Stuffed Artichokes

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The other day at the produce market, I picked up a couple of big ol' artichokes.  My first thought was "Victor can stuff these."

I thought that because Victor makes really, really good stuffed artichokes.

While we always had artichokes growing up (with mayonnaise to dip the leaves in!)  I really hadn't had or made stuffed artichokes until we met.  And, let's face it - there's absolutely no reason for me to make them if he can make them so wonderfully and effortlessly!

So...  I sent Victor a message this morning saying it would be great if he made the stuffed artichokes tonight.  I immediately got a message back saying not only would he make the artichokes, but He'd also cook dinner - adding some perline pasta to the plate!

Gastronomic heaven.

I came home to two lovely artichokes stuffed with breadcrumbs, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped olives, Italian seasoning, Locatelli, garlic, and olive oil. (And a pinch of salt and pepper.)

He then steamed them in about 2 cups of chicken broth for about an hour.  Naturally, one can use water, vegetable broth, wine, or any combination, but we had the chicken broth in the 'fridge...

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The pasta was perline pasta with olive oil, a squeeze of anchovy paste, tomato paste, a bit of the artichoke broth, and a sprinkling of the stuffing crumbs.

This is when eating with your fingers is fun.  As I was pulling apart the artichoke and getting crumbs all over my hands, I make the effort to wipe my hands before grabbing the fork to eat the pasta.

Pretty soon, the napkin was a mess, my hands were a mess, and the fork was a mess. It was just as easy - and actually less messy - to just pop a piece of pasta in my mouth with my fingers.

It was really a treat!


Leftovers

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With two types of soup in the 'fridge and a hunk of bread left from Sunday, it just didn't make any sense to cook something else, tonight!  Soup it was!

I had a big bowl of the pipian, Victor had the navy bean.  We both had the bread.

I'll figure out something new and exciting for tomorrow...


Baked Chicken and Rice - Mexican-Style

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I think I'm doing reasonably well on my quest to lose some weight.  Less than 2 pounds to go and I'll have hit the half-way point of 25 pounds!  I'm already feeling the difference.  Clothes are fitting better - and in some cases, fitting, period!

So tonight's dinner is probably a little higher in fat than we've been doing, but it just sounded good.  While I am determined to lose a total of 50 pounds, I'm even more determined not to become one of those people who are afraid to eat.

Sorry - I really enjoy food, and when I can no longer freely enjoy food, I see no reason to keep drawing breath.  Seriously.

So tonight's dinner starts with a Baked Chipotle Chicken Breast.  Very simple.  (Of course I'm using real mayonnaise.  I won't have that other stuff in the house!)

Baked Chipotle Chicken

  • chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
  • 3 chipotle peppers in adobo
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
  • salt and pepper

Blend mayonnaise and chipotle peppers and coat chicken breasts.  Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425°.

Mix salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin with bread crumbs.

Dip chicken into crumbs and place on pan.

Bake about 25 minutes. (Time will vary acording to size of your chicken breasts.)

The Chorizo Rice was a bit more time-consuming, but oh, so worth it...

Chorizo Rice

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 oz chorizo, sliced or crumbled
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 can diced tomatoes in juice
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • salt and pepper

Heat oil in large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chorizo and onion and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add spices. Add rice; stir to coat with oil. Add broth, tomatoes with juice, then peas and corn; stir to mix. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer about 45 minutes.

The rice could have been served for dinner on its own!  It had all the qualities of a paella or risotto. It really was good.  Rich and creamy.  Yum.

And speaking of really good, today is the 24th Anniversary of Mike and Debbie's Wedding Cake Disater.

Okay...  It's really Debbie's birthday and their 24th Anniversary, but I made their wedding cake - and I hated it.  A lot.  24 years later and I can still remember it - which in and of itself is pretty amazing because I got really really drunk at the reception.  Really drunk.  So drunk that all of the illicit drugs I was also taking couldn't keep me on my feet.  (It was 1985 - recreational drugs were still pretty much legal.  It was just before the big pharmaceutical companies got everyone hooked on prescription drugs.)

But I digress...

Happy Birthday and  Happy Anniversary, you two!  What are you doing for your 25th?!?


Sunny Sunday Bread and Soup

 

The weather is just not cooperating with me!

It got chilly and started raining last night.  As it was supposed to continue into today, I thought soup would be a good thing.  I had the turkey carcass in the 'fridge so I pulled it out and into the pot it went with bay leaves, celery bottoms, a few carrots, onion, garlic (skins and all), and a bit of salt and pepper.  I boiled it down for several hours, strained the broth, cooled it and into the 'fridge it went.  It was the perfect food to sit on the stove while I worked on a couple of websites.  I love unattended cooking!

I had a big jar of navy beans on the shelf that had been up there probably since last fall, so I pulled 'em down and soaked half of them overnight.  Bean soup sounded good.

Since the beans were a bit old, I soaked them for a good 12 hours before cooking them.  It was a good thing - they definitely took their time to cook!

I cooked the beans separately, drained them, and reserved some of the cooking liquid.

I sauteed half an onion and 4 stalks of celery in a bit of olive oil.  I added 1 link of andouille sausage and browned that a bit.

Into the pot went about a cup of white wine that I reduced down by half.  Then the turkey broth.  I  added the drained beans, brought it all to a boil and then let it simmer for another hour or so.

I added some herbs d'Provence, salt and pepper, and then half a bag of frozen spinach - because it was there.

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In the meantime, I made a loaf of beer bread.

Beer Bread is merely 3 cups of self-rising flour, 3 tbsp sugar, and a bottle of beer.  Bake at 350° for an hour.

I had a small piece of gorgonzola in the 'fridge, so I sliced it up into the batter before baking.

It was really good!

So... as I have soup on the stove and bread in the oven, the rain stops, the clouds clear, and it turns into a sunny, glorious day!  Go figure.

So we opened the windows, enjoyed the cool breeze - and ate soup and fresh bread, anyway!

A perfect day.


Pipian Soup

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It's amazing what one can do with a jar of Dona Maria Pipian Sauce... Since the local Super Fresh became Path Mark, the Mexican food selection has definitely improved!  They even carry chipotles in adobo!  It's great!

Pipian sauce is a pumpkin seed sauce that is part of the mole family. I bought a jar of it a while ago and have been thinking I wanted to use it as a soup base - and today, I finally did!

It's an earthy and slightly (very slightly) spicy sauce that really does have an interesting flavor.  I decided to punch it up a bit with a can of pumpkin, some chipotle powder, and a bit of smoked paprika.  I also had some flint corn I buy from Native Harvest in Minnesota that I wanted to use.  Yum.

Pipian Soup

  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 3 ribs celery, diced
  • 2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 chicken breast, diced
  • 1 jar Dona Maria Pipian Sauce
  • 1 can pumpkin
  • 1 qt chicken broth
  • 1 cup flint corn, cooked
  • 1 cup whole grain rice, cooked
  • 1 can diced tomatoes in juice
  • 1 tsp chipotle powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • cilantro

Cook onion, peppers, celery, and garlic in soup pot with olive oil until wilted.  Add chicken and cook.

Add pipian sauce and mix well.  Add broth and mix well.  Add pumpkin and mix well.  Add tomatoes with juice and mix well.

Add spices and bring to a boil.

Add cooked corn and rice.

Simmer and check for seasoning.  Add salt and pepper, if desired.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with cilantro.

It made a really thick soup - very stew-like, in fact.  Very hearty.

I suppose some pumpkin seeds on top would have been really good - but I didn't have any.  Oh well.

The sauce was good, but I think I prefer it as an ingredient added to a soup, rather than a sauce served over chicken or enchiladas, or something.

I can see several variations on a theme, here.....

Experimenting is fun.


Fresh From The Garden

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I lead a charmed and wonderful life.  I get to spend 40 hours a week talking to a huge cross-section of humanity about food.  Good food.  Bad food.  What to do with food. What not to do with food.  And then I get to come home, see what my foodie-friends are up to, comment about their food, cook dinner, and then write aboout our food.  I love it!

My little corner of the store is often like the bar at Cheers - people are always stopping by to say HI and see what new tidbit there is to nosh or recipe idea to swap.  It's a gathering place for fun and ideas.  I've met some wonderful people over the past 8 years and have made some wonderful friends.  I have witnessed marriages, births, and seen those little ones start off to school.  I've had little ones come running up to the counter shouting "HI Mr Tim" and felt a little saddened when they became too big to give me a hug.   I've watched people survive chemotherapy.  I've felt the loss when they didn't.

A charmed and wonderful life.

A few days ago one of my most favorite mother/daughter teams came in.  We were talking about produce - fresh produce, homegrown produce - and Mom  - in her musical Italian accent - was talking about a dish she had made with fresh produce all from her yard.  It sounded heavenly.  She said she would bring some in for me - and today, she did!

OMG!

The zuppa was pure heaven!  Onion and peppers, squash, tomato, spinach, potatoes, garlic, olive oil.  Every flavor stood on its own, but at the same time, melded into the whole.

Simplicity. Perfection!  The type of food that begs to be shared.

I broiled a couple of sausages and topped it with shavings of Locatelli.  And then sopped up every last bit of broth with hunks of crusty Italian bread.

I've actually received lots of fun food items from folks over the years, but this one was really special, today.

Did I mention I lead a charmed and wonderful life?!?


Roast Turkey

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I've watched the price of turkey at the deli counter just get higher and higher.  I'm not a huge cold-cut consumer.  I'm not home at lunch to make sandwiches, but since Victor works from home, it's nice to have some sandwich fixin's in the 'fridge.  But as the price keeps going up, I had to stop and ask myself at what price does "convenience" give way to spending a few extra minutes in the kitchen.

The answer today, was a 99 cent a pound fresh whole turkey breast.  I could either head to the deli counter and pay my $7.99 per pound for turkey or get fresh and bake at home.  What a dilemma.  I could roast a fresh turkey breast in my own oven with my own seasonings, or get something that is:

... prepared from chunks or pieces of meat and are bonded together to form a single piece. The substances that bind these together are non-meat additives, meat emulsions and extracted myofibrillar proteins. Typically they are produced by extracting the meat proteins (by adding salt and massaging or tumbling the meat, which brings these “sticky” proteins to the surface) or by adding non-meat proteins. Myosin is the major protein that is extracted. The meat becomes soft and pliable and is then shaped through the application of force using different molds or casings. It is then cooked to coagulate the proteins, which bind the chunks of meat together in its new shape.

You've seen the picture so you know the choice I made!

And really... is there anything better than a fresh turkey sandwich?  Or a hot turkey sandwich with homemade gravy?  And the carcass is going to make its way into a soup later in the week. (I do think I'll freeze half of it for later use.  The Food Saver really comes in handy for things like this!)

The entire cost of the turkey was $9.87.  We're going to get a lot more use out of that than we would have gotten with $8.00 worth of sliced turkey.  And without the added myofibrillar proteins!


Boeuf Bourguignon

One-Pot Boeuf Bourguignon

 

It's hard to mess with a classic - and Boeuf Bourguignon is definitely one of the classics. Julia Child made it famous and brought it outside of grand French restaurants with her classic recipe. I've made that recipe many times over the years and really do love it. The past few days I've been thinking about making it, but just didn't feel like spending a couple of hours in the kitchen dirtying half a dozen pots.

So.....

I took the basic recipe and streamlined it a bit. Okay - a lot. I made it into a one-pot meal that took about 20 minutes in the kitchen and a few hours unattended time on top of the stove.

This is the recipe I started with:

Boeuf Bourguignon a la Julia Child

For the Stew

  • 6 ounces bacon, solid chunk
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 lbs lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
  • 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
  • 1 onion, peeled and sliced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 3 cups red wine (a full bodied wine like Bordeaux or Burgundy or Chianti)
  • 2-3 cups beef stock
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 garlic cloves, mashed
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 bay leaf, preferably fresh

For the braised onions

  • 18-24 white pearl onions, peeled
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup beef stock
  • salt & fresh ground pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 2 sprigs parsley

For the Sauteed Mushrooms

  • 1 lb mushroom, quartered
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

1. First prepare the bacon: cut off the rind and reserve.
2. Cut the bacon into lardons about 1/4" think and 1 1/2" long.
3. Simmer the rind and the lardons for ten minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water.
4. Drain and dry the lardons and rind and reserve.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 450°F.
6. Put the tablespoon of olive oil in a large (9" - 10" wide, 3" deep) fireproof casserole and warm over moderate heat.
7. Saute the lardons for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly.
8. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.
9. Dry off the pieces of beef and saute them, a few at a time in the hot oil/bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides.
10. Once browned, remove to the side plate with the bacon.
11. In the same oil/fat, saute the onion and the carrot until softened.
12. Pour off the fat and return the lardons and the beef to the casserole with the carrots and onion.
13. Toss the contents of the casserole with the salt and pepper and sprinkle with the flour.
14. Set the uncovered casserole in the oven for four minutes.
15. Toss the contents of the casserole again and return to the hot oven for 4 more minutes.
16. Now, lower the heat to 325°F and remove the casserole from the oven.
17. Add the wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered.
18. Add the tomato paste, garlic and herbs and the bacon rind.
19. Bring to a simmer on the top of the stove.
20. Cover and place in the oven, adjusting the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly for three to four hours.
21. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
22. While the meat is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms and set them aside till needed.
23. Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet and add the onions to the skillet.
24. Saute over medium heat for about ten minutes, rolling the onions about so they brown as evenly as possible, without breaking apart.
25. Pour in the stock, season to taste, add the herbs, and cover.
26. Simmer over low heat for about 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
27. Remove the herbs and set the onions aside.
28. For the mushrooms, heat the butter and oil over high heat in a large skillet.
29. As soon as the foam begins to subside add the mushrooms and toss and shake the pan for about five minutes.
30. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

To Finish the Stew:

1.  When the meat is tender, remover the casserole from the oven and empty its contents into a sieve set over a saucepan.
2.  Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it (discarding the bits of carrot and onion and herbs which remain in the sieve).
3.  Distribute the mushrooms and onions over the meat.
4.  Skim the fat off the sauce and simmer it for a minute or two, skimming off any additional fat which rises to the surface.
5.  You should be left with about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.
6.  If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock.
7.  If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to the right consistency.
8.  Taste for seasoning.
9.  Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
10. If you are serving immediately, place the covered casserole over medium low heat and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
11. Serve in the casserole or on a warm platter surrounded by noodles, potatoes or rice and garnished with fresh parsley.
12. If serving later or the next day, allow the casserole to cool and place cold, covered casserole in the refrigerator.
13. 20 minutes prior to serving, place over medium low heat and simmer very slowly for ten minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

And what I did.....

I finely chopped the bacon (Niman Ranch, thick-sliced) and browned it in a large casserole. I floured the beef and added it to the bacon.
I removed the browned beef and added the chopped onions, 3 chopped carrots, 2 chopped celery stalks, garlic, and 8 ounces of chopped mushrooms. Browned it all.
Added the tomato paste, browned it a bit, then added 1/2 cup of brandy and cooked it down.
Next, I added the wine and the broth, and all of the herbs and spices.
I returned the beef to the pot and brought it all to a boil.
Reduced the heat, partially covered it, and let it simmer for about 3 hours.

It rocked!

The house was full of that rich wine-and-beefy aroma. Victor kept coming into the kitchen asking if we could eat right now.

I didn't add the onions because I really didn't feel like peeling them. I'll have to find a use for them in the next few days, but... that's something to deal with when I have to.

And no, it wasn't quite as complex, perhaps, as the classic.  The original has wonderful layers of flavor created by the separate preparation of ingredients.  But it was a damned fine stew nonetheless with none of the hassles and only one dirty pot!


Baked Mini Ravioli

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My clever ruse worked.

I took some Italian sausage out of the freezer before heading off to work this morning, thinking that a nice pasta sauce with one of the remaining ravioli or tortolini in the freezer would be a perfect dinner tonight.

When I spoke with Victor at lunch, I mentioned the idea of pasta sauce to him, rather hoping he would take the hint and have a nice sauce sitting on the stove when I got home.  He did.  There was.  It was really good.

What was really nice was that he took it one step further and actually made dinner!  Baked mini cheese ravioli with spicy Italian sausage.

Nothing fancy or complicated - his always-wonderful sauce with sausage links mixed with the cooked mini ravioli and some Locatelli on top - popped into a 350° oven for about 20 minutes .

The simple meals are often the best.

And there is enough left to give his mom some tomorrow when she stops by for her Sunday visit.


Shrimp Cakes

I thought about these all day long!  I was looking around Epicurious.com last night for something different to do with shrimp and came across a recipe for Shrimp Cakes!  It sounded really, really good and juuuust easy enough to do on a school night!  Shrimp Cakes...  Shrimp Cakes... Shrimp Cakes...

Do you think I might be obsessing about food since starting our new eating regimen?!?   Nah.....  I've always obsessed about food.  This is nothing new!

But I digress...

If you're not familiar with epicurious, one of the more fun things about the site is the comment section with each recipe.  While one can occasionally get a good tip about a recipe from someone who has already made it, more often than not, the comments are from people who are really full of themselves  and use the comments section to let the world know just how perfect they are, how perfect their cooking ability is, how they only make their chicken stock with designer chickens hand-plucked by virgins at midnight during a full moon...  Pontificating on anything and everything.  Or silly things like one person who said she didn't follow the recipe and they were  horrible - she'll never make them, again.  Hello?!?   I can't wait to find the next recipe she doesn't follow and find out how badly that one came out.   It can be a fun read.

I do have to admit when I first saw this recipe that I wasn't sure about using the sliced almonds.  I kinda thought that ground almonds would probably be better.  But...  What the heck.  I gave it a shot.

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Almond-Crusted Shrimp Cakes with Lemon Soy Mayonnaise

For lemon soy mayonnaise

  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste

For shrimp cakes

  • 1 bacon slice, chopped
  • 3/4 lb large shrimp in shell (21 to 25 per lb), peeled and deveined
  • 1 slice firm white sandwich bread
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup chopped scallions (about 4)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups sliced almonds (6 oz)
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Garnish: lemon wedges and fresh cilantro leaves

Make lemon soy mayonnaise:
Stir together all mayonnaise ingredients in a small bowl. Chill until ready to serve.

Make shrimp cakes:
Pulse chopped bacon in food processor until finely chopped. Pat shrimp dry, then add to bacon and pulse just until shrimp is coarsely chopped (do not purée). Soak bread in milk in a shallow bowl until very soft, about 30 seconds. Add wet bread to shrimp mixture, discarding any remaining milk, and pulse until just combined.

Transfer shrimp mixture to a bowl, then stir in scallions, cilantro, cornstarch, salt, sugar, and pepper until combined well.

Spread almonds on a large plate. Using a 1/4-cup measure, drop 1 mound of shrimp mixture onto almonds. Sprinkle almonds over shrimp mound to coat, gently pressing to form a (3 1/2-inch) cake (1/3 inch thick). Transfer cake to a wax-paper-lined baking sheet. Make 7 more cakes in same manner, transferring to baking sheet. Discard any remaining almonds.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook 4 cakes, turning over once and rotating for even browning, until almonds are golden and cakes are just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and keep warm, loosely covered with foil. Discard any almonds left in skillet, then add remaining tablespoon oil and cook remaining 4 cakes in same manner. Serve warm, with lemon soy mayonnaise.

My only change was I used a pound of already peeled and deveined shrimp.  I saw no benefit to peeling and cleaning shrimp I was going to chop.

They had a great shrimp flavor and ust a tad of smoke from the bacon.  I really, really liked the sliced almonds, but Victor wasn;t crazy about them.  He thought they were okay - but he would have liked a different coating - maybe almond meal or bread crumbs.  He thought it was a bit overpowering for the shrimp.  Since I definitely think I shall be making these again, I'll see what other coatings I can come up with.

The lemon soy mayo was a bit too soy-ish for me.  I think a lot less soy and more lemon would be good.  And more Tabasco.  I like Tabasco!

The potatoes were just cut into rounds and baked with a bit of garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper.

The broccoli was another idea courtesy of epicurious...  It was okay...

Garlicky Breadcrumb-Coated Broccoli

  • 3 large broccoli stalks (about 1 1/2 pounds total), stalks trimmed to 4 to 5 inches long, each stalk halved lengthwise
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
  • 3 small garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Steam broccoli until tender, about 9 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Do ahead Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and sauté until soft, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add breadcrumbs, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until pale golden, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in mint and lemon peel.

Add broccoli to breadcrumbs and sauté until heated through, turning broccoli to coat, about 3 minutes. Arrange broccoli on platter. Sprinkle any remaining breadcrumbs over and serve.

Oh... and we decided the shrimp cakes would make a great hors d'oeuvre.  Just make 'em tiny!


Bread and Butter (and a bowl of soup!)

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Crusty Italian Bread and Butter - what a treat!

What was once a mainstay of our diets is now something we actually think about before adding to the menu.  It's an extra couple of hundred calories that we usually don't need.  But tonight was soup - and a soup deserves bread and butter.  And, actually, so did we!

While I don't usually follow recipes for soup - they're usually just something I whip up - I saw this recipe for a chicken soup with leeks and mushrooms and was intriqued...

Chicken Mushroom Soup with Leeks

  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5 oz each), cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 large leek, white part only, trimmed and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 3 sage leaves
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 lb mixed fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
  • 2 qt low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 to 3 tbsp dry sherry
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water
  • Chopped parsley

In a large soup pot, heat 1 1/2 tbsp oil on medium heat and sauté chicken 3 or 4 minutes or until opaque. Remove chicken from pot and add remaining 1 1/2 tbsp oil, leek, garlic, sage and nutmeg. Cook until leek is soft, 2 or 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a small bowl, leaving excess oil in pot, and set aside. Add mushrooms to pot and cook until golden brown. Return chicken and leek mixture to pot, salt and pepper to taste and sauté about 5 minutes. Pour in broth and sherry and bring to a simmer. Add cornstarch mixture and simmer 2 or 3 minutes more. Pour soup into 4 large bowls and garnish with parsley to taste. Serve immediately.

The only changes I did was used 2 leeks instead of one, 4 cloves of garlic instead of two, a scant teaspoon of rubbed sage instead of three leaves, and omitted the parsley.  It was pretty darn good!

I tend to want to keep adding things to a soup pot and could think of a dozen things I could add to this, but I think the beauty of this really is the simplicity.  You can really taste the mushrooms.  You pick up on the sage and the nutmeg - kinda - but can't really identify them.  You just know there is flavor there that you like.  Same with the sherry - it compliments the mushroom flavor without imparting a strong taste of its own.  Plus that little tiny bit of cornstarch adds just enough body to the broth that you don't even realize it's there, but it, too, adds to the overall effect.

And a huge bowl is less than 300 calories!  That means bread and butter!

Perfect!


Swiss Steak

Alton Brown's Swiss Steak

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Several lifetimes ago when I lived at Tahoe and worked at The Old Post Office in Carnelian Bay, I had to come up with a lunch special every day.  I was the only cook in a tiny kitchen and had pretty much free reign to do what I wanted - maybe 30 servings of something hearty enough for the locals who came in during the week.  One thing I came up with was a tomato-based Swiss Steak smothered in onions.  It proved to be really popular and I made it every couple of weeks that winter.

I'm not sure why, but somewhere along the line, I started making Swiss Steak with onions and mushrooms and in a beefy mushroom sauce.  I totally forgot about that really good tomato-y dish.  Until today.

I had pulled some cube steak out of the freezer thinking that I was going to make my old standby.  Quite by accident I came across an Alton Brown recipe for Swiss Steak that was tomato-based.  The memories came back and I decided I had to try it tonight!

Now, had this been anyone else's recipe, I probably would have changed half of it at least - but Alton is a food scientist.  I really, really like how he goes out of his way to find out and/or explain the reasons behind things, the reason they work - or don't.  I decided to follow the recipe pretty close with the exception of using cube steak instead of bottom round.  (I just don't know what I did with my needling device.)   Because I used cube steak, I just cooked it on the stove.

Otherwise, it's pure Alton Brown.

Swiss Steak

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds beef bottom round, trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil or bacon drippings
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 cups beef broth

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Cut the meat with the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices and season on both sides with the salt and pepper. Place the flour into a pie pan. Dredge the pieces of meat on both sides in the flour mixture. Tenderize the meat using a needling device, until each slice is 1/4-inch thick. Dredge the slices on both sides once more and set aside.

Add enough of the bacon drippings or vegetable oil to just cover the bottom of a 4 to 5-quart Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the steaks to the pan, being careful not to overcrowd. Cook until golden brown on both sides, approximately 2 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a plate and repeat until all of the steaks have been browned.

Remove the last steaks from the pot and add the onions, garlic, and celery. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Next add the tomatoes, paprika, oregano, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth and stir to combine. Return the meat to the pot, submerging it in the liquid. Cover the pot and place it in the oven on the middle rack. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat is tender and falling apart.

One of the key ingredients here really is the smoked paprika.  It adds such a wonderful layer of flavor that I would say it is essential to the dish.  Personally, I think it should be in every kitchen everywhere, so go buy some!  You won't be sorry!

I served it with handmade noodles from Lancaster County, PA and frozen spinach.

Speaking of spinach...  I really don't remember when I found out that spinach was actually leaves and not a square frozen block in white cardboard.  As a kid growing up, we only had frozen spinach (actually, we pretty much only ate frozen vegetables, period) and it's still a bit of a guilty pleasure to me.  I almost always have it in the freezer - although it's usually in a bag, nowadays, not a box.

This is definitely a keeper.  I really liked the smokiness of the paprika, the texture of the celery, the tomatoes - all of it.

Thanks, Alton - for the recipe and the trip down Memory Lane!