Sautéed Christmas Peppers

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Several summers ago I stumbled on the solution to lack of color on my Christmas table. Double cut lamb chops were sizzling on the grill when I realized I had a rainbow assortment of bell peppers almost past their prime. It was a now or never moment. Working on the assumption that they'd be delicious with anything coming off the grill, I grabbed an onion, some fresh herbs, my best olive oil and the dregs of some chilled red wine and commenced a kitchen experiment. It was successful enough that the effort was repeated, and, while the mixture overwhelmed poultry, it proved to be a great side with beef as well as lamb. When Christmas rolled around, I remembered the gorgeous jewel tones and decided to make this part of our holiday dinner. I've done so ever since. I've fashioned a recipe, actually a technique, for you, but I hope you loose your imagination and create a version of your own. I have been known to take shortcuts, so while I'll be scorned by real foodies, I'll tell those of you who are short of time or space that the peppers can also be cooked in a microwave oven. You get to pick as long as I can exercise plausible deniability. Here's the recipe. The cheat sheet is in red.

Sautéed Christmas Peppers...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 red bell peppers
2 orange bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers
2 green bell peppers
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves coarsely minced garlic
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 tablespoons dry red wine
Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Sea salt for garnish

Directions:
1) Stem, core and remove ribs from bell peppers. Cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch strips; set aside.
2) If sautéeing: Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok. Add onions and cook until s soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir until garlic is fragrant. Add bell peppers, oregano and rosemary; saute 5 minutes. Add wine and cook, covered until peppers are tender, about 5 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley. Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings.
3) If microwaving: Place peppers, onions and garlic in a large microwave container. Toss with olive oil. Microwave, covered, on HIGH power for 5 minutes. Uncover and stir. Add wine and cook, covered, for another 5 minutes or until peppers are crisp tender. Remove from oven. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley. Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings.

Boxty and Latkes - Outdoor Wednesday

Parade to welcome Sinterklaas on December 6th




Latkes - Potato Pancakes



Boxty - Irish Potato Cakes




The winter solstice is nearly here and since recorded time we've tried to beat back its darkness with celebrations of light and fire. We adorn our trees and windows with lights and flickering tapers fill our homes with an artificial warmth and glow. The Jewish Festival of Lights, Hanukkah, begins next week and I realized I had posted no recipes for those who enjoy this wonderful celebration. I don't have many, but the ones I do have should be shared with others. My plan was to post recipes for latkes and tzimmes. Then, in what my Mother would call a flight of fancy, I started thinking of my paternal grandmother. Grandma Maude was Irish and more Catholic than the pope. I've mentioned in other posts that she spent her year traveling to the homes of her many children. She managed to rotate the dates so we all got to enjoy her company for one holiday or another. Well, today, in the middle of solstice preparations, memories of Lent with Grandma Maude came flowing back. Very old school, she was into what we, years ago, called the Black Fast. The particulars of that practice are best left to those of us who lived through it, but memories of Maude and days of fast and abstinence were triggered by, of all things, latkes. Grandma Maude had a very Irish recipe that she was convinced would carry the most egregious heathen through the Lenten season. Her weapon was boxty, an Irish potato cake that is far more dense than a latke. I'll tell you up front that it is delicious, but the only thing it has in common with a latke is its main ingredient, the potato. I learned to make latkes in the German and Scandinavian kitchens of my childhood. The goal was always a lacy, thin creation that when held to the air would allow the passage of light and not bend. Sounds easy, but it's not. My knuckles were regularly rapped until I perfected the technique. Maude's pancakes were thick and heavy and more likely to break a toe than emit light. The thing was, they were delicious and as good in their own way as those made by Hannie or Mrs. P. So, I decided to postpone the tzimmes and share both pancake recipes with you today. Here they are. Heritage demands the boxty come first.

Boxty - Irish Potato Cakes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup unseasoned mashed potatoes
1 cup peeled and grated raw potatoes
2 cups self-rising flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
2 to 4 tablespoons butter
1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Sour Cream

Directions:
1 ) Combine mashed and raw grated potatoes in a medium bowl. Mix well. Stir in flour and salt with a wooden spoon. Stir in buttermilk. Mixture should resemble a light bread dough.
2) Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy bottomed skillet. When mixture is sizzling, drop batter by 1/4 cup measures into pan. Working in two batches, brown cakes, about 4 minutes per side, until they are a rich golden brown. Serve hot with additional melted butter and sour cream. Yield: 12 potato cakes.

Latkes - Potato Pancakes

Ingredients:
2 cups peeled and grated russet or Idaho potatoes
1 small yellow onion, peeled and grated
1 large, egg beaten
3 tablespoons self-rising flour
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper
2 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying
Garnish:
Sour cream
Applesauce

Directions:
1) Squeeze as much water as possible from grated potatoes. Toss in a large bowl with grated onion. Add egg, flour, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.
2) Heat oil in a large saute pan set over medium-high heat. Drop mounds of potato mixture into oil and pat to a thin circle. Cook, about 4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Serve hot with sour cream or applesauce. Yield: 12 pancakes.

This is being linked to:
Outdoor Wednesday - A Southern Daydreamer

Dutch Baby with Spiced Peaches

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've been trying to organize my freezer in anticipation of the holiday. While grouping things more logically, I came across a bag of peaches that had been thrown in there last summer. I'd also been thinking about holiday breakfast menus and a recipe I'd found in "Baking At Home with The Culinary Institute of America". The recipe that caught my eye was for a Dutch baby pancake that was topped with spiced peaches. Dutch babies, sometimes called German pancakes, are puffy baked pancakes similar to the German Apfelpfannkuchen. Actually, it's a misnomer to call these pancakes. They're far more like Yorkshire pudding than conventional pancakes. They are light and fluffy and very easy to do. If you are planning special holiday breakfasts, you might want to consider serving Dutch babies. If there'll be more than six at your table go to Cooks for a recipe that can be scaled to feed a variable number of people. While I topped my test "baby" with the recommended peach topping, I think I'll use raspberries or blackberries the next time I prepare these. Here's the recipe.




Dutch Baby with Spiced Peaches...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of The Culinary Institute of America

Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
5 tablespoons melted butter, divided use
3 cups peeled and sliced peaches
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Confectioners' sugar for dusting
1/4 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or oven-proof saute pan in oven to heat.
2) Sift flour and salt together into a small bowl.
3) Put eggs in a blender and blend at low speed. Add flour mixture and milk alternately, in thirds. Scrape down sides of blender and continue to blend until smooth. Blend in 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Brush hot skillet with 1 tablespoon butter.
4) Pour batter into skillet. Bake for 20 minutes without opening oven door. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake 10 minutes longer.
5) While Dutch Baby is baking, prepare spiced fruit. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter in a medium saute pan set over high heat. Add peaches, cinnamon and brown sugar. Continue to cook until peaches are heated through, about 5 to 6 minutes.
6) Remove Dutch baby from oven. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Fill center of Dutch Baby with hot fruit mixture. Top with whipped cream and lemon zest. Serve at once. Yield: 6 servings.

Potato Soup - Blue Monday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's difficult to glamorize potatoes. It's much easier to sing their praises. The nutritionally dense potato is a near perfect food. Conquistadors, returning from Peru, brought the potato to Europe, where it's value as a food crop was quickly recognized. It was less expensive to grow than grain or legumes and it was much easier to store. The potato spread as rapidly through the new world as it had through Europe. According to the USDA "a diet of whole milk and potatoes would supply almost all of the food elements necessary for the maintenance of the human body." Prior to the potato famine, a single acre of potatoes and the milk of one cow was enough to feed a large Irish family, a boring, but nutritionally adequate diet. Today's soup is a perfect example of what can be done with the inexpensive potato. For the next several days we will be experiencing unseasonably cold weather in the Pacific Northwest. To my mind, there is no better way to fight the chill than a bowl of steaming soup. This is one of those recipes that I throw into my "of cabbages and kings" category. At it's heart, this is great peasant fare, but with a bit of tweaking it becomes a vichyssoise worthy of a Bourbon prince. I have a 10# bag of russet potatoes in my pantry. I paid $1.29 for that bounty. I use approximately 1-1/2 pounds of potatoes in this recipe. Salt, pepper, some onions or leeks and a bit of butter and heavy cream complete the ingredient list for this soup. I can make a nice lunch or light supper for six people for under three dollars. You can't go wrong, unless you hate potatoes. Anything you fancy can be added to the soup base. Think along the lines of bacon and cheddar cheese and you can see where this simple recipe might take you. Here's the base for an absolutely delicious soup.




Potato Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter
1-1/2 pounds (about 3 cups) thinly sliced leeks, onions or a combination thereof
1-1/2 pounds (about 4 cups) thinly sliced potatoes
2 quarts water
1 scant tablespoon Kosher salt (see Cook's Note)
1/2 cup heavy cream, half-and-half or whole milk
3 tablespoons minced chives or parsley

Directions:
1) Heat butter or oil in a 4 to 5-quart saucepan until hot. Add onions and simmer, until onions are soft, about 10 minutes.
2) Add potatoes, water and salt to pan. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender. Mash vegetables with a fork or pass through a food mill. A blender will turn this to paste, so don't be tempted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add whatever else your heart desires and serve this screaming, steaming hot with crusty bread and a salad. Yield: 6 servings.

Cook's note:
1) If you want to make vichyssoise, pass the mixture through a fine mesh sieve and chill. You will need to adjust salt before serving.
2) While there is no other seasoning used in this soup, some find it has too much salt. If you are watching your salt intake, add salt, a teaspoon at a time, to taste. I will continue to use the amount specified in the recipe.

This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday

Meatball Sub with Homemade Sicilian Sausage

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We raised our children in a community that had a small Italian conclave. We lived in the area for several years before I even knew it was there. I happened on it following an article I'd read about a procession being held by the congregation of the church which was the cornerstone of this community. I've always been fascinated by the process that leads to the assimilation of immigrant populations and was intrigued that a group of people in a community so urbane and close to New York City still held to the old ways. I attended the procession and watched a group of mostly elderly people march, barefoot, in a procession on a very hot day to honor the patron saint of their church. It's hard not to be touched by this kind of devotion. I decided to walk through the area to better acquaint myself with the community and the folks who lived here. I turned off the artery on which the church was located to find myself on what should have been a small quiet street. It was neither. It was a lined on both sides by small family businesses that appeared to be thriving. There were several delis, a pork store, some restaurants and a large bakery. You knew immediately that you were in a miniature version of Little Italy. Similar Jewish communities are marked by the aroma of pastrami and dill. Here the air was redolent with cheese and salami and the mind numbing fragrance of bread baking in basement ovens. I fell in love immediately and it was here that I eventually learned about the regional sausages of Italy. Many years before this, I had tasted fresh sausage made in the kitchen of Mama S. Her sausage was wonderful but what I sampled here had gorgeous flecked color and a taste of fennel and cheese that, once tasted, would never be forgotten. It was here that I learned how to make Sicilian sausage. It's very easy to do if you're willing to forego casings. I forgo casings. I usually keep a supply of Sicilian sausage in my freezer. We use it for subs, pasta and pizza. Today's recipe is really for sausage, but before I get into that, I want to tell you about the sub sandwich in the picture. It starts with a wonderful, lightly toasted roll that has been hollowed out to hold the meatballs. The meatballs are covered with a spicy marinara or puttanesca sauce and then topped with grated provolone before being given a quick turn under the broiler to melt the cheese. One bite of this sub will take you to Mount Etna. The secret is the meatballs. The secret to the meatballs is fennel. Here's the recipe.

Sicilian Sausage ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2-1/2 pounds coarsely ground pork butt
1 cup Romano cheese
1/2 cup red wine
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fennel seed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped yellow pepper
1 small bunch Italian parsley, chopped

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Form into meatballs using a tablespoon or scoop. Sausage may also be formed into patties. Yield: 36 meatballs.

Lebkuchen Bars, Speculaas and SinterKlaas - Pink Saturday

Lebkuchen




Speculaas

December 6th is a special day for the children of Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. It marks the feast of Sinterklaas, or St. Nicolas, a man remembered for his generosity and love for children and the poor. On the eve of his feast day, the shoes of children are set out for him to fill with candy and other small gifts. Legend has it that Sinterklaas carries with him a book of sins. The shoes of those who have been good are filled with treats, while those of transgressors are filled with twigs. Special cookies are usually served as part of this celebration. They are called speculaas. There are actually two types of this spice cookie. One is soft and chewy, the other is crisp and formed in special embossed molds. Both taste like mild gingerbread. I couldn't let the feast of Sinterklaas pass without making speculaas. I've chosen to make the softer version. The word speculaas comes from the Latin word for mirror. The cookies can be rolled and cut to mirror any shape and that probably explains their name. Speculaas, and their cousins lebkuchen, are wonderful holiday treats and it really is lovely to have them on hand for guests and special Christmas activities.

One of my earliest holiday memories is decorating the Christmas tree. Most of the work fell to my father, but when he deemed the tree ready each child, there were three of us, would be given a box of tinsel and allowed to put it on the tree. Even with extended arms, we never made it higher than four feet up the tree. The bulk of the tinsel was on the lower limbs, probably in clumps, because we were anxious to complete the job. The one who finished first got to put the angel on top the Christmas tree and we, even at that tender age, were a competitive bunch. There were of course cookies and eggnog to heal the wounded spirits of those not qualifying for the special honor. I hope you've had the opportunity to try really good lebkuchen and speculaas. If not, I hope you'll try these recipes. These cookies age well if stored in airtight containers.

Speculaas...from One Perfect Bite courtesy of Joy of Baking

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour/meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
Finely grated rind of 1 large lemon
Garnish:
1 cup sliced or shaved almonds

Directions:
1) Whisk flour, almond meal, baking powder, spices and salt together in a bowl. Set aside. Set aside.
2) Combine butter and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer. Cream until light and fluffy. Add egg and lemon zest and beat until well combined. Add flour mixture and beat until combined. Form dough into a round, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Move rack to middle of oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
4) Remove dough from refrigerator and form into 1 inch (2.54 cm) balls. Place balls of dough on the prepared cookie sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Then, using bottom of a glass dipped in sugar, flatten each ball of dough to 1/4 inch thick (can also use a cookie stamp). Sprinkle each cookie with shaved almonds. Bake for about 10 - 12 minutes, or until lightly browned at edges. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 3-1/2 dozen cookies.

Lebkuchen Bars...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite Courtesy of Tish Boyle

Ingredients:
Cookie:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter, cut into 3 pieces
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup sliced unblanched almonds
1/3 cup candied orange peel, finely chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon fresh grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Orange-Ginger Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1) In a large nonreactive saucepan, combine honey, brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, butter is melted and mixture just begins to boil. Remove pan from heat; let cool for 15 minutes.
2) Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg and ginger together in a large bowl. Set aside.
3) Stir almonds, candied orange peel, orange juice, orange zest and vanilla and almond extracts into cooled honey mixture. Add dry ingredients and stir until well-blended. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface of dough. Cover pan with another piece of plastic wrap. Let dough sit at room temperature overnight.
4) Position a rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.
5) Place dough in prepared pan and spread it in an even layer. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6) Meanwhile, make glaze: Whisk confectioners' sugar, orange juice, ginger and vanilla together in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
7) Remove bars from oven. Place on a wire rack. Spread the glaze over warm bars. Let cool completely before cutting. When cool cut into bars. Yield: 24 bars.

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound

Budapest Coffee Cake - Foodie Friday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Following a critique that appeared here several weeks ago, I was asked to share the recipe for my favorite non-yeast coffee cake. Three recipes came to mind and anyone of them would be a worthy candidate for the designation "best". Today's contender comes from Maida Heatter's "Book of Great Desserts". Food writer's, especially those with public personas, tend to be swallowed by the ebb and flow of tides that carry fans to fads on other shores. Each generation produces its own crop of star chefs and food writers who capture the imagination of the public. That's as it should be. However, we who love the kitchen and the creation of food, have a tendency to dismiss as passe anything not currently on the New York Times best seller list. That's a big mistake. It is possible to move forward and still carry the best of the past with us. This is an outstanding coffee cake. It was the most popular recipe in the "Book of Great Desserts", but I've found only two other places where the recipe is actually used and reviewed. What a shame. This coffee cake is not hard to make and it uses ingredients that are readily available. I hope you'll try it. It would make a wonderful addition to any holiday breakfast or brunch table. The glaze, by the way, isn't really necessary and can be eliminated if you'd prefer a less sweet cake. Here's the recipe for a personal favorite of mine.

Budapest Coffee Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Maida Heatter

Ingredients:
Filling
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon cocoa
3 tablespoons currants or finely chopped raisins
1 cup toasted walnuts
Batter
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups sour cream, room temperature
Glaze
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons hot milk

Directions:
1) Adjust an oven rack to lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch Bundt pan. Set aside.
2) To make the filling: Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and cocoa in a small bowl. Mix throughly. Stir in nuts and currants or raisins. Set aside.
3) To make batter: Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Cream butter in bowl of an electric stand mixer, using paddle attachment. Add vanilla and sugar and beat on medium speed for a minute or two. Add eggs, one at a time, beating each until just incorporated. Scrape sides of bowl, as necessary, to keep mixture smooth. Beat at high speed until mixture is light and creamy, about 1 minute. Turn mixer to low speed. Add dry ingredients in three additions and sour cream in two additions, beating only until smooth after each addition.
4) Spread a thin layer of batter in bottom of prepared pan. This will be easier to do if you use a small spoon to drop batter into pan and then smooth it together. Top with 1/3 of nut mixture. Repeat until you have 4 layers of batter and three layers of nut filling. The top layer will be batter. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.
5) To make glaze: Combine powdered sugar, vanilla and milk in a small bowl. Mix well. Mixture should have consistency of a thick cream sauce.
6) Spread wax paper underneath a cooling rack. Invert cake on cooling rack. Remove pan. Pour glaze over cake, letting it run down sides, while still hot. Whan glaze ir set, transfer cake to a serving plate. Cake may be served warm or at room temperature. Yield: 12 Servings.

This recipe is being linked to:
Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday