Food 2.0: Mint-Chocolate Brownies

Mint brownie.  What an excellent idea.  It's like a York peppermint patty, except a brownie.  And all hot and fudgy and gooey and melty.  And it goes perfectly with ice cream.  Unless it's cold.  Then it's just perfect in all its warm yumminess.

Mint-Chocolate Brownies
From Food 2.0 by Charlie Ayers

¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
4 large eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and set aside.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a double boiler or in a bowl set over, but not touching, simmering water in a pan. Stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a small bowl.  Beat the eggs and sugar together with an electric mixer until very thick and pale, and the beaters leave a trail when lifted out of the mixture. Mix in the melted chocolate and the peppermint and vanilla extracts at lowest speed. Fold in the flour mixture and the chocolate chips, mixing just until the batter is no longer streaky.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted about 1 inch from the edge comes out clean, about 35 minutes. The top should feel set, but the center should still be quite soft. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool and cut into squares when cold. Store the brownies in an airtight container.

Makes 16 servings

Egyptianfood: Mujaddara with Egyptian Tomato Sauce

I decided that since it was Ramadan, that I would make something fitting to break my fast with as a kind of acknowledgement. No, I didn't wait until the sun set, but it was still a delicious way to do it. The dish I chose is called mujaddara, and it's a combination of lentils and rice, served with carmelized onions. After looking around on the internet, it's apparently popular to serve an Egyptian-style tomato sauce with it, so I cooked that up to. I've got to say, for something so simple, it was delicious. Arabic home cooking maybe?

Mujaddara

Adapted from egyptianfood.org

7 to 8 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, sliced into rings

1 medium onion, chopped

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

1 cup dried green lentils

4 cups water
1 cup Basmati rice
3 teaspoons salt (to taste)

Egyptian Tomato Sauce

In a 12-inch frying pan, sauté onion rings in olive oil until they are soft and caramelized. Set aside.

In medium Dutch oven, fry chopped onion over medium heat in olive oil until soft and brown. Add cinnamon and allspice and let warm for one minute. Add lentils and water and bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add rice and salt. Bring back to a boil and reduce heat to lowest simmer. Simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure to check rice towards the end of the cooking time to ensure it doesn't burn on the bottom of the pot.

Serve rice and lentils with sauce on top. Garnish with caramelized onions.

Egyptian Tomato Sauce
From Chef Zermane Dit Zermaki on food.com

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

5 to 7 cloves garlic, minced finely

2 cups tomato juice

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon white vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the sauce, sauté the onion over medium heat until quite brown. Add the garlic and cook shortly, about a minute. Add tomato juice and sugar. Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add the vinegar and seasonings, and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

The Omnivore's Hundred

There's a little meme that's been circulating the net, that I thought I would participate in. Basically it's a list of different foods, some strange, some not, that everyone should really try in their lifetime. Here's my list:

The Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB and J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

The Pioneer Woman: Parmesan Crash Hot Potatoes

These little potatoes seem to be all over the internet lately, in various incarnations, care of your friendly neighborhood Aussies.  So this is my version.  Butter?  Check.  Cheese?  Check.  Salt?  Check.  Looks good to me.  You are cleared to enjoy a potato side dish that is both fluffy and crispy.  Thank you, Australia (I know sometimes we forget you're down there, but we really appreciate your continuing culinary efforts.)

Parmesan Crash Hot Potatoes
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman blog

1½ pounds small potatoes (about 15 potatoes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Dried parsley and savory (or other herbs of choice), to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the potatoes and cook them until they are fork-tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato. With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Sprinkle each potato with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, dried herbs, and Parmesan cheese.  Place a small pat of butter on the top of each potato.

Bake in a 425°F oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Makes 6 servings

Dorothy Huang: Jie Lan Niu Rou (Beef with Broccoli in Oyster Sauce)

I think pretty much everyone's favorite Chinese food dish is beef with broccoli.  I'm more of an orange chicken girl, but I can definitely see the appeal.  It's a very non-threatening plate of food for anyone who is a little scared of what might be lurking in the kitchen of your local Chinese restaurant (chicken feet? intestines? dog?).  Oh, and that's probably also why they generally leave off the "in Oyster Sauce" part, too.  Luckily it's also really easy to make if you need something quick and tasty and you don't feel like waiting an hour for the delivery guy to finally show up with your partially cold and congealed food.

Note: Make sure your oyster sauce actually has oysters in it.  It should probably be the first ingredient.  Yes, there are some oyster sauces on the market with zero oyster.  Big foul in my book.

Jie Lan Niu Rou (Beef with Broccoli in Oyster Sauce)
From Dorothy Huang

½ pound beef steak, sliced very thinly (such as top sirloin, flank steak, or NY strip)

2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

½ pound broccoli crowns, cut into small pieces
3 dried Chinese black mushrooms, soaked until soft and sliced into strips (optional)

Marinade:
2 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon tapioca starch
Dash ground white pepper

Sauce:
6 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Mix sliced beef with marinade and allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Heat wok with oil and add ginger and garlic when ready. Sauté briefly, then add marinated beef and stir. After two minutes, add broccoli crowns and stir. After another couple of minutes, add mushrooms (if using) and sauce, stirring well. Serve with rice as soon as meat is cooked through.

Makes 2 servings

Simply Recipes: Irish Beef Stew

My mom has been making beef stew for years, mostly in the colder months, but it always has kind-of a bland flavor to it. I've longed for something punchier, with more flavor, more oomph. When I saw the recipe for Irish Beef Stew, with Guinness and tomato paste, I decided I might have hit the jackpot. The result? Rich, flavorful, and satisfying.

Irish Beef Stew
From Simply Recipes, based on a recipe from Fidel Murphy's Irish Pub on Grand Cayman Island

¼ cup olive oil

1¼ pounds stew beef (1-inch pieces)

6 large garlic cloves, minced

6 cups beef stock

1 cup Guinness beer
1 cup red wine

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces

1 large onion, chopped, or 1 bag pearl onions

2 cups carrots, peeled and cut in ½-inch pieces

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley

Heat olive oil in heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add beef and sauté until brown on all sides, about five minutes. Add garlic and sauté one minute. Add beef stock, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

While meat and stock is simmering, melt butter in another large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onions, and carrots. Saute vegetables until golden, about 20 minutes. Set aside until the beef stew has simmered for at least one hour.

Check beef meat for doneness. If beef is still tough, cook for additional half hour. When beef is tender, add vegetables to stew. Simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Tilt pan and spoon off fat. Salt and pepper to taste. Top individual servings with parsley.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

The Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook: Classic Blondies

I am looking for a blondie recipe.  Maybe I should post a wanted ad.  Wanted: one blondie, halfway between a cookie and a brownie, preferably with lots of sweet goodness folded inside.  While this one works on some levels, and is obviously delicious in its own right, it's not quite there.  The search will continue.  And no, I'm not particularly sad about that fact.

Classic Blondies
From The Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook

8 ounces White Chocolate baking bar, broken or chopped into 1-inch pieces
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 large eggs
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or Milk Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.  Grease the paper.

In the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, melt the white chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the eggs until foamy.  With the mixer running, add the sugar in a slow, steady stream.  Add the vanilla.  Add the melted chocolate and butter in a thin stream.  With a rubber spatula, fold in the flour, salt, and chocolate chips until well combined.  Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the center.  Let the brownies cool for at least 10 minutes.  Cut and serve warm or at room temperature.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes 16 bars

Semi-Homemade Cooking 3: Fried Pork Chops and Cajun Mashed Potatoes

When you review cookbooks, sometimes you don't get to decide what comes in the mail.  Sometimes it's something that you would rather not mess with.  Like all this convenience cooking stuff.  But then you try a recipe that has promise, and it's actually good.  Like this pork chop.  With the fabulous crunchy coating.  But the purchased tub of potatoes still get a thumbs down.  How hard is it to boil some potatoes?

Fried Pork Chops
Adapted from Semi-Homemade Cooking 3 by Sandra Lee

4 bone-in pork chops, cut 1-inch thick
1 cup Bisquick baking mix
1 (1.6-ounce) packet dry ranch dressing mix
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons canola oil

Rinse pork chops with cold water; do not pat dry. In a shallow bowl, stir together baking mix, sauce mix, and paprika. Dredge pork chops in coating mixture and shake off excess.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown pork chops on all sides in oil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until done, about 10 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Cajun Mashed Potatoes

From Semi-Homemade Cooking 3 by Sandra Lee

1 (24-ounce) container mashed potatoes
¼ cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

Heat mashed potatoes, in container, uncovered on HIGH for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring once. Transfer mashed potatoes to a medium bowl. Add buttermilk and Cajun seasoning. Stir thoroughly. Serve hot.

Makes 4 servings

Semi-Homemade Cooking 3: Niçoise on a Roll (Nice-Style Tuna Salad Sandwich)

As part of cookbook reviews that I do, I was tapped to review a Sandra Lee cookbook. Now, I'm not normally a big Sandra Lee fan, but I did find a few recipes in the book that were tasty and fast and semi-nutritious. My favorite has to be the Niçoise on a Roll.  It's got canned tuna, nicoise olives, capers, and hard-boiled eggs, and when served ice cold on a potato roll with plenty of lettuce, tomato, and onions, it's heavenly on a hot summer afternoon.

Niçoise on a Roll (Nice-Style Tuna Salad Sandwich)

From Semi-Homemade Cooking 3 by Sandra Lee

1 (6-ounce) can oil-packed tuna, drained

2 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon capers

10 niçoise olives

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fines herbes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 round potato buns

2 Bibb lettuce leaves

6 slices Roma tomato

¼ red onion, peeled and thinly sliced into rings

Combine tuna, eggs, capers, olives, mayonnaise, fines herbes, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl.  Mix thoroughly.

Open potato buns and place one lettuce leaf on the bottom half of each bun.  Divide tuna mixture between the two sandwiches.  Top each with three tomato slices and red onion rings.

The Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook: Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ah, the pinnacle of home cooking perfection: the warm chocolate chip cookie.  No, I'm serious.  When I was in the military the summer before college, I actually dreamed about chocolate chip cookies.  I'm not sure if that's interesting or just sad, but I really do think it shows that these are the essence of comfort food.  I'm normally a semi-sweet girl, but milk chocolate is fun to try once in a while.  And this recipe has a bit more sugar and vanilla, so they turn out a tad sweeter and richer.  Not that that's a bad thing.

Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
From The Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookbook

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups Milk Chocolate Chips
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter with the granulated and brown sugars using an electric mixer at medium speed until the mixture is creamy and lightened in color, about 4 minutes.  Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed until incorporated.

Gradually blend the flour mixture into the creamed mixture.  Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.  Drop by the tablespoonful onto ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown.  Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Makes 48 cookies