Thursday, December 04, 2008
Thankgiving at Home
Another delicious Thanksgiving at home.
We kind of got carried away and forgot to photograph the pies before we dug into them...
Super Smooth Pumpkin Pie
I don't like pumpkin pie, but this one seemed like a hit last year, so I used it again this year.
Pear Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
A friend brought this, so I don't have the recipe, but I should ask her for it because it was absolutely delicious.
Classic Apple Pie
-6 apples, peeled and cored
-1 ts cinnamon
-1/4 cup sugar
-squeeze of lemon
Toss the apples with the lemon, sugar and cinnamon and set aside while you pre-bake the crust. Bake bottom crust on 350, pressed into a pie pan for 10-15 minutes, until just beginning to color. Remove from oven and add the apple mixture. Roll out the other batch of dough and place over the top of the apples, pressing into the edges. Trim excess dough. Poke in several places with a knife or fork to allow for steam to escape. If you do not do this, your pie may explode in the oven. Bake on 35 for about 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
Crust:
-1 cup plus 2 tb flour
-1 stick cold butter, diced
Mix flour and butter with your fingers until it resembles the texture of coarse cornmeal. Add water, 1 tb at a time, until you can form a cohesive ball of dough. Roll or press into a greased pie pan.
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Super decadent and always a crowd pleaser.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Roasted Apples
This was a new recipe and the tartness of the apples really took the starchy edge off the sweet potatoes.
Brussel Sprouts with Pine Nuts and Parmesan
Brussel sprouts are a favorite veggie of mine for the holidays, although I hated them as a child. This was a tasty, bright rendition.
Sausage-Sourdough Stuffing
Roasted Root Veggies with Pomegranite
A friend made a root veggie salad with pomegranite last year and I decided to riff on that for this year. The brightness of the pomegranite really contrasts nicely with the earthiness of the root veggies.
Dinner Rolls
This is Alexis' mom's recipe and these rolls are always a hit.
-1 pint milk
-1 egg, beaten
-1/2 cup butter
-1/3 cup sugar
-1 package yeast
-1/4 cup warm water
-1 and 1/2 ts salt
-1/2 ts baking soda
-1 ts baking powder
-flour (there is no predetermined amount, read recipe below)
Scald the milk and remove the film from the top. Add the butter and the sugar to the milk and stir to dissolve. When milk is cool to the touch, add the egg and stir to combine. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, wait 10 minutes, and add it to the mixture. Then add enough flour to make a thin batter. Let this rise on the counter, uncovered, for 2 hours. Add the salt, baking powder, the baking soda and enough flour to make a stiff dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth. Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth and store in the refridgerator for 24 hours before using. Pull off small pieces of dough, roll into balls and place in a greased muffin tin. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cheddar Chive Biscuits
We decided to call these "biscuits" this year instead of "scones". I think that did the trick, although we've always liked these, no matter what they are called.
-3 cups flour
-1 tb baking powder
-1 tb sugar
-2 ts salt
-1/2 cup chives, finely chopped
-2 cups grated cheddar
-2 cups heavy cream
Combine the dry ingredients. Mix in the cheese and chives. Add the cream and stir until a dough forms. You may need to add a little more cream to get a dough to form. Put the dough on a floured surface and knead a several times, until the dough is smooth. Separate the dough into 2 parts and form each into a disc about 1 in thick. Cut each disc into 8 trianuglar pieces. Spread out the pieces on a large, greased cookie sheet and bake on 400 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Green Beans with Bacon and Garlic
You really can't go wrong with bacon.
Whole Roasted Pig
We decided to have another Thanksgiving sans turkey because, really, no one likes turkey. This was the smalled pig we could order from Toon Kee, at about 20 lbs and $140. The meat was very moist, tender and flavorful and there was a lot of it. The skin was crispy and perfectWe sent people home with bags of pork and we ate it for days. It was also really nice to order the pig and just pick it up down the street right before we were ready to serve dinner. This allowed us full use of the oven for the rest of the food.
We kind of got carried away and forgot to photograph the pies before we dug into them...
Super Smooth Pumpkin PieI don't like pumpkin pie, but this one seemed like a hit last year, so I used it again this year.
-1 recipe pie crust (below)
-15 oz unsweetened pumpkin puree
-3/4 cup packed brown sugar
-2 ts each ground ginger and cinnamon
-1 ts nutmeg
-1/2 ts salt
-1 and 1/3 cup half and half
-3 eggs, beaten
-1 ts vanilla extract
In a sauce pot, combine the pumpkin and spices over low heat, stirring for a couple of minutes. This mellows the spices a bit. Dump the mixture into the food processor and puree for a minute. Add the half and half while pureeing, then the vanilla, then the eggs, one by one. Pour into partially baked pie shell. Bake at 375 for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Crust:
-1 cup plus 2 tb flour
-1 stick cold butter, diced
Mix flour and butter with your fingers until it resembles the texture of coarse cornmeal. Add water, 1 tb at a time, until you can form a cohesive ball of dough. Roll or press into a greased pie pan.
-15 oz unsweetened pumpkin puree
-3/4 cup packed brown sugar
-2 ts each ground ginger and cinnamon
-1 ts nutmeg
-1/2 ts salt
-1 and 1/3 cup half and half
-3 eggs, beaten
-1 ts vanilla extract
In a sauce pot, combine the pumpkin and spices over low heat, stirring for a couple of minutes. This mellows the spices a bit. Dump the mixture into the food processor and puree for a minute. Add the half and half while pureeing, then the vanilla, then the eggs, one by one. Pour into partially baked pie shell. Bake at 375 for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Crust:
-1 cup plus 2 tb flour
-1 stick cold butter, diced
Mix flour and butter with your fingers until it resembles the texture of coarse cornmeal. Add water, 1 tb at a time, until you can form a cohesive ball of dough. Roll or press into a greased pie pan.
Pear Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
A friend brought this, so I don't have the recipe, but I should ask her for it because it was absolutely delicious.
Classic Apple Pie
Apple Pie
-2 crust recipes (below)-6 apples, peeled and cored
-1 ts cinnamon
-1/4 cup sugar
-squeeze of lemon
Toss the apples with the lemon, sugar and cinnamon and set aside while you pre-bake the crust. Bake bottom crust on 350, pressed into a pie pan for 10-15 minutes, until just beginning to color. Remove from oven and add the apple mixture. Roll out the other batch of dough and place over the top of the apples, pressing into the edges. Trim excess dough. Poke in several places with a knife or fork to allow for steam to escape. If you do not do this, your pie may explode in the oven. Bake on 35 for about 45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.
Crust:
-1 cup plus 2 tb flour
-1 stick cold butter, diced
Mix flour and butter with your fingers until it resembles the texture of coarse cornmeal. Add water, 1 tb at a time, until you can form a cohesive ball of dough. Roll or press into a greased pie pan.
Chocolate Pecan Pie
Super decadent and always a crowd pleaser.
Chocolate Pecan Pie
-1 recipe pie crust (see Apple Pie above)
-1 cup pecans
-1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
-4 eggs, beaten
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1/2 cup light corn syrup
-1/2 ts vanilla extract
-1 pinch salt
Combine the sugars, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and eggs. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips. Pour into a partially baked pie shell and bake on 375 for 45-50 minutes.
-1 recipe pie crust (see Apple Pie above)
-1 cup pecans
-1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
-4 eggs, beaten
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1/2 cup light corn syrup
-1/2 ts vanilla extract
-1 pinch salt
Combine the sugars, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and eggs. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips. Pour into a partially baked pie shell and bake on 375 for 45-50 minutes.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Roasted Apples
This was a new recipe and the tartness of the apples really took the starchy edge off the sweet potatoes.
-5 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped in large chunks
-4 apples, peeled and cubed
-1/2 stick butter
-1 cup cream
-salt and pepper to taste
Boil the potatoes until fork tender. In the baking dish, bake the apples for about 40 minutes on 350, until tender. Drain the potatoes and mash them. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
-4 apples, peeled and cubed
-1/2 stick butter
-1 cup cream
-salt and pepper to taste
Boil the potatoes until fork tender. In the baking dish, bake the apples for about 40 minutes on 350, until tender. Drain the potatoes and mash them. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
Brussel Sprouts with Pine Nuts and Parmesan
Brussel sprouts are a favorite veggie of mine for the holidays, although I hated them as a child. This was a tasty, bright rendition.
-3 lbs brussel sprouts, trimmed and quartered
-1/2 cup pine nuts
-juice of 1 lemon
-1 cup grated parmesan
-salt and pepper to taste
In a large pan, sautee the brussel sprouts on medium. When brussel sprouts are tender and slightly caramelized, season with the rest of the ingredients and serve.
-1/2 cup pine nuts
-juice of 1 lemon
-1 cup grated parmesan
-salt and pepper to taste
In a large pan, sautee the brussel sprouts on medium. When brussel sprouts are tender and slightly caramelized, season with the rest of the ingredients and serve.
Sausage-Sourdough Stuffing
-1 loaf sourdough, cubed
-6 sausages
-8 stalks celery, diced
-3 carrots, peeled and diced
-1 onion, diced
-4 eggs, lightly beaten
-1 can chicken broth
-salt and pepper to taste
-several sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
Remove sausage from casings and sautee until browned, breaking up the sausage into small bits while cooking. Remove the sausage from the pan. In the same pan sautee the onions, carrot and celery until translucent. Pour the egg and broth on the bread and stir to coat. Add the sausage, thyme and veggies to the bread mixture. Spead the mixture in a large baking pan bake on 350 for 30-45 minutes, until crust is nice and brown.
-6 sausages
-8 stalks celery, diced
-3 carrots, peeled and diced
-1 onion, diced
-4 eggs, lightly beaten
-1 can chicken broth
-salt and pepper to taste
-several sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
Remove sausage from casings and sautee until browned, breaking up the sausage into small bits while cooking. Remove the sausage from the pan. In the same pan sautee the onions, carrot and celery until translucent. Pour the egg and broth on the bread and stir to coat. Add the sausage, thyme and veggies to the bread mixture. Spead the mixture in a large baking pan bake on 350 for 30-45 minutes, until crust is nice and brown.
Roasted Root Veggies with Pomegranite
A friend made a root veggie salad with pomegranite last year and I decided to riff on that for this year. The brightness of the pomegranite really contrasts nicely with the earthiness of the root veggies.
-seeds of 1 pomegranite
-5 medium beets, peeled and diced
-4 parsnips, peeled and diced
-4 turnips, peeled and diced
-salt and pepper to taste
Spread the diced veggies on a large baking sheet or jelly roll pan. Season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast on 375 for about and hour, or until tender. Toss with pomegranite seeds and serve.
-5 medium beets, peeled and diced
-4 parsnips, peeled and diced
-4 turnips, peeled and diced
-salt and pepper to taste
Spread the diced veggies on a large baking sheet or jelly roll pan. Season with salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast on 375 for about and hour, or until tender. Toss with pomegranite seeds and serve.
Dinner RollsThis is Alexis' mom's recipe and these rolls are always a hit.
-1 egg, beaten
-1/2 cup butter
-1/3 cup sugar
-1 package yeast
-1/4 cup warm water
-1 and 1/2 ts salt
-1/2 ts baking soda
-1 ts baking powder
-flour (there is no predetermined amount, read recipe below)
Scald the milk and remove the film from the top. Add the butter and the sugar to the milk and stir to dissolve. When milk is cool to the touch, add the egg and stir to combine. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, wait 10 minutes, and add it to the mixture. Then add enough flour to make a thin batter. Let this rise on the counter, uncovered, for 2 hours. Add the salt, baking powder, the baking soda and enough flour to make a stiff dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth. Put the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth and store in the refridgerator for 24 hours before using. Pull off small pieces of dough, roll into balls and place in a greased muffin tin. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cheddar Chive BiscuitsWe decided to call these "biscuits" this year instead of "scones". I think that did the trick, although we've always liked these, no matter what they are called.
-3 cups flour
-1 tb baking powder
-1 tb sugar
-2 ts salt
-1/2 cup chives, finely chopped
-2 cups grated cheddar
-2 cups heavy cream
Combine the dry ingredients. Mix in the cheese and chives. Add the cream and stir until a dough forms. You may need to add a little more cream to get a dough to form. Put the dough on a floured surface and knead a several times, until the dough is smooth. Separate the dough into 2 parts and form each into a disc about 1 in thick. Cut each disc into 8 trianuglar pieces. Spread out the pieces on a large, greased cookie sheet and bake on 400 for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Green Beans with Bacon and Garlic
You really can't go wrong with bacon.
-1 lb green beans, trimmed and chopped
-6 slices bacon, chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-pepper to taste
Sautee the bacon until crispy. Drain out some of the fat. Add in the garlic and green beans and sautee until tender. Season with pepper.
-6 slices bacon, chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-pepper to taste
Sautee the bacon until crispy. Drain out some of the fat. Add in the garlic and green beans and sautee until tender. Season with pepper.
Whole Roasted Pig
We decided to have another Thanksgiving sans turkey because, really, no one likes turkey. This was the smalled pig we could order from Toon Kee, at about 20 lbs and $140. The meat was very moist, tender and flavorful and there was a lot of it. The skin was crispy and perfectWe sent people home with bags of pork and we ate it for days. It was also really nice to order the pig and just pick it up down the street right before we were ready to serve dinner. This allowed us full use of the oven for the rest of the food.
Labels: apple, beet greens, beets, brussel sprouts, dessert recipes, dinner recipes, event, n, parsnip, pie, sweet potatoes, turnip
Friday, October 17, 2008
Roasted Leg of Lamb with Orange-Basil Beets
A nice Friday night meal at home, with friends:
Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
I made this vinaigrette with whole grain mustard and sweet-hot mustard.
Beets with Orange Juice and Basil
This was a simple side dish that can be served warm, cold, or room temperature.
-8 beets, trimmed
-1 handful basil, minced
-juice of 1 orange
-salt and pepper to taste
Boil the beets whole until you can insert and remove a knife point easily. Then drain and run under cold water while slipping off the skins with your hands. Dice the beets, then toss with the basil and orange juice and season with salt and pepper.
Roasted Leg of Lamb
A leg of lamb is a great main that takes very little hands-on time. Marinating the lamb over night really helps it become fully infused with flavor, and then when you get home from work Friday night, you can just pop it in the oven.
Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
I made this vinaigrette with whole grain mustard and sweet-hot mustard.
Beets with Orange Juice and Basil
This was a simple side dish that can be served warm, cold, or room temperature.
-8 beets, trimmed
-1 handful basil, minced
-juice of 1 orange
-salt and pepper to taste
Boil the beets whole until you can insert and remove a knife point easily. Then drain and run under cold water while slipping off the skins with your hands. Dice the beets, then toss with the basil and orange juice and season with salt and pepper.
Roasted Leg of Lamb
A leg of lamb is a great main that takes very little hands-on time. Marinating the lamb over night really helps it become fully infused with flavor, and then when you get home from work Friday night, you can just pop it in the oven.
-1 leg of lamb
-3 tb dijon
-2 tb olive oil
-3 tb balsamic
-1 tb salt
-1 ts pepper
-10 cloves garlic, minced
Combine all ingredients except lamb into a paste and then rub all over the lamb and place the lamb in a covered bowl overnight. Then roast the lamb on 375 until the internal temp reads 118. Then let the lamb rest for about 20-30 minutes, or until the internal temp reads about 135. Slice and serve.
-3 tb dijon
-2 tb olive oil
-3 tb balsamic
-1 tb salt
-1 ts pepper
-10 cloves garlic, minced
Combine all ingredients except lamb into a paste and then rub all over the lamb and place the lamb in a covered bowl overnight. Then roast the lamb on 375 until the internal temp reads 118. Then let the lamb rest for about 20-30 minutes, or until the internal temp reads about 135. Slice and serve.
Labels: beets, dinner recipes, homemade, lamb, salad
Monday, September 01, 2008
An All American Meal, With a Twist
This meal was our riff on meat and potatoes with salad.
Fennel Salad
Fresh and unexpected.
Roasted Garlic and Horseradish Crusted Ribeye Roast
We basically used a ribeye roast and gave it the same treatment as our standing prime rib roast. The main difference was that it took a lot less time to cook because there was no bone.
Roasted Beets and Carrots
Sweet, filling and so easy.
Plum Pie
I'm not sure why plums are not used more frequently in pies. Plums are sweet and tart and hold up well to baking.
Serve with freshly whipped cream.
Fennel Salad
Fresh and unexpected.
-1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
-1/2 onion, thinly sliced
-2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
-homemade vinaigrette
Stir all ingredients to combine.
-1/2 onion, thinly sliced
-2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
-homemade vinaigrette
Stir all ingredients to combine.
Roasted Garlic and Horseradish Crusted Ribeye Roast
We basically used a ribeye roast and gave it the same treatment as our standing prime rib roast. The main difference was that it took a lot less time to cook because there was no bone.
Roasted Beets and Carrots
Sweet, filling and so easy.
-6 beets, peeled and cut in chunks
-4 carrots, peeled and cut in chunks
-salt and pepper to taste
-a bit of olive oil
Toss the beets and carrots with the olive oil and the salt and pepper. Spread in a 9x13 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake on 400 for about 45 mins. Uncover and continue to bake, turning occasionally until caramelized.
-4 carrots, peeled and cut in chunks
-salt and pepper to taste
-a bit of olive oil
Toss the beets and carrots with the olive oil and the salt and pepper. Spread in a 9x13 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake on 400 for about 45 mins. Uncover and continue to bake, turning occasionally until caramelized.
Plum Pie
I'm not sure why plums are not used more frequently in pies. Plums are sweet and tart and hold up well to baking.
-2 1/4 cups flour
-2 stick butter
-20 Italian plums, pitted and quartered
-1/3 cup sugar
Cut the butter into cubes and work it into the flour with your fingers until the mixture resembled cornmeal. Add water 1tb at a time until you can form the dough into a ball. Split the ball in two. Press one ball into a pie pan for the bottom crust. Pre-bake on 375 for about 10 minutes. While the crust is pre-baking, toss the quartered plums with the sugar. Roll out the other dough ball fo rthe top crust. When the bottom crust has been in the oven for about 10 minutes, take it out and pour in the plum/sugar mixture. Then place the rolled out top crust over the top and pinch the edges to secure it to the bottom crust. Poke a bunch of holes in the top crust to release steam while the pie is baking. Bake at 375 for about an hour, or until the crust is golden brown.
-2 stick butter
-20 Italian plums, pitted and quartered
-1/3 cup sugar
Cut the butter into cubes and work it into the flour with your fingers until the mixture resembled cornmeal. Add water 1tb at a time until you can form the dough into a ball. Split the ball in two. Press one ball into a pie pan for the bottom crust. Pre-bake on 375 for about 10 minutes. While the crust is pre-baking, toss the quartered plums with the sugar. Roll out the other dough ball fo rthe top crust. When the bottom crust has been in the oven for about 10 minutes, take it out and pour in the plum/sugar mixture. Then place the rolled out top crust over the top and pinch the edges to secure it to the bottom crust. Poke a bunch of holes in the top crust to release steam while the pie is baking. Bake at 375 for about an hour, or until the crust is golden brown.
Serve with freshly whipped cream.
Labels: beef, beets, dessert recipes, dinner recipes, fennel, homemade, plums, salad
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Mustard-y Onions and Sausage with Roasted Root Veggies
A hearty winter lunch that reheats well.
Roasted Root Veggies
-3 beets (mixture of red and golden), peeled and chopped
-1 large rutabaga, peeled and chopped
-2 turnips, peeled and chopped
Season with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast, covered, on 375 for about and hour, or until veggies are fork tender.
Onions and Sausages
-8 pork sausages, removed from casings
-1 onion, thinly sliced
-2 tb whole grain mustard
-2 tb apple cider vinegar
Brown the sausage, cutting into small pieces with a cooking utensil as you go. Add the onions an sautee a few more minutes. Then add the mustard and the cider vinegar and cook until sausage is cooked through.
-1 large rutabaga, peeled and chopped
-2 turnips, peeled and chopped
Season with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast, covered, on 375 for about and hour, or until veggies are fork tender.
Onions and Sausages
-8 pork sausages, removed from casings
-1 onion, thinly sliced
-2 tb whole grain mustard
-2 tb apple cider vinegar
Brown the sausage, cutting into small pieces with a cooking utensil as you go. Add the onions an sautee a few more minutes. Then add the mustard and the cider vinegar and cook until sausage is cooked through.
Labels: beets, dinner recipes, homemade, rutabaga, sausage, turnip
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sous-Vide Weekend
We've eaten sous-vide (French for "under vacuum") often in restaurants, but we'd never tried it ourselves. Although the technique has been around for about 30 years, it is new to the home cook. A proper sous-vide set up requires a vacuum sealer, a special thermal regulator and a crockpot. The method involves sealing a protein inside of a vacuum sealed bag, then cooking it on a super-low temperature for a very long time. Because of the vacuum sealing, the protein does not lose moisture and this, in conjunction with the long, low cooking, produce a very moist, very tender end result. Our friend's, E and E, brought the whole set up to the cabin in Tahoe and we spent the better part of the weekend experimenting. All of our experiments ended up successful.
Sous-Vide Egg
We'd had sous-vide eggs in restaurants before and were always baffled by their texture. What we learned is that because the yolk of an egg solidifies at a lower temperature than the white, when you cook an egg sous-vide you get a custard-like yolk with a barely solid, almost runny white. The white was a bit unnerving, but the yolk was delicious with a bit of salt.
Another picture of the egg (above)
Sous-Vide Boneless Leg of Lamb
This was the strangest piece of meat we have ever eaten. It was so tender you could cut it with a fork, almost too tender. I think you could market this to geriatrics with great success. Even so, the flavor was great and we thought our first experiment turned out well. The interior was medium rare. There are two things to note here as well: 1) You can not marinate with oil because the oil will go rancid during the prolonged cooking time and 2) For looks, it is necessary to quickly sear the meat after removing it from the bag, otherwise it just looks grey and unappetizing.
-1 butterflied, boneless leg of lamb
-6 cloves garlic, minced
-1 ts each, parsley, thyme and rosemary, salt and pepper
-1/4 cup dijon mustard
Mix the spices, mustard and garlic together to create a wet rub. Rub all over the lamb and seal in a vacuum sealed bag. Place in the water in the crockpot and cook on 135 for 3 hours. Remove from bag and sear before serving. Boil down the excess juices from the bag and add a tb of flour to create a gravy for the meat.
Another picture of the lamb (and simple sauteed zuchinni).
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Roasted Root Veggies
This was out most successful of all of the experiments and we picked a good piece of meat for this method of cooking. When we took the meat out of the bag it simply fell apart with a slight tug of a fork. We used a 5 lb boneless pork shoulder, which we also seared when done both for color as well as to reduce any risk of botulism. We served the sandwiches with a mixture of roasted beets, rutabaga, turnip and fennel.
Sous-Vide Egg
We'd had sous-vide eggs in restaurants before and were always baffled by their texture. What we learned is that because the yolk of an egg solidifies at a lower temperature than the white, when you cook an egg sous-vide you get a custard-like yolk with a barely solid, almost runny white. The white was a bit unnerving, but the yolk was delicious with a bit of salt.
-1 egg
Place the egg (still in the shell) directly into the water in the crockpot. Cook on 145 for 1 hour.
Place the egg (still in the shell) directly into the water in the crockpot. Cook on 145 for 1 hour.
Another picture of the egg (above)
Sous-Vide Boneless Leg of Lamb
This was the strangest piece of meat we have ever eaten. It was so tender you could cut it with a fork, almost too tender. I think you could market this to geriatrics with great success. Even so, the flavor was great and we thought our first experiment turned out well. The interior was medium rare. There are two things to note here as well: 1) You can not marinate with oil because the oil will go rancid during the prolonged cooking time and 2) For looks, it is necessary to quickly sear the meat after removing it from the bag, otherwise it just looks grey and unappetizing.
-1 butterflied, boneless leg of lamb
-6 cloves garlic, minced
-1 ts each, parsley, thyme and rosemary, salt and pepper
-1/4 cup dijon mustard
Mix the spices, mustard and garlic together to create a wet rub. Rub all over the lamb and seal in a vacuum sealed bag. Place in the water in the crockpot and cook on 135 for 3 hours. Remove from bag and sear before serving. Boil down the excess juices from the bag and add a tb of flour to create a gravy for the meat.
Another picture of the lamb (and simple sauteed zuchinni).
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Roasted Root Veggies
This was out most successful of all of the experiments and we picked a good piece of meat for this method of cooking. When we took the meat out of the bag it simply fell apart with a slight tug of a fork. We used a 5 lb boneless pork shoulder, which we also seared when done both for color as well as to reduce any risk of botulism. We served the sandwiches with a mixture of roasted beets, rutabaga, turnip and fennel.
-5 lb boneless pork shoulder
-1/2 cup dry BBQ rub (We used a mixture of rubs we found in the cabin kitchen, but if you were to do it at home, cayenne, pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt and paprika would do.)
Rub the dry rub all over the meat, really rubbing it in. Place the meat in a vacuum sealed bag and place in the water in the crockpot. Cook at 170 for 13 hours. Remove meat from bag, reserving the excess juices. Sear and then pull the meat apart with a fork. In a saucepan, boil down the juices until reduced by about 1/3. Pour the juices back into the meat with a bit of BBQ sauce if you want it. Spoon the meat over crusty bread and eat.
-1/2 cup dry BBQ rub (We used a mixture of rubs we found in the cabin kitchen, but if you were to do it at home, cayenne, pepper, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt and paprika would do.)
Rub the dry rub all over the meat, really rubbing it in. Place the meat in a vacuum sealed bag and place in the water in the crockpot. Cook at 170 for 13 hours. Remove meat from bag, reserving the excess juices. Sear and then pull the meat apart with a fork. In a saucepan, boil down the juices until reduced by about 1/3. Pour the juices back into the meat with a bit of BBQ sauce if you want it. Spoon the meat over crusty bread and eat.
Labels: beets, dinner recipes, eggs, homemade, lamb, pork, sous-vide, zuchinni
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Morrocan Christmas Dinner at Alexis' Parents' House
Every year Alexis' family chooses a different theme for Christmas dinner...and they spend all day cooking and drinking. The food always turns out delicious and this year was no different.
Homemade Bread (made by Alexis' dad) and Pan-fried Store-bought Naan
The Whole Meal
So colorful.
B'stilla
The picture above is before we dug into it with our fingers and the picture below is after. b'stilla is a classic Moroccan dish made of shredded chicken and egg layered in phyllo dough and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Alexis' mom made this version, but basically, you boil a chicken in a bunch of spices, including saffron. Then you pull the meat off and set aside. You reserve the cooking juices as stock and cook the beaten eggs in the broth and strain that. Then you mix together the chicken and egg mixture with more spices and layer it between sheets of phyllo that have been brushed with melted butter. You bake it on 350 for about 1/2 an hour, until golden brown, then you turn it over on a plate and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar. Delicious.
Vegetarian Harira
Usually harira is made with lamb, but we'd been eating a lot of lamb, so we decided to make this version vegetarian and were pleasantly surprised that it was quite good. Harira is a stew made with lentils, chickpeas, and tomatos in a lemony, slightly spicy broth. We also thickened this with a bit of rice. It was perfect when sopped up with some of Alexis' dad's homemade bread.
Chicken with Olives and Preserved Lemon
This dish epitomized Moroccan food, especially in looks. It was pretty tasty as well. Although next time I'd just use dark meat rather than the whole chicken, as the white meat was a little dry.
Cous Cous with Caramelized Onions and Toasted Pinenuts
Prawns in Chermoula
This was one of the stars of the night, made by Alexis' sister. This is also incredibly easy. You make the chermoula below, then toss the raw prawns in it to coat and sautee until just done, about 2 or 3 minutes. You could also use this chermoula on just about any protein.
Orange and Radish Salad
This beautiful salad consisted of equal parts fresh orange segments and thinly sliced radish, seasoned with salt and pepper.
Beet and Pomegranate Salad
This salad was made of 3boiled beets, peeled and cut into cubes, a couple of handfuls of fresh pomegranate seeds, 1/2 a thinly sliced red onion and a handful of chopped fresh cilantro. It was dressed in a vinaigrette made from lavender vinegar, olive oil and sweet-hot mustard.
Eggplant Tomato Relish
This is a classic Moroccan side dish.
Carrots with Lemon and Mint
These carrots were grown by Alexis' parents and were sweet and fresh tasting. The carrots were steamed until tender, then dressed in lemon juice, fresh chopped mint, salt and pepper.
Homemade Bread (made by Alexis' dad) and Pan-fried Store-bought Naan
The Whole Meal
So colorful.
B'stilla
The picture above is before we dug into it with our fingers and the picture below is after. b'stilla is a classic Moroccan dish made of shredded chicken and egg layered in phyllo dough and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Alexis' mom made this version, but basically, you boil a chicken in a bunch of spices, including saffron. Then you pull the meat off and set aside. You reserve the cooking juices as stock and cook the beaten eggs in the broth and strain that. Then you mix together the chicken and egg mixture with more spices and layer it between sheets of phyllo that have been brushed with melted butter. You bake it on 350 for about 1/2 an hour, until golden brown, then you turn it over on a plate and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar. Delicious.
Vegetarian Harira
Usually harira is made with lamb, but we'd been eating a lot of lamb, so we decided to make this version vegetarian and were pleasantly surprised that it was quite good. Harira is a stew made with lentils, chickpeas, and tomatos in a lemony, slightly spicy broth. We also thickened this with a bit of rice. It was perfect when sopped up with some of Alexis' dad's homemade bread.
Chicken with Olives and Preserved Lemon
This dish epitomized Moroccan food, especially in looks. It was pretty tasty as well. Although next time I'd just use dark meat rather than the whole chicken, as the white meat was a little dry.
-1/4 preserved lemon, rinse, pulp discarded, peel cut in thin strips
-1 whole chicken, cut into parts
-1 onion, diced
-5 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 ts ground ginger
-1 1/2 ts ground cinnamon
-1 pinch saffron
-1 cup kalamata olives (the recipe called for green, but this is what we had and it was fine)
-2 bay leaves
-1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
-3 cups chicken broth
Brown the chicken pieces in some olive oil and set aside in a large baking dish. In the same pan add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add all of the other ingredients, except the browned chicken and cilantro, and cook for a few more minutes. Then pour the sauce over the chicken in the baking dish. Bake on 350 for about 1 and 1/2 hours, or until chicken is very tender. Remove the chicken pieces from the dish and set aside in a covered serving dish. Pour the sauce into a pan and reduce by half, stirring frequently. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the serving dish, then sprinkle with the fresh cilantro.
-1 whole chicken, cut into parts
-1 onion, diced
-5 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 ts ground ginger
-1 1/2 ts ground cinnamon
-1 pinch saffron
-1 cup kalamata olives (the recipe called for green, but this is what we had and it was fine)
-2 bay leaves
-1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
-3 cups chicken broth
Brown the chicken pieces in some olive oil and set aside in a large baking dish. In the same pan add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add all of the other ingredients, except the browned chicken and cilantro, and cook for a few more minutes. Then pour the sauce over the chicken in the baking dish. Bake on 350 for about 1 and 1/2 hours, or until chicken is very tender. Remove the chicken pieces from the dish and set aside in a covered serving dish. Pour the sauce into a pan and reduce by half, stirring frequently. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the serving dish, then sprinkle with the fresh cilantro.
Cous Cous with Caramelized Onions and Toasted Pinenuts
Prawns in Chermoula
This was one of the stars of the night, made by Alexis' sister. This is also incredibly easy. You make the chermoula below, then toss the raw prawns in it to coat and sautee until just done, about 2 or 3 minutes. You could also use this chermoula on just about any protein.
Chermoula
-1/2 preserved lemon, rinsed, pulp removed and roughly chopped
-3 cloves garlic
-1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves
-juice of 1/2 lemon
-large pinch of saffron
-1/2 ts paprika
-1/2 ts cumin
-1/4 ts cayenne
-1/4 cup olive oil
Put all the ingredients into the food processor and grind into a course paste.
-1/2 preserved lemon, rinsed, pulp removed and roughly chopped
-3 cloves garlic
-1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves
-juice of 1/2 lemon
-large pinch of saffron
-1/2 ts paprika
-1/2 ts cumin
-1/4 ts cayenne
-1/4 cup olive oil
Put all the ingredients into the food processor and grind into a course paste.
Orange and Radish Salad
This beautiful salad consisted of equal parts fresh orange segments and thinly sliced radish, seasoned with salt and pepper.
Beet and Pomegranate Salad
This salad was made of 3boiled beets, peeled and cut into cubes, a couple of handfuls of fresh pomegranate seeds, 1/2 a thinly sliced red onion and a handful of chopped fresh cilantro. It was dressed in a vinaigrette made from lavender vinegar, olive oil and sweet-hot mustard.
Eggplant Tomato Relish
This is a classic Moroccan side dish.
-1 eggplant, baked and diced
-3 tomatoes, diced
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-3 tb olive oil
-juice of 1 lemon
-salt and pepper to taste
Mix all the ingredients together and set aside to meld at room temperature. Eat on thick pieces of crusty bread.
-3 tomatoes, diced
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-3 tb olive oil
-juice of 1 lemon
-salt and pepper to taste
Mix all the ingredients together and set aside to meld at room temperature. Eat on thick pieces of crusty bread.
Carrots with Lemon and Mint
These carrots were grown by Alexis' parents and were sweet and fresh tasting. The carrots were steamed until tender, then dressed in lemon juice, fresh chopped mint, salt and pepper.
Labels: beets, carrot, chicken, dinner recipes, eggplant, homemade, salad, soup
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Garlic Shrimp and Balsamic Beets
Garlic shrimp are such an easy meal. They take about 3 minutes of prep and 2 minutes to cook. There's no real recipe, simply chop lots of garlic, sautee it in some butter until just beginning to brown. Add the thawed and peeled shrimp and cook until just done, about 2 minutes. Squeeze with some lemon, season with some salt and add any chopped fresh herbs you have on hand for a quick and tasty meal.
Beets are a great winter root veggie we've been experimenting with a lot lately. This time, we peeled and chopped several beets and boiled them until tender. Then we threw them in a sautee pan with a little olive oil and finished them with some balsamic vinegar and sea salt.
Labels: beets, dinner recipes, homemade, shrimp
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Dinner at Home
Pan Fried New York Strip Steak with Horseradish Beets
A really tasty, very quick meal. The steak was marinated in steak seasoning and worcestershire sauce, then pan fried in a bit of butter and olive oil for a couple minutes on each side for medium rare.
Horseradish Beets
-5 medium beets, peeled and cut in bite size chunks
-1 tb raw horseradish
-1 tb cream
-salt and pepper to taste
Boil the beets until fork tender. Then drain and sautee in a pan until browned. Mix the cream and horseradish and mix into the beets. Season with salt and pepper.
-5 medium beets, peeled and cut in bite size chunks
-1 tb raw horseradish
-1 tb cream
-salt and pepper to taste
Boil the beets until fork tender. Then drain and sautee in a pan until browned. Mix the cream and horseradish and mix into the beets. Season with salt and pepper.
Labels: beef, beets, dinner recipes, homemade
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Dinner at Home
Since Giao still wasn't feeling well, Alexis made a big pot of vegetable quinoa soup with a bit of egg for protein.
Hearty Vegetable Quinoa Soup
Inspired by both Alexis' little sister, who loves quinoa, and our travels to Peru, in which quinoa is a primary ingredient in many soups, Alexis decided to make a hearty winter soup with this protein packed grain.
Hearty Vegetable Quinoa Soup
Inspired by both Alexis' little sister, who loves quinoa, and our travels to Peru, in which quinoa is a primary ingredient in many soups, Alexis decided to make a hearty winter soup with this protein packed grain.
-1 large golden beet, diced
-1 large turnip, diced
-1 large onion, diced
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-1 lb asparagus, chopped
-4 eggs, beaten
-1/2 cup parsasean
-1 cup quinoa
-6 can chicken broth
Sautee onions, garlic, turnip and beet in a bit of olive oil until beginning to brown. Add broth and bring to a boil. Simmer until beets and turnips are soft. Add apsaragus and quinoa and simmer until tender (10-15 minutes). Mix the eggs and parmasean together and pour the mixture into the soup, stirring vigorously. Remove from heat and serve.
-1 large turnip, diced
-1 large onion, diced
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-1 lb asparagus, chopped
-4 eggs, beaten
-1/2 cup parsasean
-1 cup quinoa
-6 can chicken broth
Sautee onions, garlic, turnip and beet in a bit of olive oil until beginning to brown. Add broth and bring to a boil. Simmer until beets and turnips are soft. Add apsaragus and quinoa and simmer until tender (10-15 minutes). Mix the eggs and parmasean together and pour the mixture into the soup, stirring vigorously. Remove from heat and serve.
Labels: asparagus, beets, homemade, quinoa, soup, turnip
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