Food and general nerdiness.



Jalapeño Corn Muffins

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I was sick on Friday and Alex was sick last night. He wanted a fruit salad for dinner. I decided to make these muffins with the fruit salad and it was a delicious, relatively healthful meal. I thought Nick might like this too. I set his plate down and he said, "You put CORN in the corn muffins?" I'm not kidding - that's exactly what he said. So, he's looking very skeptical as he's eating his fruit salad. "Nick, just put a little honey on one of the muffins and try it. They're good." He picks up a muffin, breaks it in half and said, "Why would you put peppers in this? What were you thinking? Um. No." And sets the muffin back on his plate. So, he had grapes and water for dinner. He cracks me up.

Yesterday, for my sister's birthday, we had fondue at my mom's house. I made two fondues, my mom made a great salad, and we had martinis and wine. It was terrific and terrically fun. I forgot to take a single picture of anything. Keeping a blog wasn't really on my mind.




Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 tablespoons minced jalapeños
1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
1 cup corn kernels
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
Pinch cayenne pepper
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons honey

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease muffin tin.

In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and peppers cook until soft and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the corn and a pinch of salt and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and cheese. In a second bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and honey. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Stir in the cooled onions and corn.

Spoon the batter into the prepared tins, filling 3/4 of the way full. Bake the muffins until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and serve warm.


Fish and Chips

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Ingredients
safflower oil or other good frying oil
4 large Russet potatoes
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash Old Bay Seasoning
1 bottle brown beer, cold
1 1/2 pounds tilapia or cod, cut into 1-ounce strips
Cornstarch

Instructions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Cut potatoes into fries. Soak in a large bowl of cold water for thirty minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and Old Bay seasoning. Whisk in the beer until the batter is completely smooth and free of any lumps. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to an hour.

Heat the oil to 280 degrees.

Drain potatoes thoroughly, removing all excess water with a towel. Submerge small batches of the potatoes in the 280 degree oil. Fry for 6 to 8 minutes. They should still be pale and limp. Remove from oil, drain, and let rest for 15 minutes.

Heat oil to 375 degrees. Re-immerse fries and cook until crisp and golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and drain on roasting rack. Season with kosher salt while hot and put in the 200 degree oven to keep warm.

Heat oil to 350 degrees. Lightly dredge fish strips in cornstarch. Dip the fish into batter and immerse into hot oil. When the batter is set, turn the pieces of fish over and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain the fish on the roasting rack. Serve with fries and malt vinegar.


Beef Stew

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Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds beef, trimmed and cut into chunks
4 cups red wine
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1 onion, peeled and halved
1 clove garlic
4 tablespoons butter
4 ounces thick bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon thyme
1 1 /2 cups beef stock
Salt and pepper
12 small pearl onions
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon sugar
12 mushrooms, quartered
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons soft butter mixed with 2 tablespoons flour
Chopped parsley

Instructions
In a large bowl combine beef chunks, wine, bay leaf, cloves, onion and garlic. Toss together to coat meat, cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 - 12 hours.

In a large heavy pot, melt butter and cook off bacon until just crispy and set aside to drain. Scoop beef from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Toss in a bowl with flour to coat. Shake off excess flour. Add the floured beef to the pot and cook until nicely browned. Stir in the onion and garlic from the marinade, as well as the thyme, stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender.

Peel the pearl onions and trim off a little bit of the root end. Melt butter in a small skillet and add pearl onions. Toss to coat and pour in 1/4 cup of water and cover. Simmer until tender. Uncover and allow liquid to evaporate. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon sugar and shake pan over medium heat until onions begin to brown and caramelize. Season with salt and pepper.

In another skillet melt 3 tablespoons butter and cook mushrooms until golden brown. Stir in crispy bacon bits and season with salt and pepper.

When the beef is tender, remove meat with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Simmer sauce until thickened and stir in flour/butter mixture to help thicken. Season sauce to taste. Return beef to pot and bring stew to a boil. Serve hot with boiled potatoes, pearl onions, mushrooms and garnish with chopped parsley.


Shrimp Tom Yum

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Ingredients
4 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup shrimp - peeled and deveined
1/2 cup mushrooms - sliced
2 limes
1/4 cup lemon grass - cut in long pieces
2 tablespoon fish sauce (in each bowl)
1/2 teaspoon crushed chili peppers
1-2 tablespoon nam prig pow (or tom yum paste)
1/2 cup cilantro - chopped

Instructions
Boil the water and broth in a 2 quart saucepan. Add the lemon grass and boil for 5 minutes. Add the fish sauce, the juice of one of the limes, the chili pepper, and the tom yum paste. Turn off the heat and add the mushrooms and shrimp. Stir until shrimp cooks and ladle into the bowls. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.


Sardine Bruschetta & Gnocchi with Vodka Cream Sauce

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I don't know why, but I was craving The Gnocchi tonight. I ran across a simple recipe for the vodka cream sauce and it turned out wonderfully. I had extra basil and knew I wouldn't cook it before it went to waste so I heated it in some light olive oil and pureed the basil oil with some heavy cream and a little salt for the base of the dish.

I love this brushcetta recipe. I've been making it for years. The sardines taste very similar to tuna so they're nothing to be afraid of. The lemon juice on top is essential.

Of course, gnocchi can be very rich so I served this in smallish guilt free servings. My thinking is that, "Guilty things in moderation" is just as good as, "Guilt Free!"




Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup heavy cream
14 ounces canned pureed tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Gnocchi

Instructions
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften. Add the vodka, cream, and tomato, basil, oil, and salt & pepper and simmer until the flavors blend and it reduces and thickens a bit.

Cook the gnocchi until they float - 3 to 4 minutes. Drain fully in a colander.

Immediately before serving, add the gnocchi to the sauce and heat, stirring gently to coat. Spoon the gnocchi into warm bowls and serve.


Sardine Bruschetta

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Ingredients
Thick slices Italian bread
2 T olive oil
1 clove garlic
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 tin of sardines packed in oil
1 lemon
1 T chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1 large tomato, coarsley chopped
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Parmesan cheese

Instructions
Preheat oven to broil.

Lightly oil bread slices with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Place in oven and toast until golden brown and crisp.

Combine parsley, tomato, cheese, a 2 T oil with a little salt and pepper.

While toast is still warm, rub 1 side of each slice with the fresh garlic. Spoon tomato mixture onto bread and place sardine on each with a little cheese and put back on the baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 4 to 6 minutes. Remove tray from oven and garnish with just a squeeze of lemon juice and a little more chopped parsley. Serve immediately.


Red Curry Chicken

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Another repeat. Still delicious.



Thursday morning, Steve was telling me about the dal he had made the night before. So, I started craving some Indian food. I planned this meal but decided it was a bit too elaborate for just Alex and me. (Naturally, Nick would have a bagel instead.) So, I invited Denise and Dawn over to share this one. It turned out pretty well. The carrots and cauliflower in the korma were nice. The dal was okay. I liked the pickles but I think they'll be better in a month. The kheer and lassi were both terrific. The kheer was nice and creamy with a fairly potent cardamom flavor with a hint of saffron. I'll probably cut the cardamom in half if I ever make this again. I started the yogurt for the lassi Friday night and it was nice and tart. It's sort of like a sweet and tart mango milkshake - really delicious. Even Nick liked it.


Vegetable Korma

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Ingredients
3/4 cup each of chopped cabbage, beans, carrots,
potatoes and cauliflower
1 small onion, sliced
2-3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnish

For the gravy , blend the following into a very smooth paste:
1/2 a coconut, shredded
1 small onion
5-6 flakes garlic
1" piece ginger
2 tbsp curd (plain yoghurt)
1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
3 green chillies
2 dry red chillies
2-3 peppercorns
1/2 tsp saunf (fennel)
1 small stick cinammon
1 cardammom
2-3 cloves
1 tbsp cashewnuts
1 small tomato
2 tsp thick tamarind juice or 2 tsp lemon juice

Instructions
Steam the vegetables till they are about half done. Remove and set aside. Heat the ghee and fry the sliced onion till it starts changing color. Now add the blended masala and bhunna(fry) till the oil starts leaving the sides of the masala. This will take a minimum of 15 minutes. Even if the masala sticks to the bottom of the pan, don't worry. The more the masala fries, the better the dish will taste. If the masala starts sticking to the pan, lower
the heat and sprinkle a little water and continue frying, stirring continously. When the masala is fried well and turns aromatic, add the half cooked vegetables and salt to taste.
Add some water to get a gravy. Mix well. Put it back on the stove and bring it to a boil on low heat. Remove from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with basmati rice.


Dal Palak

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Ingredients
2 cups of frozen, thawed chopped spinach
1/2 cup of toor dal
1/2 cup frozen green peas,thawed
1 small onion, chopped
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1-2 tsp each dhania-jeera (coriander-cumin), freshly roasted
and powdered
1/2 tsp amchoor (mango powder)
1/2 tsp black peppercorns, freshly powdered
4 green chillies, slit
Salt to taste
2 tbsp cooking oil or ghee (clarified butter)

Instructions
Wash the dal and pressure cook with 1 cup of water till soft and mushy.
Heat the oil and add the cumin/mustard. When they start crackling, add the slit green chillies and ginger/garlic paste. Add the onions after a minute and fry till the onions
turn color. Add the tomatoes and fry till they become soft. Now add all the dry powders and mix well. Fry for about a minute. Add the spinach, peas and the cooked dal. Mix in salt to taste. Add 1 cup of water and let it come to a boil on a low flame. Remove and serve immediately.


Spicy Carrot Pickle

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Ingredients
15 carrots, peel & cut into long pieces
2 onions, chopped into big cubes
1/2 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
2 dry red chilies, broken into pieces
2 tsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. mustard powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. fenugreek
1 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
3 tsp. tamarind juice
2 tsp. red chili powder
A pinch of asafoetida
1 tbsp salt
For the seasoning:
1 cup oil
1/4 tsp. mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
1/4 tsp. urad dal (black gram)
1/4 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1 tbsp curry

Instructions

Make a coarse paste of the onions and keep aside.
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and urad dal to it. Once the seeds splutter add asafoetida, broken red chilies and curry leaves too.
Then add onion paste, ginger-garlic paste and sauté till golden brown. Turn off the stove and allow it to cool.
After the mixture cools, add the carrot pieces, salt, lemon juice and all other ingredients. Mix well and store in an airtight jar. Refrigeration is required.
Allow the carrots to marinate in this mixture for 2 days. The pickle is then ready to serve. Serve with steam rice or curd (yogurt) and rice.


Mango Lassi

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Ingredients
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh mango pulp
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cardamom

Blend everything until the sugar is dissolved. Serve over crushed ice.


Kheer

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Ingredients
1/2 cup basmati Rice
4 cups Milk
1/4 cup golden Raisins

1 cup Sugar
1 tsp Cardamom (or nutmeg)
1/4 cup pistacios
A few strands of saffron

Instructions
Wash rice well. Boil milk and add rice. Simmer on low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. When the rice is cooked and the mixture gets a semi-thick creamy consistency, add sugar and stir well. Remove from heat and add cardamom, saffron,shredded almonds, and raisins. Serve warm or chilled.


Spicy Mac & Cheese

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It was bound to happen sooner or later. A repeat. I made this months ago but I was craving it again. Turned out great - just like last time.




Pressure Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut

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Ingredients
2-3 pounds pork loin
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed
6 cups Water
1 pound sauerkraut
2 teaspoons caraway seeds

Instructions
Rub oil, salt and pepper into pork surface. In a pressure cooker on high heat, brown pork on all sides to brown. Toss in garlic, add water. Pressure cook for 90 minutes and turn off heat and let pressure release naturally. Open cooker, remove pork with tongs and add sauerkraut and caraway to cooker. Stir while heating. When sauerkraut begins to steam, add pork on top, seal cooker and pressure cook for 5 minutes.


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  • From Akron, Ohio, United States
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