Recipes
Here are a couple recipes to help you stir up the creative culinary juices this week. You can find more recipes by searching our website and/or our blog.
Braised Winter Greens w/ Garlic and Balsamic Vinegar
From the Rebar Modern Food Cookbook by Audrey Austerberg and Wanda Urbanowicz.
1 large bunch 0f Greens
1 TB olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp red chile flakes
1 TB balsamic vinegar
cracked pepper to taste
Stem and wash the greens. Heat a skillet over medium heat, add oil, then garlic and stir until lightly golden. Add the chiles and greens. Toss with tongs, sprinkle with salt, and cover to allow volume to steam down. Uncover and continue to toss on high heat until greens are wilted. Add vinegar. Remove greens from pan. Return pan to burner. Reduce any remaining juices and drizzle over greens. Crack pepper over the top and serve immediately.
Serves 2
Celeriac, Carrot and Yoghurt Smoothness with Salt-Crusted Potatoes
A different take on a salad... In this recipe, potatoes are topped with a smooth veggie yogurt cream sauce for a healthy delicious treat. It calls for large baking potatoes, but you could roast potatoes, or make mashed potatoes or use any kind of potato you want and they would be delicious with this topping. From the website www.luculliandelights.com.
6 oz celeriac peeled
3 oz carrots, peeled
1/2 cup creamy natural yoghurt
1/2 cup fresh cream
1 abundant tsp parsley, finely chopped
5-6 potatoes, big ones good baking and all about the same size
salt
extra-virgin olive oil
Clean but do not peel the potatoes. Boil them until half-cooked, about 10-15 minutes depending on the size.
Drain the potatoes before brushing them with olive oil and then roll them in salt. Put them in a oven-proof form and bake in a pre-heated oven 400°F for about 20 minutes.
While the potatoes are in the oven, dice the vegetables and steam until soft.
Blend until smooth with a hand blender or mixer and let it cool down a bit before adding yoghurt, cream and parsley to it, mix well and check salt.
Cut the baked potatoes open and top with the cream. Serve warm or cold.
Breaded and Fried Celeriac
From Mark Bittman's cookbook, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, this process results in crunchy, yet tender celery root strips. You can also try this procedure with winter squash served with a curried mayonnaise.
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten, seasoned liberally with salt and pepper
1 cup plain bread crumbs
large celeriac, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
3 TB butter, plus 3 TB olive oil for frying
Set out three shallow bowls, next to each other in order, one with flour, another with eggs and third with bread crumbs. To bread celeriac, toss with flour, shaking off extra. Immerse in eggs, then toss to cover with bread crumbs. Set on a parchment-lined cookie sheet until all pieces have been breaded. Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium to medium-high heat, so that oil reaches about 350F. Fry celeriac, allowing space between each piece, until golden. Flip and fry the other side, about 5-10 minutes total. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining celeriac. If you have a lot of vegetables to cook, keep fried vegetables warm in a 200F oven set on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes. Serve with parsley or basil pesto.
Chicken Rub
Many cooks use a rub or a blend of spices and oil that can be rubbed on the outside of the skin, tucked under the chicken's skin and/or inside the cavity. When using a rub on the outside of the skin you will want to mix in about 1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil. This will help the rub stick to the skin and also crisp the skin nicely. To use a dry rub under the skin, simply pull away the skin from the meat using a pairing knife. Take note you do not want to tear the skin or pull it off. In these pockets tuck in small amounts of herbs. On the skin surface use your finger to spread them around a little better. You can also rub spices with your hand on the inside of the cavity for add flavor, or stuff with onions and celery or even oranges or lemons for added flavor. Here are a few suggestions.
- For a Southwestern flavor, try chile powder or pureed fresh chiles, cumin, and sage.
- For an Indian-inspired bird, mix together equal parts ground coriander and cumin, plus turmeric and a pinch or two of cardamom or garam masala.
- To give the chicken a Thai flair, try a paste of ginger, lemon grass, green chilies, cilantro and lime juice.
BBQ Country Style Ribs
Country style ribs require long slow cooking and deserve to be cooked to the meat is nearly falling from the bone. You can do this in a slow cooker in about 6-8 hours, or you can go the oven route and get there in a shorter amount of time. Either way, the results should be delicious. Not surprising as the method is perfect for this cut of meat and the lemon slices on top help tenderize the meat while it cooks. You could use any BBQ sauce for this, or just serve the ribs plain if you have picky kids in the house. They'll be yummy regardless. Some reviewers covered the ribs with foil for the first 2 hours to keep the more moist.
10 country style pork ribs
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 (18 ounce) bottle barbeque sauce
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
In a shallow baking pan or roaster, place ribs in a single layer; salt if desired. Spread the garlic on the ribs, then place the lemon slices on top. Bake in a preheated oven for 2 hours - the ribs should be tender. Drain any grease and liquid. Pour BBQ sauce over the ribs. Return to oven and bake one more hour at 200 to 250 degrees F.
Spiced Butternut Squash Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cup butternut squash puree
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk (or soymilk)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 block (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
2 Tbsp. real maple syrup
1 lb. powdered sugar (or more/less to achieve desired consistency)
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line baking pan with 12 cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, stir together butternut squash puree, oil, sugars, milk, and vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Gently whisk by hand until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
Fill liners with 1/4 cup batter (cups should be approximately 2/3 full). Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
Using an electric mixer, cream together cream cheese, butter, and maple syrup until smooth and well-combined. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, mixing well until it’s all incorporated. Use a pastry bag to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, or spread it on with a knife. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.
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