April 6, 2011
comment 0

Julia Can do no Wrong to Steak

My all time favorite chef is Julia Child. Not necessarily because I am a French food fanatic (though I do love me some French food!), but because I read her memoirs and fell absolutely utterly in love with her personality and approach to cooking. It doesn’t hurt that I am a short distance from her Cambridge home and frequent her butcher shop – Savenor’s.

So French food. It’s intimidating, right? Julia’s steak recipe is hands down one of her easiest recipes out there and absolutely delicious. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 2 5 – 6 ounce steaks
  • Salt & pepper
  • 1/4 cup red wine (quality wise, don’t use if it won’t drink it)
  • 1 tbsp butter

Heat your pan (I like my cast iron skillet) until piping hot. While this is  heating up, quickly rinse and pat dry your steak. Salt and pepper both sides. Spray the pan with Pam (or use butter if you want to be super decadent) and place steaks inside. Cook for about 4 – 5 minutes on each side. Remove steak and place on a heated plate (literally throw it in the microwave, this is so your steak doesn’t get cold).

If you have a lot of crunchies in your pan, dump out, but if you have a nice cut of steak this most likely won’t be the case. Pour in red wine and using a silicon spatula, reduce with the steak residue. Turn heat off and plop in your butter. Mix around until melted. Serve on top of your steak.

If you claim that your A1 sauce is better, I really encourage you just to try this once. You will never buy steak sauce again. It is superb.

I served with green beans.

April 6, 2011
comment 0

Cajun Chicken Stir Fry

It’s that time of year when you realize that you will need to wear a swimsuit in two months (yes, very tragic). So it’s time to kick out high caloric meals with lots of butter and cheese and switch into healthy summer mode (which really, isn’t all that bad). Since I really enjoyed the chicken in my gumbo a few weeks ago, I decided to use the spices again.

What you’ll need:

  • 4 chicken cutlets or 1 breast, cut into small pieces (1/2 – 1”)
  • 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
  • 1 small eggplant, cut into small pieces (about 3/4”)
  • 1 medium summer squash, chopped
  • 1/2 medium onion sliced

Chop up your chicken and sprinkle on cajun seasoning. Let sit for a few minutes. Throw into a heated and oiled cast iron skillet. While this is cooking (and remember to stir the chicken up!), chop up your veggies. Add the onions and cook for another few minutes. Add the egg plant and summer squash and cook for about 5 – 7 minutes until the chicken is completely cooked through.

Serve on top of rice.

April 4, 2011
comment 0

Cadbury Creme Eggs

It’s April, which means it’s Cadbury Creme egg season. I can only handle about one a year, and decided that this year, it would be baked inside a cupcake. (Inspired by one of my favorite blogs – Bake it in a Cake).

What you’ll need for the cake:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 8 large Cadbury Creme eggs

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside. Mix the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Melt the butter in the milk (either on the stove or in the microwave). Alternating the milk mixture and flour, mix into the sugar mixture. Note that this batter is a little runnier.

Line your cupcake tin with wrappers (this will make around 8 – 10 cupcakes, some may not have eggs inside!). Dump about 2 Tbsp worth of batter in each compartment. Place unwrapped egg on top of batter and cover completely. I found that oversized cupcake wrappers worked better (Nordicware sells nice ones).

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Since you can’t really insert a toothpick without hitting a giant egg, I used my finger to see if it was cooked through on top (careful not to burn yourself!). I checked every five minutes or so after 15 minutes had passed (mine were probably in the oven for about 23).

Take out, let cool. Meanwhile make the frosting.

You’ll need:

  • 2/3 stick of butter, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 tbsp of milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Beat butter and vanillla together for one minute. Add powdered sugar and milk alternately until you get the desired consistency. I dyed mine purple for some extra flair.

And because you really need to see it cut open , I’m including my reject cupcake (which is the only one I took a picture of!).

This sad frosting job is brought to you by running out of frosting.

March 29, 2011
comment 0

Polenta Part Two

Sunday I made polenta (see recipe here). Since it was a side, I had plenty of leftovers I needed to use up. Inspired by some of the more traditional ways to serve polenta, I cut it into a few pieces and grilled it in some olive oil. After I flipped for the first time, I dumped on about 1/2 cup marinara sauce, let that heat for a minute, and then sprinkled with mozzarella cheese.

March 27, 2011
comment 0

Pork Chops (and polenta)

I haven’t really had pork chops… ever. Maybe once or twice as a kid, but nothing that’s stuck with me. I’ve avoided pork chops like the plague, until I read a Mario Batali recipe that would require me to eat said ‘chops. Since that specific recipe needed 12 hours (brining time), James and I decided to try something a little simpler.

Because I am not a HUGE meat person, but making myself become one (in preparation for an unplanned trip to France in the future), I bought the organic, hopefully humanely treated pig. But you pretty much can whatever tickles your fancy.

Here’s what you need –

  • 2 pork chops, about 3/4” thick
  • 1 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1/4 tsp black better
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix the spices in a bowl and set aside. Rinse off the pork chops and pat dry with paper towel. Cover each pork chop in the dry rub and place in a gallon sized bag. Placed in fridge for 1 – 8 hours (ours marinated for about 5).

Heat your pan on high and place your chops down. Preheat your oven for 350. Cook for five minutes on one side, three on the other.

Pop your pork chops into a baking dish and throw in the oven for an additional five minutes to cook through.

Meanwhile, make your sides. We had steamed broccoli and polenta. For the polenta you will need –

  • 3 cups water
  • nearly 1 cup of corn meal (maybe 3 tbsp less than a cup)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp butter

Boil the water. Add in the salt. Slowly add in the corn meal and whisk together. Stir constantly until the corn meal is completely mixed in and starts to harden. Take off the heat and add in the butter. Stir until melted. Transfer to a pie plate and let sit. (NOTE: I made my polenta before I started the chops to ensure that it had firmed up by the time we ate).

March 26, 2011
comment 0

Chicken Parm

I promise, I haven’t been eating out. I’ve just been reheating leftovers. But I did make dinner tonight (last night I had a cupcake, so that didn’t count).

What you’ll need:

  • 2 chicken breasts (about 1/2 lb each)
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 – 1 cup marinara
  • 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 2 Tbsp grated Romano cheese
  • 2 small servings of pasta

Preheat your oven for 350. Meanwhile, pound your chicken to 1/2 inch thick (I finally got to use my brand new meat mallet!). Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess. Set aside.

Spray your baking dish with Pam.

In a shallow/wide bowl, crack your egg and whisk. On a plate combine together the bread crumbs, seasonings and salt/pepper/ Dip your floured chicken in the egg and then in the crumb mixture. Both sides. Shake off excess.

Place in baking dish. Spray top with Pam. Throw the temperature up to 400 and put your chicken in for 15 minutes.

While this is going, start boiling water for pasta. When it boils, obviously, put your pasta in. After 15 minutes, take your chicken out and pour over marinara sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top. Throw back in for 10 minutes. Drain pasta when it’s down.

And plate!

Yes, that’s our new MacBook Pro in the background 🙂

March 21, 2011
comment 0

Chickpea Salad

Once again, inspired by Bon Appetit, I made chickpea salad last night for this week’s lunch. Check out the original recipe here.

Here’s what you need:

  • 15 ounce can of chickpeas
  • 1/2 lime
  • 4 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Mix together.

March 20, 2011
comment 0

Bacon and Leek Risotto

The latest issue of Bon Appetit arrived this weekend. Last month, I ogled over the mac and cheese on the cover, but never got around to making it. Probably due to the strange cheeses I’d need to buy and not having time to stop in at Formaggio’s Kitchen to do so. After flipping through this month’s, I knew immediately that we would be trying out a few recipes.

First off – Bacon and leek risotto with a fried egg (I am not poaching an egg, sorry, just not going to happen). Here’s a link to the recipe if you feel inclined to try this out (I recommend it!).

Lacking both bacon and leeks, James and I made a quick pit stop at Trader Joe’s before embarking in the world of food that tastes so good but is so bad for you.

Nom. Nom.

I’m not going to lie, stirring hot, hot risotto for 25 minute isn’t exactly fun, but James helped out. At least so I could snap a pic.

And the final….

March 17, 2011
comment 0

Shrimp and Pasta

This week I’ve been bad. Eating out a lot. I apologize to both my wallet and my body. Luckily, I’ve also been hoarding blog posts, so I can at least provide an update in the midst of my crazy food frenzy.

On Sunday I made a quick and easy shrimp primavera dish. This is so, so easy to

make and put together.

Boil your water. Make some pasta. While that’s cooking, chop up some zucchini, summer squash and onions. Add butter to a hot fry pan and toss. Add shrimp. Cook until pink. At the end, add a dash of lemon juice and a splash of white wine. Remove from the heat. Dump the pasta in and mix.