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glazed carrots with tarragon

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I planted tarragon in the garden this year and I couldn’t tell you why. I had never used it in anything and couldn’t have told you anything about it when I bought it. For some reason it sounded like a good addition to the herb garden. That reason was probably just a result of me not being able to stop buying plants this spring. I finally had to make myself stop going to the nursery so I wouldn’t buy anything else. I am so glad that I got that tarragon plant when I found this carrot recipe.

I love carrots but seem to rarely cook them. Now that I have a go to recipe and some tarragon they will be frequenting the dinner table much more often. My favorite are the colorful carrot varieties because they add such a burst to any dinner plate.

The recipe is very simple and takes very little time. The first time I made them I made them in a 10″ skillet and the glaze and carrots were done at the same time. The second time I made them in a 6″ saucepan and the carrots finished first. The called for 8″ saucepan would certainly yield the best results but as long as you are testing the carrots along the way it is easy to keep them warm while the glaze finishes.

Head over to Fine Cooking to get this great carrot recipe from Michael Ruhlman and watch the video to help you tell when the glaze is done.

Glazed Carrots with Tarragon - from Fine Cooking issue 122

1 lb. carrots, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
3 T unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
kosher salt
2 T finely chopped tarragon

Put carrots in an 8-inch-wide, 3 to 4 quart saucepan and arrange snugly. Add the butter, sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, and enough water to just cover the carrots (about 2 cups). Bring to a boil over high heat.

Cover over high heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until the liquid had reduced to a syrupy glaze and the carrots are tender, about 10 minutes. (If the glaze is done before the carrots, add about 1/2 cup water and continue to cook. If the carrots are done first, remove them and continue to boil the liquid until syrupy.)

Lower the heat to medium low, add the tarragon, and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and serve. (the glazed carrots can be kept warm, covered, for about 20 minutes.)

magazine challenge of 2013

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This year I am challenging myself to cook from every food magazine I get. Something had to happen to keep me from collecting hoarding recipes from magazines that I have never made and probably won’t. The real goal is to give me even more dinner ideas and make me branch out from old favorites a little more often. I am really excited about this and think it is going to make cooking even more fun. Not to mention make me a little more discerning about which magazines I buy at the store and what recipes I tear out of the magazines. I am never going to make souffle and if I change my mind one of my 40+ cookbooks can tell me all about it.

Maybe you will find some new ones you like too. I subscribe to 4 magazines that are food magazines or have recipes regularly. In addition to those I have a habit of impulsively picking up others at the grocery store. So if you follow along you will have the chance to find quite a few tested recipes each month.

Here is how the first few recipes went. After a long day of errands and taking down Christmas I got started on the magazine challenge. I made my choice based on the amount of time it would take to cook. I started looking at recipes at 5pm and had to go to the store to get whatever I was cooking so it needed to be quick. The first recipe that seemed quick was garlicky roasted shrimp with cilantro and lime from the January/February Cook’s Illustrated. Cooked under the broiler it seemed a quick and easy way to make dinner but what to go with it. We eat pasta frequently so that didn’t seem fun. I thought that just might not be the recipe for tonight. Then I looked at rosemary-rubbed rib-eye with charred onions from the February/March Fine Cooking (I am skipping the Dec/Jan issue because it arrived in December pre-challenge) and the idea of surf and turf seemed perfect. I changed the steak to Chiptole-rubbed because I thought that would go better with the shrimp.

It turned out to be like summer on a cold winter day. The Fiestaware always helps set the mood.

All of this was so good I couldn’t stop talking about it while we ate. I was pretty proud of myself for this one. It was so quick I could do it any night too. Like I said I started looking at recipes at 5pm and had to go to the store and I still had dinner ready at 7pm. All of this is done under the broiler so it cooks very quickly at a high heat. Very similar to grilling. If you haven’t used a broiler check out some of these basic broiler tips from Fine Cooking.
Turn on the fan — Broiling generates smoke and can set off smoke detectors. It’s a good idea to turn on the exhaust fan, open a window, or both. — wish I had read this before I started I smoked out the kitchen something fierce.
Determine if the oven door should be open — Check your owner’s manual to see if it’s necessary and safe to leave the oven door ajar. In some models, the broiler will shut off when the oven reaches a certain temperature, so cracking the door will keep the oven cooler and the broiler on. But newer models may be designed fro closed-door broiling, and leaving the door open can melt the control panel, set off and alarm, or shut down the oven. — my heating element visibly turned off when I closed the door so I went with open.
Heat things up — You might think that the broiler doesn’t need to be heated for long before you put the food in, but heating the broiler also heats the oven, which helps the food cook through faster so its exterior doesn’t burn. Preheat your broiler according to manufacture instructions.
Do a toast test — There’s a huge variation among broilers, so cooking times can vary. The length of time it takes to toast a piece of bread is a good gauge of how hot your broiler is. The cooking times given in these recipes are based on a broiler that takes 1 minute to toast a pice of bread that is 3 1/2 inches from the heating element. — I did not test this I just rolled with their times and hoped.

I cooked the steak first and then let it rest while I cooked the onions and shrimp. Everything was still warm when the shrimp came out of the oven.

Chipotle-Rubbed Rib-Eye with Charred Red Onions

Bring steaks to room temperature before broiling will help them cook on the inside without burning on the outside.
2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of olive oil
3 teaspoons chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 12-oz. boneless rib-eye steaks, about 1 inch think at room temperature
1 large red onion, but into 1/3-inch-thick slices
In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbs. of the olive oil, the chipotle, garlic powder, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper to make a paste. Rub onto both sides of the steaks
Position a rack about 4 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high. Heat a broiler-safe cast-iron grill pan or skillet on the stove top over medium-high heat until searingly hot (at least 5 and up to 15 minutes). I knew mine was ready when i sprinkled water on it and it beaded up and skated around the pan
Put the steaks in the hot pan and transfer to the broiler. Broil about 2 minutes per side for medium rare(130 degrees F), or until they reach your desired degree of doneness. Transfer to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest.
Brush the tops of the onion slices with the remaining 1 tsp of olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Put in the pan, oiled side up, and broil until lightly charred, about 4 minutes. With tongs, separate the onions into rings, toss and continue broiling until crisp-tender and deeply charred, about 4 minutes more.
If making the shrimp tent onions with steaks. If not serve steak with onions on top.
Garlicky Roasted Shrimp with Cilantro and Lime
There was a warning saying: Don’t be tempted to use smaller shrimp with this cooking technique; they will be over-seasoned and prone to overcook. That being said I used 21-25 shrimp that were called jumbo and used a smidge less seasoning and they didn’t over cook and could have handled the full seasoning.
1/4 cup salt
2 pounds shell-on jumbo shrimp (16-20 per pound)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons crushed coriander seeds
2 teaspoons lime zest
1 teaspoon annatto powder - can replace with paprika. I used chipotle to give it some heat
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
lime wedges
1. Dissolve salt in 1 quart cold water in large container. Using kitchen shears or sharp paring knife, cut through shell of shrimp and devein but do not remove shell. (Mine already had this done at the store so I saved time there). Using a paring knife, continue to cut shrimp 1/2 inch deep, taking care not to cut shrimp in half completely. Submerge shrimp in brine, cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. Adjust oven rack 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Combine oil, garlic, coriander, lime zest, annatto powder in large bowl. Remove shrimp from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Add shrimp and cilantro to mixture and toss well, making sure butter mixture gets into interior of shrimp. Arrange shrimp in single layer on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet.
3. Broil shrimp until opaque and shells are beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through broiling. Flip shrimp and continue to broil until second side is opaque and shells are beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer shrimp to serving platter and serve immediately. Squeeze lime wedges over shrimp if desired.
This post is linked at House of Hepworths

one-pot meals

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I enjoy cooking and making food for people. I however dislike stressful recipes and cleaning the kitchen after dinner. I joke that if I won millions I would never hire a chef but a dishwasher that is another story. So one-pot meals are perfect for me. Even if they have some prep or a little sautéing these are my favorite meals. Lasagna, meatloaf, mac and cheese, and stew to name a few. The best part about these are that no matter how much of the kitchen I dirty I can clean the whole thing before the cooking is done. I don’t have to do anything while the cooking is happening. I don’t have to multi-task pans on the stove.

I have always loved fine Cooking magazine and I am a sucker for the best of issues they put at the check stands. I think I own most of them and cookies twice because I purchased it again this year forgetting I already owned it. When I saw the one-pot meals version this week it took about 5 seconds before it was in my cart. I didn’t even let them put it in a bag. I carried it out with me like I was going to read it on the way home.
Since I put down my Baker’s Dozen goals I have been challenging myself to get a head start on them. Especially, the goal of cooking a recipe from every food magazine I get. This is the first food magazine I have purchased or that has shown up in my mailbox so let the challenge begin. I have done myself proud and made two recipes out of this issue. Last night we had beef and black bean chili with chipotle and avocado and tonight we are having slow-cooker steak and guinness pie. If you like the sounds of these I suggest you too get the new issue of the best of fine Cooking. I know I will be making more of the included recipes.
My skills at food photography late at night are still growing so these photos are brought to you courtesy of the nice people at fineCooking.com

I didn’t make the chili according to the recipe so I am adding my version below but if you would like to cook the slow-cooker steak and guinness pie just click. This was my first recipe in a slow-cooker and I am hooked. I can’t wait to get more recipes so dinner will be done while I do whatever I want.
The only change I made to the recipe was the meat. Instead of 1 lb. of 85% lean ground beef I did half beef and half pork.
Beef, Pork and Black Bean Chili with Chipotle and Avocado

3 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14-1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 medium chipotle plus 2 Tbs. adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce)
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. 85% lean ground beef

1/2 lb. ground pork
Kosher salt
1 large red onion, finely diced
1-1/2 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ripe avocado, cut in a medium dice

Put one-third of the beans into the bowl of a food processor, along with the tomatoes and their juices, chipotle, and adobo sauce. Process until smooth and set aside.

Heat the oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven or similar heavy-duty pot over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering hot, about 2 min. Add the meat, season with 1/2 tsp. salt, and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until it loses its raw color, about 3 minutes. Transfer the meat to a large plate using a slotted spoon. Add half of the onion and 1/4 tsp. salt, and cook, stirring, until it begins to brown and soften, about 3 min. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chili powder and cumin and cook for 20 seconds. Add the remaining black beans, the puréed bean mixture, and the meat to the pot and simmer for 10 min., stirring frequently. Add half of the lime juice, half of the cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. If the chili is thicker than you like, it may be thinned with water.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the remaining lime juice and onion with the avocado. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve the chili topped with the avocado mixture and remaining cilantro.

meatloaf, smeatloaf, double beatloaf I hate meatloaf

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Meatloaf, smeatloaf, double beatloaf I hate meatloaf is such a great movie quote. In keeping with the holiday theme I have going this week it seems fitting to title the meatloaf post with a little Christmas Story. A movie which TBS will start showing in just over a week. Can you believe tomorrow is going to be a week until Thanksgiving? That is another post entirely. Today it is all about meatloaf and Joe. I have always loved meatloaf and when I moved in with Joe and Corrine I found someone else that loved it as much as I do It was a big deal the nights I made it at the house. Corrine as a vegetarian doesn’t exactly share our love so it isn’t something Joe makes for dinner on the nights he would cook

Meatloaf is sort of like lasagna for me. I rarely follow a recipe to the letter. There is always a lot of improvising in both recipes. You probably won’t get exactly the same thing every time. Though I am going to keep last nights version because it was so darn good. I may even make it for Joe when they come to visit in December.

In the Feb/Mar 2011 issue of Fine Cooking they had a feature on meatloaf. It was part of the cooking without recipes series they do. It allows you to create your own variety of meatloaf. They have added this to the website. There is an interactive app that allows you to drag ingredients into the bowl and Create your own Meatloaf. When you are done you can email the recipe or print it. There are other create your own recipe options as well such as chicken soup and risotto. If you don’t have a lot of confidence in the kitchen just throwing things together this can be a great start. You have the structure of the cooking ingredients but get to choose the flavors.

Below is my meatloaf from last night. I have shown the recipe step by step as well as posted it at the bottom in a traditional format so you can copy it if you want to give it a try.

First you cook the aromatics the onion bell peppers, carrots, and garlic, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

Transfer to a large bowl and let cool until warm.

In a shallow dish that holds it in a single layer, soak the bread in the milk, flipping once, until soggy but not falling apart, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the coarseness and freshness of the bread. Lightly squeeze a handful of bread at a time to remove some of the milk (it should be wet but not drenched). Finely chop and add to the bowl with the onion mixture. I don’t have a picture of this step because I was lazy last night. Don’t be lazy. It made the meatloaf more crumbly than I wanted. You need the bread to be moist to bind the meatloaf and make it a good consistency.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Add the sausage, lamb, beef and eggs to the onion mixture.

Scatter the chiles, Parmigiano, cumin, and chile powder over the meat, and then sprinkle with the Worcestershire, 2-1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Use your hands to gently mix all the ingredients until just combined; try not to compact the mixture as you do this.

Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment or aluminum foil. Transfer the meatloaf mixture to the baking pan and form into a 10×4-inch rectangular block (it becomes loaf-shaped as it cooks). Spread the honey over the top and lightly down the sides of the meatloaf to glaze it.

Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F in the center of the meatloaf, 40 to 55 minutes.

Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board or serving platter with a large spatula and cut into 3/4- to 1-inch-thick slices.

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wit wisdom and food meatloaf

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. canola or olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup small-diced bell pepper (any color)
  • 1/2 cup small-diced carrots
  • 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 oz. medium-coarse white bread, such as Italian or French, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 2-1/2 cups)
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3/4 lb. bulk sweet or hot Italian sausage
  • 2/3 lb. ground lamb
  • 2/3 lb. ground beef
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 Tbs. diced green chiles
  • 1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • a pinch of cinnamon
  • 1 Tbs. medium hot chile powder
  • 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
  • Kosher Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbs. honey

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the onion, bell peppers, carrots, and garlic, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
  3. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool until warm.
  4. In a shallow dish that holds it in a single layer, soak the bread in the milk, flipping once, until soggy but not falling apart, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the coarseness and freshness of the bread. Lightly squeeze a handful of bread at a time to remove some of the milk (it should be wet but not drenched). Finely chop and add to the bowl with the onion mixture.
  5. Add the sausage, lamb, beef and eggs to the onion mixture. Scatter the chiles, cheese, cumin, and chile powder over the meat, and then sprinkle with the Worcestershire, 2-1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Use your hands to gently mix all the ingredients until just combined; try not to compact the mixture as you do this.
  6. Heat the remaining 1 tsp. of oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Form 1 Tbs. of the meatloaf mixture into a small patty. When the oil is hot, cook the patty on both sides until cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and other seasonings as needed. Repeat until you're satisfied with the flavor.*I never do this step but it is here in case you want to taste before you cook.
  7. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment. Transfer the meatloaf mixture to the baking pan and form into a 10x4-inch rectangular block (it becomes loaf-shaped as it cooks). Spread the honey over the top and lightly down the sides of the meatloaf to glaze it.
  8. Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F in the center of the meatloaf, 40 to 55 minutes.
  9. Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board or serving platter with a large spatula and cut into 3/4- to 1-inch-thick slices.
http://www.witwisdomandfood.com/2012/11/meatloaf-smeatloaf-double-beatloaf-i.html

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