This variation is based on the slaw recipe presented as the companion for Marinated Flank Steak in The Essential New York Times Cookbook. The two foods echo each other with similar flavors and good texture contrast.
Asian Slaw
Foods to cut:
3 Cups thinly sliced red cabbage
2 carrots peeled and thinly sliced
2 shallot minced
2 scallions thinly sliced
1 Cup thinly sliced Thai basil leaves (the original recipe would have used sweet basil)
To measure for the dressing:
2 Tablespoons oil (we use canola, the original recipe called for peanut oil)
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt (the original recipe called for 3/4 tsp but we cut it back a little)
How to: This dish is really all about the prep work and measuring. Just get it all in a bowl and toss well so the veggies are well coated with the dressing.
Variations: The original recipe also called for 2 small hot chiles, seeded and minced.
February 25, 2013
February 19, 2013
Marinated Flank Steak
The original recipe from The Essential New York Times Cookbook calls for marinating the meat for 6 to 36 hours. We don't have much experience with that full range of times. My husband puts it together one evening with plans to serve it the next.
Flank Steak
Put a 2 pound flank steak in a large plastic bag to marinate overnight (ish) with:
1/4 Cup rice vinegar
1/4 Cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
When ready to cook, broil until it is done the way you like, several minutes per side works for us. Transfer to a cutting board. Let rest 10 minutes or so. Then slice thinly on the bias.
Flank Steak
Put a 2 pound flank steak in a large plastic bag to marinate overnight (ish) with:
1/4 Cup rice vinegar
1/4 Cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.
When ready to cook, broil until it is done the way you like, several minutes per side works for us. Transfer to a cutting board. Let rest 10 minutes or so. Then slice thinly on the bias.
Ginger Chick Peas
Based on the recipe for Chickpeas in Ginger Sauce from The Essential New York Times Cookbook.
Ginger Chick Peas
1/4 Cup oil
2 Cups chopped onion
2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons lemon juice
pinch cayenne
a little black pepper
4 Cups cooked or canned chick peas plus 1 Cup of their liquid
1/3 Cup water
In a large skillet, brown the onion in the oil on medium high.
Turn the heat down a little and add the ginger and garlic.
A couple of minutes later, add the coriander, cardamom, cayenne and black pepper. Stir to combine.
Then add the reserved chick pea liquid, water and lemon juice. Cook for 10 more minutes.
Then add the chick peas and cook for 10 more minutes, until heated through.
Leftovers keep well for tomorrow's lunch.
Variations:
The original recipe calls for adding a chopped tomato just after the spices and for serving with thinly sliced onion and shredded green chile (seeded). To please a picky child, we omit all of that. I am sure it would taste marvelous though.
Ginger Chick Peas
1/4 Cup oil
2 Cups chopped onion
2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoons lemon juice
pinch cayenne
a little black pepper
4 Cups cooked or canned chick peas plus 1 Cup of their liquid
1/3 Cup water
In a large skillet, brown the onion in the oil on medium high.
Turn the heat down a little and add the ginger and garlic.
A couple of minutes later, add the coriander, cardamom, cayenne and black pepper. Stir to combine.
Then add the reserved chick pea liquid, water and lemon juice. Cook for 10 more minutes.
Then add the chick peas and cook for 10 more minutes, until heated through.
Leftovers keep well for tomorrow's lunch.
Variations:
The original recipe calls for adding a chopped tomato just after the spices and for serving with thinly sliced onion and shredded green chile (seeded). To please a picky child, we omit all of that. I am sure it would taste marvelous though.
December 20, 2012
Rich Cheesy Crackers
This cracker recipe is another one of my favorites from The Homemade Pantry. It makes quite a lot for our three person family, but they will last a week in a tin on the counter and also freeze well. So when I make a batch we can have some now and some for later. A tray of these makes nice nibbling at parties. The original recipe contemplates using a stand mixer, which I don't have. So I whir everything up in my food processor. This does require advance planning because the dough needs to chill at least two hours and they need quite a long time in the oven.
Cheesy Crackers
Ingredients:
6 ounces cheddar cheese - grated
3 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes or chunks
1 1/2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 teaspoons white vinegar (or use cider vinegar if that's what you have)
an ice cube
How to:
Whir the butter, flour and mustard together in the large bowl of your food processor to a smallish crumb (or cut them together by hand with a pastry cutter). Add the cheese and process for a few more seconds.
Put the vinegar and the ice cube in a large measuring cup with 3/4 Cup water.
Add six Tablepoons of that mixture to the food processor and whir around for several more seconds. Add more water a Tablespoon at a time until the dough clobs up into one mass.
Mound the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
When you are ready to bake: Preheat the oven to 325. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit out about 15 minutes. Then roll it quite thin -- 1/8 to 1/4 inch -- cut with a knife into squares or with a biscuit cutter into rounds. Bake in a greased sheet for 30 minutes or until slightly golden. Turn off the oven and leave the trays of crackers in there while the oven cools (an hour or so).
About timing and storage: Overnight or even a couple of days in the fridge is fine for the raw dough, so you can prepare the dough well ahead if you are making the crackers for a party. To make them even farther ahead, you can freeze the dough and then let it thaw in the fridge before baking. Once baked, the crackers keep fine in a covered container on the counter for a week. If you freeze the finished crackers, you can thaw them and crisp them up with a few minutes (5ish) in a hot oven.
Cheesy Crackers
Ingredients:
6 ounces cheddar cheese - grated
3 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes or chunks
1 1/2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 teaspoons white vinegar (or use cider vinegar if that's what you have)
an ice cube
How to:
Whir the butter, flour and mustard together in the large bowl of your food processor to a smallish crumb (or cut them together by hand with a pastry cutter). Add the cheese and process for a few more seconds.
Put the vinegar and the ice cube in a large measuring cup with 3/4 Cup water.
Add six Tablepoons of that mixture to the food processor and whir around for several more seconds. Add more water a Tablespoon at a time until the dough clobs up into one mass.
Mound the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
When you are ready to bake: Preheat the oven to 325. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit out about 15 minutes. Then roll it quite thin -- 1/8 to 1/4 inch -- cut with a knife into squares or with a biscuit cutter into rounds. Bake in a greased sheet for 30 minutes or until slightly golden. Turn off the oven and leave the trays of crackers in there while the oven cools (an hour or so).
About timing and storage: Overnight or even a couple of days in the fridge is fine for the raw dough, so you can prepare the dough well ahead if you are making the crackers for a party. To make them even farther ahead, you can freeze the dough and then let it thaw in the fridge before baking. Once baked, the crackers keep fine in a covered container on the counter for a week. If you freeze the finished crackers, you can thaw them and crisp them up with a few minutes (5ish) in a hot oven.
Creme Fraiche
Once you have cultured buttermilk, making creme fraiche is a snap.
Ingredients:
One pint heavy cream
3 Tablespoons cultured buttermilk
How to:
Put the cream into a clean jar. Stir in the buttermilk. Rest the lid on top of the jar. Let it sit out at room temperature for 16-24 hours, or until thickened. Then store in the refrigerator for up a week. It really is that easy.
You can use as you would sour cream. Or try a dollop a top a slice of fruit pie. Or on a scone.
Ingredients:
One pint heavy cream
3 Tablespoons cultured buttermilk
How to:
Put the cream into a clean jar. Stir in the buttermilk. Rest the lid on top of the jar. Let it sit out at room temperature for 16-24 hours, or until thickened. Then store in the refrigerator for up a week. It really is that easy.
You can use as you would sour cream. Or try a dollop a top a slice of fruit pie. Or on a scone.
November 23, 2012
Moroccan Carrots
This cold carrot dish (doubled to feed a larger crowd) worked well as a lively side for our Thanksgiving table. The recipe comes from The Essential New York Times Cook Book.
Moroccan Carrot Salad
1 pound carrots
1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
A few cranks from your pepper grinder
2 teaspoons olive oil
Peel the carrots and slice them into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Steam for approximately 10 minutes, until tender but slightly firm. Drain. Dress with the remaining ingredients. Toss well. Cool to room temperature and then store covered in the fridge to marinate for several hours. Toss again before serving.
Notes: These carrots keep well, so making them farther in advance is fine.
The original recipe called for adding a Tablespoon of chopped cilantro. I left it out because we didn't have any on hand. If you have cilantro, add it to give another fresh layer of flavor.
Moroccan Carrot Salad
1 pound carrots
1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
A few cranks from your pepper grinder
2 teaspoons olive oil
Peel the carrots and slice them into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Steam for approximately 10 minutes, until tender but slightly firm. Drain. Dress with the remaining ingredients. Toss well. Cool to room temperature and then store covered in the fridge to marinate for several hours. Toss again before serving.
Notes: These carrots keep well, so making them farther in advance is fine.
The original recipe called for adding a Tablespoon of chopped cilantro. I left it out because we didn't have any on hand. If you have cilantro, add it to give another fresh layer of flavor.
November 21, 2012
Lemon Sorbet (with Buttermilk)
Immediately after culturing my first quart of homemade buttermilk, I began trying to figure out what I could do with it. This tangy dessert has a fresh lemon flavor without the ice-iness that you sometimes find in commercially available lemon sorbets. It is based on the Almond and Buttermilk Sorbet recipe from The Essential New York Times Cook Book. This sorbet require advance plannings. And an ice cream maker. If you don't keep the cylinder for your ice cream maker in the freezer, remember to put it in when you start the buttermilk. Time matters and they really do work best if the cylinder is frozen for 24 hours before you start churning.
Lemon Buttermilk Sorbet
Ingredients:
1/3 Cup lemon juice -- Fresh is fantastic. Bottled works fine.
1 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup light corn syrup
2 Cups buttermilk
How to:
1.Combine the lemon and sweeteners in a small sauce pan and simmer over medium low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Then let it cool back to room temperature.
2. Combine the lemon syrup and the buttermilk and chill. To speed the process, put them in a freezer bag, Seal it well and immerse it in a bowl of ice water.
3. Churn in an ice cream maker.
4. Remove to a freezer safe container with a tight lid. Put a sheet of parchment paper flush to the top of the sorbet. Then put on the lid and stash it in the freezer for a couple of hours.
Variations:
This sorbet is sturdy enough to stand up to some mix-ins like a little fresh lemon zest stirred in after churning.
The original recipe called for taking 1/2 Cup of whole raw almonds, roasting them briefly in a small dry skillet on medium-high heat, pulverizing them in a food processor with 1/4 C sugar and adding that to the lemon syrup and buttermilk before churning. I haven't done it since we don't cook with almonds, but it sounds delicious.
Lemon Buttermilk Sorbet
Ingredients:
1/3 Cup lemon juice -- Fresh is fantastic. Bottled works fine.
1 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup light corn syrup
2 Cups buttermilk
How to:
1.Combine the lemon and sweeteners in a small sauce pan and simmer over medium low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Then let it cool back to room temperature.
2. Combine the lemon syrup and the buttermilk and chill. To speed the process, put them in a freezer bag, Seal it well and immerse it in a bowl of ice water.
3. Churn in an ice cream maker.
4. Remove to a freezer safe container with a tight lid. Put a sheet of parchment paper flush to the top of the sorbet. Then put on the lid and stash it in the freezer for a couple of hours.
Variations:
This sorbet is sturdy enough to stand up to some mix-ins like a little fresh lemon zest stirred in after churning.
The original recipe called for taking 1/2 Cup of whole raw almonds, roasting them briefly in a small dry skillet on medium-high heat, pulverizing them in a food processor with 1/4 C sugar and adding that to the lemon syrup and buttermilk before churning. I haven't done it since we don't cook with almonds, but it sounds delicious.
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