Author: Natalie

Famous Senate Ham and White Bean Soup

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So, this recipe is famous because it’s been served in the U.S. Senate restaurant ever since 1901. I, on the other hand, was just introduced to it this fall, and it’s already one of my favorite meals. Who’d guess that a ham bone and beans could make something so delicious? The recipe comes from my older copy of the Joy of Cooking.

Senate Ham and White Bean Soup

1 1/4 c. small dried white beans
7 c. cold water
1 small ham hock
1 large onion, diced
3 medium celery stalked with leaves, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
2 T. fresh parsley, chopped

In a pot, soak the beans overnight in cold water (cover the beans with water until the water is an inch above the beans). Drain the water, and add the 7 c. cold water and ham hock. Bring to a boil and then allow to simmer until the beans are tender, 1 1/4 hrs. Take the bone out, remove extra meat and dice it; discard the bone, skin, and fat.

Return the meat back to the pot and add the remaining ingredients, except for the parsley. Simmer until the potatoes are soft, 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and mash the soup with a potato masher until the soup is creamy. Add the chopped parsley and serve.

Creamy Polenta

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We have had polenta a couple of times, and I can’t believe how much everyone enjoys it at our house. Plus, it’s extremely easy, and it goes with many dishes as a great side. Here’s a recipe I tried last night, and afterwards, we sat and licked the pan–it’s another winner from Great Food Fast.

Creamy Polenta

4 c. water
1 1/2  t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
3/4 c. polenta (or coarse cornmeal–you can find this in bulk bins at grocery stores, or in packages like Bob’s Red Mill in the grains section)
1/4 c. grated parmesan or sharp cheddar cheese (I ended up adding more like 1/2 c.)

Bring the water, salt and pepper to boil in a medium saucepan. Slowly add the polenta into the water, whisking constantly. Turn the heat down, but maintain a simmer, and allow the polenta to cook for 10-15 minutes, whisking frequently to prevent clumps. When thick and creamy, remove from heat and stir in cheese. Serve immediately.

Note: You can serve polenta with or as an accompaniment to many different sauces, from tomato sauces to mushroom sauces. I paired Ali’s Balsamic Barbeque Chicken with it, and thought it was great. This is definitely a versatile, easy side!

Chocolate Pear Tart

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This is another recipe from Everyday Food–I pulled it from the magazine almost 3 years ago, and it’s remained one of my favorite desserts. It’s also wheat-free! (Since I know this is important to some of you!) I hadn’t remembered that about it, but sure enough, it is. Also, I was at Trader Joe’s yesterday and noticed they sell Almond Meal, so you don’t have to grind your own almonds (and it wasn’t that expensive–like $4 for over a pound, I believe). Anyway, this is a great Valentines-y dessert in my opinion. And I would recommend Bartlett pears–I’ve tried Anjou and Bosc, and think the Bartlett’s are the best. One last note: if you don’t have apple jelly, don’t worry too much; it mostly just creates a beautiful finish, but doesn’t do much for the flavor. I have to admit, though, using the jelly is one baking trick I’ve learned that makes me feel just a little more accomplished as a baker . . .

Chocolate Pear Tart

Ingredients

Serves 8

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
  • 1 cup whole blanched almonds
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • 3 firm, ripe Bartlett pears
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons apple jelly
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan with butter; set aside.
  2. In a food processor, combine almonds and sugar; process until very finely ground. Add butter, eggs, cocoa, vanilla, salt, and almond extract, if using; process until combined. Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan.
  3. Peel, halve, and core pears; cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, rubbing them with lemon as you work (to prevent discoloration). Arrange slices on chocolate mixture, slightly overlapping, without pressing in.
  4. Place pan on a baking sheet; bake until top is puffed and a toothpick inserted in center of chocolate mixture comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
  5. Briefly heat jelly in the microwave or on the stove until liquefied. Gently brush pears with jelly; let set, at least 20 minutes. Remove tart from pan, and serve.

Roasted Cauliflower

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I’m back in the kitchen now, after a long hiatus, packing in the fruits and veggies in an attempt to purge all the holiday build-up running through the families’ veins.

This is a recipe I tried (and loved) last night. It’s from Great Food Fast, Martha’s publication, and it’s a great keeper, especially if you’re like me and need interesting ways to cook veggies in order to want to eat them. Make sure to try the capers! They make a notable difference in the flavor and are delicious (I have to admit to not having had them in recent memory–they’re really good).

Roasted Cauliflower

  • 1 head (about 2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into small florets
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon capers
  • 1 teaspoon caper juice

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Trim, and cut cauliflower into small florets; spread in a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Toss to combine. Roast, tossing once or twice, until cauliflower is golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
  2. In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook garlic cloves, stirring often, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add capers and caper juice. Pour over cauliflower, and toss to coat.

Cranberry-Pear Cake Bars

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cranberry-pear-barI got this recipe a couple years ago from Everyday Food, but like usual, I’m having a hard time locating it on Martha’s incredibly-impossible recipe search engine. So, I’ll retype it. I love this recipe. The bars are actually quite tart, which is pleasant after all the sickeningly sweet things I usually make at Christmastime, and it has a nice texture. I’m bringing these to the Ward Christmas Party on Saturday, so all are invited for a sample!

Cranberry-Pear Cake Bars

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, melted
2 c. flour
1 t. soda
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
1 3/4 c. packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 T. finely grated orange zest (Microplanes are the best zesters!)
2 firm pears, peeled, halved, cored and thinly sliced
8 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 c. walnut pieces
whipped cream, for serving (optional, of course)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease, spray, or line a 9 x 13″ pan with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and zest until smooth. Add flour mixture; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Fold in pears, cranberries, and walnuts.
3. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Cool completely in pan set on a rack. If using parchment, pull the overhang out to easily cut.

Picture to come on Saturday . . .

Southern Pecan Praline Pie

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This was my new favorite recipe from Thanksgiving. Thankfully, many guests were more interested in the cream and lemon pies more than this one, leaving this heavenly thing to just a few hands. I’m resisting making it again until Christmas, because I know I would eat it all in one sitting, but this is a really great recipe. I’ve taken it from America’s Test Kitchen’s 2007 Annual.

Southern Pecan Praline Pie

Crust
1 1/4 c. flour
2 T. dark brown sugar
1/2 t. salt
8 T. butter, cut into 1/4″ pieces
3-4 T. ice water

Filling
8 T. unsalted butter, cut into 1″ pieces
3/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
1 t. salt
3 large eggs
3/4 c. dark corn syrup
1 T. vanilla extract
2 T. bourbon (I left this out)
2 c. whole pecans, toasted, cooled, and broken into small pieces (you can toast in a skillet over med.-high heat for 8-10 min., or in a 350 degree oven for about the same amount of time–until they are fragrant)

For the Crust
1. Process the flour, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about ten 1-second pulses. Turn the mixture into a medium bowl (I don’t have a food processor, so I do this with a pastry blender–you can also do it with your fingers–which works really well if you are using frozen butter).
2. Sprinkle 3 T. of ice water over the mixture and stir and press the dough together using a stiff rubber spatula until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, stir in the remaining 1 T. water until the dough forms large clumps and no dry flour remains. Turn the dough out onto the counter and flatten into a 4″ disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling.
3. Remove dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it’s about a 12″ circle and 1/8″ thick. Transfer to a 9″ pie plate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then freeze for 20 more (this preserves the shape by baking, but not much is lost if you don’t have time–or if you just want to leave it in the fridge a couple of hours instead).
4. When ready to bake (this means you are ready to complete the whole pie–see below), place the oven rack in the middle, and preheat the oven to 375. Line the dough with aluminum foil and place dry beans or pie weights in the dough. Bake for 20-25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned and set. Cool on a rack.
For the Filling
5. Lower the oven temp to 275.
6. Cook butter, brown sugar and salt together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is melted and butter absorbed, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the corn syrup, vanilla, and bourbon, if using. Return the pan to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is glossy and warm to the touch, about 4 minutes. (Do not overheat). Remove from heat and stir in pecans.
7. Pour the filling in the warm shell (needs to be warm) and bake until the center feels set yet soft, like jello, when pressed, 45-60 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool for 4 hours, to completely set the pie, before serving.

IMG_6597

Soft, Buttery Dinner Rolls

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I’ve been trying to decide what rolls to make for Thanksgiving dinner, and because I don’t want to be baking on Thanksgiving Day, I decided to bake my rolls early and freeze them (I will heat them in the oven right before serving them–this works like a charm). I knew I wanted a roll that was a little sweet, so I revamped my Aunt Barbara’s Sunday roll recipe, which, as you can see, has a bit of sugar in it. But, with a little updating, this recipe really works. The roll is soft, buttery, and a little sweet–not the type of thing for every day, but just what I wanted for Thanksgiving.

Buttery dinner rolls, lightly browned

Soft, Buttery Dinner Rolls

1 1/4 c. warm water
2 1/4 t. yeast
1 t. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
2 t. salt
2 eggs
4 1/2 c. flour
grated zest from one orange, or two clementines

Combine the yeast, 1/4 c. warm water, and the teaspoon sugar in a small bowl, stir and let bubble. Melt the butter on the stovetop or the microwave, and then add the remaining cup water as well as the sugar and stir. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the salt and 4 cups of flour. Mix with the paddle, then add half the butter mixture and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the two eggs, then add the remaining butter mixture. With the mixer on low speed, add the yeast, and then knead on medium speed, adding the 1/2 c. flour (and more, if necessary) a little at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and only a small amount remains attached to the bottom of the bowl. Add the orange zest. Continue to knead with the paddle attachment for 5 minutes.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 30 seconds, until the dough comes together and forms a nice, round ball. Place in a well greased bowl, covering tightly with plastic wrap and let raise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

After the first rise, turn the dough onto a floured surface, and cut the rolls depending on your style. This recipe makes about 24 rolls. Some basic roll shapes are knots, Parker-House Style (folded in half), and simply rounded  (I found a helpful, illustrated .pdf on the matter, which is particularly helpful if you’re a first-timer. It’s much easier to shape rolls when following an illustration! I’ve attached the pdf at the end of the post). For my rolls in the above photo, I rolled the dough out with a rolling pin, and cut dough into circles. I then basted the top of each circle lightly with a little melted butter, placed three circles on top of each other, then folded it in half and placed it in a greased muffin tin (I wanted them to look like Nayborhood Bakery Rolls from the Bakery in SLC–it kind-of worked!).

Once you have shaped the rolls, cover them loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise until double in size, about 30-45 minutes. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375. Remove the plastic wrap, and bake the rolls for 10 minutes. Remove the rolls from the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool, or serve warm, with your favorite jam.

Shaping Dinner Rolls

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel

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This is America’s Test Kitchen Recipe from 2007, as part of their holiday makeover. It’s quite terrific. I know every family has their own version of this, but if you’re like me, you might also like to vary the marshmallow-topped yams every once in awhile. This recipe doesn’t disappoint!

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel

7 lbs. sweet potatoes, of similar size (6-8)

Streusel
5 T. unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces and softened, plus more for the pan
1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/4 t. salt
1 c. pecans

Filling
5 T. unsalted butter, melted
2 t. salt
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. pepper
1 T. vanilla extract
4 t. fresh lemon juice
Granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks
1 1/2 c. half-and-half

1. For the sweet potatoes: Adjust an oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400. Poke the potatoes with a fork or knife and place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake until they are very tender (they easily pierce or can be squeezed with tongs), 1-1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and cut in half lengthwise, and let cool ten minutes. Turn the oven down to 375.

2. For the streusel: while the potatoes are baking, butter a 13 x 9 inch dish. Pulse the flour, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor until blended, 4 times. Sprinkle the butter over the top and pulse, 6-8 times. Then, add the nuts and pulse, 4-6 times. (If you don’t have a food processor, you can mix the first three ingredients with your fingers or a fork, and the butter, and mix again with your fingers until big crumbs form. Then, chop the nuts–to however small you prefer–on a separate surface, and add and combine. It should look like streusel.)

Once the potatoes have cooled, scoop out the flesh into a large bowl. Transfer half the flesh to the food processor; cut the remaining flesh into coarse 1-inch chunks.

3. For the filling: add the melted butter, salt,  nutmeg, pepper, vanilla, and lemon juice to the potatoes in the food processor and process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Taste for sweetness, then add up to 4 T. granulated sugar, if necessary; add the yolks. With the processor running, pour the half-and-half through the feed tube and process until blended, about 20 seconds. Transfer to the bowl with the potato pieces and stir gently to combine. (Alternately, blend or mash half the sweet potato flesh well, then add the ingredients as listed above, using a wooden spoon to combine. I don’t have a food processor, and these still turned out really well.)

4. Assemble and Bake: Pour the filling into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer with the spatula. Sprinkle with the streusel, breaking up any large pieces with your fingers. Bake until the topping is well browned and the filling is slightly puffy around the edges, 40-45 minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Note: to cut down on Thanksgiving-day work, you can bake the sweet potatoes up to two days in advance, scrape the flesh out, and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Then, proceed from step 2.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

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I haven’t made this dessert in a couple of years, but it is one of the best uses for pumpkin out there. I was telling Jeff about it last night, because the first time I made it, I  think I made it 4 times in one month.  A little overkill, I know, but it’s fairly simple and really delicious. Besides, it’s November; don’t we all need more ways to bake pumpkin?

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce (from Epicurious)
originally published in Bon Appetit in 2000

Bread pudding

  • 2 cups half and half
  • 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
  • 1 cup (packed) plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice [you can just make your own blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice or nutmeg: about 3/4 t. cinnamon, 1/2 t. ginger, 1/4 t. cloves and nutmeg or allspice]
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 10 cups 1/2-inch cubes egg bread (about 10-ounces) [sandwich bread works well, too]
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins [I leave this out–we’re not raisin fans here]

Caramel sauce

  • 1 1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream

For bread pudding:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk half and half, pumpkin, dark brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and vanilla extract in large bowl to blend. Fold in bread cubes. Stir in golden raisins. Transfer mixture to 11×7-inch glass baking dish. Let stand 15 minutes. Bake pumpkin bread pudding until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare caramel sauce:
Whisk brown sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Whisk in cream and stir until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.

Sift powdered sugar over bread pudding. Serve warm with caramel sauce.

Spanish Rice

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This recipe comes from The Joy of Cooking, and it’s great. I should make it more than I do, because it’s that great. Really.

Spanish Rice

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine in an ovenproof skillet or dutch-oven over medium heat until the onions are golden (5 minutes):

2 slices bacon (or more, if you’re me)
1/2 c. chopped onions
1/2 c. chopped green peppers
1 clove garlic, minced

Then add,
1 c. long-grain white rice

Stir until well-coated. Add:
1 3/4 c. chicken stock
1 c. chopped drained canned tomatoes
1/2 t. sweet or hot paprika
1/4 t. black pepper

Bring to a boil. Stir once, cover, and bake until the stock is absorved and the rice is tender, about 25 minutes. Uncover and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve.