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Grilled Ribeye Steaks and Grilled Fingerling Potatoes with Gorgonzola

Posted on May 31, 2010 by amydeline

I’m not a lawyer or anything, but I’m pretty sure there is a law that mandates grilling on Memorial Day. In accordance with this purported law, we shall be grilling steaks and potatoes tonight.

Grilled Ribeye Steak with Chipotle Butter, Grilled Fingerling Potatoes with Gorgonzola, and Corn on the Cob

I chose a thick, marbled ribeye steak and fingerling potatoes.  Russet potatoes would work well, but will need more cooking time. And, remember that chipotle butter we made last week?  Throw a dollop of that on the steak!  Sprinkle a little gorgonzola on the potatoes and serve with a piece of corn on the cob!

A little guide for grilling steaks:

  • Take the steak out of the fridge about 30-45 minutes prior to grilling to allow it to come up to room temperature. Allowing the steaks to come to room temperature facilitates even cooking.
  • Meanwhile, fire up your grill. Whether using a gas or charcoal grill (my preference), get it good and hot. Charcoal should have a coat of white ash and glow red in the middle. Distribute the coals unevenly, so that one side is stacked with coals and the other side has a lower, single layer of coals.
  • Remove the grill plate and rub it with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.
  • Just prior to grilling, season your steak with a little salt and pepper. Avoid doing this until the last minute, as the salt will draw out the juices in the steak.
  • Sear the steak over high heat for a minute or two on each side. (If using a charcoal grill, sear over the stacked coals). Searing the steak over high heat seals in the juices.
  • If using a gas grill, turn the heat down to medium. If using a charcoal grill, move the steak over the lower heat, single layer of coals.
  • Allow the steak to cook for about 3-6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the steak and your desired doneness. Rotate the steak 45 degrees halfway through, to give it a nice quadrillage (diamond pattern).
  • You can check the steak’s doneness by feeling the steak or using a meat thermometer.  My preference is to insert a meat thermometer into the side of the steak.  (Rare: 125 degrees,  Medium Rare: 130-135 degrees, Medium: 140-145 degrees, Medium Well: 150-155 degrees, Well: 160-165 degrees)
  • Remove the steak from the grill about 5 degrees below your desired temperature, as the steak will continue cooking off the heat.
  • Cover the steak and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before cutting or serving. Resting allows the juices to redistribute within the steak.

Using a chimney starter eliminates the need for smelly lighter fluid.

To Grill Fingerling Potatoes:

Pour a small amount of olive oil onto a large piece of foil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pierce each potato a few times with a fork. Place potatoes onto the oil.  Thoroughly wrap the potatoes in the foil.  Double wrap if necessary to seal in the oil. Grill for about 30-40 minutes, until fork tender. For larger potatoes, allow for longer grilling time.

Corn on the Cob:

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Put the shucked corn into the boiling water.  Boil for about 5-8 minutes.

And for dessert…

Bordeaux Cherry Brownie Ice Cream with Fresh Cherries

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Posted in Beef, Cheese, Culinary Techniques, Food, Ice Cream, Potato, Recipes, Vegetable and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

German Soft-Pretzel Sandwiches

Posted on May 27, 2010 by amydeline

My best friends from college joke about how they’d vocalize a craving and within moments, I’d have found everything necessary and be halfway done making it. To be honest, I can’t actually think of one example of doing this. But, it sounds like something I’d do. Nowadays, my husband holds the magic lamp which makes all of his food cravings appear. Most of the time he just waits to see what I put in front of him. But every so often, he gets a hankering for something and I do what I can to bring it to fruition.

Such was the case last night, as my husband was scrolling through his iPhone and ran across a New York Times article entitled, Making Soft Pretzels the Old-Fashioned Way. You see, my husband has got a tiny, little obsession with pretzels; doughy, salty Bavarian pretzels. It all began just after our college graduation. We lived in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany for the summer and worked at an American-owned hotel.  I was a waitress and bartender in the hotel’s main restaurant.  My husband worked in housekeeping. We spent most of our evenings at German beer festivals drinking huge glasses of Bavarian Hefeweissen and eating pretzels. On days off, we’d huff and puff our way up the Kramer Mountain (with little old German ladies swiftly biking past us) to our favorite biergarten, informally known as the Halfway House, perched halfway up the mountain, overlooking all of Garmisch.  A couple of beers and a pretzel later and we’d hike back down. What a summer! It’s really no wonder that a pretzel obsession developed.

Here in the states, good German beer is readily available. There is a wide selection of imported Hefeweissen, Dunkel Bock and Pilsners right at my local grocery store. But, pretzels are a different story. Good Bavarian-style soft pretzels are not as easy to find. Over the years, my husband has been on an endless search for good pretzels.  He buys a pretzel whenever he has the opportunity, whether it be at a baseball game, the mall, or from a street vendor. So far, the closest we’ve found to an authentic Bavarian pretzel is at the Hofbrauhaus in Las Vegas. Without fail, the very best part of every Vegas trip is our evening at the Hofbrauhaus, singing along with the live German music while consuming as much German beer, pretzels, and food as we can before taking turns rolling each other back to the hotel.

But, Vegas is far away and there are no Germany trips in our near future. And so, this morning, while my husband was busy at work, I decided to try my hand at pretzel making. I poked around online for a bit looking for an authentic soft pretzel recipe. Turns out that the key to making really good soft pretzels is dipping the dough into a lye bath just prior to baking.  Lye is a highly caustic substance, the use of which necessitates safety measures, such as gloves and masks, to prevent chemical burns. Lye is used in the curing processes of numerous foods.  It is also used in drain cleaners and soap. I’m all for adventurous cooking, but something about using a product in my food, which can be found next to the Drano, just sits funny with me.  Not to mention that I’m not wild about using something which can cause chemical burns, in proximity of my ever-present children. Either way, it doesn’t appear that lye is commonly available anymore.  One online pretzel recipe linked to Amazon.com as a source for food-grade lye, but the lye I found on there was listed in the Automotive section.  Yeah, that’s not really going to work for me. So, I did a little more searching around and found a number of recipes which use a baking soda bath, prior to baking, to achieve that pretzelrific exterior browning, including a recipe from Alton Brown.  Alton Brown knows his stuff! I trust his expertise completely. That, and 234 positive reviews of the recipe convinced me that it was worth a try. I followed his recipe exactly, only substituting coarse-ground sea salt for the pretzel salt. I made a few pretzels and several rolls to use for sandwiches.

Waiting for the dough to rise

Expert pretzel roller

Egg wash

Basket o' pretzels

Pretzel Roll with Smoked Gouda, Black Forest Ham, Thinly Sliced Pear, and German Mustard

Pretzel sandwiches would be outstanding with any number of fillings.  I chose to use Black Forest Ham, Smoked Gouda, thinly sliced pear, and German-style mustard. My husband is in for a real treat when he gets home for lunch!

Enjoy with your favorite German brew.

Prost!

Prost!!

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Woolverton Inn Lemon-Almond Biscotti

Posted on May 26, 2010 by amydeline

I can’t remember how I fell upon the Woolverton Inn.  It may have been during my online search for a wedding venue. I’m not exactly sure, but I do know that I fell in love with it instantly. A wedding at the Woolverton would have been beyond-words lovely.  Though we chose to have our wedding at a beautiful historic house closer to our home, I never forgot about the Woolverton Inn. Many times, I visited their website and daydreamed about spending some time there. We finally had the opportunity in September, 2006. It was our first wedding anniversary. I was newly pregnant with our first son.  We had just announced our pregnancy at a surprise birthday party for my father. We had so much to celebrate. And the Woolverton Inn couldn’t have been a more perfect place to celebrate.

The Woolverton Inn in Stockton, NJ

Set in the midst of rolling hills, along the Delaware River, the Woolverton Inn was a tranquil escape from the rush of day to day life. The main building is a beautiful 1792 stone manor house, comfortably situated on 10 acres of land. A handful of private cottages are steps away. The grounds are peppered with beautiful gardens, frog filled ponds, and large open pastures with grazing sheep.

Tranquility

We stayed in one of the cottages, the Sojourn Loft, which featured a fireplace and a second level with jacuzzi tub and hammock. The featherbed on the mattress was so amazingly comfortable, that my husband later contacted the inn to order me one as a birthday gift.  My husband got an in-room massage on the first day and we spent another day strolling around nearby New Hope.  The surrounding area is full of interesting things to do, including wine tours, antiquing, hiking, and hot-air ballooning.  The inn even offers a package, which includes a bike rental and gourmet picnic lunch. There are many wonderful dining options in the surrounding towns and breakfast at the inn is indescribable. Seriously, you have to visit this place! I’d go back in a heartbeat.

Upstairs in the Sojourn Loft

I have so many wonderful memories from our short stay at the Woolverton. But one of the things which left an indelible impression on me was the biscotti! To be honest, I have no memories of tasting biscotti before the Woolverton.  I’m not certain if it’s that I never had it before then or whether their biscotti was just so delicious that it erased any other memory. (I’m inclined to believe it is the latter.) They kept a jar full of the fresh, sweet treat in the dining room at all times. I lost count on the number of biscotti I consumed during our time there. I apologize to the other guests for taking more than my fair share. I couldn’t help it.

As I was watching my son eat a biscotti the other day, I was instantly drawn back to the Woolverton Inn. I thought about the biscotti for a few days. Then, I started looking up biscotti recipes. Finally, I decided to send the inn a message to see if they’d be willing to share their recipe with me.  And, they were!! I am very delighted to share this wonderful recipe with you!

Lemon Almond Biscotti

The Woolverton Inn’s Lemon-Almond Biscotti

  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½  teaspoons lemon extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup whole blanched almonds

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to blend.

Add the flour and almonds and stir until a dough forms.

Turn out onto floured surface and knead a few times; dough will be soft.

Divide in two and roll each into a log about 2 inches in diameter.

Transfer logs to sheet pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove and cool for 10 minutes.

Carefully cut into 1/2 inch slices with a serrated knife.

Place slices on pan and bake again for another 20 minutes.

These keep nicely in a cookie jar.

Biscotti Dough

Rolled Biscotti Log

Biscotti after first baking

Sliced biscotti

Biscotti after second baking

Watch out for sneaky babies.

A note about blanched almonds…

This recipe calls for 1 cup of whole blanched almonds. Blanched almonds are simply almonds with the skin removed. I searched online and found the same procedure for blanching almonds outlined in several places. Place shelled almonds in a bowl. Pour boiling water over the almonds.  Allow them to sit for a minute. Drain.  Rinse. Pinch the skins off with your fingers. Sounded easy enough. In actuality, it was a much more time-consuming process than I’d anticipated.  On my first attempt, the skins did not slip off at all.  I repeated the process, allowing them to sit in boiling water for another minute.  This time, some of the skins slipped off easily, others came off with a little effort, and some skins remained stubbornly in place.  I am not sure if the freshness of the shelled almonds has anything to do with it. For curiosity’s sake, I’ll probably try blanching almonds again to experiment with freshly shelled almonds and alternate procedures. But, in the mean time, most grocery stores carry blanched almonds slivers, which will work wonderfully for this recipe!

Enjoy!

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Cinnamon Apple and Brie Quesadillas with a Side Salad of Spring Greens with Prosciutto, Figs, and Walnuts

Posted on May 24, 2010 by amydeline

So, if you’ve been following this blog for the past few weeks, you may have started to notice some trends.

  • I love cheese.
  • I love to cook foods that I can eat with my hands.
  • I like to keep things pretty simple.

Don’t get me wrong…I love nothing more than to spend the day in the kitchen cooking up elaborate meals on special occasions, for dinner guests, or anytime I’ve got someone else to watch the kids. But, most of the time, I like to keep things simple. Just a few fresh ingredients, a little mixing and heating, and voila!  A delicious meal! (We’ll just save the boeuf bourguignon for Christmas!)

I’ve been thinking a lot about this adorable little bistro we visited during our stay in Clearwater Beach.  It was a small place with wine-lined walls. There was a long bar for wine tasting, a few indoor tables, and a large outdoor patio. The menu was simple but interesting; mostly salads, sandwiches, and pizzas, prepared behind the long bar. On Friday nights, they featured live music.  We even walked by a doggie happy hour (a yappy hour, if you will), taking place on the patio one night. I’m pretty sure that if I ever had the good fortune to open a little place of my own, I’d want a place just like that. Simple, but elegant menu in a casual, inviting atmosphere.  I’d feature fresh baked artisan breads and cheese from local farms, seasonal produce, and wines from the Finger Lakes region. I’d personally welcome each guest and offer complimentary wine tasting. And, I almost forgot… it would be spring all year long and I’d wear pretty skirts every day. Wouldn’t that be lovely??

But, I digress. Tonight’s dinner is inspired by one of the menu items at that adorable Clearwater Beach bistro. I love, love, love brie! Hands down, it’s one of my most favorite cheeses. I especially love brie when it’s paired with something fruity, like fig preserves or dried apricots. So, when I spotted the Cinnamon Apple and Brie Quesadillas on the menu, I stopped reading and just ordered. They’ve been on my mind lately, so I decided to whip up my own version.  On the side, I’m serving Spring Greens with Prosciutto, Figs, and Walnuts in Balsamic. Though I was hoping to find fresh figs at my grocery store, they’re not in season until later in the summer/early fall.  So, I picked up a bag of dried organic Calimyrna figs.  Dried Black Mission figs would do the trick too.

Enjoy with a glass (or two) of your favorite wine!

Cinnamon Apple and Brie Quesadillas

Cinnamon Apple and Brie Quesadillas

Ingredients

  • 8 soft taco-sized Flour Tortillas
  • 1 wedge Brie, about 8 ounces
  • 2 Granny Smith Apples
  • 1 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • Honey

Directions

Peel the apples, remove the core and finely dice. In a saucepan, melt butter.  Add apples and cook over medium heat, for about 4-5 minutes, until apples are slightly softened. Add cinnamon, stir and cook for another minute. To compose the quesadillas, sprinkle cinnamon apples onto a flour tortilla.  Top with very thin slices of brie.  Cover with another tortilla. Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 5-7 minutes, until cheese is melted and tortilla is slightly crispy.  Use a pizza cutter to divide the quesadilla into 4 parts. Drizzle with honey. Serves 4

Not too much to say about the salad…  Chop up some prosciutto and thinly slice some figs. Toss some mixed spring greens in a little balsamic or balsamic vinaigrette. Top with the prosciutto, figs, and some walnuts.  This salad is fantastic with crumbled goat cheese or gorgonzola!

Cinnamon Apple and Brie Quesadillas with Spring Greens, Prosciutto, Figs, and Walnuts in Balsamic

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Salmon Burgers with Horseradish Sauce and Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Butter

Posted on May 22, 2010 by amydeline

I make my salmon burgers the same way I make my crab cakes… heavy on the seafood, light on the filler. I like big chunks of salmon, blended together with just enough egg, bread crumbs, and mayo to hold it together.  A bit of mustard and creole seasoning adds the perfect flavoring! Served on an kaiser roll with a spicy horseradish sauce, this is a delicious way to enjoy salmon! I use fresh salmon fillets in my recipe, but you can substitute canned salmon, if desired.

Corn on the cob, served with chipotle butter makes a perfect side dish for this meal.  Chipotles are smoked jalapeno peppers; spicy and delicious! You should be able to find canned chipotles in adobo sauce in the Mexican or Latin foods section of your grocery store.  Adobo is simply a seasoned tomato-based sauce.  You can either discard the adobo sauce, or use some of it in the butter. You’ll only need 1/8 cup of pureed chipotle peppers for the butter, but puree all the peppers.  You can store the unused puree in the freezer for future use. (I’ll share my recipe for Chipotle Steak Quesadillas with you soon!)

Chipotles in Adobo

Salmon Burgers with Horseradish Sauce

For the burgers:

  • 1 pound salmon fillets
  • 1 tsp prepared mustard
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 egg white, beaten
  • 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs
  • 2 tsp Creole Seasoning
  • 4 Kaiser Rolls

For the Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup Sour Cream
  • 2-3 Tbsp Horseradish Sauce

To prepare the salmon – Preheat your broiler. Place the salmon fillets under the broiler and cook for about 4 minutes on each side, until cooked through. When the salmon is cool enough to handle, flake the fish into large chunks.

To make to burgers – Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, combine all ingredients, except the salmon, until well blended. Gently fold in the salmon. Form into four burgers. Spray a baking sheet with a little Pam or a small amount of olive oil. Place the burgers on the baking sheet. Bake for about 10-12 minutes until heated through.

For the horseradish sauce – Combine sour cream with 2-3 Tbsp horseradish. (I use 3.)  Stir until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Serve burgers on kaiser rolls with lettuce, tomatoes, and horseradish sauce. Makes 4 burgers.

Salmon Burger with Horseradish Sauce

Corn on the Cob with Chipotle Butter

  • 4 ears of corn, husks removed
  • 1/8 cup pureed Chipotle Peppers
  • 1 Stick Butter

Remove chipotle peppers from adobo.  Wipe off excess adobo. Puree peppers in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Melt butter in a small saucepan over very low heat.  Add 1/8 cup pureed chipotle pepper and stir. Gently cook over very low heat for a minute or two. For the smoothest result, you can pour the melted chipotle butter through a fine sieve to remove seeds and any large chunks. (I skip this step!) Pour chipotle butter into a bowl and refrigerate, stirring every 15 minutes, until firm. Allow butter to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using. To cook the corn, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the corn and boil for about 5-8 minutes. Spread chipotle butter on corn and enjoy!!

Chipotle Butter

Salmon Burger with Corn on the Cob and Chipotle Butter

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Cooking with Kids: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Posted on May 20, 2010 by amydeline

First and foremost, this is a blog about food. But, being a mom is inseparable from the rest of me. It’s at the core of my being. It’s part of almost everything I do, including cooking. And it just so happens that I believe that cooking with kids is one of the most fantastic ways to develop early-learning skills. Prior to my life as a stay-at-home mom, I was a teacher. Though I am no longer a teacher by trade, I will always be an educator. As an educator, a mom, and a culinary fanatic, I feel passionately about the many ways that cooking with kids can be learning-rich experiences.

Just a few of the many skills that are developed through cooking:

  • Vocabulary Development – names of foods, cooking terms, procedural language
  • Following Directions – single and multi-step directions
  • Sequencing Skills – following the steps in the directions, retelling the sequence of steps
  • Fine Motor Skill Development – stirring, pouring, mashing, cutting soft objects
  • Hand-Eye Coordination
  • Social Emotional Development – feeling pride and sense of accomplishment, following directions, turn-taking, participation
  • Science Knowledge – change of state from liquid to solid, heating and cooling, dissolving
  • Math Knowledge – measuring, counting
  • Willingness to experiment with new foods – kids may be more open to trying something they had a hand in making

A few tips to help make your cooking experience enjoyable for everyone:

  • Give yourself extra time.
  • Be prepared for a little extra mess.
  • Select tasks which are age-appropriate for your child.  (Kids are expert mixers, pourers, and banana-mashers!) Give them tasks to keep them occupied between steps.
  • Prepare, prepare, prepare! In the culinary field, one often hears the French phrase, “mise en place”. Essentially, this translates to “everything in its place”. It simply involves the practice of gathering, measuring, and preparing all ingredients prior to beginning the cooking process.  This practice is useful for all cooking, but is especially helpful when you’re working with young kids, with short attention spans.
  • Don’t forget to model good sanitary practices, such washing hands and using clean utensils.  (Keep a few extra spoons nearby so you can quickly replace spoons used for tasting!)

Children learn best when they are engaged in meaningful, hands-on activities. So, next time you’re in the kitchen, grab your kid (or borrow someone else’s) and get cooking!

A few pictures of today’s banana chocolate chip muffin-making event…

Adding the salt

Pouring the oil

Expert banana mashers

Using a fork to loosen the banana

Feeling proud of his work

Taste test

Anxiously waiting and watching

And now the recipe.  Children welcome, but not required to make!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins


Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cup flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. To prepare your muffin pan, use muffin liners, grease and flour, or spray with Baker’s Joy (or a similar product). Pour the batter into prepared muffins tins. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Makes about 12-15 muffins.

**This recipe was adapted from a recipe for Banana Bread, found here.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

My Quality Control Team Leader

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Ragout of Sausage, Cannellini Beans and Rapini with Homemade French Bread

Posted on May 19, 2010 by amydeline

Ever feel like life sort of gets away from you?  You’ve got it all under control and then all of sudden everything around you is in complete disarray? The sheets all need to be changed, there’s something sticky on the kitchen floor, a pile of overdue thank you notes are waiting to be written, and tumbleweeds of dog hair are rollin’, rollin’ rollin’ across the living room floor. You know what I’m talking about? Makes my heart pound just thinking about it.  I’m having one of those days right now.  It’s been coming for a while.  So, today I’ve decided to slow down a bit and catch up with life, get my physical and mental space back in order so I can breathe easily again.

On days like this, it’s nice to have leftovers in the freezer to reheat for dinner. But, in the absence of leftovers, I have a wonderful, simple and delicious recipe to share with you. I was flipping through the channels one day, when I caught the sound of Jacques Pepin’s irresistible French accent. I paused to listen for a bit as he put together his Ragout of Broccolini, Beans and Sausage. It looked so delicious that I immediately ran a search online and found the recipe. There’s even a video at the link, where you can watch Jacques Pepin prepare the recipe along with some other yummy stuff. (Go to about 14:00 on the video for the ragout.) I’ve made this recipe a few times now and it never disappoints. It’s nearly impossible to mess up, so don’t stress too much about the measurements.  A little extra sausage or an extra can of beans is all good.  This ragout is a bit spicy, so if you’re making it for kids or you don’t prefer spicy foods, go ahead and use a mild sausage!

Ragout of Sausage, Cannellini Beans and Rapini

A ragout is basically a main-dish stew; pure and simple comfort food. Jacques Pepin’s recipe calls for broccolini, which is a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale. Broccolini is almost always available in my supermarket.  But, as fate would have it, there was no broccolini available this morning, which left me faced with a substitution issue. There are actually quite a few options, which I think would make suitable substitutions for the broccolini in this dish.  Broccoli, spinach, kale, or escarole would all be delicious.  I chose to use rapini, also known as broccoli raab.  It has a flavor similar to a bitter broccoli, though it’s actually most closely related to the turnip. It’s absolutely bursting with flavor and nutritional value. Blanching rapini in boiling water for just two minutes before adding to the ragout can help reduce some of its bitterness.

Serve this dish with a loaf of hot, crusty bread!

Speaking of hot, crusty bread…

I had the itch to try something new today (in between changing sheets and chasing dog hair tumbleweeds), so I searched around for a recipe for French bread. I’m a total novice when it comes to making bread. So, I bought a French baguette, just in case. When I got home, I threw on my beret (ok, not really) and went about mixing the dough. It seemed way too runny at first.  I was tempted to veer from the recipe and add more of the flour/salt mixture. But, I figured I’d stay the course and see what happened. I didn’t actually believe it would rise. I covered it with a towel anyway and went about my chores. Lo and behold, three hours later, there was a fluffy dough waiting for me.

Dough after 1st rising

As directed, I added the remaining flour/salt mixture and began kneading the dough.  It was much stickier than I’d anticipated.  My three year old asked me why I was so angry at “that thing”.

Dough after kneading

Flour Fingers

Again, I found myself doubting whether this was really going to work.  I covered the dough and waited again.

Dough after 2nd rising

After an hour had passed, I formed my sticky dough into long loaves, waited the specified 20 minutes, and popped them in the oven.

Bread baking, over a bowl of water

I held my breath for 25 minutes.  Then, opened the oven, inhaled the aroma of freshly baked French bread, and retrieved my hot, delicious prize. Perfectly crusty on the outside. Soft and doughy on the inside.

Fresh baked bread

Bon Appetit!

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Broiled Halibut with Olives, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Capers

Posted on May 17, 2010 by amydeline

I’m a planner by nature. I thrive on organization and routine in most areas of my life. But, as much as I love a good structured agenda, I rarely plan our meals in advance. I’ve tried in the past, but it just doesn’t suit my cooking (or eating) style.  I usually have a few potential meal ideas in mind for the week, but I’m hesitant to commit to anything too far ahead of time. I like to see how the week unfolds, leave some flexibility for cravings or laziness. I’m content to visit the grocery store every day, picking up just a few items for the night’s meal.  During the warm weather, morning walks to the grocery store are part of our routine. Some days, I head down there without a plan and just wonder around the grocery store until something inspires me. (I know that totally goes against all the advice you’ve seen about making a list and sticking to it!) It might be a wedge of cheese or a perfectly ripened avocado or a cut of beef behind the butcher’s counter.  All it takes is one ingredient and I’ll build a meal around it.

So, it’s not unusual that I woke up this morning with no idea about what I’d make for dinner. After a weekend of indulging on celebratory pizzas, birthday cake, and our standard Sunday night chicken tikka masala with naan, I knew I wanted something light and fresh.  (It’s all about balance!)  I also knew I wanted something fast and easy; low-prep, quick to cook, minimal clean-up. As much as I enjoy cooking, I don’t like to be cooped up in the kitchen on a beautiful spring day!  There are bikes to be ridden and playgrounds to visit! So, I started thinking about a quick broiled fish, perhaps with lemon and capers. Capers made me think of olives, which, in turn, got me thinking of sun-dried tomatoes. And that, dear friends, is the train of thought which led to tonight’s dinner plan. It’s light, loaded with nutrition, and can be thrown together in about 15 minutes. Best of all, it’s full of Mediterranean inspired flavor.

Broiled Halibut with Olives, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Capers

Broiled Halibut with Olives, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Capers

Ingredients

  • 2 Halibut Fillets (approx. 6 ounces each)
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Juice from 1/2 Lemon (approx. 1 Tbsp)
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1/2 cup mixed olives, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  • 1/8 cup capers
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
  • Crushed Red Pepper

Directions

Preheat broiler. Place fish fillets on a baking sheet and rub with a little olive oil and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place the baking sheet directly under the broiler and cook for about 10 minutes, until the fish flakes apart easily.  While the fish is broiling, coarsely chop the olives and sun-dried tomatoes. Combine with the capers, minced garlic and a sprinkle of  crushed red pepper.  During the last minute or two of cooking time, top the fish with the olive mixture to heat. Serve immediately. (Serves 2)


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Posted in Food, Main Course, Recipes, Seafood and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

A Runner’s Victory Feast

Posted on May 16, 2010 by amydeline

Yesterday morning, my sister and I ran our first 5k ever! We ran for a cause that is close to our hearts, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.  You see, 30 years and some months ago, when my mother was pregnant with my youngest sister, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  As a mother, I can not imagine the choices she was faced with. With two young daughters at home and a baby growing inside her, she was faced with risking her life to preserve the health of my unborn sister or choosing her own health, at a cost of my sister’s life. Against her doctor’s advice, she chose my sister’s life above her own. She is my hero. Her doctors treated the cancer as best as they could, with the baby’s life in mind. But, the cancer spread too rapidly.  My sister was born two months premature. Seven months later, my mother passed away. Today, my sister thrives, a testament to a mother’s love for a baby she hadn’t even met.

My family had other encounters with breast cancer after my mother’s passing. It touches so, so many lives. And so, yesterday morning, my sister and I tied on our running sneaks and hit the pavement. We ran in honor of those we’ve lost and in celebration of those who have survived. We ran for our aunts, and cousins, and sister, and friends. We ran for our lives.  We ran for the lives of our future daughters and granddaughters. We ran for everyone whose life has been touched by breast cancer.

A few months ago, it was a challenge for me to run half a mile. But, yesterday, fueled by the power of our cause, we were victorious. We certainly didn’t set any records for our lightening fast speed, but we ran that course with everything we had.

Today I offer you two of the recipes from yesterday’s victory feast.  Serve with a glass of your celebratory beverage of choice. Cheers to heroes and life!

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

My dad is a pizza traditionalist. In his opinion, the only things which belong on pizza are tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and the standard list of meat and veggie toppings. Sorry, Dad…I have to heartily disagree with you on this one. I actually went through a phase where I turned all my favorite meals into pizzas; think Steak Bordelaise, Shrimp Scampi, and Chicken Marsala in pizza form. I’ll save those recipes for another day though.  Today, we get our pizza and wings in the same bite! This recipe calls for hot sauce and bleu cheese dressing.  I strongly recommend Frank’s RedHot and Marie’s Super Bleu Cheese Dressing (It has 25% more bleu cheese, so you know it’s good!).  This is a very hearty pizza, so be sure to use a thick pizza crust!

Ingredients

  • 1-2 Chicken Breasts
  • 1/2 cup Celery, thinly sliced
  • 1 12″ Prepared Pizza Dough, thick crust
  • 3/4 cup Hot Sauce (Frank’s Red Hot)
  • 2/3 cup Bleu Cheese Dressing (Marie’s Super Bleu Cheese Dressing)
  • 1/4 cup Crumbled Bleu Cheese
  • 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 25-30 minutes. Once chicken is cool, cut or pull the chicken into small pieces. Toss chicken and celery in 1/2 cup of the Frank’s Redhot Sauce. In another bowl, combine bleu cheese dressing with 1/4 cup Frank’s Redhot Sauce (add more to make it extra spicy).  Spread sauce onto pizza dough. Top with chicken and celery mixture, discarding any excess hot sauce. Sprinkle with bleu cheese crumbles. Top with shredded mozzarella.  Bake in a 375 degrees oven for approximately 15 minutes until the pizza is hot and melty.  Allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting.

Steak Sandwiches with Sauteed Wild Mushrooms and Gruyere

Sauteed Wild Mushrooms

Typically, I make my steak sandwiches with caramelized onions and gorgonzola, but since we’ve already covered the pizza with bleu cheese, I decided to make a different steak sandwich variation, using sauteed wild mushrooms and gruyere. For this recipe, I use skirt steak, which is easily my favorite steak for sandwiches and quesadillas. Generally, skirt steak is known for being one of the toughest cuts of steak.  Color me crazy, but it always strikes me as being tender.  The key is to cook it quickly at high heat and slice it thinly against the grain. Prepared properly, skirt steak makes a great sandwich steak, because it comes apart easily when you bite into it, eliminating that awful steak sandwich situation.  You know…the situation when you bite into your sandwich, but can’t get through the steak and then a big slice of steak comes falling out and slaps you on the chin. (Does that happen to everyone or is it just me??)  Anyway, skirt steak is the way to go, but if you can’t find skirt steak, then flank steak makes a good substitution.

Ingredients

  • 1 Loaf of French Bread (preferably a batard, which is wider than a baguette)
  • 1 Skirt Steak (about 1/2 pound)
  • 2 cups Wild Mushrooms, sliced (cremini, shitake, oyster…)
  • 1 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 Tbsp Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup Shredded Gruyere cheese
  • 1 Tbsp Butter (optional, for sandwich)
  • 1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place skirt steak on a baking sheet.  Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.  Thinly slice the steak against the grain. **If preparing the sandwich immediately, turn heat down to 375 degrees after cooking the steak.

For the mushrooms, melt 1 Tbsp of butter in a sautee pan. Add mushrooms and cook over medium heat for few minutes.  The mushrooms will begin to release their liquids. Continue cooking and stirring until most of the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms turn a golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another minute or two. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice batard in half lengthwise. Spread 1 Tbsp of butter onto the bottom piece.  Top with sliced steak and sauteed mushrooms. Cover with shredded cheeses.  Replace top half of bread.  Tightly wrap the sandwich in foil and bake for about 20 minutes, until heated through and cheeses are melted. Cut into 2-4 pieces.

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Posted in Beef, Cheese, Food, General Rambling and Such, Main Course, Pizza, Poultry, Recipes, Sandwiches and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

A Spicy Chocolate Cake

Posted on May 14, 2010 by amydeline

Like chocolate cake? Like spicy food?

Then, I’ve got the recipe for you!

I can take no credit for this one, other than following the recipe and taking a picture of the result.  But, it was so delicious, I wanted to share the recipe with you. I made this cake a couple months ago for some dinner guests.  My husband was apprehensive, thinking I’d been saying ‘Chocolate Chili Cake’. I guess the idea of ground meat and kidney beans in his chocolate cake wasn’t appealing. But, rest assured.  There are no meat or beans in this cake…just dense, chocolatey goodness with just a little bit of heat.  Trust me, it works!

Flourless Chocolate-Chile Cake by Daisy Martinez

Flourless Chocolate-Chile Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Raspeberries

I added a chocolate ganache glaze and fresh raspberries to give the cake a little finish. To make a basic ganache, put 4 ounces of semisweet chocolate in a bowl. Bring 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp of heavy cream to a boil and immediately pour over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate completely melts.  Spread over the cake.

Sneaky babies...they're everywhere!!

Takeout for dinner tonight.  Tomorrow I will run my first 5k ever, for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure!  Think Pink!!

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Posted in Baking, Cakes, Chocolate, Desserts, Food, Fruit, Recipes and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
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