on both sides. Serve over greens, with lemon wedges.

43 Migas, with egg: Sauté chopped stale bread with olive oil, mushrooms, onions and spinach. Stir in a couple of eggs.

44 Migas, without egg: Sauté chopped stale bread with chopped Spanish chorizo, plenty of garlic and lots of olive oil. Finish with chopped parsley.

45 Sauté shredded zucchini in olive oil, adding garlic and chopped herbs. Serve over pasta.

46 Broil a few slices prosciutto until crisp; crumble and toss with parsley, Parmesan, olive oil and pasta.

47 Not exactly banh mi, but... Make sandwiches on crisp bread with liverwurst, ham, sliced half-sours, shredded carrots, cilantro sprigs and Vietnamese chili-garlic paste.

48 Not takeout: Stir-fry onions with cut-up broccoli. Add cubed tofu, chicken or shrimp, or sliced beef or pork, along with a tablespoon each minced garlic and ginger. When almost done, add half cup of water, two tablespoons soy sauce and plenty of black pepper. Heat through and serve over fresh Chinese noodles.

49 Sprinkle sole fillets with chopped parsley, garlic, salt and pepper; roll up, dip in flour, then beaten egg, then bread crumbs; cook in hot olive oil about three minutes a side. Serve with lemon wedges.

50 The Waldorf: Toast a handful of walnuts in a skillet. Chop an apple or pear; toss with greens, walnuts and a dressing made with olive oil, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard and shallot. Top, if you like, with crumbled goat or blue cheese.

51 Put a stick of butter and a handful of pine nuts in a skillet. Cook over medium heat until both are brown. Toss with cooked pasta, grated Parmesan and black pepper.

52 Grill or sauté Italian sausage and serve over store-bought hummus, with lemon wedges.

53 Put a tablespoon of cream and a slice of tomato in each of several small ramekins. Top with an egg, then salt, pepper and grated Parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees until the eggs set. Serve with toast.

54 Brown small pork (or hot dog) chunks in a skillet. Add white beans, garlic, thyme and olive oil. Or add white beans and ketchup.

55 Dredge skate or flounder in flour and brown quickly in butter or oil. Deglaze pan with a couple of spoonfuls of capers and a lot of lemon juice or a little vinegar.

56 Make a fast tomato sauce of olive oil, chopped tomatoes and garlic. Poach eggs in the sauce, then top with Parmesan.

57 Dip pork cutlets in egg, then dredge heavily in panko; brown quickly on both sides. Serve over lettuce, with fresh lemon, or bottled Japanese curry sauce.

58 Cook chicken livers in butter or oil with garlic; do not overcook. Finish with parsley, lemon juice and coarse salt; serve over toast.

59 Brown bratwursts with cut-up apples. Serve with coleslaw.

60 Peel and thinly slice raw beets; cook in butter until soft. Take out of pan and quickly cook some shrimp in same pan. Deglaze pan with sherry vinegar, adding sauce to beets and shrimp. Garnish with dill.

61 Poach shrimp and plunge into ice water. Serve with cocktail sauce: one cup ketchup, one tablespoon vinegar, three tablespoons melted butter and lots of horseradish.

62 Southeast Asia steak salad: Pan- or oven-grill skirt or flank steak. Slice and serve on a pile of greens with a sauce of one tablespoon each of nam pla and lime juice, black pepper, a teaspoon each of sugar and garlic, crushed red chili flakes and Thai basil.

63 Miso steak: Coat beef tenderloin steaks (filet mignon) with a blend of miso and chili paste thinned with sake or white wine. Grill or broil about five minutes.

64 Pasta with fresh tomatoes: Cook chopped fresh tomatoes in butter or oil with garlic until tender, while pasta cooks. Combine and serve with grated Parmesan.

65 Sauté squid rings and tentacles in olive oil with salt and pepper and garlic; add chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes break down. Serve over pasta.

66 Salmon (or just about anything else) teriyaki: Sear salmon steaks on both sides for a couple of minutes; remove. To skillet, add a splash of water, sake, a little sugar and soy sauce; when mixture is thick, return steaks to pan and turn in sauce until done. Serve hot or at room temperature.

67 Rich vegetable soup: Cook asparagus tips and peeled stalks or most any other green vegetable in chicken stock with a little tarragon until tender; reserve a few tips and purée the rest with a little butter (cream or yogurt, too, if you like) adding enough stock to thin the purée. Garnish with the reserved tips. Serve hot or cold.

68 Brush portobello caps with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper and broil until tender. Briefly sweat chopped onions, then scramble eggs with them. Put eggs in mushrooms.

69 Buy good blintzes. Brown them on both sides in butter. Serve with sour cream, apple sauce or both.

70 Sauté squid rings and tentacles in olive oil with salt and pepper. Make a sauce of minced garlic, smoked pimentón, mayo, lots of lemon juice and fresh parsley. Serve with a chopped salad of cucumber, tomato, lettuce, grated carrot and scallion, lightly dressed.

71 Press a lot of coarsely ground black pepper onto both sides of filet mignon or other steaks or chopped meat patties. Brown in butter in a skillet for two minutes a side. Remove steaks and add a splash of red wine, chopped shallots and a bit of tarragon to skillet. Reduce, then return steaks to pan, turning in the sauce for a minute or two.

72 World’s leading sandwich: prosciutto, tomato, butter or olive oil and a baguette.

73 Near instant mezze: Combine hummus on a plate with yogurt laced with chopped cucumbers and a bit of garlic, plus tomato, feta, white beans with olive oil and pita bread.

74 Canned sardines packed in olive oil on Triscuits, with mustard and Tabasco.

75 Boil-and-eat shrimp, cooked in water with Old Bay seasoning or a mixture of thyme, garlic, paprika, chopped onion, celery, chili, salt and pepper.

76 Make a thin plain omelet with two or three eggs. Sauté cubes of bacon or pancetta or strips of prosciutto until crisp. Cut up the omelet and use it and the meat to garnish a green salad dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

77 Sear corn kernels in olive oil with minced jalapeños and chopped onions; toss with cilantro, black beans, chopped tomatoes, chopped bell pepper and lime.

78 Cook shrimp in a skillet slowly (five minutes or so) to preserve their juices, with plenty of garlic and olive oil, until done; pour over watercress or arugula, with lemon, pepper and salt.

79 Liverwurst on good sourdough rye with scallions, tomato and wholegrain mustard.

80 Not-quite merguez: Ground lamb burgers seasoned with cumin, garlic, onion, salt and cayenne. Serve with couscous and green salad, along with bottled harissa.

81 Combine crab meat with mayo, Dijon mustard, chives and tarragon. Serve in a sandwich, with potato chips.

82 Combine canned tuna in olive oil, halved grape tomatoes, black olives, mint, lemon zest and red pepper flakes. Serve with pasta, thinning with olive oil or pasta cooking water as needed.

83 Pit and chop a cup or more of mixed olives. Combine with olive oil, a little minced garlic, red pepper flakes and chopped basil or parsley. Serve over pasta.

84 Cook chopped tomatillos with a little water or stock, cilantro and a little minced fresh chili; serve over grilled, broiled or sautéed chicken breasts, with corn tortillas.

85 A winning sandwich: bresaola or prosciutto, arugula, Parmesan, marinated artichoke hearts, tomato.

86 Smoked trout fillets served with lightly toasted almonds, shredded fennel, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of lemon.

87 Grated carrots topped with six-minute eggs (run under cold water until cool before peeling), olive oil and lemon juice.

88 Cut the top off four big tomatoes; scoop out the interiors and mix them with toasted stale baguette or pita, olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs (basil, tarragon, and/or parsley). Stuff into tomatoes and serve with salad.

89 Pasta frittata: Turn cooked pasta and a little garlic into an oiled or buttered skillet. Brown, pressing to create a cake. Flip, then top with three or four beaten eggs and loads of Parmesan. Brown other side and serve.

90 Thai-style beef: Thinly slice one and a half pounds of flank steak, pork shoulder or boneless chicken; heat peanut oil in a skillet, add meat and stir. A minute later, add a tablespoon minced garlic and some red chili flakes. Add 30 clean basil leaves, a quarter cup of water and a tablespoon or two of soy sauce or nam pla. Serve with lime juice and more chili flakes, over rice or salad.

91 Dredge calf’s liver in flour. Sear in olive oil or butter or a combination until crisp on both sides, adding salt and pepper as it cooks; it should be medium-rare. Garnish with parsley and lemon juice.

92 Rub not-too-thick pork or lamb chops with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper plus sage or thyme. Broil about three minutes a side and drizzle with good balsamic vinegar.

93 Cut up Italian sausage into chunks and brown in a little olive oil until just about done. Dump in a lot of seedless grapes and, if you like, a little slivered garlic and chopped rosemary. Cook, stirring, until the grapes are hot. Serve with bread.

94 Ketchup-braised tofu: Dredge large tofu cubes in flour. Brown in oil; remove from skillet and wipe skillet clean. Add a little more oil, then a tablespoon minced garlic; 30 seconds later, add one and a half cups ketchup and the tofu. Cook until sauce bubbles and tofu is hot.

95 Veggie burger: Drain and pour a 14-ounce can of beans into a food processor with an onion, half a cup rolled oats, a tablespoon chili powder or other spice mix, an egg, salt and pepper. Process until mushy, then shape into burgers, adding a little liquid or oats as necessary. Cook in oil about three minutes a side and serve.

96 A Roman classic: In lots of olive oil, lightly cook lots of slivered garlic, with six or so anchovy fillets and a dried hot chili or two. Dress pasta with this.

97 So-called Fettuccine Alfredo: Heat several tablespoons of butter and about half a cup of cream in a large skillet just until the cream starts to simmer. Add slightly undercooked fresh pasta to the skillet, along with plenty of grated Parmesan. Cook over low heat, tossing, until pasta is tender and hot.

98 Rub flank steak or chuck with curry or chili powder before broiling or grilling, then slice thin across the grain.

99 Cook a couple of pounds of shrimp, shell on or off, in oil, with lots of chopped garlic. When they turn pink, remove; deglaze the pan with a half-cup or so of beer, along with a splash of Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, rosemary and a lump of butter. Serve with bread.

100 Cook red lentils in water with a little cumin and chopped bacon until soft. Top with poached or six-minute eggs (run under cold water until cool before peeling) and a little sherry vinegar.

101 Hot dogs on buns — with beans!

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August 8, 2007

The Minimalist

101 Quick Meals? Make It an Even 111

By MARK BITTMAN

“SUMMER Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less,” the Minimalist column on July 18, clearly struck a chord.

From the comments posted at nytimes.com, which numbered close to 400, it was evident that the heat was not the only factor driving a desire for ultrafast cooking.

Summer did enter into many people’s thinking. One reader suggested taking a half-gallon of ice cream outside for the family to consume before it melted.

But another wrote, “With an uncooperative spouse, a demanding job and three impossible children, five-minute meals are perhaps more the ticket.”

Then there were the jokes: “Put two quarts water in stock pot, add salt, set to boil. Pick up phone and call local pizzeria; order. Wait for water to boil. Answer doorbell. Open door, pay for pizza. Turn off water; let water cool while eating pizza. Pour water down drain.”

And there were the posts in the “I wish I’d thought of that” category. My favorites, not easily achieved in the average American kitchen, were along the lines of this one: “Spread homemade lard (or goose fat if you have any) on slices of farmhouse bread; sprinkle with salt and paprika. Eat as is, or with scallions and/or Hungarian wax peppers.” (Try substituting the phrase “lardo di colonnata” for “lard,” and you will quickly understand how trendy this simple idea is.)

There were pasta dishes ad infinitum. (Indeed, when putting together the original list, I eliminated a dozen or more pasta possibilities in a search for balance.) While many pasta recipes suggested by readers sound wonderful, I’m setting them aside for the same reason.

Following are some of the other suggestions that are worth sharing with a wider audience.

1 Tortilla soup: Obviously best with fresh salsa, homemade stock and so on, but even with store-bought ingredients this has appeal: Combine one cup of cooked black beans and one cup of corn kernels with four cups of chicken stock in a pot; heat through. (You can add leftover chicken meat.) Fill four bowls with cilantro, tortilla chips, salsa and shredded cheese. Pour broth over chip mixture and serve.

2 Fast beans and vegetables: Sauté chopped onions, minced garlic and sliced zucchini in extra virgin olive oil. Add two cups of cooked white beans and two cups of chopped tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, lots of basil and a little more oil. Serve plain or over couscous.

3 Sauté chopped chorizo (the hard Spanish kind) in olive oil until it begins to crisp. Add two cups of chopped tomatoes and one cup of water or clam juice; cook until saucy. Add a dozen or more well-scrubbed littleneck clams and cook until they open. Serve in bowls, along with bread.

4 Lebanese fava bean salad: Heat equal amounts of canned fava beans and chickpeas; mash with a potato masher along with a minced garlic clove, lemon juice to taste and salt. Garnish with chopped parsley and diced tomatoes. Eat with pita.

5 The Greek fried egg: Heat olive oil gently in a skillet with fresh oregano; fry eggs in it. Pour into a bowl and top with crumbled feta cheese and a handful of olives. Serve with country bread.

6 Basil chicken, Indian style: Ideally, this is marinated for hours, but you can either cheat and skip that, or think ahead. Grind together half a cup of basil leaves, five cloves garlic, a one-inch piece of ginger, half a cup of plain yogurt, two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, one tablespoon lemon juice and some salt. Toss with one-and-a-half-inch chunks of chicken breast (or salmon, pork or other protein); marinate in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, stirring occasionally. Shake off excess marinade and broil or grill chicken until done, turning once.

7 Mix grated lemon peel with softened butter (or olive oil) and salt. Cut the lemons into quarters and alternate on skewers with shrimp. Grill or broil, brushing with lemon butter, until shrimp are done.

8 Bean-and-tuna salad: Good, olive-oil packed tuna is a must here: Combine two cups of cannellini beans, drained, with a minced red onion, a can of tuna, olive oil and salt and pepper as needed. Chopped sage is great in this, as are rosemary and basil.

9 Toss three cups of strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered, with a tablespoon of good aged balsamic vinegar and some black pepper. Wash and dry four cups arugula, then toss with salt and olive oil. Combine with the berries, and crumble fresh goat cheese over all.

10 Cucumber soup: Peel and seed, if necessary, four to six medium cucumbers (or three English cucumbers); purée in a food processor with a seeded, stemmed jalapeño (optional), a scallion, a clove of garlic and a cup or more of yogurt or sour cream; add a little cold water if necessary to get the machine to work. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls, garnished with a little more yogurt or sour cream, and some snipped dill or chives.

2006-12-01T06:30:00.000-05:00

Lemon Almond Blueberry Biscotti
(adapted from Maida Heatter's recipe)

1/2 and 1/8 cup of slivered or chopped almonds
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup minus 1 TBSP of granulated sugar
1 cup dried blueberries (probably frozen would work as well)
1 egg
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 TBSP lemon extract (probably juice and zest would be a grand addition)

Quick and Dirty:
1. Mix together dry ingredients
2. Beat egg together with extracts
3. Stir egg mixture into dry. Note: it's a very dry dough, requires a bit of patience.
4. Shape into loaf
5. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Remove to cool for 20 minutes. Lower oven temp to 275.
6. Slice into biscotti shape, and rebake at 275 for another 20 minutes or so.

Nitty and Gritty, according to Maida Heatter.

2006-11-19T19:57:00.000-05:00

Challah!

3-3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope instant yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs plus 1 egg separated (white for egg wash)
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp water, room temp
1 tsp poppy seed or sesame (optional)

1. whisk together 3 cups of flour, yeast, sugar, and salt, set aside. Mix together 2 eggs, egg yolk, melted butter, and 1/2 cup of water in standing mixer. Add flour mixture, add remaining 1/4 cup, 1 tbsp at a time, if necessary. In a small bowl, whisk together the reserved egg white with the remaining 1 tbsp of water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the egg white til ready to use.

2. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning the dough over to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm spot til doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Gently press the dough to deflate it, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise til doubled in size again, 40-60 minutes.

3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Divide and braid. Pinch ends to seal. Loosely drape loaf with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes, or until puffy and increases in size by a third.

4. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, heat to 375 degrees. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack. Let the loaf cool completely before slicing.

2006-11-13T07:45:00.000-05:00

Biscotti in Love...

2006-07-19T20:28:00.000-05:00

Inspired by Orangette's recent adventures into pasta without tomatoes, I tried my own hand at it. This, my dear reader, is a poor man's variation of Ms. Orangette's elegant dish...

Pasta...sans Tomato (for two)
4 fistfuls of penne
1 carrot, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced (!)
olive oil, butter
2 cubes of vegetable stock
Lemon Pepper
Oregano
Mint Basil
Thyme
1 Tbsp of mayo
4-5 leaves of fresh basil
Parmesan

1. Cook the pasta al dente.
2. Heat up the olive oil and butter. Saute the vegetables til translucent. Add seasonings.
3. (here, I tried to follow Orangette's instructions for thickened broth, this is what happened...) Dissolve vegetable bouillion cubes in water. Boil til "thickened" (I had about 1 cup of stock) Add to vegetables.
4. Add mayo to thicken the sauce. Stir in pasta. Top with grated Parmesan and chopped basil.

Next time...perhaps, some more fresh herbs, as recommended.

2006-07-19T20:12:00.000-05:00

Eggplant Quiche

Trying to use up half an aubergine, I thought why not try a quiche? Try as I might, no one had a recipe for Eggplant Quiche. When I googled it...I actually came up empty-handed! Unbelieveable. My faith in Google is shaken. Nevertheless, I decided to put some faith into my own creativity and tack together my own recipe. Having only a few encounters with making my quiches, I managed to produce this edible dish...

Eggplant Quiche
1 piecrust (i bought it)
1/2 of a medium eggplant (diced or sliced)
1/2 of a Vidalia onion (diced)
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 cup robust Emmenthal

Beat the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, oregano, pepper, and thyme. (I seasoned accordingly.) Place eggplant and onion into piecrust (probably should prebake it for 8-10 minutes). Pour in egg mixture. Grate cheese on top. Into preheated oven of 375 for 30-40 minutes.

There were several thoughts for variations/improvement. Mix in the cheese. Try a different cheese. Try one less egg, or less milk. Try different seasoning. Include mushrooms, or garlic.

2006-05-02T09:55:00.000-05:00

Busy, busy, busy...

But not too busy to try cooking and baking everything in my old, but new to me, cast-iron skillet. Besides doing its usual duty as a frying pan, I've tried it out successfully for cornbread, pan pizza, and even cinnamon rolls. I love it. To bits and pieces. Aside from that newest addition to my culinary arsenal, I've also maximized the use of these lovely silicone baking cups from Crate and Barrel. In downsizing every recipe I come across, these technologically advanced plastic cups have been the mainstay of my baking. Another item which has become a constant presence in my life these days is coffee. It's everywhere I turn...for free! It shows up in the OR's kitchen, in the Surgery office, and at every nursing floor is a pot that's brewing. So of course, it's got to be incorporated into some baked good. In trolling for recipes, I searched all my favorite sites for mocha or espresso and settled on one from epicurious.com. Every espresso recipe employs the use of espresso powder or instant coffee powder, but I'm trying to work with a cup of good black coffee here, so I tweaked this one to fit my needs. The coffee was a couple of days old by the time I got around to it, but it still worked great. With the crusty, crunchy top I like. I think I might add some sugar on the top the next time, but these turned out to be my kind of breakfast.

Mocha Muffins
(makes 6-8 muffins)

1/2 cup strong coffee
1 TBSP instant milk powder
3/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 lg egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)

Mix together above ingredients, then add remaining ingredients.

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar (lightly packed)
1 heaping TBSP cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Feel free to try adding chocolate chips and nuts. I didn't have any on hand.

375 for 20-25 minutes.

2006-04-08T06:49:00.000-05:00

i have been neglectful. but life has been in an small uproar, it seems. lately though, living in small quarters, with a small budget, and without roommates has shifted my outlook on baking. i developed a significant bent in this new direction when i encountered a cookbook titled Small Batch Baking. Well, now, here's someone who took the idea and flew with it. So seeing that someone else had conquered this idea, I thought I'd try my hand at it. I've been hoarding recipes of enormous proportions, both of size and taste, so now I pulled out one of them and made some adjustments. Here follows some recipes and notes for my own satisfaction. Always, always use the finest chocolate available.

Azo Chocolate Cupcakes (about 4-6)

3.4 tsp butter
1.4 oz dark chocolate
1 lg egg
3.2 tsp sugar
1.6 tsp flour
salt

1. melt the chocolate with butter. Let it cool while you do the rest.
2. Mix the yolk and sugar, add the flour. Add in the chocolate mixture.
3. Combine the egg whites and salt, beat it til stiff. Fold it into the rest of the batter. Fill cupcake holders with impunity. They only rose ever so slightly.
4. At 400 F, bake it for 20 minutes. (watch them carefully, this is where I'm still tinkering with small batch baking)

Technically, you're supposed to cool it for an hour, wrap it in foil, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Then you're supposed to bring it to room temperature for 2 hours before serving. I almost followed these directions. They're tasty no matter what, but give it gander. I just ate one nearly a month after I made them. I thought it was still highly edible, but perhaps that's my own biased stomach and palate after scrounging the hospital for anything edible.

Flourless Chocolate Cake (or Brownie?) I still made these in cupcake tins and they were Rich.
4 cupcakes.

1.3 oz bittersweet chocolate
1/3 stick of butter
1/4 cup of sugar
1 lg egg
1/3 of 1/2 cup of cocoa powder

1. melt together chocolate and butter
2. whisk in the sugar
3. whisk the egg and add it in. (perhaps next time, i'd try to beat the egg whites. meebe when i have a mixer)
4. sift in the cocoa powder. fill cupcake holders with impunity. these practically hold their own shape.
5. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.

These went GREAT with vanilla cream. Next time, i think i'd recommend fresh whipped cream to go with though. I think this one could have jam added, nuts, even chili powder perhaps. These did NOT stick around though.

no pictures...til July, probably.

2006-02-16T15:07:00.000-05:00

Challah if you mean it.

2006-02-16T15:06:00.000-05:00

Challah back!

2005-12-11T21:03:00.000-05:00

As soon as this fatty acid study is over, I can assure you we will have some tasty items you must definitely try, but until then I must simply smell the tantalizing meals and cookies that my roommates cook and bake. and I have found another odd pasttime...ogling kitchen appliances online.
now, this one isn't a kitchen appliance, but it's certainly something I've been eyeing curiously. an ice cream ball from LL Bean.

"Fill the bottom of this durable, lightweight Lexan® plastic ball with ice and rock salt, add ice cream ingredients to the top and just shake, pass or roll the ball around your campsite. In 20 minutes, scoop out about a pint of soft serve."

what strikes as most curious is the admonition: PARENTAL SUPERVISION REQUIRED. is that so? odd.

But a truer investment perhaps, would be this marvelous concept, an ice cream maker attachement to the indisposable KitchenAid. just spent an afternoon perusing Williams Sonoma's Ice Cream cookbook, so my loyalty to this fantastically overpriced store is slowly and surely being cemented in ice-cold love. Therefore, this attachment is DEFINITELY going to be in my life. our fate has been sealed. Love at first sight.

2005-12-03T09:33:00.000-05:00

Tuna Cream Cheese Frittata! (for the brave and creative)
After scanning through a multitude of frittata recipes on epicurious.com, this is what we came up with. I've never made frittatas before, but this was so easy it surprised me. You can make small frittatas, or big ones.

For a 10-inch skillet, I'd recommend at least five eggs. If you have a personal itty bitty skillet, 2 eggs will do fine.

Filling: roma tomatoes, onions, garlic, corn, peppers. anything you think you'd fancy.

Topping: cream cheese, tuna.

Preheat the oven to Broil. Lower the rack if your oven gets too hot too fast.
Beat the eggs with salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, parsley. whatever you've got on hand. Throw in some milk, cream, or even water, to help increase the volume.
Saute the fillings in the skillet, when they're almost done, pour in the egg mixture.
Let it cook til almost done. Feel free to stir it up once in while. When it looks like runny scrambled eggs, pop it into the oven. Make sure your skillet's handle is oven-proof. For this reason, a cast iron works best. But I've heard that you can cover the handle w/ double duty aluminum foil, twice.
After 5 minutes, the top should be puffy and browned. Pull it out, let it cool slightly, and serve it up.

I think it dressed well with hot sauce or salsa.

2005-11-19T21:08:00.000-05:00

Sourdough Banana Pecan Pancakes...
tried and true. so why not repeat it with a little flourish? i halved the recipe, so that it served two. I used 1/2 cup of starter and added a 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour. the rest I kept the same. We crumbled some pecans into the batter, but essentially it's all the same. The pancakes stood up beautifully, and next time I think I'll try add equal parts of whole wheat and all purpose flour. a lighter pancakes, though less wholesome.

the pantry lacked any true Vermont maple syrup, so we simply topped it with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon, powdered sugar, and a dollop of natural crunchy peanut butter. YUM.

2005-11-19T20:50:00.000-05:00

Chocolate Mousse

i never thought i'd try my hand at such a luxurious dessert until i was stuck trying to figure out what to do with this square of silken tofu. Mori-nu tofu is vacuum-packed and has the longest shelf life of tofu that i know. knowing that there exists other possibilities for tofu other than savory dishes, such as Ma Po Tofu, i start researching tofu in desserts. i settle for chocolate mousse because of it's simplicity, both in regards to ingredients and directions. seeing as all supplies are at hand, as well as willing appetites, I set my hand to the task...

1 pkg silken tofu
12 oz. semisweet chocolate
dash of vanilla

Melt the chocolate in the microwave. I used half a bag of trader joe's chocolate chips, a handful of Nestles, and a MONSTER bar of Hershey's Special Dark. Zap it for a minute, give it a stir, and then zap it for another 30 sec, and you should be fairly good to go. (note to novices: it's not like butter, it ain't gonna melt in the same way.) Dump the tofu into the blender and press several buttons til it's all a homogenous mass. Dump in the melty goodness, and the vanilla, and press more buttons til it's one big happy glop. My blender is a delinquent. (it WAS on sale.) So I just took a rubber spatula and scraped down the sides and made sure everyone got along. Once it looked all beauteous, I poured it into several small cups and refrigerated it for about an hour. It set quite nicely, and would've been delicious even if it didn't. How do i know? I nearly licked the blender clean...

I'm looking forward to all sorts of variates on this lovely stuff. Chocolate mousse pie, Chocolate Mousse Cake...

and other future possibilities w/ silken tofu...fruit smoothies...except now I have acquire another package of silken tofu. preferably one with a long shelf life.

2005-11-18T15:46:00.000-05:00

Spinach Lasagna

for three bellies.

6 lasagna noodles
1/2 bag of fresh spinach (or frozen, but thawed)
8 oz of ricotta cheese
4 oz of mozzerella, grated
1/4 cup of Parmesan, grated
1 egg
2 cups of tomato sauce
pinch of nutmeg

So I measured out the first couple of ingredients, and then I eyed the rest. (sorry, if i cook like an old gramma) Anyways, here's my tale and you can get more precise directions from where I found this recipe.

Following in my footsteps:
1. cook and drain lasagna noodles, trim to fit loaf pan. Mix ricotta with egg and nutmeg
2. put down layer of tomato sauce at bottom. layer on two noodles, spread on ricotta mixture, sprinkle some mozzerella and parmesan on generously, cover generously w/ spinach. Then i pressed down to gauge how much room i had left in the pan.
3. Repeat step 2: sauce, noodle, ricotta...(then i changed it up a bit) spinach, cheeses.
4. then it was very nearly full. so i simply put on the rest of the ricotta, a layer of noodles, pressed down firmly and covered it w/ some sauce.
5. Here, i failed to follow directions, and did not cover it w/ foil. therefore, the edges of the noodle dried out.
6. into the the oven at 375 for 45 minutes, and then dinner is served.

Future thoughts
1. spice it up w/ some more pepper. salt something somewhere?
2. microwave the spinach for about 30 sec before, so less fluid would leak out.
3. follow directions: TENT it!

otherwise, this made a lovely meal for three bellies, thankfully, one of which was mine.

2005-11-12T15:09:00.000-05:00

Apple Oatmeal Creme Brulee

laugh if you must, but i found this in Oprah's magazine, and thought I'd give it a whirl. It definitely deserves the dessert category, but it was utterly new in my book.

3 1/4 cups apple juice or cider
1 red apple
2 cups oatmeal
1 1/4 cups brown sugar

First off, I do not keep apple juice or cider around. and I really did not want to purchase any apple juice or cider because I wouldn't drink the stuff. Fortunately, there was a lunch meeting and lots of apple juice left over. So I snagged two little 10 oz-ers for the job.
Second off, I didn't have any apples. Silly, since it's apple seaon round these parts. I didn't plan on going to the grocery store, so I simply kept my eyes peeled and whaddya know. Someone left a basket of Macintoshs at the Student Affairs office. So I helped myself to a couple and now, i just needed to find some time to bake this idea.
Thursday night rolled around, and I usually like to make little dinner for my roommate, so since I was already in the kitchen, I thought it'd be a great time to broil some apples, oatmeal and brown sugar. with our delicate evening appetites, i halved the above recipe. (Also i didn't have enough apple juice, and I didn't think I'd have enough eaters.)

Opinionated Instructions:
1. Apples cored and chunked. I left the peel on. s'up to you.
2. boil apples in juice/cider. as soon as it came to a boil, i consider it ready for the oatmeal
3. cooked it three minutes til thick (probably, i cooked it a little longer)
4. Divide into bowls, sprinkle brown sugar on top
5. Broil on high for 1-3 minutes. (until oatmeal turns brown and begins to bubble.

So this worked out all very quickly, the tops are definitely crispy. But I doubted the sweetness, so i added a dash of vanilla, cinnamon, and very little nutmed. Altogether it was extraordinarily sweet. Next time, perhaps, some apple pie spice instead, and better sprinkling technique w/ the brown sugar. very interesting and simple, nonetheless.

2005-11-05T12:06:00.000-05:00

Jumpstart #4: the breakfast sandwich with smoked salmon, capers in the egg, tomatoes, and onions. delicious. i left most of the bun behind, but it was a stupendous sandwich. Sneakers...i look forward to finding an equivalent in ME.

2005-11-05T12:04:00.000-05:00

Kahlua French Toast w/ an egg, sunnyside up. the sweet side of breakfast

2005-10-31T07:21:00.000-05:00

AAFP Conference

It was a truly enjoyable meeting, what with discussing the language regarding women's health visits, adolescent annuals, and clinical decision-making, but really, you don't want to hear about that so much as you want to know what was served. I only bring the best to you. Getting past the salad, rolls, and pasta to bring you DESSERT! I haven't names for anything, but this was all on the buffet line. Include some fruit pies, but they didn't have this gorgeous presentation. So, these are some the products from meeting in Hershey, PA, home of the Hershey company.

2005-10-31T07:16:00.000-05:00

OTT Cookies

I have been making these cookies for longer than I can remember right now. But this time, in my hurry, I failed to look closely at the measuring spoons. And thus dumped in far more baking soda and baking powder than required. A 1/2 TBSP instead of 1/2 tsp. Disaster loomed. I scooped what i could, mixed it up, and hoped for the best. They browned rather quickly, and spread pretty nicely. There are too many other variables to give a solid analyses of how the cookies turned out the way they did. One, I used margarine instead of butter. Two, I used shopping center maple syrup mixed in with the true blue Vermont syrup. So who knows, except that making them bigger rather than smaller was the best way to bake 'em. And they disappeared rather quickly, so I guess there are no complaints.

2005-10-31T07:08:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite brunch places in Burlington, VT. Sneakers has a sweet history, and even sweeter meals. On this visit, I was delighted to find that one of the specials was a pumpkin butter waffle. Heavenly. I love their waffles. It gives the true Belgian crunch. No comparison. For a little bit of a meal, we also ordered the tuna melt sandwich. Deliciously artery-clogging but nothing as good as the waffle. I think sticking to brunch next time is the best way to go.

2005-10-23T13:23:00.000-05:00

Sourdough Chocolate Cake
an utterly delectable oxymoron
This recipe originated from the King Arthur website. I didn't anticipate the adjustments, but they were made nonetheless...

1 cup starter (fed and rested)
1 cup of milk
2 cups flour

This seemed like a good start, until I realized that I didn't have a full 2 cups of flour, just 1.5, and a whole lot of whole wheat. So I thought, ok, I guess we'll just supplement the rest with whole wheat. So, off we went to church, and let the concoction bubble away for a couple of hours...

1.5 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1.5 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup natural cocoa
2 eggs

So we get back and I start going down the list and putting things into a bowl. "cream" everything together and then dump in the eggs: check. Then I remember, the cocoa! So I search high and low in this kitchen that I've been gettin' acquainted with on Sundays, and realize that I can't find the baking cocoa. So I use what I can find: hot cocoa mix. Luckily, some of it is some delicious raspberry hot cocoa mix by Lake Champlain Chocolates. And some of it, less luckily, perhaps, is Swiss Mix. With this second adjustment, I'm just hoping this turns out be edible.

Into the oven it goes: 350 for 40-45 minutes in greased 9-inch cake pans. Ok, we didn't have any of those, so I just used a pair of round Pyrexes. Wouldn't I love to be able to work with a springform pan, but these worked fine. Granted it's not gonna pop right out like a loaf of bread, but they were utterly delicious. Light, and the middle didn't fall into a miserable sinkhole. Next time, we'll use baking cocoa and all-purpose flour and perhaps, we'll attain a new level of eating pleasure. Until then, we're pretty happy with where we're at.

2005-10-22T18:36:00.000-05:00

Sourdough Banana Pancakes

as inspired by Jack Johnson and a cowboy.

once you've revved up the starter, it's easy as pie and ready in a blink of an eye...

1 cup starter
1/2 cup bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg
1 TBSP sugar
1/2 TBSP baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

TECHNIQUE: Except for the starter and the egg, i eyed everything else. so i dunno if these can be perfectly replicated. but i'd just mix everything together and let it sit around for about 15 minutes so the baking soda can get everyone fired up. if you think your batter isn't thick enough, add more flour. if you've made it too thick, add some milk or water. Then, just follow the pictures. Heat up the pan or griddle...and dinner is ON the table. of course you can eat these for breakfast, too, but we had these for dinner. Pre-exam, these make pretty good brain-food. certainly healthier than monster brownies.

SUPPLEMENTS: chocolate chips, cinnamon, nutmeg (meebe even marshmellows!)
SUGGESTIONS: slather w/ peanut butter and douse liberally with maple syrup. ahhhh...utterly divine. and if you're a drinker, i think a strong cup of black coffee would do nicely as an accompaniment.

2005-10-22T18:29:00.000-05:00

so simple, so tasty, so edible

2005-10-21T13:35:00.001-05:00

so, since we weren't going to study at the Great Harvest, we broke out a box of brownie mix to fuel the study session. Instead of oil, we used butter, and instead of a proper pan we used this interesting small rectangular glass pan. and of course, we couldn't resist dumping into chocolate chips and marshmellow bits. and this is what came out of the oven...