strawberry shortcake

I know. I should have taken a picture.

For the Fourth, I made strawberry shortcake for dessert. The shortcakes were my great-grandmother's recipe, the strawberries from our farmer's market, and the basil-cinnamon whipped cream my own little addition. It was truly celebratory.

Let's start with the cream.

1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped basil
1/4 t cinnamon

Mix the ingredients and heat in a saucepan on medium heat until it begins to simmer; don't bring it to a boil. Let it steep until it is cool enough to touch and then transfer to a bowl and put in the refrigerator until it is cold. (It won't whip unless it's really cold). When you are ready to whip it, strain the liquid, put it in a mixer, add sugar and vanilla to taste and let it whip.

Note: heat the cream before you begin everything else; whip it just before serving.

And now the strawberries.

1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 T orange or lemon juice

The process, called macerating the strawberries, is simple, though the word sounds far more violent than the process deserves. Again, do this ahead of time so the strawberries have time to do their thing in the sugar and vinegar.

Finally, the shortcakes.

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons sugar

Combine the dry ingredients and then cut in

1/2 cup butter (my great-grandmother used Crisco, I'm sure)

I use my food processor. When crumbly, add

3/4 cup milk

and mix until combined. Pour dough out on a floured surface and roll out just enough to make it about a half an inch thick. Cut into rounds (I use a biscuit cutter) and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

To serve, cut the shortcake in half. Put a small dollop of whipped cream on the plate; turn the top of the shortcake over and place on the whipped cream. Add more cream, strawberries, the other half of the shortcake (also inverted), and then more cream and berries.

Peace,
Milton

veggie egg casserole

I made this recipe for a house blessing party today, along with the brownies below, and thought it was worth passing along.

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray or butter (your choice) and then layer with

4 slices of cubed bread

I used some leftover wheat hamburger rolls. You want a consistent single layer of bread across the bottom of the dish. Then sauté

2 cups of mushrooms
1 onion, cut in half and then sliced thin
2 zucchini, halved and sliced thin
olive oil
salt and pepper

I let the mixture cook for a good while. I used the veggies I had on hand. You could also add meat – sausage or bacon or chicken – if you wanted. When the veggies were done, I mixed in

1 cup of sundried tomatoes

and spread them evenly across the top of the bread layer. I then added a layer of

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar

Again, use whatever cheese you like. In a bowl mix together

8 eggs, beaten
1 pint half and half
1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
salt and pepper

Pour over the stuff in the baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. Take it out an hour or so before you want to cook it to let it warm up a bit and then cook it at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour, until the cheese is browned a bit, the eggs have puffed up, and the casserole is set in the middle.

Let it sit about twenty minutes before serving.

Peace,
Milton

my favorite brownies

I found my favorite brownie recipe last night, after having misplaced if for some time. Though I’m working on dropping some pounds these days, I made them for a friend’s house blessing party. I love these brownies because they are fudgy and rich.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 9x9x2-inch metal pan with foil or parchment paper, leaving overhang. Butter foil. (You don't have to butter the parchment.)

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 12 ounce bag of semisweet chocolate chips
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

Combine chocolate chips, butter, and unsweetened chocolate in heavy large saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolates melt and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 bag Heath toffee bits (in the baking aisle)

Whisk in sugar, then eggs and flour. Whisk in toffee bits. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake brownies about forty-five minutes, or until a tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool brownies 15 minutes and then place in refrigerator for a couple of hours. Using foil overhang as aid, lift brownies from pan and them remove the foil. They work best if you cut them cold.

If you double this recipe, it fits well on a baking sheet.

Peace,
Milton

risotto with chicken and beet greens

The recipe was inspired by my trip to the Durham Farmers' Market this morning, where I got some heirloom beets that came with the greens still attached.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups beet greens, with stems
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 boneless chicken breast, diced
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups water or chicken stock*
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cut the stems off the beet greens and cut them into a small dice. They will look like little pieces of celery. Stack the green leaves on top of each other and roll them up and then slice them thinly (a chiffonade) so you get long thin strands of greens.

Heat the oil in a deep-sided skillet and add the stems. Cook for about three minutes. Add chicken and cook until done. Add garlic and greens and cook for another two or three minutes, then add the rice. Stir a minute more and add the wine. When the wine has almost dissipated, add the water or stock one cup at a time, waiting until it is absorbed before adding more, which will take about fifteen or twenty minutes. Stir the rice frequently. When the liquid has been mostly absorbed and the rice is soft, stir in the Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand about ten minutes before serving.

*If you are boiling the beets, save the water and use it for the risotto, which will give it a lovely pink color. If you do this, also substitute red wine for the white, which will intensify the color.

Peace,
Milton

pork for pasta

This recipe grew out of my trip to the Durham Farmers' Market today. And it was good.

1 pound ground pork or fresh sausage, uncased
2 onions, chopped
1 small eggplant, diced small
2 carrots, diced small
3 tomatoes, diced small
fresh herbs (basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano0
salt and pepper
olive oil
1/4 cup red wine
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
parmesan cheese to garnish

In a large skillet or fry pan, cook the pork until it’s done. You may want to add a little bit of olive oil to keep it from sticking. Add onions and continue cooking over medium heat until the onions are translucent. (If you want a more caramelized taste, cook the onions separately to get some color on them and then add them to the pork.) Add the tomatoes, eggplant, and carrots and let them cook until most of the natural juices have been reduced. Add the herbs and about a half a cup of red wine. Stir well and let it continue cooking until the wine is almost cooked away. Add the chicken stock. Stir well and let it continue cooking until the sauce is thick and does not have a lot of liquid left. (If you want a creamier taste, you can add a half a cup of heavy cream and cook for a few minutes more.)

Serve over pasta. Top with cheese.

Peace,
Milton

crock pot roast

I haven't used my crock pot in a while, but decided to see what I could make of what I had available in my kitchen, and here's what I came up with. It was awesome.

1 3 lb. pot roast
flour
baby carrots
red potatoes (small)
green beans
dried ancho chilies
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 can Guinness Stout
salt and pepper

Get a skillet good and hot. Cover the bottom with a thin layer of olive oil. Dredge the roast in flour and sear in the skillet until brown (about three minutes a side). Put the roast in the crock pot and add the other ingredients. Cover. Turn on low for about eight hours. Remove the roast and vegetables and heat the gravy on the stove top to reduce, if you wish.

Peace,
Milton

chickpea, garlic, and spinach soup

I started looking for soup recipes with chickpeas (garbanzo beans) because we had some on had at the restaurant. This is an adaptation of the one I liked best. Since I was making about three gallons of soup, these proportions are a bit of a guess, particularly with the spices.

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 onion, diced small
3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, and stir in garlic and onion. As the onions begin to soften, add the cumin and coriander. Keep cooking until onions are translucent and tender. Add

1 quart vegetable stock
2 medium potatoes, peeled and dice small

Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and let it simmer about ten minutes Add

1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

(Here's one of the places where I'm guessing as I scale down the recipe. You want about a 60-40 mix of chickpeas to potatoes.) Keep cooking until potatoes are done. In a separate bowl, whisk together

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
2 tablespoons corn meal

and add to the soup. Finally, stir in

1/2 pound baby spinach leaves
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

Stir the simmering soup until the spinach wilts and is heated through.

This was one of our best selling soups this week.

Peace,
Milton

mushroom and black bean soup

Start with a basic mirepoix:

1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
olive oil

Saute the vegetables in the soup pot until they are tender. I like to cover the pot to keep all the juices inside. Add

1 lb. sliced mushrooms (I like Baby Bellas)
2 dried ancho chiles

Stir well, cover, and let cook until mushrooms are soft. Add

4 cups vegetable stock
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper

Bring everything to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer. I puree the soup using my wand mixer; if you don't have one, do it in batches in your food processor. Once the soup is pureed, adjust the seasonings and serve.

Peace,
Milton

black-eyed pea hummus

I know I’m a little early, but here’s a little bit different way to get your black-eyed peas for New Year’s Day.

1 lb black-eyed peas, dry

Soak beans overnight. Drain and return to pot; cover with water and add

5 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons of sugar

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and let simmer until peas are soft. Drain and spread out on a baking sheet; cool to room temperature. Put the peas and garlic in a food processor and add

2/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper

Turn on the machine and stream in

olive oil

slowly until the mixture has the consistency you want. I’ve never measured how much oil I add. You will process the mixture for four or five minutes.

Spoon out into a bowl and serve with pita chips or crackers. I like to garnish it with tear jerkers for a little extra something.

Peace,
Milton

spicy corn and red bean chowder

I made this soup for our Advent Fest at church today, mostly because these were the ingredients I had in my kitchen. I wasn't really measuring things when I made it, but this is a reasonable apporximation.

1 stick butter
1 onion, small dice
1 red pepper, small dice
1 cup celery, small dice
3 cups frozen corn

Melt butter, then add other ingredients and sauté over medium heat. I like to keep the pot covered to keep in all the juices the vegetables create. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until onions are translucent and slowly add

1/2 cup flour

and cook for another three or four minutes, to make a roux. Add

4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons cumin powder
salt and pepper
2 or 3 bay leaves

and cook, stirring occasionally once everything is mixed well, until soup begins to thicken. Add

2 cans red beans
2 cans Ro-tel tomatoes with green chiles, drained

and continue to heat until everything is heated through and soup is thick.

Peace,
Milton