nina in the kitchen

Chocolate Salami

Posted on February 16, 2020 by nina in the kitchen

My new favorite cookie! No baking needed and it’s full of antioxidants! It looks like an Italian salami but it’s made with chocolate, chewy dried cherries, crunchy pistachios and plain cookies.

My Italian friend Giovanna Nebuloni from Milan Italy first introduced Chocolate Salami to me. She called it Salame di Cioccolato. Her recipe was much different than this, but the concept is the same. Pieces of cookie chunks resembling salami fat in a dark chocolate cookie, rolled in a light colored ingredient resembling the white powdery dusting of benign mold.

This recipe is adapted from America’s Test Kitchen cookbook The Perfect Cookie. I soaked the chopped dried cherries in whiskey instead of Grand Mariner. Also I think more lady fingers are needed. It’s a forgiving recipe, so you can easily add more cookie crumbs. I kept it at 3/4 cup cookie crumbs, but 1 cup would work too. I used Stella D’oro Margherite cookies because they are dried ladyfingers and taste yummy, but vanilla wafers or savoiardi would work too, or any biscuit like cookie.

Here’s all your ingredients plus a little powdered sugar

Melt chocolate and heavy cream in microwave

Process some of the cookie pieces into crumbs

Sir in the pistachios, cherries and cookie pieces

Place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Roll into 6-7 inch logs. Twist ends

After chilling, roll in powdered sugar and slice.

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped coarse

2 tablespoons whiskey, bourbon or Grand Marnier

6-8 ounces dried lady fingers (Stella D’oro Margherite cookies)

1 cup/6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup heavy cream

Pinch or more salt

2/3 cup pistachios, toasted

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

Instructions

1. In a small bowl combine cherries and whiskey. Microwave 30 seconds. Cool

2. Slice lady fingers into 1/2 inch pieces with a bread knife. Reserve 1 cup of the biggest chunks. Process the remaining lady fingers so you have 3/4 cup or so.

3. In a medium bowl microwave chocolate and heavy cream just until melted and smooth, about 30 seconds or so.

4. Add salt and ladyfinger crumbs to chocolate and mix well.

5. Add cherry mixture, pistachios and ladyfinger chunks. Stir until thick dough forms.

6. Divide dough in half and place each piece on a sheet of plastic wrap.

7. Use the plastic to roll each piece into a 6-7 inch log. Twist the ends tight. Refrigerate about 3 hours until firm, but check them to re-roll and insure their shape during that time.

8. When ready to serve, place confectioners sugar in a shallow dish. Unwrap the logs and roll until well coated. Cut into 1/2 inch slices. Serve chilled.

2 Comments

Posted in cookies and tagged cherries, chocolatesalami, Italian, ladyfingers, no-bake, no-bake cookie, pistachios, Salame di Cioccolato, Stella d’Oro. Bookmark the permalink.

Blueberry Coconut Granola Bars

Posted on July 3, 2019 by nina in the kitchen

Wholefoodbellies.com shared this recipe and we love it! It’s quick to put together and does not require complicated baking skills. I changed it up a bit by adding blueberry preserves in between 2 layers of batter. Also I substituted cashew butter for the applesauce. It would also be tasty to add some shredded coconut to the mix!

Ingredients

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup cashew butter or applesauce ( I used cashew butter…yum)

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1/4 cup coconut sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup dried blueberries

1/2 cup blueberry preserves (homemade or Bonne Maman brand)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare an 8×8 inch square baking pan with cooking spray or coconut oil.

In a large bowl combine oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

In another bowl whisk together yogurt, milk, cashew butter, coconut oil, coconut sugar, and eggs

Add the wet mix to the dry until just blended. Fold in dried blueberries

Pour half of the batter into the baking pan. Smooth out evenly

Spread the preserves over the batter evenly

Pour remaining batter over preserves in spoonfuls. Spread out evenly

Bake about 35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool another 30 minutes or so

Store in the frig or freezer for a later time or cut into squares after cooling

28 rectangular bars are a nice size. They cut especially well if very cold or frozen

Voila! Enjoy this easy healthy snack or breakfast bar!

Russian Roasted Pork Sausage

Posted on June 3, 2019 by nina in the kitchen

This is the sausage my Russian grandparents would make several times a year. It was served at every family gathering. They were from a small village outside of Minsk in Belarus. Preparing this phenomenal sausage today for our family and friends is a wonderful way to carry on traditions through the generations.

This sausage is not made with ground pork. Hand cut 1 inch pieces of pork butt or pork shoulder are used. The leaner cuts do not work. We tried. It needs to be fatty.

The meat is mixed with a special combination of spices and garlic. Then it is marinated a day. Fresh crushed spices and fresh minced garlic are more flavorful than ground spices or jarred garlic.

The meat mix is stuffed into casings and then simmered in lots of water. The final step is roasting and browning the sausage in the oven

Make sure not to boil or roast too long. This is a moist fatty sausage.

My family always made double this recipe which is for 20 pounds of meat. Our family today is smaller so 10 pounds is enough for us.

Ingredients

10 pounds boneless pork butt or shoulder

Hog casings, soaked in water and then rinsed inside and out

Spice and seasoning mixture:

1 tablespoon sugar

10 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

5 large cloves garlic, or more, minced

1 tablespoon dill seed, crushed

1 teaspoon ground allspice or 20 seeds, crushed

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or 2 whole cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon ground coriander or 20 seeds, crushed

1/2 bay leaf, crumbled fine

1 teaspoon ground mustard powder or 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, crushed

1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes or 1 dried hot red cayenne pepper, crushed

3/4 cup water

Steps

The spices that need to be crushed can be combined and broken into tiny pieces with a mortar and pestle or use a small bowl and the bottom of a small glass. Grinding these whole fresh spices give you better flavor than the ground spices.

Combine the dry seasonings in a small bowl, reserving 1 teaspoon salt.
Mince the garlic and add 1 teaspoon of the salt to it and mash it with the knife side
Cut the pork shoulder or butt into 1 inches pieces. Place in a very large ceramic or glass bowl
Add the water, garlic and seasonings to pork and mix well with your hands
Cover and refrigerate 1 day
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Make sure the hog casings are rinsed thoroughly under running cold water. Allow the water to run through the interior of the casings and look for holes. Cut out the sections with holes.
Tie a knot in the end of the casing.
Using an automatic sausage stuffer, slip the casing over the stuffing tube. I have an attachment to my Kitchen Aid stand mixer
Twist the links every 8-12 inches. You can keep the links connected or you can break off and separate each link from the stuffing tube. Twist the ends. Set the sausage links aside. Continue until all the meat is in the casings

Bring 1 or 2 large pots of water to a boil. Leave room for the sausage
Add the sausage to the water. Poke a few holes in each length. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 15-20 minutes. Skim any scum that rises to the surface.
Drain most of the water from the cooking pots but reserve some.
Remove sausage from the pot and place on shallow baking sheets. Maintain about 1/2 to 1 cup of water from the cooking pot in the bottom of the roasting pan. Cover with foil and roast about 15 minutes
Remove foil and roast till browned on each side, turning once, about 15 minutes on each side. Add and maintain the 1/2-1 cup cooking water to the roasting pans too. Sausage should be cooked till browned and tender. Do not overcook or it will be dry!
Serve the sausage links on a large platter. You can cut into pieces about 3 inches long if you like.

Here are some photos of the process

Gather your seasoning ingredients

Crush the whole spices with a mortar and pestle. You can make your own using a small bowl and small glass

Marinate the meat & seasoning mixture one day & stuff it into the hog casings the net day

Boil the sausage in a large pot of water

Roast the sausage on shallow baking pans in a 350 F oven

Voila! Enjoy our familiar taste of Russia!

Curried Chicken Salad

Posted on June 2, 2019 by nina in the kitchen

This salad can be presented in many forms. Add things like grapes, walnuts, pecans, dried cherries or celery slices. Add pasta or cooked rice, spread it on bread as a sandwich or on crackers or Naan. Or just make the dressing and dip in fresh veggies!

Poaching the chicken is the first step

Place 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, in a large cooking pot of boiling water with 1 quartered onion, 1 bay leaf and several black peppercorns.

Once it’s boiling again turn the heat off and cover. Or place on an extremely low flame. The remaining heat of an electric cooktop works well
Using an instant read thermometer check the temperature in the thickest part of the breast after 10 minutes. Once each piece reaches 155 F remove it from the water and cool. It’s temperature will rise to 165 F as it rests on a platter or in a colander.
When cool either shred the chicken or cut into bite size cubes. Your choice. I prefer shredded!!

Dressing

In a large bowl mix together

1 cup light Hellman’s mayonnaise

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 tablespoon Madras style curry powder

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Add chicken to dressing. Serve cold

This curry dressing is the same recipe as the curry dip we made at Strongbow’s Turkey Inn which is located in Valparaiso Indiana. Serve as a dressing or dip for fresh veggies like we did at Strongbow’s!

Voila! I hope you enjoy this as we have!

2 Comments

Posted in main dishes, salads and tagged cold salad, curried chicken salad, curry salad, strongbow's turkey inn, Strongbow’s, turmeric. Bookmark the permalink.

Cowboy Casserole Light

Posted on May 17, 2019 by nina in the kitchen

Cowboy themed foods are traditionally very hearty and full of calories and fat. Not this one! You’ll find here a lower calorie, low fat and low carb “Cowboy Casserole” which was a hit at the recent potluck dinner hosted by The Children’s Grief Center of the Great Lakes Bay Region. Jeanne, one of the parents brought this casserole and it was devoured!

Here is the recipe and it’s many versions she shared with me. Thank you Jeanne!

Cowboy Casserole is a very quick and easy one dish meal to prepare. It’s as good reheated as it is fresh from the oven too!

Basically it’s a layering of mashed potatoes, shredded chicken, bacon bits, grated cheese and BBQ sauce! I used puréed cauliflower in place of the potatoes for fewer carbs and an even lighter taste. Mashed or puréed are good

Other options are to use instant potatoes or adding flavoring packets to your mashed potatoes such as Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix or Caesar Salad Dressing Mix.

I used grated sharp cheddar cheese. You may prefer another cheese like white cheddar or Parmesan. If you prefer more meat add more. Add more or less bacon. Use your favorite BBQ sauce. I like Sweet Baby Rays or Billy Bones.

Poach your own chicken in water with onion and celery, bay leaf and black peppercorns My method is quick and easy. Cover the chicken with cold water. Add 1 unpeeled onion, quartered. Add 2 stalks celery, 1 bay leaf and 7 peppercorns. Bring to a boil. Cover and place on the lowest heat possible for 20 minutes. Voila!

Or buy a rotisserie chicken

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower or 2-3 pounds potatoes cooked and mashed or puréed or a large package of instant potatoes or a large package of frozen or premade mashed potatoes or cauliflower

Ranch Seasoning mix optional

Butter for lining a baking dish

Foil

2 -3 large chicken breasts or 1/2 to 1 whole rotisserie chicken, shredded

1/3 cup real bacon bits or pieces of leftover cooked bacon

1 cup grated or shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup or so BBQ sauce

Here’s the Steps

Preheat oven to 350F

Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish
Spread the pureed or mashed cauliflower or potatoes in bottom of baking dish
Place shredded chicken over potatoes
Sprinkle bacon over chicken
Sprinkle cheese over bacon
Squirt or spoon BBQ sauce over cheese to cover in s striped pattern
Cover with foil
Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until bubbly
Remove foil and bake about 15-20 minutes until browned and slightly crispy
It’s best served with a large flat spatula so the layers remain intact on the dinner plate
Reheat as needed
Voila!

Spread puréed cauliflower in buttered baking pan

Sprinkle on shredded chicken

Sprinkle on bacon pieces

Sprinkle on shredded cheese

Squirt or spoon on BBQ sauce

Cover and bake

Remove foil and bake till browned

Here’s how to poach your chicken. Don’t cook them too long! Chicken breasts are easy to over cook and dry out

Place chicken breasts of equal size in a large cooking pot. Cover with water by 1 inch. Add an unpeeled onion, quartered, 2 celery sticks, 1 bay leaf and 5 peppercorns Also salt if you like.

Bring mix to a boil. Then reduce heat to lowest level to barely a simmer for 15 minutes. Check temperature of chicken with an instant read thermometer. Remove chicken from water at 155F degrees and set aside 10 minutes. The chicken will reach 165 degrees while resting at room temperature.

To make some wonderful stock, continue simmering the broth uncovered until it’s reduced by half. Pour through a fine sieve and ladle into jars or freezer containers. Store in the frig or freezer

Puréed Cauliflower

Cut up 1 head of cauliflower into large pieces and place in a large saucepan with at least 2 inches of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer covered 15 minutes or until very fork tender. Drain and mash with a bit of added butter and milk

Enjoy!

2 Comments

Posted in side dishes and tagged bacon bits, cowboy Casserole, easy dinner shredded chicken, mashed potatoes, one dish meal, poached chicken, puréed cauliflower, rotisserie chicken, The Children’s Grief Center of the Great Lakes Bay Region. Bookmark the permalink.

Potatoes the French Way

Posted on May 13, 2019 by nina in the kitchen

This is the style of potato served in France. It has no flour in the cream sauce. Only heavy cream, grated cheese and garlic! It is baked in a heavy shallow baking pan and arranged in rows of upright slices. I used a cast iron fry pan. Serves 6-8 but can be doubled for a crowd which is what I did!

This recipe is from spoonforkbacon.com as Cheesy Garlic Potatoes Gratin

I did not add the final 2 tablespoons butter to the top of the cheesy potatoes. Otherwise the recipe is the same

Ingredients

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced very thin

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 heaping cup of grated white cheddar cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan plus more for sprinkling

3 large cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

Procedure

Preheat oven to 375

Heavily butter your shallow heavy baking pan

In a large bowl combine cream, cheeses, garlic, salt and pepper

Thinly slice potatoes with a mandolin slicer

Mix potatoes into cream sauce

Arrange potatoes in upright stacks in your baking dish so they are standing vertically

Pour the remaining cream sauce over the potatoes

Cover with foil and bake 35-40 minutes

Remove from oven and sprinkle with the additional Parmesan. Keep uncovered

Bake another 25-30 minutes or until browned and tender

Allow to sit at room temperature 10 minutes before serving

Add potato slices to cream sauce

Arrange potatoes as vertically as you can. My slices were pretty thin and delicate

Paris in Montmartre ‘n More

Posted on February 10, 2019 by nina in the kitchen

The very end of our 9 week trip we spent 9 nights in a large apartment in Montmartre close to Sacre Coeur. Our 3 daughters and 2 son in laws joined us. This was the beginning of May 2018 and the weather was mostly sunny!

Across the street from where the composer Erik Satié once lived we had a large modern apartment of two levels located also across from the Museum of Montmartre. The photos above were our neighborhood!

The Montmartre Museum was once home to many artists including Renoir. It’s two buildings with courtyards and gardens combined together. As many homes in Paris, including our apartment rental, the outside is plain and basic but the interior is more elaborate and inviting

There are gardens to explore here too! This is a view of The Montmartre Vineyard from the museum gardens

La Maison Rose is a picturesque spot in Montmartre. It’s a historical cafe serving fresh foods

Arugula pesto and salad

Fresh ricotta and herbs

A dinner in Montmartre at Poulbot

As we explored other areas of Paris we made reservations for Apertifs at Le Mary Celeste! They featured exquisite cocktails and small plates of creative foods!

Here is Diana’s reservation time and name written on the top of our table! So cool! 18:45 is 6:45 pm

Ellsworth located on Rue Richelieu was a favorite for dinner. The ambiance was very simple. The food delicious, creative and plentiful!

Touring the Eiffel Tower was top on our list! We bought tickets several weeks ahead directly from their website. We had tickets to go to the top and separate tickets for lunch on the 2nd floor at 58 Tour Eiffel

First we had lunch

Then we returned to the ground level and found the lift to take us to the top!

This was our only rainy day but we persevered!

Another day we had booked in advance a cooking class at La Cuisine Paris. The Intensive Macaroon Class! This was a 3 hour lesson where we learned to make the Italian and French style macaroons and several fillings. Thoroughly enjoyable!! I’ll definitely take another class next time! Highly recommended!!

We each came home with a box of macaroons!

Another memorable beautiful day we took a private tour of the Louvre, enjoyed the Tuileries and then an exquisite evening dinner cruise on the Seine!

The Louvre private tour we booked though Airbnb with Kate Chartier who is an art historian and a portrait painter. We met first at her apartment next to the Louvre. She gave us an overview of the art history and then took us to the most important pieces of art at the Louvre. We avoided the long lines and saw more than we would have on our own. It was great to all be together

After our amazing tour we enjoyed relaxing in the Tuileries, the gardens outside The Louvre

The dinner cruise boarding on the Seine was a short walk away. We booked Calife Seine Dinner Cruise a few weeks ahead. It was marvelous! The boat was small, the food amazing and the scenery was picture perfect! Paris glitters and shines at night!