The Fifth Tine – Page 126 – food for eating good

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Bacon, Parmesan & Cranberries

March 16, 2011October 16, 2017 yholmes 3 Comments

Brussels sprouts raw and thinly sliced are delicious… who knew? Surprisingly very mild, the Brussels sprouts in this slaw-centric recipe are paired perfectly with some salty bacon, sweet dried cranberries and crunchy nuts. Mix and match what you have on hand – walnuts, feta, goat cheese, golden raisins or cherries – it all works.

Tip from my kitchen: Slicing little Brussels sprouts on a mandolin is dangerous work (I have 3 fingers to prove it). Opt for the slicer blade on your food processor – it’s quicker and safer.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup (1/8 ounce) tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
4 slices bacon, cooked crispy & crumbled
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or Craisins)
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp kosher salt
cracked black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Holding each Brussels sprout by stem end, cut into very thin slices using a mandolin or the slicer blade in a food processor. Toss in a bowl to separate layers. Add pine nuts, bacon, cranberries and parmesan cheese.

To make the vinaigrette whisk mustard and vinegar together. Drizzle in olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Pour over salad and toss to combine.

Truffle Brie Macaroni & Cheese

March 8, 2011October 16, 2017 yholmes Leave a comment

I’m not a huge fan of the traditional comfort foods… mashed potatoes & gravy, pot roast and meatloaf are easy to resist. For me, comfort food is creamy lemon & pea risotto, beef bourguignon and cannelloni!

When my sweet friend (also fabulous baker & fierce soccer player), Marisa, was recovering from ACL surgery she requested comfort food. So I made what has to be the #1 Comfort Food: Macaroni & Cheese. I’ve since changed my mind about this favorite dish – add some truffle brie to macaroni and cheese and I’ll eat it. Happily.

If you can’t find the truffle brie substitute regular brie and add some truffle oil.

INGREDIENTS

For the breadcrumbs:

1/2 loaf ciabatta bread (or any bread you have on hand)
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil

For the cheese & pasta:

3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups whole milk
2 ounces Marscapone cheese (or cream cheese)
1 pound grated Sharp Cheddar
1 pound grated Monterrey Jack
4 ounces Black Truffle Brie OR 4 ounces plain Brie + 3 T truffle oil
1 pound cavatappi pasta (or elbow)

DIRECTIONS

For the breadcrumbs: Cube your bread into medium size squares and put it in the food processor for a couple pulses. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tbsp oil in large skillet overt medium heat. Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add bread crumbs to skillet an stir until crumbs are slightly toasted – about 5 minuets. Set aside.

For the cheese & pasta: Cook the pasta 2 minutes LESS than the al dente package directions. Please salt your water very well so the pasta has flavor. Drain and set aside.

In a large saucepan heat butter and olive oil until melted over medium high heat. Next, whisk your flour into the butter and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Slowly add cream and milk whisking in between to make sure there are no lumps. Bring mixture to a simmer and whisk until desired thickness (close to pancake batter). Remove from heat. Add grated cheese & marscapone and mix until melted. Season with salt & pepper. If using truffle oil – add this to the cheese mixture.

Stir in drained, cooked pasta to the cheese mixture. Transfer to a baking dish and top with sliced brie cheese & then sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Cioppino

February 27, 2011October 16, 2017 yholmes Leave a comment

Cioppino is a fish stew originating from Portuguese and Italian fishermen who settled in the North Beach section of San Francisco in the late 1800’s. It’s a collective pot of leftover catch of the day from the local fisherman. The story is that wharf cooks would call for the fishermen to “chip in” some of their catch to the collective soup pot. Typically a combination of dungeness crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, squid, mussels and fish were thrown into the tomato and wine broth.

Use whatever fish and seafood combination you like. Shrimp, scallops, halibut and mussels are my favorites and what I chose.

A few tips.

Infusing the stock with the shrimp shells imparts a lot of flavor – so do the extra work and peel & devein your own shrimp just for the shells.
Pernod (anise flavored liquor) is a classic flavor in Cioppino. If you don’t have any (or don’t want to spend the money on a bottle) – chop a bulb of fennel and add to the onions when cooking.
Fish Stock – so maybe you can’t find fish stock in your store. If not, use equal parts of bottled clam juice & water.

INGREDIENTS

32 ounces (2 quarts) fish stock, Kitchen Basics is my favorite
Pinch saffron
4 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
5 large garlic cloves, minced
2 medium onions, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes, crushed by hand (or pureed in food processor)
2 cups white wine (Pinot Grigio)
1/4 cup pernod
¼ cup pesto
½ cup parsley, chopped
1 pounds mussels
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (reserve shells)
3/4 pound sea scallops, foot removed
2 pounds halibut fillet, skinned, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
½ cup basil, chopped
1 loaf crusty bread

DIRECTIONS

Heat fish stock in a small saucepan. Add reserved shrimp shells to fish stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain stock of shrimp shells into large bowl. Add saffron to warm stock and set aside.

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in an 8-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, allowing it to brown for about 20 seconds, then add onions and a pinch of salt. Cook until onions are softened, about 4 minutes. Add bay leaf and oregano. Stir and cook for 30 seconds. Add tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until paste darkens a bit, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes white wine, pernod and the saffron flavored fish stock and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until liquid has reduced by half. Cover pan and simmer for 30 minutes.

Stir in the pesto and parsley. Add mussels and simmer until mussels open, about 3 minutes (discard any unopened clams). Add shrimp and scallops and cook for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, season halibut salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil. Cook the halibut until seared and the fish is cooked through – about 2-3 minutes per side.

Remove bay leaf from pot. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowl and top with chopped basil. Serve with crusty bread.

Pear & Dark Chocolate Turnovers

February 21, 2011October 16, 2017 yholmes Leave a comment

Café Soufflé is my pit stop in Montreal for all things delicious in the morning. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s 4 doors down from my favorite resting place, Urban Haven. Café Soufflé seems to have mastered the art of variety. With each stop you never know what treats will come out of their kitchen that day… but lucky the day I walked in and found warm out-of-the-oven pear & chocolate turnovers.

This Montreal coffee shop has become my model for when I save enough money to open up my perfect little coffee shop in Dallas. One that is known for the FOOD as much as their coffee.

Maybe I’ll add these to my coffee shop menu… they are divine.

INGREDIENTS

1 box frozen puff pastry (2 sheets per box), thawed overnight in refrigerator
3 pears – peeled, cored & cubed into 1/2 dice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoons water
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
2-3 ounces dark chocolate bar, broken into chunks (i prefer a 54-60% chocolate bar)

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients (except chocolate) in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cook for about 5 minutes or until pears are just tender (you don’t want them mushy). Cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut each puff pastry sheet into 4 squares (8 total squares).

Brush the edges of each square with egg wash and place about 1/8 of the pear mixture on one side of the square. Top with dark chocolate chunks. Fold the pastry diagonally and seal the edges using a fork. Place these on a baking pan lined with parchment paper and brush the top with egg wash. If desired, sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned. Serve warm.

Lemon Bars

February 14, 2011September 14, 2023 yholmes 1 Comment

LOVE lemon bars… and this recipe from The Barefoot Contessa is fail proof. The shortbread crust is flaky and buttery and comes together quickly. The lemon filling is a perfect balance of sweet and tart and oh so creamy.

There are a few tricks to this recipe that will help you make it successful. First, the eggs: must be extra large and room temperature. If you are making this last minute, throw your eggs in a bowl of lukewarm water for 5 minutes and you will have room temp eggs. Second, give the flour time to do is job: after you whisk the filling together let it sit for 10-15 minutes before adding to the cooled crust.

INGREDIENTS

For the crust:

1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

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DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Let the filling sit for 10-15 minutes. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

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NOLA Crawfish-Stuffed Deviled Eggs

February 6, 2011November 10, 2017 yholmes 21 Comments

For Christmas my sweet neighbor gifted me an amazing cookbook, Harvest To Heat. It’s full of amazing recipes from America’s best chefs, farmers and artisans. These Crawfish-Stuffed Deviled Eggs are courtesy of chef Donald Link of Herbsaint Bar and Restaurant in New Orleans. The not so traditional filling is full of authentic Louisiana flavors.

Crawfish season officially starts after the New Year… but I wasn’t able to find any fresh crawfish tail meat (Central market was even out). Luckily I found some frozen tail meat direct from Louisiana (If you can’t find crawfish substitute shrimp). These are simple to put together even though they take a little more time than traditional deviled eggs due to the onion/pepper mixture needing cooling time… but well worth the effort. If you are prone to overcooked eggs with green yolks, try my fail proof hard-boiled egg instructions below for the perfectly cooked yellow center.

These are off to the Super Bowl party to be devoured.

INGREDIENTS

8 large eggs
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1/2 stalk celery, finely diced
1 small jalapeno, finely diced
1/2 small poblano, seeded and finely diced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
salt & pepper
1/2 pound crawfish tails (16 whole pieces reserved, the remainder roughly chopped)
2 teaspoons fresh chives, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Creole mustard

DIRECTIONS

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover them with cold water, not too deep. Place on burner on HIGH heat. Once they start to boil turn on the timer to 3 minutes.
When the timer goes off, quickly take off the heat, put on the lid and reset the timer to 8 minutes. When 8 minutes are up, take to sink and run cold water over them for about a minute, let them soak a bit to cool off. Once the eggs are cool, peel and cut them in half lengthwise, separating the yolks from the whites. Set both aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over low heat and add the onions, celery, jalapenos, poblanos, and spices. Season with salt & pepper. Cook for 4 minutes to sweat the vegetables. Add the crawfish and cook for another 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool.

Put the cooked egg yolks in a mixing bowl and mash them with a fork or potato masher. Add the lemon juice, mayonnaise and mustard and mix to combine. Fold in the cooled crawfish mixture.

Spoon the crawfish mixture into the cooked whites. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with chives and top each with a crawfish tail.

Grilled Lamb Chops with Chimichurri & Yogurt Mint Sauce

January 23, 2011October 16, 2017 yholmes 1 Comment

Lamb chops two ways… both extremely delicious. My dinner date & fellow foodie, Scott, was the master of these two sauces and he preferred the marriage of the two. I can’t seem to move beyond the Chimichurri.

Chimichurri is Argentina’s pesto… and I’m becoming obsessed. I can’t think of anything I don’t want to put it on: fish, toasted bread, eggs, chicken, pork tacos, a garnish for soup. Chimichurri may take the lead as my favorite condiment and push balsamic vinegar to second place. It’s beautifully simple and amazingly flavorful considering the base is parsley. Add some lemon, red wine vinegar, garlic and red pepper flakes and you have a flavor treasure.

It doesn’t need much love. Mix it up – slather it on anything edible – watch the bowl empty.

INGREDIENTS

For the Marinade:

8 lamb rib chops (about 1 – 1 1/2 pounds)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
Salt & Pepper

For the Chimichurri:

1 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, trimmed of thick stems
3-4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried oregano)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Finely chop the parsley, fresh oregano, and garlic (or process in a food processor several pulses). Place in a small bowl. Stir in the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Adjust seasonings. Serve immediately or refrigerate. If chilled, return to room temperature before serving. Can keep for a day or two. Serves 4.

For the Yogurt Mint Sauce:

6 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
7 ounces Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the scallions, mint, dill, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until it’s a coarse paste. Add the yogurt, salt, and pepper and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop.

DIRECTIONS

Prepare the sauces as instructed above and set aside.

In a small bowl combine marinade ingredients: garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Rub over lamb chops and let sit on the counter for about 30 minutes.

Heat a gas grill or grill pan over high heat. Add the chops and sear for about 2 minutes. Flip the chops over and cook for another 3 minutes for medium-rare and 3 1/2 minutes for medium.

Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes with Vanilla and Dark Chocolate Glaze

January 13, 2011August 30, 2018 yholmes 5 Comments

My sweet tooth is fairly tiny which makes these mini bundt cakes perfect for my house of one. Mostly everything from my kitchen goes out the back door to neighbors and friends so these made cute little packages to give away. These are super moist cakes and are super cute when you mix the glazes and toppings. If you want one big cake all to yourself, by all means just bake it longer (see directions below).

On a side note about using good ingredients, this recipe is one you can really make special. Valrhona Cocoa Powder and Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract are 2 ingredients I splurge on because they have a long shelf life and taste delicious.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cups dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup freshly brewed strong black coffee
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Vanilla glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons cream or milk

Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in small bowl to blend, adding more milk by 1/4 teaspoonfuls if glaze is too thick to drizzle.

Chocolate glaze:

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chop chocolate and put in a small bowl; set aside.

Combine remaining the heavy whipping cream, corn syrup, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Cook the mixture, stirring, until mixture boils. Pour over the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temperature then spoon over the cooled cake. If too thick, thin with a little more cream.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350. Spray your bundt pan with non-stick baking spray (with flour) or butter and dust with cocoa powder. The batter is very wet and dusting with cocoa powder will prevent sticking. Trust me on this, I only buttered my first pan (no flour or cocoa) and it wasn’t pretty.

Whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. Set aside.

In a mixer on low speed add the milk, coffee, canola oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix until everything is incorporated. With the mixer still on low speed slowly add in the dry ingredients. Once all of the flour mixture is added, mix the batter for a full four minutes on medium speed.

Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. If using a mini bundt pan, bake time is 10-15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Once cool, drizzle cake with icing and top with chopped nuts or mini chips if you desire.

Lentil Soup with Sausage, Beans and Spinach

January 10, 2011October 16, 2017 yholmes 1 Comment

The leftover Christmas ham bone HAD to be used… and not in the traditional black-eyed pea pot that I’ve never wanted to eat on New Years Day. So why not start a new tradition with a pot of lentils and cornbread instead?

Lentils are a high fiber super legume. They have excellent amounts of six important minerals, two B-vitamins and protein. Did I mention all of the above is also fat free? Nothing guilty about eating this soup. I prefer the French green ones – they hold their shape and aren’t overly mushy.

Do not skip the balsamic vinegar… it’s the secret ingredient.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
5 carrots peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, diced
2 shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 large tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup French green lentils
1 small can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 ham bone or ham hock
5 sprigs thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 bay leaf
8 cups chicken stock
Salt & pepper
1 can cannellini beans
1/2 package frozen spinach, squeezed dry
1/2 lemon juiced
1 turkey kielbasa
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Parmesan cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in large soup pot. Add garlic, carrots, celery, shallots, onions and cook until soft about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Stir in tomato paste and crushed red pepper. Cook 2 minutes to brown the paste. Stir in lentils, tomatoes, ham bone, oregano, basil and bay leaf. Add chicken broth then cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add balsamic vinegar, cannellini beans, spinach, lemon juice and sausage. Stir contents of pot then cover again and simmer, 15-20 minutes longer, or until lentils are soft. Remove and discard bay leaf and ham bone. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with drizzles of oil and freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

December 29, 2010October 16, 2017 yholmes Leave a comment

What I love the most about this recipe is the resulting size. You don’t need a pound of butter, sugar and a giant bundt pan. I shared this with my best friend Jen and her sweet grandmother – and there were only a few crumbly slices left after gossip and coffee.

I used a smaller spring form pan so the ratio of crumbly topping to cake was vast. I like lots of streusel topping. Use a loaf pan, brownie pan – whatever you’ve got.

INGREDIENTS

For the streusel topping:

1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup of pecans or walnuts, chopped (optional)

Sponge cake batter:

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 – 2 cups blueberries

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 x 8 inch square pan or small spring form pan.

For the streusel topping: Mix together the flour, sugar and ground cinnamon. Cut the butter into small pieces and mix it in with a fork. This mixture will resemble coarse crumbs. If the mixture is not dry enough, add in more flour. And then set aside.

For the cake: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Cream the butter and sugar until light yellow and creamy with a stand mixer or hand mixer. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat with hand mixer. Mix in the flour and milk in alternate steps. (flour – milk – flour – milk).

Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Arrange the blueberries on top of the batter. Top it off with the streusel.

Bake for 50 minutes. When a toothpick in the center of the cake comes out clean – it’s ready.