February Cooking Class #2

On Tuesday night, I took another cooking class with Chef Nancy (I think this means that I am an official groupie now) which was about fast Asian noodle dishes. I had actually signed up & paid for this the last time she taught it, but had to miss it at the last minute. So technically, I paid for this class twice. The three dishes that she made were Phad Thai, Soba Noodle Salad with Miso Glazed Salmon and Beef Pho. Phad Thai is a dish that I never order in restaurants because I am always frightened that it's going to come out with ketchup in the sauce, which makes the noodle dish super sweet and not palatable to my stomach. There is NO ketchup in real Phad Thai, so avoid making it with ketchup!! If ketchup had been used in Nancy's recipe, I would have been disappointed forever and stopped taking her classes. But luckily for me, she didn't! I'll be making this dish later this weekend, so expect a post soon on how to make real Phad Thai.



I wasn't excited about the salmon part of the second dish. Salmon is one of my least favorite proteins because I find it boring, even though I love fish. But I have to say that Nancy's dish made me rethink my views on the fish. It was perfectly moist and seasoned. I wouldn't have thought that I would gobble the entire piece up and still crave more. I look forward to making this one for my salmon-loving son and husband!



The beef pho was another dish that I was really excited to taste. I love a big bowl of pho when the weather is cold and have been wanting to learn how to make it for a long time now. It's pretty time consuming with having to make the beef broth, but it's worth it.

Recipes to follow soon!

Brussels Sprouts

I really love brussels sprouts as long as they aren't boiled and mushy which makes them smell like stinky feet. I decided to buy a bag at Costco and used Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Brussels Sprouts recipe twice with the contents. The first time, I realized that the brussels sprouts were smaller than what she used because they ended up burning slightly (still ended up tasty), so I had to adjust the time when I made them again.



Roasted Brussels Sprouts from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

serves 6

1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts

2 Tbs good olive oil

3/4 teas kosher salt

1/2 teas freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Turn them out on a baking sheet and roast for 35 to 40 minutes (Note from Grace: the time will need to be adjusted if you have smaller sprouts by about 15-20 minutes. check them from time to time to make sure that they aren't browning too quickly), until crisp outside and tender inside. Shake the pan, from time to time, to brown the Brussel sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt and serve.

Shrimp and Grits...OMG....

I LOVE grits especially cheese grits. I had ordered shrimp and grits at a fancy restaurant in Key West that is one of the most memorable dishes that I have ever eaten. So when I found this recipe online, I was in heaven. Cheese grits topped with bacon and shrimp fried in bacon fat! How can you go wrong? I made this for our Valentine's night dinner (Chris had made multiple reservations at restaurants all over the place, but I told him that I had no desire to spend dinner with all the couples that are forced to be romantic one night a year). The dish was AMAZING! It's easily one of the top three best dishes that I have ever made and I still can't stop thinking about how great a dish it is. Absolutely fabulous!!!!

Shrimp and Grits

Note---DO NOT use instant grits--they won't work in this recipe! I used stone ground grits that I found at Whole Foods. Number 2 note- DO NOT use nuclear orange colored Kraft chedddar cheese for this. Buy a very nice sharp cheddar from the deli case and grate it yourself. It will make all the difference in your cheese grits!

Chopped Salad

Another delightful recipe from my last cooking class. It's easy, healthy and delicious. She didn't give out exact measurements, but I have given her estimations that she gave in class. You can toy with the ingredients and figure out what works best for you.

Chopped Salad from Chef Nancy

Cucumber, preferably hothouse, peeled and diced (if you use a hothouse or English one, you don't need to peel if you don't mind the skin. but if you have to use a regular one, you should peel the skin)

Tomato, diced

Red onion, minced (about 1/4 cup)

Garlic, minced (about one clove)

Jalapeno, finely minced, seeded if wanted (about 2 Tbs. This ingredient is optional)

Cilantro, chopped (half cup)

Scallions, chopped (half cup)

Olive oil (1/4 cup)

Freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice (3 Tbs)

Cumin powder (teaspoon)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

***Tips--Do not skip the fresh herbs! The ratio of cucumber to tomato is supposed to be roughly 2/3 cukes to 1/3 tomatoes.

Toss all the vegetables together in a large bowl. Use lots of cucumber and tomato and little of everything else. Then dress with oil, lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper, and toss very well.

Cupcakes

I am not a fan of cake mix. I think that when they are made per the instructions on the box, they aren't very appetizing. But there are many recipes on how to improve cake mixes with added ingredients that will make them more tasty. While I would like to bake from scratch cupcakes all the time, it's not always possible. I found this recipe in this adorable cupcake cookbook called HELLO CUPCAKE! If you haven't seen this cookbook, it's full of really cute ideas. I just made plain vanilla cupcakes with homemade chocolate frosting, but I hope that I will be able to make the Van Gogh cake one of these days (check out the cookbook---it's soooo cute)!

Perfect Cake Mix Cupcakes from Hello, Cupcake!

1 box cake mix (French vanilla, devil's food or yellow--without pudding)

1 cup buttermilk (in place of the water called for on the box)

vegetable oil (the amount on the box)

4 large eggs (in place of the number called for on the box)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. Follow the box instructions, putting all the ingredients in a large bowl and using the buttermilk in place of the water specified (the box will call for more water than the mount of buttermilk that you are using), using the amount of vegetable oil that is called for, and adding the eggs. Beat with an electric mixer, until moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and beat until thick, 2 minutes longer.

3. Spoon half of the batter into a ziplock bag. Snip a 1/4 inch corner from the bag and fill the paper liners two-thirds full. Repeat with remaining batter. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the baking pans, place on a wire rack and allow to cook completely.

Chocolate Frosting

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

2 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

16 oz powdered sugar

1/3 to 1/2 cup milk

1. Combine the butter and the chocolate in a small saucepan. Melt over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add the cocoa powder and stir until smooth. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer.

2. Add the powdered sugar alternately with the milk, adding more milk, if necessary, to thin, and beat until fluffy and smooth.

Beer Braised Beef and Onions

I have had a subscription to Gourmet for years now, but I rarely get a chance to make recipes out of the magazine. While reading February's issue, I found one that really appealed to me because I had just received chuck roast in my CSA subscription last month. This is the recipe that I made tonight for dinner, but I didn't get a chance to take a picture since I had to run to my doctor appointment. The smell that permeated through my kitchen this afternoon was mouth-watering. This is a tasty, easy dish that takes minimal effort!

Beer Braised Beef and Onions

Cozy Orzo

Cozy Orzo from Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven cookbook

1 lb room-temperature cottage cheese

1 teas salt

1/4 cup minced chives or scallions

1 tea grated lemon zest

black pepper, to taste

1/2 pound orzo

1 cup frozen peas

grated Percorino or Parmesan cheese for the top

Combine the cottage cheese, salt, chives or scallions, lemon zest and black pepper in a medium-sized bowl. Mix well.

Cook the orzo in plenty of rapidly boiling water until it is tender. Place the peas in a colander in the sink (this will defrost the peas and cook them slightly). Shake off the excess water, transfer the orzo and peas to the cottage cheese mixture, and stir gently. Sprinkle with cheese and serve warm or at room temperature.

Farfalle with Broccoli

One of the things about buying produce at Costco is that you are stuck with HUGE bags of one item and you have to be creative about what to make with all of the bag. This week, it's broccoli and brussel sprouts that I have to figure out what to make with all those veggies!

With the broccoli, I made some cream of broccoli soup for lunch tomorrow and this pasta dish tonight. I still have 3/4 of the bag left, so I'll need to look for more broccoli recipes. There is anchovy fillets in this sauce, but they will melt when cooked so that you won't be able to tell that they are there. They add an salty flavor to the pasta which you won't be able to obtain without them.

Farfalle with Broccoli from Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Pasta

4 to 6 servings

1 lb farfalle

2 heads of broccoli, trimmed to florets (about 4 cups)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 tbs unsalted butter

3 garlic glovers, chopped

5 anchovy fillets, chopped

1/4 teas. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teas. salt

1/2 teas. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally. After 5 minutes, add the broccoli florets to the pasta, stir, and cook for another 4 minutes. Drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, pasta, salt and pepper and toss. Add some of the reserved pasta water, if necessary, to make a light sauce. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.

February Cooking Class

Last night, I took a cooking class that was taught by Chef Nancy (again) called Recipes from the Late, Lamented West Side Cafe. West Side Cafe was a Kansas City restaurant that she was a partner/chef at years again. I was very impressed with her recipes once again and can't wait to make all of them!

I did make one of them tonight. It's a great Persian dish that can be made as a dip with flatbread or a side dish with meats and rice.

Mast O Esfenaj (Persian Spinach and Yogurt Salad) from Chef Nancy Stark

6 oz baby spinach

1 T. finely minced onion

1/4 c. chopped walnuts (you can substitute almonds, if you want)

1/4 t. finely minced garlic (about a clove)

1 cup best quality, full-fat plain yogurt (do not use non-fat, it won't taste the same)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in a pot large enough to hold all the spinach. Add spinach, cover pot and cook until wilted, about 1 minute or less. Drain and immediately rinse in cold water to stop the cooking and hold the color. When it is cold enough to handle, squeeze spinach dry using your hands, then finely chop. You should have about 3/4 cup. Place spinach in a bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Be generous with the pepper! Serve with flatbreads or as a side dish.

Free State Beer Banquet

Free State Brewery is one of our favorite places to eat in Lawrence. The food is excellent, the beer is the best small brewery beverage (trust me--we have tried a lot of brewery beers on our travels!) and they have Monday beer day (select beers for only a $1.75/pint)! The last few years, they have had a beer banquet in February where the head chef prepares a special meal and they bring multiple beers in to go with the food. We hadn't had a chance to do it in the past for various reasons, so we jumped at the chance when Jackie and Bruce decided to do it this year.

For $45/person, we were treated to 5 courses and 8 beers (not full sized ones, but big enough to give you a nice buzz).

The list of beers---
Urthel Samaranth--a Belgian Quadruple Ale. Probably my favorite because it reminded me of our trip to Belgium last year.
Boulevard Saison Brett
Fireside Imperial Pilsner--One of Free State's own.
Oak Aged Ironman Imperial Stout--Another FS beer.
Big Sea ESB
Anderson Valley Hop Ottin
Santa's Helper
North Coast Pranqster

The food by course:
1st course--Pistachio Pork Pate on a tiny hash brown with Gruyere, cherry relish, mustard and sweet pickles. Not as liver-y as some pates are. Really quite tasty.

2nd course--Stout Marinated Duck Salad--with local greens, grapefruit and a roast shallot vinaigrette. I LOVE duck, so I loved this dish.

3rd course--Plum, orange and ginger sorbet trio. The ginger part was really interesting and tasty. The little gingersnap cookie was awesome!

4th course--Pomegranate Beef Filet with white cheddar potato gratinee, pork belly, brussels sprouts and cipolini onions. Really amazing!

5th course--Molten Chocolate Puff with malt ice cream, candied kumquat and hazelnut syrup. I am a not a big chocolate fan, so I wasn't impressed plus it was a let down compared to the rest of the meal.

Overall, we were really impressed with the food and beers. We had a great time with Jackie and Bruce, their friends and the other people sitting at the table. Seriously how can you go wrong with great food, beer and company?