Back in the Kitchen

I have not posted any delicious recipes or charming anecdotes for half a year! So sorry, loyal readers (all three of you)! I have been very busy teaching, discovering yoga and falling in love....but this does not mean I have stopped cooking. I am going to put some new recipes and pictures up really soon, I promise!

Grilled Lamb with Wine and Herb Sauce

Christmas Eve found my father and I making dinner in his brand-new, gleaming kitchen, complete with an awesome stove-top grill I have been itching to try. We had gotten some thick, gorgeous lamb chops, and my dad pulled the sauce recipe from one of his ancient Time-Life cookbooks (Classic French Cooking). It was quite possibly the best lamb I have ever eaten in my life.


6 thick lamb chops
olive oil
sea salt and pepper
2 tablespoons dried rosemary

for the sauce:
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth (or veal broth if you can find it)
1 teaspoon tomato paste
4 tablespoons unsalted butter


Brush the chops with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary on both sides. Let them sit out for around an hour, till they reach room temp. Then, sear them in a large pan for about 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chops from the pan and set aside. Add the white wine to the pan and deglaze, scraping up all the delicious brown bits of meat and rosemary from the bottom. Bring to a boil and let the wine reduce by about a third, then stir in the tarragon and broth. Bring back to a boil and simmer for another 8-10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and season with salt and pepper.





At this point, throw the chops on a screamin' hot grill to get a good char on the outside. Cook on each side to desired temperature, depending on thickness. Whisk the butter into the sauce and spoon it over the lamb. Fill your heart with warmth and holiday cheer. Enjoy!

Holiday Apple and Pear "Tart"

I am back in New York, celebrating the holidays and cooking with my mother in her small and beautiful kitchen. Tonight, we are having some family friends over for dinner and are serving rigatoni with brussel sprouts, pancetta and sage, several fancy cheeses with guava paste, and I attempted this dessert.

2 large Rome apples, diced
1 Bosc pear, diced
3 small Anjou pears, diced
3 tablespoons dried cranberries (I used orange-flavored "craisins")
2 tablespoons fancy brandy
1 tablespoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons sugar
juice from half a lemon
1 frozen puff pastry shell, thawed

In a small bowl or teacup soak the cranberries in the brandy for around 45 minutes (do this while the pastry is thawing).

In a large bowl, toss the chopped fruit with the lemon juice, cinnamon and sugar. Let is hang out and marinate in there for about half an hour. Everything (the fruit, cranberries and pastry) should be ready to go at about the same time.

In a big frying pan, saute the fruit and cranberries with butter over low heat for about 8 minutes, until it all starts to get soft and brown. Roll out the pastry dough very thin and spoon the fruit into the center. Wrap the fruit in the pastry like a delicious Christmas present, starting with the corners. Brush the exposed pastry with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350 for around 35 minutes and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Middle Eastern Eggplant Stew

I spent the last week in New York City visiting my family and friends, and almost every night went out to some great restaurant where, most often, I ordered red meat. My week of carnivorous decadence culminated in Thanksgiving, and this year my family decided to forgo the traditional turkey and fixings for boef bourguignon because that's just the kind of people we are. Needless to say, when I returned to California I decided that lighter, vegetable-based dishes are what I need to eat right now to detox a little. I threw together this stew and am really pleased with it; its filling and pretty cheap to make, and you can really taste each ingredient's distinct flavor. It reheats well, too, so its great to bring to work for lunch.

1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 Yukon Gold potato, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 14 ounce can chickpeas aka garbanzo beans
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
olive oil
salt
pepper
1 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 Turkish bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
(the spice measurements are not exact)

In a large pot, saute the onions and garlic in olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add the potatoes, eggplant and zucchini (chop and add as you go). Saute for another 8 minutes and then add the chickpeas and tomatoes. Season everything with all your spices, add between 3 and 4 cups of water (so everything is not quite covered) and cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 40 minutes. Stir in the parsley, add more salt and pepper to taste, and serve over couscous. Spritz with lemon before eating.

Savory Muffins with Green Onions, Feta and Sundried Tomatoes

These savory muffins are delicious -- they turned out more like biscuits: very fluffy and light. The green onions gave them a little texture, and feta and sun dried tomatoes are a perfect combination. I took a basic muffin recipe from the Sunset Cookbook of Breads and added the cheese and veggies -- they would be great with bacon and cheddar, or apricots and almonds, or anything else on hand. These ones are perfect with a bowl of soup.


2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1 egg
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking powder) in a bowl. In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients (milk, oil and egg). Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix till thick, then mix in the feta, green onions and sun dried tomatoes. Spoon into a greased muffin pan and bake at 375 for about 40 minutes, until golden.

Veggie Soup

This is a variation of the "Baba Yaga Cabbage Soup" I posted a while back, though this one is richer and heartier (thanks to some potatoes), and the flavor is much more robust. My mother got me an immersion blender and I have been dying to try it out -- thus, this soup was born today (its other parent was me wanting to get rid of a bunch of vegetables and use the dried shitake mushrooms in my pantry). There is finally an autumn nip in the air here, and it has begun raining so naturally all I want to do is make and eat soup. This one is so cozy, and quite rich despite its lack of dairy.

1 half head green cabbage
4 celery ribs(leaves and all), chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 Yukon Gold potatoes - diced
2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
4 or 5 dried shitake mushrooms, re hydrated and sliced
1 28 oz. can tomatoes - diced, pureed, whole, crushed, whatever -- the blender will take care of it
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 sprigs of thyme
sea salt and pepper
1 tablespoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

Chop the green onions and begin to saute with the olive oil in a large pot. Chop and add the carrots, potatoes, celery and mushrooms. Add the cabbage and then the spices (just throw the sprigs of thyme in). Use a lot of salt! Mix everything around and let it saute for a few more minutes, to bring the flavors together. Then, add the tomatoes and re-fill the can with water and pour that in as well. Simmer for at least 45 minutes and then blend (either with an immersion blender or in a regular one in batches). Garnish with a sprig of thyme or fresh dill, drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Vanilla Cupcakes

I asked my boyfriend what kind of cupcakes he would like me to make, and suggested several interesting and exotic flavors like pumpkin, ginger spice, peanut butter/chocolate, etc. All he would say was "vanilla cupcake, vanilla frosting". After thinking about it for a while, I realized that plan old vanilla has always been and probably always will be my favorite dessert flavor as well, and there is really no need to mess with a classic. I found this recipe for vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting at thejoyofbaking.com. With my new mixer it was ridiculously easy! The lemon zest added a little zip and the frosting was oh-so-creamy.

Cupcakes:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 large lemon (optional)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk

Buttercream Frosting:

2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until nicely browned.

For the Frosting: With a hand mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add a little more milk or sugar, if needed.