Monthly Archives: August 2011
Pesto Potato Rolls with a Salt Crust
| August 28, 2011 | Posted by Lauren Keating under Breads, Sides, Vegetarian or Vegan, Weekend Meals |
Here in the Capital Region of New York, we were lucky to have been spared most of the wrath of Hurricane Irene. While our friends to the south had to scramble around preparing for the worst, all we really did was make sure that we had batteries for the flashlight. Shawn brought my basil plant inside to protect it from the wind, and I noticed that it was huge! I mean, comically large — practically a basil tree. It was clearly time to make pesto.
Since I knew I would be stuck home in the rain all day, I thought it might be nice to bake. I pulled out my copy of Healthy Breads in Five Minutes a Day, thinking I might find a recipe for garlic knots that I could use the pesto in. As I flipped through the pages, a recipe for 100% whole grain rosemary dinner rolls with a salt crust caught my eye. They weren’t like any other potato roll recipes that I’ve seen, which usually call for mashed potatoes to be worked into the dough. Instead, these called for raw potatoes, which soften as they bake but give the rolls a little bit of texture. I knew I had to try them!
I ended up modifying the recipe quite a bit — both to incorporate the pesto and to use flours that I had on hand (the original recipes called for a mixture of whole wheat, rye, and spelt). I was really happy with how they came out — the crust is nice and crispy and the inside is soft and pillowy. Plus, they couldn’t have been easier to make — they don’t even require kneading! From start to finish they take about 3 hours (but only about 20 minutes of that is active time), which made them the perfect rainy-day project.
These pesto potato rolls were delicious on their own (dipped in a little olive oil), but they were just calling to be served alongside a rich, tomato based soup like my tortelloni fagioli with fire roasted tomatoes.
Pesto Potato Rolls
Yields 16 rolls
Prep Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes; Total Time: 3 hours
These crusty dinner rolls have a crisp exterior, a soft, fluffy center, and a subtle pesto flavor throughout. They are perfect dipped in extra virgin olive oil and a little cracked pepper or dunked into soup. If fresh basil is unavailable, substitute 1/4 cup store-bought pesto and omit the basil, Parmesan, and olive oil.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Whole White Wheat Flour
- 1.5 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2-1/4 teaspoons (or 1 packet) Active Dry Yeast
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt, divided
- 2 cups fresh Basil
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- 12 Kalamata Olives, pitted
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1.5 cups lukewarm Water
- 1.5 cups diced raw Potato, in 1/4 inch cubes
Preparation
- Mix the flours, yeast, and 1 teaspoon salt in a 5-quart bowl.
- Add the basil, cheese, and olives to the bowl of your food processor or a blender. Pulse 5-10 times, or until basil is finely chopped. Drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to process the pesto, until a smooth sauce forms. Add the pesto, water, and potatoes to the dry ingredients. Using a spoon or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachement, mix until the flour is incorporated. (The dough will be very sticky and soft.)
- Cover and let rest at room temperature until the dough has doubles in size – about 2 hours. After the dough has risen, keep covered ad refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to seven days.
- When ready to use, preheat the oven to 450F. Dust the dough with flour and divide into 16 portions. Roll each portion to form a smooth ball. Place on a nonstick cookie sheet and sprinkle the top of each roll with the remaining kosher salt. Let rest for 20 minutes.
- Transfer the cookie sheet to the middle oven rack. Fill a small dish with hot water and place on the top rack. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crusty and golden brown.
****
I’m submitting this post to YeastSpotting – a weekly roundup of baked goods.
Salmon en Manchamanteles {a.k.a. The Tablecloth Stainer}
| August 21, 2011 | Posted by Lauren Keating under Fish and Seafood, Mexican and Southwestern, Quick Weeknight Meals |
When I go out to eat and see something on the menu that’s a little off the beaten path, I have a hard time not ordering it. It doesn’t matter if we picked the restaurant based on the fact that I was craving a burger or a big plate of vegetables or some other unexciting dish — if they have something that I’ve never heard of before, chances are I’ll order it. If it’s bad, that just means I get to have dessert!
Rabbit? Check.
Alligator? Double Check.
Salmon en Manchamanteles? I may not be able to pronounce it, but it was fabulous.
This dish, which translates to “tablecloth stainer” (oh boy is it messy!), was on the menu at Rosa Mexicano last summer and I couldn’t resist the description of an ancho chile and tropical fruit mole. Chock full of zucchini and pineapple, the mole was smokey and complex. I loved the sweetness of the pineapple against the rich sauce, and to pair it with salmon seemed totally natural (even though I don’t think I’ve ever seen salmon on a Mexican menu at any other restaurant). I first ordered this a full year ago, and I still think about it. Obviously, I had to try making it at home. I’ll be honest — my version doesn’t compare to theirs. But its still pretty darn good, and easy enough to make on a weeknight.
Salmon en Manchamanteles
Prep time: 5 minutes; Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
- 1 Tbs Olive Oil
- 1 small Onion, chopped
- 1 can low-sodium Black Beans, undrained
- 1 cup chopped Pineapple, with 1/4 cup reserved juice
- 1 cup Corn
- 2 Tbs Mole paste, such as Goya*
- 2 Tbs Lime Juice
- 2 Salmon filets
- 2 tsp. Ancho Chile Powder
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. When the oil is got, add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened — about 5 minutes.
Add the beans, pineapple and reserved juice, corn, mole paste, and lime juice. Stir well. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the flavors have melded.
Meanwhile, rub the salmon filets with the chile powder. Heat a second pan over medium-high heat and spray with cooking oil. Add the salmon, presentation side down, and cook for 6 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes, or until just pink in the center.
Serve the salmon on top of the mole.
*If you’re an overachiever like my friend Joanne, you can also make your own mole from scratch. This won’t be a weeknight recipe if you do that though. Also, send me some because I’m not that ambitious.
Grilled Vegetable and Goat Cheese Pitas
| August 17, 2011 | Posted by Lauren Keating under Lent, Light, Quick Weeknight Meals, Sandwiches, Shawn's Favorites, Summer, Vegetarian or Vegan |
As the days get shorter and the evenings start to get that fall chill to them, I’m making an effort to squeeze in every last little bit of grilling that I want to do. These grilled vegetable sandwiches are an old favorite that I had forgotten about until recently. I’m really happy that I remembered them though, because they’re super simple to make and are full of fresh summertime flavors.
These sandwiches were inspired by a lunch that I had years ago at Old Ebbitt Grill in Washington, DC. It was before I really started to get interested in cooking (between work and grad school and planning my wedding I had enough to concentrate on), but I remember making the sandwich for dinner just a few nights later in my tiny little apartment kitchen — it might actually have been the first time I ever tried to recreate a restaurant meal at home! The sandwiches have evolved over the years and my memory of the original has gotten fuzzy – I only remember the portobello, pita, and fresh basil — but they are every bit as delicious as I remember them being.
Grilled Vegetable and Goat Cheese Pitas
Prep time: 5 minutes, Total time: 20 minutes
Yield: 2 sandwiches
- 2 Tbs Olive Oil
- 2 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, seeded and quartered
- 2 Portobello Mushrooms
- 1 Zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
- 4 mini Pita Breads (or 2 larger breads split to form 4 rounds)
- 2 ounces Goat Cheese
- 2 Tbs roughly chopped Kalamata Olives (about 8.)
- Fresh Basil
Preheat grill, grill pan, or sandwich press to high.
Combine the oil and vinegar in a large mixing bowl. Add the peppers, zucchini, and portobellos and stir so that they are well coated. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Remove the red peppers from the marinade and place on the grill, skin-side down. Grill for 10 minutes. Add the zucchini and portobellos to the grill. Grill an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the zucchini and mushrooms are tender and the peppers are soft with a charred skin. Remove vegetables from the grill.
Spread 2 pitas with goat cheese and sprinkle with olives. Add one portobello, 2 pieces of pepper, half the zucchini, and some whole fresh basil to each sandwich. Top with the remaining pitas.
Lower the heat on the grill to medium. Return the sandwiches to the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes — just long enough to warm the bread.
To serve, but each sandwich in half.
*****
I’m submitting this recipe to Souper Sunday at Kahakai Kitchen.
Zero Calorie “Nooodles” with Spicy Peanut Sauce… For One
| August 14, 2011 | Posted by Lauren Keating under Asian, Cooking For One, Lent, Light, Quick Weeknight Meals, Vegetarian or Vegan |
Shawn got a new job earlier this year. Its great, but his schedule kind of stinks and I’m on my own for dinner a few nights each week. At first it was kind of nice. Those nights give me the chance to make all of my favorites that he doesn’t really like. But it can also get kind of old. Cooking just isn’t as much fun when there’s no one to share the completed meal with, and a lot of nights I end up eating something fast and simple like pasta or eggs.
In an effort to motivate myself to cook real meals even on nights where I’m alone, I’m going to try something new: a “Cooking for One” series here on Healthy. Delicious. featuring the meals that I cook for myself. These pared-down recipes will be super simple, quick to make, and full of the bold flavors that you expect to find in my recipes. Some of the recipes might make enough for leftovers, but none will be more than a single person can eat in a 24 hour period. (Of course, you can always double or triple these recipes if you want to feed a larger group with minimal effort!) For now, I’m planning on dedicating the first Sunday of each month to this series. We’ll see how it goes!
One of the things that I actually do like about having a few nights to myself is that I can try out new products and techniques to see if they’re any good before subjecting Shawn to them. My shaved asparagus salad with bacon and havarti started out as something I made just for myself, but it ended up being one of our favorite meals this spring. When I saw these “noodles” as I was browsing in the grocery store the other day, I knew I would have to try them on a night I was alone. As it says on the bag, they have no calories, no fat, no carbs, no soy, and no gluten. They’re also precooked: just rinse, heat, and serve! Since even a stick of gum has 5 calories and a warning that “this is not a low calorie food” my hopes for these noodles weren’t very high, but I was pleasantly surprised!
It turns out that these noodles, made from yam flour, water, and lime, aren’t anything fancy or new. I found them again a few days later (and for half the price) at the Asian market, where they are called shirataki noodles. They have a nice, chewy texture that reminds me of udon and, straight out of the bag, they have absolutely no flavor. Stir-fried with a flavorful peanut sauce and some fresh vegetables, they make a fast and delicious meal.
(Be careful not to confuse shirataki noodles made with yam flour with “shiraki-style” noodles that are made out of tofu. Also, make sure you rinse them well before you eat them – they smell a little funky straight from the bag.)
Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Prep time: 5 minutes, Total time: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 Servings
- 1/3 cup Coconut Milk
- 2 Tbs Peanut Butter
- 1 tsp Lime Juice
- 1 tsp Soy Sauce
- 1/2 tsp Brown Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Coriander
- 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Tbs Thai Red Curry Paste (Optional)
- 1 Zucchini, cut lengthwise and sliced into thin half moons
- 2 cups Broccoli Slaw
- 8 ounces Shirataki Noodles, rinsed and drained, or cooked spaghetti
- 1 Tbs chopped Peanuts
Combine the first 9 ingredients (through the curry paste, if using) in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until peanut butter has melted and the sauce is heated through — about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
Spray a 9.5-inch saute pan with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and cook for 3 minutes, or until softened and slightly golden around the edges. Add the broccoli slaw and cook another 5 minutes. Add the drained shirataki noodles (or spaghetti) and the peanut sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, until the noodles are heated through — about 2 minutes.
Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped peanuts and fresh lime wedges.
{For Jennie & Mikey} Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
| August 11, 2011 | Posted by Lauren Keating under Cake and Pastry, Desserts, Indulge |
I remember the first time I met Jennifer Perillo. It was at BlogHer last summer, and a group of us had snuck down to the bar to enjoy a glass of wine where it was quieter and generally less crazy. We shared stories, talking about this and that, and I remember her telling us how her husband Mikey was her rock. How he talked her down when her temper started to flare and how he made sure she always stayed professional.
She spoke of him with such love and admiration, and it was clear to everyone that they were true partners. A marriage to model their own after. I’ve met Jennie a few times since then, and Mikey frequently ended up in the stories she would share. Just a few weeks ago at the Big Summer Potluck, she traded the blender that she had won for a sassy little apron. “I’m going to leave the kids with the sitter and have this on when Mikey comes home from work,” she said with a wink and a laugh. (After 16 years, if that’s not love I don’t know what is. The fact that even crossed her mind is amazing to me.) I don’t know if Mikey ever saw that apron.
When I woke up on Monday morning, I checked Facebook and saw that Jennie had posted a video called “last dance.” It was Mickey and one of their daughters, laughing and having fun. The title confused me. I went to Twitter to see what it was all about. Then I saw it. The tweet. “He’s gone. And my heart is shattered in a million pieces.” My stomach dropped. I think those words will stay with me forever.
I didn’t want to believe it. I told myself she was talking about someone else. Or that something bizarre happened and he left her, knowing for sure he would be back by the end of the day. Not able to make it without her. But then I saw the other tweets. The words I didn’t want to read. Heart attack. Dead. And no time to say goodbye.
My heart broke. It’s not fair! There are so many shitty people in the world; the bad stuff should happen to them. Not to Jennie, who is one of the most kind-hearted people I’ve ever met and who is never without a smile. Not to Jennie, who is far to young too be left on her own with two little girls. And it’s absolutely not fair to those girls. The whole situation just sucks. I would do absolutely anything if it meant taking away some of her grief, even for a few minutes. So many of our blogging friends feel the same way.
Jennie’s request was simple. All she wanted was for us to make pie and share it with someone we love. We may not be able to be there in Brooklyn as Jennie says her final goodbye today, but we’ll be there in spirit. The last I saw, over 300 people were planning to make chocolate peanut butter pie in memory of Mikey. They’ll be sharing it with their friends and family, hugging them close and remembering how precious life is. I know I will.
Creamy Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Adapted from In Jennie’s Kitchen
- 8 ounces chocolate wafter cookies
- 4 Tbs butter, melted
- 4 ounces chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup white chocolate peanut butter
- 1-14 ounce can fat free sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
Pulverize the cookies into fine crumbs. Combine with melted butter and mix well. Press into the bottom of a baking dish.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Add 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream to thin it out. Pour over the cookie crumb base. Use the back of a spoon coated in cooking spray to spread the chocolate over the whole base. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Pour the remaining cream into a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat it until thick peaks form.
Add the peanut butter and cream cheese to a separate bowl. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the condensed milk, vanilla, and lemon juice. Beat until smooth. Stir in 1/3 of the whipped cream to thin the batter. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream. Pout the peanut butter filling into the cookie base. Garnish with chopped peanuts, chocolate drizzle, or chocolate shreds.
Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Serve with extra love.
My Seven Links & Free Yogurt
| August 9, 2011 | Posted by Lauren Keating under Misc., Reviews |
I had every intention of posting a new recipe and launching a new series on cooking for one last night, but I got caught up in design issues that took longer than expected and left me feeling like my brain was fried.
Hopefully it was worth it though. I still have a few loose ends to tie up, but my hope is that the new layout is crisper, cleaner and (hopefully!) quicker to load. I’ll be back soon with that new recipe. In the meantime, my friend Amy tagged me in the Seven Links post that’s been going around – I thought it would be a fun way to revisit some of the older recipes I’ve posted.
My Most Beautiful Post: – I’m more a photographer than a writer, so I’m going with the visual sense of beauty here. Beauty is subjective, and I might take a photo that I love today and think it looks awful in a week. That said, I haven’t stopped loving my photos of Cucumber-Basil Spritzers since the moment I took them. They remind me of the perfect summer day! The drinks were tasty, too.
My Most Popular Post: I don’t know why it surprises me so much since the stuff is awesome, but people really love my Taco Bake. Between foodgawker, tastespotting, pinterest, and google, this post single-handidly drives the most traffic to my blog. Since that post is so popular that it almost seems unfair to the rest of the recipes on my blog, an honorable mention goes to Creamy Potato Salad, Hold the Mayo which also lures in more than it’s fair share of visitors.
My Most Controversial Post: I try to stay away from controversy around here. Food is meant to bring people together, not make them fight! My Soft & Fudgy Chocolate Pea-Nut Butter Cookies did cause a bit of a stir on Twitter though, thanks to their unconventional ingredient. “Controversial” or not, they were absolutely delicious!
My Post That Didn’t Get Enough Attention: I was surprised that my Beef and Bean Chili with Pickled Onions didn’t get more attention. It might be that I posted it toward the end of winter and everyone was already chili’d out, but keep it in mind for this year! The pickled onions are a great topping, and can be used on your favorite chili recipe too.
My Most Helpful Post: I’d like to think that all of my posts help people get a delicious dinner on the table, but I rarely post solely for the sake of giving tips. I’d have to say this one it a tie between Let’s Talk Risotto, where I examined different types of risotto rice, and How to Roast a Chicken on the Grill, which is pretty self-explanatory from the title.
A Surprise Success: Apparently Linguini with White Clam Sauce has something of a cult following. This dinner, which I threw together on a whim, is one of my most popular posts. Who knew? Also, even though I posted it really recently, I’ve been bowled over by the response to my Watermelon Gazpacho. I’m not sure why, but I thought people might think it was weird. Turn out, they don’t.
The Post I’m Most Proud Of: It’s so hard to pick just one, but I have to say I’m the proudest of my Seafood Cioppino with Saffron Tomato Sauce. It was my first recipe to get any sort of recognition, and it won me a trip to San Francisco for the Foodbuzz Festival!
Well, there you have it. My seven (or more) links, and a look back at some of my (and your!) favorite recipes from the past few years. I’m tagging Joanna, Colleen, Monique, and Amanda to keep this fun chain going.
*****
Were you really just in this for the free yogurt that I mentioned before? It’s ok. Dannon Activia has just launched two new lines of yogurt – French (“Fruit on the Bottom”) and Greek and if you “like” them on Facebook they’ll give you a printable coupon to try them out for free! Yogurt is my go-to breakfast, so I’m excited to try these out.
Visit the Activia Selects Facebook page to get your FREE coupon now!
(This sponsorship is brought to you by Activia Selects who we have partnered with for this promotion. FREE coupon offer good 8/3 /11 – 8/15/11, up to 1 million coupons, on any Activia Selects Single Serve, up to $3.00. One coupon per household. Offer valid in the U.S only. VOID IN LA, NJ, CA. Coupon valid until 8/15/11. Residents of LA, NJ, CA will be given a ‘$1 off 3 Activia Selects’ coupon.)
Were you really just in this for the free yogurt that I mentioned before? It’s ok. Dannon Activia has just launched two new lines of yogurt – French (“Fruit on the Bottom”) and Greek and if you “like” them on Facebook they’ll give you a printable coupon to try them out for free! Yogurt is my go-to breakfast, so I’m excited to try these out.
Visit the Activia Selects Facebook page to get your FREE coupon now!
(This sponsorship is brought to you by Activia Selects who we have partnered with for this promotion. FREE coupon offer good 8/3 /11 – 8/15/11, up to 1 million coupons, on any Activia Selects Single Serve, up to $3.00. One coupon per household. Offer valid in the U.S only. VOID IN LA, NJ, CA. Coupon valid until 8/15/11. Residents of LA, NJ, CA will be given a ‘$1 off 3 Activia Selects’ coupon.)
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