2012 Year in Review

[To put my PR hat on for a minute:]

Every year, we do a year end review for our clients. We create elaborate decks to review our progress, brag a bit, and look back at what we set out to do. Why not do it for my blog?

I think 2012 was the year that cooking turned from a fun hobby to a true passion. I had my list of foods I wanted to cook during the year, almost all of which were challenging and new. I wanted to push my culinary boundaries and further refine my tastes and flavors. I think I succeeded!

Of the 52 foods I set out to make, I made 31 of them. A bit over half, BUT I don't consider that bad! Here's why: when I made the list (my very first one!), I picked dishes with really out there techniques or really interesting ingredients. (I think I was having wineand watching Chopped when I made it, actually.) Some of them just weren't smart (for instance, I HATE chicken wings. Why did I put them on there?), and others I just ran out of times to make them (you can only have so many dinner parties!).

One of the most interesting things was that some recipes I didn't want to make or change. My dad always makes our Easter babka and my Grandma always makes it at Easter. We always have golumbke (stuffed cabbage), but my mom's family always makes them. Making these things myself means they're not as special anymore, that I can have them anytime I want. I wasn't ready for that! Thanksgiving rutagega is always made with lemon and butter, it didn't need a recipe makeover. I'm sad I even added that!

So as I continue scouring my best blogs, recipe books, family recipes and reinvent restaurant dishes, I'm coming up with a great, more manageable list of 2013. Some will be hard, others will mean something to me or those I love and still others will be recipes I just can't wait to try.

I can't wait to share them with you!

Healthy Eggplant Parmesan (And a Weeknight Made Easy Trick!)

My commute can be anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours on bad traffic days, so I need to make many of my dinners (or at least parts of them) in advance, so I don't head straight for the ice cream when I walk in the door. (Only sometimes.) 

This past weekend, I made a giant pot of tomato sauce from this Martha Stewart recipe. I think I have a new go to! (I used crushed tomatoes instead of whole and also threw in some crushed red pepper flakes and fresh basil.) I used the sauce as my "base," and planned my meals for the week around it: spaghetti, chicken meatballs, and eggplant parm.

It's funny-- I'm not a fan of the meat versions of some dishes (like chicken parm), but I love their veggie equivalents! They're lighter, more calorie friendly, and can last longer in the fridge or freezer.

I washed and sliced my eggplant, placed the slices on an oiled (sprayed with Pam) cookie sheet and then sprinkled the slices with Kosher salt and pepper. I threw the entire sheet into the fridge for about 2 hours. This helps to get some of the water out of the eggplant so they eventually absorb more of the sauce and don't ruin the breadcrumb coating.

Once I blotted the eggplant slices with a paper towel, I set up my "dipping" station and went to work. (That's what my kitchen really looks like. I want you to think it looks like this.) Bowl 1: Whisk two eggs together with one Tbsp of water; Bowl 2: combine 1 cup of breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and some salt. Dip each slice in the egg mixture, then immediately into the bread crumb mixture.  

Place the breaded slices on a greased cookie sheet and bake for about 25 minutes. When the eggplants are nice and crispy, flip and give them about 5 more minutes. (I forgot to take a photo, but even I was impressed with how pretty they were!)

(At this point, I let mine cool and put them in the fridge, but you can just continue with adding sauce and cheese.) When I came home tonight, I took them out of the fridge, put them in a pan and into the toaster for about 10 minutes so they got crispy again (they were a bit sorry from the fridge), then covered the hot eggplant with my sauce and mozzarella cheese and popped back in the toaster for about 10 minutes. Dinner was on the table in 20 minutes, and I was saved from eating my weight in bad-for-me-food. Perfect.

Game On Anne Burrell (Pommes Chef Anne)

I saw this recipe for fancy potatoes (Pommes Chef Anne) a few seasons ago on Worst Chefs in America. I love that show, because it brings me back to basics and I really learn a lot! I had a few Russet potatoes I needed to use and a lot of time on a Sunday night, so decided to try it. Interesting presentation, but not so much flavor. Here's what to do:

Slice potatoes super thin on a mandoline.

Oil the bottom of a heavy skillet with olive oil. This is not a low fat dish. Use a lot. (See my gleaming pan?) Place one potato slice in the center and build out in a circular layer with the other potato slices. Make this layer pretty, because you flip the pan and the bottom becomes the top. After one layer is done, add parmesan cheese and more oil.

Build out about 3-4 layers, using cheese and oil to top each layer. When you're done, put the pan in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes. (If you're using a pan with a rubber handle, remember to wrap it in aluminum foil first!)

After 25 minutes, flip the potato cake onto a cookie sheet and bake for another 20 minutes. Slice and serve! Learn from my experience, though and top with yummy things like bacon, cheese, scallions and sour cream.

The Stock Pot

At a cooking school I attended a while back, the chef said restaurant chefs never throw anything away. He told me lots of restaurant chefs save their scraps of vegetables and make a pot of homemade stock every week, a practice I've been trying to get in the habit of ever since.

Now, I save the scraps, ends, peelings of everything-- onions, garlic, leeks, carrots, ends of celery in a large Tupperware in my freezer. (More on my freezer organization system later. According to my friend, it's a small wonder.)

About once a month, or whenever I have the time, I make a pot of homemade stock with my little treasure chest of scraps and whatever else I have in the cupboard or refrigerator in need of disposing. I usually also freeze the bones from rotisserie chickens I get during hectic weeks and throw that in with some fresh herbs too. I cover it with cold water, simmer for a few hours and when the house smells like heaven, season to taste. Voila. Homemade stock for immediate use or to freeze for later, and a nice little cost saving, especially if you make a lot of soup like me!

Lemon Butter Thanksgiving Rutabega

My very favorite food for Thanksgiving is... rutabega! That's right. My Grandma Helen mashed it up and served it on her table and my mother, her daughter, carried on the tradition. My mom wanted a slightly different recipe, and today we have lemon butter rutabega on our table every Turkey Day. It's the perfect complement to the heavy sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes, and the lemon cuts some of the sweetness in the other dishes. Here's how to make it:

Here's a rutabega:

Peel the rutabega (this part is a beyotch. It's got a waxy coating all over it, so make sure you have a great peeler or a sharp knife.), and ignore my tea cup:

 Once the rutabega is peeled, cut it into chunks. You will mash these eventually, so they don't have to be pretty. Boil the rutabega until soft. You'll want them to be the texture of boiled potatoes before you mash them. Drain the rutabega.

Juice one lemon into a small bowl. I broke my mom's handheld juicer, so she showed me this cool trick (let it be known she did not want to be on the blog. But I got her hands, BOOM!): Heat them lemon in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Then, cut in half and place in the lever of a pair of tongs. Squeeze- you're in business!

Add the lemon juice, a pinch of Kosher salt and about 4 Tbsp of butter to the rutabega while hot and proceed to mash.

Serve as a perfect an unexpected side dish.

Radicchio with Cranberries, Walnuts and Gorgonzola in a Rasbperry Balsamic Dressing

I definitely could have shortened that title. Moving along...

My college friends and I recently held our annual "Friendsgiving" event. Everyone brings a dish, and the host provides the turkey, stuffing and some sides. I was tasked with bringing salad. Crap. I hate bringing salads since there aren't any that are really stellar, and because let's face it, it's hard to show off when the main ingredient is lettuce! Ordinarily, I bring my mom's famous Cesare salad, but our friend is known for his Cesare, so that was out. 

So I did what I do most Saturday mornings-- I pulled out every single cookbook I have and scoured them in search of the perfect recipe.

I came up with this salad after looking at probably no less than 30 recipes. I began with the dressing, and settled on a balsamic recipe with a "twist" thanks to a few tablespoons of fruit jam. (I chose raspberry- my favorite!) Everything else had to complement that.

I knew I wanted romaine, because everyone eats romaine, but also wanted to add the bitter radicchio because of its festive color and bitter taste to help "cut" some of the sugar in the dressing. I then added walnuts for crunch, low-sugar Craisins to add a holiday feel and a bold Gorgonzola. For decoration, I cut the a rose out of radicchio and placed it on top.

It was a hit! (Disclosure-- I ate this three nights in a row. Mmmm!) 

Raspberry Balsamic Dressing

1/4 cup good quality olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. fruit jam (use any kind you like, but make sure to use seedless!)
1/2 tsp Truvia (or any sweetener; even honey would work)

Pour all ingredients into a shaker bottle (or a bowl) and shake (or whisk) until combined and the jam has broken down and the dressing is the consistency of honey. Add a pinch of salt if you like.

Hurricane Pot Pie

I wish I could say I had a better reason to bake a chicken pot pie than a hurricane, but I can't. Does anyone ever really NEED a reason to make a chicken pot pie?

At any rate, as we braced for Hurricane Sandy to sweep across the state, I took an inventory of my fridge and freezer. Knowing we'd likely lose power, and I'd have to throw everything out, I tried to quickly come up with recipes that could use up things on hand. I had a pie crust (Only one! So I had no bottom crust in this recipe) and a chicken breast, and a whole drawer of fresh vegetables from the farmer's market. Combined- pot pie. Done.

We ended up actually heating this on my parent's grill and eating it by candlelight in a cold house, but it was delicious nonetheless.

Ingredients

• 1 peeled potato
• 2-3 carrots 
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1-3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• Roasted chicken (I used whatever I had left from a breast that I roasted with thyme and lemon)
  
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 pie crust

Directions

• Place potatoes and carrots in a pot with water, cook until soft, then drain and set aside.
• In a large skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, salt, thyme (or whatever herbs you have on hand) and pepper until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the chicken, peas, corn, potatoes and carrots; remove from the heat and dump into a pie pan.
• Roll the pastry out on top of the pie filling. Cut slits or decorative cutouts in pastry. Place over filling; trim, seal and flute edges.(I cheat and use a pan with it done for me!!)
• Bake pie at 425° for about 40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

 Adapted slightly from: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Chicken-Potpie-3