IN MY KITCHEN – MARCH 2014

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

Once again I am joining the fun virtual party initiated by Celia from Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, and sharing with my readers what is going on in our kitchen. Normally I like to start with gifts, and this month won’t be an exception, although these are gifts I gave Phil. Two beautiful wood cutting boards, real works of art made by Michael’s Woodcraft. I only ordered one, but Michael included the round one for free. Every month he picks one order to receive a freebie, and what can I say? I was the lucky customer in January 2014.

We put them to use right away, to enjoy some nice cheeses in style! Now, would you believe that he made this exact cutting board for Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa? So our kitchen and Ina’s have a special something in common…

What I love the most about these boards is how I learned about them. One day I noticed that a blogger from WordPress liked one of my posts, and decided to follow the link to his site. This was the first thing I read when I landed there:

My name is Michael and I live in the remote upstate mountains of South Carolina. I love working with wood but I also enjoy cooking, grilling, baking, hiking, camping, gardening, mountain wildlife and bird watching. On my site you will find my woodwork and my blog. I hope you find my blog interesting and will visit often.

Well, not only his blog is interesting, but he is an AMAZING woodworker! I was thrilled to find his site, and immediately decided that a cutting board would make a nice surprise for Phil as a Valentine’s gift. He loved them! One of Phil’s hobbies is woodworking, and he even made a cutting board for us a few years ago, so he understands very well the skills needed to come up with pieces of such quality. Michael also includes a sample of his wood conditioner so that his masterpieces can stay beautiful for a long, long time. You can read all about that product here.

In our kitchen…

A couple of gifts from my sister-in-law who lives in Michigan…
Products from il Fustino. One is a pomegranate vinegar, which I have not yet tried, and the other a fig balsamic, absolutely wonderful! Thank you, Kathy!

In our kitchen…

The only plastic wrap we like is Kirkland, however the box always gets messed up and let’s say it is a source of boring lectures from Sally concerning how one should properly use the built-in metal blade so that the plastic roll is kept in perfect shape. This colorful box, from ChicWrap originally comes with a lousy type of wrap inside, but I use it to store the Kirkland instead. Glad to report that our marriage is getting happier and happier.

In our kitchen…

Pretty nice quality stocks sold by “The Spice House”. Last month they had a free shipping special for orders over $25. and I decided it was a good idea to profit from it. I know that a food blogger should be making her/his own beef and chicken stocks, but I must pick my battles these days. Having this type of store-bought item available is a great help. When I open the box, either I make the full amount of stock and freeze in portions, or I make what I need, and portion small teaspoons that can be frozen and used later. Labeling is a must, or you will be very puzzled one day staring at a marble-sized copper-colored thingie and trying to guess how it landed in your freezer. Advice is free, and I just gave you a good one… 😉

In our kitchen…

A nice little roasting pan with an insert inside, perfect to bake meatballs or anything that profits from heat circulating around all sides. I got it at Bed Bath and Beyond, one of my favorite spots to find these gems. Recipe for meatballs coming soon, by the way. They do have an unusual ingredient that made them quite special.

In our kitchen…

You win some, you lose some. I thought this little cookie scoop would be a nice gadget to have, as it grabs a defined amount of dough and then you simply release it on the baking sheet by pressing the flexible purple part. Good in theory, messy and cumbersome in practice. I ended up using a normal spoon and my hands, like in the good old times.

In our kitchen….

A favorite cracker these days. Rice and sesame, they are light, and have this interesting smoky flavor, not quite sure where it comes from, maybe the sesame seeds when they get baked? They pair with hummus as well as Romeo did with Juliet.

In our kitchen…

Casamigos, a special tequila, endorsed by the one and only George Clooney. That puts him and my beloved in the same special category: very attractive men who appreciate a good tequila. Phil says it’s very smooth, with excellent, clean flavor.

In our kitchen…

A nice twist on Panko bread crumbs, with chipotle-lime flavor.

It made some mighty flavorful pork chops. The chipotle level is just right, and the lime seals the deal for me, although I still squirted some fresh lemon juice all over them.

In our kitchen…

A nice pizza made with my default pizza dough, and with a slightly Greek-oriented flavor: sautéed spinach and leeks, over a simple tomato sauce, some fresh mozzarella and a little crowning with feta cheese… Perfect!

Not exactly in my kitchen, but in my office, a special photo for Celia, who loves umbrellas. Here is mine, perfect antidote for a gray and rainy day… 😉

and now, time for a message from our four-legged friends…

I know I melt Mom’s heart when I twist my head as she asks:
“Would you like a cookie?”

We actually tried to trick Buck, giving him something we never expected a dog to be interested in. We were wrong. He grabbed it and would not let it go… I was holding a raw sugar snap pea. He thought he had died and gone to canine heaven! Ate the whole thing and came back searching for more.

Oscar says he is clearly Mom and Dad’s favorite. Not only he’s got plenty of style and elegance…

But no other dog has a nose that matches Mom’s favorite color so well. A purple nose, that’s not something to sniff at… 😉

Buck will have nothing to do with it. In fact, the only thing he wants to do with his brother’s purple nose is to photobomb it.

Chief is tired of so much silliness, his sight is not that great, his hearing even worse, but his sniffer works like that of a basset hound. He knows there’s something up in the island that absolutely needs to come down… and it usually does…

And life goes on in the Bewitching Kitchen…

I hope you enjoyed this little virtual tour, and stop by Celia’s site to visit other kitchens around the blogosphere.

ONE YEAR AGO: The Blogger and the Shrink

TWO YEARS AGO: The Wheat-Berry Transmogrification

THREE YEARS AGO: Curried Zucchini Soup

FOUR YEARS AGO: Roasted Onion and Asiago Cheese Miche

23Feb2014

SECRET RECIPE CLUB: BARLEY RISOTTO WITH PEAS

Dear readers, when I got the Secret Recipe Club assignment for this month I went into full-happy-dance mode! It turns out that I’ve been paying attention to Chocolate and Chillies for a looong time, and hoping I would be paired with it, to stalk it real good. And that is exactly what I did. Asiya, the hostess of Chocolate and Chillies, has a ton of recipes that entice me. She was born and raised in Toronto, where she now lives with her husband and two kids, but her family is originally from India. Her blog features recipes with a heavy Indian influence, and to make it even better, many are her own family recipes. I love it! I bookmarked many options, but five were the strongest contenders. Here they are: Butter Chicken (lower in fat than regular versions), Mummy’s Tomato Spiced Rice, Whole Wheat Banana Muffins, and… Afghani Kebob with Tomato Gravy. The fifth? It’s the one I ended up making: Barley Risotto with Peas and Asparagus. Oh, my…. what an amazing dish this was! I made a slight adaptation because the asparagus looked very sad at the grocery store that day, so I went with carrots.

BARLEY RISOTTO WITH PEAS AND CARROTS
(slightly modified from Chocolate and Chillies)

4-6 cups of vegetable stock

2 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, minced

1 leek, chopped

1 cup pearled barley

2 carrots, diced

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup light cream cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Boil the vegetable stock. Reduce heat to medium-low to keep it warm.Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the minced shallot and leek. Saute 5-7 minutes until tender. Add barley and stir for a minute so that everything is well coated. Add 1 cup broth and stir until most of it has been absorbed. Continue to add 1/2 cup hot vegetable broth at a time, stirring until it has been absorbed before adding the next 1/2 cup.

While the barley is being cooked, microwave the pieces of carrots with a little water until almost tender, and reserve. Or you can cook them on top of the stove in a little salted water, and drain them well.

After 15 minutes of cooking the barley, add carrots and peas. Stir in salt and pepper. Continue to add water until barley is cooked through.

Remove from heat. Add lemon juice, cream cheese and Parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.
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ENJOY!
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to print the recipe, click here
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Comments: This was such a creamy, comforting dish, I love the traditional risotto made with Arborio rice, but this version with barley won my heart! I definitely want to make it with asparagus to celebrate the arrival of Spring and with it that infusion of life and joy and all things sunny and beautiful and gorgeous and warm into my personal equation. Can you detect my excitement as February says goodbye? I bet you can.

The barley risotto was served with grilled pork tenderloin, but for the next couple of days the risotto all by itself was my lunch. It tends to dry out a little bit in the fridge, but a little squirt of lemon juice brings it back nicely. I am not sure this could work for a risotto fritter like a regular rice risotto would, it seems to me that the grains of barley would be hard to keep together, but if anyone tries it and succeeds, let me know.

Asiya, I had a blast stalking your blog and picking a recipe to cook from!

For those interested in following the cooking adventures of the other Secret Recipe members in my group, poke the cute blue frog at the end of the post, and have fun!

ONE YEAR AGO: Oatmeal Fudge Bars

TWO YEARS AGO: Cauliflower Steaks

THREE YEARS AGO: Soft Spot for Chevre

FOUR YEARS AGO: Quick sun-dried Tomato Crostini

21Feb2014

A BRAN MUFFIN TO STEAL HIS HEART

Posted in Breakfast & Brunch by sallybr

I would love to take full credit for coming up with the title of this post, but I can’t. “A Bran Muffin Stole My Heart” was the title of a blog post by Michelle published almost 3 years ago, and brought to my attention by a friend over on Facebook (thank you, Tracy!). After reading Michelle’s post, I had the intuition that this recipe would be a winner. For starters, it makes big, very big muffins. Then, it proceeds by crowning each muffin with a tempting sprinkle of walnuts and sugar, that gets irresistibly crunchy as they bake. I had to make a batch and put it to the test of my resident bran muffin critic-extraordinaire… 😉

APPLE-RAISIN BRAN MUFFINS
(slightly modified from Put in Some Sugar)

1 + 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 + 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup chopped dried apple
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup cranberries
1/4 cup diced walnuts
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
Raw sugar, for sprinkling
walnut pieces, for sprinkling

Heat your oven to 400 F. Prepare a muffin pan, with either paper cups or spray.
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In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In another small bowl, combine the wheat bran and dried fruits. Add the boiling water and let sit.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until fluffy, then add the sugar and beat until well combined and creamy. Add the honey and mix. Add the egg, mixing well.

Mix in the buttermilk and flour mixture in three additions each, beating each addition until just combined. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl. Mix in the bran mixture.
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Scoop the batter into the muffin cups. It should take about 1/2 cup of batter for each muffin if you are using a jumbo muffin pan. For regular muffin pans, use 1/4 cup. Top each muffin with a teaspoon of raw sugar and sprinkle with a teaspoon of chopped walnuts.
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Bake 20 minutes or until browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

These muffins are the ones that got the closest to those from Phil’s past. I have no doubt that the larger size helped a lot, so getting the jumbo size muffin pan was a great move by Sally.

The topping adds a lot to these muffins, but I loved everything about them, from taste to texture. What can I say? I think I’ve been assimilated.

“I don’t always eat breakfast, but when I do, I prefer a bran muffin”.

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ONE YEAR AGO: Jammin’ Blueberry Sour Milk Pancakes

TWO YEARS AGO: Scallops with Black Pasta in Orange Cream Sauce

THREE YEARS AGO: Stir-fried Chicken with Creamed Corn

FOUR YEARS AGO: Potato, Cheddar, and Chive Torpedo

17Feb2014

ROASTED WINTER VEGETABLES WITH MISO-LIME DRESSING

Posted in Side dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

Long name for a great side dish that might turn into a full meal if coupled with goodies such as barley, couscous, quinoa, or a nice helping of soft-cooked polenta… Once more the inspiration to make this recipe came from Fer’s site, Chucrute com Salsicha. She always shares interesting recipes that take ingredients through some unusual path. I love it!

ROASTED WINTER VEGETABLES WITH MISO-LIME DRESSING
(adapted from Chucrute com Salsicha, originally published in The Kitchn)

8 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil (I needed to use a little more)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons yellow miso paste
2 tablespoons walnut oil
Black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place sweet potato and cauliflower pieces on a large bowl. Place Brussels sprouts in a separate bowl. Drizzle all veggies with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and toss to thoroughly coat. Add the sweet potato and cauliflower to a baking sheet and roast, moving them every once in a while. Total roasting time for sweet potato and cauliflower will be about 25 minutes. After they have been in the oven for 10 minutes, add the Brussels sprouts.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the lime juice and miso paste until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the walnut oil, whisking constantly, until thoroughly combined.

Place the roasted vegetables in a large bowl, pour in the dressing and toss to coat. Adjust seasoning. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: If you visit TheKitchn for the original recipe, you will notice they recommend using three baking trays, but Fer, in her version, simplified quite a bit, and I did the same. One large baking sheet was more than enough to handle all the veggies, just add them in the order they cook, Brussels sprouts going last. Other than that, the recipe was followed closely enough.

Miso and lime might become my favorite flavor combo for this year, the miso is sweet and funky, the lime is the life of the party, and if you ask me, a mandatory guest when Brussels sprouts are around. Fer served her veggies with barley, I went with Israeli couscous. But being the omnivores we are, this super delicious side dish was paired with (vegetarians, close your eyes now) grilled flank steak. A great dinner! Leftovers were amazing for lunch next day, by the way.

ONE YEAR AGO: 2012 Fitness Report: P90X2

TWO YEARS AGO: Caramelized Bananas

THREE YEARS AGO: Roasted Lemon Vinaigrette

FOUR YEARS AGO: Whole Wheat Bread

14Feb2014

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

Posted in General by sallybr

Paris, Valentine’s Day 2003… Restaurant Vin Sur Vin, unforgettable evening….

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I hope that you will have a wonderful evening, no matter your take on Valentine’s Day. We are not in Paris, but we will dream about being there… and act accordingly 😉

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ONE YEAR AGO: A Few Blogging Issues

TWO YEARS AGO: Dan Dan Noodles

THREE YEARS AGO: Sophie Grigson’s Parmesan Cake

FOUR YEARS AGO: Antibiotics and Food