Mushroom Risotto

01-28-13-mushroom-risotto

 

While at the grocery store this morning, I found packages of exotic mushrooms on sale. Chantrelles, crimini, and oyster mushrooms. Why they're called exotic when they're grown just a few miles from here is a mystery to me, but regardless... when I saw them I immediately thought risotto. Into the cart they went.

Grocery shopping is all about what looks good and what's on sale. That means there's a lot of controlled impulse-buying going on. Controlled being the operative word. There's no buyers remorse at our house. If it's purchased, it is consumed. And it was time for something other than soup.

I can only eat so much soup, and Victor is slowly on the mend, so I thought risotto would be a good transition meal.

It did come out good. I had mushroom broth in the cabinet, and while I was missing the white wine I usually have on hand, I started with a splash of brandy to knock it up a notch. It worked.

Mushroom Risotto

  • 8 oz assorted mushrooms
  • 1 cup arborio or other risotto rice
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup brandy
  • 6 cups mushroom broth, hot
  • 2 oz granna padano, grated
  • 3 tbsp parsley, minced

Saute mushrooms in a butter/olive oil mix. Add garlic and lightly cook. Add rice and saute until edges are translucent.

Add brandy and cook until evaporated.

Add mushroom broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until broth is absorbed before adding next ladle.

When rice is cooked, stir in grated cheese and stir in parsley. taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, as desired.

Risotto really is the ultimate comfort-food and it's ready in less than 30 minutes.

And speaking of comfort-food, I made rice pudding for dessert. The recipe comes from my mom's cook book. Mom usually made baked rice pudding, but I don't have as much luck with it as she did.

 


Flu Season

01-28-13-flu

 

Well... I hate to say it, but the flu has hit our house. Victor came down with it in Dallas and felt so crummy he had to cut his trip short. It has not been fun.

I have been lucky, thus far. Even though he has been home - and sick - since Thursday, I have not come down with it. We're taking whatever precautions we can, but... Neither of us had a flu shot. I haven't had one since I stopped working in health care 12-ish years ago, and even though I've been exposed to it many times, I haven't had the flu in maybe 45 years. I have been incredibly lucky, and I'm hoping beyond all odds that my luck continues.

Cooking has been pretty much vats of soup. First a huge pot of chicken noodle soup, then a pot of beef and rice soup. Grilled cheese sandwiches. Simple comfort foods. Lunch today will be little chicken salad sandwiches on little croissants.

Tonight, I think I'll make a mushroom risotto. Simple, creamy, and comforting.

And lots of hand-washing.


Bachelor Food

01-21-13-chili-burger

 

Victor is off having dinner with friends in Dallas. He's in Dallas until late Thursday, so I'm doing my annual Chili-Fest. At least this time around I made the chili instead of opening cans. It's a quick and easy meal and that's really all I'm looking for this week - quick and easy. No complicated five-pot dinners.

As I have said many times, I hate cooking for myself.  It's just not fun. I make the mess and then have to clean up the mess. There's no one to share with. There's no How was your day or Do you know what your dog did today?!?

I'm cuing up Warren Zevon's Poor Poor Pitiful Me...

And, of course, I have my project.

It's still a secret.

More on that, later...


Poached Eggs

01-20-13-poached-eggs

 

Sunday Breakfast... What can be said that hasn't been said before?  Probably not much - but that's not going to stop me from adding more...

This morning's gastronomic delight comes courtesy of Victor. He's taking off tomorrow for Dallas for the week and wanted to make sure I had at least one decent meal while he's gone. I tend to eat hot dogs and chili when he's not here. I soaked the beans last night and will be starting a batch in a while.

I had brought home some English muffins yesterday with a vague idea of having them with breakfast, but while I was working on a web design this morning, Victor headed to the kitchen.

He decided he wanted poached eggs and then upped the ante to muffin sandwiches with poached eggs. With bacon. And brie.

Oh lord.

He also wanted the poached eggs to be reasonably the size of the muffins since they were going to be sandwiches. We don't have poaching rings but we do have canning lids. The boy's a genius - the ring was the perfect size. He just set them into the simmering water, cracked the egg inside, and then removed the ring when the egg was set. Did I say genius?!? Genius!

They came out perfect. Finger-licking runny yolks, perfectly-cooked bacon, runny brie, and crunchy-buttery muffin.

With freshly-brewed dark-roast coffee.

It just doesn't get any better.

So I'm off to make the chili. It's 49er Football Food today - and my staple for the week.

 


Pasta and Fresh-Baked Bread

01-17-13-bread

 

Pasta and fresh-baked bread two days in a  row?!? You'd think I was married to an Italian. Oh. Wait. I am married to an Italian.

It started last might when I had to work late. I came home to bread fresh out of the oven and spaghetti with anchovies, sun-dried tomatoes, and crushed red pepper on the stove.

I swooned.

The pasta dish is nothing short of spectacular. Even folks who would never dream of eating an anchovy love this one. There's no fishy taste. It's just an explosion of flavor.

01-17-13-pasta

The basic is about a quarter-cup of olive oil in a skillet. Add a clove or two of minced garlic, and then maybe six anchovy fillets. The anchovies will pretty much dissolve into the oil. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, a hefty pinch of red pepper flakes, and a bit of black pepper.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta. Drain it, reserving a half-cup or so of the pasta water. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and mix well. Add a bit of the cooking water if the pan is too dry.

Stir in some freshly-grated parmesan or romano cheese, and mangia!

It is fresh-bread-dunking-good!

The bread is a James Beard loaf. It only proofs once, so it's one that can be on the table in just a couple of hours.

James Beard Bread

  • 2 package of active dry yeast
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water (100-115 degrees)
  • 3 to 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 egg white beaten with 1T water
  • course salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds

In a large mixing bowl combine yeast and sugar. Let proof about 5 minutes. Add oil and 1/4 cup water. Mix.

Add salt. Add 1/2 cup of flour and continue mixing.  Slowly add remaining flour.

Knead for several minutes until the dough springs back and is satiny and smooth. It is a fairly wet dough.

Form into a loaf about 20 to 22 inches long, let loaf rest about 20 minutes.

Brush lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with salt or seeds.

Bake in a 300° oven about 55 minutes.

Tonight, I had some chicken and decided I wanted ravioli - but not in a tomato sauce. A creamy red pepper sauce was what I came up with.

I sauteed two cut-up chicken breasts in a  bit of olive oil. When they were partly done, I added two red peppers I had cut in strips. Next went a clove of minced garlic.  When the chicken was cooked, I added about a half-cup of white wine and let it cook down. Next went a cup of chicken broth. When it was hot, I added about a half-cup of cream and about a cup of shredded assiago cheese. I then added about a teaspoon of Spanish paprika. We are the paprika kings with smoked Spanish paprika, Hungarian sweet paprika, Hungarian hot paprika, and Spanish sweet paprika. I thought sweet was best for this one...

A bit of black pepper, and then I thickened it with a pinch of cornstarch mixed with water.

I cooked up some cheese ravioli, mixed it all together, and called it dinner!

01-18-13-ravioli

 

It came out really pretty - and tasted pretty good, as well. More of Victor's bread from last night and we had ourselves another feast!


Yellow Cake

 

I just love cake. And having baked a few cakes in my life, I tend to have a few favorite go-to recipes for them. For flourless chocolate cake I use Tyler Florence's recipe.  For a basic chocolate cake, it's Ina Garten. For yellow cake, it's a recipe I found in Bon Appetit, I think, quite a while ago. I've had it as a text file on my computer(s) for years, in a folder of hundreds of recipes that I have collected over the years. I just keep moving the folder as I get another computer  and adding recipes to it as I find them - or as they're given to me.

This is a pretty easy cake to make but it takes a bit of time, because the sugar is added really slowly - mixing with the butter to get a really creamy consistency. Another secret is the buttermilk.

Sugar and butter add the tenderness to a cake. Flour and eggs - the proteins - give it its structure. It's why trying to make a cake "healthy" by taking out sugar or butter - or eggs or switching out different flours generally fails miserably.

It's a cake. It's not health food. Don't pretend it's good for you. It's cake.

I also use 8"x3" cake pans. They just work better for me. And I line them with parchment paper.

01-13-13-yellow-cake-3

 

Yellow Cake

  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 8" pans.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Place butter in mixer bowl. Beat for 3 minutes until the butter is light and creamy.

Add the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well before adding the next.

Add vanilla. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Mix just until blended.

Spoon the batter into pans. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

01-13-13-yellow-cake

This was one of the two layers I baked. The other went into the freezer.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 cube of butter
  • 1 8oz cream cheese
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
  • 2 tbsp espresso powder
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Cream butter and cream cheese until light. Add vanilla and mix well. Add cocoa powder, coffee powder, and sugar and mix until very creamy. Scrape down bowl and then add heavy cream until icing is the consistency you want.

I split the one layer into three and frosted. I resisted adding anything else - this time.


Sausage Rolls

 

 

Phyllo... nothing more than phyllo... he sang in his best Morris Albert voice...

Well... I did have phyllo in the freezer taking up space, so I thought it was time to put it to use. My original plan was to just wrap it around hot Italian sausage links and bake - a bit like a big pig-in-a-blanket - but once I walked into the kitchen, the idea changed completely.

I had red peppers, I had mushrooms, I had cheese... I kinda figured a chopped filling would work better - and be easier to eat. Since I didn't do the other, I'll never know if I was right - but this came out so good I won't worry about it...

I finely-diced a red pepper and sauteed it in a drizzle of olive oil. Next went in about 4 ounces of white mushrooms, also finely-chopped. When it was all fairly well-cooked, I added 4 links of hot Italian sausage I had removed from their casings and crumbled. A pinch of salt and pepper were the only seasonings.

Into the 'fridge to cool.

01-12-13-sausage-roll-1

 

When it was cool, I laid out two sheets of phyllo - it was a bit old and crumbly from sitting in the freezer and 2 sheets was easier to work with than one at a time - and buttered it, placed about a fourth of the filling at one end, and added sliced fontina cheese.

I then folded the sides in, buttered them, and rolled them up, burrito-style. More butter on top, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and into a 400° oven about 20 minutes.

These were fun. They tasted great, had lots of great textures, were crispy and gooey at the same time.

I'm thinking this may be a fun way to re-purpose leftovers...

So many possibilities, so few meals...


Sicilian Tuna & Eggplant Potatoes

 

I am not an intuitive seafood cook. I can do the basics, but I never really learned fish. None of the restaurants where I cooked did a lot of fish - except the annual Cioppino Fest at The Riviera - and that doesn't count. So if I want to do something other than a pan-fry, I need inspiration.

I found it today in an old Gourmet. A recipe called "Sicilian Tuna."

With a name like that, I figured it had to be good. And since we're going there next year for our 20th anniversary, I thought I may as well start getting used to the cuisine. I do like to plan, after all...

The recipe calls for a marinade and a sauce, both of which were easy to put together and were really, really flavorful. We both did a lot of oooh's and aaah's over this one.

And the potatoes...  they totally rocked the Casbah! Who knew stuffing shredded potatoes with eggplant would be so good?!?

Sicilian Tuna

adapted from Gourmet

For tuna:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped oregano
  • tuna steaks

For sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1/4 cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons small capers, drained and chopped
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped basil
  • 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Marinate tuna:
Combine oil, lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, oregano, and tuna in a large sealable bag and seal bag, pressing out excess air. Let stand at room temperature, turning occasionally, 30 minutes.

Grill tuna:
Remove tuna from marinade and shake off any excess. Grill tuna, turning once, until pale pink in center, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm.

Meanwhile, make sauce:
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add diced celery and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, olives, and capers and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in basil, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and remove from heat. Spoon sauce over tuna.

It definitely did what it was supposed to do.

01-11-13-sicilian-tuna-sauce

 

The other hit of the evening was the potato and eggplant dish.

This recipe came from Bon Appetit. I cut it in half for the two of us.

01-11-13-eggplant-potatoes

Crispy Potato Eggplant

  • 2 1/2 cups finely diced, peeled eggplant
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt plus more to taste
  • olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons minced shallots
  • 4 large Idaho potatoes
  • Pepper
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

Place eggplant in a nonreactive bowl. Toss with 1 teaspoon of salt and allow to sit for 20 minutes. Remove to a clean kitchen towel and tightly twist to squeeze out all moisture. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and shallots and sauté for about 6 minutes, or until very tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
Peel potatoes. Using a hand grater or mandoline, shred potatoes into a clean kitchen towel. Tightly twist to squeeze out as much moisture as possible.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Heat remaining 1/4 cup of oil in a 9-inch ovenproof, nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Using a spatula, evenly press half of the potatoes into the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread the reserved eggplant over the top. Pat remaining potatoes evenly over the eggplant. Again, season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until bottom is golden. Carefully turn and dab the crust with bits of butter. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until bottom begins to crisp. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked and tart is golden and crisp. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut into 6 wedges and serve immediately.

The potatoes really did rock! It was a really unique flavor and a fun presentation.

You really need to wring as much liquid from the eggplant and the potatoes as you possibly can. They cannot be too dry for this.

I can see this being made, again...


Pork Chops

01-10-13-pork-chops

 

The upside of buying a whole pork loin is having lots and lots of pork chops. The downside of buying a whole pork loin is having lots and lots of pork chops. While there are a million-and-one ways to prepare them, I can get brain dead now and again. Repetition, thy name is Tim.

So... I figure if I'm going to be repetitive, I might as well try and be creatively repetitive. Or something.

The easiest way to make something seem different is put a sauce on it. I know my French cooking. I can make sauces. But this was going to be dinner in 30 minutes, not several days. Besides, I was all out of veal stock and roasted bones...

Necessity is the mother of invention, so, I invented. We had apricot filling left from cookie baking and there is always sambal oelek in the 'fridge. Pan-seared pork chops with a spicy apricot sauce became dinner. I mix sambal oelek with apricot jam for dipping sauce when I make Chinese food, so I knew the combo would work. I was originally going to add some cooked bacon to it - I had a couple of pieces in the 'fridge that needed cooking - but I ended up adding them to the broccoli rabe, instead.  Boiled potatoes with butter and parsley finished the plate.

Simple, effective, and on the table in 30 minutes.

My kind of meal.


Filet Stroganoff

01-09-13-filet-stroganoff

My impulse-buy of the week was a 5 1/2 lb tenderloin roast on Monday. There was a huge refrigerated bin of them, marked down from their original $20-something a pound to $8-something a pound. I looked through them and found one I liked for a mere $40.00. I picked it up, put it back, picked it up, put it back, picked it up and kept walking. It was a bit steep but I figured I'd be getting numerous meals from it. I brought it home and cut it into 8 steaks plus steak tips for another meal. $8 per meal is still not cheap, but that's what impulse buys are all about. Plus it was completely trimmed - no waste. At the original $120 I wouldn't have even stopped to look.

It was less expensive than the lobster for the risotto.

So... wanting a steak but not wanting any ol' steak got the gastronomic mind working. I remembered a beef stroganoff idea from Gourmet magazine using steaks instead of strips of beef. A meal was born.

I pan-seared the steaks in a bit of olive oil and set them off to the side.

Into the pan went a pat of butter and 8 ounces of sliced baby bella mushrooms. I browned them well and then added a quarter-cup of brandy. I cooked it down and then added a cup of beef broth and cooked it down to about a half-cup.

Into this, I added a 16oz container of sour cream, a sprinkling of garlic powder, and salt and pepper.

I cooked off some wide egg noodles and mixed the sauce with them. Onto the plate they went, the steak on top, and a bit of sauce on top of that.

Peas on the side.

The steaks were good. Really good. It was a simple meal that dirtied four pans and made an ever-so-slight mess on the stove. I won't mention the "oops" I made stirring the sauce and sending a sauce-covered mushroom halfway across the kitchen.

It's a gift I have. Just ask Victor.

 

 


Start with a Chicken

01-07-13-chicken-soup

It starts with a chicken. A whole chicken. And a pot.

It's clean-out-the-freezer-time and I had a chicken and a container of chicken stock taking up valuable real estate. It was time to put them to use.

Simmering a chicken on the stove is one of the most satisfying things you can do. The possibilities are truly endless! From soups and stews to salads and sandwiches, there are just a zillion things to do.

With this chicken, I did three.

First was yesterday's chicken soup. I put the frozen stock in a soup pot and melted it all down. Then, I added the whole, frozen chicken. The giblet bag was still in it. I added water to cover everything, brought it to a boil, and then let it simmer - for hours. When it had thawed enough to take out the giblet bag, I did - and then added everything but the bag back to the pot. Over the course of the afternoon, I added more water now and again to keep the chicken submerged.

When it reached its falling-off-the-bone stage, I took it out and strained the broth.

Into the pot went 1 andouille sausage that I diced, and 1 onion, minced. When they were looking good, I added 2 cloves of minced garlic.I skimmed the fat from the broth and added it back to the pot.

And then I started building the soup.

First thing I did was pull all the meat off the legs and thighs. I put the cooked breasts away for today.

Soups like this are clean out the refrigerator and/or use up what's in the house. It's no-rules cooking - if it's laying about, it goes into the pot. This batch had the leg and thigh meat, a few stalks of chopped celery, several chopped carrots, a can of drained and rinsed red beans, a half-bag of frozen mixed vegetables, and maybe a cup and a half of elbow macaroni I cooked separately, and then added. Spices were minimal - a bit of thyme because it goes well with both chicken and andouille, and salt and pepper. The sausage added enough flavor that I just didn't need a lot of other things competing with it. I always have frozen mixed veggies in the house. They're perfect for soups, pot pies, and the like.

A fresh loaf of bread and butter, and dinner was served...

I had the chicken breasts in the 'fridge, so tonight was Chicken Enchiladas Verde.

01-08-13-chicken-enchiladas-verde

It's kinda hard to make an enchilada picture-worthy, but suffice to say, they tasted pretty damned good!

I started off with a can of green enchilada sauce. I know, I know... canned sauce... but it's pretty good stuff.

I shredded the chicken and added shredded cheeses. We had a bit of monterey jack, Italian truffle, and fontina. Not exactly queso fresco, but I wasn't going to buy more when we had this already in the house. I then added a can of chopped green chilis and a pinch of salt and pepper.

I heated the sauce, placed a corn tortilla in it to soften, and then added the filling, rolled them, and placed them in a casserole. I topped them with a bit more sauce, and then covered them and baked them at 350° for about 45 minutes. Refried black beans and black japonica rice finished the plate.

The third thing I made was some chicken salad.

01-08-13-chicken-salad

Chicken, celery, onion, chopped pickle, mayo, salt and pepper. As basic as basic can be - and really, really good. Piled onto some nice toasted bread... It doesn't get much better.

Two dinners and three lunches. One chicken.

Not bad.


Lobster & Artichoke Risotto

01-06-13-lobster-risotto

 

All day yesterday I was talking about making Lobster Mac & Cheese for dinner tonight. I woke up this morning thinking I was going to make Lobster Mac & Cheese tonight. I made Lobster and Artichoke Risotto, instead.

This is a classic example of why I can't plan a weeks worth of menus. What sounds good one day doesn't necessarily sound good another. Heck, in this case, it sounded good up until the moment I went into the kitchen. Victor asked what I had planned for the lobster and Lobster Risotto came out of my mouth. I had seen a recipe for Lobster and Artichoke Risotto in La Cucina Italiana magazine and somehow it manifested itself at that moment.

Go figure.

I do have to admit it was a pretty good choice. I read through the magazine recipe and decided I liked my risotto recipe better. For instance, as much as I like butter, I couldn't see myself stirring a cube of it into the finished product. But the concept was sound. I went to work.

Lobster and Artichoke Risotto

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups Arborio rice
  • 1 cup white  wine
  • 5 cups broth
  • 1/2 lb lobster meat
  • 1/2 lb langostino
  • 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
  • 1 cup shredded grana padano or parmesan cheese
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil and butter in risotto pan. Roughly chop lobster and add to pan, cooking quickly. Remove when just barely done and set aside. Add langiostino and also cook until barely done.  Remove and set aside.

Saute onion and garlic in same pan until translucent. Add rice and saute about 2 minutes or until translucent.

Add wine and cook until it is nearly gone. Begin adding broth 1 ladle at a time, stirring until it is almost completely absorbed. Continue adding broth and stirring until most of the broth has been added and rice is almost tender.

Stir in artichoke hearts and heat through.

Stir in lobster and langostino and heat through.

Add grated cheese and stir to completely mix.

Taste for seasoning and add S&P as desired.

If I had thought of it I probably would have added a bit of freshly-chopped parsley at the last moment.

Next time.

It really did hit the spot. It was rich and creamy, had a good contrast of textures and flavors, and took less than 30 minutes start-to-finish to get on the table.

Now I'm going to have to go back and think about lobster mac and cheese, again...

Maybe next week.