I'm a rock star!!

Sometimes I feel like a home cook rock star.  I attempted a recipe by Grant Achatz and it totally worked!  In case you don't know, Grant Achatz is an amazing young chef of Alinea and Next in Chicago.  He loves foams, gelatins, and making combining strange food combinations that somehow work.  His plating is artistic and creative.  He knows how to pair food and wine.  He's simply amazing and only 37 years old.  My parents were lucky enough to eat at Alinea and said it was the best meal of their life.  I will make it there someday...
So, when the magazine, Food and Wine, published a recipe by Achatz I had to make it.  It's called "Scallops with Snow Peas, Cauliflower, and Peanut Panade".  It sounds fancy, it looks fancy, but it was really easy and fun to make.  It has several components, but all are simple.  Furthermore, you can find all of the ingredients in most grocery stores.

The taste was amazing.  It was a strange combo of ingredients such as peanut butter, scallops, curry, and cauliflower, but it worked so well and it was basically a fancy restaurant dish that you can make at home.  I was so proud of myself and will make this again!  Trust me, you will also be a rock star if you serve this at your next dinner party.  Enjoy!

Scallops with Snow Peas, Cauliflower, and Peanut Panade (from Food and Wine and Grant Achatz, 2012)

2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and fresh pepper
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
6 oz. snow peas
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons salted peanuts, minced
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
1 1/2 pounds large sea scallops (do not use bay scallops)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
In a small bowl, stir the curry powder and lime juice into the oil and let stand for at least 15 minutes
Let the spices settle, then pour the oil into another bowl, stopping before you pour the solids
Season with salt and pepper

On a sheet pan, spread the cauliflower out in a single layer and toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil
Roast for 15-18 min. until browned and tender

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the snow peas
Cook for 1 minute until crisp tender
Take the peas out and submerge into a bowl ice water (this is called blanching)
Take out of water, dry, and set aside

In a skillet, toast the breadcrumbs until golden, about 1 minute
Transfer crumbs to a bowl and stir in peanut butter and peanuts until combined
This is the peanut panade

                                                (The scallops sizzling in the pan with panade)

Preheat broiler
Heat 2 tablespoons of the curry oil in a large oven proof skillet until smoking
Pat the scallops dry and season both sides with salt and pepper
Place scallops in the pan, in a single layer, and let cook until well browned and crusty on the bottom (about 1-2 min or so)
Turn scallops and place dollops of the peanut panade on each scallop
Place pan under the broiler until panade is warmed (not melted)
Serve scallops with the cauliflower and snow peas

Rice is an amazing side dish for this light meal
You can heat the snow peas at the end in the same skillet that the scallops were in (take the scallops out and add the snow peas, toss over medium-high heat until just heated through)

I will once again stress how incredibly good this is.  Thanks Grant and keep the wonderful food coming!

Something new concerning cabbage

I have been curious about stuffed cabbage for awhile now.  Not sure why.  Maybe because I’ve never had it and have never seen it as an entrée option on any menu.  It’s “old fashioned Jewish peasant food” according to Ina.  She made stuffed cabbage for Jeffrey (her husband) on one of her episodes about old fashioned Jewish cuisine and she made it look so easy and tasty that I had to make it myself.

I pretty much followed her recipe (featured in Barefoot Contessa At Home, page 106), but I used lean ground turkey in place of the ground beef, I skipped the raisins in the tomato sauce, and I halved the recipe since I was only cooking for my husband and myself.  My recipe serves 3 and Ina’s serves 6 (you can easily double mine)

It’s very easy, but a little time consuming.  However, it’s easy to do ahead of time and the results are very delicious.  The natural sweetness of the cabbage really comes through, but is cut by the savory taste of the filling.  In other words, this dish has it all and it looks impressive to guests! Enjoy!

Stuffed Cabbage

For the sauce:

1 small onion, chopped

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes and it’s juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

1 head green cabbage, including outer leaves (you won’t use the whole head)

For the filling:

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 large egg, lightly beaten

½ cup finely chopped onion

¼ cup plain dried bread crumbs

¼ uncooked white rice

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

For the sauce, heat a large saucepan over medium high heat, add the onion and cook until translucent

Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring the whole time so the garlic doesn’t burn

Add the tomatoes, vinegar, brown sugar, salt, and pepper

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes

Taste for seasoning and set aside

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil

Remove the entire core of the cabbage with a paring knife

Place cabbage in the boiling water for a few minutes until you can peel the leaves off with tongs

For the filling, in a large bowl, place turkey, egg, onion, bread crumbs, rice, thyme, salt, and pepper plus ½ cup of the sauce

Mix lightly with a fork or your hands

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

To assemble, place 1/2 cup of sauce at the bottom of a large Dutch oven

Remove the hard triangular rib from the base of each cabbage leaf with a small paring knife

Place ¼ cup of filling in an oval shape near the rib edge of each leaf and roll up towards the outer edge, tucking in the sides as you roll

Place the rolls, in a single row, seam side down, then cover with sauce

Add more cabbage rolls alternating with sauce and end with sauce on top

Cover dish with a lid and bake for 50 minutes until meat is cooked 

More Peanut Butter Flavors

I finally went back to my peanut butter flavor project and experimented with 3 new flavors:  banana, maple, and vanilla.  Here are the results and how I made them.

First, I put a pound of unsalted peanuts in a food processor and processed it on high speed for several minutes until the peanuts were broken down and it looked like peanut butter.  I also added a pinch of salt for flavor.  Then, I divided the peanut butter into 3 separate containers.

Banana:  I mashed a very ripe small banana into the peanut butter and stirred well.  It was good- not as good as what I thought it would be.  The banana flavor got a little lost in the PB, so maybe if I added another one it would have been great.  It grew on me the more I ate it, so I would give this flavor a B grade for yummy goodness.

Maple:  I added a tablespoon of REAL maple syrup (none of that fake maple flavor stuff) and tasted to see if it needed more.  I thought this flavor was wonderful!  The sweetness of the maple really came through and was a great compliment to the PB flavor.  I give this one an A for yummy goodness.

Vanilla:  I added 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and stirred well.  This was beyond bad!  It tasted chemically and I used really good vanilla.  I threw it out.  However, I wonder if using a vanilla bean would have been better and less harsh....maybe next time.  This one got an F for yuck!

Mom's Cookies

Following is a recipe for "cowboy cookies"  I have no clue where the name came from or how old this recipe is.  I grew up on these cookies and I think my mom made them weekly (well, maybe not quite that much).  She continues to make them for her grandchildren and has become known for them.  They are essentially chocolate chip cookies with oats added to the batter and her excuse for making them was that "oats make the cookies healthy"
Well, not sure if that's true, but it's a great excuse to eat more cookies!

You can do variations on these cookies as well.  Add peanut butter chips, nuts, dried cherries or cranberries and they are delicious.  However, don't add butterscotch chips- they overwhelm the chocolate and don't mix well with the oats.

Cowboy Cookies, courtesy of Renee Epplin

1 stick butter at room temperature
1/2 cup shortening (or you can skip the shortening and use 2 sticks of butter total)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

In a bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter, shortening, sugar, and brown sugar for at least 5 minutes until light and fluffy
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between additions
Add vanilla and mix
Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined- don't over mix!
Fold in oats and chocolate chips (and dried fruit and/or nuts, if using)
Refrigerate dough for 1-2 hours (you can refrigerate it overnight as well.  This helps the dough set and not spread so much in the oven)
Preheat oven to 375
Drop 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie on parchment lined baking sheets
Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned and still slightly raw in the middle
Cool on cooling racks and enjoy!

Eat more salmon!

We are told by doctors and health experts to eat more salmon.  It's a great source of protein and full of heart healthy fats.  It's also one of my favorite fish dishes, but can get really boring just grilled or roasted.  I've been jazzing salmon up lately and this is one of my new favorites.  It's easy to prepare, all of the ingredients are found in any grocery store, and it's fast cooking.  Hopefully you'll love it as much as I do!

(It almost looks like fried chicken in my picture, but it's not fried.  I serve it with a simple salad and crusty bread, and dinner is delicious and satisfying.)

Salmon with Panko and Dijon

2 salmon fillets (as big as you like- probably around 8 oz)
Dijon mustard
Kosher salt/pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/3 cup panko
1/2 teaspoon (or more) crushed red pepper flakes
1 large clove garlic, grated

Preheat oven to 400
Place salmon fillets on lined baking sheet and season well with salt and pepper
Generously brush tops of each fillet with Dijon
In medium size bowl, mix lemon juice, parsley, panko, crushed red pepper flakes, and garlic until combined
Press panko mixture onto each fillet
Bake for 10-12 minutes until center is cooked medium
Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving
YUM!

Mac/Cheese and Meatballs

Homemade macaroni and cheese and chicken meatballs on one plate.  One word:  yum!
This recipe was inspired by a Rachael Ray (of all people) recipe.  I changed it to make it healthier and, in my opinion, tastier.  It's a simple, yet flavorful, macaroni and cheese made with cheddar and Parmesean cheeses.  As if that's not good enough, I made chicken meatballs with rosemary and fennel seeds that sends this dish over the top.  Oh yeah, I also included spinach and broccoli, so everyone wins....

Mac/Cheese and Meatballs

For the meatballs:
1 pound ground lean chicken (or lean turkey if you can't find chicken)
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup Parmesean cheese
1 egg
3/4 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 450
Combine all ingredients for meatballs and mix lightly with a fork or your hands
Form 10 (or so) large meatballs and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Bake for 15 minutes, until cooked through

For the mac/cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken stock
Kosher salt/pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 oz. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesean cheese
1 box frozen spinach, dethawed and squeezed dry
2 cups broccoli (you can use frozen or fresh- just blanch the broccoli to cook slightly if using fresh)
1 pound large macaroni noodles (or any short cut pasta of choice.  Cavatappi is good too)

Bring large pot to a boil, salt the water, add pasta
Cook pasta according to package directions

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat
Add flour and whisk
Whisk in milk, stock, salt, pepper, and nutmeg
Whisk until thickened, about 5 minutes
Turn heat to low and add cheddar and Parmesean cheeses
Stir until incorporated
Add spinach and broccoli and stir until combined and spinach is broken up
Taste for seasoning and heat through

Serve mac/cheese with meatballs on top. Enjoy!!

Italian Wedding Soup (my fav)

This is one of my favorite soups.  Meatballs, pasta, spinach, herbs, yummy stock- what else could you want in a meal?  Furthermore, it’s easy to make and the meatballs can be made ahead of time, so it’s not as time consuming as you think.  Enjoy!

Italian Wedding Soup

For the meatballs

1 lb ground lean turkey (or ground lean chicken)

½ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons milk

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

For the soup

Olive oil or cooking spray

1 medium onion, small diced

1 cup carrots, diced

1 cup celery, diced

9 cups chicken stock

¾ cup small pasta (any cut you like)

1/4 cup minced fresh dill

10 oz. baby spinach, washed and stems removed

Preheat oven to 350

For the meatballs, place ground turkey (or chicken), panko, garlic, parsley, crushed red pepper, cheese, milk, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and combine gently with a fork or your hands.

With a teaspoon or small ice cream scoop, drop 1-1 ¼ inch meatballs on a sheet pan layered with parchment paper.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned and cooked through

For the soup, heat olive oil or cooking spray over medium heat in a large soup pot.

Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook until softened.

Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Add the pasta and cook for about 6-8 minutes, until the pasta is tender.

Add the dill and meatballs and lower the heat to simmer.

Taste for salt and pepper and add more if necessary.

Add the spinach and cook until it is just wilted, about a minute.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese

Homemade Peanut Butter

I lovelovelove peanut butter.  I love natural peanut butter, chunky peanut butter, chocolate peanut butter, and even processed name brand peanut butter.  I cannot have it in the house either.  I will eat the whole container in 2 days.  This was getting a little expensive, plus I wanted to experiment with flavors. 

So, I researched homemade peanut butter and couldn’t believe how easy and tasty homemade peanut butter was to make.  You really only need 2 things:  peanuts and a food processor.  Put the peanuts in the food processor, turn it on high, let it spin for a few minutes, and before you know it, you have peanut butter.  Some people like to add oil to it, but I don’t find it necessary and I want my peanut butter to be as natural as possible.

So far I’ve made a few flavors:  plain, chocolate, honey, cinnamon, honey/cinnamon combo, and chocolate malt.  I have a few more flavors I want to try and I’ll let you know as soon as I finish experimenting.

Homemade Peanut Butter

1 ½ pounds peanuts (no salt or lightly salted)

pinch salt

mix ins:  honey, cinnamon, dark or milk chocolate melted (about 3-4 oz. depending how chocolatey you want it), malt powder (3 tablespoons)

Place peanuts in a food processor fitted with a steel blade

Turn processor on high for several minutes until peanuts are broken down into a paste

Add your mix ins and stir until combined (add as much or as little mix ins as you like)

Store in your fridge for up to 2 weeks

I have other flavors I’ll experiment with such as banana, cayenne, vanilla, and maple and report back….