I'm back from Russia and it has been amazing! Not only did I learn a huge amount about another language and culture but I picked up some little known recipes and cooking methods. Part of the challenge was the lack of an oven or toaster; we had 3-6 burners to work with and a limited number of pots and pans. Similarly, when it came to finding ingredients I was left to improvise quite a bit. I wasn't always sure what I was coming home with. But with the ingredients that became available I made it into an interesting culinary and life experience.
About the chicken bit of this recipe -- I've been vegetarian for around 13 years now, more for preference and health reasons than anything else. However, I was cooking for more than one person most of the time and most people want a little meat in their diet. The produkti near our dorms in Moscow carried whole chickens for not a whole lot of cash and this recipe came about. I will admit that I had to have someone else cut up the raw meat and such but the broth added a lot. If you want to skip the chicken just use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and you can leave out the actual meat -- a lot of people like squash or pumpkin as a filler.
What you need:
a large bottomed, shallowish pot
a small stockpot or very large regular pot
4-6 oz ladel
medium frying pan
apx. 2c arborio rice (gotta be arborio)
3 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 1/3c white wine
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
2 tbsp oregano
1-2 large chicken breast(s)
1 large lemon
1 1/2c grated parmesan cheese
apx. 3 qt water
4 tbsp salt, or to taste
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
Bring the water in the stock pot to boil; add the salt and bouillon cubes. Cut bite sized pieces off of the chicken breasts, set aside and put the remains (bones with some meat still on them in the stockpot). Let it boil for at least an hour, two or three is ideal but keep an eye on it so it doesn't bubble over.
When the broth tastes right and turns a golden color, turn it to simmer and heat the vegetable oil in the shallow pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent; if they begin to brown immediately after hitting the oil it's too hot. Add the arborio rice and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until it begins to look translucent -- about three minutes. Add 3/4 of the white wine and stir quickly, it will evaporate fast so once the rice looks "creamy" get your ladel and stock ready.
Add one ladel of stock to the rice mixture and stir -- continue stirring gently until most of the liquid is gone and the rice appears creamy rather than soupy. Continue to do this three or four times.
Around the fourth ladel, start preparing the chicken. Heat a bit of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the chicken. Cut the lemon into quarters, remove the seeds and squeeze the juice over the chicken. Throw the rinds in with it. Add the herbs and about a teaspoon of salt, stir with a spatula and cover the skillet with a tight lid. After about five minutes add the remaining white wine and cover again. Get back to the risotto.
Add another ladel of broth -- the rice is done when it's al dente, which takes about 6-8 ladels for this recipe. The only way to really know is to taste it though; it shouldn't be mushy but it also shouldn't be crunchy, good risotto takes about 20-35 minutes total. Just continue adding stock and stirring, stirring, stirring. Check on the chicken and once it's done to your liking remove the lemons, add to the risotto and mix. Ideally, add the chicken before the last ladel of broth goes in.
When all is said and done, serve it hot with parmesan cheese over the top. Some people say to put the cheese over the risotto in the pot and cover for a few minutes but I've found that different people prefer different amounts. It's a long recipe but this has been a crowd pleaser and it's pretty easy to get right!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
From Russia, With Love
I'll begin with a long overdue apology for not updating this blog in a few months. On top of the typical student life I've had some other issues to deal with, nothing too dire, just busy. As of right now I'm in St. Petersburg, Russia and am going to Moscow for the next five weeks. Needless to say this has been an experience in culture, of which food is a major component. I'm going to be returning with tons of recipes and new concepts that I hope will bring just a tiny piece of Russia into both of our kitchens. Za zdarovy!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Tahitian Blinis
Tahitian blinis -- it's a contradiction in and of itself. Blinis, also known as blin or blintzes, are a traditional Russian food often seen in Jewish cooking as well. Pineapple and vanilla don't need an explanation, but when combined they create a taste that is way beyond the sum of its parts. I like to put a little vanilla extract in the syrup pineapple comes stored in, it adds a hint of luxuriousness to an otherwise simple and sunny fruit. Blinis are often filled with everything from meat and cream cheese to various regional fruits.
This recipe took a bit of practice; without going into detail I'll just say that the initial first attempt at the filling was an utter failure. The blinis themselves took some handling but I got the hang of it by the second or third one. The batter is supposed to be very thin, and a large nonstick skillet without tapered sides is your best bet (i.e. the flat portion at the bottom of the skillet is large versus curving inward like a wok). This gives the batter plenty of surface area to spread out and create the characteristic thinness. You could also use a crepe maker, as the dishes are quite similar. This recipe makes around 20 blin, but they store very well in a freezer bag in the fridge for a couple of days. I found them much easier to work with the second day.
Ingredients for blinis:
4 eggs
1 1/2c whole milk
1 1/2c flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
Whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the salt and sugar and continue to whisk. Finally, add the flour and whisk until the batter is smooth. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, I used a tiny bit of butter before each blin to make them easier to handle after cooking. Using a 1/4c measuring cup, put one scoop of batter in the skillet. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes or until the sides begin to curl up and you can shimmy a spatula under the blin. Flip and allow the other side to cook for about 30 seconds, then take the pan and flip the blin onto a plate. Do this until you're out of batter.
Filling:
*This makes enough filling for all the blinis, adjust accordingly if you're making fewer and don't want leftovers. This goes nicely on bagels as well.*
1 1/2c finely chopped and shredded pineapple (if you're getting it from a can, strain all the syrup out first and reduce the sugar by 2-3 tsp)
12 oz cream cheese
8 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Let the cream cheese soften to room temperature and cream it with the sugar and vanilla extract. Mix in the pineapple until the consistency is about even and there are no chunks of cream cheese left.
Taking the blini, put a tablespoon or two of filling into the center. The way you roll these is very similar to the egg roll method; bring the right edge over, tuck the top edge down and the bottom edge up and roll from the folded side. Once all of these are done you can either serve them as is or fry them.
Some people choose to fry these, especially on Hanukkah when frying is a religious observance. To do this, heat about an inch of vegetable oil over medium heat in a skillet. Very carefully place the blinis seam side up in the pan; you will probably have to hover by them and use a spatula or tongs to keep the seams from falling apart. After a few minutes flip to the other side with tongs. Allow to brown for another minute or so and transfer to a paper towel. Do the same with the rest of the blinis; fit as many as you can into the pan without crowding them and giving yourself ample space for flipping. Serve and enjoy!
This recipe took a bit of practice; without going into detail I'll just say that the initial first attempt at the filling was an utter failure. The blinis themselves took some handling but I got the hang of it by the second or third one. The batter is supposed to be very thin, and a large nonstick skillet without tapered sides is your best bet (i.e. the flat portion at the bottom of the skillet is large versus curving inward like a wok). This gives the batter plenty of surface area to spread out and create the characteristic thinness. You could also use a crepe maker, as the dishes are quite similar. This recipe makes around 20 blin, but they store very well in a freezer bag in the fridge for a couple of days. I found them much easier to work with the second day.
Ingredients for blinis:
4 eggs
1 1/2c whole milk
1 1/2c flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
Whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the salt and sugar and continue to whisk. Finally, add the flour and whisk until the batter is smooth. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, I used a tiny bit of butter before each blin to make them easier to handle after cooking. Using a 1/4c measuring cup, put one scoop of batter in the skillet. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes or until the sides begin to curl up and you can shimmy a spatula under the blin. Flip and allow the other side to cook for about 30 seconds, then take the pan and flip the blin onto a plate. Do this until you're out of batter.
Filling:
*This makes enough filling for all the blinis, adjust accordingly if you're making fewer and don't want leftovers. This goes nicely on bagels as well.*
1 1/2c finely chopped and shredded pineapple (if you're getting it from a can, strain all the syrup out first and reduce the sugar by 2-3 tsp)
12 oz cream cheese
8 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Let the cream cheese soften to room temperature and cream it with the sugar and vanilla extract. Mix in the pineapple until the consistency is about even and there are no chunks of cream cheese left.
Taking the blini, put a tablespoon or two of filling into the center. The way you roll these is very similar to the egg roll method; bring the right edge over, tuck the top edge down and the bottom edge up and roll from the folded side. Once all of these are done you can either serve them as is or fry them.
Some people choose to fry these, especially on Hanukkah when frying is a religious observance. To do this, heat about an inch of vegetable oil over medium heat in a skillet. Very carefully place the blinis seam side up in the pan; you will probably have to hover by them and use a spatula or tongs to keep the seams from falling apart. After a few minutes flip to the other side with tongs. Allow to brown for another minute or so and transfer to a paper towel. Do the same with the rest of the blinis; fit as many as you can into the pan without crowding them and giving yourself ample space for flipping. Serve and enjoy!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Candied Carrots and Beets in Red Currant Sauce
As I've said, I'm a sucker for a bargain. What I haven't said is that I'm a sucker for unique berries. I've always been a fan of huckleberries and boysenberries since I picked them from the bushes at my grandmother's house. I saw these small, ruby red berries on special and saw that they were red currants. I immediately thought of black currants and threw them in my cart.
When I got home I tasted them and was unprepared for the tart flavor. It wasn't as bad as a raw cranberry, but still sour. I also had these beautiful beets and carrots waiting to be used, and thought it might be a good alternative to the sour flavor of lemon in a more sweet dish. Thus, this was born.
Ingredients:
2 large beets, about the size of a softball each
6 small carrots or 4 medium ones, chopped into bite sized pieces
1/3c sugar
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 box red currants, about 6 oz
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the tops off the beets and slice them into quarters. Allow to boil for about 20 minutes, then add the carrots to the boiling water. Boil for 15-20 minutes longer. Drain and allow to cool. Running under cold water, pull the skin off the beets. Slice them into bite sized pieces as well.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pull the currants off of their stems and rinse well. Combine with the sugar, ginger and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat until it becomes syrupy, toss with the beets and carrots in a casserole dish. Bake for around 20 minutes or until it bubbles. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Serve with chilled sour cream.
When I got home I tasted them and was unprepared for the tart flavor. It wasn't as bad as a raw cranberry, but still sour. I also had these beautiful beets and carrots waiting to be used, and thought it might be a good alternative to the sour flavor of lemon in a more sweet dish. Thus, this was born.
Ingredients:
2 large beets, about the size of a softball each
6 small carrots or 4 medium ones, chopped into bite sized pieces
1/3c sugar
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 box red currants, about 6 oz
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut the tops off the beets and slice them into quarters. Allow to boil for about 20 minutes, then add the carrots to the boiling water. Boil for 15-20 minutes longer. Drain and allow to cool. Running under cold water, pull the skin off the beets. Slice them into bite sized pieces as well.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pull the currants off of their stems and rinse well. Combine with the sugar, ginger and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat until it becomes syrupy, toss with the beets and carrots in a casserole dish. Bake for around 20 minutes or until it bubbles. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Serve with chilled sour cream.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Veggie Enchiladas
I love enchiladas, and I tend to be a purist when it comes to what I enjoy -- a slightly spicy sauce, melted cheese with beans and maybe some onion wrapped in a fresh corn tortilla served piping hot. However, I know most people prefer a bit more punch to theirs so in this recipe I've added some more vegetables, feel free to omit them or add your own. I should also add that this is one of the few recipes that has turned out phenomenal on the first try; it is traditional but it's also hard to go wrong.
It's interesting to note that this is essentially one of the oldest foods in existence in the Western hemisphere. Way before the colonization and eventual invasion of North, South and Central America by the Europeans one of the staple crops was maize. They also heavily utilized various potatoes in regions of South America, but that's another entry. Corn has a complex nutritional structure and needs to be crushed to "activate" these -- the minerals the Native Americans (referring to all 3 Americas) in the stones used to do the crushing couldn't have hurt either. The practice of wrapping corn tortillas around fish originated in Mexico; the recipe for enchiladas also appeared in the first Mexican cookbook: El cocinero mexicano ("The Mexican Chef"). With basic staple ingredients and simple preparation, this traditional food has undergone very few changes since its invention centuries ago.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp vegetable oil
6 corn tortillas
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/3c finely chopped mushrooms
1c enchilada sauce (you can make your own or get it from a jar, I get mine from the jar. Frontero mild to be exact!)
~1 1/2 c shredded monterrey jack cheese
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Using tongs, put a corn tortilla in and allow to heat for 2-3 seconds, then flip. Move to a paper towel and do the same with the rest of the tortillas. Mop up any extra grease with a paper towel. Do not turn off the heat.
Put the chili powder, mushrooms and onions in the skillet and cook, stirring often, until the surfaces begin to brown (5-10 minutes). Take off the heat and set aside.
Holding a tortilla in your hand, put some of the cheese and veggie mixture in the center of it. Fold one side 3/4 of the way over and roll it up. After a few tries this will come naturally. Transfer to a baking dish, repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Top with enchilada sauce and sprinkle with leftover cheese, if desired. Bake at 450 degrees until the cheese melts, around 5-10 minutes. Serve hot!
It's interesting to note that this is essentially one of the oldest foods in existence in the Western hemisphere. Way before the colonization and eventual invasion of North, South and Central America by the Europeans one of the staple crops was maize. They also heavily utilized various potatoes in regions of South America, but that's another entry. Corn has a complex nutritional structure and needs to be crushed to "activate" these -- the minerals the Native Americans (referring to all 3 Americas) in the stones used to do the crushing couldn't have hurt either. The practice of wrapping corn tortillas around fish originated in Mexico; the recipe for enchiladas also appeared in the first Mexican cookbook: El cocinero mexicano ("The Mexican Chef"). With basic staple ingredients and simple preparation, this traditional food has undergone very few changes since its invention centuries ago.
Ingredients:
3 tbsp vegetable oil
6 corn tortillas
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/3c finely chopped mushrooms
1c enchilada sauce (you can make your own or get it from a jar, I get mine from the jar. Frontero mild to be exact!)
~1 1/2 c shredded monterrey jack cheese
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Using tongs, put a corn tortilla in and allow to heat for 2-3 seconds, then flip. Move to a paper towel and do the same with the rest of the tortillas. Mop up any extra grease with a paper towel. Do not turn off the heat.
Put the chili powder, mushrooms and onions in the skillet and cook, stirring often, until the surfaces begin to brown (5-10 minutes). Take off the heat and set aside.
Holding a tortilla in your hand, put some of the cheese and veggie mixture in the center of it. Fold one side 3/4 of the way over and roll it up. After a few tries this will come naturally. Transfer to a baking dish, repeat with the rest of the tortillas. Top with enchilada sauce and sprinkle with leftover cheese, if desired. Bake at 450 degrees until the cheese melts, around 5-10 minutes. Serve hot!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Golden Winter Root Veggies
I can't for the life of me think of a decent name for this recipe. It was born out of necessity, as so many great things are. The short backstory: I cannot pass up a bargain on produce. Okay, so maybe I won't be buying 3 for $2 bell peppers anytime soon but as long as it's something I like or would like to learn how to use. Hence my discovery of the rutabaga.
My mom recommended them after I raved about the beet salad a friend brought to our house. She says "it's kinda like a beet, kinda like a turnip and kinda like a potato". When I saw them in the produce aisle with their dark, rubbery skin I was dubious but picked up a few anyway.
I've been roasting lots lately, mainly because it's such a good way to combine the flavor of vegetables with spices in a way completely unrelated to boring ol' boiled dinners or something out of a can. These rutabagas roast beautifully, and the golden beets added a nice difference to the texture (although the rutabagas are quite mild themselves). This dish is a bit time consuming but not labor intensive, so if you have an evening to get work done at home this is a great dish to try out.
Ingredients:
1 large rutabaga
3 small golden beets
3 tsp juice from preserved lemons
1/2 white onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4c olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
~1/2c grated parmesan
Put a large pot of water on to boil and slice the tops off of the beets and rutabaga. Scrub them well and allow to boil 20-40 minutes or until a fork easily penetrates the rutabaga. Remove from the boiling water and allow to cool.
Peel the roots (the skins of the beets should come off by hand, you'll need a peeler for the rutabaga). Dice into bite sized pieces and toss with all ingredients except the parmesan. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, toss again and bake for another 15 minutes. Take out of the oven and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve hot.
My mom recommended them after I raved about the beet salad a friend brought to our house. She says "it's kinda like a beet, kinda like a turnip and kinda like a potato". When I saw them in the produce aisle with their dark, rubbery skin I was dubious but picked up a few anyway.
I've been roasting lots lately, mainly because it's such a good way to combine the flavor of vegetables with spices in a way completely unrelated to boring ol' boiled dinners or something out of a can. These rutabagas roast beautifully, and the golden beets added a nice difference to the texture (although the rutabagas are quite mild themselves). This dish is a bit time consuming but not labor intensive, so if you have an evening to get work done at home this is a great dish to try out.
Ingredients:
1 large rutabaga
3 small golden beets
3 tsp juice from preserved lemons
1/2 white onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4c olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper
~1/2c grated parmesan
Put a large pot of water on to boil and slice the tops off of the beets and rutabaga. Scrub them well and allow to boil 20-40 minutes or until a fork easily penetrates the rutabaga. Remove from the boiling water and allow to cool.
Peel the roots (the skins of the beets should come off by hand, you'll need a peeler for the rutabaga). Dice into bite sized pieces and toss with all ingredients except the parmesan. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, toss again and bake for another 15 minutes. Take out of the oven and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serve hot.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Panettone French Toast
January is a magical month -- namely, magical in the sense of post-Christmas sales. Everything from winter coats to holiday food staples are redlined, put under clearance signs and left to fend for themselves in the masses of holiday crazed bargain hunters. After a few weeks, the remnants of the holidays are all but gone, the last of which to go are the grocery store items. All the cans of pumpkin have been reshelved, the boxes of dark brown sugar safely nestled with other forms of glucose rather than being precariously stacked in the produce aisle.
It was amid these skeletons of the festivities of 2008 that I came across Panettone on sale at Whole Foods. Especially for Italians, this bread is the very symbol of the holidays and joins the ranks of other seasonal superstars like the latke and Christmas cookies. It's a very soft, almost cakelike bread with raisins, candied orange zest, citron and other things I'm surely forgetting that's been allowed to proof for over 30 hours. In it's regular form it's the perfect complement to a cup of coffee or tea, a jovial breakfast loaf to be enjoyed for the days of recuperation in early January.
So, what exactly is my not-at-all-Italian self doing with such an "inside" staple? I can't take complete credit for this masterpiece; Foodblogga posted a lovely recipe for this dish, along with the suggestion on the box. Not all French toast is created equal, even if it's made with Italian bread. My verdict on the dish itself? PHENOMENAL! The best French toast I've ever eaten -- it's creamy on the inside, slightly crispy on the outside and packed with a symphony of flavors. It was almost a little too sweet, but that may have been thanks to my generosity with the maple syrup.
It was amid these skeletons of the festivities of 2008 that I came across Panettone on sale at Whole Foods. Especially for Italians, this bread is the very symbol of the holidays and joins the ranks of other seasonal superstars like the latke and Christmas cookies. It's a very soft, almost cakelike bread with raisins, candied orange zest, citron and other things I'm surely forgetting that's been allowed to proof for over 30 hours. In it's regular form it's the perfect complement to a cup of coffee or tea, a jovial breakfast loaf to be enjoyed for the days of recuperation in early January.
So, what exactly is my not-at-all-Italian self doing with such an "inside" staple? I can't take complete credit for this masterpiece; Foodblogga posted a lovely recipe for this dish, along with the suggestion on the box. Not all French toast is created equal, even if it's made with Italian bread. My verdict on the dish itself? PHENOMENAL! The best French toast I've ever eaten -- it's creamy on the inside, slightly crispy on the outside and packed with a symphony of flavors. It was almost a little too sweet, but that may have been thanks to my generosity with the maple syrup.
Ingredients for 3 large servings:
3 slices of panettone, apx "1 in thickness
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4c whole milk
maple syrup
butter for the skillet
Combine the milk, vanilla, cinnamon and eggs. Whisk together until uniform. Place each slice of the panettone into the custard and let it soak for exactly 30 seconds; flip and do the same for the other side. Heat a skillet over medium low and melt some butter to prevent sticking. Very carefully place the slices of bread in the skillet (they will be really fragile). After 3-5 minutes, or when the bread is browned when you peek under it, flip and brown the other side. Serve hot with a bit of maple syrup or confectioner's sugar.
3 slices of panettone, apx "1 in thickness
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4c whole milk
maple syrup
butter for the skillet
Combine the milk, vanilla, cinnamon and eggs. Whisk together until uniform. Place each slice of the panettone into the custard and let it soak for exactly 30 seconds; flip and do the same for the other side. Heat a skillet over medium low and melt some butter to prevent sticking. Very carefully place the slices of bread in the skillet (they will be really fragile). After 3-5 minutes, or when the bread is browned when you peek under it, flip and brown the other side. Serve hot with a bit of maple syrup or confectioner's sugar.
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