Katie's Apple Spice Cookie Bars

Inspiration/Ingredients/Instructions:
The fabulous Katie. Her blog is one of the first I started to follow, and it's fantastic!

Katie's Apple Spice Cookie Bars

Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Brazilian Chicken Stew

Inspiration:
In honor of our favorite reality TV show, The Amazing Race, I am going to attempt a new recipe inspired by the country/countries visited each week. This week, the race begins in California, and they head to Brazil.

I found this recipe for Brazilian Chicken Stew from Food & Wine, which incorporated tomatoes, onions, garlic, and cilantro from our CSA.


Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup peeled and thinly sliced ginger (3 ounces)
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups drained canned plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped, juices reserved
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
• 3 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• Steamed rice and lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, pulse the ginger with the garlic, jalapeños, lemon juice and paprika until finely chopped. Add the water and process to a paste.
2. In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the onions and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the ginger paste and cook until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add half of the tomatoes along with the coconut milk, peanuts, 1/4 cup of the shredded coconut and 2 tablespoons of the cilantro and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. Scrape the sauce into a food processor or blender and puree. Return the sauce to the saucepan. Add the stock and the remaining tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of cilantro and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and simmer over moderate heat until reduced to 5 cups, about 20 minutes. Keep warm.
4. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sauté over moderately high heat until golden and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
5. Add the chicken; season with salt and pepper. Spoon into bowls and garnish with coconut and cilantro. Serve with steamed rice and lemon wedges.

My Notes:
Ideally, we'd have started off with a caipirinha, but alas, we cannot purchase alcohol on Sundays in Minnesota (!), and I didn't plan ahead.

I have to laugh at the "fast" description Food & Wine gives this recipe. I would not describe it as fast, and I wouldn't suggest it to a beginner cook. However, if you have a food processor and some time, this recipe is worth it. The flavors remind us more of Thai food (probably the chili/garlic/ginger combination) than anything I'd expect from South America. It's delicious!


Photography Note:
I am experimenting with taking passable photos in incandescent light as we head into Minnesota darkness for the next few months. I have the best luck when adjusting the "white balance" on my dSLR to incandescent, +2 or +3, and using a tripod. If you have additional suggestions, please share!


Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10


Next week on The Amazing Race: Brazil (again!)

Bucatini All'Amatriciana

Inspiration:
When in Italy, one of my favorite pasta dishes is bucatini all'amatriciana. If you're ever in Rome, head over to La Matriciana near the Vatican for a fantastic meal.

Bucatini is a hollow spaghetti, and for some reason the hole in the middle makes it taste a lot better. :) I had difficulty finding bucatini in the United States, but when I saw it at Trader Joe's, I picked up a few packages for 99 cents each. w00t!

The amatriciana sauce recipe is from Emeril. The tomatoes and onions were from our CSA.


Ingredients:

• 5 ounces raw pancetta, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups thinly sliced onions
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 pound canned chopped tomatoes
  
• 1 pound fresh bucatini, cooked until tender
• 2 tablespoons chiffonade basil
• 4 ounces freshly grated pecorino
• red pepper flakes, for garnish
  

Ingredients:

1. In large saute pan, over medium heat, cook pancetta until crisp, about 6 minutes. Remove to paper towel lined plate.

2. Add olive oil to saute pan and heat over medium heat. Add onions to saute pan. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until wilted, about 4 minutes.

3. Add the wine and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and reserved pancetta back to pan. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 15 minutes.

4. In a large mixing bowl, toss the pasta with the tomato sauce, basil, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Notes:
Pancetta is delicious. That's all.
I used two large tomatoes, chopped, in place of the canned tomatoes.


Tim's Rating: 8.5/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet

Inspiration:
The Unofficial State Drink of Wisconsin
TGIF!

Ingredients:

• ice
• 1.5 oz brandy (usually Korbel)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 3-4 dashes bitters
  
• 7-Up or Sprite
• orange slices, for garnish
  

Instructions:

1. Put sugar and bitters in a glass. Muddle. Add a dash of soda, and muddle again.
2. Fill glass with ice, and add brandy and soda. Stir.
3. Garnish with an orange slice, and an extra dash of brandy if desired.
   

Orzo with Tomatoes, Feta, and Green Onions

Inspiration:
Giada
as well as CSA tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 teaspoon honey
  
• 1/2 cup olive oil
  
• 6 cups chicken broth
  
• 1 pound orzo (or riso)
  
• 2 cups red and yellow teardrop or grape tomatoes, halved (or 2 large tomatoes, diced)
  
• 1 7-ounce package feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
  
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil
  
• 1 cup chopped green onions
  
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Instructions:

1. Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, and honey in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.)
   
   
2. Bring broth to boil in large heavy saucepan. Stir in orzo, reduce heat to medium, cover partially, and boil until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer to large wide bowl, tossing frequently until cool.
   
   
3. Mix tomatoes, feta, basil, and green onions into orzo. Add vinaigrette; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Add pine nuts; toss. Serve at room temperature.

Liz's Rating: 8/10
Tim's Rating: 8/10

Tomato-Basil Quiche

Inspiration:
This recipe
and CSA tomatoes, onion, and garlic

Ingredients:

• 2 medium or 1 large tomato, sliced 1/4 inch thick
  
• 2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar (or you may use Gruyere)
  
• 1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  
• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
  
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  
• Leaves from 3 small stems fresh basil, torn if large
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 1 2/3 cups light cream
  
• 6 tablespoons aged port or sherry (may be omitted, but reduce baking time by 5 minutes)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Place tomatoes on a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.

2. In a small bowl, toss the cheese with the garlic. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture evenly on the bottom of the pie shell. Arrange the onion on top of the cheese. Arrange the tomato in a single layer on top of the onion. Distribute the basil on top of the tomato and in the crevices between the rounds. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese mixture on top.

3. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs thoroughly. Add the cream, port, and pepper and beat well. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the pie shell.

4. Bake for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350F and bake for 35 minutes longer, or until the quiche is lightly browned on top.

5. Let the quiche cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving.

Notes:
Delicious! I used 1 cup heavy cream and 2/3 cup whole milk.

Liz's Rating: 9/10
Tim's Rating: 9/10

Rhubarb Crunch

Inspiration:
Farmers Market rhubarb and Tim's request for a childhood favorite.
I used a recipe by Barb Rampolla from the Kettle Moraine Curling Club cookbook, which sounded closest to my mother-in-law's description of Tim's favorite.


Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 cups rhubarb, cubed
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 2 T flour
• 1 cup water
• 1 t vanilla
• red food coloring

Instructions:

1. Mix flour, brown sugar, oatmeal and butter until crumbly. Pack 1/2 the mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Reserve the remaining half mixture.
2. Spread rhubarb evenly over the packed crust. Cook sugar, flour, water, and vanilla until thickened and clear. Add food coloring. Pour sauce over rhubarb. Sprinkle with the remaining crumb mixture.
   
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Tim's Rating: 9/10

Tomato Sandwich with Basil Mayonnaise

Inspiration:
Ina Garten
and the most gorgeous heirloom tomato from our CSA

Ingredients:

• 1 cup good mayonnaise
• 10 to 15 basil leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 baguette, sliced horizontally, OR 2 slices country loaf bread
• 1 heirloom or Israeli tomato, sliced

Instructions:

1. Whisk together the mayonnaise, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic.
   
2. Spread the mayonnaise mixture on the top of 2 slices of bread. Place the sliced tomato on top of one bread slice. Place the remaining slice of bread, mayonnaise side down, on top of the tomato. Cut the sandwich in half and serve.

Notes:
This is so, so good. I can't believe how such a simple recipe can be so tasty. You must use quality ingredients (great bread, fresh summer tomatoes, fresh basil) for this to be amazing. I think that Ina's proportions are a bit off -- 1 cup of mayonnaise for 1 sandwich? I made 1/2 of the mayonnaise mixture and still had a lot leftover.


Liz's Rating: 10/10
Tim didn't get to try it, poor guy.

Giada's Arugula Salad with Fried Gorgonzola

Inspiration:
CSA arugula and tomatoes and the lovely Giada

Ingredients:

• 7 ounces Gorgonzola
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend
• 3/4 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for deep-frying
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 cups coarsely torn arugula (about 10 ounces)

Instructions:

1. Blend the Gorgonzola in a food processor until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the work bowl occasionally. Using 1 rounded teaspoon of cheese for each, form the cheese into 18 (1-inch) balls. Working in batches, roll balls and flatten into patties, coat the patties with the egg then with the bread crumbs. Repeat coating the patties in the egg and bread crumbs. Arrange the patties on a small baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or overnight.

2. Whisk the lemon juice, garlic, and lemon peel in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup oil. Season the dressing, to taste, with salt and pepper. Set the dressing aside.

3. Add enough oil to a heavy small saucepan to come 2 inches up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil over medium heat. At this point, remove the refrigerated Gorgonzola patties from the refrigerator. Working in batches, add the cold balls to the hot oil and fry just until golden brown, about 20 seconds. (It is essential that the Gorgonzola patties be cold when they go into the oil, otherwise they will fall apart in the oil. If they start to warm up at any point, return them to the refrigerator to firm back up.) Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried patties to paper towels to drain.

4. Toss the arugula in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mound the salad on plates. Top the salads with the hot fried Gorgonzola patties and serve immediately.

Notes:
Wow. I can't believe I made this. It's amazing! The dressing, the combination of the arugula and the gorgonzola- delicious. Tip: make sure that your oil is hot enough before you fry the patties.


Tim's Rating: 10/10 ("Best salad I've ever had.")
Liz's Rating: 10/10

Baked Tomato Risotto

Inspiration:
The best tomatoes of the season and this recipe from Food & Wine.


Ingredients:

• 9 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
  
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 large tomatoes —peeled, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 pound arborio rice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 500°. Butter a 9-by-12-inch glass baking dish. In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a bare simmer; cover and keep warm over low heat.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and onion and cook over moderately low heat until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the rice. Add about 2 cups of the hot stock, or enough to just cover the rice, and cook, stirring constantly, until the stock has been absorbed. Continue to add the stock, 2 cups at a time, stirring briskly, until the rice is tender and the sauce is creamy, about 30 minutes total. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley. Transfer the rice to the prepared baking dish.
3. Bake the rice for 1 hour, uncovered, until richly browned on top. Serve at once or let stand for up to 20 minutes before serving.

MAKE AHEAD The recipe can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated overnight. Bring the rice to room temperature before baking.


Notes:
I liked the flavors and the crispiness of the rice, but it was slightly too much work for the finished product.

Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10

Ina's Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Inspiration:
Brussels Sprouts caught my eye at the Farmers Market, and I had to buy them to make my favorite, yet simple, recipe.


Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt ( Ina likes these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.

Liz's Rating: 10/10
Tim's Rating: 8.5/10

One-Minute Salsa

Inspiration:
A Cook's Illustrated recipe featured in my CSA newsletter
as well as tomatoes, serrano pepper, onion, garlic, and cilantro from my CSA. (Everything except lime, salt, and ground pepper- I love it when that happens.)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 small serano or jalapeño chile or 1/2 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
• 1/4 small red onion , peeled and root end removed
• 1 small clove garlic , minced or pressed
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
  
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• pinch ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons lime juice from 1 lime
• 2 small tomatoes (about 3/4 pound), ripe, each cored and cut into eighths, or one (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
  

Instructions:

1. Pulse all ingredients except tomatoes in food processor until minced, about five 1-second pulses, scraping sides of bowl as necessary. Add tomatoes and pulse until roughly chopped, about two 1-second pulses.
   
   To Make Ahead:
   The salsa can be refrigerated, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days. Season with additional lime juice and salt before serving.

Notes:
This took me five minutes, not one minute to make. However, it's worth it because it's SO GOOD. Next time I will add an entire serrano pepper, because we love spicy food.

Liz's Rating: 9/10
Tim's Rating: 9/10

Sausage and Sauerkraut Pizza

Inspiration:
We have sauerkraut pizza at the Vermilion Club in Tower, MN every time we visit my aunt and uncle's cabin. It sounds like a weird combination, but it's really good! I think the leftovers are even better. Vegetarian sauerkraut pizza would be tasty as well.


Ingredients/Instructions:

• pizza dough (see link for instructions)
  
• 3 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water
  
• pizza sauce (just mix together)
  
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• toppings
  
• 2 cups "pizza blend" shredded cheese
• 3/4 lb Italian sausage, browned and crumbled
• 1 can sauerkraut, well drained
  

Tim's Rating: 10/10
Liz's Rating: 9.5/10

Pomodori al Riso

Inspiration:
A dish Tim and I made in our Rome cooking class
and
Tomatoes, garlic, basil, and parsley from our CSA


Ingredients:

• 4 large squat-shaped large tomatoes
• basil
• parsley
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 6 heaped tablespoons of Arborio rice
• grated Parmesan (optional)
  

Instructions:

1. Remove stems from tomatoes, turn upside down and evenly cut off bottoms, reserving them. With a kitchen spoon or grapefruit spoon, carefully scoop out the tomatoes into a bowl, leaving the "shell" intact. Reserve all contents.
2. Place scooped tomato in a blender or liquidizer, add plenty of parsley and basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and some olive oil. Blend until smooth. Place in a saucepan, add rice, and bring to a boil, cooking for about 4 minutes.
3. Place tomatoes cut-side up in an oiled baking dish, fill up to 2/3 with rice mixture, adding a little water if it's too thick. Close with cut off tops. Spread any leftover rice around tomatoes.
4. Bake in a 350 degree oven until cooked, about 30 minutes. You can test by removing one of the tops from a tomato and tasting the rice. It should be fairly al dente.
   

Recipe Notes:
Traditionally in Rome these tomatoes are baked surrounded by potatoes cut like French fries, adding some water and olive oil. I [the cooking class instructor] prefer the extra rice around them, which is very tasty!

My Notes:
Pomodori al Riso = "Rice Stuffed Tomatoes"
I forgot to reserve the tops of the tomatoes, whoops! Next time. Actually, next time I think I'll make this recipe from Food & Wine instead. The stuffed tomatoes made a nice presentation, but the crispy risotto cooked in the pan tasted even better!

Tim's Rating: 8.5/10 ("I definitely like the crispy risotto from the pan the best.")
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Black and White Bean Dip

Inspiration:
Are you ready for some football?!?!? We wanted to have some dip while watching Brett Favre make his regular-season debut with the Jets. Sigh, we miss having you as a Packer, Favre.
I adapted this recipe from Annie's Eats, originally from My Kitchen Café. Check out Annie's blog-- it's one of my favorites.


Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans

• 1 can white beans

• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
  

• 7 oz. hot salsa (I recommend Habañero Lime)
  

• 2 cups shredded co-jack cheese

• 1 cup chopped tomatoes

• garlic salt to taste

• cilantro to garnish
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Rinse and drain both cans of beans. Squeeze the liquid out of tomatoes before chopping so the dip doesn’t turn runny. Put all ingredients except cilantro in a bowl and mix together. Grease a shallow baking dish before spooning in the bean mixture. Sprinkle a little cheese on top.
2. Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the dip is heated through. Remove from the oven and top with cilantro.
3. Serve with tortilla chips.

Notes:
We decided to try this dip and compare it to the bean dip that Tim rated an 11/10. Tim's brother had tried both and said we should give it a shot. My brother-in-law and his girlfriend recommended their additions and substitutions: adding in a can of diced green chilies and substituting pepperjack cheese. I think that would taste delicious! We had co-jack cheese on hand and very spicy salsa, so we tried that instead.

Tim's Rating: 8.5/10 ("I think I prefer hot bean dip to be made with refried beans, but this was still good.")
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Moosewood's Apple-Celery En Bleu

Inspiration:
The first fresh apples of the season!
and
Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet, crunchy apple (Empire, Mutsu, or I used Zesta)
  
• 2-3 celery stalks
• 1/3 cup crumbled blue or Roquefort Cheese
• 2 servings of salad greens
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp honey
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Core the apple and cut it into 1/2-inch pieces. Thinly slice the celery. Combine the apples, celery, and crumbled cheese in a serving bowl. Add the greens to the bowl.
2. In a cup, use a fork to whisk together the vinegar or lemon juice, oil, and honey.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss well, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Tim's Note: Don't pair with shiraz wine. The flavors don't complement each other. :)

Liz's Rating: 8/10
Tim's Rating: 8/10

Quinoa with Black Beans and Cilantro

Inspiration:
An attempt to make more vegetarian dishes!

Ingredients/Instructions:
Bon Appétit
Notes:
I *loved* this dish! We do not care for bell peppers, so I substituted a large tomato, chopped, and added it along with the beans. If you can find cotija cheese, you must buy it. It's so fantastically delicious. This was an easy meal to put together on a weeknight. Serves 3-4 as a main course.

Liz's Rating: 9.5/10
Tim's Rating: 10/10 ("My favorite salad I've ever had.")

Homemade Pizza

Inspiration:
A desire to make another edible yeast-bread recipe.

Ingredients/Instructions:

• pizza dough (see link for instructions)
  
• 3 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water
  
• pizza sauce (just mix together)
  
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• toppings
  
• cheddar/mozzarella cheese
• pepperoni

Notes:
I was finally able to find instant yeast at the co-op. Finally! I can't believe I couldn't find it at our other 4 grocery stores, including Whole Foods. This was so easy, and tasty, we were very impressed with ourselves. We'll be making pizza quite often!

Tim's Rating: 9.5/10
Liz's Rating: 9.5/10

Labor Day BBQ Menu

Happy Labor Day!

We had our "Labor Day BBQ" on Friday this year. We had a simple menu, but everyone enjoyed it!

• Wisconsin-style bratwurst
• corn on the cob
• basil green beans with cherry tomatoes
  
• red-skinned potato salad
• pineapple cupcakes with piña colada frosting

Thank you to fellow blogger Lani, who drew my name in a recent food-blogger gift exchange. She sent me the cupcake mix as well as a subscription to Vegetarian Times magazine and some Greek spices to mix with olive oil for bread dipping. Thank you so much!