Oh, how I wish you could smell these...

What the day has wrought

Today, unless I was cooking, I was parked on the couch.  Some days we just need that.  I'll just have to remember to flip the cushion that I spent so much time on...I'd hate for my lack of activity to be so immediately obvious!

I was able to get ahead on the week in between couch visits by roasting turnips, butternut squash, celeriac, potatoes, and carrots, and boiling beets.  (Roasting is good couch-potato cooking.) I used some in tonight's brisket, (Ditto the brisket.) but the rest will be quick sides or ingredients for dinners. 

The brisket, a Tyler Florence recipe, was wonderful.  Perfect gray-day food.  And it's hard not to love something that fills the kitchen with the smell of rosemary and garlic.  Here's the link:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/beef-brisket-recipe/index.html

Those fancy-schmancy steak houses can keep their filets and t-bones.  Give me meat that's falling apart anytime!  Sometimes slow-cooking a tougher cut of meat can leave the meat dry, even though it's braising in a liquid, but this brisket was moist and crazy-tender.  There are two cups of  red wine in the recipe, and two cups of tomatoes, but everything simmers for so long that the flavors are round, beefy, and juicy.

I served it with a Maple-Pecan Oat Muffin from one of my favorite cookbooks, Maple Syrup Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner by Ken Haedrich.  (I actually made them for breakfast tomorrow, but they smelled so good...and there are were twelve of them, so we still have some for breakfast.)  I highly recommend this cookbook, particularly if you like maple syrup as much as Larry and I do, but even if you only like it a little, these recipes are brilliant.

We ate the muffins warm, and they were densely fluffy, if that makes any sense.  I suspect that cold they'd be a little less appealing, but that's why the universe contains toaster ovens.  The maple syrup is a background note, though the muffins smell really maple-y.  I tried doing what I sometimes do with wine--taking a bite and breathing in the aroma at the same time--but, well, let's just say that's not a great idea with things that crumble...come to think of it, it doesn't always turn out so well with the wine either...

Aren't you sorry you don't have me around for when there's nothing on television?

The original muffins called for walnuts, but I LOVE pecans and maple together, so I swapped.  They come together in no time flat (as long as you have all the stuff...and we've already discussed the state of my pantry...)

Maple-Walnut (or Pecan) Oat Muffins
recipe by Ken Haedrich

1 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached or all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt (I went a little shy on this)
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (it doesn't specify, but I used grade B)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

1.  Preheat oven to 400 F.  Grease a 12 cup muffin tin and set aside.

2.  Process the oats in a food processor or blender until they are reduced to a coarse powder; it's okay if some larger flakes remain.  Measure exactly one cup of this oat flour and combine it in a large bowl with the other flours, baking powder and soda, and salt.  Whisk together.

3.  Beat the eggs in a medium bowl, and add in buttermilk, maple syrup, and oil.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet.  Stir just until combined.  Fold in nuts.  Divide among muffin cups.

4.  Bake for 20 minutes (mine took 16), or until golden.  Serve hot or warm.

More pantry cooking

Pretty purple gazing ball not-withstanding, today is kind of gray.  It has been snowing since we woke up, but it's too warm for any to really stick as of yet.  Days like this call for a warming breakfast.  I poked around in pantry and fridge, and voila!

This morning's coup?  Chorizo, Zucchini, Cheddar, and Onion Waffles.  It's almost four hours after breakfast, and the house still smells amazing.  This is a waffle recipe I use over and over, from Rachael Ray.  The original is a Grilled Cheese and Chicken Sausage Waffle, but I hate crossing the same territory twice when experimentation is possible, so the variations have been endless: Canadian bacon, regular bacon, different cheeses, sometimes corn and jalapenos, sometimes chives...you get the picture.  As long as you stick to the measurements called for in the original recipe you should be in good shape.  And your house will smell heavenly regardless of the version you attempt.  Here's the link if you're interested:

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/budget-recipes/grilled-cheese-and-chicken-sausage-waffles

The On-Hand Challenge

If television producers were to come look in my pantry and freezer, I feel fairly certain that I would qualify for "Hoarders".  I'm not sure where the fear of running out of things comes from, but if I get down to two cans of salmon, I feel like I have to stock up.  This could make a lot of sense.

If I actually ate canned salmon more than once every month or so.

It's not that I don't like canned salmon.  I love it, or else why panic that I'll run out, right?  The problem is that canned salmon is not the only thing I'm stocked up on, and so it only winds up in the rotation occasionally.  And when fresh vegetables are in season, the canned salmon is not as appealing.  Sorry, Mr. Fish.  You'll lose to a fresh tomato and basil sauce any day.

But the other day, when I was sliding out one of the pantry doors to check on pasta levels, the sliding drawer collapsed out of its track.  I believe it might have been trying to send me a message.  Since the subtlety of the cans falling over and barely fitting wasn't working, perhaps?

This week, I set myself the challenge of not having to shop for any ingredients except maybe dairy.  (It doesn't freeze or keep as well, so I cut myself some slack there.)  So far, so good.  Monday we were on the road, so we ate out.  Tuesday, we had a fruited quinoa salad stuffed into acorn squash halves; Wednesday we had tacos made with ground beef, frozen spinach, and one of the dwindling supply of butternut squash; Thursday we had the eggplant, etc. panini, and tonight we had the bulgur and chickpea salad you see above.  The only thing I bought was goat cheese to go in the quinoa salad. 

It worked so well (and my pantry drawers are still so full) I'm going to try again for next week.  On deck:  beef brisket, pasta putanesca, pasta with beans and tomatoes, and, yup, salmon cakes.  The brisket is just under three pounds, so it will serve us twice for dinner and twice for lunch, with some probably left over to add to a soup.

The benefit to a stocked pantry and freezer?  Dinner comes together really easily.  As long as you're not reconstructing the pantry shelves every time you pull them out.

Bulgur, Chickpea, and Shrimp Salad
(inspired by something I've read, I'm sure, but mostly by what was on hand)
serves two, with leftover salad (but not shrimp)

1/2 c bulgur wheat
1 1/2 c. boiling water
1/3 c sliced sun-dried tomatoes (if not packed in oil, rehydrate for ten minutes in boiling water--I used dry-packed because I love how they stay so chewy)
 1- 15 oz. can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1-15 oz. can of artichoke hearts (use as many as you like; I used three), hearts cut into eighths
1 small shallot, very thinly sliced and separated into rings
grated rind of one lemon 2 oz feta cheese, crumbled
fresh herbs, chopped--I had a tiny bit of parsley left, so I used that, but mint and/or basil would be great
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
1/3-1/2 c olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of dried oregano
8- 16/20 size shrimp, shells on but deveined  (mine were frozen and defrosted overnight in the fridge, but if you're not having your own personal pantry challenge, feel free to use fresh!)
1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350.
1.  Bring the 1 1/2 cups water to a boil,  place bulgur in a glass bowl, pour boiling water over.  Cover with a towel and let sit while you get everything else ready, at least 20 minutes.  Do the same with the sun-dried tomatoes if they're not oil-packed.
2.  Toss together the chickpeas, artichoke hearts, shallot, and lemon rind in a large bowl.
3.  In a small bowl or glass jar with a lid, add the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, oregano, and olive oil.  Mix until emulsified.
4.  Toss the shrimp with the olive oil and some salt and pepper.  Lay flat on a baking sheet, and roast for about 15 minutes, or until done to your liking. Start checking at 10 minutes.  Cool slightly, and peel.
5.  If the bulgur hasn't absorbed all the water, drain well.  Add to the chickpea mixture, along with the lemon dressing and any fresh herbs.  Toss well.  Add the feta, and toss gently.  Taste for salt and pepper.
6.  Serve the salad with four shrimp on each plate.

What do you mean, I've got too much time on my hands?

Eggplant and roasted red peppers.  It isn't summer, but at dinner I might be able to close my eyes and pretend.  These are being turned into panini, with thin slices of leftover meatballs and some mozzarella cheese.  I love my freezer.

Snow? Who cares?

We got about three or four inches of snow here today,  but since it's the weekend I don't really mind.  It's lovely to sit around in my pajamas all day and watch the white stuff fall.  We have a fireplace insert that works like a wood stove would, and it's been 74* in our living room all day, without the heat kicking on.  Almost balmy.

I made brownies mid-day because I've been jonesing for something really chocolatey.  I have to say, Martha Stewart came up spades.  I spiked the recipe with about 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon and cayenne pepper, and added chopped walnuts, and these may be my new go-to brownies.  They're really easy to make and it seems to me they'd be endlessly adaptable.  If you'd like to give them a whirl, here's the link:  http://www.marthastewart.com/335652/double-chocolate-brownies .

Though my husband would probably disagree, one cannot live on brownies alone (even when they're this good).  We had some locally made mushroom and cheese stuffed ravioli, so I decided to see what kind of "pantry sauce" I could make.  I was hoping I had fresh mushrooms, but nope.  I do have dried porcinis, though, so I started there.  I'm pretty pleased with the outcome; the only tweak I'll try next time is a small shot of fresh lemon juice at the end to brighten the flavors.

Dried Porcini and Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce for Pasta
by Me

1/4-1/2 cup dried porcinis, reconstituted in 1 cup boiling water (save the water)and roughly chopped
3 halves sundried tomatoes, reconstituted in 1/4 cup boiling water (save the water) and chopped small, but not fine
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 shallot, finely chopped (about 1/4-1/3 of a cup)
1 small garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, or 1 tsp fresh, chopped fine
2 tbsp vermouth or dry white wine
1/4-1/3 reduced fat cream cheese  (could use mascarpone, but taste will be a little different)
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
squeeze of lemon juice (optional--haven't tried it but think it would be good--if you try it, let me know what you think)

1.  In a medium skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil.  Add the shallots and garlic, a small pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until the alliums are softened.  Add the rosemary, and cook, stirring, one minute.  Add the chopped porcinis and tomatoes, and cook, stirring, about two minutes.

2.  Add vermouth to skillet, cook until almost completely evaporated.  Add the sundried tomato water and the porcini water (careful not to pour to the end, since there will be grit in the bottom of the bowl).  Increase heat to medium high and bring to a bubble.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes.

3.  Stir in cream cheese until melted and smooth.  If using, add lemon juice.  Add chopped parsley, taste for seasoning, and if the sauce seems a little tight, add some pasta water, a small splash at a time, until the sauce is the consistency you want.  Serve over pasta.  Or chicken, or pork chops.

Chicken Extravaganza

I have been reading Cooking Light magazine since 1997, when a friend bought me a subscription for my birthday.  I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that between reading the magazine and watching Rachael Ray, I learned how to cook.  I mean, I knew how to feed myself before then, but as far as making things that were interesting and learning how to riff on an ingredient, the magazine and the show are primarily responsible.  It's kind of funny, really, since Rachael Ray's recipes would often not make it into Cooking Light.

This month's issue (Jan/Feb) is all about "the bird."  I don't love chicken breasts, mainly because I'm so good at drying them out, but I do like cooking with the whole chicken and I like the dark meat.  I dog-earred a ton of recipes in the issue, and made my first one today (with the dark meat from the whole chicken that I took the breasts off of for yesterday's dinner, and the chicken broth I made with the carcass--this is why I love cooking with a whole chicken.  One bird, umpteen dinners.). 

My husband often teases me for being unable to cook for less than four.  Well, I outdid myself today!  I doubled the recipe, because I had enough of everything to do so, and hate having a half a cabbage lolling around in the fridge.  Seriously, when it's doubled, this soup will probably feed twelve people.  It made a great lunch today, and will be lunch and dinner again this week...and I froze four portions (the texture won't be the same, but on a night that I want to come home and get in my pajamas immediately, I won't care too much).  The soup that kept on giving!

Here's the link:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-soup-cabbage-apple-50400000118587/