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Archive for the ‘Cooking’ Category

GARBURE

Posted in Cooking, Entertaining on January 24, 2022| Leave a Comment »

My final cozy meal for the winter is Garbure. It originates from the south west part of France and it’s one of my standby favorites. Don’t let the plain, simple look fool you. This is one that once you’ve made it, you will always crave it.  It’s a very hearty thick soup that gives immense soul soothing flavor.  

THE INGREDIENTS

1 cup dried white beans such as Great Northern, navy or cannelloni (7oz), picked over and rinsed

1 whole clove

1 medium onion, peeled and left whole

2 1/2 lb smoked ham hocks (or you can use shanks or pork belly)

3 qt water

6 fresh parsley sprigs

1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf

1 fresh thyme sprig

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 lb yellow-fleshed potatoes such as Yukon Gold (3 to 4 medium)

1 lb cabbage, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (6 cups)

1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

12 (1/2 inch-thick) slices froma baguette

serves 4 to 6

STEPS

First I soaked the beans in cold water and covered overnight for 8 hours. Then I drained the beans and placed in the fridge until I was ready to start cooking.

Bring ham hocks and 3 quarts of water to a boil in a wide 6 to 7 quart heavy pot, skimming off any froth, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 hour.  

*It’s optional but I do recommend adding a chicken or duck carcass to the simmering process.  It adds a wonderful flavor dimension. 

Add beans, onion (with clove stuck in it), parsley, bay leaf, thyme and garlic.  Continue simmering uncovered and stirring occasionally, until beans are almost tender, 50 to 60 minutes.

When beans are almost done, peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Add potatoes and cabbage to beans then more simmering (uncovered) until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. 

Remove ham hocks. When ham hocks are cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones, then cut meat into bite-size pieces. Stir into soup with salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaf and onion.

When it comes to the bread, I highly recommend spending the extra effort and grilling.  One of the keys to this recipe is good bread done right.  Generous amount of olive oil, heat up your grill or fire and get a nice crust.  Finish with a little more olive oil and sea salt.  You will thank me later.

To come home to this after a long day of work or school, when you’re cold and ready for warmth is truly one of the best things next to sliced bread. I hope you give it a try.

Confit isn’t readily available for everyone, but if you are lucky to have a good source I’m including a similar recipe where you can add in as the “icing on the cake”.  Click here. 

Happy Monday!

 

recipe from Gourmet Magazine

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BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Posted in Christmas, Cooking, Food, Holiday, tagged , , , , , on December 30, 2021| 3 Comments »

My next cozy winter dish is Beef Bourguignon from Burgundy, France. This dish has been around since the middle ages and originally was considered a peasant dish (typically my favorite type of dish) because it’s hearty, could feed many and you could use the cheaper cuts of meet.

THE INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 slices dry cured center cut bacon, cut into small pieces

*3 pounds stewing beef, cut into 2-inch chunks (I like to cut them into 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes)

coarse salt + freshly ground black pepper

2 large carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch chunks

1 large white onion, sliced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups red wine (I use almost a bottle. You can use chianti, Pinot Noir or a good red table wine)

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups beef stock

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 cloves smashed garlic

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 crumbled bay leaf

12 small pearl onions, peeled and halved

3 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 pound fresh white mushrooms, quartered

STEPS

Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a dutch oven (or heavy based pot with lid) and simmer bacon until lightly brown. When done, remove and set aside.

Pat dry beef with a paper towel and sear the beef on all sides and set aside with bacon.

Note: This time I seared whole pieces of brisket on the grill to speed up this process and then I cut the brisket into 1 1/2 inch cubes, and it worked out beautifully. Either way will work.

In the same dutch oven that you cooked the bacon (and the beef, if you didn’t use the grill) add your sliced carrots and onions and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat.

Add the bacon and beef back to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Toss. Sprinkle with flour and toss once more. Add your pearl onions.

Add your beef stock and wine to cover the meat. Add the tomato paste, garlic and thyme. Bring to a light simmer. Cover and simmer for 3 to 4 hours.

Note: a lot of recipes have you place it in an oven for part of the cooking but I prefer to just cook it on the stove for a very long time. Traditionally, this dish cooked for 2 days. 

In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add your butter to a sauté pan and then your mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir to make sure all the mushrooms get coated with the butter.

Once stew is done add your sautéed mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes to combine. 

Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes or bread. I like to grill my bread, but any fresh tasty bread would work beautifully.

Every French chef has their variation on this classic French dish. Mine is a version of Julia Child’s but Ina Garten and Anthony Bourdain also have great versions. This dish is delicious when done, but even better the next day.

HAPPY THURSDAY!!

 

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BRAISED CHICKEN

Posted in Cooking, Holiday, tagged , , on December 21, 2021| Leave a Comment »

I love this time of year, especially when it comes to cooking something warm and cozy. Over the next two weeks I’ll be sharing my top three cozy winter recipes. Today, it’s one of my favorite go-to meals for this time of year, Braised Chicken.

This is a perfect dish to make ahead of time because it reheats beautifully. Plus, it makes your home smell incredibly good.

 

THE INGREDIENTS 

(recipe is from Everyday Food)

8 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (I use ones with skin on as well)

course salt and ground pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound small shallots (peeled and halved)

5 garlic cloves, peeled and halved

1/2 cup dry white wine (I use a full cup)

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (I just leave mine whole)

Fresh tarragon leaves for garnish

 

Add your oil to the pot and place on medium high

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with flour. Cook on both sides until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

You may have to cook the chicken in batches so not to crowd. When all the chicken is done, set aside.

Add the shallots and garlic; cook stirring occasionally until slightly softened and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the wine until evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in dijon mustard and 1 1/2 cups water; bring to a boil.

Add the chicken back in, bone side down. Turn heat down to a simmer, cover with a tight fitting lid and cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove the chicken and add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook on high until sauce thickens, about 8 minutes. Return chicken to pot and reheat if necessary. Garnish with tarragon, if desired, and serve.

I love to serve it with really good bread, it helps soak up all the delicious juices, however, my husband loves it served with warm mashed potatoes.

Happy Tuesday!

 

 

 

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END OF SUMMER TOMATO TART

Posted in Cooking, Entertaining, Food on September 1, 2021| Leave a Comment »

I love tomatoes and I thought, with summer coming to a close, it was the perfect time to take advantage of some really gorgeous tomatoes.

    TOMATO TART

    from Mimi Thorisson’s, A Kitchen in France

    Tart dough (see below)

    All-purpose flour for rolling

    A few sprigs of fresh basil

    1 tablespoon grainy mustard

    1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

    Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

    2 tablespoons tomato paste

    1 1/4 pounds (550g) tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick

    1 tablespoon honey

    1 small ball buffalo mozzarella torn into small pieces

    *Serves 4

    On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 12-inch round about 1/4 inch thick. Press into the base and sides of a 10-inch tart pan and trim the edges. Prick the base with a fork. Put the pan in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.

    Preheat the oven to 350F

    Combine the basil, mustard, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and pinch of salt in blender. Puree until smooth.

    Spread the tomato paste over the base of the tart shell and then pour the basil oil over it. Arrange the sliced tomatoes in a circular pattern, in one layer, in the tart shell. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the honey and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over the tomatoes.

    Bake until the pastry is golden, about 35 minutes. Let the tart rest for 15 minutes.

    Scatter the mozzarella and some basil over the tart before serving.

    I went ahead and just bought the dough in the frozen section of my local supermarket but if you do have time, it’s easy enough just to make it from scratch. See recipe below.

    TART DOUGH

    2 cups all-purpose flour

    1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

    9 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes and chilled

    1 large egg

    3 tablespoons cold water

    In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add the butter and work it in with your fingers until the mixture is crumbly. Make a well in the center and add the egg and water. Mix until the dough comes together and forms a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a least 1 hour, or overnight. Makes enough for one 10 inch tart shell.

    Happy Sunday!

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    ARTICHOKE RISOTTO

    Posted in Cooking, Entertaining, Food, Gardening, tagged , , on May 8, 2021| Leave a Comment »

    RISOTTO AI CARCIOFI

    2 pints vegetable stock

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    a dollop of butter

    1 large onion peeled and finely chopped

    2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

    1/2 a head of celery, trimmed and finely chopped

    2 cups risotto (Arborio) rice

    2 wineglasses of dry white wine

    5 tablespoons butter

    4 oz. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

    6 small artichokes

    zest and juice of 1 lemon

    sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

    a small bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked

    Stage 1: Peel the artichokes back to their pale, light leaves, then halve them and remove the hairy chokes with a teaspoon. Immerse the artichokes in water with half the lemon juice with a heavy lid or heat -resistant dish placed on top of them to keep them immersed and stop them from discoloring.

    Stage 2: Heat the stock. Put the olive oil and butter into a separate pan, add the onion, garlic, and celery and cook very slowly for about 15 minutes without coloring. This is called a soffrito. When the vegetables have softened, add the rice and turn up the heat.

    Stage 3: Drop your prepared artichoke halves into the simmering stock.

    Stage 4: The rice will now begin to lightly fry, so keep stirring it. After a minute it will look slightly translucent. Add the wine and keep stirring — it will smell amazing. Once the wine was cooked into the rice, add your first ladle of hot stock and a pinch of salt. Turn the heat down to a simmer so the rice doesn’t cook too quickly and the outside. Keep adding ladle full of stock, stirring and massaging the creamy starch out of the rice, allowing each ladleful to be absorbed before adding the next. This will take around *15 minutes. Taste the rice to check if it’s cooked. If not, carry on adding stock until the rice is soft but with a slight bite.

    Stage 6: Remove the artichokes from the stock pan and add to the risotto. Remove the risotto from the heat and add the butter and Parmesan, artichokes, toss with lemon zest and mint. Stir well. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes. Salt if needed.

    *Cook’s note: This recipe is from Jamie Oliver’s book Jamie’s Italy. This is one of my favorite cookbooks. I’ve been using it forever and everything I make from this book is excellent! This is a very simple recipe but it always takes me longer than 15 minutes to make. From start to finish, I would allow an hour. I made it last night and it took me a while but I’m a slow cook because I always like to enjoy conversation and a glass of wine while cooking.

    Serves 6

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    TOMATO + BUFFALO MOZZARELLA SANDWICH WITH FRESH PESTO

    Posted in Cooking, Entertaining, Food, Gardening, tagged , , , , on May 7, 2020| Leave a Comment »

    Happy Thursday! With tomatoes in season, one of my favorite ways to enjoy them is by making this simple yet extremely flavorful sandwich. This is my all-time favorite sandwich.

    INGREDIENTS:

    Baguette

    Tomatoes

    Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella

    Fresh Pesto

    Basil or Arugula

    Salt

    A baguette is perfect for this sandwich, but if it’s not easily available then any thick country bread would work.

    Spread the pesto on both sides of baguette. Add the sliced tomatoes, salt the tomatoes. Stack the sliced buffalo mozzarella on top and add a little salt to the mozzarella. If you don’t have pesto then you can use a good olive oil.

    One thing that I didn’t have on hand but would have been fantastic with this sandwich is fresh basil or arugula. Served with a fresh green salad and a small glass of chilled white wine and it’s the perfect lunch.

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    BIG APPLE PANCAKE

    Posted in Cooking, Entertaining, Food, tagged , , , on March 26, 2020| 1 Comment »

     Usually, when times get stressful, I like to invite friends and family over and enjoy food and conversation. However, in light of recent events, this is now sadly, not possible. It’s difficult to know how to navigate through these uncertain times. How do we comfort our family, as well as ourselves? How do we try and make our lives as “normal” and enjoyable as possible? Besides work and daily chores, I’m finding comfort in gardening and spending a nice amount of time cooking. Yesterday, I decided to try out a recipe I’ve had forever but never attempted. In the end it turned out to be super easy and delicious — the perfect afternoon distraction.

    The apples cooking in butter

    Adding the batter to the apples

    BIG APPLE PANCAKE

    Active time: 15 min    Start to finish: 30 min

    1/2 stick unsalted butter

    *1 large sweet apple such as Gala or Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-wide wedges

    1/2 cup of whole milk

    1/2 cup all-purpose flour

    4 large eggs

    3 tablespoons granulated sugar

    1/2 teaspoon vanilla

    1/4 teaspoon salt

    Confectioners sugar for dusting

    Special equipment: a well-seasoned 10 to 11-inch heavy cast-iron skillet or other ovenproof skillet

    Place oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450F

    Melt butter in skillet over moderate heat, then transfer 2 tablespoons to a blender. Add apple wedges to skillet and cook, turning over once, until beginning to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.

    While apple is cooking, add milk, flour, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt to butter in blender and blend until smooth.

    Pour batter over apple and transfer skillet to oven. Bake until pancake is puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Dust with confectioners sugar and serve immediately.

    *Note: I used fuji apples because that’s what I had and it was perfect. So use whatever apple you can get your hands on, and if they aren’t super sweet then you can add a little more sugar if you’d like.

    Recipe via Gourmet Magazine

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    HOMEMADE PESTO

    Posted in Cooking, Entertaining, Food, Gardening, tagged , , on December 15, 2019| 1 Comment »

    Happy Sunday! Today, I’m making homemade pesto because as the holidays get busier, it’s something I can grab from the fridge and easily put together. Add to your favorite pasta and you have a wonderful homemade meal in minutes. The recipe, so super simple, is below.

    I also love using pesto with Caprese salad. Drizzle a little more olive oil on top for more moisture. Also, excellent on sandwiches.

    THE RECIPE 

    3 cups (packed) basil leaves

    4 gloves garlic

    1/4c pine nuts

    1/4c walnuts

    1c parmesan cheese

    1/2c olive oil + a little more

    salt

    I just throw it all in a food processor and pulse until it reaches the consistency I like. This recipe serves four.

    Enjoy!

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    AN ITALIAN AFTERNOON

    Posted in Cooking, Entertaining, Food, Home, tagged , , , , on May 17, 2018| 4 Comments »

    When my girlfriends and I were in Laguna Beach a couple of weeks ago, we thought the idea of spending an entire day cooking a big meal, sipping wine and listening to good music sounded like an excellent way to spend a Saturday. So this past weekend we decided to try it out by inviting family & friends to help prepare an Italian feast.

    The Menu:

    Cheese & meat platter

    Ravioli with sausage filling

    Sausage Carbonara 

    Caprese salad

    Mix green salad

    Grilled zucchini

    Tuscan steak

    Limoncello Cake

    Even though my house wasn’t perfect, and I should have spent half the day doing laundry, I’m glad I decided not pay attention to any of that and just enjoy an afternoon with family, friends and really good food. Cheers to taking more time out of our daily duties to enjoy long meals with family & friends!

    Happy Thursday!

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    Jamie Oliver’s ‘Rotolo di Zucca e Ricotta’

    Posted in Cooking, Entertaining, Food, tagged , , on July 27, 2011| 1 Comment »

    The other night I decided to have a go at making “Rotolo” — a rolled up pasta dish. This pasta is stuffed with butternut squash, spinach and ricotta. With the Texas heat reaching over 100 degrees everyday, I am trying to think of different ways to get through the hottest part of the day. One solution has been getting together with friends and cooking long meals (with a chilled glass of wine). So, my friend, Karla ( a food stylist here in San Antonio), and I took a recipe from Jamie Oliver’s Jamie’s Italy cookbook and gave Rotolo a shot.

    Karla was in charge of the dough, which I am still a bit intimated by

    The spinach waiting for its turn in the saute pan

    The  roasted butternut squash with coriander and fennel seeds

    The rolled out dough ready to be stuffed

    Iris rolling out her dough

    rolling…

    …rolling

    rolled

    into the boiling water

    weights so it doesn’t float to the top

    unrolling the pasta

    Sliced and ready for the table with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and fried sage leaves. A great vegetarian dish, however, we did decide to serve it with steak and a beet salad. Very fun and super tasty!

    Click here for Jamie Oliver’s website

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