Campus Green Gourmet November 2008

MENU

Lacy Cheddar Crisps

Smoked Salmon and Watercress Salad

With Red Onion and Caper Vinaigrette

Roast Rack of Lamb with Vinegar Mint Pan Sauce

Roasted Red Potatoes, Broiled Asparagus

Molten Chocolate Cakes with Sugar Coated Raspberries

LACY CHEDDAR CRISPS

Makes about 2 dozen crisps

Note: For peak freshness, make the crisps no more than 2 days before serving.

1 ½ cups (6 oz.) packaged shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Adjust oven racks to low and middle positions and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon cheese onto one sheet, then spread into a round with your fingertips so that cheese is more or less in a single layer. Repeat with remaining cheese, keeping cheese disks about 1 inch or so apart. (You should get about 12 wafers on a large sheet.)

Bake until crisps stop bubbling, 8 to 9 minutes, switching sheets after 5 minutes if they appear to be cooking unevenly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve cheddar crisps with salad.

SMOKED SALMON and WATERCRESS SALAD with RED ONION-CAPER VINAIGRETTE

Serves 8

Note: Adding the sliced onion to the dressing instead of directly to the salad wilts it slightly so it loses its bitter bite.

The dressing can be made 1 hour before serving.

Tbsp. Fresh lemon juice
1 ½ Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 ½ Tbsp. Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup drained capers
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 cups trimmed watercress
2 4 oz. (about 8 thin slices) smoked salmon, torn or cut into bite-size pieces
Mix lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, a big pinch of salt, and pepper to taste in a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup or small bowl. Add capers and onion and toss to coat. Slowly add oil, pushing onion aside with a small whisk or fork and beating to form a thick dressing.
Mix watercress and half the salmon in a large bowl.
To serve, pour dressing over watercress and salmon and toss to coat. Arrange on salad plates, garnish with remaining smoked salmon, and serve.
Serve cheddar crisps with salad.

ROAST RACK OF LAMB with VINEGAR-MINT PAN SAUCE
Serves 8

Note to Host: Rack of lamb is too small to brown naturally during roasting (it overcooks before it browns), so it's important to sear it first. You can sear it and make the pan sauce early. Then, about 40 minutes before you're ready to serve, pop the lamb into the oven and quickly roast it.

The lamb can be seared up to 2 hours before roasting.
The pan sauce, minus the mint and butter, can be made as soon as the lamb has been seared. Pour the sauce into a Pyrex measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl, and set aside until just before serving.
Please supply 1 loaf of French or Italian bread for the Entrée. Place on table at time the Entrée is served.
A full bodied red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot noir, Syrah, Shiraz, or Zinfandel, can be served with the Entrée. ½ cup chicken broth

½ cup rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. mint jelly

3 8-rib each- French trimmed racks of lamb (about 1 - 1 ¼ pounds each) . The racks of lamb will be pre-ordered at Jewel and available for pick-up on Friday, Nov. 14^th, under "Campus Green Gourmet Club".

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp. sugar

4 Tbsp. or ¾ oz. package chopped fresh mint

2 Tbsp. butter

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.

Heat a 10-12 inch oven proof skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, mix broth, vinegar, and jelly in a Pyrex measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl. Set aside. Lightly sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with sugar.

Increase heat under pan to high (turn on exhaust fan). After 1 to 2 minutes, add lamb racks to skillet, (3 lamb racks will fit in one 10 or 12 in. pan)-- fat side down, and sear, for about 1-½ minutes. Turn lambs over and sear meaty section of bone side for about 1 minute. Finally, stand lambs up and sear meaty bottoms, about another 1-½ minutes. Transfer lambs to a platter.

Drain fat from pan (if any remains) and set pan over medium-high heat. Add broth mixture and boil until reduced by half, about 3-5 minutes. Return liquid to cup or bowl.

Place a small wire rack in skillet (optional), or transfer to oven roaster that wire rack will fit in (optional) and set lamb racks on wire rack. If you do not have a wire rack that fits in pan or oven roaster, just spray bottom with non-stick cooking spray. Insert oven meat thermometer from one end deep into meaty portion of a lamb rack. Place skillet

(or roaster) in oven and roast until meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer inserted from one end deep into meaty portion registers about 130-135 degrees, 25-30 minutes . Let lamb racks rest for about 5 minutes; the internal temperature will rise 5 to 10 degrees and lamb will be medium-rare to medium.

While lamb racks rest on top of stove (cover pan or roaster with foil), (heat from oven will keep racks warm), heat sauce in the microwave until very hot, about 1 minute. Whisk in mint and butter.

Slice racks into chops and arrange three on each plate. Spoon over hot sauce and serve.

ROASTED RED POTATOES

Serves 8 - 12

Potatoes made be prepared up to one hour before arriving at Hosts home.

Note: Roasting potatoes on the bottom rack of the oven as it heats makes them brown beautifully, and they also roast nearly twice as quickly.

3 pounds small red new potatoes, rinsed, dried, and halved

¼ cup olive oil

3 Tbsp. herbes de Provence

1 tsp. salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Toss potatoes with oil, herbes, salt and pepper to taste. Arrange cut side down on a large rimmed baking sheet. Set pan on lowest rack in cold oven, turn oven on to 425 degrees and roast until potatoes are tender and golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Serve along side the Entrée at dinner time.

BROILED ASPARAGUS

Serves 8

The asparagus must be prepared at Hosts home! Stay close by as it doesn't take long for the spears to cook.

There isn't another green vegetable that's as easy to prepare as asparagus. Just snap each spear - it always breaks at the point between tender and tough (wide end) - and discard the tough part.

3 pounds medium to medium-thick asparagus, tough ends snapped off (wide end)

Extra -virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Finely grated zest of one large lemon

Adjust oven rack to highest position and preheat broiler.

Drizzle asparagus with enough olive oil to coat and season generously with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place under broiler. Cook until bright green and just tender, about 4 minutes for medium asparagus turn thicker spears once after 4 minutes and cook about 2 minutes longer.

As the asparagus finishes cooking, toss with finely grated lemon zest.

Serve along side the entrée at dinner time.

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKES with SUGAR-COATED RASPBERRIES
Serves 8

Note: These decadent, oozy cakes are drop-dead terrific and even easier than brownies. They are baked in paper liners in a muffin tin, so you don't have to worry about having matching ramekins. That also means you don't have to un-mold the cakes-just lift them from the muffin pan, peel away the liner and set on the dessert plates. And since the cakes bake for only 8 minutes, you can pop them into the oven as the main course is being cleared from the table and the coffee is being made.

Use extra-large baking cups for the cakes. These liners extend above the muffin cups, making it easy to lift the bakes cakes from the pan. If your baking cups are foil-lined, remove the foil layer and reserve for another use, or discard.

Bring below ingredients pre-measured to Host's home and assemble recipe just before baking.

16 Tbsp. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1-1/3 cup (8 oz) chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate, cut into small chunks

5 large eggs

½ cup sugar, plus, ¼ cup more for coating raspberries

Pinch of salt

4 tsp. all-purpose flour

1 pint (about 12 oz.) fresh raspberries

1 can Real Whipping cream

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line 8 cups of a muffin tin (with ½ -cup-capacity cups) with extra-large paper liners (they should extend above cups to facilitate removal; if papers are foil-lined, remove foil layer). COAT PAPERS WITH VEGETABLE COOKING SPRAY.

Melt butter and chocolate in a medium microwave bowl 60 seconds on high, remove, stir to blend and microwave 30 seconds more if needed.

With an electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar, and salt in another medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Beat egg mixture, then flour, into chocolate.

Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until batter puffs but centers are not set, 12-14 minutes, check at 12 minutes. Let stand in tin for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, flick raspberries with a little water and roll in sugar to coat.

Carefully lift cakes from tin and transfer to dessert plates, removing paper liners. Top each cake with sugared berries, real whipped cream and serve.

Try Bistro Cooking for a Change of Pace

Now that the summer is winding down and most of the outdoor chores are on hold I’ve had time to get back into the kitchen. Now seemed like a good time to refresh my recipe repertoire. In searching some cookbooks and magazines I found an article in the Fine Cooking magazine, March 2007 #84 titled “Bistro Cooking at Home”. I have always been a big fan of bistro style cooking so it was off to Michael’s market for the needed ingredients.

The first dish we tried was “Chicken with Vinegar & Onions” or “Poulet au Vinaigre”. My short review of this recipe; I now have a new favorite chicken dish. This dish is fancy enough for a traditional Sunday dinner but simple enough for a weeknight. In fact the recipe gives some hints for fixing this a day or two in advance. The remainder of the meal made great leftovers the following night. This recipe takes chicken to new level.

There is nothing in this recipe that I feel needed to be changed and the most exotic ingredients were; depending on your pantry, fresh tarragon or Champagne vinegar. Try this recipe it could become a new hit in your kitchen.

Chicken with Vinegar & Onions

Poulet au Vinaigre

Fine Cooking March 2007 #84

Serves four to six.

3 Tbs. unsalted butter

2 medium-small yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 2cups)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 Tbs. Champagne vinegar.

1 4-lb. chicken, cut into 8 pieces.

½ cup all-purpose flour.

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil.

½ cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon leaves

2 Tbs. heavy cream or creme fraiche

In a 12-inch skillet, melt 2 Tbs. of the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with a couple of big pinches of salt and a few grinds of pepper, and stir to coat the onions. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Scrape them into a small bowl and set the skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbs, of the vinegar and stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour the vinegar into the onions and set the skillet aside.

If using chicken parts, cut each breast crosswise into two equal-size portions and trim any excess fat or skin from the thighs. Rinse and pat dry.

Spread the flour in a pie plate, and season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Set the skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and the remaining 1 Tbs. butter. While the butter melts, dredge half of the seasoned chicken pieces in the flour, shaking off the excess. Set them skin side down in the skillet. Brown, turning once, until the skin is crisp and the chicken is evenly browned, 6 to 8 minutes total. Lower the heat if the chicken or the drippings threaten to burn. Transfer the chicken pieces to a pan or platter and repeat with the remaining chicken.

When all the chicken is browned, pour off all of the fat. Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add the wine, and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dissolve the drippings. Add the remaining 2 Tbs. of vinegar, the sauteed onions, and 1 tsp. of the tarragon. Return the chicken pieces, skin side up, to the skillet, arranging them in a single snug layer. Partially cover, leaving a small gap for the steam to escape, and lower the heat to maintain a low simmer. Continue to simmer gently, turning every 10 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 30 minutes total.

Transfer the chicken to a platter. Increase the heat to a more rapid simmer, and stir in the creme fralche (or cream); the sauce may appear broken at first, but it will come together. Taste for salt and pepper. Add the remaining 1 tsp. tarragon and spoon over the chicken to serve.

 

The second recipe we tried was the beef classic “Beef Stew with Red Wine & Carrots” or “Daube de Boeuf aux Carottes” This simple but savory dish was also easy to fix, the recipe called for a few more ingredients with the most exotic being. herbes de Provence. In fact this is one area I would make a change, the recipe calls for 2 tsp of the herb mixture. I will try just 1 tsp the next time I make this, I found the herbs to on the edge too much, but this mixture, varies greatly depending on who put the mix together and how fresh the mix is. One other thing I might change is the cooking time, at 45 minutes the carrots were still a bit crunchy if you like a softer carrot you might extend the oven time to 60 minutes.

This dish goes well with garlic mashed potatoes; I served mine with wide egg noodles, which also went well. As the days get cooler it’s time to move back into the kitchen and you won’t go wrong with either of these dishes.

Beef Stew with Red Wine & Carrots

Daube de Boeuf aux Carottes

Serves 6

1 3-lb. boneless beef chuck roast

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

2 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 oz. shallots (8 to 10 medium), thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

2 Tbs. brandy, such as Cognac

2 Tbs. tomato paste

2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (2 to 3 tsp.)

2 tsp. herbes de Provence

2 cups hearty red wine, such as Cotes de Provence or Cotes du Rhone

1 14.5-oz. can Whole, peeled tomatoes

4 strips orange zest (2 -3 inches long, removed with a vegetable peeler)

1 lb. slender carrots, peeled and cut into ¾”to 1-lnch chunks (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Using your fingers and a thin knife, pull the roast apart along its natural seams. Trim off any thick layers of fat. Carve the roast into 1-1/2- to 2-inch cubes and arrange them on a paper towel-lined tray to dry.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 325°F.

Heat the oil and bacon together in a 7- or 8-qt. Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, just until the bacon is browned but not crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small plate.

Season about one-third of the beef with salt and pepper, and arrange the cubes in a sparse single layer in the pot to brown. Adjust the heat so the beef sizzles and browns but does not burn. Cook until all sides are a rich brown, a total of about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large plate or tray, and season and brown the remaining beef in 2 more batches. When all the beef chunks are browned, pour off all but about 1 Tbs. of drippings, if necessary.

Set the pot over medium-high heat, add the shallots, season with a large pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper, and saute until they just begin to soften, about 1 minute.

Add the brandy and let it boil away. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and herbes de Provence, stirring to incorporate, and saute for another 1 minute.

Add the wine, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge the caramelized drippings, and bring to a boil. Pour in the liquid from the tomatoes, holding the tomatoes back with your hand. Then one by one, crush the tomatoes with your hand over the pot and drop them in.

Add the orange zest, and return the beef (along with accumulated juices) and bacon to the pot. Finally, add the carrots, bring to a simmer, cover, and slide into the oven.

Cook the stew, stirring every 45 minutes, until the meat is forktender (taste a piece; all trace of toughness should be gone), 2 to 3 hours. Before serving, skim off any surface fat (if there is any), taste for salt and pepper, and stir in the parsley. Serve.

The one recipe left to try in this series is “Braised Lamb Shanks with Garlic & Vermouth” or Souris aux Aulx” I will add this post as soon as I am able to prepare this dish, It looks very savory.