Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes and Herbs

So I'm sure upon reading this post, my mom will be shocked that I'm sharing a recipe with tomatoes as one of the main ingredients. I am not a fan of tomatoes.  I would pick them out of spaghetti sauce as a child. The closest thing I would eat to tomatoes when I was little was ketchup and pizza sauce.  To this day, I'll still pick tomatoes out of a salad and give them to my husband.  Bruschetta with chopped tomatoes and fresh herbs--nope.  Caprese salad with fresh mozzarella--only the cheese, please.  Chunky salsa--chips dipped to absorb juice only, no chunks. 

 

I feel like, as an adult, I should be past this picking-stuff-out-of-my-salad phase.  Tomatoes are a grown-up food.  And good for you.  So why am I so averse to them?  I don't know.  But I made a decision a little while ago to make myself at least try recipes with fresh tomatoes.  I've come across some that have been OK. Some that the husband loved (read: chock full of tomatoes and little else).  But none that I have truly enjoyed.  Until I came across this recipe in this month's Bon Appetit.  I had to share it. The tomatoes are both sweet and a little sour, the butter adds a nice richness to it, and the herbs make it taste light and fresh. All together it makes for a tasty dish.  You only need a nice green salad to go along side.

BA has this great section in it called "Fast, Easy, Fresh", and that is exactly how I would describe this dish.  It is really simple.  All you do is mix some oregano and spices into soft butter, sautee up some chicken breasts in some of the butter, then char up some tomatoes in that same pan. And you're pretty much done.  Mom will be so proud, I'm eating my tomatoes!

Some notes on this recipe:

- Use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the chicken breasts to make sure they are done right, not too raw, not too dry. You're looking for a temp 150-155F.  Tenting them with foil after this point and letting them rest will increase the temperature and redistribute the juices back through the meat, keeping it moist.

- After you remove the chicken from the pan, toss the tomatoes right in on top of the pan juices and any bits from the chicken.  There is lots of flavor in what is left over and you don't want to lose it.  

- Get a good char on the tomatoes, again, another good source of flavor.  Once they get a little caramelized, that's when they start to get sweet.

Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes and Herbs
slightly adapted From Bon Appetit
Printable version

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 cups mixed cherry tomatoes (1 1/2 lbs)
2 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Mash butter, garlic, oregano, and paprika in a small bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

2.  Add half of the oregano butter to a medium heavy skillet and melt over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet, cover, and cook until no longer pink in center, or a thermometer reads 150-155F, about 5 minutes per side (depending on how big thick the chicken is). Transfer chicken to a plate. Tent chicken with foil to keep warm.

3. Increase heat to high. Add tomatoes to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to char and burst, about 5 minutes. Add remaining oregano butter to skillet. Crush tomatoes slightly to release juices; stir 1 minute. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon tomato sauce over chicken. Garnish with parsley.

Salt-crusted Burgers with Lentil Hummus and Roasted Red Peppers

 

I'm back again.  I can't believe that I've gotten 2 posts completed in 2 weeks!  I'm so proud of myself.  And I'm totally loving getting back into sharing my kitchen with you guys again.
  

I've been doing a little experimenting in the past few months with lentils.  They're something I'm trying to use more of in my meals.  Lentils are a nutritional powerhouse with all sorts of fiber and protein in a calorie-light package. But I honestly had no idea how to use them before I saw this recipe.  I always thought of them as something you should eat, but not actually want to eat.  The more I research I've done, the more I'm finding out that I do actually want to eat them!  I'm looking forward to sharing more of my discoveries in future posts.

Lentils also make a great replacement for the carbs I feel like I'm not "allowed" to eat.  As I started eating less and less "white carbs" like bread and potatoes, I really missed the things that often go along with them, like hamburger buns and hamburgers.  I love love love a really good hamburger, but it seems weird to me to just eat a piece of cooked ground beef on a plate.  So when I came across this recipe, I realized that I had found exactly what I was looking for--I didn't even miss the bun.  Plus, it's super easy, and that is always good.  It's become a staple in my kitchen when I don't feel like cooking a big meal, but don't want to go out, either.  This burger, combined with the lentil hummus and roasted red peppers makes for a great balance of sweet and salty and a little garlicky.  You could even serve this with a nice salad if you would like to get a little more veggies into your day.

A few notes about this recipe:

-It actually calls for canned lentils, but I couldn't find that, so I just used dried lentils.  You'll want to cook them until very tender, it makes blending them much easier.

- If you're not familiar with tahini, it's a paste made out of sesame seeds.  It's also the other staple ingredient in traditional chickpea-based hummus.  You can find it in most grocery stores, but sometimes it's by the peanut butter and sometimes in the ethnic food section.  Here is one brand that I've been able to find easily.

- To prevent the burgers from cooking too fast on the outside and staying raw on the inside, let them sit out at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before cooking them.

- What is really special about these burgers is the crust that forms on the bed of salt at the bottom of the pan.  The salt keeps the burgers slightly off the pan and lets the juices dissolve the salt.  It then forms a crunchy layer on the outside of the burger.  To make sure this happens, try to evenly distribute the salt in an area the same size as the burgers in the pan and place the formed burgers right on top of the salt.

- This recipe makes 2 8oz burgers.  Feel free to make 4 4oz burgers or however you want to do it.

- That also goes for making the hummus, if you want more garlic, add more garlic, or tahini, or lemon juice or whatever. When I make this, I just use the big spoons in my silver wear drawer and take 2 big scoops of tahini out of the jar.  I'm not much for exact measuring unless I'm baking, so don't stress too much.
- I haven't tried it, but I'm sure you could use ground turkey or chicken, but you may need to add a little fat to the pan to keep it from sticking.

Salt-crusted Burgers with Lentil Hummus and Roasted Red Peppers
adapted from: Jules at the Stone Soup
Printable Version

Ingredients:
1lb Ground Beef
½ cup Dried Lentils, rinsed
4 Tbsp Lemon Juice
2 cloves Garlic, peeled and smashed
4 Tbsp Tahini
1 Jar Roasted Red Peppers (10Oz)

Directions:
1. Put drained lentils into a saucepan, cover with about 2" of water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Turn the heat down to medium/med high and simmer for 20 minutes or until very tender. 

2. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan on a very high heat. Sprinkle a scant teaspoon of salt over the base of the pan, concentrating the salt under where you will place your burgers.

 

3.  Shape the beef into 2 burger patties (the thinner they are, the faster they will cook).   Cook burgers for 3-4 minutes on each side.  This will cook them to medium rare, leave on for longer if you want them a little less pink in the middle.

4.  While the burgers are cooking, blend lentils, lemon juice, garlic and tahini in a food processor or blender until smooth. Taste. Season.

5. When the burgers are cooked, remove from the pan to let rest and add the drained peppers. Cook peppers for a minute or until just heated through.

6. Serve burgers on a scoop of hummus and top with peppers.  Enjoy!

My new favorite roast beef

WOW.  It has been a while since I have blogged. I really cannot believe it has been since February.  I'm kind of embarrassed I am about neglecting this place.  I really used to enjoy it, and then for some reason I stopped. I can't for sure say why.  I think it had a lot to do with me changing my whole way of eating in January.  I went on a diet.  Not the new-year's-resolution kind of diet, actually not a diet at all, but a "lifestyle change" as the experts like to say.  It kind of depressed me to not be able to eat the "good" stuff.  Like bread and potatoes and pasta and fruit and sugar. And Butterbretzels (my friends in Germany know the goodness of these big soft pretzels that have the fat end slit lengthwise and filled with butter).  But after all was said and done, I lost 20 pounds in 3 months and that made it all worthwhile.  I fell off the wagon for a little while, but I'm back on it.  Back to eating the way my doctor recommended (and hopefully dropping the last 15 pounds).  And now with a little experience under my belt in cooking that way, I'm excited to start up my blog again with a renewed enthusiasm in sharing my new way of cooking--but don't worry, I'll still be sharing the occasional sugar-loaded treats.

This recipe for roast beef is one that I've had for a several years, and it has been a success every time. I've made it several times before and it's only recently occurred to me to share it with all of you!  This is great for Christmas or New Years or any time you feel the need to celebrate with a big, delicious meal.  Now, all that being said, it is also great for the holiday times/entertaining because it is easy and doesn't require you to stand around at the stove for the entire time your guests are there.  Just a short saute of the mushroom after the beef comes out of the oven, and you are ready to chow down.

A few notes on this recipe:
- The most important thing in this recipe is to use a meat thermometer. I can't stress that one enough.  A thermometer can make you look like an absolute genius in the kitchen.  For me, I have no idea when something like a roast (or any cut of meat, really) is done unless I have a thermometer.
- Horseradish.  It is AWESOME! Even better when you can get in fresh and grate it yourself.  If you don't know what it looks like, it's a root that is long and narrow.  You absolutely have to peel it before you use it. The one I used in the picture above was about 9" long and maybe 1" in diameter.  If you can't find fresh horseradish, used the prepared stuff.  But NOT the creamy sauce stuff that is used on sandwiches.  That won't have nearly enough flavor. The prepared stuff will be in the refrigerated section.
- The horseradish/garlic/salt/pepper crust that goes on top of the beef will look like it has burnt to a crisp in the oven, well before your beef is done.  Don't panic.  That's just how it looks, trust your thermometer.  Once the beef is done, serve a little of the crust with each slice of meat, it is wonderful.  The original recipe calls for 1/2 c of salt in the crust. I found that to be too much, I recommend using only 1/3c.
- I've listed some vegetables to roast up with the meat.  Use these as a guideline, add more if you have room in your pan.  I don't have a great roasting pan at the moment, so I only used what would actually fit in the pan.  They turn out wonderfully, and every time I make this, I wish I had more veggies.
- Let the meat rest.  I can't stress this enough.  The meat won't get cold while it sits out.  Just tent some foil over the top.  Resting it allows all the yummy juices to go back into the meat.  If you serve it straight out of the oven, when you carve it up, all the juices will end up on the cutting board, and not in the meat where it should be, making the meat taste dry.  The internal temperature will also continue to rise as you let it rest.  
- A nice green salad would also be great with this.

Enjoy...and if you decide to make this, let me know how it turns out!

Horseradish and Garlic Prime Rib with Roasted Vegetables and Sauteed Mushrooms

Prime Rib:
1 (3-rib) Prime Rib Beef Roast, about 6 pounds
5 Garlic Cloves, smashed, plus 2 heads garlic, halved
1/2 cup Grated Fresh Or Prepared Horseradish
1/3-1/2 cup Sea Salt
1/4 cup Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/2 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
2 Parsnips
1 Red Onion, halved

Wild Mushrooms:
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 pounds Assorted Mushrooms, such as cremini, oyster, shiitake, chanterelle, or white, trimmed and sliced
Leaves From 2 Fresh Thyme Sprigs
Sea Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup Reserved Beef Broth (Drippings From Roast) Or Low-Sodium Canned Broth

1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1 Tbsp Minced Fresh Chives 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350℉.

Lay the beef in a large roasting pan with the bone side down. (The ribs act as a natural roasting rack.) 

In a small bowl mash together the garlic, horseradish, salt, pepper, and olive oil to make a paste. Massage the paste generously over the entire roast. 

  

Scatter the vegetables and halved garlic around the meat and drizzle them with a 2-count of oil.

 

Put the pan in the oven and roast the beef for about 1 ½ to 2 hours for medium-rare (or approximately 20 minutes per pound). Check the internal temperature of the roast in several places with an instant-read thermometer; it should register 125℉. for medium-rare. 

Remove the beef to a carving board and let it rest for 20 minutes. The internal temperature of the meat will continue to rise by about 10 degrees. Remove the vegetables and set aside. Pour the pan juices into a fat separator or small bowl and set aside to allow the fat and beef juices to separate. Pour off and discard the fat. You will use the tasty beef juices for the mushrooms.

Wild Mushrooms:
Place a clean skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and a 2-count drizzle of oil. When the butter starts to foam. add the mushrooms and thyme; and season with salt and pepper. Stir everything together for a few minutes. Add the red wine, stirring to scrape up any stuck bits; then cook and stir to evaporate the alcohol. When the wine is almost all gone, add the reserved beef juices (or beef stock). Let the liquid cook down and then take it off the heat. Stir in the cream and chives, and season with salt and pepper.

Breakfast Quinoa

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful and treat-filled holiday season.  If you are like me, and LOVE to eat, then you are probably also feeling a little more rolly-polly that you did in early December--I know I am. So much good food (and drink) over the past month has made me need to rethink some of my eating habits.  Now, I'm not going to go all boring on you with plain brown rice and grilled chicken breasts every night, but I've been on a little bit of a search for something as good as it is healthy.  So, when I came across the Food Lovers' Cleanse by Bon Appetit magazine, I was thrilled.  I'm not sure I'm going to go whole hog on the cleanse, but let me tell you, there are some fantastic recipes in there.

I'm only 3 days into it, but I've found the most fantastic breakfast that I need to share it.  It's a breakfast quinoa with cinnamon, blackberries and toasted pecans. I've adjusted the recipe a little from the magazine, mainly because I couldn't get my hands on some of the ingredients.  But my version of it is below.

If you aren't familiar with quinoa, it's actually pronounced KEEN-wah.  It's a seed from South America that is packed with protein (and is considered a complete protein, since it contains all of the required amino acids--a little nutrition trivia for you). There are two varieties, a red and a white, but I've only seen the white in the grocery store.  It cooks up nice and soft and sort of similar to couscous in texture, although it is a little hardier.  Quinoa also has a natural coating of saponins, which taste like soap, and need to be rinsed off in several changes of water before using (although, I've found a brand that is sold pre-rinsed, so check out the packages before you buy).

This dish is a nice warm breakfast alternative to oatmeal, and has more protein to it, so you'll be fuller throughout the morning.  It also warms up well the next day, so make a bigger batch if you really like it.  As far as substitutions go, you could use real milk instead of almond (or any other milk, really), and I would think almonds or walnuts could be good too.  Blueberries or apples could work as well.  So give whatever you have on hand a try.  Hope you enjoy...and here's to a happy and healthy 2011!

Warm Breakfast Quinoa
Printable recipe

1 cup Vanilla-flavored Almond milk
1 cup water
1 cup organic quinoa, (note: rinse quinoa)
2 cups frozen blackberries, thawed (fresh would be better, but they are super-expensive right now, and I couldn't justify paying $7 for 2 cups...)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted (see below)
4 tsp honey

Combine almond milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in blackberries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with pecans. Drizzle 1 teaspoon honey.


To toast pecans, put in a dry pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until fragrant.

Salad dressing...

With the holiday eating season upon us, I though I would throw in a little healthy blog in here to counter balance the shear amount of tasty treats I'm going to be eating in the next few weeks!  So, I decided upon salad dressing.  Why salad dressing?  Well, I think that it is the easiest way to make or break a salad.  Nothing turns me off of a salad more (aside from wilty lettuce) than gross, thick fatty salad dressing.  I've been through my fair share of store-bought dressing that has tons of MSG and preservatives, and all sorts of ingredients that have more than 15 letters in them.  

I had always wanted to make my own dressing, but I had always relied on the special bottles that had all the measurements on the side, built-in-mixer-things and "stay fresh" lids.  I always ended up making like 5 times as much as I needed and most of it would go bad. 

 

What really amazed me was how a little Grey Poupon jar helped it all change.  All you need to make great salad dressing at home is a small (8 oz or so) jar.  It's the perfect size to make dressing in-I was always making what seemed like a gallon of it.  I actually use an old mustard jar that is square, it helps me out with the "measuring".  The best part about these jars is I always seem to have one on hand, they're free, clean up nicely in the dishwasher and if you break it, well, it's replaceable!

So, after all this talk of salad dressing, I'm not even going to give you a recipe.  What my whole goal is for this blog is to give you a start on how to make your own dressings, with only a few little ratios to remember, some hints, and let you go to it!  I should admit here, that I figured a lot of this stuff out with the help of Jamie Oliver and his "Cook with Jamie" cookbook.  But I've found that nearly every recipe I've come across, has a similar foundation for building dressings.

• 3:1. By that I mean your ratio of Oil to Vinegar (or another acid).  It doesn't matter what oil you use, or what vinegar or acid you use.  You could use olive oil and red wine vinegar like I did here or even Balsamic or white wine vinegar. Or skip vinegar all together and use lemon juice.  Go Asian style and use canola oil with a little sesame oil (it's a little stronger flavor, so you need to cut the sesame oil with something neutral like canola) and rice vinegar.

• Emulsify.  Sounds complicated but isn't.  A little Dijon mustard goes a long way in preventing the dressing from separating.  I just use a little scoop (like for the above amounts, 1/4-1/2 of a dessert spoon).  For a creamier dressing add sour cream or yogurt.

• A little sweet.  Now, don't go adding scoops and scoops of sugar!  I add about the same amount of honey as I do the mustard.  It rounds out the flavors a bit and takes a little of the bite out of the acid.

• Season.  All you need now is a little salt and pepper.  I couldn't even begin to tell you how much to add.  For the amount above, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.  If you have a favorite spice blend, add a few pinches here, too. Fresh herbs, garlic, anything goes...

• Shakey shakey. No fancy blenders or food processors here, shake away (just be sure your lid is on securely).

 

• Taste for seasoning.  Take a leaf of lettuce (or your finger) and test it.  Does it need more salt/pepper?  Is the vinegar too much/not enough?   Just add whatever you think it is lacking and go from there.

• Dress the salad.  Sounds simple and obvious, but this is the most important. Have you ever had a salad that was just swimming in dressing or had been sitting in the dressing for an hour or so?  Yuck.  The key in this is not to drown the salad.  It's best to dress the entire salad at once in a large serving bowl.  Just a light coating is all you need.  Pour a little over, toss gently with your fingers (or salad hands, which are my favorite). And serve.

So don't be afraid to make up your own combination of flavors/seasonings/ingredients.  You've got a basic ratio to start out with, and just run from there.  It is just so simple and delicious, you'll never want to buy another bottle again.

Apple Butter

It's time again for my next Daring Cooks' Challenge-one that I was very excited to try.  It was all about food preservation and how to get the most out of in-season produce. One of the options was to make apple butter.  Now, apple butter is one of those things that I've heard about, tasted only a few times and have never actually made. 

Apple butter also reminds me of my days in high school in Ohio.  When I was in high school, one of the neighboring towns held an Apple Butter Festival every October.  It was one of those old-fashioned, participants-dressing-in-19th-century-clothes, everyone-drinking-hot-apple-cider and sitting-on-hay-bales sort of fest.  The big difference there was that their apple butter was made in big black cauldrons over an open flame, churned mainly by ladies in aprons and bonnets, but they did give everyone a chance to churn the butter.

That was also when I realized there is no actual butter in apple butter.  It's just a consistency thing.  Basically, it's just a spiced and thickened apple sauce. It can be used for many different things.  The most basic is as a spread on toast or a bagel or whatever you'd like.  But you can also use it as a condiment with pork chops, as part of a marinade or in an apple quick bread.

Now, there probably won't be a big black cauldron over a fire in my kitchen in the near future, especially since we're renting right now.  All we've got here is an electric stove and an immersion blender, so that's how I'm going to roll with this.  I do have some notes though about this recipe.

• If you want to be a little more "authentic" about it, you can use the whole apple: core, peel and all that goodness.  Just chop the apples into eighths before softening them.  Once softened, put them in a food mill and mill away (I don't have one, so hence all the peeling and coring).  Add sugars and spices and continue with the rest of step 2.
• This recipe is suitable for canning.  I've never canned before, so I'm just going to freeze or give away what I can't use immediately.  But if you can can, more power to you!  I'll have a canning blog sometime in the future, once I have the equipment and have it figured out.
• I can't recommend which type of apples to use.  I just used the ones I bought from a lady selling them on the side of the road.  Seemed to work out pretty well.  But, from what I understand, if you use a sweet apple like Golden Delicious, you won't need to use as much sugar, tart apples like Granny Smith will require more sugar.

The September 2010 Daring Cooks’ challenge was hosted by John of Eat4Fun. John chose to challenge The Daring Cooks to learn about food preservation, mainly in the form of canning and freezing. He challenged everyone to make a recipe and preserve it. John’s source for food preservation information was from The National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Apple Butter

5 lbs Apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
1 C apple juice or cider
1 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves

1. Combine apples and juice (or cider) in 8-quart pot. Cook slowly and stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Cook until apples are very soft and falling apart.  At this point, you have some pretty tasty apple sauce.  If you want to stop here, you can, but if you continue on, you will be rewarded with tastiness...
2. With a potato masher, mash the soft apples.  Add the sugar and spice (and everything nice).  At this point I used a stick blender to blend to a smoother consistency.  If you would like it a little chunkier, by all means skip this step, but make sure to stir in all the spices well.
3. Bring to a simmer and turn down the heat to keep it at a slow simmer.  Cover with a splatter screen or use 2 wooden spoons to support the lid open.  It is important to let the water evaporate to thicken the butter. Simmer for at least 2 hours, until it is thick and stays mounded on a spoon when it is scooped out.
4. Let it cool a little, then put into the desired storage container or containers.  It will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge or up to a year in the freezer.  I would recommend using smaller containers if you don't think you will use up everything in a larger one fast enough.

Yields about 5 cups.

Homemade Marshmallows

So, we're going camping this weekend...I'm totally looking forward to it.  I haven't been camping in a long time, so I'm a little rusty.  But we're going camping in Switzerland, and I can't imagine anything better.  OK, I can imagine one thing that could make the trip even better...s'mores with homemade marshmallows.

I saw an Alton Brown episode where he made marshmallows from scratch.  At first, I thought he was totally crazy (I mean he is, but even more so that he thinks marshmallows can be made at home), but then I decided I was also crazy and I gave it a try.  Much to my surprise, it wasn't as difficult as I thought.  I will say, though, now that I have a stand mixer it is a whole lot easier, but even without one it isn't as complicated as you might think.  The only necessities are some sort of electric mixer and a candy thermometer.  If you've got those two, you're good to go.

Once you've tried these little babies, you'll never want to eat store-bought marshmallows again. They are light and fluffy, not plastic-y stiff on the outside (and they puff up HUGE in the microwave, if you like that sort of thing).  You can even cut them up smaller and make mini-marshmallows for your hot chocolate (I know for some of you, hot chocolate is not 1st on your mind--it's still hot outside--but last night here in Germany, it got down to like 40F, so I'm thinking hot chocolate).

Homemade marshmallows
From Alton Brown's Good Eats

3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice water, divided
12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Nonstick spray

• Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.
• In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.
• Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

For regular marshmallows:

• Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.
• When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

For miniature marshmallows: 

• Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Line 4 half sheet pans with parchment paper, spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray and dust with the confectioners' sugar mixture.
• Scoop the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round piping tip (or a zip-lock bag and cut off one corner). Pipe the mixture onto the prepared sheet pans lengthwise, leaving about 1-inch between each strip. Sprinkle the tops with enough of the remaining cornstarch and sugar mixture to lightly cover. Let the strips set for 4 hours or up to overnight.
• Cut into 1/2 inch pieces using a pizza wheel or scissors dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining sugar mixture and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Spiced Nuts

So after my nut butter post, I found myself with plenty of nuts left over and wondering what to do with them all.  I looked through my cookbook library, and found an old favorite that I couldn't believe I had forgotten about.  Now I love the mixed nuts you can get in the can at the store, don't get me wrong. But this is a big step-up from those.  The cayenne gives it a little heat, and the rosemary gives it a little freshness.  The brown sugar balances it all out.  It makes a quick and easy party snack...I've even given away small jars as gifts.

Some recipe notes: The more types of nuts you use, the better; I only used 3 types this time, and I wish I had included more (but that's what I had on hand, and didn't feel like making the trip to the store).  If you can't find unsalted nuts, salted are fine, just omit the salt in the recipe or this will be waaaaaaaayyyyy too salty.  These are awesome served warm, but that isn't necessary, they are pretty dang good at room temperature, too.

The Union Square Café Bar Nuts
from Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson
for printable recipe click here

18 ounces assorted unsalted nuts, including peeled peanuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans and whole, unpeeled almonds (about 2 1/4 c)
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp dark brown sugar
2 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F

Toss the nuts in a large bowl to combine and spread them out on a baking sheet.  Toast in the oven till they become light golden brown, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, sugar, salt, and melted butter.

Thoroughly toss the toasted nuts in the spiced butter and serve warm.

Strawberries Marinated in Balsamic Vinegar

So, it's been a while...I've been away and haven't had a chance to get back to blogging.  I'm actually really surprised how much I've missed it.  I've enjoyed posting my recipes and pics, and I really hope you all have enjoyed my posts, too!

The strawberries right now are insane...in season, they are so sweet and fresh and cheap.  Plus they are everywhere.  Whenever I think of strawberries I think summer!  So I've gone searching for a good summertime strawberry recipe and I've found one.  Strawberries marinated with balsamic vinegar with marscarpone cheese is one of my favorites.

Now, strawberries and balsamic vinegar, when I first heard that combination, sounded more than a little off-putting to me.  If it does to you too, hang with me, because it is awesome!  This is one of my stand-by desserts that is great if you want something that is fresh and light-tasting, and truly easy to make.  It would work great for dinner parties, because everything can be made ahead of time (and since you have to marinate the strawberries for a while, you should make it early) and just assemble it table-side.  Or you can make a presentation of it and deliver to your guests and bathe in their praise:).  But most importantly, enjoy it and share with those you love!

A couple of notes on this recipe...Although I have given quantities of the ingredients, they are just to give a general idea of how much to use, I honestly can't remember the last time I measured anything out when I make this, it just seems to work.  Also, it does call for a vanilla pod, but since those tend to be a little spendy, just a splash or 2 of vanilla extract works as well.  Fresh, super-ripe strawberries work the best, I haven't tried frozen ones, but I think that the texture once they are thawed won't be right, so I'm going to have to recommend against it.

Strawberries Marinated in Balsamic Vinegar
From Jamie Oliver's The Return of the Naked Chef
Serves 4

1-ish lbs of strawberries, hulled
~5 tbsp sugar, to taste
10 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 vanilla pod
14 oz mascarpone cheese
4 or 5 leaves of fresh mint or basil, finely sliced


Place strawberries in a bowl and scatter generously with the sugar followed by the balsamic vinegar.  Stir around and allow to marinate for up to 2 hours.

Score the vanilla pod length-wise and remove the seeds by running a knife along the inside, scraping the seeds away.  Mix the seeds with the mascarpone cheese and sweeten to taste with a little sugar.

 

Place a scoop of marscapone on a dish, cover with strawberries and balsamic juice, and finish with a sprinkle of mint or basil.

Herb-coated Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Polenta

This recipe is the recipe where I learned how invaluable a meat thermometer is in the kitchen. It can make you look like a meat-roasting genius!  Especially with pork.  I know many people who are afraid of under-cooking pork for fear of trichinosis, and then cook the crap out of the pork chop/loin/whatever until it is the consistency of shoe leather and equally as tasty.  Cooking the meat that long is unnecessary.  You can kill all the uglies that could be in pork (which, by the way, have been reduced drastically with current farming practices) at 160F.  So, cooking to a temp of 155F and letting it rest for 10 minutes will increase the internal temp to the required 160, and you're good to go.  It will still be pink inside, but that doesn't mean that it's unsafe to eat, it will just be much more juicy and tender.

So talking about thermometers, the one that I've found to be the most useful is a probe thermometer that can be left in the oven and the temperature can be read on a display that can stay outside.  That way, you can keep an eye on the temperature much more easily. You also don't have to stick your head in the oven every 10 minutes to check on it (like I used to do with the one I had previously that was just a dial on a probe).  But please note, that probe stays HOT.  Just because you take the meat out of the oven and let it rest for a few minutes, doesn't mean the probe cools off.  And I'm speaking from experience, I can't tell you how often I've burned my fingertips trying to take it out of the meat.  You've been warned ;).

Another few notes...I've tried the pork on the grill, and it turns out wonderfully, in fact, I think it's even better grilled, just be sure to keep an eye on the temperature so it doesn't over-cook.  Adding a handful or 2 of grated Parmesan cheese to the polenta works well, too.

Herb-coated Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Polenta
From Cooking Light magazine

Pork
1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 Tbsp chopped fresh marjoram
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 (1-lb) pork tenderloins, trimmed
Cooking spray

Polenta
1/2 c finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c dry white wine (or vermouth)
4 c water, divided
1 c dry polenta (or yellow corn meal)
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. To prepare pork, combine first 9 ingredients in a large zip top bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator overnight or up to 2 days (longer marinating time=more herb flavor).
2. Preheat oven to 400 F
3. Remove pork from bag.  Place pork on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 400F for 30 minutes or until a thermometer registers 155F.  Remove from oven, cover and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
4. To prepare polenta, heat a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add onion and 2 garlic cloves, saute 2 minutes.  Add wine, cook 5 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.  Add 2 cups water, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.  Gradually add polenta, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Cook over medium heat 15 minutes or until thick an creamy, stirring frequently and gradually adding remaining 2 cups water.  Stir in butter, salt and pepper, add more to taste.  Serve with pork.

Grandma's Stew

So, this is my very first post as ShutterCook....the photographer and cook that I want to be. I thought the best way to start out this blog is with a dish that is an family favorite. My Grandma's Beef Stew is a comfort food that always makes me think of home. It's what my mom made every time it was cold out and we were expecting company. She would make it whenever I would come home from college or living somewhere far away. Even though I'm living in Germany now, it's one way for me to feel close to with my family, even when they are an ocean away.

Now, as with many grandmas' recipes, this one is not so much about measuring as what's in it. I asked my grandma to help me make it one day, so I could get it right. I walked away with a full belly of warm stew, and a recipe with very little details, and a lot of "add about enough so it looks right". I've sort of adapted it to the way I like it, and it's a little different every time. I tried to keep track of what amounts I was adding as I made this, so now I'll actually have the recipe!


Grandma's Beef Stew

Olive oil
1 Small Chuck roast, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used about 2lbs of meat)
1 t Salt
1/2 t Pepper
1-2 T Garlic Powder (or more or less to your taste)
2-3 Onions (red, white, whatever you have), cut into 1" pieces
14 oz can of tomatoes
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces (although I've used those packaged baby carrots, and those work pretty well too)
4-5 Cloves
1/4 head of cabbage, cut into 1" chunks
3 good-sized potatoes cut into 1" chunks

Heat a Dutch oven or stock pot over med-high heat and add a glug or so of olive oil. Once it's good and hot, add the meat and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Brown on all sides.

Once the meat is good and browned on all sides, add the onions and cook for a few minutes more.

Add the tomatoes with the juice from the can, cloves, carrots and cabbage. Add enough water to cover the contents of the pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for at least 3 hours, adding the potatoes during the last hour of cooking so they don't get too soggy.

Add additional salt and pepper to taste. This stew is even better reheated the next day, so make it early and let it get yummier. Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy with those you love!

Click here for a printable recipe