procrastibaking: a miscellany

make your unhealthy coping mechanism a productive one

[procrastibakingamiscellany]

Gjusta's Pistachio Cookie

My attempt to recreate one of my favorite cookies: the impossibly fragrant, delightfully chewy, superbly nutty orange-scented pistachio cookie from Gjusta. Did I hit the mark? You tell me.

Ingredients

1 cup roasted pistachios

zest from 2 decent sized oranges

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp orange flower water (optional)

1 cup AP flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

flaky sea salt for finishing

Directions

Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt) in a mixing bowl and whisk to distribute.

Pulse the granulated sugar and orange zest in a food processor for 30 seconds or so, until the zest is finely chopped and the sugar takes on the orange oil. Remove and set aside. (Alternately, rub the finely chopped zest into the sugar with your fingers).

Pulse the pistachios in the food processor to a consistency of course meal. Don't over-work. Set aside.

Cream the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until it lightens. Add the orange-scented granulated sugar along with the brown sugar and continue to cream until the mixture lightens and increases in volume.

Add the egg and all extracts and blend to combine.

Add the flour mix to the mixer and continue to cream for 5ish seconds or until loosely combined. Fold in ground pistachios. Don't overwork. (If you're extra cautious, add both flour mix and nuts by hand and gently fold with a spatula instead of using the mixer for this step.)

Let the dough rest in the fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Using a #20 disher, scoop the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving at least 4 inches between each ball. Flatten each ball evenly until they're roughly 1/4 inch thick and 4 inches in diameter. Sprinkle tops with a bit of finishing salt.

Bake for 12 -13 minutes or until the outer half inch of the cookie is golden, rotating the pan 180 degrees at the half way point for even heating.

Cool for a minute or two before removing to a cooling rack. Cookies taste best completely cooled.

*a #20 disher is your standard ice cream scoop and holds a bit over 3 TBS leveled

[procrastibakingamiscellany]

Curry-Pickled Egg Salad

I come to you today to preach the gospel of the pickled egg. We have long known the egg as nature’s perfect food. Boiled, fried, poached, whipped, the egg is perhaps the most versatile food product AND it just so happens to come inside its own single-sized carrying AND serving container. MOREOVER a single hard-boiled egg is quite possibly the simplest, most portable protein portion you can find. 

I started pickling eggs years ago when I realize I loved a hard-boiled egg but I was also getting slightly bored with my usual routine of salt-pepper-smidge of butter-dash of hot sauce-facehole. Pickling eggs might have started as a way to preserve these magical protein/fat orbs or render them more shelf-stable, but my main concern is FLAVOR. A pickled egg is an explosion of intense pickle with the satisfying texture of a perfectly soft-boiled egg. Add curry to the mix and you wind up with bright yellow flavor bombs, perfect for everything from elaborate brunch platters to office snacks, road trips, and hiking. 

It’s only natural that the perfect egg would also make the perfect egg salad. I don’t have any hard or fast rules about egg salad recipes. I happen to think that mayonnaise is the perfect condiment, so any combo of egg + mayo is a match made in heaven. I use Japanese mayo because its creamier (THEY USE THE WHOLE EGG), and I regularly add random things to the mix just to keep things fresh. 

If you’re not a fan of hard-boiled eggs, I encourage you to at least try a pickled egg. My husband is an avid hard-boiled egg hater. For years I had to wait until he was out of the house to even *think* about making hard boiled eggs (just the smell made him gag). The 8 minute egg (directions below) renders a precise yolk that is cooked through, but still jammy, and there shouldn’t be any opaque light-yellow yolk present (hence, no sulfur smell). If you don’t nail it the first time, keep trying. It’s worth it. 

Curry-Pickled Eggs

Prepare Your Eggs

Ingredients

4-6 eggs (preferably not fresh)

1 1/2 cups vinegar (dealers choice - I use 1 C white and 1/2 C apple cider)

1/2 C water or ice

2 TBS curry powder

2 TBS (or one nose-sized knob) fresh ginger, roughly sliced

2 TBS sugar

1 1/2 tsp kosher/sea salt

Directions

Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat.

Meanwhile, put your eggs in a bowl with some room and cover with hot tap water (this helps keep the eggs from cracking in the hot water).

Set a timer for 8 minutes.

Once the pot of water comes to a boil, lower the heat somewhat, strain your eggs from their water bath, submerge in the boiling water, and start the timer.

Adjust your heat so the water is in between a gentle simmer and a rolling boil (the egg shouldn’t really be agitated by the boiling). 

Prep a bowl with ice water.

At 8 minutes exactly, pull the eggs and submerge in the ice water until they cool.

Once cooled enough to handle, peel the eggs and set aside while you prep your pickle.

Prepare Your Pickle

Put the vinegar, ginger, salt, and sugar into a pot and heat until the sugar dissolves.

Pour the hot vinegar into your pickling vessel (I find a standard 1 qt mason jar accommodates 6 eggs plus all the brine) and add water or ice (depending on how quickly you want it to cool down).

Add the curry powder and peeled eggs.

Refrigerate overnight for best flavor. I tend to eat these throughout the week, but they would likely last longer.

Curry-Pickled Egg Salad

Ingredients

4 curry-pickled eggs (see above)

2-3 TBS Japanese mayo

2 TBS fresh dill, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Other possible additions include: hot mustard, capers, minced red onion (let your heart be your guide!)

Directions

Slice or chop your pickled eggs and add to a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Consume in mass quantities on bread, with crackers or veggies, or stand over the sink and shovel the stuff into your mouth with potato chips like me (I stand by my choices). Keeps about a week (maybe more? Eggs are magical).

[procrastibakingamiscellany]

Stonefruit SpoonCake

Like many of you, I latched onto that NY Times Strawberry Spooncake recipe like a madwoman desperate for inspiration while on extended house arrest during a global pandemic. But because I can never leave well enough alone, I immediately made a few tweaks that we've worked to perfect over the past month. (At one point, my teenager made THREE of these in one week, the recipe is that simple and rewarding). Browning the butter and subbing buttermilk for regular milk deepens the flavor, as does adding Earl Gray to the simple syrup. You can sub any fruit/berry for the peaches and add any variety of complimentary spices (plum + cardamom, peaches + cinnamon, blackberries + cloves). I hope this recipe brings you as much joy as it's brought us during these absolutely bonkers times.

Ingredients

½ cup (1 stick) butter, plus more for greasing

1 large peach or other stone-fruit

⅔ cup packed light brown sugar, separated

1 bag (or 1 tsp loose-leaf) Earl Gray Tea

½ cup buttermilk

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8-inch (square or round) baking dish with butter. Set aside.

Combine 1/3 cup sugar, 1 TBS water, and contents of the tea bag in a small sauce pan over low heat, swirling until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.

Cut peach into thin slices and place in a small bowl. Strain the warm sugar and tea mixture into the bowl with the peaches, removing the majority of the loose tea. Set aside.

Brown the butter: place stick of butter in a shallow sauce pan or small skillet on medium-low heat, swirling regularly until the butter melts, foams, and begins to turn a rich golden color. Once the milk solids carmelize and the butter takes on a rich nutty flavor, remove from heat and scrape into a small mixing bowl. Set aside to cool.

Once the butter has cooled slightly, slowly whisk buttermilk and remaining brown sugar into the cooled butter.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt to combine. Slowly add the butter/buttermilk/sugar mixture, whisking just until combined. Transfer the batter into the greased baking dish spreading evenly.

Fan the sliced peached around the rop of the batter, leaving the center open, coating the peaches with the remaining juices in the bowl.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean in the center and cake reads 205° in the center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes before spooning into bowls. Serve warm with ice cream or freshly whipped cream.

[procrastibakingamiscellany]

Savory Herbed Dutch Baby with Fennel Pomegranate Salad

A Dutch baby is essentially a pancake you cook in the oven. They make a deceptively impressive dessert when paired with cinnamon apples and whipped cream, but the less common savory dutch baby makes for a quick - and relatively healthy - main brunch dish. 

The ingredients are endlessly flexible; swap out various greens in the batter depending on what you have around, and top with whatever variety mixed salad your heart desires.  Think arugula and sliced pears or charred romaine and goat cheese. All dressings are welcome here!

Savory Herbed Dutch Baby with Fennel Pomegranate Salad

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

Large handful parsley, fennel fronds, and assorted herbs

4 eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup grated parmesan

2 fennel bulbs, sliced thin

1 small red onion, sliced thin

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup TBS olive oil

3 TBS red wine vinegar

2 TBS pomegranate molasses

1 tsp whole grain mustard

shave parmesan for garnish

sea salt and freshly cracked pepper

Directions

Melt 3 tablespoons butter and let cool. 

Preheat oven to 425° with a cast-iron pan on the middle rack.

In a blender combine mixed herbs, eggs, milk, flour, grated parmesan, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Blend, slowly adding the melted butter until the mixture is frothy and smooth.

Carefully remove the hot cast-iron pan from the oven and add the remaining 2 TBS butter to the pan. Swirl the butter to cover the bottome and sides of the pan. Quickly pour the batter into the pan and return to the hot oven. Bake in the oven until the pancake is puffed and golden brown, about 20 to 22 minutes. The sides will rise first, rolling in, and the middle of the pancake should puff and crack toward the end - a good indicator the cake is is nearly cooked.

Meanwhile, toss together fennel, onion, pomegranate seeds, and chopped parsley in a medium mixing bowl. 

Combine olive oil, vinegar, pomegranate molasses, mustard, and salt and pepper to taste in a small jar and shake to combine. Add the dressing to the salad and set aside until pancake is done.

Remove the pancake from the oven and allow to cool for roughly 5 minutes. Top pancake with dressed salad and shaved parmesan and serve in the pan. For smaller groups (or with leftovers in mind), cut the pancake into individual wedges and top with salad mixture to plate. 

Leftovers will keep, well sealed in the fridge, for 3-4 days. To reheat, toast wedges briefly and top with salad. Makes a great work breakfast!

[procrastibakingamiscellany]

Crustless QuicheLoaf with Roasted Asparagus and Chèvre

Years ago I discovered (thanks to Alton Brown), the secret to making a silky quiche; the filing is a custard. And because I’m always trying to figure out ways to eat traditional, non-carb heavy breakfasts at work, I experimented with a crustless version of my favorite quiche recipe (because - let’s face it - crusts don’t belong in the microwave). 

You can sub out the asparagus and chèvre for anything else you prefer with your eggs (roasted red pepper and gruyere? leftover roast chicken and blue cheese? Turkey and stuffing?). Just follow the same method of arranging the add-ons cold in the pan while you prep the egg filling. Be careful not to boil the milk, just heat it until it starts steaming somewhat and you’re good to go. Happy breakfasting!

Crustless QuicheLoaf with Roasted Asparagus and Chèvre

Ingredients

9 eggs 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup whole milk 1 TBS butter 1/2 onion, diced 2 tsp fresh sage, minced 1/2 bunch asparagus 2-3 oz chevre 3 pieces prosciutto  Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment, making sure the parchment comes a few inches above at least two opposite sides. Preheat oven to 450°.

Trim asparagus and arrange in a single layer on a skillet or baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes or until slightly crispy. Let cool. Decrease oven temp to 350°

In a skillet, melt the butter on medium-high heat and sauté onion and sage together until the onions are translucent and fragrant. 

Arrange the quiche fillings: arrange the fillings along the bottom of your parchment-lined pan. Start with the asparagus in a single layer, alternating direction of the florets. Add sautéed onions and sage. Dot the top of the vegetables with teaspoons full or goat cheese. See aside.

Whisk eggs in a large mixing bowl and salt and pepper to taste.

Combine milk and heavy cream in a have bottom sauce pan over medium heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir regularly until hot but not scalded or boiling. 

Slowly temper the hot milk mixture into the beaten eggs, whisking constantly. Slowly pour the warm egg and milk mixture onto the veggies and cheese in the baking pan, being careful not to disturb the arrangement. 

Drape 3 slices of prosciutto along the top of the egg mixture. It should just float along the top - this will allow the prosciutto to get crunchy while baking.

Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160-165°. The center will still wobble, but it will not be wet. 

Remove the loaf from the plan immediately using the parchment overhang and set on a wire rack to cool. If serving, unwrap and cut into sections using a large knife.

If preparing for later, allow to cool completely before cutting into breakfast or lunch-sized portions. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days and microwave gently to reheat. 

[procrastibakingamiscellany]

Instant Pot Butter Chicken

INGREDIENTS

1 medium sized yellow onion, sliced

3 TBS onion or coconut oil

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 TBS ginger, minced

2 TBS garlic, minced

2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cayenne pepper (or less to taste)

2 tsp paprika

2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cumin

5 tsp good-quality garam masala, divided

2 boneless chicken breasts and 3 boneless chicken thighs

8 ounces butter, cold, cut into cubes

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup chopped cilantro, divided

1 cup frozen peas (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Turn the Instant pot to the medium sauce setting and add 3 TBS butter and the sliced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions start to take on some color. 

Add the tomatoes, ginger, garlic, turmeric, cayenne, paprika, salt, cumin, and 3 teaspoons of the garam masala to the pot.

Mix to combine, then add chicken. Lock the lid on the pressure cooker. Make sure the float valve is in sealing position.

Cook on manual high pressure for 10 minutes. When the time is up, press the Cancel button to shut the pressure cooker off, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before performing a manual release.

If adding, cook peas on stove top or microwave and drain or excess water. Set aside.

Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside on a cutting board.

Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce until smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes, then blend in the cold butter cubes, cream, 3/4 cup cilantro, and remaining garam masala. Add extra salt as needed to taste. This step is sometimes easier if you pour the sauce into a separate vessel before blending.

If the sauce loses too much heat, pour it back into the inner liner of the instant pot and set on “keep warm.” Stir regularly so it doesn’t scorch. 

Cut or shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. Add chicken and peas to the sauce. Serve with rice, garnished with chopped cilantro.

 *This recipe easily makes 6 to 8 cups of chicken and sauce. I don’t recommend halving the recipe, but you can freeze leftovers for later, or portion into lunch-sized containers for the week.

[procrastibakingamiscellany]

Roasted Mettwurst and Cabbage & Onions with Mustard-Yogurt Sauce

Inspiration comes from many places. A friend of mine posted a fabulous sheet pan supper recipe on his food blog recently. It forced me to have a real come-to-jesus about some things, like “how far is too far to drive for really good sausage” and “ how long is too long when it comes to weekday meal-prep.” It turns out the first point is moot because we can get really good sausage here in Denton, but apparently I can’t wait long enough for my oven to preheat before I get hangry and start yelling at people. Go figure. 

But back to sausages. Did you know Denton has an amazing source of local, grass-fed beef, smoked meats, and specialty cheeses? I stopped by Dan’s Meat & Produce last week to ask Hatice (Dan’s wife) about their cured sausage selection. She recommended some Mettwurst, a slightly spicy, garlicky German pork sausage that turns out are AMAZING. So amazing actually, that my family has pretty much decided to make room in our food budget for a $40 a month sausage habit (it’s not pricey we just plan to eat a LOT of it).

The Mettwurst would be a great sausage option for a sheet pan dinner, and I highly recommend it. But if you’re like me and go from peckish to downright ornery in the time it takes for your oven to pre-heat, I recommend a simple pan-fried alternative with some basic cabbage and onions. And because we’re doing German sausages, we need a mustard dipping sauce. Sure, you could just use mustard, but where’s the fun in that? The mustard-yogurt sauce is not only great for dipping sausages and vegetables, it also doubles as a low-sugar substitute salad dressing, or the basis for a pretty banging potato or chicken salad (or maybe live dangerously and make a potato AND chicken salad... WHOA). 

Roasted Mettwurst and Cabbage & Onions with Mustard-Yogurt Sauce

Serves about 2 adults

Ingredients

4 links Mettwurst 1/2 head green cabbage 1 sweet onion, sliced thick

Mustard Yogurt Sauce 1/4 cup plain, whole fat yogurt 1/4 cup good quality dijon mustard 2 TBS maple syrup or honey 1 TBS apple cider vinegar 2 TBS good quality olive oil salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Pre-heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. While the skillet warms up, cut the head of cabbage in half, clean off the damaged outer leaves, trim a bit of the stem off the bottom, and cut each half into large, flat slices. Drizzle cabbage and cut onions with olive oil.

When the skillet is hot, add cabbage and onions and don’t disturb for a minute or two while they develop a good sear. Flip to the opposite sides and let brown.

Add the sausages to the pan to sear on both sides. Turn the heat down to medium or medium low and stir regularly. You can finish the sausages in the pan or put them under the broiler element for 10 or 15 minutes until they split open and brown.

While the veggies are cooking and the sausages are browning, make the yogurt sauce. Combine yogurt and mustard in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in vinegar and maple syrup until combined. Add olive oil in a thin stream while whisking to make sure it doesn’t separate. Season with salt and pepper and serve in small dipping ramekins.

The veggies are done once the cabbage is browned but no longer crunchy (don’t cook it to death or it will get slimy), and the onions are near caramelized.

[procrastibakingamiscellany]

Fresh Rolls with Baked Tofu and Micro-greens

There’s a great Pan-Asian place just off-campus where I love to grab a quick lunch during the workweek. They make the best fresh basil rolls around, and they’re just over 2 bucks, That’s not half bad for a light lunch! I’d never attempted to make my own fresh rolls, believing them to be firmly in the realm of “foods that just aren’t worth it.”

To my surprise, spring rolls are easy to assemble, and you can fill them with practically anything. Farmer Amanda treated me to some fresh micro-greens from the Coppell Farmers Market, and I love fresh micro-greens in a spring roll!. You could also add any type of fresh greens or herbs, shredded vegetables, apples, slaws, leftover meats, etc. You can buy the spring roll skins at both Kroger and Natural Grocer here in Denton, they usually cost between $2-4 per package, and they keep for a very long time.

My daughter prefers a simple roll: red pepper, greens, and sometimes baked tofu. If I’m being honest, the only thing that really matters is the red pepper and making sure there’s plenty of peanut sauce for dipping. These rolls don’t last long, and you MUST wrap them up airtight to store them in the fridge, otherwise the skins dry out. I wrap them in plastic wrap to keep them fresh and they go great in a kid’s packed lunch.

Fresh Rolls with Baked Tofu and Micro-greens

Ingredients

Baked Tofu 1 (16-oz) block extra firm tofu 1 TBS sesame oil 1 TBS minced fresh ginger or ginger juice 2 TBS soy sauce 2 TBS rice vinegar 1 TBS lime juice 2-3 drops liquid smoke (optional) Spring Rolls 1 package Spring Roll Skin/Wrapper 1 bunch fresh microgreens 2 red peppers, sliced

Peanut Sauce 1/2 cup unsweetened (or natural) peanut butter 1 TBS soy sauce 1 TBS rice wine vinegar 1 TBS fresh minced ginger or ginger juice zest and juice of 1 lime 1-2 TBS honey to taste pinch red pepper flakes (optional) 1/2 to 3/4 cup warm water

Directions

For Baked Tofu

Cut tofu into half-inch slices and arrange in a single layer on top of a paper towel covered cutting board. Put more paper towels on top and another cutting board. Place something heavy on top to weigh it down. This helps get rid of some of the moisture in the tofu so it cooks quicker.

Whisk the remaining ingredients together. Add pressed tofu to a shallow dish and cover with marinade. Let sit for 20 minutes to 48 hours.

Preheat oven to 400° F. Arrange marinated tofu on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes, flipping tofu ever 10 minutes so it cooks evenly. Remove from the oven and set aside to cook. 

For Fresh Rolls

Fill a large mixing boll with warm water. Arrange the fresh roll fillings on a cutting board and make sure you have a clean working surface. The rolling part goes quite fast, so you want everything to be handy.

Soak a fresh roll skin in the bowl of warm water for 15-25 seconds, or until it loses most of it’s stiffness. You still want it to have the strength of wet fabric, though, so don’t let it sit too long or it will tear when you’re rolling.

Remove the moist skin to your working surface and quickly arrange your toppings toward the bottom, as if your were filling a burrito. I find 2 strips of baked tofu, 3 or 4 red pepper slices, and a small bunch of microgreens is plenty.

Roll and wrap the ingredients inside the skin, tucking in the edges as you roll, like you would a burrito. Set the finished rolls to the side while you make more!

Serve immediately with peanut sauce.

For Peanut Sauce

Combine all ingredients except warm water in a mixing bowl.

Slowly whisk in the warm water until all ingredients are incorporated together and the sauce thins to the consistency of gravy.

Serve at room temperature.

I had the great fortune to make some fresh spring rolls in farmer Amanda’s beautiful farmhouse kitchen!

[procrastibakingamiscellany]

Stuffed Pak Choi Rolls (Galumpkis )

Like many people with eastern European Ancestry, I have a stuffed cabbage roll recipe that’s been passed down through the matriarchy for more than a century. I had to wait until my daughter was born before my husband’s Hungarian grandmother shared her family recipe with me. She cooks hers like a soup, slow-simmered on the stovetop in a pressure-cooker.

The humble cabbage roll has been a staple of Jewish cooking for over 2,000 years, and its proliferation through Europe and Asia is evident in the diversity of cuisine-specific variations. In Syria, the meat is spiced with cinnamon. In Romania, lots and lots of garlic.  I’ve even stumbled upon a Persian recipe that calls for dill? My recipe is a hodge-podge of various cuisines, mostly informed by my family’s ethnic miscellany. I like a combination of ground beef and pork, and I sweeten my tomato sauce just slightly. Sometimes I take a cue from my husband’s side of the family and add sweet paprika. The possibilities are endless.

I first got the idea to make stuffed Pak Choi Rolls after Farmer Amanda spoiled me with a bag full of fresh goodies from the Coppell Farmer’s Market. She included a gorgeous head of purple pak choi that made my heart flutter, but she also gave me a pound each of fresh sausage and grass-fed ground beef. I knew I needed a good recipe to use the leafy greens and tasty meats together.

The Pak Choi worked great for this recipe because the large leafy greens have a milder taste than traditional cabbage, but they still hold up to the blanching and rolling process. Also, a good bunch of pak choi will have more of the large outer leaves (better for rolling) than a head of cabbage, so it goes farther! I’ve used collards, kale, and even bok choi in the past; any large, leafy green will do.  Use the large outer leaves for rolling, and keep any smaller leaves as “band aids” for the holes or tears in the larger leaves.

Stuffed Pak Choi Rolls (Galumpkis)

Ingredients

1 large head pak choi 16 oz. pound ground, grass-fed beef 8 oz. ground sausage 2 eggs 2 large sweet onions, minced 6-7 garlic cloves, minced 2 tsp sea salt 1 tsp freshly grated black pepper 1/2 cup cooked brown rice 2 TBS butter or olive oil 1 28-oz can chopped tomatoes 1 15-oz can tomato sauce 2 TBS apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup golden raisins 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Set a large pot of water to boil over high heat while you prepare the filling. Wash and peel the greens, keeping stems intact.

Melt butter or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add onions and garlic to sweat. Once they’re translucent and fragrant, set aside to cool. 

To make the sauce, combine half the sauteed onion and garlic mixture in a large mixing bowl with the chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and raisins. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add one cup sauce to the bottom of a large pyrex baking dish and set aside while you make your rolls.

Combine ground beef, sausage, eggs, rice, and half the sauteed garlic and onions in a large bowl and mix with your hands to combine. Season with salt and pepper. 

Once the water comes to a rolling boil, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Blanch the greens in the boiling water a few at a time for 5-10 seconds. I use the long stems as handles, dunking only the leafy parts. Remove from boiling water, dunk in the ice bath, and set aside. Repeat for all the leaves.

On a large working surface, make your rolls. Spread a wilted leaf out on your working surface and use a sharp knife to cut the thick stem off the bottom of the leaf, cutting up in a V-shape if necessary to remove the thickest parts. Add a spoonful of the meat mixture to the bottom of the leaf. Bring the v-shaped incision together underneath the meat if needed as you roll, wrapping the leaf around the meat in a tight roll, tucking in the sides mid-way up (like you’re rolling a tiny burrito). Place the rolls seam side down in the pre-sauced baking dish. Continue with remaining leaves.

Once all the rolls have been assembled and arranged in the baking dish, top with remaining sauce and cover lightly with foil. Bake for 2 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or corn grits.

[procrastibakingamiscellany]

Cottage Pie with Sweet Potatoes

I invited a friend over for dinner the other night before I’d planned out the menu. We got back to my house at the end of a long day and I had a brief panic attack trying to figure out what I was going to feed myself, my child, and our guest. Luckily, I had been gifted a bag full of goodies from the Coppell Farmer’s Market and had quite a bit to work with, including a number of lovely root vegetables and some ground meats. I posted a different cottage pie recipe using bison last year, but I find this recipe to be a vast improvement.

The farmer’s market in winter is the best place to gather all the goodies for a cottage pie. A cottage pie recipe is less of a rulebook and more of a guideline. All you need is the basic architecture: a good base of chopped vegetables and browned meat, a hearty gravy, and a whipped tuber topping. I prefer a sweet potato topping over the more traditional one with russets, but both are delightful. You can also use ground lamb for a true shepherds pie, or turkey for a leaner option. Any variety of vegetables will do for the base, as long as you start with sauteed onions and garlic, and generally avoid the cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage.

The key to building flavor is to make sure you sweat your savory vegetables first (onions, garlic, and carrots), and adequately brown your meat. In order to get a caramelized sear on ground meat, bring a dry, heavy-bottomed skillet up to medium-high heat until it’s VERY hot. Add the meat and let it sear until it’s dark brown and crispy before flipping it to the other side. If you’re working with a lot of meat, it’s sometimes best to do this in batches, or it will give off too much moisture in the pan to reach a good temperature. The brown bits that stick to the bottom form the base for your pan sauce.

Cottage Pie with Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

24 oz. ground, grass-fed beef 8 oz. pork sausage 1 yellow onion, chopped 5 cloves garlic, chopped 3 parsnips, peeled and chopped roughly 5 carrots, chopped roughly 1 red or yellow beet, peeled and chopped roughly 1 TBS fresh sage, minced 2 TBS fresh rosemary, minced 1 quart beef stock, separated 2 TBS flour 1 cup hearty red wine 1 TBS tomato paste 1 tsp dried thyme 3-4 medium sized sweet potatoes 1/2 cup milk 2 sticks (8 oz) butter, divided

Directions

Prick sweet potatoes with a knife to vent and microwave on high until cooked through (roughly 5 minutes). Let cool before peeling. Mash the sweet potatoes with about 4 TBS butter and milk until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Heat 3 TBS butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven (must be oven safe) until melted. Add onions, garlic, carrots, and parsnips to sweat. Once the onions are translucent and fragrant, add chopped beets and 2 cups beef stock. Cover and cook on medium heat until cooked through.

While the vegetables are cooking, pre-heat an iron skillet to medium-high and add ground beef and pork to brown. Let the meat sear until crispy and brown before flipping. When the meat is cooked through, remove it from the pan and set aside. 

Drain off most of the liquid in the pan (if you’re using grass-fed beef, there might not be any!). Decrease heat to medium-low and add 3 TBS butter. Scrape and stir the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with the butter. Add dried thyme. Whisk in the flour until well incorporated. When the mixture bubbles, whisk in 1 cup beef broth (more, if needed) to form a thick sauce. If it seizes, don’t panic. Just add more liquid and whisk vigorously. Stir in the wine and tomato sauce and let cook until it’s the consistency of gravy.

Once the veggies are fork tender, remove the lid from the dutch oven and let some of the cooking liquid reduce. Add cooked meat and gravy. Top with mashed sweet potato to cover.

Place under a low broil for 10-15 minutes, or until the peaks on the potatoes start to brown. Serve with crusty bread.

[procrastibakingamiscellany]

Thanksgiving Leftovers Quiche

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, because it’s the only holiday that centers completely around food. As a child, I eagerly anticipated the day of gluttony, but the days following promised a never-ending tedium of turkey sandwiches. I try to rectify this monotony as an adult through quiches; the perfect vehicle for leftovers. We usually end up making quiches the day after large parties where we're left with extras from a meat and cheese platter or pizza toppings.

The key to a great quiche is to remember you’re making a custard, not an omelet. Other quiche recipes call for adding cold eggs and cream to a pie crust before baking. A truly light, creamy quiche is achieved by tempering hot milk and cream into cold eggs to create an even custard base.

Kitchen pro-tip: if you can’t find heavy cream (as is often the case around the holidays) you can sub 2 cups half and half for the milk and cream.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Quiche

Ingredients

1 par-baked pie crust 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup milk 3 pastured eggs

Quiche fillings: 1/2 cup shredded leftover turkey 1/3 cup leftover cornbread stuffing 1 TBS chopped fresh sage salt and pepper to taste 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese leftover turkey gravy to serve

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°.

Arrange quiche fillings (except the cheese) in the bottom of the par-baked crust. Season with salt and pepper.

Whisk eggs together in a large, heatproof mixing bowl and set aside.

In a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat, cook cream and milk until just simmering, stirring often.

Temper the hot milk mixture into the eggs (pour hot milk slowly while whisking constantly), and whisk thoroughly to incorporate.

Pour the custard mixture (hot milk + eggs) into your pie shell on top of the quiche filling, being careful not to over-fill the shell.

Sprinkle cheese on top and place in the oven to bake for 35-40 minutes or until set. The center of the custard should have a bit of a wobble to it, but will not be wet or runny. A thermometer check should register an internal temp of 160°-165°.

Let set for 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving.

Serve with leftover gravy and rolls.

[procrastibakingamiscellany]

Winter BKT Salad

Kale is one of those cold-hearty greens that keeps growing year-round; its flavor is often improved by a quick frost. I prefer heftier salads in the colder months, and this recipe is a great way to incorporate fresh kale into your salad routine. I've had few friends mention their hesitancy to eat raw kale, and to them I say, “well have you tried it with BACON?”

The lemon-yogurt dressing is a utilitarian wonder, and this recipe will make about double what you actually need for 4 servings. You won’t have any trouble eating the rest, I assure you; it keeps well in the fridge and makes a great sandwich spread, dip for vegetables, or (as I discovered), potato chips. You’re welcome.

If you don’t have preserved lemon, substitute the zest and juice of a large fresh lemon, and halve the vinegar. For the health-conscious among us (or those that dislike mayonnaise), double the yogurt and kiss the mayonnaise goodbye. You might not even miss it.

Winter BKT Salad

Servings: 4

1 preserved lemon, minced 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup plain, full-fat greek yogurt 2 TBS white wine vinegar Salt & pepper to taste 1 bunch dinosaur (lacianto) kale 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes 8 pieces thick-cut bacon

To make dressing, mix preserved lemon, mayonnaise, and yogurt in a small food processor until smooth. Slowly add the vinegar until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate dressing until ready to use (dressing can be made a few days ahead).

Fry bacon in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet until very crispy but not burned. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool. Crumble cooled bacon in the paper towels or remove to a cutting board to chop coarsely.

Slice tomatoes in half and set aside for salad prep.

Remove tough stems from washed kale and tear into bite-sized pieces. Add kale to a large mixing bowl with two large dollops of dressing and toss to combine, adding more dressing as necessary. Don’t overdress, there should be very little excess dressing in the bottom of the bowl.

Plate kale into 4 large servings and let rest for 5 minutes before adding bacon and tomatoes to serve.

[procrastibakingamiscellany]

CSA Stir-Fry with Squash and Green Beans

I eat out more often than I’d care to admit. There’s a lovely Asian restaurant across the street from campus that I frequent at least once a week. I always leave with a full belly and plenty of leftovers. This usually means I have at least a container or two of leftover steamed rice hanging around at the end of the week. So I end up making fried rice for dinner quite often.

The secret to good fried rice is leftovers. You must MUST use leftover steamed rice. The grains dry out in the fridge, making it slightly unappetizing as a side-dish, but the perfect consistency for the wok. You can also toss in whatever leftover meat or vegetables suit your fancy. In the winter months, fried rice is an excuse to clear our your fridge of all those last bits of frozen veggies. During CSA months, it’s a great way to use up that lone squash hanging around your crisper, or the last handful of beans your child hasn’t inhaled. 

Make sure to check out the recipe for the Green CSA Flavor Bombs - they add a lovely herb-infused finish to the final product!

CSA Stir-Fry with Squash and Green Beans

Ingredients

1 small yellow onion, sliced 1 summer squash, sliced and quartered 1 handful green beans, ends trimmed and chopped in thirds 1 clove garlic, diced 1 egg, lightly scrambled 2 cups leftover steamed rice 3 TBS soy sauce 2 Green CSA Flavor Bombs (optional) 4 TBS safflower or other high-heat oil, separated sriracha and soy sauce for serving 

Directions

Prepare your egg in advance. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium. Once hot, add 1/2 TBS cooking oil. Add scrambled egg and let it spread out to fill as much surface of the pan as possible. Cook until top has set and is no longer glossy. Remove to a cutting board and slice into thin strips. Set aside.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet or wok over medium heat. Once pan is hot, add remaining cooking oil followed by onions, squash, and beans. Stir often, letting the onions brown and the beans blister somewhat.

Once the onions and squash have some color, add leftover rice and let cook for a minute or two without disturbing (to let the rice crisp). Stir to combine, making sure to scrape up the stuck-on rice bits.

Add flavor bombs (if using), and soy sauce, stirring to incorporate the frozen cubes. Once melted, add the reserved egg.

Serve immediately with sriracha and extra soy sauce.

[procrastibakingamiscellany]

Green CSA Flavor Bombs

I have been wanting to try this recipe for Chef Cohen’s Secret-Weapon Stir-Fry Sauce since it was featured earlier this year, but something always held me back. The past few weeks have offered a wealth of new and enticing CSA greens, and the mustard-like tatsoi promised an excellent substitute for the spinach called for in the original recipe. 

You can whip these up in about 20 minutes and have a cache of concentrated flavor bombs in your freezer for the long winter ahead. Their application isn’t limited to stir-fry, either. They’re an excellent addition to a soup, or folded into a simple omelet with cheese, or tossed through hot pasta as a finish.

They’re also a pretty amazing addition to fried rice. Enjoy!

Green CSA Flavor Bombs

Yield: Roughly 20, 1-oz cubes

Ingredients

1 bunch cilantro 1 bunch parsley 1 cup Thai basil 4 cups Tatsoi spinach 3 cloves garlic, peeled 3 TBS fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Prepare an ice bath and set aside while you prep the ingredients.

Chop the bottom stems from the bunches of cilantro and parsley. Remove the woody stems from the Thai basil and discard. 

Once the water comes to a boil, blanch the cilantro, parsley, Thai basil, and spinach for 30 seconds, or until they turn bright green. Remove from water and drop into the ice bath.

Remove the greens from the ice bath, shaking off the majority of the excess water (but keeping them still slightly wet - don’t dry them off). Add the blanched greens to a food processor or blender along with the garlic and ginger and blend until a smooth, dark green puree forms. You can add more water 9a TBS at a time) to help the mixture move if it is too thick.

Press puree into ice cube trays, cover lightly with saran wrap and freeze. Once frozen, cubes can be stored tightly sealed in a freezer bag for a few months.

Add to soups, pasta, omelets, or fried rice for an added kick of flavor.

[procrastibakingamiscellany]

3-Cheese Tortilla Pizza with Arugula and Balsamic

I get it - dinners are hard. I rock the solo-parent thing 5 nights a week and sometimes we eat triscuits and ice cream for supper. But then my good friend Mike posted a recipe for cheater-pizza with a flour tortilla crust, and my life was saved. We probably eat about 3 or 4 of these a week. Yes, sometimes even for breakfast. The best part is, using a tortilla for pizza crust essentially eliminates the most difficult part about making pizza. The prep-time for what my daughter calls “burrito-pizzas” is the same as making a grilled cheese sandwich (which she doesn’t eat - go figure).

But just because we’re using the term “pizza” loosely doesn’t mean we have to cut corners on toppings. You can dress-up it up or down, either way you wind up with a satisfying snack that is basically (let’s be honest here) a cheese delivery system.  Pizza is always a great excuse to eat some fresh greens, and lately I’ve been topping my cheater pizzas with all the cheeses in my fridge and a smattering of fresh CSA greens. Chopped or torn, you add the greens to the finished pizza out of the oven, adding a delightful crunch to a quick meal.

So get creative with all the extra time on your hands (now that you’re not making pizza dough from scratch). And check out Mike’s food blog, Optional Kitchen; it’s definitely worth a look.

3-Cheese Tortilla Pizza with Arugula and Balsamic

Serving size: 1 small pizza

Ingredients

1 8-inch flour tortilla shell 1 TBS tomato paste 2 oz fresh or shredded mozzarella 2 TBS Gorgonzola, crumbled 2 TBS Parmesan, finely shredded 1 tsp aged balsamic vinegar 1 handful arugula, stems removed, torn or chopped roughly 4-5 fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat boiler to low and situate an oven rack 6-8 inches under the heating element.

Heat a skillet large enough to fit the entire tortilla shell over medium heat. Once hot, add the tortilla and let crisp on each side for at least 30 seconds.

Remove the tortilla shell to a working surface and remove pan from heat. Smear the tortilla lightly with tomato paste and top with mozzarella, blue cheese, and Parmesan. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Put the tortilla back on the skillet and place under the broiler. Cook for 2-4 minutes or until the cheese gets bubbly and the tortilla edges begin to brown. 

CAREFULLY remove hot pan from oven and remove pizza to a cutting board. Top hot pizza with fresh greens and salt and pepper before slicing.

To make more than a single pizza at a time, incorporate a parchment lined baking sheet for step 4, using the skillet on the stove-top to crisp the shells as you make them.

[procrastibakingamiscellany]

Squash Lasagna

Whatever should one do with an overabundance of squash? What a wonderful dilemma! A lot of the summer and late fall varietals double as stand-ins for lasagna noodles and make for an excellent, gluten-free casserole. You can even add some eggplant to the party if you have some hanging around.

But beware - squash releases a lot of liquid. Because there are no noodles to absorb that excess moisture, we’re using tomato paste instead of the more traditional sauce.  The highly concentrated flavor of the tomato paste works well with the juices released during cooking.

If you’re looking for a healthier version of this recipe, try cutting the cheese mixture in half. Add it only as the top layer to the casserole, using only alternating layers of squash with tomato paste and sauteed veggies in between as a base. You can also add arugula, spinach, or just about any other green along with the garlic to the pan when you’re sauteing your veggies. They’ll add a nice kick to the already flavorful filling!

Squash Lasagna

Ingredients

2 summer squash 1 pattypan squash 1 medium eggplant (optional - use extra squash if not using) 2 6oz cans tomato paste 1 large onion, diced 1 large red bell pepper (or 5- small peppers), seeded and chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 15oz tub ricotta cheese 1/2 cup cottage cheese (optional) 1 cup shredded mozzarella, separated 1 pastured egg 2-3 springs basil, chopped 1/2 cup parmesan, shredded olive oil for cooking salt and freshly cracked pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Heat a skillet or saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 TBS olive oil. Add onions and peppers and saute, stirring occasionally, until onions get glassy and fragrant.  Add garlic and cook a few minutes more, being careful not to let the garlic brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine ricotta cheese, half the mozzarella, cottage cheese, egg, and basil in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, slice squash and eggplant into thin discs (3mm on a mandoline). For the pattypan, it’s often easier to cut the squash in half from the top and cut longer strips from the inside of the halves. 

Spread a tablespoon or two of tomato paste in the bottom of a medium sized casserole dish. Drizzle with a TBS olive oil. Top with 1/3 of the sauteed onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange a single layer of squash on top of the sauteed veggies, making sure to overlap the pieces and arrange to the pan edge. Sprinkle more salt and pepper on top of the squash.

Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture on top of the squash, sealing in the edges, then add another squash layer. Continue in this manner, alternating between a layer of tomato paste and sauteed veggies with layers of cheese, arranging squash in between each (squash, cheese, squash, tomato paste & veggies, etc.). Season each squash layer with salt and pepper. 

End with the final layer of cheese on top. Cover with parchment paper and foil and cook for about an hour to an hour (depending on the thickness). Lasagna is done when a sharp knife inserted in the center meets no resistance. Top with remaining half cup mozzarella and parmesan and cook under broiler for 5-10 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. 

[procrastibakingamiscellany]

Tuna Patties with Wilted Tatsoi Greens and Buerre Blanc

Many people believe that cooking with fresh greens should be a binary: they’ve either got to be fresh or cooked. I often enjoy my fresh greens cold and crunchy in salads, or sauteed to buttery softness in pasta, but sometimes the best way to eat your greens is somewhere in between. Topping a cold salad with a hot sauce gives you the perfect balance of crispness to richness, and you wind up with a lovely dinner perfect for the cooler temperatures coming our way.

You can use any combination of greens, depending on your preference. I used a combination of the sweeter Tatsoi greens with a few Mizuna greens for an added kick. You can also use arugula, or a combination of all three!

Make sure to use a decent quality white wine - if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it!

Tuna Patties with Wilted Tatsoi Greens and Buerre Blanc

Ingredients

2 6-ounce cans good quality tuna packed in oil 3 TBS minced red onion or shallots 1 TBS Dijon mustard 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 1 lemon, zested and juiced 2-3 drops tabasco (optional) 1 egg sea salt and freshly ground black pepper butter for the pan 2 large handfuls Tatsoi, or assorted greens, chopped roughly

For the Buerre Blanc

1 stick cold butter, cut into chunks 1/3 cup white wine 1 TBS minced shallots

Directions

Drain excess oil from tuna. Combine tuna, minced onion or shallot, mustard, breadcrumbs, lemon juice and zest, tabasco (if using), and egg in a mixing bowl and stir gently with a fork to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide mixture roughly into fourths and fashion each portion into a patty, making sure not to squeeze to hard. If time allows, cover patties loosely and refrigerate for 30 minutes before cooking.

Heat a large skillet to medium low heat and add  butter to the hot pan. Carefully place the patties in the pan and cook until browned before flipping, roughly 4-5 minutes on each side. If the patties are done before you finish making your sauce, place them in a warm oven to finish.

To make the Buerre Blanc, bring wine, shallots, and a pinch of salt and black pepper to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the liquid has evaporated by 2/3. 

Turn off the heat and whisk in 2 chunks of cold butter. Turn the heat back on to low and continue whisking chunks of butter into the sauce a chunk at a time, making sure each piece melts before adding more.

Add the chopped greens to serving bowls and top with a tuna patty and generous portion of sauce.