Vegetables

Things that sprout up from the earth!

Fried Shallots

/ andreah94 / 4 Comments

Fried Shallots are the perfect way to add crunch to dishes. They can be a bit messy to make (and take more time) but are generally worth it. You can also buy fried shallots at Asian markets.

One shallot, thinly sliced
Canola Oil (can use olive oil but Canola or Safflower oil will be best for frying)
A small handful of flour
Salt

Heat about a centimeter of oil to a medium heat heat (360 degrees).Slice shallots, either into long slices or rings, sprinkle and toss them with flour and then insert into the oil. Fry until golden brown. Remove and lightly salt.

Chicken Marsala – The Version that occured last night

/ andreah94 / 1 Comment

As with practically everything else I make, this is a dish that is different every time. That is what I get for not using recipes I suppose. I admit I had some anxiety before making this last night. I actually have not made it since maybe the first month that D and I started dating. The story with that meal is less than a fairy tale. It was getting cooler at night and I was craving chicken Marsala like I sometimes do. I did my shopping at the Marble Falls HEB – a decent size but not anywhere near my normal spots (which we all know by now are Central Market and Whole Foods). This ends up with me staring wistfully at the Marsala choices (only one and it was NOT Holland House) knowing that my craving was probably not going to be satisfied but hoping the dish would still come out – yes that is how much loyalty I show to my products. I also used the only selection of pancetta that was available, again a product that was new to me. This whole “new to me” argument really is not a god one I suppose, as a decent cook should be able to roll with the punches but new products coupled with a salt shaker that apparently does not show that salt is coming out (also my first time to use) lead to a meal that was so salty I refused to eat it. D was a trooper and ate it, I am still not sure how, but he had to drink water with every bite. Believe me when I say I did everything possible to tone the salt down – lemon, the rest of the cream, more Marsala (which led my to believe this particular Marsala contained a higher amount of salt than ANY Marsala should), more butter, water.NOTHING worked. I was going to throw it all away (unprecedented – I HATE wasting food), but D would not let me. Considering this was only the second meal I had cooked him – I am pretty lucky he gave me another shot and stuck around for the third (though I am certain he agrees that worked out well for him). Basically, I cooked the worst thing I have ever made and he ate it – all of it – that is some kind of wonderful right there. =) But what I have been craving is my Marsala. The Marsala that is better than any restaurant can offer. The Marsala that my Dad licked off of his plate. The Marsala I made for my friend Mel’s bachelorette party and the Marsala that I made for large dinner parties that always resulted in a recipe inquisition (and my lack of response since I just throw stuff into a pan). Then there is also my stuffed Marsala — but that will have to be another entry. You get the gist, I was craving Marsala and – last night – I redeemed myself. Due to the previous disaster, I asked D if he liked it maybe 4 times. His response: Silence. He was too busy eating. He only stopped to say that if I want him to talk during dinner, I have to stop making food that is so good. Hey, I’ll take it! This version is lower calorie than the big versions I make for larger groups. It is much lighter and less rich but even more flavorful than what you can get in a restaurant.

FYI – in a restaurant you will get just the broth and the mushrooms. I prefer mine with the broth that still contains everything that went into it. The sweetness of the shallots soaked in sweet Marsala is just – well – perfect on bread after you finish your chicken.

Marsala

  • 4 Large Shallots, thinly sliced
  • 4 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • One pound of Cremini mushrooms, sliced (mix and match if you like)
  • 4 fresh sage leaves, whole
  • 10 fresh thyme stems, whole
  • 1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence
  • 1/2 tablespoon Crushed Red Pepper
  • Pinch of Salt
  • Large amount of black pepper, cracked
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1.5 tablespoons truffle oil
  • One slice of Pancetta or thick prosciutto sliced
  • Juice from one/half lemon
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons Half and Half
  • Half a bottle (plus a little more) of Holland house Marsala – about 1 1/4 cups (I think)
  • about 1/2 cup of chicken broth
  • Handful of baby spinach
  • 3/4 cup flour, plus 2 tablespoons for sauce
  • One tablespoon Cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • One tablespoon of Fresh thyme or Herbs de Provence
  • Generous amount of cracked black pepper
  • One egg, beaten
  • Two Chicken Breasts
  • Two small slices of Fontina cheese (or whatever you have)

One a plate combine 3/4 cup flour, Cayenne, Salt, Pepper, and fresh Thyme or HDP and mix well (add and decrease seasoning as desired). Coat Chicken in egg then dredge in flour (I do not pound my chicken breasts thin because that is one more step and the chicken is generally less juicy and tender). Brown chicken well on each side in a large skillet with heated truffle oil. Remove chicken to a plate and discard plate with flour.

In the same pan, add a dab of butter, allow to melt, then add pancetta, shallots, garlic, crushed red pepper, and a pinch of salt. Scrape bottom well to soak up all the chicken flavor and bits from the bottom. Saute until almost glassy, then add mushrooms, sage, thyme, plenty of cracked black pepper, and HDP. Cook until mushrooms are browned and add a dab more butter and 2 tablespoons flour, making a very quick roux. Add Marsala, cream, and broth and allow to reduce – about 8 minutes. Squeeze the lemon juice in and let it hang out for a second. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired (I would add more pepper and a touch more cream of butter if it needs it). Cut a slit in each chicken breast and insert a small slice of Fontina cheese in the slit. Return to pan and let warm for a few minutes and add spinach to wilt into sauce. Remove from heat, top with Parsley and serve chicken smothered with sauce with warm, crusty bread.

*Before serving remove the thyme stems and sage leaves.

White Bean Soup with Ham, Sausage and Kale

/ andreah94 / 1 Comment

>Easter weekend just passed and it was a very incredible weekend filled with yummy food, time to cook, good wine, mimosas, family (well D’s family not mine but they are wonderful so I am not complaining!), four amazing labs (usually there are six but two stayed in Katy), and plenty of pool/sun time. Post-Easter saw D and I with a fridge that was literally overflowing with leftover food (thanks to D’s generous mom). I had two honey baked hams. One was destined for soups because it had been in the freezer since Christmas and was defrosted for the weekend, but just did not have the right texture to eat. Not a problem at the time of eating has we had a back up ham and the old one would be perfect in soup because the texture would not matter. Incidentally this old ham, also had the largest ham hock I have ever seen. It was the size of my forearm – if not bigger. So the fridge is full and I have carrots and celery and 20 pounds of ham that need to be eaten. I am thinking…you know I have always wanted to try a cassoulet. Dilemma – it is the weekday and I do not have the time it takes to make a cassoulet. I need something I can prep ahead, throw in a pot in the morning and simmer it until I get home for dinner. Additionally, Whole Foods does not sell duck thighs and I am not paying 30 bucks for a do-it-from-your-fridge meal. Solution: White Beans (which I had in the pantry), Spicy Chicken Sausage (which I had in the freezer), Ham (you are quite aware I had ham) and Kale soup. Kale later turned into Swiss Chard because WF was out of it. It was good for my first time. I can see why it is a winter trend – next time I think that I will use less liquid to make a ticker stew that the beans really stand out in (I LOVE beans). I also think that I will finish it off in the oven with a nice layer of cheese and some garlic croutons – in a nod to one of my favorites – French Onion Soup. Cassoulet – that masterful feat I have yet to accomplish – will have to wait. Don’t be intimidated by the length of this list – it is basically just the contents of a fridge, pantry and freezer thrown together to get used in time.If you have chicken thighs, those would be great to throw in this as well. You should know that I did this the incredibly lazy way – I did not put my soup broth through a strainer. I did not puree it. I did not pick out the veggies and replace with uncooked one (carrots and such lose their flavor after about two hours cooking so generally, you are supposed to replace them to obtain a soup that does not have muddled flavors). I just ate it as it was.

Time wise here is what I did. The day before cooking, I prepped all ingredients and put them into bowls and soaked the beans. Day off I brown the meat, then threw in the veggies, liquid and seasoning. Let hang out for a few hours, taste test once you get home and adjust seasoning as necessary.

  • 2 large white or yellow onions
  • 1 entire (Large) head garlic, cloves peeled and halved
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 5 carrots, sliced into half inch pieces then halved
  • couple of pieces of fresh torn sage leaves, whole
  • 2 bay leaves
  • One sprig rosemary
  • 8 Thyme stems
  • Red Pepper Flakes
  • Salt
  • Pepper to taste (a lot)
  • 1.5 cups dry white wine
  • 2.5 cups Chicken Stock
  • Sun-dried tomatoes or regular tomato paste, to taste
  • Dried Chipotle Peppers or Sriracha to taste
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, grated
  • 2 tablespoons pesto
  • A couple of slices of toasted garlic bread
  • 2 links of Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage
  • One ham Hock
  • Handful of torn ham pieces
  • 4 cups dried Great Northern beans, soaked overnight
  • Two bunches Kale or Swiss Chard, sliced into long sliced and stems removed
  • 1-2 Parmesan Cheese Rinds (I keep old rinds in the freezer and throw them into soups to get them more depth)
  • Smoked Paprika (optional – I added it just because)

Soak beans over night in room temperature water (fill bowl with water covering the beans plus four inches). The next day, heat a good amount of olive oil in a large dutch oven. Add sausage (and whatever other meat is being used i.e. chicken thighs, duck thighs, ham hock, etc) and sear. remove from pan and add the onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, celery, bay leaves, a pinch of salt, and a small bundle (tied with kitchen string) that contains the rosemary, sage, and thyme to the pan and saute until glassy – scrapping up the bits of meat from the bottom. Once glassy, degalze the pan with the white wine cook for a couple minutes. Add beans, meat, dried chilis, cheese rind, tomato paste and a good amount of black pepper to the pan. Add the chicken stock. Stir and cover. Cook over a low heat for 2-4 hours. Taste test and add flavors has necessary. Add the greens and allow to cook for another 30-45 minutes, then remove any bones or chunks of fatty meat, chilis, and the bouquet garni from stew.  Laddle into large bowls and top with a handful of shredded cheese and a spoonful of pesto. Serve with crusty, toasted garlic bread.

Green Bean Casserole

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Who doesn’t love Green Bean Casserole? I have been (not-so-secretly) pining to do a dinner consisting of ham, green bean casserole, scalloped potatoes and other veggies. I was partially satiated over Easter weekend. We spent a great weekend with D’s family and there were two HUGE hams….D literally ALWAYS wants scalloped potatoes, so I decided to make those and my green bean casserole. I was happy as a clam. Incidentally, I do not think that I have ever had green bean casserole made with canned beans. I always use fresh. Additionally, I usually make my own cream of mushroom soup when I have the time so that I do not have to fill my body (and the bodies of everyone eating) with all the bad things in the processed kind, but this version will be featuring partially processed food. In fact, this sauce is a hybrid of  “made from scratch” and processed – I was trying to use up some cream that was set to expire the next weekend and did not want to buy more because I was shopping at HEB versus my usual stores. Ergo, I did not have quite enough of the ingredients I needed to make the sauce entirely from scratch. Also, I usually fry my own shallots as toppers to my casserole but used the canned french-fried onions in this version. As I was a guest in someone’s house and had already made a good mess (and they had company) so I just wanted to save time and the mess and go the easy, processed route. My apologies to the health nuts and you are welcome to those in a time crunch.

  • 4 Cups fresh green beans, sliced into one inch pieces (and washed)
  • 2 cups fresh mushrooms, halved
  • 5 large shallots, thinly sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup cream
  • 4 TBSP butter
  • Red Pepper flakes, to taste
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • Handful of French Fried Onions or Fried Shallots
  • Chicken Broth

Boil Green Beans in Chicken Broth (or water with chicken bouillon) until slightly underdone (about 8 minutes) and then transfer immediately to an ice bath. Reserve some of the chicken broth.

In a pan, saute the shallots, garlic, red pepper, and mushrooms in the butter (salt and pepper to season). Add a splash of white wine, cream and mushroom soup and allow to reduce (add pepper and other seasoning to taste). Once the texture is as you like it (I like mine in a semi-tick sauce – combine with green beans and top with fried onions. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Sauteed Spinach

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I can eat sauteed spinach all day, everyday. It is super easy, healthy, flavorful and versatile. It can be used as a side, as a bed for a protein such as salmon, can be used as a stuffing, or as a whole meal. I crave this over and over again – hey I guess it is better than craving pizza!

Sauteed Spinach

Baby spinach leaves, washed and dried – you will need a good bit of spinach as its volume is significantly reduced after cooking
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 large shallots, thinly sliced
Crushed red pepper *optional, I tend to not add it
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Dash of white wine (sub chicken broth if you have no white wine)

Heat a dab of olive oil in a large, high walled skillet. Saute garlic and shallots (properly seasoned) until glassy then hit with a nice pull of white wine (depending on how much spinach you are using decrease or increase the amount of wine added). Once the wine cooks off, add the spinach to the pan and allow to wilt. Pepper and serve.

Scalloped Potatoes – Twice – Yikes

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Friday night. I have the flu. D and I go to my mom’s house so that she can take care of me and the boys can have man time with horseshoes. Mom tells me that she is making one of my favorite English meals – Bubbles and Squeak. 30 minutes later a phone call delivers the horrifying news that corned beef has been recalled and is incredibly hard to find in America (and that if it is found, we may contract some disease). Well crud! That was literally the only thing I wanted in the world. Plan B was pieced together from what she had already bought at the store preparing for Bubble and Squeak and their dinner the next night – steaks. Daddy was thrilled because he loves steak and potatoes. My Heart was broken. Somehow this whole “Andi is sick and needs to lay down and be taken care of” turned into Dalt and Daddy pleading with me to make scalloped potatoes and me scrounging through my parents pantry and fridge to acquiesce. Then, the very next day, D and I decided to stay the night again and I had to make an additional dish for me (I do not eat pork and that was on the menu for the evening) so we ended up at the Super S – which was like  a culture shock for me – and the pasta I was making turned into Dalton saying, ” You know if you wanted to make scalloped potatoes again, I would eat them.” So, for the second time in two days, I made scalloped potatoes – these were different than the night before, I have included both recipes. D was so excited about his leftover potatoes – Daddy only had me leave him enough for one small lunch serving so the rest went into a Ziploc for D. Alas, they were left behind (and yes this means that I have to make scalloped potatoes again in the near future to make up for it – those are going to have oven-baked onion rings on them).

Friday Night

  • Chicken Broth
  • 4 red potatoes – sliced up to a quarter inch thick
  • Mozzarella, Shredded
  • Cheddar Cheese (aged 2 years or more). shredded
  • Monterrey Jack, Shredded
  • Sherry
  • Shallots
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme – to taste
  • Butter
  • Flour
  • 2 percent milk, Half and Half, or Cream
  • Mushrooms
  • Bacon Bits

In a stock pot, bring water to a boil (I like to use a bit of better than broth bouillon for extra flavor). Once a rolling boil has been achieved, add sliced potatoes and boil under fork tender. Strain and return to pot.

Melt butter, Saute garlic and minced shallots with flour and crushed red pepper. Once a light roux is formed, add sherry and cook until alcohol is just cooked out. Add a bit of broth and the milk and allow to thicken. Season with desired amounts of cayenne, salt, pepper, and the thyme. Add in cheeses a handful at a time allowing time for the cheese to melt into the mixture. Keep on low heat.

In another saute pan, heat butter or oil and then add mushrooms and sliced onions. Cook until glassy.

In a buttered, oven-safe dish begin to place one potato round down to cover bottom of pan. Spoon some of the cheese mixture over the bottom layer and spread to cover well. Add sauteed mushrooms, onions, and some bacon bits on top, then repeat this process (potatoes, cheese mixture, mushroom mixture) until the potatoes are gone and the layers are complete. Top the top layer with some shredded cheese and sprinkle with paprika.

Bake in the oven on 350 until bubbly and brown on top. I like to add a little bit of chicken broth around the sides to just keep the dish moist. Top with green onions (if you have – which I did not this night) after removal from the oven.

Saturday Night

It is a little interesting that one sauce seems more authentic than the other. This one uses a can of cheddar cheese soup and some freshly shredded cheddar cheese (I did not have either the night before) in addition to the ingredients from the first night. I also used Green Onions. I omitted as many mushrooms because I needed to save some for my dad for breakfast the next day.

To make this version, follow previous instruction adding the cheddar cheese soup to the cheese/milk mixture. Chop green onions and sprinkle in layers along with bacon, onion, and mushroom mixture. Everything else is fairly similar. In this version you can reduce the amount of flour that you use because the soup will thicken it.

Butternut Squash Ravioli

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Butternut Squash Ravioli is not a new concept, but it is a good one. There are lots of versions that you can make. You can make a cream sauce to toss the ravioli with if you prefer. I prefer a white wine sauce fortified by a dab of cream and butter. These can be made ahead or frozen.
Filling

Butternut Squash, at least a pound cubed (I like to buy butternut squash already cut up and cubed – it really makes life so much easier, you can also buy frozen if you choose).
3 large Shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Herbs de Provence or other herb combination
Either fresh homemade pasta dough (in ravioli shapes) or store-bought ravioli pasta wrappers – you can also use Gyoza wrappers (in frozen Asian section at Central Market).
One egg and pastry brush for binding
Parmesan, Pecorino, Fontina, or Goat Cheese
Cream
Ground white pepper

Toss butternut squash with about 2 or the shallots sliced and 2 garlic cloves minced, herbs de provence, salt, pepper, and basil/garlic/olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and bake until fork tender. Bake until fork tender. Once done, remove from baking sheet and toss in a bowl with cheese, dab of cream, and [optional] ground sage. Puree (using a bit of chicken broth if necessary for texture).
WITH DOUGH: Line up on a floured surface. Place a spoonful of filling inside every other round. Brush the edges of the ravioli with egg and secure top piece of dough pressing together gently with a fork. Boil in salted water for a few minutes, strain and reserve.
Sauce – choose from either Brown Butter – Sage Sauce or Shallot-White Wine

Shaved Parmesan
Ground Black Pepper

If using Brown Butter-Sage Sauce: melt 7-8 tablespoons of butter in a pan, adding to it 10-15 fresh sage leaves, sauté with sliced shallots until brown. Remove sage leave before serving and toss with ravioli, dried cranberries, shaved Parmesan Cheese, and ground black pepper. Grated nutmeg optional. If using Shallot-White Wine sauce, add in a dash of cream and make sure to use flour to thicken the sauce, top with some freshly grated cheese and black pepper and parsley if you desire. This can also be made with a cream-based sauce and is excellent but is a bit to heavy for me.

Butternut Squash and Melted Leek Risotto

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>This risotto came about because JMac needed a Halloween-themed pot luck dish, so I promptly got to work trying out recipes. I am so happy I did. Ironically enough I saw a version of this in  Bon Appetit in November of last year, naturally I decided that I had to make my version to compete. I prefer mine=) This dish has several different cooking components but once you get them started you can pretty much do everything simultaneously. This is much better as a Sunday dinner dish because of the amount of time it takes to cook risotto (completely worth it though).

Makes about 4 large servings, plus leftovers

  • Butternut Squash, at least a pound cubed (I like to buy butternut squash already cut up and cubed – it really makes life so much easier, you can also buy frozen if you choose).
  • 4-6+ large Shallots, thinly sliced
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
  • Herbs de Provence
  • 1-2 bunches of leeks – white part only, sliced into rings and throughout cleaned of dirt (it is easiest to clean them after slicing by placing the rings into a strainer and running water over them – dry and reserve)
  • 7 tablespoons butter
  • white cooking wine (about a half cup for leeks and between 1 -2 cups for risotto depending on taste
  • 1 cup Arborio rice
  • at least 3 cups of chicken broth – probably more – warm on low heat throughout
  • Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese – to taste – about a half cup shredded
  • Fresh torn basil

Preheat oven to 400

Toss butternut squash with about 2 or the shallots sliced and 2 garlic cloves minced, herbs de provence, salt, pepper, and basil/garlic/olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and bake until fork tender.

In a small saucepan, combine 5.5 tablespoons butter and about a half cup of wine over a medium heat. Add leeks and simmer for about an hour (the longer the better). Season as appropriate.

In a large skillet prepare the risotto. Melt remaining butter and a little olive oil in pan add in remaining shallots and garlic. Sprinkle with a touch of salt and cook until glassy.  Add the rice and toast, stirring until it is translucent.  Add about a cup and a half of the wine and stir until absorbed.  Then add the simmering chicken broth in half cup portions, stirring until absorbed, then adding more.  Once it gets a little more done I usually taste it and add more wine or chicken broth accordingly.Once the risotto has reached the desired texture – add salt and pepper to taste and add cheese. Add butternut squash (I usually add it whole but you can puree it with a little bit of broth if you prefer) and leek mixture and mix well. Garnish with basil and pepper to taste.