Columbus Foodie

I’ve got a confession to make - I’m sick to death of cobblers. I’m not sure why, since I didn’t really make many this year. But the thought of one right now? Ugh. Crisps, on the other hand, are a different story. There’s nothing like the crunch of the topping on top of the fruit that’s unencumbered by mounds of dough. So when I picked up some really pretty pears and apples last weekend, I knew they would end up in some type of fruit dessert.

The caramel in this recipe brings it up to an all new level. We both LOVED this recipe, and have designated it our “go-to” crisp recipe in the future. We served it with some brown-sugar whipped cream we got at Whole Foods and ::swoon:: it barely lasted a day before we had devoured it. Dangerous stuff to have around. I’m submitting this recipe to the Cobblers, Crumbles and Crisps, Oh My! event over at Joelen’s Culinary Adventures.

Caramel Apple and Pear Crisp
recipe courtesy Pillsbury

INGREDIENTS:

Fruit Mixture
2 medium apples, peeled, sliced (2 1/2 cups)
2 medium pears, peeled, sliced (2 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping

Topping
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter

Garnish
Whipped cream
Caramel ice cream topping

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In sprayed baking dish, combine apples, pears, sugar and allspice; toss gently to mix. Drizzle evenly with ice cream topping.

2. In medium bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, walnuts and flour; mix well. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over fruit mixture; press lightly.

3. Bake at 375°F. for 30 to 35 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is crisp. Cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

4. To serve, spoon liquid from baking dish over fruit. Top with whipped cream and caramel ice cream topping. Store in refrigerator.

NUTRITION INFORMATION:

1/8 of Recipe: Calories 370 (Calories from Fat 130); Total Fat 14g (Saturated Fat 6g); Cholesterol 25mg; Sodium 190mg; Total Carbohydrate 58g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 42g); Protein 3g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 8%; Vitamin C 4%; Calcium 6%; Iron 6% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 3 Fruit; 2 1/2 Fat
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

When I think of the word “luscious”, it evokes in me a number of things - combinations of flavors and textures that complement the best parts of the ingredients, maybe luxurious ingredients that I don’t normally use.

But lusciousness need not be complex. This dish basically breaks down into three parts - the grilled fish, the lentils, and the vinaigrette. Each one works on its own, but together, the combination is sublime. We took a shortcut by using a couple of packages of the prepared beluga lentils from Trader Joe’s. I’m sending this over to the Blissfully Delish blogging event.

Grilled Rainbow Trout with Whole Grain Mustard Vinaigrette and Black Beluga Lentils
recipe courtesy Scott Youkilis via StarChefs

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups black beluga lentils
1 bay leaf
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 Tablespoon finely chopped capers
1 Tablespoon finely diced plus ½ cup julienned shallots
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 whole rainbow trouts
2 Tablespoons canola oil
2 Tablespoons butter

METHOD:
Preheat grill. In a saucepot, cover lentils in two times the amount of water. Add the bay leaf and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the lentils are soft but still have a little bite, then drain.

To make the vinaigrette, in a bowl whisk together both mustards, capers, diced shallot, vinegar, sugar, and parsley. Slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Season the fish well with salt and pepper on the meat side. Coat the skin and the grill with cooking spray. Grill fish, skin side down and open. Cover with a lid and cook for 4 minutes. Carefully remove from grill.

Heat canola oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the julienned shallots and butter, and reduce heat to low. Cook the shallots until soft and brown. Then add the lentils. Remove from heat and toss in the vinaigrette.

To serve, mound the lentils on each plate and top with the fish. Drizzle more vinaigrette on the fish and around plate if desired.

Adapted by StarChefs.com

Ever see a recipe in a magazine that looks good in theory, but is odd enough that it could go either way? That’s the way we felt about these Thanksgiving Turkey Burgers - I mean, the ingredients sounded like they could go well together, but cranberry mayonnaise? Stuffing in the burger?

Turns out it’s probably the best burger either of us have ever had. I had some confetti potatoes to use up, so I ended up making a potato salad on the side, which given the burger, was just begging for me to add a little cranberry mustard to it. That one ingredient was just the thing needed to tie both dishes together. This is one that we’ll definitely make again.

And the best surprise? How affordable it was to make. Using mostly ingredients we got from Aldi, it was well under $10 for 4 people. Who knew? So I’m submitting this one to this week’s Frugal Fridays event.

Thanksgiving Turkey Burgers
recipe courtesy “Great American Grilling” special interest publication

1/2 c. mayonnaise
3 tbsp. jellied cranberry sauce
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 c. minced onion
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1 large egg white
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. crushed dry stuffing mix
Salt and pepper
4 hamburger buns, split in half

Preheat and oil the grill. Combine the mayonnaise and cranberry sauce in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a small saute pan set over medium heat. Add the onion, sage, and thyme; saute about 3 minutes or until the onion is soft. Remove from the heat.

Combine the turkey and the egg white in a large bowl, using your hands to blend. Add the cranberries, onion mixture, and stuffing mix and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper to taste and form the mixture into 4 patties about 1/2 inch thick.

Grill the patties over direct medium-high heat about 5 minutes (ours took a bit longer) on each side or just until cooked through. Do not overcook; the turkey will dry out quickly (ours stayed nice and most, thankfully). Meanwhile, toast the buns over indirect medium heat about 5 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove patties from the grill and let them rest 3 minutes. Coat the cut sides of each bun with 2 tbsp. of the mayonnaise mixture, add the patties, and serve.

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Cranberry Potato Salad

1 1/2 lbs. confetti potatoes
1/8 c. cider vinegar
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 tbsp. spicy brown mustard
1/2 tbsp. cranberry mustard
Mayonnaise, to taste (start with 1/2 cup)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Boil potatoes with skins intact until firm-tender, about 15 minutes. Slice thickly, and put in medium bowl. Sprinkle with vinegar, and then add onions, mustards, and mayonnaise, and stir to combine. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.

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Cost breakdown:
Mayo, cranberry mustard, salt, pepper and vinegar = FREE, normally on hand
Sage & Thyme = FREE, from my outdoor herb garden
1.5 lbs. ground turkey (where 1 lb chub = $1.19 @ Aldi) = $1.79
Cranberry sauce (where 1 can = .79 at Aldi) = .25
1 onion = .45 @ farmers market
1 egg = .10
1/2 c. dried cranberries (where 1 package = $3.49 at Aldi) = $1.25
1/2 c. dried stuffing mix (where 1 package = .79 at Aldi)= .25
4 burger buns (where 1 package of 8 is .89 at Aldi) = .45
1.5 lbs. confetti potatoes = $2.99

For a total cost of $7.53.

When you don’t have kids, it’s kind of difficult to estimate what a “kid friendly” recipe is - is it something that’s easy for kids to make? Is it something that most kids would like to eat? So when I was brainstorming on what to make, I thought back to my first home ec class in 7th grade, where we made a version of this. So simple to make, and so delicious.

What makes this version special is using salted butter instead of margarine. It gives the finished dessert a salted caramel flavor that totally rocks. I’m submitting this recipe to be part of this week’s Kids Cooking Thursday event.

Monkey Bread
recipe adapted slightly from Recipezaar

4 (7.5 oz) packages refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 c. salted butter
1 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. water
1/2 c. walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Place nuts onto bottom of greased Bundt pan. Quarter biscuits, roll in cinnamon and granulated sugar that has been mixed together. Place loosely in pan.

Melt butter, brown sugar and water, boil for 2 minutes (until it has a nice caramel consistency) and pour over biscuits. Bake for 25 minutes, and unmold 1-2 minutes after removing from oven.

To serve, do not cut with a knife - pull apart small pieces with fingers.

I’ve never been a big fan of macaroni salads that are on the sweet side until I tried the macaroni salad at Sammy’s last week. What set it apart was the shredded cheese and radishes in it, and somehow it all worked. So I found a similar recipe online, and played with it a tiny bit to get the macaroni salad I wanted. If you want to lower calories and fat but not taste, use canola mayo instead of the regular low-fat. It has the same fat/calorie count as the low-fat, but tastes like the full fat variety.

I’m submitting this recipe to this week’s Presto Pasta Nights event, hosted this week by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast.

Classic Macaroni Salad
adapted from recipe by NC Cooperative Extension

8 oz. uncooked small elbow macaroni (4 cups cooked)
1 C. low-fat mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. Granulated sugar
2 tsp. Prepared mustard
Dash of Celery seed
1/2 tsp. Salt (optional)
1/8 tsp. Ground black pepper
1 C. (4 oz.) diced reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1 C. cooked green peas
1 C. sliced or diced celery
1/2 C. sliced scallions, including green tops
1/4 C. chopped Kosher dill pickle
1/4 C. sliced radishes

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Pour cold water over macaroni; let stand while preparing salad. In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, celery seed, salt (if desired), and pepper. Drain cooked macaroni well.

In large salad bowl, combine macaroni, cheese, peas, celery, scallions, pickle, and radishes. Pour mayonnaise mixture over macaroni mixture; toss to blend. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 8 servings.

Per serving: 254 cal, 11g fat, 9g pro, 183mg sod, 20mg chol

You guys already know that I’ve been all about the soups and stews lately. As sad as I am to see summer fade into fall, I’m so pleased that it’s cool enough now that I can eat hearty hot dishes again. I wanted to find something that would incorporate some of Thurn’s wonderful smoked sauerkraut. When I saw this recipe over at The Cookbook Junkie, I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. The finished stew kind of reminds me of an orange (tomato based) borscht. Definitely would make again, maybe next time using smoked sausage in the place of pork (to save some $$). I’m submitting this recipe to the Low and Slow blogging event over at The Constables’ Larder.

Transylvanian Goulash
recipe from The Time-Life International Cookbook (1977)

1 lb. sauerkraut, fresh, canned or packaged
2 tbsp. lard
1 c. finely chopped onions
1/4 tsp. finely chopped garlic
2 tbsp. sweet Hungarian paprika
3 c. chicken stock or water
2 lb. boneless shoulder of pork, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
1/2 c. tomato puree
Salt
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 tbsp. flour

Wash the sauerkraut thoroughly under cold running water, and then soak in cold water for 10 to 20 minutes to reduce its sourness (we skipped this step - just drained it and gave it a cursory rinse).

Melt the lard in a 5-quart casserole (I used a Dutch oven) and add the onions. Cook them over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until they are lightly colored, then add the garlic and cook a minute or two longer. Off the heat, stir in the paprika, continuing to stir until the onions are well coated. Pour in 1/2 cup of the stock or water and bring it to a boil, then add the pork cubes.

Now spread the sauerkraut over the pork and sprinkle it with the caraway seeds. In a small bowl, combine the tomato puree and the rest of the stock or water, and pour the mixture over the sauerkraut. Bring the liquid to a boil once more, then reduce the heat to its lowest point, cover the casserole tightly and simmer for 1 hour. Check every now and then to make sure the liquid has not cooked away. Add a little stock or water if it has; the sauerkraut should be moist.

When the pork is tender, combine the sour cream and heavy cream in a mixing bowl. Beat the flour into the cream with a wire whisk, then carefully stir this mixture into the casserole. Simmer for 10 minutes longer. Taste for seasoning. Serve Transylvanian goulash in deep individual plates, accompanied by a bowl of sour cream.

One of my favorite things to eat growing up was apple strudel. As much German as I have in my family tree, it would be a shame for me not to love it. But one thing I don’t love? The tons of work involved with making strudel dough. I’ve found that puff pastry makes a great substitute. I used apples I got at the farmers market. I adapted the recipe slightly by adding a handful of walnuts to the apple mixture. I’m submitting this recipe to the In The Bag blogging event, hosted by Real Epicurean, which is celebrating Fruit & Nuts as the theme this round.

Apple Strudel
recipe adapted slightly from AOL Food

1/2 of a 17.3 ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet)
1 egg
1 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 large apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (I used one Golden Delicious and one McIntosh)
2 tbsp. plump golden raisins
Granulated sugar (for sprinkling)

Directions
Thaw the pastry sheet at room temperature for 40 minutes or until it’s easy to handle. Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Stir the egg and water in a small bowl.

Mix the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the apples and raisins to the flour mixture and toss to coat.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 16×12-inch rectangle. With the short side facing you, spoon the apple mixture onto the bottom half of the pastry sheet to within 1-inch of the edges. Starting at the short side closest to you, roll up like a jelly roll. Tuck the ends under to seal. Place seam-side down on the baking sheet. Brush with the egg mixture, and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Cut several 2-inch-long slits 2 inches apart on the top.

Bake for 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Slice and serve warm.

This is one of those quick weeknight recipes - you know, the ones you make when you’ve got a hungry brood to feed but are short on time? Not only is it quick to prep, but by using chicken leg quarters, it’s more budget conscious. I had made baked potatoes on the grill the night before, so used the leftovers from that to make the twice baked potatoes.

So I’m submitting it to Frugal Fridays, as it fits the theme of feeding 4 people for under $10. Here’s the cost breakdown:
4 chicken leg quarters @.49/lb = $1.50
1 cup BBQ sauce @.99/bottle = .75
Condiments (already on hand) = FREE
2 large baking potatoes @ .99 each = $1.98
1/2 c. sour cream @ .99/pint = .25
1/4 c. milk @2.50/gallon = .10
4 tbsp. butter @ $1.99/lb = .25
Grated cheese (3/4 c) @ $1.50 per 2 cups = .60?
Bag of frozen corn = .99

TOTAL for the meal is $6.42

Spicy Oven BBQ Chicken
recipe courtesy Cooks.com

2 1/2 to 3 lb. broiler fryer chicken
1 c. bottled barbeque sauce
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. red pepper sauce
1/4 tsp. dried oregano

Place chicken, skin side up, in ungreased rectangular pan, 13×9x2 inches.
Mix remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken. Cover and bake in 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken; bake uncovered until thickest pieces are done, about 30 minutes longer.

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Easy Twice Baked Potatoes
recipe courtesy Recipezaar

2 large baking potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon refrigerated minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8-1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup grated cheese, divided
2 green onions (to garnish)
paprika (to garnish)

Bake potatoes in a 375 degree oven 1 to 1 1/2 hours until done.
When potatoes are done let them cool 10-15 minutes.
Then slice them in half lengthwise.
Using a spoon carefully scoop out the potato, leaving a little on skin so they don’t break. Save the skins.
In a large bowl mix all the ingredients except 1/4 cup cheese, green onion and paprika with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. If not creamy enough add a bit more milk.
Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Spoon potato mixture evenly into shells.
Top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese and green onions.
Sprinkle lightly with paprika.
Return to oven until hot and cheese is melted, about 15-20 minutes.
Or you can wrap in saran wrap and put in a freezer ziplock bag and freeze for use at another time.

My husband and I both love garlic more than we have any right to. We were looking for a tasty garlic chicken recipe, and this one is a winner. It tastes like restaurant quality and comes together in just minutes in a skillet on the stovetop. We accidentally forgot the parsley, and it was still delicious. The only change we would make is to reduce the capers to 1 tbsp, since neither of us are huge caper fans. Excuse the quality of the photo, my night time photos will be a little “off” until I can get the light in my photo box fixed.

I’m submitting this recipe to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted this week by Ulrike of Kuchenlatein.

Skillet Chicken Breasts Aglio e Olio
recipe courtesy Lidia Bastianich

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2 lbs)
3/4 tsp. salt, plus more as needed
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. extra-vigin olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
8 or more large cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 tbsp. tiny capers in brine, drained
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 c. chicken broth, turkey broth, or vegetable broth
1 tbsp. fine dry bread crumbs
3 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Trim the chicken of all fat, skin and connective tissue. Flatten the small, loose flap on the underside of each half against the larger piece to form a neat oval. Sprinkle both sides of each breast with salt, using about 1/2 tsp. in all. Spread the flour on a piece of waxed paper and press and toss each breast to coat lightly on all surfaces; shake off excess.

In a 14-inch skillet or saute pan, heat 2 tbsp. of the oil and the butter over medium heat. When the butter is almost melted, lay the breasts in the pan, with space between them. Let them cook until sizzling without moving. After 2 minutes or so, lift the first breast you put in the pan and check the underside. You want it to be lightly tinged with brown. Cook longer if needed, turning each over when just beginning to color.

Quickly scatter the garlic slices in between the chicken pieces, turn the heat up slightly, shake the pan, and stir the garlic slices to separate. When the garlic has begun to sizzle, sprinkle the hot pepper flakes in a hot spot, toast for a minute; then sprinkle capers in several hot spots around the pan. Give the skillet a few good shakes to distribute the seasonings, and run the hot juices all around the breast.

Raise the heat another notch. When everything’s sizzling hard, pour the vinegar into open spaces and shake the pan to spread it. Let the vinegar sizzle and reduce for 30 seconds or so, then pour in the broth.

Cook on full blast now, quickly bringing the liquid to a boil; drizzle with the remaining 2 tbsp. oil, and sprinkle on 1/4 tsp. salt. Let the sauce bubble and reduce for a couple of minutes, shaking the skillet frequently, then sprinkle the bread crumbs into the sauce (not on the chicken) and stir and shake to mix. Cook, shaking the skillet, until the sauce has the consistency you like. Turn off the heat, sprinkle with parsley, and shake the skillet again. Makes 6 servings.

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On the side, we also had another recipe from the same magazine, also by Lidia. I’ve tried to make carbonara with disastrous results over the years, and this is so far the easiest and most successful carbonara-like recipe I’ve had. Quite delicious as well. We had to substitute spaghetti because we were out of linguine.

Linguine with Bacon and Onions
recipe courtesy Lidia Bastianich

6 oz. slab bacon (we used double-smoked from Thurn’s), with rind removed
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
2 large yellow onions, sliced 1/2 inch thick (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 c. hot chicken stock or broth
3 egg yolks
1 lb. linguine (we used spaghetti)
Salt
1 c. freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Coarsely ground black pepper

Cut bacon into 1/4-inch thick slices, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, just until lightly browned, about 6 minutes.

If there is more than 3-4 tablespoons of fat in the skillet, pour off the excess. If there is less than that, add enough olive oil to measure that amount. Add the onions and cook until wilted but still crunchy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and adjust the heat to a lively simmer. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Whisk 1/2 cup of liquid into the egg yolks. Return egg yolk mixture to skillet.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Ladle off about a cup of the pasta-cooking water. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and add sauce. Heat through, stirring to coat pasta with sauce. Season with salt. Add enough pasta-cooking water so that the sauce coats the pasta. Remove from heat; add grated cheese, then pepper; toss well. Makes 6 servings.

I’ve been going crazy lately for dishes that combine rice and chicken. Pollo con arroz, paella, whatever, it’s all the same to me. I think it’s the saffron. I was craving a chicken/chorizo combination the other night. This recipe is not a true paella by any means. But when you want something that you can whip up in minutes and still get that paella vibe? This is the recipe for you. We used a rotisserie chicken we picked up at Boston Market. Also, we thought that it would have been even better if we had used about half the amount of chorizo that the recipe calls for.

I’m submitting this recipe to be part of the What’s Cooking Wednesday blogging event.

Quick Chicken and Chorizo Paella
recipe courtesy Epicurious

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
14 ounces chorizo, cut into 1/2 inch slices on the diagonal
1 small onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pimenton or paprika
2 cups short- or medium-grain rice
1 pinch saffron threads
2 bay leaves
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/4 pounds roast chicken (meat from 3-pound chicken skinned, deboned, and torn into chunks)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tomato, chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat oven to 400°F. Heat oil in a large casserole or paella pan over high heat. Add chorizo and cook until browned and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion, red bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes.
Add rice (medium or short grain rice), pimenton, saffron, and bay leaves. Stir to combine and coat the rice, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add roast chicken, frozen peas, and tomato; stir to combine.

Transfer skillet to oven. Cook uncovered until rice is tender and no liquid remains, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Fluff with a fork and serve immediately.

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BTW, just to show you guys what a difference lighting makes in a picture? Here’s the same dish, the night before, using just the light in my kitchen (since my photo light is kaput at the moment). What a difference daylight makes, no?