Berry Clafoutis

The recipes in the New York Times Cooking Pages often have names that tell the main ingredients (e.g. Roasted Salmon with Miso Cream; Uncooked Tomato and Mint Sauce with Poached Eggs). Clafoutis, however, was a mystery to me. Since I have harvested a lot of berries (both blueberries and blackberries) from my yard this summer I was on the lookout for berry recipes so I investigated this Julia Child egg-based dessert. 

This was rather easy to make. The eggs, milk, and 1/3 c. of sugar were blended together. A small amount was put in a pie plate and then heated on the stovetop until it began to harden. I imagine this step wasn't absolutely necessary. Berries and more sugar were added, then the rest of the egg batter. It was all placed in the oven at 350 and baked until ready. Mine took longer than the 50 minutes called for in the recipe. I find this is often the case when I bake. The final touch as a sprinkling of powdered sugar, which really does enhance the flavors.

This was a not-too-sweet treat, with a definite egg-y flavor.

Chicken Salad

A few weeks ago while James was in Brazil (and I was on my own) I thawed, poached, and shredded two chicken breasts. Although I only needed one breast to prepare Chilaquiles, I cooked both simply because they came in a package of two. Once the superfluous breast was shredded I put it in the freezer to use later.

Often in the summer I like to have cool salads for meals, so last week I took the prepared chicken out of the freezer, thawed it and made a chicken salad. I decided not to follow any recipe and let the ingredients I had on had be my guide. 

The chicken was mixed with two dollops of  sour cream, about 1/4 c. chopped red onion, and some salt, pepper, and dried basil. At this point I gave it a taste test and determined that it was a bit "onion forward"  so I found some prepared cranberry sauce in the refrigerator and added about two tablespoons. The sweet/tart flavor softened the harsh onion for a lovely flavor combination. We made sandwiches with the salad and had some roasted potatoes on the side.

One-Pot Vegan Tomato Basil Spinach Pasta

 

This recipe comes from The Ordinary Vegan  webpage. The print out I have is dated June 24, 2015. I found it stuffed between some other things on my cookbook shelf. I have no recollection of how I originally came across this recipe, but when it fell into my hands recently I realized I had everything I needed to make it, so I did. 

 

Although the recipe calls for linguine, I used some tri-colored bow-tie pasta we bought recently at a fancy-schmancy food store while we were traveling in the mid-west. The preparation was easy and quick. Just about everything went into the pot at the start, even the dry pasta. The pot was covered and the liquid was brought to a boil, then reduced to a simmer. The only real prep work was slicing the onion and garlic cloves. The only thing that went in later was the spinach, which was added after seven minutes of cooking. Since this is a vegan dish it did not call for any cheese, but we like cheese so we added a bit of feta to each of our plates.

This had a very peppery flavor, which we both liked. From start to table was about 25 minutes. Easy, quick, delicious.

Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms in Miso Butter

When our adult child was visiting recently he made us a meal featuring noodles and miso sauce. We still had some of the miso paste so when this recipe from the New York Times Cooking pages showed up on my Facebook feed I put it on the schedule for this week's dinners.

 I halved the recipe for the mushrooms and scrambled only four eggs as only two of us were eating. This was quick and easy. I tried the method described for giving the eggs a "custardy finish" which worked well. James and I both liked the eggs prepared this way. We will never go back.

Pretty Easy Pasta

Sometimes the most important thing I'm looking for in a meal is what I can prepare without buying any additional ingredients. Yesterday was snowy and I had no desire to go out for any reason, but especially not shopping. 365 Ways to Cook Pasta to the rescue! We had a partial box of spaghetti so I flipped through some recipes and found Spaghetti with Walnuts and Parmesan which I was able to prepare in less than 15 minutes.

While the pasta cooked I coated the bottom of my indispensable cast-iron skillet with olive oil and minced and sautéed a garlic clove. After about a minute I added 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts and sautéed a few more minutes. Once the pasta was cooked and drained I mixed the contents of the skillet into the pasta and added shredded Parmesan cheese and some dried parsley. Simple, fast, and delicious. James and I were both impressed with the especially nutty flavor.

Vieja Black Bean Quesadilla Receta

I mentioned these quesadillas in two recent blog posts -- first when I posted about shrimp I made instead of these and next when I posted about the wine I prepared to serve with them. In the process, I realized that because we have been making this since before we started the blog, we never got around to post it. So herewith, a Vieja Receta we enjoy several times a year. (The recipe is old, not the beans or the quesadilla!)

The recipe came from a booklet -- long ago discarded except for this page -- of recipes from a honey company.

To prepare these, I heat a can of black beans in our indispensable cast-iron skillet. The original recipe calls for rinsing and draining the beans; I prefer to cook them a bit longer and reduce the liquid that way. We add a cup or so of commercial salsa, though home-made would be even better. I add a dollop of honey and mix thoroughly. Because salsa adds water, it is important to cook long enough for some reduction.

While it is cooking, I shred cheese -- usually a mix of cheddar for bite and Monterey jack for smoothness; queso fresco would also be terrific. I either put the cheese on one half of each large tortilla or covering a small tortilla. Recent supply-chain issues pushed me to the latter this time. 

I then forget to include the called-for jalapeños and cilantro, because I have not looked at recipe in a long time. I heat the indispensable cast-iron griddle (on the other side of the stove) and put a bit of oil on it. I then spoon the bean mixture onto the cheese and either fold over the tortilla or place a second tortilla on top, as appropriate. I carefully place each quesadilla onto the griddle when it has reached medium-high heat. I almost immediately reduce the heat and when one side is done, very carefully turn each quesadilla.

Getting the heat right takes some practice. The idea is to gently brown the tortilla without burning it, while giving the cheese enough time over heat to melt thoroughly. 

The result is Casa Hayes-Boh comfort food. I can prepare this in about the time it took to write these few paragraphs. This simple, vegetarian dish is always enjoyable and went very well with the Glüwein we had for our solstice dinner.

Sad Irony

Although I always picture the honeybee from the cover of the original booklet when I make this recipe, I forgot the honey this time -- remembering it only after eating a couple bites. It was still delicious, but differently so.

FTE Air-Fryer Potato Wedges

Note: This is one of those long posts that people who do not like cooking blogs like to complain about. Read from the bottom up if you only want the recipe. But stories are what makes civilizations, so ...

So we accidentally ended up being air-fryer people. We cook a lot, as readers of this blog know. And since we often try new things, we are tempted by all kinds of cooking tools (aka gadgets). But we are also relatively frugal and can envision just about anything we buy landing up at a yardsale, landfill, or ocean plastic patch. As quick as we are to try a new recipe, we are slow to try new equipment.

We've been hearing about air fryers -- because how could we not -- for a few years, and had only the vaguest notion of what they are. We had heard some encouraging testimonials, but not enough to spur us to serious research.

And then the electric range at our weekend place died. Well, it did not die completely, but it was in need of enough serious repair that we decided to put it out to electronic pasture. Somewhere, it is probably refurbished and serving someone else just fine.

As food snobs, we had thought we would need to "upgrade" to natural gas when replacing this range, especially since we are in the process of making this weekend place our retirement place. 

But the house has a surplus of solar power and natural gas is a bridge to nowhere. So we decided to invest in an electric oven as -- we hope -- our last oven purchase.

Following advice from friends, we located an independent appliance dealer (one we used for years ended when its owners retired, and big-box is not the way to to go for these big boxes).

We found the folks at Yale Appliance to be excellent, allowing us to select an oven through consultation with a knowledgeable salesperson by smartphone and to schedule delivery quickly and conveniently. The crew who brought the stove were amazing -- while two of them removed the old range, the third team member readied the new unit. They had it installed, leveled, and tested within minutes.

After choosing what we thought was a fairly basic model, we of course learned of its features. They include WiFi (that's a hard "no" Hal), two kinds of convection and air frying. Everything we read about air frying is that it is a kind of convection, so we are still not quite sure what makes it "frying" rather than "really even cooking" but it seems to be just a matter of degree.

Further research suggested that one other distinction is that we could not "air fry" something unless it was suspended in the air; that is, we needed some sort of basket. Between the two of us, we have worked at the Big Three frying places (McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King -- we have tales to tell), so we know what a fryer basket is. An air fryer basket is much different -- called a "crisper tray," it looks something like a little dish rack. I spent way too much time reading reviews because I could not really envision how this would work. We were already $1500 into this project, though, so I plunked down another $30 to see for myself.

Pretty confident that none of our printed cookbooks would address this topic -- all of them being published more than 5 minutes ago -- I turned to AllRecipes, which regular readers know as one of our favorite places for food advice on the Interwebs. I found a 5-star recipe with the perfect title for my first time frying air: Air Fryer Potato Wedges provides guidance on cutting, coating, and cooking potatoes. 

My approach differed slightly from the recipe -- because some sources cautioned against using oil at all, I decided to combine oil and spices in a bowl and dredge the wedges in that paste. Kitchen tongs made this much less messy than it might have been. 

Because I was preparing this for Pamela to do while I was rowing, I thought that some of that oil might drip onto the tray. So I placed paper towels between the basket and the tray, to be removed when these were ready to cook. Pam did the honors -- cooking an uncrowded trayfull for 20 minutes at 400F. She did not interrupt for turning, as that is the whole point of the rapid air movement.

These turned out PERFECT. A very similar flavor to what I have been making for years -- very Old Bay-forward -- but with a much lighter texture. These were soft on the inside and crispity on the outside, with no heavy oiliness. Win-win-win!

Regarding the reviews for the tray: most were 4-5 stars, with some very interesting and angry 1-star reviews. I concluded that these were posted by people who did not read the directions about cooking and/or cleanup. Our results were terrific and the tray/basket combo cleaned up easily.

Super Simple Spicy Salmon

 On Thursdays we eat pink - pink salmon that is! 

When we bought our near-the-beach house six years ago we had the intention of going there together on Thursday nights when James had his rowing night, and then having a fresh, home-cooked seafood dinner together before heading back to our primary residence in Bridgewater. 

It has not always worked as intended, and this past year (plus) even less so as rowing was shut down. Last night we were back to business as (almost) usual with a stop a Kyler's Catch to pick up some salmon before James went off with his rowing buddies at Whaling City Rowing. Our super wonderful adult child is visiting so we enjoyed a family meal together. We selected an easy recipe from the New York Times Cooking pages: Four-Spice Salmon. 

We had all of the four spices called for (coriander, cloves, cumin, and nutmeg) in our spice rack, so once we had the salmon we were good to go. The only additional ingredients were salt and pepper and butter. I used lemon-pepper seasoning and some coconut-infused sea salt from Saltopia. I seasoned both sides with all the spices (although the recipe only says to do one side) then cooked on the stovetop in butter about 3 minutes per side. I served with super simple sautéed squash. This paired well with an oaky Malbec. 

Final verdict: Three thumbs up!

Two Thanksgiving desserts

A Covid Thanksgiving

Our usual Thanksgiving tradition involves dinner with friends. Typically three families get together, with occasional additions. Most years we arrive around noon and begin cooking and drinking wine until dinner is ready at 3:00 or 4:00. After our meal we take a walk and then have our dessert - a selection of pies, cakes and other delectables. This year we maintained our tradition with a much scaled-back version. It rained all day on Thursday, so we moved our celebration to Friday when the weather was better and we could eat outside. It was about 60 degrees out - let's hear it for global warming - so it was actually a nice day dining al fresco. Rather than spending the entire day together James showed up at our hosts' home with the turkey in the morning and he and Rob got it started on the grill, then James came back home and prepared the dressing and we went returned at 3:00 with our offerings.  I had planned on making some cranberry sauce but Lisa said they already had three different kinds, so I made two desserts instead. 

Just like the lunch lady used to make

Growing up and attending public school in Baltimore County in the 1970s I usually wasn't thrilled with the hot lunch offered in our cafeteria, and opted instead to bring my lunch. Exceptions to that rule were pizza day and open-faced turkey sandwich day. In the case of the turkey it wasn't so much the main course that I was interested in as the dessert that came with it - "peanut butter confection". 

I've often thought about how much I liked that crumbly, sweet dessert and it seemed this year was a good time to try to find a recipe (and, after all, we were having turkey). On a bag of confectioners sugar I found a recipe for Peanut Butter Fudge that seemed like it might allow me to create reasonable facsimile of what I remembered. It was a simple recipe with only four ingredients (confectioners sugar, milk, marshmallow fluff, and peanut butter) and I did end up with a super sweet '70s treat that was exactly as I remembered.

Is it cake or pie?

My second dessert came from the New York Times cooking page. I told our hosts that I would bring pumpkin pie, but this recipe is called "Pumpkin Skillet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting" It has no crust, and is made with flour, so it probably is more of a cake than a pie. Nevertheless it was delicious and baked right in our indispensable cast-iron skillet.

This year there were only six of us enjoying our Thanksgiving dinner together. Here's hoping that next year we will be able to return to our usual festivities with everyone in good health.

Cú Chulainn Pasta

Basil, garlic, and squash fresh from the garden!

Saturday was Lammas, a celebration of the late summer harvest. On Sunday and Monday I harvested garlic from my garden and then I got out my trusty Wicca Cookbook and found a recipe that in addition to the garlic used two other ingredients that I could get from my own backyard - yellow squash and basil. This also called for some other ingredients (some additional herbs, as well as carrots and zucchini) that I did not have, and so I simply did without. Nevertheless, this was a delicious, light meal for a summer's eve. I started by mincing and sautéing the garlic in lemon-infused olive oil and butter while I cooked the spaghetti. I sliced the squash very thin and added it to the skillet. Once the pasta was cooked I drained it and added it to the skillet as well, along with minced basil leaves. I let everything cook for a few minutes while I gently stirred. I served this directly onto plates, topped with parmesan cheese, and added a sprig of basil to garnish. Pleasing to the eye and the palate. 

Turkey Tips Appleton

Appleton is two of my favorite places, though I have only been to one of them. Appleton, Wisconsin is home to many of Pam's cousins, and we enjoy visiting there -- almost always in summer -- every three years or so. When this plague ends, I hope to squeeze in a visit with all the Lauermans and Lauerwomen there. The other Appleton is an estate in Jamaica that produces one of my favorite rums: Appleton Reserve, a blend that is aged six-ish years.

Because Pam and I (mostly Pam) have been careful to map out our food purchases and meals, I knew that turkey tips were on the menu for yesterday evening, and I had only vague plans to prepare them with some kind of sauce. Previous successes were a barley soup Pam made earlier in this lockdown and a bourbon turkey bourbon I made last year.

This time, I knew that I had relatively few resources for a sauce, and somehow the term "deglaze" hit me in the middle of the afternoon. Whatever I did with this turkey, deglazing our indispensable cast-iron skillet would be involved. As would some sliced mushrooms we had on hand.

So I dethawed (as we say in our kitchen) the Dole & Bailey Bourbon Street Turkey Tips from Crescent Ridge, and cut them into what I would call tip-sized chunks, about 1-1/2 inches each. These are marinated and incredibly tender; as a substitute it might be helpful brine some high-quality turkey breast or tenderloins (if that is even a thing).

I started cooking organic, whole-grain Carolina brown rice because we have plenty of time on our hands, and let the marinated turkey drain while waiting about 15 minutes before starting the rest. I then heated a bit of olive oil in said cast-iron until it was quite hot. I added the tips and seared them on one side before turning and allowing to cook through but not overcook -- probably around five minutes total.

I then removed the turkey to a warm bowl and deglazed the hot pan with a generous splash of aged rum (in this case, Appleton) and added about 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms.  I reduced the heat and added a dollop of butter, a glug of Worcestershire, and a dash or three of Tabasco. I simmered until the mushrooms were softened and the sauce reduced.

We then plated the tips and spooned over the mushroom and sauce. The result was savory and tender; it was nice to have the more substantial rice; we usually use a very light basmati.

Regular readers will not be surprised to learn that this paired well with a Malbec, in this case Broquel (shield) Malbec from our favorite Trapiche vineyard in Mendoza. And in this case the pairing claim is not just me -- the tasting notes from Trapiche specifically mention mushroom sauce! We are fortunate that our wine tastes have become so narrow -- social-distancing now involves curbside delivery of Malbec by the case from a wonderful local shop, which was nice enough to find us this wine.

Pam noticed this bonus right away -- a map to the vineyard!
(See our Malbeclipse story for more detailed direction.)