Author Archives: Patti

MONTEREY JACK, CHEDDAR, AND JALAPEÑO CHILI AU GRATIN POTATOES

Leave a reply

Sometimes you just have to shake things up a bit. And the other evening I wanted to use some of the potatoes we received in our last farm box. We had recently enjoyed a baked potato, but Mr. C. is not the potato lover that I am. So I really needed to come up with a way to use the potatoes that would appeal to him. And what better way than to use a couple of his favorite flavors to entice him over to my side. The right side! (I mean really. What’s not to like about potatoes?!?!) So….. Mr. C. loves cheese. And Mr. C. loves Mexican food, especially if the dish includes chilies. So why not combine potatoes with some cheese and a smattering of both canned green chilies (not hot) and a jalapeño (pretty darn hot). So I found the basis for this recipe on the boulderlocavore.com site. I changed the recipe to accommodate what I had on hand, and also to better reflect our tastes, but the bones of the recipe come directly from this new to me site.

So, armed with a new concept for flavoring au gratin potatoes, I prepared the recipe you find below. And no, the jalapeño was not overpowering or created too spicy a dish. It just added a lovely and unexpected flavor that even Mr. C. admitted was pretty darn tasty. (He had seconds that evening and chose to have the potatoes for lunch the next day.)

So if you too want to shake things up a bit in your kitchen, give this recipe a try. It is really lovely and really quite different than most au gratin potatoes. Although I have seldom met a homemade potato concoction that I didn’t like, this new au gratin dish is now right up there with my all-time favorites. Hope you like it too.

As always, stay safe, stay aware of what’s going on in the world, but please continue to represent love rather than hate. Not easy right now. But needed more than ever.

1½ lbs. thinly sliced Yukon gold potatoes (no need to peel the potatoes)

¾ c. whole milk

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles

1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded, veins removed, and very finally minced     

generous ½ c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

generous 1 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese

½ c. finely diced onion   

3 T. unsalted butter   

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

paprika

Layer 1:

Line the bottom of a buttered 9×13-inch pan or casserole with a third of the potatoes. Drizzle with ¼ cup of the milk. Top with 1/3 of the chiles, 1/3 of the minced jalapeño, 1/3 of each cheese, half of the onion, 1 tablespoon of the butter evenly doted over the onion like you would when preparing a fruit pie, and a light sprinkling of salt and a larger sprinkle of black pepper.

Layer 2:

Repeat layer 1.

Layer 3:

Repeat layer 1, except no onion in the final layer. Sprinkle with paprika and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 70-85 minutes or until the potatoes slices are tender and the top is a lovely golden brown. (If the top gets too brown before the potatoes are tender, cover the pan with aluminum foil.)

Remove from oven and allow the au gratin to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

STRAWBERRRY RHUBARB CHEESECAKE BARS

Leave a reply

So true to form, our rhubarb plant has once again provided me with a wonderful excuse to make a dessert. (As if I really needed an excuse to play with sugar!) But it’s kind of a limited time offer. When rhubarb is ready to be harvested, it’s build something now, or chop it up and put it in the freezer for later use. And of course that’s what I could have done. But I had a basket of strawberries and a package of cream cheese in the refrigerator just screaming at me to let them come out and play with my newly harvested rhubarb stalks. And who do you know who can resist a siren call like that?!?! Even if the end result is a tasty treat with no redeemable qualities other than immediate oral gratification. So I succumbed.

Now usually building and sharing a big old cheesecake would not be a predicament. But it’s just the two of us. Neither of whom should be eating an abundance of sugar. (Heck, we shouldn’t be eating any sugar!) And we can’t share the dessert with anyone. Can’t throw a dinner party. Can’t even take a goodly amount to a neighbor or deliver it to a dear friend. Sigh…… So what to do?

Well Patti – think small. Think more fruit, less sugar. Think as little fat as possible. Think bars, rather than a big old thick cheesecake. So that’s just what I did. (With a lot of help from Food.com!)

Now before you read any further, take a look at the recipe. There are 4 steps involved in the creation of this delicacy. But I’m telling you true, this dessert is really fast and easy to prepare even if there are 4 steps. And the result? Oh my. Absolutely fantastic.

So if you too are blessed with fresh rhubarb either from your own garden or from your local food purveyor, don’t hesitate to fix this lovely dessert.

It’s not too tart, too sweet, too rich, or too large an amount. It’s just perfectly proportioned. (If only I could say the same about myself!)

Anyway, as always – peace, love, and an extra helping of strength to all.         

Crust:

¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 T. granulated sugar

¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter

In a small bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and butter together until crumbly.

Pat evenly into an 8 or 9-inch square Pyrex dish.

Strawberry Rhubarb Filling:

2 T. unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ c. granulated sugar

2½ c. chopped rhubarb, dried off with paper towels

½ c. chunked strawberries, plus more for garnish

In a medium sized bowl, stir the flour and sugar together. Toss in the rhubarb and strawberries. Pour onto crust. (You will probably have a bit of extra flour/sugar in the bottom of the bowl. Just sprinkle it evenly over the fruit.)

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

While the crust and filling are baking, prepare the cream cheese layer. You are going to spread the cream cheese mixture over the partially baked crust and fruit as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Note: If you don’t wish to use strawberries, just add a half cup more chopped rhubarb.

Cream cheese layer:

1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature

¼ c. granulated sugar

1 egg

Blend the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg. Spread evenly over the hot rhubarb. (It will be just a thin layer.)

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until the filling is set. Remove from oven and cover with sour cream topping while still hot. While the bars are baking, prepare the sour cream topping.   

Sour Cream topping:

½ c. sour cream

1 T. granulated sugar

½ tsp. real vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. As soon as the cheesecake is out of the oven, spread the topping evenly over all. (Again, it will only be a thin layer.)

Let the bars cool completely before placing in refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving. Even better after 24 hours.

SOURDOUGH ENGLISH MUFFINS

Leave a reply

Some of the time, the easiest recipes turn out to be the tastiest. And this recipe from the Red Star Yeast site is a perfect case in point. Because I honestly don’t believe a sourdough English muffin could get any better. There is just nothing about this muffin I don’t like. And frankly, this could not be an easier recipe to prepare. Honest!

And what’s not to like about English muffins? They make some of the best toast imaginable. And like this morning, I made a breakfast sandwich with the muffins. At Chez Carr, they are referred to as “egg McPatti’s”. Toasted English muffin, thin layer of sharp cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice), cooked bacon (cuz that’s what I had, but a cooked sausage pattie works great too), and a scrambled egg. Lovely way to start the day. And a nice change of pace from breakfast meat, toast, easy-over egg, etc.

So, what are you waiting for? OK, not everyone has a sourdough starter in their refrigerator at all times. And in case you are one of those people, I have provided you with my recipe for a sourdough starter below. Now you really have no reason not to make these sourdough treasures.

And just think of the money you’ll save making your own muffins as opposed to buying them. And the environmental impact of not using gas to run to your local grocery store. And you can save a mask and set of gloves for another occasion. OK, I’ll stop now. I know for most of you, I’ve whipped this dead horse long enough!

It’s just that I’m so darned excited to share this recipe with you. I’m nothing if not zealous about great food. And this recipe has all the attributes that fire my culinary passion. Hope it inspires you the same way.

As always – have fun in the kitchen. Peace and love to all.

1 c. sourdough starter

1 pkg. or 2¼ tsp. active dry yeast

½ c. water

2 T. vegetable oil, plus more to grease the dough

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 T. granulated sugar

3 c. bread flour

cornmeal

Combine sourdough starter, yeast, water, 2 tablespoons oil, salt, and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Using the paddle, beat the mixture for 4 minutes on medium speed. Gradually add the flour and knead with dough hook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Pour a little veggie oil in the mixing bowl, and using your hands, roll the dough into a ball making sure the entire surface is lightly greased. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Indentation remains after lightly poking with a finger.)  

Sprinkle cornmeal on a clean surface and pat dough to ¼-inch thickness. (I use a large rimmed baking pan as my clean surface. The pan sides prevent the cornmeal from going everywhere!) Cut into 12-13 circles 4 – 4.5 inches in diameter. And don’t waste the dough that is left after you cut out the first set of circles. Just moosh the remaining dough back together, pat it out, and cut out more muffins. Believe me, you won’t be able to tell the difference between the first and even the third set of cut muffins.

After each muffin is formed, flip it over to also coat the topside with cornmeal. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet at least 1½ inches apart.

Cover the pan with a light weight tea towel and let the muffins rise until indentation remains after gently touching with a finger, about 90 minutes.

Carefully place muffins on a lightly greased (if your griddle is not non-stick), or dry griddle (if yours is non-stick) over somewhere between medium and low heat. (You will just have to figure out the best level of heat on your stove as you go. Not too hot or the muffins will burn before the inside is done. Not too low or you’ll be at it all day!) (On my BlueStar range, straight up “low” works perfectly.)

first side

Bake for about 4-5 minutes on each side or until bottoms are a deep golden brown. (The internal temperature should be 200 – 205 when the muffins are done).  

second side

Place cooked muffins on a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container or freeze for longer storage. Lovely toasted, buttered, and spread with honey, jam, or jelly. Peanut butter is also a great choice for these muffins. But my personal favorite – room temperature unsalted butter. Yum.

SOURDOUGH STARTER

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 T. sugar

1 T. or 1 pkg. active dry yeast

2 c. warm water

Combine all ingredients in a glass or plastic juice pitcher using a wooden or plastic spoon. (Don’t worry about lumps because the little yeasty beasties will make short work of dissolving the lumps!) Cover with lid and open the pouring spout as if you are about to pour juice into a glass. (This allows air to reach the starter.) Let ferment 3 days at room temperature, stirring several times daily. After the third day, transfer starter to a covered glass container and refrigerate.

To use, remove desired amount for recipe and replenish starter by stirring in equal amounts of flour and water or follow the instructions for the particular bread you are making. Let stand at room temperature overnight. Return to refrigerator.

If a clear liquid forms on top, stir back into starter. Every time you use, replenish with equal amounts of flour and water. Even if you don’t use every week, replenish every 7 – 10 days with equal amounts flour and water. (First remove about ½ cup of the existing starter. This allows room in your container for the new flour (yeast food) and water.)

Use in any of your favorite bread, muffin, or pancake recipes.

   

OVEN BAKED PORK CHOPS WITH RICE AND MUSHROOMS

Leave a reply

I hate dry pork chops. Absolutely hate them. And that’s just what I fixed the other evening when I prepared this recipe. But wait. I have a solution to the problem and that’s just what I’m going to share with you in this post. But before I provide you with what I call “pork chop enlightenment”, I’m going to start with the very reason for this recipe in the first place.

It had been a long, exhausting day of developing recipes, writing up an introduction to a post, cleaning house, and performing my 20 minute daily jazzercise workout.  So the thought of cooking dinner that evening brought with it absolutely no enthusiasm. (Usually I’m gung-ho to start cooking. But not this evening.) But I had defrosted two lovely pork chops, and they were patiently waiting on my drain board to be transformed into a culinary tour de force. (Right, like that was about to happen!) Anyway……..

What I really wanted was for dinner to almost cook itself. So I decided a dish that contained both meat and side, then slapped in the oven to finish cooking, was as close to not really cooking as I could get. That and a simple roasted veggie dish, and dinner was served. So I started throwing ingredients together and came up with this winning combination.

I decided to fry the pork chops until they were nicely browned (I apparently still had a modicum of culinary prowess left in my tired old body), and then throw them on top of the rice while the whole mess cooked in the oven. But like I stated above, the pork chops came out way too dry. So how to fix that for next time? Because there was sure to be a next time. The overall dish was just too good not to make again in the future. So, really, how to fix the pork chop problem? Simple remedy. Don’t bloody bake the pork chops so long! Duh Patti!

For perfect pork chops, the internal temperature should never exceed 145 degrees. (My pathetic pork chops, although I never actually checked, must have clocked in at 350 degrees! What was I thinking?!?!)

So if you too could use a recipe for a really easy main dish to fix after an enervating day, give this dish a try. You will absolutely love the rice. In fact, the rice alone could easily be prepared without any regard to the delicate sensibilities of pork chops everywhere. Just a simple, but delicious side dish.

As always – stay safe, stay secure, and keep having fun in your kitchen.

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 lg. thick boneless pork chops (about 1 pound) – all fat removed and cut in half

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. unsalted butter

1 c. long grain white rice

¼ c. chopped yellow onion

¼ c. chopped celery

8-10 button or cremini mushrooms, sliced

½ tsp. ground dried mushroom powder*

¼ tsp. granulated garlic

pinch paprika  

2¼ c. beef stock

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

Heat the olive oil in a small fry pan. Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper. Place the pork chops in pan.  Fry until they are nicely browned on both sides.  You aren’t cooking them all the way through. You just want the nice brown color on both sides. Remove from heat and set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium sized covered Dutch oven or pan that can be used on a cook top as well as placed in the oven. Add the rice along with the onion, celery, and mushrooms. Stir and cook until the rice begins to brown slightly and the onion, celery, and mushrooms soften a bit. Stir in the ground dried mushroom powder, granulated garlic, paprika, beef stock, and Worcestershire sauce.

Cover and bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes. After 35 minutes, remove the lid, place pork chops on top of rice mixture, and continue baking uncovered until the internal temperature of the pork chops reaches 145 degrees. Remove from oven and let rest for 3-4 minutes before serving.

* Dried Mushroom Powder: Can be purchased online or you can make mushroom powder at home. Start with any type of dried mushrooms. Place in your blender or spice grinder and let it whirl. (My spice grinder is an inexpensive coffee grinder dedicated just for the purpose of grinding herbs, spices, and anything other than coffee!)

Store mushroom powder in an airtight container. Great for adding depth of flavor to almost any dish that calls for mushrooms.

   

SOURDOUGH RYE BREAD WITH ONION AND DILL

Leave a reply

I am truly a sucker for really good rye bread. Especially if the rye bread has an extra little something in it to enhance the earthy flavor that rye flour imparts to bread. That’s where the tartness from the sourdough starter comes in, along with the savory goodness provided by a touch of onion and a tiny bit of dill seed. Altogether this combination is unbeatable. Now, something you should know right off the bat. This is not a dark, heavy on the rye, bread.

This bread is blessed with just a light touch of each of the strong flavors that intermingle to produce this delightful loaf. So no worries that the onion or dill will be overpowering. You might even wonder if they are really there at all. But that’s the beauty of this bread. It’s just perfectly balanced.

Now I have been very remiss with all of my recent postings for bread. A few years ago, I actually went so far as to create a post entitled “Bread Baking 101”. Now granted, I didn’t address baking with a sourdough starter in that instructional post. But I did provide a fairly brief but comprehensive overview of ingredients used and “how to” directions that should be of assistance if you are a novice bread baker.

But as helpful as my post might be, there are far better instructional sources out there that take you step by step through the process. My sister-in-law Katie clued me in to the video tutorials presented by Breadtopia. I have watched a couple now and they are very informative and very well done. And of course there are fabulous videos by my favorite chef – Chef John from Food Wishes. (The man’s a genius!)

Anyway, my point is – there’s no reason not to make your own bread. So please don’t be intimidated by bread baking even if you and your kitchen are not on a first name basis. Bread is very easy to prepare, and a lovely homemade loaf is so much cheaper than store bought. Plus you know exactly what goes into the preparation. Of course you might miss the flavor of preservatives or other additives with names you can’t begin to pronounce. And that’s too bad. But take my word for it – you’ll get over it! Remember – He/she who never undertook anything never achieved anything. Or in the common vernacular – nothing ventured, nothing gained! In other words – go for it!

And as always – peace, love, and happy baking to all.

1 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing on dough before baking

1/3 c. finely chopped onion

2 c. sourdough starter

2 T. unsalted butter

¼ c. water

2 tsp. kosher salt

4 tsp. dill seed

1 c. rye flour

3 T. vital wheat gluten (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

2 c. white bread flour

fleur de sel or other coarse flaky salt, opt.

Slowly sauté the onions in olive oil until they become translucent. Meanwhile pour sourdough starter into the bowl of your stand mixer.  

When the onions are translucent, remove from heat and add butter, water, salt, and dill seed. Cool to lukewarm and stir into starter.

Add the rye flour and mix well. Add the white flour gradually, until you have a very satiny and soft bread, about 7-8 minutes. Shape into an elongated loaf.

Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and let rise, covered, in a warm place for 1½ to 2½ hours, or until about doubled in bulk. (Rising time will vary according to your starter, but rising always takes longer with breads made with just a sourdough starter than with breads made with active dry yeast).

Make 3-4 diagonal slashes on top of loaf with a razor blade or very sharp knife. Don’t press too hard. Let the cutting implement do the work. (You don’t want to deflate the dough.) Lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle with fleur de sel. (Not too much.)

Bake in a pre-heated 375 oven for 40 to 50 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 205 – 210 degrees.

Remove from oven and let cool completely before slicing.

     

LEFTOVER MEATLOAF SOUP

Leave a reply

Most of the time, when I’m in my right mind that is, I prepare meatloaf and form it into 2 loaves. We eat one, and I freeze the other one for later use. Well our lives are a bit screwy right now (I blame it on cabin fever) and although I formed and baked the meatloaf as usual, I forgot about freezing the second loaf. (OK, I got lazy and let it sit in the refrigerator longer than originally planned.) And since we had loved the meatloaf the first night and enjoyed the meatloaf for lunch the next day, by the third day when I suggested a hot meatloaf sandwich for dinner, Mr. C. who is the resident leftover lover, turned a bit pale. Too much of a good thing really is too much! So, how to change things up a bit to disguise the fact that we were going to eat meatloaf 3 days in a row!

Now, to my knowledge, there is not a dish that remotely resembles Italian cuisine that Mr. C. doesn’t like. Me too. So I thought to myself, why not make an Italian style soup that just happens to contain square meat balls. (Your quasi oxymoron for the day.) After all, I had used Italian sausage along with ground beef in the making of the meatloaf. So I proceeded to concoct a soup that I felt would totally wipe out any latent thoughts of meatloaf from Mr. C’s memory. The recipe you find below is the result of the extreme effort it took me to come up with this dish. Not!!

So if you ever find yourself with extra meatloaf, and want to use it in a new and delicious way, give this soup a try. Easy to prepare, simple straight forward ingredients, and hardly any prep time involved.

But don’t limit yourself just to soup. The chunked up meatloaf could just as easily have been used as an ingredient in a rich tomato sauce served over al dente spaghetti. Or as a savory meat topping for pizza. Or part of a heavenly, cheesy lasagna. There are simply endless possibilities.

But I must say, this savory soup really hit the spot the other evening. And served as a reminder of what we love so much about Italy. And since we won’t be going to Italy this year, or anywhere else for that matter (boo coronavirus), it was lovely to dine on a dish that evoked great culinary memories. In a word, the soup was bellissimo!

As always, peace and love to all.

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

½ c. chopped onion

1 med. carrot, diced

1 c. diced celery

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 c. beef broth

1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes (Italian preferably)

¼ c. red wine (I use Gallo Hearty Burgundy)

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

freshly ground black pepper

1 c. lightly packed chopped spinach  

½ c. dry elbow macaroni, cooked al dente

2 c. diced leftover meat loaf (or how much ever you have)

freshly grated Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or asiago cheese – for table

Heat the olive oil in a large covered pan. (I use my Le Creuset Dutch oven.) Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté until the onion is tender.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the beef broth, diced tomatoes, red wine, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the carrot is tender.

Just before you plan to serve, stir in the spinach, cooked pasta, and meatloaf. When everything is hot, you are ready to serve. Pass the grated cheese. (And don’t worry if the meatloaf chunks fall apart, who cares! The soup will still be perfect.)

And no, I don’t advise cooking the pasta right in the soup. (Don’t really want to thicken the broth.) But it’s your soup. So carry on however you wish.

     

PECORINO ROMANO SHORTBREAD CRACKERS WITH THYME

Leave a reply

OK, if there is anything better than a cheese cracker, you must let me know what it is. And a cracker that features Pecorino Romano – well then you know it just has to be marvelous.

Now, if you are unfamiliar with this incredible Italian cheese, have I got fantastic news for you! From the cheese.com site: “Pecorino is a term used to define Italian cheeses made from 100% sheep’s milk. Of the four Pecorino cheeses, Pecorino Romano is one of the most ancient types of cheese as well as the most famous outside of Italy.

As the name suggests, the history of Pecorino Romano dates back to the Roman times when it was a part of the staple diet of soldiers at war. Roman authors, including Varro, Pliny the Elder, Hippocrates and Columella have mentioned about the cheese & its production technique, in their works. Even today, the cheese is made using only traditional methods in the unique areas of origin. Dry-salted by hand, the wheels get a salting numerous times, to deliver a fabulous taste. Its lengthy aging time from eight to 12 months results in a dry and granular texture and a strong taste.

When young, the cheese has a soft and rubbery texture with sweet and aromatic flavor. The flavor becomes sharper and smokier when aged for eight months or longer. Pecorino Romano is one of most widely used, sharper alternatives to Parmesan cheeses. Because of the hard texture and sharp & salty flavor, Pecorino Romano is an excellent grating cheese over pasta dishes, breads and baking casseroles. Although, the use of the cheese is limited because of its extreme saltiness. Pair it with a glass of big, bold Italian red wine or a light beer.”

Now what the article doesn’t mention, is that Pecorino Romano is less expensive than Parmigiano Reggiano. Especially when you purchase the Kirkland brand at Costco. (And yes, even though it bears the Kirkland brand name, the cheese is produced in Italy.) And now, pay close attention. This is important!  Pecorino Romano stays fresh for months. (Might have something to do with all the salt. Ya think??) Anyway, we love it and I use it probably more than Parmigiano Reggiano.

The flavor and saltiness are simply perfect with almost every type of pasta dish that calls for some kind of grated hard cheese. Just be careful about adding too much salt when Pecorino Romano is going to be either in or sprinkled on top of a dish. (Or probably used both ways for that matter.) But the flavor can’t be beat. We actually prefer it to Parmigiano Reggiano in many cases. (But then we’re getting older and our taste buds might be deteriorating with age.) But truly, you simply must give it a try. That is, of course, unless you are already a member of the Pecorino Romano fan club. If you’re already on board, then you know of what I speak! But back to these crackers.

I wanted a simple “something” to accompany a new soup I was making for our dinner last evening. (Leftover Meatloaf Soup – recipe to follow in the next day or two.) Anyway, we had been good, staying isolated, working on projects, and not causing anyone or anything harm (of which we were aware), so I thought we deserved a reward. And a special “cracker” to go with the soup sounded just perfect. So, I looked on line for recipes, and took suggestions from a couple of sources, and glommed this recipe together.

And oh boy. The crackers were perfect with the soup. (Soup was really good too BTW.) Now I can’t wait for the time when I can make these tasty tidbits for family and friends to go with before dinner drinks. They will be such a hit!

So if you too deserve a bit of a treat that doesn’t contain sugar, prepare a batch of these cheesy wonders. (And I mean cheesy in only the best of ways!) They are just a great little nibble.

So as always – stay safe, stay sane, and stay surprised at the fabulous food you can produce in your very own kitchen. Peace and love to all.           

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.

1 c. (3 oz.) finely grated Pecorino-Roman cheese (or Parmesan if you prefer)

¼ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp. dried thyme leaves

pinch paprika

1¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

2-3 tsp. water

Place the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on medium-low speed until creamy. Add the cheese, salt, pepper, thyme, paprika, and flour. Mix until evenly combined. Add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to help bring the dough together. (My dough took 2 teaspoons.)

Roll dough into a log about 1½ inches in diameter on a piece of plastic wrap. Make sure the whole roll is covered in the wrap, then refrigerate for an hour or longer if need be.

After an hour or whenever you’re ready to bake, slice dough into slices about 1/3rd inch thick, and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (If hard to cut, allow roll to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes, then try again.) Leave a bit of room between each cracker. Chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until edges and bottoms are a nice golden brown. Do not under-bake.

Remove crackers from oven and transfer to a wire rack. When completely cooled store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Two other great shortbread/cracker recipes are also on this site. Cheddar Pecan Crackers and Parmesan Crackers. They are also fabulous!

CREAMY ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH GARLIC CROUTONS

Leave a reply

So as always when I am preparing a new dish that might not become one of Mr. Cs favorites (this being a green vegetable dish after all), I offer McDonald’s as an alternative. And last evening was no exception. But McDonald’s wasn’t even remotely considered after the first bite. This soup was absolutely delicious. And with homemade bread on the side, it made for an especially wonderful meal. (Recipe for Sourdough Rye Bread with Onion and Dill to follow.)

And of great importance, I had been able to use a bunch of asparagus that really needed to be consumed. Fresh veggies have a pretty good shelf life, but in our last delivery from a local organic farm, I received 3 bunches of asparagus. (1 bunch in our regular veggie and salad box, and 2 that I had requested be added to our order. What was I thinking?)

One bunch I had already roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper and Parmesan. (see recipe below) And I know, everyone knows how to bake asparagus. But its asparagus time in the city! So I felt some of you might appreciate a little ”kick in the pants” reminder of how easy and fast asparagus is to prepare. And since the recipes below (if you can even call them that) are terribly simple, I thought I would include them along with this soup recipe. Think of it as your bonus for today. And don’t we all need a little bonus right now, or am I the only one going slightly batty from being quarantined? (That was simply a rhetorical question. You need not address the issue.)

Anyway, back to this delightful soup recipe I found on the onceuponachef.com site. It’s super easy to prepare. Or should I say – supper easy to prepare. Works either way. And the best part. It’s not loaded with scads of nasty, fatty calories even though it’s creamy and rich tasting. And isn’t that lovely!     

So as always, love, peace, and happy cooking to all.

And no offense to McDonalds. It’s just kind of a running joke between Mr. C. and me that if a new recipe doesn’t work out, there’s always McDonalds. And God bless them – each and every one of their golden arches! Always a clean bathroom and predictable food to boot!

1 bunch asparagus, bottom ends peeled and the last 1 inch discarded

2 T. unsalted butter

1 med. yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 c. chicken broth

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish

1 T. fresh lemon juice

2 T. heavy cream

¼ c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus a little more for garnish

garlic croutons (see recipe below)

Melt butter in a large covered pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.   

Cut the asparagus into ½-inch pieces. Add to the pan along with the chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the onion and asparagus are very tender. Purée the soup with an immersion blender until completely smooth.

Bring the soup back to a simmer and stir in the lemon juice, heavy cream, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Taste and adjust seasoning. To thicken the soup, allow it to simmer, uncovered, until the desired consistency is reached. (I simmered mine for 10 minutes.)

Ladle the soup into bowls. Top each bowl with garlic croutons, freshly ground black pepper, and a tad bit of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Note: Parmesan Crackers (recipe on site) would also be great with this soup.

Garlic Croutons:

1 T. butter or extra virgin olive oil (or a combination)

2-3 c. cubed crusty, chewy bread

granulated garlic

Melt butter or olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add bread cubes and slowly sauté until crunchy and browned. (This takes upward of 45 minutes, so plan to make croutons when you are working on other dishes and are close at hand.) Stir frequently. When the bread cubes are golden brown and crunchy, lightly sprinkle with granulated garlic. Cool and store in an airtight container.

BONUS ASPARAGUS RECIPES

Baked Parmesan Asparagus:

fresh asparagus, trimmed, washed, and dried with paper towels

extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

finely grated Parmesan cheese

Place the asparagus spears on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil then massage with finger tips to make sure the asparagus is completely coated in the oil. Then lightly sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes in a preheated 450 degree oven or until the asparagus is tender. Remove from oven and sprinkle with as much Parmesan as you want. Serve immediately.

Baked Prosciutto Asparagus:

16 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed, washed, and dried as well as possible

8 slices prosciutto, cut in half

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

Wrap each asparagus spear with prosciutto, starting at the bottom, and spiraling upward. Place the wrapped spears on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle very lightly with pepper. Bake for 5 minutes in a preheated 450 degree oven. Remove from oven and carefully turn each spear.  Return to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until asparagus is tender and the prosciutto is crisp. Serve immediately.

CREAMY HONEY-MUSTARD SALAD DRESSING

Leave a reply

I almost always make my own salad dressings unless we are in our trailer and I don’t want to buy a special ingredient or two just for a salad dressing. I’m thinking of buttermilk, for example. I use buttermilk in many of my favorite dressing recipes at home, as well as other dishes. But when traveling, what the heck would I do with the rest of the container? You catch my drift. So on the road I usually buy salad dressings. And yes, I am mostly disappointed.

But I’m home now. REALLY home now! And there is a lovely bottle of buttermilk just waiting for me to create something yummy with it. Well it’s just going to have to chill out for a little longer, because I decided to go wild and crazy and prepare an exotic and different dressing for our dinner salad the other evening. (I do travel in the fast lane every once in a while.) And because I often see honey-mustard on dinner menus, I thought maybe I would head in that direction. After all, if honey-mustard is offered routinely at restaurants, it must be pretty good, right? But I had never ordered it, because really, there is nothing better than blue cheese dressing. Inconceivable! But I was up for an adventure. So to the internet I went in search of the perfect honey-mustard dressing.

Now for all intents and purposes, I really didn’t know what a good honey-mustard dressing should taste like. But there are some cooking sites that I trust. And so when this recipe appeared on the cookieandkate.com site, I decided to give it a try. And oh my, was I surprised! What a refreshing change from blue cheese dressing. (I can’t believe I actually just wrote that. Consider it a circumstance brought on by being confined to quarters for too long!) And truly, what a delightful new way to perk up a salad. But be warned. This is not a subtle, quiet, and unassuming little dressing. This is an in your face, bold, and brassy concoction. And absolutely delicious when I served it the other evening tossed with red leaf lettuce, romaine, and massaged kale. Then plated it up liberally sprinkled with salted sunflower seeds on top. Yum.

So if your salads too would benefit from a new and delightful dressing, consider this recipe. It is absolutely scrumptious, especially with bold flavored salad ingredients.

As always, love, peace, and salad days to all. (Or should it be salad daze?) Your choice!

¼ c. plain Greek yogurt  

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. Dijon mustard

2 T. honey

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1 T. apple cider vinegar  

1 small clove garlic, finely minced

¼ tsp. fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Whisk all of the ingredients together. Taste, and adjust seasoning if desired. If the taste is too tart for your liking, whisk in another tablespoon of honey.

Store leftover salad dressing in the refrigerator, covered, for 10 to 14 days.

 

BAKED CHEDDAR CHEESE AND FRESH CHIVE POLENTA

Leave a reply

Now some evenings I have more energy for cooking than others. Sound familiar? And late yesterday afternoon after I had already slapped meat loaf together and cut up zucchini for one of my favorite simple veggie dishes (Quick Zucchini Stir-Fry with Slivered Almonds), I had frankly run out of steam. So the thought of spending any more time on a complicated side dish was not very appealing. But I was really in the mood for polenta. (I absolutely love polenta!) I just wanted to fix it without having to continuously stir or check on it in any way. I wanted to be able to put my feet up and get back to my book. (You see, the protagonist in my book was in terrible trouble. I just knew he needed me to be with him to achieve his goal. Saving Canada from dishonest government officials isn’t easy, especially if one of your greatest fans isn’t right there by your side. So I surreptitiously assisted Armand while this fantastic and easy polenta I found on the dinnerthendessert.com site happily baked away in my oven.) (OK, I did add an ingredient, change an amount here and there, and the method of cooking a wee bit, but the basic gist was all Sabina’s.) To be truthful, I wasn’t sure this cooking method was actually going to work. But the results were perfect. Creamy and luscious, just like polenta should taste.

So dinner was a success. Armand saved the day. And I now have a great new way to prepare polenta. I call that a winning combination.

And if you are wondering about my deep concern for Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec, you need go no further than to your local library or favorite book store to get your answer. Check out Louise Penny’s wonderful series mainly set in Three Pines, a fictional rural village in lower Québec. Ms. Penny is an absolutely fantastic writer. All of her characters are so real you feel like they are dear friends. Or enemies, as the case may be. But start at the very beginning of the series with Still Life. You may thank me later.

And try this game changing way to prepare a lovely cheesy polenta next time you want an elegant side dish. You will not believe how quick and easy it is to fix.  And you want to change it up a bit – add some garlic, or exotic spices, fresh herbs, or go completely wild and crazy. Substitute Pepper Jack cheese in place of the sharp cheddar. That will have your whole family questioning your culinary aptitude. And won’t that be fun!

So as always, peace, love, and creative kitchen adventures to all.

6 c. water  

2 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

3 T. unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

1½ c. polenta or yellow cornmeal

¼ c. heavy cream or whole milk

1½ c. grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided

¼ c. chopped fresh chives, plus a bit more as garnish

paprika

Place water, salt, pepper, and butter in a Dutch oven or stove top/oven-proof pan. Heat on the stove top just until the butter has melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the polenta.

Bake uncovered in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes stir in the cream, 1¼ cups of the cheese, and chives. Sprinkle on the remaining ¼ cup cheese and lightly dust with paprika.

Bake for an additional ten minutes. Remove from oven and decorate with additional chopped chives. Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.