Corn Sauté with Sweet Onion and Zucchini

This is resoundingly one of my go-to August dishes. It's safe to say that it's my mother's too, because she called me asking for the recipe just as I was whipping this up.

It's best with fresh corn on the cob, so make it up while the corn is fresh!

It serves 4 as a side dish, but my husband and I have been known to just chow down on it alone for dinner.

Corn Sauté with Sweet Onion and Zucchini

(lightly adapted from Fine Cooking)

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter, divided
½ tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt, divided
1 medium sweet onion, finely diced
1 medium zucchini, finely diced
2 heaping cups fresh corn kernels, cut from about 4 ears
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp ground corianger
½ tsp ground cumin
juice of ¼ lemon
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a dutch oven or very large skillet, melt ½ tbsp butter with ½ tbsp olive oil over medium-low heat. Add in onion and ½ tsp salt. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent. Remove heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 3 minutes, until onion is beginning to brown. Add in zucchini, and continue cooking until zucchini begins to shrink and lose some of its moisture, about 3 minutes more.

2. Add in remaining ½ tbsp butter, corn kernels, garlic and remaining ½ tsp of salt. Cook, stirring frequently until corn becomes bright, tender and caramelizes slightly, about 5 minutes. Add in coriander and cumin and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Remove pan from heat. Stir in lemon juice and 1 tbsp mint. Let sit for 2 minutes, then add in black pepper and additional salt to taste. Serve with additional mint sprinkled on top.

A casserole for a party

So, remember that whole legumes + pork kick I'm on?

Yeah, that hasn't stopped yet. I've been dying to try this recipe for the better part of a year, but couldn't because dried flageolet beans weren't readily available at my local grocery store. They taste a lot like navy beans, so feel free to substitute those!

Though this recipe takes a while (especially if you let the beans soak in their cooking liquid overnight), I think it's well worth it. Creamy, porky, yummy.

For the record, I apologize in advance for the weird formatting here. The source for the recipe wasn't formatting friendly!

Fine Cooking's Flageolet Bean Gratin with Sausage

(Cooking.com)

Recipe Ingredients

1 pound dried flageolet beans

1 large onion, peeled and quartered

1 head garlic, cloves separated but not peeled

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh sage

1 sprig fresh thyme

2 teaspoon salt

For the Gratin:

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, finely diced

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage

6 to 8 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound French-style garlic sausage or sweet Italian sausage

2 cups homemade bread crumbs

Homemade or low-salt canned chicken stock if needed

Directions
1. FOR THE BEANS: Pick over the beans. Soak if desired and drain. In a large, heavy-based pot, cover the beans with 8 cups cold water. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, sage, and thyme; bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to a bare simmer, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Simmer gently until the beans have softened, about 1 and 1/2 hours. Add the salt and continue cooking until the beans are quite tender, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Allow the beans to cool in the broth. Refrigerate overnight to let the flavors meld. 2. FOR THE GRATIN: Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid. Discard the garlic and any stems from the herbs. In a frying pan, heat 4 Tbs. of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper; cook until the onions are soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the thyme, sage, and garlic; cook 1 minute longer. 3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the beans with the onion mixture. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. The mixture should be highly seasoned. Transfer the beans to a shallow 2 1/2 qt. casserole. 4. In a hot frying pan, brown the sausages well on all sides. Let the sausages cool before cutting them into 1 1/2 -inch thick slices. Arrange the sliced sausages over the beans, then push them down beneath the surface of the beans with a wooden spoon. 5. Bring the reserved cooking liquid to a boil and pour enough of it into the casserole to barely cover the beans (add chicken stock if there isn’t enough). Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top and, with a wooden spoon, push them down a bit to absorb some of the liquid. Drizzle the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil over the top. Cover with aluminum foil, set the pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips, and bake for 30 min. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees and continue cooking for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and cook until the surface is golden brown and the juices are bubbling, about 15 minutes longer.      The recipe claims to serve 6. I'd base closer bets on 8.

Pan de Muerto

Ah... okay. This one had some disasters along the way to completion, but turned out tasty. It's a long recipe (although not hugely complex), and here's the link to it.

Even better? There's an audio sideshow!

So... here's what happened when I tried it. But first, for all the people who were too lazy to click the link: the recipe:

Pan de Muerto

For the bread
 
1/2 cup whole milk (I used ¼ cup each 1% and half & half)
2-3/4 oz. (5-1/2 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Two 4x1-inch strips of orange zest (use a vegetable peeler; avoid the white pith)
1 Tbs. orange blossom water
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 oz. (1-3/4 tsp.) active dry yeast
15-3/4 oz. (3-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more as needed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
Vegetable oil as needed

For the topping
2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted (I used 2½ tbsp)
1/4 cup granulated sugar

---

Make the dough Put the milk, butter, and orange zest in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir until the butter melts, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool until warm. Discard the orange zest, add the orange blossom water, and whisk in the eggs.

Or, you can add orange zest and strain it out later!

Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water (no hotter than 110°F) and let stand until the mixture bubbles slightly, 5 to 10 minutes. (If the yeast doesn’t bubble, discard it and start again with new yeast.)

Mix the flour, sugar, and salt on a work surface. Make a well in the center.

This is where things got awkward for me.

Gradually pour the yeast mixture and the milk mixture into the well while mixing with your hand.

Yeast mixture in? Okay! Milk mixture? Okay! Mixing? Uhm...

Or until the liquid leaks all over the place and your counter is a mess...

Knead until you have a nice, uniform dough, about 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth but still slightly sticky. If it seems too sticky, add more flour as needed.

Full recovery from the mess. It's good to know you can recover!

Put the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a towel, and leave in a warm place (about 70°F) until doubled in size, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Shape the bread

 

Cut off a piece of dough about the size of a lemon and reserve. Divide the remaining dough in half and shape the pieces on a lightly floured surface into 2 rounds. Lightly oil a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet or line it with parchment; put the dough rounds on it and flatten the tops with your hands.

With some of the reserved dough, form 2 balls the size of large marbles; set aside and cover with plastic. Divide the remaining dough into 6 pieces and roll them with your hands from the center out, making ropes that are slightly longer than the width of the loaves.

These little bits represent bones! You're going to lay them on top of the bread.

As you’re rolling, press with your index and middle fingers spread about 1 inch apart to make knobs that represent bones. Arrange 3 of the ropes on top of each dough round, overlapping the ropes in the center. Cover loosely with a cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Ready to go in the oven!

Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Dab a little cold water on the top center of each round where the ropes meet and put the reserved dough balls on top, pressing slightly so they adhere. Bake until the loaves have an even golden color, 30 to 40 minutes. Cover the loaves loosely with foil and continue to bake until their bottoms are browned and the internal temperature is 190°F, 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes on a wire rack.

Gorgeous! And they smelled great.

Top the bread Brush the loaves all over with some of the melted butter.

Mmm. Glistening with butter!

Holding one from the bottom (if it’s too warm, use an oven mitt or a piece of cardboard), sprinkle half of the sugar all over the top, tilting the loaf slightly to help coat it evenly.

Make sure you get all the corners!

Repeat with the other loaf and remaining sugar.

The ball on top popped off of this one.

Cool to room temperature before serving. The bread is best eaten within a day of baking.

Ta Dah! The finished product!

All in all, I think this was a great recipe. It was relatively easy, with the exception of my failure with the well. Overconfidence will get you every time, I swear. I can't stress this enough, but the orange blossom water makes this bread! It lends it a gorgeous floral tone that's in no way overpowering. I would definitely make this one again!

South Indian Curry

I've really been working through my Fine Cooking magazine this month! I meant to make this for my Thursday night veganfest with Kat, but we opted to do a different recipe instead. So this dish got deferred to Saturday night.

This is one tasty curry. It's mild, but flavourful.

Love the colours! We had it with basmati and paranthas.

Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients. You probably have most of these in your crisper or pantry. Also, if you have any lime leaves, throw them into the coconut milk mixture along with the cinnamon stick for added flavour.

South Indian Curry

(Fine Cooking Oct/Nov 2010)

2 Tbs. canola oil
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
One 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated (1 Tbs.)

1 Tbs. ground coriander
1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. cayenne

1 Tbs. tomato paste

2 cups lower-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 cup light coconut milk
One 3-inch cinnamon stick
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small cauliflower, broken into 1-1/2-inch florets (about 4 cups)
1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
2 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and coarsely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds (about 1 cup)

One 15-1/2-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 oz. baby spinach (about 4 lightly packed cups)
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. finely grated lime zest
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

---

In a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium (or medium low if necessary) and cook until the onion is richly browned, 5 to 7 minutes more. Add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring, for 1 minute to blend the flavors. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne; stir for 30 seconds to toast the spices. Add the tomato paste and stir until well blended with the aromatics, about 1 minute.

Add the broth, coconut milk, cinnamon stick, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low or low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the cauliflower, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and carrots. Raise the heat to medium high and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick.

Stir in the chickpeas, spinach, lime juice, and zest; cook until the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes more. Season to taste with salt. Serve garnished with the cilantro.

Cranberry Pear Tart with Walnut Shortbread Crust

Who wants an insanely easy but totally delicious dessert that will get you through the fall/winter festivities? Might I introduce you to this little beauty?

It's got a pat-in-the-pan crust, filling chopped in a food processor and a whole lot of personality!

You may have noticed I've been doing a lot of cooking from Fine Cooking magazine lately. They're definitely my new favourite!

Mmm. Macro-licious!

Follow the link for the recipe! 

 

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad and a Cottage Saturday

Part of the annual Thanksgiving weekend tradition involves all the people on the street taking the docks out of the water. There's a lot less enthusiasm for this activity (versus putting them in on the Victoria Day long weekend), mostly because the water is so much colder. 

Dad walking down the street wearing hip-waiters.

I see my role, as official photographer, to be a pretty damn important one.

The beach, with more than half of the dock gone.

You see, there are dogs that need portraits done.

Promptly after running into the water.

And... well... do you want to go swimming at Thanksgiving?

Yar. Look at that strength!

After everything at the beach seemed under control, Jenn and I took a walk down towards Snake Creek.

More milkweed pods!

And, you know, because we were tired after that, we sat around reading at the cottage.

The living room

Phil and I took a quick walk before dinner just up and down River Road.

River Road at Murray Hill

I love autumn up here. I swear, no one does autumn like Ottawa-Gatineau.

View from another beach.

And what would the cottage be without eating? Nothing, I tells you.

Yum!

See the plaid shirt I'm wearing? I wore it practically every day in grade 8 (it was the grunge era). Now I reserve it for fall at the cottage, where it's kept permanently!

We're eating a poorly plated, but totally delicious Roasted Butternut Squash Salad recipe. I swear, it's the best dish ever.

Well. best dish for fall anyway.

Roasted squash, red onions, bacon, melted goat cheese, walnuts, maple... this salad has a whole lot of awesome goin' on!

forgotten dinner turned lunch

Do you ever buy too much food during the week? I always start off the week with the best intentions. I'll cook mains and sides from scratch and enjoy the best food ever.

This is what happens in reality:

Monday: extreme enthusiasm
Tuesday: dinner without Phil (he has class) means I eat a piece of toast and a reheated Costco sausage.

And thusly are all my plans killed. I cook Saturday-Monday really and then just hope for the best the rest of the week. Maybe the food fairy will come and visit me.

One of the recipes I had planned to make this week was Roasted Sprouts with Mushrooms. I love Brussels Sprouts - as long as they aren't boiled. Roasting is a great way to show off their flavour.

The sprouts sat in the fridge all week. By Saturday, I could feel them glaring at me. So instead of having a sandwich, Saturday lunch consisted of spouts, mushrooms, cream and wine. After all, Phil and I were all gussied up and ready to go for dinner at the Beerbistro with his parents.

We solve mysteries in our spare time - you know, Castle style.

Let's just get back to the sprouts, shall we?

I'm not going to mince words. It was pretty fabulous. I can see why Nigel Slater often just has a dish of vegetables for a meal. This is a totally luxurious treatment of the humble sprout... and definitely worth opening a bottle of wine for!

Perhaps a trifle over roasted...

For all you Canadians: I highly recommend this recipe for Thanksgiving next weekend. It`s about time you upgraded from boiled sprouts!

Recipe can be found here or after the jump!

Weekend Cooking

I wish I'd thought to take pictures of the dish I made for a dinner party we went to last night. Fine Cooking's Summer Wheat Berry Salad was a hit with everyone, even though I made it with pot barley instead of wheat berries. One of the advantages of using the barley was it cut the cooking time dramatically - it only took 30 minutes. I subbed the barley in at a one to one ratio, and didn't leave it to cool in the cooking water. You can find the recipe for it after the jump!

A quick note: the dinner party was so lovely! We got to meet up with some of my husband's Tumblr friends, drank copious amounts of wine, ate some seriously delicious pork tenderloin. I don't think I've ever had a moister tenderloin in my life. I think our amazing host, Robin, braised it with figs and shallots. Oh, it was sooo good! It was a totally lovely evening - there's nothing like good company!

Today I've been puttering lazily about the kitchen. Earlier, I whipped together some almond-basil pesto for tonight's pizza (I've got to use up the leftover roasted red pepper and artichokes from last night's salad).

I love five minute recipes! I just had to throw the <--------ingredients in the food processor and voila! Pesto complete!  ------>

Now I'm contemplating how I'm going to use up the five stalks of rhubarb I bought mid week. I think it'll probably end up being Martha's Rhubarb Upside Down Cake (but a half size version, because I don't own a 9" cake pan).