Archive for September, 2008

Broccoli Soup

Published
by
jillian
on September 29, 2008
in Recipes and Soups
. 6 Comments

DSC_3189, originally uploaded by jasonrr.

I am finally feeling better, and I think part of the credit goes to this soup. I think that anything this green must be really good for you. This is like cream of broccoli soup without the cream. We ate this with a dollop of ricotta on top for a little extra something. I think it would also be good topped with a little goat cheese or mascarpone. I served this with my Daring Bakers parmesan lavash crackers.

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
2 tbsp flour
1 cup low fat milk
1 quart of chicken stock
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup water
6 cups of broccoli
1 cup of butter beans (canned)
2 tbsp grated parmesan
Salt and pepper
Heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat in large soup pot (at least 4 quarts). Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent and add the garlic. Cook the garlic for about a minute and add the flour. Stir continuously for about 1 minute and add 1 cup of milk. Continue to stir until milk thickens slightly (enough to coat the spoon). Add the chicken stock and stir well to combine. Bring to a simmer and broccoli florets, fresh thyme, fresh ground pepper and a bay leaf. Simmer until the broccoli is just tender. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprig and add the beans. Blend with an immersion blender or carefully transfer to a standing blender. Blend to desired thickness (I left some small unblended pieces of broccoli for texture). Stir in the parmesan cheese.

Also, check out this contest Martha Stewart is having.  She will be featuring different blogs on her site.

Daring Bakers: Sweet and Savory Lavash Crackers

Published
by
jillian
on September 27, 2008
in Recipes and Side Dishes
. 22 Comments

Sweet Cinnamon Lavash Crackers, originally uploaded by jasonrr.

This month’s Daring Bakers challenge was selected by Natalie from Gluten A Go Go, and co-host Shel, of Musings From the Fishbowl and it comes from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart. These lavash crackers are the first vegan recipe selected by Daring Bakers, and we also had the option of making this gluten free. I had every intention of trying gluten free but I ended up sticking with whole wheat flour. I made cinnamon and sugar crackers with a sweet apple and cranberry dip. The verdict was that these tasted like a kind of deconstructed pie when combined with the dip. I still have a cold, and I had to rely on my husband’s sense of taste.

For the apple and cranberry dip, I simmered together the following until the juice thickened and the apples softened (about 15 minutes):
3 apples peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp tapioca powder
2 tablespoons of dried cranberries

I also made a second batch of garlic Parmesan crackers. Yes, I know they are not vegan, but they came out similar to our favorite pita chips. I topped them garlic powder, poppy seeds and salt.  When they came out of the oven, I grated the cheese over the warm crackers.  I think I would add more topping to the savory ones next time and mix some herbs into the dough. These were super easy to make, and I really felt like nothing was compromised by making them whole grain.

Check out the Daring Bakers Blogroll to see what everyone else came up with!
Recipe from: The Bread Baker’s Apprentice: Mastering The Art of Extraordinary Bread, by Peter Reinhart.

Makes 1 sheet pan of crackers

* 1 1/2 cups (6.75 oz) unbleached bread flour or gluten free flour blend (If you use a blend without xanthan gum, add 1 tsp xanthan or guar gum to the recipe)
* 1/2 tsp (.13 oz) salt
* 1/2 tsp (.055 oz) instant yeast
* 1 Tb (.75 oz) agave syrup or sugar
* 1 Tb (.5 oz) vegetable oil
* 1/3 to 1/2 cup + 2 Tb (3 to 4 oz) water, at room temperature
* Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, or kosher salt for toppings

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt yeast, agave, oil, and just enough water to bring everything together into a ball. You may not need the full 1/2 cup + 2 Tb of water, but be prepared to use it all if needed.

2. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Sprinkle some flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly distributed. The dough should pass the windowpane test (see http://www.wikihow.com/Determine-if-Bre … ong-Enough for a discription of this) and register 77 degrees to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), satiny to the touch, not tacky, and supple enough to stretch when pulled. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

or

2. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: The dough should be firmer than French bread dough, but not quite as firm as bagel dough (what I call medium-firm dough), and slightly tacky. Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

3. Ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size. (You can also retard the dough overnight in the refrigerator immediately after kneading or mixing).

4. For Non Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Mist the counter lightly with spray oil and transfer the dough to the counter. Press the dough into a square with your hand and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. You may have to stop from time to time so that the gluten can relax. At these times, lift the dough from the counter and wave it a little, and then lay it back down. Cover it with a towel or plastic wrap while it relaxes. When it is the desired thinness, let the dough relax for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with baking parchment. Carefully lift the sheet of dough and lay it on the parchment. If it overlaps the edge of the pan, snip off the excess with scissors.

or

4. For Gluten Free Cracker Dough: Lay out two sheets of parchment paper. Divide the cracker dough in half and then sandwich the dough between the two sheets of parchment. Roll out the dough until it is a paper thin sheet about 15 inches by 12 inches. Slowly peel away the top layer of parchment paper. Then set the bottom layer of parchment paper with the cracker dough on it onto a baking sheet.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Mist the top of the dough with water and sprinkle a covering of seeds or spices on the dough (such as alternating rows of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, caraway seeds, kosher or pretzel salt, etc.) Be careful with spices and salt – a little goes a long way. If you want to precut the cracker, use a pizza cutter (rolling blade) and cut diamonds or rectangles in the dough. You do not need to separate the pieces, as they will snap apart after baking. If you want to make shards, bake the sheet of dough without cutting it first.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crackers begin to brown evenly across the top (the time will depend on how thinly and evenly you rolled the dough).

6. When the crackers are baked, remove the pan from the oven and let them cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. You can then snap them apart or snap off shards and serve.

Barefoot Bloggers: Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup

Published
by
jillian
on September 26, 2008
in Recipes and Soups
. 3 Comments

DSC_3129, originally uploaded by jasonrr.

Due to being sick and feeling miserable, I am a little late getting this post up. I actually made this last week. It was really delicious but I have to admit that I made significant changes to this recipe to lighten it up a bit and make it suitable for a main course. I replaced most of the olive oil with butter and only added 1/2 a cup of cream and 1 1/2 cups of lowfat milk. I rarely have white wine on hand so I used a 1/2 cup of good cream sherry. To bulk up this soup, I used extra cremini mushrooms and some precious chanterelles that I bought at the farmer’s market.

Thanks to Brown Eyed Baker for choosing this recipe!

Below is the original Barefoot Contessa Recipe from the Food Network Continue reading ‘Barefoot Bloggers: Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup’

Blueberry and Corn Pancakes

Published
by
jillian
on September 21, 2008
in Breakfast and Recipes
. 2 Comments

DSC_3131, originally uploaded by jasonrr.

More Sunday pancakes! I really love our lazy weekend breakfasts. I feel like they help recharge me for the weekdays ahead. I bought a bunch of blueberries the other day, and they were really, really sour. They were good in these pancakes though. I added some cornmeal to this batter for a change in texture. It helped make these less doughy with all the fruit added. I simmered the rest of the blueberries in a little maple syrup to serve on top. I have always found the maple syrup works surprisingly well with berries, and it succeeded in making these incredibly tart blueberries edible.

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I use white whole wheat)
1/2 cup medium grind cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp honey
1 1/2 cups lowfat milk
2 tbsp ricotta or plain yogurt
1 heaping cup of blueberries

Combine the dry and wet ingredients and then blend together. Gently stir in the blueberries and cook over medium heat.

In case you were wondering…

Published
by
jillian
on September 17, 2008
in Dessert and Recipes
. 3 Comments

Zuchinni & Coconut Cupcakes, originally uploaded by jasonrr.

…this coconut zucchini bread made into muffins is really good. It is even better as cupcakes with a little cream cheese icing and extra coconut on top. You could add a half a cup less of zucchini for a fluffier cake but I like that this is almost the texture of carrot cake. After being given a ton of zucchini this weekend, I went a bit crazy and made three loaves and eight muffins. Luckily the loaves can be frozen.

Here is my recipe for a small batch of cream cheese icing:

4 oz on cream cheese
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
¾ cup of confectioners sugar

Garden Vegetable Soup

Published
by
jillian
on September 16, 2008
in Recipes and Soups
. 4 Comments

Vegetable Soup, originally uploaded by jasonrr.

I wish I could say this soup was the product of my garden. Alas, it was not. I still have two tiny green tomatoes on my one plant. However, the likelihood of them ripening before frost is not good. Most of the vegetables used come from J’s uncle’s overflowing garden. He gave us: tomatoes, zucchini, herbs, eggplant, and a ton of jalapeno peppers. I have other plans for the eggplant and peppers. The broth for this soup is on the lighter side as I am not really a fan of heavy tomato based vegetable soups. When I reheated this for dinner the night after it was made, I added four cheese ravioli even though there was already spaghetti in the soup. The cheese in the ravioli added a nice richness to this, and of course everything is better with cheese.

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 quart chicken stock, plus 2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
¼ tsp fresh oregano
A pinch of finely chopped rosemary
1 medium zucchini
1 medium summer squash
1 cup chopped tomatoes
½ cup spaghetti ( I used a whole grain blend)
1 cup canned kidney beans
1 tsp chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Sautee the onions, carrots and celery in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for another minute then add the chicken stock and water. Add the herbs, be certain to only add a small amount of rosemary as it can overpower the soup. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for at least half an hour.

In a separate sautee pan, add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Over medium heat add the zucchini and squash. Allow them to brown slightly and add the tomatoes. These will likely have a lot of liquid that can be cooked off by raising the heat slightly. These can now be added to the stock.
Break a ¼ of a pound of spaghetti into four sections. Bring the soup to a boil and add. When the pasta is al dente add the beans and stir in the fresh parsley. Remove the bay leaf and the spring of thyme before serving.

Peaches & Cream Pancakes

Published
by
jillian
on September 15, 2008
in Breakfast and Recipes
. 4 Comments

Peaches & Cream Pancakes, originally uploaded by jasonrr.

We eat pancakes almost every weekend. J loves them and over time, I have come to love them too. He would eat plain unadorned pancakes with a little maple syrup every weekend. However, I have a need to add something to them: pecans, blueberries, spices, bananas…you name it. We were out of maple syrup this weekend, and I wanted to make something that would pair well with whipped cream. Peaches were natural solution. J still thought these would be good with syrup. I thought the light sweetness of the powdered sugar and the mellowness of the cream were a nice change.

Peaches and Cream Pancakes

½ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup oatmeal flour
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
1egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp ricotta cheese
3 tbsp chopped fresh peaches
¾ cup milk

Combine the dry ingredients and stir with a whisk until when combined. Blend the wet ingredients, including the peaches, in a large bowl and gradually stir in the dry. Cook over medium low heat on a well buttered griddle or skillet until. Serve topped with additional peaches, whipped cream and confectioners sugar.

This is mysubmission to the Key Ingredient Cook’s Kitchen contest that is featuring peaches and apples for September.

No Knead Whole Wheat Bread

Published
by
jillian
on September 13, 2008
in Recipes and Side Dishes
. 2 Comments

No knead whole wheat bread, originally uploaded by jasonrr.

I had heard of the wonders of The NY Times No Knead Bread, and it really is as good as promised. I made this with half whole wheat flour. It came out great, and I imagine that it would have a nice light texture if I used white flour. This get baked in a cast iron pot at 450. The dough is unusually wet for a bread dough, and I just kind of dumped the whole sticky amorphous mass into the hot pot after it second rise. Next time, I will be more delicate sliding it into the pot get a rounder bread as it sticks immediately. Although I think that there is something really satisfying about kneading bread, I suspect that this will become by new go-to way to make bread.

Click here for the NYT Recipe

Barefoot Bloggers: Grown-up Mac and Cheese

Published
by
jillian
on September 11, 2008
in Dinner and Recipes
. 6 Comments

Grown-up Mac and Cheese, originally uploaded by jasonrr.

I finished my first Barefoot Bloggers recipe just under the wire! In fact, I am eating this as I write this, and it is goooood. I mean homemade mac n’ cheese with bacon and basil of course it’s good! I love Ina Garten’s recipes, and her show Barefoot Contessa is one of the few redeeming things about the Food Network. The Barefoot Bloggers are a relatively new group that are baking and cooking their way through Ina Garten’s ‘fabulous’ recipes. Check out the site if you are interested in joining.

I did make a few changes to this: I omitted the blue cheese because J doesn’t eat it, and I used panko because I didn’t have any bread. Two pieces of bacon seemed to be enough to me. I didn’t bake mine nearly as long as in the original recipe.  The top browned pretty quickly in my convection toaster.  The portion size of this is well…generous. I found that this made way more than two servings.

Thanks to Heather of Randomosity and The Girl for choosing a great recipe!

Grown-Up Mac and Cheese by Ina Garten from The Food Network.

4 ounces thick-sliced bacon
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven – there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don’t boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.

Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Lemon Chicken with Whole Wheat Couscous

Published
by
jillian
on September 7, 2008
in Dinner and Recipes
. 3 Comments

Lemon Chicken, originally uploaded by jasonrr.

I haven’t had lemon chicken in forever. I never order it in restaurants and I can’t remember the last time I made it. We almost ordered pizza the other night but instead I decided to use the extra lemons I had and the chicken in the freezer make this. I wasn’t really feeling industrious or anything I just didn’t feel like going out in the rain that was the remnants of Hanna. We ate this with whole wheat couscous. The chicken was super lemony, which I consider a good thing. I think that it would have been improved by adding some white wine but I didn’t have any on hand.
For the chicken:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ cup flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ garlic powder
3 tbsp olive oil

For the sauce:
1 ½ lemons
2 cloves garlic
1 ½ cups chicken stock (1/2 a cup of the liquid could be replaced by white wine if desired)
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp butter
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp fresh thyme
½ tsp fresh parsley

Combine the flour and spices and dredge the chicken, shaking off any excess flour. Heat a 10 inch skillet with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until lightly brown on either side. Drain the chicken on paper towels. To the skillet add: the juice of one lemon, ½ lemon sliced thinly, 2 cloves of garlic (I used a microplane to grate the garlic into the pan), stir to cook the garlic slightly and add the chicken stock, honey, butter and herbs. Slice the chicken in strips and add back to the pan. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve over couscous or pasta.