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Braised Beets with Arugula and Ricotta Salata in a Slow Cooker

Monday, August 30th, 2010

I love beets, but heating up the oven in the summer to roast them doesn’t make me happy. Braising them in a slow cooker is shear genius. Thanks Brigit!

Reprinted with permission from Williams-Sonoma The New Slow Cooker.

Photograph by Kate Sears

; recipe by Brigit Binns. Copyright 2010 by Weldon Owen, Inc. and Williams-Sonoma Inc.

Grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 pounds (1.5 kg) orange, yellow or red beets, peeled and sliced 1/3 inch (9 mm) thick
4 cups (4 oz/125 g) baby arugula
1 shallot, minced
1/3 cup (3 fl oz/80 ml) Orange Vinaigrette (see below)
1 1/4 pounds (125 g) ricotta salata cheese

Makes six servings.

In a slow cooker, stir together the orange zest and juice, vinegar, thyme sprigs, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and several grinds of pepper. Add the beets and stir to coat them with the liquid. Cover and cook on the low setting for four hours, stirring once or twice, if possible, to redistribute the liquid. The beets should be tender, but not falling apart.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beets to a serving platter. Discard the braising liquid. In a bowl, combine the arugula and shallot and toss with enough vinaigrette to coat lightly. Arrange the arugula over the beets. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the ricotta salata over the top. Serve at once.

Orange Vinaigrette

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Whisk in the oil until emulsified.

Makes about 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml).

“The New Slow Cooker” is currently available in Williams-Sonoma stores and online at www.williams-sonoma.com.

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Barbecued Baby Back Ribs in a Slow Cooker

Saturday, August 28th, 2010

Photograph by Kate Sears

I think I’m like most people and consider the slow cooker strictly a winter appliance. It’s for making piping-hot casseroles and hearty stews. It is kept neatly stored all summer. There is no room for it on the counter with all of the bags of fresh produce we lug home.

Then something happened that changed my perspective on slow cookers. That something was “The New Slow Cooker” by Brigit Binns. We are lucky to have Brigit living among us in the Hudson Valley. She is an awesome cook and prolific cookbook writer — a marvelous combination. Not only does she know her way around the kitchen, she shares her immense culinary knowledge and spot-on recipes.

It’s always good to know someone who is working on a cookbook. There’s lots of testing and, more importantly, eating involved. Brigit was recently working on a new one. Being good eaters, my husband and I happily volunteered to come over and do our part. We are always helpful that way.

On one such visit, I spied a brand-spanking-new cookbook, “The New Slow Cooker.” These aren’t your grandma’s crock pot recipes. The eye-candy photos are inspiring, as are all the dishes that scream summer. Yes, summer dishes in a slow cooker! I went home, cleared some counter space and let my slow cooker see the summer sun.

Williams-Sonoma was nice enough to let me reprint a couple of my favorite recipes from Brigit’s book.

“The New Slow Cooker” is currently available in Williams-Sonoma stores and online at www.williams-sonoma.com.

Barbecued Baby Back Ribs

Reprinted with permission from Williams-Sonoma The New Slow Cooker.
Photograph by Kate Sears; recipe by Brigit Binns. Copyright 2010 by Weldon Owen Inc. and Williams-Sonoma Inc.

1 tablespoon bacon drippings or canola oil
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (8 oz/250 g) ketchup
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
Salt
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce, or to taste
5 pounds (2.5 kg) baby back ribs

Apple-Fennel Slaw for serving (see below; optional)

Makes six servings.

To make the barbecue sauce, in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat, warm the bacon drippings. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened, about five minutes. Stir in the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, wine, lemon zest and juice, brown sugar, mustard, chile powder, cumin, celery salt, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook very gently, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until slightly thickened, about 12 minutes. Stir in the Tabasco and taste for seasoning. Use right away, or preferably let cool, cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before using.

Preheat the broiler. Trim the membrane from the back of each rack, then cut into individual ribs. Arrange the ribs on a rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, turning once, until browned on both sides, 10 to 12 minutes.

Transfer the ribs to a slow cooker, add the barbecue sauce and turn the ribs to coat evenly. Cover and cook on the low setting for five to six hours. The ribs should be very tender.

Using a slotted spatula, transfer the ribs to a large platter and keep warm. Pour the sauce into a small saucepan, let stand for few minutes and skim away the fat from the sauce with a large spoon. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil rapidly to reduce and thicken slightly, three to four minutes.

Arrange the ribs on warm individual plates and drizzle with some of the reduced sauce. If using, mound the slaw alongside the ribs. Serve at once.

Apple-Fennel Slaw

In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) each fresh lime juice, sour cream and mayonnaise; 1/2 teaspoon each salt and chile powder, preferably chipotle; 1 1/4 teaspoons sugar; and 3 1/4 cups (3 1/4 oz/20 g) fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped. Add 2 large fennel bulbs, quartered lengthwise, cored and thinly sliced crosswise; and 2 small tart red or green apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced. Toss to mix. Cover and refrigerate for one hour before serving to allow the flavors to marry.

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Ratatouille

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

The farmers’ markets are filled with vegetables begging to be in this traditional French Provençal dish. I recommend adding whatever vegetables that appeal to you. Serve it with crusty, rustic bread as a main meal, as a side dish with chicken or pork or as a pizza topping. It’s a delicious way to get a hefty couple servings of vegetables.

I also like to make a double batch of this and freeze half.
 
I roast the vegetables in this recipe but you can also grill them or simply add them all to a heavy bottomed pot and sauté them until soft. This is one of those dishes that seems to taste even better the second day.

If you are using eggplant that is a little past its prime, slice it in 1/2 inch thick slabs and salt each piece. Let it sit for about 20 minutes, then using a paper towel, gentle sop up the moisture and salt.
 
Ingredients

2-3 medium eggplants
2 red, yellow or green peppers
1 medium zucchini
1 medium summer squash
1 large onion
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
5-6 large tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  • Preheat oven to 400º F.
  • Cut eggplant, peppers, squash and onion into 1″ chunks and salt and pepper lightly.
  • Toss vegetables with 3 tablespoons olive oil, 4 cloves of chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon of rosemary. Place in a rimmed baking sheet or other large shallow baking pan and spread the vegetables in a single layer (use two sheets if necessary). Place in preheated oven.
  • Chop tomatoes. Salt lightly and mix with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon of rosemary and spread in another oiled pan. The tomatoes will develop a bit of liquid, so be sure the pan has high sides. Place pan in oven.
  • Roast vegetables, turning a couple times for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Some of the vegetables will get a nice roasted brown color. Be careful not to burn.
  • Combine roasted vegetables; be sure to include the liquid from the tomatoes. Add chopped basil and mix. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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Serves four.
 

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Chilled Cream of Fire-Charred Tomato Soup with Basil Coulis

Saturday, August 21st, 2010

Cream of tomato soup is probably my favorite soup. I usually don’t make it much in the summer, which is a shame, because it is extra good with fresh home-grown tomatoes. I decided to see if I could turn a winter staple into a summer favorite.

Ingredients
7 to 8 large farm-fresh tomatoes
1/4 cup onions, coarsely chopped
1 to 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon rice or white wine vinegar
6 ounces plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of cayenne pepper

Method

* Heat a grill (gas or charcoal) to high. Using tongs and a paper towel dipped in cooking oil, grease the grates.
* Place the whole tomatoes directly on the grill. Rotate as the skin is charred. Once the skin starts to slip off, place in a bowl to cool. Note: This can be done a day in advance.
* After tomatoes have cooled, peel and core them. Be sure to catch and save any tomato juice.
* Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
* Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
* Garnish with a hefty swirl of basil coulis.
Serves four.

Non-grill variation:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Make an X with a knife on the bottom of each tomato and place in the boiling water for a few minutes. Remove and cool in iced water. The peels should easily slip off. Return to main recipe.

Basil Coulis

This delicious basil oil is something I plan to keep on hand all summer. It adds a nice splash of color and intense basil taste to any dish. Try it in soups, pasta, crostini, grilled chicken, grilled cheese — the sky’s the limit.

Ingredients
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  • Wash and dry the basil.
  • Place basil and oil in a blender and process until smooth. I use an immersion blender, but a regular one will do just fine.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Pour into a squeeze bottle, if you want to make fancy swirls. Store in the fridge; bring to room temperature before using. Keeps for a week.
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Peach Gazpacho

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

I’m a big soup eater. I could eat it for lunch every day. It’s frugal, nutritious and the variations are endless. Of course, as the mercury rises, a steamy hot bowl of soup isn’t exactly what I want. Neither is heating up my kitchen with a bubbly pot of stew.

Cold soups to the rescue!

Gazpacho is probably the most ubiquitous cold soup. It is traditionally made with tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, garlic and stale bread. Yes, stale bread. It helps thicken the soup. It is often omitted in favor of a pure, summer vegetable based soup.

I adore a good bowl of gazpacho. As soon as I get my hands on farm-fresh tomatoes, I whip up a giant batch. While I’m enthusiastic about the first few bowls, by the fourth or fifth, I’m ready for something new.

Two things I am planning to do this summer. One, I’m scaling back on making such a giant batch of tomato gazpacho. There is no need to overdo a good thing. Two, I’m branching out to try other cold soups.

Peach Gazpacho

This tasty soup is a nice change from my usual tomato gazpacho. It is bright, healthy and delicious. Add a handful of tortilla chips for the perfect summer lunch.

I try to search out organic peaches. Pesticides easily migrate into the fruit through the soft skin of the peach. When I can’t find local, organic peaches, I buy local non-organic peaches. I prefer them to rock-hard organic peaches shipped from California. They just taste better. Ask your farmer about his/her pesticide practices. Since local peaches don’t have to travel far, farmers can often get by with using less pesticides.

Ingredients

8 peaches
1 medium-large cucumber, unpeeled, seeded if necessary
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon or lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish: Chopped tomatoes, avocado and fresh cilantro

Method

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Make an X with a knife on the bottom of each peach.
  • Drop the peaches into the boiling water for a few minutes. Remove and cool in iced water. The peels should easily slip off. If not, use a knife to peel them.
  • Add the peaches and cucumber to a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl. Be sure to include the liquid.
  • Add onion, garlic, lemon or lime juice and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.
  • Garnish with fresh chopped tomatoes, chopped or sliced avocado and chopped fresh cilantro.

Serves four.

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Horchata de Arroz

Saturday, August 14th, 2010

This is a drink you don’t see every day, unless you happen to be south of the border. Horchata (or-CHA-tah) de Arroz is a pan-Latin sweet rice beverage. It’s creamy, delicious and most definitely a thirst quencher. Since it is recommended to avoid too much caffeine on hot days, this is a healthy iced-coffee substitute.

Ingredient
2 cups rice (I use brown rice, but white rice is more common)
6 cups Water
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/3 cup honey (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Method

  • In a covered container, soak rice and lime juice in 3 cups of the water, overnight.
  • Add the rice lime-water mixture and cinnamon to a blender and puree until smooth.
  • Strain through a fine-meshed sieve or cheesecloth. If you find too much grit in the beverage, strain it again using two layers of cheesecloth.
  • Add the remaining 3 cups of water, honey and extracts and stir until honey has dissolved. Adjust honey to taste and serve over ice with a dash of cinnamon.

Makes about 2 quarts

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Raspberry Mint Limeade

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

While I am a big lemonade fan, limeade is my favorite summer treat. The raspberries and mint give this a tasty twist.

Ingredients
1 cup lime juice (6-10 limes)
1 pint fresh raspberries
1/4 cup fresh mint
1/2 cup honey or sugar
2 cups water

Method

  • Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.
  • Strain through a fine-meshed sieve to remove seeds.
  • Serve over ice and garnish with a mint sprig and lime slice.

Makes 1 quart

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Iced Grape Earl Grey

Saturday, August 7th, 2010

I first had this refreshing drink at a teahouse in Washington, DC. It’s a delicious combination of the floral taste from the Earl Grey and the sweetness from the grape juice.

Ingredients
6 bags of Earl Grey Tea
1 frozen can of 100% grape juice concentrate
Water

Method

  • In a heat-proof container place tea bags. Cover with 2-cups of boiling water and let steep for 6-8 minutes then remove tea bags.
  • In a 2 quart-sized container, add grape juice concentrate. Mix in the brewed tea. Add water to fill container.
  • Serve over ice.

Makes 2 quarts

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Honey Basil Lemonade

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

It is hot. Really hot. All I want to do is sit in a cool room and sip on an ice-cold beverage and maybe take a nap.

Seltzer is my go-to drink. I drink it by the gallon. It’s not too exciting but does the trick and with zero calories. In the summer heat, I like to step up my liquid consumption and get a bit giddy about all my cool summer beverage options. It’s hard to choose, so I like to keep a selection on hand.

Homemade lemonades and limeades are some of my favorite summer thirst quenchers. They are far superior to anything you can buy ready-made, especially if you tend to grab the artificially flavored powdered stuff off a shelf.

With homemade citrus drinks, there is that pesky matter of getting the juice out of the fruit. There are several tools that can help make quick work of the task. On the high-end, there are electric juicers. I’ve never used one, but I’m sure they juice beautifully.

On the low-end, there are wooden lemon reamers. This is one of my favorite tools. It’s effective, takes up little space and is cheap, three qualities I look for in kitchen gear.

There are two tricks to getting the most juice out of citrus. First, use room temperature fruit. A slightly warm lime will yield more juice than an icebox cold one. Second, before cutting the fruit, press down firmly on the it and roll it under your palm on a hard surface like a kitchen counter. This breaks down the interior membranes of the lime, which will release more of the juice.

I like to keep one and two-quart mason jars around for summer drinks. A nice pitcher also works, but they tend to take up too much room in our over-crowded refrigerator. With mason jars, I can have a jar of lemonade, limeade, iced tea and horchata and still have room for the eggs!

Drink up and stay cool!

Honey Basil Lemonade
Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve noticed that basil has been making its way into fancy cocktails these days. I decided to try a version sans alcohol.

Ingredients
1/3 cup honey
1 cup hot water plus cold water
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4-5 lemons)

Method

  • In a small bowl combine the honey and hot water and stir until the honey is dissolved, let cool.
  • In a 1-quart jar or pitcher, add basil leaves and muddle (or crush) them with a wooden spoon or muddler. This will release the basil’s oil.
  • Stir in the lemon juice and honey mixture. Fill jar or pitcher with water.
  • Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight (the longer it steeps, the stronger the basil flavor). Strain and pour into ice-filled glasses.

Serves 2-4.

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Grilled Shortbread Cookies

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

My friend Virginia’s dad, Andy, has grilled just about everything. I mean everything. Yes, he has grilled all of the standards— hot dogs, hamburgers, and barbeque chicken— but he also has tried lasagna, casseroles, and even a cheesecake. That certainly got my mind ticking.

Virginia has memories of him standing outside at midnight in the rain holding an umbrella over himself and the grill.

A man after my own heart.

A couple of weeks ago we went to our friend’s Hallie’s birthday party. We brought hotdogs and cookies. True to form, I decided to start making the cookies about 30 minutes before we needed to leave. Also, true to form, I wanted to experiment. Our kitchen was as hot as blue blazes, so I decided to throw the cookies on the grill. If Andy Anderson can grill a cake, then by golly I can grill cookies.

Being confident that it would work, I loaded up two baking sheet with cookies while the grill heated up. I placed both sheets on the grill and closed the lid. In about three minutes flat, the bottoms of the cookies were all solid black. Oops.

Lesson number one, things burn quickly on an overly hot grill. One day, I will remember that in earnest.

The tops were delicious so instead of tossing the bunch, my husband and I dutifully scraped off and ate the good parts. Not dignified, especially if you use your teeth, but tasty.

Luckily, I had enough dough left over for one more tray. I heated the oven (and yes, in turn, heated the kitchen) and baked the last batch. Disaster averted.

Not willing to give up easily, the next day, I returned to my grilled cookie project and after a few (smaller) test runs, I perfected it. Andy would be proud!

Grilled Shortbread Cookies
The inspiration for these comes from the soft shortbread cookies at Otto’s Market in Germantown. They truly are the best cookies that I’ve ever had. This is a slightly healthier version, plus they are grilled! Besides keeping your kitchen cool, grilling gives the bottoms of the cookies an extra crispness.

I used rapadura in this recipe. Rapadura is dried sugarcane juice. It is rich in minerals, particularly silica and iron, so it offers a little more nutrients than the empty calories that you get from refined sugar. It still is sugar, so using it isn’t license to eat the whole batch.

I also used whole-wheat pastry flour instead of white flour. Whole-wheat pastry flour is made with soft-wheat and it has a fine texture. This makes it an ideal substitute for white flour when baking.

You can find rapadura and whole-wheat pastry flour at most health food stores or ask your grocer to stock it for you.

Ingredients
2 sticks of unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup rapadura (substitute brown sugar if you must)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon almond extract
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans (toasting is optional)

Method

  • Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter, extracts, salt, and rapadura until smooth.
  • Add the oats and flour one cup at a time and mix well.
  • Stir in the pecans.
  • Scoop out about a fourth of the dough and place on a sheet of wax or parchment paper. Roll into a log with the diameter about the size of a silver dollar. Be sure the dough roll is firmly compact, so it doesn’t fall apart when you slice it. Repeat with all dough.
  • Cover and freeze the dough logs for at least 10 minutes. (You may keep these well wrapped in the freezer for several months. No need to thaw before you slice and bake.)
  • Prepare grill for indirect grilling. If using a gas grill, heat one side to medium-high and leave the other side off. If using a charcoal grill, light the briquettes. When they glow red, scoot them to the sides, leaving an empty space in the middle of the grill.
  • Cut dough into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place slices on an ungreased baking sheet. This baking sheet will go directly on the grill, so make sure that it fits. If you have a round grill, use a round pizza pan. These cookies don’t tend to spread much, so they can be placed within an inch or less of each other.
  • Place the cookie sheet on the indirect heat portion of the grill.
  • This is the tricky part. Close the lid but stay close by. You’ll need to keep checking on the cookies. On my grill, using indirect heat, they were done in about 10 minutes. My grill doesn’t heat evenly, so halfway through, I turn the baking sheet around. I only keep them on until the bottoms are slightly golden brown.
  • Cool on a wire rack.

If you have a nice air-conditioned kitchen, these cookies work beautifully in an oven heated to 350ºf, bake for 10-12 minutes, but where is the fun in that?

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