Kitchen3N

Recipes and food fun from Apt 3N

Grapefruit & Baby Spinach Salad

I did the unthinkable (for a South Asian): I made a carb free dinner that my husband and I enjoyed! Inspired by some uber fresh baby spinach I got from the farmer’s market (yess I finally made it to one this year) and some random grapefruit I picked up at Trader Joe’s. I usually segment my grapefruit, douse it in salt (and a dash of sugar) and eat it plain. I wanted a zesty and a tad more healthy way of eating it. Thus, this salad. It’s pretty simple…next time I might add some toasted walnuts or sliced avocado.

I served it alongside Ina’s Asian Grilled Salmon (though I baked it in the oven for 15 min at 450 degrees instead) and asparagus (simply dressed in salt, pepper and olive oil for 7 minutes in the same oven). Color scheme, anyone?

Ingredients:

  • 2 to 3 cups fresh baby spinach (rinsed really well)
  • 1 grapefruit, segmented
  • the juice from the remaining grapefruit
  • 3/4 of a green chili, minced
  • 1 tbsp chopped cilantro (though mint would work well in this)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • dash pepper
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp agave nectar (could substitute with honey)

Directions

Arrange spinach on a plate or in salad bowl. Top with grapefruit segments. For the vinaigrette, combine the remaining ingredients in separate bowl. Adjust the amount of chili used according to preference. Pour over salad and serve with a fresh sprinkling of fine sea or kosher salt on top.

Pecan Bars

Apologies for dropping off the face of the planet, but as my pregnancy winds down, I find it harder and harder to get through the day with a toddler, let alone baking/cooking for leisure and then blogging about it. But, thanks to my third trimester insomnia, I finally got around to this recipe sometime between my ill timed naps and my daughter’s night wakings.

The other day I re-watched Ina making her decadent pecan squares and decided it was high time I give it a try. Though there was no way I was going to expend 9 bars of butter in a single recipe. I don’t care how carefully she’s tweaked a recipe, I have a hard enough time getting rid of whole batches of baked goods without making enough for a traveling circus. The only challenge in halving the recipe are the 3 extra large eggs. Since I only have large, I settled for 2 large eggs.

I also copped out on the topping. Getting to that last step was an achievement in and of itself. I wasn’t about to scour the fridge for a lemon or run to the store for an orange…so I left the zest out. Somehow though, with all of that butter, sugar and cream, it still tasted fantastic.

Ingredients:

Crust:

Topping:

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup good honey
  • 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tbsps heavy cream
  • 1 pound pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, beat the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, until light, approximately 3 minutes. Add the eggs and the vanilla and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the batter with the mixer on low speed until just combined. Press the dough evenly into an ungreased 9 by 13 baking dish (make sure the sides are at least 2inches high). Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is set but not browned. Allow to cool.

For the topping, combine the butter, honey, and brown sugar in a large, heavy-bottomed  saucepan. Cook over low heat until the butter is melted, using a wooden spoon to stir. Raise the heat and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream and pecans. Pour over the crust. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. Cut into bars and serve.

I melted some chocolate chips over a double boiler and added enough heavy cream to make it drizzle-able. Slathered that over the bars and sealed. the. deal.

Berries n Sour Cream

I think everyone has found themselves in the following situation: item X was on sale so, naturally, you stock up and reap the benefits of your frugality for weeks to come. Except, sometimes, this item doesn’t have a great shelf life. So you can start putting it in everything you eat, or just suck it up and toss it at some point. That’s what happened when my husband bought several tubs of sour cream (originally for spinach and artichoke dip for my daughter’s birthday party). After the last chip had been dipped, I started putting it into everything I could think of–mashed potatoes, sour cream pound cake, even pancakes (which did not go so well). I still hadn’t exhausted my supply when said hubby asked if we had any whipped cream to eat with some strawberries we had lying around. Inspired by sheer laziness, I came up with the following: berries with (sweetened) sour cream.

This stuff is good enough to serve to company. The macerated berries are even good by themselves if you’re looking for a lighter version. I know the cinnamon in it sounds crazy – but  trust me, it works!

Ingredients:

Berries:

  • 1.5 cups chopped strawberries or mixed berries
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsps sugar
  • dash of cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Sweetened sour cream:

  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsps powdered sugar

Directions

Combine berries, salt, sugar, cinnamon and balsamic vinegar in a bowl. Let the ingredients sit while preparing the cream (at least 5 minutes).

Combine sour cream and powdered sugar (crystallized sugar just won’t dissolve). Stir well.

Scoop the berries into serving bowl. Top with a generous dollop of the sour cream mixture.

 

Pastitsio

This will likely be the first post of many about an Ina Garten recipe. The woman is a genius. What I would give to be one of her gay hamptonites solely for the pleasure of her food. Um, I mean company. Her approach to food, cooking and entertaining has significantly influenced mine. From “turning up the volume on classics” to her emphasis on only using the best ingredients in her cooking – I adore the balance she’s struck between tradition and modernity. Reverence for what works and adaptability for what doesn’t has become a core part of my cooking.

Anywho, she is just a pleasure to watch. Her show is as technical as it is therapeutic. And it’s about the food, not the boobs (sorry, Giada. Though I appreciate your taking it down a notch from your Everyday Italian days).

This is actually my second Ina recipe this week. I made Pappardelle with white truffle butter as a midnight snack (hey, I’m pregnant) but exhausted it too quickly for any photographic evidence. Either way, it was divine and I’d highly recommend it. These recipes are not for the faint of heart (there might be enough saturated fat to send even a small calf running to the vet). I tweaked her recipe quite a bit (due to availability of ingredients in my fridge). You can find the original here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pastitsio-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:

For the Tomato Meat Sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 2 small onions or 1 medium chopped
  • 1 cup of chopped carrots (i used half a bag of baby carrots)
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 large cloves)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Bechamel:

  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmeggiano Reggiano
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 2/3 cup Greek yogurt (I used 2%)
  • 1/2 pound shells or some other ribbed pasta (I used cellentani)
  • 1/2 head of cauliflower cut into florets (can sub broccoli or just nix the veggies for 1/4 lb more pasta)

Directions

For the sauce, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onion and carrots and saute for 5 minutes. Add the lamb, and saute over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until it’s no longer pink, crumbling it with the back of wooden spoon. Ladle off any excess liquid. Add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and cayenne, and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the bechamel, heat the milk and cream together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until simmering. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Pour the warm milk and cream mixture into the butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and thick. Add the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup ofParmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the tomato and meat sauce, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the eggs and yogurt and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Don’t over-cook because the pasta will later be baked. Drain and set aside. Boil the cauliflower florets in the same pot for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Add the pasta and cauliflower to the meat and tomato sauce, and pour the mixture into a baking dish. Spread the bechamel evenly to cover the pasta and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 1 hour, until golden brown and bubbly. Set aside for 10 minutes and serve hot.