Cook Like Mad

So you’ll notice that I am constantly updating the look of the website with additions to the sidebars, such as flickr photos and Amazon links, but one I want to draw attention to more than any is the Foodie Blogroll on the righthand sidebar, a little bit down on the page. There are some amazing food blogs on the web these days and while some people may scorn those writers just “getting on the bandwagon,” I think it’s wonderful that there is such brewing enthusiasm for food on the web. So check out my fellow food writers below- its a talented bunch and I’m proud to be among them. : )

-M

p.s. As long as we’re talking about great food sites, check out my newest favorite site for food photography, Tastespotting.

So I kind of wish this idea for roasted carrot bean dip came to me before this past weekend, because it would have been a great contribution to the hoards of Superbowl recipes that flew around the food blog universe last week, but alas, some ideas just don’t come to me on demand. This recipe is the direct result of me being sick of eating raw carrots, having bought one of those 5 lb bags, and needing a recipe to avoid “forgetting” them in the fridge and ultimately tossing them out.

From that hearthbread I made a couple days ago, I had some roasted garlic left over (I always roast extra garlic once I’m going to the trouble of turning the oven on for a solid hour), and thought it would be a marvelous idea to mix that with some carrot puree and make a dip. To give the carrot puree extra flavor, I roasted them on a sheet tray first. To give texture to the dip, I added half a can of white beans, which is why the dip looks oddly yellow and not orange…though, I assure you part of the reason for this is my lack of picture-taking ability. The dip really was a more carrot-induced color.

Anyway, add a few flavorings that harmonize these three ingredients (namely, thyme) and toast up some whole grain bread and you’ve got yourself a great, healthy appetizer to add to your party food line-up. Put bowls of salsa and guacamole on the table and your guests will be astounded by how colorful your table looks. Enjoy!

Roasted Carrot White Bean Dip

Makes 2 1/2 cups

1 1/2 lbs carrots, sliced (or use baby carrots ,whole)

1 head garlic, top sliced off about 1/2 inch from the top.

1 can cannellini or broad beans, drained and rinsed with cold water

1 tsp thyme, fresh (fine to subsitute dried)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

olive oil, for roasting carrots and garlic, about 2 tbsp

salt and pepper, to taste

toast points, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350, toss carrots in olive oil in a bowl to coat and spread carrots out on a sheet tray. Wrap head of garlic in foil, and before closing the package, drizzle in a little olive oil (about 1 tsp). Place foil wrapped garlic on the same sheet tray as the carrots and roast for 45 minutes until both the garlic and carrots are completely soft and golden.

2. While the carrots and garlic are roasting, get the rest of your mise en place ready (i.e. open the can of beans, measure your cheese, olive oil and thyme, and make sure your food processor isn’t dusty.

3. Place roasted carrots in bowl of food processor and squeeze garlic cloves out of the head into the bowl, as well. Add beans and thyme and puree until very smooth, but it will never be baby food, so don’t try for that. Add in cheese and extra virgin olive oil, and process until fully incorporated. If the mixture is a little dry, add more olive oil, about a tablespoon at a time. Season with salt and pepper and serve with toast points. Enjoy!

-M

I told D before we moved in together that we were going to have to make room for my enormous cookbook collection in our new apartment, but it wasn’t until I started piling the books against the wall last month for lack of bookshelf space, that he quite understood what I meant. Thankfully we “inherited” a second bookshelf from a past roommate, giving my collection a proper home, as well as freeing up some floor space…

This recipe for Garlic and Parsley Hearthbread comes from Nigella Lawson’s cookbook, How to be a Domestic Goddess. Nigella has a talent for making baked goods, both rustic and refined, seem utterly simplistic, and leads you through recipes as a friend would, with gentle nudgings in the right direction. One thing I particularly love about Nigella’s writing is the unparalleled way she describes a treat’s deliciousness. She says of dream bars, “on top is a sticky mixture of nuts and coconut bound by a tender, toffeelike chewy gunge,” and of chocolate macaroons, “Though description is irrelevant: the utter gorgeousness of just one mouthful of these chocolate macaroons…reveals the rank inadequacy of language.” For someone who describes her chocolate loaf cake as having “damp, heady aromatic denseness” and her cream cheese brownies as “rich, sweet, sharp, palate-cleaving,” its quite the complement to a dessert that it is beyond her ability to describe its lusciousness. Then again, if you’ve ever watched Nigella on TV, you are already aware that her words hold no flame to the look on her face when she takes a bite of her creation. Nothing makes you want to cook more than watching her hedonistic smile as she licks chocolate brownie batter off a wooden spoon. If you’re a guy, maybe you’re not thinking so much about cooking…However, if you’re attracted to men, then most likely you’re thinking about making those brownies to see the same smile on your guests faces as they delight in another fabulous Nigella recipe.

Back to the hearthbread (sorry guys…). All you need is your hands, a baking sheet, and a hot oven. Sure you can use the dough hook on your stand mixer to knead the dough, but for me, the whole point of baking bread from scratch is feeling the dough elasticize and strengthen in your palms. Nigella describes this hearthbread as “something between garlic naan and herby focaccia: dimpled, doughy, and headily pungent.” As usual, she gives an honest and accurate description of what will come from your oven. Enjoy!

Garlic and Parsley Hearthbreads (adapted from Nigella Lawson’s How To Be a Domestic Goddess)

Makes 2 6” x 10” breads, but you can shape them into rolls or rounds as you wish.

3 1/2 cups white bread flour (secretly, I used all purpose, and they turned out great! Don’t waste money on buying special flour if you don’t want to)

1 package (1/4 oz) rapid-rise yeast

1 tbsp salt

1 1/3 cup warm water

5 tbsp olive oil, plus 3 tbsp for garlic parley mixture, and more for greasing

1 large head fresh garlic, top sliced, drizzled with oil, roasted in the oven in foil at 375 for 45 minutes, until golden and soft

1/2 cup flat leaf parsely, minced

salt, for sprinkling

1 large or 2 small baking sheets, lightly oiled

Method (I’m being brief to avoid copyright issues, ok?)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine warm water and 5 tbsp olive oil in a measuring cup and flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Stir wet mixture into the dry one, combine and dump on your cutting board. Knead 15 minutes, or until dough is stiff and elastic and smooth. Clean your large bowl, lightly oil it and place the bread inside. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place (on top of your stove, while the oven is heating is nice) for 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, mince together your roasted garlic (which you’ve extracted from its bulb) and parsley and place in a small bowl. Add 3 tbsp olive oil and stir to combine.

3. After your bread has risen for one hour (it should be about double in size), punch down dough and dump onto your clean counter. Form into desired shapes and set on greased baking sheet(s). With your finger tips, take a pinch of the garlic and parsley mixture and press it into the top of the bread, creating green and golden flecked dimples on the top of your dough. Repeat until the mixture is gone and your bread is covered. Let rest for 20 minutes on the baking sheet(s) under a damp paper towel (or two).

4. Once the dough is rested, place in the oven on the baking sheets, and bake for 20 minutes, until the top is golden, and totally firm to the touch. You can tap the bottoms of the breads and if it sounds hollow, they’re done. Let cool for at least 20 minutes, to allow the crumb to set and dry. Enjoy!

-M : )

Just look at that photo- do I even need to say anything to encourage you to make this pot pie? Feel free to bake this in individual ramekins so you can serve them in their baking dishes. With this rustic dish, that would be a beautiful presentation. Interestingly enough, this dough is very similar to the dough I created to make those Chinese five spice pinwheels. If you find yourself with leftover dough, you can always bake up a few of these cookies while you wait for the chicken to cook through. Dinner and dessert in one recipe! What’s better than that? Enjoy : )

Chicken Pot Pie

Makes 3 Servings

2 1/2 cups chicken stock (broth is fine)

2 large chicken breasts

1 carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 small onion, diced

6 tbsp beurre manie (3 tbsp flour mixed with 3 tbsp oil or melted butter)

vegetable oil, as needed

1 egg, mixed with 1 tbsp water

salt and pepper, to season

1 sheet Frozen puff pastry or use the recipe below:

Easiest Pastry Recipe:

1. Mix 1 1/4 cups flour with 1/4 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cut in 6 tbsp diced cold butter. Mix in 4 tbsp water until dough just comes together, wrap in plastic and set in fridge. Roll out to 10” circle when you’re ready to cover your pie.)

uncooked pastry crust, with a decorative topping made from extra crust

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a baking dish that has a diameter of about 9” (I prefer a cast iron dish, but any baking dish will work). Bring chicken stock to a boil in a 4 qt pot, turn down heat, and keep hot over medium heat, covered.
2. Heat a saute pan over medium high heat with 1 tbsp oil in it, and add carrots, celery, onion and a pinch of salt.

3. Meanwhile, set up another pan (that has a fitting lid) with 2 inches of water and heat on high. Place chicken breasts in pan, cover, and once the water comes to a boil, turn the heat to low and shallow poach the chicken breasts for 15 minutes, or until cooked through. When cooked, remove from water to a clean cutting board and let cool slightly. Once cool, shread or cut into large dice.

4. Add vegetables to chicken stock once golden brown and slightly soft. Add chicken also, then whip in beurre manie. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes, then pour into baking dish. (Note, you can stop here and refrigerate mixture, if you want to serve the dish tomorrow.)

5. Place round of pastry crust (or puff pastry) on top of baking dish, ensuring that the pastry overlaps the side of the dish slightly, so you can crimp the sides shut. Brush top of pastry crust with egg mixed with 1 tbsp water and bake in oven on a sheet tray (to catch drips) for 20 minutes, or until top is golden and cooked through. Serve in shallow bowls and enjoy!

-M : )

Ignore those button mushrooms next to the broccolini (or don’t)- I just sauteed them and put them on the plate to use up leftover mushrooms in the fridge. They married well with the other ingredients, though.

I’m cooling off from my sugar rush and getting back to my culinary school basics. While I cooked some great recipes in school, there’s one that stood out for its easy yet powerful flavor. Balsamic braised chicken is deceptively simple and sensible, and easily multiplied for extra guests. The rich brown sauce that drenches it isn’t ladden with butter, but instead, its full of rich, slow cooked chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, vegetables, tomato, and a touch of flour, to thicken it. No roux, no heavy cream, just a deep, dark, delicious sauce.

Now you may be wondering what in god’s name are those potatoes on the plate. Good question. In culinary school we were tortured by this exercise where we made “tourne” potatoes. (There should be that little accent over the “e” but alas, I’m new to this blogging thing, and don’t know how to add accents, so forgive me French cooking masters, as you roll in your graves.) Anyway, “tourne” means turned, and that’s what’s done to these potatoes. You peel and quarter your russet potato, then trim it, turning it dangerously in your hand as you point the tip of your knife towards your finger, to create a football shaped potato nugget. Yum. Now you could make any shape you want, but having a food blog makes you an anal cook, so I made pretty shapes with my potatoes. Also, football was on that evening. Get it? Yeah, dorky, I know. Parboil them in salted water for about 10 minutes (or until they barely resist being poked with a sharp knife tip), dry them with a clean towel, and saute them in olive oil, sprinkling with coarse salt as they come out of the pan. You’ll find they are a perfect pairing for your chicken (the main squeeze) and your broccolini (your obligatory veg). Double yum. Or is that triple?

The only trick to making this recipe excellent instead of just “good” is to taste your sauce and add more balsamic if the flavor isn’t coming through. It looks as dark in person as it does in the picture, so don’t be shy. Also, balsamic vinegars vary greatly in sweetness, viscosity, and acidity, and I won’t dare to tell you which you should buy, so feel free to add a touch of sugar or lemon juice, to balance the flavors of the sauce. Enjoy!

Balsamic Braised Chicken

Makes 3 Servings

6 chicken thighs, bone-in

1 large carrot, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 small onion, diced

2 tbsp tomato paste

3 tbsp flour

2 cups Chicken Stock

1 cup Balsamic Vinegar (the better the quality, the better the outcome, but don’t go crazy)

vegetable oil, as needed

salt and pepper, as needed

Sauteed broccolini and tourne potatoes, to serve (factor in 1 small bunch broccolini and 1 medium potato per person)

Method

1. Add 2 tbsp oil to a large, deep pan (one that has a lid that fits, ideally) and turn heat to medium-high.

2. Sear chicken thighs, meaty-side down, turning once, to color both sides a nice golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

3. Add carrots, celery, onion, and a pinch of salt to the same pan (do not wash between steps!) and saute until golden brown and slightly softened, 5-7 minutes.

3. Add tomato paste, “pincage” until the tomato paste turns an even darker red and add the flour, mixing well. Cook 1 minute to get rid of the raw flour taste.

4. Add chicken stock and balsamic vinegar to the pan, turn the heat up to high, and bring to a boil. Add the chicken thighs back in and reduce to a simmer. Cover immediately and let cook for 25-35 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. You may want to turn chicken over after 15 minutes to ensure even cooking, as the liquid will not cover the chicken entirely.

5. Remove chicken to serving plates, taste sauce for seasoning, and adjust as necessary with salt and pepper. If you desire, the sauce can be strained, but I prefer it unstrained. Thicken a little if necessary by cooking the sauce a little longer on the stovetop, without a lid, and pour sauce over the chicken. Add broccolini, potatoes, or whatever sides and vegetables you wish, to the plates and enjoy!

-M : )

pretty pecan pinwheels!

As I continue with my baking kick, my mind turns to cost. What ingredients can I cut out and still have a great cookie? Butter? No way. Sugar? Not in a million. Flour? Fat chance. Eggs? Hmm….And that’s where we begin.

In nearly every traditional cookie recipe, eggs lend texture, flavor, rise, and even sheen. But what if you’re secure in the ability of butter, sugar, and flour to add texture, pecans and warm spices to add flavor, and the layers created by the careful combining of butter and flour to create rise? Then you’ve got yourself a great cookie recipe. These Chinese Five Spice Cookies are not only fun and easy to make, but also resourceful. Change the filling to cinnamon, sugar, and currants, or fig jam and chopped almonds-any way you make these, they’re flaky and delicious.

Eggless Chinese Five Spice Cookies

Makes 25 cookies

Dough:

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup butter, in small cubes, chilled

3-4 tbsp cold water

1/8 tsp salt

Filling:

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp chinese five spice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet or use a silpat to line one.

2. Mix the salt into the flour. Using a pastry cutter or your hands, quickly incorporate the butter into the flour, until the mixture resembles coarse sand and the butter is still cold. If butter begins to warm, place mixture in the freezer for 5 minutes and begin again. Add just enough cold water to make a rough dough that stays together. You should be able to see butter streaks in the dough. Wrap in plastic and set in the fridge for 10 minutes to relax the gluten you may have developed in mixing and to allow the butter to cool.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the filling by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

4. Unwrap dough, lightly flour a flat surface, and roll out dough to a rectangle (about 12” x 8”), making sure it’s 1/4” to no less than 1/8” thick.

5. Sprinkle filling on top of the dough to make a thin, even layer and roll lengthwise until you’ve created a log. Place in the freezer to firm up for 10 minutes.

6. Slice the log into 1/4” to 1/2” slices, depending on how big you’d like the cookies, using a sharp knife. Place cookies flat on the baking sheet and into the oven, for 10-12 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool on a rack and enjoy!

-M : )

Aw, they look like hearts… Good thing v-day’s coming up!

Palmiers are the biggest trick in the book. They not only require two ingredients, frozen puff pastry and sugar, but maintain their addictive crunch for days after they’re baked. Using a silpat makes clean up especially easy, but the puff pastry has enough butter in it, and the sugar retains pliable enough out of the oven, to ensure easy removal of the cookies from the baking sheet even without pre-greasing.

A recipe really isn’t necessary for these scrumptious cookies, as they’re really a cinch, but here we go. Enjoy!

Palmiers (i.e. Mini Elephant Ears)

Makes 20 cookies, but can be easily multiplied

1 4” x 7” sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator overnight

1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for dusting

flour, as needed, for rolling

Method

1. Preheat oven to 385 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silpat baking mat. If you’re not using a silpat, leave the baking sheet ungreased.

2. Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured flat surface until it is less than 1/8” thick and sprinkle heavily with sugar. The layer of sugar should be nearly as thick as the layer of puff pastry dough.

3. Fold both ends (lengthwise) into the middle so they meet. Repea, doubling over your last fold. Fold in half lengthwise, so you have a log, roll in sugar, and place in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.

4. Slice cookies with a very sharp knife, each should be about 1/4” thick. Place cookies down on the baking sheet or silpat so you can see their layers (i.e. lay them flat) and sprinkle again with sugar. Bake 10 minutes, or until they turn light golden. The bottom will be a darker golden than the top- that’s what you’re looking to see. Cool on a rack. These cookies are best once completely cool, when they’re at their crunchiest. Yum!

-M : )

Ok, so I guess I’m on a baking kick. Its just that D and I have a few friends coming over to watch football tonight and tomorrow night, and I couldn’t help but bake some goodies to munch on during the game. I made both palmiers (recipe in part deux) and chocolate-dipped pecan meringues (recipe below). I am particularly fond of cookies that are easy, cheap, and can be made small, and these two recipes match all the criteria.

Not only do smaller cookies take less time to bake, they are also a wiser bet for satisfying your guests and making sure that your baking doesn’t go to waste (and frankly, your feelings don’t get hurt). Bigger cookies require the guest to contemplate the size of their appetite, normally an evaluation that takes place after a meal. If you want your baking to be put to good use (i.e. chomped and digested) then make those cookies smaller! Smaller cookies means more cookies to enjoy, and fewer people saying no to trying one. No one’s going to need to consult their diet commandments to eat one. All the pleasure in a couple fewer bites, that’s all. You can even feel good having seconds. And trust me, you’ll want more than one.

What I love about these cookies is not only that they’re easy and liked by all, but also that they have a certain adult quality about them. Its that almost-burnt flavor, that caramelized, brown sugar taste that deepens and balances the sweetness. They are crunchy, light, and even great without being dipped in chocolate, white or dark. Serve a few in a bowl with some raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries, add a little whipped cream or ice cream, and you have a more formal dessert. Whether you share them with friends while watching football or enjoy them crushed into ice cream, cuddled up with a good book, enjoy!

Chocolate-Dipped Pecan Meringues

Makes 25-30 1 1/2” cookies

1/2 cup pecans

2 egg whites

pinch salt

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/8 cup white chocolate chips

1/8 cup dark or milk chocolate chips (your choice)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 385 degrees and lightly grease baking sheet, or better yet, use a silpat baking mat on top of the baking sheet.

2. Pulse pecans in a food processor (preferably a small one) until coarsely ground. Take care not to over pulse, or else oils will release and coarse texture will be lost.

3. Whip eggs whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form and add sugar slowly, while continuing to beat whites. Beat until stiff peaks form.

4. Immediately fold in pecans, taking care not to deflate the egg whites (the sugar does help to stabilize them, though).

5. Drop or pipe about a tablespoonful of batter onto baking sheet or mat, and leave 1” of room between cookies. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 285 degrees. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden all over. Cookies will still be slightly soft to the touch, but they will harden as they cool out of the oven, yielding a crunchy texture.

6. While cookies cool, melt the chocolates in separate dishes in the microwave. Dip bottoms of the cookies in melted chocolate once completely cool and firm and place them on wax paper, then in the fridge, so the chocolate can harden.

Note: white chocolate-dipped cookies will not need to be refrigerated to harden, but the milk or dark chocolate-dipped ones probably will.

Enjoy!

-M : )

There are some no-brainer food combinations that come to mind when I think of things to make for dessert: chocolate and mint, chocolate and cherry, chocolate and coconut, chocolate and almond, chocolate and peanut butter, white chocolate and berries, hmm…chocolate, white, milk, or dark, seems to compliment an inexhaustible list of flavors, huh? However, chocolate desserts, even when they contain fruit, can be quite heavy. The solution? Use the chocolate as a background flavor, as I’ve done in this take on a napoleon, using pate a choux (cream puff) disks in place of the traditional puff pastry rectangles, and pumpkin white chocolate puree in place of the heavy pastry cream filling. The result is a light, texturally interesting, and visually impressive dessert. And, of course, it’s delish- would I post the recipe if it wasn’t? Be assured, its a winner. Enjoy! : )

Pumpkin White Chocolate Pate a Choux “Napoleon”

Pate a Choux Dough (adapted from Nick Malgieri’s “How to Bake“)

Makes 30 3” rounds

1 cup water

6 tablespoons butter (I actually prefer salted butter, here)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup all purpose flour

4 large eggs

2/3 cup coarse white sugar, for sprinkling (coarse brown sugar is a fine substitute- look for demerara sugar)

pastry bag with 1/4 inch round tip

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking sheet, or place a spat mat on the baking sheet. Arrange racks so that they are in the center of the oven.

2. Combine water, butter, and salt in a medium size saucepan or pot over medium high heat and bring to a boil. When mixture boils, turn off heat, add flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated and mixture leaves the sides of the pot cleanly.

3. Transfer paste to a bowl and spread the paste up the sides of the bowl to quicken cooling process. Let cool for 1 minute, then add eggs, one at a time, stirring until each is absorbed before adding the next.

4. Spoon mixture into pastry bag fitted with 1/4 inch wide round tip and pipe 3” pinwheels onto the baking sheet, keeping 1” between each puff. Pipe pinwheels by starting in the center first and coiling the dough around the center. When you’ve made a 3” pinwheel, release pressure on the bag and pull the tip away to the side (don’t pull the tip up) in a quick motion. Sprinkle tops of pinwheels liberally with coarse sugar. Don’t worry about shaking excess sugar off the baking sheet or mat, it will just caramelize in the oven and add extra crunch to the pinwheels.

4. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden and fully cooked through. Puffs should retain their shape out of the oven. If they collapse on themselves, bake for an extra minute or two.

Pumpkin White Chocolate Puree

Makes enough for 4 Napoleons

1 small can pumpkin puree

1/4 cup real maple syrup

2 tsp molasses

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

1 cup white chocolate chips, melted in the microwave

Method:

1. Mix 1/2 pumpkin puree (1 of the two parts) with the rest of the ingredients, except for the white chocolate, together in a bowl. Divide in half. Add melted white chocolate chips to one of the halves, mix and set both bowls aside.

Construction of the “Napoleon”

Pate a Choux Pinwheels

Pumpkin Puree

White Chocolate Pumpkin Puree

white chocolate chips, about 1/8 cup per person

1. Place a pinwheel cream puff in the center of a plate. Spoon or pipe about 1 tbsp of the non-white chocolate pumpkin puree onto the pinwheel and repeat layering process until you have used 3 pinwheels. Repeat with other plates.

2. Drizzle white chocolate pumpkin puree over each stack and sprinkle with white chocolate chips so your guests know the components of the dessert. Enjoy!

-M : )

Every January, I find it tough to snap out of the holiday mindset, and this year is no different. In fact, I think I’m finding it particularly challenging to snap back into work mode, since keeping a food blog makes my mind dwell on food in a way I’ve never experienced before. The fact is, during the holidays, everyone’s a foodie. Normally, people are happy to listen to my most recent concoction or latest favorite recipe, but once December rolls around, everyone, food enthusiast or not, can’t hardly stop talking to me about family recipes, food traditions, and foods they await to taste every Christmas, Hannukah, and New Year’s.

In fact, if I’m fair, I think this frenzy really begins in mid November, with the planning of Thanksgiving menus. So for a good month and a half, I have camaraderie like I’ve never had before. Being a foodie in Washington D.C. could have been lonesome if I hadn’t covertly converted my boyfriend into one, especially after spending a year in NYC. Still, most of my friends are not foodies, so having everyone so excited about food this time of year is particularly fun!

Here’s my problem, though, although I suppose it’s a “high-class” one. A month and a half of being essentially bombarded with new ideas and recipes means, for me, another month and half to digest all of this information. So each year, and I’m sure this year will be no different, I can’t get over holiday food until March. How to cope? Keep cooking holiday food! This recipe for Jalapeno Cornbread Stuffing is delicious any time of the year, but in January, making this will certainly keep you feeling festive long after the icicle lights come down. I’ve crumbled it into omelettes, stuffed it into pork roasts or baby squashes, and grilled slices to accompany a light salad, but my hands-down favorite way to serve it is in the recipe below. The eggs add extra richness and creaminess to the stuffing, while the simple act of eating the dish in the bowl it was baked in, and with a spoon no less, makes it the ultimate comfort food. Enjoy!

Jalapeno Cornbread Stuffing
Serves 8

1 small yellow onion, or ½ large one, small dice

1 large stalk celery, small dice

1 9×9 pan prepared cornbread, crumbled (I used 1 container of pre-made cornbread from Whole Foods Market and it was the perfect amount- it filled a 9×9 pan about 2 ½ inches high).

2 cups chicken stock

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 jalapenos, with seeds, minced (you can use one jalapeno if you want it less spicy)

½ tsp each, salt and pepper

canola oil, for sautéing

cooking spray, or more oil, for greasing pan

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 9×9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Heat sauté pan over medium-high heat and and about 1 tsp oil to the pan. When oil is hot, add diced onion and celery and cook until translucent and slightly golden, 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, add cornbread to a large mixing bowl and add chicken stock, egg, and jalapenos. Mix well.

4. When onion and celery mixture has finished cooking, take off heat, let cool slightly, and add to cornbread mixture. Add seasoning and stir well.

5. Transfer mixture to greased baking dish and smooth top to ensure even cooking (and nice presentation!) Place on center rack in over and bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes, or until top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few small crumbs are fine). Serve immediately but be sure to save leftovers for second recipe below! Enjoy!

Stuffing, Round Two:

Eggs en Cocotte with Stuffing
Serves ? (Depends on how much you ate the night before…Count on 1 cup stuffing per portion)

Leftover Jalapeno Cornbread Stuffing- 1 cup, per person

2 Eggs, per person

1 Slice bacon, per person, cooked and crumbled, (optional) (Applewood smoked bacon is killer here)

1.5 oz Aged cheddar, per person, thinly sliced (optional, or substitute favorite cheese)

Pinch of salt, per person

Cooking spray, as needed

Maple syrup, hot sauce, or whatever you like, to serve

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Count the number of people you’re feeding and coat that many small oven-safe bowls with cooking spray.

2. Spoon about 1 cup (depending on the size of your bowl) cold leftover jalapeno cornbread stuffing into each bowl and press down with the back of a spoon or your hand to make a flat surface.

3. If you are using bacon, sprinkle it over the stuffing now. If not, move on to step 4.

4. Crack two eggs over each filled bowl, trying not to break the yolks. Sprinkle a little salt over the eggs (remember, only the stuffing has been seasoned so far).

5. Set directly in the oven, or place bowls on a baking sheet and then move to the oven. Bake for 15- 20 minutes, or until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, but thick. If you prefer firm yolks, simply cook 5-7 minutes more.

6. If you are using cheese, once the whites are nearly set, take the bowls requiring an addition of cheese out of the oven, place cheese slices on egg whites and return to oven for 2-3 minutes more.

7. Remove once the eggs are done to your liking, but be careful! The bowls remain very hot for some time after they’re out of the oven- warn your guests : ) Serve with desired accompaniments and enjoy!

-M : )

Tonight’s dinner was both simple and impressive- simple for the chef, impressive for the bf. Does weeknight cooking get any better than that? I named these pork chops “Autumn” since they share the plate with mushroom-stuffed tomatoes. Stuffing, in any form, epitomizes fall to me, and here, crammed inside hollow tomatoes, it enriches a would-be tasteless fruit this time of year.

The pan sauce is simple and efficient and there’s no need to follow my recipe if you don’t have cherry tomatoes on hand (they can be kind of pricey this time of year). Instead, replace the cherry tomatoes with the chopped innards you removed from the large tomatoes and save yourself 4 bucks. The point of adding tomatoes is twofold: color and acidity. While the pan sauce has thyme in it, the red perks up the color while simultaneously balancing the stock-based sauce. The sauce, having been thickened with flour, needs the acidity to draw it out of “dullsville,” as my mother would say. No need to go there- sliced cherry tomatoes, tomato scraps, or even some lemon juice, will keep you far away.

No story necessary for this dinner, its just good, fresh, healthy food. Oh, and the stuffed tomatoes are an excellent vessel for getting more veggies into your child’s diet (or your boyfriend’s!). An untrained palate will never know there are mushrooms hiding in there, but the body that mouth feeds will reap the benefits. Enjoy! : )

Autumn Pork Chops with Stuffed Tomatoes

Serves 2

2 boneless pork chops
2 3” wide tomatoes, insides removed so only 1/2″ thick shell remains
3 large mushrooms, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced, separated in two equal portions
2 ribs celery, diced, separated in two equal portions
1 tsp fresh thyme (dried can be substituted), separated into 2 equal portions
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp parmesean, grated
1/2 cup (about 8-10) grape tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 tbsp flour (all purpose works well)
salt and pepper to taste
oil for sauteing vegetables (about 2 tbsp)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place cover a small cookie sheet or ovensafe dish with a layer of aluminum foil.

2. In a small saute pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and add mushrooms and one portion each of onions and celery. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Saute until golden over medium high heat, about 5 minutes.

3. Turn the heat to low, add 1/2 cup chicken stock and mix well.

4. Take the pan off the heat, add breadcrumbs and 1/2 tsp thyme to pan, and once the mixture has cooled slightly, add the egg and mix well.

5. Using a spoon, distribute the stuffing evenly into the two tomatoes. Pack tightly and place the tomatoes on the aluminum foil covered baking sheet and transfer to oven. Cook for 25 minutes or until stuffing is golden.

Stuffed tomatoes ready for the oven!

6. While tomatoes bake, place heavy skillet over high heat and season pork chops with salt and pepper. Add pork chops to pan and leave undisturbed for 4-5 minutes, until topsides look very moist and the sides look cooked halfway up. Flip and cook other side until you have reached your desired level of doneness.

7. Remove pork chops to clean cutting board to rest and redistribute juices; reduce heat to medium high and add tomatoes and remaining portions of onions, celery, and thyme to the pan. Cook until golden, add flour and incorporate well, then add remaining chicken stock and raise heat to high.

Thickening the pan sauce

8. Cook until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon and turn off the heat. At this point the stuffed tomatoes are ready, so take them out of the oven and place one on each plate. Top each with 1 tbsp parmesean. Place one pork chop on each plate and spoon desired amount of sauce over each. Serve and enjoy!

-M : )

Of all four seasons, autumn has the best food. Its like Goldilocks and the three (well, four..) bears: Winter’s food is too heavy, Summer (and Spring) food is too light, and Autumn’s just right. Vegetables and Fruits get the attention they deserve, and the spices are warm without being heavy, simultaneously sweet and savory. It is often a time of indulgence, as people are eager to make desserts with the apples, pears, pumpkins, and even sweet potatoes that crowd the market shelves, but our bodies are pushed back into balance by the amount of nutrients in the available food: brussel sprouts, winter squash, leeks, green beans, and broccoli, are a few that come to mind (in addition to those mentioned above, of course).

Using fruits and vegetables in desserts has always been an interest of mine. I much prefer zucchini breads, banana muffins, sweet potato pies and berry cobblers to cheesecakes, pecan pies, and other (in my opinion) more cloying treats. Produce in desserts adds depth of flavor, texture, color, and boosted nutrition. Its also a great way to help introduce kids to unfamiliar and perhaps intimidating foods.

This recipe for Pumpkin Ginger Bars is special then, in two ways: it’s in tune with the season and it includes some healthy ingredients (like molasses, cinnamon, and pumpkin). It’s also the most addictive baked good I’ve ever made. The lightness of the filling combined with the chewy, crunchy base provides a textural contrast that most desserts lack. For me, when I have pumpkin pie, I find the crust to be superfluous, unnecessary, almost a dilution of the filling’s flavor. Not so with these; the crust is made with ginger snaps, and then covered in a thin layer of caramel, pairing perfectly with the homemade pumpkin filling. The filling is incredible on its own, but you’ll never leave tasteless crust behind when you eat these. So take a little time this afternoon to appreciate and share autumn’s bounty with these Pumpkin Ginger Bars. With two of these warm from the oven, a cup of mulled cider and a good book, you’ll be fully equipped for a cozy afternoon : )

Pumpkin Ginger Bars
Makes 28 bars

For Crust:
30 2″ gingersnap cookies (I like Sweetzels brand), crushed in a food processor
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/8 cup brown sugar

For Caramel layer:
2 bags Werther’s classic chewy caramels
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp butter

For Pumpkin filling:
1 15oz. can pumpkin puree
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 cup molasses

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a 13 x 9 in. pan (glass works especially well).

2. Combine the cookie crumbs, butter, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Dump the mixture into the greased pan and distribute evenly over the bottom. The mixture will be very crumbly but don’t worry. Press it down lightly with your hands and make sure the crust extends to the edges of the pan.

3. Bake the crust blind for 10 minutes in the 425 degree oven to help it firm up. Don’t let it get too brown!

4. Unwrap caramels and place in a bowl over a pot of simmering water to melt. Add 1/2 cup milk and 3 tbsp butter to the bowl. Once caramels have melted, stir the mixture until it is fully incorporated and keep it over the double boiler to remain warm.

5. When the crust is ready, pour the caramel mixture over the crust and spread delicately to distribute it evenly over the crust’s surface. It will be thin, but there is exactly enough.

6. Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over the caramel, again distributing the filling evenly.

E. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 then lower oven to 350 and finish cooking for 35 more minutes. Bars are done when the top feels firm and the filling no longer jiggles in the center.

Note: I recommend letting these cool to room temp before slicing them, and when you do slice them, make sure you use a sharp knife and press down firmly- the bottom crust is very dense. Additionally, I would refridgerate these, or they will be incredibly chewy. The fridge makes the crust crunchy rather than chewy and I tend to find them even better this way.

Enjoy!

-M : )