Christmases Two and Three

Christmas number two: Christmas Eve at my In-Laws at their house. Christmas number three: Christmas Day with my dad and stepmom at my house.

Christmas Eve dinner is kind of set.  It's basically been the same since long before I came around.  And my family has traditions that I would shit bricks if someone tried to mess with, so I keep my mouth shut.  Besides, it's good food, and I'm happy to not have to contribute.  I love cooking, and usually I get cranky if I'm not asked to bring something (or if I'm just asked to bring salad.  Or worse, fruit.  I'll bring salad AND fruit, but let me bring something I cooked, too.)  But Christmas is stressful, and I'm usually rushing around the day before Christmas (and Christmas Eve... and the day after) trying to get some last minute gift finished, so I'm happy to sit one out.

However, Jeff's mom did give me a great opportunity.  She and I share an Oberweis account (a local dairy that delivers milk, yogurt, etc).  She let me know that she was disappointed that they didn't offer any Christmas-y ice cream.  I love, love, LOVE making ice cream... so here we go!

Two out of three of my ice creams were perfect.  The third was delicious, but ugly.

The thing about ice cream is you can't try too hard.  It's not like pasta; you can't throw everything in it and expect it to work out somehow.   I've found that simpler is generally better... and that's where I went wrong.

My ice cream flavors are (starting at the top): Candy Cane Hot Fudge, Egg Nog, and Cranberry.

They all tasted delicious, and in the picture above you can't really tell that anything is wrong, but the candy cane was not what I wanted it to be.  For some reason, I thought that if I drizzled hot fudge into the ice cream while it was at the end of it's freezing process, it would swirl streaks of hot fudge in.

Not so much.  Really, it just turned the ice cream unevenly chocolaty, and left clumps of hot fudge at the bottom of the ice cream container.  Blah.  Next time I'll save the hot fudge for topping the ice cream when I'm ready to eat it.

The egg nog was absolutely perfect.  The best thing ever.  Egg nog is so creamy, and is quite possibly my favorite beverage in the whole world.  (I actually bought a few extra quarts from Oberweis and stuck them in my freezer so I can enjoy them all year round.  Egg nog ice cream in the summer might be perfect.  With a brandy old fashioned on a hot summer night... mmmm.... drool).

The cranberry was good.  It was cranberry ice cream.  Nothing new or exciting, but good.  Don't be afraid of the large quantities of booze in the cranberries.  It actually is really important, because it keeps the cranberries from turning into little frozen rocks inside the ice cream.  They become more of a cranberry slush.  I used honey, and I didn't use a lot of it, so my cranberries were very tart.  I like that, but you could use more sugar if you prefer sweetness throughout... or if you have someone elses kids that you want to sugar up!

Christmas day - dinner at my house - was the absolute opposite of Christmas Eve.  Everything was on me.  But I knew that I would be heading over to my Grandparents' house earlier in the day, and I didn't want to stress.  So I picked dishes that could be made in advance and baked with minimal effort while I finished cleaning the house.  The meal was warm, and filling, and made me want to take a great big nap.  I think it would be perfect for any winter dinner party, and I personally thought it was impressive, too, which is always a plus!  Fancy and Easy.  Just like me.  Wait, what?

This was a heavy meal, though.  I did cheat, and made a salad full of non-local veggies (local greens, radishes, and mushrooms, but also some non-local tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers) and I was glad I did.  Without something light and green and crispy, I could easily see this meal giving someone the meat and cheese sweats.

The potatoes, I thought, were a little liquid-y for my taste.  Okay, they were a lot liquidy.  I think I would skip all of the half and half in the recipe, and maybe use 1/4 cup of sour cream.  I'm writing the recipe as I found it on Epicurious, and as I cooked it this time around, but you might want to make that change if you're trying it out.

One note:  I have been doing a LOT of cooking with Oregano.  That's because I moved a large pot of oregano into the house and am growing it in a window.  I don't generally see oregano in a herb window box and I don't know why.  It's a weed, and will grow anywhere.

Christmas Day Dinner: Braised Lamb Shoulder with Figs and Goat Cheese Scalloped Potatoes

For the Lamb:
(recipe modified from William Sonoma)
 

 

• 1 bone-in lamb shoulder, 4 to 4 1/2 lb.,
   rolled and tied, 
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• All-purpose flour for dredging
• 4 to 5 tsp. olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 large garlic cloves, crushed with the side of a knife
• 1/2-inch-wide strips of peel from 1 lemon
   (with no bitter white pith)
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves 
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 Tbs. tomato paste
• 8 oz. total dried figs, hard stems
   trimmed, figs halved or quartered
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano

Preheat an oven to 325°F.

Pat the lamb dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Put the flour in a shallow bowl and dredge the lamb in the flour, shaking off the excess.

In a large heavy pot over medium-high heat, warm 4 tsp. of the olive oil. Add the meat and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer them to a platter. Reduce the heat to low and add the onion, garlic and lemon peel to the pan along with the remaining 1 tsp. oil, if needed. Cook, stirring frequently to incorporate some of the browned bits, until the onion starts to wilt, about 3 minutes.  Add the spices and saute until fragrant - about 1 minute more.

Lay the meat on the onion mixture and add the wine, stock and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is very tender, about 2 1/4 hours, adding the figs during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Transfer the meat and figs to a platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Skim the fat from the sauce. Set the pot over low heat and simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, flavorful and reduced to about 1 1/4 cups, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.

Discard the strings from the lamb, slice the meat across the grain and arrange the slices on the platter, surrounded by the figs. (Reserve the bone to use in a stock later).  Spoon the sauce over the meat and sprinkle with the oregano.  Serves 6 or more.

For the potatoes:

• 1 cup half and half
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup crumbled soft fresh goat cheese (about 5 oz)
• 2 to 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 ground nutmeg
• 1 cup grated white goat cheddar
• 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously butter 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish. Whisk first 7 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Arrange 1/3 of potatoes in bottom of prepared dish, overlapping slightly and covering completely. Pour 1/3 of cream mixture over. Top with 1/3 cheese.  Repeat layering potatoes, cream mixture, and cheese 2 more times. Bake uncovered until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown in spots, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Christmas Eve: A Trio of Christmas Ice Creams

The trick to ice cream is to have everything ready ahead of time.  Especially your bowl full of ice.  Everything moves really fast, and you don't want to fall behind because letting the custard sit without cooling it will ruin it.

Yes, all of the directions here are exactly the same.  That's how you make ice cream!


Candy Cane Ice Cream

• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/8 cup crushed candy canes

Combine the egg yolks, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until the yolks lighten in color and increase slightly in volume.  Add 1/2 cup of the cream and whisk until well combined. 

In a heavy saucepan, combine the half and half and remaining one cup of cream.  Add the peppermint.  Cook over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan: about 5 minutes.

Remove the cream mixture from the heat.  Turn the stand mixer on low, and with the whisk  running, slowly pour the cream mixture into the egg mixture.  Return to the sauce pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon - about 6 minutes.  DO NOT let the custard boil.

Immediately strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl nested into a larger bowl filled with ice water.  Whisk constantly until the custard is cooled.  Cover with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly onto the custard, and refrigerate at least three hours - preferably overnight.

When you are ready to freeze the ice cream, do so according to your ice cream maker's directions.  When the ice cream is almost set, add in the candy cane and let the ice cream maker incorporate it throughout the ice cream.

Freeze until firm.

Egg Nog Ice Cream

• 1 1/2 Egg Nog
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar

Combine the egg yolks, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until the yolks lighten in color and increase slightly in volume.  Add 1/2 cup of the cream and whisk until well combined. 


In a heavy saucepan, combine the egg nog and remaining one cup of cream.  Cook over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan: about 5 minutes.

Remove the cream mixture from the heat.  Turn the stand mixer on low, and with the whisk  running, slowly pour the cream mixture into the egg mixture.  Return to the sauce pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon - about 6 minutes.  DO NOT let the custard boil.


Immediately strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl nested into a larger bowl filled with ice water.  Whisk constantly until the custard is cooled.  Cover with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly onto the custard, and refrigerate at least three hours - preferably overnight.


When you are ready to freeze the ice cream, do so according to your ice cream maker's directions.


Freeze until firm.

Cranberry Ice Cream

For the cranberries:

• 1 cup frozen or fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup honey

Combine ingredients in a sauce pan and cook until cranberries begin to pop and soften.  Transfer to the fridge and allow to chill overnight.

Strain out any liquid before adding cranberries to the ice cream.

• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
•  1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Cranberries from above

Combine the egg yolks, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until the yolks lighten in color and increase slightly in volume.  Add 1/2 cup of the cream and whisk until well combined. 


In a heavy saucepan, combine the half and half and remaining one cup of cream.  Add the vanilla.  Cook over medium heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan: about 5 minutes.

Remove the cream mixture from the heat.  Turn the stand mixer on low, and with the whisk  running, slowly pour the cream mixture into the egg mixture.  Return to the sauce pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon - about 6 minutes.  DO NOT let the custard boil.


Immediately strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl nested into a larger bowl filled with ice water.  Whisk constantly until the custard is cooled.  Cover with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly onto the custard, and refrigerate at least three hours - preferably overnight.


When you are ready to freeze the ice cream, add the drained cranberries and freeze according to your ice cream maker's directions. 


Freeze until firm.

Delicious Mushrooms

I love mushrooms.  Really, they are one of my most favorite foods.  They are also kind of baffling to me.  With so many kinds, and so many more kinds that will make you violently ill, and not any real obvious distinguishing features between the two, I have to wonder who first decided that this thing growing out of rotted wood or damp soil was good to eat.

I'm very thankful they did, though.

Needless to say, I probably will not engage in much mushrooming.  I like to be outdoors, and the thought of finding my own mushrooms and getting them for free is an intriguing one.  On the other hand, I really like my stomach lining and don't want to see it melt away.  Seriously.  A quick Wikipedia search tells me that possible consequences of eating wild mushrooms that have been incorrectly identified as edible include: liver damage, kidney failure, respiratory failure, neurotoxicity, destruction of blood cells, loss of limbs, and death.

Yes, $20 to $50 a pound for mushrooms may seem like a lot to some people, but it seems a perfectly reasonable price to pay to avoid loss of limbs and death. 

(Side note: a search for "negative consequences of mushrooms" is not a good search to do at work.  Mostly it is tips to avoid a bad trip!)

Last week was the last week at the South Shore Farmer's Market.  It makes me sad, because that market is so close to my house.  That means two weeks of the West Alis Farmer's Market, which frankly is too busy and makes me crabby, and then on to the Winter Farmer's Market at State Fair Park.  My mushroom guy does go to the Winter Market, and his company is at the Stalis Market, but he's not there and he's fun.

So, to mourn the last day of the SS Market, I decided to treat myself.

Hen of the woods!  Otherwise known as the Maitake mushroom.

Okay, let's be honest.  I probably would have "treated" myself had it been the last day or not.  I can't turn down a good fancy mushroom.

I'm not sure I've had hen of the woods before, but I haven't had a mushroom I didn't like yet.  The texture of the hen of the woods was firm, almost even chewy.  I ended up cooking them much longer than I would cook a regular mushroom, which did help them to get very tender.  The taste was very meaty and earthy, and I was actually disappointed that I made them in a chicken recipe - since I thought the flavor overwhelmed the chicken a bit.  It probably would have been just as good had I totally omitted the chicken from this recipe - which would have saved some money too.

That's not to say that this was not good.  In fact, it was excellent, however I think it would have been just as good without the chicken.  I left the Hen of the Woods in pretty large strips, so they did seem like additional meat.

Wild Mushroom Chicken Marsala
Modified from The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Chicken
Serves two with a good amount of leftovers for the next day

• Two boneless skinless chicken breasts (L)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup flour (L)
• 4 tbsp butter, divided (L)
• 1 lb total mixed wild mushrooms - I used about 1/2 lb Hen of the Woods, and the rest was cremini, shiitake, and oyster (L)
• 2 tbsp finely chopped shallot (L)
• 2 minced garlic cloves (L)
• 1/2 cup dry Marsala
• 1/2 cup chicken stock (L)
• Garlic Mashed potatoes (L)

 Cut the chicken breasts in half laterally, so you each breast half becomes two thin fillets.  Alternately, or if you have thinner breasts, you can use four half breasts, pounded to an even thickness.

Season the flour well with salt and pepper, then dredge each chicken fillet in the flour, shaking of any excess.

In a large frying pan, heat 2 tbsp butter over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken breasts and cook, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides - about 3 to 4 minutes per side.  Transfer to a platter and cover to keep warm.

In the same pan over medium heat, melt the remaining butter.  Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms release their liquid and the liquid evaporates.  If I had it to do again, I would add the hen of the woods first and cook those down before adding the others.  Stir in the shallot and garlic, and cook until softened - about 2 minutes.  Add the Marsala, raise the heat to medium high, and boil for 30 seconds.  Add the stock and return to a low simmer.

Add the chicken back into the pan, burring it under the mushrooms as much as possible.  Cover, and allow to cook at a very low simmer until the chicken is cooked through - about 5 more minutes.  Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and serve over garlic mashed potatoes.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

• 3-4 large Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 lbs), peeled and cut into thin slices (L)
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled but whole (L)
• 2-3 tbsp heavy cream (L)
• 3-4 (or more) tbsp butter (L) 
• salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water.  Add a good amount of salt and the garlic cloves.  Bring to a low boil, and continue to cook, boiling, until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork (note, the smaller the pieces are the quicker this will happen!)   Drain the potatoes, retaining the garlic cloves.  Return potatoes and garlic to the pot.  Add butter and milk, and mash to desired smoothness (I like chunky mashed potatoes).  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

A Giant Steak Can be Good for You!

Red meat is, okay, not the healthiest choice.  It's high in fat, high in cholesterol, and has been linked to colon cancer, breast cancer and Alzheimer.  What the hell?

On the other hand, it's high in iron (and I'm anemic, so that's a plus), zinc (which is good for the immune system), and protein.

I'm not a doctor.  (Oh, gosh, had you not realized that yet?  Seriously, I'm not.  From a medical perspective this website is even less helpful than WebMD - the Wikipedia of Medicine!), but here's my problem with studies on the negatives of red meat.  All the studies I've seen compare the "Western Diet" (burgers, french fries, fried chicken), to the "Mediterranean Diet" (fish, grains, olive oil).  Yeah, the Mediterranean Diet is going to win!  But, what if the problem isn't the red meat?  What if the problem is the fact that our meat is being fed crazy antibiotics and ground up animal byproducts and god knows what else.  What if the problem is that it's being cooked in pure trans fat?  There's too much to separate.

In the end, everything is bad for you.  Yeah, I'm probably going to die of cancer.  But I'm also going to die of cancer because I like to garden in a tank top without putting on sunscreen.  Or because there was asbestos in my high school.    Or because of the aluminum in my deodorant, or in my aluminum cans.  There's too much to worry about.  If we don't all die of cancer, it's probably only because the terrorists won.  I can try to be healthy, but that's the best I can do.

1 giant-ass T-bone.  My husband and I shared this for dinner.

And that's what this post is about.  It's about the fact that I have recently found that I really like steak.  It is about my desire, with that realization, to eat steak.  And it is about the fact that, when eating steak, my husband seems to think that bigger = better.

My realization about my love for steak was slow to come about.  I've said before that real meat - that is to say, local food from a local farm - tastes different than meat from a grocery store.  I didn't think I liked beef, unless it had been slow cooked to the point of melting in your mouth.  I didn't understand when people said that a steak melted in their mouth.  Steaks don't melt - they're chewy.  Like chewing on people, I have said in the past.  Too fleshy.

And then I realized, bad meat = bad.  Cheap meat = bad.  Processed meat with fillers and added solutions = bad.  Happy cow, killed humanely, processed properly and minimally, and prepared well = amazing.

I'm not worried about eating too much red meat.  Red meat is expensive.  If it's not, you probably shouldn't be buying it.  Try the real thing... or don't.  Once you do, you may never be able to go back.

I justify the cost of red meat, and the possible health consequences, by making sure the rest of the meal is full of healthy, inexpensive, vegetably choices. 

A good steak has it's own flavor.  The best recipe is this:

Take steak (L).  Season generously with salt and pepper, and maybe a little minced garlic (L).  Sear on a grill over high heat, until medium rare.  Cook it any more than that, and I will find you and punch you in the neck.

A good steak meal, in my mind, is about the side dishes.  They should complement the steak and fill you up.  I was very happy with both of these.  The salad was especially good, and even my husband - who I think tends to see salad mostly as a filler item - was really happy with it.  The greens were a last minute addition to the potatoes, but they were a little peppery and I really enjoyed them.  You can't tell so much from the pictures, but I used a combination of red, Yukon gold, and purple potatoes.

Still a lot of steak...

Grilled Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Honey Vinaigrette

For the Vinaigrette:

• 3 tbsp minced shallots (L)
• 1/4 cup champagne vinigar
• 1/2 cup raw honey (L)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fresh thyme (L*), minced
• 1 clove garlic (L), minced
• 3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and Pepper

For the salad:

• 2 lbs whole beets (L)
• 1/4 cup water (L)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 sage leaves (L*), minced
• 3 sprigs time (L*), minced
• 1 sprig rosemary (L*), minced
• 1 bayleaf
• salt and pepper
• mixed greens (L)
• Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half or quartered (L*)
• Crumbled goat cheese (L)

Combine dressing ingredients and shake vigorously.  


Wash well and chop beets into 1/2 inch pieces (I learned there is no need to peel them).  Place into the center of a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the edges to make a "boat."

The first piece of foil I used was too small :(

 Pour in water, olive oil, sage, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, and salt and pepper.  Fold up to create a "packet."  Grill packet over medium high heat, until beets are cooked through and soft, about 30 minutes.  Top mixed greens with beets, tomatoes, and goat cheese, and dress with honey vinaigrette.  The dressing saves well, but you will need to pull it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving, because the olive oil will congeal.

Beets in their packet

Finished salad.  So pretty!

Pan Fried Potatoes with Beet Greens

• 1 lb potatoes (L) - I used a mix of Yukon, red, and purple, but you could use anything you wanted.  Unpeeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tbsp butter (L)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (L)
• Greens from 2 lbs beets, sliced into 1 inch strips (L)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper.

Place potatoes into a large pot, and just cover with cold water.  Salt water, and bring to a boil, cooking at a gentle boil until potatoes just start to be tender.  Drain.

Meanwhile, add butter to a large skillet and melt over medium high heat.  Add garlic, and saute for about two minutes.  Add potatoes and greens, and cook until greens are well wilted, and potatoes are cooked through and golden brown.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Potato Salad

This one is for my vegetarian friends out there!

Vegetables are good.  I like vegetables.  They're even better when served next to a side of delicious, delicious meat, but they're good on their own too.

My biggest problem, really, is that I don't like a lot of vegetables cooked.  I shouldn't say I don't like them.  They're fine, and I'll eat them, but 9 times out of 10 I would prefer them raw.  Even fancy applications.  I have had fancy vegetables every which way you can imagine them and, while delicious, I'm almost always thinking "this would be better if it were raw.  And if it were the middle of summer.  And if I were eating it outside.  With my hands."

Which creates a problem.  You see, one would probably categorize this as a cooking blog.  I personally would categorize it as Kate talking a bunch of nonsense blog, but I've never seen that as a category, so we'll go with the next best option: cooking blog.  In fact, I have totally used this blog as a reference to make things I made previously!  Which is good, because half the time when I make something really delicious, I can never make it again because I have no clue what I put into it...

(That's another good cooking tip, people.  Keep track of what you're putting into your food.  If it's really good, you want to be able to make it again exactly the same way so you know you can impress your friends.   If it's horrible, you want to know what you did so you can never do it again!)

So, since this is a cooking blog, I feel like my recipes should not read like this:

Go into back yard.  Pick tomato.  Eat like apple while leaning over the sink so as to not get floors dirty.  Add salt if desired.

That is, perhaps, the most delicious summer recipe I know.  I personally feel that eating it over the sink helps the taste.  It's like how eating food that is bad for you makes you feel good in a guilty way.  There is nothing more "guilty" then eating food over the sink instead of using a plate.  If you don't believe me, just keep trying it until someone walks in and catches you.  See how guilty you feel!

Anyway, perhaps a good life tip, but not really a good recipe - especially for a cooking blog.  Which is why I don't post many veggie recipes, even though we are eating a lot of veggies.  I just don't want to mess with the flavor of the vegetable.


I thought this was a good compromise.  It involved some sort of skill, but not a lot of "cooking."  It is tasty, and seems fancy, but doesn't involve a lot of work.  Plus, it's a good and different way to use up zucchini, which it is totally time for!  I cut my potatoes too big.  It was annoying.  Don't do that.


Potato Salad with Zucchini and Green Beans
(makes 6-8 side dish servings)

• 1 lb new potatoes, red or otherwise, cut into bite sized pieces (L)
• 1 medium sized zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced thin (L*)
• about 2 cups green beans, broken into bite sized pieces (L*)
• about 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (L)
• 1 tbsp fresh dill (L*)
• 2 tbsp minced garlic scapes (L)
• 2 tbsp small red onions, minced (L*)
• 3 tbsp basil chiffonade (L*)
• 1 tbsp mayo
• 1 tbsp champagne vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place potatoes into a medium pot, and cover with water.  Salt water well.  Bring to a boil, and cook potatoes until soft, but not falling apart.  Drain, reserving the cooking water, and put potatoes in a bowl in the fridge to cool quickly.

Put the potato water back into the pot, and return to a boil.  Using a steamer basket (or, if you're short on kitchen tools like me, a mesh colander strategically placed over the pot), steam the beans until just tender - about 2 or 3 minutes.  They should still be crisp.  I like to sprinkle the beans with coarse salt while they are steaming.  Cool down beans quickly by placing them in the fridge as well.

Once potatoes and beans are cool, combine all ingredients up to mayo.  In a small bowl, whisk together mayo and vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add to vegetables and stir to combine.  Keep in mind you might not need as much salt, because of the cheese and because the potatoes and beans should be salty as well!

This was best on day 2, after all of the flavors have melded.  It was good on days 1, 3, and 4, but by day 5 it was done.  I may have made too much...

Quick Recipies

Very, very, VERY early tomorrow morning I am leaving for the Mecca of Locavore-ness: San Fransisco.  Not for locavore type activities.  In fact, I'm fairly certain I won't have time to eat!  I will be filming the next FatChanceBellyDance video, which I cannot express how honored I am to be in the video, and excited and all sorts of crazy emotions that I don't even know how to feel.  But I think it's going to be a very long, exhausting weekend and I'm not even bringing my laptop with.  So here are some recipes to hold you over.

These recipes got "forgotten."  They weren't interesting enough to have their own story, but are still good and quick to make!

Grilled Turkey Wing with Sauteed Spinach and Mushrooms and a Baked Potato:

This is a Jeff style meal: Meat, Potato, Vegetable!

Serves 2:

Total Time: 30 Minutes

• 2 turkey wings (L)
• Salt
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Butter (L)
• 1/4 clove garlic, minced (L)
• 1 large bunch spinach (L)
• 1/4 lb mixed wild mushrooms (L)
• Fresh ground pepper
• 2 baking potatoes (L)

Bake potatoes in your preferred method.  I prefer microwaving for about 10 minutes.

Season wings generously with salt and pepper.  Grill over medium high heat for about 20 minutes, turning once.

In a large frying pan, melt 1 tbsp butter.  Add garlic, and saute for about 3 minutes.  Add mushrooms to pan and season with salt and pepper.  Allow to cook until mushrooms soften, release most of their liquid, and liquid has evaporated.  Remove from heat and add spinach to pan.  Cook, stirring constantly, until spinach is wilted.  Season with additional pepper.




Grilled Bok Choy, Elk Steak, and Potatoes
(This is a Kate style meal - Meat, Vegetables, and Potatoes... with a twist!)
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

• Fingerling or red potatoes (L)
• 1 tbps Olive Oil
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 bunch bok choy, pulled apart and washed (L)
• 2 small elk steaks (or any other meat) (L)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder

Preheat grill.

Cut potatoes into halves or quarters depending on their size.  Toss with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In a grill basket, grill potatoes over medium heat, tossing regularly, for about 25 minutes or until soft.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a small microwavable bowl.  Brush both sides of the bok choy with the butter, and season with salt.  Set aside.

Season steaks with salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder.  Grill over medium high heat, for about 5 minutes per side, or until they are as done as you want them to be.

While steaks are resting, turn grill up to high and grill bok choy for about 3 minutes on each side, until stems are softened and leaves are crispy.  I have found that the back of my grill is a bit hotter than the front, so I put the stems towards the back so they get done before the leaves char off.  If you are using a gas grill with multiple burners, you could also set one to high and one to medium, and put the leaves across so the stems are over the hotter area.

Mozzarella and Sage Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This is a summer time staple at my house, because it is super easy and delicious!
Active time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves 2

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (L)
• Salt and Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• 8-10 sage leaves, whole (L*)
• 1 8 oz ball fresh Mozzarella (L)

Preheat grill to Medium-High heat.

Make sure chicken breasts are 100% thawed, or this will be harder.  Carefully, butterfly the chicken breasts: Slice chicken breasts down the length of the side of the breast, almost to the end but not all the way through, so the breast opens up like a book.  Season the chicken breast inside and out with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.

Open up the chicken breasts so the two "insides" are showing, and what originally was the "outside" of the chicken breast is facing down.  On one half (what will become the "bottom" half) lay 4-5 sage leaves per breast, depending on the size of the chicken breast and the sage leaves.  Thinly slice the Mozzarella, and lay that on top of the sage leaves, trimming to match the bottom half of the chicken breasts.  Fold the top half over the mozzarella, and use a tooth pick to hold the breasts closed (it should now look like the original chicken breast, except with sage and mozzarella stuffed in the middle!)

Grill over medium high heat, until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes on each side.

I served this with couscous, prepared using the manufacturer's directions, mixed with chopped leftover bok choy from the recipe just above this one (Grilled Bok Choy, Elk Steak, and Potatoes)

So... No spring this year then?

Okay, I want to start out by saying that I have not starved to death.  I know you were concerned.  Nor have I started eating at Burger King every night.  Or ever.

Last week was crazy busy and I just did not have time to type everything up.  But a lot has happened, and I feel like I've fallen behind!  First off, my garden is in.  Yay!  And, Wisconsin decided to skip spring and jump straight from Winter to Summer, so the garden has been growing like crazy.  Or, at least the weeds are growing like crazy.  Now it needs to rain so I can pull those weeds out.  What I need to find is a recipe that features Creeping Charlie....

Garden shot #1.  Tomato plants, strawberries,
and weeds

Garden Shot #2: Herbs (in pots), radishes,
rhubarb, and other stuff... including weeds.

And, I finally have a lime tree!!!  After my lime tree fiasco, I did what I should have done originally and just went on Amazon.  And they sent me a lime tree... I got it within a week!  Not only that, I also got 6 other indoor fruit house plants!  Oh, but I should clarify, when I say "tree," I mean tiny, tiny stick with leaves.  I mean, they're in very good health, but most of them are shorter than a lime would be should it grow there!!  I guess I'm going to have to wait a few... dozen... years before I get a local lime.

Pomegranate (front) and fig (back)

Lime, Lemon, Tangelo, and Blood Orange

I have been eating well, though.  There's not a lot that grows in WI in the spring, so the fact that it's jumped straight to summer is fine by me... food wise at least.   Very little makes me happier than a quick summer dinner on the grill.  Really, the only thing would  be if my basil would get bigger so I could have a tomato, basil, mozzarella salad.  And, back to our previous topic, meals on the grill are quick and easy!  And you don't need to have a big kitchen.  Or any kitchen at all!  All you need fire...  If you have any questions, ask your local caveman!  To be very specific: Ebony, these are for you!!!

Oh, and thanks so much to EVERYONE who reads this getting me up over 1000 hits.  Those of you who live around here (or who want to come travel just for the fun!) I am going to arrange a trip to the Great Lakes Distillery to celebrate.  Let me know if you want to come with!!!

Grilled Asparagus and Mushrooms:
Active Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

• Asparagus, bottoms trimmed (I didn't actually buy these, so they weren't local...)
• Mixed mushrooms. (MORELS!!) (L)
• Butter (L)
• Salt
• fresh ground Pepper
• 1/2 garlic bulb, minced (L)
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano, minced (L*)
• 1 tbsp fresh chives, minced (L*)

Place all ingredients onto a piece of foil and fold up so everything is sealed in.  Grill over medium/medium high heat until asparagus is just tender... about 10-15 minutes depending on how much asparagus you use and how thick the stalks are.

Grilled Mushrooms and Morels NY Strip Steaks

Active time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

• 2 lbs fingerling potatoes (L)
• 1/2 lb morels (L)
• 3 tbsp Olive Oil (divided)
• Salt 
• Freshly Ground Pepper
• 2 tbsp minced chives (divided) (*L)
• 2 New York Strip Steaks (mine were Elk!) (L)
• 1/2 bulb garlic (L)

Wash potatoes and slice into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Soak and wash morels.  Toss potato slices, morels, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp chives in a large bowl, and transfer to a grill basket (my new favorite toy!)  If you don't have a grill basket, wrap the whole thing up in aluminum foil.

Grill over medium high heat, until potatoes are soft and crispy.  If you're using aluminum foil, they might not get crispy, just soft.  Depending on how big your potatoes are, this should take 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp chives, and garlic in a glass pan big enough to hold both of your steaks.  Add the steaks, and turn to coat on both sides.  Allow to come to room temperature, turning occasionally.  Season steaks with salt on both sides, and grill over medium high heat for about 5 minutes on the first side.  Flip, and grill an additional 5 minutes on the second side.  Obviously, times will vary depending on how thick your steak was and how well done you like it.  Allow steak to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.


Grilled Chicken Wings with Spring Salad
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

• 6 chicken wings (L)
• Salt 
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• About 1-2 cups Mixed Greens, washed (L*)
• 6 Radishes, washed and sliced (L*)
• 4 mushrooms, washed and sliced (L)
• Bleu Cheese Dressing (L) (See below for recipe)

Season wings generously with salt, garlic, and onion, and grill over medium heat until done, turning once.  About 25 minutes, depending on how thick your wings are.

Meanwhile, combine greens, top with radishes and mushrooms, and dress with Bleu Cheese dressing.

Bleu Cheese Dressing:

• 2 1/2 ounces blue cheese, very well crumbled
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously to combine.

Spring is Springing... But It's Not Quite Sprung

There are a few signs that winter is over and spring is finally venturing into Wisconsin.  Not the temperature, exactly.  It's hardly peeked above 60.  Right now, for example, the high today was 54 degrees.  The average temperature for today is 64.  I know I shouldn't expect to go swimming outside, but I'd at least like to pack up my winter coats!  Usually, I get to bring my mom Lilies of the Vally for Mother's Day, but they're hardly poking out of the ground.

There are signs of life, however:

Robin's Egg

Kohlrabi starting to come up

Daffodils in my front yard

Actually, I almost have enough rhubarb to make something!

Radishes

Peas

Chives (and peas in the pot)

Strawberries

Wheat Grass

But, the most exciting signs of spring are taking place outside of my garden!  This Saturday was the start of the West Allis Farmer's Market, which, in my experience, is the biggest farmer's market in the area.  I won't say it's the best - because I certainly don't want to start a fight, and biggest doesn't always mean best, but it is definitely the biggest that I have been to.  They also seem to have the most plants, so that is where I tend to go to purchase plants for my garden.  What I have above were all started from seeds, or perennials. 

But this week, they had the most exciting thing in the history of ever:

TOMATOES!!!!!

I swear, there is salad under those tomatoes!

OMG: TOMATOES. And Cucumbers.  Yes, okay they're hot house grown.  But they were still much tastier than anything in the grocery store, and I have been feeling tomato deprived.  I asked the farmer how he could possibly have tomatoes and he answered: "Because I'm Magic!"  While I can rationally understand why a hot house is not magic, I am still going to believe that answer, because everything about growing food seems just a little magical to me.

I made a salad with ranch dressing.  It was awesome.

This weekend was also mother's day.  Jeff's family came over, and I made them brunch.  It was actually very hectic, because the eggs just would not get cooked, so I have no pictures.  But, I did have some very successful dishes, and I wanted to share those.

These recipes all serve 8 with leftovers

Make Ahead French Toast with Pears
This recipe was modified from one I found, in which you were supposed to cook down some apples with seasonings.  That's great if I had apples and/or time to cook them, but there has to be an easier way.  I went to Outpost and found a jar of canned pears from a local orchard, and substituted those.  Really, I am sure you could use any fruit.  I expect to be canning fruit myself this summer, so this could become a regular meal at my house next winter.

• 1 pint jar canned pears (L)
• 1 French baguette, sliced into 3/4 inch thick slices (L)
• 4 large eggs (L)
• 1 1/4 cups milk, half and half, cream, or some combination.  I actually used mostly buttermilk, because I had it for the ranch (L)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• Freshly ground nutmeg
• Freshly ground cinnamon
• Butter

Butter the bottom and sides of a 8x10 (or whatever large size you have) cake pan.  Lay pears in a single layer on the bottom of the pan, squeezing as tightly together as possible.  Lay overlapping slices of bread on top of pears.  Combine all other ingredients, and pour over the bread and pears.  Cover in plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator overnight. 

When ready to bake, remove plastic wrap and allow dish to warm while pre-heating oven to 375 degrees.  Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes, or until bread is golden and custard is firm.  Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving.

You could try to flip this, but I actually thought the bottoms of the bread were pretty, golden, and toasted, and I had no idea if it would look good if I did try to flip it, so I served it right out of the cake pan.  I had syrup, but hardly any of it got used.


Smoked Salmon and Spinach Egg Bake
 The recipe I modified for this said it would take 45 minutes.  I used 8 whole eggs and 8 egg whites, as opposed to the recommended 6/6, so I upped that to an hour.  It took about an hour and a half!! 

• 8 whole eggs (L)
• 8 egg whites (L)
• 1 cup club soda
• 1 cup milk, cream, or half and half (L)
• 4 large handfuls spinach, washed and roughly chopped (L)
• 3-4 scallions, white and tender green parts chopped (L)
• 1/2 garlic head, chopped (L)
• 1 cup cheese (I used 1/2 Carr Valley Snow White Goat Cheddar (L) and 1/2 Parmesan (L))
• Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeng
• 1 smoked salmon fillet (L)
• Butter

Whisk together eggs, club soda, and milk.  Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.  Stir in cheese, spinach, onions, and garlic.  Add in salmon and stir gently to combine.

Butter the sides and bottom of an 8 x 10 baking dish (I'm just realizing that I used the 8X10 on the french toast, so the dish I actually used might have been smaller... that might have been our problem!!) and pour ingredients in.  Bake at 350 degrees for an unknown amount of time, or until set in the middle.  I think if you use the right size pan, it should be 45 minutes to an hour.

Breakfast Potatoes:

• 2-3 lbs new potatoes (Yay!  There are potatoes again too!!  No more weird substitutes... although I have grown to love me some celery root) (L)
• 2 tbs butter (L)
• Fresh Chives, minced (L)
• 1/2 head garlic, minced (L)
• Spices as desired.  I used rosemary (L) and paprika, but you could really use anything you wanted.
• Lots of Kosher salt and pepper

Slice potatoes into 1/2 inch thick rounds.  Place in a pot and just barely cover with cold water.  Salt generously.  Bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are just starting to get soft - not cooked through.  I have found this is almost exactly the time when the water comes to a hard boil.  Drain water.  Add butter to a large frying pan and melt.  Add potatoes, chives, garlic, and spices, and saute until potatoes are tender and start to brown.  These hold well in a warm oven, and reheat great!