Chowhound: Green Goddess Dressing

I hate salad.  I will absolutely look for any other option first.  But in case of salad emergency, I always default to beautiful Bibb lettuce and a nice creamy salad dressing.  And while ranch dressing is pretty ubiquitous at this point, I actually think this dressing is much more beautiful and subtle, with its lovely herbal flavor and tart creaminess.  And fresh made beats the bottle every time.

Green Goddess Dressing
Adapted from Chowhound

2 anchovy fillets, rinsed, patted dry, and coarsely chopped OR 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 medium garlic clove, smashed and peeled
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
½ cup loosely packed fresh chervil leaves OR flat-leaf parsley leaves
¼ cup loosely packed fresh tarragon leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula as needed.  Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.  Refrigerate in a container with a tight-fitting lid for up to 1 week.

Makes approximately 2 cups

Boulevard: Chocolate Cherry Shortcakes

In the summer I absolutely love having strawberry shortcake.  It's a perfect dessert for those hot evenings, with those sweet berries and that beautiful fresh whipped cream.  But one can only eat so much strawberry shortcake.  So when I came across this stunning incarnation, I knew I had to try it.  The shortcakes are amazing on their own, but try and restrain yourself long enough to pull everything together.  In case you utterly fail, just know that the cherries are also fantastic on vanilla ice cream sans shortcake.

Chocolate Cherry Shortcakes
Adapted from Boulevard: The Cookbook by Nancy Oakes

For the chocolate cherry biscuits:
2 cups self-rising flour
½ cup Valrhona or other Dutch-processed cocoa powder
½ cup sugar, plus additional for dipping
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dried Bing cherries or dried sour cherries
1 cup Valrhona (or other premium) bittersweet chocolate chips, or nickel-size pieces chopped bittersweet chocolate
2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the cherries jubilee:
3 cups fresh Bing cherries, halved and pitted
⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons kirsch
½ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ cup brandy
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the vanilla ice cream:
1 vanilla bean
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
⅔ cup granulated sugar
5 large egg yolks

Make the biscuits:  Preheat the oven to 400°F. Stir the flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl until well combined, then stir in the dried cherries and chocolate chips. Add the cream and stir until the mixture comes together into a somewhat stiff dough.

Turn out onto a clean cutting board and, with your hands, press the dough into a 6-inch square about 2 inches thick. With a long, thin knife, cut the dough into 9 (2-inch) squares.

Dip the tops of the biscuits into the melted butter and then into sugar, pressing lightly so it adheres. Place the biscuits 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until they’re light gold and spring back when pressed lightly. Set aside at room temperature for up to 4 hours.

Make the cherries jubilee:  Combine the cherries and the ⅓ cup kirsch in a bowl and let macerate for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Put half of the cherries, the sugar, and lemon juice into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the liquid begins to thicken.

Remove from the heat, add the brandy, and, averting your face, carefully ignite the brandy with a long match. Let burn for about 1 minute to burn off the alcohol, then extinguish the flame by covering the pan. Remove the lid and continue to simmer the cherry mixture until it reduces to a syrup.  Add the remaining macerated cherries and cook for another 2 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the cherries to a bowl and reserve. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons kirsch to the syrup and set aside or refrigerate for up to 2 days (along with the reserved cherries in a separate container).

Make the ice cream:  Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds into a saucepan. Add the vanilla-bean pod, cream, and milk and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes.

Whisk the sugar and egg yolks in a small bowl just to combine them, then whisk in some of the warm milk mixture until blended. Stir the sugar-and-egg-yolk mixture into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard coats the back of a spoon (when you draw your finger across the back of the spoon, there should be a visible trail that doesn’t immediately flow back together).

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a container and chill thoroughly, at least 2 hours. Freeze according to the ice cream maker’s instructions. The frozen ice cream should be stored in a tightly covered plastic or stainless-steel container. For the best flavor and texture, let it soften slightly at room temperature before serving.

To serve:  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Split the biscuits and put into the oven for about 5 minutes, or until warmed through. Heat the cherry syrup in a small skillet over medium heat, add the reserved cherries and the 2 tablespoons of butter, and swirl the pan until the butter has melted and combined with the syrup.

Center a warm biscuit bottom on 8 dessert plates or shallow bowls and put equal spoonfuls of the cherries and their syrup on each, reserving a cup or so. Place on a biscuit top, followed by a scoop of ice cream. Dollop the remaining cherries and syrup around or to the side of the biscuits.

Makes 8 servings

Taste of the South: Beef Tips and Rice

I feel like at least 75% of my dinners are determined by what interesting things I find at the grocery store.  This time around it was a nice cut of tri-tip, which for some reason is like finding the holy grail.  Not sure why tri-tip is so unloved in this part of the country, because this recipe cooked up a fantastic, tender, gravy-rich concoction of meaty loveliness.  Ah, the beauty of comfort food.

Beef Tips and Rice
Adapted from Taste of the South magazine, Fall 2007

1 (3-pound) well-marbled tri-tip roast
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 cups water
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons roasted beef bouillon
2 teaspoons roasted chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup cornstarch
Hot cooked rice
Chopped parsley, as garnish

Cut roast into 1-inch cubes.  Toss with flour and set aside.

In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat.  Add onion and bell pepper and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until tender.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to Dutch oven.  Add beef and cook for 10 minutes, or until meat is well browned, stirring regularly.

Return onion and bell pepper to Dutch oven.  Add water, sauces, and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Cover partially and reduce heat.  Let simmer for 1 hour.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and enough liquid from the cooking pot to make a paste, stirring until smooth.  Add to beef mixture; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until mixture thickens.  Serve over rice.  Garnish with chopped parsley.

Makes 6 servings

The Galloping Gourmet: Abalone Victoria

Once upon a time I went to the Chinese grocery store and amused myself by wandering through the freezer aisles, when suddenly I came upon a package marked "abalone".  Having never seen such a thing in any normal WASP grocery, I immediately decided I needed to purchase this package of mystery shellfish.  The trouble came when I actually decided to cook the darn things.  Not many recipes out there.  Thank goodness for the Galloping Gourmet, right?  Just as a note, I wasn't super impressed with the rubbery texture, so I'm not enthused to finish off the package any time soon.

Abalone Victoria
From Graham Kerr, The Galloping Gourmet

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons clarified butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice
All-purpose flour, to coat
8 sliced abalone steaks
Salt, to taste
White pepper, to taste
½ cup unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sherry

Slice abalone into thin ¼-inch steaks.  Place sliced abalone steaks on hard surface covered with plastic wrap.  Tenderize both sides of steaks by pounding with meat mallet.

Mix together parsley and bread crumbs. In a separate bowl, combine egg yolk, clarified butter and lemon juice. Place flour on a dish for dredging.

Season 1 side of abalone steaks with salt and pepper. Lightly flour and paint with egg mixture. Coat with parsley/bread crumb mixture.

Melt butter in frying pan. When butter begins to foam, add steaks and cook 1 minute each side. Add sherry and flame. Transfer to a serving dish and nap with browned butter from pan.

Makes 8 servings

Dinner Then Dessert and Andrew Zimmern: Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Bourbon and Molasses Glaze

I took a look through my freezer today, and I realized that I needed to start cooking some of the goodies I had stored up from all of my marketing adventures.  One of those goodies was a beautiful piece of corned beef.  I know it's a bit late to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, but really, it's always a good time for tender sliced corned beef with a sweet crunchy glaze.  Especially if that corned beef spent most of its time in a slow cooker instead of needing constant attention on the stove top.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Bourbon and Molasses Glaze

From Dinner Then Dessert blog and Andrew Zimmern

3 pounds corned beef, with spice packet
1 cup water, maybe less depending on size of slow cooker
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
¼ cup molasses
½ cup bourbon

Add corned beef, fat side up, to the slow cooker.  Add the minced garlic, spice packet, sugar, and pepper to the top of the meat and rub on.  Add the vinegar and bay leaf to the side of the corned beef and add just enough water to come up about a fourth of the way to the top of the meat.  Cook on low for 9 to 10 hours.

To make glaze, combine molasses, mustard powder, bourbon, and brown sugar in a bowl; stir until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Let rest for 45 minutes.

Preheat broiler. Remove corned beef from cooking liquid, pat dry on a dish towel, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour ⅓ of the glaze on top of the corned beef, distributing evenly. Place the corned beef 6 inches under broiler for about 1 minute. Remove and pour on half the remaining glaze. Place under the broiler for 30 to 40 seconds. Remove and pour the rest of the glaze onto the corned beef and broil another 30 to 40 seconds.

Makes 8 servings