Albondigas

Gonna try to make these at home as part of a larger tapas menu.


1/3lb each ground beef, lamb, pork , or veal (total 1lb)
Small onion - finely chopped
3 garlic cloves - finely minced
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves (optional)
1 oz dried breadcrumbs
1 egg - beaten
1 Tbsp single cream (light cream)
1/2 tsp ground sea salt
freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil

*Sauce:
Can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
2 garlic cloves - finely minced
1/2 small onion - finely chopped
1/2 tsp smoked sweet Spanish paprika
1 bay leaf
ground sea salt

1. Combine the breadcrumbs, cream, and beaten egg in a bowl. Leave for about 10-15 minutes until the breadcrumbs has softened and absorbed the liquid.
Add in the meats, lemon, onion, garlic, parsley, nutmeg, cloves, salt and pepper. Mix well.
2. Form into 1-inch sized balls, and pan fry in batches in a pot with hot olive oil. Brown the meatballs on all sides.
3. *For the sauce: briefly saute the onion and garlic in the same pot where you fried the meatballs. Add the rest of the ingredients including the fried meatballs.
5. Bring to boil then lower heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring from time to time to prevent scorching at the bottom. The sauce should be quite liquid so add more water a little at a time if needed. Serve warm.

Lemon Mushroom Quinoa

The original recipe uses this mixture to stuff portabellas, but the stuffing part never worked for me. The quinoa though was tasty all by itself. I'll be making it to add to a salad for protein. Probably with arugula, and red peppers.

1/2 cup dry quinoa, washed
1 cup water
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped small.
1 medium yellow onion, chopped small
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
1/2 tsp dried margoram
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh black pepper, to taste
1 cup vegetable broth or water
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup pecorino romano or similar hard cheese (optional)
1 scant teaspoon lemon zest (a couple of brushes with a grater should do)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Cook quinoa with 1 cup of water in a small pot, bring to a boil then cover and simmer over low heat until soft, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, Heat olive oil in medium sauce pan low-medium heat, add onions and mushrooms, saute onions until translucent (3-5 minutes).

Add garlic, salt, black pepper, thyme and marjoram, saute until the garlic if fragrant (about 2 minutes).

Add vegetable broth, turn heat up to medium, let simmer 5 minutes.

Add cheese and parsley, stir until all cheese is absorbed, add lemon juice and lemon zest.

Orecchiette,Sausage and Brocolli Rabe

I am cheating on my diet and eating pasta. Why? because I miss it and ahve some brocolli rabe thats about to become useless... I promise not to like it too much


INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons salt

3 bunches broccoli rabe, about 1 1/2 pounds, coarsely chopped

10 ounces orecchiette (preferably Rustichella brand)

3 hot Italian sausage links, about 1 pound

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chicken stock

1 1/2 ounces finely grated Pecorino Romano

1/2 lemon

1 1/2 tablespoons very crunchy toasted breadcrumbs (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS: Bring a large pot of water to a boil with the salt. Add the broccoli rabe and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Return the same pot of water to a boil, add the orecchiette and cook for 10 minutes, or until slightly undercooked. Drain, reserving the cooking water.

Split the sausages lengthwise down the middle and remove from their casings.

Heat the olive oil in a high-rimmed skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage meat, breaking it up as finely as possible. Add the broccoli and continue cooking and stirring until the broccoli breaks down to a saucelike texture.

Add the chicken stock and orecchiette. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce, being careful it doesn't stick. You may have to keep adding a little pasta water, additional stock or tap water until the pasta is soft yet chewy (al dente), making sure not to overcook it.

Finish the pasta by folding in the cheese, a few squeezes of lemon juice and the optional breadcrumbs.

Serves 4-6

Salmon and Lentils with Mustard Herb Butter

For mustard-herb butter

* 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
* 1 tablespoon chopped chives
* 1 teaspoon chopped tarragon
* 2 teaspoons grainy mustard
* 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice


For lentils

* 1 cup French green lentils
* 4 cups water
* 2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only)
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* 1/2 to 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice


For salmon

* 4 (6-ounce) pieces skinless salmon fillet
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter



Make mustard-herb butter:
Stir together all ingredients with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

Cook lentils:
Bring lentils, water, and 3/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are just tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid, then drain lentils.

While lentils cook, chop leeks, then wash . Cook leeks in butter in a heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add lentils with reserved cooking liquid to leeks along with 3 tablespoons mustard-herb butter and cook, stirring, until lentils are heated through and butter is melted. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and keep warm, covered.

Sauté salmon while leeks cook:
Pat salmon dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (total).

Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then sauté salmon, turning once, until golden and just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes total.

Serve salmon, topped with remaining mustard-herb butter, over lentils.

Cooks' notes: ·Mustard-herb butter can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Soften at room temperature before using (1 hour).
·Lentils can be cooked (but not drained) 1 day ahead and chilled in cooking liquid, covered (once cool).

Fennel Mashed Potatoes

The fennel cuts the starch and makes for a nice flavor in the mashed potatoes.   We run the fennel through the food processor, but not the potatoes.  Hand mash those.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, quartered, cored, thinly sliced crosswise
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

• 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces

• 1 cup (or more) half and half

Prep

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced fennel bulb and crushed fennel seeds and stir to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until fennel is tender but not brown, stirring often, about 20 minutes. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Place potatoes in large saucepan. Cover with cold water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Return potatoes to pan; cook over medium heat until no liquid remains. Mash potatoes.

Add 1 cup half and half to fennel mixture and bring to simmer. Working in 2 batches, add fennel mixture to potatoes; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over medium heat, adding more half and half as needed if dry.)

Man Quiche

sigh....... someone else was supposed to post

Man Quiche

Sometimes you need to use up a buncha eggs. This recipe uses 6 instead of the usual 4. And doesn't want a bunch of cream that you already don't have. Also, because nobody can post a recipe to the internets that they stole from other internets without changing it in some way, I added more bacon. And also 1/8 t. whole cumin seed, toasted. Because the crazy cat lady thinks it smells like sweaty balls.

1 (9 inch) pie shell, baked
10 slices of crisp bacon, drained & crumbled
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cup of half & half, light cream or milk
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of pepper
1/8 teaspoon of cumin seed, toasted in a skillet

Put bacon and cheese in the pie shell. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over bacon and cheese mixture. Bake at 375ºF. for 35 to 40 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Gnocchi and Asparagus in Basil Mint Pesto

from the post punk kitchen (a perfectly good website, just remember to un-vegan the recipes which need real cheese)

Ingredients
1 lb gnocchi
Bunch of asparagus (about 30)
3/4 cup Basil Mint Pesto
1 red onion, sliced in thin half moons
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cups white wine
1/4 teaspoon salt
fresh black pepper
4 plum tomatoes diced

Directions
Boil the gnocchi in a big pot just until it floats to the top, drain and rinse with cold water (to prevent sticking).

Meanwhile, cut the asparagus about 2 inches from the tip and set aside.

Heat the olive oil on medium heat in your largest non stick pan, when hot add the onions and saute two minutes, add asparagus and saute 2 minutes, add garlic salt and fresh pepper to taste, and saute 2 minutes. Add white wine and turn heat up, saute veggies for 2 minutes more. Add gnocchi and toss around with the veggies. Coat everything with pesto, cooking only a minute more. Serve in dinner bowls, topped with the diced tomatoes.

Basil Mint Pesto

Ingredients
2 cups basil leaves
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup walnut halves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup grated romano cheese!
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Toast the walnuts in a toaster oven for 5 minutes, or on a baking sheet in a conventional oven for 10 minutes, turning once.

Combine the basil mint and oil in a blender until smooth. Add the toasted walnuts and garlic and blend until pureed. Add the lemon juice, cheese! and salt and blend once more. It's now ready to be used or stored in the fridge in an air tight container.

Fava Beans

apparently are in season...I will try one or both of these recipes next week when we get our delivery

Pasta with Fresh Fava Bean Sauce

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1-1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups cooked, peeled fava beans
3/4 pound dried fettuccine
4 oz. piece pecorino cheese or Parmesan cheese

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic and saute briefly until light brown. Stir in the oregano, then add 1 cup of the stock. Bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper, and add 1-1/2 cups of the fava beans. Simmer to blend the flavors, about 3 minutes.

2. Scrape into a blender container and puree with the remaining 1/2 cup stock until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan and add the remaining 1/2 cup favas. Simmer gently and taste for seasoning. Add salt and especially pepper.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Pour the pasta into a warm serving bowl and add the sauce. Toss well and thin with the pasta water, if necessary, until the sauce is glossy and not sticky. Serve immediately and grate the cheese over the top at the table.

4. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the pasta. Just before serving, ladle a little hot pasta water into the bowl for a couple minutes to warm it up. Drain the water before filling the bowl with the pasta.

Scafata (Umbrian Fava Bean Stew)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup shelled fava beans
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fennel
1 1/2 cups chopped chard leaves
1 1/2 cups chopped, peeled tomatoes
salt, pepper

1. Cook oil, beans, onion, fennel, carrot and chard over low heat in medium saucepan.

2. When beans are quite tender, after about 45 minutes, add tomatoes and cook for another 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Source: La Cucina Delle Regioni D'Italia: Umbria, by Antonella Santolini

Simple Cooking Night

I'm in charge of salads and cocktails....

the salad first-

Pea, Radish, and Arugula Salad

1 cup shell peas
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup soybean oil
1-2 sprigs thyme leaves
salt
pepper
1 bunch arugula
2-3 radishes, sliced thinly

Blanch peas in a large pot of boiling, salty water. Cook until just done, then strain. For the dressing, combine buttermilk and lemon juice in blender. Slowly drizzle in oil. Add thyme, salt, and pepper to taste. In a separate bowl, combine arugula, peas, and radishes. Toss with dressing.

and about the cocktails..

Bloody Martini (blood orange martini)

juice of 1 small blood orange (freshly squeezed)

1 shot gin - usually Hendricks, but it can tolerate a sturdier gin

1/2 shot Aperol

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Shake and serve up, garnish with zest from orange

I'll probably try out my Manhattan with pomegranate foam, but can't post the recipe until i figure it out.

Lemon Aioli

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 10 cloves garlic, center removed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/16 teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons water
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 4/5 cup light olive oil

Preparation:

Bring water in a double-boiler pan to a simmer. Puree garlic, salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice, water, egg yolks, and mustard in a blender. Scrape contents of blender into the top of double boiler and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture tests 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, set mixture aside and allow to cool to room temperature. Pour oil into the garlic mixture in a slow, steady stream, while whisking constantly. Chill and use within 24 hours.

Makes 8 servings.

minted couscous with currants

from Epicurious

Ingredients

• 2 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 3 cups couscous
• 1/2 cup dried currants
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup minced fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

Bring broth and butter to boil in medium saucepan. Remove from heat; stir in couscous. Cover, let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork. Transfer to bowl. Add currants, pine nuts, green onions, mint and dill; stir to blend. Season with salt and pepper.

Kneadless Bread Recipe

from npr.org

haven't made this yet.....will report back after experimenting

Makes 1 large loaf, 12 to 14 slices.

4 cups (20 ounces) unbleached all-purpose white flour or white bread flour, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

2 teaspoons table salt

3/4 teaspoon instant, fast-rising or bread-machine yeast

2 cups ice water, plus more if needed

Corn oil, canola oil or other flavorless vegetable oil or oil spray for coating dough

First Rise: In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Vigorously stir the water into the bowl, scraping down the sides and mixing until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. If the mixture is too dry to incorporate all the flour, stir in more water, a bit at a time, just enough to blend the ingredients. Don't over-moisten; the dough should be very stiff. If necessary, stir in enough more flour to yield a hard-to-stir dough. Brush or spray the top with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for three to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 18 to 24 hours. If convenient, vigorously stir the dough once about halfway through the rise.

Second Rise: Using an oiled rubber spatula, gently lift and fold the dough in toward the center, all the way around, until mostly deflated; don't stir. Brush or spray the surface with oil. Re-cover the bowl with plastic wrap that has been coated with nonstick spray. Let rise using any of these methods: for a 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate, covered, for 4 to 24 hours, then set out at room temperature. Continue the rise until the dough doubles from the deflated size; remove the plastic if the dough nears it.

Baking Preliminaries: 20 minutes before baking time, put a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 450 degrees. Heat a 3 1/2- to 4-quart (or larger) heavy metal pot or Dutch oven in the oven until sizzling hot (test with a few drops of water), then remove it, using heavy mitts. Taking care not to deflate the dough (or burn yourself), loosen it from the bowl sides with an oiled rubber spatula and gently invert it into the pot. Don't worry if it's lopsided and ragged-looking; it will even out during baking. Generously spritz or brush the top with water. Immediately top with the lid. Shake the pot back and forth to center the dough.

Baking: Bake on the lower rack for 55 minutes. Remove the lid. Reduce the heat to 425 degrees. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until the top is well browned and a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few crumbs on the tip (or until center registers 209 to 212 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). When it seems done, bake 5 minutes longer to ensure the center is baked through. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the loaf to the rack and cool thoroughly.

Serving And Storing: Cut or tear the loaf into portions; it tastes good warm but will cut much better when cool. Cool completely before storing. To maintain the crisp crust, store draped with a clean tea towel or in a heavy paper bag. Or store airtight in a plastic bag or wrapped in foil: The crust will soften, but can be crisped by heating the loaf, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven for a few minutes. The bread will keep at room temperature for three days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to two months.

VARIATION: Crusty Rosemary And Olive Pot Bread — Stir 1 cup pitted, coarsely chopped kalamata olives (well drained) and 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh (not dried) rosemary needles (discard the stems) into the dough along with the water. Proceed exactly as directed in the original recipe.

Comfort Food

Turkey Tetrazzini

I have no idea why this registers so strongly as comfort food. I barely remember my mom making it. But I had some leftover Thanksgiving turkey in the freezer staring at me

10 oz. mushrooms, sliced thin about 4 cups
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 3/4 c. milk
2 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. dry white wine
10 oz. spaghetti
3 c. coarsely chopped cooked turkey
1 c. cooked peas
2/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan
1/3 c. fine fresh bread crumbs

In a large heavy saucepan cook the mushrooms in 1/4 cup of butter over moderate heat, stirring until most of the liquid they give off has evaporated. Stir in the flour and cook the mixture over low heat, stirring for 3 minutes. Add in a stream (that is pour slowly) of milk, the broth, the wine, stirring bring the mixture to a boil, stirring and simmer the sauce for 5 minutes. In a pot of boiling, salted water cook the spaghetti until it is al dente (cooked) and drain it well. In a large bowl combine well spaghetti, the mushroom sauce, the turkey, the peas, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1/3 cup of the Parmesan, and transfer the mixture to a buttered shallow 3-quart casserole. In a small bowl combine the remaining 1/3 cup of Parmesan, the bread crumbs and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the mixture over the tetrazzini and dot the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, cut it into bits. Bake in 375 degrees F. oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

Moroccan Lentil Soup Recipe

Not authentic moroccan (garam masala) This is a soup I often make when I don't feel like eating the meats. Serve with minted couscous with pine nuts and currants.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS -

1. In large pot saute the onions, garlic, and ginger in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the water, lentils, chick peas, white kidney beans, diced tomatoes, carrots, celery, garam masala, cardamom, cayenne pepper and cumin. Bring to a boil for a few minutes then simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or longer, until the lentils are soft.
3. Puree half the soup in a food processor or blender. Return the pureed soup to the pot, stir and enjoy

NOTES -
I don't actually ever use the garam masala (its an Indian spice combo, btw) but dry roast the following seeds on the stove in a frying pan, then grind with a mortar and pestle

• mustard seed
• cumin seed
• fenugreek
• cloves
• cardamon pods

Throw em in a frying pan on med heat until the mustard seeds start dancing.

CrockPot Chicken, Squash, and Chickpeas

This is a mashup of several different recipes I threw together to use up stuff in my house
I have a tiny crock pot, so it makes 1-2 servings

-1 chx leg (thigh+drumstick)
- 1/2 acorn squash, peeled seeded and cut into 1in pieces
- 3/4 red onion, cut into 3/4in sections
- Navel orange, cut into 1/4slices, then 4ths
-4 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 cup chickpeas, quick soaked
- about 8 fresh sage leaves
-cinnamon stick, whole
- 1/2 tsp dry thyme
- toasted cumin and mustard seeds, pan toasted and coarsely ground
- dash a cayenne
- olive oil, salt, pepper to taste

Threw all this in a crockpot and let it cook overnight on low... think I put a little dry vermouth on top to wet the spices a little. The spices smell delicious, we'll see tomorrow morn if my experiment worked.

UPDATE - Too much orange rind made it a tad too bitter. I added some dried cherries for sweetness and color and the rest of the ground cumin and mustard seeds to give it more spice.


Next time - The sage didn't add much, may sub some parsley. Also cut the squash in bigger pieces so it's recognizeable after slow cooking. Probably make a more interesting cooking fluid with saffron and chx broth. Half the oranges and sub some juice or leave them out entirely..

..make orange teeth with the rinds watch tutorial (thanx Mr W)