elly says opa

Potato-Leek Soup

January 25, 2012 · 9 comments

in healthy,potatoes,soups and stews,vegetarian

Many, many years ago, Tom cooked for me for the first time. He made a creamy potato soup and it was incredibly delicious. I admit, I was impressed, considering the only thing I’d seen him “cook” before was mixing together a packet of taco seasoning and ranch dressing (“Southwest sauce,” obviously).

A few months later, he cooked for me for the second time—and made the soup again. This time? Not so good. He burned the bottom and if you know anything about burning soups, you know that once you stir that burnt bottom into the soup, there’s no turning back. The whole pot is going to taste like it came out of a smoke stack (or like my specialty of broiler-burnt bread).

That was the end of that soup.

I’ve made a couple versions of potato soup over the years but not many. Potato soups tend to be creamy and heavy and, while delicious, aren’t always the best choice for me.

This soup, on the other hand, is quite healthy. There is no cream or bacon (it’s okay, I promise) and while there is some butter, each serving ends up having only about a teaspoon of it. The soup has a great texture and it tastes very simple and pure, if you will. The leeks lend a bit of sweetness, the chili powder just a hint of spice, but otherwise this tastes like…potatoes. Which is a good thing.

Zachary loved this soup, which was weird because he never seems to want to eat soup and he doesn’t like mashed potatoes (weirdo). I suspect all the soup-making he’s been doing in his new kitchen is helping, though. (His dog’s favorite is garlic, apparently.)

There are many different ways to wash your leeks; just remember to wash them well, unless you like dirt in your food or something. I usually just slice them and the put them in a bowl of water, letting all the dirt sink to the bottom. Or, I slice and then use a salad spinner to rinse them under water and have the added benefit of spinning them dry (which won’t necessarily keep them looking pretty but considering they’re being pureed, anyway, it’s fine). David also has instructions for preparing them.

Potato-Leek Soup

Slightly adapted from David Lebovitz
Serves 6

2 Tbsp. butter
4 leeks, sliced and washed
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1/4 tsp. chili powder*
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth, or water
1.5 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. freshly ground white pepper (optional) or black pepper for finishing*

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium heat.

Add the sliced leeks and season them with salt. Cook the leeks until they are soft and wilted, about 5-7 minutes. Add the thyme and chili powder and stir for about 30 seconds, allowing them to release their flavors.

Pour in the broth or water. Add the potatoes and bay leaves.

Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender when poked with a sharp knife, about 15 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and puree the soup with white pepper, if using. I used an immersion blender but a blender (being careful not to overfill) will also work. A food processor isn’t the best, since it will cause the potatoes to be too gummy. Season the soup with salt to taste.

Ladle into bowls and serve with freshly ground pepper (if using) and any other garnishes you like.

*I didn’t have white pepper. I was too lazy to go to my favorite spice store, and there was no chance I was going to the grocery store and paying an exorbitant price for a thimble of pepper. Instead, I used a hot chili powder and then served the soup with freshly ground black pepper.

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Spicy Asian Chicken with Brussels Sprouts

January 22, 2012 · 13 comments

in asian,chicken/poultry,healthy

I’m on a serious roll making things from the “recipes-I-saved-a-million-years-ago” binder that has previously been collecting dust on top of my fridge. Although, I must say, I think I had originally torn out this page from Real Simple magazine because of a different recipe on the page. It’s funny how your tastes change, because this recipe sounded way more appealing to me than the other one.

Brussels sprouts may seem like an odd choice in an Asian dish but they really make a lot of sense. I mean, they are part of the cabbage family and cabbage is obviously quite common in Asian cooking. And I’m a firm believer that brussels sprouts just don’t get enough love. (Roast them at a high heat with some olive oil and salt and pepper, and then tell me you don’t like them).

This dish cooks up in no time, is easy to make, and healthy, too. And did I mention I really liked it? Because I really did. Though, I’ve determined that, despite living by and frequenting several types of markets, I can never find small red chilies except at Whole Foods. I was too lazy to go to Whole Foods, so I just used my trusty jar of Sambal Oelek. The nice thing about that is you can make this as spicy as you want, based on your preferences and how much you add.

Between the ease of prep and the flavor (which I, personally, enjoy with a bit of heat), this will definitely be a repeat in our house.

Spicy Asian Chicken with Brussels Sprouts

Adapted from Real Simple
Servers 4

1 large egg
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
4 tsp. canola oil, divided
1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
1″ knob of ginger, peeled and grated/minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1.5 Tbsp. light brown sugar
3/4 cup water
1 red chili pepper, thinly sliced, or chili paste to your preference (we used 1 Tbsp.)
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. chopped roasted peanuts
Cooked brown rice (made from 1 cup, dry) for serving

Beat the egg in a large, shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl or plate, add the cornstarch. Dip the chicken in the egg and then dredge in the cornstarch, shaking off excess; transfer to another plate.

Heat 3 tsp. canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. In 2 batches, cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until golden (about 3-5 minutes). Remove the chicken and transfer to a clean plate.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tsp. of oil in the skillet. Add the brussels sprouts and ginger and cook until they begin to get tender, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic.

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, water, and Sambal Oelek/chili paste (if using). Add the mixture to the skillet, and cook until the brussels sprouts are crisp-tender and liquid begins to thicken, 2-3 minutes.

Return the chicken to the skillet (along with the sliced chili pepper, if using) and heat through, about 1 minute. Off the heat, add the sesame oil and scallions. Serve over brown rice and top with roasted peanuts.

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Lamb Chili with Masa Harina Dumplings

January 17, 2012 · 6 comments

in lamb,soups and stews

It goes against nearly everything in my gut to like dumplings. I really, really do not like soggy bread and, texturally speaking, I should loathe dumplings. But I don’t. Not.at.all. In fact, I have another dumpling recipe waiting in the wings to post soon after this one. Because I freaking love them.

I feel like a broken record here, but I’ll say it again… “I’ve had this recipe saved for a really long time, but finally got around to making it.” Nearly 3 years ago, I took to organizing my saved magazine and online recipes, and this comes from the binder that stemmed from that organization. I’m always so annoyed when it takes me so long to make a recipe that’s so great.

This recipe will not be winning any awards in the frugality department. It had been ages since I’d purchased lamb shoulder, so I had forgotten how crazy expensive it can be – and a whole shoulder of 3-4 lbs. is clearly going to cost a pretty penny. But, you know how much I adore lamb (not to mention going to the butcher) so it had to be done. That said, I have no doubts that this recipe would be delicious with pork shoulder or beef chuck. Plus, we ended up freezing a couple portions for another dinner, later.

I thought this would be spicier than it was (I was almost worried, in fact). It had a nice little kick, but definitely nothing major. I think the chipotles mellow out while cooking and New Mexico chilies (at least, the ones I had around) are not terribly spicy themselves. I actually really, really loved the spicy-without-being-too-spicy flavor, and the depth of this dish, not only from using dried chilies in the broth, but from the lamb stewing for hours.

One tip I picked up from the other dumpling recipe I made is to wrap the lid in a clean kitchen towel while simmering the dumplings. This seems to make them a bit less soggy/more firm to the touch, so I’ll do that next time and have added that step below. You’ll want to make this stew a day ahead of time, not only because it tastes better that way but also because it’s much easier to remove the fat from the top after it’s chilled.

Lamb Chili with Masa Harina Dumplings

Adapted from Gourmet

For chili:
10 dried New Mexico chilies (about 2.5-3 oz.)
3 cups water, divided
2 cups beef broth
3.25 lb. boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1.5″ pieces
2 Tbsp. canola oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. ground cumin
1.5 tsp. dried oregano
3 Tbsp. chopped chipotles in adobo
chopped cilantro or sliced green onions, for serving

For dumplings:
3/4 cup masa harina
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper, a few turns
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk

To make the chili:
Simmer the chilies in 2 cups of water until very soft, about 20 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup of cooking water and drain the rest. Stem the chilies, keeping the seeds, and blend in a food processor with the reserved water, until smooth. Force the mixture through a mesh strainer and into a bowl.

Pat the lamb dry and then season with salt and pepper. Add 1 Tbsp. oil to a Dutch oven and heat over medium-high until shimmering. Add the lamb, in 4 batches, and brown on each side (about 4 minutes per batch). Transfer to a bowl, and drain any excess fat from pot.

Add the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to the pot and reduce heat to medium. Cook the onion, garlic, and bay leaves with a small pinch of salt until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add cumin and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add the chili puree and chipotles, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. Add the lamb and any accumulated juices, the remaining 1 cup water, and the beef broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until lamb is very tender, 2.5-3 hours.*

To make the dumplings:
Stir together the masa harina, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Cut in the butter with 2 forks or a pastry blender, until it resembles a coarse meal. Add buttermilk, stirring just until moistened (don’t overmix).

Skim the fat off the chili and discard the bay leaves. Season the chili to taste. Drop dumplings by the tablespoon-full into the pot, about 2 inches apart. Reduce heat to low. Wrap a clean kitchen towel around the lid of the pot, and then cover the chili. Simmer gently for about 15-20 minutes, or until dumplings are firm to the touch.

Garnish with cilantro or green onions.

*At this point, you can (and probably should) cool and refrigerate your chili. The next day or several hours later, scrape the fat off the top. Bring the chili to a simmer, and then move ahead with making and simmering the dumplings.

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Light Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

January 15, 2012 · 7 comments

in asian,chicken/poultry,healthy,soups and stews

If you spend a few minutes around these parts, it’s not difficult to figure out that I love soups and stews. In fact, I can say with a pretty high level of certainty that I could eat soup every day of the week, and never get sick of it.

This recipe instantly stood out to me (and not just because Shawnda takes exponentially better pictures of soup than I do, though she does). I loved that this soup was healthy and colorful, and I always enjoy Asian ingredients like these (except when I was pregnant. You know how they tell you ginger helps with nausea? Yeah, ginger was the only thing that made me nauseous). The other great part about this soup is that snow peas are added in at the last minute, and they provide a great crunch and freshness to the soup. Soup is often mushy by nature, and this way you can get some texture without the addition of crackers.

This soup is light and fresh, but also manages to be filling. I absolutely loved it, and I can’t wait to make it again soon.

Light Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens, via Confections of a Foodie Bride

1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup grated carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
1 large red pepper, stemmed and seeded, and cut into strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
4 oz. thin Asian noodles, like somen/lo mein/chow mein
6 oz. snow peas, halved
1/4 cup chopped green onions (dark green parts only)

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add the oil.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and then place in the hot oil. Sear about 3 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and drain any excess fat from the pot.

Reduce the heat to medium, and add the carrots, red pepper, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, broth, and water to the pot.

Cut the chicken into 1″ cubes, and then add them to the pot.

Simmer (don’t boil) the soup over medium or medium-low for 40 minutes.

Add the noodles to the pot and cook for 3-5 (check the package for how long they take).

Add the snow peas and green onions and cook 2-4 minutes, until the snow peas have turned bright green. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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Chicken with Bulgur and Peppers. Or Bulgur con Pollo. Or Chicken with Spanish Bulgur. Or something.

January 9, 2012 · 13 comments

in chicken/poultry,healthy,rice and grains

Like most people who cook on a daily, or near daily, basis, I love the “one pot meal.” Being able to have your protein, starch, and vegetables all cook away in the same vessel with minimum effort (and only one pot to clean at the end) is a pretty good deal.

The problem I run into is that I often have a hard time making them with complex carbs. White rice is easy enough to add to a one-meal concoction, but try throwing brown rice or barley in there and you are often left with rice that hasn’t cooked thoroughly or a piece of meat that is so overcooked it ruins the happy vibe of the one-pot meal.

But other grains that take less time to cook, like bulgur, which is one of my absolute favorite starchy sides, are perfect. You may recognize it as the main ingredient in tabouli, but it does so much more. We easily eat it once a week. The most common way I prepare it is to make it into a pilaf, sauteing just a little onion & garlic in the beginning, cooking it in chicken broth, and topping it with toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds. I’ve also made this recipe as a side before, sans the chicken. Bulgur takes less time to cook than even white rice, and easily outweighs rice’s nutrition benefits, too (a serving has 50 less calories but 6 more grams of dietary fiber).

This meal is sort of a play on arroz con pollo, or chicken with rice. The ingredients and flavor profile are similar, but the arroz is obviously replaced with bulgur (which I have no idea how to say in Spanish, sorry. I mean, lo siento!).

Boneless/skinless chicken thighs would be a great replacement for the breast in this recipe. You can use bone-in, too, but I would simmer them in the liquid for about 5 minutes before adding the bulgur, to assure they get fully cooked.

Chicken with Bulgur and Peppers

Serves 4

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4 small chicken breasts or chicken breast halves, about 5 oz. each
cumin
paprika
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup medium grain bulgur
2 cups beef broth
1 bay leaf
2 green onions, sliced

Season the chicken to taste with salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika.

Heat a large saute pan with lid over medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the chicken and sear for 1-2 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan.

To the pan, add the onion and peppers and cook until tender, with just a little bit of bite. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the bulgur and stir around to toast, before adding the beef broth and bay leaf.

Bring a mixture to a low boil, and nestle the chicken back in. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook about 12-13 minutes, then turn off the heat, and let sit for 5 minutes.

Top with green onions before serving.

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Cranberry Shortbread Bars

January 5, 2012 · 12 comments

in sweets/desserts

I tried keeping things fairly low key this year, in terms of Christmas baking. After spending too much time decorating sugar cookies and standing at my stove dipping melomakarona, I opted for two really easy treats – peppermint bark, and these cranberry bars.

I hadn’t really planned on making anything new this year, but I happened to run across this recipe while I was on the Joy of Baking site looking at an old favorite, raspberry bars. I’ve made the raspberry bars in the past, for both holiday and any time treats, but I wanted to give these a try since cranberries are a bit more festive, and anything encased in shortbread is a surefire hit.

These bars come together very quickly. You just dump all the ingredients for the filling in a saucepan, and then mix a few ingredients together to make the bottom crust/topping.

I loved the buttery shortbread in these bars (I had to taste test one before giving them away, of course), and the slight tartness of the cranberries.

I am posting the original recipe/amount below, but I actually ended up tripling the filling (since I had two 12 oz. bags of cranberries) and making one 9×13 pan (with 1.5x the crust amount of the original recipe) and one 8×8 pan (with the original amount in the recipe, but it was too much crust/topping, since the recipe calls for a 9″ pan). Besides that, the only change I made was to add orange zest to the filling, which I think is a perfect complement to cranberries.

These are a great low-maintenance but well-liked dessert recipe, and I will definitely make them again.

Cranberry Shortbread Bars

Adapted from Joy of Baking

Cranberry filling
8 oz. fresh cranberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar*
3 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. orange zest

Shortbread
2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 and grease a 9×9 baking pan.

To make the filling: In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, and water. Cook over medium-high heat until boiling, and continue to boil the filling until it’s thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. (*You may need to add a little more sugar depending on the tartness of the cranberries.) Stir in the orange zest and remove from the heat to cool while you make the shortbread.

To make the shortbread: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt.

In another bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter until smooth (1 minute) and add the sugar, beating until smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently fold in the flour mixture until just incorporated.

Evenly press two-thirds of the shortbread dough into the prepared pan. Spoon over the cranberry filling evenly, leaving a 1/4″ border. With the remaining shortbread dough, crumble it over the top of the filling, using your fingers. Then, gently press the dough into the filling.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven, place on a wire rack and while still hot, cut into 16 squares. Allow to cool completely in pan.

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Stifado (Greek Beef Stew)

January 3, 2012 · 10 comments

in beef,greek

Stifado (stee-FAH-though) is a Greek stew that is typically made with a fair amount of onions, wine, tomatoes, and cinnamon. The word stifado itself is really more about the stewing and other ingredients (not necessarily the beef) but beef is probably the most common form of stifado, at least in the U.S.

What this dish lacks in appearance, it makes up for in flavor. Big time. Beef is braised until it’s pull-apart tender. The wine and tomato paste create a great depth of flavor, while the cinnamon and cloves give this is a slightly sweet/spicy flavor. Cumin might seem like an odd ingredient in Greek food, but I like the slight smokiness it provides, and also use it in Greek meatballs called soutzoukakia. You can certainly omit it, if it’s not your thing.

Unlike a typical stew, this one doesn’t have potatoes (it doesn’t have much besides the meat, really!), so feel free to serve it with your carb of choice. I love having it with some crusty bread to sop off the sauce, and have also had it over rice. One of my favorite ways to eat the leftovers is with pasta (and loads of a salty cheese, like myzithra), which is what we did this time, too.

Just a note, I’ve been loving these little muslin bags when cooking with things like whole cloves. They are food safe, reusable, and make fishing out the cloves at the end much easier.

Beef (Kreas) Stifado

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2 lbs. beef chuck, cut into 1″ pieces (or packaged stew meat)
3/4 cup flour
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 lb. cipolini onions, peeled (I use frozen, which are already peeled)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2/3 cup red wine
2 cups beef broth or water
1 cinnamon stick
4-5 whole cloves, or allspice berries
2 bay leaves
3/4 tsp. cumin

Combine the flour with a big pinch of salt and some freshly ground pepper in a resealable bag. Add the beef, in batches if necessary, and shake to coat.

In a Dutch oven, heat 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. Once hot, shake the excess flour off the beef and place some in a single layer in the hot oil, without overcrowding. Brown on one side and then flip and brown on the other. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon. Add another Tbsp. of oil to the pan and continue with the remaining 1-2 batches of beef.

Once the beef has been browned and removed, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook another minute. Add the wine and scrape up any browned bits. Cook until slightly reduced, 2 minutes. Add the broth or water, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then add the beef back in. Reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook until beef is very tender, 2-3 hours. Season to taste, if necessary.

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2011 Year in Review: Favorite Recipes

December 31, 2011 · 13 comments

in misc.

Happy (almost) new year! I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays, and hopefully some time off work, too. We had a great break, but it was definitely tiring since we did a lot of traveling. We also spent a lot of time in front of family paparazzi in an effort to get a family picture (we never get any!), and this is what we came up with. (My son hasn’t stopped drooling in like 14 months, I swear.)

Today I’ll be making a traditional Greek vasilopita, and then swearing off desserts for the next year. Or for a couple days, anyway.

I’m not usually one for many round-up posts in my blog, but I really love doing one at the end of each year. It gives me a chance to revisit all of the new things I’ve made and remind myself of the ones I loved the most, so I can be sure to make them again (if I haven’t already). Plus, it gives any new readers (hi!) a Cliff’s Notes version of the last year, to make sure they see the best of the best. Feel free to check out roundups from the past four years, too!

Below are a list of your favorite posts (based on statistics) and mine. Some of them overlap, which means you should make those first, obviously. :) Happy new year and happy cooking!

Your Favorite Recipes

1. Slowcooker Shredded Beef for Tacos/Burritos
2. French Onion Soup
3. Greek Salsa
4. Yellow Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting
5. Bagels
6. Gigantes Plaki (Greek baked bean casserole)
7. Pasta with Portobello Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, and Goat Cheese
8. Almond Joy Ice Cream
9. Goat Cheese and Pancetta Stuffed Mushrooms
10. Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks

My Favorite Recipes (in order of posting date)

Osso Buco Braised veal shanks that are fall-off-the-bone-tender and flavorful, topped with a fresh gremolata

Cassata Cake This is one of my two favorite types of cake (the other, yellow with chocolate frosting, was one of your favorites, too), and is definitely one of the best cakes I’ve made. Rum-soaked sponge cakes are layered with cannoli filling and topped with whipped cream. What’s not to love?

Slowcooker Beef for Tacos/Burritos This is one of the easiest dishes to make, since the crockpot does most of the work for you. But, it’s also one of the most flavorful meals, too. We love this and it’s become a staple. It even made an appearance at my son’s first birthday party!

Chipotle and Tomatillo-Sauced Black Bean Enchiladas with Spinach and Pepper Whew, that title is quite a mouthful, but so are these enchiladas. It was a given that I’d love enchiladas topped with one of my favorite homemade salsas and filled with my favorite way to make black beans. This is, by far, one of my favorite vegetarian dishes to date.

Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo If you’ve ever wondered if the time to make a roux and simmer gumbo (not to mention the calories) is worth it, then the answer is a resounding yes. This is the stuff dreams are made of: a hearty, amazing stew with an incredible depth of flavor.

Amygdalota One of my two favorite Greek cookies! So glad I finally got around to making them, and even more glad the results were fabulous.

Almond Joy Ice Cream The title pretty much says it all, no?

Sticky Toffee Pudding This is really not a pudding at all, but an exceptionally moist cake studded with dates and drenched in toffee sauce. It’s one of my favorite desserts, and I promise it will be one of yours, too.

Bagels I was so impressed with how these turned out for my first attempt. Not nearly as difficult as I’d imagined, and the perfect texture.

Guacamole Salad This is a light, refreshing salad that is the perfect accompaniment to a Mexican dish, or really any summer grilling.

Greek Nachos A Greek twist on standard nachos, these start out with baked pita triangles and are topped with Greek salsa, a spiced lamb mixture, and tzatziki.

Drunken Noodles Although the search for some of the ingredients in this dish left me beat, it was all worth it in the end. This spicy Thai pasta dish will definitely trump your favorite delivery spot.

Barbecued Chicken Kabobs I credit these things with making my son interested in meat again. Bacon paste (yuuuuup) assures these kabobs stay perfectly moist, and an easily adaptable and ridiculously quick to whip up barbecue sauce makes these a great meal for the whole family.

Short Ribs in Chipotle and Green Chili Sauce With the first bite I took of this meal, I knew instantly they would make it onto this year-end list. That’s a ringing endorsement.

French Onion Soup Most likely my favorite soup on the planet.

Butternut Squash and Poblano Gratin With roasted poblanos, slightly sweet butternut squash, and loads of cheese, there is really nothing not to love about this. It’s my new favorite side dish.

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Christmas Sugar Cookies, and Merry Christmas!

December 23, 2011 · 16 comments

in sweets/desserts

I figured since I was unemployed during the holidays this year and had a bit more time on my hands, I’d make some decorated sugar cookies to give away in treat boxes this year. I also made my standard melomakarona, cranberry shortbread bars (recipe forthcoming), and peppermint bark (which I tried making in pretty molds and ended up not so pretty).

Although my decorating skills may still leave a bit to be desired (my snowmen looked like they were wearing pirate hats and had no noses, and some of my outline piping was way too thick, for example), I’m pretty happy with the way they turned out, considering it was only my second attempt at decorating with royal icing.

Like the first time, though, these were definitely a process. I’m sure that those who make these frequently get much better and quicker with time, but man, it can be exhausting! I also made the mistake of doing too many shapes and colors. I only have a few couplers and 2 tips that are decent for outlining so it was a bit of a nuisance for me.

On the first day, I made and refrigerated the dough. Easy peasy.

On the second day, I rolled the cookies out, baked them, and then outlined them once they had cooled. At this point, I was already exhausted and questioning why I chose to do this.

Later that day, I flooded the cookies.

I then let them sit out overnight to dry.

The next morning, I decorated them. And then breathed a huge sigh of relief.

I decided to try a different sugar cookie recipe this time around. I mentioned in my first sugar cookie post that I was planning on trying a few – not that I ever had any issues with that first cookie, not at all. This time around I used Ashlee’s Famous Sugar Cookies, to try a recipe that used both granulated and powdered sugar. I omitted the lemon zest (just never been my thing in cookies) and upped the almond extract a bit. These cookies puffed a bit more than Annie’s, though they still kept their shape pretty well. The surface was just a bit more raised and not as flat. I liked the texture of the cookies a little bit better, though I liked the more pronounced almond extract in the first recipe a bit better. So, it’s a toss up!

I used the same royal icing recipe as I did the first time around and, once again, used Annie’s incredibly helpful royal icing tutorial.

I would like to wish all of you the happiest of holidays!

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Slowcooker Asian Pork

December 21, 2011 · 10 comments

in asian,crockpot,healthy,pork

It’s not often that I see a slowcooker recipe that catches my eye and elicits me to make it almost immediately. I wish I did, really. Crockpot cooking is so convenient but the truth is, there just aren’t a lot of meals I make in mine (though I very much enjoy the ones I do).

This recipe, on the other hand, seemed pretty perfect. First of all, it’s shredded meat, which the slowcooker excels at. Secondly, there are no other ingredients added in the beginning—save for the liquid and seasoning—to turn into a mushy pile of ick by the end. And lastly, the ingredients are not only pantry staples, but are extremely flavorful. Oh, and it’s also nice when you’ve taken on entirely too much holiday baking and are too damned tired to cook by dinnertime.

We all thought this recipe was great. I can get behind pretty much anything with a garlic/ginger/soy sauce flavor combo. Zachary really enjoyed this and kept asking for “more chicken” (he apparently thinks all shredded meat = chicken). Thank goodness we are past the stage of him refusing meat almost altogether. He also freaking LOVED the snow peas, which is good to know because he has now started turning his nose up at several vegetables. Toddlers, gotta love ‘em.

I ended up adding a cornstarch slurry at the end to thicken the sauce up for this a bit. You could also dredge the pork in flour and then sear it before adding to the crockpot for a similar effect. I was admittedly hesitant about not searing the pork before throwing it in, since I normally do, but then I remembered another slowcooker pork recipe with fabulous results, despite not searing, so I went with it.

I ended up reducing the liquid a bit overall, and also using a center cut roast since it’s leaner (and was on sale for the same price as shoulder). I also threw the snap peas in during the last few minutes, with the cornstarch slurry, because I like them to remain really crisp. As I’ve mentioned, I always use the Saveur method when making brown rice, and it worked out especially well with this because I threw the peppers into the crockpot the same time I threw the rice in to cook, and then I put the snap peas in while the rice was finishing steaming.

Guys, I am always SO happy to add a new slowcooker recipe to my repertoire. It gives me the warm fuzzies. Try this one out, I promise you’ll like it (and so does Zachary :-D).

Slowcooker Asian Pork

Adapted from Apple a Day and Food Network
1.5 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp. salt
1 (2.5 lb.) center cut pork roast
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 (2″) knob ginger, peeled and grated
4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
6 scallions, sliced, white parts separated from green
1 oz. dried shiitake (or other) mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 cup snap peas, halved
cornstarch slurry, optional

In a small bowl, mix together the 5-spice, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt. Rub over the pork, wrap rightly, and refrigerate overnight.

In the bowl of a slowcooker, mix together the soy sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, and red pepper until the sugar is dissolved. Add in the ginger and garlic. Place the pork roast into the slowcooker, and place the mushrooms and white parts of the scallions around it. Cook on low for 8-9 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Shred the pork into large pieces.

Forty minutes before serving, add the pepper strips and continue cooking on low.

During the last 5 minutes, add the snap peas and, if desired, the corn starch slurry. Cook on high, with the lid off, for 5 minutes. Top the pork with the green parts of the scallions before serving.

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