Friday, October 31, 2008
Spicy Pepitas
Spicy Pepitas
(From Food Network)
2 cups Pepitas (raw hulled green pumpkin seeds)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground Ancho chiles or chili powder
2 teaspoons lime juice
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Spread on a baking sheet and bake 5-10 minutes, or until puffed and golden, shaking the pan once or twice. Serve
Proof that I suck at candy making:
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sesame-Garlic Soba Noodles with a Fried Egg
Sesame-Garlic Soba Noodles
(From The Kitchn)
1 cup soba noodles - about 1.5 ounces dry
1 Tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
2 green onions, thinly sliced (reserve some for garnish)
1 egg
Extra salt
Bring a pot of salted water to boil and add the soba noodles. Cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and transfer to serving dish. Meanwhile, in a small pan over medium heat and add the sesame oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes, and sauté until fragrant, about thirty seconds to one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the soy sauce. Pour this sauce over the noodles, add the green onion, and toss until the noodles are evenly coated. Set the same small pan you just used back over medium-high heat. Crack an egg into the pan, being careful not to break the yolk. When the whites have set, use a spatula to gently but swiftly flip the egg over. Cook for a minute or two until the whites are completely cooked but the yolk is still liquid. Slide the egg on top of the noodles, garnish with green onion. Serve immediately
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Daring Bakers October Challenge: Pizza Like a Pizzaiolo
Toppings
Extra-virgin olive oil
Pomegranate syrup (recipe below)
Fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Baby arugula
Prosciutto, sliced
Pomegranate seeds from one POM Wonderful pomegranate
Pomegranate Syrup
8 ounces POM Wonderful pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 or 2 springs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon sugar
Dash each of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a small saucepan combine the pomegranate juice, balsamic vinegar, thyme and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let the mixture reduce by 3/4 and then add the sugar. Simmer until thickened and the sauce can coat the back of a spoon.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Blushing Pom Holiday Cheesecake
By the way, are you watching Gossip Girl this season?? It's so good and I can't wait for next week's episode. Last night featured music from pop darling Robyn. My friend Tony got to meet her over the weekend and you can read all about it here.
Blushing POM Holiday Cheesecake
(Adapted from Pom Wonderful)
Makes 1 9-inch cake (Or 2 4.5-inch cakes in my case)
For the Crust:
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
For the filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
For the glaze:
6 tablespoons pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Garnish (optional)
Pomegranate arils
Mint leaves
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
To make the crust:
Stir together crumbs, sugar and butter until moistened. Press evenly into bottom of two 4.5 inch spring form pans or one 9 inch baking dish.
To make the filling:
In a large mixer bowl beat cream cheese and sugar on medium speed of electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, milk, vanilla and salt just until blended. Pour over crust in pan; spread evenly.
Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 20 to 25 minutes more, until cake is firm at sides and soft-set (jiggles slightly) in the center. Do not over-bake.
Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for up to 2 hours, then cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours before serving. (Refrigerate cake for up to 1 week.)
To make the topping:
In saucepan combine juice with sugar and cornstarch. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Cool slightly; spread glaze over cake.
Sprinkle arils on top; garnish with mint leaves if desired.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Shrimp Fra Diavolo
(Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)
1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional as needed
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil plus 1 to 2 teaspoons
1/2 medium onion, sliced
7 ounces diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
Dash dried oregano
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
Toss the shrimp in a medium bowl with 1 teaspoon of salt and red pepper flakes. Heat the 2 teaspoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and saute for about a minute, toss, and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a large plate; set aside.
Add the onion to the same skillet, adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the pan, if necessary, and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices, wine, and oregano. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Return the shrimp and any accumulated juices to the tomato mixture; toss to coat, and cook for about a minute so the flavors meld together. Stir in the parsley and basil. Season with more salt, to taste, and serve.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Chicken and Waffles
Chicken and Waffles
Waffles
(Adapted from Emeril Lagasse)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon, cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups whole milk
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Nonstick cooking spray, optional
Chicken:
2 chicken breasts, sliced into strips
Buttermilk for coating the chicken
Kosher salt and black pepper
All-purpose flour
Paprika
Garlic salt
Cayenne pepper
Pomegranate Syrup
8 ounces pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
To make the waffles:
Preheat a waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Into a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved and eggs have turned a pale yellow. Add the milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Add the flour mixture to the egg-milk mixture and whisk just until blended. Do not overmix.
In a third bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, about 1 minute.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the waffle batter, being careful not to overmix.
Coat the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray, if required, and pour enough batter in the iron to just cover the waffle grid. Close and cook as per the manufacturer’s instructions until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. (Do not open the waffle iron for at least 1 minute.) Repeat with the remaining batter.
To make the chicken:
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay the seasoned chicken in a medium bowl and cover with enough buttermilk to coat all of the chicken. Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a large skillet or deep fryer to 350 degrees.
Pour flour onto a plate, season the flour with garlic salt, paprika, cayenne, and black pepper to taste. Toss the chicken in the flour to coat all of the pieces.
Fry the chicken for 6-8 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Pumpkin Shortcakes with Apple Compote and Vanilla Honey Ice Cream
I'm submitting this recipe to Cookthink's Root Source Challenge - Pumpkin.
Pumpkin Shortcakes with Apple Compote and Vanilla Honey Ice Cream
Pumpkin Shortcakes
(Adapted from Cooking Light)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1/4 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch ground nutmeg
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon granulated sugar mixed with a dash of cinnamon
Apple Compote
1/2 cup water
1 inch section of vanilla bean, split in half
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch salt
1 apple, peeled cored, and cubed
To make the shortcakes:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To prepare shortcakes, spoon pumpkin onto several layers of heavy-duty paper towels; spread to 1/2-inch thickness. Cover with additional paper towels; let stand 10 minutes. Scrape into a medium bowl using a rubber spatula. Add milk and 1/4 cup water, stirring to combine.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until butter pieces are pea-sized. Add pumpkin mixture; stir just until moist. Drop dough by level 1/4 cup measures 2 inches apart onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Flatten dough to 1/2-inch thickness using lightly floured hands. Sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon granulated sugar mixed with a dash or two of cinnamon. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.
To make the compote:
In a small saucepan, combine the water, agave nectar, cinnamon, vanilla bean and seeds, salt and bring to a boil. Boil until the mixture thickens slightly and then add the apples. Bring the mixture back to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the mixture has thickened and the apples are tender, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.
To assemble the shortcakes:
Split each cake in half with a serrated knife. Spoon a scoop of ice cream over the bottom half of the shortcake, top the ice cream with a spoonful of compote and top with the top half of the shortcake.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Barefoot Bloggers: Vegetable Pot Pie
Vegetable Pot Pie
(Adapted from Ina Garten)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
Splash dry white wine
Pinch saffron threads
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Splash heavy cream
1 sweet potato, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced (about 1 pound)
1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
For the pastry:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 tablepoons-1/4 cup, ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Kosher salt
To make the dough:
For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and rosemary of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to one hour.
To make the filling:
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and fennel and saute until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the flour, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, wine, saffron, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the heavy cream and season to taste. The sauce should be highly seasoned. Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon. Add the carrots and squash to the pot and cook in the boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain well. Add the potatoes, mixed vegetables, and parsley to the sauce and mix well.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to 1/2-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the sides, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Penne with Acorn Squash and Pancetta
Penne with Acorn Squash and Pancetta
(From The Kitchn)
Penne with Acorn Squash and Pancetta
serves 4
1 acorn squash
1 small head of garlic
1/2 pound penne
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for coating squash and garlic
4 ounces pancetta, diced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon chopped, fresh rosemary
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Slice the squash in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Cut each half crosswise into wedges, about 1/2-inch thick. Toss the wedges with a splash of olive oil until coated, and spread on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.
Slice the top off of the garlic head so that the tops of the cloves are exposed. Drizzle on a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and wrap in aluminum foil. Place on the edge of the baking sheet with the squash.
Bake the squash and garlic for about 30 minutes, turning the squash once, until it is soft and slightly caramelized. (Depending on how big the head of garlic is, it may take longer. Leave it in the oven while you peel and chop the squash.)
Allow the squash to cool slightly. In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to boil (for the pasta). Then, peel each wedge of squash and cut into large chunks.
Heat the 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat in a medium stock pot or large, wide sauce pan. Sauté the pancetta until most of the fat is rendered and the meat is crispy, about 15 minutes. About halfway through, cook the pasta.
When the pancetta is finished cooking, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the shallots to the pan and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the broth, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom. Stir in the rosemary and about four cloves of the roasted garlic, mashing them up in the liquid with the back of a spoon or spatula.
Add the chunks of squash and pancetta to the pan. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water, and add the pasta to the squash/pancetta mixture. Toss everything to coat, then stir in the Parmesan. Add a bit of the pasta water if the mixture seems too dry.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Mediterranean Salad with Prosciutto and Pomegranate
Did you watch Adele on SNL this weekend? Here she is performing at an NYC radio station. Simply amazing! The girl is only 20 years old!
Mediterranean Salad with Prosciutto and Pomegranate
(Adapted from Epicurious)
1 cup very thinly sliced fennel bulb
Extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
2 big handfuls of arugula
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons thinly sliced mint leaves
Splash balsamic vinegar
Thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into strips
Pomegranate seeds
Freshly ground black pepper
Toss fennel and 2 teaspoons olive oil in medium bowl. Sprinkle with a dash of salt.
Combine arugula, green onions, mint, vinegar, and 2 teaspoons olive oil in large bowl; toss. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide greens among plates. Top with fennel, then drape with prosciutto. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Pomegranate Pound Cake
Pomegranate Pound Cake
(From Cooking Light)
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 teaspoons grated lime zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup pomegranate seeds (about 1 large)
Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350°.
Beat sugar and butter at medium-high speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add eggs and egg white, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, lime zest, vanilla, and baking soda. In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in pomegranate seeds.
Spoon batter into an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Barefoot Bloggers Bonus: Easy Cheese Danish
Easy Cheese Danish
(Adapted from Ina Garten)
Makes 4 Danish
6 tablespoons mascarpone cheese at room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg yolk at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Cream together the mascarpone and sugar until mixer. With an electric mixer on low speed, add the egg yolks, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest and mix until just combined. Don't whip!
Unfold one sheet of pastry onto a lightly floured board and roll it slightly with a floured rolling pin until it‘s a 10x10 inch square. Cut the sheet into quarters. Place a heaping tablespoon of cheese filling into the middle of each of the 4 squares. Brush the border of each pastry with egg wash and fold two opposite corners to the center, brushing and overlapping the corners of each pastry so they firmly stick together. Brush the top of the pastries with egg wash. Place the pastries on the prepared sheet pan. Refrigerate the filled Danish for 15 minutes.
Bake the puff pastries for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan once during baking, until puffed and brown. Serve warm.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Dragon's Chicken Wings
Dragon's Chicken Wings
(Adapted from Dragon's Kitchen)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 large bay leaf, crumbled fine
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried red chili flakes
Pinch ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 lbs of uncooked chicken wings
Using a food processor, mash the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, salt, chili peppers, black pepper and olive oil into a paste. Put the paste mixture into a large ziplock bag. Add chicken wings to the bag, seal the bag and rub the paste all over the wings. Refrigerate for several hours or over night.
Remove the chicken wings from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.
Arrange the wings on a lightly oiled cookie sheet; place it 6 inches from the heat. Broil the chicken wings 10-12 minutes until nicely browned; turn the wings and brown another 10 minutes longer until sizzling. It might take less time depending on your oven.
Transfer the chicken wings to a plate and drizzle the pan drippings over the wings.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Foodbuzz Publisher Community Launches
As you may have noticed by the banner on the right side of the blog, I recently became a Featured Publisher on Foodbuzz. Yesterday they issued this release to announced the launch of the Publisher Community. Foodbuzz is really awesome about bringing together people that love food from all over the world. To learn more about it, visit the Foodbuzz website and check out the press release below. Time for me to go put away laundry that never got dry from the stupid machine in my building!
LAUNCH OF GLOBAL FOODBUZZ BLOGGER COMMUNITY
LEVERAGES REAL-PEOPLE, REAL-TIME POWER OF FOOD PUBLISHING
San Francisco – October 13, 2008: Foodbuzz, Inc., officially inaugurates its food blogger community with more than 1,000 blog partners, a global food blogging event and an online platform that captures the real-people, real-time power of food publishing in every corner of the world. At launch, the Foodbuzz community ranks as one of the top-10 Internet destinations for food and dining (Quantcast), with bloggers based in 45 countries and 863 cities serving up daily food content.
“Food bloggers are at the forefront of reality publishing and the dramatic growth of new media has redefined how food enthusiasts access tasty content,” said Doug Collister, Executive Vice President of Foodbuzz, Inc. “Food bloggers are the new breed of local food experts and at any minute of the day, Foodbuzz is there to help capture the immediacy of their hands-on experiences, be it a memorable restaurant meal, a trip to the farmers market, or a special home-cooked meal.”
Foodbuzz is the only online community with content created exclusively by food bloggers and rated by foodies. The site offers more than 20,000 pieces of new food and dining content weekly, including recipes, photos, blog posts, videos and restaurant reviews. Members decide the “tastiness” of each piece of content by voting and “buzz” the most popular posts to the top of the daily menu of submissions. Foodbuzz currently logs over 13 million monthly page views and over three million monthly unique visitors.
“Our goal is to be the number-one online source of quality food and dining content by promoting the talent, enthusiasm and knowledge of food bloggers around the globe,” said Ben Dehan, founder and CEO of Foodbuzz, Inc.
The Foodbuzz blogger community is growing at a rate of 40 percent per month driven by strong growth in existing partner blogs and the addition of over 100 new blogs per month. “The Foodbuzz.com Web site is like the stock of a great soup. The Web site provides the base or backbone for bloggers to interact as a community, contribute content, and have that content buzzed by their peers,” said Mr. Dehan.
Global Blogging Event
Demonstrating the talent and scope of the Foodbuzz community, 24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs offered online food enthusiasts an international, virtual street festival of food and diversity. The new feature showcased blog posts from 24 Foodbuzz partner bloggers chronicling events occurring around the globe during a 24 hour period and included:
- Mid-Autumn Festival Banquest (New York, NY)
- The "Found on Foodbuzz" 24-Item Tasting Menu (San Francisco, CA)
- Aussie BBQ Bonanza – Celebrating Diversity (Sydney, Australia)
- The Four Corners of Carolina BBQ Road Trip (Charleston, SC)
- Criminal Tastes – An Illegal Supper (Crested Butte, CO)
- From Matambre to Empanadas: An Argentine Dinner (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
- A Sweet Trompe l’oeil (Seattle, WA)
“24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs” captures the quality and unique local perspective of our food bloggers and shared it with the world,” said Ryan Stern, Director of the Foodbuzz Publisher Community. “It illustrates exactly what the future of food publishing is all about – real food, experienced by real people, shared real-time.”
About Foodbuzz, Inc.
Based in San Francisco, Foodbuzz, Inc., launched its beta Web site, foodbuzz.com, in 2007. In less than a year, Fooduzz.com and its community of over 1,000 exclusive partner food blogs have grown into an extended online property that reaches more than three million users.Hummus
Hummus
(Adapted from The Delicious Life)
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Paprika to taste
Pine nuts (optional)
In a small food processor pulse together the chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and a few dashes. Add more oil as needed until the hummus reaches a smooth consistency. Add the parsley and pulse a few times until just combined. Serve drizzled with olive oil, a sprinkle of paprika, and pine nuts if desired.
Monday, October 13, 2008
BIT
In the meantime, check out ADELE's new video. She will be on SNL this Saturday so make sure to set your DVRs!!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Blogging Break
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Barefoot Bloggers: Butternut Squash Risotto
Butternut Squash Risotta
(Adapted from Ina Garten)
1 small butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ounce pancetta, diced
1/4 cup minced shallots
3/4 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until very tender. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.
In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 1 ladle at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan. Mix well and serve.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Orange Chicken
Orange Chicken
For the marinade:
1/2 cup orange juice
Zest from 1/2 of an orange
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
A couple of drops toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the sauce:
3/4 cup orange juice
Zest from 1/2 orange
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
For the chicken:
1/2 lb chicken breast, cut into cubes
Canola oil for frying
1 cup cornstarch
Additional:
2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Cooked brown rice
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
2 green onions, sliced
Combine the ingredients for the marinade, add the chicken and marinate for 15-20 minutes.
In a medium sauce pot, combine the ingredients for the sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by 3/4. Stir in the cornstarch and water mixture until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and keep warm.
Toss the chicken cubes in the 1 cup of cornstarch. Shake off the excess cornstarch before frying.
Meanwhile, heat up enough oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet or wok. When the oil just begins to smoke, add the chicken cubes and fry until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Drain the chicken on paper towels and repeat with the remaining chicken.
Add the cooked chicken to the sauce. Mix until coated. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion and serve over rice.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Faster No Knead Bread
Faster No Knead Bread
3 cups bread flour (I used all-purpose with excellent results)
1 packet (1/4 ounce) instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Oil as needed
Combine flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest about 4 hours at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
Lightly oil a work surface and place dough on it; fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes more.
At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under dough and put it into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Shrimp Fried Rice
Shrimp Fried Rice
(From Jaden Hair for Simply Recipes)
12 raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 stalks green onion, chopped
2 cups leftover rice
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the salt, pepper and cornstarch. Let marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature. Heat a wok or large sauté pan on high heat. When the pan is hot enough for a bead of water to instantly sizzle and evaporate, add just 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil and swirl to coat pan.
Add the shrimp, quickly spreading out around the cooking surface area so that they are not overlapping. Let fry, untouched for 30 seconds. Flip over and let the other side fry for 30 seconds, or until about 80% cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the pan onto a plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.
Turn the heat to medium, let the pan heat up again. Add the eggs, stirring in a quick motion to break up and scramble the eggs. When the eggs are almost cooked through (they should still be slightly runny in the middle), dish out of the pan into the same plate as the cooked shrimp.
Use paper towels to wipe the same wok or sauté pan clean and return to high heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, swirling to coat. When the oil is very hot, add the garlic and green onions and fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add in the rice and stir well to mix in the green onions throughout. Spread the rice all around the wok surface area and let the rice heat up, untouched until you hear the bottoms of the grains sizzle, about 1-2 minutes. Use the spatula to toss the rice, again spreading the rice out over the surface of wok.
Drizzle the soy sauce all around the rice and toss. Add the peas, the cooked eggs, shrimp and sesame oil, tossing to mix the rice evenly with all of the ingredients. Let everything heat back up again. Taste and add an additional 1 teaspoon of soy sauce if needed.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
I Won!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
(From Cooks.com)
1 cup pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Dissolve baking soda in milk and set aside. In large bowl whisk together pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla, and egg.