One fish, red fish, fresh fish, delish

15 Saturday Mar 2014

Tags

dinner, fiesta Friday, food, King salmon enchiladas

Back to this later after a word from last week.

LAST FRIDAY…
To prove that I am moving back toward a healthier menu, I give you salmon, and a title fit for Dr. Suess. Why you might ask? Because, I will be crashing a party this weekend and the hostess of the party is “Suessing-out”, so I thought, “when in Rome” (or Whoville).

This is not just any salmon, by the way. This is king salmon, “Springer” salmon actually; caught fresh from the Columbia River and available for the first time this season, last Friday, at Gemini. That’s right, Friday. Once again, as the weekend began, I shed my usual habit of steak night in lieu of Fish Friday.

Usually, this salmon would find it’s way to the grill via a wooden plank, which would impart smokiness and inherently steamed in moistness. Instead, as I stood at the cash register, seconds before the numbers on my card cyber-netted their way into (and out of) my bank account, I grabbed a box of cleverly packaged parchment bags from the stand, conveniently located less than an arms length away (heck, it only increased the order by less than 5 dollars). I was tired. It was an extraordinarily long week and, although it was sunny (yep), and warm (in the sun anyways), it was still Winter. In a few short hours, when the sun had retired, I knew that a simple dinner would make much more traction than one that I wouldn’t be able, or happy, to finish. So the parchment bags seemed like a good idea. Never used them before. Well, maybe once, I think? I had a crisper drawer full of aspiring extras and pulled them together quickly to accompany the salmon in it’s bag.

Kind of fun, and easy!

A happy, healthy start to a weekend.

ENTER “FIESTA FRIDAY”

However, I still prefer the grill, or pan (seared). Tonight for my party crash, over to the Novice Gardener’s “Fiesta Friday” I thought I would go back for seconds, of salmon, not parchment, and cook it up with a little Mexican flare. Maybe they’ll like my recipe and they won’t throw me out…just yet.

King Salmon Green Enchiladas with pickled poblano and fennel relish
Serves 2

MASTER INGREDIENT LIST

1/2 cup (approximately) green sauce (recipe to follow)
Rancho Gordo Ayocote Morado beans, cooked (follow black bean method here)
1 handful (each serving) lime-pickled poblano and fennel (recipe to follow)
3/4 lb king salmon fillet, skin removed and trimmed
Sea salt and pepper to season the salmon (or a combination of roasted sea salt, coriander seeds and black peppercorns, ground fine)
4 corn tortillas
Oil for softening tortillas
4 oz ball Buffalo mozzarella
Garnish ideas: cilantro, avocado slices, tomato slices

INGREDIENTS (for green sauce; you will have extra sauce to use for another dish or to add extra salmon, tortillas and guests.)

1 1/2 lb tomatillos, husked
1 jalapeño
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 sweet onion, peeled
1/2 tsp each, cumin, Mexican oregano, natural sugar
1 wad of fresh cilantro, long stem trimmed but short stem left intact. Rinsed (should wad up to the size of a ping pong ball; if you love cilantro, use more).
1-2 TB lime juice

COOK (green sauce)

Parboil the tomatillos, jalapeño, garlic and onion. Drain and put on a sheet pan. Set under the broiler (set to 400 degrees F) and broil until the skins are brown. Transfer all of the contents of the pan (juices included) to the bowl of a food processor. Add the cumin, oregano and sugar – purée. Add in the cilantro and lime juice – process to incorporate. Transfer to a small sauce pan and keep warm. For a prettier, more vibrant-colored sauce, leave out the cilantro, but the flavor is better with it’s inclusion.

INGREDIENTS (for lime-pickled poblano and fennel)

1/4 sweet onion, shaved very thin
1/4 fennel bulb, cored, shaved very thin
Juice of 1 lime (3 TB approx)
1/2 tsp each, cumin, Mexican oregano, natural sugar
1 pinch course sea salt, ground between your fingers; add to taste
2 radishes, julienned

PREPARE (lime-pickled poblano and fennel)

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, at least 20 minutes in advance of assembling enchiladas.

TO COOK and ASSEMBLE the ENCHILADAS

Soften the tortillas by cooking each side briefly in a hot, oiled pan. Hold between sheets of wax paper as you finish each tortilla.

Season the salmon and sear in a very hot pan coated with olive or canola oil. Let sit undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until a nice, brown crust has formed on the top. Turn and cook a few minutes more until medium rare inside.

Ahhhhhh, such beautiful red fish – so delish.

Meanwhile, lay two tortillas, side-by-side, on a small sheet pan. Top with a ladle of green sauce, then a layer of cooked beans (drained of liquid). Spread over a few of the pickled poblano strips and top with slices of mozzarella.

Top each with another tortilla. Ladle over sauce and top with a salmon fillet.

Put the pan under the broiler to heat through. If you have prepared the enchiladas, sans-salmon, farther in advance and they are cold, heat through first, then add the salmon and serve.

Transfer the enchiladas to separate plates and garnish with more cilantro, slices of avocado and slices of tomato if you like. This would also be nice topped with fresh pico de gallo.

In the spirit of a good party, be sure to share with your friends (new and old).

These two are always willing participants – have fish, will travel (to the bowl).

February Flashback

11 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in the kitchen

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

braised meat, cranberry beans, dinner, food, Oxtail

I know what you’re thinking. I need to ween myself from the meat. I have been on a colorfully red meat diet for the better part of the year and I can only chalk it up to my deficiency of iron…well, that’s my story anyways, and as they say, I’m sticking to it, okay? Some nights, when I am feeling particularly guilty, I have tried to go the other way, back into the land of fish but as of late, especially, I know if there is fish, there must also be meat (more meeet!!). Perhaps Buddy has rubbed off on me (you know what they say about humans becoming to look (or act) like their dog?). In my defense however, this dinner was something I made several weeks ago, and I have been more successful in taming that fiendish craving of meat, as my friends at Gemini Seafood Market can attest.

So, as I was saying, several weeks ago while I was cruising (yes, cruising) for meat in the back half of my local market, there sat a tray of beautiful oxtails calling out to me. I tried to ignore them so they must have jumped into my cart without even a word, because when I got home and unpacked my satchels, there they were, unexpected but welcome. I was torn as to what I would flavor them with – spicy, mild, sweet? I did a little rummaging about my kitchen and came up with a pile of ingredients that seemed to suit. The tomatillos were slated for an enchilada sauce that never emerged and the salsa was several days old and needing a warm home. As luck would have it, I had just recently made fresh chicken stock (because I was out of beef stock), and since I had left a few cups of perfectly brewed coffee in the pot that morning, I figured why not? I picked up the cranberry beans on my recent visit to DeLaurenti and if you haven’t tried Rancho Gordo beans, you are in for a treat. To add a dose of greens, toss in a handful of haricot vert for the last little bit (15 minutes).

Braised oxtails with cranberry beans

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs (two packages) oxtail, rinsed and pat dry

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt plus fresh pepper for seasoning
1 TB olive oil

1/4 cup madeira for deglazing
2 large carrots, peeled
2 onions cut in half, skin removed
3 tomatillos, husk removed, cut in half lengthwise
1 head garlic, loose skin removed, cut in half horizontally
1 cup mango salsa (I had mine left from the swordfish on Valentine’s day)
1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 knob veal demi-glace (optional)
1 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock (or beef stock)
1 cup brewed coffee
1 1/2 cups red wine

1 cup Rancho Gordo Cranberry beans (dry), rinsed

COOK

Rinse and pat dry the oxtail. Season with the salt and pepper.

Brown them in a large, low-sided dutch oven over medium heat. Be sure to brown all sides, knobly as they are. Remove to a plate (or, as I do, remove to the lid of said dutch oven).

De-glaze with madeira, scraping all of the bits off the bottom of the pan. Place the carrot, onion, tomatillo and garlic in the pan. Sprinkle the mango salsa over and tuck in the rosemary sprig.

Add back the oxtail and pour over the simmering broth/coffee and then the red wine. Bring this all to a simmer, then cover and place in a pre-heated 300 degree oven. Scatter the cranberry beans in, trying to be sure they are in liquid. These are so wonderful when cooked but I was really nervous that I would have ruined the sauce. It is true that they sucked a bit more of the liquid than I would have preferred but a sauce can still be had if only you are patient. I am of course, not patient, so I make due in a quick sort of cheating way (I add wine when I go to re-heat).

Let cook for 3 1/2 – 4 hours, covered, checking in every now and again. As you check in on the oxtail, give them a poke and a prod; nudge things around a bit. The liquid should remain high until the 3rd hour. Tilt the lid askew after 3 hours to allow the liquid to thicken a little (but keep an eye that it does not evaporate completely). Also be sure to tuck the beans into the liquid if they pop up.

After 3 1/2 – 4 hours, the meat should be meltingly tender and the top nicely browned. Remove the pot from the oven and tilt it to one side by placing the lid under one end. The oil should collect on one side, making it easy to spoon away and discard.

SERVE

On heated plates, place a piece of onion, a spoonful of the cranberry beans and a slice of carrot. Top with one or two pieces of oxtail and tuck the haricot vert underneath.

…and for dessert
Because it was February, closely following Valentine day (February 18th, actually).

My favorite way to enjoy, baked in ramekins with marmalade (so, not Madeline after all).

Double-chocolate Madeleines

Tempted by a yummy blog post by the Healthy Epicurean, I decided to try my hand at baking. Not sure why, since I rarely bake. These just looked so good with the added bonus of being healthy, as these baked kind-of-things go.

I, being unable to completely follow a recipe (kind of a rule breaker, I am), took a few liberties to try and make them even healthier (or rather, simply didn’t have all the ingredients) to Tom’s chagrin. It is quite eye-opening as to what a baked product actually consists of when you are the one mixing up the ingredients; with this one though, I felt pretty good about what was going into them. I know I sound a little hypocritical since I would not even hesitate to add half a stick of butter to a pan of potatoes or an extra knob when cooking fish. We all have our priorities you know? Needless to say, these are most likely not as good as hers (although I liked them quite a bit); they are packed with good cocoa flavor, and are extra-delightful when baked in a ramekin with a spoonful of marmalade tucked inside.

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 oz spelt flour whole grain
9 1/4 oz sprouted whole wheat flour
2 1/4oz cocoa (no added sugar)
2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder

90 g dark 70% chocolate, melted
3 eggs
5 1/2 oz can lite coconut milk
1/4 cup greek yogurt (you might need a little extra if the batter seems too dry)
3 TB honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pear diced
Fleur de sel for sprinkling on batter before cooking
Orange marmalade or raspberry jam (optional)

COOK

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease two Madeleine trays, 12 small ramekins or muffin tins (or a combination of all) with butter.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and cardamon into a large mixing bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Add the coconut milk, yogurt, honey, pear, olive oil and melted chocolate. Mix on medium speed until well combined. Fill the cooking vessels with the batter, tuck in a tsp full of marmalade or jam, sprinkle with sea salt and bake until a toothpick comes away clean. The time will vary depending on how large or small your cooking vessel. Check in after 10 minutes, but it could take up to 20.

My batch made 24 Madeleines, 12 mini muffins and 2 small ramekins

“Pen” Pals

08 Saturday Mar 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in Ginger + Buddy, the kitchen

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Braised beef ribs, Buddy & Ginger, food, sauerkraut, sweet and sour cabbage

White wine and sauerkraut braised beef short ribs

Driving in the other morning on our long, long, l o o o o o n g trek to take Buddy and Ginger for their scheduled “spa” day, Buddy sat in his little bed/car seat in the back seat, hoodie on, shaking. Ginger had her own bed/seat on the opposite side but was clearly un-phased.

Buddy

Ginger

The rain was pelting down and almost washed us away during their regularly scheduled outdoor potty break before departure. Afterwards, Buddy took refuge in his “dingy” (the name given to his bed in our master bath/dressing area), perhaps building up courage before taking the “raft” for a spin (code name for Ginger’s beds, one located in the living room and one in our bedroom). Very comfy small beds with bolster sides for resting chins on or just snuggling in like a tortellini. Looking back at him now, he seems like he is trying to stand up on a surfboard, legs splayed, a little unsure but excited and hopeful.

Buddy has always been a shaker in the car, letting out little whines and whispers until he is finally allowed to come sit on my lap in the front seat. I prefer to keep him safely strapped in on his bed, but sometimes I give in and wrap him up in my arms. Tom got a different seat belt strap for those instances but today it must have been in the other car. Fortunately, he stopped shaking and was quiet for the bulk of the journey. I was not sure if he had figured out where we were headed but even though it used to be a place of great resistance, I recently noticed the two of them are a little more agreeable to these sessions.

On their way to see Victoria

I have been taking Ginger to the same groomers since she was born and Buffy went to them for 10 of her sixteen years before that. This has been a longtime relationship that when I stop to consider the enormity of how long I have trusted them, and only them, it is impressive indeed. Especially considering we live nowhere near the shop, just in the same region. I haven’t even had my groomer half as long as that (although he is a keeper too).

The day Buddy joined Ginger for his first appointment, he had been through a lot and was still getting his bearings on how to adjust to our scheduled life. Needless to say, Ginger, who had been an only child, did not help him with this adjustment; instead she asserted her feminine wilds (sic) on more than one occasion. Perhaps that was the reason for his hesitation (skepticism) in hanging out too closely with her. So when I picked them up that evening, I was surprised to see that they had been sharing the same pen all day. Victoria collected them as nonchalantly as if they were the best of friends. Little had she known that just that morning, Ginger had growled…no, snarled, with teeth, at Buddy just for trying to eat his own food.

As a (non-imposed) rule, during the day, Ginger hangs out in one room while Buddy claims another. We like to think it is to protect each half of our little home. They tend to sleep on opposite sides of the bed, and if given a choice, they would never have to share the same couch; this is what they’d like us to think. The truth is, over the three years they have been together now, a bond has definitely formed.

Where they used to pick opposite directions when let outside, they now stride out happily, side by side, bumping and jockeying for the best spot on the same part of the yard. When one of them cries out, whether for happiness or sad, the other comes running to join in the craziness or console. Most recently though, I have awaken, on more than one occasion, plastered with the fur of two pups sleepily snuggled together. So as we drove in that morning, I couldn’t help but recall that today they would be “pen” pals which means they can unabashedly share each others warmth, comfort and friendship without practicing how to be aloof.

The next day they climbed into the front seat together while I was in the grocery store. Hairdo by Victoria at Looking Good, Ballard, Washington. She’s the best and they are looking good!

Sauerkraut and white wine braised beef short ribs

We usually go out to dinner in Ballard after the pups have their spa day since there are so many good places to eat and we live on quite the opposite end of town (or rather, another town entirely). This time, however, due to rain and schedules, we went home and ate leftover beef ribs instead. It was not a hardship, I assure you. These ribs are meltingly tender and take on a distinctive flavor from the cabbage; the combination is rather addictive, to me. I meant to add about 1/4 cream to the cooker during the second heating but was out. It wasn’t really necessary but I stirred in the sour cream as an afterthought at the end. The idea for this preparation came from Doris Cappadona, my brother’s Mother-in-law. About, what seems like a decade ago, she described throwing sauerkraut, Riesling, grapes and cream into a pot with beef and slow cooking it until tender. I always thought it had sounded delicious so with my leftover sweet and sour cabbage, I decided to give it a try. I used Chardonnay rather than Riesling and no grapes. This is probably a completely different dish than the one that she described but it is a keeper none the less.

INGREDIENTS (for the ribs)

2 lbs boneless beef short ribs (about 4 large)
Salt and pepper to season (I use my “seasoning” that I make with roasted salt, pepper and coriander)
A slight dusting of flour for the ribs
Olive (or canola) oil for browning
1/2 bottle white wine
1 cup thickly sliced crimini mushrooms
1 cup sliced leek (1 medium)
1/2 cup diced onions
2 cloves chopped garlic
3 medium yellow potatoes cut into quarters
2 large carrots cut in half lengthwise
1 cup sauerkraut (or homemade sweet and sour red cabbage as I used since I had some leftover from a previous meal – recipe to follow)
1 TB apple cider vinegar
2 TB sour cream

COOK (the ribs)

Rinse and pat dry the beef; season and dust with flour.

In a large sauté pan, brown on both sides in olive or canola oil. Remove from pan and set aside.

Deglaze the pan with a good hit of white wine, scraping up the burnt/brown bits. Pour this over the beef.

Wipe the pan clean and in a little more oil, sauté the mushrooms, leeks, onion and garlic for about 10 minutes until slightly softened. Add in the cider vinegar and cook to combine.

Transfer the contents of the pan to the bowl of a pressure cooker (I use an electric cooker). Add in the potatoes and sauerkraut (or cabbage) and top with the beef then the rest of the wine.

Close the pot and turn to high heat set on 10 minutes. When the lid is released, add the full carrots and turn set the time for 6 minutes more. When the lid releases, stir in the sour cream.

SERVE

In hot, shallow bowls, dish a little mushroom and potato (that will be coated in a lovely, melted cabbage and onion sauce) into each bowl, add a sliver or two of carrot and dust over some grated pecorino Romano. Garnish with an soft herb such as basil or sorrel.

All said, dinner to the table in an hour or less with possible leftovers for a wayward night out.

INGREDIENTS (for the cabbage)

Olive oil for sautéing
1 medium-sized red onion – peeled and sliced, slices cut in half
1 head (approx 2 lbs) sliced red cabbage, core removed
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup red wine
1 TB (approx) sugar
1 1/2 tsp (approx) salt
2 TB butter

COOK (the cabbage)

Heat a low-sided Dutch oven and add olive oil, just enough to coat the pan, 1 TB or so. When it is hot enough to move freely when tilting the pan, add the onion and cabbage. Stir a few minutes to soften the vegetables then add the vinegar and wine, then sprinkle with sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer, add dots of butter scattered on top then cover and transfer to a preheated 300 degree oven. Cook for approximately 1 hour. Check in now-and-again to stir. When the cabbage begins to be meltingly tender, remove the lid and cook until the liquid has all evaporated. It won’t hurt to cook longer than needed so err on the side of more is better to get a succulent result.

enjoy for multiple days

Heart to Heart

16 Sunday Feb 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in From the journals, the kitchen

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

food, mango salsa, orange cream sauce, Swordfish, Valentines day

Love letters from the pups – including Tom! I am a lucky girl. (Buddy is confused about what year it is)

This year, for Valentine’s day, I decided to cook a repeat of the dinner I served Tom (and Buffy) our first Valentine’s day together, over twenty years ago. Simple, heart healthy and delicious. No over the top maneuvers, no interference from novice diners out, just us, at home, with candles, wine and swordfish.

The first time I made this though was well before I met Tom. I had been living in Pioneer Square in a fabulous loft apartment. There was a rooftop terrace off my bedroom the size of my living room below. I had acquired three full grown potted trees from the woman who moved away next door and had just purchased my first propane grill. It was summer in Seattle and I wanted to have a barbecue.

I worked a few days a week at Umberto’s located just down the street. I popped over there to see if I could purchase some limes for the barbecue; I had forgotten to get them at the market. The chef and I got talking about how best to cook the swordfish I would be serving. He told me the best thing to do was marinate it in orange juice concentrate mixed with whole peppercorns, then wipe dry, rub with oil and grill to a nice medium-rare.

Then, without so much as a thought, he grabbed a stainless steel pan from the rack and began making me a sauce. First came the shallots, then fresh orange juice. All the while, we chatted about food and I watched as he worked swiftly and with great authority. Once the juice had cooked down, he poured in some cream and no more than 10 minutes later, I was sent away with a container of the most delicious sauce, a priceless memory and a great new addition to my repertoire.

GRILLED SWORDFISH WITH ORANGE CREAM SAUCE & MANGO SALSA

Although I was never given a written recipe, the sauce is adapted from a chef at Umberto’s twenty-some years ago (whose name, I sadly don’t recall). I have reduced the amount of cream from what I saw him use and Friday night I used Lemon Curd Greek yogurt from Ellenos, in the Pike Place Market (which, by the way, is unbelievably delicious and highly addictive) because I didn’t have cream.

I like to serve this with grilled haricot verts and roasted baby potatoes. I roast the potatoes in advance of cooking the fish and just heat on the grill as the swordfish is cooking. The haricot verts get treated to a toss in olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper; I grill them alongside the fish.

INGREDIENTS (for the sauce) – makes enough for four

1 tsp olive oil
1 TB chopped shallot
1 cup fresh orange juice
6-8 grinds fresh pepper
2 TB fresh lemon juice
1/8 cup heavy cream (or 3 dollops creamy Greek yogurt)

TO MAKE THE SAUCE

Sweat the shallots over low heat in olive oil until soft (2-3 minutes).

Pour in the orange and lemon juice, grind in the pepper.

Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let simmer. Reduce liquid to 1/3 or so (it should begin thickening).

Add the cream and continue cooking until the sauce becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Keep warm until you are ready to use.

INGREDIENTS (for mango salsa) – enough for four people

1/2 cup diced, fresh mango – skin removed
1-2 TB diced red onion – soaked in water
1 TB (or more, to taste) chopped jalapeño – seeds removed
2 TB fresh lemon juice
2 TB chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp sea salt
Fresh pepper
1/2 avocado, skin removed, diced (I didn’t have any this time but I usually like this in my salsa)

TO MAKE SALSA

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.

INGREDIENTS (for swordfish)

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper for seasoning
6 oz swordfish steaks per person (I always get sashimi grade when possible, one inch thick)
Approximately 1 cup fresh orange juice (enough to cover swordfish)
Olive oil for grilling

TO COOK SWORDFISH

Season the fish with sea salt and many grinds of fresh pepper.

Place the fish in a Ziplock bag or a shallow bowl large enough to hold the fish in one layer. Pour in enough orange juice to cover (or cover part way and turn several times during marinade).

Let sit at room temperature for 1/2 hour while heating the grill.

Remove from the marinade, shaking off excess and transfer to a clean plate. Pour some olive oil over fish and rub to coat each side.

When the grill is hot, put the swordfish on and let sit undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until grill marks have formed and the fish removes freely from the grill without sticking.

Turn over and cook a few minutes more, depending on thickness. You can determine doneness by pressing the meat with your finger. The more well done, the denser and less give you will get when you press. It tastes best at medium rare, when the fish is mostly cooked through but still slightly pink in the center, very similar to a beef steak.

Serve over a pool of sauce, top fish with a spoonful of salsa.

oh, I am a lucky girl!

The Beet Goes On…

01 Saturday Feb 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in the kitchen

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

beet green, Beet tower, cannelloni, food, food 52, recipes, red chard sauce

Hopefully the name of this post will tickle you purple rather than cause you to see me as the beet geek that I am.

I like beets. This was not always the case. In my world, as I knew it, once upon a time in Alaska, beets came out of a can and were shaped like the can (ironically, so did the cranberry sauce). This always seemed a little dubious to me, as did our oddly flavored (and shaped) breakfast meat (some of you might remember but hopefully were spared the pleasure of eating), a little product called Spam.

My mother loved beets (and Spam); she still loves beets but hopefully not Spam (although I recently found some in her pantry). So I often found myself struggling to invent new ways to bypass these foods at meal time; a skill I never did quite figure out.

My first introduction to real beets came during a restaurant job many years ago. They were frequently on the menu and I fell for them madly, especially the ones that were golden in color (a fairly uncommon produce at the time). I was so infatuated with this hard, knobby object and that it could be boiled to such tender sweetness. Sliced open they reveal an inner beauty that is far more intriguing (and tasty) than the canned cousin. The beautiful, yet subtle pattern on a beet slice resembles the growth rings that you see on the cut trunk of a tree. These rings are much less subtle on Chiogga beats, which are a stunning contrast of red and white making them almost cartoon-like. The possibilities fresh beets have for stunning presentations are endless (as are the flavor combinations).

These days I roast my beets; a technique I learned at the same restaurant as the one that introduced me to the possibilities of beets and taught me to cook them in water. I think they taste great either way but I prefer the depth of flavor that is achieved by roasting.

There are many variations I do with beet towers depending on my mood and on the season. I developed this particular variation for a recent contest I entered at Food 52 that showcased leafy greens. Fresh beet greens are often under utilized (meaning many people…gasp, toss them away). Okay, so I have often been a culprit to this myself but knowing how delicious they are, I urge you to rid yourself of that habit (as I have).

Beet Tower with Red Chard Sauce

These little gems are layered with earthy flavors and make use of both the beet and its’ green. The chèvre can be as subtle or as dominant as you like and is a long-time partner of the beet. The sauce is bright and freshly flavored, taking on a unique character from the L’Estronell vinegar. If you are unable to find this vinegar, substitute with another good quality red wine vinegar but adjust based on acidity,

You can use any variety of beet for this, I just happen to have had a bunch of red beets when I set out to develop this recipe.

These would be good to serve at a dinner party because they are easy to do ahead, take minimal time to plate and make an impressive first course.

INGREDIENTS (for tower)

*Note – each beet will likely yield 2-3 towers depending on how thin you go with the slice. If you are particularly fond of chèvre, as I am, you can thicken that layer to suit your taste. To make the beet flavor more pronounced than the chèvre, stick to a thin coating of the cheese. I like the tame, refined flavor of Laura Chenel goat chèvre but use your favorite.

*1 Bunch baby beets with greens attached (approximately 4 small beets)
1 TB olive oil (for roasting), plus additional for sautéing the greens
Sea salt and fresh pepper to season
1 small – medium shallot, chopped
2 TB L’Estronell Grenache vinegar plus a dash for the boiling water
1 – 2 TB tap water
2 TB lemon juice plus one wedge to squeeze over beets
3 oz chèvre (Laura Chenel or equal)
Lemon zest to garnish

PREP

Remove the greens from the beets, discard the stems and put the greens in a bowl of cold water to clean. Swish, wash, swish, rinse and drain well.

Scrub the beets clean and pat dry. Put the beets on a sheet of foil large enough to cover them in a packet. Drizzle over the TB olive oil then squeeze over a lemon wedge and drop it onto the pan with the beets; season with salt and pepper. Wrap the foil into a packet and set on a baking sheet.

Roast the beets in a pre-heated 425 degree oven until tender when pierced with a knife (approximately 30-45 minutes depending on their size).

Remove and let cool, packet opened. Using a paper towel, rub off the skin (if cooked tenderly, the root end should rub off easily, otherwise trim the top and bottom to create a straight surface.

Slice the beets 1/16 – 3/32″ on a mandolin.

Set these aside.

Clean the beet greens and gather them on the chopping block as if you are about to julienne basil (grasped in the palm of your hand with the tip bunched up but exposed) slice horizontally into strips cutting the strips into bite size pieces.

Place a sauté pan over high heat. Sprinkle a few small pinches sea salt and 5-10 grinds fresh pepper into the pan. When heated, add a drizzle of olive oil then the chopped shallot. Stir to blend and add the cut beet greens. Turn the heat to medium low and add the 2 TB Grenache vinegar (followed by up to 2 TB tap water if needed). Let this cook until wilted and soft yet not mushy; one more minute or two, then set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, stir with a fork, the (+/-) 3 oz. chèvre & 2 TB lemon juice until it is a consistency that is spreadable (add a little water if needed).

TO ASSEMBLE

Working on a sheet of wax paper or a plate, set one slice beet in front of you and spread 1/2 tsp (or so) chèvre over. Top with 1 tsp (or so) of cooked beet green mix. Repeat with beet slice, then goat cheese and then green. Top with one more beet slice.

TO SERVE

Place all your beet towers on a baking sheet and heat for 5 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven.

I like to plate these individually. There are several ways to craft the presentation. I think it looks nice to place one tower in the center of a white plate and drizzle the sauce around the edge decoratively (as pictured at top of post). If you would like to enjoy more nuances of the sauce, you could alternatively ladle a spoonful of the sauce on the plate (spreading to form a pool larger than the beets) and place the beet tower on top of the sauce (as pictured below).

Garnish with some freshly grated lemon zest.Presentation using more of the sauce.

INGREDIENTS (for the sauce)

It is best to make this sauce just before planning to heat your beet towers so that it is still warm. You can reheat it gently in the microwave but some of the color might turn a little less bright. Extra sauce could be used the next day to flavor ravioli filling or to enhance soup.

4 leaves red chard, inner stem removed
3 stems brocolini (reserve the head for eating at a later date)
2 whole cloves garlic, peeled

Pot of water, salted (approximately 2 tsp kosher salt) with a dash of Grenache vinegar.

1/8 a 1/4 cup beet green boiling water
2 tsp L’ Estronell Grenache vinegar
1 tsp good quality olive oil
Sea salt and pepper just to taste

Bring the pot of water to a boil. Add the brocolini stems and garlic clove. One minute later add the chard leaves. Keep at a moderate boil for 2 minutes. Next, using kitchen tongs, remove, first the chard, then the garlic and brocolini stems to a processor (I use a Magic Bullet for this because it is compact, transportable and processes small amounts well).

Add in part of the 1/4 cup beet greens boiling water, the vinegar and the oil.

Process until liquified. Remove the lid to let out the steam. Taste first then season with salt and pepper. Add more beet green boiling liquid if needed.

NEXT CHAPTER

Now this is where da da da dum… The beet goes on (I know – geeeek)! If you are not making these for a dinner party but instead, a light dinner or a salad course for two (such as me on that particular night), you might not use all of the beets + greens, chard or chard sauce for that matter. You might not even use all of the goat cheese mixture that you whipped up for this purpose. No worries, there are plenty of other ways to make use of your efforts without having leftovers or compost.

A word of warning, I am now going to ramble a bit (at least it might sound such to you but in my head it is very clear and commonsensical). Go with me on this and try to follow along. You can always contact me later to say what the fu…? or you can tune out now and go happily about making beet towers.

I had cooked all of the beet greens (as per my instructions) which left me with 1/4 cup or so of the beet greens mixture. I also had approximately 1/4 cup red chard sauce and an undetermined amount of goat cheese mixture (maybe 3TB) that was unused.

It just so happened (quite coincidently, I assure you) that I had picked up 6 sheets of fresh pasta at Delaurenti in the Pike Place Market on Friday, along with some fresh ricotta cheese and thin slices of Porchetta. It was now Monday and all of these goodies were calling to be used along with the leftover ingredients from my beet towers. So here is what I did:

I went to work and came home. I scratched my head and thought about what I wanted to eat (Tom was not helping with ideas, other than, “Whatever you feel like making, I’m game”). I remembered my pasta sheets and also remembered I had half of a cooked butternut squash. Tom doesn’t so much care for squash. Now I remember the Porchetta. Tom loves Porchetta. That night we ate light pasta pillows filled with chèvre & ricotta cheeses, Porchetta and beet greens tossed in red chard sauce. I say pillows of pasta because the shapes were not very definable, some shaped like ravioli and some rolled like…? (Tom says Plin, seems more Bob Marley).

To make, I simply took out my bowl of goat cheese mix, added 1/2 of the ricotta cheese to it and mixed in the leftover, cooked beet green mix.

Next I took 5 slices porchetta and cut them into dice. This got tossed into the cheese mix. I probably had around 1 cup of cheese mixture at that point.

I then laid out two sheets of pasta dough and plunked down dollops of filling in even spacing. Tom worked on one sheet (folding, cutting, sealing) and me the other. Above is the result. Next I began the sauce. I sautéed chopped onion (1/2 of a small) and cooked until soft and slightly caramelized (10 minutes). To this came a few splashes L’Estronell Grenache vinegar and then I added in the remainder from my glass of white wine.

I stirred it together and emptied the container of leftover red chard sauce from above.

Not pretty, I know, but tasty.

Next, I cooked the pasta pillows in salted, boiling water for 6 minutes. I pulled them from the water to drain and tossed them in with the sauce to coat.

To serve, I divided among heated bowls (two bowls, which left enough for Tom’s lunch the next day) and grated fresh pecorino over top. The pasta sheets are so light and eggy. I will definitely be getting them again when I am unable to make my own. I hadn’t expected to like dinner that night so it was a pleasant surprise to find myself swooning (yes, swooning – ask Tom).

Prettier in person but really tasty.

The next night, I did this:

I came home from work and already had an idea. Tom was on board.

I thawed a package of grass fed ground beef (3/4 lb). I then sautéed the other onion half (from the night before) along with 2 cloves garlic, all chopped. I added the ground beef which I had lightly seasoned with sea salt and pepper before bringing to room temp while the onions cooked. Once browned and cooked through, I added L’Estronell Grenache vinegar (a few splashes) then drank a glass of wine while it cooled.

I mixed the remaining half container (approx 1/2 cup) fresh ricotta cheese into the beef mixture. I shook in some allspice (1/2 tsp) and cayenne (much less).

While the beef was cooking, I cooked the remaining leaves of chard that I hadn’t used in the sauce (1/2 the head), stems removed. 2 minutes into cooking, I fished them out of the water with tongs and squeezed them of liquid, chopped the leaves and mixed them into the beef mixture. As an after-thought, I chopped 3 more slices of Porchetta and added that to the mix. A little more salt and pepper rounded it out well.

I laid out 2 more sheets of fresh pasta and put the filling at the short end, rolled it over and cut. I repeated this until the pasta and the mix was gone. For two sheets of pasta, I was able to get 6 cannelloni rolls (3 each).

In a baking pan, I put down a few spoons of tomato sauce (I always have some that I make in batches to freeze so I thawed 1 cups worth first). I put three of the cannelloni down over the sauce and covered them with the rest. Shredded Parmesan and mozzarella went on top and then got melted as they baked (for approximately 30 minutes) in an oven set to 375 degrees. It is important to let them rest for 5-10 minutes, covered, out of the oven before serving. Tom ate two and I ate one, alongside a salad. The other three went into the freezer for another night.
Again, prettier in person but really tasty.

Recovery Soup – carrot, ginger, leek

11 Saturday Jan 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in the kitchen

≈ 13 Comments

Tags
Carrot-ginger soup, food

After reading Ginger’s post (Ginger snaps) from my hospital bed, I became concerned that, in my absence, she actually did SNAP (with that Southern act and all). She is very level-headed most of the time. She is more Tomboy than little lady; she snarfs, snarls, growls and barks loudly for food. She does, however, tend to adapt to situations well and can be vey loving and cuddly. She is also very smart and understands all of our motions and emotions. I’m pretty sure she can understand most of our words too. She knows when we are traveling for business versus vacation as we pack, and even knows when she will be joining the trip (or not). She has seen me through hospital stays and recovery days (at the foot of my bed), assisted on airport runs (both coming and going) and has traveled by plane, car, bicycle and boat. However, she has never until this week, seen me leave in the middle of the night, gasping for breath, groaning, almost mindlessly walking from place to place in the house, throwing things into a bag, food into their bowl and whisking them out to pee before barely, crawling out the door. The image I had as I looked back at them stayed with me all through the night. Dog’s are very intuitive and can sense when something is wrong and although I did my best to comfort and assure them that all would be well, I suppose they too could sense that I wasn’t sure myself.

We have a good friend that lives across the street who is a physician, so when I first realized there was something more than the stomach flu going on, I sent him a text asking him to call when he awoke (he rises unnaturally early and I figured it could wait until then). When I received no reply and the symptoms became worse, I called, leaving a voicemail realizing how difficult it was to get words from my mouth; by now I was seeking more than comfort from his advice as I heard myself ask for a ride to the hospital. He is often out of town so I assumed that to be the case. I know that I should have called for an ambulance (as Tom was quick to point out when I called him in route) but to me, that just seemed so extreme, and I can be a little stubborn about those kind of things. I stepped out into the cold air and considered walking across the street to knock on his door but somehow, in my head, it seemed more difficult to walk the steps than drive and I felt the urgency to get some relief from my pain.

And so, I drove myself to the emergency room early Wednesday morning and, at the time, wasn’t sure that I would return (although that is not what I told Ginger and Buddy). The hospital closest to our house is only a few years old and I had been there just once before to ferry Tom in. Unsure of how to find my way, I called Tom (still in Boston) for directions. He groggily saw me through each step (his sense of direction is superior to mine, even when he’s half asleep).

Turns out I did get to have my ambulance ride after all. Thanks to insurance BS, I was transferred to my usual haunt and was admitted to the hospital that morning, unable to have anything by mouth (not even ice). Of course, back at home, in the throws of my pain, I could not imagine ever eating again. However, once the morphine kicked in and the day wore on, I once again began craving food. I started to write but was too tired and weary; I could not find my words. So, I began reading a blog site that I had visited a few times before – Coffeeinthewoodshed. From there I found myself at yellowhouse. I know it seems torturous to read about food when I am unable to eat but, to me, it was therapeutic and comforting. In reading their beautifully constructed posts, I was made aware that my appetite had never left me, which also reminded me of something Dr. McCormick had once, long-ago said (paraphrased), “It’s good you still have an appetite; nothing too bad can be wrong”.

I don’t do well without food. I also require water, constantly and ice cold (in a glass). Hand to mouth, hand to mouth, hand to mouth. Having spent the better part of 24 hours unable to eat even a crushed ice cube… well you can imagine how I felt – CRAVING STUFF, HUNGRY, CRAVING STUFF (and it goes on like this from here; you get the picture).

When I came home the next evening, Ginger had reverted back to her sweet, loving-self (and lost that “attitude”). Buddy seemed relieved and was unable to leave my side. I was still feeling weak, tender and sore but was able to “eat” a liquid diet. Rather than opting for something pre-made, home-cooked was in store. Ginger gladly assisted me in making a humble soup from carrots, ginger (not literally) and leeks. A simple concoction that took little effort to prepare. A simple concoction that helped recover my soul. A simple concoction that will now be part of my repertoire. This soup was my first meal outside of hospital walls.

Yes, I did get to order food the morning of my departure (to prove I could hold it down). My first bite was of a hard poached egg. Is there such a thing? Basically it is a hard boiled egg except minus the shell and in the shape off a fried egg. It was delicious none the less!

The enormity of eating anything at all; good or bad, is insignificant inside hospital walls because the experiential qualities are incapable of comparison to eating at home. The nature of this soup is very ordinary “carrot ginger soup” but, to me, on this night, it was extraordinary. There is said to be healing qualities in ginger (and Ginger) and in this soup, I have found them.

My first taste of food, back home in the retreat of my home was overwhelmingly full of comfort. Music lulling me softly away from the noise of the ward, vivid, bright scents of familiarity and warmth along with my two best friends sharing a meal (they each got the tiniest bowl) was beyond what the doctor could order. Piotr, my neighbor, who had watched Ginger and Buddy while I was away and had been with me through my ordeal (after reading my text), was sent away with some soup too, but I doubt it would have been as therapeutic for him (although, it might have been). I shall remember this soup with great fondness and make it again, when a little recovery is needed. I was then able to sleep through the night.

RECOVERY SOUP – carrot, ginger and leek

Ginger (both the food and my dog) is restorative, so I opted to allow it’s assertive flavor shine forward in this soup. Leeks balanced the sweetness of the carrot and although it was orange, the flavor of carrot was not dominant; it was more thick than brothy and the zest was just right.

INGREDIENTS

Olive oil for sautéing
3 cups sliced leeks
2 TB chopped, peeled ginger
3 cups largely diced carrots – peel and ends removed
1 tsp fresh, chopped thyme
4 cups chicken stock (homemade preferably)
2 TB lemon juice
Sea salt to taste

COOK

Heat a medium stock pot over medium heat, add just enough oil to coat the bottom (less than 1 TB for us) and tilt to coat the pan. Turn the heat to medium-low and add in the leeks and ginger, then the carrots and the thyme. Sauté for 5 minutes or so until the vegetables are beginning to soften but not brown. Add the chicken stock and let simmer until the carrots are quite tender and the aromas have lured you back to the kitchen (It doesn’t take much to lure Ginger to the kitchen, but in this case approximately 45 minutes went by).

Purée with a handheld blender or put into a food processor. The color should be bright orange and it will be thickish rather than thin; I dare you to NOT instantly put a spoon of it into your mouth right away, or to dip into it with your tongue (talking to you Ginger).

Back in the same pot, simmer the soup, allowing the flavors to mingle a bit more. Squeeze in the lemon and flavor with salt. That’s it! Unless you feel the need to do some more fussing, but tonight, we did not.

Ginger served mine (ya, right!) with a squirt of the lime crème made for the black bean soup. Upon Tom’s return, he enjoyed his with a grilled ham and gruyere sandwich (no airline snacks here)!

It’s good to have all of us back under one roof, safe and sound.

A (light, late night) Fiesta for One (with Scooby Snacks for Two)!

06 Monday Jan 2014

Posted by Stacey Bender in the kitchen

≈ 8 Comments

Tags
black bean soup, food, lime crème, Short rib fajitas

Beef short rib fajita

I woke up yesterday morning and realized that I actually did need to wake up; even though it was Saturday. C r a p... I was still sleepy, so comfy, snugly and warm, beneath flannel sheets and stacked in-between pups. While Ginger had my left side, spooned into a crook by my leg, Buddy had the right; he is more mobile during the night and had tucked himself in, straddling forearm and ribs with just enough room for his chin to rest delicately on my wrist. Usually on a Saturday morning, I am abruptly awakened somewhere between 5:00 and 6:00 AM with the weight of a paw or 2 (or 4) on my chest and Ginger’s eyes staring down at me, willing mine to open. As I lay unmoving, soft growls and fake sneezes ensue (from her, not me), increasing in decibel the longer I stay still. This happens only on Saturday and Sunday, mind you. On say, a Monday, my alarm clock is not supplemented, other than with nasal snoring that emits a soft groan as he breathes in (Buddy, not Tom).

So on this particular Saturday, I found myself happy to be comfortable and content while the clock blinked that it was seven past ten. I could have stayed on this way for hours, maybe more. I am not usually one to sleep late though, let me be clear. It’s just that it was soooooo comfy, so warm, and the short holiday work week had drug on for what seemed like a full week at least. Tom needed to catch a plane though, which meant getting him to the airport by noon. When you subtracted out the morning coffee, showers and handling Ginger and Buddy’s needs, we were already running behind. I peeled away the pups, shuffled to the kitchen and started the morning brew machine.

We are not often apart for this long (he’s gone all week) and especially not starting on the weekend. Saturday and Sunday are for brunching, and lunching, and stories and friends.
So after dropping him at the door and pulling away from the curb, I considered the food; what all shall I eat? There are two camps to be in on this thought. Camp number one says lay low; go out to eat, take a break from the kitchen and prepare things that can be eaten directly out of the fridge with little effort and picked on all night. Camp number two says go big; cook things Tom doesn’t usually like, lot’s of them, and then make some more.

I thought about this as I drove down the highway back toward our house, and also wondered what things most needed attention on my ever growing, “I’ll take care of that later” list. My closet is still brimming over with unfolded clothes, hangers tightly cramped together with double, even triple, layers of clothes and the floor covered with stray belts, boxes and scarves. My bathroom drawer has become piled back up with extra bottles, jars and tubs of products I felt “I needed to try”. Once again, things fall to the floor (nearly hitting Buddy who insists on laying in the same danger zone as I get ready each day) as I dig through the clutter to unearth my brush, or my deodorant, or the eyeliner which has fallen out of my makeup bag, and into the abyss. I also have correspondence that is long overdue, bills and taxes and filing of months worth of papers. The refrigerator is in a similar state to my bathroom drawer, even though I just cleaned it before Christmas, along with my pantry, which had been tidy and organized but now I can’t close the door without tucking and shoving. I sound like more of a wreck than I really am, but who wants to deal with THAT stuff?!

None of that sounded like much fun on such a beautiful, sunny winter day though, so I decided to drive to the car wash and then go to Whole Foods before deciding what to do with the afternoon, and what to do about food. Everyone else, apparently, had had the same thought; the line at the car wash was so long that it was backed up out to the street. I knew that meant a wait greater than the 30 minutes it takes if the line is only 6 deep. I turned around and drove over to the market, emerging 2 hours later with three bags of groceries that I am not sure how or when I will eat. So although camp number one (lay low) had been sounding pretty good, I found myself in camp number three (sometimes you have to make it up as you go).

Cooking for two seems like it should be similar to cooking for one. I mean really, it is like adding one more seat (additional guest) to the table; how hard is that? Yet, there are so many people I know, that because they are most often cooking for only themselves, tend not to cook much at all. Sometimes it might be cereal for dinner or a grilled cheese; leftovers from lunch or a frozen entree, perhaps. Pasta is easy, tossed generously with Parmesan, but take-out is easier and probably more often the norm. I secretly like the idea of how easy that would be, so sometimes when Tom goes out of town for a night or two, I am convinced that I will take it easy on myself and relax. Somehow though, it never turns out that way. I always cook big; it’s just what I do. By big I don’t always mean multiple courses and mounds of food. Sometimes cooking big means taking the extra steps that could have been skipped and adding the extra thing that might not have been missed but is appreciated none the less. It means cooking from scratch, cooking full meals, and cooking real food. So as usual, tonight, that’s what I’ll do.

I wasn’t very hungry when I got home from the market yesterday but by the time I had put everything away, it was almost 5:00 and I hadn’t had lunch. I began cleaning the fridge, thinking I would figure out what I wanted to eat, but nothing jumped out and gave me a calling. Despite all the groceries I had just put away, I knew I had two really nice Prime beef short ribs that I held off from adding to the beef stew from a few nights before (didn’t need three pounds of meat in the stew), so I decided to cook them but wasn’t sure which way sounded good. By 8:00, I was beginning to get hungry. When I had told Tom I should cook things he didn’t like while he was gone, he said he didn’t like black beans as much as I did. So, remembering this, I began to crave fajitas (I love Mexican food)! I decided to cook a pot of black beans to put on my beef fajitas and use the rest to make a big pot of soup. By the time I sat down to dinner, it was after 10:00 PM. My pals Ginger and Buddy had stayed with me all night and when I sat down to eat, they were vultures, one on each side. Since this was too spicy for pups, I had fixed them a plate of the beef and carrots, diced up quite small (no seasoning) and fed them alongside me. It was just right (I think they’ll agree)!

BLACK BEAN SOUP – GARNISHED WITH AVOCADO AND LIME CRÈME

INGREDIENTS (for beans)

2 cups black turtle beans – rinsed and drained
6 cups water
1 onion, skin and ends removed, cut in half
3 cloves garlic (or more if you like), peeled
1 TB cumin powder
1 TB dried, Mexican oregano
1 TB chipotle chili powder (Plus more if you like. You could also use another chili powder; just don’t use a mixed powder with salt. I like mine spicy so I do tend to use closer to 2 TB)
1 jalapeño, core and seeds removed
Juice of 2 limes
1 TB olive oil

Sea salt to taste – approximately 3/4 TB
Fresh ground pepper to taste
More lime juice as desired
1 small smoked ham shank (You could omit this if you prefer to stay vegetarian but consider adding smoked paprika for a layer of smokiness to the soup.)

INGREDIENTS (additional for soup)

1 Chinese eggplant, ends removed
1 poblano chili
2 medium sized tomatoes

1 cup water
1 cup orange juice (preferably fresh squeezed)
1 cup beer (Use only 1/2 cup beer and more water or orange juice instead if you prefer not to have it tasting distinctively of beer. I used Bridgeport Kingpin Double Red Ale (as it happened to be in the ‘fridge, but any good, deep ale will do), the whole cup and thought it was great but sometimes a more subtle flavor is desired in which case, drink the rest of it alongside. If you prefer no beer at all, use a chicken or vegetable broth instead).
Additional seasoning as desired

INGREDIENTS (for lime creme) – double or triple as needed

1/3 cup crème fraîche (or sour cream)
1 TB lime juice
1/8 tsp cardamom

PREP

Make the lime crème by blending all of the ingredients together. If you use sour cream, you will make it easier on yourself to blend in a processor. If using crème fraîche, you can probably just whisk it in a bowl. This can be stored in a clean jar or squeeze bottle in the fridge for a week (I only made a small amount because I am by myself and also I don’t have much sour cream and am out of crème fraîche). It will (and should be) tasting of lime which cuts through the spice of the soup nicely.

I like it lime intense and thin – adjust thickness to your own taste.

To cook the beans, I use a pressure cooker (a trick I learned from my sister-in-law, Irma; saves tons of time and always turns out well). I have the Cuisinart electric pressure cooker that my Mom got for me – love it!

Put all of the ingredients, starting from the black beans, through the 1TB olive oil, into the pressure cooker. Cook on high for 22 minutes. When the pressure valve is released, check that the beans feel done. They should be barely firm and give under your tongue. If too hard, simply turn on for another 3-5 minutes or just let simmer instead.

Meanwhile, as the beans are cooking, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the eggplant, tomatoes and poblano onto a 1/2 sheet pan. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle over some sea salt. Put this in the oven for about 15 minutes (just enough time to get me around the block walking with Buddy and Ginger).

Peel the skin from the tomatoes (it will slide right off), remove stem and seeds from the poblano and cut the eggplant into large chunks.

When the beans are done cooking, add the sea salt, fresh pepper, more lime juice (I usually squeeze in 1/2 a lime) and ham shank (if using). Let this simmer for at least 15 minutes to take in the salt. Adjust seasoning by tasting the liquid; it should not be too salty or bland. The ham shank will add more salt flavor so keep that in mind. I only added it to the beans now so that it would build up some smokiness for the soup.

The beans are ready (since I was making fajitas for dinner last night, I set aside approximately one cup using a slotted spoon for this use).

COOK

Pull out the ham shank and put it into a medium sized pot. Set aside an additional 2 cups of the beans (liquid and all).

This is what the beans look like when I set them aside for adding back to the soup.

Then pour the rest into the bowl of a food processor. Add the eggplant, tomatoes and poblano. Process thoroughly.

Transfer the purée to the pot with the ham shank. Add the water, orange juice and beer. Let simmer, uncovered, to thicken, stirring often. After an hour, check for seasoning. Add additional cumin (I added 1 TB more), salt, pepper or lime juice to taste.

Now at this point, when the flavors seem good and it is still not too thick, I set aside 2 cups to eat, non-chunky style, before adding the reserved beans and chopping in meat (two soups in one – I also did this to enjoy a small cup with dinner without waiting to finish the whole process). This is totally optional though. You could even (as I did), continue the rest of the way the next day – (just do the next step, set aside and let come to room temp before covering and storing in the fridge for the night).

The soup at this stage makes a nice first – light, bright and easy; I had it like this last night.

Then finished with this.

(Hint, this is the next step) – Add the 2 cups of beans that were set aside for the soup. Because you had some of the cooking liquid in it, there will be additional heat but the flavor of the beer will start to retreat.

Bring to a simmer, stirring every now and again for as long or as little as you like. I have left mine on low simmer for a few hours now and everything is flavoring nicely (mmm… it smells good – or is that our dinner I smell which is now cooking too?). Remove the ham shank, discarding the bone.

Shred the meat; chop and add back to the soup (I have been known to serve this in shallow bowls, topped with shaved cabbage and sliced pork tenderloin then garnished with the crème and diced mango… some other time, no beans tonight!

Buddy tucked himself into sheep… wait, what does he smell?

Ginger says, “Come on Mom, time to eat!” (Raw meat, not bean soup.)

Traditionally, non-traditional

30 Saturday Nov 2013

Posted by Stacey Bender in beach mode, From the journals

≈ 3 Comments

Tags
beach grilling, food, Maui, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving stuffing on beach

Most people would describe me as someone who is more likely to break the rules than follow them; life sure seems to be more interesting that way. Surprisingly though, I do tend to be conventional, except when I am not. Thanksgiving is one of those exceptions.

Growing up, Thanksgiving was an extravagant holiday in our house, as I’m sure it was in the homes of most around me. They are memories that I will always cherish. My Mom got up at the crack of dawn to make m sure we had a fully glutenous meal. In the evening, she wore her hair in an up-do that made her look like a movie star. We dressed up in long skirts of velvet and lace, with the men in proper suits of leisure. As I grew older though and went off on my own, I never really took to cooking Thanksgiving dinner, although I still held the holiday to be special. My first turkey was a disaster, despite desperate calls for intervention from “the Moms.” Tom happily snacked away on the shrimp dip served with Nabisco Wheat Thins while I flailed around in the tiny kitchen. The recipe was passed down from my Mom and immortalized in the pages of my first, and only, cookbook effort, Junior Achievers Cook.

As the years passed and I became more obsessed with food and cooking, Thanksgiving came to feel more like a chore than a celebration. I know it seems that I would embrace this kind of cooking, but I became less and less impressed with the effort-to-result-ratio (not to mention the ratio of food to plate). My sister-in-law Christine and I use to joke that we were just going to fly in Lucky Wishbone fried chicken the following year and skip all the fuss. We never did though, and each year it would take place all over again.

Tom and I decided to take tradition into our own hands and move the holiday south, and off the Mainland. We have abandoned turkey (except in a sandwich on the beach the day after) and replaced it with fresh-caught fish instead. This year it was opah, which was so fresh it felt as if we had pulled it from the sea ourselves (luckily not, visions of Tom flailing about in sea is not a good thought). But, cooked under the stars with the waves crashing to shore just 20 feet away, smells of salt and sand mixed happily with the smokey perfume of the fire. If you have never cooked over coals on the beach, this is something not to be missed.

(All that dark behind the flash is ocean, honest)

I made a simple stuffing earlier in the day along with fresh green beans, cooked just-barely, then tossed with olive oil, lemon and almonds. I admit, I bought the fresh cranberry sauce this year as I usually make my own while the stuffing cooks (in between sips of Prosecco and bites of breakfast). The whole dinner, plates, utensils, food and all, fit perfectly into a small plastic file tub that also acts as a great side table in the sand.

The sun had been so orange and solid tonight that as it set, it felt as if a whole universe had disappeared before our eyes, right into the sea. The sky lit up colors of purple and red, casting light well into the evening.

Up and down the shore, families were walking back from dinner at the neighboring hotels. We settled into our usual spot, surrounded by all the comforts we could ask for, poured a cocktail and enjoyed an array of vegetables so fresh that nothing else was needed to kick-off our dinner; no nut-crusted cheese-balls, cheese cubes, crackers, shrimp dip, or parades and football on TV.

As the colored sky faded, we began to notice rhythmic lights as more families streamed by (or was it just clumsy walking in the sand?).

Cocktails turned to wine and the charcoal went from cold to hot.

Sparks spat up like fireworks as if to acknowledge both Thanksgiving and Tom’s birthday all at once. I filled our plates, just enough, sat back and enjoyed a most exceptional meal. It is not the turkey that makes Thanksgiving, it’s the moments and relationships that we are thankful for.

Beach stuffing (for two, as long as critters don’t show up, but that’s another story from another time)

INGREDIENTS

3 French brioche rolls, torn into bite size pieces

1/4 lb bulk hot Italian sausage

1 very small leek, stems removed, cleaned and sliced
3 crimini mushrooms, stems removed, diced
1 celery stick, diced
3 baby carrots, diced (1/8 cup)

1 egg (fresh from the island), whisked

Fresh thyme (3-4 twigs worth, twig removed)
Sea salt (duh) and fresh pepper to taste
Tomato juice or chicken stock to moisten

1 cup sliced kale

PREP

In a low oven, dry the brioche – but don’t burn

Brown the sausage in a sauté pan, no oil needed, set aside.

Sauté, in the same pan with olive oil over medium low heat, the leeks, mushrooms, celery and carrots (approximately 5 minutes). Remove from heat and add the sausage back; then the whisked egg, salt/pepper and liquid (just enough to moisten).

Transfer the whole deal to a buttered casserole dish (notice how I found a sweet one in Gramps’ Hawaiian cabinets dating back to my youth (so classic Mom)! Add the kale and gently mix.

Cook in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. This will cook through all the contaminates (health dept. warning) allowing the finishing touch to occur on the beach grill.

COOK

Once at the beach, with fire heating up, but not yet Rocket hot, put the dish on the grill covered with foil. It will be hot enough, left covered sitting in a shallow bit of sand for the duration needed to sear the fish, whilst heating the beans (in foil pack),

Finish the night with a shot of espresso (in those l’il metal old school Italian stovetop makers), boiled on the hot coals and a bite of dark chocolate; no pie required.

(Published from the beach. Ahhhhh, technology.)

Will the real fried chicken please step forward?

13 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by Stacey Bender in Eating Out

≈ 16 Comments

Tags
Champagne, food, Fried chicken, Lucky Wishbone, Waffles

Whew….. I do love fried chicken!!!! Probably a lesser known fact about me, or so I thought. Imagine my surprise when I walked into the office on my birthday (back in August) and found a large poster plastered over the window by my desk sporting a famous swimmer with my face photoshopped onto their face – I know, but wait, it gets better; this poster had a series of this crazy image spanning a length of 6 feet. Not crazy enough? Okay, so pasted on top of the poster, in between each series of my face, as if in the foreground, kind of dancing on the water, was an enormous image of a fried chicken leg. Now I’m a thigh girl myself but, this leg looked pretty tasty too.

Hysterical as it was, I found myself a little mystified that my co-workers found this to be a prevalent part of who I am. Ironically though, that night Tom and I had planned dinner out at Bastille in Ballard, solely based on a craving we both had for their chicken. Now, I didn’t really consider it to be fried nor does it present itself that way on the menu. One bite in however, revealed to me that I was indeed eating fried chicken. No, it did not sport a chunky coat of fried deliciousness; it was more of a crackly but sophisticated number. It had been basted in honey and roasted to perfection! The skin crisply protected the inner meat to reveal itself in succulence bite after bite, the moistness coupled with juicy, the crackly and crunchy. The flavor! Just like good fried chicken should taste – even if they do say it is roasted!

Back home that same evening, I opened up my gifts; Tom tends to spoil me a bit. In addition to a necklace designed by a surfer meant to stay on while swimming, Irony strikes again when I opened up Lisa Dupar’s book titled “fried chicken & champagne“! I couldn’t help but smile and laugh out loud. What was the universe telling me? Perhaps on the day of my birth, the universe was trying to remind me of my roots. I grew up with the real thing, fried chicken so good that I still anticipate my visits home to Alaska knowing that I will be greeted at the airport by my Mom, her boyfriend John or my brother Mark, carrying with them a satchel of Grandpa’s fried chicken. That unmistakable smell lures me into the car biting into piece after piece until I have shamefully devoured the whole thing. John always remembers to bring me gizzards which are truly one of my guiltiest pleasures. They are boiled for hours and fried to perfection; I dip them into homemade Roquefort dressing, pop them into my mouth one after the other. When I return home on the plane and when family comes to visit me in Seattle, there is usually a pack of freshly fried chicken in the overhead compartment of the plane, leaving the other passengers either really annoyed, really jealous or both.

Grandpa owns The Lucky Wishbone, a restaurant, an Alaskan institution. They opened their doors 58 years ago come November serving air fresh, hand dipped, pan-fried chicken, old fashion burgers and hand-stirred milkshakes. Grandpa is 91 and can still be found bussing tables and commanding orders; but mostly you will find him perched at the counter chatting it up with his long-time customers/friends talking about fishing, flying, women and golf. There is a sign posted over the counter that reads, “Golf and aviation seminars held daily”.

(Grandpa on far left)

Growing up, we sometimes went to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for dinner on Sunday when the restaurant was closed. Grandma would make fried chicken that confused me; it was not crunchy at all like it was at the restaurant but it was something I looked forward to none the less. I have had many versions of fried chicken through out the years, some particularly good ones at family meal while working at Etta’s years ago, and some not so good, during weak moments fished out of the market deli case. I have had “fancy fried chicken” ordered off poetic menus at hip eating spots (even sans-bone presented on a stick) and not so fancy from roadside bars or drive up windows. Fried chicken is not something I cook traditionally at home; way too much work and splattered mess to do it right. I do however love frying boneless, skinless, chicken breasts.

I cut them into long strips and slather them in buttermilk with lemon juice and let them sit that way for at least two hours or overnight. I then mix a few handfuls of flour with fresh ground pepper, salt, cayenne and smoke paprika until the seasoning tastes just right. I remove the chicken from it’s bath and dredge it thoroughly through the mixture of seasoned flour. In my cast iron skillet, I heat some oil, (peanut, canola or olive depending on what I have), until it is very hot. As the chicken hits the oil, it sizzles and spits and a delicious odor rises from the pan. After a few minutes it is ready to be turned and then a few minutes more, once the crispness has encased it, I remove it to a towel to drain while I plate whatever it is that I have decided to serve alongside or beneath. Sometimes a simple salad dressed with fish sauce mixed with lime juice, chilies and sugar.

When I think about real fried chicken, I always think Lucky Wishbone! This morning however, it was fried chicken and champagne. Ever since my birthday, I have been craving it with waffles as shown in Lisa Dupar’s book. So we finally went to her restaurant, Pomegranate Bistro, for brunch to get fried chicken and waffles with a glass of champagne. The restaurant felt very homey and inviting, like a dressed up modern day version of what the Wishbone could be. Our waiter was friendly and familiar like a young version of my brother, Mark. We each ordered a mimosa with the juice held to the side. When the drinks were brought to our table, my “young brother” commented that he had never seen them deconstructed before. How else was I going to have fried chicken and champagne?

Brunch was served and the waffle was light and fluffy, pairing well with the thick coat of the chicken. Dipped in maple syrup, it reminded me that I like to dip my fried chicken in honey like my Grandma taught me to do. She always had a cup of coffee with a dollop of vanilla ice cream to make it sweet. If she were dining with me now, I bet she would also enjoy her chicken with champagne.

In loving memory of Grandma (aka Peggy)
December 26, 1923 – April 17, 2011

Resurrecting the Past

05 Saturday Oct 2013

Posted by Stacey Bender in From the journals, the kitchen

≈ 3 Comments

Tags
beef, food, leeks, Potatoes, Stew, veal

I remember when I was a young child, thinking that my parents were so old and wise. Now I am older than they were when I was that child and I realize that I am still young, wiser than I used to be but with so much more to learn and much left to explore.

I remember then, riding my bike to the Quik Stop and spending all my loot on comic books, candy necklaces and other sugary things. I loved to read about Betty, Veronica, Archie, Jughead and Richie Rich, and on Saturday mornings I always watched Scooby Doo.

Life is so fast that sometimes I wake up wondering when I went from being that little kid to who I am now? When I pick up one of my journals to read about what I had been doing at the same time last season, I am often surprised to find myself reading about seasons from years previous that feel as familiar as if they were occurring today. Sometimes however, I am reminded of things I had long past forgotten. I like to read about what I was doing, thinking and cooking then because I am often so busy now that I forget to slow down, savor the moments and always find time to cook. Cooking brings me back to center. I sometimes forget that, especially after a particularly long, hectic day but when I remember, the day never seems quite so long.

Last Friday night I was the last one to leave the office and the week had already been particularly long. For us, Friday night is usually steak night but we did not have steak. So instead, I decided to make beef stew. Now, I thought to myself, how is this easier than driving to the store to get steak? I ignored this thought and decided to pull out the pressure cooker to speed up the process. I am so glad I did because in a short while the house filled with an aroma so delicately proclaiming it to be fall and so assuredly reminding me to cook!

I opened one of my journals this morning (volume #2) and flipped the pages to find fall of 2002. One of the inserts was a recipe for veal, leek and potato stew. I remember it well. Simple and satisfying, I made this on a weeknight not ever having made stew before or even knowing how it should be done. It became one of my husband’s favorites but in looking at it now, I realize my process was far too complicated to follow even though it hadn’t seemed at all complicated that first time that I made it. The stew I made last Friday combines simplicity with flavor and although I used a pressure cooker to shorten the time, I would recommend letting it “stew” instead, especially if you find yourself hanging at home on a blustery afternoon. Veal most certainly is less assertive in flavor and softer on the palette which I find to be more complimentary to the herbs and if using the veal, use white wine versus red (for beef). The pressure cooker retains the moisture so if you like it to be thick, reduce the amount of liquid by about half of a cup. It will thicken overnight however so either way you can’t go wrong.

VEAL OR BEEF, POTATO & LEEK STEW

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 lb good quality beef top sirloin or veal leg, cut into 1/2″ dice
Flour for dredging
Sea salt/ fresh pepper for seasoning
Olive oil for browning
Vermouth or Madeira for deglazing (vermouth for veal, Madeira for beef)

Olive oil for sautéing
2 celery stalks, diced
A handful of mushrooms (crimini, shiitake or portobello), chopped- optional
1 large leek, cleaned and sliced
1/2 cup chopped carrots

2-3 cloves chopped garlic
2-3 Fresh tomatoes, cored and diced

1 cup wine ( white for veal, red for beef- only a suggestion, not a rule)
2 cups beef broth or water (if using water, add a big spoonful of Demi-glacé (you can add more liquid if it becomes to thick).
2- 3 TB chopped fresh tarragon (if using veal it is nice to mix in some dill- don’t worry too much about measuringo this; more or less won’t hurt).

4 medium sized potatoes (I use gold potatoes most of the time for this) cleaned, skin on, cut into bite size chunks

1 cup carrots cut into bite size pieces. (Buddy and ginger like this part and usually test them to make sure they are fresh)

Whole small garden carrots or large sweet carrots cut in long pieces for garnish – optional (add these to the pot with the bite size carrots and remove with tongs when they are done- set aside for garnish- again, this is optional

1-2 TB Lemon juice if using veal, Grenache vinegar or red wine vinegar if using beef- again, suggestion, not rule

PREP

SEASON meat with salt & pepper (approx 1 tsp salt and enough pepper to be noticeable on the meat). Then DREDGE meat in flour shaking off excess. If time permits, let the meat rest on the counter for an hour before or after this process so that it comes to room temperature.

GATHER the vegetables you have already prepped from the list above
To have at the ready when you begin to cook.

COOK

HEAT a sauté pan and put in 1 to 2 TB olive oil (I don’t usually measure this but instead pour it in until I see that it will nicely coat the pan. When it is hot enough to move freely around the pan when tilted, ADD the meat to the pan. Ideally the meat will be room temperature so as to brown rather than steam. Let it sit in the pan, uninterrupted until browned on one side. Then with tongs or a spatula, carefully turn and repeat until it is browned on all sides. DEGLAZE the pan with a wine glass pour of vermouth or Madeira and scrape up the good bits left stuck to the bottom of the pan. TRANSFER the contents to a pot (that the stew will be cooked in) or to a pressure cooker, if using, and wipe the pan clean.

In the same sauté pan, REPEAT THE PROCESS with the oil and ADD the celery, mushrooms, leeks and chopped carrot. SAUTÉ over medium low heat stirring frequently until they begin to soften. For me this usually occurs after 10 minutes.

ADD the garlic and tomatoes. STIR and let cook for a minute then POUR in the wine and let it reduce for about 10 minutes over medium low heat. TRANSFER this to the pot or pressure cooker.

ADD the broth and the tarragon. Now there are choices. Either TURN THE HEAT DOWN and PUT THE LID ON so the goods SIMMER for the next hour, with periodic oversight and stirring. Or, POP THE POT INTO THE OVEN, preheated to 350 degrees (lid on as well) and let cook, peeking in once and again. Either way, it will be wise of you to use your judgement as to what level of liquid should be left. I like my stew thick so I only add more if it feels like all will evaporate leaving burnt pieces stuck to the pan. The stew will mostly begin to thicken when we add the potatoes, so hold off too much judgement until then.

IF YOU ARE USING PRESSURE COOKER, turn it to high heat and set timer for 10 minutes.

After an hour or so, ADD the potatoes to the pot. Continue to cook until the meat is tender and the potatoes are cooked through. For me this is usually another 45 minutes or so.

IF YOU ARE USING PRESSURE COOKER, add the potatoes and set timer for 5 minutes more, high heat again. After which you will add the bite sized carrots and let them soften by keeping it at a simmer. The rest of the instruction translates the same as below.

ADD the bite size carrots and let them cook another 15 minutes. At this point, it is wise to make an assessment of consistency, flavor and tenderness. I like to mash around some of the potatoes so that it adds texture to the consistency. I am fine with the carrot bite being quite soft so I usually let it ride for a while if I have no urgency to eat. The longer it cooks, the more flavorful it is, hence the name “stew”. The addition of a little milk doesn’t hurt for thickening and by all means adjust the level, of salt, up or down. If too salty, add water and let it cook down. The addition of a little lemon squeeze or vinegar will help round things out nicely – this one is personal so feel free to experiment.

I like to dish this up in white pasta bowls with some nice crusty bread. If you garnish it with the whole carrots as mentioned above in the ingredients list, you will transform what might otherwise look like a brown glop into a more elegant presentation.

Leftovers are the best – I didn’t take a photo of our dinner but below is Tom’s lunch during the week. He is fine with the brown glop – it’s the taste that matters?!

This week was busier than last so feeling good at the dinner table is important in refueling for the next busy day. Tom was particularly happy with our meals this week and I got many accolades from the pups. I have not had time to write about those meals but one of the highlights was roast chicken. I will have to talk to you about this sometime because I have gotten pretty good at turning out a tasty bird; which had not always been the case.

Fall is in the air so stay tuned for more comfort food… I did get a request for apple cider so I might try to squeeze that one in soon – yes, pun intended.

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10 Legs in the Kitchen

~ Food. Dogs. Life!

Tag Archives: food

One fish, red fish, fresh fish, delish

February Flashback

“Pen” Pals

Heart to Heart

The Beet Goes On…

Recovery Soup – carrot, ginger, leek

A (light, late night) Fiesta for One (with Scooby Snacks for Two)!

Traditionally, non-traditional

Will the real fried chicken please step forward?

Resurrecting the Past