Scrumpdillyicious: Smoked Trout and Potato Salad

I'll be honest, I don't eat a lot of salad.  I find that it takes quite a bit of the bad stuff - salad dressing - to make all of that roughage palatable.  But I also realize that I should probably find a way to overcome this hesitation.  So this is a first step.  A semi-salad.  Hey, there's spinach, it counts.  And it was a delicious light lunch.

Smoked Trout and Potato Salad
Adapted from Scrumpdillyicious blog, as adapted from Jamie Oliver

8 ounces peewee new potatoes
1 (8 ounce) package smoked trout
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
1 bunch baby spinach, washed and stems removed
½ red onion, sliced very thin

Chives, for garnish

Olive oil, if desired

Dressing:
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons crème fraiche or sour cream

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill  
1 tablespoon small capers, minced
Juice and finely grated zest of one lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Boil the potatoes until just tender. Drain and put aside to cool down a bit. Cut any larger potatoes in half.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the trout by removing the skin and taking out any bones. Flake the flesh into medium-sized pieces and place in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Combine the dressing with the trout flakes and red onion and potatoes. Mix thoroughly and dress to coat.

To serve, fan out some baby spinach leaves decoratively on a plate. Line the spinach with avocado slices.  Put a mound of trout salad in the middle and top it off with some chopped chives. Sprinkle with a little olive oil and lemon juice for extra freshness and gloss.

Makes 4 servings

Just One Cookbook: Japanese Cream Stew (a.k.a. White Stew)

As much as I like to collect cookbooks, I will freely admit that most of my recipe ideas come from media of some sort, whether social or TV/movies.  And the inspiration for this fabulous dinner came from a show on Netflix.  I think a lot of Japanese housewives use the boxed pre-made blocks of stew roux, but I wanted this to be all from scratch, so I opted to make the white sauce.  I will admit the recipe requires more pots than I would like, but the result was fantastic.  Definitely will make again, 10/10.

Note: Instead of cutting up Yukon gold potatoes, I just used the peewee version.  I also used some additional shimeji mushrooms I had in the fridge.

Japanese Cream Stew (a.k.a. White Stew)
Adapted from Just One Cookbook blog

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2½ teaspoons kosher salt. divided use
Freshly ground black pepper
1 (4-ounce) head broccoli, cut into florets, stem discarded
1 (11-ounce) white onion
2 carrots (approximately 9 ounces)
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1½-inch chunks
6 cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups chicken stock
2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Homemade White Sauce:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cut the chicken thighs into 1½-inch pieces of even thickness. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Boil a pot of water and add 1 teaspoon salt for blanching the broccoli. Add the florets and cook for 2 minutes, or until almost tender and still crisp. Remove from the water and let cool. You can shock the blanched broccoli in ice water to make it as bright green as possible, but this is optional. Don’t overcook the broccoli now, as they will cook a bit more when they are reheated in the stew.

Cut the onion in half lengthwise and then into wedges. Trim off any root ends that are connecting the onion layers together so that they separate easily. Separate each layer. Peel and cut the carrots at an angle into 1½-inch pieces, rotating the carrots a quarter turn between cuts. This cutting technique is called rangiri in Japanese.

In a large pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken and sauté until 80% cooked through. 
Add the onion and stir to cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Add the potatoes and carrots and coat well with the butter in the pot. Then, add the chicken broth and bay leaves. Bring it to a boil on medium heat. The broth won't fully cover the ingredients at this time. The vegetables soon will release moisture and increase the cooking liquid to eventually submerge the ingredients. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Skim off any scum and foam on the surface. Add the mushrooms and simmer on gentle heat, covered, for 10 minutes.

While the stew is simmering for 10 minutes, make the homemade white sauce. In a small saucepan, heat the butter and let it melt completely on medium-low heat. During this time, heat up the milk in the microwave or on the stovetop until it's warm to the touch. Turn down the heat to medium-low and sprinkle the flour onto the melted butter. Use a blunt-end spatula or whisk to stir it constantly and vigorously, without stopping.

The butter-flour mixture will swell and bubble. Continue to cook for the next 5 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot constantly. It's important to cook the flour gently during this step to get rid of its raw taste, but don't let it toast or turn dark. You want the pale color of a white roux. If it starts to brown, turn off the heat temporarily or reduce the heat to low while you finish cooking it. Once it's done cooking, set the heat to medium-low.

Next, slowly and gradually add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the warm milk to the saucepan. Use your spatula or whisk to quickly and vigorously blend the milk into the butter-flour mixture. You will notice the mixture absorb all the moisture and clump up. Continue to add more milk, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, stirring quickly after each addition to combine it well with the flour mixture and smooth out any clumps. Don’t hurry, and NEVER add too much liquid at once or you might create lumps. Once you get lumps, they are hard to fix. The goal is to blend the mixture COMPLETELY each time before you add more liquid. Make sure there are no lumps of flour left when you're done adding all the milk. Once you incorporate all the milk, add the salt, white pepper, and nutmeg and mix it all together. Turn off the heat and set it aside.

After 10 minutes of simmering, open the lid to the stew pot. Check for doneness by inserting a skewer into a potato. It should be tender, but don't overcook it. It should not break easily. Next, combine the white sauce and cooking broth. Scoop a ladleful of hot cooking broth and gradually add it into the pot of white sauce as you stir to blend it completely. Add another ladleful of broth and combine well. Now, pour the diluted white sauce back into the stew pot. Gently mix to blend it completely with the rest of the cooking liquid.

Once you've added the homemade white sauce, add the heavy cream and season with the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste. Simmer, uncovered, for another 5 to 10 minutes on low heat. Right before serving, add the blanched broccoli to the stew to reheat. Simmer on low heat and do not boil. Once everything is nice and warm, serve the stew in individual bowls. Enjoy it with steamed rice in the bowl or crusty bread on the side.

Makes 6 servings

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.