Just Stuff It

Before I get to my featured recipe, two things:
1) A public service announcement. If you bake homemade pita, make sure you put it in the refrigerator. Otherwise it will grow mold and all of your hard work (and burned hands) will be for naught.
2) A recommendation. If you have $400 to burn on dinner for two, go to L'Espalier for their seasonal degustation with the grand vintner's tasting. It is three hours of pure magical delight. You will not be disappointed.

Okay, so this week I made yet another delicious South Beach friendly meal. I'm not really into chicken these days, I don't know why, I just haven't really had a taste for it. But this was pretty good and I didn't mind eating it for dinner two nights in a row, with just a side of salted sliced tomatoes. (When you live alone you have the ability to live off your own leftovers.) That's possibly because I've been obsessed with goat cheese recently and have been using it in everything. I used to think I hated goat cheese, but sometime this summer I had an epiphany and realized that it is actually a little piece of cheesy heaven. So don't be surprised if you see more goat cheese pop up in my recipes in the future.


Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken
Serves 4

• 1/4 c. walnut halves
• 1/4 c. fresh goat cheese
• 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• four 6-ounce boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp. walnut oil
• 1/4 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 400°. Spread the walnuts in a pie plate and toast for 6 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool, then chop. In a small bowl, mash the goat cheese with the lemon zest, garlic and half of the walnuts; season with salt and pepper. Using a small knife, cut a pocket in the side of each chicken breast; keep the pocket opening as small as possible. Stuff the chicken breasts with the mixture and gently press to flatten them. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the chicken for 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken breasts to a platter and keep warm. Add the lemon juice and stock to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the walnut oil, parsley and the remaining chopped walnuts. Transfer the chicken breasts to plates, spoon the walnut sauce on top and serve.

This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging #102, hosted this week by Ulrike from Kuchenlatein. WHB is a weekly food blogging event where bloggers post recipes using their favorite herbs, plants, veggies, and flowers. In my goat cheese stuffed chicken, the flat-leaf parsley in the reduction adds a nice herby flavor to the dish that would otherwise be dominated by the rich tastes of the goat cheese and walnuts. Flat-leaf parsley is one of two kinds of parsley (along with curly), and is thought to have the stronger flavor of the two. Flat-leaf parsley is also better adapted to cooking because it can better withstand high heat.

Sometimes Diets Aren't So Bad

I've been really frustrated recently because A) dieting sucks because you can't eat anything fun and B) if you're going to bother dieting you should at least be able to lose weight, right? Well, there's nothing I can do about that second thing right now (except bitch to anyone who will listen), but tonight I was determined to at least make something South Beach friendly that I would actually enjoy eating. A piece of wild Alaskan salmon solved all my problems. Behold a meal that is both delicious and healthy.


Seared Mediterranean Salmon
Serves one (because I'm a loser)

• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
• salmon fillet (5-6 ounces)
• 1/2 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tomato, coarsely chopped
• 1 T chopped black olives (Nicoise or other)
• 1 T fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped
• squeeze of juice from half a lemon
• 1 t capers, drained
• roughly torn fresh basil leaves (2-3)

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet until smoking. Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper. Cook to desired doneness. I like mine crispy on the outside and a bit rare in the middle, so I cooked mine about 3 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet to a plate. In the same skillet, add the chickpeas and all remaining ingredients except basil. Stir until warm. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the chickpea mixture on top of the salmon and top with the basil.

This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging #101, hosted by Myriam of Once Upon a Tart. WHB is a weekly food blogging event where bloggers post recipes using their favorite herbs, plants, veggies, and flowers. My herb of choice is fresh basil, showcased delightfully in this dish.

Weekend Herb Blogging Round Up!

Welcome to my first stint at hosting Weekend Herb Blogging, the weekly food blogging event where bloggers around the world submit information and recipes using their favorite herbs, plants, vegetables and flowers. WHB is the brainchild of the lovely Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen. This week for WHB #74 we've got a nice even 25 entries (according to my somewhat dubious counting skills). So, without further ado, in order of submission:

Arroz con Pollo with Recado Rojo
Asha from Aroma!
North Carolina, USA
Asha creates a beautiful chicken-and-rice dish flavored with annatto, a spice from the exotic achiote plant. She mixes annatto with other spices to create recado rojo, a bright red paste often used in Mexican cuisine. Her colorful post features beautiful step-by-step pictures.

Salmon & Fatoush
Ruth from Once Upon a Feast
Toronto, Canada
This summery meal is full of flavorful herbs: mint, parsley, coriander, and the star of the dish, ground sumac. Not only will Ruth's fresh fish and fatoush (try saying that five times fast!) transport you to a time of warmer weather, it's healthy and South Beach Diet friendly.

Spinach and Tofu Paneer
Emily from Superspark
Pasadena, California, USA
Whether you call it saag paneer or palak paneer, or even if you don't know the difference, Emily's first attempt at cooking Indian food looks like a success to me. It's spicy, full of good-for-you spinach, and less buttery/oily than restaurant fare.

Nettle Soup
Joanna from Joanna's Food
Henley on Thames, England
Joanna cleverly turns nettles, a stinging weed common in the UK, into a yummy soup. Nettles are full of iron and vitamin C, so hopefully they'll help Joanna get over her cold!

Chicken and Quickly Roasted Asparagus Served with Tahini Sauce
Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Kalyn, the original creator of Weekend Herb Blogging, created yet another delicious-looking dish this week, continuing on her asparagus kick - this time served with chicken and tahini, made from sesame seeds. Kalyn, no matter what you have to say about your drizzling skills, your photographs are always beautiful!

Turmeric
Sandeepa from Bong Mom's CookBook
New Jersey, USA
This post provides lots of great information about turmeric, a spice used a lot in Indian cooking and culture. Sandeepa tells us why turmeric is good for you, and offers a suggestion for how to prepare fresh turmeric.

Goan Style Fish Curry with Tamarind
Ros from Living to Eat!
London, England
Despite having to deal with some irritating flatmates, Ros successfully made a yummy-looking fish curry that gets taken to another level with the addition of distinctively sour-tasting tamarind paste.

Sweet Potato Soup
Angie from My Kitchen, My Laboratory
Singapore
Angie turns the sweet potato, one of many root vegetables that she's been discovering, into a sweet soup that can be served warm or chilled as a refreshing dessert. This recipe is flexible and can be adapted to your own personal tastes.

Bear's Garlic
Helene from News from the Kitchen (Neues aus der Kuche)
Landau, Germany
This bilingual (English/German) post gives lots of information about bear's garlic, an herb that tastes like a cross between garlic and chives and is sometimes called ramp in the United States. It also gives a recipe for "amaranth crackers," which I am not familiar with but look great!

Emerald Soup
Katie from Thyme for Cooking
Vendee, France
Even though St. Patrick's Day isn't celebrated in France, Katie made a festive Irish-inspired green soup made from spinach - based on a recipe she got straight from a London chef. It's colorful, looks delicious, and is good for you!

"Quintessential" Roasted Vegetables
Sher from What Did You Eat?
Davis, California, USA
Sher's gorgeous step-by-step photos walk us through the making of this incredible-looking mix of roasted vegetables. The secret to equally cook all of the various vegetables is to parboil some of them first.

Red Lentil-Cauliflower Coconut Curry
Burcu from Almost Turkish Recipes
Bloomington, USA
This improvised curry turned out so well that it's going to become one of Burcu's standards. It's full of interesting spices and flavored with bay leaves.

Achiote Potatoes and Black-Eyed Peas
Sheela from Quick and Easy Recipes: Delectable Victuals
Portland, Oregon, USA
First-time WHB blogger Sheela gives us another post featuring annatto/achiote seeds, this time using achiote paste to create a yummy red rub for potatoes. Achiote is something I am going to have to try sometime soon!

Cauliflower with Crab and Balsamic Vinegar
Rinku from Cooking in Westchester
Westchester County, New York, USA
Rinku re-invented a scallop recipe to use up some crab she had on hand, with great results. Her substitution of white balsamic vinegar helped the dish keep a light, pretty color.

Genoa Figs with Buffalo Mozzarella "A La Pearl"
Haalo from Cook (Almost) Anything at Least Once
Melbourne, Australia
This post gives lots of information about my favorite fruit in the world, the fig, which is currently in season in Australia. The dish that Haalo creates is a stunning salad of fresh figs, pomegranate, and buffalo mozzarella - it almost looks too good to be true!

Falafel Sandwiches
Nupur from One Hot Stove
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Nupur shares her love of falafel and tries out a new favorite recipe. She gives some good tips on preparing the chickpeas and frying up the falafel balls. Her tahini sauce recipe is also a bit hit - overall a very delicious looking meal!

Yoghurt Bread with Caramelized Onion
Anh from Food Lover's Journey
Melbourne, Australia
Onion, the "humble ingredient," looks anything but humble in this yummy treat. The yogurt in the bread gives it a nice tangy flavor similar to sourdough, and the caramelised onions are lightly sweet. If you have any tips for chopping onions without crying, let Anh know!

Catfish Salad with Green Beans and Toasted Almonds
Christine from Christine Cooks
Trinidad, California, USA
A special herb blend just for fish makes this catfish salad special. Christine really brings out the celery flavor in the blend by adding some extra celery salt. She tops the dish off with a really great-looking champagne-raspberry vinaigrette.

Alice Arndt's Seasoning Savvy
Eve from In Mol Araan
Greenwich Village, New York, USA
Eve put together some especially neat excerpts from Alice Arndt's book about cooking with herbs and spices. There's some interesting tidbits on coconut, dill, rose water, and marigold.

Lithuanian Pickled Fish
Anna from Morsels and Musings
Sydney, Australia
Anna's been cooking her way around the world, and this week she was inspired by the cuisine of Lithuania. She brined some white fish in a sweet-sour sauce and used dried bay leaves to give the brine an intense flavor.

Chinese Cabbage and Cumin Sour Soup
Virginie from Absolutely Green
Nantes, France
This bilingual French & English post gives us a recipe for a quick, easy-to-make, unique soup inspired by Chinese, Belgian, and Mediterranean cuisines. This soup looks smooth and warming, good for a cold winter night (like we're still having here in Boston).

Potato Hummus with Beans and Lamp Chops
Ulrike from Kuchenlatein
Kronshagen, Germany
Ulrike makes good use of the rosemary growing her garden in this hearty dinner. Tahini sauce gives it an international flavor as well.

Braised Pork Chops with Leek
Pookah from What's Cooking in Carolina?
The Triangle, North Carolina, USA
Another blogger inspired by St. Patrick's Day this weekend created a green meal with "shamrock pasta" but focused her WHB entry on another meal, braised pork chops, featuring the always popular bay leaf.

Penne with Pumpkin and Ham
Astrid from Paulchen's FoodBlog?!
Vienna, Austria
After celebrating St. Patrick's Day with a lot of food, today Astrid created a yummy light lunch of pasta. It looks so good I want to reach into the picture and take a bite!

Brown Butter Soda Bread
Becky from Key Lime & Coconut
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Finally, I made a St. Patrick's Day inspired Irish soda bread with fresh rosemary and cracked black pepper. Enjoy it with some Guinness!

Thanks for visiting this week's WHB round up. Next week our host will be Kate from Thyme for Cooking, so you can send your entries to her at kate DOT zeller AT wanadoo DOT fr. Happy food blogging!

Luck o' the Irish

I'm pretty psyched for St. Patty's Day on Saturday. I live in Boston, so it's one of the biggest, rowdiest, and funnest (ok, not a word) holidays of the year. Naturally, then, I decided to make my WHB post this week Irish-themed. Since beer with green food coloring doesn't really qualify as an "herb, plant, vegetable, or flower," I settled for a hearty Brown Butter Soda Bread chock full of fresh rosemary.

Soda bread is a popular kind of bread in Ireland and has been since 1840. (Don't you love useless Wikipedia trivia?) I used to think it was called "soda bread" because they put Coke into the dough, but I am a silly person, and not surprisingly, I was wrong. It's called "soda bread" because instead of yeast, baking soda is the leavening agent helping the bread to rise. The baking soda reacts with buttermilk in the dough to form tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide. Fun, and delicious!

A lot of people add raisins or nuts to their soda bread, but my recipe, from the February 2006 issue of Bon Appetit, incorporates fresh rosemary, making it WHB-eligible. Rosemary is one of my very favorite herbs, mostly because of its incredibly fragrant smell. In addition to its yummy scent and flavor, rosemary is actually a stimulant and mild analgesic that can be used to treat headaches and poor circulation. For all you fellow beauty product addicts, it's also believed to revitalize your hair and prevent dandruff if you massage rosemary oil into your scalp. I'm a little skeptical, but it could be worth a try?

Either way, this bread is easy and delish. I'll eat a slice on Saturday morning, toasted, with lots of butter... and of course, a big pint of Guinness.

Brown Butter Soda Bread
Makes 2 loaves

• 1/4 c. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 3-1/2 c. all purpose flour
• 1/2 c. old-fashioned oats
  
• 1 T. sugar
• 1 T. chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. ground black pepper, plus more for topping
• 1-3/4 c. buttermilk
• 1 egg white, beaten to blend

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375F. Stir butter in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until melted and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir flour, oats, sugar, rosemary, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in large bowl to blend. Pour buttermilk and melted browned butter over flour mixture; stir with fork until flour mixture is moistened. Turn dough out onto floured work surface. Knead gently until dough comes together, about 7 turns. Divide in half. Shape each half into ball; flatten each into 6-inch round. Place rounds on ungreased baking sheet, spacing 5 inches apart. Brush tops with beaten egg white. Sprinkle lightly with ground black pepper. Using small sharp knife, cut 1/2-inch-deep X in top of each dough round. Bake breads until deep golden brown and tested inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool breads on rack at least 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, which I'm hosting this week! Get me your entries by Sunday, 3pm Utah time (5pm for us East Coast-ers). Send them over to me at rhammer AT law DOT harvard DOT edu.

sssssspicy!

First, some good news. I'm done with my fall exams! YAY! It's such a relief to not have to spend every waking minute thinking about torts or property or civil procedure. And now I get a week and a half off before classes start again. Lots of time for cooking!!

I got my new issue of Bon Appetit in the mail the day before my last exam and had to set it aside until after I was done with my tests. Today I picked it back up and immediately knew what I wanted to make. As of today, I'm trying to do phase one of South Beach, at least for the next week until I go on vacation with some friends to Vegas. The recipe I picked out for my dinner tonight, Andouille Sausage and Shrimp with Creole Mustard Sauce, isn't technically phase-one friendly because andouille sausage has a fair amount of fat. I made it anyway, though, and just had a smaller portion. Next time, I'm going to substitute hot Italian turkey sausage, which I think would work just fine with the flavors of this dish.

This recipe is great because it's a one-skillet meal. I love food that you can prepare in one dish so that you aren't trying to figure out the timing of finishing different components of a meal at the same time. Oh yeah, and this recipe is terrifically delicious. And it is SPICY! The recipe called for 1 Tbsp of cajun seasoning, and I cut that back to a teaspoon - and I was still crying as I ate. But it was worth it because even Steve, one of my most demanding critics, gave it two enthusiastic thumbs up.

This post is my entry for this week's edition of Weekend Herb Blogging because of the yummy fresh thyme that lends its unique flavor to this cajun-inspired meal. Thyme is native to the Mediterranean, but it is extensively used in creole cooking. Thyme is one of the few herbs whose flavor is actually enhanced when dried. The flavor of dried thyme and fresh thyme is actually fairly different overall, since fresh thyme has a softer and less smoky taste. Thyme is thought to have some medicinal qualities as well - it may help out with some chest and respiratory problems.

Some fun facts about thyme (courtesy of wikipedia): the ancient Egyptians used it in embalming, and the ancient Greeks burned it as incense in their temples because they believed it was a source of courage. In the Middle Ages, people slept with thyme under their pillows to ward off nightmares. It has even been placed on coffins to assure passage into the next life!

This week, WHB is being hosted by Sue over at Coffee and Cornbread, so make sure to check out the round-up of recipes when she posts it at the end of the weekend!


Andouille Sausage and Shrimp with Creole Mustard Sauce
(serves 2-3 hungry people)

• 1 lb. uncooked peeled deveined large shrimp
• 1 Tbsp (or, if you're a wimp like me, 1 tsp) Creole or Cajun seasoning
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, divided
• 1 lb. andouille sausage, cut crosswise on diagonal into 3/4-inch-thick slices
• 1 large onion, halved, thinly sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into half-inch strips
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 c. low-salt chicken broth
• 5 Tbsp Creole (or Dijon, if you can't find Creole) mustard
• 2 tsp red or white wine vinegar

Toss shrimp with Creole seasoning in medium bowl to coat. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add sausage pieces, cut side down. Cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer sausage to bowl. Add shrimp to skillet; cook until browned and just opaque in center, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl with sausage. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil, onion, bell pepper, and thyme to skillet. Saute until vegetables are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add broth, mustard, and vinegar. Stir until sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Return sausage and shrimp to skillet. Simmer until heated through, stirring occasionally, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Warmest January Ever!

This has got to be the warmest January I have ever experienced in Boston. Granted, this is only my fifth winter in the city, so my sample size is somewhat limited. But really - it was almost 70 degrees today. In Boston! In January! In protest, I decided to make cold-weather-appropriate soup. Actually, it was mainly because I was home studying all day and felt like using my slow cooker, but I can think of it as a weather protest if I want, ok?

So you know how you're in line at the supermarket and they have those little mini-magazines with recipes and stuff in them on the shelf above the check-out conveyor belt? I actually bought one while I was at home for break. It's all slow cooker recipes, which is why I bought it. The soup I made tonight is the first recipe I've tried, and it's not bad for coming from one of those crappy little grocery store cookbooks. It's a Chipotle Chicken Stew and, yes, it probably would have tasted even better if we'd been having real January weather today.

The most important ingredient in this stew – and indeed, the stew's namesake – is the chipotle pepper. Chipotles are smoked jalapeno peppers that date back to Mexican civilization before the time of the Aztecs. Nowadays, a full fifth of the Mexican jalapeno crop is dried and smoked to turn into chipotles. The natural heat of the jalapenos is preserved in the process, so the chipotles end up at between a 5,000 to 10,000 on the Scoville scale used to measure hot peppers (this is usually considered a "medium" heat level). Chipotles are often used to add a smoky, hot flavor to Mexican and Southwestern dishes.

You can buy ground dried chipotles, whole chipotles, or, most commonly, chipotles canned in adobo. Adobo sauce is made of spices, vinegar, tomato sauce, and sometimes other chilies. I've never made anything with adobo sauce, but I hear it's great on its own. That could be something new and fun to try in the future!

This is my entry for this week's edition of Weekend Herb Blogging, in which food bloggers write about their favorite herbs, plants, vegetables, and flowers. This week, WHB is hosted by the event's creator herself, the famous Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen.

Chipotle Chicken Stew

• 1 pound boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 can navy beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can crushed tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups chicken broth

Combine all ingredients, along with a generous squeeze of lemon if desired, in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high about 4 hours. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Remember, if you want to make this on the stove top, cook the chicken first, and add more liquid because it will boil off during cooking. It should probably cook for about 30 to 45 minutes.

*note: apologies for the formatting errors in this post. Stupid blogspot doesn't want to let me publish all my text in the same font. Boo!

Slow Cookin'

I just got my new crockpot slow cooker from Target in the mail the other day, and I could not wait to use it, so I made myself a yummy chicken chowder for dinner yesterday. I did all the prep work in the morning while I still had a modicum of energy, and by the time I got home after a long day of class, my apartment was full of delicious smells telling me that dinner was ready. What a lifesaver!! I'm making everything in the slow cooker from now on. Seriously. Not only is it convenient, the chowder turned out delicious. I enjoyed it with a glass of a French table wine from Vaucluse called Culture du Sud, 2004, but it would go nicely with any light red, like a pinot noir. The chowder itself is really hearty (good for a cold Boston winter night), it's pretty healthy (if you use fat-free half and half), and it has the best dill flavor!

Dill has always been one of my favorite herbs. I grew up associating it with salmon because my mother never made salmon without heaping tons of fresh or dried dill on top. It's a great combination for sure, but there are lots of different uses for dill. You can whip it into herbed butter, veggie dips, and of course, infuse it into dilled pickles. Dill has such a clean and simple taste that you can incorporate it into a great many recipes. Most people recommend using fresh dill to get maximum flavor, and fortunately, dill is a hardy plant that is easy to grow yourself (although I admit I don't have a dill plant).

Fun fact about dill: The ancient Greeks thought of dill as a sign of wealth, so richer members of society flaunted their success by burning dill-scented oil. And throughout history, dill has been used medicinally for its calming and soothing properties - in the 8th century, Charlemagne placed little vials of dill on his tables to stop the hiccups of guests who ate and drank too much!


Slow-Cooked Chicken Chowder

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tsp. garlic pepper
• 8 new potatoes, cut into fourths
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. dried dill weed
• 15-oz can corn, drained
• 2 c. chicken broth
• 1 c. half-and-half (I used fat-free)
• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch

Sprinkle chicken with garlic pepper and place in a 4-5 quart crockpot. Add remaining ingredients except half-and-half and cornstarch. Cover crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken is thoroughly cooked and vegetables are tender. In a small jar, combine half-and-half and cornstarch and shake until well-combined. Stir into the chowder and mix well until blended. Cover crockpot again and cook on high for 30 minutes until thickened.

This is my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, the weekly blog event where people write about recipes featuring their favorite herbs, plants, veggies, and flowers. This week, WHB is hosted by Pookah at What's Cooking in Carolina. Be sure to check out her round-up of recipes when she posts it on Sunday or Monday!