Friday, December 17, 2010

Fresh Baked Pumpkin (Kabocha) Pie

If you are a squash enthusiast like myself, then you already know that Kabocha is the squash of squashes.

If you are a novice squash admirer, let me extol the Wonders of Kabocha.

1. Its BEAUTIFUL. Dark or brilliant orange outside, deep gold inside. It also turns a very pretty purple when it molds....

2. Its freakin' TASTY! Full, round, slightly nutty flavor with delectable squashy sweetness, it tastes good in everything.

3. It has PERFECT TEXTURE. Somewhere between buttery and silky smooth and very fine, this is a squash made for cheesecakes, custards and pies. The pies are less inclined to crack too, for reasons which remain mysterious to me.

Now that you too have learned the glory of Kabocha, here is how to make it into a pie. I cant lie, I didn't know how much squash I would need, so my pie is actually a Kabocha/Acorn Squash pie. I like using the two for variety, and I think the Acorn Squash may haven given the pie a lift because the Kabocha is so fine. But I don't know. Feel free to experiment with different squashes, they are pretty forgiving creatures.

This recipe takes about 4 hours, but a lot of that is wait time and can be also used to clean your house, bond with your cat, watch movies or cook the rest of Thanksgiving dinner that you forgot to do last night.
This will make 1 Pie.

You will need:

For The Crust:
1 Stick cold butter (8 Tbs)
1 Cup Flour, with extra set aside
1 Tsp Sugar
Dash Salt
6-8 Tbs Very Cold Water
A food Processor, ideally. If not, a pastry cutter will do.

For the Pie
1 Medium Kabocha Squash, 1 Small Acorn Squash,  
together equaling 2 Cups Cooked Squash
3 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Tsp Poudre Duce
OR
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ginger
1/4Tsp Cloves
Dash/Shaving of Nutmeg

To Make:

First the Pie Crust. Add the flour, salt and sugar to your food processor or big mixing bowl. Chop your stick of butter into tablespoon sized chunks. Add to flour mixture. If using a food processor, blitz until the consistency of wet sand or fine gravel. If using a bowl, take to it with your pastry cutter until the consistency of fine gravel.  Pour into or keep mixture in mixing bowl. Add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, gently folding it into the mixture with a spatula each time. My philosophy about pie crust is that you are encouraging the butter and flour molecules to sit next to each other but not actually mix. So you must be very gentle with it.

The crust will hopefully be mostly doughy by this time. Gently form it into a ball and place in a plastic bag or saran wrap, wrapping it up and patting it into an air tight little disk-wad. Place in the fridge to relax for 1 hour minimum (you can also make this up to 3 days in advance).

While your pie crust is relaxing, you bake your squash. Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees. Chop off the stem and split your squash(es) in half. Do not peel or remove the seeds. Place face down in a cooking pan with a little water (approximately 1/3 cup). Bake this way for 40 minutes to an hour. Test for tenderness by periodically piercing with a fork, and be sure to always keep a little water in there. For a richer caramelized squashy flavor, feel free to bake longer at a lower temperature. It is done when easily pierced with a fork and very tender.

When your squash is baked, remove it from the oven a let it cool a bit. Once cool enough to touch, or whenever you get back to it, scoop out the seeds and discard. Scoop the rest of the squash into a mixing bowl and discard the rind as well. With your beaters on medium, blend the squash until it reaches a smooth-ish uniform texture.

You will probably have more than you need. Set Two Cups aside for the pie, and put the rest in the freezer for later use, ideally in two cup packages. You now have the makings of squash pies, breads and scones for the rest of the year. Yay!

If it hasn't been at least an hour by now, your a faster cook than I. Take your pie crust out of the fridge and  place on a cool floured surface. Dust flour on the top, and gently roll out into a circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Wrap it around your floured rolling pin or fold gently into quarters and place it into a pie dish. Unfold, press gently in, trim the excess and make your favorite pattern to decorate the edges. A fork pressed down along the edge works well for when I'm uninspired. Place back in the fridge until you need it.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar and spices together. Add your two cups baked squash and mix well. Gradually add the heavy cream and blend well. Pour mixture into pie crust, place on a baking sheet and carefully slide into your oven.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, before reducing the heat to 350 and baking for 40 to 50 minutes. It is done when a knife comes out mostly clean, or only the middle jiggles a little bit when the pie plate is shaken. Cool for 2 hours.
Eat with family/neighbors/friends, and loads of whipped cream.

xoxo

Breakfast Risotto with Cranberries (Rice Pudding Jen-style)

SOOOO YUMMMMMMYYY!

I call this Risotto because instead of the eggs and milk combination generally used to thicken rice pudding, I have used Arborio rice which thickens on its own as you cook it. Not only are eggs no longer needed, but now the recipe can also be made Vegan if you so chose. Yay!

I add cranberries to make it festive-and because they were all I could find in my cabinet. Raisins work just as well. And don't turn it a delicate pink, but I kind of like the color options.

You Will Need:

2 1/2 Cups Whole Milk or Rice/Soy Milk (be sure your Soy is Organic and non-GMO)
Do not use Low Fat anything, it won't thicken properly.
1/3 Cup Arborio Rice
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Ginger
Handful Dried Cranberries (Or substitute chopped dates, figs, pears, apricots, apples or raisins)
Dash Salt
1/3 Cup Water

To Make:

Combine the milk, rice and dash salt in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently to prevent the rice from sticking. Once it has reached a boil, turn heat down and allow to simmer until rice is tender, usually 20-25 minutes. Be sure to stir consistently, I have learned from experience that nothing smells worse than burnt milk.

As it cooks, the mixture will thicken. If it starts to become dry or too stiff, feel free to add up to 1/3 cup of water, a little bit at a time.

When the rice is tender, add the sugar, spices and dried fruit. Take off heat and stir thoroughly. Feel free to heat a little longer if still too thin.

Dish into bowls, eat with shameless abandon!

xoxo

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Roasted Fall Veggies with Sage Butter

It is a annual fall ritual. I can feel it coming for a few weeks: first I see the sweet potatoes and fennel are in. Then the apples and squash. Finally, when the Kabocha squash start coming in, I know its time to begin roasting things!

In the long, gray wetness that is a Seattle winter, nothing makes me as happy as warm and slightly caramelized roasted things. I will roast just about anything to see if its tasty, but I usually end up with a mix like this due to over-zealous market shopping the week before. The best bit is that it is terribly easy to make and almost impossible to mess up. I do not give exact measurements on this one because eyeballing it always seems to work.

This particular blend of flavors was taught to me by my friend Rosanna, who lived in Italy for some time and brought home excellent cooking skills.

You can use almost any combination of roasting veggies here, just make sure they all lean towards the sweet, not savory. This dish is no place for an onion.



You will need:

Some combination of the following. Always be sure to have an apple, and roughly equal amounts of all veggies.
Kabocha, Delicata, Acron or Carnival squash.
Sweet potato or Kumara
Parsnip
Fennel 
Tart apple (Smokehouse, Braeburn, Granny Smith)
Carrot
Beet (will make all things pink)

Cinnamon
Ginger
Salt
Lemon or orange juice
Sage (fresh or dried)
Butter

To Make:

Heat over to 375 degrees. While it warms, chop your veggies and apple into large chunks. If your squash is very fresh you don't need to skin it, but you can if you prefer. Chop roughly equal amounts of everything. Place them all in a large bowl, and sprinkle with cinnamon, ginger and salt to taste. Sprinkle on citrus juice, just enough to moisten. Stir it all together to evenly distribute spices. Eat a piece of apple as a taste test. If it tastes good now, you are set. If not, tinker as necessary. Don't get over-zealous with the citrus.

Butter a large baking dish with a lid. Tip all veggies into the baking dish, cover and bake until tender, usually 45 minutes to a little over and hour. When done they should pierce easily with a fork and be separating from their skins a little bit. I like mine very done, so if your into tender-crisp, begin checking at 30 min.

Remove from over and set aside for a bit to cool. Put enough butter to lightly dress your veggies in a dish with a small amount of crumbled or chopped sage. Melt butter until it begins to separate and sage is infused. Dish up your veggies and sprinkle with sage butter to taste. MMMMMMMmmmmmm!

I ate the other half for dinner....
















xoxo

Friday, September 17, 2010

Heirloom Tomato Ragu with Thyme and Truffle Butter


This savory sweet ragu has a surprising blend of robust flavors that balance each other very well. The end result us something unanticipated and delicate. Served over grilled eggplant slabs, my imaginary french grandmother used to make this in place of the more traditional Ratatouille.




Truffle butter is not essential, but does improve the dish. This all started because I have said truffle butter in my fridge, but for such a coveted ingredient and flavor, I really have no idea what to do with it. While subtle here, it gets along nicely with the thyme and brings out the sweetness of tomatoes and butter.

Had I been planning this better, I would have had buttered french bread and a dry Rose` to go with it.

C'est la vie.

You will need:

3 Tbs. Butter 
1 Medium Eggplant, slicked thickly (1/2 inch) and salted.
2-4 Yellow/Red Heirloom tomatoes, chopped large.
1/2  of a Medium Onion, chopped.
2-4 cloves garlic, depending on size and preference. Chopped fine.
1 Small clove garlic to grate.
6-8 Stems Fresh Thyme
1Tsp Black Truffle Butter
1/8 Tsp Ground Cumin
Salt 

To Make:

Melt butter over medium heat and add onions and chopped garlic. Be sure to set that one small clove aside for later. When onions are translucent, add 4-6 Thyme sprigs and saute for a moment before adding tomatoes. Saute over medium heat until tomatoes begin to cook down and sauce begins to form. 
Add cumin and salt to taste. Be gentle with the cumin, you won't need much. Cook gently for 3-5 minutes depending on how juicy your tomatoes are. When you like the sauce consistency, lower the heat and stir in Truffle butter. 

Once butter is melted in, do a taste test. I like my garlic a little bit hot. If you do not, cook a bit more and then take of heat.  If you DO like more bite, grate in your last little clove of garlic, raise heat for a moment while stirring it all together, then take off heat, set aside and cover.

If you have salted your eggplant and left it to its own devices, it should be dewy and ready to go. Rinse off and pat dry. Heat a pan to medium high, add oil of choice and pan sear the eggplant until just tender. It usually starts to look dark and a little translucent. Don't futz with it much, or it will fall apart.

Remove your Thyme twigs from the tomato sauce and serve spooned over the eggplant. Sprinkle with extra fresh thyme leaves just before serving.
xoxo



Sunday, September 5, 2010

Curry Scallops with Coconut Cumin Risotto


The curry sets off the sweetness in the scallops, and the slightly crisp veggies in the risotto add a nice textural crunch. This is my homage to all the lovely Thai food here in Seattle. Serves two very happy people.

A warning for those with tender sinuses- searing your curry scallops will make you sneeze.

You will need:
6-8 Large, preferably Sashimi grade, Scallops. You can substitute Cod or Ling Cod if you like.
1/2 Cup risotto rice
3/4  (ish) 13oz can of Coconut milk.
1/2 chopped onion
3 larger cloves of garlic, grated or minced
Handful french green beans, trimmed and chopped large
A small yellow squash, chopped large
2-3 Tsp dry ground Ginger
2 Tsp fresh Madras curry powder
1 Tsp or cube bullion dissolved in 2 cups water.
1/2 Tsp dry Lemongrass
1/4 Tsp Cumin
Pinch (6 threads) Saffron
1 Lime
Olive oil

To Make:
First we make the Risotto. Keep your scallops in the fridge as this takes about 20-30 minutes.

  Heat a large heavy bottomed pot over medium till very warm. Drizzle in enough oil that you will be sure of your onions and garlic not sticking. Add onions to the oil. While they cook, grate TWO cloves of garlic over them. Set the third aside for later. Cook gently till the onions are translucent, being sure to stir regularly so the garlic doesn't stick or burn. Add your risotto rice and a little more oil to the pot, stir and cook for a minute.

Pour in 1/4 cup of bullion water into rice and add Saffron, 1 Tsp Ginger, 1/4 tsp Cumin, 1/4 tsp of your lemongrass to the pot. Stir. Allow to cook until there isn't much water, then add 1/4 more bullion. This time also add 1/4 cup coconut milk. Keep adding water and coconut milk, stirring and cooking off until rice is tender and slightly saucy. It should be like a rice pudding. Stir in beans and squash, remove from heat and cover. Set aside.

Take the scallops and rinse them in cool running water. Blot dry. Very dry. Don't squish them, just dry them thoroughly.

In a low, shallow bowl, grate your last clove of garlic. Add the Madras curry power, and the remaining Ginger and Lemongrass along with a splash of oil. Stir it all together with a fork.

This next bit needs to be done quickly, and then your food will be ready, so make sure your table is set, and everything else is ready to go.

Taste test your risotto-add salt, ginger or cumin to taste. Cover and set aside.

Heat a cast iron skillet or heavy bottomed pan until very hot. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil to the pan. Take your scallops and press each side firmly into the curry sauce to give it a nice coating.  Place your scallop in the hot pan and don't touch it. Quickly repeat with remaining scallops. Tilt pan to be sure each scallop has oil under it.

If your terribly quick, give your scallops a bit before flipping. If your like me, the first scallops in the pan will be ready to flip by the time you have finished laying the last scallop down. The edge against the pan should be browning and the sides beginning to opaque. Lift a corner of one for a test-it should be brown and caramelized looking. If it is, flip 'em and begin to dish up your risotto. By the time your plate is ready, your scallops should be also. Place on top of risotto and garnish with a large, juicy lime wedge. The cooking is more or less the same with fish-though the fish will be more forgiving than the scallops.

Ta-Da! Dinner to impress all your friends. Tastes best with a clean white wine and terribly ripe figs for dessert.
xoxo

Friday, September 3, 2010

The Best Tomato Sauce You Will Ever Eat

Seriously, it is.  And its vegan if your into that.

I can't even take full credit for this either. My mom used to make this as a rough pizza sauce when I was younger and we would use the leftovers on pasta. As an adult, I missed it desperately one night, but being a DIY kinda gal, and stubborn ( "We don't need no steeenkin' cookbooks!"), I made up this recipe instead of just asking for it. Sorry mom. It is more geared towards pasta now, but it's amazing either way.

And I know there's no picture, I'm sorry. We had guests over and ate it all. I promise to put one up when next I cook this.
This recipe feeds 4.

You Will Need:
2-6 hours (its worth it, but see tip below if your pressed)
6-12 Ripe tomatos, depending on size. When in doubt, add more tomatos, they cook down a lot.
1/2 Onion
4-8 Cloves Garlic
4-8 Leaves fresh Basil, quartered
2-4 Sprigs fresh Rosemary
2 Sprigs fresh Thyme
6 Sundried Tomatos
1/3 Cup Olive oil

To Make: 
Heat oven to 300 degrees. It doesn't need to preheat, but its nice if you remember.

Quarter and de-stem all tomatos. Toss in large oven proof dish. Coarsely chop onions, garlic and sundried tomatos and add to dish. Add olive oil and place herbs on top.

Bake for 3-6 hours, stirring every half hour or so. If it looks dry, add more olive oil.

When cooked down to a dark red, brown edged rough sauce that you can no longer resist, you know its ready.
Be sure to remove Rosemary and Thyme twigs before serving. This tastes amazing with a really fresh, fruity Parm.


Tip for those a little short on time:
Use less tomatos and add a 3/4 jar of pre-made marinara sauce. Cook at 350 degrees instead, and it should only take 1.5ish hours.

xoxo

Plum and Blueberry Crisp- For Two

And with pictures!

I finally remembered to take a photo BEFORE we ate the food.

This is a perfect late summer, early fall desert- or in my case breakfast. It takes about an hour and can be made while eating dinner or while half asleep. You can use any fruit you would normally put in a pie, and probably some you wouldn't.

As a very casual, very flexible dish, all measurements are very general, and you can tinker as you wish. It always comes out good.

A word of warning on baking plums in a crisp or pie: When hot, they will taste more tart. Be sure to serve with ice cream to balance. When cold they will be sweeter, so don't go crazy with the sugar.
This always tastes wonderful with either black tea or sparkling wine. If your like me, on any given morning you can try both.

You will need:
2 Medium, ripe plums.
A handful of frozen or fresh blueberries
2ish Tbs sugar
Splash vanilla
Generous dash cinnamon

Topping:
1-2 Tbs butter. Vegans can use olive oil, but use mild and be cautious.
Handful rolled oats. Don't use instant.
2ish Tbs flour-whole grain gives it a nice texture and nutty flavor
1ish Tbs sugar

To Make:
Preheat oven to 350.

De-stone and cut plums into bite size chunks. Thinner slices, faster cooking, but I'm usually too lazy. In a bowl mix fruit, berries, sugar and spices. This crisp tends to be a little juicy-that's what I like about it. If you want a thicker sauce, I'd add 1/2-3/4 tsp cornstarch to mix. Spoon onto small ramekin or baking dish.

In new bowl, melt butter. add dry goods and mix. It should be about the texture of dry cookie dough. If its not, add more butter. Should taste rich, but not terribly sweet. Press onto top of fruit. There should be a good sized amount and reach the sides, otherwise it sinks.

Place on baking pan to catch the drips, and bake for 30-60 Minutes depending on how preheated you got your oven.  As long as the top doesn't burn, its hard to over cook it.

xoxo

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Peach Bread Pudding

For rainy summer days in Seattle. This pudding lights me up inside when its gray and miserable out- and even though its pouring, the peaches from the other side of the mountains are amaaaaaazing in August.

Best if accompanied by a hot back tea.


You will need:

1 cup whole or 2% milk. Don't use skim.
1 Egg
1/4 cup sugar
Half a small stale baguette, or a quarter of a large stale baguette. Chopped into large chunks.
1 Peach so ripe you can smell its lovelieness
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ginger,
1/4 tsp Vanilla
Small pinch of salt
Butter

To make:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a small oven-friendly baking dish, and put bread chunks in it. In a separate bowl, beat together milk, sugar, egg, and spices. Pour over bread. There should be a fair ammount of extra liquid for the bread to absorb. If there's not, add more milk up to 1/4 cup.  If still dry you must have a very large baguette and you should mix up more of the egg/milk/sugar batter.

Cut peach in half, remove put, and chop one half into large chunks. Sprinkle these on top of the bread and milk. I eat the other half of the peach, but you are certainly welcome to throw it in. Sprinkle a little brown sugar on top of it all, if you have some.

Cover and bake for 35-45 min. Done when inflated and fork comes out cleanish.

Eat with a friend, your cat or someone equally comforting on a gray day.
xoxo

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Green Beans with Cumin and Ginger

I invented this dish one day in an attempt to get a small child to eat some green beans. Instead he refused them and I found out how amazing the skinny little guys are. If your new to green beans or just looking for something else to season them with, give this a shot.

Green Beans with Cumin and Ginger- Serves 2

1/2 lb fresh thin Green Beans, rinsed and trimmed

8-10 Cherry Tomatos, halved. Get yellow and red varieties for extra pretty.

1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground Cumin, depending on taste

1/8 to 1/4 tsp ground Ginger

1/8 tsp ground Chipotle

2-3 Tbs Olive Oil

Salt to taste

Place your skillet or pan over medium high heat to come up to temperature. Chop your green beans into 2 inch lengths. Once skillet is hot, add 1-2 tbs olive oil. If you cook on cast iron, you will need all of it, if you cook on teflon, take it easy. When oil is hot, add your green beans, cooking for a minute or two.
Add tomatos and spices, and turn heat to medium. Be sure not to let spices burn to bottom of the pan. It happens quickly and easily, and there is no worse smell than burnt cumin. Add more oil if you need to.

When beans are nicely seared and tender crisp, scoop into bowl and eat with bread and butter.

xoxo

Heirloom Eggplant Sandwiches

     To me, summertime is when I can lay out piles of veggies, meat, cheese and some fresh bread on the table and call it dinner. Maybe some condiment like Hummus or Tzatziki if I'm feeling up to it. The point is something tasty, satisfying and easy to prepare.

These oh-so-satisfying sandwiches were the by product of one such dinner. I had grilled some eggplant steaks and made some Tzatziki for dinner, and the only logical conclusion was to stuff it in a pita and groan with delight.

I use heirloom eggplants because they are pretty, and their skin tends to be more delicate so you don't need to peel them. They also run smaller, so its easy to find one that fits your quantity needs. Check your local Farmers Market June through August.

For Sandwiches You Will Need:

Pita bread, 1 whole round per person. A round makes two sandwiches.


1-2 Large, very sweet tomato. Romas and orange-red Heirlooms recommended. Sliced.

1  .5lb  Heirloom Eggplant per person. This translates to one small eggplant for one person, a medium eggplant for two people etc.

Salt

Olive Oil

Tzatziki (Recipe to follow)


First you must prepare your eggplant. Chop off the top and then slice it in 1/4 inch slabs from top to bottom. I discard the end pieces that are all peel and no meat. Place slabs in a bowl and sprinkle liberally with salt. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.

While the salt dries out your eggplant, place a griddle or skillet over med-high heat. Its hot enough when you sprinkle water on and it sizzles and pops.

Rinse your eggplant and pat dry.

Add 2 tsp. Olive oil to your hot skillet. Place eggplant slabs on skillet right away. Now don't touch it for at least 1 minute. If you do, the eggplant will not brown properly and will fall apart. Really, don't touch it. I almost always find this impossible to do.

After 1 minute, pry up a corner of an eggplant piece to see if it has browned. Should be a nice dark caramel color, or even slightly singed on the edges. If it is brown, flip it over and cook the other side. If it sticks, leave it for 30 more seconds. Remember, don't mess with it. After another minute or so on other side,and they should begin to look a bit translucent. Add a dash of salt and a drizzle of olive oil if they look dry, and place eggplant on a plate; or straight into a pita if your one of those cooks who's really on top of things. I like to warm my pitas up in the oven for 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees.

Add slices of tomato, liberal amounts of Tzatziki and a dash of Cayenne. Eat while the eggplant is still warm.

To Make Tzatziki:
I wish I could say I had some really cool Greek grandmother who taught me to make this when I was still crawling, but alas, such is not the case. I invented the recipe after getting sick of buying the stuff at Trader Joes. And yes, mine is better. Grating the Garlic I learned from my friend Neha.

1 Medium to large cucumber, peeled. Ish. If your into that sort of thing.

1/3 cup plain, full fat yogurt

1/2 lemon

2 Cloves garlic

1 tsp dry Dill

Salt

Dash or two of Cayenne
 

Quarter and de-seed your cucumber. Thinly slice quarters. Place in bowl. Peel garlic cloves and finely chop, or easier: grate them over the cucumber. Don't be tempted to go crazy with the garlic, its pretty hot when raw. Warning, this is a dish your honey must share with you, or they will never kiss you again.

Squeeze lemon half over the garlic and cucumbers. Always be sure to add the lemon first so that the yogurt does not curdle. Add dill and yogurt. Mix together. I add the yogurt in a spoon at a time so it doesn't get too soupy, but the end result should be decidedly saucy. Add more yogurt if this is not the case.

Add salt, cayenne and more dill to taste. Slather on anything remotely Mediterranean.

xoxo