Deliciousness of Yum

Portobello Mushroom Stuffing

noreply@blogger.com (Greta) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 14:00:00 +0000

Every year, my company puts on a Thanksgiving pot luck. The company always supplies the turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and rolls and then the rest of us sign up to bring in various sides and desserts; vegetarian options are always encouraged. This year, I decided to embrace the vegetarian dish and make portobello mushroom stuffing to share.

Ingredients:

3 portobello mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
1 package white mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled & chopped
3-4 stalks celery, diced
3-4 carrots, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
1 oz package stuffing
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tbsp parsley
1 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees; grease a 9 x 13 baking dish (I cheat and use cooking spray).
In a large pot, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat; add celery, onion, and carrots. Saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
Add apples, mushrooms, and seasonings; mix well.
Remove from heat and add the vegetable broth and bread cubes; stir in the eggs and mix well.
Pour out mixture into baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes so the top can brown.

Since this is for a work pot luck, I made this the day before and transferred the stuffing into a microwave safe container (so that it can be microwaved before serving).

Easy and Quick Chocolate Chip Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Greta) — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 07:21:00 +0000

I've always enjoyed making muffins. They can be sweet or savory and are easy to share. Muffins are also portion controlled (unless you eat multiples at once). I recently came across a very easy recipe from Lily Ernst (Little Sweet Baker) that is very forgiving and are made from ingredients that I usually have on hand. These have been very popular with family and co-workers and only take 30 minutes to make (that includes baking).

Here is the recipe for Chocolate Chip Muffins:

Dry Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

'Wet' Ingredients:
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), melted
1 cup sugar
buttermilk (or regular milk)
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Mix together all the dry ingredients; set aside.
In a large bowl (I cheat and use a Kitchen Aid mixer), mix together the 'wet' ingredients.
Slowly add in the dry ingredients to the 'wet' ingredients until just mixed (Note: I have made these in a hurry and over-mixed them in my mixer - they turned out fine).
Grease muffin tins (12) and fill the tins with your mixture. For larger muffins, fill all 12 so they are very full. If you like smaller muffins, you can fill the tins about 3/4 full and get around 16 muffins. If you do this, watch your bake time!
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F; cook for 5 minutes.
Decrease heat to 375 degrees F and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove from muffin pans and allow to cool. If you aren't going to eat them right away, make sure that they are fully cooled before storing them.

These are delicious as-is, but I'd also love to add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts to the mix! Enjoy for breakfast, as a dessert, or just a snack!!

Connecticut Beef: A New Version Of A Family Classic

noreply@blogger.com (Greta) — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 07:32:00 +0000

Growing up, casseroles were always a staple. One of my favorites is Connecticut Beef Supper. When I eat it, I'm immediately transported back to large family dinner parties. This is one of those meals that sticks with you and can be relied on for savory satisfaction.

Here is an updated version of this classic casserole.

2 T olive oil
2 lbs stew meat, cut into bite sized pieces
1 large yellow onion, chopped
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, chopped
10-12 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup Marsala wine
3 medium red potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
8 oz container sour cream
10.5 oz cream of mushroom soup
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
Breadcrumbs

In a large stew pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add stew meat, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Allow meat to brown; stir often.
Add mushrooms, water and wine and bring to a slight boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for at least 2 hours (the meat should be very tender).
Pour meat mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Add the sliced potatoes in a thin layer.
Mix together the sour cream and cream of mushrooms soup; spread over the potato layer.
Sprinkle with cheese; cover with foil.
Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
Remove foil and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake uncovered for another 30 minutes (potatoes should be very tender when pierced with a knife).
Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes before serving.
Enjoy! Serves 8-10.

FYI: Always cut your potatoes thin and test that they are done with a fork. This will ensure that they cook all the way through and are not crunchy.

We're Back! Inspiration Is Calling Us Into The Kitchen!

noreply@blogger.com (Greta) — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 06:22:00 +0000

Wow, time just flies by and looking back on our last few posts, I can’t believe it’s been since 2012. Yikes! Much has happened in that time for both Lydia and me. One big life event for me was moving into my own condo and having my very own kitchen again!! Spacious counters, new cookware and to top it off – a new Kitchen Aid mixer! With all the new, it’s time to get cooking again!

So what to make? I recently got hooked on the Great British Baking Show, a show that as my sister says is like a great big British hug. As the title suggests, baking is the premise and every week, participants make all sorts of baked treats. Some are favorites (like English muffins), while others I’ve never heard of (but would love to sample). Watching all of this has made me want to brave the baking world… a world that I have never really done well in before.

Cooking has always come fairly easy cause I don’t need to be exact. You can wing it with good ingredients and using various recipes to create a unique dish. A little bit of this, a dash of that, toss a bunch of ingredients together and voila: dinner! Baking though is not like that at all. Measure, measure and measure some more and maybe you’ll get something that will be edible. I have baked my fair share of yeasty hockey pucks (or what the recipe called dinner rolls). Baking has never been my forte but this winter, I’m going to test my cooking chops and take on baking!

Along with baked goods, I’m also going to stick to what I know I do well and create all sorts of savory meals. I’ll share my successes and failures and hopefully can test out all kinds of goodies.

Easy, Impressive Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 04:05:00 +0000

It's nice to have a fancy breakfast on the weekend, but I don't always have the time or the energy to make one. That's why make-ahead and fast recipes are best. You can enjoy a delicious meal without jumping out of bed at the crack of dawn.

The other morning, I wanted something new for Sunday breakfast. After getting some inspiration over at Pinterest, I decided to try German Pancakes. They're also referred to as Dutch Babies, and there are a zillion variations on how to make them. I opted for the King Arthur Flour recipe. These take about a minute to prepare and bake up in about 15 minutes. By the time you set the table and make coffee, breakfast is ready!

I served the German Pancake with a squeeze of lemon and a healthy dusting of powdered sugar. You could be really fancy and make a stovetop fruit jam or cinnamon apples for the topping. Cinnamon sugar, fresh fruit, maple syrup, or other berry syrups or jams would also work.

King Arthur Flour's Puff Pancake
Serves 2-4, depending on appetites

3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) butter
1/2 cup (2 ounces) All-Purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
small pinch of nutmeg (optional)
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (4 ounces) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon lemon oil (optional)
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (juice of half a juicy lemon)
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) confectioners’ sugar

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Melt the butter in an 11" straight-sided skillet, or a 12" skillet with straight or sloping sides. Make sure whatever you use is oven-proof. Or melt the butter, and pour it into a 10" square pan, or 12" round deep-dish pizza pan. Yes, the size of the pan matters. Too small, it’ll overflow. Too large, it won’t puff as high. Try to find a pan or oven-proof skillet whose square-inch cooking surface is about 100 square inches.

Whisk together the flour, salt, nutmeg, sugar, milk, vanilla, lemon oil, and eggs till fairly smooth. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake the pancake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until it’s very puffy and golden, with deeper brown patches. Remove it from the oven, and sprinkle with the lemon juice, then the sugar.

Cut in squares, and serve immediately, garnished with fresh berries, if desired.

noreply@blogger.com (Greta) — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:20:00 +0000

Gaga's Sauerbraten & Potato Dumplings

Growing up, this was always one of my favorite meals. My grandmother would make this for holiday dinners or when the whole family got together. I loved mixing my dumplings with the meat and pouring gravy over top. Also, the leftovers were always amazing! This dish makes me think of her and all the times we had together. Please enjoy and if you make it, let me know how you like it!

Sauerbraten

4-5 lb beef (Chuck-Bottom Round)

2 cups water

2 cups vinegar

1 T salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 T sugar

2 medium onions, sliced

1 lemon

2 T pickling spices

2 Bay leaves

15 gingersnaps (broken in to small pieces)

Place meat in a large bowl. Heat vinegar and water. Dissolve salt, pepper and sugar in vinegar mixture. Top meat with sliced onions and lemon. Pour vinegar mixture over meat. Add remaining ingredients (except gingersnaps) to vinegar around meat. Cover and refrigerate for 3 or 4 days, turning meat daily. Remove meat and drain well. Strain liquid and save for gravy.

Sprinkle meat with flour and brown in oil in heavy pan. Add 3/4 cup of strained liquid. Cover and cook over low heat until meat is tender, about 3-4 hours. Add more liquid as needed. When tender, remove meat and keep hot. To make gravy add more strained vinegar mixture to juice in the pan to make 3 cups liquid. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve all brown drippings. Add gingersnaps, simmer and stir gravy until gravy is thickened and smooth.

Potato Dumplings

6 medium potatoes

2 eggs

Croutons - make by cutting bread (3-4 slices) in small cubes; saute in butter

Flour

Cook potatoes in jackets. Cool and pare. Put through ricer and sprinkle with salt. Add eggs and croutons. Add flour as needed, so they hold together. Drop in boiling, salted water.

Serves 6-8

Note: You can add raisins to the gravy if you like. Use 1/2-3/4 cups of raisins. Also, Bisquick dumplings can also be substituted for the potato dumplings, just keep them small when you make them.

Whole Hog

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:00:00 +0000

This is not my slow cooker--mine is much less fancy!

I've been using my slow cooker a lot more than normal lately. I don't know why I don't use this handy-dandy appliance more, but right now, I am in full-on slow cooker mode. I've also been lusting after pork shoulder these days. I'm not sure why, but that's ok. Pork should is good. Slow cookers are easy. Combine the two and you get good, easy dinners that feed a crowd.

I'm making BBQ Pulled Pork as we speak (it's cooking away while I'm at work). Earlier this year, I made Pernil--a recipe I found from Skinny Taste (by the way: If you are looking for recipes that are healthy, easy, crowd-pleasing and downright good, head over to Skinny Taste. I love this website and visit it often. There are so many good things to try!).

Two weekends ago, I also made Pulled Pork with Caramelized Onions. The recipe came from Eating Well--I found it online and you can get it here. Take a look at how it turned out.

It was sweet, tender, flavorful and fun to eat. I served it with toasted Kaiser rolls, coleslaw, and chips. It lasted three+ meals, and I fully intend to make it again. The mister and I loved it, and I would really like to make this for my family (I know they'll like it!).

Sorry for the low-quality iPhone photo!!

I can't tell you how much I love using my stupid slow cooker. I get the best food from that little thing. Do you have a slow cooker? If so, what's your favorite recipe? Share, share!

Green is the New Yum

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 13:00:00 +0000

For Christmas, my husband did a super nice thing and bought me a subscription to Cooking Light. I love this magazine! I'm always on the lookout for good recipes that are healthy and that will not be detrimental to my current weight loss plan. Cooking Light never fails. The January/February edition featured so many yummy sounding recipes that I created an online recipe file to keep everything handy (I hate dealing with clipped out recipes--they're so messy!).

As we all know, Super Bowl Sunday was this past weekend. In our family, football is something other people watch. I don't think I have ever sat through a Super Bowl in my life, but since easy, crowd pleasing football friendly recipes were everywhere, I thought I'd get into the spirit and whip up some chili for me and the hubs. I turned to the January/February edition of Cooking Light and found Green Chile Chili. Wow! This is a winner.

Not only is it easy, but it's really, really tasty. Plus--thanks to the Cooking Light folks--it does not have a ton of calories or fat. My Weight Watchers plan and my taste buds send major thanks to CL.

Click over to Cooking Light's website for the recipe. I'll show you the creation of the meal in progress.

First, I got my ingredients ready to go.

I browned some ground beef in my trusty Le Creuset, then I added chopped onions, chili powder and paprika, followed by garlic. (The kitchen smelled so good at this point...and the yumminess just intensified as I cooked along!).

In went a bottle of dark beer that I let bubble and reduce down until there was almost no liquid left.

Then I added salsa verde and chopped green peppers (the green of my green chile chili), crushed tomatoes and kidney beans. Everything mingled together for a few hours, then I served it with shredded cheddar and tortilla chips.

OMG--this was so yummy and so easy...you better believe I am making this one again!

Hello? Anybody Out There?

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Good grief! My sister and I officially suck as bloggers! To our defense, it can be tough to find the time to cook, work, play, have a life, and blog. This year is flying by and we've been lax. Forgive us, but also cut us some slack.

I have a few posts lined up (in my head at least) and I'll have to prod Greta to get a-cooking. Really, we're both awesome in the kitchen, even if time is not on our sides.

Check back here tomorrow...I'm going to share a kick-ass Chili recipe I tried out over the weekend from Cooking Light. Plus I have some other tricks up my sleeve (I hope!).

A Very Cool (and Nerdy - in a good way) Gift

noreply@blogger.com (Greta) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 13:00:00 +0000

At work this year we drew names for Secret Santa's and my friend traded with a coworker so that she could be my Secret Santa. She had found a perfect gift for me that appeals to both my sci-fi nerd side and my foodie side - the ultimate book! It is The Star Wars Party Book: Recipes and Ideas for Galactic Occasions!

This book is really fun because it fully embraces the Star Wars Universe and covers everything from food to decorations to scavenger hunts to making pajamas. It has lots of good ideas if you have a kid that is into A Galaxy Far, Far Away or if you love to embrace your inner child.

I think my favorite in the book is a recipe for Clone Trooper Cakes - they look so cool and my son absolutely loves them too! I will have to try and make these sometime soon. They are cupcakes that have clone trooper faces on them - I am a little weary of the actual decorating, as I am not the most patient person when it comes to baking.

Another great idea is the Death Star Pinata. Who would not love to take a whack at the Death Star and have goodies come out. The fun thing with that is you could fill it with all sorts of things from candy to toys to erasers or anything small with a Star Wars theme to it. On the cover they show it being hit by a lightsaber - very cool!

Anyway, this book was the perfect gift for me - thank you Jaime and Aidan thanks you too. When I make the cupcakes, I will take some in to work too!!

One Hot Dish!

noreply@blogger.com (Greta) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Friday night I took on my first meal in 2011. I decided that I would make somehting Italian and somewhat spicey. The night before, Lydia and I had been at the meat counter in Central Market and I saw that they had loose Hot Italian Sausage and I thought about how and what I might add together to come up with a meal.

Spicey Pork Sauge and Orecchiette

1 1/2 pounds Hot Italian Sausage (removed from the casing)

3 cloves of garlic

1/2 onion diced

cooking spray

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup red wine

1/4 cup capers, rinsed

12 white mushrooms, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

1 box orecchiette

parmesan cheese to top

In a large pot over medium-high heat, spray bottom of pot with cooking oil and add, garlic, onion and pork; season with salt & pepper to taste. Heat until fully cooked.
Reduce heat to simmer and add tomatoes, wine, capers and mushroom. Allow to simmer for several hours; stir often.
Cook orecchitte according to instructions. When cooked, pour in to a large pasta serving bowl. Add sauce on top; top with parmsan cheese.

This dish was delicious, but I fear that I was the only one that really fully enjoyed it - I love the heat and the rest of my family does not (so much). Everyone had seconds, but I still have my doubts. If I make this in the future, I would use 1/2 spicey pork and 1/2 plain pork to balance out the heat.

Overall, I was happy with the dinner and I served it with a nice loaf of french bread and a spinach salad. Everyone was grateful for the chocolate ice cream that we had for dessert - I thought that the ice cream might help with the heat too!

Ending the Week Right...

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Since this has, apparently, been Nigella Week here on Deliciousness of Yum, I thought I'd wrap things up with a quote and a quick drink idea from Ms. Lawson...

Here's the quote...

"I eat healthily. It`s just that I eat enough for five healthy people."

And now for the drink. I heard Nigella talking about "Dirty Prosecco" on her NPR story, and thought it sounded easy and yummy for the holidays.

All you need to do is add some Campari to the bottom of a champagne glass, then top it with some Prosecco. Viola! Instant party drink!

Since Campari is insanely expensive here in WA state, I opted for a pomegranate-flavored alcohol that was on the shelf next to Campari, at a fraction of the price. The Prosecco was dirt cheap (I got it from Trader Joe's) and delicious. The drink was yummy and pretty--it would be perfect for Valentine's Day!

The Name Sounds Silly, but the Food is Good!

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Right before Christmas, I heard Nigella Lawson on NPR, talking about some of her favorite quick dishes for the holidays. In her NPR piece, she mentioned her latest favorite, Peanut Butter Hummus--a recipe that also appears in her newest book, Nigella Kitchen.

I am not the biggest fan of tahini--the sesame paste that usually gives hummus it's flavor--so using peanut butter in place of tahini (essentially sesame butter) sounded perfect. After hearing the interview, I pulled the recipe off the internet and whipped this up for appetizers for my Christmas dinner.

Peanut Butter Hummus was a hit! It had a nice texture, smooth flavor, and was a snap to make. My mom had some a few days later on a sandwich, and she said it was delicious.

The recipe, below, makes a boat-load of hummus. If you don't want tons of the stuff, you may want to half the recipe.

PEANUT BUTTER HUMMUS
2 x 15-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 garlic clove, peeled
3-5 tablespoons regular olive oil
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons lemon juice, or more as needed
2 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoons table salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 - 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons peanuts, finely chopped, to serve (optional)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, to serve (optional)
breadsticks, mini pitas, crackers, tortilla chips, to serve (optional)

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Put the garlic clove, chickpeas, 3 tablespoons oil, peanut butter, lemon juice, salt, and cumin into a food processor and blitz to a knobbly puree.
Add 1/4 cup of the Greek yogurt and process again; if the hummus is still very thick, add another 1–2 tablespoons yogurt and the same of oil. (This will often depend on the chickpeas, as different sorts make the hummus thicker or not.)
Taste for seasoning, adding more lemon juice and salt if you feel it needs it.
On serving, mix the chopped peanuts with the paprika and sprinkle on top if you wish, and put an array of bits and pieces to eat with or dip in, as you see fit.

Makes enough for a party of 10
Note: The hummus can be made 1–2 days ahead. Transfer to non-metallic container, cover, and refrigerate until needed. Should be consumed within 2 days of making

Perfect (and Beautiful!) Banana Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:00:00 +0000

I love bananas and eat them almost daily. However, when it comes to banana flavored stuff, I'd prefer to pass. I don't know what my problem is, but I do not like banana bread, banana muffins, etc. My sister is even worse--she doesn't like bananas in any way, shape, or form.

Because I am a big banana eater, I often end up with leftover bananas that turn soft and brown on my counter. I hate to throw them out because my husband LOVES banana bread, muffins, etc. I had four well-aged 'naners on my counter the other day and decided to try out a recipe I found in Nigella Kitchen (see Monday's Cookbook Corner for a book review). The result? Muffins that were easy and fast to make that looked amazingly beautiful. My husband loved them, as did my parents.

Make these when you want something homemade that doesn't take a lot of time (if you like bananas, that is!)

CHOCOLATE BANANA MUFFINS

3 very ripe or over ripe bananas
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin cups.
Place bananas in the bowl of a freestanding mixer; turn on to mash up the bananas.
With the mixer still going, add the oil followed by the eggs and sugar. Combine well.
In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, and baking soda). Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, beating gently.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups (note: the muffin cups will be filled up, almost to the top).
Bake for 15-20 minutes until muffins are dark, rounded, and peaking (as Nigella says) "proudly." Let cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes before taking the muffins out of tin and cooling on a wire rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

NOTES:

These really are some of the easiest, prettiest muffins I've made in awhile
My husband has requested the addition of walnuts and/or chocolate chips the next time I make these--I think both sound right!
Since my husband and I are on Weight Watchers, I ran this through their recipe builder. One muffin is about 6 points...in case you care!

Cookbook Corner: Nigella Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 13:00:00 +0000

In our family, there are several absolutes. When it comes to cookbooks, if there's a new book out by Ina Garten, our mom absolutely must have it. It there's something from Madhur Jaffrey, it's a safe bet for Greta. For me, whenever there's a new book from Nigella Lawson, I'm probably going to get my paws on it. My husband understands this, so I was not surprised when he gave me Nigella Kitchen: Recipes for the Heart and Home for Christmas.

This book, like most books from Lawson, begs to be read. You really need to give yourself time to sit down and enjoy Nigella's overly word, conversational style. She not only gives you recipes, she also gives you plenty of ideas and thoughts about food, cooking and life.

What to Expect: This book is divided up into several different parts, as follows:

Part I: Kitchen Quandaries (chapters include recipes for every day cooking; quick cooking; easy to make meals; and pantry suppers).
Part II: Kitchen Comforts (chapters include chicken recipes; meals that require more time and effort; and cozy dinners)

The book also includes Nigella's thoughts on kitchen equipment, tips and shortcuts.

I really like this cookbook--there are plenty of pretty pictures and recipes that I want to try or that might inspire me to make something I wouldn't have.

Best Recipes: Here are my top five:

Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (pg. 44)
African Drumsticks (pg. 46)
Speedy Scallopine with Rapid Roastini (pg. 68)
Buttermilk Scones (pg. 283)
Raspberry Almond Bars (pg. 298)

I've already made two recipes from this book (Peanut Butter Hummus and Chocolate Banana Muffins)--both of which will appear on the blog later this week!

Complaints: As much as I like this book, I don't think it's her best (How to Eat and How to be a Domestic Goddess are both killer books!). My biggest complaints are:

Organization of recipes: Instead of all the baking recipes being in one area, they're dispersed throughout the book--as are all the recipes. If you want a specific chicken recipe, you better use the index at the back to find it!
The book itself is large and it doesn't like to lie flat open. I need to pull a can out of my pantry to act as a weight to keep the book from flopping closed.

Deliciousness scale: 4 spoonfuls of yum out of 5.

Details: This review is based on the 2010 edition of Nigella Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home; ISBN 978-1401323950

Cookbook Corner: The Essential New York Times Cookbook

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Every year, I always ask for, hope for, and receive, at least two new cookbooks for Christmas. One of my favorite Christmas moments is sitting in front of the tree and the crumbled up pile of wrapping paper, flipping through my new cookbooks. This year, my husband spoiled me with three new books and I've been devouring them all ever since. I'll tell you about the other two soon enough, but today it's all about The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Classic Recipes for a New Century by Amanda Hesser.

This book is massive. It's the kind of book that, like the Joy of Cooking or our family-favorite Southern Living Cookbook, will surely become a go-to reference for me when I'm searching for the best way to make a well-known dish. Some books you get for their inspiration through innovation and originality, others...like this one...provide inspiration based on tradition. The recipes in this book may not be groundbreaking, but they're sturdy, thoughtful, and they beg to be made.

What to expect: A whole freaking lot of recipes (no, that's not a technical term!). The book contains tons of recipes, with chapters ranging from Drinks, Cocktails, Punches and Glog, Sandwiches, and Pizzas, and Savory Pies, to Poultry and Game, to Pies, Tarts, and Other Desserts, and everything in between. This is a big book that requires the owner to sit down and read it. Sure, you could flip to the back of the index to look up a particular recipe, but if you want a big book all about cooking, take the time to read the book and enjoy it. No, I am not saying you need to read every chapter and every word, but spending time visiting with this book is time well spent.

Best recipes: This book weighs in at 4 pounds 9 ounces according to my kitchen scale (yes, I did weigh it!) and it contains more than 1,400 recipes. It's made up of all the best recipes from the past 150 years that have appeared in the New York Times. There are some interesting recipes in here--ones that I would never make and others that I can't wait to try out. I've only gone through this book twice (and have listed several dozen recipes I'm dying to make), but here are my top 5 so far:

Spicy, Lemony Clams with Pasta (pg. 336)
Crab Cakes, Baltimore Style (pg. 407)
Chicken Canzanes (pg. 458)
Flemish Beef and Onion Stew (pg. 515)
Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew (pg. 561)

Complaints: This is not a complaint of mine, but some may miss photos. Others may find this book too large and overwhelming. I've read a complaint that Amanda Hesser provides too much commentary. I love commentary in a cookbook, so I don't give that complaint much merit. So far, my only complaints are this:

Recipes are not arranged in an orderly fashion. For example, in the fish and seafood chapter, recipes are arranged by type. Shrimp recipes are mixed with fish on the same page, then you'll go several pages without any fish recipes, then you're back to fish later in the chapter.
I haven't had enough time to sit down and really, really examine this book as much as I'd like. That's more a complaint about me, but I had to list something...right?

Deliciousness scale: 5 spoonfuls of yum out of 5.

Details: This review is based on the 2010 edition of The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Classic Recipes for a New Century by Amanda Hesser; ISBN 0393061035

Easy Elegance

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Cream Puffs with Peppermint Ice Cream and Hot Fudge Sauce. Easy and yummy!

After serving up a meal like Boeuf Bourgignon for Christmas dinner, I knew I had to do something easy yet delicious for dessert. After much consideration, I decided on cream puffs filled with ice cream, bathed in rich hot chocolate sauce. Nothing wrong with that!

I first read through several recipes for pate a chou before consulting my mother. I remember my mother making cream puffs (or profiteroles) when I was a kid, and I know my mom is not a fan of complex recipes. I thought I found a simple enough recipe from the Joy of Cooking, but Mom told me to get out my copy of the Southern Living Cookbook. The recipe she always used was from there and, she promised, it was a piece of cake.

I'm happy to report that I took my mom's sage advice. The Southern Living Cookbook recipe was perfection--it was easy to follow and yielded deliciously elegant results. If you need a fancy dessert that's easy to make, I highly recommend this one. And the best part is that you can do whatever you want with the cream puffs once they're cooked. They can be used for savory or sweet dishes, and the only limit to fillings and pastry shapes is your imagination.

Try this one out...it's a breeze. And, you can make it ahead of time and stick it in the freezer. Nice!

Cream Puffs, fresh out of the oven...cooling off.

CREAM PUFF PASTRY

2/3 cup water
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
3 eggs

Combine water and butter in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil.
Add flour and salt, all at once, stirring vigorously over medium-high heat until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a smooth ball.
Remove from heat and cool 4 to 5 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly with a wooden spoon after each addition; then beat until the dough is smooth.
Shape and bake pastry immediately according to recipe directions. Dough can be used for cream puffs, eclairs, etc.
To make cream puffs: drop pastry into 8 equal mounds 3 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet (note: I lined my baking sheet with parchment paper). Bale at 400 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and puffed. Cool away from drafts. Cut top off of puffs and scoop and discard out the soft, uncooked dough in the center. Add ice cream and top with hot fudge sauce.

Christmas Dinner, Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Right before we took our holiday break, I mention that I was planning on making Julia Child's Boeuf Bourgignon for my family for Christmas dinner. I am happy to report that I completed the meal...and that it was freaking awesome.

I'm not going to reprint Julia's recipe...you can find in on the Internet if you are crafty (or find it in Julia's book, if you own it)...but I'll show you all the steps involved. Nothing like looking at pictures of cooking in action to inspire the appetite!

First, I took some time to read (and re-read) Julia's recipe. I also searched around to see how others make this famous dish. I made a few adjustments to the original recipe...using normal bacon instead of a 6 oz. uncut chunk of the stuff as called for (I didn't have time to run around trying to find what Julia said I should use and opted for convenience over authenticity. I don't think my final dish suffered for this.) When I knew what needed to be done, I got all my ingredients ready to go.

Is there anything more lovely than mise en place?

I fried up the bacon then browned stew meat in the rendered bacon fat. By the way, bacon fat is the best...is it not?

Next came veggies.

The meat went back into the Dutch oven, along with the cooked bacon and all the residual juices. Also added were herbs, tomato paste, salt, pepper, garlic and flour.

The whole thing went into a hot oven for a few minutes. Then I added cognac (not called for in Julia's recipe, but mentioned in others) that was lit aflame. Once the blue flicker of alcohol-laden flame died out, I added a bottle of French red wine and beef broth. The Dutch oven went back into the oven to allow for constant heat to work its magic.

At this point, I cooked mushrooms in butter--a combination that made my fungus-loving husband drool. I also braised pearl onions in butter and homemade chicken stock.

When the meat was tender, the Dutch oven came out of the oven. The stew was strained and I mixed the fork-tender beef with the buttered mushrooms and brothy onions.

The strained wine sauce simmered and reduced down before being added back to the beef and veggies, and the meal was ready for consumption.

I served the Boeuf Bourgignon over buttered egg noodles with a salad and crunchy French bread. It was a hit. It was the kind of meal that warms you up and leaves you fully sated. And it's going in my "keeper" list. If you want to make this, don't be intimidated. It's not as difficult as you might think, and you'll be rewarded for your efforts with tender beef, succulent veggies, and a broth to die for. Now I'm getting hungry all over again!

(Thanks to my husband for taking photos while I cooked. His fee? A few buttery mushrooms and several tastes of beef!)

Happy 2011!

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 13:00:00 +0000

The holiday season is now nothing more than a memory, and we're gearing up to plow through 2011. We hope you all spent time with your loved ones, celebrating the end of another year. My sister and I have been insanely busy, and days have seemed to slide by, overlapping. I feel like all I've done these past two weeks is eat. And eat well, I might add.

We have much to tell you about. At Christmas, we both got awesome new cookbooks we'll review. I spent more time in the kitchen than I have in ages, and have a number of recipes to share with you. In other words: bare with us. We're getting our thoughts in order and will have proper posts up in no time.

Until our next post, we're wish you all a happy, healthy, and delicious 2011!

Christmas Menu

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Happy almost Christmas! Sorry we've been inconsistent bloggers lately...'tis the season for being way too busy, I suppose.

I'm not sure if we'll have time to write between now and Christmas, so I wanted to just say thanks to everyone for swinging by our blog the past 1+ year. We love your comments!

What are you doing for Christmas dinner this year? I'll be making dinner for the whole family Christmas night. I'm serving Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon with a nice salad and plenty of crusty bread. For dessert, I'm making profiteroles with either Peppermint or French Vanilla ice cream (and a healthy glop of hot fudge sauce for good measure). I'll report back with photos and reviews after the holiday.

Happy Holidays to you and yours. We hope you get everything you want!

Stove Top Chicken Casserole

noreply@blogger.com (Greta) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0000

What to cook for dinner tonight? This is a question that I run into often. Followed by, what do I have on hand and what can I throw together and still be yummy? In answer to these questions, I look to the freezer (to see what type of meat I have on hand) and to the pantry (to see what canned/boxed goods are available). Throughout the years, there has been a staple that is usually handy, tasty, and a crowd pleaser - Stove Top Stuffing!

I use the Stove Top Stuffing to top casseroles and also add some seasoning to dishes. The nice thing about this casserole is that you really can make it with whatever you have available. The basics are Stove Top Stuffing, butter/margarine, cream of mushroom (or any cream of soup), meat/vegetables, cheese (if you please), and liquid (wine, water or broth). The following is a very loose recipe for the dish. Feel free to add/subtract whatever you like!

Stove Top Chicken Casserole

4 chicken breasts, boned and cut into chuncks

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup Marsala wine (or chicken broth, or white wine, or water)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

12 mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup frozen corn

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 box Chicken flavored Stove Top Stuffing (I prefer low sodium)

10-12 pats of butter

In a large pot, heat some cooking oil (~ 1 tablespoon) over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onions and chicken and cook unitl the chicken is no longer pink; season with salt & pepper. Turn down the heat to simmer-low and add the wine. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the soup and vegetables; mix well. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Transfer the meat mixture to a greased casserole dish. Top with cheese. Add the stuffing over the cheese and finally top with butter (place the butter evenly all over the top of the stuffing). Place casserole in preheated oven and cook until bubbly (about 30-40 minutes). Remove from oven, let stand for 5 minutes and serve with a salad.

Taming the Chaos

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Right before Thanksgiving break, I finally decided to break down and clean out my pantry. My pantry had been bugging me for ages, but with the huge cooking task of turkey dinner looming, I decided enough was enough and cleaned up my act.

Here are a few shots of how my pantry looks now:

To get my pantry looking like this, I had to do a lot of work. I...

Took out every single thing in my pantry.
Sorted things into three categories: keep, toss, or donate.
Moved all the keep items onto my dining room table to be dealt with later.
Emptied out and recycled what I could from the toss pile. We ended up with about 3+ bags of trash thanks to my pantry clean out!
Bagged up my donation items and searched for places to donate.
Cleaned out every shelf.
Lined each shelf.
Reorganized where my keepers would go.

I can't believe how much crap I had in my pantry. There were opened bags of cookies, cans that expired in 2007(!?!), and things I don't remember buying shoved into the murky depths of my too-deep pantry. It amazing how many boxes of pasta and cans of refried beans I have stashed away...and I have no idea what that says about me as a person.

I used to have all my canned goods on the top shelf, but have now come to the realization that that was madness. Canned goods are now lower, just below eye-level so I can better see what's in there. Pasta and grains have been moved to the top, with baking goods just below them followed by canned goods, then snacks, then cookies, then miscellaneous junk that has no better place to go.

I'm hoping to keep the pantry organized, but we'll see how long it lasts. Pantries can be scary places, but for now, I'm happy that I've tamed the chaos!

Hearty Vegetable Soup - Something To Warm You Up

noreply@blogger.com (Greta) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Growing up, my Mom has a very beloved cookbook - McCall's Cookbook - it is old and tattered and pages are dogeared and ready to fall out. The spine has disintegrated, but my Mom goes back to it all the time. One of her recipes that I really enjoy is in the Low Calorie section, but it is full of vegetables and flavor and I absolutely love it. It is for Hearty Vegetable Soup - it is so good this time of year after being out in the cold and I love it with some good crusty bread. Here is the recipe from McCall's.

Hearty Vegetable Soup

2 lb shin beef

large soupbone

1 tablespoon salt

4 cups thinly sliced cabbage (1 lb)

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

6 carrots, pared and cut in 3-inch pieces

3/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 can (1 lb 12 oz) tomatoes, undrained

1/2 pkg (10 oz size) frozen lima beans

1/2 pkg (9 oz size) frozen cut green beans

1/2 pkg (10 oz size) frozen peas

1 can (12 oz) whole-kernel corn, drained

1 pared potato, cubed

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Place beef, soupbone, salt, and 4 quarts water in very large kettle. Cover; bring to boiling. Skim surface.

Add cabbage, onion,carrots, celery, green pepper, and tomatoes.

Bring to boiling; simmer, covered, 30 minutes.

Add other ingredients; simmer, covered 3 1/2 hours.

Remove meat and bone; discard bone.

Let meat cool. Cut into cubes; add to soup. Refrigerate several hours.

Just before serving soup, skim fat from surface. Slowly heat soup to boiling. Store leftover soup, covered, in refrigerator.

So when my Mom makes this, she does not add the green pepper (thankfully); my Dad and I are not a fan of peppers. Also, I think that she uses stew meat that has already been cubed. The other nice thing about this soup is that the longer it cooks, the more delicious it gets - it also freezes well!

Fancy Comfort Food

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Lately my husband and I have been spending our weekends in. It's been so nice to hang around the house with no real need to adhere to an agenda. Time at home has also afforded me with ample opportunity to cook. I've made a few big dishes lately, but one of my favorites has been Coq Au Vin...chicken in wine.

My mother used to make Coq Au Vin when I was a little kid. I liked it so much that I had her make it for my birthday dinner one year. It's a meal that I have great memories of, though I haven't had it in years. After picking up a decent (but not exceptional) frozen Coq Au Vin from Trader Joe's, I decided to break down and make it myself.

I'm so glad I did!

The final product turned out better than my memories. The chicken was tender and flavorful, the sauce was thick and perfect, and the mushrooms and onions rounded things out nicely. I served my Coq Au Vin over hot, buttered egg noodles with a salad and (of course!) crunchy French bread.

After reading both Julia Child's recipe and the recipe in The Joy of Cooking, I went with the later. Both recipes were very similar, but The Joy of Cooking won out because I wanted more onions and carrots. There are a million ways to make Coq Au Vin, and there are a number of wines you can use (I may try this with a Riesling in the springtime for a lighter dish), but The Joy of Cooking recipe was easy to follow and didn't require hours upon hours of cooking. Since everyone has (or should have!) a copy of The Joy of Cooking, I'm not going to type out the recipe. Just flip open your book and get cooking! Here's what mine looked like in the end:

If you make this (and you should!) let me know how it went!

Thanksgiving Success!

noreply@blogger.com (Lydia) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:00:00 +0000

I survived making my very first Thanksgiving dinner for my family! Here are some highlight's from last week's feast:

My 13 pound turkey was yummy! I followed an easy recipe from Ina Garten and--though the cooking time was more like 3 hours, not 2 1/2 like Ina said--the turkey turned out great. No brining or basting required!

My husband and father carved up the bird using the handy dandy electric knife. I really prefer the thick chunks of breast meat to the traditional thin slices. The meat seemed more moist, stayed warmer, and felt more substantial.

I went 2 for 3 with my side dishes.

The classic green bean casserole (yes, from Campbell's!) was predictable but good (the Mister loves this dish!). There's something so wrong and wonderful about those damn French Fried onions!

The stuffing was AMAZING. I've never made stuffing before, so I just threw everything in and hoped for the best. I wanted to appease the people who like "inside the bird" stuffing (because I did not stuff my bird when I cooked it) and those of us who prefer outside the bird stuffing. I think my stuffing was a satisfying mix of moist and crunchy goodness. (My "recipe" is at the end of this post.)

The smashed sweet potato casserole was a flop. The recipe was also from Ina, the rare TV cook that usually has good cooking ideas...but this one was a miss. My husband was the only one who liked it. It was too nutmeg-y for me and Greta said it reminded her of soap. Yup...that's a FAIL. If I were to try this again, I'd steer clear of the stupid nutmeg. Lesson learned!

The other sides for the night were easy: a can of cranberry sauce (yes, a can! We love the open and slice approach to cranberry goodness), sauerkraut (it's not Thanksgiving without it!), and gravy. Mom helped me out with the gravy, and it turned out delicious as always.

Desserts were also kick ass! Greta made pumpkin pie (with a little help from Mom, who makes the world's best pie crust), I made Chocolate Guinness Cake (a cake I'm inexplicably sick of), and I also had some mincemeat tarts from Cost Plus World Market.

Overall it was a very good meal and a happy Thanksgiving. Oh, and before I forget, here's how I made my stuffing. I didn't really have a single recipe that I followed, but it turned out super yummy. From reading many different stuffing recipes, I figured out that the most important thing was to make sure my stuffing had a lot of moisture. I'm currently doing the Weight Watchers program, and I don't usually eat this much rich yumminess, but it's Thanksgiving...why not break out multiple sticks of butter? This is not a recipe for calorie counters, but so be it.

Lydia's "How the Hell Do You Make Stuffing?" Stuffing

1 pound breakfast sausage (I used the unseasoned "original" kind from Jimmy Dean because Greta hates sage. Use whatever you want! Even Italian sausage would work here.)
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
8 oz. sliced crimini mushrooms
14 oz. package of cubed stuffing (I used Safeway brand because I'm cheap. I also opted for the unseasoned variety because of the sage-hater. If you have homemade bread cubes, use that)
fresh parsley, chopped (to taste--I probably used 1/4 cup or so)
To taste:

Kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
Dried thyme
Dried marjoram
Dried rosemary

2 1/2 to 3 cups chicken stock (I used my homemade stock)
1/2 cup melted butter

Brown sausage in a hot pan, breaking it up into small pieces. When cooked through, place sausage on paper towel lined plate to drain a bit. Pour out excess grease from the pan.

In the same pan, melt 1/2 stick of butter over medium high heat. Add the celery, onion and garlic. Cook a few minutes then add the mushrooms. Cook and stir well to get all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan up and mixed into the veggies. Add a few pinches of salt and pepper to this mixture and cook until veggies are soft.

In a large bowl, combine cooked sausage and cooked veggies. Stir well to mix. Add cubed bread to the bowl and toss well to combine. Add parsley and seasonings, stirring well. (I spent a lot of time stirring and adding to make sure the entire mixture was well seasoned.) Pour in chicken stock and stir to moisten. Place mixed stuffing in a large casserole dish sprayed with Pam.

You can either cook the stuffing right away or put it in the fridge and let it sit overnight, to be cooked the next day. Before you put the stuffing in the oven, pour the melted butter over the top of the casserole. Bake at 350 until heated through...about 45 minutes or so.