M's recipes Archives - Page 16 of 17

Posted by Meaghan Barry on July 25, 2010

Between Sister K and I, I think we are going to cook through the whole issue of Cooking Light for August. On Sunday night, I made husband M the Spicy Corn and Crab Chowder. He liked it so much that he requested this dish with lobsters over the requisite New England Clam Chowder I usually make.

If you are going on any weekend long vacations this summer, be sure to check out the magazine’s 1-Cooler, 1-Weekend Getaway feature. Both sister K and I really want to do this some weekend. We are going on a beach vacaction for a week together later this summer, but it will be for a whole week. I think we’ll definitely be trying out at least a few of the recipes in this feature though! And no, we do not work for Cooking Light- we are just obsessed!

-m

Posted by Meaghan Barry on June 12, 2010

Photo courtesy of msandman via the flickr creative commons license

Last Friday afternoon, we decided to invite some friends over for dinner that evening. I had no meal plan for the night for even Husband M and I, so I had to quickly figure out what I was going to serve our group. Fortunately, the Copley Square Farmer’s Market was open so I decided to hit it up to see what I could think of.

For appetizers, I visited the Crystal Brooks goat cheese stand and picked up a tub of their mediterranean goat cheese. For dinner, I thought out best option would be BLTs. I picked up a pack of smoked bacon from Stillman’s Turkey Farm, some first-of-the-season tomatoes from the Stillman’s farm stand, and two types of bread from Breadsong Bakery (Rustic Italian and Sourdough). I already had lettuce at home from our Boston Organics delivery. As an alternative to mayo, I like to use step 1 of this recipe for Cooking Light for the spread (I used the sage from my herb garden…my first harvest of the year!):

Mayo/Mustard Shallot & Sage Spread

I cut up the tomatoes and washed the lettuce and put them all out on one plate. I cooked the bacon in the oven on a baking sheet at 400 degrees (approx 15-2o minutes depending on your oven). I then used the broiler to toast the bread on baking sheets right before we sat down to dinner. It was a great meal to serve to guests as I could get the majority of things taken care of ahead of time (washing the lettuce, washing and cutting the tomatoes, cooking the bacon, slicing the bread, and making the spread). I was able to enjoy the time on our roof deck watching the sunset. (Pictures of our revitalized deck coming soon…I just need a sunny weekend day to take the pics and for Husband M to make a few planter moves).

For dessert, I decided to go with my all-time favorite- strawberry shortcake. I picked up 4 pints of local strawberries from the market (I can’t remember which stand I ended up going to, but there are 4-5 stands which carry them this time of year). I had some leftover buttermilk from another dinner, so I used the recipe on the side of the carton to make buttermilk biscuits. Husband M picked up some heavy cream from the grocery store on his walk home from the bus stop (as well as a can of ReddiWip for himself…nasty!) Before our guests got here I made the biscuits and washed & cut up the strawberries. I then mixed the strawberries with a half of cup of sugar…it looks like a lot, but it tastes so good and they become really juicy after they sit in it for about an hour (or longer if possible). Right before I served the dessert, I mixed the heavy cream up with the KitchenAid to make whipped cream. The process goes a little bit faster if you put the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the fridge for 30-60 minutes to get them nice and cold.

I really love the idea of skipping the grocery store and doing all my shopping at the farmers’ market. Not only does everything taste better, but I like to support local farmers and their awesome products. I have been going to the same market for a few years now (and grew up going to farmers markets in the upstate NY area), but it seems like it is more popular than ever. It would definitely be an interesting stat to see if farmers’ market volume have picked up at all within the past few years due to the green/local/organic movements. Granted, I did have to use some items that I had previously purchased at the grocery store and had to pick up one item that day, but I would really like to purchase as many things as possible going to the farmers market this summer.

What meals have you prepared using solely the market? Have farmers markets in your area become more popular recently?

-m

Posted by Meaghan Barry on April 10, 2010

While we were skiing a couple weekends ago, husband M’s aunt N made us a great chicken salad for lunch. She mailed me the recipe and I combined it with another recipe I found on epicurious to make my own version this past weekend. I also used the leftover curry powder mix I had mixed together for a chicken roti dish I made a little while back. It turned out a bit spicier than your average chicken salad, but I love spice!

Curried Chicken Salad:

Ingredients-

-4 split chicken breasts with bone and skin still intact
-olive oil
-salt and pepper
-1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use light/low-fat)
-1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (add more if you need to tone down the spices)
-5 tsp curry powder (see the chicken roti link above if you need a recipe for a good curry powder mix)
-1 tablespoon lime juice (approx 1 lime)
-1 tsp honey
-1/2 tsp ground ginger
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp pepper
-1 cup green grapes, halved
-1-2 celery stalks, diced
-French baguette

Directions-

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 40-45 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly. Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into the 3/4-inch chunks. Mix together the chicken, mayo, Greek yogurt, curry powder (add half now, and more to taste once everything is combined), lime juice, honey, ground ginger, salt, pepper, grapes, and celery. Serve on sliced French baguette (also very good by itself without bread).

-m

Posted by Meaghan Barry on March 28, 2010

One of the other classes I recently took at the Boston Center for Adult Education has been the Basic Cooking and Knives Skill class with Chef Lars. I took a couples cooking class at the Cambridge Culinary Institute with husband M a little while back, but I did not love that particular class (deadlines, did not know where anything was in the kitchen, people running everywhere, etc). However, I really enjoyed this class at the BCAE. While I cook almost every night, I have never taken a class in proper knives skills (by the way, it’s pretty funny to tell someone you are going to a knives class and not specify cooking…it sounds like you are trying to learn how to stab someone). I learned a lot of good new techniques and was able to modify my current way of using a knife to the proper way. Each night, we made some really delicious food. I just so happened to have brought my lunch in tupperware containers, so I was able to bring some extra food to an appreciative Husband M each night.

Here is an easy recipe we made on the night we learned how to cut up a whole chicken (something which I have done before, but not properly). I made this the other night and it was a very easy meal to put together. This recipe is pretty lax in that you can add or take away ingredients if you have them on hand or not.

Basil and Lemon Chicken:

Ingredients:
-1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
-8 basil leaves (cut chiffonade style …I know how to do this now!)
-3 or 4 green onion, sliced
-juice of 1 lemon
-salt and pepper
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-4 tablespoons olive oil
-1/3 cup white wine

Set the oven to 380 degrees F. In a roasting pan, mix the basil, spring onions, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and white wine (I just eye-balled most of these measurements as they do not need to be exact…I also had some chopped up Italian parsley on hand so I threw this in). Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Put chicken into the pan and cover with the marinade. Roast the chicken for 30-40 minutes based on the pieces (with my oven, it was closer to 45 minutes). Serve the chicken with the sauce from the pan. I served the chicken with grilled zucchini and white rice (which nicely soaked up the lemon sauce).

Once I finish my weekly digital photography class, I am thinking about taking Basic Cooking 1,2, and 3 as I learned quite a bit in the class and I imagine could learn a great deal more.

-m

Posted by Meaghan Barry on March 6, 2010

Living in South Boston, we usually end up throwing a St. Patrick’s day party for the annual parade. Over the years, I’ve tried out serving different types of food for the event. I’ve never tried making corned beef and cabbage, as that sounds like a truly terrible dish to me. I like to stick with brunch ideas as the festivities usually start around 11 or 12 on a Sunday. Here are some ideas:

-Make-Your-Own Omelette Bar: This is pretty easy to put together. Gather a number of small bowls and fill them up with things that people might want to put in their omelette: mushrooms, green peppers, tomatoes, spinach, ham, shredded cheese, etc. Also, in a large bowl, crack a few cartons of eggs and whisk together a large batch of egg mix. Everyone can pick exactly what they want in their omelettes and everyone is happy.

-Breakfast Sandwiches: Cook a couple packages of bacon in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. Put the bacon on paper towels to soak up the grease afterwards. Cut a couple packages of English muffins in half, put on a cookie sheet, and toast under the broiler. In the meanwhile, start cooking eggs sunny-side up. About 30 seconds before they are done, put a slice of cheese on top of each egg and allow to melt. Put one egg on each English muffin bottom, top with bacon and the other half of the English muffin.

-On the side, I like to make a large fruit salad and have a couple of pitchers of beverages. While most people stick to beer on St. Patty’s day, I like to make Bloody Mary’s and a sparkling pomegranate juice for the non-drinkers. In small cups, put limes, lemons, and celery for people to add to their drinks.

Happy St. Patty’s Day!

-m

Posted by Meaghan Barry on March 5, 2010

I have made two excellent recipes this week that I wanted to pass along:

1. Pioneer Woman’s Spaghetti and Meatballs– A pretty standard thing to make, but I thought this was the best I ever had. The husband gave it a 100 (very rare).

Photo courtesy of jsjw

2. Chana Masala and Garlic Naan– It was amazing. I may have to make this every week.

Photo courtesy of paul goyette

Happy weekend!

-m

Posted by Meaghan Barry on February 23, 2010

For the Super Bowl, I also made Guacamole (as did our Mom…I guess it’s a family trend). Sister K has a very good recipe that she has made for me before (for recipe, click here.) I was searching around for a new variation and I found this one by Alton Brown on the Food Network website.

Ingredients
-3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
-1 lime, juiced (I was out of limes and half a lemon worked just fine in this recipe)
-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 medium onion, diced (I prefer red onion for this recipe)
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (omit if serving for a crowd…a lot of people do not like cilantro)
1 clove garlic, minced

Directions

In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

A good trick I learned somewhere is to stick the avocado pits into the guacamole while it is sitting out. Remove them before serving. In addition to the lime/lemon juice, this prevents the guacamole from browning.

-Sister M

Posted by Meaghan Barry on February 22, 2010

Following my belated Valentine’s Day dinner, I made Molten Chocolate Cake for dessert. Although it sounds intimidating to make (and isn’t this the dessert you have to pre-order before your meal at most restaurants?!), it was actually pretty easy to make. I got this recipe from the blog Closet Cooking:

Molten Chocolate Cake

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
3 egg whites

Directions:
1. Lightly grease 4 ramekins with butter.
2. Melt the chocolate into the butter in a double boiler and let cool a bit.
3. Beat the egg yolks and sugar and mix into the chocolate.
4. Beat the egg whites in a bowl until they form soft peaks.
5. Fold the chocolate into the egg whites.
6. Pour the batter into the ramekins, no more than 2/3rds full.
7. Bake in a preheated 400F oven for 7-10 minutes. The outside will be set and possibly crack and the inside will still be liquid.
8. Let cool for a few minutes and then run a knife around the edges and tip onto a plate. (Optional; Feel free to eat it right out of the ramekin with a spoon.)

I sifted a little powdered sugar on top and ate it straight from the ramekin (I think this was the first time I have actually even used my ramekins!) Husband M recommends adding a couple raspberries to the top as well.

-Sister M

Posted by Meaghan Barry on February 21, 2010

I finally got around to making a special Valentine’s Day dinner, albeit about a week late (last Sunday, neither one of us felt like going grocery shopping and we just ended up getting Indian take-out). For starters, I made hummus, toasted pita chips, and warm olives with za’atar. For the actual dinner, I used Ana Sortun’s cookbook Spice (chef of Oleana…my hands down favorite restaurant in Boston and her husband runs the best farmer’s market stand, Siena Farms, in Copley Square during the summer months). I made the Seared Salmon with Egyptian Garlic and Coriander Sauce, Rice Cake, and Sister K’s Roasted Asparagus. The salmon was very good…it browned very nicely in this recipe. I made way too much of the tomato sauce as I forgot to halve the recipe. I did get to practice my new cooking skill of peeling tomatoes that I learned in my French cooking class. Basically, you cut off the top, cut an x from top to bottom of the tomato and place in boiling water for 1 minute. Put in an ice bath afterwards and the peel practically falls off. The rice cake were delicious…scoops of rice that get a great crusty top when you cook them and then bake them. Here is the recipe slightly abridged for time for quantity (check out the cookbook for the full recipe):

Rice Cakes:

Ingredients
-1 cup basmati rice
-2 eggs
-1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tblsp canola oil
-1 tsp butter

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add rice and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the rice and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Preheat over to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the yogurt until smooth. Stir in rice and season with salt.

Heat a medium ovenproof saute pan over high heat and add oil and butter. Once the butter is brown, scoop the rice in 1/2 cup measuring container and drop into pan (should make 4-6 scoops). Cook over medium heat until the bottoms brown (around 6-10 minutes). Place this pan in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. The bottoms should have a nice crust and the tops should still be soft. Serve with the crust side up.

I thought this made a great side dish and was not very difficult to make. I am definitely going to make this one again.

-Sister M

Posted by Meaghan Barry on January 31, 2010

This weekend was a pretty fun and productive one! We went out to dinner in Cambridge with another couple on Friday night at a French-Cambodian restaurant called the Elephant Walk. They are expecting a baby in May so it was fun to catch up with them on their big news. Saturday, we went to a paper supply store (Xpedx) to get some additional supplies for my letterpress. Who knew there were so many kinds of paper out there! While we in the ‘burbs, we also decided to do some stocking up at Costco. On Saturday evening, we went out for Mr. M’s uncle’s surprise 70th birthday party at a really cute restaurant in Harvard Square named Upstairs on the Square. Today, we headed over to the Whole Foods in Cambridge to stock up on groceries for the week (we spent a lot of time in Cambridge this weekend come to think of it).

I sat down this morning and mapped out the menu for the week. I may not get to making all of these dishes as we tend to order take-out or go out if work is particularly busy or I just don’t feel like cooking one night. It does feel good to have a game plan going into the week and being able to get all the groceries ahead of time so there is one less errand to run after work. I bought a lot of meat at Costco so this week’s menu is a bit more meat-intensive than normal:

Sunday: Rosemary-roasted rack of lamb with roasted cherry tomatoes (recipe from Bon Appetit Fast Fresh Easy)
Monday: Beef Medallions with Cognac Sauce with a side salad (recipe from Bon Appetit Fast Fresh Easy)
Tuesday: Shrimp & Scalli0n Stir Fry with Basmati Rice (Martha Stewart Everyday Jan/Feb ’10 issue)
Wednesday: Spiced Pork Tenderloin with side of steamed green beans (recipe from Bon Appetit Fast Fresh Easy)
Thursday: Curried Cauliflower with Chickpeas (Boston Organics e-mail)
Friday: Moroccan Chicken with Green Olives and Lemon with a side of couscous (Bon Appetit May 2009…this recipe is amazing!)
Saturday: Pizza Night or go out to a restaurant
Sunday: SUPER BOWL SUNDAY! Bourbon-Glazed Chicken Drumettes with Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce (Bon Appetit Feb ’10 issue…if you are still looking for Super Bowl snack ideas, check out this issue’s Super Bowl section. The recipes all look really good!), Veggies and dip, Homemade Chex mix (so gourmet!)

-M