Many recipes, little time (2010)

July 2010

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

So Many Recipes, So Little Time

I have totally stopped entertaining for the rest of the month. I don't care if a baby drops from the sky, or Matt gets his Masters degree tomorrow...no more parties! My plate is full for the rest of the month and probably for longer than that. Yesterday I never got out of my pajamas--the dogs got worried. After all we have a ritual that must be kept. Their outing first, my coffee second, their breakfast, my crossword puzzles, and then out of the pajamas.

I am also not going to the store for an entire week. My cupboards are bulging and so is the frig. I made a scrumptious mac and cheese today using up all of the cheese board left overs from two weeks of heavy entertaining. This dish was topped with sliced tomatoes and bread crumbs made from all of the left over buns. (Our cherry tomatoes are just now coming in...remember Andy planted 72 tomato plants.)I think what made the dish was the addition of some left over goat cheese and the rush of pepper cheese. It will never turn out the same again, so no recipe for that. As people revolve in and out today, it is mac and cheese and left over ribs. So far no one has complained.

I got a Food Network magazine today with an interesting item called an Oatmeal Souffle--no recipe since it is featured at the Red Feather Lounge in Boise. But I got on the Internet and found some recipes that had much in common. If I ever do Sunday breakfast again, I am trying this. I have taken several pictures of the picture in the magazine, but they did not turn out so great, but will give you an idea... in case there is anyone reading this blog. (LOL) Here is one of the recipes. If you try it, let me know so we can compare notes.
Oatmeal Souffle

1 cup Milk
2 tablespoons Butter
3/4 cup Quick-Cooking Rolled Oats
1/3 cup low-fat Cream Cheese
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
3 Eggs, separated
1/2 cup Raisins
1/2 cup Chopped Walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and sugar 1 1/2 quart souffle dish or casserole; set aside.

Put milk and butter into a small saucepan and heat until barely boiling. Slowly add oatmeal, stirring constantly. Cook oatmeal until thick, stirring often. Remove from heat and add cream cheese, salt, sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir briskly to blend and smooth the mixture.

Beat the 3 yolks slightly and slowly add them to the oatmeal, stirring constantly. Stir in the raisins and walnuts.

Beat the egg whites until they are stiff but still moist. Using a rubber spatula, gently stir and fold the whites into the oatmeal mixture. Don't overfold; fold only until no large lumps of whites remain. Spoon the mixture into the souffle dish.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the center still trembles a trifle but most of the souffle is set. Serve immediately with cream or warm milk.

This souffle is still tasty when cold and fallen. For a touch of decadence, serve with whipped cream.

To reheat, place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or heat individual servings in the microwave.

Another set of inspirations that we enjoy on Saturday mornings, starting in the spring, would be the street markets. The biggest and best, so far, is the Worthington outdoor market. They close the main street and spread out far and wide so that it takes a bit of time to do it properly. It is like Paris, but right in the home town of many people now days. The freshness and beauty draws the crowd. We spend more per item or per bunch, but the taste claims victory.

Today I bought new tiny beets which I washed and sprinkled with olive oil and salt and bundled them tightly in a foil package to bake. That way the skins slide right off and you can have your way with the sleek bulbs. Yummy! Sometimes I leave a bowl of slices or tiny bulbs in the frig and pop one or two in my mouth as I search for dinner items. They are a great and tasty snack.

I bought Matt's favorite, fresh new green beans. I've taken a ham bone from the freezer and coupled it with the green beans and onions in the slow cooker. I will add new potatoes as the day goes on (don't want them mushy) and lay corn on the cob on top for the last half an hour. It's a summer one pot meal. They are going to the zoo today to meet the new polar bear, so the bean dish will hit the spot as the sun goes down.

The salad fixings were especially nice today. Butter lettuce for chicken wraps and and a big summer salad with tomatoes from Andy's garden, will tempt those that arrive for Sunday with the Lechlers. Life is good!

Though a bit pretentious, I love Ina's (Barefoot Contessa) recipes and I have all of her books. She giggles less now days, we all appreciate that, and, she has some new shows for us. The Barefoot Contessa entertains in an easy manner and once she settles into cooking, the results are very tasty. Her mustard roasted fish is so good it can be served to guests as well as to the family for an easy healthful week day treat.

Mustard-Roasted Fish
2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved
Prep Time: 10 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 15 min Level:
Easy Serves:
4 servings Ingredients
4 (8-ounce) fish fillets such as red snapper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces creme fraiche
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons drained capers
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. (You can also use an ovenproof baking dish.) Place the fish fillets skin side down on the sheet pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Combine the creme fraiche, 2 mustards, shallots, capers, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it's barely done. (The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it's done.) Be sure not to overcook it! Serve hot or at room temperature with the sauce from the pan spooned over the fish.

Love potatoes with vineger!
Grilled Salt & Vinegar Potatoes

The original recipe calls for white vinegar. I used part white balsamic vinegar and regular white vinegar. - but you can use either. I suspect you could actually experiment over time w/ different types of vinegar. I used fingerling potatoes that were on the large size, but any waxy potatoes will do.
2 cups / 475 ml white wine vinegar
1 pound / 16 oz / 450 g waxy potatoes (see head notes), cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper salt to taste (optional)
Pour the vinegar into a medium saucepan, then stack (or arrange) the potatoes so the vinegar covers them completely. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are just fork tender. You want them to hold their shape, so they don't fall apart on the grill later. Let the potatoes cool in the vinegar for 30 minutes. Drain well, then very gently toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Heat the grill to medium high. Grill potatoes, covered if possible, until golden on one side, then flip and grill the other side - roughly 3 - 5 minutes per side. Serve sprinkled with Kosher salt to taste.
Serves 4.