Fresh Beans and Kale

If you see fresh shelling beans at the market, buy them. If you've never had them-- even if you don't like "normal" (dry) beans-- buy them anyway. I'm not really a bean fan, but these are fantastic. Their flavor is bright and they're creamy inside. They're good hot or cold. And you can have a shelling party with your friends to make the busy work go faster.

You'll need (I really didn't measure here, sorry):

beans (I used cannellini)

1 onion

4 anchovies (omit for vegetarian version)

1t tomato paste

chicken or veggie broth

1/2 bunch of kale

good olive oil

First, shell the beans...

Then chop your onion and saute it in a large heavy pan with the anchovies and tomato paste for about 10 minutes over medium heat. Add the beans and broth; they should be well submerged. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover. Mine had to cook for about an hour, at which point the liquid had conveniently been absorbed and the beans were still slightly firm but creamy inside. At this point, chop the kale roughly and add it to the pan. Let cook until kale wilts, about 2 minutes, uncovered. Remove from heat and drizzle with some fantastic olive oil. Serve!

Roasted Monkfish

This was inspired by a recent Bittman post, though I've been wanting to make monkfish for some time. Often called the poor man's lobster, it's a firm white fish with a delicate flavor that stands up well to sauces. My mom poaches monkfish in a vegetable mirepoix that's then pureed into a thick carroty bed for monkfish fillets. Fillets are hard to find; here I use tails, which are easier to find and very easy to work with.

You'll need (serves 2):

1 monkfish tail, bone-in

salt, pepper

Aleppo pepper (you can use sweet paprika if you can't find Aleppo pepper)

good olive oil

Preheat the oven to 475. Rub the monkfish with salt, pepper and Aleppo pepper. Coat with olive oil. Pour a little oil into a baking dish and heat it in the oven. When the oil is hot, add the monkfish. Cook about 15 minutes, until warm in the center (use a skewer to test it).

we ate the fish with beans & kale

Kaffir Lime Green Beans

This is a simple and unusual way to make green beans. It takes about 5 minutes.

Heat 1T oil in a non-stick pan. Add 1T lemongrass (paste or chopped fresh) and 3 dried chilies. Stir to combine. Add green beans and cook about 2 minutes, stirring to cook evenly. Turn off heat and stir in kaffir lime zest*. Serve.

*If you can't find kaffir limes, which look like tiny, bumpy, wrinkled limes, use kaffir lime leaves (easier to find year-round) cut into a very fine chiffonade and add them with the lemongrass and chilies.

Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

This entire dish comes together in thirty minutes but it's decadent and guest-worthy. It also features very few ingredients.

You'll need (serves 4):

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

5 shallots

8oz crimini mushrooms (about 2c)

1/2 vermouth

1c heavy whipping cream

2T olive oil

Preheat oven to its lowest possible temperature.

Mince shallots; set aside. Mince mushrooms (or chop coarsely, if you want a more prominent mushroom-ness to the dish) and set aside.

Slice each chicken breast in half to make 2 even-ish cutlets that are thinner than the original breast (so you'll be slicing them horizontally, if that makes sense). Place cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound so they're all of even thickness-- they should be about 1/2 inch thick at most. You can pound with a meat mallet or use the bottom of a heavy pan.

Heat olive oil in a heavy, wide skillet.  Salt and pepper the chicken cutlets and brown them in batches, being careful not to crowd the skillet. Once you lay the chicken down, don't move it or you won't achieve good browning. Flip chicken when one side is light golden and do the other side too. Place browned cutlets on a plate; when they're all cooked, put the plate in the oven to keep the chicken warm.

There should be a bit of oil left in the skillet; add the shallots and stir until the shallots turn golden. Add the mushrooms and cook until dark and liquid is released and evaporated, about 7 minutes. Add vermouth and reduce by half. Add cream and let boil over medium heat until reduced and thick. When it's as thick as you want it, put the chicken in the sauce and serve. We ate this with red-brown rice, and green beans which will be featured in a post soon.

Caramelized Garlic Pasta

This has to be one of the easiest, cheapest, tastiest things I've ever had. (Ok, some of you know I am prone to exaggeration. But still. Try it yourself.)  All the ingredients are things you probably have on hand, except for the arugula, which you can omit without losing the main flavor of this dish, which is the garlic.

You'll need (per person):

cooked pasta (you can use leftover pasta)

scant 1/4c olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced (do not use a garlic press)

4 anchovies, chopped

red pepper flakes to taste

1t tomato paste (optional)

fresh breadcrumbs from 1 slice bread

large handful of arugula

In a large skillet (non-stick is fine here), add olive oil, garlic, anchovies, tomato paste and red pepper. Heat over low heat, stirring, until garlic turns pale golden, about 5 minutes (be careful not to let the garlic brown). Add breadcrumbs and stir to combine; add pasta and toss to coat.

Now turn off the heat and add arugula. Stir gently until leaves barely wilt. Serve!

Bechamel Baked Ziti

I've been a lazy blogger and cook lately. This is a lazy dish that can be put together while you're working at home, and can serve at least 8 people (or cut the recipe in half). I served this with a watermelon, feta & mint salad as the appetizer, and followed it with a simple arugula salad.

You'll need (serves 8-10):

1 1/2 packages ziti pasta

2lbs spicy Italian bulk sausage (I used Molinari)

5 shallots, thinly sliced

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

red chile flakes

3T tomato paste

28oz can of plum tomatoes

10 roma tomatoes (this is optional, but oh so good)

1c dry red wine

1 bunch basil

1/3c butter

1/3c flour

3c milk

1 1/2c grated mozzarella cheese

1/2c grated cheddar

1c grated parmesan/romano blend

Halve tomatoes and roasted, seasoned, in a 400 degree oven. Let cool slightly; remove skin.

Brown sausage, pouring out fat as it accumlates. Deglaze pan with wine and cook until liquid is absorbed. Remove sausage from pan. Add olive oil or reserved fat. Fry shallots, garlic and chile flakes, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Return sausage to pan. Make a well in the middle; add tomato paste and saute until it browns slightly. Stir to combine with sausage.

Add canned and roasted tomatoes. Julienne basil and add half to the pan. Cook over low heat until sauce is thick and flavorful, about 1 hour. You probably don't want to add salt because sausage tends to be salty, but add pepper to taste.

In the meantime, cook the pasta. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mornay (Bechamel+cheese) sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan and whisk in flour. Cook, whisking, over medium heat until golden brown. Add milk slowly and cook until thick, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in mozzarella and cheddar and half the parmesan. Combine 2/3 of this sauce with the finished meat sauce. Stir the rest of the parmesan into the remaining sauce and reserve.

Mix cooked pasta with the mornay/meat sauce. Pour into buttered gratin dish. Top with reserved mornay sauce.

Bake until set and top is golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. (This looks rather gooey and unphotogenic when hot, so the pictures are of cold leftovers.)

A Shabbat Feast

This feast, generously subsidized by Birthright, was a wonderful opportunity to make something I normally cannot afford: veal shoulder. This beautiful five pound roast is stuffed with herbs and garlic, rolled in porcini dust, and cooked slowly in my homemade chicken stock, red wine, and tomato paste, with some marrow-filled veal bones tossed in to beef up the sauce.

the herb & garlic stuffing

the bones & the roast

adding liquids

After cooking, you refrigerate the roast overnight, scrape off all the fat, carve the meat and reduce the sauce, sneaking a bite of marrow on toast as you remove the bones. I adapted my recipe from Epicurious's, adjusting things like the balsamic and porcini (I added more).

I served this with a barley and roasted vegetable pilaf-- I roasted the butternut squash and parsnips with balsamic vinegar and fresh thyme, separately so each cube would get creamy on the inside and caramelized on the outside...

combined in one pan for easy cooling

...then tossed them with the cooled cooked barley, reheated the pot, and added lemon zest, toasted almonds and mint.

As an appetizer, I made a salad of arugula, julienned apple & celeriac (celery root) soaked in lemon juice & olive oil, smoked trout, warm goat cheese and spicy-sweet walnuts with a dill-pomegranate (thanks Maia!) cream dressing.

J, of the Green Kitchen next door, made dessert: dried cherries soaked in reduced sour cherry juice, served over Haagen Daaz vanilla ice cream with Chessman cookies.

Lemongrass Artic Char on Fennel

Yeah, I know the picture's blurry, but this was really very good, and incredibly simple. We had it on its own as a light supper (I had a bit too much Cheeseboard pizza today-- tapenade and red pepper!) but you could pair it with potatoes for a complete meal. Thinly slice a fennel bulb, toss with olive oil, salt & pepper, and place in a baking dish in a 500 degree oven. When the fennel starts to brown slightly (about 10 minutes), add a filet of fish and turn down the oven to 275. We used arctic char, rubbed with olive oil, dark soy sauce, lemongrass and pepper. Cook until the fish is done-- about 10 minutes-- and serve.

Bittman Baking: Easy Cornbread

As most of you know, I am not a baker. But I am a huge fan of Mark Bittman. I woke up this morning to his Cornbread  recipe of the day and just had to try it-- it helped that I had all the ingredients on hand, and even some bacon fat in the fridge for just this kind of culinary whim. (Note to the veggers: can be made with butter or olive oil instead.)

I followed the recipe you see in the link, but used 1/4c Turbinado (raw) sugar and bacon fat in a 7x10" glass baking dish. It was ready for the oven in less than 10 minutes. The fat seemed to be way too much, but it got absorbed and added a delicious savoriness to the bread.

Next time, I'll put a little more sugar to combat the slight bitterness of the bacon fat, and I'll add some jalapenos, which would be delicious with the corn. J thought this was a bit too dense; he prefers his cornbread made with corn flour instead of cornmeal, so you might see a new cornbread on this site sometime soon...

Chicken Stock

One of the wonderful bonuses of roasting a whole chicken (besides having chicken for a week-- for tacos, sandwiches, pasta, etc) is making your own stock! I admit to using canned stock for cooking, but if you're making something where stock will be one of the prominent flavors (like soup or a simple braise/stew), making your own is totally worth it. Also, it's incredibly easy-- throw everything in a pot, cover with water, and simmer away for a few hours. This recipe starts with some raw chicken parts, since I had the neck, backbone, and innards left over too. If you're just using cooked bones, skip the first step.

You'll need:

chicken bones (from one chicken)

an onion

a few carrots

something else, if you'd like-- I used fennel. celery is also good.

salt & pepper

Fry the raw parts (neck, backbone because you took it out when you butterflied your chicken, gizzards, heart) in their own fat over medium heat. Leave out the liver-- it makes a delicious cook's treat, but it will make your stock bitter. When the parts are golden brown, add a peeled and quartered onion. 

When the onion turns color, add other veggies and whatever spices you want in addition to the salt & pepper. Add cooked chicken bones with whatever bits of meat are left on. Saute it all a bit, then cover with water (I used about 4 quarts of water-- just fill your pot).

Cover to help the water come to a boil, but as soon as it does, turn it down to a simmer. Skim the scum that rises to the top occasionally. Simmer uncovered for at least 4 hours. You can cook it all day if you want, but add water if the level gets too low.

Strain and reduce further for easy storage, if you want. Freeze in small portions and use whenever you need stock! When storing in the fridge, be sure to leave the fat layer on to protect the stock from bacteria in the air. Just lift it up and take what you need from underneath; if you disturb the layer, simmer gently and then return to the fridge, and a new one will form. Stock will keep in the fridge indefinitely if you boil it for 5 minutes every 5 days to get rid of bacteria.

**NOTE: This is a simple short cut way of making stock. If you're serious about your stock, this is the best advice I've seen around: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/31/FD0JSAGEJ.DTL

Amazing Sandwich

I don't normally post quick things I throw together for lunch like sandwiches and salads (with a few exceptions), but this sandwich was so amazing I had to tell someone about it (this blog started because I think my friends got sick of my thrice-daily reports on what I was eating). 

I used leftover chicken, sharp cheddar cheese, a few confit'd tomatoes, and a ton of avocado because I love avocado. I put all but the avocado between 2 slices of Ezekiel bread (Trader Joe's) and "grilled" it in my cast iron skillet, weighed down with another skillet and my fist, then flipped it so the cheese got all melty, the chicken and tomatoes heated up, and the bread was flat and toasty. Then I opened it, stuck in the avocado with some salt and pepper, and voila! Of course, like any good grilled cheese, I cut it in half on the diagonal.

Skillet Roasted Chicken with Caramelized Fennel

This is a practically fool-proof method of roasting chicken, gleaned in large part from my trusty Cook's Illustrated recipe for Herbed Roast Chicken. There are three elements, I believe, that make this work so well: 1. brining the chicken-- just an hour in the brine insures succulent, juicy meat; 2. skillet browning before roasting-- helps get that nice crispy skin; 3. herbed butter-- under the skin, over the skin, in the sauce, simply wonderful. Also, the fennel cooks in the chicken fat and caramelizes into something incredible.

Note that the sauce is more a thin herby sauce than a thick gravy. Add less chicken broth (or none at all) if you want a gravy.

You'll need (serves 4):

1 5-lb chicken

1T grapeseed oil

brine:

1/2c table salt

2 quarts cold (tap) water

butter:

6T butter, softened (I melted it, stirred in the herbs, and put it in the freezer to stiffen)

1 fennel bulb

6 scallion tops (the green part)

1 clove garlic

sauce:

2t flour

1 1/2c chicken broth

1t lemon juice

Butterfly chicken (see video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-8tMEwBnSA) and submerge in brine solution (1/2c salt+2 quarts) for at least 1 hour. It's best to use kitchen shears for the butterflying, but I used a chef's knife and was still able to do it. Realize you are sawing through bones. This is not a task for the squeemish. Also, remember to save the neck and backbone for stock, and the gizzards, heart and liver to eat!

Thinly slice 1/4 of the fennel bulb and mince. Mince or press garlic. Mince scallion greens. Mix herbs with butter. Set aside 2T of the butter in the fridge.

Quarter remaining fennel.

Preheat oven to 450.

Remove chicken from brine and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Tuck the wings behind the back. Dry very well with paper towels. Make pockets with your fingers between breast meat and skin and insert 1T butter in each pocket. Massage breast skin to distribute.

Heat oil in 12 in skillet until almost smoking. Place chicken skin side down and reduce heat to medium. Cook about 10 minutes until golden brown. Surround with fennel pieces. Place in oven for 25 minutes.

Remove from oven. Flip chicken gently with tongs. Baste top with remaining 4T butter and sprinkle with pepper. Return to oven for about 15 minutes, until thigh temp is 165 degrees.

Remove to cutting board to rest for 20 minutes. Taste the fennel; it should be amazing. Set aside with the chicken.

Pour pan juices into fat separator and let settle 5 minutes. Add 2T fat back into the skillet and whisk with flour. Cook until golden brown, and add pan juices plus enough chicken stock to make 2c liquid. Cook, whisking to incorporate fond, until reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir in cold butter and lemon juice. Serve with chicken.

Fig and Tomato Summer Salad

sweet figs and sweet tomatoes!

also avocado, cucumber, basil, feta

balsamic vinaigrette

Pasta Leftovers, yet again!

pasta, feta cheese, basil, various kinds of tomatoes, even a little leftover meat

 a delicious pasta salad, hot or cold

Fennel and Corn Brown Rice Risotto

This makes a great vegetarian main dish or shellfish side (it'd be delicious with prawns, cooked separately, of course). Be sure to get the vegetables well caramelized; this makes the entire risotto deep brown and very flavorful.

You'll need (serves 3-4):

1c brown rice

4c chicken or vegetable broth

1 onion

1 large fennel bulb

1 ear of corn

8 mushrooms

1T olive oil

1T butter

1c vermouth

1/2c parmesan, grated

1/2c sharp cheddar, grated

Finely chop onion.

Melt butter and oil in large heavy skillet. Add onion.

While onion cooks, chop fennel bulb and add that too (reserve fronds). Remove corn from cob and add it as well, with some salt and pepper.

Clean mushrooms and chop them rougly. Once the veggies look golden brown, add mushrooms and cook 5 more minutes. 

Add rice (and more oil if necessary); stir and cook about 1 minute. 

Add vermouth slowly, scraping at the bottom of the pan (you should have a well-browned fond). Let cook until vermouth boils away.

Add broth slowly, stirring almost constantly, adding more when the mixture looks dry. Cook about 1 hour until rice is tender but not mushy.

Stir in cheese and fennel fronds and serve.

Tomato Confit or Oven Dried Tomatoes

-- or, what to do when you find ripe Roma tomatoes at 39 cents a pound. (If you live anywhere near Berkeley and still haven't been to Monterey Market, go. Not only do they have incredible deals, but much of their produce is organic and from local farmers. In addition to the 39 cent tomatoes, I bought some small dry-farmed $3/lb tomatoes that were most definitely the best tasting tomatoes I have ever had in my entire life. I do not exaggerate.)

The key to the incredibly concentrated flavor of these finished tomatoes is the slow, low cooking. (Also, it almost goes without saying, your tomatoes should be ripe.) I lined a baking sheet with tin foil, poured about half a cup of seriously good olive oil onto the foil, and sprinkled it with thinly sliced basil and shallots.  Then I sliced the tomatoes in half lengthwise (use Roma tomatoes, which are meaty and slightly elongated), dipped the cut side in the olive oil, and sprinkled them with salt, pepper, and a little sugar. Then I arranged them cut side up on the sheet and baked them at about 200 degrees-- as low as my oven would go-- overnight, or for about 10 hours. Take them out when they have collapsed and are no more than a 1/2 inch thick. Store them in the olive oil-- if you add oil to cover, they'll last longer.

tomato confit and fresh dry farmed tomatoes

If you want oven-dried tomatoes, which are more like sun-dried tomatoes, skip the olive oil, basil and shallots, and just spray the tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with spices before baking. Bake until they're shriveled and dry. These can be stored in the fridge or freezer for a very long time, and revived with some oil or water.

the confit is delicious on a bagel--

I added fresh dry-farmed tomatoes for comparison

and had some figs on the side

(best breakfast ever)