Broccoli Rabe over Couscous

I have been on a major broccoli rabe kick lately.  Leafier that broccoli but more substantial than most greens, this vegetable is lovely as the side or feature of any meal.

Broccoli rabe can have a tendency towards bitterness.  I often find that this can add to a dish and is a welcome variance from the usual flavors, but occasionally it can overwhelm.  I recommend looking for younger broccoli rabe when you can.  Look for smaller leaves and especially smaller crowns.  It may be my imagination, but using it quickly rather than letting it linger in the crisper drawer also seems to help.  Lastly, parboiling is suggested.

Here I serve it in a simple, healthy preparation over whole wheat couscous with some tomatoes I had canned last summer.  This makes two servings.

Ingredients:
- 1 c. whole wheat couscous
- 1 c. + 1/4 c. chicken broth, vegetable broth, or salted water
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 c. chopped tomatoes with juices (fresh or good quality canned)
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe
- Salt and pepper

Directions:
- Set a large pot of water on the stove to bring to a boil.
- In a large pan, add a drizzle of olive oil and the garlic to brown.
- Add the tomatoes, with all of their seeds and juices, and bring to a low simmer.  If you are using fresh tomatoes, simmer for 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked and soft.  There should be a nice pool of liquid:  optionally add 1/4 c. broth if it seems dry.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- When the water is boiling, add the broccoli rabe, stems trimmed, and cook for about three minutes.
- Transfer the broccoli rabe to the pan with the tomatoes, adding an extra dash of salt, and continue to simmer.
- Bring 1 c. of broth or water to boil with the lemon juice (the microwave is useful here) and pour it over the couscous in a bowl.  Cover and let sit five minutes.
- Divide the couscous between two plates and make a large well in the center.
- Spoon tomatoes into each well and place the broccoli rabe on top.  Pour the juices over the vegetables.

Enjoy!

Adventures in Bread Making

A little (okay, a lot) late to the party, I have jumped on the "No Knead Bread" bandwagon.  I was skeptical, (kneading isn't hard, what's the big deal?), but it's incredibly easy, relatively mess-free, and the end result is quite good.  If you aren't lightyears ahead on me on this, (and you probably are), go ahead and give it a try.  Find the original recipe here.  The great thing is the recipe seems quite forgiving and you can have fun playing with different flours and flavors.

My first attempt!  I just use normal, active dry yeast instead of the instant yeast listed in the ingredients.  I use a rounded 1/4 tsp and the results seem fine.  My dutch oven is also about half the size as recommended and I don't think it mattered one bit.

For my second attempt, I substituted 1/3 of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour.  It also turned out well, but a little bland.

For my last attempt, I stuck with the cup of whole wheat flour.  I also upped the salt to 2 tsp, added 2 tbsp honey to the water, and added about 1/8 cup each of wheat bran and wheat germ, with an additional 1/4 cup water to compensate.  This was my favorite yet.

Give it a try: you won't be disappointed!

Chicken in Milk with Asparagus

I read rave reviews for Jamie Oliver's Chicken in Milk and it sounded too interesting to pass up.  I had a couple chicken legs that I was thinking of making Coq au Vin with, but that will have to wait for another time.  It's a very easy recipe that tastes like it took hours to make.  I served it with some fresh asparagus, which complimented it perfectly.

Ingredients:
- 2 chicken legs, totaling about 1 pound
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 garlic cloves
- Zest of one lemon
- Your choice of fresh herbs: Sage or Rosemary recommended
- 1 cup milk

Directions:
- Pat dry, generously salt, and lightly pepper the chicken legs.
- Heat a heavy, ovenproof pot (preferably with a lid) then add the butter and olive oil.
- Add the chicken legs, one at a time if necessary (they need to have full contact with the bottom of the pot) to brown.  They should be loudly crackling.
- Turn them once to brown the other side.
- When the chicken is golden, pour off the excess liquid.  I recommend pouring it over some asparagus, to be roasted in the oven for about 10 minutes.
- Add the cinnamon stick, whole garlic cloves, lemon zest, herbs, and milk.  If you can find Meyer lemons you can cut the peel off in large chunks, which make for tasty bites.  If using regular lemons I recommend zesting it with a microplane, being careful not to include any of the pith.
- Cover the pot (use tinfoil if there's not a lid) and bake for 30 minutes at 375.  Cook an additional 20-30 minutes uncovered.

The sauce that results is very delicious, though a bit odd to look at: the lemon peel will cause the milk to form little curds.  Be sure to fish out the garlic cloves and spread them over a thick slice of bread.

I have since also tried the recipe with a whole chicken as was originally intended.  I have to say, I much preferred the chicken legs.  They were not only easier to deal with but were much more flavorful.  However, the whole chicken did result is some tasty leftover dishes.

I sauteed some of the leftover chicken with a chopped red onion and some ruby chard (stems included), as well as some of the leftover sauce.  After adjusting the seasoning it was a nice, homey dish.

Enjoy!

Last Minute Banana Tart!

When I make pie dough, I often make a double batch.  It's just as easy and being able to stash the extra away in the freezer for future use is worth the effort.  The only trick is being sure to give it long enough to thaw.  If you remember to do that, you can throw together any number of last minute tarts, like this banana tart.

-  Roll out your tart dough and place it in a 9" tart pan and roll over the edges.
- Slice 2-3 large bananas in 1/4" slices and layer them in the tart shell (2-3 layers).  I suppose you could just dump them in if you were really in a hurry, but we like things pretty around here.
- Whisk together 1 egg, 1/2 cup cream,  3 tablespoons powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 shakes ground cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp vanilla.
- Pour the liquid over the bananas.
- Bake in a 375 degree oven about 30 minutes, until the crust and top is golden.
- To be decadent, serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Parsnip Buttermilk Soup

Continuing with this cold spell...  another soup.  This one has decidedly fresh leanings to it, though.  Wintery parsnips, onion, and apple are complimented by the unexpected tang of buttermilk.

- Start by peeling and dicing 2 parsnips (about 2 cups), 1 onion, and 1 apple (about 1 cup each).
- Add them to a large pan with a small drizzle of olive oil, 1 tsp salt, a few grind of pepper, and a dash of paprika and marjoram.
- Sautee on medium heat until they are golden and tender, about 15 minutes.
- Add a dash of white wine and 1 cup water, (you can also use broth, but I wanted to keep the flavor simple).  Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
- Remove vegetables and their liquid to a blender and puree until smooth.
- Return to the pan and stir in 1 cup (lowfat) buttermilk.  You could also use a combination of milk and greek yogurt or sour cream.
- Adjust seasonings if necessary and add water (or broth) to thin to the desired constistancy, (I added 1/2 cup).
- Garnish with a dash of paprika, some crumbles of goat cheese, and some whole wheat toasts.  Some chopped green onions would also be ideal.

Enjoy!