Almost every New Year’s Eve, we get together with some dear friends of ours and ring in the new year together. We usually pick a theme for our evening. This year we chose to try some Spanish dishes. They made a delicious mushroom tapas-style dish and flan for dessert (and also made sure we had some Spanish wine to pair with our meal!) We brought paella with chicken, clams and shrimp to the party. It’s a recipe I’d like to keep in my arsenal, since it was fairly easy and delicious! It has a little something for everyone.
I substituted the chicken thighs with boneless and skinless chicken breasts. I also used only half of the sausage that the recipe called for, but double the seafood. I used the gas stovetop at our friends’ house instead of the grill, as well, since it was chilly and rainy outside! 😉 Other than that, I followed the recipe fairly closely.
It’s the perfect party dish!
Paella Mixta (Paella with Seafood and Meat)
Based on a recipe from Chow
2 medium, ripe tomatoes (about 12 ounces)
32 large shrimp (about 24 ounces), peeled and deveined
1 ¼ teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón dulce)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 ounces Spanish chorizo, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, as needed
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large pinch saffron threads
2 cups paella rice (about 1 pound), sometimes labeled bomba or Valencia
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the shrimp and chicken
4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth
32 mussels, Manila clams, or a combination, scrubbed
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 medium lemon, cut into 8 wedges, for serving
Core and halve the tomatoes. Grate the flesh side of each half on the large holes of a box grater set over a medium bowl, stopping when you get to the skin. Discard the skins. You should have about 3/4 cup of tomato pulp and juice; set aside.
Place the shrimp in a medium bowl, add 3/4 teaspoon of the paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and refrigerate.
Place the chicken in a medium bowl and season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.
Heat stovetop on high heat. Place a 15-inch paella pan on the stovetop, and heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add the chorizo to the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is starting to brown and the fat is rendered, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a large bowl; set aside.
There should be a thin layer of rendered fat in the pan. If there’s not enough, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the seasoned chicken to the pan in a single layer, and sear, stirring occasionally, until both sides of the chicken pieces are golden brown, about 6 minutes total. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the bowl with the chorizo; set aside.
Add the onion to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed so that the onions don’t burn. Add the garlic, remaining paprika, and saffron, stir to combine, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the reserved tomato pulp and juice and cook until the mixture has slightly darkened in color, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and measured salt and stir to coat in the tomato mixture.
Add the broth and stir to combine. Arrange the rice mixture in an even layer. Distribute the reserved chorizo and chicken over the rice, adding any accumulated juices from the bowl. (Do not stir the rice from this point on.)
Bring the mixture to a lively simmer. Continue to simmer, checking occasionally, until the rice grains have swelled, most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 12 minutes.
Arrange the reserved shrimp and the shellfish (hinge-side down) in the rice, nestling them slightly. Cook until the shellfish have opened, the shrimp are just cooked through, and the rice is tender but still al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Before serving the paella, discard any unopened shellfish and sprinkle the dish with the parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges.
Warm Muffins for a Chilly Day ~ Pear and Granola Muffins
/0 Comments/in Autumn, Bread, Breakfast/Brunch, Muffin, New Year, Snack, Winter /by LauraHere’s a sweet treat for the New Year. Perfect for a light breakfast, or a pick-me-up in the middle of the day. We enjoyed them for our first breakfast of 2014. 🙂
I replaced the low fat yogurt with non-fat, and the butter with Earth Balance. Since Earth Balance already has salt in the mix, no extra salt was needed. I couldn’t find store bought plain granola, so I used an apple cinnamon flavor instead of making some from scratch. It was a really nice combination with the pears. I tried replacing the all purpose flour with 100% whole wheat pastry flour, as well. It is a heartier (and healthier) muffin if you choose to do it that way. They are lighter and fluffier with a mixture of the two types of flours. Your choice. 🙂 I think I preferred the blend, however, so that is how the recipe is as follows:
Pear and Granola Muffins
Based on a Recipe from MarthaStewart.com
For the muffins:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons Earth Balance, melted
2 D’Anjou pears (2 cups), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
3/4 cup plain or apple cinnamon granola
For the topping:
1/2 cup granola
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
3 tablespoons chilled Earth Balance
STEP 1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, and cinnamon.
STEP 2 In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, yogurt, and Earth Balance. Make a well in the center of flour mixture. Add egg mixture to well, and mix in flour mixture until just combined. Gently fold in the granola and pears.
STEP 3 Make Granola Crisp Topping: In a bowl, toss together 1/2 cup granola, and 1/4 cup each all-purpose flour and packed light-brown sugar. Cut 3 tablespoons chilled Earth Balance into pieces; add to granola mixture, and rub in with fingertips until clumps form.
STEP 4 Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Sprinkle with granola topping. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from tin. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Happy 2014! ~ Festive Wine Labels
/0 Comments/in New Year /by LauraHappy New Year!
Check out these really cute little wine bottle labels from the Blissful Bee. They are free, and printable. They make any bottle a little more festive on the first day of 2014!
May you have a happy and healthy new year. 🙂 Cheers!
New Year’s Eve ~ Paella Mixta
/0 Comments/in Chicken, Dinner, Lunch, Main dish, New Year, Seafood /by LauraI substituted the chicken thighs with boneless and skinless chicken breasts. I also used only half of the sausage that the recipe called for, but double the seafood. I used the gas stovetop at our friends’ house instead of the grill, as well, since it was chilly and rainy outside! 😉 Other than that, I followed the recipe fairly closely.
It’s the perfect party dish!
Paella Mixta (Paella with Seafood and Meat)
Based on a recipe from Chow
2 medium, ripe tomatoes (about 12 ounces)
32 large shrimp (about 24 ounces), peeled and deveined
1 ¼ teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón dulce)
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 ounces Spanish chorizo, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, as needed
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large pinch saffron threads
2 cups paella rice (about 1 pound), sometimes labeled bomba or Valencia
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning the shrimp and chicken
4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth
32 mussels, Manila clams, or a combination, scrubbed
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 medium lemon, cut into 8 wedges, for serving
Core and halve the tomatoes. Grate the flesh side of each half on the large holes of a box grater set over a medium bowl, stopping when you get to the skin. Discard the skins. You should have about 3/4 cup of tomato pulp and juice; set aside.
Place the shrimp in a medium bowl, add 3/4 teaspoon of the paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and refrigerate.
Place the chicken in a medium bowl and season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.
Heat stovetop on high heat. Place a 15-inch paella pan on the stovetop, and heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add the chorizo to the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is starting to brown and the fat is rendered, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to a large bowl; set aside.
There should be a thin layer of rendered fat in the pan. If there’s not enough, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the seasoned chicken to the pan in a single layer, and sear, stirring occasionally, until both sides of the chicken pieces are golden brown, about 6 minutes total. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to the bowl with the chorizo; set aside.
Add the onion to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed so that the onions don’t burn. Add the garlic, remaining paprika, and saffron, stir to combine, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the reserved tomato pulp and juice and cook until the mixture has slightly darkened in color, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and measured salt and stir to coat in the tomato mixture.
Add the broth and stir to combine. Arrange the rice mixture in an even layer. Distribute the reserved chorizo and chicken over the rice, adding any accumulated juices from the bowl. (Do not stir the rice from this point on.)
Bring the mixture to a lively simmer. Continue to simmer, checking occasionally, until the rice grains have swelled, most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 12 minutes.
Arrange the reserved shrimp and the shellfish (hinge-side down) in the rice, nestling them slightly. Cook until the shellfish have opened, the shrimp are just cooked through, and the rice is tender but still al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Before serving the paella, discard any unopened shellfish and sprinkle the dish with the parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges.
Merry Christmas from Noon Cafe!
/0 Comments/in Christmas /by LauraHappy Christmas ~ English Christmas Pudding
/0 Comments/in Christmas, Dessert, Dinner, Lunch, Winter /by LauraI decided to explore my British heritage a little this December by making Christmas pudding. It is also called plum pudding, but the interesting thing I learned is that there are no plums in the dish. The pre-Victorian use of the word “plum” meant “raisins,” and it does have plenty of those!
I love the tradition of making a wish as you stir the pudding. It is also traditional to pour brandy on the top of the pudding, light it, and bring it to the table with a flame. It produces a subtle, but pretty blue color. There is so much history in this little dish. I found it fascinating to take part in a tradition my great-grandparents and their parents probably also took part in.
I based my puddings on a recipe from the BBC. I halved the recipe, and made individual puddings in 6 small 8-ounce ramekins. I replaced the Bramley apple with a Granny Smith, since Bramleys are not readily available to us in the States. I only used 4 ounces of butter for half of the recipe, since American butter is packaged in 4-ounce (or 113 gram) sticks. It was a little less than half of what the recipe called for, but it was plenty. I only needed to steam the puddings for 3 hours instead of 8 since I made them in the small ramekins rather than larger bowls. I also used a simple glaze of powdered sugar and cognac instead of the buttered version.
I’ll leave the recipe in the metric format to keep it authentically British. 🙂
Classic Christmas pudding
Recipe based on BBC Good Food
25g (about 1 oz) blanched almonds
1 large Granny Smith apple
100g (3.5 oz) box candied peel (in large pieces) or all citron if you can find it
1 whole nutmeg (you’ll use a little over 1/4 of it)
500g (18 oz) raisins
70g (2.5 oz) all-purpose flour
50g (1.75 oz) soft fresh white breadcrumbs
50g (1.75 oz) light muscovado sugar, crumbled if it looks lumpy
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 tbsp brandy or cognac, plus extra to flame and for glaze
113g (4 oz) packet butter, taken straight from the fridge
Confectioner’s sugar for glaze
Get everything prepared. Chop the almonds coarsely. Peel, core and chop the apple. Sharpen your knife and chop the candied peel. (You can chop the almonds and apple in a food processor, but the peel must be done by hand.) Grate a little over 1/4 of the nutmeg. Mix all the ingredients for the pudding, except the butter, in a large bowl.
Holding the butter in its wrapper, grate a quarter of it into the bowl, and then stir everything together. Repeat until all the butter is grated, then stir for 3-4 minutes – the mixture is ready when it subsides slightly after each stir. Ask the family to stir too, and get everyone to make a wish.
Generously butter six 226 g (8 ounce) ramekins and put a disc of greaseproof paper in the bottom of each. Pack in the pudding mixture. Cover with a double layer of greaseproof paper or baking parchment, pleating it to allow for expansion, then tie with string (keep the paper in place with a rubber band while tying). Trim off any excess paper.
Now stand each bowl on a large sheet of foil and bring the edges up over the top, then put another sheet of foil over the top and bring it down underneath to make a double package (this makes the puddings watertight). Tie with more string, and make a handle for easy lifting in and out of the pan.
Steam the puddings for 3 hours, topping up with water as necessary. (I used a big pot with a steamer basket on the stovetop, taking care to keep the puddings above the water.) Remove from the pan and leave to cool overnight. When cold, discard the messy wrappings and re-wrap in spanking new greaseproof or baking parchment, foil and string. Store in a cool, dry place until Christmas.
On Christmas Day, steam until warmed through. (Microwaving also works in a pinch.) Unwrap and turn out. To flame, warm 3-4 tbsp brandy in a small pan, pour it over the pudding and set light to it.
Top with a glaze of brandy or cognac and powdered sugar. Add a little brandy at a time to the sugar until the glaze is to the consistency you like. Pour the glaze over the puddings before serving.
Happy Christmas!
PS. The top photo has a faint blue cognac flame on my Christmas pudding. 🙂 Click on the picture for a closer view.
Holiday Treat ~ Snowflake Marshmallows
/0 Comments/in Christmas, Dessert, Snack, Winter /by LauraWe had a festive weekend – We put up our Christmas tree, decorated the house, and baked gingerbread Christmas cookies. We also cut out some snowflake shaped marshmallows to go with our hot cocoa. Since I learned how to make homemade marshmallows last month, I am excited about all of the possibilities! This one is perfect for the season, I think. 🙂
The recipe for the marshmallows can be found here.
Happy Thanksgiving ~ Homemade Marshmallows
/0 Comments/in Dessert, Snack, Thanksgiving /by LauraHappy Thanksgiving!
This year I learned how to make homemade marshmallows during the week of Thanksgiving. So fun! I thought it was pretty amazing to see how they come together and how easy they are to make at home. Now I have all kinds of ideas about how to use this recipe throughout the winter. You can add coloring or flavoring and cut them into any shape you’d like. Maybe I’ll make peppermint flavored marshmallows in the shape of snowflakes for hot cocoa, or red and green marshmallows for Christmas gifts. The possibilities are endless. 🙂 For Thanksgiving, I cut them into the shape of a leaf and toasted them on top of our mashed sweet potatoes. This is the basic marshmallow recipe from a candy workshop at Sur La Table.
Homemade Marshmallows
From Sur La Table cooking classes
Yield: about 60 marshmallows
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened
3 envelopes unflavored powdered gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided
2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Equal parts cornstarch and powdered sugar for dusting
Line a 9×14 inch baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing two opposite sides to overhang by 3 inches. Grease the foil with the softened butter. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 1/2 cup cold water. Sprinkle gelatin over the water and set aside to soften.
In a large saucepan, combine remaining 1/2 cup water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer reads 240 degrees, or the soft ball stage.
Remove saucepan from heat and gradually whisk sugar mixture into the softened gelatin, Fit the mixer with a paddle attachment and beat mixture on high speed until thick and the volume is doubled. Beat in the vanilla. Spread mixture into the prepared pan using a greased icing spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and let marshmallow mixture stand at room temperature for 6 hours or overnight.
Using the foil overhang as handles, lift the marshmallows out of pan. With a sharp chef’s knife or pizza cutter coated with cooking spray, cut marshmallows into 1 x 2 inch squares.
You can also cut them with cookie cutters into any shape you fancy. Make sure to keep all of your exposed sides coated in the mixture of cornstarch and powdered sugar. (It is incredibly sticky otherwise.) Give the final product a good dusting, as well.
To brown the top as I did, use a broiler or a kitchen torch. Just watch them closely in the broiler since they only need about a minute.
Happy holidays!
Happy Birthday! ~ Beef Wellington
/2 Comments/in Beef, Birthday, Dinner, Main dish /by LauraHappy birthday to my hubby!
Every year he likes to have a fillet of beef dish for his birthday, so I decided to try beef Wellington this time around. I have tried several British/UK dishes this year, so this added to my collection. 🙂 He said it was within his top 1% of anything I have ever made for him, so I might make it a birthday tradition!
I used a recipe from the BBC, but tweaked it a bit for my American kitchen and for our tastes.
Beef Wellington
Based on a recipe from BBC Good Food
2 lbs beef tenderloin
Olive oil
10 oz crimini mushrooms
1 large sprig fresh thyme
Splash dry white wine
12 pieces thinly sliced prosciutto
1 pack frozen puff pastry, thawed
Flour for dusting
3 egg yolks beaten with 2 tsp water
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle olive oil in pan until it is hot, but not smoking. Season beef with salt and pepper. Sear on all sides until golden. Then place beef on a roasting rack and cook in oven for about 20 minutes. (It will not be cooked through.) Remove from the oven to cool, and then chill in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
2. While beef is cooling, place the cleaned mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until fine. It should be the texture of coarse bread crumbs.
3. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the mushrooms with the sprig of thyme in a dry pan with no oil, stirring often, about 10 minutes. When the liquid has cooked out of the mushrooms, pour a splash of white wine into the pan. Cook until dry once more. Remove thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Overlap 2 pieces of cling film (otherwise known as Saran wrap for us American cooks :)) over a large chopping board. Lay the prosciutto onto the cling film, slightly overlapping one another, in a double row. Spread the cooled mushrooms over the prosciutto evenly. Remove the beef from the refrigerator, and pat dry with a paper towel. Place it in the middle of the cling film with the prosciutto and mushrooms. Use the cling film’s edges to draw the prosciutto around the fillet tightly, and then roll it into a sausage shape, twisting the ends of the cling film to tighten. Chill the fillet once again.
5. Dust your clean work surface with a little flour. Roll out one piece of puff pastry until it is large enough to wrap around the fillet. Unravel the fillet from the cling film and set it in the center of the pastry. Beat the egg yolks and water together for an egg wash. Brush the pastry edges and the top and sides of the fillet with the egg wash. Wrap the pastry around the beef as tightly as you can, overlapping slightly to cover the whole fillet. Tuck the sides in as you would a package, so the beef is completely wrapped. Use the egg wash as a “glue” to make sure it stays together. Trim with kitchen shears if need be. Glaze the entire package with the egg wash. Using the back of a knife, mark the beef Wellington with long diagonal lines taking care not to cut through the pastry. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
6. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the Wellington with a little more egg wash and cook on a rack until golden and crisp, about 30 minutes, or until it is done to your liking. (Ours was still pink, but cooked through.) Allow to rest for about 20 minutes once it comes out of the oven. Serve in thick slices.
PS. I also made a little puff pastry “bow” with the extra pastry. Since this meal was part of Rob’s birthday gift, I thought I should wrap it like a present. 🙂 Just cut the rolled puff pastry into a ribbon shape, and twist once in the middle so it looks like a bow. Brush with the extra egg wash. Bake with the Wellington, but separately, on the side. It will cook faster than the Wellington, so remove when golden.
PPS. Rob asked for my chocolate mint pudding for dessert, so I served it in martini glasses with a little whipped cream and a sprig of mint for a classy presentation, fitting for a birthday! 🙂 The recipe can be found here.
PPPS. I used some adorable little printable decorations to make his birthday table unique and festive. I found them on a website called CatchMyParty.com. So cute! If you need some festive decorations for a party, they are easy and free. 🙂 I wrapped his wine bottle with them, made little flags, made a banner, used a cupcake wrap around a little vase, and wrote little birthday notes on the place cards.
Halloween Dinner ~ Pumpkin Shrimp Curry
/1 Comment/in Autumn, Dinner, Halloween, Lunch, Main dish, Seafood /by LauraI made a pumpkin shrimp curry dish for dinner this Halloween. It is definitely one I’ll keep in my recipe archives to make again and again this fall. The pumpkin and butternut squash with a little bit of spice made it the perfect dish for my favorite autumn holiday. 🙂 Yummy and festive!
The recipe is originally from Bon Appétit magazine. I substituted light coconut milk instead of regular, and brown rice instead of white, but otherwise followed the recipe pretty closely.
Pumpkin Shrimp Curry
Based on a recipe from Bon Appétit magazine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sliced onion
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup unsweetened light coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup butternut squash, diced and roasted (toss the cubes with olive oil and salt, and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until tender)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Steamed brown rice
Cilantro
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and ginger; sauté until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute. Stir in plum tomato and pumpkin purée; cook, stirring frequently, until pumpkin is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add vegetable broth, coconut milk, curry powder, and cayenne pepper; simmer for 20 minutes. Add butternut squash, shrimp, and lime juice. Simmer until shrimp are cooked and squash is warm. Serve with a side of rice and a sprinkling of chopped cilantro.
Halloween Celebration ~ Spooky Wine Labels
/0 Comments/in Halloween /by LauraI have been enjoying the printable freebies on the Elli Blog all year long, and Halloween was no exception. There are some very cute Halloween wine bottle labels to download and print. I used a simple bottle of inexpensive wine, and I cut out and pasted the festive little labels on the bottle. I put one on the front, and one on the back. 🙂
Cheers to a fun and festive Halloween!
Happy Halloween ~ Ghostly Devil’s Food Cupcakes
/0 Comments/in Cupcake, Dessert, Halloween /by LauraHappy Halloween!
We made devil’s food cupcakes again this year since we enjoyed them so much last year. We tried decorating in a fun and different way this time around, however. My mom gave me some cute little ghost cupcake papers this year, which is what inspired me to make little ghosts on the top. We just used store bought fondant, and don’t plan to eat it ;-). It’s like Play-Doh for adults! We had a really fun evening playing with it. Just roll it out, cut it into circles, and place on top of the cupcakes. Secret: We used a sake glass on top of the cake to keep our little ghost suspended. Wet the end of 2 mini chocolate chips, and stick them on for eyes. So cute!
Here is the recipe for the cakes once again ~
Devil’s Food Cupcakes
Adapted from Bon Appetit magazine
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking pan with 14 cupcake papers. Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Sift in flour, cocoa and baking soda. Stir to combine. Fill each cupcake about ¾ full with batter. Bake until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely.
Have a fun and spooky Halloween!
Happy Oktoberfest ~ Soft Pretzels
/0 Comments/in Bread, Oktoberfest, Snack /by LauraHappy Oktoberfest!
The world’s largest fair is being held in Munich Germany right now. I love the fact that it started as a wedding celebration about 200 years ago, and it continues today. Now *that* is a wedding reception! 😉
World celebrations and holidays give me a fun excuse to try recipes from different countries. To be a part of this celebration, I decided to try making one of my favorite German treats – Soft pretzels. I have to admit, this is not the first time I have attempted these, but they were nothing to write home about before. 😉 However, this latest attempt was a great success! They were so delicious and tender and comforting. Perfect to pair with a cold Oktoberfest beer. 🙂
I used a recipe from Alton Brown this time. I followed it closely other than one deviation – I replaced the butter with Earth Balance, which worked beautifully. The result was worth the time and effort. Really, is there anything better than fresh baked bread? 🙂
Soft Pretzels
Recipe courtesy of the Food Network and Alton Brown
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted (or Earth Balance)
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt
Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter (or Earth Balance) and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.
Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Wedding Anniversary ~ Portobello Mushroom Ravioli
/0 Comments/in Anniversary, Dinner, Lunch, Main dish, Pasta /by LauraOur 13th wedding anniversary happened to fall on Labor Day this year, so we celebrated the whole weekend long! The grand finale was a homemade gourmet Italian dinner on Monday that we enjoyed under our grape arbor. 🙂 Dining under the vines made it feel a little like being in Tuscan wine country. Rob even added some little lights above the table, and we lit tea lights all around the yard for the occasion. So pretty!
We made one special main dish, and a couple simple dishes surrounding it. We started with a simple Caprese salad that I made a little fancier by showcasing the different colored heirloom tomatoes in a tower with a food ring. We ended with a simple Earl Grey tea affogato, rather than the traditional coffee version. It tied this celebration back to the afternoon tea we had earlier in the weekend, and the bergamot orange that flavors Earl Grey tea is actually from Italy, which was very fitting! 🙂
For the main course, we made homemade portobello mushroom ravioli. I think that fresh pasta is much easier to make with a partner, so it is a perfect project to do together on an anniversary. 🙂 We also celebrated our engagement anniversary with a ravioli dish (on Valentine’s Day), so making ravioli again tied the two special anniversaries together. Plus we had a portobello mushroom dish for dinner at our wedding reception at Columbia Winery, so that flavor brought us back to the reason for this celebration! (Have you noticed I like to find several layers of meaning in everything I cook for special occasions? 🙂 I think it makes it more fun and special!)
Portobello Mushroom Ravioli
Dough based on a recipe from Sur La Table cooking classes
Filling based on a recipe from ChasingSomeBlueSky.com
For the Fresh Pasta Dough:
Yield: 4 servings
2 1/2 cups (12 ounces) all-purpose flour or “00″ flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
Place flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Make a “well” in the center of the flour mixture and add eggs and oil, if using. Using your fingers, blend the eggs into the flour mixture, stirring the flour in from the sides of the well and working outwards. When the pasta dough is thoroughly mixed, turn it out on a lightly floured work surface. Knead dough until it is smooth and flexible but not sticky, about 5 to 10 minutes, adding small amounts of flour as needed. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Cover in plastic wrap and allow dough to rest for at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour at room temperature.
To roll dough, secure a pasta machine to the edge of a long countertop. Using a bench scraper, cut dough into thirds. Keep extra dough covered in plastic while working with one piece. Flatten the piece of dough into a rough square that will fit inside the width of the pasta machine. Place the rollers on the widest setting and roll the dough through the machine, catching it with one hand as you roll with the other. Take the dough and fold into thirds towards the center of the dough. Turn the dough so one open end faces the machine and roll it through on the widest setting again. Fold, turn, and roll once more on the widest setting. Continue rolling the pasta through machine without folding, adjusting the rollers to the next smallest setting each time, until the desired thickness is reached. If the pasta sheet becomes too large to handle, use a bench scraper to cut it into more manageable lengths and continue rolling until pasta is less than 1/16-inch thick.
(This whole process can also be done with a rolling pin. It takes some muscle, but it works really well).
For the Ravioli Filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
18 oz portobello mushrooms, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup part skim ricotta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
For the Sauce:
2 tablespoons Earth Balance
Splash of white wine
Flat leaf parsley, for serving
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Preheat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, and when it is shimmering, add the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add the chopped mushrooms, and salt and pepper lightly. Cook until the liquid from the mushrooms is mostly evaporated. Add the wine, and continue to cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Place the mixture into a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta and Parmesan, and season to taste.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When it is boiling, add a good amount of salt to season the cooking liquid.
To make the ravioli, take two pieces of uncut pasta dough. Place 1 teaspoon dollops of the mushroom mixture along one piece of the dough, with at least an inch and a half between them. With a pastry brush or your finger, brush water on the pasta around the mushrooms. Carefully place the second sheet of pasta dough over the top, taking care to press it around each teaspoon of mushroom filling to try to avoid any air bubbles. Cut around the raviolis with a ravioli cutter, cookie cutter, or a pizza cutter. Take care to keep enough flour on the outside of the ravioli so they don’t stick together before cooking.
Cook the ravioli in the boiling water until they float to the top, about 2-3 minutes.
I used a simple sauce for this dish by tossing the cooked raviolis in about 2 tablespoons of melted Earth Balance mixed with a splash of white wine in a sauté pan, and then serving the ravioli with freshly grated Parmesan and flat leaf parsley on top.
(For a little video of how to fill ravioli, here is one that is a short and sweet. 🙂 Much easier to understand than my explanation, I think. ;-))
We paired our meal with a special bottle of 2000 Peninsula red wine from Columbia Winery. We bought a case of the 2000 awhile back when it was still available, and we’ve been opening only one bottle a year for our wedding anniversary. It is aging really nicely! Hopefully that’s a good sign for our marriage, as well! 😉 We definitely savored this bottle.
Afternoon Anniversary Tea ~ Earl Grey Tea Smoked Salmon
/1 Comment/in Anniversary, Dinner, Lunch, Main dish, Seafood /by LauraTea Smoked Salmon
Based on a recipe from The Wellington Arms
Serves 2
For the fish:
2 fillets fresh wild salmon, about 6 oz each
Decaffeinated Earl Grey tea from 8 tea bags (approximately)
½ cup white rice (approximately)
1 tablespoon sugar (approximately)
Canola oil, or other high heat oil
Salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons Earth Balance
1 teaspoon capers, rinsed
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350
Line an old pan that you are not very fond of with 2 layers of heavy duty tin foil, making sure there is plenty of extra overhanging to wrap around your lid. Form it to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the tea, rice and sugar in the bottom of the pan and combine.
Place a cake rack in the pan, and oil it with a high heat oil, such as canola. Place the fish skin-side down on top of the rack. Cover the pan with a lid. (It doesn’t need to fit tightly. I found that glass was nice because I could see my progress without removing the lid.) Wrap the excess tin foil up and around the lid to make sure there is a tight seal. This will keep almost all of the smoke inside of the pan. Put the pan on the stove and heat on high until smoking. Cook for about 8 minutes until the salmon is well infused with the smoke flavor. The top of the salmon will become a little dark. Remove the lid outside to avoid smoking your kitchen.
If you have thin fillets, they may be cooked through at this point. If they are still undercooked, place them in the preheated oven until they are done to your liking.
In the meantime, place the Earth Balance and capers in a saucepan and melt over medium heat. When they are melted and warm, add a squeeze of lemon juice and combine.
Serve the salmon with a spoonful of sauce over the top.
I found a few videos that helped me visualize how to do this technique before I tried it. One that is similar to the way I did it (only with wood chips instead of tea and without the lid) can be found here.
The small dishes we had with our afternoon tea were also lovely, and worth a try. I will keep these recipes in my collection. 🙂 We had chicken salad tea sandwiches with smoked almonds and smoked turkey tea sandwiches with arugula mayonnaise. I just replaced the regular mayonnaise in both of them with the reduced fat variety and I used a tender whole wheat bread instead of white, but I followed the recipes otherwise.
For dessert I made mini apple treacle tarts. Now I want to watch an episode of Downton Abbey! 😉 I wonder if they were as good as Mrs. Patmore’s? I actually substituted the butter completely with Earth Balance, and it worked beautifully. I just baked them for much less time than the big tart called for. I also made coconut oatmeal lace cookies. Again, I completely substituted the butter with Earth Balance, and they were delicious!
Next stop, Italy! We are planning to make ravioli and an Italian meal for our anniversary day. 🙂 Stay tuned….
August Anniversary ~ Summery Corn Chowder
/0 Comments/in Anniversary, Dinner, Lunch, Soup, Summer /by LauraI love to celebrate the little anniversaries in our life. They give us an excuse for a special meal, a bottle of wine, and time together. 🙂
Every August, we celebrate the date that we moved into our current house together, and I also celebrate the date I moved to Seattle from the Midwest a few years before. For this little anniversary, we usually have a Dungeness crab dinner, since it is one of our favorite Northwest treats. It always feels like a special occasion when we steam a couple crabs. 🙂 (For two crabs {about 3 lbs each}, steam for about 20 minutes until they are cooked through.)
For the first course, I made summery corn chowder this year. The original recipe is from America’s Test Kitchen. They find the most unique and creative ways to improve classic recipes, and I really enjoy their show, their magazines, and their cookbooks. For this recipe, they amped up the corn flavor by using some of the corn juice, which I thought was a clever idea. I changed 3 things to make this a lighter recipe than the original. I omitted the butter altogether, and instead used a very good nonstick pan. I also trimmed most of the fat off of the bacon, and I replaced the half and half with skim milk. The final product turned out to be creamy, sweet, and delicious. It felt like summer in a bowl!
Corn Chowder
Based on a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen
Serves 6
8 ears corn, husks and silk removed
1 onion, chopped fine
4 slices bacon trimmed of excess fat, halved lengthwise then cut into 1/4 inch pieces
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 cups water
3/4 pound red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1. Using chef’s knife or corn stripper, cut kernels from corn; transfer to bowl and set aside (you should have 5 to 6 cups kernels). Holding cobs over second bowl, use vegetable peeler or back of butter knife to firmly scrape any remaining pulp on cobs into bowl (you should have 2 to 2 1/2 cups pulp). Transfer pulp to center of clean kitchen towel set in medium bowl. Wrap towel tightly around pulp and squeeze tightly until dry. Discard pulp in towel and set corn juice aside (you should have about 2/3 cup juice).
2. In Dutch oven over medium heat, add onion, bacon, thyme, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened and edges are beginning to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, gradually add water and bring to boil. Add corn kernels and potatoes. Return to simmer; reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes have softened, 15 to 18 minutes.
3. Process 2 cups chowder in blender until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Return puree to chowder; add milk and return to simmer. Remove pot from heat and stir in reserved corn juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, sprinkling with basil.
Wine to Pair with Your Summer Reading ~ Well Re(a)d
/0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by LauraI found a wine that pairs perfectly with all of my summer reading called Well Re(a)d. It has a really cute label, and it’s even organic, which is an added bonus. At $7 a bottle, it is a nice and simple house wine. The label drew me in, (since I’m easily taken in by a cute label ;-)), but the wine is actually quite nice for the price. It can be found at Trader Joe’s stores.
PS. The book in the background is The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio, my favorite local author. I would highly recommend picking up any of her books :). This one is set in a mansion in England, so it’s a nice summer escape!
Happy 4th! ~ Watermelon and Cantaloupe Salad with Fresh Mint
/0 Comments/in Dinner, Fourth of July, Lunch, Salad, Side dish, Snack, Summer /by LauraHappy Fourth of July everyone!
I made the most summery thing I could think of to celebrate this summer holiday today: A watermelon and cantaloupe salad tossed with mint and lemonade. A recipe inspired me from Giada DeLaurentis, but over the years, I have tweaked it to be the way I like it :). This is the streamlined version that is super easy to make anytime.
Watermelon and Cantaloupe Salad with Fresh Mint
1 bunch fresh mint
¼ cup lemonade (you may not need the full ¼ cup)
2 cups watermelon balls, from about half a watermelon
2 cups cantaloupe balls, from about 1 cantaloupe
In a blender, combine the mint and as much lemonade as you need for the mixture to become completely blended. (Up to ¼ cup.)
In a large bowl, combine the watermelon and the cantaloupe balls. Add the mint/lemonade mixture and toss. Transfer to a serving bowl (or half a watermelon rind) and serve.
I also printed some very sweet little Fourth of July decorations from my favorite DIY site at the Elli blog. The patriotic decorations can be found here. So cute!
The Cottage at Glass Beach ~ Rhubarb Muffins
/0 Comments/in Bread, Breakfast/Brunch, Muffin, Snack, Spring /by LauraI tried the rhubarb muffins that the website pairs with The Cottage at Glass Beach. The author shared her own recipe for her delicious muffins. I put my own spin on them by using whole-wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose flour and sprinkling simple cinnamon sugar on the top without the butter. They are so good for breakfast, or for a little mid day snack (while taking an afternoon break to read, of course! ;-))
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup light olive oil
1 egg
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Combine the brown sugar, oil, egg, vanilla and buttermilk in a mixer bowl, and beat until well incorporated. Stir in the rhubarb by hand. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir into the rhubarb mixture until just blended.
Spoon the batter into a muffin tin filled with paper linings, about 2/3 full.
For the topping, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly over the muffins.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a muffin.
Food 52 ~ Zingy Calamari One More Time Around
/0 Comments/in Uncategorized /by LauraI decided to post my latest recipe on a recipe website I discovered recently called Food 52. It is an online community where you can share recipes, compare them and just chat about food. My favorite part about it is that they run recipe contests, so everyone’s favorite dishes rise to the top. They even published two beautiful cookbooks with some of the best dishes. I hope you’ll check it out! They have some really unique and fun recipes to try.
Here is a link to my Zingy Calamari recipe. It’s kind of fun to be a tiny part of a bigger food community. 🙂
First Day of Summer ~ Calamari in a Zingy Tomato Sauce
/0 Comments/in Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Seafood, Snack, Summer /by LauraWe have a romantic little Italian restaurant in Seattle underneath Pike Place Market called Il Bistro that has one of our favorite calamari dishes in the city. They serve it in a tomato sauce instead of frying it, as most places do. Since we can’t go downtown everyday, I worked on replicating the dish at home to enjoy on our patio on warm summer nights. I finally made a version that is fairly close to the flavors at the restaurant, and I’d like to share it with you! 🙂
We enjoyed it on the first day of summer, outside with a glass of wine.
Calamari in a Zingy Tomato Sauce
1 lb calamari (I buy pre-cleaned, pre-sliced, frozen calamari to make this nice and easy. Just put as many as you would like in a bowl of cold water to thaw quickly.)
1 14.5 oz can tomatoes
2 oz can anchovies in oil, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small shallot, minced
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
15 medium sized green olives
1 tablespoon capers (I use the kind packed in brine rather than salt)
Salt and pepper to taste (I recommend you wait until everything is blended to add very much seasoning, since the other ingredients have a lot of salt. It is easier to tell if you need more after everything is blended together.)
Rustic bread slices, for serving
Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan, and add the garlic and shallot. Cook until fragrant. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except for the calamari (or bread.) Heat through, until it just begins to boil. Then place everything into a blender and pulse until smooth. Adjust the seasoning to your liking. Pour everything back into the pan. Bring to a boil again, and add the calamari. Cook until the calamari turn opaque, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve in a big bowl with sliced bread for dipping into the sauce.