Yotam Ottolenghi: Miso Butter Onions

I saw this dish on Pinterest and very quickly realized it came out of a cookbook I had not yet used, so it gave me an excuse to try it out.  It's very simple, with only four ingredients, but they really do meld together into something greater than the sum of the parts.  This is a wonderful option for a meatless meal, as it still has all of the umami notes that a meat dish would have.

Note: My oven only went to 475°F on the bake setting, and it worked just fine, just took a little longer to cook than listed below.  Also, I'm not sure where he's getting these tiny onions or giant shallots, but I was only able to find five small-ish white onions that totaled the called for weight, and that seemed to work fine.  This also probably impacted my cook time.

Miso Butter Onions
From Flavor by Yotam Ottolenghi

8 small onions or 8 large shallots, about 5¼ ounces each, for a total of 2⅔ pounds
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon white or other miso paste
4 cups warm water

Preheat the oven to 500°F.

Halve the onions or shallots lengthwise, discarding the papery skin, as well as the layer beneath if it is tough or dry. Trim the tops and a little off the bottom (not too much - you want to ensure the onion halves stay held together at the base).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, miso, and warm water until fully combined.

Place the onion halves, cut-side down and spaced apart, in a 9x13-inch high-sided baking dish or pan and pour in the miso water. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and turn the onions over so they are cut-side up (take care to ensure they remain intact). Baste the onions very well, then return to the oven, uncovered, for another 45 to 50 minutes, basting every 10 minutes, until the onions are very soft, deeply browned on top, and the sauce has reduced to a gravy consistency.

Carefully transfer the onions to a platter, pouring the sauce over and around them, and serve at once.

Makes 6 servings

Serving Dumplings: Thai Coconut Salmon Curry

 

I think I'm living proof that cruising around on Pinterest is dangerous business.  I come across some fantastically delicious looking recipes, and I just can't help myself but make them.  Luckily I had most of the ingredients for this one already, in addition to the usual salmon craving I'm nursing.  So it was a no brainer.  Spicy, had to be balanced a bit in the flavorings, but the salmon was delicious, and the rice definitely helped.  I'll probably play with this recipe some more.

Note: I used a package of salmon chunks since that's what I found at the grocery store.

Thai Coconut Salmon Curry

Adapted from Serving Dumplings blog

4 salmon fillets, skin removed

Kosher salt

Ground white pepper
Sweet paprika

2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, such as Maesri

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
½ cup vegetable broth
1 baby bok choy, roughly chopped, or 2 ounces baby spinach
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 (13½-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk

1 to 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

1 tablespoon granulated sugar or honey, optional

Thai basil leaves
Steamed Jasmine rice

Pat the salmon fillets dry with a paper towel and season all over with salt, white pepper, and sweet paprika.

Heat coconut oil and butter in a large non-stick frying pan over medium high heat. Add the salmon fillets and sear, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, add onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for 2 minutes over low heat until fragrant. Add bell pepper, cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato paste and curry paste, cook for 1 minute. Add coriander, cumin and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in broth and bring to a boil.

Add bok choy, fish sauce, and peanut butter. Stir to combine. Pour coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
Nestle salmon in the sauce. Sprinkle with lemon juice and simmer for 3 to 5 more minutes or until the salmon is just cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened. Test the balance of flavors and add sugar or honey, if needed.  Remove from heat.

Stir in the basil leaves and serve with rice.

Makes 4 servings

Food and Wine: Scrambled Eggs Florentine

With a little flock of chickens now running around my yard acting like idiots, I find myself positively drowning in eggs.  I thought I regularly used quite a lot, but apparently not enough to keep up with my prolific little hens.  I also found myself with a bit of leftover mascarpone cheese, and there's no reason to let that go to waste.  So I located this fantastic recipe and ran with it.  Perfect with some bread for a late breakfast.

Note: I added the bacon and shallot to the recipe below, and I think it worked fantastically.  If you're trying to be lacto-ovo vegetarian, you can of course leave the bacon out.

Scrambled Eggs Florentine
Adapted from Food and Wine magazine

3 slices applewood smoked bacon, diced

1 medium shallot, finely chopped
¼ cup unsalted butter, divided use
4 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided use
6 large eggs, beaten
¾ cup mascarpone cheese
3 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded (about ¾ cup), divided use
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
Ground white pepper
1 loaf crusty Italian- or French-style bread, sliced and toasted

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until fat has rendered and meat parts are crisp.  Add the shallot and cook until translucent.  Add 2 tablespoons butter, then add the spinach and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, turning with tongs, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer spinach mixture to a plate.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in skillet. Add eggs, sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and swirl to coat skillet evenly. When edges are cooked, drag cooked egg to edges of pan using a heatproof rubber spatula to form large, soft curds. Cook until eggs are nearly set, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Gently fold mascarpone and ½ cup Fontina into eggs until cheeses are melted.

Preheat broiler. Place egg mixture in a shallow 8-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle wilted spinach mixture and remaining ¼ cup Fontina on top. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Garnish with chives and black pepper, and serve immediately with toast slices.

Makes 8 servings

Ina Garten: Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake

I recently ran across a bunch of Ina Garten recipes that sounded downright fabulous to me, so I decided I needed to start putting them through their paces.  The first one up was this beautiful icebox cake, typically made with chocolate wafers, but subbed with chocolate chip cookies.  It's cool, smooth, and creamy, and the rest in the fridge allows the cookies to absorb some moisture and change texture to more a cake consistency.  This would be fantastic all summer long.

Note: I only had a 9-inch springform pan, and it seemed to work just fine.  Also, the Tate's cookie bags are now only 7 ounces; I guess that shrinkflation for you.

Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake
From Ina Garten

2 cups cold heavy cream
12 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup Kahlúa liqueur
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 (8-ounce) packages Tate’s Bake Shop chocolate chip cookies
Shaved semisweet chocolate, for garnish

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, Kahlúa, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla. Mix on low speed to combine and then slowly raise the speed, until it forms firm peaks.

To assemble the cake, arrange chocolate chip cookies flat in an 8-inch springform pan, covering the bottom as much as possible. (I break some cookies to fill in the spaces.) Spread a fifth of the mocha whipped cream evenly over the cookies. Place another layer of cookies on top, lying flat and touching, followed by another fifth of the cream. Continue layering cookies and cream until there are 5 layers of each, ending with a layer of cream. Smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Run a small sharp knife around the outside of the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the top with the chocolate, cut in wedges, and serve cold.

Makes 8 servings

Soom Foods and The Nutritious Kitchen: Zucchini Tahini Coffee Cake

Here

Zucchini Tahini Coffee Cake
Adapted from Soom Foods and The Nutritious Kitchen blog

Cinnamon Sugar Crumble:
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
½ cup almond flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon espresso powder  
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

Coffee Cake:
1½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup granulated sugar  
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup tahini
½ cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons whole milk
1 cup zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini), shredded and squeezed dry 

Glaze:
½ cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray or shortening. Alternatively, you can line a 9x9-inch square pan with parchment paper and grease the sides.

Make the cinnamon sugar crumble by mixing the ingredients until fully combined. Set aside.

For the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, vanilla extract, tahini, maple syrup, and Greek yogurt until fully combined. Fold in the shredded zucchini.

Pour half the batter into the cake pan, then spread ½ cup of the cinnamon sugar crumble on top. Pour on the remaining batter and top with the remaining crumble.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until a knife comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes.

While the cake cools, make the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar with the cream and vanilla bean paste until a thick glaze forms. It should be smooth and easy to drizzle. Drizzle on top of the cake and serve.

Tess Posthumus: Groseille (Red Currant) Syrup and Difford's Guide: Dutch Artist's Special

When I found some absolutely beautiful red currants, I immediately snapped them up.  I made some little cakes with most of them, but I was left with a bit in the bowl.  I was stumped - not enough to make into jam, but also not enough for another full recipe.  Until I came across this one for a red currant syrup.  But what to use it in?  Apparently there was very famous cocktail during the 20's in Paris called the Artist's Special.  It used Scotch, sherry, lemon juice, and red currant syrup.  I found another recipe for a Dutch version that included genever in the place of scotch, and added kirschwasser.  That sounded right up my alley.  It's very floral, but not sweet.  The perfect cocktail for a heavier dinner.

Note: I could not for the life of me find genever.  Apparently only the hipsters in Austin, TX get to use.  I substituted gin, and it was still a pretty fine cocktail.

Groseille (Red Currant) Syrup
From Tess Posthumus blog

10 ounces red currants
¾ cup granulated sugar
2½ cups water

Remove the red currants from their stem by using a fork.  Muddle the currants in a pan to get the juices out.  Add the sugar and water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally.

Let simmer for another 10 minutes until all the sugar is dissolved and the juices are released from the berries.

The recipe yields 420 mL of unstrained red currant syrup.  Let the syrup cool and fine strain through a sieve and a second time through a coffee filter. This will take a while and you might want to use multiple coffee filters.  Once strained, add a shot of vodka and store in a clean glass bottle in the fridge.

Dutch Artist's Special

From Difford's Guide

1½ fluid ounces genever (gin can be substituted)

½ fluid ounce amontillado sherry

½ fluid ounce kirschwasser

½ fluid ounce lemon juice

½ fluid ounce groseille (red currant) syrup

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into a chilled glass.

La Tartine Gourmande: Petits Gâteaux aux Groseilles (Red Currant Mini Cakes)

I have a bad habit of picking up packages of red currants at the store whenever I see them, which admittedly, is about once a year.  But I often do so without any plan of how I'm going to use them.  Luckily I stumbled across this fantastic little recipe, which really lets the currants shine.  The cakes are also fantastic without the currants if the season has already passed.

Petits Gâteaux aux Groseilles (Red Currant Mini Cakes)
Adopted from La Tartine Gourmande

1⅛ cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1½ cups almond flour

2½ cups powdered sugar, sifted

¾ teaspoon baking powder

Pinch kosher salt

3 large eggs plus 6 large egg whites
6 ounces unsalted butter, melted

½ teaspoon almond extract

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

¾ cup red currants

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl: all-purpose flour, almond flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Lightly beat the eggs and egg whites with a fork, then add to the dry ingredients and mix.  Add the melted butter, almond extract, and vanilla bean paste and mix.

Grease a muffin pan and divide the dough between the 12 molds.  Place the washed currants on top.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool down for a few minutes before unmolding on a cooling rack.

Makes 12 cakes

Hugh Acheson: Kimchi Creamed Collard Greens

I've been ordering Korean food on a semi-regular basis, and I always get extra kimchi.  It got me thinking about what I could use that extra kimchi in, besides the usual kimchi pancakes.  I googled around a little bit, and before long, I found this fabulous recipe.  If you're not a huge fan of kimchi on its own, don't worry, the kimchi just adds spice and a background umami flavor.  This is still delicious served with warm cornbread, Southern style.

Kimchi Creamed Collard Greens
From Chef Hugh Acheson, as seen in Food and Wine magazine, December 2013

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, cut into ¼-inch dice
½ pound bacon, cut into ¼-inch dice
2 pounds stemmed collard greens, leaves cut into 2-inch pieces
¼ cup sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon sorghum syrup or pure maple syrup
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup kimchi, finely chopped

In a large pot, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden brown, 7 minutes. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until the fat has rendered, 10 minutes. Add the collards and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until it begins to wilt, 4 minutes. Add the vinegar and boil for 1 minute. Add the syrup, stock, water, crushed red pepper, and a large pinch of salt. Cover and cook, stirring a few times, until the collards are very tender, 1½ hours.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, simmer the cream over moderate heat until reduced by one-third, 10 minutes. Add the kimchi and remove from the heat.

When the collards are done, stir in the kimchi cream. Season with salt and serve.

Makes 8 servings

NY Times Cooking: Fried Okra With Rémoulade

Earlier this year, in the spring, I got this grand idea to plant a few okra plants and see what happened.  These things were maybe six inches tall when I bought them.  Those tiny plants grew into six foot okra trees, with stalks several inches in diameter.  I've never seen anything like it.  But they also prolifically spit out new okra pods every couple of days.  You can't really argue that they aren't a good pick for the garden.  But what to do with all of that okra?  Why, fry it up into crunchy morsels and dig in.

Note: Try and use the smallest okra pods you can find, only a couple of inches long.  They are the youngest and will be the most tender.

Fried Okra With Rémoulade

Adapted from NY Times Cooking

2 quarts canola oil, plus more as needed
2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons hot sauce, preferably Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 pound fresh okra, stem ends trimmed, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup fine or medium yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, preferably Slap Ya Mama
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
Kosher salt, to taste

Rémoulade (see below)

Pour oil into a large pot with high sides and a lid, to a depth of a few inches. Heat oil over medium-high to 350°F.

While the oil is heating, combine the buttermilk and hot sauce in a large bowl. Place the cut okra into the buttermilk mixture and stir to coat.

In a large bowl, stir the flour, cornmeal, Cajun seasoning, and cayenne.

Working in 4 separate batches, dredge the soaked okra in the cornmeal mixture using your hands. Shake off the excess flour and place the okra onto a wire baking rack. After one to two dredgings of okra, use your hands or a slotted spoon to sift the flour and cornmeal mixture, removing any clumps. Finish coating the remaining okra.

Working in about 4 batches, making sure to not crowd the pot, fry the okra, stirring frequently, until crispy and golden, about 4 minutes. Take care not to burn it.

Remove okra using a spider and allow the okra to drain on two plates covered with paper towels. Immediately season okra with salt. Serve immediately with the rémoulade.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Rémoulade

1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup ketchup
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, preferably Slap Ya Mama
1 teaspoon white white vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, Cajun seasoning, vinegar and lemon juice. (Makes about 1½ cups rémoulade.) Cover the sauce and chill it in the fridge until you serve.

Omnivore's Cookbook: Mapo Eggplant

Back in the spring, I decided that it would be a good idea to plant a Japanese eggplant in my raised garden bed.  Between that plant, the okra, and the poblano pepper, they have choked everything else out.  Thank goodness they're also fruiting prolifically.  But that means I have a ton of eggplants that need to be eaten.  Thank goodness for delicious dishes like this one.  And honestly, not a ton of work.

Note: I opted to use ground bean paste (not spicy) instead of doubanjiang (spicy).  I still put the full amount of chili oil in the mixture, and it came out with a nice burn that doesn't peel the skin off your tongue.  If you love spicy, I would recommend using the spicy paste and as much chili oil as you can handle.  I also fried the eggplant pieces in some peanut oil before I started.  This was a recommendation from the blog author to keep the eggplant piece from falling apart, but is definitely not required.

Mapo Eggplant
Adapted from Omnivore's Cookbook blog

1 pound Chinese/Japanese eggplants, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
1 pound ground pork
1½ to 2 tablespoons ground bean paste or doubanjiang

4 green onions, sliced (reserve some of the green part for garnish)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch piece ginger, minced
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon chili oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Add the oil and Sichuan peppercorns to a large skillet and cook over medium heat. Let the peppercorns cook until they are fragrant and turn brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the peppercorns using a spatula without removing the oil, and transfer them into a small bowl.

Add the ground pork and spread it across the pan. Top with the ground bean paste or doubanjiang. Let the pork cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the bottom turns golden. Stir with the paste and cook until the pork is almost cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the green onions, ginger, and garlic. Continue cooking for another 30 seconds to a minute to release the fragrance.  Pour in the Shaoxing wine. Immediately use your spatula to scrape off any browned bits from the pan.

Add the eggplant, stock, chili oil, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir gently to incorporate everything. Bring to a boil, then cover. Simmer over medium-low heat until the eggplant is cooked through, about 7 minutes. Carefully taste one piece of eggplant to make sure it reaches your desired texture. Let cook a bit longer if needed.

Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl and stir until fully dissolved. Drizzle over the sauce and turn the heat back to medium. Stir constantly and cook until the sauce has thickened. Transfer everything to a serving plate. Garnish with the reserved green onion and fried Sichuan pepper.

Makes 4 servings