#smittenkitchen Archives

(Grilled Peppers and Torn Mozzarella Panzanella) Smittened Again

By threejamigos | July 16, 2018 | Comments 4 comments

This past weekend we had dinner with our “Gourmet Club”. A group of us, 5 couples, started the club when our kids were in preschool. It was a way of committing to a grown-up event, enjoying a nice meal and great conversation, sans kids, balloons, and crayons.
Initially, our goal was once a month, and we would each take a turn at hosting. The host picked the menu and made the main dish. The other couples provided the rest.

Well, with baseball, hockey, soccer practices, piano lessons, homework, not to mention work…monthly became every couple of months. As the kids went in different directions, so did we, and our dinners became much more sporadic. The old adage, time flies rings true. It has been at least 8 years since our last get-together 🤦🏻‍♀️. Our kids are now all in their twenties…I gotta chew on that for a minute, so it was time to have another dinner. We were long overdue.

Good Food, Great Friends

We talked, laughed, bragged, and complained about our kids, parent’s prerogative. We drank way too many Mai Tais and ate way too much food. Besides Glen’s traditional toast, the best part of the evening was just being together again and enjoying each other’s company.

The days of “gourmet” meals are long gone, perhaps a reflection of where we are in our lives now, the food is unfussy, delicious, and comforting. We were such blowhards back in the day, now, if we want a fancy-schmancy meal, we’re going out. Casual is probably not quite accurate as our buffet included a platter of warm Roasted Cauliflower with a Raisin Caper Sauce from Serious Eats, a classic Greek Salad of garden tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, and onions, and a delicious stuffed pork roast.

I know, y’all are thinking, ok Deb…What did you bring to the table?

As I was looking for inspiration, a mouthwatering Grilled Peppers and Torn Mozzarella Panzanella popped up on my feed from Smitten Kitchen. Deb Perelman rocks. Maybe it’s a Deb connection, but this isn’t the first time a Smitten Kitchen recipe has popped up when I needed something delicious.

This dish couldn’t be easier. Why? Peppers, red onions, and a nice crusty bread are tossed in garlic, oil and GRILLED and…yay for me, hubby does ALL the GRILLING in our house. Yep. I prepped the veggies and bread and handed them off to Wes. Just like magic, while I was eating Bon Bons (jk), they came back perfectly grilled. Call it the grillin’ and chillin’ method. He grills while I chill-perfect! All I had to do was make a simple vinaigrette, let the peppers soften, tear up the bread and mozzarella, and toss it all in a bowl with the dressing, fini, and Panzanella ready to go. So good, so easy. Folks, you need to file this under “so gonna make this”.

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Grilled Peppers and Torn Mozzarella Panzanella

Course Salad

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Panzanella

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Total Time 40

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

Hubby's Part:

4 1- inch slices bread country-style
3 large red bell peppers halved, seeds removed
1 medium red onion peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

My Part:

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoons capers drained (rinsed if salted)
4 ounces mozzarella torn into bite-sized pieces, or 4 ounces bocconcini
Fresh herbs — snipped chives basil, or parsley or a mix thereof — to finish (optional)

Instructions

First Part is Mine: Place bread, pepper halves, and onion wedges in a large bowl and drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil, then sprinkle 1 teaspoon kosher salt and many grinds (or about 1/4 teaspoon) black pepper. Use your hands to toss everything together until oil coats everything.
Part I Get to Ignore: Heat your grill to medium-high. Spread peppers and onions across grill grates and grill, lid down, flipping as needed until onions are charred in spots (they’ll be done first) and peppers are blistered and blackened in many spots and beginning to soften. Transfer onions to a plate as they’re done; transfer peppers to a bowl. Use bread in bowl to swipe up any excess salt, pepper, and/or oil in it and place slices on grill. Grill until toasted on both sides. Transfer to plate with onions.
Back to Me: Place foil or a lid over peppers in bowl to trap heat. Once they’re cool enough to handle, remove as much of the skin as you can. Cut peppers into 1/2- to 1-inch wide strips.
In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together sherry vinegar, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, sugar, about 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (and more to taste), and garlic. Add capers. Add peppers to the bowl and let them marinate for as little as 5 minutes or up to a day, even. The longer they souse, the more pickled they’ll taste. After 5 minutes, however, they still have plenty of flavor.
To assemble and serve: Right before you’re ready to serve the salad, add onions to the bowl with the peppers. Tear bread into chunks and add to bowl, along with mozzarella. Mix gently, making sure the dressing coats the bread. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Finish with basil and chives.

Rice Krispy Treats (Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun)

By threejamigos | January 31, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

Oh Snap

It’s the last day of January and in order to avoid total embarrassment… here is the last cookie to complete my 12 Days of Cookies list. I give you the stupid easy, childhood favorite- Rice Krispy Treats! Wait, do not roll your eyes and think “lame”. This is not your mama’s, on the side of the Snap, Crackle and Pop box, recipe. This is Rice Krispy Treats with a twist that is not for the faint of heart.

Little Crackle

No, there isn’t booze in these treats. The recipe comes by way of Smitten Kitchen (love that site). I had been looking for a way to jazz up this childhood favorite (not just add multi-colored sprinkles) and bring a bit of pizazz to them. I found a couple of recipes that were just crazy, too much stuff, too complicated, just yuk. At the end of the day, a riff on Rice Krispy Treats should still transport you back to the ones you ate as a kid but at the same time your brain should be going “holy cow-what did she do to these!”

The Pop

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you…

SALTED BROWN BUTTER RICE KRISPY TREATS

Yep, the exact same ingredients as the original recipe plus a sprinkle of flaked salt and well, DOUBLE the amount of butter. Yep, mo’ buttah, mo’ betta.

And if that wasn’t enough, you kick it up another notch by browning the butter! Great balls of butter! You end up with a Rice Krispy treat that is gooey, sweet and salty, nutty and buttery. YES, scream it from the rooftops, DOUBLE BUTTER!

Up your Krispy Game, reserve half the salt to sprinkle on the treats at the end. Use Fleur de Sel or grey salt, your hipster friends will ooh and aah. Oh, snap.

That’s it folks, cookie number 12. Drop the mic, done.

Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispy Treats (Smitten Kitchen)

Not your mama's Rice krispy treats! Brown butter and more marshmallows madke these devilisly delicious

Course bar cookies, cookies

Cuisine American

Keyword rice krispies

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter 4 ounces
1/4 -1/2 teaspoon flake salt such as Fleur de Sel or Grey Salt or coarse kosher salt
1 10 ounce bag of miniature marshmallows DO NOT BY FANCYSCHMANCY ONES, they don't work
6 cups Rice Krispy cereal

Instructions

Butter a 9x9 inch square pan, set aside.
In a large saucepan or pot, melt butter over medium heat, The butter will begin to foam and the milk solids will start to brown. Watch it like a hawk, you don't want it to burn. It will smell nutty and toasty. Serious Eats has a great tutorial on brown butter
Remove pan from heat, add marshmallows and salt. Stir continuously until the marshmallows melt and blend with the butter into a homogenous mixture.
Add Rice Krispies and stir until well coated.
Pour into 9x9 inch prepared pan and press firmly to compress. If you want, decorate with Sprinkles on top.
Cool, run a knife around the perimeter of the rice krispies, invert pan and tap the bottom. The rice krispies should release fairly easily from the pan. Cut into approximately 2 inch squares.
Enjoy!

Mushroom Bourguignon (New Year’s Resolution #1)

By threejamigos | January 1, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

I have a bucket list of New Year’s resolutions this year. Resolution #1, “EAT MORE VEGGIES and less meat”. This is going to be EASY and I am going to be a BOSS and slay this resolution. Why? Recipes like Smitten Kitchen’s Mushroom Bourguignon, that’s why. It’s hearty, warming, a great stand-in for stews and it takes a fraction of the time to make as it doesn’t contain any meat. I have been eyeing this recipe for quite awhile so with the cooler weather and my new year’s resolution it was definitely “fun”-ghi time.

Where’s the beef!? Sorry Sammy, you’re looking in all the wrong places

I decided to serve the mushrooms over a bed of creamy polenta, others have opted for noodles which looks equally delicious. I’m a sucker for polenta or grits. When I was a kid I was a Cream of Wheat/Malto-meal fan whereas the rest of my family fell into the Quaker Oats oatmeal camp. It’s a textural thing I guess, that and I loved the Cream of Wheat commercials, “Come in from the Cold”.

I used cremini mushrooms although I think a mushroom medley would work beautifully. Next time I make this dish I think I’ll throw in shiitake mushrooms and portabellos to give it a meatier taste and texture. Not being a strict vegetarian I opted for beef broth for the stock but feel free to use a vegetable broth. I’m also wondering if a little fish sauce (thank you Kenji Alt-Lopez) would up the umami factor for us omnivores. I will let you know!

So 2018 resolution #1 gets a running start thanks to Smitten Kitchen’s Mushroom Bourguignon. Next on my list? Cauliflower Steak and Puree from Genius Recipe. Let the Veggie Times Roll.

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(Mushroom Bourguignon) New Year’s Resolutions

Ingredients

2 tablespoons 30 ml olive oil
2 tablespoons 30 grams butter, softened
2 pounds 905 grams Portobello mushrooms, in 1/4-inch slices (you can use cremini instead or a medley of mushrooms)
1 cup 115 grams pearl onions, peeled (thawed if frozen)
1/2 carrot finely diced
1 small yellow onion finely diced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Table salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves minced
1 cup 235 ml full-bodied red wine
2 tablespoons 35 grams tomato paste
2 cups 475 ml beef or vegetable stock (beef broth is traditional, but use vegetable to make it vegetarian; the dish works with either)
1 1/2 tablespoons 12 grams all-purpose flour
Egg noodles for serving also goes well with polenta or grits
Sour cream and chopped chives or parsley for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a medium-sized Dutch oven or heavy saucepan over high heat. Sear the mushrooms and pearl onions until they begin to take on a little color— your mushrooms will make a delightful “squeak- squeak” as they’re pushed around the hot pan— but the mushrooms do not yet release any liquid, about 3 or 4 minutes. Remove mushrooms and onions from the pan and set aside.
2. Lower the flame to medium, and add the second tablespoon of olive oil. Toss the carrot, onion, thyme, a few good pinches of salt, and several grinds of black pepper in the pan, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browned. Add the garlic, and cook for just 1 more minute. Season with more salt and pepper.
3. Add the wine to the pot, scraping any stuck bits off the bottom, then turn the heat all the way up and reduce it by half, which will take about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and the stock. Add back the mushrooms and pearl onions with any juices that have collected, and bring the mixture to a boil; reduce the temperature so it simmers for 10 to 15 minutes, or until both the mushrooms and onions are very tender.
4. Combine the flour and the remaining butter with a fork; stir this into the stew. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Lower the heat, and simmer for 10 more minutes. If the sauce is too thin, boil it down to reduce to a “coating” consistency. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
5. To serve, spoon the stew over a bowl of egg noodles (polenta or grits would work well), dollop with sour cream, if using, and sprinkle with optional chives or parsley.
Do ahead: The mushroom stew reheats very well on the second and third days, in a large saucepan over low heat.