The Best Breakfast Casserole

Inspiration:
My sister Ellen made this over Thanksgiving, and we made it again for Christmas morning. It's hands down the best baked breakfast we've ever had. You must try it!
Recipe from Johnsonville.


Ingredients:

• 1 package (12 oz.) Johnsonville® breakfast sausage links
• 6 English muffins, cut into 1-in. cubes
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (omitted)
• 1/2 cup chopped red pepper (omitted)
• 12 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 cup bacon bits (omitted)
  

Instructions:

1. Cook sausage according to package directions. Cool slightly; cut into ¼-in. slices.
2. In a greased 13in. x 9 in. baking dish, layer half the English muffin cubes and half the cooked sausage. Repeat layers.
3. Drizzle with butter and top with the cheese, onion and red pepper.

   In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over casserole. Sprinkle with bacon. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
   
5. Uncover and bake at 350˚F for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Let stand 5 minutes.

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

Product Rave: Trader Joe's Chocolate Croissants

YOU MUST BUY THESE.
That's all.

Enjoy!

Bobby Flay's Grilled Corn Salad with Lime, Red Chili, and Cotija

Inspiration:
A side dish tasted at Mesa Grill over a year ago that we couldn't forget. I finally looked online to see if a recipe was available when we received corn from our CSA. It was!


Ingredients:

• 8 ears fresh corn, silks removed, husk on, soaked in cold water 30 minutes
• Canola oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup creme fraiche
• 2 limes, juiced and 1 zested
• 1 tablespoons ancho chili powder
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup grated cotija

Instructions:

1. Heat grill to high. Grill corn until charred on all sides, 10 or so minutes. Take off the grill and remove the kernels with a sharp knife. While you are cutting the corn, put a cast iron skillet on the grill to heat.
2. Add the corn and the remaining ingredients to the hot pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until creamy and heated through.

Notes: Cotija is the food of the gods. This is a fantastic recipe to enjoy the sweet corn of summer.

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

Product Rave: Trader Joe's Red Curry Simmer Sauce

If you like curry, and you have a Trader Joe's nearby, and you need a quick weeknight meal, you MUST try this sauce!

I cut chicken breasts into 1-inch chunks and sauteed them in a little canola oil until cooked through. I threw in a few handfuls of baby spinach, about a cup of frozen peas, and sauteed a couple minutes longer, added the simmer sauce, and simmered until warm. I served over rice, although you can't tell from the photo.It was absolutely delicious. My only slight complaint was that it was pretty salty. But it's otherwise as good as you'd get at any Thai restaurant.

When Tim tasted it, he looked at me and said, "This is the BEST curry sauce you've ever made!" I told him I didn't actually make it, but I don't think he heard me. He was too busy with his dinner. Then he gave the sauce the best compliment ever: "I think I love this more than tacos."

Enough said.

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

Deviled Eggs, Two Ways

Inspiration:
A holiday gathering with friends and recipes from allrecipes.com.


Ingredients and Instructions:

Bacon-Balsamic Deviled Eggs

Savory Deviled Eggs


Notes:
These were a HUGE hit! I was of course expecting the bacon recipe to be the favorite, but surprisingly the dill eggs were even more popular. I made 24 deviled egg halves for 8 people, and I should have made more. These will be something I'll make often.

Shout Out:
Thanks to my friend Lindsay for lending me her pretty antique dish. :)


Liz and Tim's Ratings:
Bacon-Balsamic: 9.5/10
Savory Deviled Eggs: 10/10

Cod Provençal

Inspiration:
Martha Stewart Living


Ingredients:

• 4 cod fillets (6 ounces each), skinned
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 small onions, chopped (2 cups)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 4 medium-ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 2 t fresh thyme, plus 3 sprigs

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Place cod filets in a nonreactive dish, and squeeze lemon on top. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and season with pepper.
2. Heat 1 T oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions; cook until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Top with half the zucchini, tomatoes, and thyme. Drizzle with 1.5 t oil, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and season with pepper. Add cod and remaining zucchini, tomatoes, thyme, oil, and salt. Season with pepper.
3. Bake, covered, for 10 minutes. Baste with the juices, and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes more.

Nutritional Information (per 1/4th recipe):
317 calories, 2g saturated fat, 8g unsaturated fat, 80mg cholesterol, 8g carbohydrate, 465mg sodium, 46g protein, 2g fiber


Notes:

• Caramelizing the onions properly is very important. You want a deep golden brown, not burned. The delicious flavor is the base of the entire dish.
  
• I think I will put all of the zucchini under the fish next time I make this. The zucchini cooked in the amazing broth was tastier than the zucchini that cooked on top of the fish.
• I think this will be a recipe in our regular rotation-- fast, healthy, delicious.
• Taking photos when it gets dark so early is difficult-- this tasted better than it looks here!
  

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

Malfatti

Inspiration:
NY Times Magazine


Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fresh spinach (weighed after trimming) or 2 packages frozen

• 6 ounces crusty Italian bread (about half a loaf)

• Hot water

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 to 1 cup dry, coarse bread crumbs

• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

• 1/2 cup chopped parsley

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried basil

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten

• Flour

• 3 cups hot tomato sauce, preferably homemade

Instructions:

1. Cook the fresh spinach in the water clinging to the leaves after washing, or cook the frozen according to package instructions. Drain over a bowl, squeezing out as much water as possible — do this in small handfuls so you can press out the most water — and chop. Reserve the water.
2. Briefly soak the bread in the reserved spinach water plus enough hot water to cover and squeeze dry.
3. Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Mix the spinach, bread, sautéed onion and garlic and put through the finest blade of a meat grinder or pulse in a food processor until chopped, then scrape into a mixing bowl.
4. Add 1/2 cup of the dry bread crumbs, the cup of Parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper and basil. Stir in the eggs. With lightly floured hands, gently shape the mixture into sausagelike links, 1 inch round by 3 inches long. If they do not hold together, add more bread crumbs. Lay on a baking sheet.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the links, one at a time, into the boiling water. Reduce the heat to let the water barely simmer and cook until the malfatti float to the surface, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and place in a greased baking dish, large enough to fit the malfatti in a single layer.
6. Spoon the tomato sauce over the links, sprinkle with lots of cheese and broil to reheat.

Recipe Notes:
My Notes: This was time-consuming, but fun to make on a Saturday afternoon that Tim had to work. I clearly didn't broil as directed in step 6, because I knew I couldn't put pyrex in my broiler and I didn't feel like digging around for the right pan. These were surprisingly light, and really delicious. Other recipes for malfatti include ricotta cheese, which I may try next time.


Liz's Rating: 9.5/10
Tim's Rating: 10/10 ("I feel like I am in Italy again.")

Indian Chickpeas and Spinach in a Tomato Cream Sauce

Inspiration:
Savory Safari, adapted by Big City Cooking


Ingredients:

• Two cans chickpeas, drained & rinsed
  
• 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed & drained
  
• 1 ½ cups tomato sauce
  
• 1/3 cup whipping cream, at room temperature
  
• 3 cloves minced garlic
  
• 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
  
• ½ Tbsp. olive oil
  
• 1/2 tsp. Asian chili garlic sauce
  
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
  
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
  
• ½ tsp. garam masala

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and cook 2-3 minutes. Add chickpeas and toast, stirring frequently, for another 2 minutes or so.
   
2. Add tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Stir in all remaining spices and check seasoning, adding more of your favorite spices if desired.
   
3. Whisk in cream and return to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently.
   
4. Begin adding spinach in batches. Once all spinach is added, turn the heat down very low and cover. Simmer 5 minutes covered, and hold warm until ready to serve.

Notes:
This was SO quick and easy and so good! I think we'll be making it often. It's a perfect winter weeknight meal.


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

Glühwein

Inspiration:
A trek around Munich and Salzburg in search of the best Glühwein with Tim's brother Mike during the winter holidays of 2007 (we were able to keep the mugs for an extra Euro or so)...
as well as
a recipe and wine from Liberty Vineyards, near my sister Ellen's home in upstate New York.


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 bottle red table wine
• 1/2 orange, sliced
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 whole cloves
• dash nutmeg

Instructions:

1. In medium pot, boil water. Stir in sugar until dissolved. Reduce heat and add remaining ingredients.
   
2. Heat mulled wine for about 1/2 hour, making sure it does not boil. Stir occasionally.
3. Once flavors have combined, strain wine into mugs or wine glasses and enjoy!

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

Spicy Pork Po'Boys

Inspiration:
Food & Wine

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground pork
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 medium kosher dill pickles, very finely chopped
• 1/2 small shallot, minced
• Four 8-inch soft baguettes, split
• 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce (I despise iceberg lettuce, so I substituted mixed greens.)
  
• 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
• Hot sauce, for serving

Instructions:

1. Preheat a grill pan. In a large bowl, using your hands, mix the ground pork with the paprika, thyme, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Form the pork into twelve 1/2-inch-thick patties. Grill the pork patties over moderate heat, turning once, until they are cooked through, about 8 minutes total.
2. Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise with the Dijon mustard, pickles and shallot and season with salt and pepper. Spread the mayonnaise on both sides of the baguettes.
3. Place 3 pork patties on the bottom of each baguette and top with the lettuce, tomato and a few splashes of hot sauce. Close the sandwiches and serve.

Food & Wine's suggested beverage: "Juicy, blackberry-rich Southern Australian Shiraz: 2006 Jim Barry The Lodge Hill."

My Notes: This was really easy! The pork patties did not taste that much different than a spicy pork sausage blend, so you could buy bulk sausage if you want a super-quick dinner. Tim loved the sauce so much, he gave this recipe an 11 out of 10.

Liz's Rating: 9/10
Tim's Rating: 11/10

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

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.")

Tortilla and Black Bean Pie

Inspiration:
Everyday Food

Ingredients:

• 4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 12 ounces beer, or 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
• 2 1/2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• sour cream and salsa, for serving
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a paring knife, trim tortillas to fit a 9-inch springform pan, using the bottom of the pan as a guide. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add beans and beer to skillet, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until liquid has almost evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in corn and scallions, and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Fit a trimmed tortilla in bottom of springform pan; layer with 1/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat three times, using 1 cup cheese on top layer. Bake until hot and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Unmold pie; sprinkle with scallions. To serve, slice into wedges and serve with sour cream and salsa.
   

Recipe Notes:
"Serve this brightly colored, layered tortilla pie with salsa and sour cream on the side. You can assemble the pie ahead of time, then bake it just before serving."


My Notes:
We loved this, as we pretty do much any recipe with Mexican flavors. This would be a good vegetarian recipe to serve to guests (as long as they love cheese!), although I would have made more effort for it to look pretty. Sorry the photos aren't great; I made it too late to have any natural light. Here is a picture of it once I cut out a slice:

Liz's Rating: 8.5/10
Tim's Rating: 10/10 (He actually flashed me five fingers twice as he was shoveling it in. I said, "Are you rating it a 10?" He said, "Mmmm-Hmmm.")

Chicken, Rice, and Black-Bean Salad

Inspiration:
I like to take pasta salads to work during the week. I had this recipe from Martha Stewart sitting in my recipe binder and finally got around to making it (with some modifications).


Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown (or white) rice
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked with olive oil, kosher salt, Adobo Seasoning from Penzeys, cooled and diced
  
• 1 can (15 1/2 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2-4 on-the-vine tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 3-4 scallions and 1 garlic scape (optional), thinly sliced
  
• 1 jalapeno chile (seeds and ribs removed for less heat, if desired), minced
• 1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Cook rice according to package instructions. Spread on a baking sheet; refrigerate until cool.
2. Place cooled rice in a large bowl; add chicken, beans, tomatoes, scallions, jalapeno, vinegar, oil, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, covered, up to 1 day.

Recipe Notes: To make a Southwestern-style salad that's a meal in itself, toss together chicken, rice, beans, and tomatoes with a light, spicy dressing. Serves 4.

My Notes: I loved this recipe--what a great summer dish! I love the flavors, and it has a nice kick. If you don't like spicy food, cut back or eliminate the jalepeño. I absolutely love the Adobo Seasoning from Penzeys and highly recommend it. Although this isn't really a Mexican recipe, I am tagging it as such due to its flavor profile. I am already looking forward to tomorrow's lunch.


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

French Quarter Potatoes with Andouille

Inspiration:
A Williams-Sonoma recipe featured on the blog What Did you Eat?

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Creole or stone ground mustard
  
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like spice)
  
• 1/8 teaspoons ground Allspice
  
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 1/4 lb (625 g) small red or white potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  
• 4 bay leaves
  
• freshly ground black pepper
  
• 6 large cloves garlic
  
• 1 1/2 cups chopped red onions
  
• 4 andouille sausage links. quartered lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 1/2 inch chunks
  
• 2 green onions, pale and green parts, chopped

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the mustard Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, and allspice. Set aside
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy nonstick skillet and cook the potatoes, bay leaves and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Cover the pan as they cook. When potatoes are tender, add the garlic, and onions and raise the heat to high and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the sausage and stir until heated through. Stir in the mustard mixture, then serve, topping with green onions.
   

Notes:
We both loved this. Keep in mind we're both from Wisconsin, of German descent (Tim more than me), and love sausage and potatoes.
The original recipe calls for green bell pepper, but I omitted since we don't care for it.
This is a very tasty recipe. It's probably more of a winter recipe than summer, but I had andouille I needed to use up!


Liz's Rating: 9/10
Tim's Rating: 10/10
("One of the best things I've ever tasted.")

Shredded Beef Enchiladas

Inspiration:
A beef roast, no desire for pot roast, and this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds beef chuck roast
  
• 1 tablespoon water
  
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
  
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
  
• 2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers
  
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sour cream
  
• 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
  
• 1 cup oil for frying
  
• 20 (6 inch) corn tortillas
• Salsa
  

Instructions:

1. Place roast in slow cooker. Pour in water, vinegar, chili powder and cumin. Cover tightly and reduce heat to low. Cook on low for 10 hours or until the beef falls apart when you try to pick it up. Shred the beef, using 2 forks or your fingers. Place shredded beef back into the slow cooker with all the juices, and let cool to room temperature.
   


2. In a large skillet, saute the onion until just soft, not browned. Mix in flour and green chilies. Stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook the flour taste out. Stir in sour cream and 2 cups of Monterey Jack cheese. Cook on low for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the cheese is all melted and mixed. Set aside and let cool.
   


3. In a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil. Using tongs dip the tortillas, one at a time, into the oil for 30 seconds each side. Drain on paper towels.
   


4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spread 4 tablespoons of sour cream mixture down the center of the tortilla. Top with about the same amount of beef. Roll up and place seam side down in one or two 8x11 inch baking dish. Repeat for each tortilla. Continue until you are out of the filling. Sprinkle with remaining Monterey Jack cheese.
   


5. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling.


6. Serve with salsa.
   

Notes: These were a bit labor intensive. They tasted great, however. The meat was delicious, and I will be using this shredded beef in other Mexican recipes! If you don't have a slow cooker, you can cook your roast using the original recipe.

Suggested beverage: beer

Tim's Rating: 10.2/10 ("One of my favorite things that you've ever made.")
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Bittman's Mini "Quiches"

Inspiration:
Mark Bittman

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cream (or half-and-half, milk or a combination) gently heated just until warm
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup grated Gruyère
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
• Butter as needed

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees and set rack in middle of it. Combine all ingredients except butter and beat until well blended.
2. Pour into 4 to 6 buttered ramekins and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until almost firm; it should still jiggle just a little in middle. Cool on a rack, then serve warm or at room temperature.

Suggested beverage: grapefruit or orange juice, espresso

Tim's Rating: 10/10 ("This is the best quiche I've ever had. It's much better than the big quiches.")
Liz's Rating: 10/10

Hung's Clay Pot Rice

Inspiration:
Hung, the winner of Top Chef season 2, was featured in the February 2008 issue of Food and Wine Magazine. I decided to try his recipe for Clay Pot Rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup short-grain rice (7 ounces)
• 3 ounces mixed mushrooms such as oyster and stemmed shiitake, quartered if large (2 cups)
• 2 scallions, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 thick slices of fatty bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice (1/2 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, cover the rice with water and let soak until the grains turn white, about 1 hour. Drain the rice.
2. In another bowl, toss the mushrooms and scallions with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and season with salt and pepper; let marinate for 10 minutes.
3. In a small, enameled cast-iron casserole, clay pot or medium saucepan (I used a 4-quart enameled cast iron dutch oven), cook the bacon over moderate heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the soaked rice and stir to coat with the fat. Add the ginkgo nuts, marinated mushrooms and scallions, the water and the remaining 1 teaspoon of soy sauce. Bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Drizzle the oil around the edge of the pot so it runs down the insides.
   
4. Cover the pot and cook the rice over low heat until tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 10 minutes. Raise the heat to high and cook the rice, covered, until sizzling and a crust forms on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

Notes: The crispy crust part of the rice is the best part- just like paella!

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

Lemongrass Chicken

Inspiration:
Hung, the winner of Top Chef, featured in Food and Wine magazine.

Ingredients:

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 scallions—whites chopped, greens sliced, for garnish
• 1 large stalk of lemongrass, bottom two-thirds chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro stems, plus sprigs, for garnish
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions:

1. In a mini processor, puree the garlic, scallion whites, lemongrass, cilantro stems, sugar, lime juice, salt and pepper to a paste.
   
2. Rub the paste all over the chicken thighs. Put the chicken on a plate, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.Scrape the marinade from the chicken.
   
3. In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the oil. Add the chicken, and cook over moderately high heat until cooked through; transfer to plates, and garnish with scallion greens and cilantro sprigs. Serve with lime wedges and the dipping sauce.

Notes: The flavors were really good, but I don't think that the marinade was strong enough for chicken thighs. The original recipe called for pompano fillets (fish), so I might try it next time.

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

Potstickers

Inspiration:
A Cooks Illustrated recipe, featured on Bridget's blog

Ingredients:

Filling

• 3 cups minced napa cabbage leaves (about ½ medium head)
• ¾ teaspoon table salt
• ¾ pound ground pork
• 4 minced scallions (about 6 tablespoons)
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1½ teaspoons minced or grated fresh ginger
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Dumplings

• 36 round potsticker wrappers (see note)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup water, plus extra for brushing

Instructions:

1. Toss cabbage with the salt in colander set over a bowl and let stand until cabbage begins to wilt, about 20 minutes. Press the cabbage gently with rubber spatula to squeeze out any excess moisture, the transfer to a medium bowl. (If you can't get moisture to release, squeeze cabbage with hands.)
   
2. Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until mixture is cold, at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
3. Working with 4 potsticker wrappers at a time (keep the remaining wrappers covered with plastic wrap), fill, seal, and shape the dumplings using a generous 1 teaspoon of the chilled filling per dumpling. Transfer the dumplings to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling; you should have about 24 dumplings. (The dumplings can be wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 1 day, or frozen for up to 1 month. Once frozen, the dumplings can be transferred to a zipper-lock bag to save space in the freezer; do not thaw before cooking.)
4. Line a large plate with a double layer of paper towels; set aside.
   
5. Brush 1 tablespoon of the oil over the bottom of a 12-inch nonstick skillet and arrange half of the dumplings in the skillet, with a flat side facing down (overlapping just slightly if necessary). Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook the dumplings, without moving, until golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes.
6. Reduce the heat to low, add ½ cup of the water, and cover immediately. Continue to cook, covered, until most of the water is absorbed and the wrappers are slightly translucent, about 10 minutes.
   
7. Uncover the skillet, increase the heat to medium-high, and continue to cook, without stirring, until the dumpling bottoms are well browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes more.
   
8. Slide the dumplings onto the paper towel-lined plate, browned side facing down, and let drain briefly. Transfer the dumplings to a serving platter. Let the skillet cool until just warm, then wipe it clean with a wad of paper towels and repeat step 3 with the remaining dumplings, oil, and water.
9. Serve with Scallion Dipping Sauce.
   

I used these wrappers:

Instructions for different size wrappers:
Round gyoza (3¾ inches diameter), fill with 1 rounded tablespoon, steam for 10 minutes
Round wonton (3¾ inches diameter), fill with 1 rounded tablespoon, steam for 6 minutes
Square wonton (3 3/8 inches square), fill with 2 rounded teaspoons, steam for 6 minutes
Rectangular wonton (3¼ inches by 2¾ inches), fill with 1 rounded teaspoon, steam for 5 minutes.

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