Madhu Knits and Cooks

Recipe, knitting, and sewing project notes

Tag: Cooking — Breakfast

Post 500! My First Real Frittata – Broccoli and Feta, a Great New Go-To Recipe

Post 500! It has only taken 12+ years, but today is that day! Thank you to all of my readers and supporters for encouraging me to blog over the past several years – this wouldn't have happened without you!

Today's milestone post features another milestone cooking accomplishment – my first real frittata! Some of you may recall my disastrous attempt at a frittata last year, when I attempted to "flip" the frittata instead of putting it in the oven for the traditional finishing step. That frittata-like outcome still tasted good, but looked like a total mess.

Well, enter into my kitchen a new nonstick pan that can go into the oven without fear! And the frittata recipe I tried with this new pan – Cook's Illustrated Broccoli and Feta Frittata for Two – couldn't be easier to construct on a weekend morning or weekday evening. Start by sautéing the broccoli in a hot pan with some seasonings (red pepper flake, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper).

When the broccoli starts to brown, add in the egg mixture and crumbled feta, and lightly stir until the eggs begin to cook up. I didn't have milk on hand for the egg mixture, so used some sour cream and water (why not?) instead. Transfer the pan to a preheated oven and cook for an additional several minutes until the frittata is set.

Then let sit 5 minutes, cut and serve. The frittata was great both immediately and in leftover form – great saltiness from the feta, and nice firm broccoli chunks throughout. I will definitely continue to make this recipe moving forward.

February 24, 2019
A Winning Rye Bread – Modifying Another Favorite Recipe

After a few attempts of trying to perfect a rye version of the famed Jim Lahey No Knead Bread recipe, I ended up switching to an entirely new recipe (albeit another favorite). That recipe – Simple Crusty Bread by Jeff Hertzberg – has been a perfect compliment to rye flour, and I've made the recipe several times over the summer.

To make this bread, I've halved the recipe and included approx. 1/2 cup of rye flour to 2 3/4 cup of AP flour (I may increase the rye moving forward, but the rye flavor still comes through at this ratio). Baking the bread for the full baking time (30 – 31 minutes) seems key as I initially was baking it for 27 – 28 minutes, which led to a slightly softer crust as the bread cooled.

Another important tip is to try to let this bread cool as much as possible to "sweat out" the internal moisture and not make the crust / interior too soggy while cutting into it while warm.

This can be hard to do when the bread smells so wonderfully delicious out of the oven, but letting it cool for a few hours definitely seems key to get that nice firm crust coupled with a soft interior. This is definitely a new MadhuKnitsandCooks favorite that will take me through the seasons!

August 19, 2018
A Messy First Attempt at Frittata – Broccoli Cheddar Frittata
As the post title indicates, my first attempt at frittata was a bit of a mess. Thankfully, it ended up tasted great, but not only was the process a mess, the final output was also a bit…messy.

The challenge I had is that the saute pan I used was not oven safe to the temperature I needed, so I decided midway to use the Serious Eats flipping method. But instead of actually using that full flipping method – which I was ultimately too scared to do – I decided to weakly semi-flip the frittata onto a plate to then slide the undercooked side back into the pan.

In short, I kept changing my mind on what to do, and did each resulting step with such a heavy amount of hesitancy that the appearance of my frittata was largely doomed. But soldier on I did, and the resulting frittata was one that I will make again (though with more certainty, gusto, and perhaps a different pan to just finish in the oven!).

I settled on a broccoli cheddar frittata largely because I had the ingredients on hand and I thought this would be a good way to use frozen broccoli. I also wanted to make a frittata that was more vegetable than egg-heavy, and given that broccoli is my favorite vegetable, it felt like the perfect way to anchor a vegetable-heavy frittata.

The hot frittata achieved my flavor combination perfectly. When cooled though, the frittata was a bit more eggy than I generally prefer – but still, it's an egg-based dish, so what else would I expect?

Recipe and instructions follow the picture below.

Broccoli Cheddar Frittata

Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 2 – 3 tbsp. milk (my milk went bad, so I couldn't use it, but I will in the future)
- 10 oz. bag frozen chopped broccoli
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. water
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar
- red pepper flakes, to taste
- salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Defrost frozen broccoli according to bag instructions, and drain any excess water.
- Heat olive oil in a medium-t0-large saucepan on medium high heat. When hot, add drained broccoli, red chili flake, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Saute for approx. 5 – 7 min or until hot and fully cooked.
- In a bowl, lightly beat eggs with milk, salt, pepper, and then add cheddar, stirring to combine.
- Add to the hot pan with the broccoli and shift the pan around for the egg to evenly coat the pan. Let sit for approx. 6 minutes, and then flip into a prepared plate. Slide the undercooked side back into the pan, and then cook for another 2 – 3 minutes.
- You can then flip another 1 – 2 times if you would like (I did this with messy results), and then serve when the eggs are cooked to your liking. Season generously with salt and pepper, and serve!
February 11, 2018
The Instant Pot Enters Madhu’s Kitchen – Initial Projects

The Instant Pot has finally arrived in my kitchen! After eyeing this pressure cooker slash electric pot slash yogurt maker slash many-other-things for several months, my indecision about what type of Instant Pot to purchase finally lifted. And lifted not because I did proactively did to end my indecision, but instead a friend gave me his Instant Pot that he tried but wasn't a fan of.

Well, his loss was certainly my gain as I LOVE my new Instant Pot. I've only made a few items in it so far, but the results have been fantastic. Dried chickpeas cooked in 10 minutes; lentil soup in 6 minutes; and my only repeat to date, steel cut oats in 4 minutes.

The steel cut oats are definitely my favorite because I like making steel cuts oats in bulk for the work week, but it's kind of a pain to watch the pot on the stovetop for 30 – 45 minutes, ensure the oats at the bottom of the pot aren't burning, and then clean up all of the messy oat water that spills out of the pot as the oats cook. Just that last stove top feature – the clean up – has been enough to dissuade me from making oats as much as I would otherwise like.

When I first made oats in the Instant Pot, I followed some internet guidance to spray some oil along the bottom of the pot so that the oats wouldn't stick to the cooking bowl. It led to a slight flavor in the oats that I didn't totally love, but was fine when honey or brown sugar were added to the oats. The second time I made the oats, I completely forgot about this oil spray first step, and it turned out the oats were totally fine! So no more oil in the future.

On my second oats attempt as well, I realized that I didn't quite like my standard 3 – 1 water to oats ratio I use when making oats on the stovetop. It leads to a slightly watery outcome, so I think I am going to move to a 2.5 – 1 ratio moving forward. I'll update if that ratio does the trick to produce the hearty, toothy cooked oat texture that I prefer.

Finally, another feature of the Instant Pot that I love is that when your item is cooked, you don't need to really do anything right away. You can just leave the pot sitting there while you go about your other business. So unlike stove top items that need to be cared for when done (turn off the heat, stir, etc.), you really can just forget about what's in the Instant Pot until you are ready to deal with it. Another major bonus for my busy kitchen!

January 14, 2018
Mark Bittman’s Savory Oats with Soy Sauce + Scallions – Not as Crazy as It Sounds!

My husband is not a fan of the sweet steel cut oats I make on occasion. Whether it's brown sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup, cardamon, or honey, he's never been a fan. And when my first attempt at steel cut upma, a savory Indian dish adapted to this Western grain staple, didn't turn out as expected, I kind of just resigned myself to being the only oatmeal eater in the house.

When I came across Mark Bittman's seemingly crazy recipe for savory oats with scallions and soy sauce, I thought this may the solution to my husband's oatmeal aversion. It was a simple way to dress up oatmeal with ingredients we otherwise use all the time in our dinner time meals. So what wouldn't there be to love?

Unfortunately, it seems that some people just aren't a fan of oatmeal. It doesn't matter if it's less watery or more watery, sweet or savory, it seems my husband just doesn't like oatmeal.

For my benefit though, I found yet another way to prepare this healthy and satisfying grain. I basically just used a package of takeout Chinese soy sauce with some scallions, and viola, a pretty tasty meal. I encourage those oatmeal-lovers out there to try it!

December 21, 2017
Mint Raita – Simple Accompaniment to Many a Meal (or a Snack on Its Own)
I've been making different types of raita, a refreshing Indian yogurt accompaniment, for years, but only recently did I realize that I have never blogged about this simple, protein-rich side dish.

What finally inspired this long overdue post was that I used a new ingredient for my latest raita – fresh mint from my mother's garden. I usually use cilantro as my standard herb, but the mint added a nice freshness, and made this type of raita a great stand-alone breakfast or side to spicy Indian curries. Look forward to continuing to experiment with more ingredients and will report back with any new findings!

Mint Raita

Ingredients:
- Approx. 1.5 cups of 0% Fage Greek Yogurt
- 1 seedless cucumber, diced into 1/4 inch square pieces
- 2 tbsp. scallions, divided
- 2 tsp. minced mint, divided
- 1 tsp. minced jalapeno, divided
- Pinch of cumin, or to taste
- Pinch of coriander, or to taste
- Salt, to taste
- Lemon juice, to taste
Directions:
- Divide the ingredients in half, and place each Fage serving in a separate bowl.
- Add equal amounts of vegetables and seasonings to each bowl, and mix together.
- Let ingredients sit for 15 – 20 minutes, and then serve. Store any leftovers in the fridge – will keep for ~3 days.
November 5, 2017
The Best Homemade Biscuit Recipe I’ve Encountered – CI’s Ultimate Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

After many a biscuit attempt (dropped and cut), I think I've found the winner of recipes. Enter Cook's Illustrated, with not their Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits recipe, but instead their Ultimate Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits recipe. True to the title, it produced an "ultimate" biscuit – super buttery, great texture, and beautiful coloring. I brought these to a summer barbecue (not exactly barbecue fare), but they flew like hotcakes even while room temperature.

These biscuits need no accompaniment – their flavor is perfect as is. I may hold many brunches these fall just to have the excuse to make them weekly 🙂

I followed the CI recipe exactly. First, I faux-sifted the dry ingredients with a fork (ok, so maybe I didn't follow the recipe exactly). And then I added grated, frozen butter – a technique CI calls for in scones, which leads to fantastic results as well.

After adding the buttermilk to the dough, I then started the five rolling and folding processes to get those flaky layers. True to the CI recipe description, with each roll and fold, the dough got smoother and smoother.

I then let the dough rest for 30 minutes in the fridge before cutting. CI described that approach as helping the biscuits stay upright, and not falling over, in the oven.

And then cutting and to the oven the biscuits went – check out those nascent raw layers!

Out of the oven, sheer perfection. Great layers, great color, and unparalleled flavor. I may need to get up at 5am tomorrow to make them before work tomorrow – that's how wonderful my memory of these biscuits is!

August 10, 2017
KAF Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake – Simple Coffee Cake for Weekend Mornings

When baking a lot of biscuits and cakes, you may find yourself in a situation I experience a few times a year – too much milk or buttermilk on hand.

Remedy? More baking!

For my most recent buttermilk surplus, I turned to King Arthur Flour and their Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake recipe. The recipe couldn't be easier, particularly with the slight modifications I made.

Following the reader reviews, I added in 1 tsp. of cinnamon to the batter and ended up omitting the nut topping entirely (I am allergic to nuts) instead of improvising another crumble topping. The result was a flavorful, coffee-cake like dessert that I'll be making in the future for brunch, afternoon tea, and other simple get togethers.

The construction is fairly simple – blend wet ingredients, and then add dry.

Pour into a lightly greased pan and bake. I kept roughly the original recipe baking times, even though I omitted the nut topping.

When I took the cake out of the oven, the lovely cinnamon aroma was too much for my husband to handle and the end result is pictured below 🙂

I look forward to making this cake again!

August 3, 2017
My First Quiche – Improvised Spinach, Red Pepper, Goat Cheese, Onion and Chive Version
I have a lot of food guilt. On top of regular guilt. My food guilt comes in a variety of forms, from ongoing fear / guilt that I don't eat enough fruit and vegetables, to guilt about not eating at home enough, and to a disheartening feeling that I waste too much food, whether it's at restaurants or home.

While this guilt usually just sits in my stomach and doesn't change behavior, I recently marshaled my guilt to good with the most frequent source of food waste in our apartment – eggs. I only really use eggs in baking, and while I try to only buy eggs in half-cartons, I still find that they frequently end up in the trash. I decided in the spring that this could no longer be my status quo, and I decided to put together an egg-heavy recipe that had the potential to become a staple in my kitchen – quiche.

I modified two recipes I found online, a Cook's Illustrated Leek and Goat Cheese Quiche and a Spinach, Red Pepper, and Feta Quiche recipe from Epicurious. The result, a spinach, red pepper, goat cheese, onion (why not?), and chive quiche was actually quite good, albeit heavy.

I made two critical mistakes while making this quiche – 1) I didn't roll the quiche dough wide enough, so the edges didn't quit cover the edges of the pie pan and the dough fell, 2) I used a lot of goat cheese, which I think made it taste a little too rich and sinful (swapping one guilt for another!). I think if I make slight adjustments for the next round though, I'll have a versatile recipe that can easily use up whatever leftover eggs, vegetables, and herbs are in my fridge.

Spinach, Red Pepper, Goat Cheese, Onion, and Chive Quiche

Ingredients:
- 1 pre-baked pie shell (I used a Cook's Illustrated recipe)
- 1/3 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup diced red pepper, with additional red pepper set aside for garnish if desired
- Approx. 1.5 cups of spinach, chopped
- 4 – 5 chives, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces, divided
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 4 oz. herbed goat cheese, roughly cut into 1/2 chunks
- 3 whole eggs
- 1.5 cups half and half
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Start by preparing a pie dough, if you are making your own. And dough is cooked, adjust oven temperature to 375 degrees.
- Heat olive oil on medium heat in a large saute pan. When glistening and hot, add onion and red pepper. Stir periodically until onion is translucent and the red pepper is softened.
- Then add spinach and 1/2 chopped chives, and stir periodically until spinach is just wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour mixture into pre-baked pie dough.
- Then whisk together 3 eggs and half and half, and pour on top of quiche mixture. Sprinkle remaining chives on top of dish, and decorate with other vegetable pieces as desired (e.g., my poor red pepper slices below).
- Place quiche into oven, and bake for approx. 32 – 35 minutes or until center is set. Serve when warm or at room temperature, and store leftovers in the fridge.
July 15, 2017
Cook’s Illustrated Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits – Fantastic, Professional Biscuits at Home

I'm not sure what inspired me to attempt perfectly flaky buttermilk biscuits, but I found myself one weekend morning buying buttermilk with this idea in mind.

I decided to use a Cook's Illustrated recipe, which while laborious, ended up being very easy to follow and produced the precise result I was looking for.

You start in the standard way for making flaky pastry – combined chilled butter and shortening with dry ingredients, and pulsing (by hand in this case) until you have small bits of fat interspersed throughout the dough.

Chill the dough before adding in the buttermilk to bring the dry mixture into a cohesive dough, and then start the rolling process to get distinct biscuit layers.

This repeated folding and rolling process is critical to disperse the butter and shortening across the dough. Dispersal is critical for flaky layers as the fat will expand throughout the dough during the baking process. It's also what makes make layered, flaky biscuits more difficult to prepare than drop biscuits.

When two rounds of rolling and folding are complete, it's time to cut out the biscuits and then brush them with melted butter before baking. This was my favorite part of the process – to see the layers in the dough and get excited for the final result!

Out of the oven, these biscuits were perfect – browned, lots of clear layers, and very flaky. They do need some sort of butter or jam though to be truly flavorful, so I might tweak the flavors in the future. Otherwise, a great recipe.

July 3, 2017