the lushers

meatless monday | white bean ragout with toast

the lushers — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:51:23 +0000

everyone knows that bruschetta is the perfect appetizer. it’s basically a blank slate for any number of delicious toppings. everyone’s super familiar with the old tomatoes & basil standby. we’ve even made a couple varieties here & here.

for this week’s recipe, i wanted to take the this typical starter & elevate it into something meal worthy & the latest issue of bon appetit had just what i had in mind.

WHITE BEAN RAGOUT WITH TOAST
makes 4-6 servings

3 medium onions, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
4 cloves garlic, 3 grated, 1 halved
2 teaspoons tomato paste
4-6 1″ thick slices crusty, rustic bread
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated & divided
2 15oz cans cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
3 cups vegetable broth
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped

in the bowl of a food processor, pulse onions until finely chopped, being careful not to puree. transfer to a medium bowl. do the same with the red bell pepper, then add to the bowl with the onions & mix well.

add the olive oil to a large skillet & heat over medium heat. add the onion mixture (it’s going to splatter) & season with salt & freshly ground pepper. cook, stirring frequently, until the onions & pepper have completely softened, about 30 minutes. add the grated garlic & tomato paste. continue to cook, stirring often, until the tomato paste turns a deep red color, about 3 minutes.

remove half of the mixture (called soffritto) from the pan, saving for another occasion. add the beans to the pan with the remaining soffritto, turning the heat up to medium high. cook, stirring frequently, until everything is heated through. pour in the broth, turn the heat up until the mixture boils, then turn the heat down to a simmer. simmer, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan until the liquid has slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. add the tomatoes & simmer until they are tender. stir in 2 tablespoons of the parmesan & season with salt & pepper.

turn the broiler on to high & position the oven rack to the top. arrange the bread on a sheet pan in a single layer. broil until browned on both sides, flipping once. the edges may get slightly charred.

remove bread from the oven. while it’s still hot, rub the halved garlic over one side of each slice. divide the bread among bowls & spoon bean mixture over the tops. sprinkle with remaining parmesan & chopped parsley. serve.

white bean ragout adapted from bon appetit. bruschetta from chef laura at home for the food matters project.

thanks to laura for hosting this week! head over to her site, linked above, for the full recipe. be sure to check out how everyone else topped their bruschetta at the food matters project!

thirsty thursday | pimm’s cup

the lushers — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:00:30 +0000

when we haven’t been drinking beer, which has been the norm lately, i’ve really been digging the more bitter cocktails…mostly negronis with some other gin concoctions thrown in the mix.

i haven’t quite polished off the most recent bottle of campari, so i don’t know what possessed me to add another bottle of not so versatile liquor to our ~~overflowing~~ well stocked bar, but i had read something about pimm’s somewhere & wanted to try it. so, it came home with us.

the first time we tried it, we just mixed it with sprite like the back of the bottle suggests. the herbaceousness of the pimm’s is pretty in your face, but it was fine. nothing great. i wasn’t overly thrilled with my purchase.

then i came across a recipe for the pimm’s cup cocktail, which is essentially just the sprite & pimm’s mixture with a whole bunch of fruit thrown in. like a pimm’s sangria. we just so happened to have the strawberries, oranges, lemons, apples & cucumbers the recipe called for, so we mixed up a pitcher.

what a difference!

the pimm’s herbaceousness is still there, but it plays much nicer with the lightly muddled fruit flavors swirling around in the glass & the cucumber adds just enough crispness to make this a perfect warm weather cocktail.

PIMM’S CUP
makes 8 servings

1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
16 strawberries, thinly sliced
1 orange, thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 granny smith apple, cored & thinly sliced
2 cups pimm’s no.1 cup
6 cups sprite, 7-up, or other lemon lime soda
mint, for garnish
ice, for serving

layer sliced fruit in the bottom of a large pitcher. pour pimm’s & soda over top & gently stir together with a wooden spoon.

pour into ice filled glasses, being sure to get fruit in each glass. garnish with mint & enjoy.

from serious eats

meatless monday | black bean cakes with corn salsa & avocado cream

the lushers — Tue, 08 May 2012 03:18:28 +0000

a great salsa has the ability to kick a dish up a few notches & that’s exactly the premise of this week’s food matters project recipe. with a simple fruit {or vegetable}-herb-acid combination, you’ll easily have an endless variety of salsas at your fingertips.

we took this week”s original salsa recipe & swapped out the tomatoes for corn. we added just a few splashes of jalapeño white balsamic vinegar {a regular white balsamic or white wine vinegar would do the trick, too} to make up for the lost tomato juices & give it just a bit more acidity, without being overly citrusy.

the corn was a welcome addition to these black bean patties. we enjoyed them as pictured above, with heaping scoops of corn salsa & a drizzle of avocado cream, but i can imagine that they would be equally as delicious with a slice of pepperjack cheese on a burger bun.

BLACK BEAN PATTIES
makes 12-16 patties

2 15oz cans black beans, drained & rinsed, divided
2 roasted red bell peppers, finely chopped & divided
2 eggs
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 chipotle in adobo, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1/2-2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs, plus more, if necessary
salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
vegetable oil, for cooking

CORN SALSA
makes about 2 cups

2 cups roasted or grilled corn
1/2 large white onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded & minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
a few splashes white balsamic or white wine vinegar
salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

AVOCADO CREAM
makes about 1 cup

1 avocado, pitted & roughly chopped
1/4 cup sour cream (low fat is fine)
1/4 cup greek yogurt (low fat or fat free is fine)
1 lime, juiced
salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

place half of the black beans in the bowl of a food processor with 1 of the roasted red peppers, the eggs, oregano, cumin & chipotle. pulse until smooth.

in a large bowl, roughly mash the rest of the beans. fold in the remaining roasted red peppers, onion & pureed bean mixture. season with salt & pepper. mix in the panko, a little at a time, until the mixture firms up. chill for at least 30 minutes.

while the patty mixture is chilling, put together the corn salsa. combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl, season with salt & pepper to taste & set aside until the patties are ready.

also while the patty mixture chills, make the avocado cream. combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor & blend until smooth.

after 30 minutes, form the bean mixture into patties about 3-3 1/2 inches in diameter.

heat a few tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. add the patties, being careful not to overcrowd the pan, & cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until they are brown & have completely firmed up. serve with corn salsa & avocado cream.

black bean patties & avocado cream adapted from annie’s eats. corn salsa recipe from the food matters cookbook. visit BIG EATS…tiny kitchen for the original recipe & as always head over to the food matters project to see the endless variations on this week’s choice!

meatless monday | roasted asparagus & white bean soup

the lushers — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:57:32 +0000

i realize that a lot of the fun with the food matters project is checking in to see all the creative ways the other participants tweak & personalize each week’s recipe, but when it sounds so good as written, sometimes it’s ok to leave well enough alone.

we don’t always do that, but it was the right choice with this week’s recipe.

this soup combines some of the wonderful flavors of spring like asparagus & leeks & puts them together with a base of white beans & potatoes, which when pureed, create a rich, guilt free, creaminess. the asparagus gets roasted, our all time favorite way to eat it & the leeks are sautéed in white wine, which truly does something magical to their mild onion flavor. the sprinkling of shaved parmesan adds a welcome salty bite.

we devoured it with large, crusty slices of whole foods’s parmesan black pepper bread.

for the full recipe, be sure to visit Adrienneats & for the full round up of everyone else’s variations, head over to the food matters project.

real whole wheat bread

the lushers — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:23:39 +0000

i know there’s a lot of people out there that fear yeast. i don’t necessarily fear it. i’ll try anything in the kitchen, really…hell, i tried spinning sugar when i was thirteen years old, after i had seen it being done on tv. i find yeast more of a pain in the ass than anything, with the proofing, the kneading, the waiting.

& wiping all the flour off the counter. i really hate that part. it always makes such a mess.

this week’s food matters project recipe was quite possibly the easiest yeast bread ever.

stir, wait, pour, wait, bake. that’s it.

the recipe is prefaced with mark bittman stating that this bread is not the “whole wheat” bread you’re accustomed to buying at the grocery store & that was definitely the case. the flavor was great, but it was very, very dense, almost like the inside was wet?

anyhow, we sliced it thin & used it for grilled cheese. the sandwiches didn’t toast up as well as we’re used to, but the bread really did taste good.

overall, we didn’t dislike this week’s recipe, but will probably tweak it a little bit for next time…the technique’s way too easy not to try it again. i’m thinking spelt!

to see what everyone else created with their whole wheat bread, head over to the food matters project. for the full recipe for both real whole wheat bread & mostly whole wheat baguettes visit melissa at the faux martha.

thirsty thursday | ferrari-carano bella luce

the lushers — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:00:59 +0000

the other night, tom & i sat down at the bar of a local restaurant. i ordered a sauvignon blanc & really relished that first sip. the evening sun was hot on our skin as we walked in & as i drank that wine, i thought to myself, “white wine season is here,”.

not that we ever stopped drinking whites during the cooler months, it’s just that when there’s a chill in the air, the tannic reds & big zins just warm your soul. now that things are warming up, there’s something very refreshing about crisp, acidic flavors.

this is one of our favorites under $20.

a blend of several white grape varieties like chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, gewürztraminer, viognier & more, this wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks to maintain its bright fruit flavors.

the ferrari-carano winery was one of our first stops on our honeymoon, although we didn’t taste this wine then. we sampled some at a tasting once we got back home & it’s been an everyday staple of ours ever since.

meatless monday | no work, mostly whole wheat pizza

the lushers — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:05:41 +0000

pizza is a food that we usually order out for, unless there’s a certain topping combination that we know we can only get if we do it ourselves. even then, we typically cheat & buy our dough somewhere, instead of making it.

we’ve just never really found a recipe for dough that we’ve loved enough to dedicate the time to make it from scratch.

this week’s food matters project recipe may have changed that.

it’s based on jim lahey’s no knead method, which is awesome, because you mix up all the ingredients & then just leave it alone for 6-10 hours. then when it’s time to bake, you simply turn the dough over in the bowl a few times. it really couldn’t be easier.

for this pizza, we skipped the pizza stone & opted for a well greased cast iron skillet because the dough stays pretty sticky. we topped it with a few tablespoons of basil pesto that we had stashed in the freezer, shredded mozzarella, sautéed mushrooms, a handful of baby spinach leaves, a sprinkling of feta & a few strategically placed pickled jalapeños… just like my favorite magical mystery tour from mellow mushroom. the end result was a perfectly done pizza with a crisp bottom & edges, chewy interior & all of our favorite toppings.

this recipe made enough dough for 2 pizzas made in a 12″ cast iron skillet. thanks to niki for choosing this awesome recipe! be sure to check out her blog, salt & pepper, for the full recipe & the food matters project for the all of the amazing topping possibilities.

dark chocolate salted caramel cake

the lushers — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:00:28 +0000

tom is now the big 3-0.

we kissed his twenties goodbye with a roaring twenties cocktail party, complete with flapper dresses & pearls, suits & hats, dim lighting, jazz music, simple hors d’oeuvres, martinis, negronis, manhattans….& cake.

tom always requests a chocolate cake for his birthday, but a special birthday deserves a special cake. plus also, i hadn’t baked anything in a while & was up for a challenge.

i deemed this cake a challenge because a) the filling is a salted caramel swiss meringue buttercream. my last SMBC turned into a soupy mess & wouldn’t come back. b) i excel at burning sugar that’s meant for caramel. c) i’ve never frosted a decent looking cake. i end up mad & frustrated & resigning myself to only piping frosting on cupcakes, so i was going to try my first ever crumb coat to see if that really makes a difference.

the night before the party, i baked up the cake layers, which really posed no problem whatsoever. it was all the other components i was nervous about.

so, on party day, first things first, i poured myself some wine.

next, i wiped everything that would come in contact with the filling (pots, bowls, mixer attachments, spatulas…) down with white vinegar. after extensive ~~googling~~ research, i read that just the slightest hint of oil will send a swiss meringue buttercream to the point of no return. that may have been the demise of my last one. i was taking no chances this time.

then i got to work.

the caramel came together without incident. mostly. i may have been standing in the kitchen, watching tv , waiting for the sugar to heat up, while the burner under the pan wasn’t even turned on. but once things did come up to a boil, i watched that pan like a hawk, making sure the sugar didn’t go a scoach beyond a perfect deep amber color.

the vinegar must have worked, because the SMBC came together beautifully. the crumb coat wasn’t even as daunting as i expected. i even managed to decently ice the whole cake, so i think i will be crumb coating from now on. a sprinkling of fleur de sel on top & I DECLARE A SUCCESS!!

DARK CHOCOLATE SALTED CARAMEL CAKE
makes 1 huge, three layer, 9 inch cake

DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE
3 cups all purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups dark cocoa powder
3 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cup strongly brewed coffee
4 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
4 teaspoons vanilla extract

SALTED CARAMEL SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM FILLING
1 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup heavy cream
hefty pinch sea salt, like flour de del
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

DARK CHOCOLATE FUDGE FROSTING
12oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened dutch process cocoa powder
1/4 cup very hot water
1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons (2 sticks & 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup, plus 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar
pinch of salt

to bake the cakes, preheat oven to 350°. grease 3 9 inch cake pans & dust with cocoa powder. tap out excess cocoa powder.

in the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder & salt. attach the paddle mixer & add vegetable oil, buttermilk, coffee, eggs & vanilla. turn mixer on to medium & mix for 2 minutes. pour evenly into the three prepared pans. tap a few times on the counter to get out excess air bubbles.

bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating periodically, until a toothpick comes out clean. let the cakes cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then carefully flip them out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

for the filling, place 1/2 cup & 2 tablespoons sugar in a medium saucepan. add the water. bring to a boil over medium heat. once bubbling, stop stirring & do. not. take. your. eyes. off. it. every now & then, swirl the liquid around the pan, until it turns a deep amber color. remove from heat & slowly whisk in the cream & salt. set aside & let cool.

in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, whisk together egg whites & remaining sugar. heat, continuing to whisk, until the mixture reaches 160° & the sugar is completely dissolved.

pour the egg white mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. beat on medium high, while the mixture cools, until stiff peaks form, about 8-10 minutes. reduce the speed to medium & toss in the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition is incorporated. if the frosting ever looks curdled, soupy & generally gross, bump the speed back up to medium high & beat until it comes back around. it may take awhile, but it will. with the mixer on medium, slowly drizzle in the salted caramel sauce & mix until completely combined.

for the frosting, set up another heatproof bowl over simmering water. add the chopped chocolate & stir until completely smooth. set aside & let cool to room temperature.

in a small, separate bowl, whisk together cocoa powder & water until smooth.

in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, confectioner’s sugar, & salt. beat on medium high, until light & fluffy, around 5 minutes. turn the speed down to low & drizzle in the melted chocolate until combined. slowly pour in the the water & cocoa powder mixture & continue mixing until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl, if necessary.

to assemble the cake, level the layers, if needed. place one cake on a cake board or serving platter. add half of the salted caramel swiss meringue buttercream filling & smooth out into a nice, thick layer. place a second cake on top. add the remaining filling & smooth into an even layer. top with final cake.

using an offset spatula, smooth one very thin layer of dark chocolate fudge buttercream over the assembled cake. it will be full of crumbs & the cake should still be visible through the layer. let this layer dry until it’s no longer sticky to the touch. clean off the spatula & frost the cake with the remaining frosting. sprinkle sea salt over top & serve.

cake adapted from sweetapolita, filling & frosting from annie’s eats

cassoulet with lots of vegetables

the lushers — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 01:00:32 +0000

this was another winning recipe from the food matters project.

cassoulet is a traditionally french dish, made up of beans & meat, slow cooked for hours & hours & hours. mark bittman’s food matters version lightens the dish up, using just a pound of meat for the entire dish, but adds other veggies, like zucchini, to the mix to make this a well rounded one pot meal. swapping in canned beans makes this dish a weeknight reality.

the recipe makes 6 generous servings, which we thoroughly enjoyed once for dinner with a loaf of crusty bread & for lunches for the rest of the week.

we stuck to the original recipe again this week, especially since neither of us has ever had, let alone made, cassoulet. we used a mix of turkey sausage & andouille, since our store was out of regular pork sausage.

for the full recipe {& a giveaway!} check out keely marie. to see the creative spins other food matters project members put on this recipe look here.

vegetables au vin with coq

the lushers — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:34:43 +0000

this week’s food matters project recipe was chosen by eve & sam of fifth floor kitchen. it’s a twist on traditional coq au vin, nutritionally beefed up with more veggies than the classic dish.

this time, we didn’t stray from the original recipe for this one. & while we both really liked it {i especially loved the eggplant}, it definitely would have benefitted from being served over garlic mashed potatoes, or with a nice chunk of crusty bread…something to soak up all the rice sauce.

be sure to visit fifth floor kitchen for the full recipe & the food matters project to see what everyone else thought about this week’s choice.