Pablano Polenta Stuffed Peppers

My usual course of action with several peppers on hand is to stuff them. Typically, fillings involve ground meat and rice, smothered in tomato sauce. On rare occasions an Indian inspired version comes about, using lentils or chickpeas and copious amounts of cumin and garam masala. This tex-mex corn-centric version is a first for me. I blame the endless sea of sweet corn we were blessed with late this summer.

adapted from Martha Stewart's Polenta Stuffed Peppers and Stuffed Poblano Peppers

serves 4-6

The Ingredients:
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 pablano pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup coarse cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
2 ears of corn
1 1/2 cup shredded monteray jack cheese
4 bell peppers, halved, stem and seeds removed

The Process:
In a large saucepan set over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp of butter. Add the poblano, onion and garlic.  Sautee util tender, 2-3 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil.

Slowly whisk in the cornmeal, salt, pepper and cumin. Reduce to a simmer. Whisk frequently until the polenta thickens, about 5 minutes. Add additional water as needed. Remove from heat and fold in the remaining butter, corn kernel, and half of the cheese. Stir until cheese and butter has melted. Season with addition salt, pepper and cumin to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375

Arrange the pepper halves in a large shallow baking dish. Spoon the polenta into the peppers.  Add 1/2 of water to the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with foil.

Bake, covered, for 30 minutes.

Uncover and sprinkle the peppers with remaining cheese. Return dish to oven and bake an additional 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the peppers are tender.

Serve garnished with salsa and cilantro.

Sweet Corn Risotto

I find something very soothing about making risotto. The slow additions of broth, the constant stirring. This dish has the added bonus of using up the last of the summers bounty of sweet corn.

I still have a few additional corn recipes in the works though...fritters, sweet corn cupcakes and chowder all come to mind.

adapted from Food and Wine

serves 2-3

The Ingredients:
1 ear of corn, shucked 
3 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3/4 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup Pilsner or saison (or dry white wine if you must)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
Cut the corn from the cob: Place an ear of corn, base side down, on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, start at the top and cut downward with a gentle sawing motion, cutting corn from the cob at about two-thirds the depth of the kernels. Continue cutting until all of the corn is removed. Set the corn kernels aside.

In a medium sauce pan, add the stock along with the corn cob. Heat to a gentle simmer. Keep warm.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onions and sauté
until the onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the rice and stir to coat evenly.

Slowly pour in the beer.  Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, stirring continuously.  Once the beer has been absorbed, add the warm chicken stock, one ladle full at a time, allowing each addition to be fully absorbed before adding the next.  Patience is key.  Stir gently and continuously.

Once about half of the stack has been absorbed, add the corn kernels. Continue to add the stock as before. Discard the corn cob after the last of the stock has been added to the risotto.
 
Once the last of the stock has been absorbed, the rice should be creamy in texture and slightly al dente. Stir in the butter and the Parmesan cheese.  Remove the risotto from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let rest for 3-5 minutes before serving. 

Saison Ricotta

I know, I know. I am on a saison kick at the moment. I have no regrets.

With an excess of whole milk on hand, as well as a stellar home-brewed saison, the time seemed appropriated to revisit ricotta. I've made this simple cheese several time before, once with goats milk, once with buttermilk in lieu lemon juice or vinegar. Most frequently, I turn the curd into paneer. But not once have I incorporated beer.

The difference is flavor is definitely there. The beer isn't shy, offering up a bready base with a hoppy, herbal bite.

The biggest surprise I had with this version was how much the milk mixture frothed up as I heated it this time around. The curd that resulted was very fine, not at all like the plump tender curds from the buttermilk version. As a result, the ricotta took much, much longer to drain than I would normally like. I also substantially reduced the amount of vinegar the original recipe called for. I've had luck with 1 Tbsp per 4 cups of dairy without any problems. 3 Tbsp per 4 cups dairy seemed a bit excessive. I wanted the flavors of the beer to come through, not the tang of the acid.

As I had plans to turns this batch into gnocchi later in the week, I hung the ricotta to drain for over two hours before storing it. A half an hour should suffice to remove most of the liquid, and yields a creamier, spreadable cheese.

adapted from Jackie Dodd's recipe at TheBeeroness.com

yields about 1 pound

The Ingredients:
6 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup, plus 1/4 cup saison, divided
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

The Process:
Line a sieve with several layers of cheesecloth or muslin and set aside.

Pour the milk, cream, salt and 2/3 cup beer into a large non-reactive saucepan with a heavy bottom.  Heat slowly over medium high heat, stirring the milk constantly to prevent scorching.  Bring to mixture to 190 and remove from heat.

Gently stir in the vinegar and remaining 1/4 cup beer. After a minute or so curds will begin to form and clump on the surface.  Allow the mixture to rest for about 5 minutes. Gently stir to encourage the curds to separate from the whey.  Stir infrequently at this point...over stirring will break up the curds too much and yield a drier ricotta.

Once the curds appear to have fully separated, ladle the cloudy liquid (whey) through the cloth lined sieve, working slowly to avoid breaking up the curd.  Once most of the whey has been ladled out of the pot, carefully pour the rest of the curd/whey mixture through the sieve.  Allow most of the liquid to drain.  Once the moisture is cool enough to handle, gather the edges of the cloth together to form a bag.   Thread a dowel or the handle of a wooden spoon through the knot and suspend the bag over a pot or the sink.  Allow to slowly drip drain for at least 15 minutes, and up to two hours.  Resist the urge to press the ricotta.

Place in an air tight container and store in the refrigerator.

Acorn Squash au Gratin with Smoked Ham and Gouda

Leftover ham...a blessing and a curse...

The recipe is mine own

serves 6-8

The Ingredients:
2 acorn squash
2 green onion, diced
1 cup smoked ham, diced
2 cup shredded gouda
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup cream
1 1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper

The Process:
Slice the top and bottom off of each squash. Using a vegetable peeler or sharp knife, cut away the skin from the ridges.

 Cut the squash in half, end to end. Remove the seeds. Cut each half in two. Thinly slice each quarter crosswise, into slices approximately 3/8 inch thick. 

In a lightly greased 3 qt baking dish, arrange 1/3 of the squash in a layer. Top with half of the ham, half of onion and 1/2 cup of the gouda. Layer another 1/3 of the squash and follow with remaining ham, onion. Sprinkle 1/2 cup gouda over top.

 Finish with a layer of the remaining squash.

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Cook until the mixture turns a light golden color, about 5 minutes.  Whisk in the cream and milk. Bring the mixture to just about a boil. Add 1/2 cup gouda. Stir until smooth and the gouda has melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the sauce over the prepared squash. Cover with foil. Bake 45-50 or until squash is tender. Remove foil. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is beginning to brown.  Allow to cool 5 -10 minutes before serving.

Cheesy Corn Porridge with Garlic-Chives and Bacon

A few months back I made up a batch of pale ale corn muffins, and ever since this recipe has been kicking around in the back of my head.  The muffin recipe started out with a polenta-like base.  The green chilies, butter and cornmeal smelled so amazing as I stirred up the thick mixture.  I briefly contemplated eating the first batch straight from the pot, and mixing up a second one for the muffins.

It took a few weeks, but I started toying around with a few variations until this corn porridge came to be.  The dish is equally as wonderfully with a bit of diced jalapeno sauteed up with the bacon, but that heat is a bit too much for me first thing in the morning.

Feel free to play around.  One stalk of green onion and a clove of garlic is a great fragrant base, but with the arrive of our first CSA box, I had to give the garlic chives a whirl

the recipe is my own

serves 1

The Ingredients:
2 slices of bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
2-3 Tbsp chopped garlic chives
1/3 cup coarsely ground cornmeal
1 cup water
1/4 cup shredded cheese (pepper jack, colby, cheddar blend)

The Process:
Heat a medium saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the bacon and saute until the bacon is crisp and most of the fat is rendered.  Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain.  Add the chives and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the cornmeal to coat in the bacon grease.

Add a small amount of the water, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add the remaining water, bring the mixture to a boil.  Promptly reduce heat and simmer until the cornmeal is thick and creamy, about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in the cheese and reserved bacon.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.

Sweet Potato and Gruyere Stacks

I very quickly tire of the tried and true.  Why else would I be pushing myself to try 100 new recipes every year?  Don't get me wrong...I love traditions.  And I absolutely adore sweet potatoes.  But I can only tolerate them slathered in brown sugar and marshmallows for a very, very limited time.  I've tried them scalloped, which was a nice change of pace. But this preparation truly steals the cake.

My mind in now a-whirling about other spuds to apply this to.

The key to a less stress mess is to find sweet potatoes no larger in diameter than the width of the cups of your muffin tin. Trust me...skip the bigger tubers.

Adapted from Southern Living

yields 12 stacks

The Ingredients:
3 small sweet potatoes, about 2-2 1/2 inches in diameter
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme, divided
2/3 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2  tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper 


The Process:
Preheat the oven to 375 and lightly oil a 12 count muffin tin


Peel and thinly slice the sweet potatoes.  Starting with the smallest slices and working up in diameter, layer the sweet potato slices about halfway up the muffin cups.  Sprinkle each stack evenly with the thyme and Gruyere.  Continue to fill the muffin cups with the remaining potato.

In a small saucepan, heat the cream.  Whisk in the garlic, salt and pepper.  Simmer briefly.  Remove from heat and spoon about 1 Tbsp over each sweet potato stack.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Run a knife around the outside of each cup, and carefully lift and transfer each stack to a serving platter.  Garnish with a sprinkle of thyme.
 

Pea Pancakes with Herbed Yogurt and Prosciutto

Spring has finally sprung!  With our ridiculously long winter, it may be a few more weeks before we begin to see some truly fresh produce.  In the meantime, I am perfectly content making due with a few frozen pantry essentials.

This meal is incredibly light, but surprisingly filling.  It makes an wonderfully refreshing dinner on a warm day as well as an invigorating brunch or breakfast.  The sweet peas compliment the tangy herbed yogurt and salty prosciutto so well...each bite added more layers of flavor than the last.  Who said pancakes can't be savory?

adapted and embellished from Bon Apetit

serves 4

The Ingredients:
for pancakes:
1 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup flour
2 Tbsp oil
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup peas, thawed  if frozen

for the yogurt:
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
2 small sprigs fresh dill, chopped (1-2 Tbsp)
1 small bunch fresh chives, chopped (2-3 Tbsp) 

to serve:
1 green onion, thinly sliced
8 paper thin slices of prosciutto

The Process:
for the yogurt:
In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt and herbs.  Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes.

for the pancakes:
Combine the salt, eggs, cottage cheese, flour and oil in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.  Transfer batter to a medium bowl and fold in the peas and green onions.

Heat a large, lightly-oiled skillet over medium heat.  Working in batches, pour a scant 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet making 4-inch rounds and cook until bubbles form on top, 3-5 minutes.  Flip and cook an additional 2 minutes or until the middle is set. Remove cakes from heat and keep warm.  Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve with herbed yogurt, prosciutto and sliced green onion.

Martha Stewart's Scalloped Potatoes

Ham dinners wouldn't be complete without a side of scalloped or au gratin potatoes.  I've had mixed luck with these dishes in the past.  Often, towards the end of baking the sauce will begin to clump or congeal instead of keeping its creamy consistency.  The lack of flour and short boil in milk helps resolve these problems in this version.

Almost any cheese will work as well, though I opted to stick with this mild Gruyere.  I love the slightly funky smell of the cheese, and the slight nuttiness it offers.  Gruyere isn't quite as pungent as Swiss, it melts and browns beautifully, and the flavor blends right into the smooth, creamy base.

Recommended beer pairing: a funky saison or spicy witbier.  The Gruyere in the potatoes has a distinct nuttiness that is complimented by the crisp wheat backbone and spicy yeast character of these beers.  Saisons will often lend a grassy or hay-like finish, while the witbier leans towards coriander and citrus spice.  The crispness of both will help cut through the richness of all of that cream...

adapted from Martha Stewart

serves 10-14

The Ingredients:

3 pounds Yukon  potatoes
1 small onion, thinly sliced

3 cups milk

2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 Tbsp butter, softened
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
5 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

The Process
Preheat oven to 325.

Peel the potatoes and slice them paper thin.

In a large saucepan set over high heat, combine the sliced potatoes, onion and garlic. Bring to a boil, and immediately reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 3 minutes

Place a colander over a large bowl and drain the potatoes, reserving about 2 cups of the milk.

Rub a 9 x 13 baking dish with 1 Tbsp butter. Arrange sliced potatoes and onions in the baking dish, sprinkle generously with  pepper. Dot with remaining 2 Tbsp of butter.  Pour the reserved milk and heavy cream over the top.  Sprinkle evenly with Gruyere.  

Bake, uncovered, until cheese toasts to a deep golden brown, the potatoes are tender and sauce has thickened, about 80 to 90 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Cheesy Baked Broccoli Bites

Have you ever glanced through a magazine or a blog and tagged a recipe for later, only to not find the recipe again.  And yet the picture of the dish continues to haunt you.  On one particularly sleeplessness night, do you toss and turn, pondering upon that dish.  And suddenly...inspiration hits.  You may have lost the recipe, but that image guides you.  You burst into the kitchen prepared to create.

 This dish was sort of like that.  I came across the original post and filed it in the back of my mind.  I never actually read the recipe, though the step by step photo collage stayed crystal clear in my mind.  The successful filling for the previous broccoli stuffed tilapia brought this filed recipe back to mind.  Even without digging it up, I was certain I could come up with some facsimile of it.

And indeed I did.  After the fact, I did find the recipe.  What was different?  Surprisingly not much!  I used half the bread crumbs and slightly less cheese.   I also baked the bites a tad longer at a lower temperature.  And added srirachi and onion for a bit of bite.  Funny how just a quick glance can be enough to impart enough information! 

Inspired by Stacey Snacks

yields about 20 bites

The Ingredients:
2 1/2  cups frozen broccoli, thawed
1 green onion, finely chopped
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 cup shredded Cheddar or Co-Jack cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
squirt of Srirachi
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 350

Coarsely chop the broccoli and drain, removing as much liquid as possible.  In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix well.  If too thick, add a little milk.  If too thin, add more bread crumbs.

Roll the broccoli mixture into 1-inch balls and space evenly on an oiled baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Lemon Parmesan Orzo with Seared Scallops

Sometimes a shitty weekend comes your way.  Sometimes you need something fancy to help even out the universe.  This dinner was the answer to just such a weekend.

adapted from prevention rd

serves 4

The Ingredients:
for the pasta:
2 Tbsp butter
9 oz orzo pasta
3 cups vegetable stock
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 cup shredded Paremsan
1/2  tsp salt

for the scallops:
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
12 large scallops
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp lemon juice

The Process:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the orzo and toast until lihglty browned and fregrant, 5-7 minutes.  Add the vegetable stock.  Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, rinse the scallops and pat dry.  Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet set over high heat.  Sprinkle the scallops with salt and pepper. Add the scallops to the hot pan, making sure they are not touching each other. Sear the scallops for 2-3 minutes, drizzle with half of the 1 Tbsp of lemon juice.  Flip the scallops and sear the other side for an additional 2-3 minutes.  The scallops should be well browned on each side, mostly opaque, while still being translucent in the center.

Stir the Parmesan, salt and lemon juice into the orzo.   Stir the pasta until the Parmsesan has melted.  Spoon onto warm plates.  

Settle scallops onto pasta.  Garnish with parsley and lemon.

Cheddar and Green Chili Corn Cakes with Mango Avocado Salsa

Is it an appetizer?  Or a side?  After eating a few I may suspect they may even fit into the breakfast category.  Regardless, these little corn cakes are incredibly tasty.  You'd think fifteen would go a long way, but between three folk, we barely had any left for the next day.

Thankfully these cakes are a breeze to whip up...only a hair more complicated than pancakes.  And likely as not you already have most of the ingredients in your pantry.

The salsa is a slightly sweeter spin on my usual guacamole, only the traditional tomato is substituted with mango.

Enjoy!

inspired by Alida's recipe at Simply Delicious

yields approximately 15 corn cakes

The Ingredients:
for the corn cakes
2 cups whole kernel corn
1-15 oz can creamed corn
2 eggs
1-4oz can green chilies
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

for the salsa
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1 mango, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 - 1/2 tsp chili powder

The Process:
For the cakes:
In a medium bowl whisk together the corn, creamed corn, eggs, chilies and milk.  In a another bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.  Fold in the cheese.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Spoon about 3 Tbsp of the batter into the pan.  Fry for 4-5 on each side or until golden brown and crisp.  Transfer to a plate and keep warm

For the salsa
In a medium bowl, toss all of the ingredients until well combined. 

Spoon the salsa over the cakes, serve warm

Bavarian Pretzel Bites with Beer Cheese Dip

Beer and pretzels.  When Ross and I set the date for our homebrew tasting, Bavarian pretzels were high on the list.  Whilet we were not serving any Martzen or lagers, this soft, chewy Oktoberfest staple seemed only fitting as our finger food and palate cleanser offering.  I scoured several recipes and came across many, many variations.  Most were of a quick and easy variety...attempting to replicate the slightly sweet and overly gresased varieties found at many a mall and corner cart.  Not Bavarian pretzels to say the least.

I had visions of soft, chewy, almost bagel-like interiors caramelized into a leathery, blistery brown skin, dotted with salt and full of pungent yeasty flavor.  Most recipes treated pretzel dough like bread dough...only with shorter to no proofing time and usually relying on egg washes to achieve the exterior.  Somehting didn't bode right about these.

Eventually a reoccuring method begin to pop up among recipes claiming to be more traditional or old world.  Lye.  Baking soda.  Alkalies....

It seems the trick to that memorable chwey interior and gorgeous brown skin is to boil the pretzels in an alkil solution for a mere 20 30 seconds.  In that breif moment the high pH breaks down the surface starches in to much more simple sugars which in turn caramelize in mere minutes in the oven.  The lye is food grade and can be purchased commercially...the heat of thee oven burns off any remaining, so fear not.  I found baking soda worked wonderfully.

The pretzel dough does dry out quickly.  I found having a spritzer of water at hand helped immensely when trying to roll out the ropes.  I did not try my hand at twisting traditional knots.  I did have over thirty people to supply...bite-sized bits seemed far more appropriate.  The recipe will make twelve 8-inch pretzels for the more ambitious. 

The baking soda is intimidating, but so much fun as well.  Dropped the bites in about 8 at a time.  They puffed up like magic within moments, supercharging the yeast before their trip into the oven.  The bite of residue alkali left had a cleansing effervescent quality unlike anything I've ever tasted with an American-style pretzel.  I am eager to try these babies again!

DO use parchment paper.  I learned that the hard way after trying to pry the baked morsels off of the first baking sheet.

DO remmeber to salt them before you bake them, using coarse or sea salt, not kosher salt.  Salt will not stick after the pretzels are baked, even with a brushing of oil, butter or beer. 

DO use the full amount of yeast.  2 Tbsp seems like a lot.  It is.  I snipped the tops off three packages and stirred the whole mess in.  You want the yeast. 

DO make these time and time again.  They will be a huge hit.  One guest, recently recovered from a trip to Germany, insisted I send her the recipe.  She found nothing quite as close to traditional Bavarian pretzels since returning state side.  The

pretzels adapted from the New York Times
Beer cheese dip adapted from Girlichef

yields 96 pretzel bites

The Ingredients:
for the pretzels:
1 Tbsp barley malt syrup or dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp lard or softened unsalted butter
2 Tbsp instant yeast
6 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon  kosher salt
5 cups water
10 Tbsp baking soda
Coarse sea salt or pretzel salt, for sprinkling (do not substitute kosher salt)

for the dip
10 oz beer (preferably a hefeweizen)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp  flour
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
In a large  bowl stir together syrup or brown sugar, lard or butter, yeast, 2 cups warm water and half of the flour. Add kosher salt and remaining flour and stir just until mixture just comes together.

Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Cut into 12 pieces, gently form into balls and loosely cover with cling wrap.  Let rest 5 minutes.

Roll out each piece into a rope about 18 - inches long.  Cut each rope into approximately 8  pieces.  Place on baking sheets and loosely cover with cling wrap. Let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for one hour

Pre-heat oven to 425.

In a large saucepan mix the water with baking soda. Bring to a boil. Working with about a dozen at a time, place pretzel pieces in the boiling solution for 20 seconds. remove with a slotted spoon and spread out the pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with pretzel salt.

Bake for 8-10  minutes or until golden brown.

Serve immediately.

for the dip



In a medium saucepan set over medium heat bring the beer to a gentle boil.  Toss the cheddar cheese with the flour. Once beer is simmering, whisk in the cheese,cream cheese, mustard, green onions and garlic.  Continue to stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until ready to serve.

One Pot Bacon Mac and Cheese

Mac and Cheese is comfort food, pure and simple.  Gooey, creamy and loaded with carbs.  I don't often make this cheesy bowl of guilt at home...but it is a rare treat when Ross and I go out to eat.  You can learn a lot about a place based on how they prepare and present a simple bowl of noodles and cheese sauce.

The perfect mac and cheese is a highly debated topic.  One I typically avoid.  Favorite variations run the gamut from classic blue box, thick and creamy breadcrumb topped baked casseroles, straight forward one-cheese-wonders, and complex combinations of exotic dairy.  Some like shells.  Others swear by elbows.  Occasionally a rotini fan jumps in.  And the add ins...or they are endless.  Bacon, chilies, tuna, tomatoes, broccoli, peas, chicken...really, it's whatever strikes your fancy.  One of the most unique combinations I've had was at a restaurant in Madison...smokey with a spicy kick...piled over a generous mound of savory pulled pork and baked with a crumb crust....Ross is bound and determined to replicate the recipe one day.

This mac and cheese is not that mac and cheese.

What I do love about this particular dish is its simplicity.  No boiling and straining the pasta.  No béchamel sauce.  One pot.  Simple ratios to remember...equal parts milk and pasta.  Half as much cheese.  Mustard powder, salt and pepper to taste.  And add in extras to your hearts content.  

A few things I've learned making this...rontini pasta works fine, as do elbows, but I adored the way the shells cooked up the best.  Your preference may vary.  But stick with regular pasta...not whole wheat, not protein-enriched or extra-fiber or whatever other clever marketing gimmick is out there to sell 'healthy' pasta right now.  This dish is all carbs and fat.  Embrace it.  The other pastas will not cook up as tender or plump.

Any combinations of cheeses will work.  I love to mix it up with at least three.  Cheddar, jack and gouda are sort of my stand by.   Cheddar/Romano/asiago is grand.  Cheddar/fontina/Gruyere yields and extra creamy sauce.  Pepper jack, Parmesan, blue cheese, Gorgonzola or anything aged or smoked will lend a wonderful depth and a bit of bite.  Of course, the whatever-is-in-the-fridge method works wonderfully too!

One cheesy caveat, though...do not use pre-packaged shredded cheese.  These contain additives to keep the cheese from clumping and will create a grainy texture in your otherwise wonderful dish.  Hand grated is much, much better...

adapted from the White on Rice Couple

serves 3-4 (but only if you know how to share)

The Ingredients:
4 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups elbow or shell pasta
2 cups milk (whole yields the creamiest result, skim will work)
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, fontina, Gruyere, Romano, Parmesan,Gouda, etc, etc)
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp mustard powder
pepper to taste
cayenne pepper to taste.

The Process:
In medium saucepan, stir together the milk, pasta butter, mustard powder and salt.

Bring to a gentle simmer over medium low heat, stirring constantly.  Stir, stir, stir!  Allow to simmer until most of the milk has been absorbed and the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.  Add additional milk in 1/4 cup increments as necessary if the pasta has not cooked fully.

Season with pepper and cayenne to taste.  Sprinkle in the shredded cheese and fold in until the cheese has melted and blended.

Add the bacon.  Cover and rest for 5 minutes off of the heat.  Stir and thin with additional milk, if desired. 

Enjoy!

Ale and Cheddar Biscuits

So much beer!  Ross and I currently have 3 batches of beer brewing in our basement right now.  Three 5-gallon carboys.  Almost 150 bottles when all is said and done.  With summer upon us we've switched gears away from the darker and heavier beers for a while.  In process are a honey kolsch, raspberry wheat and Belgian-style blonde ale.   What are we to do with it all?  Well, drink it.  Though the odd bottle may find its way into these wonderful biscuits. 

To date I've tried an IPA (Stone Ruination), an American Rye (home-brewed) and a Hefeweizen (Harriet Brewing's Wodan Weizen).  The American Rye yielded the tastiest biscuits, with the IPA in close second.  The hefeweizen had a bit too much clove and citrus flavor to meld well with the cheddar.

Adapted from Jackie's recipe at Beeroness.com

yields 12 biscuits

the Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 green onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup melted butter, plus extra for brushing
6 to 7 oz beer


The Process:

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a muffin tin or baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and pepper,  Stir in the onion and 3/4 cup of the cheddar.  Pour in melted butter and the beer, stirring until just moistened.  Do not over mix!

Spoon batter into muffin tins or drop into mounds on the baking sheet. Brush the remaining butter over the tops of the biscuits and sprinkle with remaining cheese. 

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the biscuits have puffed and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Serve hot.

The Review:
Best serve hot.  Truthfully.  These dense little beauties are full of flavor, but begins to loose their appeal as they cool.  Not that I imagine that most batches would ever linger around enough for that to happen...

After indulging in The St Paul Beer Fest and sampling nearly 60 brews, my mind is a whirl about which beers to try this out with next.  

Cornmeal and Ricotta Waffles

Several weeks have passed without a waffle Sunday.  Far too much time.  As schedules pick up, Ross and I are finding fewer and fewer weekends off together.   The stars aligned and this past Sunday found a morning together again.

I came across this recipe a while ago, and tagged it for a later date.  The combination was intriguing, but it wasn't until I tried my hand at homemade ricotta that this recipe drew my attention again.

adapted from Michael Mina's recipe at Food and Wine

The Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups milk
6 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour 
1/2 cup cornmeal 
1/Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

The Process:
Preheat oven to 200 and heat up the waffle iron.
In a large bowl, whisk the ricotta with the milk, egg yolks and sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients into the ricotta mixture until combined. Stir in the melted butter.

In a separate mixing bowl with an electric beater, or by hand with a strong wrist action, whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks.  Fold the whites gently into the waffle batter, until just combined.  Do not over mix!  The batter should retain as much air as possible from the whites.

Brush or mist the waffle iron lightly with oil and spoon batter into waffle iron, spreading quickly with a spatula to cover the entire griddle surface (amount varies depending on waffle iron, mine uses just over 1/2 a cup). Cook according to iron manufacturer’s instructions.

Transfer finished waffles to rack in oven to keep warm and crisp. Make more waffles in same manner.

Serve warm with toppings of your choice.

The Review: 
One thing I've come to truly love about Waffle Sundays is the sheer variety of flavors out there.  Is waffle is so similar, and yet so unique in their own right.  Oh, the shape my be the same.  And the general consistency.  But some are lighter, some are denser.  Some have a smooth, almost creamy center with a crisp exterior while others are more toothsome.  Flavors very from yeasty to sweet to vanilla or cinnamon spiked.  Filler abound: bacon, blueberries, nuts, or nothing at all.  Some hold up to a mountain of toppings.  Others are the perfect sponge for syrup.  

And I love every single one of them.  Some may be more successful than others.  But each and every waffle Sunday has been a treat to look forward to.

SO where does this waffle fall?  This variation was a little denser than most, with a bit pleasant grittiness from the cornmeal.  It soaked up the syrup on a heart beat, yet only the lightest drizzle was needed to offset the light cornmeal flavor.  Of course I added butter, but a silken buttery flavor was present even before the waffle was doused in toppings.  It puffed and crisped wonderfully, and maintained it's crispness under the power of the syrup longer than some, but not quite long enough for my taste.  Yet the interior was wonderfully moist.  

All that sums up to mean these waffles will be amazing frozen for later and reheated in the toaster for a quick breakfast later this week.

And the ricotta?  A creaminess was present, but if you didn't know the ricotta was there, you wouldn't be able to tell.  I used homemade ricotta...this batch turned out a tad drier than the last ricotta, but the waffles did not suffer.  

These may not be the healthiest of waffles, with 6 eggs and 1 stick of butter.  But the fat and sugar is offset by a higher protein content than most other waffles.  This is a waffle that will keep you fuller longer.  And at a 6-8 waffle yield...you are only looking at about 1 egg per serving.  The butter may be a bit excessive if you're watching the fat.  Next time around I may swap out half the butter with applesauce. 

Of course, with so many other waffles to choose from, who knows when I'll make it back around to this one! 

Cheesy Risotto

In my mind, risotto is bestowed the role of a culinary staple.  The dish appears so basic, and in its simplicity, highly adaptable.  When I made the goal of attempting 100 new recipes, this was at the top of the wish list.  Now, nearly a year and a half into the project, I am finally getting around to stirring in that broth, one ladle full at a time.

Something about the dish intimidated me.  Risotto was a dished reserved for date nights at fancy restaurants, where time and care are poured into every dish.  Establishments where one savors every bite with a sip of well paired wine.  I knew not much was involved in risotto, ingredient wise.  But I am impatient.  And the time need to slowly coax the creaminess out of the rich was a block.

I finally overcame that block.  Risotto is a labor of love.  It tried my patience to its limits, as I carefully watched each addition of broth slowly absorb into the rice.  But it is a labor I will be attempting again.

This basic variation of the classic Italian rice dish gains extra creaminess from the two types of cheese added: fontina, the highly melt-able cheese, and Parmesan to pump up the flavor.  I suspect any combination of a melting cheese and more flavorful variety would work as well.


adapted from 1001 Recipes, edited by Martha Day


yields 4 servings


The Ingredients:
4 cup chicken stock
3 Tbsp butter, divided
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups abrorio rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup fontina cheese, diced
2/3 cups grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
In a medium sauce pan, heat the chicken stock to a gentle simmer.  Keep warm.

In a large saucepan, melt half of the butter with the olive oil.  Add the onions and garlic.  Saute over medium high heat until the onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the rice and stir to coat evenly.

Slowly pour in the white wine.  Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, stirring continuously.  Once the wine has been absorbed, add the warm chicken stock, one ladle full at a time, allowing each addition to be fully absorbed before adding the next.  Patience is key.  Stir gently and continuously.

Once about half of the stack has been absorbed, add the fontina cheese and stir until melted.  Continue to add the stock as before. 

After the last ladle of stock has been absorbed, at the rice is creamy in texture ans slightly al dente, stir in the remaining butter and the Parmesan cheese.  Remove the risotto from the heat..  Cover and let rest for 3-5 minutes before serving. 

Serve warm with a sprinkling of your favorite herbs.

The Review:
After all is said and eaten, I really cannot figure out why I waited so long to make risotto.  Its classy, high maintenance veneer has been marred.  And I will never look at restaurant risotto the same way.  Nothing quite compares to the creaminess achieved with home made.

Homemade Buttermilk Ricotta

Ricotta is a ridiculously simple cheese to make.  In truth, the process is not very different from paneer which had the added step of an additional pressing to form a firm brick of cheese and goat cheese, which uses goat's milk instead of cow's milk.

With the arrival of the ice cream maker in our household, I seem to have a lot more whole milk on hand.  What better use of that extra milk than homemade cheese?  Whole milk has the perfect fat content for a rich and creamy ricotta, though any percentage of milk will work to.  Buttermilk is used in lieu of lemon juice or vinegar.  The benefit is a much more tender curd without the sharp tang.

adapted from the recipe at Napa Style

each quart of milk yields approximately 1 cup of ricotta

The Ingredients:
4 parts whole milk
1 part buttermilk
pinch of salt

The Process:
Line a sieve with several layers of cheesecloth or muslin and set aside.

Pour the milk and buttermilk into a large non-reactive saucepan with a heavy bottom.  Heat slowly over medium high heat, stirring the milk constantly to prevent scorching.  Bring to a gentle boil and stop stirring. It will look like nothing is happening until the milk reaches about 175-180.  Once the mixture reaches this temperature curds will begin to form and clump on the surface.  Gently stir to encourage the curds to separate from the whey.  Stir infrequently at this point...over stirring will break up the curds too much and yield a drier ricotta.  Once the curds appear to have fully separated remove the pot for the heat.

Ladle the cloudy liquid (whey) through the clothe lined sieve, working slowly to avoid breaking up the curd.  Once most of the whey has been ladled out of the pot, carefully pour the rest of the curd/whey mixture through the sieve.  Allow most of the liquid to drain.  Gather the edges of the cloth together to form a bag.   Thread a dowel or the handle of a wooden spoon through the knot and suspend the bag over a pot or the sink.  Allow to slowly drip drain for about 30 minutes.  Resist the urge to press the ricotta.

Remove the ricotta from the muslin bag and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week.

Homemade ricotta can be used in any recipe where ricotta is called for.

The Review:
This was by far the most moist, tender and flavorful ricotta I have ever tried.  The curds were plump without being huge, and they weren't super tiny either.  Previous attempts at cheese have all been resounding successes (even on the occasions when I wasn't trying to make cheese...).  But this ricotta was hands and shoulder above the rest.  Why?  Aside from the amazing texture?  The tang of the lemon juice was not present.  The lack of acidic flavor really let the creaminess of the dairy shine through.

So how does this cook up?  By the spoonful the ricotta blew me away, but how many of us sit down with a bowl of this cheese on a regular basis?  More often than not, the ricotta is added into another dish.  In our case it was a baked ziti, courtesy of my husband.  Even mixed into a dish, this ricotta was a noticeable improvement over most store bought varieties.  The next test will be ricotta waffles this weekend...

Mini Caramelized Onion Quiches with Sriracha Glazed Bacon

Have you noticed how many recipes for mini quiches are out there?  And yet so few of them utilize a crust.  I completely sympathize.  The pastry is fussy and time consuming when you're trying to work small.  One of my least favorite tasks in the kitchen is rolling out uniformly thin layers of pastry crust or cookie dough.  But in this instance, the butter crust adds a lot to the texture and flavor of the quiche.  And the crimped and pleated edges of pastry practically blossom out of the muffin tins.  They are quite stunning.

Many tarts, galettes, pastries and quiches have been featuring caramelized onions as of late.  So I have decided to  jump on the bandwagon.  Added bonus...mini quiches means I'll breakfast ready to heat on eat for the next few days.

the recipe is my own

yields 12 mini quiches

The Ingredients:
for the bacon
3 slices thick cut bacon
1 Tbsp honey
1-2 tsp Sriracha


for the onions
2-3 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt

for the quiche
pie crust or pate brisse  for a dbl crust
4 eggs
1/2 cup +2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
pinch cinnamon
3/4 cup cheese of your choice, shredded

The Process:
for the bacon:
Preheat the oven to 450.  On an aluminum lined baking sheet, lay the bacon out in a single layer.  In a small cup or bowl, stir together the honey and sriracha.  Brush the glaze evenly over each slice of bacon.


Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the bacon reaches the desired level of crispness.  Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain and cool.

for the onions:
In a large skillet over high heat, melt the butter and heat the oil.  Add the onions in a single layer over the entire bottom of the skillet.  Reduce the heat to medium, medium-low.  Saute the onions over low heat, stirring every 2-3 minutes.  After 5-7 minutes sprinkle with salt to extract more of the liquid from the onions.  Continue to saute over medium-low heat, stirring only every 2-3 minutes.  The onions should slowly begin to brown and caramelize. 

After the desired caramelization is achieved, about 20-30 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.



for the quiche:
Preheat the oven to 375 and lightly oil a 12 cup, standard-sized muffin tin.

Roll out the pastry crust or pate brisse.  Cut out twelve 5- inch circles and gently press one circle into each cup of the tin, gently pleating and folding the edges as needed.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, cream, milk and seasonings.  Set the egg mixture aside.

Divide the caramelized onions between the 12 pastry cups, using roughly 1 tsp per quiche.  Top each with 1/4 strip of bacon, snipped into small pieces.  Sprinkle with 2-3 tsp of shredded cheese. Pour about 3 Tbsp of the egg mixture into each cup, filling within 1/4 inch of the crust's lip.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the quiche puffs up and begins to brown.  A toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean.  Allow the mini quiches to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, enabling the egg mixture to set up.  Gently remove the mini quiches from the muffin tin to a cooling rack.  Let rest until the egg settles and levels out and the quiches are cool enough to handle.

Serve warm.

The Review:
Fresh out of the oven, domed golden treasures peeked out from their pastry petals.  They quickly settled, but with that first glimpse I knew I was in for a treat.

I had a hard time waiting for the mini quiche to cool enough to take a bite.  But that first bite...heavenly.  The crust broke away in a flaky, buttery burst to reveal the smooth, velvety egg within.  A salty, smokey pop of bacon followed, and close behind that...the slight sweetness and almost creamy layer of caramelized onion.  A subtle warmth danced across my tongue as the Sriracha came forward to finish off the bite.  One small bite...so many flavors and textures. 

While still warm, the egg and bacon flavors dominated these lovely little breakfast bites.  As with many things, the flavor improved with time.  The next day the Sriracha created the most wonderful subtle warmth without a trace of vinegar or bite.  The onions held their own more strongly against the smokey burst of bacon.  And all in all the flavors mellowed and mingled a little more harmoniously.

Of course, saving them for next morning's breakfast sacrifices that gloriously flaky crust, unless you have time to reheat them in the oven.  Convenience always has its price.

Ross didn't care much for the Sriracha.  But the fillings for these quiche are limitless.  Even a change as simple as a maple-peppercorn or honey-whiskey glaze on the bacon would be enough to launch these breakfast gems into completely different flavor-filled waters.