RSS Feed

Category Archives: Side Dishes

Ratatouille Repentance

Posted on August 2, 2010 by amydeline

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. It’s all about balance.

Yesterday, I served you a heart attack on a bun and called it a burger. I have to admit that I used my healthy side of steamed broccoli to wipe up the cheese, chili, and egg yolk, which dripped from my burger. But, today I’m making up for it with a delicious, fresh spinach salad for lunch and a healthful dinner, chock full of vegetables and oozing with nutrition. That, and a nice long run should set us right back on track.

Months ago, while watching the Disney-Pixar movie, my son asked me to cook him ratatouille. Now, what mom is going to say no when their son requests a dish that is completely loaded with vegetables? Then I lost track of his request and the months went by, until last week, when I spotted the most irresistible package of vegetables at the supermarket.

Instantly, I knew I would be cooking eggplant very soon. I started running through my mental library of eggplant recipes. My first thought was Eggplant Parmesan, one of my favorite dishes, but it seemed sacrilege to cover those beautiful baby eggplants with bread crumbs. That’s when I remembered the pending ratatouille request.

In the big climax of the movie, Ratatouille, little chef Remy, decides to serve a dish of ratatouille to the most discriminating food critic, Anton Ego. Chef Collette is appalled. But, it is a peasant dish, she exclaims. Remy astounds everyone by transforming this traditional Provencal stewed vegetable dish into something elegant and mouthwatering, which pulls Ego back in time to warm memories of his childhood. The culinary genius of a mouse saves the restaurant with his comfort food makeover.

The real-life chef mastermind behind Remy’s ratatouille is famed chef Thomas Keller of The French Laundry in Napa. For the film, he designed a layered version of ratatouille inspired by the Turkish dish, Confit Byaldi; same flavor profile of a traditional ratatouille, same slow-cooked flavor, prettier presentation. In his version, a pipérade of roasted peppers, onions, and garlic is spread in a baking dish, topped with layers of fresh eggplant, tomatoes, and squash, then slow cooked until the vegetables are tender and sweet. The final dish is topped with a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette.

Inspired by that package of beautiful eggplant, I decided that we would make Keller’s version of ratatouille. I told my son that we were going to make a fancy ratatouille, just like in the movie. His response was, I don’t want to make a fancy ratatouille! I want to make a smiley-face ratatouille! Where in the world does he get this stuff?? Anyway, we met in the middle with both a fancy and a smiley faced ratatouille. We’re serving our ratatouille with balsamic vinaigrette marinated, broiled fillets of salmon.

For the complete recipe, as published a few years ago in the New York Times, click here.

Here’s what we did…

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut a red, yellow, and orange bell pepper in half. Remove ribs and seeds. Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice up some baby eggplant, plum tomatoes, and yellow squash.

When the peppers have finished roasting, place them in a ziploc bag or cover with plastic wrap. This will help the skins to separate as they cool. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the peppers. Chop into small pieces. Turn the oven heat down to 275 degrees.

In a pan, heat a little olive oil. Cook a chopped onion until softened. Add minced garlic and thyme. Cook a few minutes more.

Add the chopped peppers, cook for a few more minutes. This your pipérade. Spread the pipérade in an even layer on the bottom of a baking dish.

Arrange the sliced vegetables in an overlapping pattern on top of the pipérade.

The kids worked on their smiley-face version of ratatouille.

Drizzle a mixture of olive oil, minced garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper over the vegetables.

Cover with foil and bake in a 275 degrees oven for 2 hours. Remove the foil and cook for 30 minutes more.

**If you have leftover sliced vegetables, toss them in a bit of the oil and garlic and arrange them on a baking sheet. Place them in the oven for about 45 minutes. You’ll have some delicious roasted vegetables, which make great roasted veggie sandwiches with a bit of fresh mozzarella.

This dish is best made a day ahead of time and reheated in the oven before serving. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and enjoy.

The kids enjoyed tasting their smiley-faced ratatouille.

6 Comments

Posted in Cooking with Kids, Food, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetable and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Vanilla Carrot Bisque

Posted on July 29, 2010 by amydeline

A few weeks ago, my three-year-old asked me to make him Vanilla Soup. Hmmm…vanilla soup? Never heard of such a thing, but who am I to argue with the kid whose binoculars can transform into a jetpack; the kid who calls the fan a Bloominator; the very same kid who decided he’d prefer to be called Gastack and has been introducing himself as such ever since; the kid who, as I write this, is stomping around the living room in robot fashion, shouting Robot, Robot, Robot Secrets as he cleans up his toys. Vanilla Soup it is!

I thought about his request for a while; pondered how I’d go about making a vanilla soup. My sister suggested that I just melt a container of vanilla ice cream and pour it in a bowl. Voila! Vanilla Soup. That idea probably would have worked just fine for my little guy, but it didn’t gel well with me. If I were going to cook a vanilla soup, I was going to make a valiant effort at creating something that was both delicious and nutritious.

I’d need to select flavors which would showcase the vanilla, without overwhelming it. It should be sweet, but not necessarily fruity. My first thought was pumpkin, but that hardly seemed seasonal. I considered butternut squash for a while; a definite contender.I gave sweet potatoes their due consideration as well. And then I thought about carrots. Why, yes! Carrots would work nicely.

Carrots are loaded with natural sugars. To help develop their natural sweetness, I decided to give them a slow roast in the oven. I threw a couple apricots in the mix for added sweetness and a touch of tart. To the roasted carrots and apricots, I added light cream, infused with fresh vanilla bean. I pureed the carrots, apricots, and vanilla cream with a touch of honey and ground ginger. Finally, I added milk until the consistency seemed right. Simple as that. I chose not to add any other seasonings; not even salt…gasp! Let the vanilla be the star.

Turned out to be a very yummy soup; creamy and slightly sweet with a definite vanilla flavor. I adore the little specks of fresh vanilla bean running throughout the soup. My only complaint is that the texture turned out to have a slightly gritty feel; not entirely unpleasant, but definitely noticeable. I’m pretty sure this was a result of my decision to roast the carrots, which caused them to develop a slightly hardened exterior. I tried straining the soup, but my fine sieve was too fine and the holes in my colanders were too big. I knew I needed more strainers! My guess is that boiled carrots would probably produce a smoother, though less sweet soup. Despite the somewhat gritty texture, I think I’d stick with roasting.

This soup is best served warm. For a nice finish, top it with a drizzle of creme fraiche and some diced dried apricots or pumpkin seeds.

Vanilla Carrot Bisque

Ingredients

  • 1 8oz package Baby Carrots (about 3 cups)
  • 2 Apricots
  • 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 1 cup Light Cream
  • 1 1/2 cups Milk
  • 1 Vanilla Bean, split in half, seeds scraped with the edge of a knife
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Tbsp Honey
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss the carrots in the oil and arrange in an even layer on a baking sheet. Place the apricots in a small baking dish. Roast the carrots and apricots in the oven for about an hour. When cool enough to handle, cut the apricots in half, remove the seed, and scoop out the tender insides. In a saucepan, add the cream, vanilla bean, vanilla bean seeds, and vanilla extract. Heat the cream over medium heat until it comes to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean. Use a blender, food processor, or immersion blender to puree the carrots, apricots, and vanilla cream until smooth. Add the honey and ginger. Puree for a few seconds more to combine. Add milk until the soup reaches your desired consistency. Taste and add more honey if desired.

To serve, warm the soup in a saucepan or microwave. Top with creme fraiche (or sour cream), dried apricot, or seeds.

Tasting his creation.

12 Comments

Posted in Food, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetable and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Sweet Honey Cornbread

Posted on July 28, 2010 by amydeline

Don’t ever buy cornbread mix again. Make this instead. It’s sweet, slightly crumbly, doesn’t contain the preservatives in that boxed mix, and won’t take you more than three minutes longer to prepare. I bet you already have most of the ingredients in your pantry!

I love cornbread, especially when it’s got little kernels of fresh summer corn and a hint (or more than a hint) of honey flavor. You can have fun with this recipe and add bits of jalapeno, scallions, cheddar, or even bacon, if you’d like! Serve it warm with a pat of butter or alongside a bowl of spicy chili, as I’ll be doing tonight!

Sweet Honey Cornbread

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Flour
  • 1 cup Corn Meal
  • 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 cup Buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup Honey
  • 1/2 stick Melted Butter
  • 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup Sweet Corn Kernels
  • 1/8 cup Honey, for brushing on top (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly grease a small baking dish or cake pan.

In a bowl, combine flour, corn meal, baking powder, sugar, and salt until well blended.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, honey, melted butter, and beaten eggs. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until they are combined. Do not over mix. Fold in the corn kernels.

Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

If desired, brush the top of the cornbread with a little honey, about 20 minutes into the baking time.

Allow the bread to cool for about 15 minutes before cutting and enjoying!

Check back later today for a spicy chili recipe!

Cornbread with a Drizzle of Honey

Edited to Add: Hi, everyone! I can’t believe I made it to Freshly Pressed! Wow! Hope you enjoy my blog. I really love writing it. If it makes you hungry, click on the right to subscribe. I add several new recipes each week, always with lots of pictures. Thanks for reading! ~Amy

92 Comments

Posted in Baking, Breads, Food, Side Dishes and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Chicken Cordon Bleu and Green Beans Almondine

Posted on July 21, 2010 by amydeline

Chicken Cordon Bleu has been on my mind recently. I just love the crispy breaded chicken breast combined with salty prosciutto and cheese. Yum… Cheese. Lately, I’ve been acutely aware that if you don’t like cheese, you probably hate my blog. I’ve kind of got a little thing for cheese. I sure hope you like cheese too.

Chicken Cordon Bleu can be made a number of different ways. The most common procedure involves stuffing or rolling a chicken breast with ham or prosciutto and some type of swiss cheese, then breading and cooking. That approach will work, but I’ve had issues with the cheese oozing out during cooking. I hate to lose even a bit of cheese. So, I’ve come up with a different way of making chicken cordon bleu. I roll prosciutto in chicken breast, bread it, brown it in olive oil until golden brown, and finish the cooking in the oven. While the chicken is baking, I make a basic white sauce, or bechamel sauce, and then melt in some tasty Gruyere swiss cheese. No cheese is lost in the cooking and you get a nice creamy sauce to drizzle over the chicken. And who doesn’t like having a sauce to dip in??

On the side, we’re having green beans prepared my favorite way; sauteed in a bit of olive oil with sliced almonds and a sprinkle of salt. To make things just a smidgen easier, I buy the cleaned and cut fresh green beans, which can be microwaved right in the bag. I typically cook them for less than the recommend time, so they do not become mushy.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients

  • 4 Chicken Breasts
  • 4-6 slices Prosciutto or Ham
  • 1/2 cup Flour
  • 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
  • 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper

For the Gruyere Sauce:

  • 1 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 Tbsp Flour
  • 1 cup Milk
  • Dash of Nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1/2 cup Gruyere (or other swiss cheese), shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pound the chicken breast between plastic wrap until about 1/4 inch thick.

Lay slices of prosciutto or ham on top of the flattened chicken breast. Roll the chicken and tuck in the ends. Season with salt and pepper. Roll each chicken roll in flour. Dip into the lightly beaten eggs. Then, roll in the bread crumbs until well-coated. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Place the chicken rolls in the pan and cook for a minute or two on each side, until lightly browned.

Place the browned chicken into a baking dish. Place the baking dish into the oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Combine butter and flour in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for a couple minutes while stirring. It should have a paste-like consistency. This is your roux (roo) which will thicken your white sauce. Scrape the roux from the pan and set aside. Add milk to the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Using a whisk, incorporate the roux into the milk until smooth. Simmer for a few minutes until the milk begins to thicken. Season with the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Turn down the heat and add the shredded Gruyere cheese. Stir until melted and smooth.

When the chicken has finished cooking, spoon some sauce over each chicken roll and serve.

Green Beans Almondine

Ingredients

  • 1 package Cleaned and Cut, Fresh Green Beans, steamed
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1/2 cup Sliced Almonds
  • 1/4 tsp Salt

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the almonds and salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until almonds just begin to toast. Add the steamed green beans. Use tongs to toss the beans in the oil and almonds.

Cook for a minute or two. Taste and adjsut seasonings if desired.

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Green Beans Almondine

If you have any leftover chicken and sauce, it makes an amazing sandwich! Spread the leftover sauce on a ciabatta roll. Slice the chicken. Place the slices onto the roll. Sprinkle a little extra swiss cheese on top, if desired. Wrap it in foil and bake in the oven until heat through. Excellent!

5 Comments

Posted in Cheese, Dressings and Condiments, Food, Main Course, Poultry, Recipes, Sauces, Side Dishes, Vegetable and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Baked Potato Salad

Posted on July 14, 2010 by amydeline

I’ve mentioned my aversion to mayonnaise before. I have no good explanation for it. I think it’s something about the slimy texture. Maybe it’s the smell. It’s hard to say. I don’t avoid it completely, but I use it judiciously and when I do use it, it absolutely has to be Hellman’s. You’re welcome for the free endorsement, Hellman’s. Traditional summer salads pose an issue for me, since so many are laden with mayonnaise. Add that to my paranoia about food safety and refrigeration and my heart starts to race. I panic a bit during summer parties when presented with salad upon gloppy, mayonnaisey salad. Did they use Hellman’s?? How long has it been sitting out?? Is there anything else to eat?? My brother-in-law is as disturbed by mustard as I am by mayonnaise. Strange. I mean, what’s so gross about mustard?? But then again, I’m the one who just wrote a paragraph on my feelings about mayonnaise. So, I suppose that I am clearly the weirdo amongst us.

My distaste for mayonnaise is what brings us to today’s recipe; a non-mayonnaise alternative to potato salad which will delight your taste buds. It’s a potato salad inspired by a loaded baked potato. Think fork-tender chunks of red potato, blended together with sour cream, cheddar cheese, bits of bacon, and chopped green onions. Not a glop of mayonnaise in sight!

Baked Potato Salad

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds Red Potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 cup Sour Cream
  • 1 cup Bacon, crumbled
  • 1 cup Green Onions, chopped
  • 1 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • 1 Tbsp Mustard
  • Salt and Pepper

Directions

Place chopped potatoes in a pot. Fill the pot with water until it just covers the potatoes. Add a bit of salt to the water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 8-10 minutes, until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain in a colander. Rinse with cold water in order to stop the cooking and slightly cool the potatoes. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes with the sour cream, mustard, cheese, bacon and onions. Season with salt and lots of coarse-ground black pepper. Refrigerate until completely cooled. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

3 Comments

Posted in Food, Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Farfalle with Spinach, Feta, and Pine Nuts

Posted on July 7, 2010 by amydeline

The name of the game today is staying cool in the pool. By pool, I’m referring the the 10 foot wide, 3 foot deep play pool which my son received as a birthday gift from his uncle, aunt, and cousin. It’s been a godsend during this hot weather we’re having. The depth is perfect for the kids, since they can both touch the ground, which makes it much easier for me to handle two toddlers in the pool at once. A bottle of sparkling water and a dip in the pool with the kiddies. Sounds like a great afternoon plan to me!

But before we hit the pool, I have a great summer side salad to share with you. It’s delicious and perfect for summer entertaining. It’s great served at room temperature, warm, or chilled. Plus, it does well out of the fridge for a few hours, which makes it a great dish to bring to a potluck BBQ. We’ll be enjoying it tonight with roasted chicken sausage!

Farfalle with Spinach, Feta, and Toasted Pine Nuts

Ingredients

  • 1 box Farfalle pasta
  • 1 16 ounce package frozen Cut-Leaf Spinach, defrosted
  • 4 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 Shallot, diced fine
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
  • 3/4 cup Feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 1.75 ounce bottle Pine Nuts (about 1/2 cup)
  • Crushed Red Pepper (optional)

Directions

Cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the other ingredients. Place the pine nuts in a small pan over medium heat and cook for about 3-4 minutes until they just start to brown. Set the pine nuts aside. Squeeze the excess liquid from the spinach using your hands or a piece of cheesecloth.* When the pasta is cooked, drain and set aside. In the pasta pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Cook for a minute or two. Add the drained spinach and stir. Add the cheese. Cook and stir for a few minutes, until the cheese begins to melt into the spinach mixture. Add the hot pasta and pine nuts. Toss to combine. Season with a bit of crushed red pepper, if desired. Serve immediately, refrigerate or hold at room temperature for a few hours.

Makes 8 Side Dish Servings

*Cheesecloth is a thin mesh fabric. My supermarket carries the cheesecloth in the same aisle as utensils and other cooking supplies. It comes in a huge piece, which you can cut to size as needed. It’s handy to have around for straining foods or bundling herbs to cook in stocks or soups.

1 Comment

Posted in Cheese, Food, Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetable and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Pan-seared Scallops with Pina Colada Salsa and Coconut Rice

Posted on July 6, 2010 by amydeline

Many moons ago, my husband and I found ourselves in Italy, in the middle of a heat wave. The beautiful city of Rome is overflowing with fountains; cool, refreshing, swim-worthy fountains. Unfortunately, it’s also full of fountain police, whistles constantly in mouth, ready to blow at the first hint of a toe touching the water. When in Rome…don’t go in the fountains! Torture on such a hot day. But, sweet relief came in the form of little kiosks, selling big icy chunks of fresh, chilled coconut and iced bottles of water. I can still envision the towers of fresh coconut pieces, cool water running down over the artfully arranged displays. No coconut fountain police in sight. Sweet, sweet coconut relief.

So, whenever the weather gets hot, I think about coconut. It’s definitely hot out there today! I think a little coconut is in order.

Never hand your baby a coconut. He will assume that it's a hairy ball and will throw it at your knee. Trust me.

Recently, my sister and brother-in-law posted pictures of a dinner they enjoyed at a fine restaurant on Skaneateles Lake. My sister had a juicy grilled pork chop with mashed potatoes, beets, carrots, and asparagus. The picture made me hungry. My brother-in-law’s selection didn’t have quite the same effect. The dish he ordered featured seared scallops alongside a bed of sautéed spinach and a strawberry pastry. Everything on the plate was drizzled in a bright pink sauce which looked like it was made of strawberry yogurt. I stared at the picture trying to make the dish work in my head. My brother-in-law said it was delicious and that the tart strawberries in the salty pastry complemented the sweetness of the scallops. Sounds sensible enough, but I’m still having a hard time with the dish. I love the combination of fruit and seafood, especially during the hot summer months. Strawberries with scallops makes sense to me. And, I like strawberries in spinach salad, so I guess that pairing makes sense too. I think my issue with the dish lies more with the creamy, sweet-looking sauce and the dessert-like appearance of the pastry sitting next to the scallops. But, what do I know??

In any case, I must still have scallops and fruit on my mind, because as I was trying to come up with an interesting way to use the coconut I was craving, scallops dominated my thoughts. I tossed around the idea of somehow cooking scallops in the fresh coconut water, but I didn’t imagine a very nice texture resulting from that preparation. So I decided to pan-sear the scallops and combine the coconut with a bit of pineapple, orange, and lime for a pina colada inspired salsa. Not wanting to let any of the yummy coconut go to waste, I reserved the sweet coconut water to use in cooking the rice. The result was a light, fresh dinner on a hot summer day.

Tending to the fresh pineapple and coconut take a little time, but it’s worth it. Though my vote definitely goes towards using the fresh fruits, you could easily substitute canned pineapple, mandarin oranges, and unsweetened shredded coconut for the salsa and canned coconut milk for the rice for a really quick, delicious summer meal.

Pan-seared Scallops with Pina Colada Salsa over Coconut Rice

Ingredients

For the Scallops:

  • 1 pound Scallops
  • 1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper

For the Salsa:

*To supreme an orange, cut off the top and the bottom. Place it on a hard surface and cut off the skin and pith. Then, use a paring knife or other sharp knife to cut out each orange segment between the membranes.

Orange Supremes

Directions

To prepare the salsa, combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix to combine. Taste. Add salt and pepper, if  desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To cook the scallops, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium to medium-high heat. Pat the scallops dry and season with a little salt. Place the scallops in the pan. Let them cook for 2-3 minutes, without disturbing. Once they’ve formed a golden-brown crust, turn the scallops over. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until fully cooked and translucent.

Prepare the rice according the package directions, substituting fresh coconut water for part of the water. Throw in a couple small chunks of coconut for added flavor.

Serve the scallops on a bed of the coconut rice and pina colada salsa.

Serves 4

4 Comments

Posted in Food, Main Course, Rice, Sauces, Seafood, Side Dishes and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Chipotle Steak Quesadillas

Posted on July 2, 2010 by amydeline

Remember when I told you to put the rest of that pureed chipotle in the freezer? You did that, right? Excellent! It’s time to take it out to defrost, because we’re making Chipotle Steak Quesadillas! No worries if you don’t have any pureed chipotle peppers hanging out in your freezer. Just pick up a can of chipotles in adobo (probably in the International section of your grocery store) and you’ll be ready to go. Rinse the chipotles, or not, and puree them in a blender or food processor. Store the unused pureed chipotle in your freezer. It’s great in dressings and marinades or as part of a chipotle butter.

This is a super simple, yet incredibly satisfying meal! It requires very little in terms of ingredients and cooks fast. In the quesadillas, we’re using juicy skirt steak, seasoned with chipotle pepper, and held together with melty pepperjack cheese. Skirt steak is generally known for being one of the toughest cuts of steak, but I’ve honestly never encountered a tough skirt steak. When cooked quickly at high heat and cut against the grain, they are incredibly flavorful and practically fall apart. Good substitutes for skirt steak would be flank or hanger steak. On the side, we’re having a salad of sweet corn, avocado, red bell pepper and a bit of jalapeno pepper. This bright, refreshing salad is a cool balance to the heat of the quesadillas.

Chipotle Steak Quesadillas

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Skirt Steak, about 2 steaks
  • 2 Tbsp Pureed Chipotle Pepper
  • Salt
  • 8 Flour Tortillas
  • 2 cups Pepperjack Cheese, grated

Directions

Preheat broiler. Place the steaks on a baking sheet. Season with salt and rub each steak with about a tablespoon of pureed chipotle. Place in the oven, a few inches under the broiler. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until steak reaches a minimum temperature of 145 degrees. Remove the steaks and turn the oven down to 375 degrees. Allow the steak to cool for a couple minutes, then cut into small pieces. Arrange 4 of the tortillas on a baking sheet. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of cheese onto each tortilla. Divide the steak onto the four tortillas. Sprinkle 1/4 cup more cheese onto the steak. Cover with the remaining 4 tortillas. Bake in the oven for about 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is melty and the tortilla begins to feel slightly hard. Remove from the oven and allow the quesadillas to cool for a couple minutes. (This will make them easier to cut.) Use a pizza cutter to cut each quesadilla into six pieces.

*If desired, the meat can be cooked ahead of time and refrigerated until you’re ready to make the quesadillas.

Serves 4

Corn, Avocado, and Pepper Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Sweet Corn Kernels
  • 1 Avocado, diced
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced
  • 1 Jalapeno Pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced
  • 1 Tbsp Lime Juice

Directions

Toss the Avocado in the lime juice to prevent discoloring. Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate.

Leave a comment

Posted in Food, General Rambling and Such, Main Course, Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Thanksgiving in June

Posted on June 29, 2010 by amydeline

If we’re going to celebrate Christmas in July, then we’d better have Thanksgiving in June. But, don’t worry. I have no intention ofspending all day in a hot kitchen on a smoldering summer day. Tonight’s meal will have all of the flavor and satisfaction of a Thanksgiving feast, but we’re going to keep the ingredient list short, the preparation simple, and serve it up open-faced sandwich style.

Let’s talk turkey… Thanksgiving day is the only day of the year when I’ll even think about dealing with a whole turkey.  And even on Thanksgiving, I’ve been cooking the breasts separate from the drumsticks for the past few years. (I’ll explain in November.) For turkey on any other day of the year, I use boneless, skinless turkey breasts or turkey tenderloins. They’re lighter, cook faster, and will work perfectly for our open-faced Thanksgiving sandwiches.

Let’s gab gravy? As far as the gravy goes, I’d normally incorporate the turkey drippings for a flavorful sauce. But, the tenderloins I’m using today are so lean that they’re not going to generate much in terms of drippings.  So, to capture some of the turkey essence in the gravy, I’m searing the turkey, then baking it in the oven in a bit of chicken stock. Then we’ll combine the turkey-infused chicken stock from the pan with a bit more chicken stock and thicken it with a simple flour-butter roux to make a full-flavored pan gravy.

Let’s speak stuffing… (Sorry, I couldn’t help it.) For the stuffing, we’re using a slightly simplified incarnation of my traditional Thanksgiving stuffing. I’ve been cooking some version of this sausage and apple stuffing for the past few years. I love it.  The original idea comes from a recipe I found on the Food Network website (click here for the original recipe), but I’ve cut down on the spices for simplicity and because I think there’s enough flavor in the sausage, apples, and leeks. I can’t get enough of this stuffing. It’s quick, incredibly flavorful, and delicious! The key is to not add too much chicken stock. You want the stuffing to be moist, but not mushy. Add the stock slowly and stop as soon as it just starts to get sticky. You should end up with a stuffing that is moist, but bakes with a firm crust.

For the mashed potatoes, I’m using leftover Roasted Garlic Smashed Red Potatoes from last night’s dinner. I’ll include the recipe below. Regular mashed potatoes, sans roasted garlic, would work wonderfully too!

What Thanksgiving meal is complete without cranberry sauce?? You probably won’t find cranberries in the produce section during this time of year, but most supermarkets will carry them in the frozen foods section.  You can easily makes your own cranberry sauce with a bag of fresh, frozen cranberries, a bunch of sugar, and a little water or orange juice.  But, tonight I’m using canned, jellied cranberry sauce.  I can’t help it.  I love the stuff…especially the smooth end piece that has the mark of the can on it.  As a child, I remember calling dibs on that end slice and panicking that someone would get to it before I could. Ok, so the jellied stuff is completely loaded with high fructose corn syrup. Don’t eat it everyday. But it’s tasty and spreads beautifully, making it perfect for this sandwich!

Keep your grubby paws off of my slice!

All of the sandwich components can be prepared ahead of time, refrigerated and then reheated in the microwave when you’re ready to eat!

Let’s get cooking…

Thanksgiving in June

Open-Faced Turkey Sandwiches

Open-Faced Thanksgiving Sandwich

Roast Turkey Tenderloins

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Turkey Tenderloins (approximately 4 tenderloins)*
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 3/4 cup Chicken Stock

*You can substitute 2 boneless, skinless turkey breasts.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat the olive oil over medium heat, in a pan large enough to fit the tenderloins. Lightly season the tenderloins with a bit of salt and pepper and place them in the pan. Cook for a minute or so on each side to sear the meat. Pour chicken stock into the pan. Most of the turkey should not be covered by the stock. Place the pan in the oven* and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the turkey is completely cooked. (An instant-read meat thermometer should read 165 degrees.) Remove the tenderloins. Keep the liquid in the pan for the gravy. When the tenderloins are cool enough to handle, cut into thin slices.

*If you do not have an oven-proof pan, you will need to transfer the seared tenderloins into a baking dish before adding the stock and baking.

Turkey Pan Gravy

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp Butter
  • 2 Tbsp Flour
  • Liquid Remaining from the turkey pan (should be about 1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
  • Salt and Pepper, if desired

Directions

Make a roux by melting 2 Tbsp butter in a small pan. Add the flour. Whisk to combine. Continue whisking over medium heat for a few minutes to cook off the raw-flour taste. You should have a pale off-white pasty mixture. Set the roux aside. (See my guide for making a roux, here.)

Add 1/2 cup chicken stock to the liquid in the turkey pan. (You should have about a cup of liquid altogether.) Bring to a simmer. Add about half of the roux and whisk vigorously until smooth. Continue simmering for a few minutes over medium heat until the gravy begins to thicken. For a thicker gravy, add more roux and simmer for a few more minutes. If the gravy becomes too thick, add a bit more stock. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if desired.

Roasted Garlic Smashed Red Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pound bag of Baby Red Potatoes
  • 4 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 head Roasted Garlic*
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup Milk
  • Salt and Pepper

*To see my guide for roasting garlic, click here.

Directions

Cut the potatoes in half or quarters, depending on size. Place in a pot and fill with cool water, just enough to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes or until a fork inserts easily. Drain. Return potatoes to the pot. Add butter and roasted garlic. Smash the potatoes, butter, and garlic to your desired smoothness. Mix in the milk. Start by adding 1/4 cup. Add more if desired, for creamier potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Sausage, Apple, and Leek Stuffing

Ingredients

  • 3/4 pound Bulk Breakfast Sausage
  • 1 Tbsp Butter
  • 2 Apples, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup Leeks, finely sliced (about 1 large leeks)*
  • 4 cups herb-seasoned bread cubes
  • 1 1/2 cups Chicken Stock
  • Salt and Pepper, if desired

*To see my photo guide on leeks, click here.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a pan, cook the sausage until fully cooked, about 8-10 minutes. As it cooks, use a spoon to break up the sausage into small pieces. Remove the cooked sausage and place it in a large bowl. In the same pan (no need to clean it out) melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add the apples and leeks. Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add them to the bowl with the sausage. Add bread cubes. Stir to combine. Slowly add the chicken stock, stirring between additions to give the bread a chance to absorb the stock. Continue adding stock until the stuffing is moistened but not mushy. Most of the bread cubes should still appear as cubes. (1 1/2 cups of stock should be about right, but add a little less or a little more, as needed to get the right consistency.) Place the stuffing in a baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes, until heated through and the top feels firm.

To compose the sandwich:

You’ll need 4 large slices of bread. You can use any type of bread, but something thick and doughy, like rye or sourdough will work best. I used a big slice of Pain de Campagne. Spread a thin layer of cranberry sauce on each slice of bread.  Top with a scoop of mashed potatoes and a scoop of stuffing. Cover with slices of turkey. Pour a bit of gravy over the turkey. Serve hot, with creamed spinach or your favorite Thanksgiving vegetable.

Serves 4

Happy Thanksgiving in June! I’m thankful for all of you!

2 Comments

Posted in Food, Main Course, Poultry, Recipes, Sauces, Side Dishes and tagged , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Brunch to BBQ – Meal #2

Posted on June 27, 2010 by amydeline

The brunch was a fantastic success, but I must admit that there was a point just post-brunch, when I seriously questioned my grand plan of throwing a party consisting of two separate meals. I mean, after the brunch, I didn’t think any of us would ever be hungry again. Half of us lay paralyzed in a food coma, while the kids climbed all over us and added props to our slumber. The other half was entranced by the steady hum of vuvuzelas while watching the world cup game.

My sister, in a post-brunch food coma

But we managed to peel ourselves off the floor and head outside to play a few games and enjoy the post-rain cool temperature. Eventually, there came a time where we could see another meal in our future.

The weather forecast had been predicting scattered storms throughout the day, so I planned to make sausages with roasted peppers and onions, figuring that if the weather were nice, we’d fire up the grill for the sausages and if it rained, I’d roast them in the oven. Around the time we were ready to eat, the weather was holding steady and dry. But out of sheer laziness, we decided to roast them in the oven anyway. Our menu consisted of the Roasted Sausage, Peppers, and Onions on rolls with provolone cheese, corn on the cob, and a pasta salad courtesy of my sis.

Here are the details and a few recipes from our Brunch to BBQ Meal #2…

Roasted Sausage, Peppers, and Onions


Ingredients

  • 6 Italian Sausages, hot or mild
  • 3 Bell Peppers, sliced
  • 2  Onions, sliced
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
  • 1-2 Hot Cherry Peppers, chopped
  • 2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut each sausage in half. (This will allow the sausages to release some of their yummy juices into the pepper and onion mix.) Combine sausages, sliced bell peppers and onions, chopped cherry peppers, and garlic in a baking dish.  Drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Toss to combine. Bake in the oven for about 45-60 minutes, until the sausages are fully cooked and lightly browned. The peppers and onions should be soft, but not mushy. Toss the mixture every 10-15 minutes to ensure that the sausages brown on all sides.

Enjoy on a roll with a slice of provolone cheese.

Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad

My sister brought along a Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad. The recipe comes from the Food and Wine section of the NBC Today show’s website. You can find the recipe for Kitchen Sink Pasta Salad by clicking here. My sister added slices of turkey pepperoni, which were a nice touch. This pasta salad can be served chilled or at room temperature, which makes it a perfect party dish!

Steamy corn on the cob...for 25 cents a cob, you can't beat it!

Round 2 Results: The Food - 0 The Gourmand Mom - 2

Leave a comment

Posted in Food, Main Course, Recipes, Salads, Sandwiches, Side Dishes and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
← Older Posts
Newer Posts →
Look, Feel, Live Beautiful

Beauty Awaits

The Gourmand Mom

Good food, seasoned with a dash of life