Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
Just Goofing Around in Las Vegas
We got in the mail today a disc of photos from Eddie's Scottish friend, Liz, taken in the spring. Here are a few.
At the Fashion Show Center
At Red Rocks Canyon
Fremont Street Experience
Main Street Station Buffet
World's Largest Souvenir Store, The Strip @ Sahara
At The Venetian
At the Fashion Show Center
At Red Rocks Canyon
Fremont Street Experience
Main Street Station Buffet
World's Largest Souvenir Store, The Strip @ Sahara
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Orange Jubilee
Came across a really cool site the other day, Hillbilly Housewife, and she's got a lot of great recipes by categories, including this one for an Orange Julius copycat. I made this with the optional egg, and it added a lot of body and creaminess. I'm sipping on my first glassful as I type this, and I'll save the rest for an afternoon pick-me-up. I wonder how this would be with frozen tangerine concentrate or other citrus flavors? Hmmmm! Gotta try that soon.
Thanks, Maggie, for the great recipe!
Thanks, Maggie, for the great recipe!
- 3/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
- 2 cups milk
- 1 medium egg (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 12 ice cubes
- a strong blender
In a blender container, combine the orange juice concentrate, milk, egg (if you are using it), vanilla and sugar. Put the lid on the blender and whirl it at top speed for about 30 seconds. While the blender is running, drop in the ice cubes one at a time. Continue whirling until the ice is well chopped.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Rosh Hashannah Honey Cake
I've had this recipe in my "to try" list for about a year, and since it's now Jewish New Year time again, I gave it a try yesterday. This is an easy recipe to throw together, especially if you get all the ingredients and bowls out so you can just go down the line and get it done quickly. The 9 x 13 pan size is large, so I gave a nice chunk to friends. This recipe came from the Chicago Jewish Times Online site. Honey cake is great, so don't shy away if you're not Jewish. Try it; you'll like it!
Classic Honey Cake
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon instant coffee
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup oil
1 cup honey
Zest of one orange
2 tablespoons any whiskey
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda and set aside. Mix the instant coffee with the water and blend in the oil, honey, orange zest and whiskey. In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy; gradually add sugar and beat until light. Add to the honey mixture. Combine flour mixture alternately with honey mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Stir in walnuts. Pour batter into an oiled and waxed paper- lined 13- x 9- x 2-inch baking pan (Pam’d the pan; lined bottom w parchment paper) . Bake for about 50 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick. If toothpick comes out clean and dry cake is done. If moist, keep baking until toothpick comes out clean. ***Turn cake upside down onto a wire rack. Cool. Peel off waxed paper and wrap in aluminum foil to keep fresh. Serves 8 to 10.
*** Cooled in pan on a rack about 30 minutes until cake was just warm. Flipped out of pan onto cooling rack, left paper on, then flipped rightside up on another rack to finish cooling.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Roasted Corn Chowder from Karina, the Gluten Free Goddess
Love that freezer. I pulled out some bags of deli-prepped veggies left over from a cocktail party we threw in May and made a fantastic batch of vegetarian stock. It was full of whole tomatoes, carrots, celery, red bell peppers and garlic, for starters. In addition, there was a bag of grilled veggies, such as eggplant and zucchini, which imparted a nice smokiness to the stock.
I came across Karina's recipe for this chowder and decided to give it a try. (Do check out her site; she's an awesome food stylist and photographer) The only modifications I made were: I used about 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder to tame the heat a bit; used a bag of Trader Joe's frozen fire-roasted corn; and served the chowder with chunky bits of avocado.
I had intended on freezing the remainder after the first night, but it was just too good and I finished the last bit for lunch today. It makes a very large batch, probably about 8 to 10 servings. Alongside were squares of freshly made cornbread, which was so nice and moist that no spread or toppings were needed.
Roasted Corn Chowder
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry powder or paste, mild or hot
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder, or to taste
5 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, diced
3 ears of fresh corn, roasted, kernels removed
1 large sweet potato, peeled, diced
1 large gold potato, peeled, diced
1 14-oz can fire roasted tomatoes, diced
2-3 tomatillos, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped
4 oz. chopped roasted green chiles (mild or hot)
1 quart vegetable broth
1 14-oz can coconut milk
1 14-oz. can pinto beans or chick peas
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
Pinch of organic brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
Fresh lime juice from 1 to 2 limes
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and stir in the cumin, curry and chipotle; cook for one minute to infuse the oil with spice. Add the chopped garlic and onion. Stir and cook for five minutes.
Add the roasted corn, sweet potato, canned tomatoes, tomatillo, fresh tomatoes, green chiles and stir for a minute. Add in the broth. Cover and bring to a high simmer. Lower the heat and simmer gently, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about twenty minutes or so.
Add the coconut milk and beans. Stir and season with sea salt and ground pepper; and add a pinch of brown sugar, to taste. Heat through gently; do not boil.
Just before serving, add the chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice. Stir. Taste test. Adjust seasoning. The lime juice brightens the taste and accents the spice.
Garnish with a lime wedge and pass out the spoons. Slurp!
Serves 6-8.
I came across Karina's recipe for this chowder and decided to give it a try. (Do check out her site; she's an awesome food stylist and photographer) The only modifications I made were: I used about 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder to tame the heat a bit; used a bag of Trader Joe's frozen fire-roasted corn; and served the chowder with chunky bits of avocado.
I had intended on freezing the remainder after the first night, but it was just too good and I finished the last bit for lunch today. It makes a very large batch, probably about 8 to 10 servings. Alongside were squares of freshly made cornbread, which was so nice and moist that no spread or toppings were needed.
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry powder or paste, mild or hot
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder, or to taste
5 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, diced
3 ears of fresh corn, roasted, kernels removed
1 large sweet potato, peeled, diced
1 large gold potato, peeled, diced
1 14-oz can fire roasted tomatoes, diced
2-3 tomatillos, chopped
4 plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped
4 oz. chopped roasted green chiles (mild or hot)
1 quart vegetable broth
1 14-oz can coconut milk
1 14-oz. can pinto beans or chick peas
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
Pinch of organic brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
Fresh lime juice from 1 to 2 limes
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and stir in the cumin, curry and chipotle; cook for one minute to infuse the oil with spice. Add the chopped garlic and onion. Stir and cook for five minutes.
Add the roasted corn, sweet potato, canned tomatoes, tomatillo, fresh tomatoes, green chiles and stir for a minute. Add in the broth. Cover and bring to a high simmer. Lower the heat and simmer gently, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about twenty minutes or so.
Add the coconut milk and beans. Stir and season with sea salt and ground pepper; and add a pinch of brown sugar, to taste. Heat through gently; do not boil.
Just before serving, add the chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice. Stir. Taste test. Adjust seasoning. The lime juice brightens the taste and accents the spice.
Garnish with a lime wedge and pass out the spoons. Slurp!
Serves 6-8.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Monday, September 03, 2007
Heck Bars
A couple of weeks ago I checked out of the library a copy of Hidden Kitchens: Stories, Recipes and More from NPR's The Kitchen Sisters. Not your usual cookbook. In fact, I wouldn't call it a cookbook at all, but a collection of stories about people who cook, with some recipes thrown in. Great reading; typical NPR quality stuff. Anywhooo... this recipe popped out at me right at the beginning of the book. Except for the semi-sweet chocolate chips (I had on hand bittersweet so I used those instead), I had everything on hand. Very easy and quick to throw together. No mixer necessary. For these you'll need a 12 x 8 1/2 x 1 pan, which is actually called a quarter sheet pan. If you have bulk sheets of parchment, just quarter one and it will fit perfectly in the bottom of the pan. They come out kind of like a brownie and are perfect with a very cold glass of milk. Yummy!
Ingredients
8 oz. unsalted butter
4-¾ oz. Unsweetened chocolate
4 extra large eggs
2 1/8 cups granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 1/8 cup all purpose flour
1 ½ cup walnuts (optional)(I used unchopped walnut halves)
8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips (I had on hand bittersweet)
Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Gently melt chocolate and butter in double boiler. When chocolate is totally melted, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. Use a spatula or wooden spoon and mix just until blended. Fold melted chocolate butter into egg mixture.
Toss together flour, walnuts and 8 oz. of chocolate chips. Fold into chocolate-egg mixture. Note: Do not over mix; fold only enough to incorporate dry ingredients, or bar will be too tough and too cake-like.
Line a 12-inch x 8 ½-inch x 1-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Pour batter into pan; consistency should be like a thick chocolate sauce (batter does not rise much, so it is OK if batter rims the pan).
Place pan in center of oven and bake 40-50 minutes. Thirty minutes into baking, check surface; a thin crust should form. It is done when it's very moist inside, with a thin, crispy, sugary surface (like a thin crust of ice forming on a pool of water). To achieve a fudge-like consistency, you must under bake.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Speedy Cooking Tips from Five Top Experts
Take a look at this interesting article from Food & Wine's September 2004 issue. Also, there are 10 yummy looking recipes to consider.
As an aside: Happy Camping! to Janet over at Janet is Hungry. She'll be camping for the next week or so.
As an aside: Happy Camping! to Janet over at Janet is Hungry. She'll be camping for the next week or so.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Dinner for a Recovering Friend
Our friend Michael got quite the surprise last week. He went into Eisenhower Hospital for a routine operation and came out a week later with a triple bypass. So when he was up to it, we had him and his partner Tom over for dinner on Saturday to give them a night out. I hope everything was okay for his new heart-healthy diet.
The starter recipe I got off of the KARE 11 website the other day while looking for videos of the bridge collapse. It's from a restaurant called Cue in Minneapolis. Very refreshing and lots of flavors going on all at the same time.
Green Gazpacho with Lime Sour Cream
For the gazpacho:
1 c. honeydew melon, peeled and seeded
1 T. jalapeño peppers, gilled and seeded (I used ungrilled)
¼ c. green bell peppers, gilled and seeded (I used ungrilled)
¼ c. green onions, chopped
½ c. English cucumbers, chopped skin on
1 c. tomatillos, husked and chopped
1 c. sweet onions, peeled and diced ¼" (I used shallots)
2 T. Banyuls vinegar or other red wine vinegar (I used sherry vinegar)
2 T. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 t. fine sea salt
½ t. white pepper, freshly ground
For the sour cream:
1 c. sour cream (I used low fat)
2 T. lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 t. sea salt
½ t. Tellicherry black pepper, freshly ground
(I thought it was a bit thick for drizzling so I added a bit of water to thin it down.)
Preparation:
For the gazpacho:
Purée the fruits and vegetables with the remaining ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Transfer to a labeled container with a tight fitting lid, and refrigerate immediately. (Thin with some water if too thick)
For the sour cream:
Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly in a stainless steel mixing bowl until well blended.
For the plate:
Ladle six ounces of gazpacho into a chilled serving bowl. Garnish with sour cream and some freshly chopped chives. (the store didn't have chives, so I used thinly sliced green part of scallion)
- - - - - - -
For the salad I made a refreshing salad of watermelon, shallots, feta and olives. Recipe adapted from a recipe in Food & Wine.
Watermelon Salad with Feta
SERVES: 4
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon harissa or other hot sauce (I used harissa)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds seedless watermelon, rind removed, fruit sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced (I used shallot)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup pitted Moroccan or other oil-cured black olives, coarsely chopped
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
1. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice and harissa and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the watermelon slices on a platter and sprinkle with the onion, parsley, olives and feta. Drizzle the dressing on top and serve.
- - - - - - -
Next up was a recipe that came in a weekly newsletter from The Splendid Table for using the season's best tomatoes in a amazingly simple recipe. It just so happens the grape tomatoes from Costco this year are sugary sweet; so they were perfect for part of the sauce. Allow the maximum time for the tomatoes to give up as much juice as possible. In addition to rubbing the bowl with garlic, I pressed a clove into the tomatoes as well. Start with only half the sea salt; 1 teaspoon seemed to be excessive. You can always add more later.
Mellowed Fresh Tomatoes for Pasta
Copyright 2007 Lynne Rossetto Kasper
Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, 4 to 6 as a main dish
1 clove garlic, split
3 pounds richly flavored tomatoes (if possible, one-third cherry type, one-third mellow-tasting, and one-third low-acid), unpeeled, unseeded, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 generous pinches hot red pepper flakes
1/3 cup good tasting extra-virgin olive oil (I used Goya brand Spanish)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 pound spaghetti, or linguine (Barilla brand)
6 quarts boiling salted water
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper, or to taste
3 tight-packed tablespoons fresh basil leaves, torn
1 cup fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)
1. Vigorously rub a pasta serving bowl with the garlic and discard the clove. Add the tomatoes, red pepper, oil, and the salt. Gently combine. Let stand at room temperature from 30 minutes to 3 hours.
2. When ready to eat, cook the pasta in fiercely boiling salted water, stirring often, until tender yet firm to the bite. Drain in a colander and turn it into the pasta bowl. Quickly add the black pepper and basil, and toss everything together. Taste the pasta for seasoning and serve. If you like, pass cheese at the table
Here's a tip from Lynee:
• "I discovered a trick for making pasta with raw tomato sauces taste lustier. Slightly undercook the pasta. Drain it. Spoon the juices that raw sauces always throw off into the empty pasta pot. Set it over medium-low heat, add the pasta and toss until the juices are absorbed, then add the pasta to the sauce. Pasta and raw tomato sauce are served at room temperature, never chilled."
- - - - - - -
I thought some protein was needed to bump up the pasta, so I made a batch of breaded chicken breasts. So moist and tasty. I strayed from the recipe by browing both sides and finishing them off in a 325 oven for about 25 minutes, until the internal temperature reached about 165. The recipe is adapted from Cook's Illustrated online.
Crisp Breaded Chicken Cutlets
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each), tenderloins removed
1/2 cup kosher salt or 1/4 cup table salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 - 8 slices high-quality white bread such as Pepperidge Farm, crusts removed and torn into rough 1 1/2-inch pieces
Ground black pepper
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 cup vegetable oil
lemon wedges for serving
1. Pound chicken breasts to even 1/2-inch thickness. Dissolve salt and sugar in 1 quart cold water in gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Add cutlets and seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible; refrigerate 30 minutes. Line rimmed baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels.
2. Remove cutlets and lay in single layer on baking sheet; cover with another triple layer of paper towels and press firmly to absorb moisture. Allow cutlets to dry for 10 minutes. Process bread in food processor until evenly fine-textured, 20 to 30 seconds (you should have about 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs). Transfer crumbs to baking dish. Carefully peel paper towels off cutlets, sprinkle cutlets with pepper, and set aside.
3. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, set large heatproof plate on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees. Spread flour in baking dish. Beat eggs with 1 tablespoon oil in second baking dish. Spread bread crumbs in third baking dish.
4. As shown in illustrations below, bread the cutlets, one at a time. Dredge cutlet in flour, shaking off excess. Using tongs, dip both sides of cutlet in egg mixture, allowing excess to drip back into baking dish to ensure very thin coating. Dip both sides of cutlet in bread crumbs, pressing crumbs with fingers to form even, cohesive coat. Place breaded cutlets in single layer on wire rack set over baking sheet and allow coating to dry for about 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat 6 tablespoons remaining oil in heavy-bottomed 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Lay two cutlets gently in skillet; cook until deep golden brown and crisp on first side, gently pressing down on cutlets with wide metal spatula to help ensure even browning, about 2 1/2 minutes. Using tongs, flip cutlets, reduce heat to medium, and continue to cook until meat feels firm when pressed gently and second side is deep golden brown and crisp, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes longer. Line warmed plate with double layer of paper towels and set cutlets on top; return plate to oven.
6. Discard oil in skillet and wipe skillet clean using tongs and large wad of paper towels. Repeat step 5 using remaining 6 tablespoons oil and now-clean skillet to cook remaining cutlets; serve along with first batch with lemon wedges.
- - - - - - -
For dessert I made very low-fat milkshakes using nonfat vanilla yogurt, 1% milk and reduced-fat Oreos. Yummy! Turned them slightly mocha with some instant espresso powder.
The starter recipe I got off of the KARE 11 website the other day while looking for videos of the bridge collapse. It's from a restaurant called Cue in Minneapolis. Very refreshing and lots of flavors going on all at the same time.
Green Gazpacho with Lime Sour Cream
For the gazpacho:
1 c. honeydew melon, peeled and seeded
1 T. jalapeño peppers, gilled and seeded (I used ungrilled)
¼ c. green bell peppers, gilled and seeded (I used ungrilled)
¼ c. green onions, chopped
½ c. English cucumbers, chopped skin on
1 c. tomatillos, husked and chopped
1 c. sweet onions, peeled and diced ¼" (I used shallots)
2 T. Banyuls vinegar or other red wine vinegar (I used sherry vinegar)
2 T. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 t. fine sea salt
½ t. white pepper, freshly ground
For the sour cream:
1 c. sour cream (I used low fat)
2 T. lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 t. sea salt
½ t. Tellicherry black pepper, freshly ground
(I thought it was a bit thick for drizzling so I added a bit of water to thin it down.)
Preparation:
For the gazpacho:
Purée the fruits and vegetables with the remaining ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Transfer to a labeled container with a tight fitting lid, and refrigerate immediately. (Thin with some water if too thick)
For the sour cream:
Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly in a stainless steel mixing bowl until well blended.
For the plate:
Ladle six ounces of gazpacho into a chilled serving bowl. Garnish with sour cream and some freshly chopped chives. (the store didn't have chives, so I used thinly sliced green part of scallion)
For the salad I made a refreshing salad of watermelon, shallots, feta and olives. Recipe adapted from a recipe in Food & Wine.
Watermelon Salad with Feta
SERVES: 4
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon harissa or other hot sauce (I used harissa)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds seedless watermelon, rind removed, fruit sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced (I used shallot)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup pitted Moroccan or other oil-cured black olives, coarsely chopped
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
1. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice and harissa and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the watermelon slices on a platter and sprinkle with the onion, parsley, olives and feta. Drizzle the dressing on top and serve.
Next up was a recipe that came in a weekly newsletter from The Splendid Table for using the season's best tomatoes in a amazingly simple recipe. It just so happens the grape tomatoes from Costco this year are sugary sweet; so they were perfect for part of the sauce. Allow the maximum time for the tomatoes to give up as much juice as possible. In addition to rubbing the bowl with garlic, I pressed a clove into the tomatoes as well. Start with only half the sea salt; 1 teaspoon seemed to be excessive. You can always add more later.
Mellowed Fresh Tomatoes for Pasta
Copyright 2007 Lynne Rossetto Kasper
Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, 4 to 6 as a main dish
1 clove garlic, split
3 pounds richly flavored tomatoes (if possible, one-third cherry type, one-third mellow-tasting, and one-third low-acid), unpeeled, unseeded, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 generous pinches hot red pepper flakes
1/3 cup good tasting extra-virgin olive oil (I used Goya brand Spanish)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 pound spaghetti, or linguine (Barilla brand)
6 quarts boiling salted water
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper, or to taste
3 tight-packed tablespoons fresh basil leaves, torn
1 cup fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)
1. Vigorously rub a pasta serving bowl with the garlic and discard the clove. Add the tomatoes, red pepper, oil, and the salt. Gently combine. Let stand at room temperature from 30 minutes to 3 hours.
2. When ready to eat, cook the pasta in fiercely boiling salted water, stirring often, until tender yet firm to the bite. Drain in a colander and turn it into the pasta bowl. Quickly add the black pepper and basil, and toss everything together. Taste the pasta for seasoning and serve. If you like, pass cheese at the table
Here's a tip from Lynee:
• "I discovered a trick for making pasta with raw tomato sauces taste lustier. Slightly undercook the pasta. Drain it. Spoon the juices that raw sauces always throw off into the empty pasta pot. Set it over medium-low heat, add the pasta and toss until the juices are absorbed, then add the pasta to the sauce. Pasta and raw tomato sauce are served at room temperature, never chilled."
I thought some protein was needed to bump up the pasta, so I made a batch of breaded chicken breasts. So moist and tasty. I strayed from the recipe by browing both sides and finishing them off in a 325 oven for about 25 minutes, until the internal temperature reached about 165. The recipe is adapted from Cook's Illustrated online.
Crisp Breaded Chicken Cutlets
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each), tenderloins removed
1/2 cup kosher salt or 1/4 cup table salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 - 8 slices high-quality white bread such as Pepperidge Farm, crusts removed and torn into rough 1 1/2-inch pieces
Ground black pepper
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 cup vegetable oil
lemon wedges for serving
1. Pound chicken breasts to even 1/2-inch thickness. Dissolve salt and sugar in 1 quart cold water in gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Add cutlets and seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible; refrigerate 30 minutes. Line rimmed baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels.
2. Remove cutlets and lay in single layer on baking sheet; cover with another triple layer of paper towels and press firmly to absorb moisture. Allow cutlets to dry for 10 minutes. Process bread in food processor until evenly fine-textured, 20 to 30 seconds (you should have about 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs). Transfer crumbs to baking dish. Carefully peel paper towels off cutlets, sprinkle cutlets with pepper, and set aside.
3. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, set large heatproof plate on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees. Spread flour in baking dish. Beat eggs with 1 tablespoon oil in second baking dish. Spread bread crumbs in third baking dish.
4. As shown in illustrations below, bread the cutlets, one at a time. Dredge cutlet in flour, shaking off excess. Using tongs, dip both sides of cutlet in egg mixture, allowing excess to drip back into baking dish to ensure very thin coating. Dip both sides of cutlet in bread crumbs, pressing crumbs with fingers to form even, cohesive coat. Place breaded cutlets in single layer on wire rack set over baking sheet and allow coating to dry for about 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat 6 tablespoons remaining oil in heavy-bottomed 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Lay two cutlets gently in skillet; cook until deep golden brown and crisp on first side, gently pressing down on cutlets with wide metal spatula to help ensure even browning, about 2 1/2 minutes. Using tongs, flip cutlets, reduce heat to medium, and continue to cook until meat feels firm when pressed gently and second side is deep golden brown and crisp, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes longer. Line warmed plate with double layer of paper towels and set cutlets on top; return plate to oven.
6. Discard oil in skillet and wipe skillet clean using tongs and large wad of paper towels. Repeat step 5 using remaining 6 tablespoons oil and now-clean skillet to cook remaining cutlets; serve along with first batch with lemon wedges.
For dessert I made very low-fat milkshakes using nonfat vanilla yogurt, 1% milk and reduced-fat Oreos. Yummy! Turned them slightly mocha with some instant espresso powder.
Monday, July 23, 2007
My Favorite Tomato Soup Recipe
Tomatoes were on sale last week, and so I made up a batch of my favorite tomato soup. Good thing because we had last-minute guests for dinner, so the timing was perfect. It's very easy to make, and you can control your seasonings to taste, such as the herbs and hot pepper flakes.
For dessert I had already planned rice pudding. The day before I made up a batch of jasmine rice in the rice cooker, and then it dried out in the fridge for a day. Then it's a snap to throw it together and bake it off a couple of hours before it's eaten. That way, it has a chance to cool but still be warm enough to enjoy with a drizzling of heavy cream. Fresh fruit would also be good. Leftovers, reheated, are a delicious and filling breakfast.
Olive oil & butter
Shallots
1 stalk celery, halved
salt, pepper
Sweat above, covered; then add to the above
pepper flakes
thyme
smoked paprika
1 – 2 T tomato paste
2 T brown sugar
2 T flour
Stir in well; then add to the above
About 5 lb tomatoes, either Roma or on-the-vine, coarsely chopped
Lower heat; simmer, covered, until tomatoes give up their juice and reduce a bit. Then add to the above
2 – 2 ½ cups water
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer; simmer, covered, 30 minutes; then process and strain or run through food mill. Then bring to a boil and reduce and then add to the above
Cream, about ½ cup
Retaste for salt and pepper.
This recipe came from the Sterns website called Roadfood.com. They do a segment each week on The Splendid Table show on NPR. It's very conveniently available on podcast, free, through iTunes.
4 cups cooked rice
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 cups whole milk
1 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt
Heavy cream
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well.
3. Pour into a casserole and bake 1-1/2 hours until the top is browned.
4. Serve warm, topped with a fine dust of nutmeg if desired. Drizzle with
cream.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Hairyspray -- Best Movie Ever???? Well, One of the Best!!!
Okay, so we went to the very first show today of the Hairspray premiere day. It was very good. Well, hell, it was effing incredible!! Go see it lots of times.
Enough? Alright already.
Enough? Alright already.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Poor-Man's Osso Buco alla Milanese
The other day we drove down valley to Indio to shop at a new Latino market called Cardenas. Wow! Fantastic produce and meats. And the bakery is just like the ones in Mexico where you go through with a tray and tongs and pick out a variety of things. We'll definitely go back soon. Most memorable were the cheese-jalapeno rolls (ate them on the way home) and the Telera rolls. Way better than the ones we get from Ralph's.
MILAN-STYLE BRAISED VEAL SHANKS
Kitchen twine
6 center-cut veal shanks (each about 2 inches thick)(I only used 4 beef shanks)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 cups finely chopped onions
3/4 cup finely chopped carrot
3 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
(the onions, carrots, garlic I whizzed in the processor for quicker softening, and less chopping)
All purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes in juice (I drained the juice really well; then reduced to a thicker consistency so the sauce wouldn't be so watery.)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 3 x 1/2-inch lemon peel strips (yellow part only)
3 cups (or more) canned beef broth (I used closer to 4 cups.)
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
Tie kitchen twine around circumference of each veal shank so that veal will hold shape while cooking. (Securing the twine was kind of tricky/slippery; so I just left it off and they came out fine. When finished, the meat separated from the bone anyway because it was so tender.) Set a heavy large pot over medium heat (pot should be big enough to accommodate meat arranged in single layer). Add 1/4 cup butter to pot and melt. Add onions, carrot and 2 1/2 teaspoons garlic and sauté until vegetables are tender but not brown, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
Sprinkle shanks with salt and pepper. Coat veal with flour, shaking off excess. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add beef to skillet and cook until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer veal to pot with vegetables. Discard fat in skillet.
Add 1 cup white wine to skillet and boil until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup, scraping up browned bits, about 3 minutes. Pour over veal and vegetables. Add canned tomatoes with juices, 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped basil and lemon peel strips to pot. Add enough beef broth to cover veal. Bring mixture to boil. Cover pot tightly with aluminum foil, then lid. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until veal is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (I brought it to a boil; then transferred to 325 convection oven for about 2 1/2 hours.) (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat before continuing.)
Transfer veal to platter; cover to keep warm. Boil sauce until slightly thickened and reduced to 4 cups, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (I didn't bother reducing, because it was nice and chunky and not to thin as it was.)
(The following for gremolata was in the recipe, but I forgot to mix it up and it turned out fine.)
Mix grated lemon peel, remaining 1 teaspoon garlic and 2 tablespoons parsley in small bowl. Pour sauce over veal. Sprinkle with lemon peel mixture.
Serves 6 (or 4 if making only 4 shanks)
Notes on the recipe:
Definitely a keeper. Next time, though, I'll sweat the vegetables as suggested, but instead of the messy browning step, I'll season the meat, place on a sheet pan in a hot oven, and roast them about 30 minutes until nicely browned; then deglaze the sheet pan with the wine. Lots less cleanup. To help thicken the sauce, I'll sprinkle the vegetables with flour and mix in well.
I started this in the afternoon, with the vegetables and browning steps; then deglazed. Cooled it all, stored it covered in the fridge until the next day and picked up with the rest of the recipe.
Served it up with sour cream garlic mashed potatoes.
Tonight we'll strip the meat from the remaining 2 large shanks and mix it with the sauce, top Telera rolls from Cardenas market in Indio, and mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!
Kitchen twine
6 center-cut veal shanks (each about 2 inches thick)(I only used 4 beef shanks)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 cups finely chopped onions
3/4 cup finely chopped carrot
3 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
(the onions, carrots, garlic I whizzed in the processor for quicker softening, and less chopping)
All purpose flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes in juice (I drained the juice really well; then reduced to a thicker consistency so the sauce wouldn't be so watery.)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 3 x 1/2-inch lemon peel strips (yellow part only)
3 cups (or more) canned beef broth (I used closer to 4 cups.)
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
Tie kitchen twine around circumference of each veal shank so that veal will hold shape while cooking. (Securing the twine was kind of tricky/slippery; so I just left it off and they came out fine. When finished, the meat separated from the bone anyway because it was so tender.) Set a heavy large pot over medium heat (pot should be big enough to accommodate meat arranged in single layer). Add 1/4 cup butter to pot and melt. Add onions, carrot and 2 1/2 teaspoons garlic and sauté until vegetables are tender but not brown, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat.
Sprinkle shanks with salt and pepper. Coat veal with flour, shaking off excess. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add beef to skillet and cook until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer veal to pot with vegetables. Discard fat in skillet.
Add 1 cup white wine to skillet and boil until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup, scraping up browned bits, about 3 minutes. Pour over veal and vegetables. Add canned tomatoes with juices, 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped basil and lemon peel strips to pot. Add enough beef broth to cover veal. Bring mixture to boil. Cover pot tightly with aluminum foil, then lid. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until veal is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. (I brought it to a boil; then transferred to 325 convection oven for about 2 1/2 hours.) (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium-low heat before continuing.)
Transfer veal to platter; cover to keep warm. Boil sauce until slightly thickened and reduced to 4 cups, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (I didn't bother reducing, because it was nice and chunky and not to thin as it was.)
(The following for gremolata was in the recipe, but I forgot to mix it up and it turned out fine.)
Mix grated lemon peel, remaining 1 teaspoon garlic and 2 tablespoons parsley in small bowl. Pour sauce over veal. Sprinkle with lemon peel mixture.
Serves 6 (or 4 if making only 4 shanks)
Notes on the recipe:
Definitely a keeper. Next time, though, I'll sweat the vegetables as suggested, but instead of the messy browning step, I'll season the meat, place on a sheet pan in a hot oven, and roast them about 30 minutes until nicely browned; then deglaze the sheet pan with the wine. Lots less cleanup. To help thicken the sauce, I'll sprinkle the vegetables with flour and mix in well.
I started this in the afternoon, with the vegetables and browning steps; then deglazed. Cooled it all, stored it covered in the fridge until the next day and picked up with the rest of the recipe.
Served it up with sour cream garlic mashed potatoes.
Tonight we'll strip the meat from the remaining 2 large shanks and mix it with the sauce, top Telera rolls from Cardenas market in Indio, and mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!
Monday, July 02, 2007
10-Day Forecast
High /Low (°F) Precip. %
Today
Jul 02 Sunny 116°/81° 10 %
Tue
Jul 03 Sunny 118°/83° 0 %
Wed
Jul 04 Sunny 121°/86° 10 %
Thu
Jul 05 Mostly Sunny 121°/88° 10 %
Fri
Jul 06 Partly Cloudy 118°/84° 10 %
Sat
Jul 07 Sunny 112°/80° 10 %
Sun
Jul 08 Sunny 109°/78° 10 %
Mon
Jul 09 Sunny 108°/78° 0 %
Tue
Jul 10 Sunny 108°/80° 0 %
Wed
Jul 11 Sunny 109°/78° 0 %
High /Low (°F) Precip. %
Today
Jul 02 Sunny 116°/81° 10 %
Tue
Jul 03 Sunny 118°/83° 0 %
Wed
Jul 04 Sunny 121°/86° 10 %
Thu
Jul 05 Mostly Sunny 121°/88° 10 %
Fri
Jul 06 Partly Cloudy 118°/84° 10 %
Sat
Jul 07 Sunny 112°/80° 10 %
Sun
Jul 08 Sunny 109°/78° 10 %
Mon
Jul 09 Sunny 108°/78° 0 %
Tue
Jul 10 Sunny 108°/80° 0 %
Wed
Jul 11 Sunny 109°/78° 0 %
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Friday, June 22, 2007
AB's Swiss Steak for Dinner
I was in Von's today -- actually there to pick up a gift card for a friend's 90th birthday party tomorrow -- and meandered down the produce aisles and grabbed some fresh fruit. Cherries, peaches, grapes. Got some U Bet chocolate syrup to try making my first egg creams; can't wait for that. The syrup, seltzer and milk are all chilling for later. Then I got the idea to try Alton Brown's Swiss steak for dinner and grabbed a nice top round steak. I know he recommends a bottom round, but this works fine too. We had picked up at TJ Maxx one of those meat tenderizers he used on his show, and I wanted to try it out. So here's how I made it.
Alton Brown's Swiss Steak
2 lb. top round, cut into serving-size pieces
salt and pepper
flour
vegetable oil
Season the meat with the salt and pepper; don't skimp on the salt. Dredge in flour, tapping off the excess. Tenderize with your device of choice. Dredge again in flour, tap off excess. Heat 1/4 cup oil in pan; when oil shimmers, brown a few pieces of meat about 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Do not crowd. Remove when browned to plate. Repeat with remaining pieces.
2 onions, peeled, halved, sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded, sliced (AB's recipe called for celer; we didn't have any.)
3 garlic cloves, minced
Add onions and bell pepper to pan. Saute a few minutes. Add the garlic.
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Add paste to the pan with the vegetables. Stir to coat. Add the garlic.
Add to the pan:
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
28 oz. can chopped tomatoes (AB's recipe called for 14 1/2 oz can.)
1 1/2 cups beef broth (used water and a boullion cube)
Bring to a boil. Add the meat and accumulated juices back to the pan. Push the meat in so it's nestled in the sauce. Cover; transfer to preheated 325 oven. Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until meat is fork tender.
It's been in the oven over an hour, and the house smells fantastic. Can't wait to try it with nice steamed rice and some mixed vegetables on the side.
2 lb. top round, cut into serving-size pieces
salt and pepper
flour
vegetable oil
Season the meat with the salt and pepper; don't skimp on the salt. Dredge in flour, tapping off the excess. Tenderize with your device of choice. Dredge again in flour, tap off excess. Heat 1/4 cup oil in pan; when oil shimmers, brown a few pieces of meat about 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Do not crowd. Remove when browned to plate. Repeat with remaining pieces.
2 onions, peeled, halved, sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded, sliced (AB's recipe called for celer; we didn't have any.)
3 garlic cloves, minced
Add onions and bell pepper to pan. Saute a few minutes. Add the garlic.
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Add paste to the pan with the vegetables. Stir to coat. Add the garlic.
Add to the pan:
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
28 oz. can chopped tomatoes (AB's recipe called for 14 1/2 oz can.)
1 1/2 cups beef broth (used water and a boullion cube)
Bring to a boil. Add the meat and accumulated juices back to the pan. Push the meat in so it's nestled in the sauce. Cover; transfer to preheated 325 oven. Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until meat is fork tender.
It's been in the oven over an hour, and the house smells fantastic. Can't wait to try it with nice steamed rice and some mixed vegetables on the side.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
