Butternut Squash Risotto from America's Test Kitchen

A risotto is an Italian rice dish very similar to a Chinese rice porridge, a soft boiled rice that's easily digestible. As I'd like to add more vegetarian dishes to my repertoire I thought I'd try it out. This one is made with chicken soup, however, it can be made with a vegetable stock. I left out the nutmeg because I thought it was a rather strange addition to a savory rice dish. I also found the sage to be unpleasantly bitter. Most meat-lovers are suspicious of vegetarian dishes thinking they are not hearty enough, but this one is surprisingly filling. The texture was soft but not al dente, and the taste was tangy and a bit on the salty side because of the chicken broth.  AJ pronounced the risotto "okay"--he had two helpings-- but I'm not sure I'll ever make it again. Click on this link for the Butternut Squash Risotto recipe. 

Crustless Quiche

This is a very forgiving recipe in that I've done just about anything to it and it invariably comes out right. I've added spinach and bacon. I've substituted ham for bacon. I've put in chopped sweet peppers and broccoli. This time I didn't have spinach on hand but arugula. 

Crustless Quiche (adapted from Butterfly Breeze Bed and Breakfast)
4 strips bacon, fried until crisp, drained, and crumbled
1 1/2 cups milk
dash of black pepper
1/2 cup prepared biscuit mix (recipe to follow)
3-4 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled slightly
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
6 cups arugula, chopped (It's an acceptable substitute for spinach)
3 cups shredded cheese (low-fat mozzarella is recommended)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325˚F.

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion and garlic and cook until fragrant. Add arugula and cook until just wilted. Remove from heat. In a blender or food processor, combine milk, black pepper, biscuit mix, melted butter, eggs, and 1/4 cup melted butter. Pour into one 8 inch square pan or one pie plate.  

Scrape arugula mixture and sprinkle cheese on top of the egg mixture. Use a fork to push arugula-cheese down beneath the surface. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle cooked bacon on top. Bake 50-60 minutes or until a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let the quiche cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. It tends to fall a bit after it's taken out of the oven.

You can use packaged biscuit mix from the supermarket or you can make your own.


Home made Biscuit Mix
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in the shortening. Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Plum Cake

One of the characters in a book I loved to read as a child was named Plum Tucker. The name sounded so full in the mouth; full of sugar, plums, and spices. So I found this plum cake recipe on cooks.com and it has exactly the same feel in the mouth.

Laying out the plum slices on top of the batter

Cutting in the flour to make the topping

Hot from the oven in the Teeny Tiny Kitchen

Ready for slicing

Plum Cake

Plum Cake
I made some changes to the original recipe. The pan size was 8x11 but as that was not an available option in the Teeny Tiny Kitchen, I used a 9 inch square glass dish instead. I reduced the plums from 2 pounds to 1 pound and found that I had about 2/3 of a plum left over. Each prune plum was approximately 2-3 inches long. 
 
Have at room temperature:
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 pound plums (about 5), pitted, halved, quartered, and cut into eighths
Cinnamon, for dusting

Topping (The original recipe said this was optional, I say it's required!)
1/4 cup unsalted butter (4 tablespoons)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup flour (increased from 1/4 cup in the original recipe)

Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Grease and flour one 9-inch square glass baking dish.

In a large bowl, cream the 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat after each addition until just combined. Add vanilla. Scape down the sides. Add the flour mixture in three batches, beating after each addition until just combined. Scrape down the sides.

Scrape batter into the prepared dish. Gently press the plum slices into the top of the batter in rows. Sprinkle the top liberally with cinnamon. In the same large bowl and using the same beaters (no need to wash), cream the 1/4 cup butter with 1/2 cup sugar. Add the cinnamon. Cut in the 1/2 cup flour by hand. I pinched off bits of the batter to distribute evenly on top of the plums.

Bake 55 minutes or until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean. There may be some moisture on the tester because of the plums. Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

The top is slightly crusty because of the butter-sugar topping. Serve with coffee or tea, or eat it with ice cream or whipped cream as a dessert.

Plum-Apple Pie

I was in Chinatown on Friday morning to pick up pastries for our trip to Philadelphia. The fish/fruit market on Canal Street was selling these prune plums. Plums are in season. I try to buy what's in season and of course, buy local. It's economical, as prices are lower for fruit in season, and  it makes sense to cook and eat what is available rather than what has to be flown in or trucked for miles.  I found this recipe on The Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite cooking blogs, and thought I'd share it. This is a single-crust pie and it's somewhat unusual in that the crust is on top rather than on the bottom.

Pie Filling:
1 pound (2 cups) prune plums, halved and quartered
1 pound apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into chunks
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
squeeze or two (or three) of orange juice

In a large bowl combine the fruit, sugar, cinnamon and orange juice. Butter a 9 inch glass pie plate and pour the fruit mixture in it. Set aside.

Halving and quartering plums. That's a $1.99 Farberware knife from Boscov's

Scoop out the apple core with a spoon

Apples and plums in the buttered pie plate

Preheat oven to 350˚F. 

Pie Lid:
Have at room temperature~
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup plus 6 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
beaten egg, milk, or cream for brushing on the crust
1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling

Cream butter with sugar and orange zest. Add egg. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture in three batches. Beat until just combined. Do not over mix. Turn out into a sheet of plastic or waxed paper. Freeze for 10-20 minutes or until firm. Roll out onto a well-floured board. Carefully fold the dough and unfold it on top of the fruit in the pie plate. Trim the edges and crimp. Don't worry if the dough tears. Patch any tears with the excess dough. Gently press down the dough on top of the fruit. Crimp the edges. Brush the top with beaten egg, milk, or cream. Sprinkle the top with sugar.

Grated orange zest. I love my microplane grater!

Pie lid dough. Don't over mix!

Roll out pie lid dough onto a well-floured board

Unfold dough on top of the fruit. Don't worry if it tears!

Patched, crimped, and brushed with beaten egg

Sprinkle of sugar

Bake the pie in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

Plum-apple pie on the cooling rack, bubbling over with juices

Juicy

Spoonful of pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

The pie lid crust crumbles and is lightly sweet, like a flaky sugar cookie. Serve with crème fraîche, sweetened whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.

Sixteen BR Yakisoba

I saw fresh Japanese noodles at the Whole Foods Market.  I already had a carrot, celery, half a cabbage, a cup of broccoli, a stalk of scallion, and a whole sweet pepper. Seasoned with soy sauce (organic) and black pepper and inspiration!

Peach Kuchen

Kuchen is German for cake. I saw a recipe for it on allrecipes.com but it used canned peaches. Why use canned when fresh peaches are still available? So I searched until I found another recipe. This one comes from the Jackson Rose Bed and Breakfast. After mixing, the cake batter is covered with a layer of peaches. During baking, the batter rose and covered the peaches so that it became a filling. I'm not sure this was the intended effect as there were no photographs to go with the recipe. This cake should be served from the cake pan rather than removed as I had done.

Have all ingredients at room temperature. It is best to position the rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350˚F and grease one 9x2 inch cake pan or one 8 inch square pan. I used a 9 inch spring form cake pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Set aside the flour mixture. In another large bowl, beat
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup superfine sugar

Add 2 large eggs one at a time. Beat until just blended. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading batter evenly.

Scatter on top
2 cups fresh peaches (about 3 large peaches or 6 medium), peeled and cut into wedges
According to ehow.com, blanching peaches for 5 minutes in boiling water will remove the skins. Not so. Not all the skin came off.  I also found it was easier to just cut the peach off the stone rather than trying to remove it. Slice the fruit into wedges. Drain the fruit well. Scatter the cut fruit in a single layer on top of the cake batter.

Combine and sprinkle over fruit
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Imagine my surprise when the peach layer "disappeared" underneath the batter. That's why photos are so important for recipes that could be unfamiliar to other bakers.

I unmolded the cake and put it in a plate. It was too delicate for such rough treatment.

The result was a tad overmixed but it was lightly sweet and slightly crisped on the outside. This cake would also be good with a cup of tea or coffee in the morning!

Cilantro Chicken with Italian Sausage and Black Olives

I enjoy making skillet dinner recipes because they are so quick and easy to make. I found this recipe on about.com and thought it needed dressing up. Here are the basic steps to give you an overview.

Season the chicken. Seasoning the chicken breasts with salt and pepper was boring so I decided that since I had cilantro, lime juice, and fish sauce on hand that I'd use it to spice up this chicken. I cut the breasts into thirds for faster cooking but you can cook the breasts whole.

Chicken cilantro marinade

3 skinless boneless chicken breasts, whole or cut into thirds 
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil, for browning

Cook the sausages. I bought these spicy Italian sausages at Whole Foods that didn't have any nitrates in them. I browned them in a teaspoon of olive oil then cooked them in wine and chicken broth until the liquid was reduced. The sausages don't need to be thoroughly cooked as they will undergo more cooking later. Remove sausages from the pan and cut into 1 inch pieces. Set aside for later.

Italian sausages
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine

Brown the chicken. After removing the sausages, add a tablespoon olive oil to the same pan and sear the chicken breasts on both sides. They don't need to cook through since they will undergo more cooking later. Remove the chicken from the pan and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside.

Make the vegetable sauce. Using the fond or the browned bits left in the pan from cooking the sausage and searing the chicken, makes a flavorful sauce. First, cook the vegetables that will take time: onions, garlic, peppers, and mushrooms. Once the peppers and onions wilt, add the chicken and sausage, the chopped tarragon and oregano, and the black olives.  It looks like the sauce will not be enough, but the vegetables, chicken, and sausage "spring their own water,"  as we say in Jamaica. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, if the chicken breasts have been cut up into thirds, and 10-15 minutes for whole. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with hot cooked rice. Cooking with fresh herbs is amazing!

3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 sweet red pepper, cut into strips
1 sweet yellow pepper, cut into strips
8 oz. white mushrooms, sliced thickly
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, leaves only, chopped
1/2 cup chopped black olives
Salt and pepper to taste

Cilantro chicken with Italian sausage and black olives

Broccoli Cheese Pie

 Preheat the oven to 350˚F and spray a 9 inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. Sprinkle with whole wheat breadcrumbs and tilt the plate to coat the bottom and sides.

 Add eggs, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. And I forgot to add one thing. Do you know what it is yet?

 Chop the onion, ham and broccoli florets. Blanch the florets in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water to stop the cooking process and to keep that bright green color.

 Add 2 slices of cubed bread to the egg mixture. Still don't know what I forgot yet. Hmm. I used the Texas Toast bread I bought at Trader Joe's to make the breading for the center cut pork chops. I froze the rest of the loaf and just take out what I need.

 Fry the onions and ham until the onions are wilted and fragrant. Yum.

 Combine the bread-egg mixture with the blanched broccoli and the ham and onions. Still haven't figured out what I forgot yet?

 No, it's not the cheese. I remembered that.

 Doesn't it look dry? Yikes. I forgot the milk! I poured everything out and added the milk to the mixture. This meant I had to wash and dry the pie plate. Then spray it again with cooking spray and dust it with breadcrumbs. Then I poured the mixture back into the plate and as an after thought, sprinkled the top with seasoning salt. Then I put the pie in the oven. And crossed my fingers.

 After 50 minutes in the oven, the eggs had set and the top was golden brown.

 This is why I like glass plates. I can see the sides and the bottom. I let the pie rest for 5 minutes before cutting it into wedges.

 The broccoli cheese pie makes a great breakfast by itself or, if served with a side of salad becomes a light brunch or lunch.

Of course, you have to serve it with Sriracha Sauce on the side. Everything tastes better if it burns the palate. Here's the list of ingredients, and if you forget the milk, you can always add it at the last minute!

Broccoli Cheese Pie (from: eating well.com)
2 tablespoons whole wheat bread crumbs
cooking spray
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (This is too conservative. Feel free to add more)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/4 cups zero percent milk
2 cups cubed bread (the hearty kind, as America's Test Kitchen likes to point out)
3 cups broccoli florets
1/3 cup diced sliced ham (Canadian bacon in the original recipe)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup grated Cheddar-Jack cheeses (can substitute any low fat low calorie cheeses)
Seasoning salt, optional

When Anna came to dinner...

Dinner ingredients (the grapes are a snack)

Anna, Diana's daughter was coming to dinner. Anna is a vegetarian so tonight's menu had to include tofu as well as meat for the rest of us who choose to eat meat. Tonight's menu included Tofu and Broccoli Stir-Fry, Meatloaf Roll with Spinach and Feta Cheese, Green Bean Medley, Asian Avocado Salad,  and for dessert, Almond Lake with Mandarin Oranges (that's just rice pudding, people). 

Extra firm tofu cut into triangles in preparation for pressing out the water

Tofu press

Martha Stewart, whose recipe this is, recommends using canned goods to  weight down the tofu. But this is the Teeny Tiny Kitchen here and I don't keep cans of food on hand. The only can in the cupboard was a tin of spam I inherited from a previous tenant. But we have LOTS of books. Looking at the spines, you can tell what we're reading (and studying) these days...

Tofu with Broccoli Stir-Fry (adapted from Martha Stewart.com)

1 package firm tofu (I used extra firm)
1 1/2 pounds or 3 cups broccoli florets
salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup cashews, toasted (optional)
Salt and pepper or Maggi seasoning to taste

Cut off the tough broccoli stems and trim the florets. Boil 4 cups of water with a little salt. Put the broccoli florets in the water for 2 minutes or until they turn bright green. Remove broccoli with a slotted skimmer and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

This is the easiest way to cut the tofu into uniform triangles. First, cut the tofu cake in half. Cut each half in half then cut each quarter in half.  Place the triangles on a baking sheet lined with 2-3 layers of paper towels. Top with another layer of paper towels. Either put another baking tray on top and weight it down with canned goods (or books). Or, as I did, put a layer of plastic beneath the books. Let stand for 20 minutes. Discard the paper towels.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Fry the tofu triangles 5-6 minutes on one side until golden brown. Carefully turn and fry for an additional 5-6 minutes on the other side. Set aside to drain on a paper towel. Pat the top with another paper towel. Set aside. Or keep warm in a low oven.

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and cornstarch. Set aside. To the pan, add the broccoli and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the soy sauce mixture and toss to coat. Add the tofu and toss gently. Add the cashews, if using. I adjusted the seasoning by adding salt and pepper. Anna drizzled a little of the wasabi/rice vinegar dressing for the salad on it and said it tasted great!

Tofu with Broccoli Stir-Fry

Meat Loaf Roll with Spinach and Feta Cheese (from grouprecipes.com)
This meat loaf is moist and full of flavor. It isn't necessary to cook the spinach first. It looks and tastes better when rolled up using fresh spinach. 

2 pounds lean ground meats (preferably a meat loaf mix of beef, lamb, and pork)
3/4 cup finely ground bread crumbs (I used Panko crumbs processed in a blender)
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
2 carrots, finely grated
1 onion, finely grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon or more dried herbs (I used dill and oregano)
1 pound fresh spinach, chopped
2 oz. feta cheese

Preheat oven 350˚F. Line a baking tray with foil (for easy clean up). Line 9x13 inch baking tray with waxed or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine meat, bread crumbs, milk, egg, carrots, onion, salt, pepper, and herbs. Turn out onto the waxed paper. With your fingertips, spread out the meat as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the chopped spinach on top, leaving an inch border. Sprinkle the feta cheese on top of the spinach.

Roll up the paper, jelly-roll fashion. Lift up the paper at one of the shorter edges and gently roll away from you, not too tight but not too loose either,  easing up the paper as you roll the meat and the filling into a log. Moisten your fingers and seal the edges closed. Smooth the seam and any cracks closed. Gently roll the meat log onto the foil lined tray, sliding the paper away. It won't need any oil. I rolled it seam-side down on the baking tray. Bake 45 minutes or until the inside temperature is 160˚F. Turn off the oven. Let the meat loaf rest in the oven for 5 minutes.

I was afraid the meat loaf might be dry so I made a gravy. I poured the pan drippings into a small saucepan. Then, I added 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 3/4 cup of water to the drippings. Next, heat until the gravy begins to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. It turned out I didn't need it but some people might like a gravy with meat loaf.

Meatloaf Roll with Spinach and Feta Cheese

Green Bean Medley
This vegetable dish is from the Betty Crocker Cookbook and it's a family favorite.

1 pound fresh string beans, cut into 2 inch lengths
2 carrots, cut into 2 inch sticks
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 medium red onion (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil 4 cups water with a little salt. Boil the carrots 2 minutes or until bright orange. Use a slotted skimmer to remove and rinse in cold water. Repeat with the green beans. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil, add garlic and onion, if using. Cook until just fragrant. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring for two minutes. Add carrots and green beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Green Bean Medley

Asian Avocado Salad (adapted from: Epicurious.com)
Originally called Asian Avocado Salsa, I adapted this recipe into a salad. It has a fiery wasabi dressing. Here's a tip to keep the apple and avocado from browning: sprinkle with lime or lemon juice.

Salad
2 cups coarsely chopped and trimmed romaine lettuce hearts
1/2 cup apple, chopped
2 avocados, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup grape tomatoes
Scallion and cilantro, chopped (optional)

Salad dressing
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon mirin
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon wasabi paste (optional)

Asian Avocado Salad

Almond Lake with Mandarin Oranges (from a Chinese cookbook by Alison Burt)
This dessert is a lightly sweet and creamy rice pudding with the crunchy taste of almonds. 

1/3 cup white rice, ground finely
2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup almond flakes, toasted
1x15 oz. can Mandarin oranges in syrup

In a medium saucepan, add the rice, milk, sugar, and almond extract. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to simmer, and stir occasionally until thickened. Cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Top with mandarin oranges, syrup, and almond flakes.

Almond Lake with Mandarin Oranges and Almond Flakes

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