Archive for the ‘back to the basics’ Category

November 28, 2010 0

roasted broccoli

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Dinner time feels lonely to me without a small side of broccoli, carrots, or cauliflower on my plate. For years, I steamed vegetables (and grew up eating vegetables that were boiled to a colorless mush) and that was okay. Then I started roasting vegetables about six months ago and I don’t think I’ve steamed vegetables since. When you roast vegetables, the heat intensifies the flavors and the natural sugars caramelize – it’s particularly good when roasting broccoli or cauliflower with a little bit olive oil, as it gives the vegetables a nice crisp. I generally keep it simple when roasting broccoli, usually just adding a pinch of salt and a little bit olive oil to the mix. But when I want to dress the dish up a little, I make the tahini sauce from this recipe, or add a little za’atar or cheese (parmesan or cheddar) to the broccoli just after removing it from the oven.

roasted broccoli

Roasted broccoli
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1 pound of broccoli, cut into florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
a couple pinches of salt

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Arrange the florets in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the florets and sprinkle a couple pinches of salt over the broccoli. Transfer the baking sheet into the oven and roasted for 22-25 minutes, or until the tips of some of the florets have browned.

Serves 4

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August 15, 2010 0

classic lemonade

By in back to the basics, recipes

My love for lemons goes back.  Way back.  Way back to the days of when I was a wee lass and had to endure lectures from my dentist about how lemons would ruin my teeth.  I, of course, never listened to him.  And now that I no longer have dental insurance, I don’t have to listen to him at all.  Hah! Wait, that’s not actually funny. Lemons are a staple of my diet, I add lemon juice to everything.  I’ll even eat lemons as is, but that makes for awkward stares when out in public.  I love, love homemade lemonade.  No storebought brand compares, they’re always way too sweet for me.  When I make lemonade, I like to err on the sour side.  If you prefer a sweeter lemonade, just double the amount of sugar in the recipe.

Tip: Get twice the juice from lemons by microwaving them.  It may sound a little silly, but this actually works.  Gently poke the skins of the lemons with a fork and place them in a microwave for 20 seconds on high.  Then roll them on a cutting board with your hands until the flesh of the lemons begins to soften.   Cut and squeeze (or use a juicer) as usual.

Also, I’ll be announcing the winner of the giveaway on the 18th, so there’s still time to participate!  Go, go, go, go! And good luck!

Classic Lemonade
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Simple Syrup:
1/2 cup sugar (double the amount for a sweeter lemonade)
1/2 cup water (double the amount if using 1 cup of sugar)

For the lemonade:
1 cup lemon juice (about 4 or 5 lemons)
6-8 cups of water (adjust to taste)

For serving (optional):
Mint
Lemon slices
Strawberries

Prepare the simple syrup. In a small saucepan, heat water and sugar over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Stir often. Remove from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, juice the lemons. Add the lemon juice and simple syrup to a pitcher. Stir in 6 cups of water and add up to 2 cups more, if needed. Refrigerate until cold and serve with fresh mint, lemon slices, or strawberries.

Serves 8-10

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July 24, 2010 3

tomatillo salsa verde

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I used to think tomatillos were something that existed only in legend and myth. Okay, not really, but it certainly felt that way when I lived in Michigan. Tomatillos are related to tomatoes and are about the size of apricots. They mature inside of a papery husk, which are inedible and should be removed before eating. They are also meatier than tomatoes and have a tart flavor. Tomatillos are the key ingredient to salsa verde (literally, green sauce), which is frequently used as a dip for tortilla chips, a sauce for tacos, grilled meats, and fish. I used this batch of salsa verde to accompany both tacos and burritos, but I’m already thinking of various ways to use the leftovers (pork! chili! stew!).

Oh, and here are two chubby corgis wearing sunglasses and ties. Just because.

Tomatillo Salsa Verde
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1 1/2 pounds tomatillos
1/2 onion
1-3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup cilantro
1-3 peppers (jalapeño and serrano peppers are usually used, but I had anaheim peppers on hand, so I just used those), chopped. Leave in the seeds, if you prefer a hotter salsa.
pinch of sugar
pinch of cumin
salt, to taste

Set the oven to broil and cut tomatillos in half. Place them cut-side down in a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the skins are lightly blackened. Remove tomatillos from the oven and set aside.

When the tomatillos are cool enough to handle, toss them into a food blender and pulse until blended. Add the rest of the ingredients, onions, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, peppers, sugar, cumin, and salt. Pulse until blended. Add a little more salt, if necessary. Transfer to a container and refrigerate, if not using right away.

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May 20, 2010 17

naan

By in back to the basics, recipes

I’ve been givin’ my oven some lovin’ lately and experimenting with bread making. I’ve made a few loaves of sourdough, sourdough pizza crust, and pita bread. They’ve been moderate successes, but I haven’t been able to master any of them just yet. The problem lies with my ancient oven, which never gets very hot. I’m not ready to give up bread making until we move into another apartment just yet, though. I remembered that I saved a recipe for pan-fried naan a couple weeks ago and I thought I might have more success with that. I was so right. The fact that naan is so ridiculously easy to make is not a good thing. Now I don’t want to eat anything else ever again.

In case you’re unfamiliar, naan (which means “bread” in many languages, by the way) is a teardrop shaped leavened flat bread that is typically cooked in a clay oven called a tandoor. It is a staple food in Central and South Asia. Of course, I don’t have a tandoor, so pan frying naan is the next best thing for me. And so ridiculously easy. If you can make pancakes, you can make naan. Try to eat just one, I dare you.

Naan
(adapted from The Little Red House)
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1/2 cup warm water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting and rolling
1/4 cup olive oil (the recipe called for canola oil, but we usually only ever buy olive, peanut, and coconut oil)
1/3 cup plain yogurt
1 egg, beaten
oil or ghee, for frying

In a large bowl, mix together water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy.

Add flour, salt, oil, yogurt, and beaten egg. Stir until you have a dough that’s easy to work with, add more flour if needed. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, or about an hour.

On a floured surface, divide the dough into 6-8 pieces. Roll out each piece very thinly and set aside.

Heat oil or ghee (not too much! Just a little for each piece) in a large skillet. When hot, add the naan and cook until blistered and golden brown. Flip and cook until golden on the other side. Repeat with remaining naan. Serve with your favorite curry.

Makes 6-8 naan

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May 15, 2010 1

crème fraiche

By in back to the basics, recipes

Crème fraiche is a staple of French cuisine. It is,  however, a bit of a luxury item here – usually found only in specialty shops and gourmet grocery stores. Luckily, it is ridiculously easy to make at home. The way crème fraiche is made in the US differs from how it is made in France. In France, the cream used to make crème fraiche is unpasteurized and the natural bacterial cultures in the cream are allowed to develop on their own. In the US, most dairy products are pasteurized and making crème fraiche requires adding buttermilk (or yogurt, but I haven’t tried that method and can’t guarantee the results). Crème fraiche is similar to sour cream, but less acidic and with a slightly nuttier taste.

Uses for crème fraiche: add a dollop to pureed soups (like Cream of Spinach Soup), as a filling for crepes, with fresh fruit (or Banana Halva), over a baked potato, with caviar or salmon, or use as a substitute for just about any recipe that calls for heavy cream or sour cream. Crème fraiche can withstand higher temperatures than sour cream before curdling, making it ideal for sauces.

Crème fraiche
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1 cup heavy whipping cream (pasteurized, see note below)
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Mix together whipping cream and buttermilk in a jar. Cover and let stand at room temperature (around 70 Fahreinheit or 21 Celsius) for 12-24 hours. That’s it. Let the bacterial cultures do their thang. Once the mixture has thickened, refrigerate the crème fraiche 24 hours before serving. Keep refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Note: If you use ultra-pasteurized heavy whipping cream, the crème fraiche may take longer (36 to 48 hours) to thicken. I did a little bit of poking around the web, some people complained that the crème fraiche they made with ultra-pasteurized cream not only took longer to thicken, but tasted too sour. Others seemed to not notice a difference between pasteurized and ultra-pasteurized. I suggest using pasteurized whipping cream if you can find it, otherwise experiment with ultra-pasteurized.

Also, the fat content of the buttermilk doesn’t matter much (though if I’m wrong, please tell me!). I used low fat buttermilk because that’s all that I could find. I normally only purchase full fat dairy products.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_qQjQLBD2A
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