Brussels Sprouts au Gratin

By andrea | Published: January 20, 2012

book and sproutsCookbooks are one of my weaknesses, and my family is well aware of this fact. I already wrote about the Dona Tomas cookbook Sam gave me for Christmas, and today I’m going to share about the cookbook my parents gave me for Christmas: Tender by Nigel Slater. The subtitle of Tender is A cook and his vegetable patch, which perfectly describes Nigel Slater’s journal entries and vignettes about cooking the vegetables he grows in his urban London garden.

brussels sprouts au gratinA few weeks ago I turned to the Brussels sprouts chapter in Tender, hoping to find a creative way to perk up the tired-looking sprouts in my fridge. What I discovered was Nigel Slater’s recipe for Mashed Brussels Sprouts. Mashed Brussels sprouts? I thought. Is it even possible to mash Brussels sprouts? Maybe they’re mixed with mashed potatoes. I read the ingredient list. No potatoes; just Brussels sprouts, Parmesan, cream and nutmeg. It was apparent that these Brussels sprouts wouldn’t be mashed in the same way potatoes or butternut squash would be mashed, but the Parmesan, cream and nutmeg were intriguing. Eventually, the allure of a creamy, nutmeg-laced dish trumped my skepticism about the sprouts actually being mashed, and I forged ahead.

Brussels sprouts gratin in panAfter briefly boiling the Brussels sprouts, I whirled them in a food processor to chop them. Then I mixed the sprouts with cream, Parmesan and nutmeg, patted them into a baking dish and topped them with breadcrumbs. In half an hour, the breadcrumbs were browned and crusty, and piping hot cream bubbled beneath the surface. No, these Brussels sprouts weren’t mashed, but they were creamy and crusty and pungent and nutmeg-y all at once. A worthy dish in any cook’s repertoire, and one I know I’ll be making again.

gratin diptychThe first time I made this, we didn’t have any cream so I used whole milk instead. Whole milk is okay, but cream adds a silky richness that I prefer much more. In my version of Nigel Slater’s dish, I add a breadcrumb topping. Feel free to omit the topping if you prefer, but be sure to reserve some Parmesan to sprinkle over the top before baking.   

Recipe adapted from Nigel Slater’s Tender.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Ingredients

1 lb. Brussels sprouts, cleaned and trimmed
1/3 cup fine breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
½ cup heavy cream
a few rasps of freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste

Make the Brussels Sprouts au Gratin

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil. Add the Brussels sprouts and boil for 4-5 minutes until tender but not mushy.

Meanwhile, combine the breadcrumbs, melted butter and 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Drain the Brussels sprouts and place in a food processor. Chop the Brussels sprouts until they are coarsely chopped, less than 1 minute.

In a medium bowl, combine the Brussels sprouts with the remaining Parmesan cheese, the heavy cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Scoop into a small baking dish (9×6”), pack down lightly and smooth out the top. Sprinkle evenly with the breadcrumb mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until breadcrumbs begin to brown and cream bubbles beneath the surface.

Posted in dinner, Recipes, vegetables | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Refried Black Beans a la Tacubaya

By andrea | Published: January 13, 2012

refried beans dona tomas cookbook

When I was growing up, refried beans weren’t something I considered breakfast food. To me, breakfast foods were sweet and made of grain, like Honey Bunches of Oats, oatmeal with a scoop brown sugar or pancakes doused in maple syrup. On the off chance that breakfast foods were savory—like eggs—I thought they ought to be served with bacon or potatoes.

Now, however, I’ve weeded most of the sugar out of my breakfasts, and I can’t think of anything I’d rather eat with my eggs than refried black beans. The black beans and rice I ate in Costa Rica undoubtedly began my conversion to this less-than-American combination, but it was the refried black beans from Tacubaya Taqueria in Berkeley that sealed my love for this classic Mexican duo.

refried beans with scrambled eggsTacubaya makes the best chile rellenos I’ve ever had (I’ll tell you about those in a future post), but if you go for breakfast or brunch try one of the eggs dishes. Refried black beans and warm, handmade corn tortillas accompany most of the egg dishes: Chorizo & Eggs; Huevos Divorciados (fried eggs with tomatillo salsa and salsa roja); Huevos Nortenos (scrambled eggs with nopales or prickly pear cactus). Breakfast doesn’t get much better than scooping up warm refried beans, scrambled eggs and salsa with a soft corn tortilla.

Imagine my excitement when Sam gave me the cookbook for Tacubaya’s sister restaurant, Dona Tomas, for Christmas.  The Dona Tomas cookbook not only holds recipes for creative tamales and chile rellenos but the black bean puree I love so much. I was surprised to see how simple the black bean puree recipe was to make; just puree black beans and sauté with onions and canola oil. But aren’t the best homemade dishes usually characterized by simplicity and purity of ingredients? Try out these refried beans and let me know what you think.

mexico scene

A photo from our honeymoon to Cabo, just in case you needed a little Mexican inspiration.

Serve with scrambled eggs, fried eggs or as a side with your favorite Mexican dish. I used canned black beans in my version, but feel free to use cooked dried black beans if you prefer.

Recipe adapted from Dona Tomas: Discovering Authentic Mexican Cooking .

Makes 2 cups (4 servings)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
½ medium onion
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup water

Make the Refried Black Beans

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about five minutes. Meanwhile, puree the beans with the water using either an immersion blender or a food processor. When the onions are translucent, add the pureed beans to the pan and stir to mix in the onions. Fry the beans until heated through, about five minutes. Add more water if you prefer a thinner consistency. Season to taste with salt. Eat immediately or store in fridge for up to one week.

Posted in Recipes | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Pickled Carrots

By andrea | Published: January 5, 2012

carrots loungingThree or four times a year, Sam and I brave the Sunday brunch crowd and have lunch at Tartine Bakery. And when I say brave the Sunday brunch crowd, I really mean it: the line snakes out the door and along the bakery windows and it can be thirty minutes before you reach the counter to place your order. By this time, I’m usually hungry and tired of waiting in line, so I order something that I can carry to the table with me: a croissant, a morning bun, a piece of quiche. Sam, on the other hand, doesn’t succumb to instant gratification but orders a spicy turkey pressed sandwich. We scurry into two open seats at a communal table. I dig into the airy, buttery layers of my croissant, sharing the flaky shards with Sam. I finish my croissant and Sam looks around for his sandwich; thirty minutes after he ordered, it arrives. The sandwich is massive, sliced into three pieces. Alongside his tower of pressed bread lie three slender orange carrots. I bite into one and am startled by the briny, spicy flavor—the carrots are pickled. I knew carrots could be pickled, but it wasn’t until I tried one at Tartine that the idea appealed to me and I decided to try making my own.

I was delighted to learn that making pickled carrots requires only two steps: parboiling the carrots and covering them with a simmering brine of apple cider vinegar, spices and chili peppers. Pop the jar of carrots into the refrigerator for three days until the brine and spices infuse the carrots with their sweet and spicy flavors. And there you have it—homemade pickled carrots just like at Tartine, except you don’t have to wait an hour to eat them.

apple cider vinegar

carrot antipasto diptychAside from being an accompaniment for sandwiches, pickled carrots make a crisp, peppery addition to any antipasto platter, alongside warm marinated olives, gougeres, crackers, cheese and charcuterie meats. Feel free to adjust the spices in the brine according to your taste or what you have available.     

antipasto plate

Recipe adapted from Food in Jars.

Ingredients

1 lb. carrots, trimmed and cut to fit jar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water (plus water for boiling the carrots)
1 tablespoon kosher salt (or two teaspoons table salt)
1-2 bay leaves, crushed
2 teaspoons peppercorns
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
1-2 dried red peppers

Make the Pickled Carrots

Fill a medium saucepan 2/3 full of water and bring to a boil. Immerse the carrots in the boiling water and simmer for one minute or until just tender. It’s important not to overcook the carrots, otherwise they’ll be mushy rather than crisp. Drain the carrots and set aside.

In the same saucepan, combine the apple cider vinegar, 1 cup of water, salt, bay leaves, peppercorns, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes and whole cloves. Heat over medium heat until it begins to boil; remove from heat.

Meanwhile, pack the carrots into two pint-sized jars (or one quart-sized jar). Tuck the garlic cloves and dried red peppers into the jars alongside the carrots. Pour the hot brine over the carrots, scraping into the jars any whole spices that remain in the pan. Screw on the lids and refrigerate for two to three days before eating. The carrots will keep for at least two months in the refrigerator, but be aware that they may become spicier as they continue to pickle.

Posted in Condiments, Recipes, vegetables | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Kiwi Pomegranate Pavlovas, featuring CA Grown Kiwis

By andrea | Published: December 16, 2011

Thank you to California Grown for encouraging me to connect with California growers and encouraging California consumers to “Choose California Grown” when they can.

kiwi diptych

There’s no denying December is a busy month full of parties and celebrations. For Sam and me, the usual Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties are complemented by two other occasions—his birthday and our anniversary. In the span of ten days, we celebrate four major events, and each major event calls for a special dessert. This year, for one of those events, we’ll be eating Kiwi Pomegranate Pavlovas.


pavlova landscape

Pavlovas, the national dessert of New Zealand, are meringue nests filled with pastry cream and topped with fresh fruit. Spring and summer pavlovas are delicious topped with fresh blackberries, raspberries and peaches, but in wintertime, sliced kiwis and pomegranate seeds are my topping of choice. Each pavlova is an elegant (and delicious!) still life, created not with paints but with drifts of snowy-white meringue, rich pastry cream, jewel-like pomegranate seeds and vibrant kiwi slices.

pavlova diptych

You probably knew that pomegranates are a winter fruit, but did you know kiwis are a winter fruit too? The kiwi season actually extends from October to May, making it an ideal fruit to cook with once the summer fruit bounty winds to a close. Last week I received a box of beautiful kiwis from a California kiwi grower in Gridley, which is just south of Chico. The kiwi vineyard where my kiwis were grown is a family business operated by a father and son. Since establishing their 20-acre kiwi vineyard in 1994, their vineyard has grown to 300 acres. Kiwis are growing in popularity, and if you ask me, that’s no surprise given their delicious, tart taste and density of nutrients. Check out this video to learn more about the growers who grew my kiwis and to see what a kiwi vineyard looks like.

kiwi slices with pom seeds

While researching kiwi recipes, I also learned a bit about the kiwi’s history. Grown for hundreds of years in China, kiwis were introduced to New Zealand in early 20th century and called Chinese gooseberries. When kiwis were first planted in the United States in the 1960s, their name was changed from Chinese gooseberry to kiwifruit, after the New Zealand kiwi bird they resemble. Their popularity in the United States surged in the 70s and 80s, and today they’re not difficult to find. California is the largest producer of kiwis in the United States, growing 98% of the country’s kiwis. As a California resident, I value buying California produce because it supports the state’s farmers and economy. Buying California produce is also a more sustainable choice than buying produce from South or Central America because the produce doesn’t have to travel as far to reach my local market. The blue CA Grown label is an obvious indication that produce was grown in California, but even if you don’t see the sticker, you can ask your grocer whether it was grown in California.

Here are a few more interesting kiwi facts:

  • Kiwis are part of the berry family.
  • Kiwis grow on vines, not trees.
  • Kiwis have twice as much vitamin C as an orange, as much potassium as a banana and more fiber than a bowl of whole-grain cereal. That’s what I call a superfruit!

And this only scratches the surface of all there is to learn about kiwis. Check out the CA Grown website to learn more about California kiwis.

Kiwi Pomegranate Pavlovas

If you’re not familiar with making meringues, check out this video to learn about the stages of whipped egg whites. The pavlovas are best the day they are made, but you could do some of the work the day before: (1) make the meringues and store them in an airtight container and (2) make the pastry cream but don’t fold in the whipped cream until you’re ready to serve them.   

Recipe adapted from Epicurious.com.

Ingredients

For Meringue Nests:
4 large egg whites (reserve yolks for pastry cream), at room temperature for 30 minutes
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup superfine granulated sugar (or blend granulated sugar in food processor)

For Pastry Cream Filling:
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chilled heavy cream

For Fruit Topping:
8 to 10 kiwifruit (1 1/2 lbs.), peeled and sliced into half- moons
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1 pomegranate)

Make the Meringue Nests

Preheat oven to 200°F. (My oven only goes as low as 275°F, so I used this temp and cooked the meringues for shorter period of time.) Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites on low speed until frothy. Add salt and cream of tartar and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form and meringue is glossy. Gently fold in remaining 1/2 cup sugar.

Gently scoop meringue batter onto baking sheets, forming five 4-inch wide nests on each sheet. Use an offset spatula to form a 3-inch indentation in each nest and smooth any peaks that might burn while baking.

Place the meringues in the oven, prop the oven door open with the handle of a wooden spoon and bake meringues for 2 1/2 hours or until dry and crisp. (I cooked my meringues at 275°F for 2 hours.) Turn off the oven, but leave meringues in oven with door propped oven for one hour to further dry them out.

Make the Pastry Cream Filling

Combine the flour, cornstarch, two tablespoons of the sugar and pinch of salt in a medium glass bowl. Whisk the egg yolks together in small bowl, then add the egg yolks to the flour mixture, whisking well.

Heat the milk and remaining two tablespoons sugar in a two-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly to incorporate sugar as it dissolves. When the milk just begins to boil, pour half of it into the yolk-flour mixture. Stir constantly to avoid lumps. Pour the hot yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and stir constantly for two minutes or until pastry cream thickens. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.  Refrigerate until cool, at least two hours.

An hour before assembling the meringues, remove the pastry cream from the refrigerator and stir to loosen. Whip the heavy cream to barely stiff peaks in the bowl of an electric mixer. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream. Chill for 30 more minutes.

Assemble the Pavlovas

Place a meringue nest on each dessert plate and fill with three tablespoons of pastry cream. Top with kiwi slices and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

Thank you again to California Grown for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about all of California Grown growers. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own. #CleverCAGrown #spon

Posted in dessert, Informational, Recipes | 4 Comments

Baked Tilapia with Fennel-Scented Tomato Sauce

By andrea | Published: December 1, 2011

tilapia ingredients Sam and I love cioppino, the tomato-based stew filled with chunks of white fish, shrimp, clams, mussels and whatever other seafood scraps the fishmonger has on hand. Cioppino was invented in San Francisco, and I can see why: the Bay and ocean provided plentiful seafood and the foggy weather begged a hot, filling stew to warm you up.

Making cioppino at home can be an elaborate and expensive process because it requires so many different kinds of seafood, which is why I usually get my cioppino fill by ordering it at a restaurant. When we’re craving cioppino but want to eat at home, we make a pared-down version—Baked Tilapia with Fennel-Scented Tomato Sauce. This recipe has become a staple in our kitchen because it can be on the table in less than 45 minutes and we usually have everything in the pantry except the tilapia.

orange, chili, fennelTilapia is a fairly inexpensive and sustainable seafood choice. When you’re buying tilapia, you’ll probably only find farmed tilapia. The Monterey Aquarium Seafood Watch recommends U.S. farmed tilapia as a “Best Choice.” (South American tilapia is a “Good Alternative,” while one should “Avoid” Asian Tilapia.)

baked tilapia with fennel-scented tomato sauceIf you’re anticipating a busy evening, make the sauce the night before and store it in the refrigerator. You could even make several batches of the sauce and store it in the freezer, ready for whenever you need a quick meal.  
Recipe adapted from The Bon Appetit Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ large onion, sliced
2 (15 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with juice (this also tastes wonderful with in-season fresh tomatoes!)
¼ cup dry white wine
2 (3 x 1-in.) pieces orange peel
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
? teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
4 (4-5 oz.) tilapia fillets (or other firm white fish fillets)

Make the Baked Tilapia with Fennel-Scented Tomato Sauce

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over low heat. When hot, add the onions and sauté until soft but not caramelized, about 8 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes with their juice, white wine, orange peel, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes. Stir occasionally and simmer for about 12 minutes, until sauce is slightly reduced. For a smoother sauce, blend with an immersion blender. For a chunky sauce, leave as is.

Place the tilapia fillet in a medium baking dish. Salt and pepper both sides of the fillets and top with the tomato sauce. Bake for 6-7 minutes, until fish is opaque in the center. Serve with crusty French or Italian bread and a green salad.

Posted in dinner, Recipes, seafood, soup | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

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