Craving Beef – Mom’s Bulgogi to the Rescue

My husband suggested that I might be anemic when I came home with six pounds of beef earlier in the week. I said it was getting time for hearty meals. Well, it’s sort of getting cold out, but really I was getting tired of chicken, pork and shrimp. In a moment of desperation (What do I do with beef?), I pulled out one of my mom’s Korean recipes – look! Short list of ingredients which I happened to have already and easy to cook. So, here it is… it goes best with steamed short-grain rice, a side of kimchi, and some stir-fried vegetables (truth be told, I grilled some asparagus with olive oil, my favorite way to eat it. When my husband grimaced, I suggested he could sprinkle some soy sauce on it. He just went for some leftover Korean tofu soup – oh, I should share that, too… another easy and delish way to begin a Korean meal and lots of kimchi).

1 lb sirloin, sliced across the grain into 1/4″ or thinner strips, or sukiyaki sliced beef (I highly recommend going with the sirloin if you want a “meatier” mouth-feel)
3-4 tablespoons sugar or honey
2 tablespoons sesame oil
fresh ground black pepper
2 scallions, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds (I buy them already roasted in a jar, available in most Asian food markets)
2 tablespoons rice wine or sherry
6 tablespoons soy sauce

Add all the ingredients to the meat. Mix well. Let marinade for 30 minutes or more, covered in the refrigerator. When you are nearly ready to eat, add the soy sauce and mix well.

Broil on a hot barbecue or in your oven broiler. I broil it – line a baking pan with aluminum foil to reduce clean up, spread the meat and all the marinade onto it in a single layer with meat slices as untangled as possible. Put on barbecue or under broiler for about 5 minutes – watch closely so you don’t over cook it. I left mine a bit too long and it got some nice browned, carmelized edges, but the meat can get too tough. As long as your slices are thin, you won’t need to turn the pieces of meat. Take off or out of the heat and let rest for a couple of minutes before serving with the sauce left in the pan.

Or, you can sautee it with a small amount of vegetable oil in a fry pan on the stovetop. Cover tightly for a few minutes after adding a little bit of water so it won’t dry out.

You can adjust the amounts of seasoning, especially the sugar and soy sauce to your taste.

This makes about 4 servings, but if you have hungry folks, you might want to make more! I’ll let you know soon what I did with the other 5 pounds of beef!!

I’m back, although I can’t say “with …

I’m back, although I can’t say “with a vengeance”.  Will work on that….

So, last night I thawed a 2-lb pack of frozen pork tenderloins, and so I had to make something with both of them. Last night I made Rachel Ray’s Roasted version, and tonight I made Mark Bittman’s Pork Satay, which I’ll share here. I happened to have a bunch of broccoli and the fridge and a bag of basmati rice, so a meal was ready to go in no time.  I almost forgot that it improves the pork’s flavor a great deal to let it marinade in its sauce for as long as possible. I started the pork at around 5, and got back to business by around 7 pm. And, I almost forgot that the rice takes about half an hour. I was obviously feeling like this dinner was going to just make itself!

So, start the pork by getting it marinading. Then about a half hour before you’re ready to eat, put the rice on and start the broccoli. About 10 minutes before you’re ready to eat, put the pork on the grill or under your broiler.

Pork Satay – 4 servings

1 pound pork tenderloin
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon peanut butter or sesame (tahini)
1 teaspoon peeled and minced, or grated fresh ginger (jar version is fine)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3-4 cloves)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice (about 1/2 a fruit)

Slice the pork as thinly as you can (it’s easier if you freeze it for 15 minutes first; and use a really sharp knife!). Cut the slized into pieces, about 1.5″ in diameter.

Mix together the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, and stir the pork into them. Let sit for a while or overnight in the refrigerator.

When you’re ready to cook, heat up your gas grill or broiler (I put mine on 475F). You can skewer the meat before cooking, or just spread them all around on a roasting pan (line with foil to make clean up easier). Grill or broil until browned all over, a total of 5-8 minutes.

While the meat is cooking, put the marinade in a small saucepan and bring to a boil and reduce it slightly. Serve the meat hot or room temperature using the cooked marinade as a sauce.

Prep the broccoli by cutting off the woody, thick part of the stem, and cut it up into long-stemmed florets.  To minimize the amount of oil needed for cooking the broccoli, I steam it for around 5-10 minutes (depends on how soft you like your veggies) before stir-frying.  Chop up a clove of garlic or two. Get out your wok, heat up around 2-3 teaspoons of sesame oil, add the garlic and cook for a few minutes. Don’t let the garlic get brown. Add the broccoli, splash on a little soy sauce (maybe a teaspoon or so, to taste), add some fresh ground black pepper, a sprinkling of sugar (maybe 1/4-1/2 teaspoon), and stir fry for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Sprinkle a generous pinch of toasted sesame seeds, give it a stir and serve.

I’m assuming you don’t need instructions on how to cook rice. They’re probably on the bag anyway.

Serve with either chopsticks or a fork!

End of Summer, Warm/Cool Weather Meal

Last week when I went to our local Farmers Market at Grand Army Plaza, I was overwhelmed with choices and bought too much, including a gargantuan bunch of arugula. Ironically, the following meal doesn’t include anything else from the market, but I felt compelled to share it because of its high simplicity and deliciousness quotas.

I learned this variation of arugula and bresaola (see Wikipedia’s detailed description here) salad from my husband. I’m not sure where he got the idea to add artichoke hearts, but it does add flavor and texture. Serve this with a pasta and simple tomato or meat sauce, a really good chewy baguette, and a light red wine. Presto!

Bresaola is an aged, air-dried beef, which you can buy at Italian markets or an upscale grocery store with a good deli section. If you go to an Italian place (a great market in NYC is DiPalo’s Fine Foods Store, 200 Grand St), they will slice it paper thin for you.  This is how it should be!

bresaola

Bresaola and Arugula Salad

Arugula (enough to cover dinner sized plates for as many people as you are serving – hard to say because bunch sizes differ by variety and time of year)
Small chunk of fresh parmigiano-reggiano cheese
Small can of artichoke hearts (well, unless you want to go through the trouble of buying fresh, cutting out the hearts and steaming them!), drained
Very good Italian extra-virgin olive oil (this is when the quality of the oil really does make a difference)
Lemon, cut into wedges
Salt and pepper (preferably fresh ground)
1/4 pound of very thinly sliced bresaola

Wash and trim the arugula leaves carefully. The leaves can often be very sandy and the stems can be overly bitter.  Give them a spin in a salad spinner; if you don’t have one, pat the leaves dry with paper towels. If the leaves are large, you might want to tear them into smaller, almost bite-size pieces. But be careful not to over handle the leaves and bruise them.

Put a generous pile of arugula on each plate. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on them. Cut up the artichoke hearts into quarters and sprinkle them on the arugula. You can use 2-4 hearts per serving, as you wish.

Using either a truffle shaver (I know, who has one of those?!) or grater with a long cutting edge, shave off several thin sheets of parmigiano cheese onto the salad. Add 3-6 slices of bresaola.  Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons (or more, to your taste) of olive oil, salt and pepper onto the salad, and another spritz of lemon juice if you’d like. Serve with a small lemon wedge on each plate and more olive oil on the table.

You mix it up as you cut it to eat it.

bresaola and arugula salad

When you cook your pasta, don’t forget: More than enough water so that the pasta have plenty of room to swim!

Now, off to think about what to do with the rest of the veggies….

Faux Bolognese Sauce and summer veggies

While visiting friends out in Portland, OR, last week, I volunteered to cook dinner a couple of nights. The first night I offered to make an Italian meal, but it turned out to be “faux” because the family preferred ground turkey to the traditional ground beef/pork mixture. I realized quickly how lean this meat is and ended up adding some olive oil halfway through cooking the meat.

Ella’s Turkey Pasta Sauce (luckily my Italian-American husband does not subscribe to this blog and will not learn of this heresay!)

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground turkey
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce (or diced tomatoes)
1 7-8 oz can of tomato puree (or half of a 6 oz can of tomato paste, plus equal amount of water to thin)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, after about 2-3 minutes, add onions and garlic. Sautee until translucent and soft, about 6-8 minutes.

Move cooked onions to sides of skillet; add another tablespoon of oil and let it heat up. Add ground turkey and using either a wooden spoon or spatula, break up the meat and move around to brown evenly.  Stir and flip the meat bits over occasionally to make sure all of the meat is cooked, i.e. no pink areas.

Add tomato sauce and puree, mix in well with meat and onion. Add seasonings and bring to light bubbling simmer. Lower heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes (you can half cover the skillet to keep it from drying out).

I served this sauce with fresh cheese raviolis, which is unusual. You’re more likely to find them in your grocery store’s freezer section.  They usually only need to cook for 8-10 minutes, so get your pasta water on the stove in advance.  Have I yet mentioned the importance of having enough water for cooking pasta? As my husband says, “the pasta need plenty of room to swim” – don’t skimp on how much water you use! The pasta packaging will tell you how much, usually 3-4 quarts for 2 servings. Also, once the water is at a rolling boil, add a tablespoon of salt before you add the pasta.

Serve with plenty of fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano or a similarly aged, flavorful cheese to grate onto the pasta.

Good sides include broccoli with garlic (in an earlier post), or with mixed sauteed summer veggies (using olive oil and plenty of garlic), or same veggies grilled on the barbecue.

When cooking summer vegetables keep in mind that each kind cooks at different speeds.  Here’s a sample list in order of longest to shortest cooking times:

Onions (Vidalias on the East Coast, from Georgia; Walla Walla on the West Coast, from Washington)
Peppers (red, orange and yellow are sweetest; green are OK, but can be a bit bitter)
Eggplant (be careful with these as they are like sponges and will soak up oil)
Zucchini squash (green or yellow)
Portabello mushroom caps (also like sponges)

So, whether you are sauteeing or grilling them, keep in mind when to put them onto your pan or rack.

Unfortunately, I don’t have photos of the pasta sauce, but here are some of sauteeing veggies:

When sauteeing, cut up the veggies into fairly uniform sizes. The pieces will cook more evenly and make a better presentation. The photos show a simple combination of zucchini and portabello mushrooms. Start by sauteeing chopped onion and a couple of cloves of garlic in hot olive oil. Once the onion mixture is soft and translucent (golden, but not browned), add the zucchini and mushroom chunks. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir occasionally, cooking until zucchini are starting to brown. Mushrooms will release water and shrink. You can add a pinch of oregano, too, while cooking. This is good to eat hot or at room temperature.

If you’re going to cook your veggies on the grill, then cut them into as big, flat pieces possible for the most even cooking.

This time of year is fantastic for vegetables and so be sure to enjoy lots of them! Save your root vegetables for roasting in the winter. This is the time to enjoy squash, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, etc.

Well, this was a somewhat rambling post. I welcome any comments or questions if I am unclear!

Chicken Tikka and Cauliflower Curry

It’s been a busy summer and I’ve admittedly let the cooking go by the wayside.  Even though I got home late this evening, I was committed to cooking the cauliflower that’s been sitting in the fridge for several days and I had defrosted some frozen chicken breasts from Costco.  I can’t believe I haven’t posted this easy, tasty dinner. Although it did get hot in the kitchen…it shouldn’t take you much more than an hour to put it all together (the most prep time is for mincing garlic – mince enough for the chicken and the cauliflower at one time; and cutting up the cauliflower into florets).

And, given I forgot that I hadn’t posted this, I neglected to take photos while I was cooking, but I’ll include some of the final results.

Start with the chicken as its first step is to rub it with spices and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then, while the chicken is sitting, get the cauliflower prep started, and before you start to cook the cauliflower, put your basmati rice on the stove. If you want, you can serve naan on the side, and of course all those fun Indian condiments like Major Grey’s chutney which I mention in my other Indian meal post below. Here are the recipes:

Chicken Tikka Masala
From Cooks Illustrated, July/August 2007

Delicious without the Masala Sauce, so I’ve left that part out.  I’ve been using pre-grated ginger in a jar – works great, less work and keeps well in the fridge for a long time.

½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast or thighs (bone-in is great, too, but you need to cook longer)
1 cup plain whole milk or low fat yogurt
2 T vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 T grated fresh ginger

Rub chicken in mixed spices and refrigerate for 30 minutes

Mix yogurt, oil, garlic and ginger

Coat the chicken pieces lavishly (use all the yogurt; you can add some more halfway through cooking when you’ve flipped the chicken over)

Arrange chicken on foil lined broiling pan (with rack)

Broil 6-8 inches from flame for 10-18 minutes, turning once (smoke alarm may go off); longer, up to 30 minutes, if using bone-in meat.

It gets a bit black.  Delicious!

The Cauliflower Curry recipe is from where else but Bittman’s How to Cook Everything.

He lists a whole bunch of spices and gives you the option of substituting 1 Tbsp of all-purpose curry powder – I use a “mild curry” from the spice rack at the supermarket. You can also use Garam masala (I got a bottle from a store in Little India).

2 tablespoons butter, peanut or other oil (I use corn oil or butter)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp grated fresh ginger (the jar version is great)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp curry or garam masala powder
1 head cauliflower, about 1.5 pounds, trimmed of green prts and broken into florets
1 cup cored, seeded and chopped tomatoes (canned are fine; don’t bother to drain)
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed frozen peas (optional)

Place butter or oil in a large, deep skillet with cover and turn heat to medium. When the butter melts of oil is hot, add the garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring, until the garlic begins to color, about 5 minutes.

Add the salt the curry powder and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds, or until the spices release their aroma. Add the cauliflower, tomatoes and water. Stir, cover, and turn heat to medium-low. Cook, checking and stirring every 3 or 4 minutes, until the cauliflower is almost tender, about 10 minutes (it usually takes a little bit longer).

Add peas and adjust seasoning (more salt and pepper if you like). Cook until cauliflower is tender.

The basmati rice should have cooking instructions on it, but it’s generally 1/2 cup rice to 3/4 cup water, or 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups water; bring to boil; give it a stir; cover and reduce heat to very low; cook for 20 minutes; remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff before serving, and it should be on the dry side.

If you’re feeling really ambitious you can add a lentil soup to the menu. Have I shared that one yet? That’ll be for another time.

chicken tikka after broiling

Don’t forget to scoop up some of the yogurt drippings from the pan and top your chicken with it.

cauliflower curry

I used a can of stewed tomatoes which was chunkier than I expected. Usually I get diced or chopped tomatoes, which end up disintegrating a bit more in the sauce and is more in the background (which I prefer).

basmati rice

Whenever you can get it, and I’ve found a brand that comes from California in a bag that is not too expensive, it’s worth serving with the other highly flavored Indian foods. It has a wonderful aroma and flavor that really does enhance the other dishes.

Enjoy!

Mangia like a Soprano

One of my most elegant, yet simple dishes is Shrimp Scampi – although this dish does not exactly fall into the “healthy” category given the large amount of butter that goes into it. Believe it or not, it took me several tries before landing on a recipe I trusted. And, it’s from “The Sopranos Family Cookbook as compiled by Artie Bucco” (Artie is the chef-restaurant owner in the show… it took me awhile to get that. The recipes are actually by Michele Scicolone, whose “Italian Holiday Cooking” my husband already owned, too. ) The book makes hilarious reading when you are waiting for water to boil.  This scampi is great over spaghetti or linguine, served with broccoli rabe and a loaf of good Italian bread (preferably loaded with garlic). If you’re feeling ambitious, a light salad would end the meal perfectly. This is one of those dinners that you really can throw together in about an hour or less.

I buy medium-sized shrimp because it’s a better size for slurping up with pasta noodles.  Even though I buy ones that have already been deveined, I find that while peeling the skins, it’s worth having a paring knife in hand to pull out the occasional vein left in. Be sure to cook shrimp within a day or two of buying it. Since all shrimp have been frozen, what you buy at the fish market is defrosted shrimp and therefore won’t last long.

The trick to cooking broccoli rabe to relieve it of its bitterness is blanching, i.e. cooking briefly in boiling water.  Be sure to buy a bunch that’s not wilting or yellowing. I would start with the broccoli rabe since it can be eaten room temperature or warmed up when everything else is ready.

My husband’s grandparents were from southern Italy, not far from Naples, so most of the family’s taste reflects this. I looked around for a simple broccoli rabe recipe and was surprised to find only this one amongst the many cookbooks we own, in “Naples at Table” by Arthur Schwartz (I think he’s a fellow Brooklyn-ite!).:

Broccoli di Rapa Affogati (smothered broccoli rabe)
Serves 4-6 (great as a leftover)

1 bunch broccoli rabe (about 1 pound)
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, lightly smashed
big pinch hot red pepper flakes or a piece of dried or fresh hot pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Trim and wash broccoli well, removing all the tough stems.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add salt at a ratio of a teaspoon per quart. Plunge the broccoli into the water and cover immediately. As soon as the water returns to a boil, uncover the pot and let the broccoli boil for 5 minutes. Drain the broccoli immediately.

In a 9 to 10 inch skillet, saute pan, or stovetop casserole wit a cover, over medium-low heat, combine the oil, garlic and hot pepper. Cook the garlic, pressing it into the oil a couple of times to release its flavor, until it barely begins to color on both sides. Remove the garlic.

Add the blanched broccoli and toss well to coat with oil. Cover the pan and let it cook over very low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring a few times, until the broccoli is soft but not totally falling apart. Add salt if desired.

Serve hot or room temperature.

While the broccoli is cooking, put a big pot of water on to cook your pasta. If you have a “power boost” burner on your stove, it makes getting your pasta water boiling a cinch. Always be sure to add about a tablespoon of salt to the water once it comes to a boil. I recommend undercooking pasta by around 2 minutes relative to the instructions on the pasta box. This way you have a chance at “al dente”, and not overcooked, pasta. While the water is heating up, start the shrimp. It’s better to have the pasta cooked and drained waiting for the shrimp.

Shrimp Scampi
Serves 2

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced
16 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
pinch of salt
2 Tablespoons very fine chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about a whole lemon’s worth)
Lemon wedges

In a large skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium-low heat. When the butter foam subsides, stir in the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is lightly golden, about 7 minutes. Do not let the garlic brown.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the shrimp and salt. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turning the shrimp once, until they are just pink. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice and cook 1 minute more.

Serve garnished with lemon wedges and parsley springs.

I omit the parsley most of the time, just because I’m not a big fan of parsley. Try it both ways and see which you like!

Add the drained pasta into the scampi and stir it up to coat all of the pasta strands. Delicious with a cold, dry white wine like a pinot grigio.

shrimp scampi without parsley

Buon appetito!

Avocados are best raw

Recently I bought a bag of Hass avocados at an extraordinarily good price at Costco (a neat surprise that they have produce, not just ginormous boxes of laundry detergent). I sort of ignored the possibility that they would all ripen at once, and then found myself wondering what I would do with five ripe avocados. I took a quick whirl around the Internet and found myself on the California Avocado Commission website, and clicked on Recipes and Entrees.  I had some Costco organic chicken breasts, too.  I didn’t search too long before I came across a recipe that sounded straightforward and possibly tasty.

Boy, was I wrong!!! First, there was too much chopping of various vegetables involved, then the pounding of the chicken breasts, and finally 45 minutes of baking. I can’t even believe I didn’t realize that I was basically making a guacamole and cooking it inside the chicken breasts. There were a couple of major things wrong with this recipe.

First,  it called for basil. Let’s get this straight right away: basil and avocado do NOT go together!!! I should have thought of that, but somehow coming from what sounded like such a credible source (although what commission could ever know how to cook well?!) I accepted this crazy idea. A better addition would have been cilantro.

Second, guacamole should not be baked for 45 minutes wrapped inside chicken meat. The consistency came out kind of goopy, the color was not appetizing at all (a darkened, dulled green), and the chicken took on the weird flavor combo of the avocado mix.

Hence, no picture… no spoiling of appetites here on this blog. So, if you ever come across a recipe called “Avocado Stuffed Chicken Breasts” ignore it completely. In fact, run away!

Unfortunately, I ended up with four stuffed breasts, and so will have to eat another couple as leftovers (no, they don’t improve with age).

Moral of this story is that avocados are best eaten raw and simply. A few possibilities: just add soy sauce, or just balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice and if you must a bit of chopped tomato and sweet onion. Have it as an appetizer, a side dish, or a snack. And, it’s so good for you, too!

The winner: Roasted Pork Tenderloin!

There couldn’t possibly be a simpler way to make a juicy, flavorful pork tenderloin (or any other meat entree for that matter)! If you have a contender, let me know.

I can’t even remember how I stumbled on this recipe from Everyday with Rachel Ray, but I’ve committed it to a Microsoft Word doc on my PC so that I’ll always have it. Now I’m putting into the Internet world (redundant, because it’s also available on her website, but that means it’s even safer). When you make this, it frees you to be more inventive (on the stove top, since this will be in a very hot oven) with your other dishes for dinner.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin
(from Everyday with Rachel Ray)

6-8 servings

2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt (I use sea salt)
1 teaspoon dried sage
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 trimmed pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each) at room temperature

Position rack near the bottom of the oven and preheat to 500F. Mix together the garlic, salt, sage and pepper, combine with oil. Rub all over the meat and place tenderloins side by side, but not touching, in the smallest roasting pan that will hold them. (I sometimes do this with the pork straight out of the fridge and let it sit for 30 minutes on the counter).  Place pan on bottom rack and roast for 10 minutes. Flip over and roast again until the internal temperature registers 155F on an instant-read thermometer, about 8 minutes more.  (I usually just roast it for another 9-10 minutes and not bother checking the temp!) Let rest for about 10 minutes (the internal temperature should reach 160F). Slice into ½” thick slices.

While this recipe calls for two tenderloins, I have found that just one one-pound tenderloin results in plenty of meat for the two of us to have twice (where’s my editor?!).  I hardly reduce the quantities of the other ingredients and it comes out tasting great.

Letting the meat sit with the rub on for 30 minutes may actually have a real positive effect. I’ve read in several places (here’s one) that at first the salt draws moisture out of the meat cells and tenderizes it, but then over time reabsorbs the moisture (now combined with the seasonings), which results in moist, tender, and tasty meat after its cooked.

I’ve often served this pork with garlic kale (see post below) and either a couscous or rice side.

5 minutes to take the Banana Bread out of the oven! This is my go-to recipe when I find myself with 4-5 very ripe bananas (it’s really important that the bananas are over-ripe, with dark speckles to nearly all black, to have the sweetest, most banana-y flavor: see July/August Cook’s Illustrated for proof; I didn’t try their recipe because it involved an additional step of microwaving the bananas to accentuate the flavor even more. It’s one step too many for me!).  So, I’ll quickly share this recipe:

The poor recipe “card” (it’s actually just paper) has gotten oil, water and who knows what else all over it… time for lamination! I usually do NOT have wheat germ on hand and just leave it out without much difference. Uh, oh, there goes the oven buzzer!

I stuck a toothpick in the middle and it came out wet with batter. As usual, with the heavy glass loaf pan that I use, it takes a few minutes longer. I  added 10 minutes to the timer. I’m not much of a baker, but it’s hard not to notice that with fresh baking soda, the bread seems to have risen more than the last few times I’ve made this.

10 extra minutes did the trick. Bellissimo! And, it smells so good… mmmm…. can’t wait to take a bite!

A meal of familiar friends

It’s been a week since my last entry, and it’s not because I’ve just ignored this blog. I got caught up in over-preparing for an art event that took place this past weekend, which resulted in our eating leftovers for a couple of nights, take-out burrito another night, and my husband made chicken cutlet parmesan with spaghetti, which was enough for about three meals. A trip to Costco today reminded me that I had some chicken chili in the freezer (hence, I didn’t buy a rotisserie chicken like I usually do at Costco). So, tonight’s menu was chicken chili, corn bread, and garlic kale (we consume a lot of garlic in this apartment). I also made rice for my husband; the avocados I bought today weren’t ripe enough to eat yet – darn!

I have to share this chili recipe because it is definitely one of my favorite stand-bys. Believe it or not, I got it originally from the AARP’s magazine a few years ago in an article called “10 Minute Mains”.  It’s a little misleading because if you include the prep time, it takes a little over half an hour. The recipe says “Serves 4” but we seem to get more meals out of this recipe than that – possibly 6.

Chicken Chili

1 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (10 fluid oz) – I use regular broth
1 (14-15 oz) can stewed tomatoes
4 dried New Mexican or guajillo chiles, stems and seeds discarded and torn into pieces
1 (3/4″ thick) crosswise slice of a medium white onion (or yellow onion)
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts (or about 2-3 TBSP of natural peanut butter)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
2 TBS olive oil
1 rotisserie-cooked chicken (2 lb)
1 (15 oz) can pink beans in sauce (preferably Goya) – I use two cans

Coarsely shred chicken, discarding skin and bones. Puree broth, tomatoes with their juice, chiles, onion, garlic, cilantro, peanuts, cumin, and salt in blender until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Heat oil in a wide 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then pour in sauce and boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.  Stir chicken and beans with their sauce into chili, then reduce heat to moderately low and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.

So, I had some of this leftover in a large yogurt container, which I stuck in a bowl of cold water to thaw (I had left it in the refrigerator all day, but it was still solid as a rock!).  If you’re going to make this whole meal, I’d start with the chili, since it will stay very hot for quite a while after you’ve cooked it. It also gets tastier over time.

Next, I made Bittman’s Corn Bread from my bible, the 1998 edition of “How to Cook Everything.”  I tried to find a link to a published recipe online, but couldn’t find it within the first couple of pages of a Google search. So, here it is:

Corn Bread

1 1/4 cups buttermilk, milk, or yogurt, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil (butter tastes best!)
1 1/2 cups medium-grind cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar, plus more if you like sweet corn bread (I use 1/4 cup)
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Put the butter in a medium ovenproof skillet or an 8 inch square baking pan over medium heat; heat until good and hot, about 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the egg into the milk (or buttermilk or yogurt – your choice, it does affect the flavor). Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients (just enough to combine); if it seems too dry, add another tablespoon or two of milk. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet or pan, smooth out the top if necessary, and put in the oven.

Bake about 30 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and the sides have pulled away from the pan; a toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean. Serve hot or warm.

Since my husband likes his chili over rice, I put on a pot of rice for him as soon as the corn bread went into the oven.  Then, I cleaned the kale leaves he had bought on Saturday at our weekly farmer’s market just about a block away.  These were “dinosaur ” or Tuscan kale (cavolo nero) – not frilly on the edges like the ones I usually get. Also, interestingly all the leaves were of uniform size and elongated oval shape.  Here’s a photo I found online:

Here’s a link to the Kale recipe: http://laurieboris.pnn.com/articles/show/33885-things-to-do-with-kale. You can also make this recipe with collard greens.  (The recipe says it works with broccoli raab, but I would parboil these greens first – I have a great recipe for them which I’ll share at another time). Be sure to wash the kale leaves well. I’ve not on some occasions and ended up crunching on grit – yuck!

We get an Italian crushed red pepper (from Little Italy in NYC), but you can use whatever you can buy at your neighborhood shop:

Corn bread was ready while the kale cooked:

So, this dinner came in at around an hour using leftover chili (I ended up nuking my portion of chili – it was taking too long to thaw); would be about an hour and a half if you make the chili first.

(Now I know why cooking magazines hire professional food stylists – my photos come out with a sort of reddish/pinkish tinge to everything.)

This dinner is also good with tortilla chips and guacamole (and/or salsa) on the side. You can also put a dollop of sour cream on the chili. But, you know me, keeping it low fat. I think the chili recipe could work with some kind of pulled pork or beef, maybe from the shoulder, but I haven’t tried that yet.  The Tuscan kale had a stronger, but not bitter flavor – really delicious and stood up to the chili. I’ve made the corn bread with just 1 tablespoon of sugar and it seemed a little bland. There are variations, mostly of the savory variety, in Bittman’s cookbook. So, if you want to add cheese or chilis, get the book! (By the way, he also has a page on Facebook and he sends out recipes daily, and of course he has his column in the Dining section of the New York Times on Thursdays.)

My favorite way to cook broccoli

After a long day outside enjoying the breezy sunshine at Brooklyn Bridge Park and a stop at the Washington Square Outdoors Art Exhibit, I got home and decided I needed to eat the leftover meatloaf, which was a good thing. I appreciate coming home to one already-made portion of a meal, especially the entree.

I took out the meatloaf and cut a slice and put it on a plate. (Hubbie’s at his sister’s – how am I not just eating a salad?!). I had bought a huge bunch of broccoli a few days ago, and decided to make the easiest, tasty thing possible (assuming you like garlic). I also remembered that in the pantry was a box of Near East couscous – something I always keep on hand, at least a couple of varieties of rice and/or couscous.  A meal to be had in 30 minutes flat!

Since couscous is the fastest (bring to a boil and then let sit for 5 minutes), I attended to the broccoli first. Since this is practically a staple in our household (it works really well as a side-dish with pasta entrees), and it is always enjoyed by others (yes, it’s something you can serve to guests without guilt, and possibly receive high compliments), you will get a detailed step-by-step here.

I used half of the large bunch (totally a habit of cooking for 2), rinsed the two stems and cut off about half of the main stem. The green bag is an important kitchen accoutrement! You should be able to find these at your grocery store, but for sure at any organic food store. They help maintain the freshness of most kinds of produce.

Then, I cut it up into individual smaller stems (this is where a picture speaks better than words, my words anyway).

I got out a medium saucepan, put in my steamer basket, added about 1.5″of water, put the lid on and put it on medium-high heat. Once the water  is about boiling, put in the broccoli spears and cover.  Steam for about 5-7 minutes depending on how soft you like your broccoli. I did mine for 5. It can also depend on how old the broccoli is – the younger, fresher the bunch, the quicker it will cook and get soft.

While the broccoli is steaming, coarsely chop 3-5 large cloves of garlic. You can use less or more depending on how much you like garlic. I love garlic, especially cooked in olive oil; I used 4 large cloves. When you chop garlic, it’s a good idea to remove the small stems that have started to grow inside each clove to reduce possible bitterness.

By now the broccoli should be cooked and I usually will run cold water over them to stop the cooking. If  you just turn off the heat, but let it sit there the broccoli will keep cooking and you’ll end up with brownish-green mush. It’s edible, but not pretty, and probably better to use in soup or to make into a pasta sauce.

Get a medium or large fry pan on medium-high heat and add about 1-2 tablespoons olive oil. I tend to go on the more, not less, oil approach, but you can use less if you prefer a slightly less oily outcome. Throw in the chopped garlic and turn the heat down to medium.

Stir them around as they brown. If you like your garlic browned and crunchy as I do, let them start to brown before you add the broccoli; otherwise, put the broccoli in right away. Salt and pepper to taste. [Salt during cooking does make a difference in taste versus adding salt only at the end of cooking.]

This is a good time to put a small pot on to make the couscous. Follow the instructions on the box. It really takes only about 7 minutes from start to finish. I made the one with mushrooms and herbs figuring it would go well with the beefy meatloaf.

Stir and flip the broccoli spears occasionally; I like to cook them until they start to blacken slightly, but you can stop whenever you like.  You can add more salt and pepper if you’d like.

When everything is ready, put the plate of meatloaf in the microwave oven for about 45 seconds. Voila, dinner is ready! I normally prefer red wine, but since there was a bottle of lovely white, Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc (thanks to Steph for introducing me to this Chilean price performer!), already open from the other day of making pork chops, and it was nice and cold, what better way to end the day!