Brie with Mushrooms

Connie accuses me of never following a recipe.  I say never say never.  LOL In all honesty, I rarely follow a recipe as written.  Either I have an ingredient I want to use up so I substitute or I just use the recipe as a suggestion and fill in the blanks myself.  That’s what happened with a recipe in Chef Recipes Made Easy.  It was for camembert with a wild mushroom fricassee.  It sounded wonderful but I had a wheel of brie and not one of camembert.  And, I just had a box of cremini mushrooms, not all kinds of fun, wild mushrooms.  And, last but certainly not least, it was going to be dinner along with a lovely bowl of room temperature ratatouille.  That meant if I was to use the sage and walnuts, I’d be introducing a totally different herb.  Fine.  A recipe had totally become a suggestion.   

What did we think?  WOW!  This was an incredible dish.  In fact, it was so good that I made it again a few days later for a pitch in.   

Ingredients: 

Wheel of brie (I used a 21oz wheel from Costco) 

2 T butter 

12 oz very thinly sliced cremini mushrooms 

1 shallot, minced 

¼ c prosecco, dry sherry or dry white wine 

1 large sprig rosemary 

½ c chopped pecans 

Pecan oil 

baguette 

 

Directions: 

Preheat your oven to 350.  Put the brie in a tart pan.  This is what you’re going to serve it in also.  Melt the butter in a medium skillet.  When it’s foaming add the mushrooms and shallot and saute until they’re well softened and the pan is relatively dry.  Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the alcohol.  Put the pan back on the heat and add in the rosemary sprig.  I tucked it under the mushrooms.  Stir regularly.  Once the pan is again almost dry, add in the pecans and heat through.  Pour the mushroom mixture over the brie and put the tart pan in the oven.  Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.  After I took this out of the oven I drizzled it with pecan oil.  Really any nut oil should work.  Serve with baguette or sourdough toasts or party rye or whatever you please.   

 

Adapted from Chef Recipes Made Easy 

 

Mac and Cheese Quiche

Six tomatoes were sitting on the counter getting a bit old.  And, a bunch of asparagus was having the same problem in the fridge.  What to do with them?  I kept picturing a kind of quiche with a mac and cheese crust.  Couldn’t come up with a recipe on Eat Your Books or by searching the internet.  So, I decided to make one up.  By the time the box mix of mac and cheese was made I realized that using a pie plate and trying to have the “crust” come up the sides wasn’t going to work.  I pulled out a casserole dish instead.  A sprinkle of cheese on the bottom, the mac and cheese, the roasted tomatoes and asparagus, the egg mixture and then, finally, another sprinkle of cheese.  We gave this a solid four on a scale of one to five.  Connie asked during dinner if I’d written it down and I assured him I’d taken photos every step of the way and that I’d write the recipe down today.  Because this is absolutely a make again! 

 

Ingredients:

1 box macaroni and cheese prepared according to the package directions.  (I always toss in a handful of grated cheese)

2 large tomatoes, quartered

1 bunch asparagus

Olive oil

6 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated

4 eggs

¼ c sour cream

1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning

 

Directions:

Prepare the mac and cheese.  While that’s cooking, roast the tomatoes and asparagus for about 15 minutes at 450.  I drizzled them with olive oil and sprinkled them with freshly ground pepper prior to roasting.

Grate the cheese on the large holes of the grater.  Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese in the bottom of a casserole dish.  Add another 1/3 to the mac and cheese.  Reserve the last 1/3 for the topping

Mix the eggs, sour cream and Italian seasoning.

 

Pour the mac and cheese into the casserole dish and even the top.

 Put the roasted vegetables on top.

 Pour over the eggs.  Sprinkle on the last 1/3 of the cheese. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

 

 

  

 

 

Mish Mash of a Dinner

My friend Shelly died of melanoma.  At age 51.  She'd moved to Phoenix about nine years ago.  I'd see her when I'd go out there for a conference.  Or we'd chatter away on the phone.  She was the driving force behind Girls Night Out, a group of friends who've gotten together for about 20 years.  She had surgery in March and they thought they got it all.  In May it was back.  By the end of August she was gone.  The last month of her life we took turns calling to make sure she got a phone call from one of us every day.  By the end she was on such heavy meds that she could barely talk.  So, we had a memorial service here in Indy.  It was a drizzly, grey Friday.  Matched our moods.  Each of us got a white balloon to write on.  Then, we released them in unison.  Then, each of us got about a teaspoon of her ashes to scatter.  Afterward, we all went to our hangout for many years, Daddy Jacks.  About half the crew had her favorite drink, Bacardi and Coke with a lime wedge.  I'm not allowed caffeine so I stuck with red wine.  We laughed and cried.   I miss her.

So, life has been bittersweet recently.  I've known that I needed to be able to grieve but wasn't really able to do so.  Then, we went to see Calendar Girls.  One of the characters dies of cancer.  Yup, that unleashed a torrent of tears.  Now, I feel better.  Going to Phoenix next month for a conference will be very hard.  I know I can do it.  It's my broker/dealer's women's conference.  They actually have a two day conference just for the women.  How cool is that?  About a dozen of us are flying in a day early to do our business plans for next year.  The bad news is that my friend Windus who lives in San Diego won't be able to be there.  And, Melissa from Kansas City has left to join another firm.  I'll still get to see a whole bunch of friends.  Yup, I'm pretty darned lucky!

Speaking of lucky, we had dinner with four friends at a great new Indy restaurant called Union 50.  Liz is also knows as That Skinny Chick Can Bake.  Her hubby Bill is  such a great guy.  Their across the street neighbors, Pam and Steve joined us.  Steve and I have known each other since middle school...  We'd highly recommend Union 50.  Connie and I split a salad, mussels and a duck/duck confit/sweet potato dish.  All were VERY good. 

During dinner, Liz and I started chatting about how much fun a new blogging group would be.  One with a monthly theme.  Seasoned bloggers.  By invitation only.  The next day, we started chatting with our friend Christiane, The Mom Chef.  The Blogger C.L.U.E. Society was born.  Please come visit on November 12th for our first reveal.  We'll be posting the second Wednesday of every month.  November will be Thanksgiving foods.  I can't wait to see what all of these talented bloggers come up with!!

After a lovely Saturday evening, it was time to head back to the office on Sunday.  Someday we're going to be able to quit working seven days a week!!!  After we escaped the office, we headed out to run errands.  Then, we started cooking.  Prepping for my last Secret Recipe Club post.  Dinner for Sunday.  Partial prep for Monday and Tuesday's dinners. 

I'd wanted to try a shrimp dish from the Food Network cookbook I bought while we were out in Seattle.  There was also a cauliflower that was getting very long in the tooth.  Cauliflower gratin and coconut shrimp with jasmine rice and mango basil salsa don't exactly go together.  Too bad.  That's what we were having :-)  What did we think?  The cauliflower was amazing.  I'll make that again soon.  The shrimp was very good.  I'd prefer larger shrimp but that's what we found today...  Now, the confession...  Alas, I didn't get a photo of the finished dish.  Suffice to say we had it for three meals and loved every bite!

Cauliflower Gratin with Gingered Crumbs

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs cauliflower, broken into florets
3 T unsalted butter, divided
2 T flour
1 c half and half or light cream
1 t lemon juice
1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
dash of Tabasco
1/4 c grated Swiss cheese (I probably used half a cup...)
1/4 c fresh bread crumbs
1/4 t ground ginger
2 T finely grated Parmesan


Directions:

Heat your oven to 350F.  While it's heating. cook the cauliflower in salted water until just a bit more done than al dente.  You do not want mushy cauliflower here...  Drain and put the cauliflower in a baking dish.  

In a small saucepan, melt two tablespoons of the butter.  Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes.  Don't let  it get brown.  Slowly whisk in the half and half.  Add the nutmeg, lemon juice, Swiss cheese and hot sauce.  Cook until it's thick enough to coat your spoon. 

Gently mix the cheese sauce with the cooked cauliflower.  While the sauce is cooking, melt the last tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet.  Add the bread crumbs and ginger and cook until browned. 

Sprinkle the crumbs over the cauliflower.  Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

adapted from Greene on Greens


Coconut Shrimp with Mango-Basil Salsa and Lime Jasmine Rice

Ingredients:

for the salsa:
1 mango, finely diced (I used the jarred version from the refrigerated section...)
3 scallions, sliced (I used a shallot since that's what I had)
5 basil leaves, thinly sliced
juice of one lime
salt and pepper to taste

for the shrimp:
1 small jalapeno, seeded and sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 T dark brown sugar
zest of 1/2 lime
1/4 c coconut milk
small handful of basil leaves, torn
1-2 T vegetable oil
salt and pepper
1 lb peeled, deveined large shrimp (I'd recommend 25/lb or larger)

for the rice:
1 c jasmine rice
3/4 c coconut milk
3/4 c water
zest of 1/2 lime
salt

Directions:

This is much easier to put together than the ingredient list would have you believe!  First, make a marinade for the shrimp.  Mix it in a non-reactive dish.  I used a plastic storage container.  Add the shrimp and marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to four hours.  If you're going to marinate it for more than half an hour, do so in the fridge.   Um, that's a bourbon plum smash in the background...  I'm hoping I can get Connie to weigh in on that one! 

To make the salsa, mix all the ingredients together.  Set aside.

To make the rice, put all the ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. 

While the rice is cooking, pour about a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet.  Heat it to shimmering.  Add the shrimp in one layer.  Flip them once.  Cook them just until pink.  Remove the shrimp from the heat and keep warm.  Pour the marinade in the skillet and bring it to a boil.  Cook it for at least five minutes.  You'll want the sauce to thicken and you'll want enough cooking time to make it safe to eat after marinating raw seafood...

Put the dish together now.  Mound a bit of rice on the plate.  Top with shrimp.  Put salsa on the side and pour some marinade over.

adapted from Food Network Favorites

Ricotta Dip and Ratatouille

Football season.  Our Colts are now three and two.  Robert Mathis was back on the sidelines.  Andrew Luck ran in for a touchdown.  The opposing quarterback got sacked three times.  Yeah, it was a fun game.  Now, they're playing a Thursday night game and I'm beyond nervous...

Friday we met some friends at Taverna.  It's a restaurant close to  our home.  We keep meeting friends there hoping that they'll go back and take other friends.  We'd love to see the place packed.  Actually, Friday there was a MUCH better crowd than most evenings.  I had my favorite meal:  grilled wedge salad with parmesan feta dressing, kona crusted filet with red wine/chocolate sauce, mushroom rice, creamed spinach and bread pudding.  Actually, the last three are cooling their heels in the fridge.  Lunch was too late for me to be very hungry. 

Saturday I had appointments all day.  Then, we headed over to Uncle Lou's for dinner.  Lou used to office on the same floor so we got to know each other riding the elevator up and down.  He lives about five minutes away.  And, did I mention that he's a total hoot to be around?  He made fabulous poached salmon and a pasta/herb/veggie dish. 

Dessert was cannoli cake.  He had a heckuva time talking the folks at the grocery into selling him the pieces and parts of cannoli instead of the completed dish.  The cake was AHMAZING!  I took an appetizer.  Turns out one of the guests was allergic to garlic.  That limited my choices.  Fortunately, I was reading the latest edition of Food Network Magazine and found a ricotta dip.  It was perfect. 

Then, Sunday was the Colts game.   I got up really early and worked for a few hours before it was time to leave.  Then, during timeouts and halftime I thought about dinner and the next week's lunches.  What did we have?  Leftover ricotta dip.  That'd make great homemade ravioli.  With a lemon cream and asparagus sauce.  That'd also take a LOT of time.  We had about ten basil plants to pluck and make pesto with.  There were also about half a dozen little eggplants I'd picked before the threat of frost.  Those would make great ratatouille. 

And, there was white rice from last week's garlic chicken and pork fried rice carryout.  That'd make great fried rice with mushrooms, carrots, celery and zucchini.

We also had Uncle Lou's leftover pasta.  But, that was earmarked for Monday evening when Connie was playing bridge and we needed a super quick dinner. 

Around our house, leftovers are lunches and revised dinners.  We work seven days a week so being smart about cooking is important.

So, let's talk about recipes.  Ratatouille first.  It's one of those dishes I like to make a lot of and freeze in pint containers for lunches.  I love that it's so incredibly flexible...

Ratatouille

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
1 large eggplant, peeled and diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 zucchini or yellow squash, diced
1 green pepper, diced (optional)
6 oz button or cremini mushrooms, diced (optional)
2 ribs celery, diced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T Italian seasoning
1 8 oz can V8
salt and pepper

Directions:

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil to shimmering.  Add vegetables and sauté until softened.  Add V8 and simmer for about 2 hours.  This is a dish that needs to simmer for a long time.  Add more V8 if you want to keep it moist enough.  I think it's better served the next day.


Ricotta Dip

Ingredients:

2 lb container of ricotta cheese (NOT lowfat)
zest of 2 lemons
thyme (2-4 teaspoons)
rosemary (2-4 teaspoons, chopped finely)
crushed red pepper (1/4 - 1/2teaspoon)
1 c finely grated parmesan cheese
1-2 T extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Mix the ricotta, lemon zest, thyme, rosemary and crushed red pepper.  Put the cheese in a baking dish.  Sprinkle with the shredded parmesan.  Bake at 350 until bubbling.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.  Serve with sliced, toasted baguette or really good crunchy crackers (we like Triscuit.)

adapted from FoodNetwork Magazine

Fried Mozzarella Sticks

There is more than a bit of irony in the fact that a couple of steaks were sitting on my counter when I went in to the computer to look for a recipe.  While there I hit my work email and got my March Secret Recipe Club assignment.  A vegan blog.  Called We Heart Vegan.  OMG what would I do???  Of all things, I am absolutely not vegan.  Have no desire to ever cook vegan.  But, the whole idea of the Secret Recipe Club is to meet other bloggers and hopefully try things you'd not have tried on your own.  So, I soldiered on.  Read the recipes.  Looked at the photos.  And, realized all Brittany was doing was substituting vegan ingredients for the everyday ingredients I use.  I could do this.  I could substtute my everyday ingredients and take a vegan recipe and turn it into something I'd make regularly.  Reverse engineering if you will. Now, please don't get me wrong.  I understand why some folks are vegan and vegetarian and pescatarian and etc.  I'm just not one of those folks. 

I printed half a dozen recipes.  The Roman Style Artichoke Hearts looked amazing.  But they were a SRC post.  Bummer.  Ditto the Basil Pesto Hummus and the Chipotle Kale Chips.  Ah ha!  Fried mozzarella strips.  My kind of food.  One of those things I had in the freezer when I was single.  A jar of pizza sauce and a few fried mozzarella strips and I had dinner.  How much fun would it be to make these for myself?  Oh, you mean I need to share with Connie?  Ok, fine.  You're right.  I do love him.  And, I do try to share.  I've even showed him where the box of mint meltaways from Marianne is. 

The first batch was very good.  Not much to look at but very good.  I decided to freeze the second batch overnight and see how that worked.  Well, not so well.  I think two things happened.  One, my oil wasn't hot enough to start with and two, I put too many frozen mozzarella sticks in all at once.  I think next time I'll use a saucepan and fry just a couple at a time and deep fry them.  The flavors were FABULOUS!  The photo though tells the tale.  Way too melty.  Brittany's photo is so much better.  Here's where you can hop over to her blog and see her original recipe:  Mozzarella Sticks.

Here's how to make them:

Mozzarella Sticks

Ingredients:
1 10oz block mozzarella cheese
vegetable oil for frying

for the batter:
1/2 c flour
1/2 c water
1 T cornmeal
1 T cornstarch
1/2 t garlic powder
salt

for the bread crumbs:
1 c panko
1/2 t salt
1/2 t parsley
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t Italian seasoning
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t dried basil
Marinara sauce for dipping (we use Rao's because it's the best in our book)

Directions:

Combine the batter ingredients and mix well. 

You'll want the mixture to have the consistency of pancake batter so add water accordingly.  Use a wide, shallow bowl.

In another wide, shallow bowl, combine the bread crumb ingredients.  Mix well.

Cut the mozzarella into sticks.  About 1/2" per side is good. 

Dip the sticks into the batter then roll them into the crumbs.  Lay them on a baking rack.  Once all of the sticks are coated, pop the rack into your freezer for at least an hour.

Heat your oil.  It has to be REALLY hot and you don't want to add too many sticks at once.  Fry the sticks for about six minutes then flip them and fry until they're evenly browned. 

Serve with marinara sauce.

Adapted from We Heart Vegan.  Thank you Brittany for such an enjoyable recipe!  I'll be back to try the others :-)

Now, if you'd like to see what the other folks made for Secret Recipe Club, here's where you start:

Revising Cocktail Party Food

Mom loves to entertain.  She's done something that I really wish I'd done.  Since she started entertaining, she's kept a record of who's been at each party and what she's served.  How much fun would that be to look at?  Talk about a trip down memory lane!  One of her signature hors d'oeuvre's was a wonderful cheese toastie.  It was shredded cheddar, minced dried onion and a dash of Worcestershire all held together with mayo, schmeared on party rye bread then broiled.  I used to love to watch those come out of the oven.  The cheese was all melty and gooey and yummy.  Needless to say, their friends inhaled them.  When I started entertaining, these were one of the first hors d'oeuvres I started making.  My friends inhaled them too.  They were a special occasion treat.  Then, one day when I was perusing the cheese drawer for some interesting options for grilled cheese, it hit me.  These would make fabulous grilled cheese sandwiches!  DUH!

Kate's Special Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar
dried minced onion
Worcestershire
Hellman's mayo (we love their new olive oil mayo!)
Whole-grain bread
olive oil

Shred the cheese.  If you're using an entire block, you'll want to put in about a tablespoon of dried minced onion and about a teaspoon of Worcestershire.  Then, mix in mayo just until it all sticks together.  Schmear it on a piece of bread and top it with another piece of bread.  Pour a film of olive oil in a skillet and grill the sandwiches until they're nicely browned on both sides and the cheese is all melty.