Happy Thanksgiving

Kale Salad with Pine Nuts, Currants, Garlic and Lemon

Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables around; you always see it on  the list of super foods. It's  full of antioxidants, anti- inflammatory nutrients and anti- cancer glucosinolates. Kales risk- lowering benefits have been shown to include cancer of the prostate, bladder, breast, colon and ovary. The Kale in this recipe is uncooked so you get the maximum health benefits!

When I told my husband that I was making him a nice Kale salad for dinner he joked that he wouldn’t be home for dinner. He loved the salad.

Do something great for yourself and your family; make this salad today. You won’t be disappointed.

Kale Salad with Pine Nuts, Currants, Garlic and Lemon (adapted from a Susan Lawrence recipe)

1 bunch Kale, cleaned, stems removed and chiffonade

¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 2 medium lemons (about 1/8 cup)

3 cloves of chopped garlic

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

1 bunch of scallions, finely sliced

½ cup of dried currants

½ cup toasted pine nuts

Chiffonade is a method of cutting leafy green vegetables into long thin strips. The leaves are stacked, rolled tightly into a cigar shape and then thinly cut into strips. Chiffonade is French for “rag”. Add the oil and lemon to the leaves and with your hands, massage the liquid into the strips of Kale for a couple of minutes. This will help to soften the Kale. Toast the pine nuts in a preheated 350 degree oven, until lightly toasted. (Monitor closely as they can burn quickly). While the pine nuts cool add the scallions, currants, parmesan cheese and garlic. Toss and add the pine nuts.

Tightly roll the Kale into a cigar shape and then cut into thin strips.

Papa Al Pomodoro

Papa Al Pomodoro  is a traditional Tuscan soup.  It's a tomato based soup made with bread.  It's  full of texture; not at all like a traditional tomato soup. This is Ina Garten's recipe and it's incredible .Make sure you use great bread for this recipe. I bought my ciabatta bread at the bake shop at whole foods. I bought 2 loafs and used about one and a half on this recipe. I also used  crushed San Marzano tomatoes which made life easy by eliminating the need to crush the tomatoes in a food processor. I'm in love with this soup.

Ingredients

·         1/2 cup good olive oil

·         2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)

·         1 cup medium-diced carrots, unpeeled (3 carrots)

·         1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and medium-diced (1 1/2 cups)

·         4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)

·         3 cups (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes, crusts removed

·         2 (28-ounce) cans good Italian plum tomatoes

·         4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

·         1/2 cup dry red wine

·         1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

·         Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

·         1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

For the topping:

·         3 cups (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes

·         2 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, chopped

·         24 to 30 whole fresh basil leaves

·         3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus more for serving

·         Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel, and garlic and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until tender. Add the ciabatta cubes and cook for 5 more minutes. Place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process just until coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the chicken stock, red wine, basil, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the topping, place the ciabatta cubes, pancetta, and basil on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until all the ingredients are crisp. The basil leaves will turn dark and crisp, which is perfectly fine. Reheat the soup, if necessary, beat with a wire whisk until the bread is broken up. Stir in the Parmesanand taste for seasoning. Serve hot sprinkled with the topping and drizzled with additional olive oil.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey and Cinnamon

Tyler Florence’s Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey and Cinnamon are easy to make and delicious. I served these with pork chops and sautéed apples.    Sprinkle a little salt on the potatoes when they come out of the oven.

Ingredients

• 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling potatoes after cooked
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Lay the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a roasting tray. Drizzle the oil, honey, cinnamon, salt and pepper over the potatoes. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes in oven or until tender.

Take sweet potatoes out of the oven and transfer them to a serving platter. Drizzle with more extra-virgin olive oil.

You can watch a video of Tyler making theses here : http://www.foodnetwork.com/roasted-sweet-potatoes-with-honey-butter/video/index.html

Full of vitamin A and antioxidants, sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious vegetables. Sweet potatoes aren't just Thanksgiving.

Gramercy Tavern Gingerbread

There are a couple of different Gramercy Tavern Gingerbread recipes floating around out there in cyberspace.  One recipe calls for ground ginger and the other uses only dry spices. Since I didn’t have fresh ginger, I made the one that uses  dry spices. I wasn’t disappointed. The gingerbread was spicy and and moist. I used a heavy duty 10-12 cup Bundt pan and I dusted it with cocoa because I don’t like white flour  on the outside of a dark cake. Confectioners’ sugar never made it onto my cake; it just didn’t seem to need it. This is a  must make  cake now that the weather is getting cooler. Grab a bottle of Guinness Stout and start baking!

Gramercy Tavern Gingerbread Gourmet | February 2000

by Claudia Fleming
Gramercy Tavern, New York, NY

Yield: Serves 8 to 10 Active Time: 20 min Total Time: 1 3/4 hr 1 cup oatmeal stout or Guinness Stout 1 cup dark molasses (not blackstrap) 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 2 tablespoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Pinch of ground cardamom 3 large eggs 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup vegetable oil Confectioners sugar for dusting Special equipment: a 10-inch (10- to 12-cup) bundt pan Accompaniment: unsweetened whipped cream Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter bundt pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess. Bring stout and molasses to a boil in a large saucepan and remove from heat. Whisk in baking soda, then cool to room temperature. Sift together flour, baking powder, and spices in a large bowl. Whisk together eggs and sugars. Whisk in oil, then molasses mixture. Add to flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into bundt pan and rap pan sharply on counter to eliminate air bubbles. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs adhering, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely. Serve cake, dusted with confectioners sugar, with whipped cream.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Gramercy-Tavern-Gingerbread-103087#ixzz1be4WvP9n

Chicken Piccata

4- 5 Boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (Bell and Evans or other all natural chicken)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

All purpose flour

2 eggs beaten

Bread crumbs (½ cup white bread crumbs mixed with ½ cup of panko or 1 cup freshly made bread crumbs)

1 tablespoon olive oil

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 shallot ( chopped)

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

1/3 cup dry vermouth

Juice of ½ large or 1 small lemon

Fresh chopped flat leaf parsley

Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. One piece at a time; dredge the chicken in the flour, dip in eggs and then coat with the bread crumbs, shaking off any excess.

Heat a large pan over high heat and then add 1 tablespoon of butter and oil. When the butter has stopped foaming reduce the heat, add the chicken and brown for about 4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Put the chicken on a baking sheet and place in the oven on low to keep warm while you make the sauce.

Drain any remaining oil or butter from the  pan and then add the shallot cooking for a minute or two on medium heat until softened.   Add the vermouth and capers and cook until the vermouth has reduced to a glaze. Lower the heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter and wisk into the shallots and vermouth. Add the last 2 tablespoons of butter with a wisk. Add the lemon juice, and  salt and pepper if necessary.

Plate the chicken, spoon the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.

( adapted from a recipe by Frank Stitt)

Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic

6 tomatoes, halved

6 cloves of garlic sliced

Salt and pepper

1 tsp honey

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1tbsp olive oil

Olive oil and balsamic vinegar 

Parsley

Preheat oven to 325. Place the halved tomatoes on an oven tray and  top garlic. Drizzle the tomatoes with the honey, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour until soft and lightly charred. Add some parsley and drizzle with a little extra balsamic vinegar and oil. 

Top It, Wrap It, Grill It

Cooking in parchment paper is known as cooking “en papellote”. The paper seals the food so it cooks in its own juices. Cooking en papellote most commonly involves fish and vegetables but can be used for almost any food; meat, fish and even pasta.

Cooking fish on cedar planks adds a subtle aromatic flavor to the fish.

Combine these two techniques and you have “Gourmet Cedar Wraps”. Brilliant!

I bought some “Gourmet Cedar Wraps” at Whole Foods. A package of 8 wraps cost $7.99. Not cheap but definitely worth it for an occasional delicious healthy salmon dinner. They also sell these everywhere now; Wal-Mart, CVS, Amazon so shop around.

The smoke from the cedar adds flavor while the moisture from the pre-soaked paper helps the salmon stay moist and tender. I cooked these on the gill but you can cook them in the oven with great results.

Serves 2 (easy to double or even triple)

2 sheets cedar paper

2 center-cut salmon filets (pin bones removed)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon water * see note below

Lightly sautéed vegetables (zucchini and yellow summer squash…optional)

Fresh rosemary (optional)

Pre-heat a gas grill with all burners set to high for about 15 minutes. You are looking for a temperature of  400 degrees if you have a thermostat. If you are cooking in an oven preheat on bake to 400 degrees.

Soak the sheets of cedar paper and the string in water for about 20 minutes.

While the paper is soaking prepare a glaze for the salmon. Cook’s illustrated suggests a spicy mustard glaze for grilled salmon. The glaze is made by combining 1 part dry mustard with an equal amount of sugar and a little water to form a thick paste. I varied this a little by using brown sugar and a little honey in place of the white sugar but Cooks illustrated is pretty fail proof.

Place the salmon on the wet paper, brush with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the mustard glaze. I then added some zucchini and yellow summer squash that I  lightly sautéed in olive oil and  I topped it with a sprig of fresh rosemary. Use what you have, what you like, or nothing more at all. It’s that flexible. Fresh lemons perhaps, green onions ….. It’s up to you.

Tie the cedar paper and place on the grill or in the oven. Close the cover of the grill and let cook for about 15 minutes. Do not place directly over a flame.

Husband’s reaction: “You could serve these to anyone!” 

Lemon Pudding Cake with Fresh Mixed Berries

I haven’t posted  here in a long time. I’ve been cooking. I’ve even been taking an occasional photo but I haven’t sat down and typed out a blog post in ages. The other day I was looking through some pictures  and came across a delicious  lemon desert I made about a month ago.

Thank goodness that a quick search on Google lead me to Tyler Florence.

This is the perfect hot summer desert; a lovely recipe that melts in your mouth.  It’s light and lemony.   Make it soon.

Ingredients

·         1 tablespoon unsalted butter

·         2/3 cup superfine sugar

·         2 eggs, separated

·         2/3 cup reduced fat buttermilk

·         2 tablespoons lemon juice

·         1 tablespoon lemon zest

·         1/4 cup all-purpose flour

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

Garnish:

·         1 cup fresh raspberries

·         1 cup fresh blueberries

·         1 cup fresh blackberries

·         2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

·          

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and lightly sugar 4 ramekins (about 1-cup size).

In a mixer, add egg yolks, buttermilk, lemon juice and lemon zest and beat until well combined. Reduce the speed to low and sift in flour, sugar and salt. Continue to mix until combined. Beat egg whites until you get stiff peaks then combine the 2 mixtures by gently folding them together, a little at a time. Divide evenly amongst ramekins then bake in a water bath - set ramekins in a roasting tray and fill with water halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake for 60 minutes * (See Note Below) until the top springs back when gently pressed and the cakes have a nice golden brown color. Allow to cool slightly, then carefully invert onto a plate. Serve with fresh berries and dust with powdered sugar.

The reviews that I read on the food network suggested that it needed less than 60 minutes to cook. I took mine out of the oven after about 45 minutes. It probably could have used a few more minutes but not 60. The cakes looked cooked, the tops were slightly brown and a tooth pick came out clean. If you don’t have super fine sugar you can make your own. Just process sugar in your food processor and then measure out the 2/3 cups after you process it.

This is a fabulous recipe.

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Biscotti from the Latin word biscoctus, meaning "twice-cooked or twice baked" refers to goods that are baked twice, so they are very dry and can be stored for long periods of time….that is if you can keep them around.

Filled with red cranberries and green pistachios these are wonderful Holiday cookies. They’re crisp and crunchy with soft and chewy cranberries. I make these every year for the holidays but they should be enjoyed year- round because they’re so delicious! So now that the craziness of the holidays is over these are perfect to enjoy with your morning coffee, cup of tea or hot chocolate as you enjoy the snow.







Dylan



This is Giada’s recipe. She dips them in white chocolate but I think they’re perfect plain.


Holiday Biscotti

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 large eggs

• 3/4 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped

• 2/3 cup dried cranberries

• 12 ounces good-quality white chocolate, chopped

• Red and green sugar crystals, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the pistachios and cranberries.

Form the dough into a 13-inch long, 3-inch wide log on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.

Place the log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.

Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Dip half of the biscotti into the melted chocolate. Gently shake off the excess chocolate. Place the biscotti on the baking sheet for the chocolate to set. Sprinkle with the sugar crystals. Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm, about 35 minutes.

The biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.

New Spice Drawer

I’m not big on making New Year’s resolutions. This year however, I’ve made a made a commitment to tackle a couple of projects that I’ve been avoiding forever.  The first project has been rattling around in my head for over a year.

Last year, shortly before Christmas, I decided that I needed to organize my spices. I announced to my husband that I wanted clear -top, square ,tin containers for my spices like this :

His first question was … Are the airtight? I called a company that made these specialty containers and to my dismay the woman said they weren’t really airtight. Since I had my heart set on a certain look for my new spice drawer I wasn’t happy with this set back. On Christmas day my husband handed me a package containing 50 glass spice jars from Crate and Barrel. My daughter also handed me a package of prefilled spice containers. I thanked them both but my heart was still set on square tin containers. My poor husband headed back to the mall to return his 50 (very heavy) containers to Crate and Barrel.

Over the past year I’ve looked at tons of spice containers. I decided that I didn’t like the idea of the tin containers after all. I didn’t want to worry about whether or not they were “food grade” I didn’t want to worry about air -tightness, rusting or lead-contaminated products from China.


So after a year of scouring the chef stores , the Container Store and every imaginable internet site I announced to my husband that what I wanted were Libbey Vibe spice jars……the very same jars he had bought at Crate and Barrel a year ago. Since my husband is a saint and appreciates an occasional home cooked meal he headed off to the mall to buy 48 Libbey Vibe spice jars from Crate and Barrel. The jars cost $1.98. Since I didn’t have to pay for shipping, the cost was basically the same as ordering them online.

My spices are finally on the way to being organized.  The labels were made on the computer using address labels . All the jars had to be washed before filling which was a bit of a chore since you have  to remove the plastic seal before washing and make sure that they are completely dry before filling. Here are the before and after photos:

I absolutely love these jars! They're really too pretty to hide away.