Cooking Group September 30, 2012

We met at Carol's house for a themed dinner of figs!  It is the height of the season and we wanted to take full advantage of the elegant little fruits.  Guest tonight were Vicky and Jennifer and missing were Janet, Tonya and Evelyn.

Cocktail and Wine:  Mary, Sangria

Bread:  Mary, Pumpkin Cheese and Chive Muffins

Appetizer:  Angie, Figs and Toasted Almonds Brie and Elegant Fig Appetizers with Goat Cheese

Salad:  Jennifer, Green Salad with Fig Vinaigrette

Side Dish:  Carol and Jennifer,  Autumn Vegetable Mash

Main Dish:  Carol, Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Fresh Figs and Marsala Pan Sauce

Dessert:  Carol and Jennifer, Fig and Peach Crumble

Carol set a beautiful fall table with fresh flowers and tan napkins. 

We started the evening off with a stout cocktail of sangria.  The color was beautiful and perfectly fit in with the fall decorations. 

 I found two great fig appetizers and both featured cheese and honey.  Figs and Toasted Almonds Brie was delicious and served with water crackers.  I do not make brie often and next time I will remove all rind from the top.   Though edible, the rind is not easily spreadable and most people do not want to eat it anyway.  I used slivered almonds and chopped the figs before putting on the cheese.

Elegant Fig Appetizers with Goat Cheese and Almonds was super simple to put together.  Like the brie appetizer, I assembled this the night before and baked it right before serving.  After baking, drizzle with the honey and balsamic vinegar.  I used herbed goat cheese as called for and it complimented the sweet figs, honey and vinegar nicely. 

The salad was simple with greens, cucumbers and tomatoes.  The vinaigrette featured fig vinegar which gave a sweetness and a deep brown color.  I loved the flavor and had no idea there was such a thing as fig vinegar!

Vinaigrette

1 part Black Fig Vinegar
3 parts Olive Oil
Diced Shallot
Diced Garlic
Sugar and Salt to taste

Mary made a delicious Pumpkin, Cheese and Chive Muffins with sweet butter.  The muffins were moist, lightly sweet and flavorful.  I loved them with the fall menu of Autumn Vegetable Mash and Pork Medallions with Figs.  

The vegetable mash has the consistency of mashed potatoes and the parsnips and especially the celery root give a tangy flavor.  There is no butter and you really did not miss it as all the vegetables are so flavorful.  

Autumn Vegetable Mash Recipe

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Servings: 12 |

Ingredients:
8 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large celery roots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cups chicken broth
2-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
2/3 cup 2% milk
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

In a Dutch oven, combine the potatoes, parsnips, celery roots, broth and 2 teaspoons salt. Add water to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a large bowl; reserve cooking liquid. Mash vegetables, gradually adding the milk, garlic powder, pepper, remaining salt and enough reserved cooking liquid to reach desired consistency. Yield: 12 servings (3/4 cup each).

 I loved the pork medallions.  The sauce was thick like a gravy and the figs and Marsala gave a hint of sweetness.  The thinly sliced pork was very tender. 

Pork Tenderloin Cutlets with Marsala and Fresh Figs

Makes 4 Servings

1 pork tenderloin, about 1 1/4 pounds, well trimmed

kosher salt

pepper

flour

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs unsalted butter

1/3 cup minced shallots

1 1/4 cup sweet Marsala Wine, divided

2 tsp thyme, finely chopped

12 firm ripe figs, preferably green skinned, cut into wedges

1 tbs sugar

1 tbs fresh lemon juice

Trim the fat from the pork tenderloin.  Loosen the shiny white membrane.  Cut the tenderloin into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Lightly pound the slices to make the cutlets about 1/4th inch  thick.  Sprinkle cutlets with salt and pepper.  Dredge the cutlets in flour.

 Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallots and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Add the cutlets and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side until it looses its pink color.  Pour 1 cup of the Marsala over the pork and gently boil the Marsala, turning the pork, until the wine is cooked down and the pork is golden and cooked through,  about 5 minutes.  Transfer the meat to a platter.  Boil the Marsala and juices until thick, about 1 minute.  Pour over the pork.  Sprinkle with half of the thyme leaves.

Add the remaining 1/4 cup of Marsala and the figs.  Sprinkle the figs with sugar and cook, over medium high heat, turning the figs until they turn golden and are cooked into a chunky jam, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with the lemon juice.  Spoon over the pork and sprinkle with the remaining thyme.  Serve at once.

We finished our meal with Fresh Fig and Peach Crumble with ice cream that was fancied up by Carol and Jennifer.  I think there was figs and pistachios mixed with vanilla ice cream.

Fresh Fig and Peach Crumble

Makes 6 to 8 Servings

8 tbs cold, unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1/3 cup plus 2 tbs sugar

1 cup plus 2 tbs all purpose flour

pinch of salt

Fruit:

1 lb peaches, peeled, halved, cut into 1/2 inch wedges

1 lb firm, ripe figs, preferably Brown Turkey, stems removed, cut into 1/2 inch wedges

1 tbs fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Confectioners' sugar

Combine the butter and 1/3 cup sugar in a large bowl of electric mixer and beat until well combined, about 3 minutes.  Add 1 cup of the flour and salt and beat on low just until flour is incorporated but the mixture is still dry and crumbly.  Remove bowl from mixer and scrape flour from the bottom and edges of the bowl and press into the pastry.  The pastry should still be crumbly.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly butter a 1 1/2 to 2-quart shallow baking dish.

Combine the peaches and figs in a large bowl;  add the lime juice and toss to blend.  In a small bowl combine the remaining 2 tbs flour and sugar and the cinnamon; stir to blend.  Sprinkle over the fruit.  Fold gently just to blend without crushing the fruit.

Spoon fruit into baking dish; spread in even layer.  Sprinkle the cold pastry crumbs over the fruit.  

Bake until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly, 35 to 30 minutes.  Cool slightly and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and serve with ice cream.

Football Food

I had some friends over this weekend for an AGGIE football watching party.  I also invited a few non-Aggie friends (hiss) and they were respectfully dressed in "neutral" colored clothing (i.e. no burnt orange).  Except one was wearing red, which happened to be the color of the Aggie opponent.  Whatever!  This is a blog about food and not football rivalries.

Since the game was at 11, I wanted to have not only dips (2 store bought - HEB's That Green Sauce and sour cream and onion dip) as well as queso (with some left over fajita meat) but also something hearty for lunch.  I chose Oven Baked Frito Pie.  Growing up my parents would make REAL Frito pie (fake Frito pie being Fritos covered in chili) and they would layer wolf brand chili, Fritos, onions and cheese into a casserole dish and bake until hot and bubbly.  It was gooey and crunchy and delicious.  It was also incredibly fattening because cans of chili are somehow super injected with fat and calories. 

The recipe I chose had homemade chili which is much healthier than wolf brand and it has diced tomatoes and tomato sauce for a nice vegetable component.  I left out the beans because I have never preferred chili with beans.  Otherwise, I only added some chili powder as I found the packet of taco seasonings did a good job making the beef taste like chili. 

The other change to the recipe I made was to leave out the sour cream.  I really did not see the point of it and again, I was trying to make this somewhat easy on the waistline.  No one seemed to notice anything missing and everyone wanted the recipe.  I cooked the chili the night before, to allow more time for flavors to blend, and then I put the pie together and baked it right before lunch.  Some people added more cheese (in the form of queso) or Fritos.  This was very good and a keeper for a big group.

I cannot have a gathering without having something sweet!  I have been craving peanut butter lately and this recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars looked decadent and easy!  The peanut butter layer is a doctored yellow cake mix, the chocolate layer is essentially chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk and it comes together in minutes. It can sit on the counter for days to be nibbled on.  A kid at the party said these were FABULOUS and I have enjoyed them at breakfast, and as mid morning and late night snacks.  I finally took the few remaining to work today as I cannot be trusted with these bars.  YUM.  Like a Reece's peanut butter cup in a bar form.  The chocolate layer is almost fudge like and the peanut butter layer is pretty mild because it is mixed with the cake mix.  These cut easily and come out clean for easy staking.

Morning Buns

I started watching a show on PBS called Cooks Country.  It is put together by the same people that do Cooks Illustrated.  The recipes are more down home and often, updates of recipes from the past.  Last week there was smothered pork chops and apple fritters.  This week the episode featured Morning Buns and Morning Glory Muffins. 

The buns are a croissant type dough with a cinnamon filling.  As the episode aired I realized I had all the necessary ingredients and decided to give it a try.  I am still working on my homemade pastry skills and Cooks Country made a complicated recipe - croissants - simple.  It is time consuming as I started at 10 am and the buns were not finished until about 7 pm due to all the rising.  However, putting it together is pretty simple.  

Word of caution:  there is so much butter in the dough that you should put the muffin tin on a cookie sheet to catch any melted butter.  

 

These were FANTASTIC.  I ate one (or two) while warm and I am hoping these are just as good at room temperature, as a croissant would be.  They are flaky and sugary.  No icing is needed.  These would be perfect to make the night before and then bake in the morning. 

Chicken Sofrito

I love when I learn a new cooking technique from a recipe. The new technique is starting on the stove and finishing in the oven.  I used my Dutch oven even though the recipe called for a skillet.  I think the only problem with the pan substitution is that in the Dutch oven the chicken sunk down a little so the skin was not as crispy as it should have been.  Similarly, the Dutch oven prevented more crisping during the broiler phase.  I did not mind as I planned this dish for left over lunches and the microwave re-heating would not result in a crispy chicken skin.

The new recipe that I learned so much from is Chicken Sofrito and it was delicious.  The rice was flavorful and creamy with a spicy hot flavor.   You must be cautious of over-seasoning when a dish calls for several layers of heat.  In this one there is chili powder on the chicken, a diced jalapeno (de-seeded), cayenne pepper and I substituted Rotel for the canned tomatoes.  My dish ended up perfectly spiced because I used a light hand.  You would always rather add more spice at the end instead of wondering how much milk you will have to consume to put the flames in your mouth out.

The chicken was tender and mild and perfectly paired with the spicy rice.  I used a large onion because I wanted all those pieces to mix with the rice like a risotto.  The rice is a star in this dish as if simmers in the sofrito.  From Wikipedia:  “Sofrito is a combination of aromatic ingredients which have been cut in very small pieces, and slowly sautéed or braised in cooking oil for 15–30 minutes.  In Spanish cuisine, sofrito consists of garlic, onion, and tomatoes cooked in olive oil, and is used as the base for many dishes. Similar preparations are used in the cuisines of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, and also some Latin American countries."

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

I have been craving something easy and light and with rice.  Every now and then I get on a rice kick.  This recipe for Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken fulfilled all of my requirements. I prefer dark chicken meat so I used boneless, skinless, chicken thighs.  I laid them on top, as per the recipe.  After 6 hours, I opened the crock pot and I was able to "shred" the chicken just by stirring it.  This was much simpler than removing it, letting it cool, shredding it and returning it to the pot.

The flavor, using the exact recipe, was very hot and spicy.  Fortunately, the rice cut that a bit, however next time I will use half of the cayenne.  You can also add more at the end, when you taste it!  I did use the entire bunches of both cilantro and green onions and it was fine.  Both almost cook away after 6 hours.

This is a hearty, one-dish meal (except for the rice) with many fresh flavors.  It will also freeze beautifully.

July 22, 2012

We met at my house on July 22, 2012 for a dinner theme of summer.  Missing were Jennifer, Tonya and Mary and we were joined by Teresa and Ellie!

Cocktail and wine:  Evelyn, wine spritzer

Appetizer:  Carol, fruit kabobs with fruit dip and three cheese dip.

Salad:  Angie, black bean salad

Side dish:  Carol, scalloped potatoes

Main dish:  Angie, chipotle flank steak

Dessert:  Janet, blueberry mini tarts, miniature cheesecake and mini chocolate cupcakes

Evelyn started the afternoon off with a delicious cocktail.  She mixed it in a pitcher and then we could help ourselves to more.  It was light, sweet and delicious.

Wine Spritzer

½ bottle of Central Market Organic Pear Apple Italian Soda

1 bottle off Proseco

1 bag of Frozen pineapple

We had two appetizers, thanks to Carol.  She brought colorful fruit kabobs that had fruit representing the colors of a rainbow (ROY G. BIV) and were served with an orange flavored, creamy dip.  Rather than using frozen orange juice, Carol used fresh squeezed juice as well as some orange zest.

Carol also brought a cheese dip with assorted crackers.  The original recipe is for a cheese ball but Carol kept it simple and served it as a dip.  The dip was tangy and thick and was perfect when spread on crackers.

Our salad was a group effort.  It was slightly sweet and full of crunchy, fresh vegetables.  We boiled the corn but otherwise all ingredients were raw.  The salad cut the heat from the spicy main dish of flank steak.  I put the rub on the steak in the morning and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours.  I brought it back to room temperature by leaving it on the counter while the oven heated.  The oven rack was moved to the top of the oven and the steak was broiled 5 minutes per side.  It was still a little too rare, according to the thermometer, so we cooked it longer.  After removing it from the oven, let it rest for at least 15 minutes to let the juices re-distribute.  Cut against the grain and serve with the cheese, cream sauce.  I thought the sauce was perfect and it served to tame the spicy steak.  The sauce also made the simple steak recipe seem more elegant.

Scalloped potatoes were the side dish and these perfectly pared with the steak. I am a scalloped potato fanatic, as my mother knows, because I frequently request hers at our dinners.  Carol made a pan of potatoes (rather than individual stacks) that were absolutely fantastic.  The potatoes were tender and the topping was brown and slightly crispy.  Carol used a mandolin to thinly slice the potatoes.  

We were blessed with a trio of desserts prepared by Janet.  Mini cheesecakes were creamy, the chocolate cupcakes were decedent and the blueberry mini tarts were full of summer flavor.  I loved all three desserts and there is just something special about having a plate full of different treats to end the meal with.

Miniature Cheesecakes


Original Recipe Yield 12 miniature cheesecakes


Ingredients
12 vanilla wafer cookies or one sleeve of graham crackers crushed
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
3/4  cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Place one vanilla wafer or graham cracker crumbs in each cup
3. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in
the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
4. Pour mixture evenly into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.
5. Bake for 15 minutes or until set.
6. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Blueberry Streusel Bars with Lemon Cream Filling

I have blueberries coming out my ears, which is not a bad thing.  I found my favorite blueberry recipe thus far in these Blueberry Streusel Bars with Lemon Cream Filling.  There are four layers:  the streusel crust, blueberries, lemon filling and streusel topping.  The creamy filling was new to me and it is essentially just sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice  These bars are very good and next time I will add another cup of blueberries.