Dried Fruit and Nut Stuffing

Labels: - Friday, November 27, 2009

Dried Fruit and Nut Stuffing - makes about 6 cups - 10-12 servings
Published November 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated.

Ingredients
1 ½ pounds wheat bread, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , plus extra for baking dish
4 medium onion, chopped fine (about 4 cups)
2 celery ribs , chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 ½ teaspoon minced fresh marjoram leaves
1 ½ teaspoon minced fresh sage leaves
½ cup raisins
½ cup dried apples , chopped fine
¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 large egg + 1 egg white


Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Spread bread cubes in single layer on baking sheet; bake until edges have dried but center is slightly moist (cubes should yield to pressure), about 15 minutes, stirring several times during baking. Transfer dried bread to large bowl and increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.
2. While bread dries, heat 2 tablespoons butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat; when foaming subsides, add onion, celery, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften and brown slightly, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in thyme, marjoram, and sage; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add vegetable mixture, raisins, dried apples, walnuts to bowl. (If making one day ahead: put the stuffing in one large glass bowl and wrap tightly with plastic. Put bread crumbs in a separate container – can be made 24 hours before baking)
3. DAY OF: Let the stuffing stand at room temperature for 30 minutes . While turkey rests, set oven temperature to 400 degrees. Add 1/2 cup broth and toss gently until evenly moistened. Whisk eggs and remaining 1/4 cup broth together in small bowl. Pour egg mixture over stuffing and toss to combine, breaking up any large chunks; spread in buttered 2 qt. baking dish. Bake until stuffing registers 165 degrees and top is golden brown, about 15 - 20 minutes. Make sure the stuffing register 165 degrees. My stuffing was golden brown on top but it did not register 165 after 15 minutes.

Lemon Raspberry Cake

Labels: , - Monday, November 9, 2009

Lemon Raspberry Cake - 12 servings


I'm so excited, my first blog since being married. The past month has been pure madness trying to get settled in our new place and living without a TV or fridge. We've been eating out every single night and as much as I love eating at restaurants, I can only take so much before I began craving home cooked meals. Since being married, I've come to the realization that your first year of marriage is much like your first year of college. You know how they say your first year of college you gain your freshman 15. Well, I think your first year of marriage you gain your newlywed 15...oh dear God...say it isn't sooooo :( Now that I no longer have to fit into a tiny little white dress I'm consuming everything in sight...sorry lobster. MUST LEARN TO STOP EATING WHEN FULL!!!!

Over the weekend we had our first dinner party. We celebrated my mom's 60th birthday. My goodness was it chaotic in the kitchen. We were both in there at the same time and we started running out of space. I ended up sitting on the floor whipping the frosting with my mixer, while he was asking me every two seconds where everything was since he didn't know where I placed things in the kitchen. But in the end, we were able to pull it off and it was a huge success. Lobster prepared a feast and busted out his new "baby," a fancy shmancy dalmation infrared grill. He made some baby back ribs, steaks, grilled asparagus, tomatoes, and some yummy beans. It was yum-oh!!! I on the other hand got to use my new toy too... a kitchenaid mixer...best appliance EVERRRRR and baked my mom a cake with it!!!!

I made a raspberry lemon cake and it was GOOD :) I was a little scared to try it b/c I thought I left the cake in the oven too long and it was going to be dry. Then, my frosting decides to melt by the time I had to spread it on the cake...hence the not so lovely presentation, but nonetheless it was numnum. The original recipe is three layers and feeds about 24 people so I cut the recipe in half and made it two layers. It's light and not too sweet. I'm really glad I decided to make a cake since people always feel so special when you go out of your way to make something just for them. All the hard work paid off in the end b/c when I gave it to my mom her eyes started to well up...so sweet. Happy Birthday mommy!


Perfect White Cake (makes two 9-inch cakes) adapted from here

3/4 cups whole milk
4.5 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 tablespoon of vodka
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1.5 cups + 3 tablespoons cake flour, sifted, plus 1.5 tablespoons for the pans
1 1/4 cups + 1 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoons salt
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into teaspoon-sized chunks and at room temperature, (I just cut these into the mixer as it was blending)

Set one rack in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 350 F. Spray the bottoms of two 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray or lightly butter them. Line the pans with parchment paper rounds and butter or spray the parchment paper. Dust each pan with 1 tablespoon of flour. Invert the pans over the sink and bang out any excess flour. Using a whisk, mix the milk, egg whites, vodka, and vanilla extract together in a bowl and set it aside. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a standing mixer or a large bowl. Using the paddle attachment of the stand mixer, mix the dry ingredients together on the lowest speed for 5 seconds. (If using a handheld mixer, stir the dry ingredients with a large spoon.) Add the butter and increase the speed to 2 or mix on low speed of a handheld mixer. Mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add all but ¾ cup of the milk mixture and mix at medium speed (6 on a stand mixer) for 2 minutes. Add the remainder and mix for another 45 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for another 30 seconds. Divide the batter evenly between the three pans; spread the batter out to the walls and smooth out the tops. Bang the pans against the counter a few times to even out the batter.Put two pans on the upper rack and one on the lower rack. Bake for 15 minutes and then rotate the pans to ensure even baking. Bake for another 7-8 minutes; a toothpick should come out clean. Cool the cakes for 5 minutes on a wire rack, then invert them onto a plate and back onto the rack. Let the cakes cool completely before assembling.[Once the cakes are cool, they can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days before assembling or frozen for 1-2 weeks – wrap each layer well in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil before refrigerating or freezing. Before assembling, let the cakes come to room temperature.]

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

3 1/2 egg whites
¾ cups+ 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons and at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. Set the bowl over simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and whisk the mixture until it reaches 140 F. If you don’t have a thermometer, don’t worry – the mixture will turn thick and white and all the sugar should be dissolved – this should take about 5 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and, with the whip attachment, mix on high speed (8) until the whites are fluffy and cool, 10-12 minutes. Once the mixture is cool, add the butter a few pieces at a time, mixing well before adding more. The mixture will start to look curdled after you have added about 3 ½ sticks of butter. Don’t worry – just add the rest of the butter and keep mixing until it comes together and is smooth. Replace the whisk with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed (2) for 5-7 minutes – this gets rid of air bubbles, thereby making the frosting smoother and more even when you apply it to the cake.[You can store the frosting in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 weeks. When you are ready to use the frosting, let it come to room temperature, then whip it on medium-high speed until it becomes light and fluffy and then beat with the paddle on low speed to remove air bubbles.] Once it is a smooth consistency you should work pretty quickly b/c if the frosting sits out too long it becomes runny and difficult to spread.

Lemon Curd

3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup + 2 tbs granulated sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into small chunks and slightly chilled

Add the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and zest to a small saucepan and whisk well. Set the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon, about 6-7 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. (I accidentally skipped this part and it turned out fine. While stirring continuously, add the butter a few pieces at a time, adding more butter when the previous addition has been fully incorporated. After all the butter has been added, cover the lemon curd with a large piece of plastic wrap, making sure to press the plastic wrap onto the surface of the curd so as to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to thicken.

To assemble the cake, place the first layer bottom side down. Spread all of the lemon curd on top of the cake. I then smashed some raspberries and spread them on top of the lemon curd. Take the other cake layer and invert it bottom side up, so the flat side is on top. Spread frosting all over the top and sides of cake. Top with raspberries in the middle and serve. If you are not serving it immediately, put it in the fridge then let it sit out at room temperature for thirty minutes.

Grilled Panzanella

Labels: - Saturday, August 29, 2009

Grilled panzanella – 6 servings

Good olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 large ripe tomato, cut into 1-inch cubes
10 large basil leaves
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1 red onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
1/2 small ficelle or ciabatta, cut into 1-inch thick slices and sprinkle with parmesan cheese too

Directions

Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals. Brush the grilling rack with olive oil.
In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
Place the cucumber, tomato, basil and capers in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss together. Set aside.
When the grill is ready, brush 1 side of the onion slices and the peppers with olive oil. Place them, olive oil side down, on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Brush the other side with olive oil, turn them over and continue cooking an additional 4 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the grill and place on a cutting board. Slice the peppers 1/2-inch thick, separate the onion rings and add them both to the cucumber mixture.
Brush the bread slices on both sides with olive oil and toast them on the grill until golden. Add them to the cucumber mixture. Pour the reserved vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss together. Serve warm.

Crunchy Baked Pork Chops

Labels: - Tuesday, August 4, 2009

I found this recipe from smitten kitchen, which is the first food blog I've ever followed. It's a beautiful blog full of lovely photos and yummy recipes. The photos are almost as gorgeous as this site...which is basically the equivalent of food porn in which people like me go a little OCD. WARNING...If you like photography and love to cook, do not click on that link...it's addicting!!!

I'm realizing the older I get, the more I enjoy pork. I used to think pork was just fatty bacon and never heard of it referred to as the "other" white meat. When cooked properly it has a hint of sweetness and it's VERY delicious. When I say properly, I mean when it's not bone dry. I'm telling you...instant read-thermometer is a wanna-be chef's best friend. You'll NEVER have over-cooked meat ever again!!!

This is a very simple recipe that comes together in a flash. If you're really in a rush, I don't think brining the pork is necessary. I've made pork chops plenty of times and this is the first time I've ever brined them. Honestly, I didn't see too much of a difference although I did find the pork to be a little more salty when brining them. However, that could have been from the fact that I didn't use the dijon mustard called for in the recipe which would have given a nice tangy contrast to the saltiness perhaps. Anyway, this recipe is very good and I served it with simple roasted potatoes.

Crunchy Baked Pork Chops
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
Serves 4

CI notes: This recipe was developed using natural pork, but enhanced pork (injected with a salt solution) will work as well. If using enhanced pork, eliminate the brining in step 1. The bread crumb mixture can be prepared through step 2 up to 3 days in advance. The breaded chops can be frozen for up to 1 week. They don’t need to be thawed before baking; simply increase the cooking time in step 5 to 35 to 40 minutes.

Table salt
4 boneless center-cut pork chops
6 to 8 ounces each, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat
4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3 large egg whites
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Lemon wedges

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve 1/4 cup salt in 1 quart water in medium container or gallon-sized zipper-lock bag. Submerge chops, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes. Rinse chops under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground, about eight 1-second pulses (you should have about 3 1/2 cups crumbs). Transfer crumbs to rimmed baking sheet and add shallot, garlic, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss until crumbs are evenly coated with oil. Bake until deep golden brown and dry, about 15 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. (Do not turn off oven.) Cool to room temperature. Toss crumbs with Parmesan, thyme, and parsley.
3. Place 1/4 cup flour in pie plate. In second pie plate, whisk egg whites and mustard until combined; add remaining 6 tablespoons flour and whisk until almost smooth, with pea-sized lumps remaining.
4. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place in rimmed baking sheet. Season chops with pepper. Dredge 1 pork chop in flour; shake off excess. Using tongs, coat with egg mixture; let excess drip off. Coat all sides of chop with bread crumb mixture, pressing gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to chop. Transfer breaded chop to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 3 chops.
5. Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 150 degrees, 17 to 25 minutes. Let rest on rack 5 minutes before serving with lemon wedges.

**I cooked mine on a cooling rack so they would get extra crispy and crunchy on both sides. Sometimes when you cook them directly on a baking sheet the bottom side gets soggy.

Kim-bap (Korean sushi rolls) & Boiled spinach

Labels: - Saturday, August 1, 2009


Wow, I am just a lean, mean, blogging machine. I've posted five recipes over the span of two days...and they've all tasted really good. I'm getting all my blogs in now b/c I won't be cooking that much before the wedding. Today, I went over to my mom's and we made kim-bap, which is the Korean version of a California roll. The ingredients she uses are rice, bulgogi (marinated beef), yellow radish, egg, and spinach. (In the future I will post a recipe for the bulgogi - so many things to cook, such little time) Today we also put in sesame leaves which added a nice clean fresh taste. But feel free to add whatever you like, sometimes she'll also put in kim-chee, long julienned strips of sauteed carrots or fish cake.





Oooh...ahhh....the kim-bap tower

The only recipe I was able to get was for the boiled-marinated spinach b/c she already madethe bulgogi before I got there. The rice you use with this dish has to be a little seasoned as well or else the kim-bap will taste too bland. My mom season's hers with sesame oil, roasted sesame seeds and salt. The rice should not taste too salty but have just a little bit of flavor. The reason being when you combine all the ingredients together for the kim-bap, if the rice has too much flavor the entire roll will taste salty.



Again, since this is my mother, she eye-balls everything so my suggestion would be to season and taste as you go. The only requirement is that you must buy real spinach packaged in budles. You can't make this dish with those pre-washed ready-pac baby spinach in bags b/c you won't get the right consistency. Enjoy!



Boiled spinach

Bundles of spinach
Roasted Sesame oil (dark colored)
Roasted sesame seeds
Salt
Garlic, finely minced to taste

Fill your sink with water and swirl the spinach around so all the grit falls to the bottom. Drain the water and repeat about two more times or until there is no more dirt coming from the spinach. Bring a pot of water to a boil and quickly blanch the spinach in batches. As soon as the spinach begins to wilt just a little, quickly remove it and run it under cold water. If you let the spinach wilt too much it will become mushy. Then squeeze out most of the water from the spinach and put into a clean bowl. Season with salt, roasted sesame seeds, garlic, and sesame oil and you're done. (I would give each ingredient one good turn around the bowl as a start)

광어 전 (breaded flat fish)

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Here is a photo of 광어 전 (breaded flat fish) with a kim-bap tower behind it. 광어 전 (breaded flat fish) is a very easy dish to make for a light meal. It's basically equivalent to America's fish sticks except instead of a thick breaded coating, we simply coat ours with egg. It's flavorful to eat on it's own or dip it in some flavored soy sauce. The ingredients for the soy sauce are soy sauce, sesame oil, korean red pepper flakes, green onion and some minced garlic. This dip is also great to drizzle over pan fried tofu and dumplings too.

This is not an exact recipe but a cooking method. You can substitue the fish for any kind you'd like. Just make sure you slice it thin.

광어 전 (breaded flat fish)
광어 (flat fish)
오뚜기 부침 (Korean pancake mix)
Eggs
S&P
마늘 까루 (Garlic powder)

Directions

Heat a frying pan on medium high heat. Season the fish with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Crack as many eggs as you will need to coat the fish and whisk, season with a little salt. Cut the flat fish into 1 1/2 inch pieces and then dredge it in the pancake pix. Shake off any excess flour then dip it into the salt then straight into the pan. Cook fish about a couple minutes on each side. Lay down paper towels on a plate to capture any excess oil from the fish and serve.

미역국 (Korean Seaweed Soup)

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Seaweed soup is a traditional korean soup you eat on your birthday. Technically, my mom says you do not age that year unless you eat it. Since this coming birthday I will no longer be in my twenties :( I am choosing to not eat it for the rest of my life. In Korea, a woman will eat miyeok gook for two weeks straight after she gives birth to promote the health of her and the baby. I don't know if that will be happening for me when I'm preggers, but I have eaten it every year since I was born and it'll be a nice tradition to continue when I have my own little rugrats too.

This is a very healthy soup and you don't have to wait till your birthday to eat it. It warms your tummy on a cold day and tastes great when you eat it with dduk bohk ki (spicy rice cakes) which is what Koreans consider comfort food. I'll be sure to write a post on that one too.

Again, I forgot to take a photo so I got the picture from this site.

미역국 (Seaweed soup) – 2 servings
Dae Lim Me Yuk bran seaweed
4 oz sirloin meat
Sesame oil
Dah shi dah (powdered Korean beef stock)
S&P

About one large handful of seaweed and then reconstitute in hot water till puffs up for 15 minutes.
Then rinse b/w hands like you are washing clothes and dunk back in water about three times till no more sand comes out.
Squeeze out some water and cut into 2 inch pieces and put back into empty pot.
Cut meat into small cubes/rectangular sizes and put in same pot as seaweed (as much meat as you think you need)
Put in one small spoonful (regular spoon size) of sesame oil, do not fill liquid all the way to the top of spoon and then put in about same amount of salt and mix all together.
Put on stove top and add a little bit of water about ½ an inch so meat can boil in it at about medium heat so water comes to simmer/soft boil.
Then add in as much water you want to have for the dish then put in 2 cloves of garlic (smashed into a paste) and bring to soft boil for 5 minutes.
Taste and adjust with salt and pepper. Then if still not good taste (which probably won’t be) add in a sprinkling of dah shi dah then taste and adjust with salt. Then simmer for 15 minutes with lid slightly open, not closed.

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