November » 2009 » An Hour In the Kitchen

Homemade Vanilla Extract

I love finding recipes for things that I thought you could only buy in a store. I especially love them when they are easy and better than what you can usually find. All you need to make vanilla extract is a few vanilla beans, vodka and a little time to steep.

You can find whole vanilla beans in gourmet or health food stores that have a good spice section. You can also buy them online. I used three Madagascar Vanilla Beans (touted as the world’s best) that our friends Suzanne and Paul gave us.

Here’s how to make it:
-2-3 vanilla beans; slice them down the middle length-wise
-Place them in a jar
-Add 1 to 2 cups of vodka (enough to cover the beans); I also added a half a cup of bourbon (ymmm)
-Cover tightly and store in a dark cabinet
-Shake every couple of days
You will see the color start to change in a day or two. In about two weeks, the extract will be ready to use. Strain if desired, but the longer the beans steep, the better the vanilla. I don’t strain mine.

Simple, right?

You can keep the same vanilla beans going for years. Just keep topping off with more vodka. Pretty cool.

Start a bottle now and have it in time for your holiday baking. Add a pretty ribbon and you got yourself a dandy homemade gift.

Curried Cauliflower Flatbread

This delicious flatbread is a variation of a recipe from New York Times writer Mark Bittman. Serve it with a meal or as an appetizer.

Ingredients:
1 medium cauliflower head, finely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
1 teaspoon each salt and ground black pepper
1 cup whole wheat flour
I can of coconut milk (or substitute 2 1/4 cups of regular milk)
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 clove garlic, minced

Method:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Toss cauliflower with two tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan. Spread into a single layer and roast until tender and nicely browned (10 to 15 minutes). Stir occasionally.
Place flour into a bowl. Add coconut milk and whisk together. The mixture should be about the consistency of pancake batter.
Sprinkle the roasted cauliflower with curry powder and turmeric and toss. Add garlic and fold cauliflower into batter.
Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a 10-inch oven-proof skillet and put in oven. Heat for a few minutes.
Once oil is hot, remove skillet from the oven and add batter. Spread evenly.
Return skillet to oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until flatbread is well browned and the edges are crispy.
Let it rest for five minutes, then cut into wedges.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves six to eight.

Aloo Gobi

This classic Indian dish is delicious and over-the-top good for you.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and sliced into medium-sized slivers
3 medium potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small hot pepper, minced (remove seeds, unless you want a very spicy dish; substitute one teaspoon red pepper flakes or omit if you want a mild dish)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon cumin seed (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin)
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 large cauliflower head, chopped
26 ounces diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Method:

Heat olive oil in large saucepan or soup pot.
Add the chopped onion, potatoes and cumin seeds to the oil. Cook over medium high heat until onions are translucent. Stir often.
Add garlic, hot pepper, ginger and dried spices.
Add cauliflower and mix well.
Add tomatoes and water. Cover and simmer on medium for about 20 minutes or until the cauliflower and potatoes are tender.
Top with fresh cilantro and serve on a bed of basmati rice with a side of papaya chutney and naan or flatbread.

Serves six to eight.

Roasted Cauliflower

If I told you that this cauliflower dish tastes like French fries, would you believe me? That is what the culinary blogosphere says about this recipe. I think it comes pretty darn close. If you can find orange, green or purple cauliflower, snag them for this dish. A little color is good for any meal. Only use fresh cauliflower, because frozen ain’t going to give you the same crunch.

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 onion, chopped into medium-sized pieces
1 teaspoon turmeric (adds color and anti-inflammatory properties)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut cauliflower (stalk and all) into small pieces; the smaller they are, the crunchier they will be.
In a bowl, mix olive oil, turmeric, garlic, salt and pepper. Add chopped cauliflower, toss and place in a single layer on a baking dish.
Roast for 15 to 25 minutes, or until lightly brown (the smaller your pieces, the faster they will brown). Test one. You are looking for a nice crunch.

Serves two to four.

About Cauliflower

I’m a new lover of cauliflower. In the past, it was something I just picked off a crudite platter at a party when I was trying to get a few extra veggies into my diet. I didn’t dislike it, but I wasn’t a big fan. All it took was a few good recipes to change my mind.

My friend Susan loves cauliflower. She calls it “the invincible veggie.” Mix it with anything and it takes on the flavor of the dish while giving you a hearty boost of nutrients.

Cauliflower is a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables, in good company with the likes of broccoli, cabbage and kale. These vegetables contain phytonutrients that help the liver’s detoxifying process. A cup of cooked cauliflower has about 90 percent of your daily recommend allowance of vitamin C. It is also a good source of fiber, vitamin B, manganese and omega-3 fatty acids. One study claimed that eating cauliflower once a week could lower the risk of advanced prostate cancer by 52 percent. We can all manage one serving a week, can’t we?

It must have been a good year for cauliflower, because the farm stands are full of it. Grab a few extra heads. I chop and freeze what I don’t cook right away.

Sweet Potato Cookies with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

These delicious cookies are a good way to sneak a little bit of veggies into dessert. I bet no one will be able to tell that they are getting a healthy shot of vitamin A.

Ingredients:
11/4 cups all-purpose flour (substitute whole wheat for half if you want a healthier cookie)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
11/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11/2 cups peeled and finely grated sweet potato (a food processor makes quick work of this)
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1/4 raisins or walnuts or both (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400º F.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together dry ingredients and set aside.
Beat together butter and sugar. Add the egg, molasses, vanilla extract, sweet potato and orange zest.
Carefully fold dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture.
Drop spoonfuls of dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until a deep golden brown.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Top with cream cheese icing right before serving.

Cream Cheese Icing

I could eat this with a spoon. Who am I kidding? I have eaten this with a spoon!

Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup maple syrup

Method:

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, blend cream cheese and maple sugar until well blended.
Increase the speed to high and mix until fluffy.
Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Mojito Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I got this recipe through one of those e-mail recipe exchanges. The directions were to e-mail your favorite recipe to the person whose name is at the top of the list and then send the e-mail to 20 other friends. You would then receive a slew of recipes. Of all the ones I received, this one is my favorite. I’m told it comes from Rachael Ray.

It is the perfect accompaniment to fish, chicken or pork. You can even give it a whirl alongside of your turkey this year.

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 shots of rum or spiced rum
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons of fresh mint leaves, chopped
Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper to taste

Method
- Place potatoes in a small pot and cover with water and bring the water to a boil.
- Cook potatoes until tender.
- Drain the potatoes and return to pot and mash with butter, sugar, rum, lime juice and mint. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of cayenne.

Serves four.

About Sweet Potatoes

I say sweet potato; you say yams. Chances are that we are talking about the same root. It seems that we have given the name “yam” to two things that do look kind of alike, but taste very different and botanically aren’t even related. A true yam is a starchy tuber first cultivated in Africa and Asia. Some varieties can grow to more than 100 pounds and can be seven feet long!

We also call a variety of sweet potatoes, yams. It seems that it was a combination of mistaken identity and a marketing ploy. In the mid-20th century, a new sweet potato variety was introduced to the U.S. market. It was softer and sweeter than the firmer ones grown in the U.S. at the time. They resembled the African yam in appearance, so Africans started referring to them as “nyami.”

The producers and shippers, wanting to make sure this potato stood out among its firmer cousin, co-opted and shortened the African name to “yam.” This way, no one would confuse the sweeter tuber with the traditional one. Little did they know, years later, they are now causing confusion between sweet yams and true yams.

To avoid kitchen mishaps, the USDA requires that sweet yams have “sweet potato” written on its label.

No worries, a true, starchy yam is pretty hard to come by around here. Ask for yams, and you will most likely get the delicious, healthy, orange tuberous root. In an international market or specialty store, you might want to double check to make sure that the tuber you are buying will work in your pie.

To say that sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) is an understatement. One cup of mashed sweet potatoes contains more than 1,000 percent of your daily recommended allowance of this powerful vitamin. That certainly is a lot of vitamin A. This root vegetable is also a good source of vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B6, potassium and iron. It is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Sweet potatoes are the perfect vegetables to hide in baked goods. Just an ounce of cooked sweet potato (about a heaping tablespoon) provides 100 percent of your daily recommend allowance of vitamin A. Try hiding it in cakes, cookies, muffins, puddings or pies.

Apple Cheddar Melt

I love the combination of crisp apple slices, cheddar cheese and spicy mustard. This open-faced sandwich is one of my favorites at Sammy T’s in Fredericksburg, VA.

Ingredients:
4-slices of hearty whole grain bread
1 tart apple, sliced into medium thin slices
4 slices of extra shard cheddar cheese
Spicy mustard
1 Tablespoon roasted sunflower seeds

Method:

Preheat oven to 400º F
Spread mustard on bread.
Sprinkle with sunflower seeds, top with apple slices and cheddar cheese.
Place in oven and cook until cheese melts.

Makes two open-faced sandwiches.

Pumpkin and Spicy Sausage Over Pasta

This recipe is from my friend Jeanne. Like many recipes I get, it wasn’t written down. She said something like, “Cook up some spicy Italian sausage, add garlic, onions and pureed pumpkin and then toss it all with pasta.” If you want a few more details, keep reading.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound hot Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chopped kale (or other green)
1 1/2 cup puréed pumpkin (see Baking a Pumpkin Whole post)
Salt, pepper to taste
1 pound penne, cooked
Parmigiano, grated

Method:

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add sausage and olive oil and cook until well browned.
Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate to drain. Drain most of the fat from skillet (leave a little to cook the garlic and onions). Add the garlic and onion. Sauté over medium heat for three to five minutes or until the onions are tender. Add kale.
Add sausage and pumpkin purée and stir to combine. If sauce is too thick, add a little water or stock. Salt and pepper to taste.
Once thoroughly heated, add sausage and pumpkin mix to cooked pasta and toss. Top with grated cheese.

Serves four.

Click here to read my About Pumpkin post.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

If you already have your pumpkin cooked, this soup can be ready in about the time it takes to boil a pot of water.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups of water
2 cups of pumpkin, puréed
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger root
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup cream (or milk)

Roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish

Method:

Sauté garlic in butter (or oil) in a soup pot over medium heat for a few minutes. Be careful not to let the garlic brown.
Add everything else except the cream (or milk). Bring to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste.
Turn heat down, add cream (or milk).
Top with roasted pumpkin seeds and serve warm.

Serves four.

Baking a Pumpkin Whole

My old roommate, Kate, once put a whole butternut squash in the oven and wondered why it was taking so long to cook. I had never seen anyone cook a squash whole. In fact, I thought she was a little crazy for trying it. Since her dinner guest was on the way, we took the squash out of the oven, cut it in half, scooped the seeds out, and it was done before everyone had their second glass of wine (OK, maybe it was done by the third glass).

Turns out, my new favorite way to cook a pumpkin is whole. My roommate, though time-challenged, was on to something. Of the ways to cook a pumpkin, this takes the longest, but it seems to seal in the flavor better and, once cooked, is very easy to work with.

Small to medium-small pumpkins work best for baking whole.

Method:

Heat oven to 350º F.
Remove the stem and deeply pierce the pumpkin in several places to allow steam to vent.
Bake until the flesh is soft when pierced (40 to 90 minutes, depending on the pumpkin size).
Remove and let cool.
Cut in half, scoop out seeds (save for roasting) and peel the skin.
Put the pumpkin in a strainer and let it drain.
Chop, pureé or mash it. For smooth custards or soups, press the pumpkin pureé through a sieve.

Note: If you want the pumpkin to cook faster, cut the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp and chop it into smaller parts. Bake at 375º F.

Don’t forget to roast the seeds! Click here for a recipe.

About Pumpkins

One of my favorite fall sights is a sprawling pumpkin patch. They always take me by surprise. Amid the waning crop fields spring large bright orange orbs. It never fails to make me smile.

I like fresh pumpkin better than canned for several reasons. One, I like to buy things from my local farmers. Two, it’s one less can that needs to be recycled. Three, it tastes better. Plus, today’s centerpiece is tomorrow’s pie. You can’t say that about canned pumpkin.

It does take a little time to cook a pumpkin, but it isn’t difficult. I like to roast a couple small pumpkins at the same time, make a puree and then freeze what I don’t use right away. That way, I get the benefits of fresh pumpkin with the convenience of canned.

Like its winter squash siblings, pumpkins are an excellent source of vitamin A (as beta-carotene) and a good source of a slew of other nutrients, including vitamin E, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, riboflavin, potassium, copper and manganese.

For display and carving, I tend to go for the big, ugly pumpkins with lots of warts. They make for interesting jack-o-lanterns. For eating, I pick the smaller ones with smooth skin. If you are baking a pie, ask your farmer what his/her sweetest pumpkins are.

Next up…how to cook a pumpkin whole…

Big Apple Pancake

My husband is the pancake maker in our house. He made this one for us this morning. Yu-umm. This recipe is from Gourmet Magazine. (Sniff, sniff, I am very, very, very upset about the demise of this wonderful periodical).

Ingredients
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 large apple peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch-wide wedges
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Melt butter in 10-inch oven-safe skillet over moderate heat. Add apple wedges to skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes.
While apple slices are cooking, add milk, flour, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt to a bowl and blend until smooth.
Pour batter over hot apples, sprinkle with brown sugar and place skillet in oven. Bake until pancake is puffed and golden, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 2

Swedish Apple Pie

Please welcome guest blogger Christine Verleny.

I am a baker, I am.

I have always been surrounded by amazing chefs – Dori, Kara, Ellen and my ex-husband Jeff. I gained 20 pounds while married, the evidence of a well-fed life.

All of these folks (sorry guys) dim in comparison to my Grandma Tommie. Tommie Augusta Ruby Pearl Jesser to be exact. She was a force in the kitchen. An empty fridge? Not a problem, let me combine a few things and create an amazing meal.

As good as her food was, it was her baking that could bring you to your knees. Chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, peanut butter cake with homemade chocolate frosting, and cheesecake were her finest baked goods. I have memories of my Grandma, cigarette hanging from her mouth, stirring up something delicious with her favorite wooden spoon. (I inherited that spoon after she died at the age of 92.)

I am lucky I have had chefs in my life, because I am a baker. It is my favorite thing to do in the kitchen. Thank you Grandma Tommie.

The first year Kara, Ellen and I went apple picking, I was confronted with an enormous bag of apples, freshly picked, and I knew I wanted to do something different, something that would not require me to make a crust. I dove into my roommate’s cookbooks and found the recipe for Swedish Apple Pie. Apparently, the Swedes hate making crusts.

The recipe is quick, easy and delicious. Use any apples you enjoy. Denser apples may not breakdown as much, but the different textures are wonderful when mixed. I have discovered that each time I bake this, it turns out slightly different and that is fine with me.

Swedish Apple Pie
Preheat: 400ºF

Fill deep pie pan (or an 8 x 8 square pan) 2/3 full with sliced apples.
Mix: 1 TBSP of sugar (optional) and 1 TSP cinnamon and sprinkle over apples.
Mix together:
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 sticks butter, melted
1 egg
1 cup nuts – optional
Make sure the butter is slightly cooled before adding to the mixture (or it will cook the egg).

Pour batter over apples and bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.

Please enjoy with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. That will make me happy.

Christine is an actor and jewelry designer, living in New York City.