Food Archives - Page 34 of 56

Eat a Little Better with Sam Kass

By threejamigos | May 9, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

I received Sam Kass’s book, Eat a Little Better: Great Flavor, Good Health, Better World to review QUITE a while ago. I wasn’t too busy and it wasn’t because I didn’t feel like looking at it. On the contrary, I really liked the book and kept finding recipes I wanted to try before posting. For those of you not familiar with Sam, he was the personal chef to President Obama’s family and worked with FLOTUS on her healthy eating initiative. Yes, I am biased and really wanted to like this book (plus he is easy on the eyes-I didn’t just write that, did I?). Luckily I can, in good conscience say, its a winner.

Eat A little better My fridge — Work in progress. Yep, all those fruits and vegetables were hidden in the bins below.

I love the stories about the White House, the first family and Sam’s tips on healthy eating and cooking. The first change I implemented was rearranging my fridge. I moved my fruits and vegetables to bowls and see-through containers. Now, when I open the door my weekend farmer’s market bounty is staring me in the face instead of hidden in the “the crisper”. No longer out of sight, out of mind. Be honest, who hasn’t pulled out an unidentifiable fuzzy green object that might have once been an apple or orange, or worse a forgotten cucumber that morphed into a slimy swamp creature…ewwwww.

Those ignored apples stashed in the crisper? Placed front and center, a visible “I’m here” reminder, turned into a couple of delicious apple crisps.

The recipes are straightforward, uncomplicated, some healthy, some homey, some both. Right up my alley. I LOVE sweet potatoes so a recipe for a trio of dips/toppings for baked sweet potatoes caught my eye. It reminded me of an absolutely scrumptious charred sweet potato with a bone marrow Salsa Negra appetizer I had at Cala in San Francisco. The potatoes were tender, smoky and sweet. Borrowing from Smitten Kitchen, I slow roasted the potatoes in the oven and finished them under the broiler for that nice char. The toppings, an herbalicious sour cream, and a brown butter orange juice were a snap to prepare. I nixed the bacon dip and made the topping for Kaddo, an Afghani dish of braised pumpkin topped with two sauces, a tomato meat sauce, and a garlic-mint yogurt sauce. The sweet potato stood in for the pumpkin, pretty yummy. It deserves its own post which is coming soon.

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Sweet Potato In-skin Mash-ups

Ingredients

4-6 Whole Roasted Sweet Potatoes I used Smitten Kitchen recipe see link

Brown Butter-Orange Juice

6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into chunks
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
Kosher salt

Herbed Sour Cream

3/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives or green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Kosher salt

Instructions

While sweet potatoes are roasting you will have plenty of time to throw these sauces together.

Brown butter-orange juice

Place butter chunks in saucepan, preferably a light color one so you can see the butter turn color. Place over medium heat and let the butter melt and bubble, swirl the pot occasionally. The butter will foam and then start to color. Watch carefully, the milk particles will turn a nice toasty brown, remove from the heat and pour butter into a heatproof bowl.
Stir in orange juice and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Make a slit lengthwise in each potato, season with more salt. Smoosh it with a fork and drizzle the sauce on the sweet potato.
Serve immediately.

Herbed Sour Cream

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, chives, thyme and lemon juice. Mix until well blended. Season with a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Split potato, season with salt and place a generous dollop of the sour cream in the potato.
Serve immediately.

Next, Butternut Squash and Kale Fried Rice. The sweetness of the squash meshed well with the saltiness of the bacon and the slight bite of the kale. Surprisingly good and easy to make. Feel free to use any kind of rice, use a mix of green onions and yellow onions and season to taste with soy sauce. DON’T SKIP THE EGG.

Leftover roast chicken? Sam’s tasty recipe for Chicken Salad was the perfect answer. Red onion, crispy green beans, fresh thyme, and mayo to bind. A breeze to put together. For a touch of sweetness, grapes or diced apples would be a nice addition.

How could I not try the dish featured on his cover? Braised Chicken with Olives and Oranges. Bold, bright flavors, sweet from the oranges and tangy from the olives, like tennis a love match. Even better the second day when the flavors mellowed and melded together.

You can see why it took me so long to review!

His Slow Roasted Pork served as the base for a couple of quick and delicious meals. I still had plenty left despite continually pulling shreds of pork off the bone and popping it into my mouth.

Eat A Little Better Slow Roasted Pork — Slow Roasted Pork out of the oven

First meal-CARNITAS. Topped with a cabbage slaw, homemade salsa, cilantro, and onions on warm corn tortillas, darn fine tacos.

Eat A Little Better Carnitas Tacos — Carnitas Tacos

Second meal-Rigatoni with Pork Ragu. Onions, tomatoes, slow roasted pork and a handful of grated Parmesan, so simple and satisfying.

So, verdict? Wonderful, simple, straightforward cookbook with some sage advice. I plan to use this book a lot. Hope you will too.

A Toast to Bostock (Brioche aux Amandes)

By threejamigos | May 5, 2018 | Comments 3 comments

Our weekend ritual of going to the Farmer’s Market is a two-pronged mission. After stocking up on fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables we turn our attention to the artisanal products that are peppered throughout the market. Smoked salts, leaf lard from the meat guy, olive oils from family orchards, bread, and fresh tofu. I invariably stop at the Manresa bread stall. I have a weak spot for their Kouign Aman and their Bostock.

Bostock? Yep, glorified TOAST, 4-5 bucks a slice. Call it a guilty pleasure. A slice of buttery brioche with a layer of orange marmalade or strawberry rhubarb jam, topped with an almond frangipane and a generous sprinkle of sliced almonds. Baked, finished with a blanket of powdered sugar. So good.

I probably won’t attempt to make Kouign Aman but Bostock, that’s a different story. It’s toast on steroids when you think about it. A recipe for Bostock from the blog The Little Epicurean looked delicious and sounded very doable. Time to stop the 5 dollar toast madness and make my own. I love her photo and as they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery. Making Bostock pictogram starts with brioche, slather with preserves, coat with almond frangipane and top with sliced almonds. Pop it in the oven. Badabing, badaboom, done.

Ok, I did cheat a little, store-bought brioche (Trader Joe’s Brioche-thumbs up) makes this a quick and easy recipe. I used a homemade strawberry-blueberry jam but feel free to use any jam you like. The almond frangipane is made of butter, almonds, sugar and an egg whirled to a smooth creamy paste in a food processor. As I pulled the slices out of the oven the aroma of butter, sugar and almond filled the kitchen. Life is good, especially if you have fresh baked Bostock.

A Toast to Bostock (Brioche aux Amandes)

Glorified toast which you should definitley make!

Course Breads, Breakfast

Cuisine French

Keyword Bostock

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Ingredients

6 thick slices of brioche challah, or enriched milk bread
6 Tablespoons orange marmalade or your choice of jam
Almond frangipane spread recipe follows
Sliced almonds as needed
Confectioners' sugar to dust

Almond Frangipane Spread:

1 cup almonds sliced or whole
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup unsalted butter room temperature, softened
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick silicone mat. Arrange bread on baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon of orange marmalade over bread. Top with 3 tablespoons of almond frangipane spread. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until almonds are golden and bread is toasted.
Transfer bread to cool rack to prevent bottom from getting soggy. Dust warm bostock with sifted confections' sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Almond Frangipane Spread:

In a food processor, pulse together almonds and half of sugar until nuts are finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl.
In same food processor, process together butter, remaining sugar, salt, vanilla, almond extract, egg, and cream until smooth.
Scrape down bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing. Add ground nut mixture and pulse until thoroughly combined.
Use almond frangipane spread immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Allow to soften to room temperature before use.

Just in Time for Cinco de Mayo! Ridiculously Easy Salsa

By threejamigos | May 2, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

A while back on a visit to The Big Apple, we stopped at Brookfield Place for a quick bite. Near the World Trade Center, The Brookfield has an upscale food court (this is an understatment). You won’t find corn dogs and pretzel bites, what you will find-organic kale and quinoa salads, Pad Thai, avocado toast, sushi…the trendy hipster options are endless. After agonizing over what to eat, grab your food and pounce on the first table near the windows. Enjoy the spectacular view of the Hudson while you eat.

I decided on an egg dish (can’t remember exactly what I had) but it needed a punch of flavor. Back to the stand where I ordered my eggs. “Do you have any salsa”? The woman in line behind me rudely interjects “RIGHT in front of you”. I glance at the counter, turn to her and say “SALSA not salt” (you schmuck). The counter guy hands me a couple of packets of hot sauce with an apologetic “uh, will this do?” I take them and quickly walk away so he doesn’t hear me sigh.

New York City, you don’t know what you are missing…

With Cinco de Mayo coming up I pulled out a salsa recipe I had come across in the blog Cookie + Kate. This salsa is SUPER EASY and a snap to put together. This leaves plenty of time to mix up a batch of your favorite Margaritas, the perfect foil for chips and this salsa.

The secret? The salsa starts with a can of FIRE-ROASTED TOMATOES. TJ’s has their house brand version that I have used with good results and Muir Glen makes organic fire-roasted tomatoes. Drain the tomatoes well or it will be watery. Throw the tomatoes in your food processor along with coarsely chopped garlic, jalapeno, diced onion, cilantro and a bit of lime juice and salt. Give it a whirl and voila’ SALSA TIME. Want it spicier, add more jalapeno. Bit more tangy? Extra squeeze of lime. Added punch? 2 garlic cloves instead one. It’s entirely up to you.

Just in Time for Cinco de Mayo! Ridiculously Easy Salsa

Ingredients

1 can 15 ounces diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1-2 cloves of garlic roughly chopped
½ cup roughly chopped white onion about ½ small onion
¼ cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
½ medium jalapeño seeds and ribs removed, and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice more if needed
1 teaspoon Kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Drain off about half of the tomato juice from the can (about ⅓ cup) and discard it.
In a food processor:
Add the tomatoes and all of the remaining juice from the can. Add the garlic, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and salt.
Pulse the mixture until it is mostly smooth and no big chunks of tomato or onion remain, scraping down the sides as necessary.
Season to taste with additional lime juice and salt, if you like.
Serve the salsa immediately or store it for later.
This salsa keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 1 week.

Karma’s a Batch…of Meyer Lemon Scones

By threejamigos | April 23, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

I got up this morning with scones on the brain. A while ago I had come across a recipe on the blog Dessert for Two for Small Batch Meyer Lemon Scones. They looked delicious. I filed it away under the “I should try these cause they look yummy” recesses of my mind. This past weekend my goal was to clean and reorganize the fridge (inspired by Sam Kass’s new book). As luck would have it, squirreled away in the back of the crisper drawer I found a forgotten bag of Meyer Lemons from my baking buddy, Kathy.

Karma, I was Meant to Make These Scones.

The recipe makes four more-than-generous scones so my first change was to make six instead. A nice size to accompany a breakfast plate or on its own as an afternoon tea treat. You can whip up a batch in no time flat and that’s without using a mixer. The keys are to keep everything as cold as possible and to not overwork the dough. The mantra for any scone, biscuit, or pie dough.

I used a pastry cutter to mix the butter in the flour. The butter should be in small pieces no bigger than petite peas. Add the wet ingredients and blend together. The mixture will not hold together but will be shaggy. Pour onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Fold and compress the dough to form a disc. The heat of your hands will help the dough clump together. Cut the disc into four to six pieces.

Separate the scones and paint the tops with heavy cream. Bake until golden. I made the icing but it didn’t stand out on the scones. It did add a nice sweet-tart finish though.

These scones are tender, buttery, and lemony sweet. The perfect beginning or ending to a day. It’s a good thing this is a small batch recipe…I’d be tempted to eat them all.

Karma’s a Batch…of Meyer Lemon Scones

A lovely buttery, light, lemony scone from Dessert for Two that is easy to make, a perfect weekend morning pick me up.

Course Biscuits and scones, Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword Cream Scones, meyer lemon scones, Meyer lemons

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Wet Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream plus extra for brushing
1 large egg yolk
zest of 2 Meyer lemons* I'm thinking grapefruit or reg lemons would work well too.

For the optional glaze: Try not to skip it, it is a nice finish.

1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon heavy cream
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
Dice the butter and add it to the flour mixture. Work the butter into the flour mixture until it's evenly distributed and smaller than peas. Use two knives, a pastry cutter, or your fingertips (quickly squeeze the butter pieces between your fingers pressing them into little flakes.
Whisk heavy cream, egg yolk and lemon zest in a small bowl. Pour ontothe flour mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Don't overmix, but incorporate things well.
Scoop the dough out, place it on the baking sheet, and use the warmth of your hands to fold and press dough together until it sticks together into a round disc form.
Cut the dough circle into 4-6 even pieces. Brush each piece with extra heavy cream. (Cut by pressing knife in one downward motion, don't use a sawing motion which will cause uneven rising)
Bake for 13-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and they lightly brown on the edges.
While the scones bake, whisk together the glaze ingredients.
Glaze the scones when cool.

Soup with Silken Tofu & Chicken Dumplings (A Thai-rrific, Easy Soup)

By threejamigos | April 10, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

This month’s Food52 Cooking Club selection is Simple Thai Food by Leela Punyaratabandhu, a book I have had sitting on my shelf for quite awhile. The only recipe I have tried from the book is the Shrimp Pad Thai which was pretty darn tasty. But thanks to Food52 I am discovering it is a gem of a book. Each month the club features a different cookbook. A variety of old and new cookbooks, of which shockingly (lol), I own quite a few. Yes, confessions of a cookbook junkie.

Food52ers post photos and comments on recipes they try from the month’s selection. It’s a great way to find out which recipes are winners and which may need a bit of tweaking. It has definitely pushed me to actually try more recipes from the gazillions of cookbooks I have sitting on my shelf. Raindrops on roses and a cookbook treasure trove, Dumplings that are meatballs for soup simmering on the stove..these are a few of my favorite things…..lalala.

Yep, singing led to this delicious soup from Simple Thai Food, Clear Soup with Silken Tofu and Chicken Dumplings

It is quick, easy and DELICIOUS with just a teeny weeny caveat…hope you like cilantro!

Break It Down

The soup comes together in a snap. I used a commercial chicken stock to start with but you could use homemade stock. The chicken dumplings, really meatballs, start with ground chicken to which just a few ingredients are added, cilantro, fish sauce, garlic, pepper and an egg white for texture. Dump it in your food processor and blend until mixture is sticky and smooth. These dumplings are light with a fine grain texture not as chunky as meatballs, think city versus country rustic.

The stock is seasoned with onions and soy sauce and brought to a gentle boil. I used a small ice cream scoop to shape and drop my dumplings into the broth to cook. Add cubed soft tofu once it is heated through, literally a few minutes later, you have a delicious, flavor-packed bowl of soup. Finish with a garnish of cilantro and green onions.

This would be perfect as a light lunch or as a starter for dinner. The following day I took some liberties and added shredded Napa Cabbage and carrots and poured it over udon noodles for a satisfying, tasty noodle soup. Yumminess in a bowl.

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These are a Few of My Favorite Things (Soup with Tofu and Chicken Dumplings)

Ingredients

2 medium cloves garlic peeled
2 tablespoons cilantro stems or 2 cilantro roots chopped
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 pound ground chicken dark or a mix of dark and light chicken, should not be too lean
2 teaspoons fish sauce such as 3 Crabs brand
4 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium store bought chicken broth
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon thin soy sauce
1 pound silken tofu packed in water drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 green onions cut into 1-inch pieces separate the white from the green parts
1/4 cup cilantro leaves for garnish

Instructions

1.In a mortar or a small chopper, make a fine paste out of the garlic, cilantro stems/roots,
2.Place the ground chicken into a mixing bowl and add prepared paste. Add 2 teaspoons of fish sauce. Mix until homogenous; set aside. You can use 1 teaspoon soy sauce in place of 1 of fish sauce if you desire.
3.In a large saucepan combine broth with soy sauce, 2 teaspoons fish sauce and white parts of green onions. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a gentle boil. Scoop chicken mixture into 1-inch balls and gently drop into simmering stock. Repeat until all the chicken mixture is gone. Cook until dumplings float to the surface about 1-2 minutes.
4. Gently add the tofu cubes to the broth; return to a simmer, then add the remaining green onions and remove from heat immediately. Adjust the seasoning as necessary with more fish sauce or soy sauce.
5. Ladle soup into a serving bowl. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Some freshly-ground white pepper on top is optional, but recommended.
6. Is this blasphemous? I don't know, but it is delicious, add a handful shredded Napa cabbage and carrots to broth, simmer additional 2-3 minutes until vegetables are soft. Top udon or ramen noodles with broth, dumplings and vegetables. Garnish with cilantro and green onions. You can use a firmer tofu instead if serving with noodles. Hmmm...

Smashed Potatoes, A Smashing Success

By threejamigos | April 9, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

Jamie and I love happy hours so whenever she comes home we usually throw together a couple impromptu gatherings. Drinks and finger foods are part of our MO. Half the fun is perusing cookbooks or the Internet looking for yummies for our casual soirees. Jamie came across a recipe for Smashed Potatoes on the site Damn Delicious…uh-oh, boil em’, mash em’ stick em’ in a stew. It’s like Pavlov’s Dogs, mention potatoes and I immediately parrot Sam-Wise Gamgee. Drives my family crazy.

Back to the recipe, very easy and very tasty. We like getting a variety of potatoes, reds, golds, purple all about 2 inches, you know, not too big, not too small. but just right The potatoes are boiled until tender. Removed and smooshed with a potato masher (you could probably use a fork) until flattened. The spuds are seasoned with garlic, thyme, salt and pepper then drizzled with olive oil. Place in oven for about 20 minutes to crisp and voila’, potatoes with soft and creamy centers and crispy edges. Serve with sour cream if you like. So, so, good. So, so, simple.

We had pancetta in the fridge, so we added a generous sprinkle of it over the smooshed potatoes before baking. You can use rosemary in place of thyme, bacon instead of pancetta, butter instead of olive oil, sprinkle with parmesan, whatever your imagination dreams up. A combination I plan to try includes smoky paprika and rosemary with a squeeze of lemon, Damn Delicious posted a new riff, Crispy Dijon Smashed Potatoes. Can’t wait to try it!

So next time you need a tasty bite, try these smashed potatoes. Added bonus, they’re gluten free, dairy free if you don’t use cheese and a perfect vegetarian dish if you skip the pancetta/bacon. Delicious!

Smashed Potatoes, with Garlic and Herbs

Course Side Dish, Vegetable

Cuisine American

Keyword fingerling potatotes, Roasted potatotes

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Ingredients

18-24 small potatoes yukon, reds, purples or a mix washed and scrubbed clean
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Finely diced pancetta or bacon optional
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment. Put a couple of squeezes of oil on the parchment
In a large pot of boiling water, cook potatoes until tender, about 15-20 minutes; drain well.
Place potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet. Using a potato masher or fork, carefully smash the potatoes until flattened but still in one piece.
Top with olive oil, garlic and thyme. (Combine minced garlic and thyme with oil and drizzle on potatoes)
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and pancetta!
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
Serve immediately.

Notes

To microwave potatoes. Wash and place in a microwavable. Cover with a vented lid of plastic wrap with a few holes punched in it.

Microwave at full power for 8-10 minutes, stopping halfway to stir. I have a 700 watt microwave so if your microwave's wattage is higher, try 7 - 9 minutes. Test by piercing with a fork.

Fast, Flavorful, Pho-tastic(Instant Pot Pho Ga, Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup )

By threejamigos | April 7, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

I can’t think of anything more comforting than a steaming bowl of noodle soup. If marooned on an island, what would you eat and what 3 books would you want to have with you. My response would be immediate, a no-brainer, noodle soup. The caveat being noodle soup would include Pho, Ramen, Udon, Won Ton Noodle Soup, Guksu, Laksa…. and one of my 3 books would be Andrea Nguyen’s The Pho Cookbook.

I have always wanted to try my hand at making Pho. But the stock for this popular Vietnamese Noodle Soup is a labor of love. Hours of simmering on the stove coaxing the flavors out of chicken, beef, and aromatics like ginger, onions, and cilantro. Intimidating to say the least. Andrea’s recipe for Pho Ga (Chicken Pho) made in a pressure cooker was the “kick in the pants” I needed. Pho in less than an hour? I immediately headed to the store for ingredients. Slurp City here I come. Thanks to Andrea Nguyen and Instant Pot, I was about to make Pho in a fraction of the time. Ms. Nguyen has written quite a few cookbooks on the cuisine of Vietnam and I snapped up her ode to soup noodles after an interview on KQED.

This makes homemade Pho eminently doable. One pot cooking, woohoo. Increase the cooking time if you have an Instant Pot. It works at a slightly lower pressure (11.5psi) than a conventional pressure cooker. Remove the cilantro and ginger after the cooking process as both herbs continue to flavor the stock and may overpower the flavor of the broth. Modify the natural pressure release by letting your Instant Pot sit for 5 minutes before venting and opening. Once you remove the chicken, place it in a cold water bath. This keeps the chicken tender and moist. If you like your chicken a bit more done, leave it in the pot for about 15 minutes before removing. The chicken can be shredded or sliced whatever your preference.

With your broth done, your noodles softened. It is now Topping Time! Toppings, toppings, toppings galore. You can be traditional and top your pho with basil, mint, and bean sprouts or you can keep going and add ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING YOU WANT. I didn’t have bean sprouts so I used shredded carrots and cabbage. Thinly sliced red onions add a nice bite. Delicious. Mushrooms, let those fungus fly..into your bowl. Condiments include Siracha for spice, Hoisin for a bit of sweetness and a squeeze of lime. S cubed-sweet, salty, spicy and so good!

Now you and I can make our own bowls of deliciousness.

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Fast, Flavorful, Pho-tastic (Instant Pot Pho Ga)

A faster and simpler way to make a tasty bowl of Pho!

Course comfort food, noodles, one bowl meal, Soup

Cuisine Asian, Vietnamese

Keyword Chicken, Pho, Pho Ga, rice noodles, soup

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 45

Equipment

1 Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot

Ingredients

BROTH

1 whole chicken 4 lbs.
1 rounded tbsp. coriander seeds
3 whole cloves
1 medium yellow onion peeled, halved, and sliced 1/2 in. thick
1 3- in. piece ginger peeled and thickly sliced
1 small Fuji apple peeled, cored, and cut into thumbnail-size chunks
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro sprigs
2 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp About. organic sugar* or 2 tsp. maple syrup if needed to round out flavor

Noods and Bowls

10 ounce dried narrow flat rice noodles*
About half of cooked chicken from the broth
1/2 small red onion halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced and soaked in water 10 minutes
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion green parts only
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
white or black pepper

Garnishes & Condiments

Vietnamese Herb Garnish Plate
Vietnamese Ginger Dipping Sauce
Siracha Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, lime wedges

Instructions

Make broth: Rinse chicken and set aside to drain. Put coriander seeds and cloves in a dry 6- to 8-qt. pressure cooker. Over medium heat, toast until fragrant, shaking, several minutes. Add onion and ginger and cook, stirring, until browned on edges, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add 4 cups water, then the chicken, breast side up. Add apple, cilantro, salt, and another 4 cups water. Lock the lid in place.
Following your cooker's instructions, bring to low pressure (8 psi) over high heat. Lower heat to maintain pressure. Cook 15 minutes, or a few minutes longer if your cooker's low setting is less than 8 psi. If your cooker has only a high-pressure (15 psi) setting, cook 12 minutes. The Instant Pot setting is approximately 12 psi so I increased the time to 14 minutes. If you like your chicken falling off the bone leave the chicken in the Instant Pot for 20 minutes before pressure release. I waited 5 minutes and then did a quick release. The chicken was tender much like white cut chicken.
Transfer the chicken to a bowl; if parts fall off in transit, don’t worry. Add cold water to cover the chicken and soak for 10 minutes to cool and prevent drying. Pour off the water, partially cover, and set the chicken aside to cool.
Skim some fat from the broth before straining it through a muslin-lined mesh strainer positioned over a medium pot. Discard the solids. You should have about 8 cups. Taste and season the broth with the fish sauce, extra salt, and perhaps a bit of sugar.
Use a knife to remove the breast halves and legs from the chicken. Set aside half of the chicken for another use. Reserve the remaining chicken for pho bowl assembly.

Prep and assemble the bowls

About 30 minutes before serving, ready the ingredients for the bowls. Soak the noodles in hot tap water until pliable and opaque. Drain, rinse, and drain well.
Step 7
Cut or tear the chicken breast and leg into pieces about 1⁄4 inch thick. Place the onion, green onion, and cilantro in separate bowls and line them up with the noodles, chicken, and pepper for a pho assembly line.
Bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat as you are assembling the bowls. At the same time, fill a pot with water and bring to a rolling boil for the noodles.
For each bowl, use a noodle strainer or mesh sieve to dunk a portion of the noodles in the boiling water. When the noodles are soft, 5 to 60 seconds, pull the strainer from the water, shaking it to drain excess water back into the pot. Empty the noodles into a bowl.
Top with chicken, then garnish with onion, green onion, cilantro, and pepper and any toppings you want.
Check the broth flavor once more, raise the heat, and bring it to a boil. Ladle about 2 cups broth into each bowl. Enjoy immediately.

Olive Oil Shortbread with Rosemary & Chocolate Chunks, A Tale of Two Wedges

By threejamigos | March 26, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

Last week was a busy work week and several evening commitments were on my to-do list. One of the realities of living in the Bay Area is the exceptionally ugly commute (up 1.5 hours to go 25 miles-yeah-go figure) so my commute has taught me to ALWAYS VOLUNTEER TO BRING DESSERT since I invariably run late. So my plan was to make cookies, I could make them in advance, bring them with me to work, go directly from work to each function, and be forgiven for being late because who gets mad at anyone who brings homemade cookies?!

I needed a vegan option as well as a regular sweet bite for the meetings. I decided the Grapefruit Thyme Shortbread (it’s my flavor of the month cookie) would be my non-vegan cookie. The vegan option was going to be a bit trickier, I am a butter-believer. As luck would have it, a recipe for Olive Oil Shortbread with Rosemary and Chocolate Chunks from Smitten Kitchen Every Day Cookbook popped up on my feed. Hmmm, now how did Facebook know I needed a vegan dessert recipe?

Not funny? Too soon?

Surprisingly (at least to me), the rosemary and chocolate meshed well. The flavors really stand out and I didn’t think about the no butter factor. The sprinkling of turbinado sugar on top provided a nice crunch while the cookie itself had a nice fine crumbly texture.

I changed the baking method for the Grapefruit Thyme Shortbread, my non-vegan option. Wanting a more traditional shortbread and keeping with my wedge theme, I baked it in a round pan and cut it into wedges right out of the oven. Unlike the first time I made them, this version had a casual, rustic appeal. While the cutout version had a fine crumb and crisp edges. These are a bit softer, almost cake-like, without the crisp edges. Still delightful, just different. Putting on my ATK hat, made sense due to the differences in baking methods. I consider this a bonus, 2 cookies for the “dough” of one.

Grapefruit Thyme Shortbread Post

Olive Oil Shortbread with Rosemary & Chocolate Chunks

Ingredients

Smitten Kitchen /every Day by way of Food52
1 1/2 cups 195 grams all-purpose flour
1/2 cup 60 grams powdered sugar
2 tablespoons 25 grams, plus 1 teaspoon (5 grams) turbinado (raw) sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup 120 ml mild olive oil
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 cup 85 grams semisweet chocolate, chopped into small chunks
1 egg white beaten until loose (optional not vegan 🙁 )

Instructions

Heat the oven to 325° F.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar, and the salt.
Add the olive oil and rosemary and stir to combine.
Add the chocolate chunks and stir again.
Gather the dough with your hands into one mass.
Roll out the dough to an 8- to 9-inch roundish slab between two sheets of parchment paper. Remove the top sheet and use the bottom to slide the cookie round onto the back of a large baking sheet.
If desired—it merely provides a little shine—brush the cookie with the egg white. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Slide the cookie round carefully onto a cutting board while the cookie is still totally hot. Cut with a sharp, thin knife into desired shape(s). Let cool completely, then separate.
Do ahead: This dough keeps well in the freezer. Baked cookies keep for 2 weeks in an airtight tin at room temperature.
Note: For a milder flavor, replace half of the oil with a neutral/flavorless one. You can cut this into shapes with cookie cutters, too, but the chocolate provides a little resistance.

JJ, Good Times, High School Daze

By threejamigos | March 25, 2018 | Comments 2 comments

Back in high school, there were certain kids everyone gravitated towards, the student body president, quarterback, class clown, their sheer exuberance for life attracted people to them. My classmate, Jeanette, falls in that envious category. JJ for short, she lit up a room when she walked in. Her energy and her smile were magnetic. She was smart, sassy, outspoken, boisterous, a total gas to be around. (Wow, that’s dating myself). After we graduated from high school we lost touch only to reconnect at our 5-year high school reunion. Promises to keep in touch and get together tumbled out our mouths…well, fast forward to our 40th reunion, the next time we would see each other again and catch up. That’s how life goes but thanks to social media we won’t have to wait for another reunion to reconnect. Anyways…

She became a bum. JUST KIDDING. Not surprisingly she approached grown-up life with the same zest she had in high school. She became a pediatrician, TV personality (a regular on the Hallmark Channel’s Home and Family show), Water Advocate, Mom…I give up..let’s just call her Superwoman. What can I say? KIDDOCJJ – We were high school buds.

And now she has set her sights on the food world-teaching cooking classes, blogging, writing, advocating for healthy lifestyles. She has combined her knowledge of science and medicine with her passion for food. Check her out at KIDDOCJJ. Her recipe for Grapefruit Thyme Shortbread popped up on my FB feed and of course, I had to try it. All I can say is, they are DELICIOUS and a snap to make. The hint of citrus with a slight bitter tinge from the grapefruit plays well with the buttery cookie and the sweet icing made of powdered sugar and grapefruit juice. This recipe is a keeper.

The recipe calls for using a food processor. If you don’t have one, a mixer will also work. But the food processor does make quick work of this dough. Though the recipe calls for softened butter, if you use a processor you can start with cold butter. Pulse the butter, zest, thyme, and vanilla until blended, add the powdered sugar, process till combined and then add the flour. Process just until the dough clumps, try not to overprocess.

My first go around I decided to tweak her recipe just a bit. Instead of spreading the dough in a springform pan, I rolled out the dough and cut out the cookies, just a bit more work than smooshing it in a pan. I scooped the dough into a Ziploc bag and rolled it into an 8 x10 rectangle (a Dorie Greenspan trick), roughly 3/16 inch thick, and tossed it in the fridge to chill for an hour. A scalloped edge cutter did the trick to create the just too cute finished cookies. Since the cookies were cut out they required less baking time, start checking at 10-12 minutes.

The cookies were light, tender and packed a nice grapefruit punch, definitely not timid in flavor. Perfect when you need a “fancy-schmancy” cookie. I also made them as JJ suggested in a pan and the results were surprisingly different which you can find in my next post. Either way, these cookies are delightful. Put them on your baking list.

Grapefruit Thyme Shortbread

A thymely twist on shortbread with the addition of grapefruit

Course cookies

Cuisine American

Keyword grapefruit thyme shortbread

Prep Time 1 20

Cook Time 15

Ingredients

- 1 stick unsalted butter softened
- 2 TB finely grated grapefruit zest save the fruit juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Into the bowl of a food processor, stand mixer, or if you're in for a little workout, a regular bowl, place the butter, vanilla, salt, grapefruit zest and chopped thyme.
3. Add the powdered sugar and pulse (if using a processor), or beat on medium with a paddle (if using a stand mixer), or mix with a wooden spoon until mixture is smooth.
4. Add the all purpose flour and mix just until flour is incorporated.
Your mixture should look - a little on the dry side, but well blended together.
5. Butter a springform pan or pie tin.
6. Using an offset spatula, spread the dough evenly in the pan.
7. Prick the surface of the dough with a fork. This is called "docking."
8. Refrigerate for an hour (or put it in the freezer for 30 minutes).
9. While your dough is getting cold, squeeze out about 2 TB of grapefruit juice into a bowl. Add 3/4-1 cup of powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. Whisk until smooth. 10. Once the dough is cold, put in the oven for 15-18 minutes until the edges are golden and the center is firm.
10. Once the dough is cold, put in the oven for 15-18 minutes until the edges are golden and the center is firm.
11. Remove the collar from the pan. Immediately cut the shortbread into 8 or 16 wedges.
12. Transfer wedges to a cooling rack set over a plate.
13. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the shortbread, and gently spread to the edges with an offset spatula. Once cool you can serve it!

Notes

See post for making cutout cookies instead of wedges.