Mocha Biscotti

This is a great biscotti recipe, very dense but full of flavor. It came from a friend of a friend as a copy out of a cook book, so my only reference is "New Italian Cooking." I am unaware of the author. I have made a few edits of my own, so maybe that changes the need for reference! Enjoy!

Mocha Biscotti
2 Tablespoons instant espresso or coffee crystals (when I am out, I use VERY finely ground coffee beans)
1 Tablespoon boiling water
1 cup sugar (I use brown)
1 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate (mini chips would work too)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (I used whole raw almonds, toasted, and they were good but they did not slice well)

Preheat oven to 350. Dissolve coffee crystals (or finely ground coffee beans) in hot water in a small bowl. Allow to cool. Beat sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs in mixer bowl. Add coffee mixture. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add half of this to the butter mixture and mix well. Add almonds and chocolate, then remaining flour mixture. This will be a heavy, stiff dough. With floured hands, divide the dough into 2 balls and shape into logs on a large baking sheet covered with parchment, about 2-3 inches wide by about 1 inch high and as long as it will make at those dimensions. They can sit side-by-side on one pan. Bake about 30 minutes or until firm in the center. Keep oven at 350 after removing logs. Cool on the cookie sheet about 15 minutes.

When cool enough to handle (but still quite warm) slice into 1/2-inch slices (or a little thicker if you prefer). I like to stand the slices up on their bottom to avoid having to flip over halfway during the 2nd baking, but you may lay them on their sides. Bake another 15 or 20 minutes, turning once if lying down. Cool on wire rack. If you like an exceptionally crisp cookie, return them to the oven after turning it off and allow them to cool with the oven, watching to make sure they do not continue browning. If you freeze them, return to a hot oven for 5 minutes or so to refresh after they have thawed completely and come to room temperature.

Family Meatloaf with Gravy

This recipe freezes well...make a double batch, bake both, and freeze one with gravy!

1-1/2 pound ground Chuck
1/2 pound Bob Evans bulk Italian sausage
1/2 cup onion, finely minced
1/4 cup celery, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon finely minced garlic
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
fresh pepper

Make breadcrumbs in food processor until finely chopped. Set aside in a large bowl. Mince onions, celery, and garlic in food processor and add to bread crumbs. Stir in the egg, milk, salt and pepper. Break up the sausage and mix well into the bread crumb mixture. Break up the beef and mix well. Shape into loaf. Bake at 350 for about 50-60 minutes. Allow to sit without slicing for at least 10-15 minutes tented with foil. Pass gravy separately. If freezing, I like to submerge the meatloaf in the gravy to help retain moisture in the meatloaf.

Gravy

2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons fat (bacon grease, lard, butter, suet, or olive oil)
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon dried ground fennel
1/4 teaspoon (or more) fresh ground pepper
2 cups beef broth

Melt fat and stir in flour. Cook until bubbling and browning to a golden brown color. Add all spices and let cook for a minute. Whisk in the broth slowly and stir very well until free of lumps. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly. Bring to boil, stirring almost constantly, until thickened.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon & Pistachios

This is for my friend, Julie, who was looking for something different to bring to the holiday table! I have adapted this recipe that I clipped from a Bon Appetit quite some time ago, but I have made it several times and love it! The recipe calls for you to separate every leaf off of every sprout, but if you do that, you will still be plucking while everyone else is eating dessert ;o) I find the food processor to be my friend in this recipe! Also, it may seem like there is a ton when you shred, but this does shrink, so for a crowd I might double the recipe and cook in 2 skillets.

3 Tbsp olive oil (recipe calls for grapeseed, if you have it)
1 Tbsp minced shallot
1-1/2 pounds brussels sprouts, washed and yucky parts trimmed, if any, and shredded with a medium blade of a food processor.
3/4 cup shelled unsalted natural pistachios (I have substituted sliced almonds and liked just as well)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (or more)

Heat oil in large nonstick skilled over medium-high heat and add nuts, stirring for 30 or 40 seconds. When nuts begin to sizzle in the oil, add the shallots and stir a minute. Add brussels sprouts and turn heat up a little, stirring to get nuts and shallots out of harms way on the bottom of the skillet. Cover to steam for a few minutes. I like to not stir too much so part of them are caramelizing on the bottom and part are still crisp-tender and bright green. Remove cover and stir in lemon juice. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Transfer to serving bowl. This is best prepared right before dinner is served. If everything is prepped, it can be ready in 5 minutes. I hope you like it!!!

Under Construction - French Apple Tart

Have you ever tasted something so good that you were dying to figure out how to make it yourself? Well, I have 9 French cookbooks on their way from the library to complete this mission. Renee's Bakery is responsible for this obsession, thanks to my neighbors who started me on this quest. I have stocked the kitchen with Granny Smiths, almond paste, and a will to succeed. I will not stop until I have duplicated this heaven in a tart pan! And best of all, I will share the fruits of my labors, so to speak! Stay tuned!!!

2010 Baked Brie recipe

This is the dish that I take every year to a good friend's holiday party. It is different every year by a little, depending on what I have and what mood I am in. This year I made a balsamic onion jam to top the brie in the crust. This recipe requires buying and planning ahead. I like making the onion jam the day before. I also keep the brie in the deep freeze until time to assemble and bake so that it can bake long enough to brown the crust without totally melting and exploding the cheese. This recipe will make what you see here: 2 large wheels of brie. This fed quite a large crowd of 50+. Halve the recipe for a smaller party. If you do not have the time to peel the pearl onions, just use red onion sliced in rings or half rings. 1 medium onion should do it, but the pearl onions are prettier.

1/2 pound red pearl onions, skinned by blanching and peeling
3 T olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup orange marmalade
ground pepper and salt
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 T frozen OJ concentrate
2 6-inch rounds of good brie, frozen until ready to use.
2 Pillsbury All Ready pie crusts, room temperature (or homemade if you have time)
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Using a medium saucepan with a lid, saute onion in olive oil until very soft over low heat, about 30 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, marmalade, OJ concentrate, and garlic. Simmer for another 30 to 45 minutes until thick and reduced. Add salt & pepper to taste. Cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 425. Remove brie from freezer and unwrap. Unwrap one of the crusts and roll out a little with a rolling pin. Place 1/4 cup of sliced almonds in center of crust, about as big around as your brie and place the unwrapped brie on the top. Pile about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of onion jam on top of the brie and start bringing up the crust around, pleating and pinching as you go, sealing with a drop of water before you pinch. You should have an opening at the top about 1-1/2 inches in diameter or so. Drop in another T of jam if you have a lot, and sprinkle the top with 2 Tbsp toasted almonds. I like to cut natural parchment paper into a circle to fit in a pie plate with overlap (see picture) and usually give it a decorative edge. this will contain any oozing jam when it bakes. Set this aside and assemble the 2nd one in the same manner. You should use all almonds. Bake in the hot oven for about 20 minutes until nicely browned. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least half an hour and up to 1-1/2 hours before eating, as the brie can still be cold in the middle.

Variations I have made:
___ Add 1/2 teaspoon curry powder to jam
___ Use other nuts
___ Add cranberries to the jam

I hope you like this!

5-o'clock Panic Potato Soup

(See previous post on comments on the development of this recipe.)

This recipe is intended for a pressure cooker. If you do not have one, you will need to make this "4-o'clock Panic Potato Soup" and allow at least an extra 30 to 40 minutes to make the pureed portion of the soup.

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 yellow or white onion, coarsely chopped
4 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
2-3 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 russet potatoes peeled and sliced
5 russet potatoes peeled and cubed in 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes
3 cups chicken broth, divided
3 cups whole milk
1 cup low-fat sour cream or whole-milk yogurt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
Kosher salt to taste
Shredded sharp cheese of your choice for serving
crusty bread

You will need 2 pots (ideally 1 should be a pressure cooker)as you will boil the potato cubes separately in salted water. Start with water in a large pot and throw in a few large pinches of Kosher salt and bring to a boil. Add potato cubes and boil until just tender but not falling apart. Drain and set aside.

While the water is boiling for the potatoes, in your pressure cooker (or other pot), melt butter and add thyme. When sizzling and fragrant, add onion, celery, carrot, and sliced potatoes. Saute for 3 or 4 minutes to flavor the fat, making sure not to burn the onions. Add 1-1/2 cups of broth and pressure cook on high pressure for 3 or 4 minutes to make sure it is well softened. If not using a pressure cooker, cook covered until all vegetables are very soft. Puree this mixture with a stick blender, in a regular blender, or in a food processor and return to pot.

Add garlic powder and ground mustard to puree and stir well. Whisk in milk and add potatoes. If you like thick soup, add only a little chicken broth. If you like it thinner, add all the remaining (1-1/2 cups or more)chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow soup to simmer for at least 15 minutes and as long as an hour (cover if holding more than 15 minutes).

To serve, I ladle the bowl half full, add shredded cheddar cheese, and then cover and add some more cheese on top. I do not add cheese to the pot, as it tends to get grainy with reheating (plus, the child who will eat this soup does not like cheese).

Recipe To-Do List for the next time:
___Replace the 2nd half of broth with dark beer.
___Try grating good cheddar instead of bland pre-shredded cojack cheese.
___Try yukon gold potatoes to see if they are less textured than russet.

Enjoy!!

Sheesh, here it is almost Christmas...

Well, needless to say, I have, again, been eating (there is evidence) and not posting. Last night, however, I was commanded by my dearest to "remember how to make this!" See, I do this a lot. I make something in a panic (you know, 5-o'clock-oh-my-gosh-they-are-going-to-want-something-to-eat-AGAIN panic). I rummage through the fridge and the pantry and the freezer for something that does not need overnight soaking-thawing-growing. I thank God for my pressure cooker and pray for speedy melding of flavors and that at least 3 of the 4 of us will be willing to eat it (the 4th of 4 being required to make own PBJ).

Well, last night I made 5-o'clock panic potato soup (recipe posted separately), and it was a hit. We had in our freezer our friend's homemade kielbasa that he makes and smokes every Thanksgiving weekend, so protein-check. Hmmm, soup has carrots and celery and onions and, of course, potatoes, so veggies-check (surely some antioxidants will survive pressure cooking...?). Half a loaf of overly crusty ciabatta for dredging and dunking-check. So now I can relax until supper.

But then, my betrothed uttered between ciabatta dunks and mmmm-mmmm's "Why honey, I could eat this every week during the winter!" AACCKKKKKK!! That would mean that I have to remember how to make this!!! Okay, quick while I still have a few of those neurons intact, start writing to see if you can remember what you did!!! So, this is a lengthy way of making a disclaimer for the 5-o'clock panic potato soup...it may or may not be an exact recreation of the beloved soup I made last night. I could not find an all-night analysis lab to take my leftovers to confirm the soup DNA and print out an exact molecular recipe. But I do think the recipe that I have written here will be pretty darn close!! Enjoy!! Let me know what you think!