Yorkshire Pudding

Marlene’s Yorkshire Pudding (from Michael Rhulman's blog at rhulman.com).

1 cup/140 grams all purpose flour

1 teaspoon mustard powder

4 or 5 large eggs, enough to make 1 cup

1 cup/250 milliliters whole milk

6 teaspoons vegetable oil or beef fat drippings

Equipment

1 six-well popover pan or 12-well muffin tin

Sift the flour and mustard powder together into a large bowl. Add the eggs and milk and blend on high speed with a hand mixer until fully incorporated. Let the batter rest for 2 hours at room temperature, re blending now and then.

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F./240 degrees C./gas 9

Place one tsp of fat in each cup of a popover pan or half a tsp of fat in the well of each muffin cup. Place the pan on a baking sheet and slide it into the oven to heat the oil when the oven is heating. When the oven has reached temperature, reblend the batter, remove the pan and pour the batter into the cups , dividing it evenly and filling the cups three-fourths full. Place the pan in the oven and turn on the light so you can watch them rise. After 10 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 450 degrees F. and continue baking without opening the oven door, until the puddings are puffed and golden brown. 15-25 minutes depending on your oven. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 popovers of 12 small muffins; you can also bake it in 9×13-inch baking dish or in the beef’s roasting pan.

Roasted Winter Squash with Brown Butter and Sage

Of all the dishes I made this past Thanksgiving (2011) this was my favorite!

Ingredients:

4 medium winter squash (I used a combo of butternut and acorn), peeled and cut into 1" cubes

1 stick butter

1/4 - 1/2 cup fresh sage, chopped

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

Toss the cubed squash with a little olive oil to coat, along with salt and pepper. Place into a baking dish and roast in a 400 degree oven for about a half hour, stirring once, until soft but not mushy.

Just before the rousing is done, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat until foam subsides and the butter starts to brown (not burn!). Add the sage and sautee a minute or two. Salt and pepper to taste.

Take butter and pour over squash and mix.

Sweet Potato Casserole

I made this one up for Thanksgiving in 2011 - it was a hit! Add more chili peppers if you like a bit of a kick.

Ingredients:

About 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4" slice (use a mandolin if you have one)

12 ounces heavy cream

1 head of garlic, roasted

1 small chili, seeded

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Instructions:

Take the cream, garlic, chili, a healthy pinch of salt and cracked black pepper and blend until smooth (about a minute).

Lightly oil a 9x12 baking dish and put down a first layer of the sweet potatoes. Lightly salt and pepper, drizzle about 2 tablespoons of the cream mixture, then a generous sprinkling of the Parmigiano Reggiano. Repeat until you are done with the sweet potatoes (3-4 layers) and finish by topping with remaining cream and a healthy dose of cheese.

Bake, covered with aluminum foil, for about 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes more or until the top is browned nicely and a knife slides into the potatoes without resistance.

Moroccan Lentils

This uses a variety of Moroccan spices to create a creamy and delicious side dish or main course. I prepared it with a terrific Merguez sausage.

Ingredients:

2 medium carrots, chopped fine

1/2 medium parsnip, chopped fine

2 stalks celery, chopped fine

1 small hot pepper, chopped fine

1/2 medium onion, chopped fine

4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp corriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 pound lentils, inspected and washed

2 cups chicken stock

4 cups water

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Instructions:

Sweat carrots, parsnip, celery, hot pepper, onion and garlic in olive oil in medium heat until soft and a little brown. Add spices and stir, cooking only a minute or two being careful not to burn. Add lentils and coat, cooking for a couple of minutes. Add chicken stock and water and bring to a boil and then reduce heat and cook for about an hour. After 45 minutes check doneness, and add additional water if necessary.

Broccoli Salad

A recipe from Mrs. P. I think there is a bit too much dressing, so you may want to try a little at a time to get it to your taste.

Combine and refrigerate overnight:

1 cup mayonnaise ( I use light mayo)

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

Cut 2 bunches broccoli into tiny florets (you can cut the previous evening and bag in Ziploc bag with a paper towel)

1 small chopped red onion

1/2 pound crisply fried and crumbled bacon

Toss the above with the mayonnaise dressing prior to serving.

NOTE: Try it with golden raisins, dried cranberries, cashews or other nuts or dried fruits.

Roasted Garlic Potato Salad

Ingredients:

3 pounds new potatoes (I like getting some of the red, white and blue for color)

1 Tablespoon finely chopped dill or tarragon

1 head garlic

1/2 cup mayonaise

1 Tablespoons sour cream or yogurt

Dash tobasco sauce

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Cut the garlic head in half and sprinkle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes until soft and golden brown. Remove and let cool. Squeeze into a bowl and mash to a paste with the olive oil.

Wash and cut the potatoes into halves or quarters. Boil for 20-30 minutes in well salted water until just fork tender. Drain and set aside in a bowl to cool for 30 minutes.

Mix the mayo, sour cream, herbs, roasted garlic, tobasco and salt and pepper and taste to adjust seasoning. Mix gently into the potatoes so as not to break them up too much. Let cool to room temperature and serve.

John's German Potato Salad

This is a riff on the traditional German potato salad, but with some influence from my Mom's family's recipe as well.

Ingredients:

3 lbs. potatoes, peeled

1 medium onion, fine dice

5 slices good bacon, slided into "lardons"

1/3 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 T mustard seeds

1/3 cup sour cream

2 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Peel and cut potatoes into quarters then slice about 1/4" thick. Place in water and bring to a boil, cooking until just tender (don't overcook them!) about 15 minutes.

Combine vinegars and mustard seeds and set aside.

Cook bacon pieces until crisp. Reserve a little for garnish, then add onion and cook for just a minute or two to soften slightly. Add vinegar and mustard seeds to hot pan and cook for one minute then turn off the heat.

Once the potatoes are done, add the bacon/vinegar mixture, olive oil, parsley, sour cream, salt and pepper and gently fold together. Let cool to room temperature on the counter to let the flavors meld together.

Garnish with hard boiled eggs (sliced), reserved crispy bacon and extra parsley.

Very Mushroom Risotto

I had a small epiphany when perusing one of Mario Batali's cook books. In it, he grinds dried porcini mushrooms into a powder to coat a steak. That made me think that doing the same thing in the risotto would make a really, really mushroom risotto...I was right!

Ingredients:

1/4 oz dried porcini mushrooms

About a cup mixed mushrooms sliced (crimini, shittake, oyster)

1 medium shallot diced finely

1/2 stalk celery diced finely

1 large clove garlic, sliced finely

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon thyme leaves (or regular thyme)

8 oz risotto or orzo, about a cup

4 cups chicken stock (or about 2-3 if the orzo)

White wine

Olive oil

1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

Directions:

Take the dried porcini and break into smaller pieces so they can fit in a spice grinder (or coffee grinder) and grind until you have a very fine powder. You should have about 1 tablespoon.

Sautee the mushrooms over medium high high heat with some olive oil, until they are browned and cooked. Remove from the pan.

Lower the heat to medium, add a few tablespoons olive oil and add the celery, shallot and garlic and saute until soft, a few minutes. Add back the mushrooms (but save a few to garnish the plate) and then the risotto and thyme and cook a few minutes until the risotto is translucent. Add about a half cup of wine and cook down. Then add the stock about a cup at a time and cook until the rice is al dente.

You should have a slightly soupy mixture to which add a little more olive oil (or a couple of tablespoons of butter) and the parmigiano and stir. This should tighten the mixture, though it should not be too thick or thin.

Asian Inspired Israeli Couscous

A random dish that came out really well.

Ingredients:

1 small red bell pepper, julienned

2 carrots, julienned

1/2 pounds snow Peas, julienned

2 teaspoons ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound Israeli couscous, cooked

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

Vegetable Oil

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Heat large pan or wok on high. Add a couple of tablespoons of the oil and flash fry the garlic and ginger - 10-20 seconds. Add in the julienned vegetables and sautee for a minute at most. Add the couscous and toss to heat. Add the sesame oil and toss. Serve with fish, chicken or beef.

Asparagus Pasta Salad

This is a cold pasta salad I made up - I think it came out pretty good, though I have modified the recipe a bit below to make it more veggies and less pasta than the version I made. I will make any modifications as needed.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of asparagus, ends cut off and cut into 1" pieces

2 carrots peeled, quartered and sliced thin

1/2 red bell pepper cut into 1/4" cubes

1/2 pound orzo or similar pasta cooked al dente in salted water and cooled

Dressing:

Zest and juice from one lemon

1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped fine

1 tablespoon good dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Take the asparagus and blanch in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. When there are 30 seconds left, add the carrots and peppers. Drain and immediately soak in ice-cold water to shock the vegetables and stop the cooking. Add the vegetables to the chilled pasta.

For the dressing, combine all the ingredients and whisk together. Pour over pasta and vegetables about 30 minutes prior to serving.

Polenta Pizza with Mushroom Ragout

This is the first of 4 recipes I made for New Years Eve 2009.

Ingredients:
1 cup polenta
4 cups water
4 cups mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 14.5 oz can chopped tomatoes (or chop 2-3 fresh tomatoes)
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400F

Prepare polenta according to package instructions and set aside to cool.

In a large sautee pan or a roasting pan, combine mushrooms, tomatoes, rosemary, olive oil and salt and pepper and mix together. Put in oven and roast for 30-40 minutes, until almost all of the liquid has cooked out.

Spread polenta in a lightly oiled or buttered pan (I use a non-stick 12" frying pan) and place slightly cooled ragout on top. Top with grated parmesean and put under the broiler for 5 minutes to heat and brown the cheese. Cut into slices and serve.

If you bake it too long or if you don't let the polenta cool enough, the polenta will become soupy. Don't panic (I didn't!) - just serve as a rustic polenta dish that you can scoop right out of the pan.

Sweet and Sour Pumpkin

This is a recipe adapted from a Mario Batali recipe I saw one day. I had an abundance of winter squash, and this sounded like a good use. It can be done as an appetizer or side dish, and goes well with a hearty meat, like pork loin.

Ingredients:
1 Pound Sugar pumpkin or acorn squash
1/2 cup Extra-virgin olive oil
2 Cloves Garlic, finely sliced
3 Tbl Honey
3 Tbl Red wine vinegar
1 Handful Fresh chopped basil
2 Tbl Fresh chopped mint
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Leave the rinds on and remove seeds from the pumpkin. Cut the flesh lengthwise into wedges, each about the length of your hand from fingertip to wrist.

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pumpkin wedges. Cook until soft and deep golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes.

Turn the wedges over and add garlic.

Drizzle first the honey and then the vinegar over the pumpkin pieces, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cook until the liquids reduce to a glaze, turning the pumpkin pieces, if necessary.

Add basil and mint at the last second.

Transfer pumpkin wedges to a platter and drizzle pan juices on top. Serve room temperature or hot.

Spicy Mac and Cheese

Unfortunately, or fortunately, we are big fans of baked mac and cheese. Though we have always enjoyed the basic recipe (referenced below), we modified it a bit to make it a spicy mac and cheese. It gives a nice heat and a new dimension to a traditional American dish. We always use a bit "extra" cheese than what is put below in the recipe, so keep that in mind...

You can make things less spicy by substituting regular sharp cheddar cheese for the habanero cheese, or more spicy by adding some fresh chilis or hot pepper flakes.

The base for this recipe came from Epicurious, and originally from Gourmet (the link - http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Macaroni-and-Cheese-11625)

Ingredients:
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 cups coarsely grated extra-sharp Habanero Cheddar cheese (about 12 ounces)
1 cup coarsely grated swiss cheese
1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter a 3- to 4-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish.

In a heavy saucepan melt 6 tablespoons butter over moderately low heat. Add flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk in a stream, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking. Add mustard, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer sauce, whisking occasionally, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

In a kettle of salted boiling water cook macaroni until just al dente, about 7 minutes, and drain well. In a large bowl stir together macaroni, sauce, Cheddar, and 1 cup Parmesan and transfer to prepared dish.

In a small bowl stir together bread crumbs and remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and sprinkle evenly over macaroni. Cut remaining 1 tablespoon butter into bits and scatter over topping.

Bake macaroni in middle of oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

Cucumber Salad (Gurken Salad)

Anyone who has a garden, and has grown cucumbers, knows that in any given year, you quickly acquire a number of these terrific veggies. Some like to preserve them as pickles (one idea, that as of now, we have not tried), but I try to use them fresh. In addition to just eating them raw with a little salt, I like to make this fresh salad that is a perfect side to just about any summer meal. This is a recipe from my Mother, and is authentic except for the addition of the dill and the jalapeno, which we believe complements it very nicely.

I also like to use this as a "sauce" over grilled salmon - delicious!

Ingredients:
3-4 medium cucumbers
1 small onion, either slided thin or chopped fine
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
1 small jalapeno, chopped fine (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon fresh dill
Salt and pepper


Peel cucumbers and slice very thin and place in a colander. Salt, and allow to sit for 15-30 minutes to pull some of the moisture out of them. Place in a kitchen towel and squeeze the extra juices out and place into a bowl.

Add onions, garlic, sour cream (or you can substitute yogurt), dill and combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Finish with a sprinkling of paprika to garnish.