Dad would be proud

Well, I promised my co-workers I would bring a breakfast treat for a meeting we had this week, so I took the opportunity to try something in a new cookbook, "A New Way to Cook" by Sally Schneider (I really like Schneider's food philosophy, but wasn't all that inspired by the book as a whole).

Anyway, I made Coriander and Orange Scented Scones (p. 375). I had never made scones before (although I am the daughter of a baker: http://www.fatboybakery.com/ , I frequently fail when it comes to baking things myself), but the recipe seemed pretty simple.

I followed the recipe pretty closely (although I omitted the coriander), but adapted the shaping and baking processes a little. After kneading the dough, I shaped it into a rough rectangle and cut it into 16 triangles (instead of the rounds Schneider suggests) because I wanted "mini" scones. I then placed them on a cookie sheet and put the whole thing in the freezer overnight. Then, I baked them (for about 20-25 minutes at 375 F) in the morning while I was getting ready for work. The freshly baked orange-scented currant-flecked nibbles were a huge hit at work! I can't wait to try some other varieties with this basic recipe - maybe ginger & lemon, cranberry & orange, chocolate chip & almond...any other ideas?

Winter Garden Bounty

Well, actually this is the way it works: MO gardens, I cook, we both eat.

This is a beautiful salad we had over the weekend - with butter lettuce, red oak lettuce, yellow & orange baby carrots, sugar snap peas, and green onions...all from the garden! It's easy to forget that it's February when we have salads like this.

Quiche

I can't really remember if I ever made quiche before last week, but now that I know how easy it is - I'm sure I'll be making it again very soon. Also, you can serve it at any temperature and for any meal.

Basically, quiche is made up of crust, cheese, filling, and custard. The great thing about making quiche is that you can use whatever kind of cheese, whatever kind of filling you have (a great way to use leftover cooked vegetables) and you can use a store bought crust or homemade (I'll share my new favorite whole wheat-flecked crust recipe soon).

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. (For a crisper crust you can pre-bake the crust for 10-15 minutes while you are preparing the filling)

2. Sprinkle some shredded cheese in the bottom of the crust (I used about one handful)

3. Add filling (I sauteed leeks and mushrooms from the farmers market, then added some fresh baby spinach)

4. Beat together 3 - 4 eggs and 1 - 1 1/4 cups milk and pour over filling (depending on what size your pan is, you may need more or less liquid).

5. Bake 35-40 minutes or until just set.

My leek, mushroom and spinach combo was great, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand. Here are some ideas:

swiss cheese + onions + bacon, cooked and crumbled (this is the classic Quiche Lorraine)

feta cheese + sauteed spinach & garlic

pepper jack + leftover fajita veggies

cheddar + asparagus

mozzarella + sliced tomatoes + sausage, cooked and crumbled

jack cheese + sauteed mushrooms

Glazed Brussels Sprouts and Carrots

I found this recipe in a Gourmet magazine last year and I make it often during the fall and winter (including Thanksgiving at LoPo and KK's this past year - see photo). I can get brussels sprouts, carrots and shallots all winter at our farmers market and this is an easy and delicious way to get them eaten up! The recipe is good as is, but I usually use a little more cider vinegar (about 2 Tablespoons). You can find the recipe here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Carrots-and-Brussels-Sprouts-241514

Pickled Red Onions

Here's another recipe review for the CHOW's Cookbook of the Month, this time for "Red Onion Pickles" from Judy Rodgers' The Zuni Cafe Cookbook (pg. 270).

I love all things pickled and these beautiful bright pink onions might quickly become a new favorite. The recipe is a little time consuming (with three repetitions of a simmering and cooling process), but it ended up being easier than I expected...and very delicious! I just made them today, so I have only sampled them on their own. I can only imagine, however, all of the fabulous uses for these gorgeous little rings - sandwhiches, salads, burgers...

Vegetable Potstickers

This was probably the fourth or fifth time MO and I have made homemade potstickers, but evertime we do I am amazed by how delicious they are. We use pre-packed wonton wrappers, so they're simple to make, too. I highly reccomend trying this recipe and adapting it according to your taste and what you have in your fridge...

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. oil
1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbs. fresh ginger, minced (I've also used chopped sushi ginger in a pinch!)

1/2 head cabbage, shredded (Chinese is nice, but any kind will work. You can also use 2 cups any hearty green, shredded)

2 large carrots, grated

1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped

2 Tbs. soy sauce

2 Tbs. rice vinegar

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1 Tbs. Sriracha chili-garlic paste

4-5 scallions, chopped (white and green parts - set aside a few slices for the dipping sauce)

1/2 lb. firm tofu, diced (1/4 inch cubes work well)

1 package dumpling wrappers (like these)

Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, ginger, cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms. Saute, stirring occassionally, for 10 minutes or until wegetables are wilted and tender, but not mushy. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, Sriracha chili-garlic paste, and scallions. Stir well and heat through. Add diced tofu and stir just until combined (be carfeul not to break up tofu).

Remove pan from heat and let mixture cool in colander over sink or bowl to drain excess liquid. While vegetable mixture is cooling grease a large baking sheet and cover with a damp towel for your assembly area.

Take a wrapper from package and place a spoonful (I just use a silverware spoon) of filling in the center. Gently wet the edge of the wrapper with water (fingers work best for this). Fold wrapper over filling and press with to remove air. To seal potstickers, I use a fork and press gently around the edges (I haven't mastered the fancy crimping method yet, but I plan to try it next time). Place potstickers under damp cloth so that they don't dry out. It takes some time to fill and wrap all of the dumplings, so try to get some help (MO is really good at this).

After you've wrapped all of your dumplings, cover the bottom of a flat frying pan with a little oil. Heat over high heat and add dumplings, flat side down. When they have browned on one side, flip them and add 1/4 cup water to the pan. Turn down the heat and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until water has evaporated and browned sides are crispy again. Serve hot or at room temparature as an appetizer or alongside miso soup and fried green beans for a delicious light meal. Mix a little soy sauce, rice vinegar and scallions for a dipping sauce and you're ready to go!

The Twelve Meals of Christmas

Since I was too busy celebrating (read: "eating and drinking") over the holidays to keep the blog up-to-date, I'm a little behind. We had so many fabulous meals over the holidays, but here some memorable edibles:

Kennedy's Irish Pub and Curry House
I've blogged about this place before, but we had to bring the fam.

Homemade English Muffins (a la Fat Boy)
Nothing beats a homemade English Muffin - believe me. Process is a little complicated - helps to have a baker for a father.

Tuesday night at Portelli

We were pleasantly surprised by this Italian spot in Novato. (the Tuesday night special of 1/2 price wine helped!)

Dungeness Crab

We introduced the fam to the delicious West Coast specialty.

and my favorite eating experience of the holidays...

Locally-grown Christmas Dinner

Homemade linguini with summer garden sauce, smashed carrots and parsnips, mixed baby greens salad, and broccoli with meyer lemon. ALL vegetables grown by MO. Pretty impressive, huh? And it was delicious.