Ottolenghi's Delicious Dinner Recipe

I really can’t believe summer is nearly over. I haven’t baked or cooked as much as I had hoped. I am going to blame it on our air conditioning being broken from May to early August.

 But I have cooked Ottolenghi’s One Pot Puttanesca recently, from his Flavor cookbook, and it didn’t disappoint.

 

3 T Olive Oil

6 cloves of garlic, minced

One 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried

2 t paprika

2 t cumin (ground)

2 t tomato paste

Salt

2 cups parsley, roughly chopped

2 t lemon zest

3 T capers

¾ cup green olives – roughly chopped, pits removed

9 oz cherry tomatoes

2 t sugar

1 t caraway seeds

9 oz orecchiette pasta (I used bow tie)

2 c vegetable stock

¾ c plus t @ water

Black pepper

Directions

In a large sauté pan (that has a lid), combine 3 T of the olive oil, the garlic, chickpeas, paprika, cumin, tomato paste and ½ t salt. Cook over medium heat. Cook for 12 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally. Remove 1/3 of the chickpeas for later.

In a small bowl, combine the parsley, lemon zest, capers and olives. Add 2/3 of this mixture to the sauté pan, along with the cherry tomatoes, sugar and caraway seeds and cook for 2 minutes over medium high heat, stirring often. Add the pasta, stock, water and ½ t salt, and bring to a summer. Decrease heat to medium, cover and cook for 13 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.

Stir in the remaining parsley mixture and garnish with reserved chickpeas.

Add salt and pepper and serve.

 

Coffee Chocolate Chip Blondies

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter

1/2 cup maple syrup (real maple syrup)

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoons vanilla extract (I use double vanilla from TheSpice House)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons instant espresso (from King Arthur Flour)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

flaky sea salt (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×13 inch metal baking pan with tin foil.

Add the butter to a medium pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar and maple syrup. Let cool 5 minutes.

Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt. Mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spread the dough out into the pan. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until just set in the center. Sprinkle with sea salt. Cut into bars (you decide the size)

New Cookbook for me

 The Bundt Collection was calling my name.

First cake I made from this cookbook was a HUGE hit at my office.

Black Cocoa Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

 1 1/4 c unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into chunks

2 1/2 c white sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/2 t vanilla (I use this vanilla) 

1 1/2 c all purpose flour

2/3 c black cocoa

2 1/2 t espresso powder

1 t kosher salt

3/4 t baking powder

3/4 c buttermilk, room temperature

DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN

Generously spray a 10 cup bundt pan with Pam with Flour.

In a bowl of a mixer, add butter and sugar and mix for 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape the sides. Add eggs one at a time while beating, and then add vanilla.

In a separate bowl, put the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, salt and baking powder together.

To the mixer, add 1/3 of the flour and 1/2 of the buttermilk. Stir. Then add 1/3 of flour and the rest of the buttermilk while mixing; and then add the remaining of the flour. 

Pour batter into pan and put in cold oven and bake at 325 for 50-55 minutes. Test by using a toothpick.

Flip onto wire rack with cake in pan but cake on pan. Remove pan after 15 minutes. Let cool.

Vanilla Bean Glaze

1 c confectionary sugar

3 T whipping cream

1/2 t double vanilla

1/2 t kosher salt

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Put on the cake when cool.\

Ultra Butterscotch Brownies

 Super Easy.

No mixer needed

Ingredients

1 stick of unsalted butter 

2 cups brown sugar

1 t baking powder

2 t vanilla extract

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

9 oz butterscotch chips

1 1/2 c chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch metal pan with PAM.

Melt butter in pot.

Pour into large bowl. Add brown sugar, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Stir. Add flour. Then eggs. Stir. Stir in 1 cup of chips and 1 cup of nuts. Put batter in pan. Sprinkle with remaining chips and nuts.

Bake 30-35 minutes just until top is shiny and set. DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Cool on wire rack before slicing.

Another amazing cake

 My co-workers were delighted with this cake!

Coffee and Cream Marbled Coffee Cake – Adapted from Bake Magazine

Makes one nine inch cake

Ingredients

1 ½ c (284 grams) unsalted butter, softened

2 ¼ cups (450 grams) sugar

5 large eggs, room temperature

1 T vanilla extract

3 cups (375 grams) all purpose flour

2 ½ t baking powder

1 t kosher salt

¾ c (180 grams) sour cream

3 ounces (85 grams) bittersweet chocolate, melted

3 T instant espresso powder

Instructions

·         Preheat oven to 350 degrees

·         In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium until fluffy – about three minutes. Stop to scrape the sides.

·         Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Beat in vanilla

·         Stop the mixer.

·         In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

·         With mixer on low, add 1/3 of the flour with about half of the sour cream; mix; add 1/3 of the flour; mix; add remaining sour cream; mix; add remaining flour.

·         Divide batter in half (approx. 3 cups or 780 grams)

·         In a small bowl, stir melted chocolate and espresso powder. Add to half the batter.

·         In 9 or 10 cup bundt pan, which you have sprayed with PAM, alternate scooping the vanilla batter with the chocolate batter into the pan. Fill the pan.

·         Using a butter knife, swirl the batters together. Tap the pan.

·         Bake until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean, about an hour.

·         Cool in pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack.

·         Remove from pan and let cool on rack.

 

Eat Your Books

 As you may know, I have a few cookbooks. I have more than a few. When I get a new book, I mark down (using post it notes) which recipes look interesting. And then I put the book on the shelf and hope I remember what recipes are in there. 

I plan my menus weekly, and go through some of the books searching for the perfect recipe for the week (who is eating dinner at the house and how much time I have to prepare the meal). 

One of my community members, Robin, suggested Eat Your Books.

Here is how EYB describes itself:

Eat Your Books is a website for people who love cookbooks and love to use great recipes. If you have a cookbook collection, you probably get a lot of pleasure from browsing your books - but there are times when you haven't got time to look through them all to find a recipe. Or maybe you feel you're not using them as effectively as you'd like, sticking to familiar recipes or not branching beyond the current favorites.

Eat Your Books can help you find recipes in seconds - we're the only website to have indexed the most popular cookbooks, so you can include them in your online searches.You might also like to use recipes from other sources and with Eat Your Books you can do a single search across ALL your recipes, no matter where they are.  

With Eat Your Books you can create your own personal Bookshelf and you can find recipes across:

• Your cookbooks - tell us which cookbooks you own. If we haven't indexed a favorite book, use the EYB indexing tools and do it yourself.  

• Your food magazines - add that stack of magazines, all the most popular magazines have been indexed.  

• Great food blogs and websites - add Food52, David Lebovitz, Smitten Kitchen, 101 Cookbooks and many more.  

• Your own personal recipe clippings - bring some order to your clippings files by using the EYB indexing tools.  

• Your favorite online recipes - using the EYB Bookmarklet you can add any online recipe to your collection.

Eat Your Books is NOT a recipe site, so you won't find the recipes here, but you will be able to find them and if there is an online version of the recipe there will be a link to it.  

It costs $30 a year to sign up. Once you are a member you select the cookbooks that you own to your bookshelf. I would say 99% of my cookbooks that I own have been indexed, so I don’t need to add anything else. I have a few books that are not indexed (mostly community groups that published cookbooks for fundraising), and I haven’t had the time to volunteer to index them.

Once your books are entered, you can search your recipes (and you can filter for ingredients, and course (Asparagus and side dish); and the titles appear (with the cookbook and page number).

It is life changing, especially if you belong to a CSA and get weekly boxes. You can search for that ingredient and find a recipe in a book that you already own.

I have already searched their list of cookbooks that will be published in 2023. That is very nice.

Let me know what you think.

Instant Pot - No Fry Refried Beans

 

During the summer of 2022, Adam and I went to Cabo, and I ate alot of refried beans. I have been thinking about all the amazing things I had while in Cabo. Tonight, I made a super easy Instant Pot bean recipe that I will be making again and again.

No-Fry Refried Beans from Instant Pot Miracle (with some modifications)

Serves 6-8 adults

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dried pinto beans

5 cups fat free vegetable broth

4-6 sprigs of fresh cilantro

1/2 t plus 1/4 t cumin

 1 bay leaf

1 T canola oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 small jalapeno pepper seeds removed (I only used 1/2)

3 garlic cloves minced

salt and pepper

Rinse beans with cold water and remove any shriveled beans or discolored beans. Add beans to Instant Pot. Add broth, cilantro, and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin and 1 bay leaf. Close the lid and select MANUAL and chose HIGH PRESSURE for 40 minutes. When complete, allow a natural release.

Pour beans into colander set over a large bowl to catch the bean liquid. Discard cilantro and bay leaf.

Pour 1 1/2 c of bean liquid into a measuring cup.

Press sauté on the pot. When hot add oil. Then add onion, jalapeño and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Press cancel and add cumin. Add bean liquid.

In a blender pour the contents of the pot and blend VERY quickly as to NOT make it smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

My First Ukranian Recipe

 I pre-ordered Budmo, during the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and had been waiting for the release. My first recipe, Bell Peppers, was a big hit.

Serves Six

Ingredients

3/4 cup rice (white regular)

salt and pepper

6 medium orange peppers

2 T Canola Oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 large carrot, grated

1 T tomato paste

2 cups canned diced tomatoes

2 cups vegetable stock

1 T cream

1 pound of Morningstar Grillers 

1 bay leaf

In a small saucepan, combine rice with enough water to cover it by two inches, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook for 10 minutes. Drain rice and let cool.

Cut off the stems of each pepper and remove the seeds.

In a large sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and carrot and cook for 9 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add canned tomatoes and stock. Stir, turn up heat to medium high. bring to simmer and then stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

In a bowl, mix together the grillers (frozen) and cooked rice. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff the peppers with the rice mixture. Stand the peppers in a pot large enough to hold them but not so they crush each other. Then pour tomatoes sauce around the peppers. Insert bay leaf into sauce. Put pot on medium high heat and when the sauce boils turn down to low and cover. Heat for 40 minutes.

Put each pepper on a plate and serve with sauce. Make sure bay leaf is put into the compost bin and not on a plate.

Cardamom Chickpea Cookies

 Another great recipe from the cookbook, Persian Food from the Non Persian Bride.

Ingredients:

2 cups chickpea flour

2 T all purpose flour

1 1/4 c powdered sugar

1 T cardamom

1 1/2 sticks of butter (or parve butter)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put a silpat on a sheet pan.
• Combine everything but the butter
• Melt the butter (on the stovetop or in the microwave)
• Mix melted butter into the dry ingredients. It will be VERY dry.
• Press the dough together and flatten to about an inch thick. Use a small cookie cutter (about an inch big) to cut out cookies and place an inch apart on the sheet pan.
• Bake 15 minutes; cool on wire racks. Cookies are very delicate and crumble easily.

Yotam's Cous Cous Cake

 Last week I decided to make Yotam's VERY GIANT COUSCOUS Cake, and it was delicious. Yotam did indiciate that the cook time is 1 hour and 20 minutes, however it isn't all at once.

Three out of four of us liked it!

Ingredients:

1 2/3 c pearl couscous (rounder than regular couscous)

1 1/3 c boiling water

10 scallions (about a bunch) - cut into large pieces

8 T olive Oil

5 oz baby spinach

1 T coriander seeds (toasted and crushed with a mortar and pestle)

1 c. grated mozzarella

1/2 c grated pecorino

2 garlic gloves, minced

3/4 c basil leaves

3/4 c Greek Yogurt

2 large eggs

6 T AP Flour

Pepper Sauce Ingredients:

2 red bell peppers

1 tomato

4 T olive oil

2 large heads of garlic

1 1/2 T red wine vinegar

1 t maple syrup

Salt

Pepper

Preheat the oven to 425. Cut the peppers into quarters and cut the tomato in half. Put them on a piece of parchment paper with 1 T olive oil, salt and pepper.

Cut the top off the garlic heads and put them on some tin foil. Put a bit of oil on each with salt and pepper and wrap BOTH in one piece of tinfoil. 

Roast both for 35 minutes and let cool.

Peel and discard pepper and tomato skins and put flesh into the food process along with the roasted cloves of garlic. Add the vinegar, maple syrup and 3 T of oil. Process until smooth.

Pour the boiling water and couscous together into a pan. Cook. Let cool.

In a large sauté pan, heat the scallions with 2 t olive oil for 4 minutes. Take out scallions and set them aside.

Heat another 2 t olive oil and add the spinach and cook for 90 seconds. Put in a large bowl. Add scallions and couscous, coriander seeds, mozzarella cheese, pecarino cheese, garlic, basil, yogurt, eggs, flour and salt and pepper. Mix really well.

In large sauté pan, heat 5 T olive oil. Add couscous mixture and smoosh into large pancake. Heat over medium heat for 15-18 minutes. Carefully flip the pancake and put back into the pan with 1 T olive oil. Cook for 8 minutes.

Flip onto cutting board, and slice into servings and serve with pepper sauce.

Delicious Dinner - Yotam

 Yotam Ottolenghi!  A wonderful chef with creative flavors.  He was supposed to come to Boston this year and I had tickets to hear him speak, but we all know how 2020 turned out and there was no event.

But, Yotam's new cookbook was released last week, and I have already read it, and made one delicious recipe.

Many readers know how much my family loves Pepper Pasta (Cacio e pepe).  Yotam has Za'atar Cacio e Pepe.  Amazing.

1 pound spaghetti (I purchased it, but you could easily make your own)

1/4 c unsalted butter

1 T za'atar (I get mine from the Spice House in Evanston, IL)

2 tsp ground pepper (I don't measure it.  I grind until it is right.)

130 g grated parmesan

30 g grated pecorino

2 T olive oil.

Cook the spaghetti according to the box with some added salt to the water.

Before draining, scoop out two cups of the pasta water and reserve.

In a large non-stick sauté pan, melt the butter on high heat.  Then add 1 T za'atar and the pepper and cook for a minute.  Stir.  Add water, and heat til boiling.  Boil for 5 minutes.  Add pasta and stir until pasta until well coated.  Add parmesan in two batches and keep stirring.  Make sure first batch of cheese is fully melted before adding the second batch.  Then add pecorino and continue to stir until cheese is melted.

Transfer pasta to bowl and finish with olive oil, a pinch of salt and if desired a pinch of za'atar.

Serve with a green salad. 

Cauliflower "Popcorn" - Kosher for Passover and All Year Round

I am NOT a big fan of cauliflower, but this recipe is delicious!

2 heads of cauliflower, cut into medium size florets, stems and leaves tossed into the compost pile
1 t fine sea salt
2 t white sugar
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t tumeric
1/2 c olive oil

Preheat oven to 450

Cover baking sheet with tinfoil and spray with Pam

In a large bowl combine everything but the cauliflower.  Then stir in the cauliflower and stir really well.

Put the cauliflower on the pan and bake 30 minutes, or until a fork can pierce a piece of cauliflower

The recipe says serves 8, but my family of four ate the whole thing as a side dish for dinner.

Scallion Ginger Beef and Broccoli

A classic delicious dish.  I make two versions.  One with beef and one with tofu.

1/2 c soy sauce
1/4 c vegetable broth
2 T brown sugar
2 T cornstarch, divided
One pound of sirloin steak, thinly sliced (or one carton of firm tofu, drained and cubed)
3 T canola oil, divided
6 C broccoli florets
1/2 c. scallions
1 T fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced

Serve with rice, and crushed red pepper.

Whisk soy sauce, broth, brown sugar and 1 T cornstarch in a bowl.

Toss steak (or Tofu) in a separate bowl with the other tablespoon of cornstarch.

Heat 2 T oil in a wok, and then cook the steak for about 4 minutes, stirring once.

Transfer to clean plate.

Heat 1 T oil in the wok, and cook broccoli, stirring often, for about 2 minutes.  Stir in scallions, ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add soy sauce mixture, and then add beef (or tofu).  Cook until sauce thickens, about one minute.

Serve with rice.

Classic Special Scones from Mary Berry

Classic Special Scones from Mary Berry

Makes 10
2 cups of self rising flour
1 t baking powder
4 T butter
1 T sugar
1 large egg
milk

Preheat the Convection oven to 375 and lightly grease a baking sheet (the instructions say 425 for a non convection oven).

Measure the flour and baking powder into a food processor with the S blade.  Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.  Add sugar.

Crack the egg into a measuring cup, lightly beat and then make up to 1/2 c of milk and egg mixture.  Pour most of the egg-milk mixture into the food processor, keeping 1 T for later.  Mix until it forms a ball.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly.  Then roll out to 1/2 inch thickness.  Cut into rounds with a three inch cutter to make 10 scones.

Place scones, well spaced, on tin foil, sprayed with Pam, on a baking sheet.  Brush the tops with the milk-egg mixture.  Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven, place scones and on wire rack and let cool.

Serve with butter, clotted cream and jam.

Everything Bagel Chicken Tenders (from Eating Well)

These are delicious!

Salt and pepper

2 T flour

1 large egg

1/2 panko breadcrumbs

1 T everything bagel seasoning

1 pound chicken tenders

2 T canola oil

Place the flour in a shallow dish. I have this kind of shallow dish from Pampered Chef.

Beat the egg in a second shallow dish.

Mix breadcrumbs and everything bagel seasoning in a third shallow dish.

Season the tenders with salt and pepper on both sides.  Dredge the chicken in the flour, and then the egg, and then roll in the breadcrumbs.

Once all tenders are coated, heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, and add the chicken.  Cook 3 minutes and then turn.  Cook another 3 minutes, until the chicken is 165F.

Serve

Beef Bulgogi Tacos - Recipe

Last night Naomi filmed me via FaceBook Live making this recipe.  It is another example of a recipe that all four of us like!  From Smitten Kitchen

Filling
1 pound of ground beef (or fake meat like Morningstar Grillers)
1 large garlic clove, minced
one 2 inch piece of garlic, grated
1/4 cup of soy sauce
3 T rice vinegar
2 T brown sugar
1 T Asian Toasted Sesame Oil
Gochujang

Other
2 cups lettuce, shredded
1 T lime juice
1 T Asian Toasted Sesame Oil
Salt
1 scallion, thinly sliced
small flour tortillas
Diced tomatoes
kimchi
chopped cilantro
toasted sesame seeds

Instructions
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Once it is hot, add the beef and break it up.  Cook for 7-10 minutes.  Drain off grease.  Add garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and oil to the pan.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add gochuhang.

Toss the lettuce, lime juice, sesame oil and scallions in a medium bowl.  Season with salt.

Scoop the beef into a tortilla with a slotted spoon, garnish with salad, tomatoes, kimchi, cilantro and sesame seeds.

Chocolate Chip Scones

Ingredients

2 cups flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
3 T sugar
4 T cold, unsalted butter, cut into chunks
7 T half and half
1 large egg plus one large egg yolk
2 t vanilla
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Set the oven for 375 bake and line a baking sheet with tin foil, sprayed with Pam.

In a food processor, mix flour, baking powder, salt and the sugar.

Place butter chunks on top and process.

In a small bowl whisk half and half, the egg, the egg yolk and vanilla and then pour into food processor while processing.  The dough will form into a large clump.  Take it out and put it on a cutting board with a bit of flour.  Put in the chocolate chips and knead.

Put chunks of dough onto the baking sheet (it should make about 6-8 scones).

Bake 30-35 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Another great fall cake

King Arthur Flour has the best recipes.

Pumpkin Espresso Cake

I did use Kahlua instead of rum

Persian Chickpea Salad

Persian Chickpea Salad

2 15.5 oz cans of chickpeas, rinsed
1/2 small red onion, diced
2 T Olive Oil
3 Garlic Cloves minced
1/2 t salt
ground pepper
1/2 c chopped cilantro
splash of lime juice

mix all ingredients in one bowl and serve

Bundt Cakes - Light and Moist Maple Bundt Cake

Last month, I met the local rep for NORDIC WARE.  He was impressed by my Sand Castle Cake.  I stopped by the local office and he gave me a new cake pan.  Here is the cake!  I used a simple Betty Crocker Maple Bundt cake recipe.

Ingredients

Cake
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup maple syrup (the real stuff)
3/4 cup milk (I used fat free lactose free)
2 large eggs
1 t vanilla (From the Spice House in Evanston, IL)

Glaze
1 c powdered sugar
1/4 t cinnamon (From the Spice House in Evanston, IL)
1/2 vanilla (From the Spice House in Evanston, IL)
1/4 cup maple syrup - the real stuff

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 12-cup bundt cake pan with cooking spray.

In large bowl, beat softened butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed about 2 minutes or until pale and creamy.

In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl, beat maple syrup, milk, eggs and vanilla with whisk. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with egg mixture. Pour batter into pan, spreading evenly with spatula.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until edges are golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in pan; transfer to cooling rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

In small bowl, beat Glaze ingredients with whisk until smooth. Add more powdered sugar or maple syrup if necessary for desired consistency. Spoon glaze over cooled cake, letting it drip down sides. Let glaze set at least 15 minutes before serving.