pot luck.

I thought I'd take a break from fruit based recipes for awhile and talk a little bit about another winter eating theme: comfort foods.

Despite all my grumbling, I do have a soft spot in my heart for winter. That's because it's a great excuse for making hearty warm soups and stews, which I tend to avoid in the summer. I love hearty foods and one pot meals. Many of my comfort foods are described by those terms so, to me, winter is comfort food season.

One example, and a dish often overlooked, is pot pies. My mom makes a great turkey/chicken pot pie with a biscuit topping. It's easy, filling, and delicious. So, one day a few weeks ago when it was overwhelmingly cold and I wasn't feeling so good, I decided that pot pie would be the perfect meal. Unfortunately, I didn't have some of the necessary ingredients at home and I really really really didn't want to go to the store.

So, I made up my own recipe.




Unlike mom's, this is a veggie pot pie with a breadcrumb topping. I am not such a fan of pot pies with a full pie crust--I want more filling!--so I tend to go for a topped pie baked in a casserole dish.






I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but I and my eating partners were extremely pleased with the results of this endeavor. For me, it was precisely what I craved--hearty, flavorful and, most importantly, warm!




On-The-Fly Veggie Pot Pie

[note: the proportions i've put here are not static--add and subtract according to a) your likes/dislikes, b) the amount you want to make, and c) what you have hanging around. this recipe is pliable and worth experimenting with!]



1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1-2 medium carrot, cut into rounds
1-2 stalk[s] celery, cut into crescents
1 handful green beans [fresh or frozen, preferably haricot verts]
1/2 cup green peas [fresh or frozen]
1 potato and/or 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tbsp flour
1+ cup vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup grated smoked gouda cheese [or another good melting cheese]
1+ cup breadcrumbs
parsley
dill
olive oil
salt
pepper


directions:

1. make filling
a. heat some olive oil in a pan. add onions, carrots, and celery and saute until slightly tender.
b. add potato and/or butternut squash. cook until vegetables are tender.
c. add green beans, peas, a handful of chopped parsley and some chopped dill. cook a few minutes longer, until beans begin to soften slightly.
d. add flour and stir to combine. add salt, pepper, and stock. bring to a simmer and let bubble until the mixture thickens slightly. depending on how many vegetables you have, you may need to add more stock at the beginning--you want some liquid to remain and the vegetables to be very tender.

2. make topping
a. heat some oil in a pan. when hot, remove from heat and add breadcrumbs. stir and let toast slightly.
b. in a bowl, combine breadcrumbs with some chopped parsley, dill, and grated cheese.

3. bake
a. put the vegetable mixture in a small casserole dish and sprinkle breadcrumb topping over top to cover.
b. put in a 375F oven and cook until crumbs brown slightly and cheese melts.

mmm...pot pie steam!




Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.

too supreme.

I am currently refusing to let: the very down temperatures, the incessant near-daily snow falls [in a not good way], the constant death of my car battery in cold weather, the low-level frost bitten fingers, the unexpected changing of my apartment locks and subsequent lack of appropriate keys/inability to get in, the loss of my debit card, the many salt-grime-gross snow ruined pant cuffs, the gray skies, the crappy grocery store situation, the return to microscope headaches, and the week of tummy shakes bring me into the dark depths of despair.

How? Well, I just continue to seek all that is good [and warm...and tropical] in this wretched winter. And so, in my quest to do this, I return with yet another post about winter fruits. Today's menu involves the Royal/High Powered Mob Family of winter fruits: citrus.

But, instead of going the easy route and discussing the head of that pack--the Great and Wondrous Orange--I've decided to go with some of his royal advisers/underlings [fantastic in their own right]: the Blood Orange and the Lemon.




The main focus here is on the blood orange. Sadly, many people are afraid to approach this gem of a fruit. I, personally, can think of nothing that sends my heart all a-flutter like putting one of those sunset colored orbs in my grocery basket.








The anticipation of delicately supreming it, savoring every last morsel, biting into its crimson goodness, being overwhelmed by its tasty tang flavor...it's all too much to handle!






Alone, the blood orange is divine. But when used properly in combination with other ingredients for a more complex dish, the blood orange pronounces its individuality while simultaneously creating such a beautiful harmony with other flavors.

The lemon is also a beautiful thing--nothing else compares in color and that's why Lemon Yellow is its own Crayola crayon. Now, the typical lemon is actually a summer fruit, but it can be found all year long. However, its cousin, the Meyer Lemon, has a winter growing season and is a treasured fruit to me. Unfortunately, it is a hard to find variant in the US outside of The West and The Southwest. It is sweeter than the "Lemon" but stil has tang--a nice combo of orange and lemon--and makes for delighful curds, tarts, and sorbets.

But, today, I will be using the lowly and oft underrated "Lemon".

Now, before I get to actual recipes, I'd like to discuss an important culinary skill applied to citrus fruits: supreming.

Supreme [sooprehm not soopreem]: Basically, it describes a citrus that has been undressed until it's totally nekkers--no pith, no membrane, just slices of its juicy essence. It's not a particularly useful skill, except for aesthetic purposes, but it makes for those nice little orange slices in fruit salads at diners.

In an effort to provide something useful within these tirades and long-winded musings on my love of food, i'll give here a primer for the Supreming A Citrus skill:





step 1
cut off the top and bottom of the fruit until you can see the flesh










step 2
cut off the peel and pith around the fruit, being careful not to damage the flesh









step 3
once the large swaths of peel and pith are gone, delicately cut off the remaining bits of pith









step 4
cut along the inside of the membrane edges [the vertical lines you can see on the fruit] and pull out the naked slice









step 5
voila! orange supreme!







Alright, well, now that's done let's move on to today's menu:

Bloody Chutney Chicken
Cabbage and Carrot Salad
Lemon Scented Couscous

I am particularly excited to be sharing this menu because the main dish was a complete experiment that turned out a million times better than I ever could have expected. Granted, I wasn't expecting much [see ingredients list] but really, this was a stellar dish.

I must admit, the idea was sparked by this bit from Simply Recipes. However, inspired by a supremely supremed blood orange, I came up with some ideas of how to adjust the recipe. So, given the significant alterations I made, which served to create a completely different dish than the original, I'm going to take a little credit for here.


The salad was a perfect accompaniment. Decent salad produce in winter--like tomatoes, cucumbers and greens--is thin on the ground and tends to be bland or mushy. Cabbage makes for a wonderful alternative as it retains its crunchy glory in the cold months. The color of purple cabbage and orange carrots is also a welcome change from the drab grays of the winter skies and snowy unplowed streets.

The idea of couscous mostly came from my overwhelming need for something new and different. In other words: I'm tired of rice...but, it would suit this meal perfectly well.







Bloody Chutney Chicken









for the marinade:

1 tsp dried coriander, crushed
1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
dijon mustard, preferably whole seed [enough to coat chicken]


for the caramelized onions:

olive oil
1/2 medium onion, cut into thin rings


for the sauce:

2 blood oranges, peeled and chopped into large chunks
1 c chicken stock
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, julienned
1-1/2 tbsp mango chutney
pepper
salt

1/2-lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c almonds, coarsely chopped


directions:

1. marinate the chicken
a. put all the marinade ingredients together in a plastic bag and shake to combine.
b. put the chicken in the bag and shake to coat. if there is not enough marinade, add more of everything, particularly the mustard.

2. make the caramelized onions
a. put some oil in a saucepan [2-3 tbsp] and turn the heat to medium-high.
b. when the oil is hot, add the onions. stir and cover. let cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are very soft and brown. be careful not to burn them.

3. make the sauce
a. in a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients except the oranges and stir until smooth.
b. add the orange chunks.

4. cook the chicken
a. put some oil in a large pan and turn the heat to medium-high.
b. when oil is hot, add the chicken. brown both sides. be careful not too cook it too much as the chicken will dry out.
c. turn the heat to low-medium and add the sauce. bring to a simmer, cover, and let cook until chicken is done [about 10 minutes]. stir occasionally.

5. serve
a. put the chicken on a plate and pour sauce over it, making sure to get some of the orange chunks.
b. put some of the caramelized onions on top and sprinkle with chopped almonds.







Cabbage Carrot Salad
[note: if you can, start this up to two hours early. if not, make this first and let it sit while you're making the other dishes. dress it at the very end]







1/2 head purple and/or white cabbage, julienned
3 medium carrots, grated or julienned
lemon juice
olive oil
pepper
salt

directions:

1. drain the vegetables [preferably done 2 hours before, but not necessary]
a. put the cabbage and the carrots in a strainer and put the strainer in the sink or in a bowl.
b. sprinkle a lot of salt on the vegetables and toss to coat. let sit up to 2 hours. the salt will pull water from the vegetables and collect below the strainer.
c. thoroughly wash the salt off with water and toss to get rid of the excess water

2. dress the salad
a. squeeze a lemon and add pour the juice, along with some olive oil and some pepper, over the vegetables. toss to coat. if not serving immediately, keep in the refrigerator.










Lemon Scented Couscous








1/4 c water or stock
1/4 c couscous
zest of 1 lemon
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped

directions:

1. bring the water or stock to a boil in a small saucepan.
2. turn off the heat, add the lemon zest and couscous. stir and cover. let sit 5 minutes.
3. add parsley and fluff couscous with a fork.

it's bloody supreme!



Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.

small town fiesta.

Just in case a giant pineapple pancake wasn't enough to satiate your pineapple-y needs, I'm back with some more pineapple deliciousness:

Early in January, I took a little trip down to Small Town, West Virginia to visit the Paleobotanist and his family. It was a good time, unexpectedly filled with superb weather, loads of outside time, a day full of geology with the utterly fantastic Mr. Roy, a splendid dress shirt marked down from $24 to $2.99 [or "only 2 dollars!" as the Paleobotanist would say...he's not so good at rounding numbers], an exciting discovery of the Papduke's long lost Comstock Premium Strawberry Pie Filling aaaaaand some cooking!

One such escapade, uhh I mean culinary adventure, resulted in a TexMex fiesta.

Now, the thing about Small Town, West Virginia is that you can never be sure what ingredients you'll be able to find at the store on any given day. For example, one day we were looking for parsley and couldn't find it...but we did find wonton and egg roll wrappers--wha??

So, on the way back from the closest mall [in Cumberland, MD--an hour away], we decided not to risk it at the local supermarket and stopped at the BIG grocery store. It stocks a lot of ethnic foodstuffs, including tons of great Latin ingredients--apparently, there are a lot of Mexican workers are the local chicken factory, so the demand is there--like jicama!, yucca!, key limes!, mango! Since we'd decided to do TexMex, this was a lucky find.

After getting stuck in some major traffic, we made it back home and got down to cooking. Our menu was made up a bit haphazardly, but it sounded good to us:

Enchiladas
Salad
Guacamole
Red Rice

Sounds pretty basic, right? HaHA! That, my friend, is where you are w-r-o-n-g.

The enchiladas were probably the most interesting, in terms of flavors. In addition to chicken and cheese, we filled those tortillas with a delectable concoction of caramelized purple onions, red peppers, and--bum bum buuuum--pineapple! We also made our own enchilada sauce, which tasted better than from a can.

The salad was also a little different--Jicama, Corn, and Black Bean Slaw--and it was ubereasy to make.

The guacamole and red rice were just traditional sides, but they sure did hit the spot. Altogether, it was a pretty successful menu.

So here you are, recipes for a TexMex feast:











Sweet and Sour Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas








for the enchilada sauce:

1 can tomato sauce (preferably, no salt added)
1 tomato, diced
1/2 c + chicken stock
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika, sweet not hot
pepper
salt


for the enchilada filling:

1/2 large purple onion, sliced into 1/2 rounds
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 length strips
1/4 pineapple, cut into small cubes
1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, boiled then shredded
cheese, any kind, grated

corn or flour tortillas


directions:

1. make the chicken
a. bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
b. add whole chicken breasts, boil until cooked through.
c. put breasts in a large bowl and let cool, then use two forks and shred the chicken

2. meanwhile, make the enchilada sauce
a. heat some oil in a saucepan, and all add spices [except salt and pepper] and cook until fragrant [about 30 seconds to 1 minute].
b. add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. add salt and pepper to taste.
c. let mixture simmer until it thickens slightly or until you're ready to use it--it doesn't matter too much, just let the flavors meld a bit.

3. make the sweet and sour filling
a. saute the onion, pepper, and pineapple in a pan with a bit of oil or butter until very tender

4. make the enchiladas [note: if using corn tortillas, warm them up in the oven or microwave for 15-30 seconds, otherwise they will break when you try to wrap them]
a. cover the bottom of a glass baking dish with a bit of the enchilada sauce. the size of the dish will depend on how many enchiladas you want to make--they should be packed in tight.
b. for the enchiladas:
i. start by spreading some sauce on the tortilla
ii. put some of the veggies and chicken along a center axis
iii. sprinkle with some cheese
iv. roll up tightly and place in the pan
v. repeat
c. when the pan is filled, cover with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with lots of cheese.
d. cover with foil and bake at 375F for 30 minutes. remove the foil and let the cheese melt. then serve--a wide spatula works best!










Jicama-Corn-
Black Bean Slaw










1-1/2 c fresh corn kernels or 1 14-oz can corn
1-1/2 c rehydrated dry black beans or 1 14-oz can black beans
1 small jicama, peeled and sliced into small spears
1 lime
salt
pepper

[note: for the canned corn and black beans, I recommend organic or Trader Joe's brand because I think they taste best and have good texture, but anything will work]


directions:

1. put corn, black beans, and jicama in a bowl.
2. squeeze lime over top, getting out all the juice
3. add salt and pepper to taste.
4. if not eating immediately, put in the fridge.



Red Rice

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 c rice
1-1/2 c chicken stock
oil
salt
pepper


directions:

1. heat oil in a saucepan, saute onion and pepper until onion is translucent and pepper is tender.
2. add cumin and tomato paste, saute 30 seconds.
3. add rice, fry 1 minute.
4. add chicken stock, bring to a boil. reduce heat, cover pot, let simmer until done.



Easy Peasy Guacameasy

1+ avocado, cut into large cubes
1/4 medium purple onion, diced finely
1/2 small bell pepper, chopped finely [optional]
a handful of grape tomatoes or 1 medium tomato, chopped finely [optional]
jalepeno, chopped [to taste, optional]
lime juice
salt
pepper

[note: a few tricks for keeping avocado from going brown--a. if you are only using half of an avocado, keep the pit stuck in the other half, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate; b. put the pit in your guacamole and make sure to use an acid like lemon or lime juice]

directions:
1. put everything together in a bowl.
2. mash lightly with a fork or the back of a spoon, until combined but still chunky

yum!

Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.

the right way to start a new year.

Well, as I said, since getting back from Turkey I sure have been cooking an awful lot. I must say, it's been nice to have access to ingredients outside of those of Turkish cuisine. Sure, you can get some stuff there that is uncommon in Turkish cooking but man-oh-man they cost and arm and a leg!

Unfortunately, however, I returned to the US at the end of the fall season, which means I missed out on a lot of good summer foods that can't be found in Turkey [I'm not talking tomatoes and cucumbers here--my hankering for perfect salad produce was well satiated while I was there]. Instead, I was amidst lots of squash and potatoes. Good things, don't get me wrong, but things that I quickly get sick of.

Now, a North American winter is never a good time for most fresh produce [if you're up north and out east, that is], but one of my favorite things about this time of year is that it's citrus season! Unlike tomatoes and cucumbers, citruses are relatively resilient and the crops sent north from Florida are still good. When I was in college, my grandma used to send me a crate of Honeybell oranges from Florida every year. I loved it--grandma has always been a good and clever present giver--and there was no way I was sharing those delicious, juicy orbs with anyone.

But there's so much more to citrus season than oranges: grapefruits, limes, blood oranges, pommelos, tangerines--the perfect crops for breakfast ambrosias, pies, baked citruses, and southewestern feasts!

Then, of course, there are some fruits in season that aren't technically citrus but which I put in the same category, like kiwi and kumquat, star fruit and papaya. Also delicious alternatives in the winter.

I will admit, though, one of my all-time favorite winter fruits is not a winter fruit. You can find it all year long but its true season is March-July. Nonetheless, I have always associated it, ironically, with both the deep of winter and the deep of summer.

So, when the cold winter smacked my face this year, I broke my rules of eating seasonally...and I used a pineapple.

Yes, the pineapple. Most refreshing when chilled in the summer but sometimes wonderful in the winter, I desperately love the pineapple. I love cutting a quarter and eating it like a slice of watermelon, which always results in sticky face, sticky hands, and a satisfied tongue of tastebuds.

I woke up on New Year's Day morn intent on making pancakes. So, off of my cookbook shelf came my go-to pancake guide [thank you L. Montayne in 10th grade]: Pancakes A-Z. Flipping through the book, I came upon a recipe for baked pineapple pancakes and it got the seriously rusty gears in my brain a-turnin' turnin' turnin'.

I remembered that we had half a pineapple left in the fridge, but I wasn't really interested in a baked pancake--too pineapple-upside-down-cakey and too long to cook. So, I modified the recipe a bit, using another pancake batter from one of my favorite cookbook collections--The Best American Recipes series--and voila! Ten minutes later I had:

The Giant Pineapple Pancake

note: the batter recipe calls for buttermilk BUT there's an easy replacement: mix 1 cup milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice or white distilled vinegar. let sit for 5 minutes before using.

for the batter:
(this recipe is based on Marion Cunningham's Buttermilk Pancakes found in The 150 Best American Recipes)

1 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 lg egg
1 c buttermilk or 1 c milk mixed with 1 tbsp lemon juice (see above note)
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted


for the pancakes:

a pat of butter
slices of pineapple


directions:

1. make the batter
a. sift flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. add the egg and the buttermilk.
b. stir the ingredients together with a fork or whisk until all the flour is incorporated. don't overmix! the batter will be lumpy.
c. add the butter and mix it in quickly until just absorbed.

2. caramelize the pineapple
a. cut pineapple into triangles, cubes, lumps--whatever you like!--and set aside.
b. melt the butter in the pan. put the pineapple pieces in the melted butter and cook until they begin to caramelize.

3. make the pancake
a. pour pancake batter into the heated pan until it covers the pineapple pieces completely.
b. let the pancake sit, over medium heat, until the edges start to get pockmarked and the surface begins to dry out slightly.
c. flip the pancake and cook on the other side until lightly browned.

4. repeat the process or use the rest of the batter to make small regular pancakes
note: if making multiple pancakes, keep them warm in the oven. before beginning, preheat the oven to 200F and put an oven-proof plate or Pyrex pan on the rack. when a pancake is finished cooking, put it in the oven!

Great with a glass of oj and topped by maple syrup, jam, or lemon and sugar!





Ok, so, the pictures don't look so wonderful, I know. But trust me, these were great. I mean, I was tired and kind of not thinking very well, so it was amazing that these even came out in some edible form. Seriously, though, these came out better than I even expected. Delicious.






It was just what I wanted on New Year's Day--great tasting and so easy! Try them out; hopefully you'll like them more than this punkmonkey kid did:

Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.