Archive for simple recipes

Opa! Fried Haloumi Cheese

May 23, 2013 cheese, Greek food, simple recipes, vegetarian recipes No comments

 

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haloumicheese

As dinner started shaping up last weekend, it took on a decidedly Greek flavor.  I had marinated chicken in lemon, garlic, herbs, olive oil, salt and pepper.

chickenmarinading

We had some pita left over from a hummus appetizer taken to a school picnic.   Romaine lettuce formed the basis for a Greek salad.  And my foodie daughter suggested the crowning glory:  Fried Haloumi Cheese.

Constitutionally incapable of refusing a food request that so perfectly complements a meal, I trundled off to buy Haloumi.  Upon arriving at the cheese section of our local (high end) grocer,  I received a severe sticker shock:  an 8 oz package of Haloumi sold for $11.99.  That is not a typo.  But, in for a penny, in for a pound, or, in this case, $23.98, so I forked it over.

We followed the package directions for frying the Haloumi.

1. Cut cheese into 1/4-1/2 inch slices.

2.  Place slices in hot, lightly oiled skillet.  (The recipe suggested no oil, but after watching the cheese sit for several minutes in the pan with no brown crispiness appearing, I drizzled in some olive oil.   The haloumi began to sizzle and all was well.)haloumifrying

3.  Flip slices, and brown on other side.  Total cooking time, approx 4 minutes.

4.  Squeeze with lemon wedge and serve immediately.

(In addition to the lemon juice, the package suggested a sprinkling of capers over the top as well.  We followed their advice and ended up agreeing with only the lemon.  The cheese already has a briny saltiness which is what capers bring to the party–so we found them overkill.)

The result was truly delicious, but I couldn’t justify the cost on a regular basis.  I tried it with queso blanco, the cheese used in Mexican dishes and it was pretty good.  Also tried it with feta.  The taste and texture were lovely, but the feta didn’t hold together.  I ended up scraping (delicious) browned bits out of the skillet and practically pouring the rest onto the serving plate.  Upon researching, I learned that fried feta does better when dusted with flour.

Giada’s Pesto

May 9, 2013 Avocado, avocados, Giada DiLaurentis, pasta, pesto, simple recipes, vegetarian recipes No comments

Giada DiLaurentis, we salute you!

avocadopesto

 Her Avocado Arugula Pesto recipe got my super finicky son–”Mr. I’ll have a Plain Hamburger, please” to eat a puree of green things.  For that reason alone it deserves an award in my book.

The recipe had been sent to me by my dear friend  Farah Kapoor, fantastic cook and epic hostess.  She had served it to 3 generations of her family, all with various dietary preferences and quirks, and they all loved it.  So I thought I’d give it a try.  Not one to tempt fate, I didn’t even bother offering it to Mr. Burger, for whom vegetarian, green, and flavorful are nearly curse words (can we say teen rebellion?  Remember, his mom is an avid foodie).  When he saw his sister’s plate heaped with fettuccine slathered in green goodness, he asked for some.  After recovering from severe shock, I scooped a generous mound into a bowl for him and away he went.  (Full disclosure, I did not reveal that it contained a variety ingredients that he would normally avoid, just said it was fettuccine with pesto.)

avocadopestoprep

Giada’s Pesto, pre-puree.

I followed the recipe  pretty much verbatim–but I skipped toasting the almonds, just tossed them in as is.  So, thank  you, Farah, and thank you Giada, for this wonderful new addition to our family’s meal rotation.

Have you discovered any fabulous recipes of late?

We all really liked it, although my husband, a traditional pesto devotee, said he’d like more basil and less arugula.   Good news!  In this recipe, there is a lot of potential for variation.  Next time I’ll honor his request.  Farah tells me she is going to try adding fresh spring peas.  And now that the Headhouse Farmers’ Market is open, with a bountiful selection of locally grown green things, I’ll experiment with all kinds of things.  Stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

April 25, 2013 Appetizers, seafood, shrimp, simple recipes No comments

shrimpcocktailroastedShrimp cocktail is a sure fire hit–and we gave it some additional pizzazz by marinating and roasting the shrimp.  We got to thinking that simply boiling and chilling the shrimp wasn’t that exciting.  Not to mention the fact that sometimes you just don’t have time to boil and chill it before the party starts.  Never fear, this newly discovered method works wonderfully well, and if your guests run late, it’s no big deal.  These shrimp are grand at any temperature.

Here’s what we did:

1.  Peel and clean 2 lbs large shrimp, and toss with 4 cloves sliced fresh garlic, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, juice from 2 lemons and 1/4 cup olive oil.    Marinate 30 minutes- 2 hours.

shrimpcocktailprep

2.  Spread shrimp onto rimmed baking sheet and roast in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.  Check and stir occasionally.

3.  Remove from oven and serve with cocktail sauce and lemon wedges.

How to Make Beer Bread

April 22, 2013 recipe, recipes, simple recipes No comments

 beerbread

Three ingredients.  Completely idiot-proof.  Not many recipes can boast that, and turn out as well as this one.  I bashed this together yesterday to go with corned beef and cabbage–remember how I said I wanted to bring that into the rotation more frequently than once a year?   It was a great accompaniment to the meal, but it works equally well with beef stew, chili, vegetable soup,  or brunch.  And if there’s any leftover, it’s delightful toasted with butter for breakfast the next day.

 

Here’s the method:

Beer Bread

makes 1 loaf

3 cups self-rising flour (see note)

3 TBSP sugar

1 12 oz bottle or can of beer (see note)

1.  Heat oven to 350 and grease a 9×5 loaf pan.

2.  Mix all ingredients by hand til blended–it takes about 15 seconds–and pour batter into pan.

3.  Bake 45 minutes until top is crisp and light brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Butter top immediately.  Serve warm.

NOTES:

  • If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can substitute 3 cups all purpose flour, 3/4 tsp salt, and 3 3/4 tsp baking powder.
  • Feel free to add to the batter any of the following, or a combo thereof:  3/4 cup raisins; 3/4 cup dried cranberries; 3/4 cup walnuts; 3/4 cup pecans; 2 TBSP chopped chili peppers; 1/2 cup chopped onions; 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese.
  • In terms of the beer, you can use any type at all.   Darker beers and ales produce a slightly richer bread with a deeper flavor, but any beer works just fine.

How To Make Almond Shortbread Bars

March 25, 2013 almond shortbread bars, desserts, simple recipes, sweets No comments

I shared the trauma of my kitchen flood last week. As a result, my cooking has been limited; when you have no dishwasher, you tend to be rather careful about dirtying a slew of dishes that you will have to wash by hand. But I can’t go for long without baking, so one-bowl, no mess recipes have been the order of the day. Luckily for me and mine, I found these super simple, utterly delicious almond shortbread bars and away I went…..

almondsquares

Almond Shortbread Bars

Makes 2 dozen

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg, separated

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp cinnamon

2 cups sifted flour

2/3 cup sliced almonds

 

Heat oven to 300 degrees.  Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.

  1. Cream butter and sugar together, then add egg yolk, vanilla and cinnamon.
  2. Add sifted flour and blend thoroughly.
  3. Press dough into prepared pan.
  4. Pour unbeaten egg white onto dough and tilt pan to coat.  Dump excess egg white, and sprinkle top with almonds, pressing gently to be sure they stick.
  5. Bake 45-50 minutes until shortbread is lightly browned.
  6. Cut into squares and cool on rack.

almondshortbread

NOTE:  These can also be made in a 10×15 inch jelly roll pan.  Using the larger pan produces a crisper, more traditional shortbread type bar, and stretches the recipe to make a lot more!  These keep up to a week in a sealed container, and can be frozen for months.

How to Make Chocolate Truffles, So Simple!

March 14, 2013 chocolate, chocolate recipe, Chocolates, desserts, gifts, homemade gifts, simple recipes, truffles, Uncategorized No comments

 trufflesplated

 

Chocolate Truffles are rather perfect.  They are a stunning dessert, a fabulous gift, and a wonderful pick-me-up if you are having a trying day.  Last week, they were all 3 for me.

My kitchen flooded thanks to a faulty dishwasher and the ensuing cleanup and demolition have been rather traumatic.  As bad luck would have it, this disruption occurred during the birthday week of 2 dear friends, and I was tasked with bringing dessert to the celebration.    Imagine my dismay when my kitchen disaster prevented me from making the coconut layer birthday cake I had planned!  I considered purchasing a cake, which is a perfectly respectable thing to do, but then I happened on this recipe.

We didn’t put a candle in these divine nuggets, but they were festive and special in their own way.

Here’s how to make them:

Simple Chocolate Truffles

Makes about 3 dozen

1 lb best quality bittersweet chocolate (Either use bittersweet Ghirardelli chips or finely chop equivalent)

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

1.  Place chocolate in heatproof bowl.

2.  In small saucepan, bring cream to boil and then pour over chocolate.

3.  Allow to sit 10 minutes, and stir til chocolate is melted.  If it is not completely melted, you can either put in microwave on 30% power at 30 second intervals, or place bowl over pan of simmering water and stir til smooth.

4.  Line square (8×8″) pan with parchment or wax paper and pour truffle mixture in.

trufflesinpan

 

5.  Refrigerate 30-60 minutes until chocolate is firm.  Remove from fridge, unmold, peel off parchment and cut truffles into small squares.

trufflescut

6.  Place cocoa powder on shallow dish and dip truffles in cocoa on all sides to coat.  Enjoy immediately, or store in refrigerator.  These are best served at or near room temperature to experience fully the velvety texture of these delicacies.

trufflesrolling

NOTE:  If you prefer the traditional round truffles, then by all means, roll and shape them accordingly.  I started on that path, but found it to be an unnecessary and time consuming effort.  Hence, I stuck with the squares.

Ratatouille Gratin

February 19, 2013 Ratatouile gratin, Reading Terminal Market, simple recipes No comments

 

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Ratatouille Gratin

Ratatouille is a humble peasant dish that, once cooked, can be enlisted as a reliable base for a multitude of different dishes.  I passed on a tub of home-made ratatouille to a neighbor who used it neat as a side for roast chicken and also converted into a healthy topping for a pasta entrée.

What I love about ratatouille is that you can sneak in stacks of nutritious veggies which, if chopped finely enough, will slip under your kids’ radar; they won’t suss out that they are eating the garden greenhouse.

To make your ratatouille a little more upmarket , try adding a crumb and cheese topping and voila you have a ratatouille gratin.

I used to lean on Panko breadcrumbs for my gratin topping, but since learning my daughter needs to avoid wheat-based products, I’ve been on the hunt for an alternative.

Eureka!

Rice breadcrumbs are just as good – save for the texture.  And I found you can get around the breadcrumbs over fine texture by adding in parmesan shavings to coarsen the texture of the rice breadcrumbs.

Result!

I tend to keep a ready-made Ziploc bag of my gratin mixture (comprising 1 cup of breadcrumbs: 1 cup of mixed shredded cheese; 2x tbsps of shaved parmesan) at all times in the fridge.   It’s then ready to sprinkle on chicken escalopes, mac n cheese, or vegetables, whenever.

Sweating down the veggie

Sweating down the veggie

 

Ratatouille Gratin for 4

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant, sliced and then sliced again into semi-circles

1 x yellow courgette, sliced

1x green courgette, sliced

1 huge beefsteak tomato, chopped

1 x yellow onion, finely diced

1 x large tin of fire-roasted diced plum tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

10 button mushrooms quartered

oil for frying and ¼ stick of butter

1 tbsp of tomato paste

salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Coat baking tray liberally with olive oil, place chopped eggplant slices on baking tray, set aside for 5 minutes.  Flip eggplants so that the other side is now face down, top up oil in the tray if necessary.  Bake for 20 minutes on 350.  Flip eggplant slices half way through cooking.  Add more oil if necessary.
  2. Heat butter and oil in frypan, add onions and garlic.  Sweat down until the onion is transparent.
  3. Add courgettes and fry until they begin to soften and brown
  4. Add beefsteak tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes
  5. Add chopped mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 minutes
  6. Add tomato paste and plum tomatoes
  7. Simmer mixture for 20 minutes
  8. Transfer to oven proof dish and sprinkle liberally with gratin mixture
  9. Bake for 20 minutes at 350.

 

 

 

Marc Vetri’s Pasta with Venison and Pear Ragu

January 16, 2013 italian cooking, Italian cuisine, Italian food, Marc Vetri, pasta, simple recipes, venison, winter meals No comments

A cook’s dream: impressive dish, with a complex flavor but truly simple!

 

Me cook like Marc Vetri?    Trust me, it’s easier than you think.  Ok, not in all things, but you really need only one show stopper to justify bragging rights.  Here’s mine…..

Venison Pear Ragu with thanks to Marc Vetri

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb venison sausage

2 cups red wine

1-2 cups water

4 parmigiano rinds

2 firm, ripe pears

1 lb fresh pasta

1/4 cup grated parmigiano cheese, for serving

Heat 2 Tbsp oil in large pot.  Remove sausage from casing and brown for about 5 minutes.  Add red wine and parmigiano rinds and cook til liquid is reduced by half.  Add enough water to almost cover ingredients, turn heat to low, and simmer, covered about 2 hrs.  At this point, you can leave it for a day or so, or proceed with the recipe.  Peel and chop pears.  Heat remaining Tbsp oil in skillet, and saute pears, seasoning with salt and pepper til they sweat, about 5 minutes.  Add to ragu.  Meanwhile, cook pasta al dente, drain, and dump it into the ragu to blend thoroughly.  Remove rinds,  serve topped with parmigiano cheese.

 

 

 

Turkey Pot Pie or What to Do with Thanksgiving Leftovers

November 29, 2012 family friendly meals, simple recipes, Turkey, Turkey leftovers, Uncategorized No comments

Turkey Pot Pie.  You can smell it cooking in the oven.  Can’t you…?

 

Lovely Leftovers…

Leftovers needn’t be lifeless – especially when they are drenched in gravy and then encased in pastry.  Team your Thanksgiving leftovers with flaky pastry and you have all the makings of a turkey pot pie.

Just work with what you’ve got!

When I opened the fridge door two days after Thanksgiving, I found about a pint of turkey gravy, a pile of stuffing, cooked baby carrots, cooked turkey breast and roasted onions.

All I needed to complete my pie was:

  • a large onion
  • 2-3 celery sticks (leftover from a dip)
  • 3 strips of uncooked smoked bacon,
  • ¼ pint cream to enrich the turkey gravy,
  • seasoning
  • and of course a packet of frozen pastry.

To prep the pie filling:

  1. Chop onion and celery finely and dice bacon.  Fry up all three ingredients in a frypan.  Fry bacon until fat turns clear.
  2. Slice baby carrots or dice if using larger carrots and toss into pan
  3. Cube or slice into bite sized pieces your leftover turkey, add to pan together with chopped leftover roasted onions.
  4. Add gravy, cream, and seasoning and keep bubbling for about 10 minutes, stir frequently so that the ingredients do not stick and burn.
  5. Pour pie filling into dish, drape pastry over top.  Don’t forget to make a hole in the top of the pie to allow the steam to escape.  Alternatively use a ceramic pie vent, like my beautiful blackbird, to ventilate the pie.  (I bought the one below from the cookshop in Reading Terminal Market.).
  6. Follow ingredients on the pastry pack in terms of cooking time.  The pie filling is already cooked so all you are doing is baking the pastry.

Nope. It’s not the twitter icon. It’s my pie vent.

 

Serve with your favorite Fall vegetables!

Crumbly, buttery pastry is just the best!

Beef Stew by the Husband

November 8, 2012 autumn recipes, beef, beef stew, braises, dinners, hearty dinners, husbands cook, men cooking, simple recipes, winter meals No comments

We strongly encourage culinary interest in the men in our lives.  I am delighted to say that my husband has continued his run of taking over the kitchen on Sundays.

Poor guy. He’s the one who is forever missing specialty dishes at home when he travels for business. Then he comes home on a weekend and volunteers to take on Sunday dinner. He favors  hearty, manly foods like stews, braises, and lotsa meat. Last week, he pulled out his trusty Beef Stew recipe, courtesy of epicurious, and made a generous tub in advance of Hurricane Sandy’s arrival.

Now, I know better than to make unsolicited suggestions to someone who is willing to cook dinner for me.  At least not to his face.  But I have to say that the beauty of a stew is that all of the ingredients are tossed in together, simmered to tenderness and spooned out later.  This version requires a lot of different pots, many steps, at least one massive strain of hot ingredients through a colander, two versions of cooked vegetables (one for the stock, which is discarded, and one to simmer during the final hour of cooking and eat.)   In sum, an awful lot of fuss for a meal that, in my mind, should be simple.

However–and this is a biggie–you can’t argue with the results.  The stew is delicious, and I am spared both the cooking and the cleanup.  I am also given another night off, because this recipe makes enough for about 10 people, so I normally freeze half and save it for a(nother) rainy day.

He started by searing the meat, removing it from the pot, setting it aside,

preparing the braising liquid with wine, veggies, broth, and seasonings….

 Served with roasted golden cauliflower, crusty bread and a simple green salad, the stew was pretty great.  Followed by my brown butter apple tart (to be featured in upcoming post) we were well fortified to withstand the anticipated storm.

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