Chicken Hot Pot with Tofu

Andrea went from zero to wicked sick in less than 24 hours. She looks and sounds like a zombified Issac Hayes. (Hmmm. Zombified. I think I just made up a word. Sounds correct though. I'm sticking with it.) To heal my sick spouse, I channeled the spirit of the old Asian lady that lives in our pantry. She told me to make Andrea a hot pot. So, I did.

Chicken Hot Pot with Tofu (F&W 2008 w/modifications)

Ingredients

1. 12 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
2. 1 container shitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps thinly sliced
   
3. One 2-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
4. 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
5. Kosher salt
6. 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 3/4 pounds), trimmed and sliced into 1/4-inch strips
7. One 14-ounce package firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch dice
8. 4 scallions, thinly sliced
9. Rice noodles, cooked.
   
10. Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
    
11. Asian sesame oil, for drizzling

Directions
In a large soup pot, bring the stock, mushroom stems, ginger and garlic to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Strain the stock into a large bowl and return it to the pot. Season the broth with salt. Bring the broth to a boil; add the chicken. Cook until the chicken is white throughout, about 4 minutes. Divide the mushroom caps, tofu and scallions among eight soup bowls and serve, passing the broth and sesame oil at the table. Or serve everything family style as shown in the crappy photo. I recommend hot sesame oil (flavor not temperature).

Cooking the mushroom stems, ginger, and garlic in the chicken stock made a really easy and really good base that I think we are going to revisit frequently this winter.

Bacon Salt

I cannot for the life of me remember what I was reading when I saw the Google ad that brought me to find this stupendous concoction. I do, however, remember the feeling of excitement that welled up in the pit of my stomach after seeing those two words side by side. There are three other individuals on this earth that love bacon more than me and they are my wife, her brother, and our friend Neveen (see Flag Cake post). Upon spying the website, I sent them an e-mail with the link. My brother-in-law (Nathan, for those of you playing along at home) responded with the following, "This is going to change my LIFE! I told Cat (his wife, short for Catherine) about this huge personal development, but she thought that I was leading up to telling her that Andrea was prego. I said no, this is better." He then called me the following day to inform me that he secured the bacon salt at the grocery store. I instantly became jealous as I could not find it at Hy-Vee. Just imagine the possibilities! I asked him to try it out. So, over the phone, he opened his fridge and spied the remnants of a five-day-old rotisserie chicken that was on the verge of a hostile mold takeover. Sprinkle, sprinkle....chewing sounds...."it's fantastic!" He then proceeded to try it on a banana. I think he was going to make scrambled eggs this morning and report back.

Now our friend Neveen, she is a Muslim and it is against her religion to eat bacon. (Yes, she is a torn soul.) So, I thought this would be a friendly alternative given that the bacon salt is kosher and vegetarian. However, she is fearful that her religiously-strict mother (who lives with her and her husband) will die in their kitchen upon finding it in their cupboards. (She will just have to keep it at our house.)

So, I just went to their website and discovered the Hy-Vee that I work next to carries Bacon Salt! The Hy-Vee next to my house does not. Go figure. I have to go.

The Bitten Word

I have to give kudos to these guys at The Bitten Word. As Andrea can attest, I have been a long-time subscriber to several food magazines. They are piling up in our living room as we speak. Do I make any of the recipes found in them? Err...sometimes. With all of the food blogs I read (which I need to make a list and share as it is quite large), my magazines tend to get ignored. Anyway, Clay and Zach at the The Bitten Word are resolving to put their food magazines to use. And, I applaud them. Check out their BBQ Chicken post. Food porn.

Flag Cake!

In the spirit of the holiday, I thought I would post this little number. Andrea and I made it for a Flag Day booze fest we attended in celebration of our homie Neveen officially attaining her US citizenship. It rocked!

Flag Cake (Barefoot Contessa, 2002)

18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 cup sour cream at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
For the icing:
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
To assemble:
2 half-pints blueberries
3 half-pints raspberries

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour an 18 by 13 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.

For the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mixing just until smooth.

Spread three-fourths of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake. Outline the flag on the top of the cake with a toothpick. Fill the upper left corner with blueberries. Place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe. Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries. Alternate rows of raspberries and icing until the flag is completed. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.

I served this cake right in the pan.

Crispy Roasted Garlic Potatoes

Sorry, folks. No photo today. Forgot to take one. Besides, all of you have had roasted potatoes before and can imagine what they look like. This is the second time I have made this recipe, and after this second time, I have decided that this dish will be my new recipe for roasted potatoes replacing my other one by Ina Garten. (To be truthful, Andrea actually made this decision stating that these were far superior and I must concur.) I urge you to make these. Roasted potatoes are the perfect accompaniment to any dinner. I make roasted potatoes a lot when grilling because they allow you to be in two places at once. They can be roasting in the oven while you are tending to the grill. You can also roast them on the grill, too. Who is stopping you?

Crispy Roasted Garlic Potatoes (Cook's Country, 2008)

Serves 4

2 pounds red potatoes (baby or large) scrubbed, dried, and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Meanwhile, toss potatoes, cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together in large bowl. Carefully remove preheated baking sheet from oven, add oil, and tilt baking sheet to evenly coat with oil. Place potatoes, cut side down in single layer, on baking sheet. Roast until browned around edges, about 30 minutes. While potatoes roast, mix butter, garlic, parsley, and zest together in medium bowl. Remove baking sheet from oven and, using metal spatula, turn potatoes skin side down. Roast until potatoes are crisp and deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer potatoes to bowl with butter and toss until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Garlic Soba Noodles

If every vegetarian recipe I made tasted this good, I would honestly consider forsaking meat. Quite possibly one of the best noodle recipes I have ever prepared. Astonishingly tasty. However, it is kind of a pain to make. Prepare it when you have higher amounts of energy.

Ingredients (101 Cookbooks, 2008)

8 ounces dried soba noodle
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan freshly grated
big pinch of salt
12 ounces extra firm organic tofu, cut into 6 rectangular slabs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
a generous splash of olive oil
1 bunch green onions, greens trimmed, thinly sliced
4 big handfuls of chard, spinach or kale - destemmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
a few baby radishes, sliced paper thin

Boil a large pot of water and cook soba noodles per packet instructions or until just tender. Salt the water generously. Drain and set aside.

While the water is coming to a boil, get the tofu started by combining the bread crumbs, Parmesan and salt in a shallow plate. Dunk each piece of tofu in the egg and then press into the bread crumbs. Make sure each piece is nicely coated with crumbs. Place each piece on a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining pieces. Bake in a 375 degree oven or pan-fry in a skillet in a bit of olive oil until both sides are golden, flipping once along the way. Slice into strips and set aside.

Add the olive oil (and bit of salt) to a large skillet over med-high heat. Stir in the green onions, chard, and cook for a minute until the chard collapses. Stir in the soba noodles. Stir in the garlic powder and Parmesan. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with sliced radishes. Serve family-style or on individual plates - each nest of noodles topped with some of the tofu slices. Serves 4-6.

Asparagus Risotto

Have some asparagus lying at the bottom of your fridge? Set it free. You will thank me after you make sweet, sweet love to your spoonula.

Ingredients (Simply Recipes, 2008)

1 pound asparagus
3 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon butter
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 1/4 cup water)
About 3 1/2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian option), can substitute some of the asparagus cooking water for stock
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Prepare the asparagus by breaking off discarding the tough ends (about the last inch of the spear). Cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces (tips longer, base shorter). If your asparagus are especially large, cut into even smaller (bite-size) pieces. Bring a saucepan with a quart of water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus pieces for 2 minutes. At the end of two minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the asparagus pieces to an ice water bath to shock the asparagus into a vibrant green color and to stop the cooking. Drain from the ice water bath and set aside. In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp butter on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated. While the shallots are cooking, bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan. Add the wine. Slowly stir, allowing the rice to absorb the wine. Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 1/2 cup of stock to the rice. Continue to stir until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more stock in 1/2 cup increments. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Gently stir in the Parmesan cheese, the remaining 1 teaspoon butter, and the asparagus. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Ham and Potato Soup

Zip it. I don't wanna hear your lip. I realize that 1) I haven't posted in like a kajillion months and 2) this is a winter recipe. I don't care. The photos have been on my camera and I'm gonna post them. Get over it.

This is a two recipe entry as my Ham and Potato Soup is first prepared with a homemade ham stock. After making my first homemade stock a few years ago, I no longer throw away any carcass. It is too easy to make a soup stock. The input of effort is drastically disproportionate to the output in taste. (Did that make any sense?)

Ham Stock (Gourmet, 2004)

2 1/2 lb meaty smoked ham shanks or ham hocks
2 qt cold water
1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
2 carrots, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 celery ribs, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
3 whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

Combine ham shanks and cold water in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot and bring to a boil, skimming any foam. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, partially covered, until shanks are tender, about 2 hours. Pour stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large metal bowl, reserving shanks and discarding remaining solids.

Discard skin and bones from shanks. Trim and coarsely shred meat, then return to stock.

Ham and Potato Soup

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 ham stock
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and stock in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season wit salt and pepper. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Stir Fry Tofu

In an effort to be more healthy, Andrea and I have, as of late, been cutting down on our consumption of meat and increasing our consumption of these things called vegetables. Yeah, I know. I'm thinking the same thing. We'll see how long this lasts. Anyway, Andrea bought some tofu on the last trip to the store. If you know anything about the contents of our refrigerator at all, you know we always have tofu. We buy it because it makes us feel less guilty about the pound of bacon sitting next to it. However, we never eat it and it usually gets thrown away during our usual purging of the fridge. We don'teven know whether tofu goes bad. We just assume it does and pitch it. I opened the fridge tonight and was greeted, yet again, by that familiar package of tofu. It sat there smugly, judging me. It knew that I had Mr. Goodcents for lunch. The little soy bean bastard even knew I had a giant chocolate chip cookie for dessert. In a moment of panic, I grabbed my recipe binder and found Jen Stastny's (old friend from Central High days) hand written instructions on how to stir fry tofu.

Ingredients

1 package of Extra Firm Tofu (not Silken, so not Mori Nu)
1 TBS olive oil
1TBS soy sauce
1TBS water

Cut the tofu into about 6-7 strips lengthwise. Lay the strips out on paper towels. Using another layer of paper towels, squeeze the water out of the strips. Do this 5 to 7 times. Cut tofu into cubes. Heat the olive oil over medium heat being sure to coat the bottom of the pan. You want the oil to be hot so that when the tofu hits the pan it starts to sizzle.

Cook them slowly. Let the buggers fry! Make them pay for their torment. Turn them frequently until lightly browned on all sides. ("Have patience!" is written in the margin.) Add the soy sauce and water and coat each piece. Add more if needed.

The flavor wasn't too bad. They had the texture of scrambled eggs. We added them to a mix of frozen corn, peas, and baby vidalia onions. It was a pretty quick and relatively satisfying meal.

Turkey Noodle Soup

We had dinner at Andrea's parent's house last week and the main course was a fantastic smoked Turkey. They sent us home with some left over meat. I also snagged the turkey carcass as I had the urge to make some homemade soup stock. It is so amazingly easy. Plus, the aroma that fills your house during its creation soothes your winter aches. I used egg noodles for this recipe.

Makes about 3 quarts, serving 8 to 10

Basic Turkey Stock (Cook's Illustrated, 2000)
1	turkey carcass from 12- to 14-pound turkey, cut into 4 or 5 rough pieces to fit into pot
1	large onion , peeled and halved
1	large carrot , peeled and chopped coarse
1	large rib celery , about 4 ounces, chopped coarse
3	medium cloves garlic , unpeeled and smashed
2	cups dry white wine
1	bay leaf
5	sprigs fresh parsley leaves
3	sprigs fresh thyme
For Soup
1	medium onion , diced medium
2	medium carrots , peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1	large rib celery , sliced 1/4 inch thick
1	tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
	Table salt and ground black pepper
2 - 3	cups pasta shells (medium), or other medium-sized pasta shape
2	tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

1. For Stock: Bring turkey carcass, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, wine, bay leaf, and 4 1/2 quarts water to boil in 12-quart stockpot over medium-high heat, skimming fat or foam that rises to surface. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 2 hours, continuing to skim surface as necessary. Add parsley and thyme; continue to simmer until stock is rich and flavorful, about 2 hours longer, continuing to skim surface as necessary.

2. Strain stock through large-mesh strainer into large bowl or container; remove meat from strained solids, shred into bite-sized pieces, and set aside; discard solids in strainer. Cool stock slightly, about 20 minutes; spoon fat from surface. Use stock immediately or cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate up to 2 days.

3. For Soup: Bring turkey stock to simmer in large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt; cover and simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes. Add pasta and reserved shredded turkey meat from stock; simmer until pasta is al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in parsley, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper; serve.

French Toast Casserole

Living in Nebraska, I am surprised that I have lived this long and have never been served this dish. We Nebraskans like our casseroles. We Nebraskans like our French toast. Another match made in Cornhusker heaven.

Baked French Toast Casserole (Paula Dean, 2007)

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrupSlice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Mrs. Cribbs's Chicken and Dumplings

Who is Mrs. Cribb's, you ask? Not sure. But, she can make some mean Chicken and Dumplings. We rocked this on Christmas Eve. It is an easy recipe, but it is pretty labor intensive. The work is worth it though. The photo is a double batch. So, you don't need a large dutch oven (in case you were wondering).


Mrs. Cribbs's Chicken and Dumplings (Food and Wine, 2000)

ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken legs
• 5 carrots--2 cut into large chunks, 3 thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 2 celery ribs--1 cut into large chunks, 1 thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
• 6 cups water
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the chicken legs with the large chunks of carrot and celery, half of the chopped onions and the water. Simmer over moderate heat until the chicken legs are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Let cool slightly, then remove the meat from the bones and let cool. Strain the chicken broth and discard the vegetables.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour with 1 cup of the chicken broth, adding a little of the fat from the broth; stir to form a stiff dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth. Wrap the dumpling dough in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. 3.Cut the dough into quarters. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll out the dough a scant 1/4 inch thick on a very lightly floured work surface. Cut the dough into 3-inch-wide strips and transfer to a sheet of wax paper. Working on the paper, cut each strip crosswise into 1-inch-thick dumplings and transfer the paper to a baking sheet; do not separate the dumplings. Repeat with the remaining dough, stacking each layer on the baking sheet. Freeze the dumplings until solid, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
4. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, combine the sliced carrots and celery and the remaining chopped onion with 4 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Season well with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are just tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the cooked chicken and return to a boil.
5. Separate the frozen dumplings and add them to the simmering broth a few at a time, submerging them in the broth. Bring the broth to a simmer and cook until the dumplings are tender, about 15 minutes; tuck the dumplings into the broth occasionally. Spoon the chicken and dumplings into bowls and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The recipe can be prepared through Step 3 up to 3 days ahead. Refrigerate the broth and the chicken; keep the dumplings frozen.

French Apple Tart

Surprised by the semi-clear photo? I took the advice of my amigo Matt and shot the item next to a window. I really should listen to him more often. I need to work on my crust, but not bad for a first attempt.

The Holidays provided ample opportunity to try some new things. Andrea and I hosted this year. We had both sets of parents over for some type of meal. I acquired a bunch of new bakeware, including a tart pan, from Williams-Sonoma this past December. Good stuff, professional grade. It renewed my desire to expand my baking repertoire outside the usual quick breads and cookies. So, we invited Andrea's parents over a near-French dinner. I say near-French because the salad course wasn't really French. Anyway, since we were doing a near-French dinner, I thought we could end with a near-French dessert.


French Apple Tart (Gourmet, 2007)

Dough can be chilled up to 1 day.

1 recipe pastry dough, recipe follows
6 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, halved and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick cold butter, sliced thin
1/2 cup apricot jam, heated and strained
Vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, as an accompaniment

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface roll out dough into a 13-inch round and fit it into a 10-inch tart tin with a removable fluted rim, trimming the excess. Arrange the apples decoratively on the pastry shell, overlapping them. Sprinkle the sugar on top of the apples, top with butter slices and bake in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes or until the crust is cooked through and the apples are golden. Brush with the heated apricot jam while the tart is still hot. Serve each portion with a small scoop of ice cream or a small spoonful of whipped cream.

Pastry Dough
1 stick cold unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes.

To blend by hand: Blend together flour, butter, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender until most of mixture resembles coarse meal (roughly pea-size lumps). Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water evenly over and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.

To blend in a food processor: Pulse together flour, butter, and salt in a food processor until most of mixture resembles coarse meal (roughly pea-size lumps). Add 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse 2 or 3 times, or just until incorporated.

Test mixture: Gently squeeze a small handful: it should hold together without crumbling apart. If it doesn't, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring or pulsing 2 or 3 times after each addition until incorporated (keep testing). If you overwork mixture or add too much water, pastry will be tough.

Form dough: Turn out onto a work surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough together and form it, rotating it on work surface, into a disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.

Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie crust or a 10 to 11-inch tart crust.