Tag Archives: casserole

Smoky Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon Topping

Posted on March 23, 2013 by | 6 Comments

Adapted from and Inspired by Bakeaholic Mama

Mac n Cheese with Bacon Topping from She Cooks, He Cleans

I recognize that I use every excuse in the book to eat anything dripping with cheese and/or bacon….but this time I really needed some comfort food.  If any of you have ever had a pinched nerve in your back, you know what I’m saying.  Ouch!  Although I was unable to bend over, Mr. He Cleans was there to get pots and pans out of the cabinet and to shuffle casseroles in and out of the oven – still while providing great music and keeping my (medicinal) wine glass filled.  He does it all!

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and started drooling.  To better describe it, I renamed it OMGBBQMACNCHEESEBACON.  I modified it for the ingredients I had on hand, and served it with barbeque chicken off the grill, instead of putting the chicken in the dish.  It was freaking awesome.  My back felt SO much better – although I’m not sure how much that was due to the wine and not the oooey-gooey cheesy macaroni and bacon.  Does it really matter?

Ingredients:

  • 12 ounce box gluten-free pasta (Jovial GF pasta is excellent)
  • 6 slices crispy, cooked bacon, crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon bacon drippings, reserved from cooking bacon
  • 2 tablespoons butter (preferably pastured)
  • 2 tablespoons rice flour (or other gluten-free flour, to thicken)
  • 2 cups half and half
  • about 6 ounces gruyere, grated (2 cups, loosely packed)
  • about 4 ounces cheddar or smoked cheddar, grated (1 cup, loosely packed)
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon Spanish hot smoked paprika
  • freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta in boiling water, for just less of the time recommended on pasta’s directions.  You want it to be slightly underdone, with a little firmness to the bite.  Set aside.

Lightly butter a casserole dish.  Preheat oven to 350F.

In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the tablespoon of reserved bacon drippings.  Whisk in the flour until well-blended, and cook for about a minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in the half and half, breaking up any clumps.  Continue to cook at a simmer, stirring, until the mixture thickens up to a gravy consistency.  Remove from heat and stir in the cheeses until everything is melted and smooth.  (Do not heat to a boil once cheese is added – it may separate.)

Stir in the cooked pasta until well combined.  (Mine was a little thick – I added a bit more half and half here to help it mix together.)  Pour into the buttered casserole dish.  Top with the crumbled bacon.

Bake for 15 minutes, covered with a lid or foil.  Remove the cover, and bake for another 10-15 minutes until it is bubbly.  Remove from oven and let it sit a few minutes so you don’t hurt yourself with hot cheese in your mouth.  Enjoy!

Mac n Cheese with Bacon Topping from SheCooks, He Cleans

These are leftovers – the original casserole was covered with bacon!

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nightProud to serve She Cooks! Glad you’re feeling better! Today’s music will make anyone feel better. Roots singer/songwriter Tift Merritt has joined up with classical pianist Simone Dinnerstein on Night, and it’s one of the most intriguing and beautiful pieces of music I’ve heard in a long time. Finding common ground in the works of Billie Holiday, Bach and Brad Mehldau among others, the result is ethereal and emotional. Merritt’s voice and guitar coupled with Dinnerstein’s piano create a sound that is haunting and timeless. Fans of Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen and especially the late, great Nina Simone should give this a listen. An early contender for album of the year.

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Chicken Lasagna with Mushrooms and Fontina Cheese

Posted on March 9, 2013 by | 11 Comments

Modified from Daniel Boulud’s Chicken Lasagna

chicken mushroom lasagna

I have to warn you straight up about this recipe – it is incredibly rich.  Not rich as in “I always fly first class.”  Not rich as in “We fly our own plane and have a time-share ski cabin in Aspen.”  It’s rich like “Please have the pilot ready to fly us to our villa in Modena  – Chef Massimo Bottura at Osteria Francescana is preparing a special meal for my birthday.”

Ok, I have no idea how rich that is.  However I do know that this lasagna has over a pound of cheese, a quart of creamy milk, and plenty of olive oil and butter in it.  The chicken, spinach, and mushrooms barely manage to provide a contrast to the decadent mouth-feel of such full fats – but they do manage!

Needless to say, this is not a meal you will have every week, or even every month.  But if you’re having a special occasion, worthy of flying to Italy for a meal, consider this instead.  Unless, of course, your pilot is waiting.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound fresh mushrooms (mixed varieties of wild mushrooms are recommended), trimmed and roughly chopped
  • 8 ounces spinach leaves, washed, stems removed
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup gluten-free flour for thickening (such as rice flour or tapioca flour)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 cups milk (full-fat)
  • 1/2 bunch Italian parsley leaves, roughly chopped
  • nutmeg, to taste
  • 16 gluten-free lasagna noodles*
  • 1 pound fontina cheese, cut into small dice
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

*Non-pasta eaters can omit the noodles and make this a casserole of chicken, mushrooms and cheese.  Noodle alternatives, such as sliced zucchini, might be a good substitute.

In a large Dutch oven, heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and celery, and cook, stirring, until translucent (about 3 minutes).  Increase heat to medium-high and add mushrooms.  Cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes.  Add the spinach and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Cook until the spinach has wilted and the mushrooms are tender.  Remove the vegetables from the pot and set aside.

Add 4 tablespoons of butter to the same pot, over medium heat.  Season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper, and add to the melted butter.  Cook, stirring, until the chicken is almost cooked through, but do not brown (about 6 minutes).  Add the wine and simmer until almost completely reduced.  Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Sprinkle the flour in the pan and cook, stirring continuously, for a few minutes.  Gradually stir in the cream and milk, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any cooked flour.  If necessary, use a whisk to break up any lumps.  Continue to simmer, stirring constantly, until the liquid has thickened to a gravy-like consistency (about 5 minutes).  Remove 1 cup of the white sauce from the pan and reserve for later.  Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the reserved cooked vegetables, mushrooms, chicken, and chopped parsley.  Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste. (Keep in mind that the cheese will add salt, so be sparing when seasoning.)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles to just short of the time listed on the package directions; the noodles should be not quite cooked through (al dente).  Strain the noodles in a colander, then rinse with cold water.  Drain, then toss the noodles with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

chicken lasagna uncookedPreheat the oven to 350F.  Butter a large, deep baking pan (9 x 13).  Place a layer of 4 noodles on the bottom of the pan, overlapping slightly.  Top with 1/3 of the chicken mixture, then 1/3 of the diced fontina.  Repeat the layering twice, finishing with a layer of noodles.  Spread the reserved white sauce on the noodles, and sprinkle with Parmesan.  (At this point, the lasagna can be refrigerated overnight, covered tightly with foil or plastic wrap.  Return to room temperature at least 30 minutes before cooking.)

chicken lasagna cookedCover the lasagna tightly with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Increase heat to 400F, remove the foil, and continue to bake until golden brown and bubbling (10-15 minutes).  Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serve with a salad with a tart-acidic dressing since the lasagna is very buttery.  Enjoy!

chicken mushroom lasagna

townesRich…but yummy indeed! Two new releases from old favorites today. First up, the late, great Townes Van Zandt with Sunshine Boy: The Unheard Studio Sessions & Demos 1971-1972. This is early Townes, but like all his work, its funky, perceptive and moving, all at once. Contains a few new songs to boot!

Peter Stampfel is a nut. In the nicest way possible, of course. Leader of the ’60s folk/rock legends The Holy Modal Rounders, his newest release is The Sound of America. Stampfel continues his love affair with the forgotten avenues of etherAmerican music with his band The Ether Frolic Mob, which features his daughter Zoe. Everything from Charlie Patton blues to “Drunken Banjo Waltz” and the best version of “I Will Survive” you ever experience and many more! Long live Peter Stampfel!

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Chicken Tamale Casserole (with Roasted Tomatillo, Cilantro and Green Chile Sauce)

Posted on February 21, 2013 by | 4 Comments

Chicken Tamale Casserole with Roasted Tomatillos

When we are in Santa Fe, I like to attempt at least one Southwestern-inspired dish, and with that, hopefully add an ingredient that is new to me.  This recipe for Chicken Tamales sounded interesting and included tomatillos – a tart little tomato-like fruit that I have not cooked with before.  However, I didn’t want to expend the energy to actually try making tamales, so I decided on making a casserole with a cornmeal topping, using this recipe as a base to get started.

Even though this is not as complex as making tamales, there are quite a few parts to this recipe that can be time consuming.  The good news is it can be separated into sections, and prepared ahead of time.

As always, I recommend seeking out non-GMO, organic corn.  I found frozen sweet white corn at Whole Foods (WF 365 Everyday Brand, organic and certified non-GMO).  Bob’s Red Mill carries organic corn meal and flours.

[Here's a small disclaimer - I've made a few, untested changes in the recipe from what I prepared.  First, I was cooking at a high altitude (around 6000 feet), so I had to modify ingredients and cooking times to compensate.  The instructions and ingredients I listed here are my approximations of what would work for cooking at a lower altitude.  Next, after eating the casserole, we decided it needed a little more of this and less of that, so I also made those adjustments.  Please send me feedback on how it works for you!]

Ingredients  (serves 6-8):

  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, mashed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried, Mexican oregano
  • 8 tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and halved
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 1 small can fire-roasted Hatch Green Chiles, drained (3 chiles)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ~ 1 cup cilantro (leaves and small stems)
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 cup sweet white corn kernels (organic)
  • 4 ounce log of soft goat cheese
  • 4 ounces cotija (whole milk), grated (or Monterey Jack cheese can be substituted)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup organic corn meal or flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth (reserved from cooking chicken)

Cooking the chicken:  Place the chicken in a saucepan with the onion, garlic, bay leaf, and oregano.  Add enough water to cover the chicken well, and bring to a boil.  Simmer, partially covered, for about 35 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow the chicken to cool in the broth.  When cool enough to handle, transfer the chicken to a bowl, and shred to bite-sized pieces using your fingers.  Strain the broth into another container and reserve for making the corn meal crust.  Refrigerate chicken and broth until ready to assemble the casserole.

tomatillos

Preparing the tomatillo, cilantro, and green chile sauce:  Preheat the oven to 400F.  Place the tomatillos, onion, and garlic in a baking dish large enough to hold everything in one layer.  (Note: you can use the same baking dish, unwashed, to assemble the casserole later.  Less cleaning!)  Toss with enough EVOO to coat the dish and the ingredients.  Roast at 400F for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is soft and starting to caramelize around the edges.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool somewhat.  Transfer to a blender or food processor.  Add the green chiles, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro.  Process until well-blended.

Transfer the mixture to a saucepan.  Add the shredded chicken, corn and cheeses.  Heat over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese has melted.  Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.  (The cotija is pretty salty, so you may not need much, if any, salt.)  Spread the mixture evenly in an oiled casserole dish (such as the one you just used to roast the tomatillos).

chicken tamale casserole

Preparing the corn meal crust:  In a medium-sized bowl, combine the corn flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add the cold butter pieces, and using your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until there aren’t any large pieces of butter left.  (You do this by rolling the butter and flour between your fingers, squeezing to break up the butter pieces until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Alternatively you can melt the butter and stir it in, but cutting cold butter into the flour makes a better crust.)

Add the beaten egg and broth to the mixture, and stir until everything is just moistened (do not overmix).  Spread the corn meal crust mixture evenly over the chicken mixture in the pan, taking care not to disturb the chicken layer too much.

Bake at 400F for about 45 minutes, until the topping is browned and crispy.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes, and dig in!  Serve with avocado, limes, and/or a dollop of sour cream on the side, if desired.

birdAnother good find in Santa Fe, this time at a Goodwill store…Andrew Bird! I’ve been a fan of his from way back. A dazzling instrumentalist, a quirky, beguiling songwriter, he makes a world all his own. Found Noble Beast, and it was a hit here at the Rockin’ Frog. Some folks call it “chamber pop” and that will do as well as anything. Bird’s violin starts the mood, and his sophisticated and witty looks at love and life are spellbinding.

His latest release, the 2012 Break It Yourself continues his masterful way of making music his own. Try Andrew Bird…you won’t be sorry!bird2

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Sunny Summer Squash Casserole

Posted on August 23, 2012 by | 3 Comments

Summer is finally starting to wind down, and thank goodness for that!  I have to apologize for neglecting the blog for so long.  For the most part, cooking this summer has been mostly repeats of favorites, coupled with a lack of enthusiasm for standing in a hot kitchen.  Even grilling has gone by the wayside, since stepping outside into the oppressive heat and humidity while fending off swarms of blood-sucking mosquitoes is not enjoyable.  However the last few days have started off, at least, as blessedly cool and less humid…just the touch of the coming autumn weather that I needed to get some energy back!

Gluten and Soy Free!

I’ve had this recipe for squash casserole since the early 80′s, when it was passed around from co-workers at UNC-Hospitals.  It’s another dish that falls in the “comfort food” zone, and typical of many casseroles, it contains a can of condensed cream of chicken soup.  I haven’t used this recipe in ages, because Campbell’s soups are not on our list of foods that are good for you.  There is the gluten issue, as well as preservatives, and artificial colors and flavorings.  I could, of course, make my own cream of chicken soup from scratch, but that just seems like too much work for one ingredient in a casserole. Then I spotted something different in the soup aisle – Pacific Natural Foods Organic Cream Of Chicken Condensed Soup.  It doesn’t mention it on the front of the box, but this soup is also gluten-free and soy-free, as well as being USDA Organic.  I picked up a couple to see how they would adapt in casseroles.

Upon opening the box (which does not even require scissors due to a handy tab), the first sight of the soup is not that good.  Its consistency is kind of jelly-like, but to be fair, Campbell’s condensed soups aren’t much to look at either.  Getting beyond that, when it is mixed in with the other ingredients and baked, the results were perfect!  I didn’t try it on its own as a soup, but I can certainly recommend it for anyone that wants a healthier option for condensed soup.  Here are the ingredients listed on the box:

organic chicken broth
organic creme fraiche
organic rice starch
organic cooked chicken
organic rice flour
sea salts
organic chicken fat
organic garlic powder
organic onion powder

Back to the squash – I adapted the original recipe to reduce the amount of bread crumbs (it originally used packaged “stuffing”), to take out the gluten, and to add some seasonings for taste.  I especially like the raw shredded carrots in this recipe, since they add so much color and texture to the finished casserole.  I usually made this with yellow, crookneck squash, but used zucchini this time. This dish is great with roasted meats, and also would be good on a holiday table.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups squash, cut into large dice
  • 1 sweet onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter (preferably grass-fed)
  • 2 cups shredded carrots (~2 large or 3 medium-sized carrots)
  • 1 12-ounce box condensed soup (cream of chicken, celery, or mushroom)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free bread crumbs (make your own gluten- and grain-free bread or muffins, if possible)
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ratatouille Seasoning (or seasoning blend of choice)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • a few dashes of fish sauce (optional)
  • 1 cup gluten-free/grain-free bread crumbs (for topping – see above)
  • 2 tablespoons butter (for topping)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly butter a 2.5 quart casserole dish.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the squash in boiling water for 5-10 minutes (long enough for it to be tender, but not falling apart).  Drain squash into a colander; set aside.

Using the same (dry) pan, saute the onion in 2 tablespoons of butter until soft.

In a large bowl, mix together the well-drained squash, onion, carrots, condensed soup, sour cream , Parmesan cheese, egg, thyme, Ratatouille seasoning, fish sauce, salt, and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.  Pour into the buttered casserole dish.

Using the same pan, again, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and mix with the remaining cup of bread crumbs.  Scatter evenly over the squash mixture in the casserole.

Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour, until bubbly and hot throughout, and browned on top.  Serve hot.

So good to be back! Got a great selection today, a compilation of some of the nastiest, gritty funky stuff you’ll ever hear. It’s a new release from Light In The Attic called Country Funk 1969-75, and boy, it doesn’t lie in the title! From Link Wray doing “Fire And Brimstone” to the great Bobby Charles and “Street People”, this is a great look at folks that don’t get a lot of attention. Tony Joe White, Dale Hawkins, even Mac Davis with “Lucas Was a Redneck”, it don’t get much better than this. Get funky!

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Summer Squash Casserole with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Posted on June 3, 2012 by | 8 Comments

Our good-gardener, neighbor Mike brought us some beautiful pattypan squash from his garden, and also a package of heirloom tomatoes that he had sun-dried and put up from another year’s bounty.  I’m so glad I live near a generous person with a green thumb!  Mike suggested cooking the squash in a tomato sauce with some cheese, in the style of Eggplant Parmesan.  I took his advice and came up with this squash casserole.

This recipe is very adaptable.  I added sausage, since I had some that needed cooking, but this would work fine as a vegetarian recipe without the sausage.

Pattypan Squash

Instead of pattypan squash, you could likely use any summer squash.

Pattypan squash are the scallop-edged summer squash that look like flying saucers.  These are the white variety, but they also may be green or yellow.  Despite their odd shape, they are easy to slice up and cook, like the other varieties of summer squash.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 pound sausage – optional (I used bulk breakfast sausage, but sweet Italian sausages – without casing – would also be good)
  • 16 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 2 pinches Ratatouille Seasoning, or herbs of choice
  • ~1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 pattypan squash
  • ~1/3 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
  • ~1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet or saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook until softened.  Add the sausage (if using); cook while breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon until browned.  Pour off the excess fat from the pan. Add crushed tomatoes, herbs, and red pepper flakes.  Allow to simmer on low heat for 5-10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the stem ends from the squash, and slice in half (from stem end to bud).  Place sliced side down, then cut into ~3/8-inch slices.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly oil a baking dish, then spread a scant layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish.  Make one layer of sliced squash across the dish, using 1/2 of the squash slices.  Distribute the julienned sun-dried tomato on top of the squash layer.  Chop up the mozzarella cheese, and add 1/2 of the cheese.  Top the cheese with the remaining slices of squash.  Add the remaining tomato sauce, spreading it evenly across the squash.  Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

Cover tightly with foil, and bake for 60-70 minutes.  Uncover and check for doneness – it is done when the squash is tender and the sauce is bubbly.  If needed, cook for ~ 10 additional minutes to reduce liquid and/or brown the cheese topping.

One of our favorite musicians passed this week, Doc Watson. A wonderful guitarist, singer and historian, Doc brought the music of his North Carolina mountains to the world. He will be sorely missed. Here’s a few favorites. First off, Southbound his 1966 release with his son, Merle. Includes “Walk On Boy” and “Tennessee Stud”. Amazing stuff.

Secondly, Doc played all sorts of music, from fiddle tunes to jazz, but I love his blues. Here’s a good selection called Trouble in Mind. From “Little Sadie” to “Deep River Blues” (my all time favorite), Watson knew his way around the blues. Essential.

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Latin Lasagna with Beef and Plantains

Posted on April 1, 2012 by | 20 Comments

A good casserole is one of the best comfort foods.  You just can’t beat a one-dish meal for convenience – just pop it in the oven and relax – or for the great way the ingredients play off each other.  This Latin-style lasagna is both sweet and savory, with cumin-spiced ground beef, layers of plantains, and mildly spicy pepper-jack cheese.

I can’t emphasize the importance of using RIPE plantains enough.  I was impatient – two of the plantains I used were perfectly ripe, but two were still a little green.  The difference between the taste and texture of ripe and not-so-ripe was huge.  After sauteing the ripe plantains, the slices were soft and buttery, with a subtle sweetness.  The green plantain slices were tough and dry, and had all the flavor you would expect from cardboard.  Be sure that you use plantains that have black skins, or that are yellow with lots of black spots on the skin.

This is the basic recipe that I used, modified from Emeril Lagasse’s recipe for Cuban-Style Beef and Plantain Pie, and inspired by Ingrid Hoffmann’s Latin Lasagna from Simply Delicioso.  We really enjoyed this lasagna, despite the presence of unripe plantain interspersed in the casserole.  Next time I make this, aside from using riper fruit, I might add a layer of ricotta with cilantro mixed in, or top it with a decadent layer of  cheesy, white sauce.  My mouth is watering already!

Ingredients:

  • 1 sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 1 pound ground beef (grass-fed)
  • 1/2 pound ground pork
  • 16-ounces diced tomatoes (with juice)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked, hot paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 ripe plantains (black-skinned, or heavily spotted)
  • coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil (to saute plantains)
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • ~ 12 ounces pepper Jack cheese, shredded
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving

Preparing beef:

Heat coconut oil (or EVOO) in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and red bell peppers; cook until softened, stirring frequently.  Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute or until garlic is fragrant.  Add beef and pork.  Cook until browned, stirring and breaking up clumps.  Drain off all but 2-3 tablespoons of fat, if necessary (will depend on fattiness of beef and pork used).

Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, raisins, vinegar, oregano, cumin, paprika, coriander, salt, and pepper.  Simmer for around 15 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat; adjust seasonings to taste.  The meat mixture should be moist and a little saucy.  If it seems too dry, stir in some water or broth.  Set aside to cool slightly.

Preparing plantains:

Peel plantains. (They do not peel easily, like bananas.  I found it easier to slit the thick skin open, lengthwise, then slide the skin off in one piece.)

Slice in half, crosswise, then slice each half lengthwise into 3 long slices.  In a large skillet, heat ~1/4 cup coconut oil (or EVOO) over medium high heat.  Saute the plantain slices in batches until golden brown, 2-3 minutes on each side.  Add additional oil, if needed.  Transfer the cooked plantain slices to drain on paper towels.

Assembling the casserole:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly oil a lasagna pan or large casserole dish.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and water until blended.

Place about 1/3 of the meat mixture in the bottom of the pan as a base.  Top with half of the plantain slices, and then about half the shredded cheese.  Add a good layer of meat (about 1/2 of what is remaining). Pour half the egg mixture into the pan, spreading it out over the ingredients.  Layer with the remaining plantains, meat, and cheese.  Pour the remaining egg mixture over the top of the casserole – spreading it out to distribute evenly.

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil, and bake at 350F until hot throughout and bubbly (about 45 minutes).  Remove foil, and bake for around 10 more minutes to brown the cheese on top.  Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.  Serve sprinkled with fresh cilantro.

XTC has long been one of my favorite bands, sadly they are no more. But what a brilliant collection of works they left. First, one of my “Top 10″ albums, Apple Venus Volume 1, their final release (sorta…). At this point the band was just Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding, but what a glorious noise they made! This sublime release is complete ear candy, from the opening rain drops of “River of Orchids” to Moulding’s “Knights in Shining Karma”. Hard to believe this was released in 1999…or that it’s out of print. For shame.

Now, one of the first albums by XTC, Drums & Wires. This was the first release by the band that got noticed in America, and I can remember “Life Begins at the Hop” and “Making Plans for Nigel” seemed to be on constant repeat on my Walkman (kids, ask your parents…it was the precursor to the ipod!). Essential!

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Curried Sweet Potato Gratin

Posted on August 28, 2011 by | 7 Comments

A gratin is a dish typically prepared using ingredients of thinly sliced and layered potatoes and cream cooked in a buttered dish.  Well….yum!  This preparation method originated in France (of course); the name gratin dauphinois refers to the Dauphiné region of France, where this method of preparing potatoes is a specialty (according to Wikipedia).  Here’s another blog post where I’m going to bastardize the French method, yet call it a gratin anyway.  Heresy, I know…  This recipe is inspired by the flavors of African sweet potato soup, with hints of nut butter, lime and spicy cayenne pepper, and it has a touch of Asian/Indian flavors with the sweet curry and coconut milk.

I have been wanting to make a potato gratin for a while, but I hadn’t really considered using sweet potatoes until recently.  If you don’t have a mandoline (or have lost a finger tip in the past to one and hesitate to try again), the potatoes could be cut into chunks and be cooked together on the stove top with the other ingredients, then blended into a killer soup!  Also, this is one of the few entries here on she cooks…he cleans that could qualify as vegan!

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • 1/2 sweet onion
  • oil of choice for coating baking dish (I used butter)
  • 1 can coconut milk, shaken well to mix
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons sweet curry powder (I used The Spice House Sweet Curry Powder)
  • 3 tablespoons almond butter
  • 2 tablespoons coconut butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons honey (or sweetening of choice)
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
  • juice of 1 lime
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • chicken or vegetable broth, as needed to adjust thickness and volume

Preheat oven to 350F.  Peel potatoes.  Using a mandoline slicer (or patience and a sharp knife), slice the potatoes and the 1/2 onion into thin slices.

Grease up a gratin dish or medium sized baking dish.  Layer the potatoes and onions together in the dish, overlapping slightly while making concentric circles.

Heat the coconut milk over medium heat in a heavy saucepan.  (Do not allow to it to boil.) Whisk in the curry powder, almond butter, coconut butter, 5-spice powder, cayenne pepper, honey, fish sauce, and lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Add approximately 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth (to reduce thickness and give the sauce enough volume to cover potatoes in baking dish).

Pour the coconut milk mixture over the potatoes.  (If it is looking “short”, add a little more broth to the mixture still in the saucepan to compensate.)

Pictured with pan-seared filet mignon…nommers!

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil, and bake for 30-40 additional minutes, or until potatoes are tender and the gratin is bubbling and starting to lightly brown on top.  Serve hot.

As we say “Goodnight, Irene…” (that could be a song! ) it wouldn’t be proper to not mention it as the soundtrack, don’t ya think? First is the 1979 Neil Young masterpiece Live Rust with the awesome “Like a Hurricane”.

Did you say “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall”? Thought you did, with Bob Dylan’s Freewheelin Bob Dylan (Reis). Landmark record, and boy, did a hard rain ever fall!

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Chicken Tagine with Lemons, Olives, and Thyme

Posted on April 8, 2011 by | 6 Comments

Sources:  Flavors of Moroccoby Ghillie Basan and “A Classic” at 64 Sq Ft Kitchen

James commented to me other day that I think about food like he thinks about music, and it’s true.  My idle thoughts are often reliving a scrumptious meal from the past, or leaping ahead to plan what morsels will next pass my lips.  Consequently, I spend a lot of time browsing food blogs and recipe books.  Imagine my delight when I came across this mouthwatering, sensual description written by Warda on her blog, 64 Sq Ft Kitchen:

“This might be The best Chicken with olives tagine I have ever made. It has all what I look for in a tagine: succulent chicken, creamy and highly spiced sauce, sweet stringy onions and melt-in-your mouth pale-hued olives with just the right amount of acidity to them. My fingers were shaking every time I would dip my bread and mop all the goodness up from my plate. My tongue would wiggle every time an olive would yield to my jaw releasing the sublime sauce hidden in its flesh. My eyes went drowsy every time a person would lift the serving spoon to fill their plate a second time.”

How could I read that and not instantly crave this dish?  I must have it!  Naturally, I also must have the correct vessel to prepare Chicken Tagine….a tagine.  We can thank the indigenous Berber tribes of Morocco for the tagine (tajine in Arabic), which is the name of the cooked dish as well as the name of the cooking vessel.  The traditional tagine is an earthenware casserole-like dish with a distinctive conical lid.  I ended up deciding on an Emile Henry, flame-resistant tagine, which is less likely to crack if used on the stovetop vs. the customary method of cooking over a charcoal stove.

The classic dish of Chicken with Olives Tagine is prepared using preserved lemon.  Since I didn’t have preserved lemon, this time I used an ordinary lemon and included lemon zest in the marinade to help intensify the flavor.  When I make this again, I will make an effort to find preserved lemons at International Farmer’s Market in Decatur.

Did this dish live up to the hype?  Absolutely!  The chicken was moist and literally falling-off-the-bone tender.  I did spoon off quite a bit of fat (and used some of it to oven-roast zucchini slices), but the tangy lemon flavors and acidity cut through the fattiness and it was a  good balance.  Tons of flavors in this dish too – the goodness never stops!

Ingredients:

  • 6 chicken thighs, bone-in with skin attached
  • 1 cup ripe olives, rinsed to remove excess brine (I used Greek Kalamatas)
  • 1 medium sweet onion, quartered and sliced thin
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 5 or 6 sprigs of fresh thyme, tied in a bundle
  • 1 lemon, zested and sliced thin (use zest in marinade, below)
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

For the Marinade:

  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
  • a pinch of saffron
  • a pinch of ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 sweet onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • zest from one lemon
  • ~1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place all marinade ingredients into a food processor and blend to a paste.  Pour it over the chicken thighs in a resealable bag; marinate overnight or for at least 2 hours (the longer the better).

When marinating is completed, heat the butter in the base of the tagine (or a heavy-based Dutch oven).  Add the onions and cook until they begin to soften.  Add the chicken thighs, along with the marinade, and continue to cook for a few more minutes, turning the chicken often to spread out the marinade.  Add water, lemon slices, and the bundle of thyme.  Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and cover with the lid.  Simmer for about 50 minutes, turning the chicken from time to time.  Add the olives to the chicken and continue to cook for about 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Remove the thyme bundle and turn the chicken pieces so that the skin side is up.  Place in the oven and bake, uncovered,  until the chicken is nicely browned and crispy on top.  Remove from oven.  Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with chopped parsley, if desired.  We served this with oven-roasted, baby zucchinis topped with feta cheese.

Chicken Tagine and zucchini with feta cheese

I do seem to think about music the way Nancy does food. In fact, this blog has only heightened that. So as we were looking at recipes for this new tajine, mentally I was going through my music collection in my head, trying to match music to the meal. Since this dish and method of preparation comes from the Middle East, and I love music from that area, I had several choices. I went with New Ancient Strings, which features Toumani Diabate and Ballake Sissoko from Mali, performing on a kora, a “harp-lute” popular in Northern Africa and the Middle East. The music is haunting, soothing, and amazingly intricate. You simply haven’t heard anything like it.

kora

And much like this dish, you won’t soon forget it once you’ve tried it!

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Posted in Entrees, Poultry

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Cauli’ & Cheese

Posted on March 21, 2011 by | 7 Comments

Macaroni and cheese, done right, is one of the best comfort foods in the world.  Some days you just gotta have a little extra comfort, so it has been hard giving up this dish.  After a difficult day worrying over a sick kitty, going back and forth to the vet, and dealing with too much work in between…it was one of those days.  I needed cheese, and lots of it!

Going back to one of my favorite old Mac N Cheese recipes, I re-engineered it to use cauliflower instead of pasta.  Roasting the cauliflower first reduces the watery-ness that you get with steamed cauliflower, and it also holds its texture better.  Browned bits of cauliflower in creamy cheese sauce made this the soothing dish I was craving – full of gooey, homey goodness!

Ingredients:

  • 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 1/2 onion, minced
  • olive oil
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
  • 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • 4 ounces grated Parmesan
  • 2 ounces sour cream
  • Kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper (to taste)
  • 1 egg, lightly whisked (optional)

[Note:  You can use different cheeses.  Today I didn't have MJ cheese, so substituted a mild cheddar hoop cheese.  Swiss, Gouda, Gruyere...they're all good too.  Just try to end up with a total of 16 ounces.]

Preheat oven to 400F.  Lightly coat shallow roasting pan with olive oil.  Toss cauliflower in roasting pan with just enough olive oil to coat; season with salt and pepper.  Roast, covered, for about ten minutes.  Remove cover and roast 8-12 minutes longer, shaking occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and lightly browned in places.  Set aside.  Decrease oven temperature to 350F.

Saute the onion in 1 T olive oil (or butter), until soft.

In a large (really large) bowl, combine the roasted cauliflower, onions, and most of the cheese (reserve some to top the dish at the end).  Add the heavy cream and sour cream, and mix together.  Add the egg, if using.  Toss well to combine the ingredients.  Season with salt, pepper, and several good dashes of cayenne pepper – to your taste.  Note that it tastes pretty darn good already, without cooking!

Lightly oil a baking dish; add the mixture to the baking dish.  Top with the remaining cheese.  Bake at 350F for around 30 minutes, until it is bubbly and browning on top.  Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and comfort yourself!

Just as there is solace in comfort foods, there are some pieces of music you return to simply because they have resonated with you since, well, forever.

ny

Comes a Time from Neil Young is such an album. Actually, most anything Neil works for me, but this one, coming right before the incredible Rust Never Sleeps, is a personal favorite.


Comes a time
when you’re driftin’
Comes a time
when you settle down
Comes a light
feelin’s liftin’
Lift that baby
right up off the ground.

Oh, this old world
keeps spinning round
It’s a wonder tall trees
ain’t layin’ down
There comes a time.

You and I we were captured
We took our souls
and we flew away
We were right
we were giving
That’s how we kept
what we gave away.

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Chile Cheese Muffins

Posted on February 18, 2011 by | Leave a comment

Adapted from Santa Fe Kitchens
(The Museum of New Mexico Foundation)

Cheesy chile mini-muffins

I made this recipe a few weeks ago as a casserole for a breakfast gathering, but thought it would also make good muffins.  I was right!    Each little muffin was a buttery, cheesy mouthful…not too egg-y…and the crust around the edges gives it more depth of flavor.  If you’re not a fan of crusty cheese (…what’s wrong with you?!), the casserole version can be cut in bite-sized squares and they are also yummy.

We really try to avoid eating grains, but this recipe does call for a bit of flour.  I cut down the amount of flour considerably from the original recipe, and used some gluten-free flour when I made this.  It might even work without flour….if anyone tries leaving out the flour, let me know how it comes out!

I also added some bacon….because everything’s better with bacon!

Ingredients:

  • 10 large eggs
  • 1/2  t salt
  • 1 t baking powder
  • 1/4 c flour (try to use gluten-free flour if possible)
  • 2 cups ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
  • 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated  (I used 1/2 pound Pepper Jack and 1/2 pound white cheddar)
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1-2 cans green chiles, diced and well drained, mild or hot (or fresh chiles, diced)
  • 6 slices bacon, cooked crispy, chopped (optional)

To taste (optional):  Tabasco sauce, ground black pepper, paprika

Preheat oven to 375F.  Beat eggs lightly in a large bowl.  Blend in salt, baking powder, and flour with a whisk until blended.  Stir in ricotta cheese, grated cheeses and melted butter.  Stir in chiles, bacon, Tabasco sauce, pepper (and other seasonings if used), until well mixed.

Spoon mixture into a well-greased muffin pans (I used mini-muffins, but regular sized muffins should also work.)  Bake until tops are brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean (around 15-20 minutes for mini-muffins).  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Alternatively, the mixture can be poured into a greased 9×13 baking dish.  Put in 400F oven for 15 minutes, then turn oven down to 350F and bake 35-40 more minutes until done.  Cut into squares and serve hot or at room temperature.

No music this time! The breakfast these were made for was held near our house in New Mexico at an incredibly beautiful place, the Alan Houser compound. Houser was a Native American artist whose son has created a gorgeous garden around his fathers spectacular creations, set in the awe inspiring Northern New Mexico landscape.

houser So, if you’re ever in the area, you should really take a tour. It’s a humbling experience. And then cross the road and knock on our door…maybe we’ll have muffins!

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