Drowning in Vanilla

So my friend Mallory just placed an order for 1/4 lb of vanilla beans from this reputable online store. She offered to split them with me but neither of us know how much 1/4 lb is in vanilla beans. We found one site that says it may be as much as 36 vanilla beans. Holy shit. I think I've died and gone to heaven. More to come when we get the vanilla beans in. Oh, and did I mention it cost less than 8 bucks for the 1/4 lb?

Gluten-free Brownies

My gluten-free friend Kat declared that these were so good she swears they weren't gluten-free. The initial recipe that I'm building from came from another friend Amanda. I've included the original brownie recipe because it is amazing in its own right.

Original, Amazing Brownies

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs

1 ½ cups + 2 tbsp flour
2/3 cup cocoa
¼ tsp salt

Cream sugar, butter, and eggs. Add flour, cocoa, and salt and mix thoroughly. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Do not overbake, or you will be sorry.

See? It's very straightforward and super easy. For my gluten-free version, I decided to use brown sugar to add some chewiness and my go-to gluten-free brown rice flour. Additionally, I added brewed coffee to make it moist and used Hershey's dark cocoa powder because it was all I had on hand. Ah, necessity really is the mother of invention (or reinvention as the case may warrant).

Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Brownies

1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup butter

4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp brewed coffee (left over from breakfast is perfect)

1 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp brown rice flour
2/3 cup dark cocoa powder (although regular would suffice)
1/4 tsp salt

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla, and coffee and mix just until incorporated and homogenous. Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and mix until just combined. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 inch pan and bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. Again, don't over bake, the brownies should be just set in the center or ever so slightly wiggly. My time is based on using a glass pan.



The brownie on the bottom is inverted to show off it's amazing texture :)

I've made these bad boys twice now and, while the timing has varied slightly due to our oven not being the most accurate, they've turned out great both times - delicious, moist, and chewy - and all without gluten.

Up next, whenever I get time to finish the post - vegetarian mung bean and farfalle soup.

Sausage and Potato Soup

I've been reintroducing healthy carbs back into my diet. I still don't buy bread or chips or, well, anything white. Since school started back I have cooked brown rice as kind of a go-to meal maker. I add a little tuna, olive oil, salt and pepper, and I've got a healthy lunch. I add some salsa and a over-easy egg (<3) and I've got dinner.

Potatoes are a food I only recently started using again with any kind of regularity. They're great sources of potassium and, in general, they're a great carbohydrate option (hence why my last recipe and this one both use them). I love sausage in soup form - it's so rich and flavorful and a little goes a long way. In making this soup, I actually use a roux similar to making a gumbo. I also thought it would be nifty to use to some soyrizo - for no other reason than flavor.

Suasage and Potato Soup

1 package soyrizo
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups chicken broth

1 package spicy bratwurst (about 5 sausages)
3-4 tbsp flour
1-2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped
2 bell peppers (red, green, or yellow will work), chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
5 -6 small/medium potatoes

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

Okay so this gets weird really fast. First, I heated the broths in a pan and added the soyrizo, whisking to fully break it up. The result is a spicy, full-bodied broth that I cooled and chilled overnight to allow the flavors to develop. I used soyrizo, rather than chorizo, because it breaks down more completely and can "dissolve" into the broth.

The next morning I rendered the fat from the sausage, cooking it in the process.



I drained the sausage and left the 2-3 tbsp of fat in the pan. I added 1 tbsp of olive oil and the flour to make a thin roux. Cooking it for a minute until the flouriness was gone, I added all of the vegetables except the potatoes and garlic. (Who knew flouriness was a word recognized by the blogspot spellcheck - and yet blogspot is not?!)

I stirred and cooked the veggies for about 10 minutes or until they began to soften. During this time some of the roux had begun browning and some even got stuck to the bottom of the pan. I started to freak out a little bit, but I added in the soyrizo broth and the tomatoes. Once this got to temperature, everything that was stuck to the bottom of the pan dissolved into the liquid.



After that, I add the garlic, potatoes, reserved sausage, salt and pepper to taste, and about 2 tsp dried thyme. I let all of this just barely come to a boil. I covered the pot, reduced the heat and let it simmer for about an hour or so, until the potatoes were done. I skimmed excess fat off the top and bam, I had a delicious meal.



Now, I'll be the first to admit this is far from super-healthy, but if the Ohio winter has taught me anything it's that, sometimes, having a little fat in your meals isn't so terrible. And still, most of the soup is vegetables, broth, and crushed tomatoes so how can you go wrong?

Warming Heart Cockles.

It's so very cold in Ohio right now. At some point, earlier in life, I could tolerate and even enjoyed the cold. Lately though, it, pardon the cliche, chills me to the bone. I've been craving soups. Nothing fancy or frou frou - just good, hearty soups and stews, so I decided to make a rich stew this weekend. Coupled with a recent dream I had about bacon, I think a meaty, hearty stew will be just what I need to warm the cockles of my heart through this snow we've recently gotten.

I found this recipe originally in La Cucina Italiana - a magazine I have to thank my fellow MA student, Mallory for. She gets the subscription and I get her leftovers, as it were. Initially, this was a veal stew chock full of vegetables. I simply made it a turkey stew, but still full of veggies. I heart veggies, what can I say? Also, and curiously I might add, the original recipe did not use wine, which I have decided to use to deglaze the pan after I've browned the meat and the vegetables. Also, I needed an excuse to buy some wine. Also, I needed an excuse to drink some wine :)

Turkey Breast* Stew
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 lb turkey breast cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
4 small-medium yukon gold potatoes
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup red wine (I used a shiraz)
3 cups vegetable stock

In a large pot heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the pot and the oil are hot, add half the turkey, making sure it's dry before you put it in the pot to ensure a good sear. Sear the turkey bits until brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add the remaining turkey and brown.

Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and, once it's hot, add the onion, celery, and carrot. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the onion is soft and beginning to brown. Add the garlic, potatoes, and thyme cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper at the end.



Add the red wine to the pan in order to deglaze some of those delicious crusty bits. Finally, add the stock to the pot and bring the pot to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low or low, cover, and simmer slowly for at least an hour until the turkey is cooked through and tender.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the turkey and coarser veggies from the pot (who cares about the onions at this point, right?). Then pour off the liquid into another bowl. Return the empty pot to the heat and add 1 tbsp butter. Create a roux by whisking in 1 tbsp + 1 tsp flour to the butter. Cook the flour for about a minute to remove that floury taste. Slowly pour the liquid back in the pot, whisking constantly to combine the roux and thicken the sauce. Let the sauce come to a low boil and cook until it's reduced to about 2 cups (15 minutes, give or take). Add the turkey and the vegetables back to the pot and cook just to warm everything through. Enjoy! :)



*While I'm opposed to breasts of most kind, turkey and chicken breasts are particularly delicious. However, I'm sure an equal amount of any meat that you can brown effectively would work.

I made this last weekend, but am just posting now. Yay for crazy weeks! This weekend I'm making tiramisu and what should be a delightful sausage and potato soup / gumbo. Notes and recipes to come.

Grill, Interrupted

The first time I’ve ever actually grilled was this past summer… in France… for fifty kids. It’s needless to say, but it was definitely an eye-opening experience. Just from grilling countless pork chops and sausages I learned so many basics about grilling. I try not to eat much meat out of the cholesterol-phobia that my parents have instilled within me (my dad’s side of the family is rife with heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, colon cancer – basically all things that can be avoided or at least kept under control with diet).

However, I’ve found myself wanting to grill more lately and in need of getting a grill pan. Living the grad student lifestyle hasn’t yet afforded me a grill, but I can get a close approximation with a grill pan.

Aside from that, I think it’s hard to beat high temperature oven roasting. At the beginning of my break, I roasted some leftover-from-Halloween roasting pumpkins to make some delicious puree now sitting in my freezer awaiting transformation into either pumpkin soup or perhaps a pumpkin and sage ravioli… but then again it’s hard to beat good pumpkin scones. Oh, the possibilities…



I also made this delicious salad from roasted vegetables last year. I don’t think I fully posted about it but, basically, after coating the veggies with olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper, I roasted two eggplants, some red and green bell peppers, carrots, and onion. After it all cooled down, I sliced the larger veggies into similar-sized chunks and threw it all together with a little feta cheese. The only problem was the work put into the meal with the outcome of the food, in terms of quantity – it basically made three entrée-sized portions but took about 2 or 3 intense hours of careful roasting, seasoning, and preparing vegetables. You can’t beat a veggie salad in terms of health, though.



The other staple veggie I love roasting is the brussel sprout. Growing up I loved every green vegetable I ate, from asparagus to spinach to the tiny-cabbages that are brussel sprouts. When it comes to a quick side item, I always default to roasted brussel sprouts, onions, carrots, and potatoes. It’s a quick chop, season, and roast side dish that always has great results – something about the caramelized outer leaves and the tender center just brings out the best flavor from this humble little garden vegetable.

More thoughts, and more roasting, to come…

Citrus Circus

I’ve learned to love the simplicity of citrus fruits – both in baking and in cocktails (although the latter category will require a later post where I can really try some interesting concoctions).

Most recently I’ve made some Lemon Drop Meringue cookies and a batch of Anna’s Orange Marmalade. On deck first are the Lemon Drop Meringues – oh meringue-based cookies, why have I thus far forsaken you? Meringues are so delightfully easy and super elegant if you only have a piping bag handy.

Lemon Drop Meringue Cookies

6 egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tarter

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

4 tsp lemon zest*

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whip attachment (or by hand if you have the biceps of a Hungarian shot putter) whip the egg whites, cream of tarter, and salt until medium peaks form. Then, gradually add the sugar, a couple tablespoons at a time, until it’s fully incorporated and the meringue is standing at stiff, firm peaks. Fold in the lemon zest and fill a pastry bag fitted with a cute little rosette or other decorative tip.

Pipe onto parchment paper (or a silicone mat) and place baking sheets (you should probably have two full baking sheets – very little space in between them is necessary as no expanding happens during baking.

Bake at 200 degrees for 1½ hours, changing the baking sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. After the time is up, leave the oven door closed, turn the oven off, and leave the meringues alone for 1 hour. After the hour, remove the pans from the oven and let the meringues cool on their sheets before removing (or tasting as the meringues, right out of the oven, will still have a slightly sticky texture).

There – easy as cake… well, easy as meringues. Give it time, it’ll catch on as a phrase ;) Also, this recipe can be halved in a pinch. In fact, I’ve only ever halved it.

*The large amount of lemon zest is as reflective of the volume of the whipped egg whites as it is reflective of the lack of other lemon flavors available. While you could use lemon extract, I doubt other flavorful ingredients would work – lemon oil would probably prevent the egg whites from whipping, and I can’t imagine that the acid from lemon juice would be good either – but I am always interested in getting the most intense flavor possible so I will experiment with these guys more. As it stands, the zest is certainly enough for now.

Next up is Anna’s Orange Marmalade. This recipe comes from the wonderful Ina Garten and, more specifically, from one of her Barefoot Contessa cookbooks. As it stands, I don’t think any other Food Network chef can beat Alton Brown in terms of entertainment or raw, animal, sex appeal, but Ina Garten comes close (on both counts). Say what you will, I have yet to make a Barefoot Contessa recipe that hasn’t turned out both beautifully and tasty – that kind of talent deserves respect. One of her first recipes I tried that really won me over was Eli’s Asian Salmon. Go on, find it online and check it out, it’s a wonderful party recipe, and the blend of Asian ingredients has lead to so many other amazing recipes I’ve created.

Anna’s Orange Marmalade

4 navel Oranges, preferably juicy and seedless

2 lemons

8 cups sugar

Cut the oranges and lemons in half cross ways. Then slice them into incredibly thin half-moons and place, with any collected juices, into a large stainless steal pot. Add 8 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil, stirring often. Once the mixture has boiled, remove it from the heat and stir in the 8 cups of sugar until it all dissolves.

Leave the mixture in the pot over night. (Don’t you love when recipes have this kind of step? I feel like, at some point in the initial development, the original chef just forgot about it altogether… until the next morning at least.)*

The next day, bring the mixture back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, uncovered for 2 hours. Turn the heat up to medium and boil gently, stirring often, for another 30 minutes. Cook the marmalade until it reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer. To check the doneness, place a small amount of the marmalade on a plate and put it in the refrigerator until it’s cool but not terribly cold. It should be firm neither runny nor hard. If it’s runny, cook it down a bit more. If it’s too hard, add more water.

Pour the marmalade into clean, hot mason jars and process in a water bath to preserve the marmalade. Stores for up to a year.

*I love asterisks. I should note that, at the time I publish this post, I am only at this step and have yet to finish cooking down the marmalade. It’s looking rather amazing though :)

Wow

I have to say, I started this blog as a way to catalogue my own experiments with cooking. It's provided a great repository of recipes (and trials and errors) that I've returned too frequently. Towards the end of this past quarter though, things were getting crazy with school and grad school applications and all the extra cooking I wanted to do became more like a chore than a nice relief. I definitely plan on continuing my blog and hopefullyI can keep up with the "something sweet and something savory" each week eventually. After I get into the swing of things, I'll be happy to have regular, weekly updates for a bit though.

In the meantime, it's been a really long time since I updated last. Being home comes with it's ups and downs.

Ups

• large, warm, cozy bed and I don't have to pay the gas bill to keep it warm and cozy
• I get to see all of my friends from undergrad and get to see my family for more than a couple days
• I get to enjoy Lexington, Chinese places that deliver, and good pizza-and-beer places to eat.
• I don't have to work (first break in more than two years, though I haven't calculated how long exactly).

Downs

• No decent internet connection that lets me update or correspond with any sort of regularity. (Thankfully Danville is only a 20-minute drive from home)

I don't think I'll be able to completely update until I return to school, shortly after Christmas, but I definitely have some great recipes I want to log on here: starry starry night cookies from Confections of a Closet Master Baker, lime snowball cookies, cranberry bliss bars, and lemon drop meringues for starters. My dining room table (where all of the sweets are getting ready to be gift wrapped and given to friends and family) looks a little like a winter wonderland of Christmas confections - and I couldn't be happier with them :)

I also really want to try this dessert I saw on a some show or another. Basically, the chef made a large meringue snowman, half-baked it, scooped out the uncooked insides, returned the shell to the oven to crisp up, then filled the shell with chocolate mousse. TOO CUTE and I bet delicious as all get out.

My oh my oh, when I return to Ohio, great things will come :)