Updating, updating!

Yes, I really have been cooking since January.  In fact, I've been keeping a log of what I've eaten.  Here a two of my new faves:  Chicken with Mustard Tarragon Sauce
http://www.rachaelraymag.com/search/chicken%20mustard%20tarragon%20sauce?searchSource=hdrbox-Recipes
     My notes: I used bone-in, skin on chicken breasts.  After they had rested (after cooking) I used my boning knife to carve the meat off the bone and to slice it diagonally before adding it into the finished sauce.  For the sauce, I used only one tablespoon of the mustard and substituted fat free half and half.  I also used a scant 1/2 teaspoon of dried tarragon instead.  What a flavorful dish - loved the side salad with it.
     For dessert, from the April Food Network magazine: Monster Marshmallow Cookies.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/monster-marshmallow-cookies-recipe/index.html
     My notes:  These are wonderful, chewy, crunchy cookies.  I did reduce the sugar to 3/4 cups of each kind and used regular oats instead of quick oats.  For the next batch - I'll add a bit of cinnamon and use bittersweet chocolate chips.  For the glaze, I added extra fat free half and half to thin it enough to drizzle.  Next time, I would double the glaze recipe and just sprinkle the finely chopped nuts on top afterward.  
     Another fave I revised to make into a veggie dish:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dynaction=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000701077
While this is awesome on its own, for a potluck, I substituted fresh asparagus for the shrimp.  It was so good!
     Other foodie news:  We just spent a week up in Breckenridge.  We did some skiing, some shopping and a lot of eating at favorite restaurants.  First up was Ember (used to be Alpine). We missed Happy Hour, so still sat at the bar, but ordered off the regular dinner menu.  I had the Lamb Osso Buco with preserved lemon risotto, chocolate chai sauce and an apricot chutney.  Wow!  Gary had the Chorizo Stuffed Chicken served with steamed broccolini and parsnip and tomato puree.  It was both beautiful and tasty - easily the best chicken I have had in a very long time.  For dessert we had a dessert that included Grand Mariner Creme Brulee with a  side of Apple and Cherry Cobbler, garnished with White Chocolate Sticks.  Oh My!  And, since we were at the bar, we had a Blueberry Crush (blueberry vodka, blueberries, mint, lemon) as well as a taste of a Sexy Lady (jalepeno infused vodka, passion fruit juice, lime).  Yes, we did walk home the six blocks to walk off some of this dinner.  
     Another night we went to Happy Hour at Relish (my very favorite) and had the most interesting Pork Belly Sliders with a jalapeno relish.  The house wines were delightful and Gary's custom Margarita was the best I've tasted in awhile.
     For our other dinner we went to Salt Creek Steakhouse.  I know, I know - a steakhouse!  But, the Pan-Seared Scallops in jalapeno-citrus sauce were outstanding as was their Mixed Greens Salad with Goat Cheese, which also included sun dried cherries and tomatoes, toasted almonds and a red wine vinaigrette.  Gary happily shared his entree special of the evening, a grilled bison steak with a peppercorn sauce.  And yes, we walked the ten blocks home from dinner that night!

Paris recap

Just realized I had never posted food pix from the late May trip to Paris.  On every corner it seemed, there was a bakery beckoning with its goodies.  Most mornings we had croissants, some with chocolate, fruit, eggs scrambled with ham and cheese and cafe au lait.  Walking around Paris in the evening there was an abundance of cafes with literally dozens of filled crepes to choose from!  Paris is quite mad about Macaroons in many, many flavors.  Bon Appetite!

Roasted Smashed Red Potatoes

Roasted Smashed Red Potatoes 

12 red potatoes (no bigger than 1 1/2”)

olive oil

cracked rosemary (Savory Spice)

salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Coat the potatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle generously with the rosemary, salt & pepper, then place on the baking sheet.  Roast for 15-20 minutes until tender when poked with a fork.  Remove from the oven and place on a flat surface.  Using another baking pan or a potato masher, press down on potatoes until smashed.  Return the pan to the oven for about ten more minutes.  The potatoes will be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  Serve at once.  

New Cookbook! Quinoa: The Everyday Superfood 365

This cookbook by Patricia Green & Carolyn Hemming (2010) has me exploring healthy grains.  Quinoa is a quick-cooking grain full of protein that an basically be added into most any recipe.  The first one I made modified one of my faves - three bean salad.

After cooking 1/2 Cup Quinoa in a cup of water, I added it to a can of drained & rinsed garbanzo beans, a can of red kidney beans (also drained & rinsed), 1 Cup each of diced green pepper, celery, and red onion.  Next I mixed 1/2 C apple cider vinegar, 1/4 C olive oil, 1 diced garlic clove, 2 teaspoons dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper.  All the above was combined and served.  It also keeps for a few days in the fridge for a quick lunch.

December Eats

It was a crazy couple of months, so here are some of the things I made in November and December.

Gorgonzola Pear Toasts
This recipe was in the December Food Network magazine.

1 baguette, cut into 1/2" slices
2 T olive oil
1 8 oz package cream cheese
4 oz crumbled gorgonzola cheese
1 15 oz can sliced pears, drained
1/2 C candied pecans
2 T chopped parsley


1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly brush one side of the bread slices with the olive oil.  Place on a baking sheet and toast for 5-7 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and gorgonzola cheese (I blended it all in the food processor), stirring until mixed.
3. Spread the toasts with the cheese mixture. Top with the pear slices and chopped candied pecans.  Sprinkle with the parsley.  (this is my modified version)

For the candied pecans, put 1/4 C sugar and 1 C pecans in a non-stick pan.  Heat on medium, stirring until sugar caramelizes on the nuts. Immediately remove from heat and pour out onto silicone mat to cool.  The extras keep well in a baggie.

For a veggie dish, I modified Cauliflower and Carrot Casserole  (Wright, Clifford.  Bake Until Bubbly, 2008) to include cauliflower, broccoli and leeks.  It was yummy!

First, I buttered an 8 X 11 glass casserole and preheated the oven to 350 degrees.  Then I steamed together half a head of cauliflower, separated into florets, half a head of broccoli, chopped and two leeks, cleaned and chopped.  These were then layered in the prepared pan.
In another saucepan I melted 3 T butter, then added in 3 T flour, stirring and cooking for two minutes to even out the flavor.
Next I added in 1 1/2 Cups 2% milk that I had preheated in the microwave, whisking constantly.  It took about 10 minutes for it to thicken.  Then I added in a scant cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese and then seasoned the sauce with salt and pepper and 1/4 teaspoon hot paprika.  The sauce was poured over the veggies and then baked for about 20 minutes, until hot.

Catching Up in August

Where did the summer go?  I have been puttering in the garden, travelling, which also means eating at fun restaurants in Paris, Chicago, Indiana and locally . . . and also cooking!  Currently my granite countertop is loaded down with eggplant and two five pound baskets of tomatoes from the garden.  I have heirloom tomatoes, plum, cherry tomatoes in two colors and plenty of swiss chard that is still growing in the lovely cooler weather.  Time to make and freeze lots of tomato sauce!  Here are a few of the latest recipes:


Due to a bumper crop of yellow summer squash and a taste of an amazing soup on our recent trip to Estes Park, here is my interpretation of Summer Squash Soup.

3-4 summer squash, halved & chopped coarsely

2 leeks, chopped then cleaned by soaking in a bowl of cool water

2 T olive oil

1 1/2 T butter, softened

1 1/2 T flour

1-14 oz can chicken broth

1 C fat free half-n-half

1/4 C white cheddar cheese, shredded

salt & white pepper to taste

basil chiffonade (stack leaves, roll into cigars, then slice into thin slices)

For the soup: combine the olive oil and leeks, then raise heat to medium-high, cooking covered for about 6 minutes.  Meanwhile chop the squash and then add to the pot with the chicken broth.  Bring to a simmer and cook another 6 minutes.  

In the blender, combine the butter and flour; add in 1 C broth.  Add in a third of the cooked squash mixture, pureeing thoroughly.  As you work, place the puree in a separate bowl until all is pureed.  Pour all of the puree back into the now empty pot.  Stir in the half-n-half and the cheese.  (Add more half-n-half if the soup is too thick).  Taste and season with salt & pepper.  Garnish with basil chiffonade.

On a lazy afternoon, I was shopping at a local market and picked up a few interesting things for lunch.  One of them was a Curry Chicken Salad.  Here is my interpretation:

1 C cooked rotisserie chicken, cubed

2/3 C mayo

1 t vinegar

1/2 C raisins

1/4 C mango chutney or apricot jam

2 T C green onion, chopped (or chives)

1 t curry powder

Combine and serve.  Tastes even better the second day!

Now that it is cooler, it is time to get used to using my new range.  It definitely bakes more efficiently than the old one.  I tried the following recipe in it.  I found the beef short ribs at Costco at a very reasonable price.

Braised Short Ribs

Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell

Prep Time:  25 min  Cook Time:  3 hr 30 min  Serves:  8 servings

Ingredients

• 6 bone-in short ribs (about 5 3/4 pounds)
• Kosher salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large Spanish onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 carrots, peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 1/2 cups tomato paste (my note: may want less or substitute half with crushed tomatoes)
• 2 to 3 cups hearty red wine
• 2 cups water
• 1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string
• 2 bay leaves

Directions

Season each short rib generously with salt. Coat a pot large enough to accommodate all the meat and vegetables with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown very well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd pan. Cook in batches, if necessary.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  While the short ribs are browning, puree all the vegetables and garlic in the food processor until it forms a coarse paste. When the short ribs are very brown on all sides, remove them from the pan. Drain the fat, coat the bottom of same pan with fresh oil and add the pureed vegetables. Season the vegetables generously with salt and brown until they are very dark and a crud has formed on the bottom of the pan, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape the crud and let it reform. Scrape the crud again and add the tomato paste. Brown the tomato paste for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat if things start to burn. Reduce the mixture by half.

Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups water or until the water has just about covered the meat. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water, if needed. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking to let things get nice and brown and to let the sauce reduce. When done the meat should be very tender but not falling apart. Serve with the braising liquid.

Printed from FoodNetwork.com

Peach Cobbler

Now that Palisade peaches are in from the Western Slope it is definitely time!  From my favorite cookbook: The Best Recipe, by the editors of Cook's Illustrated, 1999.

Fruit filling:  1 3/4 # peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into thick slices + 2 t cornstarch + 1/2 C sugar + pinch cloves + 1 t vanilla + 1 T brandy

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prep the fruit mixture.  Place it in a pie plate on a cookie sheet and cover with foil. Bake for 15 min. while you prepare the topping.

Butter Cookie Dough Topping:  Combine: 1/2 C flour, 1/4t baking powder, pinch salt and set aside

Beat 8 T unsalted butter at room temp. and 1/3 C sugar (or Splenda) until light and fluffy - about one minute on medium.  Beat in 1 large egg yolk (use whole egg if doubling recipe) and 1/4 t vanilla.  Stir in dry ingredients.

Remove fruit from oven and stir.  Drop cookie dough topping by heaping tablespoons evenly over fruit.  Return pan to oven to bake for 40 minutes or more - until topping is nicely browned and fruit is bubbly.    Cool 10 minutes before serving.