Garlic Bacon Mashed Potatoes

So, I know the picture shows you the lamb too, but this post is going to focus on the delicious concoction that is "Garlic Bacon Mashed Potatoes". It is a glorious culinary delight, that combines multiple comfort foods into one (i.e. bacon, garlic, and mashed potatoes). I know that you probably won't be able to use this in your home Xochi, due to the lack of pork products, but you might be able to substitute turkey bacon. There's a good chance it won't be the same though. :oP

There is no real recipe for this, it was just a brain storm. So feel free to experiment wildly with it.

So first, boil some potatoes. I prefer to use yukon gold potatoes, but I you can use any kind you like. My grandma Sarah likes to use red potatoes. I think that yukon gold's come out a little creamier, so that's why I use them. Another thing to consider with the potato preparation is whether or not you'll peel them. I take a half-and-half approach. I'll peel the potatoes, but I'll leave on some skin. Some people like lots of skin on their mashed potatoes and others like absolutely none. It's entirely up to you how much skin you'd like.

While your potatoes are boiling, set a frying pan to medium low heat for the bacon. I used 3 slices of bacon for about a pound of potatoes. The whole thing made roughly 4-5 servings. If you want more bacon, use more, if you feel your pores clogging and your heart constricting as you read that suggestions, then this might not be the post for you.

Fry the bacon in its own delicious juices. After you've done that move the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate to soak up the excess grease.

At this point I disposed of some of my bacon grease, leaving about 2 table spoons in the pan. Put the pan on medium heat and add the minced garlic. Saute until golden brown.

At this point you can finish up the prep on the basic mashed potato recipe. Check the potatoes doneness with a fork. When you can easily puncture the potato with minimal amounts of force it is done. Generally this takes 15-20 minutes of boiling, but it depends on the potatoes, your stove, and a number of other variables.

Once you're certain that the potatoes are done, drain the water out of the pot. Add about 1/3 cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of butter, and the garlic. Then use a fork or a potato masher, or whatever you want and smash some taters! I only recently purchased a potato masher, and I really don't think using a fork is much harder.

Using a large kitchen knife chop your bacon into bits. It should crumble pretty easily. Take the bacon bits and add them to the glorious mashed potato mixture. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Cinnamon Apple Crepes

So after my super long hiatus, I took a cue from you Sarah and decided to try something from Mastering the Art of French cooking- crepes! This morning I made Cinnamon Apple Crepes for breakfast (although by the time I finished it was noon so I suppose this was lunch). The crepes were adapted from MtAoFC- just the basic crepe batter for savory crepes (not dessert). The filling is my own invention, apples cooked in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a bit of rum. This was really really good.

Begin by making your crepe batter. Combine 1/2 cup cold milk, 1/2 cup cold water, 2 eggs, 1/4 tsp salt, 3/4 cup flour, and 2 tbs melted butter in a blender and mix on high for one minute. Cover and put in the fridge while you make your filling. MtAoFC said to let the batter sit for at least 2 hours, but who has time for that?? My batter sat for about 20 minutes and the crepes turned out fine.

Next peel and dice 3 granny smith apples (I only did 2 and couldn’t stuff the crepes to capacity which was very very sad). Actually, 4 apples might be better and leftovers are delicious…

In a saucepan over medium heat, combing 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Stir the mixture till it is thoroughly combined and bubbling gently (2~3 minutes).

Toss in your diced apples and stir to coat them in your syrup. Add 1/4 cup dark rum and stir gently. Allow your mixture to bubble gently for about 5 minutes or until the apples are soft and the syrup no longer smells like alcohol. I converted this recipe from one for bananas foster and you’re supposed to light the rum on fire to make a flambé. I tried that here, but it wouldn’t catch. I think the apples released too much water and it diluted the rum too much to allow for ignition. It’s okay, if you allow the mixture to cook down the flavors become more concentrated and the alcohol all burns off. Seriously tasty stuff. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

Lightly brush a 7" chef’s skillet (pan with gently sloping sides) with vegetable oil (or use a vegetable oil spray) and set over medium heat.

When the oil is smoking hot, take the pan off the heat and pour in a little less than 1/4 cup of batter. Swirl immediately so the entire bottom of the pan is covered in a thin layer of batter. Place the pan back on the heat and allow the crepe to cook for 60~80 seconds.

As soon as the edges look slightly brown, flip your crepe over. I did this by pinching an edge with thumb and forefinger on both hands and gently flipping it, but you can also use a wide rubber spatula or if you’re really cool you can jerk the pan slightly upward just as you draw it back to you and flip it in the air (thank you Julia Child). Allow the other side to cook for about 20 seconds or until it is slightly browned. The second side doesn’t cook nearly as nicely as the first side because there are all these air pockets that get in the way and you end up with this ugly spotty mess. The second side of the cooked crepe always ends up as the inside of the served crepe, just because the first side cooked is always the prettiest with all it’s lacy brown coloring. See?

Repeat this process till all of the batter is used up (I made 10 crepes). Keep the crepes stacked one on top of another and that will keep them warm and pliable. Fill each crepe with the cooked apples and roll into a crepe shape keeping the end of the crepe tucked underneath. Drizzle with the brown sugar sauce and serve warm. Tony mentioned he would have liked some whipped cream with the crepes. I understand, something creamy would have definitely added to the experience. If these had been for dessert I would have served them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I think I’ll take some ricotta cheese and mix in a little bit of honey and spread that on the bottom of each crepe next time, then put the apples on top, sort of like a cheese blintz. What do you think?

Cinnamon Apple Crepes

Ingredients:

For the crepes:

• 1/2 c cold water
• 1/2 c cold milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 c flour
• 2 tbs melted butter

For the apple filling:

• 1/2 c butter
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 granny smith apples (peeled and diced)
• 1/4 c dark rum

Method:

Begin by making your crepe batter. Combine 1/2 cup cold water, 1/2 cup cold milk, 2 eggs, 1/4 tsp salt, 3/4 cup flour, and 2 tbs melted butter in a blender and mix on high for one minute. Cover and place in the fridge to set while you make your filling.

To make the filling heat 1/2 cup butter in a large skillet and add 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Stir to combine. Add the apples and toss to coat. Add the rum and stir gently. Allow the mixture to bubble slightly until the apples are soft and the syrup no longer smells like alcohol (about 5 minutes). Set aside.

Lightly brush a 7" chef’s skillet with vegetable oil and place over medium heat. When the oil is smoking hot, remove the pan from the heat and pour in slightly less than 1/4 cup crepe batter. Swirl so the batter evenly coats the bottom of the pan. Return the pan to the heat and allow the crepe to cook for 60~80 seconds or until the edges of the crepe turn slightly brown. Flip the crepe and cook the other side for about 20 seconds or until that side is just barely browned. Remove to a plate and repeat the process till all the batter is gone (makes about 10 crepes).

Fill each crepe with the desired amount of apple mixture and roll tucking the seam underneath. Drizzle with the brown sugar mixture and serve warm. A scoop of vanilla ice cream makes a fantastic side. Enjoy!

 

Flickr Tags: Crepes,apples,cinnamon,breakfast,dessert,Xochi

Coq au Vin

After a month long hiatus from the kitchen (thanks a lot grad school), I'm back and I think I might be better than ever. For my return I choose a challenging and time consuming dish that is worth every bit of effort I put forth.

Coq au Vin. Or Cock of the Wine (get your mind out of the gutter, it's talking about chicken). It might at well be called "The Best Freakin' Chicken You'll Ever Eat" or "Kill Me Now I Can Die A Happy Woman". It really is that good. My taster, John, who is usually very stingy with compliments, said this about the dish. "Sarah, you should start a restaurant and just serve this every three hours." It and the lamb shanks are battling it out for the best things I've ever made. John likes this better, but I'm not sure there's a clear winner, except for me for getting to eat this stuff.

I used to be skeptical about French food. Why were they the gourmet touch stone? They had snails, bread, and cheese, but the Italians had pasta, prosciutto and risotto. It seemed like a no brainer to me. Now, I think I know the secret to the France's culinary success. It consists of three things: Butter, Bacon, and Alcohol. You really can't go wrong with that combination. Each French dish I've made thus far has moderate usage of all three, and I really think they were on to something.

Then of course there's the braising and the sauces. Okay okay, I guess I just didn't know enough about French food to fully appreciate it. But now, I've been converted. It may take a ridiculous amount of time to make (3-4 hours), but the end result is so good that it's totally worth it.

The recipes so large (5 lbs of chicken) that I will be eating leftovers of this all week long. I served it over mashed potatoes to make the dish go even further and I cannot comprehend getting tired of it, even if I eat it for every meal for the rest of the week.

(This is how excited I am about this meal!)

Coq au Vin
From Molly Stevens All About Braising

Ingredients:

1/4 pound slab bacon rind removed, cut into 1/2-inch dice
One 4 1/2 to 5 lb chicken, cut into 8 pieces (I just got a whole cut up chicken from the market, it's way easier)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
All purpose flour for dredging (about 1/2 a cup)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion (about 8 oz.), chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 carrot, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons Cognac or other good brandy
One 750-ml bottle dry, fruity red wine
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup chicken stock (I used my homemade vegetable stock that I had in the freezer)

The garnish:
10 oz. pearl onions (about 24; frozen pearl onions, not thawed, may be substituted) [I used frozen and they worked great!]
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. First for the bacon. Place the diced bacon in a cold, large Dutch oven or other heavy lidded braising pot, set over medium heat, and cook the bacon, stirring often with a slotted spoon, until well browned and crisp on the outside but with some softness inside, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Set the pot with the rendered bacon fat aside off the heat.

2. Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

3. Rinse the chicken pieces with cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Season on all sides with salt and pepper. Spread the flour in a wide shallow dish, and dredge half the chicken pieces one at a time, pacing each one in the flour, turning to coat both sides, and then lifting and patting lightly to shake off any excess [I dredged all the pieces at once to save time and counter space, just note that you won't be able to brown them all in the same batch].

4. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the rendered bacon fat in the pot and place over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted, ease in the dredged pieces of chicken, skin side down, without crowding.


Sear on both sides, turning once with tongs [I had no tongs so I used two forks and probably singed off some arm hair... must buy tongs], until a deep golden brown crust forms, 7 to 10 minutes total.


Transfer the chicken to a large platter; dredge the remaining pieces [I did this step earlier], discard the flour. Add another tablespoon butter to the pot, sear the remaining chicken. The second batch may brown faster, lower the heat if it begins to burn at all. Transfer the chicken to the platter, pour off the fat from the pot without discarding the tasty browned bits. Return the pot to medium heat.

5. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and melt it over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot, and toss to coat the vegetables in the butter.


Saute, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are beginning to soften and are flecked with brown, about five minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to smear the paste through the vegetables. Add the Cognac [I used a shot glass and had to use slightly more than 2 tablespoons in order to deglaze the pot] and bring to a boil to deglaze, scraping the pot with a wooden spoon to dislodge the crust [the crust is what makes the whole thing so glorious]. Simmer, stirring a few times, until the liquid is almost all gone. Raise the heat to high, add the red wine, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and parsley, and bring to a boil.


Lower the heat to medium-high and simmer rapidly until the wine reduces by about half, about 15 minutes. Stir in the reserved bacon and the stock and bring to a boil. Using a ladle, scoop out 1/2 cup of braising liquid and set aside for later cooking the pearl onions.

6. Add the chicken pieces to the pot in this order: place the legs, thighs, and wings in the pot first, then put the breast pieces on top of them, skin side down. (Keeping the breast pieces on top protects them from overcooking and drying out.) Pour in any juices that collected as the chicken sat and bring to a simmer [I forgot to add the chicken juice and didn't notice a difference, but it would be a good point to remember the more juiciness the better].


Cover the chicken with parchment paper, pressing down so that the paper nearly touches the chicken and extends over the sides of the pot by about an inch [I also forgot to get parchment paper and thus skipped this step as well. The chicken was definitely not dry at the end of this so I wonder what purpose the parchment paper serves.]. Cover with the lid and place on a rack in the lower third of the oven to braise. After 15 minutes, turn the breast pieces over with tongs [or forks]. At the same time, check that the liquid is simmering quietly. If not, lower the oven temp by 10 or 15 degrees. Continue braising gently for another 45 to 60 minutes, or until the breasts and dark meat are fork tender.

7. Meanwhile, cook the garnish. [I used frozen pearl onions for this, so I'm skipping her step for boiling and peeling fresh ones.] Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute, stirring and shaking, until tinged with brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper, add the reserved 1/2 cup of braising liquid, cover and simmer, shaking the pan frequently, until the onions are tender when pierced (3 to 4 minutes, if using frozen; 12 if not). Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium high, and boil to reduce the liquid to a glaze.

Transfer the onions and liquid to a small bowl, scraping the pan with a rubber spatula [I had to remind myself that the pan was hot to keep from licking the glaze off of it. So good!]. Return the pan to a medium-high heat and add the remaining 1.5 tablespoons of butter. When the butter stops foaming, add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and saute briskly. The mushrooms may release a lot of liquid at first. Continue to saute, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms develop an attractive chestnut brown sear, about 10 minutes. Remove them from the heat and return the onions and liquid to the skillet. Set aside.

8. Take the chicken out of the oven. It looks and smells like heaven. Try to refrain from dipping your head into the pot, or attempting to make love to the chicken at this point [that's from me, not Molly].

Remove the chicken pieces to a platter and cover the chicken to keep it warm. Let the braising liquid settle and then skim off any fat from the top. Place the pot over high heat and bring the juices to a boil. Reduce the juices until thickened to the consistency of a vinaigrette, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Lower the heat, add the onion mushroom garnish, heat through, about more 4 minutes.

Spoon the sauce over the chicken pieces, sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and serve.


Prepare to have a foodgasm. Try to keep your "O" noises to a minimum so the neighbors don't get concerned.

Banana Nut Friendship Bread

So I sort of allowed my one yeast baggie to grow into twelve and I’ve been forced to bake pretty much every day to keep them from taking over the kitchen. The original Friendship Bread recipe leaves a lot of room for experimentation so I decided to tackle banana nut bread. I substituted bananas in for liquid and made a few other changes and surprisingly enough, it worked! I’m trying new versions for scones and chocolate chocolate chip bread this week too. Once I perfect those puppies, I’ll record the recipes for you Sarah (or anyone else who wants them!) so you can have a bunch of options when you get your starter. ;) I’ve found that the longer you allow your yeast to grow the more your baked goods rise when cooked. If you use a starter right when you split it, the final version doesn’t have that awesome fluffy bread-like quality. So wait! Ignore my previous post’s instructions and use a starter when it’s at least 5 days old. Okay, so on to Banana Nut Friendship Bread!

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease two non metal loaf pans with butter and sprinkle all the sides with cinnamon sugar (1/4 cup sugar plus 1 tsp cinnamon).

In a non-metal bowl smash 2 large bananas (or 3 smallish ones). To that add an aged yeast starter, 2 eggs, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 cup oil, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups flour, 1 box of instant banana (or vanilla or white chocolate) pudding mix, and 1 cup chopped walnuts. Mix with a non-metal spoon until just combined.

Pour your batter into the prepared pans so they are no more than 3/4 full. Sprinkle the tops liberally with cinnamon sugar. Pop them in the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. The length of baking time will vary greatly depending on the size and shape of your loaf pans so keep an eye on them! Cool and invert the pan over a plate and the bread should slide right out. Slice and enjoy!

Banana Nut Friendship Bread

Ingredients

• Friendship Yeast Bread Starter (Mine was about 5 days old)
• 2 large bananas (mashed)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 box instant pudding (banana, vanilla, or white chocolate)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts

Method

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease two non metal loaf pans with butter and sprinkle all the sides with cinnamon sugar (1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon). Combine all ingredients in a non-metal bowl with a non-metal spoon. Pour the batter into your prepared pans so they are about 3/4 full (less is okay, more is NOT). Sprinkle the tops with more cinnamon sugar and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until the tops are nice and brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. The baking time will vary depending on your pan size and shape so you just have to keep an eye on them and allow them to bake until the bread is totally set. When the loaves are done, remove from the oven and cool until you can handle them. Invert a pan over a plate and slide the bread out. Slice and enjoy!

 

Flickr Tags: banana,bread,frienship bread,yeast,Xochi

Blueberry Friendship Muffins

My buddy Ted recently gave me a ziplock bag full of a sloppy yeast mixture he swore turned into the most delicious bread he’d ever eaten- Friendship Bread. I was skeptical, but Ted was true to his word and this bread was amazing. It’s not really bread, it’s more like a cake. The key is to have this yeast mixture which is fed and grown by each person who receives it (I’m saving one for you when you come up here for Picnic Day Sarah!).  You allow your baggie to sit at room temperature and ferment for 10 days. At the end of the cycle you put your slightly smelly yeast mixture into a non-metal bowl along with 1.5 c sugar, 1.5 c flour, and 1.5 c milk and mix with a non-metal spoon. Portion that new mix out into 4 ziplock bags (about 1 cup each) and give three to friends. With the remaining portion you can make friendship bread!

In a non-metal bowl mix together one of your newly split yeast mixtures plus 3 eggs, 1 cup oil, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 tsp salt,                  1 1/2 tsp vanilla, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder,               1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 large box instant pudding (try vanilla first).

Gently fold in 1 lb frozen blueberries (you can substitute anything else here that you want, like nuts, dry fruit, chocolate chips, etc).

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 or 3 cupcake trays with paper liners (this recipe makes about 30 muffins). You could also grease those cupcake trays with butter and then sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar (1/4c sugar plus 1 tsp cinnamon) but I was mistrustful of this because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get the muffins out. :) Fill the trays almost completely full and sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar. Pop them in the oven for 45 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!

Blueberry Friendship Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 freshly split cup (or so) of yeast mixture
• 3 eggs
• 1 c oil
• 1/2 c milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 c flour
• 1 c sugar
• 1 large box instant pudding (vanilla is a good choice)
• 1 lb frozen blueberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 or 3 cupcake trays with paper liners (makes about 30 muffins).
2. Combine all ingredients (except the blueberries) in a non-metal bowl and mix with a non-metal spoon. Gently fold in the blueberries.
3. Fill each cupcake liner almost completely full. Mix 1/4c sugar with 1 tsp cinnamon to make cinnamon sugar. Sprinkle each muffin with a bit of cinnamon sugar.
4. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
5. Cool and enjoy!

 

Flickr Tags: muffins,frienship bread,blueberries,baking,Xochi

Italian Egg Soup

 

We’re almost into spring up here, but the weather has been fickle and vacillating back and forth between blue skies and warm weather to cold, gray, rainy days. I wanted something warm a few days ago and Italian Egg Soup totally fit the bill. This soup is a take on a classic Italian dish called “stracciatella” which is taken from the Italian word stracciato meaning “torn apart.” This is a direct reference to the way the eggs are cooked in the dish. At the very end of the cooking process you whisk in some lightly beaten eggs which transform the soup from brothy to creamy, flecked with little feathery egg bits that melt in your mouth and give the soup a curiously thick and luscious taste. The original recipe is really light, usually only comprised of chicken broth, herbs, and eggs. This recipe is much heartier and really flavorful while still being extremely healthy. I thought it was a really filling dinner (with a side of french bread), but Tony caved about half an hour after inhaling his soup and ate a couple of turkey dogs. I think his body wanted more calories- there are like 200 in one bowl of soup. This is basically delicious diet food. :)

 

Begin by heating 6 cups of chicken (or veggie) broth and 2 cups of water in a covered medium sized soup pot. In the meantime,  chop one bunch of green onions (chives, scallions, whatever) separating your white ends from your greens. Add the white ends to the broth as well as a washed 15 ou can of cannellini (white kidney) beans and 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg. Let this mix come to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. Add 2 cups of whole wheat Rotini pasta and simmer uncovered for about half as long as the box says to cook the pasta, or about 4 minutes. I really love whole wheat for this because it’s super healthy, has a great nutty flavor, and it’s sturdy enough to retain some bite after sitting in warm soup for a long time.

While the soup is simmering, grab about 4 leaves of mustard greens (or as much of some other light tasting, leafy green lettuce-style veggie to produce about 3 cups of chopped greens). Remove the tough middle stem and stack the leaves on top of each other to prepare for a chiffonade cut. Roll them like you’re trying to make a long tube (it kind of looks like a cigar) and then, starting on one end of the tube, slice down to make a ring about as thick as your finger is wide and move all the way down your tube making this cut. It’s easy if you keep your knife tip on the board and your most distal knuckles acting as a guiding cut point for the broad side of your knife. Set the greens aside and lightly beat 6 eggs in a cup.

After about 4 minutes of boiling toss in your mustard greens and allow them to wilt for about a minute.

 

Stream the beaten eggs into the soup while whisking vigorously. The liquid changes from a clear, brown broth to a lighter, cloudier soup. The egg bits should settle into small, feathery pieces when they cook. Allow the soup to simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Add about 1/4 tsp black pepper, 4 tbsp lemon juice, and all of the green tops from the onions. Adjust for taste.

Ladle the soup into some bowls and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese. This soup would go really well with some crusty french bread or garlic bread and maybe a Cesar salad. I hope you try it!

Italian Egg Soup

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken or veggie broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 15 ounce can Cannellini beans, washed
• 1 bunch green onions, diced, whites and greens separated
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 cups whole wheat Rotini pasta
• 3 cups chopped mustard greens
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 4 tbsp lemon juice
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Method

In a covered medium pot bring the broth, water, beans, onion whites, and nutmeg to a boil. Uncover and reduce to a simmer. Add the pasta and cook for half as long as the box instructions direct you to, or about 4 minutes. As the pasta boils, chop your greens chiffonade-style and lightly beat your eggs in a cup.

Add your mustard greens to the pot and let them wilt in the soup for about a minute. While whisking constantly, stream in the beaten eggs (they should look like little feathery strands as they set). Allow the soup to cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and mix in the pepper and lemon juice. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with french bread or garlic bread. Enjoy and remember you can easily mix up these ingredients!

Flickr Tags: Italian,vegetable,soup,vegetarian,noodle,Xochi

Braised Lamb Shanks

This is an adaptation of a Gordon Ramsey recipe (1). I was impressed at how easy it was to make. I thought his recipes would be challenging and involved, but it was just fantastic, not hard. He says that the the shank is one of the easier cuts of lamb to cook and I can attest that this recipe was simple yet SO delicious that I found myself licking the sauce directly from the pan. It is possible that the sauce is the tastiest thing I have ever cooked. And that's saying a lot, because I have definitely cooked some impressive meals.

First you heat some olive oil in a large pan. Then you season the lamb shanks and brown them all over in the oil, then remove from the pan and set aside. This takes about 5-8 minutes per shank. I cook 2 shanks at a time and they turned out just fine.

After browning the shanks add a little olive oil, add the chopped vegetables, garlic, herbs and anise, and cook gently until browned. Pour in the wine and cook until it has reduced down to a syrup. Put the shanks back into the pan and pour on the stock. Season to taste.

Cover the pan and cook gently for 2½-3 hours until the meat is tender and falls off the bone.

About 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, make the parsnips. Though this recipe is easy to make and yummy to eat, it takes quite a long time. By the end I was hungry and tired and so I decided to opt out of puréeing the parsnips and just sauted them instead. The whole thing was totally worth all the time I put in to it. I did not feel let down, but I do think that next time I will purée the parsnips, just to taste the recipe the way it was conceived.

Melt the butter in a frying pan over a low heat and cook the parsnips until completely soft and falling apart (about 25 minutes).

Remove the lamb shanks from the liquid and put in the oven to keep warm.

Now for the sauce! This sauce is amazing. It is so good that I would eat it with anything I possibly could. Even if there were nothing else there I would eat it plain by itself. In fact, there were leftovers after this meal, but I was out of bread to sop up the sauce. So, instead of bread I used tortilla chips. It was ghetto, but so good.

After you remove the shanks strain the stock and pour it back into the pan. and cook over a high heat until it forms a sauce consistency.

Serve each shank over the parsnips, and pour over the sauce. Eat and all your wildest foodie dreams will come true.

Ingredients

Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 small lamb shanks
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 leek, roughly chopped
1 celery stick, roughly chopped
½ a head of garlic
A sprig of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf/a sprig of fresh rosemary/2 star anise 300ml dry white wine
1l chicken stock
100g butter
4 large parsnips, peeled and chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extracted from Kitchen Heaven by Gordon Ramsay, published by Michael Joseph on May 6 at £20, © Optomen Television and Gordon Ramsay, 2004.