Month: January 2009

Tagliatelle with Chicken Ragù

/ Ren

Fresh tomatoes and savory chicken thighs, redolent of fresh herbs..

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In a Dutch oven, brown chicken leg quarters in olive oil.  Add celery, onions, carrots and garlic and continue to cook until vegetables are browned.

Add cold water with bay leaf and peppercorns to cover.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 2 hours.

Remove chicken with skin to cutting board to cool.  Strain chicken stock and reserve for another purpose.

Sauté red & green bell peppers, garlic, shallots, carrots, celery.  Add white wine, tomatoes and pulled chicken and simmer until most of the water is evaporated, about 30 minutes.

As for Jewish gribenes, crisp reserved chicken skin with a bit of onion, julienne and set aside.

Prepare pasta according to package directions.  Drain and add chopped parsley.

Add fresh herbs such as basil, oregano and marjoram to the sauce.  Add sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste.

To serve, ladle ragù over pasta and top with parmesan, romano, asiago fresco and strips of crisped chicken skin.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ +

Seafood Bisque

/ Ren

My Cagefree Family called from the Georgia coast this afternoon to ask if the shrimp coming in off the local boats is safe for babies and mamas (it is), which of course made me think about dinner.  I didn’t have any fresh shrimp, but I did have a bit of Alaskan salmon, cod and crab..

Make a stock of filtered water, celery, onions, bay leaf, white peppercorns, lemon slices, thyme and white wine.

Put filets of salmon and cod (or whatever sort of fish you have) into a wire basket and place that in the simmering stock to poach until just barely done.  Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, strain and reduce the poaching liquid until flavorful, about 30 minutes.

Finely chop fennel bulb, celery, leeks, carrots, tomatoes and garlic.  Sauté in whole butter until softened, about 3 minutes.

Mince the cooled fish, reserving some larger pieces for garnish.

Whisk tomato paste and cream into stock.  Thicken with a little roux.  Add cooked vegetables and poached fish and simmer 15 minutes.  Add sherry, saffron, paprika, S&P and dill.   You may purée the soup with an immersion blender or leave it coarse according to your preference.

At this point, I’m sure you’re asking yourself where’s the HFCS?  It’s just not a meal without the natural goodness of High Fructose Corn Syrup! Resist, I tell you.

To serve, ladle soup into a bowl, drizzle with sherry and hot sauce (optional) and garnish with reserved fish, seasoned croutons and fennel.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ +

Rarebit Fiend

/ Ren

Each December when we were little, the family would drive the 25-or-so miles into downtown Chicago to see the displays on Michigan Ave,  Marshall Field’s 3-story Christmas tree and, of course, der Santa.  For me though, the biggest treat was always the late lunch in the main dining room at the Chicago Athletic Association, where I sat up straight (napkin properly in lap) and announced  to the (Saint-patient) waiter,  “I’ll have the Welsh Rabbit, please”.   Every single year.   Sweet, simple times, those.

Add a couple of poached eggs and some balsamic broiled tomatoes and call it dinner..

Adapted from a recipe by Alton Brown

Make a tiny bit of blond roux from flour and whole butter.  Whisk in worcestershire and stone-ground mustard.  Add beer (good ale or porter) and whisk until smooth.  Whisk in heavy cream and season with salt, pepper, cayenne and paprika. Fold in shredded sharp cheddar cheese and cook over low heat for several minutes, stirring frequently.  Serve cheese sauce over toasted ciabatta, foccacia or thick sandwich bread and top with poached eggs.

Dream of a Rarebit Fiend, ca. 1906

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Grilled Lamb w/Roast Tomato Tapenade, Feta & Spicy Hummus (favorite)

/ Ren

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2 hours before dinner, marinate center-cut lamb steak in olive oil, garlic, lemon slices, pepper, sea salt fresh Greek oregano, spearmint and marjoram, turning occasionally.  Reserve additional marinade to dress cooked lamb.

Meanwhile, make a tapenade by roasting quartered Roma tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with S&P.  Allow to cool, then chop with Kalamata olives, capers and red onions. Moisten with balsamic vinegar and adjust seasoning.  Refrigerate.

For the hummus, mash chickpeas with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, S&P, cumin, paprika and red pepper.

Remove lamb from marinade and grill (indoors or out) until rare to medium rare.  Transfer to cutting board to rest 10 minutes, then arrange on a platter with roast tomato tapenade, hummus and crumbled feta.  Drizzle reserved marinade over lamb and serve.

Figs and dates make a nice treat afterwords.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Swedish Pot Roast – Läcker!

/ Ren

With buttered egg noodles and gooseberry chutney, this recipe is something of a mad cross between Heather’s Swedish meatballs and my own pot roast.

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Salt the chuck steak liberally on both sides and allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, reduce 1/2 bottle of red wine with a cup of unsalted or low-salt beef broth until volume is reduced by half.

Chop bacon, shallot and garlic and sauté in a Dutch oven over medium heat until well colored, about 10 minutes.  Transfer cooked ingredients to a side dish, and pour off all but 1-2 tablespoons of the rendered fat.

Pat the salted meat dry and brown well in the Dutch oven with the reserved fat, about 5 minutes per side.  Give silent thanks to Louis Camille Maillard for the beautiful color.

Return the bacon, shallots and garlic to the pot along with fresh thyme, bay, pepper and the wine & stock reduction.  Ensure that there is sufficient liquid to cover the browned meat.

Seal the pot with foil, and place in a 350 degree oven until fork tender (about 1 hour in the case of my rather thin chuck).  Remove to cutting board and cover with the foil to keep warm.

Strain the cooking liquid into a clean pan, and quickly reduce in volume by half.  Thicken slightly with roux and allow to cook slowly for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the egg noodles, drain, toss with butter and parsley, cover and set aside.

Slowly whisk whole milk into the thickened gravy. Add freshly grated nutmeg and adjust seasoning, being glad that you haven’t used any salt up to this point.  Add sautéed mushrooms if you like.

Slice the meat across the grain, and arrange over noodles.  Dress with gooseberry chutney (thanks, Sandhill Farm!) and enjoy!

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ +

Herb & Nut Roasted Pork Tenderloin w/Bourbon Cream

/ Ren

Served with maple butter glazed sweet potatoes and sautéed haricots verts with shiitake mushrooms..

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Trimmed pork tenderloin dredged in seasoned flour, dipped in egg wash with a little sweet sorghum syrup and cider vinegar then rolled in chopped pecans, walnuts, pistachios, almonds and fresh sage, rosemary and thyme.

Sorghum cooking at Sandhill Farm

Seal tightly, pressing nuts into the pork. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

To cook, unwrap pork and place in a 350 degree oven until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees (mine took about 25 minutes).  Transfer meat to cutting board and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, deglaze the skillet with a little bourbon then add some stock and quickly reduce in volume by half.  Add heavy cream and continue to reduce until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Whisk in a spoonful of coarse mustard and finish with a knob of whole butter.

Arrange sliced pork tenderloin on a platter and dress with the bourbon sauce.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Slow-cooked Salmon

/ Ren

“Low and slow is the ticket to the most tender, succulent and true-to-flavor food”  –Jaden Hair

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“Fish is the most frequently faked food Americans buy. In the business, it’s called “species adulteration” — selling a cheaper fish such as pen-raised Atlantic salmon as wild Alaska salmon.  When Consumer Reports tested 23 supposedly wild-caught salmon fillets bought nationwide in 2005-2006, only 10 were wild salmon. The rest were farmed.”

Melt-in-your-mouth good, worth using the last of that REAL wild Alaskan sockeye you’ve been saving..

Make a bed of vegetables- I’m using napa cabbage and leeks seasoned with S&P and sesame seeds.  Let some of the vegetables peek out from under the fish so that you get a crunchy/soft textural contrast.

Place skinless salmon on top and season according to taste.  I brined mine for 1/2 hour beforehand to help keep it moist, and then seasoned it with red chilies, black pepper, garlic and onions.  Spritz with a little olive oil and put into a 250 degree oven for 25 minutes (depending on thickness).  Notice how little the salmon’s appearance has changed after slow-cooking!  I’ve garnished with lemon and lavender, but almost any citrus/herb combo would work.

Those are Parisienne potatoes sautéed in rendered duck fat with sage and garlic, by the way.  Worthy of their own post one of these days.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ +

Spicy Asian Noodle Salad (cold)

/ Ren

This quick, light dish of udon noodles, crunchy Napa cabbage and red chili packs a punch..

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Cook, rinse, drain and chill udon noodles.  Meanwhile, make a dressing of sesame oil, tamari, chili sauce, peanut butter, mint, ginger, garlic, cilantro and spices such as cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, basil, cardamom and cloves.

Toss noodles with shaved daikon, slivered red bell pepper, scallions and cabbage (all raw).  Dress with the tamari mixture and serve chilled.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Gravlax

/ Ren

Gravlax is a Scandinavian dish consisting of raw salmon cured in salt, sugar, and dill.

During the Middle Ages, gravlax was made by fishermen who salted the salmon and lightly fermented it by burying it in the sand above the high-tide line. The word gravlax comes from the Scandinavian word grav, which means literally “grave” or “hole in the ground”, and lax (or laks), which means “salmon”, thus gravlax is “salmon dug into the ground”.

If smoked salmon is more to your liking, we cover that here.

Make a mixture of sea salt, non-refined sugar, dill and pepper (optional).  I use a salt to sugar ratio of about 3:1, but you can adjust this to your taste (don’t worry, there will be very little salt or sugar in the finished product).

Thoroughly pack salmon filets with the salt mixture and either bury it in the salt bowl or double bag it as I have done here. Refrigerate for at least 2 days, checking occasionally to see if additional salt mixture is needed.

Once cured, rinse the salmon in lots of cold fresh water, pat dry and slice very thin.  Serve as an appetizer garnished with crème fraîche and caviar, or in scrambled eggs.

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Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Mom’s Pumpkin Cookies

/ Ren

“I sent pictures of some cookies I made today for a cookie exchange.  I know the ingredients aren’t the ‘good’ stuff but due to budget constraints, I have to use what’s in the cupboard before getting the other.  Anyway, the cookies are okay.  Not as much pumpkin flavor as I would have liked but I added some pumpkin pie spice to the last batch and that helped.”

Way to go, Mom!

Frugal Friday

/ Ren

Roasted chicken with vermicelli and fresh vegetables & herbs..

Leeks, celery, carrots, garlic, sage, thyme, rosemary, some dried tomatoes that I put up at the end of the summer, tumeric, roasted red pepper, freshly ground caraway and brown mustard seed, S&P, vermicelli,  stock/broth and chicken pieces (I’m using inexpensive thighs).

Season the chicken well with S&P and half sharp paprika and brown in a Dutch oven with a little olive oil.  Transfer chicken pieces to another skillet and finish in a 400 degree oven (about 15 minutes).

Meanwhile, sauté the vermicelli, mustard/caraway and vegetables in the same Dutch oven until the vegetables soften and the pasta is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, herbs, red peppers, turmeric and just enough stock or broth to cover the vegetables.  Cook until the vermicelli is just done, about 8 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, make a nest of pasta on the plate and dress with raw sprouts and microgreens. Place the chicken on top of the pasta and drizzle with a little of the stock and drippings from the chicken pan. Garnish with chopped Italian parsley.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ –

Spotted Dog

/ Ren

Also called railway cake, this recipe starts out as Irish soda bread..

Adapted from numerous recipes found on the internet

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup oat flour
2 teaspoons non-refined sugar or other sweetener
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 egg

Sift the dry ingredients together then add the caraway, raisins and milk.  The dough will be soft, damp and a little tacky.  Turn out into a standard loaf pan and bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until the loaf passes the toothpick test.

Try it toasted with jam for breakfast.

Tastes best the 1st day, but will last 2 if sealed in an airtight container.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ –

Home ec classes are hot again

/ Ren

by Katherine Miller, The Oregonian
Tuesday January 13, 2009, 12:01 AM

IN THE MIX

It’s funny how things go in and out of fashion. Take home economics: For many generations it was an accepted part of a woman’s education; but for the “liberated” generation it was part of a woman’s oppression. Now the pendulum has swung again and classes in canning and preserving are one way cooks of both genders can live up to the mantra of the moment: Eat locally, seasonally and sustainably.

(Actually) Crispy Sweet Potato Fries. Mostly.

/ Ren

You might also like these Rosemary & Black Pepper Sweet Potato Fries..

“There’s probably no vegetable with a higher beta carotene content than the sweet potato.  This is the beta carotene that protects us against cancer, colds, infections and other diseases… But remember that our bodies can only convert carotene to vitamin A in the presence of bile salts… Butter stimulates the secretion of bile and helps the body to convert carotenes to all-important vitamin A…”   Sally Fallon

Trouble is, butter has a low smoke point of about 350 degrees.  Clarified butter (or ghee) on the other hand, has a very high smoke point of up to 485 degrees.

No mushy oven fries here, gang..

Adapted from a recipe by Mollie Katzen

Peel and cut sweet potatoes into 1/4″ sticks and arrange on a parchment paper lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon melted ghee or clarified butter.  Just put the butter on the pan- don’t coat the potatoes with it.

Place into a preheated 385 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Turn potatoes over and cook another 10 minutes.

Turn oven off and let stand 20 minutes to dry.  Season with sea salt and serve with homemade ketchup and enjoy all the iron, potassium, niacin, magnesium and vitamins C and B6.  And fiber.  Lots of fiber.

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Natural Resource Defense Council Awards

/ Ren

From: “Michael Pollan Inquiries” <inquiries@michaelpollan.com>
To: <events@lists.michaelpollan.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2009 7:01 PM
Subject: [Pollan Events] Sustainable food awards; Nominations requested by Feb 6

Friends: I’m helping the Natural Resource Defense Council give an
award to farmers and others doing exemplary work in sustainable food
production. If you have ideas for people who deserve this recognition
I hope you’ll nominate them. The criteria and nominations forms appear
below. Thanks for your help. Best, Michael

Announcement.pdf Application.pdf

Steak Sandwiches, Austin Style

/ Ren

Grass-fed skirt steak from Bastrop Cattle Company and fresh cilantro tortillas from Paqui Tortillas along with other local ingredients, all delivered by Greenling Organic Delivery.  Get your locavore on!

Adapted from a recipe by Whole Foods

The day before, coat the meat with coarsely ground peppercorns, cumin seed, corriander, granulated garlic, onion powder, cumin, sea salt and non-refined sugar (optional).  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Tomato, cilantro,  tomatillo and garlic for the pice de gallo (I’ve eliminated the usual jalapenos because the meat is highly spiced).  Onion, bell and poblano pepper for the steak.

Moisten the steak with a little olive oil and liquid aminos with a few drops of mesquite liquid smoke. This will give it a healthy, smokey soy flavor.

Grill the steak to rare in hot skillet, about a minute per side.  Transfer to cutting board and allow to rest while you julienne the vegetables.  Slice the steak very thin and sauté over high heat with vegetables.

Meanwhile, warm the tortillas in a comal or iron skillet.

Pile steak and vegetables into the tortillas and top with pico, queso quesadilla and a squeeze of lime.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ +

Granulated Garlic

/ Ren

I needed granulated garlic for a dry rub recipe, but the cupboard was nekkid.  I always have lots of fresh garlic on hand though, so what the hey..

1 whole head of garlic passed through a garlic press onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper.  3 hours in a 150 degree oven, 3 seconds in a spice grinder.

Yep, that works.

White Chicken Chili

/ Ren

Say, isn’t that a lot of peppers? you might ask.  Yes, I’d say.  Yes, it is.  But this is about flavor, you see, not about sending a heat-seeking missile into your nasal cavity.  We’ll do that some other day.  I promise.

Adapted from a recipe by Cooks Illustrated

Onion, cilantro, chicken broth, chicken, white beans, scallions, garlic, cumin seed, corriander, Mexican oregano, guajillo (medium), jalapeno (medium), chile de arbol (hot) and ancho (mild) peppers.

Brown the chicken (in a little olive oil) in a Dutch oven. Set aside.

Soak the dried chilies in hot water, prep the vegetables.

Toast the cumin and corriander in a dry skillet then coarsley grind.

Mince the rehydrated chilies.

Sauté the onions, peppers, garlic, oregano, cumin and corriander.  Add diced chicken and cook another 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add the beans and broth. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 30 minutes.  Adjust seasoning.

Serve garnished with scallions and cilantro.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Slowing Down; Slow Food Austin

/ Ren

“Slow Food is an idea, a way of living and a way of eating. It is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.”

“Slow food aims to be everything fast food is not”

Lacto-fermented, Sprouted Quinoa w/Maple Butter & Cream

/ Ren

Talk about an easy, healthy, hearty breakfast for a cold morning!

“Quinoa (KEEN-wah), the ancient grain of the Incas, has been cultivated in the Andean highlands of South America for over 7000 years.

It was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthful choice for vegetarians and vegans.

Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA’s Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.

Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an alternative to white rice or couscous.”

The night before, soak quinoa in an equal volume of milk (i.e., 1 cup of milk to one cup of quinoa) with a dollop of whey or active yoghurt (I leave it out on the counter, covered with a piece of cheesecloth or a thin cotton kitchen towel). Raw milk products are preferred, but you can certainly substitute non-homogenized, low-heat pasteurized products if that’s what you have.

In the morning, boil filtered water equal in volume to the milk. Notice that the grains have sprouted!  Stir in the quinoa and its liquid. Reduce heat to a gentle boil, cover and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

Serve with milk or cream and a spoonful of maple butter.

Mesquite Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

/ Ren

“When the word “mesquite” appears in an article about food, the mind jumps immediately to the smoky flavors of the grill. But mesquite flour, made from the seedpods of the mesquite tree, tastes nothing like smoke. Unexpectedly, ground mesquite seedpods taste like an aromatic blend of cinnamon, chocolate, and coffee…

Mesquite flour was a staple food of Native Americans from Texas to California, partly because mesquite trees thrive in arid climates where other crops wither. Mesquite pods were one of the major (if not one of the most important) foods of the desert Apache, Pima, Cahuilla, Maricopa, Yuma, Mohave, and Hopi tribes. Like many other desert plants, the mesquite tree superconcentrates nutrients in its seeds to compensate for the harsh environment. Consequently, it is so nutritious that many consider it a “superfood.” Mesquite flour is very high in magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, zinc, fiber, and digestible proteins (including lysine).  It also acts as an antioxidant, and its glycemic index is low in spite of its sweet taste.  It can be used as either a gluten-free flour or a seasoning...”  Austin Chronicle

Adapted from a recipe by Heidi Swanson

1/2 cup organic mesquite flour
1/2 cup organic oat flour
1/2 cup organic all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1 tablespoon non-GMO cornstarch
1/4 heaping teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
1 cup organic non-refined sugar
2 medium organic pastured eggs
1/2 tablespoon organic vanilla extract
1/2 cup organic chopped hazelnuts
1 cup organic chocolate chips

paraphrasing Heidi’s instructions..

Preheat the oven to 375°F, position the racks in the upper half of the oven, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy, then beat in the sugar until of a consistency like thick frosting. Beat in the eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times. Stir in the vanilla until evenly incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in 3 increments, stirring between each addition. At this point, you should have a moist, uniformly brown dough. Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips by hand, mixing only until evenly distributed.

Drop 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie onto the prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart and bake for about 10 minutes, until golden on both top and bottom. Don’t over-bake these; if anything, underbake them. Cool on wire racks.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Gulf Crab Cakes w/Orange Habanero Mayonnaise

/ Ren

Although some restaurants in the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland and Virginia may not disclose it, most whole blue crabs sold there are shipped in from North Carolina, Louisiana, Florida and Texas.  Lucky me!

Cilantro, fresh lump crab, bell pepper, saltines, seasoning blend containing sea salt, mustard seed, celery seed, garlic, onion, chili pepper and black pepper, mayonnaise (or make your own), scallions, celery and an egg.

Lightly sauté celery, scallions and bell pepper and set aside to cool.

Toss together crab, cooled vegetables, herbs and seasonings, mayonnaise, a beaten egg and crushed saltines. Mixture should be moist but hold together when shaped.

Form mixture into patties about 3/4 inch to 1 inch thick then place in freezer for 15 minutes to firm. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat 1/4 inch of peanut oil in the bottom of a small, heavy skillet.

Lightly coat the crab cakes with additional crushed saltines then sauté until light golden brown on bottom. Turn cakes over and finish in oven (about 8-10 minutes).

Finely mince 1/2 of a seeded and ribbed habanero and combine with 1/4 cup of mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons of orange juice.  Add a few drops of honey if its too hot for you.

Serve crab cakes with a salad of broccoli microgreens, slivered radishes and orange sections.

Rating  ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ +