the amuse: duck confit salad on a belgian endive leaf

appetizer: seared ahi tuna, lightly dressed haircots verts, roasted shallot mousse

salad: watercress, curly endive, local green cabbage with bacon, dates and parmesan, dressed in a marionberry vinaigrette.

entree: seared pork loin, lemon risotto, sautéed broccolini and a marionberry demi sauce.

dessert: berry clafoutis, creme anglais, berry puree, vanilla tuile

why is it that usually the foods that taste the worst are the best for you? spinach, brussels sprouts, fish, and of course.. asparagus.  i’ve had a lot of this stuff growing up and i’m glad to say that i’ve learned to love all of them for different reasons, except asparagus.  maybe it’s the stringy texture, maybe it’s the way it makes your pee smell, maybe it’s the sulfuric smell it gives off.. but it’s probably a combination of all of these things that made me avoid it like a winter pageant filled with up-do poofs.  from a kids perspective, asparagus was as bad as the plague.

fast forward to six months ago, my parents had recently moved into their new house in bend which houses one of the greatest residential kitchens known to mankind (turns out the owner who originally built the house was a chef) and i was on a mission to prove to my dad that risotto could taste different than just creamy and mushy rice.  what better way to make it more accessible to him than by adding his favorite vegetable.. that’s right – asparagus.

i stole a couple of ideas from a culinary friend to help heighten the asparagus flavor and went to town.  the result was one of the best risottos that i’ve ever made.  creamy and smooth with hints of pepper and parmesan, and an undeniably sophisticated asparagus flavor… one that i couldn’t get out of my mind.  since that night, it’s been a whirlwind of using asparagus every chance i get learning how to draw the most from this wondrous plant… which leads us to the soup.

roasted asparagus and sweet onion soup

yield – 4 servings

8 – 10 stalks asparagus, snapped bases reserved
1 vidalia onion, roughly diced
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs bacon fat (or butter)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs fresh thyme, minced
1/8 c dry white wine
6 c high quality chicken stock
1 1/2 c heavy cream
8 oz giant croutons (3/4″ – 1″)
1/4 c grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees. snap the bases from the asparagus and reserve for later use. chop the spears into 3 pieces and toss with the onion, olive oil and salt and pepper.  spread over a sheet pan and roast until onions and asparagus just begins to brown.

2. meanwhile, bring stock to a simmer and add asparagus bases and simmer for 10 – 15 mins. fish out bases and discard, keeping stock on very low heat until needed.

3. in heavy bottomed sauce pot, heat bacon fat (or butter) and lightly sauté garlic for 1 minute and add roasted asparagus, onion and thyme.  sauté for 3 mins and deglaze with white wine.  add chicken stock and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

4. using an immersion blender or an upright blender, puree the mixture until smooth (you may need to do this in batches if you have a small blender). strain back into the pot using a fine strainer and bring back up to a simmer, adding the cream.  add salt and pepper as needed keeping in mind that adding the parmesan at the end will add additional saltiness to the soup.

5. place 2 oz of croutons in bottom of bowl, ladle soup over croutons and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

with spicy black beans, roasted corn, crisp red cabbage slaw and pineapple-avocado salsa

I wish it were summer. I love summer. . . and I do not love winter, and I’m not very fond of spring because of the rain. When the sun finally does come out, I feel alive with energy and ideas and my thoughts invariably turn toward spring and summer foods! I mean seriously, who doesn’t love summer foods? Strawberries, sweet corn on the cob, plump tomatoes, peaches so ripe and delicious that you can’t help but let the juice run down your chin.  I also love, love, love when it’s time to fire up the grill and eat delicious marinated veggies with charred bits stuck to the edges, sweet and sticky fruits, and of course, the wonderfully versatile vegetarian staples, tempeh and tofu!  However, I’m not really into being out on the porch, pretending it’s warm when it’s not.  It’s not quite time yet to fire up that grill.  I am, however, the proud owner of one indoor grill.   So, feeling the anticipatory excitement about the future grilling, lounging, swimming and sun-soaking I plan to do, I decided to make fish tacos.  Wait, you say, this post is about chicken tacos, not fish tacos. Well, let me explain:  I’ve been a strict vegetarian for five years, but I’m trying to be open to the possibility of occasionally eating wild-caught fish.  I’m pretty insistent, however, that it be wild-caught. I managed to find just what I was looking for: fresh, wild-caught Mahi Mahi. Unfortunately, it was like a billion dollars a pound (okay, it might as well have been) and I couldn’t justify spending that amount for just one meal, no matter how warm and summery it made me feel inside.   In case you don’t know your geography (Kris?), Indiana is nowhere near the ocean, thus making really fresh fish scarce. So, I appeased my conscience and my bank account by using chicken and tofu. I was still determined to have tacos, despite this setback.

As for the rest of the ingredients, it really depends on your personal tastes.  One thing does matter though: freshness. Try to find the freshest ingredients, whether it’s at your local farmer’s market, Whole Foods, or in your own backyard.

So the fish tacos may have to wait until it’s actually summer.  Thankfully, these tacos are delicious and endlessly adaptable to your personal tastes.  I love the bite of the jalepeno, the tangy pineapple, the sour lime and the smooth, mellow avocado.  The corn duo – the salty crunch of the tortilla and sweet, roasted kernels – is perfect!

Tacos – serves two

For the taco shells:
4 corn tortillas
½ c canola oil
flaky sea salt or kosher salt

For the salsa:
1 ripe avocado, half diced, half mashed
½ c diced fresh pineapple
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 c red onion, finely chopped
¼ c chopped cilantro
2 tsp – 2 T minced jalepeno pepper (to taste)
3 T freshly squeezed lime juice
salt to taste

For the protein:
Lime butter sauce (recipe follows)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 2 servings of firm tofu
Lime butter sauce:
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
Purée garlic with lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. With motor running, add melted butter and blend until emulsified, about 30 seconds.

For the corn:
1 c fresh corn kernels, or frozen, or canned
2 T canola oil
2 tsp sugar
½ t salt

For the beans:
1 c black beans
¼ tsp ground cumin
1/4 c chopped cilantro
pinch of cayenne pepper, or more to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the cabbage:
1 c thinly sliced red cabbage
½ c grated carrots (optional)
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp canola oil
pinch of salt

other additions: rice, freshly grated cheddar or Monterey cheese, sour cream

Directions

1. Cut the chicken or tofu into strips, and place in a plastic bag. Add enough of the lime butter sauce to coat all of the protein.  Alternatively, you could simply brush the protein with the sauce immediately prior to grilling. Allow to marinate for at least 20 minutes.  I used this time to chop all the other things.
2. Prepare the salsa: Chop the pineapple, tomatoes, cilantro, jalepeno and onion. Dice and mash the avocado, adding it last.  Add the lime juice and salt; Stir to coat, and set aside. (Or, make some tortilla chips and snack on the salsa while you’re doing the rest!)
3. Thinly slice red cabbage and grate/shred carrots.  In a bowl, toss the veggies with the oil and vinegar. Add the salt to taste.
4. Combine all the ingredients (except the cilantro) for the beans in a small saucepan and warm over low heat, adding salt and pepper to taste at the end.  Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Set aside.
5. Prepare the corn: heat the oil in an iron skillet set over medium heat.  Add the corn, salt, and sugar and stir continually until the corn becomes a golden brown but hasn’t lost its crunch.  Remove from heat and set aside.
6. Make the tortillas: Heat the canola oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat.  Cook the tortillas on both sides until crispy on the edges but still slightly flexible.  Remove to a paper towel to eliminate excess oil, sprinkle with salt, then form into “taco shell shapes.”
7. Heat your indoor grill to medium-high heat.  (If you don’t have an indoor grill, you can easily cook the protein in oil on the stove top.)  Remove the protein from the plastic bag and cook on the grill until cooked throughout, or until the desired grill marks are achieved.
8. Create your own masterpiece: add a little of this and a little of that, and enjoy the fruits of your (chopping) labor.  Grab a beer and dig in, imagining that you’re just back from the beach, with salt on your skin and sand in your hair.

when we sit down and think about what we want to do with our free time together, it more often than not revolves around food. our recent topic of conversation is the idea of spending an entire day once a month (maybe even twice, based on how ambitious we are!) to stock ourselves up on ‘inconvenience foods’, premade dinner components and homemade goodies. basically turning our house into a seriously productive kitchen all day to stock up and fill the freezer and pantry. making things like a gallon or two of chicken stock, a huge pot of marinara, few batches of homemade pasta, loaves of bread, granola bars, etc.

our hope is that these staples can save us money, save time on certain midweek meals, and give us control over our ingredients (on what could just as easily be store-bought processed meals and snacks). we like to put our own spin on things, as well as know that the things we make won’t have high fructose corn syrup, ‘propyl gallate’ and other things we can’t pronounce. and homemade granola definitely just got added to this list. i don’t think it qualifies as a money saver up front…i guess it depends on how you look at it…when you have to buy a bunch of the ingredients all at once, of course, the bag on the grocery shelf seems pretty appealing, but if you’ve got most of these things on hand, it’s fun to whip up a big batch for what seems like pennies.

this recipe also gives you the flexibility to make it up and be inspired by what you’ve got in your pantry at the time, or omit what you don’t like. you could eat it by itself, with milk, or my recent favorite, with greek yogurt. it’s just sweet enough to balance with the tartness of the yogurt, and of course, you are in control of how sweet it is…i had to nibble it a couple times as it baked and add some agave while on the sheet pan. a perfect way to start your day!

granola crunch

3 cups instant oats (i threw in a handful of steel cut oats too just because i had a random amount left in my pantry)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds (not salted)
1 cup chopped nuts (i used equal parts almonds, walnuts, and pecans)
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seeds (whole or ground)
1/8 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup agave, honey or maple syrup (i used agave, as i was out of the others)
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1/8-1/4 cup brown sugar (depends on your sweetness preference)
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup water
1 cup dried fruit (i used 1/2 golden raisins and 1/2 dried cranberries)

1. mix all ingredients except fruit chunks and water. make sure everything is evenly incorporated and and distributed before adding the water and then mix until it starts to get chunky. *

2. spread out in large cookie sheet with lipped edges.

3. bake at 300 degrees for about an hour or so, mixing the pan every 10-15 minutes. granola will be golden brown when ready. be careful…it will continue to cook and dry out a little after being pulled from the oven, so don’t overdo it! (i have a hard time making bacon for the same reason…!) add dried fruit.

4. cool by laying out on a flattened brown paper grocery bag. store in an airtight container…will last for a few weeks! or not.

*note: if you decide to use old fashioned oats instead of the instant, and still want to attain some good chunks, you’ll need to cook it on low-med heat on the stove, stirring until it starts to forms clumps. this may cause it to need longer time in the oven as well.

Lemon curd – from David Lebovitz

Makes about 1 cup

½ cup lemon juice

½ cup sugar

2 egg yolks

2 whole eggs

6 tablespoons butter, cubed

pinch of salt

1. Place a medium bowl over simmering water to create a double boiler. In the bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, sugar, egg yolks, eggs, and salt.

2. Add the butter cubes, whisking constantly until the butter is melted.

3. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens, which may take anywhere from 5-8 minutes, and just begins to become jelly-like. Don’t overcook the eggs, and be sure to incorporate whatever bits may stick to the sides of the bowl.

4. Immediately press the curd through a strainer set over a bowl. When it has cooled, gently press plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.  Store the lemon curd in the refrigerator for up to one week.

That being said, I want to share with you my latest discovery: no, not how many layers of clothing I can wear at once in my teeny, freezing apartment in chilly Indianapolis.  Actually, my discovery concerns my current obsession: bagels.  This obsession has resulted in my having visited the same bagel deli on a weekly basis for about three months.  But, since it’s become somewhat treacherous outside, I don’t relish the thought of trekking a few miles to taste the deliciousness of Broad Ripple Bagel Deli.  Being from Pennsylvania, I have pretty high standards for my bagels: frozen Lenders just doesn’t cut it.  I’m suspicious of Midwestern bagels shops (and most Midwestern things).  But, having found one that is actually quite good, I was depressed at not being able to make it to Broad Ripple Bagel this past weekend for my fix.  I’m of the “why buy it when I can make it?” sort, so I gathered a few more blankets, some trusted cookbooks and my laptop and set out to find the best, homemade bagel recipe I could.  My discovery? That making bagels is not that difficult.  I’d been living under the assumption that making bagels was difficult, something that just wasn’t done.  Plus, I hear cries of “Hours in the kitchen!” and “Boiling AND baking? Bah!!” Let me assure you that, after one bite of a homemade bagel, fresh out of the oven with a smear of cream cheese, you will not, not, not regret the boiling, baking, and time spent in your kitchen.  Trust me.  I had barely swallowed the last chewy bit of my first bagel when I was looking at the clock, calculating how many hours (minutes?) until I could unashamedly have my second.

I’ve tried two bagels recipes, and liked this one best because it requires no proofing in the refrigerator overnight.  I found this recipe via The Wednesday Chef, but tweaked it a little bit, and added the boiling process.  Sweet Savory Café and Bakery serves un-boiled bagels, but in a previous making at this recipe, I found that while un-boiled bagels are good, they’re not bagels.   They’re simply rolls with a hole in the center.  To me, a bagel is chewy, dense, and has that flavor that only comes with the boiling process.  If you wish to eliminate the boiling process, feel free, but I’ll issue the warning that you may be disappointed.

Bagels – adapted from Sweet Savory Café & Bakery
Makes 12 large or 18 mini bagels

For the dough:
5 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon canola oil
7-8 cups unbleached all purpose or bread flour
2 ¼ teaspoons yeast (or one packet)
1 teaspoon salt

To boil:
1 tablespoon barley malt syrup or dark honey (I used very dark, raw honey)
1 tablespoon baking soda

To top:
1 egg, beaten
Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, kosher salt, dehydrated onions or turbinado sugar

1.  Add the yeast to ½ cup warm water; add a pinch of sugar or a drop of honey, and stir to combine.  Wait about five minutes to allow the yeast to activate and become slightly foamy. Combine 3 cups of the flour, the sugar, and the canola oil in your food processor fitted with the dough blade or stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.  (If you have both, I would probably use the stand mixer, because this does become quite a bit of dough, and even though my food processor is one of my very favorite things, it wasn’t quite big enough to handle all of the bulk. By the end, I had to knead by hand.)  With the machine on, dribble in the yeast mixture.  Add the salt, then alternate adding 4 more cups of flour and 2 more cups of slightly warm water.  Allow the dough to come together, and to spin around the processor for about a 30 seconds.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and knead by hand.  If it is very sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it no longer sticks to your hand.  Knead for about 8-10 minutes, then form the dough into a ball.  Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl (your biggest!) and cover loosely with plastic wrap.  The ideal spot for your dough to rise is a warm, non-drafty spot in your kitchen.  Allow the dough to rise until it is at least doubled in bulk, about one hour.  The time necessary may vary, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.  Here in Frigidville, it took about 1 ½ hours.

2.  When the dough is doubled in volume, punch it down and divide it into 12 or 18 equal portions.  There are a couple of methods for forming the bagels: either roll each piece out to an acceptable length (depending on your portion size) and pinch the ends together to form the circle OR poke your thumb through the center and move it in a circular motion until the hole is at least 1 ½ – 2 inches in diameter.   (I tried both methods, but found that the easiest for me is the poke-through method.) When you’ve got all your bagels “holed,” prepare 2 baking sheets by spraying with non-stick spray and a generous sprinkling of cornmeal to prevent sticking.  Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Allow the bagels to rest for at least 10 minutes.

3.  Fill your largest pot about halfway with water.  Bring to a boil, then add the malt syrup or dark honey or nothing at all.   Add the baking soda and watch the fizz. (I am, for some reason, always amazed by baking soda.)  Have a skimmer or a slotted spoon (I found my skimmer to be most useful here) on hand.  Drop each bagel into the boiling water (Don’t crowd them: one at a time if making large bagels, two at once if making small bagels).  Allow the bagels to boil for up to 1 minute per side.  The more you boil, the chewier the outer crust will be.  I boiled for 1 minute total, 30 seconds per side.  Remove to your baking sheets.

4.  Beat the egg, and brush it on top of all your bagels.  Top with the aforementioned toppings, or, nothing at all.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.  If your oven bakes unevenly (like mine) then rotate your pans 180 degrees halfway through.  Cool on a wire rack, for 10-15 minutes, or until you absolutely can’t wait any longer.

maybe you could give us some inspiration, people! or a kick in the blogging pants!

kris and i are excited to get rolling, it’ll take some time to get everything together… but hopefully it’ll be worth it.

-w

our kitchen is somewhat of a galley kitchen, that is only 7 feet wide…galley because it has cabinets on opposite walls that don’t connect…but not entirely a true galley, since i guess the stove and fridge make up a third wall. whatever…not important.

with working counter space as valuable real estate, and the floorspace under the window unusable by housing the trash and recycle, it seemed so logical to buy butcherblock counter to extend across both counters. we had to make some phone calls on how we would cut down the presized piece, but a generous helper at ace hardware did the cutting, and we now have added a very functional workspace!

it may look makeshift to an outsider, but i personally think it looks pretty cool…especially the juxtaposition of materials…warm wood, glossy gray, smooth stainless. i oiled it up and then quickly dirtied it for some yummy gourmet mac and cheese wil had in mind. thanks mom!