Phenomenal Yam Recipe

Recently I discovered this phenomenal side: Yams with Brown Butter Vinaigrette. It was amazing and really simple. Actually, just make the brown butter, and make the yams however you want.

I would use slightly less actual butter than they did; maybe 1/3 cup instead of half. I’ve also tried with onions instead of shallots; it worked, but it wasn’t quite as interesting. Apple cider vinegar works great when you don’t have red wine vinegar.

We didn’t have the full 50 minutes to get the yams done, so we just quartered them, poked them all over with a fork, roasted them for 30 minutes or so in the oven, sliced them, and poured the brown butter over-top. Yum!

Pancetta and Roasted Squash Risotto

20120704-170413.jpg

Continuing the risotto theme, I made a fantastic risotto (epicurious, of course) and I felt I should post the recipe here. I paired it with black bean chicken with asiago and asparagus (i.e. contents of fridge).

Some comments:

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Truffle Cream

Well, it’s official. I’ve now worked at the pizza place for a year, and it’s no secret to my coworkers that I often opt for the truffle cream as a sauce for my pizza each week. Fortunately, it’s quite easy to make. It’s pretty decadent, though, so I try to have other sauces every once in a while. 🙂

Sauté the mushrooms in a pot in olive oil on medium heat, until tender. Drain any extra oil. Return to the heat. Add the cream and stir. Whisk in a tablespoon or so of flour until the cream starts to thicken (5-10 minutes should be good; add extra flour if necessary). Remove from the heat. Use an immersion blender or food processor to thicken the mixture and lightly pulverise the mushrooms. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Stir in the truffle oil. Refrigerate until use. Makes a LOT.

Roll With Me, Henry

Just to be ambitious, I figured I’d try making my own cinnamon buns. I wasn’t ambitious enough to do all the grunt work, though — I let the bread machine do all the rising and kneading. With a dollop of cream cheese icing on top, they made for some pretty amazing treats for my guest(s). Here’s the recipe I used, but I doubled the cinnamon mixture, and instead of the glaze I made some cream cheese icing that was equal parts cream cheese, butter, and icing sugar.

You know, I think I’ll eat one now.

Fishes Delicious

Here’s a simple recipe I used to spice up the cod Dad gave me. You’ve probably made similar recipes already in your travels, but I found this particular combination truly spectacular:

1 cup crushed soda crackers (the finer the better)
2 minced cloves garlic
4 leaves finely chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp each salt and pepper (adjust to preference)
1 tbsp lemon juice

4-6 cod fillets, skin removed
4 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 300°F. Mix first group of ingredients. Rinse and pat dry the cod fillets. Immerse them in olive oil, then roll them in cracker mixture. Arrange on a pan and bake for 15-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.

Reconciliation

I found a new recipe for Whole-Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies that FAR outweighs my previous failure. In fact, at the rate I’ve been eating them I may have to make more tomorrow.

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Cookies

¾ cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup oats (I didn’t have any; I used bran cereal instead)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp brown sugar

1 cup peanut butter
½ cup honey
1 egg

Preheat oven to 300°F. Blend dry ingredients in one bowl and other ingredients in another. Using biceps to their max, combine all ingredients together thoroughly. Refrigerate dough for 20 minutes. Spoon tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet (squish with a fork if you wish) and bake for about 15 minutes or until slightly browned. Makes between two and three dozen cookies.

Pannekoeken!

Okay, so they’re not authentically Dutch, but this recipe was originally an Alton Brown recipe (with some alterations by yours truly), so I think that lends them some credibility. They also happen to be delicious and easy.

Whole-Wheat Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
½ t baking powder
¼ t baking soda
½ t salt
1½ T sugar

1 large egg
1 cup milk
2 T butter, softened

Blend dry ingredients well, then mix in the other ingredients. Lightly grease a frying pan or griddle set to low-medium heat and pour ¼-cupfuls of batter onto the pan. Cook until bubbles break on the surface, then flip; cook until undersides are golden brown.

Makes about 10.

Our Foray Into Mussels

Its been a busy couple weeks here in Edmonton, so Elyse and I decided enough is enough, we need some vino and mussels to cure our ailments. Amazingly, we have never made our own, so we were inspired!

We used the following recipe, with some of our own addtions. Here it is, and it is HIGHLY recommended. We will make it again. Maybe tomorrow.

Mussels

Ingredients

Provençale Sauce:

We also made some changes:

Here is the full recipe: http://bit.ly/9WT2Ci

Popcorn Tasting Trio

popcorn trio

Ohh how sophisticated it sounds – a tasting trio.   Because it’s a shared joy for Doug and I to take a highbrowed approach to mere peasant treats, we have created a delectable culinary experience for you all.   Kidding ….. I love popcorn and Doug has learned to share my love of this microwavable delight.

We popped a few bags (the lazy approach) and then seasoned for three different flavors!  We highly recommend any or all of the following be enjoyed with a healthy sized glass of vino.

Frenchified Popcorn

Sauté the crushed garlic and butter then add the popcorn, tossing to coat.  Remove from heat and season generously with salt and herbs de Provence.

We really enjoyed this one, it was the least overpowering of the flavors and would be the perfect accompaniment to a movie or hockey game.

Maple Pecan Popcorn

Line the bottom of a pan with foil and toss popcorn with pecan pieces.  In a heavy sauce pan, melt butter and add maple syrup and salt.   Bring to a boil (w/o stirring) for about 15 mins.  Pour syrup over the popcorn/pecans and cool completely.

This one was sweet and delicious.  It also stores better than the other combos.

Parmesan Pepper Popcorn

This one is pretty self explanatory – just toss everything together!  We upped the salt and pepper amounts and tossed it in a saucepan to try and melt some of the parm.  This combo was the least unique in taste, but still a good twist on regular popcorn.

Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins

The other day I realized I needed snacks, and I looked through my fridge but all I could find were carrots and whole-wheat flour, so I took someone’s recipe, heavily modified it (originally there was pineapple in it, actually), and came out with these:

Here’s my recipe:

2 cups whole wheat flour
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

2 eggs
⅓ cup cooking oil
1 cup milk
1½ cup grated carrot

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, and the remaining ingredients in another. Stir just until blended and pour into muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or so.

Ahhh, pizza!

So, if there’s one thing I love to do when I cook, is find a way to make things more complicated, more expensive and longer to make!  However, I have found one exception- pizzas!  I make this recipe for pizza dough from (of course) epicurious, and although it does take longer, due to the rising time, there is something so cathartic about smashing your fists into warm, sticky dough.  Then, you can throw it up, and sing the “That’s Amore” song.  It’s a pretty winning combination!  🙂

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pizza-Dough-354220

Some of Matt and I’s favorite toppings are caramelized onions, mushroom and roasted garlic, Italian meat lovers, and prosciutto & arugula.

The recipe makes three large pizzas, and it freezes very well.  I’d recommend rolling the dough out as thin as possible, and using a pizza stone, such as this one below-( it makes the crust so crispy) before adding toppings on. A crisp Italian white wine or Negroni cocktails are our favorite drinks with.

http://bit.ly/bwOkmf