A Perfect Summer Dinner

Lately the days have been hot and hotter and by the end of the day Russ and I both want just a light, fresh meal for dinner. Tonight’s dish is exactly that – light and fresh and perfect for a hot summer night.

Tonight I made Sautéed Chicken Paillards with Herb Salad and White Balsamic Vinaigrette from the May issue of Fine Cooking. This came from the quick and delicious section, so it is quick and easy for a weeknight dinner. You start by making the dressing. You mix both the white balsamic and white wine vinegars together with the shallot, mustard, salt and pepper. Then you slowly whisk in the olive oil into it until combined. Next you season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Now I usually stay away from convenience items because they are more expensive and I just prefer to chop my own onion, garlic etc., but when it comes to chicken cutlets I let the grocery store do the pounding. This to me is worth the extra little bit to not have to pound away at the chicken. Once the chicken is seasoned you heat the olive oil in a skillet and then cook the chicken until it is browned on both sides and just cooked through. Next toss the mixed greens and herbs with the salad dressing reserving some of the dressing to drizzle over the chicken. To plate the dish you place the chicken on the plate and drizzle it with the reserved dressing and top it with a large pile of the mixed greens and herbs. For the herbs I used a mixture of mint, parsley, and basil.

This was a very quick and easy and absolutely delicious! It was light and fresh with the bright dressing just topping it all off. The dressing was perfect with the shallots adding a nice flavor and texture and the mustard adding warmth and tang. We both also loved the mixture of mixed greens and herbs. Russ felt like the parsley was a little too strong, so next time I’ll cut back on it a little bit and add a little more mint which was a great flavor addition to the meal. The herbs definitely made the dish feel and taste like summer. The chicken complemented the salad perfectly and was very tasty with the drizzle dressing over it. This was close to the perfect summer dinner and Russ rates it a 10. This will definitely be repeated in our house.

Sautéed Chicken Paillards with Herb Salad and White Balsamic Vinaigrette, Fine Cooking May 2008

1 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar
1-1/2 tsp. white-wine or cider vinegar
One-half small shallot, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. olive oil; more as needed
8 boneless, skinless, thin-cut (1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick) chicken breast cutlets (1-1/2 to 1-3/4 lb.)
5 cups mixed baby greens
3 cups mixed fresh, tender herb leaves, such as flat-leaf parsley, mint, chives, tarragon, basil, and chervil, roughly torn if large

In a small bowl, mix both vinegars with the shallot, mustard, and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in 3 Tbs. of the oil.

Season the chicken on both sides with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Heat the remaining 2 tsp. oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Working in two to three batches to avoid crowding, cook the chicken until lightly browned on both sides and just cooked through, 1 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer each batch to a platter, cover loosely with foil, and keep warm. If the pan seems dry at any point, add 2 more tsp. of oil.

Combine the greens and herbs in a large bowl. Add about three-quarters of the vinaigrette and toss well. To serve, arrange two cutlets on each serving plate and drizzle the remaining dressing over the chicken. Divide the herb salad among the four plates, piling it attractively onto the chicken.

Loaded Baked Potatoes

Without realizing it I am pretty much keeping with the same theme of the last post where I left out a major ingredient in the recipe only this time I left out or rather didn't make the main part of the meal. Russ and I watched an episode of Tyler’s Ultimate and saw his Ultimate Surf and Turf, but instead of making the surf or the turf we decided to make the Ultimate Stuffed Potatoes that he made as a side. It just seemed like the perfect meal for a Sunday night – a baked potato filled with broccoli and oozing with cheese. Yum! For the record the surf and turf both looked very tasty, but for tonight we were all about the loaded potatoes!

To make the Ultimate Stuffed Potatoes you start by baking the potatoes. Tyler has you pierce the potatoes with a fork and then rub them with olive oil and salt. Then let them bake at 400 for about an hour. This will give you a nice crisp skin. While the potatoes cook you start making the filling. First start by cooking the bacon. Cut it into a medium dice and then cook it. Once it is cooked remove it from the pan and pour off the oil. Then in the same pan (with the yummy brown bits on the bottom) combine the butter and flour and then slowly whisk in the milk. I went ahead and used whole milk as the recipe called for, but next time I might try something a little lighter to save a few calories. Next fold in about 2 cups of the cheese until it is melted and incorporated. In the meantime go ahead and blanch the broccoli florets (you can steam them instead if you prefer). Once the cheese has melted into the sauce remove it from the heat and add the bacon, broccoli, chopped chives and season it with salt and pepper. Then remove the potatoes from the oven and cut a slit in the top and fill with the yummy cheese and broccoli mixture. Then top with a little more cheese and put it back in the oven for a couple of minutes until the cheese on top melts. Serve immediately.

These were delicious! The cheese sauce was rich, cheesy, and oozed out of the potatoes. I loved the broccoli and how it played such a key role in the dish and complemented both the potato and the cheese. It also added nice texture and a bright punch of color to the dish. As for the potatoes while I don't bake potatoes very often from now on when I do this is definitely the method I will use. I loved the crisp, salty skin and the soft inside. These were tasty and cheesy and a perfect Sunday night one dish meal. Russ rates the stuffed potatoes a 9.

Without the Beans...

It is not uncommon for me to make minor tweaks to recipes. Sometimes it as simple as just not measuring ingredients, but eyeballing them or swapping out one ingredient for another or leaving out a minor ingredient. Well, tonight I did something I haven’t done before… I intentionally left out a major ingredient. Jamie Oliver recently did an episode titled “Peas and Broad Beans” and I decided to make his Quick Sausage Meatballs with a Tomato and Basil Sauce, Spaghetti, and Sweet Raw Peas from it only I left out the peas. Now I know I said it was intentional, but that is not exactly the truth. The truth is I looked for the peas at the store, but I just went to the regular grocery store and not a vegetable market or a grocery store with more variety and consequently didn’t find them. So, I made the call to go ahead with the recipe and leave out the peas, which was disappointing as I was curious how the raw peas would work in the recipe. In the end the recipe was delicious despite my leaving out the peas, only I am still left wondering what it would have been like had I included them… I guess there is always next time.

To make Jamie’s Quick Sausage Meatballs with a Tomato and Basil Sauce, Spaghetti, and Sweet Raw Peas you start by snipping the end of the casing on the sausage (I used turkey sausage instead of pork) and then pushing the meat out into imperfect balls. These then sauté in olive oil until they are cooked through. While the sausage meatballs are cooking go ahead and start the water for the spaghetti and once it comes to a boil salt it and add the pasta. Once the meatballs are just about done cooking add some herbs to the pan. I used chopped fresh thyme, basil and parsley. In order to cut down the number of pans I was using I removed the sausages from the pan and then made the tomato sauce in the same pan where as the recipe calls for doing them in separate pans. To make the tomato sauce you start by heating olive oil and adding chopped garlic and basil stalks to it. Once these have cooked for a couple of minutes add some of the basil leaves and the cans of tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring this to a simmer and break up the tomatoes with a spoon or spatula and add a swig of balsamic vinegar to the dish. At this point I added the meatballs into the tomato sauce and let it simmer until everything was hot and incorporated. Serve over the pasta and top with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

As the recipe name indicates this really is a quick meal. It came together in very little time and was easy to do. I loved the simple tomato sauce, which had a great fresh flavor from the herbs and a little kick from the vinegar. I thought the sauce was so tasty that I would have been happy without the meatballs. However, the sausage meatballs were the easiest meatballs I have ever made and they did add nice texture and density to the dish. Russ loved the meatballs and thought they really completed the meal. While I was disappointed to not have the fresh beans to include in the dish, it was a wonderful meal that was perfect for a weeknight dinner. Russ rates the meal a 9.

Flank Steak 101

Every so often I really crave a piece of red meat. While for me I could just eat red meat every now and then and be fine, but Russ on the other hand could probably eat red meat at least four or five nights a week and love it. After all his favorite meal is a cheeseburger. Since I do enjoy red meat and Russ can’t live without it I have made myself learn how to cook different cuts of meat in order to fulfill our carnivorous appetites. You see when I started cooking I was completely intimidated by most cuts of beef except for ground beef. Ground beef is easy – it is packaged in small quantities, it is cheap, it is easy to cook, and there is only one choice when selecting it (how much or little fat you want included in the meat). The other cuts of meat are usually much larger portions, many have various names depending on what store you go to, and they are more expensive all of which make them intimidating to me. I still call my Mom from the store when I am buying any type of large cut of meat to make roast beef or something similar, however, I have found a couple cuts of meat that do not require a phone call to Mom and are not super scary to buy, prepare or cook. One of these is flank steak. I really enjoy flank steak and how versatile it is – you can marinade it with almost anything, you can grill it, cook it on the stove top, use it in tacos, put it over a salad, and the list goes on and on.

In my opinion there are a few simple keys to flank steak that will help you prepare and cook it perfectly no matter how much experience you have in the kitchen. First, I prefer to always marinade or put a rub on the steak and allow it to sit in the marinade or rub for a couple of hours if possible. In my opinion flank steak is not the type of steak you just salt and pepper and toss on the grill and have it turn out tasty. It needs a little more help from you with the flavoring, however, you can do a super simple marinade or rub or you can get fancy with it and both will yield good results. Second, don’t over cook it. It is best when cooked medium or a little less if you prefer. If you cook it well done it gets very tough. Third, after you remove it from the grill or stove let it rest for a few minutes. When you go to carve it cut it in thin slices on the bias. This is the only way we ever cut flank steak.

Tonight we tried a new simple marinade out of the May issue of Cooking Light. You simply add the four ingredients (reduced sodium soy sauce, ketchup, chopped scallions, and sesame oil) to a plastic bag and put the flank steak in the bag. I let it marinade for about 6 hours, but you can do it for as little as four hours or as long as ten or so hours. The recipe says you can marinade it for up to twenty-four hours, but I am concerned that it would get too salty despite using the reduced sodium soy sauce. Once the meat was marinated Russ cooked it on the grill until it was about medium in doneness.

This was a very quick and simple marinade to put together and it had a fantastic Asian flavor to it. We both felt like it was a little salty even with using the reduced sodium soy sauce. Next time I think I’ll add a little water to the marinade to try and cut the soy sauce a little more. One thing I love about marinating flank steak is that if you prepare it in the morning or at lunch then when you get home from work it is ready to be grilled / cooked. This was a great, easy marinade that had a wonderful flavor and smell to it. Russ rates it an 8.

Soy, Ketchup, and Sesame Marinade, Cooking Light May 2008

¾ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup chopped scallions
1 and ½ tablespoons sesame oil
1 lb. Flank steak

Combine all ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add 1 pound flank steak trimmed of excess fat. Seal bag and refrigerate for four hours or overnight. When ready to cook, remove steak from bag, and discard marinade. Grill steak six minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from grill, and cut diagonally across the grain into ¼ to ½ inch thick slices.

My First Time Cooking Game Meat

My palate was opened up to a whole new world of foods and flavors when I finally gave in to my picky eating and started simply giving more foods a try. This really started when I was living abroad in Spain during spring semester of my sophomore year of college and has continued ever since. Now (with the exception of pork) I will try almost anything at least once. Russ is the same way and since we have been married I have exposed him to some fruits and vegetables that he either hadn’t tried before or didn’t think he liked. He now loves butternut squash, pumpkin, and mangos and while he still isn’t a huge fan of zucchini if I make it with enough cheese he likes it. I on the other hand have been opened up to a new array of meats – game meats. While my Dad and brother have always eaten game meat (especially quail and dove) the females in my family have always taken a pass with them. Russ orders them at restaurants sometimes and I have found that I love elk and while I am not a big fan of quail or dove I’ll still give them a try if they are prepared in a new way. I have also been introduced to venison and currently have a freezer full of venison. It is true that it tastes similar to beef, but is leaner which is I think why I am not totally sold on it yet… I miss the fat… Since we have lots of venison right now I decided to give cooking game meat a try for the first time. So, here goes….

If you read this blog at all then you will know that Russ and I love Jamie Oliver and his new show Jamie at Home. He did a mushroom episode a while back and one of the dishes he made was a Wild Mushroom and Venison Stroganoff. At the time we didn’t have a freezer full of venison, but we both made a mental note that when we did this would be a good recipe to try. To start you sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil until they are soft and golden. Once they are done set them aside. Next season the meat with salt, pepper, and paprika. Then add a little more olive oil to the pan and add the mushrooms. Now Jamie went out in the woods and found these amazing Chicken of Wood wild mushrooms. They looked fabulous, but not to my surprise Publix didn’t have them. So, I used a mix of baby Portobello and shitake mushrooms. Once the mushrooms have started to brown add the meat. Next add the parsley stalks and add the cooked onions and garlic back to the pan. Then add the butter and brandy. Now Russ actually added the brandy for me and while he tried to get it to flambé it just didn’t work (I think it was more the pan than Russ’ flambé skills). This was a concern in our home considering how frequently I set of the smoke alarm and the still infamous burnt popcorn… that is why Russ handled the brandy. After it has simmered for a few minutes add the lemon zest and crème fraiche and season to taste. I added a little more salt and pepper at this point. Finally serve over rice and top with parsley leaves, more crème fraiche, and sliced gherkins (yes, really gherkins… I was surprised too, but they really go well with it).

This turned out really well with one major exception… I overcooked the venison. In hindsight I should have just seared the pieces of venison on each side and then let them finish cooking while I finished the dish. I didn’t cook them all the way through when I sautéed them, but I did let them cook longer than needed. Since venison is so lean (I still miss the fat…) it is really important to not over cook it. Aside from my error with the meat the dish was delicious. I was a little concerned about serving what I consider to be a more Fall / Winter dish in June, but the sauce is really on the lighter side since it only has a little bit of crème fraiche in it. It is not a typical heavy, cream based stroganoff sauce, but it still has a smooth, . I have to say that the highlight for me was the sliced gherkins. I am really not a huge fan of gherkins and I came so close to leaving them out, but I decided to bite the bullet and give them a try. I can’t explain it, but the slightly sweet, little green gherkins go so well with this dish that you just have to include them (and if anyone in Birmingham does just this I have a rather large jar of gherkins hanging out in my fridge that I am happy to share). All in all this was a very good. Russ rates it a 9.

What became a PB and J Night...

Over the past few years I have had some real flops in the kitchen where Papa John’s has ended up with a late night delivery to our house. There was the infamous night where the beer cheese soup never thickened, tasted terrible, and then I severely burned microwave popcorn… and there was the night where I very unsuccessfully attempted to make crepes… or the eggplant pasta sauce that was inedible (ended up at Surin that night)… well you get the picture. Tonight will get added to the list as a dinner that just didn’t turn out. Now this one is a little different from the others in that in hindsight I should have know from reading the recipe that it just wasn’t going to be very tasty. I made Cooking Light’s Sesame Shrimp Salad and as everyone (except my Mother who eats salad dry – no dressing) the salad dressing plays a fairly key role in the overall taste. Well, the main ingredient in the salad dressing for this salad is fish sauce. Now, I do eat and like fish sauce when it is a minor ingredient in a larger more complex sauce that is hot, but cold fish sauce as the main ingredient… just not my thing. Just the pungent smell is really enough to turn me off from the entire salad. Now, some people may think the salad is great and it did have redeeming qualities like the use of mint in the greens. As a whole though this just didn’t do it for us and I blame the dressing. We had PB and Js and they were tasty and didn’t smell like fish. Russ rates the salad a 5.

Quite Possibly the Perfect Meal

I tend to be skeptical of super simple recipes that only have a few ingredients. From my experience cooking it seems that more often than naught the more you put into a dish (blood, sweat, tears, time, energy, ingredients…) the more delicious it turns out in the end. For instance I am sure Rachel Ray, the queen of quick dinners on the Food Network, has some wonderful, tasty meals, but whenever I have seen her show I always think to myself that if you just take a few minutes longer and make a few changes or let it simmer for a half hour instead of five minutes then it is bound to be even tastier. Most of the time I pass these recipes by, maybe I am gluten for punishment or just enjoy the process of cooking as much as the final product, but whatever it is I shy away from really simple recipes that only have a few ingredients.

Well never say never right… Tonight I was looking in Cook with Jamie (one of the awesome cookbooks Russ gave me for my birthday) to find something we could grill out. We both wanted to eat at home but didn’t want to spend all night in the kitchen. I found a couple of options and showed them to Russ to have him pick. Well, the one he ended up picking you actually don’t grill, but roast it in the oven. I had thought we could convert it to using the grill, but decided in the end to just follow the recipe as is and roast it in the oven. The recipe is for Roasted Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes and Asparagus and it is so simple with so few ingredients, but good ingredients that go well together. This is really a classic Jamie Oliver recipe. He is after all the Naked Chef because he takes away the fussiness of food to make simple dishes that are packed with good quality, fresh ingredients and lets them do the work for him. Well, not that I have ever doubted him, but he was spot on with this one. Despite it only having a few ingredients and taking almost no time at all to put together it was fabulous. I’ll probably still be a little skeptical of really simple recipes, but I am definitely more open to the idea now.

To make the Roasted Chicken Breast with Cherry Tomatoes and Asparagus you start by trimming the asparagus and cutting the tomatoes in half. Then toss them in a bowl with the rosemary sprigs, rosemary leaves, olive oil, chicken (bone in, skin on breasts), salt and pepper. Toss this to get everything seasoned and then make small rimmed packets of aluminum foil. Place the asparagus and tomatoes on the bottom of each packet and top with a chicken breast and a sprig of rosemary. Add a little white wine to the bottom and pop in the oven. Let them roast for approximately 40 – 45 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked through. Mine took a little longer than the recipe indicated, but I think this is because I did bone in and large breasts. I also forgot to drizzle them with balsamic vinegar when they were done which would have been a fantastic way to finish it off.

As I said above these were fabulous! I was so impressed with how well the asparagus, chicken, tomatoes, and rosemary worked together. It was a perfect symphony of flavors and ingredients – savory, fresh, bright colors, and fragrant. It takes just minutes to prepare and then you just toss them in the oven and let them bake. I really think this is the easiest meal I have ever made and not only that, but one of my favorites. I highly recommend this recipe and for those of you who are new to cooking this is a great one to try. It is definitely one that you could serve to company or just cook for a simple weeknight dinner. I didn’t serve it with anything else, but you could add another side or bread if you wanted. Russ rates this recipe a solid 10! This is one that I know will be repeated frequently in our house. Jamie has three more similar recipes (baked chicken in foil packet) with different ingredients and seasonings that I can’t wait to try.

Roasted Chicken Breast with Cherry Tomatoes and Asparagus, Cook with Jamie
Serves 1

Preheat the oven to 400F. Put 1 chicken breast, with its skin left on, in a bowl. Add 8 trimmed sticks of asparagus, 6 halved cherry tomatoes and the leaves from 1 sprig of fresh rosemary plus a whole sprig of rosemary as well. Toss everything together with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Put the veg into an aluminum foil pan and place the chicken and rosemary sprig on top. Season well. Add some white wine and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes. Serve drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Pasta with Lots of Olives

I love it when I get a new Fine Cooking, Cooking Light and Cooks’ Illustrated all within a few days of each other! I spent time going through all three and this past weekend read out a list of recipes to Russ to let him pick one for dinner one night this week. He chose a pasta dish from the new Cooks’ Illustrated.
To make the pasta dish you start by mincing the garlic, chopping the olives, and slicing the sun dried tomatoes. Mix these three along with the olive oil, anchovies, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes in a bowl and set aside. Then you can make the bread crumbs, but I decided to skip this step for the sake of time. While I think they would add a nice crunchy texture to the top I didn’t have the time for them tonight. Next get the pasta cooking and while it is going put the olive mixture in the skillet and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Once it has cooked for a few minutes add some of the pasta water to the pan and let it continue to cook. Then add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss it together. Finally add the cheese, parsley and basil to the dish and toss. Add additional pasta water if it is needed. I added slices of turkey sausage as Russ is not a big fan of meals without meat. Serve it with a lemon wedge.

The pasta was very tasty! If you love olives then this is a great dish for you as the olives are the dominant flavor. I love the combination of salty olives and the somewhat sweet and savory sun dried tomatoes. The fresh herbs really add a nice pop of color along with a fresh from the garden flavor. I was a little skeptical of serving it with a lemon wedge, but it really did work well with the flavors and I felt like it brought out the flavors of the fresh herbs even more. As for the sausage… Russ, the meat eater himself, felt like it would have been better without it. I certainly don’t think you need to add meat to this dish at all. Russ felt like grilled chicken sliced over the top would have gone well with it. I think if you are going to add meat then that is probably the way to go, but next time I’d rather put the time towards the bread crumbs and skip the meat. All in all this was a wonderful pasta dish. Russ rates it a 9.

Pasta with Olives, Garlic, and Herbs, Cooks’ Illustrated July and August 2008
Serves 4 to 6

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon anchovy fillets (4 to 6 fillets)
¼ - ½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
¼ cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, patted dry, and cut into thin strips
1 cup pitted kalamata olives rinsed and coarsely chopped (For a milder olive flavor, use manzanilla olives in place of kalamata.)
2 large slices white sandwich bread (about 3 ounces), torn into quarters
1 and ¾ teaspoons table salt
1 pound mezze rigatoni or fafalle
2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 ½ cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
Ground black pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon garlic, anchovies, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground, about 16 one-second pulses. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in 12 inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in remaining tablespoon garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant and bread crumbs are dark golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer to plate to cool. Wipe out skillet with paper towels.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add pasta and remaining 1 ½ teaspoons salt. While pasta is cooking, return now-empty skillet to medium heat and add olive mixture. Cook until olive mixture is aromatic and oil has turned rusty red, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove ¾ cup pasta cooking water from pot and add to skillet. Bring to simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat while pasta finishes cooking.

When pasta is just shy of al dente, drain pasta, reserving ½ cup of pasta cooking water, and transfer back to Dutch oven. Add olive mixture to pasta and toss over medium heat until pasta absorbs most liquid, about 2 minutes. Stir in ½ cup Parmesan. Adjust consistency of sauce with reserved water. (Sauce should cling to pasta but not be too loose or runny.) Remove pot from heat and stir in parsley and basil; adjust seasoning with pepper. Serve, passing lemon wedges, remaining Parmesan, and bread crumbs separately.

Dip and Drinks

I am not sure why, but appetizers are one of my real weaknesses when it comes to cooking. Just look to the left at the number of times I have posted about appetizers since I started blogging… six, just six appetizers in over a year. Now, to my credit there are plenty of times we have served cheese and crackers, fruit, chips and salsa, or cashews as appetizers and while these are all tasty they are not creative, exciting, or different. I think part of my issue is that if I am cooking the entire meal then I don’t leave enough time or don’t start preparing far enough in advance to include a more creative appetizer. Also, there are plenty of appetizer recipes out there that would take you just as long to prepare as a main course and somehow on nights like tonight when that is all I am preparing then I feel like I should get a break and not have to work as hard for just an appetizer. The thing is though when we eat out appetizers tend to be my favorite. I love the idea that they are tiny dishes that can still have all the flavor, complexity, and texture of a main course, but in a nice small package. Tonight I decided to not go the super simple / quick and easy route, but to not get too elaborate or involved either. I flipped through my cookbook from Magnolias and found a recipe for their Spinach and Artichoke Dip. After reading through the ingredients I was sold on it. You might be thinking in my excitement over the recipe that I forgot about dessert. Me… forget about dessert… are you kidding! We planned what we were doing for dessert a week and a half ago! More on it later.

To make the Spinach and Artichoke Dip you start by sautéing the onions in butter. Once they are soft you add the garlic and let it sauté for a few minutes. Next add the flour and stir everything together to make a roux. Keep stirring it for a couple minutes and then add half the cream until it thickens. Then add the rest of the cream and let it thicken. Next add the spinach (thawed and drained), artichokes (chopped), Havarti cheese, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir this together and let it cook for a few minutes. Serve warm with herb toasts. Russ made the herb toasts and he started by making the olive oil, herb mixture. He minced the garlic, chives, and basil. He put these in a bowl and added the olive oil, salt, and pepper. After mixing it all together he cut the baguette into quarter inch thick slices. He then tossed the slices in a bowl and poured the mixture over them tossing to coat. These then bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. They can be served at room temperature.

This really turned out well. The Spinach and Artichoke Dip was creamy and warm with a nice balance of cheese, spinach, and artichoke. I felt like the nutmeg and cayenne didn’t really show through. Next time I might increase the amount of both slightly to add a little more of a kick and spice to it. The herb toasts were a nice change from a plain baguette, but I do think a plain baguette slices (toasted, untoasted, or grilled) would work fine too. Russ and I did taste test it after I finished it and felt like it was slightly salty. I added a little more cream and let it cook down to try to counter act the saltiness and I think it worked. Next time I won’t add all the salt at first, but add part of it and then taste it before adding any more. All in all this was very tasty and creamy and a real hit. While not a complicated appetizer it was well worth the effort and a nice change from cheese and crackers. Russ rates it a 10!

I still haven’t forgotten about dessert and I guess you could say I am saving the best for last. The Country Club makes these amazing dessert drinks called Mississippi Muds. We both love them and Russ figured out that all they are made of is vanilla ice cream and Kahlua. The key is to getting the right consistency – thick, but not too thick. Russ has been practicing and he made them for everyone tonight for dessert. They are creamy and sweet without being too sweet. It is a great quick and easy dessert. They were a huge hit that even the non-sweet eater of the group, Dowe, requested one! Unfortunately we drank them before getting a picture, but I imagine they’ll show up again on the blog another day. Russ wouldn't rate them since he made them, but I'll give them a 9. They were a little on the thick side this time or they would have received a 10.

Spinach and Arthichoke Dip, Magnolias - Authentic Southern Cuisine
Makes 3 ½ cups

3 tablespoons butter
½ cup minced onion
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups heavy cream
3 (10 oz) packages frozen spinach, thawed and all the liquid pressed out
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and cut into ½ inch pieces
6 ounces Havarti or fontina cheese, grated or finely diced
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring to prevent browning. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic mixture to make a roux. Stir well to combine and allow to cook over medium-low heat 1 minute more. Add half the cream and stir vigorously until the mixture combines and thickens. Use a spatula to release any of the mixture that may be stuck to the bottom edges of the pan. Add the remaining cream and stir again until the mixture is smooth and thickened. Add the spinach, artichoke hearts, Havarti or fontina cheese, Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, white, black, and cayenne pepper. Continue to stir over medium-low heat until the cheeses have melted. Check seasoning for a balanced flavor. Serve with Herb Toasts.

Herb Toasts, Magnolias – Authentic Southern Cuisine

¾ cup light olive oil
2 teaspoons mashed garlic
1 tablespoon very finely minced chives
1 tablespoon very finely minced basil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 long loaf of fresh, crusty French bread cut into ¼ inch thick slices (or less)

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all of the ingredients except the French bread and let sit for 15 minutes. Place the slices of bread in a large bowl and drizzle on the oil and herb mixture as you are tossing the bread slices to coat. Lay the bread slices out on a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are crisply toasted and light golden in color. Remove from the oven and allow for them to cool to room temperature before stacking in a basket.

Cash's Birthday Treats

Russ and I adopted Cash over a year and a half ago. When we got him he was already a few months old. Based on the West Alabama Animal Rescue’s information and our fabulous vet’s opinion Cash was born during the month of June in 2006. We count June 1st as his birthday, but I told him he can really celebrate all month long since we don’t know the exact day! Today ended up being the perfect day to celebrate his birthday as Bernie (my parents’ dog) was staying with us and Hugo (Jess and Scott’s dog) had come to play for the a couple hours this afternoon. The dogs had a blast playing together and I decided to bake them a new treat recipe in honor of Cash’s 2nd birthday.

This is a new recipe that I found on a cooking blog that I check out periodically. I like his blog as he cooks lots of recipes from Cooking Light and he frequently makes homemade dog treats for his pups. When I saw his recipe for Crunchy Cheddar Oat Snacks I just knew Cash would love them. While we have done others that he has really enjoyed this new recipe has cheese in it which just so happens to be Cash’s favorite food.

To make these you start by softening the butter. Once it is soft put it in a bowl with the oats and hot water. Stir the ingredients together and then let it sit covered for about 10 minutes. Then add the cornmeal, sugar, bullion, milk, cheese, and egg and mix together. Then add the flour and mix it together until it is a firm ball of dough. Add some flour (as needed) if it the dough is sticky and put it out on a floured surface. Then knead the dough until it is smooth and no longer sticky. Then roll it out until it is about a quarter of an inch thick and cut out your shapes. I did dog bone shapes, circles, and Cs (for Cash). Let these bake for about 30 to 45 minutes at 325. Rotate pans halfway through.

All three dogs served as taste testers and these treats got six paws up! They loved them! Bernie who has not been a fan of my homemade treats in the past loved these and wanted more. I sent some home with both pups’ parents and Cash is planning to take some to share with Wagg and Chester when we watch the Bachelorette tomorrow night. I think Cash had a good birthday!