Cauliflower with Gochujang

January 17, 2023

Cauliflower with Gochujang

Have you told yourself you are going to eat more plants this year? I have and I’ve decided they are not going to be boring. Cauliflower with Gochujang is tastier, stickier, and spicier than a Korean dating show.

Singles Inferno

I don’t like dating shows. Too fake, too crass, and just too much for me. So when my brother told me I should check out Singles Inferno, a South Korean reality dating show, I had my doubts.

The first episode of Season One? So cringe-y that I barely made it through. But I thought I’d give it one more try, so I watched episode two.

And I couldn’t stop watching after that. Everyone is so polite, so pretty, and so Korean! Plus, the commentators are hilarious.

I loved it and am now finishing up Season Two.

Are you surprised by my viewing habits? Probably not.

The premise of Singles Inferno is five girls and five guys on a deserted island off the coast of South Korea with no electricity, social media, or phones. They cook, haul water, and compete in physical challenges together as they get to know each other. It’s not exactly camping but more like adult summer camp at the beach.

The goal: meet someone who is as interested in you as you are in them and go to Paradise, a luxury hotel, where you can get to know them better. And by that, I mean their age and their profession. Compared to other dating shows, Singles Inferno is pretty wholesome.

But there are still some spicy moments, and some involve gochujang.

Gochujang

Gochujang is a popular condiment in Korea. Dark red and spicy-sweet, it is a fermented red chili paste used in all kinds of dishes including bibimbap, meat marinades, soups, stews, and tteokbokki. It is also the base for condiments and sauces to which soy sauce, vinegar, sesame seeds, and other spices are added.

My auntie made her own gochujang from scratch for years. It contained gochugaru (red chili peppers), sticky rice, and fermented soybeans, along with some salt. She would airmail my mom a jar or two when the batch was ready.

Gochujang can be purchased in most Asian markets and on Amazon, of course. Be aware that there are different heat levels from mild to extremely (and I mean extremely) hot. If you’ve never tried it, get a small container and experiment with it on meats and veggie dishes like this one.

Cauliflower florets awaiting their dunk into the batter.

Lessons Learned

Be sure your batter is fairly thin and runny before dipping the cauliflower florets otherwise you will wind up with a thick and claggy mess.
As written, this recipe is spicy. If you need to tone down the heat, use 2 tablespoon gochujang and ½ cup brown sugar instead.
This dish pairs well with steamed rice and a fresh cucumber salad. Or serve it with Korean bbq ribs and kimchi.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Bon Appetit for the sticky and spicy baked cauliflower recipe.

Is your mouth watering? Mine is. A close-up look at this spicy dish.

Cauliflower with Gochujang

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cornstarch
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 ½ lb cauliflower head, cut into florets
¼ cup gochujang
3 Tbsp soy sauce
⅓ cup brown sugar
2 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar
Garnish: toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 F/204 C. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Tip in 1 ¼ cup of water and whisk to form a thin batter. Add more water if necessary.
Dip cauliflower florets one at a time into the batter, shake off excess, and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 25 minutes or until just starting to turn golden brown.
Combine gochujang, soy sauce, and brown sugar in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10-ish minutes or until the sauce has enough body to it that it will coat a spoon. Tip in the vinegar and stir.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the baked cauliflower, tossing to coat the florets. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Vegetable Soup with Barley

January 12, 2023

Vegetable Soup with Barley

Brothy and chock full of complex carbohydrates, Vegetable Soup with Barley makes for a comforting and yummy-in-your-tummy lunch or dinner. It’s also great to serve family and friends who are omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans.

Or, just hungry.

Yes, a picture of cattle just before a vegan soup recipe. Moo!

What makes a soup vegan?

Vegan Soup Recipes

Not all vegetarian soups are vegan. You may remember our previous discussion about veganism being a subset of vegetarianism. It excludes animal-derived proteins and products, so no meat, eggs, or dairy products like butter and cheese.

This is more like it: carrots, celery, onion, rutabaga, and mushrooms.

If you are a regular soup-maker, you may immediately think of three potential issues with vegan soup recipes: roux, creaminess, and protein source. However, I assure you there is no cause for alarm. These can all be made vegan without too much upset.

Roux is the butter and flour combo that gets cooked together and to which broth is added. It is used to thicken gravies, sauces, and soups like bisques and chowders. Because roux requires equal amounts of fat and flour it is easy to swap out butter and use olive oil or coconut oil instead.
Creamy soups often contain milk, cheese, or another dairy to achieve maximum creaminess. But alternatives like coconut milk, pureed vegetables, and nut butter bring a velvety lusciousness to soups.
For a dose of non-animal protein, look to beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas, or tofu as easy adds to your bowl of bliss.

Other protein sources? Whole grains.

Barley

Barley is a cereal grain that is grown all over the world and is a staple in many cultures. It’s mild and slightly nutty, like most childhood best friends. While it doesn’t contain as much protein as kamut or quinoa, barley is still a good source of plant-based protein that also provides fiber, minerals, and vitamins.

There are two types of barley: hulled and pearl. The difference? Hulled barley is a whole grain with just the outer husk removed while pearl barley is technically not a whole grain because the outer husk and bran layer have been removed.

This soup contains pearl barley, which is easier to find in grocery stores and cooks more quickly than hulled. Use hulled barley if you’d prefer, just be sure to adjust cooking times.

Lessons Learned

Don’t be afraid of the rutabagas in the soup. They aren’t as common as other vegetables and you may have never had them before but they are worth trying. The taste: a cross between potato and carrot.
This is a great clean-out-your-fridge kind of soup. Sub in other veggies for the ones listed here.
If you are making this soup a day ahead, cook the barley but don't add it to the soup until just before serving. Barley continues to absorb water and will suck up all the broth in your soup if you leave it overnight. To store leftover soup, separate the solids from the broth (I know, kind of a pain) otherwise prepare to be okay with whatever you get the next day.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Recipe Tin Eats for the pearl barley soup recipe and Robert Bye on Unsplash for the cattle photo.

Mixing up the magic by adding veg broth to the sauteed vegetables.

Vegetable Soup with Barley

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup peeled and chopped rutabaga
1 cup quartered mushrooms
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup pearl barley
8 cups vegetable broth
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

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Instructions

Heat oil in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, rutabaga, mushrooms, and garlic to the pot and saute for 5 minutes. Add the fennel seeds, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper, and cook for 2 minutes until the spices become fragrant.
Tip in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 40-ish minutes. Follow the package directions and cook the barley separately. Add the barley to the soup just before serving.
Serve the soup by ladling it into bowls and garnishing it with chopped parsley.

Borscht

January 9, 2023

Borscht

Borscht is an Eastern European soup that is a shocking shade of deep pink. In addition to its fun color, it’s also a beefy, beety, brothy bowl of goodness. I suggest wearing colorful socks while making this soup recipe.

Colorful Socks

Is there such a thing as soup season? Because I live in Southern California, my take is that soup season (or as I keep seeing on social media “soup szn”) is whenever socks are required for three or more consecutive days.

Colorful socks are a go-to gift. They are fun to give and equally fun to receive. My kids know they will each get a pair or two for Christmas so I like to look for crazy socks year-round.

Store display of loud, colorful, crazy socks.

I recently read that wearing colorful socks can be a form of nonconforming behavior that can affect how we think. Researchers call it enclothed cognition. The idea is that what we wear can make us stand out from the crowd while boosting confidence and performance.

Does wearing crazy socks really make you more successful? Not sure. But they bring a little bit of joy to a dreary day, especially during soup season.

One of my favorite soup recipes involves roasted beets.

Roasted Beets

Borscht ingredients: beets, carrots, onion, beef, cabbage, and fresh dill.

Beets are a controversial subject. People either love them or hate them. I assumed I didn’t like them until I tasted roasted beets.

They are freaking delicious!

We all know that roasting vegetables, particularly root vegetables, draws out all the moisture leaving behind an intense flavor and deliciously caramelized edges. Beets are no exception. They develop an earthy sweetness when roasted and transform this borscht recipe into something special.

Pan of diced beets and carrots to be roasted.

Lessons Learned

This recipe takes 3 hours if you do it all in one go. If you want to divide the work, you can do the bulk of it a day ahead by prepping the meat and veggies. On the second day, you will need only 15-ish minutes to pull the soup together.
The original recipe calls for 1 large russet potato, peeled and diced, added to the mix of veggies that are roasted. I have made the soup several times with and without potatoes and I assure you it is yummy both ways, especially when served with milk bread.
Please do not skip the vinegar at the end. You will miss out on that finishing touch of deliciousness.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Simply Recipes for the borscht recipe and to billow926 on Unsplash for the sock display photo.

Borscht

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Yield: 8 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

2 tsp olive oil
2 lbs beef neck bones or bone-in beef shank
1 ½ cups chopped onion
8 cups beef broth, divided use
1 ½ lbs beets, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped into ½-inch pieces
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
¾ cup chopped fresh dill
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Sour cream

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Instructions

Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until it is lightly browned on all sides. Scooch the meat over and add the onions. Cook the onions for 5 minutes or until they are softened. Add 4 cups of broth to the pot and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 60 to 90 minutes until the meat is fork-tender.
Preheat the oven to 400 F/204 C. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Add the beets and carrots in a single layer and drizzle with a teaspoon of oil. Roast for 30 minutes.
Remove the meat from the pot and chop it into bite-sized pieces. Discard bones and gristle. Return the meat to the pot. Add the roasted veggies and the remaining 4 cups of broth. Throw in the cabbage and half of the chopped dill. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes or until the cabbage is tender.
Sprinkle in the vinegar and stir. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to your liking. To serve the soup, ladle it into individual bowls. Top with a spoonful of sour cream and garnish with remaining chopped fresh dill.

Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls

December 21, 2022

Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls

Plush and pillowy Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls could be a soft place to rest your weary head. Not really. They are too delicious for that.

How are they so tender and luscious? Tangzhong.

Tangzhong

We’ve talked about tangzhong before. And it’s the secret to these cinnamon rolls not becoming hard and chewy the next day as many rolls are. The water-flour roux makes a gelatinous blob that is added to the dough to retain moisture in the finished bread, keeping it soft and springy.

Tangzhong is the Chinese term for this roux. Popular in Asia for many centuries, it is a bread-making technique that not only makes loaves softly plush but also inhibits them from going stale quickly. It is used to make loaves of milk bread.

Making and adding tangzhong to your dough is an extra step, but it comes together in just a few minutes (less than 10). The results are worth it.

Also worth it: good quality cinnamon.

Cinnamon

We all know what cinnamon tastes like, right? Well, sort of. There are several types of cinnamon and they all have different tastes and smells.

Cinnamon is broken down into two main categories: Ceylon and cassia. Within the cassia category are three sub-types that are named after where they are grown. Cassia is from China, korintje is from Indonesia, and Saigon is from Vietnam.

Dough rolled out with cinnamon and spice filling sprinkled on top.

Chinese, Indonesian, and Vietnamese cinnamons are all rich and spicy. Ceylon cinnamon is milder and more floral than the other types and is considered the Ferrari of cinnamons. The King Arthur Baking website has a very detailed breakdown of the different types which I found very informative.

The most popular and widely-sold type in the U.S. is the kind from Indonesia. It is affordable and available. Costco stocks the Vietnamese Saigon cinnamon and is the one I use most.

Yes, the best way to cut these rolls is with plain dental floss. When your dentist asks, say yes to flossing.

Lessons Learned

This recipe looks long and scary. Don’t be afraid. All the individual steps are very doable and easy. Take it a step at a time.
Play around with the spices for the filling. I added some additional spices for fun but you could use just cinnamon. You’re an adult; do what you want.
Good luck waiting for these to cool before icing and eating. It’s really difficult.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to King Arthur Baking for their perfectly pillowy cinnamon rolls recipe.

Inside bite view of an iced cinnamon roll. It's drool-worthy.

Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Proof Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes plus proofing
Yield: 8 rolls 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Tangzhong:

½ cup milk
3 Tbsp bread flour

Dough:

⅔ cup milk
2 ½ cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
4 Tbsp butter, softened

Filling:

1 Tbsp butter, melted
⅔ cup brown sugar, packed
2 Tbsp bread flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground ginger

Brushing:

1 ½ Tbsp butter, melted

Icing:

1 ½ Tbsp butter, melted
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 to 2 tablespoon milk

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Instructions

Make the tangzhong by combining the milk and flour in a small saucepan and whisking to combine. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat, constantly stirring, until it thickens. It should look like a loose paste. When you drag the whisk across the bottom of the pan it will leave a clear trail.
Dump the tangzhong into a mixing bowl. Add the milk, flour, salt, sugar, yeast, and butter. Stir together until combined. Using the dough hook on a stand mixer or your hands, knead the dough for 12 minutes or until it is pliable and smooth. It will be a loose and sticky dough. With your hands, shape the dough into a roundish ball and place it in a greased bowl. Cover and let it rise for 75-ish minutes in a warm place. It won’t double in size but will get puffy.
Make the filling by combining the melted butter, brown sugar, flour, and spices in a medium bowl. Stir together until it is thoroughly mixed.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
As tempting as it is, do not punch down the dough. Instead, gently dump it out onto a lightly floured surface and pat it out into a 10 x 12-inch rectangle. It should be ½-inch thick. Measure it.
Now, using your fingers sprinkle on the filling but leave a ½-inch border on one of the 12-inch long sides. Begin rolling on the long side that has filling and continue to roll the dough until you have a yule log. Just kidding, you now have a filled dough log.
Cut the dough into 8 equal-sized pieces by using dental floss or a sharp knife. Lay the rolls down on the prepared baking sheet. And if need be, tuck those tails in underneath. You don’t want the rolls coming unraveled in the oven.
Cover with lightly sprayed plastic wrap and let them rise in a warm place for 35-ish minutes until puffy.
Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C. Move the rack to the upper third of the oven.
Bake the rolls for 15 minutes or until the temp in the middle of the rolls reaches 190 F/88 C on a thermometer.
Brush the rolls with melted butter after removing them from the oven. Allow the rolls to cool for 10 minutes and try not to devour them.
At this point, you can continue to let them cool, cover them, and serve them later today or tomorrow, or the next day. The icing should go on just before serving.
If you are serving them immediately, make the icing by stirring together the melted butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and milk until you have a smooth icing. Ice the rolls and serve immediately.

Sugar Cookies with Marbled Glaze

December 15, 2022

Sugar Cookies with Marbled Glaze

No piping skillz, no worries! These Sugar Cookies with Marbled Glaze are classically delicious and uncommonly pretty. Even I can decorate them.

Marbled Glaze

My mom is a fabulous cake decorator. She doesn’t do it professionally, but she could. In our youth, my brother and I were treated to beautifully decorated birthday cakes and holiday cookies all done by my mom’s artistic mind and steady hand.

I did not inherit that gene.

I’m terrible at cookie decorating. My kids do a better job than I do. When I first saw marbled glaze, I thought no way am I doing that.

Marbled glaze is a frosting technique. It is similar to the mirror glaze used on cakes. However, mirror glaze involves gelatin and dries to a shiny finish, hence the name.

The marbly one used on cookies is royal white icing, made from powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Plus a little vodka if you are naughty. Food coloring is swirled into the icing, then the top of the cookie is dipped into the icing creating a marbled effect.

Well, curiosity got the best of me. The swirly glaze is so beautiful and I like pretty things. So, I tried it.

The result: stunning cookies! And it was easy enough for a terrible cookie decorator like me to achieve Instagram-worthy results.

This technique works well because of food coloring.

Food Coloring

If you are at all familiar with food coloring, you have probably used liquid food coloring. You can find it in most grocery stores in the baking aisle. It’s water-based, inexpensive, and used in cookie doughs, cake batters, and frostings.

Gel food coloring has a glycerin or corn syrup base so it is thicker and the color is more concentrated. A little goes a long way. Most cake decorators, like my mom, use it in frostings and icings to give them bright and saturated colors.

A few decades ago, gel coloring was harder to find and only sold in specialty baking supply stores. Now it is available at Walmart, Target, Michaels, and of course, Amazon.

For this marbled glaze, you need just a few drops of liquid food coloring and a toothpick to achieve a beautiful, swirly pattern for your cookies.

Baked cookies, sandy in color with barely browned edges.

Lessons Learned

The sugar cookie dough needs its time alone in the fridge for Netflix and chill. Let it have that time. The dough should be cold and fairly firm (not hard) before being rolled out so that the cutters will make clean cuts and the cookies won’t spread when baked.
Have a ruler handy when you roll the dough to ¼” thickness. Don’t eyeball it as I have for years. Once I started using a ruler, I was astounded to discover that I had been rolling my dough too thin for too long. No wonder they burned so quickly!
Don’t bake them too long. They will be tooth-chipping hard. The baked cookies should be a sandy color with just a touch of brown around the edges.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to King Arthur Baking for the holiday butter cookies recipe and to Jake Cohen for the tie-dye Hanukkah cookie inspiration.

Cookie dipped in swirly blue and white icing.

Sugar Cookies with Marbled Glaze

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours or overnight
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Total Time: 34 minutes plus chill time
Yield: 36 cookies 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Cookies:

18 Tbsp butter (2 ½ sticks)
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
½ tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup milk
½ tsp salt
1 tsp almond or vanilla extract
1 Tbsp vodka (or water)
Food coloring

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Instructions

Make the cookies by beating the butter and powdered sugar together in a mixer until combined and smooth. Add the egg yolk, salt, and vanilla extract and beat again. Tip in the flour, one cup at a time, and beat after each addition. Mix until smooth.
Divide the dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and smoosh it down into a flat disk. Let the dough chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 F/176 F. Place parchment paper on two rimmed baking sheets and set aside.
Lightly flour a flat surface. Unwrap one dough disk and roll it out to a uniform ¼-inch thickness, flouring the top if needed to avoid sticking to the rolling pin. Using cookie cutters, cut out cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until sandy in color and just being to brown around the edges. Don’t overbake them. Cool in the pan set on a wire rack.
Make the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, milk, salt, extract, and vodka (or water) until smooth. It helps to do this in a large, kind of shallow bowl so you have room to dip the cookie tops. Dot a few drops of liquid food coloring on the surface of the icing. Use a toothpick to make a few loops and swirls.
Dip the top of a cookie into the icing and rotate it around 90 degrees before lifting the cookie straight up. You should have a fun, whirly, organic design. Place the cookie on a wire rack for the icing to set. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Makes 36-ish cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutters.

Gluten-free Shortbread Cookies with Tahini

December 9, 2022

Gluten-free Shortbread Cookies with Tahini

Every assorted cookie platter needs at least one gluten-free offering. Gluten-free Shortbread Cookies with Tahini should be the one! Even gluten-filled folks will appreciate this because shortbread never disappoints.

Shortbread

GBBO peeps will be familiar with the term biscuit. But if you aren’t, it is what Americans call a cookie. Shortbread is a type of cookie that is traditionally Scottish but is now found all over the world in places that appreciate a buttery bite of heaven.

Normally made with just three ingredients (butter, flour, and sugar) shortbread is a dense and crumbly cookie. It can skew savory with the addition of rosemary or caraway but is normally a mildly sweet treat.

When I was in my teens, I could not wait for Christmas time to roll around because it was only then that I could find Walker’s Scottish shortbread at the local commissary on the military base where we lived. Those shiny red tins and rectangular plaid boxes were the stuff of which my cookie dreams were made.

Scottish bagpiper on High Street in Edinburgh, Scotland. Does he wear his kilt the traditional way, commando-style? We'll never know.

After traveling to Scotland, I discovered that shortbread is not a fancy cookie made only by Walker's. It's made by moms and grandmas. And it needs only a handful of ingredients.

There was no looking back once I learned to bake my own shortbread. Goodbye Walker’s (although I still love you) and hello homemade shortbread. Now, I have fun playing around and making different flavors.

Like tahini.

Tahini

Tahini is a creamy sesame seed paste. Once toasted and ground, the sesame seed kernels become spreadable seed butter or paste. It is similar to nut butter.

The paste is a popular ingredient in many Middle Eastern dips, sauces, and toppings. Most people know about tahini because it plays a starring role in hummus. But it can be used in desserts, too.

Halva is a fudge-like sweet made from sesame seed paste. Tahini is also swirled into brownies, cookies, and ice creams. It adds a slightly bitter and nutty flavor that is delicious.

Bowl of butter-tahini mixture and bowl of flour mixture.

Lessons Learned

If your gluten-free flour blend does not contain xanthan gum, add ¾ teaspoon to the recipe. Looking for a flour-free cookie? Try this one.
The mixer is NOT your friend for this cookie recipe. Creaming the tahini, butter, and sugar together with beaters adds too much air to the dough and the cookies will spread. I used a fork to mash them together, then transitioned to a large spoon to incorporate the other ingredients.
The fridge, however, is your best friend. Be sure to chill the dough before rolling it into logs. Then chill again before slicing or you will be sorry.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to The Loopy Whisk for the tahini shortbread cookie recipe and K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash for the bagpiper photo.

Dough logs being rolled in black and white sesame seeds.

Gluten-free Shortbread Cookies with Tahini

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours 30 minutes or overnight
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes active time
Yield: 28 cookies 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

¾ cup tahini sesame seed paste
6 oz (1 ½ sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups gluten-free flour with xanthan gum, like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1
½ cup plus 2 tablespoon cornstarch
¾ tsp salt
4 Tbsp raw white sesame seeds
2 Tbsp raw black sesame seeds

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Instructions

Make the cookies by mixing the tahini and the softened butter with a fork or spoon in a large bowl. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Pour the flour, cornstarch, and salt (and xanthan gum if needed) into a mesh strainer and sift the ingredients together. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until well mixed. You will need to use your hand to knead the dough and get it thoroughly combined and smooth.
Divide the dough into two equal portions, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll each portion into a cylinder. Each log should be around 7 inches long and 2 inches wide. Tip the white and black sesame seeds into a shallow pan and swirl them together until mixed. Now, roll each dough log in the sesame seeds until the log is completely coated.
Wrap the logs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate them again for 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 F/176 C. Place parchment paper on two rimmed baking sheets and set aside.
Unwrap one log and cut into ½-inch slices. Place slices onto the prepared sheets, about 1-inch apart. Repeat with the second log. Each log yields about 12 to 14 cookies.
Bake cookies for 12 to 14 minutes or until a light golden color.
To make the cookies perfectly round, place a large round cookie cutter around the cookie while it is hot from the oven and swirl the cutter on the baking sheet in a tight circle around the cookie. It will help shape the cookies to make them look more picture-worthy but will not affect the taste, lol. I don’t have a round cookie cutter so I used the open end of a drinking glass.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before enjoying them with a cup of coffee.

Gingerbread Cookies with Rum-Butter Glaze

December 7, 2022

Gingerbread Cookies with Rum-Butter Glaze

Gingerbread Cookies with Rum-butter Glaze are the quintessential holiday cookie. Soft and full of all the warming spices, these cookies bring all the Nutcracker vibes. Plus, a rummy, buttery glaze.

Want to make them pretty? Use cookie stamps.

Cookie Stamps

We all have a drawer in our kitchen crammed with various cookie cutters. They are useful for cutting shapes into rolled-out cookie or pie dough. And don't tell, but I may have used them once or twice with Play-Doh.

Cookie stamps, however, don’t cut out cookies. They imprint them with a design. Stamps of this type date back several centuries in Scandinavia where they are used to imprint cookies for special occasions.

Old-school cookie stamps are carved out of wood or made of clay. The stamp, which is basically bas relief, is pressed into the dough. It leaves behind a pretty design, making the cookies edible works of art.

Today, cookie stamps are wood or clay, but most often I see them made of metal. I bought my American-made ones on Amazon. And the dough into which I press them?

Gingerbread with molasses.

Dough balls being pressed by the cookie stamp.

Molasses

Slow as molasses! My dad used to say that phrase from time to time when I was growing up and I’m sure he wasn’t talking about me. He loved the taste of molasses and his favorite was blackstrap.

Molasses comes from sugar cane juice. Boiled once, twice, and three times, the juice concentrates and produces different grades and strengths of molasses. Blackstrap is the result of three go-rounds and is the darkest variety with a strong flavor.

This oozy syrup is an ingredient in candies, cookies, and other baked goods. The flavor adds complexity to the pretty cookies featured here.

Lessons Learned

Choose your strength of molasses flavor. I like mild molasses. Are you a blackstrap person? You’ll never know until you try it.
Be sure to chill your dough for several hours or overnight. I found that cold dough was best for making a deep imprint with the cookie stamp. I also chilled the imprinted cookies for 30 minutes prior to baking so the design would not be lost when the cookies bake and puff up.
Don’t want rum in the glaze? How sad. You can replace it with an equal amount of lemon juice, but that is kind of lame. Use the rum.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh for their soft gingerbread tiles with rum butter glaze recipe.

Gingerbread Cookies with Rum-Butter Glaze

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chill Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 62 minutes
Yield: 12 cookies 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

Cookies:

1 cup butter, at room temperature
⅓ packed cup brown sugar
¼ cup mild molasses
1 large egg
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for pressing
1 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Glaze:

⅔ cup confectioners' sugar
⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp butter, melted and warm
1 tbsp dark rum (or lemon juice)
1 tsp warm water

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Instructions

Make the cookies by beating together the softened butter and sugar until fluffy in the bowl of a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment). Add the molasses and egg then beat to fully combine.
In a large bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and black pepper together to fully incorporate all the dry ingredients. Add about half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix together on low speed. Once it is mixed, add the other half of the flour and mix again until the dough is all one color.
Cover and chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes or overnight.
Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Divide the dough into 12 equal size pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Lightly flour a smooth surface as well as the dough balls. Using a cookie stamp, firmly press straight down on the dough ball until the dough is around ¼-inch thick. Carefully remove the pressed dough from the stamp and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with all the dough balls. Leave 2 inches between the stamped cookies on the sheet.
At this point, I like to place the tray of stamped cookies in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up the dough again. You can bake them straight away if you want, but remember the cookies will slightly puff up when baked and the design won’t be as crisp. A chilled dough helps the design to stay sharp.
Preheat the oven to 350 F/176 C.
Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes.
Make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and cinnamon. Whisk in the melted butter, rum, and water until combined. The glaze will thicken as it sets so you may need to add a little more water to loosen it before brushing.
Once the cookies come out of the oven, let them cool for 5 minutes before brushing on the glaze. The cookies should still be warm when the glaze is applied. Cool on a wire rack and try not to eat all of them in one sitting. Makes 12 cookies.

Pandan Crinkle Cookies with Coconut and Lime

December 6, 2022

Pandan Crinkle Cookies with Coconut and Lime

What’s green with snow-like caps and tastes like a tropical vacation? Pandan Crinkle Cookies with Coconut and Lime. These are easy to make and addictingly good.

Pandan

If you aren’t familiar with pandan, I’m here to enlighten you. Pandan is a type of tropical plant grown in Southeast Asia. Its leaves are a food flavoring in Indonesia, Malaysia, Phillippines, Singapore, and Sri Lanka.

I spent most of my childhood in the Pacific, living in Guam and Hawaii. Many of my Filipino friends brought pandan-flavored cakes and sweets to fiestas and potlucks. The flavor is subtly sweet and grassy with mild vanilla-y notes.

It’s hard to describe, but it’s lovely.

You can make your own pandan flavoring, of course. I’ve even found packages of pandan leaves in the frozen food section at my local Asian market. But it’s easy to purchase pandan flavoring on Amazon or at most Asian food stores.

Pandan appears in both savory and sweet dishes. Most often it is added to rice and chicken dishes. But I really love it in cookies.

Pandan cookie dough in its bright green glory!

Crinkle Cookies

I had a friend whose mom would bake chocolate crinkle cookies every holiday season. They were so pretty and so delicious. Plus, they looked like they were topped with snow!

Crinkle cookies are so named because they have a crinkly, crackly look. The dough gets rolled in powdered sugar before baking. Through the magic of the oven, the dough puffs and bakes, peeking out from the powdered sugar veneer.

Dough balls rolled in powdered sugar and awaiting their fate in the oven.

Chocolate crinkle cookies are the OG, of course, but variations like red velvet, lemon, and sprinkle crinkles have become very popular. This recipe combines pandan, coconut, and lime for a unique crinkle cookie. These pandan cookies deserve a spot on your holiday cookie tray, as do these.

These cookies are ready for their close-up, Mr. DeMille.

Lessons Learned

Pandan flavoring and extract aren’t always the same across brands. If you are purchasing a natural extract, the green color will be more subtle than the ones with artificial color added. Yes, I went for the artificial coloring because I wanted these babies to be vibrant green, not sage green.
This is a thick and sticky dough. To help the dough firm up a little, I let it chill in the fridge for 15-ish minutes.
When you plop the dough into the powdered sugar, it will not be a perfect ball. Once the dough is coated in the sugar, you can gently roll it between your palms to make it round.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Dessert Now Dinner Later for the coconut lime crinkle cookie recipe.

The inside, in case you were wondering what it looks like.

Pandan Crinkle Cookies with Coconut and Lime

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chill Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 47 minutes

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Ingredients

Units Scale

½ cup butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
¼ cup lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
½ cup unsweetened dried coconut flakes
1 tsp pandan flavoring
½ tsp coconut extract
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup powdered sugar for dredging

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Instructions

Beat the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until combined and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat after each addition.
Tip in the lime juice, lime zest, coconut flakes, pandan flavoring, coconut extract, and vanilla extract. Mix in with the butter mixture until combined.
Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture by the cupful into the butter mixture and beat together on low speed. Once you have added all the flour, mix until everything is incorporated. The dough will be thick and sticky. Place the mixing bowl in the fridge and let it chill for 15 to 20 minutes.
Turn on the oven to 350 F/176 C. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Pour the powdered sugar into a shallow bowl and set aside.
Using a small cookie scoop or ⅛ cup measuring cup (equals around 2 tablespoon of dough), drop a lump of dough into the powdered sugar. Using both hands, lightly roll the dough into the sugar until it is coated and gently roll it into a ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Dough balls should be 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the outer edges of the cookie are set. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely if you can. Makes around 26 cookies.

Chocolate-Pecan Meringues with Cherries

December 5, 2022

Chocolate-Pecan Meringues with Cherries

Chewy and chocolatey, these Chocolate-Pecan Meringues with Cherries deserve a spot on your cookie tray this month. The fact that they are gluten-free and dairy-free is one more reason to say yes to making them.

Gluten-free Baking

Gluten-free baked goods can be terrible. These bread, cakes, and cookies seem to go hard on the baking soda and baking powder, hoping for some lift since gluten isn’t there to provide it. The results are often a dry, crumbly mess that only the faithfully gluten-free person will eat.

So not worth the calories!

However, gluten-free baking has come a long way in the past few years. Now there are more easily sourced flour substitutions like 1-to-1, cup-4-cup, almond, and coconut. Plus, countless gluten-free websites help the average baker put together something that is not only edible but tasty for GF family and friends.

Eggs, dark chocolate, pecans, and dried cherries for the win.

I’ve had my share of gluten-free (and dairy-free) needs with my own peeps for several years. One of the best things to bake for these high-maintenance loved ones? Meringue.

Meringue

Once upon a time, I thought meringue was super fancy. Well, I still kind of think that. But once I actually made it, I discovered it is easy to do.

Let’s call it easy fancy.

Egg whites and sugar whipped to stiff peaks.

Basically, meringue is egg whites whipped with sugar until it is stiff and glossy. It is then baked until the outside is crisp and the inside is soft, chewy, and marshmallow-like. Think: lemon meringue pie and baked Alaska.

If it is baked longer, the entire meringue is uniformly crisp throughout. It shatters when you bite into it. Dacquoise, meringue kisses, and pavlova are all examples.

Meringue is a delicious way to make a naturally gluten-free and dairy-free cookie without having to hunt down any special ingredients. It can be flavored with a variety of things like melted chocolate, dried bits of fruit, zest, and finely chopped nuts.

Meringue and melted chocolate stirred together.

Lessons Learned

Don’t overbeat the egg whites! They should form shiny, stiff peaks that remain tall when the beaters are pulled away. If you beat them for too long, they will lose their shine and become dull lumpy clumps, as I sadly discovered.
It’s important to add the sugar a little bit at a time. Wait for it to become incorporated before adding the next spoonful so the meringue doesn’t become grainy.
Yes, piping the cookies is an extra step but the finished product looks prettier. The alternative is to plop the batter on the sheet pan with a spoon. It’s ugly but tastes the same. You're an adult, so do what you want.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Parade for the chewy dark chocolate meringue cookie recipe.

Close up of chocolate-pecan meringue cookie.

Chocolate-Pecan Meringues with Cherries

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 30 cookies 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

4 egg whites
½ tsp lemon juice
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup granulated sugar
12 oz dark chocolate (70 percent), melted and cooled
½ cup chopped dried cherries
½ cup chopped pecans

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 F/162 C. Place parchment paper on two rimmed baking sheets and set aside.
Beat the egg whites, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt in a stand mixer (or hand mixer) on medium speed until it is foamy and bubbly. Continue to beat on medium speed while gradually adding in the sugar, a few spoonfuls at a time. Once all the sugar is added, beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks. Do not overbeat.
Gently stir in the melted chocolate, chopped nuts, and chopped cherries using a rubber spatula.
Place half of the batter into a piping bag or gallon-size Ziploc bag. Snip one corner into a 1-inch hole. Pipe cookies (about 2 inches wide) onto the prepared baking sheets. If you don’t want to mess with piping, you can dollop batter onto the cookie sheets with a spoon. Place a whole pecan in the middle of each cookie.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the surface looks dry and is set. The insides will continue to set as the cookies cool. Let cool on the sheet pans. Makes around 30 cookies.

Campanelle with Creamy Pumpkin Alfredo

November 30, 2022

Campanelle with Creamy Pumpkin Alfredo

This carb-a-licious pasta dish of Campanelle with Creamy Pumpkin Alfredo features a luxurious alfredo sauce that just happens to be dairy-free. Plus, pumpkin!

Baking Pumpkins

All throughout the fall and winter, pumpkins of every size can be found at grocery stores and farm stands. Yes, we all love the giant ones for carving funny faces and the wee ones for decorating. But my favorite? The pie pumpkins.

Pie pumpkin split in half lengthwise, one side facing down and the other facing up with seeds.

These small pumpkins are sometimes called sugar pumpkins or baking pumpkins. They have smooth orange skin and weigh between two and three pounds. Once roasted, the pumpkin flesh can be added to sauces, soups, and sweets.

But why bake a pumpkin when you can just open a can of pumpkin puree? Flavor, of course. Freshly roasted pumpkin is going to taste cleaner, more pumpkin-y, and less metallic than anything you scrape out of a can.

Baking a pumpkin is not hard, I promise. The biggest task is cleaning out the middle and deciding whether you are going to toss the seeds or roast them.

Once cooked, these orange-y orbs yield around two cups of mashed pumpkin. Just enough for a pie. Or a pasta sauce.

Campanelle

The first time I saw this pasta at the grocery store I thought it looked like little flowers. So it’s no surprise that “campanelle” means “bellflower” in Italian. With its ruffly edges and curved shape, it is a beautiful pasta and one I wouldn’t attempt to make by hand.

It is made from just three ingredients: durum wheat semolina, eggs, and water. The Italian import brand I buy comes in 12-ounce bags but the more easily found Barilla brand offers it in 16-ounce boxes.

Dry campanelle pasta, fresh sage leaves, and fresh garlic.

I love that the space in the center of the “flower” is perfect for trapping creamy sauces, like the pumpkin alfredo featured here. A perfect side: Ligurian Focaccia!

Lessons Learned

Don’t want to bake a pumpkin? I get it. You can sub in a 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree instead.
If you can’t find campanelle, you can use any tubular pasta like penne or rigatoni. For pasta with a similar ruffly edge, try fusilli or radiatori.
This recipe is vegan if you make it with vegan butter, and non-dairy milk. Top it with vegan cheese.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Minimalist Baker for directions on how to bake pumpkin and to Well Plated by Erin for the pumpkin pasta sauce recipe inspo.

Creamy and dairy-free pumpkin alfredo with campanelle pasta.

Campanelle with Creamy Pumpkin Alfredo

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

1 small baking pumpkin (2 to 3 lbs)
2 Tbsp butter, olive oil, or vegan butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp ground sage
½ tsp ground nutmeg
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups coconut milk, or any kind
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 oz campanelle or similar pasta
1 Tbsp fresh sage leaves, chopped
Shaved parmesan or vegan cheese

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F/176 C. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Lightly oil the cut sides and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake the pumpkin, cut sides down, on a baking sheet for 50 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven, turn over the pumpkin halves so cut sides face up, and let cool. Scoop out the flesh into a food processor or blender and blitz until it is a smooth puree. It should equal around 2 cups.
Make the sauce by melting the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, then adding the flour, sage, nutmeg, and garlic. Lower the heat to medium and stir to combine until the mixture looks dry, about 2 minutes. Add the milk and stir, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan.
Add in the pumpkin puree, then season with salt and pepper. Stir and bring the sauce to a simmer. Depending on the milk you used, the sauce may be too thin. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into 3 tablespoons of cold water, then add it to the sauce and stir until it is starting to thicken. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, then dump the pasta into the sauce and stir to combine.
To serve, place the pasta in individual serving bowls and top with chopped sage and shaved cheese.

Miso-Caramel Salmon with Bok Choy

November 28, 2022

Miso-Caramel Salmon with Bok Choy

Savory caramel is a thing and Miso-Caramel Salmon with Bok Choy proves that! This one-and-done sheet pan meal is easy prep and easy clean-up. The caramel comes together quickly and incorporates a surprise ingredient: miso.

Miso

You’ve probably had miso soup at a sushi place at some point in your dining-out life. The salty-sweet, slightly funky broth usually contains miso, dashi, tofu, seaweed, and green onion. It’s a simple but tasty soup.

Miso is a fermented soybean paste originating in Japan and it comes in many varieties including white, yellow, and red. White miso is the mildest and red is the most pungent. The salty, slightly sweet, and savory flavor makes it a popular ingredient in dips, marinades, salad dressings, sauces, and soups.

So what’s it doing in this caramel? In a previous post, we talked about the role salt plays in making sweet things taste better, and that’s what it is doing here. It is a version of salted caramel, with miso being the bringer of salt.

Miso-caramel is delicious in desserts, of course, and I may have had a spoonful or two straight out of the jar. But its sweet-saltiness is an excellent addition to chicken, fish, and vegetable dishes. Brushed over salmon, it shines.

Plus, bok choy!

Bok Choy

Growing up, I ate bok choy on a semi-regular basis. My Korean mom used it in her kimchi and stir-fries. It is a type of mild Chinese cabbage that has a crunchy white base and tender green leaves.

Bok choy is eaten raw or cooked. And it cooks fast when incorporated in soups or sauteed in a pan. Thrown on a baking sheet and roasted, it is done in less than 15 minutes.

Baby bok choy is what I used in this recipe. What makes them babies? They do not reach full maturity before picking. So the heads and leaves are milder and more tender than the full-size ones.

Salmon fillets and baby bok choy arranged on a sheet pan, ready to be roasted.

Lessons Learned

The miso-caramel can be dairy-free (hooray!) by using coconut cream. It also can be made a day or two ahead and kept in the fridge. Try not to eat all of it with a spoon before making the salmon.
An important step is to set the sheet pan in the oven while the oven preheats. You want the pan to be hot when you place the salmon on it. This ensures the fish and veggies cook evenly.
A nice side dish here would be steamed white or brown rice. And homemade kimchi!

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Bon Appetit for their miso-caramel glazed salmon recipe inspiration and to Food52 for the miso caramel recipe.

Roasted, glazed with miso-caramel, and ready to eat!

Miso-Caramel Salmon with Bok Choy

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
½ cup heavy cream or coconut cream
2 Tbsp white miso
1 lb. (about 4 fillets) salmon
2 or 3 baby bok choy heads
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Garnish: sliced green onions

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Instructions

Make the miso caramel by stirring the sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil without stirring. Let it cook until the mixture reaches a golden brown color, like the color of amber jewelry. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the cream. Stir together until it is uniform in color. Add the miso and stir until it is combined.
Preheat the oven to 425 F/218 C. Place a lightly-greased, rimmed baking sheet in the oven while it preheats.
Divide the salmon into fillets if it is not already. Slice the bok choy into halves and set aside.
Once the oven is ready, remove the preheated baking sheet from the oven and immediately add the bok choy, cut side down. Next, add the salmon, skin side down. Everything should be in a single layer. Drizzle several spoonfuls of miso caramel over the salmon (you will have caramel left over to enjoy with something else).
Top the salmon evenly with garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper.
Roast for 10 to 12 minutes or until the salmon is cooked. Don’t overcook the salmon, please. Garnish with green onions and serve.

Cranberry Lime Pie

November 17, 2022

Cranberry Lime Pie

The bright color is a hint of the equally bright flavor of Cranberry Lime Pie. Crushed gingersnaps and pecans make up the warm and nutty crust. The filling: sweet-tart cranberry lime curd.

Curd

What is fruit curd? If you are a teatime person, you are familiar with lemon curd. Spread on scones and sandwiched between cookies, it is indulgent, buttery, and lemony.

Fruit curd is a combination of eggs, sugar, fruit juice, and zest cooked until some of the liquid evaporates and thickened. Sometimes the mixture incorporates butter as well. Once the curd cools, it is a creamy, spreadable paste.

Cranberries, limes, lemon, eggs, and butter all awaiting their fate.

Citrus fruits like grapefruit, lemon, lime, and orange are well-suited for this because their acid and sharp flavor balance the richness of the curd. Lately, I have seen berries made into curds, such as blackberry, raspberry, and strawberry. This recipe uses tart cranberries and limes.

A nice counterpoint to the luscious filling is the cookie crust.

Gingersnap Pie Crust

Gingersnaps, pecans, butter, and brown sugar for the cookie crust.

Cookie pie crusts are nothing new. They are made from crunchy cookies like graham crackers, Oreos, and shortbread. Crush cookies into crumbs, add butter, and press the mixture into a pan.

To quote Ina Garten, how easy is that?

This crust is made with gingersnaps. The crunchy kind from a box. Plus, pecans!

Pouring the cranberry lime goodness into the prepared crumb crust.

Lessons Learned

Need your crust to be nut-free? Use just cookies. Double the amount of gingersnaps.
If you don’t mind pieces of cranberry and zest in your curd, by all means, skip the fine mesh strainer bit. Straining it makes the curd silky smooth but that might not be your thing.
The garnishes are optional, of course. They do make the pie extra pretty but a dollop of whipped cream instead would be just as nice.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Epicurious for their cranberry-lime pie recipe.

Cranberry Lime Pie

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 12 slices 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Crust:

4 ounces gingersnap cookies (16 cookies of Nabisco brand)
1 cup pecans
4 Tbsp butter, melted
3 Tbsp brown sugar

Filling:

1 package (12 oz) fresh or thawed cranberries
1 ½ cups granulated sugar, divided use
¼ cup water
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp lime zest
½ cup fresh lime juice
Pinch of kosher salt
¾ cup butter, cut into pieces

Garnish:

½ cup water
1 cup granulated sugar, divided use
1 cup fresh cranberries
½ cup whole pecans
1 tsp lime zest

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F/176 C. Make the crust by blitzing the cookies in a food processor or blender until they are crumbs. Add the pecans and blitz again until the mixture is fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and brown sugar, then pulse a few times to combine. It should look like wet sand. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch deep dish pie pan. Press the crumbs firmly on the bottom and sides into an even layer. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until firm. If you have a crust emergency and the sides have slid down, just press them back to where they should go. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Make the cranberry puree by combining the cranberries, 1 cup sugar, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, lower the heat and continue cooking until the cranberries burst. Allow it to cook until most of the juice is gone, about 12 minutes. Let it cool slightly, then pour it into a clean blender or food processor and blitz until it is pureed.
Make the filling by pouring the cranberry puree, ½ cup sugar, eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, lime zest, lime juice, and salt into the top pan of a double boiler. Bring 2 cups of water to simmer in the bottom saucepan. Place the upper pan (you can also use a heatproof bowl if you don’t have a double boiler) over the water. Cook the mixture, stirring with a rubber spatula, for 8 to 10 minutes. Scrape the sides of the pan and stir frequently as the curd starts to thicken. Press the curd through a fine mesh strainer to get rid of the pieces of cranberry and zest to make it smooth. Scrape the underside of the strainer to capture all the curd. Let it cool for 15 minutes.
Now, add one piece of the butter and beat it into the mixture with a hand-held or stand mixer. Once the butter is incorporated, add the next piece and do the same. It will take 5-ish minutes to add all the butter, one piece at a time. The curd will be a lighter shade of reddish pink and fluffier. Pour the curd into the crust and smooth the top. Place it in the fridge for 2 hours or until set.
Make the garnish. This is optional, but it is pretty. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper under a wire rack and have it nearby. Bring the sugar and water to a simmer over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add the cranberries and allow them to cook for 2 minutes, then remove them to the wire rack with a slotted spoon. They should slightly soften but don’t allow them to burst. Now, add the pecans to the saucepan and cook them for 5 minutes, then remove them to the wire rack with a slotted spoon. Allow the berries and nuts to cool and dry for about 1 hour. Pour the remaining ½ cup sugar onto a plate. Add the cranberries and pecans and roll them in the sugar to create a frosted appearance.
The naked pie can be kept covered in the fridge for 2 days. Garnish the pie just before serving. Arrange the sugared cranberries and pecans as you wish, then finish it off with 1 teaspoon of lime zest.

Buttermilk Pie with Booze

November 16, 2022

Buttermilk Pie with Booze

It’s not the prettiest thing, but it is sweet and will make you smile. I’m not referring to your friend’s newest grandbaby. We’re talking pie: Buttermilk Pie with Booze.

The appeal of this pie is its simplicity. Yes, it’s ugly but it is delicious. Certain individuals will appreciate it.

This is the pie for friends who:

Drink their coffee black.
Order cheese pizza.
Peruse all the ice cream flavors, then get vanilla—every time.

Jamocha Almond Fudge people, keep moving along. This is not the pie for you.

What’s Buttermilk

I was amazed to learn recently that buttermilk is a fermented drink.

In years past, it was made from the leftover milk that remained after one churned their butter. This milk was allowed to ferment, developing natural probiotics and a tangy flavor. My dad used to drink this when he was growing up in his tiny hometown in Oklahoma.

Most of the buttermilk sold today in the U.S. is cultured buttermilk. This means that a lactic acid bacteria culture is added to pasteurized, homogenized milk. The live cultures ferment the milk to produce commercially-made buttermilk.

Buttermilk is thicker than whole milk and has a slightly acidic tang, similar to yogurt. It is used as an ingredient in biscuits, muffins, pancakes, and quick bread. The lactic acid in the milk activates baking soda, giving these doughs a lift and a tender crumb.

The star of this pie is the buttermilk. I know you are skeptical, but I encourage you to make it once before passing judgment. You will be surprised at how good it is.

Plus, there’s booze.

Booze

Booze, hooch, the sauce, nightcap. They are all the same: nicknames for alcohol. Usually, these are referring to distilled spirits but can be applied to alcohol in general.

When you add booze to something that is going to be baked, cooked on a stovetop, grilled, or sauteed, some of the alcohol burns off and evaporates in the heat. Some, not all. After an hour of cooking, about 25 percent of the alcohol still remains in a dish.

If this concerns you because the alcohol doesn’t completely burn off (or because 75 percent of it does), read on.

Buttermilk, eggs, butter, sugar, and whiskey. What's not to love?

For a recipe that calls for two tablespoons of hooch like this one does, the finished pie will have about one and a half teaspoons of remaining alcohol. I won’t calculate what each slice contains, but I think it is safe to say you won’t get buzzed by eating a slice of this pie. Or even the whole pie.

The spirit I chose to add was the whiskey I had on hand (Buffalo Trace if you are curious). But you can use whatever hard stuff you have and taste you enjoy. If you don’t like or want to use alcohol, you can just omit it.

Buttermilk filling poured into the dough, waiting to be baked.

Lessons Learned

Don’t want to make your own pie dough? Use a purchased pie crust instead. But homemade is worth the extra 15 minutes to pull together, I promise.
You will want to use real buttermilk for this recipe since it is a key ingredient. In other baked goods, you can get away with a buttermilk substitute (milk plus lemon juice), but that won’t work here.
Use a regular 9-inch pie pan, not a deep dish one. I made the mistake of making it in a deep dish pan on the first try and the filling was too skimpy.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Simply Recipes for the perfect pie crust recipe (I used the butter and shortening version) and Well Plated by Erin for the buttermilk pie filling recipe.

Craters on the moon. Not really. Close-up look at a baked buttermilk pie.

Buttermilk Pie with Booze

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: 8 slices 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Dough:

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ cup butter, diced
¼ cup shortening
4 Tbsp cold water

Filling:

3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp flour
¼ tsp salt
½ cup butter, melted and cooled
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp whiskey or booze of your choice
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest
2 tsp vanilla extract
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg

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Instructions

Make the pie dough by dumping the flour, sugar, salt, butter, and shortening in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut or rub in the fats until it is pea-sized and distributed evenly.
Add the water and mix the dough until it comes together. If the dough is too soft, wrap it tightly and set it in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up before rolling it out. Otherwise, lightly flour a flat surface and roll out the dough to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Transfer the dough to the pan and flute the edges if desired. Place the pan in the fridge while you make the filling.
Preheat the oven to 325 F/162 C. Adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven.
Make the filling by lightly beating the eggs by hand with a whisk or in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Whisk in the sugar, flour, and salt. Next, add the butter, buttermilk, whiskey, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and nutmeg. Stir everything together until it is incorporated and smooth.
Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Place the pan in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 55 minutes. The center should be set and the top forming a crackly crust. Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing. Serve with whipped cream, if desired. Your black coffee friends will most likely want to eat it plain.

Chocolate Tart with PB Pretzel Crust

November 14, 2022

Chocolate Tart with PB Pretzel Crust

You only need five ingredients to make Chocolate Tart with PB Pretzel Crust. It’s a sweet and salty combination that is perfect for the dairy-free peeps in your life. It’s easily adapted to be gluten-free, reduced sugar, and vegan, too!

Why do sweet and salty taste good together?

Sweet and Salty

We all have that friend who dips their french fries into a milkshake, scatters crushed pretzels over ice cream, and salts each slice of watermelon. I used to think these people were gross. Now, I realize they are geniuses.

Salt makes sweet things taste better.

Because salt is a flavor booster, it helps us identify and enjoy the different flavors in foods. Our taste buds contain many cells that send signals to our brain, which then registers what we are ingesting. Certain sweet taste cells will only fire up when sodium is present.

Peanut butter pretzels, chocolate chips, peanut butter, coconut milk, and salted butter all on a wooden cutting board.

This explains why so many cookie and cake recipes call for a pinch of salt or employ salted butter. These recipes know what’s up. When we get both sweet and salty in one bite, we are hooked.

Salt rounds out the flavor in chocolate ganache.

Dairy Free Chocolate Ganache

Ganache is a fancy word for chocolate and heavy cream mixed together. Normally, the cream is warmed and poured over chopped chocolate and stirred until glossy. The mixture can be used for pouring over cakes and desserts, or making truffles and candies.

Prepped crust spread with peanut butter and awaiting chocolate ganache.

Because I have several dairy-free people in my life, I like to make my chocolate ganache with full-fat coconut milk. I find that heating the milk in the microwave and adding the chocolate works just as well as the stove-top method. The ganache comes out silky smooth and delicious.

Stevia-sweetened dark chocolate chips, like the Lily Brand, are my personal favorite. They are not too sweet. I think the reduced sugar content is a welcome relief in a dense rich tart like this one.

Chocolate ganache filled pie looking smooth and glossy.

Lessons Learned

To make this gluten-free, you know what to do. Find GF peanut butter pretzels.
Want this to be vegan? Replace the butter with vegan butter or solid coconut oil and use vegan chocolate chips. Is there such a thing as vegan peanut butter pretzels? Vegans will know.
Let this tart sit outside the fridge for 30-ish minutes before slicing and serving. It will be pretty firm straight from the refrigerator.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to The FeedFeed for the chocolate and peanut butter pretzel tart recipe.

Chocolate Tart with PB Pretzel Crust

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Chill Time: 45 minutes (freezer) or 4 hours (fridge)
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 12 slices 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

3 cups peanut butter pretzels
6 Tbsp butter, softened
½ cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup full fat coconut milk
2 cups dark chocolate chips
½ tsp salt
Garnishes such as fruit, chopped peanuts, flaky sea salt

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Instructions

Make the crust by pouring the pretzels into a food processor or blender and blitzing until you have fine crumbs. Add the softened butter and pulse again until it just comes together. Pour the mixture into an 8-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the crumbs on the bottom and sides of the pan into an even layer.
Spread the peanut butter on the bottom of the crust. If your peanut butter is thick, you can loosen it with a tablespoon of honey or oil. Place the pan in the freezer.
Make the ganache by heating the milk in a large microwave-safe bowl for one minute on high power or until the milk is hot. Pour in the chocolate chips, add the salt, and let sit for 30 seconds. Stir the mixture to melt the chocolate. Keep stirring to combine the chocolate and milk together until they are smooth and shiny.
Remove the crust from the freezer and pour the ganache mixture into the crust. Allow the ganache to set by placing it in the freezer for 45 minutes or in the fridge for 4 hours.
Garnish with something fun and pretty like small pieces of fresh fruit, chopped peanuts, or flaky sea salt. Slice into thin pieces (it is rich!) and serve.

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus

November 11, 2022

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus

Asparagus Quinoa Salad garnished with small carrots.

Protein, vegetables, and flavor. What more can one want in a dish? This Quinoa Salad with Asparagus also happens to be pretty and vegan-friendly. It’s a win on many levels.

Where does the protein in this dish come from? Quinoa.

How to Cook Quinoa

Pronounced KEEN-wah, it is an edible seed from a plant in the amaranth family. While it is considered a whole-grain carb, it is also a whole protein because it contains all nine amino acids. That is unusual for a plant-based protein and part of why quinoa has become so popular with vegans and vegetarians.

With 8 grams of protein per cup, quinoa is a nutritious substitute for rice, oats, and other grains in salads, savory dishes, and even breakfast cereal. It is high in fiber and cooks quickly. I like that it holds its shape and does not sog out when dressed with a sauce or vinaigrette.

Quinoa, asparagus, green onions, hazelnuts, herbs, and carrots laid out on a wooden board.

The quinoa-to-water ratio is one cup of quinoa to two cups of water or broth. To avoid a mushy texture, always cook quinoa uncovered. Once it has absorbed all the liquid, remove it from the heat, cover it, and let it steam for a few minutes before serving.

Cooked quinoa pairs nicely with chicken, fish, and other meats. It is especially good in grain salads like the one here and vegetables. Like asparagus.

Asparagus

It’s one of those foods that are low in calories but high in nutrients. Asparagus stems can be green, white, or purple and are grown both commercially and in home gardens. They are a popular springtime vegetable but can be found year-round in grocery stores.

I can hear you snickering now. Yes, it makes your pee smell funny thanks to the asparagusic acid that your body breaks down after ingesting the bright green stalks. You can blame the sulfur molecules for the stink.

Cooked quinoa and asparagus, hanging out together and pondering their relationship.

Actually, not everyone’s urine smells after eating asparagus and not everyone can smell it. Surprised? Me too.

Genetic analysis company 23andMe has identified an asparagus-pee gene (I am not making this up) from the thousands of genes that it studies. There are specific genes in your DNA that determine whether you can smell asparagus urine and if you produce it.

I don’t mean to brag, but I can do both.

Lessons Learned

Use any kind of quinoa you like. I chose tri-color, a mix of white, red, and black quinoa because it was available at my local grocery store. Plus, it’s pretty!
Roasted asparagus would be delicious, too. Maybe even better than this quick-boiled version. Hmm, next time I may have to try it that way.
Not into the skinny carrots? Leave them off. I think they add a pop of color, but you’re an adult so do what you want.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Parade for their asparagus, hazelnut, and mint salad.

Quinoa Salad with Asparagus

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Salad:

1 lb asparagus
1 cup quinoa
¼ cup packed fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
⅓ cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
¼ cup green onions, thinly sliced
3 to 5 small carrots with tops on

Vinaigrette:

zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp unseasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp maple syrup
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

Cook the quinoa in 2 cups of boiling water seasoned with ½ teaspoon salt. For more flavor, you can cook it in vegetable broth. Let simmer uncovered on medium heat until all the liquid is gone and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove it from the heat, put the top on the pot, and let it steam for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork.
Prepare a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes. Set this near the stovetop as the ice bath for the asparagus.
Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Trim the woody ends from the asparagus and cut the stalks into 1-inch pieces. Drop asparagus into the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes until just crisp-tender. With a slotted spoon, remove the pieces from the saucepan and immediately plunge them into the ice water bath to stop the cooking. Once the asparagus is cool, drain it and then spread it out on paper towels to dry.
Dip the carrots into the boiling water while holding onto the green tops. Let them cook for a few minutes to slightly soften. They will still have some crunch to them.
Make the vinaigrette by combining lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, and olive oil in a small mason jar. Salt and pepper to taste. Screw on the lid and shake until the ingredients are combined.
Assemble the salad by combining the quinoa, asparagus, mint, parsley, and green onions in a large bowl. Add about half the vinaigrette and toss together. Pour the quinoa mixture evenly onto a serving platter or large shallow bowl. Scatter the nuts to garnish the top. Arrange the carrots on the side to add color.

Roasted Vegetables with Forbidden Rice

November 10, 2022

Roasted Vegetables with Forbidden Rice

Jewel-toned roasted vegetables can steal the spotlight at any meal. Roasted Vegetables with Forbidden Rice features burgundy beets, green Brussels sprouts, and orange butternut squash. So pretty especially when nestled on a mound of black rice!

Forbidden Rice

Black rice is stunning. It is black when raw, but once it’s cooked it takes on an intense purple hue. Still stunning.

I’m intrigued by anything called “forbidden,” aren’t you? In ancient China, a local variety of black rice was only served to wealthy aristocrats. Everyone else was forbidden to eat it.

Raw black rice with a bay leaf and orange peel strips.

There are around 20 different varieties of black rice in the world. The one featured here is Japonica. It is grown in California and is excellent in vegetable salads like this one.

Because of the anthocyanin pigment which gives the rice its deep color, it has more antioxidants than brown or white rice. More pluses? A nutty flavor and a satisfyingly chewy texture.

Roasted Vegetables

If you have never roasted vegetables, please do so asap. It will change your relationship with them forever. Roasted vegetables taste different than their boiled and steamed counterparts.

The veggies lose moisture as they roast, which intensifies their flavors. The heat of the oven also helps to release their natural sugars and leads to caramelization. That’s what makes those edges beautifully brown.

Beet, Brussels sprouts, and butternut squash - oh my!

The steps to perfect roasted veggies:

Heat. Turn it up. High oven temps (anything over 400 F/204 C) will ensure that the veggies get crisp-tender and develop brown edges.
Space. Give them room. Piling too many on the pan will cause them to steam and get soggy. Place them in a single layer with space in between the pieces.
Size. Cut them the same size. Small pieces cook quicker than larger ones.
Fat. Oil the pieces. But not too much.

Veggies chopped and roasted with caramelized brown edges.

Lessons Learned

The components of this dish can be prepared in advance and assembled on the day of. Dress with the vinaigrette just before serving.
Can’t find or don’t want to order black rice? Replace it with white or brown, but don’t expect people to ooh and aah over it.
This makes a delicious side dish at any meal, or a stunning main entrée paired with this pumpkin soup.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Ciao Florentina for the autumn salad recipe.

Roasted Vegetables with Forbidden Rice

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Vegetables:

2 beets
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, halved
2 Tbsp olive oil

Rice:

1 ½ cups black rice
2 ½ cups water
1 bay leaf
2 sections of orange peel
½ tsp salt

Vinaigrette:

¼ cup shallot, finely chopped
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp orange zest
4 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp maple syrup
⅓ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 F/204 C. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with oil.
Wrap the beets in aluminum foil and roast for 1 hour or until tender to the core. Unwrap the beets and allow them to cook slightly before removing the skin (it should peel right off). Cut beets into 1-inch cubes and set aside.
Toss the butternut squash and Brussels sprouts with oil and spread them out in a single layer on the prepared pan. Roast for 35 minutes until tender but still holding their shape. You can roast them at the same time you roast the beets.
Make the rice by combining the rice, water, bay leaf, orange peel, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cover with a top and bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue to cook covered for 30 minutes or until rice is tender and water is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside leaving the cover on.
Make the vinaigrette by adding the shallot, vinegar, lemon juice, orange zest, mustard, maple syrup, and olive oil to a small mason jar. Screw on the lid and shake to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble the salad by mounding the rice on a platter or in a large bowl. Arrange the roasted vegetables on top of the rice. You can mix them together or place them in blocks of color. It will be beautiful however you do it. Give the vinaigrette a shake and pour it over everything before serving.

Cauliflower Salad

November 9, 2022

Cauliflower Salad

Warm salads should be a thing. There aren’t enough of them in this world. Cauliflower Salad can be served warm or at room temp, making it a perfect dish for buffets, potlucks, and your Thanksgiving table.

Plus, it makes the vegans, vegetarians, and even the carnivores in your life happy.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is kind of the tofu of the vegetable world. It is pretty bland on it’s own but it plays well with all kinds of flavors, spices, and other veggies. Think of it as an empty page waiting to be written upon.

So, are you surprised then that cauliflower is the star of the show in this recipe? I was.

Head of cauliflower, onion, pomegranate, kumquats, and fresh herbs.

But! If you’ve been paying attention to the food world, you’ve most likely seen cauliflower crust pizza, cauliflower rice, and cauliflower mash. Is there anything cauliflower can’t do?

This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Simple. Chef Yotam Ottolenghi keeps it simple while also taking it to the next level by combining roasted and raw cauliflower together in the same dish. Genius and delicious.

Pomegranate

Another fresh item that has skyrocketed in food world popularity over the past decade: pomegranates. Their leathery burgundy skin covers a web of spongy whiteness that houses the red, jewel-like seeds. A symbolic fruit in the ancient world, pomegranates appear regularly in the history of ancient Egypt, the Bible’s Old Testament, and Greek mythology.

Fun fact: when I was a girl I named one of my baby dolls Persephone.

Juicy pomegranates hanging on a tree. K-i-s-s-i-n-g.

It’s easy to find fresh pomegranates at most grocery stores in the fall months. Now, you can also buy small containers of just the arils (seeds) and bottles of the juice. That was unheard of in the days when I was still toting around my Persephone.

Pomegranate seeds are like fruit jewelry. They make a pretty garnish for both savory and sweet dishes. They are gorgeous on yogurt, oatmeal, chicken and fish dishes, desserts, and salads like the one featured here.

Roasted and riced cauliflower, plus pom seeds and chopped herbs.

Lessons Learned

Don’t overcook the florets. You want them tender but not mushy. Nice brown edges are a plus.
The original recipe includes roasting the cauliflower’s green leaves. They develop a crisp edge when roasted. But depending on the head you buy, there may not be leafy leaves to roast.
Weirded out by the kumquats or can’t obtain them? Leave them out. The salad is still delicious without them.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Yotam Ottolenghi for the cauliflower salad recipe and to Zeynep Aciktepe on Unsplash for the pomegranate tree photo.

Cauliflower Salad

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Salad:

1 large cauliflower
1 onion, sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup parsley, chopped
½ cup mint, chopped
½ cup pomegranate arils
Handful of kumquats, sliced into halves

Vinaigrette:

2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 tablespoon olive oil
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

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Instructions

Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 425 F/218 C.
Make the roasted cauliflower by dividing the cauliflower head into thirds. Break two-thirds into bite-size florets. Add the florets and the onion to the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with some salt. Roast for 20 minutes until tender and starting to brown at the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Take the remaining one-third of the cauliflower and grate it on a box grater or food processor until it resembles rice. Add the cooled roasted cauliflower, parsley, and mint.
Make the vinaigrette by combining the lemon juice, oil, cumin, salt, and pepper in a small mason jar. Screw on the lid and shake to thoroughly combine. Pour the vinaigrette over the cauliflower mixture and toss to combine.
Place the mixture on a platter or in a shallow serving bowl. Scatter the pomegranate arils and kumquat halves over the top before serving. This can be served just warm or at room temperature.

Mushroom Wellington

November 8, 2022

Mushroom Wellington

Vegan and vegetarian friends will love you for including Mushroom Wellington at the table. But your carnivorous friends will secretly love you, too, because it’s delicious. Mushroom filling wrapped in puff pastry—what’s not to love?

Plus, it’s named after a boot. Or a duke.

Wellies

Because I love all things British, I’ve always wanted a pair of wellies. Popularized by Arthur Wellesley the First Duke of Wellington in the early 19th century, Wellington boots were staple footwear of the English aristocracy for hunting and outdoor wear. Originally made of leather, wellies were soon being manufactured of rubber, making them more accessible to everyone.

Like all things in the fashion world, wellies have fallen in and out of vogue, but have continued to be essential for farming, fishing, and concrete work. When Princess Diana was photographed in a pair of wellies back in 1980, rubber boot sales skyrocketed.

For years I skulked around online at various shoe sites looking for a pair of wellies. Prices ranged from cheap to aristocratically expensive. I finally found a pair that were very reasonably priced at my local Costco. Yes, I bought them!

In addition to boots carrying his moniker, the duke also has a dish named after him.

Beef Wellington

I cried the first time I made Beef Wellington. An inexperienced cook plus an incorrect recipe equaled disaster in the kitchen that Christmas Eve. My husband was kind and said the side of green beans I’d made tasted good.

At its simplest, the dish is basically beef tenderloin wrapped in puff pastry. Usually, sauteed mushrooms and either foie gras or prosciutto are included.

Mushrooms, onions, garlic, rosemary, and pecans.

It’s history? Murky at best. Beef Wellington started appearing in cookbooks at the start of the early 20th century, supposedly being named for the duke.

This vegetarian version of the famous dish is filled with mushrooms, onions, and pecans. It would be a yummy add to your Thanksgiving table or a weeknight main course served with this Baby Kale Salad.

Mushroom filling piled on a sheet of puff pastry.

Lessons Learned

Pepperidge Farm puff pastry is available in most grocery stores. It is made with vegetable shortening so it is considered vegan. Did I hear a hallelujah?
Avoid a soggy bottom! Be sure to cook your mushrooms long enough so that their liquid is evaporated. You don’t want them to be too moist because the pastry underneath will get gloopy. Paul and Prue would not approve.
History isn’t always straightforward. Things are named after people, sometimes for no reason.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Feasting at Home for the mushroom wellington recipe.

Mushroom Wellington

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 8 slices 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 lbs white or brown mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary (or other herbs), chopped
1 tsp salt
¼ cup dry white wine
1 cup pecans (or walnuts), toasted and chopped
1 box (1.1 lb) frozen puff pastry, thawed in the fridge overnight
Chopped parsley for garnish

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Instructions

Make the filling by heating the oil in a large skillet (I used two skillets) over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and let them cook for 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, rosemary, and salt to the pan.
Stir and reduce the heat to medium. Allow the mixture to cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the mushroom liquid has cooked off and the mushrooms look dry.
Tip in the wine and scrape the pan to release any browned bits. Continue cooking until all the liquid is gone and the mixture looks dry again.
Add the nuts, plus salt and pepper to taste. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 F/204 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unfold one puff pastry sheet on one half of the parchment paper. Roll the pastry with a rolling pin to even out the creases, if desired. Pile half of the mushroom mixture down the center section of the pastry sheet. Roll up the pastry by bringing the side closest to you up and over the filling and continuing to roll it away from you. The seam side should be down on the parchment. Seal each of the ends by pressing them together. Repeat with the second pastry sheet.
Lightly slash the tops of the pastry rolls with a razor or sharp knife in a diagonal pattern or however you wish. Brush with olive oil. If it doesn't have to be vegan you can use an egg wash by beating together one egg with one tablespoon of water.
Bake for 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden and puffed. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnished with chopped parsley. Can be served at room temperature.

Spiral Vegetable Pie

November 7, 2022

Spiral Vegetable Pie

It’s swirly, it’s yummy, and it will make the vegans in your life happy. Spiral Vegetable Pie is a lovely veggie-centric dish. You will want it at your Thanksgiving table for your vegan and non-vegan friends.

Vegetarian vs Vegan

You either know one, are related to one or are one. Vegan. It’s not just for high-maintenance people anymore.

Vegetarianism is relatively easy to understand. No meat. Got it. But veganism?

Carrots, yellow squash, zucchini, and eggplant lineup.

What’s the difference between the two? You may remember we talked a bit about vegetarianism in this post. While vegetarians don’t eat the flesh of animals, vegans take it a step further.

They don’t eat any animal meat but additionally don’t consume any other foods produced by animals. Some examples include milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, mayo, and honey. Vegans may also choose to avoid other products from animals like beeswax, leather, and silk.

For vegans and vegetarians alike, vegetables are life. And this pie is chock full of them. I recommend using a mandoline slicer to get the slices as thin as possible.

Eat Your Vegetables

This warm vegetable pie is a delicious way to fit veggies into any meal. It is hearty enough to be the main attraction. For carnivores, the pie makes a nice side dish.

Four types of vegetables are used here: carrots, eggplant, yellow squash, and zucchini. They make the layered swirl into a pretty rainbow. Use just one vegetable for a monochromatic look.

Assembling the spirals into the crust and Alfredo sauce.

The important thing to remember is that the vegetables chosen should have similar cooking times. For example, carrots are root vegetables and take a little longer to cook, so they are softened in hot water before being added. Are you a visual person? Me too. Here is a handy vegetable roasting chart.

You spin me right round, baby, right round, like a record baby.

Lessons Learned

This is not the recipe to make if you are in a hurry. There are, however, a few shortcuts you can make: store-bought pie crust and jarred Alfredo (or some other type of sauce).
Not an Alfredo person? Sub in vegan pesto, marinara, or sundried tomato paste.
If you are making this vegan, you should know to use non-dairy everything and no egg wash on the pastry.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Nora Cooks for the vegan pie crust recipe, to Chocolate Covered Katie for the vegan Alfredo sauce recipe, and to Bunsen Burner Bakery for the spiral vegetable tart recipe inspiration.

The inside is pretty, too! Cross section of a slice.

Spiral Vegetable Pie

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Crust Pre-bake Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 8 slices 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Crust:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup butter (vegan or regular)
¼ cup vegetable shortening
4 Tbsp ice water

Alfredo Sauce:

1 cup coconut (or other non-dairy) milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper

Vegetables:

2 carrots
1 Japanese eggplant
2 yellow squash
2 zucchini
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

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Instructions

Make the crust by combining flour, butter, and shortening in a medium bowl. Cut the butter and shortening into the flour with a pastry cutter or two knives until they are pea-sized and distributed throughout. Add the cold water and stir until it just comes together.
Gather the dough into a disk shape, press to combine, and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or overnight. You can also freeze for up to 3 months.
Preheat the oven to 350 F/176 C. Unwrap and roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle. Place the dough into a 9-inch pie plate.
Blind bake the crust by placing foil or parchment paper over the pie dough and filling it with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pie weights and the foil, then bake for 5 minutes more. Remove from the oven and set aside while you prep the other ingredients.
Make the sauce by combining the milk, garlic, and flour in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir constantly as the sauce heats up as it will thicken quickly. Remove from heat and let it cool.
Prep the vegetables by slicing them as thin as you can get them. A mandoline slicer is best to achieve the 1/16-inch thin slices. I slice the carrots first, place them in a large bowl and cover them with boiling water to soften them while I slice the remaining vegetables.
Once all the veggies are sliced, toss them with olive oil to lightly coat them.
Assemble the tart by spreading the sauce on the bottom of the crust. Now, you can start adding the veggie slices! Stand the slices on their edge so that the outside skin shows. You can do any color combination you like. I start from the outside edge with the darkest color vegetable and work my way to the center. The concentric circles will be pretty however you decide to do it.
Brush the veggies lightly with a tablespoon of olive oil if they look dry. If you are not making this vegan then you can also brush the dough with a beaten egg for some shine.
Once all the vegetables are arranged, bake the pie for 50-ish minutes or until the veggies are tender. Start checking at about 45 minutes to see if the crust is getting too brown. If so, you can cover it with foil.
Remove the pie from the oven and cool it to room temperature before slicing. This can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge. Allow it to come to room temp before serving.

Cashew Babka with Chocolate Chips

November 2, 2022

Cashew Babka with Chocolate Chips

It’s hard not to devour bread while it is warm from the oven. Oh, that aroma! And it’s doubly hard when that bread is Cashew Babka with Chocolate Chips.

Babka

If you know, you know. But if you don’t then you are probably wondering: what is babka? Eastern European Jews developed this filled yeasted bread over a century ago. They took extra challah dough, spread it with a filling, and baked it at the same time as the weekly challah.

The fillings can be things like almond paste, chopped apples, chocolate, nuts, poppy seeds, or raisins. Sometimes the fillings are savory. Cheese, herbs, and spices are popular options.

Cashews, brown sugar, butter, and spices.

What makes babkas instantly recognizable is the exposed filling. Bakers cut the rolled dough down the middle to expose the inside. Then, they twist the two strands together and form them into large S shapes.

The tops are brushed with a simple syrup while the bread is still hot from the oven. This adds moistness and sweetness to the crust. Each slice of the bread reveals the pretty swirly layers of filling nestled between the bread layers.

Babkas were not widely known until Seinfeld.

Seinfeld

Were you a fan? I know some super fans of this late-80s and 90s TV sitcom. Because I lived outside the U.S. for some of these years, I was never completely dialed in.

But I do occasionally watch the one-off episode from time to time and enjoy the food moments. One of my favorites? The gang missing out on the last chocolate babka at the bakery and having to bring a cinnamon one instead.

Did this lead to babka suddenly becoming very popular in the 1990s? Maybe. And it is still popular at bakeries today, especially in New York City.

Babka dough twisted and ready to be baked.

Lessons Learned

Looking for a “pop open the can and bake” type of sweet bread? This is not it. Babkas take time to rise, assemble, and bake. And they are 100 percent worth it.
This is an enriched dough with bookoo butter. That means it takes longer to rise and doesn’t puff up or get as bubbly as other yeasted bread dough. Don’t be dismayed.
Don’t like chocolate? That’s weird. But you can leave it out for a chocolate-free loaf.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Pies and Tacos for the cashew caramel babka inspiration and to Smitten Kitchen for her very thorough explanation on rising, rolling, and shaping babka.

Baked babka sliced and ready to be eaten. It's mouthwatering.

Cashew Babka with Chocolate Chips

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Betty
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Proof Time: 3 hours or overnight
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour plus proof time
Yield: 2 loaves 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Dough:

¾ cup warm water
3 teaspoons instant rapid-rise yeast
½ cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, beaten lightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup butter at room temperature

Filling:

2 cups lightly salted roasted cashews
1 cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup chocolate chips

Simple Syrup

¼ cup water
6 tablespoons sugar

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Instructions

Make the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer by dissolving the yeast in the warm water. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the eggs and vanilla, then stir to combine. Tip in the flour and salt, stirring until just combined.
With the mixer on low, add the room temperature butter, one tablespoon at a time, to the mixer. Mix in each pat of butter until it is absorbed then add the next tablespoon. This will take a few minutes and the dough will look pretty shaggy. You may need to stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl a few times.
Once the dough has come together (it takes about 10-ish minutes) and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl, transfer it to a clean, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. You have two options now: let it rise for 3 hours or refrigerate overnight.
If you let it rise at room temp for 3 hours, place it in the fridge during the final 30 minutes to firm up the dough before rolling. If you refrigerate overnight, you can roll it right away, but it will take longer for the second rise.
Make the filling by blitzing the cashews in a blender or food processor until just chopped. Add the brown sugar and cardamom and blitz again until just combined. Don’t let it turn into cashew butter! Add the butter and stir to completely incorporate into a spreadable paste.
Prepare the 9 x 5-inch loaf pans by lining with parchment paper. You may need clips to hold the paper in place. Set the pans aside.
Divide the dough in half equally. Roll out one half to a 10 x 12-inch rectangle. Divide the filling in half and spread half of it on the dough, leaving a ½-inch border all the way around. Sprinkle on half of the chocolate chips evenly over the filling.
Roll the dough tightly into a long cylinder. Place the cylinder in the freezer while you roll out the other dough and repeat filling and rolling. Put the second cylinder in the freezer and pull out the first one.
Cut the first cylinder completely in half lengthwise. With the cut sides up, cross one section over the other repeatedly to form a twist. Gently lift and transfer the twist to the prepared loaf pan. If it is too long, for the twist into an S shape so that it fits the pan. Repeat the cutting and twisting with the second loaf and place in the second pan.
Cover and let the loaves rise for 90 minutes. They will not be puffy and huge, but they should expand and rise close to the top of the pan’s edge.
Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center goes in with no resistance and comes out clean.
Make the syrup by boiling the water and sugar together until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and set it aside.
Once the loaves come out of the oven, immediately brush the tops with all the simple syrup. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then transfer the loaves to a wire rack to continue to cool before slicing.

Sheet Pan Meatball Gyros

October 31, 2022

Sheet Pan Meatball Gyros

Is everything better wrapped in a pita? Well, these Sheet Pan Meatball Gyros are one reason to say yes. Roasted veggies and tender lamb meatballs emerge from the oven simultaneously, making up the gyro's components.

Gyros

I know what you are thinking: this isn’t a gyro. Technically, you are correct. The words sheet pan and meatball are the adjectives here. They are telling us more about this type of gyro.

Gyro sandwiches are made from meat, usually pork or chicken, stacked on a vertical rotisserie. The meat is seasoned, stacked into a conical shape, and slow-roasted on a turning spit. The outer parts of the roasted meat are cooked, shaved off, then served on a round of pita bread with garnishes of fresh veggies and sauces.

Doner kebab meat being sliced from a vertical rotisserie.

Doner kebab is the grandfather of gyros and the closely related shawarma. Gyros are Greece’s interpretation of the doner kebab from the old Ottoman Empire. In present-day Turkey, doner kebab is mostly made from beef and lamb.

If you don’t like lamb, read on.

Lamb

Like many of you, I wonder sometimes about the quality of meat available at my local grocery store. Is it hormone-free? Grass-fed? Ethically-raised? Does it really matter all that much?

Personally, I like to eat meat from free-range, grass-fed, happy animals that were treated kindly. I know that isn’t always going to happen. However, I do my best to choose ethically-sourced meat that is healthy for me.

The price of lamb has declined this year. Recently, my local WinCo grocery store had ground lamb on sale and it was cheaper than premium ground beef. So I bought it to try something different.

Previously, I was not a fan of lamb chops or roasted lamb, as most Americans are not. Less than 25 percent of the U.S. eats lamb. Annually, the average American eats one pound of lamb a year compared to 98 pounds of chicken and 55 pounds of beef.

Scene of the lake and hills of Hobbiton in New Zealand.

I was hooked once I had tried lamb. It tasted clean and delicious. Even better news? The lamb sold in my local store comes from New Zealand.

Why is that a good thing? New Zealand lamb is hormone-free, grass-fed, and free-range. Plus, they live in New Zealand near Frodo’s home in The Shire.

Veggies for gyros include red onion, red and green peppers, and chickpeas.

Lessons Learned

No one needs to know. The meatballs can introduce lamb into your meal planning without too much ruckus or pushback in your household. My policy: if they don't ask, don't tell.
Squeeze the meatballs and veggies onto one sheet pan if you want to minimize clean up. Just ensure that everything remains in a single layer so that nothing gets soggy.
This marinated, crunchy, and zingy fresh vegetable side would be delicious with your gyro sandwich!

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Half-Baked Harvest for the sheet pan gyros inspiration, to Engin Akyurt for the doner kebab photo, and to Nate Johnston for the Hobbiton photo.

Sheet pan gyros ready to be assembled with pita, hummus, goat cheese, and lemons.

Sheet Pan Meatball Gyros

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Betty
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Meatballs:

⅔ cup crushed saltine crackers (about 16)
½ cup milk (any kind)
1 lb. ground lamb
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp salt
3 Tbsp. minced fresh herbs (parsley, oregano)

Vegetables:

½ large red onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
14 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
1 Tbsp olive oil

Garnishes:

Pita bread
Hummus
Goat cheese crumbles
Lemon quarters

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 F/204 C. Prepare two rimmed baking sheets. Grease one with olive oil and line the other with parchment paper.
Make the meatballs by combining the crushed crackers with the milk. Let it set for a few minutes to absorb the liquid. Add the ground lamb, shallot, garlic, salt, and herbs. Lightly combine with a fork or your hands until it just comes together. Form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs with your hands or an ice cream scoop and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Arrange the vegetables on the greased baking sheet and drizzle with oil.
Place both sheets in the preheated oven and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom halfway through. Vegetables should be tender and meatballs starting to get charred edges.
Remove from the oven and squeeze half a lemon over everything. Serve with hummus, crumbled goat cheese, and warm pitas.

Sheet Pan Vegetarian Chili

October 24, 2022

Sheet Pan Vegetarian Chili

These four words don’t go together. But, friend, they do. Sheet Pan Vegetarian Chili is legit delicious. And, cornbread biscuits are baked right on top!

Don’t be afraid that this chili is vegetarian.

Vegetarian

We all know what this means, don’t we? A vegetarian doesn’t eat any meat, poultry, or fish. Most vegetarians will consume eggs and dairy, however some avoid these as well.

A vegetarian diet consists of vegetables (well, duh), as well as fruits, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Vegetarians plan their diets to include protein, along with vitamin B and other nutrients, from foods like beans, cheese, nuts, quinoa, tofu, and yogurt.

Tomatoes on the vine, a head of cauliflower, portobello mushroom, onion, garlic, and poblano chili.

I include a vegetarian meal each week in my menu planning. The veggie-centric recipes and savings on my grocery bill are great benefits. Now, my husband and I are slowly moving towards a flexitarian diet, which is plant-focused but allows for meat and animal products in moderation.

How can you eat more vegetables? Include them in chili.

Chili

Texas-style chili does not have beans. Ever. It doesn’t even have tomatoes. You know that if you are from Texas or lived there for a decade as I did.

But, chili occasionally, frequently, and usually has beans in the rest of the non-Texan world. Black, pinto, and red kidney beans are the most popular types. My best guess is someone in history (hey, maybe a vegetarian?) decided to swap out the meat protein for bean protein.

Veggies chopped and arranged on a baking sheet.

However, most chili recipes include tomato in some form, chile powder, cumin, garlic, onion, other spices, beans, and sometimes meat. The mixture is simmered for an hour or so and often thickened with masa. It is warm, filling, and delicious.

This sheet pan version is unique in several ways. I mean, it is made on a baking sheet after all. But it is also chock full of vegetables and ready in about an hour.

Another win? Cornbread biscuits are baked at the same time.

Kidney beans added to the roasted veggies and getting a good stir.

Lessons Learned

Don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list. It’s just veggies, seasonings, and biscuit ingredients. Then, chopping, dumping, and spooning. It goes fast.
Poblano chiles are milder than jalapenos. You can sub in green bell pepper if you can’t find fresh poblano chiles at your local market.
Can you make this vegan? Why, yes, you can. Sub in vegan butter and non-dairy milk in the cornbread biscuit ingredients.

Hat Tips

Thanks to Food Network for their roasted vegetable chili with cornbread recipe.

A bowl of veggie chili with cornbread biscuit.

Sheet Pan Vegetarian Chili

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Chili:

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
1 poblano chile pepper, seeded and diced
1 portobello mushroom, cut into bite-size pieces
1 small onion, diced
4 medium tomatoes, keep them whole
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp kosher salt
15 oz can red kidney beans
8 oz can tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
Chopped green onions for garnish

Cornbread Biscuits:

¾ cup yellow cornmeal
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
4 Tbsp cold butter, cubed
⅔ cup cold buttermilk

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 475 F/246 C. Grease a rimmed sheet pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Arrange the cauliflower, poblano pepper, mushroom, onions, and tomatoes on the pan in a single layer. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and season with chili powder, cumin, and salt. Roast the veggies for 20 minutes.
Prepare the biscuit dough by whisking together the dry ingredients: cornmeal, flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter until they are pea-sized. Pour in the buttermilk and stir with a fork until just combined.
Remove the vegetables from the oven. Smash the tomatoes with a fork. Pour on the undrained can of kidney beans and the tomato sauce. Add the minced garlic. Carefully stir to combine all the vegetables and beans together.
Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to plop the biscuit dough on top, keeping the biscuits about 2 inches apart. You can make the biscuits whatever size you want. I made 7 large ones but you can make 10 smaller ones.
Bake until the biscuits are done, about 25 minutes or until golden. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Pumpkin Soup with Caramelized Onions

October 19, 2022

Pumpkin Soup with Caramelized Onions

It’s all things pumpkin right now and for good reason: it’s delicious. Pumpkin Soup with Caramelized Onions makes for a yummy lunch, first course, or dinner. It’s the pepitas and deliciously good onions that take this soup to another level.

Caramelized Onions

Most people mess up caramelized onions. I do, too. Because we are not a patient lot, we want to hurry along the process and wind up with slightly scorched sauteed onions.

Those aren’t caramelized.

Making caramelized onions takes patience. I know we need them right now, but that is not the way, Padawan. Caramelization takes time.

Sliced onions on a wooden cutting board. Don't cry.

The steps to making caramelized onions include:

Slicing the onions with the grain from root to stem, lengthwise. This allows the pieces to keep their structure and not disintegrate into mush.
Using a saute pan or skillet that is large enough to accommodate the onions without crowding. You want the onions to brown, not steam, and that requires contact with the pan surface.
Cooking them low and slow. The heat should be medium to medium-low. There should be very little stirring initially, but more stirring as they near the end of the cooking time to prevent sticking.
Adding salt or sugar is not necessary, but if you choose to do so, add it towards the end of the cooking time.
Deglazing the pan is also not necessary, but if the onions are starting to stick you can add a few teaspoons of water, wine, or vinegar.

The process of cooking onions this way softens them and reduces their moisture content. This releases the sugars, which when combined with the heat results in caramelization, aka deliciousness. They are a perfect garnish for a creamy pumpkin soup.

Plus, roasted pepitas add crunch!

Pepitas

What’s the difference between pumpkin seeds and pepitas? Pumpkin seeds are the cream-colored seeds found inside most orange pumpkin varieties. These seeds need to be cooked before being eaten.

Pepitas are a type of pumpkin seed that is found in certain yellow and green-striped pumpkins. The shell-less seeds are green and can be eaten raw or toasted. I think they are especially delicious when toasted with some oil and a few spices.

Living in Southern California, I find pepitas at the local grocery store, farmers markets, and even Costco. If you don’t have access to them where you live, they are also available online from Amazon and other retailers. You can use them to garnish soups, salads, desserts, yogurt, and ice cream as well as eat them on their own.

Pumpkin puree, onion, garlic, and spices awaiting the stockpot.

Lessons Learned

This recipe has three components but you don’t have to make them all on the same day. The soup itself only takes 30-ish minutes. It would be delicious paired with Ligurian Focaccia.
The caramelized onions and pepitas can be made and stored up to a week in advance. And I like to make a double batch of each to use in other recipes.
Want to make this vegan? Omit the butter or swap it for vegan butter.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Recipe Tin Eats for the pumpkin soup recipe, Simply Recipes for the detailed directions on how to caramelize onions, and Muy Bueno Cookbook for the roasted pepitas recipe.

Close up of the deliciousness that is pumpkin soup.

Pumpkin Soup with Caramelized Onions

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

Author: Betty
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Caramelized Onions:

2 large white onions
2 tsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter

Pepitas:

1 cup pepitas
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
¾ tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil

Soup:

1 onion, chopped
2 cans (15 oz. each) unsweetened pumpkin puree
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Chopped parsley for garnish

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Instructions

Make the caramelized onions:

Slice the onions lengthwise from root to stem so they will hold their structure once caramelized. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the onion and stir to coat before spreading evenly in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and allow the onions to cook without stirring them for 10 minutes.
Stir the onions and continue to cook on medium or medium-low for 30 more minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. If they look dry, you can add a tablespoon of water.
In the last 15 minutes of the cooking time, you will need to stir the onions more often so they don’t stick to the pan and burn.
Remove from the heat and set aside. They can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for one week or frozen for 3 months.

Roast the pepitas:

Stir together the pepitas, paprika, cumin, salt, and oil. Pour the seeds onto a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and spread out into an even layer. Roast at 350 F/176C for 12 minutes, stirring once.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, they can be stored in a covered container on the countertop for several weeks.

Make the soup:

Sauté the onions in a large pot until they are just tender.
Add the pumpkin, garlic, broth, celery seed, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until nearly smooth.
Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Top with a spoon of caramelized onions, roasted pepitas, and chopped parsley.

Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil

October 17, 2022

Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil

What do you say to dinner being ready in under 45 minutes with easy prep and easy cleanup? I’m in. Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil brings it and you don’t even need forks.

Shrimp Boil

Have you ever been to a shrimp boil? They are popular in parts of the southern U.S. and consist of shrimp, potatoes, corn, and a few other things thrown into a huge pot, boiled, then dumped onto a newspaper-covered table. No utensils are necessary because everyone digs in and eats with their hands.

While I haven’t been to a shrimp boil, I have gone to a New England clambake. It was the evening before my brother’s college graduation and the university hosted a family picnic. Lobster, crab, clams, corn, and potatoes were among the delicious things to eat while wearing an oversized plastic bib with a picture of a lobster on the front.

Lifeguard tower at the beach during sunset.

Seafood boils can also include crab and crawfish. They are a fun way to serve dinner family-style while enjoying the weekend or holidays outdoors, indoors, or at the beach. Plus, no dishes to clean up.

This shrimp boil recipe features Old Bay seasoning.

Old Bay

Old Bay Seasoning was created in Baltimore, Maryland by Gustav Brunn, a German Jew and concentration camp escapee. After Brunn and his family fled Germany and moved to the United States, he resumed his work as a spice seller.

His spice seasoning was a hit with vendors at the nearby fish market. The ingredient list of 18 herbs and spices included celery salt, red pepper, black pepper, and paprika. Brunn also added some spices not normally associated with seafood, like cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Old Bay’s appeal extended beyond the Maryland coast and soon became a best-selling seasoning mix nationwide. It was known for its zesty flavor that complemented seafood, chicken, and veggies. The brand was later purchased by McCormick & Company and continues to be popular.

Ingredients for the shrimp boil, raw and uncooked.

Lessons Learned

Despite the name, no boiling happens in this recipe. It is all sheet pan, all oven, and all delicious.
Don’t have baby potatoes? Use normal ones but cut them into bite-size pieces.
Plates are optional. Seriously, you can eat directly off the pan like my husband and I did standing at the kitchen counter while recounting our work day and sharing a beer.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Damn Delicious for the sheet pan shrimp boil recipe and Mark Patterson on Unsplash for the sunset beach photo.

Shrimp Boil on a sheet pan about to go into the oven.

Sheet Pan Shrimp Boil

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 32 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

1 ½ pounds red and yellow baby potatoes
13 oz. package smoked andouille sausage, cut into ½ inch slices
2 ears fresh corn, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
1 pound large shrimp, peeled
¼ cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp Old Bay seasoning
Chopped parsley to garnish

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 F/204 C. Liberally grease a rimmed sheet pan with olive oil.
Add the potatoes and cut sausage to the sheet pan in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven. Scootch the sausage and potatoes over to make room for the corn pieces and shrimp. Arrange everything so it is in a single layer.
Stir together the melted butter and Old Bay. Pour half the mixture over the shrimp and the remainder of it over the corn and potatoes. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 12 minutes or until the shrimp is pink.
Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

October 12, 2022

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Spiced pumpkin bread? Yes, please, and make mine chocolate. The mix of warming spices in Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread will fill your kitchen with a heady aroma of deliciousness.

Even better: it’s quick.

Quick Breads

Ingredients include eggs, cocoa powder, flour, brown sugar, pumpkin, and spices.

Quick breads are just that. Most can be put together in 10 or 15 minutes and immediately baked. From mixing bowl to mouth, they take less than two hours.

Both quick and yeast breads use leavening agents to lighten the dough and cause it to rise. The most common types of leavening agents include:

Biological: beer, sourdough starter, yeast
Chemical: baking powder, baking soda
Mechanical: whipped cream, whipped eggs, other whipped fats

What makes quick breads so quick? They include baking powder, baking soda, or both as leavening. Because they are fast and easy to make, they don’t require special skills or patience.

Quick breads include things like banana (pumpkin, zucchini) breads, biscuits, cakes, cookies, muffins, pancakes, and pie crust. All are delicious and adaptable to whatever flavoring and spices you want to include.

Like cayenne.

Cayenne

Cayenne peppers are skinny, red, and hot. They are spicier than jalapenos but not as hot as habaneros on the Scoville scale of heat. Most often they are dried and ground as a spice for savory dishes and hot sauces.

What about combining chili with chocolate? Both come from plants native to Central and South America. Many indigenous and Latin recipes feature a mixture of the two, like Mexico’s mole.

Bread batter with chocolate chips being stirred in.

So what are they doing in this sweet bread? The citrusy, floral, fruity, earthy, and nutty notes of chocolate can be enhanced and brought to life by a smidge of pepper. Ground chili peppers don’t bring heat but add depth to whatever chocolate brownie, cake, or cookie you are making.

A secret: a little goes a long way. Most recipes only add ¼ teaspoon of ground pepper. The goal is complexity, not capsaicin burn.

Lessons Learned

Any good quality dark chocolate chips can be used here. I used Lily’s Dark Chocolate Baking Chips that are stevia sweetened because that is what I keep on hand.
Be sure to test the center of the bread for doneness with a toothpick or tester before pulling it from the oven. The dough is a soft one so underbaking will leave you with a soggy middle.
This is moist and delicious enough without the glaze, so you can skip it if necessary. I wouldn’t, but you are an adult so you can do what you want.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Bon Appetit for their spiced chocolate-pumpkin cake recipe, Elle Hughes on Unsplash for the pepper photo, and Serious Eats for their comprehensive article about pairing chiles with chocolate.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Author: Betty
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 10 slices 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Bread:

2 large eggs
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cayenne
½ cup dark chocolate chips

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon
Pinch of cayenne
1 Tbsp unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp milk

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F/176 C. Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
Combine the eggs and brown sugar, whisking for about 1 minute. Add the pumpkin, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
Place a large mesh strainer above the bowl. Dump the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and cayenne into the strainer and shake the contents. They will sift together as they drop into the egg mixture below.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet with a silicone spatula until fully combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Pour the soft dough into the prepared loaf pan. Use the spatula to smooth the top.
Bake for around 1 hour (start testing at 55 minutes to see if a toothpick comes out clean). Allow it to cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack before removing it from the pan. Use the parchment overhang to lift it out. Let cool completely before applying glaze.
To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne in a small bowl. Add the pumpkin and milk, then whisk to combine. It should be thick but pourable.
Once the bread is cooled, pour the glaze over the top and allow it to run down the sides. Give the glaze 20 minutes or so to set before slicing.

Sheet Pan Bibimbap

October 10, 2022

Sheet Pan Bibimbap

Bibimbap assembled in a glass dish with sides of kimchi and hot sauce.

Easy weeknight meals are a cinch when sheet pans are involved. Sheet Pan Bibimbap turns leftover rice, tofu, and veggies into a satisfying bowl of bliss inspired by the traditional version. Despite it’s fun and bouncy name, it’s not a K-pop band.

K-pop

Korean pop music, usually called K-pop, is a part of South Korean culture. The boy bands, girl bands, and individual artists are trained in voice, dance, and foreign languages. They have become pop music idols not only in Korea but all over the world.

Two currently popular bands include Blackpink and BTS. My guess is that if you have a teenager in your family, you’ve most likely heard of one or both of these bands and listened to their songs while driving your teen to their nightly sports practice. Fun fact: my youngest nephew looks like one of the singers in BTS.

Hey, are you still wondering about bibimbap?

Bibimbap

This popular Korean dish consists of rice and bite-size veggies drizzled with bibimbap sauce. There are several variations that include raw or cooked egg, raw or cooked meat, and different vegetables.

My mom’s favorite is dolsat bibimbap which is served in a screaming hot stone bowl. The rice at the bottom becomes brown, crispy, and addictingly good. That crispy rice brings back a good memory from her childhood.

Vegetarian versions of bibimbap include tofu.

Tofu

Tofu sometimes gets a bad rap. People make fun of it. Children refuse to eat it. Ok yes, it’s coagulated soy milk that is pressed into curds.

But! Tofu is a nutrient-rich building block that plays well with a variety of sauces, spices, and marinades. It’s also high in protein and a good animal protein alternative for vegetarians and vegans.

There are several different types of tofu including:

Silken: the tofu is smooth, silky, and falls apart easily. It is folded into soups, stews, smoothies, and other saucy dishes.
Block: this is the type most savory dishes call for. The blocks range in density from soft, medium, firm, and extra-firm. It can be baked, boiled, and fried.

The extra-firm tofu used in today’s recipe benefits from a short pressing to rid it of extra moisture. Best way to do this? Layers of paper towels below and on top of the tofu topped by a heavy skillet.

Sheet pan with kale, mushrooms, red onions, and sweet potato pieces.

Lessons Learned

The veggies should all be cut to roughly the same size to ensure they cook evenly. You can swap out for different vegetables, but make sure they have similar cooking times.
I know the instructions look long and slightly frightening. Give it a read-through before starting and you’ll see it isn’t as scary as it looks. It’s mostly chopping and arranging on the sheet pan.
If you’d rather use a ready-made sauce, please do. Sriracha and sambal oelek aren’t Korean but are good subs. And don’t forget the kimchi!

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Eric Kim of New York Times Cooking for his sheet pan bibimbap recipe and to Recipe Runner for the crispy tofu technique.

Sheet Pan Bibimbap

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

First sheet pan:

1 block extra-firm tofu
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups cooked white rice

Second sheet pan:

1 sweet potato, skin on and thinly sliced into half-moons
1 small red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
6 oz. oyster mushrooms, torn into bite-size pieces
3 cups kale, torn into bite-size pieces
3 Tbsp olive oil

Sauce:

2 Tbsp gochujang
2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
½ Tbsp sesame seeds

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 F/232 C. Move oven racks to be positioned in the top and bottom thirds of the oven.
Cut the tofu into bite-size cubes. Place them in a single layer on several layers of paper towels. Top with more paper towels, then place a cast iron skillet or similarly heavy object on top to press out some of the moisture. Let stand for 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Stir to combine, then add the pressed tofu cubes. Gently toss to coat.
Grease the first sheet pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Pour the coated tofu onto the baking sheet and spread them out into a single layer.
Grease the second sheet pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then place the potato, mushrooms, onion, and kale into four separate groups on the pan. Spread out the veggies (keeping them in their section) into a single layer, then drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Place both sheet pans in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and vice versa halfway through. Watch that the kale doesn’t burn.
Remove both pans from the oven. On the sheet pan with the tofu, push the cubes to one side of the baking sheet. Add rice to the sheet and spread it out into an even layer. Return the sheet to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes.
To make the sauce, combine the gochujang, sesame oil, soy sauce, and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Stir to mix.
Assemble the bibimbap by equally dividing the rice into 4 bowls. Top with the veggies and tofu. Spoon on the sauce and serve.

Roasted Pumpkin and Lentil Salad

October 5, 2022

Roasted Pumpkin and Lentil Salad

It's the time of year for all things pumpkin so look for a new pumpkin recipe each week around here. It all starts with Roasted Pumpkin and Lentil Salad. Because we’ve got to have something other than pumpkin spice lattes all month, right?

Salads for Fall

When people think of salads, often they envision something cold and green with croutons. And yes, that does describe some salads, especially those served before a main entree. But the salad universe has expanded exponentially over the years.

Salads now are meals in themselves with added proteins, toppings, and dressings. A friend told me recently that she loves salads that are not just lettuce but consist of other veggies. Yes!

Roasted vegetables are a colorful and delicious foundation (or addition) for autumnal salads. The roasting process brings out the more concentrated flavors of late summer and fall vegetables alike. Think beets, potatoes, tomatoes, and squashes of all kinds.

Like pumpkin.

Roasted Pumpkin

Yes, pumpkin is fantastic in sweet pies, dessert bars, and, of course, lattes. But pumpkin is also great in savory dishes. The secret is to treat it like the squash it is.

Pumpkin belongs to the winter squash family, or cucurbita genus. Like its relatives acorn, butternut, and spaghetti squash, pumpkins have a hard outside rind and large, fully matured seeds inside. They are almost always eaten cooked rather than raw.

Boiled, steamed, mashed, and pureed are all popular ways that pumpkin is prepared. But the most tasty? Roasted.

Pumpkins are 90 percent water, so boiling, steaming, mashing, and pureeing can all leave you with a slightly watery orange mess. Roasting? It whisks away most of the moisture and leaves behind a concentrated and deep flavor.

The veggie shines on its own, but it also plays well with things like lentils.

Lentils

Lentils are sometimes called grain legumes or pulses. Technically, they are seeds from a legume pod. They are a staple in cuisines all over the world, especially Asia, Africa, and parts of the Mediterranean.

When I was a kid, I thought lentils tasted like dirt.

Granted, they do have an earthy taste. But! Different types of lentils have different flavors.

Brown. These taste the earthiest and are probably the kind I ate as a child. They are most often used in soups and stews.
Green. More peppery than brown lentils, these hold their shape when cooked and are used in salads and grain dishes.
Red. Nuttier and sweeter than the other two types, red lentils turn to mush once cooked. They are used in Indian dhal and as a thickener in soups.

These little seeds are nutrition powerhouses. In addition to being high in vitamin B, magnesium, potassium, and zinc, lentils also contain a good amount of protein and iron. They make a great alternative to animal protein for both vegetarians and carnivores.

Baby kale, cubed raw pumpkin, and dried lentils on a wooden cutting board.

Lessons Learned

You can prep the individual items for this salad in advance. If you cook the lentils and roast the pumpkin a day ahead, all you need to do at meal time is assemble the salad.
Don’t have, or like, Manchego? Swap it out for another cheese you have on hand. I made this with feta and it was yummy!
This dressing is delicious on other salads and keeps well for two weeks. Consider making a double or triple batch and having it on hand in your fridge.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Epicurious for their salad recipe and to Recipe Tin Eats for the dressing recipe.

Roasted Pumpkin and Lentil Salad

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Salad:

3 cups cubed pumpkin or butternut squash
1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp salt
¾ cup dried green lentils
4 cups baby kale or salad greens
⅓ cup shredded Manchego cheese

Dressing:

1 Tbsp. shallots, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. olive oil

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or foil.
Toss the pumpkin with oil, paprika, cumin, and salt. Pour the cubes onto the prepared baking sheet and arrange them into a single layer, allowing space between each piece. Roast for 30 minutes, turning cubes over halfway through cooking time.
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add a teaspoon of salt if desired, then add the lentils. Cook for 30 minutes or until tender but still firm. Drain in a mesh strainer and rinse with cool water. Set aside.
Make the dressing by combining shallots, vinegar, mustard, and oil in a jar with a screw-top lid. Cover and shake until the ingredients are combined. Add salt and pepper if desired.
Assemble the salad by equally dividing the kale among 4 plates or bowls. Top greens with roasted pumpkin and lentils. Garnish with cheese and a drizzle of the dressing.

Sheet Pan Fish and Chips

October 3, 2022

Sheet Pan Fish and Chips

Easy dinner solutions at my house always include a sheet pan. Prep and clean up are quick! Crispy Sheet Pan Fish and Chips gets a meal on the table in 40-ish minutes.

Catching your own fish is optional.

Fishing Charters

My husband recently got to do something he enjoys: charter fishing. He, along with some other hardy souls, caught a boat out of San Diego and spent two days fishing off the California and Mexico coasts. The bunks were hard but the fishing was good.

What did he come home with? Yellowfin tuna and Dorado.

Four fillets of yellowfin on ice. Yes, in my kitchen sink.

San Diego waters are plentiful with fish like Albacore, Bluefin, Dorado (also called Dolphinfish or Mahi-mahi), Rockfish, Yellowfin tuna (sometimes called Ahi), Yellowtail, and Wahoo. Some folks like to process their fish themselves, but my hubs was happy to let the charter crew gut, clean, and pack his catch in ice for the drive home.

My job? Divide the fish into meal-sized portions and prepare them for the freezer. It’s the DIY version of buying frozen fillets at the grocery store.

I love having wild-caught fish for easy weeknight meals like sheet pan dinners.

Sheet Pan Dinners

Sheet pan dinners are the same concept as one-pot meals. It’s everything being prepared in one go. Easy to prepare, easy to clean up.

The first time I made a sheet pan meal, I totally messed it up. I added chicken, veggies, and potatoes to a pan and shoved it in the oven. Things were too crowded together, everything cooked at different rates, and it came out bland.

I hated it.

But! I discovered there is a formula to making sheet pan meals a success. Once I started using the method, all was well in the weeknight dinner world.

Russet potatoes being cut into wedges for the sheet pan.

What’s the formula?

Cut vegetables roughly the same size so they roast evenly.
Coat everything lightly with oil or some type of fat.
Start cooking with whatever takes the longest time. Bone-in chicken and pork chops take around 40 minutes. Dense veggies like squash and potatoes can take nearly 45 minutes before becoming tender.
Add quicker cooking items towards the end of the cooking time. Things like fish, asparagus, and broccoli cook in less than 15 minutes.
Don’t crowd the pan! Everything needs space to properly brown so it doesn’t steam and get soggy. Use two pans if needed.

Of course you will want to add whatever spices, seasonings, or garnishes depending on the flavor profile. NYT Cooking has a very helpful sheet pan guide that covers things in more detail.

Ingredients for the panko topping: panko, butter, lemon zest.

Lessons Learned

You can use any fish here. I used what I had on hand, but cod or some type of white fish would be perfect.
A traditional green veg with fish and chips: green peas. Throw a cup of frozen peas on the sheet pan when you add the fish. Or make this zingy salad instead.
Just because you can cook things on a sheet pan doesn’t mean you should. Sheet pan meals make sense when ingredients taste good roasted or require baking. In other words, sheet pan fettuccini isn’t a thing.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Real Simple for their sheet pan fish and chips recipe.

Close up of crispy fish and roasted potato wedges.

Sheet Pan Fish and Chips

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

1 ½ lbs. (about 3 small) Russet potatoes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 skinless fish fillets, 6 oz. each
⅓ cup panko
2 Tbsp. melted butter
2 tsp. lemon zest
Chopped parsley
Lemon wedges

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 F/218 C. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper and set aside.
Cut potatoes½-inch wedges and drizzle with olive oil. Place potatoes on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
Pat fish dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine panko, butter, and lemon zest.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and skooch the potatoes over to make room for the fish on the sheet. Place fish on the pan and evenly divide the panko mixture over each fillet. Press down to adhere.
Return the baking sheet with potatoes and fish to the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until fish is done and flakes easily.
Top with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Apple and Goat Cheese Tart

September 29, 2022

Apple and Goat Cheese Tart

Fruit tarts aren’t always sweet. A perfect example is Apple and Goat Cheese Tart. It combines sweet apples with onion-like shallots and creamy goat cheese for a delicious lunch, brunch, or appetizer.

Gravenstein Apple

A recent visit to my mother-in-law’s home reminded me of how good farm-fresh fruit tastes. She has several different types of pear, fig, plum, and apple trees on her property. I felt like an eight-year-old version of myself, picking things off of trees, devouring them immediately, and tossing the seeds and pits on the grass.

One of the apple trees with the heaviest load of fruit: Gravenstein.

Apple tree with loads of dropped fruit on my mother-in-law's property.

Despite it being popular for applesauce and cider production in the early 20th century, the Gravenstein cultivar is not found in most grocery stores anymore. It is considered a heritage food and there are efforts to preserve it, along with other lesser-known apple varieties.

There are so many uses for apples, but I decided to use them in a tart. Although it includes apples it isn’t exactly sweet. It’s savory.

Halved apple, halved shallot, parsley sprigs, oregano sprigs.

Savory

What does savory actually mean? I’ve always assumed that it means “not sweet.” It actually encompasses a little more than that.

Originally, the four basic tastes were bitter, salty, sour, and sweet. After a Japanese scientist discovered the amino acids and nucleotides that produce the savory taste, the term umami was added as a fifth element. Umami is the Japanese word that means savoriness.

When used in cooking, the term savory refers to something that is rich, salty, spicy, or meaty. Examples of savory foods include aged cheeses, cured or dried meats, and nuts. Things that are aged, cured, fermented, or slow-cooked are usually going to fall into this category.

Most vegetables are also considered savory. Like, shallots.

Shallot

I thought shallots were for real chefs and people who knew what they were doing in the kitchen. But once I started using them, I found them to be a versatile way to add mild oniony flavor without being overpowering. They are great raw or cooked.

They are cousins to the onion, you know, so they can make you tear up when you cut them. The papery lavender skin conceals a white and pale purple bulb that looks like an overgrown garlic clove. Once cut, the inside consists of layers similar to an onion.

My favorite ways to use them are in fish dishes, salad dressings, sauces, and anywhere I want an onion flavor that isn’t too strong.

Puff pastry sheet cut in thirds and docked with a fork.

Lessons Learned

We’ve all heard Paul Hollywood say sha-LOT with the accent on the second syllable rather than the first. We all panicked thinking we’d pronounced it wrong for years. But the British also pronounce oregano and tomato very differently than we do on this side of the Atlantic. I say SHALL-it, but you are an adult, so pronounce it however you want.
Not a fan of goat cheese? Swap it out for bleu cheese, gorgonzola, or feta. Any soft cheese will work here.
Consider doubling the recipe. This is delicious and disappears fast.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to New York Times cooking for their savory apple tart recipe inspiration.

Apple and Goat Cheese Tart

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Scale

1 sheet puff pastry (½ pkg of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry)
1 apple, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
3 Tablespoons goat cheese
3 Tablespoons chopped herbs (parsley, rosemary, oregano)
1 egg
Honey for drizzling

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 F/204 C. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out the sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut along the fold lines to make 3 equal size rectangles and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Use a paring knife or pizza cutter to lightly score a one-quarter-inch border around each rectangle being careful not to cut the pastry all the way through to the parchment.
Place the sliced apples on each pastry rectangle inside the score marks. Top with the shallots. Dot the goat cheese evenly over everything and top with the chopped herbs.
Lightly beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make the egg wash. Paint the outside borders of the pastry with egg wash.
Bake at 400 F for 20 to 25 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before drizzling with honey and cutting into serving pieces.

Pozole with Chicken

September 26, 2022

Pozole with Chicken

Nighttime temperatures are in the mid-50s this week, so I’m happy to announce the return of soup season in my house. Comforting and delicious, this Mexican-style Pozole with chicken is like a warm hug in a bowl.

Cooked chicken cut up next to a pot of broth.

Chicken Soup

It is interesting how certain foods and flavors promise solace. Soup is one of those foods that seems to provide a sense of well-being and warmth, both figuratively and literally.

The gold standard for comforting soups: chicken soup.

You can find some form of chicken soup made by mothers and caregivers in almost every culture in the world. My mom loves soups and served many to my brother and me when we were growing up. A steaming bowl of bisque, broth, or chowder certainly provides all the homey feels.

It’s fun to plan for various soups as we head into sweater weather. Some sort of brothy goodness is now a staple on my weekly menu plan. I like ones that pack some nutritional punch, so those that include protein, fiber, and veggies are at the top of my list.

In addition to chicken, this soup recipe features chiles and hominy.

Hominy

Have you had hominy? It’s corn but blown up. These kernels look like the recipients of lip filler.

Dried corn kernels are treated and soaked with lye or lime in a process called nixtamalization. Yes, really. Nixtamalization.

The soaking in the alkaline solution causes the kernels to swell and double in size. The result is a puffy, meatier version of corn with a pleasantly chewy texture. And that pouty, bee-stung look.

Dried ancho and guajillo chiles, fresh jalapeno, onion, and garlic.

Lessons Learned

Don’t be afraid of all the chiles in this soup. The dried ancho and guajillo chiles are mild and add sweet, smoky, and tangy notes. My husband and I don’t eat super spicy food anymore (hello, middle-age) and this recipe was just right for us.
Dark meat on the bone provides the best depth of flavor for a soup. If you insist on using breasts instead, at least leave it on the bone as it cooks.
Have fun with the garnishes! I chose bright, fresh, and pretty ones because they make me happy. Escabeche would be nice served alongside, too.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Martha Stewart for her red chicken pozole recipe.

Close up of cumin seed being added to blender for the pepper paste.

Pozole with Chicken

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

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Ingredients

Units Scale

2 ½ lbs. chicken thighs and legs
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, peeled and quartered
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 dried guajillo chiles, stem and seeds removed
1 dried ancho chile, stem and seeds removed
1 fresh jalapeño chile, stem and seeds removed
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon dried oregano
⅓ cup fresh cilantro
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 can (29 ounces) hominy, drained

Garnishes: lime wedges, sliced radishes, chopped cilantro, tostadas, or tortilla chips

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Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or large pot. Salt and pepper the chicken before adding it to the pot, skin-side down. Cook 8 minutes, flipping once, to brown.
Add 2 onion quarters, chicken broth, and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and keep warm. Strain the broth and return it to the same pot.
While the chicken is cooking, make the pepper paste: heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Once it is hot, add the dried ancho and guajillo peppers. Cook for 2 minutes, turning to blister on each side. Remove the peppers to a bowl and add hot water to fully submerge them. Let them soak for 10 minutes.
In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 onion quarter, jalapeno, and garlic. Saute for 8-ish minutes over medium-high heat until everything starts to brown. Transfer the items to a blender.
Add the soaked chiles to the blender, plus ½ cup of the soaking liquid. Add oregano, cilantro, cumin, lime juice, and salt. Blitz it all together until smooth.
Pour the pepper paste into the same skillet and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. The mixture will thicken and get darker.
Now, strip the chicken of the skin and bones. Chop the meat into bite-size pieces and add back to the broth. Pour in the pepper paste (all of it) and hominy. Simmer for 15 minutes or until heated through.
Dice the remaining onion quarter and add it to the garnishes that are served with the soup.

Apple Galette with Frangipane

September 22, 2022

Apple Galette with Frangipane

Here we are, knee-deep in apple season. What are you going to do with them? If you have apples, pastry cream, and dough, you can make Apple Galette with Frangipane.

Galette

What is a galette, you ask? It is a free-form, topless tart. I know that sounds a bit like a 1960s hippie chick but it’s not.

Originally, galettes were made in northern France as flat, round, rustic pies that could be savory or sweet. The dough edges were folded partway over the filling, rather than trimmed and crimped like a traditional pie.

Galette in mid-assembly. Dough topped with frangipane and apple slices being arranged.

Ina Garten uses puff pastry as the base for her fruit galettes. Jamie Oliver uses shortcrust pastry for his savory galettes. The apple galette we are making here involves buttery pie dough.

The star, besides the apples? Frangipane.

Butter, egg, almond flour, sugar, almond extract, and vanilla extract.

Almond Paste, Marzipan, Frangipane: What’s the Difference?

These terms have confused me for a long time. I know they are all made from almonds. But are they the same thing?

No.

The breakdown of what’s what and how it is used:

Almond Paste: Blanched ground almonds, powdered sugar, and egg whites. It has a coarse texture but is still soft and pliable. Add it to cakes, cookies, and other desserts that are going to be baked.
Marzipan: Peeled ground almonds, powdered sugar, and a tiny bit of water. It is a thick, smooth, slightly stiff paste that can be dyed in different colors and used like fondant as candy and decoration.
Frangipane: Almond meal, granulated sugar, eggs, butter, and sometimes milk. It is a soft, spreadable pastry cream. Spread it as a filling in tarts, croissants, and galettes before baking.

Almond paste and marzipan can be homemade but are also available to purchase ready-made in grocery stores and online. Frangipane is always homemade and needs to be used the same day.

Frangipane comes together quickly and is the base of this apple galette. Apples + almond frangipane = deliciousness!

Whole Cosmic Crisp apple, Granny Smith cut in half, and Cosmic Crisp slices.

Lessons Learned

Don’t be afraid of all the French words in this post. Galette = rustic pie, frangipane = almond pastry cream. You don’t have to pronounce them correctly for them to taste good.
The dough requires chilling time in the fridge. Don’t skip this step! The chilling will keeps the crust from flopping open and the contents from spilling out when baking.
We’ve recently talked a lot about apples so you know I am using Cosmic Crisp and Granny Smith here. Golden Delicious would also be a good pick because the slices bake up tender while still holding their shape. This is a galette, after all, so you want it to look good topless.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Cooking Classy and Publix Super Markets for their apple galette recipes!

Apple galette assembled, folded, egg washed, and dotted with butter. It's ready for the oven!

Apple Galette with Frangipane

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour plus 20 more min
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Crust:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ cup butter, cut into small cubes
¼ cup ice water

Frangipane:

2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup almond flour
¼ tsp salt

Filling:

3 apples
1 Tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter, cut into cubes

Egg Wash:

1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp water or milk

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Instructions

Make the crust by combining flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the cubes of butter with a pastry cutter, or use your fingers to rub it in, until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Pour in the water and stir to moisten the dough.
Lightly gather the dough and work it into a ball. Flatten it with the palm of your hand and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 3 days.
Make the frangipane by adding the butter, eggs, extracts, sugar, flour, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until the ingredients are creamy. Cover and allow to rest in the fridge.
Prepare the filling by peeling, coring, and slicing the apples. The slices should be fairly thin, about one-quarter inch thick. Toss the slices with lemon juice, sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
Prep a rimmed baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
To assemble the galette, roll out the crust on a floured surface. Roll the dough into a 12 to 14-inch circle. Don’t make the dough too thick or too thin. It should be around ⅛-inch in thickness. Place the dough circle on the prepared baking sheet.
Add the frangipane to the center of the circle and spread outwards, stopping 3 inches from the edge, leaving a border.
Drain the apples of any accumulated juices and discard juices. Arrange the slices on top of the frangipane. Make it pretty, or not.
Fold the edges of the dough up and over the slices. Make folds every 3 inches or so and press gently so the dough adheres and seals edges together.
Dot the apples with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. This will ensure the apples don’t look dry after baking.
Finally, combine the egg and liquid for the egg wash. Brush the edges of the dough with the egg wash. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if you want.
Refrigerate the assembled galette for 20 minutes or up to 8 hours. Cover lightly with plastic wrap if refrigerated longer than 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 F/176 C. Bake the galette on a rack in the middle of the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until apples are tender.
Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

Pasta with Preserved Lemon Alfredo

September 19, 2022

Pasta with Preserved Lemon Alfredo

Oh pasta, how comforting you are. Pasta with Preserved Lemon Alfredo combines three favorite cozy things: tender homemade egg pasta, tangy preserved lemons, and creamy Alfredo sauce.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Before I learned to cook, we used to be big fans of a restaurant chain that was famous for its Alfredo sauce. The sauce was served with warm breadsticks and a giant family-size salad that came with each order. I could drink that sauce, that’s how much I liked it.

So, once I started to cook on a regular basis, Alfredo sauce was one of the first things I wanted to learn. I found a recipe and made it. Wow, what a difference between the homemade and the restaurant version.

The original is Italian, of course, and is just butter, cheese, and pasta water melded together with hot pasta. Once the recipe jumped across the Atlantic, Americans added cream and garlic to the mix. Either way, it’s creamy, cozy, and so delicious.

This recipe shakes things up by adding preserved lemon.

Preserved Lemon

I made several quart-size mason jars of preserved lemons earlier this year. Now, I’m down to my last half jar and I’m sad about it. They bring a salty, tangy, citrusy hit to anything and everything to which you add them.

They can easily be found at specialty grocers and, yes, on Amazon. If you don’t have the fridge space for a giant jar of salted lemons, consider buying a smaller jar of preserved lemon paste. It works just as well and buys back some real estate on your fridge door.

The preserved lemon cuts through the rich Alfredo sauce with some acidity. It adds a bright and sunshine-y note to the dish.

So does the chard.

Swiss Chard

Swiss chard, sometimes called chard or rainbow chard, is a leafy green that falls somewhere between spinach and collard greens on the taste scale. It is slightly tender, slightly bitter, and can be used fresh or cooked. Chard is great in salads, soups, egg dishes, and as a side.

Plus, it’s pretty!

The leaves are large, green, and glossy. But it’s the stalks that are the showoffs, displaying various colors including white, red, pink, yellow, and orange. It really makes it easy to eat the rainbow.

Pasta with preserved lemon Alfredo in a black pan.

Lessons Learned

If the thought of butter and cream together in a sauce terrifies you, this may not be the sauce for you. I have used half-and-half in place of cream, but it didn’t taste quite as good to me.
Listen, you have nothing to prove to anyone. If you don’t have homemade pasta and don’t want to make it, use boxed. The sauce will be delicious on whatever pasta you make.
It is easy to make a paste from preserved lemons. Place a preserved lemon in the blender and blitz until smooth. Add a little of the brine if needed.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Taste Cooking for their preserved lemon cream sauce recipe!

Pasta with Preserved Lemon Alfredo

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4 from 1 review

Author: Betty
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

1 lb. homemade or boxed pasta
1 tsp olive oil
4 cups Swiss chard, thinly sliced
1 cup heavy cream
5 Tbsp preserved lemon paste
½ cup butter
⅓ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

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Instructions

Fill a large pot with 4 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt and place on the stove. Turn on the burner to high.
While waiting for the water to boil, heat the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chard and cook for 2 minutes or until just wilted. Remove the chard from the pan and set it aside.
Place the preserved lemon paste and cream in the same skillet and heat over medium, whisking continuously. Once it simmers, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition. Remove the pan from the heat.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for the time required. If you are using fresh pasta, cook for about 3 minutes. For boxed pasta, follow the package directions.
Return the cream sauce to the stove and heat over medium heat. Carefully dip a measuring cup into the pasta water and remove 1 cup of water. Add the pasta water to the cream sauce and whisk to fully combine.
Now, using a pasta server or tongs, lift some of the pasta out of the pasta water and move it directly into the cream sauce. Repeat until all the pasta is transferred. Toss pasta in the sauce to coat.
Add in the Swiss chard and crushed red pepper. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

September 15, 2022

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

Ready to enjoy all the fall vibes? Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake brings it regardless of what the weather looks like outside.

The Autumn Season

Have you found yourself wandering the aisles of Home Goods lately and eyeballing all the pretty autumn decorations, brushing your hand across the cozy sofa throws, and sniffing the harvest-themed candles? Me too.

Temperatures are cooling, leaves are changing colors, and the sun goes down earlier now in parts of the Northern Hemisphere. The thought of cool crisp weather and warm apple cider is so appealing.

Orange and red autumn leaves on a branch.

However, I am jolted back to the reality of 90-something-degree sunshine when I leave home decor stores and get into my stifling hot car. There is no way I am decorating with warm fleece anything on my couch just yet.

Even though Southern California weather is not cooperating to fulfill my autumnal longings, I’m not complaining. I’m thankful for the sunshine. And for the random rain showers like we’ve had the past week.

Swapping out current pillow slipcovers for some orangey ones and tucking pampas grass among other dried floral stems helps me shift into the autumn season while I wait for cooler days.

Plus, I’m baking with apples.

Two Golden Delicious apples, cup of brown sugar, stick of butter, and jar of cinnamon on a wooden cutting board.

Best Apples

Earlier, we talked about the best apples when making an apple pie. These same varieties work well when baking tarts, galettes, and cakes. I’ve been using a lot of Golden Delicious and Cosmic Crisp this month, with Granny Smith coming in close behind.

Because the apples are nestled in quick caramel at the bottom of the pan for this upside-down cake, you want a variety that is not going to turn to mush. The cake is flipped apple side up before serving so the pieces need to be tender yet still hold their shape.

Baking pan with poured caramel and sliced apples awaiting their fate.

I used Golden Delicious apples for this recipe. Yes, I sliced them crosswise because I was feeling ornery that day. But you can slice them however you wish.

Cake batter being spread over caramel and apples.

Lessons Learned

The pan size is flexible here. My 9-inch square pan was previously engaged when I made this, so I used a 7x11-inch rectangular pan and it worked out fine.
Don’t lick the spoon after stirring the caramel. Your tongue will be mad at you for several days.
If you really want to geek out by reading up on the best apple varieties for baking, take a look at J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s side-by-side comparison. It is so enlightening!

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Sally’s Baking Addiction and Betty Crocker for their apple upside-down cake recipes and to Aaron Burden on Unsplash for the autumn leaves photo.

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

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Ingredients

Units Scale

Caramel Apple Topping:

¼ cup butter
⅔ cup packed brown sugar
2 apples, thinly sliced

Cake:

½ cup butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla
¼ cup milk
1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 F/162 C. Adjust the rack to the middle of the oven. Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper.
Make the caramel by melting ¼ cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and bring it to a boil. Remove from the heat and immediately pour into the prepared pan.
Arrange the apple slices on top of the caramel, overlapping slightly.
Make the cake by beating ½ cup butter with granulated sugar with a mixer until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth. Pour in the vanilla and the milk and beat to combine.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until smooth.
Spread the cake batter over the apple slices, making sure the batter goes all the way to the edges of the pan to cover the apples completely.
Bake at 350 for 45 to 55 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. The cake should still be warm before flipping.
Place a serving plate or platter on top of the pan. Using both hands, flip the plate and the cake pan upside down together. Remove the pan and carefully peel back the parchment. Let it cool to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Roasted Chicken with Sumac

September 12, 2022

Roasted Chicken with Sumac

Turning the page into a new month that promises cooler temperatures has gotten me thinking of comforting foods like Roasted Chicken with Sumac. It’s easy to make and is heavily influenced by a chef named Ottolenghi.

Ottolenghi

The first time I encountered Yotam Ottolenghi was in a magazine I had checked out from the library. It was a food magazine, of course. The article was about a cookbook he was releasing and included some of his recipes.

They looked hard.

I mean, where does one even buy barberries and black garlic? And why were the ingredient lists so long? Would my family even eat a whole head of roasted cauliflower?

However, one recipe looked easy enough: roasted chicken. It involved lemon, garlic, plus several spices and I thought, “well, there’s no messing that up.” So I made it.

Marinade ingredients: red onion, spices, garlic, lemon.

It was incredibly delicious.

Now, I understood the cult following of Ottolenghi. The food he was sharing was so, so good. Afterwards, I decided I had to have not only that cookbook but all of his cookbooks.

The ingredient lists are still long and I don’t care. While the recipes aren’t hard, some of them do take time. The resulting dishes are worth it.

This roasted chicken recipe is easy enough to make on a weeknight.

Raw chicken in a bowl with marinade and red onions to the side.

Easy Weeknight Dinner

You might be wondering how I am mentioning Ottolenghi and easy weeknight dinner in the same breath. The chicken here can be prepped a day ahead and sit overnight in the marinade as long as you don’t add the lemon juice until just before cooking.

If poultry is left longer than 2 hours in something containing lemon juice or another acid, the meat begins to break down. I think we’ve all eaten chicken that was slightly rubbery or had a mushy texture. It was probably exposed to an acidic ingredient for too long.

So, the marinade and cook time is what make this recipe easy for weeknights because the chicken is completely hands-off once it goes into the oven. That leaves more time for prepping your side dishes, helping with homework, or scrolling through Facebook while the dish cooks.

9 by 13 pan of raw chicken and red onions with marinade.

How to Bake Chicken

If you google how to bake chicken, you will get a lot of different answers. Really it depends on what part of the chicken you are roasting and what kind of texture you are looking for in the finished dish.

The general rule of thumb for bone-in, skin-on pieces:

Baked low and slow for tender and juicy meat. Oven temp 350 F for 45 to 55 minutes.
Baked high and fast for crispy skin and tender meat. Oven temp 425 F for 35 to 40 minutes.

Boneless, skinless pieces like breasts: higher heat for a shorter time ensures the meat doesn’t dry out. Oven temp at 400 F for 20 minutes.

Plate of hummus, pita, cut lemons, and piles of parsley, pine nuts, and pomegranate seeds.

The 3 Ps

Pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, and parsley are the perfect trifecta of toppings for this dish. They add buttery flavor, tangy crunch, and herby freshness to the earthy ground sumac in this roasted chicken. Plus, they are so pretty!

Serve the dish with sides like pita, hummus, and a fresh salad to make a complete meal.

Lessons Learned

Don’t be afraid of the long list of ingredients. Eight of them are for the marinade. And there is nothing complicated to do here other than mix and pour.
Add the lemon juice to the marinade if you are marinating and roasting the chicken on the same day. I added the lemon juice, marinated for 2 hours, then roasted. It was perfect!
Fresh side dishes with some punch like this salad are a nice accompaniment to the roasted meat.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Saveur and Yotam Ottolenghi for their sumac roasted chicken recipes.

Roast chicken with sumac cut up on a cutting board with garnishes.

Roasted Chicken with Sumac

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Marinating Time: 2 hours or overnight
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes

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Ingredients

Units Scale

2 ½ lbs chicken thighs and legs, skin-on, bone-in
1 Tbsp ground sumac
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp minced garlic
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
¼ cup pomegranate seeds

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Instructions

Cut small slashes in the chicken pieces, going through the skin and flesh. Place chicken in a large bowl and set it aside.
Combine sumac, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl. Stir in the olive oil to make a loose slurry.
Pour the mixture over the chicken pieces. Add the onion and mix it all together to coat. Cover and put in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 F/176 C. Place the chicken in a 9x13 baking pan, skin side up. Add the onions to surround the chicken. Pour the lemon juice over everything.
Roast for 55 minutes or until juices run clear when the thickest part of the chicken is pierced.
Remove from the oven when done. Top with parsley, pine nuts, and pomegranate before serving.

Baked Apple Chips

September 8, 2022

Baked Apple Chips

Bought too many apples? Same. Use up some apples by making something different but oh-so-snackable: Baked Apple Chips!

Apple Picking

It was a tradition every fall. Take the kids on a field trip to Oak Glen and pick apples. It was exciting for them to fill that hand bucket to the top with all the pretty specimens.

This area of Southern California grows around 50 types of apples (I know, who would have thought that would be the case in SoCal). Of these varieties are some that don’t usually show up at grocery stores. Gravenstein, King David, Pink Pearl, and Vasquez are among the lesser-known types.

Cosmic Crisp, Granny Smith, and Golden Delicious apples

Plenty of places will do the picking for you, in case you were wondering. This leaves more time to explore other things the orchards offer like apple tasting, candle dipping, and wool carding. Plus, fresh apple cider!

Now, my kids are young adults who are going to school and working full-time (proud of you, my darlings!). So I go apple picking with my gal pals. We like to go mid-morning in the middle of the week.

And it’s still hard to avoid buying too many apples.

One crispy baked apple chip held up to the light. It has a pretty star pattern in the middle where the seeds used to be.

Apple Chips

Yes, by all means, make apple pie, apple crisp, and applesauce. They are homey and delicious. And it will make your husband happy.

Also, make apple chips.

You’ve seen them in the checkout line at Target and your local grocery store. You know, the $5.99 bags of crispy apple chips that are half-filled with air. Those.

You can make those for a fraction of the cost. It’s fun and easy. An added bonus: your home will smell amazing while they bake.

I use a special slicer to get the slices paper-thin.

Mandoline Slicer

I’m sorry to tell you that you need another kitchen gadget. But this is one you really do need. It’s a mandoline.

My mom had one that she bought in Japan in the 1970s and still uses it today to make the best coleslaw in the world. Mandoline slicers are versatile and can be used on veggies and fruits to achieve paper-thin slices. Last year, I finally bought one on Amazon made by the German brand Borner.

It’s incredible.

A hand-held cutting guard comes with it, as well as multiple attachments to vary the width and cuts on whatever is being sliced. The blades are razor sharp so I also got some cut-proof kitchen gloves. I just need to remember where I put them.

Lessons Learned

Like cooking a good roast, the secret here is low and slow. It takes time but it’s mostly hands-off.
Every oven is different so gauge the crispiness of the chips at the 2-hour mark. They might be ready or they might need a little more time. Mine needed around 3 hours.
Make more than you think you’ll need. It’s hard to stop once you start eating them. Plus, they make for a yummy topping when crumbled on salads like this.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Jessica Gavin and Cooking Classy for their apple chip recipes and clear instructions!

Apple slices on a baking sheet awaiting the low and slow bake in the oven.

Baked Apple Chips

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

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Ingredients

Scale

2 apples, any variety
1 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

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Instructions

Place parchment paper on two rimmed baking sheets.
Move oven racks to the upper and lower third of the oven, then preheat to 200 F/93 C.
Slice the apples crosswise very thinly using a mandoline slicer. I used the attachment for 1/16th inch thickness. It’s easiest to cut a slice off the bottom of the apple with a knife first to get things started before using the mandoline to slice the rest of the apple.
Remove any seeds, then place apples on the prepared baking sheets. Do not overlap the slices but place them side by side in a single layer.
Combine the powdered sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Use a small sieve to lightly dust the slices. Turn the slices over and dust again.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove pans from the oven and flip the slices over. Return to the oven, placing the pans on the other rack (the one that was on the top rack now goes on the bottom one).
Bake for another 1 hour and 15 minutes. Depending on your oven, you may need another 15 minutes until they are fully dry. They will continue to crisp up as they cool.
Allow chips to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.

Grilled Steak and Rice Bowls

September 5, 2022

Grilled Steak and Rice Bowls

One-bowl dishes like Grilled Steak and Rice Bowls are popular for a reason. They feature plenty of choices that allow people to customize their meals. Protein, carbs, and veggies all come together for a big group hug.

It’s comforting.

A headless couple in cozy sweaters in a side hug. It's not as disturbing as it sounds.

Comfort Foods

What is your go-to comfort food? I read an article several years ago that highlighted comfort foods as things we ate as children. People tend to eat these foods when sad, tired, or stressed.

Comfort foods are like psychological nutrition.

Many cozy foods are high in fat, calories, or sugar. When consumed, these elements tickle the area of your brain that recognizes rewards and makes you feel good. Macaroni and cheese, roast chicken, mashed potatoes, chicken soup, and spaghetti are high on the list for most Americans.

Other U.S. favorites? Pizza, chocolate, and ice cream. You can blame it on the neurotransmitters, but wow I feel better already.

Rice always appeared on the table when I was young, so anything with rice spells comfort to me. Something else from my childhood: grilled meats. I spent many weekends at parties, luaus, and fiestas while growing up in Hawaii and Guam and there was always grilled meat.

How to Grill Steak

Grilling steak is pretty straightforward but most people manage to mess it up. Well, that’s kind of harsh. But it’s true.

I follow the tips of grilling king and cookbook author Steven Raichlen and they have never steered me wrong.

The tips include:
1. Season the meat on both sides and let sit for an hour before grilling.
2. The grill needs a blistering hot zone for searing and a cooler zone to finish cooking.
3. Use a meat thermometer inserted into the side of the steak to determine doneness.

Rare = 120 degrees
Medium Rare = 130 degrees
Medium = 140 degrees
Medium Well = 150 degrees
Well Done = anything over 150 degrees

4. Season again before serving with flaky salt, compound butter, or sauces.
5. Let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting into it.

Something fun to season your meat: Tajin.

Cooking with Tajin

Tajin is a Mexican seasoning that features sea salt, lime, and three types of dried chiles. The flavor is tangy and spicy. But not too spicy.

It is popular in Mexico where it is tossed on meats like chicken and shrimp. The citrus and chile combo is also sprinkled on fruits, popsicles, and candies. I like it used as a salted rim for margaritas.

Tajin isn’t as commonly used with steak as it is with chicken or fish. However, after having tajin-crusted steak fajitas not too long ago, I realized this was a good match! The seasoning added some zip without being overly spicy, which is good news for my middle-aged digestive system.

Ingredients for the steak and rice bowls: black beans, red onion slices, and lime wedges

Lessons Learned

Meat does not need to be at room temperature before going on the grill! It’s okay to go straight from fridge to barbecue. Steven Raichlen said so.
A meat thermometer comes in handy to check for the level of doneness. But the touch test works too and is one I use most often.
Think of the components of this recipe as a template. You can change up the steak seasoning, the beans, the type of rice, and the garnishes and still have a delicious meal in a bowl. Escabeche would be a delicious accompaniment!

Hat Tips

Many thanks go to Steven Raichlen and his Barbecue Bible for directions on how to grill a perfect steak and to Tom The Photographer on Unsplash for the cozy sweater photo.

Grilled meat cooked medium and sliced. It's mouthwatering.

Grilled Steak and Rice Bowls

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 to 7 minutes
Total Time: 20 to 25 minutes

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Ingredients

Units Scale

1 ½ lb London Broil or flank steak
1 Tbsp Tajin seasoning
2 cups cooked rice
1 can (14 oz) black beans
½ cup sliced red onion
Garnishes: salsa, chopped cilantro, lime wedges

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Instructions

Pat the meat dry and season both sides with Tajin. Let sit for 1 hour before grilling.
Heat the grill so there are two temperature zones. One side with very hot direct heat (450 to 500 degrees) and the other with medium indirect heat (275 to 350 degrees).
Place the steak on the scorching hot side. Sear for 2 minutes, then flip and sear the other side for 2 minutes.
Move the meat to the not-so-hot side of the grill and allow it to cook to your desired doneness. Each piece of meat is different, so the meat thermometer is your friend. Or, you can use the touch test.
Remove the meat from the grill and allow it to rest for 5 minutes.
Prepare the bowls by arranging rice, beans, and onions in serving bowls.
Slice the meat against the grain and into bite-size pieces. Add the meat to the bowls. Top with cilantro, salsa, and a squeeze of lime.

Baby Kale Salad with Apples and Walnuts

September 1, 2022

Baby Kale Salad with Apples and Walnuts

Baby kale with apples and walnuts assembled on a black plate

Apple season has kicked off and there are lots of varieties available now! Baby Kale with Apple and Walnuts bridges the gap between summer and fall with fresh salad flavors and autumn produce.

And these apples: they’re cosmic.

Cosmic Crisp Apples

Have you had the new apple in town? It’s called Cosmic Crisp, a cross between Honeycrisp and Enterprise apples. The development of this variety took 20 years.

These apples were developed in Washington State University’s tree fruit breeding program. I know, that sounds a little franken-apple-y but so does a lot of horticulture. The good news is these are non-GMO and the organic ones are not waxed.

Chopped apple in a measuring cup and apple half next to it

My husband is kind of an apple connoisseur. He grew up eating fresh apples from the orchard near his family’s home in Oregon. So, apples from the grocery store are usually no bueno to him.

However, these apples (which, yes, I purchased at my local grocery store) taste both tart and sweet. The texture is crisp and juicy. Plus, they are so pretty!

Cosmic Crisp is my hubby’s new favorite apple.

But kale is a different story.

Baby Kale Salad

I had never heard of kale until the early 2000s. Remember the kale salad that started it all with raw kale, finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and toasted bread crumbs? So delicious!

The next decade brought all kinds of kale everything: kale chips, massaged kale salads, sauteed kale, and more. Some kale is curly and some are bumpy, but what they have in common is the tough stem running through the middle of the leaves. This center rib is usually removed prior to chopping.

Except for baby kale.

Awww. Even the name is cute. Baby kale.

These are the smaller, thinner leaves on an immature kale plant. The leaves are tender and can be eaten raw like you would lettuce, spinach, or arugula. And no chopping is required!

apple, lemon, walnut, red onion, and greens arranged on a wooden cutting board

Lessons Learned

If you can’t find baby kale at your grocery store, you can use chopped curly or Lacinato kale. Or whatever greens you want.
The sumac red onions are fast, easy, and provide another layer of flavor. I know it’s another step, but seriously, you are putting together the other salad ingredients anyway while they quickly marinate. Do it once, then decide.
Adjust the lemon juice amount in the dressing to your taste. The first time I made this with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice; it was a bit too puckery, even for me. Play around and find what is best for you and your family.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to chef Michael Solomonov for his kale salad recipe.

Baby Kale Salad with Apples and Walnuts

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients

Units Scale

¼ cup red onion, sliced thinly
1 tsp red wine vinegar
⅛ tsp ground sumac
2 cups baby kale
½ cup chopped parsley
½ cup chopped apple, skin on
½ cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
½ tsp kosher salt

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Instructions

Place onion, vinegar, and sumac in a small bowl and toss to combine. Set aside to let it marinate while you assemble the salad.
Arrange kale and parsley on a platter or individual serving plates. Top with apple and walnut pieces. Distribute onions evenly over the salad.
Combine lemon juice, oil, mustard, honey, and salt in a small bowl or a jar with a screw-top lid. Mix to incorporate all the ingredients, then pour over the salad.

Marinated Zucchini and Yellow Squash

August 29, 2022

Marinated Zucchini and Yellow Squash

This refreshing salad checks two boxes: the last of the weekly August zucchini recipes and a craving for bright and tangy side dishes. After a week of quick pickling (remember escabeche and kimchi?), I found Marinated Zucchini and Yellow Squash Salad is an even speedier pickle.

Sometimes raw zucchini can be thick and clunky in fresh salads (so.much.chewing). So, the secret here is paper-thin slices. They soak up the marinade and yes, are easier to chew.

Plus, a salad like this helps keep dinnertime cool in triple-digit heat. At least the weather isn’t humid.

Humidity

Traveling to escape the heat is always an attractive idea and I had the opportunity to spend some time in Bermuda this summer with my mom and brother. The island has stunning beaches, great food, and a relaxed atmosphere.

It’s also humid.

Humidity, as you may recall from high school science class, is the amount of water vapor in the air. High humidity can make you feel like you are wearing a hot, wet blanket around your shoulders. Why? Because the sweat doesn’t evaporate on our skin and cool us down.

Low humidity means dryer air and quicker dissipation of sweat. As the moisture evaporates on the skin, it carries away the heat with it. There is also the subject of dew point, but that’s another physical science lesson for another day.

Let’s circle back to zucchini.

Zucchini

We’ve talked about how they are a cooling food, are great on the grill, roasted in spirals, and even folded into a yummy coconut bread. This green member of the squash family is a versatile vegetable for sure.

Plus: vitamins!

Zucchini is rich in vitamins A, B6, and C. It’s high in fiber and antioxidants. And low in calories, fat, and sugar. There are lots of wins here.

Marinade ingredients: garlic, parsley, thyme, salt, vinegar, olive oil

Lessons Learned

A mandoline slicer or mixer attachment is your friend. If you have mad knife skillz then I am happy for you. For all other mortals like me: these tools can be ordered on Amazon.
Any thin-skinned squash will work in this recipe: crookneck, green and yellow zucchini, pattypan, yellow, and Mexican grey.
Once prepared, this recipe keeps in the fridge for several days. It’s a nice make-ahead item!

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Molly Krebs at Spices in My DNA and Martha Rose Shulman at New York Times for their marinated zucchini recipe inspiration!

Marinated Zucchini and Yellow Squash

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Marinating Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

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Ingredients

Units Scale

1 zucchini, about 2 cups sliced
1 yellow squash, about 2 cups sliced
½ red onion, about ¾ cup sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

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Instructions

Slice the zucchini, yellow squash, and red onion into paper-thin slices using a mandoline, standing mixer attachment, or a sharp knife. Pile into a medium bowl.
Combine garlic, parsley, thyme, rice vinegar, and olive oil in a small bowl. Add salt and red pepper to taste. Pour over vegetables and toss to combine.
Cover and refrigerate. Marinate for 1 or 2 hours before serving. Keeps for 3 or 4 days in the fridge.

Strawberry Vinegar

August 26, 2022

Strawberry Vinegar

Red colored vinegar in pint-size mason jar

Summer fruit is coming in hot and sometimes it’s hard to eat it fast enough. But, we are not letting any strawberries go to waste! Let’s make some Strawberry Vinegar for today’s project during Quick Pickling and Preserving Week.

Whole ripe strawberries, bottle of vinegar and smidge of sugar on a wooden board

Homemade Vinegar

To be clear, we are not making vinegar from scratch. That’s another recipe for another day. But! We are making a homemade fruit-infused condiment and it is delicious.

Fruit-infused vinegar carries the aroma of the fruit from which it was made. It is tart like vinegar should be but is also slightly sweet.

How to use it?

Salad dressings
Marinades
Pickling Vegetables
Reduction Sauces
Cocktails (yes, really!)

The fruit: strawberries, including the tops.

Strawberries with tops on, cut in half lengthwise

Nose to Tail

Nose-to-tail eating usually refers to using every part of an animal, not just the choice muscle cuts. It includes bone marrow, liver, and organ meats. This style of eating allows nothing to go to waste, providing for more complete nutrition.

What does this have to do with our strawberries? We are also using them nose-to-tail, or rather stem-to-tip. The whole shebang.

Normally, strawberry tops are removed and discarded. But you and I are thrifty and nothing-goes-to-waste kinds of people, aren’t we? So, we are leaving those green leafy tops intact.

Plus, they’re pretty!

Lessons Learned

The reality is you can use any type of vinegar you want to make this strawberry version. However, distilled white makes the final product pretty astringent. A better choice: white wine, rice, or white balsamic.
There is some waste when you make this recipe, it’s true. The strawberries are discarded after the steeping. Your choices include 1) composting them or 2) not using the entire strawberry but just the tops to make it.
Label the mason jar clearly. Certain family members may think it is a fruity drink and be unpleasantly surprised. Whoops.

Hat Tips

Thanks go to Pam Greer at Sidewalk Shoes for her strawberry vinegar recipe and to Stop Food Waste for their strawberry top version!

Strawberry Vinegar

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 8 ounces 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

1 dry pint strawberries, rinsed and cut in half
1 cup white wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar or sweetener

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Instructions

Place the clean berries in a clean 1-quart size mason jar.
Heat the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan until it just reaches the boiling point.
Add the vinegar to the mason jar, pouring it over the strawberries. Allow it to cool slightly, then screw on the lid.
Set it somewhere cool and dark (like pantry or fridge) and let steep for 5-ish days.
Strain the vinegar into a clean jar or bottle and discard or compost the strawberries.
Refrigeration is optional, but I like to keep mine in the fridge. This will keep indefinitely but the fruit flavor may fade after 6 months.

Kimchi

August 25, 2022

Kimchi

It wouldn’t be Quick Pickling and Preserving Week on Betty Eatz without kimchi. Are you are looking for a spicy, salty, and funky side dish? Then read on.

A gate to Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, Korea with overhanging green and yellow leaves

What is Kimchi

Kimchi is a Korean side dish. It is pickled and fermented vegetables and served as a side dish, also called banchan, at a meal. The main ingredient can include cubed white radish, cucumber, and ponytail radish, among others.

The most well-known type is made from cabbage and is the one my mom always made when I was growing up. Called baechu kimchi, this version includes napa cabbage, daikon radish, green onions, and carrots. The cabbage is salted and combined with the other veggies, then it is rubbed with a spice paste.

Afterwards, it’s fermented!

Napa cabbage, daikon, carrot, green onions, garlic, and ginger

Fermentation

Many cultures eat fermented foods. Kefir, miso, sauerkraut, and even sourdough are some examples of foods from around the globe. Fermentation is a way to preserve food and has been around for centuries.

Probiotics or “good” bacteria are found in some fermented foods and may provide health benefits. People claim that fermented foods are important for gut health and overall gastrointestinal support. However, science sometimes agrees and sometimes it disagrees.

Regardless, fermented foods are delicious and add a unique zesty goodness to whatever you are eating. These foods have a certain aroma, appearance, and taste thanks to the microbial growth that happens during fermentation.

There is an important ingredient in making cabbage kimchi: gochugaru.

Gochugaru

Gochugaru is Korean red pepper chili powder or flakes. It is instantly recognizable for its bright red color. I once owned a pair of pants this color and yes, I was instantly recognizable, too.

This type of dried chili is different from others because it is made from the Korean red pepper called taeyang-cho.

The dried spice is used in kimchi, soups, stews, marinades, and gochujang (chili paste). It’s an important component in Korean cooking. Gochugaru’s heat intensity ranges from mild to burn-your-hair-off hot.

Daikon, carrot, and green onions chopped into matchsticks

Lessons Learned

You can adjust the heat of the kimchi. Use just 1 or 2 tablespoons of red pepper flakes if you want milder kimchi. Add 4 or 5 tablespoons if you like it hot.
This entire recipe will fit into a 1-quart jar, believe it or not! The veggies soften as you work the paste into them. As a result, they can be pressed down into the jar.
Gas and brine will overflow! Keep small children and smell-sensitive husbands away when you open the jar after fermentation.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Emily Han at thekitchn and Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee at Simply Recipes for their recipes and to Yujeong Huh on Unsplash for the photo of Korea.

Kimchi

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Author: Betty
Prep Time: 45 minutes plus 2 hours soaking
Pickling Time: 1 to 2 days
Total Time: 2 days

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 lb napa cabbage
½ cup kosher salt
8 oz daikon radish
1 medium carrot
4 green onions
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 Tbsp fish sauce
3 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)

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Instructions

Chop the cabbage lengthwise in half. Then, cut the halves lengthwise in half. Now, cut the 4 quarters crosswise into 2-inch wide sections. Discard the stem and cores.
Toss the cabbage and salt together in a large bowl. Add water until it covers the cabbage. Place a plate on top to help keep the cabbage submerged and let it sit for 2 hours.
Transfer the cabbage to a colander and rinse well. Let it drain for 15 minutes.
Peel the radish and cut it into matchsticks. Do the same with the carrot. Trim the ends from the green onions and cut them into 1-inch sections. Set aside.
Combine the garlic, ginger, sugar, fish sauce, and gochugaru in a large bowl. Mix to form a paste.
Squeeze the cabbage to release any water. Add it to the bowl that contains the paste.
Put on some disposable food prep gloves. You will thank me later.
Gently mix the cabbage with the spice paste using your hands. Once the paste is evenly distributed, add the radish, carrot, and green onions. Continue to mix and squeeze slightly until the paste is thoroughly incorporated with the veggies.
Transfer the kimchi to a clean, 1-quart mason jar. A wide-mouth jar will make things easier. As you add kimchi to the jar, press it down to compress the veggies and release the liquid.
Continue adding all the veggies until the jar is packed. Press them down one more time so that the liquid brine covers everything. Allow for 1 inch of clearance at the top before sealing the jar.
Let the jar stand in a cool, dark place at room temperature to ferment for 1 to 2 days. Open the jar daily to “burp” it and let some fermentation gases out. Place the jar in the sink when opening just in case juices overflow because they most likely will.
Once the 1 to 2 days are up, store the jar in the refrigerator and eat within 3 months.