Comfort Food

Yes,, it's springtime in New Mexico.

For those of us who live here, we know that spring brings a myriad of elements. Two days ago it was 70 degrees and today it's snowing! It surely keeps life interesting. BUT the one element that's a constant this time of year is the WIND. Sometimes it feels like it'll never stop blowing. It's one element that can really suck the life out of you.

SO... What's better when you're feel'n zapped than Good Ol' Comfort Food?

On the menu tonight:  

Spring Chicken Soup and Apple Raspberry Crisp

(both are *gluten free)

Spring Chicken Soup

 

THE STOCK

When it comes to making soup, I'm a bit old-school in that I love to make my own stock. My stock starts by employing the philosophy of add everything but the kitchen sink. Every time I cook, I'm on the hunt for ingredients to make soup stock with at a later time. I collect bags of veggie ends, herb stalks, chicken bones, mushrooms that have past their prime in my fridge, etc. I take all of these things and throw them in my freezer until I'm ready for soup. Once "soup day" arrives, I unload my freezer into a stock pot, add water, salt and bay leaves. I let all of that flavor simmer into a pot of golden love. Granted, at first it looks a lot like I set my compost on to boil, but once the flavors have been infused and the solids are strained off,  what's left is an outrageously yummy broth that can be used as the base for any soup.

THE SOUP     

Usually what brings on "soup day" is that I have leftover chicken in the fridge. From there it's a matter of making the stock and then letting my imagination go as to what other ingredients to add.

Today, as the snow falls, I'm thinking of spring and sunny flavors. The following is a loose recipe that will guide you in achieving those flavors. Making soup is all about the inspiration so don't get hung up on exact measurements.

Ingredients:

Leeks - cleaned and sliced

Shallots -minced

Garlic -minced 

Carrots -sliced

Potatoes -just a few, -peeled and cut into bite size cubes

Spinach -chopped

Frozen Artichoke Hearts- chopped

Prepared Stock

Cooked Chicken -pulled, picked or cut into smallish pieces

Salt, Pepper, Thyme, Parsley, Nutmeg

Lemons -zested and juiced

The process is simple... In a soup pot begin by sweating the leeks and shallots. You'll need to add a bit of fat so they don't stick -olive oil is fine but I usually just skim some fat off of my stock. Salt and pepper them as they cook down. After a few minutes add the carrots and potatoes. Continue to sweat for a few more minutes then deglaze with a bit of stock. put the lid back on and steam till almost tender. Add artichokes, thyme, parsley, nutmeg, lemon zest, chicken and the rest of the stock. Taste and adjust salt & pepper. Cook for a bit to marry the flavors, then add the spinach and garlic. Finish by stirring in the lemon juice. Adding this acid at the end really brings the soup to another level. The taste is pure sunshine! 

Serve with rosemary garlic toast.

AND NOW... FOR DESSERT!

Apple Raspberry Crisp

Making a fruit crisp is practically as easy and fool proof as making soup. Together they are two of my favorite comfort foods. Hearty, Rustic, Simple, and full of flavor.

This crisp is technically gluten-free, However that statement comes with a few disclaimers:

1. Oats are gluten-free but do contain Avenin, which some people with Celiac disease cannot tolerate.

2. Make sure you purchase organic oats that are labeled gluten-free because there are issues with cross

contamination since many oat crops are grown adjacent to a variety of wheat crops.

Ingredients:

10 Medium Apples -peeled, cored and sliced

2 cups fresh or frozen Raspberries

3/4 cup Brown Sugar -lightly packed

2 Tbsp gluten free Flour blend

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

1 Lemon -zested and juiced

1/2 cup Almonds - toasted and chopped

1/4 cup candied ginger -chopped 

1 cup Brown Sugar -lightly packed

3 Tbsp Coconut Flour

2 Tbsp gluten free Flour blend 

2 cups Oats

1 1/2 cups Crispy Brown Rice Cereal (it's like rice crispies but with brown rice)

3 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Salt

1 1/2 sticks (or 12 Tbsp) Butter

Begin by processing the apples

I have a cool contraption that peels, slices and cores the apples all with the crank of a handle.

I usually set my son to this task while I get the topping ready.

Once the apples are processed, put them in a bowl and dowse them with the lemon juice to prevent them from browning.

Mix in the raspberries, sugar, flour, nutmeg and a sprinkle of lemon zest - reserving the rest for the topping.

Place that mixture in a baking dish.

Now prepare the topping

Simply mix together all of the dry ingredients including the ginger. Chop the butter into small cubes. Using your hands, incorporate the butter into the dry mixture by squishing it all together.

The finished topping should be crumbly but will hold together if you squish it.

Top the apples with the crumb mixture. Bake @ 375 for about 45 min. Let cool. Serve warm.

YUMMY!!  The apples turn a beautiful rosy color from the raspberry juices and the ginger in the topping is the perfect compliment to the fruit.      

     
 

      

      

Sunday Morning Skillet Brunch

Sometimes the best food is simple food done simply. 
Here are two very easy recipes that will make brunch a snap. So, the next time you have a hankering for Sunday Brunch...don't go out, invite friends over instead! They'll be impressed and delighted with these two elegant yet rustic dishes. And you'll be able to pull off a satisfying Brunch with virtually no clean up because each one is made in a single skillet!

The Menu:

Potato Frittata

Apple-Pear Upside-down Oven Pancake

The Ingredients:

Potato Frittata

3-4 Red Skin Potatoes (depending on size)
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped Shallot or Red Onion
1 or 2 cloves of Garlic 
Fresh herbs- Thyme, Rosemary, Parsley
6 Eggs beaten with a bit of water
Fresh Baby Spinach Leaves
Cheese-  a combo of any sharp and melty varieties. 
               I used Smoked Gouda, Swiss and Asiago.
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil 

Cut washed potatoes into thinly sliced chunks. Heat skillet over medium flame, add olive oil. Saute potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. After a few minutes add the diced shallot and minced garlic. Continue to cook until everything is a beautiful crispy golden brown. Add the fresh herbs and give a quick stir.

Layer a few generous handfuls of fresh spinach on top of the potatoes--Don't stir!

Gently pour the beaten eggs over the potatoes and spinach. Put a lid on it and cook on a low to medium flame. (this could also get baked in the oven however, since the pancake will be in there it's easier to manage on the stove top) Having the lid on will create a convection to cook the eggs thoroughly without stirring them. Check under the lid from time to time, adjusting the flame as needed. When the eggs look almost solid on the top, add the cheese and continue to cooking -lid on -until the cheese is melted 

The end result is a fluffy - cheesey and totally yummy glorified version of potatoes and eggs!     (serves 6)  

 

 

 Apple-Pear Upside-down Oven Pancake

 

5 small Apples

2 small firm Pears

5 Tbsp Butter

3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 lemon - juiced

5 Eggs

1 1/4 cups Milk

2 tsp Vanilla

1 cup Organic Unbleached White Flour

1/2 cup Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1/4 tsp Salt

Peel, core and slice apples and pears (5 - 5 1/2 cups of fruit total). Melt 1/2 of the butter in a large skillet. Over medium / high flame, saute apples and pears until they're edges are lightly browned. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, cook for another minute or two. Add lemon juice. Remove from heat and add the remaining butter - dotting with bits as well as buttering the sides of the skillet.

In a bowl, whisk eggs, milk, vanilla and salt. Slowly whisk in flours. Pour the batter on top of the fruit in the skillet and bake in a 425 degree preheated oven for 20-25 minutes 

The batter will bake to a golden brown and puff up like a crazy popover monster. For a really rustic look you could just let it remain in the skillet, sprinkle with powdered sugar, slice and serve. BUT, I like to invert it onto a platter (you may have to reposition a few apples), grate on a touch of orange zest and drizzle with a bit of real maple syrup. YUM! 

(serves 6-8) 

And there you have it, the easiest brunch in the world! Throw in a few mimosas and you'll wonder why you don't do this more often!

 

You Take the Cake!

I recently made this birthday cake for my beloved. As I've mentioned before, I love to add texture and dimension to my food. So, when I was trying to figure out what kind of cake to WOW him with on his 41st birthday, this is what I came up with.

Chocolate Cake layered with Almond/Orange Meringue and Ganache, frosted with Chocolate Whipped Cream. Now that's quite a title! For ease of reference let's just call this cake SIN.

SIN's rich chocolate cake gets it's depth of flavor by using really good Belgian Dark Chocolate and Coffee. 

The tan colored layer is the Almond Orange Meringue. A mixture of egg whites, toasted almonds, sugar, orange zest, corn starch and vanilla is piped into rounds and baked until crisp. There are two rounds. One is sandwiched in between the cakes and the other is on top, under the whipped cream frosting. The meringues give the cake an added texture (not to mention great flavor).

In between the cake and meringue layers there is a rich chocolate ganache.

The chocolate whipped cream frosting compliments the cake perfectly. Adding another layer that is both decedent and light. I highly recommend "SIN"-ing on any occasion!

"Super" Vegetarian Reuben Sandwich Bread

Super Bowl is this weekend (right?) To be honest, the whole football thing isn't my focus. For me it's about the gathering of friends and of course the FOOD!
Now, I ask you, who doesn't love a good Reuben? This version is a great addition to any party. It will accommodate the vegetarians in the crowd and still satisfy the hearty meat eaters without being too heavy.
Regardless of which team you're rooting for this weekend, I guarantee this bread will come out as the winner!
 
*This bread is available for purchase through The Bees Knees

The Ingredients:

Bread dough:

2 Pkg  Active Dry Yeast
1 3/4 cups Water (warm, 110-115 degrees)
1 1/2 cups Dark Rye Flour
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 cups Unbleached White Flour
2 1/2 TBS Olive Oil
zest of 1 orange
1 tsp Caraway Seed
1 tsp Fennel Seed
2 tsp Sea Salt

Combine Yeast and warm Water. Let sit for 7 minutes or until it's foamy. Add the remaining ingredients reserving 3/4c White Flour. Mix either by hand with a wooden spoon or in a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. As you mix add the last bit of flour (and up to 1/2c more) as needed until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead until dough is smooth, elastic and slightly tacky - about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl. Cover and put in a warm, draft-free place to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  It should double in size.

The Filling:

2 pkg Tempeh Bacon
1 large Sweet Onion
1 cup (or more) Good Quality Sauerkraut (I like Bubbies brand)
8 oz Swiss Cheese
3/4 cup Smoked Gouda
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Thinly slice the Onion. Saute on low-med heat until lightly caramelized -Salt and Pepper to taste. Squeeze the Kraut dry and add it to the onion. Shred the Cheese. Tempeh Bacon is great, but not if it's soggy- yuck. So fry it up crisp! Add as much oil as needed to make this happen (this isn't diet bread).

After the dough has doubled in size, gather the bread components and get ready to assemble!

Roll the bread dough out into a rectangle approximately 14x16 inches in size    

Now start piling on the Reuben stuff! Make sure to keep the ingredients squarely in the center of the dough. Assemble in this order: 1/2 of the Cheese, Tempeh, Onion/Kraut mixture, remaining Cheese on top.

whoops.. I forgot the cheese on top. (I do add it later though)

Once the stuffing is piled on, with a sharp knife make 10 evenly spaced incisions on each side. The cuts are approximately 4" long, 1 1/2" wide. Fold the ends of the bread dough up over the filling but still leaving the "side flaps" available.

Yes! I remembered the cheese

Now begin "braiding" the side flaps. Starting at one end in a criss cross fashion, lay the flaps over the filling diagonally.
Continue in this way until you reach the other end of the bread.

DONE!

Now preheat the oven to 425. Transfer bread to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower oven to 400 and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown. When it's done, the bread will sound hollow when tapped. Brush with heavy cream while hot to soften the crust. 

Isn't it beautiful? 
Slice and serve with a good grainy Mustard and Thousand Island Dressing for dipping

 

An Invitation

Now's your chance to try some of  THE BEE'S KNEES DELIGHTS!

On Friday, January 27, from 5-7 PM, The Bee's Knees will be catering an event at The Casweck Galleries. This will be an evening filled with FOOD, music and fun. The Gallery is hosting a trunk sale for Shearling Coat Artist, Cindy Spolek (the Yarrow Collection) her work is AMAZING.
So mark your calendars and come join us!  

       Casweck is located at 203 West Water Street,          Santa Fe, NM

Turkey Meatball Sub

Today, after milking the cow (I live on a small farm) I made fresh mozzarella ...yummm. But what should I use it on? Something Italian obviously. I know! How about a meatball sub. Yeah, that sounds gooood.

After recently reentering the realm of carnivorous eating, my meat eating tendencies lean toward poultry much more that red meat. Trouble is, when making meatballs, turkey meat can be slightly lacking in the flavor department. The following is my attempt to give flavor to the flavorless. I think it worked!

Meatball Ingredients:

1 pound Ground Turkey
2 Chicken or Turkey Sausages uncooked removed from casing
2 cups Sourdough crust removed and cut into pieces
3/4 cups Milk
1 Egg
2 tsp Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp Salt
South African Smoke Seasoning Blend *see picture 
1/4tsp Ground Sage
1/2 tsp each Dried Marjoram, Dried Rosemary
1 tsp Dried Basil
1/3 c Fresh Basil chopped
4 cloves Garlic minced
1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

Cube the Bread

Soak it in the Milk

Put the Meat in a bowl along with Salt, Smoke Blend, Sage, Marjoram, Rosemary, Dried Basil, Fresh Basil and Garlic. Combine so that spices are evenly distributed.

This is my new favorite spice blend... it comes from Trader Joe's. It's one of those things that's good on everything... scrambled eggs, popcorn, you name it! In this case it adds great dimension to the Meatballs. It comes in it's own pepper style grinder.
 I must have added about 50 or so turns of the grinder to the meat mixture. If you can't get you hands on this, just throw in some (1/4 tsp?) smoked paprika.  

Next, squeeze the Milk out of the Bread and put it in the bowl with the Meat.(Don't mix yet) Lightly whisk the Egg and Soy Sauce together and add it to the bowl. Add the Cheese and mix everything together GENTLY The trick to tender meatballs of any kind, is not to over mix when incorporating the bread. I use my hands to do this in a gentle folding action.

Form into balls and drop into boiling water  for about 5 minutes or until they float. Doing this before browning them will insure that your meatballs hold their shape

Drain the water. Add a bit of olive oil and brown the meatballs slightly.

 

Add Tomato sauce to the pot. Thoroughly coat the Meatballs and let them cook in the sauce for a few minutes. Now your ready to assemble the Sub.

Take your favorite roll, rub with garlic, drizzle with olive oil and toast as if you were making Garlic bread. Assemble in this order: Bread; thick slice of fresh mozzarella; sauce; meatballs; slice of provolone. Put in the oven to get it all melty. Bon Apatite!

Pasta with Chicken

Here's a simply yummy pasta dish that comes together within minutes. It's a great way to give a second life to leftover chicken. No real "recipe" is needed. This one is all about the combination of flavors. Adjust the proportions of ingredients to your own liking.

Ingredients:

Chicken cut into chunks 
Artichoke Hearts
Sun-dried Tomatoes julienne
Fresh Spinach rough chopped 
Broccoli florets cut 
Fresh Basil chopped 
Garlic minced
Pine Nuts lightly toasted
Gorgonzola Cheese crumbled 
Salt & Pepper to taste
Pasta your favorite variety, cooked al dente
Olive Oil


While the Pasta is cooking, saute Garlic in Olive Oil. Add Broccoli, cook till almost tender. Add Artichokes, Sun-Dries, Spinach, Basil and Chicken plus a bit more oil. Salt and Pepper to taste. Add cooked Pasta and a ladle of pasta water. Stir. Remove from heat, add Gorgonzola and Pine Nuts. Toss and Serve!

Of course, you could make this dish almost as easily without "leftover" chicken. Simple cube your raw chicken (breast or thigh) and saute with the garlic as your first step. Proceed with the rest of the instructions as above.      

Spelt and Pinon Pancakes

Weekends and Pancakes just go together. They're certainly a part of my weekend ritual. When I make them, I never follow a recipe. I just channel Aunt Jemima, throw in a pinch of organic, and before you know it my family is devouring  a stack of light, fluffy golden brown beauties. When it comes to pancakes, I like to mix it up (no pun intended) adding a little of this or that to the batter. After all, variety is the spice of life! This morning what struck my fancy was the bit-o spelt flour that was left in my freezer which happened to be sitting right next to a bag of pine nuts. With that inspiration, I grabbed my mixing bowl and here's the recipe that followed.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Organic Spelt Flour **
1/2 cup Organic Unbleached White Flour
1/4 cup Organic Cane Sugar
3 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
pinch of Salt
1/2 tsp Vanilla 
1 Tbsp Orange Zest
1 Tbsp Flax Meal
1 egg
2 cups Milk (any sort will do ie: soy, almond, coconut or cow)
2 Tbsp butter  melted
2 Tbsp Grape-seed Oil
1/4 cup Pinon (pine) Nuts 

** for those of you who don't know about Spelt, it is an ancient grain that in recent years has gotten new recognition. Known for its nutty taste, spelt flour is rich in protein, B vitamins, magnesium and fiber. It is also a reliable source of iron, niacin, thaimin, copper and phoshorous. However, when baking with Spelt you should know that it has a "soft" quality to it. For this reason I like to mix it with a bit of regular flour.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk milk, egg and flax. Add flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and zest. Stir. Add vanilla, butter and oil. Stir. If the batter is extra thick, thin with a little more milk. Heat frying pan or griddle (cast iron works best) over medium heat. Lightly toast pine nuts and reserve. If your pan is well "seasoned" you'll be able to cook your pancakes in a dry pan. If not, add a little bit of cooking oil so they don't stick. Ladle batter a 1/2 cup at a time into pan & sprinkle with a bit of toasted pinon. When the batter begins to bubble on top and the underside is golden, flip and cook for a few more minutes on the other side. Repeat process until all the batter is gone. 
Serve with your best REAL Maple Syrup and Fruit     

Weekend Chicken

It's Friday! The workweek is nearly over. So, what ya gunna cook this weekend?
How about roasting a chicken?
Even if you're a single person, don't be afraid to roast a whole chicken. Yes, it's a lot of meat, but, you'll be able to eat hassle free for days... chicken pasta, chicken sandwiches, chicken soup. Do I sound like Forest Gump? In any case this recipe makes a delightfully moist and flavorful chicken that goes down so easily it might not have a chance to be made into anything else!
This recipe is all about the BRINE ... a concoction of salt, water, sugar and spices. What makes this brine extra special is that it also has apple cider and BEER! When brining meat of any kind, plan on letting it sit in the brine overnight or up to two days to really soak up the flavor.
So start tonight. Collect your ingredients, order Chinese take-out for dinner,  Brine thy chicken and eat like Kings and Queens tomorrow! 

Brine Ingredients:

5 1/2 cups Water
3 cups Apple Cider
1 bottle of Good Ale
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Cane Sugar
1/2 cup Kosher Salt
1 Onoin
4 cloves Garlic
2 Limes
2 Tbsp Peppercorns
1 Tbsp each  Allspice Berries, Juniper Berries, Fennel Seed, Smoked Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 tsp Whole Cloves

the spice mix ... usually I throw in a few bay leaves too, but I was out.

Cut the Onion into wedges. Peel the Garlic Cloves. Juice the Limes (keep the juiced halves). Put All of this in a medium sauce pan along with 2 cups Water, Salt, Sugar and all other Spices. Heat to dissolve salt and sugar.  

Once the Salt and Sugar is fully dissolved, remove from heat. Add the Cider, Beer, and remaining Water, Check the temperature of the Brine. ** IT NEEDS TO BE COOLED TO ROOM TEMP BEFORE INTRODUCING THE CHICKEN **

Put the cooled Brine and your Organic Free Range Chicken into a large bowl or brine bag. Find a space for it in the fridge and .... WAIT ....

After the chicken has a good soak (overnight or longer), Remove it from the brine. Be sure to drain it thoroughly but do not rinse it. Discard the Brine. Let the Chicken come to room temp. Preheat oven to 375. Cook  for 20 minutes per pound or to an internal temperature of 170 in a dry roasting pan. Baste with juices now and again. 

The end result is a juicy, succulent, crisp skinned chicken loaded with flavor!

Vegan Cranberry Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I guarantee all of you cookie connoisseurs out there will love this cookie whether you are Vegan or not.

 
Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup Organic White Flour
1/2 cup Organic Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 sticks Earth Balance or other Vegan Margarine
1 cup lightly packed Organic Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Organic Cane Sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp Flax Meal
5 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp Lite Coconut Milk  (you could also use almond or soy)
1 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla
3.5 oz Dark Chocolate (72% cocoa) rough chopped
3/4 c chopped Pecan
1/2 c Organic Dried Cranberries

Combine flours, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. In a medium sauce pan, melt margarine with sugars. In a separate small saucepan combine water and flax meal. cook over med-low heat until it becomes thick and gloppy - the consistency of egg white - this will happen quickly.

This is how the flax/water mixture looks after it's heated

    

The melted margarine, sugar, flax mixture, milk and vanilla

Add the flax mixture, milk and vanilla to the sugar mixture. Pour this into dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Add nuts, cranberries and chocolate. 

The finished dough

Put cookie dough in the fridge while the oven preheats to 375. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. 
Serve with your favorite kind of milk or tea     ENJOY!