Recipes

Ingredients
¹⁄₂ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 (4-pound) top sirloin roast, fat trimmed to ¹⁄₄ inch thick
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper

Instructions
1. Combine parsley, thyme, and shallot in bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoons herb mixture to another bowl and stir in mustard and 1 tablespoon oil until combined. Add butter to remaining herb mixture and mash with fork until combined.

2. Butterfly roast and rub inside and out with salt and pepper. Spread herb-mustard mixture over interior of meat and tie securely with kitchen twine at 1-inch intervals. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. (I did about 4.)

3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 257*F. Pat roast dry with paper towels. Heat remaining oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown roast all over, 8 to 12 minutes, then arrange on V-rack set inside roasting pan. Transfer to oven and roast until meat registers 125*F (for medium-rare), 1 ¹⁄₂ to 2 hours.

4. Transfer roast to carving board, spread with herb-butter mixture, tent with foil, and let rest 20 minutes. Remove kitchen twine. Slice roast crosswise against grain into ¹⁄₄-inch-thick slices. Serve. 

Comments
I’m always looking out for ways to prepare cow that doesn’t require it to be in the form of a steak.  I especially enjoy roasts.  This recipe is from the 2009 Cook’s Country Annual and, while it’s not quite as good as previously posted recipes for eye round roast and filet mignon roast, it was very flavorful and all around enjoyable.  The spice rub was fantastic and it seems like it would be easy enough to tweak to achieve a whole range of flavors.  While top sirloin will never be my go-to cut of meat for roasting, this was certainly a nice change from our normal roast cuts. 

Shown here with Bacon and Egg Risotto.

Cook’s Country 2009

Ingredients
1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into ¹⁄₂-inch dice
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
Table salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1-2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¹⁄₂ cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped (Optional.)
¹⁄₂ small red onion, minced
¹⁄₂ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 romaine heart, cut into ¹⁄₂-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Combine cucumber, tomatoes, and 1 teaspoon salt in colander set over bowl and let stand 15 minutes.

2. Whisk oil, vinegar, and garlic together in large bowl. Add drained cucumber and tomatoes, chickpeas, olives, onion, and parsley; toss and let stand at room temperature to blend flavors, 5 minutes.

3. Add romaine and feta; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve. 

Comments
I like chopped salads but rarely make them myself.  I figured that this salad, which is from the 2009 Cook’s Illustrated Annual, would be a nice accompaniment and contrast for Batter-Fried Chicken.  I did forget to dice the cucumber, so the pieces were larger than they should have been.  I also omitted the olives since none of us are olive-lovers.  It was really fantastic and the dressing was nice and light.  I think that, next time, I’d include some homemade croutons.  This is definitely a keeper.

Cook’s Illustrated 2009

Ingredients
For the brine
1 quart cold water
¹⁄₄ cup salt
¹⁄₄ cup sugar
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half crosswise (You can also use bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces.)

For the batter
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
5 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
¹⁄₂ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 ³⁄₄ cups cold water

3 quarts peanut or vegetable oil

Instructions
1. Whisk water, salt, and sugar in large bowl until sugar and salt dissolve. Add chicken and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.

2. Whisk flour, cornstarch, pepper, paprika, cayenne, baking powder, salt, and water in large bowl until smooth. Refrigerate batter while chicken is brining.

3. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350*F. Remove chicken from refrigerator, pour off brine, and pat dry with paper towels. Rewhisk batter. Transfer 3-4 pieces of chicken to batter. One piece at a time, remove chicken from batter (allowing excess to drip back into bowl) and transfer to oil. Fry chicken, adjusting burner as necessary to maintain oil temperature between 300 and 325*F, until deep golden brown and white meat registers 150*F (175*F for dark meat), 12 to 15 minutes. Drain chicken on wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet. Bring oil back to 350*F and repeat with remaining chicken. Serve. 

Comments
I’m always trying to find good recipes for fried chicken that do not require skin and bones.  Why?  Because I just don’t like dealing with those things.  Boneless, skinless chicken is much easier.  This recipe, which is from the 2009 Cook’s Country Annual, seemed appealing because I figured the batter might make a nice coating even without skin on the chicken. 

And it did!  All three of us greatly enjoyed the chicken!  It was nice and crunchy and very flavorful.  I served it with some honey-mustard and barbeque sauces.

Cook’s Country 2009

Ingredients
6 cups cooked rice, cold and unsalted (Mine was jasmine.)
2 (13.5 ounces each) cans coconut milk plus enough half and half to equal 7 cups total
²⁄₃ cup sugar
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cinnamon, optional

Instructions
1. Simmer rice, milk, coconut milk, sugar, and salt, uncovered, in a large saucepan over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 40 minutes.

3. Remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla. Serve warm or cold, depending on preference.  Top with cinnamon if desired. 

Comments
I made a whole lot of fail rice the other day.  I’d never made jasmine rice before and I attempted to make it with the same rice to water ratio I always use.  Apparently this road leads to failure because the rice was extremely mushy and unpalatable.  I didn’t want to throw it all away so decided to try salvaging it in the form of rice pudding.  This recipe is from Epicurious.com and I thought it turned out very well.  I did find the rice to liquid ration was off and ended up using twice as much rice as the recipe called for.  Delicious.

Internet - Epicurious

Ingredients
¹⁄₂ cup soy sauce
¹⁄₃ cup sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or minced
¹⁄₄ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 flank steak (about 1 ¹⁄₂ pounds)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Instructions
1. Whisk soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, ginger, pepper flakes, and cornstarch in medium bowl.  (Or use a handheld blender to blend.) 

2. Pat steak dry with paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook steak until well browned and cooked to desired doneness, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board and tent with foil. 

3. Add remaining oil and green onions to empty skillet and cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes; transfer to bowl. Stir soy sauce mixture and any accumulated beef juices into skillet and simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Slice beef thin on bias against grain. Transfer to bowl (or serving platter) and toss with sauce, green onions, and sesame seeds. Serve with rice.

Note: To toast sesame seeds, cook them in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. 

Comments
With Art being gone for most of the week, I’ve been trying to make things I know he’ll really love on the nights he is home for dinner.  I found this recipe in the 2009 Cook’s Country Annual and his commentary of how fantastic it was included expletives, so I consider it successful.  Lance and I enjoyed the meal as well and I was surprised that we had enough leftovers for even a single lunch. 

I would make a few changes in the future, I’d have been happier with twice as many green onions.  There was also enough sauce that adding other vegetables would have worked quite well too.  This was a pretty fantastic meal and it will certainly be repeated in the future.

Cook’s Country 2009

Ingredients
2 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch thick pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions
1. Place potatoes in colander set over large bowl. Rinse under running water, tossing with hands until water runs clear. Drain potatoes well.

2. Bring potatoes, smashed garlic, lemon juice, chicken broth, and ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt to boil in large nonstick skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until potatoes are just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove lid and increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates, about 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Add oil to pan and continue to cook until deep golden brown, about 5-10 minutes, gently stirring halfway through. Off heat, stir in parsley, lemon zest, and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Serve. 

Comments
This recipe is the Cook’s Country take on my beloved Greek Potatoes (which I need to make again since that photograph does not do them justice).  This is a streamlined version that is made all in one skillet.  The flavors were great and I could really taste the similarities between the version I’ve made in the past and this version.  Lots of lemony goodness! 

Shown here with Cod Baked in Foil with Leeks and Carrots.

Cook’s Country

Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Zest of 1 lemon; lemon cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
Table salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ¹⁄₈-inch matchsticks
1 medium leeks, white and light green parts halved lengthwise, washed, and cut into ¹⁄₈-inch matchsticks
4 tablespoons dry white wine
4 skinless cod fillets, 1 to 1 ¹⁄₄ inches thick (Haddock, red snapper, halibut, and sea bass are acceptable substitutes.)

Instructions
1. Combine butter, thyme, ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt, and ¹⁄₈ teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Combine parsley, zest, and garlic in another small bowl; set aside. Place carrots and leeks in medium bowl, season with salt and pepper, and toss together.

2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450*F. Cut eight 12-inch sheets of foil; arrange four flat on counter. Divide carrot and leek mixture among foil sheets, mounding in center of each. Pour 1 tablespoon white wine over each mound of vegetables. Pat fish dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper and place one fillet on top of each vegetable mound. Spread quarter of butter mixture on top of each fillet. Place second square of foil on top of fish; crimp edges together in ¹⁄₂-inch fold, then fold over three more times to create a packet about 7 inches square. Place packets on rimmed baking sheet (overlapping slightly if necessary).

3. Bake packets 15 minutes. Carefully open foil, allowing steam to escape away from you. Using spatula, gently slide fish and vegetables onto plate with any accumulated juices; sprinkle with parsley mixture. Serve immediately, passing lemon wedges at table.  (If you’re not using all 4 pieces at once, you should still open them to allow the steam to escape to prevent the fish from overcooking.) 

Comments
Since salmon is my favorite fish, that tends to be the fish I cook most.  I do, however, love other types of fish and Lance is quite the fan of cod.  This recipe from the 2009 Cook’s Illustrated Annual caught my eye and I decided it would be a good one to try when Art was out of town. 

I found the flavors the fish absorbed to be fantastic, the lemon and garlic worked well with the vegetables and it was a nice dish.  The fish pieces were a bit on the small side but this just meant that Lance could have two!

Shown here with Lemon Potatoes.

Cook’s Illustrated 2009

Ingredients
3 cups half and half (Or 2 cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream.)
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
7 large egg yolks

Instructions
1. Bring milk, cream, and ¹⁄₂ cup sugar to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan. Remove from heat, stir in ginger and let steep, covered, 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together yolks and remaining ¹⁄₂ cup sugar.

3.  Add a small spoonful of milk mixture to the egg mixture and whisk. Repeat, one spoonful at a time, until egg mixture is warmed.  Add egg mixture to remaining milk mixture and continue to whisk until completely incorporated. 

4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard is thick enough to coat back of spoon (do not let boil).

5. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl, discarding solids, and chill, covered, until cold, about 1 ¹⁄₂ hours.  (Chilling it overnight is fine too.) 

6. Freeze in ice cream maker, then transfer into an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 4 hours.

Comments
This ice cream recipe is from epicurious.com and I think it’s one of the first I ever tried after I got an ice cream machine and, oh boy, did I screw it up.  I think I must have added 9 tablespoons of ginger that first time, and I didn’t bother to strain it before freezing, and it was… not very good.  This time I followed the instructions and it was fantastic.  The ginger gives the ice cream quite a bite!

Shown here with Chocolate Wontons.

Internet - Epicurious

Ingredients
¹⁄₃ cup half and half
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
12 wonton wrappers (If you can’t find wonton wrappers, egg roll wrappers cut into four squares will also work.)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
5 cups vegetable oil

Instructions
1. Bring cream and butter to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan. Pour hot cream over chocolate in a bowl and let stand 1 minute. Whisk ganache until smooth, then chill, covered, until firm, about 1 hour.

2. Lightly brush 1 side of each of 6 wonton wrappers with beaten egg, then put 1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons chocolate ganache in center of each. Fold filled wontons in half to form triangles, pressing gently around filling to eliminate any air bubbles and sealing edges with more egg. (If there are any pockets of air, wontons may burst when fried.) Make 6 more wontons in same manner. Freeze filled wontons on a wax-paper-lined tray until firm, about 20 minutes. (Note: You can make these ahead and freeze them until ready to use – I’ve frozen them for 12 hours with no problems.)

3. Heat oil in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Fry wontons, 3 to 4 at a time, turning once, until golden brown, about 1 ¹⁄₂ to 2 minutes total. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. (Allow oil to return to temperature between batches.)  Dust with powdered sugar if desired and serve warm. 

Comments
Years ago I ran across this recipe on epicurious.com and thought that it sounded pretty tasty.  I can’t remember if I was looking for an Asian-inspired dessert or what, it was quite a long time ago.  They were delicious, but I never got around to making them again until now.  And they are still delicious.  They’re fairly easy to make, but I can never make just 12.  I recommend doubling everything. 

Shown here with Ginger Ice Cream.

Internet - Epicurious

Ingredients
1-2 pounds beef stew meat
1 onion, cut into eights
1 (13-15 ounce) can coconut milk
Juice of 1 lime
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon curry powder
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, peeled and minced

Instructions
1. Add all ingredients to slow cooker and stir well.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours.  (I did HIGH for 2 and LOW for 4, since that fit my timeline.) 

2. Stir well and serve over rice. 

Comments
This recipe is from the fantastic Year of Slow Cooking blog.  Lance’s first comment was “the pieces of meat are pretty big” and then he picked one up with a fork and it fell apart.  The meat gets extremely tender during cooking! 

We both definitely enjoyed the flavor of this dish.  I would add more onion next time, perhaps two instead of one.  I also want to figure out what vegetable would go well, either in the crock or on the side.  Everything was tasty regardless and it was very simple to bring together this morning.

Internet - A Year of Slow Cooking