Roasted Jerusalem Artichoke and Cherry Tomato Salad with Haloumi

This is the first Ottolenghi recipe I haven't loved. I love all the ingredients individually, but there was something about the combination of the Haloumi (admittedly, the recipe calls for Manouri, but suggests Haloumi as a substitute) and the sunchokes that just didn't work for me. I roasted the sunchokes on a tray instead of in a covered dish as the book recommends- I wanted them to get a little caramelized and I thought that with all the liquid in the dish they would just steam. I think I probably should have just put the tomatoes on that same tray, instead of caramelizing them in a frying pan as the recipe specifies, if only to save dishes.

*Addendum! In my hurry to eat, I completely forgot to add the basil oil, which is supposed to be drizzled over the top of the salad. Not sure if that would have changed my opinion or not...

Braised Short Ribs and Rapini over Fresh Corn Polenta

I have been eyeing this recipe for fresh corn "polenta" in Plenty for a while now. The corn was so sweet, I would happily eat it for breakfast any day of the week. Last night I served it with braised short ribs and some sauteed rapini to cut the richness of the beef. I cooked the ribs for about four hours with beef stock, red wine, and lots of aromatics. Yum!

Mashed Sunchokes and Millet with Cranberry and Purple Shelling Beans, Caramelized Onion, and Arugula and Persimmon Salad

Inspired by this post. I am not a big cauliflower fan, and I had some sunchokes in the fridge so I decided to use them instead. I think it came out great, and it was delicious with the sweet, caramelized onions and fresh shelling beans.

Roasted Chicken and Lemon Potatoes

When Erik decides he wants to eat meat, I never hesitate. We roasted a chicken with these fantastic potatoes from River Cafe- you just slice up lemons and toss them with the potatoes, garlic, olive oil and herbs. Delish!

Horseradish Potato Salad

From Jamie Oliver. Potatoes tossed in creme fraiche, horseradish, celery, parsley, tarragon, and lemon juice.

Millet Cake

Erik made this one- I take no credit- but it was really tasty so I thought I'd share. I think this would be amazing with the addition of some parmesan cheese, or as Erik likes to serve it in the summer, with pesto. Recipe here.

Gnocchi

This is another recipe from Deb at Smitten Kitchen.

2 lbs boiling potatoes
1 1/2 C flour
Pinch of salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten


Boil the potatoes until fork tender. Pass through a ricer, or grate into a large bowl with the fine side of a box grater. Add the egg and mix together with a wooden spoon. Add the flour a little at a time until thoroughly combined. Transfer to a floured board and knead like you would bread dough (for about 3-4 minutes). Divide into 6 pieces and roll each piece with your hands into "ropes" about 3/4 inch thick. Chop into 1 inch "pillows." If you'd like, roll each pillow across the back of a fork to create the traditional shape. At this point you can boil the gnocchi (add to a pot of boiling, salted water and cook for about 1 minute after they have risen to the surface), pan fry them until browned*, or freeze them for later use.

*To pan fry, I boiled the gnocchi until they rose to the surface of the water, tossed them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and then threw them in a hot pan for a few minutes. They were delicious this way!

Chorizo and Butter Bean "Stew"

As I've posted many times before, I have a huge crush on Jamie Oliver. Ever since his days as the Naked Chef, I've been following his cookbooks, television shows, products, projects and now... his magazine. I love getting Jamie Magazine every other month more than any other piece of mail. It's chock full of simple, rustic recipes, including the magnificent "recipe a day" centerfold, and is a constant source of cooking inspiration for me. I am so excited for his American tv series to start!

I had leftover polenta from last night's dinner, so I decided to have it for dinner with this chorizo and butter bean "stew" from the latest issue of Jamie. One thing I love about Jamie's recipes is that they are very intuitive, so even though he provides quantities and instruction, it's pretty easy to just look at the ingredients and improvise. I made this by just sauteing some Spanish chorizo with onion, adding some canned tomatoes and beans, and simmering until it was all good and soft. It was, as Mr. Oliver would say, "easy peasy" and deliciously smoky on a cold autumn night.

*Note: I also served this on top of crostini as an hor d'oeuvre at my last dinner party and it was a huge hit! I paired them with my "Out Like a Lamb" cocktail, which really complimented the smokiness of the chorizo. To make crostini, just slice good bread, brush with olive oil, and bake for a few minutes until it gets crispy. Then top with whatever you like!

Mid Century Supper!

Here are the pics from Jenn and my dinner experiment... The diptychs show the photo from the original cookbook on the left, with our version on the right. I was especially excited to finally make the "Meatloaf Train," which has always been one of my most prized recipes. I should note that the cake was decorated by a very capable 10-year old. We also served cheese fondue with the canapes, but I didn't get a good pic. I'm not posting recipes, but if anyone wants them, please let me know.

Dinner for One

First of all, I want to apologize for the lack of recipes in the last few months. Lately, I've had less opportunities to cook new and interesting things that seem to be worth sharing. Tonight's dinner is a good example of the sort of food I cook for myself: borsellini with goat cheese, pine nuts, and chervil. Simple, improvised, and easy. So from now on, I will probably only post here when I have a social occasion that allows me to prepare something more elaborate. Hope you understand!

Third Degree Potatoes

Believe me, I hate Rachel Ray as much as anyone, but I have to admit that I occasionally do take her tips and recipes to heart. This recipe is one that she adapted from Jacques Pepin (who is near and dear to my heart), and I have further adapted it, hence "three degrees." These potatoes are flavorful and buttery, and would be lovely alongside almost any meal.

3 lbs small Yukon Gold potatoes
3 C chicken broth (you could also use vegetable broth)
3 Tbs butter
Small bunch of fresh thyme
6 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper

Arrange the potatoes in a single layer in the bottom of a heavy bottomed pot or skillet. Add the chicken broth and butter, along with several whole sprigs of thyme and the whole garlic cloves (you can leave them unpeeled). Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on medium-high heat until the potatoes are just tender.

Remove the lid and with the back of a spoon, or the bottom of a glass, press down on the tops of the potatoes just to crack them open (don't smash them too hard!). Continue to cook until all the liquid has evaporated, and then brown the potatoes on both sides. Garnish with a little thyme and sea salt and serve.

Dad's Potato Latkes

My dad makes these latkes once a year for Chanuka. Unlike the traditional latke, which is made with shredded potato and fried until crispy, these latkes are made with pureed potato and therefore have the consistency of a regular pancake. We like to serve them with homemade applesauce and sour cream.


1/4 C milk
1 egg
2 C raw, diced potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes, or 3/4 lb)
1 small onion, diced
2 Tbs flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

Put all ingredients (in the order listed) into a blender. Cover and blend on high speed until all the potatoes go through the blades (do not overblend, or the potatoes will be liquified!).

Pour in small amounts onto a hot, greased griddle or frying pan. Fry until golden brown on both sides, turning once. Allow 15 minutes cooking time per batch.

Farro with Sweet Potatoes and Feta Cheese

1 1/2 C farro (wheat berries)
3 large sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and diced
1/4 C feta cheese, crumbled
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 Tbs olive oil

Start by soaking the wheat berries overnight in water. Drain and rinse well.

In medium pot, bring to the farro to a boil with 3 C water, and simmer for about an hour, adding more water if necessary, until soft. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and add the onions. Cook slowly over low heat, stirring frequently, until caramelized.

Steam the sweet potatoes until just tender. Drain and set aside in a bowl. Add the farro, onions, and salt and pepper. Top with the crumbled feta cheese and serve at room temperature.

Cornbread Stuffing

You can make this stuffing with dried cornbread stuffing mixture, but I prefer to make my own cornbread the day before, and let it get a bit stale before I crumble it up.


For the cornbread (follow package instructions):
Cornbread mix
Eggs
Buttermilk
Melted butter

For the stuffing:
1 C diced carrots
1 C diced celery
1 C diced onions
1 large apple, diced
8 chopped garlic cloves
Fresh thyme
Rosemary
Parsley
Sage
1/2 C dried cranberries
1 C sliced almonds
1/2 C butter
4 C chicken stock (or vegetable)

Crumble the cornbread into a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients except the butter. Stir to combine, and transfer to a large baking dish. Dot with the butter, and bake at 350 for at least one hour, or until the stuffing is as dry or wet as you prefer. If you want the stuffing to be more moist, add more broth or water.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This is my version of the classic, sans marshmallow (which you could certainly add if so desired). One of my favorite things about cooking Thanksgiving dinner is that all the dishes are so simple to put together. Most of my recipes have the following instructions: combine all ingredients, bake. This one is no exception, and can be made with pumpkin or squash as well.


8 large sweet potatoes or yams
1/2 C butter
1 C cream
1 1/2 C brown sugar
Cinnamon
Allspice
Nutmeg
Cardamon
1 C chopped pecans

Peel and quarter the sweet potatoes. Place them in a steamer basket over boiling water; cover and cook until fork tender, and drain. In a large bowl, mash the potatoes with the cream, butter and spices, and half the sugar. Spread the mixture into a baking dish and top with the remaining sugar and the pecans, and dot with bits of butter (or drizzle with melted butter). Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Carrot and Winter Squash Risotto

Here's another recipe from "The Produce Bible." I have made a lot of risottos, and I think this one is going up there with my favorites! I would recommend serving it with a little mascarpone cheese on top. Yum!


1/3 C butter
1 onion, finely diced
1 3/4 C diced winter squash (I used Butternut)
2 large carrots, diced
8 C vegetable stock, heated (or chicken stock)
2 C arborio rice
1 C shaved Romano or Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp nutmeg


Heat three tablespoons of butter in a large, heavy bottomed frying pan. Add the onion and sautee until soft. Add the squash and carrots, and cook for about 10 minutes, until tender. Mash slightly with a fork. Add the rice and cook for a minute until the grains are translucent, and add the first 1/2 C of vegetable stock. Simmer the rice until the stock is absorbed, and add more stock. Continue until you have used up all the liquid, or until the rice is creamy and soft. If you need more liquid, add water. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining butter, cheese, and nutmeg. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt. Allow to sit, covered, for 5 minutes before serving.

Lamb and Couscous

This recipe is somewhere between the Greek lamb and rice my mother used to make, and an Afghani dish with lamb, yogurt and rice. I like to serve it with couscous, but rice would work just as well.


1 lb ground lamb
1 C peas (frozen is fine)
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 large onion, diced
4 cardamom pods
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
Salt and pepper

Yogurt sauce:
1 1/2 C Greek yogurt
1 tomato, diced
1 Tbs finely chopped mint leaves
1 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper

In a large pan, sautee the onions and garlic with the fennel and cardamom. Add the meat and spices, cook through, adding the peas halfway. Remove the cardamom pods before serving.

For the yogurt sauce, combine all ingredients.

Serve over couscous with the yogurt sauce on top.

Chilean Sea Bass with Fried Plantains and Rice

2 Chilean sea bass filets
2 ripe plantains (not completely black)
1 C rice
2 limes
1/4 C olive oil
1/2 C canola or peanut oil
2 cloves of garlic
2 fingers of ginger
1 Tbs dried basil
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 tsp dried chili flakes
Salt and pepper

Grate the garlic and ginger into a bowl and mix with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Add the zest and juice of one lime. Set aside.

Boil 1 1/2 C water for the rice. Once boiling, add the rice, basil, garlic powder, and chili flakes. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Let cook for 15 minutes, and then allow to sit covered for 5 minutes. Before serving, stir in the juice of the second lime.

Season the sea bass filets with pepper and salt and place on a sheet of foil on a baking pan. Pour the lime and ginger mixture over them and fold the foil up around the sides to keep the liquid from spilling out. Bake for about 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, slice the plantains on a diagonal, about 1/4 inch thick. In a large pan, heat the canola oil until it begins to smoke. Drop the plantains into the oil so that they form a single layer in the pan and cook till golden brown on both sides, flipping halfway. Remove them from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain. While still hot, toss with a little salt.

Summer Vegetable Risotto

6 handfulls arborio rice
Olive oil
1 bulb garlic
1 C cippolini onions, sliced thin
Handful fresh thyme
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
4 yellow squashes, chopped
1 C english peas, shelled
1 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 C fresh corn kernels, removed from the cob
4 C vegetable broth
1/2 C white wine
Butter

Chop the top off the garlic bulb and wrap the bulb in foil, leaving an opening at the top. Place in the oven at 400 degrees and roast for 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, and then squeeze the garlic out of the paper and set aside.

Start the risotto by caramelizing the onion in a little olive oil. Once the onions are golden brown, deglaze the pan with the white wine and let it cook off. Add the rice and toss to coat in the oil. Add about a cup of broth and bring to a boil. After you have added the first cup of liquid, add a couple pinches of thyme, and the roasted garlic. When almost all of the liquid has been absorbed, add more. Keep adding broth until it runs out, and then use water. You want to keep the rice bubbling, but not sticking to the bottom of the pan, so you will need to keep stirring constantly for about 45 minutes. Once the rice is soft, add the vegetables and simmer until cooked through. Season as necessary, and remove from the heat. Add a tablespoon of butter (or two for a large amount) and let melt into the rice.

Roasted Garlic Risotto

Risotto was one of the first dishes I learned how to make, and for a long time it was sort of my signature. There are a million different ways to make it, and this particular recipe was adapted from Jamie Oliver. It's one of my favorites, and it's easy to make in big batches for a large crowd.

Arborio rice (about one handful per person)
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
Fresh thyme (leaves picked off the stems)
1 whole bulb garlic
Two cloves garlic chopped
Olive oil
1 small onion, diced
Bread
Sliced almonds
Butter

Chop the top off the garlic bulb and wrap the bulb in foil, leaving an opening at the top. Place in the oven at 400 degrees and roast for 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool, and then squeeze the garlic out of the paper and set aside.

While the garlic is roasting, make coarse breadcrumbs by tearing stale bread (or use fresh and toast it slightly) into pieces. In a frying pan, combine with the almonds, a pinch of thyme, and enough olive oil to saturate the bread. Over medium heat, toast until golden brown and crispy. Be careful because the almonds will burn easily!

Start the risotto by browning the onion and chopped garlic in a little olive oil, in a large pan. Add the rice and toss to coat in the oil. Add about a cup of broth and bring to a boil. After you have added the first cup of liquid, add a couple pinches of thyme, and the roasted garlic. When almost all of the liquid has been absorbed, add more. Keep adding broth until it runs out, and then use water. You want to keep the rice bubbling, but not sticking to the bottom of the pan, so you will need to keep stirring constantly for about 45 minutes. Season as necessary, and remove from the heat when the rice is very soft. Add a tablespoon of butter (or two for a large amount) and let melt into the rice.

Serve with the breadcrumbs on top and a dollop of mascarpone cream.