Italian Sausage Stew

I know most people would put all this on pasta but I gave up pasta along with grains, soy and all dairy except for grass-fed butter. I do cheat but I don't waste my time on pasta ... let's just get to the good stuff already!

I started with some onions:

I also diced a few bell peppers as well. These all went in a pot with just enough water to not actually cover the food. These cooked up nicely after about 5 min on high. It gets the peppers and onions soft without having to sit there and watch the pot while I chop up other stuff:

They will get a little pan fried after I dump out most of the water and add some oil. Speaking of other stuff to chop up, I went with some jarred marinated artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes:

I threw in some regular diced tomatoes I had in the fridge because.. well, I love tomatoes! Everything goes in the pot:

Add plenty of garlic roughly chopped up and some that's been pushed through the garlic press. After that I  added some jarred tomato sauce. You could do tomato puree and add your own spices but I was going for quick and easy:

And of course who can forget these beauties:

I went with spicy hot Italian sausage that I cooked up in another saute pan. I decided I didn't want sausage chunks and so threw it in a food processor for about 8-10 pulses. Into the pot it goes ! Once everything has had a chance to simmer (as long as you can stand to wait or about 10-20 min) it is ready to eat!

Re-lunch !! I mean, re-launch!

It was a blog about food, it will still be a blog about food. Perhaps less 'oh crap I forgot I had a blog!' and more 'intermittent,' as the original description stands. Whoops !

I'm a fan of lists, so let's go with that. Things new of note:

- I started eating Paleo or Caveman style (more on that in another post) about a year ago. As a result I lost a bunch of weight, lowered my cholesterol etc. and have found it pretty easy to keep weight off and all that.

- I still eat plenty of not great for you food but I am not kidding myself anymore when I am not eating well. ::glares at old Friday morning bagel::

- I seem to cook less and eat out more as of late. The upside is you might get pictures of tasty food !

- I have a garden where I try to grow some of my own food.

- I pickle, jam and I started making my own wine. Vinegar is on the table next so stay tuned.

- I also started recently making bar soap which is totally not related to food. It might pop up now and again. Deal with it.

I tried Caviar... Two Thumbs UP!!

Spanish Mahi Mahi with Tomatoes, Pine Nuts and Garlic

Aside from the magazines I scour I do come across other interesting blogs from time to time. One of them is  Hunter Angler Gardner Cook, whose writer introduces himself succinctly as such:


"My name is Hank Shaw. I write. I fish. I dig earth, raise plants, live for food and kill wild animals... Honest food is what I’m seeking. Nothing packaged, nothing in a box, nothing wrapped in plastic."


He tends to focus on some of the less common editable plants and animals which is how I came across his recipe for Spanish Shark with Tomatoes.  As much as I admire Mr. Shaw's dedication to actually wild  food I didn't have shark. All I had was frozen Mahi Mahi but I gave it a shot anyway. Here is my modified recipe:

Spanish Mahi Mahi with Tomatoes, Pine Nuts and Garlic

12 ounces skinless fillets of mahi mahi or other firm, white fish
Whole wheat flour for dusting
At least 3 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, slivered
1/3 cup pine nuts
4 tablespoons white wine
9-10 Cherry tomatoes cut in half
2 teaspoons paprika (Spanish smoked is better)
1 teaspoon thinly sliced scallions
1 teaspoon minced chives (optional)
Salt
Black pepper

1.  Cube the fish into chunks of about an inch on a side. Salt well and set aside.
2.  Put a saute pan over medium heat and add the pine nuts to toast. Do not walk away at this point, because pine nuts can burn easily. Toss the pan frequently to toast all sides of the nuts. Once you get a dark brown on even a few nuts, turn off the heat and pour the nuts into a bowl.
3.  Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Turn the heat up to medium high.
4.  Dust the shark in the flour and saute in the oil 5-6 minutes turning frequently after the first 2 minutes.  Set the cooked fish on a paper towel to drain.
5.  Add the garlic and pine nuts to the pan and saute. Add a more olive oil if the fish soaked up too much. The second you see the garlic brown, add the tomatoes and toss to combine. Grind some black pepper over everything.
6.  Add the wine and scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
7.  Sprinkle a little salt over the tomatoes, then add the fish back to the pan. Sprinkle with the paprika. Cook for only another minute or so, just to coat everything evenly. It is very important that you not cook the tomatoes so much they break down. Just a couple minutes is all they need.
8.  Add the scallions and herbs, toss to combine and remove from heat. Serve immediately!

Pan Sautéed Chicken with Cognac Cranberry Sauce

I love chicken made with a nice pan sauce. Pork chops also work well for this too. The original recipe called for bourbon but I have always like cognac better. The sauce came out a little thick the first time I made it because some of the flour mixture from the chicken ended up thickening the sauce. If this happens to you just add more broth or water to even it out.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon unbleached all-purpose flour, divided

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 medium shallot , minced (about 3 tablespoons)

3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup bourbon

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

For the Sautéed Chicken: 

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. 

While pan is heating, whisk 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in small bowl. Lightly brush top side of 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts with half of butter mixture. 

Place chicken in skillet, coated side down, and cook until browned. While chicken browns, brush top with remaining butter mixture. 

Using tongs, flip chicken, reduce heat to medium, and cook until second side is browned and thickest part of breast registers 160 to 165 degrees on instant-read thermometer. 

Transfer chicken to large plate and let rest while preparing pan sauce (if not making pan sauce, let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving).

For Pan Sauce: Add 1 medium minced shallot to now empty skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon flour and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat and add 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth, 1/2 cup cognac, 1/3 cup dried cranberries, and 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme. 

Return pan to medium-high, and bring to simmer, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits. Simmer rapidly until reduced to 3/4 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. 

Stir in any accumulated chicken juices; return to simmer and cook 30 seconds. Off heat, whisk in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken and serve immediately.

Alternatives to the Cognac and Cranberry is a nice Fennel and Mustard sauce:

Omit cognac, cranberries, red wine vinegar and thyme. Follow pan sauce recipe as above adding 1 teaspoon fennel seeds with shallot and add 1/2 cup dry vermouth with broth. Off heat, whisk in 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon with the butter. 

Lemon Pudding Cake

I hadn't heard of Pudding Cake until I found a Lemon recipe in "Entertainment," the new Cook's Illustrated magazine I have mentioned previously. I originally thought the name meant I would make pudding and somehow have it in cake, perhaps in layers. Further investigation revealed that it is actually custard components with flour and beaten egg whites that separate into pudding (or really more of a custard) and a super fluffy cake top as it bakes! Baking is like science magic once again!


The prospect of beating egg whites has never thrilled me. You really do need a mixer as it would take forever by hand. Using my cheap Target bought mixer the lowest speed seems like a really fast speed but it did really take several minutes to get the egg whites to from foamy to stiff peaks. You can add a little bit of sugar to help speed up the process without endangering yourself of going into the realm of over beaten egg whites (in other words, clumps) . Don't be intimidated by egg whites! You can always make more even if you mess up and believe me, the results were superb!


Recipe:


2 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened, plus extra to grease the pan
1/2 cup granulated sugar , plus 2 tablespoons
1/8 teaspoon table salt
3 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 - 3 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice , strained, from 1 to 2 lemons
1 cup whole milk
4 large egg whites , at room temperature

1. Lightly butter pan or baking molds of choice. You can make this cake in almost anything: custard cups, ramekins, mini souffle cups, round cake pan or what I choose, an 8" square baking dish. The baking time regardless of pan chosen will remain the same. Lay a folded dish towel in bottom of large roasting pan where you will set your pans or dish. Later you will use the large roasting pan as a water bath for the cake.

2. Meanwhile, in mixing bowl mash 2 tablespoons butter together with sugar and salt with back of wooden spoon until crumbly. Beat in yolks, then flour, mixing until smooth. Slowly beat in lemon zest and juice, then stir in milk. Set this aside in a bowl and clean mixer.

3. Before you begin the next step its a good idea to start preheating the oven to 325. You will also need to boil enough water to create a water bath for your baking dish.

4. Next, beat egg whites to stiff, moist peaks. Gently whisk whites into batter just until no large lumps remain.

5. Immediately ladle (don’t pour) batter into pan, custard cups, or ramekins. Place the large roasting pan containing your ramekins etc on the oven rack. Pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of baking pan or molds and be careful not to burn yourself.

6. Bake until pudding cake center is set and springs back when gently touched, about 25 minutes. Remove roasting pan from oven and let pan or molds continue to stand in water bath for 10 minutes. Pudding cakes can be served warm, at room temperature, or even chilled but are best served the same day as they are made. Sprinkle with powdered sugar for extra effect.

Here we couldn't resist cutting into it!

Here is the close up view of the layers

A Truly Perfect Herb-Crusted Pork Roast

This is a dish I made from Cook's Illustrated new double sized quarterly magazine Entertaining. As the name implies the focus will be on good recipes and menus for those special nights. I'm pretty new to cooking pork but I thought it was about time I gave the other white meat a chance. This recipe does seem to require a food processor though you could potentially get away without one if you are willing to put in the work. Thanks to all the research done for me by the same award winning team at America's Test Kitchen, it came out beautiful, flavorful and next time maybe I will actually make it for company!

Herb-Crusted Pork Roast

1 boneless center-cut pork loin roast ( I couldn't find boneless so I hacked the bones off the bottom and it still came out well) about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds.
Table salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 large slice of white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
1/2 cup of fine grated Parmesan (I used Romano because I like the flavor better tho it is saltier) cheese
1 medium shallot, outer papery layer removed
4 tablespoons plus two teaspoons olive oil
Ground black pepper
1/3 cup packed fresh parsley or basil leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 1/2 teaspoons)

1) Using a sharp knife lightly score the fat cap in a 1/4 inch width crosshatch pattern. You should have two overlapping diagonal set of rows of nice little groves. Later this is where the herb paste we make will sit. Next, make a pocket into the meat by inserting a knife about a 1/2 inch from the edge and cutting along the middle of the roast. Be careful not to cut to the other side of roast. Dissolve a have cup of salt and the quarter cup of sugar into 2 quarts (8 cups) of water in a large bowl. Place the roast in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

2) While the meat is brining, pulse the shallot in the food processor to mince. Transfer to a medium bowl and clean the food processor bowl very well. Next, add the bread pieces and pulse until you have crumbs, about 15 times; you should have about a cup of bread crumbs.  Transfer crumbs to the same bowl as the shallots and do not clean processor bowl. To the medium bowl with the crumbs and shallots now add 2 tablespoons of the grated cheese, 1 tablespoon of oil, 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and using a fork toss the mixture to coat the crumbs well. Set aside.

3) To make the herb paste add all the herbs, garlic, remaining grated cheese (about 6 tablespoons), 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to the food processor and pulse, adding 3 tablespoons of olive oil slowly until paste is fully incorporated and smooth, about 12 pulses.

4) Once roast is done brining, rinse very well and pat dry with paper towels. Spread about 1/4 cup of the herb paste inside the pocket of the roast, season outside of roast with salt (I skipped the salt here because I was using salty cheese) and pepper and then tie the roast with kitchen twine to keep the pocket closed. I didn't have kitchen twine which made this more difficult but I was able to keep the paste from slipping out by using a good pair of tongs to handle the roast in step 6.

5) Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a cookie sheet with foil. Place a wire rack (I used a sturdy cookie cooling rack) on the cookie sheet and set aside.

6) Heat remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add roast, fat side down, browning lightly on all sides about 8-10 minutes. If the fat begins to smoke lower the heat. Once done remove the kitchen twine and place roast on the wire rack.

7) Cover top of the roast evenly with remaining herb paste and then sprinkle bread crumb mixture on top of roast with hands, gently pressing to affix the crumbs firmly.

8) Transfer to oven and cook until thickest part of the roast registers 145F about 50-75 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes. Internal temperature should rise to about 150F.

9) Using a spatula and meat fork carefully transfer to carving board, cut into half inch slices and serve immediately.

Red Bell Pepper Bisque

I love a good soup and this one is both healthy and not much work. The key is to make sure the vegetables are nice and cooked down. Then when the slow cooker goes to work it wont have to be cooked quite as long and will have a deeper flavor.

4 red bell peppers chopped

2 leeks, white part only, chopped

1 onion chopped

1 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups 2% Milk

Salt and Pepper

1. Coat skillet with cooking spray and set over medium high heat. Add bell peppers, leeks and onion. Cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Place vegetables in slow cooker. Stir in broth and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high 2-4 hours.

3. Puree soup on batches in a food processor or blender. Return soup to cooker. Stir in milk and cook 15 to 20 more minutes, or until heated through.