Asparagus Bread Pudding

About two weeks ago the Robber and I went to Whole Foods to buy him some chicken and I came across some asparagus bread pudding in the hot foods section and thought it looked delicious so I bought a little square to try it. The Robber said, "Oh that is a you food" by which he meant "This looks strange but it might turn out to be good." Hmmmmmph. I said. Hmmmmmph. And of course in the end the Robber loved it enough that I thought I should replicate it at home and this is how I did it. I looked at a few recipes online and then just kind of made things up as I went and was fairly pleased with the result, as was the Robber.

Next time I'll increased the liquid by 1/2 cup because this was a little bit dry and I won't precook the vegetables. As the Robber said, "If you make this again, I would be happy."

Ingredients:

1 lbs. bread, cut into 1/2-1" cubes and left overnight to dry out (alternately you can dry them out in the oven at 150F)

2 lbs asparagus, cut on the diagonal into 1" pieces

1 C. sliced green beans

1 C. buttermilk

1/2 C. chicken broth

1 C. heavy whipping cream

6 eggs

2 tsp. salt

6 oz. soft goat cheese

12 oz. feta cheese

Slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Prepare bread as above. I used sourdough hoagie rolls and thought they were quite delicious in the pudding.

2. In the blender, combine buttermilk, broth, cream, eggs, salt, and cheeses. Blend until smooth.

3. Pour egg mixture over bread cubes in large bowl. Allow to soak for minimum of 15 minutes, submerging the cubes entirely in the liquid mixture.

(Here I sauted the green beans and asparagus until slightly tender, but I wouldn't do that again.)

4. Preheat the oven to 375F. When oven is hot, scoop 1/2 of the bread mixture into an ungreased 9 x 13 glass baking pain. Spread 1/2 of vegetables over bread mixture. Repeat with second half of bread mixture and then vegetables. Generously sprinkle slivered almonds over the top of the pudding.

5. Bake at 375F for 45 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to sit 15 minutes before removing from pan. Serve warm.

Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb

This is another Robber recipe that has been sitting around waiting to be blogged since the Passover. We had a couple over from our ward for Seder and did a smaller version of what we have done at home for a long time. This was the Robber's contribution-- his first experience cooking lamb-- and he did such a good job with it! He grilled the lamb and it was delicious! We save his inspiration here for posterity.

From Simply Recipes:

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/grilled_butterflied_leg_of_lamb/

Ingredients:

1 boneless leg of lamb, 5 to 6 lbs, butterflied

1/2 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and diced

2 T. fresh chopped rosemary leaves or 1 T. dried

Zest of 1 lemon

1 T. apple cider vinegar

2 T. olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Chop onion, garlic, and rosemary finely and combine with lemon zest, vinegar and olive oil to create marinade. 

2. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper over the lamb. Place marinade and lamb in 1-gallon freezer bag. Spread marinade over all sides of the meat. Seal the bag and refrigerate 1-2 hrs.

3. Remove lamb from refrigerator and let come to room temp (about 20 min.) Remove lamb from marinade bag and insert a few skewers through the lamb, crosswise. 

4. Prepare grill. If using gas grill, begin by heating grill on high on all burners. Place lamb, fat side down, on the grill. Sear one side for 4 min, then flip the lamb over to sear the other side for another 4 min. Lower the heat to low, goal temp 300-350F. Cover the grill and let cook for an additional 35-45 minutes until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast registers a minimum of 130F (for medium rare).

5. Transfer to a cutting board with a well to catch the juices. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest 5-10 min. Remove skewers. Cut across the grain, 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices. (This recipe's authors recommend serving with mint jelly.)

Yield: Serves 8-10. 

Carmelized Onion and Goat Cheese Cornbread

I made this with the Robber to eat with Pluto's ratatouille as part of our favorite cornbread and ratatouille meal. Smitten Kitchen is right: the goat cheese doesn't really stand out and the texture of the cornbread is more cakey and moist than dry like a traditional cornbread. Truthfully I like my standard cornbread better with the ratatouille flavors, but this cornbread had a hold on me. I couldn't stop snacking on it. I made it in a 9 x 13 glass pan and left out the corn. I loved the onions on the top and would double them in the future, but the Robber didn't care for them and would leave them out in the future. Hrrrmmmm. Oh well. I definitely won't be making this every time I make cornbread because it is so much more work than my standard recipe, but I won't be forgetting about it either!

From Smitten Kitchen:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/03/caramelized-onion-and-goat-cheese-cornbread/

Ingredients:

1 C. coarse cornmeal

2 C. buttermilk

1-2 T. oil, butter or a combination thereof

1 C. onion in a 3/4-inch dice

1 3/4 C. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 T. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

6 ounce log of soft goat cheese, at room temperature

2 T. honey

1/4 C. granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 T. unsalted butter, melted

Optional: 2 1/2 C. fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 T. bacon fat, vegetable oil or butter

Directions:

1. The night before baking the cornbread, soak the cornmeal in the buttermilk. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight. (I just mixed them together at the beginning and let sit while preparing the rest of the ingredients.)

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

3. Heat a large saute pan to medium and coat the bottom with 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil, butter or a combination thereof. Add the onions and cook them until they’re well-caramelized with browned edges. Season with salt and set aside.

4. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. (Or you can do this while you are cooking the onions.)

5. In a large mixing bowl, beat the goat cheese until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and scraping down the bowl between each. (It may look a little curdly at this point, don’t worry. It all comes back together in the oven.) Add the melted butter, honey, sugar and cornmeal/buttermilk mixture and mix until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir until combined and then gently stir in the corn kernels, mixing them until the ingredients are evenly distributed.

6. Place one tablespoon of bacon fat, vegetable oil or butter in a 10 inch round cake pan (you can also use a cast-iron skillet, 9 by 13-inch baking pan or a 12-inch square pan). Place the pan in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, until the fat gets very hot. With good pot holders, remove the pan and tilt it to grease the corners and sides. Pour in the batter, spreading it evenly and sprinkle the caramelized onion evenly over the top.

7. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cornbread is firm and springing (the baking time will depend on the size and type of pan) and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before slicing it into squares or wedges. Serve immediately.

Sloppy Dans

Is it traitorous to post a friend's top secret recipe online even if it is a place that no one else online looks except you?

Just wondering. This recipe belongs to J.B. who recently departed us for Idaho and bequeathed me this lovely gift. It comes to her by way of Dan himself, a dear friend of J.B. and original maker of Sloppy Dans. I have multiple times been the glad consumer of these delicious take on sloppy joes and will be, again, when we reunite. J.B., don't hate me if you find this. I only post it out of great love, because if I post it here, I will use it forever.

Ingredients:

1-1.5 lbs. ground beef, browned

1 can tomato sauce

1-1.5 C. ketchup

1/2 - 3/4 C. mustard

1/2 - 1 C. brown sugar

1 tsp. vinegar

Variety of hot sauces (3-4 different kinds including Tabasco)

Directions:

1. Combine browned beef and sauce ingredients. Simmer 45 min - 1 hour.

2. Smother over rolls and serve!

Pear Butterscotch Pie

My Blogger everything just changed and I don't know how to find my dashboard anymore. Ah well. This pie came and went in a blink of an eye, made for a Saturday evening picnic with Team M the night before M went into labor. I'm hoping the pie wasn't the cause of Baby E. wanting to get out. The thing about this pie was that it was very, very good but the pear and the butterscotch were distinct from each other as opposed to making some whole unified flavor. I can't decide if I love it enough to make it over apple pie, but it was delicious and different from the other pear pie recipe on this blog which I have now made multiple times. 

Notes: The crust recipe was enough like my own crust recipe that I won't post it here, just note that I added 2 T. sugar to the usual crust and used butter instead of shortening, as I like butter better with the pears. I also peeled the pears and then macerated them in about 1/2 C. lemon juice + 1/2 C. sugar in a strainer to allow the juices out. Then I slowly mixed in about half of the brown sugar mixture in with the fruit while still in the strainer for additional liquid removal and I thought the pie was the right amount of juicy. Not too liquidy on the first day and perfect the second day. I also sprinkled the top with turbinado sugar, so good! If I make this again I think I will double the spices (why I didn't this time who knows) and macerate the pears the same way again.

From A Hint of Honey:

http://www.ahintofhoney.com/2010/01/pear-butterscotch-pie.html

Ingredients:

1 recipe unbaked pie crust

For the filling:

3 T. all-purpose flour 

1 tsp. cinnamon 

1/4-1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg

1/8 tsp. salt 

1/2 C. packed dark brown sugar 

2 1/2 lb. firm-ripe Bartlett pears (about 6), peeled, cut into 6-8 wedges, and cored 

1 T. fresh lemon juice 

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 

1 T. unsalted butter, cut into bits 

Optional for topping of the pie:

1 large egg, beaten + 1 Tbsp. warm water 

1 tablespoon organic cane sugar

Directions:

1. Prepare pie dough and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and brown sugar, making sure break up any lumps. Add the pears, lemon juice, and vanilla and gently toss to coat. Let stand 5 to 15 minutes to macerate fruit (see Notes above.)

3. Roll out prepared pastry dough on a lightly floured surface into two 13-inch rounds. Fit one half into the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish, trimming the edges if necessary.

4. Transfer the filling to the shell. Top with the second rolled out pastry, trim, and pinch the edges to seal. Lightly brush the top with some of the egg wash. Using a sharp knife cut three long vents in the top. Sprinkle the crust with sugar. 

5. Place pie on hot baking sheet and bake in 425F oven for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 F and continue baking until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 30-40 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before slicing.  

Soft Yogurt Sandwich Rolls

When I told the Robber I was making a new roll recipe he said, aghast, "Why are you betraying your ancestors?" It is true that my family's regular roll recipe is so delicious that to turn from it to even one more recipe seems extreme, but I am the kind of cook that likes having two or three options for every one dish-- at least at this point in my life. And the description of these rolls seemed so enticing, and the way of making it relatively easy, that I was suckered in-- with good results. These rolls are delicious and soft and excellent for sopping up delicious beef stroganoff sauce at a picnic. They are denser than my regular rolls and chewier. I think I'll keep them in the mix because they are good and because they use alternate ingredients-- yogurt and honey instead of milk powder and eggs-- which may come in handy on a milk-powderless day.

From A Hint Of Honey:

http://www.ahintofhoney.com/2009/04/soft-yogurt-sandwich-rolls.html

Ingredients:

3 1/2-4 1/2 C. all-purpose flour (white or wheat, I used 4 C. total before kneading)

1 T. active dry yeast

3 T. honey

1 C. warm water

1 C. plain yogurt (nonfat is fine, so is Greek)

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the honey and the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast on the top of the surface and let sit for 10 minutes, until slightly foamy. Stir in yogurt, oil, salt and alternately with the flour (I stirred in two cups of flour with the salt, then the yogurt and oil, then the remaining flour).

2. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding additional flour if necessary to prevent sticking, until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

3. Turn risen dough out of bowl and onto a lightly floured surface. Gently deflate, pressing into a rectangle. Divide dough into a dozen even pieces. Shape each piece into a round roll. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or coated with cooking spray. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise for 25 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until rolls are golden on the top and the bottom. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container or in the freezer.

Yield: One dozen rolls.

Banana Bread

I have an .... ambivalent/hate relationship with banana bread. If you give it to me, I will sometimes like it, often feel very meh about it, often hate it, very rarely find it blissful. I've never met a banana bread recipe I loved, but then I haven't gone looking. But the Robber has gone sick on me this week, and his sick state he keeps calling out for "a pastry, I just want a pastry." When pushed and prodded, it turns out a "pastry" is better known as "a banana walnut muffin" or "French bread." So today I scrolled through my recent favorite food blogs, made a list of "pastries"-- ie banana containing bread products, bought a bunch of bananas, and let the Robber who had stayed home sick pick which recipe he wanted made, and this one is the one that won out.

So, banana bread. This banana bread was good-- meaning it was moist, and sweet but not too sweet (I hate dry, bland banana bread and also uber too sweet banana bread) so in those ways it was a winner. And what I loved was the carmelized bananas and the top crust-- I could just eat that and be happy. But I was still on the whole underwhelmed. Perhaps that will always be true of banana bread for me. Although I do have memories of a coconut banana bread my mom made a few times that was amazing-- at least in my nostalgic memory. Anyway. The Robber didn't like the crust but did like the cake so if we make this again we should cut a horizontal slice 1/3rd of the way down and I'll eat the top and he can have the bottom.

Notes: I tried the whole microwave the banana thing and no liquid came out. Hrmmm. Oh well. Oh and I added walnuts for the Robber's sake. He loved them.

From Cook's Illustrated by way of Annie:

http://annies-eats.com/2010/08/30/banana-bread/

Ingredients:

1¾ C. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

6 large, very ripe bananas (about 2¼ lbs.), peeled

8 T.. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

2 large eggs

¾ C. packed light brown sugar (I used dark)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. granulated sugar

Optional: 1 C. chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Lightly spray a loaf pan (about 9 x 5 inches) with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt; whisk together and set aside.

2. Place 5 bananas in a microwave safe bowl; cover with plastic wrap and make several slits in the wrap to act as steam vents. Microwave on high until the bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bananas to a fine mesh strainer set over a medium bowl and let drain, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes (you should have ½-¾ cup liquid).

3. Transfer the reserved banana liquid to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to about ¼ cup, 5-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. In a large bowl, combine the bananas and the reduced banana liquid. Mash with a potato masher or whisk until fairly smooth.

4. Whisk in the melted butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the banana mixture. Fold together gently, just until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula.

5. Slice the remaining banana diagonally into ¼-inch thick slices. Layer the banana slices along both sides of the top of the batter, leaving a couple of inches in the center to allow an even rise. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the assembled loaf.

6. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55-75 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool at least 15 minutes in the pan before removing. Continue to cool and serve warm or at room temperature.

Turkey Pot Pie With Cheddar Biscuit Crust

We have had leftover turkey sitting around in the freezer since Thanksgiving and it was high time that we got around to using it. I love a good pot pie, so when I ran across this recipe I was a happy girl. The Robber was less enthusiastic... but you know how he is. He comes around when confronted with the actuality of the delicious dish. I wasn't as in to the cheesy biscuit crust, but the Robber chomped on it and peeled off and ate the extra cheese, so it looks like we're stuck with it. Although if I make this again I think I'll go unhealthy and use white flour, the wheat is just too ponderous. This isn't interesting from a spice perspective, but it is warm and hearty and feels comforting, just like a pot pie should.

I made this in my geranium pot, which did just fine in the oven.

From Gourmet Magazine via a Hint of Honey:

http://www.ahintofhoney.com/2009/11/turkey-pot-pie-with-cheddar-biscuit.html

Ingredients:

For the filling:

4 C. roasted turkey meat, cut into small pieces

3 1/2 C. turkey stock (I just used chicken stock)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1-2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, diced

1/2 tsp. dried thyme (or 1 tsp. fresh)

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter

8 oz. mushrooms, cleaned and quartered (omitted these)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

10 oz. frozen baby peas, thawed (used the whole 16 oz. bag)

For the crust:

2 C. whole wheat pastry flour (white whole wheat or all-purpose can be used)

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1- 1 1/2 C. extra-sharp Cheddar, grated

1/2 C. Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

6 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 1/4 C. well-shaken buttermilk

Directions:

1. To make the filling, cook onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, and thyme in butter with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 12-inch-wide shallow pot (3- to 4-quart), over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are almost tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, uncovered, stirring, until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. (Maybe I didn't chop the potatoes small enough? But I had to cook everything, covered, for much longer before they softened enough.)

2. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in stock, scraping up any brown bits, and bring to a boil, stirring, then simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in turkey, peas, and salt and pepper to taste. At this point it can be refrigerated and reheated over low heat just before topping with biscuit crust. (Because my vegetables took longer, I mixed up the crust while they were cooking and was ready to go to the oven as soon as the veggies were done.)

3. Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.

4. To make the biscuits, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl. Add cheeses and toss to coat. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir just until a dough forms. Drop biscuit dough onto filling in large mounds, leaving spaces between biscuits.

5. Bake in preheated oven until biscuits are puffed and golden brown and filling is bubbling, 25 to 35 minutes. (You can sprinkle extra Cheddar cheese on top for the last few minutes of baking.) Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: Serves 8.