nina in the kitchen

Roasted Rhubarb Cobbler

Posted on May 27, 2021 by nina in the kitchen

Roasted Rhubarb Cobbler Drizzled with Cream

Easy to make cobbler by Melissa Clark published in the New York Times is as good as they say!! Definitely making this again!!

Ingredients

Rhubarb Filling

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces, about 7 cups
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest, optional
Pinch of kosher salt

Biscuit Topping

3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of kosher salt
3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/3 cup heavy cream plus 1 tablespoon plus more for serving
Demerara sugar or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat oven to 425. Into a 1 1/2 – 2 quart gratin or baking dish add the rhubarb, sugar, salt and zest. Then scrape in the vanilla paste or add extract. Stir well. Let macerate while making biscuit dough.
To make the biscuit dough, in a medium bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Toss in and coat butter cubes. Cut in butter with a pastry blender, 2 knives or pinch and mix with your fingers until pea size morsels develop. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream and mix just until blended with a rubber spatula or spoon.
Pour dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat gently into a ball. Divide into 6 pieces. Form each piece into a round disc. Place on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30 minutes to 6 hours
Place rhubarb in oven. Roast about 25-30 minutes or until tender and a syrup develops. Stir halfway through.
Place the dough rounds over cobbler evenly spaced. Brush rounds with remaining 1 tablespoon heavy cream and sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
Lower temperature to 375 and bake 20-30 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Drizzle each serving with heavy cream just before eating.
Voila!

Strawberry Jam

Posted on July 3, 2021 by nina in the kitchen

I’ve made many different recipes of strawberry jam over the years. This classic recipe fits the bill for thick and spreadable and not runny or sour.

Jam flavor is always dependent on the flavor and quality of your strawberries. Also if it’s rained a lot the berries will be more watery. Choose small berries that are perfectly ripe. Taste them before you buy them too!

This recipe is from America’s Test Kitchen. No powdered pectin is added to thicken the jam. Since apples contain lots of natural pectin, grated Granny Smitb apple is the thickener.

Bottled lemon juice is added because it has a more consistent acidity than fresh lemons. I have used fresh lemon which adds a real sour flavor.

To also insure the jam is the right thickness, the jam simmers until it reaches 217 degrees F. I love my Thermapen MK4 to get quick accurate reads!

All these techniques work to make a sweet flavorful thick jam

Preserving the jam is worthwhile. I boil my jars in a huge pot of water. After the jam is added I cover the jars with boiled lids. Then I place the covered jars of jam in the same large pot of boiling water for 5 minutes. It’s not hard. But it takes planning and helps preserve your jam so you can give it as gifts for Christmas!

Over the 4th I topped Crust brand Oatmeal Blueberry Walnut Bread with Strawberry Jam

Mashed strawberries, sugar, grated apple and lemon juice

Ingredients

3 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in 1/2 inch pieces (10 cups)
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups peeled and grated Granny Smith apple (about 1 large apple) Use the large holes of a box grater to grate
2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice

Directions

Fill an 8 quart or larger pot 3/4 full with water. Bring to a boil. Place six 8 ounce jars in the water and let simmer until ready to fill with jam.
In a medium saucepan place 6 rings and lids. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer
In a 5-6 quart pot add strawberries. Mash them with a potato masher
Add apple, sugar, lemon juice. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a low simmer
After about 20 minutes of low simmering and stirring, check the jam temperature. Cook until it reaches 217 degrees F
Remove jam from heat. Remove jars from water and place on a towel Fill jars using a soup ladle and a wide funnel
Wipe off the jar rims. Place a jam jar flat top and ring that has been simmering in water on each jar
To process the jam jars place a kitchen towel in the bottom of the large pot of water.
Add the 6 jars. Make sure water covers jars by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil. Then simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool on a towel or a rack.
Voila! You’re done!

I don’t double the recipe. But I do make 2 batches of jam. First I make one batch and then I make another

1 Comment

Posted in cookies and tagged ball canning jars, canning, food processing, Granny Smith apple, jam, midland farmers market, natural pectin, strawberries. Bookmark the permalink.

Citrus Baked Fish Fillet

Posted on February 11, 2021 by nina in the kitchen

I love this quick and bright flavored method of cooking fish. It’s a recipe from “Salt Fat Acid Heat” by Samin Nosrat, a most informative cooking instruction and creative foolproof cookbook! This is a slow-roasted process that insures even perfect cooking. Just don’t bake it too long

I used clementines I had on hand. Samin recommends blood oranges or Meyer lemons. I did use the lemon zest for the oil rub as she directed. Her recipe was for salmon while I used halibut or whitefish. In her cookbook it’s called Slow-Roasted Salmon

Ingredients

2 – 4 oz halibut fillets
Salt for seasoning
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 thinly sliced orange, any variety

Directions

Preheat oven to 225 Degrees F
Line baking sheet with parchment
Arrange orange slices in 2 areas about the size of each fillet
Lightly salt the fish on both sides
Nestle the fish on the orange slices
In a tiny bowl combine oil and lemon zest
Rub the oil mixture over the fillets
Place in oven. Slow roast at 225 F about 15 minutes or just until fish begins to flake when you poke it with a knife

Use any quantity of fish you want. Samin Nosrat used a 2 pound fillet of salmon with 1 tablespoon lemon zest and 2 tablespoons olive oil in her recipe. She also used blood oranges or Meyer lemons as her bed of citrus.

Samin Nosrat also recommends pulling any salmon fish bones out with a tweezers before preparing it. Great idea, right?!

If you’re roasting a 2 pound salmon fillet, plan to slow-roast for about 40 minutes or just until thick part begins to flake when poked with a knife.

I hope you give this recipe a try. Let me know what you think!

Voila!

2 Comments

Posted in main dishes and tagged citrus, Salt Fat Acid Heat, saltfatacidheat, Samin Nosrat, slow roasted. Bookmark the permalink.

Lemon Tahini Dressing

Posted on February 10, 2021 by nina in the kitchen

Blanched Baby Broccoli Drizzled With Tahini Sauce

Tahini, Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Garlic & Water!
That’s all you need!

Rachel AMA’s “Vegan Eats” introduced me to this recipe. It reminds me of the flavors of Turkey. Tahini, lemon, garlic. The sauce can be drizzled over cold salads, hot steamed vegetables, as a dip with naan or pita bread, or a sauce for anything!

It’s a mix of tahini, lemon juice, water, olive oil, garlic, & salt. Whisk it all together in a bowl and you’re done. Keeps well in frig too. I use it up in a few days

I’ve used various brands of tahini. Some are thicker and heavy and some are thin and syrupy. Rachel lives in London, so metric weights are used. It was extremely helpful to know 50 grams of tahini was needed since the various concentrations of tahini make a difference in the same volume. I have a new OXO digital scale I love and I use it daily! It weighs in metric and non-metric.

Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

I grilled this baby broccoli on a grill pan. It was a new blackened broccoli flavor!

Ingredients

50 grams tahini
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, optional

Directions

In a small bowl combine all ingredients
Whisk together
I added the salt. It’s up to you. I’ve been using more salt since reading “Salt Fat Acid Heat” by Samin Nosrat

Voila!

2 Comments

Posted in side dishes, uncategorized and tagged lemon juice, Rachel AMA, tahini, vegan Eats, vegetables. Bookmark the permalink.

Italian Tomato Sauce

Posted on November 10, 2020 by nina in the kitchen

Tomato Sauce at the Beginning of Cooking

The Antoinette Pope School predates Julia Childs cooking school and was popular in Chicago mid century. My mother took lessons there in the 1940s and 1950s. These classes were taught by a couple who were French and Italian.

Here is my adaption of the recipe from their cookbook, The New Antoinette Pope School Cook Book by Antoinette and Francois Pope

Ingredients

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 large cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup finely diced celery
4-28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
2-3 teaspoons salt
3 dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
3/4 cup red dry wine, like Cabernet, optional

Directions

In a large tall cooking pot heat oil over medium heat
Sauté onion and celery over low heat until softened. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, less than a minute
Add seasonings and sauté less than a minute
Add tomatoes and stir well. Bring to a boil. Simmer covered 4 hours
Be careful not to scorch bottom of pot. Tomatoes burn easily! Stir often
Add wine during last 30 minutes of cooking

This freezes well and can be used with many Italian style foods

Voila!

1 Comment

Posted in main dishes and tagged Antoinette Pope School Cook Book, Francois Pope, Italian tomato sauce, tomatoes. Bookmark the permalink.

Sweet-Sour Green Beans

Posted on November 9, 2020 by nina in the kitchen

This recipe is one I grew up with. My German grandmother Lulu Stoeckig Sanders shared it with us. We all loved this tasty dish and served it at many family gatherings

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed, cut and cooked till tender, drained and kept warm
6 sliced bacon, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Directions

In a large frypan cook the bacon until slightly crispy
Add sugar and red wine vinegar
Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved
Add more sugar or vinegar to taste
Add green beans to marinade
Let marinate 1 hour over very low heat before serving.

Voila!

1 Comment

Posted in side dishes and tagged bacon, German green beans, Lulu Stoeckig, sweet sour. Bookmark the permalink.

Skillet Speedy Ravioli Lasagna

Posted on October 15, 2020 by nina in the kitchen

This recipe is super quick, especially if you use a prepared tomato sauce. My sauce is from a combination of a red pepper sauce I made and a store bought Italian tomato sauce. This recipe here is from Food 52 and includes their sauce.

Everything is made in one skillet. The ravioli is frozen cheese ravioli. It is cooked in the sauce. Then part of the pasta is removed from the pan. Cheeses are layered and the ravioli is returned to the skillet, topped with more cheese and baked in the oven. Easy!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Pinch or so dried red pepper flakes
1 28 ounce can tomatoes
2 large fresh basil leaves plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper
1 1/2 pounds frozen cheese ravioli
8 ounces or 2 cups mozzarella, preferably fresh
2 tablespoons or so shaved or grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 F and place a rack in center of oven.
Pour your sauce into a large oven proof skillet or make it as follows in the same size skillet. Add 1 cup water to your sauce.
To make this sauce: Heat the oil over medium heat. Add garlic and stir 1-2 minutes until softened but not browned. Add tomato paste stirring until darkens slightly, about 1-2 minutes.
Add red pepper flakes, tomatoes, basil, sugar, salt, pepper and 1 cup water. Increase heat and bring to a boil.
Add frozen ravioli to sauce and cook over medium heat, stirring gently, until the sauce is very thick and the ravioli just tender, about 15 minutes.
Spoon half the ravioli and sauce into a bowl.
Arrange the remaining ravioli in an even layer. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella. Arrange remaining ravioli and sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
Bake the lasagna until bubbly and cheese is lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Use your broiler if it doesn’t brown in that time frame. Scatter extra basil leaves on top and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Voila!

Thank you again Food52!

Chocolate Dump-It Cake

Posted on October 10, 2020 by nina in the kitchen

I discovered this recipe on an Instagram video by Amanda Hesser, a co-founder of Food 52. It’s a favorite family recipe she shared from her home kitchen. The ingredients are literally dumped into a saucepan. It’s not a fussy recipe. A tube style pan is used. No layers to stack or frost. My granddaughter and I made it this summer and everyone loved it as much as the Guinness Stout Cake, another favorite!

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/4 pound unsalted butter
1 cup water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Icing

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups sour cream, room temperature

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place a baking sheet on bottom rack to catch spills.
Use a medium to large saucepan. This will be your main “dump-it” style mixing bowl.
In this saucepan over medium heat combine sugar, butter and 1 cup water. Stir till melted and blended. Cool.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a 1 cup measuring cup combine milk and vinegar
Butter and flour a 9 inch tube pan with a removable bottom.
Whisk the milk mixture and eggs into the chocolate mix.
In several additions whisk in the flour mix.
When the batter is smooth, add the vanilla and whisk a few times.
Pour batter into prepared tube pan. Bake on the middle rack until a skewer comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cake cool completely, then remove from pan and place on a rack to cool further.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler, then cool to room temperature. It is very important that the chocolate and sour cream be the same temperature, or the icing will be lumpy or grainy. (Test by stirring a little bit of chocolate and sour cream together in a bowl. If it mixes smoothly it’s ready.)
Stir the sour cream into the chocolate, 1/4 cup at a time, until the mixture is smooth.
Place the cake on a serving platter. Ice the sides and then the top.

I hope you enjoy this delish and easy to make cake!

Butter and Flour a Tube Style Baking Pan

Combine and Melt Chocolate, Butter and Water in a Large Saucepan

Whisk the Milk and Eggs into the Chocolate Mixture

Whisk Flour Mixture into Chocolate Batter

Cool the Melted Chocolate Chips and Combine with Sour Cream

Voila! And thank you again to Food52!

Mediterranean Bean Salad

Posted on October 9, 2020 by nina in the kitchen

The Original Dish is one of my favorite food bloggers. My recipe is based on her version of the traditional 3 Bean Salad. I will definitely make this again!

I substituted dried oregano for her fresh parsley, mint and basil. I also substituted black eyed peas for her chickpeas and added feta cheese and fresh tomato! My recipe here is like Village Greek Salad meets 3 Bean Salad!

This recipe has some flexibility. Try any combination of 3 varieties of canned beans. Suzy and I both agree that there are better options than canned green and yellow wax beans.

Ingredients

1 15 oz can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 green pepper, cored and chopped
1 red pepper, cored and chopped
1 English cucumber, diced
1 tomato, cut in large chunks, optional
1 cup chopped red onion
1/3 – 1/2 cup capers
4-8 ounces block style feta cheese, cut into cubes, optional
1/2-1 tablespoon dried oregano

Garlic–Dijon Vinaigrette

2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper

Directions

In a large bowl or on a large platter place beans, peppers, cucumber, onion, capers, tomato and feta. Decide to either keep all items separate on a platter for serving or mixing them all up in a bowl.
Sprinkle oregano over all
In a small bowl whisk together vinaigrette ingredients till combined and thick.
Pour vinaigrette over platter of beans or mix into bowl of these same ingredients. Cover and refrigerate an hour or so before serving so beans absorb the vinaigrette.

Village Greek 3 Bean Salad Ingredients Seperated

Whisk Together Vinaigrette and Pour Over Salad

Omit the Feta for a More Traditional 3 Bean Salad

Thank you Suzy from The Mediterranean Dish for your inspiration!

Voila!

1 Comment

Posted in salads and tagged 3 bean salad, black eyed peas, cannellini beans, the Mediterranean Dish, vegetarian, Village Greek Salad. Bookmark the permalink.

Focaccia from Genoa

Posted on October 5, 2020 by nina in the kitchen

This focaccia combines olive oil, wine and water to make a haunting flavor, light porous texture and crispy crust. Carol Field published the cookbook Focaccia in 1994 which includes this recipe and it’s a classic!

Ingredients

SPONGE

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)
2/3 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

DOUGH

1/2 cup water, room temperature
1/3 cup dry white wine or sherry
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sponge, above
2 1/2 cups plus 2 teaspoons unbleached all- purpose flour, plus 1-2 tablespoons as needed
2 teaspoons sea salt

TOPPING

About 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4-1 teaspoon sea salt or flaked salt
1 cup ice and water for a separate pan in the oven

Instructions

Sponge: In a large heavy duty mixer bowl sprinkle the yeast over the warm water, whisk it in and let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour and beat until smooth. Cover and let rise until puffy and bubbling, about 30 minutes.
Dough: Place sponge bowl and mixer paddle in place in the mixer. Add the water, wine and olive oil to the sponge. Add the flour and salt and mix until the dough comes together. Change to the dough hook and knead for 3 minutes at medium speed, stopping to press the dough into a ball. Use the 1-2 tablespoons extra flour to finish kneading by hand briefly on a smooth surface.
FIRST RISE: Place the dough in a large lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
SHAPING AND SECOND RISE: The dough will be soft, full of air bubbles and stretch easily. Press into a lightly oiled 10 1/2 x 15 1/2 inch pan. Dimple it well with your fingertips or knuckles, cover with a towel, and let rise until puffy and doubled, about 45 minutes.
BAKING: Preheat oven to 425 F. On the bottom rack place a large shallow baking pan. Also place a baking stone if you have one on the middle rack. When all are hot, again dimple the dough. Drizzle olive oil so it pools in the indentations and sprinkle with sea or flaked salt. Place the focaccia on the stone. Pour 1 cup cold water and ice into the bottom rack pan. Quickly shut the oven door and turn temperature down to 400 F. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden. Immediately remove from the pan and cool on a rack. Cut into large squares or rectangles. Serve warm or room temperature.