If you’re throwing a big party, or maybe just having a few of friends over for cocktails, you’ll definitely want to make one of these appetizers.  It’s quite impressive for the little work involved.  I made one over the weekend and our guests all loved it.  One dough recipe can cover a large baking sheet.  There were six of us at our little gathering and we even had a couple of slices left over.  The four main ingredients all come together nicely, and it’s just enough to enjoy with a glass of wine or cocktail.  It is quite filling and you won’t have to make anything else to serve.  

I call it a tart, but it actually looks a lot like a pizza.  You can serve it both hot from the oven, or make it ahead and enjoy it at room temperature.  Any leftover slices can be warmed up in the microwave the next day.  You can also vary the nuts or cheese; however, the caramelized onions are essential for the flavor.

 A thin crust serves as the base.  The onions sautéed in the balsamic vinegar account for the sweetness, while the Brie melts beautifully for a creamy texture.   If you want the crust very crispy, bake it alone for about 5 or 7 minutes before you add the toppings.  It also looks pretty on a wooden cutting board or platter if you toss a few red grapes and a couple sprigs of rosemary around for garnish.  

If you don’t want to make the crust from scratch, and you also don’t have ready access to a pizza shop to buy a ball of fresh dough, I suppose you could cheat and use a prepared packaged pizza crust from your grocer’s refrigerator case.  That too would work if you are pressed for time. 

I used a 13 x 9 baking sheet; however, the size of the baking sheet isn’t really very important.  Make it any shape you like.  Perfect edges aren’t essential and the more rustic the better.  I think it adds a homemade appearance, and my feeling is that if you’re going to create a wonderful appetizer from scratch, you want it to look like you made it yourself.  You don’t need perfect edges like something purchased. 

Here’s how easy it is to put this tart together. 

Caramelized Onion and Brie Tart

1 recipe pizza dough

1 large white onion, finely sliced

2 T olive oil

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 8oz package Brie cheese

½ C sliced almonds 

Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Add the sliced onion and sauté until translucent.  Add the balsamic vinegar, lower the heat and slowly cook until the onions are caramelized and thoroughly cooked. 

On a large rectangular baking sheet (12 or 13” x 9 or 10”) gently roll out the dough and spread it out.  Place the onions evenly over the dough.  Cut the Brie into small chunks and distribute it over the dough.  Sprinkle the almonds across the top. 

Bake in a preheated 425º oven 10 to 12 minutes—depending on your oven—until the crust is golden and all the cheese has melted. 

Remove from oven, cool slightly and cut into 2” squares and serve hot or warm.  Open the wine or mix the cocktails and you’re ready to entertain.

Enjoy!

©Pauline Boren 2010

How about making your own fruit spread to enjoy with your morning toast?  Even if you only have a scoop of cottage cheese or a tub of plain yogurt to begin your day, a couple of tablespoons of my lemony marmalade will really jazz up the flavor.  You’ll also get a bonus of some Vitamin C.

If you aren’t familiar with Meyer lemons, they are a cross between oranges and lemons.  They are about the size of a smaller lemon and the skin is a bright golden yellow.  The fruit is so mild and attractive that even the birds find it delicious.

We have a small Meyer lemon tree in our back yard and each year it rewards us with a bountiful crop.  Besides sharing the fruit with friends, neighbors and some birds, we’ve used the lemons in many recipes.  Since they are naturally quite sweet—and require little sugar—I thought they might work well in a marmalade or fruit spread.

I call my spread marmalade because it has tiny chunks of lemon just like the marmalade in stores.  It's not as sweet as a prepared marmalade or jam.  Because I used Splenda it also has fewer calories and carbohydrates.  You can substitute another sweetener or even sugar if you prefer.

I didn't follow a formal recipe.  I got out my large stew pot, began washing and cutting up the fruit, adding some Spenda and spice, and tasting as it cooked.  I wrote down the proportions as I went along, and my final recipe is below.  You can vary the sweetener or spice to suit your own taste.  In fact, a little cinnamon might also be nice.  I was happy with my results using the coriander, and plan to make more before our crop is finished.

Meyer Lemon Marmalade

6 Meyer lemons

1-1/3 C Splenda

1 C water

1/2 t coriander powder

1/4 t salt

Wash and dry the lemons.  Cut the whole fruit into small chunks and remove any seeds.

In a large saucepan with lid, add the lemon chunks, Splenda, water, coriander and salt.  Bring to boil.  Cover and simmer for about two hours.  Remove the lid and continue simmering for another 30 minutes until some of the liquid has reduced.

Cool and spoon the marmalade into 10-oz jam jars with lids and refrigerate.  It freezes well too.

After the marmalade has cooled, and while still in the pan,you can use an immersion hand blender for a smooth sauce for ice cream, pudding or pound cake.

Enjoy!

©Pauline Boren 2010

Salads can generally be defined as a combination of raw vegetables.  However, we know that salads can contain many more ingredients than just vegetables.  As we learned on a recent trip to China, the Chinese are particularly creative in preparing delicious salads with unusual spices and flavors.

One of my favorites is this Chinese Bean and Noodle Salad.  I named it in memory of a wonderful mixture of vegetables and flavors we had in Shanghai.  After I took the first bite, I searched for my notepad to jot down the vegetable ingredients, and the various seeds or spices I thought might have gone into the tangy dressing.  There was definitely fresh ginger and lots of cilantro—two of my favorite ingredients.

After we got home, I tried to make a salad like it—or at least something similar.  And now let me brag a little.  My first attempt was perfect and tasted exactly as we had remembered it.  I’m letting you in on my recipe, and hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Chinese Bean and Noodle Salad

1 15.5 oz. can cannellini beans, drained

1 5oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained

4 green onions, sliced diagonally

2 stalks celery, sliced diagonally

2 carrots, sliced diagonally

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

½ C Chinese noodles, broken

(Or ½ C thin egg noodles, broken)

½ C fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

(Extra cilantro sprigs for garnish.)

Dressing

2 t fresh ginger, finely minced

¼ C canola oil

¼ C seasoned rice vinegar

2 T sesame oil

2 T granulated sugar

½ t poppy seeds

1 tsp salt

¼ t pepper, freshly ground

Combine above dressing ingredients in glass jar and shake well.  Set aside.  In a large salad bowl, combine the salad ingredients except for the noodles. 

In large saucepan, bring about 6 cups of water to a boil.  Drop in the noodles and bring the water back to a boil.  Cook 2 minutes or until tender and drain.

Add the noodles to the salad ingredients.  Pour the dressing over the top and toss well to combine.  Chill before serving.  Top with a sprig of cilantro. 

This salad is great either as a low-cal entrée, or side salad with a bowl of soup or sandwich.  You can increase the noodles for a more full-bodied entrée serving.  I always mix up a double recipe of the dressing for later use.  It keeps well in the refrigerator, and works well on just about any salad.  

Enjoy!

©Pauline Boren 2010

If you baked a ham during the holidays and saved the bone in your freezer, now is the time to take it out and make some soup.  Split pea is our soup today.   This rich and creamy soup will warm your heart and soul, and after a bowl you won’t have to worry about getting a chill outside.  

You’ll just need a few ingredients:  a ham bone, dried peas and a couple of vegetables.  And if you don’t have a ham bone, you can use a couple of ham hocks.  You can find these in your grocer’s meat section.  Ask your butcher if you can’t find any already packaged. 

While you’re shopping, why not also pick up a package of buttermilk biscuits to bake while your soup is cooking?   

I saved a small chunk of the ham out to chop into small cubes as a garnish for each bowl.  This recipe makes a large quantity, and you can freeze individual portions for future lunches or dinners.

Split Pea Soup with Ham

1 ham bone (or 2 ham hocks)

2 C dried split peas

1 large onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 C water

2 C chicken stock

¼ t salt

¼ t celery salt

1/8 t freshly ground black pepper 

If your ham bone has lots of meat left on it, increase the water to 8 cups and forget about the chicken stock. 

Sort the peas and check for any small rocks or pebbles.  Put the peas in a large colander and rinse under cold running water. 

In a large soup pan with a lid, combine all the ingredients.  Bring the pot to a full boil.  Lower the temperature to a simmer, cover and cook 90 minutes until all the vegetables are very tender.  Taste and adjust the salt. 

Remove the ham bone and scrape all the meat bits back into the pot.  To smooth out the consistency, use an immersion hand blender until it’s the thickness you prefer. 

The soup is ready and you can ladle it up, and don’t forget to serve those hot biscuits. 

Enjoy!

©Pauline Boren 2010

Well, here I am talking about soup again.  I guess that’s probably because I love soup—and most any kind.  Especially in the winter, it just can’t be beat as a snack or meal.  A fast mug on the run, a small bowl for lunch with a little salad or sandwich, or a large bowl with a hot roll or some French crusty bread for a whole dinner meal.  It’s one of the most versatile foods you can prepare at home and enjoy for little money and effort.  

In the fall and winter, most restaurants offer several choices of soup.  Even some fast food joints carry one or two kinds of prepared soups—usually from one of those large restaurant-size cans.  And even in some of the finer establishments, the soups offered aren’t always as tasty as something you can make at home with your own fresh ingredients.  

Once you learn a few basic soup techniques, you can master the art and will never buy canned soup again.  I suppose in an emergency if you’re home sick with a cold or flu, the old standard canned chicken noodle or tomato will do—but only if you’re sick.  Once you’ve mastered the art, you’ll become a soup snob for the stuff that’s not homemade with love. 

Today I’m going to make a real short, quick, and easy soup for you.  Jot a few ingredients down for your next grocery list and you’ll be ready to cook. 

And if you only cook for yourself, make some extra and freeze it for another day.  Let your creative kitchen imagination go wild while enjoying some good nourishing food with no chemicals, additives or extra thickeners and fillers. 

Tortellini Soup

1 9oz package fresh tortellini pasta* 

1 large onion, sliced

1 stalk celery, chopped small

1 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T unsalted butter

1 14oz can tomatoes with liquid (whole, diced or chopped)

2 14oz cans chicken stock

1 C water

¼ t celery flakes

¼ t celery seed

1 shake red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

*(I always choose Buitoni brand fresh pasta when I don’t make my own.  Here I used Buitoni’s Three Cheese Tortellini—Ricotta, Romano and Parmesan Cheeses.) 

Use your favorite large soup pot with a lid.  Heat the olive oil and butter.  Add the onion and sauté it until it sizzles and is translucent and golden.  

Add the celery, tomatoes, water, chicken stock and seasonings.  Bring the pot to a boil.  Add the tortellini.  Return the pot to a boil and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the tortellini are fork tender. 

Your soup is ready to ladle and serve.  Now you can heat up your roll or whatever you choose to serve along with it.  I made it for lunch and had it with saltine crackers. 

Enjoy!

©Pauline Boren 2010

Chicken is a good source of protein when selecting a white meat to enjoy in a recipe.  It’s often reasonably priced, and even a novice in the kitchen can easily prepare a professional looking chicken dish.  

Now that the holidays are over, and you’re finished splurging, it may be time to pull back a little and begin some serious menu planning.  It’s always a good thing if you can save a few dollars in your grocery budget.  Like the Conservative Cook, you can choose some simple recipes, watch for meat specials, and prepare some beautiful and healthful gourmet-perfect food.  

I decided to begin this year with a simple chicken dish.  I’ve always enjoyed my mother’s chicken stew; it was uncomplicated and had few ingredients.  Served alongside a beautiful slice of golden hot polenta, it just warmed our hearts with the first bite.  I hadn’t made any in awhile, and now that the weather was cooler it was time to get cooking.

Chicken is one of those incredibly versatile meats that can be prepared in so many different dishes with totally different resulting flavors and texture.   As you might have guessed, I am especially partial to the manner in which Italian cooks handle this bird.  Fresh ingredients, little fat and lots of flavor are always included.  

If you’re planning a meal for the early part of the week, make this recipe on the weekend and refrigerate it.  When Monday or Tuesday rolls around, you’ll have a dinner in your plastic container and it will be ready to heat up.  It actually tastes better the next day or two.  

If you have time, a little polenta is always nice; however, it’s equally delicious over mashed potatoes or a bed of rice.

Chicken Cacciatore 

1 package chicken thighs, boned and skinned (about 6)

(or 3 breasts, boned and skinned)

3 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T unsalted butter

1 large white onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

½ C white wine

1 14oz can whole tomatoes with liquid, sliced in half

Salt to taste

Pepper, freshly ground, to taste

¼ t dried basil

¼ t dried oregano

1 shake celery salt

1 shake red pepper flakes (optional) 

1 T fresh parsley, minced, for garnish before serving 

Wash chicken and dry well with paper towels.  Cut into bite-size pieces.  In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat the oil and butter.  Add the onion slices and cook until golden.  Add the garlic and chicken pieces.  Cook a few minutes until the chicken forms a bit of a golden edge.  Turn the pieces over and repeat.  

Add the wine, tomatoes and seasonings.  Cover and lower to medium heat.  Slowly simmer with the lid ajar.  This allows some of the steam to escape so the gravy will reduce a little.  Continue cooking for 30 to 45 minutes (10 minutes less if substituting breast meat) until the chicken is tender.  Taste the liquid for a final seasoning adjustment. 

Plate it up, sprinkle with the fresh parsley and serve with your favorite side and a little dinner salad.  

Enjoy!   

©Pauline Boren 2010

If you’re staying in this New Year’s and want to munch on some snack foods, or having a few friends over for some appetizers and cocktails, you may want to add a bowl of this hummus to your buffet table, and then watch it disappear.  It’s delicious dipped with white corn tortilla chips, or more authentically served alongside a platter of warm pita wedges. 

We had a creamy smooth hummus in an East Indian restaurant last month.  The waiter surprised us with one of their new hummus creations.  It was zesty with tiny green flecks and we couldn’t stop eating it.  We asked what was in it and he told us fresh jalapeno and cilantro.  It came with warm pita wedges.  It was so good I was determined to come up with a duplicate at home.   

There are lots of hummus recipes out there—some good and some bland and not so good.  I started with the basic ingredients for classic hummus and added some jalapenos and fresh cilantro.  The trick here was to get the proper proportion of each.  My first try was good and we ate it; however, while it looked the part the flavor was a little bland and off.  It just wasn’t as spicy as I remembered it.  The second try was dynamite and my recipe is below. 

You can tame the spiciness by cutting down on the jalapeno.  If you don’t have any fresh jalapenos in the house, you can substitute the bottled kind to better control the heat.  I now prefer the bottled variety.  

We dipped tortilla chips, but when I make it again for friends, I’ll heat up some pita bread for a more proper presentation.

JALAPENO CILANTRO HUMUS

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained (reserve the liquid)

2 whole fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded

(or 2 T sliced bottled jalapeno peppers, drained)

2 or 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

4 T tahini (sesame paste)

3 T olive oil

2 T lemon juice

6 T fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 t ground black pepper

1 t salt

2 T bean liquid (or more to reach desired consistency) 

Place all the above ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth and well blended.  Add a little more bean liquid for a creamier consistency.  Adjust the salt to taste.  

For a more accurate final taste test, allow the mixture to rest, covered, at least an hour before determining the final spiciness.  For a party, I’d make it the day before and store it in the refrigerator in a sealed glass jar or bowl.  It tastes much better after all the ingredients have had time to mellow together. 

Enjoy and Happy New Year! 

© Pauline Boren 2009

PERFECT FOR ANY HOLIDAY TABLE

If it’s your turn to prepare the family holiday dinner this year, but you can’t decide what to serve, then you may be interested in this foolproof recipe.  You’ll be the star of the kitchen when your guests take their first bite. 

We’ve made this recipe a few of times and each serving has been delicious.  We got the recipe from a friend.  She bought a pot of herbs and the recipe was attached to it.  When she tried it and the results were a huge success she shared the pot and recipe with us.  Now we’re sold on this roasting method too.  It takes all the guesswork out of the cooking time.  And while it’s resting there’s enough time to make the gravy. 

If you like prime rib, but don’t know the first thing about cooking, you can follow these simple directions and serve a tender and perfectly cooked piece of meat.   It’s simply a combination of some herbs rubbed on the meat, a broth injection and then the oven.  Your work is done while your oven handles the rest.  

Follow the directions exactly, but remember, while it’s in the oven there’s absolutely no peeking allowed!

Perfect Prime Rib

8 lb prime rib*

1 T fresh garlic, minced

2 T fresh rosemary, minced

2 T marjoram, minced

2 T fresh thyme, minced

2 T fresh parsley, minced

4 T extra virgin olive oil

1 T black pepper, ground

½ C beef broth

*Tip:  You can use this recipe for any size roast.  Just multiply the weight of the prime rib by 5 to establish your cooking time.  For example, a 10 lb roast would require 50 minutes of cooking time at 500º, plus the 2-hour holding time in the closed oven.

Set oven temperature to 500º

Set oven rack in the middle 

Chop and combine the garlic, herbs and oil.  Mix them together well and rub thoroughly over the entire prime rib.  

With a meat syringe, inject the beef broth evenly into the meat.  Place the roast—uncovered—in a roasting pan.  Roast for 40 minutes.  DON’T OPEN THE DOOR!  Turn the oven off and let the roast stay inside for 2 more hours, being careful NOT to open the oven door during this 2-hour period. 

That’s it.  Take it out of the oven, tent it with foil, and let it rest about 20 minutes.  Slice and serve! 

Now open a bottle of your favorite red wine and enjoy your perfect prime rib dinner.

© Pauline Boren 2009

Christmas will be here soon.  It’s time to begin thinking about the Christmas memories that made your holiday special.  My holidays always involved good food.  During this season I remember my favorite foods and sweets, and make some for gifts and to share on our holiday dinner table.  I was raised in an Italian family, and Christmas revolved largely around traditional cooking and baking.  Some particular favorites of ours are panettone, amaretti, nougat and, of course, panforte. 

Panforte originated in the Tuscan city of Sienna, Italy, and it was definitely my favorite.  The name “panforte” translates to “strong bread”.  It’s definitely not bread, but it’s strong and chewy, and filled with fruits, nuts, honey and spices.  It’s delicious served as a dessert or a mid-afternoon snack with a sweet wine (Vin Santo) or an espresso coffee.  Since it’s very rich, a small slice satisfies that after-dinner sweet tooth.   

You can follow my recipe below, or substitute your own favorite fruits and nuts and come up with your own original.  Even the spices can be mixed and changed.  The basic idea is chewy, sweet and delicious.  There’s no other way to describe it. 

Christmas Panforte

Preheat oven to 350º to toast the nuts. 

Reduce oven to 300º to bake the cake. 

Set oven rack in center position. 

Prepare 9” spring form pan.  Butter and flour the bottom and sides, and cut a round piece of parchment paper to fit inside the bottom.  

Prepare the ingredients: 

1 C dates, chopped

1 C dried apricots, chopped

1 t orange zest

½ C toasted walnuts, chopped

½ C toasted almonds, chopped

¾ C wheat flour

¼ t coriander

½ t cinnamon

¼ t nutmeg

¼ t ginger

1/8 t salt

1 C orange blossom or sage honey

1 C sugar

Powdered sugar for dusting 

Toast the whole nuts on a baking sheet in a 350º oven for 6 - 8 minutes, or until golden.  Cool.  Reduce the oven temperature to 300º.  Coarsely chop the nuts and combine them with the fruits.  Add the flour to the spices and mix well.  Add the flour mixture to the fruit/nut mixture and toss well to coat evenly.  

Over low temperature, heat the honey and sugar in a saucepan until melted.  Raise the temperature a little and stir until the mixture has almost come to a boil.  Remove from heat and stir in the fruit mixture. 

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly.  (See my photo.)  Bake for 40 minutes.  Cool and carefully remove from the pan to a serving plate.  Dust well with powdered sugar and serve. 

Wrap remaining panforte in foil and store in a sealed plastic bag.   Enjoy the panforte, and have a very Merry Christmas! 

©Pauline Boren 2009

You can cook this simple pork roast on your stovetop and forget about turning on the oven.  However, this is a versatile recipe and if you prefer, complete the first few steps on your stovetop, and finish the last hour in your oven.   

It doesn’t take much to turn a simple piece of pork shoulder into a savory dinner.  I don’t have to tell you how easy this one is because, if you’re a regular reader, you already know all my recipes are easy.  Serve it with your favorite side dish.  We had it with parsley potatoes and spinach; and the gravy was delicious over for the potatoes. 

The shoulder cut of pork is quite tender.  You can choose one with or without a bone.  When cut into large chunks, it browns nicely on all sides and absorbs the wine and seasonings very well.  I prefer the cut with the bone because I think it has a lot more flavor than a loin.  I cut around the bone and add it to the pan.  It’s amazing how much flavor it brings to the dish.  Then remove the bone just before serving.

Stovetop Pork Roast

1 4-lb pork shoulder blade roast (or boneless)

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 12-oz can chicken stock

1 C white wine

1 C water

2 sprigs fresh sage, or 1 t dried

3 small sprigs fresh rosemary, or 1 t dried

4 T canola oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the meat into three chunks.  In a large pan (with lid) heat 3 tablespoons of the oil.  Brown the pork on all sides.  Remove to a plate and set aside.  

Add the other tablespoon of oil to the pan, add the onion and garlic and sauté a couple of minutes until golden.  Add the wine, chicken stock, water and spices and scrape the pan to incorporate the bits into the liquid.  Bring to a simmer, return the pork to the pan and cover.  Cook for about an hour, or until the meat is tender when tested with a knife. 

To thicken the gravy, stir a little flour in some cold water and add it to the pan liquid.  Cook an additional 3 or 4 minutes until the gravy has uniformly thickened.  Add additional salt and pepper if necessary. 

Slice the pork, plate it and spoon some gravy over the top.  Serve with your favorite side dish.  Any leftovers make a great hot lunch, or forget the gravy and slice the pork for a sandwich. 

Enjoy!

© Pauline Boren 2009