Jenessa's Dinners

Stone Fruit Frangipane Tart

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Wed, 24 May 2017 18:39:00 +0000

stone fruit // frangipane tart

It's been a really long time before I baked anything besides a mug cake. (I have become really good at mug cakes.) But after binge watching all available seasons of the Great British Bake Off and now moving on to Masterclass, it's about time I dusted off the old baking pans (actually, I didn't have a tart pan and had to go buy this one).

Mother's Day was as good an excuse as any to come out of baking retirement and go right for a multi-step recipe that requires a free afternoon. Yet, aside from needing to pause, chill, and wait between making the pie crust, frangipane filling, and poached stone fruits, this recipe isn't nearly as difficult as it is time consuming. If you have the time, it is well worth it.

The basic recipe is a frangipane tart, which is some sort of magical combination of an almond cake and eggy custard. Once you learn the crust and frangipane filling, you can tinker with the fruit to make any delicious combination you want. This original recipe called for both apricot filling and fresh apricots on top, but I swapped them for peaches due to availability on my first go. I then baked it again a week later using a combination of apricots and berries. Any stone fruit (peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums...) would taste great with the almond and apricot filling.

The only equipment you absolutely need to make this tart is a 11-12" tart pan with removable bottom. A food processor is helpful, but my cheap little ninja chopper worked just fine for both the tart crust and filling. Either can be done by hand with minimal muscle. I will say, however, that I have become a big fan of using a little kitchen scale for baking (especially since the original recipe is from the BBC). So much less measuring and washing! What took me so long?

This is definitely an impressive tart to look at, a real reward for brushing up on some basic baking skills.

pastry crust:
(for an 11" tart pan with removable bottom)

2 cups flour
7 tbsp butter
3 1/2 tbsp caster sugar (although granulated will work)
1 egg

frangipane filling:

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup caster sugar (recommended over granulated)
4 eggs
2 cups almond flour
1 tsp almond extract
7 oz apricot jam

stone fruit topping:

5-10 ripe stone fruit (depending on if you want to cover the entire surface of the tart)
4 tbsp apricot jam
4 eggs
flaked almonds
fresh berries (optional)

process:

Preheat oven to 375 F.
For the pastry: in a food processor (or by hand) mix the butter and flour just until a breadcrumb consistency forms. Blend in the sugar, then the egg with a tablespoon of water. Mix until crust just comes together (you can work it a bit by hand to bring together any lose flour). Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and chill for 20 minutes.
While the pastry dough chills, prep the peaches/apricots: For peaches: Drop them into a large pot of boiling water for 10 seconds to poach them briefly. Submerge in a ice water bath, then easily peel the skins. Halve and pit each (try to keep the halves as complete and pretty as possible). If using apricots, no need to peel, so this first poaching can be skipped. Just halve and pit. In a smaller pan, bring 1/4 sugar and 1/2 cup water just to a boil. Remove from heat and add the peach halves. Set aside and allow peaches to poach.
Once pastry dough is chilled, roll it out on a floured surface until just large enough for your tart pan. Slip the removable bottom of the pan beneath the pastry, folding it in and easily dropping it into the tin. Press against all sides and trim off the edges. Don't worry about small breaks, just use the extra pastry to patch them. Prick the bottom evenly with a fork, and chill again for 10 minutes.
Line the pastry with parchment and fill with uncooked rice/dried beans/lentils/ceramic baking beans. Blind bake the crust for about 15 minutes, or until edges are pale brown. Remove parchment and filler and bake for a few more minutes until fully cooked and golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Make the frangipane filling: Cream the butter and sugar in a food processor until smooth. Add the eggs, blend well, then add the almond flour and extract.
To fill crust: spread a thin layer of apricot jam across the bottom of the baked pastry crust (make sure to leave 4 tablespoons for the topping). Add spoonfuls of frangipane to the top, then smooth the surface. Bake 30-40 minutes until filling is fully set and dark golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool almost to room temperature.
Absorbing any excess syrup first, arrange the peach halves or apricots on top of the tart. Gently warm the remaining 4 tablespoons of apricot jam to brush over the surface (pressing it through a sieve first for the cleanest look). Sprinkle with sliced almonds.

pastry (1):
in a food processor (or by hand) mix the butter and flour just until a breadcrumb consistency forms. Blend in the sugar, then the egg with a tablespoon of water. Mix until crust just comes together (you can work it a bit by hand to bring together any lose flour). Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and chill for 20 minutes.

stone fruit topping:
For peaches, or any fruit that needs to be peeled, drop them into a large pot of boiling water for 10 seconds to poach them briefly. Submerge in a ice water bath, then easily peel the skins. Halve and pit each (try to keep the halves as complete and pretty as possible). If using apricots, nectarines, or plums, no need to peel, so this first poaching can be skipped. Just halve and pit. In a smaller pan, bring 1/4 sugar and 1/2 cup water just to a boil. Remove from heat and add the peach halves. Set aside and allow peaches to poach.

pastry (2):
Once pastry dough is chilled, roll it out on a floured surface until just large enough for your tart pan. Slip the removable bottom of the pan beneath the pastry, folding it in and easily dropping it into the tin. Press against all sides and trim off the edges. Don't worry about small breaks, just use the extra pastry to patch them. Prick the bottom evenly with a fork, and chill again for 10 minutes.

blind bake:
Line the pastry with parchment and fill with uncooked rice/dried beans/lentils/ceramic baking beans. Blind bake the crust for about 15 minutes, or until edges are pale brown. Remove parchment and filler and bake for a few more minutes until fully cooked and golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

frangipane filling:
Make the frangipane filling: Cream the butter and sugar in a food processor until smooth.
Add the eggs, blend well, then add the almond flour and extract.

fill pastry:
Spread a thin layer of apricot jam across the bottom of the baked pastry crust (make sure to leave 4 tablespoons for the topping). Add spoonfuls of frangipane to the top, then smooth the surface. Bake 30-40 minutes until filling is fully set and dark golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool almost to room temperature.

finish:
Absorbing any excess syrup first, arrange the stone fruit on top of the tart, either in halves or slices. Add any additional fruit, like fresh berries. Gently warm the remaining 4 tablespoons of apricot jam to brush over the surface (pressing it through a sieve first for the cleanest look). Sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Honey Roasted Fig and Walnut Noodle Kugel

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Sun, 13 Sep 2015 22:45:00 +0000

honey roasted FIG & WALNUT noodle kugel // a jewish fall casserole

It's been a bit over 6 months since my last post, so I figured that the new year would be a good excuse to try this out again. I've completely forgotten all my HTML coding tricks, and haven't touched a real camera or edited photos in forever, but copying and pasting should do for now.

Lucky for me I have a long weekend off work for Rosh Hashanah, so with a bit of extra time on my hands I tried out another new spin on sweet noodle kugel. Check out previous years' Pumpkin Spice Noodle Kugel or Apple Spice Noodle Kugel if you want some other fun twists. Since my Aunt Bean's original noodle kugel recipe is very sweet and cheesy, adding honey-roasted figs and walnuts seemed like a pretty fitting way to add a new twist for 5776. Of course, goat cheese is a classic fig/walnut/honey combination, but the dish is simply rich enough already with two cheeses and egg custard. But go ahead and give it a whirl if you love goat cheese.

As with previous years, I'll warn you once again that the base recipe (everything minus the figs & walnuts) of this kugel is already pretty non-traditional. It's very sweet and cheesy, and could easily be mistaken for a dessert casserole. Of course, the point is to ring in a sweet new year. Basically, it will ruin all other kugels you may be more accustomed to since it is so amazing.

The last 6 months have been busy ones, but I'll spare you all the stories about summer travels and new school years for some later posts (hopefully). I'm looking forward to trying and sharing lots of Colombian dishes!

Main Ingredients:
(makes a 3 qt, or 9.25x13.25" glass baking dish)

1 lb. extra wide egg noodles
4 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
pinch of allspice
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 lb. butter, melted
1 cup milk
8 oz. cream cheese
1 lb. sliced American cheese

Honey Roasted Figs & Walnuts:

20 ripe fresh whole purple figs
1.5 tbsp. olive oil
1/2-3/4 cup chopped walnuts
4 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. butter

Graham Cracker Topping:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Process:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil & cook the egg noodles until al dente. When done, drain well and set aside to cool a bit.
While the noodles cook, trim the stems off the figs, toss in olive oil with walnuts, and place on a lined baking sheet. Arrange stem side up, cut a cross in each nearly to the bottom, drizzle with honey, and top each with a small piece of butter. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes until they fully open and the walnuts are caramelized.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, and spices together until smooth. Then whisk in the melted butter and milk to finish the custard filling. When the noodles are cool enough to add without cooking the egg, do so, and set aside.
In a smaller bowl, mix the graham cracker topping ingredients together with a fork to form a loose meal.
Butter the surface of your baking dish and turn the heat in the oven down to 350 degrees.
Layer the kugel in the following order: half the noodle/custard mixture, evenly spaced dots of cream cheese, half the figs & walnuts, a layer of American cheese, and 1/3 of the graham cracker topping. Repeat for a second layer using the remaining noodles, cream cheese, figs & walnuts, American cheese, and a thick layer of graham cracker topping. Press to fit it all in there nice and compact.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cracking.
When done, cool completely to set the custard (even better if you can refrigerate it overnight). Reheat in the oven just prior to serving.

For the visual learners:

Fig Orange Mustard Roast Chicken and Winter Vegetables

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Sat, 24 Jan 2015 19:56:00 +0000

fig-orange-mustard ROAST CHICKEN // winter herbed vegetables

To her frustration, most years I have no idea what to tell my mother to get me for Christmas. I'm not an easy person to shop for, nor am I good at faking excitement when gifted things I'm not actually excited about. But this year I told my mom exactly what I wanted - Mimi Thorisson's A Kitchen in France.

I don't own any cookbooks, and considering the free access to Mimi's incredible blog, asking for A Kitchen in France was more or less because I wanted the beautiful object, and I also wanted to support Ms. Thorisson (she doesn't need it). As I expected, the photography is beautiful and many of the recipes pretty inaccessible to Americans without some visits to speciality food shops and butchers. But, she had a few roasted whole chickens that inspired me to roast one myself. No, this isn't a recipe from my first-ever cookbook, but does combine flavors that I rightly or wrongly associate with France - herbs, mustards, and jams.

I mean, combining fig jam, mustard, and orange zest to rub on some meat before roasting is going to be good. Try it to roast just chicken breasts, turkey, or pork (or even a whole salami for a delicious appetizer), and you'll be pleased. If you want a crispier, richer skin, rub the chicken with softened butter first, then add the layer of jam-mustard. If fig jam is hard to come by (check the cheese section of your grocery store before giving up), apricot jam would probably make a fine substitute (but sweeter). As for the vegetables, any hearty winter variety will work. I used a mix of fingerling, baby red, and purple potatoes, brussels sprouts, turnips, and carrots, but parsnips, squash, and cauliflower would be just as good as side dish.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (mine was 5 1/4 lbs.)
1/4 cup whole grain mustard
1/4 cup fig jam (apricot jam is a good substitute)
zest of 1/2 orange
1/2 tsp. salt

For the Roasted Vegetables:

2 turnips
4-5 small carrots
1 red onion
2 lbs. small potatoes
1 lb. (or about 10-15) brussels sprouts
6 whole gloves of garlic
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
zest of 1/2 orange
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tbsp. salt
1/2 tbsp. black pepper

Process:

Preheat the oven to 415 degrees.
Wash and cut up all the vegetables to a similar size (about 1" pieces). Toss in a large bowl with olive oil, herb sprigs, garlic cloves, orange zest, salt, and pepper.
Wash the chicken and dry well. Remove any contents from the inner cavity (you can roast the neck, if you want). Make sure the inner cavity is dry, as well.
Mix together the mustard, jam, orange zest, and salt for the poultry rub. Coat the chicken evenly, including the inner cavity.
Arrange the chicken in the center of an aluminum foil-lined baking pan, with some vegetables and herbs scattered around. You may want to cover the ends of the legs and tips of the wings with aluminum foil so they don't burn (this is also a good substitute for trussing the chicken). Don't crowd in the vegetables, otherwise they won't brown. Remaining vegetables can be roasted on a second baking pan.
Roast for 15 minutes at 415 degrees, then drop the temperature to 375. The general rule is to roast the chicken 20 minutes for each pound, but make sure the internal temperature is 165 degrees and juices run clear. If the skin browns enough prior to doneness, cover the chicken with aluminum foil to prevent burning. Expect the second pan of vegetables to finish sooner.

Seafood Fideos

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Sat, 03 Jan 2015 21:33:00 +0000

SEAFOOD FIDEOS // smoky shellfish soup

Happy New Year, everyone. I hope 2015 brings some new adventures to your life, and to your kitchen. If you're looking for a bit of culinary experimentation with some potentially unfamiliar ingredients, here's a seafood dish you might try. Personally, this was my first time procuring and cooking clams and mussels at home, and I found it pretty brainless and delicious.

If you generally like shellfish and seafood, you're going to love fideos. I think most versions of the recipe you'll find online mimic Spanish paella - cooking seafood and rice in a flavorful broth until it gets completely absorbed and the shellfish steam open. Fideos more or less replaces rice with a pasta (called "fideos"), but angel hair works just fine. You'll see that this recipe is also modified to get more of a soup at the end, but you could easily increase the amount of pasta or decrease the amount of stock for a more traditional outcome.

While the dish isn't that complicated to make, it really does depend on a few fancy ingredients of good quality. It took a trip to the fancy grocery store (a.ka. Whole Foods) to make sure I got good bacon, sausage, and seafood. Of course, saffron doesn't come cheap, either. While you obviously want the seafood to be as fresh as possible, the smokier your bacon and chorizo are, the better layers of flavor you're going to get when all is said and done. That smokiness, and the richness of the saffron, are the real backbone of the dish. So, while I used a traditional mix of clams, mussels, shrimp, and cod, you can choose whatever shellfish and firm white fish you want (or eliminate anything you don't want). Ideally, you buy the shellfish the day of, and keep it on ice until use, but I don't see why you couldn't make the broth ahead of time and return it to the stove to cook the seafood when you want it served.

Fideos is easy to make in large quantities with the right sized pot, so this is a great recipe for your next nice dinner party or date-night in. It's pretty healthy, too. And don't be worried about having leftovers, I found it reheated very nicely to finish the following day.

Ingredients (makes 4 large servings):

2 thick slices (~ 2 oz) smoked bacon, roughly chopped
8 oz angel hair pasta, broken into 2-inch pieces
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 tbsp. salt
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 cup white wine
1 small can (15 oz) chopped tomato, drained
4 oz chorizo sausage, roughly chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. cumin
6 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1/4-1/2 tsp. saffron (depending on how fancy you feel)
8 oz fresh cod filet, cut into four portions
16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
16 little neck clams
24 (~ 1.5 lbs) fresh mussels
juice of 1 lemon
additional salt to taste
chopped parsley for garnish

Process:

In a large pot or dutch oven, sear the bacon over medium-high heat until crispy.
Add the broken pasta to toast, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes until noodles brown.
Add the onion, poblano, and salt. Cook 3-4 minutes to sweat the vegetables.
Then add the garlic, and right when you can smell it (about 30 seconds later) add the white wine. Bring to a simmer.
When the wine is cooked off, add the chorizo, tomato, and spices. Return to a simmer.
Add stock and saffron. Return to a simmer once again. Taste the broth for seasoning, adding more salt, if needed.
Cook the seafood in the stock in stages. Start by adding the cod, and let that cook on its own for three minutes. Then add the clams and mussels. Cover and cook for five minutes. Finally add the shrimp. Cover and cook for a few more minutes until the clams and mussels have all opened.
Season with any salt needed, and the lemon juice. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Fresh Cheese and Tartines

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 01:24:00 +0000

homemade FRESH CHEESE // fresh cheese TARTINES

Since the last post, I've been eating soft farmer's cheese every morning with a toasted English muffin and apricot jam. It has been a real treat to wake up with, and now one of my favorite ingredients, in general.

I didn't realize when I attempted to make cheese for the first time - this firmer, pressed cheese photographed - I'd also be learning how to make spreadable farmer's cheese along the way. My intent was to learn how to make Indian paneer, the firm cubed cheese you'd find in dishes like saag paneer, but along the way I realized how simple basic cheese-making can be. If you love cheese, and you have the time to experiment, this basic recipe can really take you in many cheesy directions. You can follow all the steps below to get a fresh, but firm, pressed cheese that is like an Indian paneer or Mexican queso fresco, or you can stop after step four for a spreadable version (and reduce the salt a bit if you want it to pair well with fruit, honey, or jam). It's also pretty clear that you could add herbs, black pepper, or a number of other flavors to the curds to spice up the end result.

While fresh cheese-making is simple - just a matter of adding an acid to milk and bringing it to a temperature where the curds and whey separate - there are some rules I learned after my first failed attempt. Most importantly, don't let your milk heat too fast. Stir it constantly over medium-high heat until it comes to temperature, otherwise the bottom will scald and the curds and whey won't separate. While some recipes you might find will tell you to add your acidic element to the milk after it bubbling, for me this didn't work, and bringing all the ingredients to temperature at the same time was both easier and a success. Finally, if it is anything else than blatantly obvious that the curds and whey have separated in the pot, don't strain it yet. Only when you clearly see your pot is full of just curds and translucent whey, then you can strain.

The cheese you get with this recipe is super versatile, just very mild, a little tangy, and a little salty. In this case, it worked for both sweet and savory tartines, and was particularly good, texture-wise, with grilled French bread.

Ingredients:

2 quarts whole milk
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp. salt

Featured Tartines:

Cherry tomato & salt
Pomegranate & honey
Apricot jam & walnut

Process:

Mix all the ingredients in a large pot.
Over medium-high heat, slowly stir the pot for about 10 minutes, or until the curds and whey separate. Stir slowly and constantly throughout to avoid scalding the milk. It should bubble, but not boil, reaching a temperature of about 180 degrees.
Strain through a colander lined with a triple layer of cheesecloth. Let sit for five minutes while it drains and cools.
Collect the ends of the cheese cloth and twist, draining as much whey from the cheese as possible. (You now have spreadable cheese that can be served).
For firmer cheese, place the bundle between two plates, with a weight on top to continue to press and drain the cheese. Allow to sit for 30-40 minutes, and then transfer to the refrigerator to cool.
Remove from cheese cloth and store in the refrigerator in plastic wrap.

Step-by-Step Images:

Holiday Brussels Sprout Salad

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 03:36:00 +0000

shaved BRUSSELS SPROUT HOLIDAY salad
pomegranate // walnut // farmer's cheese // maple-mustard vinaigrette

Two weeks ago , Garrett and I celebrated our nine-year anniversary in the same fashion as the last six years, by going to Le Bouchon, my favorite French Bistro. I absolutely love the atmosphere of the place, as it generally feels more French than most joints in France. Meaning you're rubbing up against strangers and may at any moment cause the waiters to drop their trays on the parties packed between tables waiting for their own. Generally we order the same staples every time: onion soup and cassoulet along with whatever rotating appetizers and salads look good. We opted for the automne salad this time, and it was good enough to try and replicate at home.

The menu described it as "shaved brussels sprouts, fromage blanc, pomegranate, lemon-honey vinaigrette," but there were definitely some mystery ingredients in this hearty starter. Positively identifying both mint and walnuts, I also had a hunch the dressing included mustard...but I guess I'll never know. What I do know is that my homemade version is not exact, but still delicious. For one, I was out of honey and found maple syrup not only a tasty, but festive substitution for the holidays. Second, I had never encountered the type of "fromage blanc" nestled underneath the salad in any grocery, so went with the most mild and creamy cheese I could find, Lifeway Old Fashioned Probiotic Farmer Cheese. I am now completely obsessed with this farmer's cheese and love how it pairs so nicely with sweet honeys and jams (I spread it on my English Muffins with fig-orange jam every morning). It adds such a nice balance to this salad, as the mild richness counters the sweetness of the dressing and tang of the pomegranate.

In both its looks and taste, this salad would be wonderful for a holiday meal. Since I recommend dressing the salad ahead of time and letting the flavors mingle for hours, it would be easy to prepare and serve to guests. Dressed (and it should be well-dressed), it is even delicious and crisp after an overnight in the fridge.

Salad Ingredients (serves 4-5):

1 lb. (~ 4 cups) thinly sliced brussels sprouts
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves
seeds of 1 medium pomegranate
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup creamy farmers' cheese (or labneh)
salt and pepper to season

Dressing Ingredients:

juice of 1 fresh lemon
1 tbsp. whole grain mustard
3 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. maple syrup
1/4 tsp. of salt

Process:

Remove the bottoms of the brussels sprouts, then using a mandoline, processor, or good knife, thinly slice them.
For a trick on how to remove the seeds from a whole pomegranate, halve the fruit and while submerged in a bowl of water, separate the seeds from the membrane. Scoop the pieces of membrane from the water and drain the seeds.
Toss the sliced brussels sprouts in a large bowl with the pomegranate seeds, chopped mint, and walnuts.
In a separate bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing and toss with the salad. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve at room temperature with a heaping tablespoon of farmers' cheese on the side, or underneath.

Short Rib Boeuf Bourguignon Chili

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Sun, 16 Nov 2014 22:41:00 +0000

short rib BOEUF BOURGUIGNON chili // un ragoût TEX-MEXICAIN

Last weekend, I took part in my first ever chili cook-off. My first cooking competition ever, really. Garrett's the big chili maker between the two of us, but I quickly commandeered the process as soon as my wheels started turning in the direction of frenchifying the thing. This didn't start as a boeuf bourguignon fusion project, and, in fact, I've never tried to make boeuf bourguignon, so I had no frame of reference for the dish besides a general understanding that it was beef braised in alcohol. It was only after the fact that I realized by adding Tex-Mex ingredients to red wine braised beef we had concocted something Tex-Mexicaine.

So before I tell you more, let's start with a few honest confessions. First, the chili took second place. Tied for second place. As an excuse, the winning chili was a really well done, but traditional recipe and I think when the masses speak, they speak for tradition. Second, if you've never braised you ought to know it takes hours, so this is by no means your everyday chili. But if you take it to your next chili cook-off and get good results, please, let me know. Third, and again, if you've never braised before, prepare for the fat. You can really remove quite a bit of the fat at the end of the cooking process, but you're going to be dealing with a lot of it. And it's going to be delicious, as a result.

Back to the flavor, because despite those confessions I think this recipe is awesome and worth the effort. The base flavor is smoky, and it would be worth it to go to a good butcher to get thick cut smoked bacon (in other words, avoid the packaged bacon at the grocery store). In the next layer the red wine comes through, so make sure to use a French pinot noir (this does not need to be an expensive bottle, but does need to be French). Finally, right in at the top you get the Mexican ingredients - the poblano, jalapeño, and spices. Of course, the end result is rich with all that smoky winey-ness, so top it with freshly chopped onions and some cheese, but no need for sour cream.

If you have the time, patience, and wherewithal, give it a try and tell me what you think.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil
2 lbs. boneless short ribs (ask your butcher for the inner, boneless cut)
1/2 lb. thick cut smoked bacon, diced
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 poblano peppers, roasted and chopped
3 celery ribs, finely chopped
2 large carrots, finely chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 large jalapeño, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. dried mexican oregano
1 tbsp. mexican chili powder
1 tsp. coriander
1 cup french red wine (like pinot noir)
2 large cans (56 oz.) whole stewed tomatoes
2 cups stock (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
1 small can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small can of red beans, drained and rinsed
additional salt and pepper for seasoning
grated sharp cheddar and diced onions for garnish

Process:

Prep all your vegetables before you begin. Use a food processor to finely chop the onions, celery, and carrots separately. The garlic and jalapeño can be chopped together.
Roast the poblanos right on the grates of a gas stove top, or under the oven's broiler. Once blackened, cool and rinse of the skin under cold water. De-seed and chop, mix with the chopped onions.
Cut the slab of short ribs into 2-inch wide pieces, and season well with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large dutch oven or pot, and brown each side of the short ribs for about 3-4 minutes over high heat (until crispy and golden). Remove from pot and set aside.
Add the diced bacon to the pot and fry until crispy. Spoon out all but 1 tbsp. of the fat from the pot before adding the vegetables (I removed about 1/4 cup of fat!).
Now add the onions, poblanos, celery, and carrots to the pot. Season with 1 tbsp. salt and cook over medium heat until softened, about 7 minutes.
Add the garlic, jalapeños, bay leaves, and remaining spices to cook for an additional three minutes. Then add the red wine and simmer for another 3 minutes.
Crush the tomatoes up by hand before adding them, with the juice, to the pot. Bring the whole thing to a good simmer, and finally, add the short ribs back to the pot.
Bring the oven to 300 degrees, cover the pot and braise it in the oven for at least 3 hours. If the liquid seems to be reducing too quickly, add 1-2 cups of stock throughout the braising. You can also skim some of the fat from the top as it braises.
The braising is complete when the short ribs fall apart easily with a fork. Remove the meat from the tougher pieces of fat (which can be discarded). Stir in the beans and season with salt to finish.

Visual Guide:

Acorn Squash with Mexican Braised Chicken & Orzo Salad

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 01:54:00 +0000

roasted ACORN SQUASH // MEXICAN braised chicken & ORZO salad

I had a really poignant post in the works about the commercialization of fall and pumpkin spice lattes, etc., but I just deleted it all. I mean, it was good stuff about objectification that occurs in market-oriented capitalism, the state of "basic" white women, the substitution of things for nuanced emotions, and all that, but figured you probably just wanted the quick stuff about the food. It's been way over a year that I've been blogging recipes, and still haven't figured out what the hell to write in these little blurbs.

There's no real inspiration here besides, just, fall. I had an acorn squash around, because you see them in the store and you just have to buy one. You're not going to not put that in your cart. So I had one, I baked it, and I filled it with something hearty. It was tasty. It looks pretty, too. Enjoy.

Ingredients (makes two servings):

1 acorn squash
1/2 cup orzo
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup baby spinach, arugula, or both
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. brown sugar

Process:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half, removing the seeds and setting them aside for later use. Rub the inside of the squash with a 1/2 tbsp. of olive oil, salt, and roast on pan for about 30 minutes (or until meat is completely soft).
Cook the orzo in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside to cool. Stir in 1 tbsp. of olive oil to keep the orzo from clumping.
Combine the spices and salt and coat the chicken breast (this should leave about a tsp. of spice mix remaining). Heat the remaining 1/2 tbsp. of olive oil in a pot and sear the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add the sliced onion to the same pot, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic for another two minutes. Return the chicken to the pot and cover with the chicken stock. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
In the meantime, rinse the acorn seeds to remove the squash fibers, and toss in the remaining spices and brown sugar. Spread them out on an aluminum lined pan, and toast them on the upper rack of the oven for about 10 minutes.
When the chicken is cooked through, remove from the pot and pull the meat apart with a fork. Combine the shredded chicken, cooked onions, toasted acorn seeds, cilantro, and greens in a large bowl. Add salt to taste and serve inside the roasted squash.

For the visual learners:

Cheesy Apple Spice Noodle Kugel

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Mon, 06 Oct 2014 23:34:00 +0000

CHEESY APPLE SPICE noodle KUGEL // a jewish fall casserole

Better late than never. That's what they say. And, I guess, sometimes they're wrong.

In this case, they're very right.

The Jewish High Holidays may have come and gone, but there's always room for kugel on your Thanksgiving table, no matter your class or creed. My mission is to make kugel a seasonal dish for the masses, and I declare it "Kugel Season." (And it's kuh-guhl, not koogle). There's really no better way to celebrate the coming of the fall chill, and the dusting off of your post-holiday meal sweatpants. I believe last year I fully explained how nonsensical and genius this "casserole" is, but let's do a recap:

Mac & Cheese

Graham Cracker Crust Cheesecake

Amazing

It's math.

Add to that formula the classic fall favorite, spiced apples, and you're going to be the Einstein of your holiday feasting. If you're just jumping on the pumpkin spiced everything bandwagon, you can check out last year's modification: Pumpkin Spice Noodle Kugel. But, pumpkin spice is so 5774.

And, to be honest, I liked this apple spice version better than last year's pumpkin experiment. If you're into apple pies that feature cheese, you're going to be into this. Plus, I thought the apples did a great job of cutting the very rich and sweet cheesy noodle custard filling (whereas the pumpkin enhanced both). Another modification to last year - and to my Aunt Bean's original recipe - was to cut out the center layer of graham cracker crust. I did this completely by accident, immediately thinking "YOM DISASTER 5775 IS GOING TO BE AWFUL THIS IS WORSE THAN THE FACT THAT I'M NOT EVEN TRYING TO FAST" but really preferred the end result. It also cut back just a little on the immediate need for sweatpants after consuming.

May 5775 be the year of happy accidents, and many more kugels. But, truly, if you're new to the kugel concept, or if you're just not from the South or Midwest, don't be turned off by the prospects of making this ten-pound dish of guilty pleasure. Nothing rivals kugel, and you won't know it until you try it. The point is to celebrate the sweetness of life from time to time, especially on holidays with family and friends.

Main Ingredients:
(makes a 3 qt, or 9.25x13.25" glass baking dish)

1 lb. extra wide egg noodles
4 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
pinch of allspice
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 lb. butter, melted
1 cup milk
12 oz. cream cheese
1 lb. sliced American cheese

Spiced Apples:

3-4 medium apples, thinly sliced (a soft, sweet variety)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Graham Cracker Topping:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
4 tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Process:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the egg noodles until al dente. When done, drain well and set aside to cool a bit.
While the noodles cooks, core and thinly slice the apples. Toss in the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, and spices together until smooth. Then whisk in the melted butter and milk to finish the custard filling. When the noodles are cool enough to add without cooking the egg, do so, and set aside.
In a smaller bowl, mix the graham cracker topping ingredients together with a fork to form a loose meal.
Butter the surface of your baking dish and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Layer the kugel in the following order: half the noodle/custard mixture, evenly spaced dots of cream cheese, a layer of apple slices, a layer of American cheese slides, and a thin layer of the graham cracker topping (save most for a top crust). Repeat for a second layer using the remaining noodles, cream cheese, apples, and American cheese.
Cover the top of the kugel with a even layer of the remaining graham cracker crust, pressing down on the layers to compact the dish. The crust should be thick, completely covering the kugel.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and cracking.
When done, cool completely to set the custard (even better if you can refrigerate it overnight). Reheat in the oven just prior to serving.

For the visual learners:

Moroccan Braised Chicken with Apricots and Citrus Couscous

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Wed, 01 Oct 2014 02:05:00 +0000

MOROCCAN braised chicken with APRICOTS // ORANGE ZEST couscous

Each week I revisit my list of travel-inspired dishes I want to recreate to post on the blog with some witty/inspired story behind them. It includes Basque salted cod pintxos, Turkish simit, Peruvian lomo saltado, and French pork rillettes smeared across a tartine and topped with little gherkins, to name a few. The beautiful images of food are paired with even prettier pictures I dig off of my external hard drive, exporting all the readers to a different place and time (like 2009, or something) where life is always simple and food is always good.

And then I just make another Moroccan dish instead.

While I actually have been to Morocco (truly one of my favorite places and I break a little inside thinking I might never see it again), I never had a dish like this when I was there. But, instead of this being a dish tied to rosy memories of exotic locations, it's tied to one of those memories which triggers a visceral nose-scrunching embarrassment - the surprise party for my 30th birthday that I handled poorly, to say the least. While the birthday girl was not very gracious, the food was delicious and I'm glad I walked away with this recipe to make 6+ months later.

I guess Moroccan is a frequent go-to cuisine for me because it combines the hearty warmth of dishes like a Mexican posole or Thai noodle with the flavor profile of the Middle East. In general, anything that combines braising and warming spices is a win for me. In many ways this dish is perfect for fall in that it combines braised, tender meat with citrus and spices you might find in Western seasonal meals. It's also a quicker, less spice-intensive version of a North African tagine, and probably would be fantastic with the addition of Moroccan preserved lemons. If you've just been looking to take your side dish game up a notch, the orange zest couscous is a good one to add to your repertoire.

Braised Chicken Ingredients (makes 4-5 servings):

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (trimmed)
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
salt and pepper for seasoning
1 large onion, sliced
1 zucchini, diced
1 tbsp. freshly grated ginger
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cinnamon stick (2-3")
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup sliced green olives
1/2 cup dried apricots, thinly sliced
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro

Couscous Ingredients:

1.5 cups Middle Eastern or North African couscous
1.5-2 cups water (depending on couscous)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
zest of 1 orange
1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 tbsp. chopped mint
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. olive oil

Process:

Heat the olive oil in wide, deep pan over medium heat. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper then brown over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium, and cook the onions about 5 minutes, until soft and browned. Add the zucchini, ginger, garlic, cinnamon stick, cumin, and paprika. Cook about three minutes.
Add the stock, olives, and apricots to the pan and bring to a boil.
Return the chicken to the pan, reduce to a simmer, and cover for about 20 minutes (or until chicken is tender and cooked through).
While the chicken simmers, cook the couscous in boiling, salted water about ten minutes (or until water is fully absorbed). Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
Combine the couscous, scallions, orange zest, cilantro, and mint in a large bowl. Toss with lemon juice, olive oil, and any additional salt to taste.
Serve chicken over the couscous with additional cilantro and lemon juice as garnish.

Step-by-Step:

Heat the olive oil in wide, deep pan over medium heat. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper then brown over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium, and cook the onions about 5 minutes, until soft and browned. Add the zucchini, ginger, garlic, cinnamon stick, cumin, and paprika. Cook about three minutes. Add the stock, olives, and apricots to the pan and bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan, reduce to a simmer, and cover for about 20 minutes (or until chicken is tender and cooked through).

While the chicken simmers, cook the couscous in boiling, salted water about ten minutes (or until water is fully absorbed). Set aside and allow to cool slightly. Combine the couscous, scallions, orange zest, cilantro, and mint in a large bowl. Toss with lemon juice, olive oil, and any additional salt to taste. Serve chicken over the couscous with additional cilantro and lemon juice as garnish.

Thai Basil Pork with Coconut Rice

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 03:40:00 +0000

THAI BASIL PORK // with COCONUT RICE

Between the months of August and September my life usually involves a significant amount of limbo, caught between one travel cycle and the next. There are school years and fiscal cycles, business quarters and one's standard Gregorian calendar year (or lunar calendar, if you prefer), but I measure my time in journeys and the time spent waiting in between. But, August and September I spend wondering, with some anxiety, if another year will be measured out in global distances. Only this year, I was nearly quite certain it would not. For one, Bree (my travel sidekick) is having a baby! Garrett (my backup travel sidekick) has a new job! And, I had settled on retiring my days of travel with students. It was looking like my Labor Day weekend in Milwaukee would be the last summer excursion for a while. What a way to end a era.

I knew this day would come. When travel happened, as for most, as a vacation instead of a lifestyle. For most, travel as a lifestyle is unsustainable.

But then I sort of came to my senses, remembered my priorities, and broadened my perspective a bit. For one, I have a little getaway to Mexico scheduled this winter for a wedding. Two, I'm likely New York City bound for spring break to meet Bree's little person. And, three, I pulled a Michael Jordan and came out of my briefly self-imposed student travel retirement, deciding to go for another AP Euro trip. Our planned itinerary won't be taking me anywhere new, but at least I can get my Paris fix for a 7th year in a row (obnoxiously fortunate, as I am) and give London another fair shot. None of it is quite the same as living out of a dirty backpack and walking the world until your feet bleed, but it's closer to the road than home.

Of course, I haven't yet written on my experience traveling solo last summer. For now, I'll sum it up by saying that it's definitely on the table.

And, of course, Thai Basil Pork is also on the table this week. First school year cold came earlier than usual this year, and luckily passed quicker than usual, requiring some good sinus-clearing spice. I've also become obsessed with cooking rice in coconut milk - a great pairing for any spicy topping and a good alternative if you like coconut milk-based soups. If you're harvesting your home gardens before the first big chill, it's a great opportunity to use up that basil (Italian would probably work just fine, as well).

Ingredients (makes 4 servings):

1 cup basmati rice
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 lb. lean ground pork
1 tbsp. ground ginger
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. molasses
2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. gluten-free, low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup chili paste/sambal
1 lime
1 jalapeño, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped thai basil
1 cup matchstick carrots
1 cup matchstick bell peppers
salt for seasoning

Process:

Bring the rice, coconut milk, 1 cup of water, and a pinch of salt to a low boil in a medium saucepan. Return to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes, or until fully cooked. Keep covered and set aside.
In a large frying pan, heat the vegetable oil and cook the sliced onions on medium heat until soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
To the pan, add the pork and season with the ground ginger and salt. Brown the meat until fully cooked through.
As the meat cooks, stir together the sauce ingredients in a bowl: sesame oil, molasses, honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sambal, and juice of half the lime. Set aside.
Once the pork is cooked through, add the sliced jalapeños and cook until softened. Turn the heat to high and add the sauce, stirring while it caramelizes. Return the heat to low and stir in the chopped basil to finish.
Serve the pork on top of a serving of rice, garnished with raw carrots and peppers, and with a fresh squeeze of lime juice.

Step-by-Step:

Bring the rice, coconut milk, 1 cup of water, and a pinch of salt to a low boil in a medium saucepan. Return to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes, or until fully cooked. Keep covered and set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat the vegetable oil and cook the sliced onions on medium heat until soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

To the pan, add the pork and season with the ground ginger and salt. Brown the meat until fully cooked through.

As the meat cooks, stir together the sauce ingredients in a bowl: sesame oil, molasses, honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sambal, and juice of half the lime. Set aside.

Once the pork is cooked through, add the sliced jalapeños and cook until softened. Turn the heat to high and add the sauce, stirring while it caramelizes. Return the heat to low and stir in the chopped basil to finish.

Serve the pork on top of a serving of rice, garnished with raw carrots and peppers, and with a fresh squeeze of lime juice.

Spekkoek (Dutch-Indonesian Spice Cake)

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 21:33:00 +0000

SPEKKOEK // Dutch-Indonesian SPICE CAKE

Back home, back to work, back to blogging.

I know I've been away from the kitchen for a while, spending most of my summer reading and traveling, but I've collected an exciting list of foods to make from all over Europe. First up this week is a Dutch spice cake I discovered in Amsterdam called spekkoek. It's been fun trying to track down the name of the cake and how to prepare it (I couldn't understand the exact word when I initially asked the waitress). Sure enough, a search for everything I knew about the cake - "layered spice cake, Dutch" - turned up precisely the results I needed.

Of course, I was tickled by also learning that the cake is a cultural diffusion recipe, because all historian cooks love those. For the non-historians out there, the rich and heavy mixture of spices is historical evidence of the Dutch East India Company's seventeenth-century command of the spice trade with the East Indies, and particularly the Dutch colony of Indonesia (which they nabbed from the Portuguese). I actually intend to use this recipe as a classroom discussion piece this week, since we dive right into the rise of Europe through control of spice routes during the "Age of Exploration."

But back to the present, and present-day Amsterdam. Believe it or not (which is obnoxious for me to say), I had never been to Amsterdam before this summer, and spent much too little time in this friendly place. Amsterdam is probably the most "user friendly" city I've ever been to, and by that I mean its so evident that the planners of Amsterdam (past and present) have the human - the pedestrian, the cyclist, the child - in mind at all times. The spaces are designed to engage humans with the space, and with each other, and in this way the city births society. I'm hard-pressed to find outdoor seating at even the most cosy cafes in Chicago that are free from the visual, auditory, and olfactory pollution from cars.

It was on one of the quiet pedestrian streets that I discovered spekkoek. It was the first "I'm making this when I get home!" moment from my travels.

As a warning, this recipe only appears complicated, and is actually really fun to make. So, don't be deterred by the process of cooking each alternating layer (or that it calls for lots of butter and eggs). It comes together more or less like cooking many crepes on top of one another. And, again, I had a blast doing it, as if I was partaking in some cooking challenge (that you can't really mess up). If you're ready for fall, this is a perfect recipe to try (and if you stow it away for later, that broiler will really keep the house warm once the weather cools).

Ingredients: (makes an 8"-9" round cake)

2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground anise
3 sticks/1.5 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
12 eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
for garnish: 2 tbsp. confectioners sugar

Helpful (but not required) Tools:

springform pan
offset spatula (such as for frosting cakes)
powerful hand blender

Optional Toppings:

maple syrup
whipped cream
fruit preserves

Process:

Prep: Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper, and butter well. Set the oven to broil.
Combine all spices in a small bowl, set aside. Separate the eggs.
Cream the butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the egg yolks, and mix until smooth.
Fold in the flour by hand with a spatula.
Combine the egg whites and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, beat with a hand mixer until very stiff. In four parts, fold the egg whites into the other batter. Do not over mix.
Divide the batter into two large bowls, stirring the spices into one.
Add 1/2 cup of the spiced batter to the bottom of the buttered pan, spreading it evenly over the bottom. Cook under the broiler for 2 minutes, or until lightly browned. Spread a 1/2 cup of the plain batter on top of the cooked layer, broiling again for 2 minutes. Repeat this process of layering/cooking with alternating batters until the pan is full.
Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before removing from the pan.
Dust with confectioners sugar and serve with maple syrup, whipped cream, or fruit preserves. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to store.

Step-by-Step Images:

Prepare your pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper and buttering it well (I buttered underneath the parchment paper, as well, to keep it in place). Set the oven to broil so it is very hot by the time your batter is ready.

Combine the spices in a small bowl and set aside for later use.

In a mixer, cream the butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the egg yolks, and mix until you get a completely smooth batter. Then, using a spatula, fold in the flour by hand.

In a large, clean bowl, combine the egg whites and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Beat with a hand blender until very stiff peaks form. This takes about 10 minutes to get really stiff egg whites. Fold the egg whites into the batter in four stages. With each, fold until just incorporated. Try to avoid over-mixing. You'll then divide the batter evenly in two bowls, stirring the spices into one.

Add about 1/2 cup of the spiced batter to the bottom of the cake pan, and spread evenly over the parchment paper with an offset spatula. Place under the broiler for 2 minutes, until slightly browned. Spread 1/2 cup of the plain batter on top of this layer, and continue to repeat the broiling/layering process until the pan is full. Keep your layers as thin as possible, and don't worry that the raw batter gets runny when it comes in contact with the hot layer below. Keep in mind that as your pan continues to fill and get hotter, the layers will begin to brown faster.

When done, place the pan on a wire rack and cool completely. Dust with confectioners sugar and serve as is, or with maple syrup, whipped cream, or fruit preserves.

Moroccan Braised Kale over Wheatberries

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 01:45:00 +0000

MOROCCAN BRAISED KALE OVER WHEATBERRIES
(with a poached egg)

This summer, my coworker and I decided to keep a shared daily log of everything we ate and all the exercise we've done in order to feel a sense of accountability for a healthy lifestyle. You've probably heard of this as a method of establishing better habits, but if you haven't tried it you absolutely should! I also highly recommend pairing up with someone who is a gluten-free vegetarian...seeing that every meal on this log he's keeping is super healthy omelettes and salads. I may return to school in August to find a rabbit sitting across from me in the office.

One of the benefits of this experiment has been a sort of mirroring effect. Looking at PA's progress has been really impressive, and it has rubbed off. So now, I find myself wanting to create more meals that are vegetarian, for example. I've also found myself eating lots of eggs for protein, because that's his main protein source. So, while this particular post includes wheatberries, the basic recipe for this braised kale is one I've been coming back to over and over again this summer. It's a bit of a variation of both my Kale, Spinach, and Meatball Soup and Shakshouka, but without the meat.

I've found keeping the log is motivating enough to try and continue with it while I'm abroad for almost the remainder of the summer. I know that sounds a bit crazy - and believe me I'll still allow myself a good lemon and sugar crepe in Paris, a waffle in Belgium, etc. - but I think it will be a good way to prevent a dietary nuclear meltdown. Hopefully it also turns out to be a good way to document some great flavors I discover across the pond, and then bring them home and back to the blog when I return. I know this is already only the second post of the summer, but surely I'll pick it up again with more regularity in August.

Ingredients (makes 3-4 servings):

1 cup wheatberries (optional)
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely diced/minced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 large can (28 oz) whole stewed tomatoes
4 cups kale, de-stemmed and roughly chopped
1 can of cannellini or garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. moroccan spice mix (below)
salt to taste
1 poached (or fried) egg per serving (optional)

Moroccan Spice Mix:

1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. coriander
pinch of saffron threads (optional)

If you are serving over wheatberries: In a small pot, bring the wheatberries and 2 cups of water to a boil. Continue to simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, or until al dente. Drain the wheatberries and set aside.

In a large pan, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil and cook the onion and garlic over medium heat until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). Season well with salt. Add the diced tomato and 2 tbsp. of the spice mix, and cook an additional 2 minutes until a chunky, aromatic paste forms.

Add the canned tomatoes, breaking them up, along with their juice. As soon as it simmers, add the kale and cover until wilted. Once soft, add the beans and any additional seasoning. Continue to cook uncovered until the juice has reduced to your liking.

Serve with a poached (or fried) egg on top.

Greek Yogurt Almond Crust Tart

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 13:00:00 +0000

GREEK YOGURT ALMOND-CRUST TART

As much as I've been enjoying this summer of sunning on the deck, reading books, practicing my French for upcoming travels, running, and even trying to work a bit every day, it's been difficult to get myself back into summer form. Despite the fact that there regularly seems to be a family or friend event that includes great food (at which I would never say, "No thanks, I'm on a diet," simply due to willpower, or lack thereof), I'm starting to get a creeping feeling that trimming down is getting increasingly harder as I ripen on the tree of life. Either that or my daily runs simply don't compensate for sitting on my ass with a book the rest of the day, compared to standing and moving pretty much all the time when I teach.

Whatever the case may be, I've always been a person that needs to put myself in situations where the bad options don't exist. Because when they do - and as they will when I spend nearly the next month in Europe - I'm going to opt for them. I am human. So, I decided to bring this Greek Yogurt Tart to a BBQ yesterday hoping it wouldn't disappoint those looking for some gooey cherry pie or something.

I really liked the ways this tart came out, but I love mildly sweet desserts. It is reminiscent of cheesecake in its texture and tang, but not nearly as rich. You could even do a graham cracker crust if you truly wanted to imitate a cheesecake, but I love almonds and this crust is also gluten free. Also, like a cheesecake you could flavor the custard filling with whatever flavor you wanted (consider what fruit you like best with your yogurt). Either add chunks of fruit right into the custard, or swirl in a good fruit compote/curd. In fact, if you wanted to use this as a brunch/breakfast recipe, an oatmeal crust would be perfect. So, it's certainly adaptable to your likes and needs.

Ingredients (makes an 8-9" tart):
Thanks to Call Me PMC & A Baking Girl for the recipe inspiration.

1.5 cups almond flour/meal
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
3 tbsp. maple syrup
2 cups fat free greek yogurt
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract (optional)
1/4 cup water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 pinches of salt
Cut fruit and honey for toppings

To make the crust: Pre-heat the oven to 350. With a fork, stir together the almond flour, vegetable oil, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. The texture should be like coarse sand.

Pour the crust into an 8 or 9" pan (springform is ideal), and press evenly across the bottom and up the sides with your fingers. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

For the custard filling: In a small dish, sprinkle the gelatin in 1/4 cup of water. Allow to sit for a few minutes while it fully dissolves. With a blender or food processor, incorporate the eggs, sugar, yogurt, a pinch of salt, and the flavored extracts. Place the bowl of dissolved gelatin in the microwave for 15 seconds, then add it to the filling while stirring quickly.

Fill the tart crust with the custard filling (the crust does not need to be fully cooled). Tap the pan on a flat surface to try and remove as many bubbles as possible.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until edges are golden. Allow to cool for 5 additional minutes in the oven with the door open, and then cool fully at room temperature before refrigerating (ideally overnight). If using a springform pan, only remove just prior to eating. Top with berries and honey to serve.

Raw Zucchini Salad with Tzatziki

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 20:51:00 +0000

RAW ZUCCHINI SALAD w/ ZIPPY TZATZIKI DRESSING

Has it really been less than a month since my last post? I feel like I've been away for much longer than that, but maybe the transition to summer life just makes my previous life of blogging and teaching seem much further back.

To be honest, not only have I not been blogging, but I haven't really been doing all that much cooking. Instead, time has been made for some new hobbies (gardening), and the revival of some old, missed hobbies (French, reading). Conducive for all of them, Garrett and I have really souped up the back porch, and the first days of summer have been spent sitting among the budding flowers and birds reading, listening to French language podcasts, and scientifically monitoring the growth of dill, basil, tomatoes, and peppers. The scenery has even made getting work work done very non-stressful.

Speaking of the garden, thus far my research has proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that fresh-from-the garden herbs are a million times better than even the fresh stuff at the store. The smell, flavor, and texture...all superior. Here's a recipe you can use with fresh dill. It's a great, refreshing salad for meals on the porch, and will only keep you in the kitchen for about 10 minutes.

Ingredients (makes 2 servings):

2 large zucchini, cut into thin "spaghetti" strips
1 tomato, large dice
1 cup non-fat greek yogurt
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
1/2 clove of garlic, minced (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch of cumin
pinch of coriander

If you have a mandoline, now is the time to use if for the zucchini. If you don't, cutting the zucchini into strips is doable: first cut the zucchini into 1/4" slabs, then stack them to cut down into 1/4" strips.

Mix the yogurt, lemon juice, dill, garlic, salt, and spices in a small bowl. You'll want the dressing to be on the salty side, because it will mellow out quite a bit on top of the zucchini. As a warning, if you don't love garlic you may want to leave it out, since the raw garlic flavor is potent. Without it, the tzatziki certainly won't be as zippy.

Finally, toss the zucchini, diced tomato, and dressing together. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Watermelon, Jicama, & Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Reduction

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Tue, 27 May 2014 02:40:00 +0000

WATERMELON SALAD w/ BALSAMIC REDUCTION

Hope you had a fabulous Memorial Day weekend stateside. Mine included the standard American share of BBQed meats, eaten in excess, in good company. I've been trying to the whole "take back the weekend!" thing, and if I've been succeeding at anything, it's been that. Loyalists may have noted that I took last weekend off from blogging, and I'm sorry to say that made things a bit more relaxing as I slide into summer.

This afternoon, however, was one big (queue the screeching record) failure in the relaxation department. People do household projects on long weekends, and I thought, "Hey, I'm a person," forgetting I'm not a household project person. You see, ever since the murder of a backyard tree that was our glorious green summer canopy the back porch has been severely lacking in any ambiance. Before the murder the back porch was once an English garden oasis that shielded us from the major interstate highway that is otherwise our porch view (plus a small sliver of the grand Chicago skyline). After mourning the tree for years, Garrett and I finally got the gumption to head to Home Depot for some potted shrubs and blooms to spruce the place up again. The first trip was a great success, and high on our green thumb abilities we went back a second time with more ambitious goals that included resoiling and outdoor lighting. The third trip we trudged back, tails between our legs, to return half our rather expensive bounty and settle on the original hoard, plus lighting (that we never got to hang thanks to rain). In short, three trip to Home Depot a relaxing day does not make.

But I did make some watermelon salad. It's a nice little refreshing treat for any summer BBQ or dinner out on a well-groomed porch. The watermelon and goat cheese thing isn't new, but I funned it up with some jicama and strawberries. Those are totally optional. I will say, if you are planning to transport this or prepare it ahead of time, take my word for it and leave off the cheese and dressing until just prior to serving. Better yet, keep them off to the side and let your guests and co-partiers add them before eating. Otherwise, the balsamic will just turn the whole thing a brownish color. Part of the appeal of the salad is the bright colors that make it so fun for summer, so don't go ruining it like I did!

Ingredients (makes 1 very large bowl, enough for a BBQ or party):

1/2 large, seedless watermelon
1/2 large jicama (optional)
12 large strawberries
1/8 cup chopped mint leaves
1/8 cup chopped basil leaves
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 - 2/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
2 cups balsamic vinegar

To dice the watermelon, I sliced the half into two quarters, and then sliced off 1/2" crescent-shaped slabs. Slice the slab into 1/2" strips, and then into cubes.

Dice the jicama into slightly smaller cubes, and slice up the strawberries.

Toss the cut watermelon, jicama, and strawberries with the chopped mint, basil, and lemon juice.

In a large pot, bring the balsamic vinegar to a simmer. Allow it to simmer until it is thick enough to coat a spoon (about 20 minutes). The liquid will have reduced by about half. When ready to serve stir in the crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle the balsamic reduction on top just before eating.

Bánh Mì Salad with Marinated Tofu and Japanese Ginger-Carrot-Miso Dressing

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Sun, 11 May 2014 23:50:00 +0000

BANH MI SALAD w/ MARINATED TOFU & JAPANESE GINGER-CARROT-MISO DRESSING

This is a really fun salad for this springtime weather we've been getting in Chicago (finally). It began as a quest to satisfy my craving for that delicious ginger-carrot-miso dressing that used to be typically served in Japanese restaurants (but less so now, no?). But, then, as I built the salad up with accoutrements, it evolved into sort of a bánh mì-inspired salad with many Southeast Asian flavors like pickled cucumbers, cilantro, and peanuts. It certainly makes for a colorful presentation, so I brought it along for Mother's Day brunch.

There are a bunch of individual components to the salad that are good recipes to have in-and-of themselves, such as the marinated tofu. The same marinade could easily be applied to chicken if you wanted a meatier substitution. The pickled cucumbers make for a very healthy snack to have around the house on hot summer days, and the dressing is ideal if you're being careful about your diet. I don't think I've ever made a healthier salad dressing recipe that was packed so full of flavor. Now that I think about it, if I had realized sooner that this was evolving into a bánh mì salad I would have added just a little bit of lime juice to the dressing recipe (now that limes are back in stock!).

If you happen to have any leftovers when all is said and done, it does actually make for a great sandwich for lunch the next day. Just buy a baguette and pile on the tofu, dressing, and veggies (and maybe some sliced jalapeno) and... bánh mì!

Makes four servings.

Ingredients Marinated Tofu:

1 package (14 oz.) extra firm tofu
2 tbsp. dark molasses
2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce (gluten-free)
1 tbsp. thai chili paste (or any thick chili paste)
1 tbsp. miso paste
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Ingredients for Pickled Cucumbers:

1 english cucumber, sliced thin
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. chili sauce (like sriracha)

Ingredients for Ginger-Carrot-Miso Dressing:

1 large carrot
2 inches ginger root, peeled
1/4 small sweet yellow onion
1 tbsp. miso paste
1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce (gluten-free)
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. vegetable or canola oil
pinch of salt

Other Salad Ingredients:

Salad greens of your choice
Sliced radish
Cooked edamame beans
Chopped cilantro
Crushed peanuts

Step One: Pickle the cucumbers. In a large bowl whisk together the sesame oil, vinegars, honey, and chili sauce. Add the thinly sliced cucumbers and let sit at least 30 minutes, but the longer the better.

Step Two: Marinate and cook the tofu. The tofu will first need to be sliced into slabs and drained between a few sheets of paper towel before marinating. You can press the slabs between the paper towel gently to speed this up, but you want the tofu as dry as possible. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl mix together the molasses, soy sauce, chili paste, miso paste, and sesame oil. When the tofu is ready, cube up the slabs and add to the marinate. Toss the cubes gently by hand to coat. Let sit for 10 minutes. When ready, brown in a pan for 10-15 minutes, flipping until all sides are seared. Add the sesame seeds, and cool completely before assembling the salad.

Step Three: Make the dressing. In a food processor or blender, puree the carrots, ginger, and onion together as much as possible. Then, add the miso, soy sauce, oils, and a pinch of salt. Continue to puree until as smooth as possible. If you want to thin out the dressing, add a bit more oil.

Step Four: Prep the salad. While the tofu cooks and the cucumbers continue to pickle, cook your edamame, slice your radishes, chop the cilantro, and prepare your salad greens. You can toss all these ingredients together. As soon as the tofu is cool add it, with the some drained cucumbers, to the salad. Top with a spoonful of dressing and serve.

Gluten-Free No-Bake Date Nutella Bars

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Sat, 03 May 2014 22:42:00 +0000

GLUTEN-FREE NO-BAKE NUTELLA BARS

Tomorrow is the annual Sunday AP Euro Crash Course - the big pre-exam review session at which I attempt to pull thematic threads of European history from the Renaissance to the present in a last-ditch effort to bring all these facts back into my students' working memories. Oh, and we eat a bunch of junk food to keep us going for three hours.

Last year I got pretty creative with a set of four historically-themed mini muffins. This year the most creative I could get was Nutella. Because, like, Europe?

For a second I also tinkered with the idea of actually providing a healthy snack, like re-creating a granola or energy bar. Some sort of brain food/bird food recipe. Then I remembered that teenagers don't really give a damn about all that. My zucchini muffins barely got touched last year. But, in the process of searching for those healthier treats I did come across a raw caramel and peanut butter bar, which I modified (de-veganized and Europeanized (Nutella-ized)). They are still gluten-free and no-bake, if those traits appeal to you. If you want them vegan, use peanut butter instead of Nutella (as the original recipe suggests). Most importantly, they taste fantastic.

The bars come together very easily, and even more easily if you use melted chocolate chips for the top layer instead of the scratch-made coconut oil and cocoa topping. Again, all depends on how many of the original vegan ingredients you want to hang on to. The end result is a chewy crust (think Larabar) with a fudgy center and slightly firmer top layer of dark chocolate. If you're making these for others, don't worry, there's plenty of empty jar and empty bowl-licking throughout the short process.

Ingredients (fills a 9x9" pan):
Thank you to Zakka for the original recipe inspiration.

For the bottom layer:

12 oz. pitted medjool dates
6-8 oz. sliced almonds (depending on how crunchy or chewy you want the crust)
1/2 tsp. sea salt

For the middle layer:

1/2 cup liquid/melted coconut oil
13 oz. Nutella (you can use honey roasted peanut butter for a fully vegan recipe, or do half and half like I did)
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. sea salt

For the top layer:

1/4 cup liquid/melted coconut oil
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder
pinch of salt

Line a 9x9" baking pan with parchment or wax paper. In a food processor, blend the almonds, dates, and salt until it holds together and is sticky. Press this layer evenly into the lined baking pan.

For the middle layer, melt the coconut oil and mix with the nutella/peanut putter, maple syrup, vanilla, and sea salt in a bowl. Spread evenly on top of the almonds and dates and cool in the refrigerator while you make the final layer.

Over a double boiler on low heat, melt the coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla together. Mix in the cocoa powder and salt until you have the consistency of melted chocolate. You can feel free to just melt chocolate chips if you prefer. I'm pretty sure you could easily do this step in the microwave if you just heated up the oil and stirred in the remaining ingredients. Let this cool for a few minutes so it doesn't melt the middle layer when you add it to the pan. Once cooled, spread it evenly over the top and return to the refrigerator or freezer to fully set.

Cut with a warm knife and serve slightly chilled.

Vegan Ethiopian Trio with Quick Injera

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 01:22:00 +0000

VEGAN ETHIOPIAN TRIO w/ QUICK INJERA

Ethiopian has been on the kitchen to do list for a really long time now, and I committed to attempting it early last week. I researched multiple variations of dishes, vegetarian and non-vegetarian, and compared dozens of different recipes for injera, trying to balance out authenticity and time efficiency. Naturally, the first semi-conscious thought I had this morning in the waking minutes between denial and reality was "this is not the day to make Ethiopian." I dozed for another few minutes settled on the thought that it would be much wiser to put this off until June, when time would cease to matter. It would be crazy to commit to a cooking adventure that was really four recipes to tackle in a narrow window of time between the day's more pressing activities.

But since I only allow a window between 10am and noon for blogging, and by 9:30 no better ideas had occurred to me, off I went to the store to scrounge together a few ingredients I needed to pull off and Ethiopian feast. Of course, there was no sign of teff flour (the traditional stuff for injera), and as I expected, no fenugreek or yellow split peas, so I had to make due with a few substitutions. At this point Garrett wisely decided to head down the street to a coffee shop to get work done, and out of the way of any potential kitchen meltdowns.

As it turns out, this whole process was so much easier than I anticipated. The three separate dishes pretty much come together in the exact same process of layering flavors on top of an onion base, so as long as you have a food processor that can quickly mince onions and a stove top with four burners, you're set. I expected that my first attempt at injera would surely end with a pile of burnt, ripped crepes that were impossible to remove from the pan. But no, they cooked up quickly and slid right off the pan and on to the plate. I even did the dishes while I cooked so the kitchen wasn't a complete disaster when all was said and done. It was the zen of kitchen.

So, how did this compare to going out to an Ethiopian restaurant? First, Garrett and I agreed that the end result was much better than either of us expected. We assumed it would be tasty, but not all that reminiscent of the real deal. We were wrong about that, too. If anything, these versions are a bit less rich because they're vegan, specifically because they swap the Ethiopian spiced butter (niter kebbeh) for oil as a flavor base. As a positive trade-off, we didn't feel like total worthless crap the rest of the day after eating a large portion. The slightly bigger difference was the taste and texture of the injera. Despite the addition of vinegar and lemon juice, the crepe didn't have as much of the characteristic sourdough flavor of authentic injera (or as many bubbles). Given that the real deal would have taken a whole day to ferment with yeast, I think this quick version is a completely acceptable compromise. The final assessment was a resounding "exceeded expectations," if you're going for a healthier, faster Ethiopian meal.

Thank you to the following for hints and inspiration for these recipes: American Food Roots, Wild Greens and Sardines, Home in Disarray, A Spicy Perspective, Our Journey to Africa, and Food.com.

Together, these recipes would make a hearty feast to serve 5-6.

Ingredients for Red Lentils (Mesir Wat):

2 cups red lentils
1 medium yellow onion, minced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp. freshly grated ginger
3 tbsp. berbere spice mix (see below)
1/2 cup tomato puree
4 cups stock (or water)
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt to taste

Ingredients for Berbere Spice Mix:

3 tbsp. paprika
4.5 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. tumeric
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. ground clove
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom

Ingredients for Split Peas (Kik Alicha):

1 cup green or yellow split peas
1 small yellow onion, minced
2 whole garlic cloves
1.5 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1.5 tsp. tumeric
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom (or 1 cardamom pod)
3 cup vegetable stock (or water)
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt to taste

Ingredients for Collard Greens (Gomen):

4-5 cups fresh collard greens, chopped
1 small yellow onion, minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 serrano chili (or jalapeno), minced
1 tbsp. freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup stock or water
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt to taste

Ingredients for Injera:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 cups club soda
1/4 cup white vinegar
juice of 1 lemon

An easy way to approach these dishes is to realize that they are all assembled essentially the same way: the onion (salted) is cooked in hot oil until translucent, the wet flavorings are added and cooked for another 2 minutes, the dry spices are added and cooked for 1 minute, and then the wet ingredients and main ingredient are added. The pot is brought to a simmer and cooked until done. Additional seasoning is added at the end, to your liking.

That being said, if you are making more than one of the dishes, start by mincing all the onions, grating all the ginger, chopping all the garlic cloves/peppers, and measuring all the spices first. That way, the dishes come together quite quickly, each in its own pot.

For example, for the split peas or the red lentils, start by heating the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onion and season with salt, cooking for about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for another 2 minutes. Introduce the dry spices, and stir for 1 minute. Add the stock/water and either the split peas or lentils, bring to a simmer, and allow to cook for about 40 minutes (or until thick and soft). You may notice that as these dishes cook, too much liquid has evaporated but the peas/lentils are still too firm. If that's the case, just keep adding a bit of additional water until the peas/lentils have softened, and then you can continue to cook off extra liquid to achieve the consistency you like. Each dish will need additional salt when done, and you can add additional ginger/cardamom to the peas or additional berbere to the lentils.

For the collard greens, start the same way: cook the salted onions in oil, add the ginger/garlic/pepper, then stock and collard greens (no spices in this one). Cook covered until greens are dark and soft. Uncover and continue cooking to reduce the liquid.

Lastly, make the injera. In a large bowl blend the flours and baking soda. Add the club soda and vinegar and whisk into a thin batter (should be much thinner than pancake batter). Heat a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat and spray/coat well with oil. Ladle about 3/4 cup of batter into the pan and quickly shake it around to coat the bottom. Cover and allow to cook through for 2 minutes. Uncover and cook until you can see tiny air bubbles coming through. It should slide right off the pan onto a plate, where you can brush it with a bit of lemon juice.

To serve, lay a piece of injera on each plate. Place a serving of each dish on top, and serve with additional pieces of rolled injera on the side.

Middle Eastern Chicken Salad

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Sun, 20 Apr 2014 22:50:00 +0000

MIDDLE EASTERN CHICKEN SALAD w/ DILL PICKLE TAHINI DRESSING

A few weeks ago I posted a chicken shawarma recipe that didn't get so much internet love, but it just so happened that as the week wound down I had all the right ingredients at home to give it another go. I'll make the same case as I did then for the pickle really being the essential ingredient in a good shawarma-anything, and in this case it makes a quirky appearance in the dill pickle tahini dressing. At first I was ready to try dicing up a pickle and tossing it into the tabbouleh, but as I was blending the dressing the pickle was right there and I just shoved it right in to get blended. I'm pretty pleased with how that impulse turned out, and now I'm hoping to see pickle-flavored hummus on grocery store shelves sometime soon.

There are a few upgrades and time-savers for this recipe. First, I used lean chicken breast, but if your primary goal is an authentic shawarma then use thighs (or just lamb). Mandy B. over there at Lady & Pups made an amazing-looking "halal truck" plate this week and she specifically called for meat of no less than twenty percent fat - and that's what makes those New York City halal truck so good after a night out. To save time, and money on those pricey jars of tahini, you could easily make the dressing with some packaged store-bought hummus. Just blend it with the pickle, pickle juice, lemon juice, spices, yogurt, and olive oil to thin it out and spunk it up. If you are going the scratch-made route, any soft bean will do instead of cannellini beans. While obviously chickpeas are a traditional choice, I don't have a good enough blender to get those shells to smooth out to my liking. So red, or even black, beans would be just fine.

As a warning, if you like both dill pickles and hummus, the dressing is a little addicting. There was a good 3/4 cup left over that I just ate straight-up by the spoon full. If you have a bit more self control then it will make a great veggie dip.

Ingredients for Chicken Shawarma: 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp. cumin 1 tbsp. coriander 1 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. cayenne pepper 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. black pepper 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. allspice	Dill Pickle Tahini Dressing: 1 cup canned cannellini beans 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1 dill pickle, chopped, plus 1 tbsp. pickle juice 2 tbsp. plain greek yogurt 2 tbsp. tahini paste 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. coriander salt and pepper to taste
Quick Tabbouleh Salad: 1 cup parsley, fined chopped 1 tomato, diced 1 tsbp. finely diced red onion 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. olive oil salt and pepper to taste	Other Salad Accoutrements: Salad greens of your choice Sliced peppers (I used baby bell peppers) Any other vegetable you like on salads...

Marinate the chicken: In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, and spices to flavor the chicken. Dice the two chicken breasts into small (1/4") pieces and coat evenly with the yogurt marinade. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, but overnight if possible.

Make the dressing: In a blender or food processor, blend all the ingredients for the dressing. Adjust the amount of spices/pickle/tahini to your liking.

For the tabbouleh: Simply toss the chopped ingredients and season with salt.

To prepare: Heat a pan over high heat with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Cook the chicken on high heat, browning well, for about 10 minutes. You want the chicken crispy on the outside, but not dry. When done, toss in 1 tbsp. of the tahini dressing and a little lemon juice.

Toss together your salad greens, some tabbouleh, and any other vegetables you want. Add the dressing and warm chicken. Serve.

Pappardelle al Ragù

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 22:04:00 +0000

PAPPARDELLE AL RAGU

As promised, here is the second Rome-inspired post (and right in the nick of time since Passover starts tomorrow night and it's bye-bye pasta). While I've made pasta from scratch multiple times, and even some marinara, this was my first ragù. Considering that the ragù alla lepre (rabbit) on pappardelle was the absolute best dish we had in Rome, I put a lot of pressure on myself to make this ragù reminiscent of that experience (without access to rabbit, of course). I won't claim to have replicated the original dish, but Garrett and I were both very happy with the flavor...and we learned a lot about ragù-making along the way.

The first thing you should know is that this is a time-consuming recipe. Ragù absolutely needs time to simmer and develop flavor, and there are no shortcuts. It doesn't require your constant attention, but I was tasting and adjusting the seasoning about every twenty minutes. The flavor after the first twenty minutes, compared to after the full two hours simmering, was very different. Even then, I wish it was more rich and full-bodied, but I chalk up its limitations to the quality of meat and wine I was using. While I used a combination of ground beef, pork, and veal, next time I would either go with just pork/veal, or try something a bit more gamey, like lamb. Another option I would like to explore is using pancetta (instead of olive oil) as a cooking base for the vegetables, since I think a bit of smokey flavor would also contribute to the body of the sauce.

Of course, you do not need to make your own pasta from scratch to enjoy the ragù. In fact, I made the ragù yesterday and tried it with some standard store-bought spaghetti and it was great. I actually really liked added bite the dried pasta had, whereas the homemade pappardelle is very delicate. I'll leave that up to you and your busy schedule to decide. Some good news is that the time you'll take on this ragù will pay off in time saved throughout the week, using the leftovers to pull together easy meals with grilled vegetables or even a quick lasagna.

Ingredients for Ragù (makes enough for 3 lbs. of pasta, so reduce quantities for single meals or freeze for later use):

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely diced or minced
1 large carrot (or 1/2 cup), finely diced or minced
2 celery ribs, finely diced
1 lb. ground veal
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. honey
1 cup dry red wine
1 large can (28 oz.) whole tomatoes
1 cup tomato puree
1 cup stock or water
2 bay leaves
1-2 tbsp. grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Pasta Ingredients (makes 4 servings):

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 tsp. olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
lukewarm water set aside for kneading

To make the ragù: In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook the diced onion until softened. Add the carrot and celery, salt well, and cook for another 10 minutes until softened (but not browned). Turn the heat up to high and add the meat and spices. Brown while stirring frequently to keep the meat a "minced" consistency.

Once the meat is fully browned, add the tomato paste and honey and stir well. Add the red wine and allow to simmer until the alcohol is cooked off (until you can no longer smell the red wine). Then add the whole tomatoes with their juice (breaking them apart in your hands first), the puree, stock/water, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, add the optional grated cheese, and allow to simmer for as long as possible. Alternatively, you can transfer the pot to the oven and braise the ragù. A minimum of 1 hour is needed, but 2 hours+ is really best.

As the ragù simmers taste it regularly. It will need lots of seasoning with salt and pepper along the way, but do this to your liking. As it cooks you can also adjust the consistency and how "tomato-ey" it becomes. For example, I ended up spooning out about 1 cup of the tomato liquid and replacing it with more wine and stock because I wanted a richer, meatier sauce. It can also be additionally seasoned with more spices, if you prefer. When reheating the sauce if storing for later use, adding additional salt and wine helped to "boost" the richness. Always reheat on the stove top.

To make the pappardelle: On a clean, dry work surface, construct a well from the flour. In a bowl, gently whisk the eggs, olive oil, and salt. Pour the egg mix into the well of the flour and whisk with a fork while incorporating the flour. Once the flour has been incorporated, knead the dough for 10 minutes, adding small amounts of additional water to keep it moist. It is done when the dough is flexible/elastic and just slightly sticky to the touch (but it should not stick to your work surface). Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and allow to sit for 30 minutes before rolling out.

When ready, cut the ball of dough into quarters. Using a pasta machine, roll out the quarters into large flat sheets (I went down to "level 2" thinness). Pappardelle are wide, flat noodles, so cut them by hand into strips about 3/4" in width. Place to the side on a lightly floured baking sheet until cooking.

To assemble: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil for the pasta. Once boiling, heat 1 cup of ragù in a large pan over medium-high heat. Flash cook a serving of pasta in the boiling water for about 45 seconds, and then transfer to the hot pan. Finish cooking the pasta in the ragù so it absorbs the sauce. Add some pasta water to the pan if it is looking too dry.

Serve with freshly grated pecorino or parmesan on top.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara di Carciofi (Spaghetti Carbonara with Artichoke)

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Mon, 07 Apr 2014 01:20:00 +0000

SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA DI CARCIOFI

Listen, I'm not going to sugar coat this for you because I know you're already really jealous of the week I spent in Rome. Yes, the historical sites helped me transcend space and time. Yes, the piazzas and winding, narrow streets had that perfect paint-chippy authenticity. Of course the people were enthusiastically kind, loud, and gesture-y. But the food: effing amazing.

Now, like I mentioned in my previous post (where you can see some photos of the space/time transcending monuments and paint-chippiness), there's a lot of crappy food in Rome and it can be quite tricky to tell the difference between a restaurant dishing out frozen pizzas to tourists or making homemade pasta and ragu. While in other cities proximity to tourist hot spots and kitschy decor might be dead giveaways that the place is a dud, that's not necessarily the case in Rome. The landlord of the apartment we rented directed us to places I would normally disregard, but truly had that great blistered pizza crust everyone is searching for in life. So, location, decor, and prices really aren't reliable indicators of whether a restaurant will disappoint or amaze. I was left to develop my own investigatory process that mostly involved snooping around and peering over the shoulders of diners to catch a glimpse of their crusts and sauces.

If you're going to Rome, my best advice for choosing a restaurant is to look at plates, and be prepared to feel fooled from time to time. But, when you find a place that gives you exactly what you're looking for - freshly made pasta, homemade sauces, high quality ingredients, a wood burning pizza oven - don't be afraid to keep going back. I mean, why waste your time on a wild hunt for another pizza/pasta place that's just as good? And, by going back to a little place that you love, you're probably going to find the same host and waitstaff will remember you and your order, making your next experience seem even more local than your first. If you have a short amount of time in Rome, just go immediately to Hostaria Farnese, on a side street between the Campo di'Fiori and Piazza Farnese.

So, here I am back in Chicago really feeling like I'm in the thick of it. First draft of term thesis due Wednesday. AP exams something like 26.5 class days away. Only one more week to test out any pasta or pizza dishes until Passover. While I was most excited to try recreating the amazing pappardelle and ragu dish I had in Rome, I knew there were a few other faster options that didn't require hours of braising. Spaghetti carbonara, cacio e pepe, and a pistachio dessert were all on my list.

So, first up, Spaghetti Carbonara. I really like that Europeans get excited about particular vegetables being in season, and they were definitely excited about artichokes, so I added them to this dish. They are completely optional. Other than that, carbonara is basically a trifecta of perfect ingredients: egg yolks, cheese, and cured meats. While the best quality pecorino and guanciale will make a big difference in flavor, you can certainly pull this off with some standard parmesan and thick cut bacon.

Ingredients (makes two servings):

1/2 lb. spaghetti
2 whole artichokes
1/4 lb. panchetta, guanciale, or pork belly (something cured and unsliced is ideal), cubed
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese (but parmesan will work)
1 tbsp. cream
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. olive oil
fresh ground black pepper
salt

The artichoke is an optional addition to this carbonara. Deal with it first if you are choosing to include it. Here's a brief tutorial on how to peel whole artichoke (although I found looking for YouTube tutorials helpful): 1) snap off all the outer leaves until they become 1/-4 to 1/2 yellow, 2) with a paring knife, peel away the tough outer layer at the base and trim the stem, 3) trim off the top, 4) halve the artichoke, 5) remove the hairy/purple "choke" to leave the center hollow. Soak the halves in a bowl of water with the lemon juice added.

When ready to grill, pat the artichokes dry and coat with the olive oil. Salt, and grill on high heat, turning every few minutes, for 15 minutes total. Alternatively, you could roast, steam, or poach your artichokes for this recipe.

While your artichokes cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and heat up a large pan to start cooking the panchetta. Once hot, add the panchetta to cook for about 10 minutes, until the fat is rendered and the meat is crispy. The rendered fat will become the base of the carbonara, so if you want to discard a teaspoon or two, that's fine. When the artichokes are ready, cut them into large bite-size pieces and add to the pan with the panchetta. Add the pasta to to pot and cook for 3-4 minutes.

When still very al dente, transfer the pasta to the porchetta/artichoke pan without discarding the cooking water. Toss in the panchetta and artichoke, ladling in pasta water until al dente. As it cooks, whisk together the eggs, cream, grated cheese, and pepper to make the carbonara. I added the carbonara by first tempering it a bit - slowly adding in a ladle of the pasta water while stirring quickly. Turn off your heat, and pour the carbonara on to the pasta while stirring. Add any additional pasta water or grated cheese to achieve the consistency you like.

Season with any additional salt and pepper, as well.

Rome

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 00:37:00 +0000

ROME

We had an excellent week in Rome, and there's a lot of food to be written about. As I hoped, Garrett had the best pasta of his life (although we disagree about whether it was the pappardelle con ragu di lepre (rabbit) or the cannelloni al forno...both from the same restaurant between the Campo de'fiori and the Piazza Farnese). We had a few great - no, unmatchable - pizzas, and others that reminded us that Romans can get away with a lot of culinary fraud at the expense of unsuspecting tourists. I've perfected a rather scientific investigatory process for deciding which of the endless options for restaurants will serve up the real deal.

While I'm home with lots of inspiration in the hopper, business as usual is keeping me from the kitchen. The initial draft of my thesis is due Wednesday, and the countdown to AP exams at school has begun. I hope to experiment with a simple spaghetti carbonara this weekend...but we'll see.

Poached Cod, Fennel, and Citrus Salad

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Sun, 16 Mar 2014 21:23:00 +0000

POACHED COD, FENNEL, & CITRUS SALAD

Last week, one of my students said to me: "My greatest fear is that I'll turn 50 and look back and my life and feel like I've done nothing." I told her that was a really good fear.

Bearing in mind that to a 15-year-old being 50 is, like, way old, I think this way of goal-setting is quite healthy. We are taught to set goals for the future, but not to set goals about how we desire to perceive our past in the future. Perhaps we're so future-oriented that we forget that all we have to define our selves is by our past. If we don't take care of our future past (follow along with me), then we're really just going to hate ourselves. As much as we'd like to think so, we don't feel accomplished or any feeling of self-worth for what we haven't yet done. I hate this post because it's reminding me a little bit of that one guy's egotistical Oscar speech...what's his name...Matthew McConaughey (had to Google it), but it's true, and I've been thinking a lot about it.

I guess my big problem is that I never really set any goals - for the future or for the future-looking-back-at-the-past. Sure, from a young age I wanted to be financially stable and intellectually accomplished, but other than that I was trying to keep my head socially-emotionally out of water. So now that I've reached the mile-marker age of 30 I don't really know how to measure how well I've done, but I certainly feel like I'm supposed to be measuring something. Have I reached my intellectual potential? Have I traveled enough to understand (something)? Am I saving enough money? Will my friendships be life-long? Am I a good family member? Will my students go on to save the world like I hope? And most importantly, is this it? Answers range from "kinda-sorta" to "nope."

I approached my brother yesterday about sitting down to look at my financial situation and figure out what to do with the heaps of cash over-paid and under-worked teachers get. I knew I would have to address the dreaded question: what are your goals? And he said something like, "Well, you can't assess whether you're achieving the goals you don't have." I guess that's the "planning" half of financial planning. So, here I am with no clue whether I've done much with my life at all, and no idea what accomplishments I want to look back on when I'm 50.

Except for this: I can now look back at my life and say I made the perfect salad. It's crazy healthy, super easy, but fancy, and is perfectly balanced between sweet and citrusy. I'm not even going to tell you much more about it. But, chances are, if you don't make it then your future self will have major regrets.

Ingredients (makes 2 servings):

2 fresh cod filets
1 fennel bulb with stalks
1 medium-sized sweet citrus fruit of your choice (I used tangelos, but oranges or blood oranges will work)
1.5 tbsp. olive oil
1 lemon juiced
1 tsp. salt

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for poaching your cod. Meanwhile, shave the fennel bulb to the thickness you prefer (1/8 inch thickness or less for a delicate salad). Peel and slice the citrus fruit in the shape you prefer.

Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and 1-2 tbsp. of the fine fennel leaves for the dressing. Toss the shaved fennel and sliced citrus in the dressing.

When the water is boiling, drop in your cod filets to poach for about 4 minutes (but longer if you have large pieces). You'll know when it's done when the fish is delicate and flaky.

Wait for the cod to cool a bit before tossing it gently with the salad. Or, serve the salad on top of the whole filet.

Purim Baklava Hamantaschen

noreply@blogger.com (jenessa) — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 03:46:00 +0000

BAKLAVA HAMANTASCHEN COOKIES

This Sunday Purim festivals will take place across the country, sending millions of bagged goldfish into the hands of irresponsibly giddy children, whilst confusing all the remaining Gentile children about why all these Jewish children with new goldfish are dressing up for Halloween in March. Ah, yes, I have fond memories of the yearly Purim carnival held by my very kosher reform temple built on a lot that was once a BBQ restaurant. I may have dropped out of Hebrew School just shy of my Bat Mitzvah, but I never missed the opportunity to dress up like Queen Esther and win me a bagged goldfish at the Purim carnival.

Purim's a great holiday all around, but the classic hamantasch cookie really elevates its status and makes up for the fact that other Jewish holidays require completely flourless desserts. But, be warned, store-bought hamentaschen (if you're from a place where these exist) are notoriously bad, with this sort of muted sweetness characteristic of all cookies eastern European grandmothers make. The jelly filling is gummy and stringy while the cookie is dry and bland, so it just tastes like its gone way past the sell-by date. Meanwhile, homemade "hammies" offer up endless possibilities for yummy cookie dough combined with any filling your heart desires as long as it's shaped like evil Haman's triangular hat (QUEUE THE NOISEMAKERS). Ok, if you aren't getting all these Purim references you're just going to have to google it.

So, it occurred to me that hamantaschen might be filled with another of my favorite desserts that one might find in Persia - sticky-sweet baklava. It also occurred to me that that this might turn out like a twist on one of my favorite cookies across the board - Russian tea cakes - if I opted for a buttery shortbread cookie dough combined with a nutty filling. I had to add an egg white to the butter/sugar/four dough to make it malleable enough to "triangulate," but this didn't alter the flavor or texture a bit. I'm kind of afraid to do an internet search for "baklava hamantaschen" in fear that millions of others have already thought of this idea, so I won't, and instead I'll keep pretending this was my once-a-month stroke of genius.

I tested two variations of baklava filling, pistachio-almond and hazelnut-almond, preferring the pistachio slightly (although Garrett disagreed). Traditional 'taschen were, of course, in order. If you go that route, which admittedly saves you lots of time, I recommend apricot jam filling.

In completely different news, I'm excited to announce that I had the opportunity to collaborate with the folks behind a new iPad cooking app called SideChef. Their "thing" is offering a great interface for home cooks to try our new recipes with step-by-step instructions (with voice commands for dirty hands) and big, beautiful pictures along the way. I'm honored to be one of their featured bloggers to help them launch. Download it for your iPad in the app store and enter the code JENESSASDINNERS250 for some bonuses.

Shortbread Dough Ingredients (makes about 18 cookies):

1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. salt
drop of almond extract (optional)
1 egg white
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour

Baklava Nut Filling:
Thanks to Oishii Treats for this filling recipe

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (or a cinnamon stick)
pinch of allspice
1 cup toasted, chopped nuts of your choice (I tried both pistachio-almond and hazelnut-almond, but you can also do walnut-almond)
OR you can opt for a traditional filling of fruit jelly/preserves

Make the shortbread dough by first creaming the butter, egg, salt, and almond extract. Sift the flour and sugar together then add to the butter mixture until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready for use.

Meanwhile, prepare the sweet syrup for the baklava filling by combining the honey, sugar, water, lemon juice, and spices in a small pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer to reduce for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Before chopping, toast your combination of nuts in a pan over medium-high heat. This should only take about 4 minutes stirring the nuts regularly. Then chop and combine with the sweet syrup to complete the filling.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 1/8 inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter or cup, cut out 3- to 4-inch rounds and fill with about 1 tsp. of your nut or fruit filling. Fold carefully into triangles on your baking sheet. The cookies won't rise very much, so don't worry about giving them lots of space.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until edges become golden brown. If using a jelly or preserve filling, allow to cool and set on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack to cool completely.