recipes

We're big risotto fans around here and with the downpour of rain yesterday and the day before, I was ready to tuck in to a bowl of it.  But, it's Spring.  I can't just ignore that fact and make our usual Chicken Mushroom and Bacon risotto.  My tastebuds just wouldn't let me.  I needed something fresh and zesty.  That's right.  Zesty.
 

I'd say these lemons are juiced and zested as, brew. 

Moving right along. 

One of our favorite Spring risottos is Jamie Oliver's Asparagus, Mint and Lemon risotto and I just happened to pick up a bunch of new season asparagus at the market yesterday.  When I let Sophie know what was for dinner she said, "I hope it doesn't have that green stuff in it."  Great.  But what's that?

 

Greek olives sitting on the back shelf of the fridge?  You win.  In the pot you go.

 
Risotto with Chicken, Lemon and Olives
Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Asparagus, Mint and Lemon Risotto

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil + more for drizzling
4 Tablespoons butter
2 sticks celery, washed, trimmed and finely diced
1 red onion, finely diced
12 ounces arborio rice
4 ounces dry white wine
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - poached and diced
5 to 6 cups chicken stock
10 to 15 greek olives (I would have liked to use firmer green olives but these tasted just fine), pitted and halved
zest and juice of 2 lemons
4 to 5 ounces grated parmesan

In a medium stock pot, heat chicken stock over low heat.

In a large heavy bottomed pot heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil and 2 Tablespoons butter over medium heat.  Add celery and onion and saute until soft and translucent.  You don't want it to color. 
Add arborio rice to onions and celery and stir constantly.  You want the rice to become sticky and slightly translucent around the edges. 
Add wine all at once and stir constantly until it is completely absorbed. 
Once the wine is absorbed, add the chicken stock one cup at a time and stir until each cup is completely absorbed before adding the next cup of stock. 
Once the rice is tender but not overly soft (you don't want mushy risotto), add the last cup of stock, remove from heat and beat in remaining 2 Tablespoons butter, lemon zest and juice and parmesan.  Stir olives in.  Drizzle with olive oil and cover for around 5 minutes (or as long as it takes you to set the table).  Serve topped with a little extra grated parmesan.

I am on a bit of a candy kick here at the ranch. I'm chalking it up to winter plus the fact that I have cream in the fridge and that always makes me want to make candy or hot fudge sauce. 

I had seen this caramel recipe several times and couldn't resist giving it a try.  Against Mr. Lebovitz's advice, I made these without a candy thermometer.  In my mind I keep hearing the advice from family cooks that they can smell when it's done.  I've been using this lately in my baking to much success, and while no disasters occurred during the making of these caramels, I think Mr. Lebovitz is on to something.  I was sweating and freaking out the entire time ondering if it was burning or if it would it be too soft.  Then I remembered as a kid we didn't totally trust the candy thermometer in our kitchen so would fall back on the hard-ball/soft-ball candy chart in the back of some cookbook. Of course I only remembered this as the caramel was cooking and I couldn't run to the computer to google for the chart.  I did look it up afterward and this page seems pretty handy.  The Cold Water Candy Test

But like I said, no disasters occurred.  The caramel was ever so slightly firmer than I would have liked but not brittle. It didn't rip your fillings out (unlike the peanut brittle I made and gave to my hairdresser back in 1999. Sorry Michael!). The salty sweetness is divine and a friend said she could feel the butter melting down to her hips.  :)
  That's why I share.

Salted Butter Caramels 
modified from David Lebovitz recipe
makes 40-50 candies

3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, bean paste, or powder
rounded 1/2 teaspoon + 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt
1/2 cup (160 g)  golden syrup
1 cup (200 g) sugar
4 tablespoons (60 g), total, salted butter, cubed, at room temperature

Line a 9-inch (23 cm) loaf pan with foil and spray the inside with cooking spray.

Heat the cream with 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan with the vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt until the mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm while you cook the syrup.

In a medium, heavy duty saucepan (4 quarts, 4l), fitted with a candy thermometer, heat the golden syrup with the sugar, and cook, stirring gently, to make sure the sugar melts smoothly. Once the mixture is melted together and the sugar is evenly moistened, only stir is as necessary to keep it from getting any hot spots.

Cook until the syrup reaches 310ºF (155ºC).

Turn off the heat and stir in the warm cream mixture, until smooth.

Turn the heat back on and cook the mixture to 260ºF (127ºC).

Remove the pan from the heat, lift out the thermometer, and stir in the cubes of butter, until it's melted and the mixture smooth.

Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and wait ten minutes, then sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of the sea salt over the top. Set on a cool rack and let cool completely. Once cool, lift out the foil with the caramel, peel away the foil, and slice the bar of caramel with a long, sharp knife into squares or rectangles.

Storage: These caramels can be individually-wrapped in cellophane or waxed paper. Once cut, they may stick together if not wrapped. Store in an air-tight container, and they'll keep for about one month. (But you totally won't have to worry about that because there is no way these things will be in your house that long.)

I'd never seen silverbeet before moving to New Zealand but have found that it's quite easy to grow as well as a tasty winter side dish.

Silverbeet Gratin
From Eat Fresh - Cooking Through The Seasons by Annabel Langbein.

600g silverbeet (leaves and stalks), washed and thinly sliced
Sautee in 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Spread into a shallow baking dish. Drizzle with a little olive oil and cover with the lemon caper crumb.  Sprinkle with grated parmesan and bake at 180ºC until golden and crusty, about 30 minutes.

Lemon caper crumb
2 canned or jarred anchovies
1 tbsp capers
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
20g grated parmesan
100g (2 thick slices) crustless artisan bread, cut into chunks (I ended up using multigrain bread and it was extra crunchy)

Place anchovies, capers, lemon zest, oil, parsley and parmesan in a food processor and blitz to a purée.  Add bread and pulse mixture several times to form a coarse crumb. Don't let it get too fine.

I recently received a Staub pot for my birthday to fill the gaping hole caused by leaving my Le Creuset back home in New York and have been using it like crazy.  One pot chicken meals are my favorite so far in this pot and I've been searching for them.  I found this one in my Happy Days with the Naked Chef cookbook by Jamie Oliver.  It seems odd but was tasty and really moist.

 

I love bubbly butter.



 

Do you see that thing on the end there near the, um, tail?  It's the tail!  They leave it on here in NZ.  It grossed me out for a long time and I used to cut it off when cooking but now, I embrace the tail.



Chicken in Milk
(from Happy Days with the Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver)

1- 4 1/2 lb organic chicken
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stick of butter (approx 114 grams)
olive oil
1 cinnamon stick
1 good handful fresh sage, leaves picked (I totally sinned and used dried sage, it definitely suffered)
zest of two lemons (use a potato peeler to zest them into wider strips)
10 cloves of garlic, skin left on
2 cups of milk

Preheat oven to 375º F and find a snug-fitting pot for the chicken that can go in the oven.  Season the chicken generously all over with salt and pepper and fry it in the butter and a little olive oil, turning the chicken to get an even color all over, until golden.  Remove pot from heat, put the chicken on a plate and throw away the oil and butter left in the pot.  This will leave you with the tasty sticky goodness at the bottom of the pan, which will give you a lovely caramelly flavor later on.

Put the chicken back in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, (bring ingredients to a boil) then cover and cook in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours, removing the lid for the last 1/2 hour of cooking.  Baste with the cooking juice when you remember.  The lemon zest will sort of split the milk, making a sauce that is absolutely fantastic.  (Fish out the garlic from the sauce and use in your mashed potatoes if desired.)

To serve, pull the meat off the bones and divide onto your plates.  Spoon over plenty of juice and the little curds.  Serve with wilted spinach or greens and some mashed potato.

 

1 loaf challah or thick french bread
1 cup corn flakes
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 pound of bacon

Cook the bacon, then chop it finely. Mix crushed corn flakes, sugar and cinnamon and spread evenly in a pie pan. Mix the eggs, milk, apple juice and vanilla in a second pie pan. Cut the bread into thick slices, at least 1-1/2 inches deep. Soak each side of the bread in the egg mix for 10 seconds, then dip into the other pan to coat with corn flakes mix. Dip the other side into chopped bacon. Cook in preheated frying pan with a little butter until both sides are crispy, then top with whipped or ice cream. Serve with this expression, knowing you have mastered Mother's Day breakfasts.

This is a super easy and quick recipe that I tried out the other night.  I'm not usually a thigh girl (well, nevermind) but these were great.  The whole house smelled like bbq chicken.

Devilled Chicken - serves 2
Taste Magazine

2 tsp tomato paste
2 tsp white wine vinegar
pinch cayenne pepper (I didn't have this so I used some tandoori seasoning)
1 tsp mustard powder
4 boneless chicken thighs
baked potato or kumara, to serve
green salad, to server

Mix tomato paste with the vinegar, cayenne pepper, mustard powder and a pinch of salt to make a paste. Rub this over the chicken, then grill (broil) for about 7 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked through. If necessary (I did this), roll and skewer chicken first to hold it in shape. Serve with baked potato or kumara (sweet potato) and salad.

(from The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook, Vol I:)

Beans
1 pound Great Northern or navy beans
8 cups water
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Chili
12 ounces Mexican beer (not dark)
2 cups diced onions
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup diced red bell pepper
2 jalapeño chiles, seeded and diced
4 Anaheim or New Mexico green chiles, roasted, peeled and seeded
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon crushed cumin seeds
1 1/4 pounds skinned, boned chicken breasts
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 tablespoons ground New Mexico chile
1 pound tomatillos, husks removed by soaking
1 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese
Cilantro leaves for garnish

To make the beans: Pick over the beans for debris, then place in a sieve and rinse well. Place in a large pot. Add the water, onion, garlic cloves and a grating of black pepper. Simmer for 2-3 hours, until the beans are tender. Add the salt during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

To make the chili: While the beans are cooking, place the beer in a 4-quart pot. Add the onions, garlic, bell pepper, jalapenos, green chiles, oregano and cumin. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Cut the chicken into strips, then dice. Add to the pot along with the chicken broth. Sprinkle in the ground chile and simmer for 15 minutes.

Place the tomatillos, minced cilantro, vinegar and salt in a food processor and process to a salsa consistency. Stir into the chili. Add the drained cooked beans and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning; add salt if desired.
Ladle into serving bowls. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the cheese over each serving and broil until the cheese is golden (or skip this step and simply let the cheese melt into the hot chile). Garnish with cilantro. Serves 6.

Then, the next morning you can make this with your leftovers:

A friend of mine passed this recipe on to me and it is soooo good and soooo easy.  My girls had a blast measuring and mixing all the dry ingredients.  The best part about this recipe is that you can substitute pretty much any variation of seeds, nuts and dried fruit.

Birdseed bars

Stir the following ingredients together
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup coconut
1 cup oats
1 cup cornflakes

Melt in a sauce pan until dissolved and toffee like in colour (approx 5 mins)
100g butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 brown sugar

Mix through the dry ingredients - Spread on a baking tray lined with parchment and refrigerate.  Once cool and firm, slice and store in an air tight container.

Brown Sugar Cake
Modified from the Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes cookbook
makes three 9-inch layers or 30 cupcakes

Cake Ingredients
3 3/4 cups cake flour (I used all purpose)
1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
5 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients
3 egg whites
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) butter, at room temperature
2/3 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract (I didn't use this)

To make the cake:

Usually I would ignore a dessert with that many words just in the name but after I saw the pictures over at Smitten Kitchen, I knew I had to make it for Jake. You may or may not know this, but my husband loves peanut butter. I mean, I should really see if you could marry a food because he'd leave me in a heartbeat.

 

Thankfully, I like to keep him happy so for New Zealand Father's Day (in September) I made him this cake.  Man oh man.  It's easily the best cake I've ever made (which isn't saying that much) however, it's also one of the best cakes I've ever eaten and for me to admit that I actually love something I've made before I criticize it, well, watch for pig droppings falling from the sky.

Anyhow, here's the most delicious and dangerous recipe I've got.

Sour Cream-Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Sky High: Irresistable Triple-Layer Cakes

This cake is INTENSE. Serve it in the thinnest slices possible, and keep a glass of milk handy.
Makes an 8-inch triple-layer cake; serves 12 to 16

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanut brittle (I skipped this)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cakepans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely. (Deb note: These cakes are very, very soft. I found them a lot easier to work with after firming them up in the freezer for 30 minutes. They'll defrost quickly once assembled. You'll be glad you did this, trust me.)

4. To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. (Deb note 1: Making a crumb coat of frosting-a thin layer that binds the dark crumbs to the cake so they don't show up in the final outer frosting layer-is a great idea for this cake, or any with a dark cake and lighter-colored frosting. Once you "mask" your cake, let it chill for 15 to 30 minutes until firm, then use the remainder of the frosting to create a smooth final coating. Deb note 2: Once the cake is fully frosting, it helps to chill it again and let it firm up. The cooler and more set the peanut butter frosting is, the better drip effect you'll get from the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze.)

5. To decorate with the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Simply pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving. Decorate the top with chopped peanut brittle.

Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes about 5 cups

10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn't separate out)

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half

1. In the top of d double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.