Election Night Chicken

Lately I have had a hankering for chicken piccata, so tonight I decided to do a repeat of Ina Garten's chicken picatta that I made before here. I tend to not repeat many recipes as there are always so many new ones that I want to try, however, tonight I decided to go back to one that we enjoyed once before since I knew it was quick, easy, and tasty. One of the things I love about chicken piccata is the tang and bright fresh flavor from the lemon and that was what I was really craving. It was also a perfect meal for tonight since it is quick with it being election night. We ended up with plenty of time to not only enjoy a home cooked meal, but also watch all the exciting election coverage. Tonight's repeat chicken piccata was just as yummy as the last time we had it! A wonderful repeat. Russ gives it a 9 once again.

Delicious Salmon with Lentils

My Mother doesn’t like fish or shellfish, so growing up the only seafood we would ever eat at home would be tuna fish sandwiches or salmon croquettes both from canned fish. Since she did all the cooking at our house she would cook things she liked and I certainly don't blame her. I liked the tuna fish sandwiches, but was always not too happy when the salmon croquettes showed up on my plate. These were my only experiences with fish and since I only liked one of the two then I just assumed I didn’t like fish. Fast forward a few years and I decide to study abroad in Granada, Spain for a semester in college. One of the most popular meats in Spain is ham in fact there are stores that just sell ham legs, different cuts of pork, and different cured pork products. Well, as any of you know me know I don’t eat any part of the pig and haven’t since I was very young and took a favoring to pigs which has lead to a large pig collection over the years. Anyway, since I don’t eat the most popular meat in Spain and my sweet host mother, Gloria, agreed that she wouldn’t make it for me then I knew I had to eat anything else she prepared including seafood. Lucky for me Gloria is a fabulous cook and from her fabulous meals I realized that I actually love fish and shellfish! Gloria’s cooking and my introduction to new fruits, vegetables, meats, and spices really got me started on my culinary journey. My good friend Sumner always says that my living in Spain was the best thing I ever did and she is right on many levels including that it finally opened up my palate.

Tonight I decided to try Ina Garten’s recipe for Salmon with Lentils. I really enjoy legumes and prefer fresh or dried, but sometimes on week nights there is not enough time to cook them. Lentils due to their small size cook much faster than many other varieties, so they worked perfectly for a weeknight dinner. To prepare the lentils you put them in a heat proof bowl and pour boiling water over them and let them sit for 15 minutes before draining them. In the meantime you cut up the onion, leeks, garlic, carrots, and celery. The onion and leeks sauté in a little olive oil with some salt, pepper, and fresh thyme until the onions are translucent. You then add the garlic and sauté for a couple minutes. Next you add the lentils, carrots, celery, and chicken broth. Cover the pan and let them simmer for about 20 minutes. Once they have simmered you add a little red wine vinegar and check for seasoning. I followed her recipe exactly and they came out perfect!

For the salmon you heat a sauté pan on high heat for 4 minutes. You rub olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper on the salmon fillets and then place them seasoned side down in the hot pan. Turn the heat down to medium and don’t touch them for 2 minutes. Then flip the fillets over and put the pan in the oven at 450. Ina serves her salmon rare, however, I prefer my fish cooked through (except for tuna) so I cooked it for about 11 minutes.

This dish was excellent and quite possibly my favorite recipe of Ina’s! The lentils are very tasty and I really loved all the vegetables with them. The red wine vinegar adds the perfect finishing touch. I told Russ that these lentils would give Frank Stitt a run for his money as they are that good. The salmon works really well with the lentils and by searing it in a hot pan the top forms a nice crust while the inside is still moist and tender. I served it with just a simple salad on the side. This salmon with lentils were fantastic and Russ rates them a 10.

The Almost Perfect Dinner and The Perfect Dessert

I have been cooking and baking with an active interest in it for a few years now. While I still consider myself a novice in the kitchen I do think that there are some basic dishes that I should have made by now. Now in the past year I have made some progress by making lots of firsts for me such as a tiered cake, fruit cobbler, lasagna, pot roast…. However, there are still several dishes out there that I think are classic dishes that I surely should have made by now. One such dish is chicken pot pie. I have never made it and while I have found several recipes for it that looked tasty I have simply passed them by. Well, that changed tonight as I decided to finally cross chicken pot pie off my list by giving Ina Garten’s Chicken Stew with Biscuits (her version of chicken pot pie) a go.

I will start out by saying that this is a very time consuming dish to make. It is an enjoyable one to make, but be sure you have plenty of time set aside for it. I started by roasting the chicken. This is not the first time I have followed Ina’s method of roasting chicken breasts and they always turns out perfect – moist and flavorful! It is very simple to do and yields great results, so even if you don’t make the rest of this recipe try roasting chicken breasts (on the bone with skin) like Ina. While the chicken roasted I chopped all the veggies and parsley (including celery and red potatoes which were my addition). I also put the chicken broth and bouillon cubes in a pot and let them heat up. You then blanch the carrots in one pot and sauté the onions and celery in a little butter in a dutch oven. Once the onions are translucent you add the flour in while stirring. Then you add the broth, cream (I used half and half), veggies and chicken and mix it all together. The chicken stew then goes in a baking dish and bakes for about 15 minutes uncovered. While it is baking you make the biscuits by combining the dry ingredients and then working the butter into them. Then you add the half and half and parsley and work it all together. The dough gets rolled out and cut into somewhat thin biscuits. The biscuits are then added to the top of the stew and brushed with an egg wash. The whole dish goes back in the oven for about 20 more minutes.

Russ, Allen, and I all enjoyed the chicken stew with biscuits. The flavor of the stew was excellent and the biscuits were the perfect topping. The stew was thick and creamy and the biscuits added great texture. The only problem was that the carrots should have blanched for longer and I should have blanched the potatoes too. We all thought the potatoes were a good addition they just weren’t cooked through. I even thought about pre-cooking the potatoes and then didn’t do it… Next time I’ll make sure that the carrots and potatoes are almost completely cooked through when I add them to the stew. Despite the crunchy vegetables Russ rates it a 9.

Now, since it was Saturday night and we were in Mentone I couldn’t make a hearty, comfort food dish for dinner and then not serve dessert… so I took the opportunity to try a recipe I saw on Smitten Kitchen for Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip Cookies. These are a fairly straight forward cookie recipe with one small twist that takes these cookies from good to over the top amazing! You add a little orange zest to the cookie dough and it really just makes these cookies fantastic. The cookies are not too crunchy or too chewy and have a great balance of oatmeal and chocolate chips. Smitten Kitchen also adds chopped nuts to hers, but since Russ doesn’t like nuts in cookies I left them out. I really think this could be a look no further this is it perfect recipe for Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip Cookies. Since Russ did the shopping and bought the largest bag of chocolate chips I have ever seen and since the holidays are coming up I may be making another batch of these sometime soon. Russ rates the cookies a 10!

Butternut Squash and Eggplant Night

When I first moved back to Birmingham I lived on the second floor of an apartment building near by. A sweet older woman lived alone beneath me I was lucky enough to have her take me under her wing. I would frequently come home from work to find a slice of her rum cake or a container of her homemade chicken salad on my doorstep with a note from her. I was still new to cooking and just starting to get into it, so I was always very excited to find anything from her kitchen outside my door. When I moved out the apartment I was sad to leave a wonderful neighbor. I also thought my days of food being dropped off at my door were over, however, I was wrong. It is not uncommon for me to come home now to a baked good or sack of fresh vegetables at our front door. Jess and I love to cook together and we also love to share our food with others especially each other. She will drop off a loaf of homemade banana bread at our house and I’ll drop some apple muffins off at hers. A big part of what I love about baking and cooking is sharing it with others and Jess is the same way. So, recently Jess and Scott dropped off the bounty of vegetables and I decided that this time instead of leaving food at her door that we should have them over for dinner.

I knew exactly what I wanted to have for dinner tonight. I love eggplant and Russ doesn’t particularly care for it. However, if it is mixed in with other things he likes he always ends up eating it… Knowing this and that Jess and Scott like eggplant I decided to try Ina Garten’s Roasted Eggplant Spread for an appetizer.

To make the spread you peel the eggplant and cut it into 1 inch pieces. You also cut the red onion and red bell peppers into 1 inch pieces. You then toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. These go in the oven to roast at 400F for about 45 minutes. Once they are done you let them cool slightly and the put them in the food processor with a little bit of tomato paste and pulse it about 3 or 4 times. Then you are done. Yes, it was that easy.

The spread had a wonderful roasted flavor and you could really taste both the eggplant and the red peppers. I served it with multi grain pita chips. It was delicious and Russ did eat it! Russ rates the dip a 8.

For dinner I knew I wanted to make the Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette I had seen over on Smitten Kitchen recently. As you probably know by now if you read my blog I love all things butternut squash and all things onions. So, this recipe was a must make for me and I knew that Jess and Scott would love it too!

I skimmed the recipe before getting started and realized I should have started it about an hour before, so be sure and read the recipe carefully on this one. You start by putting the flour and salt in one bowl and then cut the butter into cubes in another bowl. Both bowls then go in the freezer for 1 hour. This was the part I managed to not read before I started… Once it has been in the fridge for an hour you form a well in the flour and cut the butter into it. In a separate bowl you combine the sour cream, lemon juice, and ice water. This then is incorporated in batches into the flour / butter mixture. This becomes a sticky, yummy dough that you form into a ball. I was a little worried as my ball was a little more crumbly than I thought it might need to be. The ball is wrapped in plastic wrap and goes in the fridge to rest for 1 hour. While it is resting you roast the squash and carmalize the onions. Once the dough has rested you roll it out into a circle and place it on a baking sheet. You then combine the squash, onions, cheese, sage, and cayenne in a bowl. Take the squash mixture and place it in the middle of the circle of rolled out dough and then pull the sides up around it. This goes in the oven at 400 to bake for about 30 to 40 minutes.

The galette was well worth the wait! It was delicious! It was the perfect combination of butternut squash, onions, and pastry. The cheese and sage added the perfect accompanying flavors to the dish. This is certainly on the time consuming side, but it is well worth the effort and time. If you are taking a dish to Thanksgiving this year and looking for something a little different I would highly recommend this galette. Russ rates the galette a 9 and if it had meat I bet he would give it a 10.

Russ grilled steaks and asparagus to go with the galette. As always he did a wonderful job with them We enjoyed having Jess and Scott over and sharing some of our dishes with veggies from the bounty!

Even More Apples...

When Russ and I stopped at the apple orchard I picked out two and half pecks of apples to take home and I am came very close to getting another peck or two. I was worried that I wouldn’t have enough apples to make tons of apple dishes and share some with Jess and Mom. On the drive home Russ and I were talking about what to do with the apples and Russ requested homemade applesauce. When we got home I looked at the recipe and remember thinking that I would not have enough apples left to use 12 plus apples to make applesauce. Well, I shared some with Jess and Mom and I made several apple dishes and I still have more than enough apples to make applesauce. I am really starting to think that the apples are multiplying as it doesn’t seem to matter how many I use there are still tons left. I’m not complaining about having too many apples as there are more things I’d like to make with the remaining apples, but I am just saying that I’ve found out that two and half pecks of apples is really a lot of apples.

Since I have tons of apples left I decided to try making applesauce on Saturday, but before I get that Russ had also requested waffles and since I woke up hungry…. no starving on Saturday morning I decided to make the waffles first. I just got the December issue of Fine Cooking (even though it is still October!) and it had a pull out on breakfast dishes including their recipe for Light, Crisp Waffles. Even though I love Dad’s waffles I couldn’t pass up trying a new recipe.

To make the waffles you mix all the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda) in a bowl. In a separate bowl you mix the buttermilk, milk, vegetable oil, and egg yolk together. In a third bowl you beat the egg white until soft peaks form. Then you sprinkle the sugar and add the vanilla and keep beating until firm peaks form. Then you combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients (not the egg white) and stir them until combined. You then dollop the egg white on top of the waffle batter and fold them into the batter. Then you cook the waffles on the waffle iron and put them in the oven (200F) after you make them until you have made all the waffles.

The waffles were yummy! I asked Russ if he thought these or Dad’s were better and he couldn’t say unless he had them both next to each other as they are very similar in taste and texture. So, that decided it for me that I like Dad’s better as they do not require three bowls and a mixer and they have wonderful memories in every bite. Russ rates the waffles a 8.

Once I was no longer starving I decided to start on the applesauce. I decided to go with Ina Garten’s recipe for her Homemade Applesauce. To make the applesauce you zest one lemon and two oranges and then juice them into a large oven proof pot. You then peel, core and quarter approximately 12 to 16 apples and mix them with the zest and juice. I ended up using a mix of the three kinds of apples I picked up at the orchard – Mutsu, Arkansas Black, and Rome Beauty. They varied in size, but I used 13 apples total. Once they are in the pot then you add the cinnamon, all spice, and butter. I also threw in some of the peel from the Rome Beauties for color. The pot then goes in the oven covered for one to one and half hours at 400F. Once they are done you remove the peel and then whisk the apples until you get the consistency you like.

While the apples were baking our house smelled AMAZING! It smelled like we had a large vat of spiced apple cider simmering in the kitchen. The applesauce was very easy to make and it had a pretty color and great texture. It is definitely more of a spiced applesauce than just regular applesauce as the cinnamon and all spice add a lot of flavor. Russ and I both really liked the flavor, however, I think I’ll cut the spices back a little bit next time. I shared some with Mom and Dad and Mom thought I could just leave the all spice out next time. Jess and Scott got some too and Jess felt like it would be great with food such as oatmeal or for those who eat pork (not me) a pork loin. I think this is definitely true and I plan to try it over oatmeal for breakfast one day this week. Russ rates the applesauce a 8. Don’t worry… I still have more apples left!

Light, Crisp Waffles, Fine Cooking December 2007

Yields four to five 8 inch waffles.

A required rest in the oven not only adds to the crispiness of the waffles, but also allows you to make a big batch, so everyone can eat at once.

3 1/2 (3/4 cup) bleached all-purpose flour

1 oz. (1/4 cup) cornstarch

1/2 tsp. table salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup milk

6 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large egg, seperated
1 Tbs. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 200F and heat the waffle iron. Mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Measure the buttermilk, milk, and vegetable oil in a Pyrex measuring cup; mix in the egg yolk and set aside.

In another bowl, beat the egg white almost to soft peaks. Sprinkle in the sugar and continue to beat until the peaks are firm and glossy. Beat in the vanilla.

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until just mixed. Drop the whipped egg white onto the batter in dollops and fold in with a rubber spatula until just incorporated.

Pour the batter onto the hot waffle iron (1/2 to 2/3 cup depending on your waffle iron) and cook until the waffle is crisp and nutty brown (follow the manufacturer's instructions for timing at first and then adjust to your liking). Set the waffle directly on the oven rack to keep it warm and crisp. Repeat with the remaining batter, holding the waffles in the oven (don't stack them). When all the waffles are cooked, serve immediately.

Finally Some Soup Weather

It is finally cold outside which to me means SOUP WEATHER! Russ keeps trying to hold me off from declaring soup weather since the temperatures have mostly been in the 70s lately. However at least for the next couple days it is cooler and we’ll be celebrating the lower temperatures with soup. As I mentioned in a previous post Jess and Scott gave Russ and I a bounty of veggies from the farmer’s market and I am having a fun time figuring out how I am going to use them. The bounty includes five smaller sized butternut squash. I have been torn between two new recipes for them and I decided this morning that I just can’t pick between the two, so I’ll make both over the next few days. Tonight I’ll make Ina Garten’s Butternut Squash and Apple Soup, but I’ll cut the recipe in half and save the rest of my butternut squash for the other recipe (which you’ll have to wait to see what it is).

Russ and I have a favorite butternut squash soup recipe that we love and I have no doubt it will show up on this blog sooner or later, however, we still have apples from the orchard I thought this was the perfect time to try Ina’s recipe for a change. To make the soup you first sauté chopped onion and curry powder in a little butter. While this is sautéing you peel and cut the squash and apples. These then go in the pot with water (only I decided to use chicken broth to give it a little more flavor). Bring this to a boil and then throw the lid on and bring it down to a simmer for about 30 to 40 minutes. When the apples and squash are soft then you puree the soup. You can use a blender, but I use the hand blender so then I don’t have to transfer the soup out the pot. Once it is pureed you add the apple juice and salt and pepper to taste. Then it is ready to serve.

I decided to serve the soup with a salad and a baguette. Wait… where’s the meat? Tonight's meal almost came out of our kitchen with no meat in it, but just for Russ there was some turkey on the salad. Russ is convinced he cannot get full from a meal that doesn’t include meat in it, so the turkey helped solve that problem. The soup was really tasty with rich thick texture and a sweet / savory flavor. The sweetness from the apples and apple juice complemented the butternut squash really well. I think the key ingredient may have been the curry powder that added a subtle extra layer of flavor that was delicious. I also liked that the soup had a very clean flavor since it is predominately made up of pureed vegetables and fruit. Russ and I enjoyed the soup, but we still think our tried and true butternut squash soup is even better. Russ rates the soup a 8.

A Better Bachelor Night for Us

Tonight is Bachelor Night and since Russ and I have not had great results with our food the last couple times the pressure is on... Emily and Dowe are hosting and serving steaks, so Russ and I are in charge of the sides. Since the apple bar disaster I have been thinking about what kind of sides we could do. We still have some of the apples from the orchard and I love including fruit in salads, so I knew that I wanted to do a salad with apples for tonight. However, I wasn’t sure what else… until I stopped by my sweet sister’s house to pick up some goodies she got us from the farmer’s market this weekend. I was super excited to get a bunch of zucchini, butternut squash, eggplant, tomatoes, pattypan squash (a new to me veggie!), and onions! Russ is still learning to love zucchini, so I decided to do it for tonight so that Russ can eat just a little bit of it and hopefully the others will love the rest of it with me. Since I know he doesn’t love zucchini I decided to do mashed red potatoes too.

Since I have been eyeing apple recipes for a while now I decided to go back to the September CL and make the Spinach-Apple Salad with Maple-Bacon Vinaigrette. Russ' Mom invited his sisters and me to meet for a pedicure after work, so I called Russ to tell him that was in charge of getting our food started. He was a little nervous, but up for the challenge. I told him to start with the salad dressing, but he started with a beer and then the dressing. I called on my way home and Russ said he finished the dressing and it was really thick. Ends up he left out the olive oil, but once added the dressing was perfect. He did really well with it and I have cute painted toes!

For the salad dressing you start by combining the mustard, maple syrup, and red wine vinegar. Next you mix the olive oil in while whisking it. Last you add the chopped chives and bacon (or turkey bacon). For the salad you combine sliced red onion and apple slices to fresh spinach. We waited to dress it until we served it.

The salad was really good. I loved the mix of apples, red onion and spinach and the dressing had a wonderful sweet, tangy flavor. We did end up doubling the liquid portions of the salad dressing and next time I think we’ll just double the whole thing. It really needed all of it and would have been a little dry if we hadn’t added to it. Russ rates the salad a 9.

For the zucchini I decided to try a recipe of Ina Garten’s for Zucchini with Parmesan. You start by sautéing chopped onion in olive oil. You then add the zucchini and sprinkle it with a little salt and pepper. At the very last you add grated parmesan cheese to the zucchini and then serve.

The zucchini was delicious! Russ even ate a few pieces. The only problem was that I didn’t head her warning about overloading the pan with the zucchini, so it ended up steaming more than sautéing it. Even though it steamed a little bit I think it still turned out tasty. I’ll definitely repeat this and next time keep the batches smaller and get it to sauté instead of steam. Russ rates the zucchini a 8. I think the zucchini is growing on him...

I also made mashed potatoes with small red potatoes and added a little sour cream, buttermilk, butter, salt and pepper to them. Emily and Dowe grilled beautiful steaks that were very tasty! Seth and Elizabeth each brought their own appetizer tonight. Elizabeth brought a bruschetta with sliced baguette that is brushed with garlic and olive oil and topped with fresh tomatoes and feta. Seth made the classic ants on a log (which were apparently exhausting to make). Both were yummy! Russ and I feel some relief now as everyone seemed to enjoy our sides. We'll still have some pressure next time we host after the not so great shish kebabs, but overall this was our best Bachelor performance on the food side this season. As always it was a fun night and a very entertaining episode!

Russ and I still have lots of yummy vegetables left from Jess and Scott’s farmer’s market run. I am excited to find some new recipes to try with them! Right now I torn between two totally different recipes for the butternut squash, I have one idea for the eggplant so far, and I am still perplexed on what to do with the pattypan squash. So, I’ll be doing some major recipe searching and decision making over the next few days.

Back in the Kitchen Again

After being away from the kitchen for most of this month I started to make up for it this weekend cooking on Friday night and then spending a lot of today in the kitchen too. When I talked to Jess earlier this week she was telling me about Scott and her menu for a brunch they were hosting on Sunday (today). She already had several great menu items, but she wanted a veggie to round it out. I offered to take on the veggie because I have wanted to try Ina Garten’s Spinach Pie for a while now. In addition to the Spinach Pie I wanted to make the first pot of chili for the season. Russ seemed to think I was jumping the gun since it is still warm out, but it is technically Fall now… Lastly I started a baking project that is for tomorrow night’s Bachelor. That’s right a new season starts tomorrow night and Emily, Dowe, Elizabeth, Seth, Russ and I are back to our Bachelor Nights! I am in charge of the appetizer and dessert, but you’ll have to wait until later for the rest of the details!

First up is the Spinach Pie. Ina describes the inside as all the yummy tastes and flavors that you find in spanakopita, but with more of it. You start by sautéing chopped yellow onion in olive oil. Once it is done you mix in the salt and pepper and set it aside to cool. You then drain the defrosted spinach and put it in a bowl. Then add the onions, egg, nutmeg, Parmesan cheese, feta, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, and pine nuts to the spinach and carefully mix it all together. You then butter the pan and place the phyllo in it brushing each layer with melted butter. Then put the spinach mixture into the phyllo covered pan and fold the phyllo over. I needed to add more phyllo to cover the top of the mixture. Then brush the top with melted butter and bake for 1 hour at 375F.

This turned out really yummy! I only have a picture of the outside since I took it over to Jess and Scott’s for their brunch where it received good reviews. It has the wonderful flavor similar to spanakopita only more complex. It is served at room temperature, so it would be great to make for company since you could make it earlier and let it slowly cool while you finish the rest of the meal. This will definitely be repeated! Jess rates it a 9. (A quick thank you to Jess for standing in as the blog rater for this dish. Russ only had one bite and it was too early in the morning for spinach for him, so he passed on rating it.)

Once I delivered the Spinach Pie I came home to start the chili. The last couple times I have made chili I have used an old CL recipe for All-American Chili. While I am not sure it will be my forever recipe I do really like the flavor and texture. Until I find a recipe that catches my eye more than this one it is my go to recipe for chili.

You start by sautéing the turkey sausage (casing removed), ground beef, onions, green pepper, garlic, and jalapeno (from our garden). Once the meat is cooked and the veggies are tender then you add chili powder, brown sugar, tomato paste, cumin, bay leaves, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix the seasonings in and let them cook for about a minute. Then add the wine, tomatoes (I use 1 [28 oz] can of crushed tomatoes and 1 [28 oz] can of diced tomatoes), and the beans (which I drained and rinsed first). Bring this to a boil and then down to a simmer for at least one hour. Check it for seasoning as it may need a little more salt and pepper (especially if you use the no salt added tomatoes). Like any chili it is always better the next day. I served the chili with corn bread and toppings (sour cream, shredded cheese, diced onion, oyster crackers etc.).

This is exactly what its name says All-American Chili. It is a good solid recipe that we have enjoyed for a couple seasons now. Russ rates the chili a 8.

Spinach Pie, by Ina Garten

(Serves 6 – 8)

3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
3 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
6 extra-large eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons grated nutmeg
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons dry plain breadcrumbs
1/2 lb feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup pine nuts (pignoli)
1/4 lb salted butter, melted
6 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted

Preheat the over to 375 degrees.

In a medium sauté pan on medium heat, sauté the onions with the olive oil until translucent and slightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and allow to cool slightly. Squeeze out and discard as much of the liquid from the spinach as possible. Put the spinach into a bowl and then gently mix in the onions, egg, nutmeg, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, feta and pignoli.

Butter an ovenproof, non-stick, 8-inch sauté pan and line it with 6 stacked sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with melted butter and letting the edges hang over the pan. Pour the spinach mixture into the middle of the phyllo and neatly fold the edges up and over the top to seal in the filling. Brush the top well with melted butter.

Bake for 1 hour, until the top is golden brown and the filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

Meat and Veggies

Russ and I wanted to take advantage of the nice weather and our new patio and cook out tonight. For some reason we have several cans of beer in the fridge right now, so we decided to do Beer Can Chicken. Earlier today I had been thumbing through several of my cookbooks and landed on an asparagus recipe of Ina Garton’s that we have not tried before that looked simple and tasty. It is for Parmesan Roasted Asparagus. Russ requested black eye peas, so that with sliced fresh strawberries rounded out our meal.

For the Beer Can Chicken (also known as Drunk Chicken) Russ rubbed some of his latest spice mixture that he used with his ribs on the outside and under the skin. He then stuck several rosemary sprigs in the beer and put it on the Egg for about two hours. I know I have mentioned before how much we like cooking with whole chickens and this is another great way to use one. You can pretty much do whatever you like to the chicken as far as seasoning it. We have used salt, pepper and the beer before and it turns out flavorful and moist. I would recommend being liberal with your seasoning on and under the skin. With Russ’ spice blend we both agreed that next time it would be better to let it hang out for a couple hours with the spices on it to absorb more of the flavor. The chicken turned out very moist and tasty tonight.

We both love asparagus and despite having several recipes we love for it I am always up for a new one. This recipe is not that different from ones we have tried before, however, we have not used Parmesan cheese on it before. Thinking back on it now I am not quite sure why we haven’t because the saltiness of the Parmesan worked really well with the asparagus. For this recipe you put the asparagus on a baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper. They then roast in a 400 F oven for about 10 to 15 minutes. When you pull them out you sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over them and pop them back in the oven for another minute. The result was delicious. Russ rates the asparagus a 9.

Our kitchen has been pretty dormant this month and this week is unfortunately not going to break that trend. I am busy every night after work this week, so there won’t be much action in our kitchen for the next few days. Russ has offered to cook one night this week (as he did last week – which was yummy!), so I am looking forward to seeing and tasting what he makes.

(Cash is hanging out in the Bobcat that did some of the work on our backyard.)

Dinner with a Lemon Twist

Ken, a long time friend of my family, has recently taken an interest in cooking and baking. He called the other day and wanted to bring a new dessert by to share with Russ and me one night. We checked calendars and decided tonight would be perfect and that he should come in time to eat dinner with us too. So, then came the decision of what to make for dinner. I flipped through several cookbooks and with Russ’ help I decided to go with a lemon theme and make Ina Garten’s Chicken Piccata served Giada's Broccoli Florets with Meyer Lemon Olive Oil. Since neither the chicken nor the broccoli are very time consuming I decided to go ahead and have an appetizer of Late Summer Tomato Bruschetta (Michael Chiarello).

I made a few changes to the bruschetta recipe to make it a little easier and to try a few different variations of it. To make the bruschetta you slice the bread (I used a baguette instead of a country loaf). I then put the bread on a baking sheet under the broiler for just a few minutes on each side to get it toasty. While the bread is toasting then you chop the tomatoes and basil and mix them together with a little salt and pepper. Here is where I added some variation by adding a little balsamic vinegar to part of the tomato mixture. When you pull the bread out you rub it with the pieces of garlic. I then topped some of the pieces of bread with thin slices of fresh mozzarella and then topped all of the pieces of bread with the tomato mixture.

The bruschetta was very easy to put together and very tasty. We liked the addition of the balsamic vinegar and fresh mozzarella to it. Next time I might try cutting the mozzarella into small cubes and mixing it with the tomato mixture. The only thing we didn't like was the strong garlic flavor. I rubbed both sides of the bread with garlic and the bottom side had too strong of a garlic taste to it. The garlic rubbed on the top side works well with the tomato mixture, but the bottom side was overkill. Russ rates the bruschetta a 7.

I have made chicken piccata before, however, I have never made Ina's chicken piccata before tonight. The main difference I see in her dish is that she finishes her chicken off by baking it and simply pours the sauce over it instead of finishing the chicken cooking in the sauce. To make her chicken piccata you pound the chicken out to about 1/4 inch thickness. The chicken pieces are then dipped in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, and finally the bread crumbs. Once coated the chicken goes into the pan with olive oil and sautes for 2 minutes on each side. After the chicken is browned on both sides you put it in the oven to finish baking it. Meanwhile you make the sauce of lemon juice, butter, white wine, salt, and pepper. You bring it to a boil and then reduce it by half. I served the chicken over a bed of angel hair pasta with the sauce poured on top. You top the chicken with parsley and a lemon wedge.

We all really liked the lemon flavor and the texture with the breading on the chicken. The chicken was tender and moist. While it did take several dishes to bread the chicken the most time consuming part was simply pounding the chicken. This was a fairly simple dish that looks impressive and is very tasty. Russ rates the chicken a 9.

As a side I tried Giada's Broccoli Florets with Meyer Lemon Olive Oil. This was a very easy, but different take on steamed broccoli. You cut the broccoli into florets and then steam it. Once it is done then you toss it with the lemon olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. I used the lemon olive oil that Jess and Scott brought us back from Italy.

While the lemon flavor is fairly subtle I thought it complemented the broccoli well. I also really liked the change from using butter to olive oil with the broccoli. As long as I have lemon olive oil around I will continue to dress our broccoli with it. Russ rates the broccoli a 8.

Ken ended our meal on a very high note with a spectacular dessert called a Mixed Berry Pavlova. It is one of Ina's recipe and it was a wonderful summery dessert. The bottom layer is a light, fluffy meringue with the center still somewhat soft and creamy. The meringue is topped with homemade whipped cream. The whipped cream is then topped with fresh berries that are tossed in a raspberry sauce. All in all a beautiful and tasty dessert that is just sweet enough for a hot summer night.

Russ and I enjoyed having Ken over and tasting his sweet creation!

Chicken Piccata, Barefoot Contessa at Home
Serves 4

4 split (2 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 extra-large eggs
1 and 1/2 cups seasoned dried bread crumbs
good olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves reserved
1/2 cup dry white wine
sliced lemon, for serving
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper of plastic wrap and pound it out to 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper on a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the eggs and 1 tablespoon water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread-crumb mixture.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add 2 chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan while you cook the rest of the chicken. Heat more olive oil in the saute pan and cook the second chicken breasts. Place them on the same sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel. On medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and then add the lemon juice, white wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves. Serve one chicken breast on each plate, spoon on the sauce, and serve with sliced lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Broccoli Florets with Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, Giada's Family Dinners
6 servings

1 and 1/2 pounds broccoli florets
3 tablespoons Meyer lemon olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fill a large pot with 2 inches of water. Set a steamer rack in the pot. Cover and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli and steam until the broccoli is crisp-tender, about 7 minutes.

Transfer the broccoli florets to a large bowl and toss with the oil. Season the broccoli to taste with salt and pepper, and serve warm.

Note: As an alternative to the Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, use 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. If you have fresh mint, add some, finely chopped.

Lots of Cooking and Baking Tonight

There are several ingredients out there that I see in lots of recipes and want to try using, but haven’t gotten around to trying them yet. One of these ingredients is won ton wrappers. I found a recipe that called for them in the June CL that I have wanted to try for a couple weeks now. You may think it is an Asian dish, but it is actually an Italian one. Won ton wrappers are frequently used as a short cut way (as opposed to making homemade pasta) for making raviolis. The recipe is for Mushroom Ravioli with Parmesan-Chive Sauce and since Scott (a non-mushroom eater) is out of town we decided to have Jess (a mushroom lover) over for dinner.

The recipe is fairly simple to make the different parts, but is time consuming and does dirty up a few dishes. To make the filling you cut the mushrooms up in the food processor by pulsing it a few times. Once they are chopped you sauté the shallots and add the mushrooms and a little salt and sauté for a few minutes. Once the filling is made you add about 2 teaspoons full of it to the center of each won ton. You then fold the won ton over and seal it using a little water to dampen the edges. You will want to keep a damp paper towel over the other won tons to keep them from drying out while they wait. Once you have formed all the raviolis they hang out on a cooking try with that has been sprinkled with a little cornstarch (keep them covered with a damp towel and stick them in the fridge if you are not going to boil them for a little bit). Go ahead and get a pot of water boiling for the pasta and then start on the sauce. For the cream sauce you whisk the milk and flour together over medium-low heat until it thickens (about 4 – 5 minutes). Then you remove it from the heat and add the chives, salt, pepper, and cheese. Once the pasta is cooked then you add them to the sauce and top with chives. I did increase the quantities on everything as this recipe comes from a section on cooking for two and since tonight’s dinner was for three I upped the amounts.

We thought the raviolis were good, however, they took a lot longer than I anticipated to make. In fact we put Jess to work to help fill the raviolis when she got to our house. Aren’t we great hosts... lucky for us she is a great big sister and likes to cook! Russ’ Dad had brought us some fresh shrimp back from the beach, so Russ grilled them up and we had the shrimp along with some yummy contributions Jess brought as an appetizer. This worked out really well since dinner was a late one tonight. The cream sauce worked well with the raviolis, however, I still think there could have been flavor to the dish. I think the mushroom filling could have used some red wine and more seasoning (I used a little more salt than called for and added pepper) to enhance the flavor. The won ton wrappers were a lot easier than making homemade pasta I think homemade pasta for raviolis is better as far as taste and texture (if only my homemade pasta turned out better….). I will most likely not make this recipe again mainly because of how time consuming it was, however, I love the combination of mushrooms, cream sauce, pasta, and chives and will certainly look for more recipes like this in the future. Russ rates the raviolis a 7.

I must also point out that Russ thinks I am trying to kill him when I make vegetarian meals. The last few times I have planned on making a vegetarian meal something comes up and we end up eating out that night or like tonight conveniently meat shows up at the last minute (in the form of fresh shrimp tonight)…. Hmmmm….

For the side I tried one of Ina Garten’s recipes for Green Beans with Shallots. This recipe struck my eye since I knew I would have leftover shallots from the pasta. You blanch the green beans for a couple minutes in boiling, salted water and then dump them in an ice bath (which stops the cooking and keeps the pretty green color). Then sauté the shallots in a little oil and butter for a couple minutes. Last add the green beans, salt, and pepper and sauté until the green beans are heated through. (Please note: The recipe for the green beans will be posted shortly.)

We liked the flavor of the green beans with shallots. I let them boil a little too long (my hands were busy at the 3 minute mark, so they boiled a little longer) and I think they would have been better if I had cooked them a little less. I liked the flavor combination of the shallots and green beans. I don’t think this is the ultimate green bean recipe, but I certainly may make it again as it was tasty. Russ rates the green beans a 8.

I have been in the mood to make a fruit cobbler recently, but can’t seem to justify making a big dessert for just Russ and me. So, since Jess was coming over I decided to go for it. There are so many recipes out there that I didn’t know which to pick and ended up deciding on trying Fine Cooking’s that is on the cover of their June / July 2007 issue. I like how their instructions give you options on some of the flavorings. The topping is a little different than I am used to as it almost looks like sweet biscuits that top it and don’t cover the entire top. For my cobbler, I decided to go with peaches and blueberries.

To form the dough you use a food processor and add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and pulse to blend. Then you add the butter and pulse until they are the size of small peas. You then hand blend the sour cream and any flavorings you want (I used cinnamon). You form the dough into a log and split it into 10 pieces and put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it.

For the fruit you put it in a bowl after slicing it appropriately (depending on the fruit you use) and add the sugar, flour, salt, and any flavorings. I used vanilla extract and lemon zest in mine.

You then dump all the fruit in a bowl and top it with the dough pieces. This bakes for 50 to 60 minutes at 350F. I put the fruit in first and then added the biscuit pieces a little later as I wanted them to brown, but not get too hard. Once it is cooked then you let it sit for about 20 minutes before serving. We served it with vanilla ice cream, of course!

The cobbler was yummy and to be fair to the raviolis I must confess that a significant part of why dinner was a late one was because I took on making a full meal and a dessert on a weeknight. Russ had warned it would be too much to do for one night and while he was probably right… I was set on making a cobbler and Russ was looking forward to eating it. The cobbler was fairly simple to make and I feel like if I make this recipe again then it would come together even faster the next time around. The biscuit topping was yummy and was sweet, but not too sweet. I really liked the sour cream in it. The fruit was wonderful, but how could you go wrong with fresh, ripe Chilton County peaches from the farmer’s market and blueberries we picked with Russ grandparents last summer in Mentone. The ice cream was the perfect accompaniment to the dish as it added a creamy, sweet flavor. I will certainly make another cobbler, but while we really liked this recipe I imagine I’ll keep trying new recipes until I find one we like even better. Russ rates the cobbler a 9.

Fruit Cobbler, Fine Cooking June / July 2007

Sour Cream Cobbler Dough
Yields enough topping for one cobbler.

7 ½ oz. (1 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar or packed light brown sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
¼ tsp. table salt
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) cold unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces
Up to two dough flavorings (optional)
¾ cup sour cream, chilled

In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pulse briefly to blend the ingredients, about 10 seconds. Add the butter pieces and pulse until they are the size of small peas, 5 to 7 one-second pulses.

Dump the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add any dough flavorings (see list below), if using, and stir until evenly dispersed. Add the sour cream. Using a rubber spatula, gently smear the ingredients together until the flour is evenly moistened and the dough begins to form large, soft, moist clumps. Bring the dough together into an 8 inch long log. Divide the log into 10 roughly equal round pieces. Refrigerate the pieces while preparing the fruit.

Dough flavorings (choose 1 or 2 – optional):
Finely grated lemon zest: ½ tsp.
Finely grated orange zest: ¾ tsp
Finely ground cornmeal: ¼ cup (1 ¼ oz)
Ground cinnamon: ¾ tsp
Toasted almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, or hazelnuts: ½ cup, chopped

Prepare the fruit filling:

Put the fruit in a large bowl. Toss with ½ to ¾ cup granulated sugar (use less for very ripe, sweet fruit and more for fruit that’s not perfectly ripe and sweet), 1 Tbs. all purpose flour (if you cobbler has any berries in it, use 2 Tbs.), and a pinch of table salt.

If you want to add optional filling flavorings, choose 1 or 2 from the list below and gently toss them with the fruit now, making sure to mix them in evenly.

Fruit (choose up to 3, for a total of 8 cups. All fruit should be ripe, well rinsed, and drained.): Apricots (cut into 1 inch thick wedges), Blackberries, Blueberries, Peaches or nectarines (cut into 1 inch thick wedges), Plums or pluots (cut into 1 inch thick wedges), Raspberries, Strawberries, hulled (if small leave whole; if medium cut in half; if large cut into quarters)

Filling Flavorings (choose 1 or 2 – optional):
Finely grated lemon zest: 1 ¼ tsp.
Finely grated orange zest: 1 tsp.
Ground cinnamon: ½ tsp.
Ground nutmeg: ¼ tsp.
Minced fresh ginger: 2 tsp
Pure almond extract: ¼ tsp.
Pure vanilla extract: 1 tsp.

Assemble the cobbler:
Pile the fruit into the baking dish, scraping any remaining juices or sugar from the bowl, and spread evenly. Remove the pieces of dough from the refrigerator and arrange them randomly on top of the filling, leaving spaces between the pieces. Don’t be tempted to flatten the dough – the large pieces are important for proper and even baking of the filling and topping. If desired, sprinkle a little sugar evenly over the cobbler.

Bake the cobbler:

Bake (at 350F) until the filling is bubbling and the topping is browned, 50 to 60 minutes. Let sit about 20 minutes to allow the juices to settle. You can serve this cobbler hot or warm (it will stay warm at room temperature for 1 to 1 ½ hours). Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if you like.

We take dinner on the road!

Tonight Russ and I are making dinner at home and taking it over to eat with his grandparents and Great Aunt Eunice. So when we were deciding what to make we kept in mind that we would want dishes that transfer well and will stay hot or work well at room temperature. We decided on marinated, grilled flank steak, orzo with roasted vegetables, fresh tomato slices, and corn on the cob.

Russ marinated the flank steak in Mr. P's Original Marinade. This is our new find from a local butcher shop. We tried the spice blend (in spicy original) the other night and liked it, so this time we decided to try the marinade. We timed it to have it come of the grill right before we left and then it would rest while we drove over and be ready to slice once we arrived and were ready to eat.

The marinade tastes similar to Dale's or Moore's only less salty and with a more complex flavor. Russ and I both agreed that we preferred Mr. P's to the others. The flank steak had great flavor and Russ grilled and sliced it perfectly. (Flank steak should be cut thinly against the grain.)

As I mentioned in an earlier post we have lots of yummy fruits and veggies from the Farmer’s Market to eat this week. I decided to use some of them in Ina Garten’s Orzo with Roasted Vegetables. I did make one major change in substituting the bell peppers with squash and zucchini since this is what I had from the market. I also used a small white and purple eggplant in mine. I peeled the eggplant and then diced it along with the squash, zucchini, and onion. These are tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted for about 40 minutes. While they are roasting I cooked the orzo (which being small cooks very quickly), made the dressing, and prepped the topping. Once the vegetables are done they are mixed with the orzo and dressing and at the last you add the toppings.

I doubled the orzo because I was worried that we wouldn't have enough for everyone and that was a mistake. While the flavor was wonderful and all the elements mixed together really well there was too much pasta (as you can see from the picture). The extra pasta mainly made it harder for the vegetables and other flavors to show through as I had wanted them to. Next time I will definitely not increase the pasta. The dressing gave the dish a wonderful lemony flavor that complemented the roasted vegetables, fresh basil, and feta perfectly. This was a delicious side dish that definitely should be served at room temperature making it great for transporting it or using it this Fall for tailgating.

We also served fresh corn on the cob and tomato slices. For dessert we had blueberries, strawberries, and peaches. It was a very summery meal that transported well and everyone enjoyed. Russ and I had a wonderful time eating with his grandparents and Great Aunt Eunice. We may have to take the food on the road to Somerby again soon! Russ rates the flank steak a 8 and the Orzo a 9.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables, Ina Garten

1 small eggplant, peeled and ¾ inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1 inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1 inch diced
1 red onion, peeled and 1 inch diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ pound orzo or rice shaped pasta

For the dressing:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To assemble:
4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
¼ cup pignolis (pine nuts), toasted
¾ pound good feta, ½ inch diced (not crumbled)
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into julienne

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large sheet pan. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

Another night of 10s!

July 1st and we are already cooking and blogging. After a slow June for cooking we started July off with a bang – two new recipes that were both hits! Russ and I went to the farmer’s market yesterday, so many of the yummy fruits and veggies we got there will be showing up in this week’s meals. Tonight we had some of the corn we got there – fixed a new way. To go with the corn we had steaks and a salad that have wanted to try for some time.

The corn and salad are both Ina Garten’s recipes. I was looking through her cookbooks to find the salad recipe and thought I would browse to see if she had a creamed corn recipe. Ends up that I found a yummy recipe for Sautéed Fresh Corn instead of creamed corn. The recipe is very simple and takes less time than boiling water for corn on the cob. You cut the kernels off the cobs as close to the cob as possible. Then you melt butter and add the corn, salt, and pepper to the pan. I used my cast iron skillet for this which I think worked really well and only enhanced the flavor. You simply sauté the corn for about 10 minutes until it is done. The corn tasted fantastic! It was so easy and very flavorful. I think I may prefer it to boiled corn on the cob. This may be my new go to method for cooking fresh corn. Russ loved it too and rated it a 10!

The salad we had tonight is one that I have wanted to try for a while as it incorporates several of my favorite foods and flavors. I love onions and love them raw, cooked, roasted, sautéed etc. For Ina’s Red Lettuce with Balsamic Onions you roast the onions in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper for about 15 minutes. While they are cooking you mix together the vinaigrette and toss it with the lettuce. The vinaigrette has red wine vinegar, minced shallots, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, olive oil and blue cheese. Once the onions have cooked and cooled you plate the lettuce and add the onions and additional blue cheese crumbles on top. I love onions, balsamic vinegar, blue cheese… so I thought this salad was a wonderful mix of great flavors! Ina’s vinaigrette didn’t wow me though, so I think I will make it a little differently next time to have it more to my taste. I’ll probably use Creole mustard instead of Dijon, more vinegar, less olive oil, and a pinch more salt and pepper. Russ also loved this salad and he is not as obsessed with onions as I am. The salad was a perfect complement to the steaks with the onions and blue cheese. We will certainly be making this salad again. Russ rates the salad a 10 too!

Tonight’s dinner was a wonderful surprise. While I was excited about trying the salad and Russ and I both love fresh, summer corn I don’t think either of us expected such great results. Russ grilled the steaks on the Egg using a new seasoning blend we picked up this weekend at a local butcher shop (Mr. P's Original Bold and Spicy Seasoning). It had great flavor with a nice kick to it and Russ, as always, grilled the steaks perfectly.

Red Lettuce with Balsamic Onions, Ina Garten

3 small red onions
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar
1 cup good olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons minced shallots (2 large)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup good red wine vinegar
3/4 to 1 lb Maytag blue cheese, or other crumbly blue
2 heads red-leaf, washed, spun dry and torn into pieces

Preheat oven to 375.

Cut onions in 1/2 and slice 1/4-inch thick, place on a baking sheet and toss with 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until onions are tender. Remove from oven and toss with 2 more tablespoons balsamic vinegar and cool to room temperature.

Whisk together shallots, mustard, red wine vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper in small bowl. While whisking, add 3/4 cup olive oil until emulsified. Mash 1/4 pound blue cheese with a fork and add it to the dressing.

To assemble, toss enough lettuce for 6 people with dressing, to taste. Place the lettuce on 6 plates and arrange onions on top. Coarsely crumble the rest of the blue cheese on top. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper and crumbled and serve.

Sautéed Fresh Corn, Ina Garten

8 to 10 ears of corn on the cob (yellow or white corn)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Remove the husks and the silk from the corn and cut the kernels off as close to the husk as possible without removing any of the husk. You should have about 7 cups of kernels.

Melt the butter in a large, heavy sauté pan. Add the corn, salt, and pepper and sauté uncovered on medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the starchiness in the corn is gone. Taste, for salt and pepper, and serve.

And the winner is....

And the winner of the first annual Rib Cook Off is.... Russ! That's right tonight was the rib cook off and Russ was the overall winner. Scott, Seth, and Russ all did a great job and used different styles and flavors that made it a very tough decision for the judges. More importantly the boys had a fun day of sitting outside barbecuing, drinking, and hanging out with the dogs. All the grills and dogs were brought over to our house, so that the boys and dogs could barbecue together. Meanwhile the wives in their respective kitchens were whipping up some delicious appetizers, sides, and desserts to complement the ribs.

While I cannot reveal Russ' secret rib recipes... I can tell you all about the other dishes that the girls made. I have had my eye on a pasta salad of Ina Garten's for a little while now and decided to try it out for tonight. It is called Pasta, Pesto, and Peas and it works great for picnic or rib cook since it can be made earlier in the day and is served at room temperature. To start the dish off you make a homemade pesto sauce that includes walnuts, pine nuts, lots of fresh basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Once the pesto is complete you add frozen spinach (thawed and drained) and mayonnaise. This was a fun way to really put my food processor to work. The end result is a thick, tasty sauce that is tossed with cooked, cooled pasta. Lastly you add peas, pine nuts, parmesan cheese and a little salt and pepper to it.

The pasta salad turned out to be really tasty. Russ who used to claim he didn't like pasta salads was excited that I had doubled the recipe as he knew there would be leftovers for him. When you make the sauce it is very thick, but when tossed with the pasta it covers it in a light layer that keeps it fresh and light tasting. I used a mix of bow tie and penne which worked well with the sauce. The peas add a nice additional flavor bust that keeps it interesting. I think you could make a meal out of it by adding grilled chicken or shrimp to it. However, I think it is truly perfect for picnic style events. I anticipate this showing up again this summer or for football season this Fall.

The pasta salad was only one of many wonderful sides last night. Jess made a really tasty and light Mixed Bean-Cherry Tomato Salad with Basil Vinaigrette from CL. She used both yellow and green beans which mixed with the cherry tomatoes made for a beautiful salad. Elizabeth made two sides for tonight. She repeated her Uncle Richard's Slaw that was such a hit last weekend. It really has become my favorite slaw now. She also made her hash brown (aka "Hassbrown") casserole that was hearty, cheesy, and yummy. I boiled some corn, Mom brought a huge tray of mixed fruits, and Elizabeth's Uncle Richard brought very tasty fresh shrimp on skewers that were marinated, grilled, and served with two homemade sauces, a remoulade and a cocktail sauce.

For dessert I made blondies. This is my first recipe to try out of the "How to Cook Everything" cookbook. This is a cookbook that was a bonus in marrying Russ. He had some great cookbooks books and utensils that I didn't have and wanted which I consider bonuses in marrying him. The blondies were fairly simple to put together and one of the great things about this cookbook is that it gives you the base recipe and then lots of options as to what you can add to it. I chose to add dark and semi-sweet chocolate chips and a dash or two of bourbon. While these seemed to be a well liked by most everyone at the cook off I felt like they came up short on flavor and texture. I think I should have added chopped walnuts to them, but even then I feel like there would still be something missing for me in these. Russ really liked them, so I may make them again or I'll try a different recipe for blondies.

Jess also made a dessert for tonight. She made homemade oreos. We both enjoy reading food blogs and one of our favorite blogs is Smitten Kitchen. The blogger is both an incredible writer, photographer, and cook. She recently made these oreos and Jess and I both drooled over our screens looking at them. Jess did an excellent job with these and they definitely tasted like a wonderful homemade oreo. The only thing that would have made them even better would have been to serve them with a glass of milk instead of a beer.

All in all the rib cook-off was a wonderful time with friends, family, and yummy food! I think that Jess, Scott, Elizabeth, Seth, Russ and I (and all our dogs) had a fun time planning and cooking for tonight. Russ rates the pasta a 7 and the blondies a 8.

(I have included a picture of Russ' grill, The Big Green Egg. I have mentioned it several times previously, so I wanted to finally show what it is in case anyone was curious.)

Blondies, "How to Cook Everything"

8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla or ½ teaspoon almond extract
Pinch salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

1. Butter an 8×8 pan
2. Mix melted butter with brown sugar - beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla.
3. Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in any additions (below).
4. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle. I Cool on rack before cutting them.

Further additions, use one or a combination of:

• 1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts, toasting them first for even better flavor
• 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon mint extract in addition to or in place of the vanilla
• 1/2 cup mashed bananas
• 1/4 cup bourbon, scotch or other whiskey; increase the flour by one tablespoon
• 2 tablespoons of espresso powder with the vanilla
• Stir 1/2 cup dried fruit, especially dried cherries, into the prepared batter


• Top with a vanilla butter cream or chocolate peanut butter cream frosting