Archive for December, 2011
Sausage and Brussels Sprout Pizza
Posted by: · Dec 19 2011 · Comments
Sleep has not been kind to me lately. Blame it on being 39 weeks pregnant or on my sinus infection or on the 2 AM visit from Chicago PD to inform us that an arsonist had set our fence on fire. Whatever the source, I am sleeping less than I thought humanly possible and something tells me this is only going to get worse very soon. Grumpy and uncomfortable, I am taking all kinds of shortcuts in the kitchen and opting for quick and easy recipes. Luckily, skimping on time doesn’t mean skimping on taste as is evident with this pizza.
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
Crust
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups flour, plus extra for rolling
Topping
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ LB mild sausage, removed from casing
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¾ cup shredded Brussels sprouts
- ¾ cup chopped plum tomatoes
- 8 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella
- Finishing salt (I used a truffle finishing salt)
Instructions:
Start with the crust. Mix the yeast and the water in a small bowl and let sit until the yeast is fully dissolved- this should take a few minutes. In a standing mixer fixed with a dough hook combine the flour and salt. Mix on medium speed and slowly add the water/yeast mixture. Mix until smooth adding additional water one teaspoon at a time if necessary to hold dough together. Manually roll the dough into a smooth ball and place in a bowl coated with the olive oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let sit at room temperature for one hour.
For the topping, heat the olive oil over medium- high heat in a large sauté pan. Add the sausage and use a wooden spoon to break it up into smaller pieces. Continue to cook the sausage and break up the clumps until the meat is nicely browned. Stir in the ½ teaspoon salt, garlic, sugar, Brussels sprouts, and tomatoes. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.
Pre-heat the oven to 375°.
Roll the dough out to 1/8” thickness on a flat and well floured surface. Place the dough on a baking sheet and top with the sausage/Brussels sprouts mixture and then with the cheese slices. Lightly sprinkle the finishing salt on the edges of the crust. Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Cut and serve.
Cranberry Chicken Pot Pie
Posted by: · Dec 14 2011 · Comments
Chicken pot pie has to be one of the coziest of meals. I spiced this one up with cranberries and rendered duck fat for a richer, more seasonal flare. This recipe is a bit of a time commitment, but well worth the effort.
Crust
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened but not quite melted in the microwave
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons milk
Filing
- 2 LB whole chicken cut up into thighs, breast, and wings and drums (you should be able to find pre-cut chickens at the grocery store)
- 2 tablespoons rendered duck fat (can be bought at a deli or a gourmet food store)
- 2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped into ½” pieces
- ¾ cups chopped leeks (use just the white part of the leek)
- ¾ cups cranberries
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 egg
Instructions:
Start with the crust. In a standing mixer fixed with dough hook mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt on medium speed. Cut the butter into the flour mixture followed by the cream and the milk. Continue to mix until a smooth dough forms. Remove the dough from the bowl and roll into a smooth ball. Wrap the dough with wax paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before use.
Meanwhile, cook the chicken. Pre-heat the oven to 400°. Lay the chicken pieces out on a large baking dish. Cook for 45 minutes flipping the chicken pieces once. Remove the chicken from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle remove the skin and discard. Remove the meat from the bone and chop the meat into ½” cubes. You should have about 2.5 cups of cubed chicken meat in all. Set the chicken aside.
Now heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the duck fat and coat the bottom of the pan. Add the carrots and leeks and sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in the cranberries, chicken, parsley, salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 4 minutes before adding the cream and stock. Bring to a slight boil and reduce heat to low. Soften the butter in the microwave and mix with the flour to form a paste. Whisk the paste into the chicken mixture and stir until thickened – about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Pre-heat oven to 400°.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 8 equally sized balls. Roll out each ball to 1/8” thickness on a floured surface. To make 4 individual pies, use petite pie dishes that have about 6-7 ounce capacity. Place one piece of the rolled out dough into each pie dish. Be certain to lightly press the dough against the sides of the dishes. Spoon the chicken filling on top of the dough until it is flush with the top of the dish. Now top each dish with another rolled out piece of dough. Pinch the edges of the base dough together with the top dough. Use a small knife to poke vent holes in the top dough. If you have leftover dough you can use a cookie cutter to make decorative dough cutouts to be placed on the top of the pies. Whisk the egg in a small bowl and brush the top of the pies with the egg. Place the dishes on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes at which point the pies should be bubbling and have a golden brown crust. Let the pies cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Lingonberry Chicken
Posted by: · Dec 10 2011 · Comments
Growing up we had cases of lingonberry jam in our pantry and for good reason – the stuff is delicious! The lingonberry is a tart Scandinavian berry and the resulting jam is perfect with meats, on toast or on top of ice cream. Here I paired my favorite condiment with a farmer’s cheese, parsley and chicken breast for a very simple, very tasty and very festive dinner. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 4 chicken breasts
- ¼ cup lingonberry jam, plus extra for serving
- 4 ounces farmer’s cheese, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 375°. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the salt. Spread a tablespoon of jam on top of each breast then evenly sprinkle the parsley. Top each breast with a few slices of cheese. Place a tin foil tent on top of the baking dish before transferring the dish to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the tent and continue to cook for 5 additional minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven and cut into 1/2” slices. Serve immediately with a large spoonful of jam on the side.
Whiskey Skirt Steak Sandwich
Posted by: · Dec 08 2011 · Comments
Another simple and delicious, “I am super pregnant and do not want to cook,” meal. Whiskey and beef…what’s not to love?
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1.5 LB skirt steak, trimmed of fat
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup whiskey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 toasted rolls sliced in half
- Mayonnaise
Instructions:
Start with the marinade. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the butter and whiskey and bring to a slight boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Lay the meat in a shallow dish and pour the sugar-whiskey mixture on top. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
Pre-heat oven broiler. Transfer the meat to a baking dish and place in the oven. Save the remaining marinade. Broil the meat for 8-10 minutes, flipping once. Remove from heat and cool for 2 minutes. Pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat until slightly thickened, whisking frequently. Cut the meat against the grain into ½” slices. Spread mayo on one side of the toasted rolls. Top with a handful of meat and drizzle with the thickened sauce. Serve immediately.
Mustard and Pumpkin Seed Crusted Salmon
Posted by: · Dec 01 2011 · Comments
The easier the better has been the overriding theme in my kitchen these past few weeks. As I approach the home stretch of pregnancy, food has become more about the 30 minute rule than anything. By 30 minute rule I mean 30 minutes or less from start to finish. This very easy and very tasty salmon went wonderfully with a quinoa tossed with dried cherries and sliced almonds.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1.5-2 LB salmon filet
- 4 tablespoons horseradish-Dijon mustard
- 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
- ¼ cup finely chopped pumpkin seeds
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 375°.
In a large bowl combine the bread crumbs, chopped pumpkin seeds and salt. Set aside.
Place the fillet skin side down on a large baking dish. Evenly spread the mustard on the fish then press the bread crumb mixture on top of the mustard. Transfer to the middle rack of the oven and cook for 10 minutes before removing the fish, brushing the crust with the butter and returning to the oven for 10 more minutes of baking. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.
