Friends Food Family

Dorie Greenspan's Scallops with Caramel-Orange Sauce

 

I have a confession to make...we own 100 cookbooks. At least in the quick count of one of our cabinets. Our newest addition arrived last week "around my french table" by Dorie Greenspan. Jeff loves to read some of the reviews on Amazon and said this one was phenominal. He especially liked it because it had some really great French recipes, not a style of cooking we normally use. We spent most of last week thumbing through the cookbook, marking off our favorite recipes. Both of us decided that since we hadn't had scallops in quite a while the Scallops with Caramel-Orange Sauce would be our first recipe.

The recipe was simple with a few ingredients and the process to get everything prepared took about 20 minutes. You could serve this dish as a meal as well as an appetizer. We enjoyed the scallops with couscous and broccoli. And I'll have to admit, after eating the scallops, I was running my broccoli and couscous through the remainder of the sauce.

The sauce was sweet but not overpowering, just delicious...incredible...amazing. I love this style of sauce with seafood. It never takes away from the wonderful taste of the scallops.

The best description of this recipe : quick, easy, sweet and delicious. This is a keeper!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of white sugar
1/2 cup of dry white wine
Juice of 1 large orange - generous 1/3 cup (we used a blood red orange)
1 pound of sea scallops (we used dry scallops)
1/2 to 1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and freshly ground white pepper, for taste
1 tablespoon cold butter, cut into 3 pieces

Candied Orange Zest (recipe below)

Preparation:

Sprinkle the sugar into a small sauce pan. Place the pan over medium-high heat and warm the sugar until it starts to melt and color. As soon as you see it turn brown, begin to gently swirl the pan. When the sugar has turned a deep caramel color (you can put  a drop of sugar on a white plate to test the color), about 3 minutes, stand back and add the white wine and orange juice. It may bubble and spatter, so watch out. Turn the heat up to high, stir with a wooden spoon, and boil the sauce until it is reduced by half — you should have about 1/3 cup. Pull the pan from the heat and set it aside. (You can make the sauce up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator.)

Pat the scallops dry between two paper towels. Slice or pull off the little muscle attached to the sides of the scallops. Have a warm serving platter and a small strainer at the ready.

Put the sauce pan with the caramel sauce over very low heat so that it can warm while you cook the scallops.

Put a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. When the pan is hot, pour in 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the scallops, season them with salt and pepper, add a little more oil if needed, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the scallops are firm on the outside and just barely opaque in the center — nick one to test. Transfer the scallops to the serving platter.

Check that the caramel sauce is hot — give it more heat if necessary. Pull the pan from the heat and toss in the butter, bit by bit, swirling the pan until the butter is melted and the sauce is glistening. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, then pour through the strainer into a sauce boat or pitcher. Drizzle some of the sauce over the scallops and pass the rest at the table.

Before you squeeze the juice from the orange, cut off the zest using a zester, a vegetable peel or a knife, avoiding the cottony, white pith. Bring a small sauce pan of water to a boil, toss in the zest and boil for one minute, then drain in a strainer and rinse under cold water. Put 3/4 cup of water and 1/2 cup of white sugar in the pan and cook, stirring until dissolved and the syrup is boiling. Add the zest, reduce the heat to as low as possible and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the zest is soft. At serving time, remove the zest with chopsticks or a slotted spoon and strew it over the caramel-sauced scallops.

Bon Appetit's Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts

 

The February 2011 copy of Bon Appetit Magazine arrived yesterday and pictured on the cover were these amazing Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts. Posted as "Best-Ever Brownies" and "Warning: You will eat the entire tray", I had a challenge on my hands. Eat the ENTIRE tray? These must be pretty good and probably a chocoholic delight.

The recipe was interesting as they have you brown the butter. The smell in the kitchen was amazing as I stirred the foam off the butter. When I added it to the cocoa and sugar it smelled like fudgy brownies. The rest was easy and before I knew it, 20 minutes and they were in the oven. Since I would be eating the tray of brownies, I tried some of the batter...DELICIOUS!

Once the brownies were slightly cooled, I cut into them having sat patiently while the house smelled like a chocolate factory. The brownies were dense, chewy and extremely fudgy. They reminded me of a flour less chocolate cake, but better. I loved the buttery taste which definitely came through with the browned butter. The walnuts were nice and chewy and completed that nutty brownie taste.

Sad to say, I didn't eat the whole tray (though I could have) but we fed 4 delighted people who all asked for seconds. We have a few left which I'm hoping to enjoy today probably warmed with some raspberry sorbet and chocolate sauce...Yum!

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
10 tablespoons of (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups of sugar
3/4 cup of natural unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned into cup to measure, then leveled)
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 large eggs, chilled
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon of unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup of walnut pieces

Preparation

Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 325°F. Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, pressing foil firmly against pan sides and leaving 2-inch overhang. Coat foil with nonstick spray.

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form at bottom of pan, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; immediately add sugar, cocoa, 2 teaspoons water, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt. Stir to blend. Let cool 5 minutes (mixture will still be hot).

Add eggs to hot mixture 1 at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition. When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended. Beat vigorously 60 strokes. Stir in nuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs attached), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Cut into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 4 brownies.

Epicurious' Fontina Risotto Cakes with Fresh Chives

 
(plain)

 

(with a tomato dipping sauce)

Before the devastating New England Patriots loss, Jeff and I were heading to the Jaegar's house to watch "the big game". I never like to go anywhere empty handed so I found this recipe on the Epicurious website. I was looking for an appetizer and this seemed pretty good - Fontina Risotto Cakes with Fresh Chives - especially since risotto is a favorite of ours and very easy to make.

This is where the story goes a little...blank. I was at a baby shower and didn't have time to put this together so Jeff was in charge. I came back to finish the tomato dipping sauce. I can't really tell you how easy or hard it was to put together but I can tell you this...they were delicious. I was the official taster and the rice cakes were cheesy (Parmesan and Fontina) but the chives gave them a great (but slight) onion flavor. We decided that as much as they tasted great without a dipping sauce, we figured we'd create one and then see whether it worked.

Off to work I went...

Tomato Dipping Sauce

        2 - 8 ounce packages of cherry or grape tomatoes (sliced in half)

        4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

        1/2 cup of olive oil

        12-16 fresh basil leaves, chopped

        2-3 tablespoons of freshly chopped chives

        salt and pepper to taste

Preheat a medium saute pan on medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil. Add the sliced garlic and saute until slightly golden. Remove from oil and throw away. Add the tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes Add the basil, chives and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, the sauce is ready.

We put the risotto cakes on top of the sauce and it was perfect. Most times when you are served risotto cakes or Arancini Rice Balls, there is usually a tomato sauce mixture for dipping. As much as we used this for the risotto cakes, it's actually a great sauce for pasta or bruscetta. 

If you are looking for a different type of appetizer or even as a light luncheon idea, try this. It will be an event to remember! 

Ingredients

3 cups (about) low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), divided
1/2 cup (packed) coarsely grated Fontina cheese (about 2 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 large egg yolk

2 large eggs
Canola oil (for frying)

Additional grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh chives

Preparation

Bring 3 cups broth to simmer in small saucepan. Reduce heat to very low; cover and keep warm. Heat olive oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine; stir until absorbed, about 30 seconds. Add broth, 1/3 cup at a time, and simmer until rice is just tender and risotto is creamy, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more, and stirring often, about 18 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in 6 tablespoons Parmesan and butter. Season generously with salt and pepper. Spread risotto in 13x9x2-inch pan and cool completely.

Mix 1/2 cup panko, Fontina cheese, parsley, chopped chives, and 1 egg yolk into risotto. Shape into 1 1/4-inch balls; flatten to 2-inch rounds. Arrange on rimmed baking sheet. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 250°F. Set another rimmed baking sheet in oven. Beat 2 eggs in shallow bowl to blend. Place 1 cup panko in another shallow bowl. Dip risotto cakes into beaten egg, then into panko to coat. Pour enough canola oil into large skillet to coat bottom; heat oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sauté risotto cakes until crisp and brown, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to baking sheet in oven.

Serve risotto cakes sprinkled with cheese and garnished with chives.

Looking for a Hearty Beef Stew Recipe with Red Wine and Vegetables?

 

Once the holidays have passed and things aren't as CRAZY, Jeff and I love to spend Sundays making stews and dishes we can use during the rest of the week. When the ability to make a quick meal is difficult, coming home and re-heating a hearty meal is stress-less.

Last year, we found a Cabernet Beef Stew from Harmony Cellars, which was delicious. We have decided that this year we are trying to adapt more recipes and put our spin on the dish. After having lookedup numerous beef stew recipes we decided to use this as a base and add additional vegetables, herbs, pancetta and beef stock. It will take you about an hour for prep and stove top cooking before you place the stew in the oven to finish. It's well worth the hour because the rest of the time you can enjoyed entertaining or just relaxing.

We enjoyed the beef stew with crusty sourdough bread which was amazing. The broth has big favor with the wine and the beef broth, adding the pancetta definitely kicked up the meaty flavor. The vegetable were just right and the parsnips were delicious. We fed seven people that night and proceeded to send a few servings to Jeff's dad as well as supplement numerous lunches during the week. The response from those who took it for lunch, "It tastes even better re-heated." More time to let the flavors come together.

With the first weekend of football play-offs beginning, this is a great meal to serve, especially if everyone is snacking on chips, salsa and chicken wings during the day. Great for a football party or larger gathering. Hearty and delicious, it's a guaranteed crowd pleaser!

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons of olive oil

4 cloves of garlic

4 medium sized onions, sliced into 1/4 inch strips

3 pounds of baby yukon potatoes cut in quarters

5 stalks of celery sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

5 carrots sliced into 1/2 inch pieces ( or use about 20 small carrots)

4-5 parsnips sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

8 ounces of whole, baby bella mushrooms cut into quarters

4 ounces of chopped pancetta

2 cups of red wine (we use

6-7 cups of beef broth

4 pounds of stew beef cut into 2 inch cubes, dredge in flour (with salt and pepper)

3 bay leaves

2 teaspoons of dry marjoram

2 teaspoons of dry thyme

1 teaspoon of dry tarragon

1 teaspoon of dry rosemary

3-4 tablespoons of fresh basil

4 tablespoons of corn starch

1-2 cups of addition beef stock

salt and pepper, to taste

 

Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large dutch oven (12+ cups) on medium high. Once the pot is hot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place beef (in small batches) into the pot and brown on each side. Don't over cook, they should be browned on the outside, still raw on the inside. Remove and place in a bowl. It will take about 4-5 minutes. I worked this in 4 small batches. Add the second 2 tablespoons of oil after the second batch.

Once all the beef has been browned, add the pancetta to the pot with the onions and garlic. Cook until the pancetta begins to brown and the onions are translucent. Add the beef back to the pan and add one cup of red wine. Scrap all the brown residue from the bottom of the pot. Allow it to come to a boil and then add the second cup of wine. Add the 6 cups of beef broth and then add all the vegetables (carrots, celery, potatoes, parsnips, and mushrooms). Once everything is incorporated, add the herbs and bay leaves (basil, tarragon, marjoram, thyme, rosemary).

Most of the ingredients should be submerged in the broth. If not, add another cup of broth to the pot. Cover with a lid and place in the oven. The stew will cook for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. The stew is finished when the carrots have a slight bite and the beef is soft.

Move the pot from the oven to the stove and heat the pot on medium. Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/2 to 1 cup of beef broth. Add this to the stew to increase the thickness of the broth. Allow the mixture to boil slightly. If the stew is still runny, add the other 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and broth.

Once you have the stew consistency you like, add salt and pepper to taste. This recipe will feed 12-16 people.

Tyler Florence's Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

 

About a year ago, I bought a mini-scone pan. I was heading right home to find a recipe to make scones because this was going to be my new breakfast treat, rather than muffins.

Today, being stuck in the house with the second nor'easter of the season, I found a container of blueberries hidden in the back of the refrigerator. Before they went bad I had a few choices...blueberry pancakes, blueberry muffins or...blueberry scones. That's right, I have a mini-scone pan I've never used. I looked up blueberry scones on the internet and came across Tyler Florence's Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze. I had to find a recipe that used heavy cream since I had some on the verge of being thrown away. Typically, scones are made with either heavy cream or buttermilk and buttermilk wasn't an option.

The recipe was easy to make. The dough was a little dry so I had to use my hands to get the last of it together. Some people who commented on the recipe suggested using 1-2 tablespoons of additional heavy cream. I was going to add some but was able to get the mixture to incorporate.

I flattened the dough and cut it into rectangular pieces to fit in the pan. The scones do not rise or get bigger as they cook so you can cut them to fit.

The glaze was also easy, especially since you can zap it in the microwave. I would suggest making half the glaze since there is quite a bit left over. I ran out of lemon juice and also didn't have a fresh lemon for the rind. I substitued a little bit of orange juice and orange rind which worked out perfectly.

My son, Stephen, and I were the first to indulge. The scones were delicious. The glaze added just enough sweetness to the scone. the scone was moist and melted in your mouth. We are a blueberry muffin family and I asked Stephen whether he thought they were better than blueberry muffins. "Oh, yeah...much better!" What more would you want from one of the "Bay Road Food Critics"!

The next time you want to make muffins, make scones. Something different, something tasty, something fun!

Scones:
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of sugar
5 tablespoons of butter, cold, cut into chunks
1 cup of heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones
1 cup of fresh blueberries (you can use frozen, but they can be tougher to incorporate) 

Lemon Glaze:
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice (or orange juice if you don't have it)
2 cups of confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 lemon, zest finely grated (or orange zest)
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Sift together the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not overwork the dough. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Take care not to mash or bruise the blueberries because their strong color will bleed into the dough. Note: If the dough is too dry add 1 tablespoon (at a time) of heavy cream until it sticks together.

Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 12 by 3 by 1 1/4 inches. Cut the rectangle in 1/2 then cut the pieces in 1/2 again, giving you 4 (3-inch) squares. Cut the squares in 1/2 on a diagonal to give you the classic triangle shape. Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a little heavy cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until slightly golden brown. Let the scones cool a bit before you apply the glaze.

Technically you should make this simple lemon glaze in a double boiler, but it's even simpler to zap it in the microwave. Mix the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar together in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon zest and butter. Nuke it for 30 seconds on high. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a minute before serving.

The 12 Cookies of Christmas - Day 12 - Chocolate and Vanilla Sandwich Cookies

 

Finally, the 12th Cookies of Christmas. As I had mentioned earlier, life has been a bit of a whirlwind since the Wednesday before Christmas.

Jeff's parents moved in with us this past August and have an in-law apartment in the back of our house. On Wednesday the 22nd, Jeff's mom fell and broke her hip. After spending two days at Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton and six days at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Althea is resting comfortably at the Harrington House (Rehabilitation Center). We expect her home next week.

This put much of my cooking as well as blogging into a tailspin. Between hospital visits and caring for Jeff's dad, dinners (and desserts) were scarce at best. We are finally moving into a more normal pace and blogging will resume at two days a week.

As I tried to figure which would be the twelveth (12th) cookie, I went back and forth between chocolate and fruit. Chocolate won out but in a fun way. (Did you think it wouldn't?) I found one of my favorite recipes and decided to mix it up with vanilla and chocolate. These sandwich cookies are very easy to make with simple ingredients and delicious results. They look like little whoopie pies, but taste better...a little sweeter.

I found this recipe on the side of a Pillsbury's Dark Chocolate Cake box. This is a semi-home made recipe which allows you to make them quickly. It starts with the cake mix and ends with you deciding whether you would like to make your own filling or use purchased frosting.

Ingredients:

1 box of Pillsbury Dark Chocolate Cake Mix (for the vanilla cookies, use yellow cake mix)

1/2 cup of butter, melted

1 egg, slightly beaten

Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all three ingredients until they are well combined, forming a ball. Using a tablespoon of dough, roll each ball into a 1-1/2 inch ball. Place on a cookies sheet 2 inches apart. This will yield about 30 balls. Bake for 8-10 minutes until puffed and slightly cracked.

Cool on cookie racks.

Frosting Ingredients:

2 cups of confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup of shortening (crisco)

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

1 egg white

(if you would like to make chocolate frosting, add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to one cup of vanilla frosting)

Preparation:

Place egg white, vanilla and shortening in a bowl and beat until slightly lumpy and frothy. Add confectioner's sugar one cup at a time, getting a blended consistency. The frosting is sweet so you may want to add the second cup in intervals, tasting in between.

Once the cookies have cooled, add a tablespoon of frosting to each cookie or more if you like filling. This recipe yields about 15 cookies. If you don't want to make the frosting a prepared frosting will do.

Making both flavors was fun, along with mixing up the chocolate and vanilla frostings. This recipe pleased every taste. Make some for your next celebrating!

 

 

The list of all Cookies of Christmas for 2010 are:

1.   Cocoa Wedding Cake Cookies

2.   Sally Ann Cookies

3.   Super Fudge Mint Brownies

4.   Oatmeal Scotchies

5.   Lemonade Drops

6.   Re-vamping Andria's Chocolate Chip Cookies

7.   Real Simple's Raspberry-Walnut Crumble Bars

8.   Mocha Roughies

9.   Peanut Butter Chocolate Coconut Bars

10. Bread & Chocolate's Cranberry Orange Pistachio Biscotti

11. Martha Stewart's Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

12. Chocolate and Vanilla Sandwich Cookies

Sausage Risotto with Tomatoes and Basil

 

Happy New Year Everyone! It's time to get back to some hearty meals...and they are probably a little more nutritious than my favorite 12 Cookies of Christmas. As I've mentioned before, we are a risotto family. Every other week we make a batch of recipe inspired or "everything but the kitchen sink" risotto.

This week was "everything but the kitchen sink". I had a pound of sweet sausage and an onion. I wasn't sure what I could do with it. I kept trying to think of what would go great with it but peppers kept popping into my head (sausages, peppers and onions) and I didn't have any.  So, I grabbed the risotto and figured I'd make it up as I went along.

Follow me as I make sausage risotto with tomatoes and basil.

I started with:

1 yellow onion chopped

1 pound of sweet sausage with the casings removed

8 cups of chicken broth

Put chicken broth in a sauce pan and heat to a simmer.

Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Once it is hot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil then add the onions. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent, add the sausage in pieces to the onions. As it cooks, further break the pieces into bite-size form. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink.

Add 2-1/2 cups of arborio rice. Saute for two minutes until the rice is slightly translucent.

Stir in 1 cup of white wine. Once the wine has been absorbed start adding the chicken broth two large ladles at a time. As the broth is absorbed, add more ladles of broth to the rice, keeping them moist and avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan.  After four ladles have been used, add 

1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes with it's juice to the chicken broth.

Add 1/4 cup of fresh basil, chopped to the rice mixture.

Continue adding ladles of chicken broth until the rice is soft with a slight bite. You will probably use about 7-8 cups of broth. Add 4 tablespoons of cream cheese and 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese. Remove from heat and place in a serving dish to stop the cooking process.

This serves 6-8 people (comfortably).

It was delicious! And everyone went back for seconds. It had a hearty sausage taste with pieces of tomato. Creamy, Mmm, Mmm good! Take advantage of an easy meal which you can change up at any time. Maybe chicken with broccoli or shrimp with peas and lemon rind. Throw in everything but your kitchen sink!