Back in 2008, Annalena (who wasn't really Annalena yet), posted a recipe for a wonderful meringue cookie:
http://annalenacantacena.blogspot.com/2008/11/nuts-to-you-meringue-cookies.html
Now, if you had a nut allergy, you couldn't eat this cookie. If you didn't, it became one of your favorites, if Annalena says so herself. It saw parts of the country she has never seen. And all was good with the world.
BUT.... last May, when Annalena and the Guyman were touring San Francisco, they visited the factory and store of the wonderful chocolate manufacturer, TCHO. Annalena commends their products to you, especially if you like your chocolate with a coffee/bitter edge to it. They are wonderful.
While there, Annalena tasted their cacao nibs. For those of you who don't know these, they are the immediate product after cacao beans are washed, and roasted. Chocolate comes many steps later. Take a look at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chocolate
When she tasted them, Annalena thought "these would be GREAT in the meringue cookies." She really did think that: no dirty words, no sexual innuendo, nothing (perhaps she was tired, or hadn't had sufficient coffee, or something). Well, Tcho only sold the product in 3 pound bags. And as luggage space is scarce on trips our intrepid pair take - and there was the reality of carrying the monster around the city - Annalena ordered a bag and had them sent home. By themselves, they are too bitter. But in combination, as she found out, they make a wonderful cookie.
Let us put it this way, ragazzi: Annalena has not found a single person who did not rave about these. She is considering, very carefully, dispensing with holiday cookie selections in favor of nothing but variations on this theme. And that's both a consideration and a threat. So those of you who love the cookies...
Ok, let's get going. The essentials: the whites of three large eggs. A cup of sugar. A tablespoon of white vinegar, and a cup to 1.5 cups of cocoa nibs. You can add the seeds of one vanilla bean, if you like, or you can use vanilla sugar, or you can leave out the vanilla all together. A teaspoon of extract would probably work as well.
Put the egg whites into a clean mixing bowl with the vinegar, and get out your whisk attachment. Raise the speed to HIGH and set a timer. Leave the stuff alone for three minutes. By the end of that time, you should have billowy, fluffy egg whites. Now, lower the speed, and start adding the sugar little by little. If you are using the vanilla bean seeds or the extract, now is the time to add that as well. At the end, you will have shiny, stiff, glossy egg whites.
Off the mixer, stir in the cacao nibs gently, and carefully. Now, have some fun. You can add a cup of bittersweet, or semisweet chocolate chips (milk chocolate chips are too sweet). OR you can add a nice heaping teaspoon of cinnamon. OR... well, let your imagination run with you, ragazzi, as long as you keep in mind that the meringues are VERY sweet, so something like white chocolate or butterscotch chips, is probably not the best idea.
Cover two baking sheets with parchment, and heat your oven to 225. Now, get a melon baller, or something that measures a teaspoon. Annalena finds that things work better if she wets the scoop and coats it with sugar, and repeats this every five cookies or so. Start dropping the meringue onto the sheets, by the teaspoon. Give them some room: you probably want 20-24 of these per sheet.
Put each sheet on an oven rack, and after 22-23 minutes, protect your hands, reverse them, and bake for another 22-23 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the door, and let them cool.
If you've used the chips, these cookies will be dense, and not so high. With the cinnamon, they billow, like fat little pillows, and the cinnamon/cacao nib mix has some people compare the cookies to cherries. Annalena doesn't see it, but she doesn't have your tongue. At least not yet.
Try variations and let Annalena know. She's thinking of doing a spicy one with some chili powder. If you want to know how that turns out, tell her. She'll keep you filled in.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Sounds authentic to me: Senegalese okra and peanut stew
Annalena admits that when it comes to African cuisine, she is a total illiterate. She really, really is. Apart from the Ethiopian bread injera, she knows nothing. Absolutely nothing. So, ragazzi, when she saw a recipe for "Senegalese okra stew," which involved cashew butter, she was absolutely convinced that this was someone's fantasy.
She was probably wrong. See, if you were to be asked: without google searching, where do cashews come from? you'd probably not guess Africa. Nor would you guess that the Ivory Coast is one of the major producers, and Nigeria is THE major producer. So, go and look at a map of Africa and find Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. Senegal is right there. So, it became very feasible.
Except Annalena did not have cashew butter on hand. She t hought about making some of her own, but was not feeling all that up to the process. Many of us who went through a vegetarian phase, however, remember eating something called "groundnut stew." Annalena never learned what a groundnut was, but we used peanut butter instead. And we all convinced ourselves that we were being ethnic, politically correct, etc, etc, etc. She always has peanut butter around, thanks to the ministrations of Melissa the monster (Annalena's trainer: also known as Hamstring Hannah). So the substitution went in, and it worked.
In fact, there were many substitutions in this recipe, and it worked nonetheless. It's good. Annalena is going to take you through it, with the substitutions, and suggests you make this. You're busy for most of the time, but when Annalena says "most of the time," she means about 30 minutes.
Let's get all of our ingredients together first. Peel and slice two onions. Annalena used red ones, but use what you got. Separate the rings. Also grate about two tablespoons of fresh ginger, and mince about 4 cloves of garlic. You are also going to want some hot pepper. The original recipe called for one, seeded habanero. Annalena was not up to this, from the heat standpoint, and the risk of getting the hot stuff on her fingers (she wears contacts). She used a couple of small, serrano chilis, and she did not use the seeds. Judge for yourself how hot you want this. Spice was, you want a tablespoon of cumin. The recipe called for ground, which Annalena could not find on her shelf, so she used whole. You also want a half teaspoon of tumeric. Mix these together.
Vegetable wise, you will need about a pound plus of squash. Now, peeled butternut squash was called for, which Annalena did not have. She did, however, have a delicata squash. Delicata is a winter squash with a very edible skin. So she sliced this into half moons. Cube butternut, or whatever orange skinned squash you have. If you don't have delicata, butternut is the easiest one to peel.
Now, the okra. Yes, the okra. If you can find it, use it. Let's review: if you don't cut into okra, it won't slime up. So if you can find a pound of small ones, just cut away the top - where it attached to the plant. If you only have big ones, then slice them at the very last minute. You'll have time, as you'll see.
A quart of stock: the original called for vegetable. Annalena has never found a vegetable stock she likes, so she used chicken. But... if you're a vegetarian, use the vegetable stock you like. Divide it into 3 cups and one cup, and finally, half a cup of peanut butter, of any persuasion. Or cashew butter
That sounded bad, but it's not. Now, let's get to work. Put a quarter cup of oil in a big pot, and add the onions, the ginger, and the garlic. When you begin to get a sizzle, lower the heat, and cook for five minutes. Now add the hot pepper and the spices, and cook this all for two minutes. Add a bit of salt.
In goes your squash, and the three cups of stock. Yet more salt. Just a bit. Now, we cook for six, and if you're slicing your okra, this is the time to do it, because...
after the six minutes, add the okra, and cook for another three. If you REALLY feel skeeved by the okra, you can cube up some summer squash. Guess what you add a pinch of?
While the okra is cooking, stir together the peanut or cashew butter and the extra cup of stock. Do the best you can, pour it into the pot, and simmer for another five minutes.
And you're done. Unless you need.... yup.... salt. Or pepper. Or more hot peppers.
This goes over rice, and you know what? With vegetable stock, you have a vegan dish. Annalena poached some fish on it, and her doorman, who's from Guyana, told her that in his country, this dish is made with salt fish. It makes sense.
So, ragazzi, go to it. This makes PLENTY. Probably enough for 8. Feel free to cut the recipe in half, but do make it. You'll be REAL glad you did.
She was probably wrong. See, if you were to be asked: without google searching, where do cashews come from? you'd probably not guess Africa. Nor would you guess that the Ivory Coast is one of the major producers, and Nigeria is THE major producer. So, go and look at a map of Africa and find Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. Senegal is right there. So, it became very feasible.
Except Annalena did not have cashew butter on hand. She t hought about making some of her own, but was not feeling all that up to the process. Many of us who went through a vegetarian phase, however, remember eating something called "groundnut stew." Annalena never learned what a groundnut was, but we used peanut butter instead. And we all convinced ourselves that we were being ethnic, politically correct, etc, etc, etc. She always has peanut butter around, thanks to the ministrations of Melissa the monster (Annalena's trainer: also known as Hamstring Hannah). So the substitution went in, and it worked.
In fact, there were many substitutions in this recipe, and it worked nonetheless. It's good. Annalena is going to take you through it, with the substitutions, and suggests you make this. You're busy for most of the time, but when Annalena says "most of the time," she means about 30 minutes.
Let's get all of our ingredients together first. Peel and slice two onions. Annalena used red ones, but use what you got. Separate the rings. Also grate about two tablespoons of fresh ginger, and mince about 4 cloves of garlic. You are also going to want some hot pepper. The original recipe called for one, seeded habanero. Annalena was not up to this, from the heat standpoint, and the risk of getting the hot stuff on her fingers (she wears contacts). She used a couple of small, serrano chilis, and she did not use the seeds. Judge for yourself how hot you want this. Spice was, you want a tablespoon of cumin. The recipe called for ground, which Annalena could not find on her shelf, so she used whole. You also want a half teaspoon of tumeric. Mix these together.
Vegetable wise, you will need about a pound plus of squash. Now, peeled butternut squash was called for, which Annalena did not have. She did, however, have a delicata squash. Delicata is a winter squash with a very edible skin. So she sliced this into half moons. Cube butternut, or whatever orange skinned squash you have. If you don't have delicata, butternut is the easiest one to peel.
Now, the okra. Yes, the okra. If you can find it, use it. Let's review: if you don't cut into okra, it won't slime up. So if you can find a pound of small ones, just cut away the top - where it attached to the plant. If you only have big ones, then slice them at the very last minute. You'll have time, as you'll see.
A quart of stock: the original called for vegetable. Annalena has never found a vegetable stock she likes, so she used chicken. But... if you're a vegetarian, use the vegetable stock you like. Divide it into 3 cups and one cup, and finally, half a cup of peanut butter, of any persuasion. Or cashew butter
That sounded bad, but it's not. Now, let's get to work. Put a quarter cup of oil in a big pot, and add the onions, the ginger, and the garlic. When you begin to get a sizzle, lower the heat, and cook for five minutes. Now add the hot pepper and the spices, and cook this all for two minutes. Add a bit of salt.
In goes your squash, and the three cups of stock. Yet more salt. Just a bit. Now, we cook for six, and if you're slicing your okra, this is the time to do it, because...
after the six minutes, add the okra, and cook for another three. If you REALLY feel skeeved by the okra, you can cube up some summer squash. Guess what you add a pinch of?
While the okra is cooking, stir together the peanut or cashew butter and the extra cup of stock. Do the best you can, pour it into the pot, and simmer for another five minutes.
And you're done. Unless you need.... yup.... salt. Or pepper. Or more hot peppers.
This goes over rice, and you know what? With vegetable stock, you have a vegan dish. Annalena poached some fish on it, and her doorman, who's from Guyana, told her that in his country, this dish is made with salt fish. It makes sense.
So, ragazzi, go to it. This makes PLENTY. Probably enough for 8. Feel free to cut the recipe in half, but do make it. You'll be REAL glad you did.
Monday, September 23, 2013
The triumph of the easy, the vegetarian, the seasonal: mixed vegetable bake (get it while you can)
Ragazzi, it is the time of year when, more than even in midsummer, the seasonal cook and shopper is overwhelmed with choices. This is the only time of year, ragazzi, when you can shop locally, and fill a bowl with peaches, raspberries, grapes, Italian plums , apples, nectarines and pears. Annalena knows. She's done it. So, too, your vegetable basket can contain cabbage, eggplant, green beans, celery root, ripe tomatoes, corn , and parsnips. This will only be the case for a little while, ragazzi. Savor it while you can. Pull out those recipes, and since the weather is cooling down, turn up your ovens.
This recipe came out of Annalena's favorite spice company's catalog, (Penzey's), and it sang to her. It really did. She and the Guyman do like to eat vegetarian meals from time to time, they have vegetarian friends, and as you will see from above, it is the time to do things like this.
Annalena modified the recipe in one, significant way: most of the vegetables in this recipe are a bit on the bland side. They need a kick. Hot pepper did not seem right, but here's a hint y'all: when you want to boost the flavor of a dish, don't forget the common onion. Cook it slowly, until it's brown, or golden, and you've got instant POWER in your kitchen. And the aroma will ALWAYS make people hungrier. It will. Annalena promises.
Here we go, and there are a few places where Annalena wants you to know about some changes you have permission to make. First, turn your oven to 350, and then get out a non-metallic, 9x13 inch baking pan. Put that aside, and take a hunk of mozzarella (at least half a pound), and put it in the freezer.
Yes, Annalena just told you to put mozzarella into the freezer. We will come back to why she did that.
Put a few tablespoons of olive oil into a big pan, and while it's getting hot, slice up one, or even two, onions. Break them into rings, and put them into the hot oil, with a bit of salt. Lower the heat and cook them slowly, while you chop up the other veggies.
You need one medium, or two small eggplants: enough so that, when you cube them, you have about six cups. Peel them or not. Annalena thinks this is better with them peeled, but you be the judge. Also, slice up 3-4, or more, small zucchini. Zucchini ARE small (hence, the 'ini'), but go for the smallest ones you can get. If you can't find small ones, you can use the bigger ones, but cube them. The big slices are too difficult to eat here.
IF you are a mushroom lover, slice up about 2 cups of mushrooms of whatever type you have or can afford. Then, get some tomatoes: plum tomatoes are best for this. Don't bother peeling them, but cut them up into rough pieces. You will want about as much as you have of zucchini.
By now, your onions will probably be cooked, so take them out of the pan, and spread them over the bottom of your baking dish. Add a few more tablespoons of oil, and add the eggplant. The eggplant is going to soak up any oil it encounters, so salt it, and keep it moving, because without the oil there, it will stick. You won't be able to prevent the sticking, which is not a bad thing (you get some browning here), but you do want to be able to get it out of the pan when it's soft, and then pour it over the onions.
You're done cooking now. But now, you chop up a clove of garlic, sprinkle it over the eggplant, and add about a half cup of grated parmesan. If you are so moved, put in some fresh herbs. Now add the zucchini and the mushrooms, and do the same thing with another clove of garlic, and more cheese. Again, herbs if you like. Finally, the tomatoes. And more parmesan and herbs.
Now, remember that mozzarella? Take it out of the freezer, and shred about 2-3 cups of it on the big tear shaped holes of your three sided grater.
Much easier to shred when it's firmed up from the ice box, ain't it ragazzi? Sprinkle this all over the tomatoes, and then slide the thing into the oven, for about 30 minutes, maybe 40. It'll bubble, it'll brown a bit, and you may very well find yourself wanting to sing any of the songs we have associated with the harvest. Annalena was moved to sing "Simple Gifts," but as there were people about, she refrained.
She did not refrain from enjoying this recipe; however. Now, according to Annalena's nutritional breakdown, there are 100 calories in a serving. This, however, is clearly not correct. The recipe is said to serve 9, and have 63 grams of fat, 36 grams of carbohydrates, and 72 grams of protein. The numbers simply do not work, as that is 63 calories for the fat alone. Still, it ain't all that bad, ragazzi. Make it, maybe put leftovers over pasta, but do make this. You won't work too hard, you'll feel noble, and your meal will be really, REALLY good.
Next time around: ever think of combining chocolate and bacon? Sue, you listening? We're going to do that.
This recipe came out of Annalena's favorite spice company's catalog, (Penzey's), and it sang to her. It really did. She and the Guyman do like to eat vegetarian meals from time to time, they have vegetarian friends, and as you will see from above, it is the time to do things like this.
Annalena modified the recipe in one, significant way: most of the vegetables in this recipe are a bit on the bland side. They need a kick. Hot pepper did not seem right, but here's a hint y'all: when you want to boost the flavor of a dish, don't forget the common onion. Cook it slowly, until it's brown, or golden, and you've got instant POWER in your kitchen. And the aroma will ALWAYS make people hungrier. It will. Annalena promises.
Here we go, and there are a few places where Annalena wants you to know about some changes you have permission to make. First, turn your oven to 350, and then get out a non-metallic, 9x13 inch baking pan. Put that aside, and take a hunk of mozzarella (at least half a pound), and put it in the freezer.
Yes, Annalena just told you to put mozzarella into the freezer. We will come back to why she did that.
Put a few tablespoons of olive oil into a big pan, and while it's getting hot, slice up one, or even two, onions. Break them into rings, and put them into the hot oil, with a bit of salt. Lower the heat and cook them slowly, while you chop up the other veggies.
You need one medium, or two small eggplants: enough so that, when you cube them, you have about six cups. Peel them or not. Annalena thinks this is better with them peeled, but you be the judge. Also, slice up 3-4, or more, small zucchini. Zucchini ARE small (hence, the 'ini'), but go for the smallest ones you can get. If you can't find small ones, you can use the bigger ones, but cube them. The big slices are too difficult to eat here.
IF you are a mushroom lover, slice up about 2 cups of mushrooms of whatever type you have or can afford. Then, get some tomatoes: plum tomatoes are best for this. Don't bother peeling them, but cut them up into rough pieces. You will want about as much as you have of zucchini.
By now, your onions will probably be cooked, so take them out of the pan, and spread them over the bottom of your baking dish. Add a few more tablespoons of oil, and add the eggplant. The eggplant is going to soak up any oil it encounters, so salt it, and keep it moving, because without the oil there, it will stick. You won't be able to prevent the sticking, which is not a bad thing (you get some browning here), but you do want to be able to get it out of the pan when it's soft, and then pour it over the onions.
You're done cooking now. But now, you chop up a clove of garlic, sprinkle it over the eggplant, and add about a half cup of grated parmesan. If you are so moved, put in some fresh herbs. Now add the zucchini and the mushrooms, and do the same thing with another clove of garlic, and more cheese. Again, herbs if you like. Finally, the tomatoes. And more parmesan and herbs.
Now, remember that mozzarella? Take it out of the freezer, and shred about 2-3 cups of it on the big tear shaped holes of your three sided grater.
Much easier to shred when it's firmed up from the ice box, ain't it ragazzi? Sprinkle this all over the tomatoes, and then slide the thing into the oven, for about 30 minutes, maybe 40. It'll bubble, it'll brown a bit, and you may very well find yourself wanting to sing any of the songs we have associated with the harvest. Annalena was moved to sing "Simple Gifts," but as there were people about, she refrained.
She did not refrain from enjoying this recipe; however. Now, according to Annalena's nutritional breakdown, there are 100 calories in a serving. This, however, is clearly not correct. The recipe is said to serve 9, and have 63 grams of fat, 36 grams of carbohydrates, and 72 grams of protein. The numbers simply do not work, as that is 63 calories for the fat alone. Still, it ain't all that bad, ragazzi. Make it, maybe put leftovers over pasta, but do make this. You won't work too hard, you'll feel noble, and your meal will be really, REALLY good.
Next time around: ever think of combining chocolate and bacon? Sue, you listening? We're going to do that.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
While they're still here: brown butter raspberry tart
First, ragazzi, Annalena is sure that she posted this recipe; however, she cannot find it. Hence it is possible that she did not, and if she did not, that is a minor tragedy, because this one is a true winner, which should be in ALL of your repertoires.
In the post of yesterday, Annalena spoke of rediscovering cream cheese this year, as a cooking ingredient. This is also the year when she discovered brown butter. Yes, she knew about it, and used it, but the full enjoyment of it did not come until the revelatory moment when she ate her first spoon of brown butter ice cream. Indeed, it WAS revelatory, and you all have that recipe.
Well, her interest was reborn after her ginger bud Ken posted a picture from Paris, of a raspberry pistachio tart. The ginger man was coming to dinner, so Annalena was trying to re-create a bit of Paris, with her own flair. She came close, she thinks. But whether it's imitative or not, this is good. This is REALLY good. And it's easy. Ideally, you should have a tart pan with a removable bottom (would that Annalena's bottom were removable), but if you don't, do it in a regular pie pan. Nine inches, please. You CAN make it in a larger one (Annalena's tart pan was bigger), but adjust the times, i.e, lower them, because there's not as much depth in the dish.
Let's make our crust first. You melt a stick of butter, and while that's melting, mix a third of a cup of sugar, a cup of flour, and a pinch of salt together. If you wish to go the nut route, grind up about a half cup of your nut of choice, and put half of that in with this stuff. Add the melted butter, stir it until it's uniform, and then dump it into your pan, and press it with your fingers until it's even.
Any time you don't have to roll out a crust, ragazzi, you are on easy street. So you are here. Now get that into the oven, and bake it for 15-18 minutes at 375. Check at 15. If you used the smaller pan, you will need the extra few minutes. If you used a larger one, it will be done. Remove it, and leave it to the side . (Incidentally, if you put the tart pan on a baking sheet, this is MUCH easier).
Let's make our filling. Get another stick of butter, and melt it. Melt it over low heat, and try to use a light colored pan, so you can watch the color change. It will take about six minutes. While this is happening, put together a half cup of sugar, 2 eggs, a quarter cup of flour and if you like, a bit of vanilla extract. Mix that all together, and then pour in that brown butter. Stir that all together, and then pour it into the crust.
Didn't break a sweat, did you? Now, festoon that tart with berries. Be generous. You didn't work hard here, so use lots of good fruit. If you don't have raspberries, any berry will do, as will slices of peach or pear, or halved plums, or slices of apple, or cranberries, or whatever you like. (If you use cranberries, sprinkle some sugar over the top). Finally, sprinkle the rest of the nuts over the top.
Get this into the oven, at the same temperature, and bake for about 40 minutes. Use the "jiggle" test: shake the pan and see if everything is solid. It may very well be done at 30 minutes if you use the bigger pan, but if not, just keep it going.
Let it cool, and if you used the tart pan with the removable bottom, push the thing out, and you have gorgeous service.
This keeps for about 2 days unrefrigerated, then things get iffy, but you should have no trouble dispatching this beauty in two days.
A nice, easy all purpose custardy tart. Few things could be better. And if you made the chicken dinner Annalena posted yesterday, you are well on your way to company supper.
In the post of yesterday, Annalena spoke of rediscovering cream cheese this year, as a cooking ingredient. This is also the year when she discovered brown butter. Yes, she knew about it, and used it, but the full enjoyment of it did not come until the revelatory moment when she ate her first spoon of brown butter ice cream. Indeed, it WAS revelatory, and you all have that recipe.
Well, her interest was reborn after her ginger bud Ken posted a picture from Paris, of a raspberry pistachio tart. The ginger man was coming to dinner, so Annalena was trying to re-create a bit of Paris, with her own flair. She came close, she thinks. But whether it's imitative or not, this is good. This is REALLY good. And it's easy. Ideally, you should have a tart pan with a removable bottom (would that Annalena's bottom were removable), but if you don't, do it in a regular pie pan. Nine inches, please. You CAN make it in a larger one (Annalena's tart pan was bigger), but adjust the times, i.e, lower them, because there's not as much depth in the dish.
Let's make our crust first. You melt a stick of butter, and while that's melting, mix a third of a cup of sugar, a cup of flour, and a pinch of salt together. If you wish to go the nut route, grind up about a half cup of your nut of choice, and put half of that in with this stuff. Add the melted butter, stir it until it's uniform, and then dump it into your pan, and press it with your fingers until it's even.
Any time you don't have to roll out a crust, ragazzi, you are on easy street. So you are here. Now get that into the oven, and bake it for 15-18 minutes at 375. Check at 15. If you used the smaller pan, you will need the extra few minutes. If you used a larger one, it will be done. Remove it, and leave it to the side . (Incidentally, if you put the tart pan on a baking sheet, this is MUCH easier).
Let's make our filling. Get another stick of butter, and melt it. Melt it over low heat, and try to use a light colored pan, so you can watch the color change. It will take about six minutes. While this is happening, put together a half cup of sugar, 2 eggs, a quarter cup of flour and if you like, a bit of vanilla extract. Mix that all together, and then pour in that brown butter. Stir that all together, and then pour it into the crust.
Didn't break a sweat, did you? Now, festoon that tart with berries. Be generous. You didn't work hard here, so use lots of good fruit. If you don't have raspberries, any berry will do, as will slices of peach or pear, or halved plums, or slices of apple, or cranberries, or whatever you like. (If you use cranberries, sprinkle some sugar over the top). Finally, sprinkle the rest of the nuts over the top.
Get this into the oven, at the same temperature, and bake for about 40 minutes. Use the "jiggle" test: shake the pan and see if everything is solid. It may very well be done at 30 minutes if you use the bigger pan, but if not, just keep it going.
Let it cool, and if you used the tart pan with the removable bottom, push the thing out, and you have gorgeous service.
This keeps for about 2 days unrefrigerated, then things get iffy, but you should have no trouble dispatching this beauty in two days.
A nice, easy all purpose custardy tart. Few things could be better. And if you made the chicken dinner Annalena posted yesterday, you are well on your way to company supper.
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Down home: chicken casserole with cream cheese sauce
Pardon her absence, ragazzi, but Annalena has been engaged in several projects as of late, and hopes to tell you all about them as they develop. She has continued to cook, though, and promises you a veritable flood (ok, a trickle), of new treats as the days go by.
Speaking of, the warm days are going by, aren't they? As Annalena writes this, it is 60 some odd degrees in her apartment, she and the Guyman are wearing long sleeves and jeans for the first time in ages, and Annalena wonders if her bread is going to rise in the window place that it always takes. The year goes by, does it not? You all have your new school shoes, your uniforms, your new books and so forth. And we turn to warmer, heartier fare.
This recipe comes courtesy of the Penzey's spice catalog. Penzey's is an outfit to which Annalena commends all of you who crave basic, uncomplicated, "homey" food. Nothing fancy about this stuff, but good doesn't need fancy.
Annalena was intrigued by this recipe because of the inclusion of cream cheese. Indeed, it seems that this is the summer when Annalena rediscovered cream cheese: in her ice creams, her pie crusts, and now, a casserole. As she learned, using cream cheese in a casserole is nothing new to Midwest cooking. Here, however, in NYC, where we have gotten blase' about things like creme fraiche, argue about who's cream is less pasteurized, and so forth, cream cheese seems to have been relegated to a bagel. Well, let's see about changing that, shall we? This recipe may help you change your mind. It is not complicated, it is hearty, and most of all, it is good.
Let us start with two pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Yes, ragazzi, you read correctly. Annalena used them here, and they work. Salt and pepper them, and put them to the side while you prepare these, additional ingredients.
You will need a pound of mushrooms of some kind. Annalena got fancy here because she had chanterelles, but the original recipe called for plain old button mushrooms (which are pretty dang good). Slice them, and then slice yourself a cup or so of scallions. (Again, Annalena changed the original, which called for four. You MUST be kidding). You will also need two tablespoons of butter, a cup of milk, 8 ounces of cream cheese, and salt and pepper. Also, have a "red" spice, like hot paprika, chili pepper, or something like that handy.
Let's discuss the milk and cream cheese first. Surely you know that you can get both of these products in various degrees of fat content. Annalena feels you should go big or go home, but you could use a low fat version of ONE of these - not both please.
You will need to cook your chicken separately. Annalena grilled hers, for five minutes on a side, on her stove grill. You could bake it if you like. Just get it almost completely cooked.
If you are blessed with a stove big enough to cook the chicken and the vegetables, you will save yourself some time. Add the butter, the scallions and the mushrooms to a big frying pan, all at once. At medium heat, saute' these until you see the mushrooms getting truly dark. (The original recipe called for fifteen minutes. Had Annalena done so, she would have had cinders. Seven minutes was fine).
Stop the cooking if you have to, and cut the chicken breasts into strips. No surgery here, please, diversity is fine. Also, cut the cream cheese into cubes. NOW put the veggies back on the flame, add the chicken, the milk, and the cream cheese, and start stirring it. The cream cheese will melt into a very thick sauce, as if you had used sour cream, or creme fraiche , or even that wonderful heavy cream. Taste, and adjust your seasonings. You will probably need salt, and then add your red spice, to add the degree of heat you like. You do need to do this, because otherwise, this is a very bland dish. Pleasant and good, but it needs ZING.
From start to finish, this will take you a bit more than half an hour: somewhere between half hour and 45 minutes. You can cook a pot of brown rice while it's working, or make some noodles (because this is very close to a "chicken stroganoff."). If you are so inclined a cup of frozen peas are not amiss here. So, too, some green beans.
And there you have it. Nice way to get reacquained, isn't it, ragazzi?
Annalena has a pie and a veggie bake coming up, and possibly, one of the wildest cookies you will ever have.
Alla prossima
Speaking of, the warm days are going by, aren't they? As Annalena writes this, it is 60 some odd degrees in her apartment, she and the Guyman are wearing long sleeves and jeans for the first time in ages, and Annalena wonders if her bread is going to rise in the window place that it always takes. The year goes by, does it not? You all have your new school shoes, your uniforms, your new books and so forth. And we turn to warmer, heartier fare.
This recipe comes courtesy of the Penzey's spice catalog. Penzey's is an outfit to which Annalena commends all of you who crave basic, uncomplicated, "homey" food. Nothing fancy about this stuff, but good doesn't need fancy.
Annalena was intrigued by this recipe because of the inclusion of cream cheese. Indeed, it seems that this is the summer when Annalena rediscovered cream cheese: in her ice creams, her pie crusts, and now, a casserole. As she learned, using cream cheese in a casserole is nothing new to Midwest cooking. Here, however, in NYC, where we have gotten blase' about things like creme fraiche, argue about who's cream is less pasteurized, and so forth, cream cheese seems to have been relegated to a bagel. Well, let's see about changing that, shall we? This recipe may help you change your mind. It is not complicated, it is hearty, and most of all, it is good.
Let us start with two pounds of skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Yes, ragazzi, you read correctly. Annalena used them here, and they work. Salt and pepper them, and put them to the side while you prepare these, additional ingredients.
You will need a pound of mushrooms of some kind. Annalena got fancy here because she had chanterelles, but the original recipe called for plain old button mushrooms (which are pretty dang good). Slice them, and then slice yourself a cup or so of scallions. (Again, Annalena changed the original, which called for four. You MUST be kidding). You will also need two tablespoons of butter, a cup of milk, 8 ounces of cream cheese, and salt and pepper. Also, have a "red" spice, like hot paprika, chili pepper, or something like that handy.
Let's discuss the milk and cream cheese first. Surely you know that you can get both of these products in various degrees of fat content. Annalena feels you should go big or go home, but you could use a low fat version of ONE of these - not both please.
You will need to cook your chicken separately. Annalena grilled hers, for five minutes on a side, on her stove grill. You could bake it if you like. Just get it almost completely cooked.
If you are blessed with a stove big enough to cook the chicken and the vegetables, you will save yourself some time. Add the butter, the scallions and the mushrooms to a big frying pan, all at once. At medium heat, saute' these until you see the mushrooms getting truly dark. (The original recipe called for fifteen minutes. Had Annalena done so, she would have had cinders. Seven minutes was fine).
Stop the cooking if you have to, and cut the chicken breasts into strips. No surgery here, please, diversity is fine. Also, cut the cream cheese into cubes. NOW put the veggies back on the flame, add the chicken, the milk, and the cream cheese, and start stirring it. The cream cheese will melt into a very thick sauce, as if you had used sour cream, or creme fraiche , or even that wonderful heavy cream. Taste, and adjust your seasonings. You will probably need salt, and then add your red spice, to add the degree of heat you like. You do need to do this, because otherwise, this is a very bland dish. Pleasant and good, but it needs ZING.
From start to finish, this will take you a bit more than half an hour: somewhere between half hour and 45 minutes. You can cook a pot of brown rice while it's working, or make some noodles (because this is very close to a "chicken stroganoff."). If you are so inclined a cup of frozen peas are not amiss here. So, too, some green beans.
And there you have it. Nice way to get reacquained, isn't it, ragazzi?
Annalena has a pie and a veggie bake coming up, and possibly, one of the wildest cookies you will ever have.
Alla prossima
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