Soooo….yeah.  Weight Watchers.  I’m in my fifth week, and while I still feel a little odd about it, I think it’s working for me.  Mostly, it’s been a good way to balance my indulgences, and an extra motivator to… Read the rest of this post

Soooo….yeah.  Weight Watchers.  I’m in my fifth week, and while I still feel a little odd about it, I think it’s working for me.  Mostly, it’s been a good way to balance my indulgences, and an extra motivator to help me decide if I really NEED that extra glass of wine or cookie on any given night.

It’s also making me cook more, and try new things.  This is actually a standby – my all time favorite dressing/marinade.  I’ve used it for chicken before, but decided for this to expand it to a dressing.  So I marinated chicken breasts overnight, then grilled them, and sliced them thin.  Shredded half a head of red cabbage, and dressed the whole thing with a few extra tablespoons of the dressing.  It’s stayed crispy in the fridge all week for my lunches and fast dinners.

Best-Ever Dressing/Marinade

6 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons apple cider vingar
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons very grainy mustard
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Put all ingredients in a jar and seal tightly.  Shake well to mix.  Excellent as a dressing or marinade for chicken, pork, and fish.

Makes about 3/4 cup – 2 tablespoons ~ 3 WW Plus Points

Chicken and Red Cabbage Salad
Serves 6

Best-Ever Marinade (you will use about 2/3 of it)
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
1/2 head of red cabbage

Marinate the chicken overnight in enough of the marinade to cover.  Grill until done, and slice crosswise into thin strips.

Quarter and thinly slice the red cabbage.  Toss with the chicken and enough dressing to coat.

One Serving ~ 7 WW Plus Points

Despite the title of this post, this meal did not take two days to make. Well, I stretched it out that long – started the meat searing Sunday afternoon, and left it in the oven all evening. Then transfered… Read the rest of this post

Despite the title of this post, this meal did not take two days to make. Well, I stretched it out that long – started the meat searing Sunday afternoon, and left it in the oven all evening. Then transfered it to a container in the fridge (not before grabbing a few delicious pieces), and let it sit overnight. Coming back in the morning, the fats had settled into a thick layer on the top, which I simply broke off and set aside. Then the meats and juices reheated and thickened, and a quick batch of egg noodles and some satueed kale later, I was in buisness for a Monday night dinner.

I love braised meats – the tenderness, the sauce, the long simmering time to anticipate their flavors. My local grocery store had beef chuck roasts on sale, and so I figured that would be an excellent piece to have on hand, as I had company coming this week.

I stumbled onto a recipe by one of my favorite food blogs, The Pioneer Woman Cooks, that braised this cut in beer with onions. Done.

For the beer, I had on hand a few Revolutionary Ales from the Philadelphia brewery Yards – this one a George Washington Tavern Porter. The mollasses in the beer gave such a rich, dark flavor, and balanced beautifully with the herbs and onions.

Porter-Braised Beef Roast with Onions

Whole beef chuck roast, 2 1/2 pounds or bigger
olive oil
4 large onions, thickly sliced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bottles of dark bee
1 tablespoon marjoram
1 tablespoon rosemary

Preheat the oven to 275.

Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large dutch oven (enough to get a layer over the bottom). While the oil heats, generously salt and pepper one side of your beef. Set the seasoned side down in the pot and let sit without touching it for at least 5 minutes to get a good sear. While the meat is cooking, season the opposite side.

Test the meat with a pair of tongs – when it releases easily from the bottom of the pan, it’s ready to flip. Sear the other side and remove the beef to a plate.

Toss in the chopped onions and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions start to soften. Then pour in the beer, add the marjoram and rosemary, and season generously with salt (Ree had it right on this one – salt is key to making this flavorful, especially with the sweetness of the beer). If the meat isn’t almost completley submerged, add water to balance.

Cover the dutch oven and place it in the oven for about 3 hours, checking occasionally to make sure that everything’s is still cooking.

When the meat is falling-apart tender, return the dutch oven to the stove top.

Make Ahead: If you’re doing this ahead of time, let the meat and juices cool for at least a half hour. Then transfer everything to a sealed container and refrigerate overnight. The next day, any remaining fats and oils will have collected in a thick layer on the top – break it into pieces and remove most of it. Then reheat the meal in an uncovered pot, allowing the sauce to reduce.

You can also just proceed directly after cooking – in that case, I suggest removing the meat and letting it rest, and then cooking the remaining liquid on high heat to thicken. Cut the meat into chunks and return it to the sauce to warm before serving.

I cooked wide egg noodles and served the beef on top of that.

Well THAT was a pain in the ass.

I was all excited to try making Speculaas.  Gingerbread-y cookies?  Great!  I get to order a new kitchen toy (the mold)?  Awesome!  I end up with pretty little cookies?  Even better!… Read the rest of this post

Well THAT was a pain in the ass.

I was all excited to try making Speculaas.  Gingerbread-y cookies?  Great!  I get to order a new kitchen toy (the mold)?  Awesome!  I end up with pretty little cookies?  Even better!

Except that what had failed to occur to me was that the two rounds of dough I whipped up yesterday and left to take in the fridge were considerably larger than the indentations in the cookie mold.  And so therefore, after an hour of pressing the balls of dough into the floured mold and ever-so-gently trying to pry them out so they wouldn’t break, I had barely made a dent in the first one.

Not having six more hours to press the cookies, I did a cheat, as you can see on the left.  I rolled a single block of dough, about 1/2 inch thick, over the whole block.  Peeling it off, I cut it into three pieces, each with a pretty flower sticking out of the top.  Not as delicate or exacting, but as good as it was going to get.

The cookie mold will have a prominent place on my wall….but I’m not sure it’ll ever touch dough again.

And this is the last of my Saveur Cookie Challenge posts for this year!  I’m headed home for the holidays tomorrow, cookies in hand, and want to wish my fellow bakers (Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes, Courtney of Coco Cooks,Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook, Judy of No Fear Entertaining, Kelly of Sass & Veracity, Michelle of Big Black Dogs, RJ of Flamingo Musings, Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench, and Tiffany of The Nesting Project) and everyone else a Happy New Year!

Speculaas (Molded Ginger Cookies)

Adapted from Saveur

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup milk

1. In a bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda, salt, and pepper; set aside. In a mixer, beat together butter and sugar until combined. Add half the flour mixture; mix. Add milk and remaining flour mixture; mix. Form into two discs and wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill for two hours.

2. Heat oven to 350°. Grease your speculaas mold, and flour lightly (you don’t need to re-grease it for each batch, but do add the flour each time).  Tap out the extra flour by hitting the mold on the countertop.  Working with one disk at a time, break off small chunks and press into a floured speculaas molds-using a sharp knife scrape away excess dough until you start to see the outline of your shape.  Alternately, a single block of dough, the dimensions of the mold and about 1/2″ thick, can be pressed into the shape.  Press to ensure a clear imprint, then trim edges.

3. Invert the mold and gently press the edges towards the middle to free the cookie.  Put cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1″ apart. Bake until golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Let cool.

~~~~

I’m joined in the effort by: Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes, Courtney of Coco Cooks,Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook, Judy of No Fear Entertaining, Kelly of Sass & Veracity, Michelle of Big Black Dogs, RJ of Flamingo Musings, Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench, and Tiffany of The Nesting Project.

I had my doubts here…not that the combination of caramel and shortbread isn’t delicious, but frankly, caramel scares me.  I’ve washed far too many scortched pots as a cooking class assistant for it not to.  But, despite my trepidation,… Read the rest of this post

I had my doubts here…not that the combination of caramel and shortbread isn’t delicious, but frankly, caramel scares me.  I’ve washed far too many scortched pots as a cooking class assistant for it not to.  But, despite my trepidation, these actually turned out well.  I followed my fellow baker Judy’s lead suit and added nuts to half of them (walnuts in my case), which I think cut down on the pure ::SWEET:: sensation that comes with biting into one of these.

They ended up at both a holiday bake-off and another friends party, both to grand acclaim.  I can’t say they’ll make the cookie tray next year, but at least I’ve overcome some of my fear of caramel.

Caramel Crumb Bars

based on a recipe from Saveur

20 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan
2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for pan
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup lightly chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Heat oven to 350°. Line a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with parchment paper; grease and flour (the Baking version of Pam was very handy here).

In a stand  mixer with a paddle, beat together 16 tablespoons of the  butter, the sugar, vanilla, and salt.  Beat until fluffy. Add 2 1/4 cups flour; mix. Transfer 3/4 dough to pan, a handful at a time.  Press it into the bottom in an even layer, and refrigerate.

Take the remaining dough and work with your fingers until it forms into large crumbles – set aside.

Combine remaining butter, brown sugar, syrup, and milk in a 2-qt. saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat to make caramel, 8–10 minutes. Pour over dough; scatter crumbles and nuts over top. Bake until golden, 25–30 minutes. Let cool. Cut into 1 inch squares.

~~~~

I’m joined in the effort by: Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes, Courtney of Coco Cooks,Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook, Judy of No Fear Entertaining, Kelly of Sass & Veracity, Michelle of Big Black Dogs, RJ of Flamingo Musings, Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench, and Tiffany of The Nesting Project.

I’ve been a long time away from the blog, but there’s nothing like the holiday season to get me cooking again – especially when I have such lovely compatriots to inspire me into buttery deliciousness!  We stalwart cookie makers… Read the rest of this post

I’ve been a long time away from the blog, but there’s nothing like the holiday season to get me cooking again – especially when I have such lovely compatriots to inspire me into buttery deliciousness!  We stalwart cookie makers are cutting back a bit this year – one recipe for each week of December – but are trying out Saveur’s Best Cookies In The World as our choices for the Cookies We Love challenge!

I’m joined in the effort by: Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes, Courtney of Coco Cooks,Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook, Judy of No Fear Entertaining, Kelly of Sass & Veracity, Michelle of Big Black Dogs, RJ of Flamingo Musings, Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench, and Tiffany of The Nesting Project.

These Galletas con Chochitos (Mexican Butter Cookies) caught my eye right away – my double love for butter cookies and sprinkles would both be satisfied!  They are a very nice, easy cookie, and with the extra sparkle of my sprinkles, I think they make a festive addition.  I particularly like how the salt balances with the sweet – these will be hard to keep away from.

Read on for the recipe!

Mexican Butter Cookies with Sprinkles

(adapted from Saveur)

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse  kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Multicolored sprinkles, for decorating

Blend flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.  In the bowl of a mixer, beat softened butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy.  Turn the mixer down to low and add the dry ingredients, and then raise speed to blend well.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Divide dough into three pieces, and roll each into a 12″ long cylinder.  Cut the cylinder into inch long sections.  Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place on the paper-covered baking sheet.  Use your finger to press a hole through the middle of the cookie.  Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Remove the cookies from the fridge.  lightly beat the egg white, brush the tops of the cookies with the egg, then dip in a bowl with the sprinkles.  Repeat for the entire tray of cookies.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly golden around the edges and on the bottom.

I love doing my saturday marketing, but it kills me when I can’t use everything before it spoils.   So this week I took sunday to cook up some things that I knew would get me through the days… Read the rest of this post

I love doing my saturday marketing, but it kills me when I can’t use everything before it spoils.   So this week I took sunday to cook up some things that I knew would get me through the days where a fresh dish just wouldn’t happen between work and swimming and other activites.

A few loaves of bread had been getting stale, so a bread pudding came to mind.  I’d had a rosemary bread pudding a few months ago at a fantastic local restaurant, and the memory is still in my taste buds.  For this one I used my market zucchini and a few sprigs of my window-box tarragon, and fresh Cherry Glen chevre  to top it off.

I know this will be a great lunch later this week, maybe with a bit of the arugula salad I have sitting on the top shelf of the fridge.

Savory Zucchini and Goat Cheese Bread Pudding

One pound of stale bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups milk
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound zucchini
about 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan or casserole with nonstick cooking spray or grease with butter.

In medium bowl, whisk together the milk, broth, eggs, salt, pepper, and tarragon, until combined.

Cut the zucchini into half rounds about 1” wide.  In a large sauté pan, heat a thin film of olive oil.  Cook the onion and garlic  for 2 minutes, until softened, then add the zucchini.  Let sit to brown, the turn occasionally, cooking for 5-6 minutes.

Set the stale bread into the milky mixture, and fold to coat.  Then add in the zucchini, and stir to coat.

Pour the bread pudding into the prepared baking dish.  Crumble the goat cheese on top.  Bake for about 40 minutes until browned and liquid is absorbed.  Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

Summer desserts don’t take much work – the beautiful fruit of the season does most of it for you.  I was so sad to see the last few pints of strawberries on the tables at the farmers market this… Read the rest of this post

Summer desserts don’t take much work – the beautiful fruit of the season does most of it for you.  I was so sad to see the last few pints of strawberries on the tables at the farmers market this weekend (though all the cherries made up for it!) that I wanted to do something special with my last few perfect fruits.

The cherries put me in the mind of a clafoutis, where custard cushions and surrounds the delicious juicy fruit.  It only takes a tiny bit of sugar to fill the flavors out, and it makes a beautiful pie plate for any summer fruit.

I love lemon curd.  Love love love love.  Sweet, creamy, tart, lovely on scones or toast or in tarts.  And it is far easier to make than I would have ever imagined, so my little bag of Meyer lemons… Read the rest of this post

I love lemon curd.  Love love love love.  Sweet, creamy, tart, lovely on scones or toast or in tarts.  And it is far easier to make than I would have ever imagined, so my little bag of Meyer lemons went to very good use.

I’ve been adding it to plain yogurt or spreading it on my breakfast most mornings.  I think pastry might be next.

Meyer Lemon Curd
Based on a recipe from Gourmet Magazine

1 pound Meyer lemons
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 stick unsalted butter

Grate enough zest to make 2 teaspoons, then squeeze ½ cup of juice.

Set a saucepan half full of water over medium heat and bring it to a simmer. Choose a metal bowl that can rest in the saucepan without sinking.

Whisk the zest, juice, sugar, and eggs in the bowl. Cut the butter into several pieces and add it to the bowl. Set the bowl over the simmering water, and whisk until thickened and smooth, and an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F, about 5 minutes.

Force curd through a fine sieve set into another bowl. Serve warm or cover surface of curd with wax paper and cool completely.

I love a dessert that is simple and delicious, and this is my go-to tart for whatever fruit is looking good that day at the market.  It’s very non-finicky – whirl the crust together in a food processor, press… Read the rest of this post

I love a dessert that is simple and delicious, and this is my go-to tart for whatever fruit is looking good that day at the market.  It’s very non-finicky – whirl the crust together in a food processor, press it into the pan, and fill with slices of your favorite fruit, tossed with just a bit of sugar.  No muss, no fuss – just fabulous fruit.

I recommend a quick sprinkle of powdered sugar on top (I mix it with cinnamon for apples) just to add some color.

World’s Simplest Fruit Tart

Crust:
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 egg
Lemon juice (as needed)

Filling:
5-6 medium apples or 6-7 peaches (or any comparable fruit) cut into ½ inch thick slices
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour

Topping:
1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Optional: 2 teaspoons cinnamon (especially for apple)

In a food processor pulse together the dry ingredients to mix.  Then cut the butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture, pulsing until combined. Add the egg and pulse until the dough becomes a solid mass.  If it seems dry, add the lemon juice a teaspoon at a time.

Using a 10 inch tart pan, just press the dough into the shell until it is even all over and comes up the sides.  It’s not an exact process – I find it easiest to take a handful of dough at a time, flatten it between my palms, and lay it in the shell, pushing with the heel of my hand to flatten it out all over.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Slice the fruit and toss it with the flour and sugar.  Using a fork, lightly dock the tart hell.  Add the fruit to the tart and spread out in an even layer.  Bake for 55 minutes on the lower rack.  Let cool for 15 minutes.  Using a sieve, sprinkle on the powdered sugar and cinnamon.

Wonderful served with whipped cream, or greek yogurt.

I’ve been thinking about this recipe since I first made it for Christmas Eve dinner.  I admit it – I’m obsessed.  But sweet potatoes take so much of the starchy heavyness out of gnocchi (though they are still quite… Read the rest of this post

I’ve been thinking about this recipe since I first made it for Christmas Eve dinner.  I admit it – I’m obsessed.  But sweet potatoes take so much of the starchy heavyness out of gnocchi (though they are still quite toothsome) and the ricotta further lightens them up.  Then sage and brown butter, plus a few slivered almonds?  Elegant, and delicious.

I also loved that the gnocchi could be made several hours in advance – a lifesaver for this mutli-course meal.  (They were a first course – to follow was my mothers beef braciole, roasted beets and kale, and my Nana’s fig cakes)

This was a first attempt at pasta making for me – not as scary as I had feared. I’m still guessing at the purpose of the fork in rolling out the dumplings, but they looked about right, so I was happy.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter, Sage, and Almonds [Download PDF]

Based on a recipe from Bon Appétit

makes: 10 to 12 servings

ingredients:

2 pounds yams, rinsed, patted dry, pierced all over with fork
12 ounces fresh ricotta cheese, drained in sieve 2 hours
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 3/4 cups (approximately) all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter
6 tablespoons chopped fresh sage plus whole leaves for garnish
½ cup slivered almonds

how to:

Bake sweet potatoes in the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool. (they can also be microwaved)

Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Scrape sweet potato flesh into medium bowl and discard skins.  Transfer 3 cups of potato to large bowl. Add ricotta cheese; blend well. Add brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, and nutmeg.  Mash to blend together.  Mix in flour ½ cup at a time until a soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto floured surface; divide into 6 equal pieces. Rolling between palms and floured work surface, form each piece into 20-inch-long rope (about 1 inch in diameter), sprinkling with flour as needed if sticky. Cut each rope into 20 pieces.

With a fork sitting tines up on the cutting board, push your thumb into each dumpling, rolling it off the edge of the fork to create an indented roll.  Transfer the pieces to the parchment sheet, and cover with a towel.  Roll each piece over tines of fork to indent. Transfer to baking sheet.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, boil gnocchi until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer gnocchi to clean rimmed baking sheet covered in parchment or wax paper. Let cool – they can sit out for up to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until butter solids are brown and have toasty aroma, swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Add chopped sage  – the butter will bubble.  Turn off heat. Season sage butter generously with salt and pepper.

Transfer half of sage butter to large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add half of gnocchi. Sauté until gnocchi are heated through, about 6 minutes. Empty skillet onto rimmed baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining sage butter and gnocchi.  With the remaining butter, toast the almonds slightly.

Divide gnocchi and sauce among shallow bowls. Garnish with sage leaves and almonds.