Lamb Pops

The changing of the seasons is an inevitability I'm particularly grateful for in this part of the world. March may have kicked off at -17, but nearly two and a half months later we're delighted to see the thermometer pushing 50 and blooms pushing up from the thawed earth.

Even more delightful, spending the past week in blooming(!!) Michigan with little middle sister, Zinnia the cat, and Dahlia the "puppy."

A warm Michigan welcome.  ;)

The Dutch Village (unchanged since our last visit -- as a rest stop during a family vacation 15 years ago).
Holland, Michigan.

Speaking of spring and certain delightful inevitabilities... Between two birthdays and steep odds of Easter falling during the month, lamb is a given on the April menu rotation.

Opting for a single rack over a entire leg or crown roast makes sense for our current party of two. The hub has affectionately dubbed these "lamb popsicles," and with plenty of garlic and rosemary, they make for a fab springtime treat.

I like to serve the pops with a big red (think cab, barolo, merlot or a blend), grilled or roasted asparagus, and a decadent starch or carb. Most recently, Boca's famous 3-hour Brussel sprouts and mushroom risotto complemented the pops (try Giada's mushroom risotto to start), and these individual wild-mushroom bread puddings nearly stole the show earlier in the year while we were still in winter survival mode.

GARLIC-CRUSTED RACK OF LAMB
Serves 4, or 2 with fabulous leftovers

Ingredients:

6 garlic cloves, peeled
3 TBS. fresh rosemary leaves (plus several branches to garnish your finished dish)
3 TBS. EVOO
1 large rack of lamb (1 1/2 - 2 lbs), frenched
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a food processor, process garlic, rosemary and EVOO until garlic is finely minced. Season the rack of lamb with plenty of salt and pepper. Rub with the garlic-rosemary mixture on both sides. Set the rack, fat-side up, on a plate or foil-lined baking sheet and let rest at room temperature for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 450. Roast the lamb in the upper third of the oven for 15 minutes. Turn the rack over and roast for an additional 10 minutes for a medium-rare finish (PERFECT). Transfer the rack to a cutting board and let rest, tented with foil, for at least 10 minutes.

Carve the rack between the rib-bones, transfer to warm plates and serve immediately.

Recipe by Kenny Rochford, Food & Wine

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

The classics are classic for a reason -- they're darn good. This coffee cake is no exception. My copy of this recipe is jotted in my mom's signature scrawl and credited to Bon Appetit, November '78. Nearly 36 years later, this tender-crumbed, vanilla-laced cake has withstood the test of time.

The cover of Bon Appetit's November 1978 issue. (Remember this one, mom?)

One of my favorite aspects of this cake is the dark outer crust and silky white inside. The gentle cinnamon-sugar swirl is the figurative icing in the cake. I've tried others, but this remains my AM people pleaser. It's just that good.

SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE
Serves 12

Ingredients:

Cake
Butter
8 pecan halves
1 c. butter (2 sticks), room temperature
2 c. sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. sifted cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. sour cream (Reduced fat? Please don't.)

Topping
3/4 c. chopped pecans
3 TBS. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon


Directions:

Generously coat a 12-cup bundt pan with butter, placing a little extra in each notch. Press pecan half into butter. Preheat oven to 350.

Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla, beating once more.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, and stir to combine.  Add gradually to the creamed mixture, blending until combined. Gently fold in sour cream.

Make the topping by mixing together the chopped pecans, sugar and cinnamon.

Sprinkle two heaping tablespoons of topping into the bottom of the pan.

Cover with 1/3 of the batter. Sprinkle another 2 - 3 tablespoons of the topping on top of the batter layer, and continue this pattern, ending with topping on the top layer of the cake.

Bake for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean.

Let sit in pan for 10 minutes, then flip to invert onto a large platter or cake stand. Let cool completely, then cover in plastic wrap and let stand overnight. Serve with... what else? Coffee.

Flourless Chocolate & Orange Cake

Did you eat your oranges and unbroken noodles on January 31 in celebration of the Chinese New Year?! (We're now in the year of the horse, by the way). The hub & I were lucky enough to be invited over by good friends celebrating the New Year in serious foodie fashion: by hosting a homemade dumpling party. Gatherings should more regularly center around those delicious little pockets of happiness.

I contributed a big bowl of sesame noodles with Szechuan peppercorns + fried scallions, which proved less exciting than it sounds next to the platters of gorgeous homemade kimchee, shrimp and vegetable dumplings, Korean pancakes, homemade dipping sauces and traditional glass noodles. GOOD EATS.

Oranges are considered lucky in Chinese culture, and so this flourless chocolate & orange cake seemed appropriate for the celebration. It was terrific as-is, but it's worth mentioning that it may also pair well with Earl Grey tea the following morning. ;)

新年好 ~ Xīnnián hǎo ~ Happy New Year!  

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE & ORANGE CAKE

Serves 10 - 12

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
flour, just for dusting
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 c. plus 2 TBS. sugar
zest of two (2) oranges
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 eggs + two (2) egg yolks
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

confectioners' sugar, for dusting
candied orange slices or peel + ice cream or whipped cream for serving


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper cut to fit, then butter the parchment.

Gently melt the chocolate over a double boiler, then stir the butter into the chocolate until the mixture is smooth and shiny. Remove from heat.

Whisk the sugar, orange zest, and salt into the chocolate mixture. Now add the eggs and egg yolks and whisk well to combine. Finally, sift the cocoa powder over the chocolate mixture, and then whisk together until completely smooth.

Pour the batter into the pan, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top has formed a crust and a tester comes out cleanly. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a cake stand or serving platter.

Once cool, dust the cake with confectioners' sugar and garnish with candied orange peel. Serve with whipped cream, ice cream, or both!


This recipe, originally titled "Orange Flourless Chocolate Cake for the Reagan Family," is adapted from All the Presidents' Pastries: Twenty-Five Years in the White House by Roland Mesnier with Christian Malard.  

Spiced Lentil Tacos

In Houston, our weekly hankering for Tex-Mex was satisfied by a quick trip to El Real, the Original Ninfa's on Navigation, Hugo's, Torchy's, or TQLA. (Check out which of these made my Top 50 Houston list and why).

Despite the wind-chill, we've ironically found ourselves in the middle of a desert of sorts: a barren land devoid of authentic Tex-Mex. Not ideal, but not as desperate of a situation as it first appears either, thanks largely to a host of new cookbooks and a drastic decline in chips + salsa consumed at any given sitting.

Actual view from my office window in mid-January.
Approximate distance to Hugo's: 1,155 miles.
 

If you're looking to scratch your I-NEED-A-GOOD-TACO-NOW itch at home, or perhaps are simply up to trying a new healthy + flavorful meal option, these beautiful green lentils do the trick. Stuff that (soft shell corn) tortilla with avocado, minced onion, cilantro, chipotle crème, diced tomatoes, Torchy's diablo sauce and whatever else your stomach desires.

They're best served with black beans, my go-to Mexican rice, and cold beer.


Feeling a little closer to the southern border with every bite.

SPICED LENTIL TACOS
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 TBS. EVOO
1 c. onion, finely chopped
2 cloves (or more) garlic, minced
*1 jalapeño, seeds removed, minced (optional)
1 c. dried green or brown lentils, rinsed
2 TBS. (or more) taco seasoning (don't buy it -- recipe follows)
2 1/2 c. vegetable or chicken broth
soft corn tortillas
miscellaneous taco fixin's: avocado, minced white onion, cilantro, jalapeño, pickled onions, chipotle crème, diced tomatoes, Torchy's diablo sauce, fried egg, lime wedges, shredded cheese, salsa

Directions:

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions (and jalapeños if using) until they're golden brown, 10 - 15 minutes. Add the garlic, and sauté -- stirring regularly -- until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the lentils and taco seasoning, and cook until the lentils are dry and seasoning fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the lentils are tender, 25 - 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, especially at the end. Remove from heat, adjust seasonings -- more salt? more taco seasoning? -- and serve.

Adapted from SELF, February 2009



HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING

Ingredients:

2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. onion powder
1  tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)


Directions:

Blend spices together in a small bowl. Store any unused spice blend in an air-tight container (empty spice jars work beautifully).




Don't have good spice-storage solution? (Me either).
Find a container that fits on a kitchen shelf or in a drawer, and label the caps with "sticker dots," available at your nearest office supply store.

 

Cauliflower & Cheddar Galettes with Chipotle Crème Fraîche

Fusion cooking can be seriously awesome or devastatingly awful. We've all been there at one point or another. Happily, author Ellise Pierce strikes a playful balance between the wild-wild west of her upbringing and the sophisticated chic of her adulthood hometown in Cowgirl Chef: Texas Cooking with a French Accent.  

I acquired this book during my recent time in the Lone Star State, which offers plenty of inventive recipes include Pistachio-Crusted Lamb Chops with Cowgirl Chimichurri, Stuffed Zucchini (Courgettes Farcies), and cornbread madeleines, with classics from both sides of the Atlantic tossed in for good measure.

As promised, these galettes were perfecto with the Caramelized Chipotle Chicken, given we're in the midst of winter's icy grip and hungry for food that's a little more "stick to your ribs." These little French pancakes warmed up beautifully the following day -- good news since we got well over a dozen galettes out of this recipe.  


CAULIFLOWER & CHEDDAR GALETTES
Makes about 12 galettes

Ingredients:

1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets
EVOO
sea salt (or Kosher salt) and pepper
1 c. cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt (or, again, Kosher)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 eggs, room temperature
1 5-ounce container of Greek yogurt
1 c. water (or stock)
4 green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts of stalk
1 c. grated cheddar cheese (white cheddar will be more mild than it's sharper yellow cousin)
4 TBS. vegetable oil
Chipotle Crème Fraîche (recipe follows)


Directions: 

Preheat your broiler and line a cookie sheet with foil or parchment. Position the rack in the middle of the oven. 

Toss the cauliflower florets in a large bowl with a hearty drizzle of EVOO, salt and pepper. Lay evenly across the lined cookie sheet, and pop into the oven. The florets will begin to brown in about 10 minutes. When they do, remove from oven and turn each floret over so the other side gets its fair chance to get toasty, too. Roast for another 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool. 

Once cool, separate the florets further. (Don't over think this. You're looking to have pieces the size of a very large dice. You'll like the big bits of cauliflower in the galettes, but they need to be a manageable size for the cooking process). 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, baking powder, salt, cayenne and cumin. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt and water (or stock). Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and gently stir to combine. 

Gently fold in the cauliflower florets, grated cheddar, and green onions, reserving a TBS. or two of the green onions for garnish. 

Heat 2 TBS. of the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. When it's hot, spoon about 2 TBS. of batter into the pan/galette, being sure not to crowd the pan. Cook the galettes for 3 or so minutes, until the bottoms are just brown, then flip and repeat. Be sure they're not cooking too fast, as a thick batter increases the odds of them being under cooked in the middle. 

Serve these immediately with a dollop of chipotle crème fraîche, garnished with chopped green onions (and/or fresh avocado, should you happen to have one sitting on your counter). 


CHIPOTLE CRÈME FRAÎCHE
Makes 1 cup

Ingredients: 

8 ounces crème fraîche (NOTE: I don't love crème fraîche, so I substitute sour cream or Greek yogurt every time to happy effect).
1 - 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, or more to taste


Directions: 

Toss the chipotles (plus some of their adobo sauce for added heat) into a food processor, or mince by hand.

Fold chiles and crème fraîche/sour cream/yogurt together in a small bowl. Add adobo sauce to taste. Viola! 

Caramelized Chipotle Chicken

We've been hovering in the negative digits since the end of last month (as a noteworthy aside, -48 is the lowest wind chill factor I've seen so far), so as one might imagine, "hearty-satisfying-warm" is the name of the game when you find yourself in Minnesota. In January.

Guinness stew, shrimp creole, chicken & dumplings, short ribs paired with a gnocchi & Gorgonzola Dolce gratin, and margaritas (because a girl can dream...) have all made an appearance in the New Year. Even better? These wonderful humans bravely made an appearance earlier this month, too. :)

Leenie, my favorite middle sister, noshing at Tilia in St. Paul.
Also known as the (super sweet, slightly crunchy) Hudson Valley vegetable gal.

Ry, flexing his gnocchi muscles on New Years Eve.

Kelli!! We met on a flight over the Atlantic, both Rome-bound. The rest is history. :)

Authentic Minnesota hockey. Speaking of (when in) Rome... Go Ice Hawks!

Also, there was shopping. Tis the season.
(Mall of America's got nothin' on Houston's Galleria, for whatever it's worth).

Best of all, there was a lot of very good food.

Where was I? Ah. This particular chicken dish brings the heat. Which, conveniently, is what we've been desperate for since... October, I suppose. It paired beautifully with cauliflower & cheddar galettes. I think you'll enjoy.

CARAMELIZED CHIPOTLE CHICKEN
Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 TBS. EVOO
6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 c. ketchup
1 (heaping) TBS. Dijon mustard
1 TBS. packed (dark, if you have it) brown sugar
1/8 - 1/4 c. chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo, depending on how much heat you can handle
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cumin
3 1/2 lbs. chicken, cut into 8 pieces (NOTE: I can almost always find a whole chicken already butchered at the grocery. They'll sometimes have an extra leg and/or thigh included -- there's enough marinade here to go around, so go for what's easiest for you).

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450, with rack in the middle.

Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook garlic, stirring constantly, until golden. Transfer sliced garlic with a slotted spoon to a small plate.

Reduce heat to medium and cook the onions in the remaining oil, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Don't worry about any brown bits on the bottom of the pan -- that's flavor!

Add the garlic and remaining ingredients to the skillet, except the chicken, plus 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally (be watchful -- no burning, please), until sauce has thickened -- 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Put chicken pieces in a large bowl. Add half the sauce and coat pieces thoroughly. Place coated chicken skin-side up on an 17-by-11 inch heavy 4-sided sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and coat the pieces with the remaining sauce, then continue roasting until the chicken is cooked through (registers 165 on a digital read thermometer), another 15 to 25 minutes.

This chicken would be rockin' with grilled corn, rice and guac in the summer, but was terrific with Cauliflower and Cheddar Galettes (next post, I promise).


Recipe by Paul Grimes; Published in Gourmet Magazine, 2009.