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Broccoli with Browned Butter

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Now that I’ve returned to the land of the non-vacationing, I’m excited to catch up a little.

I got this recipe from a friend of a friend, as we talked on the 40th floor of a Manhattan skyrise. She whispered it to me like it was one of the best secrets in the world, and I think she’s right. Luckily, this side can be ready quickly, so it’s frequently on our dinner table–and all the broccoli is always eaten.

Broccoli with Browned Butter

2 bunches of broccoli, florets cut off, and stems peeled and cut into 1/2″ chunks (if using)
2-3 T. butter, salted

Steam the broccoli in a steaming basket over a pot or in the microwave with a little water for 7-8 minutes. (It’s important to not steam it for longer than 9 minutes, because at that point, broccoli starts turning the sickly color of puce instead of staying bright.) Immediately remove the broccoli from the heat source (take the lid off the steamer basket if using), and place in a serving bowl.

Meanwhile, in a small pan over medium heat, melt the butter, shaking the handle gently, until the butter has browned, but being careful not to let it burn. Definitely stand over it the first time, and adjust the heat if it’s browning too quickly or not fast enough. As soon as it starts to brown, remove it from the heat and pour it over the broccoli. Delish! Serves about 3-4 people.

Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Since my kids won’t eat zucchini, it’s nice to have other options for using it. I came across this recipe a few years ago, and I really like it. It’s more like a muffin, really, but the cream cheese frosting makes it irresistible to the kids (and of course I either have to leave out the nuts or grind them in a food processor so the kids don’t detect them). These cupcakes are another great way to use some of that summer squash.

Zucchini Cupcakes

Note: These are also really great filled. Rather than spreading the frosting on top, take a melon baller and scoop out a ball of cake from the underside of cupcake. Pipe in some frosting using a sandwich baggie (snip off a corner and squeeze the frosting through the hole) or a pastry bag, and then replace the ball of cake to hide the frosting. It’s, of course, a great surprise.

Grilled Mexican Corn on the Cob

We’ve already made this a couple times this summer, and have become big fans. All the family likes corn on the cob (surprisingly, even the kids), so this is a terrific side dish, although my kids don’t like the topping, so I leave it off for them, and add extra to ours.

Grilled Mexican Corn on the Cob

6 large ears of fresh corn, husks and silk removed
1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. mayo
2 T. cilantro, minced
1 T. fresh limes juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t. chili powder
salt
1 oz. queso fresco, Mexican farmer’s cheese, or feta, crumbled (about 1/4) c.
Pepper

Adjust your oven rack to 5 inches below the broiler, and heat it to high. Line a baking sheet with foil, brush the corn on all sides with the oil, and place under the broil until browned on one side, about 10 minutes. Flip the corn, and broil another 10 minutes.

While the corn broils, stir together the mayo, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, and 1/4 t. salt. Add the cheese and stir to combine.

Remove the corn from the oven, and brush on all sides with the mayo mixture. Return to broiler for one more minute, or until the cheese is warm and slightly browned. Season with salt and pepper and any remaining sauce.

taken from America’s Test Kitchen Annual, 2009

Practically No-Knead Crusty Bread

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No Knead Crusty Bread

 

Probably some of you have been acquainted with no-knead artisan bread, for which several recipes have been popping up for lately. The idea is that for very little work, you can make an incredible, Seven-Stars-Bakery-like loaf. And it’s true. But, there are many recipes out there with different tactics. This recipe lowers the water ratio from most of the other recipes, making the loaf much rounder, and adds vinegar, giving it a slight tang. It also adds beer to enhance the yeast flavor of the dough. It’s excellent and beautiful as it is, so I’m posting the original, but it’s also not a very large round, so I’m going to experiment with it a little to see if I can change ratios that will work better for what my family will eat in one sitting. I also either want the whole bottle of beer to be used in one loaf, or to eliminate the need for it (since no one here drinks it!). Anyway,  I’ll comment on how the experimenting goes!

Note: You need to have a dutch oven in order to get a truly crusty bread. A run-of the mill one will do (the type you’ve seen at campfires) as will Le Creuset’s or other cast-iron pots. Apparently, Target has a great Le Creuset knock-off line for a fraction of the cost. And, they come in great colors.

Practically No-Knead Crusty Bread

3 c. all-purpose flour (you can substitute 1 c. whole wheat flour for 1 c. all-purpose)
1/4 t. instant yeast (I always use 1/2 t. to get a better dome)
1 t. salt (I prefer 1 1/2 t.)
3/4 c. water, at room temperature
1/2 c. mild-flavored beer (non-alcoholic beer works well, too)
1 T. white vinegar

Whisk the flour, yeast, and salt together. Add the liquid ingredients and stir to combine (this dough is very dry, but make sure to combine the flour crumbs, using your hands if necessary, so there are no lumps in the dough). Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight 8-16 hours.

Place a piece of parchment paper in a 10-12″ skillet and spray with Pam. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 10-15 times until its smooth and round. Pull the dough into a tight ball by bringing all edges into the middle and pinching them together (this will be the bottom of the loaf). Place the loaf onto the parchment paper, and lightly cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Thirty minutes before baking, place a dutch oven on the bottom rack of your oven, with the lid on (make sure the lid has no plastic parts, or they will melt). Preheat the oven to 500 degrees (if possible :)). When loaf has finished rising, dust it with flour, make an “x” on the top with a very sharp knife, remove the lid to the dutch oven, and using the parchment paper as handles, lower the loaf into the dutch oven, keeping the parchment paper under the loaf. Cover with the lid, and then lower the temperature to 425 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. Then, remove lid, and continue to bake for 20 minutes longer. You can then sit and marvel that you made, so simply, a gorgeous loaf of crusty bread.

Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen 2009 AnnualSliced No-Knead Artisand White Bread

Ham and Egg Fried Rice

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This recipe is another of my favorites from Everyday Food. It comes together quickly and is really great. We usually eat it as a main, and have broccoli or stir-fried vegetables on the side. And, thanks to a great tip from Amy, I mostly use turkey ham as a substitute for the ham in it. If you’ve never heard of it before, it’s sold in small-ish quantities, comes as a steak (no bones), and is usually sold by the hams. The benefits are that it’s small, affordable, and it’s turkey. Another tip: instead of placing on egg on top, you can scoot the vegetables and rice to the side of the skillet, scramble the eggs in the middle of the skillet, and then mix back together. For some reason, the scrambled eggs are much more appealing to the crowd here. Last tip: definitely use fresh ginger–it really makes a difference.

Ham & Egg Fried Rice

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 thick slice ham (8 ounces), cut into 1/4-by-1-inch strips
  • 1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated and cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1 1/4 cups cooked white rice, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 4 large eggs
  1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add ham, scallion whites, garlic, and ginger; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.
  2. Add rice, scallion greens, vinegar, and soy sauce. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 2 to 4 minutes. Divide fried rice among four serving bowls.
  3. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Gently crack eggs into skillet; season with salt, and cook until whites are set, 2 to 4 minutes. Top each bowl of rice with a fried egg.

Note: Instead of peeling ginger root with a knife, scrape off the peel using the edge of a spoon. This way, more ginger goes into your fried rice and less into the garbage.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

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Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

I worked with a recipe I already had to come up with these. These cookies are particularly popular with my kids (because anything with powdered sugar on top is popular with my kids) but they’re a good chocolate fix for anyone who needs one!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder (the large amount of powder will make these cookies collapse, causing the crinkles)
1/2 t. salt
8 T. butter
2 T. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 T. cocoa
1 3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. powdered sugar, for rolling

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the butter and semisweet chocolate, and melt them in the microwave or stove over medium heat until melted. Stir in the cocoa, and let cool briefly. Meanwhile, combine granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a mixer and slowly add the chocolate mixture. Then, add the flour mixture and combine (the dough will be soft). Divide the dough into two portions, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and place in the fridge for one hour, or the freezer for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350. Place powdered sugar in a small bowl. Take the dough out and pinch off 1″ sized pieces, roll into balls, and then roll in the powdered sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheets, 2″ apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, let cool for 2 minutes, then remove to wire racks.

Let me know what you think!

Chocolate love

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Years ago when we were living in “the Village” at the U of U, I discovered this chocolate pudding recipe and have been making it on a monthly basis (sometimes weekly) ever since.  My parent’s nick-named it “chocolate love” and it has become a standard at family cabin outings and even Sunday night visits.  Although it stands on its own quite well, it’s best served with a scoop or two of plain vanilla ice cream.  Yummy!

2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 Tbsp corn starch

2 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, whisk together milk, sugar, cocoa and corn starch.  Bring to a slow boil.  When large bubbles appear, reduce heat to low and add egg yolks and vanilla.  Whisk constantly for one minute. Remove from heat.  Immediately strain through a mesh sieve into a large bowl.    Divide into four to six bowls and serve with vanilla ice cream.

NOTE:  The thickness of this pudding varies from time to time.  When made by my husband, the consistency tends to be quite thick. Whereas when I make it, it tends to be slightly fluid.  Either way, it is delicious.  If there is any left over, it will keep for a day or two in the fridge as long as it is covered with plastic wrap placed directly on the pudding to avoid forming a “skin.”

Cookie Friday

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Awhile back, I decided to combine my two  favorite things into one: cookies and Fridays. So, now we have Cookie Friday as part of our weekly celebration. Most of the time, Lucy and I make cookies while Henry is at school, but sometimes it doesn’t get done until Henry is home, and occasionally, Cookie Friday means a trip to the bakery. All are much fun. If you’re interested in having your own Cookie Friday, check my Friday posts. This is the one we make the most: Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Do you have a great salsa recipe?

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Here’s a call for salsa recipes: what’s the best one you have? This is our favorite right now, but I’m still looking . . .

Fresh Salsa
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeno, minced (seeds and ribs removed)
1/2 red onion, minced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. packed cilantro, chopped
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. sugar
2 t. lime juice

Place the tomatoes in a collander and let drain for 30 minutes. While draining, put jalapeno, onion, garlic on top of the tomatoes to combine flavors. Then, after the 30 minutes, combine the drained vegetables with the cilantro, salt, sugar and lime juice in a bowl. Serve.

Making Yogurt

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I discovered this process about three months ago. It’s incredibly simple–only about ten minutes of work, really. I haven’t really made it scientific yet, but here are my approximations. It’s really simple and it really works. The taste? Pretty darn decent. The convenience? Incredible. The uses for plain yogurt? Countless . . .

For app. 2 quarts of yogurt:
2 c. powdered milk
2 c. hot water (123 degrees F or 50 degrees C or hotter–this temperature feels hot but does not burn you)
1/2 c. plain yogurt (either purchased or reserved from last batch of yogurt)
an instant-read thermometer ($6 at Target)

In a blender (or a mixing picture), mix the powdered milk and the hot water until smooth (if your powdered milk has lumps in it, your yogurt will too). Pour into a large glass jar (I bought mine at Target), and add enough water to fill the rest of the jar. (My tap water is about 127 degrees F, so I just let it rest a couple of minutes–if your tap water isn’t that hot, you could microwave it briefly.) When the mixture has reached 123-124 degrees, add the yogurt and stir with a wooden spoon. Cover with plastic, and wrap with 3-4 towels, and leave undisturbed on your counter. About 8 hours later, you’ll have yogurt.

At this point, take 1/2 c. out (to save for the next batch), and flavor the rest with honey, sugar, vanilla, jam, fresh berries, etc. If you want greek-style yogurt (creamier), you can place the yogurt in a colander lined with 4-5 layers of cheesecloth, and let it drain for 2 hours. Then, refrigerate.

If you don’t have powdered milk, you can use regular milk, but you have to boil it first (to kill a bacteria that somehow prevents yogurt from happening), and then let the boiled milk cool to 123 degrees and then proceed as directed above. (It’s critical to not add the yogurt before the milk gets to the proper temperature or  it will do something horrible–like die.)

You could also half this recipe and make it in a large quart mason jar, if you don’t need 2 quarts every week 🙂