Tunisian Menu Recipe 4: Braised Short Ribs

Let me just say this.  If you make only one of the recipes in this menu make this! I'm a sucker for braised meat - ever since I discovered Julia Child and the secrets of French cooking.  The tenderness of the meat and the melding of the flavors just doesn't happen in any other type of cooking.  Like all braised meat, this is great for entertaining because it is better made a day ahead (but don't hesitate to eat it the day you make it).  If you do make it ahead, you can defat it before putting it in a 350 oven to reheat. 

You are going to love the way your kitchen smells when you are making this! 

4-1/2 to 5 pounds beef short ribs with bone (less without bone)
3 TBL vegetable oil
salt and pepper
1 cup medium-diced carrots
1 cup medium-diced onions
1 cup coarsely chopped figs
1 TBL finely chopped fresh ginger
1 TBL finely chopped garlic
2 to 3 whole star anise
2 whole cinnamon sticks
1 cup dry red wine
 cup canned rushed tomatoes
1 cup low salt chicken broth
1/4 cup low salt soy sauce
1-2 tbs chopped fresh parsley1-2 TBL thinly chopped fresh mint

Position the oven rack in the center and pre-heat to 325 degrees. 
In an 8 quart dutch oven heat 2 TBL of oil over medium heat. Dry the ribs with paper towels then season with 2 tsp salt and  tsp pepper. Brown the ribs in the oil (only cook as many ribs as fit in one layer in the bottom of the pan) brown on all sides. Pour off all but a thin layer of fat from the pan. Add the remaining 1TBL oil, carrots ad onions to the pan. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan until carrots and onions are soft and lightly browned.  Add the chopped dried figs, ginger, garlic, star anise, and cinnamon stick and cook, stirring until well distributed and fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour 1/2 cup of red wine into pot and cook, stirring in any remaining browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine to about 2 TBL. Transfer the ribs and any accumulated juices into the pot. Pour the tomatoes, chicken broth, soy sauce, remaining 1/2 cup of red wine and 1 cup of water over the ribs and using tongs, arrange the ribs with as evenly as possible to no more than two layers of ribs deep. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover, and put the pot in the oven. Cook, turning the ribs with tongs every 40 minutes (if they are not completely covered with liquid) until they are fork tender about 2-3/4 hours.  
Note: the meat may fall off most bones about midway through cooking; this does not mean that the ribs are fully tender. 

Thanks to Susie Middleton and Fine Cooking for this Recipe!

Tunisian Menu Recipe 3: Couscous with Citrus and Almonds

I love couscous. It goes with everything and provides a nice change from rice or pasta. You can change the flavor and the ingredients depending on what you have in the house. For example, this recipe from Eva Katz calls for orange but I substituted lemon because that's what I had. 

This recipe serves 4 - 6

Couscous with Citrus and Almonds

2 TBL olive oil
1/2 cup medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely, chopped
2 TBL finely minced fresh ginger
1 cup fresh orange juice or 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 TBL unsalted butter
1-1/2 cup couscous (I used the larger kind)
1 tsp kosher salt; more to taste
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
zest from 1 orange OR 1 lemon (to match the juice you use)
freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan that has a lid, heat the oil,.  Add the onion and cook stirring often until it is soft but not yet turning brown.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook about 2 more minutes. Add the juice and simmer until the liquid is almost evaporated - don't let it brown. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, add butter, couscous, and salt. Stir to combine. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Stir in almonds, herbs, and zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Tomorrow....Braised short ribs!
 

Tunisian Menu Recipe 2:Veggies with Harissa & Lemon Garlic Yogurt Sauce

My leftovers for lunch that were the inspiration for this series of posts

Kate, 
So now that you have made the harissa, you are going to want to use it.  I'm just learning how but I love it on eggs and veggies, especially cauliflower and carrots. The inspiration for this recipe is from the July/August edibleSEATTLE magazine and calls for grilling carrots.  I found grilling makes the carrots prettier but if you are in a hurry and or you live someplace where you aren't allowed to grill (like you do), roasting or broiling at a high temperature in your oven works just fine...and I think cauliflower is awesome - or how about a mixture of cauliflower and carrots...just cook them on separate baking sheets so that the cauliflower doesn't get over cooked.


Carrots (and/or Cauliflower)with Harissa & Lemon Garlic Yogurt 
serves 4 about 30 minutes to make

1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
zest and juice of  1/2 lemon 
1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped
salt
6 large organic carrots; quartered and cut into about 4 inch lengths
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon harissa

In a small bowl mix together the  yogurt, lemon zest, juice, garlic and salt to taste. Set aside.

In a bowl toss the carrots with the olive oil and season with salt.
Place the carrots on a baking sheet and roast in a 450 degree oven until tender crisp and starting to brown- about 10 minutes, turn the carrots at least once during cooking.

Transfer carrots to a bowl and mix in the harissa until the carrots are coated. Serve warm with the yogurt sauce on the side.  

 

Tunisia Menu Item 1: Harissa

Kate, 

Yesterday I had leftovers for lunch: short ribs, lemon couscous, roasted carrots, and flat bread. I wish I had taken a picture when the table was set and the serving dishes were piled high..but I didn't. Instead, while sitting at work enjoying this meal for the second time in two days I thought to snap this photo. 

LUNCH!

All the food was North African in origin, mostly from Tunisia. I can't describe the flavors: a sweet, savory, spicy, fruity combination that made the house smell amazing!

Since I enjoyed this meal so much I thought I would share the recipes for the entire menu with you over my next few posts. 

The first thing is the Harissa. It's THE condiment of Tunisia. You might be able to buy this but we (actually your father with help from your eldest while she was visiting last month) made this recipe by Deborah Madison.  This recipe is pretty mild but, as I understand it, this stuff can be pretty hot.  I read that Tunisian husbands believe their wives no longer love them when the food (flavored by Harissa) begins tasting bland.  Hum.  Don't think I'll comment on that! 

Use Harissa on scrambled eggs (oh my!) or some feta cheese, or mix it into roasted veggies (more on that in another post).  Your going to love it! Directions for making it in a food processor or by hand follow (I vote for the food processor!)

Our homemade Harissa on the embarrassingly crowded top shelf of our refrigerator

 Harissa

12 dried red new Mexican chiles

3 guajillo chiles 

4 plump garlic cloves coarsely chopped

salt

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 Tbl olive oil plus extra for storing

cayenne - optional

Wipe off the chiles with a damp cloth, break off the stems, shake out as many seeds as possible and pull out any large veins. WEAR GLOVES! Discard any gray or yellowed areas of the skin because they might taste moldy. Tear the chiles into pieces, put in bowl and cover with boiling water and let stand for at least 30 minutes. Remove from bowl (save the water) and snip into smaller pieces with scissors. 

In a food processor grind the chilies with the garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, caraway, coriander, cumin, and oil until a smooth paste forms. Add a little of the chile soaking water to loosen the mixture.  If you want more heat add cayenne to taste. 

You can also do this by hand with a mortar and pestle but it will take some work!  Make a paste by pounding the garlic and salt together, add the non chile ingredients and mix until you have a paste. Then add the chile that you snipped into small pieces with scissors and pound until the paste is as smooth as you can get it. 

Pack into a clean jar and cover the surface with more oil and refrigerate.  

Heat Wave Cooking

I wish I'd been able to spend more time with Duane while I was in town. Trips always go by too quickly, and somehow are over right when you're just getting into things. I definitely agree about Katie being a fabulous hostess- any visit to their house became an Event with themes and costumes and adventures in The Indian Room. In fact, it was at their house that I first decided zucchini may not be so bad... She melted cheese on top.

As for now, it's been hot- too hot to cook everyday. I still insist upon having a home cooked meal on the table (almost) every night, and much to the dismay of my poor husband, I do not consider microwaved nachos a meal. Midnight snack, maybe, but not dinner. (Especially when the tortilla chips are topped with St. Andre's brie and a dill pickle. Yeah. It's an uphill battle.) So what's a girl to do?

It's freezer time! Yes, I have jumped on the "freezer cooking" bandwagon. What's not to love- I've got a freezer full of convenient food, but it's all homemade and I know exactly what's in every single thing. I tweak it to my family's tastes and I can portion it into whatever sizes I want, from a big bag of pancakes (individually frozen between layers of waxed paper before being tossed in a Ziplock) ready to be heated up and slathered with peanut butter right before school, to homemade chili with roasted Anaheim peppers and both sausage and ground steak, because that's just how we roll. And all those organic eggs I bought for 99 cents a dozen? Quiche! (I just forgot to make sure I'd stocked up on foil bakeware before I got started. Oops!)

So now when I don't feel like cooking or it's too hot to have my kitchen turned into a sauna (or in this weather, a steam room), I just pull something out and heat it up. Tonight was super simple because I was running late getting home from work. I just pulled out a bag of chili and made chili dogs, threw together a compound butter for some corn on the cob, and sliced up a watermelon.

Here's my super simple chili recipe:

1 lb ground beef, preferably sirloin 
1 lb sausage (I like to find one with a bit of spice to it, a Cajun or Andouille), casings removed
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Anaheim chiles, roasted, skins and seeds removed, and diced
1 large can of tomatoes, either diced or crushed
1-2 cans of kidney or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
salt, pepper
seasonings to taste (cumin, cayenne. I usually start with 1 tsp each and adjust accordingly)

1. In a large pot, brown the onion with the sirloin and sausage. Drain off the fat. 

2. Add the garlic, chiles, and tomatoes and bring to a simmer.

3. Add the beans and season to taste. 

I love this recipe for it's versatility- it's so easy to substitute whatever I have. You can use hotter peppers (jalapeno, or for the truly brave, habanero. Just don't rub your eyes!) or substitute ground beef. Double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd or to freeze for later. Eat it with tortilla chips and a big dollop of sour cream,  or turn it into chili dogs. I usually make my big batch very mild for the picky eaters in my house and add the real spice to individual servings. And even though you can substitute ground beef, I really prefer the sirloin/ sausage mix. The sirloin is leaner than most hamburger so it balances out the additional fat from the sausage, while the sausage adds extra complexity and is a simple way to add seasonings. (Along that line of thinking, choose your sausage carefully. Obviously breakfast sausage is out, but I find Italian sausage doesn't quite work either.)

Chili-lime Butter

2 sticks salted butter, soft but not melted
juice and zest from one lime (my lime was fairly dry- you may only need half the juice)
1 tsp chili powder (today I used ancho chile powder for it's mild heat and smoky flavor, but if you want a bit more kick, use cayenne.)

1. Mix 'em up. It's that simple. Use a fork, a pastry cutter, the back of a spoon, or whatever seems to work best for you. Make it a cohesive mass- the more you mix, the better your butter will be. Taste it to be sure the flavors are balanced.

This will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge. Just make sure it's wrapped tightly.

Besides topping the ubiquitous summertime corn on the cob, you can use this butter on a toasted piece of bread for a turkey sandwich, or spread it on a biscuit to eat with corn chowder. And you can switch up the flavors however you want; compound butters are one of the easiest ways to add extra pizazz to a dish. Just mix in whatever seasonings you have that will complement your dish, from spices to finely minced fresh herbs. (A dill and lemon butter is excellent atop grilled fish.) Get creative and use whatever you have on hand!


Kate

'Til Death Do Us Part - Melon Pasta Salad

Sunday, "Grandpa" Duane came over for dinner.  It's a rare meal that we spend alone with Duane, so on Sunday, after church we stopped by and picked him up for dinner with  us. 

Do you realize Duane will be 90 in January? He is doing so wonderfully.  Ok, so he doesn't hear so well, and is a bit unstable on his feet, and his hands don't work quite as well as they once did...but his mind is so bright,he is so very funny, and he knows what is going on in the world.  He amazes me!

After we finished the dinner - which by the way was really yummy and took just over 30 minutes to make- we talked a bit about this and that.  He told stories about his brother, and I saw his eye gloss over as he talked about Katie.  He so sweetly said that when they were first married she couldn't boil water but she became a wonderful cook who was able to put together lovely meals, and was a great hostess...like me. Such a compliment coming from a man who enjoys good food, served well and loved how his wife did it all.

Somewhere in the conversation, he turned the subject to Katie's death.  At first what he had to say was a bit macabre...something about still having Katie's ashes at home, in the kitchen...and when he dies he wants his ashes mixed together with hers so they can be buried together, forever. There was a glistening in the corner of his eyes as he looked back over the past 60  years and ahead, into eternity, all at once. 

Duane reminded me that that love, real love, the soul giving love of your parents, and grandparents, doesn't end when "death do us part", but goes on...

I'm so glad Grandpa Duane came over for dinner. 

You can link to the recipe for  Pasta Salad with Pancetta and Ricotta Salata here.  It is from the August 2012 edition of Bon Appetit

But in case this link doesn't work, here is a reprint of the recipe. 

• 2 ounces thinly sliced pancetta (Italian bacon)
• 4 ounces orecchiette (ear-shaped pasta)
• Kosher salt
• 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 2 cups 1x1x1/4" pieces peeled melon (any variety)
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint, divided
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ounce ricotta salata (salted dry ricotta) shaved, or rumbled feta.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Arrange pancetta in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until brown and crisp, 20–25 minutes. (Alternatively, place pancetta on folded layers of paper towels on a microwave-proof plate and microwave on high until brown and crisp, about 5 minutes.) Let pancetta stand until cool enough to handle, then break into bite-size pieces.
  Meanwhile, cook pasta in a medium pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta; run under cold water to cool. Drain and set aside.
  Whisk oil and vinegar in a large bowl. Add half of pancetta, cooked pasta, melon, half of mint, scallion, and red pepper flakes. Toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle remaining pancetta and mint over. Garnish with shaved ricotta salata.
  
  

I'm so corny! Corn chowder, perfected.

I have a confession to make. I don't really like creamy soups. Chicken noodle, tortilla, and even chili are all awesome, but there's something about a thick, rich, creamy soup that is just...too much. At least, that's what I've said for about as long as I can remember. I may have to take it all back, thanks to the folks over at America's Test Kitchen. They've taken corn chowder to a whole new level- it tastes like an August afternoon. This recipe is absolutely a keeper, (which shouldn't be a surprise considering how good every single one of their recipes is. I'm not kidding- If you've never tried anything of theirs, click on the link above and decide on what's for dinner tonight.) the only change I may try will be roasting the corn before cutting it off the cob.

First, gather your ingredients. You'll need:

8 ears of corn, cleaned
3 Tbsp butter, unsalted
1 onion, finely chopped
4 slices of bacon, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4" pieces
2 tsp minced fresh thyme
salt and pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
5 cups water
3/4 lb red potatoes (or yukon gold) cut into 1/2" pieces
1 cup half-and half
sugar
3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1. First things first. Using a paring knife, remove all the kernels from the cobs. (Don't cut too deep- you only want the tender part of the kernel.) In a separate bowl, use a vegetable peeler and scrape down the cobs, getting as much of the pulp off as you can. Put the pulp into a clean, thin dishcloth. Now squeeze. Hard. Get all of those juices out of the pulp- this is what takes this chowder to a whole other lever. You should get at least 2/3 cup of corn juice. Set it aside and get rid of the now utterly depleted cobs and pulp- they have served their purpose!

2. Melt the butter. Use a Dutch oven and medium heat. Add the bacon, onion, thyme, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Cook until the onion is softened and just starting to brown, making sure to stir often. Add in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Add the water to the pot slowly, whisking the entire time to break up any clumps of flour. Bring to a boil, add the corn kernels and potatoes and return to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15-18 minutes. Remove two cups of the soup and puree in a blender until smooth. (I just used my measuring cup to scoop it out of the pot; you don't need to be super precise here.) Add the pureed soup back into the pot, add the half-and-half and return it yet again to a simmer. Remove the chowder from the heat, pour in the reserved corn juice, and season to taste using salt, pepper, and up to 1 tablespoon of sugar (although, if your corn is in season, you may not need any at all. I didn't!) Garnish with the basil, and enjoy!

Okay, so maybe a creamy soup isn't so bad. This was definitely a hit with the whole family, from my one year old Beast (she's discovered growling...the name just fits!) to my vegetable-avoidant husband. I need to go buy more corn!

The original recipe, along with the recipe commentary is here.

Kate

A Tale of Two Dinners

Veggie Polenta Stacks

For multiple reasons this carnivorous family of mine has been eating more vegetarian meals lately. I won't ever pretend that we are vegetarians and we are far removed from being vegans, we enjoy eggs, butter, ice cream, and seafood way too much!  None-the-less, I have discovered that a simple reprogramming of the grey matter does wonders for seeing the potential of a vegetarian diet. 

The other night it was my turn to cook so I created a meal based on what we already had in the fridge. I called the main dish Veggie Polenta Stacks and I served the stacks with sea scallops and a mixed green salad and homemade lemon vinaigrette dressing.

To make the Veggie Polenta Stacks either purchase polenta or make your own.  I made my own with veggie broth, and adding in fresh basil, red pepper flakes, some hot chili powder, and Parmesan cheese for added flavor.  I spread the cooked polenta in an even layer on a cookie sheet to cool.

I buttered 6 large individual ramekins and then I layered thinly sliced Japanese eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper in the ramekin topping the veggies with a layer of cooled polenta cut to size.  I baked it at 350 until the concoction was hot and the cheese was gooey. To serve I tipped the ramekins upside down on the plate and the I topped the stack with some homemade pesto.  If I do it again, I would probably use feta cheese and not use zucchini as it was too watery.

I cooked the scallops in a mixture of butter, olive oil and garlic and threw in a bit of white wine when they were almost done. The secret of good sea scallops to "press" the liquid out of the scallops for several hours or over night.  Use paper towels and a heavy plate so that they are dry. This allows them to sear and  get that gorgeous brown color when cooking while staying nice and moist inside.  If you don't do this the scallops simmer in their juices and just aren't as good.  Try this trick.  It is so worth it!

On night two my dear husband looked at me with his adorable eyes and suggested that maybe we should consider putting some steak on the barbecue. How could I resist?

We made a simple meal. Salt and pepper on some rib-eye steaks, grilled medium rare, thinly sliced and served on a bed of mixed greens that were dressed with the lemon vinaigrette I had made the  night before. Over all this a good handful of crumbled blue cheese.  Dinner was served with a glass of Cabernet.   We all started drooling and before I knew it the meal was over and we didn't think to take a picture of all the lovely red meat stacked on the green lettuce.  Awe, the memories...

Although we are attempting to increase the amount of fruits an vegetables that we eat, we are along way from being vegetarians but I'm thinking the occasional dinner of red meat won't hurt any of us!

Skip the Limp Lettuce and Pass Me the Rainbow Chard!

I was thinking about two of my sisters today (okay, one was my sister-in-law -- happy birthday, Grace!) while I was cooking dinner. Well, cooking isn't quite the right word; assembling would be a little more fitting. I made a dish that my world traveler, almost vegetarian sister first made for me several months ago. It's a dish that my world- traveler, not a vegetarian sister-in-law would love. I'm still on my summer salad kick, but this is like no other salad I've ever had. So ladies, this one's for you!

Crisp, slightly bitter chard with pungent blue cheese and bite from red onion are given body from brown rice. As written, this recipe just may be perfect (so no, I don't change every recipe!)

RAINBOW SALAD (aka Brown Rice and Rainbow Chard Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette)

1 bunch rainbow chard

3 cups cooked and cooled brown rice (or quinoa, whatever you have on hand)

1 large carrot, grated

1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped

4 oz blue or gorgonzola, divided in half

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

zest and juice of one lemon (about 2 Tbsp juice and 1 tsp zest)

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 Tbsp honey

1. Clean chard very well under running water and dry thoroughly. Cut stems and leaves into 1/8-inch slices. Combine rice, chard, carrot and onion in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, crumble half of the cheese and add the oil, vinegar, lemon juice and zest, salt, pepper, and honey. Whisk vigorously to combine and begin to break down the cheese slightly. Add the dressing to the rice and vegetables and stir to incorporate.

2. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

3. Crumble remaining cheese on top and chill until ready to serve.

4. This salad is best made the day it is to be eaten so the chard stays crisp and the flavors stay bright. If you want to make it ahead, set the chard aside when combining the rest of the ingredients and add it just before serving.

If you just can't do the whole vegetarian thing, chop up a couple grilled chicken breasts to combine with everything else, but I promise you, this salad can stand on it's own. 

(Thank you, Central Market in Shoreline for this recipe and for possibly being the most amazing grocery store ever. Really, ever. And thank you, Mom, for waking me up super early to go grocery shopping when I was visiting. I mean that with surprisingly little irony.)

Almond Biscotti

Kate, 

The other day you and I were talking and you started explaining about how much you enjoy tweaking recipes, experimenting with changes until you thought a dish was perfect.

You oozed such excitement that even though we are 1500 miles away from each other I could almost see you doing the happy dance across the phone line!

I found your excitement for experimenting with food so fascinating.

I wish I had more of that spirit of exploration and discovery. Instead, I'm content recreating the tried and true.  You made me question myself though...why do I like to cook and bake? Does every chef (in which I include home cooks) find some different form of satisfaction in the process or does everyone but me enjoy experimentation? 

As your dad has taken on more of the meal planning and preparation I've noticed that, like me, he seems to shun experimenting with recipes but is a master at planning the perfect menu for the occasion. Family dinner, poetry group, St. Patrick's Day, he is a Picasso of taste, and texture.

Last week I was in Spokane on a business trip that afforded me the opportunity to spend some time with family. It was over a simple BLT that I realized I love food best when it is a catalyst for spending time with others.  Lingering at a table laden with plates that have been wiped clean with sourdough bread, or sitting on the porch with my husband and a cup of coffee, or talking with Gayle over a simple BLT and a glass of white wine...I've discovered it's the experience of relationship that the food helps bring about that I love.   Therefore, I guess, I like preparing food that I know will nourish both healthy bodies and engaging conversations.

 

That brings me around to biscotti. Bet you wondered how I would get there. 

Remember when you were home last month and we ate biscotti for breakfast, snacks, and dessert. You asked the funny question.."How many biscotti would it take to drink a cup of coffee?"

You wanted the recipe but I don't think you ever got around to writing it down...so here it is.  I think the flavor is wonderful but the dough a bit too soft so the cookies are hard to handle and flatten out a bit more than I would like during the first baking. I've enjoyed plenty of cups of after dinner coffee and good conversation because of this recipe so I'm not going to mess with a good thing.  I'll leave the tweaking to you!

Almond Biscotti

7 ounces whole almonds, toasted

11 ounces all purpose flour

1 and 2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp aniseed

grated zest of 1 lemon, 1 lime, 1 orange

3 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients including the nuts and citrus zests. 

In  small bowl lightly mix together the eggs, yolks, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients; with a wooden spoon mix the ingredients until the hold together then dump onto a lightly floured surface. 

Form the dough into a ball and divide into 3 equal parts. You may need to add a bit more flour to make the dough easier to work with.  Roll each portion of dough into a log about 10 inches long and 2 inches wide.  

Transfer logs to a large, parchment lined cookie sheet (very important) and place about 4 inches apart (you might need 2 cookie sheets) I find using a long off-set spatula helps to move the logs. Reform logs as necessary. 

Bake at 350 degrees until the dough is set but not brown or hard. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Using a sharp knife cut the logs diagonally into cookies and place back on the cookie sheets (you don't need parchment for this step) I place the cookies so that both cut sides are exposed but you don't need to do this. 

Bake cookies a second time until they are dry to the touch.  How much you bake them is a matter of taste. This baking should take between 10 and 15 minutes. Some people like them HARD and some not so much.  You just want them dry.  This is great news because it is hard to over bake them. If they are to hard you just dip them a bit longer in your beverage of choice, coffee, tea, milk?

They can be stored in an airtight container for at least 2 weeks.

Enjoy!

Mom

Que sera sangria

Sangria. I'd never even had it until this week when I came across several recipes and decided, "Why not?" I don't know why not- it's delicious! It's cool, refreshing, infinitely variable, and when it's hot outside I don't feel bad about tossing in an ice cube or two. These used to be things I'd say about a good margarita (okay, they're still true), but I was craving something different. I need to listen to my cravings more!

I didn't follow an exact recipe, but instead did more of a mash-up of a couple different recipes I found. My original inspiration was off of pinterest from henryhappened.com, but I combined it with the recipe for stone fruit sangria from Bon Appetit magazine. I was  lazy and just did the fruit puree from BA with triple sec since I didn't have elderflower liqueur laying around. It was still tasty!

I used:

2 apricots (1 peeled and coarsely chopped, the other pitted and sliced)
2 peaches (again, 1 peeled and coarsely chopped, the other pitted and sliced)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 bottle white zinfandel
1/4 cup triple sec


1. Puree the coarsely chopped fruit with the lemon juice.


2. Add fruit puree and the triple sec to a pitcher and stir.


3. Pour in the wine, and add in the remaining sliced fruit.


4. Let this chill in the fridge for at least several hours and enjoy it on a hot summer evening.

I will definitely be making more sangria this summer- white, red, you name it. In the meantime, I'm going to sip my sangria and enjoy the peace and quiet that happens post baby bedtime.

Tunisan Carrot Salad



Tunisan Carrot Salad

As you know, I  love meat! I am a carnivore! I believe that the only way to eat protein is by consuming animals. At least that is what I used to think.
Lately, I've been reexamining my relationship with fruits and veggies and discovered I've missed out on a lot of exciting foods and food combinations. For example dinner yesterday was a zucchini gratin made with a homemade bechamel sauce and Tunisan carrots.

I have to admit cooking vegetarian is so new to me that I find myself going to the experts like Mark Bittman, Lorna Sass, and Deborah Madison.  I figure the more I can learn from these experts the better cook I will be...like cooking from Julia Child books to learn the basics of French cooking.

For diner today I made a zucchini and rice gratin with a side dish called Tunsian Carrot Salad.  Both recipes are from Deborah Madisons  book called Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. On another day I will tell you about Ms. Madison's bechamel sauce which is used to make the gratin.  It is infused with aromatics and herbs, creamy and so flavorful like none I have ever tasted. Today I want to tell you about the carrots.

They are so easy to make...boil some whole carrots in salted water until the are just tender but not soft, cut them into disks, mix with black olives and feta, toss in a vinegarette and sprinke with some herbs and more feta. Oh My!

Tunsian Carrot Salad
Serves 4-6

1 pound carrots
1 garlic clove minced
salt
2 teaspoons hot paprika or Harissa (Rod had made some Harissa the day before, so I used this yummy, new to me, flavoring)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice (I used the lemon for a more summery taste)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/3 cup crumbled or thinly sliced feta cheese
12 oil-cured black olives, pitted and diced.

Peel the whole carrots and then boil them in salted water until tender but not soft. Drain and cut into disks.

Smash the garlic with 1/4 tsp of salt and make into a paste.  In a bowl, combine, garlic, paprika or Harissa, vinegar (or lemon juice) parsely, and most the cheese and olives and toss with the carrots. Garnish with the remaining cheese and olives.

I'm back, and oh yeah, I cooked my perfect summer dinner!

So...it's been a while. Our last post was for a snow day and now it's the middle of summer... hmm.  Let's chalk it up to life is nuts, and without a regular schedule I'm truly hopeless when it comes to accomplishing anything! Now that I have my house back to myself and have something of a routine again, it's time to start cooking again, too. (I know! I've hardly cooked in months. I'm not quite sure how I'm still sane.)

There's just one problem. It's hot outside. It's hot inside. And I have no a/c. That means food is very simple these days, with as much fresh produce as I can squeeze into my fridge. My new favorite salad is actually one I found in the New York Times the other day: cucumber, tomato, and cantaloupe tossed in a light vinaigrette with fresh herbs. Find the recipe here. This is so refreshing and simple, and you can substitute whatever looks good. Cantaloupe not quite ripe? Use honeydew or peaches instead. I used little Persian cucumbers instead of the English because I didn't feel like peeling them, and you could use anything from Romas to cherry to any heirloom tomatoes you come across. Just make sure they feel heavy for their size and are firm. I cut everything up ahead of time and let some of the juices drain off, then tossed it with the dressing while the salmon cooked.

Did I mention the salmon? I miss the seafood you can get in Seattle. I crave it. I mean, I'm talking death row meal contender here. I usually can't find fresh, wild salmon down in SoCal for less than an arm and a leg, let alone salmon that a girl who grew up in the Northwest will stand for, so when I do find it, that's what's for dinner. All it needs is a little sea salt, some fresh dill sprinkled on top and  a layer of sliced lemon, and I am one happy camper! Ideally, this involves open flame for the actual cooking part, but in a pinch the broiler does just fine, and because it cooks quickly, the kitchen doesn't turn into a sauna.

I'd have taken a picture, but I was so excited for dinner I forgot. What food gets you really excited and takes you to your happy place?

Kate

Snow Day in Seattle (and Cream of Broccoli Soup)

It's a snow day in Seattle. 
For those of you that live in other parts of the world you need to understand that when there is a snow day in Seattle (meaning more than 1 inch of snow) everything shuts down, businesses close, schools close, government offices close. Only people that think they know how to drive in snow, are out and about - the rest of us stay home, drink warm beverages, eat yummy food (because we've been to the store and stocked up) and watch funny videos on YouTube of people who think they know how to drive in the Seattle snow. 

Once the people that think they can drive in snow have been here for a few snow days they will learn their lesson and hunker down like the rest of us.


There's not a lot of good video out there this year because we had so much warning before the "big storm" hit but here is a link to the "little" storm that surprised us last Sunday.  This took place a couple of blocks from my church.


Seattle Drivers in two inches of snow! (Thanks jadambrinson)


Because it's a snow day I thought I'd share this year's snow day soup.  Cream of Broccoli.  This is NOT fat free, or vegan, but it is the best broccoli soup I've ever had...I think it is because of the two secret ingredients, American cheese and white pepper.  I think this soup should be called Pepper Broccoli Soup...but that's just me.


Trust me...this one will warm you to your toes!


By the way, we got about 6 inches of snow at my house...and we are snowed in. I love Seattle!


Cream of Broccoli Soup


4 to 5 cups of broccoli cubed, include the stemms but peel them first
1 medium onion
6 cups of veggie broth or water
2-3 cloves garlic
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
12 ounces (1 package) American cheese
1/3 cup butter (optional)
2 teaspoons white pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt (or sea salt) use less if you use veggie broth
1/4 cup flour


1. Cook the broccoli, onion, and garlic in 2 cups of broth or water  until soft
2. Puree in blender
3. Return to soup pot and add remaining water or broth and bring back up to heat
4. Stir in cheese until melted.
5. Stir in cream, milk and pepper
6. Put the flour in a small bowl and add 1/2 cup of the broth.  Stir until smooth. Add to soup.
7. Continue heating soup and stirring occassionally until thick like cream and hot.  Add salt to taste.
8. EAT


This goes great with Bickleton Dinner Rolls!

Italian Lentil Soup

I just discovered a new product that adds the rich flavor of umami when you need a spike of flavor.

I like this a lot because, as you know, Udon, my youngest daughter, hates mushrooms which are one of the food items which we add to food for the umami flavor.

The other day I used a big squirt of this with a can of tomatoes, Italian parsley, pepper, parmesan cheese, and pepper mixed into cooked bowtie pasta for a lovely light pasta dish. I love buying this tomato paste too…now we don’t waste tomato paste in the cans!

Today, because it is snowing in Seattle, and I have a cold, I decide I wanted a soup. The recipe I wanted to use called for mushrooms – which I didn’t have, so I substituted the umami paste…and a few other things and this is what I ended up with.  In less than an hour I had a really tasty, warm, healthy soup.  My starting point was a Loran Sass recipe…Oh I love Lorna Sass!

Lorna Sass says about her recipe that “after overnight refrigeration, the soup will thicken considerably and can be transformed into a spread.  Puree with mustard to taste and add additional herbs or vinegar as needed.  You can stretch the amount by blending in a few tablespoons of soft tofu.”    

I’m not sure if we will have any leftovers to try this spread…I’ll let you know if we do.

If you don’t have the umami paste substitute ¼ pound sliced mushrooms.

Italian Lentil Soup

2 cups lentils, rinsed and picked over

1 large onion, diced

2-3 minced garlic cloves

2 ribs celery, diced

2 large carrots, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 big squirt umami paste or ¼ pound mushrooms

2 bay leaves

1 tsp dried thyme

¾ tsp dried oregano

Red pepper flakes to taste

3 Tbl tomato paste

1-2 Tbl balsamic vinegar

½ cup dry white wine

6 cups water or vegetable broth

Sea salt and pepper to taste

¾ cup diced parsley

Cook the onion, carrot, celery, and mushrooms (if using) with the herbs, bay leaves, red pepper flakes until onions are softened and just beginning to change color, add the tomato paste and stir for a few seconds to start to brown.  Add the wine and cook until wine evaporates.  Add the lentils, umami paste (if not using mushrooms) and water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer and cook, covered for 30-40 minutes until lentils are tender.

Stir in balsamic vinegar a little bit at a time until the taste of the soup is brighter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the parsley to the soup or use as a garnish. (I added it)

Cheryl

Blueberry Muffins

In my house there is only one morning person- my 5 year old. She’s up at 7:30 everyday, and bless her heart, she rarely wakes me up that early. She gets up, gets dressed and gets herself breakfast. Since I’ve only had a few hours of sleep by the time she’s getting up, I try to have healthful food easily accessible for her. Fruit is always good, and she’d eat apples until she turned into one if I let her, but they aren’t very filling. And because I don’t let her use the toaster or microwave (for obvious reasons) I had to come up with something else. Muffins. She likes them frozen, so having a bag of them in the freezer solves our little dilemma. The only remaining problem was which muffins to use. Most store bought muffins have ingredients I can’t pronounce, Costco’s are huge and have way too much sugar, and most recipes I tried also relied heavily on sugar for flavor. I finally pulled out one of my favorite bread books, Paul Hollywood’s 100 Great Breads and tried his blueberry muffins. The original recipe is rich, with lots of egg and butter, but not too sweet. Most importantly, it’s a forgiving recipe and easy to play around with and lighten. I’ve made it a little differently each time depending on what I have around the house. Here it is:

Blueberry Muffins (makes 16)

2 ¼ sticks butter, softened
scant 1 cup superfine sugar (regular granulated also works just fine but takes longer to cream)
4 medium eggs
1 ⅓ cups white bread flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
16 muffin liners
2 punnets blueberries
confectioner’s sugar, for dusting (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cream the butter and sugar until white and fluffy, then add the eggs and mix for an additional 5 minutes. Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix into a smooth paste.

Line your muffin tray with the paper liners and drop a spoonful of the mixture into each case. Gently press the blueberries into the center of each muffin.

Bake for 12 minutes, or until a muffin springs back when pressed. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then dust lightly with confectioner’s sugar.

Variations: Substitute 1 cup applesauce for a cup of the butter, adding the applesauce after the eggs have just been incorporated. Add ½- ¾ cup ground flax seed or bran with the flour. substitute whole wheat flour for up to ½ the bread flour (the higher ratio of wheat flour to bread flour you use the denser your muffins become.) Chopped nuts, or spices such as cinnamon (depending on what fruit you use). And of course, you can use just about any fruit you’d like- one of my favorite combinations is adding a chopped apple, some chopped walnuts, and mixing in a little cinnamon. My little early bird loves these!

Kate

The Power of Food



Cover of book by Susan Schwartzenberg

Since starting this blog with my daughter, I’ve become more aware of food. Not the taste of food or the smell of food but the role food has in relationships and the power it can have as a catalyst of change.

I was looking at a book the other day.  It’s called “Becoming Citizens; Family Life and the Politics of Disability”, by Susan Schwartzenberg. The author of this book was commissioned to tell the stories of four women who, in the 1970’s, fought for the educational rights of their children. These children, according the State and other professionals, were severely disabled and could not be educated (code words for we don’t want them).

The mothers refused to believe what they were told. Refused to believe what the authorities said about their children. They believed what every mother believes. “My child is just as important as your child.  My child has a right to an education just like other children.  

So these four mothers and two law students from the University of Washington set out to change things.  How did they do it?  With food!  Yes, with food.  They invited their congressmen to a lunch of homemade food – home cooking! Not cafeteria food, not food from a hoity-toity restaurant, but home cooking; food from their own kitchens.  

The mothers knew a simple truth. A cook gives more than food to the guest. One cannot accept a home cooked meal and reject the cook. Acceptance of the meal requires relationship, calls for dialogue and breeds understanding. That’s why family meals are so important, they help us see our interconnectedness with each other and the world.






Signing of HB 90 (Washington State's Educatio for all Bill) left to right
Janet Taggart, Katie Dolan, Cecile Lindquist, Governor Daniel Evans, Evelyn Chapman, George Breck, and William Dussault (insert)  from the Book Becoming Citizens, page 73



The Congressmen took notice and listened.  And the mothers accomplished the unimaginable. They, with the two law students, wrote the law that put Washington State on the map as the first state in the country to provide a free education for every child between the ages of 3 and 21. Eventually this law was the basis for Federal Law 94-142 that guarantees all children in the United States, regardless of disability, the right to a free education.

For the past 25 years my family has lived with the son of one of these women. Unfortunately, by the time the law passed he was too old to take advantage of the free education his mother fought for but, millions of other children have attended school because these four mothers had a mission and used good ole’ home cookin’ as one of the tools to accomplish their goal.

I hope that as I continue to learn about food and relationships that I will see that each meal I eat has been given to me as a gift – even if I am the cook.  For, even if I eat alone, I can never eat a meal in isolation - because each bite I take is really a statement about how I choose to live my live on this earth with you.

Blessings and health in 2012

Cheryl

Bickleton Dinner Rolls

Bickleton Dinner Rolls made by my friend Xiangyu

The recipe for these dinner rolls (which also make awesome cinnamon rolls and orange rolls) was given to me at one of my wedding showers (I had asked everyone to bring a favorite family recipe).  This recipe came from one of my husbands aunts who live in a small wheat farming town called Bickleton, in Eastern Washington.  My husbands family settled in this area when before Washington was a state. How cool is that?

I've been making these rolls since the early days of my marriage. Recently one of my co-workers asked me how to make bread. I wanted to give this recipe to her but I had lost the directions. Since we couldn't get together for a baking session to teach her how to make these I reworked the recipe for a novice and as a result I learned how to make these better than before.

All I can say about these rolls is that they melt in your mouth. And if I don't make them for a major holiday dinner it is the only thing I hear about from the family.

Bickleton Dinner Rolls

3 1/2 - 4 cups flour

1 scant tablespoon yeast (1 package)

1/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoons salt.

1. In mixing bowl dissolve the yeast in the warm water.

2. Scald the milk (heat until it is just under a simmer) add the butter to melt

3. When milk has cooled to slightly warmer than room temp add to the yeast and water in the mixing bowl

4. Beat  the egg in a separate bowl and add to the mixing bowl

5. Add the sugar and salt and with the paddle attachment on your mixer, thoroughly combine all above ingredients.

6. Slowly add 2 cups of flour to the wet ingredients and  mix to combine.

7. Switch to dough hook.  

8. For the 3rd cup of flour add to dough mixture 1/4 cup at a time and knead with dough hook for about 4 minutes after each addition.

9. Continue this process until the dough is starting to hold together and is elastic to the touch.  It should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl in strings, cleaning the bowl as the hook and dough move around the bowl.

10. With 1/4 of the remaining flour, sprinkle a surface (counter) on which you can finish kneading the bread by had to the proper consistency (you need to do this by had because it is hard to tell when it is in the mixing bowl).

11. Knead the dough, mixing in the flour on the counter and adding 1/4 more flour at a time the dough is no longer sticky, but still elastic to the touch...you don't want this dough to be firm. Form the dough into a ball by pulling it around and tucking it under.

12.Using cooking oil or butter/margarine, grease a bowl that is large enough to allow the dough to double in size.

13.Put the dough top side down in the greased bowl so that the top of the dough is "greased".  Turn the dough over so the that greased part of the dough is now on top.  Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft free location (a good place is in the oven with the oven light turned on).

14. Allow to rise until double in size (depending on the temperature - might take 2 hours - but if it is warm may be less)

15. Make a fist and punch dough down 1x.  quickly make the dough into a ball (by pulling in and tucking it under itself) and let the dough rest on the counter for about 10 minutes to make it easier to work with.

16. After the dough has had a chance to rest you are now ready to form into dinner rolls or cinnamon rolls.  

17. Ways to shape rolls.

        a. Roll dough circle (or 2 circles if you want smaller rolls).  Cut each circle like a pizza into wedges.  Roll each wedge from wide end to narrow end into and make a crescent  shape. Place on a cookie sheet, spaced far enough apart to allow the dough to rise (again double).

        b. roll dough into a rectangle about 1/2 thick.  Using a biscuit cutter or a glass, cut the dough into circles.  The circles.  Fold each circle in 1/2 and lightly pinch in the middle of the rounded side to hold the dough together. Place on a cookie sheet, spaced far enough apart to allow the dough to rise (again double)

        c. Use a muffin pan.  Fill each "muffin" with 3 round balls of equal size that fill about 1/2 the depth of the muffin.

        d. any other shape of you choice...you get the idea

18.  Which ever you chose to do in step 17.- once the rolls are shaped cover them with a clean towel and allow to rise until they once again have doubled.  This rising won't take as long as the first time...should be no more than 1 hour.

19. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees (Though I often only bake these at 375 so I don't have to watch them so closely).  Bake rolls until a  very light brown on top and no longer "doughy" inside.  The amount of time will depend on the size of the rolls.  (15  - 30 minutes, depending on the size of the rolls and the temp. of the oven)

(note,  if you are making cinnamon or rolls orange rolls decrease the oven temperature to 350 so the sugar doesn't burn)

20.  Remove from oven and eat when they are cool enough to handle.  The are best eaten within 24 hours but I've had them up to 3 days.

21 (optional).  Some people brush the hot rolls, just removed from the oven, with a bit of milk...but I never bother.