Long Week

After a long week - mentally, physically, and emotionally - I needed something to get me back on my feet.  I honestly didn't feel like cooking for a couple of days - the horror, I know.  I just needed some time to unwind and get back to my perky, happy self as M likes to say.  What to do, what to do.  I had been reading this small little baking cookbook that my mother had given to me several years ago.  I can't remember if it was for my bridal shower but I've had it hanging around for a while.  Most everyone knows that a cookbook is always an excellent gift choice for me.  When I actually get around to cooking something from it is another story.

I had gone through most of it and tabbed all the recipes that sounded interesting to me.  One jumped out at me right away.  It was a clementine cake.  I had never heard of a clementine cake.  I immediately stuck a little flag on it and continued reading.  Several weeks had gone by and while I was mulling over what to do, I remembered this cake.  So when M and I were doing our weekly grocery shopping this past Sunday (yes, we do this together), I picked up a box of clementines.  Can I just tell you how absolutely adorable I think these little fruits are?  And the box they come in?  So cute.  When I got home and put all the groceries away, I went and grabbed the cookbook.

I read over the recipe and realized it called for self rising flour.  I only had the good old all purpose flour.  I converted the recipe to include the all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.   Another ingredient I didn't have was ground almonds.  I did have walnuts so I used those.  I'm not sure if this made any difference but the cake was good so I am thinking if it did, it wasn't a bad one.  The recipe also directed me to peel the clementines with a vegetable peeler and chop up the rind very finely.  I chose to zest it instead.  Same thing, right?  Yes, it worked out lovely.  All in all, the cake is very delicious.  Although it didn't quite pull me all the way out of my funk as say chocolate would have, it was still a tasty cake.

Clementine Cake
Adapted from Chocolate and Baking

One note I would like to make is to really watch this cake while it is in the oven.  The original recipe called to bake this cake for 55-60 minutes.  But after about 35 minutes, my nose was telling me to check the cake.  Good thing I did.  I don't know what kind of oven they were using, but this cake took no more than 35 minutes and it could have gone a little bit less.  Also, the best way to grind the walnuts is in a food processor or put them in a food storage bag and pound them with a rolling pin or heavy pan.

Cake:
zest of two clementines, reserve the whole fruit for juicing later
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp ground walnuts
3 tbsp milk or light cream (I used milk)

Glaze:
6 tbsp clementine juice (about 3 clementines - use the 2 you zested to make the cake)
2 tbsp granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 350.  Thoroughly grease a round cake pan and then line with parchment.  You can also then grease the parchment to ensure the cake doesn't stick.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

Using a stand mixer or hand held mixer, cream together the clementine zest, butter, and sugar until it is pale and fluffy.

Add about half of the beaten eggs at a time and beat well after both additions.  Fold in the flour mixture by using a wooden spoon.  Then add the ground walnuts and the milk or light cream.  Make sure everything has been incorporated.

Pour the batter into the cake pan.  Bake for about 30-35 minutes, depending on your oven.  Just make sure that when a knife is inserted into the center, it comes out clean.  Cool cake for a few minutes.

Glaze:
Put the clementine juice and sugar into a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about five minutes.  Prick the cake all over with a toothpick or skewer.  Pour the glaze over the entire cake so that it all gets absorbed.

Serve with whipped cream, if desired and on hand.

Piccata Style

This past Christmas, we received one of those electric rotisseries from my in-laws.  We were excited to get this but it took us three months to use it.  We shouldn't have waited that long.  M thought a chicken would be the first thing we should try.  So, we got a chicken, seasoned that puppy up, and stuck it on the spit.  About an hour and a half later, dinner was done.  It was really easy and the chicken was super tasty and moist.  But, do you know what comes with cooking a whole chicken?  That's right, taking all of the chicken off the bone.  I hate doing this.  There are all sorts of grossness that are in a chicken but I don't want to talk about that.  Anyway, I was in up to my elbows in this mess and I got a call from my cousin.  She wanted to congratulate me on my blog!  She thinks it is a fabulous idea and I love her for saying that!  Love you, cuz!

Now that I had all of this leftover chicken, I had to figure out something to do with it.  There's always the soup option but I wasn't feeling like soup.  A day went by and it was still in the fridge.  It needed to get eaten.  When all else fails, add it to some pasta because when does a big bowl of pasta not make you feel better after a rough day?  But what kind of sauce?  Red, alfredo?  When M is involved in these decisions, his answer typically leans towards piccata.

M loves Chicken Piccata.  Our first date, this is what he ordered.  And he ate the whole plate!  This plate was huge.  But for anyone who knows M, you know what this boy can put away.  For me, piccata is just not one of my favorites.  I am not a big caper fan which is strange since I love anything salty.  But I thought this would be a good option since we already had the lemons and the capers.

I thought about just doing a standard chicken piccata but remember, the chicken was already cooked and in pieces.  We also had shredded mozzarella and some sliced provolone.  Then I got thinking, what about a baked ziti kind of thing but piccata style?  My friends, this may now be the only way I will eat chicken piccata.  It was delicious and a fantastic way to use up leftover chicken.  And it was sort of fake baked.  I didn't put it in the oven to bake; I cooked it on the stovetop, put it in a casserole dish, and stuck it under the broiler.  The cheese gets all brown and bubbly this way and who doesn't love brown and bubbly cheese?

Fake-Baked Ziti, Chicken Piccata Style
A recipe by Noelle at A Homemade Kitchen 

This recipe calls for already cooked chicken.  However, if you do not have any cooked chicken, you could either pick up one of those already cooked chickens from the grocery store or cook some up yourself.  Just cook up the chicken in the same pan you will use for the sauce.  Heat the pan, add some olive oil, and cook the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pan and continue on with the recipe.  It will just add another layer of flavor to the sauce.

Remember to actually put the chicken in with the sauce.  I forgot this step and got my casserole all nice and pretty.  Then, I am about to put it under the broiler and I see the chicken on the counter.  I then proceed to take off what cheese I could and then arrange the chicken on top and put the cheese back on.  It is much easier to mix it all together first.

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
1 pound ziti, cooked to al dente, plus 2 ladles of reserved pasta water
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 shallots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup milk
zest and juice of one lemon
2 tbsp capers
a handful of chopped fresh parsley
shredded mozzarella and/or provolone
grated cheese
chopped fresh tomato, optional

Preheat the broiler to high.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.  Once the water comes to a boil, salt the water liberally and drop in the pasta.

In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil.  Add the shallots and garlic.  Sautee for about two minutes.  Whisk in the flour and let it cook for about one minute.  Then add the chicken stock and whisk in.  Season with salt and pepper as needed.  Stir in the two reserved ladles of pasta water.  Add the chicken and cook for a couple of minutes until the sauce is thickened.  Stir in the milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and capers.

When the pasta is done, drain it and put it back in the same pot.  You can then toss the pasta with some butter and grated cheese, if desired.  Otherwise, just add the pasta to the sauce.  Toss the sauce and pasta well.  Add the parsley and stir to combine.

Put the entire pasta mixture into a broiler safe casserole dish.  Top with the mozzarella and/or provolone.  Place it under the broiler for about 5 minutes until the cheese is gold and bubbly.  Serve immediately topped with the chopped raw tomatoes and grated cheese.

Note:  You could also add about 1/4 cup of white wine right before you add the chicken stock.  You may also serve extra capers at the table.  M always puts more on. 

Dinner for One

My job affords me the ability to work from home on occasion.  It is nice to sit down at my home computer, in sweats if I want, and bask in the quietness that you don't have in the office.  You are able to get so much more done.  I was working from home on this day because we were having the window replaced in the second bedroom.  So, I go up, went to the gym (which was good because I certainly didn't feel like going later), got into some comfy clothes and sat down with my laptop and a big cup of coffee.

The day happened to be Thursday which is the day M has class in the evening.  It was going to be a long day by myself and I started thinking pretty early in the day what I was going to do for dinner.  I had some leftover cabbage from a soup I made earlier in the week.  I had just recently found a recipe for braised cabbage and thought it sounded interesting.  Now before you go and get all firmly set against cabbage, it is a wonderful vegetable.  You can make soups, stews, boiled dinners, cole slaws, salads, sides dishes, and main dishes with cabbage.  It is super tasty and you should definitely give this recipe a try.  M is not a fan of cabbage and since I was going to be alone for dinner, it was the perfect time to cook this up.  He also did not like the soup but I did.  I actually love cabbage.  I remember having it as a child in the traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner and I always loved it.

This particular recipe used green cabbage, onions, and carrots.  You throw all the veggies into a casserole dish with some chicken stock, olive oil, and salt and pepper.  I also added a glug of white wine.  You then throw it in the oven and let it get all brown and delicious.  The original recipe also called to serve with a poached egg but I don't know how to poach an egg so I fried one.  And this my friends was a very satisfying meal for me.  There were plenty of leftovers and it was just as good reheated.

Braised Cabbage

Adapted from Orangette

This recipe does make a lot of braised cabbage and since I was using up a head of cabbage, I really halved this recipe.  But if you want this as a side dish for a get together, follow the recipe as written.  If you like your cabbage to still have a little bite to it, don't cook it quite as long.  I actually like mine with a little crunch still to it so I have adjusted the time on this recipe to suit my tastes.  If you like it a little softer, cook it longer.  And remember, these are very tasty leftovers (and I am not always  big fan of leftovers so if I say it's good, it's good).

1 head green cabbage

1 large onion cut into thick slices

1 large carrot, or 2-3 smaller ones, cut into thick rounds

1/4 cup chicken stock

A good glug of white wine

1/4 cup or so extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

A sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes

1 poached or fried egg

Preheat the oven to 325.  Make sure the rack is in the middle of the oven.

Peel the outer layers of the cabbage off and toss.  Gently rinse the cabbage and pat it dry.  Cut it into wedges and trim away some of the core.  You will want to leave some of the core intact to keep the wedges together.  You should probably get about 8 wedges out of the head of cabbage. 

Place the wedges in a single layer in a casserole dish.  Scatter the onion and carrots around the cabbage.  Pour the chicken stock, white wine, and olive oil over the vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.   Cover the dish tightly with foil and put into the oven.  Cook the cabbage for about 45 minutes.  Remove the dish from the oven, uncover, and flip the cabbage wedges.  Recover and cook for about another 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender.  When the cabbage is just about where you want it, crank the oven to 400 degrees, uncover the dish, and cook for about 10 minutes more or until the veggies are slightly brown around the edges. 

Serve warm with the egg on top.  Season with a little more salt and pepper to taste. 

Make These

One day when I should I have been working (shh, don't tell), I discovered the most tasty sounding recipe. I was intrigued immediately by the title and copied the web address into an email with only the words "Make these!!" Note the two exclamation points. This was about a month ago and I should have made them much sooner. Heavenly is all I can say.




It was a recipe for Brown Butter Blondies. Now tell me, what is better than brown butter? And then using it to make a delicious treat? I could not think of one thing. Oh wait, adding chocolate chips. The recipe did not originally call for chocolate chips but I couldn't resist and it is a darn good thing I didn't. They were sweet, moist, and completely decadent. M was in love as well. I think he ate more than I did. I finally had to say "save some for me!" And the sweetheart that he is, he saved me two. What a nice guy. Although, I did eat some batter while making them and yum. And I gave some blondies to my parents to enjoy. I didn't feel right keeping them all for M and I. My parents were also fans of these little squares of deliciousness.

They did not last long in our house. M got home from work one day and said "what happened to the cookies?" First, these are not cookies, they are blondies. Second, I ate it! The last one was mine, remember? You saved me two. And it was scrumptious. You must make these.



Chocolate Chip Brown Butter Blondies
Adapted from Not Without Salt

I added chocolate chips (see the melty chocolate above) but you could certainly add peanut butter chips, toffee chips, white chocolate chips, or butterscotch chips. Even nuts! Or, add a combination. The blondies won't mind.

2 1/2 sticks of butter
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a 9x13 inch pan and then line with parchment paper. Butter and flour the parchment as well.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the butter until it turns golden brown and smells nutty. The butter will bubble but just stir it around a little bit to see what color it is. Make sure you watch this closely because you do not want it to burn. Once it turns a nice golden brown color, turn off the heat and give it a stir. If the color looks right, remove from the heat and let it cool.

While the butter is cooling, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

In a larger bowl, combine the brown butter and both sugars and stir until combined. Add eggs one at a time, stirring in just to combine after each one. Add vanilla and mix well. Slowly add flour mixture, about half at a time and stir to incorporate. Lastly, stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into the buttered pan.

Bake for about 35 - 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake. Cool completely before cutting. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Note: This recipe would also work well with light brown sugar and I think I will try that next time. Also, you will not have these blondies for 3 days. They are just that good.

A Big Lesson Learned

Weekends tend to be the days where I experiment and try recipes that may take a little bit longer to prepare. This weekend was cold and rainy in my neck of the woods and what is better than a big, steamy pot of stew. I couldn't think of anything. M was looking through a cookbook and came across a recipe for a Brazilian Fish Stew. Interesting, right? It had some interesting sounding flavors with hot peppers, lime, and coconut milk. We decided to make it that night. We went right out to the store.



Now, I have never cooked with hot peppers before so I was actually pretty excited. The recipe called for 2-3 cayenne peppers but we decided to get one regulation hot pepper. Since this is not something we had ever cooked with, we decided to air on the side of caution and go safe. Fast forward a few hours and I wasn't thinking it was a safe choice anymore. I'll explain later. We also included a red bell pepper which added a touch of sweetness. The original recipe also calls for cilantro but I am one of those pesky cilantro haters.

This stew was very easy to prepare and took under an hour. The kitchen smelled amazing with all the different flavors that were going on in the stew. When we were sitting down to eat, the suffering began. And oh did I suffer to get this stew prepared. Remember how I said we had never cooked with hot peppers before? Well, apparently it is wise to wear gloves when they are being chopped. I did not do this. I had heard in passing that it is a good idea but I thought it would only burn a little bit while you were actually chopping the pepper. Oh no. No, no. The burning came after.

And it burned. It was crazy how badly this hurt. I was able to tolerate it for a while after many hand washings and running under cold water. But my hand was still on fire. After about 2 hours - yes, this went on for hours - I was about ready to cut my hand off. M looked up some remedies on the Internet to stop the burning. There were several with milk and tomato juice. So, I dove my hand into a bowl of milk and the burning immediately subsided. But only while in the milk. It began burning again when I took my hand out. So, I kept my hand in a bowl of milk for about 10 minutes. Then I sliced open a tomato and squeezed the juice all over my hand. Didn't work as well as the milk so I stuck my hand back in the bowl. This burning sensation did dissipate a little and I was able to sit down and watch a movie. Finally today, all the burning is gone. So if you make this recipe, please, please, please wear gloves when chopping the hot pepper. I am so thankful I didn't touch my eye. That would have been really bad.

Brazilian Fish Stew
Adapted from 20-40-60 Fresh Food Fast by Emeril Lagasse

2 Pounds flounder, cut into 2 inch pieces (or redfish, red grouper, striped bass, or other white fish)
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
1 fresh hot or cayenne pepper, chopped (more if you like)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
One 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
Salt
One 13.5 oz can unsweetened coconut milk
Chopped fresh parsley (or cilantro if you prefer)
White rice for serving

Place the fish in a glass or other nonreactive bowl and add the lime juice. Set aside to marinate while you continue with the recipe.

Heat a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the olive oil. Once the olive oil is hot, add the onions and hot peppers. Saute until onions are translucent. Add the red pepper and heat for about 30 seconds. Add the garlic and saute for about another 30 seconds.

Add the tomato paste and stir in to melt it down a little. Then add the diced tomatoes, chicken stock and some salt to season. Bring it up to a boil. Season the fish with some more salt and add the fish and lime juice to the pot. Add the coconut milk as well. Stir it all to combine and bring to a boil.

Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 10 minutes and the fish starts to flake.

Remove the cover and sprinkle the parsley over the stew. Serve with or over white rice.

Note: If you like a little more heat, add some hot sauce to your own bowl especially if you take it easy with the hot peppers. Not everyone likes spice. Shrimp would also be a lovely addition.

It was glorious

Who doesn't love date night? M and I do not seem to do this sort of thing enough. Why, I don't know. But, I told M that I would take him out anywhere he wanted for his birthday present. This was also a sneaky way by me to get a date night happening. We do love to go out to eat. Don't get me wrong - I love to cook but sometimes you need a night off and have a professional do it for you. There are so many new flavors, textures, and methods of cooking that I have yet to taste and I love discovering these out at a restaurant. M and I have joked that we have become food snobs. I don't know if this is necessarily true; we just love food and love it when it tastes good. Last night was no exception.

M was out one day and noticed this restaurant. He called me up and said hey, there's this new restaurant, we should check it out. So, I looked it up on the internet and took a look at the menu. Looked very nice so M decided this is where he wanted to go for his birthday dinner. This restaurant has only been open six weeks so we found out last night while chatting with the waiter. It is the first and only restaurant as we actually weren't sure if it was a chain. We were glad to find out it wasn't. It is called Beacon Grille and it is in the new Trade Center in Woburn. I must also apologize that there are no pictures. I forgot my camera but also didn't want to be that annoying person taking pictures in the middle of dinner. Forgive me? You will just need to go there yourself. And you should.

We weren't sure if we would get seated right away as it was after 6pm on a Saturday night. But we were lucky and got to our table right away. It was kind of in the middle of the restaurant near the waiter's station but surprisingly, it was pleasant. We were also in line to get a full view into the open kitchen which is always cool. Sometimes I feel better about an open kitchen because even though there is a standard of cleanliness required in a restaurant kitchen, I feel like an open one enforces it more. Anyway, the ambiance of the whole restaurant was very soothing and the acoustics were fabulous. You know how some restaurants are just so loud and you can hear everything and feel the need to shout to the person next to you? Yeah, this place was not like that. It was pretty quiet considering there was an open kitchen.

The waiter was very attentive and explained the menu and also their special menu with different entrees and wine pairings. Oh, yes, there is wine. We were brought a basket of flatbread crackers and these oatmeal-cranberry rolls. Those were very tasty and tender. The menu was mostly American fare and it all sounded delicious. I ordered a glass of Bodega Septima cabernet sauvignon from Argentina. It was lovely. Very smooth. M likes to sample the clam chowder at pretty much everywhere he goes but last night, he went with the crock of french onion soup. It was all cheesey and bubbly. It was a classic intrepretation with melty grueyere all over the top. It was tasty. M wasn't sure it was the best he ever had but he enjoyed it all the same. I opted out of getting a soup. I wanted to make sure I had room for the actual meal and I was very glad I held out.

We did order the calamari appetizer though. It was marinated in buttermilk and lightly breaded and fried to crispy perfection. It was served with a Thai chili dipping sauce and it was heavenly. We ate the whole darn platter. But, my main entree was the star of my dinner. On the special menu, there was an entree of jumbalaya which M chose. It came over rice and was loaded with shrimp, chicken, and andouille sausage. There was also a pile of fried okra and it was all smothered in a smokey, spicy sauce. It was declicious and M loved it. He said he was in the mood for something spicy and he certainly got it. Me, I was in the mood for lamb and they had something that sounded amazing. It was a bleu cheese crusted rack of New Zealand lamb and it was cooked to perfection. I ordered medium; I got medium. There was a bourbon demi glace with some wild mushrooms that was served with the lamb and there were the best darn au gratin potatoes I have ever eaten. It was all topped off with some crispy onion strings. It was glorious. The lamb was melt in your mouth tender and the potatoes were creamy and sinful. I mentioned also that I could have swam in the bourbon demi glace. It was the best lamb dish I have ever had - no joke. M said that while he loved his, I certainly out ordered him. We skipped dessert because our stomachs were busting but there were some tasty sounding dishes on their dessert menu. Maybe next time. Because there will be a next time, and a next time, and a next time.

Happy Birthday, M!

I just wanted to give a BIG Happy Birthday Day wish to my hubs, M! I'll try and cook or bake something nice! I am actually taking him out to dinner this weekend to someplace new he wants to try. I'll tell you about that later.

Happy Birthday, love! :)

A way to a man's heart

I mentioned previously in the About Me page that M and I cooked most nights together while we were dating. There was one dish in particular that went straight to M's heart. They do say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach and if it is chicken, M's heart is definitely the target. I made this chicken dish as one of the first meals I ever cooked for him. He was hooked from that day and we made it so much while we were dating - to the point where we retired the recipe for a couple of years.

I just pulled it out recently again and we remembered why we loved it so much. This dish is actually now a memory of our first year as a couple so it is special in that way. When you see, smell, or taste a dish from such a special time in your life, it makes you warm all over. At least it does for me. Those beginning stages of really falling in love with someone are priceless and this dish brings all those feelings back.

I got this recipe from my grandmother who got it from a friend so it has been passed down. I don't know where it originally came from whether it was in a cookbook or an old family recipe but it is a hand written recipe card in my recipe box.

If it came from a cookbook, I apologize if it is not referenced because I wouldn't know! I made a few small adjustments but not many were needed. It is so good just as it was written when given to me. I really only changed the cut of chicken and added an optional garnish. My measurements might be a little off as well. I do a lot by eyeballing. When it comes to cooking, I don't really measure. I leave that to baking.

Imperial Baked Chicken

Adapted from a family friend

The original recipe calls for chicken breasts but I like to use the tenders. Also, you could combine the entire juice of one lemon in with the butter and garlic mixture but I like to keep half of the lemon reserved and squeeze directly over the chicken right before they go into the oven. You can do this however you choose.

6-8 boneless chicken tenders (or 6 boneless chicken breasts)

1/2 cup dried bread crumbs, plain or seasoned (I use seasoned)

1/4 cup grated parmesean cheese

1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for an optional garnish

pepper

salt

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter

1 garlic clove, minced

juice of 1 lemon

green onion, chopped (optional for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350

Get an assembly line going. Put milk in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parmesean cheese, parsley, pepper, and a sprinkle of salt. Dip each chicken tender in milk and then dredge in the bread crumb mixture.

Arrange the chicken in a lightly greased baking pan.

Combine the melted butter, garlic, and half of the lemon juice in a bowl. Drizzle over the chicken. Squeeze the reserved half of lemon over the chicken. Bake for about 25-30 minutes (longer if using chicken breasts) or until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove from oven and garnish with parsley and/or green onion if desired. Serve immediately.