Posted By Lindsay on June 2, 2009
It’s been two and half years since we started this here blog. In that time I’ve posted nearly 300 recipes. Some good, some great, but what about the so-so dishes? The dishes that are perfectly satisfying and edible, but don’t necessarily make you say, “Wow.” I feel as if every post I write has to be something special, something I know you all would enjoy eating as much as we did, and so these mediocre meals often times fall by the wayside.
In recent months I’ve realized just how much this blog affects our eating habits. This blog has become my virtual cookbook, my food diary, where we can revisit our past through our palettes (can you remember what you ate last Wednesday? I sure can’t.) I can re-read whatever coy comments I wrote about such and such a pasta, what suggestions Taylor had for improving the hum-drum flavor of that fish. I can remember, relive, and reprint these recipes again and again and again.
And I’ve also realized that if a recipe is not posted here, for whatever reason, that recipe might as well have fallen off the face of this earth, because no way is it ever going to be made again. Why? Well, laziness, usually. The light is not good, or I’m too hungry, or we’ve just been cooking too darn long and I don’t want to take a picture. “It’s ok,” we say, “We’ll make this again next week and I’ll photograph it then.” Yeah. Right.
We have a fairly predictable eating pattern. We’ll usually try 3-4 brand new recipes a week, sometimes more if I happen upon a wealth of new deliciousness on the world wide web. I then fill the rest of the week with things we’ve already made before, usually browsing the ‘quick’ or ‘healthy’ recipes that I’ve categorized. But never do I flip back through the three-inch-high stack of paper that sit in the kitchen, our recipe ‘inbox’ for lack of a better word. It’s where the printed pages of recipes go after dinner, complete with grease stains and smeared sauces. To be honest, it’s out of control. I need to reign it in and get it manageable again, and maybe there won’t be any more forgotten recipes.
It is also for that reason that I’m making an effort to post it all. Even the mediocre recipes. Because I want to remember these dishes, even if it’s just for the things we’d change about it next time. Because I want there to be a next time. And my memory sucks.
On to the food!
Give me pasta. Give me goat cheese. Throw in some cherry tomatoes. And you know what? I’ll be happy. Even better if you get a nice rotisserie chicken on sale to add to the mix. All on a bed of fresh baby spinach, and I’d say you have yourself a pretty darn good dinner.
Farfalle with Chicken, Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions, and Goat Cheese
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large red onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Sherry wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
8 ounces farfalle
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
6 heirloom tomatoes, cored, chopped (about 5 cups)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (from 1/2 rotisserie chicken)
1/2 cup thinly sliced basil leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh marjoram
3 cups baby spinach
3 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
Directions:
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over mediumhigh heat. Add onions; sprinkle with salt and cook until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in vinegar and sugar; cook until onions are browned, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Transfer caramelized onions to bowl; reserve skillet.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain.
Add wine to reserved skillet. Boil until reduced to 1/2 cup, 3 minutes. Add pasta, onions, broth, and next 4 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Stir over medium heat to warm through, about 3 minutes.
Divide spinach among plates. Spoon pasta over spinach. Top with crumbled goat cheese.
Posted By Lindsay on May 30, 2009
I didn’t quite realize this until browsing through the pictures that I haven’t posted yet (yes, I realize I’m behind – I’ve got a half dozen new meals to post and just haven’t had the time to do it, I’ll be better, I promise!), but in a matter of 4 days, we unknowingly cooked two almost identical meals.
Meal 1 (above): Portobello “Steak” Sandwiches with Gorgonzola Butter and Red Pepper Vinaigrette.
Meal 2 (below): Portobello Burgers with Red Pepper Mayonnaise
I figured you’d all think I was crazy if I made two posts out of these, and it would make my backlog of posts a more manageable if I combined them into one. So here we are.
Honestly, they were both good. The roasted red pepper and earthy portobello is an excellent combination however you make it. But, the addition of the Gorgonzola cheese probably puts the first recipe over the top. That, and I think the mayonnaise we used for the other might have been a bit past it’s prime… nothing happened, of course, but seeing the date on the jar afterwords may have skewed our perception of it just a bit.
(If you are interested though, the Portobello Burgers with Red Pepper Mayonnaise recipe can be found here).
Portobello Burgers with Red Pepper Mayonnaise
Ingredients:
For marinade
5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
6 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 pounds fresh Portobello mushrooms, stems trimmed
For Gorgonzola butter
2 ounces Gorgonzola cheese (about 1/4 cup) at room temperature
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
For red pepper vinaigrette
1 red bell pepper, roasted (procedure follows), or 1/3 cup chopped drained bottled roasted red peppers
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
four 1/2-inch-thick slices crusty bread, cut diagonally
Garnish: fresh thyme leaves
Directions:
Make marinade:
In a small bowl whisk together marinade ingredients. Put half of mushroom caps and half of marinade in each of 2 large sealable plastic bags, arranging mushroom caps in one layer, and seal bags, pressing out excess air. Marinate mushrooms at room temperature, turning bags over several times, at least 1 and up to 2 hours.
Make Gorgonzola butter while mushrooms are marinating:
On a plate with a fork mash Gorgonzola and butter together until blended well.
Make red pepper vinaigrette:
In a blender blend vinaigrette ingredients with salt and pepper to taste until smooth and emulsified.
Prepare grill.
Grill one side of bread on a rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until golden, about 1 minute. (Alternatively, bread may be grilled in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.) Divide bread, toasted sides down, among 4 plates. Spread soft side of bread with Gorgonzola butter.
Remove mushrooms from marinade and grill 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until tender. (Alternatively, mushrooms may be grilled in a hot well-seasoned ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.) Transfer mushrooms with tongs to a cutting board and slice thin.
Arrange warm mushrooms on toasts and spoon vinaigrette over each open-faced sandwich. Garnish sandwiches with thyme.
To roast peppers:
Using a long-handled fork char peppers over an open flame, turning, until skins are blackened, 2 to 3 minutes. (Or broil peppers on rack of a broiler pan under a preheated broiler about 2 inches from heat, turning every 5 minutes, until skins are blistered and charred, 15 to 25 minutes.) Transfer peppers to a bowl and let stand, covered, until cool enough to handle. Keeping peppers whole, peel them, starting at blossom end. Cut off tops and discard seeds and ribs. (Wear rubber gloves when handling chilies.)
Posted By Lindsay on May 26, 2009
Who ever said there was no such thing as too much chocolate never had these cupcakes. Loosely based on the towering chocolate cake I made for Taylor’s birthday, these cupcakes sure are rich. Like, better have a whole glass of water or milk or something on hand when you eat it or you’re in big trouble. I thought it was too much. Taylor ate 2 in one sitting. That should tell you something.
The ganache frosting is really thick. I liked it because it wasn’t as sweet as buttercream, but the chocolate was almost too rich and overpowering. If only I could arrive at some happy medium… the fluffiness of buttercream with the sinful chocolaty-ness of the ganache. Thank goodness I didn’t decide to pipe on huge swirls like I sometimes to, I think I would have passed out in the process of eating it.
But, if you’re the type that likes your men rich and your cupcakes richer, well, bake away! These are the cupcakes of your dreams.
Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Raspberry preserves
Whipped Ganache Frosting:
8 ounces good semisweet or dark chocolate
1 cup heavy cream/soy creamer
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pan with paper liners.
Whisk together the coconut milk, sugar, oil, and vanilla extract and beat till foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and beat until no lumps remain (or very few remain).
Pour into liners, filling each with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
For whipped ganache, finely chop chocolate and place in a heat proof bowl of a stand mixer. Bring heavy cream to a simmer. Slowly pour hot cream over chopped chocolate, and allow to sit for 1 minute. Stir until chocolate is smooth and creamy. Add vanilla, and allow ganache to cool to room temperature. If it's hot out, you may need to chill it for a couple minutes, but DON'T forget about it! You want the ganache to be the consistency of room temperature peanut butter. Any thicker and you won't be able to whip it. With stand mixer (or handheld electric mixer), whisk on high for 2 to 3 minutes until lighter brown. It should be the consistency of buttercream. If it's too thick, add more cream 1 tablespoon at a time and whip until it is the proper consistency.
To assemble, spread a thin layer of raspberry preserves on the cupcakes, and spread or pipe on ganache. Enjoy with a BIG glass of water or milk, you'll need it!
Posted By Lindsay on May 23, 2009
I was going to post this earlier this week but thought if I did two pizza posts in a row it’d look like that was all we eat. Though honestly, it’s a stretch to call this a pizza. More like a flatbread with strawberry salad on top. Either way, it’s delicious and refreshing, and a perfect way to make the most of the beautiful strawberries that are now in season.
Sometimes I wonder where these recipes come up with their serving sizes. Sure, it’s from Cooking Light, but 6? I’m a light eater and I ate half this pizza with ease. I’ll be generous and say 3-4 servings if you have a side dish of some sort (but what? you’ve already got your salad!), but just know that if you’re hungry, you’re going to be left wanting more with more than 2 people eating this. Just a heads up. :)
Strawberry, Arugula, and Goat Cheese Pizza
Makes 3-4 servings. Recipe adapted from Cooking Light.
Ingredients:
Crust:
3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast (from 1 envelope)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (about) unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Topping:
1/3 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup trimmed watercress, arugula, or other leafy green
1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Dash of salt
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3 tablespoons toasted almonds or pistachios, chopped
Directions:
For crust:
Pour 3/4 cup water into large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over; stir to blend. Let stand 10 minutes to dissolve yeast. Add oil, salt, and herbs, then 1 1/2 cups flour. Stir until well blended (dough will be sticky). Turn dough out onto generously floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding just enough flour to prevent dough from sticking, about 5 minutes (dough will be soft). Shape dough into ball; place in large oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with kitchen towel. Let dough rise at cool room temperature until almost doubled, about 2 hours. Punch dough down; form into ball. Return to bowl; cover with towel and let rise until doubled, about 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Punch down dough. Form into ball; place on floured work surface. Cover with kitchen towel; let rest 30 minutes. Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to baking sheet.
Bake crust for 10-12 minutes or until just set. Remove from oven and sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese. Combine strawberries, greens, olive oil, juice, salt, and black pepper; toss gently to coat. Arrange strawberry mixture evenly over goat crust. Sprinkle pizza with Parmigiano-Reggiano and nuts. Cut into wedges. Serve immediately.
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