When my menus start feeling redundant and boring, I find inspiration in new dishes and ingredients I’ve never tried before from countries all around the world. Cooking an exotic dish adds adventure to my table and also gives me a virtual culinary trip to another land. I also learn new things, which gets me excited in the kitchen again and revives my love for cooking. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday evening. 😉
Tonight I made a dish called bibimbap! (Fun to say, but more fun to eat! 😉 ) Bibimbap is a Korean dish that literally means ‘mixed rice.’ It is topped with a colorful group of vegetables, marinated beef, and an egg in the center. One key ingredient is a red pepper paste called gochujang that gives the whole dish a distinct and spicy flavor. It is available at Asian markets such as Uwajimaya.
This recipe is from a magazine called Edible Seattle. I only made a few small changes to make it a little healthier. I used brown rice, low sodium soy sauce, a couple extra carrots, and the leanest local grass fed beef I could find. First I made the quick pickles and marinated the beef. Then the final recipe at the bottom puts everything together. (The beef would also be delicious on it’s own with a simple side vegetable and some rice.)
Bibimbap
Based on a recipe from Edible Seattle
Quick Pickled Cucumber:
1 tablespoon sea salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 pound English cucumber
Stir together the salt, sugar, vinegar, and water until dissolved. Pour the liquid into a small bowl. Slice the cucumber as thinly as possible with a knife or mandoline.
Place the cucumber into the bowl of pickling liquid. Allow to sit 20 minutes. Remove the cucumber from pickling brine before serving.
Bulgogi Beef:
1 pound lean high-quality steak (I used sirloin)
½ Asian pear
6 garlic cloves
½ small yellow onion
2 teaspoons grated ginger
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup mirin
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 green onions, finely sliced
Trim any excess fat off of the steak. Cut into thin strips, about ¼ inch thick, against the grain.
Place all remaining ingredients, except green onions, in a blender or food processor, and run on high until puréed.
Pour the puréed mixture and the green onions into a gallon-sized zip lock bag, and add the streak strips. Close the bag, and massage the marinade into the beef. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least at hour.
Preheat grill pan on high heat. Remove the beef from the marinade, and lightly shake off excess liquid before grilling. Grill each side for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned.
Bibimbap:
(Final steps and assembly)
For the gochujang sauce:
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup gochujang pepper paste
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
For the bowl:
2 cups medium grain brown rice
4 small carrots
3 sheets roasted nori seaweed
5 ounces mushrooms of your choice (I used crimini)
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
To make the gochujang sauce, dissolve the sugar into the water and vinegar in a medium bowl. Add the garlic and gochujang paste, and whisk until well combined. Whisk in the sesame oil. Set aside.
Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear. Cook according to package instructions. Cover with a lid to keep warm until serving.
Shred carrots, and set aside.
Cut the nori into ¼ inch strips with kitchen shears. Set aside.
Slice the mushrooms. Preheat a medium sauté pan. Once it is hot, cook the mushrooms until they have released their liquid and begin to caramelize. Set aside.
Before cooking the eggs, set the table with side dishes. (The sauce, extra nori, extra pickles, etc.) Then prepare the individual bowls. Each bowl starts with a mound of rice in the bottom. Then arrange the toppings around the top of the rice to fully cover it. Toppings include the beef, pickled cucumbers, carrots, mushrooms, and seaweed.
In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat about 1 cup of water until steaming. Place the cracked eggs in the water and cover the lid. Cook until the white is cooked through, but the yolk is still runny. (I call this shallow poaching. It requires no oil, and you don’t need to wait for a pot of water to come to a boil as you do for traditional poached eggs.)
Place a cooked egg in the middle of each bowl. Sprinkle some sesame seeds over the top, and allow each individual to add sauce and other extra toppings at the table.
Spice up your kitchen! ~ Bibimbap
/1 Comment/in Beef, Dinner, Lunch /by LauraTonight I made a dish called bibimbap! (Fun to say, but more fun to eat! 😉 ) Bibimbap is a Korean dish that literally means ‘mixed rice.’ It is topped with a colorful group of vegetables, marinated beef, and an egg in the center. One key ingredient is a red pepper paste called gochujang that gives the whole dish a distinct and spicy flavor. It is available at Asian markets such as Uwajimaya.
Based on a recipe from Edible Seattle
Quick Pickled Cucumber:
1 tablespoon sea salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 pound English cucumber
Stir together the salt, sugar, vinegar, and water until dissolved. Pour the liquid into a small bowl. Slice the cucumber as thinly as possible with a knife or mandoline.
Place the cucumber into the bowl of pickling liquid. Allow to sit 20 minutes. Remove the cucumber from pickling brine before serving.
Bulgogi Beef:
1 pound lean high-quality steak (I used sirloin)
½ Asian pear
6 garlic cloves
½ small yellow onion
2 teaspoons grated ginger
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup mirin
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 green onions, finely sliced
Trim any excess fat off of the steak. Cut into thin strips, about ¼ inch thick, against the grain.
Place all remaining ingredients, except green onions, in a blender or food processor, and run on high until puréed.
Pour the puréed mixture and the green onions into a gallon-sized zip lock bag, and add the streak strips. Close the bag, and massage the marinade into the beef. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least at hour.
Preheat grill pan on high heat. Remove the beef from the marinade, and lightly shake off excess liquid before grilling. Grill each side for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned.
Bibimbap:
(Final steps and assembly)
For the gochujang sauce:
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup gochujang pepper paste
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
For the bowl:
2 cups medium grain brown rice
4 small carrots
3 sheets roasted nori seaweed
5 ounces mushrooms of your choice (I used crimini)
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
To make the gochujang sauce, dissolve the sugar into the water and vinegar in a medium bowl. Add the garlic and gochujang paste, and whisk until well combined. Whisk in the sesame oil. Set aside.
Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear. Cook according to package instructions. Cover with a lid to keep warm until serving.
Shred carrots, and set aside.
Cut the nori into ¼ inch strips with kitchen shears. Set aside.
Slice the mushrooms. Preheat a medium sauté pan. Once it is hot, cook the mushrooms until they have released their liquid and begin to caramelize. Set aside.
Before cooking the eggs, set the table with side dishes. (The sauce, extra nori, extra pickles, etc.) Then prepare the individual bowls. Each bowl starts with a mound of rice in the bottom. Then arrange the toppings around the top of the rice to fully cover it. Toppings include the beef, pickled cucumbers, carrots, mushrooms, and seaweed.
In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat about 1 cup of water until steaming. Place the cracked eggs in the water and cover the lid. Cook until the white is cooked through, but the yolk is still runny. (I call this shallow poaching. It requires no oil, and you don’t need to wait for a pot of water to come to a boil as you do for traditional poached eggs.)
Place a cooked egg in the middle of each bowl. Sprinkle some sesame seeds over the top, and allow each individual to add sauce and other extra toppings at the table.
Easter Treats ~ Simnel Cupcakes
/0 Comments/in Cupcake, Dessert, Easter, Snack, Spring /by LauraTo celebrate the holiday this year, I made a batch of simnel cupcakes. 🙂
Simnel cake is a British confection eaten around Easter time. It is a type of fruit cake with some warm holiday spices mixed in, but I think the most interesting part about this dish is the decoration. These cakes are decorated with a ring of 11 small balls of marzipan symbolizing 11 Apostles, with the exception of Judas. I love dishes such as this one that combine culture, history, and deliciousness! 😉
Makes 20
¾ cup light olive oil
½ cup plain nonfat yogurt
6 tablespoons skim milk
½ cup fine or caster sugar
3 eggs
2 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 ¼ teaspoons mixed spice or pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 ½ cups mixed dry fruit (finely chopped apricots, currants, etc.)
Marzipan (one 150 g package will cover and decorate about 8 cupcakes)
Powdered sugar, for dusting work surface
Apricot jam (¼ cup will be enough for about 8 cupcakes)
Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 cupcake tins with 20 paper liners.
Combine oil, yogurt, milk, sugar, and eggs in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir until just combined. Add the fruit, and mix until evenly distributed.
Fill each baking cup about ½ full. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
In the meantime heat jam until it is more viscous, and sieve it through a fine mesh strainer. Reserve the smooth portion of the jam, and discard the solids.
On a clean and smooth surface, sprinkle some powdered sugar to keep the marzipan from sticking. Roll out the marzipan with a rolling pin until it is very thin. Cut out rounds with a round cookie cutter that is approximately the size of the top of a cupcake. With remaining bits of marzipan, make small, evenly sized balls.
When the cupcakes are cooked and cooled, brush a small amount of the jam over the top of each one that you would like to decorate. Place a round of marzipan over the jam, and press gently to adhere to the cake. Lightly brush the top of the marzipan with jam, and also lightly coat 11 little balls with jam. Stick the balls in a circle on top of each cupcake.
First Date Anniversary ~ Hot Date Muffins
/0 Comments/in Breakfast/Brunch, Muffin, Snack /by Laura1 ¾ cups oat flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of salt
1 ¼ cups Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup applesauce
1 very ripe banana
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 325. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
In a food processor, add the dates, applesauce, banana, and vanilla. Process until smooth.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir until well combined. Add chopped walnuts if you are using them, and stir to distribute evenly.
Fill 12 muffin cups evenly with batter. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle of one comes out clean.
Let cool completely, or they will stick to the paper liners.
April Fool’s Day ~ Rhubarb Fool
/0 Comments/in April Fool's Day, Breakfast/Brunch, Dessert, Snack, Spring /by LauraA fool is a blend of cooked and puréed fruit combined with a creamy base. It is typically made with whipped cream or custard, but I cut down on the fat and calories by combining the cream with nonfat plain Greek yogurt. I also boiled the rhubarb with orange juice to sweeten it without a lot of refined sugar.
½ pound rhubarb, cut into ½ inch pieces
¼ cup fresh orange juice
Zest of ½ an orange
¼ cup sugar
½ cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
Place the rhubarb, orange juice, orange zest, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and simmer until the rhubarb is soft. Strain the excess liquid. Purée the rhubarb in a food processor until smooth. Chill.
Beat the cream until soft peaks form. Whisk in the Greek yogurt. Then stir the cooled rhubarb mixture into the cream mixture, leaving some streaks. Serve immediately.
I hope you have an April Fool’s Day filled with fun and surprising twists and turns!
Sweets for my sweet ~ Date and Almond Fudge
/0 Comments/in Anniversary, Dessert, Snack /by LauraThis year I chose to make some healthy, vegan fudge to mark the occasion. The fudge is sweetened completely with dates. It is something to feel good about eating, and they are sweet and chocolaty. Those two benefits rarely go together! 😉
14 ounces Medjool dates (about 2 cups), pitted
½ cup almond butter
¼ cup extra virgin coconut oil
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Line a square 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a few inches to overhang on the sides. (These will be your handles to pull the fudge out when it is set.) Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Spread the fudge evenly into the baking dish. Refrigerate until firm, about an hour. Pull the fudge out of the baking dish, and cut into desired shapes.
The little flags came from a website called Honey Bear Lane. They were created for Valentine’s Day, but I thought they were perfect to dress up this fudge. You could also sprinkle it with shredded coconut, sliced almonds, or anything else that strikes your fancy.
Happy anniversary, my sweet!
Family Dinner ~ Tuscan Sausage and Caramelized Onion Ragù
/0 Comments/in Beef, Chicken, Dinner, Lunch, Main dish, Pasta /by LauraThis sauce is perfect for a dinner party since it’s a crowd pleaser, and it doesn’t need a lot of attention on the stove once everything is combined. The house will smell delicious when your guests arrive, and the sauce can simmer on its own while you chat with your company.
The original recipe was from a homemade pasta cooking class at Sur La Table. To make the dish a little leaner than the one from class, I used olive oil rather than butter, and I chose lean ground beef and chicken sausage rather than ground chuck and pork sausage.
Tuscan Sausage and Caramelized Onion Ragù
Based on a recipe from a cooking class at Sur La Table
Yield: 8 servings
For sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 large celery ribs, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 pound sweet Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
2 (28 ounce) cans San Marzano whole tomatoes
1 cup dry red wine
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
For onions:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
Sauce:
In a large pot or large, wide skillet, add oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery, stirring well to coat with oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables turn golden brown, about 12 to 14 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until paste turns a darker red, about 2 minutes. Add sausage and beef, stirring occasionally to break up large clumps, and cook until meat begins to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, wine, and bay leaves, stirring well to combine. Reduce heat to medium and simmer sauce until thickened and reduced, about 40 to 50 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Keep warm.
Onions:
While sauce simmers, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and stir to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, stirring well to combine.
Just before serving, stir onions into the sauce. Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper. Use immediately with fresh pasta, or allow to cool and refrigerate up to 3 days. Any unused portions can be packed in an airtight container and frozen up to 1 month.
To make this meal even more authentic, make homemade fettuccine with your guests! It’s a fun and interactive project to do together, which is a nice icebreaker. The recipe for fresh pasta dough can be found here.
The time of the year for all things Irish ~ Individual Cottage Pies
/1 Comment/in Beef, Dinner, Lunch, Main dish, St. Patrick's Day /by LauraBased on a recipe from Bon Appétit magazine
For topping:
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
3 tablespoons skim milk, or more for a smoother consistency
Earth Balance to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
For base:
1/2 pound white mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon high heat oil, such as safflower or sunflower
1 pound leanest ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 large carrot, chopped finely
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Steam cauliflower florets in a medium saucepot with the lid on until tender. With a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower into a food processor. Add milk and blend until it is a smooth purée. Add Earth Balance, salt, and pepper to taste, and pulse to combine.
Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, heat until shimmering, and then add mushrooms. Cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl. Add beef, onion, and garlic to same skillet and cook over medium-high heat until beef is brown, breaking up with spoon, about 8 minutes. Add flour and stir 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, carrot, stock, parsley, and Worcestershire. Simmer about 4 minutes, or until the stock is almost evaporated, stirring occasionally.
Spoon the beef mixture into an 8-inch round baking dish or individual ramekins. Spoon the cauliflower purée over the top, and serve immediately.
Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day!) ~ Mini English Pancakes
/0 Comments/in Breakfast/Brunch, Main dish, Mardi Gras, Snack /by LauraIn honor of this fun tradition, I made mini pancakes to celebrate Pancake Day. English-style pancakes are much thinner than American pancakes. They are almost like French crêpes. The cakes are traditionally served with a little caster/fine sugar and lemon rather than maple syrup.
I chose to make a basic recipe from BBC Good Food. I replaced the plain flour with whole-wheat pastry flour, and I used fully skim milk rather than partly-skimmed milk as the recipe called for. I also made my cakes mini for an afternoon tea snack, but otherwise followed the recipe fairly closely.
Based on a recipe from BBC Good Food
100g whole-wheat pastry flour
2 eggs
300ml skim milk, plus more if needed
1 tbsp light oil such as sunflower or safflower, plus extra for frying
Pinch of salt
Lemon slices, for serving
Caster/fine sugar, for serving
Blending in the flour: Put the flour and a pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the middle, and then pour in about 50ml milk and 1 tbsp oil. Start whisking from the center, gradually drawing the flour into the eggs, milk and oil. Once all the flour is incorporated, beat until you have a smooth, thick paste. Add a little more milk if it is too stiff to beat.
Finishing the batter: Add a good splash of milk and whisk to loosen the thick batter. While still whisking, pour in a steady stream of the remaining milk. Continue pouring and whisking until you have a batter that is the consistency of slightly thick single cream.
Getting the right thickness: Heat the pan over a moderate heat, and then wipe it with oiled paper towel. Ladle some batter into the pan, tilting the pan to move the mixture around for a thin and even layer. Leave to cook, undisturbed, for about 30 seconds, or until you see the edges getting a bit dry and golden. If the pan is the right temperature, the pancake should turn golden underneath after about 30 seconds and will be ready to turn.
Flipping pancakes: Hold the pan handle, ease a fish spatula under the pancake, then quickly lift and flip it over. Make sure the pancake is lying flat against the base of the pan with no folds, and then cook for another 30 seconds before turning out onto a warm plate. Continue with the rest of the batter, serving them as you cook or stack onto a plate.
Downton Abbey Valentine Dinner, Final Course ~ Battenberg Cake
/0 Comments/in Anniversary, Dessert, Dinner, Lunch, Valentine's Day /by LauraThe tale behind the cake is that it was created to celebrate the wedding of Princess Victoria (Queen Victoria’s granddaughter) to Prince Louis of Battenberg in 1884. Given the romantic story about the cake, I think it is the perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day! A little more about the cake’s background and some fun facts can be found at SeriousEats.com.
I decided to make a chocolate and vanilla version rather than a traditional pink and yellow version, so I would not require any food coloring. (Or rather, since I am in a British state of mind, I should say “colouring.” 😉 ) I started with a recipe from Jamie Oliver, but I changed it so significantly that the final result was a completely different cake. For my healthier Nooncafe Battenberg, I wanted to use whole grains rather than self rising flour, so I used whole-wheat pastry flour with the addition of baking powder and salt. I also didn’t want to use butter, so I replaced it with coconut oil, and added less oil than the recipe called for. To offset that change, I added more milk for moisture. I also reduced the sugar quite a bit in the batter, since the jam and marzipan also added a lot of sweetness. The final product was denser and heartier than a traditional sponge cake, but it was quite delicious!
For decoration, I dyed some of the marzipan pink with beet juice. Just grate a raw beet on a cheese grater, place the grated beet inside of 2 or 3 layers of cheese cloth, and squeeze out the juice. Knead a little of the juice into the marzipan until it is uniformly pink. It’s a little messy, but so pretty! In the book A Year in the Life of Downton Abbey: Seasonal Celebrations, Traditions, and Recipes, it mentions that in the era of Downton Abbey, the food was highly decorated. Even the serving platters would have been decorated. Inspired by that fact, I cut out hearts with my pink marzipan and placed them all around my cake platter, as well as on top of the cake.
Since this is a very British recipe, I wrote most of the measurements in grams (and even gave you the Celsius temperature for the oven if you please!)
200g coconut oil, plus extra for greasing the pans
250g fine or caster sugar
6 eggs
½ tbsp vanilla extract
6 tbsp milk
285g whole-wheat pastry flour
3 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
50g ground almonds
40g cocoa
125g apricot jam
450g marzipan
Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease 2 small loaf pans, line the bottom with parchment paper, and grease the parchment as well. This will ensure the cakes come out of the pans in one piece.
In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt until very well combined. Set aside. Divide the coconut oil and sugar evenly between 2 bowls, and whisk until well incorporated. Beat 3 eggs into each bowl. Stir the vanilla and half the milk into one bowl, then fold in 175g of the flour mixture until just combined. In the other bowl, fold in the remaining flour mixture, almonds, cocoa and remaining milk. Mix until just combined. Take care not to over mix the flour. Spoon the two batters into the greased pans. Bake both together for about 40–50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean. The chocolate cake may take longer to cook than the vanilla, so check often towards the end of the baking time. Cool for 10 minutes, and then turn the cakes out onto a rack.
To assemble, warm and strain the jam. Level off the tops and sides of the cakes with a serrated knife so each cake is a rectangle and the same size. Cut in half lengthwise so you have 2 long strips of each. Place 1 of the vanilla cakes on a board and brush the top and sides generously with jam, then do the same with a strip of chocolate cake and stick the 2 together, side by side. Gently place the remaining cakes on top, opposite colors on each, brushing all the edges with jam. Trim the cake so the sides are straight, if necessary.
Roll out the marzipan on a board sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar so it is large enough to completely cover the cake (with a little extra to use for decoration.) Place the cake on one of the shorter sides, and bring the marzipan up and over the top to cover 4 sides. Pat to make sure the marzipan adheres to the jam on all 4 sides. Trim to neaten the two exposed checkerboard edges with a serrated knife.
I find that videos are easier to follow than words when I have a technical recipe such as this one, so here is a link to a video I found helpful when assembling my Battenberg.
Downton Abbey Valentine Dinner, Main Course ~ Mini Beef Wellingtons
/0 Comments/in Anniversary, Beef, Dinner, Main dish, Valentine's Day /by LauraLooking into the history of the dish, the origin is a bit cloudy. It may have been around during the Downton era, or it may not have. It may have British origins, or it may actually be American. (Gasp!!) Anyway, the dish is a favorite in our abbey, so we included it in our celebration.
I used a tried and true recipe from Martha Stewart. This mini version is much easier to make than the full beef Wellington. It can also be made ahead of time, which is a lovely feature! It is admittedly a rich dish, but the base of beef tenderloin is a very lean cut of beef. To make it a little healthier, I used less of the pâté than the recipe called for, and I also rolled the pastry thin and cut off the excess, so I didn’t use the entire sheet. Since it was Valentine’s Day, I cut out little hearts for the top of the Wellingtons with some of the extra puff pastry. Just stick them on with a little egg wash. I only made half the recipe, but I will include the original full recipe below:
Mini Beef Wellingtons
From MarthaStewart.com
1 beef tenderloin (5 pounds), trimmed and halved crosswise
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons safflower oil
2 packages (12 ounces each) all-butter puff pastry, such as Dufours
8 ounces mousse pâté, such as D’Artagnan mousse de foie de canard
2 large eggs
Season beef with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half of beef; cook, turning, until browned all over, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board; repeat with second half. Let cool, 40 minutes. Cut each half into 4 equal pieces.
Roll out 1 sheet of puff pastry to a little larger than 16 by 12 inches. Trim edges; cut into four 8-by-6-inch squares. Place one piece of beef, cut-side down, on a pastry square; top with 2 tablespoons mousse, spreading evenly. Lightly beat 1 egg, then brush over edges of pastry, fold up corners to enclose filling, and gently press to seal. Repeat with remaining pastry, beef, and mousse. Arrange Wellingtons, seam-side up, on parchment-lined baking sheet; wrap well in plastic and then foil. Freeze up to 2 weeks. Alternatively, if you are not freezing the Wellingtons for later, wrapping is unnecessary. Just chill for an hour in the refrigerator before baking.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly beat remaining egg, then brush over frozen Wellingtons. Divide between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake about 35 minutes for medium-rare. If your Wellingtons are not frozen, bake for only about 25 minutes. The internal temperature of medium-rare beef is between 130-135 degrees.
Remove Wellingtons from baking sheet and let rest 10 minutes before serving with mushrooms.
Serve with sautéed mushrooms (I made this recipe, which is the recommended pairing on MarthaStewart.com), and a salad.
Next course, Battenberg cake!
Downton Abbey Valentine Dinner, First Course ~ Cream of Watercress Soup
/1 Comment/in Anniversary, Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Side dish, Soup, Valentine's Day /by LauraMy hubby and I enjoyed another themed dinner at home for Valentine’s Day, which is the way we like to celebrate this holiday every year. 🙂 We love to try new things together in the kitchen, and we have had a lot of fun over the years making new and different recipes – Most recently, for Valentine’s Day two years ago we made two kinds of ravioli (beet and lobster), and last year we made sushi with miso soup. This year we decided to try a Downton Abbey theme! I made three vintage British dishes the characters might have enjoyed at one of their elaborate dinner parties on the show.
I learned that for a grand dinner, there could be as many as nine courses. Since I was playing the part of both Mrs. Patmore while cooking the dinner, and Lady Grantham while enjoying the dinner, I limited our meal to three courses. 😉 Our first course was a cream of watercress soup based on a recipe I found in A Year in the Life of Downton Abbey: Seasonal Celebrations, Traditions, and Recipes. I replaced the butter with safflower oil, and replaced the cream with 2% milk, but otherwise followed the recipe rather closely. I ended up using three bunches of watercress. Remember to save a few sprigs to garnish the plate. 🙂 Also, this can be made a day or two ahead of time, which is always a plus.
Based on a recipe from A Year in the Life of Downton Abbey
Serves 4
1 tablespoon light high heat oil, such as safflower oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 large leek (white part only), washed and sliced
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
Salt and pepper
3 cups hot chicken stock
9 cups watercress, de-stalked and chopped
A large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
⅔ cup 2% milk
Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan, then add the onion, leek and potato and stir to coat them in the oil. Season with salt and pepper and let the vegetables sweat with the lid on over a low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the vegetables are tender, add the hot stock. Bring back to the boil, then add the watercress and cook for a further 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Take the pan off the heat and liquidise the soup. Stir in the milk and pour into bowls to serve.
Stay tuned for episode 2 of our Downton Abbey dinner – The main course!
Valentine’s Day Treats ~ Chocolate Coconut Truffles
/0 Comments/in Dessert, Snack /by LauraI can’t think of anything that says Valentine’s Day more than chocolate truffles! Traditional truffle recipes are decidedly heavy, made from a combination of chocolate and cream, so I wanted to make something that I would feel better about eating and sharing. These little chocolate coconut truffles fit the order. 🙂 They are a rich treat, but they use ingredients that are good for my Valentine and me. 🙂 I hope you’ll give them a try!
Chocolate Coconut Truffles
From Epicurious.com
Makes about 40 truffles
1/2 cup coconut butter/oil, warmed to soften
3/4 cup agave nectar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup dried shredded coconut
2 1/4 cups cocoa powder, sifted
In a high-speed blender, blend the warmed coconut butter/oil, agave nectar, vanilla, and salt. Add the shredded coconut, 1/2 cup at a time, and blend until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in 2 cups of the cocoa powder until thoroughly combined. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes or more to set slightly.
Place the remaining 1/4 cup cocoa powder onto a small plate. Spoon heaping tablespoons of the chocolate mixture and roll them into balls. Roll these in the cocoa powder. Store the finished truffles in the refrigerator.
Go Seahawks! ~ Nacho Kale Chips
/1 Comment/in Snack, Super Bowl /by LauraTo celebrate the Super Bowl, I made a batch of nacho kale chips to have during the game. (Although, they are disappearing quickly, and I may need to make another batch before tomorrow!) Nachos are a popular Super Bowl snack, so I figured a healthier version might be appreciated amid the rich choices of party food. (Plus they are green, which is the right color for my home team! 😉 Go Seahawks!)
Depending on how cheesy you like your chips, you can use either one or two bunches of kale. The chips in the pictures were made using only one bunch, so the nacho coating is relatively thick. Also, any kind of kale will work. I have used curly kale (in the photos) as well as lacinato, and both are delicious!
Nacho Kale Chips
1 or 2 large bunches of kale, rinsed, dried, stalks removed, and torn into chip size pieces
1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked overnight
1 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¾ cup nutritional yeast
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of cayenne (or more if you like spicy chips)
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. I needed three sheets for one bunch of kale, and six sheets for two bunches.
In a food processor, blend all of the ingredients except the kale until smooth.
In a large bowl, combine the kale and the blended cashew mixture. Rub the mixture into each piece of kale so they are evenly coated.
Spread the kale out on the baking sheets, making sure not to overlap. This will ensure the chips get crispy.
Bake for about 2 to 3 hours, checking every 45 minutes or so. Flip the chips halfway through, and make sure they are not sticking to the pan. They are done when dry and crispy.
Store in an airtight container.
Happy Australia Day! ~ Cheddar and Chive Dampers
/0 Comments/in Australia Day, Bread, Breakfast/Brunch, Dinner, Lunch, Side dish, Snack /by LauraTwenty years ago this month, I had the good fortune to travel to Australia through my university. (How did twenty years go by already? Wow!) It was an extraordinary experience I will never forget.
For the dampers, I was inspired by an Australian recipe website called Taste, but I ended up changing the recipe to a large extent for my own version. Mainly, I used 100% whole-wheat pastry flour combined with baking powder rather than self-rising flour, and I made individual dampers rather than one large one. I also made only half of the recipe, and reduced the portion size. They were the perfect accompaniment to the split pea and ham soup!
The cute little flags were printed from Jellyfish Prints. I couldn’t resist adding them for a festive touch. 🙂 They are completely adorable, and also free!
1 ¼ cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup Cheddar, coarsely grated
½ bunch chives, finely chopped
½ cup buttermilk
1 egg, scrambled
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cheese and chives in a large bowl, whisking to combine. Add the buttermilk and egg, and stir until well combined. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until it comes together. Divide into 4 equal pieces, and shape each piece into a ball. Place each ball onto a parchment lined baking sheet, flattening the top slightly. Bake about 15 minutes, or until the underside of each damper sounds hollow when tapped.
Cool for 5 or 10 minutes, and serve warm.
A bright salad for a winter day ~ Kale and Citrus Salad
/0 Comments/in Dinner, Lunch, Salad, Winter /by LauraKale and Citrus Salad
Serves 2
4 or 5 large stalks of kale, cut or torn into bite-size pieces (Discard tough center stems.)
1 orange, cut into supremes (For how-to, check out this link.)
Juice of the remaining portion of the orange (After supreming, squeeze the remaining portion of the orange over a liquid measuring cup to use all of its juice.)
Lemon juice, added to the orange juice so the total volume of the combined citrus juice equals ¼ cup
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Place the torn or chopped kale into a large bowl.
Slowly drizzle olive oil into the citrus juice mixture, whisking as you go until it is emulsified into a vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pour as much of the vinaigrette over the kale as you would like. Rub the vinaigrette into each leaf, so every piece is well coated.
Top the greens with the orange supremes and enjoy!
A dessert that fits into your New Year’s resolutions ~ Mint Chip “Ice Cream”
/0 Comments/in Dessert, Dinner, Lunch, New Year /by LauraThe recipe is from Laura Miller, who hosts an online food show called Raw. Vegan. Not Gross. Her style is as fun and quirky as the title implies. 😉 You can find the episodes on a cooking channel called Tastemade.
Based on a recipe from Laura Miller
2 cups soaked raw cashews
2 cups coconut meat
3/4 cup coconut water
3/4 cup agave
2 teaspoons mint extract
1/2 cup coconut oil, liquefied
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cacao nibs, finely chopped
1 teaspoon matcha powder or spirulina
Open your coconuts, scrape out the flesh/meat, and add it into a high speed blender, along with agave, mint extract, matcha powder, salt, cashews, and coconut water.
Next, add in oil, and blend again. The more you blend, the creamier your finished product will be.
Pour the mixture in a medium-sized bowl, and just stir in the cocoa nibs.
If you have an ice cream maker, use it according to the machine’s instructions. If not, place your bowl in the freezer and come back to stir every 30 minutes or so for 3-4 hours.
Lucky Dinner for the New Year ~ Sausage, Lentil, and Kale Soup
/0 Comments/in Chicken, Dinner, Lunch, New Year, Soup, Winter /by LauraSausage, Lentil, and Kale Soup
Based on a recipe from MarthaStewart.com
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces sweet Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
2 celery stalks (with leafy tops), thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, diced medium
1/2 cup dried lentils
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bunch (about 1/2 pound) kale, preferably Tuscan, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add celery and onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add lentils, broth, and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a rapid simmer, partially cover, and cook until lentils and vegetables are tender, 25 minutes.
Add kale and season with salt. Return soup to a rapid simmer, cover, and cook until kale wilts, about 5 minutes. Remove soup from heat, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.
Happy New Year’s Eve ~ Cute Wine Bottle Labels
/0 Comments/in New Year /by LauraHappy New Year from Noon Cafe! May you have a happy and healthy 2015.
Merry Christmas ~ Creamy Chestnut Soup
/0 Comments/in Christmas, Dinner, Lunch, Soup, Winter /by LauraCreamy Chestnut Soup with Truffle Oil
Based on a recipe from Sur La Table’s cooking classes
Yield: 6 servings
2 tablespoons Earth Balance
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup roughly chopped onions
1/2 cup roughly chopped carrots
1/2 cup roughly chopped celery
1 medium garlic clove, peeled and chopped
2 1/2 cups cooked peeled chestnuts
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 (4-inch) thyme sprigs
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more to thin the soup if you desire
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Black truffle oil, for drizzling
Place a large, heavy saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Heat the Earth Balance and oil until melted. Stir in the onion, carrots and celery and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in the chestnuts and salt and cook until the chestnuts are coated in the aromatics and warmed through, about 4 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the sherry and thyme and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the chestnuts are tender, about 30 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs.
Using an immersion blender or standard blender, puree soup until smooth. Return the saucepan to the heat, add more broth if you would like the soup to be thinner, and bring back to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
To serve: Using a ladle, transfer the soup to individual bowls. Drizzle with truffle oil and serve immediately.
Special Dinner ~ Salmon Wellington
/0 Comments/in Birthday, Dinner, Lunch, Main dish, Seafood /by LauraSalmon Wellington
From Bon Appétit magazine
1 17.3-ounce package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
4 3/4-inch-thick 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets
6 tablespoons minced shallots
4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 egg beaten to blend (for glaze)
Preheat oven to 425°F. Roll out each pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 12-inch square. Cut each in half, forming four 12×6-inch rectangles. Place 1 salmon fillet in center of each rectangle, about 3 inches in from and parallel to 1 short edge. Sprinkle each fillet with salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon shallots and 1 tablespoon tarragon. Brush edges of rectangles with some glaze. Fold long sides of pastry over fillets. Fold short edge of pastry over fillets and roll up pastry, enclosing fillets. Cut off any excess pastry if necessary. Seal edges of pastry. Place pastries, seam side down, on baking sheet. Brush with glaze.
Bake pastries until dough is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.