July 9, 2011
Provençal Tomatoes

This recipe is a little time consuming, but the result is worth it. Inspired by Julia Child, Ina Garten created her own version. You can play with the herbs that you use in the recipe, but make sure to use fresh bread crumbs. Her Family Style cookbook notes “to make fresh bread crumbs, remove the crusts of Pepperidge Farm sandwich white bread or other fine-grained white bread. Cut the bread in cubes and pulse in a food processor until fincely minced.” I had purchased a loaf of french bread at Kroger, the kind that you put in the oven for 15 minutes until golden brown. I took a third of the loaf and put that through the food processor to make bread crumbs. All six tomatoes will not fit in a traditional 9x13, I had to use a glass pyrex that was 11x17.

Ingredients

  • 6 ripe tomatoes (2 1/2 to 3-inches in diameter)
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)
  • 1/4 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
  • Good olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the cores from the tomatoes, removing as little as possible. Cut them in half crosswise and, with your fingers, remove the seeds and juice. Place the tomato halves in a baking dish.

In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs, scallions, basil, parsley, garlic, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle the tomato halves generously with salt and pepper. With your hands, fill the cavities and cover the tops of the tomatoes with the bread crumb mixture. Bake the tomatoes for 15 minutes, or until they’re tender. Sprinkle with the cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for 30 seconds more. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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Filed under: cooking food tomatoes provencal french gruyere ina garten julia child 
June 30, 2011
Lemon Angel Food Cake

I had attempted to make an Angel Food Cake back in California in May, but not really thinking and in a bit of a rush, I bought a carton of egg whites. Little did I know, they were pasteurized and not going to whip. I whipped them as much as I could and thought that maybe that’s how they would just turn out, but the cake came out gooey, not airy and light. I was talking to a friend about it and we realized my mistake - of course pasteurized egg whites won’t whip, they’re already cooked. So this past weekend I did it the long way, separating 11 eggs. The results were much better this time. And thanks to my new mixer, my arm wasn’t hurting from whipping up the egg whites. It’s Ina Garten’s recipe for the cake I made this time, but Alton Brown also has a great recipe. I made homemade whipped cream for the topping.

 

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sifted superfine sugar, divided [if your grocery store does not carry this, put the sugar into your food processor and run until it becomes superfine, checking every 10 seconds]
  • 1 1/3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
  • 1 1/2 cups egg whites, at room temperature (10 to 12 eggs)
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine 1/2 cup of sugar with the flour and sift together 4 times. Set aside.

Place the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the eggs make medium-firm peaks, about 1 minute. With the mixer on medium speed, add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar by sprinkling it over the beaten egg whites. Whisk for a few minutes until thick and shiny. Whisk in the vanilla and lemon zest and continue to whisk until very thick, about 1 more minute. Sift about 1/4 of the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold it into the batter with a rubber spatula. Continue adding the flour by fourths by sifting and folding until it’s all incorporated.

Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, smooth the top, and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, until it springs back to the touch. Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan on a cooling rack until cool.

 

Whipped Cream

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (1 pint) heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup sugar

Directions

Beat heavy cream on high until soft peaks are formed. Add vanilla and sugar and beat until firm.

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Filed under: lemon angel food cake baking cooking ina garten whipped cream dessert summer 
June 26, 2011
Grilled Pizza

Grilled pizza has certainly become the “dish of the summer” at my house. We’ve made it at least five or six times in only a few weeks. It’s really easy to make, and it’s a great dish to have others help and interact in the cooking process as each person gets to make their own individual pizza. People are often confused by the concept of grilled pizza, but once they see how it works, they really like it. It’s a great summer dish, and now that I have my KitchenAid Mixer, it’s easier than ever to make. The recipe is from Ina Garten, but I have taken a liberty with the toppings, changing it every time to what I’m in the mood for on my pizza.

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 1 1/4 cups warm (100 to 110 degrees F) water
  • 2 packages dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 3 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the toppings (select 8):

  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 pound fresh mozzarella, grated
  • 1/2 pound Italian Fontina, grated
  • 1/2 pound mild goat cheese, such as Montrachet, sliced
  • 1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and julienned
  • 1/4 pound prosciutto, thinly sliced and julienned
  • 1 bunch arugula, cleaned and dried
  • 6 plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
  • 4 pork or turkey sausages, cooked and sliced
  • 1 bunch basil leaves, cleaned and dried
  • 4 garlic cloves, roasted
  • Crushed red pepper flakes

For prep:

  • 1/2 cup good olive oil
  • Cornmeal

Directions

For the dough, combine the water, yeast, honey, and olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add 3 cups flour, then the salt, and mix. While mixing, add 1 more cup of flour, or enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough on low to medium speed for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with flour, if necessary, to keep it from sticking to the bowl.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it several times to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 6 equal parts and roll each one into a smooth ball. Place the balls on a baking sheet and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

If you’ve chilled the dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature. Roll and stretch each ball into a rough 8-inch circle and place them all on baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. (You will be able to fit 2 pizzas on each 18 by 13-inch baking sheet.)

Light your grill and wait until it’s hot.

Place the pizzas directly onto the grill and cook on 1 side for 1 minute. Turn the pizzas over and brush with olive oil or garlic oil.

Top the pizzas with any toppings you wish, piling them high. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Put the lid on your grill and cook for 5 minutes more, until the crust is crisp and the toppings are cooked.

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Filed under: cooking dinner summer grill pizza food ina garten 
June 21, 2011
Ali’s Pineapple-Teriyaki Chicken

I love to open our drawer of spices in the kitchen and just make something up. Tonight, I asked my sister, “What kind of chicken do you want? Mexican, Asian, or Italian?” She chose Asian. While it might not be perfectly “Asian” so to speak, I try to make the main flavors used in their cooking. I marinated the chicken in one small can of pineapple juice and about 1 tablespoon of teriyaki sauce (all of my cooking is just done by eye, so these aren’t exact. I had six chicken breasts and just make sure that there is enough on each one so that the flavor will come out.) I sprinkled Kosher salt, pepper, allspice, cumin, garlic powder, and ginger on each piece of chicken. I cut up a few cloves of garlic to stick in the dish I marinated it in and placed it in the refrigerator for several hours.

I had planned on grilling the chicken, but due to the violent thunderstorms today, I opted for broiling. I served each piece over a slice of pineapple (the core in the center removed) and topped it with red onions and avocado.

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Filed under: dinner cooking chicken pineapple teriyaki marinade 
June 19, 2011

Father’s Day Lunch

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Filed under: father's day cooking food 
June 18, 2011
Father’s Day Lunch

  • Strawberry Lemonade
  • Prosciutto and Gruyère Pinwheels
  • Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Salad
  • Grandma’s Deviled Eggs
  • Grandma’s Potato Salad
  • My aunt’s Spinach Soufflé
  • “Asian” Turkey Burgers with Pineapple
  • Fresh Fruit Salad
  • Savannah Cheesecake Cookies

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(Notes: 1)
  
Filed under: cooking father's day menu 
June 16, 2011
Dinner in Spain

Everyone always loves to cook and eat Italian food, but not many people pursue recipes from Spain. After living in both countries, I often recognize the disparity of the popularity of the foods. Everyone speaks Spanish, but everyone eats Italian (although I supposed most would “substitute” food from Spain as food from Mexico for the Spanish). Even a great number of students study abroad in Spain, but the cooking their cuisine once they return to America has not seemed to have caught on. Even after living in Spain for two months, I hardly have made Spanish food. Much of it is time consuming or involves seafood, which I don’t eat, and many people simply are not familiar with many of the ingredients and popular dishes. So finally first time since I came home from Spain, which was nearly two years ago, I made my parents a Spanish dinner. 

White Sangria, Gazpacho, and Paella

 

Easy Lobster Paella

(A recipe of Ina Garten)

This recipe I changed up a lot. First, lobster never came anywhere close to my paella. I wanted to find one that used chicken, but not having a true paella pan (if I did, I would have use Alton Brown’s recipe) this recipe gave me a way to make it in a big pot.

 

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup good olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
  • 2 red bell peppers, cored and sliced into 1/2-inch strips
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 to 6 cloves)
  • 2 cups white basmati rice
  • 5 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup licorice-flavored liqueur (recommended: Pernod)  [After searching Kroger’s liquor section up and down with no success, I was later informed by my dad that I would have to go to the state run liquor store or across the river to Kentucky to get this. Not quite as accessible as it is in California, so I did not have any of the liqueur in the paella]
  • 1 1/2 pounds cooked lobster meat  [I substituted the lobster and kielbasa with cooked chicken breast that I had cubed]
  • 1 pound kielbasa, sliced 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 2 lemons, cut into wedges

 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell peppers and cook over medium heat for 5 more minutes. Lower the heat, add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the rice, chicken stock, saffron, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. After 15 minutes, stir the rice gently with a wooden spoon, and return it to the over to bake uncovered for 10 to 15 more minutes, until the rice is fully cooked.

Transfer the paella back to the stove top and add the licorice-flavored liqueur. Cook the paella over medium heat for 1 minute, until the liqueur is absorbed by the rice. Turn off the heat and add the lobster, kielbasa, and peas and stir gently. Cover the paella, and allow it to steam for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley, garnish with lemon wedges, and serve hot.

Traditional Gazpacho

(A recipe of Margaret Ball)

Ingredients

  • 4 ripe, red tomatoes, coarsely chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced (set aside 2 tablespoons for garnish)
  • 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced (set aside 2 tablespoons for garnish)
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 slice French bread, diced
  • 1/4 cup chopped, fresh herbs, such as basil, oregano and/or flatleaf parsley (set aside 2 tablespoons for garnish)
  • 1 cup ice water, or as needed
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, or to taste
  • salt to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions

1. Place the tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion, garlic, and bread in a food processor and process to a smooth puree.

2. Add the herbs, water, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Correct the seasoning, adding salt or vinegar to taste: the gazpacho should be highly seasoned. The gazpacho should be thick but pour-able. Add water as needed.

3. To serve, ladle the gazpacho into chilled bowls.

4. Garnish each with a sprinkling of the reserved cucumber, onion and herbs

 

White Sangria

(A recipe of Ellie Krieger)

Ingredients

 

  • 1 (750-ml) bottle white wine [I use Chateau Ste. Michelle Sauvignon Blanc]
  • 1/2 cup brandy or cognac [I didn’t use this]
  • 1/4 cup orange liqueur (recommended: Cointreau)
  • 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup club soda
  • 1 medium unpeeled orange, sliced
  • 1 unpeeled lemon, sliced
  • [I also use one peach cut into small pieces]

Directions

In a pitcher combine the wine, brandy, orange liqueur and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the orange juice and club soda. Add the orange and lemon slices, and chill. Serve over ice.

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Filed under: food cooking dinner spain spanish paella sangria gazpacho saffron 
June 15, 2011
Stuffed Turkey Burgers

I never thought I would like turkey burgers. I’m never one to go for the turkey at Thanksgiving or Christmas, and turkey dogs grossed me out just as much as hot dogs. After I tried making turkey burgers a few weeks ago, I couldn’t wait to try it again. I wasn’t planning on making dinner tonight, but with a few hours before we had to go out tonight and the ground turkey ready in the refrigerator, I decided to look around Food Network for an idea for a turkey burger. I saw a recipe for stuffed turkey burgers and took the basic foundation of the recipe from there (basically how to stuff the burgers and using roasted peppers inside). I decided to go to the pantry to figure out the rest of the flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1.2 pounds of ground turkey (this is the packaging that they sell them in at our Kroger, you can adjust this recipe for any type of crowd or what is available at your store)
  • 1 small can pineapple juice
  • 1 small can of pineapple chunks, cut into small pieces (we had leftover from the Sangria I had made last weekend)
  • 1/3 cup roasted red peppers, julienned
  • 1 cheese stick (I used a Weight Watchers Mozzarella cheese stick) or about 1/3 cup shredded cheese
  • Kosher salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • Ground ginger
  • Garlic powder
  • Burger toppings, such as sliced red onion and avocado

Directions

  1. Divide the turkey into eight 2 oz patties and place on a plate or in a rectangular Tupperware dish. Pour in can of pineapple juice. Sprinkle patties with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ginger. I don’t use exact measurements for this, but enough that lightly covers the top of the patty. Place in the refrigerator to marinate, preferably overnight. (I only refrigerated them for ten minutes and you could still taste the flavors.)
  2. Cover four of the patties with roasted peppers, cheese, and pineapple pieces. Place the other patties on top and mold the edges of the patties so that the fillings are not falling out and it is created into one burger.
  3. Heat a pan on medium-high heat with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil depending on the size of your pan. Cook turkey burgers, 5-7 minutes on each side or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
  4. Serve with sliced red onions, avocado, and any other favorite toppings and enjoy!

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Filed under: stuffed turkey burger turkey burger stuffed burger cooking grilling food summer pineapple 
June 11, 2011
Easy Sorbet

I have always stayed away from making any sort of ice cream or ice dessert. They either require some sort of ice cream maker, which I don’t have and we have enough great ice cream in Cincinnati that I haven’t felt a need to buy one, or the ice desserts always turn out like an ice cube, never the shaved ice look in the picture. This summer, I am nannying for two girls that my sister has be a summer nanny for the past five years. They are our old neighbors who we have watched grow up from babies to now being 10 and 12 years old. I wanted to do something fun with them this summer and came up with the idea of having themed weeks. They love to cook with me and it’s a way for them to learn about different cultures in a way that is fun for them.

During our first week, we learned about Thailand and Singapore. It was a little difficult to find recipes that didn’t require too many ingredients that we would only use once and to find something that we would eat. Eventually we settled on Pad Thai and Mango Sorbet as our dessert. I don’t know how much I would consider it a sorbet, because it has dairy in it, but that was the name of the recipe. The recipe is extremely easy and a variety of different fruits can be used. The first day, we followed the recipe with mangoes, but on Thursday we decided to try it with strawberries. You could make pineapple, kiwi, raspberry, strawberry-raspberry, etc.

The recipe is from About.com

Ingredients

  • Makes 1 large yogurt container-size tub of delicious mango sorbet (SERVES 6 people)
  • 2 fresh ripe mangos (for more on fresh mango, see below)
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 3 Tbsp. coconut milk
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 1 small container whipping cream (about 1 cup)

Directions

  1. Slice the mangos open and scoop out all of the fruit from the skins. Don’t forget to include fruit around the stone (a knife works well for this).
  2. Place the fruit in a food processor or blender. Add the sugar and blitz for 1 minute, or until the sugar has dissolved and you are left with a delicious mango puree.
  3. Add the coconut milk and lemon juice, and briefly blitz to combine (a few seconds). *At this point you can perform an optional step - see below.
  4. Pour the mango puree into a bowl or container while you continue to use your processor/blender. Scape down the sides and bottom with a rubber spatula to remove as much of the puree as possible.
  5. Now pour the whipping cream into the processor/blender. Blitz until the cream forms stiff peaks, or is quite stiff (not runny) when dipped into with your finger.
  6. Add the mango puree to the whipped cream and blitz 5-10 seconds, or until you get a good mango-cream consistency.
  7. Pour into a large yogurt container or similar size tub and place in the freezer. Allow to freeze at least 6 hours, preferably 8.
  8. Serve the mango sorbet in bowls, or scoop into ice cream cones for the kids. (To make scooping easier, take the sorbet out of the freezer 10 to 15 minutes ahead of time). Serving Tip: For an adult treat, try drizzling over a little coconut liqueur - great for serving at a dinner party!

*Optional Step*: Some people don’t want bits of mango pieces or mango fiber in their sorbet. I actually like it, as I find it enhances the taste of the sorbet, plus it’s healthy. But if you’d rather strain it out, here’s how: Between steps 3 and 4, pour the mango puree through a strainer placed over a bowl. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to press the pulp against the bottom of the strainer in order to “wring out” every ounce of mango juice. Continue on with steps 4/5.

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Filed under: summer dessert sorbet sherbet ice cream cooking food fruit 
June 4, 2011
Asian Turkey Burgers

These were surprisingly easy to make and turned out to be full of flavor. I made a few changes by not using the bulgur wheat - I didn’t have time to let it soak and I had 19 ounces of turkey meat instead of the 12 ounces called for in the recipe. I was able to make 6 medium sized burgers. I also made my own hoisin sauce, knowing that I don’t like too much spice. You can find that recipe here. I also didn’t want to buy Chili Garlic Sauce just to use one teaspoon of it in a recipe, so I improvised and used chili powder and garlic powder. I just did it by eye and taste, and did not use a full teaspoon of either ingredient. If you want the yogurt spicy, you can use hot sauce and garlic powder. This recipe is from Food Network Kitchens. I served it with steamed edamame.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup bulgur wheat
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 seedless cucumber, sliced 1/8-inch thick, 1 cup
  • 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
  • 12 ounces lean ground turkey
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus 1/4 cup whole leaves
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 4 whole wheat hamburger rolls

Directions

Put the bulgur in a medium bowl and add the boiling water. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand until the bulgur is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk the vinegar and sugar with a generous seasoning of salt and pepper until dissolved. Add the cucumber and onion, toss well and set aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.

In a separate small bowl combine the yogurt and chili garlic sauce. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Drain the bulgur and put into a large bowl. Add the turkey, hoisin, scallions, ginger, garlic and chopped cilantro and mix until just combined. Form into 4 equal sized patties.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until very hot. Lightly brush both sides of each patty with oil and place in the skillet. Cook, turning once, until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Drain the pickled vegetables and toss with the whole cilantro. Spread some spicy yogurt sauce on the top and bottom of each bun and top with a burger patty and some pickles.

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Filed under: asian turkey turkey burger dinner hoisin sauce cook cooking food 
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