Friday, April 30, 2010

Pork Chop Suey

From Eating Well Magazine
Serves 4

*1 cup chicken broth
*3 tbsp soy sauce
*2 tbsp molasses
*1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
*5 tsp cornstarch
*2 tbsp canola oil, divided
*1 lb. pork tenderloin, trimmed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
*1 medium onion, slivered
*1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
*3 cups mung bean sprouts
*1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

1. Combine broth, soy sauce, molasses and pepper in a medium bowl. Transfer 2 tbsp of the mixture to a small bowl; stir cornstarch into small bowl until combined. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pork and cook, stirring frequently, until almost all pink is gone, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

3. Increase heat to medium high. Add remaining oil, onion, bell pepper, sprouts and ginger and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in broth mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; add the reserved cornstarch mixture and pork (with accumulated juices) and cook, stirring until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Tortellini Primavera


From Eating Well Magazine
Serves 4

*1 14 oz. can vegetable broth
*2 tbsp all-purpose flour
*1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
*3 cloves garlic, sliced
*1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
*1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
*1/8 tsp salt
*1 16 oz. bag frozen mixed vegetables
*1 9 oz. package cheese tortellini

1. Put a large pot of water to boil.

2. Whisk broth and flour in a small bowl. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring until just beginning to brown, 1 minute. Add the broth mixture to the pan, bring to a boil and stir occasionally, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, tarragon and salt.

3. Add vegetables and tortellini to the boiling water; return the water to a simmer and cook until the vegetables and tortellini are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain; pour the sauce over the pasta and vegetables, toss to coat.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

White Pizzas with Arugula


Serves 2 or 3
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

For the pizza:

*3/4 cup warm water
*2 1/4 tsp dry yeast
*1 1/2 tsp honey
*olive oil
*2 cups flour, plus extra for kneading
*Kosher salt
*2 garlic cloves, sliced
*3 sprigs fresh thyme
*pinch of red pepper flakes
*freshly ground black pepper
*4 oz. raclette cheese, grated
*3 oz. ricotta cheese
*4 oz. chevre goat cheese, crumbled

For the salad:

*1/4 cup olive oil
*1/8 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
*4 oz. baby arugula


For the dough, combine water, yeast, honey and 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a bowl. When yeast is dissolved, add 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt and mix together with a fork. Add 1/2 to 1 cup more flour to make a soft dough. Knead dough for 5-10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling with flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the bowl. The dough should be smooth and elastic. Place dough in well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover it lightly with oil. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile make the garlic oil. Place 1/4 cup olive oil, the garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes in a pan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook for 10 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 500. Divide dough into two pieces for larger personal-sized pizzas, and three pizzas for smaller personal-sized pizzas. Place balls of dough on parchment-lined sheet pan, stretching each into an 8-inch circle. Brush the pizzas with garlic oil an sprinkle each liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle pizzas evenly with raclette, , ricotta and goat cheese. Drizzle each pizza with one tablespoon more or the garlic oil and bake for 10 minutes, until the crusts are crisp and the cheeses begin to brown.

Meanwhile, for the vinaigrette, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. When pizzas are done, place the arugula in a large bowl and toss with just enough vinaigrette to moisten. Place a large bunch of arugula on each pizza and serve immediately.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Roasted Potato Leek Soup

Serves 6 to 8
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

*2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks
*4 leeks chopped, white and light green parts, cleaned of all sand
*1/4 cup olive oil
*kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
*3 cups baby arugula, lightly packed
*1/2 cup dry white wine, plus extra for serving
*6 cups chicken stock
*3/4 cup whole milk
*8 oz. creme fraiche
*1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine potatoes and leeks on a sheet pan in a single layer. Add the olive oil, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Roast for 20-30 minutes, turning with a spatula a few times during cooking, until potatoes are very tender. Add the arugula and toss to combine. Roast for 3 more minutes, until the arugula is wilted. Remove the pan from the oven and place over two burners Stir in the wine and 1 cup of chicken stock and cook over low heat, scraping up any crispy roasted bits sticking to the pan.

In batches, transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor fitted with the steel blade, adding the pan liquid and about 5 cups of chicken stock to make a puree. Pour the puree into a large pot or Dutch oven. Continue to puree the vegetables in batches until they're all done and combined in the large pot. Add the milk, creme fraiche, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper and check seasonings.

When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently and whisk in 2 tbsp white wine and the Parmesan cheese. Serve hot with an extra grating of Parmesan cheese.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Filling

*3 cups rhubarb, sliced crosswise into 3/4 " pieces
*3 cups strawberries, sliced
*1 cup sugar
*2 tbsp cornstarch
*pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 400 with rack in the lowest level.

In a large bowl, toss rhubarb and strawberries with sugar, cornstarch and salt. Pour into pie shell. Either cover the pie with a top crust and make slits with a knife, or sprinkle with a crumble topping. Place on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven and reduce heat to 375. Bake about 50 minutes, when crust is lightly browned.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Lentil Salad with Bacon and Lettuce


Serves 4
Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine

*1 cup brown lentils
*4 strips bacon, cut cross-wise into 1/4 inch pieces
*1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
*2 carrots, finely chopped
*2 garlic cloves, minced
*3 tbsp red wine vinegar
*1 tbsp Dijon mustard
*3 tbsp olive oil
*coarse salt and ground pepper
*6 cups frisee or spinach or other lettuce

In a medium saucepan, combine lentils and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cook until lentils are tender but not mushy, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, cook bacon over medium-low heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Add onion and carrots to rendered fat in skillet; cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard and oil; season with salt and pepper. Combine lettuce and 1/3 of the dressing in another bowl, toss to coat. Add lentils, onion and bacon to bowl with the rest of the dressing and toss to coat.

To serve, divide lettuce among plates and top with lentil salad.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Pecan Crusted Snapper

Serves 3

Breading:
*1 cup pecan pieces
*1/2 cup bread crumbs
*1/2 tsp each dried basil, oregano, thyme, granulated garlic, granulated onion, white pepper

Pulse all breading ingredients until medium-fine. Then put on a flat dish and set aside.

*3 snapper fillets
*1 egg
*1/2 cup milk
*1/2 cup flour
*1/2 cup olive or canola oil

In a flat dish, whisk milk and egg together. Put flour in a flat dish. Dredge snapper fillets in the flour, patting off excess flour. Pass floured fillet through egg wash, wetting the entire fillet. Place fillet in breading, lightly pressing the mixture onto both sides. Shake off excess.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Saute fillets until golden brown.

Hot Chile Grilled Cheese


From Eating Well Magazine
Serves 4

*4 poblano peppers
*1 14 oz. can pinto beans
*3 tbsp prepared salsa
*1/8 tsp salt
*1/2 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
*2 tbsp plain yogurt
*3 scallions, sliced
*2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
*8 slices bread

1. Place peppers in microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 3 minutes. Let stand, covered, until cool enough to handle.

2. Meanwhile, combine beans, salsa and salt in a medium bowl. Mash the beans with a fork until they begin to form a paste (some can remain whole). Combine cheese, yogurt, scallions and cilantro in a small bowl.

3. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, slice each in half lengthwise and remove the stem and seeds. Heat a panini maker on high.

4. Spread 1/3 cup bean mixture on each of 4 slices of bread. Top with a heaping tbsp of the cheese mixture. Place two pepper halves over the cheese. Cover with the remaining slices of bread.

5. Grill the sandwiches in the panini maker about 4 minutes. Cut in half and serve immediately.