SoGood.TV: Cooking With HJ

Video Recipe: Orange Olive Oil Cake with Dark Chocolate Sauce

Butter for pan
1 tablespoon orange zest 
1/2 cup orange juice 
2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (0% or 2%)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour 
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cream
6 ounces dark chocolate chips
¼ cup agave
1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar
orange slices and berries for garnish

Heat oven to 325°F. Butter a 9” cake pan, line bottom with circle of parchment and butter over parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk zest, juice, yogurt, eggs, olive oil and vanilla until well combined. Then in a large bowl, sift and stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add wet ingredients into dry ingredients and gently mix. Pour into cake pan and bake until a wooden skewer, when poked in the center, comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool on a rack. Turn out onto a cake platter.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan heat cream to a slow simmer. Add chocolate chips, turn off heat and then let sit for 10 minutes. Gently stir until smooth. Stir in agave.  Pour chocolate sauce over cooled cake, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and garnish with oranges and berries.

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Video Recipe: Potato Gateau

4 russet potatoes, about 3 pounds
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/3 cups plain Greek yogurt (0% or 2%) 
2 tablespoons chopped chives
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350°F. Scrub potatoes, dry and prick skin with knife in several places. Place potatoes directly on the oven rack. Bake until soft and cooked through about 40 minutes. Allow potatoes to cool slightly and peel the skins with a paring knife. Place potatoes in a shallow bowl, and break into smaller 1 inch pieces using the side of a spoon. Take care not to mash the potatoes, though a few can be broken into smaller pieces. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in an oven safe pan, heat olive oil and butter. Once the butter ceases to foam, add potatoes, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Toss gently but thoroughly so flavors combine, but the potatoes do not completely break down. 

Press potato mixture into the skillet to create a “cake” and let cook on medium high heat until the edges begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Place pan under broiler until top of cake browns lightly, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix yogurt, chives, salt and pepper.  Remove pan from oven, cover with platter, serving side down, and flip to release potato “cake” onto platter. Smooth the yogurt on top of the potatoes, slice into wedges and serve immediately. 

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Video Recipe: Bacon Shallot Crostini

1 rye or whole wheat loaf of bread, cut into 2 ½ inch slices, 16 slices
2 slices nitrate-free bacon, minced
2 shallots, sliced, about ½ cup
3 ounces sliced mushrooms
2/3 cup Dannon Oikos plain Greek nonfat yogurt (0%)
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 350°F. Place bread on baking sheet and cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium high heat, cook bacon until crisp and browned about 5 minutes.  Add shallots and cook until softened about 4minutes.  Add mushrooms and cook until softened about 3 minutes longer. Add a tablespoon of water if the pan gets to dry at any point in the cooking. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine yogurt, olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread mixture on top of crostini and top with bacon mixture and place back on the baking pan. Return to oven to warm the yogurt topping, about 4 minutes. Serve warm. 

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White Cooked Chicken for Chinese Year of the Dragon

I got this recipe from the wonderful Kylie Kwong of Australia. Great chef, great recipes. Find her white cooked chicken recipe here. The only change I made was in poaching time. She says the chicken should poach for 14 minutes and steep for 3 hours. I never have 3 hours. So, I poach for about 35 minutes and let it steep for about 90 minutes to two hours. I have no doubt her results are spectacular, but mine birds are pretty tasty and succulent too. Enjoy!

 

Video: Salmon and Red Potato Hash

This hardly needs a recipe, but here goes. Use what ever leftovers you like or have on hand. 

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup leftover potatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh herb such as dill (optional)
1 cup leftover salmon, flaked into pieces 
3 scallions, chopped

In a large non stick skillet heat oil until it just starts to shimmer. Add potatoes and let heat through and  brown, about 4 minutes. Break up into smaller pieces if desired. Add salt, pepper and a favorite herb. Flake in salmon and let brown about 3 minutes. Add scallions, stir. Check seasonings, add a pinch of whatever you think in needs. Serve with other leftovers and a tasty lager (or seltzer!)   

 

Recipe: Flourless Chocolate Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake

This is a very basic recipe, but there are a lot of steps. Click here for the video, enjoy!

12 ounce package of semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces (plus some for pan)

6 large eggs, separated

¾ cup sugar, divided

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

 

Special Equipment:

SpringForm pan, electric mixer, two large bowls, rubber spatula for folding, parchment paper

 Heat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper or waxed paper; butter paper.

 In a heavy bottomed medium sized pan, stir chocolate and butter over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat; set aside to cool to lukewarm.

 In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and half of the sugar with an electric mixer until pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Sift in cocoa powder; fold in melted chocolate mixture, then fold in vanilla extract and salt. Set aside.

 Meanwhile, in a second large bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric mixer. Make sure the beaters are clean and dry. When soft peaks form, slowly add the remaining sugar and continue to beat until medium peaks form. Stir ¼ of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold the remaining whites in two batches. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake cake until it has risen and the top cracks, about 45 minutes. A wooden skewer inserted into the center should come out with some moist crumbs attached. Cool cake in pan on rack.

 With a small knife, loosen the sides of the cake then remove the springform ring. Using a plate, gently press down on the cake to even it out. Invert cake onto cake plate. Peel off parchment paper and dust with confectioner’s sugar. Delicious with seasonal fruit and a Moscato d’Asti.

 

 

Video: Mussels Mariniére and Chardonnay

Mussels Mariniére and Chardonnay

Almost a fool-proof dish, and very healthy. Low in calories, high in potassium and, most importantly, very tasty. Also flexible. If you don't have olive oil,  butter works. If you don't like fennel (though you must at least try it) skip it and add tomatoes, basil and shallots instead. I've even used red or rose wine in a pinch.  Whatever you do, don't throw out the liquid. Serve this with bread, the traditional "frites" or pasta to soak up every last bit.

2-3 pounds of mussels

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced thin

1 large onion, sliced

4-6 cloves of garlic, chopped

1-2 tablespoons of fresh chopped herbs such as Italian Parsley

3 scallions, chopped

1 cup dry white wine

salt and pepper to taste

Long gone are the days of soaking mussels to get rid of the sand, most are line grown and grit free by the time they reach your kitchen, especially if you get them from a great place like the Southold Fish Market. Be sure to rinse them well, however. You can gently rip off the beards if you find any. Make sure to check closely for open or cracked ones, those you can discard. Once clean, cover with a moist towel and keep cold until you are ready to use them.

Meanwhile, in a large dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add fennel at let cook about 5 minutes until soft. Add onions and garlic, cook until softened about 4 more minutes. Add a pinch of salt to prevent browning if you'd like.

Add mussels to pot with herbs, scallions, white wine, a dash of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir, cover and let cook until the mussels open, about 5 minutes. Discard any that are not open.

Grab a crusty loaf of bread, a cold bottle of Chardonnay (Paumanok Festival, 2009) and a big bowl for the shells. Enjoy!

Video: Tomato Toasts

Finally, tomato season is here!  Enjoy!

Tomato Toasts

The key ingredient here, of course, is seasonally ripe and delicious tomatoes. Use the amounts below as a guide, no need to be too exact. Absolutely nothing beats this dish on a late summer day. 

2 large and ripe tomatoes, yellow, red or both

1/2 onion, finely minced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon chopped herb such as parsley or chives

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 baguette, sliced on the diagonal

1 garlic clove, peeled

Heat grill (or oven to 300F.) Get two bowls. Cut tomatoes in half, through the "equator". Gently squeeze out seeds into the first bowl and discard. Chop tomatoes into a small dice, add to the second bowl. Add minced onion, vinegar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well, taste and adjust ingredients to your liking. Set aside.

Meanwhile, brush the bread with olive oil. Grill or toast in the oven until the bread is lightly toasted, about 5-7 minutes on the grill, and about 10 in the oven.  Remove and let cool slightly. Lightly rub cut side of garlic on one or both sides of the bread, depending on how much garlic you like.

Top toasts with tomato mixture and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Serve with a dry Rose. A delicious appetizer or light lunch.

Recipe: Arancini with Lemon Risotto (Italian Rice Balls)

This lovely dish does not require lemon risotto. Use whatever leftover risotto you have. In fact, with another flavor feel free to include a little square of Mozzarella cheese in the center. It gets lost in the lemon risotto, especially with the addition of pork, so I skipped the extra calories.  Simply use your pinky to put a little hole in the rice ball, place the cheese inside and then cover it up. Bread and fry as instructed. Cheers.

2 cups canola oil for frying

1/2 cup flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil

3/4 cup dried bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon salt

pinch of black pepper

About 1 1/2 cups of leftover lemon risotto

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons milk

diced leftover pork (or chicken or shrimp) about 1/4 cup

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Heat canola oil in a large dutch oven to about 350F. Meanwhile, set up three shallow bowls. Put flour in the first one, the beaten egg with 1/2 tablespoon of oil in the second, and bread crumbs in the third. Add a pinch of salt a pepper to each bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl combine risotto, meat, egg yolk, milk, and herbs if desired. Form small circles, about the size of a golf ball. (If inserting cheese, push pinky into center, add a small square of mozzarella, and cover.)

To Bread the Rice Balls.

It is preferable to keep one hand "dry" and one hand "wet" when breading in this method. Otherwise you end up with more coating on your hands than on the rice balls. (It won't be perfect, just do your best.)

So, with the dry hand, dredge the rice ball in the flour. Place in egg wash. With the wet hand, coat the ball in the egg wash. Place in the bread crumbs. With the dry hand, coat the ball in bread crumbs. Set on a platter. Repeat until done. You can do this ahead of time and place the coated balls in the refrigerator until ready to fry. 

When the oil is ready, place the rice balls into the pot. Stir to prevent from sticking. Fry until cook through and golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Place on a sheet pan covered with a grill or a platter with paper towels. Serve with a salad and a lovely dry Rose.

Video Recipe: Lemon Risotto

This dish requires a bit of patience, but it is pretty straight forward and incredibly delicious. Risotto can be flavored with whatever you like. Try thyme instead of parsley, and stir in a bit of shrimp at the end if you'd like. Be sure to save the leftovers for Arancini or Rice Croquettes. Totally yummy.

6 cups diluted low or no salt chicken stock such as Kitchen Basics
3 tablespoon butter, divided
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
1 leek, white part only, minced                                                                                                                          
1 1/2 cups Aborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesean cheese
Juice of two lemons, about 2 tablespoons
Zest of 2 lemons, about 2 teaspoons
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

In medium sauce pan, bring stock to a low simmer.  Lower heat to simmer.  Meanwhile in dutch oven, heat half of the butter and all of the olive oil. Add shallots and leeks, cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add rice, stir until lightly toasted, about 4 minutes. Pour in wine, stir until evaporated, about 1 minute.  Ladle in 1 cup of stock, simmer and stir until absorbed. Repeat this process until the rice is creamy and cooked "al dente," about 30 minutes.  Add cheese, remaining butter, lemon juice and zest.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add parsley, serve immediately.  Delicious as a side dish for sauteed pork chops or as a meal with a salad.