One indefensible ingredient...

This recipe has been part of our Thanksgiving dinners for many years , but it does have one truly indefensible ingredient - Cool Whip. I've blogged about it here. Real whipped cream can be substituted for the Cool Whip.

Artic Freeze

Ingredients:

2 Three oz. packages cream cheese
2 T. Mayonnaise
2 T. sugar
One 1 lb. can whole cranberry sauce
One 8 oz. can crushed pineapple or tidbits, drained
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 cup Cool Whip (heavy cream, whipped, may be substituted)

Directions:
Soften cream cheese and blend in mayo and sugar. Add fruit. Fold in Cool Whip. Add nuts. Put in bread pan and freeze until firm, six hours or overnight. Take out and let pan sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes, before slicing to serve. 8-10 servings.

Mexican Chocolate Icebox Cookies

These dense cookies have a strong chocolate flavor. They are delicious with a cold glass of milk or a dish of vanilla ice cream. I like to add walnuts to the recipe.

Mexican Chocolate Icebox Cookies
(Melissa/NYC)

Ingredients:
1 & 1/2 cups sifted flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
generous pinch of black pepper
generous pinch of cayenne
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg

Directions:
Sift together: flour, cocoa, salt, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon. Set aside.
Cream the butter. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat in egg and gradually add dry ingredients. Dough will be stiff and somewhat dry. Process until coarsely ground, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides.

Shape dough into cylinder about 10 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Wrap dough in was paper and place in freezer until firm (20-30 minutes). Take dough out of freezer and cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-13 min

Pinot Noir, shiitake mushrooms and more...

I finally got around to trying this recipe, which has been on my refrigerator for a couple of months. I made the polenta earlier in the day, so everything else came together quickly at mealtime.

The recipe makes a lovely presentation on the plate (sorry, I forgot to photograph it). The pinot noir and tablespoon of tomato paste in the gravy (more like a sauce than a gravy) give the sauce an appealing color when it is spooned over the polenta. The roasted asparagus are also attractive and their complex flavors compliments the mushrooms and polenta nicely. (The gravy would have tasted richer if I had used mushroom broth as the recipe called for. I couldn’t find it at the local store, so I substituted chicken broth).

My husband thought the gravy should have been thickened more (I disagree). And I thought a grating of fresh Parmesan cheese would have been a nice addition. I’ll definitely be making this again.


Crisp Polenta Cakes with Pinot Noir/Shiitake Gravy
and roasted Asparagus
(Oregonian)
4 small servings

Polenta:
1 teaspoon olive oil plus 3 tablespoons or browning (divided)
4 cups water
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup dry cornmeal (polenta)

Sauce/Gravy:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons minced shallots
8 ounces (4 cups) shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps slice
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup pinot noir
1 ½ cups mushroom broth
1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch

Asparagus:
1 pound asparagus, tough ends snapped off and discarded
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice

To make polenta (1 hour or up to 3 days I advance):
Brush a 6-by-8-inch baking dish or 8-inch pie plate with the teaspoon of oil. Bring the water and salt to boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and gradually whisk in the corn meal. Gently simmer, stirring frequently, until the polenta has thickened, about 20 minutes. Pour the polenta into the prepared pan. Cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to 3 days covered in plastic wrap. Cut the polenta into 7 triangles (8 wedges if using a pie plate); set aside.

To make gravy:
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and sauté until they are softened, 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, sprinkle them with salt and sauté stirring once, until the mushrooms are browned and have given off their liquid, 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute or more, to brown slightly. Reduce heat to medium; add the wine and simmer, scraping up any browned bits on bottom of pan, until wine has evaporated, 1 minute. Add the mushroom broth and bring to a simmer. Combine the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl, whisk it into the gravy and simmer until bubbly, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, reduce heat and keep warm over low heat.

To brown polenta and serve dish:
Meanwhile, place a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat and preheat until very hot. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and heat until shimmering. Blot the polenta dry with a paper towel. Carefully add the polenta triangles to the pan in a single layer. Reduce heat to medium and cook without moving the pieces until they are crisp and brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes, or more. Carefully flip the triangle with a spatula and continue to cook until they are crisp and brown on the second side, about another 5 minutes m ore.
Remove the polenta from the pan and drain on paper towels; blot off excess oil. Divide the polenta and asparagus among the plates, spoon gravy over the polenta and serve.

Panna Cotta with Sweet Cherries

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Sweet Cherries
(Portland Monthly)
4 Servings

The panna cotta should be prepared at least 6 hours ahead of time, but the cherries can be prepared just before serving.

Ingredients for the panna cotta:
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 1⁄2 tsp powdered gelatin
1⁄4 cup sugar
1⁄2 split vanilla bean (scrap beans out of pod; put pod & beans in pot)

Ingredients for the cherries:
1⁄2 bottle of Chianti
1 cup sugar
1 split vanilla bean,
1⁄2 pound sweet cherries (such as Rainier or Bing), stems and pits removed
(I have also used organic Hood River sweet red cherries, canned in grape juice)
1 sprig rosemary

Directions:
1. Pour 3 tbsp cream into a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over top and let sit for 10 minutes, then gently mix together. (This may get thick and chunky. It will dissolve easily when added to the hot cream mixture.)

2. In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, combine the 1 3⁄4 cup cream along with the sugar and vanilla bean and cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until it is just boiling, about 5-7 minutes. Add the gelatin mixture and remove from heat. Whisk for 1 minute until the gelatin has dissolved.

3. Pour the mixture, through a fine mesh sieve, into four small ramekins. Set in the refrigerator until they have set (at least six hours).

2. For the cherries: In a stainless steel sauté pan combine the chianti, sugar, vanilla bean, cherries, and rosemary sprig. Cook until it becomes syrupy, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly, then spoon over the panna cotta. Serves 4.

No-Knead Bread

This recipe for no-knead bread has been floating around for a while. Cookbook author Mark Bittman published a version in the New York Times in 2006, adapted from a loaf created by Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery, New York City. In 2007, the food section of the Oregonian newspaper printed a slightly revised version of Bittman’s recipe, with detailed instructions. (Figuring out the timeline was the most challenging aspect.) I'v made two loaves, which both turned out great - crisp crust, chewy texture and great flavor. It can also be made using part rye or whole wheat flour. (Photos at bottom of post...)

No-Knead Bread
(Oregonian)

Makes one 1½-pound loaf
Ingredients:
3 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour plus more for shaping dough
¼ teaspoon instant yeast (Note: instant means “rapid rise” – I used Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise brand)
2½ teaspoons kosher salt (This amount IS correct...seems like a lot)
1½ cups plus 2 Tablespoons tepid water

Directions:
In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add the water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and very sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18 hours, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles.

Turn dough out on a lightly floured work surface; sprinkle dough with a little more flour, and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic warp and let rest about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously dust a cotton (not terry cloth) kitchen towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another kitchen towel and let rise for 2 to 3 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least 30 minutes before dough is ready, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put a heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, ceramic; anywhere from 3½ quarts to 6 or 8 quarts) in oven as it heats. I used a 3½-quart ceramic casserole dish, rather than the 6-quart Dutch oven, resulting in a rounder loaf. (Do not grease pot. Bread won’t stick if you’ve used adequate flour or cornmeal.) Preheating the pot helps create steam and ensures a chewy, artisan-style crust, so don’t skip this step.

When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that’s OK. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake on oven rack in the center position, 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is nicely browned. Cool on rack before cutting.

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery, New York City

Asparagus and Prosciutto Strata

This is an adaptation of a recipe my friend Anne served for brunch one year in her beautiful perennial garden.



Asparagus and Prosciutto Strata

Ingredients:
1 lb. asparagus cut into 2” lengths, woody stems removed (cooked until still bright green and barely tender - around 2 minutes)
3 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto (1/2” srips)
1 loaf (3/4 lb.) artisanal style bread, crusts removed, cut into one inch cubes (or smaller)
1 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan (5 oz.)
1/2 cup chopped chives
6 large eggs
3 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon (or less) grated lemon peel
1/2 teas. salt
1/2 teas. pepper

Directions:
• Grease 9 x 13” pan. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread half of the bread cubes over pan. Top with one half of the prosciutto, asparagus, cheese & chives. Layer remaining bread, followed by the remaining cheese, prosciutto and asparagus.
• Whisk the eggs, milk, lemon peel, salt and pepper. Pour over layered bread. Bake 40-50 minutes until center is set and top is lightly brown.

NOTE: After the strata is assembled, I use a spatula to gently press the ingredients into the egg mixture. Then I cover it with Saran wrap, stick it in the frig for a half hour up to several hours. This allows the milk, egg mixture to be distributed more evenly and soak into the bread.

Roast Chicken with Lemon & Herbs

I love chicken prepared this way. The wonderful scent of rosemary added to the pleasure of painting this little still life.

Roast Chicken with Lemon and Herbs
(Fine Cooking)

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 tsp. dried thyme (or 1 T. fresh)
1 tsp. dried rosemary (or 1 T. fresh chopped)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 lemon, halved
1 whole roasting chicken (aprox. 3 & ½ lbs.)
1 onion, cut in slices
4+ medium red potatoes, washed (but not peeled) and sliced in half or quarters
1 large clove garlic, minced

Preparation
• Heat oven to 375 degrees
• In a bowl combine 1tablespoon olive oil, mustard, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.
• Squeeze the juice from one lemon half into the herb mixture; squeeze the juice from the other lemon half into a small bowl and reserve
• Reserve the squeezed lemon halves. Spoon the herb mixture over the chicken and inside its cavity, rubbing to coat the bird thoroughly. Put the reserved lemon halves inside the chicken’s cavity.
• Put the potatoes and onions in a plastic bag and add 1 T. olive oil, salt, pepper and minced garlic. Mix all in plastic bag. Arrange potatoes and onions in pan around the whole chicken.
• Cook until the meat is tender and the juices run clear at the thigh, about one and a quarter hours.
• Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter. Pour the juices from inside the chicken’s cavity into the roasting pan and transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest.
• Spoon off and discard as much fat as possible from the juices in the roasting pan. Set the pan with the juices over medium low heat and pour in the reserved lemon juice along with ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. (I also sometimes add a bit of white wine.)
• Pour the pan juices over the chicken and potatoes and serve.