Madhu Knits and Cooks

Recipe, knitting, and sewing project notes

Tag: Cooking — Recipes

  • Giada’s Kitchen Pecorino Crackers

    It seems I really am getting a lot of use out of my first library cookbook, "Giada's Kitchen"!  My latest experiment was making the Pecorino Crackers just a few days after trying both the Roasted Zucchini and Potatoes and the Lemon Ricotta Cookies.  The recipe is online at:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/pecorino-crackers-recipe/index.html. 

    Giada Pecorino Crackers Close Up

    The Pecorino Crackers were super-simple to prepare, and these well-spiced cookies were a nice addition to both the dinner table and my afternoon snack time.  However, I have to admit that I got a little tired of them fairly soon after taking the first few batches out of the oven (yes, partly due to overconsumption in a short period of time but the feeling stuck for a few days, so I think it wasn't just caused by overindulgence).  So while I would recommend these crackers over similar cheese crackers that I've made (including some super boring Parmesan cookies I made last year), I would probably only make these again if I am also making other types of savory cookies, breads or crackers to help ensure that proper variety in whatever setting I serve these in.  Onward and upward!

  • One of My Top Winter Favorites — Roasted Cauliflower with Herbs

    A few years ago, I borrowed one of my roommate's Cooking Light magazines and found a recipe that I have made at least a dozen times since that day.  The recipe, for Roasted Cauliflower with Fresh Herbs and Parmesan, was something I was recently reminded of by seeing the "Giada's Kitchen" Broiled Zucchini and Potatoes recipe.  The difference between two dishes became apparent as soon as I tried the zucchini potato recipe the first time:  the roasted cauliflower recipe is just SO GOOD that I wish I had doubled it every time I make it.  The lemon, parmesan and fresh herbs (no matter which herb combination you use) complement the rich flavor of the roasted cauliflower SO well that it just blows away all other similar recipes I've tried in the past.  I only slightly modify the recipe whenever I make it by adding more garlic (not surprising to anyone who knows me or reads this blog!), adding more parmesan and just using whatever herbs I can find in the store. 

    Its a dish so good that it'll make you wish it was winter all the time! Please be sure to check it out:  http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1120275.  

    Roasted Cauliflower with Fresh Herbs

  • Giada Kitchen Week Continues — Lemon Ricotta Cookies

    As I blogged about earlier on the site, I recently checked out Giada De Lauretiis' "Giada's Kitchen" from the local public library.  The second recipe I decided to take up in the book was the Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze, which is also available on the Food Network website at:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lemon-ricotta-cookies-with-lemon-glaze-recipe/index.html. 

    Giada Lemon Meringue Cookies

    I decided to make them for a co-worker whose birthday was coming and has been trying a new low-fat, healthier lifestyle.  To make the cookies you see above, I omitted the lemon glaze both for health and taste reasons (I don't like overly-lemony sweets, which also led me to reduce the amount of fresh lemon juice used by 1 tablespoon), and I substituted low-fat ricotta.  I also reduced the baking time by about 3 – 5 minutes to make sure the bottoms didn't get too brown. 

    The cookies were definitely a hit in the office — I ended up emailing the Food Network link to no less than 5 co-workers (one of whom remarked to me last week that she was hoping to make them this weekend).  No one could tell that I had used low-fat ricotta, and some were surprised that the original recipe called for a sweet topping as well.  I think that these cookies are going to get added into the baked goods rotation at work given the overwhelmingly positive reaction!

  • A New Way to Avoid Cookbooks, and Giada’s Broiled Zucchini and Potatoes with Parmesan Crust

    A few weekends ago, I went to the public library and decided to browse the stacks instead of just making a beeline for the books I had already looked up or placed on reserve.  Not surprisingly, I found myself in the small cooking section of the library, flipping through a good number of the books.  I ended up checking out two cookbooks — Giada De Laurentiis' "Giada's Kitchen:  New Italian Favorites" and Carole Bloom's "The Essential Baker".  And of course, as soon as I got home, I started flipping through these books for recipe ideas instead of opening the cookbooks that I actually own and haven't used yet (I am too embarrassed to give the names of those highly-regarded, never-used cookbooks I passed up for the ones I picked up at the library). 

    I have to admit though, I've gotten a few good items out of "Giada's Kitchen" ("The Essential Baker" remains untouched, something that I think will change this week).  The first recipe I used was the Broiled Zucchini and Potatoes with Parmesan Crust, which is also online at:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/broiled-zucchini-and-potatoes-with-parmesan-crust-recipe/index.html. 

    Giada Broiled Zucchini Potato with Parmesan Crust

    I followed the directions in making the dish, though I did make a few ingredient substitutios.  Of course, I used slightly more garlic and perhaps 1/4 cup more freshly-shredded Parmesan.  I also ended up using 3 white new potatoes instead of the 4 1.5 inch-diameter new potatoes called for in the recipe because of what was available in the store.  I boiled the potatoes for maybe 5 minutes longer to compensate for their larger size, but clearly needed to add even more time to boil them because the centers remained a bit hard and undercooked. 

    The vegetables turned out pretty well — especially the well-cooked zucchini — but I have to admit that the dish lacked the amount of interesting flavors that I had experienced in other broiled/roasted vegetable dishes.  It could be that I needed to add just a little bit more salt, but I just don't know if that would have made the difference.  So, the bottom line is that I may make this recipe again if I am looking for something to do with zucchini and potatoes in the house, but otherwise I probably won't go out of my way to buy ingredients to make this dish.

    Giada Broiled Zucchini Potato with Parmesan Crust Close Up

  • New and Improved Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding!

    I recently made my first bread pudding, using a basic recipe from AllRecipes.com (http://www.madhuknitsandcooks.com/madhu_knits_and_cooks/2009/04/chocolate-chip-bread-pudding.html).   A few nights ago, I decided to use up the other half of my Trader Joe's challah bread and the rest of my carton of low-fat milk to make another bread pudding.  However, after the bread was broken into pieces and placed into the pan, and two eggs (instead of the four I used last time) had been beaten, I realized I only had a little over 1 cup of milk to use instead of the 2 called for in the original recipe.  Instead of giving up on the effort, I decided to forge ahead and finish the bread pudding with just the cup of the milk and 2 eggs (basically halving the liquid ingredients in the recipe), adding in the rest of the original recipe ingredients staying as is. 

    The rest:  a wonderful, bouncy, light and delicious chocolate chip bread pudding! 

    Using less liquid really helped bring out more textures in the bread pudding, specifically a nicely browned top and a rich, pudding-like bottom.  Using fewer eggs also helped eliminate the problem I experienced with the original recipe — a cooked, very eggy bottom layer.  So moving forward, I would definitely recommend including only the necessary liquid needed to lightly soak the bread and absolutely no more.  I would also recommend using no more than 2 eggs for a bread pudding baked in an 8-by-8 inch pan.  

    Now, time to make more!

  • Raspberry Oat Breakfast Muffins (with just a bit of chocolate chips)

    Ever since I bought a bag of frozen raspberries and some old-fashioned oats, I've been really wanted to make some healthy, substantive raspberry oat breakfast muffins.  Unfortunately, finding a basic recipe that would fit what I wanted has been a little hard to come by.  After a lot of searching for a non-banana oat muffin recipe (I wanted to stay away from banana recipes because banana seems to form a key part of the batter that I don't quite know how to alter when omitting them), I finally found this very basic recipe on AllRecipes.com:  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Oatmeal-Muffins/Detail.aspx.   I made several alterations to the recipe, and have an idea about how to make them even better — the details follow the picture below.

    Raspberry Oat Muffins

    I made several ingredient changes to the recipe to add more flavor.  I added in 1/2 tsp. of vanilla, 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon, 1/4 cup of chocolate chips, and 1 cup of frozen raspberries.  I also substituted 3 tbs. of blue agave nectar for the white sugar called for in the recipe to try a more healthy alternative to sugar (my first time baking with agave nectar).  Finally, I also altered the recipe by baking the muffins for 15 minutes instead of the called for 20 – 25 minutes. 

    Although I enjoyed the muffins when they came out of the muffin, there are definitely a few things I would change the next time I make them.  First, I would definitely add more agave nectar — probably just another tbs. or so to add more sweetness to the muffins.  I still don't want to make the muffins too sweet, but I think adding in one more tsp. would help make them a bit more tasty.  Second, I would definitely reduce the oven temperature from the recipe's recommended 425 degrees to a more standard 350 or 375 degrees.  The batch I made using the original recipe resulted in really brown bottoms to the muffins even though I reduced the baking time, and I think its just a function of the oven temperature being much too high.  Third, I will probably also increase the amount of berries (or some other sweetening agent, perhaps raisins?) to add even more flavor into the recipe while trying to maintain the healthiness of the muffins. 

    All in all though, it was a good attempt at using my frozen raspberries and oats and I look forward to many more!

  • Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

    Bread pudding is one of my favorite desserts, even though I only discovered it recently.   I stayed away from bread pudding as a child (something about "bread" and "pudding" just instinctively seemed icky to me) and only over the past year or two have I ventured away from this childhood fear to actually try the many varieties of this delicious dish.   And I am pleased to report that the time finally came for me to try to make this dish myself last week.

    Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

    After some research on the Internet, and in some cookbooks, I bought a Challah loaf, milk and eggs from Trader Joes.  I continued to search for recipes as the bread became stale, and at the last minute, decided to put away the cookbooks and use this highly-rated AllRecipes.com recipe as my base:  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bread-Pudding-II/Detail.aspx. 

    I lightly greased the glass 8 by 8-inch pan with a canola oil spray, and substituted 1/2 cup of semisweet chocolate chips for the more traditional raisins called for in the recipe.  I also used low-fat milk, and definitely could NOT taste the difference from using low-fat milk (which was completely an oversight as I usually bake with whole milk). 

    The bread pudding turned out extremely well though I did learn two lessons.  First, I think I will use less egg next time I make the dish.  There seemed to be a lot of egg in the egg mixture, so much so that the bottom layer of the bread pudding seemed to be just cooked egg which added a bit of a weird consistency and flavor to the very bottom of the dish.  Second, I think that one really needs to make sure that the bread soaks up all of the liquid mixture — I think that really pushing the bread down into the mixture or letting it sit immersed for a period of time before baking (something a lot of recipes seem to call for — letting the mixture sit in the fridge for some time before baking) is important to ensure the top isn't overly baked while the bottom remains a bit more soggy.  Notwithstanding these two lessons learned, this was an EXCELLENT bread pudding and I definitely look forward to making this simple dessert again and again!

    **Update:  Check out a new and improved version of this bread pudding at:  http://www.madhuknitsandcooks.com/madhu_knits_and_cooks/2009/04/new-and-improved-chocolate-chip-bread-pudding.html

  • Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas with Homemade Tomatillo Salsa

    The second batch of vegetarian enchiladas we made with the homemade tomatillo salsa was even more filling than the last batch we made by adding in a can of black beans and reducing the other ingredients as appropriate.   I'd highly recommend making this incredibly substantial and varied meal with a lot of flavors that only takes minimal work.
    Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas

    Makes 2 large servings

    Ingredients

    • 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and washed
    • ¼ cup frozen or fresh corn
    • ¼ cup chopped onion
    • 1 Serrano pepper, finely chopped (or substitute Jalapeno)
    • 1/2 cup shredded cheese (I usually use a store-bought
      Mexican blend or just Jack cheese)
    • 4 8-inch flour tortillas
    • 1 tbps. vegetable oil
    • 1 – 1.5 cups of tomatillo salsa (recipe found here:  http://www.madhuknitsandcooks.com/madhu_knits_and_cooks/2009/03/tomatillo-salsa.html)

    Directions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
    • Heat the tortillas either on an open flame on the stovetop
      or in the preheating oven for 3 – 4 minutes, or until the tortillas become
      slightly firm
    • Cover an 8 by 8 inch baking pan with a light layer of the
      tomatillo salsa to prevent the enchiladas from sticking to the pan
    • Heat oil on medium to high heat in a large saucepan, and add
      onion, hot peppers, black beans and corn. 
      Saute for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is warm and the onions are
      cooked
    • Using a soft spatula or masher, lightly mash the beans as
      they cook
    • Divide the enchilada filling into four even portions
    • Spoon each quarter of the mixture into a tortilla, sprinkle
      cheese on top if desire, and roll tortilla, taking care to ensure that the
      mixture does not fall over the ends of the tortillas
    • Place each tortilla, with the edges of the rolled sides face
      down, in the pan
    • When all tortillas have been placed in the pan, spoon the
      remainder of the salsa on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle ½ cup cheese on
      top of the enchiladas
    • Cover the pan with foil and bake for 35 – 40 minutes,
      removing foil 2/3 through baking time

  • Corn and Cheese Enchiladas with Homemade Tomatillo Salsa

    After attempting the first round of tomatillo salsa, we
    decided to make enchiladas to put a large portion of the salsa to use in a
    tasty, filling meal.  Our natural
    inclination was to make enchiladas, which I have to admit, I don’t think of as
    being particularly clever but I have to say that the first batch (as well as
    the second, the black bean enchiladas) sure turned out to be incredibly tasty!

    Corn and Cheese Enchiladas with Tomatillo Salsa

    Makes 2 large servings

    Ingredients

     Directions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
    • Heat the tortillas either on an open flame on the stovetop
      or in the preheating oven for 3 – 4 minutes, or until the tortillas become
      slightly firm
    • Cover an 8 by 8 inch baking pan with a light layer of the
      tomatillo salsa to prevent the enchiladas from sticking to the pan
    • Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan, add onion and sauté a few
      minutes until cooked, and then add corn and chopped pepper
    • Saute until the mixture is warm, and then divide mixture
      into 4 even portions
    • Spoon each quarter of the mixture into a tortilla, sprinkle ¼
      cup of cheese on top and roll tortilla, taking care to ensure that the mixture
      does not fall over the ends of the tortillas
    • Place each tortilla, with the edges of the rolled sides face
      down, in the pan
    • When all tortillas have been placed in the pan, spoon the
      remainder of the salsa on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese
      on top of the enchiladas
    • Cover the pan with foil and bake for 35 – 40 minutes,
      removing foil 2/3 through baking time

  • Homemade Tomatillo Salsa

    I recently attempted to make tomatillo salsa with Andy, who
    has spent years enjoying homemade tomatillo salsa from his co-workers.  We didn’t exactly know the best way to proceed,
    so we relied on Andy’s memory of how he’s seen tomatillo salsa made, guidance
    from a few online recipes involving tomatillos and of course relying on some of
    our favorite ingredients for any type of meal – hot peppers and onion.  The suggested recipe and directions we came
    up with follow the picture.

    Tomatillo Salsa

    Ingredients for 3 Cups of Salsa

    •  1.5 pounds of tomatillos (approximately 12 or 13)
    • 2 good size Serrano peppers, chopped OR 1-2 large Jalapenos
      (I’ve used both and been happy)
    • ½ Habanero, chopped (if you are feeling adventurous!  Definitely not necessary)
    • ½ large white onion, chopped
    • 3 tbs. chopped cilantro
    • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
    • ½ tsp. coarse salt

    Directions

    • Remove husks from tomatillos, and wash them to remove the
      stickiness
    • Place tomatillos in a medium pot, cover with water, and
      bring to a boil
    • Boil tomatillos for approximately 5 – 7 minutes, rotating
      the tomatillos so that their entire skin appears dullish green after cooking
    • Remove tomatillos from heat, and either drain and lightly place
      tomatillos in a blender or use a slotted spoon to put the tomatillos into
      blender
    • Place other ingredients into blender and blend until you reach
      your desired consistency.  I prefer
      chunkier salsas, and as such, may reserve some of the chopped onions for
    • Remove salsa from blender, and serve with chips, tortillas
      or any other vehicle of your choosing. 
    • Note:  From my two
      at-home experiments, it seems that the salsa will keep for at least a few days
      and will thicken as it sits in the fridge, which may make it better for
      enchilada sauce.