Foodsplosion

For various reasons, I did not cook at all this past week.. business, illness... but I always feel guilty if I go too long without cooking. It's just silly not to. Also, I'm doing a behavior modification project which just happens to focus on my dishwashing habits..and if I don't cook, I can't really modify behavior that I'm not doing, can I? Anyhoo....

My friend Leigh mentioned Wednesday that she was craving chocolate chip cookies. Thursday night, I was watching Ultimate Recipe Showdown cookie challenge. Though I had missed the actual chocolate chip cookie portion, I got online and decided to check out the winning recipe. Friday, Leigh still hadn't had cookies, so I decided to make her some. Woo crazy me.


So.. Radical Rob's Chocolate Chip Cookies. Not so radical... not in taste. The cookies are super-thin though.. And sugar-crispy. I prefer my cookies fluffy, so I probably wouldn't make these again. They weren't anything special. Not bad. Not special. Average cookie. I don't really see why it won the challenge. I guess it's texture.. Oh well.. Perhaps you'll like it.


Much earlier this week, I decided I was going to make this pork and fennel dish from my Better Homes and Garden New Cookbook. I've made it before; so far, it's the only way we've liked fennel. I also really enjoy the pork being so thin; plus pounding it is fun.


Pork with Fennel:
12 oz pork tenderloin (I usually use pork chops)
1/4 cup flour
Salt and Pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 oz pancetta (or bacon) finely chopped
2 fennel bulbs, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 small onion. thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup whipping cream (I was out and used whole milk tonight)

Trim fat from meat, then cut into 1 inch squares. Place each slice between two sheets of plastic wrap, then pound with a meat mallet into 1/4 inch thickness.
In a bowl or plate, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Coat meat with mixture. Heat olive oil in a skillet, cook pork until meat is slightly pink in the center (2-3 minutes).
In the same skillet, cook pancetta (or bacon, like me) until crisp. Add fennel, onion, and garlic. Cook until crisp-tender (about 3-5 minutes). Add lemon juice. Stir in whipping cream. Bring to a boil, return meat to pan. Cook until meat is heated through and sauce is slightly thickened.
Best served with rice.

I'm in the process of baking the apple bread. I'll post it soon. I am just too tired right now.

Cinnamon Swirls

Wednesday afternoon, I really wanted to bake something bready. I'm still thinking about the hot cross buns from Panera, but I decided not to attempt those in case they didn't live up to my craving. I started flipping through The Taste of Home Cookbook and came across a few recipes I really, really wanted to try. My first choice required overnight refrigeration, so I decided to wait until the weekend to make it. So here's my second choice: Sarah Bueckert's Cinnamon Crisps (I've renamed them as they are not, nor should they be, crisp). They were fun to make, though a challenge because I lack counter space.. at one point, the cookie sheets had to rest (for the rising process) on the floor in the corner because I had no where else safe to put them..



Cinnamon Swirls:
Dough :
4 cups flour
1 package (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups warm (120-130F) milk (1 1/4, not 1/4 as I first used.. and then had to start all over)
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg

Filling :
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Topping :
1 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I omitted them because hubby doesn't like nuts)
1/4 cup butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour and the yeast. In a separate bowl, combine warm milk, shortening, sugar, and salt. Add to the flour and beat for 1 minute.
Add the egg, then beat on low speed for 1 minute. Continue beating for 3 minutes on medium speed. Stir in remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (about 6-8 minutes). Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, approximately 1 hour.
Meanwhile, combine filling ingredients and set aside. For the topping, combine the sugar, cinnamon, and, if you're using them, pecans. Set this aside as well. Punch down the dough, then divide it in half.
Roll each half into a 12 inch square. Divide the filling in two and spread on each half. Roll up tightly, jelly roll style, and pinch the ends and sides to seal.
Cut into 1 inch slices and place on a greased baking sheet (I used parchment paper instead of greasing the sheets). Put four to six on each sheet. Flatten slices into 3 inch circles. (You can use the palm of your hand, placing wax paper between.) Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Then flatten each roll to 5 inch diameter.
Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with the topping. Cover with waxed paper and flatten again (you can use a rolling pin and wax paper).
Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes or until LIGHTLY browned. My first batch of 4 were overcooked slightly. For the next ones, I watched them carefully; they really shouldn't color that much.

One of the tastiest parts about this is that the butter and sugar melt together, and where it runs off the swirl, it bakes into a little sugary goodness pool. Also, the bottoms will be sticky, but in the best possible way. These are definitely best when eaten warm, but they are still a good treat the next day.

Also, I'm a bit torn if there was enough filling.. If anything, I might just make what's listed, then half more. Maybe... I don't know. They were pretty damn good as they were..

Pasta Casserole (needs a better name)

I came across this recipe for a baked pasta casserole a few days ago and decided it would be a nice, quick dinner. The prep time wasn't bad, I was just a little unprepaid. It also didn't help that I decided to add some things while in the middle of cooking....

Baked Pasta Casserole (it needs a better name.. got any ideas?) :
olive oil
salt
3/4 lb pasta (I used shells)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups spinach, roughly chopped
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
5 strips bacon, crumbled
8 oz mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350F.
Boil pasta in salted water. Drain and toss with olive oil. Make sure it's tossed well.
Saute onion in olive oil, either for a few minutes or until caramelized. Mine were well cooked - pretty translucent - but not caramelized. Add garlic and cook for a moment or two. Next, add spinach and mushrooms and cook until the spinach just starts to lose volume (up to a minute, that's all). Salt mixture, then add to the pasta. Add bacon. Mix WELL. It needs to be very well combined, otherwise the flavor will end up being uneven throughout the dish.
Pour half of the pasta into a buttered/oiled casserole pan (13x9). Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella. Add the rest of the pasta, then cover with the remainder of the cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and delicious.

Hubby wanted it to have more meat - I thought adding the bacon would be enough, but I was wrong. I thought it was pretty tasty, though I'll probably use a different type of pasta and I'd perhaps add some herbs - maybe basil. Also, I'm on this kick where onions are the most delicious things ever, so I'd add more onion too.


Last night, I made some cinnamon buns I need to post. They were warm, cinnamony-sugar goodness. Not quite as overwhelming as a cinnamon roll. No icing. I think they are a great breakfast treat... or dessert, perhaps with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.. Anyhoo, look for that within the next day or so. I also plan to make an apple bread this weekend, so there's that to look forward to as well.

St Patty's Day Irish Soda Bread

Since my college roommate was an exchange student from Ireland, I now feel the need to observe St Patty's in some small way. As I'm not one to go out and get drunk, I decided to cook something (shocking, I know). I thought of making an Irish stew, as she did for us one day, but came across many recipes for Irish Soda Bread over at TasteSpotting and that seemed like more fun and less work.

I agree with all the comments I read: this bread would make a tasty breakfast bread. It is super tasty warm with butter. It's also easy to make. It's a winner.

The recipe came from Yumsugar. I did use both caraway seeds and raisins. I've never used caraway seeds, and I've discovered I find them to be tasty.



yumsugar's grandmother's irish soda bread:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 cup raisins
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease and lightly flour a loaf pan. Combine dry ingredients. Add caraway seeds and raisins. In a separate bowl, lightly beat eggs and milk. Slowly add to the dry ingredients. Stir until you've got a sticky dough. It won't take long. Place in the prepared pan and lightly sprinkle flour on top. Bake for approximately 50 minutes. Mine went for 45. Let cool for a moment, then remove from the pan. Serve warm. With butter. Enjoy.

Failure, Meatloaf, and Perfect Chocolate Cake

I'm feeling lazy; it's been a long day with lots of cooking. Two thirds of my attempts were scrumptious.. the third, not so much. BUT I did buy my first vanilla bean today; I shall hopefully use it tomorrow. I've decided not to retype any of the recipes as I followed them exactly.

So I was super excited to make these garlic rolls; I love garlic and I love bread so HELLO awesome recipe to try right? Well, mine DID not look like the photo. I knew something was up when my dough did not rise at all during the set rising time. But, I soldiered on and continued.. They didn't rise at all during the baking. I talked to my mom, and she said she's never seen a recipe that didn't call for dissolving the yeast in liquid before adding it to everything else (disregarding bread machines). Also, there could have been a slight issue with the conversions.. but oh well. Perhaps I'll tweak the recipe and try again. However, mine were edible (though hard) and really didn't taste phenomenally garlicky. I'll tweak that as well. Good idea though. These are my sad results; most of the rolls fell apart, having never joined spheres... Sadness..


Okay. So, I was raised with the whole "meatloaf is disgusting and a horrible idea" mantra. My mom NEVER made meatloaf that I can remember. I avoided it at school... I just never ate it until about a year ago. I was curious and hubby likes it. It really wasn't that bad, though nothing I think I would ever write home about. There are much more fun things to make than a loaf of meat. BUT then I came across this meatloaf recipe. It's turkey (I've discovered I really enjoy cooking with turkey!) I might not have double-glazed it, but that's just me being picky about sauces. Pretty tasty; like it says with the original recipe, this can turn a lover to a hater. (Of course, I served it with mashed potatoes and peas...which should be mixed together!)


Now the fun part of the evening came when my friend let me know she was craving warm, chocolate cake. Me, being the crazy that I am, immediately offered to make her one. And who in their right mind would turn away fresh, warm, homemade chocolate cake, especially when craving it? It took awhile to narrow down the recipe choices. I had two that I flitted between for awhile, but one mandated being served warm. Since she didn't get off work til 1 am, I figured I should go with the second cake. It's someone's grandma's Hershey Chocolate Cake. It's a lighter, cakier cake than some chocolate cakes can be, but the icing on top makes it super-sweet and chocolatey. The recipe calls for pouring the hot icing over the hot cake, which resulted in sizzling bubbles around the edges. See?


Anyway. This cake is like crack. I'm going to have to bring it to work tomorrow so I don't eat it all myself and gain 500 pounds in a night. So simple and so good.


Also, I had the tastiest hot cross bun today from Panera. I always imagined hot cross buns had raisins in them.. These did not; instead they had candied oranges and strawberries. AMAZING. I have never had strawberries baked into anything. The bun itself was sweet and slightly cinnamony. I actually pulled off the little cross of icing; it really didn't need it. So good though. I'll have to somehow make these myself. People will think I am a goddess.

Pepper Encrusted Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Reduction

Hubby had his choice of a few different dishes for dinner tonight, and he chose Chef John's Black Pepper Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Black Cherry Reduction. He chose well. I started to get a bit scared during the cooking process, but it was unfounded. We both really enjoyed this, though all the black pepper was a bit too much. Just searing the tenderloin had me coughing from the pepper. BUT that's beside the point. It's tasty and you should definitely try it. Chef John doesn't actually list out steps; you're required to watch a clip, which I don't enjoy. Lucky for you, I'm here!


Pepper Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Reduction:
pork tenderloin (mine was about 1 1/2 pounds)
salt to taste
coarsely ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup white (or other) vinegar
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup cherry (or other) preserves
2 tbsp butter (I forgot this part. It was fine without it)

Preheat the oven to 375F. Trim any big bits of fat off the tenderloin - small bits don't matter. Also, if you want the roast evenly cooked from one end to the other, you can flip up the tapered tip and tie it with cooking string. (Bad way to describe it, I know. Check Chef John's video if you want to see it.)
Time to prep the meat. I didn't at this point, but you can salt the meat now. Next, rub the coarsely ground black pepper all over the meat. Don't put too much! DON'T make the pepper absolutely cover the meat; it will OVERWHELM you. Even hubby said it was a bit too hot. I thought maybe just encrusting one side of the tenderloin; he suggested just less pepper. If it looks like it will be too much, it will be. Trust your instinct!
Now that you've got a nicely not-too-lightly-not-too-heavily peppered tenderloin, it's time to sear it. Heat up some olive oil in a skillet, and brown each side well. It'll help crust-up the meat. Now, stick it in the oven; if you're lucky and have ovenproof skillets, just pop it on in there. If your kitchen is lacking like mine, transfer the pork to a baking dish. It'll cook for about 30 minutes.
Alright, so your meat is prepared. Either in the same dish (if you're lucky and have that ovenproof skillet, you should put the tenderloin on a plate) or use the same skillet you used to sear the meat. (Am I being wordy or what tonight?) It's time to make the sauce..
If you have a little liquid in the skillet, cool. If not, heat a little bit of olive oil (little bit, tsp or less). Add the garlic and let it cook for a moment or two; don't let it brown. Next, add the vinegar, broth, and preserves. Stir well, but don't worry if the preserves don't immediately start to blend. It's okay; it'll work out. Simmer over a medium heat until reduced by half. At this poind, Chef John says to turn off the heat and whisk in the 2 tbsps butter. You can do it. I didn't, and I thought it was all fine.
The reduction is potent, so perhaps set your pork in a little pool of it. Or drizzle a bit on top. Just, go slow. Take your time.. You can always add more later, but it's rare that you can take it back.
So again, I was hesitant about the sweetness of it, plus I've never cooked with vinegar..but it turned out really nicely. The cherry and pepper really went well together. Mmmm.

Condensed Milk (Vanilla) Pound Cake

Cake on the Brain had this tasty little pound cake on TasteSpotting, and I being the condensed milk and vanilla lover that I am decided to try this out tonight once I realized that hazelnut extract does not exist within this city. (To look forward to: Ferrero Rocher cupcakes) I had just bought some strawberries from the grocery store and thought they would pair well together. Genius! Strawberries and pound cake; no one's thought of that before!

It is simple and tasty. The edges are a bit dry, but the middle is perfect. Again, I blame uneven cooking on my oven. I have NEVER in many years of baking experienced the issues I have with the oven in this apartment. I pine for the day that I own good appliances.

Condensed Milk Pound Cake:
(originally from Pichet Ong)

1 cup butter at room temperature
1 1/3 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla (I used 3 tsp)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs

Preheat the oven to 325F. Generously grease/butter a loaf pan.
Sift together the flour and baking powder. I usually don't actually use a sift; I'll whisk them together really well with a whisk (dur) or fork.
Beat sugar, butter, and salt until fluffy - about 2 minutes. Add condensed milk; mix well.
Add dry ingredients, and mix thoroughly. Add eggs. Beat well. Mix in vanilla extract.
Pour into prepared pan. Bake until dark golden brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. This can take anywhere from an hour to an hour and twenty minutes. I just watched mine very carefully.

Alternative method: If you're lucky enough to have vanilla beans, the first step should be processing the vanilla bean and the sugar. Some people say to then sift the sugar to get the vanilla bean bits out, and some recommend leaving them in. Do what makes you happy. Then proceed as usual from there; beating in the butter, yadda yadda.

As mentioned previously, I served it with strawberries. I picked up a trick the last time I made hubby a cheesecake; I slice the strawberries and sprinkle a bit of plain, white sugar on top. Then I let them sit (in a sealed container) in the fridge until they make their own thick strawberry juicey goodness. I find it is MUCH better than the pre-made goop you get in the tub at the grocery.

Hubby REALLY liked this.

Turkey Stew

I've been wanting to try this for weeks. It looks so delicious, doesn't it? Well, I'm not sure I'll ever make it again. It takes a good while (though much of that time is inactive for the chef) for a not-mind-blowing tastebud experience. Hubby and I both liked it well enough, it just didn't rock our collective socks off. I think the prunes were the problem; neither of us can wrap our tongues around liking them. But, my tastebuds are not yours so perhaps you will enjoy this. It is sweet. Bobby thinks it would be better with some red pepper added, and also perhaps duck instead of turkey. Also, I did not have the proper cookware, so I had to switch back and forth between a pot and a foil-lined glass baking dish.

Turkey Stew:
1 tbsp olive oil
4 turkey drumsticks
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cup dry white wine (I used sauvignon blanc)
4 sprigs of thyme
4 sprigs of rosemary
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup pitted prunes
1/2 cup brandy
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup pearl onions

Preheat the oven to 325F. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil, then brown each drumstick. Salt and pepper. Obviously, only the meaty part will brown. This is what two of my drumsticks looked like. Remove any extra fat.


Add the wine; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup. How do you know when it's down to 1/2 cup? Well, I would pour the liquid into a measuring cup to measure my progress, then pour it back into the pot. Once you've got 1/2 cup, add the sprigs of rosemary and thyme. It's recommended that the be bundled, but it's not necessary. Add 3 cups of stock and drumsticks. Bring to a simmer. (This is the point at which I switched everything into the foil-wrapped glass baking dish. If you have a nifty cast iron skillet, you should use that. I do not. I had to make do.) Cover and braise in the over for 1 1/2 hours.

At the hour point, soak the prunes in the brandy; they should plump up a bit. Next, blanch the pear onions for 2 minutes, then drain and cool them a bit. Remove the root end and skins. Heat the remaining tsp of olive oil and brown the onions for about 5 minutes. Add the onions, prunes, and left over brandy to the casserole/baking dish in the oven. Braise for an additional hour.

Remove the turkey legs, prunes, and onions from the dish.


Throw away the herbs and get rid of an excess fat. Simmer the broth until it is 1 1/2 cups - about 30 minutes. Once the turkey has cooled enough, remove the skin and tear the meat into chunks. Discard the bones. Add the meat and veggies back to the broth.


Serve with pasta or rice (I vote for rice though I originally made noodles).


And that, my friends, is how you spend 4 1/2 hours preparing a meal. Hubby and I would eat it again, I'm just not sure I'd be willing to make it again. But, decide for yourselves if you have an afternoon free!

In the oven: vanilla pound cake. Can't wait!!

Apologies

I've been a bit remiss in my blogging lately; papers, midterms, and physics tests will do that to a gal. But, thankfully, I have a free week and will be cooking up a storm in the upcoming days. I have a cupcake recipe i MUST try, as well as a few dinners. So, be prepared.