Canning Demystified

Summer in a Jar

My friend Jess came over today and taught me how to can tomatoes. So much fun! It was a pretty big mess and hot work (thank goodness for central air conditioning!) but so very satisfying. Brent and I have been enjoying the chorus of “pings” from the vacuum seals going off all afternoon. It was actually much easier than I thought it would be, and now I have grand plans for pickles next year, and maybe some blueberry jam if I can persuade my mother-in-law to share some of her beautiful wild blueberry harvest. All I need now is a house with a bigger pantry…..

Mexican Hot Dish

I made this last night, and in reheating some at work today had a great conversation with a co-worker about how much I love this recipe for Chilaquiles - or as I refer to it in Minnesotan, Mexican Hot Dish. I have a deep love for it because is relatively low in fat (as compared to other Mexican dishes), I always have the ingredients on hand, and it is a great use for boring leftover chicken.

In fact, I swore I had already written about it on Savoir Flair, but low and behold I can’t seem to locate it in my archives. So apologies all around if I’m just having a pregnancy brain moment here. As so many of my recipes do, this one started out as a Cooking Light recipe but has become just another dish I have meddled with and made my own.

Black Bean and Chicken Chilaquiles
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Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 large or 2 small onions chopped, thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1- 2 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can fat free less sodium chicken broth (about 1 1/4 c)
8 ounces can salsa (I like salsa fresca, salsa casera, or salsa verde)
15 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips
1 cup shredded cheese - Monterey jack, or a Mexican blend.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add chicken; cook 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl; stir in beans. Add broth and salsa to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Place half of tortilla strips in bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of chicken mixture over half of tortillas, and spoon half of the broth/salsa mixture over; top with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture. Pour remaining broth/salsa mixture evenly over chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until tortillas are lightly browned and cheese is melted.

**** Note: this is great the next day, or even frozen and taken for lunch to work!

Lovin’ the Loaves

Summer is not typically when you think of baking bread, but my mom has got me hooked on this new book that seems to be sweeping the Twin Cities, if not the country. There is a city-wide run on baking stones, so I’m playing around with a smaller stone my mom lent me until I can get my own.

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day is totally a lazy (wo)man’s approach to baking bread, but I’ll happily embrace that approach. I have little patience for baking breads, mostly because I don’t have the feel for kneading and preparing the dough that is necessary for great loaves. Last winter, I played around with some breads and they all turned out ok, but not great - a disappointing feat considering the amount of time it took to prepare them.

A few weeks ago, my mom tells me that she had bought this book, and I was skeptical until she pulled out her first loaf and cut it open - crusty on the outside, soft on the outside, and far tastier and appealing than anything I’ve baked in my own oven. So I’m on my second batch and I am a convert. Are there better approaches to home-baked bread out there? Maybe. But they aren’t likely any easier approaches. I keep thinking there must be more to it, but each loaf comes out better than the last, and all surpass even what I could buy at the bakery in the grocery store.

The investment is minimal - a baking stone and the book are the only things you really need. But you can minimize that cost even by using an unglazed tile bought at the Home Depot in place of the baking stone. Now we have homebaked bread whenever we want it - such a treat, even in the summertime!

All of the Chocolate, none of the Gluten

Even though I am not eating gluten-free any more, I have a good friend who does. Plus, I figure a little flourless living is good for you now and then. I came across this recipe in Bon Appetit this spring, and they are lovely little cookies. Light and airy - and not too much like meringues (I never like how those “squeak” when you eat them). They were a little chewy, which made them more cookie like, and they are great with tea or coffee.

Note: I found this dough impossible to roll in powdered sugar. If you can manage it, great. Otherwise, I did spoon drops on the cookie sheet and sifted the sugar over them. Watch them carefully as they burn quickly. But then again, certain office-mates of mine gravitated to the ones that were a tad overdone on the bottom. Who knew?

Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies
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Ingredients:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (about 9 ounces), divided
3 large egg whites, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave, stirring twice, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly.

Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow creme. Whisk 1 cup sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. On low speed, beat dry ingredients into meringue. Stir in lukewarm chocolate and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (dough will become very stiff).

Place 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. Roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball; roll in sugar, coating thickly. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes. Cool on sheets on rack 10 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool.

Word of Mouth Cooking

Working in marketing as I do, I am always thinking about word of mouth - how can get the advocates for my company to talk about their experiences to other people freely, in their own voice and of their own impulse? This week, I had a revelation related to cooking: my friend Jess emailed me with recipe that she loved, I made it and the first thought that entered my mind on the first bite was to tell other people about it.

Why? Because it was a dish that surprised me on so many levels - its simplicity of preparation vs. the complexity of tastes as well as the fact that it has made me fall in love with garbanzo beans (which I NEVER thought would happen).

So here it is: the original recipe appeared in Bon Appetit , but (of course) I modified it a little, and would double the garbanzo beans. When you cook them with the chicken, it all sort of reduces and the beans get a little dried and crunchy. It sounds like a bad thing, but we only ate half the chicken and all the beans and tomatoes, so I’ll go with more beans next time. If you aren’t sure, use the original recipe above the first time and I promise you that you’ll come back to this version. Oh- and don’t skip the sauce by trying to be healthy. It absolutely makes the meal. In fact, I’d double the yogurt sauce* to make SURE you had enough for the leftovers the next day. Plus, it’s yogurt, so its good for you!

Roast Chicken Breasts with Garbanzo Beans, Tomatoes, and Paprika
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Recipe By: Bon Appétit
Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
2 lbs chicken breast and/or thighs, with bones and no skin
2 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1 12-ounce container cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°. Mix first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Pour 1 teaspoon spiced oil mixture into small bowl; whisk in yogurt and set aside for sauce. Place chicken on large rimmed baking sheet. Rub 2 tablespoons spiced oil mixture over chicken. Add beans, tomatoes, and 1/2 cup cilantro to remaining spiced oil mixture; toss to coat. Pour bean mixture around chicken. Sprinkle everything generously with salt and pepper.

Roast until chicken is cooked through, about 20-30 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cilantro. Transfer chicken to plates. Spoon bean mixture over. Serve with yogurt sauce.

*I received some questions about the whole “double the sauce” idea. What you see here is the original sauce ratio, so if you think you want more sauce, you’d increase to 1 cup of yogurt and increase the amount of the oil and spices a bit to compensate. Sharper minds than mine could do the math to be precise on that, or you could eyeball it. That was my approach and it turned out JUST fine.

Bad Bad Blogger

It’s been far too long since I posted, but the last few months have been pretty wild. Between a crazy travel schedule in February and March and finding out that we are expecting our first baby in October, the time and energy I have been able to devote to adventures in the kitchen have been pretty limited. The first trimester had me clinging to the basics: anything based on comforting carbs that took less than 30 minutes to put together was all I was capable of. Now that the nausea has passed and I have more energy, I’ve been getting back into the kitchen, and the pending onset of spring in Minnesota is helping to get me in the mood.

This recipe is an old stand by - I can’t believe I haven’t posted this already. It’s a great quiche made with egg substitute, to help you feel better about the fat content. We have it for supper with a green salad, and leftovers make a great breakfast.

Light Spinach Quiche

Ingredients:
1 c. egg substitute
1 c. skim milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1 tablespoon chives
1/2 onion, diced
3/4 c. swiss cheese, shredded
1 container frozen chopped spinach; thawed
bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 pie crust, uncooked

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Saute onion in a little oil until soft. Roll out pie crust into 9 inch tin. Put onion on bottom, then spinach that has been squeezed out of excess water. Then layer bacon, chives, and cheese.

Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a separate bowl and pour over the layered ingredients. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until center is set. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cheese and Tomato Tarts

Cheese and Tomato Tarts

Originally uploaded by brennifer

Once in a while you come across a recipe that is destined to be a classic. This is one of those recipes - it generates lots of oohs and aahs at the table, and the flavors hold up to the expectations set by the presentation.

I spent the better part of the last 3 months going through old issues of my favorite cooking magazines (Bon Appetit, Saveur, Food & Wine, and Cooking Light) to put recipes into my recipe software for easier review. I came across this recipe for Cheese and Tomato Tarts in an issue of Bon Appetit centered on Scotland. It featured a particular Scottish Cheddar cheese, but I have used several kinds of cheddar - ranging from the basic to the extravagant, and every time I am impressed with the complexity of the flavors of this very simple tart.

The best part of this recipe is the crust - it is savory and tender, and really very easy to make. I like to assemble these as individual tarts for an appetizer course, but the original recipe is intended for one large tart, cut into wedges. It would be excellent as a light meal with a salad. If you do chose to make 4 1/2″ tarts, this will make 6 comfortably (If you are really good with a rolling pin, you might get 8 out of it.)

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/3 c. finely grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
2 tsp ice water
3 1/2 tbs. dijon mustard
4 1/2 ounces fontina, cubed
4 1/2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, cored, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices, patted dry
1 1/2 tbs. olive oil
2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
sea salt
ground black pepper

Directions:

Combine flour, butter, parmesan cheese, and salt in processor. Using on/off turns blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Beat egg and 2 tsp ice water in small bowl to blend; add to dry ingredients. Using on/off turns blend until dough comes together, adding more water by teaspoons until dough comes together in a ball.

Flatten dough into disk, wrap and chill 1 hour or up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 13 inch round. Transfer dough to 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom. Trim excess dough to 1/3 inch above rim, let the rest overhang.

Spread mustard over bottom of crust. Toss cheeses in bowl to blend. Spread cheeses on top of mustard. Layer tomatoes, slightly overlapping, in 2 concentric circles atop cheese. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with thyme an lightly with salt and pepper.

Bake until tart crust is deep brown, cheeses are melted, and tomatoes are slightly charred and soft, about 45 minutes. Transfer tart to rack. Let tart stand until cheese sets up slightly, about 30 minutes. Push up pan bottom, releasing tart. Cut into wedges and serve.

Who visits Montreal in January?

Well, we did. We just got back from a fantastic trip to Montreal, and despite a surge of super-cold weather near the end, it was a perfectly lovely weekend. Though we were there to see the sights with friends and had a 15-month old in tow, we managed to eat our way through the city with no problem whatsoever (big surprise, right?) Montreal is a great mid-sized city with good public transportation, so even with the wind whipping and the temperature dropping, we felt as though we were able to see a good deal of the city and get a sense that people cope with winter there the same way they do here in Minneapolis - by saying #@%* the cold, I’m going out anyways.

We had a great stay at Les Bons Matins, a great little auberge located on a quiet street downtown. Despite some initial mix-ups on our reservation, the staff there did a great job too accommodate us with our many needs (not easy with the aforementioned little one and four adults with particular tastes.) We ended up with 2 of their suites, with our friends Mike and Shelley (and little Lenin) in a garden level unit and Brent and I directly above them. The decor is bright and sunny, and features art throughout by the owner’s brother. The care in all of the details - from a guest fridge stocked with bottled water and sodas, to the fresh cookies in all the kitchenettes each night - was delightful. I forget, after months of business travel to big chains, what’s its like not to be charged $8 for a bottle of water in your room.

The breakfasts, included with the rooms, was superb. Each morning we started with an appetizer (at breakfast!!) of small waffles or french toast, with a dollop of lemon or passion fruit mousse. This was accompanied by fresh squeezed orange juice and coffee, to quote Shelley, “only the French can do.” There was a small menu of hot items including eggs, smoked salmon, eggs benedict, and various accompaniments. All of this was served in a cafe of warm yellow walls and checkered-tile floors, where each morning we would come in from our suites next door, and sit amongst other travelers dressed in turtlenecks and norwegian sweaters, everyone equipping themselves for the day ahead with warm pastry and coffee.

We managed to seek out a few star meals outside the auberge as well. We sought out Shwartzman’s deli and braved the packed diner setting despite the nasty looks generated by trying to get the stroller in through the door and past the deli line. (I was chewed out by a weathered-looking woman trying to get her coleslaw, but as it was entirely in Quebequois French, I prefer to think she was shouting “Thank goodness you are here with that wonderful stroller! Perhaps you can help me out to my car with my 7 kilos of meat?”) Being someone who loves their deli, I was curious to know how the Montreal smoked meat would stack up to, say, a New York Pastrami, and I have to admit that it did so admirably. Perfectly seasoned and with just the right amount of fat, the meat and the soft white bread it arrived upon was a perfect lunch. After devouring each of our sandwiches, we spied a neighboring table get plates of meat and a stack of white bread on the side - a great option for those who want to be in control of their own bread-to-meat ratio.

Brent and I had two very good dinners, one at a bistro on Rue St. Denis called L’Express. The highlight was the Pork Rillettes (see here for my earlier encounter with this amazing method of serving meats.) The version at L’Express came with a small jar of wonderfully delicate dijon mustard and an enourmous jar of cornichons for self-service. The duck and steak frites were also excellent. Best of all, though, was the setting. It was classic brasserie, loud and intimate all at the same time, with tables wedged close enough together that you can smell the food on your neighbor’s plate.

On our last night, we braved the fourteen-below weather and went back to Old Montreal where we had been shopping a few days earlier. We had spotted a restaurant called Merchant Boeuf, which a friend had recommended. The night we were there the place was jammed with locals, for a “menu gourmande” that several affiliated restaurants we’re hosting. This fixed-price meal was almost too good to be true, with a starter, choice of entree (including a mega-burger and a whole roasted chicken presented table side mounted on the beer can it was roasted on), and dessert for $15CAN. Such a deal - Brent had the menu with the burger and declared it one of the best he’s had, complete with bacon and cheese. I ordered off the a la carte menu, since I was craving the onion gratin soup, but we both wished that one of us had ordered that chicken, once we saw them coming out to the tables around us. I can only imagine the kitchen in the back - they must have had hundreds of them roasting back there.

The Last Person to Discover Midtown Global Market

Just a quick post to start getting back into blogging post-Christmas - Brent and I met friends at the Midtown Global Market on Friday night for dinner. I know I am the last foodie in Minneapolis to discover this place, but I was so impressed. I have no idea what took me so long to get over there, but now that I know what’s there I am making it a regular stop. The markets are wonderful - United Noodle for all the Asian ingredients that you can’t get at the big grocery stores, an outpost of Holy Land for real feta (which I was lamenting about here), and Farm in the Market and other meat and cheese stalls for all the organic, local-grown meats, sausages, and cheeses that I love picking up at the farmers markets in the summer (Eichten’s Cheese and Callister Farms chickens, to be specific.)

In addition to the food stalls and craft stalls, they have tons of great restaurants, some that are entirely take-away (with tons of tables around the market to sit and enjoy your meal) and even a few that are sit down. We ate at A La Salsa, one of the sit-downs, mostly because we wanted beer and margaritas! But the food there was every bit as good as the parent restaurant, Salsa a la Salsa, on Nicollet. Holy Land, Mannys Tortas, and Andy’s Garage, and Ingebretsen’s - all local landmarks - have stalls there, as well as a few newcomers. Mexican cuisine seems to be best represented but its a great solution for when everyone feels like something different.

So - if you haven’t been there, get there. Friday night seemed like a good time for families, with live music and clowns making balloon animals. I am planning a weekend outing soon that will include stocking up on curry pastes and organic chickens topped off with one of the huevos rancheros plates at La Loma Tamales.

In that spirit, here is a favorite recipe for Chilaquiles, which is like a Mexican Hotdish (I couldn’t resist, it’s such a Minnesotan way to describe it). This is from Cooking Light, but I have modified it a little. Its a great way to use up leftover chicken. Salsa Fresca is a little hard to find, so I’ve used any salsa I have on hand, but if you’ve got the fresca, use that - its very liquid and you need that to soften the tortillas.

Black Bean and Chicken Chilaquiles
Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 cup onions chopped, thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
15 ounces black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fat free less sodium chicken broth
7.75 ounces can salsa (fresca or casera)
15 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips
1 cup shredded white cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add chicken; cook 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl; stir in beans. Add broth and salsa to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Place half of tortilla strips in bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of chicken mixture over tortillas; top with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture. Pour broth mixture evenly over chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until tortillas are lightly browned and cheese is melted.

The best little holiday package ever

At this time of year when everyone is outdoing themselves with cookie baking, I go into sugar shock by osmosis and long to make savory munchies instead. This year I decided I would make a selection of appetizers that I could store in the freezer and bring as hostess gifts. OK, who are we kidding. I might eat these all myself, but taking a few items out of the freezer and popping them into the toaster oven to serve along a salad makes you feel like you’re being naughtier than you really are.

While I am not a huge fan in most respects, Martha Stewart’s appetizer cookbook is really a treasure trove, surprise surprise, as many of her items can be made ahead and then reheated or assembled at the last minute. I never thought of her as much of a “do ahead” person, but many of her best recipes can be done this way.

My favorite recipe - for Phyllo Triangles with Spinach and Feta - has become a Christmas tradition for me. I modified a bit for convenience (using frozen spinach instead of fresh.) They are pretty high-maintenance to put together, but pop in “Its a Wonderful Life” or “White Christmas” and fold little triangles till your heart’s content.

Ingredients:

2 tbs. olive oil
1 bunch scallions, finely diced
2 20 ounce frozen spinach, thaw, squeeze all excess liquid
1 bunch parsley, chopped
Season with fresh dill or fresh or dried oregano - as you like the flavor
1/2 lb feta cheese, drained and crumbled
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 lb phyllo dough
1/2 lb butter, or more, melted

Directions:

Thaw phyllo overnight in the refrigerator, if frozen. Once removed from fridge, roll out and cover with a damp (NOT WET) towel. (Note - before you start the recipe, dampen a towel with the spray nozzle and leave it out for about 30 minutes to dry out a bit. And don’t bring the dough out until right before you are ready to start working with it, after the filling is complete.)

Heat oil and saute scallions until soft. Mix into spinach that has been thoroughly drained. Mix in herbs, eggs, and cheese, and cool completely. Taste for seasoning.

To assemble, place one sheet of phyllo on a flat, dry surface and brush with butter. Top with 2 more sheets, buttering each. Usin a pizza wheel, cut the sheet in 6 equal strips (adjust depending on size of phyllo - you are looking for strips about 1.5 inches wide and about 8 inches long.)

Spoon a teaspoon of filling on the end of each strip and form a triangle by folding the right hand corner to the opposite side, as you would a flag. Continue folding until the strip is all used. Keep completed triangles in a covered container so they don’t dry out.

(If you need a photo guide of how to do this, check out the first 4 photos of my Flickr set here.)

Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze immediately. Do not thaw before baking.

When you are ready to make these, heat oven to 400. Place triangles on a nonstick sheet, brush with melted butter or olive oil if desired and bake until golden brown 10 minutes (15 if frozen.)