A Guilty Pleasure

Unfortunately, in my quest to someday become a skinny cook (which will likely never happen), I try to avoid eating stuff like that.  My 5-day-a-week routine involves mostly protein, lots of veggies and of course wine, which I am incapable of giving up. Sigh.  As Henry is fond of saying, he eats and I drink! 

But when you are invited to a casual dinner party and asked to bring a side dish, what should that be?  As far as I am concerned, this is not the time for elaborate, esotheric dishes.  Who wants that?  I think people would much rather sink their forks into comfort food like mac and cheese as opposed to say, curried lima beans in casserole (I did not make that up.  There is actually a recipe for it in one of my retro cookbooks, complete with cans of cream of mushroom soup and French-fried onions).

Think about the plate in front of you.  If it had a pile of curried lima beans next to a hunk of mac and cheese on it, where would your fork go first?  I rest my case.

So for that dinner party the other night, I made my favorite mac and cheese from Scott Peacock"s brilliant book "The Gift of Southern Cooking" with Edna Lewis.  It's similar to the one we made at Watershed and it's the only mac and cheese recipe you will ever need.  If you're going to spring for it and make the stuff, then it may as well be the best "stuff" ever.  Based on the compliments around the table the other night (and every other time I've made it), this recipe more than qualifies.

MACARONI AND CHEESE   (adapted slightly from "The Gift of Southern Cooking" by Scott  Peacock and Edna Lewis)

1 lb. elbow macaroni, uncooked
10 oz. (2 1/2 cups) extra-sharp cheddar, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
3 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sour cream
4 eggs, lightly beaten (I used extra-large)
1 small sweet onion, grated
3 cups half-and-half
3 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
8 oz. (2 cups) extra-sharp cheddar, grated
1 cup panko or good breadcrumbs
Additional Kosher salt to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.  Add macaroni and cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, for about 9 minutes or until just tender.  Do not overcook as it will further cook in the oven.

Drain well and transfer to a large buttered baking dish (mine measured about 12 x 15 x 4).  Stir in the cubed cheddar and set aside.

Place the flour, salt, dry mustard, black pepper, cayenne pepper and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl, whisking to blend.  Add the sour cream, followed by the eggs and whisk again until well-blended.  Whisk in the grated onion, half-and-half, heavy cream and Worcestershire.  Taste carefully to adjust seasoning (it should taste somewhat salty as much of it will be absorbed by the macaroni) and pour over the cooked macaroni and cubed cheese in the baking dish.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.  In a small bowl, mix together the grated cheddar, the panko and salt to taste.  Sprinkle evenly over the macaroni mixture.  Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until the custard is set around the edge of the baking dish but still a bit loose in the center.  Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes to allow the custard to thicken.

Serves 10 - 12

*  Now here's the thing:  this is a really easy recipe.  The only cumbersome thing is grating the onion, but that is no big deal.  You don't have to make a white sauce over the stove and you really don't have to do anything except combine a bunch of ingredients, grate some cheese and cook up some pasta.  So make the effort and take the time to grate your nutmeg as opposed to using the pre-ground variety.  As a matter of fact, if you have any of it in your spice cabinet, throw it away now and buy some whole nutmeg and an inexpensive nutmeg grinder (or use your trusty microplane).  This will make a huge difference in anything you make or bake which calls for nutmeg.

*  Also make sure to use the sharpest cheddar you can get your hands on.  This is not the time for wimpy cheese, like mild cheddar.  You want good, assertive cheddar so your mac and cheese has that edgy snap to it.

*  Salt is also crucial to this dish, but not after it is baked.  If you wait until then to add salt, it will just sit on the top and taste salty, but your mac and cheese will be bland.  That's why you need to add it to the cooking water, add it to the custard and add it to the topping.  I know, I know - we are all trying to limit our intake.  But as I said before, if you are going to bite the bullet and indulge in this, then it might as well be to the fullest.  You can mend your evil ways tomorrow.

*  Another thing.  Do yourself a favor and place your baking dish on a larger baking sheet when you put it in the oven.  It's unlikely that it will ooze over (if it does, you added too much custard or used a too-small baking pan) but cover your bases anyway.  Or your oven floor.

*  I took this out of the oven an hour-and-a-half before we transported it to my friend's house for dinner and it was another hour before we served it.  The key was covering it tightly with heavy-duty foil.  It stayed warm and melty until we devoured it.

*  I'll see you all at the gym next week........

Spiced Basmati Rice

I don't usually like to eat rice plain, so I'll find some ways to sneak in some homemade stock, or some of the leftover oil from frying garlic or shallots, or even just by adding a bit of butter (you can never go wrong with butter hehe). This is a recipe that will spice up your plain ol' rice, but one that's not too overpowering so it's a great side to most Indian curries.

Spiced Basmati Rice

1 cup brown basmati rice, soaked overnight , drained

1/2 tsp cumin (or whole cumin seeds, otherwise known as jeera. so I guess this is like the popular jeera rice + 3 more spices heh.)

1/2 cinnamon stick

3 cardamom pods, crushed

3 cloves

1 1/4 cup to 1 1/2 cups cold water (depends on your brand/age of rice. experiment! 2 flops should do it.)

1/2 tsp salt

1-2 tsp of ghee/butter/oil (it helps prevent the rice from sticking too, I find)

Method

1. Over medium high heat, add the ghee/butter/oil and saute the whole spices for 2 min first.

2. Add the ground spices and the rice, saute 1 more min.

3. Add the water and salt, bring to a boil. Cover tightly and let it simmer for about 20-25 min. DO NOT STIR DO NOT PEEK. Curiosity kills the cat.

4. Remove lid, give it a fork through, close again and let it steam for 5-10 min more.

My Shortcut Rice Cooker Method

1. Switch rice cooker to "cook" and let the pot heat up.

2. Add the ghee/butter/oil and saute the whole spices for 2 min first, before adding the ground spices and the rice for another 1 min.

3. Add the water and salt, close the rice cooker and let it do its job UNDISTURBED.

4. When it's done and switches to "warm", do not open yet for another 15 min.

You can then open, give a fork through to loosen the grains then close, and let it steam for another 5 min.

While cooking, the fragrance of the spices and the basmati rice will perfume your kitchen temptingly. But if you want beautiful loose grains, do not be a busybody and check on your rice. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving with curry of your choice. And the inedible cardamom pods and cloves if you want, but I think they look pretty.

Sourdough Dumplings (饺子) and Gyoza/ Potstickers (锅贴)

Dumplings (aka Gyoza, when they spread to Japan) signify family reunion and their original round wrappers also look like coins (I know right, half the things we eat look like coins but, well, there you go) so they're traditionally eaten on Chinese New Year. I don't have my family here in London with me now, but it's fun making dumplings anyway! These were actually done a month ago though, when I was too free.

The basic dumpling dough is 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup of hot (that's what gives dumpling skins their elasticity) water. I made mine using my sourdough pasta dough, so texture-wise it's not exactly springy and also, I rolled out the dough too thick i.e. these are not fantastic dumplings. But they were so much fun anyway, and that tanginess and extra umami-ness of the dough made up for it! You can add any fillings you want, it's traditionally pork (plus shrimps. that would be nice), or even make it vegetarian with shitake mushrooms, but I was using up leftover chicken.

Sourdough Dumplings (饺子)

makes 20 (it's a great opportunity to pull your whole family in and make like 200 instead and freeze.)

20 round wrappers (I cut the flattened sourdough pasta dough into circles of about 7cm in diameter)

200g minced chicken

2 stalks of spring onion, sliced thinly

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp of grated ginger

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp Chinese rice wine (shaoxing/huadiao)

1/2 tsp sesame oil

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients except the wrappers together and leave to marinade in the fridge for as long as you can, preferably overnight.

2. The next day, make your wrappers by rolling out the dough as thinly as possible and then cutting out circles (I used a glass).

3. Place about 2 teaspoons of the filling (don't be too greedy, but don't be too stingy either-- it's Chinese New Year!) in the centre of the circle.

4. Fold over to make a semi-circle, and press the edges to seal, with a bit of water or eggwash if needed.

5. (opt) To make it look pretty, you crimp the edges using a pinch-and-tuck technique. (watch from 2:20)

which I failed at.

but ah, that's why we have forks!

6. Done! I know they still don't look totally gyoza-like.. Anyway you can refrigerate or freeze them now for later use.

OR make

Sourdough Dumpling Soup

In a pot of boiling water, lower the dumplings in carefully and let them cook gently in simmering water for about 10 minutes till they float. Add to homemade chicken stock with a dash of soy sauce to taste, and garnish with chopped spring onions.

OR make

Sourdough Gyoza/Potstickers (锅贴)

Potstickers get their name because of their very special cooking technique.

Over medium-high heat, in a lightly-oiled pan, place the dumplings flat side down in a single layer, and let it fry until the bottom browns and sticks a little to the pan. Then add 1/4 cup of water or so and cover the pan, to unstick the bottoms and steam the top of the dumplings for about 3 min more, then uncover the pan and let the water evaporate (fully! else they won't be crispy).

A cheat method that I used is to steam (or boil) the dumplings for about 10 min first till they are fully cooked. Then place the cooked dumplings flat side down in one layer in a lightly-oiled pan, and fry over medium-high heat to get the bottom crispy and brown ;)

Traditionally served with a very simple dipping sauce made with Chinese black vinegar and shredded fresh ginger, that's all you really need!

I know these dumplings are not traditional and they probably taste not at all like the one you get in dim sum restaurants. But it's not a bad difference at all! They're denser, with a tangy depth to it, and combined with the savoury filling and the sharp vinegar and ginger to cut through that heaviness, are.. ho liao (means good stuff, in Hokkien)!

This is an entry for Presto Pasta Night hosted by Ruth of Once upon a Feast.

This is an entry for Tuesday Twister hosted by GNOWFGLINS.

This is an entry for Real Food Wednesday by Kelly the Kitchen Kop.

Stir-fried Leeks with Beef and Beancurd

It's Chinese New Year! Back home, my family's probably having a feast with lots of abalone and sea cucumber and roast duck ): The Chinese New Year fare is not only about the expensive or rare ingredients though, often it's the simple vegetables that shine. I love leeks, and as my mum happily informed me, that's going to bring me lots of wealth. Leeks are 蒜苗/大蒜 ('suan'), which sounds like “算”i.e. count, so the Chinese believe it means you will have lots of money to count. You could do it minus the beancurd too, or with extra vegetables like carrots, but the golden beancurd represents happiness (white tofu not recommended..white=death?) I can't promise you'll suddenly get a windfall with this, but no harm having some lucky food in you right? ;)

Stir-fried Leeks with Beef and Beancurd

serves 2-3

200g beef rump (it's a cheap cut but check out the Chinese stir-fry tips I learnt on how to make cheap meats tender even if you aren't slow-cooking it!)

1 medium leek, sliced into about 5cm long pieces

100g firm beancurd, chopped into medium pieces

1 red chilli, sliced thinly

2cm ginger, sliced thinly

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp of olive oil+2 tbsp of coconut oil/palm oil

For marinade and velveting

1/2 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tbsp Chinese rice wine

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp good (naturally aged) soy sauce

pinch of five-spice powder

few drop sesame oil

For sauce

4 tbsp of homemade stock

1 tbsp good (naturally aged) soy sauce

1 tsp of Chinese rice wine (shaoxing/huadiao)

1 tsp Chinese black vinegar

1/2 tsp of sesame oil

pinch of sugar

1tsp of cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp water (to thicken)

Method

1. Slice the beef thinly against the grain. Mix well with the marinade and then leave it aside for 30 min.

2. Meanwhile, you can prep your ingredients, wash the dirt off the leeks and chop everything up. Also, mix the sauce ingredients except the cornstarch and water so later you can have a relaxing stir fry.

3. Over med-high heat, add half the oil and fry the firm beancurd for about 5 min till light brown and set aside.

4. 30 min should have passed. Over high heat, add the rest of the oil and flash-fry the beef for 1 min, then remove from the pan (sorry no wok) and let drain and set aside.

5. Add the ginger and garlic to the hot oil, fry till fragrant. Add the leeks and chilli and cook till the leeks soften.

6. Add the sauce, which should help deglaze the pan. Let it come to the boil, then reduce the heat.

7. Stir in the cornstarch slurry a little at a time till you get the consistency you want. Note: it will thicken after it cools, so don't go pouring everything at a go!

8. Add the beef and beancurd (finally all the ingredients are happily together!) and stirfry for 2 min or so, making sure everything's coated.

9. Serve over a steaming bowl of rice (:

The beef, prepared this way, is really tender, oozing with juices and flavour-- no need for expensive sirloin steak cuts. Yay for frugal ingredients (:

Braised Red Cabbage with Apples

With cabbage, the general rule is not to overcook, else it gives off a very strong sulfurous smell that puts people off. But with red cabbage, this long-cooking slow-braising method with the sweet apple and spices bring out the flavours better! There are many variations, I tweaked a few versions I came across, combining this that based on what I liked, and er, what I had in the kitchen.

Braised Red Cabbage with Apples

Ingredients

1 medium red cabbage, sliced thinly

1 large onion, peeled and sliced

1 large eating apple, chopped (I don't find cooking apples very justified. They give a tartness, but you need to add extra sugar to balance out its lack of sweetness. I find a normal apple sweet and although not that sour, hey there's vinegar added! But maybe I'm being simplistic.)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (I've seen recipes with white/red wine vinegar instead, but I like the idea of using apple cider vinegar in a dish with apples. )

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (oomph up the sweetness!)

2 whole cloves

2 bay leaves

pinch of nutmeg, cinammon (if you've got whole ones, use those!)

knob of butter

Method

1. Melt butter in a large pot. Add the whole spices first.

2. Add the onions, and let it cook until golden.

3. Add the apples and the ground spices, and cook for 2 min or so.

4. Add in all the cabbage, plus the vinegar.

5. Put the lid on and let it slowly cook for about 1 h., stirring once in a while.

You get a great chuntey-style sweet cabbage dish, very good with pork of course, like with my German-inspired Roasted Pork Trotters, and supposedly game meat and goose too, though I haven't tried that out before. This dish keeps well, the flavours actually intensify after they spend some time together in the fridge. (oh then it becomes really sort of like a pickle/chutney huh)

I've seen recipes calling for added red wine/cider, please try that if you have them!

I've also seen a Jamie Oliver recipe with bacon and fennel, please try too!

Henry's Birthday, Part Two

To Henry's great credit, he's pretty low maintenance.  Especially when compared to me (I won't tell you about the time I pitched an entire quart of water at him - and then he just calmly toweled himself off and asked me if I was done yet, haha).  

He's generally pretty easy-going about most things (with the exception of work, but we're not going to talk about that either) and he doesn't even complain when I feed him grass and trees (his expression) most nights in an attempt to limit the carbs and ramp up the veggies.  If you meet him at a party, he will introduce himself as "Mr. Liz" and he will be the first to tell you that he lives in the best restaurant in town.

How lucky am I, anyway?

Tragically, we both love to eat and drink too much, which is why we aren't skinny.  One of the things we like the most is dining at home on a Saturday evening as I mentioned in an earlier post:

http://nevertrustaskinnycook1.blogspot.com/2010/07/recipes-not-required.html

So it only made sense to celebrate his birthday yet again on the Saturday night following his actual birth date.  Dinner at the best restaurant in Atlanta (yeah, right!)  Two of his favorite foods were involved:  corn (usually off the menu due to its sugar/carb content) and fresh figs (I'm not a huge fan). 

Here's to you, Henry.   It is one of the greatest pleasures in my life to cook for you!

CORN PUDDING (adapted from Scott Peacock's and Edna Lewis' "The Gift of Southern Cooking")

4 ears of fresh corn, shucked and cut off the cob
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose, unbleached flour
2 extra-large eggs
1 cup milk (I used 1% because that's what I had on hand; whole milk would be better)
1 cup half-and-half (the recipe calls for cream, but I couldn't quite go there)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 35-degrees.  Butter a 6-cup baking dish.  Place corn kernels in a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar, salt, pepper and flour.  Stir to combine.  In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, half-and-half (or cream), butter and nutmeg.  Pour over the corn mixture and blend well.

Place into the buttered baking dish and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until just done (it should still be slightly wobbly in the middle).  Serve immediately and prepare for major accolades.

Serves:  6 - 8

Note:  freshly grated nutmeg is crucial to this recipe.  Just do it.

SAUTEED FIGS WITH PROSCUITTO AND ROSEMARY

(A note here:  I'm not giving you a specific recipe, just a basic idea and method.  Tweak it as you see fit).

Fresh figs, halved
Proscuitto, cut into 1/2-inch strips
Fresh rosemary sprigs
Extra-virgin olive oil
Unsalted butter
Fresh goat cheese  for serving (or any cheese of choice; Parmigiano Reggiano would work as well)

Wrap fig halves with strips of proscuitto and secure with rosemary sprigs.

In a saute pan, heat equal amounts of olive oil and butter.  Add figs until cook over medium-high heat until proscuitto crisps.  Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.  Serve with crusty bread and soft, fresh goat cheese.

Note:  I may not be a fig afficionado, but even I will eat these!

Warm Food on a Cold Night

Remember what I said in the last blog about spring?  Well, FUGEDABOUTIT!  It snowed here today and it is freakin' cold.  Even I (the Hot Flash Queen) can't seem to get warm.

So did I need a better excuse to stay home and test recipes all day?  Umm - maybe not.

I thought about hanging out in my pj's (well, for me that would be an oversized T-shirt), but I couldn't quite bring myself to do that.  I compromised.  Did not wash my hair, did put on make-up (why, Liz?), put on a pair of jeans instead of my beloved ripped up chef's pants, opted for a pair of warm socks instead of shoes and did not wear a bra.  Enough info?

I then proceeded to spend the better part of the day in my kitchen.  All the while listening to an audio version of  "The Help." 

I'll post later about the Meyer lemon cake I made.  For now, you need to know about the lentil gratin.  SO GOOD.  It (along with a bottle of inexpensive, but decent red wine) was exactly the comfort food we needed.


LENTIL GRATIN

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
5 carrots, cut into small dice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 bay leaves
6 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
2 1/2 cups green lentils

1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
2 T. red wine vinegar
1/4 t. crushed red pepper (or more to taste)
1/2 cup Panko crumbs (I used whole wheat)
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
1 t. kosher salt
1 T extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan.  Add onion and cook for 5 minutes until translucent.  Add carrots, thyme and salt and pepper (be VERY generous) to taste.  Reduce heat to low, cover pan and cook for 10 minutes or until carrots are barely tender.

Add bay leaves and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Add lentils, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until lentils are almost done, about 30 minutes.

What you are looking for here are lentils that are almost done, but still "soupy."  (The reason for this is because when you add the breadcrumb topping before baking, it will soak up all of the liquid and leave the lentils dry.  So make sure your lentils have enough leftover liquid before baking).

Once you get to that point, remove the bay leaves and stir the parsley, mustard, vinegar and red pepper into lentils.  Taste to adjust seasonings and turn into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish.

Combine bread crumbs, Reggiano and salt in a small bowl.  Stir to blend, then add olive oil and stir again.  Sprinkle over lentils.

Bake for 30 minutes until just warmed through and top is browned.  Do not overbake.

Yield:  at least 10 servings.

Just remember to save enough for those of us who would happily eat this for breakfast the next day.