Archive for April, 2012

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April 5, 2012

Artichoke Dip Crostinis

While I will forever be a huge fan of the bubbly, cheesy, totally-worth-burning-the-roof-of-your-mouth-ness of baked artichoke dips, it’s nice to make a lighter, more portable version that can be whipped up from pantry staples in minutes.

As far as dips go, I was skeptical that anything other than a piping hot, cheese-laden artichoke dip could be as satisfying, but! with laziness as my motivation, I gave it a whirl.

The Parmesan and Worcestershire sauce provide a nice savory contrast the zesty artichoke hearts and lemon juice. I added some smoked sea salt and smoked paprika for… you know, smokiness.

Turns out, I loved this dip so much that I decided I needed to eat it with something more substantial than just crackers. I made crostini on grilled sourdough with roasted red peppers and celery leaves, based on Melissa Clark’s recipe from Cook This Now. Only this time, the peppers and celery leaves are more of a garnish for the artichoke spread.

At the very least, I suggest making this dip if you have a spare jar of artichoke hearts lying around. It’s another food processor marvel that takes minimal effort for maximum impact. You know you like that.

Artichoke Dip
adapted from a Food52 recipe by user drbabs

- 1 can or jar of artichokes (Approximately 1 1/2 cups of artichoke hearts)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked sea salt (regular sea salt works well too)
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- pinch of cayenne pepper

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the artichoke hearts are finely chopped. Stop before it becomes too paste-like.

Crostini (Makes 4 crostini)
based on Melissa Clarke’s recipe

- 4 Slices of Bread
- 4-6 tablespoons artichoke dip
- 1/3 cup roasted red peppers, finely diced
- 1/3 cup celery leaves, finely chopped
- Olive oil for grilling bread and drizzling

Heat a pan or griddle over a high heat.

Brush both sides of bread with olive oil and grill in the pan until golden and charred in spots.

Top with a layer of artichoke dip, followed by the celery leaves and red peppers and another drizzle of olive oil.

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April 4, 2012

Lazy Girl Baked Chicken Legs

I cooked some chicken. This is kind of a big deal for me.

Chicken, in raw form, had always made me squeamish. In fact, it played a large part in my decision to become a vegetarian for 3 years. I figured it wasn’t right to keep eating something that I was uncomfortable handling in my own kitchen.

Over the course of my re-initiation into omnivoredom, I’ve had more of an appetite for beef and various types of pork (hello, prosciutto) but I took my sweet time coming back around to chicken. I never order it off a menu, and only eat small amounts if offered it at someone’s home.

Until one day, while indulging in an episode of Nigella Kitchen, I found myself wanting – craving - chicken. Oh Nigella! You make me want to use scissors to cut bacon, pour golden syrup over everything, and, of all things, eat chicken. What can’t you inspire a home cook to do?

A tip from Nigella that I took to heart was to buy the legs or thighs of a chicken, instead of the breast. These, like the breast, are available without skin if that’s your thing – but have loads more flavor and tend to be cheaper. Win win.

I am most wary of where the chicken is coming from and how it is treated, so free-range organic chicken is the way to go for me.

With all of this in mind, I finally took the plunge and bought chicken for the first time in a long time. To celebrate, I prepped the chicken in a matter of minutes and let the oven do the rest. The result is juicy, flavorful chicken that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or a lazy Sunday night.

Lazy Girl Baked Chicken Legs
Inspired by recipes from Nigella Lawson’s Kitchen

- 6-8 skinless chicken legs (bone in)
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- salt and pepper
- 1 medium onion quartered
- 6-8 whole cloves of garlic
- 4 thyme (or lemon thyme) springs and 1 tablespoon thyme leaves for scattering

Pre-heat oven to 200 C/ 400 F.

Place chicken legs in a roasting pan. Pour olive oil over, sprinkle with paprika, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Place onion sections and garlic cloves around the chicken and scatter with thyme springs and leaves.

Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.

I suggest serving with a PAB salad.

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April 3, 2012

PAB: Pear, Avocado and Bacon Salad

Some things just need to be done. Sometimes they need to be done because that’s just how life goes. Tough luck. Sometimes, it’s tradition. And sometimes it’s because it’s exactly what you want at that particular moment.

Like doing laundry.
Like taking out the garbage.
Like going to the dentist.
Like chocolate on Easter.
Like popcorn at the movies.
Like eating a well-balanced breakfast.
Like having a big glass of wine (or 3) with a good friend.
Like savagely tearing off and eating the end of the baguette as soon as you leave the bakery.
Like watching episode upon episode of The Bachelor even though you fear it might be negatively influencing your views on your own gender.

Like pear and bacon. Bacon and pear. And avocado. And buttermilk. It has to be done. Let’s do it!

Pear Avocado and Bacon Chard Salad
- 3 cups Swiss chard, rainbow chard, spinach or kale
- 1 pear, sliced into thin wedges
- 1/2 an avocado, sliced into this wedges
- 2-3 tablespoons of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
- 1 large rasher of bacon or two small (American bacon) rashers, cut into small pieces

Mustard Buttermilk Dressing
- 6 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced or grated on a Microplane grater
- sea salt
- ground pepper

To make dressing:
Combine all ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake well. Add more salt and pepper as desired.

To assemble salad:
Place the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and gently toss with 2 or 3 tablespoons of dressing. Set aside.

Heat a pan over a medium high heat. Add bacon pieces and cook until browned and crispy. Place on a paper towel and blot off excess oil. Scatter over salad. Drizzle on additional dressing, if desired.

Serve with lazy girl roasted chicken legs (recipe coming soon) or crusty bread.

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April 2, 2012

Mushroom Ragout with Polenta

I typically go meatless several days a week, but I especially try to abide by Meatless Monday. I like to think of it as a re-set after indulging in beef tacos and/or a slab of pork belly on the weekend. That said, I try not to make a meatless day too bleak by comparison. Mushrooms – lots of them – are nearly always my go-to in this situation.
High on the comfort food spectrum, this mushroom dish is hearty, complex and warming. I chose to serve it over a pillowy bed of polenta to feel the maximum love. (Doesn’t a big buttery mound of sunny-colored polenta topped with a thick vegetable gravy feel like a big hug to you? Is that just me?) I would happily serve this with buttered and herb-flecked rigatoni, over just-set scrambled eggs or with a big hunk of crusty sourdough. Whatever melts your butter! (Literally.)

Mushroom Ragout
Adapted from David Tanis’ recipe as seen on The Kitchn

- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- salt and pepper
- 1 pound mushrooms (I used cup mushrooms and white button mushrooms), cleaned and sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste with a little salt or Microplaned
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped sage
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups porcini mushroom broth (see recipe below), warm

In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring well, until it begins to brown. Lower the heat to medium, season the onions with salt and pepper, and continue stirring until nicely caramelized, about 5 minutes. Remove the onion to a small bowl.

Return the pan to the heat, add the remaining tablespoons of olive oil, and turn the heat to high. Add the mushrooms, stirring well to coat with oil. Keep the heat high and sauté the mushrooms until they brown lightly.

Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper, add the garlic, thyme, sage, and pepper flakes, and stir well. Reduce the heat to medium, add the browned onion and the tomato paste, and stir well to coat the mushrooms and to dry the mixture slightly. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring.

Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir it in. Ladle in 1 cup of the hot mushroom broth, stirring well as the mixture thickens. Add another cup of hot broth and let the ragout cook for another 5 minutes. If it’s too thin, cook it a bit longer; if too thick, add a bit more broth. Taste for seasoning. (The ragout can be made a few hours ahead and reheated.)

Porcini Mushroom Broth
- 3 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 or 5 slices of dried porcini mushrooms
- half a small onion
- 1 small celery stalk
- 1 small carrot, peeled and chopped

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer a cook for 30 minutes. Strain to to use.

For Polenta:
Different types of polenta call for different methods, so follow the instructions on your polenta packaging. When mine was finished cooking I stirred in 2 tablespoons of butter, a bit of salt and several grinds of pepper.

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