Tag: dinner

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caramelized onion tart

Every time I have caramelized onions, I wonder why caramelization isn’t obligatory for all onions. It is just magical how onions can transform from sharp and pungent to sweet and magnificent with just a little heat and a little patience. This tart is lovely because it lets the onions shine. If you can crank out a decent pie crust, all the better. Flaky dough + creamy onions = heaven.

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You could also consider this tart a perfect opportunity to eat bacon. I’d cook the bacon first, drain off some of the fat from the pan, add a tablespoon of butter and then saute the onions in the bacon fat and butter combo. Chop up the bacon in to bits and then combine them with the onion custard before you pour it into the tart shell.

We had this tart for dinner with a salad and roasted veggies. It would also go nicely with soup or roast chicken. I had it for lunch the next day and can attest that it reheats like a dream—in the unlikely event that you have leftovers.

Simple Caramelized Onion Tart, adapted from Orangette
1/2 recipe for flaky pie dough
3 tablespoons butter
2 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced thin
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 egg
salt
pepper
pinch of nutmeg

Flaky Pie Crust 
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
about 5 tablespoons ice water

Make the pie crust the night before. In a food processor, combine flour and salt. Remove the butter from the fridge and cut into 1 inch cubes. Add them to the flour mixture. Process until the butter chunks are about the size of peas. Add the water and pulse a few times to combine. Divide into two equal balls, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

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In a heavy-bottomed pan over medium low heat, melt two tablespoons of butter. Add the onions. Caramelize the onions stirring occasionally. Depending on your stove, this will take somewhere in the neighborhood of 45 minutes.

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While your onions are caramelizing, roll out the pie dough. Put it in a 9-inch tart pan and trim off the excess. My favorite Julia Child trick for getting perfect edges on a tart is to drape the excess dough over the edges of the pan and then roll the rolling pin on top of the dough over the edges of pan. The sharp edges of the pan will cut through the dough and you can easily pull away the excess. Put the tart shell in the fridge until your onions are done caramelizing.

Whisk together the egg, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

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After the onions are a medium brown, remove them from the heat. Mix them with the egg mixture and pour into the tart pan. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes, until the top of the tart is golden brown. Unmold the tart and serve hot or let cool to room temperature and serve.

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-Emily

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sole turbot with leeks, potatoes and thyme

Make this if you have dinner guests you want to impress, but you don’t want to be stressed. It turns out so pretty with surprisingly little effort and tastes delicious. Like with all of Judy Rodger’s recipes, the quality of the ingredients is really important because there are so few of them. Find the freshest fish and the richest butter you can and you won’t be disappointed.

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Sole Turbot with Leek and Potato Stew, adapted from the Zuni Cafe Cookbook
2 – 6 oz pieces of white fish 1-1/2 inches thick (we used turbot, but sea bass or black bass are also good options)
1 lb yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 1/2 cup leeks or spring onions (we used half and half)
a few sprigs of thyme
1 cup chicken stock
a splash of dry white vermouth
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
a trickle of white wine vinegar

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Season the fish lightly with salt; set aside. Preheat your broiler and place a rack about 6 inches from it.

Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, until the potatoes are soft on the outside. Drain the potatoes well and place them in a large ovenproof saute pan. Add the leeks, thyme, chicken stock and vermouth. Set over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add four tablespoons of butter and swirl the pan to melt the butter.

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Reduce the heat to low and add the fish fillets. Baste them with the buttery broth.

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Place the fish under the broiler and cook until the surface is lightly gratineed, about 6 minutes. The liquid should be boiling. Cook a minute or two more and remove from the oven.

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Set the fish aside in a warm place. Place the saute pan on a burner over medium heat to thicken the potato stew, about 3 minutes.  Add the butter and a little white wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.  Place several ladles of the hot potato and leek stew on a plate. Top with the fish fillet and serve.

sole-potatoes-leeks-5-Emily

 

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farro salad with asparagus, green beans, cucumber and parsley

If you’re feeling that particular need to eat something healthy and full of green stuff—as we often are after a good weekend—make this. It’s a riff on tabbouleh salad and you’ll feel better after eating it. Nothing like lots of veggies and whole grains to set you right. It also keeps well in the fridge so you can enjoy it for lunch the next day if you’re still feeling the need to detox.

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The key to avoiding a bland grain salad is lots and lots of lemon juice. Also be sure to season the water that you’re cooking the grains in – it should taste like sea water.  You could make this with any assortment of veggies you have on hand. It’s a very forgiving salad.

Farro Salad with Asparagus, Green Beans and Herbs
1 1/2 cups farro (we used Trader Joe’s 10 Minute Farro, which makes this a quick meal)
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 shallot, diced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 cucumber, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 cup asparagus, cut into 1″ pieces
1 cup green beans, cut into 1″ pieces
olive oil, salt and pepper
mixed greens
goat cheese, for serving

Cook the farro according to the package directions. In a large bowl, combine chopped parsley, shallot, lemon juice and zest and cucumber.

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Put a pot of salted water to boil. Blanche the asparagus and green beens for a few minutes, until just tender. Rinse with cold water to stop their cooking. Add them to the large bowl.

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Add the farro and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add more lemon juice if necessary. Make a bed of salad greens on a plate. Spoon some of farro salad on top of the greens. Top with a little goat cheese to serve. Enjoy!

farro-asparagus-beans-3-Emily

 

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creamy pasta with dill and smoked salmon

I never used to eat fish. I basically avoided it, except for the very occasional piece of grilled salmon at a family party. Until I met Jordan. Jordan is a lover of fish. He was quick to introduce me to sushi, moules frites and smoked salmon. And, since I was very eager for him to like me, I ate them, lifelong avoidance set aside. Turns out he was right, all those fish, they deserve my love.

This particular pasta is a Jordan dish. He never failed to make it when he’d come to visit me at school or when I was home over the summer. It’s lovely all year round. One Valentine’s Day when Jordan was visiting me in D.C., we took the Metro to Eastern Market, wandered into a cooking store, splurged on our first All-Clad saute plan, and then went home to christen it with this dish. Really any pan that gets hot will do, and it’s pretty silly to buy All-Clad when you live in student housing, but that’s the story. Obviously, we still have the pan; those things are rock solid.

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Creamy Pasta with Dill and Smoked Salmon 
1 lb bow tie pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups cream
1/4 cup dill, chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
6 oz smoked salmon, cut into 1″ pieces

Put a pot of salted water to boil. In a large saute pan over medium-low, heat the butter. Saute the shallot in butter for a few minutes, until softened but not brown. Deglaze with the wine. Let the wine reduce slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and turn the heat to low. Let the sauce come to a boil and thicken, stirring often.

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Cook the pasta until al dente and drain. Turn the heat off on the sauce, add the dill and lemon juice. Toss the pasta with the sauce. Top with smoked salmon to serve.

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If you’re only cooking for two, you might want to cut this recipe in half. Sadly, this pasta does not reheat well. The cream gets absorbed by the pasta and the smoked salmon is overcooked by the time the pasta is heated through. Microwaved cream sauces really are a travesty.

-Emily

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herb-crusted rack of lamb and potatoes anna

I made this dish for Jordan’s birthday, which was over two months ago (!!!) making this post terribly delayed and me a horrendous blogger. But, lamb is always good, so why not share. This lamb turns out beautifully. The crust is delicious and compliments the perfectly medium rare and oh so tender lamb. For us, this is a special occasion dish—rack of lamb is pricey. But when you love food like Jordan loves food, birthday splurges are in order.

Don’t be scared off by the anchovies in the recipe. They compliment the slight gaminess of lamb and don’t add a fishy taste.

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Herb-Crusted Lamb Chops, adapted from Ad Hoc at Home
1 frenched 8-bone rack of lamb
kosher salt and pepper
canola oil
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2 cloves garlic confit
3 anchovy fillets (rinsed and patted dry)
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsely, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped

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Score the fat covering the lamb in a 1/2 inch crosshatch pattern with the tip of a sharp knife. Take care to not cut into the meat. Season the rack of lamb on all sides with salt and pepper.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and position one oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Line a roasting pan or baking sheet with foil and set a cooling rack in the center.  Heat some canola oil in a large pan over medium heat. Put the lamb fat side down and sear until golden brown. Transfer the lamb to the cooling rack fat side up.

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Combine mustard and honey in a small bowl; set aside. Combine butter, garlic and anchovies in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer the puree into a medium bowl and add the bread crumbs and herbs. Stir until just combined.

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Brush the fat side of the lamb with the mustard mixture. Spread the bread crumbs evenly over the lamb, pressing gently to adhere the crumbs.  Put the lamb in the oven with the meat side toward the back and cook for 25-35 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 128 degrees. Let the racks rest in a warm place for 15 – 20 minutes for medium rare lamb. Carve into two bone chops and serve.

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Potatoes Anna
1 pound yukon gold potatoes, peeled
4 tablespoons butter, cut into thin slivers
salt

I’m not really sure why these are called potatoes anna, but that is what Jordan calls them and so that is what we’ll call them here. They are his favorite way to eat potatoes and for good reason. Crispy and soft at the same time and oh so buttery—perfection in a side dish.

Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Peel and slice the potatoes unto 1/4-inch thick slices. I use a mandolin to make this faster and easier.  Arrange the potatoes in rows, slightly overlapping. Scatter thinly sliced pats of butter over the potatoes and season liberally with salt. Bake 35 – 45 minutes in a 425 degree oven, until parts of the potatoes are crispy and golden brown. Serve with roasted meats, sautéed fish, a fried egg, whatever protein you can get your hands on.

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-Emily

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garlic confit, the key to sautéed greens

This right here is how to make any leafy green more palatable. Before garlic confit, I was a very reluctant eater of cooked leafy greens. I’d pretty much avoided them since childhood—terrifying brick of spinach microwaved directly from the freezer, anyone?—and only occasionally ate them as an adult because I know they’re good for me. But since our discovery of garlic confit, I’ll happily eat them alongside any main course.

Garlic confit has all the delicious flavor of garlic without the harsh bite. It’s ridiculously easy to make and delicious in pretty much anything – vegetables, pasta, mashed potatoes, spread on bread.  Do yourself a favor, make a big batch, keep it in your fridge and bust it out anytime you’ve got a bunch of kale, spinach, chard, or mustard greens languishing. Because of our CSA, we usually have several bunches of greens on hand and make this once or twice a week.

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Garlic Confit, from Ad Hoc at Home
2 heads of garlic, peeled
1 cup flavorless oil, like grapeseed or safflower

Peel the cloves of garlic and put them in a small saucepan. Cover completely with oil, about 1 cup. Turn the heat on to very low and let the garlic simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the cloves. When the cloves are soft, it’s done. Pour garlic and garlic oil into a glass jar and store in the fridge.

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Sauteed Greens with Garlic Confit
4 cups leafy greens and stems (this will cook down significantly)
several cloves of garlic confit and its oil
salt and pepper
1/2 lemon, juiced

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Put several cloves of garlic and some of the oil in a large saute pan. Turn the heat to medium. Add your greens and let the begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. Once they’ve released some of their water and shrunken some, use tongs to stir them around. Cook another 2 minutes and turn the heat off. Season well with salt and pepper, finish with a squeeze of lemon.

-Emily

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Recipes

katie’s leek and butternut squash risotto

The thing that I love most about food is that certain dishes can be so tied to a place, to a moment, to a particular understanding of yourself, that when you taste those dishes again all of those memories come flooding back and you’re transported, regardless of how much or little time has passed. In my humble opinion, this is the one of the best reasons to record and share recipes.

Like my Nonnie’s pecan shortbread cookies, my mother’s red beans and rice, and Jordan’s steak au poivre, this risotto holds a special place in my heart. My friend Katie made it for my going away dinner before I left D.C. for Buenos Aires and again during our last year of college for an intimate dinner with a few friends. It is beautiful, seasonal and has just enough going on to keep your attention. Most of all, it is comforting and absolutely delicious. I’m thankful she gave me the recipe, along with several others from her repertoire.

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Leek and Butternut Squash Risotto, from Katie Norton
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups chicken stock
3 large leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced thinly, about 3 cups
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped finely
salt and pepper

One year ago: Braised Short Ribs
Two years ago: Alice’s Cauliflower Soup

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Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss the squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 40 minutes. You can roast the squash in advance, or do it while you’re babysitting the risotto.

Bring the stock to a simmer in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover and keep warm.

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In a large, heavy saucepan or dutch oven, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and saute until soft, but not brown. Add the rice and stir until the outside of the kernels becomes translucent, but the inside is still white. Add the wine and simmer until absorbed, stirring constantly.

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Add the stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until it is absorbed. Continue to add stock by the 1/2 cupful until the rice is tender and the mixture has thickened, stirring frequently with each addition. Once tender and creamy, add the squash, cream, parmesan and sage. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy warm!

-Emily

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Recipes

mustard chicken milanesa

Pound anything thin, coat it in bread crumbs and then pan fry it, and it’s sure to be pretty good. This chicken milanesa is better than good. Mustard, garlic, herbs and lemon zest are mixed in with the egg wash to really transform the flavor of the chicken. Instead of a being a one note dish—that one note being the glorious taste of fried food—this dish has nice depth. And as a bonus, that added depth doesn’t make it any more difficult to prepare.

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One year ago:  Tabbouleh Salad with Chicken Shish Kebab
Two years ago: Jordan’s Review of Bar Tartine & More Brownies

Mustard Chicken Milanesa, adapted from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
2 – 3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you could also use chicken breast, but we’re thigh people)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons smooth dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme (or oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 lemon, zested
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
vegetable oil for frying (we use safflower)

With a sharp knife, trim any dangling bits off the chicken thighs. The chicken thighs I used had little chicken bits hanging off which I cut off, seasoned and also battered and fried turning them into real life chicken nuggets. If you’re using chicken breasts, butterfly your chicken breasts and slice them all the way through so you have two thin slices per breast.

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With a meat pounder or a rolling pin, pound the chicken in between two pieces of plastic wrap. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the flour on one plate and the bread crumbs on another. In a small bowl, mix the egg, mustard, garlic, herbs and lemon zest. Dredge each piece of chicken lightly in flour, then heavily in the egg mixture, then generously in the bread crumbs. Place them on the baking sheet in a single layer and cover them in plastic wrap.

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Refrigerate for an hour or up to a day. The refrigeration prevents the coating from coming off when you fry it and it totally works. I thank Deb for this incredibly helpful and effective tip.

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Preheat your oven to warm. Pour 1/2″ of oil in a fry pan. Heat it over medium high heat. Cook the chicken, about 3 – 4 minutes on the first side and 2 – 3 minutes on the second side. The little chicken nuggets will cook even faster – about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and let drain briefly on paper towels. Place in the oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining chicken. Serve warm with lemon wedges, plus something green for good measure.

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-Emily

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meatloaf

Both Jordan and I were craving meatloaf last week. It had been years since we’d had it, I’d never made it, and so we decided to give it a go. For this meatloaf, we used an Italian meatball sandwich recipe as our inspiration. It was topped with a simple tomato sauce, instead of the more traditional American loaf topped with ketchup. We liked it, but you could easily swap the marinara for a combo of ketchup, sugar and worcestershire sauce. Because this recipe makes a two-pound loaf, we recommend you share it with friends.

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One Year Ago: Bacon-Wrapped Dates
Two Years Ago: Ricotta Gnocchi

Meatloaf, adapted from Tartine Bread

For the meatloaf
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup red wine
2 cups bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
a few tablespoons of assorted fresh herbs (I used mostly parsley with a bit of thyme and oregano thrown in)

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, saute the onion in the olive oil over low heat until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for a few more minutes. Remove from the heat.

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In a large bowl, mix onion and garlic mixture with the ground beef, pork, eggs, milk, cheese, wine, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, red pepper flake and herbs. Mix well so all the ingredients are evenly distributed. At this point, I like to pinch off a bit of the meat and fry it up quickly in a pan to test for seasoning. If you need more salt after testing, add a bit more.

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Press the meat mixture into a loaf pan or shape into a loaf form and place on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake for an hour at 350 degrees. You could also use the same mixture to make meatballs. Shape them into 1.5-inch balls and then bake for 20 – 30 minutes. Alternatively, you could simmer the meatballs in a tomato sauce for 30 minutes. I’d serve them with pasta or rice.

For the tomato sauce
1 – 16 oz can of whole tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup red wine
salt and pepper to taste

While the meat is cooking, you can make a quick tomato sauce to go with it. I basically just tossed all the ingredients into a sauce pan, let it simmer for 30 minutes partially-covered and then pureed it. When you take the meat from the oven, let it rest for five minutes then cut into 1/2″ slices. Spoon the tomato sauce over the meatloaf and enjoy!

Jordan suggested that for our next meatloaf we cook it on a baking sheet and pour the tomato sauce over it before baking so the sauce cooks into the meat and caramelizes along with it. Sounds promising. We’ll report back.

-Emily

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Recipes

french onion soup

A while back, we made Julia Child’s french onion soup. It was delicious, but a serious undertaking. First you make a beef stock, then you caramelize onions for a few hours, and then you make the soup. This recipe is less time intensive and uses homemade chicken stock instead of beef, which I usually have on hand. (Whole roasted chickens make up a rather large portion of our meat consumption and their little frozen carcases become stock about once a month). This soup turned out beautifully and while I don’t know if it is better than Julia’s, it’s certainly just as good.

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One Year Ago: Mock Porchetta
Two Years Ago: Nonnie’s Carrot Cake

French Onion Soup, from Tartine Bread
6 large yellow onions, cut into slices
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon duck fat (use another tablespoon of butter if you don’t have duck fat)
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups rich chicken stock
4 slices day old bread
5 oz gruyère cheese, grated

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Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F. Combine onions, cream, butter, duck fat and salt in a large saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the onions are translucent, about 15 minutes. Adjust the heat so that the onions and cream are at a slow boil. Spread the onions over the bottom of the pot and cook, without stirring, until the onions begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir the onions and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add 1/2 cup of wine to deglaze. Continue cooking the onions without stirring for another 10 minutes, until they brown again. Add another 1/2 cup of wine and scrape the bottom. Repeat this process two more times, until the soup takes on a deep caramel color.

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While you’re caramelizing the onions, toast the bread. Spread the bread in an even layer on a baking sheet and toast until dry and brittle. About 15 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the broth is well flavored by the onions, about 15 minutes. Season with more salt if needed.

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Ladle the soup into ovenproof bowls, float a piece or two of toasted bread on each serving and top with the grated gruyere cheese. Put the bowls on a baking sheet and carefully put the sheet into the oven. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and caramelized, about 20 – 30 minutes.

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This soup is delicious—simple and satisfying. I wholeheartedly recommend you bake the soup for 20 minutes with the cheesy crouton on top, instead of just topping the soup with a piece of cheesy bread. Something magical happens when you bake the soup and bread together for a while, you don’t want to miss out on it.

-Emily