Sunday Dinner: Mussels Edition

I didn't eat a lot of shellfish growing up. Shrimp and the occasional lobster tail (I don't eat crab), but never clams or mussels. The couple of times I was exposed to these types of bivalves I found them chewy and not terribly appetizing so I decided that I did not like them. Then a few years ago I had moules frites (that's steamed mussels and french fries to the uninitiated) with friends and found myself liking them. But it wasn't until I tried the steamed mussels at The Liberty Tavern (which, you may recall, is one of my favorite Arlington restaurants) that I understood just how good mussels could be. Steamed in a broth made of smoked tomatoes, fennel pollen, and basil, these mussels are tender and smoky with a little heat that is impossible not to like. We pretty much have to order them whenever we go there.

Despite this growing affection for steamed mussels, I had never attempted to make them at home...until today. With the weather starting to get warmer, it just seemed like the right time to do it. I decided to start with a classic version--mussels cooked in a white wine broth, and who better to turn for a tried and true recipe than my BFF, the Barefoot Countessa.

Ina's recipe proved just how easy it is to make delicious steamed mussels at home. The result was an delicious and surprisingly elegant Sunday Dinner. The perfect way to mark the end of a hectic week.

Mussels with White Wine
Adapted slightly from Ina Garten

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs mussels
1/3 cup flour
2 TBL unsalted butter
2 TBL olive oil
5 shallots, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped canned plum tomatoes
1 TBL fresh thyme leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup white wine
pinch of saffron
pinch of red pepper flakes (I'd probably add more next time-- you can too, if you like heat)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
Lots of crusty bread for serving

1. To clean the mussels, mix flour and 2 quarts of water together in a large bowl. Add mussels and soak for 30 minutes. Drain the mussels and remove the "beard' from each with your fingers. If they are dirty, scrub the mussels under running water. Be sure to discard any mussels whose shells aren't tightly shut.
2. While the mussels are soaking, chop the shallots, garlic, herbs, and tomatoes.
3. In a large stockpot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 3-5 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, saffron, parsley, red pepper, thyme, wine, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
4. Add the mussels and stir well. Cover and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until all the mussels are open. During the cooking process, give the pot (with the lid on) a shake every so often to make sure the mussels on the bottom of the pot don't burn. When done, pour the mussels and broth into a large bowl and serve with lots of crusty bread (to sop up the sauce). Be sure to discard any mussels that do not open.

Sunday Dinner: Chicken Tikka Masala Edition

It's been awhile since I flexed my Sunday Dinner muscles and made something new and interesting to close out the weekend. So today I decided to get back into the game with a recipe for chicken tikka masala. The recipe comes from Tasty Kitchen-- a website run by Pioneer Woman that is equal parts blog and cooking community. Basically anyone can join and upload recipes and pictures that others can view, download, cook and rate. This marks my first non-Pioneer Woman recipe from Tasty Kitchen and I have to say I was pretty pleased. The recipe was pretty simple and definitely delicious. The only thing I'd change is the amount of spice-- we thought it could have benefited from a little more heat. Otherwise we'll definitely be eating this again soon.

Chicken Tikka Masala
Adapted slightly from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground corriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup plain yogurt
5 TBL vegetable oil, divided
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBL plus 2 teaspoon fresh ginger (either fresh ground or grated)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1/2-1 whole jalapeno, diced
2 TBL tomato paste
1 TBL garam masala
28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Rice (for serving)
Naan (for serving)--optional

1. Combine cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
2. In another bowl mix yogurt, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 TBL ground/grated ginger, and 2 TBL vegetable oil. Set aside.
3. In a large/deep skillet or dutch oven, heat remaining vegetable oil. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until it starts to brown. Add remaining garlic, ginger, jalapeno, tomato paste, and garam masala. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, loosely covered, for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Place chicken on a broiler pan (or aluminum foil covered baking sheet). Brush both sides of chicken in yogurt mixture (discard leftover mixture). Broil chicken for about 13 minutes or until done, flipping halfway through. Let stand for 5 minutes and then cut into bite size pieces.
5. Add cream to sauce, stir, and return to simmer. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Add cilantro and chicken pieces and stir. Check for seasonings. Serve over rice with naan or other flatbread.

Sunday Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie Edition

It seems like everywhere I've turned lately, I've come across recipes for chicken pot pie. Magazines, blogs, they all seem to be focused on this particular dish of late. I guess it makes sense-- chicken pot pie seems like a good candidate for cold weather fare. After pursuing a number of recipes, I decided to give Faith Durand's (of The Kitchn) version a try. With fennel and lemon as main ingredients/flavors and a biscuit (rather than pastry) crust, I thought hers might be a more interesting take on things.

 The verdict? The flavors were great-- loved the fennel, loved the lemon, and loved the white wine sauce. But something was not right about the biscuit crust. I followed the recipe to a "t" but it didn't get all light and puffy as I had thought. I wonder if I made it too soon in the process and the dough got dried out. I don't know. Next time I think I will swap out half of the potatoes for carrots for a little variation (and color) but all in all it was a good meal, perfect for a casual winter evening. One thing to note--this is definitely a weekend meal. From start to finish it took about 2 hours to make. But it makes a ton so we'll be eating it at least one other time this week.

Lemony Chicken Pot Pie with Parsley Biscuit Crust
Adapted slightly from Faith Durand

Ingredients:

For the biscuit topping:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped fine
1/4 cup butter, cold, cut into pieces
1/2 cup milk

For the chicken:
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup flour
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 fennel bulb, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch chunks (Or 1/2 potatoes and 1/2 diced carrots)
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup frozen peas

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Prepare the biscuit dough. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and parsley in a medium bowl. Add the cold butter and work it in with your fingers or pastry blender until the flour mixture resembles soft bread crumbs. Add the milk, stirring until the dough just comes together. Set aside.
3. Cut the chicken breasts into large bite-size pieces. Toss the pieces in a bowl with the flour and salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown for 6 minutes, turning halfway through. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and set aside (it won't be cooked through yet).
5. Reduce the heat to medium. Add onion, fennel, and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for a few minutes. Add white wine, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, scrapping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
6. Add broth and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture simmer for 5-7 minutes until the liquid starts to thicken. Add frozen peas.
7. Laddle the stew into the prepared baking dish. Drop the biscuit dough across the top. Bake, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and the biscuit topping is golden brown. Serve.

Sunday Dinner: Chicken Parmigiana (w/ Homemade Tomato Sauce) Edition

It's been another week of less is more (aka less is all I have time for) cooking at our apartment: leftover goulash, veggie and cheese fritatta, and roasted pear salad with a night of takeout Thai thrown in for good measure. I've been feeling kind of guilty about the lack of excitement in the kitchen so I decided to try something new and different for tonight: chicken parmigiana. My mom used to make this when I was in high school so I thought I would ask her for her recipe. Turns out her version is so easy it doesn't even require a recipe-- all you do is bread and brown up some chicken cutlets, place them on top of some spaghetti that has been doused in tomato sauce, top with more sauce and some shredded cheese and bake for 30 minutes. So simple that I decided to use the extra time to try my hand at homemade tomato sauce. A total success- I made a double batch and am planning to use some in shrimp creole later this week and then to freeze the rest for future use. Honestly, both the sauce and the chicken were so good that I'm already looking forward to tomorrow night's leftovers! (Thanks Mom.)

Chicken Parmigiana
From My Mom

Ingredients:
8 ounces of spaghetti
2-3 cups of tomato sauce
2-3 TBL olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 large egg
2 TBL water
4 chicken cutlets
4 ounces shredded mozzerella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and return spaghetti to pot. Add 1 cup or so of tomato sauce and stir until spaghetti is coated. Spread spaghetti and sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking sheet.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. In a shallow bowl/plate mix egg and water together to form an egg wash. Place flour in a second shallow bowl/plate and the bread crumbs in a third. Bread chicken cutlets by dredging them first in flour, then the egg wash, followed by the bread crumbs.
3. Brown chicken in oil, 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Place browned chicken on top of spaghetti.
4. Pour remaining tomato sauce over chicken. Top with shredded cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook for another 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted and starting to brown. Serve!


Homemade Tomato Sauce
From Simply Recipes

Ingredients:
2 TBL olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small carrot (or 1/2 large carrot), finely chopped
1 stalk of celery, including green tops, finely chopped
2 TBL chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
2 TBL chopped fresh basil
1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes, including juice, or 1 3/4 pound fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon tomato paste
Salt and pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet or pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion, carrot, celery and parsley. Stir to coat. Reduce heat to low, cover pot/skillet and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft and cooked through.
2. Remove cover and add minced garlic. Increase the heat to medium high and cook for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes. If using canned tomatoes, shred with your fingers (or use kitchen shears to break them up). Add tomato paste and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a low simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook (uncovered) until thickened, about 15 minutes. Use blender, food processor, etc. to give it a smooth consistency.

Sunday (and Monday) Dinner: Goulash Edition

When trying to decide what to make for dinner on Sunday night (usually the one night of the week that I have the time/inclination to make more difficult and/or more time consuming meals) I knew exactly what kind of dish I wanted: something warm, hearty, and comforting. But I was tired of my usual repertoire of soups so I went in search of something new that would beat the winter chill. Fortunately one of my go-to food blogs, Smitten Kitchen, had just the thing: Goulash. Goulash is a Hungarian soup/stew consisting of meat, vegetables, and spices--the most important of which is paprika. Smitten suggested making into more of a stew and serving it over potatoes, egg noodles, or even gnocchi.  I decided to go with the egg noodles.

Now I can't say for sure just how authentic this recipe is, but it was good. Lots of different flavors coming together in a wonderful stick-to-your ribs dish perfect for a cold January day. Or days. It makes a lot--I halved SK's recipe and it still made enough for two days of meals (and we did not skimp on the serving size either). But that was just fine with me-- unlike most leftovers, this was one dish that was even better the second time around.

Goulash
Adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
3 slices bacon, chopped
1.5 boneless chuck, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (you can else buy pre-cubed stew meat)
1 TBL vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 TBL Hungarian sweet paprika
3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
3 TBL flour
2 TBL red wine vinegar
2 TBL tomato paste
2 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup water or beer (more if you want it to have a thinner, soup-like consistency)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 red bell pepper, chopped fine
Egg noodles, cooked according to package directions (optional)

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. In remaining fat, brown chuck in small batches over high heat, transferring as browned with slotted spoon to bowl.
2. Reduce heat to moderate and add vegetable oil. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until golden.
3. Stir paprika, caraway seeds, and flour and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Whisk in vinegar and tomato paste and cook for another minute.
4. Stir in broth, water/beer, salt, bell pepper, back and chuck. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer soup, covered, stirring occasionally about 60 minutes. Serve with egg noodles.

Sunday Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs Edition

We did a lot of eating out last week. We used a Groupon for Hook that was about to expire one night, met a friend for dinner another, and then celebrated NYE with a fancy dinner out. I tried to counterbalance all the expenditures by cooking a lot at home this weekend. Cinnamon rolls for breakfast, chili and cornbread for dinner last night, and spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight.

I don't know about you, but I did not grow up eating too many meatballs with my spaghetti. We tended to go with a meat sauce instead, but whenever I see someone make meatballs on TV I am intrigued. So when I saw that my BFF Ina had a recipe for spaghetti and turkey meatballs in her new cookbook How Easy Is That (a SIGNED copy of which I got for Christmas-- thanks Mom!), I decided to give it a try. Ina's recipe further sold me on the idea for a couple of reasons-- 1) the meat in the meatballs include not only turkey but sweet Italian sausage and proscuitto as well which sounded like a great combination and 2) you bake the meatballs instead of pan-frying them which seemed less time consuming and less messy. Done and done.

Overall we liked the recipe quite a bit. It was easy and really flavorful. My one gripe is that it makes A TON. Even with halving the recipe, we ended up with 18 good size meatballs! Fortunately Jason is already plotting how he can turn some of the leftovers into meatball subs later in the week.

Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs
Adapted slightly (primarily to halve the recipe) from Ina Garten

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups bread cubes (about 2 slices of bread, crusts removed)
1/3 cup milk
1 lb ground turkey (92% lean)
2 sweet Italian pork sausages, casings removed
2 thin slices of prosciutto, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
3 TBL olive oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1-2 large jars of your favorite marinara sauce (depending on how much sauce you like-- we used two and it was a lot)
1 1b spaghetti (I acutally only made half this amount but will need to make more for the leftover meatballs)

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper (do not skip this-- you'll thank me at clean up time!)
2. Place the bread in a food processor and pulse until you have medium crumbs. Transfer to a small bowl and add milk. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine turkey, sausage, proscuitto, bread mixture, Asiago, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, 1 TBL salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Combine with your hands. Mix 1 1/2 TBL olive oil and egg together and add to the mixture. Stir with a fork.
4. Use your hands to lightly roll mixture into 2inch (golf ball size) balls. Place onto sheet pan and brush the top of each with olive oil. Bake for 35-40 minutes until tops are browned and inside is cooked through.
5. Pour marinar into a large low pan. Add meatballs and bring to a simmer.
6. Meanwhile bring a pot of water to boil and cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and plate. Top each plate of spaghetti with 3 meatballs and as much or as little sauce as you like. Serve with grated cheese if desired.

Sunday Dinner: Oktoberfest Edition

When I asked Jason what he wanted to have for dinner this Columbus Day weekend, he said “brats.” I thought he was joking ….. at first. Turns out he was serious. With the weather turning cooler (although you wouldn’t know it by the Indian Summer we are currently having in the DC area) and football season in full swing, he was jonesing for some grilled sausages with peppers and onions.  Since we don’t have a grill we went for the next best thing—broiled brats.

As a side I decided to get in the spirit and try out a recipe for a warm potato salad. Rather the mayo-sour cream version we’re used to in the summer, this one relies on a vinaigrette for flavor. Warm, cold, or room temperature, it’s delicious just the same.

Even though I am generally not a hot dog/sausage kind of person, this was one seasonal meal I could get behind. Perfect for a (warm) October Sunday.

Brats with Peppers and Onions

Ingredients:
½ white onion, thinly sliced
½ red pepper, thinly sliced
1 TBL olive oil
4 bratwursts
4 hot dog buns

1.Preheat broiler. Broil brats 8 minutes or so per side until cooked through.
2.Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and pepper and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
3.Toast buns. Place brat on a bun and top with sautéed onions and peppers. Serve with brown mustard if you would like.

Warm Potato Salad
Adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients:
2 pounds potatoes—I used a combination of red bliss and fingerling
3 green onions, chopped
2 TBL parsley, chopped
3 ½ TBL red wine vinegar
3 TBL olive oil
6 TBL canola oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

1.Slice potatoes into ½ inch rounds. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes or until a fork easily pierces all the way through potatoes. Drain and set aside.
2.Meanwhile, mix together red wine vinegar, olive oil, canola oil, and mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3.In a large bowl, combine warm potatoes, green onions, parsley, and vinaigrette. Check for seasonings. Serve warm (or whatever temperature you’d like).

Sunday Dinner: Vegetarian Enchiladas (for one) Edition

It’s been a busy week both in terms of work and its associated stress (that’s a whole other story) as well as errands and other “life things” that need taking care of. I am going to be hosting a wedding shower for my friend Lauren next weekend (look for posts on that subject soon) and I have spent much of the weekend finalizing plans, running errands, and buying supplies. Jason has had a lot of things to do too—he’s been fairly preoccupied with an electronics project (one that is taking over our kitchen/dining room bar/counterspace) and today he’s at his parents’ house changing the breaks on his car (he’s so handy to have around!)

Even though Jason won’t be home in time for dinner tonight, I decided to go ahead and make Sunday Dinner for myself. Cooking on Sunday is always more relaxing than during the week and given that I’ll be driving to Baltimore tomorrow, it seemed like a good idea to have something that can be easily heated up ready to eat. I chose to make a vegetarian enchilada recipe that I got from my friend Lauren (yes, the same one who’s getting married). Lauren’s family is from Texas and she knows good Tex-Mex. She made this recipe for Jason and I last summer and we were big fans. She included ground meat but I decided to try it without this time around.

It turned out well. I liked the addition of the green chile enchilada sauce (the original recipe called for red enchilada sauce)—it added some good spice. Next time I make the vegetarian version, I think I would add some additional beans (maybe a can and a half total). But otherwise, it is a delicious and easy dish—perfect for any day of the week.

Vegetarian Enchiladas
Adapted from a recipe given to me by a friend

Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans (or more), rinsed and drained
1 cup corn (fresh, frozen, canned—whichever)
1 cup shredded cheese
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 can (14 oz) Hatch green chile enchilada sauce
½ cup salsa
8 flour tortillas (medium sized)

(If you want to add some meat, simply brown ground beef, turkey or even lamb, and add into the bean mixture before filling the tortillas—you might end up with more than 8 enchiladas though so plan accordingly.)

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.In a medium bowl, partially mash the beans with a fork.
3.Add corn, ½ of the cheese, cilantro, and ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce.
4.In another bowl, combine remaining enchilada sauce with salsa.
5.Spray a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray. Pour ½ cup of enchilada sauce/salsa mixture into the bottom of the dish.
6.Warm tortillas in the microwave (about 35 seconds—wrap in paper towels).
7.Spoon about ½ cup of the bean and corn mixture into the center of each tortilla and roll up. Place, seam side down, in the baking dish.
8.Top with remaining sauce and shredded cheese.
9.Bake for 20 minutes.

Sunday Dinner: Red Pepper Pasta and Garlic Bread Edition

Jason and I spent this weekend visiting my parents in Southeastern Pennsylvania. We had a really nice time buying apples and pumpkins at a local orchard, eating my mom's awesome bacon-wrapped scallops (with a lemon-dill sauce) for dinner, and playing spades. Since we didn’t get home until 4 or so , I decided to go with a tried and true favorite for dinner tonight--- pasta with creamy roasted red pepper sauce. But since I always try to do something a little bit special/out of the ordinary for Sunday Dinner I decided to shake things up with some homemade garlic bread.

WARNING: THIS RECIPE SHOULD NOT BE CONSUMED UNLESS YOU REALLY REALLY LIKE GARLIC.

(Consider yourself warned.)

Garlic bread, at least the way Ina taught me to make it, is so easy that it is hard to imagine why anyone would buy the frozen stuff. All you have to do is chop up some parsley and a lot of garlic, heat it in some olive oil and spread it between some ciabatta bread. Stick it in the oven for 10 minutes and you are done. Easy, garlicky goodness. (note: since it was just the two of us, I halved the recipe below—only using ½ loaf of bread, ¼ olive oil, etc. and it works just as well.)

Step 1: Cook olive oil, parsley and garlic over low heat.

Step 2: Spread mixture over bread

Step 3: Put halves back together and bake

 Step 4: Enjoy!

Homemade Garlic Bread
Adpated from Ina Garten

Ingredients:
6 cloves of garlic
¼ cup parsely
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 loaf of ciabatta bread

1.Finely chop the garlic and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
2.Heat olive oil in a small pan over low heat. Add garlic mixture and cook for about 3 minutes or until garlic is tender but not browned. Set aside
3.Slice ciabatta in half horizontally. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4.Spoon garlic mixture evenly over both halves of the bread. Place the top half on the bottom half. Wrap in foil. Bake on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Remove foil and cook for another 5 minutes or until crust is brown and crusty. Slice and serve (with breath mints if you have them).

Sunday Dinner: Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Soup Edition

I have long been a fan of the blog Serious Eats (though sometimes I do have trouble keeping up with its 15 or so posts a day) but lately it has become an integral part of my weekly menu planning.  Nick Kindelsperger’s daily Dinner Tonight column in particular has been a great source of inspiration (see pasta with bacon and corn pesto and chicken and eggplant with black bean sauce as two fairly recent examples) which is good since I have been less than thrilled with the last few issues of Everyday Food, my usual go-to for weeknight meal ideas.

Speaking of Martha, her roasted tomato and eggplant soup was the subject of one of Nick’s Dinner Tonight columns that caught my eye just last week. With its end of summer vegetables, it seemed the perfect candidate for tonight’s Sunday Dinner especially given the cool and dreary weather we had for most of the day.  It was good. I loved the mix of smooth and chunky textures this dish offered. And the cilantro added the perfect amount of brightness to the smokiness of the eggplant and curry. Served with some “bread made by hippies” (as Jason referred to the rolls I bought at yesterday’s farmers’ market) and the first Dogfish Punkin Ale of the season, it was the perfect end to a fairly relaxing weekend.

Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Soup
Adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients:
3 pounds of Roma tomatoes, stems removed and sliced in half
½ pout of carrots, cut into ¾ inch pieces
7 cloves of garlic
1 large eggplant, diced
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 TBL olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 teaspoons curry powder
Chopped cilantro for serving

1.  Preheat the oven to 425. Line to baking sheets with aluminum foil.
2. On one baking sheet toss tomatoes, garlic, and carrots with 2 TBL olive oil, salt, and pepper. Make sure tomatoes are cut side down.
3. On the second baking sheet toss eggplant and chickpeas with remaining olive oil, curry powder, and salt and pepper.
4. Place both baking sheets into oven and roast for 45 minutes. Halfway through, stir vegetables and rotate baking sheets.
5. Remove both baking sheets from the oven. Remove skin from tomatoes. Transfer tomatoes, garlic, carrots (and all the juices from that pan) into blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a large pot.
6. Add eggplant and chickpea mixture to the pot. Add 2 cups of water (more or less depending on how thick you want it to be) and bring to a boil over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cilantro and some yummy bread.

Sunday Dinner: Potato Salad Edition

  
Did I really not post anything after last week's Sunday Dinner post?!? Oops. In my defense it was a very busy week.... :)

I love potato salad. It is, hands down, my favorite side dish for bbq, burgers and other summer fare (although I’ll eat anytime of year).  My undying love for this dish stems from the homemade recipe I grew up eating at my grandmother’s house in Tennessee. It is such a family favorite that she makes it for every family occasion—Thanksgiving, Christmas, any gathering really. It is the gold standard of potato salad in my eyes and what I hold all others up against.  Unfortunately this makes me incredibly picky when it comes to potato salad—if it’s not as good as what I’m used to, I’d rather not eat it. It’s actually gotten to the point where I almost don’t even order it when offered at restaurants anymore (usually I let Jason order it and then I taste it to determine whether I would eat it or not—eight times out of ten the answer is no.)

You are probably asking yourself—why doesn’t she just get the recipe from her grandmother and make it herself if she loves it so much?! Believe me, I would if I could. But the fact of the matter is, my grandmother doesn’t have a recipe. She just makes it. Both my mother and I have (on separate occasions probably 20 years apart) watched her make it and tried to write down the proportions of the ingredients she uses so we could make it on our own. The problem is, it never turns out quite the same. So we’ve both given up trying to replicate it (same goes for her macaroni and cheese recipe). That doesn’t stop me from looking at every recipe for potato salad I come across to see whether or not it sounds like what I grew up eating.

About a month ago I found a recipe that sounded pretty close and have eagerly been waiting for a chance to try it out. I decided that today was the day to give it a shot.  The recipe is not an exact match, but the result was good though definitely missing something. But it’s as close as I’ve been able to get to date. And that is pretty high praise!

Since I didn’t think we could dine on potato salad alone, I decided to make a marinated flank steak (so tasty—recipe is also below) and corn on the cob to go with it. A perfect near-the-end of summer meal, if you ask me.

Not My Grandmother’s Potato Salad (But Pretty Darn Close)
Adapted slightly from Cook’s Country

Ingredients:
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes—peeled and cut into smallish cubes
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
3 TBL dill pickle juice, plus ¼ cup finely chopped dill pickles
1 TBL mustard (I used a grainy mustard because that’s what we had but the original recipe called for regular yellow mustard)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon celery seed
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
½ small red onion, chopped fine
1 rib celery, chopped fine
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced

1.Place potatoes in a large sauce pan and cover with 1 inch of cold water. Bring to boil over high heat and add 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 10-15 minutes)
2.Drain potatoes and spread out a rimmed baking sheet. Mix 2 teaspoons pickle juice and mustard together in a small bowl. Spread over potatoes and toss to coat. Cool completely.
3.Mix remaining pickle juice, pickles, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, celery seed, mayo, sour cream, red onion, and celery in a large bowl. Toss in cooled potatoes, cover and refrigerate until well chilled (about 30 minutes). Stir in eggs just before serving.

Marinated Flank Steak
From Simply Recipes

Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBL red wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup honey
½ teaspoon black pepper
Flank steak
Salt and pepper

1.Score the surface of the steak with ¼ inch cuts across the grain of the meat. Combine the first six ingredients (through the black pepper). Place steak in a large freezer bag and pour marinade over it. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
2.Preheat grill or broiler. If using the broiler, place the broiler pan in the oven for a few minutes to get hot. Take steak out of the marinade and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.  Place steak on hot grill or broiler pan. Cook for about 4-6 minutes per side. Remove and cover with aluminum foil to rest.
3.After about 10 minutes, slice very thinly against the grain at a slight diagonal.

Sunday Dinner: Vegetable Torta Edition

That’s right—I’m bringing “Sunday Dinner” posts back!

Last winter when I started this blog, Sundays meant some extra free time and a chance to try my hand at recipes that were a little more ambitious and/or too time-consuming for a weeknight meal. Then spring arrived and with it came work travel and a new job and lots of things to do. Sundays became more about relaxing and/or (more often than not) getting ready for the coming work week and less about kitchen explorations.

But yesterday was different. For the first time in a really long time, I found myself with no plans and very little that absolutely had to get done.  Even better, it was a rainy day. Perfect for spending some quality time in the kitchen!

And spend time in the kitchen I did! For my first Sunday back in the kitchen I chose to make Cook’s Illustrated’s Vegetable Torta, which while not exactly difficult was incredibly time consuming. From start to finish it took at least 2 and a half hours to make. (It was also borderline too much for my small apartment kitchen—at one point toward the end of the process every inch of counter space I have-- including the breakfast bar-- and even part of the dining table were in use.) But as usual the efforts were completely worthwhile--layers and layers of tender, roasted vegetables with a hint of richness thanks to a roasted garlic custard and grated Italian cheese. A hint of lemon added to the depth of flavor.

When we finally sat down to eat (I think it was almost 8:30 by that time—I had underestimated just how long it would take to get the torta on the table), Jason pronounced the dish his new summer favorite. Too bad summer is almost over!

Note: while this recipe is time-consuming it makes a lot which means less time in the kitchen the rest of the week! It is also a show-stopper that would make an impressive dish to entertain with.

Vegetable Torta
Adapted slightly from Cook’s Illustrated

Ingredients:
2 large eggplants, halved crosswise and cut lengthwise into ½ inch pieces
1 medium head garlic, outer papery skins removed and top third cut off and discarded
2 medium red bell peppers
2 large tomatoes, cored and cut into ¼ inch slices
3 large zuchinni, cut on the diagonal into ¼ inch slices
4 slices white sandwich bread (I used Sourdough since that is all we had), torn into quarters
3 TBL unsalted butter, melted
5 ounces Asiago cheese, finely grated (I used a pre-shredded mix of Asiago, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses that worked just fine)
3 large eggs
¼ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
Juice from 1 lemon
Salt and Pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
LOTS of paper towels!!

1.Generously sprinkle both sides of the eggplant with salt and transfer to a colander set over a bowl. Let stand for about 30 minutes while the eggplant releases some liquid. Arrange slices in a single layer on a double layer of paper towels; cover with another double layer of paper towels. Firmly press each slice to flatten and remove as much moisture as possible.
2.While the eggplant drains, adjust oven racks to the upper middle and lower-middle positions. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Set two wire racks on 2 rimmed baking sheets (you can also you a broiler pan if you have one); generously coat the racks with olive oil or cooking spray.
3.Place garlic cut side up on a double layer of aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap foil tightly around garlic and set aside.
4.Arrange salted and pressed eggplant slices on prepared racks. Season with pepper. Brush peppers on all sides with olive oil and place one on each of the baking sheets. Place baking sheets into the oven. Place foil-wrapped garlic onto the edge of the baking sheet on the lower rack. Roast vegetables until eggplant slices are well-browned and peppers are blistered and beginning to brown, about 30-35 minutes. Make sure to rotate the baking sheets and turn the peppers halfway through the baking time. Transfer peppers to a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow eggplant to cool on the wire racks. Continue to roast the garlic for about 10-15 minutes longer or until the cloves are soft and golden brown.
5.Meanwhile, arrange tomato slices on double layer of paper towels; sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes, then cover with another double layer of paper towels. Gently press tomatoes to remove moisture.
6.While vegetables roast and tomatoes stand, sprinkle both sides of zucchini slices with salt and transfer to the large colander set over a bowl. Let zucchini stand for about 30 minutes while it releases liquid. Place a triple layer of paper towels onto a microwave safe plate. Arrange a third of the zucchini on the paper towels, then cover with another triple layer of paper towels. Repeat two more times until all zucchini are gone. Top the final layer with paper towels and another microwave-safe plate. Microwave stack on high for about 5-7 minutes or until zucchini are steaming hot. Remove carefully USING POTHOLDERS and let stand for about 5 minutes before removing the top plate.
7.When peppers are cool enough to touch, remove skin and slit pole-pole. Remove stem and seeds. Unfurl peppers so they lie flat; cut each lengthwise into three pieces each.
8.To make the crust, place torn bread into a food processor. Pulse for about 10 seconds until coarsely ground. With machine running, add melted butter through the feed tube and process until combined. Add 2/3 cup of cheese and pulse to combine. Transfer mixture to bowl (don’t wash the food processor).
9.Thoroughly grease a 9 or 10 inch springform pan. Pat bread crumbs onto the bottom and sides to make the crust, using all but about 3 TBL of the crumbs.
10.Squeeze garlic from cloves and mash with a fork. Transfer to the food processor. Add eggs, cream, thyme, and lemon juice. Process until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.
11.Arrange a single layer of eggplant on top of the crsut, tearing pieces as needed to cover the entire bottom surface. Sprinkle with 2 TBL of cheese. Arrange a single layer of zucchini and sprinkle with another 2 TBL of cheese. Repeat another layer of eggplant and cheese. Layer in all of the red pepper pieces and sprinkle with 2 TBL of cheese. Pour half of the custard mixture over the top; tilt and gently shake the pan to evenly distribute. Repeat layering of eggplant and zucchini, sprinkling each layer with 2 TBL of cheese. Pour remaining custard over the vegetables, tilting and shaking the pan to evenly distribute. Arrange tomato slices around the top. Sprinkle torta with remaining 3 TBL of bread crumbs.
12.Set torta on a baking sheet (I re-used one I had previously roasted the eggplant on so as not to mess up yet another kitchen item) and bake on the lower-middle rack until tomatoes are dry, bread-crumb topping is brown and the center of the torta registers 175 degrees. The recipe said this would take 75-90 minutes but it only took mine about 65 so depending on the strength of your oven (mine is gas and gets really hot, really fast) you might want to start checking at the 60 minute mark.
13.Cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around the inside of the pan to loosen, then remove springform pan ring. Let stand about 10-20 minutes longer (depending on how hungry you are—I think we lasted about 8 minutes), cut into wedges and serve.

Note: according to the recipe you can assemble, bake, cool and remove the torta from the springform pan, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate overnight.  Let it stand at room temperature for about an hour before serving.

Sunday Dinner: Jason Edition

Last night something miraculous happened. Something that (these days) only happens once every 8 months or so….Jason made me dinner!

No, it wasn’t my birthday or our anniversary or any sort of milestone he chose to celebrate by cooking for me.  A couple of weeks ago he was flipping through the cookbook I brought home from my trip to Seattle, came across a recipe that sounded good (and relatively easy to make) and declared “I’m going to make this for you some weekend soon.”  I’m no fool—I suggested we schedule a day right then and there before he could forget about it and/or change his mind.

So last night Jason made me a lovely Salmon with Pinot Noir Mustard Sauce (using the Pinot Noir I brought back from my brief stop in Willamette Valley). It was really good (the meal and the wine).  Perfectly cooked salmon (I was so proud!) served over a salad of arugula, red pepper, and tossed with a delightful dressing made of pinot noir, honey, mustard seeds, red wine vinegar, shallots, and tarragon.  It was lovely, light, summery meal perfect for the 90 degree weather we had over the weekend.

A couple of notes should you decide to make this recipe. 1) You are supposed to let the dressing sit for 8 hours or overnight to mix and mingle properly. We let it sit about 6.5 hours and I think it worked out just fine. Just make sure you plan ahead! 2) The recipe called for black/brown mustard seeds. After looking at several grocery stores we could not find them and ended up using yellow mustard seeds. Upon further research I found that black/brown mustard seeds are hotter than their yellow counterparts and used a lot in Indian cooking.  Still not sure where to buy them but that info was at least interesting. 3) Searing salmon can stink up your house/apartment. The fish smell seems to have subsided by this morning but we had to use quite a bit of Lysol and burned a number of candles last night trying to get the smell to go away. But it was worth it for a meal like that!

Salmon with Pinot Noir Mustard Sauce
Adapted from The Pike Place Market Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 cup Pinot Noir
¼ cup honey
¼ cup yellow mustard seeds (or black or brown if you can find them)
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped shallot
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Pepper
2 (6 oz) fillets of salmon
3 TBL olive oil
Arugula
1 red bell pepper, diced

1.Place wine in a small saucepan over high heat and boil until reduced by half. Remove from heat and add honey, stirring until it dissolves
2.In a small, dry skillet, toast mustard seeds until they begin to pop and release their aroma. Remove from heat and add to wine-honey mixture. Add red wine vinegar, shallot, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Pour into a jar with a lid (we used a mason jar), shake well and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
3.Heat medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and place salmon, skin side up, on hot skillet. Sear 3 minutes on the first side and then 3 seconds or so on each additional side (ending with the skin side down) and place in 350 degree oven. Cook for 8-10 minutes until just cooked through.
4.Toss arugula, red pepper, and some of the dressing together. Divide among plates. Place salmon on top of salad. Drizzle a little more dressing on top of the salmon and serve.

Saturday (!) Night Dinner: Gnocchi Edition

As I mentioned yesterday, I am leaving today for the final trip of the work travel madness that began back in March (I am hopefully winging my way to the Midwest even as we speak). Since I was only going to be having half a weekend at home (on the heels of being gone the previous work week), Jason and I instituted a “no outside plans” policy yesterday so that we could spend some quality time with each other. Of course, life being life, we were inundated with social invitations from various friends and family members. But we stuck to our guns and had a pretty relaxing day just the two of us (with a few work obligations thrown in for good measure).

Sunday travel = no Sunday dinner, so I decided to make it Saturday Night Dinner. It was a good idea in theory but, for some reason, I had a really hard time coming up with anything I wanted to make.  I think all the travel and eating out has thrown me off my game. Usually I enjoy meal planning but it felt like such a chore yesterday trying to come up with something that I wanted to cook and that would provide some leftovers for Jason to eat tonight or tomorrow while I am gone. I ended up handing the recipe binder over to Jason and letting him decide. His pick? Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables from one of last year’s Everyday Food issues. I had not made this before but had saved it thinking it might make a quick and healthy meal sometime in the future. I am not sure what about it caught Jason’s eye but we decided to give it a shot.

It was definitely easy---sautéed squash, zucchini, and grape tomatoes combined with basil, parmesan cheese, and some lemon juice serve as a light sauce for frozen gnocchi.  While it didn’t blow me away, I’d probably make it again. Next time I’d add some red pepper flake to give it a little kick as it seemed to need a little something something—a comment complaint I've had with many of Everyday Food’s recipes (sorry Martha!). I might also try to find fresh gnocchi next time—the consistency of the frozen variety left a little something to be desired. Despite these small flaws, I’d say this dish is definitely a contender for a future weeknight meal and worth a try if you want something quick and easy.

Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables
Adapted from Everyday Food

Ingredients:
1 package frozen gnocchi (mine was 16 ounces)
1 TBL olive oil
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced
1 yellow squash, quartered and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
2 TBL grated parmesan cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt. Cook gnocchi according to package instructions.
2.Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add squash, zucchini, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to get tender (about 4-5 minutes).
3.Add tomatoes and cook until juices are released, about 3-4 minutes.
4.Reserve ½ cup of cooking liquid and drain gnocchi. Add gnocchi to the skillet and add enough of the cooking liquid to create a sauce (I added almost all of the ½ cup). Toss and let cook for about 30 seconds.
5.Remove from heat and stir in basic, cheese and lemon juice. Check for seasoning.