Recipes that Rock: 2012 and 2013

[saluki]

Maybe it the sudden cold weather but I had a sudden craving for meatballs. I tried the Frankie Spuntino's recipe for meatballs as well as sauce. I loved the texture of the meatballs, and the raisins and pignoli were a welcome addition, - simmered in their sauce recipe it was comfort food at it's best. I will definitely put it in my rotation......

Recipe is here

[rarerollingobject]

Well, the recipe that's rocked my year so far has to be the easiest and most delicious dessert I've had in ages: passionfruit semifreddo. Seriously, its work:payoff ratio is so incredibly good, and the texture is amazing for something that doesn't require an ice cream machine. I don't often make or like sweet things, but I LOVED this.

Not sure how common passionfruit are outside Australia but I imagine any fruit (maybe not kiwifruit or pineapple) should work.

And with the egg whites leftover, there's always the decidedly NOT 'new in 2012' classic pavlova!

[Ashen]

we made a palate cleanser course between main meal and dessert on new years day. We swapped out the pink grapefruit juice for fresh squeezed lime juice and used a bottle of Cava instead of champagne. garnished with a few fresh pomegranate arils.

personally I think it worked out better than the first time when we stuck exactly to the recipe.

I guess properly it should be called a cava lime sorbet, but we have taken to calling it "that slush stuff" *chuckle*

[Rover]

Pepper-Crusted Salmon Cakes with Horseradish Sauce

I made these Salmon Cakes twice recently to rave reviews and they are ridiculously easy as well as delicious. They're about to become a standard around here.

I'm looking forward to making appetizer-size cakes - they'd be snapped up in no time!

[Katie Meadow]

Thank you Frank Bruni's mother! The recent recipe in Dining for her traditional xmas eve Eggplant Macaroni is excellent. The eggplant is prepped as for eggplant parm and the noodles, sauced with your favorite red sauce, are layered in along with a modest amount of grating cheese. The whole is baked.

I didn't have as much red sauce as specified but I thought it was perfect, and even better the second day. My husband topped his with a snowfall of grated cheese and that was fabulous. What I like is the simplicity, and the refreshing lack of gooey cheeses. Not that I don't love mozz and ricotta, but this is easy (and cheap) to prepare and doesn't have that "in your face" cholesterol presence. Makes a large casserole, perfect for vegetarians.

[Emily_R]

Made a fantastic soup recipe -- Carrot Soup with Miso and Sesame

SO GOOD. Really pretty much perfect -- so savory and delicious. I used the higher amount of ginger, and it was great. My only recommendation is don't go heavy on the sesame oil -- I'm not even sure the soup needs it, as it has the potential to overpower.

Try it!

[Emily_R]

Wow. Wow wow wow. Just tried a new recipe, and it may be the best pork I've ever made.

Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder With Savory Apple Gravy

Stunningly good. Guests were speechless with bliss. I licked the gravy out of the blender at night when everyone had gone home.

Only notes:

1) my pork was marinating in its rub for about 24 hours (recipe says overnight or up to two days)

2) I added an extra onion (the roast sits on a bed of onions and apples, which then get pureed into the gravy)

3) I needed to add about a cup of chicken stock to the onions and apples when pureeing it.

Seriously -- make this dish now!

[Dave the Cook]

Having been gifted with a chicken and a bunch of lemons, we cast about for some new way to combine them,and came upon Jamie Oliver's "roasted chicken breast with lemony bombay potatoes." At first we we planned just to double it, but an unexpected diner showed up, followed by two more. Since we now had to serve five, we used the whole chicken, cut into quarters (backbone went into the freezer for stock). In the end, we used:

One chicken, quartered

Two lemons, zested and juiced

One red bell pepper, roughly chopped

1-1/2 pounds red potatoes, peeled and chunked

1-1/2 inches ginger, peeled and julienned (next time, we'll take it down to brunoise; a matchstick of ginger was too jarring)

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon red chile flakes (not in the recipe, but we had a crowd that likes things spicy; next time we'll add more)

1/3 cup olive oil (that's a guess; in the spirit of Jamie Oliver, we just glugged it in until it seemed right)

salt and lots of ground black pepper

We parboiled the potatoes for four minutes, then tossed them with everything else except the chicken. The vegetables were strained, then dumped into an oiled 5-quart casserole. I brushed both sides of the leg quarters with the liquid and put it in 400°F oven. After fifteen minutes, we pulled the pot out, tossed the potato mixture around, and added the breast quarters (also painted with the liquid). I set the timer for 40 minutes, but it took about 45 for the breast to come to 155°F.

This served the five of us and yielded leftovers. Other than the ginger and chile changes noted above, the only thing I'd change is to up the amount of sauce, partially degrease it after baking, then whisk in a little grainy mustard to emulsify whatever fat remained and add another sharp note. Between the olive oil and rendered chicken fat, the sauce ended up a little tame and greasy.

[maggiethecat]

I had a couple of pork tenderloins and subzero inspiration, because I'm bored and wanted to try something different. The MSL website suggested this:it's a stone winner.

You need a broiler, a pork tenderloin, apricot jam , Dijon mustard and twenty minutes That's it! The Three Sisters in frozen Ottawa loved it.

[chezcherie]

Wow. Wow wow wow. Just tried a new recipe, and it may be the best pork I've ever made.

Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder With Savory Apple Gravy

Stunningly good. Guests were speechless with bliss. I licked the gravy out of the blender at night when everyone had gone home.

Only notes:

1) my pork was marinating in its rub for about 24 hours (recipe says overnight or up to two days)

2) I added an extra onion (the roast sits on a bed of onions and apples, which then get pureed into the gravy)

3) I needed to add about a cup of chicken stock to the onions and apples when pureeing it.

Seriously -- make this dish now!

ok, i did. and that sauce is seriously slurpable. next time i will use hard cider in the sauce in place of white wine. and maybe stick a bay leaf in there. i used a red and a yellow onion. i popped a couple red potatoes into the dutch oven, too. definitely a keeper.

[heidih]

I had a couple of pork tenderloins and subzero inspiration, because I'm bored and wanted to try something different. The MSL website suggested this:it's a stone winner.

You need a broiler, a pork tenderloin, apricot jam , Dijon mustard and twenty minutes That's it! The Three Sisters in frozen Ottawa loved it.

Maggie - the link does not go to a recipe but it sounds like this is what you are referring to. I love pork, mustard and sweet.

[Emily_R]

ok, i did. and that sauce is seriously slurpable. next time i will use hard cider in the sauce in place of white wine. and maybe stick a bay leaf in there. i used a red and a yellow onion. i popped a couple red potatoes into the dutch oven, too. definitely a keeper.

Cherie -- Just saw your post -- I'm so glad you liked it! And wish I had thought to put some red potatoes in there -- I steamed them on the side instead.

[Darienne]

Neighbor from across the road gifted us with a wonderful Savory Onion Bread yesterday. I had not had lunch at the time and devoured a huge chunk of it within minutes. She gave me the recipe today and I looked it up to pass it on: All Recipes It's a non-yeast bread and so can be made in just a few minutes.

DH wants me to add crumbled bacon to it.

[baroness]

The house smelled fabulous yesterday, due to THIS recipe for Butter Chicken made in a slow cooker. I made a few substitutions (ground chiles in place of chili powder; thick yogurt for sour cream) and used only about 40% of the chicken. The extra sauce will be frozen to use with potatoes/peas/cauliflower, shrimp, perhaps tofu.

Edited February 2, 2012 by baroness (log)

[Emily_R]

Hey Darienne --

I made that Savory Onion Bread the other day and it was really tasty, and a big hit with my husband. I served it with some carrot ginger soup, and it made for a great light dinner. Thanks for posting it!

[ruthcooks]

I have fallen in love with this recipe for grape and walnut flatbread. Even though I don't like walnuts, I have found that they are the perfect nut to off-set the flavor of the roasted grapes which is both too tart and too sweet for the bland-ness of other nuts.

Sweet Flatbread with Grapes (SCHIACCIATA CON L'UVA)

Adapted from www.west175productions.com/cucina_toscana/recipes/recipe008.html

I find 1 1/2 lbs. grapes are a little too juicy for my taste. One lb. or a little more is good.

1 envelope (2 t.) dry yeast

1 C. plus 2 T. warm water

1/3 to 1/2 C. sugar, divided

3 C. (12 oz.) all-purpose flour

1/4 t. salt

Extra-Virgin olive oil

2/3 C. chopped walnuts, not too fine

1 to 1 1/2 lb. black, purple or dark red grapes, the smaller the better, washed and dried.

Dissolve yeast and 1 T. sugar in warm water until foamy, 10-15 minutes.

Add flour and salt to a large bowl, making a well in the center. Pour yeast mixture into the well, and combine with a wooden spoon. Towards the end, use your hand to work in the last of the flour, and knead the dough a few minutes.

Remove the dough from the bowl, wash and dry and oil the bowl. Turn the dough in the bowl to coat all sides with the oil. Cover bowl with a clean dishtowel and let rise for two hours. Dough should be doubled. Deflate dough gently.

Brush a half sheet pan with oil. Roll out dough to roughly the size of the sheet pan. Use your fingers to push dough to pan edges, patching any holes.

Dump all of the grapes on top and roll them around to distribute equally. Push grapes down with the heel of your hand. Sprinkle evenly with walnuts, then with remaining sugar. Let rise another 30 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until brown and crisp on edges. Let cool and cut into 8 or 10 pieces.

To freeze, wrap pieces individually in foil, then in a freezer bag. I place a foil package, unwrapped, on a small baking pan and reheat 15 minutes at 325 degrees convection. It will crisp up nicely.

Good for breakfast or light lunch or snack, with cheese if you like.

[judiu]

I have fallen in love with this recipe for grape and walnut flatbread. Even though I don't like walnuts, I have found that they are the perfect nut to off-set the flavor of the roasted grapes which is both too tart and too sweet for the bland-ness of other nuts.

Sweet Flatbread with Grapes (SCHIACCIATA CON L'UVA)

Adapted from www.west175productions.com/cucina_toscana/recipes/recipe008.html

I find 1 1/2 lbs. grapes are a little too juicy for my taste. One lb. or a little more is good.

1 envelope (2 t.) dry yeast

1 C. plus 2 T. warm water

1/3 to 1/2 C. sugar, divided

3 C. (12 oz.) all-purpose flour

1/4 t. salt

Extra-Virgin olive oil

2/3 C. chopped walnuts, not too fine

1 to 1 1/2 lb. black, purple or dark red grapes, the smaller the better, washed and dried.

Dissolve yeast and 1 T. sugar in warm water until foamy, 10-15 minutes.

Add flour and salt to a large bowl, making a well in the center. Pour yeast mixture into the well, and combine with a wooden spoon. Towards the end, use your hand to work in the last of the flour, and knead the dough a few minutes.

Remove the dough from the bowl, wash and dry and oil the bowl. Turn the dough in the bowl to coat all sides with the oil. Cover bowl with a clean dishtowel and let rise for two hours. Dough should be doubled. Deflate dough gently.

Brush a half sheet pan with oil. Roll out dough to roughly the size of the sheet pan. Use your fingers to push dough to pan edges, patching any holes.

Dump all of the grapes on top and roll them around to distribute equally. Push grapes down with the heel of your hand. Sprinkle evenly with walnuts, then with remaining sugar. Let rise another 30 minutes.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until brown and crisp on edges. Let cool and cut into 8 or 10 pieces.

To freeze, wrap pieces individually in foil, then in a freezer bag. I place a foil package, unwrapped, on a small baking pan and reheat 15 minutes at 325 degrees convection. It will crisp up nicely.

Good for breakfast or light lunch or snack, with cheese if you like.

Ruth, may I suggest you try it with toasted pecans instead of walnuts? I love the rich flavor of pecans, especially toasted ones. Just toast the nutmeats in the oven on a baking sheet until you can smell them, or in a clean dry skillet on the top of the stove. Stir or toss gently until slightly golden. Watch them carefully!

[sculptor]

Well, the recipe that's rocked my year so far has to be the easiest and most delicious dessert I've had in ages: passionfruit semifreddo. Seriously, its work:payoff ratio is so incredibly good, and the texture is amazing for something that doesn't require an ice cream machine. I don't often make or like sweet things, but I LOVED this.

Not sure how common passionfruit are outside Australia but I imagine any fruit (maybe not kiwifruit or pineapple) should work.

And with the egg whites leftover, there's always the decidedly NOT 'new in 2012' classic pavlova!

Alas, passion fruit, like most tropical fruit, is not very common in the US... and I live the SF Bay Area which is not exactly a food desert.

[Rover]

Chicken with fennel, lemon and thyme from "Good Things to Eat" by Lucas Hollweg. This book is a recent acquisition for me and I'm both charmed by his relaxed approach to food and his writing style. This simple recipe is a dream come true for a mid-week no-fuss meal that tastes like you fussed a lot.

Lots of sliced fennel tossed with sliced lemon,garlic and some olive oil in a roasting pan. Add skin-on chicken thighs (skin up) with lots of sprigs of fresh thyme. Roast in 400F oven for 40 minutes, baste & add a splash of white wine. Increase heat to 450-475 and give it another 10 minutes.

The chicken is golden and crispy and the thyme-flavoured fennel/lemon mix a delicious accompaniment. Although the recipe called for 8 chicken thighs, I halved the amount and regretted it as soon as I tasted it. Serve in wide bowls with a couple of pieces of chicken atop the fennel/lemon mixture. Lucas suggests serving after it cools slightly for 5 minutes and he was right.

[Shalmanese]

Alas, passion fruit, like most tropical fruit, is not very common in the US... and I live the SF Bay Area which is not exactly a food desert.

I've never seen a fresh passionfruit in the US, sadly. I make sure to eat my fill whenever I travel outside of the US.

[rarerollingobject]

Alas, passion fruit, like most tropical fruit, is not very common in the US... and I live the SF Bay Area which is not exactly a food desert.

I've never seen a fresh passionfruit in the US, sadly. I make sure to eat my fill whenever I travel outside of the US.

I found that amazing when you mentioned on my foodblog, and I find it amazing now..I don't know why, I know not everything's common everywhere, but passionfruit are like weeds here..my new house has a huge passionfruit vine that's completely taken over the clothesline and drops fruit everywhere..I keep having to chuck them out!

[saluki]

Chicken with fennel, lemon and thyme from "Good Things to Eat" by Lucas Hollweg. This book is a recent acquisition for me and I'm both charmed by his relaxed approach to food and his writing style. This simple recipe is a dream come true for a mid-week no-fuss meal that tastes like you fussed a lot.

Lots of sliced fennel tossed with sliced lemon,garlic and some olive oil in a roasting pan. Add skin-on chicken thighs (skin up) with lots of sprigs of fresh thyme. Roast in 400F oven for 40 minutes, baste & add a splash of white wine. Increase heat to 450-475 and give it another 10 minutes.

The chicken is golden and crispy and the thyme-flavoured fennel/lemon mix a delicious accompaniment. Although the recipe called for 8 chicken thighs, I halved the amount and regretted it as soon as I tasted it. Serve in wide bowls with a couple of pieces of chicken atop the fennel/lemon mixture. Lucas suggests serving after it cools slightly for 5 minutes and he was right.

That recipe sounds very similar to one posted on The Kitchen last year. Maybe their inspiration came from that book- Difference was that they used skinless, boneless chicken thighs, Meyer lemons and no thyme. I've been making it using thighs with skin and bone and sometimes even substituting preserved lemons.

You're right- love the ease of this and the results-so tasty.... Thanks for mentioning this book. Now I have to go find it- not that I need another cookbook but, if the recipes are as good as this one it would be a keeper.

Edited March 31, 2012 by saluki (log)

[SylviaLovegren]

Alas, passion fruit, like most tropical fruit, is not very common in the US... and I live the SF Bay Area which is not exactly a food desert.

I've never seen a fresh passionfruit in the US, sadly. I make sure to eat my fill whenever I travel outside of the US.

There was a passionfruit vine outside our apartment in Los Angeles which sometimes bore fruits, but it was on a busy road so we were always afraid to eat them, assuming they were filled with chemicals from the fumes.

[ChrisTaylor]

Alas, passion fruit, like most tropical fruit, is not very common in the US... and I live the SF Bay Area which is not exactly a food desert.

I've never seen a fresh passionfruit in the US, sadly. I make sure to eat my fill whenever I travel outside of the US.

I found that amazing when you mentioned on my foodblog, and I find it amazing now..I don't know why, I know not everything's common everywhere, but passionfruit are like weeds here..my new house has a huge passionfruit vine that's completely taken over the clothesline and drops fruit everywhere..I keep having to chuck them out!

I find this really surprising too. Especially given oftimes, when you look at the label at the supermarket, the passionfruit are imported from South America. You think they'd be sending some up north.

[rarerollingobject]

Yeah, I would have thought they'd grow in Mexico at least?