Chocolate Biscotti

Okay Arielle Buss you asked and I will deliver. A simple dessert that will survive a 5 hour road trip!!!

Chocolate Biscotti

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

6 Tbsp(3 oz) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp strong coffee (optional)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Sift together dry ingredients. Beat butter and sugar together until very smooth, then beat in the eggs and the flavorings. Mix in dry ingredients until blended. Fold in add-ins. You can substitute white chocolate chips for the dried cranberries for fruit haters.

2. Divide dough; put pieces on opposite sides of a parchment lined baking sheet. Shape each into a 12 inch-long, 1/2 inch thick log. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, cool 20 minutes.

Note: I put the dough in a round disk and wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight. It is easier to work with when you divide the dough and form it into logs.

3. Slice into 1/2 inch thick cookies (easiest with a serrated knife, I use a bread knife). Stand them up on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

If you like them drier and crunchier you can turn the oven to 250 and leave them in longer.

Suggestions: Serve with Cappuccino, gelato.

They travel really well...I took them to California. Store them in a tin or a pretty jar. I also freeze them and Harry eats one at night. I don't have them around, currently, since I cannot eat just one!!!!

I hope this works for you!!

You also might want to take a look at the marshmallows, but you need a high powered mixer for those!

Enjoy your trip!! Love, PW

Trader Joe's what would I do without you- #2

Lentil Salad

While it is not hard to make lentils it is even easier to buy a box at trader joes!

1 Box of prepared and refrigerated lentils

1/2 small red onion diced

1/2 a european cucumber seeded and diced or a couple of the small persian cukes

1 red pepper

1 carrot diced small

2 T chopped fresh parsley

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 T garlic infused olive oil or regular olive oil and use some garlic powder in seasoning

2 T red wine vineagar

crumbled feta cheese (optional)

Toss together taste and adjust seasoning and dressing

This is great to have in a container. Add some salmon or chicken and you have a meal.

Trader Joe's what would I do without you!!!

Low Sodium Tomato Soup pumped up!!!

This soup can be a starter or an entire meal!

1 box of Trader Joe's Low Sodium Tomato Soup

Good Curry Powder

Options:

Steamed or Sauteed Spinach

Cubes of Grilled Chicken

Chunks of Tofu

Roasted Cauliflower-Especially good seasoned with the Moroccan blend from another post

Sauteed Mushrooms

So here is the deal. Dr. Oz kept touting the benefits of turmeric and how the incidence of dementia and Alzheimers is very low in India and I thought, "we are going to start embracing the curry!"

While I like the Trader Joe's tomato soup I did think it lacked a little something. Well low and behold start with a couple of teaspoons of curry powder and taste add more to your liking and heat slowly. At this point it is good just as a starter, but now start adding some ingredients and you have a hearty, satisfying bowl of soup.

My favorite is steaming or sauteing some spinach with red pepper flakes and garlic in a little olive oil or going the extra distance and making some kale. Pour the soup over a serving of the spinach and add some cheese if you like. Yummmm!!!

The reality is a little seasoning and some additions make a wonderful semi-homemade meal in minutes!!!

Enjoy!!!

BAM, Vassar College, Aquarius: fall 2010.mov

Good-bye Brisket with wine-Hello Short Ribs!!!

First there were the brisket wars but now those days are gone!! I got the family's blessing to stop with two kinds of brisket and just make these short ribs. This is a fail proof recipe! I have doubled it, I have used up to 8lbs of meat and there is plenty of sauce ( of course I go with 3 cups of wine) I have used boneless short ribs from Costco, Safeway, premium short ribs on the bone, not so premium short ribs a combo of the two and then separated for serving. Everyone goes nuts!! Even my friends who don't like to potchky (fuss) in the kitchen are willing to make this because their husbands will do whatever they want them to do if they feed them this!!!

I take no credit for this recipe since I got it from where else, the food network and their last chef goddess, Anne Burrell. Her show Secrets of a Restaurant Chef is great! I cook the ribs low and slow at 325 instead of her 375 but I could split the difference at 350. She also says the meat shouldn't fall off the bone but mine usually does. I have made these in a small batch and served them the same night and unlike brisket they are yummy!! Usually, I am making a ton and freezing them for some holiday. When I am making them for a crowd I like to make a few on the bone since the bones enhance the sauce, but I have done them with just large boneless short ribs and they were a big hit too!!!

The big fuss is the browning of the meat and when you are making them for a crowd that takes a while and de-fatting them after cooking. I do a quick drop of a paper towel on top and lift quickly. After they cool a little I refrigerate overnight and take any residual fat off.

Ingredients

6 bone-in short ribs (about 6 lbs)

Kosher salt

Extra-virgin Olive oil

1 large Spanish onion cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 ribs of celery cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 carrots peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 1/2 cups tomato paste

2-3 cups hearty red wine (wine you would drink not cooking wine)

2 cups water

1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string

2 bay leaves

Directions Preheat oven to 325

Season each short rib generously with salt (i also use a little black pepper)

Coat a large pot (I use a dutch oven with a tight fitting lid) with olive oil and bring to a high heat

Add the short ribs to the pan and brown (sear) very well 2-3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches if necessary. This browning is crucial to creating the layers of flavor.

(when i do this for a crowd i make it in batches and transfer it all to a huge roasting pan which i put a layer of parchment paper and then cover twice with very heavy aluminum foil wrapped tight in order to braise.)

While you are browning the short ribs, puree all the vegetables and the garlic in the food processor until it forms a coarse paste.

When ribs are very brown on all sides, remove them from the pan. Drain the fat, coat the bottom of the same pan with fresh oil (do not wipe the pan out, just dump the fat in a bowl or a can!! Flavor is in the bottom of that pan!!) Add the pureed vegetables generously salt the veggies and brown until they are very dark and a crud has formed on the bottom of the pan, approximately 5-7 minutes. Scrape the curd and let it reform. Scrape the crud again and add the tomato paste. Brown the tomato paste for 4-5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat if things start to burn. Reduce the mixture by 1/2.

Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups of water or until the water has just about covered the meat. Add the thyme bundle and bay leaves.( I always forget to do this and then i have to uncover the whole thing) Cover the pan and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water if needed ( i have never done this.) Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time ( i have never done this either and i guess that is because i cook it a little longer at 325. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking to let things get nice and brown and to let the sauce reduce. When done the meat should be very tender.

Serve over mashed potatoes or polenta or grits or cut into small pieces and make a ragu for pasta.

Garlic Roasted Mashed Cauliflower

I serve it over garlic roasted mashed cauliflower. Roast garlic in oven 45 minutes at 350. Slice head of garlic horizontally and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper wrap in tin foil tightly and place in oven. Steam Cauliflower until very soft. Place cauliflower in food processor with a few pats of butter and the garlic which you squeeze out the cloves. Add a little 1/2 and 1/2 as needed. This is from the south beach cookbook with a few twists. I would rather use a little of real then a lot of fake.

Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes-the bomb!!

Oh my god!!! I am perfectly happy with roasted sweet potatoes but these take things to the next level. Claire Robinson of 5 Ingredient Fix on the food network prepared these for the Thanksgiving show and they are amazing. Of course she is limited to 5 ingredients so feel free to add some seasoning to the roasting process. I added some nutmeg and cinnamon and as always a sprinkle of cayenne. The great thing about these is you can make the pan sauce up and roast the potatoes and not combine them until close to serving and keep them warm in the oven. Amazing!!!

The key is to really caramelize the shallots!!!

This is for 4 servings

4 small or 2 large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 cup grade B maple syrup divided (2T for roasting and 2 T for the sauce)

1/4 cup EVOO, divided (2 T extra-virging olive oil for roasting 2T for the sauce)

2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to adjust seasoning if needed

1 tsp freshly ground pepper, plus more to adjust if needed

4 large shallots peeled and sliced thin

2 Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar

Pre-heat ove to 400 degrees F

In a large bowl combine sweet potatoes and 2 T of the syrup, 2 T of of the olive oil and 2 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of pepper (of course I never do this...I do it all on the sheet pan and get my clean hands in the mix!) Coat evenly and arrange in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast until soft and caramelized and golden brown. 20 to 3o minutes. Check to see if they need tossing after 15 minutes and to make sure they don't burn.

In a large skillet over medium heat add the remaining 2 T of olive oil and the sliced shallots and saute until they start to caramelize about 5 to 10 minutes. I went longer to get them nice and browned up. Add the remaining 2 T of syrup and the Balsamic Vinegar season with a little salt and pepper. Lower heat to and cook until golden brown and caramelized. Add a little water 1 tsp at a time if it becomes dry.

Add the sweet potatoes to the pan and toss. Transfer to a serving dish.

So delicious!!! The first night I made them softer and a smaller amount and really crisped the shallots...they were the best. The next night I had a bigger crowd not as soft but still good!!

Grade B Syrup available at where else...Trader Joe's!! My favorite place!!

I am just bummed no picture!!

Asian Slaw

I have a few weekly go to items that are always in the fridge. Generally, they are easy to make, full of flavor, get better with age and have multiple uses and oh yeah they are really good for you!! As usual I found a recipe with flavors that I liked and changed it up a little so it worked for my purposes. Ingredients: 1 bag broccoli slaw (trader joe's sells oraganic bags) 1 bag of shredded cabbage (trader joes again) (this stuff looks like you cut it yourself not the fine shredded stuff) 1 bag carrot slaw (only a handful needed) 1 english cucumber seeded (peel and slice down the middle to create 1/2 moons) 1 small red onion or 1/2 a large or to taste 1 Tbl of sugar ( i use super fine) 6 Tbl of rice wine vinegar (seasoned or unseasoned) 1Tbl of toasted sesame oil 3T of canola oil 1 tsp salt (adjust as needed) 1/2 tsp of pepper (or to taste) The easiest way that i have found to do this is right in a storage container. I have this nice square rubbermaid one that once covered lets me shake the contents to enhance the marinating process. Measure Sugar and Vinegar in the bottom of a bowl or container with a lid whisk until sugar is dissoved add sesame oil and canola oil and salt and pepper , whisk again. put in bagged mixtures. Peel and slice cucumber lengthwise and with a sharp knife cut in on an angle on both sides of the seeds and then pull out the strip of seeds. Place the cucumber flat side down and slice thin half moons. Peel red onion and slice in half and the slice very thin half slices. place cucumber and onions on top of shredded mixture cover with lid and shake it to mix. I marinate over night and it gets better all week long. Uses Salad Turkey wrap with slaw layered down the middle mixed with cubed chicken or canned or leftover salmon or other fish or shrimp

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