Hankerin' for Fall

I always get antsy towards the end of summer.

I'm tired of being hot. 

I want to buy school supplies and wear cute sweaters.

So I thought I would force the issue by cooking with some fall flavors.  And meat.


Beer Poached Sausages with Caramelized Onions and Balsamic Apples

Mmmm...grilled meat.

Nothin' screams fall like some fancy, schmancy tailgate food.  This can be made ahead of time...just toss the sausages on the grill and gently reheat the apples and onions.

1 lb Italian sausage, in casing
1 pint beer (something dark)
1 large onion, quartered
1 clove garlic, smashed
3 bay leaves
1 Tbl coriander seeds
3 dried chilies

In a large pot, bring all of the ingredients, including sausages, to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.  Remove sausages from poaching liquid and transfer to a hot grill.  Char on all sides.  Serve with onions and apples and coarse ground mustard.

For the Onions and Apples

1 large onion
1 Granny Smith apple
4 Tbl butter
2 Tbl balsamic vinegar
salt 'n pepper

Slice onions into long, thin pieces.  Melt butter over low flame and add onions.  Season with a pinch of salt and toss to coat.  Let them do their thing for a while (about 30 minutes), stirring occasionally so they won't burn.

While onions caramelize, peel and core the apple.  Slice into quarters, then into thin wedges.  Once the onions have begun to turn a golden brown color, add sliced apples and cook for about five minutes.  Apples should be tender but not mushy.  Turn up the heat and add balsamic.  Cook until vinegar has reduced by half.  Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper.  Yummy.

More Woes Of a Thee-A-Ter Widder

Once again, I find myself a thee-a-ter widder.

In fact, J is pretty much booked solid for the next three months.

So, as a dutiful househusband, who is attempting to turn over that proverbial new leaf, I am left to my own devices, and newfound love of twigs and berries, to create healthy and satisfying dishes for my director/playwright/actor man.

Here’s what I came up with for tonight.

Quinoa with Thyme and Tarragon Caramelized Onions, Spinach and Poached Egg

Quinoa is a fabulous, protein rich grain that is extremely filling.  The onions and the yolk make for a delicious sauce that will warm you up on a cold night! Make sure you keep that water swirling for a perfectly poached egg.

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

3 Tbl olive oil

4 sprigs thyme

2 small sprigs tarragon (plus more for garnish)

1 tsp tarragon vinegar

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp honey

4 cups baby spinach

1 clove garlic, minced

2 extra large eggs

2 cups cooked quinoa

salt and crushed red pepper to taste

In a small saucepan, heat 2 Tbl oil over low heat.  Add onions and season with a sprinkle of salt and crushed red pepper.  Make a bundle with the herbs and add to onions.  Cook over low heat for approximately 15 minutes until onions become transluscent, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.  Once the onions have begun to brown, deglaze pan with tarragon vinegar.  Cook for 2-3 minutes until vinegar has been fully incorporated.  Add honey and balsamic, and continue to cook until onions are a deep caramel color.  Remove bundle and set onions aside.

Fill a medium, deep-sided pan with 3 inches of water and a splash of white vinegar.  Bring to a simmer.  While the water is heating, heat the remaining 1 Tbl oil in a large sauté pan.

Here is where things are going to come together quickly.

Once the water simmers, gently swirl the water in one direction and add eggs, one at a time.  Keep the water swirling, and the egg whites will cover the yolks.  While the eggs cook, add garlic to the sauté pan and cook for about one minute.  Add spinach and wilt.  If you time it right, the spinach and eggs should be done at the same time (about 3 minutes).

Divide quinoa into two soup bowls or salad plates.  Layer spinach and onions.  Using a slotted spoon, remove eggs from water allowing excess water to drain off and plop those suckers on top.  Garnish with some sprigs of tarragon, salt, and red pepper.

GLOBO to the Rescue!

I'm in a jam.

I am underemployed and in need of some funds.  Unfortunately, alas and alack, I need to break into ye olde retirement fund.  The only problem is, in order to get the ball rolling, I have to fill out a rather extensive form.  A simple task for most folks, however, when I first looked at this thing, it scrambled my brain and threw me into a full on panic.

Never fear!  The Glamorous Ladies of the Business Office are here!  Faster than a speeding email, those lovely ladies who crunch the numbers hours on end have agreed to help me get my do re mi!

And to thank them for helping me out of my jam, I'm bringing them jam.  Onion and Fennel Jam to be specific.  Something sweet and savory and a little out of the ordinary.  Like me.

Onion and Fennel Jam

This delicious condiment is a perfect accompaniment to a cheese plate, pork, and can liven up any sandwich.  Try it, you'll like it!

3 lbs. yellow onions, sliced
2 fennel bulbs, cored and sliced
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 Tbl salt
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar

Melt butter over low to medium heat. Add onions, fennel, and salt.  Stir to coat the veggies. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until onions and fennel begin to caramelize.  About 45-50 minutes.  Once mixture has reduced significantly and reached a rich caramel color, add sugar and vinegar.  Continue to simmer jam and reduce by half.  Cool and store in sterilized jars.  Refrigerate.

Makin' It Smell Like Home

I am a nester.

I never thought I would fess up to it, but I am.  Gone are the days of longing to be out and about in the thick of things.  I love being at home and futzing away in the kitchen.  J and I have been spending a great deal of time in San Francisco this summer, and, although it's been fantastic running around the city gorging ourselves on the fantastic food, something has seemed out of place.

Our place just didn't smell like home.

Well, I fixed that by fixin' a good ole roasted chicken.  Nothing makes a house feel like a home than the comforting smells of simple cookin' wafting through the joint.

Try it.  You'll like it.

That's what I'm talkin' about.

Roasted Chicken with Fennel and Lemon

The lemon and the fennel come together beautifully to make a bright, fresh taste that you won't mind turning on your oven even on the hottest of summer nights!

 1 5 lb chicken
3 lemons, plus the zest and juice of another lemon (so I guess that would be a total of 4)
2 yellow onions
1 head of garlic
2 fennel bulbs
Healthy squirt of anchovy paste
1 Tbl parsley, minced
1 tsp rosemary, minced (plus 2-3 sprigs for a bouquet)
1 tsp tarragon, minced (plus 2-3 sprigs for a bouquet)
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbl olive oil
1 cup prosecco
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
3 Tbl flour
pinch of crushed red pepper
Salt n' pepper


Preheat oven to 450.

Slice onions, fennel, and three lemons into halves, then thirds. Place a majority of the veggies in the bottom of a roasting pan.  The rest will be used to stuff the cavity of the bird. Drizzle with some olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to coat.  Slice garlic bulb in half horizontally.  No need to peel it.  Rinse off bird, inside and out, and pat dry. Season the cavity with salt and pepper and place in the roasting pan on top of the vegetables.  Stuff bird with remaining onions, fennel, lemons, garlic, and rosemary/tarragon bouquet.  Tie legs together with kitchen twine.

In a small bowl, combine mustard, anchovy paste, lemon juice, zest, herbs, and red pepper. Drizzle in oil while whisking.  Slather that mixture all over the bird.  Cover with foil and place in oven.  After 45 minutes, remove foil and cook for another 30 minutes or until bird is done (165 degrees).  Remove chicken from pan, allowing it to rest for 15 minutes under a foil tent.

Place roasting pan over two burners on a medium high heat.  De glaze the pan with the prosecco, using a wooden spoon to get up those yummy brown bits.  Reduce wine by at least half.  Add flour and cook for 3 minutes stirring constantly.  Add stock and simmer, whisking to remove any lumps.

Carve up the bird, and spoon the lemony, oniony, fennely goodness all over that sucker!

My Life with Snow White

Oh my God!  You cook like one of the seven dwarfs!

This is what my Valentine exclaimed as he entered the kitchen.

Naturally, this made me Happy.  Clearly J understands how joyous my time dancing around a soup pot makes me.  However, I quickly felt Dopey when I realized he was talking about the disastrous state in which I had left the kitchen.  I became a little Grumpy for surely he knows that I am never Bashful when I am concocting culinary delights for us.  I may be a little Sneezy from being heavy handed on the pepper.  Maybe I should see a Doc and get my head looked at.

Whatever.

You can whistle while you clean up the kitchen, Snow White, Sleepy's going to bed.

Note
J exclaimed this with a loving smile in his voice.  He has also described me as a crafty whirling dervish who scurries about gathering up everything I see and throws it all up in the air expecting fireworks.  When I get fireworks, it's sublime.  When no fireworks occur, I harrumph and start all over again in hopes of making an even bigger light display...which I think is pretty swell.


Beet and Caramelized Onion Tarts


2 beets
1 yellow onion, sliced
4 Tbl butter
2 Tbl chili oil
3 sprigs rosemary
1 tsp ground sage
1 1/2 cups water
2/3 cup sugar
salt n' pepper
1 sheet puff pastry
Shaved pecorino (or crumbled bleu or goat cheese)

For the onions
In a small sauce pan, heat butter and oil over low heat until butter melts.  Stir in sage and add rosemary sprigs.  Add sliced onions and stir to coat.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Cook over low heat, stirring about every five minutes until onions are nice and caramelized (about 30 minutes).  Remove rosemary stems and discard.

For the beets
In a small sauce pan, bring water, sugar, 1 1/2 Tbl salt, and 1 Tbl freshly ground pepper to a boil.  Wash and peel the beets.  Using a mandolin, slice beets into thin disks.  Add beets to the pot and cook for 3 minutes.  Turn off heat and allow beats to remain in the hot liquid for an additional 2 minutes.  Strain beets and separate them to dry completely.

For the tarts
Preheat oven to 400. Defrost puff pastry according to directions.  On a lightly floured board, cut pastry into four rectangles and roll out into approximately 5" by 4" tarts.  Using a knife, create a 1/2" border around the edge being careful not to  slice all the way through.  Inside the border, prick a gazillion holes with a fork to prevent pastry from rising.  Place on baking sheet

Layer beets into pastry, slightly overlapping.  Each tarts uses about 6 to 8 slices.  Using a spoon, spread a thin layer of the onions on top. Throw those suckers in the oven for about 20 minutes.  Take tarts out of oven and top with your choice of cheese.  Return to oven for an additional five minutes until cheese has melted.  Drizzle with a SMALL amount of balsamic.  Serve with wilted spinach and beet greens or a simple arugula salad.