Martha Stewart: Sour Cherry Cobbler

There's something about Spring, and President's Day, and George Washington that gets me thinking about cherries.  And even though I don't expect the real sweet cherries to be trucked down from Washington state until sometime later this summer, I can definitely do something with the frozen tart cherries I found.  Originally I was thinking a pie, but then I got lazy, so I made a cobbler instead, and it was fantastic.

Sour Cherry Cobbler
Adapted from Martha Stewart

2 (10-ounce) bags frozen pitted sour cherries, mostly defrosted (do not drain liquid)

1 cup granulated sugar, divided use
¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Zest of half a lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided use
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, divided use

1 teaspoon almond extract, divided use
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons half-and-half
Heavy cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, toss together cherries, ⅓ cup sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract, and ¼ teaspoon salt.

Whisk together remaining ¾ cup flour, ⅔ cup sugar, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, and baking powder. Whisk in melted butter, remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, remaining ½ teaspoon almond extract, and half-and-half until just combined.

Scrape fruit mixture into baking dish, then dollop batter over top. Bake until cobbler is golden brown and set, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving with cream or ice cream.

RecipeTin Eats: Monkfish with Herb Browned Butter "Poor Man's Lobster"

My grocery store recently had a special on monkfish, and having never actually eaten this fish, I was intrigued.  It's not a pretty fish by any means, and that's apparently how it got it's name - it was the only fish left at the end of the day after all the shoppers had passed it over, so this is what the monks were given to eat.  Well, the joke was on all those superficial shoppers - this fish is delicious.  I can definitely see how monkfish gets labeled as a lobster substitute, as the texture is definitely similar.  Absolutely fry some up in butter, it's easy and delicious.

Monkfish with Herb Browned Butter "Poor Man's Lobster"
From RecipeTin Eats blog

10 ounces monkfish fillets, skinless and boneless
1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 sprigs thyme
½ teaspoon parsley, finely chopped
½ teaspoon chives, finely chopped
½ teaspoon chervil, finely chopped

Cut each monkfish fillet into 3 or 4 even size pieces. Sprinkle both sides of fish with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in non-stick pan over medium heat (medium-high for weak stoves). Place thickest pieces of fish in the pan first. Leave for 1 minute then add the thinner pieces. Cook for a further 2 minutes, then flip fish.

Add butter to pan. After it starts melting, add garlic and thyme. When the butter starts foaming, tilt the pan and start spooning the butter over the fish. Do this for 2 minutes or until the internal temperature is 130°F, or the flesh flakes easily. Butter will begin to smell nutty and brown. Transfer fish onto the rack and rest for 3 minutes.

Add herbs to butter remaining in pan. Serve this herb brown butter with the monkfish.

Makes 2 servings

Donna Hay: Maple and Thyme Roasted Pumpkin

Ever since acquainting myself with the kabocha pumpkin many years ago, I've been a big fan.  While I know the butternut squash is the true star of the pumpkin puree can, I was drawn to kabocha as more of a "pumpkin", while still being delicious to eat.  So I regularly collect any recipes I can that make this pretty squash shine, especially as the season ends.  This recipe was incredibly easy, and the nuts were a fantastic foil for the squash, even if my convection oven got a little overzealous.

Note: The original recipe used pecans and almonds, but I had some walnuts left over, so I used those instead of the almonds.  Honestly, use whatever nuts make you happy - they all work.

Maple and Thyme Roasted Pumpkin
Adapted from Donna Hay magazine, issue 38, as seen at 80 Breakfasts blog

4 wedges golden nugget pumpkin or kabocha squash, about 1½ pounds total weight

Scant ¼ cup maple syrup

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chopped pecans
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place the maple syrup, butter, thyme, and nuts in a bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste – it should have a sweet-salty flavor balance.

Arrange squash wedges in a roasting pan, or any sort of pan where they’d fit. Pour the honey-nut mixture over the squash, dividing evenly between their little hollows. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until tender.

Makes 4 servings

The English Kitchen: Sticky Sausages

There's just something comforting and homey about a nice sausage with mash.  And I'm not even British.  And there's a part of me that secretly loves a good marmalade, so when I find a recipe to use it in unusual ways, I'm always interested.  These bangers were delicious, the sauce was a perfect foil for the fattiness of the sausage.  I will admit that I made some parsnip puree instead of a good British mash, but it was still delicious.  Definitely on the rotation list.

Note: I managed to find Irish bangers, and that's what I used for this recipe, because I definitely didn't want some fennel-choked Italian link.  It's actually a bit surprising how hard it is to find British sausages in the US.  Italian and German, yes.  British?  Not a chance.

Sticky Sausages
Adapted from The English Kitchen blog

1 tablespoon canola oil
4 pork sausages, such as Cumberland
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 sprig fresh rosemary

Heat the oil in a skillet and add the sausages. Cook the sausages, turning them frequently, until golden brown on all sides and almost cooked through (about 12 minutes). Drain any remaining oil from the pan.

Whisk together the vinegar, marmalade, soy sauce, and mustard in a small bowl. Warm together in the microwave until the marmalade melts, whisking all together well. Pour this over the sausages in the skillet and add the rosemary. Simmer gently for several minutes, until sausages are well-glazed and cooked through.

Makes 4 servings

Serious Eats: Creamed Shishito Peppers

When I came across this recipe, I was intrigued - I had only ever sautéed whole shishito peppers as a sort of appetizer.  But as a big fan of "creaming" every vegetable known to man, I was definitely on board with giving this the 'ol college try.  It definitely doesn't end up with the silken texture you get from creamed spinach or kale, and it's chock full of the seeds, but the random hot pepper gives it a nice warmth, and I can definitely see this being a nice side for a well-cooked ribeye.

Creamed Shishito Peppers
From Serious Eats

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces shishito peppers, stemmed and thinly sliced into rounds (yielding about 3 cups)
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1 ounce grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Pinch freshly ground or grated nutmeg

In a 10-inch skillet or 3-quart saucier, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add shishito peppers, shallots, and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula, until vegetables are softened but not browned and shishito peppers are still bright green, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add heavy cream, season lightly with salt, and bring to a rapid simmer. Continue to cook, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain a rapid simmer, stirring frequently to keep vegetables from sticking and cream from scorching on the sides of the pan, until cream is reduced to a saucy consistency, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove from heat, add grated cheese and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve right away, or cool and refrigerate in an airtight container for future use.

Makes 4 servings

Yossy Arefi: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Okay, I couldn't help myself.  After the other little cake, I needed to try another one.  And this recipe, with it's chocolate peanut butter cup attitude was calling my name.  I've never actually put the peanut butter IN the cake, but it absolutely works.  And this was so fast to slap together.  It's probably bad for me to have this book - it's encouraging frequent cake making.

Note: As you can probably tell from the picture, I did not make a glaze.  I made a frosting.  I just used less liquid.  Because I wanted frosting, dang it.  Also, I used half-and-half instead of water in the "glaze".  Because why use water when you can use dairy products?  I also used cocoa nibs on top because I didn't have peanuts.  And I also threw about ½ cup of chocolate chips in the cake batter before baking because I'm over the top like that.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
From Snacking Cakes by Yossy Arefi

1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup smooth peanut butter
½ cup canola oil
½ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup hot coffee or water

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
1 to 2 tablespoons hot water
½ cup chopped roasted and salted peanuts
Flaky salt, to finish (optional)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter or coat an 8-inch square pan with nonstick spray. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over two of the edges.

In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar and eggs until pale and foamy, about 1 minute. Add the peanut butter, oil, milk, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth and emulsified. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.

Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda and whisk until well-combined and smooth.  Lastly, add the coffee and stir until well-combined and smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tap the pan gently on the counter to release any air bubbles, and smooth the top of the batter with an offset spatula.

Bake the cake until puffed and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and set it on the rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze:

In a bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, peanut butter, vanilla, kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon hot water until smooth.  If the glaze is very thick, add more water, a few drops at a time, until it is a smooth and pourable consistency.

Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and sprinkle with chopped peanuts and a few sprinkles of flaky salt (if using).  Let the glaze set for about 20 minutes before slicing the cake.

Bon Appétit: Radicchio Salad with Sour Cream Ranch

If you've spent any time reading the recipes on this blog, you'll know that I will randomly grab ingredients that look delicious or interesting or rare or just plain bizarre, and I'll get them home, and then I have to figure out what to do with them.  This is definitely one of those cases.  And the instigator this time is Castelfranco radicchio.  It is so cute!  With its red spots!  And tiny head!  Yes, I'm a sucker, but this was a delicious salad with not many ingredients.  The breadcrumbs are especially yummy.

Note: I added the cherry tomatoes, since they were also cute, and I'm not mad about it.

Radicchio Salad with Sour Cream Ranch
Adapted from Bon Appétit, November 2018 issue

⅓ cup sour cream
⅓ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar
5 garlic cloves, 1 finely grated, 4 crushed
1 teaspoon honey

2 to 3 tablespoons snipped chives  
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt
2 scallions, thinly sliced
½ cup panko
Zest from ½ lemon
2 medium radicchio, preferably Castelfranco, leaves separated

Mix sour cream, yogurt, vinegar, grated garlic, honey, chives, and 5 tablespoons oil in a small bowl; season dressing with salt.

Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium. Add crushed garlic and scallions and cook, stirring often, until golden brown around the edges, about 4 minutes. Add panko and season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Finely grate lemon zest directly into pan and toss a few times to incorporate. Transfer breadcrumbs to paper towels to drain; let cool. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

Place radicchio in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to coat. Season with salt and scatter breadcrumbs over.

Makes 8 servings

Yossy Arefi: Chocolate-Almond Olive Oil Cake with Raspberries

So, I got a new cookbook.  And it's full of these delicious little cakes that fit in one 8-inch square pan.  So of course I can't resist, because this is just the size of cake I need for me to enjoy thoroughly while also not feeling guilty about wasting food when I inevitably have to trash the part I didn't get to. (When I was a kid, I could never even conceive of the idea of trashing cake.  Horrors.)  This one appealed to me since it used half almond flour, and I have to say I'm a fan.

Note: The book also mentions that you can make this cake in a 9-inch round pan or a 9x5-inch loaf pan if you don't want to use the 8-inch square.

Chocolate-Almond Olive Oil Cake with Raspberries
From Snacking Cakes by Yossy Arefi

1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
⅔ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon cocoa nibs

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter or coat an 8-inch square pan with nonstick spray. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over two of the edges.

In a large bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs until pale and foamy, about 1 minute. Add the yogurt, oil, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth and emulsified. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until well-combined and smooth.

Add the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, and baking soda and whisk until well-combined and smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tap the pan gently on the counter to release any air bubbles, and smooth the top of the batter with an offset spatula. Scatter the raspberries and cocoa nibs over the top.

Bake the cake until puffed and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and set it on the rack to cool completely.

Veg Recipes of India: Kadai Paneer

I have been a big fan of Veg Recipes of India for a couple of years now, and that's inevitably where I go when I need a new recipe.  This blog taught me to be a better cook when it comes to Indian food, and I'm forever grateful.  I'm not even scared to grab that block of paneer at the store, because I know I'll find something delicious to make with it.  This is what?  The fourth paneer recipe on here?  All fantastic.

Note: I did not have whole kashmiri chilies, so I opted for the ground powder that I did have.  Also used ground coriander because I was lazy.  You should absolutely use what the original recipe suggests and don't be lazy like me if you have the time.

Kadai Paneer
Adapted from Veg Recipes of India blog

1 (1½-inch) piece ginger, peeled

8 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons ghee

2 medium onions, chopped

3 teaspoons ground coriander
2½ teaspoons kashmiri chili powder

2 plum tomatoes, finely chopped

5 plum tomatoes, pureed

1 small green pepper, cut into bite-size squares
1 small red pepper, cut into bite-size squares
¾ cup water
2½ teaspoons kosher salt

1½ teaspoons crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

1 teaspoon garam masala
8 to 10 ounces paneer, cubed
2 tablespoons half-and-half
1 to 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Crush the ginger and garlic to a fine paste in a mortar and pestle or small food processor.

In a pan heat the ghee. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté until the raw aroma disappears. Then add the chopped onions and sauté until transparent. Add the ground coriander and kashmiri red chilli powder. Mix well.

Add the finely chopped tomatoes and sauté until the tomatoes become pulpy and you see oil releasing from the sides of the tomato masala. Then add tomato puree. Stir well and continue to sauté until you once again see oil leaving the sides, about 9 to 10 minutes on low.

Add the green and red bell pepper. Stir and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes on medium-low. Add the water and salt and continue to simmer for 7 to 8 minutes, until the bell pepper is al dente. Then add kasuri methi and garam masala and stir.

Add paneer cubes and stir gently. Cook the paneer in the sauce for about 2 minutes. Just before serving, gently stir in half-and-half. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with rotis, naan, steamed rice or jeera rice.

Makes 4 servings

Life Made Simple: Cheesy Broccoli Stuffed Baked Potatoes

When trying to come up with something super easy to make for a weeknight meal, that also happens to be sort of vaguely nutritious, I came up with the idea to make stuffed potatoes.  And to make them healthy, they definitely needed broccoli.  But not too healthy, so they also needed cheese sauce.  These are comforting when it's cold out and filling and tasty.

Note: While I did have Cheddar cheese in my fridge, I also had a nice block of smoked Gouda that I hadn't found a use for, so I opted for that in my sauce.  Still delicious.

Cheesy Broccoli Stuffed Baked Potatoes

Adapted from Life Made Simple blog

4 large russet potatoes
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided use

1 pound broccoli florets

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese (or smoked Gouda)

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Place scrubbed, dried potatoes on the baking sheet. Rub each with oil, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and prick with a fork three times on each top. Wrap each potato in foil and place all four on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes.

While potatoes are baking, making a foil boat/tray and place broccoli on it. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Put the foil boat on the tray with the potatoes and return to the oven to bake for an additional 20 minutes. Once the time is up, check potatoes and broccoli for doneness.  Smaller potatoes may be ready and should be set aside, still wrapped to remain hot.  Larger potatoes and broccoli may take a little longer. Remove from the oven and set aside when broccoli is tender and potatoes are soft.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan set over medium heat, add the butter. When the butter has melted, whisk in the flour, cook for 1 minute. Slowly add milk, whisking to create a smooth sauce. Bring mixture to a low simmer.

Add remaining 1 teaspoon salt, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, stirring until melted, then broccoli.

Remove potatoes from foil, cut lengthwise, and press the ends of the potatoes to open.  Fluff the insides, adding some butter if desired.  Spoon broccoli cheese sauce over potatoes. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings