Its (never) too late baby, now.

David went to a "meet up" tonight. Which is nothing like a "hook up". It is an iphone developers group.
So I decided to whip up a little combo of things for dinner (more on that later) and remembered I had recorded a performance by Carole King and James Taylor (reunited at the Troubador) 40 years (OMG 40yrs!!) after they first performed there in 1971. Wow. What a fabulous show. Right off the bat, "So Far Away", Gone to Carolina in My Mind" "Its too Late" "Walk on Down a Country Road". I am absolutely just LOVING This! They sound so great, exactly like they always did. Carole is on the piano, James on his guitar. And it is so neat, after some of the songs, he gets up and goes over and hugs her or takes her hand and it is so sweet to see the love and respect between them.
I sure do remember my sister having CK's Tapestry Album. Even as a kid I loved that album. Ahhh. Good stuff.
Speaking of Good Stuff...
I have been wanting to fix some Fava beans I had in the cabinet. Usually you buy them fresh from the produce dept., but I found some dried ones at the healthfood store and they have been in the cupboard. ( I like that word, 'cupboard') I also had some yellow squash and wanted to fix that so I decided to combine the two.

Fava beans come with a very tough skin on them. Before you can even think about cooking them, you have to give them a quick boil, then a quick ice bath just to peel them. Then when they are peeld you can decide how you want to cook them. I like a nice saute on them. Once cooked they have a lovely creaminess and a flavor, that could almost make you feel like it has taken all its flavor from the other ingredients, but it has contributed its own taste.
I cooked a clove of garlic in some olive oil, added a little onion and then added the squash and beans. I was tasting a bit as I went, and it seemed to need something to brighten it up. So I chopped up a couple of 'ugly' tomatoes and added them. Just for fun I threw in about a tablespoon of coriander seeds. They didn't cook long enough to add any even flavor, but when you bight one, the perfume of it is just an exotic blast.

I also added salt and pepper of course, but the salt was a chunky smoked salt. That stuff is so deep & rich in flavor. look at it...

The dish came out very nice. A couple of things I would do different: I would put the beans in first, let them cook a bit more; then I would add the onions in AFTER the tomatoes, so they didn't cook down so much. What I ended up doing was adding some raw onion to the plate and a bit of butter on top, those last two touches really elevated it.
Between my healthy, veggie dinner and haveing dinner with Carole & James, I have really had a lovely evening.
Now if you excuse me, I need to go to iTunes and buy Tapestry. :)

I came upon a new food blog. Every time I do, I get a twinge of guilt, because I know that is one more day I won't open one of the cookbooks in my cupboard. I love those books, I do. I need to find a way to get them out of the closed up cabinet and displayed. I think that is my new goal. Now that I have a new goal with the neglected books, I can move on to the new recipe! 

So this new blog is "Big Girls, Small Kitchen". From what I can tell, the big means grown up, not large. They are two 20 somethings who have been friends and budding cooks since Jr High. Now they are providing recipes and entertaining tips for their generation using simple techniques and a simple pantry. I enjoyed browsing the site. They are doing noble work. And I will tell you, this recipe was AB FAB!! David and I reallllly enjoyed it. It has a mexican flavor and not an awful lot of effort. Thanks to the fine gentlemen at Surf and Turf, the chicken was cleaned beautifully and ready to throw in. I need to find a good reliable chorizo. The one I got is super tasty, but it is a dried sausage and can be tough. It is a perfect bite for a charcuterie tray, (with some Manchego cheese!) but it worked out ok in this one. Chicken, Chorizo (Spanish sausage), cumin, chili, and of course onions and garlic. (let me add real quick that Spice Islands makes some really stand out spices these days)  And two of my current go to favorite flavors, lime and cilantro. A delightful creaminess is the result of heavy cream and sour cream. Round this out with a couple of pantry staples; flour, chicken broth, butter S & P, and rice for girth and texture and you have a weeknight meal to make you feel like its Fiesta!! 

This dish is one of those that really lend itself to experimentation. I think it would be pretty amazing with some poblano peppers, maybe a Queso Fresco cheese, maybe some seafood. I would also like to try some different grains, not just a rice but maybe farro?  Lots of ideas, but try it straight up as the quarter century girls wrote it. It will make you feel young and 20 something again. Or not, but you'll enjoy it.  

Chicken/Chorizo Casserole adapted from BGSK

Ingredients
1/2 pound chorizo
1  pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 teaspoons ancho chile powder (or chili powder)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 lime, juiced
3 cups cooked long grain white rice
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
3 cups coarsely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Brown the chorizo until nicely charred and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and 1 teaspoon of the ancho chili powder. Add to the skillet and cook on both sides until browned and cook through, about 15 minutes. Note: if your pan is big enough, you can brown both meats at the same time.

Add the butter and the onions to the pan and saute, scrapping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, remaining chili powder, cumin, salt, and flour. Cook for a few minutes, until the flour has become fully incorporated. Whisk in the broth and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cream, sour cream, and lime juice. Gently simmer over medium-low heat until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In the meantime, cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes, and slice the chorizo. Carefully fold in the meats, cooked rice, and cilantro. Use the back of your spatula to even the top of the casserole. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and beginning to brown.

Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve straight from the pan.

Buns, Buns, Buns

Cinnamon Buns! I have been introduced to the bread machine. I know, I know, they have been around for ions! Where have I been? I actually have avoided them. The temptation of making that bread, so easy. Fresh Hot bread dough? In My Kitchen?? Whenever I pressed a button? Too much. I couldn't risk it.
But my sister made cinnamon rolls on fathers day. My husband's new boss was in town. He came to our brunch. He Loved the Cinnamon Buns. My husband was heading to my bosses and asked me to make those buns. Then the BREAD MACHINE came into my house. My sister gave me the recipe, which is the Cinnabon recipe. The machine creates the dough then I sprinkle it with magic cinnamon sugar, roll it up and slice up the beautiful pinweels.
I couldn't believe I had made these soft, sublime delights. I have never worked with yeast. It imtimidated me. And I am slightly impatient. :)
So I am anxious to try new things with the bread maker now. I saw a donut recipe and obviously the savory versions are on the list. If you have a bread machine, please try this. If you don't, go to your local thrift store, I guarantee you will find one that works just fine. Go ahead, don't be scared.
Bread Machine Cinnamon Buns
1/4C Water
1C Milk
1/2 C Butter
1 1/4 Large Egg (well Beaten)
1t vanilla
1/2t salt
1/2C sugar
4 1/2C flour
1/4 oz (1pkg) yeast
Let egg come to room temp. Melt butter, add water and milk and cool to 75-85 degrees.
Add remaining ingredients in order to bread machine and use dough setting.

Filling
1C light brown sugar
5T cinnamon*
1 stick margarine

Roll dough out to 15x 24 rectangle. Spread with margarine and sprinkle with cinnamon / sugar. Roll into log and cut and place in pans. (I use a deep sided metal pan) Let rise for one hour or until double in size.
Bake at 335 degrees for 20 minutes.
If you want to make ahead, roll and and place in pans then cover and put in the fridge. You will need to remove from fridge and let come to room temp and then rise (approx 1.5hours) before baking.

*I used McCormicks roasted Saigon Cinnamon, it is a much better flavor than regular.

Monday Meal in a Minute

Maybe it took more than a minute, but not much. Pork with cashews and Snow Peas. Really simple. Relatively few ingredients. Depending on what kind of pantry stock you keep, you may have everything on hand. I always have these items on hand. I love the flavors they add to a lot of different styles of cooking. Mirin (sweet cooking wine) it's not actually sweet, but it is not dry either. Think Yin and Yang.
You balance the semi sweet wine with a tangy Soy sauce or even Fish sauce. You can balance it with lemon or line in non- Asian cooking. I have used it with seafood and veggies. And doesn't everyone always have soy sauce and chicken broth on hand? The questionable ingredients for me are cashews and snow peas.  I frequently have fresh ginger on hand, but I do have to double check when I want to make this. Other than that;  garlic, cornstarch and Pork.  9 ingredients and oil. And dinner is so delicious!!
Now I did not include rice, because we try to avoid the starches most nights. But it would certainly round the meal out nicely. Try it this week. You wil feel very accomplished, and satisfied.
Cashew Pork and Snow Peas (adapted from Cooks Country)
1/2 c Cashews - raw or roasted (if raw, toast in a dry pan until golden) largely chopped.
1c Chicken broth
1/4 c Mirin
1/4c Soy sauce
3T Cornstarch (didvided)
1lb Pork Tenderloin
1T + 6 t vegetable oil
8 oz Snow Peas strings removed
6 garlic cloves, minced
1T grated Ginger

Whisk broth, mirin, soy and 1T cornstarch in a bowl until no lumps remain; set aside.
Cut pork crosswise into 1/2 inch slices, then cut each slice into strips. Toss pork and 1T oil in large bowl. Add remaining 2T cornstarch and toss to coat.
Heat 2t oil over medium high heat until just smoking. Brown half of pork, 3 to 6 minutes, transfer to plate and tent with foil. Repeat with 2t oil and remaining pork.
Cook snow peas and remaining 2 t oil in now empty skillet until bright green, about 1 minute. add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Whisk broth mix to recombine and add to skillet. Cook until thickened, about two minutes. Return pork and any accumulated juices and cashews to skillet and cook until heated through.

(sorry, I have to get back in the groove and take pics. I forgot)