Cordon Blog

Jane's Corn Casserole

2006-12-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

1 can cream corn
1 can whole corn (water drained off)
1 container light sour cream (8oz)
1/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 package Jiffy corn muffin mix
4oz. grated cheddar cheese

Combine corn, sour cream, butter, eggs and muffin mix in casserole dish. Place in preheated oven at 350 for 45-60 minutes. Shake to see if it is fully cooked -- bake until middle is baked. Add grated cheddar cheese on top.

Fava Bean Puree on Crostini

2006-05-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

(Serves 4-8 as an appetizer)

About 3-4 lbs. fava beans, in pods
1 shallot
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt
1 sweet baguette

Remove the fava beans from the pods. Clean the tough outer skin off each bean. Chop shallot. Saute shallot in skillet with oil over medium heat, until tender. Add the fava beans and continue cooking for another 8-10 minutes. Salt to taste. Remove fava and onion mixture from heat. Blend the mixture in a food processor until pureed, adding water 1 teaspoon at a time as needed. Serve at room temperature like a tapenade, on sliced baguette or on toasted crostini. Puree may be kept up to 3 days in refrigerator.

Sagaponac Corn Pudding

2005-12-18T12:32:00.000-08:00

(Serves 8-10)

About 5 cups corn kernels (7 ears, cleaned)
1 stick unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
4 extra-large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 tbsp. fresh chopped basil
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. ground black pepper
3/4 cup plus 1/4 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 10 cup baking dish with stick of butter.

Melt remaining stick of butter in large saucepan. Add corn and onion. Saute at medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl mix eggs, milk, and half-and-half. Whisk in corn meal, ricotta cheese, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper until mixture is consistent. Mix in corn and onion. Mix in 3/4 cup cheddar cheese.

Pour the entire mixture into buttered baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Set baking dish into larger baking dish. Fill larger baking dish with warm tap water such that the water level reaches about halfway up the level of the corn mixture. Bake dish 40-45 minutes, or until browned and a knife can be inserted and withdrawn cleanly.

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The only special requirement for this dish is having a baking dish larger than the main baking dish, to serve as a water bath. A normal 9x13 glass baking dish is plenty large for the inner baking dish. A deeper dish will work fine too.

This makes a lot of corn, but it is an extremely durable leftover. Even a week later it doesn't seem to suffer much from storage in the refrigerator.

Tuscan White Bean and Potato Soup

2005-11-01T11:35:00.000-08:00

(Serves 4)

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion
5 garlic cloves
1 large potato
1 can (14-15 oz.) white cannellini beans
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, chopped or crushed
5 cups (40 oz.) chicken stock
1 tsp. sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
2 tbsp. butter

Heat olive oil in soup pot over medium heat. Chop onions and garlic, saute in olive oil for 6 minutes until soft. Cube potato and add to pot. Add beans, stock, rosemary, salt, pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes. Add butter and stir in until melted. Blend soup mixture in blender in small batches, transferring soup to serving tureen when finished.

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This is amazingly easy and surprisingly flavorful for how little work and how few ingredients are involved. Start to finish the entire soup should take no longer than 45 minutes, with ample time to prepare a salad or other dish on the side.

As with most soups, high quality chicken stock will enhance the final mixture.

Be careful when blending hot soup. Hot liquids are surprisingly active in the blender. I would highly recommend not filling the blender more than 1/3 to 1/2 maximum capacity at a time, manually pulsing the blades carefully until the larger chunks have been pureed.

Blackberry Buttermilk Panna Cottas

2005-04-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

For Blackberry Syrup:
1/4 cup blackberry jam¹
1 tbsp water

Heat jam and water in a small saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, until jam is dissolved. Pour mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids.

For Panna Cottas:
3/4 lb blackberries (about 3 cups)²
1 1/4 cups well-shaken buttermilk³
2 3/4 tsp unflavored gelatin (from two 1/4-oz envelopes)
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp blackberry syrup (see recipe above)

Puree blackberries with buttermilk in a blender until very smooth, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on and then discarding solids. Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl and let stand a few minutes to soften. While gelatin softens, heat cream and sugar in a saucepan over moderate heat until hot, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add gelatin mixture, stirring until dissolved. Stir cream mixture and syrup into blackberry puree, then pour through cleaned sieve into a bowl. Pour mixture into molds⁴ and chill, covered, until firm, at least 8 hours.

For Compote:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup creme de cassis
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 lb blackberries (about 2 cups)²

Boil water, creme de cassis, and sugar in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, until syrupy and reduced to about 1/3 cup, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, then pour syrup over blackberries and gently stir to combine.

To serve panna cottas⁵, run a thin knife along edge of molds to loosen if necessary and dip molds in a small bowl of warm water 5 to 10 seconds, then invert panna cottas onto plates and gently lift off molds. Spoon berries and syrup over and around each panna cotta.

Notes:

Trader Joe's sells a nice seedless blackberry preserves which is delicious and makes de-seeding virtually unnecessary.
Fresh blackberries are preferred, of course, but frozen blackberries work just fine.
Buttermilk is usually sold as lowfat buttermilk, and that works just fine.
Ceramic (non-reactive) ramekins make fine molds. A muffin tin is not suitable.
Panna cottas can be made a day in advance and kept covered and refrigerated until needed. Compote can be made same-day and kept covered at room temperature until needed.

Jane's Kentucky Bourbon Balls

2005-01-01T14:20:00.000-08:00

(Makes 36 balls)

1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tbsp. light Karo syrup
1/4 cup Bourbon whiskey
1 cup finely chopped pecans
Unsweetened cocoa powder and powdered sugar, for final coating

Combine crumbs, sugar, cocoa powder, syrup, and Bourbon in blender. Blend until thoroughly mixed. Stir in pecans with a spoon.

Roll tablespoons of the mixture to form truffle-sized balls. Roll balls in cocoa to coat. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just prior to serving.

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The balls may be stored in an airtight tin and refrigerated or frozen.

Grandma's Walnut Brownies

2004-12-31T15:26:00.000-08:00

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter
2 squares unsweeteneed baking chocolate (about 2 oz.)
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped walnut pieces
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat.

In a large mixing bowl, mix sugar and eggs. Add melted chocolate and butter. Mix well. Add flour and salt. Beat well. Stir in walnuts and vanilla.

Grease an 8" x 8" baking pan. Pour brownie batter into pan. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes, or until brownies pass the "toothpick test".

Garlic Scallops with Creamed Leeks

2004-12-29T13:00:00.000-08:00

(Serves 4)

12 large scallops, cut in half, washed and dried
4 tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup cream
1 tbsp. chopped parsley

Brown butter in skillet on medium heat. Add scallops, cook until lightly brown on one side, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic. Stir to distribute garlic evenly. Flip scallops and lightly brown the other side, about 2-3 minutes. Add cream. Reduce heat to low and allow cream sauce to thicken, about 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately over a bed of leeks (below). Garnish with parsley.

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Creamed leeks

6 leeks, chopped, washed and dried
3 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup cream
salt to taste

Heat button on medium heat until melted, but stop short of browning. Add leeks. Stir well, coating all leeks in butter. Add salt. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes until leeks are soft. Add cream and continue heating for 3-4 minutes until cream thickens slightly. Serve.

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Cut scallops along the circumference, so that all pieces are wheel-shaped. It is important to dry the scallops as much as possible, because water-retention makes for tough scallops.

When cleaning leeks, feel free to omit some of the green ends which are hard or otherwise undesirable.

Seared Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin Medallions

2004-12-24T15:46:00.000-08:00

(Serves 8)

3-4 whole pork tenderloins (about 4-5 lbs. total)
1 lb. bacon strips
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. Lawrey's seasoned salt
wooden toothpicks

Combine onion powder, thyme, oregano, seasoned salt, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Rub a fine layer of mixed powder into the pork tenderloins until the surface of the meat is covered in dried rub. Refrigerate for one hour.

Heat a large flat, dry skillet on stovetop. When the skillet is as hot as possible, sear each pork tenderloin quickly, about 1-2 minutes total, turning them to sear evenly. Remove from skillet immediately.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap tenderloins with strips of bacon around the circumference of the meat. Use toothpicks to hold the bacon strips in place. Insert a meat thermometer into one end of the largest tenderloin. Place meat on a broiling pan. Put tenderloins into broiler.

Remove pork from broiler when thermometer reaches 140 degrees. Remove bacon strips and toothpicks and set aside or discard. Immediately wrap each tenderloin completely in tin foil. Set aside for 5 minutes at room temperature or 10 minutes in a warming oven. (If desired, tenderloins can be held for up to 30 minutes in a warming oven as long as they remain wrapped in tin foil.) Pre-warm serving plates in warming oven.

Unwrap pork. Slice off rounds ("medallions") of pork, 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Serve immediately on pre-warmed plates.

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Make sure to purchase pork tenderloin, not simply pork loin.

Pork tenderloin is a very lean meat. Searing the meat in the dried rub, contrary to popular belief, does not really help to keep the meat moist, but it does help set the flavors into the meat. Wrapping the meat in bacon strips helps to keep fat and moisture in the meat while broiling, even though in the end the bacon is just discarded.

(Actually, you can eat the bacon too. Or you can refrigerate it, to using in making pork tenderloin and bacon sandwiches with the leftovers - yum.)

The juices from the pork and bacon may be saved and used in a reduction sauce to accompany the pork tenderloin.

Lemon and Caper Chicken

2004-12-18T13:35:00.000-08:00

(Serves 2-4)

4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 soft ripe lemon (preferably Meyer lemon)
1/2 cup large stemmed capers in vinegar (10-20 capers)
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 ounce triple sec liquor
1 shallot
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
splash of white wine

Slice the lemon crosswise into round "wheels", making each as thin as possible. Remove all seeds. Mix the soy sauce, triple sec, cumin powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Soak the lemon wheels in the soy mixture and set aside for later use.

Preheat a large covered cooking pan, to medium heat. Dice shallot. Mince garlic cloves. Melt butter in cooking pan. Add diced shallot and then a few minutes later add minced garlic to buttered pan. Cook shallot and garlic until golden brown.

Add chicken breasts to cooking pan. Add lemon and soy mixture, making sure chicken gets soaked with soy. Add olive oil and black pepper. Splash dish with white wine, cover, and apply medium-high heat. Keep dish covered while cooking. After 5 minutes add capers. (Drain vinegar before adding.) Turn chicken occasionally, keeping moist. If dish gets too dry, add another teaspoon of olive oil, as necessary. Serve immediately when chicken is cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.

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Keep the chicken breasts thin. The thicker the chicken breast, the longer it will take to cook, and unfortunately the drier the chicken breast will become as a result of the triple sec and wine. Keep chicken breasts covered during cooking.

Lemons should be kept thin also, the thinner the better. It is best to select a soft, ripe lemon with a thin rind. Meyer lemons have exceptionally high sugar content and are ideal for this dish.

The best capers are large whole pickled capers, often Spanish in origin. The are about the size of a large thumbnail and have a long stem. If large capers aren't available, use the smaller variety (about the size of a pinky nail or smaller) but use 1/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup. Most supermarkets stock jars of capers near their traditional cucumber pickles or in the imported foods section. In the East Bay, you can find large capers at Monterey Market.

Tandoori Chicken

2004-12-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

(Serves 4-6)

12 assorted chicken parts (with bone in)
1 cup plain yogurt or 2 cups buttermilk
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. ginger powder
2 tbsp. coriander powder
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. cumin powder
1/2 tbsp. garam masala
2 tbsp. salt (use less salt if using chicken tenderizer)
1 red onion
1 lemon

Start with a bowl large enough to hold all the chicken pieces. Add the yogurt plus one-cup water or the buttermilk with no water into the bowl. Add cayenne powder, ginger, coriander, garlic, cumin, garam masala, and salt. Mix well.

Remove skin from all chicken pieces. Prick all chicken pieces liberally with a fork. Add the chicken pieces into the mixture, making sure all are covered with the sauce. Cover the bowl with a lid and let it stand for 1-24 hours, the longer the better. (If you plan to marinade for 4 or more hours, put it in the refrigerator.)

Grill chicken. After cooking, squeeze lemon juice over chicken. Serve with sliced red onion.

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The whole point if this recipe is to be able to make tandoori chicken without actually owning a tandoor. Because I'm not sure I know anyone who owns one. And I certainly don't.

It actually tastes pretty damn authentic in the end.

The 2 tablespoons of salt seem like way too much the first time you are making this recipe. But in fact, it all kind of disappears into a murky, mystical tandooriness.

Aromatic Baked Figs

2004-12-17T14:04:00.001-08:00

(Serves 2-4)

12 fresh black figs
Juice of 2 oranges
1/2 cup red wine
2 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
1/2 pinch of grated nutmeg
Honey

Cut the figs almost as if you were going to quarter them, but stop short of the base. Place in an ovensafe dish.

Slowly heat the juice of oranges, red wine, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add honey to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes, then pour over the figs.

Bake figs and sauce at 350 for 10 minutes. Serve at room temperature sprinkled with pomegranate seeds or toasted almonds.

This recipe was gleaned from Jan's Nobel Project.

Panko-Crusted Goat Cheese with Tomato and Asparagus Salad

2004-12-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

(Serves 4)

1/2 pound jumbo asparagus (8 to 10 spears), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces on the diagonal
One 10- to 11-ounce log of mild goat cheese
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs, available at Asian markets)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup baby arugula or watercress
2 small ripe tomatoes, sliced (8 pieces)
1 recipe Balsamic Vinaigrette (below)

Blanch the asparagus pieces by immersing them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Plunge the drained pieces into a bowl of ice water and allow to chill. The asparagus can be prepared in advance and refrigerated.

Slice the goat cheese into 8 pieces, dipping the knife into hot water between cuts to make neat slices. Set them on a plate.

Use 3 separate bowls to hold the flour, eggs, and panko. Coat the goat cheese in the flour and shake off any excess flour. Dip each slice into the eggs and then into the panko. Gently place each on a plate. Refrigerate until ready to fry.

Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the slices to the hot oil and fry until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Turn and brown on the other side. Remove the slices and drain on a stack of paper towels. (This step can be done in advance; the cheese can be held in a warm oven until ready to serve.)

Divide the arugula or watercress among 4 chilled plates. Top each with 2 tomato slices and some asparagus pieces. Spoon the vinaigrette, including the garlic slivers, over all. Place 2 pieces of warm goat cheese atop the vegetables.

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Balsamic Vinaigrette
(Makes 2/3 cup)

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper

Combine the garlic and oil in a small heat-proof glass bowl and cover with a paper towel or plate. Microwave on high for 1 minute. (This will mellow the sharpness of the garlic.) Whisk in the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate the dressing in a sealed jar.

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I've made this at least a half-dozen times now, and there are never any complaints. It's a bit of work, and it can complicate a meal of you're also cooking other things at the same time. But it sure is a winner.

I got this recipe from the excellent cookbook Cooking From The Heart.

Marinated Salmon Steaks

2004-12-16T14:28:00.000-08:00

(Serves 2-4, as desired)

2-4 salmon steaks
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. white sugar
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. mustard powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground black pepper

Combine all liquid and powder ingredients, mixing well to dissolve powders in liquids. Place salmon with marinade sauce in non-reactive baking dish. Let stand for 30 minutes or more. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

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This dish is so simple it's ridiculous, and it's also utterly foolproof.

The salmon really will soak up some of the marinade, and the longer it sits before cooking, the better. I would recommend no less than an hour, turning the fish over at least once in the process.

If you want to be fancy you can lay a couple of whole leaves of fresh tarragon across the top of the salmon before baking, making sure the leaves get soaked in the marinade so they don't get crispy while baking. Mmmmm....

I swiped this recipe from Cooking For Engineers, which I recommend visiting, if you've never done so.

Ricotta-Stuffed Bell Peppers

2004-12-16T14:25:00.000-08:00

(Serves 4)

4 bell peppers, any color
4 shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
6 anchovy fillets, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper
2 oz. black olives, chopped
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 tbsp. capers
About 15 leaves fresh basil, chopped

Gently fry shallots, garlic, anchovy fillets with salt and pepper in olive oil, until the anchovies melt. Set aside to cool.

Pit and chop black olives, then mix with ricotta cheese, tomatoes, capers and basil. Combine with shallot mixture.

Stuff peppers and place in an oiled baking dish. Drizzle well with olive oil and bake for 30-40 minutes at 400 degress, or until the peppers start to wrinkle and blister.

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What I've discovered with this dish as specified above is that it really needs some sort of breadiness to hold it together. Next time I make it I think I need to substitute some sourdough bread chunks in place of some of the ricotta. Delicious combination of flavors, though. Much potential.

I found the original recipe over on Jan's Nobel Project.

Broccoli Braised with Anchovy and Garlic

2004-12-16T14:17:00.000-08:00

(Serves 4)

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 anchovy fillets
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 lbs. broccoli, stalks removed
Sea salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Heat olive oil to medium. Saute garlic for a minute. Add anchovies and red pepper, mashing anchovies with fork until they melt into the oil, and saute for another minute.

Add broccoli and salt to taste. Toss until covered with sauce. Reduce heat to low, add 1 tbsp. water, and cover pan. Simmer for about 8 minutes. Squeeze lemon over broccoli and serve.

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This is a delicious twist on broccoli. The anchovy adds saltiness with character, while the lemon adds an acidic balance.

First Post

2004-12-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

The purpose of this blog is to create a place where I can store my favorite recipes while also sharing them with my friends and family. I have a backlog of recipes to share here, so at first I expect to be posting with an unnatural frenzy. Expect this to taper off over time.

Most of the recipes here are pre-filtered to be very Patrick-like. Which is to say they are pretty easy to make, have a low probability of failure, and don't require too many ingredients that cannot be found at your local corner store. A few will violate one or more of these heuristics, but I'll try to be as helpful as possible in smoothing out the learning curve.

This is all in my own self-interest, of course, which is also very Patrick-like. (I'm known for making something yummy once or twice and then being unable to reproduce it six months later when Susanna will ask me to, you know, make that thing you made once with the garlic and the veggies, etc.)