Let's Keep Going...

Earlier this week, I traveled to Juneau. It was my first time to Alaska and was awestruck by the beauty of the landscape there. On our approach to the airport, (if you'd call it that), my view from the tiny window yielded white-tipped mountains pushed against the sprawling, indigo waters. After such an experience, all I could think was that I now understand why we have a dessert called Baked Alaska. I had some other thoughts too, like I bet its really cold in those indigo waters.


I have to tell you that there's no recipe here for Baked Alaska, or any other flashy dessert. What I do have, though, are two recipes using my favorite hot cereal mix. Are you sufficiently disappointed? You probaby are. But let's keep going, and we can unleash the excitement of nutritious whole grains!!

For breakfast, bread is fairly common. Sliced, toasted and smeared with butter, its the fastest way for me to stop my screaming belly on my way out the door. Somtimes I'll make a big pot of oatmeal or porridge so I have leftovers in the fridge to quickly heat up before I run to work. 7 grain cereal can easily become both.

In the past few months there's been posts about no-knead and 5-minute, so I hope you're not sick of bread recipes since I'm probably already on thin ice today, huh? In my defense, this loaf is a great addition to your bread box. Its as far from squishy as it is from hard. Its not like those supermarket bread-stuffs that pass themselves off as whole grain, and, no, its not like a piece of clay that someone left sitting on wheel too long after pottery class. Its springy and smells almost nutty when toasted. I've heard its a good idea to generously spread it with butter and top it with a dollop or raspberry jam. That's what I heard.

My other suggestion, if you're not in the mood for yeast and proofing, is a simple batch of hot cereal. What makes this special, and, for me, addicitive, is the inclustion of grated apple and dried fruit. Once its cooked and in your designated bowl, gently pour some milk over and top with brown sugar (or maple syrup) and toasted pecans (or almonds) and its as perfect as things can be, before 8:00 AM on a weekday. And if, say, you're out of milk, I've heard its okay to use a drizzle of cream. That's what I heard.

If you think it was cruel of me to lure you into the post with words of scenic beauty, I hope you'll forgive me and pleased with these tasty, and healthy, treats. Healthy as long as you hold the butter and cream.

P.S. Did I mention the amazing dinner that I had for Valentine's day? That's in addition to coming home from a week of travel to a spotless house and a bouquet of flowers. E's not so bad. I think I'll keep him.

Multigrain Bread
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated, March & April 2006

6 1/4 ounces (1 1/4 cups) 7 grain hot cereal mix
2 1/2 cups boiling water
15 ounces (3 cups) flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
7 1/2 ounces (1 1/2 cups) whole wheat bread flour
4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Place cereal in bowl of standing mixer and pour water over it
Let stand 1 hour or until the mixture cools to 100 degrees
Whisk the flours and salt together in a medium bowl
Add honey, oil, and yeast to cereal mixture
With the dough hook attached, gradually add the flour with the mixer on low
Knead until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides
Cover and let stand 20 minutes
Turn the mixer back on and knead again for 5 minutes
Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface, need briefly, and shape into a ball
Place in a greased container and let rise until doubled, 45-60 minutes
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Lightly grease 2 9" x 5" loaf pans with vegetable oil
Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll into a 9" x 11" rectangle
Cut in half crosswise
With the short side of the dough facing you, roll tightly into a log
Pinch the seam gently to seal
Place the loaf seam side down in loaf pan
Proof the dough, covered lightly in plastic wrap, until almost doubled, for 30-40 minutes
Bake for 35-40 minutes
Remove loaves from pans and cool on a wire rack before slicing

Porridge with Apple and Dried Fruit
This can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for a few days and reheated in the microwave for about a minute.
3 cups water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup 7 grain cereal mix
1 medium apple, grated
1/2 cup dried cranberries, or other small fruit
Assorted toppings such as, brown sugar, maple syrup, toasted nuts, and milk

Bring the water to a boil and stir in cereal
Return to a boil and turn the heat down to simmer
Cook for 7 minutes
Add the apple and dried fruit and cook for 3 more minutes
Take the cereal off heat
Cover and let rest 3-4 minutes
Top each bowl with assorted toppings

Thinking Spring, Cooking Winter

After almost 9 months of the CSA share, I have to admit: I've become a fan of kale. When we go to the farm each week to get our produce, I'm looking to see what types of greens we're allowed to pick while E is diligently trying to obstruct my view. I guess our compromise is that I can cook kale whenever I like, E just doesn't have to eat it. We did have a great pasta and sausage dish in which I discreetly included some lacinato sliced very thinly, but I guess it flew under the radar since there was a pork product included.

Warmer, sunnier days are pointing towards spring, (and so are my place settings), but all the vegetables are still saying winter. (My mind is saying, "Take a Caribbean Vacation!!!".) With my bunch of kale, now positioned up on the top shelf of the refrigerator, I put together this soup of pantry staples. Its more savory than the squash and kale soup I've told you about before and is very earthy with the inclusion of the potato and the chickpeas. I love chickpeas, or actually any type of legume, and its nice to know that they're good for me. Even if I eat an entire can. In one sitting.

Kale has been steadily increasing its ranking on my list of foods, but I can't say the same for turnips. I'm open to ideas for the pile of those that are in kale's old home, in the bottom corner of the fridge.

Kale and Chickpea Soup
I save the rinds from the blocks of Parmiggiano Reggiano to add to soups. For one of the bowls, I stirred a teaspoon of basil pesto in which gave the broth a really bold flavor and rounded out the kale's bitterness.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped small
2 garlic cloves, chopped roughly
1 pound lacinato kale, stems removed and sliced thinly
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1 medium rind of Parmiggiano Reggiano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped medium
1/3 cup of small pasta, such as tubetti or orzo
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 15-ounce can chickpeas

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 4-5 quart Dutch oven
Add the onion and saute until translucent
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute
Add the broth, water, sliced kale, rind, salt and pepper
Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes
Add the chopped potato and pasta cook for 5 minutes
Add the chickpeas and cook for 2 minutes more
Remove the rind and taste for seasonings

Plastic Sleeves

Where do you keep your recipes? You know, the ones you tear out of magazines, print off the internet or coerce a friend into writing down? I stack mine up and then move them into a three-ring binder so I can easily flip through and look at the photos or method for each dish. Once the recipe has been selected and prepared, it moves to another binder with the other tested recipes. Now, let's not make fun of the way people organize their belongings or comment they have compulsive tendencies. I'm sure your method works for you, and I woudn't call you names if you put each recipe in a plastic sleeve...which I highly recommend.

I'm forever making Ina Garten's Apple Crostata, which I'm sure everyone I know is sick of by now since I've made so frequently for so long. The crostata is familiar and comfortable to me, like a hooded sweatshirt you've had since college, that I continue to serve it to my unassuming guests. For Christmas, I wanted to try this structured tart from my saved recipe pages. Each time I flip to this modest looking sweet, I fondly look upon it and mentally file it as candidate for a future dessert. Since I can't seem to deviate from the comfort of the crostata, its never actually been used. So finally, I released it from the binder and brought it into the kitchen. And you know what? After all that time, I didn't even follow the instructions.

I just used the photo as inspiration. America's Test Kitchen has a tart crust that I've adpted and is my current favorite for sweet tarts of all kinds. In the fridge, there was a pleasantly sweet jar of homemade butterscotch begging to be spooned over the warm tart once it was removed from the oven. So off we went, dough, apples, butterscotch and I. And, of course, the photo, as well.

I don't need to say it, but sometimes the most basic things are the most pleasurable. Crumbly pastry and sweet-tart apples are elevated to a special treat when they're draped in the golden sauce. I've made this twice, once for Christmas and once for a weeknight supper with friends. Should I even mention its great with vanilla ice cream? I like it for breakfast as well, slightly warm so the scent of butterscotch hits your nose before the apples and pastry hit your palate.

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Apple Tart with Butterscotch Sauce

One 9-inch Tart

I like to let the the dough chill in the tart pan overnight before I arrange the apples and bake it off, although it really needs only 1-2 hours in the refrigerator. If the tart curst is browning too quickly, wrap the edges in tinfoil while the filling continues baking.

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon heavy cream

2-3 teaspoons cold water

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups flour

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, diced small and placed in the freezer to chill

2-3 large apples (I've been using Jonagolds), peeled, quartered, and cut into large chunks

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup homemade butterscotch or caramel

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Stir together the egg yolk, heavy cream, 1 teaspoon of the cold water, and the vanilla

Add the flour, sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor

Pulse 3-4 times to combine

Add the butter and, being careful of the steel blade, toss gently to coat with the flour mixture

Pulse 10-12 times until the butter is not larger than the size of peas

Dump the contents of the food processor into a medium bowl

Add the cream mixture and gently bring the mixture together

If the mixture is too dry, add the remaining 1-2 teaspoons water

Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and quickly bring into a ball

Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for five minutes

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12" circle

Press the circle into a 9" tart pan, being careful not to stretch the dough

Trim off any excess dough and use this to patch areas

Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Toss the apple chunks with cinnamon

Arrange apple pieces decoratively around the chilled tart crust

Bake tart on a sheet pan for 1 hour 10 minutes

Remove from oven and place tart pan on cooling rack

Immediately spoon butterscotch over the top, taking care to spread the sauce evenly

Serve once the butterscotch has set or at room temperature

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(P.S. Every time I read the title of this post I think of the Radiohead song Fake Plastic Trees)