Lentil and Golden Beet Salad with Gremolata

Vegetable Tuesdays has been on hiatus but that doesn't mean we (ahem the Robber) haven't been cooking. I had a baby. And am having another one in December! And in this exact moment, am in a weird decluttering moment where I want to purge my house of everything unnecessary... but it's hard. So I am going to blog some Italian recipes I found in some newspapers given to me by Angela at La Biscotteria in Redwood City. I might never make them. But then I can throw the newspapers away in peace.

So here: Lentil and golden beet salad with hazelnut gremolata. Sounds like something my oldest sister would make. From Our ItalianTable.com.

Ingredients

1 C Puy or French green lentils
2 C water or chicken broth
1 garlic clove, peeled or lightly smashed
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
8 small golden beets
1 candy cane beet, peeled and thinly shaves on a mandolin slicer
A mild Pecorino cheese such as Pecorino Toscano
Bunch of watercress or baby arugula, trimmed and washed
Zest of 1 lemon, reserving lemon for dressing
5-10 sprigs of Italian parsley, finely minced
1/2 C roasted and hulled hazelnuts, cooled and finely chopped

Directions

1. Place the lentils, broth, thyme, garlic and bay leaf in a small pot. Bring to boil and reduce to a low simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes until the lentils are al dente. Cool briefly and drain in a colander.

2. Place the beets in a heavy-bottom pot with a steamer insert. Fill the bottom with water and place the beets in the steamer. Bring to a boil and steam for 1 hour. When done, let cool enough to handle. Peel them with your hands and slice into quarters or smaller.

3. Zest 1 lemon into a work bowl and add the finely chopped parsley and hazelnuts. Season with salt and pepper and stir in a Tbsp of good quality olive oil.

4. Juice half the lemon into a bowl and add twice as much olive oil as lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Vigorously whisk. Mix the beets and lentils in a bowl and add a small amount of the dressing. Lightly toss and return to the refrigerator.

5. Lightly toss the watercress or arugula with some salad dressing and place on the serving place. Top with beet/lentil mixture. Scatter with slices of candy cane beets. Top with slices of pecorino cheese. Sprinkle with the parsley/hazelnut mixture and serve.

Pulled Pork Ala The Robber

For the Fourth of July the Robber cooked up a little pulled pork in the crockpot (his first!) because he wanted to work that day and I, being post-call, was sleeping. Errrr, trying to sleep. So anyway, he got crockpot duty. After it was done cooking we took it over to our friends the C's and ate it out on their patio, a perfectly lazy way to celebrate the Fourth. Here is what the Robber has sent me to memorialize his pulled pork process. I don't know where he found his inspiration, but maybe this will inspire him again in the future.

Ala the Robber, and in his own words.

Ingredients:

5 lb Pork Shoulder, bone in or bone out (5lb was how much I used and you saw how much it made)

A couple bottles/cans of root beer

1-2 bottles of bbq sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's because why would you use anything else?)

Optional Spices (Thyme, Sage, Pepper)--I added a dash of these, but I'm not sure it really makes a difference

1 chopped onion

Some minced garlic (about a tablespoon?)

Directions:

1) Trim fat off of pork shoulder.  I didn't do this beforehand b/c I thought it would taste better, but I think it made it much more greasy.

2) Place pork shoulder in slow cooker.  Top with onion, garlic, spices (if desired), and a good squirt or two of bbq sauce.  Pour root beer on until it covers the pork.

3) Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or so.  Can also try high and go for less time if you're in a rush.  I think I did high for the first 2 hours and then low for another 4 or 5.

4) Remove pork to separate bowl (should be falling apart by this point).  Discard root beer (you can save the onions and put them back in with the pork after shredding or you can chop up a fresh onion and put it in with the pork).  

5) Shred pork with forks.  Mix in the bbq sauce to taste (I used 1 and 1/2 bottles maybe).

6) Place pork back in slow cooker and heat until it starts bubbling.  Be careful cause the bottom can burn, so maybe stir it occasionally?

7) Serve!

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.

Mom's Lasagna

I haven't made this yet, but I'm going to blog the recipe so that I don't lose it in my email archives. This lasagna is so good I really can't eat anyone else's lasagna, it just tastes inferior.

From Mom. No website involved.

Ingredients:

12 lasagna noodles

1 lbs. ground beef

Chopped onion, to taste

Chopped bell pepper, to taste

3 small cans tomato sauce

Thyme, oregano, basil, parsley, other herbs to taste

1 tsp. salt

2 lbs. ricotta cheese

1 lbs. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 C. shredded parmesan cheese

1 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

Directions:

1. Boil 12 lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse thoroughly with cold water and lay out in a single layer on waxed paper to drain.

2. Scramble ground beef, drain, stir in and cook until limp minced onion and bell pepper to taste. Stir in tomato sauce and season to taste with herbs and salt.

3. Combine cheeses, additional parsley, salt, and beaten egg.

4. Spray the bottom of a glass 9x13 dish with oil. Spread a thin layer of sauce then place three unbroken noodles lengthwise in the pan. Divide the filling into three equal portions and spread one portion carefully on the noodles. I find it best to distribute the filling in small bits all over then very carefully spread the bits with a small knife to form an even layer. Carefully spread a thin layer of sauce over the filling. Put three more noodles in the dish. You can use your broken noodles for the inner layers. Repeat with the filling and sauce until you have made three layers. Put your last three unbroken noodles on the top. Cover with the remaining sauce.

5. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

6. Remove the foil and decorate the lasagna with some parmesean cheese. Bake uncovered an additional 15 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven and allow to set for 10 - 15 minutes before serving. I know you will be tempted to serve it sooner than that, but the wait really does make the lasagna easier to cut and serve. Enjoy!

Oven-Roasted Fries

From Word of Wisdom Living, some blog by some Mormon guy. There aren't that many recipes on it, mostly just health tips, but this is where I got the inspiration for my chicken enchiladas the Robber loves so much. I ran across these and they seemed to fit well into my otherwise-Annie meal. I love oven-roasted potato wedges and these didn't disappoint, but I can never seem to get my wedges crispy enough. :( Do I need to slice my potatoes thinner, or cook them at a higher temp, or make sure they are spread out more evenly? Hrmmmm.

Recipe here:

http://www.wordofwisdomliving.com/home/healthy-recipe-2-oven-roasted-fries.html

Ingredients:

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried dill weed

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, or potato of your choice

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine oil and spices (except salt and pepper). Wash the potatoes and cut into wedges, leaving the skins on. (Thinner wedges are crispier and cook faster.) Add wedges to the bowl and coat evenly. Arrange on a foil lined baking sheet, add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Roast for 30-40 minutes at 425 degrees, flipping the potatoes after 20 minutes to brown on both sides.

Sour Cherry Thyme Glaze and Glazed Ham

The Robber had never had a real Easter dinner before, and so it fell to me to provide it for him. So we made everything: ham, rolls, potatoes, salad, green beans, pie. Goodness, so delicious. For the ham I wanted to try something new, so I got this little recipe from the NYTimes. Unfortunately it was a little bit of a disappointment. Not bad-- but not my favorite either. Maybe because we used black-cherry instead of sour-cherry preserves? I thought the cherry flavor wasn't strong enough, neither was the thyme. It was all overpowered by the shallots and the mustard. Of course we didn't use sherry so the Robber substituted orange juice and ended up adding some brown sugar and it was all very strange. But in case this sounds good to somebody else and they want to try it out, here is the link and the recipe:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/20/dining/202hrex.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/20/dining/201hrex.html

Ingredients:

1½ cups sour-cherry preserves

½ cup chopped shallots

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1½ tablespoons sherry vinegar

1½ tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper

1 6- to 8-pound bone-in shank-half ham, or 15- to 17-pound bone-in whole ham, fully cooked

1 tablespoon whole cloves

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in refrigerator until needed. Making glaze a day in advance allows flavors to bloom and thickens glaze, which makes it easier to apply.

2. Place rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Trim tough rind from ham, leaving as much fat as possible. Place ham flat-side down and score the rounded side all over with diagonal cuts about 1½ inches apart and ¼-inch deep, forming a diamond pattern. In center of each diamond insert a single clove.

3. Place ham in a roasting pan and bake until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part reads 135 degrees, about 15 minutes a pound. One hour before ham is done, remove it from oven and brush all over with glaze.

4. Return ham to oven and continue to bake, glazing ham once or twice more until ham is done. Remove ham from oven, tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before carving.

Time: 2¼ hours for a half ham, 4¾ hours for a whole ham

Yield: 1¾ cups, enough for a whole ham, 10 to 12 servings for a half ham, 24 to 26 servings for a whole ham.

Cornbread Stuffing

Again from the NYTimes this Thanksgiving. I usually don't like stuffing, but somehow I got it into my head that I would like stuffing if it involved cornbread so I couldn't resist trying this recipe, even though all the Robber wanted to eat was Stove Top. I made him make his own, while I made and ate this lovely recipe. So glad I gave it a try, as it is delicious!

Cornbread

Ingredients:

1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably organic stone ground

1/2 cup all purpose flour or whole wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt or buttermilk

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon mild honey

2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (to taste)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a 9-inch cast iron skillet, a heavy 2-quart baking dish or a heavy 9-inch square baking pan in the oven while you prepare the batter.

2. Place the cornmeal in a bowl, and sift in the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir the mixture with a spoon or whisk to amalgamate. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, yogurt (or buttermilk), milk and honey. Whisk the cornmeal mixture into the liquid mixture. Do not overwork the batter.

3. Remove the pan from the oven, and add the butter to the pan. Swirl the pan so that the butter melts quickly before it gets too brown, then quickly whisk the butter into the batter. Brush the sides of the pan with any butter remaining in the pan.

4. Quickly scrape all of the batter into the hot pan, and place in the oven. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. It will be quite brown on the edges. Allow the bread to cool in the pan, or serve warm.

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings. This is easily doubled for a larger quantity of stuffing. Bake it in a 3-quart baking dish (it will take about 45 to 50 minutes) or in two 9-inch pans.

Variation: Sage Cornbread

Stir 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage or 1 teaspoon rubbed dried sage into the batter before turning into the pan.

Cornbread and Sage Stuffing

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or 1 tablespoon each olive oil and unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

Salt to taste

4 stalks celery, cut in small dice

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons rubbed sage, or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Freshly ground pepper

A double batch of cornbread (see above), crumbled (you can do this in a food processor fitted with the steel blade)

1/2 cup milk, or as necessary, for moistening

4 tablespoons unsalted butter if baking separately

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil (or oil and butter) over medium heat in a large, heavy, nonstick skillet, and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until it begins to soften, about three minutes, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the celery. Cook together for another few minutes, until the onion is tender. Add the garlic, and stir together for 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant. Transfer to a large bowl, and add the remaining ingredients. Combine well. Taste and adjust salt. Moisten as desired with milk.

2. Stuff the cavity of the turkey, or transfer to a buttered or oiled 2-quart baking dish. Dot with butter. Cover with aluminum foil, and heat through in a 325-degree oven for 30 minutes.

Yield: Makes enough stuffing to fill an 18-pound turkey.

Advance preparation: You can make the cornbread several days ahead and the stuffing a day ahead.

Notes: I made the cornbread two days in advance and crumbled it one day in advance without problems. I used the whole 1/2 cup milk to moisten it, as I like a softer stuffing. I forgot the sage in the cornbread but used the full complement of fresh sage in the stuffing, and I think it might have been overwhelmingly sagey otherwise, so I was just as happy to have done it that way. You can bake it in a 13 x 9 glass pan.

Dry-Brined Turkey

I cooked my very first turkey this year. I am rather proud now to be a real adult person. And I am very proud to say that my turkey was a total triumph, following (sort-of) this recipe courtesy of the NYTimes Thanksgiving section this year.

Ingredients:

1 12- to 16-pound turkey, preferably a heritage or pasture raised bird

1/2 cup kosher salt, more if needed

1 tablespoon black pepper

10 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley

2 small onions, halved

2 small apples, cored and halved

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup white wine (optional)

Directions:

1. Two days before serving, rinse turkey and pat dry. Rub all over with kosher salt, slipping salt under skin where possible and rubbing some into cavities. Use about 1 tablespoon per four pounds of bird.

2. Wrap bird in a large plastic bag and place in refrigerator. On second night, turn turkey over. A couple of hours before cooking, remove turkey from bag and pat dry. Place in roasting pan and allow to come to room temperature.

3. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle half the pepper into main cavity of turkey; add thyme, parsley, half the onions and half the apples. Truss legs with kitchen twine. Put remaining apples and onions in neck opening and tuck neck skin under bird.

4. Rub butter under breast skin and onto thigh meat. Sprinkle bird with remaining pepper.

5. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove turkey from oven, reduce heat to 350 degrees and cover breast of bird and wing tips with foil. Add a cup and a half of water or white wine to bottom of roasting pan and roast bird for another two hours, depending on size; figure 12 minutes a pound for an unstuffed bird. Remove foil in last half-hour so breast browns.

6. When turkey has roasted for two hours, begin to test for doneness by inserting a meat thermometer (digital is best) into two places in thigh, making sure not to touch bone. It should be at about 160 degrees.

7. When roasting is done, tip turkey so interior juices run back into pan. Remove turkey to a separate baking sheet or serving platter, cover with foil and then a damp kitchen towel and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes.

8. Pour fat and drippings from pan into a measuring cup. Deglaze pan with white wine or broth and pour that into same measuring cup. Fat and drippings can then be used to make gravy.

Things I did differently:

I didn't make the onion/apple stuffing, but I did use some pepper. thyme, and parsley on the outside of my bird & did rub the bird with butter. I used half water with the other half portioned with white wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar-- the apple cider vinegar gave a sweet flavor to the turkey but ruined the gravy apparently, so I don't know if it is the wisest thing to try again, maybe just use the apples. I was inspired to try this recipe after eating a dry-brined bird at my sister's this year, and this recipe did not disappoint, producing a turkey that was This recipe makes a turkey that is just the right amount of salty and just the right amount of moist.