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Showing posts from 2014

Grilled Gruyère and Sweet Onion Sandwiches

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I like this sandwich. Heck I loved it. Is is an OMG? No, but it is a very tasty way to have an easy dinner.  The inside out grilled cheese is a better way to cook the sandwich, (and a better sandwich too) but the fillings were good. Grilled Gruyère and Sweet Onion Sandwiches 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced crosswise (4 cups) Salt and freshly ground pepper Eight 1/2-inch-thick slices of whole-grain bread Dijon mustard 8 ounces imported Gruyère cheese, thinly sliced 2 half-sour pickles, thinly sliced lengthwise In a deep skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the oil. Add the onion, cover and cook over high heat, stirring once or twice, until softened, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is very tender and caramelized, about 25 minutes longer. Add water to the skillet as necessary, 1/4 cup at a time, to prevent the onion fro

Teriyaki Salmon with Pickled Vegetables and Sesame Seeds

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While not bad, we aren't keeping this. I still am posting it for posterity.  Teriyaki Salmon with Pickled Vegetables and Sesame Seeds For the salmon: 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoons mirin 1 tablespoon dry sherry 4 (4 1/2 oz) salmon fillets 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds For the vegetables: 1/2 cup rice vinegar 1 tablespoon superfine sugar 1/2 cucumber, halved and seeded 2 small carrots, peeled 4 radishes, trimmed and cut into wafer-thin slices 1/3 daikon radish, peeled 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon pickled ginger (plus whatever liquid clings to it) 1/4 cup microgreens   For the salmon, mix the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sherry and stir to dissolve the sugar. Put the fish in the marinade, turn to coat, cover, and put in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes. To make the vegetables, heat the vinegar and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Set aside to cool. (Or, if you are in a hurry, you ca

Waffle Bar

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School is out and I decided to make a labor intensive breakfast I don't usually have the time or inclination to do. I opted for homemade waffles. (No mixes!). Turns out they aren't that hard to make and in the time I had before I was planning to wake them up, I made whipped cream and a strawberry syrup and waffles became a Waffle Bar.   I put out the traditional maple syrup, honey and softened butter as well as fresh blueberries.  It was fun to make each quarter of out waffles in to new and different combinations.   The strawberry syrup was a big hit. (Totally made it up and it was almost all fruit.) Basic Waffle 4 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 1 cup 4 3/4 ounces whole-wheat flour, approximately 1 cup 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons sugar 3 whole eggs, beaten 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted 16 ounces buttermilk, room temperature Vegetable spray, for waffle iron Preheat waffle iron

Chicken Sausage, Kale, and Mushroom One Pot Pasta {25 Minute Meal}

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While we thought this was pretty good, (my husband went back for seconds) I don't think I'm keeping it in my files. We have so many amazing recipes and we just have become a little exclusive with what we keep. It's easy and fast so don't shy away from it on our account.      Chicken Sausage, Kale, and Mushroom One Pot Pasta {25 Minute Meal} 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup panko bread crumbs 3/4 teaspoon dried poultry seasoning blend 1/4 teaspoon granulated onion 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 12 ounces chicken sausage links (chicken apple or chicken sage sausages are good here), cut into 1/2-inch thick coins 12 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms 2 small yellow cooking onions, trimmed of both ends, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced 4 1/2 cups chicken stock 1 pound shaped dry pasta (*See Notes) 4 cups chopped kale leaves (stems and center spines removed) 3 cups halved fresh cherry to

Cheshire

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I wanted an easy dinner and thought a fancified grilled cheese sounded like just the thing. When I saw a website called grilled cheese academy.com I figured I would try one of those.  I opted to try the Cheshire.  It was pretty good but really hard to eat! The Cheshire 4 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 clove garlic, minced 8 slices French-style country bread 4 slices Wisconsin Edam cheese 1 head Bibb lettuce 2 beefsteak tomatoes, sliced 2 ripe Hass avocados, sliced 8 slices bacon 4 eggs 4 slices Wisconsin Cheddar cheese 6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature Mix mayonnaise with garlic. Spread 1 tablespoon of the mixture on each of 4 slices of bread. Top each with 1 slice Edam, a few leaves of lettuce, a slice or two of the tomato, and 1/4 of the avocado slices. Set aside. Fry bacon in cast-iron or nonstick skillet until crisp; remove to plate lined with paper towels and drain and pat dry. Remove all but 1-2 tablespoons bacon fat from skillet. Crack eggs into skillet an

Bacon and Egg Pizza

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I know I have been neglecting the blog.  Partly, I've lost momentum on new recipes, partly, it's because I have had a proper job for the last 8 months, and partly because I just don't want the extra fuss at dinner time.  If I do make a new recipe, I'll post it here, but I'm not shooting for more than one a week.  I also want to re do the look and organization of the blog. We will see how much I actually get done ;).  In the mean time we had this pizza tonight.  I think I liked it best, but everyone enjoyed it. Bacon-and-Egg Pizza   6 ounces thick-sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch lardons 4 large eggs 1 tablespoon heavy cream Kosher salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter All-purpose flour, for dusting 1 pound pizza dough 1/3 cup crème fraîche 3 ounces Brie, thinly sliced (with rind, if desired) 2 ounces fresh mozzarella, shredded Snipped chives, for garnish 1. Set a pizza stone in the oven and preheat the oven to 500°. Spread the

Snapper with Spicy Crab and Andouille Sauce

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Well the husband is a raving lunatic about this dish!  Best I've ever had, fish dish, meal ever!!  This is it the recipe to end all recipes.  Well at least according to him it is.  My husband was in charge of the grocery shopping.  He was shopping for the roast sea bass we had last night, and when there was no sea bass, he asked about substitutions, to which the internet replied and I filtered down to tilapia or snapper.  We had some tilapia so I didn't think he bought snapper and when I cooked last night, I used the tilapia never seeing the snapper.  Well now I had these lovely snapper fillets and no plan.  A quick pinterest and food and wine search turned up this dish.  It was a happy accident because as you read above my husband really lost his head over this dish! Its a little fussy to make, but still quick and if everyone you serve this to likes it a quarter as much as my husband, you will find yourself drowning in accolades. Snapper with Spicy Crab and Andouille Sauce

Roast Sea Bass with Chickpea Puree and Parsley Sauce

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Ok, writing this way after the fact, but we loved it, that much I know :)  We ate it outside on our new  picnic table.  The picnic tables deserve there own post.  (there is a story there;) Blurry Picnic Table Shot :)       Roast Sea Bass with Chickpea Puree and Parsley Sauce 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika Four 6-ounce, skinless sea bass fillets (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick) Salt Pepper 4 fresh bay leaves 4 small rosemary sprigs, plus 1/2 teaspoon minced rosemary 2 cups lightly packed parsley leaves 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1/2 small garlic clove     Preheat the oven to 400° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium baking dish, mix 1/4 cup of the olive oil with 1/2 teaspoon of the lemon zest and the paprika. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Add the fish to the marinade and turn to coat, then nestle the bay le

Seafood-Chorizo Tacos

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My husband digs himself some chorizo!  He is also a fan of tacos, so when I saw this on food and wine, I knew I had to pin it for him, and of course it was what he went straight for it when I asked him to pick out a dinner.  It originally called for squid, but that isn't always easy to come by and I am not the biggest fan.  Subsequently, I  am not particularly in a hurry to learn to cook with it, so we substituted small scallops.  The boys loved these, and I really liked them despite some texture issues I had with the shrimp.  Don't skip the avocado, they really add something to the final dish Seafood-Chorizo Tacos   2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 pound fresh chorizo, casings removed and meat crumbled Salt Pepper 1 small red onion, minced 1 garlic clove, minced Pinch of ground cumin 1/2 pound shrimp, shelled, deveined and chopped 1/2 pound bay scallops patted dry 2 tablespoons Mexican lager 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice Corn tortillas, avocado, ci

Creamy Garlic Pasta

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Having had 2 successful one pan pasta dishes, I decided to try another.  It was great too!  I actually have made this twice now that I am writing the post.  The second time for meatless Monday, I used mushroom broth and I liked it even better.  (I think)  I also did drizzle a little truffle oil on mine, so...  Totally a dish to add to the repertoire!  Perfect for new cooks (or college kids) Creamy Garlic Pasta 2 tsp olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp butter ¼  tsp salt ½ tsp pepper 3 cups chicken stock ½ lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta 1 cup grated parmesan cheese ¾ cup heavy cream 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley   Recipe and Instructions here http://thecheesepusher.tumblr.com/post/2719857351/creamy-garlic-pasta

Broiled NY Strip, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Garlicky Chard

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Ok since I am totally behind and want to catch up I am going just post a picture to remind my self of what we made.  It wasn't like I followed a recipe.  I wanted to use the chard tonight, so I made it like I make the garlicky spinach for my Italian Burgers.  To go with it, I make my regular recipe or broiled steak, roasted some potatoes and used some leftover miso butter I had in the fridge as a sauce for the meat.  It was good, we all liked it and even the chard suspicious, liked it.

Spicy Kale and Andouille Sausage Chowder

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This is a take on the typical kale and sausage chowder.  I thought it was tasty, simple and loved that you could freeze the uneaten part for another meal.  The four of us only ate about half of what this made.  You did need some sort of bread with it and I made some savory garlic muffins.  Spicy Kale and Andouille Sausage Chowder 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced  2 large onions, finely chopped 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger 1 pound andouille sausages, sliced 1/4 inch thick One 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, chopped, juices reserved 3 quarts  low-sodium chicken broth 3/4 pound kale, large stems and ribs discarded, leaves coarsely chopped (8 cups) Salt and freshly ground pepper  Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the garlic and onions and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 12 minutes. Add the ginger and andouille and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and their juices

Honey walnut shrimp

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I totally expected this to be too sweet, and while it was, we all still really liked it more that expected.  It wasn't hard and it was a nice way to shake up a dinner rotation.  I added sriracha to the mayo mixture and sprinkled scallions at the end.  I recommend you do too:).   Honey Walnut Shrimp http://damndelicious.net/2013/07/16/honey-walnut-shrimp/  

Poutine Twice Baked Potatoes

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My husband loved this!  I am  not the biggest baked potato fan, but still really liked it too.  It wasn't too much work, but it took some time since the potatoes take a long time to bake.   Poutine-Style Twice-Baked Potatoes 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth 1 tablespoon veal demiglace (optional) 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped sage 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped thyme 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon heavy cream Kosher salt Freshly ground pepper 6 baked potatoes (about 1/2 pound each) 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled 1 cup milk, warmed 1/2 cup sour cream 3 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (1 cup) 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard Pinch of cayenne pepper 1/3 cup chopped chives Kosher salt Freshly ground pepper Vegetable oil, for frying 6 ounces thick-sliced bacon, cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese S

Sweet Onion & Bread Soup

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I wanted to use up the soda bread I made on St. Patrick's day, so when I saw this, I knew I would be making it but I wasn't sure about how it would taste. It was really good!  The toasty flavor of the bread, the sweetness of the onion and the light seasoning made for a yummy, filling soup.  Sweet Onion & Bread Soup 8 oz sourdough bread (or any other dense, dark bread) 3 large sweet onions 3 large garlic cloves (or 5 medium ones) 2 1/2 cups chicken broth 1 tsp dried thyme 1 cup milk 3 oz butter Cube the bread. I didn’t remove the crusts, but feel free to. Peel the onions. Cut them in half and slice them. Slices don't need be too thin. mince or press the garlic. Heat half the butter in a skillet, toss the bread cubes in there and cook until crispy and brown. At the same time heat the remaining butter in a different pan and cook the onions, garlic and a tsp fresh or dried thyme for 20 to 30 minutes. And as soon as the bread cub

Potato Leek Soup and Irish Soda Bread for St. Paddy's Day

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It was meatless Monday and St. Patrick's day and I thought this soup and bread combo would fit the bill for dinner.  I am not a bread maker, but this bread  was really easy to make and turned out a decent loaf of bread.  It is very heavy and filling and can totally see this sustaining a hardworking peasant. :)  The soup was great too.  It made me think of warm vichyssoise.   Irish Potato and Leek Soup 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 2 cups leeks, chopped 2 stalks celery, diced 1 small onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 medium potatoes, coarsely chopped 4 cups vegetable stock or 4 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1 1/2 cups light cream 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped 2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped 2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, chopped 1 In large pan, heat the oil and add the leeks, celery, onion and garlic. 2 Saute over medium heat, until the vegetables are soft. 3 Stir in the ve

Korean-inspired Burgers with Kimchi and Sriracha Mayo

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I neglected to save the address for this burger, so my apologies to the blogger for not being able to send readers to their site for the recipe.  The burgers were good, but I thought missing something.  I decided it was the Swiss cheese I bought for this, but isn't in the recipe, and so was left off when I did the actual cooking.   Despite the feeling it was missing something, it was still pretty good.  Best thing about this recipe is that my son, a very vocal kimchi hater, loved it and had no idea there was kimchi in it and I got to say I told you so:). Korean-inspired Burgers with Kimchi and Sriracha Mayo KIMCHI REUBEN BURGERS 1 1/2  pounds ground beef 4 cloves garlic, minced about 2 inches fresh ginger,  grated with a microplane 1 teaspoon sriracha 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce 1/2 teaspoon salt fresh black pepper to taste 1 cup kimchi, divided SRIRACHA MAYO 1/3 cup mayonnaise, preferably homemade 1-3 teaspoons sriracha, depending how spicy

Alpine Mushroom Pasta

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The boys were not expecting anything from this dish.  The strikes against it in their eyes were many. (meatless, cabbage, mushrooms were the big 3)  This little dish surprised us all!  The smoky cheese was a nice touch.  I personally would have liked more tomatoes, but I did go a little light on the cabbage because it was all I had.   Still sorry about the short posts, but if I ever catch up, I will have more insight, humor or at the very least words ;) in my posts. Alpine Mushroom Pasta 8 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine 6 cups shredded Savoy cabbage, (about 1 small head) 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 medium portobello mushroom caps, gills removed, thinly sliced 1 small onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 3/4 cup dry white wine 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved 1 cup diced smoked cheese, such as smoked mozzarella, Cheddar or gouda 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage, or 3/

Enchiladas Suizas (Creamy Enchiladas with Chicken, Tomatoes andGreenChile)

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Having had enchiladas suizas before but only of the chain Mexican restaurant or frozen dinner variety so I was sure I wasn't going to love this despite the fact it is a Rick Bayless recipe.  I was also a little worried it would be bit of work.  It wasn't and I really liked it.  The boys loved it.  I used canned tomatoes, and that made it a little less work, but not much.  Totally a recipe to add to your meal rotations. Enchiladas Suizas (Creamy Enchiladas with Chicken, Tomatoes and Green Chile)   Fresh hot green chiles to taste (roughly 3 serranos or 2 jalapeños), stemmed 1 medium white onion, chopped 2 cups chicken broth, plus a little extra if needed Salt 1/2 cup homemade crema, crème fraiche or heavy (whipping) cream 3 pounds (about 20 medium plum or 6 medium-large round) ripe tomatoes OR 2 28-ounce cans good-quality whole tomatoes in juice, drained 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil or rich-tasting pork lard, plus a little oil for brushing or sprayi

Corned Beef Hash with Fried Eggs

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My faithful readers will know I kind of dig breakfast for dinner.  (embarrassingly I just realized the last post was a breakfast for dinner one.  The perils of not keeping up with the blog)  Not only do I love how quick they are, but I adore a runny yolk :).  My boys adored this. I only had one complaint, I would have chopped the corned beef finer. The potatoes cooked down into almost mashed potato like consistency and the chunks of beef were texturally not perfect. ( at least for me. The boys didn't complain:). I am nit picking again.  I bought thick slices of corned beef from the deli, and that did make the meal a little pricier than if I was using leftover corned beef.  Corned Beef Hash with Fried Eggs !1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 3 baking potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 1/2 pounds cooked corned beef, fat trimmed and mea