ravenously

Cooked up a storm today:

Grape pie!

Pie crust out of Joy of Cooking. I bought about 1.5 lbs Concord grapes at the farmer’s market, peeled them (squeezed them out of their skins), cooked the pulp for about 5 minutes, sieved the pulp to strain out the seeds, pureed the skins in the Magic Bullet, mixed skin and pulp, a bit of lemon juice and about 10 large spoonfuls of sugar, a bit of cornstarch mixed with cold water, and poured it into the blind-baked bottom crust of the pie; baked for about an hour at 400 degrees with top crust applied. I had a lot of leftover filling and made an extra 1/2 recipe of pie crust to cook a second pie in the 8″ cast-iron skillet.

Roasted broccoli

this was intended to be according to the Cook’s Illustrated recipe but it came out as charcoal.

Chicken soup

1.5 lbs chicken drumsticks

about 5 ribs celery, chopped

several carrots, chopped (about the same amount as the celery)

1 onion

1 bay leaf

Put everything together and cover with lots of cold water. Heat on high and then turn the heat down to a simmer for an hour or so.

At appropriate times during the cooking time, add wild rice, 2 peeled and diced Yukon gold potatoes, and 1 package crimini mushrooms, sliced. Remove the drumsticks, discard the skin, pull the cooked meat off the bones and add back to the soup. Discard the bones and the bay leaf. Add salt to taste.

Mashed potatoes

Cut up 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cover with water, simmer till tender (about 25 minutes)–add a couple spoonfuls of creme fraiche, mash.

Sauce

My usual tomato sauce recipe with about 4-5 lbs. of tomatoes (Sungold cherry tomatoes, Roma, regular red, yellow); started with a few slices of applewood-smoked bacon pan-fried with fat used to brown the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic; deglazed with soy sauce and dry sherry; add tomatoes and a squeeze of anchovy paste, simmer. Seasoned with bay leaf and oregano.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut up and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper:

1 medium head cauliflower

1 red bell pepper

1 large sweet onion

1 small Russet potato, peeled

Spread out on a Silpat-lined roasting pan and let roast while you prepare the pasta. Put a couple of Tbsp pine nuts in a cast-iron pan in the oven at the same time and toast them until golden brown, then remove while the vegetables finish roasting.

Pasta:

Cook 1 package TJ’s egg fettucine according to package directions. Drain and toss with:

A drizzle of olive oil

Two generous spoonfuls of creme fraiche

Red pepper flakes

2 cloves fresh minced garlic

Black pepper

Salt

Soy sauce

Zest and juice of one lemon

Once the vegetables are done roasting, toss everything together.

Beet and wheatberry salad

ooh, maybe I should submit this to the Monroe St. Trader Joe’s recipe contest…

1 pkg pre-cooked TJ’s baby beets, chopped into chunks

1 pkg TJ’s Greenwheat Freekeh

About 2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted

About 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

About 1 tsp capers, chopped

Dressing:

lemon juice

EVOO

salt

pepper

tarragon

Dijon mustard

Mix everything together. Serve cold.

Cauliflower cheese

Cut up 1 head cauliflower and roast in a cast-iron pan in 400-degree oven with a little oil until browned.

In the meantime, make sauce:

Cut up 1 white onion

Saute until onions are translucent: onion, 1 Tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp flour

Add about 1 cup milk and mix to make a bechamel

Season with nutmeg, paprika, black pepper

Stir in about 3/4 package crumbled blue cheese and mix till melted

Mix in chopped fresh parsley

Pour over the cauliflower and mix a little; sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs and put it back in the oven for about 15 mins.

Scallops with orange-maple-soy sauce

Defrost about 4 scallops per person

Pat dry and dredge in cornstarch

Melt some butter with 2 cloves minced garlic in cast-iron skillet until foaming; put scallops in pan and cook, undisturbed, until a brown crust has formed. Turn over and cook till other side is brown. Remove scallops.

Pour some soy sauce, orange juice, and maple syrup into pan, and deglaze. Simmer until sauce is thickened. Pour over scallops.

Serve with couscous/quinoa/baby garbanzo grain mix from TJ’s

Long beans with tomato

Cut up a bunch of long beans till they’re about the length of normal green beans.

Mince a few cloves of garlic. Add beans and garlic to pan with a little grapeseed oil and cook, stirring. Peel and cut up a large tomato and add to the pan. Cook until the tomato has basically collapsed into a sauce.

Inspired by a visit to a meatloaf cupcake store in Chicago.

Meatloaf Cupcakes

1 lb.  ground beef (I used 90/10 grass-fed Black Earth beef)

About 4 or 5 slices of whole wheat bread (2 slices of leftover toast from a restaurant + 2-3 slices of leftover dried-up bread from the back of the fridge)

1.5 onions, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped (I used baby carrots, so I’m not sure on the exact quantity)

About 4 ribs celery, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

About 1/2 cup pine nuts

2 eggs

Salt

Pepper

Soy sauce

Dried sage

Dried thyme

Fresh parsley

1/4 cup ketchup

For the frosting:

Instant mashed potatoes

Butter

Salt

Optional:

Paprika

Green onions

Saute the vegetables and pine nuts in some grapeseed oil in a skillet until cooked through and beginning to brown.

In the meantime, process the bread to crumbs in a food processor.

Mix the cooked veggie/pine nut mixture, raw meat, eggs, and seasonings together in a large bowl.

Fill muffin cups with the mixture (the silicone muffin cup liners worked best, then the paper ones; the ones made directly in the greased tin tended to disintegrate).

Make the mashed potatoes for the frosting, keeping them on the somewhat thick side.

Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika and chopped green onions.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 mins or until thermometer inserted into the middle of the cupcakes reads 185 degrees.

If desired, broil a bit until the mashed potatoes get crusty.

Yummy.

I also made cornbread stuffing from the leftover cornbread muffins (cut into cubes, moisten, mix with tomatoes, onions, basil, sage, and cook in cast-iron skillet) but haven’t tried it yet.

more recipes from Rahul’s mom

Chicken Curry
2 chopped onions

1 small can of tomato paste (6 oz)

2 tsp ginger-garlic paste (or 1 tsp garlic and 1 tsp ginger minced)

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp whole peppercorns

1 stick cinnamon

4 cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp fennel seeds

2 tbsp butter or oil

small can of coconut milk (4 oz? 6 oz?)

salt

Powder all the spices in a blender. Fry onions in butter or oil until brown. Add ginger-garlic paste. Add tomato paste. Cook on low heat until tomato paste is very well fried (at least 5 minutes). Add powdered spices, fry some more (5 minutes). Add chicken and salt to taste. And cook on low heat until tender (may take about 30 minutes). After chicken is almost done, add coconut milk. Heat for 5 more minutes.

Potato Bhaji
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp urad dal (optional)
~10 curry leaves (optional)
2 chopped onions lengthwise
4 green chilis
4 red potatoes, boiled, peeled, and quartered
lemon juice
cilantro

heat oil and add mustard seeds. after spattering, add everything except potatoes. Cook until onions are translucent. Add potatoes. Add salt to taste until cooked (about 10 minutes). Add some lemon juice to taste. Add chopped cilantro.

Masala Dosa
1/2 cup urad dal
1 1/4 cup white long-grain rice
1/4 cup brown rice
1 tsp fenugreek seed
salt

Soak everything for 2 hours, blend into batter. Keep overnight. Salt to taste.

Chutney
1 cup dessicated coconut
4 green chilis fried in oil
3 whole red chilis fried in oil
some asaeofetida
salt to taste
mustard seeds
curry leaves

blend in blender. season with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

from Cook’s Illustrated Sept/Oct 2007… haven’t tried it yet, but I want to, so I’m saving the recipe here for future reference:

Chicken Tikka:

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp cayenne

1 tsp table salt

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat

1 cup plain whole milk yogurt

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tsp)

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

Masala sauce:

3 Tbsp veg oil

1 medium onion, diced fine (about 1.25 c)

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 serrano chile, minced (ribs/seeds removed)

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp garam masala

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp table salt

2/3 c. heavy cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. For the chicken: combine spices and salt in small bowl. Sprinkle chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mix adheres. Put on plate, cover w/plastic wrap, refrigerate 30-60 mins. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger, and set aside.

2. For sauce: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until light golden (8-10 mins). Add garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala. Cook ~3 mins till fragrant (stir frequently). Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to med-low, cover, and simmer for 15 mins, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to a simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to about 6 inches from heating element (upper middle rack). Preheat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture to cover with thick layer, and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken till thickest parts are 160 degrees and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10-18 mins, flipping halfway through.

4. Let chicken rest 5 mins, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce–do not simmer chicken in sauce. Stir in cilantro, adjust salt, and serve.

Also, ricotta gnocchi:

1 15 or 16-oz container whole-milk ricotta

2 large slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed and bread torn into quarters

1 large egg

2 Tbsp minced fresh basil

2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

6 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 oz. Parmesan, grated (about 1/2 cup)

Sauce:

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

1 small shallot, minced

2 tsp minced fresh sage

1 tsp juice from 1 lemon

1/8 tsp salt

For gnocchi: Drain in a strainer lined w/3 layers coffee filters or paper towels for 1 hr.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Process bread in food processor until finely ground, about 10 seconds. Spread on baking sheet and toast till dry and just golden, about 10 mins, stirring once. Let cool to room temp. Should be about 1/2 cup crumbs.

Transfer drained ricotta to food processor and pulse till curds break down to fine, grainy consistency, about 8 1-sec pulses.

Using rubber spatula, combine ricotta, egg, basil, parsley, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper in large bowl. Add flour, Parmesan, and bread crumbs. Stir till well combined, Refrigerate for 15 mins. Check texture of dough (should turn into a ball, not too sticky) and add more flour if needed.

Lightly dust work surface w/flour. With floured hands, roll lemon-sized piece of dough into 3/4″ rope, rolling from center outwards. Cut into 3/4″ long pieces and transfer to parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

For sauce: melt butter in 12-inch skillet over med-high heat, about 90 seconds, till butter is browned. Off heat, add shallot and sage, stirring till shallot is fragrant, about 1 min. Stir in lemon juice and salt.

To cook gnocchi: Bring 4 quarts water to boil, add 1 Tbsp salt, reduce heat till water is simmering, gently drop 1/2 of gnocchi into water and cook till all pieces float to surface. Continue to simmer another 2 mins or so, till gnocchi are cooked through. Remove using slotted spoon, repeat w/remaining gnocchi.

Or, tomato cream sauce:

1 Tbsp EVOO

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, pureed until smooth

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

2 Tbsp heavy cream

Cook garlic first, then tomatoes, salt and sugar, simmer 5-6 mins till thickened. Remove from heat and add basil and cream.

In a small skillet, fry a Tbsp of ginger-garlic paste in a little oil until fragrant. Add a spoonful of sesame seeds, cover, and toast. Turn off the heat.

In a larger skillet, saute vegetables:

• 1/2 onion, sliced into half-moons
• Mixed red, green, and yellow bell peppers cut into strips (I used Trader Joe’s Pepper Medley)
• 2 shredded carrots
• 1/2 shredded zucchini

Scramble 2 eggs, add soy sauce, black pepper, and sugar and pan-fry the eggs and cut them into strips. Mix with the veggies.

Make sauce: mix the sesame seed/garlic/ginger mixture with 3 Tbsp peanut butter, some turkey broth (I used 1 frozen broth cube from our cache in the freezer, melted in the microwave), a drizzle of sesame oil, soy sauce, water, sugar, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Mix the peanut sauce with the veggies and garnish with cilantro and green onions.