Kitchen project

I must admit that this week has been much more about kitchen appliances than about cooking. We have just embarked on a project of redoing our kitchen. A few weeks ago most of the stress was from the cabinetry and all of the surrounding choices. This week we are up to choosing stone, and finding fixtures.
As far as the granite goes, I have so far chosen a granite that seems to match the hues in my dogs coat. It's funny how we tend to gravitate toward colors that we are familiar with. Most of the week was spent going back and forth about the tile on the floor. The designer suggested travertine which I was not for, due to the amount of cooking (and mess making) that I tend to do. We then went to the more stain resistant porcelain tile and began a quest to find a "stone like" porcelain. I think we may have finally settled on something that wont "compete" with the granite but then, anything can change. At the moment we have chosen a Bordeaux granite.

the next challenge is faucet fixture- who knew there were so many options?

Italian wedding soup

The first time that I had this soup was when I was a college student in New York. I think I had gotten a small cup of takeout soup from Dean and Deluca and brought it back to my dorm room. Instantly, I fell in love with the soup, not just the romantic name, but also the warm comforting broth and hearty vegetables. Here, quantities are approximate and feel free to vary the soup based on what you have on hand.

2-3 cups mini meatballs ( I make them ahead and throw them in frozen, thus the soup is almost effortless, use any meatball rec., fully cooked)

2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and fine dice
2-3 small carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2-3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
3 Quarts chicken stock
1-2 heads of escarole (about 1 1/2-2 pounds) tough stems removed and roughly chopped
3/4 cup pastina pasta (optional)
salt and ground pepper for seasoning
grated parmesan cheese for serving

Start by warming you oil over medium heat in a 5 quart Dutch oven or pot, once warm add the onions, carrots and celery and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring often. Add the chicken stock. Then, bring to a boil, add the frozen mini meatballs and escarole. Simmer 10 minutes. Add in the pastina and cook another 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed. serve with grated cheese.

Lamb Shanks with an Asian Flair

With the amount of sports that my children do during the Summer time, it was a nice change to come home to this slow cooked meal. Lamb shanks seem like a winter dish, but with a nice salad in place of starch, this is perfect in summer as well. If making it in the winter, I like these served with a simple risotto. Please note that the hoisin, soy and sweet red chili sauce all came from the Asian section of my regular grocery store.

2-3 Tablespoons Canola or vegetable oil
3 medium to large lamb shanks, seasoned with salt and ground pepper
2-3 medium size, peeled and thinly sliced yellow onions
2" knob of fresh ginger, grated
1 head of garlic, (13 cloves) peeled and minced
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons honey
zest and juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
5 Tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1/4 cup Thai sweet red chili sauce

To Finish sauce(optional) you will need 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water, salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon.

Start by warming you oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the seasoned lamb shanks and sear until all sides are golden (about 3 minutes per side)- Add lamb shanks to slow cooker pot.

Reduce heat to medium low. Add the onions and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until onions are tender. Add the ginger and garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the vinegar and cook while scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan for 1-2 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker.

Add to the slow cooker the honey, lemon juice and zest, water, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and red chili sauce.

Cook on high 5 hours.

The lamb shanks can be eaten as is but I like to strain the liquid, discard the solids, and place the liquid into a saucepan. Combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water and add it to the pan. Bring liquid to a boil and adjust seasonings with, salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon

Wild Rice with leeks, dried apricots and hazelnuts

This is a great side dish and its simple enough to make. You will cook the wild rice and while its cooking you can prepare the other items that will be folded into the rice once it is fully cooked.

Rice:
8 oz of wild rice- this is just a little more than a cup
2 1/3 cups water or stock

Place the water into a non stick sauce pan (I am using about a 4 quart). Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add in the rice and cover the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low (or to a simmer) and cook the rice, covered, for 45-50 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook the rice over high heat until all of the extra liquid has been cook off, this should take about 8 minutes of cooking, while stirring often.

Add in:
3 medium leeks, cleaned and sliced into 1/8" slices- you will then, sauté the leeks in
1 tablespoon oil for about 5-8 minutes over medium heat.
1 cup toasted hazelnuts
3/4-1 cup of dried apricots, roughly chopped
a hand full of dried cranberries
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
large pinch of kosher salt- to taste but 1 like about 1/2 tablespoon or more

Simply fold these ingredients into the rice and serve.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

This is basic pizza dough but with some whole wheat flour added in. I have tried to switch my family over to mostly whole wheat products. Regular pizza dough is easy enough to find in the frozen section of most markets, but it isn't always as easy to find frozen whole wheat pizza dough.

To Start:
3/4 teaspoon yeast ( I am using a rapid rise)
1 cup warm water
1 cup white flour
1 teaspoon honey

Also:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
extra flour as needed (1/8-1/4 cup)

1 medium mixing bowl brushed lightly with oil


Mix the yeast, water, flour, and honey together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Combine with a spoon until the mixture looks lumpy. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let mixture rest 30 minutes.

Combine the wheat flour, 1/2 cup white flour and salt. Pour into the stand mixer bowl and kneed for about 5 minutes until mixture is springy and elastic. Add more flour if dough seems wet.

Turn dough out into a bowl which has been brushed with a little oil. Form dough into a "ball" shape then, cover and let dough rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Form dough into pizzas, top with toppings and bake.

Roasted Green pears with blue cheese

These pears are a refreshing way to start a meal, or serve them after a main course in place of dessert. I look use a low fat blue cheese (I think the brand is Stella) because even though its low fat it still has lots of flavor. You can use any blue veined cheese such as stilton or even gorgonzola.

non stick spray
2 Green pears such as Anjou, halved and cored with a knife or melon baller. Also, you can trim a small slice off from the bottom rounded part of the pear so the pear lays flat if you like.
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375

Spray a small baking dish, (just large enough to hold the pear halves) with cooking spray. Place the pears in the dish and brush them with lemon juice. In a small bowl combine the cheese and cranberries. Divide the cheese mixture among the pears and stuff the mixture into the pear cavities. Bake for 15 minutes, then brush or drizzle the pears with the melted butter. The butter helps give the pears a more golden color. Bake another 10-15 minutes or until pears are tender. I suggest serving 1/2 a pear per person along with a Arugula salad that has been lightly dressed with olive oil and sherry vinegar.

Wow, isn't it nice when it feels like summer weather again? After the long winter I look forward to 80 degree days. Working in the garden at this time of the year brings such joy. I love seeing the flowers bloom and feeling the earth in my hands. Usually, around now I opt for lighter fare from the kitchen as it allows me more time in the sun.

I like fast and healthy recipes that remind me of the outdoors. This week I made my friend Jan's Sicilian pasta. Its quick, easy , light and fairly rustic. Just the kind of meal to eat out in the garden. Also, fish in parchment has become a new favorite because many of the aromatics which I need for the dish are just outside in my herb garden. Dessert may be as simple as some strawberries with a bit of whipped cream.
enjoy the sunshine!