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Holla for Some Challah!

Sean has been asking me to try to make challah bread for a long time and I have avoided doing it because I couldn’t find a recipe where everything seemed easy enough to follow that I would not have a problem with it. The recipe itself is not that difficult; I was always a little intimidated by the whole braiding aspect of the bread. Finally, Michelle said to me “It’s just like braiding a girl’s hair,” something I haven’t even tried since I was younger and my younger sisters needed someone to help them with hair when no one else was around. Anyway, I decided to give it a try and got this recipe from Williams-Sonoma to try it out. There are only a few ingredients involved in the bread and it is the perfect time of year to give this one a try with Easter and Passover right around the corner.

Challah Bread

2 packages (5 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105° to 115°F)
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs, plus 1 egg, beaten, for glaze
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon poppy seeds or sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

To make the dough by hand, in a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let it stand until it is foamy, about 5 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the sugar, 3 eggs, 4 1/2 cups of the flour, the salt and the butter until the dough comes together in a sticky mass. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, working in the remaining flour as necessary to keep the dough from being too sticky, until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not be tempted to add too much flour. The dough should stay soft and will become less sticky with kneading.

To make the dough with a stand mixer, in the 5-quart bowl of a mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let it stand until it is foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar, 3 eggs, 4 1/2 cups of the flour, the salt and butter. Place the bowl on the mixer, attach the dough hook and knead on low-speed, working in the remaining flour as necessary to keep the dough from being too sticky, until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not be tempted to add too much flour. The dough should stay soft and will become less sticky with kneading. Remove the dough from the bowl.

Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, about 2 hours.

Line a sheet pan or rimless baking sheet with parchment paper. Punch down the dough. Using a pastry scraper, scrape the dough out onto a clean work surface. To make a 4-strand braid, cut the dough into 4 equal pieces with a sharp knife or a bench scraper. Using your palms, and starting in the center and working outward, elongate 1 piece by rolling it gently against the work surface with even pressure until you have formed a rope as long as the prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining 3 pieces.

Line up the 4 strands in front of you horizontally. Cross the strand farthest from you across the other 3 strands so that it is nearest you. Cross the strand that is now next to it across the other 2 strands away from you. Position the outside strands so that they are away from the center ones, and position the center 2 strands perfectly horizontal. Bring the strand nearest you down between the 2 horizontal strands. Bring the strand farthest from you up and across to the opposite side. Again, bring the strand farthest from you down between the 2 straight strands. Bring the strand nearest you up and across to the opposite side. Starting from the strand nearest you, repeat the braiding until you reach the ends of the ropes. Pinch them together at the top and at the bottom, and tuck the strands under at the ends.

Alternatively, to make one large 3-strand braid, cut the dough into 3 equal pieces with a sharp knife or a bench scraper. Follow the directions for rolling out the ropes for the 4-strand braid. Line the 3 strands up straight so that they are in front of you vertically. Cross the right strand over the middle strand, then cross the left strand over the middle strand. Keep going back and forth, crossing left over right, then right over left, until you reach the ends of the ropes. Pinch them together at the top and at the bottom, and tuck the strands under at the ends.

Place the braided loaf on the prepared pan, cover it with a dry kitchen towel, and let it rise again in a warm, draft-free spot until the loaf doubles in size and is spongy to the touch, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Brush the braid gently with the beaten egg and sprinkle it with the seeds, if using. Bake the braid until it is nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the bread to a wire rack and let cool completely.

It really is very easy to make, I think I just got a little confused by the braiding instructions and ended up doing it as Michelle suggested. I went with the 3-braid variation of this recipe and I can say that it makes a giant loaf of bread, which made Sean very happy because he loves it for sandwiches and we are already planning to use it to make French toast this weekend as well. It has the wonderful sweetness and cake-like quality you expect in challah bread. I’ll be making this one again for sure now that I know I can handle it.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

2 Comments

Posted by MikeG on April 10, 2014 in Breads, Cooking

Tags: Challah bread, Challah bread recipe, williams-sonoma

Let’s Roast Another Chicken! Cast-Iron Skillet Roasted Chicken

09 Apr

I know, I roast a lot of chicken, but you can get a lot of mileage out of one 4-pound chicken for a family of three. We get at least one dinner, sometimes two out of the chicken, sandwiches for lunch once or twice and then I take the bones and make chicken stock so we can get even more out of it. All in all, one 4 pound chicken that might cost five or six dollars is good for 6 or 7 meals, so we certainly get out money’s worth from it. This recipe, which I got from The Daily Meal, is even better for a couple of reasons. It is a one pot meal that does potatoes and Brussels sprouts with the chicken and it is in a cast-iron skillet, which is one of my favorites to cook with since they are so versatile and hold the heat so well. The original recipe for this use 2 small game hens, but I opted to go with 1 larger chicken instead.

Cast-Iron Skillet Roasted Chicken

1 3-4 pound chicken, rinsed and patted dry

1/2 pound fingerling potatoes, scrubbed

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

3 strips bacon, chopped

3 cloves garlic, sliced thin

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons herbes de Provence

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with the cast-iron skillet in the oven while it is pre-heating.

Place the chicken on a large plate and coat the skin with 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt Place the chicken in the refrigerator, uncovered, and leave it there for 1 hour. Prior to cooking, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and thoroughly rinse the chicken with water and pat the chicken dry. Cut the skin between the legs of the chicken and gently disjoint the legs so that they lie flat on wither side of the body of the chicken.

Rub the olive oil all over the chicken to coat it and then sprinkle on the herbes de Provence and sprinkle some of the herbs inside the chicken as well. Sprinkle the top of the chicken with pepper. Take the 1/2 a lemon and place it inside the cavity of the chicken.

Pierce the fingerling potatoes with a fork, toss them into a medium bowl with about 1/2 an inch of water and cook the potatoes for 2 minutes on high in the microwave.

Remove the cast-iron skillet from the oven and drop the bacon pieces onto 1/2 of the pan. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the other half of the skillet. Make sure to place the legs and thighs flat against the bottom of the pan. Put the skillet back into the oven and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and add the fingerling potatoes, the garlic slices and the Brussels sprouts over the half of the pan with the bacon slices. Toss the potatoes and Brussels sprouts with the bacon pieces to coat them in some of the fat. Return the skillet to oven and continue roasting for about 20 to 25 minutes longer, or until the juices from the legs and thighs run clear when pierced with a fork. Remove the chicken and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving. Place the vegetables around the chicken on a platter and serve.

Salting the chicken for an hour ahead of time in the refrigerator helps to dry out the skin to make it nice and crunchy. This recipe roasts the chicken at a really high temperature so it does not take as long to cook as it normally might and everything gets nice and crispy, including the potatoes and Brussels sprouts. This recipe turned out quite well and of course it is great when you can make everything all in one pot to make things even easier for you for serving and clean-up. It’s a good way to get a nice roasted chicken on the table during a busy weeknight.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. As always, I am always trying new things out (today I am trying my hand at making homemade challah bread), so there is always lots to share. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on April 9, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, One Pot Meals, Poultry

Tags: Brussels sprouts, cast-iron skillet roasted chicken, fingerling potatoes, one pot meal, roasted chicken recipe, skillet roasted chicken with Brussels sprouts and fingerling potatoes, The Daily Meal

Cook’s Country Steak Tips with Tomatillo Salsa and Refried Black Beans

08 Apr

I look forward to getting Cook’s Country in the mails every two months more than any other magazine. They always have great recipes to try and most of them are really easy to make and give you meals with great flavor in no time at all. When I got the April?May edition of the magazine recently I saw a bunch of recipes that I immediately wanted to try out but I figured I would give this one a try first. It os for steak tips with tomatillo salsa and refried black beans. It is very simple and elegant and has all kinds of great tastes going on.

Steak Tips with Tomatillo Salsa and Refried Black Beans

1 pound tomatillos, husks and stems removed, rinsed, dried and halved

2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced

1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak tips, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped fine

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed

Pulse the tomatillos in a food processor until they are coarsely chopped, about 8 pulses. Transfer the tomatillos to a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl and allow them to drain for about 5 minutes. Reserve 3/4 of a cup of the tomatillo liquid. Combine half of the jalapenos, 1/4 cup of the cilantro, half of the minced garlic, the drained tomatillos and 1/4 cup of the reserved tomatillo liquid in a bowl. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste and set it aside.

Pat the steak tips dry with paper towels and season the steak tips with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil on a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it is just smoking. Cook the steak until it is browned all over and the meat registers 125 degrees (for medium-rare) on an instant read thermometer, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate and tent it loosely with aluminum foil. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the onion to the now-empty skillet and cook over medium heat until the onion is just softened, about 2 minutes. Add the cumin, the remaining jalapeno and the remaining garlic and cook until it is pregnant, about 30 seconds. Add the black beans and the remaining 1/2 cup of the reserved tomatillo liquid. Using a potato masher, coarsely mash the beans. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the steak with the beans and tomatillo salsa.

I really loved the flavor of the tomatillo salsa and the black beans were a perfect complement to the steak tips. Everything had great taste thanks to the tomatillos and since there are only a few ingredients in this meal you can get everything done in under 30 minutes. You could certainly use another cut of meat if you did not have sirloin steak tips. I think you could cut up a London broil or other steak and it will work just fine with this meal. Either way, it’s a good quick meal to make during the week when you need something fast. Serve it with a side salad and you are good to go. As you can see from the picture, this is before I added the tomatillo salsa, which I actually served on the side of the steak and beans because Sean wasn’t too thrilled with the salsa. He thought it was too spicy, but I think it was just fine.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on April 8, 2014 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Sauce, Side Dishes

Tags: black beans, Cook's Country, Cook's Country steak tips with tomatillo salsa and refriedblack beans, refried black beans, steak rips with tomatillo salsa and refried black beans, steak tips, tomatillo salsa

Need a Dessert Fast? Try This Blackberry Raspberry Pie

07 Apr

There are times when you find out at the last-minute that you’ll be having guests in an hour and you want to have something fast to serve for dessert with some coffee or tea. In times like these, I like to have some refrigerated pie crusts on hand along with some frozen fruit so that I can throw something together quickly. I had recently bought a big package of Pillsbury pie crusts at BJ’s Warehouse a week or so ago when I decided to make this quick and easy pie recipe I got from Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network. All you need is some pie crusts and frozen bags of fruit and you can have a great tasting pie in a little over an hour.

Blackberry Raspberry Pie

Two 16-ounce bags frozen blackberries, thawed and strained
Two 16-ounce bags frozen raspberries, thawed and strained
1 cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for sprinkling
2 tablespoons cinnamon, plus 1/4 teaspoon for sprinkling
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Butter, for greasing
Two 9-inch unroll-and-bake refrigerated pie crusts

Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Allow the baking sheet to heat for 15 minutes.

To a large bowl, add the blackberries, raspberries, 1 cup of the sugar, 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon, the arrowroot, flour and salt, and toss them gently to combine them. In a separate small bowl mix the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and set it aside.

Butter a 9-inch ceramic or glass pie dish. Unroll one pie crust and place into bottom of the pie dish, flattening it out against the sides and bottom of the pie dish. Pour the berry mixture into the crust. Unroll the second pie crust and place it on top of the filling. Pinch the edges of the top and bottom crusts together to seal the crust. Fold the double edge under and crimp the edges, making a decorative edge. Sprinkle the reserved sugar and cinnamon mixture over the top. Using a paring knife, cut a few slits in the top of the pie crust.

Place the pie into the oven on the prepared baking sheet and bake the pie until the crust is deep golden and the filling is bubbling through the slits, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Cool the pie to room temperature before serving.

This is pretty much the same as the double berry pie I had made in the past. You can use any frozen berry that you have on hand and this would work, and of course you can always use fresh berries as well. Just make sure that if you use frozen that the berries are thawed and drained otherwise you will get a lot of moisture in your pie, despite the use of the arrowroot, which will give you a soggy bottom crust. You end up with a nice pie in just over an hour that is great with some ice cream, homemade whipped cream, coffee and tea or you can use this when you get an invite to someone’s home and want to bring something nice over.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on April 7, 2014 in Cooking, Dessert, Pie

Tags: berry pie recipe, blackberry raspberry pie, blackberry raspberry pie Giada De Laurentiis, food network, giada de laurentiis, Pillsbury pie crusts

A Simple Snack or Meal – Fried Shrimp with Homemade Cocktail Sauce

06 Apr

I love to make shrimp and now that Sean has a good appreciation for it as well since he has gotten older, we have it a little more frequently than we did in the past. Of course, Sean’s favorite way to have it is as fried shrimp. I don’t often make it this way because I try to stay away from doing too much frying these days, but every once in a while I do have to indulge him and make some nice, crispy fried shrimp. It is very easy to do only they only take a minute or two to make and will test better than any of the things you can buy in the grocer’s freezer that are already breaded and ready to be cooked. This recipe is sort of combination of recipes I got from Food Network and Williams-Sonoma, and you can certainly convert it into oven frying if you want to go that way instead. I also made an easy cocktail sauce to go along with it.

Fried Shrimp and Cocktail Sauce

For the Cocktail Sauce:

1 cup ketchup or chili sauce

2 tablespoons drained, prepared horseradish

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Hot sauce (optional)

For the Shrimp:

1 1/4 cups panko or other dried bread crumbs

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

2 eggs

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Vegetable oil, for frying

To make the cocktail sauce, in a small bowl stir together the chili sauce or ketchup, the horseradish, lemon zest and lemon juice until blended. Season the sauce with hot sauce, if desired. Set the sauce aside.

For the shrimp, heat about 2 inches of the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot, Dutch oven or large cast-iron skillet over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees. Meanwhile, in a large bowl stir together the bread crumbs, paprika, basil, oregano, thyme garlic, salt and cayenne pepper. In a separate shallow bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour and the cornstarch. Finally, in a third shallow bowl whisk the eggs.

Working in batches, dredge the shrimp in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess, then sip the shrimp in the egg mixture, again shaking off any excess, and then dip the shrimp in the bread crumb mixture, turning the shrimp to form a thick crust. Fry the shrimp in the hot oil until it is lightly golden, about 1 to 2 minutes total, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain the oil temperature. Transfer the shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon and continue frying the shrimp until it is all fried.

Transfer the cocktail sauce to individual bowls for dipping and serve the shrimp.

These shrimp turn out with a great coating that has really good flavor and crunch when they are done. You want to be careful not to overcook the shrimp and burn the coating or make the shrimp rubbery. They only need a minute or two at the most to get really golden brown. These are great as an appetizer for a party or to serve on a buffet just as well as you can make them for dinner. The cocktail sauce is also very easy and will stay stored in the fridge so you can use it with other fish meals or instead of regular ketchup.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for some more great recipes. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

3 Comments

Posted by MikeG on April 6, 2014 in Appetizers, Cooking, Dinner, Seafood

Tags: cocktail sauce, fried shrimp, fried shrimp and cocktail sauce, fried shrimp recipe, homemade cocktail sauce

A Bevy of Bountiful Beauty – Banana-Blueberry Buttermilk Bread

05 Apr

While I am not a big breakfast eater myself, I do like to have something around once in a while that goes nicely with my coffee in the morning. Very often I will make an easy banana bread, which is tasty, but I was looking for something a little bit different to try to that had some different flavor to it but would still be easy to make. I was also looking for a use for some of the whole wheat flour I had bought to make brown bread for St. Patrick’s Day. So I was quite fortunate when I came across this recipe from Kitchen Daily for a tasty banana-blueberry buttermilk bread that was simple to make.

Banana-Blueberry Buttermilk Bread

¾ cup nonfat or low-fat buttermilk

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

3 mashed ripe bananas

1 ¼ cup whole-wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 ¼ cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

Whisk the buttermilk, brown sugar, vegetable oil and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the mashed bananas.

Whisk the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until they are just combined. Fold in the blueberries. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

Bake the bread until the top is golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack. Let the bread cool for about 2 hours before slicing.
You could also make these as muffins if you prefer to have muffins instead. For the muffin variation, preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat 12 (1/2 cup) muffin cups with cooking spray or line the cups with paper liners. Divide the batter among the muffin cups (they will be full). Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove the muffins and let them cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes more before serving.

One other note about this recipe. the original recipe calls for whole-wheat pastry flour instead of just whole wheat flour, which I did not have. The whole wheat pastry flour has less protein than regular whole wheat flour, so you will get less gluten in the results and it will make for a more tender bread or muffin. If you would prefer to go that way, then use the pastry flour instead. I think the results came out just fine with the regular whole wheat flour. I liked the flavor to go along with the mix of the bananas and blueberries and it was great as a breakfast with my coffee in the morning. it gives a nice, different and easy option for something like this or to make quickly when you are having guests at the last-minute or need something to bring to someone’s home.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on April 5, 2014 in Breads, Breakfast, Cakes, Dessert

Tags: banana-blueberry bread, banana-blueberry buttermilk bread, breakfast bread, easy banana bread, Kitchen Daily, whole wheat flour

Keep it Simple with Salt and Pepper Chicken

03 Apr

Instead of going through the effort to roast a whole chicken sometimes, you can get just as much mileage out of roasting up some bone-in chicken breasts. you can get all the white meat that you want and much better flavor thanks to the skin and bones than just making some boneless chicken breasts. I like to buy the big value packs of bone-in breasts when they are on sale, cut the breasts in half and roast them simply, using this east recipe I got from Williams-Sonoma. This way you can get a great meal out of it for dinner that night and then have plenty leftover for other meals. This one is really simple that you can do any night of the week or on a Sunday night and end up with a week’s worth of meals.

Salt and Pepper Chicken

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves, about 4 pounds total, cut in half
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, sage or tarragon
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes

Preheat an oven to 400°F.

Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper on top of and under the skin. Place the chicken, skin side up, in a large roasting pan. Roast until the chicken is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of each breast registers 170°F, about 45 minutes.

Transfer 4 chicken breast halves to a serving platter and reserve the remaining 2 for another use.

Place the roasting pan on a stovetop over high heat. When the roasting pan sizzles, add the broth and thyme (or other herbs) and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom. Boil the mixture until the broth is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Whisk the butter, a couple of pieces at a time, into the reduced liquid. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken, passing the sauce at the table.

It’s a very simple dish that you can make with just about side dishes that you want and it can come out elegant. These are great with mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, any kind of rice, polenta and any vegetable that you feel like making. The best part is that the leftover chicken is perfect for you to use for other meals. You can make chicken salad sandwiches, shred some chicken for pulled chicken sliders or chicken tacos or use some of the chicken to make some chicken noodle soup or other chicken soups. There are lots of great things that you can do to get several meals out of the leftovers to really stretch your budget.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. I still have lots of different things to share that I have been trying out lately. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

4 Comments

Posted by MikeG on April 3, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Leftovers, Poultry

Tags: bone-in chicken breasts, chicken breast halves, chicken breasts, easy roasted chicken breasts, leftover chicken, roasted chicken breasts, salt and pepper chicken, williams-sonoma

Enjoy Those Spring Vegetables – Awesome Asparagus Soup

01 Apr

We love asparagus in our household so it is great when it is in season and you can get lost of it at a really good price around here. It has such great flavor and there are so many different recipes you can make with it (we love it roasted; if you haven’t tried it that way, give it a shot). Couple the spring asparagus with the ridiculous cold weather we still have here in New York, and it seemed like a great time to make this great soup recipe I picked up from the food network. This recipe also makes some Parmesan breadcrumbs, which I did not make, but they sound pretty good to me. I opted to make some biscuits instead, but you could just as easily do the breadcrumbs.

Asparagus Soup:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, minced
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
3 bunches pencil asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup thawed, frozen peas or 1 cup shelled fresh English peas (about 1 pound unshelled)
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups lightly packed baby spinach

For the Parmesan Breadcrumbs:
Four 1/8-inch slices day-old sourdough bread (about 3 ounces)
Olive oil, for drizzling
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
One 3-ounce wedge Parmesan

Garnishes for the Soup:
Creme fraiche
Finely chopped fresh chives
Fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges
Asparagus tips
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

For the soup: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, bring the oil to medium heat. Add the shallot and salt and pepper to taste. Sweat the shallots until they are translucent, about 1 minute, being careful not to brown them. Add the asparagus to the pot and sweat the asparagus until it is beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the peas and sweat for another minute. Pour in the white wine and deglaze the pot. Add 5 cups of water and continue simmering until the asparagus are crisp-tender, about another 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and set it aside.

Working in batches (and carefully as the liquid will be hot), puree the soup until it is smooth in a blender. In the last batch, add the baby spinach and puree; this will give the soup a vibrant green color. Strain the soup back into the pot through a fine mesh sieve. Return the soup to a simmer until it is slightly thickened, about 4 to 6 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the soup from the heat.

For the Parmesan breadcrumbs: While the soup simmers, pulse the bread in a food processor until you have very coarse crumbs. Once processed, transfer the breadcrumbs to a medium mixing bowl. Drizzle the breadcrumbs with a generous amount of olive oil. Toss the breadcrumbs with the thyme. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a parchment-lined sheet tray. Using a grater, finely grate a few tablespoons of Parmesan over the breadcrumbs. Place the breadcrumbs into the oven and bake until they are golden and crispy, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the breadcrumbs from the oven and cool.

To serve: Ladle the soup into shallow serving bowls. Sprinkle the soup evenly with a few teaspoons of Parmesan breadcrumbs and top with a dollop of creme fraiche, if desired. Garnish with chopped chives, cilantro leaves, asparagus tips or a squeeze of a lime wedge and a splash of extra-virgin olive oil, if desired.Serve immediately.

The soup has great flavor from all of the vegetables and looks a great green color, just right for spring. One thing to remember when you are blending hot liquids, is to first let cool for 5 minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender, filling the blender only halfway. Put the lid on, but leave one corner open so you don’t have a vacuum that can make the whole thing explode on you. It’s dangerous and messy if you don’t do this. Make sure you cover the whole thing with a towel too while you are blending to catch any splatters that can happen along the way as well. It’s a great soup that is very easy to make. The Parmesan breadcrumbs would be a nice addition because the soup does need the salt and pepper to get really good flavor and the breadcrumbs can give you that and more.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by MikeG on April 1, 2014 in Biscuits, Breads, Cooking, Dinner, One Pot Meals, Soups & Stews, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Tags: asparagus recipes, asparagus soup, biscuits, food network, Parmesan breadcrumbs, roasted asparagus

Going Meatless – Sparrow Veggie Burger

30 Mar

Everyone once in a while I do try to make a meatless dish so we can stay away from red meat. We don’t eat a lot of it here, but every little bit helps some, right? It’s also no secret that I watch a lot of Food Network, especially when it isn’t baseball season, so a few weeks ago Michelle and I saw Diners. Drive-Ins and Dives and Guy Fieri was a restaurant in Queens where they made this really great looking vegetable burger. Now most vegetable burgers I have had in the past have left a lot to be desired but this one looked like it had some great stuff in it so I wanted to give it a try. It took me a while to track down a recipe online and even then it was not very specific so it took a little manipulation on my part to make this one work.

Sparrow Veggie Burger

2 shredded carrots

1 shredded zucchini

1 cup barley, cooked

Corn off the ear of 1 cob

1 cup green peas

1 large sweet potato, cooked

handful of scallions

Panko breadcrumbs

1 diced red pepper

5 large chopped mushrooms

1 cup cooked brown rice

Pita bread

Lettuce or bean sprouts

Pickles

Sweet Cayenne Mustard Sauce:

1 cup plain nonfat yogurt or mayonnaise

3 tablespoons cayenne pepper

1/2 cup grain or Dijon mustard

3/4 cup agave or maple syrup

Mix the carrots, zucchini, cooked barley, corn, green peas, sweet potato, scallions, breadcrumbs, red pepper, mushrooms and the cooked brown rice together in a large bowl until blended. Allow the mixture to sit for 1 hour so the flavors can meld together.

While the vegetables sit, make the sweet cayenne mustard sauce. Mix the yogurt or mayonnaise, the cayenne pepper, mustard and the agave or maple syrup together in a medium bowl with a whisk until smooth and well blended. Set the sauce aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.For the veggie burgers, measure out six-ounce portions – about the size of the palm of your hand – and form patties for the burgers. Place the patties on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Cook the patties in the oven until they are cooked through, about 45 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable and heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the patties to the skillet and cook until the burgers are browned and crunchy on the outside, about 4 minutes per side.

Drizzle the sweet cayenne pepper sauce inside a pita. Add the lettuce or bean sprouts to the pita, then add the veggie burger and the pickles and drizzle with more sauce if desired. Repeat with the remaining burgers.

Okay, here are a couple of things we noticed in this recipe. First, this recipe makes a lot more than the 6 portions the recipe purports to make. We had over twelve patties when all was said and done, so you can bake them and freeze them so you always have some ready to make when you feel like having one and just defrost it and bake it in the skillet. Second, these burgers do not hold together well because there is not much to bind them. We actually experimented with another batch and added 1 beaten egg to the mix and they held together much better than the first batch. From what I have been able to see about the Sparrow Diner, while they call it a burger, it is not really served as a burger that holds together, which is why they serve it in a pita, which is fine, but we wanted more of a burger texture so we added the egg and served it on a hamburger roll. Finally, for the sauce, I cut back on the cayenne pepper. Three tablespoons is a lot of cayenne pepper, so if you like it hot, go for it, but if you want something milder, cut back a bit and you will have a great sauce. Michelle and I both liked the results of the burger. It had great flavor with all of the vegetables and we enjoyed. In the interest of full disclosure, Sean hated it. He didn’t like the taste and said it didn’t hold together well, but I think for the majority of teenage boys who hear they are having burgers for dinner it was an understandable reaction. He did eat it, but he wasn’t happy with it, so next time around I guess it is just for me and Michelle.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. I’ve been really busy lately so I haven’t been able to blog as much as I want, but I am going to try harder to keep up regularly since I still have lots to share. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!

2 Comments

Posted by MikeG on March 30, 2014 in Cooking, Dinner, Sandwiches, Sauce, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Tags: food network, Guy Fieri, Sparrow Diner veggie burger, vegetable burger, veggie burger, veggie burgers

Sam Sifton is Right – Make This Chicken and Shallots Dish!

26 Mar

I had seen this recipe both on Twitter and in the New York Times last week and it sounded too good to pass up. Sam Sifton, who writes food articles for the New York Times, had gotten the recipe from Andrew Zimmern, the well-known chef and host of Man vs. Food. Andrew Zimmern had gotten the recipe from his wife Rishia, who adapted the recipe from one from Martha Stewart. Needless to say the recipe has made its rounds and it is quite simple but makes a really delicious chicken dish with just a few ingredients that you may already have around the house. I love simple recipes like this one so I knew I was going to try it as soon as I saw it.

Rishia Zimmern’s Chicken and Shallots

8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons butter

12 to 15 whole medium shallots, peeled

2 cups white wine

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 sprigs tarragon

2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Rinse the chicken thighs in water and pat them very dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with the flour, kosher salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or skillet set over medium-high heat. When the butter foams, cook the chicken thighs, in batches if necessary, until the chicken is well browned and crisp on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Set the chicken aside.

Add the whole shallots to the pot and saute them in the butter and chicken fat until they begin to soften and caramelize, approximately 10 to 12 minutes. Add the wine to deglaze the pot, stir with a large spoon, then add the Dijon mustard and the sprigs of tarragon, then the chicken thighs. Cover the pot, turn the heat down to low, and simmer the chicken for 30 minutes.

Remove the lid and allow the sauce to reduce and thicken, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes to the pot, stir lightly to combine and serve immediately.

It is a very simple recipe that turns out some great tasting chicken with a nice sauce that is flavored well by the wine, mustard, tarragon and the shallots. I ended up cutting the recipe in half because 4 chicken thighs are more than enough for the three of us for a typical meal, but if you are feeding a larger group you could go with the full recipe. I served the chicken with some white rice and roasted asparagus and I think it all went really nicely together.

That’s all I have for today. Check back next time for another recipe. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal!