LtDan'sKitchen.com

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Skillet-Braised Sausage and Grapes

This recipe came to me watching a new episode of Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa show a couple of weeks ago. I do remember seeing this dish cooked on television before but I just cannot remember what show it was. So, I decided to do some research and the recipes I found go from very simple to quite complicated. It was then that I decided to combine the recipes that were rated the highest and came up with my own version of this dish. Truth be told, I was excited and yet, very wary about the way it will turn out but that fear was unfounded. My friends who shared the dish with me loved it. It was very good and is definitely worth a try. I used sausage links for this dish but an Italian sausage is the preferred sausage of choice.

Skillet-Braised Sausage and Grapes

1 1/2 lb sausage links
3 cups seedless green and red grapes
1/4 cup dry red wine
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil

1. In a skillet at medium
heat, add the oil and
once warm, add the
sausages. When the
sausages are browned,
add the red wine and
lower the heat to
medium low and cook for 20 minutes.

2. Increase the heat to high and add the grapes and the balsamic vinegar.
Cook for about 10 minutes or until the grapes are cooked and softened
and the balsamic sauce has thickened.

Grandma Martha's Chocolate Roll

'Tis almost the season of Thanksgiving and Christmas and it is time to come up with dessert recipes that go well with the season. This chocolate roll fits the bill in the sense that it is a simple chocolate roll and yet, the flavor is fairly intense without it being too much. In fact, the cake is light as a feather and you might be tempted to ask for seconds or even thirds. The filling can also be changed depending on the type of alcohol you are partial too. I love Kahlua but a dark rum will also work well with this dessert.

The recipe is adapted from the Thanksgiving issue of Food and Wine circa 2000. Despite the age of the recipe, this dessert is definitely timeless and surprisingly, gluten free as well. The cake is made with melted chocolate, beaten egg yolks and sugar, and beaten egg whites which give the batter its volume, hence, the resulting light texture. The roll is named after the chefs' (Eric and Bruce Bromberg of New York's Blue Ribbon restaurants) grandmother as part of their Thanksgiving menu. They also offer a pumpkin meringue pie which is the only pumpkin recipe I ever use, but that is another story.

Grandma Martha's Chocolate Roll - Adapted*

6 oz semisweet chocolate
3 tbsp freshly brewed strong coffee
3/4 cup sugar
6 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 tbsp dark rum

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a metal bowl over
simmering water,
melt the chocolate
with the coffee. Set
aside.

2. Separate the egg white from the egg yolks. Beat the egg whites in a
metal bowl until stiff peaks form. Transfer beaten egg whites to a
secondary bowl.

3. In the same bowl used to beat the egg whites, beat the egg yolks with
the sugar until pale and doubled in size. At low speed, add the melted
chocolate until just incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix.

4. Take a third of the egg whites and fold into the chocolate mixture. Add
the rest of the egg whites and fold until mixed.

5. Bake in a greased and lined 10x15 jelly roll pan for 15 minutes. Cover with
a kitchen towel and allow to cool to room temperature. Cool for another
30 minutes in the fridge.

6. Loosen the cake and dust with a layer of cocoa powder before inverting
the cake onto another sheet of wax or parchment paper supported by
another jelly roll pan.

7. Prepare the filling by whipping the cream to stiff peaks. Add the rum and
mix until incorporated.

8. Evenly spread the filling onto the cake and from the short end, roll the
cake using the wax or parchment paper as a guide. Clip both ends of the
wax or parchment paper with the seam facing down to secure the cake.
Chill until ready to serve.

* Food and Wine, November 2000, p234

Friday, October 14, 2011

Beef Steak on a Skillet

Beef steak is a rare treat for me, no pun intended. It is just too much meat for one serving but every now and then, the need to indulge is strong and I am okay with that. After all, I don't really have a steak dinner every week but rather, every couple of months or even longer. I managed to perfect a simple way to prepare beef steak on a skillet where it always comes out as medium rare, my favored doneness for my steak.

Beef steak back home is a lot different that what is referred to as beef steak here in the US. The local term is "bistek" and is made up of small pieces of beef marinated in soy sauce, kalamansi (our local lime), sugar and garlic. The beef is then cooked in butter until just browned and the sauce is thickened and drizzled over the beef that is usually served with steamed rice.

New York Beef Steak cut
Copyright 2011 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

As much as I love the flavor of "bistek", the minimal preparation needed to cook the American beef steak always wins in my books. To prepare this dish the right way, the trick is to make sure that the meat is at room temperature and that you start with the meat fairly dry. Use a paper towel to dab the meat if a bit moist. This process ensures the even formation of a crust on the outside of the meat while maintaining the moistness inside. I used a New York steak beef cut for this posting.

Beef Steak on a Skillet

0.5 - 0.8 lb beef steak (about 1 inch thick)
Coarse salt

1. Heat a thick skillet over medium high to high heat.

2. Salt one side of the beef generously. When the skillet is hot, lay the meat,
salted side down and sear for 5-6 minutes. Leave it undisturbed. If the
edges start to curl, weigh it down with another skillet.

3. Season the unsalted side with salt, flip and cook for another 5-6 minutes.
Transfer the steak onto a cutting board and let it rest for about 5
minutes.

4. Cut into wedges and serve with a side of salad or your favorite side dish.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Moroccan Chicken with Squash and Plums

This recipe is from the Food Network Star winner Amy Finley who I actually wanted to win and did. Sadly, she made the choice to not continue with her show after the first season of The Gourmet Next Door but she did leave me with this favorite Moroccan recipe of hers. Small consolation but consolation nonetheless.

This dish is quite versatile. I've made it with beef, lamb and chicken and it always came out really great. The other thing is that you don't really need a tangine to make this dish. I just bake it in my turkey roasting pan and it works like a charm. No need to spend a small fortune buying a tangine although it will definitely look more authentic.

I usually serve this with a couple of side dishes but this time, I went for the simple route and settled for none. My choice of side for this dish though is Batinjaan Zalud which is a cold eggplant relish. I also like to serve this with couscous cooked in broth.

Moroccan Chicken with Squash and Plums - Adapted*

7 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, zest grated and juiced plus 2 lemons,

quartered, for garnish
1 tsp harissa (recipe follows)
4 skinless chicken thighs, (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup chicken broth
Pinch saffron strands
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch half moons or chunks
3 yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch half moons or chunks
3 medium plum tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup dried pitted prunes (about 10)
1/4 cup black olives, pitted
Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 cup almonds
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp spice mix (check below)

1. In a medium glass bowl, combine the spice mixture, 2 tablespoons of the
olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and harissa. Add the chicken thighs
and stir to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at
least 1 hour for up to 3 hours.

2. Warm the chicken broth and add the saffron strands. Allow to steep at
least 1 hour for or up to 3 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the chicken thighs from the
marinade. In a deep pot over high heat, brown the chicken thighs on both
sides in 2 tablespoons olive oil, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set chicken
aside on a plate.

4. Reduce the heat to medium, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan, and
saute the onion and garlic until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer the
chicken thighs and the onions on a roasting pan and add any accumulated
juices from the plate. Tuck in the prunes and olives and season well with
salt and pepper. Add the tomato quarters on top of the chicken and pour
over the chicken broth and saffron. Cover and place on the bottom rack
of the oven. Let cook undisturbed for an hour.

5. Add the zucchini and yellow squash and bake for another hour or until the
chicken is falling off the bone. Transfer to a serving dish. Check for
seasoning and adjust with salt.

6. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small saucepan over high heat until hot
but not smoking. Add the almonds and fry until the skins begin to crackle,
about 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the almonds and hot oil over the vegetables
and chicken on the serving dish. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and
serve, spooning over the sauce and garnishing each plate with the lemon
quarters. Serve with couscous (recipe follows).

Spice Mixture:

1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Combine the spices in a coffee grinder and grind to a medium-fine powder. Add the kosher salt and pepper. Store in an air-tight container, if not using immediately.

*Food Network Channel, The Gourmet Next Door: Moroccan State of Mind episode

Couscous and Harissa

Couscous is a Berber dish made from semolina and is traditionally served with meat or vegetable stews and is a staple in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The first time I tried couscous was when I made Amy Finley's Moroccan Chicken with Squash and Plums. I have been hooked ever since. It really blends well with this aromatic dish and the best thing about it, you can just set it and forget it. That is how easy to cook couscous. You can definitely bump it up a notch and garnish it with almonds and parsley.

Couscous

4 cups couscous
4 cups chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup onions, finely diced
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a deep pot. Add the garlic and onions
and saute until softened. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Add the broth and heat until it boils. Turn off the heat and add the
couscous. Stir to mix and cover. Let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.

3. Fluff the couscous and top with your choice of toppings.

Harissa is a hot chili sauce often used in North African dishes. It is made from chili peppers and a number of aromatic spices and is used as a marinade in meat stews. It is slowly gaining popularity in Moroccan dishes as witnessed by the recipe I used it for. It is quite hard to find them in the grocery aisles so I make my own and I keep the rest of it in the freezer for future use.

Harissa - Adapted*

10-12 dried Guajillo peppers
3 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp olive oil + extra

1. Reconstitute the peppers in hot water until softened. Remove the stems,
seeds and the spine.

2. In a blender, combine the rest of the ingredients and at high setting,
blitz. You may need to add more olive oil to form a smooth paste.

3. Use right away and freeze the extra for later use.

* About.com by Saad Fayed

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

This soup is actually two recipes in one. The roasted squash prior to becoming a soup can be used as a side dish for the Thanksgiving turkey. My cousin loved the roasted squash when I made it for her Thanksgiving dinner and it is now something I do every now and then whenever I have the need for a savory side dish. The recipe is adapted from Michael Chiarello and with so many compnents to this soup, it might get confusing so I'll try to deconstruct this recipe to make it a bit simpler.

Let's start with the spice mix. This recipe yields about a cup so you can adjust the measurements to suit your needs. It lasts for a long time in the freezer though so I make a big batch of this spice rub which can also be used as a marinade for another recipe, Forever Roasted Pork, but that is for another post.

Toasted Spice Rub:
1/4 cup fennel seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup (1-ounce) pure California chili powder
2 tbsp kosher salt
2 tbsp ground cinnamon

1. Toast the fennel and coriander seeds with the peppercorns in a small,
heavy pan over medium heat. When the fennel turns light brown, add
the red pepper flakes and toss. Immediately turn the spice mixture out
onto a plate to cool.

2. Put mixture into a blender with the chili powder, salt, and cinnamon
and blend until the spices are evenly ground. Keep the spice mix in a
glass jar in a cool, dry place, or freeze.

Butternut Squash
Copyright 2011 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

Now, the second part is the roasted butternut squash. It has its own recipe and I encourage you to try the roasted squash once you take it out of the oven. It is very delicious and the marinade that thickens during the roasting process is both sweet and salty and perfectly flavors the squash.

Roasted Winter Squash:
3 lb butternut squash (preferably 1 large squash)
Gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage leaves
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup dark unsulfured molasses
2 tsp Toasted spice rub, recipe above

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler, halve
lengthwise, discard the seeds, then cut into 1-inch dice. Place in a large
bowl and season with salt and pepper.

2. Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the
butter ceases to foam and has turned a light brown, pull the pan off the
heat and immediately add the sage, sugar, vinegar, molasses and toasted
spice rub. Mix well and let simmer over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes to
meld the flavors.

3. Pour the vinegar mixture over the squash and toss well, then transfer to a
heavy rimmed baking sheet or baking dish large enough to hold the squash
in a single layer. Place in the oven and roast, tossing at least once, until
very tender and caramelized, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Set aside until
cool enough to handle but still warm.

And now, finally for the soup. The hard work is really in making the spice rub and in roasting the squash. What is left is to make a savory broth which acts as the base of the soup. It is very simple and it allows the flavors of the roasted squash to take center stage.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup - Adapted*

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced carrot
1 cinnamon stick
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1/2 tsp ground toasted coriander
1 1/2 cups roasted Winter Squash recipe
1/2 cup half-and-half, optional
Sour cream

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium and add the onion, celery,
carrot, and cinnamon stick and saute until soft but not brown, about 10
minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Add the chicken stock and the coriander and bring to a boil. Simmer for
several minutes. Stir in the squash then simmer gently to let the flavors
meld, about 10 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick.

3. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Return the soup to the pan and
reheat gently. Add the half-and-half, if using. Adjust the seasoning with
salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

4. Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream if
desired.

* Food Network Channel, Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello:Engagement Party episode, 2007

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Beet, Goat Cheese and Arugula Salad

This is by far my favorite salad that I seldom make due to the fact that I hate handling beets. It turns everything pink. Once you get past this initial hurdle though, this salad is something you will definitely enjoy. A bit on the pricey side because of the ingredients, it is nonetheless worth trying at least once. The goat cheese, shallots, and if out of season, the arugula, avocado and beets can cost quite a chunk of your arm.

Adapted from Giada De Laurentis recipe, I made a very slight change since there is no need to fiddle with something that already tastes good in the first place. I have not really seen her slow lately but every time I see beets or goat cheese, this is the recipe that always comes to mind.

Beet, Goat Cheese and Arugula Salad - Adapted*

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp shallots, thinly sliced
1 tbsp honey
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 medium beets, cooked, peeled and quartered
6 cups fresh arugula
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2. Whisk the vinegar, shallots, and honey in a medium bowl to blend.

Gradually whisk in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with salt and

pepper.

3. Toss the beets in a bowl with enough dressing to coat. Place the beets on

the prepared baking sheet and roast until the beets are slightly

caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Set aside and cool.

4. Toss the arugula, walnuts, and cranberries in a large bowl with enough

vinaigrette to coat.

5. To serve, mound the salad on a plate and arrange the beets around the

salad together with the avocado and goat cheese.

* Food Network Channels: Everyday Italian: Italian Fusion episode

Recipes

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Friday, October 14, 2011

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Sunday, October 9, 2011