Sausage and Kale Dinner Tart
March 11, 2011
The other night at bedtime, my 4 year old son announced to me that he is a vegetarian. Never mind the fact that he had just put away three helpings of chicken at dinner. I nodded and told him he never had to eat anything that he did not want. He asserted once more that he was a vegetarian, but then went on to tell me that he only eats bacon, hamburgers, and sausage. Oh, I said, that kind of vegetarian. I was amused, but also relieved. Though I am sympathetic to vegetarians, since I refrained from meat and dairy myself for many years, it is so much easier to cook for a household that agrees to eat the same kinds of foods. Not to mention that my husband and I just filled the freezer with many pounds of homemade sausage. Now is not the best time to opt out of sausage in our house.
Oh, the Sausage and Kale Dinner Tart. This is the single most soul satisfying tart I have ever made. Sausage and kale both are iconic winter fare. They dominate this tart with only minor distractions from sauteed onion, garlic, and the slightest addition of ricotta cheese. Served atop the flaky butter crust, this is a winter meal to celebrate. Both pork and chicken sausage work equally well, as do kale and chard. You can trade out the egg for egg white, but it really will not put much of a dent in the fat of this dish given the buttery crust. This is not diet food. This is late winter though, and our last chance to enjoy the decadence of the cool months before the threats of swimsuit season are upon us. Enjoy!
Update: My Sausage and Kale Dinner Tart won for Best Dirt Cheap Dinner on food52!
Divine Indian Butter Chicken
March 9, 2011
There are recipes I love, because the flavors produced are so unlike those I am apt to make on my own. There are recipes I love, because the technique is new to me and create an utterly delicious dish using a method I have never tried. This recipe fulfills both of those criteria. Though my family loves Indian food, I admit to being hung up on a few standard curries and dals that are regulars in our kitchen. This dish, though it uses familiar ingredients, is unlike any I have made in the past. Garam masala and ginger infuse the sauce of Divine Indian Butter Chicken with exciting flavor. The garlic, bay, cardamom, and cloves simmer slowly with the tomatoes deeply infusing the sauce with even more flavor. Top that off with butter and milk (or cream as the original recipe suggests) and you have a silky, spicy, delectable bath for the tenderest of chicken.
The chicken first spends many hours soaking in a tangy marinade of yogurt, ginger, garlic, and garam masala. Yogurt tenderizes the meat as it soaks. The next step surprised me. The chicken is roasted at 500 degrees for 20 minutes. Never have I thought to use that kind of extreme heat on an ultimately braised chicken dish. The chicken finishes cooking in the fragrant tomato sauce. My first bite dispelled any skepticism I may have harbored regarding the roasting technique. This chicken is so incredibly tender and moist! The dark meat falls from the bone and the breast slices up beautifully and melts in your mouth. What is more, this is a perfect dish to make ahead. Simply prepare the dish and keep it warm and covered until ready to serve. You can also cool the dish, refrigerate, and heat up when you are ready. Serve with basmati rice and chutney. Here is a great recipe for homemade chutney.
Vietnamese Hue Noodle Soup
February 27, 2011
Somewhat recently, I discovered Vietnamese Pho and its cousin Hue. There are a number of restaurants in town that dedicate almost their entire menu to these hot and spicy soups. At first, they seemed so exotic and indulgent with the fresh bean sprouts and peppers topping the hot rich broth perfumed with fresh basil or cilantro. When I first made the soup myself though, I realized how incredibly simple and healthy they are. A few simple fresh ingredients come together with some basic Asian cooking staples: rice noodles, fish sauce, and sambal oeleck. The result is a hot and spicy nourishing soup.
To speed up cooking time, consider cooking the broth and meat in a pressure cooker. In just ten minutes, the meat is cooked to an almost divine tenderness. You save time and energy, and the dish is possibly more delicious than the traditional method of slow simmering.
This recipe for Vietnamese Hue Noodle Soup is incredibly versatile. Feel free to substitute chicken or even tofu for the beef (and decrease the cooking time). The garnish is also very adaptable. We have an uncommon fondness for cabbage, so that is our go-to condiment, but that can be replaced with bean sprouts as well. Trade the fresh hot peppers for dried chilies if you prefer. If you do not have lime on hand, give the soup a splash of rice vinegar at the end to add the bright acidic finish. This soup is very good, one of our favorites. Try it and let me know what you think!
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Biscuit-topped Chicken Pot Pie
February 21, 2011
We all have those meals that are burned in our memory for one reason or another. These are the meals that when we recall them, define a time in our lives. Though I’m slightly embarrassed to admit it, chicken pot pie is one of those meals for me. Occasionally my parents would leave me at home to go out for the night. I was always excited, because I could have a frozen dinner (those were not common fare in our home). One of my favorite dinners was always a chicken pot pie. I loved the creamy chicken and the flaky crust. Invariably, I burnt my anxious tongue on the steaming hot sauce. Those hot little pies were the highlight of my night. Even so, I always knew that the dish was not quite right. The chicken and vegetables were too small and uniformly cut. The sauce was too salty. The crust too bland. At that time, it never occurred to me that this special meal could be made at home!
Biscuit-topped Chicken Pot Pie is my effort to right the wrongs of pot pies of my past that missed the mark. Every ingredient and every step come together to create what I imagine a pot pie should be like. The chicken is poached in broth, then cut into large tender pieces, so there is no mistaking its presence. The vegetables are abundant and fresh. The potatoes are creamy. The sauce is based on a homemade chicken stock that is reduced and mixed with fresh thyme and cream. The potential of this dish is dependent on the quality of the broth used. I highly recommend using your own stock. It is so easy to make and the flavor is incomparable.
Oh, and the topping. Though I do love pie crust atop meat pies, biscuits are my favorite. Floating the biscuits on the pot pie allows the tops to brown and puff and the bottom to saturate with the rich gravy. It is the best of both worlds. This is definitely a comfort food.
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Herb Rubbed Pork Loin with Onion, Raisin, Garlic Compote
February 11, 2011
Over the past four and a half years, my husband and I have mastered the art of the special dinner at home. Our kids, too young to tuck themselves in, hold us captive. We have a running joke where one of us asks, “What do you want to do tonight?” In response, the other spouts off lists of adventurous ideas all involving actually leaving the house together, even though our kids are sound asleep. We laugh as we pretend we have options aside from the rented movie, the game of dominoes, or going to sleep at a deliciously early hour- oh, now I really am sounding old. All jokes aside, a night at home can be quite special. We prefer to celebrate the opportunity staying in presents, rather than long for the greener grass.
In our home every detail of our meal can be catered to our whim. We choose festive, fancy, or casual. Our tastes can travel to Thailand, Italy, or Mexico. We can eat with china or our fingers. At home we make the food exactly how we want to eat it. We use only the freshest, seasonal ingredients, all at a fraction of the cost of a nice restaurant meal. There is no need for reservations or babysitters. Perhaps the best reason to celebrate the special dinner at home, is the pride and satisfaction of sitting down together to eat a meal which one of us (or both) have put our heart and hands into preparing with love.
Our most recent special meal was Herb Rubbed Pork Loin. I used an exceptional brine from the girl and the fig that I have used in the past with chops. Brining allows the meat to retain moisture through the cooking and infuses the meat with tremendous flavor. To ensure the brine and seasoning could permeate the entire roast, I sliced the meat horizontally, a technique I picked up from Cook’s Illustrated. After the brine, I marinated the meat in mustard and herbs from the garden. We were able to take advantage of unseasonably warm weather here in Sonoma County and grill the loin. This could easily be roasted in the oven as well with the added bonus of being able to collect the juices for a gravy.
The pork loin turned out incredibly moist and flavorful. The brine perfectly seasoned the interior of the meat, and the marinade gave a delightful herbal tang to the exterior. Do not overlook the Onion, Raisin, Garlic Compote, it is fabulous! We both agreed that we could eat an entire bowl of it as an official side dish. Onions, raisins, and garlic are cooked down with butter, port, and herbs. This is a perfect accompaniment to the pork loin. This meal turned another night at home with the family into a special night indeed.
My Pantry Shelf 