Saturday Night with Six Teenagers

Hannah had a sleepover last night. As I write, the girls are slumbering away. When they wake up, they will find breakfast burritos and crepes waiting for them.  Last night, I made them Indian food. They are organizing a sock-hop dance for the younger girl scouts in our area. They have picked a Bollywood theme and last night they were doing some planning for the event.  We ordered Indian garb, they watched Bollywood movies, danced Bhangra and ate food they had never had before. They learned about another culture by having fun with it. Now they can pass some of this along to the littler girls. Isn't this what girl scouts is supposed to be about? I think so. I think its great. These girls have been together since first grade and they are turning into fine young women who love and support each other. And they don't seem to care if the other kids at school know they are still girl scouts.

I wanted to make them interesting food that wasn't too spicy. I happened to run across this recipe for chicken masala from Bon Appetit the same day they asked if they could sleep over. It was perfect. I think the chicken could have used more garam masala, but other than that, it was a great introduction for them. I purposefully made this rather than a more traditional masala as I didn't want them to be turned off by the spiciness. The rest of the Bon Appetit menu included cumin-roasted carrots and cucumber raita. I also made potato samsoas and an onion dal, and served some flat bread I had picked up at the Indian market. Oh, and guacamole, because they requested it.

Here are the recipes for breakfast burritos and onion dal:

Breakfast burritos

1 six ounce chub chorizo (Mexican chorizo, not the hard Spanish kind)
2 small potatoes, or one medium, grated coarsely or very finely chopped
10 eggs, beaten
6 ounces grated cheddar cheese
Flour Tortillas

Crumble the chorizo into a frying pan and cook until it looks like the chorizo is almost melted, about 4 mins. Add the potatoes and saute until they are cooked through, stirring often, and adding some butter to the pan if it looks like the potatoes will stick. Stir in the eggs and cook until set. Make sure you add some butter to the skillet before the eggs if it looks like the eggs will stick. The last thing you want it is a big mess of stuck on egg in your pan. Yuck. And hard to clean. Just put in some damn butter, will you?

You can either stir the cheese into the egg mixture now, or top each burrito with some as you make them. I like to stir it in as it seems to melt better.

Heat the flour tortillas in the microwave for a few seconds so that they are nice and hot and soft, or cook them individually on top of the stove burners the old-fashioned way. I usually go with heating them on the burner like a little old Mexican lady, but if I have to make a bunch of burritos I do them in the nuker.

Fold like a burrito and wrap in foil. They will stay hot for a while. They can also be saved this way and heated later in the oven or microwave. Or make a bunch and freeze them and the kids can heat them for school-day breakfasts.

Onion Dal
This recipe is easily doubled, which I usually do, because it is really good.

6 T oil or ghee
scant 1/2 cup masoor dal (red or yellow lentils)
1 small bunch scallions, chopped
1 tsp finely chopped ginger
1 cove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 3/4 c water
1 tsp salt

Garnish
1 fresh jalapeno, minced
1/4  bunch cilantro, chopped

Heat the oil and add scallions, cooking until slightly browned. Add ginger, garlic, chili powder, and tumeric. Stir fry the spices for a  minute or two. Add the dal and the water, reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until dal are tender. Add salt, stir, and garnish with jalapeno and cilantro.

Will Spring Ever Come?

I have hit the winter doldrums full throttle.


I want to cook warm, comforting foods, soups, stews, risottos, but I'm going nuts trying to come up with some recipes that the kids won't turn up their noses at. Not that I care too much, mind you. I am of the belief that if I cook it, you will eat it. I'm not making alternative menus just because the little darlings don't like my lentil and ham soup. Which is really good, by the way. It seems the little darlings mostly want pasta. And I get sick of pasta.

What I am dreaming of right now is chives. I keep thinking about those tender green shoots erupting from the earth, tempting me to make chive and marcona almond puree to drizzle over bruschetta smeared with salted ricotta cheese. Or chive and cheddar biscuits. Or chive-flecked flans floating in a clear mushroom chicken broth.

I miss the farmer's market.  Yes, it is still open this time of year, but you must brave the cold and all they really have right now are potatoes and onions and stuff flown in from Florida or California or Chile. I crave fresh garlic scapes and overly-large green onions, daring you to bite their heads off.

Boy, am I waxing poetic.

If your kids won't fuss too much, go ahead and try this soup. It is really good. maybe they'll like it.

Ham and Lentil Soup

1 ham bone or ham hock
6 cups water
2 carrots, sliced
1/2 c red or yellow lentils (I used yellow urid dal lentils from the Indian store because that's what I had on hand)
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 bay leaf
1/2 c chopped onion

Throw everything in a pot. Cook for a couple of hours until lentils are soft and ham falls off the bone. Remove bone from soup, shred ham and return meat to soup. Serve with nice crusty rolls.

The Nerve of Some People

Really. I know some of you are actually taking my advice and trying a few of my recipes here and there. But seriously, if you have more readers than I do, you really shouldn't try to humiliate me by taking over my territory. Especially if you're all nice, and happy, and wholesome (at least on the surface. I know what lurks behind all the goody-two-shoes stuff.) People might get the wrong idea, they  might think you can be encouraged to try some new recipe instead of beaten into submission where you just cry, "Okay, June, I'll do it! Please just don't hurt me anymore!" (Substitute "Mom" for "June" and you have a glimpse at my parenting style, too.)

But, invade my turf she did. And she did it well, too. Try her suggestions. I have been baking a similar, although slightly less complicated, version of 5 minute bread for a couple of years now. Alex calls it "Little slices of heaven."
http://rochester.kidsoutandabout.com/main-articles/EasiestArtisanBread.html 

Best Chocolate Pudding Ever

We have been chocolate deprived around here for a while.

I haven't been baking, all the Christmas goodies are gone and I just don't buy packaged cookies, but you knew that.

I was thinking today while driving  Hannah home from the orthodontist that I might have to bake some chocolate chip cookies today, but that just didn't seem to ignite my fire.

What I really wanted was something creamy.

I thought about making chocolate mousse. The last time I made chocolate mousse, I think I used every bowl in my kitchen. I didn't have the energy to wash that many bowls.

Then I had an "Aha!" moment.

What would be creamy and delicious, not that far off from chocolate mousse and not use every bowl I own? Why chocolate pudding of course!

I found this recipe. I made it. Because I could. And because I had all the ingredients already in the house. You probably do, too. So make it.

(I don't keep whole milk in the house all the time, so I used 2 cups 2% milk and 1 c cream, which I do keep in the house all the time)

Silky Chocolate Pudding
Adapted from John Scharffenberger
Serves 6
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped ( I used toll house chocolate chips, augmented with some milk chocolate chips to give it more milk chocolately-ness, but you could use bittersweet if you like dark chocolate.
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (Don't even think about using the artificial crap.)
1. Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in the top of a double boiler. Whisk in the milk with a wire whisk. Place over simmering water and stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides. Use a whisk as necessary should lumps begin to form. After 15 to 20 minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon, add the chocolate. Continue stirring for about 2 to 4 minutes, or until the pudding is smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
2. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer (or skip this step if you’re a slacker like me who is absolutely certain that there is nary a lump her puddin’) into a serving bowl or into a large measuring cup with a spout and pour into individual serving dishes.
3. If you like pudding skin, pull plastic wrap over the top of the serving dish(es) before refrigerating. If you dislike pudding skin, place plastic wrap on top of the pudding and smooth it gently against the surface before refrigerating. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days (ahem, good luck with that).

Cream of Mushroom soup

I haven't railed against a disgusting packaged food for a while. I think I'll rectify that. Recently another blogger from far away suggested that one of the things she misses about living in the states is Campbell's cream of mushroom soup.

All I can say is "Ewww".

I don't know if I can think of a more vile concoction. It's gelatinous plop and the sucking noise it makes as it slides out of the can in one cohesive glob make me almost want to vomit in my mouth. It certainly doesn't inspire me to want to cook anything. Grandma Foodie did used to make green bean casserole with it at Thanksgiving and as a child I did enjoy it, but I haven't eaten that vile amalgamation in decades. Bon Appetit did publish a nice alternative to the recipe found on the back of the onion can a few years ago. Even nicer if you frizzle some shallots as a topping.

But since it is past Thansgiving, we shall leave those musings for next fall. I can't think of any thing else for which one would consider using cream of mushroom soup. I don't think anyone would just make it straight from the can and eat it as is, would they? Maybe a certain culinarily challenged neighbor (who shall remain nameless).

But really, mushrooms are simply too marvelous to make any second rate substitutions. (Think mushrooms in a can. Double Eww). I could write volumes about my favorite mushrooms recipes. So, I'll leave you with a couple of them. They are both fabulous and both creamy.

Stuffed portobellos

4 portobello caps
1 shallot, minced
2 T butter
1 T flour
1/2 cream
1/4 cup parmesan or mozzarella, depending on how gooey you like it. Use mozzarella for gooey, parmesan for sharper. Or use both, I don't care.
2 Cups fresh spinach, blanched.
1 T sundried tomatoes or pine nuts, whichever strikes your fancy. Or neither.

Saute the shallot in the butter until soft. Add the flour and whisk until combined. Add the cream. Stir in the cheese and spinach and sun dried tomatos or pine nuts. Fill the mushroom caps and stick 'em in the oven for about 10 minutes until the caps are cooked through. Run under the broiler quickly to brown the tops, adding a bit more parmesan, if desired.

Chestnut porcini soup (adapted from Bon Appetit)
1/3 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce)
3 cups hot water
2 cups vegetable stock or canned vegetable broth
2 1/4 cups peeled roasted chestnuts (about 1 1/4 pounds) or jarred chestnuts (about 12 ounces), coarsely chopped
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons dry Sherry
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 small rutabaga, finely chopped
Combine porcini mushrooms and 3 cups hot water in medium bowl. Let stand until porcini mushrooms soften, about 15 minutes.
Drain  porcinis and put in a saucepan. Add porcini soaking liquid to saucepan, leaving any sediment behind in bowl. Add vegetable stock and chestnuts to same saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors. Puree soup with your hand stick blender or in the regular blender. just be careful if you do in the regualr blender. Do small batches, otherwise you'll have hot soup all over yourself and your kitchen. (Been there. Done that)  Return soup to saucepan. Add cream and 1 tablespoon Sherry. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.
Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, carrot and rutabaga; sauté until tender and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon Sherry. Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle soup into bowls. Top with vegetables and serve.

Looking for inspiration

I am having a no-inspiration day. I can't decide what to cook for dinner. I have quite a lot of stuff in the fridge and freezer that needs to be used, so most likely I will throw something together with what's lurking around.

I have some prosciutto and peas and cream, so it is possible I will make pasta with those ingredients. How easy is that? This easy:

Cook pasta until al dente. That means don't overcook it; if you go as long as it says on the package it will be a mushy mess. It needs to still have a little texture left.

While the pasta is cooking, heat some cream in a small pan. Add chopped prosciutto and thawed peas. When hot, add some Parmesan. I also like to add a little lemon zest sometimes. It gives it a nice clean flavor.

So go ahead, you should pretty much have all the stuff to make this all the time. If you are as cool as I am.

Guacamole

Yesterday I spent the day cooking for the 50th birthday party of a friend. I agreed to do the catering for her party for fifty of her friends. Why did I do that, you ask? Because I am a masochist. Or crazy. Or I simply can't say no. Or just because she is a friend and I could. Pick one reason. Any of them are valid.

The cool thing is that Grandma Foodie showed up in town on Friday on an unrelated mission. But while she was here, I recruited her to help. So yesterday we cooked. And we cooked. And we cooked some more after I knocked an entire tray of completed enchiladas on the floor. Yes, I did. It happens. Nobody's perfect. I'm fairly close, but not quite there. Yet.

The challenging part of making this food was that it needed to be largely gluten free, as well as kosher, and contain no nuts or nut oils. So I chose to make Mexican. You can do a lot with cheese and corn. We made cheese and chili enchiladas, Mexican Caeser salad, rice, beans, guacamole, salsa, black bean and corn salsa, and arepitas.

Grandma Foodie and I cook well together. She usually has better ideas than I do, (hey, I had to get it from somewhere didn't I?) and she is just as happy to be a sous chef as a head chef and plus she makes a great dishwasher/organizer. We have differences of opinion about food sometimes, but I am always right and she is always wrong, except when she isn't. One of the areas we disagree on is guacamole. I make great guacamole. Best. Anywhere. Just ask anybody who has eaten it. Grandma Foodie thinks, however, that one should put tomatoes into one's guacamole. All I have to say about that is: fine; go ahead; if you want to ruin your guacamole; but hey, you do whatever you want.

Here is the best guacamole on earth. All measurements are approximate, you'll have to adjust it until it tastes good, like mine. Which I guess is a problem if you've never tasted my guacamole. Just do your best.

Guacamole
2 ripe avocados
Juice of 1/2 to 1 lime
1 large clove chopped garlic
1/3 c chopped red or green onion
Cayenne or Tabasco. Or some of both.
Salt to taste. (A lot, probably at least a teaspoon, maybe more)

This recipe is easily adjusted to larger quantities. yesterday, we made fourteen avocado's worth.

Mash avocados with a fork. Add other ingredients. The ones that will need adjusting are the lime juice, salt, and cayenne/ Tabasco. Start with a little, taste, add more. You can always add more, but you can't take it out. Fry some corn tortillas for chips, Tostitos are for losers.