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Showing posts from 2018

New School Tuna Casserole

This is from Cooking Light . It's a tangy alternative to the regular tuna casserole and I like them both. We adapted it slightly, using more salt (as always with CL recipes), regular egg noodles instead of whole-wheat, and tarragon instead of dill (it's what we had on hand). We also forgot to pick up chicken stock so used all milk for the sauce, embellishing with a judicial splash of Worcestershire. New School Tuna Casserole Serves 6 generously. Step 1 12 ounces uncooked egg noodles Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook noodles until very al dente. Step 2 1 tablespoon oil 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped 1 cup chopped onion 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium. Add mushrooms; cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add onion and garlic; cook until tender, about 4 more minutes. Add thyme; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Step 3 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tabl

Gingersnaps

These are from "Cookies Unlimited" by Nick Malgieri. It is a simply wonderful cookbook and we've never made anything that didn't work or that we didn't like. Considering how many recipes we've tried, that's an impressive record. This was the first recipe I made and the one that made me buy the book. These are classic crisp, spicy gingersnaps truly worthy of the "snap" in their name. Simple and delicious. Gingersnaps Makes about 40 cookies 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter 1 cup sugar, plus 1/2 cup for finishing 1 large egg 1/4 cup molasses 1. Set the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. 2. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a bowl; stir well to mix. 3. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddl

Tres Leches Cake, Puerto Rican Style

I've never really enjoyed Tres Leches Cake which always struck me as being mildly sweet, soggy, and a bit milky. Nothing really special. Then I read about this version , in the Wall Street Journal of all places, which has been tweaked by Kathleen Squires to reflect the flavors of her beloved Puerto Rico. Rose made it for a meal provided for our parish's men's retreat and months later she's still getting compliments. Naturally, we had to try it for ourselves. Wow. It is so delicate but also so flavorful. A hint of coconut is perfectly complimented by the nutmeg and cinnamon sprinkled across the top. Somehow it all comes together to make a dessert that is rich, light, and refreshing. In fact, it is rich enough that we serve 16 instead of the 12 called for below. Larger pieces are just too big. And that's not something I say every day. In fact, I may say it never. TRES LECHES CAKE Serves: 12 For the cake: Butter, for greasing pan 5 large eggs, yolks and w

Corn and Bacon Pasta

Another good one from Cook's Country, this features fresh corn which struck us as kind of mind-bending when combined with pasta. It worked a treat though, with the kernels adding little crunchy, slightly sweet accents to the savory pasta. The original recipe calls for 5 pieces of bacon. We had 8 in the fridge and decided to use them all up. It was so good that we decided we'll just go with 8 in the future too. This recipe finishes in a flurry of activity, rather like a Chinese stir-fry, so have everything prepped before you begin cooking the pasta. Corn and Bacon Pasta Step 1 1 pound orecchiette Boil in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, drain, and return to pot. Step 2 8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2" strips Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp and drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet. Step 3 3 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs OR 2-1/4 cups thawed frozen corn 1 teaspoon salt 2 garlic cloves, sliced thin 1 cup heav

Green Goddess Chicken

From Cook's Country, this has a really fresh taste that is a nice summery meal. Green Goddess Chicken Step 1 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons lemon juice 4 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon 2 garlic cloves, chopped 2 anchovy filets, rinsed Chop herbs just enough to measure and let blender do the real work. Process in blender until smooth. Step 2 — make the sauce 1 tablespoon buttermilk 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons herb mixture from step 1 Stir all together; set aside. Step 3 1-1/2 teaspoons salt 3 pound chicken, cut into pieces Combine salt and herb mixture and marinate chicken in it for at least 2 and up to 24 hours. Step 4 Heat oven to 475. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil; place chicken, skin side up on sheet. Do not brush off marinade that sticks to chicken. Roast 25 - 30 minutes. Transfer to platter, tend with foil, let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with sauce.

Quick, Mildly Spiced Beef

This is from Nigel Slater's Kitchen Diaries II. It is a lot like a korma-style mild curry from an Indian restaurant. I don't know if I'd call it "quick" since that tends to mean 20 minutes, but it was straight-forward and easy and probably took me about 45 minutes. This has a lot of sauce and is wonderful with rice. Quick, Mildly Spiced Beef oil 500 g cubed chuck steak (I used hanger steak) 2 large onions, thinly sliced (I think English onions are smaller than ours. I used one large onion and it was plenty.) 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp ground coriander 1 tbsp garam masala (or whatever curry powder you have around) 500 ml veg or beef stock (I used chicken stock) 1 tbsp grain mustard 200 ml double cream (a.k.a. heavy cream) salt and pepper Warm the oil in a heavy shallow casserole. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then brown on all sides in the toil, turning only occasionally. remove from the pan with a draining

Pistachio and Yogurt Chicken Curry

Another home run from Made in India by Meera Sodha. This is a rich, spice-filled, flavorful chicken curry which fills the house with a tempting aroma. I can't stress how much we all loved this. Pistachio and Yogurt Chicken Curry Makes 6 servings Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 50 minutes. 1-1/4 cups unsalted shelled pistachios (divided) 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 3 tablespoons canola oil 2 medium onions, sliced into fine rings 2 medium whole canned or fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon garam masala 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 cinnamon stick 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste) 1-3/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs 1 cup chicken stock, warmed 4 tablespoons plain whole-milk Greek yogurt (plus extra to serve) Juice of 1/2 lemon Hot cooked rice In a food processor, pulse 1 cup

Banh Mi Burgers

What's better than a burger? A Vietnamese flavored one! This is from Cooking Light and it hits every flavor button you've got. Plus, it's easy! Banh Mi Burgers Step 1 1/2 cup rice vinegar 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup granulated sugar (we used 2 tablespoons and it was just right) 1 cup shaved English cucumber 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots (we shaved these just like the cucumbers) Bring vinegar, water, and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over high. Combine cucumber and carrots in a heatproof bowl; pour hot vinegar mixture over vegetables. Cover and chill at least 15 minutes or up to 3 days. Step 2 6 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 tablespoons Sriracha chili sauce 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice Stir all together; set aside. Step 3 1 pound 93% lean ground beef (we used chuck) 2 tablespoons olive oil (since we were using chuck, we skipped the oil) 2 teaspoons grated garlic 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger 3/4 teaspoon black pepper Cooking spray Preheat gri

Alabama BBQ Chicken with White BBQ Sauce

This is juicy and really flavorful. I wondered what a mayonnaise-based sauce could possibly add to chicken and now I know. A really delicious twist! This is from Cook's Country . Alabama BBQ Chicken White BBQ Sauce 3/4 C mayonnaise 2 T cider vinegar 2 t sugar 1/2 t prepared horseradish 1/2 t salt 1/2 t black pepper 1/4 t cayenne pepper Chicken 1 t salt 1 t black pepper 1/2 t cayenne pepper 2 (3-1/2 to 4 pound) whole chickens, patted dry and split 2 C hickory wood chips Vegetable oil for grill grate 1. For the sauce: Mix all ingredients in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Refrigerate sauce in airtight container for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. 2. For the chicken: Mix salt, black pepper, and cayenne in small bowl. Rub spice mixture all over chicken. 3. Soak wood chips in bowl of water to cover for 15 minutes. Meanwhile open bottom grill vents completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (about 90 coals) and burn until c

Black Bean Tamale Pie

This is really great. It's from Jim Fobel's Casseroles which I've had since it came out in 1997. It's meatless but so flavorful no one will care. In fact, we added chicken once and couldn't really tell it was in there. So we stick with the original. It reheats well, can be made in advance, freezes well, and I've never had anyone not like it. Black Bean Tamale Pie 3 15-ounce cans black beans (rinsed and drained) 1/2 cup dry sherry 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels 1 jalapeno pepper, minced with the seeds 1 garlic clove, minced 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled 2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 5-1/4 cups water 1-1/2 cups canned, diced tomatoes, drained 1 cup scallion, sliced 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped 2 cups yellow cornmeal (coarse) 1-1/2 cups low-fat plain yogurt (I use regular sour cream) 2 cups (8 oz.) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese 1/

Korean BBQ Buns

We really loved this one which is a great testament to the basic goodness of the recipe, since we wound up changing a lot of details around. It's from Cooking Light which is so good at nailing ethnic flavors and textures while simplifying the work for an American kitchen. I've put the recipe below as Cooking Light had it but we changed a few things on the fly and plan to change more in the future. We doubled the recipe to serve as a meal for 4. This says it serves 8 so maybe it was supposed to be an appetizer? Ground chuck instead of sirloin Bread crumbs instead of panko This seemed overly sweet, possibly because every step involved sugar. We'll skip the pan glaze next time. We couldn't find steamed buns anywhere (frozen or not). So we used flour tortillas. Never a problem finding those in Dallas! Cooking Light suggested slider buns as an alternative. We made the meatballs but they are unwieldy in a tortilla. That's probably something the buns would help h

Spinach & Egg Pie

This is from Paul Hollywood's  website  where you can see a photo of the finished pie. It is absolutely delicious. We feel as if the world is a small place and we are all alike. Until, that is, we begin baking with British recipes! For one thing the measurements, beginning with the oven temperature, can be mystifying. This conversion chart helps considerably! Notes: We doubled the amount of spinach which would have been nearly enough to match the result that we saw in the picture.  See what you think of the eggs nestled in the pie. I loved the idea but when we were eating it the result was if one was tucking into a delicious meal and then stopped by a roadblock of boiled egg. I mean, we like boiled eggs but it just didn't work for us. So next time we'll just skip that bit. Spinach & Egg Pie Serves 6 Ingredients For the shortcrust pastry - 275g plain flour - Pinch of salt - 135g cold butter, diced - 1 egg beaten - 1 tsp lemon juice For the filli

Pork in Green Sauce

I love to make a Roasted Pork Shoulder for Christmas. And I love to make Pork in Green Sauce with the leftovers. The tangy sauce perfectly complements the rich pork. Wrapped in a flour tortilla, it is one of my favorite meals. I haven't actually tried eating it every week, but I feel as if I could. The leftover pork means I'm halfway there, but for times when I haven't been hosting a big celebration then the Carnitas recipe below does the trick. It is fairly simple and hands-off, though it does take some time. The Green Sauce is a variable that I always wish I could buy somewhere but I've never found a prepared version that isn't either blazing hot or weirdly viscous (ick). And it isn't as if I'm super picky because just about any version I've made myself works great. I've got links below to a couple of good ones. CARNITAS Make this, add green sauce, and wrap in a flour tortilla.  [Via Homesick Texan , adapted from Diana Kennedy] Step 1 3