Pork Tenderloin with Honey, Rosemary and Thyme

This dish is cooked in the instant pot because we wanted moist, easy and fast preparation for a dinner with lots of courses.

This recipe instructed that if the tenderloin weighed less than 1-1/4 pounds then the cooking time is one minute. If it is heavier than 1-1/4 pounds, the cooking time is 3 minutes. The recipe also said that two tenderloins could be cooked at the same time, as long as they are seared separately. So we settled on 2 minutes for two 1-1/4 pound tenderloins in the instant pot at the same time. Also, start with a tenderloin that has rested at room temperature.

First, remove the tenderloin from the plastic wrapping and dry with paper towels. Mix together 1tsp. garlic powder,  2 tsp. dried rosemary, 1 tsp. dried thyme, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Rub the tenderloin with 1/2 T. olive oil and pat on the dried seasonings. Double this seasoning mixture if making two tenderloins. 

Whisk together ingredients to make the cooking liquid and gravy: 3/4 cup chicken broth, 2 T soy sauce, 2 T honey, and 2 tsp. dijon mustard. Make a slurry of 2 T cornstarch combined with 2 T. water and set it aside.

Add 1/2 T. olive oil to an instant pot on the saute setting, or in a separate grilling pan. Sear the tenderloins on all sides. Remove to a plate. 

Pour the chicken broth mixture into the instant pot. Deglaze the pot and scrape off the bits on the bottom. Return the pork to the pot and close and seal. Cook on high pressure. Let the pork naturally release for 12 minutes.

If the pork is not cooked (test for doneness with an instant-read thermometer or by slicing into the center to see if it is raw) return to the pot, lock the lid back on and cook in the residual heat for 2-3 minutes more.

Let the pork rest for 10 more minutes.

Press cancel on the instant pot and then press saute. Pour in the cornstarch slurry and let it come to a simmer, stirring often. Press cancel. Stir periodically. 

Pour gravy over the tenderloin. We served with roasted potato wedges and roasted Brussels sprouts leaves.

Roasted Butternut Squash-Carrot and Apple-Red Onion Maple Soup

I attended the annual meeting of the Massachusetts Library System at the Devens Commons Conference Center last Monday and was treated to a delicious lunch of soup and salad. The butternut squash soup was absolutely delicious but it was like dessert. I wanted to duplicate it at home for a special dinner on the weekend.

I found several recipes online for butternut squash soup with apple and maple syrup. I put the ingredients together and the result was an absolutely yummy soup. And this was a perfect size recipe. We served just a ladle full into a low soup plate. There were enough cups left over to send home with them for a side serving the next day.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (on bake or roast).

First, cut one large, peeled and seeded butternut squash into chunks (or use two pounds precut chunks); chop three large peeled carrots; dice 1/2 small red onion; and core, peel and chop 2 large HoneyCrisp apples (or other firm, tart apples.)

Toss the squash and carrots with 2 T. olive oil and salt and pepper. Place them on a parchment paper-lining baking sheet and roast for 30-35 minutes.

In a Dutch oven or medium pot, saute the apples and chopped red onion in 2 T olive oil in a large soup pot for 10 minutes on medium-low to soften them. (I plan to add a tsp. of roasted garlic next time.)

When the squash and carrots are softened (not crisped or burned), toss them into the pot with the apple and onion. Add 3 cups of vegetable broth/stock and blend them. I blended them in our Magic Bullet but you could use an immersion blender, a food processor, or a blender. Don't overblend into baby food! I left a touch of texture. Add more broth if it is too thick and add more as you go for a desired consistency (thick, but not too thick.)

Add 1/4 cup of maple syrup and 1/4 tsp.of nutmeg.  Stir to combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes to full incorporate the flavors. Reheat before serving with buttered croutons, a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream (or yogurt), a dribble of maple syrup, and a dusting of freshly grated nutmeg. Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.

Autumn Dinner

 

Turmeric Chicken with Dilled Rice

This was a great MS recipe from October 2022. The only change I made was adding 1 tsp. lemon zest and cooking the rice in a rice cooker. 

Marley Spoon must recycle its recipes, although we haven't found too many duplicates. There are also well over two-dozen to choose from every week. 

Here's how to make Turmeric Chicken and Dilled Rice with Greek Yogurt

Zest one-half lemon. Squeeze 2 T. lemon juice into a small bowl. Cut any wedges if you have leftover unsqueezed lemon.

Toss 12 oz of boneless, skinless chicken thighs in 1 t oil, 1 tsp. turmeric, 1 tsp. lemon zest, 1/2 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper. Set aside.

Finely chop 1/4 oz fresh dill, including stems, and set aside. Coarsely chop 3 oz of fresh spinach. 

Heat 1 T butter in a medium saucepan and saute 10 oz. rice until it is toasted. Stir in 2-1/2 cups of water (I'd throw it all in the rice cooker) and 1/2 tsp. salt. Let cook on low until it is done (about 12 minutes on the stove or in the rice cooker.)  Toss in the chopped spinach, the dill, and 1 oz dried currants and let it continue to cook (5 minutes on the stove on LOW or until the rice cooker shuts off.) Keep warm on stove, in cooker, or in a covered warm bowl. 

Halve and thinly slice one onion. Finely chop 2 tsp. garlic. 

Heat 1 T oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken until well browned, 3 min. per side depending on size. Transfer to a plate.

To the skillet, add the onions and cook until softened. Add water if they brown too quickly. Add the garlic, lemon juice and 1/3 c. water and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken and any juices on the plate to the skillet. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and cook about 10 minutes. Stir in a T of butter.

Fluff rice and serve on the plate with the chicken and 2 oz. Greek yogurt to each plate. Squeeze any remaining lemon juices over the top.

 

Cranberry-Walnut Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce

I just made a yummy bread pudding with half of a leftover loaf of Costco's Cranberry-Walnut crusty round loaf.

I found the recipe online and made half a recipe. I used real rum, and not extract. First heat to 350 degrees. Grease a casserole dish.

8 c artisan cranberry walnut bread (can use other breads such as raisin, cinnamon or plain white bread)

2 c heavy whipping cream

2 c whole milk

1/2 c unsalted butter

4 eggs

4 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Cut cubes of bread. Make a mixture of whipping cream, whole milk and melted butter and whisk.  Add eggs and whisk more. Add vanilla and cinnamon and whisk in the cinnamon. Pour over the bread.

Place in the dish and bake 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours.

SAUCE

2/3 c heavy cream

2 c granulated sugar

1 c unsalted butter

4 Tbsp rum (yum!) 

Melt the butter, dissolve the sugar, and add cream and rum. Pour over the pudding when hot.

French Onion Chicken Breasts with Garlic Toasts

 Wow. Did the house smell good after this dish! I love French onion soup, so this was up my alley.

It's just so simple. Onion, garlic, broth concentrate or broth, thyme, fontina cheese, vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard and spinach.  Chicken breasts and some French bread or rolls. You could also use some fresh mushroom slices.

Slice a medium onion thin. Add 1 T butter and 1 T oil to a skillet and 1 tsp. sugar and some salt and pepper. Cook, adding water as necessary in small amounts to stir up the cooked bits in the skillet. Set them aside when cooked, after about 15 minutes.

Pat two chicken breasts dry. Heat 1 T oil in the skillet and cook 3 minutes per side so that the breasts are nicely browned. I crosscut into the breast three of four times 1/4 inch on the top side. Set aside. 

Begin making a sauce with a sliced garlic clove and 1 tsp. oil.  Add 1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves, a packet of broth concentrate, and a half cup of water. Bring to a simmer and let it thicken, stirring up any bits on the bottom. 

Place the chicken on a small cookie sheet, or oven-safe skillet. Cover with cooked onion (and mushrooms?) Top with 2 oz. shredded Fontina cheese. Butter your rolls or French bread and add minced or roasted garlic. Place these around the chicken. Broil the chicken and watch carefully until cheese is melted, about 3 min. Take rolls out when they are slightly browned.

Serve with a small spinach salad dressed with 1 T. vinegar, 1 T oil, 1-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard, a pinch of sugar and salt and pepper. Whisk the dressing before topping the spinach. 

Fast Skillet Dinners (with any seafood, poultry or meat)

Here are two skillet dinners that are easy and delicious with your choice of shrimp, beef, chicken, or meatless. Serve with garlic bread, Israeli couscous, couscous, pasta, farro, or your favorite side of potatoes, rice or grain. The creamy juices from the Tuscan skillet will mix with your side. Or use bread to sop up the juice. The dressing for the Mediterranean skillet can be served over couscous.

Fast Tuscan Skillet:

First grill or saute the meat or seafood until just done or before done and set aside. Keep warm.

Heat 2 tsp. oil in a medium skillet over medium high. Add 4 oz. baby spinach and cook only until just wilted, 1-2 minutes.  Transfer to a plate. 

Melt 1 T butter in the same skillet and add 1 pkg grape tomatoes, salt and pepper, and cook undisturbed until tomatoes are blistered, 2-3 minutes. 

Add the meat that is still warm. Add 4 oz mascarpone and still until melted. Stir in the spinach and serve with garlic bread and a side of roasted potatoes.

Mediterranean Skillet:

First, grill or saute meat or seafood in oil and salt and pepper.

Heat 1 T oil and add 1-1/2 cup grape or tiny plum tomatoes in the skillet you used to saute meat or seafood. Add 3/4 c. finely sliced yellow onion. (Chop 1 T onion for dressing.)

Add 1 thinly-sliced garlic clove and salt and pepper. Cook until tomatoes are lightly browned, or 3 minutes. Add a sprig of fresh oregano, 3/4 c water, and 1 T red wine vinegar. Bring to a simmer and cook until sauce is lightly thickened. Tomatoes should be burst but not crushed.

Nestle the meat or seafood, pouring in resting juices. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in 1 oz. chopped Kalamata olives and the lemon zest. Remove the oregano sprig from the tomatoes. - Place meat and tomatoes on serving plate.

For the dressing, stir the 1 T  chopped onion (from above) and 1 tsp fresh oregano leaves into 2 T oil. Zest one lemon and juice 1 T. Add juice to dressing (not zest). Season with salt and pepper.

Serve dressing, crumbled feta (1/4 cup) over the meat and tomatoes. Spoon the dressing on the dish, including any sides or grains you serve with it. 

Stir-Fried Curried Noodles

 Another hit from Marley Spoon. 

Trim 2 scallions and slice thin, separating the dark green from white and light green. 

Cut 1/2 lb. Chinese broccoli into1/2 inch pieces crosswise.

Trim ends off 1/4 lb. snow peas

Cut one lime into wedges

Chop 1 oz. peanuts into coarse chunks

Measure 2 tsps curry powder. Mix 1-1/2 oz. tamari soy sauce and 2 T. sugar. Set aside.

Boil water in a medium pot big enough for noodles (egg noodles, Pad Thai noodles, etc.) Add noodles and cook 5-7 minutes al dente. Rinse and cool. 

Heat 2 tsp. oil in skillet. Saute the white and green scallions in the skillet until browned. Add two large whisked eggs to the pan. Swirl the pan to cover the edges. Cook covered until it is a thin, cooked omelette. Loosen edges and remove intact on a cutting board. Roll up the omelette like a jelly roll. Slice into 1/2 inch ribbons. Set aside.

Heat 2 tsp oil in the skillet. Add the broccoli and cook one minute. Add the snow peas and 1/2 the dark scallion slices, with a pinch of salt. Stir fry two minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Heat 2 T oil in the skillet and turn to high until shimmering. Add the 2 tsps curry powder and cook until fragrant 30 sec. Add noodles and tamari/sugar sauce. Add a bit of broth or water if it seems too dry. Toss until sauce is absorbed about 3 min. Toss in sliced egg and vegetables. 

Serve with chopped peanuts, remaining dark scallions, and some Sriracha and lime wedges.

 

Chimichurri Garnish and Agrodolce Sauce

We had this chimichurri garnish and agrodolce sauce on veggies in a steak dish from Marley Spoon. They were both delicious and easy for a meat and vegetable dinner. 

Chimichurri - Finely chop 1/4 oz fresh parsley leaves and stem and 1/4 oz fresh mint. Grate 1 tsp. garlic or use 1 tsp. roasted garlic paste (or more to taste.) Add 1 T. oil and 1 tsp. vinegar. Add some salt and pepper. Make more for a table and put in a bowl on the table to top grilled meat.

Agrodolce - Toss roasted vegetables with 2 T. vinegar and 1 T. brown sugar (mixed.) More if cooking for more than two. 

Pork Kebabs Masala

Another MS. We do enjoy the flavors of global food.

Preheat the broiler. Soak short bamboo skewers. Line baking sheet with rimmed foil. Oil the baking sheet.

Finely chop a small to medium red onion. Some will be sauteed and added to the Cauliflower Rice. Some will be added to the Kebabs. Some raw will be used as Garnish.*

Coarsely chop half a small bunch of cilantro. Peel and finely chop 1-1/2 T ginger.

ONION/GINGER: Heat 1 T. butter in a skillet. Add 1-1/2 T ginger and all but *2 T of the chopped onion. Cook until softened. Transfer to a bowl and cool. *Reserve 3 T for the rice. 

CILANTRO YOGURT: Make a cilantro yogurt by squeezing 1 T lime juice and cutting rest into wedges. Stir in 4 oz Greek yogurt, 1/4 milk, 1/4 of the cilantro leaves, 1 T oil and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside as you will cover the completed meal with this, a garnish of 1/4 cilantro and 2 T. chopped onions, and with lime wedges on the side.

KEBABS: Add 10 oz ground pork, the cooked onion/ginger, 1/2 the cilantro, 1/4 oz garam masala, 1/2 tsp. salt and a generous pinch of pepper to a bowl and mix well. Form the kebabs as 4-inch logs around a skewer (or not). Place on the foil-lined baking sheet and cover with a piece of foil until you broil under broiler for 8-10 minutes  

CAULIFLOWER RICE: Melt 1 T butter with 1 T oil in the skillet. Add 12 oz cauliflower rice, 1/4 oz cumin seeds and 3 T of the cooked onion/ginger mix stirring until softened about 7 minutes. It should be lightly browned in spots. Add pepper to taste. 

Spoon rice onto plates, place kebabs on top and cover with yogurt mixture. Top with the uncooked onion and the remaining1/4 cilantro.

Soba Noodles with Shrimp, Sesame, Garlic and Ginger

Make a sauce with 1/3 c. soy sauce, 2 T sesame oil, 2 T fresh lime juice and 1 T. honey. Mix in 1/2 cup sliced green onions. Set aside.

Saute 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1 T grated ginger in 1 T olive or peanut oil until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Place 24 cooked or uncooked shrimp in the saute pan, cooking until just pink (if cooked, just heat.) 

Cook store-bought or homemade soba noodles until done and drain. Place noodles in a soup bowl and cover with 1/2 the sauce in each of two bowls. Top with shrimp and garlic/ginger left in pan. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and more sliced onion.

Serve cold or hot with a simple cucumber salad of sliced cucumbers, rice vinegar, salt and pepper and chopped cilantro.

Homemade Soba Noodles (with pasta maker or attachment)

Soba noodles are a Japanese noodle made of buckwheat. Fortunately, I found a blogger (Dans la Lune) who has experimented with and posted many instructions for noodles with the Philips Pasta/Noodle Makeer other than Italian pasta. I am using her recipes and suggestions, using my Philips Pasta Machine.

For soba noodles, you use the thick spaghetti disc (with six sets of 7-9 holes). There are several releases of discs. Do not use the angel hair disc with the smallest holes. 

There are also several sizes of pasta mixing bowls that allow for smaller and larger batches. You might need to experiment but my machine takes up to 600g of dry ingredients. You can follow Dans la Lune as there is a terrific video on her blog. The ingredient measurements below are edited from Dans la Lune:

INGREDIENTS FOR 600G FLOUR (FOR 5 TO 6 PEOPLE)

• 300g buckwheat flour (Bob's Red Mill makes this)
• 260g bread flour or strong flour (any grocery)
• 40g gluten flour or vital gluten (these are the same thing; Bob's Red Mill makes this)
• 210ml water

INGREDIENTS FOR 500G FLOUR (FOR 4 TO 5 PEOPLE)

• 250g buckwheat flour (Bob's Red Mill makes this)
• 217g bread flour or strong flour (any grocery)
• 33g gluten flour or vital gluten (these are the same thing; Bob's Red Mill makes this)
• 175ml water

INGREDIENTS FOR 400G (FOR 3 TO 4 PEOPLE)

• 200g buckwheat flour (Bob's Red Mill makes this)
• 173g bread flour or strong flour (any grocery)
• 27g gluten flour or vital gluten (these are the same thing; Bob's Red Mill makes this)
• 140ml water

The Philips pasta maker has a built-in scale. However, I do measure my dry ingredients with a separate food scale for accuracy. You need to assemble the machine with the disc, and then plug in/turn on. Pour the dry ingredients in and then press the button for NO EGGS. This will give you the measurement of water which is very close to the measurement that Dans la Lune gives. Press MIX and pour the water in slowly, as you would for any pasta. It mixes for 3 minutes and then begins to extrude. Dans la Lune suggests cutting off the first few inches (I waited for about 8 inches) and then stop the machine and toss the noodles back in the machine. Restart. She also suggests not cutting the noodles at all, but letting them fall into a large bowl or sheet. I carefully wiped the noodles with flour every six inches or so, letting them fall with the flour on them. When the extrusion has ended, carefully place the noodles in an air-tight container and refrigerate until use. 

When cooking (about 4 minutes in boiling water), if you use half (perfect for two people), lift the raw edge and cut about two feet off at a time until you have used half. A four-foot length of noodle is a bit tough to deal with in your bowl!

I'm trying udon noodles next, but am waiting for a soba noodle disc from Japan. Why Philips won't release a set of Asian discs in the US is crazy to me. You can use the fettuccine disc but the udon noodles will be more flat than round. 

Miso Chicken with Stir-Fried Snap Peas

 

One of the best things about retirement is choosing to have dinner for lunch. Most days we do have sandwiches or leftovers, but today was a perfect day to have Sunday dinner.

Food services make it easier, of course, and today was Miso Chicken from Marley Spoon. Easy and delicious on a hot, muggy day.

I usually cook more rice than they include - it adds calories but we love rice and the dog gets some, too. I double the rice and water and use my trusty Panasonic rice cooker, a gift from my Japanese sister-in-law well over 45 years ago. 

This recipe calls for mirin and miso paste, both available in most grocery stores and Asian markets. It also calls for black sesame seeds; you could use white or a mixture. I pick up a jar when I am shopping many places, including the TJMaxx stores (Home Goods and Marshall's too.) I use a lot of sesame seeds on my homemade bread, so I always have some.

Cook the rice in a saucepan with a touch of salt - in a rice cooker until it's done. Marley Spoon added 5 oz. Jasmine rice in the ingredients; I used 10 oz. of Jasmati. 5 oz. calls for 1-1/4 cup of water and 17 minutes cooking.

Thinly slice 4 oz. of snap peas lengthwise. Slice 3 scallions crosswise, leaving out the darkest green. Finely grate 1 tsp. of fresh ginger and 1 tsp. fresh garlic. I would actually double that, but didn't this time. We love both!

Whisk 2 T of miso paste with 1/3 c. hot water and 2 oz. of mirin and 1 tsp. sugar. You could double that and have more sauce. 

Heat some oil in a skillet and stir fry the snap peas with some salt and pepper. Use a hot pan and the peas will char a bit. After 4 minutes, drop them on a piece of foil and wrap them up.

Pat two 6. oz. chicken breasts dry and season if desired with salt and pepper. Add 1 T of oil to the skillet and cook the breasts until they are brown, about 4 min. a side. Remove and set aside.

Reduce the heat and add 2 T butter, the grated garlic and ginger, the scallions. Cook until fragrant 30 seconds and then add the liquid miso mixture and simmer. Return the chicken to the skillet to warm and then serve as in the photo above, slicing chicken and garnishing with 1/4 oz sesame seeds. Cover with sauce.

Pico de Gallo Guacamole

Gerry makes a delicious guacamole. There are no real measurements but use this as a guide, doubling as necessary.  This makes about 2 cups.

2 whole firm ripe avocados (you can use frozen chunks* if your avocados aren't very good when you slice into them. See photo.)

2 large ripe red tomatoes, chopped

1/4 red onion, diced

2 T. lime juice, preferably from fresh limes

Healthy bunch of chopped fresh cilantro, to taste

Salt to taste

Simply mix the avocado chunks, tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice and salt and serve with chips!

*I take a bag of ripe, but not overripe avocados and skin and pit them. Mash them up, still chunky. Spoon them with a scoop onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Place the sheet in the freezer for a few hours. Take them off the parchment by frozen scoop and put in a large plastic tub, or in a Ziploc bag. Store in freezer until you want to use. Chunk them us still frozen if using for guacamole.

Piri-Piri Chicken with Tarragon Aioli and Couscous Salad

This Marley Spoon recipe is delicious, especially in the summer with fresh peaches, zucchini, corn and tarragon.

• 3 oz Irsaeli couscous
• 1 ripe peach
• 1 zucchini
• 1 ear of corn
• 1/4 oz. tarragon, fresh
• 2 oz mayonnaise
• 1/4 oz piri-piri spice blend
• 12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 oz blue cheese crumbles
• olive oil, salt and pepper, and white wine vinegar or vinegar of your choice

At the same time, you will cook couscous, grill vegetables and fruit, and then grill chicken. It's easiest if you prepare everything to start.

Prepare: Halve the peach and discard the pit. Do not peel. Cut zucchini crosswise and then slice into 3/4-inch slices. Shuck the corn, remove any corn silk. 

Pick tarragon leaves from stems. Discard stems. Chop half the tarragon and leave the rest whole. 

Whisk together 2 oz. mayonnaise and 1 tsp water for mayo mixture. Slowly add in 1/4 oil while constantly whisking.  Use 1 T. mayo for chicken marinade. Use the rest for aoili.

Prepare aoili with chopped tarragon and salt and pepper. Set aside for serving.

Wash and dry the chicken on paper towels. Pat it dry and season with salt and pepper.Take 1 T of the mayo mixture, 1 tsp. vinegar and all the piri-piri spice to make the marinade. Place marinade and chicken in small bowl and marinate for at least 10 minutes.

Couscous: With 1 T. olive oil in a saucepan, cook the couscous until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add 3/4 c. water and 1/2 tsp salt to the couscous and cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until liquid is absorbed - about 10-12 minutes. Set on a plate to cool. 

Veggies and fruit: Brush grill or grill pan with oil. Brush peach halves, zucchini slices and whole corn with oil and salt and pepper, place on grill, cut side down. Cook turning occasionally until peaches are charred and softened 6-8 minutes. At the same time grill the zucchini and corn, turning corn occasionally, 8-10 minutes until tender and charred. Transfer to a cutting board. Cut peaches and zucchini into 1/2 inch chunks and cut kernels from the corn cob. 

Chicken: Place chicken on a grill and cook until lightly charred and cooked through 3-4 minutes. 

Couscous Veggie/Fruit Salad: Mix peach and veggies, blue cheese, whole tarragon leaves, 1 T olive oil, 2 tsp. vinegar and any resting juices from the chicken. Season with salt and pepper.

Slice grilled chicken. Serve with piri-piri chicken and tarragon aoili and the couscous salad.

Note: You can grill your veggies and fruit, and your chicken on any grill OR on a grill on a gas cooktop.

Roasted Garlic

 A few holidays ago, our neighbor Karen Alves gifted us with a jar of her homemade, signature-roasted garlic. It was delicious, and as we love garlic in everything, we went through the small jar very quickly. A batch of roasted garlic takes about 20 bulbs, or a whole bag from Costco. So far, I've been able to fill two to three small 4-ounce jars with roasted garlic. I might have to revise my recipe to only cloves because the whole bulb, roasted, leaves so much garlic puree behind.  

In any event, I cut the tip end of the bulb as close to the actual tip as possible and remove any dry excess papery skin. I place them tip up in a piece of foil (three to foil per foil), making sure I have enough foil to close them up. I drizzle olive oil over the bulb and sprinkle sea salt. I place some fresh thyme springs (you could use rosemary, too) under the bulbs. I wrap the foil into a tight pouch and I placed the pouches in a baking dish or on a baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes at 400 degrees  

After they cool, I smash the bulbs and squeeze out the softened garlic.*

I used an immersion blender, making a roasted garlic paste with a bit more oil and sea salt.  I use about a tablespoon in lieu of some garlic and oil when cooking pretty much anything! Or use your food processor if you are roasting 4 lbs or so  

One bag from Costco about three or four 4-ounce Mason jars with lids. 

*I might have to revise my recipe to only cloves because the whole bulb, roasted, leaves so much garlic puree behind. Another idea is to cut the tips off about a third of the way and squeeze the smaller bits of raw garlic onto the rest of the bulb before roasting. I will also experiment with roasting for less time until the cloves are just soft, therefore keeping them somewhat whole. I hate wasting the garlic! I did take all the skin waste and simmered it in chicken stock making a broth. I drained the skins and pressed any soft garlic through. I plan to use it as a base for some soups. I'd like to figure out how to can and process this broth. 

Piri-Piri Spice Blend

Tonight we had a delicious meal from Marley Spoon. It was a simple grill of peaches, fresh corn kernels and zucchini mixed with vinegar, oil, tarragon, and blue cheese crumbles. It was served with grilled chicken and a simple aioli sauce of mayonnaise, olive oil, chopped tarragon, and a bit of water. The grilled chicken was coated with Piri-Piri spice blend before grilling.

I looked up Piri-Piri (Portuguese and South African) and made up about a cup using the following spices. (I used a spice blender to mix the oregano and parsley flakes in.) The recipe for two breasts calls for 1/4 ounce of Piri-Piri.

2 T. each of sugar, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, ground coriander

1 T. each salt, dried oregano, and dried parsley.

2 tsp. each of ground ginger and cardamom

1 tsp. each of smoked paprika and cayenne pepper

Place in an airtight jar.

Note! You can use more cayenne if you'd like. If you use very red paprika and cayenne, your blend will be nice and colorful!

Fresh from the Garden Tomato Soup

This recipe is so versatile. Spice it up or leave it a bit less-spicy and herby. Use less amounts of salt, or onion. Experiment for your own taste, but this soup is loved by everyone.
You can use any kind of tomatoes in fresh tomato soup, garden, or otherwise. In fact, this recipe I adapted from NathashasKitchen.com asked for canned crushed tomatoes. I used about 40 medium to small Roma tomatoes from my garden. Ripe grape tomatoes work great, too, and I've found that I like to use any combinations of grape or cherry tomatoes, including the multicolored heirloom type. I use four to six cups per recipe.

The whimsy of tomato soup is the fresh flavor and the garnish. This weekend I topped the soup with sourdough croutons, freshly chopped chives, chive stalks, and a sprig of basil. I felt a bit rushed to get it on the table, but I would have added a sprig of thyme, some chives, parsley or basil, and dolloped it with some Crème fraîche (or sour cream) and sprinkled it with freshly grated parmesan and bits of cooked bacon.  

Note to self: line up ALL the garnishes in advance. There's nothing worse than scurrying around getting garnishes when you are ready to serve.

Add 4 T butter, 2 T roasted garlic (or 2-4 cloves of garlic, minced, and 1-1/2 to 2 cups of finely diced onion to a pot such as a 4-qt enameled cast iron Dutch oven. Cook the onions and garlic until they are golden and soft. Add 4-6 cups or 40 small to medium quartered Roma tomatoes or whole grape or cherry tomatoes and 2 cups of chicken or vegetable stock, bone broth, or a substitute. (Add some white wine to this mix, if desired.) Cook until tomatoes are soft and simmering for about 1/2 hour. 

Add 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, reserving some top sprigs for garnish. Add 1 T sugar, a bunch of grinds of fresh pepper, and a combination of sea salts (herbed or seasoned.) Add tomato soup seasonings (dill, oregano, thyme, etc.) and a 1/4 tsp. celery salt or seed, and 1 tsp. of unsalted herbs de Provence. Taste test for flavor and seasonings. Adjust the salt as necessary and use less if any of the other mixtures contain salt.

Simmer for another 15 min. and then let cool. Use an immersion blender to blend in the pot, leaving it somewhat chunky with large bits or small, or blending until totally creamy if you desire.
Return to heat and add 1/2 cup heavy cream if you would like a creamier, lighter soup. Add some grated cheese of any kind if you prefer. Heat to melt all, but don't boil.

Garnish and serve. Also can be served cool. 

Revisions, additions, notations, etc.:
I roasted some halved larger grape tomatoes in the oven before tossing them in the pan. 

I also used about a cup of chopped fresh herbs from the garden: parsley, chives, rosemary, basil, and thyme. I dried this combination and chopped fine and saved it in a Mason jar (totally dried!). It makes an easy and fast delicious combination of herbs.

I also sauteed about four garlic cloves with the onion (instead of the roasted garlic) and added I added about 1 cup chopped tricolored peppers. You can also use some red pepper flakes for some heat.

Peony Jelly

This spring of 2022 we came home from Florida in May to peonies ready to burst. We have about 10 blooming plants out along our fence lining the front yard from Wildflower Lane. White, deep pink, magenta and light pink are abundant. One plant had at least 50 peonies, most the size of saucers. 

I took them in every day for a huge bouquet on the dining room table and added more bouquets as the days progressed. I try to only cut blossoms that have no unbloomed buds. 

Gerry decided to make peony tea while I was away celebrating my 70th with childhood girlfriends. I came home to about a gallon of the tea.

I wasn't fond of the tea taste - there was no sugar and Gerry steeped it for 7 days days after gently boiling with fresh lemon slices. So, I brewed and steeped more tea from more blossoms and ended up with about a gallon from Gerry's tea and my tea to make peony jelly. Make sure you rinse your petals in a bucket to remove all the dust, pollen, stamen, and bugs. Then boil with fresh water to and brew at least 24 hours. We had plenty of magenta petals and the tea was a beautiful color after brewing and steeping.  We actually had more blossoms and I will use all of them next year!

I also want to try dandelion and lilac jelly.  I hear that violet jelly is lovely, but we don't have violets. 

Let me just say here that peony jelly is delicious - a lovely flavor of strawberries and peaches. With this recipe it is a soft, spoonable jelly in 1/2 pint jars. In larger jars it is more runny. We plan to serve it plain, or over ice cream. The runner jelly I will serve over cream cheese (on crackers) or as a glaze for fruit or meats.

The recipe I used was a YouTube recipe. I'll use another next time and see if the jelly is a bit more solid. There are many recipes online. Some call for boiling the juice and pectin and citrus first and adding sugar after the first boil. Basically, this is what I did. 

Place the petals in a lightweight towel and squeeze out all the juice. In batches of 8 cups of peony tea, add 8 cups sugar and 2 T lemon or lime juice. Bring it to a full boil and 8 T pectin (classic dry.) Boil 10 minutes. Skim any foam or gunk off the top.

Fill a glass pitcher with a spout lip and fill clean, hot Mason jars. Seal, tighten and boil in a water bath for 10 minutes.  

Chicken Piccata Meatballs by Marley Spoon

We have often found foodservice recipes that we would love to make again. Some of the services (Green Chef, for example) make life a bit easier by providing the sauces ready-made in pouches. This deters us from trying to make up our own sauce and reinvent the recipe. It works well with ingredients that might be difficult to find, or expensive to purchase

Marley Spoon doesn't do that, particularly, but instead includes the ingredients which are easy to find. This recipe is one of them and also one that I will repeat often. It's easy, attainable, and delicious! I plan to double this with friends.

Cooking all at the same time, you will need about 15 minutes for cauliflower mash, keeping warm;

6 minutes for broiled green beans in oven;

and about 10 minutes to combine meatball ingredients and cook. Figure out your best process for this by first boiling water, turn on broiler; place 2 T olive oil in a skillet.

If preferred, cook the cauliflower mash first, keeping warm. Cook chicken and then sauce, keeping warm; and then broil green beans. Plate and serve.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower Mash: 1/2 head of cauliflower broken into florets, simmered in boiling water until tender (about 15 minutes) and 3 oz of mascarpone cheese, at room temperature plus some salt and pepper

Broiled green beans:  T olive oil; salt and pepper; 1/2 pound green beans, whole but trimmed

Meatballs: 10 ounces of ground chicken; 1/2 shallot, finely (chopped in two equal amounts and 1/2 saved for sauce); 1 large egg; 3/4 oz grated parmesan (can be finely grated or roughly grated); salt and pepper.

Sauce: 1/2 shallot, finely (chopped in two equal amounts and 1/2 saved from meatballs); 1 lemon, zested and juiced (leave a small bit unjuiced for garnish);  1 packet of chicken broth concentrate with 1/2 cup water or 1/2+ cup broth; 1 oz. capers, whole and 2 T butter

Make cauliflower mash:

Mash the softened, cooked and DRAINED cauliflower with salt and pepper and the mascarpone cheese. Leave in warm pan and cover. 

Make meatballs:

Place the grated parmesan, ground chicken, half of the shallot, 1 large egg, 1/2 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper into a bowl and stir to combine. In skillet and 2 T olive oil, and using a small ice cream scoop, drop 8-10 scoops into the skillet. Cook on medium a few minutes each side, preferably getting a crispy side on top and bottom. It does not have to be fully cooked. Take out of the skillet and place on separate plate. Scrape any bits on the bottom of the pan.

Broil green beans:

Mix the beans with about 1 T. olive oil and generous pinches of salt and pepper and place on grilling pan or cookie sheet (use foil or parchment for easier cleanup. Broil until lightly charred about 5 min., watching carefully!

Cook sauce:

Add remaining 1/2 of the shallot to the meatball skillet for 2-3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth, lemon zest, juice and capers. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook meatballs, basting with sauce about 3-5 min. Add 2 T. butter.

Serve chicken and sauce over the cauliflower mash with beans on the side, and garnish of lemon if desired.

Easter Brunch 2022

Potato, swiss and ham quiche; arugula salad with pickled beets, Rooster's canned peaches, multi-colored peppers and goat cheese; pear/almond torte and lemon ricotta cheesecake.

Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

This cheesecake was light and airy the morning I made it for Easter brunch and that was perfect! We served it with a hearty quiche, layered salad of arugula and fruit, vegetables and goat cheese, and a pear/almond torte. Interestingly, the cheesecake was cheesy and rich at dinner a few nights later. Very different but still yummy.

Note: I used a shallower dish than a 9-inch deep-dish cheesecake pan in this Taste of Home recipe. This meant that I had enough filling for the cheesecake AND six 1-cup ramekins. I cooked them until a sharp knife came out clean - shorter than the recipe called for (which was 70 minutes in the cheesecake pan.)

Crush about 45 vanilla wafers to make 1-1/2 cup. Mix with 1/4 cup melted butter, and 1 tsp. grated lemon zest. Press this onto the sides and bottom of the pan. Bake 325 degrees 10-12 min. until golden brown. 

For filling, mix 2 packages of softened cream cheese, 2 cups half-and-half, 1 15-oz. carton ricotta cheese, 1-1/4 c. sugar, 1/4 c. cornstarch and 2 t. vanilla and beat until smooth. 

Stir in 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice and 3 tsp. lemon zest. Add four eggs and beat slowly until combined. Pour into crust and/or buttered ramekins.

Bake 325 degrees for 40-50 minutes (or less) just until set and not longer. Knife should be clean but the cheesecake should not be overbaked.

Run knife or spatula around ramekins and unmold upside down. Serve with whipped cream and a garnish of fresh mint.

Chicken, Orange and Fennel Traybake

Here's another from Nigella Lawson. It was delicious and the house smelled divine. We didn't eat all of the bed of fennel, but Oreo gobbled it all up and is healthier for it!

The most important thing to know is that the chicken and fennel marinate for 24 hours or overnight. So prepare this in advance. 

2 large fennel bulbs, sliced lengthwise into manageable strips (remove tubers and fronds, reserving the fronds for garnish)

8 - 10 large chicken thighs, with skin and bone

Prepare the marinade and place chicken, and fennel, and marinate in a plastic bag in layers. Release most of the air so that the marinade is touching the chicken and fennel. Turn the bag over several times during the day so that all chicken and fennel have been covered in it.

Marinade: 6 T. olive oil; the zest of one orange and juice of the orange and a lemon. Lawson calls for 2 Seville oranges and no lemon (juice and zest); 2 tsp. sea salt flakes; 4 tsp. fennel seeds; 4 tsp. Dijon mustard. 

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the fennel in a lasagne-type oven pan. Place the chicken thighs on top, using all the marinade to pour over the meat and fennel. Drizzle one T. of oil over the chicken skin. 

Bake for 1 hour. Remove fennel to a warm serving plate and arrange chicken on top. Heat the remaining marinade and juices to boiling, about 2 minutes. Pour over the dish. Garnish with fronds.

I served with roasted petite potatoes and sherried, buttered carrots.

Pickled Golden Beets with Black Cumin and Nigella Seeds

I used a recipe in Simply Nigella : Feel Good Food to pickle golden beets. I love Nigella's philosophy on food - and her use of black cumin (nigella) seeds. I took the book out of the library, but might have to buy it! Black mustard, black cumin and black sesame seeds always add interest to food.

Nigella wrote in How to Eat, "What I hate is the new-age voodoo about eating, the notion that foods are either harmful or healing, that a good diet makes a good person and that that person is necessarily lean, limber, toned and fit... such a view seems to me in danger of fusing Nazism ... and Puritanism ..."

These are quick pickled beets and I adapted the recipe a bit with more spice, although no heat.

Cut three large golden beets from their roots and tops and peel. Cut them into matchsticks, no more than 1/4" thickness on any side. Place them in a bowl that can handle hot liquid.

Measure and place 1 cup vinegar (I used a combination of white balsamic, peach balsamic and white); 1 cup water; and 4 T. ginger syrup (I used a ginger cocktail syrup).

Add 3 tsp. sea salt flakes; 2 large bay leaves; 1 tsp. nigella seeds and 2 tsp. black mustard seeds. Add also a few green cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks.

Bring to a gentle boil and pour over the beets, cool and refrigerate. Keeps for up to a month.

I'm planning on serving over fresh green with sliced peaches and goat cheese.

Garlic Braised Short Ribs with Red Wine with Creamy Polenta

 

We've cooked short ribs several times since discovering this cut of meat. It's not cheap and they can be hard to find.

When visiting Mario's Italian Deli in Fort Myers last week, I had the butcher package up 2 pounds. Well, in the end, 2 pounds was 4 short ribs! Three were nice and meaty and thick, although the fourth was on the small side. 

I wanted to have polenta with them, so settled on this New York Times recipe that seemed to scream POLENTA PLEASE!

First off, you will need a medium or large Dutch oven. I bought a large one for our Fort Myers kitchen on Amazon. It is a Lodge and it was a special price of $49. I am sure that there is a reason to buy a Le Creuset, but not for my needs. I love my Dutch ovens. I have a pair of Tramontina Dutch ovens I bought at Costco for $79 and they are my go-to pots in Marion.

Heat the oven to 275 degrees.

SHORT RIB SEAR: Heat 2 T oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the short ribs on all six sides with salt and pepper. This recipe calls for 5 pounds (a better number of ribs than just 2 pounds) and you will need to sear them in batches until they are deeply and evenly browned, about 6-8 min. per batch. Transfer them onto a large plate. Most of the visible fat should be cooked off.

COOKING SAUCE: Use 2 T of the fat from the Dutch oven, but leave all the browned bits. Reduce the heat to medium and add the following, in four steps:

1. 2 large heads of garlic, halved crosswise between the top and bottom. Remove most of the papery stuff but not so that the garlic cloves fall apart. Cook cut side down until golden brown, being careful not to burn (about 1-2 min.) 

1. 1 medium onion, chopped; 4 ribs of celery, chopped; 2 medium carrots, chopped. Add these to the pan with the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Be generous with the seasoning - I found my sauce to be a bit less rich than I would have liked. Cook until all the vegetables are softened, about 5-10 minutes. Add 3 T tomato paste and cook until the paste has started to carmelize, stirring constantly, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add 2 cups dry red wine and scrape up the bits, deglazing the pan. Let this simmer 2-3 minutes, taking the edge off the wine and reducing the liquid slightly. 
3. Stir in 2 cups beef stock or bone broth along with 4 sprigs of thyme.

BRAISE IN OVEN: Using tongs, return the short ribs to the pot along with juices - bone side up. Cover them in the sauce. Bring to a simmer and cover and transfer to the heated oven.

Cook until the short ribs are tender about 3-1/2 to 4 hours. 

Remove the ribs from the pot being careful not to remove the meat from the bone (or rather, capture the bone along with the tender meat.)

Either strain the sauce OR keep all the vegetables in the sauce and cool quickly and try to spoon off extra fat.  Pick up the large pieces of garlic paper. Process the sauce and vegetables, seasoning to taste. 

Hint: Make the ribs the day beforehand and chill the sauce in the fridge AND remove the fat the next day. Process the sauce in a food processor until chunky but not pureed.  Reheat with ribs. 

CREAMY POLENTA: 

An instant pot comes in handy for polenta. Place 4 cups water and 1 cup polenta in the IP pan. Stir and add 1 tsp. salt. Cook on porridge for 20 minutes. The IP will vent constantly in the porridge setting.

When the cooking is done, carefully vent and remove cover. The polenta will have a layer of water on top. Stir vigorously until creamy, adding in 1 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese and light or heavy cream as you need to for a creamy polenta. Add salt and pepper. 

FINALLY, serve ribs with creamy polenta, sprinkled with sauce and 1 cup finely chopped parsley, 1/2 c. chopped chives, and 1 T. lemon zest. 

Mussels in Sauce with Grilled Buttered Bread

We love the frozen mussels that you find in a box and packed in a bag with garlic and butter. You can find them anywhere - many of them are imported from Ireland. 

Although they are great cooked and served with a baguette of bread and a salad, there are other ways to serve them. Add them to a fish chowder or New England stew. The garlic wine sauce is a time saver. 

We often serve them in a creamy sauce as a first course. Here's how I do it:

Chop about 1/4 cup of shallots and about 3/4 cup of celery (and tops) and 1/2 cup carrots and a few sprigs of parsley. Saute in buttery olive oil with a nice helping of Herbs d'Provence and some pepper and some celery seed.  (Salt to taste at the end because the garlic and wine sauce has salt.)  Sprinkle vegetables with Wondra or white flour and cook a few more minutes.

Cook the mussels in the packaging in the microwave - about 5-6 minutes per bag until all are opened. Discard the one or two that haven't opened. Shell all but about 8-12 mussels. 

Add about 1/2 cup or more of cream to the vegetables and stir until you have a nice creamy sauce. Add the shelled mussels. 

Plate in warmed soup plates and top with a few mussels in the shells, sprinkle with chopped chives, and add buttered and grilled bread or croutons.

Buttery Shrimp with Peas and Potatoes

This is a Food and Wine recipe that Gerry found and it is delicious. He knows I like potatoes and peas ... and he's a shrimp fan. Perfect combination.

We liked the large shrimp in this recipe - we get them from Costco (15 per pound).

Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a large skillet and turn down to medium high, stirring in 2 T salt. 

Add:

•  8 ounces baby gold potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices (1-3/4 cup or more to taste), stirring occasionally until barely tender about 5-7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a  plate.

Add:

• 8 ounces fresh or frozen peas (about 1-1/2 cup). Cook until crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, pouring off peas into a strainer or colander. Rinse them under cold water. Set aside.

Add 1/4 cup unsalted butter and 1/4 olive oil to the dry skillet. Cook until butter is melted and add:

• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped (1/3 cup)
• 4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 2 T.)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Add about 15 red pepper flakes (or to taste - the recipe calls for a medium fresh Fresno chile, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped)

Cook and stir until fragrant and softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add and cook, stirring occasionally, until wine is almost completely reduced, about 2 minutes.

• 1/3 dry white wine

Add in a single layer:

• 12 ounces peeled, deveined raw large shrimp.

Sprinkle with black pepper and more salt and cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes. Flip the shrimp and add:

• 1 cup chicken broth

Add potatoes to the skillet and bring to a simmer until shrimp are just cooked and opaque. Add peas. Add:

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Stir until heated about half a minute. Remove from the heat and season with any additional salt and pepper to taste. 

Sprinkle with fresh dill to taste (1/4 to 1/3 cup). Serve with crusty bread.

Greek Dressing

• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Add all but oil and whisk together. Add in the olive oil, slowly mixing to emulsify.

Irish Apple Cake

Bake at 350 degrees F. for about an hour in a springform pan. 9" best.

Cake:

3 c. flour
1 T baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. COLD butter, cut into small cubes
3 large eggs
3/4 c. heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 lb. granny smith apples, thinly sliced

Custard:

1/3c. sugar

4 large egg yolks

1-1/4 heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, halved or 2 tsp. vanilla

Prehat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9" springformpan and line the sides and bottom with parchment. (Not really necessary.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups flour, baking powder, salt, spices and sugar. Add cubed butter and incorporate with your hands until you have no large pieces of butter left and the mixture resembles sand. Make a well in the flour/butter and whisk in eggs, heavy cream, and vanilla.

Toss sliced apples with 3 T. flour until evenly coated, then fold into batter. Transfer to the pan and bake until apples are tender, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan.

Irish Soda Bread

I decided to try Irish soda bread once again. I probably made it in Ireland when I lived there in 1983. Most likely, I feasted on the Irish scones from Mary Rose's tea room and bakery on St. Patrick's street. I really have never tasted any like it since. The most common pastry/bread that was served in homes was tea brack (a dark fruit bread) with butter or not. And tea. Lots of tea.

I found this recipe online and, while intimidated by it, and trying it today - March 17th. I'll update it with photos if it is successful!

40 minutes baking time at 425 degrees F.

4-4-1/2 cups flour

1 T. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

4 T butter, cubed and slightly softened

1 cup currants or raisins

1 large egg, beaten lightly

1-3/4 c. buttermilk

Preheat the oven. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Work in the butter with your fingers until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add in the currants or raisins.

Make a well in the flour mixture and add in the egg and buttermilk. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough is too stiff to stir. Form the dough using floured hands and format rough ball shape. The dough should be a little sticky and like shortcake dough.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a round loaf. It will still be sticky and shaggy. Don't overwork the dough!

Place in an iron skillet or on a baking sheet. Score with an X with a knife.

Bake until golden and the bottom sounds hollow - 35-45 min. 

Cool, slice and serve.