Cooking 101

My sons (and a willing girlfriend) made this lovely meal with just the tiniest bit of supervision from me. Get in the kitchen with the people you love and pass on your love of cooking good food to them. 

I recently had the rare opportunity to spend an afternoon alone in a hotel room. I also did the rare thing of turning on daytime TV and I stumbled upon a talk show. What I saw really interested me, but not in the good way. I was intrigued and had to finish watching.

The host had invited a chef to teach both him and his guest how to cook a meal. Apparently, he had never prepared a meal for himself and apparently his guest had never even been in a kitchen. She was a young woman about to be married and the premise of the segment was to teach her how to cook a meal for her new husband.

The meal was a simple one: grilled asparagus and chicken piccata. The teacher was excellent and the students were willing, but what fascinated me was their hesitation at every step. It was apparent that neither had ever trimmed a spear of asparagus, couldn’t identify olive oil, couldn’t sauté garlic and didn’t know how to dredge a piece of chicken. Of course, in the end everything in TV land turned out fine, the meal made it to the plate, the audience went wild and the newly initiated cooking students were rightly proud of themselves for their first-ever home-cooked meal.

What I took away from the show was how important it is to pass on basic cooking skills to our children, our friends, our spouses, etc. I want my children to be able to put good food on the table, to understand how flavors work together, to see how food can enrich a person’s life and also to understand the satisfaction of feeding not only themselves, but other people.

Maybe you are like the young woman I saw on TV. I’m not sure how you learn to cook except by lots and lots of practice. Start simple, like with the meal here. Don’t get discouraged. Keep it simple and wholesome. Read basic cookbooks. Think balance. Imagine how the plate will look when you are done. Learn and focus on classic techniques. Keep at it!

Recipes can be found here: Chicken Piccata and Asparagus with Balsamic Syrup

One Year Ago: Chicken Queso Burger
                        Pizza Burger 

 Maybe you noticed that I also posted this article on my Mlive blog.... I know that's blogging cardinal rule number one (never re-post!). I just had to post in two places because I feel so strongly about this topic! Can you forgive? :) 

Rhubarb Oatmeal Crumble

Would you, my dear readers, mind one more blog post or photo of rhubarb? I guess I might be a little single minded about my rhubarb this summer…. taking photos….fretting about the weeds…..searching the internet for new rhubarb recipes…..compulsively using every stalk of the stuff from my garden……

I did find the best, best Big Crumb Rhubarb Coffee Cake. Made it three times…. Just to be sure…. “Kinda fussy recipe, but really good.” (a quote from a friend who made it….)

I did discover something called rhubarb simple syrup which I drank with all my beverages, both soft and hard. “Tim, let’s try it with rum tonight.”

And I found this recipe….. and also made it a number of times….much to the delight of my boys…. “Mom, make that rhubarb thing again.”

Please visit Honestly Good Life to see the original post and my inspiration for this – I only tweaked it a bit by using less sugar. I promise you will enjoy your visit…. Be sure to check out Jessica’s great pictures here and here.

Here’s what you need for the ‘crumble’ layer:

1 C flour

¾ C rolled oats

¾ C brown sugar

½ C melted butter

1 t cinnamon

Here’s what you need for the ‘filling’ layer:

¾ C granulated sugar

2 T cornstarch

1 t vanilla

1 C water

4 C chopped rhubarb

Here’s what you do:

Prepare the crumble layer by mixing the flour, oats, brown sugar, melted butter and cinnamon in a bowl. Press half in a 9 X 9 baking pan. Reserve the remaining half of crumble for the topping.

Prepare the filling layer by bringing all the ingredients to a soft boil: sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, water and rhubarb. Allow to cook and thicken – but not too much – it’s OK that it’s very watery.

Pour rhubarb over crumble layer. Top with remaining crumble mixture.

Bake 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

(printable recipe)

One Year Ago: Pizza Dough ( I just made this again last week - perfection)
                        Granola - classic and mine is low fat

Tracy’s Red Pepper Sauce

Take some red peppers, sweet onions, tomatoes, garlic - mostly peppers.

Chop them up. Cook them in a big pot for a while. Add some salt, pepper, sugar. Keep cooking.

Add some tomato sauce and some tomato paste. Keep cooking and stirring.

Cool. Process in a machine until pretty smooth.

Press through sieve (optional step. Sometimes I leave the sauce chunky)

Serve on pasta, pizza, enchiladas, etc.

Be very proud of your efforts. 

One Year Ago:  Jamaican Kebabs (I made this again a few weeks ago - took them on a picnic)
                         Linguine with Chicken, Asparagus and Raspberry Vinaigrette (a family favorite) 

Lemon Fettuccini

It has been really hot here in Michigan. We are used to cool breezes and overcast skies, so when the temperature rises and the humidity rises and the heat index rises…. well, we don’t like it.

Of course, talk to us in February, when it’s below zero for a week…. well, we don’t like that either.

It has been too hot to cook or eat. I think last week for dinner I managed to serve my hubby a beer and some Wheat Thins. My boys have been scrounging through the fridge for whatever they can muster up….and then end up trying to be satisfied with cold cereal. Sorry guys.

I have not been in the mood to even think about food. UntiI I saw this beautiful recipe here. I’m over the slump and back to cooking for the people I love. Wheat Thins be gone! Cold cereal be gone! Let’s keep the air conditioning on and start cooking again!

Please visit The Slow Roasted Italian to see my inspiration for this meal. I added hot pepper flakes and baby spinach leaves and served it with sautéed zucchini from my garden. Lovely. Perfect. Dinner. 

Lemon Fettuccini

1 pound fettuccini

1/3 C olive oil

Fresh garlic (I used 6 cloves, minced)

2/3 C Parmesan cheese

½ fresh lemon juice (2 large lemons)

Zest from one lemon

Cracked pepper

Red pepper flakes

Fresh parsley

2 big handfuls fresh baby spinach leaves

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Be sure to reserve 1 C of the pasta water.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the minced garlic and slowly cook it over low heat, being careful not to brown it too much.  

Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, pepper flakes and cheese. Whisk until smooth. Add the reserved 1 Cup of pasta water and continue to whisk.

Drain pasta and place it in the sauce. Add the parsley and spinach leaves. Using tongs, mix all together until the pasta is coated with the lemon/oil sauce.

Serve immediately.   

(printable recipe)

One Year Ago: Greek Pasta and Spinach Salad  - very refreshing and a great way to use up the spinach you purchase for the Lemon Fettuccine!
One Year Ago: Spinach Lasagna - More SPINACH! This is one of my best recipes. 

Spice Rack Challenge : Basil

Chapter One:

Search around for a great way to use basil – of course it must be paired with other summer essentials: tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant.

Chapter Two:

Settle on Cornmeal-Crusted Roasted Ratatouille Tart…… directly from Food Network website and Ellie Krieger (one of my favorite TV personalities)

Chapter Three:

Go to the garden and see that there are only TWO basil plants this year…… spend some time wondering how that happened. Not enough for homemade pesto, sigh……. Will I have to purchase basil?? Horrors…..Is there still time to plant more? 

Chapter Three and a half:
Looking for a super way to use tons of basil? click here for my pesto recipe.

Chapter Four:

Make a trip to the health food store for corn meal.

Chapter Five:

Gather the simple ingredients and study the recipe. (Ellie Krieger’s recipes sometimes have way too many steps, but they are always worth the effort.)

 Chapter Six:

Make the crust.

Chapter Seven:

Bake with foil and beans.

Chapter Eight:

Bake longer without the foil and beans.

Chapter Nine:

Sautee shallots.

Chapter Ten:

Thinly slice all the tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant. 

Chapter Eleven:

Slowly roast the veggies.

Chapter Twelve:

Allow everything to cool.

Chapter Thirteen:

Layer all the goodness - veggies, cheeses, basil– beautiful really…. 

Chapter Fourteen:

Bake and serve with couscous salad.

Review:

We absolutely loved the layered veggies in this tart, but did not enjoy the crust. It was too dry and ‘corny’ for our taste.  This recipe only calls for 2 T butter and 2 T oil in the crust, whereas in other crusts there in an entire stick of butter and sometimes even more fat (cheese, or whatever.) So, if you’re looking to curb calories, this crust is fine. If you’re looking for a flaky bite, search for a different crust. If you want a delicious combination of roasted veggies, look no further.

  

Epilogue:

When the recipe says use 1/3 of an eggplant and a medium zucchini, you are left with these sad leftovers….. what to do? Roast them and put them on a pizza?

One Year Ago:
Oatmeal Bread - I make this all the time
Tomato Appetizer Pie - a summer classic

(printable recipe can be found here)

Baked Chicken with Wild Rice, Onion and Tarragon

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-healthy-recipes/RE00098

 I found this recipe while scouring the Mayo Clinic web site, yes, Mayo Clinic. You would be surprised at how many interesting recipes they have – all low fat, low sodium, low calorie and heart-healthy. Those attributes don’t necessarily mean low flavor though. You get around that by making sure you have plenty of great seasonings and great textures in the food. This classic chicken dish has the pleasant flavor of tarragon (which I love) and chewy wild rice (which I also love).

Click here to check out the Mayo Clinic site – I’m sure you will find more than a few recipes that you can incorporate into your menu.

Here’s what you need:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves (or fewer)

1 ½ C chopped celery

1 ½ C chopped sweet onions

1 t dried tarragon

2 C low sodium chicken stock

1 ½ C dry white wine

1 package long grain and wild rice mix and seasoning packet

Here’s what you do:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Cut chicken breasts into ½ - 1 inch chunks. Combine the chicken, celery, onions, tarragon and 1 C of the stock in a nonstick frying pan. Cook on medium heat until the chicken and veggies are tender – about 10 minutes. Set aside.

In a baking dish, combine the wine, remaining 1 C stock, rice and seasoning packet. Let this soak for about 30 minutes.

Add the chicken and veggies to the baking dish. Cover and bake for about 60 minute. Check it from time to time to make sure the rice does not dry out – mine was perfect!


One Year Ago: Mushroom and Garlic Pizza (this one is really, really great.....)
                         Cherry Pie My cherry picture comes from this post - check it out!
                         Couscous Chickpea Salad This is one of my favorite salads
                         Lime Cilantro Cole Slaw Very refreshing and unusual

Big Crumb Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Oh man. You must make this. I found this recipe while searching around the internet for ways to use up my rhubarb. The recipe comes from the New York Times June 6, 2007, but I tweaked the oven temp and baking time.

I actually have made this a few times this past month, but never quite to my satisfaction. So I went back to the original recipe, read carefully, noted that you must use DARK brown sugar and an 8X8 square pan. Those types of details can turn an average baker into a great baker..... when in doubt, read the directions, eh?

You remember my monster rhubarb patch, don’t you? From this:

Embarrassing, really.....

To this:

I can feel better now..... 

I’m pretty proud of myself for using up so much rhubarb, but I must say, this was my favorite! Try it.

Here’s what you need:

For the Rhubarb Filling:

½ lb rhubarb

¼ C sugar

2 t cornstarch

½ t ground ginger

For the all-important crumbs:

1/3 C DARK BROWN sugar (notice the caps – there’s a reason for that)

1/3 C granulated sugar

1 t cinnamon

½ t ground ginger

1/8 t salt

½ C melted butter

1 ¾ C flour

For the Cake:

1/3 C sour cream

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 t vanilla

1 C flour

½ C granulated sugar

½ t baking soda

½ t baking powder

¼ t salt

6 T softened butter, cut into 8 pieces

1.       Slice rhubarb in ½ inch pieces, toss with sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Set aside.

2.       To make the awesome crumbs, whisk together the sugars, spices, salt and butter until smooth. Stir in the flour. Set aside.

3.       To make the cake stir together the sour cream, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Using a mixer, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add butter and continue to mix. Add the sour cream mixture in two batches, mixing gently for about 30 seconds. Scoop out ½ of batter and set it aside.

4.       Scrape out the remaining batter into a greased  8 inch square pan (don’t use a bigger pan!)

5.       Spoon rhubarb mixture over bottom layer.

6.       Dollop set-aside batter mover rhubarb – it does not need to be even.

7.       Crumble the topping over the top of the batter. It should be in ½ -3/4 inch pieces. Use your fingers to get it all in place. They do not need to be uniform in size or shape.

8.       Bake at 350 (original recipe calls for 325) for about 45 minutes (or longer if the middle of the cake is still too moist.)

9.       Cool completely before serving. 

Check out the size of this rhubarb leaf! Fantastic! 

big leaf!

(printable recipe)

Beef and Bulgur Stuffed Zucchini

Made a great  lite Italian tomato dressing by grating a tomato and adding lemon, honey,
olive oil, dijon, spices.... 

Ellie Krieger is one of my favorite TV cooking personalities. Don’t let her ‘healthy’ angle scare you away from trying her stuff – it’s all fantastic. These little beauties were a cinch to make and they tasted awesome. The currents and pine nuts really added to the overall texture and flavor. Bonus for me: I got to use some bulgur (which I purchased for the Spice Rack Challenge) and also some coriander (which I purchased for the same!)

Here’s what you need:

3 medium zucchini (about ½ pound each) You can see I did not use enough zucchini, so my proportions were off, but oh, well.

1 T olive oil

1 small chopped onion

1 T chopped garlic

½ lb. lean ground beef (I use sirloin)

2 t ground cumin

1 t ground coriander

½ t red pepper flakes or to taste

1 14.5 ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, strained, juice reserved

1 C cooked bulgur (about 1/3 C dried – cooked according to package)

3 T dried currants (great, great, great ingredient)

3 T toasted pine nuts (great, great, great ingredient)

¼ C chopped parsley

½ C low-sodium tomato sauce

Here’s what you do:

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil. When they are tender, add beef and brown completely. Add the cooked bulgur, spices, drained tomatoes, currants and nuts. Mix well.

Slice zucchini lengthwise in half and scrap out the seedy middle with a spoon. Discard the pulp and be sure to leave about ¼ inch flesh intact.

Place zucchini ‘boats’ in a baking dish and stuff them with the beef and bulgur mixture. I had a little too much filling, so I just tucked it in the corner of the pan.

Pour reserved tomato juice and extra ½ C of tomato sauce over all.

Cover and bake at 350 until heated through. 

(printable recipe)

One Year Ago: Rouladen (one of my family's favorite dinners - perfect for company)

Pretzel Rolls

This is an excellent recipe to start with if you’re still afraid to use yeast – it couldn’t be easier.  And believe it or not, these actually taste like soft pretzels. Salty, chewy, tender and very satisfying.  No kneading, no stress-- just a peaceful time of waiting and watching.   Yeast is such a mysterious ingredient. There’s nothing like that earthy smell wafting up from the yeast and warm water…… How can that turn into bread???

I read about this recipe on Opera Singer in the Kitchen. (Noelle is a fellow Michigan blogger) on the Monday after Easter and decided to make these to serve with my leftover Easter ham….. so glad I did. The fried egg was Tim’s idea.

You can follow the vegan recipe on Noelle’s site or the one I used on Tasty Kitchen.

Here’s what you need:

1 ½ C  warm water (110 degrees F. I actually used my candy thermometer)

1 package Active Dry Yeast (not Quick Rise Yeast)

2 teaspoons sugar

4 ½ C unbleached all-purpose flour

2 t Kosher salt (this seems like too much, but it was very nice - Remember, Kosher salt tastes less salty than regular table salt, so adjust your amount down if you use table salt. Kosher salt also measures differently than table salt because of its larger crystals.)

4 T melted unsalted butter (I suppose you could use salted butter and cut down on the amount of salt you add)

¼ C baking soda

1 whole egg, beaten

Sea salt to sprinkle on top

Here’s what you do:

Place the warm water in the bowl of a standing mixer, add the yeast and wait about 5 minutes until the yeast is frothy and ‘alive.’

In the meantime: whisk together the sugar, flour and salt. Melt the butter. Beat the egg and set aside.

When the yeast is a bit ‘foamy’ add the dry ingredients in small amounts, mixing well. Add the melted butter and egg and mix well with the hook attachment until it looks like this:

Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch down and turn out onto a floured board. Cut into 16-18 pieces; shape into balls by pinching, coaxing and rolling. You have to sort of pull the sides down to the bottom and pinch it together to seal. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets.

Now the strange part: Boil 2 quarts of water. When bubbly, add the baking soda……. It’s like a science experiment. Lower heat to simmer.

Add the ‘dough balls’ carefully to the simmering water and poach them, seam side down for about 30 seconds. Turn them over and do the same for the second side. Remove them with a slotted spoon to the same prepared parchment lined baking sheets.

Glaze each roll with lightly beaten egg wash – make sure to coat completely. Top each roll with sea salt (or pretzel salt). Cut a cross shaped slash in each roll with a sharp knife. Bake in 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

These were totally fantastic – I recommend them to all of you – try your hand at making these today – it was not difficult and the end product was excellent!

These were incredible toasted the next morning with butter and honey. 


(printable recipe) 


ONE YEAR AGO:  Strawberry Rhubarb Pie  (My first-ever blog post!)