Biscotti Day

I am not a morning person.  I would rather stay up till 2 a.m. and sleep till 9 or 10, but my life doesn't really work that way.  I have to find a way to make getting out of bed very worthwhile.  Coffee, biscotti and knitting are most compelling.  My dear husband is a morning person, so he makes us each a cup of Nespresso, and we have our ration of biscotti (one per person per day - no exceptions), and I knit while he looks at the news on his phone.  It's come to be my very favorite time of the day, and it almost makes me want to get out of bed.  Almost.

For the past couple of days we've been out of biscotti, which is entirely my fault because I am the biscotti maker.  The jar has been sad and empty, and I've ignored it.

Biscotti are not hard to make, but it's time consuming, and I haven't had an unencumbered stretch of time in the last week.  The coffee and knitting time has been great, but I've definitely missed the biscotti, so today I decided to take the time and bake 'em.

There are so many recipes out there, and I've tried a bunch, but this one has been my favorite starting point.  I've made a few changes to that I'll share with you as we go along.  The dough is no harder than most any other cookie recipe.

First thing you need to do is toast the nuts.  I use whatever nuts I have on hand.  Usually pecans or walnuts, or in this case, a mix of both. They don't have to be toasted, but I think they taste better if they are.

I keep nuts in the freezer, and put them right from the freezer onto a baking sheet and into the oven and set the oven to 350.  The nuts cook slowly for the 5-10 minutes it takes the oven to preheat to 350 degrees.  I usually check them after 5 minutes and then after 8. They're done when they look all toasty and start to smell heavenly.

The food processor is a bit of overkill for me, and I broke my processor bowl a year ago anyway, so I chop them up by hand.  They should be fairly fine - you  want to know there are nuts, but if the pieces are too big, they can make it difficult to slice them after the first baking.  You can get a sense of the size by the 1/2 tsp measure in the photo.

Set the nuts aside.  Measure out the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips, and set them all aside.

On to the dough.  I tried butter the first few times I made this, but the dough spread too much - even when I refrigerated it for an hour before baking, so I use butter flavored Crisco.  Don't judge. In an A/B comparison, we all liked the Crisco version better.   Combine the sugar and shortening in you mixer.

 Cream them together -  you're not looking for light and fluffy here - just incorporated

Beat in the eggs one at a time and add the vanilla and almond extracts.

Then add the cocoa powder, dry ingredients, and chocolate chips and nuts.

You'll need two large baking sheets lined with parchment.  

Divide the dough into 4 parts, two per  baking sheet, like this.

Shape the dough into logs 17 inches long and 3 inches wide. If you find the dough is sticky, dip you hands in cool water.  Shaping the dough will be much easier.

Pop them into your preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes.  

Take the pans out of the oven (leave oven on) and let the loaves cool for 15 minutes.  This cooling is so that the loaf is not too tender and holds together a little better when you slice it.  They look like this when they're done.

Transfer the baked loaf to a large cutting board.  Slip the parchment paper out from underneath and put the paper back onto the baking sheet.  Slice the loaf into 20 to 24 pieces.  There will be breaking - especially around the edges.  Consider those bits your own personal treat and be glad of them.

Put the slices back on to the baking sheet, with cut side down.  Like so.

Biscotti is Italian for twice cooked, and you cook to bake it twice (Biscotti , that's why it's called biscotti, and yes, I know that biscotti is plural)  

Chicken Tikka Masala

This is one of my son's favorite recipes. When I ask him what he wants for his birthday dinner, this is what he asks for.  Actually she 

1. For the chicken:
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3 to 4 breast halves total)
• 1/4 cup plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime or lemon juice
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
2. For the sauce:
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger (from 1-inch piece)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 large white onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups canned tomato purée (see Cook's Notes for a fresh-tomato alternative)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus additional sprigs for garnish
3. For serving:
• Naan (Indian flatbread) and/or cooked Basmati Rice

Preparation

1. Marinate the chicken:
1. Use a fork to prick the chicken breasts all over on both sides. Arrange the chicken breasts on a large sheet of plastic wrap, spacing them apart from one another, then cover with a second large sheet of plastic wrap. Using the smooth side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin, beat the chicken until the breasts are an even 1/2- to 3/4-inch thickness.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 tablespoon peanut oil, lime juice, and garlic. Add the pounded chicken, and rub the marinade over the meat. Set the chicken aside while you make the sauce.
2. Make the sauce:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the coriander, cumin, cardamom, nutmeg, paprika, cayenne, and grated ginger. In a heavy, wide 4-quart pot or sauté pan over moderately high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until light brown and caramelized, about 5 minutes. (Note that because they are sautéed so quickly over moderately high heat, the onions will not caramelize evenly.) Reduce the heat to moderate then stir in the spice and ginger mixture. Add the tomato purée, water, heavy cream, and salt, and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to gently simmer the sauce, uncovered, until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. DO AHEAD: The sauce can be prepared ahead and refrigerated, in an airtight container, up to 3 days.
3. While sauce is simmering, cook chicken:
1. Heat a heavy 11- to 12-inch griddle or skillet over moderately high heat until very hot and add 1/2 tablespoon of peanut oil. Working in two batches, cook the chicken breasts, turning them a few times and lowering the heat if the chicken chars too quickly, until just cooked through and browned well on both sides, 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer the chicken as cooked to a cutting board. Wipe the griddle or skillet clean with a paper towel and cook the remaining chicken, adding the remaining 1/2 tablespoon peanut oil between batches.
2. When all the chicken is cooked, cut it into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Add the chicken to the simmering sauce and continue to gently simmer it, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the black pepper and chopped cilantro, and season with salt. DO AHEAD: Chicken tikka masala can be prepared ahead, cooled, uncovered, and refrigerated, covered, up to 3 days.
4. To serve:
1. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish and garnish with additional cilantro sprigs. Serve with naan, and/or if desired with Basmati Rice .

Cook's Notes:

•If you prefer to make the sauce with fresh tomatoes, chop 1 pound fresh tomatoes and purée them, including the skins and seeds, in a blender with 1 tablespoon tomato paste and 3/4 teaspoon sugar. When using fresh tomatoes, omit the 3/4 cup water from the recipe. •If you are really short on time, substitute the meat from a rotisserie chicken.

Black beans with Sofrito

My darling husband loves black beans, and I just happened to have a ham bone left over from Easter, so this was perfect.  

• 2 green peppers, stemmed and seeded
• 10 garlic cloves
• 1 pound dried black beans, rinsed and picked over to remove any stones
• 1 smoked ham hock
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 T  slices thick bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 jalapeño, stemmed and finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon turbinado or other brown sugar

Cut 1 green pepper into 1-inch squares. Smash and peel 4 of the garlic cloves. Put the green pepper and garlic into a large pot with the beans, ham hock, bay leaves and 1 tablespoon salt. Add 2 quarts water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer until the beans are tender, an hour or more.

Meanwhile, make a sofrito. Cut the remaining ½ green pepper into ¼-inch dice. Peel and finely chop the remaining garlic. Heat the olive oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the green pepper and onion and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeño (leave out the seeds if you don’t want it too spicy), oregano, cumin, black pepper and 2 teaspoons salt and stir for another minute. Pour in the vinegar and scrape any browned bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. This is your sofrito.

When the beans are cooked, discard the bay leaf. Remove and set aside the ham hock and let it cool. Transfer 2 cups of beans to the blender and puree them and return to the pot. Add the sofrito, then the sugar. Pull the meat from the ham hock, leaving behind any white sinew or gristle. Chop the ham into ½-inch pieces and return it to the bean pot.

Stir the beans well and bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes or so, skimming any foam from the top. Taste for salt and serve.

Salmon for a crowd

This is my favorite way to cook salmon - it's especially nice for a crowd because it's easy to double or triple the sauce for as many fillets as you need and you can make everything in advance and just pop it in the oven for 12 minutes when everyone gets there.

For 4 4-oz salmon fillets

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

2 Tbs Honey
1 1/2 Tbs Soy Sauce
1 1/2 Tbs Lime Juice
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbs water
2 tsp oil
1 tsp grated ginger

Combine everything in a small bowl and set aside.

Dry fillets with a paper towel and place skin side down on a non-stick baking sheet about and inch apart.  I use a sheet of non-stick foil.  Spoon or brush the sauce mixture over the fillets and bake for 12 minutes.

That's it.  Honest.  It's that easy, and your guests will love it - family too.

Here's the recipe expanded for my book club - makes more than enough for 24 fillets.

3/4 c Honey
1/2 c + 1 Tbs Soy Sauce
1/2 c + 1 Tbs Lime Juice
1/4 c Dijon Mustard
1/4 c + 2 Tbs water
1/4 c oil
2 Tbs grated ginger

No need to increase the cooking time for 24 fillets - that's the beauty of this dish!

Pasta with Gorgonzola and Walnuts Farfalle con le noci e Gorgonzola

My friend, Linda, who knits with us Friday mornings, had just returned from an Italian vacation with her daughters.  One of the fun things she did was attend a cooking class at the home of a lovely Italian woman.  I guess they spent the day cooking and drinking wine and eating.  Pretty rough, huh.  

Linda said she was surprised to see a block of good old American Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese on the counter.  We all laughed, and Linda said that her instructor said she loved the stuff and used it in a pasta dish with blue cheese.  Linda said that because her girls are not blue cheese fans,the group opted to cook a different dish for the class.  We all went back to our knitting, and Linda told us all about the rest of her trip.  I'm sure I listened, and I'm sure I knit, but I could not get blue cheese pasta out of my mind.  

I decided that in fact I couldn't live without some blue cheese pasta, so I started scheming.  I didn't have a recipe, but I did know two key ingredients.  So, half a block (4 oz) of cream cheese and an equal amount of Gorgonzola went into a 3 quart saucepan.  

Since we're already pretty far down the high fat path, a little heavy cream seemed like the right choice to thin the sauce out.  Also, sherry is really great with blue cheese, so I added about a quarter cup of that too.  

When you heat that cream and sherry, it really helps the cheeses start to melt.  

I cooked a pound of farfalle in salted water and started dumping it into the melty cheese and cream mixture, stirring to coat the pasta.

It was totally delicious at this point. I tasted it several times to be sure.  But I thought it needed another dimension - a little crunch.   Walnuts are really nice with blue cheese, so I tossed a handful into a small iron skillet and gave them a quick toast and chopped a bit.

It's really as simple as that - turn the pasta into a nice warm bowl and top with the walnuts and serve.  A little freshly ground black pepper is a nice garnish.

I'll tell you, this is a delicious dish, but it is super rich.  This recipe easily serves 6 as a main dish and 8 or 10 as a first course.  Follow it up with a nice tossed salad and more wine.  Yum.

Best Indian Food

I love the site Vegetarian Recipes of India. It's where I got the killer recipe for most of my Palak Paneer, and I just can't help going there and browsing all the great things.  I thought I would like to try something a little different tonight.  I have a small head of cauliflower, and a bag of beautiful fresh green beans, and a couple of small potatoes, so I thought I might try just using those veggies in my standard cauliflower curry recipe.  I thought I'd peek over at my favorite Indian cooking site and next think you know, I'm off on a biryani tangent.

I don't have time to make this delicious looking biryani tonight, but it looks so good that I need to set aside some serious time and give it a try. Tell me that doesn't look amazing.

Palak Paneer

I love Indian food.  One of my new favorites is Palak Paneer - a rich green sauce with delicate cheese cubes.  I've never made cheese before, but it's always intrigued me.  The 1960's era Time Life book on Indian cooking my mother assured me it was simple.  It actually was.

The palak curry recipe is adapted from this one.that I found on Google.  It has great pictures of each step, and it actually tastes like the restaurant version.  I think the blanching of the spinach is really important to keep the color bright and appealing.  We all know how overcooked spinach can look.  My family loved this!  I can see making it at least once a month if not more frequently.  Even my picky 12 year old wiped his plate with his bread.  I didn't have naan, so i used flour tortillas quick toasted over the gas flame.

Ingredients
For the paneer
1 half gallon whole or 2% milk
1/2 c plain yogurt
2 T fresh lemon juice

For the Palak curry
9 oz fresh spinach - one large bag
1 long green hot chili
2 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
1/2 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

2 T oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 small fresh tomatoes or 1 8-oz can diced tomatoes
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 bay leaf
2 T heavy cream
salt

Make  the paneer 
Line a medium strainer with a tea towel and place over an 8 cup measure or other large bowl.  Pour milk into 3 quart saucepan and bring to boil over high heat.  When foam begins to rise, remove pan from heat and stir in yogurt and lemon juice.  It will look awful, but it's okay.  Dump the mixture into the strainer and let it drain and cool a bit.  When the curds are cool enough to handle, gather up the tea towel and squeeze as much liquid out as you can  Place a bath towel on the counter, and put a chopping board on top.  Place the curds, still wrapped in the tea towel, on a chopping board.  Cover with another board or a heavy pot.  Pile as many heavy things on top as you can.  The goal is to flatten the curds (paneer) into a flat disk about 1/2 - 1 inch thick.  Leave it to sit a few hours.  You can do this up to two days ahead.  Cut the paneer into 1-inch cubes and set aside.



For the Palak Curry
Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. In a large pot, bring one quart of water to boil. Drop the spinach into the pot and turn it off.  Let it stand for 2 minutes, drain, and dump spinach into a bowl of ice water.  Drain, and place spinach into a blender.  Add the chopped garlic, hot pepper, and ginger, and blend until smooth.  It will smell heavenly.

In a large deep skillet, heat the oil to almost smoking, and add the cumin seeds.  They should fry and toast in the oil.  Add the bay leaf and onions, and cook until lightly golden.  Add the garlic and cook a minute more.  Add the tomatoes and cook another minute or so.  Add the turmeric and chili powder, stirring well.  Pour in the spinach and ginger mixture.  Add 1/4 -1/2 cup water to the blender to get every bit of that spinach, and add to the pan.  Reduce heat and cook about 5 minutes.  Add the paneer cubes and cook another 3 minutes.  Stir in the cream, and season with salt to taste.

Serve with Basmati rice or Naan or both!  Yum.

Summer Pasta

This quick and easy pasta is the perfect use for all those wonderful summer tomatoes you have hanging around.  

4 fresh ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 shallot, minced

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

1/4 c fresh basil sliced thinly (chiffonade, for you, Elizabeth)

8 oz fresh mozzarella diced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Juice from 1/2 fresh lemon

salt and pepper to taste 

Grated Parmesan is optional 

1 lb pasta - I like gemilli, but penne works well too

Bring large pot of water to boil and add 2 T salt. Add pasta and cook till almost al dente.  While pasta is cooking, place garlic and olive oil in a heavy 6 quart pan, over low heat, and toast garlic very gently. Raise heat and add red pepper flakes and shallots and cook a minute or two.  Add tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, season with salt and pepper.  When pasta almost al dente, drain, reserving 1 c cooking liquid.  Add pasta to pan with tomatoes and cook until al dente.  Fold in basil, lemon juice and mozzarella.  Serve immediately.  Season with fresh ground pepper.  Add Parmesan if you like. 

The best thing I ever baked

Cinnamon buns from this King Arthur Flour recipe.  Used the icing from this recipe.

Pecan Pie

I have never had a lot of success with pecan pie - too hard, too runny, too stiff.  Is it cooking too long? Not long enough?  Good lord.  Pecan pie is nothing more than a custard pie with corn syrup instead of cream.  How hard can this be?  If you want a sturdier quiche or a thicker crème brulée you add more eggs.  So, more eggs must be an important piece of the equation.  But which recipe to start with?  I decided to start with this one from King Arthur Flour.

I'm just trying to figure out the custard part here, so no fancy crust efforts.  Simple pre-made pie crust from Pillsbury is just fine for now. Pre-baking the shell for a pie that bakes 40+ minutes is new to me, but in the spirit of experimentation, I did it.

Lined with non-stick foil

And after the baking.  It's not actually done, but it looks pretty sturdy

 

For the custard
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 c light corn syrup
1/2 c dark corn syrup
1 stick butter, melted
3 eggs - Using Jumbo this time, just to see
1 tsp vanilla

 

This recipe calls for half a cup of chopped pecans sprinkled with salt and toasted lightly in the oven.  

Les voila. 

 After baking for just 40 of the recommended 45 minutes, the pie looked puffed and golden.  See that little place on the side where the custard is done?  I thought that was a good sign.

Recipe says the pie will fall slightly as it cools.  Roger that.

The proof of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating.  Well, actually, for me, it's in the cutting.  Would this be a soupy mess like so many before, or would it be a triumph?   The recipe specifically said that the pie cut well when it was completely cool, so I am going to resist the temptation to cut it while it's still warm. 

And...voilà - my first ever absolutely perfect pecan pie.  The filling is soft but firm - not eggy, but not too sweet.  It's a winner.
 

Frogmore Stew

This looks fun to try - Corn, Shrimp, New Potatoes and sausage - cook it up and eat it with your hands!

Here's Bobby Flay's recipe:

• 3 quarts water
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoon crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
• 2 bags frozen corn kernels
• 1 head celery, 1-inch dice
• 1 large onion, 1-inch dice
• 7 pounds red potatoes, quartered
• 2 pounds smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 pounds shrimp, peeled, deveined

Blueberry happiness

Blueberry Coffee Cake 

Source: Cook's Illustrated

Makes one 9-inch cake, serving 8 to 10

Streusel

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (2 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into 8 pieces, softened but still cool

Cake

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour ( 7 1/2 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 stick), softened but still cool
2/3 cup granulated sugar (about 4 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs , room temperature
4 cups fresh blueberries (about 20 ounces), picked over

For the streusel: In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt on low speed until well combined and no large brown sugar lumps remain, about 45 seconds. Add butter and mix on low until mixture resembles wet sand and no large butter pieces remain, about 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer streusel to small bowl and set aside.

For the cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides with nonstick cooking spray, line bottom with parchment or waxed paper round, and spray round; dust pan with flour and knock out excess. 

In a small bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder together then set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, salt and lemon zest at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Beat in the vanilla.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture, beating until just about incorporated.  Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish stirring - the batter will be very thick.  Gently fold in the blueberries. 

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan; spread in an even layer.  To top with the streusel - pick up a handful of streusel and squeeze to form a clump.  Break this large clump into smaller pieces and sprinkle over the batter.  Continue until you've used all of the streusel.  Bake for about 55 minutes, or until the streusel is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool for 15-20 minutes.  Run a thin knife around the edges of the cake then invert it onto the rack.  Remove the parchment then turn the cake streusel side up and let cool on the wire rack.

Texas Caviar

A new favorite from Southern Living, courtesy of my friend, Kathleen.  Thanks for the recipe and for a great week at your beach house, Kath!

1 15-oz can yellow hominy - drained

1 15-oz can black-eyed peas - drained

3 green onions, finely chopped

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 large tomato, diced

1 medium green pepper, seeded and diced

1 jalapeno pepper seeded and minced (I used pickled)

1/3 c chopped fresh parsley

1/4 c chopped onions

1/2 c Italian salad dressing

Toss everything together in a bowl and chill.  Serve with tortilla chips.  This gets better and better the longer it marinates.  

Notes 

For some reason, there is only white hominy in Southern Maryland, but it's just as good

I used Good Season's Italian dressing mix and made it up with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

You could add a can of black beans to make it go further. 

Blackberry Oatmeal Pancakes

These our traditional summer time treat made with wild blackberries we pick ourselves!

2 cups rolled oats
2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs, beaten to blend
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
vegetable oil
2 cups fresh blackberries or frozen blackberries, thawed, drained
warm maple syrup

Mix oats and buttermilk in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Whisk eggs and butter into oatmeal mixture. Mix in flour , sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Heat griddle or heavy large skillet over medium-high. Lightly brush with oil. Ladle batter by 1/2 cupfuls onto griddle. Sprinkle some berries over. Cook
until batter bubbles and bottom is deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn pancakes and cook until second sides are deep golden brown. Transfer to plates. Repeat with remaining batter and berries. Serve with warm maple syrup.

Chipotle madness

My kids are unapologetic Chipotle addicts.  I, myself, have never been there.  Not even once.  I have heard that it's great, but it isn't exactly my idea of a family meal.  So I offered to make Chipotle's food at home.  "Aw, Mom," they all whined, "it's not the same." .  But I was determined to try.

First step - get their recipe for the chicken. 

There were two recipes that seemed like good candidates.  I combined them and came up with this:

2 whole dried ancho chilies
2 tsp ground cumin
2 T dried oregano
2 tsp salt
1/2 red onion, cut in quarters
1/4 c oil
8 chicken breast halves, cut through thick parts to make them uniform thickness

Place anchos in small measuring cup and cover with 1/2 c boiling water.  Let stand a few minutes .  Place remaining ingredients (not chicken, obviously) into blender, add softened anchos and blend until smooth.

Place chicken breasts in glass baking dish, and pour marinade over.  Cover chicken to coat evenly.  Let marinate at room temperature an hour, or overnight refrigerated.

While the chicken was marinating, I made the rice.  A batch of basmati rice in my rice cooker with a little salt.  When it was done, I stirred in cilantro and fresh lime juice.  Not sure how much, but enough so that it tasted right when Katie tasted it!

Grill chicken 4 minutes per side till done.

 

 
Set aside to cool slightly and shred or slice into  bite-sized pieces.

The mild salsa - kind of a pico de gallo, I chopped half a red onion, 4 small ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped, small bunch cilantro, juice of one lemon and one lime, and half teaspoon salt. For the guacamole, I made my favorite recipe from Rosa Mexicana - I mean it's hard to make bad guacamole.

 

Then I sauteed some green bell peppers and onions in a little olive oil.

 

Heat the giant tortilla in the microwave for 20 seconds under my plastic microwave dome.  Rice, meat, onions/peppers, shredded Mexican cheese (Kraft), guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and rolled it up. 

Verdict?  "Wow, Mom!  This is amazing - it tastes EXACTLY like Chipotle!"  We have this little rating scale at our house when I try a new dish:  1 is "I wouldn't eat it again if I were starving," 10 is, "I would eat this once a week for the rest of my life."  Everyone agreed it was a 10 and asked that it be our Sunday night tradition, much the way homemade pizza is our Friday night tradition.  I'm in.

Wonderful summer main dish salad

Tried this salad for dinner Sunday.  Just happened to have some almost everything on hand, and the grocery store avocados were ripe - sometimes the stars just align themselves perfectly.  We all agreed that this was a good meal to put into regular rotation (once every two weeks) over the summer.  Nice bottle of chardonnay was perfect. 

aThanksgiving stuffing to try

Sausage, Chestnut and Mushroom Dressing

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/sausage-chestnut-mush-dressing.html

this looks so yummy. We'll have the traditional stuffing and this one too. Can't have too much stuffing.

The foundation for this recipe is our herbed focaccia stuffing mix, made exclusively for us by La Brea Bakery, the Southern California bakeshop that inspired the artisanal bread renaissance in 1989. Be sure to use a very large mixing bowl so you can thoroughly blend the ingredients and ensure that the croutons absorb the stock.

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 yellow onions, diced
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 7 oz. cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 1 tsp. minced fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh sage
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
  
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1 cup roasted and peeled chestnuts, halved
• 1 package (1 lb.) La Brea Bakery focaccia stuffing
• 2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3 to 4 cups chicken stock, warmed

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Grease a 3-quart baking dish with 1 Tbs. of the butter.

In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the sausage until lightly browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

In the same pan over medium heat, melt the remaining 3 Tbs. butter. Add the onions and fennel and sauté until soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, thyme, sage, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Stir in the sherry. Let cool to room temperature.

In a very large bowl, combine the sausage, vegetable mixture, chestnuts, stuffing and parsley. Stir in the stock 1/2 cup at a time, making sure it is completely absorbed into the croutons. Taste a crouton; it should be moist throughout but not crunchy or mushy. You may not need all of the stock. Transfer the stuffing to the prepared baking dish, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown and crisp,

Spicy summer grilling

These recipes from Food and Wine were in last summer's issue, but I just got around to making them. The Red Curry Chicken Kebabs with Minty Yogurt Sauce were amazing. I bought some Naan at Giant and dinner couldn't have been easier.

The Fish tacos wither okay - the fish was good, but there were no ripe avocados at the store, so I bought premade guacamole. Big mistake. Need to try these again with decent guac.

The Ginger Garlic Shrimp is the last one I still want to try. Perhaps that tomato sauce will be a good use for the winter's nearly tasteless tomatoes.

Schweinshaxe

My father loved this and used to wax poetic about it, but it always sounded a little overly unctuous, shall we say. However when we were in Germany, he convinced me to try his, and I loved it. Now my son, Johnny wants to try it too, so I picked up some smallish but meaty fresh pork shanks at the grocery store today, and googled up the following recipes. Not sure which one is the more authentic. Perhaps Monika will know.

Schweinshaxe (Pork Knuckles)
1 small leek
1 celery stalk
1 carrot
1 onion
2 meaty pork knuckles
Salt
Black pepper corns
2 tablespoons cooking fat or vegetable shortening
a pinch of cumin
Beer or water
Wash and dice the leek, celery, carrot and onion. Cook pork knuckles, diced vegetables, salt and peppercorns in water to cover 2 to 3 hours or until tender. Avoid overcooking. Remove from water; drain well reserving vegetables and cooking liquid. Preheat oven to 425F (220C). Melt fat or shortening in an enamel-lined, cast iron pan. Add drained pork knuckles, cooked vegetables and a small amount of cooking liquid. Bake 30 minutes. Moisten meat frequently with more cooking liquid. Before meat is fully cooked, sprinkle with beer or water in which a good amount of salt has been dissolved. Add cumin to increase flavor. Serve with potato or white bread dumplings or sauerkraut salad. Note: In Bavaria, the juices and cooking liquid are strained and served as an accompanying sauce.

1 large Schweinshax
Salt
Pepper
Juniper berries (you get them dried in a glass jar from the spice shelf in your local store - Wacholderbeeren)
Caraway seeds (Kümmel)
1/2l Beer (I prefer using dark beer for this)
1/4l Broth (vegetable)
1 cup Sour cream
Paprika powder

Preheat oven to 200°C. Wash and dry the Schweinshax, score the skin (cut in diamond pattern - use a very sharp, thin knife). Rub with salt, pepper and caraway (and crushed garlic if you dig that). Put the Schweinshax in a roasting pan, pour 1/4l boiling water over it, add the juniper berries and cook for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, basting with beer regularly. Make sure that the skin is crunchy, bubbly browned, if your oven has a grill turn it on for the last 10 mins or so, turning the Schweinshax. Mix broth and drippings in a saucepan, add sour cream, season with paprika powder, thicken if necessary.
Serve with Knödel or mealy potatoes and sauerkraut or Krautsalat (thinly sliced white cabbage with oil/vinegar dressing - let sit for a few hours - , optionally caraway seeds and fried bacon cubes).

Week of April 21st

Monday - Split pea soup and bread
Tuesday- Steak, salad, hash browns
Wednesday - Ellen in La Plata
Thursday - Qabili Pilau
Friday - Pizza, of course
Saturday - Dinner for Marty and Phil - Beef stroganoff and noodles
Sunday - youth group
Monday - stir-fried chicken & broccoli
Tuesday - Pasta