Missing Mom

Easter marked the second holiday spent without my mom.    We opted for a small family dinner since Peanut isn’t old enough to get much out of an Easter basket (although he did enjoy playing with the couple of things he got).  Without the expectation of a traditional meal, we decided to go for surf and turf instead, with me pan grilling steaks and jumbo shrimp and adding a couple of veggie sides.  One was a new recipe for a cauliflower gratin.  Not sure of its origination, but it was tasty.

I did keep somewhat to tradition, however, and made my mom’s dinner rolls, which have been gracing our family meals for ages.  I was happy to find it tucked into a recipe file of hers.  They’re quicker than most yeast roll recipes I’ve run across, needing only 10 minutes of rest time and another 30 minute rise.  So, in just over an hour, you can have hot rolls on your dinner table that are by far better than anything you’d find in a store.

So, we had a little bit of the old combined with a little bit of the new, which seemed just perfect.  Just wish Mom had been there to share.

Cauliflower Gratin with Almonds

¾ cup half and half

½ cup whole roasted almonds with skins on, plus ¼ cup whole almonds
4 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded Gouda
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
One 2-lb head of cauliflower, cored and cut into 1” thick steaks
2 Tbs olive oil
½ medium onion, finely chopped
¼ tsp paprika

Heat oven to 400°.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spread the cauliflower slices evenly on it, drizzling with the olive oil.  Roast in oven for 15 – 20 minutes, or just until beginning to turn color.  Remove from oven and place in an oblong baking dish.  Reduce oven temperature to 375°.

While cauliflower is roasting, bring half and half to just under a simmer.  Add to a blender or food processor, along with ½ cup of the roasted almonds.  Process until almonds are ground, then allow the mixture to sit.

When cauliflower has finished roasting, add the butter to a medium saucepan and heat over medium.  When butter begins to bubble, add onions and sauté just until translucent.  Transfer the onions to the baking dish with the cauliflower, leaving as much butter in the saucepan as you can.  Return the pan to heat and sprinkle in the flour.  Cook and stir until the roux becomes slightly darker (a ‘blond’ roux).  Add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.  Slowly stir in milk, stirring briskly so no lumps form.  Continue to cook until mixture begins to thicken, adding more milk if it becomes too thick.  Add the cheese and stir until melted.  Pour the mixture over the cauliflower, moving the vegetables around a bit so that the cheese mixture has a chance to spread throughout.  Sprinkle with paprika and the remaining almonds.

Return to oven and allow to bake for 20 minutes.

* * *

Dinner Rolls

2 to 2 ¼ cups bread flour

1 envelope Rapid Rise yeast
2 Tbs sugar
½ tsp salt
½ cup milk
¼ cup water
2 Tbs butter

Heat the milk, water and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, just until the mixture begins to steam.  Meanwhile, combine ¾ cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Stir to combine.  Slowly pour in the milk mixture and mix thoroughly.  Add 1¼ cups flour to the mixture and mix with a dough hook attachment for 5 minutes.  If dough seems too sticky, add the remaining ¼ cup flour.  Mix an additional 3 minutes.  Cover and allow to rest 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 12 equal pieces.  Shape into balls and place in a greased pan.  Cover and let rise in a warm place about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°.  Place pan in oven and bake until rolls are golden, about 20 minutes.

The Voices in My Head

Allow me to invite you into my head for a bit.  No, it’s ok.  Come closer.

Closer.

Scared yet?

So, I just thought I’d share a bit of the ‘journey’ I go through in coming up with a recipe.  Or a meal plan.  Whatever.

I’d say by and large my meal planning comes from either a recipe (or recipes) I’ve run across, or by pulling from old standards.  But there are times when I have this vague notion of what I’m looking for, and that’s usually when the voices in my head lead me down a meandering path.

Sunday I decided that I wanted to keep things pretty basic – steak and potatoes.  So there I was, clipping coupons (my Sunday afternoon ritual) and watching The Cooking Channel.

Cue the brain voices:

“So…  steak and potatoes.  But something more exciting than just mashed potatoes.  Maybe a root veggie mash?  Mmm, that would be tasty.  Oh, my gosh.  Is it REALLY almost March?  What the hell happened to FEBRUARY??  St. Patrick’s Day…  maybe a colcannon/root veggie mash?  Kale.  I really need to try kale.  I should make spinach more often.  Only 25¢ off on toilet paper?  Seriously??  Do these idiots have any idea what a package of toilet paper costs these days?  Oooh, what’s in the basket?  I could seriously compete on Chopped.  Well, unless they gave me cow’s tongue.  Not touching that stuff with a ten-foot pole.  Coconut, huh?  Wonder if I have coconut milk?  Hmm…  something a bit spicy in a sauce over steak.  With spinach.  I should try a root veggie mash with coconut milk.  Do I have any sweet potatoes?  I’m sure I don’t.  Ok, rice it is.”

And thus my steak and potatoes became a garlic/ginger marinated steak with sautéed spinach and garlic and a coconut sauce over coconut ginger rice.

The voices made me do it.

Garlic and Ginger Marinated Flank Steak

1 flank steak, trimmed
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
1 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbs canola oil
½ cup soy sauce
1 tsp black pepper

Combine marinade ingredients in a gallon sized freezer bag.  Add steak and turn until covered in marinade.  Close bag and allow to sit in fridge for about an hour.  Remove and allow to come to room temperature.  Cook as desired (I cooked mine on the stove with my cast iron grill pan).  Allow to rest before cutting across the grain into strips.

Spicy Coconut Sauce

1 Tbs canola oil
1 shallot, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced (leave seeds in for extra heat if you’d like)
½ tsp crushed red pepper
½ tsp turmeric
1 cup coconut milk (use the rest of the can in your rice)
2 Tbs soy sauce
½ cup chicken stock
2 kaffir lime leaves (optional – found these in the spice aisle)

Heat oil over medium heat.  Add the shallot, garlic and peppers.  Sauté just until shallot and pepper are cooked through.  Add turmeric and continue to cook and stir another minute.  Add remaining ingredients.  Bring to a simmer and allow to cook about 5 to 10 minutes until mixture begins to thicken slightly.  Serve immediately.

* * *
I have a feeling I may have posted this recipe before.  And I swear, every time I make it, it’s like I have an epiphany that says, “Why don’t I make this more often”.  Obviously, it’s crazy good for you, takes almost no time to make, and is delicious.  Color me forgetful.

Garlicky Spinach

1 Tbs canola oil
1 tsp sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
6 cups fresh baby spinach (I used a 10 oz bag)
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
2 Tbs soy sauce

Heat oils over medium-high heat.  Add the sliced garlic and sauté just until the garlic turns golden.  Add all of the spinach.  Using a pair of tongs, cook and turn the spinach until it is almost wilted.  Add the soy sauce and season with black pepper.

No Grill? No Problem!

I may get run out of Blogland on a rail for saying this but my personal opinion is that if you’re not grilling over an actual fire, then it doesn’t really matter how your BBQ is being prepared. Gas just doesn’t cut it in my book. I mean, it’s a fine method of cooking, especially in hot weather when you don’t want to heat up your entire house, but taste-wise? I guess what I’m saying is that I really don’t see a difference between something cooked on a gas barbecue grill and the same thing cooked, say, in the oven.

Case in point…

I picked up a rack of baby backs but just basically wanted to throw them together and then forget all about them so I could do other things. This method is perfect for that and the results are fall-off-the-bone good.

I was able to toss these in the oven right after lunch and didn’t touch them again until dinner. To make things even simpler, I also threw some potatoes in the oven to roast at the same time. Once they were cooked through, I just pulled them out, covered them up, and when it was time to actually get dinner thrown together, I put them back in at a higher temperature to brown. Nothing could be simpler.

Oven Barbecued Ribs

1 rack baby back ribs (about 3 lbs)
1 ½ tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp celery salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp dried thyme
1 tsp ancho chile powder
2 Tbs brown sugar
¼ cup hard cider (or a light ale)

Barbecue Sauce (I used this)

Heat oven to 250º. In a small bowl, combine all seasonings and the sugar. Mix well. Lay out a strip of aluminum foil about 6” longer than your rack of ribs. Lay ribs on top of foil and sprinkle with half of the seasoning. Rub the seasoning into the meat until well coated. Flip ribs over and repeat with the remaining seasoning. Pour cider over the ribs and top with another piece of foil. Seal tightly all around. Place in oven.

Allow to cook 4 hours. Remove from oven.

Turn oven up to 425º. Remove the top layer of foil from the ribs. Coat with barbecue sauce and return to oven when it has heated. Allow to cook about 15 minutes, or just until barbecue sauce begins to caramelize.

* * *

I wanted a couple of really simple sides to go with the ribs. As I mentioned, I roasted some potatoes with the ribs and browned them at the higher oven temperature after adding the barbecue sauce to the meat.

While that was cooking, I put together a quick sautéed cabbage using some of the hard cider left from cooking the ribs (and I have a bit of a confession… since the barbecue sauce calls for apple juice… well, you wouldn’t want me to let the stuff go to waste, now, would you?).


Sautéed Cabbage

3 slices bacon
1 Tbs olive oil
½ head green cabbage, sliced into thin strips
½ sweet onion (you can substitute a yellow onion, of course), thinly sliced
½ tsp celery salt
½ tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp black pepper
½ cup hard cider

Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp. Remove from skillet, leaving the bacon drippings. Add olive oil and onions. Cook over medium heat until onions are translucent and begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add cabbage and seasonings.

Cook, stirring frequently, until cabbage has begun to soften, about 5 minutes. Add cider and continue to cook another 5 minutes until the cider has evaporated and cabbage is cooked through.

Upscale White Trash - Pt 1

First off, if you feel the need to send me an email chastising me for my choice of wording… don’t. We weren’t making fun of your Aunt Sally’s beloved casserole that she brings to every family gathering. In fact, that was kind of the point of the entire exercise - recreating standards. There was also no snobbery involved in the making of this dinner. But there were a lot of tongue-in-cheek chuckles.

So… for this month’s culinary adventure, Carley and I decided on ‘Upscale White Trash’ - basically elevating those ubiquitous dishes that we see pop up at every potluck table. You know what they are, and don’t pretend that you haven’t brought one at some point. I, for one, have made my share of Velveeta Cheese Dip (as my sister pointed out to me). And really, given how much they charge for that particular cheese ‘product’, if we were simply making fun of ‘cheap’ food, I don’t think that would even qualify. What we were doing was having a little fun with some ‘standards’.

Carley even found this, which is hilarious reading…

On the menu:

Wine Coolers (Strawberry Watermelon Spritzers)
French Onion Dip (Caramelized Onion Dip with Parmesan Thyme Crackers)
Mac & Cheese (Souffléd Pasta & Cheese)
Tater Tots (Sweet Potato ‘Tots’)
Cole Slaw
Chili Cheese Fries (Polenta Fries with Chorizo Chili, Queso Fresco and Lime Crema)
Beans and Wieners (Cassoulet)
Green Bean Casserole
Fried Pies (Mixed Berry Hand Pies)
Twinkies (Brandy Almond Pound Cakes with Pastry Cream)

Having grown up in a ‘dry’ county, making a run to the store for a bottle of wine, or something with a bit more bite (not really beer drinkers in my clan), involved a LITTLE more than running down to the corner market. And I wouldn’t exactly say that our selection would necessarily make it into the Top 100 of Wine Spectator. Personally, I remember a lot of Boone’s Farm and wine coolers around our house.

And thus, our cocktail for the evening:

Strawberry Watermelon Spritzers

3 cups watermelon, seeds removed and cut into chunks
2 cups strawberries, hulled and halved
2 Tbs sugar
Pinch of salt
Vodka (I only had vanilla vodka on hand, but it did the trick just fine)
Prosecco (you can also substitute champagne, of course), well chilled

Combine watermelon, strawberries, sugar and salt in a blender. Use the pulse setting to break the chunks down a bit and then puree until smooth.

To assemble: Pour about 2 - 3 Tbs of the puree into the bottom of a glass. Add ½ a jigger of vodka and fill with prosecco.

Straw is optional.

* * *

I did want to bring a dip to the party, but rather than recreating a Rotel dip, I decided to tackle that good ol’ party staple, French onion dip. You know, the kind where you dump a packet of dehydrated onions and seasonings into a tub of sour cream, stir and serve? Well, this involves a bit more work, but trust me, it’s well worth it.

I also thought it would be fun to make some crackers to go with it. I’ll have to say that I’m going to be using this recipe time and time again and just changing the toppings. You can roll this stuff paper thin (and you’ll want to in order to get nice, crunchy crackers), and it’s still easy to handle.

Caramelized Onion Dip
Adapted from recipe by Ina Garten

1 Walla Walla or Vidalia sweet onion, halved and cut into paper thin strips
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs olive oil
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayo with olive oil

Heat butter and oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and thyme. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until onions turn golden, about another 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream and mayo, stirring until well combined and no lumps remain. Add the onion mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes or so. Serve with chips or crackers.


Parmesan Thyme Crackers

1 1/2 cups semolina flour
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the flours and salt. Turn mixer on low and slowly pour in the water and then the olive oil. Mix just until combined, then increase the speed to medium and mix for another 5 minutes. Remove dough to lightly floured surface and cut into 12 equal pieces. Pour a little olive oil on your hands and roll each piece into a ball and place on a plate. Cover and let rest for about 45 minutes at room temperature.

Heat oven to 450º. Sprinkle baking sheets with additional semolina. Roll each piece out into very thin pieces (about the thickness of a crepe - VERY thin!). Sprinkle with thyme and roll again to embed the thyme into the crackers. Place each piece on prepared sheets (you can place them almost touching). Sprinkle with a thin layer of Parmesan and place in oven. Bake for about 7 minutes, or until golden. Remove to a cooling rack, cool completely, and then break them into individual crackers.

* * *

Carley put together a macaroni and cheese soufflé, and we had truffle oil as an optional topping. She also put together a cole slaw, but it included fresh green beans, raisins, and walnuts. It was so good!

I have to say, though, that our hands-down favorite for the night were these sweet potato ‘tater tots’ she put together. It was just impossible to keep away from them! They were wonderfully crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. These are definitely going to have to show up again!

Sweet Potato ‘Tots’

1 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour, plus additional for coating
2 large eggs
¾ lbs sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch cubes
½ lb yams, peeled, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 1/2 tsp hazelnut oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Canola oil for frying

Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add 1 cup flour; stir over medium-high heat until mixture pulls away from edges of pan, about 1 minute. Transfer to a medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat dough 3 minutes (or use a stand mixer). Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well between additions. Measure 1 1/2 cups dough and reserve (discard any remaining dough).

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Boil until tender, about 15 - 20 minutes. Drain. Press potatoes through ricer or food mill into a large bowl (or run through food processor on ‘pulse’ setting. Add 1 1/2 cups of the reserved dough, hazelnut oil, salt, and white pepper. Beat dough on low speed to blend.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer dough to pastry bag fitted with 3/4-inch-diameter plain tip. Pipe dough in logs onto prepared sheet. Freeze until firm but not frozen, about 1 hour. Cut logs into 1 1/4-inch-long pieces. Toss in flour, return to sheet, cover, and freeze completely (can be made 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container; keep frozen).

Pour enough oil into large saucepan to measure depth of 2 inches. Heat oil to 350°F. Working in batches, cook frozen potato pieces until cooked through and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Carley's Mixed Berry Pies

Upscale White Trash - Pt 2

Next up for our Upscale White Trash dinner was my remake of something that holds a special place in my heart - Chili Cheese Fries. In the little town where I grew up, we had this little diner just outside of town where they served thin French fries cooked crispy and topped with chili (no beans, thank you very much) and loads of cheese. It’s amazing any of us saw our 20th birthdays.

Anyway, I was kind of torn between that and a remake of a Frito pie (same basic principle), so I kind of combined the two and made polenta fries but topped them with a south-of-the-border style chili, some crumbled queso fresco and a little bit of lime crema.

Polenta Fries

3 ¼ cups water
1 cup polenta
1 tsp salt
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus additional)
2 Tbs butter

Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Sprinkle with a bit of Parmesan cheese.

Bring water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and slowly stir in the polenta. Allow to cook, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and butter.

Pour evenly onto prepared baking pan. Using a spatula, spread into an even rectangle, about ¼ to ½” deep. Allow to cool for at least an hour, then cut into ‘fries’ about ½” wide by 5” long. Place fries onto another baking sheet, giving a little space in between each.

Preheat oven to 400º. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.


Chorizo Chili

2 Tbs canola oil
1 serrano chile pepper, stemmed and seeded
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large fresh bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cocoa/chile blend (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 lb top sirloin steak, chopped into small cubes
½ lb chorizo, casings removed
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 cup beef stock
1 bottle Mexican beer, divided
¼ cup masa

In a soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the Serrano, garlic, bay leaf, cumin, oregano and chile blend. Cook and stir another minute or so and then remove to a small bowl.

In the same pot, add a little more oil and allow to become hot. Season steak with salt & pepper and add it to the pot. Stir until meat browns, then add chorizo. Cook and stir until chorizo is cooked through. Add onion mixture back into pot. Deglaze pan with about half of the bottle of beer, loosening up any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste and beef stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for about an hour, adding more beef stock if necessary.

To thicken, stir a bit of beer into the masa to form a thin paste. Slowly stir into chili until it is the desired thickness.

To assemble: Pour chili over polenta fries and sprinkle with queso fresco. To make the crema, combine about 1 cup of sour cream with the zest and juice of half of a lime.

* * *

So, I may have mentioned that I don’t eat beans, with the exception of green beans. FRESH green beans. Won’t eat them out of a can, thank you very much. Growing up in Arkansas on a farm, I can’t tell you how many times I got on the phone begging one friend or another to let me come over to their house because my mom was whipping up a pot of beans and hamhocks.

I can’t even stomach the smell of the stuff. And yet Offspring 2 managed to develop a love of pretty much any kind of bean.

{shudder}

Anyway, given my healthy loathing of the things, it only seemed natural that I should take them on for this meal. And that little bit of French I have buried in my family tree demanded that I do a cassoulet.

O2 thought it was wonderful.

I’ll just take her word for it.

Sausage Cassoulet

2 slices bacon
2 smoked sausages (I used English bangers), cut into 1” chunks
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
½ large apple, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, removed from stem and chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
¼ cup white wine
2 15 oz. cans Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth

1 baguette, cut into 1” slices
Olive oil
1 large garlic clove

In a large skillet, cook bacon until beginning to crisp. Remove from pan, leaving drippings, and chop. Add sausage to pan and cook until browned. Set aside with bacon. Add onions, carrots, celery and apples to pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions have softened. Add rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Continue to cook and stir until carrots have almost cooked through. Deglaze pan with white wine.

Add beans, tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken broth to pan. Add the bacon and sausage and stir until everything is combined.

Heat oven to 350º. Pour cassoulet mixture into a casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil. Bake cassoulet for 30 minutes.

Serve with baguette slices that have been drizzled with olive oil and baked in oven until brown and then rubbed with fresh garlic.

* * *

So, how many of us are guilty of dumping a can of cream of mushroom soup over a couple of cans of green beans, topping it with fried onions out of a can and tossing it in the oven.

Nope, can’t say I’m guilty of this one (see the bean thing). Not that I’m casting stones, but there has never been anything about this dish that I’ve found in the slightest bit appealing.

But I do love a challenge.

And since my paltry little sun-starved garden has actually been producing some green beans, I thought I’d try my hand at this, and let me tell you. It was good. Really good.

I actually used some of the onions from my dip for this, so I saved a step.

Green Bean Casserole

½ sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbs butter
½ Tbs olive oil
¼ - ½ lb mushrooms (I used oyster, but you can substitute whatever you want), sliced
1 lb green beans, washed and trimmed
2 Tbs flour
¼ cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
Salt & pepper to taste
½ cup crème fraîche*

1 Tbs butter, melted
1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until onion begins to caramelize, about 10 - 15 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the green beans (you may want to drizzle with another ½ Tbs of olive oil) and allow to cook with the other ingredients for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Heat oven to 375º.

Sprinkle flour over the beans, stir to combine, and then add the wine. Cook until the wine simmers and begins to thicken, then stir in chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in crème fraîche, and stir until it is evenly distributed throughout. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Pour mixture into a casserole dish and top with bread crumbs that have been mixed with 1 Tbs of melted butter. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes, or until beans are cooked through and bread crumbs are golden and crispy (if the topping is cooking too fast, just add a layer of aluminum foil loosely over the dish).

*Save yourself a lot of money by making your own crème fraîche. Combine a half pint container of whipping cream with 2 Tbs buttermilk, stir to combine, cover and leave at room temperature for 8 - 12 hours, or until thickened.


* * *

My dessert was definitely VERY tongue-in-cheek. And you can certainly doll it up any way you’d like. Some kind of crushed praline sounds really terrific to me, since I’m not a huge berry fan (although I will have to say that the hand pies that Carley made were VERY good - maybe I should amend that to I’m not much of an uncooked berry person).

Anyway, this was much easier than you might think. I simply baked the cakes in a mini-loaf pan, then rounded the sides and ends to give them more of a ‘Twinkie’ look.

As for getting the filling INTO the Twinkies, it involves a very special tool.

One bendy straw.

I basically poked the straw through the cake from end to end several times, opening up a little cavity, and then I made 3 holes through the bottom of each cake to make sure that the pastry cream got all the way through to the middle.

I didn’t want to dress these up much, so I just sprinkled them with a little powdered sugar/cocoa blend.

They were incredibly fun.

Brandy and Almond Pound Cakes

4 eggs, separated
1¼ cup sugar, divided
16 Tbs (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ teaspoon salt
2 Tbs brandy
½ tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups cake flour

Heat oven to 350º. Butter and flour a loaf pan (or 4 mini pans).

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a medium-sized mixing bowl with a hand-held mixer), beat egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy. Increase the speed to high and continue beating until they form soft peaks. With the mixer on medium-high speed, gradually add ½ cup of sugar. Increase the speed to high and continue beating until mixture is glossy and holds stiff peaks. Remove beaten whites to another bowl.

Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and add the butter. Add remaining ¾ cup sugar and beat on medium speed until the butter is soft and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the egg yolks, one at a time and continue beating another 2 - 3 minutes. Add salt, then the brandy and the extracts, beating just until combined.

Reduce speed to low and slowly pour in flour, stirring just until incorporated into the mixture. Add half of the beaten egg whites and fold in until evenly dispersed. Repeat with the rest of the egg whites. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 45-60 minutes (depending on the size of your pan). Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then loosen the cake from the edges of the pan. Invert the pan onto the wire rack, then turn it right-side up and cool to room temperature.


Pastry Cream

¼ cup milk
¾ cup plus 2 Tbs half and half
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbs cornstarch
½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise

In medium bowl, whisk together milk, egg yolks, 3 Tbs sugar, and cornstarch.

Add half and half to a medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add pod. Sprinkle remaining 2 Tbs sugar over, letting sugar sink undisturbed to bottom. Set pan over moderate heat and bring to simmer without stirring.

Whisk hot mixture, then gradually whisk into egg yolk mixture. Return to saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until pastry cream simmers and thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, discard vanilla pod, and whisk cream until smooth. Transfer to bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Chill until cold, about 2 hours.

Island Time

I will have to say that the inspiration for this month’s dinner didn’t come from the weather, which has been pretty dismal so far. And while I’m extremely grateful not to be living somewhere that’s currently underwater or blanketed in debris from the latest killer tornado, the ever-present rain this Spring has been a little bit… disheartening.

In spite of that, we opted for a little Caribbean inspiration for this month’s dinner. If nothing else, the bright colors and warm weather flavors at least hinted at the promise of better weather.

I hear August is looking promising.

I will have to say that although we still had enough food to feed a small army, we at least were more in the neighborhood of a small regiment than an entire platoon.

No idea if that made a bit of sense.

Anyway…

Carley’s menu was inspired by the cookbook Modern Caribbean Cuisine by Wendy Rahamut. First up was Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi with a Pineapple Salsa. Carley said the fish pieces were dipped in a little flour, egg and coconut and then simply fried in oil. They were really light and tender, and the salsa was a great pairing.

Pineapple and Fresh Herb Salsa

1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
Juice of 2 - 3 large limes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped chives
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 hot pepper, seeded and chopped

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving with fish or chicken.


* * *

Next was a rice dish which had a nice, subtle spice to it but a lot of flavor all the same.

West Indian Spinach Rice with Nutmeg and Peppers

2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pimento pepper, seeded and chopped
½ hot pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cups fresh spinach leaves, cleaned, dried and chopped
1 tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp grated nutmeg
1 cup rice
2 ½ cups water
1 Tbs butter

Heat oil in a medium saucepan and add the onion, garlic and pimento. Sauté a few minutes until softened. Add hot pepper and spinach. Cover and cook until spinach is tender. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Add rice and stir to combine. Pour in stock, stirring gently. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and cook for about 20 minutes. Gently stir in butter.


* * *

I believe these were my favorites. The recipe calls for optional cheese, which I don’t think Carley included in hers. If she did, it was very subtle. Anyway, they were REALLY tasty and would make great picnic fare as well. No utensils required!!

Shrimp Arepas with Spicy Tomatoes and Cheese

2 cups cornmeal
1 cup flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp brown sugar
½ cup butter

2 Tbs vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 hot pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 lbs shrimp, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup chopped chives
¼ cup French thyme (fresh)
½ cup tomato sauce
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese (optional)

To make the pastry, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and sugar. Add the butter and rub it into the mixture. Add enough warm water to make a soft dough. Divide into 16 pieces and cover with a damp dish towel.

To make the filling, heat oil in a sauté pan. Add the garlic, pepper and onion and cook until fragrant. Add the shrimp and cook for a few seconds, then add the chives and thyme and cook for a few more minutes. Add the tomato sauce and season with salt. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes, then add the cilantro (and cheese, if adding). Set aside to cool.

Heat the oven to 375º. Form each piece of dough into a ball. Press down each to form 4 - 5” circles. Fill with cooled filling mixture, then fold into a half moon shape and place on a baking sheet. Brush the arepas with oil and bake for about 20 minutes.


* * *

To get us in the island spirit, I decided to try out the new ice shaver I was given. First I froze a couple of different juices (one was a mango/orange blend and the other was a pineapple/coconut blend) in ice cube trays. We used a combination of the two types of frozen juice and added gold and coconut rums to the shaved ice. This was ladled into glasses with fresh pineapple spears and topped with a rosé champagne (for color). I will have to say, they were pretty tasty.

Next up for me were a couple of appetizers. I’m a big fan of gazpacho and love to try it in different variations. This was a pineapple-cucumber gazpacho…

Pineapple-Cucumber Gazpacho
adapted from New York Magazine

1 medium pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into cubes
4 cups peeled, chopped English cucumber
1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
3 Tbs thinly sliced scallions (use mostly the white part)
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
1 cup pineapple juice
1 tsp sea salt
½ cup Italian parsley, chopped
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup finely chopped macadamia nuts for garnish

Combine all ingredients except nuts in a large bowl. Add in two batches to a blender. Using a pulse setting, blend the ingredients until combined but still a bit chunky. Stir in macadamia nuts.

Allow to sit in fridge for at least an hour to combine flavors before serving. Garnish with additional scallion and jalapeno, if desired.


* * *

The next appetizer was a shrimp cocktail using a spicy mango sauce rather than a traditional cocktail sauce. I peeled all but the tails from some large shrimp and boiled them for a couple of minutes in a court bouillon mixture. I served the shrimp and the sauce cold.

Mango Sauce

2 ripe mangos, peeled, seeded and diced
1 ¼ cup water
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs freshly grated ginger
1 Tbs ketchup
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground English mustard
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Add vegetable oil to a saucepan. Cook onion and garlic briefly over medium heat, then add the ketchup and spices. Add mangos and water to the mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 - 15 minutes. Cool slightly and blend using an immersion blender.


* * *

For a main course, I opted for a Jerk Chicken, which I marinated and baked. The weather didn’t cooperate enough to grill it, although that’s the method I would have preferred to cook it. The chicken was garnished with fresh pineapple chunks and sat on a bed of fried plantains. The plantains were easily prepared by cutting them into 2” chunks, frying them in a bit of olive oil until brown on one side, and then I smashed them down to form coins, cooked a bit longer on the first side, and then flipped them over to finish cooking on the other side. Then they were simply seasoned with some sea salt.

I also sautéed a head of Napa cabbage with some onions and a sweet and sour sauce. Nothing terribly special, and at the time of this posting, I haven’t actually found the recipe I used!

Jerk Chicken
adapted from Epicurious.com

3 scallions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 habanero chiles, stemmed and seeded, then finely minced
¼ cup fresh lime juice
3 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs Kosher salt
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs fresh thyme
2 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
3 lbs chicken (I used boneless breasts)

Combine all the ingredients but the chicken in a gallon sized plastic freezer bag. Close the bag and shake a few times to combine the mixture. Add the chicken pieces, seal the bag and then turn once or twice to make sure chicken is completely coated. Place in fridge and allow to marinate, turning once or twice, for about 6 hours. Allow chicken to come to room temperature before cooking.

Preheat oven to 375º. Remove chicken from bag and place on a baking sheet lined with foil, making sure not to crowd the pieces. Place in oven and cook for about 20 minutes, or until just cooked through. Turn broiler to high and allow the chicken to brown for a minute before serving.


* * *

For dessert, Carley made a wonderful lime cheesecake with a chocolate crust. I would like to add a photo here, but it appears we were so quick to scarf it down that we didn’t take any. Suffice it to say, it was good. Really good.


Caribbean Black-bottomed Lime Tart

20 chocolate cookies
2 Tbs chopped almonds
4 Tbs melted butter

1 lb cream cheese
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup sour cream
1 ½ Tbs lime zest
¼ cup fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 350º. To prepare the crust, finely crush the cookies and almonds in a food processor. Add the melted butter and combine. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate until ready for use.

To make the filling, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Gently beat in the sour cream, lime zest and juice.

Pour the mixture into the crust and bake for 40 - 50 minutes until the cheesecake is slightly puffed and the center is set. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Spring Rolls for Spring

This was one of those recipes that evolved slowly from inception to realization. Carley made these beautiful spring rolls for our trip to the river, and ever since, I’ve been thinking about making some of my own.

That idea was spurred along after O2 watched Food, Inc. in class and decided that her already lagging meat appreciation had just dwindled to practically nil. Her and her sister were never ones for having large chunks of meat put before them, anyway.

In trying to accommodate her horror over the condition of feedlots and slaughterhouses, I thought I’d pick up some shrimp for dinner. And since those spring rolls were still fresh on my mind, I thought I’d play around with some fillings.

To accompany the rolls, I put together a quinoa with a little dried mango and spices to mirror the filling in the rolls. I also offered up a store-bought sweet chile sauce as well as a quickly concocted peanut sauce… Which turned out to be not so great. The problem was using jarred peanut butter. You know, one of the big name brands that contain stabilizers and what-not. They melt just fine, but when you add the liquids to them, they turn into paste.

And it turns out, this really wasn’t the right accompaniment for these, anyway. The chile sauce, however, was just the perfect thing.

The quinoa, although (I think) a success, was also a little heavy-handed for the spring rolls. The quinoa itself was feather-light, but the spices made this a more appropriate accompaniment to a more substantial main course. Ah, well. You live and learn.

That said, O2 scarfed down the spring rolls, globbed on the peanut sauce, wolfed down a substantial portion of the quinoa and declared the meal ‘awesome’.

Take that, McDonald’s.

Ok, so bear with me. There are a lot of parts here, but once everything was put together, they went together very quickly. And the quinoa is 20 minutes start to finish.

Sesame Rice Noodles

½ package rice noodles
1 tsp sesame oil
½ tsp black sesame seeds

Cook the noodles according to package directions (mine took 10 minutes). Drain and return to pan. Add the sesame oil and seeds, mix well and set aside.


Garlic Shrimp

¾ lb medium-sized raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tsp Ponzu sauce (optional)
2 tsp soy sauce
¼ tsp dried chili flakes
1 tsp sesame oil
1 - 2 tsp canola oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed

Add all ingredients to a shallow dish and allow to marinate for about 10 minutes. Heat a skillet, wok or grill pan to medium-high. Add the marinated shrimp and flash fry just until cooked through. Remove shrimp from pan and set aside to cool.


Shrimp and Mango Spring Rolls

Garlic Shrimp (see above)
Sesame Rice Noodles (see above)
1 small red bell pepper (or orange, or yellow, or a combination), cut into matchstick pieces
1 mango, peeled and sliced
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
About 6 large basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade
1 package rice paper wrappers

A shallow dish filled with hot water

Prepare and assemble all of your filling ingredients.

To prepare the rice paper wrappers, plunge one sheet into the hot water and allow to soften for about 30 seconds. Remove from the water, spread out on a work surface and fill (I prepared one at a time because they’re a bit sticky, and you won’t be able to stack them).

Arrange the filling ingredients across the lower edge of the wrapper, leaving about 1 inch of space. If you want your fillings to ‘show through’ more, put the noodles in the middle and start and end your stack with the more colorful ingredients.

Fold bottom edge over the filling, pulling it back towards you to make it more compact, then fold over the two sides and continue to roll forward until the entire sheet has been rolled. Repeat (I think I made about 8 rolls).

Mango Quinoa

2 tsp canola oil
1 clove garlic, smashed
½ stick cinnamon
3 cardamom pods, seeds removed and smashed
1 cup quinoa
1 ¾ cup water
3 pieces of dried mango, cut into small cubes
2 leaves fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade

In a medium saucepan, bring the oil to temperature over medium heat. Add the garlic, cinnamon and cardamom and sauté for about a minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the quinoa and continue to sauté another minute or so until the quinoa begins to toast. Pour in the water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow to sit another 2 minutes. Using a fork, fluff the quinoa and then carefully stir in the dried mango and basil.


Note: As you can see from the picture, there was NO BASIL in my quinoa because, well, I was hungry, and it was all I could do to snap a quick photo, much less remember to put everything into the dish that I intended to.

Yams... Yum.

Remember when I mentioned that while I’m pretty great at snagging grocery bargains, I’m not so terrific at planning far enough in advance to pull meat out of the freezer? Well, on those occasions when I’m halfway home and realize that I have yet to figure out what to cook for dinner, more often than not, I fall back on rotisserie chicken. The local chain near me actually does a pretty decent rotisserie chicken, and I usually use the purchase as an opportunity to make a batch of stock.

Anyway, it was just one of those nights when I was pressed for time, and so I grabbed a rotisserie chicken and then tried to decide what I wanted to DO with it. So I grabbed a bottle of Hawaiian teriyaki sauce, some edamame (which Offspring 2 loves) and then paused in front of the yams, which were a little on the, shall we say, puny side. Definitely not something I’d bake, but they did give me an idea.

So groceries in hand and plan at the ready, I headed home and set to work.

First up was the rice. This is a favorite way of mine to prepare it. Really simple, but it gives it a nice boost of flavor. I did, however, hold back ½ cup of the coconut milk and just added more stock.

Next, I poured a bit of the teriyaki sauce over the chicken and put it in a 300º oven just to keep it warm and allow the sauce to caramelize a bit. Then I moved on to the yams.

Spiced Coconut Yams

1 lb yams, peeled and cut into ¼” slices*
2 Tbs olive oil
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp dried ground ginger (fresh would be good as well - about 1 Tbs)
½ tsp salt
½ cup unsweetened coconut milk

In a sauté pan (I used my cast iron skillet), heat the oil over medium heat. Add the yams and sauté until they are browned and almost cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add seasonings and continue to sauté another minute or so, allowing the seasonings to become fragrant. Pour in coconut milk and allow the liquid to come to a boil. Stir occasionally until most of the liquid evaporates. Serve immediately.

*(The yams I was using were pretty small, so I ended up with ‘coins’, but you can certainly use a regular sized yam and just cut it down the center and then cut into slices.)

One More Meatless Night

Ok, I’m not a fan of the Beatles, but after writing the title for this post, I just can’t get that song out of my head.

You know the one.

Think about it.

I’ll wait….

Anyway, while I normally get very vague responses to any of my inquiries about what I should cook for dinner, Offspring #2 was very adamant that she wanted polenta, and she wanted it NOW (NO idea where she gets her bossiness from). And I just could not for the life of me think of a meat course to go along with it that

a. sounded appetizing at the moment, and
b. I had enough motivation to cook.

So I decided to just go with the polenta, add a little tapenade and cook up some sprouts (yeah, those again).

This was not a VEGETARIAN meal, by the way. I did use chicken stock to cook the polenta. If that’s not how you roll, then by all means, use water or veggie broth. In my definition of a meatless meal, I just don’t count broth. Sue me.

Polenta is another one of those dishes that you can customize to your particular taste. Add roasted garlic, parsley, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, or anything else that suits your fancy. Also, the type of cheese you use can obviously change it dramatically. I topped mine with a little mascarpone, but try stirring some in for a creamier, more decadent version.

I had plans for the leftovers as well (also very versatile), but Offspring opted to take what was left in her school lunch today. That’s my girl. No pb & j for her. She’s got polenta.

Buon Appetito!

























Polenta

2 cups low-sodium chicken stock (or substitute water or vegetable stock)
1 cup water
½ tsp salt
1 cup polenta (or use a medium - course ground cornmeal)
2 Tbs butter
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup mozzarella or provolone, shredded
Freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, bring chicken stock, water and salt to a boil. Using a whisk, slowly stir in polenta. Stir until mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken (this will happen pretty fast). Lower heat to low and cover pan.

Cook about 5 minutes. Mixture should be thick but still creamy.

Remove the lid and stir in butter and cheeses. Season with pepper. Serve immediately.


Sun-dried tomato and Kalamata Tapenade

2 cloves garlic, smashed
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs fresh basil, roughly chopped

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until well combined. If mixture is too thick, add a couple of tablespoons of hot water or a little more olive oil.

Chocolate Craze

I don’t know why I’ve had such a writing block with this post. Maybe it’s because every time I think about our chocolate dinner, I go into a post-hypnotic stupor just thinking about it.

Or maybe I’m just being lazy.

I will have to say that I think that Carley and I need to come up with a more creative term for the ‘Dinner of the Month’ thing we do (Carley is the Artist Formerly Known as ‘C’ or ‘Chip’). We’re just enjoying ourselves too much to not give it a better moniker. I’m also thinking we should start inviting people to partake since we seem to make a TON of food between us, and it’s generally only being enjoyed by four people.

While the name thing is floating around waiting to be resolved, I’ll move along to the food. Being February, we opted to go with a chocolate theme. In other words, everything had to have chocolate in it. And while I knew it wouldn’t be a far stretch coming up with main dishes (such as this molé), what I didn’t realize was how difficult it would be to come up with the SIDES.

But ultimately, I think we did pretty well.

And no, we didn’t sit down to Oreos and Hershey bars.

I won’t share all of the recipes here, but everything was delicious. Every dish had chocolate in some form but you didn’t get hit over the head with it (other than the desserts, of course, which were no-holds-barred in-your-face chocolate delights). I once heard someone say that if you can get past thinking of chocolate as a candy or dessert and think of it as another spice, then it’s easy to make the transition from sweet to savory.

This was the lineup…


Carley’s Menu (from "Enlightened Chocolate" by Camilla V. Saulsbury)

Cocoa Rubbed Chicken
Spiced Pumpkin Soup
Shrimp and Rice Salad with Chocolate Vinaigrette
Zinfully Chocolate Mousse Cakes (which I don't have photos of, sorry - SOOO good, though!)

Carri’s Menu

Braised Italian Pot Roast
Cocoa Dusted Roasted Potatoes
Butternut Squash with Cacao Nib Vinaigrette
Chocolate Meringues with Nutella and Frangelico Buttercreams (we’ll call this one ‘in development’, so no recipes for now)

OK, first up is the vinaigrette recipe that Carley used to dress this shrimp and rice salad. 

Chocolate Vinaigrette

1 Tbs toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 ½ Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ Tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tsp unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp water
1 ½ tsp sugar
½ tsp paprika
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine ingredients in a bowl and whisk well to combine.

** Carley tossed this mixture with some cooked shrimp, which she then added to some rice with chopped cucumber, red pepper and mango.

So good!

The chicken was the first thing my eyes gravitated to.  So pretty, and the smell was just amazing!

Cocoa Rubbed Chicken

½ cup chile powder
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
3 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 7-lb roasting chicken

Preheat oven to 450°. Combine spices thoroughly in a small bowl. Rub all over chicken, coating well.

Place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature of oven to 375° and cook for an additional 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the thigh reads 180°.

Remove from oven, tent with foil and allow to rest 10 - 15 minutes before serving.


Zinfully Chocolate Mousse Cakes

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)
2 Tbs flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 ¼ cups sugar, divided
¾ cup Zinfandel
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 large egg white

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray 10 4-oz ramekins with cooking spray and place in a 9 x 13” pan. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine cocoa powder, flour, salt and ¾ cup of sugar. Add wine, whisking to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Place chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Pour liquid mixture over chocolate; stir until chocolate melts. Stir in vanilla.

In a medium bowl add eggs, egg white and remaining ½ cup of sugar. Beat with a mixer at high speed 6 minutes. Gently fold egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Divide batter between prepared ramekins.

Bake mousse cakes 23 - 25 minutes or until puffy and set. Serve warm.



Kind of the Italian version of a molé



















Braised Italian Pot Roast


About 2 ½ lbs beef pot roast
1/2 bottle of a robust Italian red wine
Clove of garlic
Sprig of rosemary
Cinnamon stick
2 cloves
A few juniper berries
Black peppercorns
1 leek, cleaned and chopped
1 carrot, chopped
salt
Beef broth
oil
1 oz unsweetened chocolate (90% cacao) or a heaping tsp of unsweetened cocoa

The night before put the wine in a bowl with the garlic and spices. Add the meat and marinate at least 12 hours.

Pour a little olive oil in a casserole and brown the meat on all sides. Remove from pan and add carrot and leek. Sauté until softened and then add the meat. Filter the solids from the wine and add to pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 2 ½ hours, adding a little stock if the liquid evaporates too much. Remove from oven and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat and allow the liquid to reduce (about 30 minutes).

Add chocolate and blend with immersion blender.

Cocoa Dusted Roasted Potatoes

1 Tbs cocoa powder
3/4 Tbs smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
3/4 Tbs coarsely ground Kosher salt
1 1/2 lbs baby potatoes
Olive oil to coat

Heat oven to 400º.  Wash potatoes and remove any blemishes.  Dry on paper towels and place on foil lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. 

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl.  Sprinkle evenly over potatoes and toss.

Place in oven and cook about 20 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Cacao Nib Vinaigrette

1 4-lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1" slices
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1½ tsp cacao nibs, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, finely minced
3 oz thinly sliced pancetta, cooked until crisp and drained
Freshly cut Italian parsley

Preheat oven to 450º.   Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.  Lay squash on baking sheet and drizzle with oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and soft

Meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Whisk briskly to combine.  Add cacao nibs and shallot.  Stir to combine.

Pour mixture evenly over squash, tossing gently to coat.  Sprinkle with cooked pancetta and parsley.  Serve warm or at room temperature.