Fearless Kitchen

Recipe: Potatoes with Peas and Sausage

This recipe is one of those dishes that just kind of comes together. I'd succumbed to pressure to purchase chicken sausage (the pressure was well-meant). I had some potatoes and some frozen peas. It was incredibly easy. The only challenging part really was waiting for it to be done. It was definitely a one-dish meal – no sides, no anything – and it was very satisfying. It was also delicious.

Potatoes with Peas and Sausage (serves 3; approx. cost per serving not available)

1 lb hot Italian chicken sausage, casings removed

4 waxy potatoes, diced (leave the skins on please!)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 generous pinch kosher salt

¾ pound frozen green peas

Equipment:

• Large saucepan
• Colander
• Large sauté pan
• Slotted spoon

1. Fill the large saucepan with water and bring to a boil.
2. Add the potatoes and boil until tender. This, for the record, is why you dice them before boiling: they cook quicker and you don't have to wait for them to cool to dice them. Also, if you let them boil a little too long and they fall apart there's no real harm.
3. Drain and set aside. You can do this well in advance of your actual cooking time, even the day before.
4. When you're ready to cook, heat the olive oil in the sauté pan. Medium heat should suffice.
5. Add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go. Cook the sausage until it browns and the fat renders out.
6. Evacuate the sausage to a plate with the slotted spoon.
7. Add the onion and salt to the pan. Lower the heat a bit and gently sauté the onions.
8. Add the potatoes to the pan. Cook until the potatoes start to brown.
9. Return the sausage to the pan. Add the peas.
10. Cook until the peas are heated through. Serve.

Recipe: Strawberry-Honey Jam

Recipe Source: McClure, Susan. Preserving Summer's Bounty. Rodale Press, Emmaus, 1995 p.298

I know that I've mentioned this before in other posts, but we have really had a bumper crop of strawberries this year. When we started this garden in the spring of 2007 we had six strawberry plants. They've taken over a good quarter of the garden space by now. We've given some plants away (and some berries…) and we've transplanted some to provide ground cover on the side of the house. And they kept producing, and producing, and producing…. I thought we might literally drown in strawberries. The thing with strawberries is that they have a pretty short shelf life. I had to do something to preserve our harvest so naturally I made preserves.

And that's where it gets wild… I made some jams with one day's harvest. I made one with strawberries and wine (to be posted another day) and I made this one. I have never seen a jam get such positive reviews as this one. People have absolutely loved it. As of this writing I've had to make a second batch and I'm planning to make a third batch this afternoon. People just can't seem to get enough of this. I think the quality of the berries has a lot to do with it: we don't do much to our strawberries, so they're small but very, very flavorful. We pick them at just the right time and can get them processed and into the fridge very quickly. I didn't even use a particularly great honey for this, just the stuff you get at Costco. Anyway, there aren't any changes because it's a very simple recipe. Make some for yourself!

Strawberry-Honey Jam (makes about 8 4-oz jars; approx. cost per serving negligible)

4 cups crushed strawberries (I "crushed" mine in the blender, because I'm lazy.)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 package powdered pectin

1 ¾ cups honey

Equipment:

• 8 4-oz canning jars, with lids and bands, all clean and prepared
• Large saucepan
• Ladle
• Boiling-water canner

1. Combine the berries and lemon juice in the saucepan.
2. Add the pectin and mix well.
3. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, over high heat.
4. Add the honey and continue to stir until a full rolling boil is reached.
5. Stir 10 – 12 minutes slowly, until the foaming subsides and the jam feels sticky.
6. Ladle into the jars with ¼" headroom.
7. Process 5 minutes in the boiling water canner.
8. Allow to cool 24 hours, then label and store or eat.

Recipe: New Strawberry Shortcakes

Attention Grocery Retailers: in case you were wondering, impulse buying really does work.  Allow me to elucidate my thought process when I created this dish.  (As an aside, it seems almost lame to be writing this up as a recipe.  It's not like it was hard to do or anything.)  I walked into the store.  I saw piles and piles of pretty red strawberries stacked up near the entrance.  I hadn't planned to make a dessert that night, but these piles were right next to those little "dessert cups" of cake that make strawberry shortcake so easy.  And my brain immediately went there, bypassing common sense and my list.  "Ooo," said my brain.  "We like berries.  And remember how our grandmother used to give us strawberry shortcake?  We have whipping cream at home.  Oh, and Nutella.  Wouldn't that be tasty?"  And without even consulting my list, the cups and the berries wound up in my cart.  (This was before our strawberry crop at home came in.) 

This was simple.  It was easy to make, and it was delicious. 

New Strawberry Shortcakes (serves 4; approx. $2.01/serving)

4 store-bought dessert cups

1 pound strawberries, hulled

4 tablespoons (approx.) Nutella or other chocolate-hazelnut spread

1/2 cup whipped cream

Equipment:

• You're kidding, right?

1. Spread the Nutella into the dessert cups.
2. Arrange the strawberries as desired in the cups.  Mine were big so I just laid them out, but you can get more elaborate if you want. 
3. Top with whipped cream.
4. Serve. 

Recipe: Ninth-Century Chicken Dish

Recipe Source: ibn-Sayyar al-Warraq.  Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens, Nawal Nasrallah, trans.  Brill, Leiden, 2007 p. 165

Last May, my husband and I co-taught a class on historic uses for ceramic cookers at an event for medieval history enthusiasts.  (As an aside, it was an absolutely fantastic event and a great experience.  I felt less like I was "teaching" and more like I was having a conversation with like-minded people.)  Anyway, we wanted to offer some samples of different dishes cooked on the ceramic cooker (that would be our Big Green Egg).  In reality, this was an excuse for me to use recipes from my favorite cookbook in the whole wide world, and this was one of the dishes we served. 

Strictly speaking, this dish did not need to be made on the Egg.  The original recipe called for the chicken to be grilled.  You can grill on the Egg (!) and one of the things we wanted to showcase was how well the Egg works for poultry. 

As is usual when I'm trying to re-create an historic dish, I didn't make a whole lot of changes and those changes I did make were for good reason.  I could not for the life of me find the juice of sour unripe grapes, so I used white grape juice mixed with lime juice.  This is not the same thing, but it was an effective stopgap and it tasted good.  I omitted the mint because of my husband's mint allergy.  The chopped fresh herbs I used included cilantro, tarragon, thyme, and a little bit of marjoram. 

This dish was delicious, which is one of the reasons this is my favorite cookbook in the whole wide world.  It is intended to be served at room temperature, making it excellent for picnics or buffets.  If this looks kind of familiar to you, I have posted barida dishes before: here, here and here.

Ninth-Century Chicken Barida (serves 4; approx. cost per serving not available)

1 chicken, spatchcocked

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

2 lemons, sliced

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup white grape juice

4 tablespoons lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

½ bunch fresh tarragon, chopped

½ bunch fresh thyme, chopped

1 cucumber, finely chopped

 

Equipment:

 

• Grill, Big Green Egg or even your broiler

1.Prepare your ceramic cooker for indirect cooking at 375 degrees. 

2.Rub the chicken, under the skin, with the salt and pepper.  Slide the lemon slices under the skin and cook to 160 degrees internal temperature, about 1 ½ hours (this will vary depending on the size of the chicken.)

3.Let the chicken rest about 15 minutes under foil, then carve. 

4.Sprinkle the carved pieces with the coriander, pepper, cumin and cinnamon. 

5.Combine the grape and lime juices and pour over the chicken.  Sprinkle with the chopped fresh herbs. 

6.When you are ready to serve, arrange the pieces on a platter.  Sprinkle the chopped fresh cucumber around as a garnish. 

 

Recipe: Strawberry Mascarpone Tartlets

Recipe Source: Ferber, Christine.  Mes Tartes.  Michigan State University Press, East Lansing, 2003 p. 71

I wonder if I should even be citing Ms. Ferber here.  I decided to make this recipe, but at the end of the day the final product had two things in common with the original: there were tartlets instead of one big tart and there were strawberries.  I decided not to use her pastry recipe, having decided that working with a pastry recipe I'd already used was probably a better plan considering how pressed for time I'd become.  I also decided skip the creme fraiche in favor of mascarpone, because I don't actually care for creme fraiche.  I skipped the decorative confectioner's sugar as well.  But there were strawberries.  And there was pastry.  I guess that's what counts.

Anyway, I used my family's pastry crust recipe, which I can't post here.  It worked fine - it usually does, which is why I use it - but there was one problem: it was really, really delicate.  I dropped one and it turned to sand before my very eyes.  (Delicious sand, which the dog was very glad to get, but sand nonetheless).  I also used strawberries from our own strawberry patch, which was what inspired making this dessert in the first place.  You see, when we started this garden in the spring of 2007 we had six strawberry plants.  Now they've taken over a good quarter of the garden.  We had a great harvest and I wanted to make sure that none of them went to waste, so I used them in this dessert.  And some preserves.  And a salad.  And.... well, you get the picture! 

Also, the decorative pastry leaf isn't strictly necessary.  I made a lot of pastry that weekend, which left me with a lot of scraps.  I remembered having seen (was it in a Martha Stewart Living issue?) someone recommend that one make little cutouts from pastry scraps and eat them like cookies, and I ran with it.  The coarse sanding sugar was a gift.  It's rose-scented, although the scent is very subtle.  If this step seems too fussy to you, skip it.  The dish won't be materially hurt.

Strawberry Mascarpone Tartlets (serves 8; approx. $1.25/serving)

11 ounces of your favorite pastry dough (I actually used just a plain old double crust recipe.)

16 ounces mascarpone

15 ounces strawberries.  Note: our yield was high, but the berries were kind of small.  If your berries are the size of Kansas, as often happens with supermarket berries, you can trim them down to a more manageable size.  Or not. 

1 egg, beaten

Equipment:

• 8 tartlet pans, about 4" diameter. 
• Rolling pin
• Pastry brush
• Spatula
• Baking sheet
• Small cookie cutters (optional)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 
2. I actually rolled out the dough for these tartlets and pushed it into the pan.  (I'd chilled the dough first.)  If you don't feel like doing this, you can press fresh dough right into the pan.  I'm sure this is heresy, but it is also easy.  Either way, dock the crust with a fork.
3. Bake the shells blind 10 minutes. 
4. Brush the bottoms of the shells with the beaten egg.  Bake another 8 minutes.  This step is taken straight from the book.  According to the author it helps protect the crust from moisture, making it crunchy instead of soggy.  I think it helped.
5. Remove the shells from the oven and let them cool completely. 
6. Optional step.  If you want to make the decorative little pastry cutouts, roll out your pastry scraps and cut out whatever shapes you want from tiny little cookie cutters.  Bake 10 minutes or until golden.  Dust with sanding sugar as soon as they come out of the oven if you have it. 
7. When you're ready to serve, spread the bottoms of the tartlet shells with mascarpone.  Arrange the berries around the outer edge of the tartlet, like Stonehenge.  If you're using the decorative cutouts, put one in the center of the tartlet.  Serve immediately. 

Sweated Leeks with Mushrooms

I made this side dish with one main goal in mind: use up leftover ingredients.  The leeks weren't technically leftovers, I suppose.  I'd purchased them for a dish I wound up scrapping weeks and weeks before.  They'd been in my fridge for a while and I wanted them gone.  I also didn't want to waste them.  The mushrooms came from another dish.  I'd had to buy two packages of mushrooms for that dish but I only needed half of the mushrooms.  I used Baby Bellas, but you can use white button mushrooms or get exotic if you want.  The result was a remarkably tasty and simple dish that matched really well with the fish I served it with. 

Sweated Leeks with Mushrooms (serves 2 - 4; approx. $3.36/serving if two)

4 leeks, cleaned, trimmed and thinly sliced

5 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, trimmed and chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pinch kosher salt

Equipment:

• Large saute pan

1. Heat the oil in the saute pan.
2. Add the leeks and cook over medium-low heat until the color brightens and the leeks are beginning to soften.  Season with kosher salt.
3. Add the mushroom.  Continue to cook until the mushrooms are softened. 
4. Serve. 

Recipe: Georgian Baked Beans

Recipe Source: Trutter, Marion, ed.  Culinaria Russia.  H. F. Ullmann, 2007 p. 256

I made this as part of my campaign to come up with make-ahead, healthy dishes we could eat during the week.  It had all the components I wanted in the dish.  It was healthy.  It could be made ahead of time.  It was vegetarian.  It was from a cookbook I haven't used in a while.  Unfortunately, I did not like it.  For some reason the dish always tasted raw to me.  As a result, I did not eat the beans.  I ate a pizza.  This kind of counters the original intention of making healthy meals ahead of time.  However, my husband really enjoyed this dish, and he hates beans. 

I made a couple of minor changes to the recipe.  I increased the garlic because garlic should be increased.  I used red wine vinegar, which isn't necessarily a change but a clarification.  I also used dill and cilantro as the "mixed herbs," dill and cilantro being among the herbs suggested. 

Georgian Baked Beans (serves 8; approx. $0.90/serving)

1 pound dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained

2 cups walnuts

6 garlic cloves

5 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 bunch dill, finely chopped

Equipment:

• Large saucepan
• Deep pie plate or earthenware baking dish
• Food processor

1. Boil the beans in plenty of hot water until tender.  This could take over an hour, so be prepared.  Drain when done.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
3. Combine the remaining ingredients in the food processor with a generous pinch of kosher salt. 
4. Mix the walnut paste in with the beans and spread in the baking vessel. 
5. Bake about 20 minutes. 
6. Serve. 

Recipe: Lime and Cilantro Potatoes with Zucchini

Recipe Source: Vijayakar, Sunil.  Fresh Indian.  Octopus Publishing Group, London, 2005 p. 74

Sometimes coming up with side dishes can be challenging.  You want to serve something that won't clash with the main dish, but has a fresh and interesting and clean flavor.  It shouldn't be too high in calories, but it shouldn't taste like "health food" either.  Personally, I'm happiest when the side dish involves a vegetable of some sort.  It doesn't have to be just vegetables though.  This dish combines a starch and a vegetable into a delicious side dish that worked quite well for my guests and for me. 

I did make a few changes, as usual.  I used olive oil for the sunflower oil because that's what I had.  I increased the garlic and I used Kuwaiti Spice Mix for the garam masala (because it was convenient.)  I omitted the salt and the mint to accommodate the dietary needs of my diners. 

Lime and Cilantro Potatoes with Zucchini (serves 4; approx. $1.82/serving)

1 tablespoon sunflower oil

1 onion, diced

2 teaspoons cumin

6 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon grated ginger

1 teaspoon turmeric

6 waxy potatoes, cut into matchsticks and boiled

1/2 cup water, hot

1 zucchini, cut into matchsticks and boiled

7 ounces diced fire roasted tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon Kuwaiti Spice Mix

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Juice and zest of one lime

Equipment:

• Large wok or saute pan

1. Heat the oil in the wok. 
2. Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat until softened.
3. Add the cumin, garlic, ginger and turmeric.  Cook another 2 - 3 minutes.
4. Add the potatoes and water.  Cook another 4 minutes.
5. Add the zucchini, tomatoes and spice mix.  Cook over high heat 4 minutes.
6. Remove from heat, add the cilantro, lime zest and lime juice.
7. Serve. 

Green Stuff Salad

Recipe Source: Brennan, Georgeanne.  Williams-Sonoma Salad.  Simon and Schuster, New York, 2001 p. 30

I made this when my in-laws came to visit this past May.  It's a pretty easy salad, made even easier by the fact that you can make it well ahead of time.  There were some notable changes to the original.  The fresh fava beans were right out, since I didn't have any.  The olive oil in the dressing was reduced and the cheese and anchovies were omitted to make the salad healthier - I wanted to reduce the fat and omit the salt out of consideration for the dietary needs of my guests.  The garlic was increased, but you knew that already. 

Green Stuff Salad (serves 4; approx. $1.76/serving)

1 pound frozen peas, thawed

1 pound green beans, trimmed

4 zucchini, peeled

5 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Equipment:

• Saucepan
• Vegetable peeler
• Small bowl
• Whisk

1. Fill the saucepan with water.  Bring the water to a boil.  Add the beans and cook about 3 minutes, until tender.  Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
2. Fill the saucepan with water and bring to a boil again.  Blanch the peas for about a minute, then drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
3. Use the vegetable peeler to get thin, wide ribbons of zucchini.  Combine in your serving vessel with the beans and peas. 
4. In the small bowl, whisk the garlic, lemon juice and olive oil together.  Pour over the salad and serve.  This salad can be served at room temperature and can be made ahead of time. 

Recipe: Squid with Scallions

This dish kind of appeared in my brain one day.  I could see it.  I could smell it.  I could taste it.  I hadn't made it yet.  It really fit my criteria for a weeknight meal (something I could make ahead of time and reheat) and so I decided I would give it a shot.  When the time came to actually eat it we were both pretty hungry, so I served it over some whole wheat pasta. 

Squid with Scallions (serves 4; approx. $3.54/serving)

1 pound squid (I like a mix of tentacles and tubes)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 bunches scallions, sliced

1 1/2 cups white wine

Equipment:

• Saute pan or wok

1. Cut the squid into bite-size pieces.
2. Heat the oil in the saute pan.
3. Add the scallions.  Cook until the color becomes vibrant. 
4. Add the squid and the wine.  Cook until done.  Serve.