Quick Dilly Garlic Pickles

Love these little guys.  Let them hang out for 24 hours and boom. Done.  These can be canned, but will keep in an airtight container for as long as an opened jar of store bought ones.  I rinse them, and refresh the brine before storing to prevent them from getting too salty and soggy.

Cut them into spears, halves or rounds.  Use cucumbers, asparagus, string beans….whatever.

Recipe for small batch pickles

1 large English cucumber or small pickling Kirby cukes

1 cup white vinegar (not white wine, just the plain cheap stuff)

1 ½ Tbsp salt or 2 ½ Tbsp kosher salt*

Pinch crushed red pepper

4 garlic cloves, smashed

5-6 sprigs of fresh dill, cleaned

5.5 cup Tupperware

*Note on salt:  Since this is a quick pickling process and I did not can these, I used regular table salt.  You can use pickling salt if you are going to can your pickles.  The only difference between the two is that pickling salt won’t make your brine cloudy.

1.    Cut cucumber in half and then quarter each half.  Or cut cucumber into rounds.  Set aside.

2.    Crush garlic with the flat side of a large chef’s knive and remove peel.

3.    Layer cucumbers with garlic and dill sprigs in a container that holds 5.5 cups.

4.    Heat vinegar in a glass measuring cup for 2 minutes.  Add salt and mix until dissolved.

5.    Pour brine over pickles and add pinch of red pepper flake.  Pour enough water over mixture until pickles are just covered.

6.    Pop the lid onto your container and give it a good swirl.  Place in the refrigerator overnight for best results.

7.    The next day, if the pickle tastes too salty or briny, drain liquid and refill container with enough water to cover pickles and 1 Tbsp white vinegar.  If you’re happy with them, leave them in the brine.  Either way, they’re ready to eat at this point.  Keep them stored in the fridge for as long as you would keep any pickles in an opened jar.

Enjoy!
MJM

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Seattle Snow Day Chili

This is a basic recipe that I always tweak.  I’m always changing the amounts of seasonings depending on the day.  For a more smokey flavor, use more of the smoked paprika and chipotle.  Swap out the jalapeno for a serrano or habanero if you like more heat.  I add roasted corn sometimes and maybe less beans if I serve it over rice or grains. Make it vegetarian with greens and all beans. Just make it yours. 

2 ½ lbs ground beef or turkey

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1-2 tsp sweet smoked paprika

*1 seeded chipotle chili plus 1-2 tsp adobo sauce

*1 seeded jalapeno, minced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

15 ounces diced tomatoes

15 ounces pinto beans

15 ounces black beans

2 cups stock (approx)

Salt and pepper

* Adds heat to chili; add less or more depending on spicy preference.  Chipotles in adobo sauce are found in most grocery stores either canned or jarred.

Standard sides:

Lime wedges

Avocado, diced

Cilantro- if you’re into it

Pepper jack, cheddar cheese

Sour cream

·        Use canned beans if you don’t have time for dried, but the texture and taste is better when you use dried.  For a quick soak:

o       Place beans in medium saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a rapid boil and cook on high for 15 minutes. 

o       Turn off heat and allow beans to soak for 1 hr

o       Drain and rise beans and add to chili until tender

1.    In a braising pan or large pot over medium high heat, sauté onions, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder and cumin in olive oil until fragrant.  Mix in chipotle and adobo sauce.

2.    Add turkey or beef and break apart in pan.  Mix to combine all ingredients.

3.    Add diced tomatoes and cook until meat is mostly cooked through.

4.    Add beans and enough stock until desired consistency is reached.

5.    Simmer on low for another 25 minutes until meat is completely cooked through and flavors have melded.  Taste and adjust any of seasonings.  Add more stock if you like.

6.    Serve on its own or over steamed quinoa, rice or other grain.

7.    Squeeze a little lime over top before adding cheese, sour cream and top with diced avocado and chopped cilantro.

With a glass of Malbec, this is even better.

Enjoy!

MJM

In does, in fact, snow in Seattle

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Insanely Delicious Roasted Garlic Potato Bread

Prep time: 35 minutes

Resting time: 2 hours and 40 minutes

Baking time: 35 minutes per two loaves. Yields 4 small loaves

1 whole head garlic

3 cups lukewarm water

2 packets yeast (or 1 ½ Tbsp)

2 tsp salt

1 ½ Tbsp sugar

1 cup mashed potato                                 

6 cups bread flour (King Arthur flour is my favorite)

Cornmeal for baking

Equipment: Stand mixer or food processor, pizza peel and pizza stone

1. Place pizza stone on the middle rack of your oven.

2. Wrap the garlic in aluminum foil and roast for 30 minutes in a 400°.  When cool, cut off the top of the head and squeeze out the garlic cloves.  Set aside

3. In stand mixer bowl, (at least 5 quart) fitted with dough hook, food processor (14 cup) fitted with dough blade or large mixing bowl: mix yeast, salt, sugar, mashed potato and roasted garlic with the water.

4. Slowly, add the flour until fully incorporated.

5. Cover, loosely, with plastic wrap (not airtight) and allow dough to rest at room temperature for about 2 hours.  Dough will rise and then collapse to a flattened top.

6. Liberally sprinkle cornmeal onto the pizza peel and set aside.  Heat oven to 450° and place a jelly roll pan or any lipped baking pan on rack below your pizza stone.

7. After 2 hours, lightly flour your hands and remove the dough from bowl.  Divide into 4 relatively equal pieces (about the size of a grapefruit) and form into a ball or roll into a baguette shape.

8. Place dough onto the pizza peel and let rest another 40 minutes at room temperature. Depending on how large your peel and baking stone, you may only be able to fit two loaves at a time.  Refrigerate any unbaked dough in a covered, but not airtight container for up to 3 days.

9. After 40 minutes, sprinkle flour over your loaves and slash a cross or any design with a serrated knife over top.

10.  Slide the dough off the peel onto the stone, carefully.  Pour 1 cup of warm tap water into the pan below and close the oven door quickly to prevent the steam from escaping.  This will help form a nice crusty exterior to your bread.

11. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until exterior is deep brown and firm to the touch.  Adjust your baking time if you make your loaves larger or smaller.

12. Try to allow bread to completely cool before ripping it apart.  Best served warm with extra virgin olive oil, or basically anything you have.  This bread is fantastic.

This recipe works just as well if you halve it and it freezes really well.  Bread baking is not as hard as you might think...for a simpler recipe, look back at an earlier post for Bread Baking.

Enjoy!

MJM

Recipe adapted from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.

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Oven Roasted Tomatoes

If you’re tired of tossing limp tomatoes, try this. A recipe best used when you’re planning on being home for 6-8 hours and completely worth it.

Put these guys on bread as is or with a little fresh mozzarella for a nice appetizer. Sauté them with roasted garlic and toss with macaroni and fresh basil. Puree them to make a smooth sauce. Add them to sandwiches or salads….options are endless.

It’s as easy as the ingredients:

Plum tomatoes, as many as you have
Olive oil
Garlic, depends on how much garlic you want to use
Salt
Pepper
Crushed red pepper flake (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°

1. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place cookie cooling rack on top.

2. Lightly oil rack and set aside

3. Halve the tomatoes and with your fingers, remove the seeds.

4. Place tomatoes cut side up onto baking sheets, drizzle oil and sprinkle salt, pepper and red pepper (if using)

5. Place pan in oven and leave oven door slightly ajar.  This allows the liquid to evaporate from the oven and intensify the flavor of the tomatoes.

6. After 4 hours, lower heat to 250°and continue to roast until tomatoes appear dry and shrunken.

7. While tomatoes are cooling on the rack, thinly slice as much raw garlic as you please. 

8. When tomatoes are cool, layer them with the garlic in a reusable container and cover with olive oil.  Add more red pepper flake if you like.

9. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours, best overnight, before using to get the most garlic flavor.  Or use immediately with roasted garlic.

Enjoy!
MJM

Mama Meatballs and Sauce

Back on track.  Happy cooking.

½ lb each ground veal, pork and beef (85% fat)

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 slices sandwich bread

¾ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

2 large eggs

½ cup (approx) milk

Olive oil

15-20 ounces crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

Handful of fresh basil leaves, whole

¼ (approx) of red wine- don’t overthink this

Salt, crushed red pepper flake

Preheat oven to 350

1.    In a large baking dish, add crushed tomatoes, wine and basil.  Set aside.

2.    Add all meat in a large bowl and break up to combine

3.    Add garlic, cheese, red pepper (optional) and with your hands, evenly mix into meat.

4.    Place slices of bread in a small, separate bowl and pour milk over until liquid is fully absorbed.  Break up bread into pea size pieces and add to meat.  Gently fold bread into meat.

5.    Lightly beat eggs and add to mixture, again, gently incorporating the liquid into the meat.  Do not over work your meat once you add the wet ingredients!

6.    Heat a large skillet on high and coat with olive oil.

7.    Always test your mixture before forming and cooking all the meatballs.  Place a tablespoon size of your meat into the pan and cook through.  Taste your food.  Add more garlic, cheese or salt if needed.  I don’t add salt in the beginning because of the saltiness of the cheese.  You can always add it at this point if you want.  

8.    Begin forming your meatballs and be gentle.  Do not compress the meat with your hands; carefully form the meat into the size somewhere between a golf ball and baseball.

9.    Add 8-10 meatballs at a time to the skillet and brown on all sides.  Continue in batches until meatballs are all browned, adding them to the sauced baking dish.  Finish cooking the meatballs in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes, checking after 15 minutes.

10.       Serve along side macaroni, on a hero with some fresh mozzarella or straight up.  Don't forget the sauce!

Variations: 

Add ground turkey instead of beef, which I actually prefer so long as you use dark meat ground turkey.  You need a bit of fat in these guys to make it nice.

Skip the skillet and place meatballs straight into the oven, cooking time will obviously be longer.

Enjoy!
MJM

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Baked Macaroni and Cheese

2 cups béchamel (classic white sauce)*

½ medium onion, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp paprika

2 ½ cups grated cheese (cheddar, pecorino romano and fontina)

3-4 ounces pancetta, diced; bacon also works if you like it smoky J

½ lb pasta (cavatappi, medium shells or rotini)

½ cup sautéed breadcrumbs**

4 TBS butter cut into pieces plus more for greasing baking dish

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350°

1.    Butter a deep 1 ½ quart baking dish

2.    Sauté diced pancetta over medium high heat until browned.  Set aside on paper towel to absorb any oil.

3.    Prepare white sauce and add onion, shallot, bay leaf and paprika.  Gently simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

4.    Remove from heat, remove bay leaf and stir in pancetta and about 2/3 of the cheese mixture.  Reserve the rest of the cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.

5.    Cook pasta in super salty boiling water until al dente (about 6 minutes), drain completely and place in large bow.  Stir cheese/pancetta/béchamel mixture into macaroni.

6.    Add half of macaroni mixture to baking dish and sprinkle with half of remaining cheese.  Add rest of macaroni and top with remaining cheese. 

7.    Top with breadcrumbs and dot with small pieces of butter.

8.    Bake about 30-35 minutes until top is browned and crisp and macaroni is bubbling.

* Béchamel Sauce (Yields 2 cup)

8 TBS Butter

8 TBS Flour

4 Cup milk

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Pinch nutmeg

1.    In saucepan, melt butter over medium heat

2.    Add flour and whisk until well blended

3.    Remove pan from heat and slowly whisk in milk

4.    Return pan to heat and whisk constantly until no lumps remain and mixture has thickened and is smooth (about 2 minutes)

5.    Mix in salt, pepper and nutmeg

** Sautéed Breadcrumbs

2-3 slices sandwich bread

¼ tsp salt

Pinch black pepper

Pinch cayenne pepper

2 TBS butter

1.    Toast bread until dry and crispy, allow to cool

2.    Crumble in bowl and toss with salt, pepper and cayenne

3.    Melt butter in medium frying pan over low heat.

4.    Add breadcrumb mixture and sauté until butter is absorbed and crumbs are toasted. 

5.    Spread out on paper towel and cool before using

6.    If making larger batch of breadcrumbs, use a food processor.

Enjoy!  

MJM 

Rosemary Garlic Lamb Chops

4 baby loin lamb chops

3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary

5 cloves garlic, chopped

Olive oil

Salt/pepper

Marinate Lamb Chops

Season either side of lamp chops by rubbing ¼ to ½ tsp salt and pepper into each chop.  Add meat to gallon size ziplock bag and drizzle in 3-4 tbsp olive oil, chopped garlic and rosemary sprigs.  Make sure oil and garlic is coating all the chops.

Allow to marinate at least 1 hour.  The longer, the better.

Be sure to allow the meat to come up to room temperature before cooking (about 30 minutes).  Placing cold meat into a hot pan will result in uneven cooking.

Basic Pan Roasting

   

1.    Coat bottom of pan with olive oil and heat over medium high flame.  Add rosemary sprigs from marinade to infuse the oil. 

2.    Scrape garlic from marinade and add to pan and sauté until light golden brown.

3.    Remove garlic and rosemary sprigs and reserve for later 

4.    Add more oil to pan and over high heat, add loin chops and sear undisturbed for 2 minutes.  Turn over and sear second side for another two minutes.

5.    Lower heat and cook chops for another 3-5 minutes, depending on how rare or well done you prefer your chops.  Use a meat thermometer or your finger to test the resistance of the meat.  The meat will "give" more when pressed.  For rare, I cooked these chops about 3 min per side, lowered heat to medium cooked another 3-4 minutes and rested for 10 min.   When in doubt, always err on under cooking.  Meat will continue to cook while resting and you can always throw it back in the pan.

6.    When meat is at desired temperature, let rest on cutting board for at least 10 minutes before serving.

7.    Over low heat, add garlic and rosemary back to pan to heat up and spoon over chops before serving.

Enjoy,

MJM

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Pumpkin Cookie Cakes

These cookie cakes look like small muffin tops, when they’re done baking.  These would also be great as whoopie pies with a sweet cinnamon spiced whipped cream filling

2 cups unsalted softened butter

2 cups sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

15 ounces pumpkin puree (fresh is best, canned will do)

4 cups all purpose flour

Icing

½ cup unsalted softened butter

½ cup packed dark or light brown sugar

½ cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Equipment: Stand mixer or by hand

Preheat oven to 350°

Line cookie sheets with parchment or silpat mat

For cookies:

1. Cream butter and sugars until combine.

2. Mix in eggs, vanilla and spices, scrape down the bowl.  Add pumpkin and continue mixing until all ingredients are incorporated.

3. Slowly add in flour until fully mixed in.

4. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough onto prepared cookie  sheet, leaving 2 inches space in between.  These cookies tend to spread when baking.

For icing:

1. In a small saucepan, heat butter and brown sugar until melted and smooth.

2. Pour mixture into a medium bowl, then add milk,   cinnamon and vanilla and whisk in powdered sugar. 

3. Add more powdered sugar for a frosting like texture.

4. Using a spoon or a pastry bag (if you want to be fancy), to ice the cookies. 

Store un-iced cookie cakes in an airtight container layered between wax or parchment paper.  Best if eaten within 2-3 days.

Enjoy!
MJM

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